In honor of our Past President, John Kane, the SFCRTA Board of Directors has established a $1000.00 Book Award in his name to be given annually.
Five Top Tips for Brain Health (reprinted with permission of the Fairfield Senior Times, Bigelow Center for Senior Activities, Fairfield, CT)
Dr. Rudolph Tanzi of Harvard Medical School, a longtime Altzheimer’s researcher, recently contributed to a PBS documentary called Altzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts, which aired in late January. Below Dr. Tanzi shares his advice for maintaining brain health and possibly decreasing your risk of Altzheimer’s. Number two on his list of top tips will surprise you.
- “First and foremost, remember that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.” Exercise is essential for promoting the growth of new brain cells.
- Deep or slow wave sleep is the only time that the brain doesn’t produce the beta-amelyoid plaques that cause Altzheimer’s. During sleep the brain actually cleans itself – a process Dr. Tanzi calls “mental flossing.” He recommends getting seven to eight hours sleep a night, even if it’s interrupted. “If you don’t, you might as well be smoking cigarettes or sitting on a couch eating two bags of potato chips a night.”
- “The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to be most effective in reducing risks.” Eat more fiber, more olive oil, fruits, nuts, less red meat, and more fish and other good sources of protein.
- Keep Moving. That means not just moving physically, but socially – don’t isolate yourself – and stay intellectually active. Learn new things. Every time you learn something new, you‘re making new connections between nerve cells called “synapses.” Dr. Tanzi said you have to build up a synaptic reserve as you age. Brain games won’t do it; learning new things will.
- Manage stress. “We’re learning more and more that stress is related to inflammation in the body, and that it can produce chemicals in the brain that are toxic to nerve cells.” Stress reduction techniques can be very beneficial in promoting brain health.
Enclosed is the information and sign up sheet for our spring luncheon. We are pleased to announce that Connecticut State Comptroller Kevin Lembo has agreed to be our guest speaker.
Visit the Greater Bridgeport Retired Teachers Association (www.gbrta.org) for a list of their upcoming spring trips. We have partnered with GBRTA so you are eligible to join any of these trips.
If you are eligible for Social Security, the Social Security Administration hopes that you, your family, and your friends will take advantage of the many services available with a my Social Security account. Among other things, you can use your online account to get an instant replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S form. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
The 25% reduction on our 2016 state income tax is included in the CT Resident Income Tax forms. You will find it on CT-1040, page 3, line 45. IF YOU ARE USING AN INCOME TAX PROGRAM SUCH AS TURBO TAX, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE UPDATED THE REDUCTION FROM 10% TO 25%. We will work hard to maintain the 50% reduction that has been promised for 2017 and that Gov. Molloy has still included in his proposed budget.
Save the date:
- SPOTLIGHT is a chance for educators who are recently retired, planning to retire, or starting to consider retirement to explore next steps through the stories and experiences of others. Learn from other retirees about how they’re using their skills and experiences in new and different ways.
Thursday, May 4th from 4 – 5:30 PM at Norwalk Community College
Please consider joining us and become a member of SFCRTA. CLICK HERE
Remember: We are stronger together.
Respectfully,
Frank Cooper, President