January 22 Program: Jessica Hermansky, Registered Dietitian at Shop Rite of the Chathams, spoke on label reading for good health.

 

Jessica Hermansky (left in the photo), Registered Dietitian at Shop Rite of the Chathams spoke on label reading for good health. Joy (right in the photo), intern from College of Saint Elizabeth, was also present for the presentation.

Jessica said that the owners of the local ShopRite are very dedicated to bringing health and wellness to the community. They brought Jessica onto their staff to give customers nutritional recommendations and to make presentations to local schools and other organizations. At the Senior Services Center of the Chathams, she gives monthly lectures and cooking demonstrations focused on easy, healthy meals.

 

Jessica distributed guidelines for reading labels to all in attendance and then described how to read and get the most benefit from labels. She took questions during the presentation and held an active question and answer session at the close. We learned many tips on eating healthy by reading food product labels.

 

Members enthusiastically applauded this enjoyable and informative presentation. To learn more, visit Jessica at the Chatham ShopRite store or look at her website. Click here to learn more.

July 5 Program: Janice Piccolo gave an update on the Chatham Farmers Market

Janice Piccolo, Manager of the Chatham Farmers Market, gave an update on the very successful weekly event, which is held 8:00AM to 1:00PM every Saturday until November 19 in the railroad station parking lot. Janice previously managed the Madison market for 15 years. Now in the fifth year of operation, the Chatham Market serves multiple purposes for the community.

Some key ingredients are environmental activism, farmers directly sell source verified consumer confident products, encouraging volunteerism (25 volunteers on the Market committee), a chance to meet socially with your neighbors, nutrition and good health, a venue to publicize programs like the Mayors Wellness Program and the “know your numbers campaign”, civic support for local not-for-profit service organizations (27 visited last year), a gathering space for enjoying entertainment like the Chatham Brass Band and other artists and performers.

The Chatham Market belongs to organizations like the Farmers Market Coalition of the United States and New Jersey Council of Farmers and Communities. They try to maintain the New Jersey farmer’s land to avoid urban sprawl and help farm families earn a living by farming.

Volunteers, dressed as corn and tomato marched in this year’s Independence Day Parade. Janice offered a volunteer badge to anyone in the audience.

Many special events at the Market were listed on complementary bookmarks handed out to members.

Visit the Chatham Farmers Market website to learn more. The Market also has a Facebook Page.

Angel Duncan of Morris County Senior Helpers speaks on “How to Sustain your Brain”

Angel Duncan, Program Director of Morris County Senior Helpers, a private home-care company, spoke on “How to Sustain your Brain” at the August 10 Kiwanis meeting held at Charlie Brown’s Restaurant. Herb Ramo (in the photo on the left) introduced Ms. Duncan. Her talk focused on Alzheimer’s disease (5.2 million Americans have it) and steps people can take to deal with it. More common in women, the disease has a genetic link. It can be caused by other factors, like head injuries.

We can sustain the brain through nutrition - the Mediterranean diet helps. Antioxidants and Omega 3 foods are helpful for the brain. Supplements help as well. Red wine is OK.

Another thing that helps is exercise such as walking, swimming, biking and mild weight training.

An important activity is socialization with other people. Maintaining healthy relationships helps.

Don’t dwell on all that bad news on TV and newspapers – look for good things to be involved in. It is good to have healthy routines in your daily life. Do things you enjoy (like Kiwanis Club).

Try mixing up activities – use you left hand instead of your normal right hand to brush your teeth. These exercises slow you down and help build brain cells. Try out new things. Use it or lose it.

Manage stress – try breathing exercises. Get adequate sleep – 71 % of Americans have a sleep disorder, mostly caused by stress. Naps are OK (20-30 minute in the afternoon). Do everything in moderation. Force yourself to slow down.

Art and music therapy are helpful for people who already have Alzheimer’s. The role of seizures is being studied. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s but research is giving hopeful results.

Click here to visit Morris County Senior Helpers’ website.

Dr. Joseph J. Murphy presents: “It’s time to live to be stress-free”

Dr. Murphy observed that Kiwanians are generally a healthy group and they live a health life style, when he spoke at the June 8 Kiwanis meeting. This year is the 25th Anniversary of his practice with Suburban Chiropractic Center. He has also been a member of Chatham Kiwanis for 25 years. He has taught at the adult school and is Past President at New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The photo shows (L-R) club President Rich Behling welcoming Dr. Murphy to the meeting.

He noted that physiological body reactions (increased pulse rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.) caused by stressful situations can be unhealthy. We can’t totally eliminate stressful situations but we can live balanced lives so that those situations are handled better by our bodies. His first recommendation is to exercise vigorously at least 20-30 minutes three times per week. Engage in relaxation by reading, Tai Chi, or another enjoyable activity. Have a positive mental outlook. Eat a nutritious diet high in fiber, low in fat and calories. Finally, get enough sleep and seek medical attention if you are not sleeping enough. Click here to visit Dr. Murphy’s website.