Berries are nature’s natural sweetener and they come loaded with benefits. Fiber, vitamins and antioxidants sweeten the deal.
Fresh strawberries are a plentiful spring and summer fruit, so load up on them at the farmer’s market. One cup contains 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs and has just 46 calories.
Here are two great ways to turn a basket of berries into sweets. The first is a simple, low-sugar refrigerator jam that you can use in many ways, from a tasty topping for toast to a sweetener in smoothies.
Low-sugar strawberry jam
4 tablespoons cold water
1-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 pound strawberries, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
Place two tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Do not stir. Set aside to soften.
Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a heavy saucepan, along with the other two tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until berries are softened, about five minutes. Stir in the gelatin and the honey. Chill at least one hour before serving.
Yield: About 2 cups
Strawberry trifle
A fresh trifle is a tasty way to showcase seasonal berries, but most traditional recipes are heavy in fat and sugar, mostly from the lemon curd. By lightening up homemade curd and using yogurt instead of cake layers, this dessert is guilt-free.
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
4 cups assorted berries, stemmed and halved
2 cups plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
Whisk the lemon juice and zest, sugar and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick and clings to the whisk, about six minutes.
Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until cold, at least 60 minutes.
When chilled, layer half the curd in the bottom of a glass bowl. Add a third of the berries, then top with 1 cup of the yogurt. Repeat with layers of curd, berries and yogurt and finally top with a layer of berries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 60 minutes before serving.
With the mild weather of spring upon us, many people are venturing into the outdoors after enduring a long, cold Michigan winter. While there are few better experiences for the soul than a walk in the woods, there are some precautions one should take to minimize the risk posed by ticks.
Although most bug bites are harmless, some people are prone to sensitivity from the biting insect’s saliva, which is recognized by the body as a foreign substance, prompting an immune response. The more you scratch it, the more it will itch as irritation and inflammation increases. Many over-the-counter products, or plain old rubbing alcohol, can reduce this itching and inflammation.
However, when it comes to ticks, there are some potentially dangerous ailments that can be transmitted through bites. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ticks can be infected with a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can be passed on to humans through a bite. The most common of these is Lyme disease, first diagnosed in Lyme, Connecticut in 1975.
Lyme disease has been notoriously hard to diagnose, although the increased incidence of the disease has resulted in more awareness for both the patient and medical practitioner. Typical symptoms of possible Lyme infection include initial swelling and/or itching at the site of the bite, which many times progresses into an expanding rash (possibly forming a bulls-eye appearance). As the infection progresses, flu-like symptoms can present themselves, including headache, chills, fatigue, fever, and nausea. If left untreated, Lyme’s disease can cause permanent, debilitating neurological and joint problems.
The best defense against tick-borne illnesses is prevention. First, be aware of tick habitat and their methods for finding a host. Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not drop or jump on people (or animals)—they hang onto vegetation, waiting for something to brush against them, then latch on. Brushy woods and tall grassy areas provide the best opportunities for ticks to accomplish this, so be especially vigilant when exploring these areas.
It is recommended to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks to provide fewer areas of exposed skin for ticks to latch onto. Additionally, since ticks usually crawl upwards, tucking pant legs into socks will increase the likelihood of seeing ticks on your pants rather than on your skin.
The CDC recommends treating clothing, boots, and outdoor gear with products containing permethrin. Insect repellents containing DEET or other Environmental Protection Agency-approved ingredients can be quite effective at repelling ticks.
Finally, don’t forget about pets. After venturing outdoors, be sure to thoroughly check your pet’s coat for any ticks. And, talk to your veterinarian about the best way to protect your pet from ticks.
Any ticks found attached (on you or pets) should be carefully removed with a fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently pull straight out, being careful not to dislodge the head into the skin. Thoroughly wash the bite area, and monitor for signs of irritation or rash.
Faith Hospice will hosts its annual Service of Remembrance and Butterfly Release Thursday, June 13 at its Trillium Woods campus in Byron Center. (Supplied)
By Faith Hospice
Local hospice provider, Faith Hospice, is holding a special event on Thursday, June 13, at its Trillium Woods campus that invites families who have lost loved ones in its care to join together in honor and remembrance through the release of butterflies. The second annual Service of Remembrance and Butterfly Release will be held at 7 p.m. at Trillium Woods, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Drive, SW in Byron Center.
The Service of Remembrance and Butterfly Release provides just that for those who participate. It is an opportunity for families to gather together to honor the lives of the person or people who have passed away. Because butterflies are often considered deep and powerful representations of life, and the transformation that some people of faith believe, they are a wonderful symbol of the life of the individual.
One of last year’s attendees gets ready to release a butterfly. (Supplied)
In 2018, approximately 170 people attended the service and released butterflies in honor of family and friends. The theme of this year’s remembrance is “We Grieve With Hope.”
“Many of the families who participated in 2018 walked away with a sense of hope and of new beginnings as the butterflies were released,” said Faith Hospice Bereavement Manager Janet Jaymin. “Grieving is composed of so many stages and remembering the life of your loved one is a key part of the process.”
Community members are invited to attend the event as well. Registration is required by calling 616-356-4820. More information can be found at faithhospice.org/events.
“Bereavement, or the process of grieving a loved one, is a very personal experience,” Jaymin said. “One of the most important things about the grieving process is that every person’s grief is unique and that recovering from grief does not mean forgetting your loss or your loved one because we don’t forget the people we love. Taking the time to remember and commemorate their life is a significant part of the grieving process.”
Friends and families gather at the 2018 Service of Remembrance and Butterfly Release. (Supplied)
Blueberries at harvest display poor pollination. Right cluster was visited by bees while left cluster was not. Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
Bees are important insect pollinators for bountiful home vegetable gardens and backyard fruits. Both European honey bees and native bees, such as bumble bees, help ensure fruit set and higher yields. Learning about the process of pollination can help smart gardeners attract and safeguard these important insects.
What is pollination?
Figure 1. Flower anatomy in a perfect flower. Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
Pollination is the deposit of pollen grains from the anther (male structure) onto the pistil (female structure) of the same plant species (Fig. 1). Pollen can be transferred within an individual flower or between separate flowers. Successful pollination results in the production of viable seeds and a fruit to protect them.
Most crop plants are pollinated by insects or wind. Many agronomic crops, such as wheat and corn, rely on wind pollination. In contrast, many fruits and vegetables require or benefit from insect pollination. Common insect pollinators include bees, butterflies and flies. Of these pollinators, bees are the most important in home gardens.
The role of pollinators in the vegetable garden
Common plants in the cucurbit family include cucumbers, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon and muskmelon. Most cucurbits depend on bee pollination because each plant produces separate male and female flowers rather than having both sets of reproductive parts in each flower.
Figure 2. Cucumber flowers. Female flower with ovary on left, male on right. Courtesy Michigan State University Extention
Gardeners frequently ask why they have so many flowers on their cucumbers, but no fruit set. Look closely at the flowers to answer this question. In many cucumber cultivars, the first set of flowers are all male, which do not bear fruit. Both male and female flowers will then be produced in the second wave of blooms.
If female flowers are present but no fruit develops, then the problem may be a lack of pollinators. In the short-term, you can fill the role of the bee with hand- pollination. Take a clean paintbrush and insert it into the male flower to gather pollen. Then, transfer pollen to the stigmas of an open female flower. Hand-pollination works best in the morning. For a long-term solution, create pollinator habitat near or in the garden to attract bees.
Such flowers are called “imperfect.” Bees are essential to cross-pollinate or carry pollen from the male flower to the receptive female flower.
Figure 3a. Tomato flower anthers forming a tube around the pistil. Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
The cucurbit male flower contains three to five stamens with pollen- producing anthers. The female flower produces a single style with three stigmas. The easiest way to distinguish between the two flower sexes is to look for an ovary below the yellow petals. Female flowers have a swollen ovary or fruit and male flowers do not (Fig. 2).
Figure 3b. Portion of anthers cut away to revel pistil. (Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
In contrast to cucurbits, Soloanaceae crops such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants produce “perfect” flowers that contain male and female reproductive structures. Flower anatomy differs from the idealized image in Figure 1. Tomato anthers form a tube that completely surrounds the pistil (Fig. 3a). Figure 3b shows the anthers partially removed to reveal the pistil. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can be pollinated simply by wind shaking the pollen from the anthers onto the stigma. However, bumble bees can improve fruit set and size because they vibrate the flowers and shake pollen loose from the anthers.
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula), cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale), root crops (carrots, beets, radishes, onions), legumes (peas, beans) and tuber crops (potatoes) do not require bees to produce an edible harvest.
The role of pollinators in growing fruit
Bee pollination is important for growing tree fruits and small fruits. Many tree fruits such as apples and pears are self-incompatible (Table 1). This means two separate cultivars must be planted to produce fruit. For example, a ‘Honeycrisp’ apple blossom will not set fruit if a bee deposits pollen from a second ‘Honeycrisp’ apple tree. Instead, the pollen must come from a cultivar that is genetically different and has an overlapping bloom time.
Fruits such as sour cherries are self-compatible and can set fruit in the absence of a second cultivar (Table 2). However, self-compatibility still requires bees to transfer pollen within the flower or between flowers for full pollination. The number of cherries on a tree is directly related to the number of bee visits.
Raspberries are another example of a self-compatible fruit that relies on bees for full pollination (Table 2). The average raspberry flower contains 100 to 125 pistils. To produce a normal berry that does not crumble, at least 75 to 85 of the pistils must be pollinated.
Best management practices to attract and protect pollinators
Plant native and other well-adapted flowering plants for season-long bloom in or near the garden.
Create nesting habitat for ground- and cavity-nesting bees.
Do not spray insecticides or fungicides on flowering plants or fruit trees just before or during bloom.
If pesticide applications are necessary, choose a product with the least toxicity to bees.
This work is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program 2017-70006-27175 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
There’s no reason you can’t get outdoors and enjoy the summer sun as a senior, but it’s also important that you take some precautions against the heat. Your body struggles to regulate internal temperatures as you age, making seniors one of the groups most likely to be affected by the heat and fall victim to dangerous health conditions like heat stroke.
In order to combat the dangers of overheating, sunburns, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, you need to be prepared. Here are 9 summer heat tips for seniors to stay safe while enjoying everything the Midwest summer season has to offer.
1. Stay Hydrated!
The simplest tip for maintaining a healthy internal body temperature and avoiding heat illnesses is also the one that is often the first forgotten. Staying hydrated is the best way to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and it doesn’t take much effort.
A helpful tip is to keep water easily accessible, so you don’t forget to drink it during the day. Keeping reusable water bottles in the fridge or by the door can remind you to grab one before you leave the house to have with you in the summer heat. Staying hydrated is important all year-round, so it’s a great habit to start!
2. Eat the Right Foods!
Heavy meals and hot foods can increase your internal body temperature and actually make you more likely to overheat. Instead, having light, fresh, and energizing foods that increase your energy levels can keep your internal body temperature at a healthy level during the summer. In addition, foods like fruits and vegetables have a high water content and can help you stay hydrated in addition to drinking water.
3. Dress Appropriately!
Don’t wear heavy layers during the summer—even if you are prone to getting cold. Your internal body temperature can quickly rise if you are dressed too warm. Instead, try clothing like:
Lightweight shirts and pants
Breathable fabrics
Light-colored clothing
Hats
4. Wear Sunscreen!
Avoid sunburn and painful blisters by protecting your skin. Sunscreen should be applied liberally and often during summer days when you are outdoors. Even if the day is overcast, the UV rays of the sun can still give you sunburn. Use an SPF of at least 30, remember to cover areas that are often forgotten like:
The top of your head
Ears
Knees
Exposed parts of your feet and ankles
Neck and chest
5. Check the Weather!
Don’t let a heat wave catch you by surprise! Keeping a close eye on the weather predictions and the heat index can help prepare for the day ahead. Be aware of humidity as well—especially in the Midwest. Humidity can make a temperate day feel much hotter, so be ready. The heat index includes humidity in its calculation, so it’s a great resource to have on hand.
6. Don’t Overexert Yourself!
Using too much energy can result in your body becoming dehydrated much quicker than usual, which can lead to heat stroke or collapse. Your energy levels also drop as you age, making this dehydration process happen faster. There are plenty of great ways to get outdoors that don’t require you to put too much energy into your activities.
7. Stay Indoors!
An easy way to avoid the heat is to just stay inside. On particularly hot days, plan to stay indoors—whether in your own home or at a place like a shopping center or movie theater. Indoor activities and alternative exercises can help you stay fit and active without having to brave the hot sun and risk your health.
