Eat Better, Look Better, Live Better: A Guide to Aging Well This Spring

Photo credit: Getty Images

Growing older and reaching retirement means gaining more freedoms. Pack up and set off for somewhere entirely foreign to experience different cultures and customs. Become your own boss and pursue a new career path by building a business. Reinvent yourself and alter your appearance to look as young on the outside as you feel on the inside. Now is the perfect time for a transformation. We’ll guide you through the joys of the second half of your life. We all age—but why not age well?

Want to Retire Outside the U.S.? You Should
Turn Back the Clock with 6 Medical Enhancements
How to Start Your Own Small Business
4 Super Good Superfoods
Resource Guide

Everything You Need to Know to Be an Expat

Forget Florida. If you’re looking to take off and set up shop in a new country, you’re in good company. The State Department estimates that 8.7 million Americans live abroad, and the Social Security Administration sends more than 500,000 payments per month to overseas residents. You can qualify for special retiree visa programs by showing a minimum monthly income, making an investment in a business or real estate, or having a certain amount of money deposited in a local bank. Think about your values: Do you want to live in a community populated with other expats? Or do you desire a more authentic setting among locals? Consider countries with decent public healthcare options that offer special benefits to retirees and work with an attorney who knows the country to determine real estate options. So, what are the most popular places to retire?

• Mexico: About 1 million U.S. and Canadian citizens relocated south of the border—and you can, too! As the most popular expat destination for North Americans, Mexico offers a temporary resident visa that lasts four years, two affordable national healthcare plans, and a card for residents over the age of 60 for 10 to 20 percent discounts on goods and services.
• Ireland: The Emerald Isle welcomes expats with open arms. Claiming citizenship is simple, especially for anyone with Irish roots, and medical care is high quality and inexpensive. Anyone over the age of 65 rides public transit for free. Plus, with breathtaking views and incredible history around nearly every corner, it’s easy to stay active.
• Portugal: The second least expensive country in Europe and one of the safest countries in the world, Portugal is known as a friendly country to expats, who form large English-speaking communities across the country. Enjoy a robust transit system, protection from harsh winters by the Gulf Stream, and more sunshine than any other country in the region

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6 Medical Advancements Changing the Way We Age

If you’ve grown weary of wrinkles and dental woes, there are ways to regain both your youthful glow and winning smile. Cosmetic enhancements have come a long way, and there are now easier and more affordable solutions to achieving your desired appearance.

1. Blepharoplasty
Eyes show the most signs of aging. Loose or sagging skin can allow fat pockets around the eye to protrude and appear puffy. To alleviate this, you can seek either lower or upper eyelid blepharoplasty. Excess skin and fat may be removed or repositioned around the eyes to create a natural and more youthful appearance. Blepharoplasty can be performed under local anesthesia in one office visit.

2. Liquid facelift
If you want the results of a facelift without going under the knife, a liquid facelift is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical approach. Utilizing a combination of injectable fillers, as well as Botox or Dysport, a liquid facelift relaxes wrinkles, adds volume, and lifts sagging skin to take years off your face.

3. Teeth whitening
A telltale sign of aging is yellowing teeth. A beautiful smile is essential at any age. In recent years, certified cosmetic dentists have yielded more natural results. New noninvasive technology has paved the way for brightening the tooth enamel without increasing sensitivity.

4. Coolsculpting
We’ve all packed on some pounds over the years, but losing them for good is another story. Do away with stubborn fat with Coolsculpting, a noninvasive treatment that freezes targeted fat beneath the skin, killing fat cells and helping remove them from the body indefinitely. Treatments happen over the course of four to 12 weeks, resulting in a 20 to 25 percent reduction in the fat layer of the treated area.

5. Neck lift (or neck rejuvenation)
The neck tends to age more quickly than the face. Typically forgotten in years of skincare routines, the skin around your neck is thinner than facial skin. Neck skin loses its elasticity over time and loose, hanging skin can make anyone look older. During a neck lift, excess skin is removed, muscles are tightened, and fat is removed to contour the face.

6. Veneers and crowns
Maintaining a full smile makeover can require a two-part approach. All-porcelain veneers and crowns can create an incredible smile, improve dental health, close space, and improve function, all while strengthening broken or decayed teeth.

It’s Never Too Late to Start (Up)

Startups aren’t just for millennials. With more free time and potentially a stash of savings, empty nesters make great small business leaders. Even if the prospect of starting a business is daunting, the rewards are worth it. By starting your own business—and making it profitable before you leave your job—you can grow your retirement revenue while finding a whole new way to pursue your passions.

Tip No. 1: Leverage Your Resources

Starting a business late in your career might seem intimidating, but in a knowledge-based economy, the life experience of older adults gives them an edge. The fundamental skills of running a business translate well across time, and even if you’re already retired, you can make use of the wide number of contacts you made throughout your career. Even if there are certain gaps in your knowledge, with the growth of online courses, accelerators, and incubators, education and aid can come in many forms.

Tip No. 2: Be Patient for Revenue

Don’t quit your day job just yet. One of the most common challenges for any startup is, of course, cash flow. By starting your business while still employed, you won’t need it to take off immediately. Start getting your prototype or service out into the real world and evaluating its performance before you focus on advertising or generating revenue. You’ll probably find that significant adjustments are necessary, but because you’re not dependent on the business’s success at the moment, you can afford to take risks and evolve.

