WELLNESS SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in two different Wellness School activities and my  experiences were very positive.   I would like to describe these activities and encourage more member participation.  In any event, though the member numbers were not large, improvements in health and wellbeing transcend measurement by numbers alone.  One life at a time, the Wellness School is enhancing member health.

The first activity I participated in took place two Thursday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m in the library.  Suzanna and I led this group workshop on reading food labels and making wiser choices while food shopping.  Pamela and Miriam from the wellness unit researched materials that were handed out and helped organize the event.  Particularly useful was an article published by the US Food & Drug Administration but many sources were used and samples of food labels and lists of ingredients were also distributed.   These materials generated lively discussions among the participants and at the conclusion healthy snacks were enjoyed by all.  There were no hard and fast rules that could be set down but it seemed to me there was greater awareness of how to interpret food labels and avoid being deceived by misleading advertising.   Additional workshops are planned for the future.

The second Wellness School activity I participated in was held Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m.   It was the 3rd event in a cycle that will take place for 16 weeks.  I was hesitant to participate because it involved yoga and breathing and stress reduction from mats on the floor and I was afraid it would be too much of a physical challenge for me.  I was encouraged by the group facilitator, a researcher from the University at New Palz, to try it out and use a chair if necessary.  Ruth Parson, wellness unit leader, also facilitated and encouraged us.  The session began with some interesting research questions to answer, all voluntary.  Then we proceeded to the mats, doing stretches and using different size rubber balls placed under our heads and backs to self-message and reduce physical and mental stress.  Soothing music was played throughout and a kind of meditation took place.  I was amazed at my exhiliration and sense of well being when the session ended.  I was very relaxed and had a greater sense of my own body and how to relax it.    I am looking forward to next week with anticipation and body templates and journals are available to record our experiences for self-reference.  This is an experience not to be missed.

While It Is Still A Tad O’ Winter

Seasons are changing quickly at High Point Farm. Last Fall’s spinach survived the snow outside the High Tunnels and is starting to send new leaves up already.  Life inside the tunnels is quickening as well.

But the Winter Gardening question lingers … how can you garden in winter?  In January a small brave Garden Group went to the farm with numerous chores to do. We offer here an  answer.

Lake Through the Trees

Old High Tunnel Through Untouched Snow

David Unloads Compost Scraps From the Gator

Ateeta Uncovers the Straw Pile for the Compost

A Luxurious Pile of Berry X'lent Cafe Food Scraps

Next a Layer of Alpaca Manure

Lastly we put the pile to bed with a layer of straw.

Path Marked with Sticks

David Unzips the New High Tunnel

Look At Those Vegetables!!!

In the Office Garden

The Different Styles of Martial Arts

Martial Arts have long been a major part of my life. In this article, I will attempt to explain the differences between various martial arts styles.

Karate is a Japanese art that originated in Okinawa. It was originally developed

as hand to hand combat, in addition to weapons combat. The weapons combat include nunchaku, which developed from threshing instruments, in addition to tonfa, which was another farming instrument. The hand to hand combat is quite complex, and is considered to be a hard style. The difference between hard and soft styles is that hard styles utilize force on force, while soft styles re-direct force and are much more passive than hard styles.

Taekwondo is a Korean art that focuses on kicks. The attacks used in this art are quite dynamic, utilizing several spinning techniques. Taekwondo is also used as a sport, and can be seen in the Olympics. Ranks are used in Taekwondo to differentiate between approximate skill level. Ranks range from white to red belt as colored belts, followed by black belt level, which is divided into dans from first to tenth dan. Mastery is reached at fourth dan, while fifth through tenth are honorary degrees.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a soft style that focuses on grappling and submissions. It can be seen in reality-based martial arts tournaments. Well known martial artists who have participated as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors include Royce Gracie, and the Machado brothers. Locks are used to submit your opponent. Your opponent’s techniques are quickly used against them. Mixed martial arts tournaments have been around since the mid nineties.

SUNDAY WITH KRISTINA & COMPANY

Coney Island Beach Glass Necklace

An aspect of wellness which I sometimes neglect is the need for relaxation and recreation.  This past Sunday Kristina from the Wellness Unit led activities in our space on the 5th floor which I found provided a wonderful adjunct to the work ordered day and even exercise.

