THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER

Here is some information I’ve found in various places that may cheer you!

According to the Nun Study, if you demonstrate optimism, a positive attitude, adaptability and a sense of humor, you will age much better than those without those traits --- you may even add up to 10 more years to your life!

“...everybody I know is better older. They’re more relaxed, they’re more mellow, they’re more alert as a friend, they have a confidence...you really do acquire a kind of ‘I don’t give a damn’ about what people think, which is so liberating.” Candice Bergen

“Friendships may reduce heart disease in women. In a federally supported study, 503 women with risk factors for heart disease were assessed for the extent of the social relationships, tested for coronary artery disease and followed for several years to track who had died and why. Those with larger social circles had less severe disease than those with fewer friends---and were less than half as likely to die within a few years.”

“We get fewer colds as we get older. There are approximately 200 different viruses that cause colds. Each time your immune system is exposed to one of these viruses, it develops antibodies that make you immune to that particular strain. By the time you reach your 60s or 70s and have a lifetime of colds behind you, you have developed immunity to many--but not all--of the circulating cold viruses.”

“...I know two things now that I didn’t at thirty: That when we get to heaven, we will discover that the appearance of our butts and our skin was 127th on the list of what mattered on this earth.” Anne Lamott

The brain shrinks as we age but as little as three hours a week of walking can trigger biochemical changes that help increase the volume of brain regions responsible for memory and cognitive function.