We offer 4 community classes the Como Park, Falcon Heights community at no-cost to residents 65 and better. Each class is 45 minutes. Everyone welcome regardless of ability and experience exercising. For more information check out calendar. 

Say good-bye to ho-hum sandwiches and create a great meal for yourself. The combinations for a great sandwich are limitless.

Consider all the bread choices: White, rye or sourdough slices, wheat rolls, hoagie or brat buns, pitas, bagels, English muffins, tortillas and even waffles. Using large lettuce or collard green leaves work great for a roll-up style sandwich. Hungry for a sandwich but happen to have just the heel left in the bread bag? Turn it into a great open-faced sandwich.
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Once you’ve got the bread, the fun starts. Sure, you can make a traditional PB & J or grilled cheese. But dig a little deeper in the fridge and surprise yourself. Here are a few combinations to consider:

• Egg salad with Avocado and Arugula in a pita
• Rotisserie Chicken, shredded Carrots and Lettuce, Cilantro and chipotle mayo in a hoagie roll
• Grilled Swiss Cheese with thin sliced Granny Smith Apples and caramelized Onions on rye bread
• Salmon, Cream Cheese and Chives on an English muffin
• Roast Beef slices with left-over mashed Potatoes and Gravy served open-faced

Check out these sites for great inspiration.
Find the recipes for 102 healthy sandwich ideas from Cooking Light Magazine!
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/super-sandwiches
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Fifty unbelievable grilled cheese sandwiches from the Food Network.
​http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-grilled-cheese.html

Join us for a community dinner and fundraising event for your local Block Nurse Program that directly serves over 150 seniors each month.

Join us for our annual Meatloaf Dinner & Silent Auction!
on October 10th, 5:00pm – 7:30pm
at Como Park Lutheran Church
Dinner tickets available that day
12 and up – $9.00
11 and under – $5.00
Silent Auction:
Wonderful local items and your purchase is tax deductible.
Event is handicap accessible and transportation is available, just call us at 651-642-1127.
Hope to see you there!

It’s not just you. Almost half — or 46 percent — of all eating occasions in the U.S. now consist of a person eating alone, according to a recent report published by the Food Marketing Institute. Breakfast is the most common meal we eat alone — with 61 percent of us eating morning meals alone, followed by lunch (55 percent) and dinner (34 percent). Solo diners are also responsible for the jump in snack foods being consumed at meal times. Almost 48 percent of adults now replace meals with snacks at least three times a week. But empty calories and mindless eating do not help control diabetes and high blood pressure. With a little practice, you can eat solo and eat healthy.

So, how do we feed ourselves when we’re alone, when there are no one else’s needs to take into consideration? To cook only for yourself is a healthy luxury that is great for your body and budget. Make the time. Appreciate your effort. You are worth it!

Tips for solo diners at home and in restaurants:

1. Eat at regular times each day and eat slowly. Plan when you’ll eat. Take at least 15-20 minutes to eat.
2. Be a mindful eater.  Turn snack food into a meal by adding a protein and fruit or vegetable. Having chips? Add smashed beans to the salsa and have an orange on the side. Eat colorfully.
3. Order smartly and read labels . You’re eating for one, but most single servings in restaurants are enough for at least two people. Eat half and take the rest home. Read labels at the store for the serving size. Leave high sodium and high fat items on the shelf.
4. Enhance your eating experience with something you enjoy. Read a magazine or book, listen to music, or catch up on emails. Use the good plates. Light a candle or put flowers on the table.
5. Don’t avoid social contact for all meals. Food is also part of life’s enjoyments. Look for opportunities to share a meal with a friend.

Healthy living is choice in this 21st century. Several times our senior friends ask why do they have pain or stiffness. Although it is the process of aging, it also depends on on daily living style and eating habits. Seniors who exercise gain physical, mental and emotional benefits that they would not get by sitting still.

Whether it is gardening, walking or cleaning, regular exercise improves seniors’ well-being. Fitness is not something we should retire from because we reach a certain age. Endurance, muscle strength and flexibility matter throughout our lives.

There are many testimonies that seniors who stay active:

• Have more energy and endurance
• Improve flexibility and balance, which lowers the risk of fall
• Prevent heart disease, diabetes and other serious health problems
• Decrease back and joint pain
• Better circulation
• Reduce their chances for depression
• Remain independent longer because they maintain strength and mobility
• Gains positive attitude
• Improve sleeping habit.
• Helps to socialize and meet new people.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ​

Finding recipes and meal ideas for one person can seem like a chore, even if you know how to cook and have a full kitchen at your disposal. It can seem to be simpler to just put a frozen dinner in the microwave but regularly eating convenience food can take a toll on your physical and mental health. The act of cooking for yourself can be very empowering. Taking charge of your diet and taking the time to care for yourself can improve your mood and self-esteem.

Preparing your own healthy meals can reduce your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. If you are trying to control your blood pressure or diabetes, it is much easier to ensure you are getting the right foods when you prepare the meals yourself. When your body feels healthier, you feel happier-inside and out. Eating well at home can make you happier!

Cooking for One recipe idea: Steam in parchment paper for a VERY simple one-person meal.
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Cooking “en papillote” is a fancy term for a simple technique that involves cooking a meal in parchment paper. Pre-heat oven to 350º. Place a fish filet, skinless boneless chicken breast or firm tofu on top of thinly sliced veggies on a large piece of parchment paper. Add spices/seasoning and a dash of olive oil. Fold food into a tight package. Place on a baking sheet. After about 20 minutes you have a healthy, steamed meal for one with virtually no clean up!

Join us at one of our ongoing exercise classes sponsored by Como Park/Falcon Heights Living at Home Block Nurse Program.

Falcon Heights Senior 
     Day: Every Tuesday and Thursday
     Time: 9:30-10:30a.m.
     Address: 1530 Larpenteur Ave. W, Falcon Heights, MN 55113
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Arbor Pointe Apartments
     Day: Every Tuesday and Thursday
     Time: 11:00-Noon
     Address: 635 Maryland Ave. W; St. Paul, MN 55117

Hello!

I am Jeena Gurung, Senior Wellness and Volunteer Coordinator of this program. If one were to ask my friends and coworkers to describe me they would say I am a very pleasant, diverse, active and intelligent woman. I think one of my most distinguishing characteristics is the diversity of experiences I have had. I am a student with flair. I am a woman with heart and an interest in helping the elderly people. I also have a passion for traveling and understanding different cultures of the world. All these elements have given me a very broad outlook, with varying degrees of knowledge in a range of topics. I strongly believe that although some are not related directly, all these qualities influence my work.

I have been fortunate to have acquired a variety of experience in both volunteer and paid positions in programs providing services to the elderly, working one-on-one with seniors, working in a nursing home environment, fitness instructor, wellness coordinator, training volunteers and placing volunteers in many capacities. I love what I do that makes a difference for me everyday.

One of the things I enjoy about my job is to lead exercise classes with mostly people in their 80s or 90s. The classes are held at two nice senior independent buildings located at Como Park and Falcon Heights. I have been doing this for three years now and I have enjoyed each and every class because I see and feel the positive energy from the seniors in the classes. It is an awesome feeling to feel valued and challenged at the same time. One of the things I hear from the regular participant is that they love the variety.

I welcome everyone who is living at Como Park and Falcon Heights who are 65 years old and more to join my classes that are convenient for you. I encourage everyone of us to keep moving and do what you can to live a happy and healthy life.

Thank you.