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NOVEMBER 2018
THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS
Celebrating Gratefulness From Chicago to Clermont
My house has been in Thanksgiving mode since early September. Emily loves to decorate, so our home was filled with pumpkins, corn stalks, and fake leaves the minute the temperature began to even slightly dip below 95 here in Florida. It’s like walking through a fall pumpkin patch in the middle of our kitchen, but it does give our home the autumn-weather feel we were used to while growing up in Chicago. Much like our Halloweens spent in jackets, our Thanksgivings were spent in pants and possibly fending off snow. Most of my Thanksgivings were spent visiting with about 40 relatives at my grandparents’ home before they passed away. After that, we rotated who hosted the holiday, not wanting to give up on the big family tradition. Meanwhile, now in Florida, we can wear shorts and not worry about the possibility of a turkey-day snowstorm. As most Floridians know, our state stays true to its sunshine-state mantra pretty much year-round. While I’m hundreds of miles away from my family this Thanksgiving, I’ve always been lucky that my wife’s family is also in Florida. Every year, about 20 people make
their way over to our humble, autumn- style abode and feast with us. Emily is the real cook of the family, but I lend a hand where I can, peeling potatoes or chopping whatever needs to be cut up. Personally, I love the turkey and the stuffing we have because they’re treats we only get once a year. We’re not going to whip up a Thanksgiving feast in March. So why not indulge in it when November rolls around? It’s always fun to see our house packed and full on Thanksgiving. Sure, we have to get up early, the turkey makes us sleepy, and hosting your wife’s whole family for a day can be exhausting. But we have family to celebrate with, a beautifully decorated home, and a lot of wonderful food to munch on. It’s a day of storytelling and catching up with my wife’s sister, mother, grandmother, and all her aunts and uncles. It’s great to see my kids get to know their extended family a little bit more each year. While I love spending Thanksgiving with my whole family, one of my favorite parts of the day is when the festivities begin to wind down. Around 5 or 6 p.m., when everyone starts to leave and bellies are full to the brim, my son and I sit down to watch some more football. We just relax,
try to avoid falling asleep, and talk about the day we just had. We bond together as father and son while we continue to eat and talk about our day. It doesn’t matter whether I spend the holiday in Chicago or Clermont; I know I’m going to have a wonderful day spent in the company of good food, great decorations, and a loving family. You can’t beat that.
-Luke Kron, PT Managing Partne
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AN AT T I T UDE OF GRAT I T UDE Should Last Beyond Thanksgiving
Taking the time to acknowledge who and what you’re grateful for is a Thanksgiving tradition far more important than turkey or football. It’s the cornerstone of the holiday and the reason we feast together in the first place. But when you really think about it, should expressing our gratitude and appreciation for others be limited to one day every year? Of course not! Why Gratitude Matters As we get older, it’s easy to succumb to negativity and pessimism — “Kids these days,” “The world isn’t what it used to be,” etc. The crabby grandparent and angry old neighbor are archetypal depictions of later life. But these fictions don’t have to be your reality. Recognizing and acknowledging gratitude will help you take stock of the positive aspects of your life and dwell less on unhappy thoughts.
Avoid Stagnation When you milk an injury or don’t work your muscles through it, you’re actually continuing to damage your body. You and your physical therapist have developed a plan for your healing, and home exercises are part of that. Therapists know that you’re busy and have to move on after an injury. But they also want to see you succeed. When you fail to work those muscles at home, you’re making it harder on yourself and your healing process. Fit Healing Into Life The difficult side of physical therapy is the time you have to dedicate to it. You have to schedule your appointments around your job, life, and social obligations. But at-home exercises can be done in your own free time. You and your physical therapist can set up a plan to fit your exercises into your lifestyle so you can have the life you want According to gratitude expert and author Dr. Robert A. Emmons, “Preliminary findings suggest that those who regularly practice grateful thinking do reap emotional, physical, and interpersonal benefits. Adults who keep gratitude journals on a regular basis exercise more regularly, report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future.” How to Practice Gratitude In the above quotation from Dr. Emmons, he mentions the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. This activity is a great way to start seeing the world with a more positive, appreciative eye. As often as you can, take a few minutes to write down the acts, people, and moments that you’re grateful for. Some will be big, others small — but all will have an impact on your mood and bring a smile to your face. Before you know it, you’ll have an entire
book full of good memories and warm feelings.
While keeping a journal is great, there are other ways to go about cultivating and expressing gratitude. The easiest one is simply to say “Thanks” whenever you can. It may seem insignificant, but you’d be surprised what a difference it makes. When you approach the world with the perspective that every day is Thanksgiving, it’s only natural to be grateful. We all have moments when we want to curse the world, especially as we get older, and those experiences are perfectly normal. Just as frequently, though, we have moments that are worth celebrating, often with people who are worth appreciating. Which will you think about more?
Being grateful has also been linked to significant health benefits.
