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THE NOURISH LETTER
APRIL 2018 Meet the Men Behind Your Meals
www.OctoberKitchen.com | 860-533-0588 | 309 Green Rd, Manchester, CT 06042
Paul with his father
What My Father Taught Me About Nutrition MARGARINE WITH EVERY MEAL
E arlier this year, my father passed away on Jan. 15. He was only 77 years old, but his death was not a surprise. He suffered from kidney disease, had a couple of strokes in 2015, and spent the last three months of his life in hospice care. I talk about nutrition with my seniors to the nth degree, and I must sound like a broken record at times. But this topic is so important to me because I can see the difference good nutrition makes in a person’s life. My father was a classic fussy eater. He didn’t like vegetables, and if he ever agreed to eat a salad, it was nothing more than iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. I don’t know how he got enough energy to work as hard as he did. His idea of a serving of vegetables was a few peppers and onions atop a slice of pizza. While I was growing up, my dad would rise early and be out the door by 6 to get to work. He was a construction worker and a contractor. Breakfast was an English muffin with margarine and a glass of juice. Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich, slathered with margarine again. Keep in
mind, this was the 1970s, when margarine was full of trans fats.
Dad liked his junk food, and he especially enjoyed processed lunch meats and sugary drinks. That was his diet for years, and for a man of his generation, that was the typical diet. But it was detrimental in the long run. There was a reason Dad’s kidneys weren’t strong and his organs failed him. There’s a reason he suffered two strokes before the age of 75 and ended up with dementia in his later years. I know his bad eating habits cut 10 years off his life and greatly diminished the quality of life he could have enjoyed in his final years. I firmly believe Dad passed away at 77 because his poor nutrition finally caught up with him. I’m never going to stop harping on people to eat their vegetables, because those vitamins and nutrients make all the difference in the world. We don’t have to become vegetarians or swear off ice cream forever, but we should try to cut back on the sweet stuff and consume a variety of vegetables. Put
“I firmly believe Dad passed away at 77 because his poor nutrition finally caught up with him.”
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TOP OF THE CLASS
Miss Haley Adopts Her ‘Problem’ Student
There are two types of students in school: the ones who try to make their teachers’ lives easier and the ones who aim to send their math teacher into early retirement. In her first year of teaching, fourth-grade teacher Chelsea Haley met her biggest problem student, Jerome Robinson, and she nearly quit. But instead, she adopted him and his little brother. “At certain points, his behavior got so bad, I thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be a teacher,’” Haley recalls. However, she refused to call it quits. Haley eventually gained Jerome’s trust and the two formed a close bond. Jerome had a hard time at home, living with his 1-year-old brother, Jace, and their birth mother. The family struggled with poverty and the loss of loved ones, including Jerome’s father and little sister. Even after Jerome moved on to fifth grade, other teachers sent him to Haley’s classroom because she was the only teacher he listened to.
In October 2015, shortly after entering her third year of teaching, Haley dreamed God told her she needed to become Jerome’s mother. Haley laughed and thought the idea was ridiculous. But the next day, while Jerome sat at her desk taking a test, he looked up and asked Haley if he could live with her. Later, Haley went to dinner with Jerome and his family. When she told them she would be returning to her home in Georgia after the school year finished, Jerome’s mother said, “You can go back, but I want you to take Jerome and Jace with you.” Though Haley was only 24 at the time, she filed papers to take permanent custody of the boys in December 2015. She also pulled money out of her retirement account to make a down payment on a house in Georgia. Two years later, the family is thriving. Jerome hasn’t gotten into any trouble at his middle school, and he made the honor roll in eighth grade. “I always knew I wanted to be a mom, and I wouldn’t trade this for anything,” Haley says. Now that’s a teacher who deserves a gold star!
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REACH YOUR GOALS WITH SMALL STEPS
endless and within reach. Choose that one thing and do it. Celebrate this success, no matter how small, because it almost didn’t happen. This accomplishment will energize you to move forward, step by step, as you progress toward your goal. Now, which healthy step will you take today?
