The Fight Of My Life Starts Now!

Courage is the opposite of fear. When we look at other people in their 40s, we wonder how some seem to have aged with grace, while others are looking like their in their 50s. A stress and anxiety-ridden life is exhausting. We need to fight it before it happens.

Today, rather than when it’s too late --- we have to wage a war on the stress and anxiety that hinder us from aging beautifully. When we live in constant fear, we are always a step closer to disease.

Here are a couple of things you could do:

When it’s all too much, stop.

Rather than let the mind become overwhelmed, fight it before it happens. When the mind is feeling like its on overload, it’s time to step back, regroup, rather than power on through for stress and anxiety to step in, leave some room for clear thought. Take a few long, deep breaths – it slows down the heart rate, and relaxes you. Also, let out a sigh --- this is the body’s way of letting itself know that everything’s okay.

Feel good.

When you’re overwhelmed, and you feel horrible, stress and anxiety steps in, which only robs us of precious energy in the body while doing some harm. Fight it before it happens --- engage in some physical activity --- tap your feet under your desk, take a brisk walk, or jog even for a couple of minutes. Physical activity produces endorphins, or feel-good chemicals, which help fight stress and anxiety.

Be realistic.

We don’t need to imagine the worst possible scenario all the time --- this only leads to unwanted stress and anxiety, so we need to fight it before it happens. Rather than predict outcomes that are impossible to see, just let things be. Perform a realistic assessment on whether a situation can do a turn for the better.

Be kind, love yourself.

If a situation doesn’t pan out as you thought it would, let it go. Rather than feel stress and anxiety over things that you can’t change, throw it out and move on. There’s no reason to feel bad about a bad situation, unless you’re holding on to the feeling. Think about it, when you think about negative memories, your physiological state starts feeling bad. Fight it before it happens --- let the bad things go. Forgive your opponents, (real or perceived) and forgive yourself. When you look at the negative side of things, you tend to forget about the good stuff --- you’re a champ in your prime, waging a full-scale war on stress and anxiety, and shouldn’t that be enough to make you love yourself?

How The First 40 Years Of Life Will Impact The Rest Of Your Years

Life doesn’t end when you turn 40 --- unless you want to think of it that way.

There are things in your life that you will learn the hardest possible way --- and you’ll carry that for the rest of your life. It starts from the way you were raised … ‘til the day you pass. Here are a couple of ways on how your first 40 years of life will impact the rest of your years.

Better, faster, stronger – You know better --- less and less things excite you. You tend to see the patterns of relationships, businesses. It’s like gaining a brand new sensory organ. It should help you avoid common pitfalls, or ‘rookie mistakes.’ The downside is … you’d have to find new things that you won’t be able to predict --- a life of knowing is a life less exciting. Hence the life goal of looking for new things to feel passionate about. As you know better, do better.

Honest with yourself – You might’ve gone through a “hippie” phase, an 80’s phase, the 90’s attitude phase and the 00’s technological upgrade --- but you know yourself better now. In your teens, trying to fit in was the reason for undergoing phases, and it might’ve affected how you are now as a person, but in your 40s? It’s like you’ve made it --- you’ve got nothing more to prove. You tend to find out who you really are. Being honest with yourself means you could then become honest to the people around you --- especially the lucky ones who stick even after finding your ‘true’ self.

Fearless – You’re a champ! Monsters under the bed might’ve frightened you as a 10-year old, but you know that it isn’t true. Your child getting into a squabble with other kids? That used to petrify you, but not anymore! (Not that it’s a good thing to get used to kids getting sent to the principal’s office) You can try hang-gliding, or rock climbing without it scaring you anymore.

Faith – No matter your religious belief, you’re gonna have to raise your children on a foundation of faith. If you lived a moderately religious life, it’ll teach you to be grateful for what you have in the present. Nothing wrong about being grateful, right?

Become dependable – Growing up, you may have depended on people to help you on several occasions --- it will have taught you the importance of helping and being helped. Now that you’ve made something of yourself, it’s time to give back and be dependable to those who look up to you.

