Book Review: Never Feel Old Again by Raymond Francis

Never Feel Old Again: Aging Is a Mistake--Learn How to Avoid It (Never Be)

Author: Raymond Francis

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.

Release Date: October 1, 2013





About The Author
Raymond Francis is an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal-health maintenance. At the age of 76, Raymond Francis is president of Beyond Health International, a supplier of highly advanced health education and world class health-supporting products to the public.

Getting Old Is Not For Sissies!
Raymond Francis believes the body ages as a result of accumulated repair deficits, or a lack of maintenance. He says the passage of time alone does not explain what happens to our bodies. What we think of as "aging" is a man-made disease that is preventable and even reversible. The author believes everyone can live to a healthy old age and no one needs to become feeble and die in a nursing home.

Mr. Francis endorses the Beyond Health Model which employs the following six pathways; 

• The Nutrition Pathway
• The Toxin Pathway
• The Mental Pathway
• The Physical Pathway
• The Genetic Pathway
• The Medical Pathway

This book provides valuable advice on how to change old habits and start living a healthy lifestyle. The author believes you can live a strong, purposeful, active, drug-free and disease-free life well into your hundreds!

My Thoughts
This book offers an amazing amount of information. The author has done his research and is very passionate about natural healing and reversing the aging process.

I found the information in this book very interesting but I know it will be a real challenge for me to make the changes in my life that Mr. Frances recommends. The author acknowledges that "habits and addictions are real obstacles to any positive change in your life". However, I think any major lifestyle change begins with a series of small steps. I think the information in this book will inspire me to eat healthier foods, lose some weight and increase my physical activity.

This book will give you many things to think about. You might not agree with everything the author suggests, but I am pretty sure you will find many helpful tips that will improve your health and quality of life.

They say that "getting old is not for sissies!" This book will give you a new understanding of the aging process and provide information that will help you age with dignity and grace.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a digital preview copy of this book from NetGalley.

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Book Review: Find Your Reason To Be Here by Laura Lee Carter

Find Your Reason to Be Here: The Search for Meaning in Midlife 

Author: Laura Lee Carter

Publisher: Mimbres Publishing

Date: January 23, 2013



About The Author
Laura Lee Carter, best known for her Midlife Crisis Queen magazine online, worked as a professional reference and research librarian for 25 years before transitioning into her present work as a midlife researcher, author, and psychotherapist. She holds three graduate degrees including one in counseling, with a specialty in midlife psychology. She is the author of "How to Fall in Love Again" and several other books.

Baby Boomers Reach Midlife
What is a midlife crisis?
"Midlife crisis, or what the Jungian analyst James Hollis calls the middle passage, often first becomes obvious when we experience difficult life circumstances that convince us that our illusions are no longer secure. We do not control our universe".

Ms. Carter faced devastating career and family changes during her midlife years. In her case, desperation led to many forms of inspiration and breakdowns led to some amazing breakthroughs.

The midlife shift begins when we stop and reassess our lives, often finding some major room for improvement. By questioning most previous assumptions about why we are here and and what we hope to accomplish, we change our hearts and minds so they can work better for us as we age.

This book is based on the writings of respected psychologists and the author's personal experiences. Ms. Carter firmly believes that midlife is a time of transition, personal change and new challenges.

My Thoughts
This is the second book that I have read by Ms. Carter. I find her writing stimulating and inspiring. She is very good at presenting her research in an interesting way that the reader can understand and apply to personal circumstances.

Midlife is a time of discovery, possibilities and hope. The author advises mid- lifers to keep evolving, learning new skills, and challenging your mind and body. The best is yet to be...indeed!

Ms. Carter includes "A Life-Changing List" for people in the midlife years. I found this list to be very inspiring. If you are stuck in a midlife rut, I think this book will open your eyes and help you see some new possibilities for your life.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ The author sent me a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review.

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Book Review: Younger Next Year

I just finished reading Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy - Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge. I really like the title of this book, don't you? It is nice to think about feeling younger each year and being strong, fit and sexy until I'm 80 and beyond. Hmmmm

This is an awesome book and I think it should be required reading for anyone over 40. The authors do a great job explaining the aging process and sharing important things that will slow or even reverse this process.

The most important thing we MUST do to slow the aging process is EXERCISE. The authors advise starting with aerobic exercise for 45 minutes a day and doing it six days a week for the rest of your life. Exercise must be considered just as important as a job. I got a good laugh out of one segment in the book where the author said that men like to make excuses for not exercising. The authors are often asked why six days a week? What's wrong with three days? Or two? Or one? Isn't anything better than nothing? (Sounds like something I would ask.)

Mr. Crowley answered, "No, you silly son of a b*tch! It's not better than nothing! Or, in any case, it's so much worse than six days for men over 50 that we don't even want you to think about it. It will sap your strength and drain your willpower. It will put you on the bench. It's six days because it HAS to be. Don't argue. Did it ever occur to you to tell your boss you'd prefer working two days a week? PLEASE!"

The authors advise people to plan a "jumpstart" activitity or vacation to get motivated to exercise. This would be something like a ski trip, hiking trip, fun run or anything that is enjoyable but emphasizes the need to be physically fit. I went on a hiking trip last week that really opened my eyes to the fact that I need to be in better shape. I am now exercising harder so that my next hiking trip will be a more pleasant.

