November 2015

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

–Emily Brontë (1818–48)

Alzheimer’s

Childhood Epilepsy

Diabetes

A bitter wind whistled through chinks and cracks in the Mayflower, anchored in Plymouth harbor that winter of 1620-21. Rose's chills would turn to uncontrollable shaking. Then just as suddenly, her body would be ablaze with fever. Herbs from the surgeon's chest did little to relieve her. By spring only five wives remained out of the eighteen who had sailed to Plymouth. Rose was not among them.

Thanksgiving? What was that? The golden dreams of a New World that Miles and Rose had cherished together had evaporated into hollow hopes. And yet that fall Capt. Standish joined other bereaved Pilgrims in the first Thanksgiving celebration.

The real test of thankfulness is whether we can give thanks from the heart for what we do have, despite the wounds and pains of yesterday's struggles. Ours is not some fair-weather faith, but a resilient trust in in the midst of pain. The Pilgrims lived close to the edge of survival. Perhaps that is why they were so thankful.

"Bitter Winter, Better Thanksgiving,",

Thanksgiving

On September 28, 1789, just before leaving for recess, the first Federal Congress passed a resolution asking that the President of the United States recommend to the nation a day of thanksgiving. A few days later, President George Washington issued a proclamation naming Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a "Day of Publick Thanksgivin" - the first time Thanksgiving was celebrated under the new Constitution. Subsequent presidents issued Thanksgiving Proclamations, but the dates and even months of the celebrations varied. It wasn't until President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Proclamation that Thanksgiving was regularly commemorated each year on the last Thursday of November. National Archives

Veterans Day (U.S.)
Originally Armistice Day, commemorating the signing of the agreement that ended World War I at 11:00 A.M., November 11, 1918, this federal holiday was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. At this time, it became a day to honor all of the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States.
In Canada, this day is celebrated as Remembrance Day, a time to honor veterans who have died in service to their country.
Of course, this year also marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, and there have been many special ceremonies across the world to mark the occasion. We honor our vets today and every day. Consider spending some time online learning more about Veterans Day. Here are a few helpful links.
Sincerely, The Old Farmer’s Almanac

November 11, 2014 by Paul

World War 1 began a hundred (and one) years ago in 1914 and ended on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at eleven o’clock. Hence, today is Veterans Day (Remembrance Day in Canada the U.K.)

It was unrealistically optimistic to hope that it would be “the war to end all wars.” When I googled “how many wars are going on?” I learned that, across the globe, there are currently four wars with more than 10,000 fatalities per year and another seven with deaths ranging between 1,000 and 9,999 per year. Sobering and sad information.

I pray every day for peace but it makes me wonder what can I do today to begin a little bit of peace making. Any ideas?

Celebrate American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage!

The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, getting endorsements from 24 state governments, to have a day to honor American Indians.
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994. CDC

A Look Back in History

Daylight Savings Time

Credit for Daylight Saving Time belongs to Benjamin Franklin, who first suggested the idea in 1784. The idea was revived in 1907, when William Willett, an Englishman, proposed a similar system in the pamphlet The Waste of Daylight. The Germans were the first to officially adopt the light-extending system in 1915 as a fuel-saving measure during World War I. The British switched one year later, and the United States followed in 1918, when Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which established our time zones. This experiment lasted only until 1920, when the law was repealed due to opposition from dairy farmers (cows don't pay attention to clocks). During World War II, Daylight Saving Time was imposed once again (this time year-round) to save fuel. Since then, Daylight Saving Time has been used on and off, with different start and end dates. Currently, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday in November. Old Farmers Almanac

Folklore of the Month

When the sky seems very full of stars, expect frost.
–Weather folklore
WITH nights getting colder, you may be thinking about how to protect your plants.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Father, forgive me for the times I have been miserly with the abundance you have shared with me. Make me a conduit of blessings. I know that all I have is yours. Please help me use it as you would. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Healthy Eating

Butternut squash tastes great oven roasted and pureed. Use it to make it a soup or add it to risotto! Look for recipes online.

Questions?
Contact Us

Did you know that one cup of winter squash may provide up to 146% of your daily value of vitamin A since it is rich in beta carotene, the pre-cursor to vitamin A? Beta-carotene is one of the carotenoids found in winter squash that provides it with its deep orange color and has been shown to have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds were a celebrated food among many Native American tribes, who treasured them both for their dietary and medicinal properties. In South America, the popularity of pumpkin seeds has been traced at least as far back as the Aztec cultures of 1300-1500 AD.

