Winter Wellness Guide 2024

Winter WellNEss Your guide to staying active and feeling great during the winter season.

& A special advertising supplement of the Bennington Banner & the Manchester Journal

Friday, January 26th, 2024

Friday, January 26, 2024 | Winter Wellness Guide

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At one point or another, millions of adults across the globe have resolved to be more physically active. The benefits of routine exercise are too numerous to cite, but some of the more notable ones include a lower risk for chronic disease and illness, improved self-esteem and greater overall health.

workout over the course of your day. Some strength-training exercises in the morning can be followed up with a brisk walk or run over a lunch break. This approach makes it easier to fit a full workout into your daily routine.

• Employ the buddy system.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that working out with a partner increases exercise motivation and encourages individuals to be more consistent with their exercise routine so they do not let their partners down. The authors behind a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology suggested the efficacy of the buddy system may require further study before researchers can definitively say it’s an effective motivation strategy for people who want to exercise more. But there’s no denying that many individuals feel that they are more likely to exercise with a friend than they are if they go solo.

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out, and once results start to does not mean the exercise isn’t manifest you may be more moti- working and ultimately helping you get healthier. Adults vated to stay the course. are urged to speak with their • Identify what progress physicians and identify what may look like. It’s easy to beprogress with a workout roucome discouraged if a committine might look like for someone ment to routine exercise does their age. Progress may look difnot produce visible results. But ferent than it did years ago, but just because your abs are not if the end result is a healthier becoming chiseled a month into you, then that should be all the a workout routine or the scale is motivation you need to keep gonot reflecting significant weight ing. loss does not mean your routine It’s no secret that making a is not working. As the human body ages, it becomes more dif- commitment to routine exerficult to transform it. So a work- cise can be difficult. But various out routine that left you looking strategies can increase the likelean and chiseled in your twen- lihood that individuals will stay ties may not produce the same the course as they seek to exerbody in your forties. But that cise more frequently.

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With so much to gain from routine exercise, it’s no wonder so many people aspire to be more physically active. But it’s easy to lose motivation when aspiring to exercise more. Each year, one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to exercise more. In fact, Statista conducted a survey regarding New Year’s resolutions for 2023 and found that exercising more was the most popular resolution. However, a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health found that 64 percent of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions within a month of making them. Exercising more requires commitment, and there • Schedule exercise time. are some ways to make it a little Busy professionals book work easier to maintain that commitmeetings, family obligations ment over the long haul. and other daily tasks in their • Break it up. The Harvard schedules, and the T.H. Chan T.H. Chan School of Public School of Public Health recomHealth notes that people don’t mends doing the same with exneed to exercise all at once to ercise. Allotting time to exercise reap the rewards of physical ac- each day may decrease the liketivity. If time is tight, break up a lihood that you’ll skip a work-

Winter Wellness Guide | Friday, January 26, 2024

Tips to maintain your commitment to exercise

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Friday, January 26, 2024 | Winter Wellness Guide

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Managing Aches & Pains In Cold Weather Submitted by Aunt Bonnie’s Natural Remedies & Gift Shop Do cold temperatures cause slow, achy joints that make it difficult for you to get moving? A cold front can cause joints to expand, which may result in pain. Low temps may also increase the thickness of the synovial fluid that acts as the joint’s shock absorber, which makes joints stiff and more sensitive to pain. If you get stiff, achy joints in the wintertime, CBD may help keep you moving throughout the winter season.

WHAT IS CBD? CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found primarily in the hemp flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. CBD is known for supporting the body and mind in various ways.

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DOES CBD HELP WITH ARTHRITIS PAIN?

Some of the main benefits are: support for regular sleep cycles, a sense of calm for focus; relief from everyday stresses; help in recovery from sore achy joints and pains.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, “Animal studies have suggested that CBD has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, but these effects have not been validated in quality studies in humans.

Anecdotally, some people with arthritis who have tried CBD report noticeable pain relief, sleep improvement and/or anxiety reduction. However, like any medication for arthritis, some people do not report any symptom improvements when taking CBD.”

HOW DO YOU TAKE CBD FOR ACHES AND PAINS? Many people find that including CBD once or twice daily into their routine is best. CBD is often used in the morning for all day relief and an hour or two before bed to increase for better sleep.

CBD is available in many forms. It can be taken orally as an oil, tincture, gummy or soft gel, it can also be applied topically as a lotion. For daily support on targeted aches and pains a topical is the most popular.

Cold temperatures are inevitable in Vermont during the winter months. Some other ways to keep your achy pains at a minimum are to stay hydrated, eat a balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables, exercise and stretch regularly, and layer up to keep warm.

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Diet and exercise are the key components of maintaining a healthy weight and protecting yourself against chronic disease.

According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, eating smart and being active have similar effects, including reducing the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and diabetes. In addition, these healthy living strategies can improve personal appearance and improve overall well-being — helping people live longer and maintain their independence.

