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You’re Retired. Now What? Guest Contributor Peggy Hayes of The Helm

You're Retired. Now What? By: Peggy Hayes Executive Director, The Helm at the Boll Life Center So you’ve reached that stage in life where the R-word is beginning to sneak in. Should I retire? When? What will I do? It takes planning to retire successfully. Obviously, financial considerations are first and foremost in the decision to retire. Beyond that, you need to look at what you will do in retirement to keep your days full and purposeful. The Helm can help with that!...

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Baby Step Your Way to Your Goals

We often kick off the New Year with goals to “change our lives.” Whether we want to lose weight, exercise regularly, or organize our homes, we jump in and give it all we’ve got. By the time spring arrives, many of us have abandoned the effort for achieving our goals -  however, as our name implies, we have hope! Obtaining your goals does not have to be an all-or-nothing prospect and you may just need a change of perspective relative to your goal setting. Making small changes...

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Making the Connection: The Mind-Body Experience

What is the mind-body connection? And how can improving your mind-body connection enhance your quality of life and combat chronic illness? Studies have found that your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect your health. This is not a new concept. The correlation between mind and body and treating the body as a "whole" has been around for years. While modern medicine has benefited us through advances in surgeries, medications, and trauma care, we must not forget...

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Food for Thought May Not Be Food at All

As I wrote in last week's column, March is National Nutrition Month. In discussing nutrition, I emphasized that it is more than what you eat - it's also how you treat your body, mind, and spirit.  In that theme, I'd like to introduce a new (to some of you) concept: Primary vs. Secondary food. When you think of "food," you likely think of what you put in your mouth - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, The Institute for Integrative Nutrition actually considers the food you eat your...

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Green Eggs and Ham? “You do not like them, so you say! Try them! Try them! And you may!

As you can see from the subject of our post, we're channeling the legacy of the immortal Dr. Seuss on his birthday and as we kick off March, which also happens to be National Nutrition Month! This serves as an excellent opportunity to remind us of the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle. In February, we identified ways a healthy diet could improve heart health. However, good nutrition is also essential in preventing and healing most chronic illnesses. Maintaining a well-balanced diet is critical...

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Take Heart: Exercise and Your Health

After a long day of work, family, and personal commitments, exercise may be the last thing on your mind – not to mention a challenging activity to muster motivation for! However, you’ll benefit across the board by adding exercise to your ever-growing “to-do” list. Very few lifestyle choices are as impactful as physical activity and, despite popular belief, exercise doesn't necessarily require a significant time commitment or intensity. Both moderate and intense exercise can drastically improve your overall health. According to...

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Time to Rest and Recharge: The Impact of Stress on Your Heart

As we continue through Heart Health month, I'd like to do a deeper dive into stress management and how it can affect your heart. When discussing heart health, we tend to focus on food and fitness – however, there are other major players in the health game when it comes to your heart: stress and sleep. There is growing evidence that stress can contribute to heart disease. Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize the impact daily stress has on our lives – we become accustomed...

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Hearts, Health and Happiness (and Hope!)

February is Heart Health Month, which explains why I've had hearts on my mind as of late (not to mention Valentine's Day is around the corner). While researching this article, I stumbled upon some alarming statistics.  The CDC reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. About 659,000 people in the US...

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Caregivers are Only Human – Guest Contributor Jill Gafner Livingston

Caregiving for your loved one can be an emotionally and physically exhausting experience.  For many families, the need for care comes on suddenly, and without the time and resources to adequately prepare for the circumstances. Throughout my career, I have counseled families as they make difficult and emotional decisions about the next steps for their aging family members. As a care provider, I found much comfort in the experiences and stories of individuals who have managed a care plan and hearing how they...

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Companion Care at Home: Using Music To Cope Through Tough Times

Companion Care at Home - Companion Care at Home: Using Music To Cope Through Tough Times

It has been shown that playing an instrument improves memory, spatial thinking, literacy, processing speed, capacity to plan, and other cognitive skills. Despite these advantages, learning to play an instrument is unlikely to be at the top of seniors' bucket lists. And why would you not? It is often due to a lack of ambition to study an instrument. Seniors and retirees sometimes believe they are too old to do such tasks. Naturally, this is not true. Even when a...

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