Re: Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I used to spend a lot of time in nursing homes as a podiatrist so saw a lot of elderly. It appeared to me most had personality types such that they were not motivated to do mentally demanding tasks or indeed anything to help themselves. I saw more people in nursing homes due to having poor personalities than I ever saw in the homes due to having significant medical problems. I did home visits and clinical care as well with the elderly. Those with outgoing personalities willing to learn and accept new things were far more likely to still be living on their own or with a loved one and to be fun to visit with.

Currently I'm active with the Human Right Campaign's diversity group to encourge acceptance of diversity. It strikes me if a person really wishes to stretch themselves mentally they would be well advised to get to know and accept a diverse group of people. If a person reading this is a straight White male he might wish to ask himself how many gay men and women he has as friends, for example. If you are a religious conservative then great - but learn to appreciate those who are not and vice versa.

Of course you (in the general sense as in members of the group) probably know more sorts of people than you realize. They are simply hiding major parts of themselves from you due to fear of rejection. Think not?

I was recently talking on the phone with a straight White male I had not seen in twenty years. We used to be close friends and I recently moved back to the Atlanta, GA area near where he lives. I mentioned my work with the HRC and he said with a snide tone "you work with 'those' people?"

"Of course", I told him. "I am a pre-op male to female transsexual after all." I have not heard from him since!

Nerissa

PS - for anyone seriously considering a major lifestyle change please read the book "Take Two" by Jo Brans. It really is an astonishing book.Francesca Skelton <fskelton@...> wrote:

By Rob SteinLike many Americans sliding into middle age, McClain startedworrying that her memory was beginning to slip."It was little things. I couldn't remember what I had for dinner the nightbefore. I had to check to make sure I'd paid the insurance that month. I'dwalk into a room and realize I had no idea why I was there," said the LosAngeles marriage counselor, who is 44.So McClain started a program designed to help -- a detailed regimen thatincludes daily memory exercises."I'm much clearer now," McClain said. "I have no problem finding my keys. Ican tell you what I had for dinner last night. I'm not walking into a roomthinking, 'Why did I come in here?' "McClain is among the increasing number of Americans who are performingmental calisthenics, taking Italian classes, deciphering crossword

puzzlesand hunting for other ways to try to keep their minds from fading.A large body of evidence indicates that people who are mentally activethroughout their lives are significantly less likely to suffer senility, anda handful of studies have found that mental exercises can boost brainfunction. ...__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Nerissa: Your work with the Human Right Campaign for diversity is interesting but has little to do with the lifestyle changes discussed in the article. Acceptance of others, while laudable, is not a mentally challenging exercise (see the article again for their definition).

Please stick to the subject at hand and don't make " leaps " into other areas or into places where you have a personal agenda. If there were supporting documentation (beside your opinion) then that would be different.

on 8/14/2005 11:39 AM, Nerissa Belcher at nerissa_ab@... wrote:

Hi everyone,

I used to spend a lot of time in nursing homes as a podiatrist so saw a lot of elderly. It appeared to me most had personality types such that they were not motivated to do mentally demanding tasks or indeed anything to help themselves. I saw more people in nursing homes due to having poor personalities than I ever saw in the homes due to having significant medical problems. I did home visits and clinical care as well with the elderly. Those with outgoing personalities willing to learn and accept new things were far more likely to still be living on their own or with a loved one and to be fun to visit with.

Currently I'm active with the Human Right Campaign's diversity group to encourge acceptance of diversity. It strikes me if a person really wishes to stretch themselves mentally they would be well advised to get to know and accept a diverse group of people. If a person reading this is a straight White male he might wish to ask himself how many gay men and women he has as friends, for example. If you are a religious conservative then great - but learn to appreciate those who are not and vice versa.

Of course you (in the general sense as in members of the group) probably know more sorts of people than you realize. They are simply hiding major parts of themselves from you due to fear of rejection. Think not?

I was recently talking on the phone with a straight White male I had not seen in twenty years. We used to be close friends and I recently moved back to the Atlanta, GA area near where he lives. I mentioned my work with the HRC and he said with a snide tone " you work with 'those' people? "

" Of course " , I told him. " I am a pre-op male to female transsexual after all. " I have not heard from him since!

