Tag: health

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04.13.21 | Sage Advice®

COVID-19 Vaccine Testimonial: James M. Galloway

As part of our ongoing campaign to encourage and ramp up vaccination in Black communities across America, Sage Collective is creating testimonials that showcase why people have chosen to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and what the experience was like. To start, we’re engaging our own Board of Directors and Leadership Team to share their stories. 

After sharing the experience of Sage Collective’s own Donna Gaines and Dwain Kyles, this week we interviewed Rear Admiral (Ret.) James M. Galloway, MD, FACP, FACC, a United States medical doctor and Public Health physician, and member of the Sage Collective Leadership Team.

 

Why did you personally take the COVID-19 vaccine? Did you have any reservations or questions? Do you feel you had all the information you needed to take the decision to be vaccinated? What /who were your sources of information and guidance?   

As a physician and a public health professional, as well as a pandemic preparation lead under President Obama, I felt comfortable with vaccine safety in general but, of course, I had to do my diligent research into these COVID vaccines and the science behind them before being satisfied that they were safe and effective. I researched and reviewed the studies themselves as well as looked to the CDC and FDA for their evaluations and data. After these reviews, I felt very comfortable with receiving the vaccine. 

 

When did you receive your COVID-19 vaccine and from what company (Moderna, Pfizer, etc.)? What was the experience of signing up/scheduling? Have you received both shots? Where did you have to go to get your vaccinations? What was the experience like of getting into the chair and actually receiving the shot? (If you’ve received both shots, you can break this down by each experience).

As a vaccination center volunteer, I received my first Moderna vaccine in late February and the second in early March. At our vaccination center, in Arizona, sign up was on a website and obtaining the vaccine shot was simple and straightforward, with no untoward effects.

 

How did you feel after receiving the vaccine, physically or otherwise? Did you experience any side effects?  

I had no side effects from either shot. My wife, a nurse who worked at the center as well, had some mild fatigue that evening and went to bed early – and felt fine the next day.

 

What is your doctor saying about how COVID-19 vaccination fits into your long term health plan? Are you taking any aftercare measures — if so, what?  

The risk of COVID for me was much greater than the risk of the vaccine and provides me with a sense of relief I have not felt in a year. It remains critically important, even after vaccination, to wear a mask and maintain social distancing in public and around those who have not been vaccinated as well as continuing to avoid large gatherings. However, within our household and among our close relatives, all have been vaccinated now – and you cannot believe the wonder of hugging my 5 year old granddaughter again after a year! 

 

Are you serving as a guide to others who are seeking information and reassurance about being vaccinated?  

Absolutely. I have spoken with a great number of people who were hesitant about getting the vaccine due to concerns about its safety. After I had the chance to share with them the results of my research and study, many of these individuals proceeded to get their vaccinations. 

 

Overall, what do you believe makes COVID-19 vaccination so important to society writ large, and in your specific community?  

It is imperative that we protect our families and community members by getting OUR vaccine! It is also important for us as a nation and a community to get back towards normal, to open our schools, our businesses, our communities and our homes. 

Text overlay reads: "The risk of COVID for me was much greater than the risk of the vaccine and provides me with a sense of relief I have not felt in a year."
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Sage Advice®

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04.08.21 | Health & Wellness

Join a Roundtable Discussion About COVID-19 Vaccination

With Biden recently announcing all adult Americans will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by April 19th, many are preparing their arms for the shot. But access aside — what if you still don’t want the vaccine or are questioning whether to receive your dose? 

We’re here to listen to your concerns. Tell us how you feel about these issues at our live, virtual roundtable discussion:

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. CST

During the roundtable, we invite our community members to discuss their decision to receive (or not receive) the COVID-19 vaccine. What makes you hesitant to receive the shot? What are the questions you want answered? Whether you have questions, or you know someone who could benefit from this discussion, all are welcome! 

We’ll be joined by our Leadership Team members Rear Admiral (Ret.) James M. Galloway, MD, FACP, FACC and Dr. Joseph West, experts in the fields of medicine and epidemiology, who will share their sage advice. 

Interested in attending? Please RSVP here. 

 

This live roundtable discussion is part of Sage Collective’s robust campaign to begin conversations about COVID-19 vaccination within our community, paying particular attention to older African Americans. 

