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THE PENROSE POST
DECEMBER 2022
PENROSEPT.COM | 360-456-1444
PLANNING THE LAST, BEST CHRISTMAS 10 Traditions on My To-Do List
Penrose Power is designed to improve bone density and full- body strength. If you need more strength to make daily life easier, or to return to hiking, kayaking, traveling, or whatever you love doing, this is for you! Penrose Posture and Flexibility is a modified version of yoga using a chair. This version focuses on poses that increase bone density while improving your posture and mobility. You will FEEL more fluid and taller after this class. Monday: Penrose Power, 9 a.m. Tuesday: Penrose Posture, 9 a.m. Thursday: Penrose Posture, 9 a.m. Friday: Penrose Power, 9 a.m. Small-Group Training Sessions Now Being Held in Person! COME JOIN US
I still can’t believe it: This is the second to last Christmas we’ll spend as a family before our oldest son, Alan, graduates from high school. I hope Alan comes home for the holidays in the upcoming years, but there’s no way to know for sure. He might be in college or trade school, traveling the world, or working a job in a city far away. The future is a mystery, so just in case these are our family’s last few Christmases for a while, Dan and I are pulling out all of the stops. We made a list of every tradition we have to squeeze into our schedule, including: 1. A day ice skating at Oly Ice. 2. Baking and decorating sugar cookies — or Belgian waffle cookies, the best Christmas cookies ever! 3. Giving to Christmas Operation Child or another local charity as a family. 4. Exploring the outdoors on a holiday adventure. This year, we plan to drive into the mountains to ski or snowshoe as a family. 5. Attending the lovely Christmas Eve service at our church, complete with heartwarming Christmas songs and candlelight. 6. Going out to dinner on Christmas Eve. 7. Watching the kids open one present each after Christmas Eve dinner. (We try not to go overboard on gifts, but each boy gets something he really wants, something he needs, and something fun. Most of our holiday money goes toward traveling and “I hope Alan comes home for the holidays next year, but there’s no way to know for sure. He might be in college or trade school, traveling the world, or working a job in a city far away.”
family time, and the kids are fine with that. They actually enjoy discovering new places and testing out activities we haven’t tried before.) 8. Sharing our special dessert: Chocolate cake from a local bakery with “Happy Birthday Jesus” scrawled on top. This might be an unusual tradition, but it reminds us that when we celebrate Christmas, we’re really celebrating the birth of Jesus. Plus, the cake is absolutely delicious. 9. Eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. While we dig into our pastries, I like to play my dad’s favorite Christmas album by The Oak Ridge Boys. The kids can’t resist rolling their eyes! 10. Tearing into our Christmas stockings. I usually stuff the boys’ stockings with necessities like new socks, gum, ChapStick, travel items, and games. Sometimes I even sneak in a joke or two. This year, I know I’m getting my 16-year-old a new hairbrush because he misplaced his and keeps taking everyone else’s. He might find a scrub brush in his stocking too, since he recently swiped mine from the kitchen sink for one of his projects. After unloading our stockings, we’ll spend all afternoon in our jammies relaxing, chatting with aunts and cousins on the phone, and enjoying our new gifts and games. It’s the perfect end to a perfect day: I’ll have my boys around me, and I won’t have to spend hours in the kitchen. There’s no way to know for sure, but I suspect we only have two family Christmases left with Alan, six with Andrew, and seven with Alex. To avoid wasting that precious time, Dan and I will make this Christmas the best one yet!
Wishing you a very merry Christmas,
Penrose Posture, 1 p.m.
– Dr. Jennifer Penrose
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ONE ‘STEP’ AT A TIME PHYSICAL THERAPY IS FOR KIDS, TOO!
When physical therapy comes to mind, your thoughts likely jump to adults with injuries, the elderly, and people recovering from surgical procedures. But, did you know it's for kids, too? Physical therapy is highly beneficial for children suffering from conditions that limit their ability to enjoy life to the fullest. This can include physical impairments that impact their mobility, coordination, quality of movement, balance, age-appropriate gross motor skills, or other medical conditions. If a child’s development is ever affected by an illness, physical therapy can improve a medical condition or injury to enhance their quality of life. It can help them grow and develop with their peers while experiencing fewer mobility barriers. Some common medical diagnoses that may benefit from physical therapy include developmental delay, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hypotonia, spina bifida, and torticollis.
just for kids to enhance their gross motor movement and functional mobility. Most of the equipment resembles toys, and the children are excited to show up for their sessions and interact with the fun and enticing equipment! These items usually include:
• Balance beams • Therapy balls • Hoops • Foam rollers
• Small trampolines • Pediatric scooters • Swings • Fitness rockers
In severe cases involving children with significant movement disorders that limit or prevent walking or sitting, special seating or wheelchairs may be necessary for physical therapy sessions. Keep in mind that physical therapy doesn’t only remedy symptoms of illnesses and medical conditions. Suppose a kid sprains their ankle playing soccer, breaks an arm while learning to ride a bike, or injures their growth plate on the playground. In that case, they may also require physical therapy to assist them in recovering, especially if they underwent surgery! The overarching goal of physical therapy for kids is to keep the experience upbeat, removing any apprehension or fear so they reach developmental milestones or recover from injuries. Most exercises are conducted in a “game” style and usually incorporate the child’s parents for support. To find out more about pediatric physical therapy, the best place to start is to consult with a physical therapist you trust. They will guide you through the process and support you in making the best decision to meet your child’s needs! Remember: Movement is medicine, no matter your age!
