Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 31, 2015

12

THE GOOD LIFE

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 31, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … January Birthdays

 Mary Tassop, JudyWebb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary Bickel, Marlene Enmark, Ross 
Kellock, Ruth Wolter, Sue Watanabe, Sandy Thistlewaite,Bobbi Rahmanian, Fran 
Syverson, Shirley Wolff, Judy Zaretzka and Becky Evans. * To add your name to this 
distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required

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

 

 YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon 

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.) 

All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256

Free Balance Class: Every 3rd Monday, from 11:00 to 11:45 am with Shannon. All ability levels are 
encouraged and welcomed.

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10:00am to 11:00am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula.

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join. 
May be canceled if less than 5 people. Canceled on August 5th and 12th.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: Held 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am to 12:00pm. No 
appointment is necessary.

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 27th from 10:00am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. For an appointment call 626-355-7394.

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of the 
month when the balance class is held. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, 
but is not required.

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month the Hart Park House Senior Center 
celebrates birthdays of our patrons. The free birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic 
Club.

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:45pm. A regular group of seniors play poker. Other 
games available for use.

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The class 
utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are provided.

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDNEYS


Dear Savvy Senior,

What can you tell me about kidney disease? My 
mother died from kidney failure a few years ago 
at age 76, and I’m curious what my risks are and 
what I can do to protect myself.

Kidney Concerned

 

Dear Concerned,

Anyone who has a family history of kidney disease, 
or who has high blood pressure or diabetes is at 
risk and needs to have their kidneys tested. Here’s 
what you should know and some tips to help you 
take care of your kidneys.

Kidney Disease

More than 26 million Americans currently have 
chronic kidney disease (when the kidneys can’t 
properly do their job of cleaning toxins and 
wastes from the blood), and millions more are at 
risk of developing it, yet most people don’t realize 
it. That’s because kidney disease develops very 
slowly over many years before any symptoms 
arise. But left untreated, the disease can eventually 
require people to spend hours hooked up to a 
dialysis machine or get a kidney transplant. Even 
mild kidney problems can double a person’s risk 
of heart attack and stroke, as well as cause anemia 
and bone disease.

 The reason kidney disease has become so 
widespread today is because of the rise of obesity, 
type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure which all 
strain the kidneys.

 Another factor is the increasing number of 
people who take multiple medications, which 
can overtax the organs. People over age 60 are 
especially vulnerable both because they tend to 
take more drugs, and because kidney function 
normally declines somewhat with age.

 To help you rate your risk of kidney disease, the 
National Kidney Foundation has a quick, online 
quiz you can take at kidney.org.

Get Tested

 Because kidney disease has no early symptoms, 
the only way to catch it before it advances is to 
have a simple blood and urine test by your doctor. 
So, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or 
heart disease, a family history of kidney disease, 
or are age 60 or older you need to get tested. 
African, Hispanic, Asian and Indian Americans 
along with Pacific Islanders are also at increased 
risk.

 If you’re diagnosed with kidney disease you 
need to know that there’s no cure, but there are 
steps you can take to help contain the damage, 
including: 

 Control your blood pressure: If you have high 
blood pressure, get it under 130/80. If you need 
medication to do it, ACE inhibitors and ARBs are 
good choices because of their proven ability to 
protect the kidneys.

 Control your diabetes: If you have diabetes, 
keep your blood sugar as close to normal as 
possible.

 Change your diet: This usually means reducing 
the amount of protein and phosphorus you 
eat, and cutting back on sodium and possibly 
potassium. Your doctor can help you determine 
an appropriate eating plan, or you may want to 
talk to a dietitian. Also see myfoodcoach.kidney.
org where you’ll find lots of kidney friendly 
recipes and nutrition tips.

 Watch your meds: Dozens of commonly used 
drugs can damage the kidneys, especially when 
taken in high doses over long periods – most 
notably NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin 
and generic) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn 
and generic). Herbal supplements can also be 
very dangerous. Talk to your doctor about all 
the prescription, over-the-counter and herbal 
products you take to identify potential problems 
and find alternatives.

 Exercise and lose weight: If you’re overweight 
and inactive, start an aerobic fitness routine (walk, 
swim, cycle, etc.) that gets your heart pumping. 
This will help lower your blood pressure, control 
diabetes and help you lose excess weight all of 
which will help your kidneys.

 Quit smoking: If you smoke, quit. Heart disease 
becomes a much greater risk to the kidneys if 
your smoke. Smoking also doubles the rate of 
progression to end-stage renal failure.

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, 
P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit 
SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to 
the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy 
Senior” book.


KATIE Tse..........This and That

FLYING PENGUINS & 

OTHER TOUCHING STUFF

There are two kinds of people 
--those who cry at sad movies, 
and those who don’t. Usually 
most of the former group are 
women, while the latter group are 
predominantly men. There are a few exceptions. 
I wouldn’t say that my husband goes in for sappy 
things, like sentimental songs or fluffy greeting 
cards. I tend to tear up more easily at poignant 
moments than he does. But all that ends when it 
comes to movies.

 It’s become a joke with us that I have a heart of stone 
when watching tear-jerker films. I can watch Tom 
Hanks leave Helen Hunt in “Cast Away,” Leonardo 
DiCaprio slip into the Atlantic in “Titanic,” and 
Mel Gibson’s last speech in “Braveheart,” all with a 
dry eye. About two minutes into the big cry scene 
I’ll feel a nudge on my shoulder and hear my teary-
eyed husband saying, “You have no heart!” which 
always makes me laugh.

 But it’s not true. There are plenty of movies 
that make me cry, no matter how many times 
I watch them. I’m a closet old person, so you 
might not recognize some of these iconic scenes: 
Ronald Coleman embracing Jane Wyatt after 
making the harrowing trek to Shangri La in “Lost 
Horizon.” Carry Grant reconnecting with his lost 
love, Deborah Kerr, and realizes she has become 
wheelchair-bound in “An Affair to Remember.” 
In “Random Harvest,” Ronald Coleman recovers 
from amnesia, returns home, and recognizes his 
beloved wife. (You might notice a Ronal Coleman 
theme in this list.) Yes, these scenes never fail to 
move me to tears.

 Crying at movies is one thing, but crying at 
commercials is a new low. If you haven’t seen the 
BBC ad with flying penguins, you must find it on 
You Tube! Watch it and tell me if it doesn’t stir 
something within you. It starts with a reporter 
approaching a colony of dumpy penguins which 
he says are unusual in their ability to fly! Then the 
blubbery birds start “running,” launch themselves 
onto an icy runway, and start flapping like crazy. 
More of their group join them and eventually they 
all lift off the ground! Suddenly the sky is filled 
with penguins streamlined like torpedoes flying 
through the air.

 We see them soaring around glaciers as the 
narrator explains that these special penguins 
migrate from the icy wastes of the Arctic to lush, 
tropical rainforests in South America. The final 
few shots are of pudgy penguins lighting down 
in fruit trees to the surprise of toucans and other 
rainforest animals.

 Of course, the commercial’s intent is for you 
to order this new BBC series, but I see it as a 
spiritual analogy. This earth, with its many pains 
and sorrows can seem like a dead wasteland with 
no sign of improvement or escape. Yet God takes 
the most undeserving people (myself being chief 
among them), promises to transform our lowly 
bodies into glorified ones, and gives us the hope of 
coming home to a place of such beauty and perfect 
happiness that we cannot imagine. BBC probably 
didn’t have this in mind when they made this ad, 
but I tear up with joy every time I see it!


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 • www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFELicensePendingThe Kensington promises to love and care for yourfamily as we do our own, and we’re opening soon