Nerissa

PS - for anyone seriously considering a major lifestyle change please read the book " Take Two " by Jo Brans. It really is an astonishing book.

[Guest guest]

Nerissa: Your work with the Human Right Campaign for diversity is interesting but has little to do with the lifestyle changes discussed in the article. Acceptance of others, while laudable, is not a mentally challenging exercise (see the article again for their definition).

Please stick to the subject at hand and don't make " leaps " into other areas or into places where you have a personal agenda. If there were supporting documentation (beside your opinion) then that would be different.

on 8/14/2005 11:39 AM, Nerissa Belcher at nerissa_ab@... wrote:

Hi everyone,

I used to spend a lot of time in nursing homes as a podiatrist so saw a lot of elderly. It appeared to me most had personality types such that they were not motivated to do mentally demanding tasks or indeed anything to help themselves. I saw more people in nursing homes due to having poor personalities than I ever saw in the homes due to having significant medical problems. I did home visits and clinical care as well with the elderly. Those with outgoing personalities willing to learn and accept new things were far more likely to still be living on their own or with a loved one and to be fun to visit with.

Currently I'm active with the Human Right Campaign's diversity group to encourge acceptance of diversity. It strikes me if a person really wishes to stretch themselves mentally they would be well advised to get to know and accept a diverse group of people. If a person reading this is a straight White male he might wish to ask himself how many gay men and women he has as friends, for example. If you are a religious conservative then great - but learn to appreciate those who are not and vice versa.

Of course you (in the general sense as in members of the group) probably know more sorts of people than you realize. They are simply hiding major parts of themselves from you due to fear of rejection. Think not?

I was recently talking on the phone with a straight White male I had not seen in twenty years. We used to be close friends and I recently moved back to the Atlanta, GA area near where he lives. I mentioned my work with the HRC and he said with a snide tone " you work with 'those' people? "

" Of course " , I told him. " I am a pre-op male to female transsexual after all. " I have not heard from him since!

Nerissa

PS - for anyone seriously considering a major lifestyle change please read the book " Take Two " by Jo Brans. It really is an astonishing book.

[Guest guest]

Well, God maybe made everyone and everyone has their own opinion and our constitution gives everyone the right to believe anything they want, but I notice the most religious are the least tolerant.

I take the position that I do not have to tolerate all people - take an extreme case, terrorists, serial killers. They are out to alter me in some way and I find that extremely offensive. (And the religious fanatics as well - I come in contact with those more often (ha).)

They assume I have not the intelligence to make my own decisions. They are usually a few points below me in IQ. In fact, anyone who holds such a strong position about anything that they will form a group to promote their idea, probably has not thought much about the consequences.

As most people have found it is often better to hide your true feelings.

There are always consequences to any action, and I prefer to stay moderate in almost everything. After all, how can I know which is the right religion/philosophy?

If you plan to live long, I think you will find moderation and the ability to accept change a forgiving lifestyle. It may be fortunate that most olders cannot remember what it was they preferred.

As for me, I wish there was something on the Dish other than gunsmoke.

Regards.

Re: [ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

Hi everyone,

I used to spend a lot of time in nursing homes as a podiatrist so saw a lot of elderly. It appeared to me most had personality types such that they were not motivated to do mentally demanding tasks or indeed anything to help themselves. I saw more people in nursing homes due to having poor personalities than I ever saw in the homes due to having significant medical problems. I did home visits and clinical care as well with the elderly. Those with outgoing personalities willing to learn and accept new things were far more likely to still be living on their own or with a loved one and to be fun to visit with.

Currently I'm active with the Human Right Campaign's diversity group to encourge acceptance of diversity. It strikes me if a person really wishes to stretch themselves mentally they would be well advised to get to know and accept a diverse group of people. If a person reading this is a straight White male he might wish to ask himself how many gay men and women he has as friends, for example. If you are a religious conservative then great - but learn to appreciate those who are not and vice versa.

Of course you (in the general sense as in members of the group) probably know more sorts of people than you realize. They are simply hiding major parts of themselves from you due to fear of rejection. Think not?

I was recently talking on the phone with a straight White male I had not seen in twenty years. We used to be close friends and I recently moved back to the Atlanta, GA area near where he lives. I mentioned my work with the HRC and he said with a snide tone "you work with 'those' people?"

