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October 2017
THIS hear Follow the beat of better hearing and healthy living
Planning Ahead for the Coming Holidays Autumn Is Here
local orchard to make some apple cider. There’s nothing better than being out in the crisp October air, hunting through the low branches of an apple tree to find the best, unblemished fruit. During moments like that, everything stressful just leaves your mind. It’s easy to be fully present. And then, you can ride around on the hay truck, which is more fun than it should be. In many ways, I’m taking this Halloween and the coming season as an opportunity to recover the spirit of fun and play that so many of us lose as we age. By organizing my time and fully preparing myself for the holiday season, it’ll make more time for those playful activities that often fall by the wayside. At any rate, I’m thrilled that fall is finally here. The changing leaves, the slanted light, and the smell of a pumpkin spice latte is all that I need to feel truly content.
Halloween is always a blast in New England. People go crazy with decorations, turning their yards into zombie-covered cemeteries or just going all out with a multicolored autumn theme. We’re trying to get our space into the spirit as well. We’re planning a trip soon out to Penniman Hill Farm out in Hingham to pick up some pumpkins, hay bales, and their awesome pre-made scarecrows to decorate the house and yard. Obviously, decorations are a minor component, but there’s something relaxing about going out and gathering everything together, as well as the keen sense of contentment you get when you drive home to a place adorned in its carefully selected seasonal garb. Besides that, we’re already getting ready for the cold, and the wood stacked by the fireplace and the outside fire pit is all set up. This year, maybe we’ll even open up the pumpkin carving kit that we’ve had for years and get to work.
As soon as the cobwebs and skeletons start showing up in our neighbors’ yards, it’s time to start getting ready for the coming holiday season. Whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, the latter part of the year can be a deeply stressful time. We scramble to make plans and cram in every tradition, fun activity, and errand over these brief three months. Luckily, due to changes I’ve been steadily making in my life over the past few months, I feel more ready than ever to really start to plan this October and make the most of the holidays. I’ve been focusing on being more intentional with the things I do, so as winter approaches, instead of running around frantically trying to get everything done, I hope to fully invest myself in the planning process and ease the pressure of holiday expectation. It feels, lately, like I finally have cultivated the foresight to actually complete all the fun little rituals that come with the season, as a part of taking care of myself and Phil.
We’ll also have to do the classic New England autumn move and get out to a
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Testimonial Corner “Dr. Powis took great care in making sure I and my mother understood how hearing works, and did a full and comprehensive hearing test. My mother was recommended hearing aids, and Dr. Powis went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that her hearing aids were fine-tuned to her needs, and explained how they worked, how to use them, and keep them working well, and even how it takes time for the brain to get used to a new hearing dynamic and to give it a couple of weeks. She did a follow-up test and readjusted them accordingly. My mother’s eyes lit up when her hearing improved, and seems much happier and less isolated than before. Her newsletter and emails give great information and helps to live a more robust audio life. I highly recommend Quincy Hearing and Dr. Powis.” –William G. “I’ve worn hearing aids all of my life. I grew up going to big practices with a huge staff of doctors and audiologists, so I was nervous about going to such a small practice close to my home in Dorchester. But once you spend time with Dr. Janice Powis, it’s hard to imagine seeing anyone else. I am always impressed and actually moved by how much time she spends with me. I feel comforted by her, ready to take on the stresses of being hearing impaired. Just to list a couple of pluses: she seems up to date, suggesting a Bluetooth-compatible hearing aid (I never thought I would be able to listen to podcasts in the car! I don’t miss phone calls due to my hearing!), she is holistic and sends email tutorials about hearing and self- care, and she is incredibly generous (she gave me free telecoil magnets, set me up with caption phone services). And after a generous trial after my first appointment, I purchased an aid from her and was pleasantly surprised that she could set up a heath care credit card for a payment plan. I can’t speak to prices, since my job and degree of loss require the best, but I couldn’t be happier with the ease/ availability, quality, and kindness received from her practice.” – Arual E.
