What’s Thanksgiving without stuffing? Let’s face it: stuffing is a mainstay of the Thanksgiving table. However, it can also be challenging for those who need a vegetarian or gluten-free alternative or who want to avoid high-calorie processed foods.
That’s where AMBA’s Healthy Vegetarian Stuffing comes in. AMBA’s recipes are committed to helping you live your best life – including bettering your overall health and helping you discover delicious, healthier alternatives to your favorite foods! This twist on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing uses quinoa, a fluffy, slightly crunchy, high-protein, gluten-free alternative grain. This recipe can be used to stuff a turkey or as a side dish.
Spice It Up!
Add spices like rosemary, sage, pepper, Himalayan salt, cumin, ground jalapeno pepper, and Cuban seasoning to the olive oil to enhance the flavors.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups quinoa
2 small zucchinis, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lime
¼ cup olive oil
Directions
In a saucepan, bring vegetable stock to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
Add in the quinoa and stir.
Cover the pan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the quinoa absorbs the liquid. Remove from heat.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook and stir in the zucchini and butternut squash in the hot oil until slightly browned, approximately 10 minutes.
Stir quinoa into the vegetables and gently mix green onions, apricots, cranberries, and parsley into the stuffing.
Drizzle with lime juice.
Serve and enjoy.
Your friends at AMBA wish you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving!
Want to know the secret to living a longer and healthier life? Eating well, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding bad habits remain essential to living and staying active longer. However, researchers have also uncovered exciting new clues about the science of aging well. AMBA’s got the tips to help you increase your life expectancy.
The current life expectancy for someone in the U.S. is more than 76 years. A century ago, the average life expectancy was closer to 54!
Your Lifestyle is More Important Than Your Genetics
For many decades, the conventional wisdom was that family history was the single most important factor in health. Genetics do play a major role in one’s risk factors for health issues like diabetes, heart health, obesity, and certain cancers. However, many factors are in your control.
Eating habits and exercise may be the most critical factors associated with living longer and healthier. Ensure your diet includes plenty of high-fiber foods, lean proteins, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. It’s also important to avoid the foods that cause the most harm, such as ultra-processed foods, excessive red meat, and added sugars. It’s also recommended to avoid tobacco products and limit alcohol consumption.
Physical activity is also essential. It’s common for people to experience a gradual loss of muscle, reduced energy, and achy joints as they age. It’s crucial to remain motivated and active. But doing that can raise your risk for disease, disability, and even death. It’s important to work with a doctor to find the types of physical activity that can help you maintain your health and mobility.
Even frail older adults can benefit from regular physical activity. One study included over 600 adults, ages 70 to 89, who were at risk for disability. The individuals were randomly placed in either a moderate exercise program that included brisk walking, strength and balance training, and flexibility exercise or a comparison group without structured exercise. After two years, not only did the exercise group gradually work up to an impressive 150 minutes of weekly activity, but the researchers also found that if individuals in the exercise group suffered an injury, they recovered faster than those in the comparison group!
The combination of different types of exercise—aerobic, strength and balance training, and flexibility—is vital to healthy aging. However, an active lifestyle is more than just getting your daily steps in.
Stay Social
It’s long been known that strong relationships and regular social interaction improve the quality of life. However, new studies reveal that meaningful relationships and a sense of purpose can also increase one’s chances of living longer and that societies with the most long-lived populations enjoy a high level of social engagement with roles for older individuals.
Engaging in social and productive activities you enjoy, such as taking an art class, joining a hiking club, or volunteering in your community, may help maintain people’s sense of well-being and independence as they age.
The key to healthy aging is to engage fully in life—mentally, physically, and socially. Enjoying peace of mind and a sense of security for your loved ones can also play an important role. The Whole Life policy from AMBA and NCRGEA can help. This plan can give you the peace of mind of protecting your family from the high cost of final expenses. Advantages include pre-approved acceptance for applicants 45-85, reasonable rates that never increase, and assurance that you will never be canceled as long as premiums are paid. Learn more at www.AMBAlifeinsurance.com/NCRGEA or call 800-956-1228.
