Aging Youthfully Is Our Choice

by Linda Franklin

We are all aging and that’s something we can do nothing about.  But, what we do have control over is how we age.

Aging youthfully is our choice.  In fact, lifestyle choices account for 33 percent of how old a woman looks.  Living an unhealthy lifestyle can age a woman’s skin by over ten years, an in-depth international study has just revealed.

The true damage caused by sun beds, smoking, not moisturizing your skin, and not eating enough fruit can accelerate the aging process – not by a little but by a lot.

Dr. Andrew Mayes, who led the study for Simple skin care, said: ‘We already knew genetics accounted for about 50 per cent of how old people look, but we didn’t know how much would be accounted for by their lifestyles.

‘Even we were surprised by just how much it was; both in terms of the number of years and the percentage.’

The study which was carried out over the last eight years involved women aged 45 to 75 in the UK, Spain and China.

Those who took part were asked a string of questions about their lifestyles including whether or not they liked to sun tan and if they were smokers or non-smokers.

Other questions included how often the women used moisturizer, whether they eat fruit and vegetables, how often they brush their teeth and if they have all their own teeth.

The research team also took digital images of the women which were then assessed for how old they looked to identify their perceived age and whether they looked younger or older than their actual age.

When they got their data the research team compared the perceived ages of those with good versus bad lifestyles.

They concluded the difference was 10.4 years. Dr. Mayes said, “The number of years’ difference was most staggering.  We had just seen some data out of a group of plastic surgeons in the US and Canada suggesting that a face and neck lift (together with eyelid and forehead modifications) could take an average of about 8.5 years off your facial age.

‘Then we got our data through demonstrating a saving of over 10 years. It’s fair to say at first we couldn’t quite believe it”.

‘Simply put; good skin health is about more than fancy creams and lotions – it’s about how we live our lives and how we treat our bodies and the steps we need to take do not need to be extreme.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there’s no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Stop Wrinkles Dead In Their Tracks

by Linda Franklin

You hear it all the time – slather on the sunscreen before you leave the house.  You might be delusional and think you are immune to the sun’s harmful rays, but skin cancer is very real.  And, using sunscreen is very beneficial for another reason near and dear to most women.  It keeps us looking younger.  Now it has been proven sunscreen stops wrinkles dead in their tracks.

A new Australian study has found the daily use of sunscreen significantly slows the aging of skin caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays..

‘This has been one of those beauty tips you often hear quoted, but for the first time we can back it with science,’ Queensland Institute of Medical Research senior scientist and lead author of the trial Adele Green said.

The study found that adults who regularly applied broad spectrum sunscreen – which protects against both ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays – over a four-and-a-half year period had no detectable aging of the skin. 

They also had 24 per cent less skin aging than people who used sunscreen less frequently, according to study.

The randomized, controlled trial, published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, is the first study of its kind. Previously, the only scientific evidence for the beneficial effects of sun screen on wrinkling was in hairless mice.

The researchers randomly assigned 903 adults, ages 25-55, to use SPF15+ every day on their face, arms and hands with frequent reapplication or to use sunscreen at their discretion.

Silicone impressions, or molds, were taken from the backs of all participants’ hands at the start and end of the trial to grade the damage over the four-and-a-half years of the study.

The adults were all aged under 55 to ensure the changes noted were primarily due to photo-aging rather than chronological aging.

The researchers found those using daily sunscreen were 24 per cent less likely to show increased wrinkling over the period.

Regardless of sex, age, skin color, occupation, skin cancer history, weight and smoking, everyone benefited from daily sunscreen use. ‘And the study has shown that up to middle age, it’s not too late to make a difference,’ Green said.

Any sunscreen stronger than SPF15+ might have had only a marginal additional effect, according to Green as SPF15+ blocks about 94 percent of ultraviolet B rays, which are responsible for sunburn, while one with an SPF of 40 filters about 97.5 percent.

And don’t forget this important warning.  Apply sunscreen well and reapply often.

Previous research suggested that sunscreen could lull sun-worshipers into a false sense of safety, and see them staying out longer in the sun.

‘The sunscreen has to be applied thick enough and in all areas to be effective,’ Dr. Thomas Ruenger, a professor of dermatology at Boston University, told NBC News.

