Reflection

This community blogspot of St. Leonard's journey in becoming the Healthiest Community in America has a running theme of Collective Intelligence and the Act of Community. The collective intelligence is the idea that what determines the inventiveness and rate of cultural change of a population is the amount of interaction between individuals (Ridley, 2010). This social connectedness is the intention of the Vital Life Community. According to Bill Witte, we should "[t]hink of a human being once born, as a "living seed," super packed with all the components required to become an amazing almost super human being." In addition, Witte states that with the right nutrients and supportive environment "we can realize our potential and better our chance for optimal health and happiness."

According to Ridley, "[t]he story of the human race has been a gradual spread of specialization and exchange ever since: Prosperity consists of getting more and more narrow in what you make and more and more diverse in what you buy, therefore; "self-sufficiency-subsistence-is poverty." The blog posts reveal this specialization and the idea that we are "swapping thoughts and ideas" about wellness and becoming bountiful. We exchange this collective knowledge while moving forward realizing that of the eight ecologies of the wellness spectrum "Socialization" is critical as we lay the foundation for our next growth cycle-the Vital Life. -Debra

Team Home and Garden: St. Elizabeth Social Garden

"The Earth laughs in flowers..."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Case Study 26

Emotional and Physical Wellness Fun and Function Model

Nancy Sawchak feels that her wellness strength lies in her emotional and physical dimensions of wellness. She has always been competitive and was born with an instinct to survive and thrive. Nancy has experienced some set backs recently and admits that she has felt frustrated and wanted to quit. While Nancy was evaluating her emotions, barriers and challenges, her inner voice asked this question, "What are you going to do if you quit?"

Nancy's advice to others going through difficult times is to truly reflect on all possible options. Ask yourself, "what's going to replace what you may be giving up." "It is true that you have to have something to help you get over what you are fighting, but the important thing is to keep moving forward and be patient with yourself."

Case Study 25

Social and Emotional Wellness Fun and Function Model

Beth Wint is dedicated toward helping people diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's find emotional and social wellness. Her parents were responsible for helping Beth find her passion, as they were role models who also took care of others in times of need.

Beth works with residents with various cognitive disorders and strives to help them become mentally and physically at ease in their environment. According to Beth, when a person is feeling a little lost it will reflect in their body language and their entire spirit will seem wound-up. Creating a trusting environment that is social and fun helps to relieve stress and helps to bond residents to other residents where they find their social connection again. Beth's experience reveals that a trusting social environment allows people to breathe, talk and feel at home again.

Team Nursing: Creating a Social Circle of Healing

Team Duckview Ct.: Through the Years 5K Cheering Team!

Team Leisure and Fun:Potluck!

The St. Leonard Potluck is a great event organized by residents on a regular basis to meet new friends and to reconnect with neighbors and friends.

Team Leisure and Fun: Potluck!

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value;

rather is one of those things that give value to survival."
- C. S. Lewis

Team Leisure and Fun: Rose and Dawn

A hug is the shortest distance between friends. ~Author Unknown

Team Lifelong Learning: Girl Scouts, Butterfly Release and Mobiles!!

Team Dance: May's 50/50 Dance!

Team Leisure and Fun: Outdoor Market!

Team Leisure and Fun: Dayton Dragon's Heater!

Team Home and Garden: Learning to Garden!

Team Home and Garden: Flower Festival!

Case Study 24

Social and Emotional Wellness Fun and Function Model

Ruth Kreitzer was born laughing, she loves to tease and "cut up" with her friends and she loves to see people smile. She remembers at the butterfly release last year she told an unsuspecting subject that she had been up all night making raincoats for the butterflies for their first adventures into the real world. We are still chuckling about that prank….Ruth loves people and that is why she moved to St. Leonard, today she says that she loves everything about St. Leonard because it is a place that is easy to make new friends.

Ruth's advice to others is to remember that people learn to be mean and that they are not born that way. A smile can be a gift from God and being friendly with others draws them out and keeps them from missing the happiness that can be found everywhere they look.

Case Study 23

Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Wellness Fun and Function Model

Ruth Magato likes to be open to new things as a way to support her dimensions of wellness; she feels that tackling new things helps to create interest and challenge in life. Ruth feels that she is where she needs to be, she feels safe and having support nearby is a necessity in this stage of life. Ruth knows and talks to many people; she plays cards, and watches what she eats and her doctors compliment her on her lifestyle, which for Ruth has shown to speed the healing process.

