Autoimmunity?

WhyOIMMUNITY: It's Time for Truth; It's Time to Heal
One of the biggest frustrations in health care today is trying to help those with autoimmune disorders. While understanding and knownledge is growing every day...it's not therer yet.

When I hear of something that has helped people improve their health and their quality of life, I like to share it. And since I know Kathy (and have read her previous book), I feel comfortable in letting you know about her newest project.

Recently released, Autoimmunity: It's Time for Truth, It's Time to Heal is co-authored by Kathy Browning and Heidi Whitaker.

It's well known that our nutritional status plays a MAJOR role in our health and well being. We can heal ourselves and make ourselves ill. This book takes a fresh look at the question of what our food is doing to us.

We all know that we just don't feel good with certain foods. Which foods are really better for our bodies? Information on aging is showing that many of the effects of aging are due to inflammation. Kathy and Heidi show us which foods contribute to inflammation.

One of the biggests concerns I hear from women about eating healthy is not knowing how to do it, what to buy and how to cook it. Kathy (a very busy woman herself) solved that problem with the additon of easy to fix recipies and shopping lists.

Right now they are running a special on their book. When you purchase the ebook, you can get the soft cover book for only $10.00 more. I don't know how long this special is going to last, so do check it out now.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Rosa Parks 1913-2005

While Mrs. Parks was indeed an OlderWiserWoman, this post is very personal, telling you a bit about the personal impact this woman had on my life.

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Though I never met Rosa Parks I grew up with her and the entire civil rights movement. Yes…I was only 6 months old when she decided enough was enough. However, growing up, our household always had news of civil rights.

You see, in some states, my parents would have been criminals because they married. There was a time in our history, in the not to distant past that my father (like his grandmother) would have been born into slavery. Indeed, I would not have been allowed to ride a bus, drink from a fountain or perhaps attend the school of my choice. Only….I didn’t live in the south.

We lived in the west, where my parents had trouble getting married (WA and OR). A move to the more progressive San Francisco was still, in those days fraught with trouble. Certainly both sets of grandparents had difficulty in accepting my other parent. My mother’s family (for the most part) still has not.

Our household held a great deal of respect for Mrs. Parks as well as the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Even as a child, I knew that they were responsible for making the world a kinder place for other children like me. I knew they made it possible for my parents to be my parents.

During one of my trips to Atlanta a few years back, I visited the King Center (an amazing place). The life sized pictures of Mrs. Parks was almost like she was there next to me. The history is written for all to see, in pictures and in words. It’s a story that is sad, full of terror, and they bursting with hope. I cried. Hard.

I’ve never stopped thanking her, and the other women and men who showed extraordinary heroism during the Civil Rights movement. Because they gave of themselves, even when they were unaware of the impact they would have…my life, the life of my siblings and the life of all our children is so much better.

I feel blessed that in my lifetime, I’ve seen so many great leaders, that I have benefited from the gifts they have given to the rest of us.

Thank you Rosa Parks.

Namaste,

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen*#8482

Live Longer if you retire later?

Now a new study tell us if we want to live longer, we need to retire later.
Take a peak at this article and let us know what you think.

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By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- In what looks like a jolt to the American dream of retiring early, epidemiologists have found that workers who quit at age 55 face a significantly higher risk of dying in the following decade.

The study of more than 3,500 Shell Oil workers who retired between 1973 and 2003 found no increased death rate for those who retired at age 60 or 65, according to a report in the Oct. 22 issue of the British Medical Journal.

Shell Oil did not make available the epidemiologists who did the study. A statement released by a company spokesperson said the study was "part of Shell's routine monitoring of its workforce." Shell has followed its retirees for as long as 26 years.

Read the rest of the story here....

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Barbara c. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Books, books, and more books!

Many people have their own books…I’m getting there. So far I have the booklet, and we have two other books in the works. In the meantime, I’m a contributing author to the forthcoming Inspiration to Realization Vol II. You can see more about this by clicking the above link.

And speaking of books, we are still accepting stories from women (verbal or written) about growing older. Want to know more about it? Visit our book page on OlderWiserWomen.

And I have to give a plug for Andrew Weil's new book Healthy Aging. I’m very impressed from what I’ve read…he agrees with me completely! It’s nice to know everything I’ve been saying all these years is now in print

Enjoy...

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Boomers' Concern about Retirement Doubles from 2001

A new study, The MetLife Survey of American Attitudes Toward Retirement: What's Changed?, shows Baby Boomers are increasingly anxious about retirement.

Here are some facts:

-- Boomers are delaying retirement until they believe they will have enough money to retire. In 2001, they believed they would retire between ages 55 and 64. Today, the median retirement age is between 65 and 70. 60% would prefer to retire before age 65. 17% say they will keep working indefinitely, a 10% increase.

-- The number of Baby Boomers who feel retirement will improve their lifestyle declined by half, from 27% in 2001 to 13% in 2005, with 20% of women now saying they will have to scale back "a lot."

-- Baby Boomers recognize they are likely to need some form of long-term care, but they have not purchased long-term care insurance. Many believe, erroneously, that government programs will pay for their long-term care needs.

You can read more of the article here.

OlderWiserWomen™ would love to know your thoughts on this and other financial issues affecting women. We've posted a poll on the OlderWiserWomenForum. Let us know your thoughts so we can bring you information that is important to YOU.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Great Wise Women

Are you familiar with the National Women’s Hall of Fame?

Established in 1969, their mission is:

"To honor in perpetuity these women, citizens of the United States of America whose contributions to the arts, athletics, business, education, government, the humanities, philanthropy and science, have been the greatest value for the development of their country."©

This year’s inductees are:

• Betty Bumpers - Former first lady of Arkansas, health and peace advocate
• Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton - first First Lady ever to be elected to the United States Senate and NY State’s first woman senator
• Dr. Rita Rossi Colwell - first woman and first biologist to head the National Science Foundation
• Maya Y. Lin - architectural designer Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, and other commemorative installations.

Six historically distinguished women will be honored posthumously. They are:

• Florence Ellinwood Allen
  
• Ruth Fulton Benedict
  
• Mother Marianne Cope
  
• Patricia Locke
  
• Blanche Stuart Scott
  
• Mary Burnett Talbert

If you are looking for women to inspire you, take a look at the names of the women who are in the hall of fame…what a dream team!


Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Women redefine retirement

What do you think of when you hear the word, “retirement?” Time spent traveling or gardening? Not so, says the next generation of retiring women. In actuality, many women are rethinking retirement and proving the traditional scenarios of leisurely playtime or relaxing downtime obsolete.

Retirement is being reinvented by many women, particularly by those in the baby boomer generation who are nearing traditional retirement age in the next few years, as a time to remain active and pursue other life goals, such as a second career.

Continue reading...

Tell us what you think about retirment, leave your comment below.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™