Category: Health & Wellness

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12.14.21 | Sage Advice®

Deliciously Healthy Winter Dishes For Any Gatherings

When winter comes around, no matter where you end up, it’s not difficult to find the sweet treats and savory meals that are traditionally associated with the season. However, for those inspired to maintain or start conscious eating habits, the winter can be a difficult time filled with temptation. Today, inspired by our vibrant living principles, we’re sharing a few deliciously healthy winter dishes that anyone can enjoy this winter. 

Sweet Potatoes

A favorite during this time of year, sweet potatoes are hard not to enjoy. While most people enjoy sweet potatoes even sweeter, baked with brown sugar and marshmallows, there are various methods to cook the vegetables that are just as enjoyable but much healthier. Like a standard potato, sweet potatoes can be served in a variety of ways. Baking them whole, mashing them, and even dicing them in a salad proves how versatile the vegetables can be. No matter how you cook them, we promise they won’t lose the sweetness that makes them so delectable in the first place. 

Winter Crudités

Who doesn’t love a mix of fresh vegetables? Crudités make the perfect winter dish for that reason. Not only can the appetizer appeal to virtually anyone, but it comes with a plethora of highly vitamin-packed vegetables that you can personally pick and choose. If you want to put a twist on the classic appetizer, make your own tasty dip to pair with the refreshing produce. 

Festive Fruit Salad

While it might seem out of season, a festive and healthy fruit salad is sure to excite taste buds in the winter. Similar to the crudités, not only is this dish healthy, but you can bring it and eat it anywhere and anytime. The nourishing food makes a perfect option for a morning snack or a late-night dessert. Along with the fruit, don’t be afraid to add in extra ingredients that bring even more flavor to the salad like mint, basil, lavender or even cayenne pepper for a little heat. 

Seasonal Squash

Another versatile food, squash is the perfect vegetable to substitute in and out of almost every traditional meal. Typically harvested in the fall, the nutrient-packed acorn squash, sugar pumpkins, spaghetti squash and butternut squash are available for cooking your favorite dishes year-round. Some seasonal favorites include butternut squash mac and cheese, soup and casserole, stuffed acorn squash and roasted spaghetti squash with kale. 

Even with the sweet temptations that surround us throughout the holiday season, healthy options are never too far out of reach. Whether you’re serving food at home for yourself or preparing a dish to bring to a gathering, there are various methods we can each take to continue practicing conscious eating habits and living vibrantly.

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12.09.21 | Health & Wellness

The Power of Music

There are many ways older adults can keep their minds sharp as they age, including scrapbooking, mentoring or even owning a pet. However, one of the most significant ways to actively exercise the brain is simply by listening to music. Many of us will play our favorite song or put background music on without any thought, but the melodic sounds have the power to stimulate our brains unlike anything else. 

Music and The Brain

If you’re seeking to retain your brain’s powerhouse abilities with age, John Hopkins Medicine affirms that listening to or playing music is an extremely powerful tool in doing so. What many don’t understand is that when we listen to music, mathematical puzzles are simultaneously being performed in our heads. With each note that passes through our ears, our brain toils to compute how it connects to each previous sound.

The unique tool can help assist in gathering memories that have felt lost in time. Sometimes a specific song will have the power to transport you to a specific moment in history; that’s because studies have discovered that music has the power to attract itself to memories, and with that, improve cognitive skills, and recognition and working memory. 

Engaging with music frequently has the ability to retrieve forgotten memories for older adults living with diseases contributing to memory loss and reduce anxiety, depression and pain in those who are battling other disabilities, like PTSD. 

The Intersection of Music and Medicine

Experts are continuously trying to understand where music fits in with medical treatment. Robert Gupta, violinist and social justice activist, has been a chameleon in both the music and medical industry nearly his whole life. Now, after realizing he can be involved in both of his passions, Gupta is finally understanding the sheer power music has in succeeding in areas where traditional western medicine isn’t able to reach, especially for vulnerable communities. Explore more in Gupta’s TED Talk here: 

 

Instilling Music in Your Life

Although the easiest way to integrate music into your life is by simply pressing play on your favorite album, there are numerous other ways you can reap its benefits at home and within your community. Attending concerts and musicals, in person or through a virtual environment like your television, are perfect ways to stimulate your brain while entertaining everyone in the room. 

