Here at LifeTwo we believe that 'midlife crisis' is often a normal depression that happens in midlife. So anything that reduces the risk of depression also reduces the risk of midlife crisis. »more»

Though ancient, the practice of mediation is enjoying significant contemporary popularity. But can meditation help with midlife and/or marital woes (the subject of this site)? »more»

An interesting artifact of the recession has been that millions of week-end warriors have being able to become "weekday warriors" as well leading to faster running times, better jump shots, and heavier bench pressing. »more»

Two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) highlight the importance of controllable lifestyle habits that can have a significant impact on the risk profile of developing Alzheimer's disease. The studies (one in the U.S. »more»

A large study has found that women who are overweight in midlife are far more likely than those who maintain a healthy weight to suffer from multiple chronic diseases and impaired mental health as they age. According to Science Daily, "It is the first study to show the role adiposity (fattiness) may play in the overall health of women who survive to older ages."

More broadly, this work is interesting because it doesn't focus on a single factor but on overall health later in life. »more»

A new UK study calculates how smoking, high blood pressure, and other health issues subtract from life expectancy. The researchers found that subjects high on the scale of several risk factors could expect to live ten years less than their compatriots who had low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and didn't smoke. »more»

Joseph Alpert, the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Medicine, writes that many of his patients have at various times been told that "drinking caffeinated coffee could result in increased blood pressure, worsening of diabetic control, and might even trigger a myocardial infarction. Some of my patients also worry that drinking caffeinated coffee might cause cancer."

Those patients, Alpert says, are wrong. »more»

"Obesity epidemic" is a cliche -- but it now appears that you can 'catch' weight gain from your friends.

Last weekend's New York Times magazine ran a fascinating article on recent research showing the power social networks have on physical and mental health. Your friends, it seems, influence your weight and even your happiness. »more»

No, it's not a misspelling (and yes, I do make frequent use of my spell-checker). As our agrarian past fades from our collective memory, so will the images of pastoral scenes, farm implements, and, yes, even stiles. I even had some trouble finding a decent photo of one (and this one's from England, where the rural life still survives). What made me think of a 'stile' (a ladder providing access over a fence or wall) today was an interview I had last night with Rabbi Ed Weinsberg. Ed faced and overcame the challenges of prostate cancer just a very few years ago, and he's written a book that documents his story (and others) for the benefit of the 1/6 of all men who'll be facing that disease. For Ed, the experience catapulted him to a higher appreciation of faith, love, and even sex.

It's a fact of the human condition: transitions never come easily. They always appear as an interruption in the kind of life we desire and even plan for: a life of security, tranquility, ease, and peace. Yet, as I've written fairly often, the so-called 'interruption' is the reality, the sense of security is the illusion. Our 'common sense' lies to us, and tries to convince us that these disruptive events that come hurtling like projectiles into our lives are obstacles to our happiness and progress. Obstacles? Or, are they, in fact, the steps that take us up and over the obstacles? I submit to you that, just perhaps, these disruptions — even the big and painful ones — are what stimulate change and growth and that, without them, we'd face stagnation and decay. "No pain, no gain" is true particularly because every change involves a painful separation from our status quo.

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Recently, from a business, personal, and spiritual perspective, I've been doing a lot of meditating on [apparent] failure. Right now, I can't think of a more apropos topic for people facing and experiencing the midlife transition. For one thing, your successes don't precipitate a midlife crisis. In fact, an uninterrupted string of successes can actually insulate you from undergoing the midlife transition, leaving you for longer than expected — and longer than necessary — state of im-maturity. When you're 'blessed' with success, you may be getting what you want, but to your own detriment: not getting what you really need.

I ardently agree with Friedrich Nietzsche that "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." The contrary, may very well also be true: What pampers me, makes me weaker. Getting your own way may, for a time, seem like a triumph; but, is it really? Does it actually move you forward, or does it, more often than not, lead you further into imminent trouble? Do negative consequences hold you back in fact, or are they, rather, 'medicinal blessings'?

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I have a question for which I have NO idea how to find the answer. »more»

Regular physical exercise may help protect against mild cognitive impairment, according to a Mayo Clinic study. »more»

This is one of the most haunting songs I've ever heard. This song has to be about MLC, depression, divorce, etc. It starts with a male voice on the left and the female voice on the right. After the crosses, the sides switch.

"For millions of years mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happenend which unleashed the power of our imagination. »more»

The recently released collaborative report from the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and North American Association of Central Cancer Registries announced that between 2002 and 2004, death rates dropped by an average of 2.1 percent a year. This rate of decline is significantly greater than the reductions seen in previous years. »more»

It's hard to miss the RealAge test, the quiz that purports to tell you whether your lifestyle gives you the health of someone younger -- or older -- than your chronological age. Advertisements on many sites, including LifeTwo, have driven over 27 million people to learn their 'biological age.' »more»