National Blueberry Month

The entire month of July is set aside for the wonderfully healthy blueberry.  It turns out that the blueberry is one of the healthiest fruits for us!

According to dietitian, Julia Zumpany, RD, LD from the Cleveland Clinic, “Studies have shown that they help against aging, cancer and damage to your DNA.”  Julia actually feels that there is no downside to eating fresh, uncooked blueberries.

Benefits of blueberries:

• High in antioxidants – helps with stress.  “Antioxidants create a barrier or a shield around a cell to help protect it from being damaged.”
• Packed with vitamins and minerals 
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin K
  • Manganese
  • Dietary fiber
• Can help manage cholesterol – high in soluble fiber

Some studies have shown that if you eat blueberries it can reduce your blood sugar.  In addition, it may help reduce your blood pressure if you live with metabolic syndrome. 

Tips from Julia:

You should eat raw, fresh, organic blueberries.  These are the best.  Be careful of exposure to heat as that can damage the antioxidants.

If you cannot get organic blueberries, she recommends that you soak them for a couple of minutes in water with a dash of lemon.  

Private Home Health Care is so happy that it’s summer so you can get the freshest blueberries!  Try eating blueberries on cereal, in hot oatmeal and in smoothies.  A bowl of milk and blueberries is delicious too.  Enjoy!

#NationalBlueberryMonth

Social Media Day

This day was created to observe the way that social media has become a worldwide way for you to collaborate, communicate, and share information and images with family and friends.  In 2002 Friendster was created and in 2003 it was MySpace.  

Since that time there have been many social media sites that have surpassed them including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube to name a few.  

Private Home Health Care writes our blog and shares it on some of these sites.  We love the way anyone from any location in the world can access the wide variety of information provided.

It is truly amazing how social media has grown and now become full of active participants. You can share all kinds of information in writing or with imagery.  You can learn how to do something new on YouTube.   

Private Home Health Care loves staying connected via social media.  We also believe that it’s important to remember that nothing can replace getting together physically.  

It is especially important for our elderly community.  You need to spend physical time with those alone or located in a care facility.  You cannot replace listening to people and sharing stories together.  It is too precious. 

National Sunglasses Day

National Sunglasses Day has been celebrated on June 27 since 2009.  The goal of the day is to let you know about the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes.  It’s super important in the summer since we tend to be outside more but you need them during winter as well.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology studies from 2018 showed that overexposure to the sun on unprotected eyes increases your risk of eye diseases.  Potential diseases include cataracts, macular degeneration, growths and even eye cancer.  

If you are someone who is out on water a lot, lakes, rivers or oceans, the sun reflecting on the water can give a sunburn to the front of the eye.  This is very painful and you could develop redness, blurry vision and sensitivity to bright lights.

Here are recommendations from the Academy to help you protect your eyes.

# 1 and most important.  Your eyeglass lenses must block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.

Consider getting oversized or wraparound-style frames to cover more of your eye.

Be careful.  Dark lenses don’t necessarily mean more protection from UV rays.

Athletes may need amber, green or gray lenses to help in their sport.

Polarized lenses can help you reduce glare driving in water or pavement.

Higher prices do not mean more protection.  Shop carefully.  Find a style that you like that also has the 99 to 100 UV protection.

Private Home Health Care wants you to learn so you can protect your eyes. Share images of you wearing sunglasses using #NationalSunglassesDay.

Roses

Every year the month of June celebrates the timeless and beautiful rose.  Roses have been around for quite a long time.  Rose fossil bones date back 35 million years.  In Hildesheim Germany at the Hildesheim Cathedral you will find a thousand year old rose along the wall. Amazing right?

Rose petals are edible, either from rose water added to jams and jellies or the berries, called rose hips that are jammed with Vitamin C.  These can be made into dry tea.

Rose oil is used in perfumes but don’t try and make it yourself.  You need about 2,000 roses to make just 1 gram of oil.

This US National flower, (thanks to President Ronald Regan in 1986), is grouped into three categories:  Hybrid tea, Floribunda and Shrub.  

There are 150 varieties and about ten different colors.  The colors have different meanings:

Red – love and romance

Pink – grace and elegance

Yellow – friendship and cheer

White – sympathy but also purity, spirituality and innocence

Orange – congratulatory

An interesting trivia fact.  It took 15 years for a famous rose breeder named David Austin to create a rare rose variety called the Juliet.  He spent $5 million but sold the rose in 2006 for $15.8 million!

Private Home Health Care loves roses and enjoys growing them in containers.  Here are a few tips to grow your own beautiful roses in containers.  

You should get floribunda, hybrid tea (no longer that 4”-5”) or miniature.  Make sure your roses have enough soil for deep roots and excellent drainage.  Width and depth of the pot is important.  If you have a 20” diameter pot, the depth should be the same or deeper.  Finally, do not use a lot of fertilizer at the beginning.  Young roses don’t like it.  

Happy planting!

Hydration

Are you hydrated or dehydrated?  For those of you over the age of 65 dehydration affects 20% to 30% of you and can have devastating results.

A good basis to determine the correct amount for the average elder is to drink one third of your body weight.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you would intake 50 ounces or 6 cups of fluids.

It is essential that you think about the importance of hydration, especially as you age.  WebMD recommends that if you are elderly you should drink 6-8 cups of fluids a day.  If you are incontinent more fluids are needed.

What are signs of dehydration?

Thirsty – this is especially hard for those with dementia or stroke

Lower % of body water – as we age our body weight is less than younger adults

Impaired renal function – hormones do not respond as well

Medications – some medications can lead to dehydration, like laxatives and diuretics

Visual signs of dehydration include:

Dry mouth, tongue, lips

Sunken eyes, papery skin

Unusually drowsy or confused

The good news is that you can up your fluid intake in different ways.

