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

Guest Blogger

Baby boomers like being green. More than half of all baby boomers in the United States, about 40 million, are “green boomers.”

Green boomers say they feel a responsibility to make the world a better place, an AARP survey found. They buy environmentally safe brands and watch less television.

Since I write often in my boomer consumer blogs about green topics, I thought I’d take a trip to the Seattle Green Festival last weekend to see what I could find out that would be of interest to baby boomers.

David Korten inspires with new economy views and call to action

David Korten, author of “Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth,” spoke about changing the economic system in America.

Korten thinks the phantom wealth created by Wall Street needs to be replaced with real wealth. Real wealth, he says, is based on real values such as education, land, love, happy, healthy children, satisfying jobs, a sense of worth, a healthy environment, and peace.

Korten, cofounder of the Positive Futures Network which publishes Yes! Magazine, calls for shutting down Wall Street. He urges people to take to the streets to demonstrate against Wall Street.

Korten believes the focus in the new economy needs to be on Main Street, which can provide green jobs and sound environmental practices.

Reading Korten’s book and subscribing to Yes! Magazine are two ways boomers can learn more about green happenings and action opportunities.

Alice Waters, regional food movement leader, works for healthier school food

World-famous chef Alice Waters, owner of the Berkeley, Calif., restaurant Chez Panisse, took part in a panel discussion at the festival with Chris Taylor, director of the documentary movie “Food Fight: Revolution Never Tasted So Good.”

Waters is one of the leaders of the regional food movement, with an emphasis on organic, locally grown food, which sprang up in Northern California in the early 1970s.

“Food Fight” chronicles the development of movement and the role of Waters and others in launching and sustaining it.

I recommend the documentary. It’s inspiring.

Waters is one of the national leaders in the Edible Education in the schools movement. In the program, children grow food in gardens at school and school cafeterias serve local, nutritious, organic food.

Edible Education addresses the issues of childhood hunger and obesity, she says.

See The Edible Schoolyard for information to help you plan a garden or kitchen program in your school.

Alex Steffen sees a bright, green future

Alex Steffen, executive editor and cofounder of Worldchanging.com, threw out dozens of ideas to a green festival audience during his talk.

Steffen tracks what’s going on in green innovations and writes essays on the possibilities for the future.

Four billion people in poverty have seen the American lifestyle on television, and they want to climb up into the middle class.

While the poor are “getting rich,” our job is to reinvent what “rich” means, Steffen says. Americans need to consume less of the world’s resources, reduce their impact on the earth, and develop a restorative economy.

Steffen is editor of a popular book, “Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century.” Others at the festival referred to the 600-page book of writings from more than 60 leaders around the world as an importance reference. Check it out if you think it may meet your green thinking and action needs.

The Global Exchange and Green America, formerly Co-op America, sponsor the Seattle Green Festival.

Popularity: unranked [?]

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

Should baby boomers sign up for Twitter?

I’m trying it.

Why?

A fellow blogger, who writes 20-plus posts a day, said it’s a good way to get information out about your posts.

What is Twitter?

A Twitter fact sheet offers this description:

Twitter is a social network and microblogging service that allows you to answer the question, ‘What are you doing?’ by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called ‘tweets,’ to your friends and ‘followers.’

The short format of the tweet is a defining characteristic of the service, allowing informal collaboration and quick information sharing that provides relief from rising e-mail and IM fatigue. Twittering is also a less gated method of communication: you can share information with people that you wouldn’t normally exchange e-mail or IM messages with, opening up your circle of contacts to-growing community of like-minded people.

I found this great clip, “Twitter in Plain English” on YouTube that does a good job of explaining what it is.

Having just signed up for Facebook about a month ago, I thought I’d give Twitter a try.

The first thing I found out was my family and friends aren’t on Twitter.

Then I found that the boomer blogs that I enjoy, such as the Boomer Café, weren’t on Twitter. However, I did find the Boomer Diva Nation.

I didn’t find the Boomer Project, a research and marketing organization focused on boomers, either.

I e-mailed Matt Thornhill, one of the co-founders of the Boomer Project, and asked him why his organization isn’t on Twitter.

“Don’t have time to tweet,” Thornhill replied. “Plus, not sure I ‘get it.’”

Since my blogger friend said Twitter was a good venue, I tried another angle.

Since I specialize in consumer writing, I began looking for the consumer organizations I rely on for information for my posts. I had good luck here. I signed up to follow Consumer Reports, Public Citizen, and The Consumerist.

My Twitter in box began to fill up with dozens of tweets. They’re mostly headlines from the consumer groups about their articles, but Consumer Reports also gave information about events they sponsor, such as their auto issue tour.

This is a great way to get ideas for blogs. I’ll be blogging about less expensive cleaning products, a recent article in Consumer Reports.

I didn’t know how questions or comments were answered on Twitter. I found out quickly. People reply to you in another tweet.

Consumer Reports read I’m interested in consumer groups. In another tweet, the writer suggested I also follow Food Safety, CDC Emergency, and FDA recalls, which I did.

When the Consumer Reports writer read I appreciated the tweets I was receiving from him and other groups, he acknowledged my comments.

