National Waffle Day

August 24 is National Waffle Day! National Waffle Day on August 24th commemorates the anniversary of the first waffle iron patent issued. Celebrate by savoring your favorite kind of waffle! Waffles are a beloved breakfast treat, and can also be served as a dessert or as a savory dish! Though store bought, frozen waffles are widely available, home cooked waffles made on a waffle iron win every time. The traditional american way of consuming breakfast waffles is to load the squares with butter and syrup.

Thank waffles are a junky breakfast food? Think again!  At Private Home Care, we have a healthy twist, as always! Our favorite ways of upping the nutritional content of waffles include: using whole wheat or oat flour, skipping butter or oil, using a mashed banana or applesauce as a sweetener, and adding protein powder or chia seeds! Instead of drowning waffles with syrup and butter, you can top them with peanut butter or almond butter, and fresh fruit! (see recipes here: https://www.self.com/gallery/healthy-waffle-recipes)

Eaten throughout the world, a waffle is a leavened batter or dough. When cooked between two patterned plates, the dough bakes in the waffle’s characteristic uniform impressed surface. The contemporary waffles we enjoy today hail from France and Belgium. Earlier versions of the waffle, made of grain flour and water, date back to Ancient Greece. At that time they made obelios, or flat cakes, cooked between hot metal plates. In the Middle ages wafers were made using round plates with images of Jesus, The Crucifiction, and other religious scenes and symbols. Through the centuries both the ingredients and cooking methods of waffle making evolved until finally landing on one of the dozens of common varieties we love today. The Belgian Waffle that we all know and love made its way over to America during the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, but it wasn’t popular until the 1964 to 1965 World’s Fair was hosted in Queens, New York.

Go ahead and celebrate National Waffle Day today by making these delicious, healthy waffles! 

World Plant Milk Day

World Plant Milk Day

On August 22, we celebrate World Plant Milk Day because whether you know it or not, plant milk is a good, sustainable, alternative to dairy milk. Plant milk safely provides your body key nutrients and minerals, giving you the strength and endurance to live your life to the fullest.

Plant based milk has become very popular in recent decades. It is a great alternative for people with allergies or sensitivities to cow’s milk, as well as those who are health-conscious. There are many types to choose from – almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, and more! Even for those without dairy allergies, incorporating plant based milk into your diet has many health benefits. 

Dairy-alternative milks tend to have fewer calories, less fat (except for coconut-based milk), more water content (for better hydration), less protein (except soy). Some are fortified with other vitamins and nutrients. Enriched plant based milk can be a great option for those who are looking for additional nutritional benefits of plant based milk. Another benefit of plant based milks is that they do not contain cholesterol, and they have a solid combination of mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Consumers should be aware that many types of plant based milk contain added sugar, so opt for unsweetened products. Another great thing about plant based milk is that you don’t have to worry about the expiration date! Unlike cow’s milk, boxed plant based milk is shelf-stable, though it should be consumed within 7-10 days within opening. 

An article from Harvard School of Public Health states that when choosing between cow’s milk or plant based milk, as long as the nutrient profile is the same then the choice is really about preference. Nowadays with so many options, there is a plant based milk for everyone’s taste. It can be substituted for cow’s milk in any recipe. There are also many plant-based dairy products on the market, ranging from soy-based yogurt, almond milk pudding, and more.

World Plant Milk Day also reminds us that drinking plant milk has  other benefits. You help to eliminate animal cruelty and reduce global warming — just by drinking a glass of milk!  So, do your body and the world some good by raising a cold, frothy glass of delicious plant milk in a toast to your own health and the health of our world. 

National Goat Cheese Month

August is National Goat Cheese Month! This month we celebrate this tangy, soft cheese, that has many health benefits! 

Goat cheese, also known as chèvre, refers to any cheese made from goat’s milk. It is available in many forms including fresh cheese logs, aged cheddar and even brie.

The nutritional content of goat cheese varies depending on the processing method used, such as aging or curing.  Fresh goat cheese has about half the fat, cholesterol, and calories of commercial cream cheese made from cow’s milk. The history of goat cheese goes back to Ancient Greece, circa 5,000 B.C. when the goat was first domesticated. goat cheese has always enjoyed a strong popularity and spread from the Mediterranean to Eastern Europe, Africa, South West Asia and India. Today, Alpine (France) and LaMancha (Spain) are among the top goat breeds for cheese production.

All types of goat cheese contain nutrients that are beneficial to your health such as healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Although the recommended serving size for goat cheese is small, eating just one ounce (28 grams) provides impressive amounts of nutrients.A serving of goat cheese delivers 6 grams of filling protein along with a powerful combination of calcium, phosphorus and copper — nutrients that are essential for healthy bones. goat’s milk contains capric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that has been shown to possess antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Goat cheese contains probiotics! Probiotics are gut-friendly bacteria that promote digestive health, reduce inflammation, and improve immunity! It is also easier to digest than cow’s milk. Goat cheese has less lactose and significantly less A1 casein than cow’s milk, which makes it a better choice for those intolerant to dairy products made from cow’s milk. Celebrate National Goat Cheese Month by eating it regularly! Goat cheese is very versatile, and is delicious eaten on its own on crackers or bread, or used in savory or sweet dishes!