How Do I Find Out If I Have A Disease?

There are dozens of serious diseases that often go unnoticed, even by the people who are closest to us. But what if we, ourselves start doubting our own well-being?

The phrase “better safe than sorry” comes to mind --- would you, dart off to the nearest hospital and get yourself checked up over nothing, or would you rather wait it out and have potential serious diseases do more damage in time?

Now that we’re over our 40s, something as minor as a discoloration, a headache or a sensation of sharp, sudden, immediately-disappearing pain could be indicators for serious diseases. But what could you do? Wait it out to get either better, or worse, or take up somebody’s time?

Here are a couple of ways to find out if you have a serious disease. The big three for people who are in their 40s:

Alzheimer’s Disease

A form of dementia, this serious illness starts off as absent-mindedness. This happens because of the natural aging process --- it also changes a person’s mental functions. Do you notice yourself forgetting more and more things frequently? Have you suddenly become moody? Couple that with light disorientation and feeling generally irritable, and you might have Alzheimer’s.

Heart Disease

This is in general --- the symptoms that are common in a number of serious diseases that are classified as heart disease. Do you feel extraordinarily fatigued, even if you haven’t done much during the day? Do you feel a sudden tightness in your chest? Do you sometimes have trouble breathing? Are you a smoker/drinker/unhealthy eater? If you answered “yes” in 4 of the last questions, then you may have heart disease. If you answered “yes” to 2-3 symptoms, then it’s time to let go of some bad habits, and actively seek out a healthier change.

Macular Degeneration

This affects the eyes. Along with the heart, the eyes are affected by the aging process. When you squint as hard as you can and is still unable to read the fine-print on anything, or, when you have blood-shot eyes even after a full night’s rest --- it’d be time to see a specialist --- one of a number of serious diseases could make your eyes permanently blurry, or damaged.

Bottom line is --- it shouldn’t matter if you prefer to go to the hospital if you’ve got even the faintest suspicion that you have one of the serious diseases --- doctors and nurses and hospitals are employed to look after the welfare of their patients, and should there be a consultation/check-up fee, it’d be a small price to pay for what might go wrong down the road.

Happy Holidays!

The whole family will be here at home this year. Isn't that something? At 43, I have everything I've ever wanted, and now I get to look forward to more new things. To all readers here, thank you for supporting my desire for health for all.

Looking forward to life with you guys next year. Happy Holidays!

Staying Young

When I was around my 20’s, my dad would always try to fit in our generation and I always hated it. I would tell him, “Dad, it doesn’t fit you!” or “Dad, come on! Act your age!” Don’t you just hate it when he says, “yeah baby!” or “What’s up dawg?” Yes, my dad used those phrases. But in some way, my friends say my dad is cool because he knows how to use the computer very well in comparison to other people who are just about his age.

He would know how to use ROFLMAO not just plain “haha” or “LOL”. He would know how to search and download torrents. He has social networking accounts like myspace, facebook, multiply and friendster! I only have a multiply account, for your info.

Now that I am older, I realize his effort of stooping down to our generation to try and stay young. There are other ways to stay young other than trying to think young.

The advancement of science in our generation gives us several chances to feel young, look young and be young. One way is the unnatural way. Plastic surgery and other medical procedures are now normal but is not a good and natural way to look young. Besides, these procedures cost a lot that you might get old faster because of the amount o money you will spend.

What you must do is always exercise your brain. A stagnant brain will rust easily. Don’t just stare at the television and try creating a profession out of being a potato couch. Without using your brain, your memory will worsen.

While exercising your brain, also exercise physically, constantly. Make no excuses! To try help you with all those activities, try taking vitamins to ensure you get what you need to have the strength to exercise and memory to think analytically. Taking vitamins is a support only and should not be relied on to have a healthy lifestyle. It’s a very good start though.

7 Risk Factors That Are Killing Your Heart

“How at risk am I?” That’s the question you should be asking yourself on a daily basis. There are three major risk factors that cannot be changed --- age, gender and heredity. If you are older than 40, belong to the male gender or have someone in your family suffer heart problems, you are more at risk of a coronary heart disease.

