Before considering a senior job you need to evaluate your assets such as your health, work experience, and even your hobbies.  If your office or computer skills are not that great many community colleges offer job skills and computer classes.  Also, most community colleges offer free tuition with Senior Citizen Scholarships.  Do you have a hobby such as ceramics or wood working?  Think about turning your hobby into a senior job.  Many craft shops are looking for someone to teach evening ceramic and woodworking classes.  If you love gardening check your local nursery or home improvement store for part time job openings.

Senior jobs online are available right now...

Disabilities often prevent retirees from working outside their home.  If you prefer not to leave your house for a senior job there are ways for you to earn money online with your computer.  With so many senior job opportunities out there it’s difficult to know which offers are real and which are just out to take your money.  One Review Team found that 95% of the “make money” sites they reviewed were total scams.  Avoid the sites that offer senior jobs in exchange for money up front.  There are many legitimate on line businesses that offer senior jobs and then take a small commission from the money you earn.  You can also contact organizations such as AARP or the Department of Labor.  The AARP web site has a section called “Work & Retirement” and the Department of Labor has the Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP) that promotes economic self-sufficiency for older individuals.

Now that you have found out that full time grand parenting isn’t as enjoyable as it was part time, and there is nothing good on TV, get off your butt and find a job.  Jobs after retirement may not only enrich your life and put money in your pocket; according to the Center for Disease Control a job may even help you live longer.

Men, do you pick her up or meet her there?  Actually, women feel more comfortable driving themselves to meet a stranger.  If the date doesn’t go well you can both leave and avoid the unease of driving home together.  Where do you go on your senior date?  As I said before, lunch is a good idea.  Dinners sometimes imply more intimacy than either of you is ready for on a first senior date.  You can also go to a book store with a coffee shop where you may find a book that you both enjoy and becomes the subject of your conversation.  A museum will allow you to stand together and talk about the display, but also allows you to wander apart which can help relieve tension.  If you are uneasy being two near-strangers sitting across from each other trying to keep the conversation going, you can plan a group date.

Who pays?  You probably came from an earlier time where the man always paid on a date, but times are changing.  Women should politely ask to split the bill.  Usually the man will refuse, but this gesture will make the date much more pleasurable.  And, ladies, if he refuses to let you pay on the first date don’t stop offering on subsequent dates—this shows respect.  What do you order to eat?  Hopefully you picked a place that is friendly to your budget.  Sharing things on a date, such as one large entrée, is more romantic and is usually less expensive than ordering two separate meals.  When it comes to dessert sharing one piece of cake or pie is fun, and keeps you focused on each other.

If you begin to feel uneasy on your first senior date, listen to your “gut” and leave.  After a few dates, attempt to introduce your partner to the people who are important in your life.  If he or she wants to cut you off from your family and friends it’s time to end the relationship.  If you think you have found the right person and plan to become intimate, keep yourself safe.  According to recent statistics the venereal disease rate is increasing in senior citizens.   The best way to enjoy a first and continuing dates is to focus on the things you both have in common and, most of all, just have a good time.

This isn’t a type of individual eating plan though. You have to consume the soup all week long. You can eat all you want so you don’t have to worry about being hungry. However, you will quickly get tired of it meal after meal within a couple of days.
You can add some items though. For example with day one you can eat fruits other than bananas. The second day you can eat all the vegetables you want. Day three you get a combination of the two of them. It isn’t until day five when you can get some meat added in there!

The soup diet has been linked to a weakened immune system. This can make you very susceptible to common colds and the flu, particularly dangerous for older people and seniors in general.. However, it can also make you more vulnerable to serious health problems including cancer.
Many people follow this diet because they feel it is just a slight version of a fast. Most experts though believe this is a very unsafe way to eat. You will get very few overall calories even if you do choose to eat the soup several times a day.

Discover Pros and Cons of the Soup Diet

Due to the fact that most of what you will lose with the soup diet is water, you will gain that weight back in no time at all. Some people have suffered from serious health issues because they did the diet for longer than the 7 day plan. It isn’t advised that you do so because you don’t want your body to be malnourished.

In spite of the fact that this is nothing more than a short term fix, the myths surrounding it just won’t go away. You will see complete households taking part in it. You will also see office workers doing it together. Yet the failure when that weight comes back often causes people to feel that there is no hope for them to really get the weight off.

This one also ensures that a person is able to get enough fiber in it; particularly important for seniors. That is a big problem with many diets. Blood sugar levels are said to be maintained too. This is because the approved foods have a low glycemic index.
There are 3 phases to this diet. In the first phase it is claimed that you will lose from 8 to 12 pounds in the first two weeks. After that you will lose a few pounds per week. However, there are many medical professionals that contest those results.

