Aging and Stress

We live in a stressful age - and more so as we continue to age. The stress comes from the ever-changing technology, and what is happening around us. In addition, aging itself has
created many health, personal, and financial problems that we have to deal with. The inability to cope with these vicissitudes in aging only adds more stress.

The Chinese have thousands of years of culture towards managing stress. Specifically, Taoism places you in control of your own life, in particular, your healthy longevity.

Taoism is not a religion: because Taoism is often interspersed with Buddhist teachings, it often gives the misconception that it is some form of a religion. Taoism is a way of life. It encompasses everything from the universe to the human body, including its focus on the harmony of "yin" and "yang".

Taoism offers a much broader concept of health and longevity than the contemporary Western world does.

To illustrate, the Western concept of sport is based on strength and stamina training (sometimes reinforced with drugs) ; if you cannot compete successfully, you are out of the game. Taoism, on the other hand, offers spontaneity. You do what you can, and do the best of what you can. This Taoist attitude is applicable to all aspects of life.

According to Taoism, when you were born, your body and mind were in natural harmony. However, as you grow up, you become subject to pressures and worries (typical of contemporary society), undermining the flexibility of your body and the openness of your mind, resulting in disharmony, which is the root cause of stress.

Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, said: "There is no mistake greater than that of being ambitious; there is no calamity greater than that of being discontented; there is no fault greater than the desire for riches. Therefore, true contentment is an enduring and unchanging happiness."

Don't keep up with the Jones! Don't strive for success: do your best and let it come naturally, if it ever does.

In life, you create your own stress; nobody pressurizes you.

Go to my website World Religions on How to Control Your Stress.

Stephen Lau

http://www.stephenlau.name

Is Your Forgetfulness Due to Old Age or Dementia?

As you continue to age, forgetfulness may become increasingly common.

Is your forgetfulness due to dementia or old age? This is the concern of many individuals. The greater the concern, the more the anxiety, and the worse the scenario may become.

The signs of dementia are many; however, there is no single behavior that can be identified as characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Dementia symptoms are usually gradual and progressive until they become problematic in the patient.

You may have good reasons for concern if you show the following: you cannot concentrate and focus (absence or gradual disappearance of memory cues in the brain); you cannot understand sounds and you become a passive listener and lose interest in music and social skills; you cannot enjoy good food or appreciate music and art (loss of senses); you cannot identify understand or identify problems; you cannot prioritize (inability to cope with changes); and you begin to have fewer activities and less mobility.

The above symptoms are NOT signs of old age, but problematic characteristics of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Aging is "benign senile forgetfulness." The signs and symptoms of old age are quite different from those of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Old age symptoms, manifested in forgetfulness, are simple lapses in memory: forgetting the name of a person just met; not finding the right word or expression while communicating; taking more time to learn a new things; taking longer time to react or respond.

The above symptoms often worsen due to frustration and increased anxiety, giving the concern of Alzheimer's and dementia. These lapses may be a nuisance, but never a problem. The changes in behavior are continual and gradual, due to the decrease of brain function, but never problematic. This is the main difference between forgetfulness and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Another important determinant factor is the normal cognitive function of the brain. It may take you longer to learn a new task, but you can learn it because your cognitive function remains unimpaired even if you continue to age. That’s why it is important to utilize your brain as much as possible. Remember, use it or lose it.

Sharpening your memory may even delay the onset of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. You might have heard of mnemonics and how it can improve your memory - yes, it is simple and easy to learn to make memorization a breeze.

Keep your brain healthy with a healthy brain diet, which is essentially a healthy diet for a healthy heart, because what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

Mental health is longevity health. A healthy mind adds many more good years to your life.

Stephen Lau

http://www.longevityforyou.com

http://www.rethinkyourdepression.com

Use Your Memory to Fight Alzheimer's Disease

Did you know that your mental decline as you age may be due to altered connections among brain cells? The good news is that research has shown keeping your brain active not only increases its vitality but also builds its reserves of brain cells and connections.

Use your memory to keep your brain healthy

Research has also indicated that low levels of education are linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life. This may be due to a lower level of lifelong mental stimulation. That is to say, the more educated you are, the less chance you will get Alzheimer's disease - or at least the development of symptoms of dementia may appear much later in life.

Research has further shown that those who are bi-lingual and who constantly use two languages on a daily basis tend to develop greater immunity from the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

In short, your brain activities are responsible for your brain health, and that is why keeping your memory sharp is fighting Alzheimer’s.

Memory loss is rather common as you age. However, it does not necessarily mean you're going to have Alzheimer's disease. But combat memory loss like a disease. It is a misconception that you should write down what you need to do in order not to forget - well, that's a very passive way of dealing with the problem of memory loss. It's very much like "cutting you toes to avoid the worms." Remember, if you don't use your brain power, you will lose it. It's that simple. Don't try to remember things the hard way.

Memory Improvement Techniques shows you how to harness fully your brain power. It unlocks the secrets to a perfect computer-like memory in just about 5 minutes a day. Remember, at any age, your memory is powerful; the only problem is that it is untrained. Memory Improvement Techniques does just that - training you to acquire the skills of "flash memorization." You don't need to read memory books, or attend expensive memory workshops; just get the book, in which you will find everything you need to know about improving your memory. This book will make you proud of your memory - and it may help you fight Alzheimer's disease.

Stephen Lau

http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.chinesenaturalhealing.com
http://www.zenhealthylifestyle.com