The Wonder of Gratitude

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1 December 2012 Eagle County Government Senior Trail Eagle County Healthy Aging The Wonder of Gratitude Inside this issue: General 1 Nutrition 2&5 Who are We? 3 Wellness 4 Recipe 6 The ability to notice, appreciate and savor the elements of life is an essential determinant of well-being. Research has shown that those of us who are grateful are happier, more hopeful and more helpful to others. We are less anxious, more spiritually inclined and report higher levels of well-being. Gratitude can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, increase the amount we exercise, and increase generosity and cooperation. It is not surprising that people with spirit at work are more grateful than those employees with low spirit at work. We are all familiar with the feeling of gratitude. Somebody does something nice for us or gives us a gift and we, in turn, feel thankful. We know that they didn t have to make the gesture and that they did it for our benefit. We experience gratitude when we value the gift and the intent of the person who gave it to us. Too often, others are benevolent towards us but we are unaware of it or fail to understand the value of their offering. We miss out on the feelings of gratitude and, of course, the benefits. The foundation of gratitude is knowing the gift or kind gesture was freely given, no strings attached. There is also awareness that one didn t do anything to deserve the gift. But gratitude is more than a grateful response. It is also a sense of awe and wonder for life and thankfulness for what we have. Really, gratitude is an approach to life a way of thinking that can be chosen freely. It is not dependent on wealth, occupation, position or health. We can choose gratitude even when we are unhappy with those around us. We can choose gratitude when we feel stress. We can even choose gratitude when we are criticized and feel inadequate. What are you grateful for in your life? And who are you grateful to? Have you told them? I invite you to bring gratitude into your life. Val Kinjerski, Senior Trail Page 1

2 Nutrition Health n Up Your Holidays When it comes to the holidays sometimes the temptations out-weigh our healthy habits leading to weight gain. Often this weight gain can remain with us over the course of the year. Here are some tips to help keep your plate and your weight healthier: Fill half your plate with fruits, veggies and lighter hors d oevres such as hummus & whole grain pita bread. Limit portions of hors d oevres made with cheese, high fat dairy products & processed meats. Limit portions of fried foods. Limit portions of desserts. If you go heavy on one meal, go light on the next. Limit alcohol to 2 drinks for men and 1 for women per day. Watch out for high calorie drinks such as egg nog and Irish cream. Continue regular exercise and may consider increasing over the holidays. Try to include non-food activity with family like doing a walking tour of a street with Christmas decorations, go to the museum or volunteering for the community. Be sure to follow good food safety rules for keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, washing hands and avoiding cross contamination. If you are doing the cooking, try these calorie & fat reducing tips: Gravy Refrigerate the gravy to harden fat.. Skim the fat off. This will save a whopping 56 grams of fat per cup. Dressing Use a little less bread and add more onions, garlic, celery, and vegetables. Add fruits such as cranberries or apples. Moisten or flavor with low fat low sodium chicken or vegetable broth and applesauce. Turkey Enjoy delicious, roasted turkey breast without the skin and save 11 grams of saturated fat per 3ounce serving. Green Bean Casserole Cook fresh green beans with chucks of potatoes instead of cream soup. Top with almonds instead of fried onion ring. Mashed Potato Use skim milk, chicken broth, garlic or garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese instead of whole milk and butter. Quick Holiday Nog Four bananas, 1-1/2 cups skim milk or soymilk, 1-1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract, and ground nutmeg. Blend all ingredients except nutmeg. Puree until smooth. Top with nutmeg. Desserts Make a crustless pumpkin pie. Substitute two egg whites for each whole egg in baked recipes. Replace heavy cream with evaporated skim milk in cheesecakes and cream pies. Top cakes with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of fattening frosting. (continued on Page 5) Senior Trail Page 2

3 Who Are We? Our Mission: Healthy Aging is dedicated to serving the over 60 population of Eagle County with nutrition, transportation, social activities and programs that help to maintain the independence of older adults. Karen Koenemann Healthy Communities Manager Miki Klahn Healthy Aging Program Specialist (El Jebel) Carly Rietmann Healthy Aging Program Coordinator (Eagle) Pat Nolan Healthy Aging Program Coordinator (Minturn) Caroline Murphy APS/Adult Case Management Mikey Colley ECO Transit Driver Eagle/ Minturn (ECO Dispatch) Bob Anderson El Jebel Driver Gina Demarest Culinary Specialist (Eagle) Deborah Young Culinary Specialist (El Jebel) Leona Perkins Property Manager Golden Eagle Senior Apt s Seniors On Broadway Have Questions or concerns about your diet? Call Melanie Hendershott, Registered Dietitian for a free consultation Jean Hammes Director Alpine Area Agency on Aging ext. 107 Call Eagle County Toll Free All meals are served with bread & butter, coffee, tea, juice, milk. Menus are subject to change. Reservations are requested for lunch by 9:30 am Eagle: Please call Lunches are served at noon on Tuesday and Thursday at the Golden Eagle Community Senior Center, 715 Broadway in Eagle. We deliver meals to homebound seniors in the upper and lower Eagle Valley (Vail to Gypsum). El Jebel: Please call Lunches are served at noon on Tuesday and Thursday at the Eagle County Annex Building, 0020 Eagle County Dr. in El Jebel (just off Hwy 82 at Crown Mountain Park). We deliver meals to homebound seniors in the Roaring Fork Mid-Valley. Minturn-Vail: Please call Lunches are served at 11:45 on Wednesday and Friday at Maloit Park Senior Center inside Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy in Minturn. Eagle and El Jebel meals are funded by the Older Americans Act and Eagle County Govt. Senior Citizens (anyone over 60): suggested anonymous donation of $2.50. All Guests (under 60) including Caregivers must pay $8.00. Minturn lunches are provided by Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy and have a required fee of $2.00 per meal. Senior Trail Page 3

