October 2025 eNewsletter

Get Support!

You don’t have to do it alone! Get the support you need to move ahead and achieve your health and wellness goals. Tahoe Forest Wellness offers a variety of wellness support programs:

• Parkinson’s Support: Monthly support group for those with Parkinson’s.
• Diabetes Self-Management Program: 6 weeks-We want to help you manage your diabetes!
• Prevent T2—Diabetes Prevention Program: This change program can help you lose weight, become more physically active, and reduce stress.
• Menopause Support: Open to women at all stages of menopause—you’ll leave feeling empowered and connected.
• Caregiver Support: Monthly support to learn how to maintain your own health while providing the best care for a loved one.
• Metabolic Wellness: 4-weeks to optimize health and support your weight loss goals while using weight loss medication.

Walktober Walking Challenge

October 1^st– 31^st, 2025

Gather your team of ghouls and goblins for a spooky virtual tour of America’s most haunted locations! All participants who average 10,000 steps per day will be entered to win one of 3 gift cards to a local outdoor gear store!

• Sign up at Wellworks For You Login!
• Click on “Challenges” under the Wellbeing Desktop and select “Activate” under the Walktober Walking Challenge.

Support as a Vital Sign: Why Connection Is Essential

By Liz Schenk, BS, MBA, NBC-HWC, ACSM-CPT, Health Coach and Exercise Specialist

When we consider physical health, metrics that come to mind include blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature, among others. These metrics are considered “vital signs” because they offer clear indicators of health. But what if we’ve been overlooking an essential determinant of health-our support systems? Increasingly, research suggests that social and professional support is just as critical as traditional metrics, influencing everything from mental health to recovery outcomes. It’s time to view support as a vital sign.

Humans are hardwired for connection. Historically, survival depended on being part of a group. Today, our need for support shields us from the modern-day threats of isolation, stress, and chronic disease.

Studies show that people with strong social ties live longer, have lower rates of depression and anxiety, and recover more effectively from illness. In fact, one landmark study from Holt-Lunstad et al. found that lacking strong social connections carries a risk of premature death comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Additionally, newly released results from the U.S. POINTER study showed that lifestyle interventions, including cognitive and social stimulation, improved overall cognition in older adults at risk for dementia. Participants in a highly structured program with more support experienced greater cognitive benefits than those in a self-guided program.

Why support matters in health outcomes

• Mental health: A supportive friend, partner, or group can buffer stress, reduce feelings of loneliness, and encourage healthier coping strategies.
• Chronic illness management: Patients with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or chronic pain often do better when they have a broad support system encouraging adherence to treatment and lifestyle changes.
• Life transitions: Divorce, caregiving, retirement, or grief can feel overwhelming when faced alone. Support can make the difference between resilience and prolonged struggle.

Just as doctors measure blood pressure to predict cardiovascular risk, assessing a person’s level of social and professional support could provide critical insight into their overall health trajectory.

Imagine if healthcare providers asked, ‘Who do you turn to when you’re stressed?’ How connected do you feel to your community? Do you have professional or peer support for your health challenges? These questions reveal underlying risks that numbers alone might miss.

By framing support as a vital sign, we acknowledge that health is not just physical—it’s relational. You can have ideal lab results, but if you feel isolated, unsupported, or overwhelmed, your long-term outcomes are at risk.

If support is truly vital, cultivating it should be an intentional process. This can mean:

• Strengthening friendships through regular check-ins
• Joining support groups or wellness programs
• Engaging in faith, community, or volunteer groups
• Asking for professional guidance when facing major life or health transitions

Support is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Just as we monitor our sleep and diet, we should regularly assess and nurture our support systems. When we frame support as a vital sign, we expand the definition of health to reflect what humans truly need: not only healthy, functioning bodies, but also meaningful, sustaining connections.

Join us on a 4-week series designed to optimize your health and support your weight loss goals while using weight loss medication. Led by a registered dietitian (RD) and a certified exercise specialist/health coach, this comprehensive program combines the science of nutrition, exercise, stress management, and mindful eating to help you achieve sustainable results and feel your best.

