April Prime Times Newsletter Part 2

for Active Older Adults

7 Surprising Health Benefits of Losing 10 Pounds

By Alisa Bowman | March 11, 2024

4. Your Brain Health Gets a Boost

Carrying extra weight has long been associated with cognitive decline and degenerative brain diseases like dementia. But losing just 10 pounds can help your brain work better.

In a study of 81 adults age 50 and older, people who lost an average 2.67% of their body weight (which is less than 10 pounds for many of us) improved their scores on tests of executive functioning. That includes the brain processes that are involved in planning and decision-making.

5. Your Metabolic Health Will Improve

When you ’ re overweight or obese, your metabolism stops working efficiently. Blood cholesterol goes up and cells stop responding to the hormone insulin, which is known as insulin resistance. And blood pressure rises too.

This cluster of health conditions — hypertension, high blood sugar, and high blood cholesterol and triglycerides — is known as metabolic syndrome, and it greatly increases your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

“If you want to improve your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar, losing 10 pounds can definitely have an effect,” says David Cutler, M.D. He is a board-certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

One study of obese people found that those who lost 5% percent of their weight (which added up to an average of 12 pounds) experienced significantly lower levels of blood glucose, insulin and trigylcerides.

6. Lower Back Pain Can Ease Up

Excess body fat — especially belly fat — can pull the body out of alignment, putting more pressure on your lower back. But it takes only a small amount of weight loss beyond the first 10 to lead to a serious improvement in your lower back pain.

“I’ve had patients avoid back surgery after losing 15 pounds,” says Dr. Bhojraj. “They went from potentially being laid out for surgery to feeling great.”

7. Your Confidence Will Get a Boost

Carrying around extra weight isn’t great for our self-esteem. Just getting the ball rolling on reaching your ideal weight range can move the needle toward a happier you.

Dr. Pinako knows this both as a medical practitioner and from personal experience. He recently lost 70 pounds, but after losing just a few of them, he noticed that he felt more confident.

“People are motivated by success, ” says Dr. Pianko. “When you see weight loss, it gives you the confidence to continue your diet and exercise program. It’s a great feeling to lose a significant amount of weight and a great feeling to lose a small amount of weight. Everyone has to start somewhere.”

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Senior Bus Trips

Funny Girls & Gamblin Gals

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Easter Social & Egg Hunt Easter Social & Egg Hunt

A huge thank you to our sponsors for all the wonderful prizes:

Lake Community YMCA, The Canton Regency, Altercare of Hartville, The Blick Center, KAZ, Danbury, Osteo Strong, & Home Is Where the Heart Is.

Older Adults

Easter Social & Egg Hunt Easter Social & Egg Hunt

Thank you so much to all who attended!

The food was delicious and plentiful. The company was delightful! I hope all who attended had a good time and hopefully won a prize or two!

727 eggs were filed. 57 of those were prizes.

If you missed out there is always next year!

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Easy Miso-Chicken Ramen

Warm up a chilly evening with this healthy chicken-and-vegetable ramen noodle bowl recipe. For a little spice, top with hot sauce, such as Sriracha. Look for dried curly Chinese-style noodles near other Asian ingredients in most well-stocked supermarkets. For a substitute, try whole-wheat angel hair pasta and cook for a few minutes longer.

By Eating Well Test Kitchen

Updated on September 20, 2023

Tested by Eating Well Test Kitchen

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 4

Yield: 4 servings, about 2 cups each

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided

1 bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

4 cups water

3 tablespoons white miso (see Tip)

1 ½ tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces

8 cups chopped bok choy

4 ounces dried Chinese noodles, broken in half

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (2 cups sliced)

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add water, miso, soy sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken, bok choy, noodles and mushrooms. Cover and return to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the scallion greens.

Tips

In this warming ramen-noodle bowl, miso--a fermented soybean paste--adds a deep, rich umami flavor. Look for mild-flavored white (sweet) miso, made with soy and rice, near tofu at well-stocked supermarkets. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least a year.

Originally appeared: Eating Well Magazine, November/December 2013

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size about 2 cups calories

383

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Newsletter

for Active Older Adults Just For Laughs!!

(Mis)fortune cookie

Sad after the funeral of a friend, my wife and I ducked into a Chinese restaurant for a pick-me-up. The feel-good session ended when I read the fortune cookie: “You will soon be reunited with a good friend.” –Stanley Heerboth

Teacher’s pest

Math teacher: If I have three bottles in one hand and two in the other hand, what do I have?

Student: A drinking problem. – Laughfactory.com

Witty little knitter

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the highway. Looking at the car, he was astounded to see that the elderly woman behind the wheel was knitting. The trooper cranked down his window and yelled to the driver, “Pull over!”

“No!” the woman yelled back, “Cardigan!” – Reddit.com

Generation gap

A mom texts, “Hi! Son, what do IDK, LY and TTYL mean?” He texts back, “I don’t know, love you and talk to you later.” The mom replies, “It’s OK, don’t worry about it. I’ll ask your sister. Love you too.” –Laughfactory.com

Newsletter for Active Older Adults

Hidden Picture Puzzle

Newsletter for Active Older Adults