Plus, working into your retirement years can help you to eat better, support optimal mobility and just feel better in general. It can even help keep support cognitive health during aging. In the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, a British study showed that you can delay memory loss by six weeks for every extra year you hold down a job. And working can even lessen your chances of “the blues” and other health issues according to University of Michigan sociologist, Amy Pienta.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates more than 16 percent of America’s seniors are currently in the workforce and close to 70 percent of the baby-boomer generation express their intention of extending their working years into their retirement years.

Easy Feta Chicken Bake

3 boneless skinless natural free-range chicken breasts
2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 package (4 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
¼ c red pepper, finely chopped
¼ c parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a  13X9-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle the chicken with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Top with the feta cheese, then drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp lemon juice.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Sprinkle with red pepper and parsley. Serve warm.

HINT: Use basil-and-tomato feta or garlic-and-herb feta to enhance the flavor of the chicken.

A recent study published in the journal Gastroenterology found that consuming high amounts of folate may be associated with good colon health.

"The strongest association was with total folate [intake through both dietary means and supplements], which suggests that total folate intake is the best measure to define exposure to this nutrient because it encompasses all forms and sources," said lead researcher Victoria Stevens.

The investigators noted that the nutrient encourages healthy, normal cell growth and normal DNA synthesis and repair, which are key mechanisms needed to maintain good colon health.

The National Institutes of Health explains that it is important for individuals to get adequate amounts of folate, since people who are nutrient deficient may experience digestive health issues. Also, women with low folate levels may risk giving birth to premature or underweight babies who can experience a slow overall growth rate throughout life.

You can help support healthy urination and prostate function by using natural solutions. For example, for more than 28 years, the Swiss have used flower pollen to help men with less-than-optimal urinary and prostate health.

Flower pollen is rich in health-boosting vitamins, minerals, nucleic acids, enzymes and peptides. It helps support relaxed muscles in your urinary tract, as well as helping relax the smooth muscle tone of your urethra which enhances urine flow… supports optimal bladder muscle contraction to push urine out… and promotes relaxation of the sphincter muscles, which helps hold urine in your bladder. Flower pollen also promotes a healthy normal inflammatory response to help support a healthy urinary tract and enhance urine flow, and helps promote healthy hormone levels within the body.

However, there are other natural ways to support your prostate and urinary tract. In his book on ways to support prostate health, , Larry Clapp indicates that your prostate needs a steady supply of vitamins, mineral amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and enzymes. And these can be found in fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, whole grains, unsalted pumpkin seeds, kelp, flaxseed oil and green tea.

The fact is, many men will have some sort of prostate or urinary concern in their lives, and most men over 40 worry about the possibility. But with some natural precautions, you can support your prostate and urinary health for years to come.

It took scientists and researchers decades to discover why a certain food could make one person feel good, yet that same food could trigger numerous health problems in another person. Little-known sticky proteins called lectins—which make up part of a plant’s natural immune system—have been found to be the root cause of your distress.

Although lectins are beneficial for plants, they can cause problems in your body’s digestive tract. When you ingest foods containing lectins—such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, beer, grain-based alcohols, mayonnaise, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, legumes, eggs and all milk products—your body can’t digest or destroy those lectin proteins. Those proteins travel through your digestive tract, attaching themselves to healthy sugar molecules needed for effective digestion. Those sugars are now viewed as defective and your immune system tries to destroy them. Now you have an inflammatory battle in your digestive tract which can lead to…

• Upset stomach, excessive belching and flatulence
• Occasional Headaches, poor concentration and brain fog
• Weight gain, bloating and puffy eyes
• Annoying fatigue
• Joint discomfort

If you believe you have a sensitivity to lectins, you should ask your doctor to check you for “anti-gliadin antibodies and endomysium antibodies.” If either test comes back positive you should request a “celiac panel” to rule out other serious digestive problems. And in the meantime, you should try taking beneficial lectin-fighting supplements such as N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG), bladderwrack, okra powder, D-mannose, mucins, pepsin and sodium alginate.

