Aberdeen Heights The Glen Community Matters December 2016

Community Matters The Glen at Aberdeen Heights

December 2016

How to keep off extra pounds during the holidays With the holidays right around the corner, your calendar is probably already filling up with friendly parties, formal dinners and family gatherings. All of that celebrating can take a toll on the body. Polls and scientific studies estimate that many Americans gain between one and five pounds during the holiday season.

This wouldn’t be so bad, except that most of us won’t lose that weight over the next year. By the time we reach our fifties and beyond, the accumulation of those holiday pounds can pose a significant health risk.To help you enjoy this holiday season without gaining extra weight, here are seven tips you and your family can use: 6 practical, everyday tips These seven tips are specific little things that are easy to implement

Staff and residents celebrate five years of The Glen serving the community.

Happy anniversary We’re honored and grateful to be celebrating five years of serving the community at The Glen. Several employees in attendance have been here since the beginning: Joyce Wilton, Dana Jacobs, Lakisha Irons, Loretta Cutler and Sharon May. We also recognized the two spouses of the first two residents.

Dave Strudell and Jean Prichard were here to mark the occasion with us, and we honor the memory of their spouses who’ve passed on.

Dave Strudell and Jean Prichard

HOLIDAYS, continued on page 2

A proud member of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America

Open house Join us for The Glen’s Christmas Open House, Thursday, December 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

HOLIDAYS, continued from page 1

throughout the holiday season and will help keep you from consuming more calories than you burn.

Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Aberdeen Heights by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at: PresbyterianManors.org.

James “Jamie” Kneen, executive director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Loretta Cutler, health care lifestyle coordinator, lcutler@pmma.org.

Telephone: 314-909-6010 Address: 505 Couch Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

2

1. Eat before attending events.

Knowing that you have a holiday party coming up in the evening, you might think it’s a good idea to eat less throughout the day, but that’s actually setting yourself up for an overindulgence disaster. By eating healthy meals and snacks throughout the day, you’ll ensure a constant supply of energy and reduce the likelihood of party-time cravings and the associated bingeing.

Your best buffer against consuming a ton of empty calories at a party is to eat a fiber- and nutrient-dense meal or substantial snack right before you head to the party. Some good options are a lightly dressed salad with plenty of veggies and legumes, a bowl of bean soup or a healthy whole grain pilaf.

2. Employ the every-other rule with alcohol. One of the biggest

Community Matters December 2016

calorie culprits at holiday gatherings is that cup of cheer. Alcoholic drinks can contain 80 to 500+ calories per serving and, what’s worse, studies have shown that drinking alcohol makes it likely you’ll consume more food calories as well. One of the tactics I describe in my weight-loss book, RebootYour Body: Unlocking the Genetic Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss, is what I call the “every-other” rule, which requires you to drink a full glass of water between every alcoholic beverage you consume. Doing this makes you feel fuller and keeps you hydrated, which can be important for regulating hunger signals.

3. Go green, and red and orange.

Some holiday events are more formal affairs, involving sit-down dinners rather than roaming appetizer platters.

In those instances, you can greatly reduce the number of calories you consume by opting for the plant-based entrée and by starting with a large salad free of meats, cheeses and creamy HOLIDAYS, continued on page 3 Like us on Facebook

exercise every day, look for ways to work more activity into your normal dressings. By filling up on fibrous vegetables, legumes and whole grains, daily routine. Breaking up a workout you’ll be less likely to overeat when the into two shorter sessions is one good strategy, but doing many short bouts of dessert tray comes rolling by. exercise throughout the day is just as 4. Double down on exercise. effective in terms of the calorie burn.

Another good way to fight holiday These short “activity snacks” can also weight gain is by offsetting extra be a good way to re-energize whenever calories consumed with more calories you find yourself feeling sluggish. burned. If you already exercise 5. Rethink your holiday regularly, now is the time to ramp up traditions. There’s no doubt that your routine, either by adding more food and drink are important elements minutes or by upping the intensity. of many holiday traditions, but I If you don’t exercise, but are healthy encourage you to ask yourself whether enough to do so, then starting now they should be the central elements — rather than waiting for Jan. 1 to of those traditions. Imagine a holiday season that places more emphasis on roll around — is a good idea. If you the gathering and fellowship among can’t dedicate a big chunk of time to HOLIDAYS, continued from page 2

We respect the privacy of residents and ask that you respect their privacy, too.

Posting this?

Check the background.

If your photograph, video or Snap includes residents who are not a relative, don’t post it to social media.

friends and family and less emphasis on the meals and treats.

At my family’s gatherings, many things change from year to year, but one thing remains the same:There is always too much of everything. By taking a more moderate approach and limiting your holiday smorgasbord to a very few delicious traditional dishes, you can actually create a greater sense of enjoyment.With less competition on the buffet table, guests can slow down and better appreciate what’s in front of them.

6. Start your day by setting your intentions. This is a quick and easy strategy to implement, and by doing it every day it becomes powerfully effective.When you first wake up, before you do anything else, take one or two minutes to set your healthy habit intentions for the day.Think about the events you’ll be attending and how you plan to navigate them. Remind yourself that the holiday season is about connecting with others and practicing gratitude and compassion, and that the overconsumption of food and drink doesn’t need to be a part of that.

I don’t know about you, but this holiday season I’m looking forward to a Jan. 1 that doesn’t involve an emergency weight loss plan!

Like us on Facebook

The Glen at Aberdeen Heights

3

Who are you going to be an

angel for this holiday season?

Give your gift today.

Make a difference in the lives of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America seniors who no longer have the resources to care for themselves. Every gift to the Good Samaritan Program remains local and helps residents who are living right here in our campus. To make your gift, visit the front desk, go online to PresbyterianManors.org/GoodSam or call us at 316-685-1100.

Enriching lives with art We will focus on art and how it’s used on our campuses to enrich life in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. How do the arts help you stay sharp? How do you exercise creativity? How does your campus support your exploration of the arts?

If you’ve got a story to share, contact Health Care Lifestyle Coordinator Loretta Cutler, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.

4

Community Matters December 2016

Sign up to receive our newsletter by email.

Message smay2@pmma.org and ask to have the newsletter delivered to your inbox. It’s that easy!

Like us on Facebook