I have decided that old age is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life,
the person I have always wanted to be.
Oh, not my body!
I sometime despair over my body -
the wrinkles, the baggy eyes,
and the sagging butt.
And often I am taken aback by
that old person that lives in my mirror,
but I don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends,
my wonderful life, my loving family
for less gray hair or a flatter belly.
As I've aged,
I've become more kind to myself,
and less critical of myself.
I've become my own friend,
I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie,
or for not making my bed,
or for buying that silly cement gecko
that I didn't need,
but looks so avant-garde on my patio.
I am entitled to overeat, to be messy,
to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends
leave this world too soon;
before they understood the great freedom
that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read
or play on the computer until 4 am,
and sleep until noon?
I will dance with myself
to those wonderful tunes of the 60's,
and if I, at the same time,
wish to weep over a lost love.
I will I will walk the beach in a swim suit
that is stretched over a bulging body,
and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set. They, too, will get old!
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But then again,
some of life is just as well forgotten,
and I eventually remember
the important things,
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken.
How can your heart not break
when you lose a loved one,
or when a child suffers,
or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car?
But broken hearts are what give us strength
and understanding and compassion.
A heart never broken is pristine and sterile
and will never know the joy
of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough
to have my hair turn gray,
and to have my youthful laughs
be forever etched into deep grooves on my face,
So many have never laughed,
and so many have died
before their hair could turn silver.
I can say 'no', and mean it.
I can say 'yes', and mean it,
As you get older, it is easier to be positive.
You care less about what other people think.
I don't question myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question,
I like being old.
It has set me free.
I like the person I have become.
I am not going to live forever,
but while I am still here,
I will not waste time lamenting
what could have been,
or worrying about what will be.
And I shall eat dessert
every single day!

Tags: old age, happiness

Fountain of youth discovered!
Want to know the mantra for slowing down the aging process and living longer? Well, then here it is: cut back on those calories, that’s what a New Saint Louis University research suggests.

Calorie restriction has long been shown to slow the aging process in rats and mice.

While scientists do not know how calorie restriction affects the aging process in rodents, one popular hypothesis is that it slows aging by decreasing a thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3), which then slows metabolism and tissue aging.

Now, according to the new study, which is published in the June 2008 issue of Rejuvenation Research, calorie restriction – cutting approximately 300 to 500 calories per day – has a similar biological effect in humans and, therefore, may slow the aging process.

“Over recent years, there has been a huge amount of debate about whether calorie restriction slows the aging process in humans,” said Edward Weiss, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences and lead author of the study.

“Our research provides evidence that calorie restriction does work in humans like it has been shown to work in animals. The next step is to determine if this in fact slows age-related tissue deterioration. The only way to be certain, though, is to do a long-term study,” he added.

In the study, Weiss wanted to know if calorie reduction would lower T3 levels in humans. To determine if the lowered levels of T3 were a result of calorie restriction and not decreases in fat mass in general, Weiss also recruited volunteers to lose weight through exercise.

Study volunteers included sedentary, non-smoking, 50- to 60- year-old men and post-menopausal women with average or slightly above average body man index values. They were in otherwise good health and did not have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease, uncontrolled hypertension and evidence of malignancy.

Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three groups – a calorie-restriction group, an exercise group or a control group – and followed for one year. Volunteers in the calorie restriction group lost weight by reducing their daily calorie intake by 300 to 500 calories per day. Volunteers in the exercise group maintained their regular diet and exercised regularly.

Volunteers in both the calorie-restriction and exercise groups experienced similar changes of body fat mass. However, only volunteers in the calorie restriction group also experienced lower levels of the thyroid hormone.

Although a long-term study is still needed to determine if reducing T3 levels through calorie restriction does indeed slow the aging process, Weiss says cutting back on calories is a good idea.

“There is plenty of evidence the calorie restriction can reduce your risks for many common diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” Weiss said.

“And you may live to be substantially older,” he added.

Tags: youth, calorie

Aging and food are related. Do you know that foods play an important role in helping to fight the signs of aging. Different types of foods have different nutrients that can help us to sustain youth. Therefore it is very important to watch what you eat to ensure that you eat foods that can help you look young and feel young. You can feel the difference by looking at your skin, whether it is smooth or with wrinkles. So eating the right food can help you halt the signs of aging thus making you look younger for a longer time.

