In addition to the types of food we eat, dieticians say it is also important to pay attention to portion size when attempting to shed a few pounds as it will help us reach our goal. When trying to diet, sticking to nutrient-dense, relatively low-calorie foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and poultry are your best choices; but no matter how healthy a food is, you still should not over consume.
This is where portion control plays a part. Amy Gorin, a plant-based registered dietitian and owner of Plant-Based Eats, a collection of curated meal plans, grocery lists and nutrition tip sheets, explains that whole foods like almond butter and dark chocolate are good for us, they should be eaten in moderation and in proper portions. In other words, the bottom-line is a large chocolate bar should not be consumed in one sitting. However, to complicate matters, experts explain that in many cases, strictly following portion sizes suggested on the container would differ from what a registered dietician would recommend. The problem with across-the-board portion sizes is they do not address age group, gender, and activity level of the particular person. Add to that, portion size is a critical component to actually losing weight especially in foods that are higher in calories. Also eating the right amount of food helps to maintain a balanced gut. The Harvard Health Men’s Watch, suggests “a healthy gut microbiome stimulates the body’s immune system and may shield against an array of chronic diseases, including: cancer, heart disease and Rheumatoid arthritis.” At MorningStar of Rio Rancho, we provide residents comfort, security, built-in companionship, and predictable budgeting. Our beautiful home provides assisted living and memory care with a broad range of amenities and services to meet every need including a nutritional, delicious dining service. Contact us or visit our website to see what sets our community apart from other seniors living in Rio Rancho, NM. MorningStar of Rio Rancho provides the very best in assisted living and memory care with our distinct mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents. Visit our website to learn more about the finest senior living in Rio Rancho, NM Source: health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/portion-control-what-you-should-know
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Most seniors wish to maintain their independence as long as possible by living on their own; and this is why many who encounter problems in their day-to-day lives are reluctant to tell their families. The problem with this is as a senior starts to have more difficulty caring for themselves, their quality of life can be greatly diminished.
Even if mom or dad seem to be doing well on their own, experts say a rapid decline in their health from an accident or illness can catch families by surprise and make living on their own dangerous. In addition many health conditions affect musculoskeletal, neurological, circulatory or sensory systems and impact a senior’s ability to perform the activities of daily living (ADLs). Experts say other factors indicating a need for more help include social isolation, medication side effects and the physical characteristics of the person’s home such as a second floor bedroom. If after implementing a series of home modifications is not adequate, more measures need to be taken to keep your loved one safe. Experts explain unmet ADLs can lead to serious health problems including “malnutrition, poor personal hygiene, isolation, illnesses like urinary tract infections (UTIs) and falls. In fact, studies show ADL disabilities are associated with an increased risk for mortality; and taking care of daily needs can help prevent new and worsening health problems.” They also report if family members notice a decline in a loved one’s overall health, taking steps now can improve their safety and forestall further problems. One solution is to make a move to a senior living community, where a person can live as safely and as independently as possible. To ensure needs are met, homes use the ADLs as a measure of a person’s functional performance. MorningStar of Happy Valley is a beautiful senior living community with 61 private assisted living suites in a variety of configurations and floorplans offering residents’ peace of mind knowing compassionate help is readily available whenever they need it. We also have 27 secure suites devoted to the specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Visit our website to learn about our home and our Move-in Specials. Source: agingcare.com/articles/activities-of-daily-living-why-this-measure-matters-186853.htm#:~:text=are%20still%20met.-,Why%20Are%20ADLs%20Important%3F,a%20senior's%20quality%20of%20life.&text=Unmet%20needs%20for%20help%20with,(UTIs)%2C%20and%20falls. Have you had the experience of walking to your car after a doctor’s visit and a question pops into your mind you wished you had asked the doctor? You are not alone. In fact the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a division of the U.S. Dept. of Human Health & Services, reminds all of us about the benefit of preparing questions and accurate information ahead of time to provide to your physician. They say it not only improves your care, but builds trust between you and your healthcare provider, which can lead to better results.
