Five Fabulous Functional Foods By Jan Cullinane NABBW’s Expert on The New Retirement We know we have to eat to live – food provides the building blocks to grow and repair our bodies, and we need food to produce energy to run vital processes. Beyond those basic needs, though, is the concept of “functional foods” – foods that might “provide benefits beyond basic nutrition” according to research and the International Food Information Council. What are some examples of these “functional foods” and what can they do for us? Blueberries –... Read More

The Sweet Truth about Dark Chocolate By Jan Cullinane NABBW’s Expert on The New Retirement What’s been around for 2,000 years, is nicknamed “the food of the gods,” and helps our aging mind and bodies stave off some of the consequences of growing older?  Dark chocolate. Let’s look at some of the research: Older adults (between 70 and 74) who ate chocolate performed better on cognitive tests that those who do not eat chocolate. (Journal of Nutrition). A small piece of dark chocolate/day (about 30 calories) can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by several points. Participants... Read More

Batter Up and the Power of Facebook By Jan Cullinane NABBW’s Expert on The New Retirement Many people look forward to retirement as a way to deepen or renew old connections. I want to share a short short story about how that recently happened to me. The first several years after graduating from college, I taught Biology at a high school in Maryland, and I coached the girls’ softball team. A few months ago, I was contacted via Facebook from the catcher on that girls’ softball team – we’re talking about something that happened 35 years or so ago! Lisa asked (via Facebook) if I was... Read More

What Are Telomeres and Why Are They Important to You? By Jan Cullinane NABBW\’s  Expert on The New Retirement You probably recall from basic Biology that our genetic material is called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).  At the end of our DNA strands (called chromosomes) there are little caps – sort of  like the plastic tips at the end of our shoelaces –  that protect our chromosomes from fraying and deteriorating.  These are called telomeres. (See the yellow tips in the graphic below.) Every time a body cell divides it needs to make another complete copy of its DNA, and when... Read More

Although there is some exaggeration, this really has some truth to it. The two major disagreements we have had over our 35 years of marriage revolve around two things – loading the dishwasher and how to find our way to a new location when driving. Now, I know these aren’t earth-shattering problems – I’m very fortunate to be happily married to a wonderful man. The first one we resolved – my husband is the neater of the two of us, and his method for loading the dishwasher results in 100% more dishes fitting in than when I do it – so, he does all the loading of... Read More

Yup, this play has been around since 2001, but I saw it for the first time last Saturday night. As the playbill states, Menopause the Musical has been seen by nearly 11 million women in over 250 cities in 14 countries. Obviously, I\’m a bit late to the party, but it was worth it. The play cleverly and hilariously parodies popular songs – the refrain Chain, Chain, Chain from “Chain of Fools” becomes Change, Change, Change; “Stayin\’ Alive” transforms into Stayin\’ Awake; “I\’m Sorry” morphs into I\’m Flashing, and “Puff, The Magic Dragon” is now Puff,... Read More

As you know, travel is often a high priority for those of us who are looking forward to retirement or who have already started this transition. SmarterTravel.com has a fun list of “The World\’s Worst Tourist Traps.” Feeling a big smug, and considering myself fairly well-traveled, I scanned the list and was mortified (elated?) to see I\’ve visited 9 out of the 10 places -and the 10th one is on my to-do list! So, here is the list from SmarterTravel.com. What “Tourist Traps” do you feel are missing? And, so you agree that these sights are tourist traps? (My own vote is for South... Read More

How does an all-inclusive (except airfare) ten-day trip to the Pacific Northwest for two adults for $2745 sound? Having lived most our lives on the East Coast and a decade or so in the Midwest, my husband, Roger, and I wanted to drive the glorious coast of Oregon and incorporate Crater Lake, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Mount Rainier National Park, and Redwood National Forest into our travels. So, I designed an itinerary that began and ended in Portland, Oregon (we drove 1,600 miles in total, but most of the scenery was breath-taking, so the journey was really an integral part... Read More

I love this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, and decided to make it one of my 2010 Resolutions. Although doing something out of my comfort zone every day is too ambitious for me, I am trying to incorporate that philosophy in little ways. For example: Shooting a gun. I\’ve never shot a gun in my life, but I made a reservation at a shooting range (through some neighbors) for April. Can\’t really see myself aiming at a target and using a pistol, but that\’s what I\’ll be doing. The Tyra Banks Show. I can speak backwards fluently, and I contacted the Tyra Show about my weird... Read More

First, let\’s start with some facts from Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever about women and negotiation: The Million Dollar Difference. “Women who consistently negotiate their salary increases earn at least $1 million more during their careers than women who don\’t.” Ouch! “Going to the dentist” is how women described the process of negotiation, while men picked “winning a ballgame.” We avoid negotiation four times as often as men. First salary. A woman who fails to negotiate at the very beginning of her career will be down by $500,000 in lifetime earnings by the time... Read More