How at risk is that? Let’s say that’s 30% of a heart disease … and that’s assuming that you are at 100% health, adding more risk factors would increase that risk and put your life in danger.

Here’s a list of the 7 risk factors that are killing your heart --- for each one you have, add 10% to the 30% you already have.

Smoking – Smokers tend to have 2-4 times the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease as compared to people who are non-smokers. Exposure to the poisons of smoke can increase the risk factor of a non-smoker, even.

High blood cholesterol – The percentage of blood cholesterol that a person has is directly proportional to the added risk he’s putting on his life. This can also be affected by age, gender and heredity.

High blood pressure – Not to be confused with blood cholesterol, a higher blood pressure increases the workload of the heart, making for a more dangerous living.

Too much alcohol – Fun fact: moderate drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease than non-drinkers. Too much, however can contribute to obesity, depression and/or accidents, which are also fatal.

Physical inactivity – A sedentary lifestyle is a contributor to heart disease. Participating in vigorous physical activity may even help curb the effects of the other risk factors, such as blood pressure.

Obesity – People who are overweight are twice as likely to develop heart disease. It raises blood pressure, and may sustain a diabetes in the long run.

Stress – Studies have noted the relation of stress to a person’s well-being. This is truly a risk, not only for heart disease, but for a person’s mental breakdown.

What was the total of your risk factor? “How at risk am I?” for those over 40 can now finally be answered.

What Are You Fighting For?

With obligations hanging over our heads on a daily basis, it’s tough to find time for what you’re really fighting for --- you!

It shall be noted that I will use the word “fight” throughout this entire article with it pertaining to image of the raw, survivalist instinct it invokes, not “fight” as in brawl.

We fight for someone everyday. When we stand up for an officemate being abused, or when we say we’ll fight for love, or, in times of desperation, there’s a fight for your life. But do you really have to be in times of desperation to fight for yourself? That’s what is lacking in most people nowadays --- a relationship with themselves.

When you think of yourself as a fighter, it means you possess enough inner strength and scrappiness to face tough issues ahead. Here are some of the important things to fight for:

Fight for your rights. According to the World Health Organization, "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being..." It is your absolute right to be healthy. Should you feel someone is hindering that goal, then it’s time to fight for your basic rights. If you didn’t know the basics about your health rights, then part of the hope is lost --- people may be taking advantage of you already.

Fight for food. Well, not literally. Everyone deserves a good well-balanced meal, and not live off on fast foods, junk snacks and sodas. You deserve what you get --- you should never, ever feel bad about spending for food. Not only is eating one of the most basic joys of being alive, it’s also our main source of energy, to fight for the next day.

Fight for the truth. News reports about the latest health miracle shouldn’t be considered the pure and absolute truth. Think about it … is televised news 100% accurate all the time? So what should happen, should they introduce health risks and hazards --- are you going to believe them, no questions asked? A feeling starts from signals from the brain. If you listen to your television 100% of the time, you’d be too petrified to leave your house, in case viruses were on the loose.

Fight for youth. When you fight for your life, your adversaries (the bad habits) are just one thing to think about, you get older too; Slower reflexes, memory problems, and a blurring eyesight --- is this what you want? Probably not. Rather than stay laser-focused on the issues everyone gets when growing old, why not fight it? Fight for life. When you fight aging, you are committed to making yourself better, not only will you remain youthful, you also ward off diseases that come from a lifestyle of excess.

There you have it. These are the things we have to fight for in our lives if we haven’t been doing so already. We owe it to ourselves to put a smile on, and fight for the new day.

Go to Over 40 and Fighting website now!

5 Strategies for the Perfect Over 40 Holiday

The holidays are a fun time for all --- and if you’re over 40, then it’s going to be sort of different. The kids are now probably in their teens and don’t look up to midnight with the same wonder, you may be concerned how much work you’re missing over the break, or, you could be feeling your age.

