Mediterranean Diet, Erics Tips for Older Adult Exercise, Are You Spent?

Happy Valentine’s Day! It is a good reminder of the greatest commandment – to LOVE! We are called not only to love the “joys” in our life (those easy to love), but also our “testys” (those that are irritating to us), “foes” (those we do not like), and “fars” (those we do not know – like the Haitiens). Phillip Yancy in his terrific book “What’s so Amazing About Grace” states, “You only love God as much as you love the person you like the least.”…

I hope and pray you all have stayed safe and warm and healthy with all our snow and cold weather! Please remember to take your vitamins (most important daily fish oil 1 gram and daily vitamin D), get at least 7 hours sleep, eat healthy (5-10 servings veggies and fruits/day), and drink plenty of water (1/2-1 gallon/day).

Mediterranean Diet – Basics of the World’s Healthiest Diet

A Mediterranean Diet is the eating habits traditionally followed by people living in the 16 counties surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The common thread is a diet that is plant-based and low in meat and moderate in fat – with most of the fat coming from olive oil. This diet is a healthy way to reduce weight and maintain excellent health and body weight throughout a longer life (and decreased risks of diabetes, inflammatory conditions, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, macular eye degeneration, and digestive ailments).

Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:

Near daily exercise and eating your meals with your family and friends

Eating a generous amount of vegetables and fruits (about 3 cups of veggies and 2 cups of fruit per day)

Consuming healthy fats like olive oil and canola oil (or sesame, peanut, walnut or grapeseed) – 1-2 tablespoons daily (sprinkle over salads or veggies or pasta sparingly because 1 tablespoon has 120 calories)

Flavoring foods with herbs and spices instead of salt – like oregano, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, anise, garlic and pepper (1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano has as many antioxidants as 3 cups of spinach)

Eating small portions of nuts (high in antioxidants and heart healthy fats, 1 – 1 ½ ounces daily, especially walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, peanuts, and natural peanut butter)

Drinking wine in moderation (for women one glass of red wine with meals, more than that raises you risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and breast cancer) or if you do not drink then a small amount of grape juice may be beneficial

Consuming whole grains (2 - 4 ½ cup servings per day – 1 slice of bread is one serving) and beans (1/2-2/3cup cooked beans at least 3 times per week) – any type of bean is an excellent source of low fat protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber – including kidney, black, red, fava, garbanzo, cannellini, edaname, lima, lentils, soy nuts, split peas

Eat fish and poultry as your main sources of protein – eat fish at least twice a week, and chicken, turkey, or eggs every other day (less than 4 eggs/week)

Limit red meat (and only lean red meat at most one serving per week) and sweets (just a few times a week, and eat fruit as your sweet instead, such as apple slices sprinkled sparingly with sugar and cinnamon) and avoid highly processed foods, and whenever possible eat seasonally fresh and locally grown foods

Eat only a low to moderate amount of low fat cheese and yogert (2-3 servings per day) and limit butter

Know the percentages – 50% carbohydrates (from vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains), 35% fat (from healthy oils, nuts, seeds, and fish), and 15% protein (from beans, fish, nuts, dairy, poultry, and eggs)

When eating out – choose items with plenty of veggies but not much cream sauces or cheese, such as vegetarian pasta tossed in olive oil and sprinkled lightly with Parmesan cheese, or baked chicken with a salad (only dip your fork in the dressing on the side) or steamed vegetables

Count Calories – to lose weight, a 150 lb. woman should eat 1200-1400 calories a day to lose about 1 lb. per week, and for the same woman to maintain her weight about 1800 calories per day

Sample Mediterranean Diet
Breakfast:
-1/3 cantaloupe
-1 slice whole grain toast
-2 tsp natural peanut butter
-1/2-1 apple

Lunch:
-2c. fresh spinach salad
-2 oz grilled chicken
-1 tbs. olive oil
-1 tbs. vinaigrette
-1 small whole wheat pita
-1/2-1 apple

Dinner:
-5 oz. fish
-1 small sweet potatoe
-2-3 c. broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions sautéed in garlic and olive oil
-1 c. fresh fruit

Snack:
-1 small handful of nuts to be eaten midmorning or mid-afternoon

Fitness Tips
By
Eric Walden
Published by IDEA Fitness Journal: Feb 2010

Exercise and Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults:

Exercise for Health
- Do a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week
- For greater health benefits, increase the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise

Endurance Exercise

Frequency and Duration
With moderate-intensity activities, accumulate a total of 150-300 minutes a week in bouts of 10 minutes or more (up to 60 for greater benefits) per day. With vigorous-intensity activities, complete total of 75-150 minutes per week in 20-30 minutes work bouts.

