It's important to be well fed and nourished in all stages of life, but older adults need to be even more tentative and diligent in making sure they eat enough and of the right types of food.

Here are my suggestions for healthy eating to support your workouts.

1. Always eat breakfast.
Your body has not eaten since the night before and is now in a fasting state. As soon as you get up out of bed your blood sugar begins to drop until you eat something. It is important to eat within an hour of waking up. Symptoms of low blood sugar can include feeling dizzy, spacey, or nauseas. Include protein and complex carbohydrates or whole grains in your breakfast. Protein ideas include eggs, protein powder, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and leftover meat or fish. Complex carbohydrates include oatmeal, whole grain toast or muffin, and whole grain cereal like Cheerios. Juice does not count as a carbohydrate here.

2. Eat three meals a day spaced 4-6 hours apart.
Have a snack if you get hungry. Include some protein, a whole grain or sweet potato and vegetable at each meal. Examples include fish, rice and veggie, or steak, potato and veggie.

3. Refuel after your workouts.
Enjoy a complex carbohydrate and protein snack after your workouts to keep blood sugar steady. Examples include a rice cake and peanut butter, hardboiled egg and granola bar, or fruit and nuts.

4. Slowly increase the amount of vegetable you are eating at lunch and dinner until you are consuming two cups at each meal. Experiment with raw veggies often!

5. Eat a small snack such as a hardboiled egg at night if you are hungry or have trouble falling asleep.

6. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day.
You may think you are drinking enough water, but actually measure it out one day and see if you really are! For example, if you are a 150 pound person you will need 75 ounces of water each day. That's a little over two liters of water or a little over nine cups. You'll also need to drink more water if you exercise!

Follow these tips, and find yourself fueling better and feeling healthier, happier, and more energized!

Labels: active older adults, active retirement community, fitness, fuel your workouts, health and fitness, health and wellness, retirement home, Sandra Sieber, senior living, upscale senior living

One Christmas Rita and I searched the area to locate the perfect tree. A nearby lot provided a good choice. Selecting the perfect tree was a ritual for us each year. Hundreds of trees—spruces, scotch pines and more—separated by size and price, made it easy. The six-foot Scotch pine that we bought had a nice shape for our family room.

Thirty minutes later, it sat in our tree-stand where we judged again its size and beauty. I turned it one-way, then Rita turned it another, visualizing together its best side and how it would look decorated.

“Let’s have a glass of red wine and hors-d’oeuvres to think it over,” she said—a sign she did not like it.

“It looks okay to me.”

“It is a lovely tree, but it is too big for our space. It covers part of our wing chairs,” she said.

“Well, I’ll just take it back.”

“You can’t do that! It’s a Christmas tree,” she exclaimed.

“You return things all the time. Why not return a $45 tree?”

“They don’t take back Christmas trees!”

“Well, I’ll give it a try. All they can say is no.”

I drove the few miles to the lot with the tree hanging out of the trunk and then carried it to the owner.

“My wife doesn’t like this tree and I’d hate to see a tree ruin her Christmas.”

“Heck” he said. “We can’t spoil a lady’s Christmas. Just go over and select the same size tree. Drop that one on the reject pile.”

It wasn’t easy to pick a perfect tree because I knew the scrutiny it would receive at home.

“Honey, here’s your new tree,” I said. “How do you like it?”

“I can’t believe you had the nerve to return a Christmas tree,” she said emphatically.

“The owner and I nearly had a fistfight about returning it, but I won the argument. He didn’t want you to have a horrible Christmas.”

“You didn’t! You couldn’t! How embarrassing. I hope the neighbors didn’t see you.”

“I’m only kidding honey. The guy was great.”

“Take any one you want for the little lady,” he said.

“Now, after all that, you know it had to be the perfect Christmas tree.”

Labels: active retirement communities, Chicago independent living, chicago retirement community, Jack and Rita, the garlands, upscale senior living

I'm so bow wow sorry that I haven't put my paw to the paper until now. The rainy weather in June and the hots of July had me in a real funk. Being house bound really got underneath my fur coat. Seems to me we've had more rain this spring than cats have meows. And yet to come are the "dog days of August." We get blamed for more than our four legs can stand.

