Statins are America’s best selling drugs as of 11/07–the lastest stat I can find. Lipitor sold $9 Billion worth and Zocor $4.7 Billion. 12 Million Americans take one and more are being fed into the pipeline all the time. According to an ABC news online article from Dec. 2009,” The joke in the world of heart disease is that “they should put statins in the water,” but to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel that has recommended giving statins to “healthy” people, it’s no joke. The panel voted 12 to four with one abstention to recommend that the potent statin Crestor (rosuvastatin) be approved to prevent heart attacks in people who have no history of heart disease and don’t fit the traditional profile of an “at risk” population.”

The results of the trail of about 17,000 people from 25 countries is this, of the half that got Crestor, levels of mortality and morbidity were reduced vs the half that got a placebo.By how much? 70 or so people out of 8901. The reduction in events was tied to reduction of CRP– or C-reactive protein which is a marker of inflammation and an important test for anyone with a history of heart disease or any symptoms of heart problems. Did I mention that this trial was sponsored–that means paid for–by Crestor? And that some cardiologists pointed to the increase in diabetes in the subjects who got the drug vs the placebo group? That last finding was not mentioned by the people who published the findings.

This was not meant to be a diatribe against yet another fatal flaw in the current illness care system but I had to point out some startling and (should be) scary statistics. A statin drug could be coming your way, ill health or no. My point in this post is to tell you about the importance of taking the supplement CoQ10 if you are on a statin–or considering one. (It’s important for cardiovascular health and a supp I recommend even for those of us not on statins but it’s imperative for statin users as you’ll see.)

CoQ10 is the raw material needed for energy production within the cells. (That’s the reader’s digest version) It is also a scavenger of the free radicals produced by this process. Statin drugs not only suppress cholesterol production  they suppress production of CoQ10. Muscles are the biggest consumers of energy–the heart is the muscle that uses most because it never rests. Can you see the problem here? Less CoQ10 means less energy being made for the heart which is supposed to benefit from the use of a statin drug.

So what really occurs with too little CoQ10 on board? Let me quote one of the best integrative cardiologists I know. Dr. Steven Sinatra reported in his 2/09 newsletter, “The cascade effect that results from statin therapy goes something like this: lower CoQ10 levels lead to decreased ATP production, (energy production) which leads to diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle, which leads to heart failure.”

That’s heart failure, the very thing the statin is supposed to be protecting you from. In countries like Japan, Germany and others in the EU, statin drugs come with a warning that it is recommended that you supplement with CoQ10 if you are taking this drug. Doctors prescribe it when people are in their offices. Clearly if other countries not so tied to their pharmaceutical behemoths can warn patients of a necessary, safe, and easy to use adjunct to the statin therapy, our government has that option.

Low CoQ10 also leads to muscle pain and weakness and fuzzy thinking. I don’t know about you but at this age I don’t need any help in that area. If you are on a statin, please do not stop it abruptly! If you want to add CoQ10 the best form is ubiquinone according to Dr. Sinatra. That’s because it’s converted, in the body, into ubiquinol, the antioxidant form of CoQ10. And the form you’ll see most often.) You can get a hydrosoluble product or a gel cap type. If you are on a statin, many of the docs I follow suggest 200 mgs per day in divided doses. You can talk to your MD about this but many will be unaware of the statin/CoQ10 connection. Drs. Sinatra, Julian Whitaker, Jim Roberts, and many other integrative cardiologists can be found online with more information.

One last quote, from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a bastion of all things conservative and Big Pharma focused. They reported a study that proved that higher levels of CoQ10 was related to longer life for heart failure patients. It wasn’t a very well publicized finding. I wonder why?

My colleague Eileen Williams is the creator of a blog and radio show called, The Feisty Side of Fifty. Love that name. And it suits her. She’s high spirited, sassy, and definitely living her second half with a vengeneance. (Check out her psychedelic T-shirts)

Eileen’s has finally packaged her twenty years’ combined experience as a job search specialist, career/life transition counselor, university instructor, and writer into career counseling session in work book form. It could not have come at a better time. I asked her to talk a bit about her new book and wondered if there are any bright spots on the horizon for midlife job seekers in this current–and eternal I think– youth obsessed  age.