Intensity
Using a subjective assessment range of 0-10, let 506 represent moderate-intensity exertion and 7-8 signify vigorous-intensity effort.

Type
Use any exercise mode that does not trigger orthopedic stress to the body, for clients with lower-extremity limitations, water exercise, walking elliptical training and stationary cycling may be more advantageous, owing to the minimal-impact stresses.

Resistance Training

Frequency and Intensity
Complete resistance training at least twice per week at a moderate (5-6 intensity on a 10- point scale) or vigorous (7-8) intensity.

Type
Do 8-10 progressive weight training exercises involving the major muscles of the body. Weight-bearing calisthenics and stair climbing are also beneficial.

Flexibility Exercise

Frequency and Intensity
Do stretching exercises at least 2 days per week at moderate (5-6) intensity on the 0-10 scale.

Type
Perform static stretches that maintain and/or increase the desired range of motion for the selected joint or group of joints.

Balance Exercise for Frequent Fallers and Older Adults with Mobility Problems

At this time, the research does not specify an optimal dose (frequency, intensity, time, duration) for balance exercises. That said, the ACSM guidelines for balance include gradually more challenging exercises that reduce the base of balance support (e.g., two-legged stationary stand with legs different widths apart, weight shifting from one leg to the other, one-legged stand); dynamic movements that challenge the center of gravity (e.g., walking in the circle or figure eight and changing direction and speed); exercise that challenged the posture muscles (e.g., heal stands and toe stands); and movements that challenge sensory input (e.g., standing movements with eyes closed).

Family and Faith

Sermon Series on the theme “Spent” from my church, TPCC with minister Aaron Brockett and based on 1Kings 17:12-14
The Bible talks most about money because where our treasure goes there our heart goes also. Aaron reminded us that we come into the world with nothing and go out with nothing. What we fill our hands with can rob us of life. Our money is a temporary gift from God that just passes through our hands and needs to be spent wisely. Actually, everything we have is on rent from God. In Proverbs chapter 3, God states we need to give our FIRST fruits (first 10 percent to tithe to God for His kingdom and heaven work) and then the Lord will bless us. Aaron says that one of the most frequent questions he gets asked is “do I tithe on gross or net?” – his answer is which do you want God to bless – your gross or net? In Matthew 6:19, “Store your treasures in heaven, where they will not be destroyed.” God does not need our money (He is all powerful!), but He wants our heart and love and knows that where our treasure goes so our heart goes also. Tithing is our training and proof that we are trusting and believing God. Aaron talked about the trust needed in the trapeze artists – the flier needs to keep his arms outstretched to be caught by the catcher and trust that the strong arms of the catcher will catch him. If the flier tries to grab the catcher, really bad things happen. We are the fliers with our arms outstretched to God, and with our faith we trust Him to always catch us as He promises in the Bible. “Fear not” is the most common command from God to us in the Bible.
Last Sunday Aaron talked about when we are “spent up”. When we are stressed and feeling spent up at so many different times and in so many different ways, there is almost always too much of ME (and trying to do things on our own power) and not enough of God. The only remedy for being “spent” is to trust and allow God to fill you up in the face of difficult circumstances. Contentment and happiness is something that we learn if we are willing and something we can have and choose with God’s Spirit in us regardless of our circumstances and even in our worst trials. To be fulfilled and get full, we need less of me and more of God.

Parenting Tip: We as parents need to first learn and model and practice, and then teach and explain these truths from God about money and possessions to our children!

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Thank you for reading and considering - you all are so very special!.. My prayers for you and your family and our country and world, that there is so much more of God and His power and Spirit, and less of me (and my self centered will). May we actively trust and believe, and then all will be so powerfully magnified in His will!
Hugs,
Dr. Lisa