Ruth's role models for wellness were her parents because they encouraged sharing and getting along with others. Her mother was exceptional at bringing the best out of people and helping them to succeed. Ruth's advice for others is to "try to do the things you love to do" and take time to learn from others.

Team Home and Garden: St. Elizabeth Social Garden

The roses are blooming at the St. Elizabeth social garden!

Team Duckview: 2009 Late Summer Social Gathering

"My friends are my estate."
- Emily Dickinson

Team Houck Celebrating Spiritual Wellness!

Team Fitness Gurus: How to Disguise Exercise!

Team Houck Family: Socializing at the Gym

Team Wellness: Inspirational Quote

" Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude

is going to determine how you're going to live your life."

submitted by Dawn Arrowood -http://motivateus.com/

Team Leisure and Fun: Country Drive with Ice Cream!

Submitted by Sister Christine Doerger and Judy Potter

Team Leisure and Fun: Joyful Living

Team Leisure and Fun: Patio Chat

Social gatherings are fun and support other optimal health choices!

Team St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization

The St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization offers the gift of phone cards for our troops to stay in touch with their families.

Disney Social Walking Program: Entering Arizona!

We are so excited to have 268 friends and families of the St. Leonard Community coming together for health and wellness, and we are welcoming new walkers all the time as we build and show support for our emerging Vital Life Community!

Vocational Wellness: Animal Rescue

Team Kreative Korner: Quilting Circle!

Loving hands and loving thoughts bring this quilting circle together as they prepare a quilt for a raffle for their next bazaar.

Nutritional Wellness

from Ann Partlow

TO DIET OR TO MAKE LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT IS THE QUESTION

Trying to lose those extra pounds is not an easy thing. People feel a need to go on a "DIET" to become slim & trim. Many are successful but is that success permanent? Once we are no longer on the "DIET" the pounds seem to creep back. The road to weight control is paved with "LIFESTYLE CHANGES". Now, you may ask, what are "LIFESYTLE CHANGES"? "LIFESTYLE CHANGES" is committing to make good food choices. All the time not just when you think you should. Sure, you can still eat fast food once in awhile, but not everyday. Remember back to that "DIET"? Well, that cheeseburger & fries was not included in your daily meal plan. "LIFESYTLE CHANGES" include things like, not eating out the chip bag, but the proper serving size in a bowl and make those chips baked or reduced fat. Change the type of dairy products you consume. Reduce your 2% milk to 1%, have a bowl of low fat frozen yogurt instead of regular ice cream. Bake and broil your meats, you can make great seasoned French Fries in the oven from fresh potatoes. Eat more fish & chicken, if you need a beef fix, choose the cuts from the round or the loin. So, change your life for the better by not "DIET"ing but making a "CHANGE TOWARD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE".

Here are a few suggestions to get you started!!!!!

Snacks and Desserts
Chocolate-chip cookie	Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, fig bars, or animal crackers
Fruit juice	Fresh fruit
Ice cream	Frozen yogurt, low-fat ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, or gelato
Ice cream bar	Frozen fudge pop
Pound cake with strawberries	Angel food cake with strawberries
Prepared potato-chip dip	Fat-free sour cream and powdered ranch dressing mix
Prepared chocolate-cream pie	Chocolate pudding made with skim milk in a graham- cracker crust, topped with low-fat whipped cream
Shortening in pie crust recipes	½ nonfat cream cheese and ½ margarine

Team Noah's Ark: Intellectual Wellness

Team Noah's Ark spent an afternoon learning about spices from Gordon's Food Service. This is a team that is always growing and striving to learning something new and exciting for our resident's dining and nutritional needs.

Team Fitness Gurus: Zumba!

It was a great day in Zumba today! We had so much fun it just didn't seem like exercise.

Team Leisure and Fun: Yak Yak Meeting!

The monthly "Yak Yak" meeting is a time for socializing, planning and just having fun!

Team Leisure and Fun: Fishing at St. Leonard!

Team Fitness Gurus: Shuffleboard!

