Middle Tennessee
Page 4
History of the Cuban Cigar Quality cigars are
still handmade today Page 6
Holiday Parties Celebrate without gaining weight at your next party
Page 8
Prediabetes Risk The YMCA emphasizes
prediabetes risk during National Diabetes Awareness Month
Nov 2017
LIFESTYLES
Co n t e n t s
LIFESTYLES ISSUE: 11
Nov 2017
YMCA
Emphasizes Prediabetes Risk during National Diabetes Awareness Month READ MORE ON > PAGE 8
Cuban
Cigars
Holiday
> PAGE 6
> PAGE 4
Smoky Mountains
Vacation
> PAGE 10
LEARN TO LOVE FAILURE Almost everyone knows that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. But most don’t know that Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper for a lack of ideas and his first cartoon production company went bankrupt. Everyone loves Lucy but Lucille Ball was told that she had no talent and should leave Murray Anderson’s drama school. With all of Dustin Hoffman’s success, it’s hard to believe he worked as a janitor and an attendant in a mental ward because he failed in his first attempt as an actor in New York. Can you imagine Bob Dylan getting booed off the stage at his high school talent show? What would have happened if Dr. Seuss’s actually burned the manuscript of his first book, which he wanted to do after it was rejected by 27 publishers? It’s also hard to fathom Steven Spielberg not getting accepted to UCLA film school because of average grades. And it’s easy to forget that Steve Jobs
LIFESTYLES
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LIFESTYLES
Parties
Seashells and
Sand Dollars > PAGE 12
was fired from Apple at 30 and Oprah Winfrey was told she wasn’t fit for television and was fired as a news anchor. The fact is everyone fails in life but it is a gift if you don’t give up and are willing to learn, improve and grow because of it. Failure often serves as a defining moment, a crossroad on the journey of your life. It gives you a test designed to measure your courage, perseverance, commitment, and dedication. Are you a pretender who gives up after a little adversity or a contender who keeps getting up after getting knocked down? Failure provides you with a great opportunity to decide how much you really want something. Will you give up? Or will you dig deeper, commit more, work harder, learn and get better? If you know that this is what you truly want, you will be willing to pay the price that greatness requires. You will be willing to fail again and again in order to succeed.
Meet the Staff of Lifestyles 55+ Publishers: Greg Bounds Garrett Epps
Editor Lana Walgamotte
Designer MK Media Group
Contributing Writers: Mary Bounds, Michelle Carollo, Cheryl Culbertson, Miriam Hulett, Marelia Rocasco, Jessica Valenzuela
Lifestyles 55+ is published monthly P.O. Box 1904 Spring Hill, TN 37174 Copyright 2017 by Lifestyles 55+. No part of this publication can be reproduced without the written, expressed consent of the publisher. Reproduction of editorial content or graphics in any manner or in any medium is prohibited. Opinions of staff & contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Contact the publishers of Lifestyles 55+ via e-mail at greg@lifestyles55tn.com, or call (615) 571-7437
Letters to the Editor are Welcome – send signed letters to: Lifestyles 55+ Magazine P.O. Box1904 Spring Hill, TN 37174. Please include a phone number for verification (it will not be published). E-mail letters to greg@lifestyles55tn.com. The Editor reserves the right to edit for length, style and spelling. Postmaster : Send address changes to Lifestyles 55+ P.O. Box 1904 Spring Hill, TN 37174
r e t s O y n b r e a d S t u ffi n g Cor
Ingredients:
To Make:
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth • 1 sprig sage plus 1 tablespoon thinly sliced sage leaves • 1 sprig rosemary • 1 pound breakfast sausage, casings removed • ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter • 2 medium onions, finely chopped • 1½ cups finely chopped celery • ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper • 4 dozen small shucked oysters in their liquor (about 1 cup liquor) • 4 large eggs, whisked • 12 cups savory (not sweet) cornbread cut into ¾-inch cubes, stale or toasted in a 300° oven until dry
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine broth, sage sprig, and rosemary sprig in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and let stock steep until ready to use. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked through, 7–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a large bowl, leaving any rendered fat in pan. Melt butter in skillet; add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add onion mixture, sliced sage, parsley, and thyme to bowl with sausage. Mix well; season with salt and pepper. Add oysters with liquor, reserved broth (sprigs removed), and eggs; toss to combine. Add cornbread; toss until well blended and cornbread absorbs most of the liquid. Spoon stuffing into a 3-qt. baking dish. If any liquid remains in bowl, drizzle ¼–½ cup over to moisten cornbread (amount varies depending on dryness of cornbread). Bake until browned and liquid is absorbed, 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes, tenting with foil if top gets too dark.