As we seek to increase awareness of how the COVID-19 vaccine works and why it is important, we recognize that historic and systemic medical inequities in Black communities have bred justifiable mistrust. That’s why we must have meaningful conversations about our communities’ viewpoints on, and relationship to, the COVID-19 vaccination — so that we may find a solution that promotes health, safety and comfort for everyone moving forward.

Image text reads: I can get the COVID-19 vaccine, but I don't want it. Now what? Join us for a live virtual roundtable discussion Tuesday April 20, 2021, 1:00 PM CST. Image includes a photo of a vaccine vial and the Sage Collective logo
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Sage Advice®

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03.02.21 | Sage Advice®

Chicago COVID-19 Vaccination: Where We’re At Now

Earlier this year, we shared a blog post on what to know about the COVID-19 vaccine. Now that vaccine rollouts have been occurring nationwide, one of the biggest hurdles outside of deployment is ensuring that we, the people, feel informed and equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to make decisions about our own vaccination. In support of that, today we’re providing an update on COVID-19 vaccination in Chicago, and where things stand now:

Understanding the State’s Phased Rollout

Illinois is administering vaccinations in a phased rollout plan — you can read the state’s  comprehensive coverage of its vaccine distribution phases here. As of January 25th, Illinois entered Phase 1B: Frontline Essential. This phase made the vaccine available to all non-healthcare residential settings and Chicagoans age 65 and older.

According to Chicago, all non-healthcare residential settings includes homeless shelters, women’s shelters, adult day care programs, correctional settings (jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, detainees), and other non-health care residential settings that have experienced outbreaks (e.g. convents). 

But as of February 25th, Illinois progressed further into Phase 1B Plus. This extended phase includes people (16 years of age and older) with certain underlying conditions and comorbidities. The list of conditions includes cancer, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), diabetes, heart condition, immunocompromised state from a solid organ transplant, obesity, pregnancy, pulmonary disease and sickle cell disease. 

However, it is important to note that Chicago will NOT be joining the rest of Illinois in progressing to Phase 1B Plus at this time. Due to the city’s population density, more than 95,000 Chicago residents would become eligible if we were to expand under the state’s guidelines. Therefore, the city has decided to hold off on progressing to this next stage until it is able to more fully serve those who fall into the initial Phase 1B.

Looking at Current and Future Benchmarks

According to the Illinois COVID-19 vaccine tracker, as of Wednesday, February 24th: 28,626 additional people have been fully vaccinated for a total of 619,480 — 4.86% of the state’s population.

As of that same date, 5% of all White Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated, 2% of all Hispanic Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated and 2% of all Black Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated. Chicago is seeing similar disparities: as of that same date, 6% of all White Chicagoans have been fully vaccinated, 2% of all Hispanic Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated and 3% of all Black Chicagoans have been fully vaccinated.

You can stay up-to-date on the state’s vaccination rates here.

Looking ahead: according to Governor J.B. Pritzker, Illinois expects to begin administering an average of 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 per day by mid-March.

Stay tuned for more COVID-19 vaccination updates and insights from Sage Collective.

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02.25.21 | Health & Wellness

The Health Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art, practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. As one of the most gentle martial art forms, tai chi is a great exercise option for older adults across the health and mobility spectrum — bringing with it a slew of benefits, healthful and otherwise. Let’s take a closer look:

Tai chi

Tai chi, short for T’ai chi ch’üan or Tàijí quán (太極拳), is an ancient Chinese martial arts practice, rooted in a deep history and philosophy. (You can read more about that on CultureTrip, here.) According to MayoClinic, tai chi “is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.” The movements emphasize deep breathing, encouraging participants to slow down and get in touch with their body and feelings.

Because tai chi is low-impact, slow-motion and emphasizes the mind-body connection, it’s become a popular practice globally, attracting a broad spectrum of participants. And thanks to its wide array of health benefits, it’s since been adopted as a common practice at hospitals, community centers, older adult facilities and the like.

Health Benefits

Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but because its health benefits are so great, Harvard Women’s Health Watch jokingly calls it “medication in motion.”

The low-impact exercise boasts physical health benefits such as improved lower- and upper-body strength, improved flexibility, improved balance (and possibly even decreased risk of falling), improved joint pain, enhanced immune system, enhanced quality of sleep, lowered blood pressure and healthy aerobic conditioning (where heart and lungs are trained to pump blood more efficiently, allowing more oxygen to be delivered to muscles and organs). All of the listed benefits are crucial to older adults seeking to maintain or better their health. 

