Reading a Book

Having just come back from a week’s vacation and having enjoyed a novel it made us think about what a fun and relaxing time it can be to read a book.

These days you can find a book in many different formats.

An obvious choice is picking up an actual paper book.  Do you prefer hardcover or paperback? Too old fashioned?

Try reading an ebook.  Your choices include an Amazon Kindle, a Barnes and Noble Nook or an Apple iPad plus more to be found online..  

Audiobooks are great if you find yourself driving in the car a lot.

Once you decide how to read a book, what else do you get from reading a book in addition to pleasure and enjoyment?

It turns out that books can also be beneficial to you both physically and mentally.  

• Reading can strengthen your brain. Studies have shown increased brain activity after reading a book.

• This pastime can help increase your ability to empathize.

• You can build your vocabulary by reading different books.

• While not a cure all, reading can help prevent cognitive decline.  

• You should feel less stressed and it can help with making you sleepy at bedtime.

Private Home Health Care loves to read all different types of books.  We hope this summer and all year round you too enjoy some good reading!  It’s good for your health and enjoyable.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Today, Private Home Health Care is thinking about a delicious “guilty” pleasure and that is vanilla ice cream.

Now it is true that we often talk about the health benefits of different foods.  Vanilla ice cream may not seem to you to be full of a long list of healthy nutrients but we may be able to find some good things along with some interesting facts.

Vanilla ice cream can leave you feeling calm and relaxed due to the vanilla aroma.

Additionally, there are potentially healthy benefits from the vanilla bean.  This includes possible antioxidant effects along with anti-inflammatory properties.

We believe that we (and you), need to have something sweet and delicious once in a while.  Vanilla ice is a treat you can eat on its own, in a sundae or on brownies.  

Now we want to share with you some interesting facts about the versatile vanilla ice cream.

• Vanilla is the most popular ice cream in the United States
• Vanilla from vanilla beans is the main ingredient of vanilla ice cream.
• Madagascar and Mexico are the leading producers of vanilla beans.
• Marco Polo brought vanilla back from Asia to Europe in the 17th century.
• Vanilla ice cream can be traced back to Persia though it was made with milk and rice.

We hope that you have enjoyed our discussion on vanilla ice cream enough that you might want to get a scoop or two to savor soon!

Cherries

July is the peak for cherry season.  You might find them tricky to eat with the pit inside but if you do like cherries there are good reasons to eat them.

You have heard this from us before but cherries are really in the category of a superfood!  There are so many health benefits from cherries you’ll want to run out and get some.

We’ve talked about antioxidants and how they have “free radicals” which can damage your cells.  Cherries have antioxidants.  Antioxidants like Vitamins A, C and E.

How are you sleeping lately?  Do you need any help?  Try eating a bunch of cherries after dinner.  Cherries have high levels of melatonin, serotonin (helps you make melatonin) and even tryptophan, the amino acid that puts you to sleep after you eat turkey.

People with gout have been known to eat cherries to help ease the pain and there are indications they can help with arthritis as well.

Additionally, cherries give you potassium and are low in sodium so it helps your blood pressure.  Plus, cherries have a low glycemic index so they are excellent for diabetics.

You need to remember that this information is for fresh cherries and some cherry juices.  All bets are off with canned cherries as other additives are usually in these.
Private Home Health Care enjoys a bowl of cherries as often as they are available. We love the health benefits of them along with their great taste.

National Grilling Month

July is National Grilling Month which makes perfect sense at the peak of the summer!  

Hot days are the perfect time to cook outside so you don’t have to turn on the oven.  You can grill so many things with the right tools.

Your burgers and hot dogs taste great and when you barbecue chicken breasts the flavor is awesome.  Do you throw on some Italian sausages?  Who doesn’t love a shish kabob! 

Private Home Health Care loves to cook fish on the grill too.  Salmon, haddock, cod or swordfish, marinated or cooked with veggies or spices.  You can’t go wrong!