Pediatric physical therapy works to limit or correct symptoms of the following conditions:
• Pain • Poor posture
• Abnormal gait patterns • Core weakness • Insufficient balance • Ligament laxity • Asymmetrical movement patterns
• Lack of coordination • Decreased flexibility • Restrictions in range of motion
So, what does physical therapy for kids look like? It’s usually much different than the typical adult PT session — after all, a kid’s work is all play! Physical therapy offices that offer services for children are typically loaded with colorful and appealing exercise and therapy equipment, usually designed
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Exploring the Dangers of Fad Diets
When you hear it's possible to lose 10 pounds in two weeks, it's surely tempting to at least look into the new diet that your friend or coworker is raving about. Desperate to lose weight, millions of people worldwide fall victim to fad diets to achieve quick weight loss. Unfortunately, many of them are dangerous to your health and may fall short of expectations. Certain fad diets may shed some pounds, but in most cases, the results are temporary and can be harmful to your health. Some of the more well-known fad diets include the Baby Food Diet, the Tapeworm Diet, the Fruitarian Diet, and the Cabbage Soup Diet. These diets drastically restrict calories, cut out major food groups, may lack ample (if any) protein, and are not sustainable. We all want a quick fix regarding waist size, but these diets are not worth risking your body. The Baby Food Diet, which allows you to eat a jar of baby food for a few meals a day, drastically restricts calories. You’ll lose weight, but it will send your body into starvation mode, leading it to conserve calories. More notably, once you wean
off this fad diet and return to normal calorie consumption, the scale is likely to creep back up. There’s a reason baby food is for babies! Likely one of the most dangerous diets is the Tapeworm Diet, which directs people to consume a pill that grows an actual tapeworm in their stomach, and the parasite consumes the food and nutrients that are ingested. Banned by the FDA, this diet is hopefully no longer used by people! Some other diets, such as the Fruitarian Diet or Cabbage Soup Diet, involve eating foods from only one food group, which takes the necessary balance out of your diet! When you only eat one type of food, you deny your body other nutrients and essential fatty acids present in other foods. Because fad diets are so restrictive and eliminate many different kinds of food, they can leave you feeling weak, tired, and more prone to illness. The bottom line is fairly simple: If the result of fad diet seems too good to be true, it probably is!
WINTER VEGETABLE SHEPHERD’S PIE
TAKE A BREAK!
DIRECTIONS
INGREDIENTS
• 6 1/2 cups potatoes, cut into large chunks • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 onions, sliced • 1 tbsp flour • 2 large carrots, cut into rounds • 1/2 cauliflower, broken into florets • 4 garlic cloves, sliced • 1 sprig rosemary • 15-oz can diced tomatoes plus liquid • 1/2 cup water • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas • Milk, to desired consistency
1. In a pot, boil potatoes until tender. 2. In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots, cauliflower, garlic, and rosemary and stir until softened. 3. Pour tomatoes into mix and add water. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, then remove lid and cook for 15 minutes until thickened. Stir in peas and simmer. 4. Drain and mash potatoes. Stir in milk to desired consistency. 5. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spoon hot vegetable mix into pie dish, then top with mashed potatoes. Bake until top is golden brown.
Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
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360-456-1444 | PenrosePT.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
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1. 10 Traditions on My To-Do List 2. Pediatric Physical Therapy 3. The Dangers of Fad Diets INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Winter Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
4. Eliminating Visceral Fat
NOT ALL FAT IS CREATED EQUAL
Did you know that there are two types of fat: subcutaneous and visceral?
The best course of action is to reduce and prevent visceral fat, which can be challenging, as the only true way to eliminate visceral fat and keep it off is through proper diet and exercise. Here are some methods to reduce your risk of harmful effects of excess visceral fat:
Subcutaneous fat is the "pinchable" fat commonly found around your midsection, arms, and legs. Visceral fat, however, wraps around your organs, so it’s much harder to see or even notice. Compared to subcutaneous fat, visceral fat puts you at a higher risk for health complications. Some potential health concerns that can result from excess visceral fat include Alzheimer’s, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke. So, how do you measure your visceral fat, and how do you get rid of it? While it’s difficult to measure, costly imaging tests can accurately report just how much visceral fat is hanging around your internal organs. As a cheaper alternative, you can use your body mass index, or BMI, as an indicator of healthy weight ranges and appropriate fat levels based on your body measurements. You can also measure your waist size since visceral fat tends to congregate in your abdominal cavity. According to Medical News Today, if a woman’s waist measures 35 inches or more, she likely is carrying too much visceral fat. The same is true for a man’s waist that measures 40 inches or more.
• Prioritize sleep and ensure that you are getting enough. • Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily (aerobic exercises are especially beneficial). • Consume a healthy and balanced diet consisting of proteins, fruits, and veggies. • Avoid smoking. • Reduce sugary sodas and drinks. • Limit alcohol intake. • Avoid trans fats. • Reduce stress levels. No matter how fit or in shape you are, having some fat on your body is normal and healthy. However, to keep your body healthy and performing its best, reducing visceral fat is essential!
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