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Sweet Treats
WHY SIERRA KEEPS BAKING UP A STORM
We all need a hobby — something to inspire passion and fill our downtime. The best hobbies also act as stress relievers, giving us a way to decompress from the demands and worries of life. That’s what baking does for me, and it’s the reason you’ll often find me in the kitchen mixing, kneading, or taste testing. You might say that I showed an early interest in baking, but I’m pretty sure it was more of an interest in entrepreneurship. We lived in a small town, and my dad built me a little stand I could use to sell baked goods to the neighbors. I’d love to believe that I baked the items I was selling, but I have little doubt it was my mom, who was always baking and cooking for other people. Instead, I formed my hobby as an adult after several years of watching cooking shows on television. I loved them as a teenager and kept watching them as I got older. Eventually, I realized I had the freedom to try different things if I wanted to. And the more I baked bread, pies, and cookies,
the more I enjoyed the process. I liked the science behind baking, and I particularly loved that it was a challenge I could keep giving myself over and over again. Now, baking is a family affair. The kids enjoy watching baking videos with me, and we all love “The Great British Baking Show.” I’ve even tried a few dishes from the various challenges, like roulade and pavlova. The kids also help sometimes (the 6-year-old is a natural), and they regularly suggest new types of recipes for me to try. Last year, I was trying to perfect my pie crust and not quite getting the results I wanted. Not wanting to give up, I ultimately baked 3–4 pies in a week. Funnily enough, though, no one complained. Everyone in the house loves fruit pies, though my daughter is also partial to anything chocolate. I was even baking homemade bread back before the early pandemic trend. We have a sourdough starter, and
Kevin Bennett (502) 966-7810 kevin@seniorhealth.pro
Sierra Bennett (502) 966-7804 sierra@seniorhealth.pro
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September/October 2022
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As a result, the kids have come to expect fresh baked goods around the house. They’re now little food critics. “This is great, Mom, but maybe next time …” they’ll say. They take it all very seriously, but they also cheer me on. It’s nice to have something we can all enjoy (in one way or another) as a family. Though I always strive to do my best, one of the best things about baking is that the stakes are relatively low. Sure, a lot can go wrong, but a burnt pie isn’t the end of the world. Baking can seem intimidating to the uninitiated, but it’s important to just go for it, have fun, and be unafraid to fail. You’ll eventually succeed — and there’s no feeling like making something delicious.
though it’s high maintenance, we get a lot of use out of it. It’s almost a member of the family — I named him Harold. (It just felt right.) Harold has been around for about eight years, and he’s the basis of the pizza we make every Friday night, plus countless loaves of bread, biscuits, and waffles.
–Sierra Bennett
WE ARE WHAT WE DO Changing Habits Can Create a New You
We can’t control everything that happens to us, but to a certain extent, our lives are what we make them. The things we do determine how we live, for better or worse. But much of what we do every day isn’t well thought out — it’s a habit. And when you change your habits, you can change your entire life. Unfortunately, it’s easy to talk about changing habits and a lot harder to do it. If changing our habits was simple, there would be far fewer fast food restaurant chains in business, an enormous reduction in smoking, and wait times at your local gym! But we all know someone who has sworn off cigarettes, lost significant weight, gotten in shape, or started eating healthy. It’s entirely possible to change our habits. The question is how.
Experts have plenty of advice to offer. The process starts with identifying which habits are hurting you. Maybe you know you want to change your midnight ice cream habit, but other routines bogging you down can be harder to identify. Start by logging how you spend your time to determine what’s necessary or fulfilling and what’s holding you back. Once you know the habits you want to change, you must figure out why you’re doing them. Each of our routines has a cue that inspires us to partake in it and a reward that keeps us coming back. After identifying the habit you want to change, start paying attention to when and why you do it. What do you feel before you do it? How do you feel afterward? Determining these answers requires some introspection and may take a few
weeks of observing and considering your behavior.
The final step is replacing the habit with something else. But crucially, you can’t deny yourself the reward — you must find a healthier way to receive it. For example, if smoking helps relieve stress, you need to find a different way to decompress when you’d usually reach for a cigarette. If smoking leaves you feeling energized, you’ll need another way to inspire your productivity. Willpower alone doesn’t work. Remember that changing your habits is a process; no one revamps their entire life overnight. Taking on too much at once will set you up for failure. Start small and stay consistent. But once you prove that you can change one habit, you’ll realize the sky’s the limit.
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Live Longer and Stronger CHANGING THE SCOPE OF EXERCISE
Your body undergoes a variety of changes over the years, many of which are degenerative and can be debilitating to your health. But exercise can help slow these age- related issues, like heart disease or high blood pressure, and even prevent them in the long run. Here are four ways you can get moving without overexerting yourself. Walking or Jogging Taking a stroll around the neighborhood or a few laps around the park can help build stamina, strengthen lower body muscles, and help fight against bone diseases like osteoporosis. If you want to sweat it out some more, jogging might be a great alternative. But remember to be kind to your joints: Walk at a pace you’re comfortable with, wear
supportive shoes, take breaks as needed, and walk on soft surfaces, like tracks or grass. Gardening While gardening doesn’t seem as vigorous as other exercises, it is a hearty physical activity. Digging around in the dirt is actually great for your immune system, and it strengthens your arms, legs/knees, and balance. Mycobacterium vaccae, which is a bacteria commonly found in gardening soil, can alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, and even psoriasis. Cycling Whether it be in a class or outdoors, cycling can be very beneficial for stiff or sore joints. You’re able to get your blood flowing and build
muscles in the front and back of your legs as well as your hips. Your arms are also strengthened due to the resistance of balancing your arms and shoulders to steer.
