Carole Carson

Making Time for Creative Play for Kids of All Ages

In our increasingly technological age, children have access to a wide range of digital “toys”—from iPod to Xbox. These high-tech gadgets provide great entertainment, but we shouldn’t forget that a healthy dose of good old-fashioned playtime stimulates our children in ways that video games can’t.

According to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics unstructured play helps children to develop problem-solving skills, as well as build strong bodies. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, author of the report, writes: “It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them... As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges.”

“Children are the future,” as the popular saying goes. They are society’s future leaders and our greatest investment. It’s good to know we can help shape their destinies, and ours, by encouraging old-fashioned fun and games.

And no matter your age, why not join your child in play? You’ll be delighted to rediscover the child that continues to live inside you, just waiting to be invited to have some fun and play.

For helpful playtime ideas, visit the RealAge Web site.

Reduce (or Add) Fat with an Injection—Too Good to Be True?

An injection that makes fat disappear? This revolutionary weight-loss breakthrough reported in major U. S. publications, such as The Washington Post and also internationally, such as The Herald Sun, Australia’s biggest newspaper.

 

Sound like another scam? Consider the source: Dr. Zofia Zukowska.  Be assured, Dr. Zukowska is not a snake-oil promoter. Indeed, she is a highly educated and talented researcher at Georgetown University. The abstract of her research is available in the July 31, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

 

It’s not an easy read. Fortunately for laypersons like me, the remarkable results of her research are summarized in the opening paragraph of the abstract.

 

Briefly, what Dr. Zukowska has been able to do in experimental animals is manipulate a particular chemical (neuropeptide Y, referred to as NPY) so that fat is either increased or decreased. The result is that fat can be “remodeled.”

 

The implications of this research are stunning. Lips or breasts could be enlarged through a simple injection. More importantly for most of us, belly fat could disappear with a shot in the stomach. 

 

Human testing is about two years away, but Dr. Zukowska’s research could make dieting and surgical enhancements obsolete, assuming, of course, that any side effects are manageable.

 

Satisfying our desire to look better isn’t enough. We still need to exercise our bodies to build strength, maintain balance, strengthen the heart and remain flexible. Still, trimming down might encourage those of us who are discouraged by our excess weight to become more physically active. 

 

This is exciting research. I’m staying in touch with Dr. Zukowska’s staff because I want to be first in line for a tummy injection. I have a couple of pounds of stubborn fat on my belly that just won’t go away! I’ll keep you posted.

 

Trivia Question: Is Patterned Eating Wrecking Your Weight-Loss Goal?

More than half of the adults in the United States consume more calories on weekend days than they do on weekdays. How many extra calories are consumed by these weekend food warriors?

1. 84 to 411

2. 45 to 85

3. 210 to 502

The correct answer is number1: 84 to 411 calories. The extra calories consumed on holidays is even higher―340. To keep weekend and holiday eating from wrecking your weight-loss effort, try these tips:

• Wake up at your regular time on weekends and eat breakfast (instead of sleeping late and consuming a heavy brunch).

• Weigh in on Friday morning and Sunday night.

• Keep a journal and record your food intake.

• Minimize alcoholic drinks; their empty calories pack on pounds.

• Increase your exercise time on weekends.

Bathing suit season is around the corner. If you manage your eating on weekends and holidays, you’ll be ready to bare arms.

The Health Benefits of Being Happy

Are you happy? Admittedly, enjoyment and pleasure can be important components of happiness. But there's more. Beyond gratification is a level of happiness that psychologists describe as "eudaimonic well-being." At this point, positive emotions arise when an individual is working toward a meaningful goal. This person is continuing to learn, taking on new challenges and living purposefully.

Eudaimonic happiness is as good for our bodies as it is for our outlook. Dr. Carol Ryff, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, reports that women who tested high for this quality weighed less, slept better and had fewer stress hormones and markers for heart disease than those reporting hedonic happiness. Dr. Richard J. Davidson reinforces this idea: "Eudaimonic well-being is much more robust and satisfying than hedonic happiness, and it engages different parts of the brain. The positive emotion accompanying thoughts that are directed toward meaningful goals is one of the most enduring components of well-being."