8. Find Air-Conditioned Areas!
There’s never a better time to invest in an air conditioner than when you become a senior. Having a source of cold air can be a major help during heat waves, as it can help you lower your body temperature quickly. If you plan on going outside, having a plan in place to stop at air-conditioned stores or cafes throughout the day can be another way to avoid too much heat exposure.
9. Be on the Lookout for Warning Signs!
Knowing what the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are can be the difference between avoiding sickness or becoming a victim.
The major signs of oncoming heat exhaustion include:
Excessive sweating
Dizziness
Weakness
Headache
Tiredness
Muscle cramps
Nausea
Fainting
If you feel any of these signs coming on, immediately cool yourself off with fans, air conditioning, a cold bath, and plenty of cool drinks and water. This will help bring your internal body temperature down and avoid the more serious heat illness, heat stroke. If you feel these signs progressing, get out of the sun immediately and call 911. Heat stroke can lead to seizures and/or a coma if not dealt with.
Avoid these serious symptoms of heat exhaustion and stroke by taking the heat and hot temperatures of summer seriously, especially as a senior. By following these tips and monitoring your internal body temperature, you can enjoy everything summer has to offer in healthy moderation.
Research suggests yoga may impart a multitude of health benefits, including reduced blood pressure and lower stress levels. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
For years, aerobic exercise has been touted for its numerous health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, better mood, increased energy and stronger bones and muscles.
But there’s another form of physical activity that’s grabbing headlines—yoga.
Some studies suggest the mind-body practice may be good for heart health, from reducing blood pressure and cholesterol to lowering stress and body mass index.
While yoga often is associated with images of limber practitioners, it is more than just stretching and handstands.
Originated in India, yoga includes physical poses (asana), breathwork (pranayama) and meditation. There are many yoga styles, including Hatha, Iyengar, restorative and hot yoga, each with a specific emphasis such as alignment or relaxation.
Recently, more Americans are stepping onto the mat.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14.3 percent of U.S. adults—or 35.2 million—practiced yoga in 2017, up from 9.5 percent in 2012.
Many take up the practice as a holistic approach to health and wellness and for its stress-busting effect.
“There’s a huge body of literature that says psychosocial stressors such as work and marital stress, as well as anxiety and depression, are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Puja Mehta, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
“With chronic stress, the sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive,” which can lead to inflammation and increased blood pressure, Mehta said.
Yoga may help put the brakes on the body’s stress response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, or the “rest and digest” system, through deep breathing and relaxation, Mehta said.
Cultivating mindfulness also may encourage participants to engage in other habits that boost cardiovascular health by promoting self-awareness and self-care behaviors.
“(This) can have a profound effect on supporting the engagement of healthy behaviors of diet and physical activity,” said Dr. Gloria Yeh, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of mind-body research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Research also shows yoga may lower cardiovascular risk factors.
Yeh coauthored a 2014 review of clinical research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology that found yoga had a significant impact on cardiometabolic risk factors compared to doing no exercise at all.
For example, yoga decreased total cholesterol by 18.48 mg/dl and triglycerides by 25.89 mg/dl more than the change seen in the control group. Blood pressure improved too. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased 5.21 mmHg and 4.98 mmHg, respectively.
The benefits also extend to people with heart disease.
Among people with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, in which symptoms come and go, doing 12 weeks of yoga combined with deep breathing resulted in a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and higher mental health scores compared to those who didn’t do yoga, according to a 2016 study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.
Mehta said although these and other scientific studies show promising results, there are some limitations, such as a small number of participants.
In addition, because yoga encompasses a variety of elements, there isn’t a standard dose of yoga, which makes comparisons across studies difficult, she said.
Both Yeh and Mehta said more research is needed, including more randomized clinical trials and a better understanding of the exact mechanism behind yoga’s cardiovascular benefits.
“We need to better understand for whom yoga may be more beneficial and how,” Yeh said. “Because yoga is so heterogeneous with many different styles and emphases, we’d like to be able to match the right exercises with the right people at the right time. We need to understand how best to integrate yoga with other lifestyle measures.”
And the biggest research question remains, Mehta said: “Are you going to live longer and not have cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke?”
For older adults and people new to yoga, Mehta recommends looking for gentle, restorative or chair-based classes.
People with heart disease or high blood pressure may need to modify some poses and avoid postures that place the head below the heart, she said. Experts also suggest pregnant women in particular steer clear of “hot yoga,” or yoga classes that take place in a heated room, because of the risk of overheating and dehydration.
The bottom line, Yeh said, is that yoga is exercise and “any exercise is better than no exercise, so the activity that someone will do—and enjoy doing—will be the one that provides the most benefit.”
Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.
When the cast list was announced for Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of Disney’s Newsies, Wyoming resident Cullen Dyk admitted he was “shocked” to see his name on it.
“My dance callback was not the greatest,” he said with a laugh. “I am not classically trained in any way.”
Hmmm, really? That is a fun fact since Dyk’s most recent production was Civic’s “Mamma Mia!,” a show also known for its dancing. Dyk played Sky.
So given that Dyk is pursuing voice acting, we’ll just say it is his voice that landed him the roll of Darcy and a Newsies ensemble member, which he said “works for me.”
Disney’s Newsies, which runs May 31 — June 23, is based the 1992 cult film of the same name that told the story of the newsboy strike of 1899. The musical follows the story of Jack Kelly, a New York paperboy with dreams of a bright future in Santa Fe. His struggles are complicated with a raise in distribution prices forcing him to sell more papers. He decides to take a stand against publishing titan Joseph Pulitzer, but can he rally the other newsies to do the same and will anyone listen?
Dyk is certainly tap dancing, both literally and figuratively, through the Grand Rapids Civic production as a number of characters.
“I’m a newise. I am a person buying a paper from one of the newsies. I am one of the opposing newsies. I am the person helping them get into the printing press at the end,” Dyk said as he listed off his various roles in the show. “In one scene, I am a couple of different people so there are a lot of costume changes and craziness.”
It is the craziness that Dyk said he would not miss.
“’Newsies was the first professional Broadway show I had ever seen,” Dyk said. Dyk had seen the show when Broadway Grand Rapids brought it in as part of its 2015-2016 season and immediately fell in love with it.
High stepping it: Some of the Newsies cast members show off their moves during a photo shot at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Photo by studio3twenty)
“The dancing is amazing but it was the message that got me,” Dyk said. “It is how a group of young folks chose to be the change that inspired me, something that we are seeing today.
“They went against the big guys to make life better for everyone.”
It was the message that had Dyk sign up for auditions earlier this year and, well, the rest is already in print. And while Dyk admits he can’t do some of the dance movies that some of hist cast mates do — “These guys are incredible. They can do these crazy gymnastic choreography. It is just amazing” — he is holding his own.
“I love the song ‘King of New York,’” Dyk said. “There is a lot of tap dancing and it is all of us out there dancing, tapping, and having fun.”
Full of an array of songs including “Once and For All” and “Change the World” both of which carry that message of “be the change,” Disney’s Newsies is a high energy show. |
Bottomline: “If you like Disney musicals, this is a live action Disney movie on stage,” Dyk said.
Disney’s Newsies is May 31 — June 23 at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. Tickets for the show are $17 — $39. Tickets have been selling quickly for the show. For tickets, visit www.grct.org or call 616-222-6650.
Mistaken beliefs about sleep are common and pose a significant health threat, a new study warns.
Among these myths: some people only need five hours of sleep, snoring is harmless and a drink before bedtime helps you fall asleep.
“Sleep is a vital part of life that affects our productivity, mood and general health and well-being,” lead investigator Rebecca Robbins said. “Dispelling myths about sleep promotes healthier sleep habits which, in turn, promote overall better health.”
Robbins is a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of population health at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
For the study, the researchers reviewed more than 8,000 websites to identify the 20 most common beliefs about sleep.
One of the top myths was the claim of some people who insist they can get by on five hours of sleep a night. The study authors said this poses the most serious health risk due the effects of long-term lack of sleep.
Robbins and her colleagues suggested creating a consistent sleep schedule and getting at least seven hours of shut-eye a night.
And don’t assume your snoring is no big deal—that’s another myth, the study team said. While it can be harmless, snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during the night. Left untreated, it can lead to heart problems and other illnesses.
The researchers also dispelled the notion that a drink before bed can help you sleep. Alcohol actually makes it harder to achieve deep sleep, which is crucial for proper daytime functioning, they explained in a news release from NYU Langone.
The study was published online recently in the journal Sleep Health.
Study senior investigator Girardin Jean-Louis, a professor in the departments of population health and psychiatry at NYU Langone, said the public needs to be better informed about the importance of sleep.
“For example, by discussing sleep habits with their patients, doctors can help prevent sleep myths from increasing risks for heart disease, obesity and diabetes,” he said in the news release.
The Meijer State Games of Michigan is celebrating its 10-year anniversary during this year’s Summer Games. To celebrate the milestone, WMSC president Mike Guswiler, will be participating in 10 sports during the Summer Games.
“It’s a cool idea for 10 years, it’s a fun way to celebrate,” said Guswiler. “We’ve never seen someone take on 10 sports, that will be pretty exciting.”
During the first weekend of events Guswiler will be participating in men’s pickleball on Friday, June 14, and coed softball on Saturday, June 15.
Guswiler will participate in 8 sports during the main event weekend. Thursday, June 20, Guswiler will participate in bocce ball. On Friday, June 21, Guswiler will participate in golf and archery. Saturday, June 22,Guswiler will participate in long jump as a part of the Meijer State Games track and field events, skeet shooting and freestyle swimming. On the final day of the State Games main event weekend, Sunday, June 23, Guswiler will participate in bowling and small-bore rifle.
In the last 10 years, more than $28 million was generated in direct visitor spending due to the State Games events.
The Meijer State Games of Michigan main weekend is June 20-23. (WMSC)
Follow Guswiler’s Schedule:
Friday, June 14
Sport: Pickleball Time: 9:30 a.m. Location: Belknap Park, 30 Coldbrook St. NE, Grand Rapids
Saturday, June 15
Sport: Coed Softball Time: 8 a.m. Location: Huff Park, 2399 Ball Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
Thursday, June 20
Sport: Bocce Ball Time: 2 p.m. Location: Noto’s Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids
Friday, June 21
Sport: Golf Time: 9 a.m. Location: Cedar Chase Golf Club, 7551 17 Mile Rd NE, Cedar Springs
Sport: 3D Archery Time: 3 p.m. Location: Sparta Hunting and Fishing Club, 13218 Long Lake Dr. Sparta
Saturday, June 22
Sport: Track and Field Time: 10 a.m. Location: Comstock Park High School, 150 6 Mile Rd. NE, Comstock Park
Registration is now open for all sports. There is an estimated 8,000+ athletes participating in over 45 sporting events in this year’s Summer Games. For more information about registration, please visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com/summer-games-sports-lineup/. Registration is located on each sports page.
For more information on sponsoring the Meijer State Games of Michigan, visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com/summer-games-sponsors. The Meijer State Games of Michigan sponsors include: Lake Michigan Credit Union, Metro Health, Fox Motors, Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Care Network of Michigan, Subway, Fifth Wheel Freight, Peppino’s, Lacks Enterprises Inc., SIBSCO, LIFE EMS Ambulance, The GR Shop, Heglund-Sova Realty, Inc.
There are still volunteer opportunities available for the Summer Games. For more information on volunteering, please visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com/summer-games-volunteer/. The Meijer State Games of Michigan is a nonprofit organization that relies heavily on the help of willing volunteers and trusted partnerships. Lake Michigan Credit Union is proud supporter of Meijer State Games of Michigan volunteers.
That means a lot of people will be heading off to visit family and friends as well as checking out destination points such as the Bahamas; Virginia Beach, or Miami. With that in mind, the Transportation Security Administration or TSA recently hosted an informational event to remind travelers what they can and can not take on the airplane.
During June and July 2018, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport had about 550,000 passengers move through the airport. Those numbers are expected to increase this year as the Ford Airport was recently named the second fastest-growing airport by Airline Weekly.
TSA worker Russ Faase talks about some of the items that TSA has seen come through the security check point at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. (WKTV)
Needless to say, TSA officials and employees have seen a lot of interesting items that people have tried to bring on to the plane in their carry-on bags. Items have ranged from an electric hotplate to a dead squirrel.