What follows are Eileen’s thoughts.

Midlife With a Vengeance is all about wellbeing and thriving as we age. Gregory Anne consistently provides us with a wealth of information to keep our bodies and minds active and energetic. In truth, radiant health should be at the top of each of our lists. However, even if our bodies are healthy and strong, it’s hard to feel our best if we’re unemployed and feeling discouraged about future job prospects.

Day after day, we’re bombarded with depressing news: the job market is described with words such as “bleak,” “slow to recover,” and “with limited prospects.” This, we’re told, is especially true for the older applicant.

Despite what we hear, this is NOT the case. Older workers have plenty to offer: great experience, highly developed skills, a mature work ethic, and a substantial network of coworkers, clients, and customers. Nevertheless, older jobseekers do have certain challenges in knowing how to market themselves in today’s competitive job market. The job search has changed tremendously over the past several years and, if you’re not up on the latest, you’ll be left in the dust.

As a job search specialist with twenty years’ experience assisting thousands of midlife applicants find work, I wanted to help. So I wrote a book sharing key insider techniques that will make a huge difference in getting a job. Following the suggestions in Land The Job You Love: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50, now available on Amazon, is guaranteed to save you time, money, and loads of frustration.

Remember the good news—the workforce is aging. Workers over fifty represent one of the fastest growing labor groups in the country and you’ll fit right in. But to stand out as the candidate of choice, you’ll need to know the Surefire Strategies:

•              The proven formula to best articulate your skill sets and back them up with winning examples of you performing your work at its best.

•              The most effective method to use personal contacts to network your way into targeted organizations where you’ll build key alliances in your search.

•              The very best resume format for older applicants and how to highlight critical skills and accomplishments so that they literally leap off the page.

•              How to prepare for and ace the interview: the all important first impression, knowing how to answer questions to peak the interviewer’s interest, handling behavioral style questions, and getting the job offer.

•              The strategies to negotiate a win/win deal.

Armed with the right information, job search strategies that really work, and a winning attitude, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your search will progress. So don’t get discouraged by the news—take action! Before you know it, you’ll be telling your friends just how you landed the job you love!

Mary Eileen Williams, M.A., NCC has twenty years’ combined experience as a job search specialist, career/life transition counselor, university instructor, and writer. She also has a popular blog and radio show called, Feisty Side of Fifty. Get your copy of Land the Job You Love on Amazon.

In the midlife muffin top crushing category you wouldn’t expect to find chocolate cake. In the “excess in moderation” category it would feature prominently for some. I’m happy to say that I’ve been introduced to a product that is so darn delicious, easy to bake–it’s a mix–and versatile as a base for other desserts that I had to write about it.

Kelley Herring is a woman I’ve connected with online and whose digital product, Your Plate, Your Fate, I admire and even offer for sale in the products section on Easy Midlife Weight Loss. She’s got a beautiful, healthy food information packed blog, called Healing Gourmet, as well as a product line of no sugar, low glycemic, gluten free cakes.

I’ll admit I’m not a big dessert person–which doesn’t mean I don’t love to make them and taste them, it’s just not a meal component I’m driven to. My overeating runs towards cheese, main courses, and chicken wings. (No, I’m not making that up.)

That said I love to make special desserts. This past weekend we had friends over for dinner and I never think of making something low sugar, low fat, gluten free. So I made white chocolate raspberry tiramisu–full fat, full booze, full sugar. It was worth every bite. Even I had to have a real portion and that’s not bragging as it’s a very easy dessert to make, it’s just a really delicious combination of ingredients.

As long as I was in the kitchen, along with the above creation, I decided to bake the sample Kelley sent of her Chocolate Bliss cake. I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it but I had to try this mix. She said it was great, I trusted her. It was easy to mix–water, eggs, and coconut or other oil. Bake for 18 minutes, voila. Looked and smelled like real chocolate cake. The taste test went like this:

“Hmmm, good texture, nice crumb, moist, smells rich. WOW, this tastes just like a real, sugar laden chocolate cake. How do they do that?” How they do it is by using almond flour, organic cocoa, organic zylitol, and other whole food ingredients. I’m not kidding when I say it is delicious and right away I knew what I’d be doing with it.

