Staying Socially Active as You Age-by Harold Gunatillake
Transcript:
Sri Lankan Australian Seniors in Sydney get together once a month to meet socially and spend the day harmoniously keeping themselves occupied by playing sitting down games in groups, such as cards, draught, carrom and engaged in group singing with key board accompaniment.
This was the brainchild of Sam Masachchi when he was the president of the Sri Lanka Association of NSW.
AS he was working for Subway foods, he brought all varieties of cold foods as part of lunch which was enjoyed by most seniors.
Those Subway food outlets are mostly enjoyed by young people, and for them to enjoy these foods at events as this, brings them a feeling of youth.
Most of the men get together for chit chats and read newspapers and magazines that are being brought by some seniors.
These social rendezvous during the autumn years offer them a variety of health benefits, like lessening chronic pain, delaying and preventing chronic diseases, help them to recover faster from illnesses and so on.
These monthly connections are important for their high-quality life and relationships seem to build up as an overall wellness.
Studies have shown that seniors getting together frequently experience a variety of benefits, including:
Better cognitive functions. By this what is meant is that such activities keep their mind sharp and mentally engaged, which tends to prevent or delay the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Such events connect with other friends a positive mood and prevent depression.
Loneliness after your partner has departed and children grown up, married and living far away becomes a disease. And is a hidden killer of elderly.
You can have loved with you, but still you could be lonely, as it is a state of mind. Inability to find meaning in one’s life, feeling of negative and unpleasantness, isolation, disconnectedness are other ways to define loneliness.
Loneliness brings in diseases and is reported to be more dangerous than smoking. High degree of loneliness precipitates suicidal ideation
When you are socially active you become physically active, too. You tend to eat more and enjoy eating with friends and make better food choices when you eat with others.
Getting together with people of similar age groups, also indirectly makes your inside friends the gut microbes happy, too.
They boost your immune system and keep you fit
It is also a good idea to consume probiotics such as low-fat non- sugar yogurts, and fermented foods.
Sleeplessness is a chronic silent disease most people suffer as they get older.
Feeling of isolation and loneliness may give you sleepless nights. Research shows that people who have more fulfilling relationships in their lives tend to sleep better than those who don’t.
Getting together frequently make seniors something to look forward and improves longevity.
It is common practice for most seniors, especially the ladies to bring a plate of food with them. Combination of differently cooked foods such as rice and curry most enjoyed the Sri Lankan seniors, seems to bring them delight and improves their appetite for better satiety.
Those seniors who have not joined this club, can contact any committee member of the association and they would be most happy to see you at the next get together.
These functions are held at leisure centre in Pennant Hills,
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