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Living Longer, Living Stronger with Food, Fun and Fitness 10th Annual Healthy Aging Summit

WHAT:	The Georgia Department of Human Resources - Division of Aging Services is planning the 10th Annual Healthy Aging Summit entitled "Living Longer, Living stronger with Food, Fun and Fitness." This conference is designed to provide workshops and general sessions on a variety of topics that will focus on healthy aging and healthy living.
WHEN:	June 6-8, 2007
WHO:	The target audience for the conference include: dietitians, nurses, case managers, Area Agencies on Aging directors, senior center managers, health educators, care givers, and others involved in providing care for older adults.
WHERE:	Marriott Riverfront Hotel Augusta, Georgia
COST:	The registration fee for the conference is $165 for dietitians and $145 for others.
CONTINUING EDUCATION:	Continuing education credits will be available for dietitians attending the conference.  A Certificate of Attendance will be offered to other conference attendees.
REGISTRATION:	The conference and hotel registration information will be available for dissemination the week of April 9th, 2007.
CONTACT:	Sudha Reddy 404-657-5316 Gwenyth Johnson 404-657-8779 Angela Johnson 404-657-5323

Sensational Snacking

Today, it is common for people to eat several small meals and snacks per day rather than three main meals a day.  Most people think snacking between meals can lead to weight gain or that snacking will spoil your dinner. But snacks are a very important part of an older adult's diet.  If you snack on the right foods at the right times, snacking can be a healthy way to get extra energy, vitamins, and minerals.

Snack Tips - suggestions for good snacking habits:

1. Choose snack foods that are moderate in fat, sugar and salt.
2. Choose snacks high in fiber and vitamins and minerals.
   1. Fresh, canned or dried fruit, such as apples, bananas, plums, raisins, pineapple, berries, applesauce, 100% fruit juices, etc.
   2. Cut vegetables with dip, such as carrots, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, etc.
   3. Whole grain breads, crackers or cereals, such as whole grain crackers, whole wheat toast, graham crackers, animal crackers and cereals like Cheerios^TM, raisin bran, shredded wheat, etc.
   4. Calcium-rich dairy, such as plain or fruited yogurt, cheese, lowfat milk or chocolate milk, cottage cheese, etc.
   5. Protein-rich foods, such as nuts, peanut butter or sliced turkey or ham.

Get into the habit of keeping healthy snacks with you so you have something nutritious handy when you begin to feel hungry.

Snack Timing

Timing makes a difference.  Different kinds of snacks are useful for different times of the day.  If you hungry but will not eat a meal for about an hour or so, have a small low-calorie snack (about 100 to 200 calories), such as: 

1. One medium piece of fruit or ½ cup canned or cut up fruit and small slice of cheese.
2. One handful of pretzels/popcorn and ½ cup fruit juice.
3. Vegetable juice (6 ounces) and one slice of toast.
4. Cut vegetables with dip/dressing.
5. One cup lowfat milk and two gingersnaps.
6. Two tablespoons nuts.

What are some examples of low-calorie snacks that you enjoy?

Now, if your next meal is a few hours away and you feel hungry, choose a snack that provides more calories (200 to 250 calories):

1. Low fat yogurt with two tablespoons granola or cereal.
2. Whole-grain crackers with cheese.
3. One half bagel with peanut butter.
4. One half sandwich (turkey, ham, peanut butter) and ½ cup lowfat milk.
5. Small bowl cereal with lowfat milk.
6. Small whole grain muffin with lowfat milk.
7. Sliced apple with peanut butter.

What are some heartier snacks that you enjoy?

Healthy snacking can help you stay more alert and think more clearly.  When you find yourself getting tired during the day, avoid desserts like cake, doughnuts and soft drinks.  Instead reach for some of the healthy snacks we mentioned.  The right snack at the right time can do wonders for your health.

Enjoy healthy snack recipes:

Healthy Snacking for a Healthy Lifestyle
Recipes to Enjoy with Grandchildren
Honey Raisin Bran Muffins
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Bars

 

Take Charge Tips
Prevention

Eat Healthy - to Prevent Stroke

You can do a great deal to prevent suffering a stroke. Start with a few simple guidelines for eating healthy.

• Eat the amount of food you need.

Obesity is a major risk for heart disease and stroke. To prevent obesity, balance the amount of calories you take in, or eat, with the amount of calories you use.  Remember, the more active you are, the more food you can eat without gaining weight. 

You can estimate the amount of calories you need as follows: folks who aren’t very active need about 25 calories per kilogram of body weight*.  If you do light exercise 5 - 7 days a week, you will need about 30 calories per kilogram of body weight.  If you do moderate activity 5 – 7 days per week, you will need 33-35 calories per kilogram of body weight.

To gradually lose weight, exercise more often and decrease the total calories you eat.

*kilograms = body weight in pounds divided by 2.2

• Variety: Eat a little of a lot of different foods.

All foods contain different nutrients and are good for you in different ways.  Foods are grouped together, like dairy foods or fruits and vegetables, because they are good sources of common nutrients. Eating a variety helps you get all the different nutrients you need for good health.

• Quality: Select foods that benefit health.

Some foods have very little vitamins and minerals but very high amounts of calories. Examples are chips, cakes, cookies, candies, sodas, fried foods, and other high fat foods. Eating them often adds very little to your health but can add very much to your waistline. To avoid these “empty calorie” foods, choose fresh fruits and vegetables and other minimally processed foods.  Avoid fried foods, chips and other snack foods, sweets and deserts. Limit salt and total fat, especially, trans fat

Be Active - to Prevent Osteoporosis

Being active helps protect your bones by slowing bone loss, improving muscle strength, and improving balance to prevent falls.

Include "weight-bearing" activity in your daily life. This includes any activity in which your body works against gravity. There are so many things to choose from: walk, dance, run, climb stairs, garden, yoga, tai chi, jog, hike, play tennis, or lift weights. 

Make your goal the goal to MOVE!

Get Checked - to Treat Early

Modern medicine and technology have made it possible to successfully treat the diseases that once took the lives of those they attacked. The key is early detection – and that is what you can do. Help your doctors help you. Find problems early.

Review the checklists below to see if you are due to check in with your doctor.

Checklist for women | Checklist for men

Be Smoke Free - to Breathe Clean Air

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) also called "secondhand smoke," a major indoor air pollutant, contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons, such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, as well as 43 carcinogens.

ETS causes an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 to 50,000 heart disease deaths in non-smokers, as well as 150,000 to 300,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infections in children less than 18 months of age each year.

Smoking is a goup activity. If you smoke, you affect the health of others around you. You can choose to give up smoking and help you, and those around you, to breathe clean air.

Be Positive - to Enjoy Life

Issues that older adults face adds to the stress that comes with living in our modern world. Many times the circumstances in which we live cannot be changed, or at least cannot be changed quickly. Take positive steps to manage the issues you face.

Mental Health America recommends taking these steps:

• Relax your mind
• Exercise
• Connect with others
• Get enough rest
• Help others
• Know your limits
• Keep a journal
• Watch negative self-talk
• Get invoved in spiritual activities
• Write down three good things that happen to you each day for a week
• Remember, it's OK to ask for help

The full article is available by clicking here.