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http://www.ctnow.com

When we’re young, we’re used to seeing our parents as the picture of health. They’re always there for us to lean on - whatever the reason.

As we reach middle age, though, we start to realize that our parents are becoming more frail and entering the stage of their lives where it’s now our turn to ensure their well-being.

The process of arranging proper care for elderly parents can be one of the most jarring a person has to go through. Many of us are already dealing with so much - kids, work, economic uncertainty… But these daily stresses are nothing compared to the emotional and financial issues surrounding our responsibility to our elderly parents. In fact, many people point to this process as the moment in their lives where they finally realize what it truly means to be an adult.

Everyone wants what’s best for their parents but, unfortunately, it’s usually not that simple. The ailments that affect the elderly, be they mental or physical, can often creep up slowly. It’s not uncommon to wake up one day and realize that one or both of our parents are no longer in a position to properly care for themselves, and when they need help, you may be the one that has to step up and arrange that care for them.

But where to start? The Yellow Pages? Spending hours driving around to look at different facilities? It’s also not uncommon for there to be disagreements between children and one or both of the parents as to the best course of action. Much as we would wish otherwise, financial considerations sometimes also have to be taken into account.

Fortunately, at this challenging time there is a remarkable organization dedicated to helping everyone involved in this decision. It’s called A Place For Mom and its mission is to provide seniors and families with one-on-one guidance and assistance as well as comprehensive resources about senior housing and elder care options so that you can make the best decision for your loved ones and for yourself.

The company, which is based in Seattle, has offices in 40 states and employs over 300 Eldercare Advisors. They work directly with seniors and their families on a one-on-one basis to analyze the individual needs of the family and prepare a variety of options taking into account medical, financial, geographic and other important factors.

The many options they can help walk you through include assisted living communities, Alzheimer’s care, nursing homes, respite care, retirement communities, residential care homes, home care, and hospice care.

This personalized service is offered free to families, as many of the nation’s care communities reimburse the company for its services. A Place For Mom has been so successful at meeting this need that they have grown to be the nation’s largest elder care referral service.

Scientists have long marveled how some people in certain countries live remarkably long, healthy lives while we, in the west, suffer from high rates of chronic diseases and other health problems.

Computer analysis has enabled researchers to determine which populations are the healthiest and live the longest and analyze what these populations have in common.

The results point to one key factor; diet. The healthiest groups eat certain foods in much higher quantities - these foods have come to be called super foods.

Common problems such as lack of energy, poor skin and hair, and dramatic mood swings as well as serious problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers can also now be traced to poor nutrition.

Scientists have analyzed the super foods that these healthy populations eat and found they contain hundreds of micro-nutrient compounds, vitamins and antioxidants. A growing body of research from laboratory and human studies suggests that these nutrients work best in concert with each other, or synergistically.

Bottom line: Giving your body the right micronutrients in the right combination can make a huge difference to how long you live, how much energy you have, how often you get sick and even whether you get certain types of cancer or heart disease.

The problem of course is that we all live busy complicated lives. In a world of processed food and limited time, it is unrealistic to think we can eat the optimum diet including all of these super foods.

Enter San Diego, CA based www.superfoodsrx.com. This new company has addressed this problem by developing a daily nutritional supplement designed to provide the same mix of super-nutrients that are found in the so called super foods.

Dr. Steven Pratt is the developer of this remarkable nutritional system. A best selling author of nutrition and longevity books, Dr. Pratt also consults for top athletes and is a senior staff member at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California.

Just how remarkable is the supplement. Dr Pratt commented, “The nutrients and antioxidants we use in SuperFoodsRx have been shown to decrease symptoms of fatigue and to increase the effectiveness of dieting by helping to reduce the appetite and boost metabolism. They have also been linked to a lower incidence of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. There are several key micro-nutrients we included that can help to improve your complexion and strengthen hair and nails and the premium omega 3 found in SuperFoodsRx has been proven to reduce stress and mood-swings and improve memory and focus.”

SuperFoodsRx is currently offering a free trial of their supplement system. You can learn more about the free trial offer at www.superfoodsrx.com

‘Tis the season for making resolutions…that are fizzled out, filed away, and forgotten by the first week of February.

The things we want to change—bad habits such as smoking, overeating, or buying things we don’t need—are like icebergs. That’s why New Year’s resolutions fail: They only attack the part of the problem that lies above the surface.

We can’t just dump a bad habit as if it were a throwaway bottle or a worn-out appliance. To make a lasting change in any significant area of our life, we need to understand the complex pattern of behavior that the habit is rooted in—all the underlying thought processes and choices that feed and sustain a bad habit in spite of our best intentions.

Every New Year presents the opportunity to discover one of life’s simple truths: As long as our underlying priorities remain the same, our heartfelt resolutions are doomed to fail, no matter how noble, sincere, or urgent they sound.

The secret to a happier, healthier life

Joyful, abundant living has nothing to do with New Year’s resolutions. It’s a result of understanding

1. Why resistance to change keeps us from achieving our potential
2. How to overcome the fear of change
3. When to seek change, and why we should seek it

In our next three posts, we’ll take a closer look at these three key areas—together, they account for the 90% of the iceberg that’s below the surface.

In a nutshell, the secret to a happier, healthier life is to realize that you can choose to take charge of your thoughts, your emotions, and your actions. Accepting responsibility for who you are is the first step in overcoming harmful habits and replacing them with healthy ones.

Share your story

When you get serious about making change the No. 1 priority in your life, your bad habits don’t stand a chance. Post a comment to tell us about a change you want to make in 2010.