"Of course", I told him. "I am a pre-op male to female transsexual after all." I have not heard from him since!

Nerissa

[Guest guest]

For a minute I thought Henny Youngman was back.

"A large body of evidence indicates that people who are mentally active throughout their lives are significantly less likely to suffer senility,"

But the point is that's it's very important to retain as much mental capability as possible. The lack of that memory defines aging more than anything else, IMO.

My sis-in-law suddenly lost memory and is a diff person.

This discussion mixes the loss of little things like "what was I doing?", with memory loss. I'm not sure games, etc, will overcome the big issue.

I do think things like L-carnitine will help. I do video games that require concentration, eye-hand coordination, and quick response. I find that when the speed increases I reach a point of confusion, BUT I think that point is acceptable, based on my score. But that's not the memory loss I'm concerned about (at age).

Regards.

[ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

By Rob SteinLike many Americans sliding into middle age, McClain startedworrying that her memory was beginning to slip."It was little things. I couldn't remember what I had for dinner the nightbefore. I had to check to make sure I'd paid the insurance that month. I'dwalk into a room and realize I had no idea why I was there," said the LosAngeles marriage counselor, who is 44.So McClain started a program designed to help -- a detailed regimen thatincludes daily memory exercises."I'm much clearer now," McClain said. "I have no problem finding my keys. Ican tell you what I had for dinner last night. I'm not walking into a roomthinking, 'Why did I come in here?' "McClain is among the increasing number of Americans who are performingmental calisthenics, taking Italian classes, deciphering crossword puzzlesand hunting for other ways to try to keep their minds from fading.A large body of evidence indicates that people who are mentally activethroughout their lives are significantly less likely to suffer senility, anda handful of studies have found that mental exercises can boost brainfunction. Elderly people who go through training to sharpen their wits, forexample, score much better on thinking tests for years afterward. The mindsof younger people who drill their memories seem to work more efficiently.But it remains far from clear exactly which of the myriad use-it-or-lose-itmethods promoted by researchers, self-help books and health groups protectthe brain in the long term, and actually reduce the risk for dementia. Soscientists, increasingly employing high-tech brain scans, have launched anincipient wave of research to determine what works and why."We're right at the cusp of understanding this," said Sherry Willis ofPennsylvania State University. "Because brain imaging work has become somuch more technologically sophisticated, we're now at the point where weliterally look inside people's brains to try to understand what's going on."With the population aging, and the number of cases of Alzheimer's and otherforms of dementia rising rapidly, experts say preventing mentaldeterioration from occurring in the first place will be crucial tominimizing the mounting suffering and costs."It's really critical that we find ways to prevent, or at least delay theonset of, cognitive decline," said Neil Buckholtz of the National Instituteon Aging. "Once the pathology is established in the brain, it's verydifficult to treat. We need better ways to prevent the disease in the firstplace, which could make a huge difference for the future."Several large studies are examining antioxidants such as selenium, vitaminsC and E and folate, as well as the popular herbal remedy ginkgo biloba.Researchers also remain hopeful that anti-inflammatory painkillers such asCelebrex and the hormone estrogen may prove useful, despite safety concerns.Other researchers are exploring whether cholesterol drugs might protect thebrain as well as the heart. It has become increasingly clear that the samestrategies that cut the risk for heart attacks and strokes -- eating well,lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, avoiding obesity and diabetes, andexercising regularly -- protect the brain, too."We don't have to wait until tomorrow when we have some kind of wonderdrug," said Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,who has found that sedentary elderly people who start exercising regularlyare sharper and experience growth in crucial brain areas. "Many things thatwe can do today can engender cognitive vitality and successful aging, andone of them is exercise."Among the most tantalizing evidence are studies that have given rise to theuse-it-or-lose-it theory. Several large projects have found that people whoare more educated, have more intellectually challenging jobs and engage inmore mentally stimulating activities, such as attending lectures and plays,reading, playing chess and other hobbies, are much less likely to developAlzheimer's and other forms of dementia.Scientists suspect that a lifetime of thinking a lot may create a "cognitivereserve" -- a reservoir of brain power that people can draw upon even ifthey suffer damaging silent strokes or protein deposits that are thehallmarks of