“By far the most common thing we see by far is your oversized liquids, your 3.4 or greater size liquids, gels and aerosols,” said Mark Howell, regional spokesperson for TSA. “Those are OK in your check bag but if you want to take those on a aircraft, they need to be limited to 3.4 ounces or less in one quart size bag and each passenger is allowed one of those.”
Other items not allowed are kubaton pens, a self-defense keychain weapon, according to Ross Faase, a TSA worker at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Another item not allowed are replica weapons.
Replica weapons such as this toy grenade are not allowed on an airplane. (WKTV)
“This would be a great item to leave at home,” Fasse said. “Bringing a replica grenade like this through the check point could cause delays for you, your fellow travelers, and it could shutdown the check point until we are able to get the item resolved.”
Knives of any size need to be in checked luggage, Faase said. Scissors are allowed if the scissors are four inches or less from the pivot.
“As we get more into the summer, we are going to see a lot more bike tools,” Faase said. “Bike tools need to be seven inches or less. Any tools greater than seven inches must be packed in checked bags.”
With summer, there are a number of passengers who do not travel that often and therefore do not know what is allowed and not allowed, Howell said.
“People try to avoid the check bag fees by just taking a carry-on bag with them, but when you do that you have to know the difference of what’s allowed in a carry-on bag versus what’s allowed in a checked bag,” he said.
Howell said TSA does not confiscate items but will give passengers the option to get rid of things when they come to the check point.
“Unfortunately people wait until the last minute to come to the security check point and don’t want to go through security again, so they end up surrendering the item at the security check point,” he said.
TSA does have a no cost contract with the Michigan state surplus office which will either dispose of the item or resell it. All monies raised from the resell goes to that agency, Howell said.
So if you are planning a trip that involves heading to the airport, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get through the TSA check point. The recommended time is about 2 hours from departure. For more information about items that are allowed in carry-on bags and on the plane, visit the TSA website, tsa.gov.
Water is a critical component of our body’s structure and all its functions.
It makes up approximately 55 percent of the female body.
Key organs—muscles, heart, brain and lungs—are made up of more than 75 percent water.
So what happens when we get busy and don’t take the time to hydrate?
If we leave water out of our daily habits, the results can be subtle but significant. Hypo-hydration can take its toll in ways that affect our normal daily function.
A patient I’ll call Sally is a prime example of what can happen when we don’t hydrate enough.
When she came to see me in the Spectrum Health Midlife and Menopause Health Clinic, she wondered if she was going into menopause because she felt so terrible. She had attended one of my talks and remembered me mentioning the symptoms of menopause—fatigue, hot flashes and irritability.
She had been experiencing all these symptoms, as well as suffering headaches and feeling short-tempered with her husband and kids. Her periods were also irregular, but not entirely indicative of menopause.
After gathering Sally’s information, I had a very good idea what was going on with her.
Dried out
As Sally talked, I noticed her skin and hair were dry. She looked tired and quite thin.
To confirm my suspicions, I started by asking Sally if she practiced her SEEDS (Seven Essential Elements of Daily Success) every day, especially the first one—drinking plenty of water.
Sally said she drank only about one or two 8-ounce bottles of water most days, but she hoped her five cups of coffee and nightly glass of wine would make up the difference. Wrong!
Unfortunately, Sally wasn’t doing very well on the rest of her SEEDS either. She only slept about five hours a night. She didn’t eat balanced meals. She rarely exercised because she was too tired. She barely practiced any meditation or gratitude.
Instead, she found herself rushing to the next event or handling another emergency at work or at home.
When we finished discussing the SEEDS, I told Sally her symptoms were not the result of menopause or her hormones.
She asked why I focused on water and diet. I explained how body function depends on water, especially for cooling and energy. When the body is dehydrated, the muscles can get hotter more quickly, causing them to get tight like beef jerky.
Without adequate water, women can experience hot flashes, muscle spasms and fatigue.
Dehydration can also cause constipation, because the colon removes all the water from the bowel movement to keep enough for survival, causing the bowel movement to be dry and slow-moving.
Why was Sally’s skin so dry? Without adequate water, skin dries up like a sad houseplant. It can look old and tired before its time.
I asked her to think about the water-coffee balance. Her body requires about 80 ounces of water per day. Because coffee and alcohol are dehydrating, she needed to drink an additional glass of water for each cup of coffee or glass of alcohol she consumed, just to stay in balance.
Sally began to realize that her inadequate water intake, combined with her diet poor in complex carbs and protein, had been contributing to her poor energy, bad mood and lack of motivation to exercise or play with her kids.
Lots of libation
Sally’s story is similar to those of many women who come to see me.
She got out of the habit of self-care and thought she did a better job by focusing first on work and others. Wrong again!
Unfortunately, the result is just the opposite of what she strove for. Everyone, including herself, ended up worse off because she neglected herself.
All women, including Sally, must include themselves on their list of people to take care of.
We used the list of SEEDS to make a plan to get Sally back on the road to feeling healthy again.
She agreed to drink two glasses of water before she left the house in the morning (and before her first coffee), another one in the car, one in her office with her second cup of coffee and one more before lunch.
She also committed to drinking another glass of water at lunch, one in the afternoon, one in the car on the way home and a glass at dinner. She even agreed to sacrifice her nightly glass of wine and only drink one or two glasses on the weekend—at least until she felt better.
In addition, she said she would start eating at least two small meals of things like Ezekiel Bread with peanut butter, bananas (for potassium) and a salad with a protein for dinner.
These were all small changes, but at least it would be a start.
I suggested waiting until she felt a little better before beginning a strenuous exercise program. Instead, we talked about incorporating yoga and stretches into her daily routine and focusing on getting more sleep and taking walks with her family.
Sally was surprised when I told her it would take her body at least three days to really catch up on hydration, noting that her muscles, skin and hair would take some time to soak it all up.
She was relieved to hear she would not have to urinate so much after three or four days.
Back to basics
When Sally came in for her recheck four weeks later, I almost didn’t recognize her!
She actually laughed at herself for thinking she was in menopause and not realizing how she had let her health go. She came in hoping for a hormone patch or magic pill to make her feel better, but she was pleasantly surprised to discover she simply had to get back to the basics and recognize the power of hydration.
In the past four weeks, Sally drank plenty of water and felt so much better that:
She was no longer depending on coffee to give her energy. She still
drank coffee but did so just because she enjoyed the taste, instead of
using it as a vice.
Her muscle cramps were gone.
Her mood improved and everyone noticed. She didn’t even miss her nightly wine.
Her night sweats had improved to the point she only experienced them the night before her period started.
Her hairdresser commented how much better Sally’s hair felt and looked.
She began to think about how she could put daily exercise back in her schedule.
She began to have more fun with her kids than she had in a long time.
Things are definitely headed in the right direction for Sally and her family—and it all started with going back to the basics!
CEO Gray Granger jokingly admits that his company, The Granger Group, is kind of getting evicted from its current location at 2221 Health Dr. SW.
“[Metro Health-University of Michigan Health] is expanding and growing so much that they really just need this space,” Granger said of his company’s current home during a recent interview. “It is really exciting to see that and to see the hospital continuing to grow and meeting the needs of the residents.”
It is an exciting time at the Metro Health Village, which has been rebranded to The Village, according to Granger. If you have driven by the site located near the corner of 54th Street and Byron Center Avenue, you can not help but notice all the work that has been taking place there.
Site plan for the Village Life Marketplace. The Village Market Place is located on the corner of Byron Center Avenue and Health Drive. (Supplied)
The Granger Group is currently constructing the Village Life Marketplace, located on the northwest corner of Health Drive and Byron Center Avenue, across from the current structure that contains the Starbucks, Posh Nails, and Marcos Pizza.
“We are very focused on health and wellness,” Granger said. “Everything ties together here. There are open site lines. People can see where they want to go to. They know that can get from one point to another point in the village without getting into a car.”
One of the goals of The Granger Group has been to create a sustainable and walkable community, Granger said. The marketplace is about half of the 190-acre Village, totaling 80 acres. Being that Metro Health is the center point to the entire Village, Granger said the company wanted to incorporate as much healthy lifestyle options as possible.
“What we are going to see is just a lot of activity that will build on some neat amenities like the village green,” Granger said. “It is just a fun place.”
The Granger Group has built the first two buildings, totaling about 20 square feet of retail. Last summer, the group broke ground on the construction of four more buildings.
The current project includes a two-story, 20,000-square-foot mixed-use building with first-floor retail and second floor office space, which will be the new home of The Granger Group. The project also includes two single-story retail totaling 10,000 square feet. With that, the project will add more housing to Granger’s First & Main, an assisted-living retirement community. This will be a four-story, 65-unit independent living complex that will face toward Health Drive.
The Granger Group is negotiations with several financial services companies and restaurants. (WKTV)
The Granger Group is currently in negotiations with several financial services companies and restaurants with Granger noting they are hoping to have a restaurant facing out on the current waterfall area at the Village.
“I happen to think this is one of the projects that is going to make a major difference within the city we live and its gonna to be a great addition for those who live within the City of Wyoming,” Granger said.
The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall. It is estimated that the entire Village project is around $2 billion. The project is a partnership between The Granger Group, Metro Health-University of Michigan Health and the City of Wyoming.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced an exciting Planetarium Double Feature coming to the Chaffee Planetarium. This summer only, catch a double feature of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show!
On Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, August 1, music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome.
The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission.
Tickets to the Planetarium Double Features will include both light shows, and are $8 for non-members, $4 for members. Tickets may be purchased at grpm.org or by calling 616.929.1700.
The Queen Light Show
New life is brought to the wildly popular classic rock light show format with an original production set to the music of Queen. Experience 10 of Queen’s greatest hits, including favorite like Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and You’re My Best Friend. The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love! is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI.
Dark Side: The Light Show
Experience Pink Floyd’s iconic album as never before in this one-of-a-kind light show, featuring stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences, and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound. Dark Side: The Light Show is a GRPM original production, first launched at the Chaffee Planetarium in Spring 2015.
One in 3 women and 1 in 5 men older than 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture.
Hip fractures often require surgery and may lead to loss of independence, and vertebral fractures lead to loss of height, pain, nerve compression, and sometimes deformity.
A bit about bones
Our bones are constantly remodeling, with steady building and breakdown, and we reach a peak bone mass in our late 20s.
After our peak, we lose a bit more each year than we build, and when the bones get to be too porous and weak, we are at risk for a fragility fracture, or a break that occurs with minimal trauma such as stepping wrong off a curb or a low-impact fall.
Osteoporosis is the condition when the bones are thin enough to increase risk of fracture to the point that treatment might be indicated, and our goal is to keep osteoporosis from happening.
Osteoporosis is a silent disease, and has no symptoms. The good news is osteoporosis can be prevented, and also predicted if you know the risks.
The basic concept is we want to support our bone-building cells by supplying adequate calcium in our diet. This includes four servings of dairy or leafy greens, adequate vitamin D to allow for calcium absorption (about 2000 IU per day for most adults), and enough weight-bearing activity to let the bones know they are needed. Research shows we need approximately 20 minutes of weight-bearing activity per day.
Midlife wellness
As a busy obstetrician and gynecologist, I should have been thinking about my patient’s bone health way more than I did, but it was not on my radar for those years of delivering babies.
As I started to care more for women approaching midlife and thinking about how I could support wellness, I started asking my patients about risk factors.
I soon met with an internal medicine physician who is passionate about bone health and supports our patients on how to avoid fracture and disability. He taught me about prevention, diagnosis and treatment options.
Also at that time, I had a patient who underwent a bone scan and, when I called her with the bad news that she had osteoporosis, she felt absolutely floored. How could she, a healthy 52-year-old, have osteoporosis?
We went through the risk factors, and she probably never took enough D like the rest of us, avoided dairy due to lactose intolerance, was active but perhaps not enough, and occasionally took oral steroids for asthma.
She decided to start hormone replacement therapy for her menopause symptoms, which is also indicated for prevention of osteoporosis as it supports the good bone she still had. She also became serious about vitamin D and calcium supplements, and exercised every day or at least did her 50 jumps.
A followup scan three years later showed stable bones. Further, her fitness regimen had improved her balance so she was less likely to fall. Thank goodness we found her osteoporosis before she had a fracture.
Supporting your skeleton
We support bone health by knowing what risk factors to avoid. If we have other health conditions that put our bones at risk, we should be aware of the issues and do what we can to make up for the risk.
Lifestyle risk factors for osteoporosis include more than two alcohol drinks per day, cigarette smoking, inactivity, low body weight, and inadequate calcium and vitamin D.
