Smart Senior

Senior Living: Act Happy

 

 Look around you. Have you noticed how many people, yes seniors too, walk around looking like the world is going to end tomorrow?  I mean, do you have to look like such a grouch?  

Rounded shoulders, a shuffling gait, lips turned down at the corners and refusal to make eye contact paint a pretty dreary picture.  Wouldn’t you like to change that image?

It’s all about being, or at least pretending to be, in a good mood.  It means appreciating the fact that it is a beautiful day and that you are lucky to be alive.

Researchers remind us that our mood projects how we feel about ourselves.  Happy people look, stand and walk differently than other people. When people are happy, they walk faster, their bodies are upright, they swing their arms more and sway from side to side less than sad or depressed people do.

Next time you are shuffling along feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders; reset and pretend that you are happy.  Straighten your shoulders, raise your eyes, walk just a little faster, and smile for heaven’s sake.

A recent study reported that people who act happy not only fool others but themselves as well. Happy behavior generates a sense of well being; a depressed demeanor exacerbates feelings of sadness.

So how do you break the cycle?

Tilt your head up, look around, smile and speak to people you meet on your walk.  A smattering of social interactions can change your day.  Walk a little faster, even if only for a few minutes at a time. Focus on the sunshine, the scent of spring flowers, or the dancing teen wearing a tee shirt that reads “Life is Good.”  

There are many little ways to cheer yourself up. Get over yourself for a half a minute. Talk to the person sitting beside you on the bus or chat with the barista at your favorite coffee shop…social connections make you strong.  When you were a kid you thought you would die of embarrassment when your mom would strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, but she had the right idea.

Practice your smile. Make eye contact. Speak up and pretend you are happy, even if you are not, and walk as if you had somewhere important to be. 

 

Senior Living: The Learning Curve: Some Things Never Change

     

Have you ever heard had an older person say that they feel they are too old to learn new things?  It’s not true you know.  Seniors are proving every day they are still interesting and they are still interested in tackling new projects.  My writing instructor or facilitator as she prefers to be called, agreed to share her thoughts on teaching seniors. Crystal Linn is a teacher, an author, an editor, a publisher, and a friend all tied up in one tidy bundle. Please feel free to visit her website and blog at: (www.crystallinn.com).

                                    

                                     Why I Love Teaching Seniors

My career was early childhood education and I loved it. The thought of adult education never crossed my mind, or if it did, it was a thought that caused me to feel inadequate.

The first experience I had with adult education was on a whim, so to speak. After attending my first writers’ conference, the leader of my weekly writers’ group asked to me teach what I had learned at the conference. I spent many hours preparing. Since I was teaching adults, it needed to be perfect – I needed to be perfect since these were people I knew personally.

My first class was an instant success! My friends and colleagues were attentive and appreciative. From there I ended up teaching parenting classes and training new staff members at work as well as classes for community centers.

However, my favorite groups are senior citizens. Seniors are a special breed of people. Let me clarify that active seniors are a special breed. These people choose to go forward with their lives instead of just sitting in their rocking chairs, complaining. They attend all classes loaded with questions because they want to learn all they can, and they are appreciative of the instructors’ efforts. Also, the vast majority of seniors have lived long enough to understand that drama and pettiness are not worth the effort. So when teaching seniors I rarely deal with any emotional garbage.

It has been my experience that younger adults are still exploring what they want to accomplish outside of work, and may not have the commitment that seniors do. Also, in training staff, many are there because it is required, not because they want to be there; even though my colleagues and I make our workshops entraining as well as informative.

Just under four years ago, I was asked by a local senior center to facilitate a writers’ support group. As of last month, everyone in the group is now published which created much excitement for all of us

Linda was the first member of this group and had been a faithful learner. I appreciate her questions and eagerness to learn; plus her support of me is invaluable. The two of us are excited for the New Year and the opportunities ahead with “our seniors.”

 

Senior Health: The Vegetable Connection

“Eat your vegetables.” Experts (like our mothers) have been telling us to eat our vegetables for as long as I can remember, but it is still a problem for me.   What is it about the vegetable connection that is so hard to understand?  Fruits and vegetables are nice to look at and are they are chucked full of vitamins, minerals and other natural goodies but even as seniors we have to reminded to “eat our veggies.”  

Vegetables don’t taste bad but they don’t actually taste good either, at least not in the “oh yum,” sense. I have been known to make it through an entire day without eating more than one serving of either a fruit or a vegetable.

 Fruits are easier to deal with because a glass of juice or a banana added to a bowl of cereal pretty much covers it, but vegetables are another story.  Unless you actually know someone suffering from scurvy, rickets, mental confusion secondary to a vitamin B deficiency, or osteoporosis  you probably don’t think much too much about vitamins and minerals.  Nevertheless these silent warriors are the backbone of good solid nutrition.  

This year I am going to do better. Instead of just saying I am going to lose weight or that I am going to exercise more, I am going to learn how to address fruits and vegetables on a first name basis.

 I am fully aware that fruits and vegetables should make up at least a third of our intake.  Everyone knows that. Whether you choose to follow a modified pyramid or the new “MyPlate” plan is immaterial because they all say the same thing, “eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.”    

This year I am going to eat more fruits and vegetables. I am hoping you will join me, or at least help me if you are already on the bandwagon.  Here are a few tips that I have picked up already:

• Think raw. Add a packet of pepper strips, cucumber, carrots and celery to your lunch box with a little packet of drip.   Salads are good but by the end of the day you may not be hungry enough or have enough energy left to hit the chopping board.
• Canned fruits and vegetables in natural juices or water, without added salt or sugar, are easy and readily available. Dried fruits are also popular and easy to keep on hand for late night snacking.
• Stir fried, sautéed, and roasted vegetables are often more palatable than steamed.  Steamed vegetables are good for you but I’ve yet to meet one that I like. Try adding them to soups, sauces, stews or casseroles.
• Vegetables and fruits are usually lumped together, which makes the number count a little less formidable.  The servings aren’t necessarily large:  2 small plums make up a serving, one medium apple, a nice slice of melon, half of a banana, 15 grapes or 1 cup of berries, a tbsp of dried fruit or one glass of juice. So, fruits are pretty easy but what about those dastardly vegetables?
• Vegetable servings: I can’t imagine chunking down a whole cup of raw vegetables, but think I could somehow manage a ½ cup of something cooked or frozen, especially if I can remember to add them to soups or casseroles.

It isn’t necessary to obsess or feel that you have to weigh your food, but try to be mindful of what you eat. If you are preparing meals for a parent or a child for that matter; think of ways to add extra fruits and vegetables, although I can’t promise you that grandma won’t pick the peas out of her soup or that Junior won’t feed them to the dog. I’ve seen many seniors eat the broth from soup while leaving vegetables in their bowls, and we won’t even mention the ones who slide them under a lettuce leaf.  Almost an act of defiance I would say, but smart seniors aren’t going to do that are they? So, the quest begins.