exercise, kindness also releases

endorphins—good hormones

that can give you a “helper’s

high.” So start small. You can

get that helper’s high by

volunteering at a local agency,

helping someone in need,

buying someone coffee or lunch

or simply complimenting a

stranger.

So give back. Kindness may be

the secret sauce to a healthy,

happy life. So share it and pay it

forward. Kindness is

contagious! The positive effects

of kindness are experienced in

the brain of everyone who

witnessed the act, improving

their mood and making them

significantly more likely to share

a smile, make a donation or

help others. This means one

good deed in a crowded area

can create a domino effect and

improve the lives of numerous

people.

Https://www.darmouth.edu/wellness/

emotional/rakhealthfacts.pdf

Https://pathwaysoffamilywellness.org/

Inspirational/health-benefits-of-kindness.html

Pace TWW, Negi LT, Adame DD, et al. Effect of

Compassion Meditation on Neuroendocrine,

Innate Immune and Behavioral Responses to

Psychosocial Stress,

Psychoneruroendocrinology. 2009;34(1):87-98.

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.08.11.

Written by: Natalie Jones Edited by: Connee

Wheeler Designed by: Rusty Manseau Stock

Images: 123RF.com

The Power of Kindness

Did you know that there are

actual health benefits to being

kind? Research shows that

kindness not only makes you

feel good, but actually makes

you healthier, both physically

and mentally. People who

perform acts of kindness would

agree that being kind to

someone else simply makes

them “feel good.”

Kindness increases oxytocin

(a.k.a. “the love hormone”),

energy, happiness, lifespan,

optimism, serotonin, and self-

esteem. Kindness decreases

pain, stress, anxiety, depression,

blood pressure, signs of aging,

and risk of illness.

Here are there science-based

ways kindness improves your

health and boosts your physical

and mental well-being.

Kindness Decreases Stress

Stress-related health problems

improve after performing kind

acts. Helping reverses feelings

of depression, supplies social

contact and decreases feelings

of hostility and isolation that

can cause stress, overeating,

ulcers, etc. A drop in stress

may, for some people, decrease

the constriction within the lungs

that can lead to asthma or panic

attacks.

Kindness Improves Heart

Health

Acts of kindness strengthens

your heart physically and

emotionally. When you do

something kind for someone

else, it can warm your heart.

This emotional warmth

produces the hormone oxytocin

in the brain and throughout the

body. According to research,

oxytocin causes the release of a

chemical called nitric oxide in

vessels which expands the

blood vessels. This expansion

reduces blood pressure and

therefore oxytocin is known as a

“cardio protective” or “love

hormone” because it protects

the heart by lowering blood

pressure.

Kindness Makes you Happy

When you do something kind, it

makes you feel better by

boosting your serotonin. This is

the pleasure center of your

brain releasing feelings of

satisfaction and well-being. Like

January 2018

Office Closed

January 1

Coffee and Canvas

January 9

Office Closed

January 15

Jabez Quilt Seminar

January 16-20

Becoming Weight

Wise

January 22,29

Jr. Homemaker Club

January 23

Mail-Out Lessons for January and February

help you to grow old

gracefully, successfully and

with increased longevity.

Our February Lesson will also

be a mail-out entitled,

“Making Family Mealtimes

Meaningful.” In this lesson

you will gain tips on

decorating the table, using

family heirlooms such as

dishes, and linens and learn

to make mealtime a highlight

of the day for you and your

family. These lessons will be

enclosed in your newsletter.

