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A SLICE OF HEAVEN WHY PIZZA FRIDAY IS A WEEKLY TRADITION
Agents For Life
Some of the best traditions are born of necessity. When we began Pizza Friday, our oldest child was still a baby. With a new infant and little money, we weren’t exactly spending many nights out on the town. But we figured out how to have a date night at home. When the baby was finally down for the night, we’d bring out some ready-made pizza dough and toppings and bake ourselves a pizza before watching movies. It was a simple way to do something together without hiring a babysitter. But over time, it became a cherished Friday night routine. We looked forward to it every week as a moment to unwind while we were in the blur of the baby stage. We added more babies to our clan as time passed, and Pizza Friday eventually became a family affair. The kids now participate in our weekly pizza-making, despite the mess they make along the way. They help grate the cheese, add the sauce, and place the toppings. Pepperoni and olives are popular, and artichoke was also a big favorite for a while. We like to mix up the ingredients to keep it fresh. Some weeks we’ll do pesto instead of red sauce, add spicy sausage or feta, or modify Hawaiian pizza with some jalapenos. We also
say you can never have too many vegetables on a pizza. If you add enough, we figure it will eventually become a well-rounded meal! We’ve gotten more elaborate as time passes; Sierra likes to perfect things. We started with ready-made, store-bought pizza dough. Later, we upgraded to dough made with instant yeast. Now, we use homemade sourdough to make the crust. It’s a two-day process, but Sierra says it’s almost like second nature — even if Kevin remains slightly mystified. The only problem is that the kids’ standards are now too high, and they think what we make at home is how every pizza should taste! That’s not to say we haven’t had our fair share of mishaps. There have been many burnt crusts and soggy bottoms along the way, which make us laugh now. But we’ve discovered techniques to make the pizza perfect. It starts with stretching the dough instead of rolling it to get a fluffy crust. Meanwhile, the secret to a crispy crust at home is to get a pizza stone. Place it in the oven at 500 degrees and get it really hot while preparing your pizza on top of parchment paper.
Kevin Bennett (502) 966-7810 kevin@seniorhealth.pro
Sierra Bennett (502) 966-7804 sierra@seniorhealth.pro
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Then, transfer the pizza — parchment paper and all — to the pizza stone. We swear by the process.
What was once a fun dinner activity has become an important marker, something to look forward to and talk about in advance. When it’s been a long week, someone will say, “We just have to get to Pizza Friday.” It’s the perfect way to transition away from the demands of work and school — a little reward for making it through. Every week, the kids pick some music, and we crank up the tunes and bake pizza to our hearts (and stomachs) content. It’s the perfect way to relax and remember that, no matter what, we’ve got each other.
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–Sierra and Kevin Bennett
2022
A Strong Track Record Improve Your Self- Confidence with Goals
Some people are natural goal- setters, while others can’t understand all the fuss. For those who don’t gravitate toward goal- setting, the process can seem like giving yourself additional chores. But there are multiple proven benefits to setting goals for yourself, including improving your motivation and focus. Perhaps more surprisingly, setting and meeting goals also improves self-confidence. The mechanism is pretty intuitive. When we do more, we feel capable of more, and when we successfully stretch ourselves outside our comfort zones, our comfort zones get wider. When you create and accomplish goals, you create a track record for yourself that says, “I can do this.” We feel better about ourselves and our abilities to succeed at whatever we set out to do.
Research shows that working toward your goals — not only achieving them — helps build self-esteem. But unfortunately, many people select goals that set them up for failure. Think back on all those times you tried to quit smoking, eat healthier, or get in shape. Once you fail at a goal, you lose confidence in ever achieving it, and each effort becomes more half-hearted than the one before. So, how do you avoid this trap? Experts recommend that you set SMART goals — ones that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and have a timeframe. Each of the five criteria is crucial to success. Specific and measurable goals remove the fuzziness around what it means to “make friends” or “spend less” by attaching direct actions and numbers to them. Achievable goals push the bounds of what’s possible without
overshooting, and a relevant goal ties into your overall vision for your life. Finally, giving yourself a timeframe creates a sense of urgency and helps you stay accountable. With this framework in mind, it’s easy to see why a common goal like “get into shape” falls short. A SMART goal for a sedentary person might instead be to run one mile without stopping after one month of training. The goal is specific, so is the time frame, and it’s easy to measure a mile on a treadmill or the street. Further, running a mile is attainable without being too easy, and it’s relevant to one’s goal of improving fitness. Try setting your own SMART goals and working toward them with diligence and conviction. You might be surprised at how your life changes — and how you start to see yourself.
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LOCKS OF LOVE Son Makes a Wig for His Mother
“Not having hair [makes] you stick out like a sore thumb, and well-meaning people can say things that break your heart,” Shaha told TODAY. She didn’t like all the attention and the looks people gave her in public. So, her 27-year- old son Matt had an idea. At first, Matt joked about cutting all of his hair off to make his mother a wig. But the joke soon became a plan, and Matt followed through in 2018. After graduating from college, Matt began growing his hair out. In no time, he had long and luscious hair. His mother tried to dissuade him from cutting it, but Matt wanted to help her feel confident and comfortable in her skin. So, he chopped it off and sent his locks to Compassionate Creations, a hair company in Newport Beach, California, that created a wig for his mother. Now, Shaha has a piece of her son to take everywhere with her beautiful new tresses. “The color is spectacular, and we had it cut and styled with a hairdresser. Matt said it looked great on me. It sure fills your emotional cup,” Shaha says. If you — or someone you know — would like to donate your hair to cancer patients, you can donate to Locks of Love, Wigs For Kids, Chai Lifeline, and Children With Hair Loss. Research donation centers in your area if you would like to give back locally.