You might be a charcoal cooker all the way or maybe you use a grill with a propane tank.  Whichever way you grill there are safety tips for you and your family.

For a charcoal grill it may seem obvious but you should remember a few things:

• Cap your lighter fluid immediately after use and move it a distance away. 
• You should never add lighter fluid to warm or hot coals.
• Don’t touch the coals after they are lit.  (Yes this should be a no brainer!)
• Allow your coals to burn down completely and let the ashes cool for 48 hours before disposing.

If you cook with a propane tank here are a few safety tips:

• You should check your tank for leaks before you use it.
• Make sure to clean your grill of any fat or grease build up.
• Open your grill lid before you turn the gas on and light it.
• Keep your children and pets at least three feet away.

Your summer may not be complete if you don’t grill outside.  We wish you safe grilling and delicious food all the days of summer for as long as you can.

National Simplicity Day

On this day of National Simplicity, we are thinking about what that might mean for each of us?

You and I most likely live very busy lives.  We try to work to gain money and live a comfortable lifestyle with a house and a car and perhaps some vacations.

No one is saying that this is a bad way to live.  What we do wonder about at times though is what are the most important things in our lives?

Henry David Thoreau was a poet and philosopher from Massachusetts.  He lived in the 1800’s, born in 1812 and he died in 1862 at the age of 44.  His life, though short, was very full.

He was known for his love of nature.  He grew up in Concord, Massachusetts and he loved the woodlands, streams and meadows there.  His great appreciation of this led to his friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Together they believed in Transcendentalism which in simple terms is a belief that your knowledge as an individual transcends all outside forces in your life.

Today is not a day to go to a deserted island but it is suggested that you find time alone, perhaps in nature to think about your life and what is most important to you.

It’s a time to set away from all the busyness and focus on what could be the simple parts that make you smile.  What brings you joy? What could you not live without?  

You can be of any age to do this.  You might be raising a family right now or you might be a single person or an elderly person looking back on parts of your life.

Private Home Health Care likes to step away from what can be a hectic life and find time alone to think about what matters to us.  It can be a very rewarding time.

Farmer’s Markets 

Many fruits and vegetables in the Northeast become available during the summer months and they often linger into the fall.

You should be on the lookout for a Farmer’s Market near you.  A farmer’s market has vendors who sell fresh food items from farm-to-table.

You are probably aware of the local farms in your area.  Many are open for you to visit but you may have to drive a distance.  

When you go to a Farmer’s Market you have a wide variety of foods and other items like flowers, fresh eggs and butte all in one place.  

Additionally, you can compare offerings and prices between stalls and get the best price for your pocketbook.

The freshness of foods makes a big difference too.  

Whether you steam or grill vegetables or enjoy delicate and sweet strawberries and blueberries you’ll know that you have the maximum taste.  You will also get the maximum health benefits from each food.

Some markets have bakery items, jewelry, meats, pasta sauces and even a place where you can get your knives sharpened.   There are so many choices you could be overwhelmed.  Just look at one stall or booth at a time and you’ll be fine..

Private Home Health Care loves to go to the local farmer’s markets.  We find so many fresh fruits and vegetables that we enjoy over the following week.  

Here is a link to use to find a local farmer’s market for you to visit:  https://nfmd.org/browse/

All About Corn

It’s summer and the time of year for delicious ears of corn.  It is appearing everywhere at many stores and if you grill or boil it can be so tasty.  

The question is what does corn have to offer us for nutrients and should we be careful about how much we eat?

Corn on the cob is a summer treat but you can also find it frozen and canned as you probably realize.  Additionally, corn is made into tortilla chips, polenta and of course popcorn to name a few things.

Overall as you might have guessed corn has many health benefits.  Moderation is key to this vegetable and whole-grain if you are diabetic but it should still be enjoyed.

You’ll get your fill of carbs when you eat corn but calories are low and fiber is high.  You’ll also get a small amount of protein from corn along with antioxidants which are always healthful.