Alzheimer's."Some people might have brain networks that are more efficient and so have agreater capacity to compensate for disease," said Yaakov Stern of ColumbiaUniversity, who is using brain scans to try to zero in on the circuits thatmatter most. "So when they are challenged by disease, those networkscontinue to operate longer."But it is also possible that such people are born with brains that lead themto pursue intellectually stimulating lives, and are inherently less prone todementia. Educated, successful people also tend to have more money and getbetter medical care."There's a lot of things that highly educated people do to take care ofthemselves," said Jerome Yesavage of Stanford University, who is evaluatingthe benefits of combining cognitive training exercises with a drug alreadyused to slow the progression of Alzheimer's. "You have to be cautious. Wedon't want to create false hopes that you can prevent Alzheimer's."In one of the first major attempts to test whether mental training works, afederally funded study involving more than 2,800 elderly people found thatthose who received 10 brain-training lessons scored much better on thinkingtests, and the effect lasted for at least three years. The training taughtstrategies aimed at improving reasoning skills, the processing of newinformation, and memory, such as mnemonic devices for remembering names.Many researchers suspect, however, that people may benefit most fromengaging in a rich diversity of stimulating activities. New experiences maybe far more important than repeating the same task over and over. Moreover,it may be key to combine mental stimulation with social interaction, whichstudies have found also appears highly beneficial. Experts say the taskshould be enjoyable, because stress and other negative emotions appearharmful.So scientists have launched a series of pilot studies examining morereal-life approaches. In Indiana, one team of researchers is testing whetherelderly people who take quilting classes fare better, while another isfollowing groups of elderly people as they participate in an adult versionof the Odyssey of the Mind competition originally developed forschoolchildren. Outside Chicago, a husband-and-wife team of researchers isexperimenting with acting classes. In Baltimore, s Hopkins aging expertsare studying whether volunteering as tutors and librarians helps. All reportpromising, though preliminary, findings."It was pretty amazing," said Carlson of Hopkins, whose team foundthat elderly volunteers scored much better on problem-solving tests and thattheir frontal lobes seem to have been reinvigorated. "We observed changesthat appeared to show that their brains were functioning more like youngeradults'."But none of the researchers said the findings are strong enough to meritspecific recommendations."I think we'll get there, but we're not there yet," Carlson said.Other researchers say that although the evidence may remain inconclusive, itis promising enough for people to start doing the things that look as thoughthey may help."It's hard to prove a lot of these things, but I'm convinced there's enoughevidence that there is a cause-and-effect relationship," said Small ofthe University of California at Los Angeles, who developed the "memoryprescription" that McClain uses.The prescription combines a healthful diet with daily exercise, relaxationtechniques and memory exercises, such as making a mental note of one pieceof a family member's wardrobe each morning. Small tested the approach in apilot study that included McClain. Not only did those on the prescriptionscore better on memory tests, but brain scans lit up in ways that indicatedkey areas of their gray matter appeared to be working more efficiently, hesaid."One of the most striking findings was how it affected function in the areaof the brain that creates everyday working memory," Small said. "We may nothave conclusive proof. But the evidence is strong. And these are all healthychoices for other reasons."Even if such strategies work, getting large numbers of people tofundamentally alter their daily lives remains daunting, many expertsacknowledge."We all know how difficult it is for all of us to exercise regularly eventhough we know we should. Now we're telling people they need to be morementally active, too: 'Turn off "Wheel of Fortune" ' or 'Do your own taxes.'That's going to be a difficult public health message," said Marsiskeof the University of Florida.Marsiske and other experts note, however, that it has been done before."The major way we've reduced the death rate from heart disease is throughlifestyle changes: eating better, exercising more, smoking less," said A. of Rush University in Chicago. "It would require a lot of peopleto change the way they live, but there's no reason to think we can't havethe same impact on Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia."

[Guest guest]

For a minute I thought Henny Youngman was back.

"A large body of evidence indicates that people who are mentally active throughout their lives are significantly less likely to suffer senility,"

But the point is that's it's very important to retain as much mental capability as possible. The lack of that memory defines aging more than anything else, IMO.

My sis-in-law suddenly lost memory and is a diff person.

