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Read More at Well+Good [[{“value”:” If someone asked you what your favorite vegetable is, I’m willing to bet that you’ll say something like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts. Pretty much anything other than beets, the oft-overlooked root vegetable that is relegated to a sad entry in a retirement home salad bar. But what if I told you that learning how to cook beets properly is the first step to appreciating the root vegetable? Turns out, the easiest way to make vegetables taste good is to, you know, prepare them well. (And don’t forget the seasoning!) That goes for beets in particular. When cooked well, they can be sweet, earthy, and incredibly satisfying. And beets are incredibly versatile as well, adding a splash of color, flavor, and nutrients into any savory dish you desire. Now, when it comes to cooking…

Read More at Sixty and Me [[{“value”:” Everyone needs a supportive circle of friends, right? They bring new opportunities, emotional support (sometimes in the form of freshly baked brownies), and improve one’s everyday quality of life. Finding or growing your social circle can be a challenge, however, particularly if you’ve moved to a new city or started a new career. Even if you simply want to add more diversity to your life, a little help navigating this journey feels good. I’ve been there and done that more often than the introvert in me would like. This journey, peppered with stumbles and triumphs, has taught me the invaluable art of listening, the courage to be vulnerably authentic, and the profound impact of diverse perspectives in my world. Expanding your circle is about building meaningful relationships that enhance your personal and professional…

Read More at Sixty and Me [[{“value”:” Do you know what happens if you fail to plan, and you become unable to make decisions for yourself? If you don’t have a valid Health Care Proxy or Durable Power of Attorney document, you may find yourself subject to a Guardianship or Conservatorship case. A stranger could be appointed to make decisions about where you live, your medical care, who can visit you, and what should happen to you. If you have money, they will access your financial accounts, pay your bills, file your taxes, and sell your assets. As an Elder Law Attorney in Boston, MA, I have been appointed by the court as the Guardian and Conservator for many seniors who failed to plan for their future. I am the stranger that has walked into the room, introducing myself as…

Read More at Well+Good [[{“value”:” Nobody likes a tight, achy lower back. It can make it uncomfortable to walk or even sit, and it can mess with our sleep, leaving us not only in pain, but grumpy to boot. Yet according to a June 2023 analysis in The Lancet Rheumatology, a staggering 619 million people across the world experienced  low back pain in 2020 (the latest date available), making it the leading cause of disability. Luckily, the solution to the problem rarely involves going under the knife. Treatment typically revolves around simple interventions, like doing some of the best back stretches. “Most cases can be treated conservatively through physical therapy,” says California-based physical therapist Jacob Van Den Meerendonk, DPT. In fact, only about 10 percent of people with back pain require surgical intervention, according to the American Association of Neurological…

Read More at Fight Aging! Researchers here show that targeting microglia in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease to suppress p16 expression can reduce amyloid-β plaques. This appears to be a way to interfere in a maladaptive reaction to amyloid-β on the part of microglia, innate immune cells responsible for clearing molecular debris from brain tissue. P16 is a marker of cellular senescence, though may also be characteristic of non-senescent but still problematic, pro-inflammatory microglia. There is a good amount of evidence to suggest that both senescent and overly active microglia are important to the progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Senescent cells can be cleared by senolytic therapies, and evidence in animal studies suggests that this should help Alzheimer’s patients. Dealing with non-senescent, activated and problematic microglia will require a different strategy, however. Age-dependent accumulation of amyloid…

Read More at Fight Aging! Researchers here report that life-long tristetraprolin (TTP) upregulation leads to reduced frailty and improved bone mineral density in aged mice. One of the functions of TTP is that it suppresses expression of the pro-inflammatory TNF-α cytokine, so a reduced degree of age-related inflammation would be the first place to look for an explanation of the outcome noted here. It is an open question as to whether TTP upregulation produces a more nuanced and reactive reduction of TNF-α signaling than is the case for the blunt, across the board inhibition achieved by present anti-TNF-α therapies, and is thus a mechanism that interferes less in the necessary immune response to injury and infection. Researchers have presented results from a study aiming to use a novel transgenic mouse model (TTP knock-in – TTPKI) that has a moderate elevation…