Antioxidants include folate and good portions of magnesium, potassium and vitamins A and C. Corn is also gluten free!

If you eat corn regularly it will help with your digestion, aid in improving eye health and it helps protect your heart.

You do need to be careful about one form of corn and that’s when it’s turned into corn syrup.  

Corn syrup is to be avoided and you have to be on the lookout for it as it’s used as a sweetener in a variety of foods.  Cereals, breads, cookies and crackers use it and adding weight and sugar are two of the negative effects.

You and I are not the only ones who enjoy corn.  It turns out that forty percent U.S. corn is used for fuel.  Worldwide up to seventy percent of corn feeds animals.

Private Home Health Care enjoys cooking on the grill and eating an ear or two of fresh corn.  It’s one of the best parts of summer but we also keep it frozen to enjoy in the winter months.

Vacations

It’s the summer here in New England and the weather is warm so we are thinking about planning a vacation.  Are you?

According to Merriam-Webster vacation is defined as “a period of time spent away from home or business in travel or recreation” and “a time of respite from something.”

We think either definition sounds lovely and refreshing.  We all need a time away from our routines to relax and step away from our everyday lives.

A vacation can improve your physical and mental health, improve family relationships, give you an overall sense of well-being and boost your happiness.

The options are endless . . .. 

If you like the outdoors, camping can be fun and an affordable family vacation. 

You might like to rent a place near the ocean or by a  lake.  Book reading and swimming awaits you.

For those who like action, a park like Hershey Park or Six Flags so you can take rides and laugh or scare yourself silly.

Are you into birds?  Take a bird watching trip.  Do you enjoy sailing?  Go on an excursion.

Do you need to watch your wallet?  Enjoy a staycation.  Step away from work and do whatever you’d like to do with your time. 

The key is to do something that will be a change of pace that will leave you feeling less stressed and renewed. 

Private Home Health Care tries to balance working hard and taking time to relax and rejuvenate.  We hope you can take time away this summer to find your happy place.

The Fourth of July

Private Home Health Care would like to wish everyone a very happy Fourth of July!

Tomorrow will be the 248th celebration of this holiday of our nation’s independence.

Interestingly, John Adams thought that the holiday would be celebrated on July 2nd.  It was on this day that the Declaration of Independence was actually ratified.  It turns out that he was only off a couple of days!

To all of you who will be getting together for cookouts, harbor illuminations, concerts and fireworks we hope that you enjoy the company you are with and the blessings we have.

We stand together as Americans in a land where we can live free to do as we please and have the freedom to express our opinions without risking our independence.

We hope that you and your family and friends enjoy a fun, relaxing and safe holiday! 

Obesity

Obesity is trending higher in the United States since the COVID-19 epidemic.  Being overweight and obese is defined as your weight being higher than what is considered to be a normal weight for your height.

According to the NIH:

1. Nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7%) are overweight.
2. More than 2 in 5 adults 42.4%) have obesity.
3. About 1 in 11 adults (9.2%) have severe obesity.

These statistics are for adults but the statistics for children are comparable.  If you are overweight or obese you are more at risk for health issues.  Some of these include Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint problems and strokes.

What are some solutions for this growing trend?

You can start by serving appropriate portions of food to your children and family.

Serve and eat healthy foods like plenty of fruits and vegetables.  These should outnumber meats, salty snack foods and desserts eaten.

Encouraging slow eating and if you only eat when hungry can help.

You should incorporate fun and physical activities into your and your children’s lives.  This also includes limiting screen time.  This can be a challenge in today’s world.

As an adult you need to try to get enough dietary fiber into your diet. 

Additionally, limit your intake of processed foods and try to eat more low-glycemic foods.
Private Home Health Care understands being overweight and how hard it can be for some people to keep off excessive weight.  We wish everyone all the best in your efforts.  It is well worth anything you can do for your health.