The authors suggest that each person keep a daily log (or blog?) detailing three things: 1) What I ate, 2) What I did for exercise (or didn't), and 3) what I did with my life...sexually, socially, morally...write about your passions. This log should keep a record of how you "care, connect and commit" in your life. "A daily log is a practical tool and a magical device that stands between you and the relentless thought, 'You know what? I just don't care'."

The authors share some very helpful advise about post-retirement living. Many people dream about the day when they can retire and just sit around doing nothing. Well, it doesn't work that way in real life. This book offers advise that will help you understand why you MUST have activities that you are passionate about to occupy your time.

I grabbed this book when it was offered as a free download for my Kindle. This book is truly life-changing. It is worth every penny that you do (or don't) pay for it.
The authors have written a version of this book for women, Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy - Until You're 80 and Beyond....This book is on my "must read" list!

Chair Dancing

The term chair dancing sounds strange, doesn't it?  The two words just don't go together. I want to tell you about a video that uses low-impact exercise to provide a vigorous aerobic workout while sitting in a chair.  This is a great option for people (like me) who can't do much running, jumping, hopping, stomping, etc. because of leg injuries.
You are probably wondering how it is possible to get a good workout while sitting in a chair.  I am telling you that this workout kicks my butt...the more you put into it the more you get out of it.
You actually do the Mexican hat dance, the polka, the waltz, the samba and some belly dancing moves while sitting in a chair (No, I will NOT demonstrate the belly dancing moves.)  Jodi Stolove demonstrates the "advanced" moves but there are other "chair dancers" in the group that are doing beginning and intermediate moves. 
The video begins with several warm-up activities, then the aerobic dances and ends with some cool-down stretches.  The workout lasts for about 45 minutes.
Did you know that you can do jumping jacks while seated in a chair?  I didn't either until I got this video.  Perhaps a future TV series will feature chair dancing for aging stars.
I found this VHS video at a library sale, but it is also available in DVD format.  Here are some other chair dancing products.

Jodi Stolove's Chair Dancing Around The World (DVD)
Jodi Stolove's Chair Dancing
Jodi Stolove's Chair Dancing Through the Decades
Jodi Stolove's Chair Dancing Sit Down & Tone Up
Jodi Stolove's Chair Dancing: Pull Up a Chair and Get Fit! [VHS]

Ten Thousand Steps A Day

This is a picture of my pedometer.  A pedometer is an instrument worn by a walker or runner for recording the number of steps taken, thereby showing approximately the distance traveled.  I bought it at Walmart for $5.00 and I wear it everywhere I go.
My goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day.  This equals approximately five miles.  I try to walk at least a mile at a time without stopping to rest.  I would eventually like to be able to walk the full five miles without stopping.
I have never been the athletic type.  I don't expecially enjoy exercise but I know that it is something that I MUST do.  I am reading Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy - Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge.  They are very emphatic in stating that a person who is over the age of 50 needs to commit to at least an hour of exercise a day...six days a week. They state that exercise should be your full-time job after you retire. 
I am now 57 years old.  I just watched my father die from heart disease at the age of 84.  I want to do everything in my power to avoid this fate.  Exercise is my priority.  I have two metal plates in my right leg so I can't run, jump, skip, stomp or do high impact exercise.  I have discovered plenty of things that I can do and I hope to slowly increase the amount of exercise that I do each day.
Do you believe that exercise can slow the aging process?  What is your daily exercise routine?  I hope you will share some of your exercise experiences by posting a comment on this blog.

The Mathematics Of Friendship

A friend is defined as "a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard."
As we grow older, some dearly cherished friends will go. It will not help us or them to brood about their loss. The wise way to handle the situation is to follow Dr. John A. Schindler's suggestion in How to Live 365 Days a Year: "Whenever an old friend departs, seek a new one."
We should never allow life to subtract more friends from our list than we add to it by our own efforts.
Always keep making new friends, by showing a lively interest in the other fellow's interests.
As we grow older, we sometimes avoid exerting the effort of going out and meeting new acquaintances. But if we want to remain young in spirit, we must welcome every opportunity to meet someone new.

Halftime Is The New Retirement

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29: 11

Bob Buford is the founder of Halftime, an organization designed to inspire business and professional leaders to embrace God's calling and move from success to significance.

Beyond Halftime®: Practical Wisdom for Your Second Half is the latest in a series of books that Mr. Buford has written about dedicating the second half of your life to making a difference in the world. This book is a wonderful supplement to Halftime; Moving From Success To Significance.

This book encourages you to slow down and take time to listen to that still small voice deep in your heart. One of the most important things to do in halftime is to honestly examine yourself. Beginning in midlife, many people experience some degree of weariness in their accomplishments and begin to desire "something else". Mr. Buford says that most people generally keep "dancing with the gorilla" because they don't want to leave success for something better.

What about retirement? You have worked hard and now you are looking forward to living a life of leisure. Mr. Buford says that most people become bored in less than a year of retirement. You can't make a difference in the world without a plan of action. Halftime is the new retirement.

This book is all about looking forward with hope. I was impressed and inspired by reading this book. I plan on spending some time working on the "Reflection" questions that are listed at the end of each chapter. These questions tend to force me out of my comfort zone. Change is not easy but the rewards will be great. Are you ready to start planning your halftime?

If you could start over, what would you do?

What cause, mission, or adventure is worth betting the next ten years of your life on?

If you were to make a list of fifty things to do before you die in order to leave well, what would be on the list?