at home living 041815

Saturday, April 18, 2015An Advertising Feature of

The Topeka Capital-Journal

Jamie Hancock Garden Column – 2Attic Fans: What do they do? – 5

Vitamin supplements – yay or nay? – 6Aging in place – 8

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Mike PreSSgrove/Pdq ConSTruCTion

Handicap accessible bathroom - The vanity can be rolled under and the space by the stool for transfer is also blocked out on the back and side for future grab bars. The bed and bathroom doors were also widened to 36”.

2 | Saturday, April 18, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

The Farmers’ Markets starts up next week, which means that fresh veggies are available after a long stretch of winter. My mouth is watering already! The key to eat-ing fresh fruits and vegetables is to know what is in season and to capitalize on it. You may eat a lot of asparagus for a few weeks but, you won’t get it fresh again un-til next year. I am going to list the common foods likely to be grown locally and sold at farmers’ markets and the time frame you can expect to see them at market. Keep this list handy as a shopping guide!

The benefits of purchasing your fruits and vegetables from local Farmer’s Mar-ket are enormous.

n Freshness/Quality – Most fruits and vegetables in stores have been in transit up to 2 weeks compared to less than 24 hours at Farmers’ Markets.

n Gas prices are driving costs up. The farther an item is trucked the higher its price.

n Flavor/Quality – Nutrition deteriorates over time. Fresher foods are healthier.

n Uniqueness – Lesser known foods may not ship or store well and therefore can’t be found in stores.

n Buying Direct – You can know who and where your food comes from.

n Pricing – Seasonal buying can save you more than shopping at big stores.

n Social Atmosphere – For good deals de-velop relationships with vendors.

n Support for the local economy.Availability Guide(Kansas State University publication MRF2647 rev.)

Early to mid June – asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, green onions, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mesclun, mushrooms, mustard greens, oriental greens, peas, rad-ishes, rhubarb, spinach, sprouts, strawber-ries, turnips.

Early to late June – apples, apricots, basil and other fresh herbs, beets, blueberries, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cherries, col-lards, cucumbers, edible soybeans garlic,

green beans head lettuce, kohlrabi, lima beans mushrooms, mustard greens, orien-tal greens, raspberries, sprouts, strawber-ries, summer squash.

Early to mid July – apples, apricots, basil and other fresh herbs, beets, blackberries, blueberries, carrots, cauliflower, cherries, crabapples, cucumbers, dewberries, ed-ible soybeans, garlic, gooseberries, green beans, honeydew melon, lima beans, mul-berries, mushrooms, musk melon or can-taloupe, nectarines, New Zealand spinach, onions, peaches, peppers, potatoes, rasp-berries, sprouts, summer squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes.

Mid to late July – basil and other fresh herbs, blackberries, crabapples, cucum-bers, currants, dewberries, eggplant, gooseberries, grapes, honeydew melon, mulberries, mushrooms, muskmelon, or cantaloupe, nectarines, New Zealand spinach, okra, onions, peaches, peppers, plums, potatoes, sprouts, summer squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, water-melon.

Early to mid August – basil and other fresh herbs, blackberries, cucumbers, cur-rants, dewberries, eggplant, gooseberries, grapes, hardy kiwi, honeydew melon, Jeru-salem artichoke, mushrooms, muskmelon, or cantaloupe, nectarines, New Zealand spinach, okra, onions, peaches, peppers, plums, potatoes, sprouts, summer squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, water-melon.

Mid to late August – apples, Asian pears, basil and other fresh herbs, blackberries, cucumbers, currants, date pears, dewber-ries, eggplant, gooseberries, grapes, hardy kiwi, honeydew, melon, Jerusalem arti-choke, mushrooms, muskmelon or canta-loupe, nectarines, New Zealand spinach, okra, onions, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, sprouts, summer squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelon.