Genetic factors for osteoporosis include family history and conditions such as cystic fibrosis and other metabolic conditions. Hormone conditions— such as menopause, especially if premature, diabetes, Cushing disease and parathyroid dysfunction—are also factors.
Medical conditions such as anorexia and bulimia also put people at risk, as well as celiac disease, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, gastric bypass surgery and lupus. Many cancers also put people at risk for accelerated bone loss such as multiple myeloma, treatments for breast cancer, and medication use to include oral steroids, antacids and anti-seizure medication.
The good news is, if we look, we can get information in time to act and help slow or prevent bone loss. The results from a scan, together with risk factors, help us make recommendations for potential treatment.
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
On March 2nd and again on March 17th, we had what we believe to be an entire family of terrified cats dumped off in carriers. ‘The Shy Seven’ were the first to arrive, and then three more joined us, rounding things out to ‘The Timid Ten’. Needless to say, it was a huge ordeal for all involved, from the stunned volunteers who kept pulling cat after cat out of cramped carriers, to the traumatized kitties who had no idea what was going on, and finally to Dr. Jen who spent the greater part of two weekends at the clinic getting them program-ready.
The latter was no small feat, as every single cat (yup, all ten of them) were intact, four of the five girls were pregnant, and all ten were clearly out of their element and having major trust issues. Adding various medical issues to the mix—like fleas and a variety of internal parasites, dental disease and chronic herpes virus—we ended up having a heaping handful of kitties who needed a great deal of help, not only physically, but probably more importantly, mentally.
It was clear from the onset that the family had been neglected and lacking human contact for quite some time, given their poor body condition, long nails and a shyness that went beyond anything we have seen before—and we have seen a lot. We have no idea where they came from or why someone thought it was a good idea to displace them as they did without regard for our space or financial capabilities, but our proposed scenario is this: a kindhearted, elderly person owned them and, for whatever reason, let them breed and multiply, running rampant in the house and growing wilder and warier as the days wore on. We suspect this person then passed (or moved away), and the cats were left to fend for themselves until a family member (or landlord) came in and booted the entire lot of them out—and onto our doorstep.
Regardless, we’d like to think they were loved by someone at some point, as this helps us believe in the goodness of people, enough so to offset the stupidity and callousness of others.
Let’s just say that for the most part, the journey we have all been on together is ever evolving—and it is going to be a long road full of bumps, setbacks and, yes, triumphs along the way. It is now over two months since their arrival, and we are just now able to share their stories, as it has taken a great deal of time (and patience) to get to this point.
We have had one shining star, jovial Jenn, who has been trying to pave the way for her siblings/uncles/cousins/aunts to follow, so really, we should have renamed the group as ‘The Timid Ten, Not Including Jenn’. She was the only girl who wasn’t or hadn’t been pregnant, as her reproductive tract was underdeveloped; just 15 months (born in later 2017, we think, along with Dean, Desna, Roller and Quiet Ann), she turned out to be quite the trailblazer, assuming the role of matriarch of her furry family.
Brice, Dr. Ken, Polly, Uncle Daddy and Virginnia—in some way or another—fathered and mothered this group, though we can’t verify their twisted family tree; we believe they were all born in late 2016. In any case, we have learned who is independent, who absolutely needs to be part of a duo (or trio) and who is going to be our most challenging, in need of the most convincing that we are good and will do them no harm.
Who could possibly resist that face?
Desna is part of a trio (the others are Polly and Quiet Ann). Although it is a lot to ask, we can’t imagine splitting the trio up. All three of them will cram themselves into a teepee bed and sleep there, piled on top of each other, for hours contentedly. They prefer to wait for people to approach them and give them attention but relish it when received. They are very bonded with one another; we feel that separating them would be devastating to all three.
At our free-roaming facility, cats like these have all of the time in the world to acclimate and adjust at their own rate—a snail’s pace if that is what is necessary. We have no cages, no time limits, no rules or regulations—each individual cat gets to stretch his legs at their own pace; each kitty gets to spread her furry little wings and fly when she is ready to leave the fold.
We offer a peaceful, secure environment to each and every cat in our care as long as they need it—and us. Slow and steady wins the race, and we firmly believe that with love, all things are possible; we surely can see endless possibilities and bright futures full of promise for this family of ours!
More about Desna:
Domestic Medium Hair
Tortoiseshell
Adult
Female
Medium
House-trained
Vaccinations up to date
Spayed
Good in a home with other cats, no children
Want to adopt Desna? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
The Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines presented the highly prestigious award of Sweet Adeline of the Year Award to Rockford resident and former WKTV Editor Colleen Pierson. The singing group is composed of 60 women who sing four-part harmony in acapella style.
The award is given to a member who exemplifies the ideal qualities shown through leadership, successes, progress and dedication.
“To be nominated was extraordinary, to win was a dream come true. I felt like I won an Academy Award,” Pierson said enthusiastically.
Master Director Denise Van Dyken was happy for Pierson. “Colleen brings so much enthusiasm, talents and humor to our group. It is a well-deserved honor.”
The Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines are Regional Champions and will compete on the International Stage in New Orleans in September. They perform at community events, concerts, competitions, charity functions and sing the National Anthem at sporting games.
“The only thing better than singing, is more singing,” joked Pierson. “One of my best life decisions was getting involved with this talented group of women.”
The group is always looking for new members who love to sing and perform. They practice every Monday night. For more information, please visit https://www.grsa.net.
In this season of graduations and the school year ending, it is easy to focus on accomplishments and successes as we reflect on the past year as well as a student’s entire school career. However, failure is an important part of our learning process and can be a powerful educational experience. It takes some practice and humility to see failure as a good thing, as so often it is portrayed as a negative experience or something people don’t want to talk about. Teachers, coaches and 4-H leaders can help youth reframe failure and reflect on what they learned.
Think back to a time when you feel like you failed at something. Did you work on a project that didn’t turn out like you hoped? Did you plan an event that didn’t attract enough people? Did you overspend on a budget? Did you run out of food or supplies for a project? Did you say something that offended someone? Did you miss a deadline?
How did you feel immediately after the experience? How did that change over time? Often, the passage of time helps us to see how we could have done something differently to affect a different outcome, but right after the experience our feelings of shame and embarrassment may hinder our ability to learn from it. We can help change the culture of how we talk about failure so that the youth we work with can learn to see failure as part of their normal development.
Here are some common situations youth experience and some tips for how to talk about them in a way that encourages growth.
Sports team doesn’t win a game or tournament. Student doesn’t win a competition or scholarship.
Encourage discussion on the entire experience, not just the final result. What were the things that worked well? What did they observe the other team/contestants do well?
Youth misses a deadline for entering a project in the fair.
Encourage discussion about what was learned in the project experience. What could help them meet deadlines in the future? Are there other places they could share their project besides at the fair?
Youth work on a community service project that didn’t raise as much money or didn’t engage as many community members as they wanted. Or perhaps they work on something where there were more people than expected and they end up overspending on a budget or didn’t buy enough supplies.
Encourage discussion about all the different skills learned through the project. What were the things that worked well? Where could they ask for help or more resources next time?
Avoid shame or blame in these discussions and pay attention to how you express your feedback. Helping youth to see what they can learn in these situations can often be as much about our phrasing and attitude as the actual questions we use. It may help to remind everyone involved about the bigger picture of learning and developing skills to be better in the future.
Learning to see failure as an experience that can teach us as much or more than a success takes practice and patience. Model this in your words and feedback to youth about their experiences, and they will be able to see the value of failure!
Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development help to prepare young people for successful futures. As a result of career exploration and workforce preparation activities, thousands of Michigan youth are better equipped to make important decisions about their professional future, ready to contribute to the workforce and able to take fiscal responsibility in their personal lives. For more information or resources on career exploration, workforce preparation, financial education, or entrepreneurship, contact 4-HCareerPrep@anr.msu.edu.
Simple table salt ought not trouble you at mealtime. The real concern is how much salt went into processing and preparing the meal itself. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
If you’re like most people, you won’t have any trouble identifying the usual suspects. (French fries, chips and pretzels—we’re looking at you.)
The leading sources of excess sodium in the average American diet are less obvious.
Packaged foods such as bread, desserts and even canned vegetables—vegetables, for Pete’s sake!—can be prepared with alarmingly high salt levels.
That should be a cause for universal concern.
While there’s been some debate about precise levels, current guidelines call for an intake of 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.
| The American Heart Association goes even further, recommending all American adults try to limit themselves to 1,500 milligrams per day. This is also the level recommended for people with high blood pressure and heart disease.
African Americans are also advised to stick to the lower level.
The reality? The average American eats well over twice that amount, or about 3,400 milligrams a day, and sometimes more.
“Most people don’t realize that the problem isn’t using their salt shaker, but all the foods they eat with those hidden sources,” said Caren Dobreff, RD, projects dietitian at Spectrum Health.
Such as? “Toast and cereal,” Dobreff said. “Because sodium is widely used for flavor, as a leavening agent (think baking soda), as a preservative, it turns up in places you don’t expect.” Portion sizes can add to the confusion since few people limit themselves to a single slice of bread or a half cup of cereal.
The immediate impact of too much salt can be a bloated feeling due to water retention.
“Water retention can make your socks or shoes or waistband feel snug,” Dobreff said.
Over time, too much sodium may increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure, as well as osteoporosis, stomach cancer, kidney disease and headaches.
The best defense: Tune up your sodium radar.
Restaurant foods contribute to about a quarter of the typical American’s dietary sodium. Meals prepared at home account for another 10 percent. Surprisingly, less than 5 percent of dietary salt is added at the table.
This means the worst offenders—about 65 percent, reports the American Heart Association—are foods we buy at the store.
Here’s how to protect yourself from sneaky salt attacks:
Read the label
Manufacturers of packaged foods must list nutritional information on the label. This includes listing sodium content.
The fine print will help you discover, for example, that 3 ounces of deli meat such as ham or turkey can contain up to 1,050 milligrams of sodium. A cup of chicken noodle soup packs 940 milligrams, a slice of American cheese has 460 milligrams and a piece of bread has 230 milligrams. That’s pretty salty.
Check chicken labels, too, especially if the package notes, “Contains broth.” Meat processors often plump the chicken by injecting it with sodium, improving moisture retention. This enhanced chicken can increase sodium content as much as 440 milligrams.
Most red meat cuts have 100 milligrams or less, but processed meat—think cold cuts, sausages and hot dogs—can have hundreds of milligrams of added salt.
Research your restaurant favorites
While it’s harder to learn what’s in your favorite restaurant foods,
most national chains have nutrition details on their websites.
A little digging before you get there will help you discover that a slice of pizza at your local shop may well have 760 milligrams of sodium, while a cheeseburger has a whopping 1,690 milligrams. At some fast food joints, just 3 ounces of breaded chicken strips contain 900 milligrams of sodium.
And don’t be fooled when restaurants label something low- or reduced-sodium. Reduced-sodium soy sauce, for example, can still have as much as 500 milligrams per serving.
Cook from scratch
Cooking from scratch offers the most control over how much salt winds
up on your plate. A tomato, for example, contains a mere 6 milligrams
of sodium. But half a cup of canned low-sodium diced tomatoes has
already more than tripled to 20 milligrams.
A helping of regular canned tomatoes is 10 times saltier, at 220 milligrams.
“Look for ways to create flavor explosions,” Dobreff said. She recommends high-impact seasoning like citrus, vinegar, herbs and spices, such as cumin and chili powder.
Don’t get duped
As appealing as some popular gourmet salts sound—pink Himalayan,
Hawaiian black lava, grey sea salt, kosher salt and even dusting
salt—they’re still just sodium chloride.
“Some people like to experiment with them for flavor and some are prepared more naturally,” Dobreff said. “But the sodium is roughly the same.”
Plan a counterattack
When you’ve got a major salt craving, play nutritional offense. Keep
whole fresh fruits and vegetables and unsalted roasted nuts and seeds on
hand. We tend to snack on what we can see and what our arms can reach.
“Buy a lower-sodium type of pretzels or chips, for example, and count out the amount of a single serving,” Dobreff said. “Then enjoy them. But be careful to balance them out with foods that day that are high in potassium, such as bananas, citrus fruits, papayas, avocados or potatoes.”
The Grand RapidsPublic Museum (GRPM) just announced that tickets for the annual Front Row for the Fireworks celebration are on sale now! Join the GRPM for the Independence Day fundraiser on Saturday, July 6, to coincide with the City of Grand Rapids’ fireworks show.
