55Living

55 Living: Our Latest Nutrition Reminder:

I do feel a little motherly here but have the urge to remind you to increase your fiber intake. Sometimes I just don't feel like eating vegetables because of the preparation. And now that food prices are skyrocketing, I want to cut back. We need 20-35 grams of fiber a day! That is a lot don't you think. Go to www.mayoclinic.com for further information on the subject.

To get enough fiber consider this: For breakfast a bran cereal and a piece of fruit like apple or pear; for lunch 1/2 cup recommended high fiber vegetable and a piece of bread/rice; for dinner beans/rice, more fruit and more vegetable. This is a general idea. Always seek the advice of your doctor before adding fiber as nutritional needs vary for individuals, but for most people, we need a certain amount of fiber for health.

And since we are on the subject of food for health, seek out ways to cut back on the grocery bill without cutting back on buying fresh fruits and veggies.

It is best to keep away from the inner aisles of grocery stores where packaged foods tempt us and may contain additives, colorings etc. They are more expensive due to the packaging. Buy bulk oatmeal, rice and grains (those bins at the natural food stores that sometimes seem hidden in the corners) to save money because you don't pay for packaging.

Visit a local food co-op and farmer's markets now that summer is upon us for those in the cold areas of the U.S.

55 Living: Makeup Tips for Aging Skin:

What does this have to do with retirement communities. Plenty! You will have more social contact, if you wish, and that calls for looking your best when you go out.

Particularly if you are just turning 60, you will notice a slight changing of your skin texture. This is not a happy moment, of course. We need to age gracefully, but we can also apply some makeup tricks to stay younger as long as we can. Here is a website that has some good makeup tricks. I just happened across it and thought I would share: www.beauty-tips-and-information.com and click on the category "Mature Women 40+."

Having nothing to do with the website, but I read the new color for spring 08 for lips is pink--any shade--for a color lift.

55 Living:

Neil Diamond Releases New CD May 6 2008:

The year was 1972 when Neil Diamond released "Sweet Caroline." For those of you over 55 you probably remember the year well--we didn't know then how great those times were. We purchased our first home for $30,000. and a large T-Bone steak could be purchased for $3.00.

I could get pretty nostalgic here but I won't because you know what I mean--we have followed Neil's songs ever since. Their titles always seem to come out just when we are experiencing the things he sings about. His songs have that personal touch and so does his newest cd. Entitled "Home Before Dark" Neil stated on the American Idol show (yes I enjoy the show) it is personal and "about his life." He then sang the first single from the album entitled "Pretty Amazing Grace" on the show and I was hooked once again. His voice seems even better with age (Neil is 67) and you can hear a clip on his website www.NeilDiamondHomePage.com. Enjoy!

55 Living -

Where to Find Best Resort Retirement Areas:

Along with reading the retirement magazines to find the best places to retire, include the travel magazines especially when looking for resort areas. They have articles on the new hot places, towns and cities. You can find the trendy places here. For instance, one travel magazine that comes to mind is Conde Nast Traveler and there are many others. Recently while reading this magazine I found some interesting areas I hadn't known about and ones I knew about that mentioned some good resort communities. Read some of these excellent magazines, in addition to my website, of course. (We have a new category for retirement resorts:) Retirement Resort

Seniors and baby boomers like to save money and especially at the grocery store:

55 Living -

Grocery Shopping: We shop frequently but the other day we had an interesting conversation with the grocery clerk worth telling you about. We noticed a large jar of pasta sauce for only $1.39--usually they are at least twice that much and up to $4.00..so we called a grocery clerk over and asked.

"That is a very good price, isn't it?" we said. "Yes," he agreed. Of course I asked why it was priced so low and he gave me the secret (I don't think he meant to).

Here it is:

Most grocery stores rent their shelf space. Whoever wants to pay the shelf space price, their product goes in the store. When the manufacturer decides they no longer want to pay the shelf price, they notify the store. The store then wants to clear the shelf quickly in order to make room for the next product that will pay the shelf price. They will reduce the product price a lot even though there is nothing wrong with the product.

If it still doesn't sell fast enough, they will reduce it even more. My pasta sauce that I saw for $1.39 a week later was put on a special of ten jars for $10.00. Now that is a great deal and I bought ten jars because I knew there wasn't anything wrong with it--not old.

Now many people are aware of this but here is something more. When you go grocery shopping, look for these unbelievable low prices and snap them up or wait a little longer to see if the price is lowered more.

