National Cooking Day

Today is National Cooking Day! At Private Home Care, we love to cook! We have a passion for nutrition and leading a full, vibrant life. Cooking at home is essential for maintaining a healthy diet. The good news is that cooking is easier than people think. It can drastically improve your health and is more fun and cheaper than eating out. And no matter your ability, anyone can learn to do it.

When cooking at home, you can have an impact on the physical, emotional, and even spiritual well being on yourself as well as your loved ones.

There are so many benefits of cooking at home! For one, it is much, much healthier on average to cook and eat at home than it is to dine out at a restaurant. Studies suggest that people who cook more often, rather than get take-out, have an overall healthier diet. These studies also show that restaurant meals typically contain higher amounts of sodium, saturated fat, total fat, and overall calories than home-cooked meals. Portions for restaurant dishes are also larger than what you should consume, so also in that way you consume more calories when eating out.

The more you cook, the healthier you live. As we know at Private Home Care, the healthier you live, the healthier your brain is! People who frequently cook dinner at home consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to a study of more than 9,000 people published online Nov. 14, 2014, by Public Health Nutrition.

The findings also suggest that those who frequently cook at home—six to seven nights a week—also consume fewer calories on the occasions when they eat out. Households who cooked at home about three times per week showed a score of about 67 on the Healthy Eating Index. Those who cooked at home about six times per week had a score of about 74.
A study found that adults who cooked dinner at home only once a week consumed 2,300 calories per day on average, which included 84 grams of fat and 135 grams of sugar. In comparison, regular at-home cooks ate 150 fewer calories per day and consumed only 81 grams of fat and 119 grams of sugar.

Cooking is educational and fun! When you’re making a meal from scratch, you get to discover and experiment with different ingredients, seasonings, and cuisines. No two dishes are quite the same when you make them. Using a recipe can start as the foundation, and then you can be creative and make it truly your own. Everyone has a different style, and you can find yours! Nothing is more satisfying than eating a delicious meal that you worked hard to prepare!

It is social! Cooking with friends and family is a great opportunity to reconnect from our hectic lives. Working together with your loved ones to create something tasty is a team effort that makes great memories.

Cooking helps with working memory! Whenever you learn anything, it sharpens your brain and memory. When cooking, you are certainly always learning – whether it be a new recipe, technique, or combination, you are building skills! Smells and tastes are also very closely tied with emotional and long term memory. When you smell the scent of chocolate cake (yum!), it can remind you of your grandmother when she used to bake chocolate cake. Or it can put you in a good mood because that is one of your favorite smells!

Cooking saves money. While you do initially have to buy ingredients and stock your pantry, you can cook at home for much cheaper than dining at a restaurant. After a while, eating out adds up!

More nutritionally dense. When you cook at home, you choose exactly where your food comes from, and you know everything that is in it. At Private Home Care we are big fans of farmers markets because the food is seasonal and more nutritionally dense. By cooking yourself, you can opt to buy organic produce and humanely raised animal products, which is much better for your health as well as the planet’s.

National Cooking Day encourages and inspires each of us to discover something new and enjoyable in the kitchen. It’s a time to learn a new skill by preparing something delicious for loved ones — and ourselves. So put on your aprons and let’s get cooking!

Health Benefits of Lobster

National Lobster Day on September 25th takes a taste of a seafood favorite. Here is New England, we get to enjoy fresh lobster and celebrate our heritage with this food. Lobster has some impressive nutritional benefits.

Lobster is low in saturated fat. Although it is relatively higher in cholesterol, along with other shellfish, lobster is no longer demonized as a cholesterol-raising food. This is because researchers have found that dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol levels in most people, so the amount in lobster shouldn’t be a concern. Lobster also does not naturally have any carbs or sugar. However, it has no fiber either. That means that it is a good idea to pair a high-fiber food like broccoli when you are eating lobster.

Lobster is largely composed of lean protein. One cup of lobster provides nearly 28 grams. Like other shellfish, lobster provides all of the essential amino acids. Lean protein is important for those with weight loss goals because consuming this kind of food helps you build muscle and lose fat. Also, 1 cup of cooked lobster meat only has 1.3 grams of fat, the majority of which come from polyunsaturated fats. There is also some monounsaturated and saturated fat in lobster. Lobster is a good source of essential omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are important for good health, especially for brain help because they are a special kind of fat that your body cannot produce. The brain needs omega-3’s stay in top shape.

Lobster contains beneficial vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, choline, and vitamin E. Lobster has high amounts of copper – 178% of the recommended daily value. In the body, small amounts of copper are required to maintain optimum health because they help form red blood cells, bone, connective tissue and some important enzymes.

You should note that because lobster is a marine animal, it can be very high in sodium. Just one cup of lobster provides 705 milligrams of sodium, which is nearly 31% of the recommended daily limit. Try pairing with low-sodium foods like whole grain rice and tons of crisp veggies. As with consuming anything that is high sodium, make sure to drink plenty of water!

Lobster itself is healthy, but sometimes the way it is prepared makes it an unhealthy choice. For instance, many people like to dip lobster in butter and add salt. Lobster rolls are also covered in butter or mayo, and used in bisques, mac n cheese – you get the idea. A great way to eat lobster is grilled or steamed with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Did you know?! Despite its desirable reputation today, lobster was not always known as a pricey indulgence. In the 17th century, colonists in Massachusetts considered lobster shells in a home to be a sign of poverty and only fed lobster to their servants. In the 1940s, it was possible to buy a can of baked beans for 53 cents per pound and canned lobster for 11 cents per pound.