Early to mid September – apples, Asian pears, basil and other fresh herbs, cur-rants, date pears, gooseberries, grapes, honeydew melons, mushrooms, muskmel-on or cantaloupe, nectarines, New Zealand spinach, okra, onions, peaches, pears, pep-pers, plums, raspberries, sprouts, summer, squash sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelon.

Mid to late September – apples, basil and other fresh herbs, beets, Brussels sprouts, currants, edible soybeans, grapes, green beans, head lettuce, leaf lettuces, lima

HANCOCK continues on 3A

Shopping at the farmers’ market

[email protected]

Jamie Hancock

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, April 18, 2015 | 3

beans, mesclun, mushrooms, okra, paw-paw, peanuts, pears, persimmon, pump-kins, radishes, raspberries, rutabagas, spinach, sprouts, sweet potatoes, tur-nips, watermelon, winter melon, winter squash.

October – apples, basil and other fresh herbs, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, edible soybeans, green beans, head lettuce, kale kohlrabi, leaf let-tuces, leeks, lima beans, mesclun, mush-rooms, mustard greens, okra, oriental greens, parsnips, peanuts, pumpkins,

radishes, raspberries, rutabagas, salsify, spinach, sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter melon, winter squash.Shopping Tips

n Develop relationships with the farm-ers. They are more likely to make you good deals and grow specialty items for you after a hot cup of coffee brought to them on a cool morning.

n Be flexible. If the spinach is all gone consider kale or chard. They can often be interchangeable in recipes.

n Don’t expect perfection. Store-bought produce has been sprayed and chemically fertilized to raise blemish-free crops that transport easily (their number one prior-

ity.) They are not produced for taste. Most local growers don’t spray or spray only if the disease or pest is present. The end product may not look as pretty but, will generally taste much better.

It is possible to get your fresh veggies from a Community Supported Agricul-ture (CSA) farm. A CSA is an agreement between farmer and consumer. The con-sumer buys a share of the produce for the growing season. This benefits the farmer with early season income, and the con-sumer will then receive fresh produce throughout the season delivered to a pick-up point once a week.

Let’s ”freshen up” and go shopping!

Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

Notes: The Master Gardeners present “Growing Tomatoes” at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library on April 23rd at 7:00pm. Learn how to grow tasty tomatoes!

Note: “Creative Container Gardening” will be pre-sented at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library on May 14 at 7:00 pm. Come and see how creative gardening can be.

Note: If you are new to gardening with flowers or would like a refresher this is for you. “First Time Gardeners” will be presented at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library on May 28th at 7:00 pm.

Continued from 2A

Hancock: Plan your shopping excursion


CONTACT US

Ashley Ditch – Multi-Media Sales Consultant - Real Estate [email protected]

Phoebe Nordyke – Advertising Marketing [email protected]

At Home Living is the #1 Real Estate Source in Topeka. As we go through 2015 if there is a topic you would like At Home Living to cover – please let us know.


By Dustin LemmonSpecial to The Capital-Journal

If you’ve ever climbed into your attic on a hot summer day you’ve likely experi-enced the intense heat, but just how hot is it in your attic?

The answer to that question might help you determine whether or not you should install an attic fan or power roof ventila-tor, or if you already have these, whether or not the fan is doing its job.

Attic fans are designed to remove hot air from your attic so it doesn’t get too hot. On a 90-degree day, if you take a thermometer into your attic it will ideally read 110 de-grees or less. An attic that isn’t sufficiently ventilated, however, can easily exceed 125 degrees, even higher, on the warmest summer days.

The problem with these high tempera-tures is that they can damage the shingles

on your roof and drive up the cost of cool-ing your home.

“A well ventilated attic will cool the house way down up into the summer,” Doug Tucker, service manager with D.L. Smith Electric of Topeka, said. “You could not have to run your air conditioner until the days are over 85 degrees.”

Regardless of whether you have an at-tic fan be sure insulation isn’t covering the vents in your attic. Vents in the soffits and rafters should remain clear to allow air to move in and out of the attic all year round.

