Wiser With Age

Tag: Wiser With Age

  • On 50th anniversary of Civil Rights Act, a veteran remembers discrimination in US

    On 50th anniversary of Civil Rights Act, a veteran remembers discrimination in US


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Ernest Eguia in uniform during World War II. (Courtesy LULAC)

    After living through the Great Depression of the 1930’s, Ernest Eguia went from fighting in Normandy during World War II to fighting for the civil rights of Latinos when he returned home to Texas in 1945.

    Fifty years ago, this week, of President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Eguia remembers what the U.S. was like before this law made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

    “In 1946, I heard that a World War II veteran that was a recipient of the Medal of Honor had been denied service in a hamburger joint because he was a quote, unquote, Mexican,†recalls Eguia.  “[That veteran], Marcario Garcia, sued the owner of the restaurant. When I found out about it, I joined LULAC…We raised a little over $6,000 for Marcario, and he bought a house for his mother. That’s why I joined.â€

    League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is an organization which was founded in 1929 to advance civil rights and educational attainment of Hispanics in the U.S. When Eguia returned to Houston after his active four year military duty, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant and receiving the Bronze Star for his heroic efforts, he became  a successful salesman and store manager, but perhaps most importantly, he played a very active role in combating discrimination of Hispanics in his American hometown.

    After the Marcario incident, Eguia says LULAC’s Houston Council #60 grew to more than 200 members. The organization needed large numbers to fight the amount of discrimination that was happening.

    At that time in history, Eguia explains discrimination against Latinos was rampant in the U.S.

    “I remember going to a church here in Houston. I was in LULAC already, and they asked me to go ask the pastor in the Catholic Church if we could rent a dance hall for a fundraiser,†remembers Eguia. “Would you believe that a Catholic priest told me to go to a Mexican church? That was in 1947 – somewhere around there.â€

    Eguia, whose father was from Mexico and his mother from Texas, also recalls separate drinking fountains in downtown Houston that had signs for “colored,†“whites†and “Mexicans.â€

    “I remember one time they would not allow a Jewish man to register in a hotel,†says Eguia.

    Something else Eguia, and his fellow veterans, noticed upon returning to Houston was finding out there were no police officers or firemen who were Hispanic in Houston.

    “We went after the city government, and pressed them so much, that eventually there were many young men who started joining,†says Eguia. “My brother was one of the first Hispanic firemen in Houston. His name is Leon Eguia.â€

    Eguia, who throughout his life has held every LULAC Council 60 officer post, including president, says although discrimination still exists, it’s hardly noticeable compared to when he was younger.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Ernest Eguia in November, 2013, at a reception commemorating the 50th anniversary of JFK’s visit with LULAC, at the Rice Hotel in Houston. (Courtesy LULAC)

    “I’m 94-years-old now, and I’ve forgotten a lot of these things, but I see things have changed for the good,†he says, in terms of discrimination.

    Last month, he handed out a LULAC scholarship in his name to a high school senior at Sam Houston High School. He’s clear that his priority is now the future of Latino youth.

    “Our leadership in LULAC is a bit weak right now,†says Eguia who is still a member. “What we need is stronger leadership – one that is focused on community and neighborhood…The leadership we have now is very weak…â€

    He explains that when he first joined LULAC, he never took a penny and put it in his pocket.

    “Now leadership is taking big salaries,†says Eguia. “That money belongs to the community – for scholarships for our youngsters. We need to get our young ready for the future.â€

    And what advice would he like to tell today’s youth?

    “The first thing I would tell them is, ‘Be a good citizen. We live in a country that is free, and we could do whatever we want and live comfortably,’†says Eguia. “The second thing I would say is, ‘Get yourself educated, because once you get education, no one can take that away from you’…The important thing is to be honest to the country, yourself, and the community, and if you have a good education, I think a youngster could get very far. Short cuts are not going to get you anywhere.â€

  • Life plan for achieving wisdom and agelessness


    The question that people ask me the most is, “Where do you get your energy?â€

    Well, you too can have access to ageless energy if you are willing to cultivate your physical, mental and spiritual energy so that you can be action-oriented, dynamic and prolific.

    How do you do that?

    Be humble and acknowledge when you are wrong.

    Many people are so concerned with being right that they waste their mental energy by criticizing, blaming, complaining, condemning and denying. If you’re wrong, acknowledge it, and get on with the solution or the next step. Many people think that it is a sign of weakness to say, “I made a mistake.” However, it is the opposite; it is actually a sign of mental maturity, personal strength and individual character.

    Be flexible with new information.

    Once you get new information, or new knowledge, don’t be afraid to say “I changed my mind.”