Case Study 22

Intellectual Fun and Function Model

Mim Leonard states, "You don't just learn wellness, you live it!" Mim's wellness philosophy was shared by her husband of fifty years who was a thoughtful, intelligent man who valued education and students who were willing to learn.

Mim's husband taught at UD in the evening. He taught students who worked all day and then went to night school to further their education and career. Her husband often said that kids take education for granted, but young people who were willing to come to night school and take time away from their families are those who really wanted to learn. Wellness concepts and ideas are similar in that they can be taken for granted or valued and put into practice for optimal health every day.

Case Study 21

Nutritional and Intellectual Wellness Fun and Function Model

by Judy Potter

A large part of my wellness philosophy is "try it—you might like it!". When I was young, my Mom always insisted that we girls eat at least some of everything that was served. Being very practical, she allowed each of us to have a food item that we didn't have to eat, if we didn't' like it after we had tried it at least once. My sister Susy's "NO THANKS" choice was liver, but I liked the way liver tasted & especially the way Mom fixed it. My sisters Linda & Nancy both disliked the same food-lima beans, but I liked everything that Mom made. We all loved boysenberries on her homemade rice pudding. And she had us all enjoying cooked spinach because she added mashed potatoes to lightly-cooked spinach to make a nice, non-soupy consistency. I guess that this started my "food adventures," trying many (but not all) different & unique foods. Our daughters enjoyed homegrown & homemade baby foods when they were young. Our younger daughter is a professional photographer & has photographed food dishes for 2 Disney cookbooks. Our older daughter has (finally!) started her own food explorations, especially with the latino foods abundant in southern California.

Our Assisted Living ladies & gentlemen have also had some "taste trials" during their Socials. With their cheese tasting, they all sampled, liked, & were surprised with the yummy flavor of soy cheese.

I enjoy, & I'm always glad to share my latest "discoveries": roasted red pepper hummus, kiwi fruit, horseradish cheddar cheese, dried green beans, quinoa, edamame, & chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds.

I try to apply this idea of "try it—you might like it!" to other areas of my life: home, family, prayer, work, gardening, exercise, fiber art, living green, & snorkeling. Learning something new keeps me young & helps me remember what it's like to be a novice & in unfamiliar territory—helping me keep my patience.

Team: Lovely Ladies Luncheon Club!

Team Home and Garden: Social Vegetable Garden

The gardeners of St. Leonard have their garden plots planted and the excitement has begun as the crops are already beginning to grow! This will be a time of hard work and sharing "over the fence stories" and gardening tips and advice.

Team Home and Garden: St. Elizabeth Social Garden

This social garden continues to unfold and as it captures our hearts we know and truly believe that everything thrives in a social environment supported by a constant exchange of love and service.

Team Spiritual Care: Bible Study!

Team Fitness Gurus: Volleyball!

Team HCC: Sebastian's Special Connections

Case Study 20

Emotional Wellness Fun and Function Model

George Scheu has been married 44 years and he says there is never a dull moment because he has his wife to help lighten the mood. He states his emotional wellness comes from years of a good marriage where friendship is strengthened because he and his wife enjoy each other's company. George learned about good relationships through the social influences of the time and his grandparents who emphasized taking the time for visiting with family and friends.

George's advice to others who are seeking emotional wellness is to seek peace through good realtionships with others. Practicing the "golden rule" is the beginning to bringing peace to one's life and for times of trouble it is important to remember to pray and seek guidance.

Case Study 19

Spiritual, Physical, Mental and Social Wellness Fun and Function Model

God has a vision for me, and my life’s journey is to find that vision. Wellness is living out that vision. I see spiritual, physical, mental, and social wellness as one comprehensive way of life. I try to eat right, I try to exercise in ways that I enjoy, I try to keep up on current events, I try to read stimulating articles or books, I try to relax, I try to be open to God, I try to respect and interact with other people. All of those activities are interrelated. It is generally hard for me to do one without involving the others. Some of my most intense prayer, for example, occurs on the hiking path or in the shower. Sometimes I may be more attentive to one of those dimensions than to another; but if I want to be well, I need to pay attention to each of them.