And speaking of cats, have you passed the home of Bob and Betty Bruns? The sign outside their door according to my driver says, "Dogs have owners; cats have staff."

At first I was taken back a bit; and then it dawned on me, cats need help...poor things. They can't do much for themselves except perhaps purr a lot and bang a fake mouse on a stick.

But dogs; when they need to find their home in the maze of The Garland's halls it's no big deal. If called, we can fake a hearing loss yet come for a treat from a mile away. I know to the minute when the chicken hits the kitchen counter; the cheese (only Swiss) is about to be served and when company's coming. We are independent, play outside and are taught tons of tricks. Being very smart, we do for ourselves and often get praise for ringing a bell to go outside or sharing our love with The Garlands residents. Even Betty Catlin, our next door neighbor and Jadwiga, our housekeeper, claim I'm very smart and they love me to pieces, which, of course, I return in kind.

And how about being known as man's best friend? Lately we have garnered more PR for the likes of me. (Check out the latest issue of Quintessnetial Barrington.) Isn't my scooter driver handsome? Yes, I have to admit a limited staff lives in my household but their duties are done after my barking commands.

Now, what can cats do? Well maybe a few are self sufficient. But most of the time they just lie around, preen themselves, chow down and expect to be waited on by their "staff." How often do you see a cat riding around The Garlands outside or in? The only time cats make it out in the halls is when they scoot between their staff's legs and race for freedom.

Now before closing this letter I do have to give some kudos to that furry breed. It could be that their kittens are more cuddly than our frisky pups. Also cats best us in age. According to the experts they live longer. I don't have a clue as to the years eight or nine lives add up to but I'm almost 14. At 6 or 7 times one of my years I'm between 86 and 98 compared to humans. Not too shabby if I say so myslef. And despite my poor eye sight and slower gait, I love living here with my wonderful group of friends. Lucky us...and that includes all the cats.

Don't take this to heart Cato. I still love you. (For those who don't know, Cato is Bonnie's cat.) I'll write again sooner rather than later. I promise.

Love, P.D. (Perfect Dog)

Labels: active retirement community, active senior living, pd the dog, upscale senior living

A lost pet parrot from Lake Zurich was successfully reunited with its owner yesterday, Thursday, June 9th! Thanks to a quick-thinking senior citizen, people- and animal-loving assisted living workers and the Facebook social network.

Saturday night Kasha, a Lake Zurich parrot, took a joy flight. On Sunday, Kasha stopped to rest on the balcony of Ralph Ostrom, a senior resident at Prairieview at The Garlands Assisted Living Community in Barrington. Surprised to see such a beautiful bird, Ralph opened his door and in flew Kasha. Adept at helping humans, the staff at Prairieview extended their caring and kind attitude toward the parrot. They gave Kasha fruit and water, shelter (in the form of a birdcage brought from one staff member’s home!) and the attention that these birds so often crave.

They reached out to the local police, veterinarians, animal control and pet stores in an effort to find the parrot’s owner with no success. On Wednesday evening, the Executive Director of Prairieview saw a Facebook posting about a lost parrot with a description that exactly matched the rescued bird at Prairieview!

Thursday morning the Prairieview staff called the number on the flyer. The boyfriend of the bird’s owner answered and exclaimed “that’s Kasha!” when he heard the parrot caw in the background. But he didn’t share the good news with his girlfriend, who had been crying for days over the loss of her beloved bird. Instead, he brought her to Prairieview under a ruse. When the staff brought Kasha to the woman, her jaw dropped and she cried with joy!

“A lot of the staff here own pets, so it was really important for us to reunite the pet parrot with its owner,” said Lisa Geisler, Activity Director, Prairieview at The Garlands.

Labels: active retirement communities, active senior living, Chicago assisted living, chicago retirement community, garlands blogger, parrot, upscale senior living

It's normal to forget things from time to time, and it's normal to become somewhat more forgetful as you age, but it's not normal to forget too much. But how much forgetfullness is too much? How can you tell wether your memory lapses are within the scope of normal aging or are a symptom of something more serious?

