Today is your day Boomer!  After watching the second part of The Beatles' documentary "Get Back", I began to wonder about the prevalance of smoking in Canada.  John, Paul, George, and Ringo were all chainsmokers back in 1969 when their album was being produced....and it sure is pretty disgusting to watch!  Then I began to think about my two athletic parents who became heavy smokers in the 1960s and then my mother dying of cancer at a young age.....likely related to tobacco.  It seemed almost everyone smoked back then, even during tennis matches(check out the picture!)  I remember my high school in the 1970s had separate smoking rooms for the tecahers and the students!  Thankfully today, society has drastically changed!  The latest research shows only about 12% of Canadians smoke, either regularly or on occassion, and that number continues to drop.  Seniors, many of whom are Boomers, are at 8% and I don't have any friends who smoke!  Now, maybe a doobie once in awhile....but no cigarettes!  48,000 Canadians die each year due to smoking!  Boomers, got the message?!  Cheers.
 Today is your day Boomer!  And today is another day for wining......and I don't mean complaining.  I mean drinking some pressed grapes and enjoying the health benefits.  That's right, drinking alcohol is good for you.  First, let's state the obvious....only in moderate amounts: two glasses per day for men and one for women.  Research shows the following positive health effects: (1) reduces risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease (2) is an anti-flammatory(white wine is better for this) (3) decreases risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol(red wine is a better choice) (4) good for mental health, may increase age longevity, may promote healthy gut bacteria. All of this sounds good and much of it boils down to the antioxidants which are higher in red wine.  It seems reds--like Merlot, Cab Sav, and Shiraz--have been studied more.....which means more research is needed on whites.  Boomers, maybe we could volunteer for a new study!  Cheers!
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