Category Archives: Home

A Dog’s Death

This is a different kind of post from your Age Smart hosts. From time to time, we get sent questions from our readers that lead to a topic for the column. In this case, one of our readers, Michelle B, sent us a question about the powerful impact of losing a canine family member on “empty nester” baby […]

Diet and Risk of Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease

In a previous column I discussed the brain-healthy effects of brief, periodic fasting. Happily, there is an alternative to going hungry every few days. An increasing body of evidence suggests that you can also eat your way to better brain health. For several years, researchers have been publishing evidence that certain foods contain nutrients that […]

Surviving the Midlife Crisis

Dear Age Smart: My father is in his 50’s and just bought a motorcycle. The other day he mentioned that he is planning his first skydiving trip. I’m concerned that this is the start of a mid-life crisis. Is there anything we can do as family members to be supportive? -Watching from the sidelines Dear […]

Women and Cognitive Decline in Old Age

Women and Cognitive Decline in Old Age Cliff: The latest research results being announced at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference taking place in Washington DC this week have become big news stories. So Len and I thought it would be good to look in detail at two of these stories…..the ones that pertain to the […]

Drinking Alcohol as We Grow Older

Dear Age Smart: “I’m a 63 year old woman in good health but come from a family in which alcoholism runs rampant. I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem with alcohol and I like my glass of wine with dinner. But I have some concern about the health effects of alcohol as I get […]

Does Fasting Slow Aging?

Dear Age Smart: Does Fasting Slow Aging? From a person who loves to feast. Dear Feaster: Does fasting slow aging? Surprisingly, that might be true. But it depends what you mean by “fasting”. Prolonged fasting can obviously lead to malnutrition and early death. On the other hand, there is evidence that intermittent, brief fasting may […]

Growing Older and the Meaning of Work

The Maine Department of Labor has reported what many of us already knew – our state’s labor force is aging. Approximately half of private industry workers are at least 45 years old and within the next twenty years, approximately half of the current workforce for most sectors will be 65 or older. State government workers […]

Thoughts about Growing Old in the RIGHT Place

“Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home; A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, Which seek thro’ the world, is ne’er met elsewhere. Home! Home! Sweet, sweet home! There’s no place like home There’s no place like home!” Sound familiar? It […]

Should I Take Vitamin D Supplements??

It’s January in Maine. What should we talk about? Something sexy, exciting and fascinating you say? Well OK! We’ll talk about vitamin D deficiency. This is a good topic for January, since this is the time of year when many people become deficient in this important vitamin. Our diet often does not provide sufficient amounts […]