For help on questions to ask to facilitate a more fruitful visit to your doctor and efficiently use your precious time (studies show doctors spend between 13 to 24 minutes with each patient), the AHRQ offers a series of questionnaires related to your visit. Remember typically you have a reason for the visit such as: a well visit, looking for answers for a specific medical problem, returning to discuss treatment, or getting test results. Prepare for your appointment by bringing your prescription medications as well as over-the-counter drugs you use including vitamins and dietary or herbal supplements. When discussing a possible medical procedure, AHRQ says questions should include: why do I need this procedure; how do I prepare; when will I get the results; and how will I feel afterward? If surgery is recommended, ask if there are alternative treatments available that are just as effective; possible complications; and recovery period. AHRQ says if you are given a new medication, ask how the new drug will interact with other drugs you are taking, how long you will be on it, and common side effects. Before you leave your appointment, make sure you understand your instructions. MorningStar of Happy Valley represents the finest in senior living with a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Our community is honored to create a true “home” for residents with 61 graciously appointed suites for assisted living with configurations that include spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. Our Reflections Neighborhood has 27 secure suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Contact us to learn more about exceptional senior living in Happy Valley and ask about our Move-in Specials. Source: ahrq.gov/questions/be-engaged/index.html Growing up most of our mothers told us it wasn’t healthy to skip breakfast. While we listened, many of us still went off to school without eating anything. Based on current research, it turns out our mother’s advice was right again, and eating breakfast is good for us for several reasons.
Registered Dietician Erin Palinski-Wade explains when we eat a healthy breakfast upon rising in the morning; it helps regulate our appetite for the rest of the day. If we break our nightly fast with a good meal, we are less likely to indulge in sugary or fat-laden food later on in the morning. A healthy breakfast also helps to prevent blood sugar highs and lows and Palinski-Wade says this is important for diabetics as well as the rest of us. While many breakfast foods such as cereal, baked goods, and granola bars are high in sugar and refined grains, experts say we should refuel our body each morning with protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. Protein makes us feel fuller and keeps us from snacking later on unhealthy foods. Eggs, yogurt, sausage, and peanut butter spread on whole wheat toast are good sources of protein. Fiber helps our digestive system work well and is found in oatmeal and whole grain cereals. Many meals can be partly prepared the night before to make your morning routine easier. At the MorningStar of Happy Valley senior living community, we provide a lifestyle that focuses on wellness, comfort and community. Assisted living residents receive a whole range of services and amenities including beautifully prepared, nutritional daily meals served restaurant-style in our attractive dining room. Other services include 24/7 care managers, certified medication care managers, scheduled health & wellness evaluations, CPR-trained team members on every shift, access to a licensed nurse and more. We also provide memory care to those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Please visit our website to learn more about the most trusted assisted living and memory care in Happy Valley, OR. Source: health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/does-eating-breakfast-help-you-lose-weight?src=usn_nl_yourhealth&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Your%20Health-Sun%20Nov%2007%2007:49:00%20EST%202021&utm_term=Your%20Health The U.S. News and World Report recently published an article on tasty treats designed to satisfy your sweet tooth and provide a healthier alternative to more sugar laden desserts. One suggestion from board-certified oncology dietitian, Kailey Proctor, of the Leonard Cancer Institute at Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, is to grill pineapple, banana, apple or pear slices. Grilling concentrates flavors by reducing the water content, and further sweetens the fruit as natural sugars are caramelized by the heat.
