National Trail Mix Day

It is National Trail Mix Day! Trail mix is a combination of dried fruit, grains, nuts, and sometimes chocolate, developed as a snack food to be taken along on outdoor hikes. It can be considered an ideal snack because it is tasty, lightweight, easy to store, and nutritious, providing a quick boost from the carbohydrates in the dried fruit and/or granola, and sustained energy from the mono- and polyunsaturated fats in nuts.

Two California surfers claim the creation of trail mix. In 1968, they blended peanuts and raisins for an energy snack. However, in the 1958 novel The Dharma Bums written by Jack Kerouac, the two main characters mention trail mix when planning meals for their hiking trip. Trail mix is not just for hikes! It is a super snack to help you get through your day. A handful of good, nutritious trail mix can help you power through the rest of your workday during an afternoon slump. Trail mix is also a great go-to portable snack to stash in the car, and it does not spoil easily because most of the ingredients are dried. The mix of hearty superfoods (nuts and seeds!) usually found in trail mix also help to keep your blood sugar stable.

Health Benefits of Going to the Beach!

Private Home Care loves to enjoy the beach any time of year – going for a walk on the beach in fair weather, collecting shells, or even just driving to the beach and watching the waves while sitting in your car are year-round ways that you can enjoy the coast.

There are health benefits of going to the beach!

Stress Relief – Nothing is more relaxing than taking in a beautiful beach view! Listening to the sound of the waves is also very calming both because of the rhythmic sounds and our brain’s association with it as a non-threatening environment. Watching a beautiful beach sunset or sunrise is particularly helpful for stress relief! Being in an environment that promotes stress relief helps to lower blood pressure, as well as improve mood and overall well being.

Vitamin D – Spending just 10 minutes at the beach can help you get the recommended daily value of Vitamin D for the day! Vitamin D is an important nutrient but is difficult to get a sufficient amount through your diet, so it is important to get a little sunshine at a great place like the beach! Vitamin D promotes stronger bones, healthier teeth, and helping your immune system function properly. It is important to remember that a little bit of sunshine can go a long way. Always practice beach sun safety, even in cold weather!

Improves sleep – The sea air is stocked with healthy negative ions, which accelerate our ability to absorb oxygen. This effect, in addition to the relaxing qualities of the beach, leads to better sleeps!

Heals wounds – The saltwater of the ocean has antibacterial properties and helps to clean cuts and help them heal faster! It may sting at first going into the salt ocean with an open cut, but it’s worth it because it will heal better!

National Beach Day

National Beach Day on August 30th celebrates all the sandy beaches across the nation. Private Home Care has served the North Shore for years, and we have a special place in our hearts for the beach! National Beach Day also provides an opportunity to help keep those relaxing places clean, so we can continue to enjoy them long into the future.

Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day, celebrated every August 26, commemorates the passage of women’s suffrage in the U.S. and reminds us of the hurdles overcome by the heroic women who faced violence and discrimination to propel the women’s movement forward.The right to vote, the cornerstone of democracy, belongs to all citizens — but this wasn’t always the case. Until recently, most countries denied voting rights to half of their population: women. To claim their voice, women began agitating for the right to vote in the early 19th century. In the U.S., decisions about who could vote were left up to the states. The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, ensures voting rights for everyone regardless of gender. Women’s Equality Day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights activists and reminds us of the unique daily struggles that women face.

To observe National Women’s Equality Day, Private Home Health Care encourages you to learn more about the brave women of the suffrage movement who fought for women’s right to vote.

Oysters are a Nutritional Powerhouse!

At Private Home Health Care, we love oysters because they are highly nutritious and are a classic coastal New England delight!

Oysters contain many nutrients, such as:

-‘Good’ fat: Oysters are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is beneficial in many ways: it can lower cardiovascular mortality risk, can benefit brain health, has anti inflammatory properties, which decreases risk of chronic disease, as well as reduce symptoms of high blood pressure.

-Protein: Not just the amount, but the type of protein you eat matters! Oysters oysters offer seven grams of protein for only 68 calories, which rivals lean red meat for protein density. And unlike lean red meat, oysters contain a high amount of omega-3, which means they offer a high amount of quality protein.

-Zinc: Zinc plays an important role in your body – it helps promote immunity, protein and DNA synthesis, as well as general growth and development. In fact, oysters are the world’s best dietary source of the mineral!

-Vitamin D: Among its many functions, vitamin D promotes bone health and modulates cells, immune function, and inflammation. Also, it even has anti-cancer properties. Sunshine is the single best source of vitamin D, but we can also get it from our diet, and oysters are one of the best sources.

-Vitamin B12: This is important for maintaining healthy blood cells and nerves, and it plays an essential role in DNA synthesis. When people think of vitamin B12, red meat usually comes to mind. However, oysters offer far more of this nutrient than any typical meat!

Oysters are indeed delicious, but you have to be careful when eating them raw. A bad oyster can make you feel ill or lead to food poisoning. However, you can still enjoy oysters if you prefer not to eat them raw! Oysters can be grilled, steamed, or fried. Steaming oysters is the healthiest option, and keeps the original flavors most intact!

Now we know just how good oysters are for you, time to start slurping!

National Coloring Book Day

National Coloring book day

Today, August 2cnd, is National Coloring Book Day! Once thought of an activity for children, coloring books are now becoming popular with adults, especially seniors. Not only is coloring a fun activity, but there are also many health benefits! These include:

-Relaxing the brain by minimizing the amount of thoughts running through your head.

-Reducing anxiety and stress by engaging in a grounding and calming activity, which takes your mind off of any issues at hand.

-Develops focus because coloring fosters direct attention to the task at hand. Because your immediate focus is on the picture, your mind becomes centered. Practicing focus is very good exercise for the brain, which helps with brain health and healthy aging. 

-Increases creativity because it is an artistic activity. Creativity is excellent for seniors because it can serve as an emotional outlet and a way for seniors to express themselves.
-Enhances motor skills due to the hand-eye coordination needed to color. The precision required will help reinforce and improve very basic motor skills that begin to fade as we age.