    It is amazing how many uncomfortable situations people get into and stay in, because they are unwilling, or afraid, to acknowledge that they’ve changed their minds.

    Purify your environment.

    You have to sort out and eliminate all the negative influences in your life such as, toxic people, places and things. This will allow you to feel happier, healthier and terrific about yourself.

    Eat the right foods 99 percent of the time.

    To perform at your best, you must eat the right foods in the right balance, and portion. Proper weight is essential for health, happiness, and long life.

    Exercise and train every day.

    The best activity for high energy, and physical fitness, is aerobic exercise and conditioning exercises like boot camps and weight training.

    Get a lot of rest.

    You need an average of seven to eight hours of sleep each night to be fully rested.

    Start a positive mental fitness program.

    Your ability to keep your mind on what you want, and off of what you don’t want, will determine your levels of health and happiness more than any other decision you make.

    Make a lifetime commitment to think and talk positively, and optimistically, about your goals, other people, and everything that is going on in your life. The more you keep your conversation focused on your goals, and on the things you want, the greater the amount of ageless energy, strength, and power you will feel.

    Investing your time in developing these core values will allow you to be able to take advantage of the endless possibilities around you. You will have the constant enthusiasm, and ageless energy, that keeps you motivated and moving ahead.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace. Dr. Josefina Monasterio is a certified life coach,  fitness expert, and nutritional counselor based in Vero Beach, Florida. She holds a PhD in Adult Personal Development from Nova University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University. Dr. Josefina is also a certified Yoga Therapist from the World Yoga Society of Calcutta, India, and host of Healthy Power TV’s “The Dr. Josefina Way.† 

  • Bestselling author on a mission to fight ageism

    Bestselling author on a mission to fight ageism


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Ashton Applewhite (Photo/J.K. Scheinberg)

    After studying architecture in college and landing a career in publishing because of her love of reading, Ashton Applewhite never thought she’d be a writer. Not only did she become one at age 40, she became the first woman to get four books on The New York Times best-seller list at once.

    After writing on varied topics from her divorce to inspiration for people with AIDS, she’s now tackling the concept of ageism through the written word.

    For the past seven years Applewhite says she’s been interviewing people over 80, and who are still in the workforce. Those interviews developed into material for her next book.

    “‘How’s ‘This Chair Rocks: A Proaging Manifesto’ for a title?,†asks Applewhite about her work in progress. “It is a manifesto.â€

    The 62-year-old New Yorker says she was inspired by her in-laws who are themselves booksellers in their 90’s.

    “I started learning about longevity,†says Applewhite. “Everything I learned was so much more positive than what I thought I knew. I started wondering why we don’t know this stuff.â€

    The reason is, she says, is because we live in an ageist society that focuses on the negative.

    “Women start to freak out when they turn 30,†says Applewhite. “Ageism effects 20- year-olds who are freaked out because they are not fulfilling careers. That message is oppressive. Our society puts pressure on the young in a way that’s negative. It’s sometimes great to be young, but sometimes it’s hard, and sometimes it’s hard to be old, but sometimes it really rocks.â€

    She goes on to say that people are conditioned to start dreading their birthdays as they get older.

    “We look back and think, ‘Wow, that was way better than I thought,†says Applewhite. “Now that we’re all living much longer, it’s really important to overturn these negative stereotypes.â€

    So that’s what she’s on a mission to do now.

    “I would feel honored to follow in the footsteps of Maggie Kuhn who founded the Gray Panthers [at 65],†says Applewhite about her elder rights activist hero of the 1970’s. “She was bold and radical, and put ageism on the map.â€

    While Applewhite is not writing her book, the grandmother of three blogs, and also works as a writer at the American Museum of Natural History two days a week.

    “I work with teachers and scientists for materials for science teachers,†she says. “I have no science background. I dive into subjects I know nothing about.â€

    She recommends everyone take a chance.

    “The stakes are seldom fatal,†says Applewhite. “Should I have married the man I married? I wouldn’t have written the book I wrote, or had the kids I had. On the other hand, it wasn’t easy learning those life lessons, but I’m not sorry I did.â€

  • 5 tips to stop being constantly tired and boost productivity


     

    A major reason for procrastination is fatigue. When you are constantly tired, you have no energy or enthusiasm to get yourself going.

    Sometimes the very best use of your time is to go home early and go to bed and sleep for 10 hours straight.

    This can completely recharge you and enable you to get two or three times as much done and of a higher quality.

    According to many researchers, Americans are working in a state of mental fog that is the consequence of working too much and sleeping too little.