In addition to having the best seats in Grand Rapids for the fireworks, visitors will be able to explore all three floors of the Museum, including the Changing America and TOYS! exhibits, enjoy rides on the 1928 Spillman Carousel, hear patriotic music on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ, and see a Chaffee Planetarium show. At dusk, visitors can head outside to the enclosed lawn seating areas or stay inside the Museum for air-conditioned comfort to watch the fireworks as they burst over the Grand River.
During the event, the Museum will offer affordable meal deals and ice cream treats available for purchase.
Tickets for Front Row for the Fireworks are $15 for the general public and $10 for Museum members. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at grpm.org/FrontRow or by calling the Museum at 616.929.1700.
Sponsor a Child to Attend Front Row for the Fireworks
By sponsoring a child for Front Row for the Fireworks, you are giving local kids in foster care the opportunity to see the fireworks from one of the best viewing locations along the river, bringing a fun and memory-making experience into their lives.
The GRPM is once again working with Samaritas, West Michigan Ronald McDonald House, D.A. Blodgett St. John’s Home, Bethany Christian Services, Kids Food Basket and Catholic Charities of West Michigan to bring foster children, who might otherwise not be able to attend, downtown to the Museum to enjoy the event. Children can be sponsored with a $15 ticket donation that includes event admission and a meal for the child.
Changing America
This exhibit examines the relationship between two great people’s movements, which both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization and vision. In addition to artifacts from the GRPM Collections, many artifacts on display are on loan from the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives. Local stories are told through the eyes of our community in the form of oral histories, and the exhibit includes a space for visitors to reflect and share their own story. Find out more at grpm.org/ChangingAmerica
TOYS!
TOYS!is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations. Find out more at grpm.org/Toys.
There are a lot of great benefits to being a senior, but you may be dismayed with lessening mobility. Retirement can also have you searching for hobbies to fill the time that don’t require an abundance of energy or time. While traditionally gardening is a task that requires a lot of both, container gardening is a way to enjoy nature that won’t take as much out of you.
What is Container Gardening?
Container gardening is, as the name implies, gardening that happens in containers rather than in the ground. A container can be anything that holds soil and plants, from traditional pots to repurposed basins and tubs. Almost any plant can be gardened in a container, even some types of small trees.
If you have little or no outdoor space, then container gardening has the extra bonus of not needing a lot of room. A few window planters or pots on a balcony can give you that garden you wanted without needing a lot of yard.
You can also container garden indoors, with smaller pots on windowsills or raised on tables in a mudroom or sunroom. Containers at different heights can add even more dimension and layers to your garden.
Why Seniors?
So why is container gardening a good idea for seniors? For starters, you don’t have to be a natural gardener or someone with lots of experience to begin. Container gardening is great for a new hobby, and it doesn’t cost much to get started.
In addition, the containers you choose to garden in can be raised so you don’t have to bend down and stand up like you do with traditional gardening. If you have additional handicaps or are in a wheelchair, you can find raised planters that come to a level that you are comfortable with.
Even if you are a fairly mobile senior, container gardening can be an exercise that helps you avoid spending long periods of time out in the heat. A slight raise up from ground level can also be a big help for your back, and container gardens are easier to move and manipulate than a garden in the ground.
Picking Containers
While containers can come in any size, from small, egg-sized pots for small succulents to huge planters for bushes, it’s easier to garden in something that has a bit of room for your plants to grow. Because it’s an enclosed space, roots will only grow as big as the container allows, so a larger pot gives your plants more room.
Examples of containers you can use include:
Hanging baskets
Plastic pots
Metal planters
Planters with added trellises
Wash tubs
Clustered pots
Wicker baskets
Bowls
Terra cotta pots
Hollow concrete squares
All of these types of containers can also be raised if they don’t already come with a stand to get them off the ground and closer to you.
Prepping Your Container
Once you have a container—or several—picked out, it’s time to start considering the logistics. Move your container to where you want it to be before you start to fill it with dirt, which will quickly add weight to your container.
Another detail to consider is the drainage of your container. All containers should have a draining system like holes in the bottom—unless it is a cachepot. A cachepot is a decorative pot that a smaller, plain pot with drainage rests inside of. A cachepot should not be used as a regular container because without drainage you plant’s roots can get waterlogged.
Containers also use a different kind of dirt than a regular garden. Ground gardening soil is too heavy for plants in containers, so a lighter soil mix like houseplant soil will provide better results. You also want to make sure that the water, once it drains through the soil, doesn’t flow or fall on anything that could be water damaged. A tray or flat plate to collect water can be a big help if your container doesn’t come with one.
Here are some final tips about container gardening for seniors:
Keep the soil in your container damp. Drying the dirt out makes it difficult to re-wet and stay moist.
Have quality pruning and gardening tools so you don’t strain yourself.
Regularly fertilize the containers to give plants extra nutrients.
Keep an eye on your allergies, and avoid plants that are going to make you sneeze.
Clear out dead leaves or flowers that might be detracting from the overall look of your garden.
Keep an eye on how much sun and shade your containers get—you may need to adjust what plants you pick to find something that can thrive in different light conditions.
Play around with plant arrangements to find something that you like.
You enjoy walking and even have an exercise buddy to keep you on track. But maybe your enthusiasm has started to wane.
The answer? Expand your workout circle and form a walking group in your community. By planning walks and encouraging one another, each member will have an impact on everyone else’s health.
First, see if there’s already a community-based organization that might join forces with you or offer ideas, information and resources. Maybe there’s a nonprofit that you’d like to support through a walk six or 12 months from now—check out its website to see if it offers planning pointers for fundraising events.
Next, decide how wide a net you want to cast to recruit members. You might keep the group to people you know or extend it to include friends of friends.
Hold a kick-off meeting and work out key details like the days and times the group will meet, how long you’ll walk each time and a list of routes that will keep things interesting. Set up a system for contacting one another by text or e-mail so you can send updates and reminders before each walk.
If you’d rather join a group than start one, check out Walkwithadoc.org.
Started in 2005 by David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, it has chapters across the country. Walks are typically held on weekends for an hour and include a conversation with the local doctor who leads the chapter. It’s a great way to meet other people and get fit together.
Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.
A black-legged tick poses on a leaf, waiting for an animal to brush up against it, so it may crawl on its new blood host. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
“Many of us have heard about the tick boom,” said Rosemary Olivero, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the Spectrum Health Medical Group. “It’s important to remember that we always expect a dramatic increase in the presence of all types of ticks during this time of year.”
The Michigan Department of Community Health has reported an increase in black-legged ticks along the Lake Michigan shorelines during the past seven years. The black-legged tick was formerly referred to as the deer tick.
Brian Hartl, an epidemiologist at the Kent County Health Department’s Communicable Diseases division, said the tick boom has been a multi-year trend.
“In terms of ticks, we don’t do any surveillance, per se, but we know the tick habitats are spreading eastward,” Hartl explained. “Historically, black-legged ticks—those that carry Lyme disease—have been on the lake shore. But they’re expanding inland from the lakes.”
But there’s more trouble to ticks than just Lyme disease, Dr. Olivero said.
“The black-legged tick can transmit Lyme disease, which is the most common tick-borne infection in Michigan,” she said. “The same tick can also transmit Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis, which almost never occur in Michigan. Other ticks (such as the American Dog tick, Lone Star tick, Woodchuck tick and Brown Dog tick) can transmit other diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Ehrlichisos, Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis. Luckily these infections are quite rare in Michigan.”
This arrived on the tails of the agency sharing news about a new, formerly rare tick-borne illness—the Powassan virus. Seventy-five cases of Powassan were reported in the United States in the past 10 years, but that number is expected go up as the ranks of mice and the ticks that carry the disease increase.
Symptoms of this serious infection can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss. Long-term neurologic problems may occur. The CDC notes there is no specific treatment, but some people need to be hospitalized to receive respiratory support and intravenous fluids or medications to reduce swelling in the brain.
Hartl said the best defense against ticks is to make it tough for them to latch on in the first place.
“Really it’s just being cognizant of your environment,” he said. “If you’re camping or hiking, wear pants or long socks to keep from getting ticks. They like to hang out in long grass and grab hold of you as you walk by.”
And if you do find a tick attached to your body, properly remove it. There are some videos online for how to do so. Dr. Olivero recommended this video for the proper way to remove ticks. For Lyme disease to be transmitted, ticks need to be attached for 24 to 48 hours.
“If you can remove it quickly enough you can keep from getting Lyme disease,” Hartl said.
Dr. Olivero agreed.
“There are two effective ways to prevent tick bites: wearing long sleeves, and using insect repellents,” she said. “Doing daily tick checks to remove any attached ticks can help prevent contracting Lyme disease from a tick. Important areas to check for ticks include the hairline and behind the ears. Carefully, using pointed tweezers, is the most effective way to remove a tick.”
An ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure: A severe sunburn in your youth can nearly double your chances of developing melanoma later in life. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Only half of Americans routinely protect themselves from the sun when outdoors, a recent American Academy of Dermatology survey found.
Those who don’t practice sun safety put themselves at increased risk for skin cancer, which is the most common cancer in the United States, despite being one of the most preventable cancers.
One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life, the AAD estimates.
Just one serious sunburn in childhood or the teen years can nearly double a person’s risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, later in life.
“Exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer, and there are many simple things you can do to protect yourself from the sun,” AAD President Dr. George Hruza said in an academy news release.
Seek shade when possible, especially between 10am and 2pm when the sun’s rays are strongest.
Wear protective clothing, such as a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all skin not covered by clothing. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
“It’s also important to remember to protect parts of your body you think might not be getting any sun,” Hruza said.
“Areas like the tops of your hands, bottoms of your feet or the part in your hair may not immediately come to mind when it comes to sun protection, but they are still vulnerable to dangerous sun damage,” he explained.
Skin cancer is highly treatable when caught early, so it’s important to do regular skin self-exams and look out for ABCDEs—the warning signs of melanoma:
Asymmetry: One half of the spot is unlike the other half.
Border: The spot has an irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border.
Color: The spot has varying colors from one area to the next, such as shades of tan, brown or black, or areas of white, red or blue.
Diameter: Melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, but they can be smaller.
Evolving: The spot looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.
“If you find any new or suspicious spots on your skin, make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist,” Hruza said. “Spots that are changing, itching or bleeding could be a sign of skin cancer, and the earlier skin cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat.”
“I go to Costco every weekend. It’s my favorite part of the week.”
~ Jimmy Kimmel
Kicking off so you can kick up your heels
Circle June 4th on your calendar. That’s the date Concerts in the Park kicks off with local favorite Midlife Crisis, a classic rock band that was formed in 2001. The free, nine-week summer concert series held at 7pm Tuesdays at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW, features a wide variety of musical styles, interactive themes, and local food vendors. More info here.
Summer reads make me feel fine
Summer reading at KDL starts Monday, June 3 this year and runs through Saturday, Aug. 10. Sign up online at READsquared or pick up a paper form at your nearest KDL branch. Log your summer reading activity and earn prizes! Get more info here.
More active souls ought to check out the third annual Liquid Force Field Day on Saturday, June 1 at Action Wake Park, 3320 Hudson Trails Dr., Hudsonville, MI 49426. It’s a great opportunity to try Action Wake Park completely free of cost. Here is more info.
Fun fact:
25 years
Up to 25 years is the jail sentence you’ll get if you cut down a cactus in Arizona. Talk about harsh.
Dr. Matthew Axtman, Spectrum Health Medical Group Orthopedics, is the medical lead for the annual River Bank Run, the largest 25K in the country (Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat)
Springtime usually heralds the beginning of another full season of 5Ks and roadside runners.
Whether you’re training for your first race, want to be more active, or seek to cut minutes off your run times, here are 10 tips from doctors in the know:
1. Set a goal
Setting a goal, along with a timeline to accomplish that goal, is key, said Matt Axtman, DO, a sports medicine specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group.
Your goal may be running for 30 minutes straight without any walking by May 15, running a 5K in 25 minutes by July 1, or completing a marathon in five hours by September.
A specific goal is the first step toward a runner making strides.
2. Select a program
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
After setting a goal, selecting a program and schedule is the next major step.
“The Internet is a wealth of information,” Dr. Axtman said.
On days when you’re not running, continue to do athletic activities, whether it’s lifting weights, hiking or other sports.
The most fit athletes are multi-sport athletes, Dr. Axtman said, citing Bo Jackson, a former professional football and baseball player, and Cal Ripken Jr., a baseball Hall-of-Famer known as “The Ironman” because he has the longest consecutive-games-played streak. Ripken was both a soccer and baseball player growing up.