What can you do? Well, the description of the “sad” holiday above is how a pessimistic person might view the holidays --- and you’re not that, aren’t you? Your kids are lovable sweet little angels, your family comes first before work and you’ve never felt better! Here’s how you can have that perfect little “over 40” holiday.

Savor Every Moment – It’s a cliché, but are you spending the holidays looking at old photo albums, or thinking about older holidays? Remembering is nice and all, but a wave of nostalgia actually holds us back from looking forward. The moment you wake up from sleep --- before moving, think how lucky you are to be awake at THAT moment. Be thankful. This makes each and every “over 40” holiday even more special.

Go All Out – I think I can trace this back from my upbringing. No matter the circumstance, we would celebrate the holidays the BIGGEST way possible. A humble dinner with all your favorite meals would be enough. It’s not about being extravagant --- people deserve what they earn. You are over 40 and CAN provide for your family --- why not go all out this holiday?

F.W.F.F. – Fun with Friends and Family. You are only as big as how big people think of you. Think about it --- you must’ve been nice for a reason. It’s the golden rule: do unto others … etc. Think about your long-lost friends, or family you hardly get to talk to. Give them a call, or leave a note on their social network wall. (Yes, I did just figure that one out … thanks to my kid!) Do you still even send out holiday cards? Write a personal note to someone you’ve lost touch with, build a little group for you and your friends in your favorite social network; organize an exchange gift. Treasure your beautiful family.

Give – There’s this new “emotion” that’s being called elevation --- which is a glowing feeling, resulting as a reaction from moral beauty. Nothing can be more beautiful than to be giving. Encourage/teach your kids the beauty of altruistic acts --- and they will teach the same to their children. Give back by donating to a charity, or, in as simple a way as leaving a little tip for your house help, or the garbage man.

Smile – Be kind. Be nice. You’re over 40! You made it! Enjoy the holidays, from my family to yours.

Over 40 and Online!

It’s no surprise that I still make online boo-boos. I just turned 43 this year, and have just learned about blogging. Aside from blogging, I’ve learned (with help from the children) what’s new on the internet. Now I’m not saying that the internet isn’t for people over 40, it’s just that email has been, for me, the pinnacle of the internet --- and that wasn’t even half of it, apparently.

Aside from my newfound blogging/email knowledge, with help from officemates and kids, I’ve discovered a whole wealth of great services and social tools that enrich my 43-year-old life’s online existence.

Budgeting
I admit my budget plan before has been pretty simple --- keep 10-20% of my income in the bank, save for at least 6 months’ worth of pay in the bank, and splurging whenever I find something that the family wants. I was pointed over to Buxfer --- a finance application over the web. It helps you keep track of your spending, plus, it even syncs up with your bank … online! Whenever you do transactions with your bank, it automatically updates your transaction list. You can even set it to send emails for bill reminders, or weekly finance updates.

Pictures
I’ve taken literally thousands of pictures over the last few years. My family has a love affair with the camera, and it looks like none of us are stopping at any point. Which is why we all have accounts on Multiply. My kid set it up so my contacts are family members, plus, we value the privacy options in keeping the content exclusive for sharing tender family moments.

Health
I’m not the perfect healthy being out there, but I’m not unhealthy either --- for that, the wife and I are updated on the newest development in health via Over40andFighting and WebMD. The former being my foremost source of discussion with people my age, while the latter, just an overall health information website.

Friendships
I’m just surprised at how Facebook works. It was a blast getting in touch with my mates from school, and how each one have families, or are living far, far away now. The class bully added me up to be my “friend.” This is as surreal as how my online social life’s going to get. For my close-knit buds though, we have a group page on 24Ever, and the cutesy interface just doesn’t get old in my eyes.

Videos
It was a big deal back in the 90’s when I had my officemate set up a meet on an IRC server on a specified channel to get in touch with my family. (Or whoever got the instructions back then) Now they have video on a site called Vimeo? Which is much more immediate than lugging around a camera, burning the footage on CD and sending it out to family, hoping that nothing bad happens on the trip.

