When did you last have sex?

This could be a question that men might be routinely asked as part of a screening programme for propensity to heart disease. A new research study in the US found that with all other factors held constant men who had sex twice a week cuts down the risk of heart disease by half. In addition, having sex once or twice a week in winter can boost the immune system and reduce the chances of catching colds and flu, according to researchers at Wilkes University, Pennsylvania.

They found it boosted levels of immunoglobulin A or IGA which binds to organisms that invade the body and then activates the immune system to destroy them.

So now you know - and I have had viral infection and a cold this winter already!!

New publisher

Our book was published by Middlesex University Press who we think made a very good job of it. Sadly, as part of the overall University cuts Middlesex decided to axe its publishing wing in December. Fortunately, the key people in the publishing company have set up a new company, Libri Publishing. You will now find our book on their new website and from now on the book will be available from them. They also have lots of ideas about building on the book so we believe that its future will be rosy.

World of Employment Map

Those of you familiar with The Rainbow Years may have come across a major reference after the skills and interests diagnostics to the World of Employment Map. This is now on an LSC website on advice resources but now has a new website address to the one printed in the book. It is now http://www.advice-resources.co.uk/Resources/advice_resources/jobprofiles.htm

Bit long I know but it is the place to look if you are wanting information on nearly 800 jobs in 27 job families and it is defined according to your transferable skills and occupational interests.

Over 50s Hit Hard By Recession

New figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveal the number of long-term (6-12 months) unemployed over-50s has increased by 135 per cent, the highest increase among all age groups. Men are being hit hardest among this age group, with the numbers of long term unemployed increasing by 185 percent, the highest increase among all age groups.

Andrew Harrop, Head of Public Policy for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said:

"These figures confirm our fears that men in their 50s are being hit hard by the recession, with the number of long term unemployed men over 50 nearly trebling over the past year.

"Employers ageist attitudes mean many older workers simply aren't getting the opportunities to return to employment and research shows the longer it takes, the more unlikely it is they will ever get back to work.

"An end to the working lives of men in their 50s now will not only condemn them to an uncomfortable retirement, but will also deprive the recovering economy of their skills and experience, just when they are most needed.

"The Government's Employment White Paper shows it has listened to the plight of the over 50s. We hope the package of support they have promised will help prevent a lost generation of older workers becoming trapped in long-term unemployment."

Advice from Regina Brett

We came across this great piece written by the US Columnist Regina Brett, after she turned 50 last year.


"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5.. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets and towels; use the best china and glassware; wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39.. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Portfolio careers

I have already announced the launch of my latest book on portfolio careers and there are a number of videos from that launch on www.portfoliocareers.net. This will give you a taste of what the project is all about. And the relevance to this site? We found evidence to suggest that the idea of a portfolio career has special attractions for the over 50's who are searching for a different way to the traditional single track career.

Older workers to delay retirement

A CIPD survey of 2000 older workers sheds light on people's thoughts about retirement. 71 per cent of those aged 55 and above now plan to work on past state pension age, compared with just 40 per cent in a similar survey conducted two years ago.

Although financial reasons were given as a driver for wanting or having to work on, there were plenty of other motivations cited in the survey.

Sixty-five per cent said they would like to continue using their skills and experience.

Fifty-eight per cent said they wanted the social interaction that work brings and 44 per cent said work was good for their self esteem.

The older people get, or the closer to state pension age, the more likely they are to be planning to work on, the survey shows, suggesting that “reality bites as they get close to drawing their pension”.

Nearly half of those aged 45 to 54 expect to work on past a state pension age that on current plans will rise to 66 in 2026 and 67 in 2036.

In recent years, the numbers working on past state pension age have been one of the fastest growing sections of the workforce.

The most recent figures from the Office of National Statistics show that more than 1.4m are currently working past state pension age – 450,000 men aged over 65 and 953,000 women aged over 60.

Over the past year, that section of the workforce has risen by 5.8 per cent when employment has fallen for almost all other age groups.

The baby boomers come of old age

Do look at an excellent summary article in the FT which highlights the significant historical fact that the baby boomers are now all hitting traditional retirement age and yet more and more of us are not behaving in traditional ways.

So why am I taking Ginkgo biloba?

Elderly people who took Ginkgo biloba every day for six years had as many difficulties with recall as those who took a fake supplement, the largest study of its kind has shown.

At least 100,000 people in Britain are thought to regularly take the supplement, which has been widely credited with improving memory and concentration.

Made from the leaves of the Ginkgo tree, the Chinese herbal remedy has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries.

It is thought to contain chemicals which help the flow of blood around the body, which advocates believe will help protect the brain against decline.

But the researchers who carried out the latest study warned that the supplement appeared to have no effect on warding off age-related memory problems.

Beth Snitz, from the University of Pittsburgh, who led the study, said: “Ginkgo biloba is marketed widely and used with the hope of improving, preventing, or delaying cognitive impairment associated with ageing and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

“We (found) no evidence that Ginkgo biloba slows the rate of cognitive decline in older adults.”

For the study the team followed 3,069 volunteers, all of whom were aged between 72 and 96 years old and were given either a dose of the herbal supplement or a placebo twice a day for more than six years.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Earlier studies have suggested that Ginkgo biloba could have other health benefits apart from memory, including reducing damage to the brain during a stroke.

280,000 Britons will be centenarians by 2050

When I give talks on the pluses of being 50+ I often refer to the rather staggering fact that when the Queen came to the throne in 1953 she sent out 200 telegrams to centenarians. In 2009 that figure was closer to 11,000. Research just published now suggests that more than 280,000 of us will reach that age by 2050. Even hope for me then!

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions predict that the number of 100-year-olds will double to 22,000 by 2020, double again by 2030 and hit 280,000 in 2050.

They will be living for more than a century thanks to improved diets, medical advances and a move away from manual labour.

While those currently under the age of 60 may be looking forward to a lengthy retirement, the figures raise fears over how the pubic purse will cope.

Meeting the cost of public sector workers' pensions is already imposing a punishing burden on the taxpayer.Separately, company pension schemes are being ripped up, leaving workers vulnerable to poverty in old age. The net effect is that millions of Britons will have to work well into their sixties and beyond if they are to maintain a decent standard of living.

But on a positive note, the older generation may also begin to wield more cultural and political power as they acquire proportionally more votes and financial muscle.

Work and Pensions Minister Lord McKenzie said: 'It is clear that in the coming years an older society offers great opportunities as well as challenges.

'Opportunities for those in retirement to continue working, learning and contributing to society, but challenges around how best to support this group. The biggest changes to pensions for a generation will mean that millions of people will be saving for their retirement.'