It’s estimated that 155,000,000,0000 calories will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.

Courtyard by Marriott is the official hotel sponsor of the NFL. The results of their Super Bowl Study were not so surprising. If you want your party to be a success, just stick with the basics …

• 61% of U.S. Super bowl fans want potato chips and dip, the most popular snack at Super Bowl parties.
• 55% chose pizza.
• 41% want nachos.
• 38% are planning sub sandwiches.
• 37% love barbecue chicken and barbecue ribs.
• 35% voted for fried finger foods.
• 32% will be eating burgers.
• 28% thought vegetables or other (probably healthy) snacks were an option.

Now that adds up to way more than 100%, so I’m guessing no one wants just one snack. So, how do you please your party-going crowd, but still stay sensible? Here are some suggestions …

Eat healthy and sensible before and after the party.

• Don’t go to the party so hungry that you’ll eat everything in site.
• Eat sensibly the day before and the day after the party. Then, average your calories over the 3 days.
• Drinking meal replacement shakes the day before and after the party are a smart way to balance out the party food.

Portion control.

• Use a smaller plate. It’ll look like a plateful with much fewer calories.
• Eat slowly. Let your brain catch up with your stomach to tell you when you’re full.
• Snack on fruits and raw veggies. It’ll keep you crunching.
• Splurge on small portions of the party foods you REALLY love.

Socialize

• Parties are a great time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.
• Move around the room, greeting and chatting.
• Don’t plant yourself at the buffet table where it’s easy to just keep eating.

What are your favorite party tips? Leave a comment with your favorite tip.

One of my favorite sayings is, “Life’s good … and I’m paying attention.” This is my New Year’s Resolution … Remembering that life IS good and not letting the days just slip by – one after another. Each day is special and I want to pay attention.

Regina Brett is a columnist for my hometown newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer. I recently ran across her article from May 28, 2006 titled Brett’s 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on.” I’m posting it here to share with all my readers. But, I’m also posting it so I can read it often throughout the year.

Following is Regina Brett’s column written on May 28, 2006 …

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here’s an update:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

From now on, every time I say “Have a good day” I’m going to mean it. How about you? Leave a comment with your favorite life lesson.

Early on Friday afternoon, construction workers severed our Comcast cable connection. If you want to know how dependent – and hooked – you are on your cable service, just unplug it for a while. This wasn’t our fault. And it wasn’t Comcast’s fault. The maintenence workers who cut the line were trying to fix a water problem in the neighborhood. But, they just packed it in for the weekend and went home to their cable TV, movies on demand, surfing the web and V O I P phones. The first appointment we could get was Sunday morning. No contact with the outside world for 2 days.

Sunday morning came and went without the cable guy. According to Comcast, there was no Sunday appointment scheduled. But, he could see one on Monday. So, we wait some more. We watched a movie on DVD. We played a game. We even took down the Christmas tree. I was out of patience. I went to McDonald’s to try to get my email. I could send but not receive with their WiFi. So, that was a wasted trip.

But, there was no appointment on Monday either. Now, the appointment is Friday. FRIDAY! That’s a whole week without service. And who keeps changing the appointment? Must be Comcast.

We called and tried to reason with Comcast.

• It’s a cleanly cut line.
• It’ll only take 5 minutes to splice it back together.
• We have disabled people in the house.
• They have no way to call for help if needed.

But, Comcast wouldn’t make an exception. Time to call in the reserves. We called Mike, who’s in charge of maintenance for the community. Mike offered to call Comcast on our behalf. And Mike got results. Comcast would send someone out today to splice the cable – TODAY!

The cable guy was the nicest, most polite and friendliest technician I’ve met in a long time. He was a far cry from the Comcast customer service reps we’d been dealing with for 3 days. It didn’t take him long and we were back online. He even checked each TV, computer and phone to be sure we were completely online before he left. We owe him and Mike a big thank you for understanding our situation and taking action.

I learned an important lesson from this. Be polite, but be persistent. Be assertive, but not aggressive. And if you can’t resolve the issue, enlist help. There’s always a solution. Sometimes you just have to be creative.

How do you solve problems? Share your experience in a comment.

(ARA) – Who says you can’t teach a mind new tricks at any age? Recent research shows that Americans have the power to positively influence their brain function throughout life – an important realization that is especially relevant for the more than 78 million baby boomers in the United States. Brain health is one of the top health-related concerns of aging populations and has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control as a public health priority.