I asked the clerk if all stores did this since he said this is the way the grocery merchandising works. He said most do but some don't. I believe he said Trader Joe does not but he wasn't sure. I guess that is why TJ's has so many different brands. They have a different merchandising method that keeps their prices lower. You can ask.

So I think this tip can save you alot of the green stuff.

55 Living: Art as an investment? Recently I had the privilege of discussing the world of art with someone high up in that world who was recently retired. We asked if art was to be considered as investment. They answered "No," and "Buy art because you love it..not for investment." "If you get it at a good price, it may become a good investment but any professional will tell you to not buy it for that reason."

How to get started as an art "collector?" My well educated friend suggested finding art pieces, and this includes furniture, lighting fixtures and other finds as well as paintings, in antique stores, and small shops as well as art galleries. For example, a favorite haunt of theirs to browse is in Sag Harbor, Long Island, where they have found some pieces they love.

And we found out that even though recently retired from their former job, they are not retired in our usual sense of the word. With so much knowledge that shouldn't be wasted, I was glad to hear of their enjoyment of an active life and doing much loved work such as consulting, writing and exciting projects offered from their connections all over the art world. Now that is what retirement should be all about. We would hate to think of all those years in the art world being a thing of the past -- these could be the most productive years.

A nice magazine to get acquainted with the art world is "Art News."

This is a bit lengthy article but very interesting for those who want to educate themselves on senior fitness. It is an interview at an assisted living community which describes the lengths the community is going to to keep their senior residents healthy via a Senior Fitness Program. Go here to read the article.

2 sites come to mind: AOL's Search Videos (or any video search site) (go to TOP 5 Videos of the day and see the search button there when you click on a video) .. its really fun to look up celebrities that are your age and hear about their lives, what they are doing, etc. You can put in a search for anyone..try Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds etc ..

Another site is www.TBD.com - site for over 40's and 55 living - can interact and find out how others are thinking about various subjects of interest to mature people..

Reminder: If you have been thinking about buying a CD (Certificates of Deposit) .. you may wish to do it soon .. the FED dropped the interest rate and this may affect how much interest you can get on a CD in the future .. it may go lower now .. make sure it is a risk-free CD and FDIC insured (I recently found a risk-free one from my local Bank of America but hurry offer may not last long and you need to make your own financial decisions concerning investments) .. check with your financial adviser for advice before making any decisions about investments..

Site: www.bankrate.com is excellent for giving current interest rates of CD's (and many other rates as well such as car loans, mortgages etc) .. we found that it is a good idea to check with your individual local bank as well for any specific offerings .. sometimes you may find a better interest rate than those quoted on Bankrate..

Bankrate also has some excellent articles and features .. See their very thorough reporting on their 2007 Retirement Guide (where they also quote us in a story.)

Another site I really like is www.dolans.com "Straight Talk on Your Money." A genuinely helpful site with tons of free information and excellent articles on subjects of interest to persons over 55 and money. Sign up for their emails. They don't come filled with advertising, just current tips. In fact, I like them so much, you can go there now. It will open a new window so you can come back here easily.

(We are not responsible for information you receive on other websites. Please always make your own decisions on financial and other matters.)

I had bought buckwheat groats from my natural food store and when I brought them home I didn't know what to do with them to make the flour for buckwheat pancakes. Then I had an idea. I put about 7 tablespoons of the groats into the coffee bean grinder. It made flour in just a couple seconds! I made in all about 12 tablespoons which made about 3/4 cup buckwheat flour. I then found my favorite homemade pancake recipe and substituted 3/4 cup of the regular flour called for with the buckwheat flour I had just made.

I then chopped up a red pear I had just purchased from the farmer's market and added it to the batch. These pancakes were delicious. I noted that the pancakes were lighter than regular ones and cooked in half the time (later read that the buckwheat does that). It was great to not stand over the hot pan for 20 minutes!

The grinder is not very expensive. And guess what--I started using it for other things as well. I wanted breaded chicken breasts and found I did not have any breadcrumbs. I put 2 slices of bread in the grinder and had breadcrumbs in 2 seconds--I then added some dried oregano and Italian herbs for flavor. Since I am on a low salt diet, I was happy to have pure and simple ingredients (a good idea for 55 living) with no added salt. I find oregano, by the way, to be a good salt substitute for seasoning.