While listening to music is just one of the ways you can engage with the effective tool, playing an instrument and singing produces even more marvel responses. Music groups are excellent ways to enjoy the sounds of music while also engaging with those around you in meaningful ways. They can be found anywhere from community-organized troops to the choir at your local church.

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11.30.21 | Community

How Spirituality and Religious Involvement Can Help You Age Better

With aging comes many difficulties and moments of emotional turbulence, leaving some to believe they are alone on their journey. However, the aging process also introduces many people to new hobbies, fulfilling purposes and other approaches to life that they had never experienced before. Vibrant living is always at the forefront of our vision at Sage Collective, and one chief aspect of our inspired model is engagement in spirituality and religion. Today, we’re the significant impact that spiritual and religious involvement can have on the aging process.

Sometimes as you age, a sense of community and support is all you need. Churches, and other places of worship, are hubs for mutual respect and are the perfect places to discover connections, engage in thoughtful discussion and participate in meaningful action. 

Despite the anxieties that come with aging, like increased loneliness and isolation, religious attendance has been found to establish a stronger feeling of community support. A recent study published by Geriatrics Journal found that religion and spirituality played a variety of roles in the lives of older adults who participated in them, including strengthening emotional connections and enhancing feelings of comfort and hope during hard times. 

Because religious and spiritual institutions often encourage connecting with those around you, they are one of the best ways for older adults to immerse themselves in a supportive social network and embrace vibrant living. Many religious institutions practice a “door’s always open” policy and will gladly welcome anyone who walks through their entrance. 

Because of these uplifting benefits and more, we encourage you to explore your community and discover a faith of your own if you haven’t already. And no matter the religion, we’re sure that a vibrant community full of love will welcome you with open arms and help produce essential support that will lead to better aging. 

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11.18.21 | Sage Advice®

How to Tackle the Winter Blues

Winter’s frigid months, when sunshine is scarce and snow piles accumulate, can be daunting, leaving many — particularly older adults — feeling as though stepping outside is a chore. At Sage Collective, we recognize the hardships that come with the long winter days and believe that with preparation, anyone can traverse the burdens of winter with relative ease. So, even as winter takes over in the upcoming months, you can meet the blues it might spawn, head-on. 

The simplest way to get through the seemingly never-ending winter months is by centering your focus on your wellbeing, introducing various self-care principles into your life and staying mindful of what makes you happy. 

Secure Nutrients

Nutrients are critical to thriving during winter, and while bleak, the outdoors produces several essential benefits. Natural light provides significant benefits to our bodies that we lack during winter, including vitamin D, which reduces the risk of heart disease and prevents bone loss, and produces mood boosters like serotonin and endorphins. While natural light can be easily accessible from windows, it’s even more beneficial to immerse yourself in the outdoors, and embrace the fresh air.

While you’re outside, a walk around your block or to the grocery store is also a great way to combat the winter blues. Frequent physical activity helps create a routine, and as your body moves, the hormones released by your body and vitamins you receive from the sun help stabilize emotions and build spirits. 

Because the outdoors can be such a brisk environment, having options to be active in indoor environments is a necessity. Programs like SilverSneakers make it easy for qualified older adults to go to gyms and participate in online or in person fitness classes at no cost. Around Bronzeville, gyms participating with SilverSneakers include La Fitness and Planet Fitness. Local YMCA’s are another great option for anyone searching to keep their fitness routine active in the winter.

Feed Your Soul

Nurturing your body certainly helps get through some aspects of winter, but your soul’s wellbeing is equally important. It’s essential to find bliss through activities and hobbies you’re passionate about during winter. Sit next to a warm fire and immerse yourself in a new book; tune into a podcast and explore new topics; put pen to paper and share your feelings in a journal, or document cherished memories in a scrapbook.

If you can, take a trip. Midwesterners know best that venturing to a different climate or part of the country can give you a real boost during the winter months. Whether you make it a road trip to Florida or take a plane to Cancún, vibrant sunlight and cloudless skies never disappoint. Weekend and day trips are another great way to feed the soul, especially considering Chicago’s perfect location for getaways that take you in virtually any direction. 

Most importantly, don’t shy away from spending some extra time with your family and friends during winter. Loved ones are the perfect remedy for the winter blues and often can kick us out of mental slumps. 

As the winter season approaches, start preparing for what lies ahead and armed with a good attitude and a toolkit for beating the winter blues, consider placing a spotlight on your wellbeing.

