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.

What’s New in Diabetes Research?

It’s true still that diabetes is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the United States.  

Diabetes occurs when the insulin created in your pancreas is either not being made or is not being used properly by your body.  Insulin helps your body make glucose (sugar) which gives your cells and body energy.

There are Type 1 and Type 2 forms of diabetes.  Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where your body does not make insulin.  Type 2 is when your body has insulin resistance.

Private Home Health Care understands that this can be a difficult illness to live with and researchers are always looking for explanations on why it occurs and how to best manage treatments. 

Research is going on all the time and there are some interesting discoveries with possible great outcomes.

One doctor has discovered a potential explanation as to why Type 1 diabetes causes an attack on insulin-producing beta-cells.  This could lead to prevention or a new treatment.

Another doctor is looking at childhood obesity which leads to Type 2 diabetes.  Checking brain waves and how that affects how much children eat can help.

A patent for a novel molecule to monitor glucose levels is another innovation.  Research into this molecule has the potential to benefit people living with the disease.

New studies that are in real-life situation settings rather than clinical settings are helping to spur research on early interventions that can help with best outcomes.

Additionally, there is much more research happening and with time the hope is that diabetes can be prevented and better managed.  Keep the faith.

#diabetes

#privatehomehealthcare

Veteran’s Day

Today Private Home Health Care honors all of the veterans in our country.

War has horrific moments and is full of destruction and is never a good option but there have been times in our country’s history when our leaders have felt it was necessary.

For all of those who were drafted or who answered the call of duty we admire and appreciate your service.  It takes great courage to participate and we will never forget the sacrifices you made.

Thankfully, world wars have not happened in a long time.  Many of our veterans have passed away and there are few from World War too alive today.  

The Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War had different durations but the same men and women served our country.  

We celebrate and honor all of these men and women on this Veteran’s Day, those who have passed and those still living.

If you are able, take time to focus on our veterans.  Make a call to a veteran or pay them a visit.  Visit a cemetery and pay homage to the veterans there.  Check out your local Veterans office for other suggestions or events.

Private Home Health Care hopes that all of our veterans have a fulfilling day and our proud of their service.

#VeteransDay

#PrivateHomeHealthCare

World Radiography Day

Private Home Health Care is trying to imagine a world without x-rays.  Can you imagine that too?  We know that there are few of you who have never had this easy test. 

On this day we are thinking about a physicist from Wurzburg Germany who was the first person to accidentally learn about the process in a lab.

In 1895, Wilhelm Rontgen’s testing of cathode rays through glass led him to notice a glow coming from a chemically treated screen.  He coined the term X-ray because they were unknown.

Now of course his discovery took a lot of testing and studying before it was actually used on humans.  It wasn’t until 1897 that this important procedure was used in the Balkan War.  

Curiously, Mr. Rontgen received the first Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901 but he never created a patent.

Today, radiography is used in dental offices, doctor’s offices, urgent care and hospitals.  You and I know how beneficial an x-ray can be to a diagnosis.

We have learned with time that there are risks to too many x-rays so you need to be aware of having too many at one time.  Along with radiography there are other ways to make medical diagnoses.  

On this day we recognize the radiographers and radiologists who use this painless and quick process to help us.  We are grateful to Wilhelm Rontgen for his timely discovery.

Almonds and Chocolate

Today, Private Home Health Care would like to talk about a guilty pleasure that might not actually have too much guilt involved.

Bittersweet or Dark Chocolate and Almonds.  A delicious snack that can also help if you are craving a bit of sweetness.

Now you might say that you often find almonds in candy bars and with 40% of almonds being found there you would not be far from the truth.

Almonds give you great nutrients.  They supply you with fiber, protein, 14 grams of fat with 9 of those monounsaturated so good fat, Vitamin E, Manganese and Magnesium.  Not bad for a small nut.

Additionally, dark or bittersweet chocolate contain antioxidants that are a benefit.  The key is having these slightly different chocolates in moderation.

When you combine this chocolate and almonds you then get health benefits and then a bit of yumminess.  

For those of us who grew up over the last thirty years, many of us used to not worry too much about our intake of some foods, including sugar.  Now that there is much more information about the good, the bad and the ugly about some foods we pay more attention to what we eat.

If you add an increase in the cases of diabetes over the years, food becomes more of a focus and you definitely need to watch your sugar intake.  For some of you that can feel daunting.

Eating an almond in a bittersweet or dark chocolate can be a good thing, especially if you can find a combination that is low in sugar (and added sugar.)  Just remember the word “moderation.”

We would like to share one package that passes the test for us.  It is Trader Joe’s Slightly Coated Dark Chocolate Almonds.  The ingredient list is not long and they supply filber, a small amount of carbs, low sugar and protein.  A few can take care of your sweet tooth.

We should tell you that plain almonds are the best for you but if you need a little bit of a cheat, dark or bittersweet chocolate covered almonds could be your little not so guilty pleasure.

#privatehomehealthcare

Easy-Bake Ovens

Did any of you have an Easy-Bake Oven growing up?  If so then you should know that today is National Easy-Bake Oven day.

Private Home Health Care thinks it’s time for a bit of nostalgia.  

You might recall getting that shiny oven as a present as a child.  It was just the right size.   

Along with the oven you got powdered mixes to make small cakes or cookies.  There were small bowls for mixing and little tins that fit perfectly into the oven.

Your parents would need to help you plug it into the outlet for safety.  After that it was up to you to do the mixing and the extra heat from light bulbs to do the cooking.  

You’d need mitts of course to take the hot tins out of the oven and then it would be time to taste what you created.

Your memory could be like ours of a delicious treat to be enjoyed with a nice glass of milk.  Joy and pride were the feelings of the day. 

It was such fun that you couldn’t wait to do it again!

The Easy-Bake oven was such a great way to spend an afternoon as a child.  In 1963, it was so well received that during its first year it sold more than 500,000 ovens!

Today the Easy-Bake ovens look a bit different but they still come with mixes and tools for baking so if you have any children, we hope you let the baking fun begin!

Bon appetit!