“If you want to be an elite runner, it’s more than just running: It’s weight-lifting, it’s cross-training,” Dr. Axtman said. “We don’t like to see single-sport athletes, they tend to get overuse injuries and fatigue injuries.”
4. Listen to your body
“You’re going to have a normal soreness and
achiness (after you run),” Dr. Axtman said. “That muscle fatigue is
going to be there.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
But with rest and stretching, that should go away in no more than a few days, he said. If you have pain, apply ice to the affected area to reduce inflammation. If the pain lingers for more than a week, don’t push it.
And if rest doesn’t cure the pain, see a professional.
“Something that might not be a big deal initially, it could become a big deal and cause major problems if you don’t listen to your body and push it too hard,” Dr. Axtman said.
5. Proper shoes
Footwear is important, Dr. Axtman said. Having the wrong shoe can alter your gait, which can lead to more stress on the ankles, knees and lower back, and ultimately lead to injuries.
His advice? Get your foot and stride evaluated at a store that sells athletic footwear. They’ll help you select the proper shoe.“Also, pay attention to the mileage,” Dr. Axtman said. “Shoes typically last from 300-500 miles. After that, the soles start to wear out, the cushioning starts to wear out, which can alter your mechanics and lead to injury.”
6. Outdoors vs. Treadmill
All running is helpful, Dr. Axtman said.
When coming back from injury, treadmills are recommended because they have more cushioning and bounce, which leads to less impact on the body. But running on the road tends to be more difficult because there are hills and the surface material is less forgiving.
If you choose to run on a treadmill, change the incline to 2 percent, which will approximate the difficulties of running outdoors and keep you on track with your training schedule, he said.
7. Weight lifting
“You don’t need to do intense weight-lifting—you don’t need to be buff and Arnold Schwarzenegger-like,” Dr. Axtman said. “But you want to be strong, and that’ll help you run better times and run longer distances.”
Weight-lifting allows the body to perform at optimum levels.“It’s like driving in your car,” he said. “If alignment is off, your car is going to shake. And that’ll affect gas mileage (and) it’ll burn gasoline more quickly. If there’s one thing with your car, it affects all the other systems. Same with your body.
“When you’re running, you’re using core muscles to provide stability, along with your spine, and you use your shoulders and upper muscles to provide torque. It’s all important. It’ll all help you.”
8. Running partners
Unless you’re incredibly self-motivated, keeping to a training program can be difficult. Studies have shown, however, that running partners not only motivate you to show up to training sessions, but push you to run longer distances.
All running is helpful, Dr. Axtman said. When coming back from injury, treadmills are recommended because they have more cushioning and bounce, which leads to less impact on the body. (Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat)
“They make you accountable, so you’re more likely to show up and give 100 percent during your workout because you know that someone else is counting on you,” said Andrew Allden, who coaches women’s cross-country at the University of South Carolina, in an interview with Runner’s World.
And as another Runner’s World article once declared, “Partners make the best alarm clocks.”
9. Hydration
Knowing your “sweat rate” is important: Weigh yourself before and after a run, and calculate the difference and that’s your rate, Dr. Axtman said.
“And that’s typically how much water you can consume,” he said. “You don’t need to equal it, but get close.”
Water shouldn’t be chugged before running because that can cause sloshing, cramping and nausea while you run. It should be sipped in the hours before a run.
And for long-distance runners—say, more than two hours on the road, “we also recommend rehydrating with a sport drink or sport gel because you’re also losing sodium and minerals and want to replenish those,” Dr. Axtman said. “That’ll keep your body working optimally.”
10. Lifestyle changes
Training is wonderful, but significant barriers to serious improvement are diet and sleep habits.
“Altering your eating habits can take your weight down, which is going to put a lot less stress on joints,” says Dr. Axtman. Doctors recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is flexible and sustainable. The important thing is to eat whole foods instead of processed foods.
“If you buy it in a box, bag or can, it’s probably processed,” says Thomas Boyden, MD, a cardiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “If you’re eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans and still a little bit of animal, the evidence is strong (your health will improve quickly).”
The music returns to Lamar Park next week as the WyomingCommunity Enrichment Commission (WCEC) kicks off the 2019 Concerts in the Park series.
The free nine-week summer concert series held at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW, features a wide variety of musical styles, interactive themes, and local food vendors.
“Concerts in the Park is an annual tradition for the community and provides a great opportunity to enjoy the park with neighbors, family and friends,” says Rebecca Rynbrandt director of community services. “We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the free concert series.”
The 2019 season features both perennial favorites as well as some newcomers. The entire program, according to Commission Chairperson Rennee Gardner is to make the event a fun, family-friendly one.
“One of the most exciting things about the lineup for 2019 is the incredible variety of performances that we plan to offer,” Gardner said. “Over the course of the season, we are confident that just about everyone can find something they enjoy.”
Midlife Crisis performs June 4
The series kicks off on June 4 with local favorite Midlife Crisis, a classic rock band that was formed in 2001. The six friends and experienced musicians draw musical inspiration from every decade, so expert a variety of songs from originals to the classics.
On June 11 is Brena Band. This six-member band has a wide variety of songs ranging from classic rock to smooth RnB, country to high energy dance music. Having been part of the wedding entertainment circuit, the group is known for its dance party-style.
The Brena Band performs June 11.
For all the polka lovers, Ray Watkoski & Family will take the stage on June 18. Having been playing for more than sixty years, this group is truly a family affair with sons-in-laws and even the grandchildren helping to make it an evening of polka fun.
Wrapping up the month of June is the city’s popular WiFi concert on June 25. The evening will feature two southern rock groups, Paradise Outlaw and Jared Knox along with fireworks taking place after the concert.
Paradise Outlaw performs at the WiFi concert on June 25.
Being that the June 25 concert is the city’s Fourth of July celebration, the Concerts in the Park takes a break the week of July 4.
The local group Jack & The Spare Tires picks up the music on July 9. Known for its sixties, seventies, and eighties covers, the band describes itself as “ a few guys that love music and just like to play whether it’s for a crowd or just jam on our own.”
Nationally known bluegrass group Nu-Blu performs on July 16.
On July 16 the national group Nu-Blu comes to the Lamar Park stage. Hailing from North Carolina, Nu-Blue has brought its unique sound of bluegrass music to the world. Earlier this year, the group was named as the permanent host of the television series “Bluegrass Ridge” and in 2018 became members of the Country Music Association.
On July 23 West Michigan country group Boardman Brown takes the stage with classic rock group Daddyz Breakdown following on July 30.
On July 23 Boardman Brown performs.
Wrapping up the Concerts in the Park series is the Shadows of the Night on Aug. 6. The group will pay tribute to the women of rock. This concert also will be part of the National Night Out event set for Aug. 6 as well.
Performances begin at 7 p.m. and are located at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. For further details and up-to-date information, visit www.wyomingcec.org or www.facebook.com/wyomingcec.
Too much sugar is never good for you. Combine it with extra stress, and you have a recipe for disaster.
There are certain times of the year we know we will indulge in extra sweets: holidays, birthdays, graduations and work outings. These are also times when we might feel more stressed.
But is it possible to enjoy sugar in moderation and be healthy at the same time? Absolutely.
If you can master the basics of healthy eating, despite the extra stress you may be feeling, you can keep your eating in check during any occasion.
Belly up and listen
What I’m really talking about is belly fat. I take this topic very
seriously because belly fat can kill you. It can happen to any of us,
and it’s something I discuss with nearly all of my patients at one time
or another.
Shelly is one of those patients. She came to see me for her physical, and she was upset because her favorite jeans did not fit.
She was just 50 years old and still having periods, and she began to notice her metabolism changing. She had gained her usual 5 pounds over the summer because of numerous summer parties, backyard barbecues, fruity cocktails and beer.
She typically didn’t drink during the week, but it was just too easy to crack open a cold beer when she was doing yard work under the summer sun. When friends would stop over, she’d mix up some drinks. I’m sure we can all relate to these same situations.
In the past, Shelly would go back to her normal routine when fall arrived. The 5 pounds would come right off. She would only drink on the weekends and she’d begin a better routine of regular exercise and sleep.
This year, however, something was different: She didn’t lose the 5 pounds and she actually started gaining weight.
Knowing that the holidays weren’t far off, she was worried her weight would get out of control and she would have even bigger issues.
Shelly was smart to be worried.
Once belly fat starts, it gets a mind of its own and can get out of control quickly. That’s exactly what was happening to Shelly—she was gaining all of her weight in her belly. I knew she was concerned and disappointed.
She said she always had a flat belly, but now that was changing.
Icky, sticky
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine proves what we already know: Belly fat leads to early death in men and women by increasing our risk of heart attack and stroke—up to 10 years earlier than it might have happened if we didn’t have any belly fat.
The reality is most of us will die of heart attack or stroke at some point. But belly fat makes it happen sooner.
How? Belly fat is deep on the inside, wrapped around your bowels and liver, and craving sugar. As belly fat grows, your liver uses it to make bad cholesterol, and then the belly fat produces inflammatory chemicals to make your blood vessel linings sticky.
At the same time, the fat makes your body insulin-resistant, raising insulin levels and keeping blood sugar high by making you crave sugar.
This combination—sticky blood vessels, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol—causes plaque to build up in the blood vessels, blocking blood flow to your brain and heart muscle. All of this can lead to heart attack and stroke, and once the belly fat gets going, it doesn’t give up easily.
Bottom line: We can’t let the belly fat start.
Back to basics
Another factor that makes belly fat grow is stress—both good stress and bad stress.
Added stress can raise insulin levels and use up stress hormones such as cortisol and DHEA. It can cause our sleep to be interrupted, leaving us sleepy and fatigued. We know that sleep deprivation leads to insulin resistance, causing us to crave and store more sugar. It’s a vicious cycle.
During Shelly’s physical, I asked if I could measure her waist circumference. Measuring waist circumference is easy, but it can feel more personal than a pelvic exam.
Here’s how it’s done: Take a tape measure and wrap it around the small of your back, over your hip bones and around your belly.
We measured Shelly’s belly and it was 39 inches. Healthy is 35 inches.
After seeing that number on the measuring tape, Shelly made it a goal to lose 4 inches of belly fat.
After hearing what I had to say about belly fat, Shelly knew she needed to get off the sugar, reduce stress in her life, and change her sleep habits.
In other words, she needed to get back to the basics.
Grow with SEEDS
By having a plan, you can succeed even during the toughest of times.
When you adopt these habits and work hard to follow them every day, it is easier to get back on track if you have a stressful day or have a sleepless night.
When I talk about the basics, I am referring to the SEEDS—Seven Essential Elements of Daily Success—concept as a way of life.
Here are the seven basic things I discussed with Shelly:
Drink plenty of water (eight glasses a day). Add one more for each cup of coffee or for each serving of alcohol.
Get plenty of sleep (seven hours a night). Take power naps if necessary to be sure you are getting enough sleep.
Take your vitamins daily, including Vitamin D and a multivitamin.
Eat a balanced diet, including plenty of healthy carbs and protein, with only one sugar treat (including alcohol).
Eat plenty of fiber (think vegetables) and take a fiber pill if needed.
Exercise regularly (30 minutes a day, with a mix of walking, aerobic activity, strength training and stretching).
Start a gratitude journaland do metered breathing each night before going to bed.
You may have noticed that alcohol is mentioned more than once in the list of SEEDS.
Beer, wine and liquor are all forms of alcohol, and they all contain sugar. Since alcohol is often a part of a celebration or party, it’s important to limit your other forms of sugar (pasta, white bread, cookies, etc.) if you will be consuming a drink (or two or three) that same day.
And remember to add an extra glass of water for each drink consumed.
Shelly may not have been excited to see that her waist circumference was 39 inches, but she was happy with our discussion.
The Air Zoo is proud to announce that their newest exhibit, D-Day 75: En Route by Plane and Parachute opens to the public this Thursday, May 30th. Beginning Friday, May 31st, in addition to this new exhibit, guests of the Air Zoo will have the opportunity to meet and interact with a local reenactment troop known as the 101st Airborne,and witness firsthand “Yankee Lady,” the Yankee Air Museum’s pristinely restored Boeing B-17. Tours and flights will be available for purchase through Yankee Air Museum. Details below.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit: D-Day 75: En Route by Plane and Parachute – Opens May 30th The Allied invasion of northern France on June 6, 1944—the largest seaborne invasion in world history—required air power and air defense for success. As America reflects on the 75th anniversary of D-Day this year, the Air Zoo presents an exhibition which explores the invasion through the lens of all things air in a special exhibit that will open to the public on Thursday, May 30th.