Over the course of the 4 weeks, you will learn how to integrate healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine, supported by expert guidance and a community of individuals with similar goals.

When: Wednesdays, 4 week series starts October 8^th, 4-5 pm
Cost: $99 for 4-week series
Location: Tahoe Forest Wellness

1 out of 3 American adults has prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, you can make changes now to improve your health and prevent type 2 diabetes.

The Prevent T2 lifestyle change program can help you lose weight, become more physically active, and reduce stress.

With Prevent T2, you get:

• A proven program to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes
• A CDC-approved curriculum and trained lifestyle coach
• A year-long program with weekly meetings for the first 6 months, then once or twice a month for the second 6 months
• Support from others like you as you learn new skills

Join the Prevent T2 program so you can keep doing the things you love!

When: Monday, October 13^th | 11:30-12:45 pm FREE Discovery Session
Monday, October 20^th | 11:30-12:45 pm FREE Discovery Session
Mondays, October 27^th | 11:30-12:45 pm Program Begins
Cost: FREE
Location: Tahoe Forest Wellness

The winter conditioning class is for those adults looking to get stronger prior to the winter sport season. We will work on improving core stability, balance, plyometric and landing technique, and strength training with an emphasis on lower extremities.

• The class will be tailored to the participant’s ability and background.
• Participants should be able to complete 45 minutes of moderate to intense exercise.
• Past surgeries are ok, as long as the participant is no longer following surgical precautions.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, Starts October 14^th, 5-6 pm
6 week series (12 one-hour classes)
Cost: $265
Location: 10710 Donner Pass Road Group Exercise Room, Tahoe Forest Physical Therapy

October: Cookbook Spotlight

Join us for Monthly Health Supportive Cooking Demos

Get out of your cooking rut and come get INSPIRED at our monthly Health Supportive Cooking Club. Each month, our Registered Dietitian Lisa Fligor, MS, RDN, LD will provide a fun and interactive cooking demo. You get to taste test and take home easy, healthy, and delicious recipes!

Pre-registration required.

When: Monday, October 27^th, 5:00-6:30pm
Cost: $30
Location: Tahoe Forest Wellness

Call Tahoe Forest Wellness to schedule your program at (530) 587-3769.

See all of our current classes and programs

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, flax, coconut)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract, if that’s what you have)
• ¼ cup maple syrup (or 3 Tablespoons agave syrup)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (better the quality, better the pudding)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (or cayenne) – less if you don’t want the kick
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 ripe avocados (normal size – medium/large)

Directions:

1. Add the liquid ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times.
2. Add cocoa, maple syrup, spices, and avocado and blend well until very smooth and creamy, stopping the blender once or twice to scrape down the sides and make sure everything is well mixed.
3. Pour into ramekins or small bowls and refrigerate (covered) until set (1-2 hours).
4. Serve plain or top with chocolate shavings, whipped cream, berries, or chopped nuts.

Makes: 4 Small Servings
Recipe provided by Bret Sarnquist, RDN

Community Events & Programs

Walk-in Flu and Covid Vaccines

Tahoe Forest Health System is offering Flu and Covid vaccines for established patients only. Adults and children 6 months and older.

When: Fridays 4 pm-7 pm, October 24^th and November 16^th
Saturdays 9 am-1 pm, September 27^th, October 11^th and November 1^st
Where: Tahoe Forest Pediatrics
10956 Donner Pass Road, Suite 310, Truckee

Truckee Recreation Center: Golden Hour

Join us to meet the TFHS CEO, Anna Roth and for an engaging presentation on our 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment with Tahoe Forest Community Health Director, Maria Martin and Population Health Analyst, Lizzy Henasey. Be part of the conversation as we explore the health needs that matter most to our community, participate in hands-on prioritization activities, share ideas and discuss next steps together. Your voice matters—and we can’t wait to hear it. Come connect, contribute, and help shape the future of our community’s health!

When: Thursday, October 30^th, 9 am-11 am
Where: Truckee Recreation Center
10981 Truckee Way, Truckee
FREE!

Truckee Recreation Center hosts a free weekly social event for seniors on Thursdays. All are welcome!

More information on the Golden Hour.