As people get older, they sometimes realize that getting a good night sleep is not as easy as it used to be! Seniors typically suffer from various sleeping disorders, while Zoomers can also be prone to such disorders in addition to high stress which can also cause many restless nights!

I recently started having difficulties sleeping, which prompted me to write this article. My initial thought was that stress was keeping me up. In today’s economy, many Zoomers, especially those who had money invested in interest gaining retirement plans may have lost some sleep after the markets crashed last year. I spoke to people close to me and got a few suggestions.

A few suggestions to help me sleep better

• Warm milk
• Sleeping Pills
• Meditation
• A Better Bed

The first thing I tried was warm milk. Unfortunately this did not work, but was the easiest to try. I hate taking pills so sleeping pills wasn’t really an option.  Coincidentally I had been meditating for the last several months as part of a yoga routine that I started - and I it hadn’t helped so I resorted to the final suggestion of buying a new bed. I looked for beds online and found a great deal on a sleep number bed which sounded like it could prove to be a great solution. Since I purchased the sleep number bed I have been sleeping a lot better.

As we age our body changes and requires a bit more care. My old bed and mattress may have served me well in my thirties but as a Zoomer it was stopping me from sleeping. If you are loosing sleep at nights consider your old bed as a possible reason, before taking drastic measures!

Have you ever walked into your local store for a bottle of oil and looked at the huge variety available to meet your culinary needs.

Next time you shop for oil keep some basic facts on hand and ask yourself: Do I want an oil for flavoring or cooking.

Olive Oil -  The best oil for salads, flavor and for cooking. It’s rich in monounsaturated fats which decreases the “bad” cholesterol, LDL, and helps out in boosting the “good” cholesterol HDL. Olive oil has also been shown to improve heart health.

Extra Virgin oil possesses antioxidants that are valued for their possible ability in preventing cancer.

Canola Oil -  When you require a cooking oil with a neutral taste, a good choice is Canola oil. Canola oil is made from rapeseed, which is a relative to the mustard plant. This oil is a good choice as it provides essential omega-3 acids and contains mostly monounsaturated fats.

Peanut Oil - Excellent for hot cooking, sautéing and roasting as this oil has a high smoke point. Peanut oil also provides a good source of monounsaturated fat as well as vitamin E.

Sesame Oil - This oil offers a distinctive Asian flavor and is suited to vegetable stir-fry and chicken shrimp and meat dishes. Use it sparingly, as a flavoring agent only as it may overpower your dish. Sesame oil can be purchased raw or roasted.

Nut oils - Nut oils such as walnut, hazelnut and macadamia nut come refined or unrefined. Refined nut oils are best for low-temperature baking. Unrefined oils add a nutty flavor to your salad.

Polyunsaturated oils and Coconut and palm oils - Keep away from these options, as they are unhealthy with frequent use.

Polyunsaturated oils are less desirable for cooking. They are unstable and can break down when heated. These oils may be linked to cancer and heart disease as well as aging. Some examples of polyunsaturated oils are: sunflower, soy, safflower, grape seed and corn oil.

Coconut and palm oils are notorious for containing significant amounts of saturated fat.

As zoomers we want to watch what we eat - but enjoy it aswell!

Zoomerish is planning on hosting… the 2009 Zoomers and Boomers Conference. The conference will be taking place in Massachusetts (hopefully at the ForeFront Boston Conference Center) and will be a one day session with speakers and networking sessions.

The event will take place in June 2009 and will be hosted by yours truly! I am using my contacts in the industry to put together a list a valuable presenters that I will announce later on as I confirm reservations. Companies and organizations wishing to participate should contact me directly.

For visitors coming in from out of town there are several options for accommodations and hotels in the area – check out a few of the following links for more information.

Google Search for “Boston Hotels”  - Gives a few different local listings with contact details

Sheraton Boston Hotel / Conference Center

Radisson - Look up their Boston location

TripAdivsor: Hotel Reviews - This links to the Boston hotel reviews page

I hope to make the conference an annual event, possibly more than once a year for some of the zoomers and boomers that can’t make it out to Boston.

