Carole Carson

Seniors Trade Rocking Chairs for Rackets

More than ever, seniors are discovering the athlete within. Since the early 1990s, total participation (and participation by those over age 45) has grown in 21 sports and fitness activities. Note that these sports aren't for sissies: basketball, bowling, mountain and rock climbing, walking, exercise with equipment, running and jogging, working out at a club, tackle football, golf, hiking, hunting with firearms, ice hockey, in-line skating, kayaking and rafting, martial arts, skateboarding, snorkeling, snowboarding, soccer, target shooting with firearms and waterskiing.

And even though participation by Americans as a whole declined in the following 13 activities, the number of participants over age 45 grew: badminton, baseball, bicycle riding, canoeing, touch football, ice and figure skating, racquetball, scuba diving, alpine skiing, softball, swimming, table tennis and tennis. (I am one of those statistics; I began playing competitive tennis at age 55 and love the sport and my new friends.)

Clearly, there is no single best exercise. The best activities are simply those that a person will do. For some, exercising means a swim at the local community center. For seniors confined at home, chair dancing videos may be the answer. For others, a daily walk (and talk) with a girlfriend will promote fitness. T'ai chi may be helpful for those with arthritis.

And although they might choose different ways to express their passion for their favorite exercise, active seniors are practicing the FIT philosophy:

    F: Fun. Seniors are having fun with exercise, whether the activity involves exergaming     or taking an outdoor walk to enjoy fall colors.

    I: Individualization. Because bodies change with age, seniors are making the necessary     adjustments and accommodations so that exercise is safe, rewarding and free of pain.

    T: Togetherness. Seniors are teaming up with others to exercise on a regular basis     because they know that relationships strengthen the commitment to get and stay fit.

Although seniors may vary in their fitness goals, maintaining an independent lifestyle through achieving a high level of functional fitness is a common concern for many. (Functional fitness, by the way, is a term used to describe our ability to accomplish the routine tasks of living—getting in and out of an automobile, folding and carrying laundry, lifting a bag of groceries and so on.) Reducing the cost of medications for medical conditions (for example, diabetes and high blood pressure) through changes in diet and exercise is the focus for others.

Family and friends play a role in encouraging a healthy lifestyle for seniors, but anyone promoting fitness must walk the talk: actions always speak louder than words. We cannot avoid being an example to others—sometimes a good one, sometimes not such a good one. Whatever a person's age, making a lifelong commitment to fitness and delighting in its myriad benefits is the most powerful action anyone can take.

 

Photo courtesy of Sanja Gjenero

Location: www.sxc.hu

Feed Your Nose to Shrink Your Stomach

Too often, the problem with eating right is that it is not as satisfying as eating wrong. Part of this may stem from our training from birth to enjoy overly salty, sweet, and fatty foods. For example, who doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie? And who can stop at one? The combination of the three flavors (salt, sugar and fat) is “hyper-palatable” according to Dr. David Kessler, author of The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite.

Besides the preference for this unhealthy trio of tastes, another piece of the puzzle involves how eating triggers specific mechanics that translate into feelings of satisfaction, hunger, appetite and pleasure. Although it seems counterintuitive, the way to trigger a sensation of satisfaction is through the nose, not the stomach. In one research study of 1,436 subjects, non-caloric aromatic crystals were added to food to stimulate satisfaction. The results were astounding: the average weight loss was 30 pounds.

With this information in mind, cut back on the deadly trio (salt, sugar and unhealthy fats) and add flavors and aromas (think spices) to your recipes. Smell your food before and during your meals. You’ll be giving your body the nutrition it needs along with the satisfaction it craves. When you do, you’ll find that your pleasure in food—not your iron discipline—will eventually shrink your waistline.

Photo courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian

 

Making Calories Count: Recipe for Sugo alla Puttanesca

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)

Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Sugo alla Puttanesca, which is informally referred to as Harlot Sauce. Street walkers in Rome originated this sauce many years ago, probably because it was an easy and quick sauce to make. 

Although the sauce can be served over whole-grain spaghetti, it can also be served with shrimp or meatballs or over your favorite steamed vegetables. Richard points out that the sauce is not served with cheese but simply as is.

Sugo alla Puttanesca (Harlot Sauce)

Serves 6 to 8

1-1/2 pounds ripe, fresh tomatoes, or 2 cans (28 ounces) chopped canned tomatoes
Coarse salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound pitted kalamata olives (about 1 cup), quartered
6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup capers
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper

If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling, salted water until the skins split. Remove with a slotted spoon. Remove the skins and chop the tomatoes. Pass the fresh or canned tomatoes through a food mill, using the disk with the smallest holes, or run through food processor.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black papper.