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11.16.21 | Community

The Magnitude of Mentorship as an Older Adult

While reflecting on the past, fortunate people will immediately recall someone who made a lasting impact on their lives. It may have been a coach, a teacher, a parent or a neighbor, but one throughline is shared by all:  the powerful and lasting influence of having a mentor. The process of mentoring and sharing guidance is a valuable and life-changing experience for mentees and can be just as significant for mentors. 

Intergenerational mentoring is a mutually beneficial way to provide both youth and older adults with new perspectives and opportunities for happier and healthier lives. For older adults, sharing life experiences and critical advice with young people can help dismantle generational barriers while fulfilling a sense of purpose many desire. 

We often think that loneliness and isolation are the exclusive domain of older adults, forgetting that young people experience these same emotions. With mentorship, the generations can come together to create a sense of belonging and stability. Youth who receive mentorship, specifically from older adults, have higher self-esteem, improved leadership and communication skills and often find themselves more willing to explore new ways to learn and grow. 

Among its many benefits, mentoring is a great way to diminish ageism and educate younger people about the aging process, expanding their empathy and strengthening their understanding of what others are experiencing. While mentees benefit from improved self-awareness, respect for their elders and other insightful perspectives, mentors gain invaluable knowledge themselves, creating a dynamic, elastic system for communities to thrive together. 

Anyone can be a mentor. The process is uniquely flexible and can be as easy as offering advice and creating a safe space for younger family or community members to visit if they ever need assistance or support. For those who prefer more structure, there are numerous mentorship programs in Bronzeville and around Chicago that anyone can join.

AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparents Program, offered through the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services, allows volunteers age 55 and up to care for and guide Chicago’s youth, enriching the lives of everyone involved. The program actively serves 3,500 Illinois children and provides everything from educational support to essential care some may need. To learn more about their program and how to become involved, visit their website here. 

Mentorship is a critical asset to youth, older adults and communities that shapes positive outcomes in all directions. For older adults aspiring to empower others and share their essential voices, mentoring is the opportunity you’ve been seeking.

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11.09.21 | Sage Advice®

How to Age Gracefully

Aging is a unique experience that has no set rules or guidelines. Previously, we’ve explored how to embrace the process of aging and talked to Sage Collective Board Members about aging in place.

Contrary to what many presume, aging gracefully isn’t about transforming into your best physical self; instead, the transformation is focused on feeling and acting as your best self. Similar to our 9 Ways of Vibrant Living, aging gracefully pulls from numerous principles that champion a joyful and enduring life. Here is Sage Collective’s advice for how to age gracefully and establish essential support as you become older:

Be Mindful

Mindfulness is a critical skill required to carry through life, as it helps you become more focused on the present and less on the future or the past. With time and practice, mindful thinking reduces stress, improves memory and heightens emotional responses. Meditation is one favored technique many use to train themselves in mindfulness. 

Get Involved in Things You Love

As we age, discovering a meaningful hobby helps maintain a sense of purpose and encourages engagement in life. Whether you find passion in participating in politics, mentoring others or engaging in faith-based services, evidence shows that people who engage in something they love experience greater happiness and a longer life. 

Connect With Others

Fostering a sense of connection with those by whom you are surrounded  helps enrich the process of aging. Families, friends and communities can serve as powerful resources with varying types of assistance. Genuine support systems have dramatic effects on your connection to your physical environment, which considerably affects the quality of your personal experience with aging.

Take Care of Your Body

One of the most crucial ways to age gracefully is by supporting your body’s health through actions such as nutritious eating, plentiful sleep and routine exercise. Actively caring for your body lowers the risk of numerous diseases and greatly improves balance and mobility.  

Don’t Forget About Your Mind

In addition to taking care of your body, tending to your mind and mental health can dramatically shift the aging process. Surrounding yourself with things and people you love boosts positive moods and fuels feelings of  prosperity. And while aging is a complex process, it can be a beautiful thing when embraced and celebrated.

Though inevitable, aging doesn’t have to be strenuous. Taking the time to learn how to age gracefully and successfully incorporating these tips into your life can have wonderful effects on your future.

Cropped shot of a senior woman holding a cane in a retirement home
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11.04.21 | Community

Practicing Empathy: How it Can Create a More Vibrant World

Empathy is a universal tool for understanding. By definition, it’s a way of emotionally recognizing and validating what someone else is feeling. At Sage Collective, we approach all of our work with empathy, and believe that with practice, exhibiting empathy improves communication, heightens creativity and enhances appreciation.