Well, I am getting my money's worth from this bean grinder and its small size fits nicely on my countertop--store unplugged. Saves me money too using these tips.

Here is my recipe for what I will call My Favorite Buckwheat Pancakes With Red Pear or use your own recipe and substitute:

3/4 cups buckwheat flour (about 12 tablespoons of buckwheat groats makes 3/4 cups flour) (grind groats in coffee bean grinder until makes flour and no chunks left -- My grinder was Starbucks Barista--small and inexpensive.)

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons double acting baking powder

1 Tablespoon sugar (if you'd like)

3/4 teaspoon salt (I didn't bother with the salt)

1 egg

1 1/4 cups milk

3 tablespoons melted butter, margarine or oil--(I use olive oil)

1 red pear (or any pear--I washed it well and left skin on)

Beat egg into milk and oil. slowly stir wet ingredients into flour mixture, mixing only until dry ingredients are wet..add chopped pear cook over low heat in oiled iron skillet (or pan)..serve with syrup, honey, etc also good with fresh blueberries, apples, bananas etc--I did a blueberry/pear blending also which was delicious..Enjoy..

The apple in your fruit bowl may have been touched by many people on its way to your home, in addition to being covered with soil, wax and chemicals. Have the germ detectives checked any fruitbowls lately. That is why not only do I wash all fresh fruits and vegetables 3 times, but I have handy my fruit and vegetable spray. Using these cuts back on the amount of scrubbing necessary, too.

We need to eat more fruits and vegetables so I recommend getting either the fruit and vegetable spray form or the wash at your grocer. They are so easy to use. Just spray your fruit or vegetable and rinse with warm water. I like leaving the skins on my fruits and vegetables as much as possible to get the maximum nutrients. Check the ingredients of the product you choose to make sure they are "all natural."

They are formulated to help remove pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, dirt, wax and bacteria. As seniors age, they become more vulnerable to illnesses caused by germs, so it is a good idea to wash fruits and vegetables more thoroughly and these sprays help. Also, wash hands more often, too.

55Living: Diets: America needs more measuring cups. It's ironic that at a time when scientists are discovering more ways to live longer, scientists say people are getting unhealthier every year due to obesity.

There are over 66 million obese adults in the United States and the U.S. has the highest rate of obesity of developed nations. What is worse, we have over 12 million obese children. This does not include the millions of us who are overweight. So don't put your head in the sand. See the difference between obese and overweight here. CDC

My favorite diet book (and a gift from my slim, health-conscious daughter) is "Fountain of Youth," the Anti-Aging Weight Loss Program, by Edita Kaye. The book tells you exactly what to eat every day for 90 days. Does it work. I am now on my third go-around with this book, and it works for me. The goal is a twenty pound loss.

The book tells you how much you can eat and you must have a measuring cup to do that. Got me thinking. For example, I used to just dump the cereal in a bowl and drown it in milk. Now I measure it to 1 cup of cereal and 1/2 cup of milk. You eat less of things with fat in them and more of fruits and vegetables. I remember a time when food was scarce. People used the measuring cup more and they weighed less. Super-sizing everything is making us fat. Want motivation: this book is helpful for 55 living.

More diet tips for 55 living: Chocolate is my favorite food but I know it has a lot of calories. However, I have found out that if you want the wonderful taste and benefits of chocolate which is high in antioxidants go with cocoa. Cocoa doesn't have near the calories as chocolate. This has helped me during the holidays when I yearn for chocolate even more.

55 Living Tip: Slow down while eating. I learned that it takes 15 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it is full. This is the reason for eating slowly--so that you don't eat too much before you feel full. Try this if you want to eat less and for better 55 living.

The businesses are on the website also at www.treasuresof.com. You can go to the website and look up the state and city you are traveling to. The most popular categories for 55 living are accomodations, restaurants and gift shops but there is huge variety.

Call 1-888-557-9328-Ext766 for more information. Leave your name and phone number and a travel writer will get back to you. New 2008 books will include Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

55 Living: Theater Want to see a live theater performance free every night without going out. You can by going to www.kennedy-center.org and clicking on the Millenium Stage Performances. Every night at 6 PM. There is even an archive to view past performances from local and national artists. The Kennedy Center has hundreds of performances a year and many low-priced. Courtesy wheelchairs, large-print playbills and assistive listening devices are available. Enclosed, connected garage parking for those lucky enough to visit the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Read the fascinating history of this living memorial on the website.

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