November is National Peanut Butter Month

Smooth or crunchy, savory or sweet, there is no doubt that peanut butter is a very versatile and beloved spread. Peanut butter is a pantry staple, and is found in the homes of about 94% of Americans. It is a firm favorite among children and adults alike, in foods such as peanut butter sandwiches, smoothies, ice cream, or spread on carrots or celery. Americans eat three pounds of peanut butter per person per year, enough to cover the floor of the Grand Canyon. Peanut butter is a favorite for many people, and peanut butter is packed with nutrition; 25 percent of a peanut is protein and peanuts are rich in niacin, folate, and dietary fiber. In addition, peanut butter contains resveratrol, renowned for its anti-cancer properties.

Peanut butter is comprised of about 25% protein, making it an excellent plant-based protein source. Pure peanut butter contains only 20% carbs, making it suitable for a low-carb diet. It also causes a very low rise in blood sugar and is a perfect option for people with type 2 diabetes. It has been found to be beneficial to heart health, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, gallstones, and diabetes. Peanut butter is rich in antioxidants, including p-coumarin and resveratrol. Lab studies have indicated that these compounds may reduce arthritis, and lower risk of heart disease. Of course, peanut butter is also filled with healthy fats as nuts are top 5 cleanest sources of plant-based fats. One of the main fats in peanut butter is oleic acid. When substituted for other fats in your diet, oleic acid is shown to help maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Managing these levels in your body can lower the risk of heart disease. The high amounts of phosphorus and copper found in peanuts can support bone health and may help prevent osteoporosis.

Depending on how people use peanut butter in their diet, it can help them lose weight, or put on pounds during weight training or bodybuilding. However, peanut butter is high in calories and fat, so people should enjoy it in moderation. A standard portion of peanut butter is about two tablespoons, which has 207 calories, 9 grams of protein, 18 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber. It is also important to be mindful of what is in your peanut butter. Often food producers add sugar and oil to peanut butter, which reduces nutritional benefits to the point where it may no longer be considered a health food. Instead, look for peanut butter that is just plain pure roasted peanuts that have been ground into a paste, organic is even better.

Gratitude and Your Health

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Gratitude is a foundation for this cozy and festive holiday. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. This year at the Thanksgiving dinner table, go around and state something you each feel grateful for. You can further enjoy the benefits of practicing gratitude by doing this year round.  

Being thankful can have many positive health effects. Studies show practicing gratitude can lead to more intimate and connected relationships, less depression, more motivation and engagement, and better overall mental well-being.

Gratitude improves one’s outlook on life. Appreciating what you have can make you feel more optimistic and satisfied, as well as experience less frustration, envy, and regret. It also tends to result in increased self-esteem and confidence, which helps improve mood. It also has a significant impact on enhancing relationships. We are often attracted to positive people; this positivity also makes one easier to get along with and talk to, even about difficult things. Being thankful for the important people in your life is more likely to be reciprocated. Mutual appreciation for each other often results in a more satisfying relationship. When you are less envious and focused on material things that you don’t have, you in turn invest more energy in what you do have and what’s right in front of you.

In addition, gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences. Overall, those who practice gratitude experience less sickness. Grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health.  They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check-ups with their doctors, which is likely to contribute to further longevity. Another health benefit of gratitude is that it helps to relieve and reduce stress. Stress can cause or exacerbate illness, and being able to combat stress with gratitude enables people to enjoy improved health.

Research has proven that gratitude has a positive effect on sleep. People who practice gratitude right before bedtime, by listing those things they feel grateful for, report better sleep. This is likely because gratitude diminishes anxiety and stressful feelings, allowing for a more restful and relaxed entry to sleep. This goes hand in hand with brain health and healthy aging. When you take good care of your body by getting enough sleep, reducing stress, as well as maintaining emotional and social wellness, you increase overall well being. All of these are important factors in terms of keeping ourselves in optimal health as we age.

How do you start practicing gratitude? Listing three things for which you are grateful, big and small, on a daily basis for even two weeks can make a difference in overall mood. Keeping an ongoing gratitude journal is a great way to turn this into a habit. Sharing with your partner what about them you feel grateful for can bring the two of you closer. Writing a note to someone you feel is deserving of your thanks can shift your focus to the positive, and a recent study revealed that note will mean more than you think to its recipient. Savoring positive experiences by being fully in the moment and practicing mindfulness cultivates gratitude.

National Epilepsy Awareness Month

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, which brings attention to a condition affecting more than 1 million in the United States. Currently this condition has no cure, and continued research is needed. That is Epilepsy Awareness Month continues to make a difference in November and all year long. Since epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological disease, it impacts everyone. The condition does not discriminate. While anyone of any age and any population develop epilepsy, it is more common in children and the elderly. Epilepsy can last from a few years to a lifetime condition. Private Home Health Care supports National Epilepsy Awareness Month because epilepsy should not be a barrier to living a high quality life.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the nervous system. Epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures (or after one seizure with a high risk for more) that were not caused by some known medical condition. Seizures seen in epilepsy are caused by disturbances in the electrical activity of the brain. The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury, genetics, immune, brain structure or metabolic cause, but most of the time the cause is unknown.

Most types of epilepsy can be controlled with medication, men, and women with epilepsy work and live healthy productive lives when they maintain treatment. However, they may face discrimination due to their condition. Throughout the month, the goal is to eliminate the stigma and fear surrounding epilepsy. The National Epilepsy Foundation encourages people to start talking about epilepsy because with more voices together, a greater change can be created. The foundation also maintains that more people need to know Seizure First Aid. Knowing the three words “Stay. Safe. Side.” and what they mean can help save lives. Additionally, seizures can affect the quality of life and one third of epilepsy patients experience uncontrolled seizures. Increased awareness can support raising funds for epilepsy research which can help improve treatments and one day find a cure.

