Christmas Holiday Traditions – Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread has been a sweet treat for centuries, dating back to as early as the Middle Ages in Europe.  Using gingerbread to make houses started in Germany around the 16th century.

The gingerbread house and its decorations have changed over the years but for many it has become a favorite Christmas holiday tradition.

The story of Hansel and Gretel was told throughout the world beginning in 1812 and one theory is that all the intricacies of decorating the houses really took off after this.  The story captured the attention of many people.

Does your family make a gingerbread house ahead of the Christmas Holiday?  How do you decorate it?

Today you have many options when it comes to having a gingerbread house.  There are kits that make it less time consuming to put a delicious gingerbread house together.  

You can also bake the gingerbread from scratch, create your frosting, choose your candy decorations and enjoy some time decorating.

Additionally, if you are short on time you can buy one already put together and adorned. 

However you create a gingerbread house it can bring togetherness to a family or friendship.  Many consider it a symbol of the joy of the holiday season.  Some cultures actually consider them to be good luck and to bring prosperity.

Private Home Health Care enjoys seeing a pretty and delicious looking gingerbread house.  To us, it’s one symbol of a festive holiday season and a yummy treat.

Blue Jeans

National Blue Jeans day is coming soon and it got us curious.  

Blue Jeans are so loved now that half of the world’s population wears them.  You can find them in so many styles and colors it is impossible to list them all.

How did jeans get to be a clothing staple for so many people?

You probably think of Levi Strauss when you think of the history of blue jeans and you would be correct.  But Mr. Strauss is only one part of the equation.

Levi Strauss was from Bavaria and during the Gold Rush in the 1850’s he moved to San Francisco.  There he was approached by a tailor named Jacob Davis.  

Jacob had the idea of creating waist overalls in denim with copper rivets for the working class.  Mr. Strauss had the money and the marketing background.  By May of 1873 the two had perfected the idea and they took out a patent.

The overalls were a hit so much so that over the years they have changed into blue jeans or “jeans” and you can find them easily in stores.  You and I love our jeans and can wear them for almost any occasion.

Interestingly enough, the indigo dye and denim has been around for a while prior to Mr. Davis and Mr. Strauss’s version.  

In fact, there are signs of indigo denim being used in India, Italy and France, all for different things.  Denim has a variety of meanings across the world.

Additionally, the process of making the indigo dye is interesting.  It is made from a green weed that is cooked. When the cooked green weed hits the denim fabric it turns into the blue of denim.  Voila.

Private Home Health Care has a few pairs of denim jeans in different styles in our closets and we love to wear them.  How about you?

Holiday Stress

Now that we are in the month of December many of us are preparing for one of the three holidays this month.  

Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all celebrated towards the end of the month.

Each holiday is unique but each has the possibility of leading to stress as you prepare.  

We all have enough stress in our lives on a normal day so additional stress from holidays could push you and I over the top.

Private Home Health Care is always looking for ways to avoid holiday stress.  Check out ideas from the Mayo Clinic for some helpful tips. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/fend-off-holiday-stress-with-these-tips

Black Friday

It’s the day after Thanksgiving when we all give thanks for family and friends.  Today, it’s the time to remember those same family and friends by shopping for the holidays.

You might say that it’s the worst day to venture out to stores but you could miss out on some deals.  The bargains on this day can be good and very hard to resist.

We wonder if anyone knows what really caused the phrase “Black Friday?”  If you do, you’ll recall that it was started by a couple of ne’er-do-well  Wall Street financiers.  They caused the gold market to fall which launched bankruptcies.  

A day in infamy thus the label “Black.”

Today we know that it kicks off the holiday shopping season.  Retailers have bargains that bring us into the stores.  Some specials seem too good to pass up!

Traffic on the road and in the stores can be heavy so use caution and move slowly.  It’s so easy to get caught up in rushing around.  There are some good sales on Black Friday but stressing yourself out might not be worth it.

Private Home Health Care likes to get a good bargain but we realize that it’s more than presents that make the holidays special.  We hope you get some bargains without stressing yourself out.

Happy Thanksgiving

Private Home Health Care would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

We are very thankful for all of the people in our lives, family, friends, co-workers and our patients.  

Tomorrow is a time to gather together and share a meal and give thanks for everything in our lives.  

You and I are busy between work, perhaps raising a family or caring for an aging parent.  It’s time to relax a bit during this holiday.

After the preparation and cooking is done, it’s time to step away from all the busyness of life and be grateful for those people around you.

If you are in a nursing home, we hope you enjoy a nice meal and get a chance to spend time with your neighbors or roommate.

The turkey most of us have at Thanksgiving is great but the company and sharing among friends and family is priceless.

Staying the Course

The question for today is when things in your life get difficult how do you keep your perseverance and stay motivated?

Perseverance is defined by Merriam Webster as “the continued effort to do or achieve something, despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.”

Each of us has likely faced something in our lives that has become difficult.  It could be a new skill you are trying to learn or perhaps a person you are trying to reach.

You may hit bumps in the road.  You may stumble or lose a way to connect with someone. What gives you the perseverance to continue on?

Having a positive attitude can be a help.  Research sometimes will give some progress.  Perhaps stepping back from the situation and taking a break would allow for some renewed strength.  

To persevere is not always easy.  It helps if you are invested and you feel that what you are working towards is right and just.  Keeping self doubt or outside voices from taking over helps too. Additionally, reaching out for help when you need it.

Remind yourself that some things take time and keep up your spirits.  Your perseverance and motivation will carry you through the difficult times.