This discussion mixes the loss of little things like "what was I doing?", with memory loss. I'm not sure games, etc, will overcome the big issue.

I do think things like L-carnitine will help. I do video games that require concentration, eye-hand coordination, and quick response. I find that when the speed increases I reach a point of confusion, BUT I think that point is acceptable, based on my score. But that's not the memory loss I'm concerned about (at age).

Regards.

[ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

By Rob SteinLike many Americans sliding into middle age, McClain startedworrying that her memory was beginning to slip."It was little things. I couldn't remember what I had for dinner the nightbefore. I had to check to make sure I'd paid the insurance that month. I'dwalk into a room and realize I had no idea why I was there," said the LosAngeles marriage counselor, who is 44.So McClain started a program designed to help -- a detailed regimen thatincludes daily memory exercises."I'm much clearer now," McClain said. "I have no problem finding my keys. Ican tell you what I had for dinner last night. I'm not walking into a roomthinking, 'Why did I come in here?' "McClain is among the increasing number of Americans who are performingmental calisthenics, taking Italian classes, deciphering crossword puzzlesand hunting for other ways to try to keep their minds from fading.A large body of evidence indicates that people who are mentally activethroughout their lives are significantly less likely to suffer senility, anda handful of studies have found that mental exercises can boost brainfunction. Elderly people who go through training to sharpen their wits, forexample, score much better on thinking tests for years afterward. The mindsof younger people who drill their memories seem to work more efficiently.But it remains far from clear exactly which of the myriad use-it-or-lose-itmethods promoted by researchers, self-help books and health groups protectthe brain in the long term, and actually reduce the risk for dementia. Soscientists, increasingly employing high-tech brain scans, have launched anincipient wave of research to determine what works and why."We're right at the cusp of understanding this," said Sherry Willis ofPennsylvania State University. "Because brain imaging work has become somuch more technologically sophisticated, we're now at the point where weliterally look inside people's brains to try to understand what's going on."With the population aging, and the number of cases of Alzheimer's and otherforms of dementia rising rapidly, experts say preventing mentaldeterioration from occurring in the first place will be crucial tominimizing the mounting suffering and costs."It's really critical that we find ways to prevent, or at least delay theonset of, cognitive decline," said Neil Buckholtz of the National Instituteon Aging. "Once the pathology is established in the brain, it's verydifficult to treat. We need better ways to prevent the disease in the firstplace, which could make a huge difference for the future."Several large studies are examining antioxidants such as selenium, vitaminsC and E and folate, as well as the popular herbal remedy ginkgo biloba.Researchers also remain hopeful that anti-inflammatory painkillers such asCelebrex and the hormone estrogen may prove useful, despite safety concerns.Other researchers are exploring whether cholesterol drugs might protect thebrain as well as the heart. It has become increasingly clear that the samestrategies that cut the risk for heart attacks and strokes -- eating well,lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, avoiding obesity and diabetes, andexercising regularly -- protect the brain, too."We don't have to wait until tomorrow when we have some kind of wonderdrug," said Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,who has found that sedentary elderly people who start exercising regularlyare sharper and experience growth in crucial brain areas. "Many things thatwe can do today can engender cognitive vitality and successful aging, andone of them is exercise."Among the most tantalizing evidence are studies that have given rise to theuse-it-or-lose-it theory. Several large projects have found that people whoare more educated, have more intellectually challenging jobs and engage inmore mentally stimulating activities, such as attending lectures and plays,reading, playing chess and other hobbies, are much less likely to developAlzheimer's and other forms of dementia.Scientists suspect that a lifetime of thinking a lot may create a "cognitivereserve" -- a reservoir of brain power that people can draw upon even ifthey suffer damaging silent strokes or protein deposits that are thehallmarks of Alzheimer's."Some people might have brain networks that are more