Fanny Brice

"Seven Ways Your Body Gets Better With Age

Think you've got nothing to look forward to as you get older? Think again! Aging might actually improve your health in a number of unexpected ways! By Jan Sheehan

Here are seven real benefits you can look forward to as you grow older.

Decreased Tooth Sensitivity
If you've always had painfully sensitive teeth, they'll become less so as you age.

Milder Allergies
Older bodies produce less of the allergic antibody IgE," says allergist Michael Welch, M.D., (Severe sensitivities to tree nuts and peanuts may not go away).

Fewer Colds and Other Viruses
You're less likely to get sick with colds and other minor viral infections after midlife. The reason: Each time your body is exposed to a virus, it develops antibodies that make you immune to that virus in the future. This means that more you age, the more likely it is that you'll be immune to many.

Low-Maintenance Skin
Say goodbye to problems with oily skin. Thinking about going under the knife? Cosmetic surgery scars can be hidden more easily when you're older because mature skin is less likely to spring back and show a separation than young, elastic skin. And you can shave less often and can stop using deodorant. "Due to hormonal changes in the later years, the growth of facial and body hair slows, and sweat glands disappear," Kunin adds.

A Fitter Brain
Some memory functions, such as vocabulary and long-term memory, continually sharpen if you stay mentally active. "Memory can be trained just like muscles," says Gary Small, M.D., author of "The Memory Bible".

A Youthful Heart
Surprisingly, the heart hardly ages at all and actually can strengthen — as long as you keep your cholesterol and blood pressure in check. "Although there is some narrowing of arteries with aging, the pumping ability of the heart stays strong throughout life in healthy people," says Nieca Goldberg, M.D. Genes do play a part in the way your heart ages, but the healthier your lifestyle, the more likely your heart will stay strong well into your 80s and 90s. "Exercise, diet, and not smoking are more important than genetics in maintaining the health of the heart after age 60," says Goldberg.

Heightened Sexuality
A shift in the hormonal balance beginning in the early 50s can increase a woman's libido and her ability to have orgasms, says Jessica Fields, Ph.D., a research associate at the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality in San Francisco. Many women also report an increase in the frequency and intensity of orgasms as they grow older. In fact, some research suggests that the frequency of orgasms increases for women in each decade, up until the octogenarian years (age 80 – 89). But men have reason to celebrate, too. After age 60, the ligaments that attach the penis to the body begin to relax. Assuming a man stays slim, this makes the flaccid penis look longer with each 60-plus decade.

(This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.)"

Well this is good news and bad news for me. Bad news I don't have these seven signs of better aging (yet) - therefore I must still be young - good news! (This is my attempt at a joke -I just thought y'all might like some good news about aging since most of the news about aging is depressing.



Happy Birthday Fanny Brice - I remember Funny Girl with Barbara Streisand - do you?

Funny Girl and Funny Lady are examples of how plays and films take great liberties with the lives of historical figures and/or events. The Streisand film makes no mention of Brice's first husband at all.

It also suggests that Arnstein turned to crime because his pride wouldn't allow him to live off Fanny, and that he was wanted by the police for selling phony bonds. In reality, however, Arnstein shamelessly sponged off Brice even before their marriage and was eventually named as a member of a gang that stole $5 million of Wall Street securities.

Instead of turning himself in, as in the movie, Arnstein went into hiding. When he finally surrendered, he did not plead guilty as he did in the movie, but fought the charges for four years, taking a toll on his wife's finances.

It is thought that Ray Stark, the producer of the play and both movies and Brice's son-in-law, changed Arnstein's story in order to avoid a lawsuit, as Arnstein was still alive at the time.
(wikipedia)

Who would have known?
Chatty