Will the South Beach Diet Work for You?

One of the benefits of the South Beach Diet is that there are plenty of foods to choose from. Most people that follow it don’t feel like they are eating the same foods over and over again. They also feel like they can dine out and make good choices.
However, this particular diet doesn’t help people with the intake control. In fact, many people tend to eat all they want with this diet. That makes it harder for them to lose weight. It also makes it tough for them to keep off weight should they decide not to continue with this particular diet plan. This is particularly true for seniors and less mobile individuals.

There are studies that show the South Beach Diet may be able to help lower cholesterol levels. This can also help to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these benefits can only be found in the diet plan is followed consistently.
There isn’t enough information about the long term side effects of the South Beach Diet though. When you don’t get enough sugar for energy you may suffer from Ketoacidosis. This can allow acid t build up in the body. It can cause a person to go into a coma or to die.

This can be a total of up to 10 pounds which is very exciting. However, in reality that weight is generally just water that the body has released. Being limited in foods though can make the mind irritable and the body sluggish. When your body is lacking certain carbs you won’t be able to concentrate. You may suffer from headaches that are mild or that are full blow migraines.
You want to be careful about heart disease with a low carb diet too. These diets can be high in saturated fats. That isn’t good for the heart or for your cholesterol. You can end up with a lack of fiber too and that can cause constipation and even severe pain as you try to digest your foods.

Low Carb Diet May Not Be For You!

Most people find it is difficult to stick to a low card diet. They are very restricted to what they can eat. Even though in the second phase they are able to introduce some carbs it is typically not enough for the body to be satisfied. Plus, it can be hard to adequately gauge how much you have consumed.
The final phase of any low card diet is where you will reach your goal weight and then stay at that daily intake of carbs to maintain it. However, in reality very few people ever get to that point in the diet plan. They have given up by then due to the fact that they don’t have enough food variety.

Studies show that most people that do lose some weight from low carb diets aren’t able to keep it off. Such a diet plan isn’t good for those that have chronic kidney infections or kidney disease. They also aren’t a good idea for those that have suffered from gout, have diabetes, or are taking ongoing medications.As always, consult trusty Internet sites about senior health, and finally, seek approval from your doctor.

Lemonade Diet Warning!

The diet plan can go from 4 to 14 days. However, the body won’t be able to go right back to eating the way you were before. Instead, you will have to slowly introduce solid food back into your diet. The lemon juice contains a large amount of acid in it. This isn’t good for the enamel on your teeth.
Studies show what you will lose during the lemonade diet is both water and muscle. The longer you stay on the diet the more damage you can do to your immune system. You can also cause your body to suffer from malnutrition. The severe muscle loss will be due to the fact that your body is using it in place of protein since you aren’t consuming any of it. Seniors should be particularly careful with this dangerous weight loss system!

Many people find that they become very irritable when they are on the lemonade diet. They don’t sleep well and they have very little energy. Feelings of hunger are going to linger. They can prevent you from concentrating on anything during your daily routine. This can lead to an injury or accident occurring.
Other common side effects include headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and constipation. There is no evidence to show that the body is going to flush toxins out of it when you consume this lemonade diet. This is definitely a diet you want to avoid!

The calorie restriction is not good and it can be a death risk. The limit of calories is from 500 to 800 calories per day. It is recommended that this is only done in a controlled facility with well trained individuals. These facilities though aren’t approved by health insurance. This is because they are deemed as being very high risk.
The body can start to shut down when the calories are restricted though. The body may live on stored fat as a way to be able to fight. It will see this as a defense mechanism. Then you won’t be able to lose weight effectively even with a good diet and exercise plan.

Beware of HCG Diet's Extremes!

Gall stones can develop when you restrict the body of calories to such an extreme. They can be painful and cause your body to not digest what you eat like it should. As a result you could end up having to be hospitalized. In severe cases surgery is necessary to remove the gall bladder.
The metabolism can be altered due to the HCG Diet and that can mean a tough time losing weight and keeping it off. Even with diet plans that are balanced and a quality workout plan it can be very hard.

Persons on the HCG Diet often suffer from a variety of side effects. They include irritability, headaches, low energy levels, and for males enlarged breasts. These side effects generally do go away after a person has started eating balanced meals and stops taking the HCG.
HCG Diet has only showed that people are able to keep the weight off as long as the calories are restricted and they are taking the supplements or getting injections. As soon as they stop the diet that weight goes back on. This is because such a diet doesn’t help a person change their eating habits.

