Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 9, 2010

13

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 9, 2010 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Today’s Subject: 

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Recipe of the Week:

Pumpkin and Butternut 
Creamed Soup 

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups cubed butternut squash 

2 tablespoons butter 

3 carrots, chopped 

1 large onion, chopped 

1 cup chopped celery 

1 cup heavy cream 

1 cup sour cream 

8 cups chicken broth 

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

salt to taste 

6 small sugar pumpkins, halved and seeded 

1 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Place the butternut squash cubes in a saucepan, 
cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium 
heat. Reduce heat; simmer until tender, about 30 
minutes. Drain off water, and set the squash aside. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 

Melt the butter in a large skillet, then cook the 
carrots, onion, and celery until tender, about 10 
minutes. Place the vegetables, cooked butternut 
squash, cream, and sour cream into a blender. 
Cover, and puree until smooth, working in batches 
if necessary. Transfer the blended vegetables to a 
soup pot; stir in the chicken broth, nutmeg, black 
pepper, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer 
over medium-low heat, then simmer gently for 
about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While the soup is simmering, place the pumpkin 
halves, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet, 
and bake in the preheated oven until the pumpkin 
flesh is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Start 
the broiler, and place the pumpkin halves under 
the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source to 
brown the cut side of the pumpkins, if desired. 

Place a pumpkin bowl into a decorate soup plate; 
serve soup in the pumpkin bowls, and sprinkle each 
serving with Asiago cheese.

Lower Body Exercise 
for Seniors: Improve 
Strength and Balance

By Sharon O’Brien

Before you start your exercise program, read 
these safety tips for lower body exercise:

 Check with your doctor before beginning any 
exercise program.

Hold onto a table or chair for balance when 
you used only one hand. 

 As you progress, try holding on with only 
one fingertip. When you feel comfortable 
with one fingertip, try the following lower 
body exercises without holding on at all. Ask 
someone to watch you the first few times, in 
case you lose your balance.

 If you are very steady on your feet, move on 
to doing the exercises using no hands, with 
your eyes closed. Have someone stand close by 
if you are unsteady.

Side Leg Raises: strengthen muscles at 
sides of hips and thighs

Strengthening the side muscles of your hips 
and thighs is important for good balance.

Stand straight, directly behind table or chair, 
feet slightly apart. 

Hold table or chair for balance.

Slowly lift one leg to side, 6 to 12 inches out 
to the side. 

Keep your back and both legs straight.

Don’t point your toes downward; keep them 
facing forward during this exercise. Hold this 
position. 

Slowly lower leg. Repeat with other leg. 

Keep back and knees straight throughout 
exercise. 

Alternate legs until you repeat exercise 8 to 15 
times with each leg. 

Rest. Do another set of 8 to 15 alternating 
repetitions. 

For more exercises go to:http://seniorliving.
about.com/od/basicexerciseseries

 
Leaky gut syndrome, also described 
as increased intestinal permeability, is a 
condition where waste products are absorbed 
into the body and, in turn, cause chronic 
inflammation. IBS, joint pain, allergies, skin 
disorders (eczema, psoriasis, hives), chronic 
fatigue or depression are all signs you may 
have increased intestinal permeability as a 
cause or contribution to these conditions. 
From a holistic perspective, this demonstrates 
how distress in one area of the body can 
be expressed as disease in another. As 
Hippocrates pointed out, “All disease begins 
in the gut.” It is easy to imagine that a constant 
flow of toxins entering the body could cause 
almost anything.

 
So, what contributes to the development 
of compromised intestinal permeability? 
First of all, diet. For many people, ordinary 
foods such as dairy and wheat cause 
chronic inflammation; for others, alcohol 
consumption promotes degenerative change. 
Prolonged use of aspirin and ibuprofen can affect the digestive tract; in fact, one might be using 
these medicines to treat the discomfort of gout caused by leaky gut. In many cases, there is a genetic 
predisposition to increased permeability, such as celiac or Chrons disease.

 
Because leaky gut syndrome is not a specific disease, but rather an underlying condition, it 
often goes undiagnosed. There are only a few tests which may suggest its presence. That said, it is 
important to understand the concept behind the condition: because stress in all forms contributes 
to compromised intestinal function, everyone, to some degree, is dealing with this problem. If it 
becomes advanced, then chronic disorders develop. At this point, the individual may become one 
of the “vertically ill,” wandering in the no man’s land of the undiagnosable, therefore untreatable, 
disease. Imagine if the patient went to Hippocrates, who would inform him in no uncertain terms: 
“Okay, let’s get started. We’ve got to clean up that gut. Stop arguing with your wife, buy her some 
flowers, start eating right and cut down on the uozo. See me in a month.”


Here’s to a healthy week! Dr. John

Dr. John Talevich, D.C. has practiced in Sierra Madre 
for thirty years. His clinic, LifeWorks! Chiropractic, 
offers patient-specific approaches to the alleviation 
of pain and individually tailored wellness programs. 

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS

September 16th - Long Beach Aquarium 
Thursday, October 14th - Kellogg House 
& Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly 
Pomona; cost is $35 per person and 
includes a lunch buffet. Minimum 
of 20 people for this price. Registration 
opens September 7th in person or 
online.

