It’s a fact that when you eat with family or friends, you tend to eat

better, healthier foods.

If you raised a family, you probably remember sitting down together and sharing your day with each other, as well as a meal. Did you know that doing that also taught your kids healthier eating habits, improved their social skills, created stronger family

communications and built family traditions?

So now your family is out on their own, hopefully building these same skills with their family, that you helped

instill in them when they were young.

But where does that leave you? Our eating habits do change as we grow older. You may not have the energy to cook like you used to. As we age, we’re simply not as hungry as we used to be. We’re not moving

as much so our bodies don’t feel like they need as much fuel.

So how do you keep eating healthy? Here are some tips to keep good eating habits even as you age.

Continue to eat together with friends or family—that’s what we’re all about here at the Center! Not only do we plan our meals to provide you with a third of your daily nutritional needs, we encourage you to eat with friends, bring friends with you, or make new friends at the Center. You can linger over lunch and share stories

and catch up on news. There no limit to the fun you can have at the Center at lunch.

Here are a few other tips on how to continue to eat healthy as we age.

When you’re at home, cook your own meals or choose healthy options at the grocery store. Stay away from pre-packaged meals that contain a lot of sodium. There are healthy choices in the freezer section. You may

have heard to shop the perimeter of the store—that’s where the healthy items are.

Try fruits and vegetables that you’ve never tried before. If you buy something you’re not familiar with bring it to the Center—we can help you figure out how to eat it or cook it! Keep notes on the new things you try—not

only whether you liked it or not but how you cooked it.

Try substitutions to make meals healthier. In many recipes, you can use olive oil instead of butter. If you’re baking, you might be able to substitute applesauce or honey for sugar. Actually, in many cake recipes you can

substitute applesauce for oil! Ask us how, we can help.

Use smaller plates and bowls to keep your portion size manageable. And use the pretty china … don’t save it

for a special occasion!

Finally, drink lots of water. It will help you stay hydrated. Dehydration is a real concern for seniors. Statistics prove that seniors over the age of 85 are admitted more to the hospital for dehydration related issues than

any other age group. So keep that bottle of water handy!

October—National Eat Better, Eat Together Month

Margaret Gray Center News October 2019

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October 2019

Our birthday celebrations are the 3rd Thursday of every month. The following folks will celebrate birthdays this month. We’d love

to see you at our birthday celebration on Thursday, October 17.

Stephen Sellers October 6th

Darold Tilly October 7th

Delores Structemeyer October 8th

Christie Butler October 9th

Judy Perry October 16th

Bonnie Bunner October 18th

Dennis Kumm October 21st

Mary Alice McFadden October 22nd

Don Simmons October 22nd

Harold Bonanomi October 23rd

Rozetta Tullock October 24th

Rosemary Scharnhorst October 25th

Candy McGill October 25th

John Byrom October 26th

Lillie Lynn October 26th

Kenny Johnson October 27th

Sue Carolyn Fletcher October 31st

Birthdays of the Month!

Brain Teasers!

This is called a lateral thinking puzzle. These types of puzzles have been

around for many years in one form or another and they are a great way to

encourage discussion, thinking and creativity. Good luck! The answer is at

the bottom.

A woman walked up to a man behind a counter and handed him a book. He looked at it and said,

“That will be four dollars.”

She paid the man and then walked out without the book. He saw her leave without it but did not

call her back. How come?

Answer: She was returning an overdue library book!

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Learn something new every month!

Trivia! We’re having a really good time

hosting our Trivia Nights! Our next party will be

on Monday, October 28. We plan to serve tacos

and the taco bar will be open at 6. We’ll start the

games at 6:30! For more information see

Candy—don’t be late and don’t worry if you don’t

have your own team. We always have a place for

singles!

Did you know that

Monday the 28th is

National Chocolate Day?

If you’re so inclined, bring

your favorite chocolate dish to the Trivia party!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

According to the website, BREASTCANCER.ORG, about 1 in 8 U.S. women (about

12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2019, an

estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in

the U.S., along with 62,930 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.

Breast cancer is not just a concern for women. About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer are

expected to be diagnosed in men in 2019. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 883.

There are several things you can do to help detect breast cancer at the earliest stage possible.

First, do breast self-exams. Learn what your breasts feel like, every lump, bump and ridge. Perform these

self-exams at the same time every month because your breasts can change shape and appearance during

the month.

Second, never hesitate to contact your doctor if you suspect or think you feel a difference in your breasts.

Most times it may be nothing, but better to have it checked than not.

Third, find a doctor that you trust to exam your breasts. This will include your doctor feeling your breasts

and looking at them for signs of cancer. Make sure that you’re comfortable with this procedure.

Finally, schedule annual mammograms if you are over 40 years of age. Mammograms are relatively

painless and are performed as an outpatient. They are usually over within about 30 minutes. Your

insurance will most likely cover the cost of a mammogram as part of your Well Woman checkup. If you’ve

ever been told you have dense breast tissue or if you’ve had an abnormal reading in the past, ask for a 3D

mammogram. This new technology is now covered by most major medical plans.

Breast cancer detected early is nearly 100% curable. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your doctor about

changes you detect in your breasts. It may just simply save your life.

