134 Uptown Newsletter January 2016

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Jaunary 2016

Are You Ready to Date Again? Sussman said—so you need to examine your emotions to determine your level of readiness.

Wait a while to date if you feel…

After three decades of marriage, my friend Deborah got divorced. It was tough, as breakups tend to be. But at least she had plenty of company—the divorce rate among people age 50-plus has soared since 1990, going from about one in 10 to one in four. Deborah soldiered through her midlife marital dissolution and emerged with some valuable insights about life and love. Now she’s wondering whether it’s time to jump back into the dating pool. When she posed that question to me, I gave her a copy of The Breakup Bible: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Healing from a Breakup or Divorce by Rachel A. Sussman, LCSW, a marriage and family therapist in New York City. Then I phoned Sussman to discuss the topic further. Are you in the same situation as Deborah? If you haven’t yet recovered sufficiently from your heartbreak, dating isn’t likely to be very successful or satisfying,

Fearful. If you’re terrified of being hurt again, you’re probably not yet ready to trust a new partner…and without trust, you can’t build a solid relationship. Self-test for fear: Write a draft of your profile as if for an online dating site, then analyze it honestly. When a client was perplexed that no one had asked her out, Sussman reviewed the woman’s online profile and found it filled with negativity. Instead of describing herself as the wonderful person she was, Sussman said, the client was telling prospective suitors that they “must be divorced (not separated)… fully over your ex…and have had therapy to work out why your last relationship failed so you won’t repeat the same mistakes with me.” Obviously the woman was afraid and needed to put more time into her recovery before trying to date. Vengeful. This emotion could lead you to enter into a relationship with the first available guy—even if he’s wrong for you—because you’re more focused on hurting your ex than on building a new bond. Warning sign: You fantasize about how upset your ex will be when, for example, you post a picture of

yourself and some new boyfriend on Facebook. Depressed. When awash in negative emotions, you can’t be a fully c o n t r i b u t i n g pa r t n e r i n a relationship. You need to work on yourself first, learning to boost your self-esteem and build a fulfilling life that doesn’t revolve around a partner. If you recognize yourself in any of the scenarios above, hold off on dating while you think about who you are now and what you want your life to look like in the years ahead. Sussman’s recommendations: Read books on healing from a breakup…work with a therapist to gain insights into your character… strengthen your support system of platonic friends and family members…nourish your self, body and soul. These steps will lead toward emotional growth and healing, preparing you to embark on a quest for new romance when the appropriate time comes.

You’re ready to date if you feel… Confident. You’ve done the work t o und er s t a nd y o ur pa st relationship, figured out the part you played in the breakup, let go of resentment and created a satisfying life for yourself as a (Continued on back page)

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A few months ago I wrote about a new line of Gummy Vitamins with special benefits particularly for people who have difficulty swallowing. They finally arrived in early December and they are already flying off the shelf much faster than we expected so we had to reorder. The product I like the best is the Vitamin C, which has an orange flavor. These are especially useful during the cough and cold season.

Here at Uptown we are continuing the festivities of the holidays with a huge sale. Every year we go to a gift show at the end of February so in January we mark down a large percentage of the holiday gifts that we have remaining. This sale offers many bargains that are definitely work checking out!

We are starting to get involved with Travel Medicine. A lot of you travel to foreign countries for business and/or pleasure. For many 3rd world countries there are numerous health warnings and preventative steps that should be taken before you depart and while you are there. We will be doing consultations and providing you with a complete printout that will include the “do’s and don’ts” for wherever you might be traveling. Once you have

Once again another year has rolled by and 2016 is upon us. Our hope for all of you is that you had a wonderful, joyous and peaceful holiday season and that the year ahead is filled with good health and happiness for you and your loved ones.

15 Great ways to Reuse Empty Prescription Bottles! Most prescription bottles cannot be recycled…so here are some great ideas to recycle them yourself (or at least reuse them!). 1. Bobby Pin storage (which are always all over my drawers). 2. A mini first aid kit, (bandaids, alcohol swab & tweezers) for your purse. 3. Store earbud earphones so they don’t get tangled. 4. Drawer organizers for tacks, rubber bands, nuts, bolts or screws. 5. Travel case for QTips, cotton balls or small earrings. 6. Store spare buttons that come with new clothes or small craft supplies. 7. Keep wooden matches dry when camping or boating. 8. Stash a $20 bill in the back of your glove box in case of emergency.