It can be tempting to put off our health and wellness goals until the time is “just right.” You’re familiar with the excuses — things need to settle down at work, there’s no time to plan healthy meals, it’s too cold outside, and on they go. There will always be predictable and unpredictable challenges. Instead of waiting for perfection, begin with realistic changes. Make one small, healthy change today that actually fits your lifestyle. Perhaps you’ll walk your dog an extra five minutes, grab a side of veggies with lunch, or power down 15 minutes earlier. The possibilities are
Becky Muldoon, certified health coach plantspired.com
plant-based health coaching designed for you
... Continued from Page 1 more good fats into your body instead of cheap, crappy fats. We all need to recognize that the choices we make in regard to our diet will have repercussions on our long-term health and well- being. What we eat really does play a role in disease and life expectancy. You can’t turn back the clock, but you can start feeling better today. Even if you’ve spent the last four decades eating margarine with every meal, it’s never too late to change your ways. Even though my father’s passing wasn’t a surprise, that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt to lose him. If Dad had eaten better, maybe he would still be with us. At the very least, I believe he would have felt a lot better at the end of his life. I encourage everyone to really look at what they put on their plate and ask themselves, “How will this make me feel in 20 years?”
TESTIMONIAL At October Kitchen, our mission is to provide delicious, nourishing meals. In doing so, we hope to help our clients lead healthy and independent lives. Nothing fills our hearts more than to know we’ve succeeded in our goal when we hear such kind words from our clients. “I first heard of October Kitchen when we were purchasing meals for my grandfather who was 100 years old. I have since started ordering meals because I am a single mom of 5-year-old twins. I work full time and my life is crazy busy. The fact that I don’t have to cook, but I’m getting nutritious meals, has been very helpful in juggling my many responsibilities that a single parent must face. And the best part is it’s very reasonably priced. If I were to purchase the same ingredients to cook myself, it would cost the same. Thank you, October Kitchen, for making my day a little easier!”
And above all else, avoid trans fats!
—Melissa V.
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309 Green Rd. Manchester, CT 06042 INSIDE
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I’ll Never Stop Talking About Vegetables
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Amazing Teacher Changes Her Student’s Life
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Join the Alliance
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Take a Healthy Step
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Hear From Our Clients
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Do Pets Fit Into Your Retirement Plan?
Don’t Miss Out on the Benefits of Pets
even when there were some downsides to owning an active pet.”
Association says pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, may be linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Caring for a pet takes work, but for many people, the benefits greatly outweigh the challenges. An energetic dog encourages you to leave the house and go for walks, a talkative parrot makes time spent alone less lonely and a soft cat curled up on your lap helps alleviate a stressful day. If you can’t have a pet in your home due to lease restrictions or mobility challenges, you don’t have to miss out on the benefits of being around animals. Consider volunteering at a local animal shelter. You can help care for cats, dogs and other animals while they wait for their own forever home. There are thousands of pets in shelters across the country waiting for someone to care for them. If there’s room in your retirement plan, why not invite one into your home? You might discover both you and your new friend have something to gain.
Researchers found evidence to support this
We tend to picture energetic dogs and cats thriving in young families with children, but animals are often happy to live with older, less active adults. These kinds of homes are especially suited to older animals that might otherwise have to spend their last days in the pound. Depending on your schedule and mobility, you might not want to adopt a large dog. But small lap dogs, cuddly cats and even birds can make a great addition to your home. As long as you do not suffer from allergies, having a pet can be great for your health. The American Heart
claim when they discovered that registered dog owners in Sweden had lower rates of cardiovascular disease and a lower risk of death than individuals without dogs. Physical fitness is far from the only benefit of pet ownership. The love and companionship our animal friends offer can alleviate depression or loneliness. Linda Anderson, founder of the Angel Animals Network in Minneapolis, says, “Older pet owners have often told us how incredibly barren and lonely their lives were without their pet’s companionship,
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