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The real reason you’re not a grandparent yet

<p dir="ltr">How many times have you asked your child when they’re going to make you a grandparent? </p> <p dir="ltr">Too many times to count.</p> <p dir="ltr">But you may soon have an answer as to why you’re not a grandparent yet thanks to relationship expert Louanne Ward.</p> <p dir="ltr">The dating expert has shared the top six mistakes men and women are making that are keeping them single. </p> <p dir="ltr">The mistakes include:</p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You expect a partner to be everything you ever wanted</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">When you expect something from your partner and it’s something you’ve always wanted it can almost always lead to disappointment. </p> <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You see personality differences as negatives</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">“It is important to have differences and similarities,” Louanna explained.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdVXIueJqza/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdVXIueJqza/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Matchmaker | dating expert (@louanneward)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You compare the person to past experiences or future dreams</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">“You are comparing the person to past experience you have had and the future experience you want to have, so you aren't actually present in the relationship,” she said.</p> <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You are afraid of “settling” if they don't tick every box</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Louanna explained that people would feel they are settling for a person if they don’t meet each of their criteria.</p> <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You leave at the first time of trouble, not willing to work through it.</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">“You leave at the first sign of trouble rather than working through conflict or challenges,” Louanna explained.</p> <ol start="6"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You don't give people a chance, and make snap judgements.</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">“You make a snap decision and judgement without scratching the surface,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">So what do you think?</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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The surprising diet that can ward off dementia

<p dir="ltr">The foods we eat could help us to prevent the onset of dementia, according to a recent study. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new research shows that people with high levels of three key antioxidants in their blood are less likely to be diagnosed with the devastating disorder. </p> <p dir="ltr">Two of the compounds — lutein and zeaxanthin — are abundant in leafy green vegetables, such as kale and peas. </p> <p dir="ltr">The last antioxidant, beta-cryptoxanthin, is found in abundance in oranges and papayas. </p> <p dir="ltr">Lead researcher Dr May Beydoun, an expert in ageing from the US National Institutes of Health, said, “Extending people's cognitive function is an important public health challenge.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Scientists have long advocated that a healthy, balanced diet can help to ward off dementia by boosting heart and circulatory health – both of which are known to play a role in the disease.</p> <p dir="ltr">As well as through diet, people can bolster their blood levels of the three compounds by taking supplements. </p> <p dir="ltr">During the extensive study, the effect of antioxidants on dementia was reduced when other factors were taken into account, including education, income and physical activity.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's possible that those factors may help explain the relationship between antioxidant levels and dementia,” Dr Beydoun added.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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The 3 activities proven to ward off dementia

<p>Three new preventative activities have been identified in the fight against dementia, and it’s likely you’re doing one right now. According to a new Mayo Clinic study, published in <em><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28135351?dopt=Abstract" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">JAMA Neurology</span></strong></a></em>, activities that keep the mind occupied (namely, using a computer, craft and playing games) could lower the risk of age-related cognitive decline in over-70s.</p> <p>So beneficial are these activities that even in people with a gene variation associated with Alzheimer’s disease, mental decline was less common. “These kind of commonly engaged in, stimulating activities actually reduce the risk of people developing mild cognitive impairment,” co-author of the study and director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centre, Dr Ronald Petersen, told <em><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/busy-minds-may-be-better-at-fighting-dementia/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">CBS News</span></strong></a></em>.</p> <p>Researchers followed 2,000 adults between the ages of 70 and 93 who reported no memory problems, tracking their mental activity every 15 months for around four years. Over this time, 456 developed a mild cognitive impairment.</p> <p>Among the participants, the risk for mental decline lowered by 30 per cent for regular computer users, 28 per cent for crafters, 23 per cent who engaged in social activities and 22 per cent for those who played games. Surprisingly, reading books and newspapers did not have as beneficial an effect on thinking and memory.</p> <p>So, how often should you be undertaking these brain-happy activities? Those who performed them at least one or two times a week had significantly less cognitive decline than those who performed them less than two or three times a month. However, Petersen says these new findings should not necessarily be considered as an endorsement of “brain training” apps.</p> <p>“I’m not saying that your brain game isn’t good for people, but I’m not endorsing it at all,” he says of services such as Lumosity and BrainHQ. “We can’t say your exercises are the same thing as what we found in this, but it’s not an unreasonable connection.”</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what activities do you do to keep your mind sharp?</p>

Caring

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Lifting weights may help ward off dementia

<p>A study from the University of Sydney has discovered a “positive casual link” between strong muscles and improved brain power in people over the age of 55.</p> <p>The study examined 100 adults, aged between 55 and 80, with some form of mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease) and found that increasing muscle strength actually improved the brain function of those tested.</p> <p>Lead author of the study Dr Yorgi Mavros said, “What we found is that the improvement in cognition function was related to their muscle strength gains.</p> <p>“The stronger people became, the greater the benefit for their brain.”</p> <p>The study divide people into four groups, conducting two sessions every week for six months. The first group combined resistance exercises with cognitive training, the second exercised without cognitive training, the third group did brain training without the physical exercise, and the fourth group did a placebo brain and physical training.</p> <p>Researchers found the groups conducting resistance exercises drew the best results.</p> <p>Dr Mavros said: "The more we can get people doing resistance training like weight lifting, the more likely we are to have a healthier ageing population.</p> <p>"The key however is to make sure you are doing it frequently, at least twice a week, and at a high intensity so that you are maximising your strength gains.</p> <p>"This will give you the maximum benefit for your brain."</p> <p>Do you do any resistance training? Do you think you’ll feel compelled to do so after reading this research? Share your thoughts in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/10/7-foods-to-lower-blood-pressure/"><strong>7 things to eat or avoid to lower your blood pressure</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/2016/10/dorrie-jacobson-on-body-issues-and-intimacy/"><strong>How body image issues hold you back from intimacy</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/10/the-healthiest-leanest-ways-to-cook/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 of the healthiest, leanest ways t</span>o cook</strong></a></em></span></p>

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