Zoller

Not long ago I received a note from a woman in her mid twentys expressing her fear of aging. She felt it was out of control and only keeping her from growing into the woman she is meant to be. She does not think poorly of older women, and in fact started her note with I have seen many gracefully aged women and thought they are fantastic.

However, she then continued listing some of the things that she is fearful of such as weight gain and the loss of identity, youthful looks, attractiveness, freedom, style and personality (especially around becoming a mother. There are also those unknown fears which she sums up as the loss of God knows what.

Sadly, this young womans fears are not unfounded. Many cultures in our world are youth oriented. We are bombarded daily with advertisements to look younger, thinner and more hip. TV, magazines, and music videos dictate our hair styles, fashions, and behaviors. Not only that, but if we happen to be old enough to have gray hair or any FINE lines around our eyes, we are directed to the appropriate product to erase any signs of aging.

Is it any wonder that many of us are fearful? The stereotypes around us are so misleading!
We see images of little old ladies that may walk hunched over, are poor, and at the mercy of dishonest people. While some images show men aging with distinction, we also see women who are just old, dry and helpless. Hogwash!

While it is true that our bodies and minds do change with age, I happen to believe that we really do get better as we mature. So, allow me to address some of the fears listed above.

Loss of Identity. Ive only, in the past few years really begun to learn who I am. Ive come into my own. Im more self confident than ever before (and I still have a way to go!).

Loss of Youthful looks.Im going to be 49 in a few days. I do not wish to look like 25. Granted I dont have lots of wrinkles (only a few very fine linesthey are staying, thank you!) and have only a bit of gray hair that Ive been cultivating for many years.

Weight gain. Yes its common, but its not the rule of thumb. You might notice a slight change in figure even without gaining weight. There is actually a health benefit to being a few pounds heavier, rather than be very thin as you age.

Loss of attractiveness. Ive found that my own definition of beauty changes over time. I happen to think that women are actually more attractive. There is a depth and beauty that comes only with age.

Loss of freedom and personality. Ive heard many women say aging gives them a freedom that is just not possible when we are younger. I think this is especially true for those of us that are mothers. When we become mothers, we take on a role that is 24/7. However as our children grow, we begin to carve out time and activities that are just for ourselves.

Loss of style. While Im not sure I understand this fear, I do know that with age, I find freedom to create who I am without the dictates of the latest, greatest fashion. Since we are more sure of ourselves, we have the freedom to experiment and play with who we are, and the image we want to put out there for the world to see. Personal Style at its best!

While some look at growing older as a time of loss, many women see this time of their lives differently. There is so much growth that happens as we age especially in the emotional, spiritual and yes, physical arenas. In order to make the most of getting older, it is vital that you live your life in a vibrant and healthy manner. Smile and laugh daily. Read. Eat well. Sleep well. And always engage in stimulating physical activity or at the very least exercise. Most of all, celebrate your journey through this life.

Barbara C. Phillips MN, NP, founder of OlderWiserWomen has a passion for helping women. As aboard certified Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years experience, she has been honored to work closely with women, listening to their thoughts, questions, and concerns. It was from these conversations OlderWiserWomen was born. To learn more please visit www.OlderWiserWomen.com .

Each year many dogs die from ingesting poisons they found in the house, backyard, or neighborhood. According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) the numbers are increasing. In some cases the increase is quite dramatic.

There are numerous plants and fertilizers that are poisonous. In fact, there is a very popular cocoa mulch that people like to use because it degrades into an organic fertilizer. It also lacks that strong, pungent smell found in regular fertilizer. It even has an attractive color and odor.

Unfortunately, it is a life-threatening poison for dogs that are attracted by the smell and often eat varying amounts. One dog in particular found a bag of it on the patio, got into it, and ate a large amount. The next day he suddenly had some seizures and collapsed dead.

The ASPCA highly recommends that anyone with a dog or any animal that might be tempted to eat this fertilizer not use it, especially if their dog is ever unsupervised in the yard.

Fertilizers are not the only things found in our yards that are poisonous for our dogs. There are some plants that we need to avoid if we want to keep our pets safe and healthy.

The following is a partial list of plants that can kill:

Azalea/Rhododendron
Oleander
Castor Bean
Cyclamen
Yew
Some mushrooms (always assume that an ingested mushroom is toxic and see your vet)

Plants that can cause liver, heart and/or kidney damage include:

Lilies
Tulips
Marijuana
Cycads (such as the Sago Palm)
Kalanchoe
Foxglove
Rhubarb
Shamrock
Autumn Crocus
Rosebay

If you think your pet has eaten a poisonous plant or fertilizer contact your vet immediately. If you dont know if the plant is toxic to animals bring a sample to your local nursery.

Symptoms can very, and can even take hours or days to appear. The dog mentioned above seemed fine until the seizures started. The owner had no idea that the cocoa mulch was toxic.

The best way to prevent your pet from ingesting a poisonous plant is to dig up any toxic plant that is in your yard. There are so many beautiful plants available that are not poisonous that there is no need to have one around that could kill your pet.

Its possible you could train your dog to leave the plant alone, but its really not worth the risk. Remove the Oleander, Sago Palms and Lilies from your yard and grow safe plants in their place.

When you put fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides on your lawn or in your garden make sure your dogs and cats do not go on the treated areas until the time listed by the manufacturer. If there is no time listed call the company who manufactured the product to find out.

Dont use snail bait that contains metaldehyde, fly bait that contains methomyl, and mole or gopher bait where your dog or cat can get to it. Most forms of rat poisons are also toxic for pets.

Also, be sure to store any unused fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in an area that is not available to your pets. Dogs can easily tear into a bag of fertilizer, as that dog did with the cocoa mulch, and eat half the bag before anyone notices.

If you have any questions about poisons, or if you think your dog might have eaten something poisonous, contact your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Copyright 2006 Carol Stack

Carol Stack has been working with dogs for more than three decades. She lives with her husband, 3 kids, 4 dogs, 8 cats and one bird (Bob) in California. Carol and her daughter Christy have created a web site especially for dog lovers at: http://www.christysdogportal.com.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a very common complaint. Many surveys have concluded that between 30-60% of male population have intermittent concerns related to ejaculating too rapidly. American Family Physician reported that in US, up to 40% of males have problems with premature ejaculation or lack of ejaculatory control at some time in their lives.

The causes of premature ejaculation have many time considered to be only psychological and close related to emotion and stress of first sexual experience. Following to this approach several behavioral techniques, such as the stop-start technique or other, were considered the key solution of the problem. In our days, more and more studies investigate the possibility that hormonal, urologic or neurologic factors may contribute to this condition.

Considering that the prostate gland has an important mission in the mechanism of ejaculation, a recent study evaluated the incidence of premature ejaculation in the subjects with chronic prostatitis. The final conclusions suggest a role for chronic prostate inflammation in the pathogenesis of some cases of premature ejaculation and, by consequence, a possibility for premature ejaculation to be a symptom of prostatitis.

Based on the observation that chronic prostatitis has been found to have a high incidence in men with premature ejaculation, this study stresses the importance of a complete examination of the prostate before the prescription of any psychosexual or pharmacologic therapy for this condition.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues such as causes of premature ejaculation.