• Diet and Longevity

    I was in Barnes and Noble recently and wandered into the cookbook section, since cooling is a passion of mine.  I was struck by the number of cookbooks aimed at very specific dietary restrictions:  gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, and more.  And, indeed, you don’t have to look far to see that nutrition, like hem-lengths, goes through fads. We seem to be in a low-carb fad at the moment, at least if the number of people I meet who claim to be following a paleo diet is any indicator. Never mind that paleo man died pretty young and that following a true [...]

  • Resveratrol and Common Sense

    One of the items in my Facebook feed this morning was a post from a friend saying she was giving up chocolate because she’d just learned that resveratrol was no good for her.  Intrigued, I did a little googling.  Sure enough, I immediately found lots of reporting on this topic. Resveratrol May Not Be The Elixir In Red Wine And Chocolate (NPR) Resveratrol in the diet is no help at all (LA Times) Resveratrol in Red Wine Not Such a Health-Booster? (WebMD) Each source duly reported that a new study revealed no correlation between resveratrol and increased longevity or reduced [...]

  • 20 Jumps, 50 Jumping Jacks

    Sound easy, doesn’t it? Three rounds of 20 long jumps (feet together, jump as far as possible) 50 jumping jacks I found this online, as a Crossfit WOD that can be done at home. It was surprisingly tough. I like it.  Try it and see what you think.

  • Resistant Starch

    I’ve been reading about the benefits of resistant starch from several sources, here, here, and here. It’s been credited with helping improve gut flora, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing triglycerides, and reducing the risk of colon cancer. Increased butyrate production is the scientific explanation (description here, for those interested in knowing the “why”)> These are good things. But. Resistant starch is found primarily in green bananas, beans, raw oats, and potatoes/pasta that has been cooked and cooled. None of these are things that I currently incorporate in my diet with any regularity. Then I read about potato starch and tapioca starch, [...]

Mixed Bites – Wellness for Women Over 40

 


Welcome to Mixed Bites, a web site about wellness for women over the age of 40. Of course younger women are welcome here, too, but the main focus of this site is for older sisters — those of us who have been around the block enough times to know what it means to be part of the “sandwich” generation or to deal with the fact that we are never, ever again going to see our pre-baby abs, no matter how in shape we get.

It’s my goal to help you acquire the knowledge you need to increase the level of wellness in your life. Much of what you’ll read here is inspired by own desire for knowledge. You’ll see me trying out new recipes, learning why agave is no longer the best thing since sliced bread, following up on beauty trends, and looking into new workout programs.

Are you interested in getting into the best shape of your life? There’s no magic pill or program. Read So You Want to Lose Weight and Shape Up for a factual look at how to lean down and tone up.

Have a comment or idea to share? Let me know!