Buon appétito!

P.S. Do you have a recipe to share? 

Photo courtesy of Christophe Libert

Source: www.sxc.hu

 

How to Apologize to Myself

At some point in our lives, most of us develop and internalize rules of conduct. For instance, I remember deciding that I wouldn’t fight with my younger sister anymore.

Perhaps I should admit that this particular rule emerged on a day when we were fighting on the floor of our shared bedroom over the question of who would use the comb and bathroom first. She nearly succeeded in beating me up. Although I won the battle, I decided I would never fight with her again.

Perhaps self-interest triggered the origin of this high-minded rule. Nonetheless, I never hit my sister again, and if my memory serves me correctly, she never hit me again either.

Now fast-forward sixty years. Today I have rules about what and how much I should eat (no more than 1,500 healthy calories a day) and how much I should exercise (a minimum of 60 minutes unless I am sick). What do I do when I break these rules and feel guilty?  To get back on track, I practice the three Rs.

I read about the three R approach to apologizing in the September/October 2007 issue of Positive Thinking. In the article “The Art of the Apology,” author Alina Larson suggested using the three Rs when we need to make amends to others.

Aha, I thought to myself. Why not adopt her approach when I violate my own standards, when I need to apologize to myself?

Here they are:

Regret: I express my regret aloud. I don’t pretend that my behavior was acceptable. I don’t rationalize my behavior or treat it lightly. I apologize to myself by expressing genuine remorse.

Responsibility: I take responsibility for the choices I made and reaffirm my commitment to stick with my healthier lifestyle. If, for example, I’ve overeaten, I don’t blame the circumstances or any influences around me. I don’t blame the restaurant for serving irresistibly delicious food, the celebratory occasion, my bad mood or my sister.

Remedy: I come up with a different way to deal with whatever triggered the train wreck in my fitness program. If I overate because I allowed myself to get too hungry, then the remedy is to be more vigilant in monitoring my feelings of hunger.

To err is human. Knowing that, I can be certain that I’ll make mistakes again (and again and again) despite my good intentions. That’s why I need to know how to have an intimate conversation with myself—a way to apologize, take action and move on.

Trivia Question: To Lose Weight, Should You Eat a Big Breakfast?

Folk wisdom suggests that to manage our weight, we should eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and a pauper for dinner.

One study by Tel Aviv University researchers seems to confirm this advice. Two groups of participants were given the same daily caloric allowance. Men were allowed 1,600 calories, and women were allowed 1,400 calories. One group ate a large breakfast (600 calories), while the second group ate calories spread evenly among meals. When the participants were weighed at the end of 32 weeks, how much more did the big-breakfast eaters lose on average when compared to their peers?

1. 10 pounds
2. 20 pounds
3. 30 pounds 
4. 40 pounds

 

The answer is number 4. The scale told the tale. The big-breakfast group lost a whopping 40 pounds more on average than those who spread their calories evenly throughout the day. Participants who ate the big breakfasts reported feeling more satisfied and more in control of their eating than those who ate smaller breakfasts. In explaining the remarkable results, researchers concluded that starting the day with a hearty meal reduces cravings and overeating later in the day.

Weight Loss Requires Mastery of Portion Control

If you're eating wholesome food but unable to lose weight, you may be overestimating the calories you are burning or underestimating the amount of food you are eating. You wouldn't be alone since both are common mistakes .

At one end of the spectrum is the difficulty of measuring the calories expended. For example, exercise machines can overestimate calories burned during exercise by as much as 31 percent. We can also overestimate the level of difficulty of our workout. Or maybe we are math challenged and can't follow the algebraic formulas involving our height, weight and BMI, to arrive at an accurate answer about expended calories.

At the other end of the spectrum are mistakes we make in calculating the calories we consume. For instance, one survey showed that when eating out, customers significantly underestimated the levels of calories, fat and saturated fat in less-healthful restaurant items. "Actual fat and saturated fat levels were twice consumers’ estimates and calories approached 2 times more than what consumers expected."

Are individuals any better at estimating calories in the portions they eat when eating healthful items? No. Researchers found that when people think they are eating healthy, they eat more. As a result, they consume twice as many calories as they believe they did.

We also confuse portions with servings. For instance, if I eat a large bowl of cereal for breakfast, I may be unaware that I've eaten two servings of cereal. When you add the common problem of overeating through snacking or unintentional eating (such as sampling food while cooking), you can see how many snakes are in the Medusa head of portion control.