efficient and so have agreater capacity to compensate for disease," said Yaakov Stern of ColumbiaUniversity, who is using brain scans to try to zero in on the circuits thatmatter most. "So when they are challenged by disease, those networkscontinue to operate longer."But it is also possible that such people are born with brains that lead themto pursue intellectually stimulating lives, and are inherently less prone todementia. Educated, successful people also tend to have more money and getbetter medical care."There's a lot of things that highly educated people do to take care ofthemselves," said Jerome Yesavage of Stanford University, who is evaluatingthe benefits of combining cognitive training exercises with a drug alreadyused to slow the progression of Alzheimer's. "You have to be cautious. Wedon't want to create false hopes that you can prevent Alzheimer's."In one of the first major attempts to test whether mental training works, afederally funded study involving more than 2,800 elderly people found thatthose who received 10 brain-training lessons scored much better on thinkingtests, and the effect lasted for at least three years. The training taughtstrategies aimed at improving reasoning skills, the processing of newinformation, and memory, such as mnemonic devices for remembering names.Many researchers suspect, however, that people may benefit most fromengaging in a rich diversity of stimulating activities. New experiences maybe far more important than repeating the same task over and over. Moreover,it may be key to combine mental stimulation with social interaction, whichstudies have found also appears highly beneficial. Experts say the taskshould be enjoyable, because stress and other negative emotions appearharmful.So scientists have launched a series of pilot studies examining morereal-life approaches. In Indiana, one team of researchers is testing whetherelderly people who take quilting classes fare better, while another isfollowing groups of elderly people as they participate in an adult versionof the Odyssey of the Mind competition originally developed forschoolchildren. Outside Chicago, a husband-and-wife team of researchers isexperimenting with acting classes. In Baltimore, s Hopkins aging expertsare studying whether volunteering as tutors and librarians helps. All reportpromising, though preliminary, findings."It was pretty amazing," said Carlson of Hopkins, whose team foundthat elderly volunteers scored much better on problem-solving tests and thattheir frontal lobes seem to have been reinvigorated. "We observed changesthat appeared to show that their brains were functioning more like youngeradults'."But none of the researchers said the findings are strong enough to meritspecific recommendations."I think we'll get there, but we're not there yet," Carlson said.Other researchers say that although the evidence may remain inconclusive, itis promising enough for people to start doing the things that look as thoughthey may help."It's hard to prove a lot of these things, but I'm convinced there's enoughevidence that there is a cause-and-effect relationship," said Small ofthe University of California at Los Angeles, who developed the "memoryprescription" that McClain uses.The prescription combines a healthful diet with daily exercise, relaxationtechniques and memory exercises, such as making a mental note of one pieceof a family member's wardrobe each morning. Small tested the approach in apilot study that included McClain. Not only did those on the prescriptionscore better on memory tests, but brain scans lit up in ways that indicatedkey areas of their gray matter appeared to be working more efficiently, hesaid."One of the most striking findings was how it affected function in the areaof the brain that creates everyday working memory," Small said. "We may nothave conclusive proof. But the evidence is strong. And these are all healthychoices for other reasons."Even if such strategies work, getting large numbers of people tofundamentally alter their daily lives remains daunting, many expertsacknowledge."We all know how difficult it is for all of us to exercise regularly eventhough we know we should. Now we're telling people they need to be morementally active, too: 'Turn off "Wheel of Fortune" ' or 'Do your own taxes.'That's going to be a difficult public health message," said Marsiskeof the University of Florida.Marsiske and other experts note, however, that it has been done before."The major way we've reduced the death rate from heart disease is throughlifestyle changes: eating better, exercising more, smoking less," said A. of Rush University in Chicago. "It would require a lot of peopleto change the way they live, but there's no reason to think we can't havethe same impact on Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia."

