GREETINGS EVERYONE!!!
We want to wish everyone a safe,
enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend. As temperatures rise inSouthwestern
New Mexico, so will our Outreach efforts and
collaborations to reach persons with disabilities, their
communities, and their local governments. For this
month, this newsletter will address the following
:
·
Recap of
TACIL’s activities since our last
newsletter
·
Travel
Safety
·
Recipe of
the Month
·
Diabetes
care
·
Thank-you to
our collaborators
.
RECAP OF THE
MONTH:
The
Ability Center’s three
programs continue to do well this month of
May:
·
Our
Independent Living Program continues providing quality
services to persons with disabilities in southwestern
New
Mexico. Rural Outreach
Activities have intensified, in collaboration with the
New Mexico Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
·
Our Social
Security Payee Program continues to educate Payees on
money management, with Consumers sticking to their
budgets, learning about savings, and expanding their
financial literacy abilities.
·
Our
Traumatic Brain Injury Life Skills Coaching Program
continues serving Southwestern New
Mexico.
·
In
collaboration with the New Mexico Commission for Deaf
and Hard of Hearing (CDHH), ASL classes at TACIL are
going well. We continue distributing information
resources to the communities we serve regarding Deaf and
Hard of Hearing culture, resources, and community
education.
We’re appreciative of this grant for it has
helped us expand our community education efforts for
this fiscal year.
In
collaboration with the Carl C. Anderson, Sr. and Marie
Jo Anderson Charitable Foundation, our food bank program
aimed at helping 24 low-income persons with disabilities
progresses well. Implementation for May has gone without
any problems.
This grant has helped us assist individuals who
would otherwise experience the drastic consequences of
food insecurity..
HOLIDAY TRAVEL
SAFETY
In
addition to the usual stresses of the holidays comes the
added load of traffic woes. This boost in gridlock hits
right when the days are their shortest and the weather
it’s unfriendliest. To avoid the pitfalls and potholes
of winter-holiday driving, consider these handy tips.
Plan ahead
to avoid a bumpy road
Allow extra
time in a travel schedule. Bad traffic can often be
avoided with a little preparation. The heaviest travel
days are usually before and after Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year's Day. Consider taking an extra
day off so that you aren't stuck in the pack. Also, try
to minimize holiday stress by getting the bulk of your
shopping done well before the
holiday.
Make sure
cars are well-equipped for travel. Breaking down in the
dark, in bad weather or in the cold can crush the
holiday spirit. It's a good idea to take the car in for
a winter "check-up." A mechanic can inspect the
antifreeze, battery, windshield wipers and other
cold-weather components. Make sure that the tire
pressure is at the recommended levels, as tires can be
hazardous in wet weather when they are not filled to
proper levels.
Think before
you drive. Leon James, professor of psychology at the
University of Hawaii and an
expert on driver psychology, reminds us that the
highways are a community. As much as we may want to
think we are isolated in our steel and glass bubbles,
driving is really a social interaction without words. To
understand holiday driving conditions, think of the way
people act outside of their cars in this time of year.
Many are worried, preoccupied, hurried, distracted and
all those states of mind that make them easily agitated
and less careful. On the road, this means that everyone
should be more vigilant than usual, give people more
distance and be forgiving when someone does something
rash or absent-minded. Avoid confrontations, and try not
to let other drivers bring you out of the happy holiday
zone.
Ease on down
the road
Don't think
of driving as a chore. Consider traveling to be part of
the vacation. Rather than getting cranky from thinking
that you are losing vacation time, try to find ways to
enjoy the time you spend driving. This might include
playing favorite holiday music or pre-recorded holiday
"talking books," singing holiday carols or chatting with
passengers as if sitting on the couch back at home.
Carry
equipment for on-the-road emergencies. If traveling in
bad weather or in snow country, prepare for problems by
packing flares, blankets, a first-aid kit, flashlight,
water and snacks. It's useful to have a shovel to dig
out the wheels in case you get stuck, and a bag of kitty
litter to pour under the wheels for traction. Also
remember to pack the cell phone for emergencies, but be
prudent about using it while driving in holiday traffic
or in bad weather.
Pack tire
chains if you heading into the snow, and consider
putting them on before leaving home.
Drive
responsibly. Once you get on the road, drive slowly and
carefully. It's the time of year when to-do lists can
run long, and we all have places where we would much
rather be than on the road, but a defensive approach
pays off in the long run. Don't drink and drive. Be
aware of your physical and legal limits and the
potential dangers of intoxicated driving. To avoid other
drivers who may have celebrated too much, stay off the
roads at high-risk times, such as after nightfall on New
Year's Eve.
RECIPE OF
THE MONTH
For those
who have sweet tooth, here is a low calorie dessert to
try.