“The fear of memory loss and losing brain capacity looms large among the minds of boomers,” says Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a leading neurologist and author of “The Memory Cure.” “But we can maintain and even improve our brain health as we age. In fact, our brains have the ability to grow and change throughout life.”

Dr. Fotuhi debunks four common myths surrounding the brain and aging.

1. The brain stops growing after childhood.

A decade ago, many experts would have scoffed at the idea that the brains of adults, particularly older adults, could grow or develop in any significant way. But that has changed. Research increasingly suggests that each time a new skill is learned, such as playing an instrument, speaking a foreign language or even dancing, new pathways are formed and areas of the brain may grow, even well into the later years. Physical and mental exercise can alter specific brain regions, improving in cognitive function. Brain growth isn’t just for kids.

2. Once I start experiencing memory loss, it’s all downhill and there’s not much I can do.

Actually, there are a number of things you can do to improve your memory throughout life, even if you are already noticing changes. Exercise, challenging mental activities, social engagement and diet adjustments have all been shown to have positive effects on cognition and memory. In fact, a new study published online in May in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, showed that healthy people with memory complaints who took algal DHA capsules for six months had almost double the reduction in errors on a test that measures learning and memory performance versus those who took a placebo, a benefit roughly equivalent to having the learning and memory skills of someone three years younger. DHA (or docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid and a building block for the brain. Algal DHA products comparable to those used in this study can be found at major retailers like Walmart, CVS and Walgreens under the Algal-900 product name – look for the life’sDHA seal on these supplements to ensure you are getting an algal DHA source. For more information on foods, beverages and supplements that contain algal DHA, visit www.lifesdha.com.

3. Memory problems must mean Alzheimer’s disease.

Many people, young or old, worry that mild forgetfulness must be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. But most people are worrying needlessly – research shows that more than 80 percent of people will never get Alzheimer’s disease. Some experts now believe that it is time to redefine everyone’s understanding of age-related memory loss and dementia. Emerging research indicates that many people experiencing memory loss and dementia actually have mixed pathologies in their brains. In fact, very few senior citizens have “pure Alzheimer’s disease.” Instead, late-life cognitive impairment may in fact be a result of multiple “hits” to the brain, from a variety of risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress, head trauma and poor diet. The good news? There is the opportunity to influence brain health and function by incorporating lifestyle factors like exercise, a healthy diet, stress reduction and intellectual and social engagement. Regardless of family history, the choices a person makes in life may be able to slow the progression of age-related cognitive decline or help prevent it altogether.

4. Brightest equals youngest.

Today’s society does place an emphasis on age but, keep in mind, people over 65 rule the country. The majority of legislators, CEOs, doctors, lawyers, judges, economists and CEOs are not in their 30s or 40s, but seasoned veterans who bestow several decades of experience and expertise. Along with gray hairs come both knowledge and wisdom and you do not have to look far to find inspiring stories of accomplishment, creativity and reinvention in the second half of life. To see some inspiring profiles of aging and learn more about the actions you can take to ensure that you build and maintain a mind that is healthy and beautiful for an entire lifetime, go to beautiful-minds.com.

Post a comment with your favorite and worst moments of 2011.

Now that you’ve watched mine – Thank you very much! – Click here to make your own. And be sure to come back and post a comment with a link, so I can watch yours.

Here is a new way to prep your
Thanksgiving turkey.

Just for fun, of course!

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan.
3. position the foil carefully. (see photo)
4. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
5. Watch your guests’ faces …

When you’re thru laughing, check out Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

Have you ever made a turkey like this?
What is your Thanksgiving menu this year?
Be sure to add a comment with your Thanksgiving traditions.

I’m from Ohio. I call it home and always will. But, there were three years in the mid 60′s that took me to Miami, Florida. Dad decided we should pack up all our worldly possessions and drive 1,100 miles south, right behind hurricane Cleo.

We had a big, old Chrysler and a station wagon, pulling a trailer. This was actually our second trip. The first time, we drove down the Treasure Coast to Miami to find a motel to buy. Mom and dad had pretty much decided on one along US 1 in Miami. When we stopped for gas, dad asked the guy pumping the gas if he knew a good place to stay.  (Remember when the gas station attendant pumped the gas?) His answer: “The Motel New Yorker.” That was the motel they were about to buy! That stretch of Biscayne Boulevard was one motel after another. Why did he pick that one? There must have been something special about it. That sealed the deal for dad.

