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ARTHRITIS If you have hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), you might not be getting enough daily physical exercise and activity! The Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy (June, 2018) highlights the importance of learning about the benefits of physical activity and exercise for improving your pain and preventing other chronic health conditions that often develop in those diagnosed with hip or knee OA. FROM THE DESK OF Tom Thoman 1. Exercise and physical activity should be tailored to your needs and preferences. 2. Consider water exercises if it is too painful to exercise on land. 3. Supervised exercise therapy over a 6-week period is often helpful to get you started. 5. After you complete supervised therapy, you may need periodic “booster sessions” to help with long-term management of your OA pain and overall health. 6. Home exercises should be performed to optimize your outcomes. 7. You should be sure you understand how to manage painful flare-ups and how to modify your exercises when pain increases. If you have arthritis pain, physical therapy may be just what you need to start and keep moving! The authors offer 7 key recommendations. 4. Some people may need 12 weeks of supervised therapy to begin.
THE HISTORY BEHIND THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS T urkey , F ootball , and B lack F riday
“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” –O. Henry
In our lifetimes, Thanksgiving hasn’t changed all that much. Sure, you may have modernized the menu and begun posting your family photos to Instagram, but the tried-and-true quartet of family, football, grub, and gratitude has been in place for generations. While it’s easy to take holiday traditions as a given, each one has a fascinating history all its own. Christmas trees, Valentine’s chocolate, and other de rigueur activities often have strange, unexpected origins. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the backstories behind some of the essential Thanksgiving traditions. TURKEY Unlike other items on this list, it’s likely that turkey has been a staple of Thanksgivings since the first Thanksgiving in 1621. At the time, the holiday didn’t even have a name, and it was still more than 200 years away from being officially recognized by Abraham Lincoln. There are only two primary source documents detailing the meal between the Massachusetts colonists and the Wampanoag natives, and one of them mentions the famous Thanksgiving bird explicitly. Plymouth County Governor William Bradford described the menu in his journal “Of Plymouth Plantation,”which is one of the earliest accounts of life in colonial America. “Besides waterfowl,” he wrote, “there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.” As the colonists moved throughout the continent, they brought turkeys with them. In fact, there was even a specific role, called a “turkey drover,” for the person who would shepherd the birds from one part of the country to another.
-Tom Thoman
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The relationship between turkey and Thanksgiving was well-established by the time the American Revolution began. Alexander Hamilton went so far as to say, “No citizen of the U.S. shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.” According to the National Turkey Federation, more than 40 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, so it’s safe to assume that most people are heeding Hamilton’s advice. FOOTBALL American football — or any football, for that matter —wasn’t even a sport when Thanksgiving began. However, the association between the two American icons dates back to the earliest days of the sport in the late 19th century. Harvard and Yale played the first Thanksgiving game in 1876. A decade later, the University of Michigan began a series of games that most historians believe inaugurated the tradition of Thanksgiving football in earnest.
but the NFL is how we get our Thanksgiving football fix these days. The Detroit Lions played in the first professional “Turkey Bowl” in 1934 against the Bears, and the Dallas Cowboys got in on the act in 1966. The teams from Detroit and Dallas still host holiday games to this day. The NFL, never one to miss an opportunity to make money, added a third Thanksgiving game in 2011. One year later, Mark Sanchez of the Jets produced the now-notorious “butt fumble,” laying an egg that even the largest fowl would be envious of. BLACK FRIDAY The wildest shopping day on the calendar begins earlier and grows more annoying every year — recently, it’s started to encroach on Thanksgiving itself, making you wonder if you should stick around for pie or head off to the mega-retailer for a chance to take advantage of some screaming deals. You may be happy to know that people being irritated about Black Friday goes back as far the tradition itself.
Many people assume that the holiday gets its name from retailers going from “red” (having a loss) to “black” (making a profit) on that day, but that’s actually a myth. The term was coined by Philadelphia police officers to describe the influx of suburban shoppers who flocked to the city, wreaking havoc and forcing them to work long hours. It took only a few years for Black Friday to become an unofficial city holiday. Black Friday in Philadelphia began in the 1950s. A few decades later, in the ‘80s, when America was chock-full of shopping malls, it became a nation-wide phenomenon. Even the explosion of online retail hasn’t slowed the droves of people lining up at insane hours to secure the biggest savings of the season. Thanksgiving is one of the most traditional holidays. Whether you’re content to keep the routine the same or are the type of person who likes to spice things up, it’s fun to know why Thanksgiving looks and feels the same for so many Americans.