    Take care of yourself, and be more productive, by:

    1. Sleeping one extra hour per night. 

    That simple act can change your entire life.

    2. Recharging. 

    Take at least one full day off every week to do nothing. During this day, you must absolutely refuse to do anything that has to do with the office or do anything else that taxes your brain.

    Instead, go to a movie, spend time with your family, exercise, go for a walk, or any activity that allows your brain to recharge completely.

    3. Taking regular vacations. 

    Even if just a long weekend, you are always the most productive after a restful weekend or a vacation.

    You will feel refreshed and have more energy. You will get going with on your major responsibilities faster and with greater resolve, and it will help to stop procrastinating.

    4. Being careful about what you eat.

    To keep your energy levels at their highest, feed yourself as you would feed a world-class athlete, because in many respects, that’s what you are.

    Start the day with a high protein, good carbohydrate breakfast like oatmeal and eggs.

    5. Exercising everyday.

    Even if you don’t have time to go to the gym, do some sort of exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. Go for a walk before, or after work, or even take walk short stretches during the day.

    By eating clean and healthy, exercising regularly and getting lots of rest, you’ll get more work done, and with greater satisfaction than ever before.

    When you are rested, you are less likely to procrastinate, and the more eager you are to get the job done and get on with other tasks.

    High energy levels are indispensable to higher levels of productivity, more happiness and greater success in everything you do.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace. Dr. Josefina Monasterio is a certified life coach,  fitness expert, and nutritional counselor based in Vero Beach, Florida. She holds a PhD in Adult Personal Development from Nova University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University. Dr. Josefina is also a certified Yoga Therapist from the World Yoga Society of Calcutta, India, and host of Healthy Power TV’s “The Dr. Josefina Way.”  

  • 5 steps to looking and feeling years younger


     

    Did you know that once you hit 40 years of age, whether you’re a man or woman, your body starts aging much faster than normal?

    Studies have shown that without the proper nutrition and exercise, your body will age about six months extra for every year that passes.

    Think about that!

    If you are 40, that means by the time you hit 44 you will look and feel 46, and by the time you reach 60, you will look and feel 70!

    There are specific ways to move, eat, and think that tell your brain to stop this rapid aging process, and even slow it down to the point where you’re aging less than a year for every year.

    That means you can look younger at 40 than you do at 35! This works for anyone, male or female, and works at any age.

    Here are five key principles you must apply in order to stop the rapid aging that’s going on right now. You can actually reverse it, and begin “aging backwards,” by restoring your body’s natural youth hormones.

    1. You need to exercise and sleep six to eight hours daily.

    The production of human growth hormones occurs during sleeping and during exercising. An increase in human growth hormones reduce fat mass, increase bone density, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, and improve psycho-social well-being.

    2. Concentrate on building muscle.
    After age 35, people begin losing muscle every year. Instead, you gain more fat every year, even if your calories stay the same. The loss of muscle, as you age, means loss of energy, a tendency to gain excess weight, and vulnerability to disease.

    Building muscle protects you against metabolic and hormonal decline, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It also enhances your cognitive function and keeps your body young.

    So weight training is crucial if you want to slow the aging process, reclaim your health, and achieve your ideal body.

    3. Avoid anything that is labeled “low fat.â€

    Natural fats are good for you. They’re to be embraced.They do not make you fat; rather, they help your body regenerate your power hormones.

    Also, when manufacturers remove fat from a product, they often add flavor using sugar, which turns into carbohydrates. Excess carbohydrates not burned for energy get stored as fat, resulting in weight gain.

    4. Stop running long distance.

    Many times, long-duration, endurance runs accelerate the aging process by increasing free radicals. These free radicals are scavengers that prey on your body’s essential nutrients and tissues. In time, it will also make your skin flabby if you don’t weight train.

    5. Stop blaming everything on how old you are.

    Studies have shown that men and women in their 90’s were able to gain muscle tone in just a matter of weeks of simple weight training.

    Don’t surround yourself with naysayers who are constantly talking about growing old, all their aches and pains, and how life is just downhill after 40.

    A challenge is what keeps you young, and the best challenge there is happens to be taking control of your health and body.

    You can slow the aging process down and totally reshape your body to the point to where you look a decade younger than you are right now.

    Make it simple, yet make it challenging!

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Dr. Josefina Monasterio is a certified life coach,  fitness expert, and nutritional counselor based in Vero Beach, Florida. She holds a PhD in Adult Personal Development from Nova University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University. Dr. Josefina is also a certified Yoga Therapist from the World Yoga Society of Calcutta, India, and host of Healthy Power TV’s “The Dr. Josefina Way.” Â