In addition to its physical health benefits, the meditative aspect of tai chi brings with it an array of mental health benefits. These benefits include decreased stress, anxiety and depression; improved mood, energy and stamina and a general boost to wellness overall. 

Part of the appeal is that tai chi can be practiced independently or within a group setting, and it doesn’t require any equipment. If a low-impact, slow-motion and mindful form of exercise sounds like a good fit for you, then tai chi might just become part of your next fitness regimen routine.

Two people practice tai chi, silhouetted against a night sky and the moon
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02.19.21 | Community

Resilience is a Skill You Can Build — Here’s How

Throughout a lifetime, everyone experiences trauma, grief, failures, challenges and setbacks. Resilience is the essential skill needed to help us overcome these experiences. Some people have a better grip on the skill than others, but luckily resilience is something we’re all capable of building — today, we’ll take a look at how:

Understanding Resilience

At Sage Collective, we recognize that everyone faces adversity in life, and that stress is a natural component of the human experience. Rather than the complete elimination of stress (which would be unrealistic), we take a more pragmatic approach, advocating for stress reduction as part of our 9 Ways of Vibrant Living. Resilience is an essential tool for stress reduction. 

According to the American Psychological Association, psychologists define resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors.” Resilience isn’t just about getting through a challenge, but about emerging on the other side feeling more confident and empowered in your ability to cope and overcome adversity. 

Building Your Resilience

There are four core components that build resilience. 

The first component is easy enough to tackle: take care of your physical wellness. Often, when we take care of our body, our mind will follow suit. Taking care of your physical wellness includes maintaining a healthy diet, participating in moderate, regular physical activity and getting a good night’s sleep. If you incorporate these physical wellness habits into your daily lifestyle, you’ll begin experiencing elevated energy levels and improved moods, both of which will help you become more resilient.

The second component that follows suit is: take care of your mental wellness too. When building resilience, it’s important to both get in touch with your emotions and to learn how to control them. Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga and breathing exercises can help with this. Practicing gratitude, developing a self-care routine and engaging in activities you love are all great ways to restore balance and wellbeing to your mind.

The third component that will help you build resilience: seek out connection. You don’t have to go through trials and tribulations alone. Rather than isolating yourself, instead build a network of trusted friends, family and community members that you rely on to validate the troubles you’re going through and to help uplift you when needed. You can also find a sense of connection and support in more structured environments such as support groups, civic groups or faith-based organizations.

And finally, the fourth component: find meaning. Going through a traumatic experience often overwhelms us with negative feelings like despair and hopelessness. Combatting these feelings with a sense of life purpose helps us maintain our groundedness and to hold onto hope and optimism. Whether you’re driven by a desire to help others or to pursue opportunities for self-discovery and improvement, finding meaning through your life purpose — and taking the steps needed to reach your goals and objectives — helps us maintain the problem-solving, motivation and drive that’s key to resilience.

Challenges will continue to come our way. With these tools to help build resilience, we hope you’re left feeling more prepared for the next time adversity comes your way.

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02.16.21 | Sage Advice®

Your Daily Cup of Coffee: Helping Your Health or Harming?

Coffee is an indelible part of most people’s morning routines. If you don’t feel human before you’ve had your first cup of coffee, you’re not alone. A study conducted by the National Coffee Association found that 64% of Americans drink coffee, and a New England Journal of Medicine article “Coffee, Caffeine and Health” called coffee the most widely consumed psychoactive agent in the world. But is getting your coffee fix helping or harming your health? Let’s take a look.

Helpful Benefits of Coffee

First things first: what is “the right” amount of coffee to consume? Lucky for us die-hard coffee lovers, Harvard Health Publishing describes moderate coffee consumption as three to four cups per day. As is our unofficial motto at Sage Collective, everything is best consumed and enjoyed in moderation. 

Diane Vizthum, M.S., R.D., research nutritionist for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine also comments: “Caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about coffee. But coffee also contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease.”

In fact, according to Heathline, one cup of coffee includes the following amounts of daily recommended dosages for vitamins: 11% of riboflavin (vitamin B2), 6% of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), 3% of manganese and potassium and 2% of magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3). So if you’re a moderate coffee drinker (3-4) cups, you do the math… it’s like taking gummy vitamin supplements, right?

