The Scoop ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bike Drive Complete! The bicycles (approximately 35) that were donated and repaired by the Senior Center Staff, in cooperation with Keep Oconee County Beautiful, will be delivered this month to ACTS (Area Churches Together Serving) for distribution for Christmas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- December 2020 STAY HEALTHY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Family get-togethers over rows of favorite dishes. Shopping mall Santas. Charlie Brown and that pitiful tree (still a heart-tugger after all these years). There’s much to love about this time of year, but let’s face it: The holidays can really wreak havoc on our well-being. Stress can lower the immune system, calorie- Oconee County Senior Center filled treats can challenge the waistline, and slippery sidewalks can lead to nasty 3500B Hog Mountain falls. Not to worry: With a little navigation you can slide through the next few Watkinsville, GA 30677 weeks unscathed and with holiday spirit intact. (706) 769-3979 At the Mall Open Monday through Friday Does the idea of less harried shopping trips sound like a good one? A little prep 8 am to 4 pm work can go a long way toward that. Find us at www.oconeecounty.com! Treat shopping like a workout. Got some athleisure in your closet? Put it on, Look for us on Facebook! dressy sneaks included. Then, “instead of cruising the parking lot, looking for a place that’s close to the store, go to the back forty,” says Janet Hamilton, an Atlanta-based exercise physiologist and owner of Running Strong Professional Coaching. “You’ll get more activity, and your car is less likely to get dinged.” Welcome to the Scoop newsletter. Once inside, purposely walk to the anchor stores at both ends. “And walk up the Our goal is to provide Oconee escalator,” says Hamilton. “You’ll get where you’re going twice as fast!” County Seniors with the most up to Back away from the Cinnabons! Food courts are filled with all kinds of calorie- date information to help with their laden stuff. How to resist temptation? For starters, don’t go to the mall on an daily lives. empty stomach. “And have a few snacks in your purse or pocket to munch on Oconee County Senior Center along the way,” says Adrienne Raimo, founder and director of One Bite Mission: To positively impact our Wellness. Shoot for noshes that are “high in protein and fiber, because they’ll community by creating opportunities fill you up.” for healthy aging through social Add “me” to the shopping list. A fun way to stifle the stress that comes with engagement, physical activity and crowded stores and long lines: Put a small item that you've been wanting on well-being, civic involvement, your list. “While checking off gifts on your list, treat yourself,” says psychologist creativity, and lifelong learning. Alice Domar, director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in Boston. “It Oconee County Senior Center Goal: doesn’t have to be anything expensive. Just a little incentive to keep going.” To give all our members a sense of In the Fresh Air belonging, providing them with Embrace the brisk temps! Exposure to natural light can increase levels of the programs that contribute to their chemical serotonin to lift your mood and ward off depression. well-being, and helping to keep Squeeze in exercise. Strapped for time? Studies show that 10-, 15-, even five- them healthy, happy and informed. minute spurts of exercise throughout the day will have health benefits, especially if it adds up to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendation of 75 to 150 minutes a week. And yes, you can (Cont’d) CHRISTMAS AROUND go at a moderate pace. Brisk walking around your neighborhood — in, say, two THE WORLD 15-minute segments a day — still cuts things like your risk of high blood Sweden pressure and Type 2 diabetes. The Yule Goat has been a Swedish Stay vertical. “Falls, especially on icy surfaces in the winter season, are the most Christmas symbol dating back to frequent cause of injury for seniors,” says Shawn Anthony, M.D., an (Continued) ancient pagan festivals. However, in orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. “Simple 1966, the tradition got a whole new falls that may cause a knee bruise in a 20-year-old can easily result in a broken life after someone came up with the wrist or hip in older adults.” One way to fend them off: Walk like a penguin idea to make a giant straw goat, (seriously). “When you have to walk across slippery surfaces, a waddling gait now referred to as the Gävle Goat. can help to improve stability by keeping your center of gravity over your front According to the official website, the leg,” says Anthony. “Take shorter, shuffling steps with a flat foot, keep the feet goat is more than 42 feet high, 23 pointed slightly outward.” Building up your core strength