By: Michelle Carollo
C uban
H i st o r y of t h e
What comes to mind when you think about Cuba? Is it the turbulent history, Latin music, old classic cars, perhaps it’s the world-famous Cuban cigars? It is said that tobacco was first introduced to Cuba between 3000-2000 B.C. The word “cigar” originated from the Spanish cigarro, which is derived from the Mayan sicar meaning “to smoke rolled tobacco leaves” – from si’c, “tobacco. When talking Cigars, Cuba is far from being defined by Havana’s bustling streets, the country’s scenic lands of mountain vistas and vast tobacco fields make up for much of the country’s terrain. Cuba’s fertile land and favorable climate have allowed all three types of tobacco leaves to be used in a cigar - the wrapper, filler, and binder are all harvested on the island. For many years, tobacco was the second exportable production of the nation, after sugar. The National Park area of Viñales, Pinar del Río produces 70% of Cuba’s tobacco crop, used to make the world’s most sought-after cigars. The finest tobacco, used for more expensive cigar brands, is grown in the flat-
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C igar lands of San Juan y Martínez.
In 1492, when Columbus discovered the Americas he stumbled across this precious tobacco. After colonizing the region and claiming Cuba for Spain, the Spaniards ordered all tobacco for export be registered, and forbid Cuban planters to sell the crop to anyone else. This created a monopoly on Tobacco that lasted until 1817. Christopher Columbus has been credited with the introduction of tobacco to Europe. By the 19th century, cigars were becoming increasingly popular around the world, especially within the United States. This led many Cuban cigar-makers to migrate to Florida, where Tampa became known as “Cigar City” by the early 20th century.
Quality cigars are still handmade today. An experienced cigar-roller can produce hundreds of very good, nearly identical, cigars per day. Once rolled, the cigars are stored in wooden forms as they dry, in which their uncapped ends are cut to size, they can be kept for decades at a temperature of 70 °F and 70% relative humidity. Proper storage in a specialized wooden humidor is recommended. Despite known health risks, cigars remain a symbol of the erudite society and even a fixture of pop culture. “If I cannot smoke in heaven, then I shall not go,” Mark Twain famously once said.
LIFESTYLES
Word Search We hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Find these words in the scramble to the Right while thinking of how much fun you will have! THANKSGIVING
SETTLERS
CARVE
MASSACHUSETTS
BLESSINGS TURKEY
PLANTATION PILGRIMS
TRADITION
MAYFLOWER DINNER
LIFESTYLES
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Holiday Parties Celebrate Without Gaining Weight
BY: CATHERIN WILBERT
T’was the month before Christmas and the parties begin; can I eat, drink and be merry, and still remain thin? When it comes to the Holiday season, party foods and alcohol are symbols of festivity. Holiday celebrations, with the traditional buffet-style parties and hearty servings of eggnog, make it difficult for the average health-conscious individual, as the opportunity to eat and drink more than usual is available and enticing. So how can you maintain good eating habits and still enjoy holiday parties and social gatherings? Here are a few strategies to assist you through this season of temptation.