Water (of course) – but add some oranges or lemons for flavor

Sports drinks – ones with no artificial additives and low in sugar

Soups, broths and stews

Fruits like cucumber, celery, strawberries, grapefruit, spinach and watermelon

Tea and coffee – up to 4 cups a day

Private Home Health Care encourages you to keep a glass of water by your side at home and a water bottle when you travel for good hydration!   Bottoms up!

National Smoothies Day

Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice, the official beginning of Summer.  It is also National Smoothies Day.  A perfect fit for a summer snack or meal.

Smoothies start with a base and a liquid.  There are 3 categories of smoothies:

Fruit – contains fruit and fruit juice

Green – includes green leafy vegetables

Protein – consists of a protein like greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu or protein powder

These easy to make drinks can help boost your fruit and vegetable intake.  If you use fresh fruits you will also limit sugar.  Fresh fruit is better than adding honey, granulated sugar or maple syrup. 

The American Heart Association recommends limiting sugar intake to 9 teaspoons (37.5 grams) a day for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) a day for women.

Private Home Health Care wants to share two protein shakes using JuicePlus Complete Protein Powder.  These are yummy and easy to make and contain 10 grams of sugar, 13 grams of protein and 7 grams of dietary fiber.  Mix in a blender and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Smoothie

1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla JuicePlus Complete, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 4 ice cubes

Peppermint Patty Smoothie

1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop chocolate JuicePlus Complete, ½ tsp peppermint extract, ¼ avocado or plain yogurt, 4 ice cubes

National Eat Your Vegetables Day

Do you think there are a lot of children who have heard a parent say to them “Eat your vegetables, they are good for you!”  I, for one, definitely heard that at the dinner table.

Today is the day to check out all of the wonderful and delicious vegetables available to eat.  Vegetables are so healthy for you and the summertime is an especially great time to get them fresh.  Check out the many farmer’s markets in your area. Remember, a variety of colorful vegetables is a great beginning.

The recommended daily intakes of vegetables (and fruits) is 2 to 4 cups depending on your age and sex.  Most Americans have a hard time eating this much but there are good health reasons to try.

The top ten reasons for eating more vegetables according to www.eatingwell.com are:

Fights inflammation

Improves blood pressure

Gives you more fiber

Better eye health

Improves skin

Reduces risk of heart disease

Helps maintain blood sugar levels

Reduce the risk of cancer

Keeps your brain young

Improves immune health

To learn more details on the health benefits visit the eating well website.

Private Home Health Care loves to shop farmer’s markets and get fresh potatoes, peppers, green beans, kale and much, much more.  You can check online for recipes on any vegetable you’d like to try. 

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day it brings awareness to elder abuse that happens around the world.  

The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as “The abuse of older people, also known as elder abuse, is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.”  

Worldwide it affects one in six people over the age of 60 each year.  Types of abuse from recent studies are in % order:  psychological, physical, financial, neglect, sexual abuxe.  Higher rates of elder abuse appear in nursing homes and long-term health care facilities.

There is an excellent resource at ncea.acl.gov.  This is the National Center for Elder Abuse.  It has a wealth of information such as:

Resources

Blog – ncea.acl.gov/NCEA-Blog

Suspect Abuse – response and prevention strategies

Office Hours – Monday to Friday, 8:30-9:00 PT

Private Home Health Care takes great care in hiring our caretakers.  In addition to regular background checks we include a criminal background check and a Cori check.  We respect and want to protect the community we serve.

#WorldElderAbuseAwarenessDay

Men’s Health Week

The week leading up to Father’s Day is Men’s Health Week.  A week to highlight preventable health problems and to encourage boys and men to take charge of their health by working with a health professional.

According to a report by the CDC in 2001, women are 33% more likely to visit with a doctor than men.  The problem there is that if you aren’t being seen by a health professional for screenings it puts you at a greater risk for health problems.  Men die at higher rates than women from the top causes of death:

Heart disease

Stroke

Suicide

Prostate cancer

Lung cancer

Are you men taught to be tough so you don’t feel vulnerable?  Do you skip doctor’s appointments or wait to see a doctor until you are older?  How can you be screened for cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar tests?  These can be indicators of heart disease.  Heart disease is known to start in men 10 years earlier than women so it’s important to get tested.

During this week if you are a man, reach out to a doctor or find a health clinic to begin the discussion about your health.  If you are a woman with a man in your life (husband, brother, father, son) talk to them about their health.  Let them know you care and share some of the facts.  

Private Home Health Care also wants you to know that this Friday is Wear BLUE Day.  By wearing blue it tells the men in your life that you care about their health. You want them to live a healthy lifestyle for them and for you!

National Herb and Spices Day

Charlemagne is quoted as saying “Herbs are the friend of the physical and the pride of cooks.”  Do you know who wrote “Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.” ? That would be William Cowper, one of the most popular poets of the 18th century.

On this National Day of Herbs and Spices we pay tribute to all of the wonderfully delicious herbs and spices that exist to tantalize our palates.

You and I use herbs and spices all the time for added flavor but herbs have also been used for centuries to alleviate our ailments.  Today, herbal medicine is a big market and medicinal plants are used to help with pain management.  Herbal remedies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration however.  

The other side of the coin is the belief that you should use herbs as complementary medicine along with FDA approved treatments.  

The good news is that herbs and spices are key to adding flavor to our foods. What would bruschetta be without basil?  When you make Indian Korma, what would the flavor be without garam marsala, curry powder, cardamom, coriander and tumeric?

Private Home Health Care wants to know what herbs and spices you have in your kitchen? No matter what, we believe that variety truly is the spice of life so use what you love!!