I have six people following me now, including Consumer Reports.

As soon as I’ve posted this article, I’ll let the Twitter world know about it.

And, yes, I won’t write any tweets about going to take a shower. My blogging friend said he doesn’t appreciate those.

Twitter gave me about a dozen people that I could follow when I signed up. I deleted all of them except Dr. Drew Pinsky, a doctor I enjoyed listening to when “Loveline” was on the radio.

Dr. Drew writes tweets all day about the little things he’s doing. He has 108,644 people following him. It’s strange.

Would I recommend Twitter to baby boomers?

If you’re a blogger, if you like techie things, or if you’re interested in following celebrities, I’d suggest signing up. For friends and family communication, I think Facebook is better. But, if you’re overwhelmed with the amount of e-mail you’re getting or find your other social networks too time consuming, I’d skip Twitter.

Paul Briand, a boomer blogger who writes the Baby Boomer Examiner, quoted a study in the post “Boomers Slow to Tweet” that indicated 10 percent of Twitter users are 35 to 44 years old, 5 percent are 45 to 54 years old, and 4 percent are 55 to 64 years old. The median age of a Twitter user is 31.

Briand is following me on Twitter. I was able to find his article easily by going to Twitter, clicking on his site, and locating a link to an article I saw earlier.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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% [?]

Continuing our series on interviews, today we are presenting our interview with Susan Levine. Susan Levine is the founder of 50somethinginfo.com, a new and coming site for Baby Boomers that is supposed to be a one stop source of pre-screened information. With a recent surge of businesses hoping to tap this under-served market without much knowledge of the needs/wants of the actual audience they hope to serve, Susan claims to solve the problem meaningfully. She says that her site, launched recently, is designed to deliver reliable 50something information and resources that are not just age-relevant-but more importantly, lifestyle relevant. If you are curious to find out more about Susan and what she has to offer, be sure to checkout her blog here that she has had for a good while now. We at Boomer411 congratulate her on the upcoming launch of her site.

Also, we would like to let you know that Susan has been a very active Boomer411 Trustee, under the user name Ms50SomethingInfo. You can gain instant access to all of her recommendations on Boomer411 here.

So without further ado, here is our interview with Susan Levine…

Boomer411:Tell us about the origins of 50somethinginfo.com.

SL: I was hearing from so many people in my life that the Internet was difficult to navigate. How do you find what you’re looking for? And if you do stumble upon something of interest, how do you know it’s from a good, trustworthy source?

They were having a hard time separating fact from fiction and also complained about the amount of time it took them to sift through all the information out there.

As a trained information professional, I was able to help friends and family members get information on the Internet. And that’s when I had the idea to create a website to help everyone who didn’t grow up with computers and the Internet, but still wanted to use them to enhance their lives.

Boomer411: What makes 50somethinginfo.com different from other search engines?

SL: 50somethinginfo is a human-powered search engine dedicated to delivering the best of the net to adults (both men and women) 50 years old and better.

We are committed to providing a trustworthy, reliable, easy-to-use resource to serve the needs and wants of the 50something audience.

My friends were telling me about their experiences with traditional mainstream search engines. In addition to being directed to cluttered websites and a deluge of advertising, many sites were difficult to read and understand. I even know people who’ve come across medical misinformation – which can be deadly in some cases! 

All the information on 50somethinginfo.com has been sorted and culled by me – a real-life reliable librarian – and my expert team.

Boomer411: What are the benefits of 50somethinginfo.com for users?

SL: Our unique boomer search engine empowers users to find EXACTLY the specific information they need with the goal of shortening their time online. We wanted to create an online destination with concise and dependable information that people could navigate in a jiffy – so they could get on with living their lives!

Our goal is to deliver the best of the net to adults 50 years old and better by assuring our users of an online experience they will trust and enjoy.

Boomer411: How did you make the transition from being a librarian to a boomer web entrepreneur?

SL: I have always loved information and the process of managing, classifying and disseminating it. I have a Masters of Library Science degree from UCLA, and as a librarian I have helped guide patrons through comprehensive volumes of information so they could locate the exact resources they needed. I would also help them extract and organize everything into something tailored to serve their specific information needs. 

What I do now on 50somethinginfo.com is very similar. My friends even call me the “Information Tamer” because I enjoy organizing and sifting through resources so much. Now I extract useful information on the web and deliver it to users in a condensed and easily digestible format! My life as an Information Tamer – both online and offline – is extremely rewarding.

Boomer411: How do you see 50somethinginfo.com serving the needs of its users?

SL: Our site is unique because it applies a 50something lens to every search query – bringing boomers and seniors the best of the net.

One thing I wanted to do was embrace an audience that may have at one time been alienated by the web. So our site is designed to be clean and simple for effortless navigation so visitors can search less, save time, and find more.

We want the experience to be enjoyable, informative and reliable for those interested in using the web to make the most of their lives (online and offline). Our site is geared toward enhancing all aspects of the 50something lifestyle by helping them find the information they need as it relates to retirement, medical, entertainment, eldercare, food, travel, and beyond!

Boomer411: What can our readers expect next?