Thursday, November 18th - Historic 
Mission Inn Tour & Lunch Buffet 
in Riverside; cost is $43 per person. 
Maximum of 30 people for this trip. 
Registration opens September 27th in 
person or online.

Friday, December 17th - Candlelight 
Pavilion Theater Christmas Show & 
Lunch; cost TBA Maximum of 32 
people & maximum of 4 tickets per 
person. Registration opens October 4th 
in person or online.

Pasadena Highlands & Accredited 
Sponsor Bingo Prize

Pasadena Highlands, an independent 
and assisted living community, is proud 
to provide a special gift basket on the first 
Tuesday of each month. Accredited In-
Home nursing care will provide a special 
prize on the 4th Tuesday of each month. 
Bingo takes place every Tuesday at 1:30 
pm in the Hart Park House / Senior 
Center in Memorial Park. The game 
begins at 1:30 pm but those wishing to 
play must arrive 10 minutes before to 
secure your Bingo cards. Join us on 
the 1st & 4th Tuesday of each month for 
your chance to win these special prizes. 

LifeWorks! Chiropractic Center

Individually Tailored Wellness Programs

31 S. Baldwin Avenue Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

626-355-4710


October Birthdays

Pat Birdsall, Sole Krieg, Angela Stella, Mary 
Jane Baker, Barbara Cline, Dixie Coutant, 
Cathleen Cremins, Lillias Eubanks, Margit 
Johnson, Adelaide ‘Adie’ Marshall, Alma 
Mays, Eva Poet, Anne Tyler


Activities: 

 Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Memorial Park 
(Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

Lunch Program: Monday- 
Friday at the Intervale 
Café -12:00 Noon-Call 
(626) 355-0256 to make 
your daily reservation. 
Suggested donation $2.00 
for seniors (60+) and $3.75 
for visitors.

MENU BELOW

Monday: 

1:00 pm to 1:45 pm: 
Strength training with Lisa 
Brandley. FREE class of 
stretching with light hand 
weights while you sit.

Tuesday:

2nd Tuesday of each month 
FREE blood pressure 
checks by Methodist 
Hospital; 11 am to 12 noon 

3rd Tuesday of each month 
FREE financial consulting; 
10 -12 noon call 355-7394 
for an appointment

1:30 pm to 3:30 pm: 
BINGO; cards are only 25 
cents each so stop by & 
play 

5:30 pm to 7 pm: Yoga; 
$7.00 - 50 & over. Please 

call 355-5278 for more 
information

Wednesday:

11 –11:45 am: Balance 
Class with Teryl. FREE 
class designed to improve 
balance & refresh the joints

2nd Wednesday of the 
month: FREE Legal 
Consultations: 10-11:30 
am. Appointments call 
355-7394

Wii Wednesday - 1:00 
pm or call the senior desk 
at 355-7394 to arrange 
another time & day to 
learn how to play. No 
previous experience or 
skills required and it is 
great exercise.

Thursday:

1:00 to 3:30 pm: Game 
Day. Join us for UNO 
and Poker with Bridge on 
the 2nd & 4th Thursdays; 
so please call for more 
information.

5:00 pm to 6:30 pm: Yoga; 
$7.00 - 50 & over. Please 
call 355-5278 for more 
information

Friday: 

1:00 pm: Ping Pong

Saturday: 

11:30 am: Senior Club 
brown bag lunch and 
BINGO at 12:30 pm


Meals are delivered to 
home-bound seniors by volunteer 
drivers through the YWCA 
Intervale Lunch Program M-F (with 
frozen meals for the weekend.) Call 
the YWCA at (626) 214-9460 or 
Darlene Traxler at (626) 355-0256 
for more information.

$5.00 off any service(at regular price)
Meals-On-
Wheels

DIAL - A - RIDE TICKETS

Tickets can now be purchased at:

Sierra Madre City Hall

Hart Park House / Senior Center

Sierra Madre Library

MEALS-ON-WHEELS NEEDS 
VOLUNTEERS TO DELIVER 
MEALS TO OUR HOMEBOUND 
NEIGHBORS **ONCE A MONTH 
OR WEEKLY** 

Please contact Darlene Traxler at 
626.355.6220 or (626) 355-0256.


Women’s Wellness Symposium

Arcadia Senior Services in partnership with Methodist 
Hospital is offering an exceptional afternoon of free 
health information and free health screenings. This 
informative presentation is geared for women but men 
are encouraged to attend. This special event will take 
place at the Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus 
Drive. The informational tables and health screenings 
will be available at 12:30pm, Tuesday, October 26, 
2010. A guest speaker panel will start at 1:00pm. Dr. 
Ami Shah D.C. will speak on osteoporosis; Ginamarie 
Farinio, MPAS, PA-C will talk on women’s cancer 
concerns and Victoria Pacheco RD will inform 
individuals on diet and nutrition, focusing on 
osteoporosis, cancer and prevention of these health 
issues through proper diet. Some of the informational 
tables and free health screens will be; blood pressure, 
spinal screening, balance and fitness, body fat analysis, 
Los Angeles Caregiver Resources, Western Health 
University, Pomona, Methodist Hospital 50 plus and 
more! 

There is limited space available, if interested in attending 
please contact the Arcadia Senior Services Department 
626.574.5130 before October 20, 2010.