Helen Hudson
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MY TRIBE
Much ado is made of the importance of diet, exercise, sleep and lack of stress in order for us to age healthfully. What is less known is the impact that community has on us psychologically. According to research, our connections with others greatly impact both our physical and mental health. “We are stronger when we… Read more
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PULL THE PLUG!
You can pull that cord smack out of the wall and nobody in this hospital is gonna come anytime soon. Same goes for the handheld remote they give you with a large, red “NURSE” button. It’s all an illusion. Now, I am very grateful for the new knee, which my surgeon just put in. However,… Read more
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A LEG TO STAND ON
By the time you read this, they’ll be wheeling me into surgery for “total arthroplasty;” a knee replacement, or as my husband fondly describes it: “Basically, they’re gonna saw your leg in half and then hammer it back together with plastic/metal parts.” Sounds about right. 15 years ago, two sets of doctors in two different… Read more
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A BICYCLE BUILT FOR YOU
A BICYCLE BUILT FOR YOU Hey kids: If you want to slow down your aging process, lengthen your telomeres! How do you do that? Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that affect how quickly cells age. As they become shorter, their structural integrity weakens, which causes cells to age and die… Read more
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PICK A PECK OF POMEGRANATES!
In the average human gut, we carry a thousand different species of bacteria, literally trillions of cells that weigh about three pounds. Believe it or not, this ‘microbiome’ inside of us actually plays a role in autism, anxiety, depression and many other disorders. To prove that theory, scientists have actually given ‘calm’ mice gut… Read more
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THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS . . .
Talk about basting a turkey. When the Kardashians started taking fat from their thighs and injecting it to plump up their lips and butts it sounded pretty disgusting. Lately, however, that fat has been making its’ way into arthritic joints with some pretty impressive, albeit momentary results. Given that I need double knee replacements, this… Read more
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INSIDE OUT
Last week, the Inside Out art project came to my town. Their truck rolled up in front of the library and we, local residents let them take 4’ by 3’, black and white photos of us. These were then pasted on the walkways in front of the library. I was amazed at the diversity of… Read more
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by
in
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YOUR FRIEND, ME
A friend of mine in his 80’s pulled me aside to talk this morning. He lifted his pant leg to reveal a huge, gauze-covered dressing over his entire shin. “I was caught in the middle of a dogfight,” he said. “The doctor can’t stitch it because there’s simply no skin. I have another bandage up… Read more
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TOUCHDOWN
You may find this hard to believe but I just saw my very, first, live, professional football game! The last time I sat in the bleachers was in 1974, during a first date in college. However, by halftime, I told the guy that I’d had enough. (It was also our last date). As for Super… Read more
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FINDING JOY
I ran into this fabulous, 94 year-old at the Vegas airport last week. Her 10 year-old, great-granddaughter, Gianna, who clearly adored her, was pushing her in a wheelchair. “Whatcha readin’?” I asked her. She grinned and said, “Finding Joy.” Then she thumbed through a few pages, turned the book upside down, shook it and… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 