All Posts in "The Senior Scene"

Not all protein is created equal

The American Heart Association recommends eating healthy sources of protein (mostly from plant sources); regularly eating fish and seafood; substituting non-fat and low-fat dairy products in place of full-fat versions; and for people who eat meat or poultry, going for the lean and unprocessed varieties. The reasons are plenty.

Fish and shellfish are good sources of protein. Examples include anchovies, herring, mackerel, black cod, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, whitefish, striped bass, and cobia. As part of a heart-healthy diet, omega-3 fatty acids in fish can help reduce the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiac arrest and the most common type of stroke (ischemic).

Food from plants that contain plenty of protein include beans, peas, lentils and nuts. There are many types of beans – pinto, kidney, garbanzo, soybeans – and they’re all good for you. Put lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas on the list, too. Plant sources of protein don’t have saturated fats and provide dietary fiber and other nutrients. Nuts, peanuts, and soybeans also contain healthy unsaturated fats.

Now for you meat-eaters. In general, red meat (such as beef, pork and lamb) has more saturated fat than skinless chicken, fish, and plant proteins. Saturated fats can raise blood cholesterol and increase risk of heart disease. So choose lean meat, skinless poultry, and unprocessed forms. And eat healthy portions,

such as three ounces. The size of a three-ounce portion is the size of a deck of cards for red meat, a small chicken drumstick or thigh, three-quarters of a cup of flaked fish, and two thin slices of lean roast beef.

You can get all the nutrients you need without eating meat. A one-cup serving of cooked beans, peas, lentils or tofu can replace a two-ounce serving of meat, poultry or fish. Two ounces of peanut butter equals an ounce of meat.

On that note, here are some suggestions for mixing non-meat protein and other healthy eating into the three main daily meals:

Breakfast

• Add beans to breakfast tacos, scrambled eggs, or a vegetable omelet.

• Replace bacon and sausage with low-sodium, nitrate-free turkey or veggie bacon..

• Stir nuts or yogurt into cooked cereal.

• Use non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt.    

Lunch

• Slice leftover chicken or turkey for sandwiches.

• Have a bowl of bean or lentil soup with added veggies.

• Eat a tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread (swap out some of the mayo with ripe avocado).

• Make a chicken salad with leftover baked or roasted chicken.

Dinner

• Grill, bake, or microwave chicken breasts. Remove skin before cooking.

• Bake fish fillets sprinkled with lemon and salt-free seasonings. Or bake or grill a whole fish in foil with lemon and onion slices..

• Top a salad with beans, nuts, fish, or skinless chicken.

• Add beans to a soup or casserole.

• Make burger patties from black or garbanzo beans.

And when preparing meals, there are ways to come out with the healthiest results. For instance, flavor any type of protein with salt-free spices and herbs, garlic, and onion. Trim fat from meat and remove skin from poultry before cooking, and pour off any melted fat. If roasting a whole chicken or turkey, remove the skin before carving and serving.

One more tip: Chill meat juices after cooking so you can easily skim off the hardened fat. Then you can add the juices to stews, soups and gravy.

Sources: American Heart Association and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Senior Scene by — February 28, 2024 in Food, People

By Brandy Minks

Exercise for many people is a challenge because of limited mobility. Excess weight can be restraining and joint issues, decreased muscle mass and low endurance can be limiting factors to exercise. Reliance on a cane, walker or wheelchair may also restrict the number or types of activities you can perform.

The goal of exercise is ideally to improve “functional fitness,” or training for the daily activities of life. However, even if you struggle with mobility, there are ways to incorporate functional fitness training into your life.

Focus on these three areas to improve functional fitness:

  • Aerobic capacity refers to how much endurance you have when it comes to activities such as walking, climbing stairs, washing yourself, getting dressed, etc. These activities can increase your heart rate and breathing. When we lack aerobic capacity, daily activities seem harder and make us tire easily. By building up aerobic capacity through regular exercise, activities become easier and we have better quality of life.
  • Muscular strength refers to the strength of your muscles and whether your endurance is adequate enough to complete daily activities without problems. For example, think about whether it is difficult for you to brush your hair or push yourself up from a chair. If these activities are hard for you (or you require assistance), increasing your muscular strength and endurance will help you do these activities with ease.
  • Range of motion/flexibility refers to the ability to move our bodies in ways that allow us to do activities with minimal pain. Ask yourself: Can I reach behind my head to brush my hair? Can I stretch to tie my shoes or put on socks? Having good flexibility allows us to do daily activities effortlessly.

To increase aerobic capacity, start with simple seated exercises. You can do these on your own or in a class. Any movement that causes your heart rate and breathing to increase will work. Take breaks as you need them. Start off slowly and increase the time you exercise by a minute or two every day.