Visitors will see D-Day through the eyes of POWs, glider pilot Darlyle Watters and paratrooper George Rosie, and through artifacts from the Air Zoo’s collection, including aircraft in the Flight Innovation Center, such as the P-47 Thunderbolt, C-47 Skytrain, and WACO CG-4A. Local and Michigan-based companies who supported air power and defense will be featured, such as Gibson Guitars. Visitors will leave aware of how essential pilots, planes, and parachutes were to Allied success.
The Yankee Lady (Wikipedia)
EXTRAS
B-17 “Yankee Lady” – May 31st– June 2nd
The Yankee Air Museum will offer Air Adventures on board the pristine Boeing B-17G “Yankee Lady” for $450 per person during its appearance at the Air Zoo. These 25-minute rides provide a person with a multi-sensory, immersive experience in the type of World War II aircraft commonly called a Flying Fortress. Upon reaching a cruising speed of 150mph at an altitude of 1200 feet passengers will be able to move to several positions in the Fort, including the Plexiglas nose, flight deck, bomb bay, radio room and waist gunnery section.
101st Airborne (Dog Company Reenactment Unit) Visit the Air Zoo – May 31st & June 1st
Visitors will be immersed in the era as the 101st Airborne will be on site, in full dress and toting artifacts, Friday, May 31st and Saturday, June 1st! The 101st Airborne is a platoon sized unit whose 13 veteran members (currently) from Kalamazoo, Metro Detroit, and Ohio serve(d) in the US Army, US Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Michigan National Guard. They portray Dog Company from the second battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and along with Easy Company and Fox company have 80 members between the East Coast and Michigan!
Waldo Wright’s Flying Service back for the summer!
The Air Zoo and Waldo Wright’s Flying Service excitedly partnering once again to offer guests unique, once-in-a-lifetime, barnstorming flight experiences! Waldo’s open-cockpit New Standard D-25 biplane seats four and is open to all ages. New Standard D-25 flights run $69.95/person (plus tax and fuel surcharge) for a 15-minute flight experience. Reservations accepted for 2 or more passengers; no aerobatics.
For those with dreams of piloting a vintage biplane, Waldo’s Stearman experience will make their dreams a reality! New pilots will participate in 6-8 introductory maneuvers of WWII cadet training and take the controls as they zip across the sky with Waldo! Flights run $229 plus tax and fuel surcharge – guests will experience a 30-minute hands-on flight; again, no aerobatics. Reservations required.
The Grand River Waterway is a proposed seven-foot deep, 22.5-mile long channel that would involve dredging portions of the Grand River between Fulton Street in Grand Rapids and Bass River State Recreation Area in Eastmanville. The channel would allow large powerboats to travel from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven and would remove 50 acres of shallow-water fish habitat. Removal of these shallow areas would likely have additional impacts that would ripple through the river environment for decades to come.
At first glance, the notion of improved access for boaters looks like a great idea for improving tourism and benefiting the local economy. However, the hidden environmental and economic costs of de-stabilizing a river channel must be carefully considered. Michigan State University Extension and Michigan Sea Grant have published a white paper on the potential physical and biological impacts of this project, and the Grand River Waterway organization has a feasibility study detailing the extent and cost of dredging available on its website.
Channelization vs. harbor dredging
Many west Michigan communities are aware of the economic benefits of harbor dredging, as well as the difficulty in securing federal or state funding to maintain navigable harbors. Harbors are typically located in river mouth areas and associated lakes, where dredging is used to maintain a deep channel connection to Lake Michigan.
The Grand River Waterway project proposes to dredge a free-flowing river environment that is very different from the “freshwater estuaries” found at Great Lakes river mouths. This project would seek to allow boats up to 49 feet long to cruise upstream 40 miles from Lake Michigan by digging out the bottom of the river and removing snags and other obstructions. This type of river modification is known as channelization and is recognized by Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s (MDNR) Wildlife Action Plan and Grand River Assessment as one of the most serious threats to big river ecosystems and the unique species that reside there.
History of Grand River channelization projects
This is not the first time that channelization has been proposed to improve navigation between Grand Rapids and Lake Michigan (see 1978 study). The section of the Grand River between Grand Rapids and Eastmanville was naturally shallow, and the first dredging project was a four-foot deep channel that was approved by the River and Harbor Act of 1881. This initial attempt was never completed, and an 1887 report concluded that highly variable water levels and ongoing problems with deposition of sand and silt made construction of a permanent channel within the riverbanks impossible.
Courtesy Sea Grant Michigan
A more elaborate engineering project was authorized in 1896 and modified in 1903 to provide a six-foot deep channel. In order to prevent the shifting sand of the river bottom from filling in the channel immediately, training walls were constructed of pilings and “mattresses” of woven pile and brush.
These walls were constructed parallel to the river banks within the river channel. Sediment was dug out from what would become the navigation channel, and this sand and silt was deposited between the training wall and shore. This effort artificially deepened and narrowed the river channel through dredging and the construction of 25 miles of training walls within the river channel. Despite the scope of this undertaking, the channel was officially abandoned by the federal government with passage of the River and Harbor Act of 1930.
Most of the training walls remain in the Grand River, buried beneath over a century’s worth of accumulated sediment. In places, the river has broken through the walls and cut a new channel. In other places, new land has formed as the river adapted to the modifications of its bed. The walls still hold back vast quantities of sediment pulled from the middle of the river circa 1910.
Erosion and related impacts to the river
Channelization projects typically lead to increased net erosion. Dredging cuts into the bottom of the river, making it deeper and faster in the dredged portion of the river. The deeper, faster water erodes more sand and other sediment, which is then deposited downstream or on floodplains following high water. The exact location and severity of effects are difficult to predict, but many studies from around the world have documented harmful, and sometimes disastrous, consequences (see white paper for full documentation).
Along the Blackwater River, Missouri, channelization caused excessive bank erosion and damaged bridges. Sediment deposition on shore was so deep that it buried fences.
In the Missouri River, Kansas, channelization led to the loss of side-channels and islands when eroded sediment was deposited in side-channel areas.
In western Tennessee, several rivers experienced so much erosion after channelization of upstream areas that channel blockages formed where sand and silt settled out in downstream areas. These blockages prevent navigation in downstream areas and lead to stagnation of river water.
Dredging typically harms water quality by increasing turbidity and suspended solids. Peak sediment loads increased by a factor of 7 after channelization of the River Main, Northern Ireland.
Channelization can lead to development of an incised river, which can lower the water table and drain adjacent wetlands (see image and videos).
Wakes from large boats lead to further erosion and muddy water. One study from the Waikato River, New Zealand, found that boat wakes were 100 times more powerful than natural river waves and carried up to 23 times as much soil away from the riverbank.
Harm to fish and other aquatic life
In addition to the direct destruction of 50 acres of shallow habitat, dredging to channelize the Grand River would likely reduce populations of gamefish and other sensitive fish species by harming water quality, reducing water clarity, reducing the number of insects and other invertebrates that fish feed upon, and damaging additional spawning and nursery habitat.
Channelization led to a 90% decline in fish food in the River Moy, Ireland.
Channelized sections of the Chariton River, Missouri, have 80% lower total fish biomass relative to natural sections.
A study of 40 Indiana streams found 50% fewer sensitive fish species in channelized vs. natural stream sections.
Destruction and degradation of spawning and nursery habitat led to fewer trout and salmon relative to less valuable fish species on the River Boyne, Ireland.
The average size of largemouth bass was 8 times higher in natural vs. channelized sections of the Luxapalila River in Mississippi and Alabama due to lack of habitat for large bass.
Removal of snags and other woody debris for navigation eliminates fish-holding areas and fish food. Snags were found to hold 20-50 times more invertebrate biomass than sandy areas in the Satilla River, Georgia.
Dozens of sensitive species are associated with the Grand River corridor in Ottawa County, including 18 freshwater mussels and 2 snails. Channelization is among the leading causes of extinction for freshwater mussels and snails in North America, and two state threatened mussels have been found in the proposed dredging area.
The proposed path of the Grand River Waterway woulddredge through shallow gravel habitat that provides quality fishing for a variety of gamefish in addition to providing spawning habitat for state threatened river redhorse.
Economic consequences
A study was commissioned by Grand River Waterway to demonstrate economic benefits of the channelization project and building of a 250-500 slip marina in the Grand Rapids area. That study did not address economic benefits that the natural, un-channelized Grand River currently provides, nor did it address the impact of dredging on current uses and economic impacts. The current un-channelized river corridor is used for activities including kayaking, canoeing, fishing, birdwatching, and hiking in numerous parks along the river that provide a peaceful environment for recreation. Existing businesses like the Grand Lady, a 105-foot long riverboat, and several fishing guides also regularly navigate the un-channelized river and could suffer from the impacts of dredging.
The area of focus for Grand River Waterway is the 23-mile stretch of river beyond the pictured Fulton Street bridge to Bass River near Eastmanville. Photo by Justin Dawes
The Grand River Waterway Economic Benefits Study also stated that “improved water quality may generate up to 49,000 new visitor days annually” even though this type of river channelization project often leads to reduced water quality. The potential economic consequences of dirtier water, reduced fishing opportunities, erosion of private and public lands along the river, and deposition of sediment in downstream areas were beyond the scope of the economic benefits study.
Even so, these detrimental but unquantified effects have been recognized by communities along the lower Grand River. Some additional unaccounted costs including the need for additional marine patrols and annual maintenance costs for dredging, snag removal, and buoys were highlighted at a work session of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners on April 9, 2019.
Opposition and support
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution in opposition to the project on April 23, 2019, following the passage of similar resolutions by the Ottawa County Planning and Policy Committee and the Ottawa County Planning Commission. A separate resolution of opposition was passed by the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission on April 2, 2019.
Additional resolutions in opposition to the Grand River Waterway have been passed by:
Crockery Township
Grand Haven City Council
Grand Haven Convention and Visitors Bureau
Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce
Local organizations with concern for the river have also raised concerns. The West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) passed a resolution in opposition to the dredging and provides an overview of the issue on their website. The Grand Rapids Steelheaders and Grand Haven Steelheaders passed votes in opposition to the project, and the Friends of the Lower Grand River formed recently in response to the possibility of river dredging. The Friends group drafted talking points on the dredging issue and also provides several related documents on their website.
Georgetown Township’s Finance Committee passed a resolution in support of the Grand River Waterway in July 2018. The Grandville City Council voted to table a similar resolution in 2018.
Although opposition has been strong at the local level, $3.15 million in state funds were appropriated for this project with the most recent $2 million approved during the Legislature’s lame duck session in 2018. While $150,000 in state funds are to be directed toward sediment boring study, the remaining $3 million is specified for dredging and related activities on the Grand River once permits are acquired. Former state Sen. Arlan Meekhof has been very supportive of the Grand River Waterway project, as evidenced by his editorial and this rebuttal in the Grand Haven Tribune.
Current state legislators Rachel Hood (D-76th House District), David LaGrand (D-75th House District), and Winnie Brinks (D-29th Senate District) have been actively working against the dredging and recently sent this letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and MDNR Director Daniel Eichinger calling for a halt to all state funding related to the Grand River Waterway project.
The future of the project is now uncertain, and legal questions related to the rights of riparian landowners faced with the prospect of a state-funded dredging project have yet to be resolved.
This article was written by Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator Dr. Dan O’Keefe under award NA14OAR4170070 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce through the Regents of the University of Michigan. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Commerce, or the Regents of the University of Michigan.
For those of you who know how much joy Dr. Jen takes from naming our kitties, you realize that she takes her time in getting to know each cat before making a final decision on what to call him or her, and oftentimes the good doctor will make a play on words in homage to a specific attribute (or lack there of). Nothing delights her more than having someone crack up when they discover why she gave a cat the title she has, as a LOT of thought went into it.
So in March of 2019, when spritely little Sandi D. first brought in this newly neutered, fabulously fat-headed, 3-1/2-year-old (born in the fall of 2015), Dr. Jen had to chuckle when this moniker appeared to fall down from the heavens and land solidly in her lap.
As the story goes, he had been hanging around the same southwest Grand Rapids neighborhood that brought us Churro and Burdock, so our red-headed rescue machine set out her live trap in hopes of getting him off the streets. After a successful venture, she carted him off to C-SNIP for long-overdue neutering and then took him back home to get him used to the idea of being an indoor cat.
