Healthy Living

TATOOSShould I be concerned about whether tattoos are safe to be injected/drawn on/pierced/through my skin?'Is this a surgery"?Should tattoo "vendors" be certified?  By whom?How/where/who makes the "dye"/"ink"?What's in them/ink? Where are they made?

Hi everyone! As we kick off a new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about setting realistic fitness goals. For me, it’s all about staying consistent with chair yoga and finding new ways to stay active. What are your fitness goals for this year? Any tips or advice for staying motivated? Let’s share and encourage each other!

Discover how to foster growth and positive change in your life. Take the Building Resilience challenge at AARP® Staying Sharp®. Find more health tips at AARP Staying Sharp.

Discover how hormone therapy may affect women’s brain health. Learn about benefits, risks and expert insights to help you make informed choices. Read this article on AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information. Get more health tips at AARP Staying Sharp today.

Exercise can provide numerous benefits both for your body and your mind. It may even contribute to better cognitive health and memory retention. Not sure where to start? Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® and discover fun, new fitness trends, how-to videos and easy home workouts.

Does anyone have any tips for reducing the likelihood surgery to repair hernias? I have a hiatal hernia and gallstones and probably an epigastric hernia as well. It certainly might come to surgery, but I don't know anyone who has had it. Any success stories? Any alternatives to surgery? I am not talking about occasional GERD or small hernias, but larger, more complicated gut issues.

Exactly what is this meal plan and why is it so popular? With a foundation of vegetables, fruits, beans, seafood and healthy fats, this traditional diet is nutritious and flavorful — the best of both worlds — and has been linked to a host of health benefits. Get more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp® today.

Just because summer is over it doesn’t mean that you should give up using fresh vegetables. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for meal plans with healthy ingredients as well as recipes that focus on specific areas of concern, including lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation. Get more health tips at Staying Sharp today.

  I wonder if  AARP is aware of how many seniors are adversely affected by having to deal with hearing aid batteries that are impossible to open - or once opened, impossible to store - since mandated child-resistant packaging went into effect?  Two work-arounds I've found: (1) save your old packaging, cut batteries out of new packaging, and store in old packaging OR (2) buy a rechargeable hearing aid batteries and charger set.   #1 is a lot of work & not at all easy for someone w/arthritis or tremors, etc... and #2 is dicey for those who live in rural areas with frequent winter power outages.  As with pill bottles, we should have a choice between easy-open and child-proof. 

Are you giving yourself the support you need to stay healthy as you age? Explore six key science-based brain health pillars at AARP® Staying Sharp® where you’ll learn about building lifelong, healthy habits at any age. You may sleep better, feel more relaxed, feel more connected and have more energy to live your best life. Get more health tips at AARP Staying Sharp today.

 How about every once and a while you think of us in sleepy little towns with simple grocery stores and work in that realm? We don't have Celery Root or cheeses and herbs you name we never seen. Even some of the nuts you guys lay out we can recognize the names of. Stop showing chief like prepared foods, and giving equal time to regular folk. Most of the multiple ingredient recipes cost more to make than get served in a restaurant.  How about giving equal time to those who don't live in areas of boutique food stores or farmers markets. I want to get everything at Publix. And once a week, I don't want to need a google search to learn how to pronounce a herb I never heard of. And some of us live alone and need help on how to shop and feed our self and not waste food. Its difficult to shop for one person and not have waste. That would be really helpful.And more smoothie recommendation please. You can save us a dime by listing what fruits and veggies not to blend togethe

 I am not sure if this is the forum to put this question.  I have always had gas ranges in the past.  Now that I am living in Florida, everything is electric. I can't seem to clean my electric stove / oven very well.  I would like to ask if anyone knows of something that would clean the baked on stuff on the bottom of my oven.  Also, I was told to not remove the heating element.  Is there an easy way to clean it?  