[Guest guest]

And what, pray tell, do these two self-laudatory, self-satisfied posts have to do with CR? Or ON, for that matter?

Or did you guys send these sharings to the wrong group, lol?

Maco Re: [ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

Well, God maybe made everyone and everyone has their own opinion and our constitution gives everyone the right to believe anything they want, but I notice the most religious are the least tolerant.

I take the position that I do not have to tolerate all people - take an extreme case, terrorists, serial killers. They are out to alter me in some way and I find that extremely offensive. (And the religious fanatics as well - I come in contact with those more often (ha).)

They assume I have not the intelligence to make my own decisions. They are usually a few points below me in IQ. In fact, anyone who holds such a strong position about anything that they will form a group to promote their idea, probably has not thought much about the consequences.

As most people have found it is often better to hide your true feelings.

There are always consequences to any action, and I prefer to stay moderate in almost everything. After all, how can I know which is the right religion/philosophy?

If you plan to live long, I think you will find moderation and the ability to accept change a forgiving lifestyle. It may be fortunate that most olders cannot remember what it was they preferred.

As for me, I wish there was something on the Dish other than gunsmoke.

Regards.

Re: [ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

Hi everyone,

I used to spend a lot of time in nursing homes as a podiatrist so saw a lot of elderly. It appeared to me most had personality types such that they were not motivated to do mentally demanding tasks or indeed anything to help themselves. I saw more people in nursing homes due to having poor personalities than I ever saw in the homes due to having significant medical problems. I did home visits and clinical care as well with the elderly. Those with outgoing personalities willing to learn and accept new things were far more likely to still be living on their own or with a loved one and to be fun to visit with.

Currently I'm active with the Human Right Campaign's diversity group to encourge acceptance of diversity. It strikes me if a person really wishes to stretch themselves mentally they would be well advised to get to know and accept a diverse group of people. If a person reading this is a straight White male he might wish to ask himself how many gay men and women he has as friends, for example. If you are a religious conservative then great - but learn to appreciate those who are not and vice versa.

Of course you (in the general sense as in members of the group) probably know more sorts of people than you realize. They are simply hiding major parts of themselves from you due to fear of rejection. Think not?

I was recently talking on the phone with a straight White male I had not seen in twenty years. We used to be close friends and I recently moved back to the Atlanta, GA area near where he lives. I mentioned my work with the HRC and he said with a snide tone "you work with 'those' people?"

"Of course", I told him. "I am a pre-op male to female transsexual after all." I have not heard from him since!

Nerissa

[Guest guest]

And what, pray tell, do these two self-laudatory, self-satisfied posts have to do with CR? Or ON, for that matter?

Or did you guys send these sharings to the wrong group, lol?

Maco Re: [ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

Well, God maybe made everyone and everyone has their own opinion and our constitution gives everyone the right to believe anything they want, but I notice the most religious are the least tolerant.

I take the position that I do not have to tolerate all people - take an extreme case, terrorists, serial killers. They are out to alter me in some way and I find that extremely offensive. (And the religious fanatics as well - I come in contact with those more often (ha).)

They assume I have not the intelligence to make my own decisions. They are usually a few points below me in IQ. In fact, anyone who holds such a strong position about anything that they will form a group to promote their idea, probably has not thought much about the consequences.

As most people have found it is often better to hide your true feelings.

There are always consequences to any action, and I prefer to stay moderate in almost everything. After all, how can I know which is the right religion/philosophy?

If you plan to live long, I think you will find moderation and the ability to accept change a forgiving lifestyle. It may be fortunate that most olders cannot remember what it was they preferred.

As for me, I wish there was something on the Dish other than gunsmoke.

Regards.

Re: [ ] Lifestyle May Be Key to Slowing Brain's Aging

Hi everyone,

I used to spend a lot of time in nursing homes as a podiatrist so saw a lot of elderly. It appeared to me most had personality types such that they were not motivated to do mentally demanding tasks or indeed anything to help themselves. I saw more people in nursing homes due to having poor personalities than I ever saw in the homes due to having significant medical problems. I did home visits and clinical care as well with the elderly. Those with outgoing personalities willing to learn and accept new things were far more likely to still be living on their own or with a loved one and to be fun to visit with.

Currently I'm active with the Human Right Campaign's diversity group to encourge acceptance of diversity. It strikes me if a person really wishes to stretch themselves mentally they would be well advised to get to know and accept a diverse group of people. If a person reading this is a straight White male he might wish to ask himself how many gay men and women he has as friends, for example. If you are a religious conservative then great - but learn to appreciate those who are not and vice versa.

Of course you (in the general sense as in members of the group) probably know more sorts of people than you realize. They are simply hiding major parts of themselves from you due to fear of rejection. Think not?

I was recently talking on the phone with a straight White male I had not seen in twenty years. We used to be close friends and I recently moved back to the Atlanta, GA area near where he lives. I mentioned my work with the HRC and he said with a snide tone "you work with 'those' people?"

"Of course", I told him. "I am a pre-op male to female transsexual after all." I have not heard from him since!

Nerissa