What the Science Says

Empathy has always been an essential skill for communication and understanding. However, it’s more important now than ever, in light of the enormous levels of stress many confront today. Displaying empathy serves as an antidote for burnout and anxiety — producing beneficial effects on wellbeing and supporting positive social interactions for individuals and groups alike.

According to a recent study published by the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, empathy in older adults may play a sizable role in shaping the regularity and types of support they exchange within social networks and the ramifications associated with the exchanges. The study concludes that empathetic older adults grant emotional and instrumental support more often than older adults who display less empathy. Furthermore, those who are more empathetic enjoy greater levels of emotional comfort from their networks and uphold more positive moods throughout the day, producing significant exchanges of care and more powerful controls over temperament. 

Practicing Empathy

Because empathy is a crucial element for collective support, everyone can benefit from improving their skills, whether practicing empathy comes naturally or must be learned. However, with time, an empathetic approach to all situations becomes instinctive. Here are three kinds of empathy that a person may encounter and should strive to understand:

Cognitive empathy consists of putting yourself in someone else’s situation to try and
comprehend what they might be going through at that moment. Even if it involves
something unfamiliar, the effort of understanding can transform anyone’s perspective. 

Somatic empathy requires the ability to experience someone else’s feelings. It usually
includes physical reactions to situations like feeling sick, sweating or blushing.

Active listening is a large part of being empathetic, but taking action and giving appropriate feedback takes the skill a step further. Affective empathy entails understanding the emotion someone else is feeling and answering accordingly. The awareness establishes personal connections and leads to a more profound concern for others’ feelings. 

As more and more people recognize the power of using empathetic techniques, a mutual understanding and compassion will blossom, empowering our communities to become more vibrant and rich in emotional support.

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11.02.21 | Health & Wellness

Why You Should Start Journaling if You Aren’t Already

As part of our 9 Ways of Vibrant Living at Sage Collective, we are proponents of any activity that reduces stress and increases overall wellbeing. Burnout and stress are familiar to many of us, and it’s imperative to find someone or something to help manage, control and minimize these feelings. Journaling is one delightful distraction that diminishes those anxieties and comes with a handful of other benefits, particularly for older adults.

 Along with functioning as a means to escape the world around you, journaling is an enjoyable way to pass the time and alleviate any stressors that come with life. It’s difficult to separate the positive and negative experiences that happen to us daily. Conveying thoughts by putting pen to paper is one way to help release emotions while granting your mind and body relaxation from the tension you may have been feeling.

Many people who journal will often follow guides and roadmaps that help steer their process, but the brilliant thing about journaling is that the quality and subject of your writing are less important than the actual act. Having the opportunity to write about anything from daily stressors and positive affirmations to poetry increases creativity, along with numerous other cognitive benefits.

For many older adults, cultivating a routine can combat negative sleeping habits and feelings of isolation. Like any new habit, we recommend journaling at the same time each day to help create a routine, whether you start your day with a few morning pages or reflect before going to bed.

Along with improving sleep and reducing loneliness, jotting down experiences, emotions and everything in between helps older adults preserve their memories and sharpen their minds. Journaling acts as a memory aid and, with time, can generate more effective recollections for older adults.

Whether you prefer to write in a notebook or favor typing on your phone, journaling is a fantastic way to reduce the stressors of your daily life and sharpen your memory and mind. If you want to learn more about how to begin journaling or need a boost of creativity to start the process, check out the video below.

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10.19.21 | Health & Wellness

How Museums Might Reduce Your COVID-19 Stress

One of the largest challenges in modern-day life is finding a treatment for the frequent burnout that most of us feel daily. At Sage Collective, one of our most cherished beliefs is that wellness, health and empowerment should be made priorities in every community. That’s why today, we’re exploring how museums might be the perfect answer to your post-pandemic stress and burnout. 

Many individuals, especially older adults, have faced higher stress levels over the past year and a half than ever before. Feelings of uncertainty and unpredictability due to COVID-19 have also led to many feeling alone, anxious and burnt out, with little reprieve. However, there is growing research that offers tangible steps toward alleviating these negative feelings. 

Often in the present day, many feel like time is limited, and burnout is constant. However, solace can be found in the relaxing and revitalizing spaces of a museum. For many, the knowledge that curated spaces of art and history can provide a wealth of benefits for mental and physical health is new.

