1. Good news for all of us. Research shows that today's elders are better health than our forebears. Lawrence Whalley reports that the proportion of people over age 85 NOT ABLE to perform the activities of every day living has HALVED since 1975. And it appears that those of us coming towads 85 years are also aging well. Maybe all the reminders about being physically active are paying off.

On that same note. Consider this. DANCE with your mother. Next time you visit your aging mother or aunt, do ask them for a dance. Come prepared. Go on line and find music that was popular during HER teen years. Turn it on. Then be a bit 'courtly'. Dance together.

Why? Dancing is exercise (yes, it can be aerobic) but 'old fashioned dances' also include holding your partner and so there is touch (something often missed by the old). Also, dance steps have been shown to stimulate the brain. And dancing brings back good memories. Whether you are a son or daughter, dancing with your mother might be one of the best gifts you give her. Oh, yes, and like some shy teenagers, she may need a bit of encouragement to join you. Be light hearted. Evoke Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers. It could be fun! (And if you do not know the steps, maybe she will teach you....but first you need to get her up and started.)

2. Health tip. Inflammation is the bane of those over age 50. It is a mark of arthritis, a precursor for Alzheimer's, heart trouble and some say, cancer. In February I saw the effect of powerful natural anti-inflammatory.

My 122 lb 'mostly German Shepherd' suddenly turned lame. He stood in the living room holding his back leg up like a crane. When I examined him, I found that I could feel heat coming off his spine - even with my hand a 2 inches above his back!

I took him to the vet. He said, it is arthritis - arthritis in his spine that is affecting his leg. He upped the dogs pain meds and said, "let's see how it works".

The next day, as I was taking my own morning supplements, I looked at a bottle of Turmeric (1,120mg) and thought turmeric is an anti-inflammatory. I wrapped a capsule in some peanut butter and gave it to the dog. I did this each day and after about a week, the dog began to put weight on his leg. Soon I could no longer feel the heat from his spine - it was slightly warm to the touch in 2 places BUT my old dog was walking on all 4 feet, was interested in playing again. I began reducing his prescription pain meds.

I still give him Turmeric each day. He is back to lying in the garden and we are back to walking about a mile in the morning.

But arthritis is not the only health condition marked by inflammation. Several years ago epidemiologists noted that India has few cases of Alzheimer's disease. Several scientists have hypothesized that the widespread use of turmeric in Indian cooking may be the reason. People ingest turmeric every day all life long. (Inflammation is said to be one of the precursors of Alzheimers) - then there are the other health conditions marked by inflammation.

If you are considering adding turmeric to your daily supplements, many multi-vitamins now include turmeric but the dose is usually quite small. It is not an expensive supplement. I take a 1,120 mg supplement each day.

3. As I prepared this newsletter, there were so many different topics I thought about including. What would readers want? I want this newsletter to be of real use to you.

But I do not know who has subscribed or what topics interest you. So I am asking. Would you be willing to introduce yourself? Would you tell me what sorts of topics you would like me to include in future issues? If so, just hit REPLY to this newsletter and tell me. I promise to read EVERY reply.

Meantime have a wonderful month. Keep moving....dance if you can... try to encourage someone else to join you in daily walks, dancing, handball, tennis, gardening..... Company is good - especially if you are retired.

Thank you for reading,

Kate