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A Simple Message My Senior Dog Wants the World to Hear
And if she could talk, her message would be simple, “Hey humans, my Mom feeds me real, whole food now. You should’ve seen me before.“ I’ve spent thousands on vet visits for my little Shih-Poo, Lucy. Not one vet ever mentioned changing her food—except to suggest switching from one packaged brand to another, usually the one they sold in their clinic. Time seemed to be unkind to Lucy. Her walk slowed and staggered, tail tucked, sometimes limping. Her big brown eye grew sadder, and she spent more time staring at the floor. Yes, she’d been through a lot—primary glaucoma in her right eye, the loss of vision in that eye,…
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How to Refuse Surrender to Your Age
Author’s note: I first published this essay on Medium and am sharing it here on Vital Sassy Seniors as the original author. Halfway through my morning walk, a sudden, ghostly emptiness hit me — the kind that makes your skin crawl before you even know why. The sun dimmed, as if someone had pulled a shade over the sky. I stopped, turned in a full circle, and thought, Where is everyone? It’s March. The snowbirds are still here. But out of 242 homes, only a handful of people are outside — in their yards, on their lanais, walking dogs through the park. Even the benches are empty. God, it’s lonely…
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Compartmentalizing the Brain and the Stigma Attached to the Term Mental Illness
I dislike the phrase mental illness. People are already trying to figure out what’s happening inside their own minds, and then we attach the word ‘mental’ — a word loaded with judgment and misunderstanding. It’s no wonder so many end up suffering in silence. Compartmentalizing the Brain and the Stigma Attached to the Term Mental Illness invites you into the complexities of neurodiversity, challenging preconceived notions and reimagining our relationship with this magnificent organ—the brain! Let’s abandon the societal belief that the brain is a rather lazy organ, leisurely sitting behind the eyebrows in a mental compartment. Indeed, the cranium holds it in protective custody, but it’s not the cellmate…
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The Simple Real Food Reset I Actually Stuck With
After the holidays, my body finally waved the white flag. I came down with some type of virus that hit from every angle—fatigued, achy, foggy, the whole works. On top of that, I was already worn out from regular life stress, and my eating had drifted way off course. A little more sugar here, a little more gluten there, and before I knew it, I’d fallen off the wagon I’d worked hard to build. This isn’t a plan I dreamed up and abandoned on Day 3. This is the simple, real food reset I actually stuck with. For decades, I’ve known that grains, gluten, and dairy sabotage the health of…
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How to Stay Vital if Your World is Shrinking
It’s 5 p.m. You’re right on schedule.Dinner is on. You’re sitting at the table in the same chair, at the same time, one day blending into another. Your eyes drift to the strip of sunlight sneaking through the blinds. Darkness comes so early now, and every part of your being is desperately trying to soak up whatever daylight is left. You’ve made a good dinner—a favorite. You glance up and see him enjoying the meal. It makes you smile. And your heart warms. Then, you feel a stir that seems to rise from your soul, and you raise your eyes again. A different feeling creeps in. You realize you’re not…
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Gifts That Say “I Still See You”
It was Christmas Eve. Little did I know that six months later, Ma would leave this world forever. She was 91. Had I only known, I would’ve lingered. I would’ve spent more time with her. But that’s just it, we never know, do we? As I rode the elevator to the third floor and walked the long hallway to Ma’s apartment, I wondered if anyone had arrived yet. Her door was already ajar—she always did that when she knew someone was coming. Inside, she sat all dressed up in her glider, as if she’d been ready for hours. That image is etched in my mind. She was alone. My usual…
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Hope for the Holidays: Carrying More Than Cheer
It’s November already! Time to turn the clocks back. I cringe at the long, dark days ahead. On top of that, lately I feel little hope for the approaching holidays, let alone the months following the new year. Too much has happened. Life has tipped my world deep into a valley barren of hope. I hesitate to write this because publicly complaining is unlike me. But the time is before me… My husband and I moved to Florida to stay. We’ve lived here before but decided to make it permanent this time — or so I thought. Without going into details, health issues spiraled downward. Suddenly, I feel like I’m…
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Facing the Final Chapters, What Do I Believe Now?
I like to think of myself as a budding middle-ager disguised in a maturing body. But the truth is, I’m closer to the final chapter than I am to the middle. And lately, fragments from past chapters are flashing before me as if I were conducting my own life review. I’m not in crisis or breaking down. But questions linger in the back of my mind like an intruder, showing up at the most inconvenient times. What Do I Really Believe Now? The reality is that I’m no longer in the middle of life. I’m not even at the top of the mountain, looking back at the rocky ascent. I’m…
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Sugar Spikes, Microclots, and Brain Fog After 55
You’re not “just forgetful.” Sugar swings can feel like a fog machine. Oatmeal with raisins and a quick OJ, then—snap—your focus vanishes. Your brain isn’t derelict of its duty. Your blood sugar just took an unpredictable leap. What Are Microclots—In Plain English Think tiny. Microclots are microscopic clumps made of platelets and fibrin that form in the smallest blood vessels—your capillaries and arterioles. They’re not the big, scary leg clots you hear about. These are specks that can slow local blood flow just enough to leave nearby tissues a little under-fueled. How they’re different from “big clots” Big clots block major highways; microclots gum up the side streets. You usually…
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7 Overlooked Nutrients Women Over 60 Need Now (and How to Get Them Naturally)
You eat reasonably well. You’ve cut back on junk. You even sneak in a salad most days. So why the 3 a.m. calf cramps, the 2 p.m. energy slump, or the “now where did I put my keys?” déjà vu? After 60, your body changes how it absorbs and uses nutrients, and that’s when overlooked nutrients in women over 60 can quietly slip through the cracks, slowly draining your energy, weakening bones, and fogging your memory. You might be surprised at the habits that quietly kill brain cells after 60 (and what you can do instead). Before you stockpile a shelf’s worth of pills and powders, remember the most reliable…
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Wellness and Passion for a Purposeful Life