This month’s recipe, courtesy of AMBA and NCRGEA, perfectly combines watermelon, cool cucumbers, salty feta, and a pop of fresh mint. It’s sweet and salty, while the lime-honey dressing adds an extra kick.
From visiting loved ones, checking out historic destinations, or taking advantage of fun tourist attractions, there’s nothing like hitting the road and enjoying an adventure.
Just because you’re firing up the grill doesn’t mean you’re stuck with high-calorie, high-fat choices. Follow these steps to make it easy to eat heart-smart choices you’ll love.
North Carolina’s Treasurer announced on Wednesday, January 4 the award of the Third-Party Administrative (TPA) Services Contract to Aetna. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is the current TPA for the Plan and has been the TPA for more than 40 years.
The three-year initial service period for the contract begins January 1, 2025, and continues through December 31, 2027, with the option to renew for two, one-year terms.
This change will not impact our members who are enrolled in the Humana Group Medicare Advantage Plans. It will only impact members on the Base PPO Plan (70/30) and the Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20) which are currently being administered by Blue Cross NC.
Plan members will start receiving more information regarding the changes in 2024 prior to our Open Enrollment Period for the 2025 benefit year.
The administrative contract, awarded by the State Health Plan Board of Trustees, oversees health care spending of more than $17.5 billion over five years. The new contract reflects a partnership that focuses on transparency and lower costs, with the potential administrative cost savings over the course of the contract equaling $140 million.
The award is the result of a Request for Proposals, a competitive bid process in which the Plan solicited and selected industry-leading partners providing exceptional customer service, technological resources and professional support. The services under the contract include processing claims and offering a comprehensive network of health care providers. Aetna was one of three companies bidding for the contract. Blue Cross NC and UMR, Inc. also submitted proposals.
The State Health Plan, a division of the Department of State Treasurer, provides health care coverage to nearly 740,000 teachers, state employees, retirees, current and former lawmakers, state university and community college personnel, and their dependents.
Could a hearing loss be trying to tell you something about your heart’s health? Listen carefully, because a growing body of evidence – based on six decades of research – points to a connection between hearing loss and cardiovascular disease.
In fact, several prominent experts call the ear a “window to the heart.”
“The inner ear is so sensitive to blood flow that it is possible any abnormalities in the cardiovascular system could be noted here earlier than in other less sensitive parts of the body,” explains David Friedland, MD, Ph.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Dr. Friedland has been studying the hearing-cardiovascular connection for years.
Conversely, a healthy cardiovascular system (heart, arteries and veins) may positively affect a person’s hearing.
Another study, involving nearly 5,000 Icelandic citizens, indicate that a hearing impairment and dual sensory impairment (involving both vision and hearing) in older men are associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes. Researchers also observed that men and women who used hearing aids had significantly lower mortality risk compared with hearing-impaired individuals who did not use hearing aids.
Find out what your ears may be saying, simply call 877-806-7054 to request an appointment for a professional hearing exam with an Amplifon Hearing Health Care provider at a clinic near you. Our Patient Care Advocates will answer your questions and guide you through the entire process.
Humana Neighborhood Centers, both in-person and online via the Virtual Neighborhood Center, offer special events, programs and activities designed to educate on physical and mental health. Many services can be used by anyone, including those who are not Humana members, at no cost. Each location offers a unique calendar of in-person or virtual events, programs and activities.
In-person locations are operating with limited capacity and by appointment to ensure the safety of visitors. Humana’s Virtual Neighborhood Center offers daily online classes on learning to manage health conditions, cooking healthy meals and learning to improve mental and physical health at home.
There are five Neighborhood Centers in North Carolina: Asheville, Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem. The centers offer classes and events and customer care specialists are onsite to answer plan benefit questions. Licensed Humana sales agents are available to help eligible non-members choose and enroll in Humana plans. Beginning in May, Humana Neighborhood Centers will host North Carolina State Health Plan (NCSHP) educational events at all five centers each month in 2022.
