When my youngest child went away to college, I decided to return to school myself and pursue a new career. 

At age 52, I began a Master's program in Integrative Nutrition. This was a completely new direction for me. The prior 15 years had been spent working in the art world and as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) working with foster children in the community.

When I heard that Oasis provides opportunities to teach children and adults how to live more healthy lifestyles, I was interested. The epidemic of childhood obesity and related diseases is an alarming concern in this country. If we can establish the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices at a very young age, we can change the course of these children's lives.

Now as a CATCH Healthy Habits volunteer, I am teaching children about the importance of nutrition and how to eat healthy. The lessons on sugar are just one example of how the program guides people of all ages to make informed choices about food.

Watching out for hidden sugar

For some time now, there has been a misconception that sugar (or glucose) is an unhealthy part of a diet that should be avoided at all costs. When consumed in moderation, sugar is a healthy part of a diet that is needed by our bodies to function.

Added sugars and syrups that are hiding in our foods are a different story. These are added to foods or beverages to enhance their flavor. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that our daily intake of added sugars should not consist of more than 10% of our daily caloric intake. This is challenging, since many of the foods we eat today have added sugars as well as other ingredients.

“Low-fat” and “fat-free” food products and beverages have become what many people believe to be healthier options. Although promoted as such, these products often contain more added sugar when compared to their “full fat” equivalents. Added sugars increase the number of calories and do not provide any nutrients. Consuming high levels of added sugars increases risk of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dental decay.

Sugars are a natural part of many foods that benefit the body. Comparing the nutrition facts of low-fat and fat-free foods to their “full fat” alternatives, as well as checking the ingredients found in everything we eat, can help us make the healthiest choices.

The fun of helping kids and adults learn how to be healthier

I am getting more from the program than I ever anticipated. I really look forward to my Wednesday afternoons with the kids I have come to know and enjoy so much. Being around young, energetic individuals makes me feel young and energized! The program’s physical activities encourage all of us to get outside and move. There is always a lot of laughter and silliness. I think the volunteers often have as much fun as the kids!

It is extremely rewarding to review the prior nutrition lessons with the kids and have them remember so many important facts. Their knowledge base builds each week and they are so excited about what they know! They love sharing information about the nutritious meals they ate or helped prepare with their families. I feel that we are truly helping to establish good lifelong habits. While leading the lessons on nutrition for children, volunteers often find themselves reminded of important information they can incorporate into their own lifestyles.

About CATCH Healthy Habits

Donna Abinoe volunteers with CATCH Healthy Habits in Bethesda, Maryland through the Washington Metropolitan Oasis center. Volunteers meet weekly with children in grades K-5 to lead fun, active games, share healthy snacks and learn about good food choices.  More than 12,000 adults and 25,000 children have benefited from this program and a similar one called Healthy Habits for Adults. Both are sponsored nationally by Anthem Foundation. 

CATCH Healthy Habits is sponsored in Maryland by Amerigroup Foundation.

 

Peter Bolland enjoys the engaged audiences at San Diego Oasis

“They are buying into the work before you say the first word,” says Peter. “Our discussions get really exciting because these students bring with them a life of insight that is thrilling for me.”

For five years, Peter has been a mainstay at San Diego Oasis. A philosophy professor at Southwestern College, as well as musician, artist and columnist, he is also frequent lecturer on any number of spiritual and mythological subjects. He says he takes away just as much “homework” or food for thought as anybody in the room.

“The questions they ask are really helpful for my writing process and I leave the classes with the dialogues continuing in my mind,” he says.

Peter’s experience with OASIS has helped him reshape how he perceives his own aging process.

“I’m coming to appreciate more and more the power of community,” he says. “We’re social creatures and something happens when we gather. It’s really interesting to see students realize that their presence in the room has benefit to others in the room. That’s what I love about OASIS.”

You name it

With Oasis, there truly is something for everyone: book clubs, dancing, cooking, history, music lessons and helpful information about practical matters, like estate planning and understanding Medicare.