WHY YOU NEED TO DO YOUR AT-HOME EXERCISES Take Your Work Home With You
without compromising your health. Stretch your strained legs while catching up on a TV show. Walk your kids or your spouse through your workout. Watch the sunset while working through your wrist pain. At- home exercises are designed for your life. Foster Good Habits Once you find a way to fit your at-home exercises into your routines, you will create good habits. A good trick would be to weave your exercises into a necessary daily routine. It takes 21 days to break a bad habit and create a new, positive one, so keep persisting. Eventually, your workouts will become a habit you won’t want to ignore. If an injury is limiting your life, find out how Four Corners Health & Rehabilitation can help you find the right clinical and at-home care plan. Visit FourCornersRehab.com for more information.
The goal of physical therapy is to get you back to your normal self, and in some cases, people even exceed their normal limits. But those success stories only come to those who work for it, and part of that hard work is continuing your therapy exercises at home. If you don’t think you have enough time for your at-home therapy exercises, read on to learn how easy and beneficial these moves can be.
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PAIN-FREE COOKING Avoid Injury This Thanksgiving
cooking with family, consider swapping jobs every six or seven minutes to give your body a break from the same motions and positions.
Whenever an activity involves heavy lifting or repetitive motion, it’s important to take steps to prevent injury. While back pain, carpal tunnel, and sore shoulders are normally associated with work-related injuries, it’s important to note that these issues can also result from working in the kitchen if you’re not careful. With the big feast coming up at the end of the month, here’s a guide to pain-free cooking! Even if you’re “just” chopping carrots or peeling potatoes, you may be exposing yourself to a repetitive strain injury. Standing for long periods with your shoulders hunched forward is also bad for your back. While it’s always important to keep an eye on your posture, the best way to avoid pain and stiffness is to do a mix of activities in short bursts. If you’re WITH SUDOKU TAKE A BREAK Mix It Up
Use Your Tools
If you are older or suffer from arthritis, this is an especially important point. Ergonomic kitchen utensils are available to make many cooking tasks, from slicing to stirring, easier to handle. Using oven mitts rather than pot holders also lets you grip hot items with greater confidence and reduces the likelihood of an accident.
when trying to take a turkey out of the oven in a single fluid motion. Do not put yourself and the feast at risk. Lift with your legs, straighten all the way up, and then turn to where you want to carve it. No one wants to throw their back out before Black Friday. We hope you have a safe and happy start to the holiday season. If any aches or pains develop as the weather gets colder, feel free to swing by and let our physical therapy experts get you moving again!
Lifting the Turkey
All right, here’s the big one: One of the easiest ways to hurt your back is to lift a heavy object while simultaneously twisting your torso — the exact thing one might do
Inspired by Food & Wine magazine
CHIPOTLE-ROASTED CARROT SALAD
These spicy, tangy carrots make a healthy Thanksgiving side that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Plus, you can do most of the work in advance and assemble the finished dish on the big day.
INGREDIENTS • 30 small carrots (2–3 bunches), tops removed and carrots scrubbed • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the chipotle can
• 1 tablespoon molasses • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 4 ounces watercress, stems trimmed • Plain Greek yogurt, for serving • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots with chipotle peppers, molasses, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 30–35 minutes. 2. Transfer carrots to a plate and let them cool completely. 3. Once cooled, toss carrots with adobo sauce. Lay across a platter, and top with watercress. 4. Serve alongside yogurt.
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SUDOKU SOLUTION (PAGE 3)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 3 4 CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING HOW TO GIVE THANKS YEAR-ROUND WHY AT-HOME EXERCISES ARE NECESSARY 3 TIPS FOR PAIN-FREE COOKING CHIPOTLE-ROASTED CARROT SALAD LOCAL HOLIDAY EVENTS
HOLLY JOLLY HAPPENINGS
WHAT TO DO THIS DECEMBER IN CLERMONT
Presents need to be bought, stockings need to be hung with care, and Santa’s cookies have yet to be baked. Take a quick break from your holiday tasks and enjoy some of these local events to keep you in the spirit.
And why limit yourself to just one time? You have all December to enjoy this fantastic show. Winter Garden Christmas Golf-Cart Parade When: Sunday, Dec. 16 from 4–7 p.m. Where: Bradford Park, downtown Winter Garden Rev the golf cart and gather your drinking buddies; the annual Winter Garden Christmas Golf-Cart Parade is coming to town. Deck your golf cart’s halls with twinkling lights and creative Christmas decorations. Then, follow the train of golf carts to Crooked Can Brewing Company. The cost to enter the parade is $40, and proceeds will benefit the Edgewood Children’s Ranch. So join your fellow golf- cart drivers and raise some money for a good cause this holiday season.
Santa’s Twilight 5K When: Saturday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. Where: Historic Downtown Clermont
for the best costumes, top three finishers overall, top masters, and top male and female racers. Citrus Tower Christmas Light Shows When: Every December evening from 6–10 p.m. Where: Citrus Tower Celebrate the holidays with 100,000 Christmas lights on this 226-foot tower. Christmas lights will be synced up to seven different holiday songs, and the tower’s elevator will be available to take spectators to the top. Spend the night with your sweetheart or bring the whole family down for this magical light display.
Sprint your way through the holidays at Sommer Sports’ Santa’s Twilight 5K! This 3.1-mile course will take you
through historic downtown Clermont, where you can celebrate crossing the finish line with holiday cookies and hot chocolate. Participants will be awarded a medal and a T-shirt for their efforts. Be sure to don your best Santa hat and racing shoes, because prizes will be given
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