Dark chocolate is a known powerful source of antioxidants as research shows it can help improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and raise HDLs, reducing your risk for heart disease. One healthy, easy-to-make dessert is to melt dark chocolate and spread it over parchment paper. Then sprinkle dried cherries, chopped nuts or sunflower seeds over it; refrigerate for five minutes and cut into small pieces. Another variation is to dip fresh strawberries or other fruit into melted dark chocolate. Yogurt parfaits are fun to put-together and can be customized to your taste. Using a parfait dish or small bowl, add granola, strawberries, blueberries, nuts, peanut butter or seeds, layering with yogurt. To cut down on fat, use nonfat or low-fat yogurt as it still provides a good source of protein without the calories. How about banana ice cream made from frozen pureed bananas mixed with almond milk? If you like, add in peanut butter and nuts. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top, which is “thought to have anti-inflammatory effects and may help diabetics manage their blood sugar levels.” MorningStar of Happy Valley has 61 private suites for assisted living and another 27 secure memory care suites. Part of our many services includes Executive-chef inspired meals served restaurant-style. Meals are made largely from scratched with the freshest of ingredients. We also use “BrainWise Foods” known to support brain health with their high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Please visit our website to learn more about our community as well as to inquire about availability. Source:health.usnews.com/wellness/fitness/articles/healthy-dessertsand-theyre-tasty-too?slide=10&src=usn_nl_yourhealth&utm_campaign=Your%20Health-Sun%20Sep%2005%2007%3A49%3A00%20EDT%202021&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_term=Your%20Health MorningStar’s goal is to provide the best senior living in Rio Rancho, NM. Our Rio Rancho community has 51 bright suites for assisted living with configurations that include spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. In our Reflections Neighborhood, we have 26 secure suites devoted to the individualized, specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
MorningStar Senior Living has over 30 communities currently open or under construction all across the country, including three in New Mexico. MorningStar of Rio Rancho, with a loving care team and outstanding architecture and design, provides seniors with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community. MorningStar began in 2003 when founder, Ken Jaeger had a dream to start a senior housing company that was defined by the human touch. He says, “I wanted to re-create my grandmother’s house, a place where one can go and feel a sense of family.” From this came our guiding principles and three mission statements our company is based on:
To eloquently illustrate our mission, all of our communities have a specially commissioned piece of art hanging in them. The “Tree of Life embodies and celebrates our Mission and our Name. Please visit our website for more information about MorningStar Senior Living and our beautiful community. MorningStar of Rio Rancho represents the finest in assisted living and memory care with our unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve in order to provide a true home for residents. Contact us for more information about exceptional senior living in Rio Rancho, NM. Doctors have known for a while now that men and women experience heart disease differently. For one thing, before menopause, estrogen plays a role in protecting women from heart disease and thus they do not typically have a heart attack before the age of 72. For men, the average age is 64. The bad news is that women do catch up “making heart disease the leading cause of death for both sexes overall during non-pandemic times.”
Another cause of concern is that while younger women (under the age of 65), have fewer heart attacks, they are much more serious than those of the men under 65. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic went looking for answers by studying 7 million hospitalized heart attack patients. Their study, published in January’s Mayo Clinic Proceedings, showed that “women who are hospitalized with a heart attack are less likely than men to receive life-saving treatments, such as angioplasty, in which clogged arteries are opened; and mechanical circulatory support, in which devices are used to improve blood flow.” Another significant link they discovered was that while estrogen does provides some heart protection, women who suffer from moderate to severe symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and sleep disturbances have a greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. One reason may be that severe hot flashes “are associated with artery stiffness, inflammation and vascular problems, which are linked to heart disease.” Lack of sleep in itself can cause problems as well as interfere with a person’s motivation to exercise. Brest cancer also puts women at risk for cardiac disease. The January’s Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network reported that, “survivors were at greater risk of life-threatening blood clots called deep vein thrombosis, arrhythmia, heart failure, heart valve disease and sudden cardiac arrest compared to women who had not had cancer.” Researchers also said while the risk is far greater in the first year after a breast cancer diagnosis; the risk remained elevated for five years. Researchers also found that women are three times more likely than men to suffer from hearts attacks known as myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCAs). This in itself is a problem as the type of equipment used to test for MINOCAs is not always used on women and many times the patient is told she did not have a heart attack. It is so common that doctors say if you experienced symptoms of a heart attack but are told you did not have one, ask if you are a candidate for advanced imaging testing. MorningStar of Happy Valley represents the finest in senior living with our distinct mission statement: “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we are honored to create a true “home” for residents. Contact us for more information about one of the area’s most trusted assisted living and memory care communities. Source: aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/women-heart-disease.html According the World Health Organization, “ageism is most rampant in high-income countries, like the United States. Americans, as a whole, place great value on youth, beauty, vitality and the ability to earn a large income. Aging is, sadly, often seen as a debilitating process that robs people of these high-prized attributes.” However findings from a Yale School of Public Health study suggests that positive thinking and not stressing out as much about aging may help actually help keep our brains’ young. In fact study participants who held more negative views on growing older were more likely to have changes in the brain typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Another study from the Boston University's School of Medicine that was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that men and women with the highest levels of optimism had an 11% to 15% longer life span on average than those who practiced little positive thinking. Those with the highest scores of positive thinking were found to have the best chance of living to age 85 or beyond. The lead author, Lewina Lee, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the school, said "This was the first study to look at the impact of optimism on exceptional longevity, which is defined as living to age 85 or more." Researchers hypothesize that individuals with a more positive way of thinking tend to not only have goals but the confidence to achieve them. Moreover “the results held true, the study found, even when socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, smoking, social engagement, poor diet and alcohol use were considered.” At the MorningStar of Rio Rancho senior living community, we approach life with a loving spirit that permeates throughout our home. Even during a pandemic, our MorningStar family continues to relish our commitment to one another as well as enjoy the fun we have. This year’s Oktoberfest was no exception as it included a door-to-door beer trolley, nine holes of golf, and a slice of German chocolate cake to finish the day off. Please contact us to learn more about the most trusted senior housing Rio Rancho offers. At MorningStar of Rio Rancho, we are proud to offer the best senior living with our distinct mission statement - “to honor, to value, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents in a beautiful setting. Visit our website for more information regarding unsurpassed senior living in Rio Rancho, NM. Source: yale.edu/2018/02/07/positive-attitudes-about-aging-reduce-risk-dementia-older-adults cnn.com/2019/08/26/health/optimism-live-longer-wellness/index.html The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that every 40 seconds a person has a stroke and every four minutes someone dies from one. While that is alarming, the AHA says that almost 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.