National Senior Citizens Day!

Do you have an elderly person in your life that you love and appreciate? National Senior Citizens Day, August 21,  is the day to let them know how much you care and it’s an opportunity to recognize their accomplishments.

At Private Home Care, every day is National Senior Citizens Day! Our mission is to provide high quality caregiving to enable seniors to live their best quality of life by aging in place. We love working with seniors for many reasons, including their special outlook on life after having lived so many years. Seniors have incredible wisdom and resilience – although their body or mind may not be what it used to be, they still live full lives and can serve as an inspiration. Private Home Care has had the pleasure of working with seniors for the past 30 years! Our care providers are passionate about working with older adults and blend human touch with professionalism creating a warm, comfortable and memorable experience for seniors and their loved ones.

Today, on National Senior Citizens Day, it provides an opportunity to show our appreciation for their dedication, achievements and services they give throughout their lives. We encourage you to reach out to seniors in your life or folks at a senior center to connect with this special population. 

Happy Senior Citizens Day!

Ice Cream Pie Day!

National Ice Cream Pie Day

National Soft Ice Cream Day on August 18th celebrates this tasty treat! Everybody loves ice cream, especially ice cream pie! Ice cream pies are a delicious, indulgent way to cool off on a hot summer day, and a perfect summertime treat for a birthday or fun event. Ice cream is a great opportunity to get together, and you can eat ice cream with others while still being socially distanced!

Ice cream pie can be made out of hard or soft serve ice cream. The original commercial ice cream pie was created by the brand Carvel. There are many flavors to choose from, and at Carvel ice cream stores you can choose your own combination for the ice cream pie. A cool option for ice cream cakes is the customized photo ice cream pie. This means – yes – you can have your photo on the ice cream pie itself! You submit a photo and a special printer prints the image with edible ink right onto the ice cream pie! You can also make your own ice cream pie right at home in your freezer.

History of the soft serve ice cream pie:

In 1934 on Memorial Day weekend in Hartsdale, New York, Tom Carvel had a flat tire. After pulling his ice cream truck into a parking lot, the businessman knew his product was melting. As vacationers drove by, Carvel sold the softened ice cream to them. Surprisingly, they loved the soft ice cream! The potential for a new dessert was not lost on the salesman. Instead of a roving ice cream truck, Carvel could have a fixed location with soft ice cream.Two years later, Tom Carvel opened his first ice cream store on the site where his truck broke down. In the preceding years, Carvel patented a super low-temperature ice cream machine and created a secret formula ice cream. From there he went on to create the ice cream pie – now an iconic dessert at any birthday party or special event! But hurry up – eat the ice cream pie before it melts!

Soft vs. Hard Ice Creams:

How different are soft and hard ice creams? While they are made with the same ingredients, soft ice cream has less milk fat. It also has more air than hard ice cream. Both of these factors contribute to the ice cream being more delicate and smoother. The milk fats in the hard ice cream cause it to be firmer when frozen. Another difference is the temperatures the ice creams are kept frozen. Soft ice cream machines keep a temperature of -6°C. However, hard ice cream is kept at a temperature of -12°C. While that might not seem like a big difference, the evidence is in the ice creams.

National Couple’s Day

It’s National Couple’s Day, the time to celebrate the one you adore. Your partner in crime, your ride or die, and sometimes your pain in the neck. Love isn’t always easy, but when you find that special someone, it’s definitely worth it. Though you should tell your partner how you feel everyday, today is definitely the day to celebrate your significant other.

There are many health benefits of having a significant other!

Less stress: People who are married or in committed relationships have less production of stress hormones. Having the social and emotional support of a partner is a great buffer against stress.

Stronger immune system: Stress causes inflammation in the body, and that can wreak havoc on body systems. This also means that couples tend to have stronger immune systems and become sick less often.

Better healing: Whether it’s having someone there to remind you to take your medicine, or having a partner to help take your mind off the pain, research suggests married people who have undergone heart surgery are three times more likely to survive the first three months after surgery than single patients. Married patients also reported feeling more confident about their ability to handle post-surgery pain and were less worried about the surgery in general. A little emotional support can go a long way toward helping a person recover from a procedure or illness.

Healthier behaviors: When your partner leads a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a healthy diet, you are more likely to do the same. Also, having a spouse means that someone is there to watch out for you and can help hold you accountable for your health. Examples are reminding their significant other to take medications, going with them to doctors appointments, and promoting overall health.

Overall health: Marriage appears to have a positive effect on a variety of health outcomes. Mental health is the most prominent; married men have a lower risk of depression and a higher likelihood of satisfaction with life in retirement than their unmarried peers. Being married has also been linked to better cognitive function, a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, improved blood sugar levels, and better outcomes for hospitalized patients.

