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BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS IN ADULTHOOD New Year, New Connections
Agents For Life
The Family You Choose We wish we could claim to have discovered a groundbreaking method for building friendships, but the truth was simple: “What you water grows.” The easiest place to start was by nurturing neglected friendships that had fizzled due to busyness. Often, these get stuck with both sides waiting for the other to reach out. So, we jump-started some of these relationships with a simple check-in, phone call, or coffee date. Next, we had to overcome the discomfort of pursuing new friendships. When we met someone we clicked with, whether at church, kids’ sports, or social events, we made the first move to deepen the connection. It’s easy to delay plans to “some day,” so we pushed ourselves to set a date. Before long, our schedule filled with meetups, family meals, playdates, and activities. For Kevin, that meant meeting up with a few guys at a local brewery or for early morning breakfasts. We’d talk about life, work, family, and
Every New Year gives us an opportunity to reflect and identify areas for improvement. Whether it’s exercising consistently, reading more, or pursuing a healthier work-life balance, there’s always room to grow. In this spirit, millions of Americans embark on their own New Year’s resolutions. However, this year, we decided to go in a different direction with our resolution. Our goal for 2024 was simple: to make new friends. Recently, we both realized we’d been missing out on one of life’s greatest joys: friendship. Many of our close family and friends are scattered across the country, so they feel like pen-pal relationships, not “life in the trenches” type friendships. Our shift to remote work years ago only deepened our isolation. We knew that making new friends as adults is hard — less free time, more responsibilities, and a busy schedule. We realized that growing our social circles required the same care and effort as tending to a garden: patience, consistency, and occasional “replanting” to keep it thriving. So, with renewed intentionality, we set out to add new, meaningful friendships.
Kevin Bennett (502) 966-7810 kevin@seniorhealth.pro
Sierra Bennett (502) 966-7804 sierra@seniorhealth.pro
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January/February 2025
(502) 966-7810
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even politics. Despite lively debates, we’d end up ribbing each other and sharing a laugh, always challenging each other to do better in every area of life. For Sierra, she found a group of women to meet for brunch and have those same life-giving conversations. This led to a book club, another great way to get to know others. As a family, we joined a community garden hosted by new friends and met other families in the same stage of life. We’d often share a farm- to-table lunch directly after, putting our freshly picked produce on brick oven pizza. Summer provided the perfect excuse for poolside hangouts, where the adults could talk while the kids played. Many of those relationships have continued, and now we regularly meet with other families, sharing meals and enriching each other’s lives. It took effort, intentionality, and time, but the friendships we’ve built this year are the kind that will last. We still cherish our old friends, but we’re so glad to have expanded our circle and found new people to share life with.
–Kevin and Sierra Bennett
THE JOY OF LEARNING
your mind around, know that when you do finally break it down into manageable concepts and learn the ins and outs, you will have achieved something remarkable. Endeavor to master new interests and disciplines. You can master working with your hands and develop skills such as woodworking and painting. Or, you can learn a new language, and plan a trip overseas to master your new tongue. Whatever you set out to do, put the maximum amount of effort into it. You will appreciate what you can accomplish when you are committed and don’t resign yourself to being less than what you were before. EMBRACIN G A GROWTH MINDSET
As we grow older, we encounter a great deal of change. We are forced to adapt to new routines and remedies to combat our shifting reality. However, we are also granted a chance to continue the journey we have been on our entire lives: the journey of learning. We are not destined to decline, and improvement is possible if we work hard. By adopting a growth mindset — accepting that we can learn and grow through determined effort — we can spend our latter years becoming the best versions of ourselves we can be. Change Is Good Every year, millions of people embark on New Year’s resolutions.
They commit themselves to read more, lose weight, or improve their professional prowess. We can apply this commitment to our intellectual growth, and embrace the fact that change can be a positive. Treat learning like a new job and new technologies as tools to help you achieve your goals. You have no reason to be complacent; instead, commit yourself to self- improvement. Challenges Are Opportunities When you encounter a new challenge, treat it as an opportunity to learn something new.
