January: Happy New Year – 2010!

How many of you have already said, “I can’t believe it’s 2010, time goes so fast!”? Well, you’re right…it does go fast! I hope you all find peace in the new year and enjoy each day.

We all have different priorities, needs. Likes and dislikes. I personally enjoy learning new skills, attempting a good challenge, seeing my two sweet grandchildren, traveling some, volunteering and playing bridge! There are also the in between times with friends, family, and new acquaintances that are delightful for me; a movie, popcorn, and of course, a glass of good red wine! Most of all, I like my Wellness Workouts business, helping others stay healthy, and working with people mostly in my age group that I understand when they share their stories with me. I have become more attached to these folks than I every thought I would, and feel very fortunate to be a part of their life.

I had conversations with some of my classes about their New Year’s resolutions! Many said they wanted to continue a healthy life, others said they would travel more while they could still move around, and some said they did not make resolutions…they just let things happen. Not one of them said I want to get rid of my arthritis pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, get more sleep…not one of these people put a negative twist to their resolutions! They understand aging, they understand the reality of what can be fixed and what can’t. Seniors are not the complainers so many people think they are. They prevail!

I have several resolutions! I am going to take piano chord lessons which I hope will motivate me to get back into playing the piano. I am going to run another marathon this year at age 65. Might be my last, but I am working with a personal trainer to make me stronger physically, and mentally, for my journey so I know I will finish feeling good. I am already excited!  I will continue my bridge and my volunteer work, both extremely rewarding for me. The cards keep my mind sharp, and the volunteering helps so many other people, how could it not help me! I know I have not made my resolutions impossible for me to accomplish.  Having resolutions you enjoy, know you are capable of doing, and really, really want to do is a wise decision. Why disappoint yourself? If you do make a resolution, be practical and enjoy your journey! A little tip below about nutrition in 2010 taken from the Senior Fitness Association’s January 2010 newsletter. I think it’s a brilliant statement!

Nutrition in 2010 – One common-sense take on weight control:

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas."

       - Author Unknown

Think about that!

In good health,

Karen

November/December - Holiday Gift Giving

My daughter reminds me that it is not what you buy it is the time you spend and the teaching you do that makes a good relationship. I agree! With that said, we all like a nice prezzie once in awhile, but we certainly don't have to spend a lot of money to show our affection, concern, and love for any person. Try baking some homemade goods or just calling and chatting with someone that you haven't talked to for a long time. Stop into a nursing home and ask a nurse who needs a hand to hold, someone to smile with.  Take a walk out in nature and learn to enjoy the gift of life you have been given. Give back! Volunteer! It is more rewarding than any gift you could every receive.

My gift to you...well, I am lighting my Hope's Flame candles (www.HopesFlame.com) and sending all of you from sea to sea, wishes for good health, happiness in your life, peace in your heart, hope for cure, and smiles of contentment. Take time in your day to laugh, to be productive in something special to you, to share, and to be quiet and peaceful. Blessing from me to you during the holiday seasons!

 

The Holidays are a Busy Time For All of Us!

"The anticipation of having fun and gathering with family and friends is usually pursued in a positive manner. We can't forget that stress and depression often enter into the picture! Stress and depression can ruin your holidays! Being realistic and planning ahead can help ward off some stress and depression!"

Take time to read the article below from the Mayo Clinic staff at MayoClinic.com ~ I suggest you check out their website for more healthy holiday recipes and healthful tips!

Recognize Holiday Triggers

• Relationships. Relationships can cause turmoil, conflict or stress at any time, but tensions are often heightened during the holidays.  Family misunderstandings and conflicts can intensify...especially if you're thrust together for several days. On the other hand, facing holidays without a loved one can be tough and leave you feeling lonely and sad.
  

• Finances.  With the added expenses of gifts, travel, food and entertainment, the holidays can put a strain on your budget..and your peace of mind. Not to mention that overspending now can mean financial worries for months to come.
  

• Physical demands. Even die-hard holiday enthusiasts may find that the extra shopping and socializing can leave them wiped out. Being exhausted increases your stress, creating a vicious cycle. Exercise and sleep...good antidotes for stress and fatigue...may take a back seat to chores and errands. To top it off, burning the wick at both ends makes you more susceptible to colds and other unwelcome guests.
  

Source: MayoClinic.com

July 3 - Beloved on the Earth

Recently, I experienced the death of two friends. As I get older and, quite frankly, as I experience losing more people that have had an impact on my life, I have learned to except it easier and mourn less. I learned to actually celebrate and reflect on the meaning they had to my own existence, rather than be sad about my loss. Let me make it perfectly clear; I am sad that they are no longer with me and that their families have lost a loved one, but I just don’t have to dwell on that any longer, which brings me to the book, Beloved on the Earth.

“Beloved on the Earth is filled with words that take our anxiety and grief, our anguish and fear, and magically turn them into meaning, wonder, and, yes, even gratitude. An anthology filled with healing and hope.” – Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

I couldn’t have said it any better. I don’t think a lot of us get to the gratitude part of a loss until we get a little older and have more life experiences behind us. That’s why I think this book is so important. It opens your mind through poems by people from all walks of life, and in the end they all come to the gratitude of having the person they lost as part of their life. 