9. Fill with quarters for parking meters or the Laundromat. 10. Use to safely dispose of razor heads on your disposable razor. 11. Use for a single serving of something in your lunch bag (granola to sprinkle on yogurt, salad dressing). 12. Fill with a sewing needle, buttons & thread for an at-work sewing kit. 13. Toothpick holder (great for your car or purse). 14. Store small earrings or earring backs that are always getting lost (great for travel). 15. Store bulk purchased spices or homemade spice mixes.

this printout you can make informed decisions as to what you actually need and what you do not need. One prime example is Travel Insurance. This is very inexpensive (starts at about $4 per day), but can literally save your life. Some of you might not know that it can cost as much as $100,000 to be evacuated from a foreign country if you get ill while there. Travel insurance would cover that along with many other unexpected expenses. As you may know we already carry one of the largest selections of travel accessories and we believe that, with the addition of this new enhanced travel program, all of your travel needs can be fulfilled with one stop at Uptown Drug & Gift Shop. In conclusion Jo Ann, the entire team and I would like to once again wish you a wonderful, safe 2016!

Very useful Websites • Emergency! A-to-Z guide to medical

emergencies ... injury prevention ... checklist for seniors... more. From the American College of Emergency Physicians. EmergencyCareForYou.org • Free, downloadable medical forms:

Keep track of medications, blood pressure readings, sleep patterns, family medical history, etc. FreePrintableMedicalForms.com • Speed-reading: Measure speed and

comprehension—MindBluff.com/ askread.htm...read faster and better—MindTools.com/speedrd. • Printable puzzles: Free cross words,

cryptograms, acrostics, sudokus, etc. New ones added daily. Printable-Puzzles. Com • Enjoy wildlife in action: Realtime,

real-life videos of bees, hummingbirds, owls, pandas, puffins,whales and more. ExpIore.org (click on "live cams").

A Much Happier Commute. Aro matherapy may make your drive time a lot more pleasant. Use 1 or 2 drops of essential oil ( a v a i l a bl e at health-food from JoAnn stores) on a cotton ball, and tape it to your dashboard or wherever the scent will waft into your nostrils. Have a problem with road rage? Calm down with some lavender or jasmine oil. Does traffic cause you anxiety? Orange oil will help to quell those nerves.

Hints

Practical Packing. When packing for a trip, throw a couple of large plastic garbage bags in your suitcase. You’ll find many uses for them, including as a waterproof layer in your suitcase, as a laundry bag for dirty clothes or as an impromptu raincoat. If there’s room, take a few different-sized bags. Chances are, you will use them in ways

you may not anticipate. They come in handy for carrying leftover food from a restaurant, for leaky bottles or for wet shoes and bathing suits. You may also want to take a lightweight, fold-up bag that opens to become an extra piece of luggage, especially if you like to shop for clothes and souvenirs when you travel.

to leave a goody bag on the bed or dresser. Fill the bag with genderappropriate sleepover items, such as one or two magazines (in keeping with your guest’s interests), a sweet treat, some night cream, a scented candle and holder, a sleep mask, a packaged toothbrush and a little card wishing your guest "pleasant dreams."

Keep Squirrels Out of Your Bird Feeder. If you have a bird feeder and don’t want it turned into a squirrel feeder, try coating the metal feeder pole with petroleum jelly. (The squirrels will be slip sliding away!)

Keep Party Punch Cold Until the Last Guest Leaves. The larger the ice cube, the slower it melts. A few days in advance of your party, make two big ice cubes. You can do this by cutting off the tops of milk or juice containers, washing them, filling them with water and putting them in the freezer. When the punch is made, put one of the large ice cubes in a punch bowl, and then add the punch. This will keep it cold...for a long time. Use the other big ice cube for the punch bowl refill. If you feel that a big ice cube will water down the punch, add an extra amount of juice. Or, prepare big or small ice cubes made with juice, and use them to keep the punch cold without diluting it.