Even when a topic is difficult to wrap
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Maintaining low blood sugar helps prevent cognitive decline, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. However, many don’t know how to lower their blood sugar if it’s starting to reach dangerous levels. Here are two lifestyle changes that can help keep blood sugar low while improving other aspects of your health. Exercise regularly. Exercise becomes increasingly important as we age, but this doesn’t mean you have to go all out every time you strap on your running shoes or go to the gym. Experts recommend that you get around 150 minutes of exercise every week, and it doesn’t have to be any more strenuous than a brisk walk. You’ll see much better results if you pick a routine that’s easy to maintain and follow. Cut back on ultra-processed foods. When people try to keep their blood sugar balanced, they usually make an added effort to reduce their intake of sweets. However, nearly all processed carbs pose a risk. Even eating things like bread, pasta, noodles, and white rice can raise sugar levels. Pay attention to what you eat, and your body will thank you.
People tend to pay more attention to their overall health and fitness as they age. If you ignore your aches, pains, and injuries, they’re more likely to worsen, which is why so many of us go out of our way to track specific health measurements. One measurement you should track, especially if you’re showing symptoms of prediabetes, is your blood sugar.
ONE-POT CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
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your calorie limit. Fatty fish like salmon contain a great number of omega-3 fatty acids, which are optimal for maintaining peak body function. Garlic, in addition to being a delicious additive to just about every savory recipe on the planet, is rich in vitamins C, B1, and B6 and is a great source of calcium and potassium. Potatoes can provide you with iron, copper, and magnesium — key minerals difficult to find in many foods.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
• 2 1/2 lbs skinless, bone-in chicken thighs • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 large onion, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 10 cups chicken broth • 4 celery ribs, chopped • 4 medium carrots, chopped • 2 bay leaves • 1 tsp dried thyme • 3 cups uncooked egg noodles (about 8 oz) • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • 1 tbsp lemon juice Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, add oil and chicken and cook until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. 2. Add onion to drippings; cook over medium- high heat for 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pot. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme. Reduce heat and cover; simmer until chicken is tender, 25–30 minutes. 3. Turn off heat. Remove chicken to a plate. Add noodles and let stand, covered, until noodles are tender, 20–22 minutes. 4. Shred chicken meat into bite-size pieces, and return to pot. Stir in parsley and lemon juice, and discard bay leaves.
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7801 Pine Ridge Rd. Louisville, KY 40241 (502) 966-7810 kentucky.seniorhealth.pro
Inside This Issue 1 We Stuck to Our New Year’s Resolution Last Year! 2 Now Is the Best Time to Embrace a Growth Mindset 3 Simple Lifestyle Tweaks to Keep Your Blood Sugar in Check
3 One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup 4 Feeling Great Starts on Your Plate
Fuel Your Best Self
We are what we eat. The best way to feel better, day in and day out, is to eat better. By maintaining a balanced diet, eating nutrient-rich foods, and diligently managing our dietary restrictions and proclivities, we can live a healthier, longer, and more enjoyable life. Here are three tips for achieving the diet you need to feel the way you want to feel. Balanced Diet If you want to feel your best, you need to eat a healthy, balanced diet. This means balancing whole grains, vegetables, healthy proteins and oils, fruits, and water. According to the Healthy Eating Plate model, you
should aim to have veggies and fruits make up the majority of your plate, and you should aim to spruce things up with diverse flavors and colors. Whole grains, like wheat, quinoa, oats, and brown rice, should encompass at least a quarter of your plate. The rest should be made up of proteins like fish, poultry, beans, and nuts. In addition, healthy plant oils can be used in moderation to help enhance flavor. Managing Dietary Restrictions Ensuring your diet does not run afoul of any dietary restrictions you may have is paramount to living healthily. If you have allergies and intolerances, you should steer
clear of them whenever possible. For
instance, if you are intolerant of dairy or
gluten products, there are substitutes for dairy and gluten products everywhere these days, and incorporating these can do wonders for your health. Nutrient-Rich Food You want to eat foods that pack a punch. You should ensure your diet includes foods rich in vitamins and nutrients that do not take you over
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