Jet Cannon

portrait, smoking, old people-3013924.jpg

Staying Fit As We Age

Fitness /

Fortune has some great suggestions on how to stay fit as we age.  Read the entire article here.

Dr. Kirk Erickson, a director of Translational Neurosciences (impressive, eh) starts things off.  Erickson’s research shows that as we age, the brain shrinks, specifically the hippocampus which is responsible for memory formation.  Exercise can help maintain this portion of the brain.  He recommends moderate exercise, like walking, 5 days a week for 30 minutes.

Strength training helps combat age-related muscle loss, and can lead to a longer lifespan. Additionally, balance exercises can help prevent slips and falls—the leading cause of injuries in adults ages 65 and older.

One study showed the simple act of reading articles online and searching topics on Google offered valuable mental stimulation. Doing crossword puzzles, reading books, playing games, practicing hobbies and daydreaming all contribute to mental sharpness.

Stress management, is also a critical part of maintaining mental fitness. Just 10 minutes of meditation a day can improve mood and cognitive agility.

The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory this year warning of the nation’s loneliness epidemic, which negatively impacts health.  Social connection reduces the risk of premature death. It’s clear that social and emotional fitness is key to aging well. 

A good night’s sleep matters.  Poor sleep over the long-term is linked to health conditions including depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.  One suggestion is to watch that caffeine.

There’s some good tips kids!  Stay fit!

– Jet Cannon

Staying Fit As We Age Read More »

Dark Side of the Moon Cocktail

Food and Drink, Recipes /

Today is the day in 1969 that Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. We thought we’d celebrate by combining that event with one of our favorite albums and feature a Dark Side of the Moon Cocktail. When you see the ingredients you’ll realize that you and I won’t ever get there….Either to the back side of the moon or the cocktail. At least at home. Here’s a recipe from Inshaker.com:

  • Fill a Collins glass to the top with ice cubes
  • Place 0.1 oz of bamboo powder into the shaker
  • Pour in 0.5 oz of lime juice and 0.5 oz of ginger syrup
  • Add 0.5 oz of picon and 1 oz of mezcal
  • Fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake gently
  • Strain through the strainer and sieve into the Collins
  • Garnish with an orange wheel

Bamboo powder?? Picon??

If you have some, let us know when to show up!

  • Jet Cannon

Dark Side of the Moon Cocktail Read More »

woman, young, girl-4214744.jpg

Buzz AND Recover

Caffeine, Fitness /

Could coffee plus milk help us recover from exercise faster? Men’s Health reports, “There are many well-established ways to help speed up post-workout repair, ranging from hydrating properly and fueling up on protein for muscle-synthesis support to consuming more omega-3 fats for joint health. Among the most recent solutions, however, is one that comes with a buzz.  A study published in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry reported that the anti-inflammatory effect of antioxidants (called polyphenols) is vastly enhanced when they react with amino acids. In practical terms, unlocking this could be as simple as adding protein-rich milk to coffee, which is packed with antioxidants. Research into the post-gym benefits of this everyday cocktail is, admittedly, in its early stages. The Danish researchers, however, are buzzing with excitement that increasing polyphenol absorption in this way could prove an effective way to ease swelling and soreness.”

– Jet Cannon

Buzz AND Recover Read More »

What A Pair!

Food and Drink, Recipes /

Canada’s Elle Gourmet (ellegourmet.ca) suggests we try pairing fresh strawberries with bourbon! Okay! “We’re pairing the intense sweetness of fresh strawberries with the caramel and vanilla flavours of bourbon.” Let’s just say it works.

– Jet Cannon

Strawberry Bourbon Sour

1 Serving

Ingredients

2 strawberries, chopped
1 oz vanilla simple syrup (see tip)
1 cup ice
2 oz bourbon
1 oz each freshly squeezed lemon and lime juices

To Garnish
lemon balm and strawberry slices (optional)

Method

1. In cocktail shaker, add strawberries and vanilla syrup. Use muddler or handle of wooden spoon to muddle ingredients until jammy. Top with ice, bourbon, lemon juice and lime juice; shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a rock glass and garnish with lemon balm and strawberry slice, if desired.

Tip: Vanilla simple syrup: In saucepan, bring ½ cup each granulated sugar and water to boil until sugar is dissolved. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds; stir pod and seeds into syrup and let cool to steep.

Tip: The subtle citrus notes of lemon balm are a more delicate (and prettier) alternative to mint.

