Author Archives : Karen Hawthorne, M.A.

What do you do when someone you love is so disoriented and afraid they’re trying to leave the house in the middle of the night? They can’t remember where they are, or who they are, or where they should be. It’s a terrifying thought, and worse still, when it happens to someone close to you. ...click here to read more

I’ve started taking lukewarm showers in the morning, instead of my usual steamy 20 minutes of utter surrender and relaxation. You don’t need a lot of time, if you’re quick about it, to lather up and condition your hair. A friend of mine says he never has a hot shower because it dries out his ...click here to read more

Consider this: You sit down to a hot dinner of roast chicken and potatoes that look perfectly cooked and nicely crisped, and you realize you’re hungry! You dig in with enthusiasm, but the taste and texture you’re expecting is…kind of like eating mush. That appealing chicken leg is a boneless paste that melts in your ...click here to read more

I’ve seen enough end-of-the-world movies to know that we could be wiped out by serious infection. Whether it’s a deadly flu epidemic or bronchial infection – that can be harder on elderly people because of aging immune systems – serious contagious illness seems far more likely to me than hostile aliens blowing up the planet. ...click here to read more

I’m not so worried about fat anymore. Not because I’m the skinniest woman on the planet, but fat has a lot going for it. I’m eating full-fat Greek yogurt, blue cheese in my turkey burgers, and homemade granola with plenty of nuts. Fat, the healthy kind, is back in vogue these days. For years, government ...click here to read more

No one likes to think they can be swayed by advertizing. I’m just as smart and skeptical about product claims as the next girl, but sometimes those subliminal messages that are everywhere have us sold before we know it – hook, line and sinker. An expensive pair of shoes or face cream is one thing, ...click here to read more

First thing in the morning, my brother-in-law has to have his diet soda. Roll out of bed, head to fridge and guzzle. I’ve been advised, when visiting their house, not to try to engage him in conversation before he has finished at least half his 20-ounce bottle. It’s true. He’s a friendly, down-to-earth guy with ...click here to read more

Four years ago my doctor told me I was borderline diabetic and could be looking at long-term daily medication for type 2 diabetes. I was shocked. It couldn’t be true, could it? I thought I had my health in control, for the most part – working out with cardio and weights in my condo gym ...click here to read more