Also make sure you have enough ven-tilation. According to popularmechanics.com, at a minimum you should have one square foot of roof vent area for every 300 square feet of attic area. The site also rec-ommends installing a lower (soffit) vent opposite every higher mounted vent so the

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stock photo/metro creAtive coNNectioN

Attic fans:What do they do?


By Todd EppSpecial to The Topeka Capital-Journal

We all need vitamins and minerals.What we may not need are vitamins and

minerals that come in a bottle.According to the National Institutes of

health, about a third of all Americans age 1 and older take a multi-vitamin/mineral (MVM) supplement. NIH says that MVMs are a nearly $5.5 billion industry, making up more than a third of the over $13 billion in vitamin/supplement sales annually.

So, vitamins are big business.A number of recent studies, however,

doubt the efficacy of MVMs and other sup-plements.

A 2006 study is blunt in its assessment.“Considering only published, random-

ized, controlled clinical trials, the inves-tigators found that use of MVMs did not reduce the risk of any chronic disease,” ac-cording to the NIH.

They go on to note that a further review of the study by the NIH concluded, “[T]he present evidence is insufficient to rec-ommend either for or against the use of MVMs by the American public to prevent chronic disease.”

More recent studies in 2014 came to sim-ilar findings, according to the University of California—Berkley. They were blunter still.

“Enough is enough: Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements,” the Annals of Internal Medicine wrote.

The good news is that they probably won’t hurt either if you take them as recommended. And at least one cred-ible source—the Harvard School of Public Health--says MVMs do have a place in the medicine cabinet.

“True, a healthy diet should provide nearly all the nutrients you need,” Har-vard notes. “But many people don’t eat the healthiest of diets. That’s why a multivita-min can help fill in the gaps, and may have added health benefits.”

Harvard says in particular that the folic acid found in MVMs is important in pre-venting birth defects in newborns if wom-en take them before becoming pregnant. They also say folic acid may lower the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer. They also cite vitamin D as possibly lower-ing the risk of colon cancer and “many oth-er cancers, as well as chronic diseases.”

Again, the emphasis is on may or pos-

sibly.WebMD also counsels that we get our

vitamins and minerals from the foods we eat. But they also know we don’t, especial-ly vegetarians and elders, who either don’t get what they need from the food they eat or can’t absorb what they need properly.

“When we compare recommendations for vitamin and mineral intakes to actual consumption, many Americans do not even come close to getting what they need

for several nutrients,” according to Meir Stampher, M.D., Dr.PH., a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, cited by WebMD.

But even Stampher says MVMs are not a replacement for healthy eating.

There has been some pushback against the studies saying MVMs are not effective in preventing disease or greatly enhancing health.VITAMINS continues on 7A

Vitamin supplements – yay or nay?

Todd Epp/SpEcIAl To ThE cApITAl-JourNAl

Ayaz Vinji, M.D., writing in Medscape.com, says even medical experts may be drawing too radical of conclusions from these various studies.

“When interpreting these results, as for any other nutraceutical (vitamin) interven-tion, it would be imprudent to make broad, imprecise statements about the ‘ineffec-tiveness’ of dietary supplements, although it may be tempting to do so.,” Vinji wrote in 2012.

The Toronto Globe and Mail’s health columnist Andre Picard noted after the 2014 studies’ releases that perhaps the re-searchers didn’t understand why we actu-ally take vitamins and supplements.

“[Their] premise is that people take vita-

mins in the belief that they will magically prevent cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and every other imaginable condition,” Picard wrote. “Is that true? Or do they take supplements to give themselves a modest sense of well-being, to fill in the gaps in their diet?”

That seems imminently reasonable.There are obviously many places to buy

vitamins, from the neighborhood Wal-greens, to Wal-Mart, to the GNC in the mall, to online via Shaklee and other pro-viders.

Like anything about your health, con-sult your physician or health care provider about your situation and what—or if any—MVMs or other supplements you should or shouldn’t consider for your health.