I think this is what Helen Keller meant when she said, "Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

This is why I encourage anyone interested in becoming fit to join a community, like the AARP Fat2 Fit online community. Contributing to others involves us in a worthy purpose: supporting each other in achieving fitness. This research assures us that our delight in helping each other helps us as well.

The Health Benefits of Being Happy

Are you happy? Admittedly, enjoyment and pleasure can be important components of happiness. But there's more. Beyond gratification is a level of happiness that psychologists describe as "eudaimonic well-being." At this point, positive emotions arise when an individual is working toward a meaningful goal. This person is continuing to learn, taking on new challenges and living purposefully.

Eudaimonic happiness is as good for our bodies as it is for our outlook. Dr. Carol Ryff, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, reports that women who tested high for this quality weighed less, slept better and had fewer stress hormones and markers for heart disease than those reporting hedonic happiness. Dr. Richard J. Davidson reinforces this idea: "Eudaimonic well-being is much more robust and satisfying than hedonic happiness, and it engages different parts of the brain. The positive emotion accompanying thoughts that are directed toward meaningful goals is one of the most enduring components of well-being."

I think this is what Helen Keller meant when she said, "Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

This is why I encourage anyone interested in becoming fit to join a community, like the AARP Fat2 Fit online community. Contributing to others involves us in a worthy purpose: supporting each other in achieving fitness. This research assures us that our delight in helping each other helps us as well.

Photo courtesy of Rayko Swensson

Make Pasta a Little Healthier

Some of us love pasta yet want to lose surplus pounds. The good news is that we don’t have to give up pasta entirely as long as we focus on reasonable portions and prepare healthier versions. Here are four tips:

• Use whole grain pastas

• Add vegetables (peppers, onions or mushrooms)

• Choose lean sources of protein (chicken or tuna)

• Create your own low-calorie sauces

A simple tomato sauce can be made from chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and spices. An easy non-tomato sauce can be made from a little olive oil, pureed red peppers and seasonings. And pasta alfredo can also be made with yogurt in place of sour cream. As Julia Child used to say, “Bon appétit!”

Photo courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian

Exercise Is Its Own Reward

After finishing my workout at a neighborhood gym, I frequently treated myself to iced tea at a nearby coffee shop. A couple of my classmates almost always beat me there, and by the time I arrived they would be settled in with their pastries and soft drinks.

When I stopped by their table to chat one day, they told me that this was their reward for an hour of exercise. I've made this mistake as well. That is, I've allowed myself some extra treats because, as I tell myself in the moment, I exercised especially hard earlier in the day.

Exercise is wonderful for our bodies in many ways. But the truth is that even an hour of doubles' tennis doesn't burn that many calories, and if I indulge in treats, I'll sabotage my weight loss efforts.

Although it isn’t an exact science, the Mayo Clinic has fairly good estimates, and you may be surprised at how much exercise it takes to burn off even one donut. For example, given my weight and walking speed, I’d need to walk at least an hour to burn off a plain donut. A sugared-donut would be even more!

I'm sharing this fitness tip so you won't make this common mistake.

Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Roveri

Want to Be Happy? Or Happier? Take Five!

Marshall and Kelly Goldsmith, management consultants, completed a survey of 3,000 people to obtain insight into what makes people happy and gives meaning to their lives both at home and at work.

Those surveyed included well-educated managers, entrepreneurs and professionals, almost equally divided between men and women.

Five recommendations emerged from the study:

1. Watch less television. Television viewing may entertain,

but it doesn’t increase satisfaction or meaning.

2. Don’t waste time surfing the Web. Spending time on the

Internet robs individuals of happiness and purpose.

3. Do as few chores as you can (however you define chores).

4. Spend time exercising and socialize with people you

love.

5. Keep yourself challenged.

The first three statements are negatively proscriptive; that is, they tell us what not to do. Don’t waste time watching television, surfing the Web or performing routine chores. The last two suggestions are positively proscriptive; that is, they tell us how to spend our time. Exercise and socialize with those we love and work on challenging tasks.

The survey results may not surprise you, although you might have noticed, as I did, that there is no recommendation for spending time on spiritual growth, meditation or reflection. Setting the spiritual dimension aside, the results affirm what we know instinctively—that our days are numbered and that we need to allocate our day-to-day moments in meaningful ways.

Marshall Goldsmith is an executive coach and the author of Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It. Kelly Goldsmith is an assistant professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.