By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Consumer Reports is introducing a new mobile platform that enables consumers to access its database of reviews, ratings, and reliability studies while they’re shopping.

Called CR Mobile, the service is free to ConsumerReports.org subscribers. Non-subscribers can sign up for 24-hour access for 99 cents or 30-day access $4.99, which will be charged to their wireless bill.

With CR Mobile, consumers can choose the best products for their needs and steer clear of sales tactics that might not be in their best interest, said Jerry Steinbrink, vice president of Publishing for Consumer Reports.

CR Mobile categories include Cars, Appliances, Electronics, Home & Garden, and Babies & Kids.

Information can be obtained through any mobile device with Web access. Users can access Consumer Reports’ ratings, reviews, video (via iPhone and Android phones), product comparisons, poll results, buying advice, user reviews, brand reliability information, consumer news, and blog posts. Users can also sign up to receive product safety and recall alerts via text messages.

Consumers can register for CR Mobile at m.consumerreports.org. ConsumerReports.org subscribers can access the information for free by signing in with their existing username and password.

Popularity: 2% [?]

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What do you do at work when the latest versions of e-mail and word processing programs are installed? Jump for joy? Or scream and cry in frustration?

A new study shows that baby boomers have a unique relationship to technology – different from any generation before or since – and they’re actively shaping the devices, software, and services of tomorrow by the choices they are making today.

That’s what AARP and Microsoft found out when they offered a series of focus group discussions with baby boomers in four U.S. cities: San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York. The report about the findings from the meetings is “Boomers and Technology: An Extended Conversation.”

What do boomers, who came of age before most of the software applications and devices now considered essential were invented, want in the technological devices they use? Rob Sinclair, director of accessibility at Microsoft, said:

Baby boomers are savvy consumers who expect technology to be safe, easy to use, and flexible enough to adapt to their individual needs. When new technology products enter the market – products that are well-designed and can help create the life baby boomers want – they are enthusiastic early adopters who help lead the way.

Baby boomers have the numbers and the economic clout to make their technology choices matter. Consumers in their 50s show the highest intent to purchase consumer electronics among any age group.

And baby boomers want technology that reflects their values and helps them express those values with greater purpose, meaning, and impact, the report indicates.

Author and futurist Michael Rogers, who worked with boomers in the focus groups, makes these predictions about the future of technology by the year 2019. Baby boomers will:

• Be wearing sensor-equipped exercise clothing and GPS-enabled running shoes during workouts to monitor their physical condition, track the calories they burn, and upload the information automatically for storage and analysis.

• Have prescription glasses that connect wirelessly to the Internet or other networks and display information in the lower half of the lens.

• Carry mobile devices that can function as electronic wallets, offer full telepresence, and project large-format images on the wall.

• Use technology to help them care for their aging parents – employing sensors that alert them to changes in behaviors or routines that could signal problems – and to manage their own health with tools ranging from low-cost gene scans to implanted microchips that contain their health records.

• Use computers to control energy use in their “green” homes and to redefine when, where, and how they work.

Does that sound great to you or intimidating?

It seems to me that these days, it’s easier to use the new technology. When I first worked for the state of Washington, I disliked intensely any changes in software. I complained loudly when the state switched from WordPerfect to Microsoft Word. Changes in the Windows platforms also were a bother.

Recently, however, I’ve learned how to use an iMac, a video camera, a digital camera, and a scanner.

When I wanted to replace my cell phone due to high levels of radiation, I was disappointed that I couldn’t get a BlackBerry. It’s too expensive to pay $30 a month more to connect to the Internet.

However, there’s one thing I haven’t mastered. That’s using my DVD player. I bought one with a hard drive so I could edit my videos on it. Either I couldn’t figure it out how to do it or the DVD doesn’t perform that function. In addition, I haven’t been able to figure out how to record TV programs. However, that’s not a big problem because I seldom watch television.

How about you? How savvy are you about electronic gadgets? Do they make your day or add to the stress and frustration to your life? Leave me a comment below about your tech life.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Women experiencing menopause and peri-menopause often wonder if there is anything they can do alleviate their symptoms naturally. Hot flashes, headaches, mood swings, weight gain, fatigue, sleepless nights and decreased libido are some common symptoms that can be reduced by some simple diet and lifestyle changes. With all the debates on hormone replacement, isn’t it nice to know you have the power to change how you feel naturally.

