National Mocktail Week

The second week in January is National Mocktail Week. What are ‘mocktails’? Well, they are exactly what they sound like – mock cocktails! Mocktails have all of the ingredients of cocktails, but without the booze, such as a Bloody Mary with all of the trimmings, except no vodka. In recent years, mocktails have been becoming more popular. This is because people are trending towards becoming more health conscious, and want to make more healthy decisions while still being able to enjoy their favorite drinks. 

It is no coincidence that National Mocktail Week occurs in January. After the holiday season with plenty of drinking, many people do ‘dry January’, where they do not drink for the first month of the year. This helps detox after weeks of holiday parties and gets people back on track for healthy habits. People also drink mocktails to help with weight loss, because alcohol can be alcohol-dense. But, keep in mind how much sugar goes into the mocktails! 

Mocktails can be made with juices, sodas, herbs, and syrups, and you can be just as creative mixing them as with cocktails. Modern mocktails tend to have a sense of sophistication that’s shared with their alcoholic counterparts, using a variety of ingredients that cover a spectrum of flavors. Often, those flavors can mimic bourbon, gin, vermouth, bitters, and other staples in the bartender’s kit. Mocktails are also a great way to enjoy beverages with the whole family, so they are appropriate for any age!  

Cheers to National Mocktail Week! Private Home Health Care raises a (nonalcoholic) glass to the health of you and your loved ones! 

National Folic Acid Awareness Week

National Folic Acid Awareness Week seeks to spread awareness about the importance of folic acid. It is especially crucial for pregnant women as folic acid helps to prevent some kinds of congenital disabilities.

Folic acid is a type of B vitamin called vitamin B9. Folic acid helps the body produce and maintain new cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Doctors highly recommend that women who are planning to become pregnant, or who already are pregnant, to get plenty of folic acid.

Foods that are great sources of folic acid include: beans, peas, lentils, oranges, whole wheat bread, broccoli, beets, pears, shrimp, and spinach.

Private Home Health Care encourages you to eat foods high in folic acid in honor of National Folic Acid Awareness Week!

National ‘Booch’ Day

January 15th is National ‘Booch’ Day. You may be asking yourself –  what in the world is ‘Booch’?! ‘Booch’ is shorthand for Kombucha, which is a health drink that has been steadily on the rise in recent years. Kombucha is a fizzy sweet-and-sour drink made from black or green tea, yeast, and sugar. Some say that it tastes like a lightly flavored, fizzy apple cider.

 A SCOBY— symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast—is added to tea and sugar and set aside for a time. The mix is set aside for a week or more. During that time, bacteria and acids form in the drink, as well as a small amount of alcohol. This process is known as fermentation, and it’s similar to how cabbage is preserved as sauerkraut or kimchi, or how milk is turned into yogurt. The fermentation process produces probiotics. 

Because it is fermented, kombucha contains probiotics. Probiotics support a healthy gut, which is critical to overall health. Probiotics can help with digestion, inflammation, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Research indicates that probiotics even strengthen your immune system because much of it is actually found in the gut. 

Kombucha made from green tea may offer many of the same health benefits as green tea itself, such as weight loss and blood sugar control. This is because green tea contains many bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which function as powerful antioxidants in the body. 

Kombucha is rich in antioxidants, especially when it is made with green tea. Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals, reactive molecules that can damage your cells. Antioxidants promote healthy aging, as well as reduce risk of chronic diseases. Regularly consuming foods and drinks with high levels of antioxidants is very beneficial for your health!

‘Booch’ can help kill bacteria. One of the main substances produced during the fermentation of kombucha is acetic acid, which is also abundant in vinegar. Like the polyphenols in tea, acetic acid is able to kill many potentially harmful microorganisms. Kombucha made from black or green tea appears to have strong antibacterial properties, which antimicrobial effects suppress the growth of undesirable bacteria and yeasts, 

In research studies, kombucha has been shown to improve “bad” LDL and “good” HDL cholesterol levels. It may also help protect against heart disease. Also, kombucha can help manage type 2 diabetes. The drink has been known to slow down the digestion of carbs, which reduces blood sugar levels, and may also improve liver and kidney function. In addition, kombucha has the potential to help protect against cancer because in test-tube studies, kombucha helped prevent the growth and spread of cancerous cells due to its high concentration of tea polyphenols and antioxidants. 

