This and That

The following article was on the Real Age site,  and I thought of David.  He chews gum every afternoon....all afternoon, and he's a very calm....most of the time. 

Relax with a Stick of This

This Week's Tips

Next time you are stressed and don't have cash for yoga or a massage, grab a stick of gum.

A little chewing just might be an inexpensive ticket to calm, a new study suggests. The folks in the study who chewed gum were far less likely to report feeling stressed than their gum-free peers.

In fact, the research on over 2,000 full-time workers had gum chewers reporting less stress and less depression. It's not clear if the gum chewers were simply happier people by nature or if the chewing somehow helped those feelings -- perhaps by stimulating the vagus nerve, a key player in inducing relaxation. And, no surprise, the study did receive funding from a gum manufacturer, so more research is needed to confirm the link. Still, a stick of gum is certainly cheap and worth a try. 

Don't Mess with Stress

Chronic stress can dampen your quality of life and put your good health at risk long term. And while it might not hurt to try a little chew therapy (hey, it works for dogs!)

Next topic:

After David was diagnosed with Alzheimer's,  4 1/2 years ago, one of my big concerns: 'what if I get sick'..... who will take care of David?   I'm doing my best to take care of myself, so I can take care of David.

I had blood work taken last week, and this week was my routine/yearly appointment with my doctor.   I feel great, but there's always that underlying worry.   Thanks be to God.....blood pressure good, cholesterol good, the doctor said my blood work was perfect.   I feel so relieved and happy.    Now if I could lose 15 or 20#'s........

David is still doing good, and I say, "thank you God for many blessings!"