Yoga Holding a series of poses can
stretch and strengthen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also helps lower heart rate and blood pressure and can even relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. For older adults, a well-rounded workout that consists of endurance, strength, balance and flexibility can help in many ways. Some can even be fun!
TASTY BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN
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during intermittent fasting (or any other diet). They’re better for you, and the process will be easier because you’ll stay full for longer. Rest assured that it’s common for people to struggle with time- restricted eating at first. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t immediately take to the 16/8 lifestyle! Some people start by restricting their eating to only 12 hours a day instead of 8 and then slowly cut back from there, while others settle for a 14/10 fasting pattern. The process is different for everyone, so work on finding what’s best for you.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
• 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness • 4 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 tsp Italian seasoning • 3 tomatoes, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped • Salt and pepper, to taste • 4 slices mozzarella cheese • Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Add chicken to a large resealable bag. 2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Pour over chicken and seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Turn a grill to medium-high heat and add the chicken. Discard the marinade. Grill chicken 5–7 minutes per side or until fully cooked. 4. Combine the remaining lemon juice, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 5. Before taking the chicken off the grill, top each breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook 2–3 minutes, then serve topped with the tomato mixture and grated Parmesan cheese.
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Inside This Issue
1 Sierra’s Favorite Hobby
2 Breaking Bad Habits 3 4 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Work Out 3 Tasty Bruschetta Chicken 4 Is Intermittent Fasting Safe and Effective?
fasting, including improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels. But the primary reason people choose intermittent fasting is for weight loss, and research indicates that people can lose an average of 3%–7% of their body fat over eight weeks. Still, people with certain medical conditions can put themselves at risk through intermittent fasting, so check with your doctor before embarking on this path. There is debate over whether intermittent fasting works because eating for fewer hours each day is inherently good for us or because most people who intermittently fast consume fewer calories. Either way, experts recommend primarily consuming nutrient-rich foods
IS THE 16/8 DIET RIGHT FOR YOU? Understanding Intermittent Fasting
Are humans meant to have 24-7 access to all the food they want? Maybe not. Some argue that eating too frequently hurts our health just as much as consuming too many calories. As a result, intermittent fasting has been gaining popularity among celebrities, fitness gurus, and ordinary people looking to lose weight and improve their health. Intermittent fasting refers to restricting your food intake during certain hours or on specific days of the week. Some people choose not to eat at all every other day or only eat five days a week. The most
common form of intermittent fasting, however, is time-restricted eating. This method allows you to eat daily, but only during a specific window. The most popular form of time- restricted eating is the 16/8 method. People on this plan eat only during an eight-hour window each day and fast for the other 16 hours. Whether eating from noon to 8 p.m., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. is best will depend on your habits, schedule, and personal preferences.
Various studies have shown many possible benefits to intermittent
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Your Agents for Life Thank you for being our client! We appreciate the confidence you have in us and look forward to serving your Medicare needs in the future. Licensed Broker — What It Means for You We are Licensed Brokers, which means we are contracted to represent Medicare plans from multiple insurance companies. Our allegiance and loyalty are to you, not to any insurance company. As your Broker, we help you select the Medicare plan that best fits your needs, regardless of which insurance company it’s from. Our promise is that we’ll tell you both the good and bad about each Medicare plan so you can evaluate the trade-offs. You’re a smart person. Once you understand the differences, you’ll know which plan is best for you. And that confidence will give you peace of mind. Family and Friends If you know someone who needs a trusted advisor for their Medicare plan, we would love to help them. Call us today. We’ll take very good care of them for you. Thanks!
Kevin Bennett (502) 966-7810 kevin@seniorhealth.pro
Sierra Bennett (502) 966-7804 sierra@seniorhealth.pro
How to Protect Yourself From Medicare Scams
1) Don’t Talk to Strangers What Mom told you as a kid was good advice. Many of our clients get overwhelmed with unsolicited cold calls from telemarketers trying to change their Medicare plan.
What telemarketers say sounds great, because they only tell you the good parts. But once you’re on their plan, you have to live with the things they didn’t tell you. Keep yourself safe by not talking to them. 2) Social Security and Medicare Will Never Call You If someone says they are calling from Social Security or Medicare, hang up. It’s not true. Social Security and Medicare will never call you unless you personally scheduled a call time with them. If you didn’t schedule it, hang up. These callers tell our clients they want to “verify your Medicare information,” or conduct a “Medicare Interview” to make sure you receive all the benefits available. Then our clients find out their current Medicare plan has been cancelled, and the new plan they were changed to has different copays, doctors, and benefits. Keep yourself safe by not talking to them. 3) Don’t Give Your Information to the Internet When you give your name and phone number to the Internet or Facebook, they immediately sell it to as many agents as they can.
Then all those agents call you nonstop for days. Keep yourself safe by not giving your information.
Call us with your questions. We are your Agents for Life.
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