There are many categories of foods. Surprisingly, there is a category of foods known as super foods. How do we define super foods? Super foods are foods that contain high amount of Essential Fatty Acids, antioxidants and fiber. However, super foods may contain one or more of the nutrients. Studies shown that there are particular super foods can reduce levels of cholesterol, lower the risk of heart diseases and ensure organs are functioning properly. The EFAs, antioxidants and fiber are able to provide sufficient nutrients for the body so that cells are able to repair itself and keep the digestive system healthy apart from erasing wrinkles.

Scientists have narrowed down the super foods to the top ten super foods that are proved to be fully beneficial. They are green foods, barley, acai, allium family, beans or lentils, sprouts, hot peppers, buckwheat, yogurt or kefir and nuts or seeds. These are the top superfoods that have high level of EFAs, antioxidants and fiber that are scientifically proved against all other types of foods in the laboratories.

Green foods have the power to lower the risk of getting cancers, lower the cholesterol levels and reduce the high blood pressure. Barley is the best source for fiber and it is useful in helping to regulate the level of blood sugar. Acai is full of antioxidants and EFAs. The allium family include garlic, onions, chives, shallots and leeks that have very powerful antioxidants for better liver functions. Beans and lentils are rich in antioxidants and have low GI. Sprouts are rich in protein and vitamin C.

Hot peppers on the other hand are full of antioxidants and also capsaicinoids that is anti-cancer compund. Buckwheat is not truly grain but it is healthier than rice, corn and wheat. Yogurt or kefir have live cultures that promote good health. Last but not least the nuts and seeds have EFAs to ensure healthy skin and is one the great super foods. These are extremely powerful super foods, otherwise they would not be in this group of super foods.

The good thing about these super foods is that they are not expensive and not difficult to find in local stores and supermarkets, thus you have easy access to all these foods. The price is affordable and it is all natural. To look good and feel young, you don’t have to waste tons of money buying beauty products that are chemically produced. So, you don’t have to consume poison to sustain youth but with natural foods you can achieve the same results and perhaps even better than dietary supplements.

So there you have it, the list of the top ten super foods you should be eating more in your daily meals while cutting down on the others so that you will look and feel younger, live a healthy life, have firmer skin, no wrinkles and definitely, no signs of aging at all. Best of all it is a natural way.

Tags: super foods, anti oidants, fibre diet, balaned diet, ideal diet

It may be that your whole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

At least you're not being rectally probed by aliens.

What if, at this very moment, you are living up to your full potential?

The more you think about things, the weirder they seem. Take this milk. Why do we drink *cow* milk?? Who was the guy who first looked at a cow and said, "I think I'll drink whatever comes out of these things when I squeeze 'em.

My favorite poem is the one that starts "Thirty days have September" because it actually tells you something.

Eat a live toad first thing in the morning, and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day.

Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away!

Do not believe in miracles, rely on them.

We all can't be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the sides and clap as they go by.

I don't have a solution but I admire the problem.

My ambition is to live forever - so far, so good!

Don't follow in my footsteps, because I run into a lot of walls.

Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.

Don't talk about yourself so much... we'll do that when you leave.

If you try and don't succeed, cheat. Repeat until caught. Then lie.

This morning I looked down at my unmade bed and decided that it was art in another medium and I should not destroy it.

If you can't say anything nice...come sit by us.

Know what I'm thinking? No. Neither do I; frightening, isn't it?

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.

Never say "OOPS!" always say "Ah, Interesting!"

This isn't burger king, you can't have it your way.

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.

Tags:

An attractive woman from New York was driving through a remote part of Texas when her car broke down. An Indian on horseback came along and offered her a ride to a nearby town. She climbed up behind him on the horse and they rode off. The ride was uneventful except that every few minutes the Indian would let out a whoop so loud that it would echo from the surrounding hills.

When they arrived in town, he let her off at the local service station, yelled one final, "Yahoo!" and rode off.

"What did you do to get that Indian so excited?" asked the service station attendant.

"Nothing," shrugged the woman, " I merely sat behind him on the horse, put my arms around his waist, and held onto his saddle horn so I wouldn't fall off."

"Lady," the attendant said, "Indians ride bareback........"

Tags: horse with no saddle, ride, red indian, lady

1. I haven't spoken to my wife for 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.

2. Marriage is a 3-ring circus: Engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.

3. The last fight was my fault. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?" I said, "Dust!"

4. In the beginning, God created earth and rested. Then God created man and rested. Then God created woman. Since then,
neither God nor man has rested.

5. Why do men die before their wives? They want to.

6. What is the difference between a dog and a fox? About 5 drinks.

7. A beggar walked up to a well dressed woman shopping on Grafton Street and said "I haven't eaten anything in four days." She looked at him and said, "God, I wish I had your willpower."