Creamed Black Bean Soup

6 c water
3 garlic cloves, crushed (or 2 Tbsp from jar)
1 c chopped red and green bell peppers
4 cans (12-oz) black beans
1½ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c almond milk (recipe below)
Garnishes: Chopped avocado, tomato, feta cheese, tortilla strips

In a soup pot, add the beans to the water and stir well. Next, add the garlic and peppers and cook until soft. Remove from heat and blend the beans, garlic, peppers and cooking water, then return to the pot. TIP: You may have to do this in two shifts.

Add the salt, olive oil and almond milk and reheat the mixture. Then salt and pepper the soup to taste and serve with your garnishes. TIP: If you want to keep some of the beans whole in your soup, only remove half of your mixture to blend.

Almond Milk

1 c raw almonds soaked in water for 2 hours, drained
4 c water
1 Tbsp natural sweetener (stevia, agave nectar, sucanat or Grade B maple syrup)

Blend the almonds and water to a purée. Pour into a pitcher through a strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Lift the edges of the cheesecloth and wring out as much of the liquid as possible from the almonds. Sweeten with natural sweetener. Refrigerate up to 1 week, but shake before using.

This commonly used spice comes from pepper vines of the Piperaceae family native to tropical areas with stifling climates such as found in the southern part of India. These vines produce small white flowers that turn into berries called peppercorns, and are collected as berries or ground into black pepper.

Its spiciness comes from the chemical piperine, and not only does it add flavor to your favorite foods, but it also provides your body with a multitude of benefits such as helping improve digestion by supporting secretion of hydrochloric acid (HCl). HCl promotes good digestion which helps prevent intestinal gas and bloating, diarrhea and occasional constipation. But that’s only the beginning because black pepper is also said to help…

• Enhance joint comfort, flexibility, relieve muscle aches and sprains from exercise
• Support respiratory function
• Keep your teeth and gums healthy
• Promote weight control by supporting a healthy turnover of fat cells
• Provide manganese, iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins C and K
• Provide immune-supportive compounds

Plus, black pepper has antioxidant properties that help buffer the effects of oxidative free radicals which in turn, promotes optimal liver and cardiovascular health.

According to a recent study published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, women who consume five or more servings of baked or broiled fish per week have  enhanced heart function, compared to women who eat little or none of the seafood.
One reason for this may be that omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with improved heart health, since they decrease inflammation precursors and oxidative stress, and support healthy blood pressure and overall blood vessel function, the researchers explained.

"Baking or broiling fish and eating it frequently seem to be part of a dietary pattern that is very beneficial for a number of things. This suggests that fish is a very good source of lean protein that we ought to be increasing as a proportion of our diet and decreasing foods that contain less healthy saturated and trans fats," said lead researcher Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D.

Potatoes and Asparagus
3 large red potatoes (scrubbed, skins on and cubed)
10-oz. baby asparagus spears (fresh or frozen, cut into 2-inch pieces)
½ large yellow onion (cut into 1½-inch strips)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic (minced and crushed)
1 tsp rosemary
¾ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup pine nuts
⅓ cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Mix the potatoes, onion, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, sea salt and pepper in a bowl. Then spread the mixture evenly on a shallow baking pan and bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

While the mixture is cooking, if you’re using frozen asparagus, place the spears in a colander and run warm water over them until they’re thawed enough to cut. Pat the asparagus dry with paper towels then cut the fresh or now-thawed spears into 2-inch pieces.

Remove the potato mixture from the oven and add asparagus, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Mix well and spread it out evenly once again. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy your dish piping hot as a side dish… or as your main course.

Breakfast Juice Mixers
Place the following combinations of fruits and veggies in your high-powered juicer:

Green Juice
1 bunch Kale (next to lettuce in produce section in grocery store)
1 whole cucumber
3 stalks celery
1 apple

Carrot Celery Juice
4 large carrots
1 large stalk celery (including tops)

Carrot Beet Juice
6 large carrots
1 medium beet (in veggie section of grocery store)

Strawberry Apple Juice
1 pint fresh strawberries (stems removed)
1 medium red delicious apple
1 large carrot

Tip: You can mix the saved pulp from all three ingredients and freeze to make sorbet.

Apple Carrot Juice
4 apples, red or golden delicious
2 large carrots