Ruenger recommends using a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 20 or 30 and reapplying every two hours and after sweating or bathing.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there’s no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Women Unhappy With Their Body Image

by Linda Franklin

Did you ever meet a woman who was satisfied with her body?  I haven’t.  You think you are too big here, too small there, and whatever you do to look better –  it’s never enough.

But, how deep do these insecurities really lie and how much do they affect our day-to-day lives?

Dr. Bijal Chheda-Varma, a psychologist specializing in body image at London’s Capio Nightingale Hospital, decided to find out using the silhouette test.  She says: ‘The silhouette test is widely used among psychologists because it’s a very simple way to determine how unhappy a woman is with her shape’.

The women involved in the test were asked to identify the size they think they are from a range of body shapes, ranked from one to nine (with one being very underweight and nine very overweight).

Next, they were asked to pick the size they’d like to be.

The difference between the two numbers is their body dissatisfaction score and, with a little computer trickery, they were shown how they see their bodies compared to reality.

‘Basically, the bigger the gap between the shape a woman thinks she is and the shape she’d like to be, the more upset she is about her body. Most women tend to have a distorted view.

‘While men tend to be more accurate, the average woman is likely to pick a shape one or two points from reality.

According to Dr Chheda-Varma, body dissatisfaction in women is on the rise.

She says: ‘I’m seeing a growing number who do not have eating disorders, but even so they have increasing body dissatisfaction scores.

‘They often come to me for different reasons, like depression and anxiety, and it emerges that body image and food consumption are underlying factors.

‘From what these women tell me, it’s clear how the high standards they are setting themselves and how anxious the pressure to be perfect can make women feel.’

Ladies, what we do to ourselves is criminal.  You have to ask yourself why are you so hard on yourself?

. The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there’s no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

 

Impotence Becomes One Man’s Biggest Blessing

by Linda Franklin

Prior to founding Heart Open LLC, Michael Russer was a highly successful international speaker, author and columnist. Then in September of 2011 he began a year-long personal transformation that included a diagnosis of prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy, followup intensive radiation treatments and full-blown impotence.

He considers impotence to be one of the biggest blessings in his life. It made it possible for him and his partner to discover an entirely new approach to experiencing levels of emotional and physical intimacy that far exceeded anything he felt before.

Michael was on our weekly radio show, Powered Up, last night talking in great deatail about his fabulous sex life and it’s a WOW!!!.  I really urge you to listen to the podcast -  it’s an eye-opener. He told us that he and his girlfriend have to schedule time for sex on their calendars because each session lasts between 2 and 4 hours.  Yes, you read that right.

It is difficult for men who have had the radical surgery Michael did to achieve an erection, who can lead to all sorts of problems.  Because of this loss, it’s difficult  them to believe they still are still strong sexual beings capable of giving and receiving pleasure.  Men are conditioned to believe that intercourse is the end all, be all of sexual activity, but, there are so many other delicious ways to connect.  Women know this, men have to be taught.

The most important part of achieving satisfying sex is for the two people involved to have a strong emotional connection.  Without great communication, the sex never even comes close to its full potential.  Sex is not a chore, not a race to the finish, it’s a time when two people who care about each other delight in providing pleasure in a way that is loving and satisfying.  There is no goal you have to achieve – it’s fun with no pressure.

It is Michael’s personal mission to serve other couples who struggle with emotional and physical intimacy due to Erectile Dysfunction/Impotence and use his vibrant communication skills and his personal experience to share what he has learned.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says,”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest

Women Who Are Self Abusers

by Linda Franklin

Women are incredibly hard on themselves.  We don’t seem to comprehend that all that second guessing or picking apart every flaw we see in the mirror, is abuse. That self-inflicting feeling of not being enough is hard on us and causes all kinds of repercussions.

Research shows that women are generally kinder, more nurturing and empathetic than our male counterparts, but at the same time, we’re meaner, more dismissive, and critical of ourselves.  What does that say about us?

Low self-esteem is a killer. The need to see ourselves as worthy puts incredible pressure on our psyche.  It’s like walking around with a 100 pound weight on each shoulder.  This notion of perfection, isn’t realistic yet for some reason feel it’s very real.

Our sense of self-worth goes up and down like a yo-yo in lockstep with our latest success or failure. We get an incredible high when we receive a nice complement, but feel like jumping off a bridge when someone ignores us or — worse — criticizes us.  We may say we don’t care what others think but inside where it counts our stomach is in knots.