Pumpkin seeds contain a wide variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and copper. They are also a good source of other minerals including zinc and iron. In addition, pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein.

For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Pumpkin seeds.

~.~

Nutrition Assistance

Stretching the Dollars in Nutrition Budgets of Our Senior Loved Ones | Senior Care Corner

byKathy Birkett

Many seniors need additional help to make ends meet when they face the rising cost of living on a fixed income.

Their costs forhealth care, housing and medications could be squeezing their budget to the point of breaking leaving too little money for food.

Do your senior loved ones face this? Would they let you know if they did?

The consequences of financial instability and limited grocery buying power for many seniors trying to age in place is poor nutrition – – for some, even malnutrition.

It is estimated that in 2013 there were 5.4 million seniors over the age of 60 who were food insecure in America – they were hungry and had limited access to nourishing food. Food insecurity also encompasses a senior’s ability to have the resources they need to purchase, prepare or consume adequate nutrition.

AARP puts the number of seniors at risk for hunger at 10 million.

Seniors who are food insecure are at risk for chronic health problems, including depression, heart attack, and congestive heart failure, among others. Not eating right also leads to sarcopenia or muscle loss, which can result in an inability to age in place due to frequent falls and safety concerns.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

In order to help seniors stay healthy, the federal government created theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a way to make it possible forseniors to stretch their limited budgets and purchase food.

Food can be obtained from the local supermarket, farmer’s market, convenience stores and co-op food programs. There is something new on the horizon —home delivered meals may soon also be covered.

SNAP benefits are paid monthly on a card called an electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, card. It works like a debit card with the total of each purchase deducted from the month’s allotment.

You can check your senior’s eligibility for SNAP benefits (and other government assistance programs) via the BenefitsCheckUp.org site or by using this confidentialcalculator.

Your senior could be eligible for SNAP benefits if theyare collecting a pension or Social Security. A variety of factors are taken into consideration when determining eligibility including healthcare costs. Theycan own their own home, live with family or in subsidized housing. IRA, savings and assets including theirhouse are not counted in the eligibility process.

Applying for SNAP

Your senior can apply via a telephone interview or in person beginning at age 60. Here is aSNAP Local Office Locatorthat can help you find the closest office.

Each state has its own application form, office and hotline number. Here is a locator forhotline numbersto call which are toll-free. Many states also take your applicationonline.

Depending on your senior’s state, you may need these documents:

  • Driver’s license or state ID cared
  • Birth certificate
  • Pay stubs
  • Agency letter for funds your senior may be receiving such as Social Security or VA benefits
  • Mortgage statement or rental agreement
  • Utility bill
  • Cancelled check if your senior supports a child
  • Medical bills

Using Benefits for Nutrition

Once your senior has been deemed eligible and receives their EBT card, it is time to go shopping!

There is astore locatorthat will help you learn which stores accept the EBT card nearest your senior.

Help your senior make healthy food choices to make the most of their SNAP benefits. It is helpful to buy with grocery sales to make theirmoney goes as far as possible.

Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain items and other healthy food items so that senior’s can stay healthy and strong.

SNAP benefits cover –

  • Bread
  • Cereal
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Meat
  • Fish
  • Poultry
  • Dairy products
  • Energy drinks with a nutrition fact label (not a supplement fact label)
  • Plants and seeds to grow your own

SNAP benefitsdon’tcover –

  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Pet food
  • Soap and grooming items
  • Paper goods
  • Vitamins or minerals
  • Medication
  • Hot food (coming soon: home delivered meals!)

You and your senior can attend classes in nutrition, meal preparation, stretching your food budget and shopping from the SNAP-Ed nutrition education classes near you. Some ‘junk foods’ are eligible for purchase with your senior’s EBT card but are not healthy choices. You and your senior are encouraged to use your benefit for the healthiest food possible.

Your senior can designate someone to shop for them using their EBT by completing the Authorized Representative Form.

Once obtained, the benefits will be in place for two years without needing to update your senior’s information.

Caregivers Can Help

Family caregivers can help their seniors access and use their SNAP benefits.

You can help them overcome the two chief barriers many seniors find to enroll in SNAP.

