Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of February 7th
Note: the Office for the Aging and all OFA Friendship Centers are closed on Friday, February 11th in observance of the New York State holiday marking Lincoln’s Birthday. Clients of OFA’s Home Delivered Meals program will receive their meals in advance of the holiday.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND NUTRITION FOR OLDER ADULTS
February is both Black History Month and American Heart Month, and an opportune time to address conditions like diabetes that are common among older adults, and disproportionately affecting older African Americans among the general older-adult population – 52 hospitalizations per 10,000 African American New Yorkers, compared to 17.7 per 10,000 for the general population, according to the New York State Office for the Aging.
Unmanaged diabetes is linked to increased risk for other diseases common in older adults, like cardiovascular and kidney disease, along with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The encouraging news is that by addressing diabetes, we can reduce the risk of many other diseases. Just as diabetes has a larger presence among African Americans, so will addressing diabetes bring about larger improvements among African-Americans.
GOOD NUTRITION AND STAYING ACTIVE ARE THE KEYS
The Office for the Aging’s Nutrition Services division publishes monthly menus and newsletters for clients of OFA’s Friendship Centers and Home Delivered Meals program, and you can read them yourself at dutchessny.gov/OFANutrition. February marks the start of “candy season,” which begins on Valentine’s Day and can continue right through Easter season to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. It’s a lot of temptation: but rather than try and fail to avoid sweets altogether, it’s helpful to have healthy options available. They’ll keep one’s sweet tooth from taking too much control.
This recipe for dark chocolate covered figs is included with the February menu:
Ingredients:
½ cup dark chocolate chips (dairy free, if you can find it)
12 fresh Mission (a/k/a Black Mission or Franciscana) figs
¼ cup finely chopped raw walnuts
Directions:
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave.
Dip figs into melted chocolate, sprinkle with nuts and place on parchment-lined pan.
Refrigerate about 30 minutes, until chocolate and nuts are set and figs are cold.
Calories: 80; Total fat: 4g; Saturated fat: 1.5g; Trans-fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg
Total carbohydrate: 13g; Dietary fiber: 2g; Sugars: 10g; Protein: 1g
Compare that to what’s in a small box of mass-produced commercial chocolates: well over 200 calories; 18 or more grams of fat and trans fat; 20-50 grams of sugar; additives of questionable-at-best nutritional value; and negligible amounts of anything potentially healthy like fiber, vitamins and/or protein. But if you really must have a bit of candy, something produced locally will be far tastier. Savor it, and maybe you really will be able to hold yourself to just one.
Want more simple, healthy recipes? Visit dutchessny.gov/OFANutrition. Each recipe is in printable, large-print PDF format.
Exercise is the second part of the health equation, and OFA hosts safe, socially distanced exercise classes throughout the county. Interested in tai chi? OFA offers those classes as well. And there’s an “A Matter of Balance” class getting underway this month in Fishkill. For more information about classes near you, or on becoming a volunteer exercise class leader, contact OFA at 845-486-2555 or ofa@dutchessny.gov.
Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone 845-486-2555, email: ofa@dutchessny.gov website: www.dutchessny.gov/aging
OFA NUTRITION PRESENTATIONS FOR FEBRUARY
Join the Office for the Aging’s Nutrition Services division for presentations aimed at raising awareness of good nutrition for older adults. In observance of Heart Health Month, the topic of this month’s presentations is “Eating for a Healthy Heart.” Advance registration is required for non-clients of OFA Friendship Centers. Call 845-486-2555 for information.
Below is the February schedule. All presentations take place at 11:00 am. Schedules are subject to change.
- Tuesday, February 9th – Beacon Friendship Center, 1 Forrestal Heights
- Wednesday, February 10th – East Fishkill Friendship Center, 890 NY 82, Hopewell Junction
- Monday, February 14th – South Amenia Friendship Center, 229 South Amenia Rd., Wassaic (First Presbyterian Church Hall)
- Tuesday, February 15th – Millerton Friendship Center, 28 Century Boulevard (Library annex)
- Thursday, February 17th – Tri-Town Friendship Center, 1576 US 44, Pleasant Valley (First Presbyterian Church)
- Tuesday, February 22nd – Pawling Friendship Center, 154 Charles Colman Blvd. (American Legion Hasler-Kamp Post 215)
- Wednesday, February 23rd – Poughkeepsie Friendship Center, 114 Delafield St.
- Thursday, February 24th – Red Hook Friendship Center, 59 Fisk St. (Red Hook Community Center)
In the event of winter weather disrupting Friendship Center schedules, announcements will be posted on Dutchess County social media at www.facebook.com/DutchessCoGov and www.twitter.com/DutchessCoGov, and are distributed to area broadcasters for announcing and/or posting on their websites.
Other aging news online:
A review of the new soundtrack to the “Summer of Soul” documentary on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, featuring the 5th Dimension, B.B. King, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone and many others: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/various-artists-summer-of-soul-or-when-the-revolution-could-not-be-televised-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/?bxid=5cec26a424c17c4c64607b7a&cndid=21991033&esrc=thematicseed&hasha=b2946d7b42377b4841b3ffa8671b2edb&hashb=ba91f3a063159a5c023d7932d9b913dadf31574d&hashc=f0cf0a8a5b7325e0660e56c41aa6b7ce5658c27c483fece30d7a8bcf02463554&sourcecode=thematic_spotlight&utm_brand=spotlight-nl&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=thematic_spotlight_020122_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_term=Thematic_Spotlight
Following up on other recent OFA stories on the issue of clearing snow…are you too old to shovel? If you’re over 45 you might well be: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/are-you-too-old-to-shovel-snow-if-youre-over-45-beware-of-heart-attacks-doctor-says/ar-AASnNLp?ocid=winp-se
Paying for dental care after age 65 can be tricky: https://www.after50finances.com/medical/pay-for-dental-care-after-age-65/
This week’s birthdays:
2/7: Journalist/author Gay Talese (90)
2/8: Journalist Ted Koppel (82)
2/9: Singer/songwriter Carole King (80)
2/10: Mountaineers Jim and Lou Whittaker (both 93)
2/11: Actress/singer Tina Louise (88)
2/12: NBA legend Bill Russell (88)
2/13: Singer/songwriter/activist Peter Gabriel (72)
And a Bad Joke:
I went grocery shopping the other day and just about all the fruit was gone!
I’m peachless.