Study after study shows that women who are self-compassionate are much less depressed, anxious and stressed, as well as happier, more confident, and satisfied with their lives, than their harshly self-critical counterparts.

But what does self-compassion mean exactly? The concept stems from Buddhist traditions that emphasize compassion for all beings — ourselves included —– because we are all part of an interconnected whole.

It also entails relating to our situation with mindful awareness and making a mountain out of every little mole hill.

Fortunately, women have access to an incredibly powerful tool they can use to turn things around. We can draw on our ability to care for and nurture others and direct these strengths inward.

The help we need to thrive is available inside us, there whenever we need it, especially when things are at their worst. We have to dismiss the notion that others are worthy of kindness and we are not. We need to promote compassion in every aspect of life, and the first place to start is with ourselves.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality.  Linda Franklin says,”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Diet Myths That Keep You Fat

by Linda Franklin

We are bombarded daily by the do’s and dont’s of proper eating. Tune into any daytime television show and there’s a discussion going on about healthy eating.  But despite the constant stream of experts trying to scare us thin, there are several dieting myths that keep us fat.

Here are 6 of the beliefs that sabotage our success despite our best intentions:

1.  SKIPPING BREAKFAST

Myth –  Not having breakfast encourages your body to burn fat

Fact –  Thin people eat breakfast; fat people don’t‘

Missing breakfast leads to overeating later in the day as blood sugar drops mid-morning, making you more compulsive around food and less likely to resist that double mocha and danish.  Plus, you are more likely to binge at night as your body plays catch-up on missed calories, making you more likely to store the calories as fat.

2. WEEKEND BINGING

Myth –  If you eat healthily all week, it’s fine to treat yourself at weekends

Fact - Even after five days of restraint, two days of freestyle carbicide will make you gain weight

Carbs are first stored as glucose and water, and will turn into fat if it isn’t worked off, so you’ll need to do extra exercise during the  week.

To avoid the temptation to binge, pepper your working week with small amounts of what you love to eat, maybe a nice glass of wine, some cheese and a few squares of dark chocolate.

3. DIET DRINKS

Myth –  Diet drinks have no calories so they won’t impact on weight

Fact –  People who drink diet drinks are fatter than those who don’t

A study from the University of Texas Health Science Centre found that people who drank 21 diet drinks a week were twice as likely to be overweight.

Another study that followed diet drinkers over a ten-year period found their waists grew a staggering 70 per cent more than non-diet drinkers’ waistlines.

‘Diet drinks feed a sweet tooth. When the body receives a sweet taste without the calories it expects, it triggers sweet cravings that make you eat more.

Sweeteners have also been shown to have a similar effect to real sugar on blood glucose and insulin levels.

4.  ‘BUT IT’S HEALTHY’

Myth –  I can eat as much healthy food as I like

Fact  – Healthy food has calories too

Hummus, pistachios and peanuts contain healthy fats but come with masses of calories and often fail the ‘eat just one’ test. Such foods can act as triggers for those with a tendency to overeat.

Being “healthy” doesn’t give people carte blanche to completely ignore calories.

5.  FAT PHOBIA

Myth –  Avoid fat if you want to lose weight

Fact –  Successful dieters get 30 per cent of their daily calories from fat

Studies show that the tiny ten per cent of people who lose weight and keep it off eat moderate amounts of fat.

When dieters avoid fat, they are hungry all the time. Dieters’ obsession with low-fat products merely fuels a craving for fatty foods, and that’s why they end up bingeing on cakes, cookies and ice cream – all sources of the fat the body needs.

Low-fat food is pointless for people wanting to lose weight because when real fat is removed, something needs to be added to retain taste and texture – ‘usually sugar and flour, which provide calories but are nutritionally poor’.

6.  DIETS, Full Stop

Myth –  Diets work for long-term weight loss

Fact -  90% of yo-yo dieters don’t keep the weight off

Most people can’t tolerate rigid dieting for long so once it’s inevitably stopped, weight goes on a little more than before.

‘Then you go on another diet, lose again, stop and go a little higher still. That is how crash dieters gain more and more weight over time.

‘The body thinks it’s starving so, to compensate, will switch on all the mechanisms it has to store food.’