Private Home Health Care appreciates that life can get difficult but we feel by persevering we can overcome obstacles that get in the way.  Keep the faith.

National Sardine’s Day

On Sunday it will be National Sardine’s Day.  

Is your first reaction let me get some of those to eat or is it you can’t get me to eat one of those sardines?

Either way, we’d like to share a bit about these fish.  It’s a big part of Mediterranean diets and we know what a healthy diet that is.  

These little ten inch fish live in schools all over the world. Along with the Mediterranean, sardines are also greatly enjoyed in India and the Philippines.  In Portugal sardines are a national favorite.

What about in the United States and what are the health benefits of these tiny fish?

In 2020, canned fish had a consumption rate of 4.1 lbs. per person in the United States.  Sardine consumption is also expected to grow by 7.8% so it’s becoming popular.

Sardines have a mild fishy taste and these tiny fish are full of unbelievable nutrients. 

A 100-gram can of sardines in oil has no carbs, no fiber and no sugars.  It contains 24 grams of protein, 208 calories, 11.4 grams of fat, 142 milligrams of cholesterol and 307 milligrams.

The vitamins, minerals and fatty acids are off the chart.  Too many to list here but some of them include calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium.  The list contains 23 different vitamins and minerals.

Because sardines are low in calories and full of so many nutrients they can help with blood vessel function and ease inflammation.  They can also help with heart, bone, brain and eye health.  

Additionally, sardines can strengthen your bones, improve nerve function and aid in muscle growth and repair.  

We also know that people who need to watch their salt intake and those with kidney stones or gout need to be careful not to eat too many sardines so they are not for everyone.

Private Home Health Care knows how good sardines can be for our health.  You might need to acquire a taste for them but if you like them you will have gained a great addition to your diet.

World Hello Day

World Hello Day is on the national calendar for special days.  We chose to write about this because it’s an easy thing to do and fun too!

On Thursday, you simply need to find ten people to say hello to.  People you know count but more importantly saying hello to strangers is an awesome thing for you to do.

You can do this at school, at work and in your senior living center or nursing home.  Everyone knows how to say hello and it could be interesting to see if a conversation begins after that.

It’s not imperative that a conversation starts, you just simply need to say hello.  Most people will be happy to be greeted and will hopefully respond.

You can do it all morning or all afternoon or space it out during the day.  It’s totally up to you.

The beginning of this day actually began because of the Yom Kippur War back in 1973.  It was started by the McCormack brothers who were distressed by the war.  They used only the money they had at the time and sent letters to as many world leaders as they could.

They wanted to start this day to help bring people together peacefully.  The first responses they got were from fifteen different countries.  That took twelve months.

The good news is that over the past forty-two years others have celebrated this day of saying hello. Now it involves a total of 180 countries!  Amazing really.

We do still have conflicts in our world so this has not solved all worldly conflicts but by you and I taking the time to say hello in each of our encounters it helps to spread goodness and happiness in our own way.

Private Home Health Care believes it is important to connect with people around us so we hope that you can find time to offer hellos to people you meet tomorrow and perhaps on other days too.

Your Aging Immune System

As you start to age and you get to be 65 years old your immune system changes.  These changes can make it more difficult for you to fight off infections.

Your immune system has two parts:  an innate immune system and an adaptive immune system.

First, is your innate immune system.  Consider these to be your first-responder scouts.  

When your cells detect something foreign in your body, it tells enzymes to mark those germs and then asks your immune cells to attack!

Your adaptive immune system is responsible for identifying the offending germs and then remembering them.  

T and B cells are part of your immune system and the next time the germs appear they produce a more effective and faster response to the infection.

As you age, your adaptive T and B cells decrease in your body.  Your  innate cells call out the germs and can exhaust your immune system which depletes the cells needed to fight infections.  Inflammation is often a symptom.

What can you do to help your body to continue to fight infections efficiently?

Sleep – make sure you get enough sleep each day.

Exercise – build time for moderate cardiovascular exercise into your day

Balanced diet – feed your body well with healthy foods

Vaccines – talk to your medical professional about what vaccines are available

Additionally, if you are deficient in Vitamin D, take a supplement.  For anyone under the age of 70 it’s 600 IU.  Anyone over the age of 70 should get 800 IU.

Private Home Health Care knows the importance of a healthy immune system. As we age, we need to listen to our bodies and work with a medical professional if there are any changes. 

GERD

Have you ever had heartburn?  Do you have acid reflux after you eat?

Neither are pleasant experiences and they can worsen.  What are ways you can tell when it has turned into a condition called GERD.

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease.  This occurs when your stomach acid repeatedly backs up into your esophagus that connects your mouth and your stomach.  

This causes acid reflux and irritates the lining of your esophagus.  Irritate your esophagus enough and it can turn into GERD.

Symptoms include a burning sensation in your chest, liquid sour or backwash in your mouth, pain in your upper belly or chest, trouble swallowing or a sensation of having a lump in your throat.

At night you may also experience an ongoing cough, laryngitis, or new or worsening asthma.

There are conditions that can increase your risk of GERD:

• Obesity
• Hiatal Hernia
• Pregnancy
• Connective tissue disorders like scleroderma
• Delay in the stomach emptying

Additionally, smoking, eating late at night, lots of fatty and fried foods, too much alcohol and coffee and aspirin.

Twenty percent of our population contracts GERD so it’s important to be aware and stay intune to your body.

Private Home Health Care knows that changes to lifestyle is one way to avoid or help with this disease.  There are also medicines available and in extreme cases surgery is an option.  There is hope.