Healthy people can experience memory loss or memory distortion at any age. Some of these memory flaws become more pronounced with age, but--unless they are extreme and persistent--they are not considered indicators of Alzheimer's or other memory-impairing illnesses.

Seven Normal Memory Problems

1. Transience

This is the tendency to forget facts or events over time. You are most likely to forget information soon after you learn it. However, memory has a use-it-or-lose-it quality: memories that are called up and used frequently are least likely to be forgotten. Although transience might seem like a sign of memory weakness, brain scientists regard it as beneficial because it clears the brain of unused memories, making way for newer, more useful ones.

2. Absentmindedness

This type of forgetting occurs when you don't pay close enough attention. You forget where you just put your pen because you didn't focus on where you put it in the first place. You were thinking of something else (or, perhaps, nothing in particular), so your brain didn't encode the information securely. Absentmindedness also involves forgetting to do something at a prescribed time, like taking your medicine or keeping an appointment.

3. Blocking

Someone asks you a question and the answer is right on the tip of your tounge--you know that you know it, but you just can't think of it. this is perhaps the most familiar examble of blocking, the temporary inability to retrieve a memory. In many cases, the barrier is a memory similar to the one you're looking for, and you retrieve the wrong one. This competing memory is so intrusive that you can't think of the memory you want. A common example is calling your older son by your younger son's name or vice versa.

Scientists think that memory blocks become more common with age and that they account for the trouble older people have remembering other people's names. Research shows that people are able to retrieve about half of the blocked memories within just a minute.

4. Misattribution

Misattribution occurs when you remember something accurately in part, but misattribute some detail, like the time, place or person involved. Another kind of misattribution occurs when you believe a thought you had was totally original when, in fact, it came from something you had previously read or heard but had forgotten about. This sort of misattribution explains cases of unintentional plagiarism, in which a writer passes off some information as original when he or she actually read it somewhere before.

As with several other kinds of memory lapses, misattribution becomes more common with age. Age matters in at least two ways. First, as you age, you absorb fewer details when acquiring information because you have somewhat more trouble concentrating and processing information rapidly. Second, as you grow older, your memories grow older as well. And old memories are especially prone to misattribution.

5. Suggestibility

Suggestibility is the vulnerability of your memory to the power of suggestion--information that you learn about an occurrence after the fact becomes incorporated into your memory of the incident, even though you did not experience these details. Although little is known about exactly how suggestibility works in the brain, the suggestion fools your mind into thinking it's a real memory.

6. Bias

Even the sharpest memory isn't a flawless snapshot of reality. In your memory, your perceptions are filtered by your personal biases--experiences, beliefs, prior knowledge, and even your mood at the moment. Your biases affect your perceptions and experiences when they're being encoded in your brain. And when you retrieve a memory, your mood and other biases at that moment can influence what information you actually recall.

Although everyone's attitudes and preconceived notions bias their memories, there's been virtually no research on the brain mechanisms behind memory bias or whether it becomes more common with age.

7. Persistence

Most people worry about forgetting things. But in some cases people are tormented by memories they wish they could forget, but can't. The persistence of memories of traumatic events, negative feelings, and ongoing fears is another form of memory problem. Some of these memories accurately reflect horrifying events, while others may be negative distortions of reality.

People suffering from depression are particularly prone to having persistent, disturbing memories. So are people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can result from many different forms of traumatic exposure--for example, sexual abuse or wartime experiences. Flashbacks, which are persistent, intrusive memories of the traumatic event, are a core feature of PTSD.

Submitted by Sandra Siebert, The Garlands Fitness Coordinator

Labels: Fitness and Activities, memory, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

Join The Garlands Phase II Founders Club and enjoy the following benefits:

- 10% pre-opening savings
- An average $96K savings over opening day
- Discount more than compensates for most lowered home values
- Best locations/views
- Best selection

Plus take advantage of The Garlands complimentary "All the Right Moves" home staging and relocation services. Then relax and dream of living your best life at The Garlands.

