Welcome to the December 2005 Seniors Digest!

Timmie Faghin

Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? This time of year, it seems like we are always busy! But no waiting in department store lines, eating, and sipping eggnog don't count as physical activity! This month, we'd like to offer some ideas and suggestions for keeping fit during the winter months the season when most of us find it the most challenging to maintain our healthy living habits. Check out "Don't Let Winter Slow You Down," and read about the "Take the Stairs" campaign, which shows how one small change of habit can make a big difference.

Above, you can see Betty Okamura demonstrating her own regular stairwalking routine. Also in this issue, Betty shares with us her memories of growing up Japanese-American during a dark chapter of U.S. history, in "Former Internee Recalls Life During WWII."

Also in this issue....

• We call attention to December 1, World AIDS Day, with "HIV/AIDS: Not Just a Young Person's Disease."
• Find tips on healthy holiday eating in "Holiday 'Lights'"
• "Winter Fitness" wordfind

For more information...

Betty works for the City of Seattle's Human Services Department. In addition to her stair walking, Betty stays active by walking during her lunch hour. She is motivated to keep in shape so she can enjoy her favorite activity traveling. Betty has been all over the world, from China to England, to Italy and Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and Greece. In 1999, she traveled to Japan to visit the birthplace of her father and her mother's parents. She takes some trips with her husband and family, and every two years she and a group of childhood friends hit the road for a bi-annual reunion trip. 

Betty has four children, two in Hawaii, one in the Bay Area, and one in Seattle. She retired from the federal government in the 1990s, but she knew that she wanted to go back to work. One reason is that it allows her to earn money to travel. She says, "I don't want to be in a position to have to count every penny I want to be able to enjoy life!"
 
Betty enjoys reading about her contemporaries in Seniors Digest, so this month she agreed to share her own story of growing up. Read on for Betty's account of her experiences as a Japanese-American girl during WWII.