Welcome to Best Golden Life! This website will feature a wide variety of topics. It will be a source of information about Grandparenting and Grandchildren, a resource for Senior Health Issues, Travel Options, Fashion Trends, Sports for All Ages, Hobbies, Home Decorating, Photo Journaling, Genealogy and other topics of current interest .
There comes a time when updating and enhancing your home and its property is needed. Today there is an abundance of resources for you to learn from and to make appropriate and timely updating decisions about remodeling, updating interior decorating changes and enhancing the gardening areas. Kitchens and bathrooms oftentimes are the first rooms to tackle. Many homeowners get a potpouri of ideas from the Home and Garden television show. Their website: www.hgtv.com provides many tips and ideas. Designer Candice Olson demonstrates and gives ideas and information on how to make the most of the amount of square footage you have. It might mean opening up a room by removing part of a wall or finding a way to increase the function of a kitchen. A bathroom update may be simply adding new faucets and toweling or new tile and updated, more functional lighting. A fresh coat of paint and new bedding may be what the bedrooms need. Oftentimes the clothes closets need to become more functional and suited to the needs of the parents and children. Some homeowners are wanting to add an entertainment center, a wine cellar, an exercise room or a libary/home office. Investigate all your local resources to gather as much information as possible on the costs of any of these household projects. You may choose to consider a designer to insure that you are satisfying your family's needs for now and the future. Enhancing the setting of your home can involve foundation plantings, trees, shrubs, lighting, gardens, a fence, a water feature, decks or patio, outdoor furniture and possibly a sculpture. Be sure to take full advantage of your local resources. Two helpful websites are www.helpfulgardener.com and www.gardening.about.com. Use your computer's search engine to get as much information as possible on each project. Establish an order for accomplishing your chosen tasks. Developing your home's exterior in phases is helpful and an economically sound approach.
Bad habits are very hard to break and smoking is certainly a habit that is a challenging habit to break. Once you have become addicted to smoking, no amounts of threats of lung cancer, heart problems, leg amputations and even death can make an individual quit easily.
The smoking habit is a worldwide problem. Individuals and health organizations are working diligently to get the word out about the health risks involved in smoking. Websites, pamphlets, brochures and a multitude of quit smoking tips are available. Unfortunately, many smokers have chosen not to accept the truth about this habit and pay no attention to the fact of smoking's destructive impact on their health.
There are a number of basic reasons to stop smoking such as bad smell on your clothes and skin, bad breath and stained teeth, lower athletic ability, cough and sore throat, raised blood pressure, increased heartbeat and the cost of the habit. Long term reasons to stop the smoking habit are the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, risk of heart disease, serious breathing problems, risk of stomach ulcers and acid reflux, risk of gum disease and time lost working or having fun because you're sick.
The first step on trying to quit smoking is to recognize that the problem exists. Admit to yourself that smoking kills and that you want to quit...now! Set a "stop date" 2 to 4 weeks from today so you'll have some time to prepare. Make a list of your personal reasons for quitting smoking. Tell your family and friends and ask their support. Ask your family doctor to help you develop a plan for stopping smoking. Ask your doctor to recommend a stop-smoking plan. Go online to find self-help materials and ideas for ceasing this dangerous habit.
Yes, you will experience stress and urges to smoke. When these stresses occur, relax by taking a hot bath, going for a long walk or simply practice breathing slowly and deeply. If you are used to relaxing with a cup of coffee and a cigarette, switch to hot tea instead and no cigarette. If you have smoked for a long time, your addicted body may feel edgey, you may have difficulty concentrating or you may have headaches. These symptoms are the result of nicotine in your body, also known as nicotine withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are the strongest in the first few days and willl subside over a four to six week timeframe.
There are nicotine replacement products that take in nicotine without smoking. These products come in several forms: gum, patch, nasal spray, inhaler and lozenges. Nicotine replacement items work by decreasing your body's craving for nicotine and reduce withdrawal symptoms. Prescription medicines such bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantrix) helps some people stop smoking. These prescription medicines do not contain nicotine but do help you resist those urges to smoke. Be sure to talk to your doctor about these prescription choices.
Check out www.momster.com/fc/quitsmoking.com to discover the positives of your stopping smoking:
Twenty minutes after you quit, your blood pressure drops. Twelve hours after quitting, your levels of toxic carbon monoxide in your blood decreases.
Two weeks to three months after quitting, your lung function increases.
One to nine months after quitting, you cough less.
One year after quitting, your heart-disease risk is cut in half.
Five to fifteen years after quitting, your stroke risk is that of a nonsmoker.
Fifteen years after quitting, your hear disease risk is the same as a nonsmoker's.
Choosing and preparing healthy foods and exercise are two factors you need to pay close attention to in order for you to achieve the best health possible. Cholesterol management is an important and integral piece of your health care. Being aware of delicious, low-fat, low-cholesterol foods and recipes will help you acheve your health goals.
Eating out demands that you make healthy choices even when dining at fine restaurants. Before you order, become familiar with the menu before going to the restaurant. Many restaurants have their menus online which enables you to plan ahead what you are going to order. This preparation helps you make eating out healthy and enjoyable.
Before you order, have the waiter remove from your table temptations such as complimentary breads and butter. Avoid foods which are buttered, fried or panfried, creamed, escalloped, au gratin or a la mode (with ice cream). Instead of bread ask for Melba toast or a whole-grain roll without butter or margarine. Drink two full glasses of water before your food arrives.