Some of us don’t want to explore the reading of poetry. This book will be enjoyed and understood by anyone who takes time to think about the words and the meaning the writer is sharing. Enjoy!

Beloved on the Earth:

150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude

Edited by Jim Perlman, Deborah Cooper,

Mara Hart, and Pamela Mittlefehldt

Published by Holy Cow! Press

For personal inquiries, write to:

Holy Cow! Press

PO Box 3170

Mount Royal Station

Duluth, Minnesota 55803

www.holycowpress.org

June 9 - Monkey Bread

I have been hungry all day, so decided to check out some of my healthified recipes from General Mills. Our “Granny Goo-Goo” made monkey bread for us many times when we went to visit her with our children, her “two little darlings,” as she would call them. Of course we all loaded the warm bread with butter and as we ate them we added even more. Heavens! I don’t even like to think about that. So, when I ran across this recipe I was delighted. While the taste is not as rich as Granny Goo-Goo’s, it comes very close. I still need butter! Enjoy!

"Healthified" Monkey Bread

57% less fat • 61% less sat fat • 32% fewer calories than the original recipe. Show your love of baking and health with a breakfast favorite that's meant to be pulled apart.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:1 hr 10 min

Makes:16 servings

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated reduced-fat buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 cup fat-free caramel topping

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray.

2. In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate both cans of dough into 16 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Add biscuit pieces to sugar mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Layer biscuit pieces and pecans in pan.

3. In small bowl, mix caramel topping and vanilla. Pour over biscuit pieces.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information: 1 Serving: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 640mg; Total Carbohydrate 39g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 15g); Protein 3g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2

*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Source: Eat Better America, General Mills

May 19 - Walk for a Healthier Heart

Sometimes we slack off a little with our exercise routines during the summer months…so much going on when the weather is nicer!  It’s really essential to keep active with your cardio and weight lifting all year around.  Our body actually thrives better with more exercise! 

To get your best results from walking, keep to a consistent routine that fits your lifestyle. Try this simple 20-minute beginner’s walking workout, designed by certified trainer Debbie Rocker, author of "Walking for Weight Loss" and "A.M. and P.M. Walking" DVDs. When this plan becomes easy, add an extra sequence of  “easy-brisk-strong-power-speed walking” until you build up to 45 minutes total per walk. For starters, aim for at least three days of walking each week, but try to do this workout on most days of the week. As with any new exercise plan, check with your doctor before you begin to make sure the plan is right for you.

MinutesDo ThisIntensity Level*

StartWarm-up 3-4 (like window shopping)

1:00Easy walk4-5 (easy enough that you can sing)

3:00Brisk Walk      5-6 (you can talk freely but no singing)

5:00Strong Walk   6-7 (you’re slightly breathless)

7:00Power Walk    7-8 (you can talk in brief phrases,

  but you’d rather not)

9:00Speed Walk    8-9 (there’s no breath left for chatting!)

11:00      Power Walk    7-8 (you can talk in brief phrases,

  but you’d rather not)

13:00     Strong Walk    6-7 (you’re slightly breathless)

15:00     Brisk Walk      5-6 (you can talk freely but no singing)

17:00     Easy Walk       4-5 (easy enough that you can sing)

19:00     Cool-down      3-4 (like window shopping)

20:00     Finished!

*Based on 1- 10 scale of intensity, with 1 equivalent to sitting on the sofa and 10 equivalent to sprinting.

Source: Eat Better America- General Mills 2009

April 6 - The Pollen Patrol

Breathe easier during spring allergy season. Reduce the sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose of spring allergies with these simple steps:

• Wash your hands frequently. Pollen is everywhere. You get it  on your hands opening a car door, running your hands through your hair or touching outdoor surfaces.
  

• Wash your hair before you go to bed at night if you've spent a lot of time outside.
  

• Close your windows and use the air conditioner to keep pollen from drifting into your home and car.
  

• If possible, stay indoors between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., the peak pollen hours.
  

• Check the pollen count and try to stay indoors on days when it is high.
  

• Avoid mowing lawns, which stirs up pollens.
  

• Use a dryer for laundry instead of hanging it outdoors.
  

• Talk to your doctor about over-the-counter or prescription remedies. Some medications work best when taken shortly before pollen season begins.
  

Source:  American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

March 5 - Alternative and Complementary Medicine

When I had ovarian cancer, I listened to and did pretty much everything my doctors asked me to, but I didn't stop there…I reached out to other resources as well. Since I started my wellness business, I have been buying a lot of health-related books from the Mayo Clinic Bookstore, and one that really brought great interest to me is their Book of Alternative Medicine. Integrating alternative and conventional therapies, a concept I definitely did not grow up with, is now something I do on a daily basis in my life.  Dr. Brent Bauer, Director, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic says, "Thanks to increased research during the past two decades, doctors are now better able to understand the role these ‘alternative’ therapies can play in helping treat and prevent disease.” I say, "Amen!"