‘One of these is hormones. Last October, a University of Melbourne study of 50 overweight women and men showed that after dieting, our hormone levels start to work overtime and react as though our bodies are starving.

The bottom line: dieting was making them hungrier.

What you should do ‘The only diets that have been proven effective for long-term weight loss in randomized controlled studies are those that focus on higher amounts of protein and vegetables, and limit carbohydrates to those with a low glycemic index.

Losing weight isn’t rocket science.  Common sense rules.  You will gain weight if you take in more calories than you burn off.  Make sure you include exercise in your healthy living routine.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Aging Ain’t Easy – But It Can Be Fun

by Linda Franklin

Do you sometimes catch a glimpse of yourself as you walk by a store window and ask yourself – who is that woman?  She looks familiar but you’re not quite sure who she is.  Then reality takes a big bite out of your ego  because that woman looking back at you is YOU.

Aging ain’t easy - it takes a lot of effort to do it successfully.  But as I like to say, the juice is well worth the sqeeze.

As I get older,  I find the disparity between how I feel on the inside and how I look on the outside grows ever greater.   Gravity is definitely having its way with me and I don’t like it.

It’s scary heading for senior status in a society that places such a premium on youth.  Women over 60 complain how they become invisible, — unless, of course, they happen to be Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda or Helen Mirren.

Each of us  has to decide what’s right for us in everything we do and that includes aging.  Do you succumb to or do you everything in your power to hold back the clock?

Unlike our mothers’ and grandmother’s generation, there’s no one way to present  yourself as a 60-plus woman today.  We have so many options in the way we dress, how we spend our leisure time, how we take care of our face and our bodies and last but certainly not least, how we keep our spiritual reservoir full.

The majority of women I know who are 60 and above are still working.  Many of them because they choose to – many because they have to.  With the economy the way it is, extending the earning years is a harsh reality and woman need to think about how much they will need to take care of their needs going forward.

It’s interesting too that the divorce rate of folks 60-plus has increased.  Starting over no matter how old you are, is becoming increasingly common. Fifty and sixty somethings are busy exploring on-line dating, with many discovering finding a new love interest is no easy task.

The   bottom line is you really are as young as you feel.  It’s never too late for new fun adventures so go out, take a chance and embrace change because it’s going to happen whether you like it or not.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says,”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Mastectomy Not Always The Best Choice

 by Linda Franklin

Many women diagnosed with breast cancer choose to have a mastectomy thinking it will remove the tumors as quickly as possible and give them the best chance of survival.  But a new major study has found that women stand a better chance of surviving breast cancer if they don’t have this radical surgery.

If you are over 50 and have only the lump removed, followed by radiotherapy, you are almost a fifth more likely to survive the illness than patients who lose the whole breast.

Results of a ten-year research project conducted at Duke University looked at the records of 112,154 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1994 and 2004. It showed that a  less radical form of treatment – breast conservation surgery – is more effective.

It involves taking away the affected lump and then administering high doses of radiotherapy over a course of five or six weeks to ensure any remaining cancerous cells are killed. Women who had breast conservation surgery were 13 per cent more likely to survive the illness. But the results were even more promising in women over 50 whose survival odds were 19 per cent higher than those who had mastectomies.

It also found that women of all ages who had breast conservation surgery were a fifth less likely to die from other causes such as heart disease.

This study looked only at women diagnosed with breast cancer early – known as stages one or two. It did not include patients with advanced forms of the illness.

Experts believe radiotherapy may be far more effective at killing all cancerous cells than removing the entire breast.

Lead researcher Dr E Shelley Hwang, of the Duke Cancer Institute in North Carolina, said: ‘Our findings support the notion that less invasive treatment can provide superior survival to mastectomy in stage one or stage two breast cancer.

This study provides further reassurance allowing women to be more confident when making this decision.

‘More research is needed to confirm these results, and we urge anybody concerned to speak to their surgeon so they can make an informed decision, as every choice is personal.’

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Women and Binge Drinking

 by Linda Franklin

Women are drinking more than ever.  According to the latest survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 14 million U.S. women binge drink about three times a month, downing about six beverages per binge. The survey defined binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks in one sitting for men and four or more for women.