To increase muscular endurance and flexibility, practice the following exercises while seated in a chair 5–10 times. These exercises mimic activities we do every day:

  • Reach for it. Bend slightly forward at your hips and hold your arms straight out in front of you.
  • Pick it up. Pull a backpack or bag from the floor onto your lap. Then pull it up higher and hold it to your chest. You can add items to the bag to make this harder.
  • Push it. Push yourself up from your chair using your arms and legs and sit back down. Make your legs do most of the work.
  • Pull it. Reach your arms straight out in front of you. Pull your elbows back and pinch your shoulder blades together. You can do this with weights to make it harder.
  • Carry it. Carry your bag or backpack from one spot to another.

Brandy Minks, who has masters degrees in nutrition and exercise physiology, works for MultiCare Health System’s Center for Weight Loss and Wellness.

The Senior Scene by — February 28, 2024 in Health & Fitness
Presidential primary ends March 12

Washington voters will help pick the major political party nominees for president in March.

The state’s presidential primary asks participating voters to mark and sign party declarations on their ballot return envelopes, as part of state law that sets the process for how the Democrat and Republican parties pick their candidates and who gets on the ballot for the general election this November. The primary has special conditions unlike regular elections in Washington. More information about the process is available at sos.wa.gov/elections, the website of the Washington secretary of state’s elections department, which administers statewide elections.

For the Democrats, names on the ballot are President Joe Biden and Dean Phillips. Marianne Williamson also appears but has suspended her campaign.

Republican candidates are Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, plus three who have suspended their campaigns or dropped out of the race–Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy.

March 12, the official election day, is the last date that voters can cast ballots by mailing them or depositing them in official ballot boxes in their counties. County election offices mailed ballots on Feb. 23 to registered voters.

For a list of ballot boxes or other local information, voters can contact the Pierce County election department at elections@piercecountywa.gov and 253-798-8683 and the King County election department at elections@kingcounty.gov and 206-296-8683.

The Senior Scene by — February 28, 2024 in Everything Else
Fun ways to help grandkids learn about saving money

By Maya Corbic

There’s a seven-letter word weighing heavy on most families right now—savings. And with good reason. According to a Bankrate study, 56% of Americans wouldn’t be able to pay for an emergency expense of $1,000 or more from their savings account. People tend to think of saving as a daunting and headache-inducing process, but it can be fun and rewarding with the right system in place that works for your family.

Below, with a focus on fun challenges to do with grandchildren, are feasible and interactive ways to save and grow your family’s wealth together while also learning valuable financial skills:

Save the Extras: It’s all about the little things when it comes to saving. For instance, put the money you saved when you get a discount at a store directly into your savings account or save the money you would have otherwise spent (i.e. borrowed sports gear for youth sports vs. buying new). And if you are lucky to land a raise at work, move your pay raise into savings as you are already used to living on your old income.

The 365-Day Nickle Challenge: This challenge can result in saving $3,339.75 in one year and it only involves nickels! The challenge goes as so, on Day 1, you transfer 5 cents into your savings account. Day 2, transfer 5 cents plus another 5 cents or nickel to your savings account. Day 3, transfer 10 cents plus another 5 cents or nickel to your savings account. Repeat the process until the last day of the year and you’ll be looking at a nice extra chunk of change.

Weekly Savings Challenge: This challenge is similar to the nickel challenge, but with dollars. Starting on Monday, save $1. Then on Tuesday, save $2. This process continues until you get to Sunday and save $7. You will save $1,456 in one year with this easy method.

100 Envelope Challenge: Start by grabbing 100 envelopes, which you can find at most dollar stores, and write a number from 1-100 on each one. Then, shuffle the envelopes and put them into a bag/container. For the next 100 days, daily draw an envelope from the bag. The number written on the selected envelope will instruct you how much money to put into that envelope. For example, if you draw the number 20, you place $20 into that envelope. By the end of the 100 days, you will save $5,050.

45-Day Challenge: This challenge will have you counting backwards! On Day 1, transfer $45 into your savings account. Day 2, transfer $44 and day 3 transfer $43, repeat the process until you hit 45 days. By the end of the challenge, you can save $1,035 in one year.

52-Week Money Challenge: Begin the challenge by saving $1 in week 1. Week 2, save $2 and so on. In week 52, the last week of the year, save $52. This will result in saving $1,378 by the end of the year!

Maya Corbic is a CPA and the author of “From Piggy Banks to Stocks: The Ultimate Guide for Young Investors.”

The Senior Scene by — February 22, 2024 in Personal Finance/Consumers