Sheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
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"I'm seeing changes all around me and it's scary. My body is changing and it's hard to control my weight. I don't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep. I barely recognize myself in the mirror these days!"
One of my readers sent me this email:
"I'm seeing changes all around me and it's scary. My body is changing and it's hard to control my weight. I don't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep. I barely recognize myself in the mirror these days!"
I fully empathize. Midlife is a time filled with huge changes. There are some we can't control. But there are so many that we can.
For example, even if you've been feeling out of control until now, you can still make healthful changes. With a combination of a low-fat diet, regular exercise and some simple relaxation, you can actually control levels of something called telomerase, which is an enzyme that is thought to slow aging on a cellular level and prevent healthy cells from turning cancerous. Dr. Dean Ornish's research found that in prostate cancer patients who followed a plant-based, whole-grain diet for three months, telomerase was boosted by 30 percent.
There are so many other ways we can control the changes that come with aging.
Or, change a little something in your routine. Instead of drinking coffee, switch to tea. At the gym, try a new exercise. If you listen to classical music, mix it up with rock. Pick a new lipstick color. You'll be surprised at the power of a tiny change and how it can create a whole new outlook!
Speaking of changes, tomorrow I'm headed for a big change: surrendering myself to hairstylist Nick Arrojo, from TLCs "What Not to Wear." It's not exactly a huge health-related change as described above, but it falls somewhere changing stress (I'm nervous about cutting my hair!) into relaxation (I'm excited about getting a new look).