Winter weather can

sometimes play havoc on

our Homemaker lesson

schedule so we are once

again offering the January

and February lessons

through the mail. This way

everyone can still receive

their Homemaker lesson and

not worry about

cancellations schedules and

coming out in the snow. The

lesson for your January Club

meeting is “Keys to Embrace

Aging.” Aging is an inevitable

and unavoidable process

that affects each and every

one uniquely. The way in

which you take care of

yourself though the years

both physically and mentally

will impact the way in which

you age. This lesson will

Page 2 Laurel County Extension Homemaker

Judi Cissell O’Bryan

Laurel County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences Education

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF PROCEDURE FOR FILING A COMPLAINT

The Cooperative Extension Service prohibits discrimination in its programs and employment on the basis of race, color, age, gender, religion, disability, or national origin. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact James Lawson, UK College of Agriculture, Lexington, KY 40546 or the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.

each Monday through March 12th. Participants can weigh in at the Extension Office anytime between 8 AM and 5 PM. Optional classes will begin at 5:30 PM. This program is free, but registration is required. Call 864-4167 to register or register online at www.ca.uky.edu/laurel.

If your holidays have your clothes fitting a little tight, join us for this eight week program. Participants will have accountability with weekly weight-ins and an opportunity to learn more about managing body weight through cooking and nutrition programs. The program will start on Monday, January 22nd and continue

Sign Up Now for Becoming Weight Wise

It is once again time to start planning our Homemaker

Leader Lessons for our next program year 2018-2019.

Why plan so early? Well, as agents it takes several

months to gather research based information and

develop a program that we can deliver to leaders.

Enclosed you will find the Homemaker Lesson Ballot for

the upcoming program year. Please take the time to

mark your top eight choices for Homemaker lessons. If you have additional suggestions please list

these on the back page. Please return these to the office by February 16th so that everyone has a

voice in what lessons you receive. If you vote at your club meeting please do not summarize the

votes just put the number of members that voted for each lesson.

It ’s Time to Cast Your Vote

Page 3 January 2018

Studies have show that there are numerous benefits to

having regular family meal time. Sometimes life gets in the

way and we are so busy that we let family meal time slide.

Whether it’s our schedules or just having trouble deciding

what to cook for dinner, our family meal time challenge is

going to help with that. Join us for our 8-week challenge to

help you get back to a regular family meal time.

Participants will receive a weekly e-newsletter and

encouragement on social media. We will be providing

information on why a regular family meal time is

important, recipes, cost saving tips and much more.

Participants will be setting their own goals, so if you don’t

have a regular family meal time at all we won’t be expecting you to start doing it every night. Our goal is just to

increase the number of times a week you have family meal time. Register now to participate as the challenge

begins on Monday, February 5th and continues through the week of March 26th. Register at www.ca.uky.edu/

laurel or by calling 864-4167.

Join our Family Meal Time Challenge

Join us for a fun filled break with java and acrylics (Coffee

and Canvas). Enjoy a painting experience as our talented

instructor walks you

through the step-by-

step acrylic process.

You can follow along

exactly or add your own

artistic twist; but,

everyone will leave with

a unique and beautiful

piece of work. We

encourage all attendees

to bring their own

acrylics and brushes; but

it’s not necessary. Wear

your painting clothes

and bring a good attitude, an adventurous spirit, and your

favorite coffee mug! This class will be taught on Tuesday,

January 9th at 10 AM or 6 PM. Cost is $35 and

registration is required at www.ca.uky.edu/laurel.

Sign Up for this Fun Painting Class

Bad Weather Policy

If Laurel County Schools are

canceled due to bad weather,

Laurel County Extension

Homemaker programs will be

canceled. (No announcement

will be made on the radio.) Clubs

need to make their own policy,

but most clubs follow the Laurel

County School system. If you are

in doubt whether the meeting is

canceled or not, please contact

the office (864-4167) for more

information. If you club meets at

the Office you will want to follow

our Facebook page to determine

if we are closed or have a delayed

opening due to weather. All

county closings will be posted on

FACEBOOK. Follow us on

FACEBOOK at: Laurel County FCS.

Just as people need food and water to survive, people also need meaningful social relationships and

connections. Because people are wired for social contact, without it the risk for jeopardizing overall

health, well-being and life quality increases. While it is okay to feel lonely and be alone at times,

chronic loneliness can cause serious physical, emotional and mental health concerns.

