Blog Posts by ThirdAge.com

Sad WomanIf you're in the minority of Americans who never gets a headache, read no further. But for the rest of us, we know attacks can be more than just a nuisance; they're often debilitating. Of course, there are medications to help ease the pain, but the best strategy is to avoid a headache in the first place. Here are the most common triggers:

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DEHYDRATION: This may be the most common cause of a headache. Your body is made up of roughly 60% water and requires a generous amount of water intake. Adults should be drinking about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day for proper hydration. Be aware that coffee and sodas are often dehydrating.

PAIN MEDICATIONS: Ironic but true. Half of chronic migraines, and as many as 25 percent of all headaches, are actually "rebound" episodes triggered by the overuse of common pain medications.

CAFFEINE: Even though caffeine usually helps relieve headaches, too much of a good

If you think you're addicted to chocolate because of its taste, that's only part of the story. Consuming chocolate – especially dark chocolate – will cause the brain to release endorphins. Why? Dark chocolate contains a chemical that your body morphs into phenylethylamine, which is the same chemical we secrete when we're madly in love. Make sure not to go overboard, though: you won't get any greater effect from eating several bars of chocolate than you will from a few bites.If you're like most of us, it's hard to resist the bittersweet goodness that is dark chocolate. And with Easter coming up, you certainly won't be able to keep yourself from indulging in a bite or two. Chocolate has long suffered from a bad rep, but emerging research has shown that there are significant health benefits to consuming small amounts. If you're feeling bad about your craving, check out what dark chocolate can do for you:

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Lowers Blood Pressure. According to a study from Harvard, cocoa consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and improved blood vessel health. The study found that dark chocolate containing at least 50 to 70 percent cocoa lowered blood pressure in all participants, especially those with hypertension. The health benefits are likely due to polyphenolic flavonoids in cocoa that have the potential to prevent certain heart problems. To get the benefit, eat small amounts (one

Youthful WomanMakeup artist and model Cindy Joseph, 61, has a mission. "I want to change women's anti-aging attitudes. I want us all to be pro-age and I am passionate about that," she says. "Why do we have to want to always look like we are still in our child-bearing years? Women's position in society has changed dramatically. We got the vote a hundred years ago. Fast forward to women's lib. Nowadays we are the equal to men in every way. Yet we still have in our psyche the notion that we are only valued when we are young. I want to change that."

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Cindy is really trying, and in a variety of ways. First of all by her own example. For years, Cindy was a top makeup artist in Paris and New York in the 1970s and 80s, working with well-known photographers and models. Then in the late 1990s, when she was 49, she was approached on the street by a casting agent to model for a Dolce and Gabbana campaign that was photographed by

Everyone knows exercise is crucial to health and wellbeing, but even the best of us may not feeling like moving a muscle because we're too tired, bored, or just so harried we can't get our mojo moving. The good news? There are proven strategies to counteract our excuses.

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Countless studies show meditating just fifteen minutes a day boosts mood, lowers blood pressure and creates a more relaxed view of life. You can make your mantra – the word you focus on - Ten years from now, if you still want to reach down and slip into your shoes, the best way to get there is by stretching today. Stretching not only promotes flexibility in your muscles and joints, but also relieves tension throughout your body, and even helps to develop balancing skills. Plus, stretching can prevent injuries by giving you a wider range of motion. Speaking of injuries, there are good and bad ways to stretch.

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DO IT AFTER EXERCISE: You don't want to stretch when your muscles haven't warmed up, because you could cause a tendon tear. That's why the best time to stretch is after you've worked out. It helps to relieve post-exercise sore muscles and lengthens individual muscle fibers.

STRETCH REGULARLY: Even if you're not working out, make sure to stretch every third day for five to ten minutes, in order to keep your muscles supple. If your muscles are particularly tight, you may want to

Woman Talking On PhoneA 2009 study by MetLife's Mature Market Institute estimated that seniors lose approximately $2.6 billion per year because of fraudulent schemes. According to no less an authority than the FBI, members of the "Boomers and Beyond" cohort are especially likely to be the victims of scams because those "who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were generally raised to be polite and trusting." Con artists are masters at exploiting these qualities because they know it's hard for the well-mannered among us to say 'no' or just hang up the telephone. We obviously need to toughen up, spot scams, and foil those who want to fleece us! Here are some of the most common types of fraud that target seniors, plus tips for avoiding getting swindled:

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The Grandparent Con

You answer the phone and the caller says he's your grandson. You're not sure that's really his voice so your instinctive response is, "Michael?"

Don't pay attention to all the media hype about how hard it is to buy and wear a swimsuit. It's a carefully crafted rumor that sells magazines and creates anxiety. After 40, certainly after 50, we all need to stop whining about swimsuits and use our experience and attitude to our advantage.

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First, stop competing with unrealistic movie star images, models, and your best friend who lives at the gym and has had a tummy tuck. You have more important things to think about than flawless abs. Instead, start celebrating at how strong, healthy and confident-looking your body is. and stop focusing on your belly, cellulite, flabby inner thighs and droopy tush. We ALL have these four things to some degree whether we're a size 4 or 14.

Here's what to focus on instead:

Jane GoodallJane Goodall, who celebrates her 78th birthday this week, has a lifelong record of groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in Africa. But all that began in a very small way.

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As a child in London, the researcher was given a plush chimpanzee by her father. Goodall loved the gift, but her mother's friends worried, she later wrote, that the toy "would frighten me and give me nightmares." Instead, it prompted a passion for animals. Today, more than six decades after that gift, the little chimp, named Jubilee, is still one of Goodall's most precious belongings.

She went on to think of the chimps she studied in the same affectionate way, and that's been both her strength and her weakness as a lifelong champion of these animals that are too often mocked, ignored or brutalized-and may be on the edge of extinction.

Today, Goodall's passionate advocacy for animals and conservations makes her