Well, I think that’s my range for my online life over 40. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what can be done online. Do you have any suggestions for what else I can do online? Kindly share a comment below to let me know.

My Battles With Daily Temptation

Everyday is a good day to be alive.  Not that the world becomes perfect overnight --- it’s just that the amount of possibilities is staggering.  So does the daily temptation.

Being a little older than some of my colleagues, it’s easier to see why things seem easier for me.  I know better, and that “last” bottle of beer?  I know it’s going to haunt me --- if not in the morning, but for months or years to come.

It’s easy to think back to easier times, when, after a day of solid work, I’d go thinking how a couple of bottles of beers, cigarette breaks or a heavy meal might do me some good --- but now, these things are part of the daily temptation I try so hard to avoid.

 

Alcohol – I never believe in alcohol abuse.  The alcohol doesn’t abuse the body of the drinker, but when the drinker decides to abuse the alcohol, that’s when things go horribly wrong.  Part of the daily temptation is knocking back a few after a hard day’s work.  I used to think that I deserve that shot, or that bottle --- but now I consider that I deserve MORE.  I deserve my health, for what lifestyle changes I put my body through.

Smoking – I tried it when I was younger.  My advice is, if you don’t smoke already, don’t even try it.  It’s a nasty habit that leaves your teeth stained and your hands constantly smelling like burnt excess.  Daily temptation is storming out of a conference call and lighting one of these up in the designated smoking area.  Most buildings have designated smoking areas that just make you feel bad about smoking, like an empty rooftop.  If that wasn’t a sign enough already, consider your health.  I considered mine.

Heavy meals – A good meal is something to be valued, treasured, even --- for a meal only happens once in your life.  But constantly binge eating only reinforces the bad habit as instant gratification.  It makes your body ill and makes you think less of yourself.  I can’t think of a time when something deep-fried or buttered isn’t a daily temptation, and I’m not bound to try and decode why --- I don’t want to confess these sins from a hospital bed, see.  :D

Detecting Diseases When You're Over 40

The body is an amazing piece of hardware. It performs diagnostic on itself, 24/7, nonstop.

The slightest difference in operation is usually a sign that something has changed --- and it takes quite a bit of looking into. Sometimes we fail to notice these signals, but they’ve always been there, helping us in detecting diseases. There are different means of talking about diseases, but this is more focused on self-checking yourself.

Here are some tell-tale signs that something’s wrong --- and hopefully you spot them in time.

Unexplained weight change – Should you have an unbelievable shift in weight, from either losing/gaining weight too quickly, it is a sign that helps in detecting diseases. If you’re on a diet, it could mean that it’s working all too well, and maybe a little restraint is needed. But if you’re eating the same volume daily and still experience a sudden shift in weight --- you may be sick. A suddenly-bulbous stomach could be an indicator of fluid building up inside the abdomen.

Paralysis, difficulty breathing, weakness, tingling, pain, numbness – Any of these could help in detecting diseases --- an underlying cause might be present. It could be signs of a stroke, or a heart condition that you’re unaware of. Think back --- did you eat a little too much oily food? Did you start taking new medicine? Consult your physician --- it could be high blood pressure, or a blood clot inhibiting blood flow.

Unusually black, tarry stools – These may instantly scare you, but before jumping to conclusions that it’s a cancer, black, tarry stools are usually from internal bleeding caused by ulcers. Do you get stomach aches when drinking milk or soda? Ask a doctor for ulcer cures, because you’d have to stop the bleeding first. After you get that sorted out, plan out meals that are lower on acids, and maintain a proper schedule for eating. There are also some antacids that act as a cure for ulcer, which thicken the lining of the stomach.

A sudden, sharp headache – In detecting diseases, sudden pain where there was none is a big indicator of a disease or illness lurking just under the surface --- a sudden sharp headache could be a sign of bleeding in the brain. Although very unlikely, brain aneurysms can happen. Getting that treated just in time could be the difference between living to tell the tale … and otherwise.