Kombucha has been around for nearly 2,000 years. It was first brewed in China and then spread to Japan and Russia. It became popular in Europe in the early 20th century. Sales in the United States are on the rise because of its reputation as a health and energy drink. Today, sample some gut-healthy kombucha and celebrate National ‘Booch’ Day! Cheers to your health!

Pharmacists – Unsung Heroes

Pharmacists are now more important than ever, because they are set to play a central role in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. With their expertise and skills, they will be a major player in helping vaccinate the public. During these times, pharmacists are also tireless front line workers who are determined to work towards public health. They are the unsung heroes that are key to helping keep everyone safe and healthy.

Today, on National Pharmacist Day, we show our thanks and appreciation for their hard work. In the upcoming months, they will perform the selfless duty of working endless hours to help vaccinate and support beating the pandemic. Cheers to pharmacists! We honor and appreciate you!

National Pharmacist Day

It’s time to thank those friendly workers who keep us healthy throughout the year. Get ready to celebrate National Pharmacist Day on January 12. The day focuses on the importance of pharmacists, and it honors how much they impact our health and well-being. Private Home Health Care extends their thanks and gratitude towards hard working pharmacists who play a crucial role in their patient’s health and wellness.

Without careful and well-trained pharmacists, someone’s health could really be in danger. Through managing complex drug regimens, counseling to ensure patients remain adherent, helping navigate insurance and cost concerns, and much more, pharmacists have an irreplaceable role in health care.So today, thank your local pharmacist and show appreciation for all of their hard work and the wonderful job that they do!

Thank you #pharmacists! From, #privatehomehealthcare

National Clean Your Desk Day

National Clean Your Desk Day is all about preparing your workspace for the new year and beginning things on the right note. The holiday falls on the second Monday in January. This year, it’s January 11. Remember, a messy desk is an invitation to chaos! A clean desk, on the other hand, helps you focus, be more productive, and generally makes you feel good about your workspace. This day pushes you to clean and organize your workspace and make it more functional. Having a tidy workspace often gives us a sense of serenity.

Here are some steps for National Clean Your Desk Day.

-Remove everything from your desk. Yes, everything.

-Clean the surface. As you replace items, clean them with the appropriate cleaning supply. Usually, a damp cloth is sufficient, but other electrical items need specific care.

Then, the fun begins:

-Put items in piles of ‘throw’ and ‘keep’. For the things that you are getting rid of, get out the shredder and the garbage can. Shred, file, scan documents, business cards, recipes, photos as needed. Shred and toss outdated documents, non-working pens, junk mail.

-For the things that you are going to keep, figure out how to arrange them so it is easiest and most convenient for you. Try the ‘Marie Kondo’ method when sorting items – decide if it brings you joy!

-File organizers, desk drawer separators, pen holders, and other organization containers can work wonders. Next, place all documents and photos in the appropriate locations.

-Don’t forget to replace that old calendar hanging on the wall. -While you’re at it, vacuum up those dust bunnies and sanitize your keyboard. Place a fresh box of tissues on your newly cleaned desktop.

-Pick a few (!) select items that add a personal touch to your desk, such as a framed photo, a small memento, or a mini plant.

-Your computer desktop counts too. Drag those files into a nice, neat folder! If you have a lot of files or material that you no longer use but want to save, transfer them to a portable hard drive and save them there.

Take a big sigh of relief – doesn’t a nice, tidy workspace make you feel better? Private Home Health Care sure thinks so. So today, go ahead and tackle the project of cleaning and organizing your desk!