Longer and more fulfilling life: It’s natural for humans to want to feel needed, and like they’re part of something bigger. Many people strive to feel like they’re doing something good for someone else, and improving the world in some way. Being in a loving relationship, no matter what kind, can give a person a sense of well-being and purpose. In fact, it’s possible that having a sense of purpose can actually add years to your life. Studies show that this is especially true for men, and it is proven that on average married men live longer than single men.

World Honeybee Day

World Honeybee Day!

World Honey Bee Day on the third Saturday in August brings a buzzing celebration for beekeepers, honey lovers, and all blooming things. The day recognizes both the honey bee and the beekeepers who tend the hives.

Honey has many beneficial properties, especially high quality, raw honey!

Antioxidants – Raw honey contains an array of plant chemicals that act as antioxidants. Some types of honey have as many antioxidants as fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help to protect your body from cell damage due to free radicals.

Free radicals contribute to the aging process and may also contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Research shows that antioxidant compounds in honey called polyphenols may play a role in preventing heart disease. Add a little bit of honey to your diet for your health? Sounds sweet!  

Antibacterial and antifungal properties – Research has shown that raw honey can kill unwanted bacteria and fungus. It naturally contains hydrogen peroxide, an antiseptic. Its effectiveness as an antibacterial or antifungal varies depending on the honey, but it’s clearly more than a folk remedy for these kinds of infections.

Because of this, honey is used to promote burn and wound healing. Hospitals use special medical grade honey as an effective treatment for diabetic foot ulcers and skin conditions such as psoriasis and herpes lesions. Studies show that special Manuka honey is especially effective. 

Soothe a sore throat – Have a cold? Try a spoonful of honey. Honey is an old sore throat remedy. Add it to hot tea with lemon when a cold virus hits you. Anyone who has tried can attest to this that it helps!

It also works as a cough suppressant. Research has suggested that honey is as effective as dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in over-the-counter cough medication. Just take one or two teaspoonfuls, straight.

Another important part of the day includes learning about honey bees and providing them with a supportive environment. When we plant wildflowers, orchards, and other flowering plants, we support pollinators such as honey bees. They depend on the nectar of a variety of plants for their survival. Conversely, we depend on honeybees for our survival, too! Without their pollinating abilities, many nutritious plants wouldn’t reproduce. It also encourages everyone to enjoy and buy locally grown honey. Supporting locally grown honey is important because honey bees help pollinate plants, which means that it improves your environment and makes it a better and more beautiful place to live. 

Honey bees do sting, but only if they perceive a threat – damage to their hive or being swatted at. If a honey bee comes close, either hold still or move slowly away. The honey bee will fly along to the next sweet thing as long as it doesn’t feel threatened. But remember – the fuzzy honey bees do not string!

Have a sweet World Honeybee Day!

National Tell A Joke Day!

Yesterday was National Tell A Joke Day!

All joking aside, get out there and laugh a little and tell some funny ones. This day will be filled with smiles and laughter from morning till night. The more jokes you tell, the more fun you will have and so will those around you.

Joking is also good for your health! The old saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ is no joke!Health benefits of telling jokes and laughing:

It helps relieve stress!

-Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

-Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

-Joke telling and laughing activate and relieve your stress response. A good laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.

Lessens Pain

-Laughing can cause your body to produce natural painkillers! A study conducted by researchers from Oxford University showed that the more subjects laughed, the less pain they felt. The study also suggests that it’s laughter itself, not just positive emotions, that aids in pain relief. This benefit increases the more often you laugh!

Boost your immune system- Laughter may increase the number of infection-fighting antibodies and boost immune cells. Likewise, positive thoughts and feelings — such as those released with laughter — have the potential to release neuropeptides, which help fight illness and stress.

Improves blood pressure

-Laughing at jokes and stand-up comedy can improve blood flow and reduce your blood pressure. Studies have found that laughter improves the flow of blood through dialating the body’s arteries, thus reducing blood pressure as well as subjects’ risk of heart disease. Most amazingly, one study indicated that watching a funny movie improved blood pressure “for a full 24 hours” after the program was viewed.

Stimulates Your Brain

-Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Scott Weems shares that “Comedy is like mental exercise, and just as physical exercise strengthens the body, comedy pumps up the mind.” Telling jokes also requires verbal skills and creativity, so the more jokes you tell, the more you can improve those skills!

Improves Quality of Life

-Telling at jokes and laughing help connect you to others socially, and strong social ties are closely linked to a better quality of life.

It’s A Good Workout!

-Laughing burns calories, and 10-15 minutes of laughing can burn about 50 calories. Laughing also works your stomach muscles by causing them to expand and contract. It also works out your shoulders and exercises the diaphragm and heart. Who needs the gym for a good ab workout when you can tell jokes?!