Food Suggestions: 

Certain foods can actually cause night sweats and hot flashes. To see if you are eating your way to an internal heat wave, consider keeping a Hot Flash Journal. Try to identify and understand what your food triggers might be. Keep track of the time of day or night your flashes come along with a food journal for a few weeks. This will allow you to see if there are any patterns present and which foods may be the ones setting you off. Typically, foods like sugar, simple carbohydrates, alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods are the culprits.

• Reduce Alcohol and Caffeine: Both alcohol and caffeine can affect your hormone levels and exasperate your symptoms. Try transitioning to herbal teas and limiting your alcohol intake to 1 or 2 drinks 1 or 2 times a week. Sometimes just one glass of wine can teleport your body to the tropics. 

• Reduce Sugar intake: Sugar can also affect your hormone levels, throwing your hormones out of balance and making your symptoms worse. Try switching over to natural sweeteners like Agave or maple syrup. You can even experiment with fruit and sweet vegetables to satisfy your sweet tooth.

• Reduce processed white flours: Processed white flours and white grains, like white bread, pasta, baked goods and white rice react like sugar in your body, throwing your hormone levels out of balance. Stick with whole grains like quinoa, barley, millet, brown rice and whole wheat to give you long lasting energy without the blood sugar spikes.

• Increase Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Omega 3 fatty acids can help to relieve irritability, mood swings and hot flashes. They are also considered a source of healthy fats, which actually helps your body burn fat, possibly resulting in some weight loss.  Flaxseeds, flax oil, walnuts, olive oil and cold-water fish like salmon are full of omega 3 fatty acids. Try this recipe for “Apple Cinnamon Menopausal Muffins” (http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/MenopauseMuffinsRecipe.html) as an easy and yummy way to get your omega 3 fatty acids.

Lifestyle Suggestions:

Stress can be a major cause of hot flashes, irritability and night sweats. Finding your favorite method of relaxation and stress reduction is key.

• Increase your exercise. Exercise is one of the best things you can do to calm your body and mind, reduce anxiety and to control your weight. Whether it be yoga, tai-chi, weight lifting or aerobics, be sure to give yourself ample time to cool down since exercising raises your body’s core temperature. 

• Try to relax. Consider taking up meditation or a class in deep breathing to help you clear your mind, rebalance and refocus. Since your emotional state has just as much to do with your symptoms as anything physical, keep in mind that feeling stressed, anxious or angry may be adding fuel to your fire. If meditation is not for you, simply taking some time for yourself to read a book, take a bath, get a massage or even listen to music can have an affect on your mental state of mind.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Continuing our series on interviews, today we present to you our interview with Rachel Clark. Rachel Clark is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and practices in the New York City under the business name RenewForANewYou. She is trained in both eastern and western nutrition and various diet theories. We are proud to also let you know that Rachel has been a very active Boomer411 trustee, (by the user name RenewForANewYou) recommending great resources/articles on Boomer411.com that you have come to rely on. So we want to take this opportunity to present to you our interview with Rachel, so that you can get to know her better…

Boomer411: What is a Health counselor?

RC: As a Health Counselor, I am your personal advocate for living an energized and passionate life. Whatever your concerns are, my job is to help you find which food and lifestyle choices will work best for you and the life you desire. WHEN DIET CHANGES, EVERYTHING CHANGES.

A true holistic approach to life incorporates things that nourish you other than food, including honest and open relationships, a meaningful spiritual practice, a career that inspires you, and physical activity that you enjoy. I work with clients to help them find long lasting balance in both diet and lifestyle.

Boomer411: Why diets don’t work, but Health Counseling does?

RC: Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods, and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick fix solutions have backfired. America’s populace has reached its highest weight in history. About half of Americans are overweight; one third obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results. Diets don’t work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone?

Health counseling programs are designed to radically improve your life, resolve concerns specific to you and your body, help you look and feel younger, and to provide you with tools for a lifetime of balance and wellness. With the help of a Health Counselor, you can feed yourself wisely, purposefully and be completely nourished. Working with your body rather than against it will bring about increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.

Boomer411: Why should I invest in my health during these tough economic times?

RC: We are being bombarded every day with stress and worry wondering what will happen to our futures, our money, and our investments. Constant stress will cause physical and emotional deterioration. Start to take personal control today. During times like these, the most important thing you can choose to invest in is you. You have control over one thing. What you do, and what you eat. Your health and wellness is the one thing you CAN CONTROL. Get ready-to-use, day-to-day guidance on how to eat and live better in these turbulent times.

Boomer411: How can I control my snacking and cravings?