SL: In addition to being a trustee for Boomer411, I am also very proud of my Boomer blog  http://50somethinginfo.blogspot.com/, which is another great source of useful sites and information. We will be launching the 50somethinginfo.com web site around the holidays and will be welcoming any comments or suggestions from our valued users. You can sign up now for our e-mail newsletter at www.50somethinginfo.com or send your thoughts and feedback to susan@50somethinginfo.com

Additional Resources:

Susan’s profile page on Boomer411.com

Susan’s recommendations on Boomer411.com

Susan’s Blog

Susan’s website for Boomers

Susan’s profile page on blogger.com

Popularity: 18% [?]

It is my pleasure to introduce you to our new guest columnist, Elaine Williams. Elaine is the author of the book “A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss”. You can learn more about her and her book by clicking here. Elaine wrote this book after recovering from the loss of her beloved husband to cancer a few years ago. Midwest Book Review gave 5 Stars for this book. This book is a finalist in the USA Book News Best Books Awards 2008 (category: Health-Death and Dying). Her articles on loss, grief and recovery as well as other related topics have been published in various websites and eZines.

 We would also like to let you know that Elaine has graciously agreed to be a Boomer411 Trustee. That means she will be sharing her resource recommendations/website recommendations with our users on our search site. You can also get access to all her recommendations by clicking here.

So please allow me to present her maiden article on our blog…

Afraid to Talk About Dying
Elaine Williams copyright 2008
 
When my husband was diagnosed with esophagus cancer, we never talked about him dying, except in the very beginning. I think we were afraid to voice the worst scenario we could think of, him not making it through this disease. He refused to consider taking the traditional route in medicine, which was chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He told me early in his illness he was certain that the chemotherapy would kill him right away. When such a diagnosis is delivered, you begin to carry around with you a heaviness inside. When someone you care about is terminally ill, it dominates your thoughts and every waking moment. Your mind races over the different treatments and the newest drug trials, in the slim hope that things aren’t as bleak as they seem.
 
When the doctors told him he had this cancer, which essentially prevented him from eating, he wanted them to operate and take out the largest tumor at the junction of the stomach and esophagus. His doctor said it would be a major operation, where the ribs would have to be cracked open, and not one that he had the ability to perform. After more extensive testing was done, the doctors decided not to operate because they felt there was a good chance the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes in the esophagus region. I didn’t know it then, but I guess I should have — they didn’t want to operate because they felt it was a lost cause.
 
We didn’t feel we should give up — we just knew that each human life is a cause worth fighting for. We never gave up hope that he could beat this cancer, even though it wasn’t discovered until almost last stage. I never actually asked the doctor what stage his cancer was. I believe it was an emotionally insulating factor for myself. I was afraid to know. I did so much research on alternative therapies that might help him, but I was afraid to know where traditional medicine saw him in his stage of cancer. Perhaps I was just better off that way. If I had known, perhaps that may have taken some of the fight out of both of us. We passed many milestones on our quest to heal him. To me, it wasn’t extending his life, it was attempting to heal his life and his body.
 
When someone is terminally ill, you want to preserve every moment, and that in itself becomes exhausting, though you’re not really cognizant of the toll day to day life takes on you. You want to try every avenue available to get better. I wanted my husband to visit a clinic we learned about in Mexico, where they had a good success rate of treating his type of cancer. I questioned our alternative medicine doctor about the latest therapies for cancer patients. I refused to let hope die, especially when my husband’s smaller tumors disappeared, and even when he kept losing weight. My mother said to me once, that some women might have left, but it never occurred to me. How could I ever think of leaving someone who I love when they needed me?
 
We took note of every mile marker along the way. Each step forward felt like a triumphant race to the ultimate goal, his being totally cured of cancer. I read many stories about others who had beat this devastating disease. It wasn’t until three weeks before my husband passed away, the night I had a dream, that I knew he was going to die. I’m sure many others knew right along he was going to die, but being in the thick of living this illness, it wasn’t an option for me. When I had the dream he died, I awoke and knew he was going to die. It was that simple.
 
All hope turned to despair. And still, we did not talk of him dying. Perhaps we should have, I don’t know. Perhaps he didn’t talk about his dying to spare me and my children. Perhaps he was afraid that even though I’d always been strong, maybe he didn’t want to see me break into a million tiny fragments. And I might have. I might well have broken apart, lost the emotional glue that was keeping me together in those last weeks. When hope flees, emotion and fear can break you down.
 
Some days I thought there was nothing more terrible than watching someone you love waste away from 200 lbs to ninety or so pounds. The spirit and the brightness in his eyes was undiminished, until the last eighteen hours. When you look into a loved one’s eyes and all you see is a black glassy emptiness, you know it is the end. For someone who likes to take control, and make other’s comfortable, I knew there was noting I could do. It was the most helpless I ever recall feeling in my life. The end had been written, but we never talked about the end. I think it was just too hard.

 
A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss
http://www.ajourneywelltaken.com
A Widow’s journey through loss, grief and renewal
Midwest Book Review – 5 Stars
Finalist USA Book News Best Books Awards 2008

Popularity: 32% [?]