Melanie Shaha is currently fighting her third brain cancer battle. For 15 years, she’s been suffering from a benign tumor on her pituitary gland. Although she doesn’t mind being sick, going to her appointments, focusing on her treatment, and talking to loved ones about her cancer, she doesn’t like looking sick. If you didn’t know Shaha, you wouldn’t realize she was battling cancer. But this suddenly changed once she lost all of her hair. She had two surgeries, in 2003 and 2006, in hopes of removing the tumor on her pituitary gland, but they weren’t successful. Then, when she began radiation therapy in 2017, the treatment caused her hair to fall out.
AIR FRYER ROASTED SALMON WITH SAUTÉED BALSAMIC SPINACH
reduce back pain and improves our balance. That means we’re less likely to suffer from a fall that can permanently impact our health. ... continued from Page 4 If you’re ready to start strength training, talk to your doctor about your medical history and any precautions you should take. Once you get the all-clear, start slow, and don’t be afraid to ask for expert help. You’ll eventually see improved strength, mobility, and overall health, whether now or in the future.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat air fryer to 450 F. Rub 1 tsp oil over both sides of salmon, then sprinkle with seafood seasoning and pepper. In a greased air fryer basket, place salmon. 2. Cook about 10–12 minutes until fish flakes easily. 3. In a 6-qt stockpot, place remaining oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Heat over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. 4. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Cook until vinegar is reduced by half, then remove from heat. 5. Arrange spinach on serving dish. Place salmon over spinach mixture and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided • 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each) • 1 1/2 tsp reduced-sodium seafood seasoning • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 garlic clove, sliced • Dash of crushed red pepper flakes • 10 cups fresh baby spinach (about 10 oz) • 6 small tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
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7801 Pine Ridge Rd. Louisville, KY 40241 (502) 966-7810 kentucky.seniorhealth.pro
Inside This Issue 1 Why the Bennetts Look Forward to Friday 2 Go-Getting Starts With Goal-Setting 3 What Started as a Joke Became Reality 3 Air Fryer Roasted Salmon With Sautéed Balsamic Spinach 4 Why You Shouldn’t Skip Strength Training
A Weight Off Your Shoulders Improve Your Health With Strength Training
When discussing strength training, people’s minds often go straight to weightlifting and bodybuilders. As a result, almost everyone thinks, “That’s not for me!” But strength training is essential for everyone who wants to stay active and healthy. It becomes even more important in our golden years, so it’s also a relief to know that strength training encompasses much more than pumping iron. Strength training is sometimes called resistance training, making it sound slightly less intimidating. While all the fancy weighted gym equipment is an option, many exercises use your body weight to build strength. Lunges, squats, knee raises, hip extensions, and heel stands are some strength training exercises for beginners. You probably know that regular exercise is good for your health, but it gets harder to keep up with as the years pass. By 75, about 1 in 3 men and 1 in 2 women are completely inactive. While disability and illness are sometimes to blame, the best way to stay active longer
is to be active now! We’re more likely to retain our function when we keep our muscles moving. Walking, cycling, and swimming are excellent low-impact ways to get your heart pumping and improve your fitness level. But
we need more than cardiovascular (“cardio”) exercise to keep us healthy. Strength training builds up our muscles, bones, and joints through movement — and the benefits for people aged 60 and up are well worth the effort. Studies have shown that strength training can help prevent or reduce the symptoms of many common ailments. Osteoporosis and arthritis often see improvement through strength training, and it may provide relief for people with pulmonary disease. Strength training exercise also helps
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kentucky.seniorhealth.pro
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. We master the details so you don’t have to. We Represent All Medicare Plans We are Licensed Insurance Brokers, which means we represent all the Medicare plans in Kentucky. We look at all the plans available in Kentucky and 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 tradeoffs. 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
The Best Plan for You In 2023 Second Thoughts About Your Medicare Plan? Maybe you feel you missed out on some great benefit that others are getting … Or maybe you tried a new Medicare plan this year … It sounded really good, but the reality is not what you expected. If you’re having second thoughts about your Medicare plan for 2023, give us a call and let’s talk. We can help you. What if Your Needs Change in 2023? If your health care needs change during the year, maybe your current Medicare plan doesn’t fit your situation the way it did before. Give us a call and let’s talk. We can help you understand your options. What About Advertising Claims? All those advertising claims you hear are designed to make you feel like you’re missing out. Call centers want you to call so they can switch you to another plan. Unfortunately, the great benefits they advertise are only available in certain areas, or to those with limited income. You can avoid the sales pressure by giving us a call.
We’ll let you know which benefits are available in your area and for your income level. And just as important, we’ll explain the things you’ll give up by changing plans.
Call us with your questions. We are your Agents for Life.
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