St Peter’s Probus
Finds simple ways to stay in peak condition
ON Tuesday, November 9, St Peter’s Probus held its monthly meeting at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel, Carmarthen.
Chairman Alan welcomed members and received reports from committee members responsible for club management.
Eric as treasurer reported that the club was financially sound and that for those going on the May 2022 holiday their final payment from should made by next March.
Eric also reported that the indoor bowls group had met but it was a poor turnout and more members should be encouraged to participate, the meets being 10.30am each Monday at the Carmarthen bowling rink.
Roger reported that the holiday venue, the Hatherley Manor Hotel near Gloucester, had a very good reputation and he hoped to be able to review the facilities and report back at the next meeting.
Arthur, the welfare secretary, said that he had spoken to those members who were not in the best of health and he let members at the meeting know how their fellow members were progressing.
Guy reported that he was finding it difficult but not impossible to get speakers as the Covid-19 lockdown had disturbed many people’s lives and their roads back to normality were each at a different pace. He thanked the chairman Alan for standing in at short notice for the November meeting.
The chairman reported that at the management committee’s meeting on the previous Tuesday there was a general discussion on the club’s immediate future. Several ideas were put forward for increasing the club’s membership and Tom in his report said the club was looking to produce a modified Probus information sheet to make it specific to the St Peter’s Club and suitable for distribution. The possibility of a public media web page was also being considered. However, any further action should wait until the numbers of the 2022 applications and renewals had been assessed.
It was decided that due to shortage of time a Christmas dinner cannot be fitted in for this year.
Likewise, the Trailblazer outings will be suspended at least until after the AGM.
Following the business meeting the chairman, who has held a private flying licence for many years, gave a very interesting talk about the different types of pilot’s flying licences and safety certificates for aeroplanes. Members found this to be very topical in the light of the developments that followed the crash of the aeroplane carrying Emiliano Sala, causing the footballer’s death.
After the close of the meeting members had an excellent lunch at the hotel.
Take your shoes off at the door:
Tests from the University of Arizona found that the bottoms of outdoor shoes average 421,000 units of bacteria (including E. coli), toxins and herbicides. And when those contaminated shoes walk across clean floor surfaces, the rate of transference was almost 90%.
Snack on olives:
They act similarly to aspirin in reducing inflammation and artery plaque formation. And those who consume extravirgin olive oil daily are at a lower risk of heart attack, hypertension and death from heart disease than those who don’t.
Jump while the kettle boils:
According to a study by the universities of Exeter and Leicester, women who do one to two minutes of highintensity weight-bearing exercise a day have 4% better bone density than those who do less than a minute. And jumping is perfect: squat, use your arms, jump up high and land softly with bent knees.
Drink water before driving:
Being even mildly dehydrated is the equivalent to being over the drink-drive limit, according to the Journal of Physiology & Behavior. In both cases, the number of mistakes made was twice that of wellhydrated motorists.
Stop eating at 7pm:
A late-night meal keeps the body on high alert when it should be winding down, warn heart experts. Those with hypertension who ate within two hours of going to bed were 2.8 times more likely to have high blood pressure overnight, increasing their risk of heart attack and stroke. It’s a good rule even if your blood pressure is normal, say researchers.
When you reach seven out of 10:
The Hunger Scale helps you tune into your natural hunger cues and reduce “out-of-control” eating. “Before you eat, rank your hunger on a scale of zero (beyond hungry) and 10 (stuffed full),” advises Lyndi Cohen, dietitian and author of The Nude Nutritionist. She advises eating at number three, then putting down your knife and fork at seven.
Dry-brush before using toothpaste:
Not only is this a more effective way of removing plaque, say researchers, but dry-brushing for around 60 seconds before adding toothpaste means you’re more likely to brush for the full two minutes. (Don’t “wet” your toothbrush first – or rinse away protective fluoride after brushing).
Bend your knees when you lift
The motion of lifting while twisting is one of the worst combinations for your back – yet it can be hard to avoid when putting children into car seats and lifting heavy shopping into the car.
Bend at the knees – not the waist – and shift the effort to your hips, arms and abs rather than your back, advises Tim Hutchful of the British Chiropractic Association.
And when you feel a sneeze coming, bend your knees to absorb it. Explosive atchoos are a suprisingly common culprit for back
injuries.
Go left: Ask yourself why:
Psychologists say this automatically boosts your memory. In a study where students had to remember a list of sentences (eg, the hungry man got into the car), those given an explanation (to go to a restaurant) remembered 72% of the sentences when tested later, compared to 37% of those who only read the first one.
Observational studies at train stations suggest 73% of people take the escalator over the stairs when there’s a choice. And, of those that do, a similar amount take the lazy option and stand to the right. If you must take the escalator, make sure you climb.