Quips and Tips for Healthy Women

Sharpening your memory and improving your thinking skills is easier - and more fun - than you think. Check out these 10 brain-building activities, which will exercise those old brain cells. For more information on brain health, click on the book cover to learn about naturopath Michelle Schoffro Cook’s book called The Brain Wash.

A quip for healthy women:

“Whenever you read a book or have a conversation, the experience causes physical changes in your brain,” says science writer George Johnson, author of In the Palaces of Memory. “It’s a little frightening to think that every time you walk away from an encounter, your brain has been altered, sometimes permanently.” 

It may be frightening to realize that your brain changes with every experience - but it’s also encouraging! Check out these 10 brain-building activities - they’re easy, effective, and valuable. They’ll also strengthen your neurons, help build new cells, and improve your memory.

Think getting old is for the birds? Think again. The most thorough research study ever conducted in the United States shows that the older we get, the happier we are. But, baby boomers in particular aren’t as happy as the rest of us. 

First, though, a quip for healthy women: 

“You aim for what you want and if you don’t get it, you don’t get it, but if you don’t aim, you don’t get anything.” - Francine Prose. 

What are you aiming for in life? Is there a gap between your expectations and your reality? Therein lies the secret of happiness. It’s not necessarily your age that counts - it’s how your reality meets your expectations.

Here are several benefits of aging, why baby boomers aren’t happy, and some wise words from Dr Walter Bortz II, a 77 year old Stanford University Professor of Medicine and author of Living Longer for Dummies (click on the book cover for more info about Bortz’s book).

According to a human nutrition researcher at the University of Copenhagen, organic food doesn’t have more nutritional value than food grown with chemicals and pesticides. Here’s her opinion, plus 14 money saving tips for organic food (in case you’re convinced that organic food is healthier!).

But it wouldn’t be “quips and tips for healthy women” without an interesting quotation:

“To qualify for organic certification, farms have to be pesticide-free for three years and must avoid synthetic inputs such as pesticides and antibiotics, as well as the deliberate use of GMOs, while stressing soil-building,” writes Adria Vasil in Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products, and Services in Canada. Click on the cover for more info about this book about eco-friendly living.

You’d think being pesticide and antiobiotic-free would automatically mean that organic food is healthier than conventionally-grown fruits and veggies, but new research on the benefits of organic food tells a different story…

I met one this weekend: a smart, happy, confident, energetic, successful woman (and she’s thin, too!). Christie Grace is a jazz singer and owner of a jewelry store on Bowen Island, British Columbia - I’m a little intimidated by how self-assured and natural she is. She’s who I want to be when I grow up. 

That said, I think her fire and success can be achievable by us “normal” women - and I found out how. There’s this book called This is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Crisini Risley, and Jan Yanehiro. Click on the book cover for more information about this book and the authors.

It’s full of inspirational quips and tips for women - such as this quotation from Barbara Walters: 

“It’s not who you are that holds you back; it’s who you think you’re not,” said Walters. 

I’ve picked out a few choice morsels from This is Not the Life I Ordered, to encourage women to focus on goals and work towards dreams.

Believe it or not, there are foods that keep you young and foods that trigger premature aging. Dr Julia Hunter of Skin Fitness Plus in Beverly Hills, California offers these tips on how foods affect your appearance and health. 

But first - as usual - a quip from a healthy woman: 

“It’s time to stop worrying about losing our looks and started celebrating the gifts of age: I feel yummier than ever,” said Sela Ward. 

Sure - it’s easier for her to say! Sela Ward is naturally gorgeous. The rest of us could use a little help here and there…and the right foods could be just the ticket. Here’s what Dr Hunter has to say about how food affects your appearance - plus a few anti-aging tips.