Here are five helpful strategies to help your stay in control of the amount of food you eat:

1. Educate yourself. Go to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Portion Distortion website to see how portions have expanded in 20 years. A picture is worth a thousand words.
2. Whether eating out or at home, choose healthy, filling foods. Adopt a simple, inviolable rule: No second helpings. 
3. Savor your meals without distraction and eat from a small plate. Chew each bite 35 to 40 times.
4. Drink healthy beverages. For example, drink water instead of sugared juice or have a sugar-free tea in place of a cola.
5. To address cravings between meals, eat satisfying fruit such as apples, grapefruit and oranges. (You'll find more helpful tips here.)

Developing mastery of portion control, like learning to ride a bike, requires patience and persistence. If you fall down while learning this skill (and you will fall from time to time), pick yourself up and begin anew. As author, inventor, politician and diplomat Benjamin Franklin said, "Energy and persistence conquer all things."

Photo courtesy of E. Anka

Location: www.sxc.hu

 

Create Your Own Salad Dressing: Save Calories and Dollars

If weight loss is your goal in 2012, you'll probably find yourself eating more fresh salads. Besides being nutritious, salads help us feel fuller without being dense in calories.

Incorporating salads into your diet will be easier (and less boring) if you add variety and interest by topping them with a variety of dressings. Here are four distinct salad dressings that will make your taste buds sing:

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
3 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, scallions, mustard and pepper together until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate and use when chilled. For salad recipes with salmon, go here.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup, drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, mustard, sugar and pepper together until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt to taste. For another version of this dressing that includes pine nuts and basil, go here.

Basic Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1 cups olive oil
3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard and pepper together until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate. Serve over salad when chilled. For a garlic-flavored version of this recipe, go here.

Buttermilk Dressing

1 cup buttermilk
2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise or light mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salt

Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, mustard and pepper together. Season with salt to taste. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within three days. For a version of this dressing with feta cheese, go here. For a vegan version of the feta cheese recipe, replace the feta cheese with an equivalent amount of crumbled tofu. Use this dressing for a new twist on coleslaw.

Why pay three or four dollars for a bottle of commercial salad dressing when you can make your own at half the cost? Here's to a financially and physically fit new you in the New Year.

Bon appétit!

P.S. Do you have any salad dressing recipes to share?

Attitude Renewal: A Survival Skill

What is your most prized possession? Although a positive attitude is one of my most priceless assets, I have not always guarded and protected it. At times I've taken better care of my teeth than my outlook.

Every so often, a personal event will undermine my positive nature. I'm saddened that a family member has died. Or I quarrel with my spouse. Or I learn that a good friend who's returned from Iraq is suffering from trauma and needs to be hospitalized. In those moments, my positive outlook gets squashed like a bug on a windshield.

In addition to shock waves from personal news, sometimes my outlook is diminished because I'm hard on myself. A bit of a perfectionist, I'm driven to accomplish as much as I can each day-- to produce not just quantity but also quality work. When I fail to meet these standards, I am harshly critical of myself, and my attitude droops.

Lastly, I'm influenced by the negative drift in the news floating around me. I see a news report about people who were shot and killed at a salon, and I am sad for the families of those innocent victims. I am also discouraged by the reports of lost jobs, famine and wars in countries whose names I can barely pronounce.

Of course, I know of no way to insulate myself from these events nor would I want to. In a very real sense, they are a part of living. But whether the attack on my positive outlook is a personal shock wave, an inner criticism or negative news, I have to choose how to respond.

Of necessity, I've developed a strategy for attitude renewal. Each morning, I decide to have a great day full of satisfying moments. To make sure I enjoy a great day, I begin by creating a Greatful List. The question is simple: what am I grateful for today? I am amazed at how my outlook lifts once I start itemizing everything that I appreciate in my life.

I also monitor my outlook throughout the day. Attitude renewal can occur at any time or place. It's up to me to notice when repairs are needed. Sometimes all it takes is a little humor. I also find that accomplishing some small task lifts my spirits. Other times I talk out my feelings with my husband. I also resort to prayer. Exercising each day is also essential; without exercise, my outlook deteriorates.

My attitude is revealed in the words I choose, how I look and how I walk. No wonder outlook determines outcome. To succeed in achieving a well-lived life, I must guard this priceless possession. How are you protecting yours?

Photo courtesy of Nicole Jenkins

Location: www.sxc.hu