The day began at around noon with a choice of homemade soups, sourdough bread, cookies, soda and coffee but a hearty lunch was only the beginning.  Kristina had planned a wonderful variety of activities which began with jewelry making.  Ateeta had brought in a large supply of various beads and Kristina brought in more plus jewelry making tools for us to use.  There was also beach glass to use which we collected during our unit trip to Coney Island last summer.  After a few tips from Kristina & Ateeta we used our creative talents to design and make jewelry.  I made a necklace with beach glass and beads and metal wire, and Ateeta and Happy made necklaces with a material that looked like fishing line but may have been plastic.  There were others working at this project whose names I don’t know.  There was good humour even when some beads landed on the floor.

While the jewelry making went on, others watched a wonderful old movie, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”  It was a perfect choice for the day the Oscars were going to be awarded.  Even younger members probably know the song “Moon River” from that movie.  But there was more.

Kristina’s friend Peter, a singer and songwriter, entertained us with guitar music and songs, mostly from the sixties.  Rich, Mark, Ethan and I kept requesting songs, which included music from Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beatles and many others.  Peter also played a song called “Glorious Morning” which he wrote himself.  David and Mark did some solo singing and we finished up with a sing-along of “We Shall Overcome”

I went home so relaxed and in such a good mood because of the various activities.  I even stayed up to watch the Oscars which I usually don’t do.  Thank you Kristina and come again Peter.

MEDICARE BENEFIT FOR DIABETICS-ORTHOPEDIC SHOES

Members with Medicare health coverage (not Medicaid) and a diagnosis of diabetes should be aware of an entitlement offered once a year by Medicare.  Diabetics can receive annually one free pair of orthopedic shoes and orthotics molded to your feet that fit into the shoes.  Here’s how I did it.

I found a podiatrist that offered this service.  I believe most podiatrists that accept Medicare will offer this service.  The podiatrist gave me a short  form for my primary care doctor to fill out confirming my diagnosis of diabetes.  After my internist filled out this form I went to the podiatrist’s office to be fitted for orthopedic shoes and to choose from a catalog the style of shoe I preferred.  The catalog offered both shoes with laces and shoes fastened with velcro.  They are not the most stylish shoes but they are extremely comfortable and come with inserts (orthotics) fitted to your feet.  Colors offered were black and white.    I chose a pair of black lace shoes that sell in a shoe store for about $125.00 dollars.  Orthotics can cost several hundred dollars and they are also free (billed  to and paid for by Medicare).  After a few weeks, the podiatrist notified me the shoes and three pairs of inserts were ready.  The inserts were to be changed every four months.  I have 60 days to try out the shoes provided I do not wear them outside.  I found them very comfortable. 

As you probably know, diabetics are at risk for foot problems, some serious.  This Medicare benefit is designed to prevent foot complications.  Since Medicare benefits can be modified from year to year, I suggest taking advantage of this while it’s currently offered.

Secondhand Smoke and Adults

Cigarette smoke is a cocktail consisting of poisons and carcinogens. Approximately 200 compounds have been identified to be poisonous and 60 have identified to be carcinogens. Some chemical compounds in smoke only become carcinogens when they interact with certain enzymes in many of the bodies tissues.

When a cigarette is smoked, about 50% is inhaled/exhaled by the smoker. This is known as mainstream smoke. The other 50% floats around in the air. This is known as sidestream smoke. The combination of mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke make up environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) also known as Secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke causes significant problems in nonsmokers. No one should be forced to inhale air tainted with tobacco smoke. The following facts point out why there should be smoking bans in place.

Passive smoking by nonsmokers is associated with:

                      3000 deaths a year from lung cancer

                      Head and neck cancers

                      Bladder cancer

Tobacco (including smokeless tobacco) and alcohol are the most important risk factors for head and neck cancers. Eighty five percent of head and neck tumors are linked to tobacco use.

About 50% of bladder cancers in men and 30% of bladder tumors in women are associated with cigarette smoke.

Secondhand smoke and heart disease:

                      An estimated 35,000 to 62,000 deaths are caused by heart disease related to nonsmokers exposed to ETS

                      Acute and chronic coronary artery disease

                      Passive smoking related to narrowing of the carotid arteries, which carries blood to the brain

                      Exposure to secondhand smoke hastens hardening of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis

                      Continual exposure to ETS is associated with nearly double the risk of a heart attack

Secondhand smoke and respiratory disease:

                      Increased incidence of wheezing and asthma

                      Lung cancer as stated above

                      Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

                       Emphysema

Is it Spring yet?