However, this particular diet can be tough to follow. The body actually needs carbs which is why eliminating them from the diet can be very hard to stick with. In fact, many people don’t do well with it. They may initially lose some pounds to begin with. Yet most of them will pack it back on. Even using yoga for seniors may not be very effective in reducing the body weight.
This is because the Atkins Diet doesn’t really teach a person how to eat better portions. It also doesn’t give the body the right balance of vitamins and nutrients that it needs. This isn’t a diet plan for anyone who has had cancer before should follow. It also isn’t a good idea for anyone that has gout or takes regular medications.

Truth about the Atkins diet

Some experts believe that a person following the Atkins Diet can suffer from some serious health problems. There are some studies that indicate it could be very hard on the kidneys. In fact some believe that many people on dialysis is due to this type of diet plan for a long period of time.
Individuals with diabetes or other health problems many find that they are having a hard time controlling their blood sugar levels with the Atkins Diet. With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the United States among men and women there is also problems there.

Many of the foods allowed with the Atkins Diet are very high in fat. That can lead to clogged arteries and make the heart work harder. However, there are people that swear by this diet plan. They believe they have more energy and a positive mindset.
The verdict is still out there with the Atkins Diet losing some of its popularity. Many people feel that they eat more being on this weight loss program, because they simply can’t satisfy their cravings for carbs. A lack of fiber can also cause abdominal pain due to digestion errors and even constipation.

You do need to be careful with the Mediterranean Diet though. If you aren’t a careful reader of packaging for food you may be consuming too much trans fats. You need to make sure you understand all the different terminology that can be used. Then you can avoid fats that aren’t beneficial for you. This is one of the most important principles of senior health.

One of the biggest problems with the Mediterranean Diet is that there are many variations of it. Too often people are eating larger portions than they should. They will also prevent them from losing weight as they would like to on this particular diet plan.

They also see the drinking of red wine as a green light to consume all the want. The consumption of it shouldn’t be more then 5 ounces per day for women and twice that amount for men.

Mediterranean Diet Is Not Only Healthy, It Actually Tastes Good!

Red meat has to be limited to only a few times per month. That is one of the tough restrictions of the Mediterranean diet that people struggle with. Red meat is a common staple in the diet of people. If you have diabetes you do need to be careful about the fruits and vegetables you consume. For example you want to steer clear of citrus and corn or that can cause health problems for you.

It is suggested that various forms of fish, tofu, and other items are used to substitute red meat. What red meat is consumed should be organically raised. This means that it is free of any hormones that are often used to fatten up the cattle.

Studies show that following such a diet can help to reduce heart disease. With that being a #1 killer of both men and women it is important to reduce such risks. It is also believed to be a diet that can help with reducing the chances of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

However, studies also show that to reap such rewards people need to follow this plan consistently. It shouldn’t be a diet but rather an overall part of a plan to change the lifestyle and eating habits for the rest of your life.

Are You Still Looking for Love?

Marketing based on looking for new love interests are a popular choice for movies, songs, and stories. Many senior singles must feel like a would-be mother who notices every pregnant woman, in the same way that every couple looks like they have an ideal relationship. However, with such high divorce rates, that is simply not the case. Many couples have failed to find the perfect relationship at any age. When a relationship is flawed, there is a feeling of being homeless, insecure, angry, hopeless, and/or depressed. Financial considerations are likely to make the situation worse. Getting in touch with your personal needs is what is if a real value is vital to senior singles. Following the lead of society – as marketing people have manipulated us to do – may not be in the best interests of senior singles. The most appropriate option is the one that makes you feel fulfilled and content – where you, and you alone find peace either as a member of the senior singles’ crowd or half of a couple. And before you jump on the senior dating scene, consider other possible scenarios…

Perhaps You Would Enjoy a Silver Lining?

One option for avoiding some of the pit-falls senior singles imagine might occur is to gather in a group situation. According to many magazines, there is a trend among “Baby Boomers” – those born between 1945 and 1963 – for more people to enjoy shared housing situations. This avenue includes co-housing, cluster housing, and more – even cruise ships living especially for senior singles. This might be a satisfactory option to becoming part of a couple. If the shared housing option was with other like-minded silver-haired single seniors – the relationship might be the “silver-lining” that makes life the most enjoyable in your senior years.

Does being single senior mean feeling lonely?