Recently, doctors in Belgium received permission to prescribe museum visits to combat the mental health crisis in their country, and similar actions have been implemented in Canada. Patients who get the prescriptions can go anywhere from an intimate art gallery to a fashion exhibition at a history museum. 

The goal behind the three-month-long trial is to promote an engaging learning experience and shift people away from the stress of their daily routines in hopes of having a positive impact on mental and physical health. The museums and exhibitions act as safe and welcoming places for patients to unwind from their day-to-day responsibilities and explore new ideas and areas of interest. Not only does the time off allow patients to catch their breath and spend time with loved ones, but it also acts as a moment of respite from the harsh realities of the pandemic. 

Instead of relying on drug therapies, this mode of enrichment has the possibility to be expanded to other areas of mental health beyond pandemic-related stress and anxiety to alleviating symptoms of depression, psychiatric disorders, anxiety and more. 

Numerous museums, galleries and art centers around Bronzeville present the perfect opportunity for anyone looking to combat stress and relax — in person or virtually. The South Side Community Arts Center, Gallery Guichard, Smart Museum of Art, DuSable Museum of African American History, and Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry are all wonderful choices to spend an afternoon enhancing your wellbeing and expanding your mind. 

Furniture and a crowd of people fill a bright museum interior.
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10.14.21 | Arts & Culture

Pass Your Time With Podcasts: What You Should Be Listening to Right Now

While autumn is a favorite time for many to pick up new books and revisit forgotten ones, podcasts also serve as a great choice for those looking for a mix of entertainment, education and reflection. Podcasts are usually free to listeners and extend knowledge on everything from how to cook healthier meals to entertaining history facts to current government and public policy news. Here are the top five podcasts Sage Collective believes you should be listening to right now: 

Ten Percent Happier

Hosted by Dan Harris, a famed journalist who suffered a panic attack live on national television, Ten Percent Happier explores how keeping your spirits up is imperative to aging well. After his traumatic on-air experience, Harris discovered meditation and now invites experts on the subject, scientists and celebrities to share their own epiphanies and experiences of success. Topics on the show vary from What to do About Eco-Anxiety to Joy Vs. Happiness. Anyone interested in hearing motivational stories about coming back from what seems like life’s lowest points will enjoy this outstanding selection. 

Into America

Into America is a podcast that sheds light on what it’s like to be Black in America. Trymain Lee, Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Winning journalist hosts the enlightening show. The MSNBC-produced podcast explores how public policy and government action, and the lack thereof, affects Black Americans’ lives. Previous topics include The Vaccine Gap, Justice for Black Farmers and The Black Firefighters of 9/11. Into America produces an in-depth look into the continued injustice that Black Americans endure and what it means to hold the country to its obligations.

History Unplugged

A show that celebrates obscure historical facts and events, History Unplugged uncovers and revisits lost stories that changed the world. History buffs and amateurs alike will enjoy the unique narratives, expert interviews and call-ins that make up the podcast. Previous episodes of the show include The Japanese-Americans Who Fought Nazis in Europe, Electric City: Ford and Edison’s Vision of Creating a Steampunk Utopia and An Alternate History of the Lincoln Assassination Plot. Chocked full of amusement, myth-busting and a range of wisdom, almost everyone is guaranteed to relish over History Unplugged.

Not Old – Better

Award-winning journalist Paul Vogelzang hosts the fascinating, high-energy podcast, Not Old – Better. The inspiring show reminds its audience weekly that it is never too late to pursue your passion and purpose in life. Vogelzang invites a mix of well-known entertainers, intriguing role models and ordinary people to discuss aging and how to overcome the stereotypes and stigma that come with it. Previous guests have included actress Octavia Spencer, Dr. Anthony Fauci and activist Khary Lazarre-White. Listeners and critics alike have praised the podcast as a perfect choice for middle-aged and older adults.

Homemade

Homemade is the paramount podcast for anyone looking to explore the food world. Foodies and amateur cooks alike will enjoy the entertainment show hosted by industry insider Sabrina Medora and author Martie Duncan. Each week the hosts invite celebrated cooks from all walks of life to discuss and share their memories behind their favorite recipes. Past topics on the show include growing ingredients at home, delicious vegan options, repurposing leftovers and rethinking prep time. Get your cooking gear ready, put on your apron and prepare to join the fun with Homemade. 

Whether you need something to listen to on your way to work or while doing chores around the house, don’t hesitate to press PLAY on any of these wonderful podcasts. You can listen to each of the podcasts on their websites, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or Google Podcasts. 

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