A lump – Never rule out a lump. A lump is, in detecting diseases, one of the most obvious signs that something has changed. Depending on which part of the body develops the lump, it could either be serious, or benign. Should you notice an unusual lump in your body --- consulting a physician is always the best option.

Should you feel like you are detecting diseases on yourself, remember to keep emergency numbers by the phone.

5 Most Common Age-Related Diseases

Reaching your 40’s is no easy feat; bad health choices, bad habits, bad diets aside, the potential for age-related diseases is the biggest hurdle of our age.

By the time you get to your 40’s, a headache isn’t just a headache anymore --- it could already be a symptom for some disease your grandfather might’ve had, and an afternoon’s rest wouldn’t entirely cure you from that.

For your pleasure (and our caution), here’s a little preview of what not taking supplements, not exercising and not eating right might bring:

Type II Diabetes – Have you noticed ants flocking around the toilet after you’ve just pee’d? Have you been gaining / losing weight unusually? Then you might have Type II Diabetes. When the body is unable to process the sugar and carbohydrates in food, it might be a sign to be cautious. Excessive thirst, urination, sweating, unusual digestive problems and your vision starts to blur --- might be the symptoms of Type II Diabetes. Fret not, if you are in your 40’s, it’s just the onset of the illness, and a visit to your physician is in order.

Alzheimer’s Disease – Is the most common type of dementia. It is incurable, degenerative and most often, terminal. Are you becoming absent minded? Do you feel disoriented a majority of the time? Do you often get mood swings? These are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. These symptoms are often mistaken for “old age,” but if you notice that your memory loss is too bad to ignore, seek a physician for an opinion.

Degenerative Arthritis – Over time, the cartilage in-between the bones break down, causing massive friction between the joints, which causes pain. Sometimes spurs or even a new bone develop where the cartilage used to be, these are extremely painful, and may even lead to a joint not moving ever again. Keeping a healthy weight in your 40’s can help ward off these effects. See your physician for the ideal weight for your age.

Heart Disease – Chest pains and shortness of breath are often tell-tale signs that something’s wrong with the heart. There might be blockage, or high-blood-pressure-dut-to-an-unhealthy-diet might’ve thrown your body off its balance. Exercise, supplements and proper dieting can prevent this.

Destructive Eye Diseases – These vary from glaucoma, to cataracts, but Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) progression is wildly dependent on a person’s nutrient intake. A supplement with the combination of Vit C, Vit E, Beta Carotene and Zinc have 17%-20% chance of slowing down the progression.

There are other, scarier age-related diseases that aren’t mentioned here, but all stem from a lifestyle of excess and lack of nutrients. Get some tests done and visit your doctor to confirm your deficiencies. Get that fixed and you might just find that these are the ways on how to help yourself.

Crucial Vitamins and Minerals for People Over Their 40's

It’s shocking that a number of people over their 40’s don’t realize how many diseases and conditions can be caused or even exacerbate by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

I mean, in your 40’s, it’s pretty easy to give up. It’s always easier to choose fast food rather than make up complicated nutritionally-balanced meals. This won’t be about making the best possible meal combination for you; this article is about how to help yourself.

Free radicals, when left unchecked, cause oxidation damage, which, in turn causes damage to healthy cells in the body. For that, eating fruits and vegetables are the best. They contain beta carotenes plus vitamins A, C and E. These vitamins are crucial in helping to keep the cells healthy. Take note of daily recommended dosages for your age on these three vitamins --- they’ll help you feel and look younger. When you stop cell damage, you reduce the risks for developing heart diseases and some cancers.  

Vitamin D is also important --- this is the vitamin that assists the body in the absorption of calcium. Rather than stay out in the sun to catch some rays of it, you could consume dairy products instead.

There are studies that have found that a lack of Vitamin K is linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Before you forget, grab a few leafy green vegetables to get your dosage of Vitamin K. These include: spinach, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Avocado and kiwi are also great sources.

Dr. Linus Pauling, two times Nobel Laureate, said "one could trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency".

As important as vitamins are, there are also several minerals that are crucial for people our age.  

