Crossing into our so-called ’senior years’ has made a lot of us Baby Boomers realize an important fact of life: Getting old is not for sissies! Just when we may have reached a certain level of material and emotional stability, our bodies start breaking down. Like the Red Queen in ‘Through the Looking Glass, ‘ we have to work harder to stay in the same place! Hardly seems fair, does it? But then, we know that life isn’t fair.

Not long ago, a friend of ours learned he has Type 2 diabetes. He’s changed his diet and exercising more, but it’s been really difficult for him to set a stable dosage for his insulin. He’s been thinking about taking a supplement made from an agaricus brazil mushroom.

Apparently this remedy, when combined with other diabetes medications, serves to decrease insulin resistance, a common problem in people with Type 2 diabetes. It’s not a cure-all, though, because most experts recommend it only be taken for about 12 weeks, because sometimes it can make blood sugar go too low. Some people have used this particular supplement as a way to reduce their side effects from chemotherapy, but there’s no scientific evidence supporting that yet.

He’s started taking a supplement as well, kirkland glucosamine. He swears that it helps build up the cartilage in his joints so that he can play better. He recognizes that it may be all in his mind, but he’s convinced that the supplement helps his body grow stronger tissue to cushion and protect his bones, so he takes the supplement every day.

Another friend of ours is distressed by her increased osteoarthritis, especially in her hands. She’s wonderful at crochet, which involves a lot of repetitive movement. She regularly makes baby things for a local charity that provides blankets and clothes for the young mothers in low-income families. She’s very fond of this kind of work, so she’s always looking for way to ease her discomfort. She’s tried a lot of arthritis remedies to reduce the swelling and inflammation in her hands.

Perhaps that’s the biggest change we have to make with growing older: becoming patient with ourselves and the ways our bodies work now. If we give ourselves as much support as we can muster, then maybe things won’t be so hard.

What’s more, when we combine our moderate physical exercise with good nutrition and active brain work, we keep everything in better working order. That’s why many of us never miss working our daily crosswords or number puzzles! Who knew that keeping brain power could be so much fun?