When you order choose foods that are steamed, broiled, grilled, stir-friend or roasted. It is a good idea for you to order first so you are not influenced by the other person's choice. Ask the server about ingredients or preparation methods for the dishes you are not familiar with.
For an appetizer choose broth-based soups such as minestrone of gazpacho. Choose seafood, chicken or lean meat rather than fatty meats and ask that your choice of entre be broiled, baked, grilled, steamed or poached. If a sauce is served with the meal, ask for all sauces to be in a separate dish so you can control how much you use. If the meal comes with sides that include French fries, ask the server to substitute a low-fat choice such as steamed vegetables. Order potatoes that are baked, boiled or roasted instead of fried and be sure to ask the server to leave off the butter and sour cream.
When dining at a restaurant with a salad bar, avoid items like grated cheeses, creamy dressings, chopped eggs, bacon and bacon bits and croutons. Instead of a prepared dressing, squeeze a section or two of lemon on your salad or try rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar. If you choose to include a dressing for your salad, be sure to order that dressing on the side. You will consume less dressing if you just get a tiny taste of it on each mouthful of salad rather than pouring the dressing over the entire salad.
When it comes to desserts, order sorbet or fresh seasonal fruit without whipped ream or other topping. Be careful about falling into an after dinner routine that can reverse all the "good" you have accomplished. For example, resist the temptation of enjoying a scoop or two of ice cream while watching you favorite TV program. Other habits that can sabotage your cholesterol management and healthy eating plan are skimping on sleep, skipping flossing your teeth, nail biting or other little indiscretions.
Herb gardening has become very popular once again. From ancient to modern times, herbs have been used for medicinal purposes. Rather than use prescription, chemical-based medicines, natural herbs have been used to treat depression. Adding fresh herbs in cooking transforms ordinary meals into extraordinary meals. As Americans continue to work on cutting back on salt, fat and sugar, herbs are used to enhance the flavor of foods. Many cooks use fresh herbs that they grow or purchase at the market. Others will grow herbs in their own garden, pick them at the ideal time and then dry and store them.  Herbs from your garden can be dried in a variety of ways with air drying the easiest and least expensive method. Herbs that don't have a high moisture content can be successfully air dried. These herbs include bay, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, summer savory and thyme. Air drying doesn't deplete these herbs of their oils. Herbs that are moisture dense preserve better by using a dehydrator or using a freezing method. Moisture rich herbs include basil, chives, mint and tarragon. It is possible to use a microwave or oven to dry herbs. This process "cooks" the herbs and diminishes the oil content and flavor. Use this method only as a last resort.
 The best time to harvest herbs for drying is just before they flower when their leaves have the highest oil content. The oil content is what gives herbs aroma and flavor. The different varieties of herbs flower at different times so look for buds that are newly opened. If you discover that your herbs have already flowered, they still can be harvested. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the large stems or branches. Shake the cut stems to remove insects. You are now ready to start the drying process of your choice.
The National Institute of Health recently reported that four out of five Americans will suffer from disabling back pain during their lifetimes. Spending on back care soared between 1997 and 2005 reaching $86 billion...just shy of what Americans spend battling cancer. As those numbers continue to multiply, so have questions about the more aggressive forms of back treatment. A 2008 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association noted that the increase in back care spending occurred "without evidence of corresponding improvement" in the patient's health.
Dr. Richard Deyo, a professor of family medicine at Oregon Health and Science University said, "Intense pain is not necessarily an indication for surgery." Dr. Deyo is one of the authors of the study, "You can't fix everything with a knife."
 The biggest controversy involves an invasive surgery called spine fusion, which attempts to relieve back pain by permanently connecting (fusing) several levels of bone in the spine. While the overall number of back operations has flattened out in recent years, complex fusion surgeries, which can cost more than $80,000, continue to increase. American surgeons now perform twice as many of these operations as their counterparts in most European countries, Australia and New Zealand and five times more than the United Kingdom, despite similar patient numbers.
This conversation or debate is very likely to intensify under the new federal health legislation that President Obama signed in March. This legislation will gradually require doctors and hospitals to demonstrate that their services are cost-effective. In addition, the New England Health Care Institute estimates that the United States could save roughly $1 billion a year by eliminating unnecessary back surgeries.
Minnesota is home to Medtronic Inc., the world's largest maker of devices used in spine surgery, as well as Abbott Northwestern Hospital, which performs more spine fusion surgeries on Medicare patients than other other hospital in the country. Fusion involves a surgical toolkit consisting of screws, rods, cages and plates, and sometimes a product made by Medtronic called Infuse, which grows bone between the vertebrae in an effort to stabilize the spine.
Historically, fusion surgery has been used to correct deformities, fractures, complications related to tumors and other rare conditions. The surgical results have been good, and mostly noncontroversial. However in recent years, more and more of these procedures have been used to treat back pain related to aging, prompting several studies to question whether the expensive intervention is worth it. In 2006, American doctors performed approximately 343,000 spine fusion operations, up 82% from 1999, as reported by the National Center for Health Statistics, which tracks Medicare data. This number does not include the thousands who paid more to other sources.
Dr. Deyo has argued that the rising costs, high rates of complications and second surgeries and the wide variations in the number of procedures performed from one state to another "generate concern that the procedure may be overused."
Others claim the increase in fusion surgery may be related to improvements in technology and the fact that baby boomers are aging. "Americans think longevity is a right and death is optional."
"Is there too much back surgery?" Dr. John Sherman, an orthopedic surgeon with Twin Cities Orthopedics , one of the nation's biggest practices said, "Yes, but its not as dark as Dr. Deyo portrays it, nor is surgery a panacea for curing all back pain."
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