Mend minor cracks in fine china with milk. Milk contains casein, a protein that, when heated, turns into a natural plasticlike glue. Place your cracked dish in a pan or pot large enough to cover it completely in milk. Bring the milk to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, then let the milk cool. Rinse the plate. The crack should be sealed! Welcome Overnight Guests. A lovely way to welcome an overnight guest is

Healthy Homemade Microwave Popcorn—Cheap, Easy, Delicious! Sometimes you just want a single-serving snack of popcorn without harmful additives or expensive “gourmet” cheddar toppings. That's a good craving to have because popcorn (without the artificial butter flavoring) is a healthful snack food. Got a microwave? Here's what to do… If you don't have an air popper but you do have a microwave, you still can prepare fresh, healthful popcorn very easily. Put one-quarter cup of popcorn kernels in a lunch -sized brown paper bag. Fold the top over twice, and secure it closed with tape. Microwave the bag on high power until the kernels stop popping...from one-and-a-half to four minutes. When the popcorn is done popping, carefully open the bag...face it away from you so you don't get a steam burn. Then put the popcorn in a bowl, and add salt or curry or any seasoning of your choice. You can also drizzle real melted butter on it. Stir and enjoy! Makes about one cup.

What not to say to a friend who is suffering: "I know how you feel"—you can't know exactly how someone else is feeling. "This is God's plan" can be enraging—"You think God wants me to suffer." "If you need anything, give me a call"—rather than putting the burden of effort on a person who already is burdened, ask when you can bring over dinner or help with the laundry.

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single woman—and now you want to add a new dimension to that life through the addition of a love relationship. Confirmation: Journal about the many attributes you have to offer to the right partner. When you feel nervous about your prospects, boost your confidence by rereading your journal. Realistic. You know what a healthy relationship is and you’ve made a deal with yourself not to settle for less—no Peter Pans, commitment-phobes or control freaks. But you’re not in La La Land either, holding out for a movie star or millionaire. For clarity: Create an honest, practical list of qualities that you’re looking for in a partner at

this point in your life. Show the list to a few trusted friends for feedback. Open-minded. You understand that you’ll probably have to go out with a number of Mr. Wrongs before you find Mr. Right. You are willing to invest the time and effort…have the emotional stamina to endure some bad dates…and are prepared to handle feelings of dejection, rejection and frustration. Take action: Formulate a dating plan that includes joining an Internet dating site…signing up for new activities, such as classes or community organizations…and/or committing to saying yes when friends offer to fix you up.

As you reenter the dating scene… Your first few dates will doubtless

provoke some anxiety. To calm your jitters on the day of a date, spend time beforehand ex ercising, meditating, doing yoga or practicing deep breathing. During the date, instead of worrying, “Does he like me?” ask yourself, “Do I like him?” Also, have a “day-after” plan in place, Sussman suggested—something fun, such as an afternoon at the spa with a friend. That way, if the date didn’t go well, the next day’s outing will help you laugh it off…and if it was promising, you’ll have the benefit of your friend’s insights and support. Source: Rachel A. Sussman, LCSW, is a marriage and family therapist in private practice in New York City and author of The Breakup Bible: The Smart Woman's Guide to Healing from a Breakup or Divorce.

Tickle Trick to Stop Their Snoring

not always). If you think that you or your loved one has sleep apnea, talk to your doctor. Aside from causing daytime sleepiness, apnea may lead to high blood pressure, heart problems and stroke.

A friend told us that he starts to snore the minute he falls asleep. We asked if it bothers his wife. He said, “It not only bothers my wife, it bothers the whole congregation.” If you sleep with a snorer, here's what to do…

How to stop occasional snoring: Occasional snoring can be caused by very dry air—a lack of humidity in the bedroom. Simply use a humidifier, especially in the winter months. Or, instead of shouting at the snorer and scaring him awake, lightly tickle his throat and the snoring should stop. Of course, the laughing may keep you awake.

Actually, snoring is not a joking matter. Chronic snoring—that is, snoring every night and loudly—may be a sign of a serious condition known as sleep apnea. Apnea is Greek for “without breath.” During the night, an individual with apnea stops breathing repeatedly from an obstructed windpipe (usually due to excess weight, but

Stop That Nagging Cough A cough is nature's way of helping us loosen and get rid of mucus that's congesting our system, but you don't want it when you're trying to sleep. Here's a natural remedy to soothe the noise for a good night's sleep—combine in a small saucepan the juice of half a lemon, one-half cup honey and one-quarter cup olive oil (any kind is fine), and cook for five minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Let the mixture cool slightly, and then take one teaspoon every two hours, especially leading up to bedtime.