College football may have been where the sport’s relationship with Thanksgiving began,
A HISTORIC VETERANS DAY Commemorating the 100 th Anniversary of the End of World War I
This year, Veterans Day takes on particular historic significance: Nov. 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First WorldWar. Countries around the world will commemorate the signing of this peace agreement with moments of silence, centennial ceremonies, and historical exhibits. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a celebration of life. It’s a day to honor the power of peace and the living veterans across the globe who have served their countries. This November, take a moment to remember the war that helped shape the international community’s dedication to peace and thank the individuals who served to defend it. THE GREATWAR By 1914, a world war had been years in the making, but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by a Serbian nationalist provided the spark that would eventually burn down much of Europe. A chain reaction of land disputes, pre-emptive attacks, and strategic alliances brought over 30 countries into WorldWar I.
The Great War that ravaged Europe resulted in a devastating loss of life, but from those ashes rose a renewed appreciation for the importance of peace and a global effort to ensure its place in the future. THE RESTORATION OF PEACE In 1918, Germany surrendered unconditionally, and the armistice ended the fighting at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, though the war did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles the following July. An estimated 16 million soldiers and civilians died in just four years, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history. VETERANS DAY Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919, to honor the one-year anniversary of the armistice, and it became a U.S. holiday in 1938. Today, Veterans Day celebrates veterans who served their country honorably. The U.K., France, Australia, and Canada also commemorate their veterans in November. If you know a veteran, thank them for their service this month.
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Should Last Beyond Thanksgiving AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
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! 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. Being grateful has also been linked to significant health benefits. According to gratitude expert and author Dr. Robert A. Emmons,“Preliminary findings suggest that those who regularly WHY GRATITUDE MATTERS As we get older, it’s easy to succumb to
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.” HOWTO PRACTICE GRATITUDE In the above quotation fromDr. 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 fewminutes to write down the acts, people, andmoments 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 goodmemories 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?
Take a Break!
PUMPKIN CHICKPEA FRITTERS
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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1 can chickpeas, drained
1. In a large mixing bowl, mash
together chickpeas and pumpkin purée until the majority of peas are mixed with purée.
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1/2 cup organic pumpkin purée
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1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2. Add sunflower seeds, apple
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2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
cider vinegar, spices, and flour to mixture. Fold until fully integrated. 3. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. 4. Formmixture into golf-ball-sized spheres and roll to coat in panko breadcrumbs. Pat into flat cakes and carefully drop into hot oil. 5. Fry fritters, flipping once, until golden and toasty, about 2 minutes per side. 6. Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel to dry and cool. Serve 5 minutes after cooking.
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1 teaspoon garlic granules
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1–2 teaspoons flour, for binding (optional)
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1 cup panko bread crumbs, for coating
BLACK FRIDAY COLONIES FEAST FOOTBALL
GOBBLE GRATEFUL GRAVY POTATOES
THANKFUL THANKSGIVING TRADITION TURKEY
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1/4–1/2 cup safflower or canola oil, for frying
Recipe courtesy of The Food Network
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Tom PAGE 1 Why We Eat Turkey onThanksgiving PAGE 1 A Historic Veterans Day PAGE 2 How to GiveThanks Year-Round PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters PAGE 3 HowThanksgiving Became an Official Holiday PAGE 4
SARAH HALE How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday
Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays celebrated throughout the United States. One of the first documented Thanksgiving celebrations took place in 1621, when Plymouth colonists andWampanoag Indians shared a feast together. But the banquet, which celebrated the colonists’first successful harvest, wasn’t just one large meal, nor did it last for only one day; in fact, the feast lasted for three days.
He used this to speak to his fellow American citizens about the Revolution’s satisfactory conclusion and encouraged them to show their thanks for the freedoms they gained. Thanksgiving became a national holiday more than 200 years after its first celebration. It gained this status largely due to the persistence of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale was a successful magazine editor, prolific writer of novels and poems, and author of the famous nursery rhyme“Mary Had a Little Lamb,”which was first published in her 1830 collection entitled“Poems for Our Children.”
President Abraham Lincoln finally declared it a national holiday, hoping that it would help heal the wounds of the country. Lincoln decided that the holiday would take place on the last Thursday of November. It was celebrated on that day until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in the hopes of increasing retail sales during the Great Depression. However, this plan was very unpopular, and in 1941, the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. Without the efforts of Sarah Hale, we might not have the pleasure of the Thanksgiving feast we know and love to this day. This year, give thanks for family, good food, and the resolve of one woman who recognized the importance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
In later years, Thanksgiving also lasted for longer than a single meal. During the time of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress chose several days throughout the year to celebrate giving thanks. Then, in 1789, GeorgeWashington made the U.S. national government’s first Thanksgiving proclamation.
In 1827, Hale began a campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. For the next 36 years, she wrote numerous editorials and countless letters to state and federal officials expressing her desire that it gain official status. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War,
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