It’s not unusual for young women aged 18-34, as well as high schoolers, to overindulge; 1 in 8 women and 1 in 5 high school girls report drinking to excess, but binge drinking accounts for about 23,000 deaths among women and girls in the U.S. each year.

Women who binge drink may be putting themselves at increased risk for breast cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease and unintended pregnancy.

Women are drinking in work related situations more than ever.  It isn’t just male professionals drinking on the job anymore. In this era of greater gender equality — and less workplace debauchery — is it helpful or detrimental for women to drink with their colleagues? This is the question the Atlantic‘s Alexandra Chang posed on January 7th.

Chang said she rarely drinks at work events and “tend[s] to avoid situations where drinking is likely to be happening” but worries that she’s missing out on potential bonding with her coworkers as a result. A friend of Chang’s who also passes on alcohol at work concurs recalled that one female colleague wouldn’t even talk to her until she attended a work-related drinking event. Chang suggested that the pressure to drink may be greater for women working in male-dominated fields like finance and technology.

But the consequences of drinking may also be greater for women, she noted. If women who choose office sobriety run the risk of missing out on coworker bonding, they also avoid the potentially negative consequences of having one drink too many. (After all, no one wants to make a fool of themselves in front of their boss.) Leah Epstein, founder of the website Drinking Diaries told Chang that mixed-gender workplace functions hold extra concerns for women. “A woman drinking with a group of men in a work-related situation could cross into flirtation and the sexual. She might be stigmatized,” Epstein said.

Do you drink too much when you are out with work colleagues or clients?

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.

Vitamin D Essential For Women Over 50

By Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Some great news was just released that is sure to make big believers in the power of vitamin D smile… and maybe just a little smug. Not only is this little “vitamin that could” essential for keeping our brain cells healthy and percolating as we age, but taken with calcium, it offers a host of other health benefits, too.

I got to know firsthand what combining vitamin D with calcium and strength training could do after I was diagnosed with osteopenia (a short train ride away from osteoporosis) when I turned 50 a few years ago. After following a daily program of taking the supplements, eating calcium-rich foods and doing push-ups (and a few other strengthening exercises), I stopped that osteoporsis train right in its tracks. Here’s the scoop…

The results of a major double-blind study by The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), which will appear in the next issue of Osteoporosis International, confirms that taking a combination of vitamin D3 and calcium every day not only offers tremendous health benefits, but is safe.

Conducted over seven years, the WHI study involved giving 36,282 postmenopausal women 1,000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily to test whether taken together and every day would reduce hip fracture, and secondarily, total fracture and colorectal cancer.

Results? The risk of hip fractures was reduced by a whopping 38% in women over 50. According to the study’s authors, “Long-term use of calcium and vitamin D appears to confer a reduction that may be substantial in the risk of hip fracture among postmenopausal women.”

Additionally, the study will reassure doctors and women who have been worried about the potential negative health impact vitamin D and calcium might have by showing that taken supplementally is safe without increased risk of myocardial infraction, cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular death. The risk of kidney stones or urinary tract infections, which has been previously studied and documented, appear to be modest and not something average postmenopausal women need to be concerned about.

To read the full report, click here.

What should you do with this information? The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), the leading resource for news, information and education about bone disease, recommends the following simple steps:

• Know your numbers: Have vitamin D and calcium levels checked at your next physical exam and talk with your primary care physician about how much calcium and vitamin D3 to take.
• Eat for strength: In addition to taking vitamin D and calcium supplements, eat plenty of dark, leafy greens (kale, chard, broccoli are great choices), and lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Drink in moderation: Limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day, and for sure, don’t smoke.
• Get strong: Try gentle running (or fast-paced walking) for 30 minutes for cardio health and weight control, but make sure to include strength-training in your fitness program. One of the most important exercises you’ll ever do is the old-fashion push-up. Here’s a short video showing how to do both the modified and the full push-up:

WATCH: Push-Up Tips

For more information about combating osteoporosis as we age, visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation website.

The Real Cougar Woman is a 5-carat diamond who knows the importance of taking care of her health, beauty, relationships, finances and spirituality. Linda Franklin says, ”there is no stopping a woman who has a strong belief system, passion and a dream. All things are possible”. Linda’s book, Don’t Ever Call Me Ma’am helps women of all ages tap into their power and live life to the fullest.