  1. Lack of knowledge about the program and how it can help them. Many seniors and their families are not aware that this program exists. Some, who may know about the program, have heard that the benefits received are too low to bother applying. This is not always the case however and even a small benefit is worth the effort when seniors health is in the balance. Getting benefits for your senior will not reduce the benefits others receive. You won’t know if your senior qualifies until you apply.
  2. Difficulty faced when trying to enroll. Some who may have tried to connect their senior loved one with benefits found that the customer service attitude was a barrier. Many found it hard or felt uncomfortable with the process. As with any government program with forms and red tape, try again until you are able to access benefits to which your senior is entitled.

Other Ways to Address Senior Hunger

There are also other ways to connect your senior to healthy food that you can initiate if they are having trouble financially.

There arelocal congregate meal programs as part of the Area Agency on Aging that provide meals and socialization at the senior center.

You can investigate having home delivered meals sent to your senior loved one.

You can enlist friends and family in sharing a meal a week that they cook for or with your senior loved one or have them take your senior out to dine. Not only will nutrition get a boost, but also their social engagement.

Being sure your senior puts health and well-being first and helping them make good nutrition a reality will enable them to have an improved quality of life as they age in place.

Related reading:

  1. Home Meal Delivery – 6 Signs Your Senior Loved One Could Benefit
  2. Nutrition is Important to Health – So What Keeps Our Seniors From Eating?
  3. Nutrition Strategies for Dementia in Senior Care Communities and at Home
  4. Senior Nutrition Advice for Family Caregivers From Our Senior Care Dietitian
  5. Talking Senior Hunger with the National Council on Aging on the Senior Care Corner Show

Nutrition Quiz

Pop Quiz! Which Should You Choose?

Serving Size = 1 Tablespoon* (g = grams; mg = milligrams)
Product / Calories / Total Fat g / Saturated Fat g / Trans Fat g / Combined Saturated and Trans Fats g / Cholesterol mg
Margarine, 80% fat, stick † / 100 / 11 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 0
Butter ** / 100 / 11 / 7 / 0 / 7 / 30
Margarine, 60% fat, tub‡ / 80 / 9 / 1.5 / 0 / 1.5 / 0
Margarine, 70% fat, stick † / 90 / 10 / 2 / 2.5 / 4.5 / 0

*Nutrient values rounded based on FDA's nutrition labeling regulations. Calorie and cholesterol content estimated.
**Butter values from FDA Table ofTransValues, dated 1/30/95.

† Values derived from 2002 USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 15.
‡ Prerelease values derived from 2003 USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,Release 16.

Answers:
Margarine, 80% fat, stick †Look for another option. This choice does not contain the lowest combined amount of Saturated andTransFat.

Butter **Look for another option. This choice contains the highest combined amount of Saturated andTransFat, and the highest amount of Cholesterol.

Margarine, 60% fat, tub‡Congratulations! This choice has the lowest combined amount of Saturated and Trans fat and 0 g of Cholesterol.
Margarine, 70% fat, stick †Look for another option. This choice does not contain the lowest combined amount of Saturated andTransFat.

Although the updated Nutrition Facts panel will now list the amount oftransfat in a product, it will not show a %Daily Value (%DV). While scientific reports have confirmed the relationship betweentransfat and an increased risk of CHD, none has provided a reference value fortransfat or any other information that FDA believes is sufficient to establish a Daily Reference Value or a %DV.

Saturated fat and cholesterol, however, do have a %DV. To choose foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, use the Quick Guide to %DV. The general rule of thumb is:5%DV or less is low and 20%DV or more is high.

You can also use the %DV to make dietary trade-offs with other foods throughout the day. You don't have to give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a food you like is high in saturated fat or cholesterol, balance it with foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol at other times of the day.

This graphic of the Nutrition Facts panel illustrates which nutrients experts recommend you limit and which they recommend you consume in adequate amounts.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

Turkeys

Turkeys are truly native to North and South America and were an important part of Native American cultures long before the arrival of the European colonists. While Native American cultures did domesticate numerous breeds of turkeys, other breeds remained wild and were hunted in woodlands instead of domesticated. However, from fossil evidence and DNA analysis, we do know that turkeys were indeed domesticated in Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) prior to the arrival of the European colonists. They were domesticated once again by the Spanish and British who eventually brought them back to Europe and introduced them into the food supplies of their homelands.