• Eat colorful, varied, nutritionally dense foods. Medical News Today says each meal should be 50 percent fruit and vegetables, 25 percent whole grains, and 25 percent protein. Select an array of colorful foods that will provide most of the nutrients needed.

People may wonder how to eat better when faced with many diets, each of which promises great results. It can be confusing when navigating all of the options, and there is no magic formula to eating better. Common sense can come into play when attempting to eat better, and individuals also can consider these strategies to make diet work for them as they seek to live healthier.

• Note how you feel after eating. Create a food journal where you jot down notes about how you feel after eating certain foods. If you notice that certain foods or ingredients trigger adverse reactions, it may be worth avoiding that type of food or looking for an alternative. Stomach upset or bloating after eating dairy, for example, may indicate an intolerance for lactose.

• Choose fiber-rich foods.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are good sources of fiber. Fiber helps people maintain digestive health and can help you to feel fuller longer, reducing the potential for overeating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Winter Wellness Guide | Friday, January 26, 2024

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• Control portion sizes. Sometimes it’s not what you eat but how much you eat that affects health.

Weighing and measuring food can help you control portions and understand how many calories you’re consuming each day. The National Institutes of Health says eating plans that favor 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men are good targets to lose weight at a healthy pace when combined with moderate exercise.

Balanced eating is a major component of a healthy lifestyle. While there are many fad diets, eating plans with a proven track record that are supported by the medical community may be your best bet.

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• Explore the Mediterranean diet. While you should avoid fad diets that often produce shortterm but unsustainable results, a Mediterranean diet has stood the test of time. According to the authors of a new study published in JAMA Network Open in October 2023, middle-aged and older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome lost visceral fat (belly fat) and showed a greater reduction in the percentage of total fat while adhering to a Mediterranean diet. They also had delayed loss of lean body mass, which often comes with aging. Mediterranean diets prioritize legumes, seafood, vegetables, and ‘good’ fats like olive oil.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Admin1strat1on This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease This testimonial is for information purposes only. The information is not a substitute for expert or medical or veterinary care. Testimonials are written by actua customers and represent their own observations. These observations are not guaranteed, are not medically substantiated, and may not be typical for other customers.

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Friday, January 26, 2024 | Winter Wellness Guide

Manchester Medical Center Hires New Physician with Patient Satisfaction as Top Priority Kathleen hawes Vermont News & Media correspondent MANCHESTER — Manchester Medical Center (MMC) Primary Care is proud to announce its newest team member, Dr. Mary Katherine (Kate) Howard MD. Dr. Howard has been Board-Certified in Family Medicine for over a decade. She received her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas, after which she completed her Medical Doctorate at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, finishing up her residency in Family Medicine in Pine Bluff, AR. She spent the first seven years as a Family Medicine physician in Arkansas seeing patients that range from newborn to geriatric before moving to Vermont in 2020. She continues her work as a family medicine physician in southern Vermont and will be joining Manchester Medical Center as of March 2024.

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“I’m so excited to have the opportunity to work with Manchester Medical Center and assist in developing their primary care program,” Says Dr. Howard.” I am hoping it leads to more informed patient care and education, which will ultimately result in a healthier Vermont.”

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The rest of the MMC Team is thrilled to welcome Dr. Howard as she will be crucial to the future development of the practice, especially now, as they expand their services to help the greater needs of the community.

MMC Founders, Dr. Thomas Sterling and Dr. Janel Kittredge both live in the Manchester VT area, a place where the two closest hospitals are both more than 20 miles away. It did not take long for them to recognize the area’s dire need for urgent medical care and so, in 2019, they opened their own facility: Manchester Medical Center (MMC) Urgent Care. Since then, they have strived to improve healthcare in their community.

After operating the Urgent Care Center for four years, MMC has expanded, now offering primary care services, and making patient satis-

PHOTO PROVIDED Doctor Kate Howard

faction top priority. Dr. Sterling and Dr. Kittredge understand that the steady decline of health insurance reimbursements paired with increased costs of labor and supplies has put pressure on many primary care providers to see an unrealistic number of patients per day. They also know it’s the patient who bears much of the brunt of this problem; long wait times and increased healthcare costs, to name a few.

With patient satisfaction as their goal, Kittredge and Sterling chose to make MMC a membership-based program. The cost? $480 dollars per year ($40 per month), which is about the same as one take-out meal a month, or two cups of Dunkin’ a week.

The benefits? Dramatically reduced wait times and increased flexibility with scheduling. Patients will also get increased access to their providers, which means more facetime with physicians and nurse practitioners, making appointments relaxed, unhurried, and thorough. In sum, although differing in many ways from a concierge program, a membership program allows the practice to limit

PHOTO PROVIDED Left to right: Morgan Bazyk, FNP, Lia Braico, FNP, Dr. Thomas Sterling, D.O.

the number of patients scheduled, ultimately providing the patient with the most personal and comprehensive care possible.