Loneliness, if not addressed, can lead to:

Social isolation

Physical and mental decline

Depression

Poor sleeping patterns

Disrupted immune system

Poor nutrition

High blood pressure

Decreased learning, memory and motivation

Loneliness is not uncommon with caregivers. Some caregivers become isolated because they are forced

or choose to withdraw from previous activities or lifestyles due to the time demands of caregiving.

Some become isolated because family and friends seemed to disappear as a means of keeping their

distance. Others feel lonely due to limited communication and/or interaction with their loved ones

because of disease or illness. Caregivers also are at risk of feeling lonely when they set aside their own

needs and lifestyle to focus on their loved one. As a result, caregiving can be a dark place. The Family

Caregiver Alliance reveals that between 40 and 70% of family caregivers experience symptoms of

depression.

Symptoms of chronic loneliness include feeling:

Discomfort and distress

Sad, empty, isolated

Distanced from others

Deprived

Longing

In addition, people fighting loneliness are more susceptible to emotional eating and weight gain.

Increased blood pressure caused by stress can lead to additional health problems, including diabetes,

stroke and premature death. Children and teens are more likely to adapt an outcast status, have

problems in or drop out of school or even become delinquent. Adults who are lonely are at greater risk

(Continued on page 8)

Social Isolation is

Dangerous

Homemaker Lesson Ballot Please take a few moments to select 8 of the following topics for your Homemaker leader lessons for the next year. Please make sure every Homemaker member gets to vote. Do not summarize club votes. Return the ballot forms to the Extension Office by February 16, 2018.

_____ Baking for One, Two or a Few – Creating and adapting recipes for quality, tasty baked goods can be fun, challenging and rewarding. Baking is a science. Each ingredient plays a specific role.

_____ Stay Happy, Stay Healthy – When was the last time you laughed until your side hurt or though some-thing was funny? If you had to think about it, then this lesson is for you! You will be able to identify the benefits of laughter and ways to increase laughter, if you aren’t doing it often.

_____ Why My Grandchildren Need Me - Grandparents play an important role in their family’s lives. The roles vary depending on location, ability to communicate, physical abilities and state of life. Learn the role you play in your grandchild’s life. It describes how the levels of involvement have changed in recent year.

_____ Where Does Your Money Go? – Ever wonder what happened to your paycheck? Or just where the heck did all my money go this month? If so, this lesson will help you track your spending and gain control over your financial habits.

_____ What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs (Financial Considerations for Women: Planning for Life’s Ma-jor Events) - Our financial needs change based on our life events. Throughout life, many women experi-ence life events which present new financial circumstances. Therefore, it is important to help women un-derstand financial basics which help them navigate their personal financial situation, from marriage to widowhood and the many stages in-between.

_____ Holiday Ideas – Come join this lesson, and learn quick and easy ways to decorate and entertain for the holidays. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn easy gift giving ideas and register for a hands-on craft.

_____ Know the 10 Signs – According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable brain disease that causes a slow, progressive decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Learning more about the disease and its warning signs is important because timely detection may offer benefits for people living with dementia and their families.

_____ Don’t Break the Bank for the Holidays - Holidays are an exciting time of the year. The holidays can rep-resent added stress due to the crunch on your wallet. You look forward to the holidays but how are you going to pay for it? Do you stress over it? You need decorations, gifts, and food and it adds up quickly.

______ Saving Money with your Sewing Skills - For most individuals that enjoy sewing these days, they do it for the enjoyment and sense of completion. However, for some items, a sewist can also save money. During this class participants will learn how to evaluate each potential project for money savings and determine whether the value of an item is in $$ or in smiles.

More Great Lessons on the BACK … Lesson 2018-2019

Page 1 of 2

______ Getting to Know Thy Self – Have you been stressed out about something in your life and would like tips to help you cope? Then this is the lesson to help you!

______ Festive Foods – Do you love trying new foods? American cooking has become a melting pot of diverse cuisines using herbs and spices from all over the world. The first gifts from Native Americans to the first European settlers were recipes using corn in hoecakes, pumpkin pie, Indian pudding, succotash, and hasty pudding. Native spices include dill, chives, mustard, parsley, garlic, and basil. Creole cooking, which mar-ries French, African and Spanish cuisines, and Cajun cooking, is very hot and spicy, has ventured from the far South regions where it originated to all over America.