“You name it,” says Simona Valanciute, San Diego Oasis executive director. “We probably have it.”

While the variety is certainly part of the appeal, the high quality of instruction keeps learners coming back for more. Classes are led by instructors who are experts in their fields: healthcare professionals, historians, attorneys, musicians, artists, former professors, writers and thinkers.

Robert Tórrez brings history to life in Albuquerque

A core group of people frequents classes at Oasis Albuquerque taught by Robert Tórrez, who served as the New Mexico State Historian for 15 years.

Robert still writes a monthly column, “Voices from the Past.” Naturally, his classes cover local history and his specialty, the judicial system, what he calls “wild west stuff.” His wealth of knowledge comes from years of access to the New Mexico official archives, which go back as far as 1621.

His tours, most to his hometown and other surrounding small towns in Northern New Mexico, are just as enjoyable for him as those he’s leading.

“These tours usually sell out,” he says. “Most are national historic districts, and with a tour, you get to show more than pictures. I point out personal things. We see weaving, dyeing wool, old railroad yards. This kind of experience allows people to see history in a different way.”

Jerry Pruzan offers expertise from the ranks

Oasis centers often have a built-in resource for quality programs: the participants themselves.

Jerry Pruzan is an Oasis tutor and takes Spanish and other classes from time to time. He also brings something wonderful to  Washington Metro Oasis: tours at the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. A retired attorney, Jerry serves as a docent for both institutions and offers his expertise through Oasis, where the tours fill up quickly.

“Both are really interesting, and I think the Supreme Court is especially so because it’s somewhat mysterious,” says Jerry. “I’m able to facilitate a behind-the-scenes look that not many people get. It’s popular because people want to be a part of history.”

“Sometimes I look at my calendar and it’s booked! I love it,” Jerry says. “So many people think of retirement as life winding down, but it’s actually the beginning of a new life.”

The breadth and scope of programming at Washington Metro Oasis shaped in part with assistance from Jerry’s wife, Marcia Pruzan, who serves on the program committee. Her involvement with the National Institute on Aging and Montgomery County, Maryland’s Commission on Aging and Aging Services has helped her stay abreast of issues relevant to older adults and she often works to connect high-quality lecturers to the Oasis lineup. She is happy to help connect the dots, finding the best people willing to share what they know.

“We have such an engaged population here,” says Marcia. “The classes are packed. The intergenerational opportunities, keeping people involved…Oasis offers all of that. Older adults are an untapped resource.”

These instructors were featured in the 2015 Oasis Annual Report.

Dr. Nate Berger doesn’t want kudos or pats on the back. And he doesn’t need practical advice, either. He’s been a caregiver to his wife Nancy for 28 years, so he knows the ropes. But what Nate does need, and has found with Oasis, is some affirmation that he’s not alone.

“I determined very early on in the game that I’d make life as pleasant for my wife as possible,” Nate says, recalling the series of strokes that changed everything for the two of them.

Despite his resolve and long tenure as a caregiver, Nate finds participation in a new Caregiver Support Group at Washington Metro Oasis, in Bethesda, MD, to be very helpful. Others are embracing the opportunity to be a part of the group.

“We discovered a real need from a couple of our volunteers whowere dealing with the stresses of providing caregiving for their spouses,” says Anna Stokes, Executive Director. “Even when caring for a loved one is an act of love, it takes many new skills and a great deal of energy. The group has really bonded.”

Nate is the only man in the group of 18 caregivers, all of whom agree that their task is a tough one.

“We’re in the same boat. It’s very reassuring to realize that we all have the same fears. We’re afraid we’re going to be overwhelmed, that we’re not doing enough,” he says. “Most of us have realized that we can’t do it all on our own.”

Nate came to that realization from the get-go, and he recognizes that he has advantages that many don’t. A retired dentist and surgeon, he has been able to afford help.

The money topic is something that the group has requested that they get more guidance on, says another participant, Joyce Siegel, who is caregiver to her husband.

