We have been hearing much about beta-carotene these days.  What is it exactly?  No, it is not a carrot!  It is an antioxidant found in foods which seem to reduce cancer development and heart disease.  Carrots do contain a large quantity of beta-carotene as do other yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables.  One thinks of orange when seeing the word carotene, and yet the antioxidant is found in great quantities in dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and Swiss Chard as well.

Studies have shown that for the beta-carotene to be most effective it must be cooked or cut into small pieces.  Some fat should be added when preparing the food in order for the beta-carotene to be assimilated in the body.  Other foods with high amounts are carrot juice, pumpkin, sweet potato, kale, beet greens, cantaloupe and red peppers.

Beta-carotene is converted in the body into vitamin A, which is necessary for good vision and the immune system.  It has an important function in helping to prevent lung cancer.    Enjoying these vegetables and fruits will not only provide a delicious meal but will keep you fit and healthy.

Grandma Nature

Bonnie Foods and Flavors, Health Factors Age Esteemers, antioxidant, beta-carotene, Grandma Nature, healthy, heart disease, immune system, reduce cancer, vitamin A

How we feel inside is what is really important.  So why do we give so much weight to outside appearance?

This morning Maggie and I had breakfast at the Grove City Main Street Diner.   As we looked around us we wondered if any of the people eating at nearby tables were here for our class reunion.  The guy behind us looked rather familiar, though seemed too old to be from our class.  Eventually Maggie asked him if he was here for the reunion.  “Nope”, he said.  When Maggie added that we wondered if he was from our class of 1960, he all but jumped out of his chair insisting, “Certainly not.  I graduated in 1969!”

Oops!  Will the classmates we meet for drinks this evening seem even older?.

Of course when Maggie and I look in the mirror, we see ourselves as dynamic, fun loving, relatively healthy and even sensuous.  Is that why we see others as older?  The older people we saw this morning probably think of themselves as dynamic and active too.

And that’s really all that matters! – How we feel on the inside.

Bonnie Fatio

Bonnie Life Stages - Ages appearance, Bonnie Fatio, Class Reunion, dynamic, fun loving, healthy, look old, older people, sensuous

Suzanne Hough, 70, Oklahoma, USA

It means that you like the age you are in.  If you’re 40 you like being 40.  If you’re 66, you like being 66.  You don’t go moping around feeling depressed because you’re older than somebody else.

Susanne’s tips: You have to do something that you enjoy.  You have to have an avocation, some hobby that will give you pleasure and maybe eventually be meaningful to someone else.  Stay healthy so you can feel happy.  If you’re healthy you can do just about anything that you want.  And that’s the key.  You have to take care of yourself first before you try to take care of anybody else in the world.

Bonnie Secrets to AgeEsteem age-esteem, avocation, healthy, Suzanne Hough

Do you feel abundance surrounding you?  Do you think that it all belongs to someone else?  Or, are you sometimes overwhelmed with wonder at how fortunate you are?

Abundance is having all that you need and want.  Different people have varying perspectives.  Much depends on how we define what abundance includes.  Do you measure it by the number of things that you have acquired?  Do you feel blessed because you are healthy and have enough to eat?  Do you relish the abundance of beauty that surrounds you?

My Dad used to say that we were rich because we were healthy and happy.  We kept healthy habits, ate balanced meals and took dental hygiene seriously.  Our extra perks were picnics on the beach to watch a stunning sunset, or on a summer evening catching fire flies and giggling with friends as we pointed our elbow to a star and wished on it out loud.   We were giddy with abundance.  No one needed a second pair of shoes or a designer shirt to feel rich.  The coolest of the cool was to have pop bottle tops stuck onto your shirt, the more the better.

What is your abundance made up of?  Is it money, jewelry and designer clothes?  Do you count it as your friends and family?  Is it waking up in the morning knowing you have the gift of a new day to open and discover?  Do you consider the fragrance of the flowers and sounds of a bird chirping or water running in a stream as part of your treasures?  Is the simple fact that you have a job with a regular income or the skills to find such a job part of your fortune?

Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age abundance, beauty, happy, healthy