THE PARTY ISN’T ALL DAY LONG Maybe it is, but more than likely, it will be in the evening. And just because you will be attending a holiday event, doesn’t mean you have to blow the entire day. On the day of the party, pace yourself at breakfast and through lunch with smaller protein based meals, reserving your fat and carb count for later that evening where there will undoubtedly be lots of fats and carbs (and not much protein) to choose from.
EAT BEFORE YOU GO Eat a small, healthy, high protein meal before you go to the party. This will prevent you from being ravenous when you finally get to the buffet table and you will be less likely to overindulge.
EXERCISE Don’t quit the program just because it’s party time. Sticking with your exercise program will keep you feeling good about taking care of yourself and you will be less inclined to go way overboard when choosing holiday delicacies.
MAKE THE CALORIES COUNT Scout out the spread and choose small, taste size portions of interesting looking dishes you would like to try. Don’t waste calories on familiar foods. Stay away from the cheeses and fattier
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foods and dips with heavier cream bases, and remember portion control – little nibbles add up to large servings. Vegetables and finger sandwiches filled with meats, like turkey, ham and roast beef make the best choices. Avoid the chicken, egg and tuna salad sandwiches, which are usually made with a lot of mayonnaise, high in fat and calories. Also, ditch the bread and just eat the meat. I’m sure Miss Manners wouldn’t be too appalled at you picking at your food in the name of health, and after all, they are called finger foods.
EAT AND GET OUT! The slogan that made a popular restaurant in Chicago famous, is a good rule of thumb at parties. Once you have made your selections, take your plate and leave the table – in fact, leave the room. It’s easy to be tempted when the food is staring you in the face. Stay away from the table and keep busy so you won’t be tempted to eat.
VISIT WITH FRIENDS RATHER THAN FOOD It seems like tradition to gather around the food table, concentrating on what to try next, rather than truly paying attention to the conversation at hand. Visit with friends, dance or mingle and focus on other things besides the tempting array of food. It’s good to enjoy food, but it’s even nicer to truly enjoy the company of friends and family you haven’t seen in a while.
KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE Have a strategy before you leave for the party with a designated number of cocktails that you will drink and an allotted amount of food that you will consume. If you eat more than you had planned at a particular function, that doesn’t mean you’ve blown it for the entire holiday season, try to return to your normal healthy eating habits the next day. Your attitude about what you eat is just as important as the food itself.
by: Carlos Montenegro
Live Life To The Fullest Trish Gomez RD, CPT Registered Dietitian / Nutritionist C e r t i f i e d P e r s o n a l Tr a i n e r Corrective Exercise Specialist
Nutrition and exercise plans for I m p r o v e d m o b i l i t y, b a l a n c e , s t r e n g t h , a n d s t a m i n a R e n e w e d e n e r g y, v i t a l i t y, a n d e n d u r a n c e
( 6 1 5 ) 4 7 6 - 5 2 2 7 t r i s h @ t r i s h g o m e z . c o m c a l l t o s e t u p Photo a f r e ebypKaryn h o n e Photography consultation
The YMCA of Middle Tennessee Emphasizes Prediabetes Risk during National Diabetes Awareness Month
November is dubbed as National Diabetes Awareness month with the goal of raising awareness about diabetes, its risk factors and the impact it has on millions of Americans. The latest statistics show that 30.3 million Americans have diabetes. Diabetes is a condition that affects more than a person’s blood glucose levels. It can cause major complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, high blood pressure, loss of limbs, and blindness. Factors that contribute to developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight/obese, being over the age of 60, living a sedentary lifestyle, and having a family history of type 2 diabetes.