That philosophy has evolved with my life. Different people at different times contributed different elements of it. I usually need time to figure things out, and so I often put the pieces of my wellness philosophy together long after those pieces have been a part of my experience. From my mother I developed an appreciation for taking care of my body—healthful eating and exercise. From my father I developed an appreciation for taking care of my mind—asking questions and exploring possibilities. Forty years as a Franciscan friar have given me on-going opportunities to explore and develop my own spiritual life. Fourteen years of Al-Anon meetings (a fellowship of friends and relatives of alcoholics) have given me the tools to interact more constructively with other people.

Life is on-going, not static. Do I always live out my philosophy? No! I get side-tracked. One dimension of life sometimes requires more immediate attention than another. If I am not careful, other dimensions of my life may suffer. When my mother died, for example, I became my father’s care-giver and neglected my own bodily well-being. In sixty-seven years I have come to recognize when one dimension of my life is out of synch with the others. I have learned to let go of behaviors, values, and outlooks which may have served a purpose at one time in my life but which now hinder me from living fully. I am learning to change.

Loren Connell, OFM

Nutritional Wellness

submitted by Ann Partlow

Navigating the Cereal Aisle

There is perhaps no greater variety at your supermarket than in the cereal aisle. Which to choose?

Keep these tips in mind as you gaze down the endless cereal shelves:

• Read the Nutrition Facts labels to compare nutrient content of products and pick those made with whole grains.


• Some cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Check the nutrients in fortified cereals. Most cereals supply approximately 25% of the Daily Value for vitamins and minerals, and some have much more.


• Cereals that are good fiber sources supply at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving; whole-grain cereals typically contain even more.


• Don’t assume cereals labeled “natural” or “granola” are necessarily more nutritious. Some of these products can be high in fat, sugars and sodium.


• Adding low-fat milk or yogurt makes cereal a great source of calcium and other nutrients; that’s why labels give information for both cereal only and with added milk.

For more information on navigating the shelves at your local grocery store, visit the Savvy Food Shopping section.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team

Team Stewart: Vital Life at Home

Team Stewart invites the residents, staff, and volunteers and their families to share their stories of fun and function as they journal their healthy choices and become part of our Vital Life Healthiest Community in America!

Vital Life Community Focus

The Vital Life Wellness Program is based up 8 key essential human ecologies that we must adapt to and exploit for beneficial purposes and they are:

· Social

· Nutritional

· Physical

· Environmental

· Occupational

· Intellectual

· Spiritual

· Emotional

As an adaptive animal these are the elements or ecologies that we must have knowledge or command of to be able to be successful human beings.

Note we don't say to "survive", because we want to be more than just humans "doing" we want to be humans "being". To accomplish this outcome we have to have priorities to be able to go forth; that triad of priorities is identified as the Vital Life three-legged stool on which the entire program is based; those priorities are:

· NUTRITION – we must survive

· FITNESS – we must survive

· SOCIALIZATION – we must survive

Once this triad is established as a basis for all else we do then we must do what the human being does so well, learn and grow. We must learn how to inculcate the other five human ecologies into our rhythms of daily living if we are to become whole well round human beings, fully human and fully alive in mind, body and spirit. Bill Witte

Team Bramlish: Vital Life at Home

from Dave Bramlish: Wellness Advisory Member

I thought it would be a great idea to carry the knowledge I have been learning about Vital Life to my family. We have a large family with most over 50 years old. What I have done is break the ice by asking them if they are interested in an investment opportunity. I then describe that this requires no money. (silly but it catches attention to the fact that this is an investment in better life)
I have met with everyone, described the Wellness Spectrum and associated data, and have formed a calendar compiled by brainstorming ideas for activities. Some of the activities are as follows.

* Group trip to Jungle Jim's to shop then have lunch in the parking lot
* Group breakfast. Everyone brings an item to share. Theme music played to set mood (like

bluegrass or country.

* Regular group hiking to local trails
* Soon to host Vitamix smoothie day.(high power mixer) (everyone bring a fruit to add to different

smoothies)
* I am building a trailer mounted BBQ to host large family cooking events
* Hosting bread making events utilizing manual bread making methods and trying each recipes
* Working to set some type of volunteer activity to do as a group
* Game day-we break out board games or lawn games
* Regular family camping events at campgrounds and back yards
* Back yard camp fire

I am happy to see family interest and willingness to suggest activities and participation. I felt so strongly about Vital Life that I wanted to include my family. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to better my life and of those around me.