Good morning and welcome to agebuzz…

The year in review: our most popular stories for 2016:

• Food Fight: These Four Foods May Worsen Your Aging 
• Gone Phishing: Don’t Fall For This Amazon Scam
• Expense Account: Do You Know The Costs Of Long-Term Care? 
• Everything You Wanted To Know About: Medicare
• Anna Says: Words of Botox Wisdom From Anna Quindlen
• No Laughing Matter: Comedian John Oliver Explains Retirement Planning
• The Last Word

Food Fight: These Four Foods May Worsen Your Aging: You often read about the anti-aging properties of many foods and nutrients. But did you know that there are specific groups of foods considered to have the opposite effect? According to Dr. Erika Schwartz, a leading medical practitioner of preventive medicine, there are four specific groups of food to avoid so as to lessen the risk of inflammation, which is your immune system response when trying to fight off bacteria or disease.  As we age, Dr. Schwartz recommends we concentrate on an anti-inflammatory diet. What’s off the menu, according to this preventive medicine specialist?  To find out, Read This.

Gone Phishing: Don’t Fall For This Amazon Scam: Internet shopping has become a way of life for so many of us- especially if our time, or mobility, is limited. The array of items available, especially during the holiday season, is limitless on sites like Amazon. And those who would like to trick you into revealing your personal info know that all too well. There’s a new scam brewing to trick those of us who shop on Amazon, and it’s all too easy to fall prey. Of course, the key is to NEVER click on through in an e-mail that is from an unknown entity- but this scam appears to be the real deal from Amazon, which is why it’s so much more dangerous. So don’t be fooled, or foolish: Read about this new scam Here.

Expense Account: Do You Know The Costs Of Long-Term Care?: While no one can predict your future, the chances of your needing help as you age, either in your home, in an outpatient setting or even in an institution, are fairly high. The help you need might be casual and low key so that your costs will be modest, but it might be catastrophic- leading to significant expenses for you and perhaps your loved ones. How much might it cost? Surprisingly, a new study reports that most people vastly underestimate the costs of long-term care. That’s a big problem- for an individual and his/her family, and for society at large. Are you one of those uninformed consumers? If so, you need to Read This.

Everything You Wanted To Know About: Medicare: Dealing with medical issues can be frustrating and worrisome… then trying to figure out what’s covered by insurance can add a whole other layer of burden and concern.  For older patients and their families, figuring out what Medicare covers and doesn’t, and whether things will change in the future, can really be a challenge. Enter the Kaiser Family Foundation, one of the best sources of health information out there.  They have just released their latest issue brief on Medicare, providing a comprehensive overview of this federally financed insurance program for older and disabled individuals. So grab your reading glasses and Read This.

Anna Says: Words of Botox Wisdom From Anna Quindlen: Pulitzer prize-winning essayist and novelist Anna Quindlen is a source of intelligence and truth for millions of readers. In her novels and opinion pieces, Anna often captures the emotions and experiences of women of a certain age. Now, in a recent opinion piece first published in Harper’s Bazaar, she has shared her wisdom on the aging face. At 64, Anna Quindlen has decided that botox and other cosmetic fillers are now in her past. As she declares in her heartfelt essay on physical beauty and the meaning of aging, “My face tells a story and I can’t bear to edit it too much.” How did Anna arrive at this conclusion? Read This.

No Laughing Matter: Comedian John Oliver Explains Retirement Planning: While you may not think of comedian John Oliver as a credible source of financial planning advice, in fact, you need to do yourself a favor and watch the most recent episode of his show Last Week Tonight. In simple and stark (and yes hilarious) language, Oliver explains the pitfalls and problems with financial advisors, investment service fees and the drubbing you may take as you try to put away money for your retirement. So be prepared to laugh and learn, and Watch This.

THE LAST WORD: “Here are some questions I am constantly noodling over: Do you splurge or do you hoard? Do you live every day as if it’s your last or do you save your money on the chance you’ll live twenty more years? Is life too short, or is it going to be too long? Do you work as hard as you can, or do you slow down to smell the roses? And where do carbohydrates fit into all this?  Are we really going to spend our last years avoiding bread, especially now that bread in America is so unbelievably delicious? And what about chocolate?” Nora Ephron from I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman