Longevity: 5 lessons learned from Betty White, age 90

My favorite Golden Girl, Betty White, is preparing to turn 90. At 90, she's still working in television as her career has been through a revival in the last decade. If you've seen her on any of her recent Hot in Cleveland episodes, you know she's just as spunky and spry as ever.

Here are 5 lessons we can learn from Betty White on living a long and healthy life:

1. "Laugh every day". Of course this doesn't come as a surprise from one of America's comedy icons. Laughter has the power to heal and renew.  It is an immediate cure for stress, pain and conflict and has physical, mental and social benefits.
2. "Always have a pet in your life". Aside from her acting career, Betty has always been an animal lover and activist and has even written  a couple of books on the subject. The CDC reports that pets can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and feelings of loneliness.  Pets can also increase your opportunities for exercise, outdoor activities and socialization.
3. "Keep your mind sharp". Betty says she's addicted to crossword puzzles.  Research shows that by keeping your brain healthy with the right diet, and exercising it to keep cognitive function strong, you can boost memory and brainpower.
4. "Get your beauty sleep". In 2010, Betty teamed up with sleepbetter.org to bring attention to the benefits of getting a good night's sleep. Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary says "Getting a good night’s sleep is an effortless technique to create longevity and health. Deep rest during the night helps you fight stress, maintain a healthy weight, and keeps your energy levels high."
5. "Never dwell on past mistakes." Betty specifically gave this advice to Lebron James on the David Letterman show, but she's right. Letting go of past mistakes and focusing on the good things in our lives makes us emotionally healthier and that leads to better physical health as well. 

Who do you know over 90?  What are their secrets?  Please share them with us.

Totally Random Tuesday: Laugh yourself well

My family seems to be laughing together more and more these days and I love it! I mean we've been laughing so much more than before that I actually noticed it, that alone should be a good measure.


I'm not sure why but I started analyzing it. It seems we laugh the most in the car, and if you know us, we are in the car a lot, always on the go. Now, many people don't want to be on the go like we are, but it is just a way of life for us right now living in one town, working in another, going to church in another. 

Here's the secret: we have less distractions in the car, no tv, no computer, no texting. The only entertainment we have in that car is the radio and each other! So, if we're not talking and laughing, we're singing and that can be pretty funny too. We also laugh a lot at the dinner table, which we try to sit at together most nights, especially when all three of us are together.  (For those who don't know, we have a blended family with one teenager at home 50% of the time and 2 adult children who live on their own.)

What's so funny?  Good question. Truth is we are usually just laughing at each other's random comments, feeding off of them as we continue to laugh.  Sometimes we remember the last things we laughed about and we laugh again.  I wish I could tell you specifically, but I don't want to spoil the fun for my family who might not appreciate me telling you all of their funny secrets and besides, it probably wouldn't be funny to you anyway.


What you need to know is that laughter is amazing therapy.  If you're not laughing enough to notice it, I would urge you to start working on fixing that right away. Laughter has the power to heal and renew.  It is an immediate cure for stress, pain and conflict and has physical, mental and social benefits.

Here are 8 ways to start laughing now:

1. Watch a funny movie or TV show.
2. Seek out funny people.
3. Share a good joke or a funny story.
4. Host game night with friends.
5. Play with a pet.
6. Goof around with children.
7. Do something silly.
8. Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).

What makes you laugh?  Share some funny stories here and help someone else laugh!

24,746 things on my to-do list...

...for 2011

In the spirit of "making a list", I thought I'd get a head start on the annual tradition of New Year's resolutions. But instead of dwelling on what I'm not doing well, I thought I'd make a list of all the things I could do to be a better me in 2011. While 24,746 things may seem like a lot, once you read the list I think you'll get that its not going to be too overwhelming! ;)

I guess you could say I'm resolving to take more time for myself, my husband, my family and my community. I have other things I want to focus on too, but this is the fun stuff!

1 5k
4 facials
4 trips to the beach
12 bottles of wine
12 girls days out
12 haircuts
12 massages
12 new outfits
15 pedicures and manicures
26 family nights
52 date nights
52 memory verses
52 yoga classes
52 Zumba classes
156 workouts
200 bare-feet covered
300 meals for strangers
365 hours alone with God
23,360 ounces of water

Just to clarify, these are all minimums! As far as this list is concerned, 'more is more'! ;) Don't worry I will be setting some limits for myself in other areas!

Laughter is the best ...

...exercise?

Ok, maybe not, but a 2005 study showed that "Ten to 15 minutes of laughter could increase energy expenditure by 10 to 40 calories per day, which could translate into about four pounds a year"!

Jason and I laughed for a solid hour and a half tonight watching Due Date.

I will warn you that there are a couple of crude scenes that I could have done without, but I absolutely recommend it as a date night movie for adults. I might even go as far as to say married adults given the couple of "crude scenes" which I would have been embarrassed to have seen with a man other than my husband.

Don't get me wrong, there was no nudity or anything unless you consider plumber's crack to be more nudity than you can tolerate. Having managed my father's tire shop for a couple of years, I recognize the plumbers crack as an ergonomic issue for mechanics! ;) Anyway I digress!

Laughing with my husband was great "exercise"! What is the last movie you laughed out loud the whole way through?