Pushing away adolescents and younger from tech because their brains aren’t fully developed but for older Americans, it is just the ticket to keep our brains keen. KFF Health News THENEW OLD AGE - 08/21/2025 - How Older People Are Reaping Brain Benefits From New Tech  from the link ~The first cohort of seniors to have contended — not always enthusiastically — with a digital society has reached the age when cognitive impairment becomes more common. Given decades of alarms about technology’s threats to our brains and well-being — sometimes called “digital dementia” — one might expect to start seeing negative effects. The opposite appears true. “Among the digital pioneer generation, use of everyday digital technology has been associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” said Michael Scullin, a cognitive neuroscientist at Baylor University. . . . . Scullin and Jared Benge, a neuropsychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, wer

Has anybody here tried the new treatments ?Lenire -  a device that uses bimodal neuromodulation or another device, Neosensory Both are non-invasive -I would like to know what you think about them and were you a longtime Tinnitus sufferer?  

You never think about the importance of sleep except when you struggle to fall asleep. The reality is that it influences so much of our overall well-being. Take a closer look at the benefits of shut-eye with this AARP® Staying Sharp® challenge. Get more health tips at Staying Sharp today.

Did you know that your food choices can impact your brain health? Learn more on this AARP Healthy Eating Habits page where you can take an interactive quiz, watch videos on nutrition and try fun challenges. Plus, explore recipes crafted to help support a healthy lifestyle. Get more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp® today.

Exercise is great for brain health — it helps people problem-solve, think clearly and boost their spirits. Read this article for five simple tips to make walking more enjoyable. All you need is your two feet and a pair of good walking shoes. Get more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp® today.

Paying attention to the positive may ease stress. How to start? Create a “three good things” practice as a first step. Get more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp® today.

Fall is the recommended time to get your FLU and COVID vaccinations for the upcoming season.  Previously, there was no issue with scheduling this at the local pharmacy.  With current political environment and rumors of negative impacts of vaccinations in general, people are having a hard time locating available site to get a COVID vaccination this fall.  I would like to get a sense of how wide spread this issue is and your concerns around this situation.

Focusing on calories alone may not give your brain the nutrients it needs to thrive. What we eat affects how we think and how we feel, and there’s evidence that consuming certain foods may help protect the brain. You can find recipes for these foods at AARP® Staying Sharp®.

A glass of wine with dinner or a beer at a sporting event — how do these impact your brain health? Read this article to understand the latest research on moderate drinking and the impact it may have on the brain. Looking for more resources about staying healthy as you age? Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® today.

     After many reliable years with different Fitbit Fitness Trackers, I’m jumping ship.   Since the Google acquisition, Fitbits have become bricked.  Would’ve been a loyal Fitbit user for life, but I’m done.       Countless pairing, re-cyncing, 3-button push resets, changing clock faces, all just to get the Charge 5 to work per their instructions to everyone.  A Quick look at the discussion boards over the years, shows the mounting frustration with the company. Original Tech support jumped ship as they too, were fed up with the acquisition.  Now onto Amazfit.  I would’ve preferred Garmin, but the price point for Amazfit was the lure.  I don’t use trackers for sleep or calorie counts, mainly logging fitness, sporting activities, cardio tracking, steps, etc…Getting ready to set up and test drive this new Amazfit tracker. Anyone have any success with it?  Likes, dislikes? Or other trackers you like?

Many types of memory lapses are pretty normal. But if you’re concerned about memory loss, there are strategies and activities on AARP® Staying Sharp® to help sharpen focus and train your mind to retain information. Learn more about building healthy habits at AARP Staying Sharp.

Social connections have an amazing impact on our lives and well-being. Having strong relationships with friends, family and community members can provide emotional support, reduce stress and make us happier. Discover how to build lasting social bonds that will serve you well in the years ahead. Explore AARP® Staying Sharp® for more great information on building healthy habits.

 Because of my severe hip arthritis, riding over bumps has been very painful. Usually, I rest my spine against the entire back of the front seat and experience intense discomfort accordingly. But for some inscrutable reason, last week during a long ride to visit some friends, I just happened to inch my back forward, grabbing a door cubbyhole for support with my right hand and holding onto the seat belt strap with my left hand. Miraculously when any bump jostled the car, I felt no pain at all. SInce then, I have utilized my flawless new—found tactic. Nor do I wait for a bump to appear: During the entire trip, I keep my spine forward-- no backsliding allowed. How’s that for a home remedy!I’m sure that my spine now appreciates the relief, as does my wife. She no longer has to suffer my raucous growls and howls, at least in the car.