Brrrr! We had total frost on Sunday! Since then, the weather has gotten progressively warmer and we were actually back in the 70’s today. Well, we were AT 70 degrees. It isn’t going to last though. Rain is forecast for the next two days, followed by a mega drop back to the 40s! My senior mom has been having a harder time with this cold weather than me, which is par for the course. I keep reminding her that when she was in her 50s, she was always roasting because her dad, who was freezing, kept the heater up at 80 degrees (pre-energy crisis days!). She is much better than he was. She just keeps adding layers, so I don’t have to melt away from the “heat” in the midst of the snow. I appreciate her for so many reasons, and that is one BIG one!.

Arthritis sufferers all seem to believe that cold weather brings on more aches and pains and the news media agrees! Denver is definitely a mega-snow area and the Denver Channel 7 news channel has an interesting article about arthritis and winter weather. They even mentioned that apparently it’s not just the cold weather, but various viruses that can contribute to our achy feeling. I’ll definitely keep taking my Vitamin C every day.

They do have some great tips for less achy and more comfortable winters, such as:

Seniors and Baby Boomer Generation Need To Stay Active, Even When It’s Cold!

It’s the perfect time to play games with our grandkids and work up a sweat on a regular basis. Or put on several layers of clothes and go for as brisk a walk as we are able. Sitting too much will just make things worse! I’m in the process of unpacking and getting as many boxes as possible out of our new, attached garage. With warm clothes and small scooters for my grandkids, I’m hoping to keep them active all winter and referee-ing/playing with them will hopefully keep me busy too. If the outside is too cold for walking for our senior parents, we can often head for the mall or a big Wal-mart to get our regular exercise.

Make Sure Our Senior Parents and All of Us Sandwich Generation Caregivers With Arthritis Keep On With A Healthy Diet, Not A Heavy One!

I’ve been depending a bit much on TV dinners and hoping to start cooking for myself a bit more often this winter. But I had already planned on keeping to a healthy menu and am going to give a couple of menu websites a try. My daughter used to subscribe to Leanne Fly’s SavingDinners website and said they had the healthy dinner ideas with minimal work on her part. They were definitely delicious! Since time is definitely “of the essence” in my life, that’s what I need. They offer several weight loss meals, including Low Sodium, Low-Carb, and Vegetarian which would include low cholesterol recipes. A site specializing in homeschooling programs recommended another Cooking Plan as well, which also offers a variety of menu options including one for Busy Moms and Grandmoms. I’m going to “test drive” both of them and see which is easier and tastier. I’ll keep all you busy Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents posted on how this works out. 

More Tips For Senior Home Care Givers.

You can read the full article with even more great tips for a happier combination of arthritis and winter at The Denver Channel. If you have any tips of your own for making our aging parents’ (and our) bones less achy for the winter, let us know. And be sure to sign up for the SandwichINK free email for plenty more great info in every season!

I don’t know about you, but as a member of the Baby Boomer Generation with several senior relatives, all of us are thinking A LOT about cholesterol. For that reason, I’ve tended to assume it is something only those of us in the over-50 crowd need to be really focused on.

Today I was reading an article by clinical dietitian Josey Crew, written as part of National Cholesterol Month, that recommends all women over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol counts checked! WOW! Guess we need to let our adult kids know about that one! She recommends this in part because “women over the age of 55 tend to have higher cholesterol levels than men” and “elevated blood cholesterol is one of three major risk factors for coronary heart disease.” Bet it wouldn’t hurt to let our guys know these facts as well!

If you’d like more information for yourself, or to share with other loved ones in your life – from senior parents down to younger grandkids, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has some excellent information, complete with diagrams and pictures. Among other things, it lists foods that INCREASE bad cholesterol, including a high carbohydrate diet! I have to admit, with all my reading, that was totally NEW to me! Guess I’m going to have to stick with the low carb meals of the South Beach diet instead of my beloved, but high in carbs, Serotonin diet. Hmmmmm.

There’s plenty of other excellent info there – enough for a great school report for classroom projects or homeschooling programs, if any of your grandkids are looking for ideas! They even offer a free 85 page PDF booklet, Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes). I’ve saved that onto my computer and will be giving it a good reading later this month! Did you discover anything new to you? We’d love to hear what it was. It might give us some extra food for thought as well.

The Food Network lists seven foods that seem to help lower cholesterol.  The American Heart Association has some great tips for cooking healthier.  Also, in addition to my oat bran ideas for a low cholesterol diet, here are some other yummy low cholesterol recipes full of healthy foods:

• Greek-styled Stewed Chicken
• Lettuce, Apple, Walnut Salad
• Mayo Clinic Treasure Trove of Heart Healthy Recipes

What’s your favorite recipe for a low cholesterol diet? Send it to me at SandwichINK@SandwichINK.com for a future article.