_____ Stroke Awareness – Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States. This lesson will discuss what a stroke is, the symptoms of a stroke, the risk factors that are associated with stroke victims, and finally the ways in which one can prevent strokes from happening.

_____ Coping with Caregiving - Caring for a family member can sometimes be so stressful that you forget to care for yourself. In this lesson we learn about stress and learn ways to maintain your personal well-being while caring for your aging family member.

_____ Eating Healthy for Less - Learn to purchase and prepare easy, healthy, and economical entrees. The pro-gram will include recipes and hands-on activities to help you eat healthy.

______ Gluten-Free: Is it for Me? - Many people have heard about the gluten-free diet know someone following this diet, or have questioned if it is a good fit for their lifestyle. This lesson will provide participants with evidence-based information about gluten, foods containing gluten, and guidance on gluten or gluten-free diets. By the end, you will understand if Gluten-free is the choice for you!

______ Good Impressions - In order to be an effective leader, communication is the key. This lesson will teach participants how to make a good impression by learning more about non-verbal communications (body language) and the roles on speaking plays on leading. Learn new strategies on how to make the best im-pression when talking to fellow members or leaders.

______ That’s a Wrap! - Gift giving isn’t just for Holidays! There are time when a simple gift can go a long way for a friendship or a family member. This lesson will teach you ideas of gifts to give to others either for birthdays, thinking of you, or just to show thanks. It will give ideas on who to be thoughtful to and low cost ways to show our gratitude.

_____ Understanding and Dealing with Conflict - Conflict is common among everyone and sometimes it is even necessary to keep organizations growing and provide us with personal growth. This lesson helps you develop and understand conflict responses for different circumstances and resolutions.

_____ Depression in Older Adults - Everyone gets down in the dumps or feels blue every once in a while. It is important to recognize the warning signs of depression and when to seek help.

______ Let’s Learn to Applique - During this class you will learn to recognize different types of vintage and mod-ern applique. For those that don’t want to spend the time doing hand applique, you will learn the funda-mentals of other techniques that will give a similar affect to home décor items. An optional workshop for those who want to learn to hand applique is available.

Lesson 2018-2019

Page 2 of 2

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018

Ask for help.

Take breaks and call

upon respite either

through family or

friends or more

formal services that

you can find by

calling your local

area agency on

aging.

Maintain your

Social Isolation is Dangerous

since the 1980’s from

20 to 40%. If you are

experiencing

loneliness, you are not

alone. You don’t have

to be alone as there are

many ways to increase

your social interaction

and strategies for

staying well:

Take time for you.

Build “me” time

into your daily

routine - even if it is

just for 10 minutes.

Reconnect with

friends and family.

of alcoholism and

depression. Those

living alone are at

greater risk of suicide.

Loneliness is

particularly prevalent

among older adults. As

we age, our social circle

shrinks, which makes it

more difficult to have

meaningful interactions

with others. According

to a 2013 AARP study,

the percentage of

adults who say they are

lonely has doubled

(Continued from page 4) sense of self; this

might include

exercise, reading,

going to dinner or

finding a cause or

hobby for which

you are passionate.

Caregiving is a journey

that can be difficult to

navigate, but with

support and a mindset

to take care of yourself,

caregiving can be a

rewarding experience. Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA). (2012). Caregiver isolation and

loneliness. Retrieved September 25, 2017 from https://

www.caregiver.org/caregiver-isolation-and-loneliness.

Marano, H.E. (2003). The dangers of loneliness. Psychology Today.

Retrieved July 25 2017 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/

articles/200307/the-dangers-loneliness

Written by: Amy F. Kostelic, Ph.D. Edited by: Connee Wheeler Designed

by: Rusty Manseau Stock Images 123RF.com

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID

LONDON, KY

PERMIT NO. 103