Ivy Slater, 49, New York City, NY

Age Esteem brings to mind a warmth.  Age Esteem to me is our esteemed age. – Not growing old or that we are x years old.  Old is negative, esteem is positive so AgeEsteem is seeing each additional year that we age as being more esteemed, more knowledgeable – and the more special we are.

One concern I have is that my body will keep up with my mind.  I don’t worry about my mind because I love to intake.  I work hard to make my body keep up with all the things that I still see ahead.

Ivy’s Tips:  Keep wonderful women around you, empowering women around you.  Surround yourself with women who are open of heart, open of mind, and encouraging.  - Women that you encourage and support, and who support you.

Exercise.  As opposed to pounding at the gym, I suggest walking with your girl friends.  Walking with women is both physical and mental.  Be kind to yourself and kind to your body.  Give your body what it needs when it needs it.  I would be the first to tell you that I love my ice cream, but we must make our choices.  Make sure that you take care of your body.  Don’t eat all junk food.  Make sure you spend time taking care of your outer body as well as your inner body.  So take Yoga classes or pilatis or walk with friends or go to the gym if that is how it works for you, but take the time.  Take the mental time and time for peace.  We are right here at the Women’s Global Summit and meeting and sharing interesting stories, but then at the end of the day you must digest it. – Letting it all sink into your mind, your body and your spirit.

Ivy Slater is a business coach working specifically with women in business, women entrepreneurs and women in sales at Slater Success Coaching.

At first we fell for Bonnie

And her beautifell new theme,

Then it befell our bodies

How to practice AgeEsteem.

We fell into a new approach

Of facing fellow peers.

How awfell it is to reproach

The bountifell new years!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

Farewell

A Farewell to all who read Bonnie’s Blog,

I am leaving, but remain all agog

At her Positive ways: they’re as bright as they seem.

Just read all of her pages – they number in reams!

She’ll help you to realize all of your dreams,

And make you a part of her planned Age Esteem!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

Note:  She wrote this as she left for two months vacation not realizing that she had contributed enough poems to keep us supplied until she returns.  Thank you Alexandra!

When looking at radishes we might think of lovely little rosebuds.

Radishes have existed for centuries though radishes then were not exactly the same as those we have today. They were used over 3000 years ago by the Chinese and later by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for medicinal purposes.  Coughs and hemorrhages were the main conditions that were treated. They are very low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals, iron and iodine.

To complement their spicy taste, eat them with butter or salt.  They make a delicious and nutritious snack, as an appetizer or in a mixed salad.

Grandma Nature

Grace Chumley, 52, Washington

What comes to mind when I hear the term Age Esteem is as you are getting older embracing who you are and being proud of that, and not wanting to shrivel up and think that your life is over.  – To still know that you have something to contribute to society.

Living in the United States a real concern with aging is to have the finances to survive with the Social Security falling apart. So my biggest concern is what will become of me when I no longer have an income that I am earning through work.  We are fighting that here.  Government wants us to retire even older, which gives us no time to live.  By the time we do get to where we can retire and not have to actively work in earning income we don’t have a chance to live any more.  That isn’t productive.  We have worked all our lives.  I think we should be able to enjoy our lives and live.  I worry that there will not be the finances there, or the care that I need if I need to have care.

Another concern is not having a community to live in where you are also accepted as someone who can contribute.  I know that my parents’ generation said, “Don’t ever put me in a home”.  Now we have better homes and better assisted living but they are unaffordable to some people.  So, will my children take care of me?  What will happen?  Will I have a community of friends I can do things with?  Will I have companionship, friendships?  These are concerns.

Grace’s tips:  On a looks level, I’ve always taken very good care of my skin.  I’ve always felt that was important so I’ve taken care of myself that way.  I obviously need to take care of myself better with exercise; but I think what has kept me feeling young is having a positive attitude and smiling.  It’s my best attribute.  I love to laugh.  I love to laugh at myself.  I remember coming home one time and saying something that I had done that was really stupid.  My husband was like, “Why do you want to tell me about that?  That is so embarrassing.”  I thought no, I am embracing how strange and silly I was.  It’s fun.  I’m laughing at myself with the world, not at myself in a negative way.  So I think laughing and smiling is just something that keeps me young at heart.  I love to smile.  I love to teach youth to smile.

I think we have a choice in life.  I have chosen to be happy with whatever is thrown at me.  I think that is a choice we can individually make.  We can look at our lives and we can be angry; we can be sad; or we can be happy.  I think if we choose to be happy we can be much more productive, have more fun and share that with other people.  Then they will have fun too, love life, embrace it.

Grace Chumley, Grace Under Pressure, Chumleyfamily.blogspot.com   

(If you have ever had to deal with the death of a loved one, this blog may be of precious help.)