Coffee is also believed to lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, lower risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, lower risk for certain types of cancer (such as liver and colon), lower risk of stroke, help fight off gallstones and even help you live longer. 

Harmful Health Effects of Coffee

Now here’s where we talk about the other side of moderate consumption: overconsumption of coffee. Whether you exceed your daily limit of 4-5 cups, or whether you’re a novice coffee drinker who hasn’t built up a caffeine tolerance, coffee drinking could produce negative effects.

Negative effects of coffee overconsumption include increased blood pressure, headaches, nervousness, restlessness and anxiety, dizziness, heartburn, muscle tremors, pounding heart, dehydration, frequent trips to the bathroom and insomnia. Noticing a pattern? Most, if not all, of these negative side effects are directly induced by too much caffeine. 

The solution? Trade your next cup of coffee for a glass of water, or try decaf for a while. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: coffee consumption is great, but only in moderation. So drink away, all ye lovers of that good morning cuppa joe, but remember when to stop.

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02.11.21 | Sage Advice®

Vibrant Living Breakdown: Moderate Alcohol Intake

Nine ways of vibrant living is Sage Collective’s innovative model championing happier, healthier more engaged lives for older adults. The model incorporates everything from physical and mental health and wellness to engaging in one’s surrounding community. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the sixth component: moderate alcohol intake.

Alcohol is a double-edged sword in our society. It’s the foundation of many social interactions: we meet friends, family and old connections over a drink at the bar, while also using it as a fundamental element of many family and other gatherings. But just as easily, it can also be a source of addiction and harm, thanks to peer pressure and overconsumption. The polar nature of these two realities means many people have a strong reaction to alcohol: they’re either in favor of it or against it. 

At Sage Collective, we will never flatly discourage the use of alcohol in our activities, or in our forthcoming facilities. Our approach to alcohol consumption is this: like all things, it’s okay to partake in moderation. For as many negative impacts as binge drinking may have (including, but not limited to, liver damage, stomach distress and impaired judgment) there are benefits to drinking spirits such as red wine in moderation. 

Because red wine is rich in antioxidants, some healthcare professionals recommend the occasional glass with dinner. One study even demonstrated that forty adults drinking 13.5 mL of red wine daily over a period of two weeks experienced increased antioxidant levels — a result which is linked to decreased risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and even heart disease. Having high levels of antioxidants also assists in reduced risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 

Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to determine the level of alcohol intake that feels right for them. But a good rule of thumb is always practice moderation, keep your health top of mind and only drink when you want to, not because you feel pressured to.

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02.04.21 | Sage Advice®

How Better Self-Control Leads to Life Longevity

What does good behavior have to do with life expectancy? More than you might think.

U.S. News recently reported on a study conducted on 1,000 New Zealanders, from newborns to 45 years old, tracking the correlation between self control and health in middle age. The study tracked self-control through behaviors related to goal-orientation and restraint in thoughts, behavior and emotion. The study’s analysis of health in middle age took into account both body and brain.

Overall, the study concluded that those who practiced better self control “aged more slowly,” resulting in better health outcomes during their middle-aged years. So why exactly does this correlation occur? Self-control is also directly related to self-regulation. The study considered the impact of a person’s ability to delay gratification. For example, were participants able to forego short-term indulgences in favor of long-term rewards? (i.e., would they give up the immediate gratification of a ‘smoke break’ in order to have better lung health later on in life?) 

Most importantly, while self-control and self-regulation may also be influenced by DNA makeup and unique life circumstances, individuals do have the capability to learn better self-regulation skills. Knowing the long term effects of such behavior on one’s body and brain health, the development and cultivation of these skills throughout life becomes critical.

You can read more about the study and its findings in the U.S. News article here.

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01.26.21 | Sage Advice®

Vibrant Living Breakdown: Plant-Based Diet

9 Ways of Vibrant Living is Sage Collective’s guidebook to a full, happy and high-quality life. Building off our fourth component, moderate caloric intake, the fifth component of vibrant living is a plant-based diet. Notice we didn’t use the word “vegetarian.” That’s because the key to a plant-based diet is practicing moderation. We’ll discuss more below.