Tuxedo
Cookies
You
can use either the blender crepes or the cocoa crepes in
this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup
whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup
unbleached white flour
- 1/2
teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4
teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup
semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 ounces
unsweetened baking chocolate
- 3
tablespoons less-fat margarine (with 8 grams fat per
tablespoon) or butter
- 2
tablespoons cooled espresso or double-strength
coffee
- 1
tablespoon chocolate syrup
- 2/3 cup
granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup
egg substitute
- 2
teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup
white chocolate chips
Preparation:
1.
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees. Line two thick baking sheets with
parchment paper and set aside.
2.
Combine
flours, baking powder, and salt in a 2-cup measure and
stir to blend.
3.
Place
chocolate chips, baking chocolate, margarine, coffee,
and chocolate syrup in a medium-size microwave-safe
bowl. Cook in microwave on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from microwave and stir to finish melting the
chocolate. Set aside to cool
slightly.
4.
Add sugar,
egg substitute and vanilla to mixing bowl and beat on
medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce to low speed and
beat in the chocolate mixture just until combined.
Gently fold in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or
rubber spatula.
5.
With a
cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared
pans. Bake for 8 minutes or until the surface of the
cookie is dry (do not overcook). Let the cookies cool on
the baking sheet, and then peel them off of the
parchment.
6.
While
cookies are cooling, place the white chips in a 2-cup
glass measure. Microwave on LOW until chips are melting,
once stirred with spoon (about 1 minute).
7.
Dip the edge
of each cookie (about a fourth of the cookie) into the
melted chocolate and let the chocolate harden by placing
the cookies on waxed paper.
Yield:
24
cookies
Nutritional
Information:
Per
cookie: 131 calories, 6 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 5
g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 1.8 g monounsaturated fat,
0.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber,
120 mg sodium. Calories from fat:
36%.
DIABETES
PREVENTION: 5 TIPS FOR TAKING CONTROL
Tweaking your lifestyle could be a big step
toward diabetes prevention — and it's never too late to
start. Consider these tips.
When it
comes to type 2 diabetes — the most common type of
diabetes — prevention is a big deal. It's especially
important to make diabetes prevention a priority if
you're at increased risk of diabetes, for example, if
you're overweight or have a family history of the
disease. In the United States
alone, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention expect diabetes to affect more than 48
million people by 2050.
Tweaking
your lifestyle could be a big step toward diabetes
prevention — and it's never too late to start. Diabetes
prevention is as basic as losing extra weight and eating
more healthfully. Consider the latest diabetes
prevention tips from the American Diabetes Association.
Tip 1: Get more physical
activity
There are
many benefits to regular physical activity. It can help
you lose weight but even if it doesn't, it's still
important to get off the couch. Whether you lose weight
or not, physical activity lowers blood sugar and boosts
your sensitivity to insulin — which helps keep your
blood sugar within a normal range.
Research
shows that both aerobic exercise and resistance training
can help control diabetes, but the greatest benefits
come from a fitness program that includes both.
Tip 2: Get plenty of fiber
It's rough,
it's tough — and it may reduce the risk of diabetes by
improving your blood sugar control. Fiber intake is also
associated with a lower risk of heart disease. It may
even promote weight loss by helping you feel full. Foods
high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole
grains, nuts and seeds.
Tip 3: Go for whole grains
Although
it's not clear why, whole grains may reduce your risk of
diabetes and help maintain blood sugar levels. Try to
make at least half your grains whole grains. Many foods
made from whole grains come ready to eat, including
various breads, pasta products and ready-to-eat cereals.
Look for the word "whole" on the package and among the
first few items in the ingredient list.
Tip 4: Lose extra weight
If
you're overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on
weight loss. Every pound you lose can improve your
health. And you may be surprised by how much. In one
study, overweight adults who lost a modest amount of
weight — 5 percent to 10 percent of initial body weight
— and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing
diabetes by 58 percent over three years.
Tip 5: Skip fad diets and make healthier
choices
Low-carb,
low-glycemic load or other fad diets may help you lose
weight at first, but their effectiveness at preventing
diabetes isn't known; nor are their long-term effects.
And by excluding or strictly limiting a particular food
group, you may be giving up essential nutrients.
Instead, think variety and portion control as part of an
overall healthy-eating plan.
Make it a team effort
The
American Diabetes Association recommends blood glucose
screening for everyone age 45 and older who's
overweight. If you're older than age 45 and at a normal
weight, ask your doctor about earlier testing. Also ask
your doctor about testing if you're younger than age 45
and overweight with one or more additional risk factors
for type 2 diabetes — such as a sedentary lifestyle or a
family history of diabetes.
Also share
your concerns about diabetes prevention. Your doctor
will applaud your efforts to keep diabetes at bay, and
perhaps offer additional suggestions based on your
medical history or other factors.