To learn more about becoming a Founders Club member, call 847-304-1996.

Labels: active retirement communities, Chicago assisted living, Chicago independent living, chicago retirement community, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

"How many books do you have to return to the Barrington Library," I asked my wife, Rita
"Five or six."
"Why drive? Let's walk there, it's a beautiful day. I'll help you carry them."

The path starts at the Garlands, rises over a small hill and ends at the library, sign says one seventh of a mile.

"That was easy, the hill was no bother," Rita said.
"You're right. What is that construction going on just beyond the trees?" I asked.
"That's the new hospice center. It's due to open next year."
"I like the idea that they're in our back yard," I replied. "They're a great organization and the building fund is still going on."
"What a splendid day," She said. "Let's walk over the Garlands Bridge to Citizen's Park and check out the tree house, slides and picnic tables. You know the grand children love to play there."
"Great idea, Dear"

One couple played tennis as we passed the courts. The incline to the tree house was busy with families. A group of eight spread out a summer picnic meal on the table at the tree house platform. They talked and laughed loudly.

Rita said, "Jack it's a perfect day to walk through Cuba Marsh. We can go out a half mile using the boardwalks and return."
"Another good idea. Let's do it!"

We enjoyed our walk. The Cuba marsh is extensive and primordial. The birds make nearly all the sounds, but others, especially frogs contribute. The walk starts at a boardwalk over a small part of the marsh ending at a gravel path that leads shortly to the main long boardwalk. We followed that for our half-mile trek.

"We had a good time today. How about walking over to Langendorf Park tomorrow and have a picnic near the great public swimming pool?" I asked.

"Two miles is not far to walk, but the traffic is heavy at the crossing corner. I prefer driving especially because we'll have food and blankets."

Location, location, location. That's part of what we have here at our Active Senior Living community.

Jack Roche

Labels: active senior living, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement home, upscale senior living

Phase II of The Garlands is making great strides; our latest progress being in Building D, the superstructure of which was completed on schedule in August 2009. And a model unit--showcasing the luxurious living offered by our new residences--is finished and ready for visitors. We hope you can stop by and take a look!

Other progress you'll notice on your visit:

Roof trusses for this project are quite complicated and have been described by many as a most challenging geometric design. But the challenge has been met and these trusses are nearly complete at the west end of the building with the final roofing scheduled for completion by Thanksgiving.

With the completion of the roof trusses, the huge crane seen looming over our site has recently been dismantled and removed as its work is done.

The installation of the trusses and roofing enables the work on the exterior walls to progress. The exterior masonry is now 85% complete with the anticipated completion of all exterior wall masonry is mid November.

The Garlands goes green:

Insulation board is being installed behind the masonry, and when combined with the fiberglass insulation within the walls, we'll get exceptional energy efficiency in the residential units. In addition, the exterior Tyvek wrap system has been designed and installed per DuPont's standards to include special fasteners and flashing around the windows, all done to provide excellent protection against water intrusion through the exterior wall. All told, these will be extremely well made and efficient residences, which are easy on the heating/ cooling bills, as well as friendly to mother nature.

The east half of the building is already weather-tight, allowing the interior to be finished. The mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing tradesmen have already completed their rough-in work in the east half of the building. In this location, drywall is being installed as well as ceramic tile, wood doors, millwork, cabinets, painting and appliances.

The residential units at the east end of the building will start to approach completion by this year's end. This completion sequence will march west through the building throughout the winter months.

At ground level, the building will begin to take it's final form during late Summer of 2010 when driveways will be paved, landscaping installed and construction trailers removed.

The current schedule targets building completion by October 2010--less than one year away!

Labels: Chicago assisted living, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

Garlands members enjoy a tour of enchanting Lake Geneva.


Dolores Gray, Delores Lobraico and Betty Catlin enjoy the view from the "Belle."


After a delicious lunch, Lois Haselwood, Florence Wysocki and Cookie Cook listen to the Captain's narration aboard the "Belle."