Stories that have come out of co-housing communities, especially among senior singles, include comments related to “We care about each other” and “There is always someone to help me if I need it,” or “We tend to check up on each other.” As I read this explanation, I was surprised to observe the correlation between co-housing and a marriage. The difference may be that by not being with the same person for 50 years and/or not caring for someone 24/7, there is more prompt compassion among senior singles due to their being less immediate demand for seemingly endless care-giving.

Or Simply, Go for the Gold!

The ideal relationship situation is what makes you feel the most secure, peaceful, gratified, elated, tranquil, or a multitude of other positive adjectives. Every pairing has a cost factor associated with it. The factor might be time dedicated to the person, there may be financial advantages or disadvantages, and certainly there is an emotional investment. Meditating on your life so far, and also since becoming one of the senior singles, might help to bring up the times of the most satisfying period in your life. Looking back and reading old letters or a diary could add another dimension. Asking friends, relatives, or peers what they saw as a time of the most joy could offer an outside perspective. Take in all that you learn and write it down. Don’t rush this process, because it is likely that a line of people will be waiting to join into any relationship.

There are many stories of golden years among senior singles that are filled with lots of joy, but not all end that way. My own father was a volunteer in a local hospital both before, and after my mother died. They were married nearly 45 years. He often remarked that being with sick people helped him to better realize what had the most value in his own life. He was overwhelmed at the number of women who came after him for attention, as soon as he was single. He remarried within a year of my mother’s funeral. His first marriage was far from perfect, but his second was deceitful. He was even lonelier. The woman had a pattern of marrying men dying of cancer; Dad was her fifth cancer patient husband. She isolated him from his friends and from his only child. It was a sad time in both of our lives.

This is the age of the Internet, where senior dating sites are plenty, a true blessing for senior singles. Before you even date a person, find out their background. That might help a great deal in finding the golden relationship you seek, be it alone or with others.

Soothing the Body and the Soul
Yoga has been a health option publicly encouraged for mature people in western cultures most of the last century. The practice of yoga involves poses, breathing techniques, and exercises that may be started out with ease and increased in intensity as the practice is mastered.

Today, yoga is making headlines as a health alternative even more frequently because, unlike Zumba, an aerobic dancing method that is wildly appreciated by children and young adults for the party atmosphere that is created around the execution of the practice. Yoga can be practiced at a far slower pace. The results for senior health are significant, but the stress on joints is reduced.
Advocates for alternative cures nearly always mention yoga for anything from nasal discomfort or other respiratory distress to cancer, weight loss to immune enhancement, and stress reduction to increased strength. Like any means of self-healing, the results are different in everyone.

Reduce Pain, Enhance Posture
Noninvasive options for back pain are often limited by the imagination of the victims. If an adult is unable to visualize his or her body in a yoga posture, the pain is not going to be reduced. Yoga is body/mind congruence. Like the person who buys an exercise bike and does not have any physical change because the bike remains in the shipping carton, until the body and the mind- set to work, no change will occur. The gentle stretching of yoga will often ease back pain from muscle tension, stress, strain, injury, rupture, or illness. This statement also applies to pain in any other part of the body.

Yoga for seniors offers timeless benefits...

Medical Professionals Take Notice!
Along the same vein that the U.S. Navy has finally recognized that meditation is a stress reducer when sailors are in a submarine, the medical profession has found that the mind, body, soul connection of yoga stabilizes blood pressure, pulse rate, enhances circulation, eases respiratory ills, strengthens cardiovascular muscles, sends positive feedback to organs, sooths the gastrointestinal track, boosts immunity, and speeds up metabolism in those who practice the techniques. Inner peace is one direct, and indirect (a quiet conviction that you’re doing something positive for yourself) benefits that senior yoga practitioner can expect.

Not only will the inside of the body benefit from the practice of yoga, but seemingly unrelated areas of a person’s core or soul may also be improved. There is evidence that detoxification occurs from yoga positions – therefore, aging is slowed. As the posture is enhanced, the overall look of the adult frame is balanced. There are typically more strengths, higher-energy levels, better sleeping, and balance in the yoga practitioner. Some practice yoga to stabilize their weight or reduce cellulite due to stretching of muscles.

Body awareness is an additional benefit of practicing yoga. As the adult becomes joined in the physical activity, the mental awakening, and the core centering the comprehensive integration of body, mind and spirit commonly produces an overall enlightening of consciousness of self. This sensitivity may include improved sexuality, self-control, mood, self-acceptance, along with a reducing in depression, anxiety, and/or reoccurring stress. Many advocates of yoga practice state that the mind-body connection often results in a more positive outlook on life. Previously hostile thoughts may be replaced with calmness, better social skills, and increased ability to concentrate, recall, or attend to the activities of their day.

