Winter Solstice

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice and the official beginning of our winter season.  It marks the shortest hours of daylight and the longest hours of darkness in our Northern Hemisphere.

Along with this season can come the blues, particularly among the elderly.  When it’s cold outside it’s easy to stay in bed a bit longer.  Pajamas might seem like a good idea for the day. 

Private Home Health Care wonders about trying a few things to help ward off the winter blues. 

Could you dress in bright colors to try and trick your brain into thinking it’s a bright sunny day outside?  Do you like salmon, tuna, milk, yogurt or eggs?  Add these to your diet for Vitamin D.  Do you like to read books?  Find a good book to read with a nice cup of tea. 

How about stimulating your brain with new music, a new game or a crossword puzzle?  Cook or buy foods with squash for magnesium and potassium, sweet potatoes for vitamin B6, biotin and anti-inflammatory flavonoids or eggplant for fiber, copper and vitamin B1. 

Winter can feel like a long cold season sometimes so we hope you can do your best to keep yourself centered and happy.

National Crossword Puzzle Day

Tomorrow is National Crossword Puzzle Day.  

Have you ever heard of a man by the name of Arthur Wynne?  Back on December 21, 1913 he created the first crossword puzzle.  It was published in the New York World Magazine and was diamond shaped and didn’t have any internal black squares.

Various studies have been done to show that there are health benefits to doing crossword puzzles.  One benefit discovered is that you can delay memory loss and alleviate dementia.  They can help improve cognitive function and help with overall brain strength.  Challenging yourself with different crossword puzzles can increase both of these too.

You can find crossword puzzles online or in many newspapers and some magazines.

Private Home Health Care challenges you to find some crossword puzzles to expand your vocabulary.  You might find that if you are feeling anxious your mood could lighten and improve too!  Enjoy!

Tranquility

This time of year can be very hectic and busy.  You can have lots of lists of things to do, lots of errands and at times it can be overwhelming.

Private Home Health Care would like to send you peace and remind you to try and take some time for deep breaths and a few moments of quiet time.  Time seems to move so quickly and we never know what is around the corner.  Try to be good to yourself and stay grounded so you can feel and share joy during this season.

Namaste.

International Tea Day

How about a cup of tea, or two or three?

It’s International Tea Day and after thousands of years of drinking teas there have been studies that show there are health benefits along with great taste.  How about boosting your immune system or fighting off inflammation? What if tea helps keep cancer at bay or helps with heart disease?  Studies are continuing but below is a list of a few teas that studies have shown can help your body:

Herbal Teas – Chamomile, Rooibos, Peppermint and Ginger.  These can help with sleep and relaxation, keep hair and skin healthy and improve blood pressure and circulation. Try peppermint for an upset stomach, constipation or motion sickness.  Ginger tea can fight morning sickness and works to treat chronic indigestion.

Green Tea – Studies have shown that it can help lower blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol. It’s high in flavonoids which can lower bad cholesterol.   It appears to also have anti-inflammatory benefits.  Matcha, a very fine powder from green tea, has shown to be full of antioxidants.

Black Tea – Popular in England, Ireland and the US has caffeine so you need to be careful but did you know that it also has flavonoids that help with inflammation and healthy immune function?  Black tea can also help with scrapes and bruises to relieve pain and swelling.  It can also help with skin rashes like poison ivy so remember to have a black tea bath if you get infected!

Private Home Health Care will be pouring a cup of medicinal tea very soon and we hope you do too! 

National Cocoa Day

Do you know the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate? Do you have a preference?

Hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder, warm milk or water, and sugar.  Hot chocolate is ground chocolate with cocoa butter and milk.

On this National Cocoa day choose a cup of warm hot cocoa made from cocoa powder rather than hot chocolate made with cocoa butter. This saves on fat and calories!  Not only that but cocoa contains healthy antioxidants and can help with digestion!

Private Home Health Care hopes that you can enjoy a hot cup of cocoa after a brisk walk or after skiing or sledding during these winter months.

Spiritual Literacy Month

This month is dedicated to spiritual literacy.  You are encouraged to read at least one book on spirituality to expand your mind or grow your faith.  What you read depends on what spirituality means to you. 

For some people spirituality is connected to a faith.  For others it’s a higher power.  No matter what it means to you this is an opportunity to find an area of spirituality that interests you.  You can find a book at a library or online. The book can be in print or digital format.  If you don’t have the ability to locate one on your own, ask someone for help.

Private Home Health Care believes that taking the time to broaden your faith or awaken your spirituality can awaken the soul.  We hope that during this busy month that you can find time for this gift to yourself.

Pretend to be a Time Traveler

“Wait a minute doc, are you telling me you built a time machine . . .

Do you remember this line from the movie “Back to the Future”? This was a fun movie from 1985 with a premise that you could go back in time. Today we are using our imagination as we observe Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.

The possibility of time travel has been around for a long time.  In India, one of two major Sanskrit epics has King Raviata Kadkumi going to heaven then returning to find that many ages have gone by.  Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” in 1843 and has Ebenezer traveling forwards and backwards.  In 1895 H.G. Wells wrote “The Time Machine” and in 1963 the BBC produced “Dr. Who, a tale of a professional time traveler.”

Private Home Health Care understands that as we age we can long for the people in our lives who are no longer with us.  Take some time today and this week to remember and share good memories.  Think about what it would be like to go back in time.  Who would we visit? What would we say to them? What would we do?

Pearl Harbor Day

Today is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  We remember the more than 2,400 people who died in the attack on this day in 1941.  Each year since then this day has been commemorated.  We must never forget the sacrifices made during those years of war. 

On this day, Private Home Health Care will be taking time to remember those heroes.  We are thankful for our freedoms that were protected.

One way to show appreciation is by sending a care package to those currently serving our country.  You might find an organization in your community that can help you.

May we never forget.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

This day was created to highlight the challenges faced by people with disabilities.  The goal is to understand the challenges so that we can be more compassionate and understanding.

Private Home Health Care understands that people with disabilities have much to offer and can be valued members of society.  We strive for equal opportunities for all. 

We hope on this day people with disabilities can find acceptance and appreciation in our community and across our world.

Eat a Red Apple Day

Do you remember Johnny Appleseed and his love for planting apple trees?

On this day we remember the magnificent trees Johnny planted and the delicious red apples that grow from them.

Talk about a healthy snack!   Eating an unpeeled apple gives you 5 grams of dietary fiber and  Vitamins C, K, B6, A and E.Other benefits include supplies of  Potassium, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium. There’s a bonus too as they are low in calories!

Those of us at Private Home Health Care will be eating a red apple today.  We hope others will enjoy one too!

Photo by Maria Lindsey Content Creator from Pexels