I also learned the difference between "complementary" and "alternative" medicine from Mayo Clinic’s Book of Alternative Medicine. Complementary medicine is defined as unconventional treatments used in addition to treatments by your doctor. In contrast, alternative medicine includes treatments used in place of traditional medicine. This might include seeing a homeopath or naturopath instead of your regular doctor. Among the general public, this distinction is not as clear. Many people use the term alternative medicine as a catch-all phrase to refer to both therapies used in addition to conventional care and those used in place of it.

I use complementary medicine. I have complete faith in my conventional doctors, but have no hesitation to reach out further! My main source has been my Chinese Acupuncture. I try to visit him at least every six weeks. We talk, meditate, and he needles me for strength in my immune system. I feel very relaxed when I leave his office and my mind and body feel strong.

Take the Mayo Clinic quiz below (from their Book of Alternative Medicine) to see just how much you know about alternative and complementary medicines. Interesting information here that acknowledges whether you know it or not, you are already probably using alternative or complementary medicine in your lifestyle! Answers are at the end of this post.

1. The most commonly used alternative and complementary therapy in the United States is:

(a) Prayer

(b) Meditation

(c) Herbal supplements

(d) Chiropractic care

2. The percentage of American adults who use some form of complementary or alternative medicine is:

(a) 27%

(b) 49%

(c) 62%

(d) 84%

3. Women are more likely to use complementary and alternative therapies than are men:

(a) true

(b) false

4. The most common condition for which people turn to complementary and alternative medicine is:

(a) anxiety

(b) arthritis

(c) back pain

(d) common cold

5. The most common reason people give for using a complementary or alternative therapy is:

(a) thought it would be interesting to try

(b) wanted to try something in addition to conventional

treatments

(c) thought conventional treatments wouldn’t help

(d) their doctor suggested they try it

6. Approximately how much money is spent yearly on complementary and alternative therapies?

(a) $36 million to $47 million

(b) $360 million to $470 million

(c) $3.6 billion to $4.7 billion

(d) $36 billion to $47 billion

7. Some forms of complementary and alternative medicine have been practiced for more than 1,000 years:

(a) true

(b) false

8. "Integrative medicine" refers to:

(a) healing of mind, body and spirit

(b) whole-body treatment vs. symptoms-based care

(c) combining complementary and alternative therapies with

conventional medicine

(d) all of the above

9. Diet and exercise are the foundation of optimal health:

(a) true

(b) false

10. Studies don’t support a correlation between mental and physical health:

(a) true

(b) false

To cover every aspect of alternative medicine on this site would be extremely difficult. If you’re interested in learning a great deal more, check out the Mayo Clinic website. At the same time, if you’re interested in their book, you can order on line! Resources are always available free at your local library and today most clinics and hospitals have information available as well. Most of us have finally figured out it is essential to be your own advocate in life, especially when it comes to your health and wellness. Get educated - explore and learn!

Good health to you!

Karen

Quiz answers: (1) a, (2) c, (3) a, (4) c, (5) b, (6) d, (7) a, (8) d, (9) a, (10) b

February 22 - Making exercise work for you!

Exercise can benefit nearly everyone, including individuals who are pregnant or facing a medical condition. Just be sure to check with your doctor before beginning your program.

• Cardiovascular disease - Exercise reduces buildup of cholesterol-containing plaques and pressure on damaged arteries. It helps to increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol and helps to reduce risk of a second heart attack.
  

• High blood pressure - Helps to lower blood pressure and maintain its control.
  

• Stroke - Helps to prevent stroke. After a stroke, flexibility exercise can restore range of motion, aerobic exercise can increase mobility, and balance exercise can improve posture!
  

• Asthma - Increases the heart's working capacity, reducing the heart muscle's workload and increasing its endurance.
  

• Cancer - Helps counteract fatigue, weakness, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite and constipation.  Other kinds of exercise may help with different side effects, such as flexibility exercise for swelling of the arm.
  

• Osteoporosis - Weight-bearing exercise can strengthen bones!
  

• Arthritis - Flexibility exercise can increase mobility and reduce pain and stiffness.  Strength training strengthens muscles and stabilizes joints. LOW-IMPACT aerobic exercise increases endurance and overall fitness.
  

• Diabetes - Exercise increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, which helps to control blood sugar and reduces the need for medication!
  

• Disability - Exercise helps to balance and develop muscle groups and increases independence, helps to counteract infections, weakness and fatigue.  Promotes weight control.
  

• Obesity - Regular exercise promotes weight loss and long-term weight control. JUST DO IT!
  

• Chronic pain - Exercise promotes release of pain-blocking chemicals, strengthens muscles, and improves balance, posture, overall fitness, and ability to function.
  

References: Mayo Clinic Fitness for Everybody

2005 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education/Research

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Medical Disclaimer

Check with your doctor before participating in any exercise

program at any age.

The information contained herein reflects only the opinion of the authors, trainers, affiliates, or associates. In no way is it to be considered medical advice. Specific medical advice should be obtained from a licensed health care practitioner. Consult with your doctor before you begin any fitness, exercise, nutrition, diet, weight loss, heart attack or stroke risk reduction program or other change in lifestyle. This information is in no way meant to treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness from happening.

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