According to Desjardins Financial Security, from 1150 people polled in
October of 2008 and found that 42% are thinking about putting off retirement
by an average of 6 years. This is a huge contrast to their last years survey
that found 62% of 2217 people surveyed were sure they were saving enough for
retirement and 73% were confident that their financial security for
retirement was excellent. Apparently not so!

It was also predicted that there may have been a shortage of labor with
high number of baby boomers retiring, however if the baby boomers will
continue to work, that shortage may be avoided.

More Boomers are aware that their stock portfolios may not get them through
a long retirement and while the government does provide some retirement
income, it is just not enough, therefore, Boomers may have to choose to
remain at their workplace longer than planned.

Baby boomers those 45+, are not out of date or unable to do the work. In
fact Companies/employers are not doing the boomers any favors in having
them remain on the job longer. The workplace will benefit from the Boomers’
expertise, wisdom and informal networks.

To assist the boomers to remain at their job/s longer, companies & employers
need to look at flexible work options such as shorter workdays or workweeks
and seasonal work. If the older workers are to stay on longer at their jobs,
employers will have to be more aware of ageism in the workplace.

Most of us are familiar with the term menopause, the time in life where a woman has not had a menstrual period for twelve consecutive months. Men also go through their own transformation or andropause as they age due to a decline in their hormones. Although the decline may be gradual the physical effect are quite real. Although the WHO (World Health Organization) does not officially recognize andropause, many male zoomers and baby boomers are going through it!

The male version of menopause usually sets on between the ages of 35-70 however on average most men experience this transformation in their fifties (50’s).

Some of the effects experienced by men include:

• Lack of energy
• Lower sex drive
• Mood changes
• Less potent erections and decrease in staying power

While there is testosterone therapy, it has its own risk, one of which is potentially exacerbating prostate cancers. It is important to get all the current and accurate information on hormonal therapy before considering the option.

Here is a useful diagnosis quiz online. The quiz is provided by www.andropause.com a very helpful site providing information regarding symptoms, treatments and other andropause related issues.

More detailed information on available treatments for andropause can be found here. Of course it’s always recommended to seek treatment advice from you doctor.

In an article “Boomerang Children” by Dr. Bruce Narramore and Dr. Vern Lewis, it states that adult children choose to live or return home because where else would they get free rent, home cooking, cable TV and free laundry? They would be fools to live anywhere else.

Top 10 Signs that you have a” boomerang” child:

1. A week after your graduate son comes home for the holidays a moving truck pulls up to with all his furniture. You look at your son and he responds “It’s only for a year or two until I get my feet on the ground.”
2. You seem to be handing out weekly allowances all over again!
3. You see your exercise room slowly being turned into a dump site full of running shoes, dirty laundry and fast food droppings.
4. Your fridge turned from a healthy food environment to cold pizza and beer storage facility.
5. When your daughter brings home a date, instead of feeling suspicious you feel hopeful.
6. The lingerie in the laundry isn’t yours.
7. The house phone rings all the time and it’s never for you.
8. You stop lying about your age and start lying about theirs.
9. You stop saving towards your children’s marriages and excessively research vacation properties online.
10. You find yourself smoking again!

Let your boomerang children take responsibility and share in all expectations. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

It’s not just a myth that your mind looses its “sharpness” as you age. However, it’s not inevitable. Your mind is like a muscle. Keeping your mind fit and fueled will help to maintain and improve its condition. You don’t need to let time take its course, be proactive and prevent the effects of aging on your brain!

Here are some tips:

Physical Exercise

• Do a combination of stretching, aerobics and muscle training routines. Studies have demonstrated that individuals over the age of 40 who exercise at least 3 times per week have 20% better memory skill than those who don’t exercise.

Mental Exercise

• Do some brain exercises! Crossword puzzles, scrabble, chess or just pick up a book and read it. All these activities will keep your thinking skills sharp.

Food and Nutrition

• Eat Right - Think Right! Low levels of vitamin B (folic acid, B6 and B12) have been linked to poor memory and cloudy thinking. Eating the right foods like: beans, peas, whole grain breads, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and dairy products, can provide the right nutritional balance to keep your mind fit and strong.

What was that saying?

“… a good mind is a horrible thing to waste” 

Welcome to Zoomerish.com. An entire site focused on the Zoomer/Baby Boomer generation (give and take a little - hence the “ish”).

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