The Primary Care office has continued to grow with the hiring of two family nurse practitioners, Lia Braico, FNP-BC and Morgan Bazyk FNPCB. MMC also has onsite laboratory services and onsite x-ray, which means less travel for patients requiring those services. The practice is willing to train medical assistants and is always on the lookout for Certified Paramedics that want to work in a clinical setting. Currently, MMC seeks interns at both the college and high school level curious about the field of medicine and interested in working alongside their team towards a healthier Vermont.

To learn more about the MMC Primary Care Membership Program, visit: https://www.manchestermedicalcenter.com/primary-care-medicine Primary Care: (802)766-0159 To learn more about MMC Urgent Care: https://www.manchestermedicalcenter.com/#services Urgent Care: (802)768-1718 To learn more out more about internships with MMC: https://www. manchestermedicalcenter.com/internships-scholarships To learn more about jobs at MMC, call: (802)768-1718 or email your resume to reception@mmcvt.com Manchester Medical Center 34 Bonnet St. Manchester Center, VT 05225

Vermont’s five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) announce their new affiliation, called the Vermont Aging Network Consortium (VANC). Boards of directors from each of the AAAs have approved the affiliation.

This new consortium will positively impact the overall cost of health care by leveraging economies of scale, combining resources, and reducing duplication within the community-provider network of home- and community-based services. A focus on establishing future contracts with payers & healthcare systems is expected to further enhance financial sustainability for aging services as they evolve.

“We are coming together as AAAs to ensure we are prudent financial stewards for our future, which is the central focus of all of

This initiative will support the Vermont area agencies on aging as a unified entity providing a high standard of services throughout the state. It will promote the pursuit of best practices within our case management, nutrition, and caregiver support programs, to list just a few, and will strengthen the role of the AAAs as community partners in delivering critical services that reach a growing population of older Vermonters.

The leaders of the five AAAs have been diligently collaborating with their respective boards of directors to conclude agreements for the establishment of the consortium. This includes finalizing the governance structure through the formation of a new ten-member board of directors and overseeing the recruitment process for the new VANC executive.

To quote AAA Executives on their support of the new consortium: “In Vermont, with the second highest median age in the nation, the aging consortium squarely

embraces the importance of this growing demographic sector in our state. Raising the bar on our statewide service delivery system through this affiliation is the right thing to do,” says Mark Boutwell, Executive Director of Senior Solutions, the area agency on aging for Southeastern Vermont.

“The consortium will provide a way for the Area Agencies on Aging to build on the robust services and better meet the needs of elders in our state together. As more people are aging, the consortium will build the necessary infrastructure to further develop the goal of Vermont being the best place to grow old with dignity and respect,” says Meg Burmeister, Executive Director of Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging.

Jane Catton, CEO of Age Well, says, “This new entity is an exciting path forward for our agencies. We know that our ability to be the strongest possible network of service for older Vermonters is to ensure that we work closely together and leverage our strengths and our numbers, with quality service at the core of our mission.”

“This is such an opportunity for our collective agencies to increase and enhance services to Vermont’s aging population.

Twenty-four percent of Vermont’s residents are expected to be over the age of 65 by 2030, and this is an opportunity to prepare for the need so that our

residents can maintain living in the setting of their choice with independence and dignity,” says Rosemary Greene, Executive Director of Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging.

John Mandeville, Executive Director at Central Vermont Council on Aging, says: “The creation of the Vermont Aging Network Consortium will allow its constituent members to better serve older Vermonters throughout the state. By conserving financial resources, we will be able to continue to provide our clients with high-quality services and assistance and even expand them beyond what we already offer. As Vermont’s aging population is second, only to Maine it is clear that there will be even greater demands for our help in the years ahead. The consortium will help us to meet that increased demand.”

To learn more about the Vermont Area Agencies on Aging, visit: Age Well: www.agewellvt.org Central Vermont Council on Aging: www.cvcoa.org Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging: www.nekcouncil.org Senior Solutions: www.seniorsolutionsvt.org Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging: www.svcoa.org Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging: www.vermont4a.org

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The Vermont Aging Network Consortium will be a separate nonprofit entity within which the individual AAAs will remain active and independent nonprofits as they continue to serve clients in their communities. It will help the AAAs create a sustainable financial model of service by leveraging their strengths, their buying power, and their highquality systems of service. The AAAs trade association, the Vermont Association of Agencies on Aging (V4A) will continue to separately serve as the lobbying, advocacy, and educational organization for the AAAs.

our strategic plans. Our mission is to serve more clients in the future, with a sustainable operations model at each agency, and this is a way to help us create an efficient and integrated system to help each other do just that,” says Susan Gordon, Vermont Aging Network Consortium’s Board President.

Winter Wellness Guide | Friday, January 26, 2024

Vermont’s Area Agencies on Aging Leverage Resources through the Vermont Aging Network Consortium

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Friday, January 26, 2024 | Winter Wellness Guide

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