A few more months and they'll be this luscious again.

This is completely off topic but I just need to wish winter farewell. We’ve been too busy with gross motor tasks and logging a few stats, keeping up with our paper work to blog. We’ve been researching and writing and taking some photos but they are all hibernating in folders. So … in the hopes of re-energizing Clubhouse Wellness as a story telling vehicle I’m posting a blooming pic from one of our gardens at Fountain House.

What Is A Calorie and How They Work

A calorie is a unit of energy or heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 degree centigrade. Humans get their calories from food but there are other sources of calories such as petroleum.

When one looks at a food label the amount of calories it contains are listed. These calories are actually kilocalories.

When one says a brisk walk has burned off 100 calories, it actually means 100 kilocalories.

The amount of calories a person needs a day varies from person to person. Foods are marked as what percent of daily values they represent based on a 2000 calories diet (a rough value of what a person needs to eat in a day.)

Three main factors determine how many calories a person needs per day.

Basal metabolic rate or BMR

Physical Activity

Thermic effect of food

BMR represents the amount of calories one needs at rest. It is approximately 60% to 70% of the calories one needs a day (to keep the heart beating, lungs breathing, kidneys functioning and to maintain body temperature). Males have a higher BMR than women.

Physical activity consumes the next highest amount of calories.

The thermal effect of food is the amount of calories we use to digest the food we eat. It is approximately 10% of the total number of calories we ingest each day.

If we exercise more, 3500 calories more than we eat, we lose a pound of fat. If we eat 3500 calories more than we need we store those calories as 1 pound of fat.

To remain healthy we should consume carbohydrates, protein and fats. One gram of fat liberates 9 calories of energy, one gram of carbohydrates liberates 4 calories of energy and one gram of protein liberates 4 calories of energy. Twenty five percent of our total caloric intake should be from fats. More than that are associated with serious

Syphilis, Another of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Syphilis is a disease caused by a bacterium known as Treponema palladium. The disease is transmitted by either sexual contact or by an infected mother to her unborn child.

Syphilis is hard to diagnose and may take 3 months to appear after the initial infection.

The disease has three stages of which the first two are extremely infection.

The first stage has painless ulcers, chancres, where the syphilis organism has entered the body. This may be on the vulva, cervix, penis, mouth or around the anus.

Untreated the ulcers will heal between 2 to 6 weeks, and progress to the secondary stage. The symptoms of this stage include a flu like illness, a non itchy patchy or extensive rash on the body, flat warty lesions on the vulva or around the anus in both sexes, white patches on the tongue or roof of the mouth or patchy hair loss.

This stage is extremely contagious and can be transmitted sexually to a partner. The first two stages if treated, syphilis will be cured and not progress to a latent or third stage.

If suspected of having this disease you should go to your doctor or a health clinic. Syphilis is diagnosed by a blood sample or a smear from fluid from a lesion or a physical exam of genitals in males and an internal exam in women.

An initial blood test can be negative and must be repeated in 3 months.

Sexual contacts should be informed and tested.

Any sexual contact should be avoided and lesions on the skin, sores or rashes are contagious until one is adequately treated. This treatment is as advised by your doctor or health clinic.

In spite of treatment a blood test can still be positive for antibody titers and a doctors certificate will be needed to explain that the individual has been adequately treated.

The latent stage lasts for years and can course damage to the heart or nervous system. Even if treated adequately the damage caused may remain.

A condom decreases the chances of getting syphilis but since it may not cover all sores or rashes there is a chance of getting the disease. Adequate treatment does not prevent reinfection from subsequent exposure.

Congenital syphilis is transmitted from an infected mother to her unborn child. If found to be positive for syphilis, a mother can be treated during her pregnancy.

Practice Sessions in Wellness

There has started up a new nutrition group led by Julius in our unit. He is very knowledgeable on keeping slim.  In the gathering I talked a little about the fact that there’s been studies that show that the reason people may gain weight drinking diet soda may be that when substituting for diet soda during their meals may be they are a little less cautious in there meal consumption and may make up for the lost calories by consuming more total calories.

Included with the great knowledge we are sharing about nutrition and healthy eating strategies, some of us are training to lead workshops on this topic. Amrit, who has been working with Julie for more than a year now is amazingly full of information and tips. These meetings take place on Monday evenings from 5 to 6 pm. Immediately following is a gym training session which provides a great opportunity to use the inspiration and enthusiasm created  the discussion.