Just because summer is over, that doesn’t signal an end to fun. How about those Halloween parties, sweater weather, and football season? The list goes on and on. In fact, fall might be the most interesting season of them all. Here are five facts you probably didn’t know about the season. 1. It was originally called “harvest.” The reasons for that should be fairly obvious. In a world that was far more agricultural, the season was defined by the harvesting of crops. It’s also a reference to the harvest moon, which was essential to farmers during the season. The names “autumn” and “fall” have no known origins, but fall is used almost exclusively in America. 2. Fall babies tend to be impressive. Not only does the world’s most common birthday, October 5, land in fall, but those babies have built an impressive resume. The British Department for Education found that they tend to do better in school and also tend to live longer. 3. Weight gain is most common in the fall. It’s not only the Halloween candy or Thanksgiving turkey. Researchers believe it’s primarily caused by lower levels of vitamin D. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, we tend to get less sun. It’s another reason to be careful about diet and exercise this season. 4. Autumn is good for the economy. “Leaf peeping,” which is a slang term for fall foliage tourism, is more than just a funny name. It’s also a $3 billion industry in New England alone. So, if you thought winter and summer were the only seasons that brought along seasonal tourism spikes, you thought wrong. 5. People fall in love more in the fall. Men and women’s testosterone levels tend to spike in the autumn, which makes women even more attractive to men than in the summer months. A data study on Facebook also found that more people change their relationship status from “single” to “in a relationship” during the fall than any other season. 5 Fascinating Facts About Fall
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ESSENTIAL OILS Use Diffusers to Reap the Benefits of
and evaporative diffusers are cheaper options, but they tend to alter oils or separate particles according to size. Once you decide on the best diffuser for your home, you need to select a few essential oils and put your new toy to use. Lemon oil is antibacterial and antiseptic, and will freshen your environment. Cinnamon oil can clear congestion and has a homey, autumnal scent. Eucalyptus oil is an air purifier, but its scent is strong and not for everybody. If you want to de-stress, try rosemary oil, which decreases your cortisol levels. Take note that you should alert your doctor before partaking in aromatherapy if you’re pregnant, nursing, or on any medication. While most essential oils are perfectly safe to diffuse, the compounds in certain oils can combine with medication and trigger adverse side effects. Once you begin diffusing, you’ll never go back to commercial, chemical scent sprays. The benefits are evident, and the results smell sweet.
If you’ve stopped by a health store recently, you’ve no doubt seen a huge selection of essential oils. These liquids, which contain concentrated, natural aroma compounds found in plants, are the basis of aromatherapy, one of the most popular trends in holistic health. Aromatherapy involves applying these oils to the skin or spraying them into the air. Skin application requires that you use diluted oils, because aromatic compounds are strong and can cause irritation. As a result of these concerns, many essential oil acolytes have turned to diffusers to get the benefits of aromatherapy in a safe, wonderful-smelling manner. In addition to filling your house with an all-natural, appealing perfume, aromatherapy has been touted as a way to help with everything from stress and insomnia to cognitive function and mood enhancement. To receive these benefits, you’ll need to pick up a diffuser and some oils. With so many options, though, how do you know which one is right for you? There is no shortage of methods to diffuse essential oils. Nebulizing diffusers don’t require any heat source, instead atomizing the essential oils. They are extremely effective, but they are also large and expensive. Ultrasonic diffusers are similarly heatless, preserving the oils. This type of diffuser can also work as a humidifier, making it a valuable multitasker. Heat
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Sausage and Barley Soup It’s a great time of year to warm up with a cup of soup, and this comforting, guilt-free dish comes together in a flash.
Ingredients
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped • 1/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
• Cooking spray • 6 ounces turkey breakfast sausage • 2 1/2 cups frozen bell pepper stir-fry • 2 cups water
Directions
Solution
3. Add stir-fry puree, tomatoes, and barley to sausage in pan. Bring
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium- high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat. 2. While sausage cooks, place stir- fry and 2 cups water in a blender; process until smooth.
mixture to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Recipe courtesy of Cookinglight.com.
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INSIDE this issue SEE WHAT’S
Autumn Is Here PAGE 1
5 Fascinating Facts About Fall Hear What Our Patients Are Saying PAGE 2
The Benefits of Essential Oils Sausage and Barley Soup Sudoku PAGE 3
Can You Prevent Dementia Before It Starts? PAGE 4
4 WAYS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO Prevent Dementia Before It Starts
From the moment you wake up in the morning, it feels like a dense fog fills your head. When you drag yourself out of bed and go to make yourself a plate of eggs and toast, it suddenly seems like a much more complicated task than before. You lose track of time, and the smell of smoke enters your nostrils. Frantically turning the burner off, it occurs to you that you can’t remember the day of the week. According to Time Magazine, 47 million people around the world live with some type of dementia. Typically, as we age, we’re told that all we can do is hope for the best and bide our time until there’s a cure, but recent research by the Alzheimer’s Research Center paints a different picture. A set of simple lifestyle changes may be the key to staving off cognitive decline as we get older.
Frequent social engagement may help keep your brain sharp. Make efforts to speak face to face with someone you’re close to as often as you can. Try to make new friends, volunteer, join a club or social group, get to know your neighbors, or connect with people over social media. Mental stimulation may also be important to brain health as we age. Study something new to you, such as a foreign language or a musical instrument. Make reading books and newspapers part of your regular routine. Try doing crossword or sudoku puzzles. It’s not difficult to find an activity you enjoy that will also help keep your brain active.
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent, according to Help Guide, and it can even slow the onset of already- present cognitive decline. Walk or swim for about 150 minutes each week, along with two to three sessions of moderate resistance training, as well as balance and coordination exercises. Check out eldergym.com for more info on staying active as you age. Heart-healthy eating may also protect the brain. Limit your intake of sugar and saturated fats and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Replace butter and margarine with olive or canola oil. Two diets that have been linked to heart health are the DASH diet (dashdiet. org) and the Mediterranean diet.
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