“Many are concerned about what they will do when the money runs out,” she says. “There isn’t money for assisted living, and not everyone knows about the resources that are available to them. We all try to help each other, and to give suggestions on what’s working for us.”

Caregivers, Nate says, tend to experience the gamut of emotions as the realities of their day-to-day lives sink in.

“We’re either mad, glad, sad or scared,” he says, adding that loneliness is also common, making a support group even more vital.

“It’s nice to be in the room and see everyone nodding as someone shares an experience,” he adds. “I’ve shared things with these people that I’ve never told anyone else.”

The Oasis support group is not the only way that Nate offers solutions for others navigating lives with disabilities. He and Nancy have traveled to 58 countries, and share their experiences and advice on a website called Disabled Travelers Guide to the World.

Throughout their travels, Nate says that many people approach Nancy to tell her how fortunate she is to have such a wonderful husband who is willing to go to such lengths to help her. He quickly corrects them.

“I am the one who is blessed. It’s a privilege to be a part of this amazing woman’s life,” he says.

Nate Berger is featured in the 2014 Oasis Annual Report. 

If it’s not fun, it won’t get done. That’s a mantra often heard around the kids and adults who meet each week through CATCH Healthy Habits, an Oasis program supported by Anthem Foundation to build good eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime.

Hannah Ott, age 10, talks about including all kids in physical activities. “My favorite part of the Oasis program is that we get to play games, and that everyone gets to do them.”

Fourth-grader Hannah Ott, age 10, represented them well on May 5th on a Youth Panel at the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition’s Annual Meeting at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building as she told them about the fun she has with the Oasis volunteers and kids at Viers Mill ES in Silver Spring, MD.

Moderator Allyson Felix, a Council member and U.S. Olympic Track & Field Medalist, asked Hannah what she enjoyed about CATCH Healthy Habits.

“My favorite part of the Oasis program is that we get to play games, and that everyone gets to do them. We do dances where the kids and the adults make dance moves and we mix them together to make funny dance moves,” Hannah said.

Allyson said, “That sounds like fun. I think we all would enjoy that!”

To help more kids be healthy, Hannah suggested that there be more games that all kids can play, because

“sometimes kids feel excluded.”

Allyson explored the themes of sports, inclusion and fun with the other panelists.

Allyson Felix, moderator, talks with Youth Panel members Hannah Ott, Ana Galaes, Karlie Harman and Caleb Davy during the Annual Meeting of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

• Caleb Davy, age 13, just started learning wheelchair fencing through Disabled Sports USA.
  

  “I think it’s amazing that someone could come up with this idea to make disabled people part of something Olympians can do. Being part of a team is really great because you get to make friends and you know everyone’s there for you and you get to share the love.”

• Karlie Harman, age 15, is quarterback for her high school football team and an ambassador for the Always #LikeAGirl campaign. When asked what “Like a Girl” meant to her, she said,
  

  “It means to give it your all and have confidence. A lot of younger girls have confidence, but lose it as they get older. We’re trying to show people that girls can do whatever they put their minds to. It’s really just about your heart.”

• Ana Galaes, age 17, is an alumna of DC Scores, an after-school program that combines poetry, soccer and service learning. She talked about how her experience on the alumni soccer team and leadership board has helped her grow as a leader through her roles as a coach and a referee for younger kids.
  

  “When I was in third grade I didn’t fit in, but little by little, as I met DC Scores, they opened doors. It was really fun and I learned to express myself.”

The panelists had more suggestions for changes in the schools that are right in line with the lessons that CATCH Healthy Habits volunteers focus on with kids, like making more fresh fruits and vegetables available in the cafeteria and making breaks for recess available in middle and high school, not just elementary school.

Allyson Felix thanked the panel for sharing their experiences.

“We took some notes and hope to go back and integrate your feedback into what we’re doing.” On Instagram she added later, “It is one of my biggest honors to serve on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. We had a very productive meeting today with lots of new issues to tackle.”

A video of the panel discussion is available on the President’s Council YouTube channel at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmw5rPbrN8A