8. Do you know the punishment for bigamy? Two mothers-in-law.

9. Young Son: "Is it true, Dad? I heard that in some parts of Africa a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her." Dad: "That happens in every country, son!"

10. A man inserted an ad in the classifieds: WIFE WANTED. Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: YOU CAN HAVE MINE.

11. The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once.

12. First guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!" Second guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."

13. How do most men define marriage? An expensive way to get laundry done for free.

14. Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.

15. If you want your wife to listen and pay undivided attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.

16. Then there was a man who said, "I never knew what real happiness was until I got married; and then it was too late."

17. A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?" And the father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying!"

18. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was "Always."

Tags: husband, wife

Here are six reasons why you should think before you speak - the last one is great!

Have you ever spoken and wished that you could immediately take the words back...or that you could crawl into a hole? Here are the Testimonials of a few people who did....
FIRST TESTIMONY:

I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly,
'How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?' I turned around and walked back out and never went back.
My husband didn't say a word...
he knew better.
SECOND TESTIMONY:

I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls.
I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using.
After browsing for several minutes,
I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store.
He asked if he could help me.
Without thinking, I looked at him and said, 'I think I like playing with men's balls'
THIRD TESTIMONY:

My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts.
As we were looking at the display case,
the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help.
I replied, 'No, I'm just looking at your nuts.'
My sister started to laugh hysterically.
The boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away.
To this day, my sister has never let me forget.
FOURTH TESTIMONY
:
While in line at the bank one afternoon,
my toddler decided to release some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons.
I told her that if she did not start behaving
'right now' she would be punished.
To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening, 'If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!'
The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange.
Even the tellers stopped what they were doing.
I mustered up the last of my dignity and
walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow.
The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST TESTIMONY:

This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks.
What happens when you predict snow but don't get any!
We had a female news anchor that, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked:
'So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?'
Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard!
Now, didn't that feel good?
Pass it on to someone you know who needs a laugh
and remember we all say things we don't really mean,
so think before you speak.

Tags: testimony, balls, nuts

NOT A STORY BUT A
TRUE INCIDENT



An Indian man walks into a bank in
New York City and asks for the loan officer.
He tells the loan officer that he is going to India on business
for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000.

The bank officer tells him that the bank
will need some form of security for the loan,
so the Indian man hands over the keys
and documents of new Ferrari parked
on the street in front of the bank.
He produces the title and everything checks out.
The loan officer agrees to accept
the car as collateral for the loan.

The bank's president and its officers
all enjoy a good laugh at the Indian
for using a $250,000 Ferrari
as collateral against a $5,000 loan.
An employee of the bank then
drives the Ferrari into the bank's
underground garage and parks it there.

Two weeks later, the Indian returns,
repays the $5,000 and the interest,
which comes to $15.41.
The loan officer says,
"Sir, we are very happy to have had your business,
and this transaction has worked out very nicely,
but we are a little puzzled.
While you were away,
we checked you out and found that you are a multi millionaire.
What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow "$5,000" ?



The Indian replies:

"Where else in New York City can I park my car
for two weeks for only $15.41
and expect it to be there when I return'"



Ah, the mind of the Indian...


This is why India is shining

Tags: parking, loan, ferrari, documents, security

* Maternity leave would last for two years...with full pay.
* There'd be a cure for stretch marks
* Natural childbirth would become obsolete
* Morning sickness would rank as the nation's number one health problem
* All methods of birth control would be improved 100 percent
effectiveness
* Children would be kept in the hospital until they were toilet trained
* Men would be EAGER to talk about commitment
* They wouldn't think twins were quite so cute
* Fathers would demand that their SONS be home from dates by 10: 00pm
* Men could use THEIR briefcases as diaper bags
* They'd have to stop saying, "I'm afraid I'll drop him."
* Paternity suits would be a line of clothes
* They'd stay in bed for the entire nine months
* Menus at most restaurants would list ice cream and pickles as an entree
* Women would rule the world!

Tags: men, women, pregnancy, leave, commitment, morning sickness

FEW QUOTES FROM LIFE.

Love is grand; divorce is at least a hundred grand.

Time may be a great healer, but it's also a lousy beautician.

Remember: amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.

Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.

An optimist thinks that this is the best possible world. A pessimist fears that this is true.

Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just stand there.

My inferiority complex is not as good as yours is.

I am having an out of money experience.

It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.

Tags: experience, questions, answers, optimist, pessimist, inferiority complex, track, amateurs