womenTALK: Midlife Matters

Tuesday, May 01st 2012

Could a Health Coach Be for You?

authored by Sheryl Kraft

With the recent news that health spending is flattening out, my first reaction was to think it was a positive sign that the economy was getting back on track. According to an article I read in this past Sunday's New York Times, "In 2009 and 2010, total nationwide health care spending grew less than 4 percent a year, the slowest annual pace in more than five decades, according to the latest numbers from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services."

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Tuesday, Apr 24th 2012

What's Your Food Fantasy?

authored by Sheryl Kraft

I have to admit that I was kind of a late bloomer in adopting and embracing social media.

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Friday, Apr 20th 2012

When a Pet Dies

authored by Sheryl Kraft

I hate goodbyes. I’d rather make a quiet exit from a room than go through what to me is a somewhat awkward and difficult process. But I realize that slinking out is considered poor form; so I steel myself for the moment, convincing my better half that it’s the right thing to do, and go through the motions. And invariably, after I do, I feel a mixture of relief and vague satisfaction.

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Tuesday, Apr 10th 2012

10 Reasons to Fear Sugar

authored by Sheryl Kraft

The average American consumes over 130 pounds of sugar annually

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Tuesday, Apr 03rd 2012

The Vogue Diet Mom and Her Daughter: Was She Mean or Justified?

authored by Sheryl Kraft

Just when I planned on writing about this past Sunday night's 60 Minutes segment with Sanjay Gupta reporting on sugar's enormous and deleterious effects on our health, a story popped up all over the Internet that was too tempting to ignore: the published account, in April's Vogue magazine, of a mother's battle over her young daughter's weight.

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Tuesday, Mar 27th 2012

Too Old for Allergies?

authored by Sheryl Kraft

A story about runny noses, itchy eyes and the dreaded "A" word.

A friend of mine—poor thing—has been sneezing and coughing and chasing down her runny nose for weeks. At first convinced it was her usual end-of-winter cold, she treated it as such with lots of steaming hot chicken soup, lozenges and decongestants.

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Tuesday, Mar 20th 2012

5 Ways to Let Your Emotions Rule Your Behavior

authored by Sheryl Kraft

I've been around long enough to know that no matter how calm, careful and wise we may think we are, it's just about impossible to get through life without letting emotions lead us astray.

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Tuesday, Mar 13th 2012

5 Unexpected Reasons You're Gaining Weight

authored by Sheryl Kraft

I don't understand why I'm gaining weight! I'm exercising, eating healthy, cutting my portions. If I'm doing everything right, then why don't my pants fit anymore? What the ^%&*^&*^& 3 # is going on???

Sound familiar? Maybe you've said this or heard it from any number of unhappy people around you. Mighty frustrating to be trying your best and still find unwanted pounds creeping up on you. So much for positive reinforcement.

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Tuesday, Mar 06th 2012

Self-Care for Lower Back Pain

authored by Sheryl Kraft

It must have been that super-strenuous spin class I took last week, when my mind fooled me into believing I was 35 but my body stubbornly acted its age. Energized but exhausted, I continued this self-deception by joining a friend after class in some challenging new ab work. She showed me new moves she'd recently learned. I struggled to keep up with her, but my body protested until I graciously bowed out.

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Tuesday, Feb 28th 2012

A Test That Can Save Lives

authored by Sheryl Kraft

You probably wouldn't have wanted to be me.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the hidden promise of spring makes me want to clean out and organize. But what I didn't mention is that some of the cleaning out involved things from a much more, um, personal location.

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