will also help improve feet wide, and weighs 3.6 tons. Each your balance. “If you do fall, strong, flexible muscles will help protect your joints year, the massive goat is against ligament or cartilage damage,” says Anthony. constructed in the same spot. Fans Dress smart. The right clothes will add an extra layer of protection (literally). can even watch a livestream from Consider a thick, puffy down coat that will help cushion potential falls. Keep the first Sunday of Advent until after your hands free: If you start to fall, you’ll need them to brace yourself. Invest in the New Year when it's taken down. a toasty pair of gloves, so you don’t have to shove your hands in your pockets to Philippines keep them warm. “The shoes you wear can also make a big difference in If you thought the United States improving friction with the ground,” says Anthony. “Choose a pair with rubber, went all out with Christmas slip-resistant soles.” decorations, you should see what the During the Party Philippines does. Every year, the city Eat beforehand. Fasting before a holiday dinner can backfire. “Do not save up of San Fernando holds Ligligan calories — that’s a recipe for weight gain,” says Cynthia Sass, a nutritionist and Parul (or Giant Lantern Festival) the author of Slim Down Now. “Eat regular, or smaller, meals before any feast. featuring dazzling parols (lanterns) At dinner, start with a salad or a broth-based soup, or a few glasses of water. All that symbolize the Star of have been shown to naturally help reduce overall calorie intake.” Bethlehem. Each parol consists of Drink wisely. “Smart drink choices, calorie-wise, include champagne, a light thousands of spinning lights that beer, a single serving of wine, or a mixed drink that doesn't have a bunch of illuminate added sugar (think: a vodka tonic versus a sugary cosmopolitan),” says Raimo. the night “Alternate between an alcoholic beverage and a tall glass of water, sparkling or sky. The otherwise. This helps slow down alcohol consumption and helps rehydrate the festival has body. In addition, “it provides a respite from the constant onslaught of incoming made San calories.” Fernando Game the buffet table. Before putting anything on your plate, survey all of the the options, Sass advises. “Choose one or two completely worth-it splurge foods "Christmas and try to balance them with other light, healthy choices, like cut veggies and Capital of shrimp cocktail.” To prevent mindless munching of nuts, chips and Peanut the M&Ms, don’t linger over the food. “Physically distancing yourself from the Philippines." buffet, both in terms of arm’s reach and sightline can also help,” says Sass. “Studies show that when food is right in front of us, we’re more likely to Japan mindlessly munch.” By Barbara Stepko – aarp.org Although Christmas isn't a national ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- holiday in Japan (an estimated one “Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who percent of the population is gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows.” Christian, according to Smithsonian Edwin Osgood Grover Magazine), its citizens still find an ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ interesting and delicious way to “It is not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Mother Teresa celebrate. Rather than gathering ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ around the table for a turkey dinner, On Wednesday, December 9th, drive families head out to their local by the Senior Center between 10 and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The 11 am to pick up a special Christmas tradition began in 1974 after (Cont’d) treat. a wildly successful marketing AT YOUR SERVICE: campaign called "Kurisumasu ni wa Merry Howard, Senior Center Director: [email protected] kentakkii!" or "Kentucky for Christmas!" The fast food chain has Allison Burns, Assistant Director: [email protected] maintained its yuletide popularity, Angela Helwig, Aging Services Coordinator: [email protected] causing some people to order their boxes months in advance or stand in Mary Ann Hall, Food Services Manager: [email protected] two-hour-long lines to get their Marge McKee, Senior Activities Aide: [email protected] "finger lickin' good" food. Pat Anderson, Receptionist/Activities Aide: [email protected] Iceland Similar to the 12 days of Christmas in Shirley Finch, Food Services Aide the U.S., Iceland celebrates 13. Each Russell Ruggieri, Transportation Services Aide night before Christmas, Icelandic Tim Dutton, Maintenance Services Aide children are visited by the 13 Yule Lads. After placing their shoes by the ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- window, the little ones will head upstairs to bed. In the morning, they'll either have received candy (if they're good) or be greeted with shoes full of rotten potatoes if they're bad.