As we discussed in Healthy Eating Tips for Seniors, older adults require fewer calories, but the same, if not more, nutrients to maintain wellbeing. That’s why a nutrient-dense diet is more important than ever for those 55+. Foods like fresh fruit, vegetables and legumes constitute the basis of a healthy diet. 

While meat is a good source of protein, iron and vitamin B12, red meat in particular is often guilty of being high in saturated fat. Consuming saturated fat contributes to higher blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease. Meat products, therefore, are a double-edged sword. Depending on the cut of meat one chooses and the methods of cooking, that daily source of protein has the potential to do more harm than help. 

Meanwhile, plant-based alternatives to meat, such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and soy provide fiber and prebiotics (good for gut health) in addition to containing sustainable carbohydrates and healthy fats. The latter helps to balance blood sugars and lower the risk of heart and cardiovascular disease. While the old plant-based classics, such as tofu, tempeh, beans and lentil are all good choices, recent innovations in the plant-based meat industry have introduced options like plant-based burgers that “bleed”. With the right recipes and supplies, plant-based eating can be delicious and nutritious.

At Sage Collective, in addition to our programmatic focus on health and wellness, we aim to develop and curate culinary programs (such as nutrition education, cooking experiences and group dining experiences at our facility) that focus on fresh, healthy, primarily plant-based diets. While meat is welcome to remain a small part of the menu, we seek to prioritize diet, portion control and alternative (and delicious) plant-based options. 

Whether for dinner or in spirit, we invite you to join us on our journey to intentional, plant-based eating. Start small, like with meatless Mondays, and we’ll go from there together.

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01.21.21 | Sage Advice®

Why You (And Everyone Else) Should Read More Poetry

Many of us discovered poetry during mandatory school courses and our relationship with the genre ended swiftly after, never to be revisited again over the years. There’s this common misconception that poetry is in inaccessible art form, that it has to be understood to be enjoyed. But poetry is like singing — you don’t have to be good at it to do it or to enjoy it. Put simply: it’s good for the soul. That’s why today, we’re making an argument for why you (and everyone else) should read more poetry.

Why Read Poetry?

First of all, poetry is easy to incorporate into your daily schedule. A single poem doesn’t ask much of your time or attention. One Huffington post article describes how easy it is to consume poetry by saying, “You can flip through a book of poetry and eat the poems like popcorn.” In fact, you can even have the delectable treat of poetry delivered to your email daily by the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-A-Day or Poetry Foundation’s Poem of the Day. 

Rather than being intimidated by the idea of interpreting poetry, let’s consider how many possibilities are offered in the act of interpretation. Poetry, as an abstract language, stretches our imagination and the boundaries of what words can do. It appeals to heart logic over brain logic. Poetry shakes off literal interpretations or concreteness… the idea that there is just one way of seeing. Mirroring this logic (or lack thereof), in most arguments on why you should read poetry, instead of choosing just one reason why, the arguments simply end on the open-ended question: “well, why not?”

The Impact of a Poem

Though, of course, poems can teach us new things and offer us a new perspective, much of the beauty lies in how a person uniquely relates to the poem. In the TEDTalk “What Happens When We Read Poetry” they purport that it is this reacting-to that makes poetry so meaningful: “Though a poem doesn’t make things happen, it happens — every time someone reads it. Rather than a static item printed on a page, a poem is an event that occurs with each new reader and with each new reading.”

Further exploring the idea of what happens when we read poetry, The Cut describes a study conducted in Germany where the bodily response to poetry was measured using a “goosecam” (which shows the movement of skin and arm hairs as people listen to poetry). Participants in the study were also told to press a button each time they got chills during the reading of a poem. 40% of participants physically showed goosebumps.

But even more, the neurological impacts (those not tracked by the goosecam, but by brain scans throughout the process) showed the impacts of the slow-building pleasure of listening to poetry. The study dubbed this phenomenon, the “pre-chill,” a sensation synonymous with the buildup and anticipation of unwrapping a chocolate candy bar. Before study participants ever pressed the button indicating they had been given chills by the poem, the pre-chill had already been occurring within them.

Poetry contributes to vibrant living. And the best part about poetry: there’s something for everyone. If one poem doesn’t stir pre-chills in your heart and goosebumps on your arms, the next one most likely will.

A hand writes the word poetry on a vibrant wall of graffiti
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