Calcium --- as milk commercials would have you believe, it strengthens the bones and teeth and helps nerves function correctly. A glass or two of milk, or a bowl of your favorite cereal would give you what you need.

Zinc is also important --- it helps keep the immune system working well. Without zinc, the carbon dioxide outflow won’t happen fast enough to keep humans functioning properly.

Potassium regulates the body’s water balance and sodium. As anyone would tell you, too much salt is bad --- having a less than optimal amount of potassium can and will result in fluid retention, which is bad for the body overall.

There you have it --- the most important vitamins and minerals for people in their 40’s. As they say, prevention is better than –insert-cliché-here. If meal planning is beyond your means, try and get a health regimen figured out with a physician. There’re usually all-in-one supplements that help keep these things in check.

More info about Nutrition and Age-Related Diseases

Healthy habits for those in their 40's

When you’re older, you tend to realize that every feature about prolonging health on a magazine or television special almost always leads back to diet/exercise combo.

Old age may be quite a gift --- but along with that gift comes the many health problems and brand-new health risks for you. Proper diet and exercise? Those are a given. Here’s a few more tips that’ll probably double what you may consider to be “old age.”

6 Glasses of Water a Day – Six?! Wasn’t it eight? Water cleanses the body and helps the heart to function well. It wards off potential kidney and bladder problems. You’d have to drink at least six glasses a day, since you get 2-3 cups of water from your meals.

Take Supplements - Fish oils, alpha-lipoic acids and acetyl L-carnetine will help in maintaining your energy. 

Take a walk – Daily, if possible. Instead of starting up the car and wasting gas, try walking down the block if your errand is within walking distance. This light exercise reduces the likelihood of diabetes, cancer, depression and dementia.

Be happy – Play with your kids! Watch funny movies and shows. Getting angry increases the risk of congested arteries.

Visit your doctor – In our age, we should look after our health. We may feel okay most times, but let a professional be the judge of that. Follow any health suggestion / precaution by your doctor.

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Loud, proud and over 40? Here's the forum for you! > Over 40 VS The World

3 ways to make the most out of your 40's

Being 40 isn’t for the weak of heart. Think about it: your kids are growing up, your younger colleagues at work speak and act a little more cautiously around you, you tend to forget things, your eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be.

On top of that, you’d have to deal with how people react to these things like it’s your fault! Like you wanted the memory loss, the bad eyesight, the rebellious streak your kids are developing, etc.

Those concerns serve no greater purpose other than for you to stress yourself over nothing. If you raised the kids right, even if they rebel, they’ll seek the path which makes their parents proud. Your younger colleagues aren’t ignoring you on purpose, they’re being respectful; to which you can always ask to be part of their jokes, you might’ve picked up some by your 40’s! The health thing? If you live a healthy lifestyle, dieting, work-out, you won’t have to worry about that. What you should worry about? Being ordinary.

Why should you be? You made it this far, it’s time to make the most of your 40’s! Here’s a few ways how:

Create a Masterpiece
You might’ve had distractions before you got to complete that book, that painting or that sculpture --- now that that’s all out of the way, it’s time to make the world a better place after you’ve gone through with it. Not enough time? Try and start up a blog --- that’s what I did, and it’s a great way to release stress. Remember: when you make something, it’s a way of living forever; it might be remembered or referenced long after you’re gone!

Take Up Sports
Know what? If you’ve spent much of your youth playing sports, chances are, those old reflexes are still there, and probably at a more optimal condition than the rest of the people your age. If you’re not too sure, try running or golf. Remember to consult a doctor before trying a certain sport, like jumping off a cliff and hang-gliding.

Love Thy Family
Spend as much time with your family as you can. If ever you were a young parent like I was, and have made it this far, with family intact, consider yourself lucky. Make Sundays into grand family gatherings, lunch at your home. It’s a good way to impart parts of yourself to the younger members of the family.

Midlife Crisis Is A Disease --- Only If You Let It

We’re always at a crossroads. Depending on where you’re looking from, you’re either x-years-old or x-years-young.