What A Pair! Read More »

cartoon, potato, character-1487217.jpg

Hot Potato

1 Comment / Food and Drink /

Continuing our dogged pursuit of foods that were once considered bad for us but are now found to be not so bad after all, let’s talk potatoes.  (Add that to butter, chocolate, eggs, MSG, etc.)  Too many carbs, right? Today.com reports, “Eating one medium-size potato a day can be part of a healthy diet and doesn’t increase cardiometabolic risk — the chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke — as long as the potato is steamed or baked, and prepared without adding too much salt or saturated fat, a study by nutritionists at The Pennsylvania State University found.  Potatoes are a rich source of potassium, which is important for blood pressure regulation, but which most Americans don’t get enough of in their diet.”  Read the entire article here and don’t fear the potato!

– Jet Cannon

Hot Potato Read More »

Going Off The Rails In Coeur d’Alene

Food and Drink /

Workaholic Buzzed Boomer Rural Correspondent, Maserati Mike, rolled into the Iron Horse Bar & Grill in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to conduct in-depth research.  He discovered The Derailer, their signature drink.  This cocktail means business.  It’s 48 ounces of three kinds of rum (Bacardi Silver, Spiced, and Gold), ginger ale, 7 Up, orange and pineapple juice, sour mix and as many straws as you need to share with friends.  Or not.  

– Jet Cannon

Going Off The Rails In Coeur d’Alene Read More »

man, running, tattoo-4764750.jpg

Beach Bod Boomers

Fitness /

Okay, so we don’t look quite like we did a decade or two ago when were only a shade off Don Johnson but we don’t have to accept a major loss of muscle mass.  Michelle Gray, a physiologist and professor of exercise at the University of Arkansas, is quoted in Scientific American saying that,  “Proper diet and physical activity can combat some age-related muscle loss. Maintaining muscle comes down to continued movement. Doesn’t matter if you garden or if you ride a bicycle like I do or if you go to the gym.  You can help maintain your muscle mass by continuing to do the things that you’re already doing.”

So keep moving, Buzzed Boomers!

– Jet  Cannon

couple, beach, bicycles-955926.jpg

Beach Bod Boomers Read More »

hot dog, junk food, ob-2227877.jpg

Doggonit!

Food and Drink /

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches we like to remember two important facts. First, Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs on the 4th. 150 million. Second, we know this because the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council counts them. America!!

  • Jet Cannon

Doggonit! Read More »

person, young woman, people-3538974.jpg

Step Outside

Fitness /

We’ve often shared what we’ve read about the health benefits of getting those steps in.  Walking works.  And if you can walk outdoors, it’s even better.  Prevention Magazine sums it up.

“Being outdoors is a natural antidote to stress,” says Richard Taylor, Ph.D., the head of the physics department at the University of Oregon, who studies how nature’s patterns affect mental health. His research shows that stress levels plummet by 60% when we view patterns like those found in nature. “Humans evolved for thousands of years outdoors, and our physiology is designed around it,” he says. “But then we built these boxes to live in, and there has been a growing move to be inside more. Our stress levels keep growing because of that too.”

Indeed, study after study over the past two decades has confirmed that green spaces, water, and sunlight confer health benefits that range from improved healing rates after surgery and strengthened immunity to decreased chronic pain. But the impact on mental health might be most dramatic of all.”

– Jet Cannon

Step Outside Read More »

The Last Word In Tasty Cocktails

Food and Drink, Recipes /

Near-genius Mercer Island bartender, Earl Bahama Armani, recently introduced us to the Last Word cocktail.  Where have we been?  We missed some noteworthy cocktail history from the Zig Zag Cafe. Per Wikipedia, the Zig Zag Café is a craft cocktail bar and restaurant in Seattle, Washington. Established in 1999, the bar is considered one of the best in the United States, helping lead the craft cocktail movement. From 2002 to 2011, noted bartender Murray Stenson worked at Zig Zag Café, and created innovative cocktails as well as reintroduced the pre-Prohibition-era Last Word cocktail to the public and to bars around the world. The Last Word is a gin-based Prohibition-era cocktail originally developed at the Detroit Athletic Club. While the drink eventually fell out of favor, it enjoyed a renewed popularity after being rediscovered by Stenson in 2003.  Thank you Murray…. And Earl!!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce gin

  • 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse

  • 3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur

  • 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • Garnish: brandied cherry (optional)

Steps

  • Add the gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

    – Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

    – Garnish with a brandied cherry

– Jet Cannon

Photo and Recipe: Liquor.com

The Last Word In Tasty Cocktails Read More »