It took this kitty a few weeks to be brave enough to come out of his wine box cubby, but once he did, he greeted her only with a few hisses that really were more for effect than anything. She coaxed him into her good graces with canned food, and slowly he began to open up to her, but suddenly he fell ill and stopped eating for three days, so he headed back to the clinic.
As it turns out, not only was he suffering from inflammation/infection of the bile ducts within his liver, but the poor guy tested positive for Feline Leukemia (he was negative the month prior). Treatment was undertaken and within a few days he had bounced back completely, ready to head on down to our sanctuary to join our residents.
It is a bit of an understatement to say that people were immediately drawn to his stunning, smashing good looks, but it has taken him quite a bit of time to warm up to the fact that people want to see him—and love on him. Slowly but surely, our volunteers have made excellent progress, to the point that they can now say this about Dunkin No-nuts:
“Dunkin is very quiet and shy, but also very sweet. He has a favorite spot in a cubby and doesn’t really move from that room. He does really like it when people come up to him and give him some love, and I think he would do great in a home where he is able to bond with his owner over time. He needs a quiet home with no kids or loud dogs. He doesn’t seem to really care about the other cats at all, so he could probably live with or without them.”
“Dunkin—in a perfect world, he would be best buddies with Ellston, since they resemble each other and make a handsome duo, but unfortunately, they don’t really care for each other. Dunkin is extremely shy and reserved and is usually found hunkered down low in a cubby just watching from the sidelines. He is super-sweet to us and actually likes to be held but will go right back to his hidey-hole when you put him down. To me, he’s one of those cats that is just too overwhelmed with all the other cats. He’s not aggressive in any way, just prefers to be left alone. He’d do well in a home with older kids, no dogs, and maybe one other cat.”
Since the virus is transmissible, ideally we would like to find him a home where he will be the only cat, and given his gentle personality, we feel this would be greatly beneficial and allow him the security and space he needs to blossom. He is such a LOVELY boy!
Long-term care insurance is usually used to help pay for nursing homes or assisted living care after you reach an age where can no longer take care of yourself. However, there are many doubts as to whether the care is worth the uncertainty and the cost. Learn what you need to know about long-term care insurance, including the types of plans available, who can quality, and more tips on how to plan for your future.
What is Long Term Care Insurance?
Long-term care is the name given to insurance policies that are made to help you cover the costs of living that aren’t covered under regular medical insurance. Specifically, long-term care insurance exists to cover the living expenses that come with nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other senior living facilities.
Long-term care insurance is important because it covers the things that Medicare and regular insurance policies don’t. Medicare will not cover the cost of a nursing home, so you need to be prepared with other options.
In addition to the living costs of assisted living or nursing homes, long-term care insurance can also help to cover the costs of care for chronic medical conditions that can make themselves known after retirement or in old age. It also can cover activities of daily living, or ADLs, such as:
Bathing
Using the bathroom
Getting in and out of your bed or a chair
Dressing
Eating
About 50% of people will need help with either ADLs, the costs of care for chronic medical conditions, paying for senior care communities, or a combination of all three.
Traditional Policies
The traditional way that long-term care policies work is that after finding a company that sells policies and getting approved, you start paying premiums. Policies usually have a lifetime cap of what you can pay. Once you reach an age where you need help with ADLs or need to move to a senior care facility, then you make a claim.
After making a claim the insurance company will verify with your doctor, check your medical documents, and send a nurse to evaluate your health situation. If approved, there is still a waiting period—usually between 30 to 90 days— before your policy will pay out.
A problem that began to arise with these traditional policies is that the premiums could suddenly spike. Another problem that came with a traditional policy was the uncertainty that it would ever be needed. Paying into a policy only to find out that you didn’t need long-term care helped to lead to a dramatic drop in popularity for long-term care policies.
Very few insurance agencies sell these kinds of policies anymore, although you can still find one if it appeals to you. After the decline in these policies, a new type of long-term care policy began to emerge.
New Policy Options
The new type of policy that covers long-term care is often called a “hybrid policy”. These are life insurance policies that cover you for your whole life. Hybrid policies have a locked premium that doesn’t change, and you can draw from them to pay for ADLs and long-term care living as you age.
These policies also have a money back guarantee. If you don’t end up using the policy to pay for ADLs or long-term care, then you still get a return on what you paid, either to be left to an heir in your will, or to be used for other care costs that you encounter as you age.
The downfall of these policies is that there are more expensive than the traditional policy. Because you have guaranteed money coming back to you, the initial premium that you pay is going to be higher than traditional long-term care insurance policies, even though traditional policies can have premium hikes.
Who Qualifies?
As with all insurance policies, there are people who will qualify for long-term care insurance and those who won’t. The older you are the less likely you are to qualify for long-term care insurance, so planning ahead is essential. If you already have an existing chronic health problem, you are also not as likely to be covered.
If you are worried that you are too old or have existing health problems, then applying for a newer hybrid policy is going to be the best course of action. These are much more flexible in terms of coverage, and your chances of qualifying are higher.
Have a Plan
Even if you decide that long-term care insurance is not for you, you still need to have a plan in place for when you reach a certain age. Remember, half the population is going to need assistance with ADLs or need to move into a nursing home or other type of assisted living community. These costs can come out to about 140,000 on average, and if you are paying out of pocket that’s a lot of money.
You can’t always predict ahead of time if you are going to need long-term care, and because it isn’t paid through Medicare or regular insurance policies, you need to have a plan in place for how you are going to pay for medical costs. Start planning as soon as you can so you have the most options available to help pay for long-term care.
By Eric Engelbarts, Meijer State Games of Michigan
The Meijer State Games of Michigan has added spikeball to its more than 45-sport lineup, and that’s not all — after last summer’s successful debut, ninja and paintball will be back.
Spikeball will take place during the main weekend of the Summer Games, on Saturday, June 22, at Douglas Walker Park (1195 84th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315); paintball on Sunday, June 23, at TC Paintball (2070 Waldorf St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49544); and Ninja on Saturday, June 29 at RockFit Ninjas (8830 Belding Road NE, Rockford, MI 49341).
Registration for these games is currently open. For spikeball, players can register in beginner or advanced divisions. Go here for rules, entry fees, schedule, and to register.
Ninja will have four age divisions: 7-9 years, 10-13 years, 14-17 years, and 18 years and older. Go here for rules, entry fees, schedule, and to register.
There are three divisions in paintball: rental only, novice and advanced. The rental-only division will include free equipment rental; the other two divisions will not include equipment. Each team will comprise 3 players. Go here for rules, entry fees, schedule, and to register.
About 8,000+ athletes will participate in over 45 sporting events at this year’s Summer Games. For more information about registration, please go here. Registration links are located on each sports page.
From The Beatles’ classics to “cage-free funk” — Got to love that description! — there will be something for just about everyone as the City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series returns with free concerts at 7 p.m. on select Thursday nights from June to August.
This year’s series features West Michigan favorites such as The Crane Wives, Brena and Melophobix. And while you can bring your own picnic dinner, food trucks will be at each concert.
“Our summer concert series is a great way to celebrate summer in Kentwood with family and friends,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “This year’s lineup again includes a great mix of genres. We welcome all to enjoy the variety of live outdoor music and local eats we’ll have on the lawn behind City Hall.”
Concert-goers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair, and may also bring their own beer or wine.
The lineup for Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series is as follows:
June 20 — That Beatles Thing offering hits from The Beatles classic catalogue. No more need be said. For more information visit here.
June 27 — Blue Soul Express, delivering classic soul, R&B, funk and blues. If this is not perfect for a summer boogie party, nothing is. For more information visit here.
July 18 — Hannah Rose and the GravesTones, serving up some funk, blues and rock n’ roll. If you’ve never seen them, let’s just say Hannah can wail. For more information visit here.
July 25 — The Crane Wives, described by someone as “female-fronted, harmony-driven folk-rock”; lets just say West Michigan is lucky they are taking a local break from their busy summer tour schedule. For more information visit here.
Aug. 8 — Melophobix, with “Cage Free” being not only the title of their latest release but also their funky musical outlook. For more information visit here.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude around 8:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, located at 4900 Breton Ave. SE.
Looking for a better way to bounce back from a sports injury or orthopedic surgery? The solution may be as close as your fork.
Experts say choosing the right foods—and avoiding the wrong ones—can help bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments repair faster, getting you off the couch and moving again.
“There are two things to keep in mind,” said Kristi Veltkamp, RD, who counsels Spectrum Health patients on eating well. “First, make sure you are managing inflammation. And second, get the nutrients needed to help you heal and repair.”
Inflammation after any injury is normal.
“There’s often heat, swelling or redness,” Veltkamp said. “To calm that inflammation, look for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in salmon, walnuts and flax seed. Olive oil also helps. And try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.”
If that all sounds familiar, it should. It’s the basis of the Mediterranean diet, which is shown to reduce inflammation, Veltkamp said.
Also avoid foods that are high in sugar, refined flour or trans fats. Alcohol, which slows healing, should be avoided as well.
Building blocks
Alongside managing inflammation, you should focus on getting plenty of the nutrients required for healthy rebuilding.
Start with protein.
“The majority of our tissues are made up of protein,” said Matthew Axtman, DO, a sports medicine specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group Orthopedics. “So even though protein is part of your normal diet, look to increase healthy sources, like chicken, fish and nuts.
Dr. Axtman recommends getting plenty of vitamin C.
“It helps build collagen, which is the basis of tendons and ligaments,” he said. Look for it in citrus fruits, kiwi, peppers and tomatoes.
Calcium is also essential, especially if you’ve injured a bone. You can find it—along with Vitamin D, which aids in absorption—in dairy products and dark-green, leafy vegetables.
Avoid salt and caffeine during your recovery because they cause you to urinate more. This makes your body lose calcium, Dr. Axtman said.
Meanwhile, those deep-green vegetables are also a great source of fiber.
“If you’re sitting around more and moving less, it can affect your gut,” Dr. Axtman said. “Fiber-rich foods will help.”
Mind and body
During the rebuilding process, it may help to take supplements for
about two to four weeks. This holds true even if you typically prefer to
get all your nutrients from a balanced diet.
“While you’re healing, consider adding vitamin A, naturally found in many orange vegetables, at 10,000 IUs a day,” Veltkamp said.
Look for a multivitamin that contains 2 to 4 milligrams of copper and 15 to 30 milligrams of zinc, which is shown to help with wound healing.
Veltkamp also recommends HMB, a protein that can help prevent muscle wasting. It’s found in sports supplements such as Myoplex Muscle Armor.
Finally, give a little thought to the emotional aspects of eating. Recovery can be as tedious as watching grass grow, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of eating from boredom instead of hunger.
“Have a list of things you can do when you feel like reaching for food for the wrong reasons,” Veltkamp said. “Like knitting, taking a bath, anything soothing and distracting.”
It’s normal to have food cravings during recovery, but that’s because food can make us feel better. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself now and then.
“Just look for healthier alternatives,” Veltkamp said. “Like chocolate-banana smoothies.”
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain”
~Bob Marley
Tons of talent in one colorful exhibition
Dreaming, thinking ready for my happy day*
‘Livin’ Is Easy’ summertime exhibition opens June 1st at LowellArts. Feast your senses on depictions of beautifully weathered objects; local Michigan waterways; animal and aquatic life forms; and whimsical figurative work. More details here. *Lyrics from Uriah Heep’s Easy Livin’.
Ready for some summertime fun?
Don’t settle for the summertime blues
Soon the bell will ring on the end of the year and children will be home for the summer. Follow these handy-dandy tips to avoid the summertime blues. More here.
Look! It’s the International Space Station!
We are all made of stars
A gentle reminder that on Wednesday, May 29 (Hey! That’s tomorrow!), WKTV Government 26 will be featuring live coverage of the International Space Station Russian Spacewalk. Read all about it right here. Don’t miss it!
Fun fact:
3%
That’s how much more milk cows produce when they listen to relaxing music. Just ask the researchers at the University of Leicester. And then there is 2% milk, which is generally available at your local grocer’s. Has nothing to do with music, though.
(Do these look like Guernsey cows to you?)
The Ingenues, an all-girl band and vaudeville act, serenade the cows in the University of Wisconsin, Madison’s dairy barn in 1930. The show was apparently part of an experiment to see whether the soothing strains of music boosted the cows’ milk production. Go here to read the NPR story about it. Angus B. McVicar/Wisconsin Historical Society