If we have a so-called “mid-life” --- why are we flipping over it? Doesn’t it denote that there’s still half a life to live with? If you encounter midlife crisis in your late-30s or 40s, wouldn’t that signify that you still have 30 or so more years to make up for everything? “Life starts at 40,” you’ve heard of it, right?

There are three principal causes of midlife crisis: denial, blame and isolation. Midlife crisis becomes a disease Let’s take a little look at how this age-related disease could potentially damage the remaining half of a midlife crisis sufferer’s life.

Denial a.k.a. “No, I’m not *that* old yet!”
What is often denied is often true. You weren’t born yesterday --- literally. You’ve been through good times, tough times and you’re still alive, so why deny that? When a person is suffering midlife crisis through denial, he/she might as well be suffering from delusion. Usually a person in denial utilizes various extravagant means to keep themselves feeling young --- this includes trying to re-live “glory days” --- binge drinking like in college, spending thousands in cosmetic surgery, --- you get the picture. Denial is a disease in and of itself.

Blame a.k.a. “It’s all you’re fault!”
You’re always older than the minute before. Everyone continues to age, whether they like it or not; So why place the blame on someone else? When you barrage your parents for getting you born in the 50’s or 60’s or when you start berating your wife and kids because their hassles add up to your own personal stress, then you are indeed suffering a condition. Instead, why not own up to it? Take responsibility --- repeat this to yourself in front of the mirror “I’m old because I make myself feel old. I could feel young by engaging in age-appropriate activities that help me feel even more healthy or youthful.”

Isolation a.k.a. “Leave me alone / Kill me NAO!”
Frequenting an area of the house by your lonesome for long periods of time a day is self-destructive. Sitting out alone in the basement or garage will make you crazy. Think about it --- prisoners dread isolation; when you’re all alone, you think --- when you think, you tend to rationalize negative scenarios about your present or future. In your midlife, you’ve probably made some friends, right? Plus, family’s always there for you.

There you have it. Don’t let the symptoms get to you. You’re better than that. Now go and LIVE the following half of your life!

Does life begin at 40?

Why would life start from 40?

Haven’t you done enough “living” by then? Is it the reality or just another cookie-cutter statement spewed from the mouths of those who don’t know?

Truth is, the older you get, the more you know. You tend to see that life has a pattern --- not that it wasn’t always there; but the joys of youth tend to dampen its presence. To the young, it simply doesn’t compute that someone over 40 was young once --- they expect memory loss, vision problems, and other assorted diseases that, in their mind, is exclusive to a certain age range.

Time to bust the myth: here are the reasons why true living starts in your 40s.

Teen:
As a teenager, you are more concerned about the little things. The bully that was older and bigger than you, the opposite sex starts looking attractive, while at the same time, you felt like the hideous creature from the lagoon, with the breakouts and all. You start feeling like your needs cannot possibly be understood by your parents (though they’re older and they were kids once) and that attending the prom/the game/the party was more important than anything. You didn’t have any money, and you played by your parents rules.

Twenties:
Okay, so the breakouts have let up, the dread of defending your thesis is history. The amount of freedom you had was always outweighed by the amount of responsibility --- taxes, relationships and work is a juggling act on a tightrope. If you’re fortunate enough, you may get married, and have children. Or maybe you spend the rest of your twenties trying to be somebody at work or in a relationship.

Thirties:
You’re happy with a family. Your parents become a lot more frail, it’s your turn to look after them. Your time will be spent in PTA meetings, school plays and watching the game. Oh, you’re happy, no doubt --- it’s just that you’re living for others now.

Forties:
You have a whole lot more to care for, your kids are all grown up and can take care of themselves. The list of things that won’t surprise you anymore grows longer and longer. There’s nobody to prove yourself to anymore --- you’re still the same person, with much wiser thoughts. Maybe your body’s older --- but that’s no reason to stop enjoying yourself --- it took four decades but now you have all the time for yourself to discover what excites you –doesn’t that sound like the right time to start living?