Sure they were making the right choice, they bought the motel. We moved into the manager’s apartment behind the office, plus the next 2 motel rooms. It was crowded, but it was temporary. After a year, we moved to a home in North Miami.

The motel did well, especially during “the season.” Those were the winter months. Vacationers stayed for several days or a week. But, some people stayed all winter. Dad said they were business owners. Either they were retired or they were able to leave their business in the hands of their employees.

Originally, the motel looked like this in 1953 when it was built:

I got to thinking about the motel and all the changes thru the years. The neighborhood was good when we were there in the 60′s. The motel was named the New Yorker to attract visitors from New York. Miami was a popular destination for them. After mom and dad sold it, the neighborhood deteriorated and so did the motel. There were a couple of name changes that I’m aware of. The Motel New Yorker became the Motel Quebec. I’m guessing demographics changed and more visitors were coming from Canada. Or maybe the motel was bought by Canadians. And it was also called Davis Motel for a while.

But, I heard there was a restoration project along Biscayne Boulevard. Curiosity got the best of me and I googled MOTEL NEW YORKER MIAMI. To my surprise, the Motel New Yorker has been renovated and there is even a website to explore: www.HotelNewYorkerMiami.com . The owners, Walter and Shirley Figueroa, have done a great job restoring the motel with a retro look. Visit their site for more information and a photo gallery. 

Today, the Motel New Yorker looks like this:

Photos compliments of www.TheBorrowedAbode.com

If you’ve ever stayed at the Motel New Yorker in Miami – Or if you know the area and have seen the transformation, add a comment with your memories.

I’ve been watching the Fall Foliage map. Northeast Ohio is near peak and quickly approaching the peak. Draped around Cleveland is the Cleveland Metroparks, also known as the Emerald Necklace. You can drive slowly – mostly 25 and 30 MPH – thru the park for hours. The southernmost part of the park is where I chose to take my pictures.

It’s been a spectacular fall. Here are the pictures I took over the last couple of days.

Click the large image to advance the slides.
Hover over the small images and move the cursor left and right to see and choose any image.

Fall Foliage – Part 1

I invite you to add a comment with links to your fall foliage photos, too.

For the last several months, every time I login to my blog dashboard, I see the updates that are patiently waiting for me. I’ve been able to ignore them for a while, but I knew that eventually I would have to do it. Computers are a delicate balance of hardware, software and operator know-how. If you upgrade one, you invariably have to upgrade the other two. I’ve been advised by GoDaddy.com tech support, my hosting company, that updates are important and shouldn’t be put off.

So … Tonight is the night. I’m updating my blog theme, PrimePress.

It always sounds easy to do … Just click the update button and the magic takes place beyond where I can see. I just wait for the “Update successful” message. But, it’s never quite that easy. The update message indicated that it could take up to 2 hours to complete, but it took less than 20 seconds. “Update successful.” I breathed a sigh of relief. But, when I opened my blog, I gasped! It looked like I lost the theme. The posts were there, but all the pages were listed as live links across the top, above the header. The background was gone, the header reverted to the default rotating images, all my sidebar widgets were missing and the default calendar, meta info and categories were there instead. 

So, I spent the next several hours working to put this blog back the way it was. When I started this blog two years ago, I customized the theme. I knew I made some changes to the template files, but didn’t document them. After a few changes, I learned that most of the customized code belongs in the custom.css file. That way, it’s all in one place.

Luckily, I took time to prepare before I updated.

• I backed up my blog thru my hosting account.
• I downloaded the backup to my computer.
• In addition, I saved an extra copy of the theme’s template files.
• I opened my blog as it was before the update, so I had a reference point.
  NOTE: Next time I’ll save screenshots.

The results …
Health Talk Today Blog looks pretty much as it did before the update. The white area above the header used to be the same dark green color as the border background. If I can find it, I’ll change it, but it looks OK the way it is. I just changed the title “HEALTH TALK TODAY from a baby boomer perspective” from white to dark green. And I changed a few of the sidebar widgets.

I need your help …
I’ve done the best I could to make sure everything is working. Please let me know if you find broken links, invisible ink (white on white or green on green) or any other errors. I appreciate your help. Just leave a comment and I’ll fix what I can. Thanks.