I created a low sugar chocolate raspberry tiramisu. The picture below shows a cross section of the cake layered with the cream, berries macerated in port and Grand Marnier. The whole is drizzled with a dark chocolate sauce, cream and dark chocolate, no sugar added. My skeptical, full sugar loving husband was skeptical when I told him about the cake itself being a healthy alternative. Last night he got the piece you see below and had a hard time not wolfing it down. Then asked when we could have that again.

I wholeheartedly endorse this product that Kelley has created. For now you have to order it online at her other site, Wellness Bakeries. You will no doubt find gluten free and sugar free cake mixes in health food stores but I’ve yet to see a mix that combines the two and uses whole foods to create the mixes. This is truly a nutritious dessert option that isn’t just fruit. When you order the cake mix you will receive a recipe for icing that’s healthy and delicious as well. By the way, this is not an affiliate situation where I’m getting a “little something” for recommending this product. It’s just that good and I want you all to know about it.

Chocolate Bliss Cake Raspberry Tiramisu

As a professional chef I have no problem using this mix as a basis for a simple or more involved dessert.

Most of us love the idea of creating desserts. With Chocolate Bliss cake mix we’ve been given an easy way to make a healthy sweet and I’ll bet most guests would never know it wasn’t the full on unhealthy, sugar laden cakes we are used to.

If you aren’t sure you really know who she is, Lady Gaga that is, here are some of the astounding work stats that will help explain this singer and her recent rise to fame:

• In 18 months she sold 8 millions disks
• She is the only music star to have 4 number one hits come from a single CD or album
• Her debut album, The Fame, earned her 6 Grammy Awards

Oh, and by the way, she is not yet 24.

On the growing up side of life she began playing piano by ear at age 4 and is classically trained in music and the liberal arts. She loves her parents and works hard at “keeping my dream alive and making sure I live my dream through my work” she told Oprah the other day.

So what can we learn from this youngster who wears outrageous costumes both on stage and off? Let me quote another bit of her philosophy as told to Oprah on the Oprah show on Friday. Oprah asked her what her philosophy was, what she wanted people to understand about her, and this is how she answered.

“I want them to free themselves, and I want them to be proud of who they are and celebrate all the things they don’t like about themselves.”

You may think that this is pretty typical stuff from a 20-something who is making a living in ridiculous outfits with not a care in the world for the future. I heard something much different.

In fact she said what I haven’t yet said to the women I speak to, and write to. Classes in weight loss, healthy eating, how to live a vibrant life into old age–those are the surface messages and very important don’t get me wrong. But when I’m stumped to say what I really do, it’s because what I really want to do is free women from the bondage of how they see themselves. I mean see literally and figuratively. We look with critical eyes and find we are not smart enough, young enough, rich enough, brave enough–what else? The list could go on and on.

What I want to say right here and now,in keeping with my new Year’s goal to be authentic and get out of my comfort zone is, thank you Gaga for reminding me of the important message that so many women around the world need–love all of you, get over what’s not, in your eyes, perfect or worse, that you think of as unacceptable. Be proud of who you are regardless of age, shape, gender, persuasion, career, work, kids/no kids, spouse/no spouse. Did I mention age?

Her commitment to live her dream, to ensure that she gets to live it via her shows, her costumes and friends should also be noted. 18 months of following her dream, having the support of people who believed in her and shutting her ears to those who said she was nuts, allows her to live and refine her dream day to day.

What would that feel like–even on a small scale? You may not want to trot around on stage half naked (one reporter commented that she has a hard time remembering to wear a top and a bottom at the same time) with crazy wigs and lots of makeup. You may simply want to take electric guitar lessons, or carve out time to swim, or write. Or, you may have those stage dreams. If any of your yet unattempted dreams are important to you I’ve got a hunch you’ve got to go Gaga in the “free yourself and love yourself” categories before you’ll make those things a priority.

Oprah paraphrased, “The message of Gaga is to be who you are.” Is there a better time than midlife to start?