Members board the bus after a beautiful day.

Labels: chicago retirement community, Fitness and Activities, senior retirement communities, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

"Images from Tibet" features the photography of Brian Ziegler, son of Garlands' member, Gregg Ziegler. For over ten years now Brian has pursued an avocation of photography from his international travels. This exhibit presents works from his trip to Tibet in the fall of 1999. Each image was captured on color negative film, transferred into digital format by scanning, and then printed onto canvas with an inkjet plotter. Join Brian on September 9 to discuss his travels through the lens. "Images of Tibet" Art Reception with pictures.

Right to Left: JoAnn, Gregg, Brain & Lyra (Brian's Daughter) Ziegler.

Labels: Chicago estate planning, chicago senior living, Fitness and Activities, upscale retirement home, upscale senior living

Hans and Istvan, The Garlands Gourmets.

"Gourmet food at a retirement community? You gotta be kiddin'!" said my wife, Rita.

"No. I'm not!" I replied. "Istvan Abdai, Director of Food and Beverage, and Hans Ladwein, Executive Chef, have joined culinary forces to create a gourmet night at the Roycroft, our upscale restaurant."

And so off we went . . .

Hans has a reassuring German accent that lends authority to his role as master chef. Istvan prides himself on having studied and mastered the subtle art of matching wine to cuisine, and he describes it in a distinctive Dutch tone, adding to the mystery of the wine.

The Chef's Table was where twenty gathered at the Roycroft about five thirty to begin a gourmet treat. Standing, the members mingled enjoying white and red wines, hors d'oeuvres and excited conversation--an appropriate beginning to the long-awaited evening.

A grand u-shape of tables with white table cloths, scattered flowers, assorted wine glasses and fancy silver cutlery set the mood for "Gourmet." The open end of the u directed us to Hans and Istvan who carefully and knowledgeably prepared us for the meal.

Hans and Istvan detailed the excellence to come: Chilled Swiss Cucumber Soup with a white Riesling Kabinett 2006 from Hirschbach und Sohne— introduced the high level of dining. Then a medley of spring greens, tossed tableside with cider vinegar, olive oil, honey poupon and walnuts. All nursed with a Camelot Chardonnay 2007. Pan-seared Diver scallops (hand picked deep in the ocean) placed over black cappelini in truffle oil and lemon-basil beurre blanc (a rich hot butter sauce with a white wine reduction) announced Hans' five-star ability. Istvan's kept this great food tied-in to the Camelot Chardonnay 2007.

We stopped for an amuse-bouche: a Blood Orange Sorbet, to refresh our
palettes before the main course.

The Marsala glazed lollipop veal chop was set on braised baby leaks. Roasted mushroom potatoes, tomato Florentine and shitake caps blended well with the veal as did the Estancia Central Coast Merlot 2007.

Great restaurants in our "Upscale Senior Living" retirement community demand a great finish to a great meal. Hans hit it on the nose with Cappuccino mousse and chocolate ganache on pomegranate coulis with chocolate and berry garnish.

As we left fully satisfied, I asked, "Are you a convert to exquisite dining here at the Roycroft?"

"I've been converted!" Rita replied, "Can't wait until Hans and Istvan have another 'Gourmet Delight."

Labels: Chicago assisted living, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

If you've been following our better balance report since it started in January, here's a review of what we've learned:

• Your sense of balance needs to be used often to stay in good shape.
• When you were younger, your daily activities exercised your sense of balance and kept it in good condition.
• As you get older, and your activity level decreases, your sense of balance gets less stimulation, causing the quality of your balance to deteriorate.
• Strong legs can help prevent falls and improve quality of life.
• There are many simple changes you can make to your home to decrease your chance of falling there.
• The combination of doing balance exercises, increasing leg strength, and reducing tripping hazards gives you the best chance of avoiding falls, maintaining independence and enjoying a high quality of life.