Todd Epp/SpEcial To ThE capiTal-Journal

Continued from 6a

Vitamins: Aiding your health


By Linda A. DitchSpecial to The Capital-Journal

As we get older, the inevitable question arises: Can I continue to live in my home? According to AARP annual surveys, at least 80-percent of older adults want to stay at home. However, how do you assess if home is the right place to be, or if chang-es need to be made to make staying there possible?

Ask the ExpertsThe first place to start is to seek out

knowledgeable advice. Your doctor can recommend an occupational therapist to evaluate your home. Also, you can con-tact someone who is certified to assess your home and suggest changes. Jayhawk Patient Supply offers these services, as do some area home builders listed on the To-peka Home Builders Association’s website. (www.thba.com)

“People are getting more informed now,” said Mike Pressgrove, owner of PDQ Con-struction and a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist through The National Associa-

tion of Home Builders. “For years, the stan-dard way of thinking was everyone would eventually move into a [retirement or nurs-ing] home. Now people are realizing if they get set up now, they can stay in their home and save money.”

Pressgrove first learned this lesson years ago while working on a house for an elderly couple in the Potwin neighborhood. They spent well over $100,000 to add an addition to give them single-level living, with a bed-room, bathroom, sitting area all on the first floor. When he asked about the wisdom of spending the money verses moving into a retirement home, the couple pointed out the addition allowed them to stay in their home for many years to come, while the same financial outlay would only cover the expenses in a senior facility for one and a half years.

Changes necessary to a home can be as simple as removing area rugs to prevent tripping and moving the bedroom to a space on the main level, or as extensive as a complete remodel. Some of the environ-mental changes an aging-in-place expert will consider are:

n Accessibility: How hard is it to get in and out of the house, and room to room? Does the home have at least one step-free entrance? Are the doorways and hallways wide enough for a walker or wheelchair? Is there a bedroom, full bathroom and kitch-en all on the same level? Should a deck or ramp be added?

n Stairways: Do they have sturdy hand-rails on both sides? Should you install a chair lift or elevator?

n Lighting: Are hallways, doorways, and staircases well lit, especially at night when seniors are sometimes disoriented when they wake up?

n Fixtures: Do doorknobs and faucets have lever-style handles for easier use? Are light switches, outlets, and thermostats at a level that can be reached when seated? Are the windows easy to open?

n Bathrooms: Are they accessible for a wheelchair or walker? Can the homeowner step into the tub or shower, and does it have a non-slip surface? Does the toilet need to be higher to make sitting and standing eas-ier? Do grab bars need to be installed?

n Kitchens: Are countertops or tables at various heights so work can be done sitting or standing? Can a wheelchair or walker maneuver in the space?

Pressgrove said some people come to

him knowing what they want. Others call because they need immediate changes made due to an injury or other health is-sue. Anytime he works on a remodeling or building project, he looks for modifications to the structure that will make it easier in the future for the owners to stay at home.

“Some people are scared to ask about modifications because they feel it will cost so much money,” Pressgrove said. “Look-ing farther ahead, even slight modification will allow them to stay in their home. And it doesn’t cost anything to have us come out and look.”

Finding Support

Once the necessary changes are made to your home, then it is important to research other support options that may become important in the coming years. This in-cludes security monitoring, housekeeping, home health aid, and housekeeping, plus the availably of social and educational op-portunities.

One option available in Topeka is through Brewster. Not only does this organization offer senior housing, they also have two programs geared specifically for people who want to live in their own home.

One is Brewster Connect, which started

AGING continues on 9A

Aging in Place

MIke PressGrove/PDQ CoNstruCtIoN

Regular steps with side lift and new zero entry door.

MIke PressGrove/PDQ CoNstruCtIoN

This particular one was a couple getting ready for one of them that will be confined to a wheelchair. Notice the low threshold to the shower. It used to be a hall closet that we had to steal to make room for a roll in shower for the bathroom.


in 2006. Eileen McGivern, vice president of wellness and community initiatives for Brewster, explained, “The program was developed to serve folks who wanted to stay in their home but also wanted to come over to Brewster and join in our pro-grams.”