Management of Diseases or Disorders
Asthma, allergies, and arthritis respond with a positive change to yoga, as does back pain (and scoliosis), cancer, constipation, and epilepsy. The complications of menopause can be better controlled as can obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nerve involvement, like migraines, sciatica, and carpel tunnel syndrome respond to yoga positioning. Even muscular dystrophy and chronic bronchitis can be eased from regular yoga exercises.

Scientific Evidence of Yoga Benefits
Actual testing of those who do and do not practice yoga have identified the following benefits: positive changes in cholesterol/triglycerides, the lymphatic system, glucose/sodium levels, red blood cells, vitamin integration, and functioning of the endocrine system as a whole. There is evidence that regular yoga practice reduces the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and type II diabetes.

Physical Changes
Those who practice yoga are less likely to have a physical injury due to enhanced muscle tone. Their muscle groups are more in balance as is their nervous system. The breathing aspect of the practice improves oxygen use by the body. The feeling of calmness reduces competitiveness, increases reaction time, makes them more agile, and eye-hand coordination is improved. A graceful movement pattern and increased endurance often replaces stiffness when normal activities are attempted.

Loneliness
Obviously, you have a lifetime of experiences to share. Additionally, most of us want to “keep up to date” at least on some changes. Senior living is still about enjoying life to the fullest. As the world is getting smaller an effort needs to be made to keep getting informed and learning advanced techniques. Because we are “hard-wired” to gather into tribes or at least couples, getting cut off from some others with your years of experience and wisdom create a sense of loneliness unlikely to please you as a senior living alone.

Loneliness Is Often a Reality of Senior Living

Relocation is one means to overcome loneliness. After the children have moved out, a spouse has died, a career has ended, or another typical transition in later years, staying in the same (larger) residence might not be the best option. Moving to a place where more choices exist for activities suitable to seniors can be enjoyable. The last time I saw a friend of mine in person, he was raving about the retirement community he found near Lake Chapala in Central Mexico. He explained that he was enjoying a choice of activities every day as a part of home ownership or rental options for his senior living community. There were places to walk, taxis, shuttles, and elegant buses all for little cash outlay. He was remodeling a home he bought to have room for visitors. He spoke of a senior living writer’s group, an outstanding library, and other social outlets. He introduced me to his traveling companion – a published author about his age. She remarked on what joy he had found in his just acquired home. Two weeks later when he suffered a severe stroke from which he did not recover, it was hard not to feel happiness for him having found joy inside a senior living community so near to his death. Before the move, he rarely shaved, dressed in unclean, apparently previously worn clothing, and for all appearances was depressed and extremely lonely. Choosing senior living communities as an option was clearly advantageous.

Traveling in groups or on a cruise ship (a confined area) is an option to create a sense of community or belonging. When people who were strangers before beginning a adventure frequently talk to each other a great deal to overcome the emotional distance of being in the same geographic location and lacking any knowledge of each other. Careful pre-planning will help assure that the other travelers are mostly seniors and/or have some interests in common with you. Such an approach will greatly enhance the experience and reduce the feeling of being isolated.

Personal Space & Time
The role you accepted as a parent, employee, mentor, friend, leader, or other responsibility has probably changed since becoming a senior. There should be more choices about how you spend your time. Hopefully, there are also more choices about what you can claim as your own space. With those in mind, it is of value to realize that taking up a recent hobby, playing a musical instrument, learning an unknown language, or exploring a revolutionary adventure is good for both your brain and emotional outlook, the more unexplored the modernized event the better. The goal is not to become master of something other than your own senior living time and space. Finding undeveloped goals in life can make your life more of an opulent experience and at the same time, make old chores, like cooking, cleaning, repairing, or maintaining, easier to complete without feeling burdened.

The realization that your mind and body are capable of fresh experiences as a senior living a rich life is uplifting. The exploration of life that was a part of your teenage years could return in your senior living years if you allow it. In the same way that you have earned the option to say, “No, I’d rather not,” and mean it, take the hard stand to ignore naysayers who remark that is it not appropriate to do this or that activity “at your age.” Take up dancing the Tango, playing the harmonica, swimming every afternoon, cross-stitching, riding a motorcycle, earning a college diploma (or an advanced degree), chess, or something else you have never done before.
The rewards of making uncommon choices are likely to increase self-esteem, reduce loneliness, offer more personal time and space, and in general make your senior years the best yet!