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When thinking about diabetes, most of the people think of those who have already been diagnosed with the condition. However, would you be shocked to hear that 84.1 million Americans are living with prediabetes? That’s one in three Americans! Even more alarming is that only one in ten of the 84.1 million are aware they have prediabetes. So, what is prediabetes? Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar is elevated, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Once prediabetes develops into type 2 diabetes, the damage is irreversible and there is no cure. However, the good news is that prediabetes can be reversed through modest and
sustainable lifestyle changes that can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. To address this epidemic, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee offers the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, a 12-month evidence-based lifestyle intervention geared towards helping adults lose weight through healthier eating increased physical activity, and accountability in order to reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes. The program uses CDC approved curriculum and is led by a trained lifestyle coach who utilizes a coaching approach to engage a small group of participants in shared learning experiences, relationship building, problem-solving/goal setting, and peer support. Based on research, the program goals are designed around the idea that small lifestyle changes that lead to modest weight loss can reverse this diagnosis or slow the progression of developing type 2 diabetes. Precious Bond began her journey in 2015 when she came across the YMCA’s program while researching diabetes management programs for someone else. Ironically enough, Precious found out she had prediabetes shortly after she learned of the Y’s program. She knew something had to change and after reviewing the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and discussing the commitment required for success, she decided to join the program. After completing the program, she is 27 pounds lighter and is a much stronger and happier person compared to where she was before the program. “I have learned to make many small changes that have led to sustained weight loss like by choosing a parking spot further from the door at my job to increase my steps, using smaller plates, bringing my own lunch to work, having healthier alternative snacks around at all times and simply keeping high fat foods out of my home.” Precious Bond’s life changed after completing the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and so can yours. This project is funded under a Grant Contract from the State of Tennessee
For more information about how to qualify for access to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program contact Kelli Mitchuson at 615-259- 9622 ext. 70030 or visit www.ymcamidtn.org/diabetes-prevention
Travel & Destinations
THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS By Lisa Dunn
Are you tired of the same old vacations? Visiting Grandma, amusement parks, or overcrowded ‘hot spots’ getting boring and predictable? Did you know that one of the best family vacation spots is closer than you think? Take a virtual trip with me to The Great Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains are located right here in Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the United States? Now, don’t let that scare you. With an enormous 520,408 acres of land, it is hard to feel crowded in this national beauty. What is your pleasure? Are you and your family the adventurous type? Well, this is the place for you! Imagine the beautiful sights you will see as you take a hike to the crest of a mountain. With over 800 miles of trails, you can take a different trail every time! How about a bicycle ride through Cades Cove? Or a horseback ride through over 400 miles of horse trails. Whether you want to go fishing or enjoy a backpacking camping trip, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the perfect adventure for you. Don’t feel like hiking? Take an auto tour! With an auto tour, you can see panoramic vistas, waterfalls, forests, and historical landmarks. There are almost 80 historic structures including houses, churches, schools, and mills. And they are all well preserved right in the park!
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Want all the fun of the outdoors without all the sweat? Choose from eleven picnic areas to enjoy a nice basket of chicken and some coleslaw! When you’re full, walk it off while enjoying one of the many waterfalls in the park. Enjoy the wildflowers as you go, because Great Smoky National Park is known as ‘the wildflower national park!’ Although flowers bloom year round, the buds in the spring and the summer are simply exquisite! Have you ever seen a deer or a bear up close? Well, your chances are very high in this Park. When you get there, you can even get tips on how to spot our wildlife friends. So what are you waiting for. Search Great Smoky Mountain Vacation and plan a trip!
