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Health
February 6 is National Wear Red Day, part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign to raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women. Read this article to learn about nine common heart health mistakes and how to avoid them.
“Ignorance is not bliss,” says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., a cardiologist and medical director at the NYU Women’s Heart Program in New York City. “Denial can be deadly.” If you haven’t had a check-up in over a year, schedule one to get the facts: your blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, HDL “good” cholesterol, triglycerides level, glucose (HbA1c), body mass index, and waist circumference.
Beauty
Winter hair and skin care is an annual challenge. Check out this article for tips on keeping your locks luscious in frigid temperatures and your skin hydrated for a wintry glow. There is also a round-up of Valentine gift ideas.
Keep your skin gently stimulated to maintain healthy circulation. The face has millions of tiny nerve endings which react to extremes in temperature. By keeping skin stimulated by exfoliation, you encourage the elimination of toxins, ensure cell turnover and stimulate muscle tone. This combats the drying effects of outside cold and central heating.
Book Corner
With Valentine’s Day, February is widely viewed as a month for love. Accordingly, columnist Debbi Honorof considers two books that outline the benefits of long-term marriages: September Songs: The Good News About Marriage in the Later Years and The Marriage Benefit: The Surprising Rewards of Staying Together
Intimacy, which may have been at low tide, as the daily negotiating of children and careers were front and center, becomes re-established; but now, in a different, deeper way. The spouses realize – with a special poignancy – that there is nobody in the world who truly knows them as well as they know each other.
Ladies at Lunch
Find out what readers just like you think about the many dining establishments all over our Island. Long Island Woman treats a reader and a guest to lunch; you get the inside information. This month, reviewers visited Mim’s in Syosset. (You can enter for a chance to be a guest reviewer by visiting liwomanonline.com/lunch.html)
FYI
Brighten up a bleak winter by visiting the Camelia Greenhouse at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park … go beyond the box of chocolates and provide an entire experience … meet Newsday advice columnist and NPR commentator Amy Dickinson at Book Revue … and check out this month’s picks: a product (Dermelect exfoliating cream); a book (Fitness After 40); an event (Go Red for Women Luncheon); a place to eat (Mundays in Huntington); and, a website to check out (your very own cultural concierge).
Plus, meet this month’s Long Island Woman, Carol Montparker, a concert pianist who is celebrating her 70th birthday by performing at Carnegie Hall.
My Turn
What is Victoria’s secret, after all? One woman ventures into the dreaded dressing room and discovers what she knew all along: that her body is something to honor and cherish, no matter what it looks like in flimsy slips of lingerie.
The women peering out from catalogs and magazines, television and the Internet have perfect skin, defined arms and legs, breathtaking décolletage, slim stomachs, firm breasts and buttocks, incredible flowing hair … just sexy everything. How can I be happy with my 50-plus self when the world around me has raised the bar to unattainable heights?
Health
The microwave has become just another fixture in modern kitchens … but do we really remember how to use it to its fullest – and safest – effects? This article provides a quick primer on microwave safety, from defrosting to choosing the best container and wrap when reheating.
What isn’t safe: yogurt, margarine or other plastic tubs. They may warp or melt in the microwave, releasing harmful chemicals into food. Styrofoam is the worst … the compounds that make it up are not things you should be eating. And despite all you’ve heard about not putting aluminum in the microwave, scientists are busy developing microwavable aluminum trays.
Happenings
Keep winter interesting by consulting our wide-ranging calendar to find a class, lecture or outdoor adventure, and art exhibits and entertainment of all kinds.
Support Groups
Battle the winter blues and ask for help if you need it. Our extensive listings cover myriad topics, categorized by subject matter for easy reference.
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