Photo credit: Bonnie Fatio

It is time, at this stage

To stop thinking of age !

We should just keep on working

At LIFE and NOT shirking

Our heartfelt endeavor

To always be clever !

So kick up your heels

And see how it feels

To grow younger while older

Filled with wonder and bolder !

You’ll see what it means

To have age esteem.

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

When shopping in the grocery store from September to January you will probably see round red items in the fruit department.  They look like miniature pumpkins except for the color.  The skin is very hard and should you not be familiar with them, they are pomegranates.

When cut in half, they offer a lovely surprise!  The fruit is brimming with many beautiful shiny little dark red seeds.  Do not throw these seeds away!  This is the fruit, and what a fruit it is for good health.  The pomegranate is the oldest cultivated fruit and was thought to have healing powers. Today these healing powers have been proven, through many studies, to be correct.

Pomegranates are so rich in antioxidants that they surmount red wine and green tea.  Known as having anti-inflammatory properties, they are one of the most valuable foods for preventing heart disease.

Studies have shown as well that pomegranate juice helps to prevent or contain cancer, especially prostate cancer, but could be beneficial for other types as well.  As if these attributes were not enough this amazing fruit is saturated with vitamins A, C and E as well as potassium, making it important in lowering blood pressure.

Apart from juice, the seeds can be put on a green salad, for example, to accompany a festive meal.  They may also be added to rice to give a zesty flavor.  Chefs are finding more and more ways to use the pomegranate in their cuisine.  Why don’t you try the pomegranate as well and reward your body?

Grandma Nature

Robyn Simon, 67, Blue Mountains of Australia

What is Age Esteem?   If you’re talking about ladies, I think a woman should be confident to be herself at every stage of her life and especially as she matures to have an understanding of how she presents herself to the outside world based on her own belief in herself and not that dictated by fashion, culture or status.  To realize that I can say from my life that the more mature you get, in actual fact in your own outrageous or quiet way the more outrageous you can be.

It’s an interesting word, esteem, and I think sometimes it is hard won.  The situations around us put us down and make us feel small and I think this is where the community of other women can really support us.  I think that Age Esteem can start at any stage of life from the youngest person to the most mature.

My greatest concern is the lack of physical flexibility and strength.  I feel that because I’m taking care of supplementation and diet and I have relatively good genes with aging I’m intending not to lose my flexibility and strength , but it is one of my concerns.  I’ve been crippled with arthritis and I’m looking after my eyesight but I would be very concerned to lose the faculty of eye sight.  My concern would be to lose the facility to have continuing new adventures in life.  I would not like to lose that.  And yes, a practical concern and a very valid one for most women of the world is to have enough finances to maintain my life in a relatively comfortable manner, and especially to have enough finance to move and to travel a bit.  I think that is very important to me.

Robyn’s Tips:  Stay in the present as much as possible and do not dwell in the past.  Do not live with regret mulling over negative things that may have happened in the past.  Keep your mind in the present as much as possible.

I think that Spiritual development and training is very important to well being because if you train your mind not to sweat the small stuff.  Sweating the small stuff is occupying your mind with criticism, hatred, or all things that can pull a person down.

It is very helpful for a woman to be sure that she has younger friends in her life.  I think you need to have a large spectrum in associations.  I actually went back to work in a spa industry that does massages and beauty treatments and facials and most of the young ladies who worked with me were between the ages of 19 and 25.  That’s one of the best things I’ve done.  I also love spending time with younger men.  Some of the greatest actresses in the world made it very clear that you should have young men around you.  Their energy, all they exude, their presence, I think it is helpful and important.  And I think that a lot of European ladies have known that for a long time.

Also diet.  There is a lot of knowledge out there now for how to look after your physical body that’s reasonable.

Robyn Simon, specialist in aromatic medicine, www.mydoterra.com/robynsimon

Ageless is a kindly word,

“She’s Ageless,” one has sometimes heard,

It’s nice for when you often seem

To lose your sense of self esteem.

Cheer up! And don’t think OLD is bad,

Time is what you have, and had.

There’s more to learn, and joy to come,

And ageless ways to have some fun!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem®

Mussels give you muscles!

This lovely little seafood is delicious, very healthy and so easy to prepare.

Containing very little fat, mussels bring a good quantity of protein to the body.

Their real value, however, comes in the form of zinc and iron of which there is a great quantity.  Zinc especially is vital in the development of the body as well as in the immune and neurological systems.

Mussels are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.  They are very important in maintaining the aquatic eco-systems as each mussel filters about 25 liters of water each day.

Mussels are delicious steamed with a bit of garlic, parsley and wine.  They are best consumed fresh and have to be eaten quickly. – The same day, if possible.

Grandma Nature