Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Longevity.
Some Secrets Revealed
I can’t claim to know what life after a stroke or brain injury is like because I do know it is different for everyone. What I do know for sure is that it changes the person you once were; some things are better, but others are or can be worse. Initially, my biggest challenge was cognitive then mental exhaustion followed by physical. In fact, I just proved that my mental challenge is still with me: playing a game with an adult and a child almost caused me to give up because my brain was literally hurting, but, like when I was getting rehabilitation therapy, I kept going till our little tower collapsed; thank God for that, or I think I would’ve collapsed in front of my mentees.
By Martina R. Gallegos8 years ago in Longevity
20-Something
Genuine question: When do you know when you have 'grown up?' Is it when you're allowed to join the army and vote at 18? Is it when you're allowed to legally drink at 21 and stop using that fake ID you've held onto for the past couple of years? When you don't just start another job but you start a career? Or is it when you finally get married and settle down into your own house and pay your own bills?
By Keegan Gray8 years ago in Longevity
Weight Loss
Everyone strives for that idea that they have of how they are supposed to look. We turn to weight loss, diets, and gym memberships to help us get to that point. We post pictures of models from magazines as our goal. We are all guilty of it at some point. But why? Why can’t we be happy with the way we look? Why should we try and change ourselves to fit someone else’s mold of what we are supposed to look like? We should be happy with who we are. This is my short story.
By Olympia Pav8 years ago in Longevity
Gym Etiquette; It's a Thing
As the new year begins, a lot of you have probably resolved to get back into the gym. That's awesome—you're a winner. However, unless you want the half-naked gorilla man with glutes like watermelon halves to grunt at you, you might need a review in gym etiquette.
By Ellie Schmidt8 years ago in Longevity
Hypothyroidism
An illness like hypothyroidism causes extreme menstrual cycles, which go on forever. This is because the thyroid regulates hormones that cause menstruation. Your hair falls out, your nails get brittle, and you feel tired a lot. Patients know the tired feeling as brain fog. Your brain gets exhausted; you can barely function. Hypothyroidism only gets better with replacement thyroid hormone. You can take Armor, which is natural and based on desiccated pig hormone, or you can take levothyroxine, which is synthetic, man-made, and ultra good for your body. Hypothyroidism causes lack of focus. Sometimes some people are at their wit’s end with that and drink a lot coffee to survive the exhaustion, which is something I did in my twenties when I had bad thyroid problems.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Longevity
Get Out of Your Head and Into the Moment
We've all told ourselves at one point or another that we need to get out of our heads. That we need to be more present, more "in the moment" or simply more grounded. But what does all this actually mean and why is it necessary in the first place? Spiritually speaking, being fully present, conscious, or aware means one is moving towards enlightenment or oneness with all things physical and non-physical (more on this later). "Okay..." you say, "now what does that mean?" I can say something fancy like: it is the realm of silence, of no thoughts where the mind is quiet which is otherwise also known (paradoxically) as mindfulness. A place within of peace, love and joy. Beyond happiness, sadness, fear, and anger lies peace. Beyond the ego and identification with form lies peace. A state you are at your most functional and your most focused where anything you do becomes imbued with the purity, peace and elation of that light. This would all sound great and fall pretty close to an intellectual definition of "being in the moment"... but will any of this get you there? So, here are a few practices to help you along that journey. Among the many explored over the past few millennia, here are a few that top my list based on simplicity, effectiveness, and time taken for the practice.
By Rishi Jaiswal8 years ago in Longevity
Must Have Remedies to Help Fight the Flu
January, the first month of the year. A time of New Years’ resolutions, life changes and clean slates. Every change in season comes with a change in temperature, one which offsets our body's balance and weakens our immune system.
By Erika Potap8 years ago in Longevity
The Effects of Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Chronic sleep deprivation can be very bad for your health. I should know because, until I was 20, I had that. In my adult life, I have been able to get more sleep, which has resulted in me waking up feeling well rested. Sleep loss happens when a busy person doesn’t always go to bed early. It is a bit odd to me, however, that doctors do not ask much about how you are sleeping. The consequences of sleep deprivation include car accidents or accidents with objects that an individual has to operate. Sleep deprivation can cause obesity, as well. When I was fatter than I am now, as I’m trying to lose weight, I’m convinced that I lost weight only because I was getting enough sleep.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Longevity
Nostalgia, Memory, Dementia
Why do babies cry? They’ve been fed, changed, well rested, and loved. What else could they possibly want? Perhaps they are just sad. Perhaps they are dwelling on a memory that brings them sadness. Why else would they cry for no reason? That time when the mother left to go sleep in her own room at night could have brought feelings of abandonment.
By Jasmine Lass8 years ago in Longevity