4 Wellness More Than Bananas: Potassium Reduces Heart Disease Risk You ve certainly heard the advice to cut back on salt to decrease or prevent high blood pressure. While this is absolutely true, this is only part of the picture. Another dietary piece is the need to increase potassium. Potassium Facts: Less than half of Americans get enough potassium Potassium helps by counter-balancing sodium in the diet. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium your body gets rid of. Along with relaxing blood vessel walls, this helps to lower blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart disease. Be aware: as our bodies get older, the kidneys may not function as well as they used to and may not be able to remove potassium from the blood as easily as before. Do not take potassium supplements without asking your physician; food is always a better source. Most salt substitutes are potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride found in regular salt. Additionally, you need to know if you take a diuretic that causes your body to lose potassium, making getting enough potassium even more important. The key comes in knowing where to find potassium. Lots of foods contain potassium, not just bananas. You might have guessed it, but the major sources of this mineral are the foods we are most often encouraged to eat: fruit, vegetables, legumes (beans), fish, and low-fat dairy products. The recommended intake for potassium is 4,700 milligrams/day. Check this chart to find foods that you enjoy and can provide potassium to have a healthier body but don t think you can eat more sodium just because you increase your potassium! Linda Sorensen, GCNP Dietitian Potassium-rich foods : Food Serving Potassium (mg) Sweet potato, baked 1 potato (146g) 694 Lima beans, cooked 1/2 c. 484 Beet greens, cooked 1/2 c. 655 Winter Squash, cooked 1/2 c 448 Potato, baked flesh 1 potato (156g) 510 Cod, Pacific, cooked 3 0z. 439 White beans, canned 1/2 c. 595 Banana 1 medium 422 Clams, canned 3 oz. 534 Yogurt, plain, low-fat 8 oz. container 531 Prune Juice 3/4 c. 530 Carrot juice 3/4 c. 517 Halibut, cooked 3oz. 490 Tuna, cooked 3 oz. 484 Spinach, cooked 1/2c. 419 Tomato juice 3/4 c. 417 Tomato sauce 1/2 c. 405 Salmon, cooked, 3oz. Milk, low fat,1c. 366 Orange 1 medium 232 Senior Trail Page 4

5 Nutrition/Volunteers Health n Up Your Holidays continued from page 2 The holidays are a difficult time to fight the battle of the bulge, but by choosing to follow these tips you have a very healthy, yet satisfying holiday. article by Melaine Hendershott, MSO, RD, CSO THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS Wow! What a busy and fun year it has been with the Eagle County Senior community. Delicious and nutritious meals are served at our lunch sites, variety in exercise classes are offered on a regular basis, fun field trips continue to be popular, as well as community collaborations and health fairs held throughout the year to educate and inform us all on those healthy behaviors that will enhance and improve the quality of our lives as we age in place. The most important component in the success of all Healthy Aging programs in Eagle County is the dedication and commitment we receive on a daily basis from our many wonderful volunteers. Our programs would not be as successful if not for the incredible work of our volunteers. We thank you for all that you do! Eagle County RSVP Speaking of volunteers, RSVP would like to thank all of our volunteers throughout the entire county who have given their time and effort towards a variety of volunteer jobs over the last year. To date, RSVP volunteers in Eagle County have given over 18,000 hours of service to our community. Also, a big thank you to those who have continued to volunteer despite the lack of mileage reimbursement funds. The funding will be back in January, and we thank you all for your understanding. Here s wishing you a happy and healthy 2013 volunteering season. Would you like to learn more about RSVP? We d love to share! Please call for more information about how to get involved and to learn more about current volunteer opportunities and organizations in our communities. Senior Trail Page 5

6 Eagle County Government Healthy Communities PO Box 660 Eagle, Colorado If you don t already know, you can get the newsle er mailed or ed to you! If you re Interested, please call Sweet Potato Casserole Potatoes: 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup evaporated low-fat milk 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs Cooking spray Topping: 1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup) 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons melted butter 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Cool 5 minutes. 3. Place potatoes in a large bowl; add granulated sugar, evaporated milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well. Pour potato mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. 4. To prepare topping, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, brown sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; stir with a whisk. Stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over potato mixture; arrange pecans evenly over top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or just until golden. 5. Preheat broiler (remove casserole from oven). 6. Broil casserole 45 seconds or until topping is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Submitted by Stephanie Glenwright, source: myrecipes.com, Cooking Light Senior Trail Page 6