Center Tidbits

Meatloaf and Macaroni and

Cheese! What could be better than homemade meatloaf

with a side of creamy macaroni and cheese? On

Sunday, October 13th we’re hosting our monthly

Sunday dinner. We’ll serve from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

—don’t be late! Carryout will be availalbe

Did you know that we plan to have a Sunday

dinner every 2nd Sunday of the month? Just mark

your calendars and come out every month. A new

and exciting dish every time!

811 C South Business 13

Highway Lexington, MO 64067

Phone: 660-259-2025 Fax: 660-259-2453

Email: “lexington@goaging.org”

Our mission is to provide resources and services that empower people to

create healthy aging experiences. We strive to provide an atmosphere that

is safe, comfortable, friendly, and well—equipped to meet the needs of the

senior citizens in our area.

THE MARGARET

GRAY CENTER Margaret Gray Center

We are on the web! Find us at

www.goaging.org

“Like” us on Facebook!

Coordinator’s Corner

Special

Dates

Fridays 1pm-4pm

Bridge 2nd and 4th

Thursday—Pitch Every other Monday—

Pinochle First Wednesday—

Book Club

Biscuits & Gravy is

back! Join us on

Thursday mornings!

October 13—Meatloaf

at the 2nd Sunday

Dinner fundraiser! 11

to 1.

October 28—Trivia

Night featuring a taco

bar. Opens at 6!

See the Activities Calendar

for more details and

normally scheduled events.

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Candy

It is unbelievable that it is October already. The leaves will be turning their gorgeous colors again. We have lots of fun stuff going on here this month. We will have our 2nd Sunday Luncheon featuring Meatloaf & homemade Mac & Cheese on October 13th from 11 am to 1 pm. Also Monday October 28th we will have our second trivia night here. A delicious taco bar will be ready at 6 pm and you can get signed in. Maximum of 6 players to a team. The cost is $10 per person to eat and play. It was a lot of fun at the first one and I’m sure we will see

some folks come back for a rematch. We were happy to have Breanna and Missy here to share their pointers on Falls Prevention and taking blood pressure. Also, Kendra Shull, PT from Foundations Therapy was here doing balance tests. We had a good number of participants and everyone seemed happy when they were done. I hope everyone has a great month!

October 2019 Stay fit…for lie

Fun, Good Food, Regular Activity & Learning How you live can change how you age!

FITNESS CLASSES… around the County

Silver Sneakers : HIGGINSVILLE 10 am Mon & Thurs. ODESSA 10:15am Tues & Fri Tai Chi:

Concordia 10 am Wed & Fri.

Stay Strong : HIGGINSVILLE 11 am M –W - F Peppi : LEXINGTON 9 am Mon & Fri Functional Fitness : HIGGINSVILLE 8 am M --- W ---F

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We’ve all heard that our brain changes with age. That is true. We’ve also heard that

those changes are inevitable and irreversible. That is not true!

Here are several ways that the Harvard Health Publishing group of the Harvard Medical

School recommends to help maintain brain function.

1. Get Mental Stimulation

Through research with mice and humans, scientists have found that brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and may even help the brain generate new cells, developing neurological "plasticity" and building up a functional reserve that provides a hedge against future cell loss. Any mentally stimulating activity should help to build up your brain. Read, take courses, try "mental gymnastics," such as word puzzles or math problems. Experiment with things that require manual dexterity as well as mental effort, such as drawing, painting, and other crafts. The word search puzzles and coloring pages that we publish in our newsletters are a great place to get started!

2. Get Physical Exercise

Research shows that using your muscles also helps your mind. Exercise spurs the development of new nerve cells and increases the connections between brain cells (synapses). Exercise also lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, helps blood sugar balance and reduces mental stress, all of which can help your brain as well as your heart. And guess what? We have Tai Chi and other opportunities to help you start, or continue getting exercise!

3. Improve Your Diet

We talked about this in our front page article and you already know that we serve delicious, healthy, nutritious food at our Center! Your challenge is to continue to eat healthy at home. Diets rich in fruits, veggies, fish, nuts and plant sources of protein are less likely to lead to

development of cognitive impairment and dementia.

4. Improve Your Blood Pressure High blood pressure puts you at risk for many health problems but it also increases the risk of cognitive decline in old age. Use lifestyle modifications to keep your pressure low—exercise regularly, limit alcohol to two drinks a day, reduce stress and eat right.

5. Improve Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes is an important risk factor for dementia. You can help prevent, or control, diabetes by eating right, exercising regularly and staying lean.

6. Improve Your Cholesterol

High levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of dementia. Diet, exercise, weight control and avoiding tobacco will go a long way toward improving your cholesterol levels. But if those actions don’t help, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about medication options.

7. Consider Low-Dose Aspirin

Some studies suggest that low-dose aspirin may reduce the risk of dementia. Please talk to your doctor about low-dose aspirin before starting this. Depending on other medications that you take, this may not be an option.

8. Avoid Tobacco

Enough said.

9. Don’t Abuse Alcohol

Limit yourself to two drinks at day—at most. Excessive drinking is a major risk factor for dementia.

10. Care For Your Emotions

Get enough sleep, work to reduce your stress levels and try not to be anxious about things. Anxiety is felt throughout our bodies and can reduce our levels of mental health.

11. Protect Your Head

Moderate to severe head injuries, even without diagnosed concussions, increase the risk of cognitive impairment.

12. Build Social Networks

Strong social ties have been associated with a lower risk of dementia. We talked about this in our cover story too—eating together and lingering over lunch with friends, laughing and talking and

reminiscing can help your mental health.

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