Did you know that one of the leading causes of strokes is high blood pressure, also called hypertension, and is the most prevalent health condition facing Americans? Statistics show one in four US adults have hypertension, and as people age, their blood pressure goes up. Experts now believe as many as 80% of people 65 years and older have hypertension and should take steps to reduce it. If you fall into that age group or at risk for HBP, start by regularly monitoring your blood pressure. If high, work with your doctor to find ways to lower it including getting more exercise and eating a healthy diet. Another way to help prevent strokes is to quit smoking. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream and forces the heart to work harder, which in turn, increases the likelihood of blood clots. Also, if you are diabetic, you need to manage the disease. The American Diabetes Association reports that diabetics are two to four times more likely to have a stroke than someone without the disease. Exercise is another way to lower your risk. Doctors say 30 minutes of moderate exercise fives a week, like a brisk walk, yoga or dancing are beneficial. Moreover, if you are overweight, try to lose weight as obesity put you at risk for any number of health issues including stroke. And don’t forget to get your cholesterol checked. The AHA recommends everyone 20 years of age and over should have it done at least every 5 years. Check with your healthcare provider regarding other risks for stroke. At MorningStar of Happy Valley, we have 61 stylish suites for assisted living and 27 secure suites for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments. We define health and well-being holistically, and offer services and programming that supports the whole person: body, mind and spirit, which we believe makes MorningStar a destination for successful aging. If you are looking for one of the best senior living communities in the area, we encourage you to visit our website to learn more about MorningStar of Happy Valley. MorningStar of Happy Valley’s mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior living communities. We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve. Set in a warm, loving atmosphere with beautiful surroundings and resort-style amenities, we provide outstanding assisted living and memory care. While we all have experienced varying levels of stress and anxiety throughout our lives, experts have some advice on how we can better navigate through those times. They also are quick to remind us that some stress in our lives can be a good thing as it motivates us to do things like meet deadlines and accomplish things.
However stress becomes a problem when there is too much of it or low levels of stress that continue for long periods without a break says Dr. Michael Brodsky, medical director for behavioral health for L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly-operated health plan in the U.S. He explains that, “Low levels of stress release the same types of stress hormones that are produced by the fight-or-flight response,” and that “chronic exposure to such reactions are related to a number of health problems.” These include conditions such as obesity, heart disease, anxiety and depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, diabetes, hypertension, headaches and others. Dr. Brodsky and other experts offers a number of healthy habits to help us manage stress more effectively starting with creating a routine around your personal habits including sleep. Adults should strive for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night and stick to a scheduled bedtime. Another way to decrease your level of stress is to reduce your daily consumption of digital media. Scientists have found that the blue light emitting from our personal devices can disrupt our ability to release enough melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate our sleep/wake cycles and keep us from getting a good night’s sleep. Experts say it can help to create a plan to deal with the things you want to accomplish each day starting with writing down daily goals and priorities so they feel more manageable. Exercise, yoga or breathing exercises and mindful mediation can also be helpful. Doctors recommend seeking support from family and friends, or if you need, medical experts. At MorningStar of Rio Rancho, we are proud to offer the best senior living with our distinct mission statement - “to honor, to value, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents in a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about unparalleled senior living in Rio Rancho, NM. Source: health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/tips-for-relieving-daily-stress-and-calming-down |
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