A Brewster Connect membership in-cludes access to all of the social and cul-tural events on the campus, including ed-ucational seminars and off-campus trips. Members also receive a wellness assess-ment and unlimited use of the two on-site Wellness Centers, plus free exercise class-es and health seminars. The two campus beauty salons are also open to members, as are the public rooms for special private events.

Members also have access to health monitoring services and the Brewster Connection Transportation program. They can have a free safety assessment made of their home and discounted ser-vices with businesses in an approved net-work of providers, including home health and physical therapy, handyman services, computer assistance, housekeeping and lawn care.

For people needing even more care, Brewster offers their Live Well at Home program. The goal is to provide the same level of services members would receive living in a continuing care retirement community. A health assessment is re-quired since this program doesn’t work for people with degenerative diagnoses (Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases) or in need of medical services.

Live Well at Home is designed to meet the social, recreational, spiritual and health needs of members. Services include care coordination, home inspections, ac-cess to campus services and amenities, home care services, transportation, and

home emergency monitoring, as well as many more.

With some advanced planning and a lit-tle research, there are options available to ensure people can live in their homes for as long as possible. Contact Pressgrove at PDQ Construction by calling 785-235-1511 to schedule a home evaluation. For more information about the Brewster programs, call 785-274-3303.

Continued from 8A

Mike Pressgrove/PDQ ConstruCtion

In this bathroom pocket doors help to create open space with a zero entry bathoom and shower and open vanity.

Mike Pressgrove/PDQ ConstruCtion

In its original state the hallway was impos-sible to navigate with a 90 degree corner - adjusting the corner with an angle creates a more accessible entry and exit.

Aging: Keeping the social connection


Master Gardener Plant SaleAnnual Fundraiser

May 2, 2015 • 9 a.m. to noonShawnee County Extension Office

1740 SW Western (West of Kansas Expocentre)

Ready to plant – vegetables, perennials, annuals and herbsDon’t miss the Garden Shed Thrift Shop

Cash or check only


Serv

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Dir

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Boost your brand, product or service with an ad in the service directory! At Home Living is read by home owners, buyers and sellers across the Topeka and surrounding area. To place your ad contact your Multi-Media Sales Consultant or 785.295.1125.

Service Directory


hot air escaping through the top will pull cool air in from below.

Mark Miller, owner of Miller Construc-tion of Topeka, said it’s these vents and the air movement that is important.

“You want to suck the wind through (the lower soffit vents) and blow out the top because the heat is at the top,” he ex-plained.

Miller suggested contacting a profes-sional to inspect your attic and determine how many attic fans you need and where they should be installed.

“Get a contractor to come out to do the evaluation,” he advised. “It’s something

the average home owner might make a mistake on (by doing their own work) and end up spending more.”

Tucker said installing a power roof ven-tilator in a roof costs about $200, while at-tic fans, depending on how much support they need, can cost $300 to $500. He said he often recommends home owners pur-chase a kit from a local home store to save on expenses and then a service technician can help with the installation and wiring.

If you do want to install an attic fan on your own, you will first need to decide where to place your fan or powered roof ventilator. Those installed in the roof should be mounted near the peak and typ-ically include a cover.

Some attic fans can be installed in a gable wall (the triangular portion of a home’s exterior wall). These fans are typi-cally covered by a shutter, which will blow open when the fan is on.

Like your air conditioner, most attic fans are controlled by a thermostat and pow-ered by electricity. There are, however, solar-powered fans available, which can help you save on energy expenses. Tucker said these can be useful for powered roof ventilators, but not for a fan that needs to run for a long time.

“It’s a lot different from collecting solar power to run a light out in your yard,” he said.

Continued from 5A

Fan: Get a professional opinion

at home living 041815

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