Stress Awareness Month

April is National Stress Awareness Month Stress can be debilitating, and it can cause and/or aggravate health problems. And since stress is a normal part of human existence — nobody is immune to it — it’s important to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we recognize when stress rears its ugly head. (Amazingly, we don’t always notice it’s happening to us.) Stress Awareness Month happens each April. It’s important to learn some strategies for coping with stress.

At Private Home Health Care, we take living a balanced lifestyle seriously. Some of our favorite ways to destress include hanging out with friends and family, laughing at jokes, gardening, and exercising. Sometimes it can be a challenge to find the time to engage in activities to destress, even though it is crucial for your health. A good way around this is to schedule destressing into your busy life, such as a walk or a massage. Planning your must-do’s around your ‘want-to-do’s makes for a better life!

World Health Day

April 7 of each year marks the celebration of World Health Day. From its inception at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and since taking effect in 1950, the celebration has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization. This year’s theme is health equality.

Over the past 50 years this has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change. The celebration is marked by activities which extend beyond the day itself and serves as an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on these important aspects of global health.

In the past year, we have seen the importance of promoting global health. Private Home Health Care encourages you to celebrate World Health Day by prioritizing your health and engaging in healthy habits like eating nutritious food, exercising, stress relief, and medical check ups. Your health is in your hands, and together we can all become healthier!

National Walking Day

Today is National Walking Day!

Walking is one of the healthiest things you can do. Even just a 20 minute walk every day can significantly increase your health and well being. Our bodies were designed to move around and walk, and we need to take care of ourselves by doing so.

\Walking is the simplest form of cardio exercise, and it is essential to our health. You can walk by yourself or with others, and it is an enjoyable, free activity. Additionally, walking in nature is known to reduce stress and improve mental health. Find a trail near you or walk around your neighborhood. You can also visit a local park or walk on your treadmill.

Private Home Health Care encourages you to get out and walk today on National Walking Day!

National Play Outside Day

Yesterday was National Play Outside Day! Everyone put down your electronic devices and get outside! Sometimes responsibilities and distractions keep us from spending time in the fresh air as we should. National Play Outside Day is a reminder to stretch our legs and expend some energy in the great outdoors.

Being outside is proven to be beneficial to your health. Natural surroundings help to lower cortisol levels, which alleviates stress and decreases blood pressure. The great outdoors also helps your mental health by increasing dopamine, a pleasure chemical, as well as serotonin, in your brain. Playing outdoors clears the cobwebs from our brains. We sometimes get stuck on a topic, project or issue and are unable to resolve it. A change of scene often brings clarity we didn’t have before. 

Nothing compares to inhaling outside air into your lungs – it helps you breathe more deeply and intake more oxygen. Engaging in physical activity outside is very healthy. Whether you are running, biking, golfing, or hiking, it does not matter what it is you are doing outside, as long as you are in the fresh air and moving your body. In addition, being outside is a low-risk activity for spreading viruses so it is safe to be social outside as well!

Now that spring is here, time to celebrate Play Outside Day as often as you can!

International Carrot Day

International Carrot Day pays homage to the humble yet mighty carrot. This root vegetable can be found all over the world and is a staple in many dishes. Carrots can be found in any type of food, such as salad, soup, entrees, desserts and as juice. (Try juiced carrots and oranges together – delicious!). They are crunchy, tasty, and highly nutritious.

Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants. Carrots also have number of health benefits. They’re a weight-loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health. What’s more, their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reducedrisk of cancer.

Carrots are found in many colors, including yellow, white, orange, red, and purple. Did you know that originally carrots were not orange? Up until the middle ages, carrots were mostly purple. It was only in recent centuries that farmers cultivated orange carrots.

Orange carrots get their bright color from beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A. This nutrient promotes good vision and is important for growth, development, and immune function.

Today, embrace the crunch and munch on some nutritious carrots!

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29 honors the men and women who served and sacrificed during the longest conflict in United States history.

On March 29, 1973, combat and combat support units withdrew from South Vietnam. Generations later, Veterans of this time period are gaining the respect that was not so freely given upon their return. Involving five U.S. presidents, crossing nearly two decades and 500,000 U.S.military personnel, it left an indelible mark on the American psyche.

Returning veterans did not always receive respectful welcomes upon their arrival on American soil. Over 58,000 killed, never to return. The observance recognizes the military service of these men and women who answered the call to serve their country when she needed them. They didn’t make the decision to go to war.

Throughout National Vietnam War Veterans Day, Private Home Health Care recognizes the service and duty by all servicemen and women of this era.