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S ea sh el ls & S a n d D ol la r s:
By: Ruth Megan
Inspiration from the Beach – How to Face Adversity and Offer Hope Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement – and we will make the goal. ~ Jerome Fleishman I just spent a week at the seashore, watching waves pound the beach, dragging sand away from its quiet place on the shore and into the bigger ocean. If I were a grain of sand, I’d much rather lie in the sun: peaceful, un-battered, with a life of quiet tranquility. I’d rather not face the waves of adversity, tumbled by the tumult of ebb and flow, uncertain of my outcome. Yet the ocean, like life, gives back, even as it takes. I found a sand dollar amid the flotsam at water’s edge. A tad imperfect, not bleached-white but dull gray; all the more precious because it survived the surf to settle at my feet – an unexpected gift. As we strolled along, others were picking up seashells, tossing aside those that were chipped, broken and imperfect. I’d always done the same thing myself. But then I started to notice the shards. They were just as beautiful, perhaps more so. Uniquely shaped, beaten but not destroyed; a testament to the tenacity of life and survival – even in the wearing ocean. My thoughts wandered with my steps. A friend’s daughter who lost a child, and another whose husband died unexpectedly. Both too young. A conversation with a Korean veteran who lived a far different experience from our MASH-inspired perception of war. Thank you, sir, for your service. (And thank you to all veterans, wherever you served.) A wealthy businessman who struggles with the realities of a 29-year-old son with ALS. The son may not see his 30th birthday. And no amount of money can change that …
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Dozens of people, young and old, in wheelchairs and scooters on the boardwalk, enjoying sunshine and surf despite their handicaps. Even a dog rally, where two of the stars were Pitt Bulls with missing legs. Most of us would say, “How sad.” Yet they were active and loving, squirming with joy when people stopped to pet them. I began to pick up those broken shells, seeing a different perspective that others overlooked. “See these colors.” “Ooh, look at these – how beautiful!” And a few steps further, “Feel this one,” as I rubbed my thumb back and forth across its smooth surface, comforting like a worry stone. We are like those seashells. We don’t get the option to stay on the beach, comfortable, warm and unaffected by the ebb and flow of life. Instead, we must face the surf, overcome the riptides of calamity and disaster to offer value and beauty to those whose paths cross ours. Some of us seem to have ‘perfect’ lives, yet we’ve been through the surf of situations and circumstances that tossed us about and left our emotions behind with the tide. Some of us are battered by life, dull and chipped like that sand dollar. We’ve lost the polish of lovingkindness – replaced with the grayness of anger, bitterness and disappointment, grief, and regret. Others are broken – eroded physically, mentally, emotionally or financially. Our lives, our ‘shells’, are no longer what we had expected. We’ve been washed ashore by waves of time and circumstance. We wait, broken and alone, for someone to pick us up, dust off the grit and remind us of our innate value and beauty. I’m sure we’d all rather be like seashells in the Beach Store: perfect, polished, costly. But Life’s tides don’t give us that option.
The next time you see people or circumstances that aren’t what you want or expect, remember the lesson of the shells. They were all perfect once. Yet, even battered and broken, they add to the ambiance that is Life. Every seashell – if it could talk, would tell you a story of joy and sorrow, ebb and flow. We forget too often that our experiences are not unique. The Bible reminds us the tests and trials of life are ‘common to man’ (I Cor. 10:13). Growth and decay, trial and circumstance, happiness and disappointment are all part of the tide called Life. Here are three simple keys to help you face your own adversities and offer hope to others.
Empathize. When meetwho someone who seems Empathize. When you meetyou someone seems storm-tossed and storm-tossed and lonely, remember the sand lonely, remember the sand dollar, chipped and gray, butdollar, special chipped Share and your gray,compassion but special nonetheless. Share nonetheless. and understanding. your compassion and understanding.
Appreciate. Be grateful when the ocean of Life gives you time on theAppreciate. beach. Welcome opportunity forocean sunshine Be every grateful when the of and Lifeblessing. gives Share your blessings with others. you time on the beach. Welcome every opportunity
for sunshine and blessing. Share your blessings with
Connect. No matter where they are – or why, people need others. connection. Just like those fragments of seashells, you can ‘pick them up’ with smiles, kind words, and hugs.
Connect. No matter where they are – or why, people need connection. Just like those fragments of seashells, you can ‘pick them up’ with smiles, kind words, and hugs.
That Korean veteran showed me a photo of he and his wife, now deceased. Decades ago, they were young and beautiful – far removed from the stubbly elder gentleman I know now. My own life certainly didn’t turn out as I’d expected. Yours probably didn’t either. And that is true for all of us. But just like those seashells, we’ve survived. That is the real inspiration from the beach.
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