National Seatbelt Day

November 14th 2020 was the second annual National Seat Belt Day. Most newer cars have a special seat belt safety feature – that annoying beep when you start your car that does not stop until you buckle your seatbelt or a blinking light. With one simple click of a seat belt, lives can be saved and serious injuries can be prevented. The date, Nov. 14, coincides with the 60th anniversary of Volvo’s creation of the three-point seat belt, a major safety innovation that’s been credited with saving millions of lives. The Swedish carmaker created the three-point seat-belt system in 1959 and it has since become the global standard.

Seat belts have been common in America for decades, though widespread use is a more recent occurrence. Seat belt laws vary from state to state, so be sure to be familiar with your state’s laws, as well as the laws of any state you’re visiting. According to the GHSA (Governors Highway Safety Association) , reported seat belt use has skyrocketed in recent years, increasing from 58% in 1994 to 90% in 2018. Meanwhile, refusing to wear a seat belt remains incredibly dangerous, with 47% of passenger fatalities occurring to individuals not wearing seatbelt. The importance of seatbelts cannot be understated. If you are driving in a car with someone who is not wearing a seatbelt, do not be afraid to speak up, and they will thank you for reminding them. According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among those ages 1-54 in the U.S, and buckling up reduces that risk by half. The bottom line is that seat belts are undeniably helpful for increasing the safety of drivers and passengers.

Here are some quick facts about the history of seat belts in America:

-In 1968, car manufacturers were required to have seat belts in new cars

-New York was the first state to require primary seat belt use in 1984-35 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have primary seat belt laws

-15 states have secondary laws for adult front seat occupants-Not wearing a seat belt is a primary or secondary offense in 49 American states

-New Hampshire is the only state where adults (18 and over) do not have to wear seat belts

Remember – you are never in too much of a rush to buckle your seat belt. Seatbelts really do save lives and prevent injury. It is also key to make sure that you are wearing your seatbelt correctly so that it will provide the highest level of protection. Seatbelts are to fit snugly – not too tight, not too loose. Fasten the buckle fully and make sure that both straps are where they should be, which is across the chest and hips. Making sure that a seatbelt is in the right place makes a difference in the efficacy and level of protection.

Antibiotic Awareness Week

This week is World Antibiotic Awareness Week. It is an annual observance that highlights the steps everyone can take to improve antibiotic prescribing and use.

Antibiotics can save lives and are critical tools for treating a number of common and more serious infections, like those that can lead to sepsis. At least 28% of antibiotics prescribed in U.S. outpatient settings are unnecessary and each year, enough prescriptions are written in outpatient settings to give five out of every six people one antibiotic prescription.

Any time antibiotics are used, they can cause side effects and contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health.

Antibiotic resistance happens when germs, like bacteria and fungi, develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Each year in the United States, more than 2.8 million infections from bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics occur and more than 35,000 people die as a direct result. Many more die from complications from antibiotic-resistant infections.

Though antibiotics are a safe treatment that doctors have been using for decades to fight infections and disease, it is important to be mindful of their use. When we take antibiotics, it kills the bad bacteria that is causing the infection, as well as good bacteria. We need good bacteria in our systems to keep our bodies functioning optimally. Taking probiotics while on antibiotics is a smart move because it helps balance the bacteria in the body, so that there are still good bacteria in the gut. It is also important to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed to decrease the risk of developing resistance. This means taking them for the entire length prescribed, because some patients tend to stop taking their antibiotics when they start feeling better, but the infection can come back even stronger. Foods that are high in probiotics include: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, and cottage cheese. Probiotics can come in many forms, as supplements and powders. Always ask your doctor for advice as to what is the healthiest choice for you!

World Antibiotic Awareness Week aims to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.One of the key objectives of the plan is to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training.

Pro-Pickles

Tomorrow, November 14th, is National Pickle Day! In the U.S., the first thing that comes to mind for pickled foods is, well, pickles! Dill, Kosher, Polish, Gherkin, Bread and Butter, Cornichon or any other varieties of pickles are celebrated on this day! The pickles as we know them are cucumbers that are soaked in a brine of vinegar, salt, water, and spices. The term pickle comes from the Dutch word ‘pekel’, meaning brine. In the United States, the word pickle typically refers to a pickled cucumber. However, just about any fruit or vegetable can be pickled, such as cabbage, beets, or asparagus.

Did you know that pickled foods are actually very good for you? They have natural probiotics from the fermentation process. Studies show that fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi are loaded with gut health-promoting probiotics. Probiotics are made up of good bacteria that helps keep your body healthy and working well. The main job of probiotics, or good bacteria, is to maintain a healthy balance in your body. Think of it as keeping your body in neutral. When you are sick, bad bacteria enters your body and increases in number. This knocks your body out of balance. Good bacteria works to fight off the bad bacteria and restore the balance within your body, making you feel better. Good bacteria keeps you healthy by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation.

Fermentation produces probiotic bacteria as a byproduct of the process, which are beneficial for diversifying gut flora and bolstering your health in numerous ways. Research suggests that probiotics may promote clearer skin, better immune function, increased gastrointestinal health, and could even reduce depression. The fermentation process ups good bacteria while getting rid of the bad, which is why it’s so prevalent in many traditional food preparation techniques stemming from a time without refrigeration.

Who knew that pickles are much more than just a crunchy snack and favorite sandwich companion?! A whole Dill pickle contains 23% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin K, which helps your blood clot and keeps your bones strong, as well as 21%-24% of the daily value for vitamin A, important for your vision, immune system, and a healthy pregnancy.

In honor of National Pickle Day, crack open a jar and get snacking for your daily dose of probiotics!