RC: The important thing is to understand why you crave what you crave; to deconstruct your craving. Perhaps your diet is too restrictive or devoid of essential nutrients. Perhaps you are living a lifestyle that is too boring or stressful. Your body tries to correct the imbalance by sending you a message: a craving. A craving for something sweet could mean you need more protein, more exercise, more water, or more love in your life. The key to stopping the sugar craving is to understand and deliver what your body really needs.

Foods like refined sugar and processed foods can throw your body off balance and leave you with strong cravings. A diet rich in whole foods will help your body remain in balance and provide you with a healthier and happier life.

Boomer411: How can one slow down the aging process?

RC: What you put in your body, can not only help to maintain a healthy weight, but can slow down the aging process and even reverse the damage that has already been done. Nutrition is the real fountain of youth. The general guidelines for looking and feeling younger include keeping your calorie intake down, limiting the number of saturated fats you eat, eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein (especially fish) and lowering your salt and sugar intake. Make sure to include some anti-aging super foods like beans, berries, nuts and whole grains.

Boomer411: Why should I eat organic?

RC: When we eat, food goes into our mouth, into our stomach and as it gets digested, our blood absorbs it; and our blood is what creates our cells, our tissues, our organs and some even believe OUR THOUGHTS. So what you eat can not only affect how you feel physically; but it can also affect your thoughts, behavior and even feelings. Originally, all food was organic; grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, or irradiation. Much of our food today, be it meat or vegetable is not only grown in nutrient deficient soil, therefore providing us less nutrients, but also contains many pollutants, farming chemicals, hormones and antibiotics. Buying organic meat, dairy, fruits and veggies assures you that you are keeping chemicals off your plate, giving your body more nourishment, saving energy, supporting local farmers and eating more ethically.

Boomer411: Are there simple ways for me to control my portion sizes?

RC: We are a society being weighed down (literally) by the bigger is better motto. Bigger portions mean we typically eat 30-50% more than we would have with smaller portions, hungry or not. In the last 2 decades, portion size has dramatically increased. Here are a few suggestions to help you start downsizing today.

• At the beginning of a meal out, ask for a to-go box and pack up half your meal for lunch tomorrow. Not only will you save yourself from being super full tonight, but also you’ll be really happy not having to think about what is for lunch tomorrow.
• I am a big fan of the cook once; eat 2-3 times idea, just not all in one sitting. When eating in and cooking extra, be sure to dole out 1 or 2 extra portions into Tupperware and put them in the fridge before you even sit to eat. You may not be so inclined to reach for a second serving then.
• Try not to snack straight from the container or package and certainly not standing over the kitchen sink. Putting a snack portion into a small bowl or on a plate will help you eat less; taking the time to sit and eat helps the body register that it is being fed and avoids mindless eating.
• Want to know just how out of proportion your portion sizes are? Measure out a serving of pasta or rice, typically a ½ cup cooked, or look at the size of your lean protein at dinner tonight, which should be the size of a deck of cards. What size do you see? Start to look at labels to get a better idea of what exactly a portion size should look like.

And remember, when it comes to food and size of our backsides, bigger is not always better.

To learn more about Rachel…

Visit her website packed with lots of good information

         OR

Find her on FaceBook

You can also check her recent webcast interview by New York Mother

Popularity: 19% [?]

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Worry, worry, worry.

It seems to be taking up a lot of time these days as we see company after company laying off thousands of workers, and the talk going on and on about what needs to be done to turn the economy around.

What can baby boomers do to in these tough economic times to reduce their stress level?

We may not be able to change the economy on our own, but we can take steps to retain our sanity in these difficult times and strive to come out stronger, Karen Turner, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, says in the article “Self Help for Baby Boomers to Deal With the Recession.”

Turner suggests boomers use the law of attraction. She says thinking positively will help you feel good, and you’ll be more likely to take advantage of an opportunity if it comes your way. You’ll look at finding solutions instead of mulling over problems.

Boomers, who’ve learned survival skills through years of experience, can focus on a positive outcome and obtain a positive outcome.

Turner offers these tips to surround yourself with positive energy:

• Think positively.
• Replace that frown with a smile. Look for reasons to smile.
• Don’t keep bills in your wallet. Clear it of scraps of papers as a way of telling yourself that you are ready to receive money.
• Meditate, do yoga, or exercise regularly.
• Eat well. You’ll be less likely to feel irritated, frustrated, or angry when your stomach is full.
• Save money. It increases your options in recessionary times.

Popularity: 14% [?]