Tip No. 3: You Don’t Need a Megacorporation

Many small, internet-based businesses don’t have the capital to make hiring help feasible. But that doesn’t mean they have to limit the services they offer. If your business is your passion, you can commit more time and energy to it than a typical worker at a larger business. For tasks that are outside your wheelhouse, hiring freelancers, even for a matter of hours or for single tasks, is easier than ever online.

Tip No. 4: Don’t Do It For (Just) The Money

One of the most common reasons that seniors return to the workforce is that they miss social engagement with coworkers. Besides providing a sense of purpose, founding a business that you’re really passionate about can attract coworkers and customers that share your interests, creating a small community of like-minded individuals that could help you form lasting friendships. So even if the business doesn’t turn you into Jeff Bezos overnight, it can still make your golden years some of the best years of your life.

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4 Anti-Aging Superfoods to Try

Fighting the test of time just got tastier. The naturally restorative nutrients in these four superfoods will help slow aging in every part of your body, from your skin to your mind.

Next time you need a frothy kick of energy, consider grabbing a cup of matcha tea. In addition to being beautiful, the tea is chlorophyll-rich and offers a healthy dose of the EGCG antioxidant, which helps to prevent cell degeneration and premature aging. Many also find it doesn’t give them the same jitteriness and irritability as coffee.

While it hasn’t quite hit its moment in the spotlight à la açai, the Amazon rainforest’s camu camu berry is becoming increasingly popular as an anti-inflammatory supplement. Powdered camu camu has a long shelf life and adds an antioxidant and vitamin C punch to your smoothies.

Give your beauty and your brains a boost with avocado’s monounsaturated fatty acids. They help the body absorb beta-carotene—one of the most important nutrients in preventing cognitive decline. Avocados also contain antioxidants that build collagen in the skin to eliminate wrinkles, heal scars, and reduce age spots.

Along with other leafy greens, spinach is a rich source of vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta-carotene, which are all key micronutrients that help keep mental faculties sharp. Spinach also offers incredible versatility—if salads aren’t your jam, try it raw in a smoothie or cooked and blended into a warm dal.

Contact an expert from our resource guide below for more information that can help you in your next stage of life. Pick up the April 2019 issue for the print version of this special section.

RESOURCE GUIDE

Retirement Living

The Commons in Lincoln
1 Harvest Circle, Lincoln, MA
877-343-3020 | thecommonsinlincoln.com
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The Commons in Lincoln offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation. The Commons features exceptional maintenance-free senior housing, a wide variety of premium services and amenities, and a full continuum of on-site healthcare.

The Linden at Dedham
391 Common St., Dedham, MA
781-407-7711 | thelindenatdedham.com

The Linden at Dedham is a senior living community offering assisted living and memory care services—all provided with a whole lot of heart. Their goal is simple: to create happy residents, families, and employees.

New Pond Village
180 Main St., Walpole, MA
508-718-2104 | newpondvillage.benchmarkseniorliving.com
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New Pond Village is a Benchmark Signature community offering services in independent and assisted living, memory care, and a skilled nursing benefit. New Pond Village is the only certified memory care community in Walpole, MA.

One Wingate Way
235 Gould St., Needham, MA
781-247-6638 | onewingateway.com
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One Wingate Way is Greater Boston’s premier retirement community, offering active seniors independence and incomparable service and amenities. Located on a full continuum of care campus, their residents enjoy peace of mind that they can age in place as their needs evolve.

Waterstone at the Circle
385 Chestnut Hill Ave., Boston, MA
617-232-3634 | waterstoneatthecircle.com
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Offering all-inclusive monthly rentals and stunning apartments, Waterstone at the Circle is Boston’s premier senior living community. It features best-in-class amenities, concierge services, world-class dining, and on-site supportive services.

Medical Services

The Boston Center
170 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA
617-267-0710 | bostoncentercosmeticsurgery.com

The Boston Center is comprised of a group of highly skilled and trained professionals working in a facility designed to provide patients with the optimum environment for cosmetic surgery and appearance-related services.

Dr. Jeannie Chung
40 Walnut St., Ste. 202, Wellesley, MA
781-235-3223 | drjeanniechung.com
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Jeannie Chung’s aesthetic philosophy is a simple one: She wants to provide you with a natural, rejuvenated look and inspire an improved outlook and sense of well-being.

Newton Dental Associates
93 Union St., Ste. 402, Newton Center, MA
617-965-0060 | newtondentalassociates.com
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Dr. Berik, Boston’s premier cosmetic dentist, has the skill and artistry to rejuvenate your look. For more than 25 years, she’s been creating dream smiles, from simple whitening to extreme makeovers, for patients around the world.

Whole Family Wellness
10 Converse Place, Ste. 101, Winchester, MA
781-721-4585 | kerilayton.com
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For more than 10 years, Dr. Keri Layton, a Bastyr-trained Naturopathic Doctor and certified BHI SMART Program instructor, has combined stress management and functional medicine to optimize health and wellness for people of all ages.