~Mike Ross, author of "The Balance Manual,"

www.balance-exercises.com

Labels: better balance report, Chicago assisted living, Chicago independent living, Fitness and Activities, senior retirement communities, upscale senior living

Say what you will about the virtues of modern technology, but sometimes a little glimpse at the future is a welcome harbinger of great things to come! So is the case with the new "virtual video" of The Garlands second phase of development. Through the magic of modern technology, what is currently architectural drawings, concrete and steel comes to life in DVD form as a replica of what the Garlands completed campus and new Phase II residences will look like on opening day in 2010. Take a glimpse into the future of our active retirement community and order your complimentary DVD today to pass along to a friend! Call 847-304-1996.

Labels: active retirement community, active senior living, chicago retirement community, garlands blogger, upscale senior living

Easter is a special time for many families the world over, and it's no different for our family here at the Garlands, where celebrations are a big part of active senior living community.

Easter brunch with all the trimmings, including visits with the bunny and an egg hunt in the courtyard, is a time-honored Garlands tradition.


Carl Peterson and Cookie Cooke pose with the Easter bunny before enjoying the Easter brunch.


Marlene Rolecek and grandchildren get ready to hunt for eggs with the Easter bunny.

Labels: active retirement community, chicago senior living, easter, garlands blogger, senior retirement communities, the garlands, upscale senior living

The Card Players by Paul Cezanne

The Card Players

Thursday afternoons: two o'clock--sacred time for the men at this active retirement community. Usually, fourteen gather before two o'clock to draw for a seat at the different tables. The men chat; little gossip, lots of sports, hints of politics but many "Ifs"--if I'd only caught a club, if I'd held onto my ace, if I'd stayed-in--I'd a won. Maybe! Marvelously, poker focuses on improving short term memory. After every hand, we test each other by asking, who dealt? Six or seven at the table think about it. Eventually a player recalls, and the game goes on. Constant memory exercise.

Good card games have great characters playing. Let's mention some of them: Organizer is first to set up poker-chips for each player. $10 required to play and another $5 in case of a bad-luck day. Lose $15 and you're out. This happens. Chips: blue 50¢, red 25¢ and white 10¢. Small money, lots of fun. Creator's long chamber list of crazy 'Dealers Choice' games maintains our interest. Some players get in a rut dealing the same game over and over again, seldom playing other great games, especially from Creator's list

Avocateur thinks winning is just the luck-of-the-draw and talent is baloney. Studying the case proves talent wins over time. Impatient signals a good hand by asking others to bet quickly--he's never that attentive with a weak hand. Analyzer fingers his cards tenderly, peeks at them repeatedly, verifying their strength before betting and then cajoles all to play properly.

Betting patterns tell stories about players' hands. Dropper quits game after game waiting for good cards. When Dropper, raises or bets--look-out--he's loaded and will take your money. Cautious, on the other hand, is always figuring the odds of winning, like trying for a bridge grand slam. Cautious drops out of some games with a winning hand--his losses are treasured by all.

The subtleties of poker are often spoiled by players dropping out-of-turn because of a poor hand. Bluffer tries now and then to win by bluffing, but is foiled when Impatient throws his hand down, out-of-turn, forcing the weak player before him to call Bluffer just to keep him honest.

Avocateur now respects evidence showing there is more to winning at poker than luck alone. There are regrets that other remarkable players like North Star, (a natural card counter), Accountant, (alertly tracks bets and antes) and Seven (lucky number fan) sat at the second table. Names have been changed to protect the Bluffer. Sharing this active senior life is a special joy for all. Come join us Thursdays.

Jack Roche

Labels: active retirement communities, active senior living, Chicago assisted living, chicago retirement community, Jack and Rita, senior retirement communities, upscale senior living

The most significant development lately has been the pouring of the first floor in the underground parking garage. Heated, underground parking is a benefit that members of The Garlands really enjoy--each residence comes complete with a designated parking place, just one of a million conveniences that make up The Garlands lifestyle, and what we feel is a part of upscale senior living. Meanwhile, site utilities for storm and sanitary lines, main electrical feed and being installed in the coming weeks.

Labels: Alzheimer's Care, chicago retirement community, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living