Lobster is now seen as a delicacy, in part because of the discovery that cooking the lobster live made it more appetizing, as opposed to killing it first and cooking it later.

National Fall Prevention Awareness Day

Today, September 22cnd, is National Fall Prevention Awareness Day. At Private Home Care, raising awareness about falls and preventing them is a top priority. For the elderly, falling can lead to serious injury and even death. It is the leading cause of ER visits for older adults and the elderly. Unfortunately, falling is not an uncommon occurrence, with 30% of adults over the age of 65 experiencing a serious fall once a year, and 50% for seniors over the age of 80.

Private Home Care provides highly skilled in-home fall risk assessments. Our company President, Mary Demakes R.N. is a trained expert at fall prevention and educates the community about this serious public health issue. We are passionate about enabling elders to live the highest quality of life and allowing them to age safely in place. In doing so, we must raise awareness about fall prevention to protect seniors and support healthy, independent aging at home.

After the age of 65, the natural process of aging dulls the body’s vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and coordinated movement. It happens gradually, so many aging adults do not realize that their balance may not be what it once was. They continue to do activities they have done their whole life that require vestibular support, like carrying a box up the stairs, until a fall happens. There are other factors that contribute to risk of falling, including environmental (example: low lighting), and medications. Some medications cause dizziness or lightheadedness and increase the likelihood of falls. Most seniors have a fear of falling, which consequently may make falling more likely. This is because when we have a fear of something, our body tenses up and may not properly balance itself, leading to a fall. Over 50% of falls result in hip fractures of head trauma, and about 40% of seniors are admitted to nursing homes facilities after a fall.

The good news is that there is much to be done to prevent a fall. If you have a loved one who is at risk for a fall, we would like to offer our expert caregiving services to ensure their health and happiness, as well as an in home assessment. A proven method to prevent falls is with exercise. Building up the body’s strength and balance through exercise and activity helps reduce the chance of falls or extent of injury. Activities like tai-chi, water aerobics, stretching classes, yoga, and walking, mild weight-bearing exercise are all great, low impact ways to strengthen the body. Almost half of seniors who have experienced a fall cannot get up after, and conditioning the body is also helpful for recovery and increases the likelihood that the person will be able to get up.

Tips to prevent falls at home:

-All rooms should be well-lit. (add brighter bulbs, night-lights)

-Clear all pathways from clutter (remove loose rugs, trash, etc.)

-Arrange furniture to ensure all pathways are clear.

-Stairs should be well-lit, clear of objects, have handrails on both sides, have secured rungs, or other slip prevention in place)

On National Fall Prevention Awareness Day, we observe this day by informing everyone about this very serious public health issue. If there are any concerns for potential falls, we encourage you to reach out to Private Home for a fall assessment and an overview of caregiving services to keep your loved ones safe, healthy, and happy while aging independently at home.

How to Live to be 100

Unfortunately, living to be 100 is not very common in the US – it is estimated that only about 1 in 5,000 people live to be 100. Scientists have found that the biological life capacity for human bodies is about 90 years, but like expectancy in the US is about 78. However, the good news is that only about 20% of longevity is determined by genes, and the rest is determined by lifestyle.

There are several notable populations in the world where living to be 100 is not out of the norm. Sardinia, Italy and Okinowa, Japan boast some of the world’s largest populations of centenarians. Both places over 5 times more centenarians than in the US, and have just a fraction of the rate of chronic diseases. Researchers have found several key elements that contribute to living to be 100.

-No dieting! Yes, you heard right. There is no specific ‘longevity diet’ that is going to help you live to 100. Rather, you should eat a mainly plant based diet, full of vegetables and fruits, and with minimal red meat and processed foods. On the island of Sardinia, people ate plenty of oily fish and grass fed cheese rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat durum flatbread, and drink a special kind of wine (a glass a day!) which contains three times the amount of antioxidants of regular wine. In Okinawa, people also ate plenty of fish, as well as vegetables, fermented foods like tofu and miso.

-It is also how you eat, and not overeating. The culture in Okinawa sticks to the 80/20 rule. This means that you eat slowly and stop eating when you are 80% full, because it takes about 30 minutes for the message that you are full to go from your belly to your brain. They also plate food before they eat it to avoid overeating, instead of eating family style where the dishes are sitting on the table and you can eat mindlessly.

-Less ‘exercise’. While it sounds (very) counterintuitive, centenarians did not exercise the way that we think of it. Instead they incorporate physical activity into the fabric of daily life. Walking or biking to the store, doing yard work and going on regular nature walks contribute to longevity.

-Social constructs – the cultures in these places value old age. The older the member of the community, the more equity they have because they are understood as pillars of wisdom and experience.

-Close, meaningful relationships – In Sardinia, people live in multigenerational homes, which researchers say can add an extra 4-10 years of life. In Japan, people have at least 6 close friends as adults, which helps them get through the highs and lows of life.
-The right outlook – people who love to be 100 tend to be more positive and optimistic. They experience ‘downshift’, which means they do not let life’s little stressors get to them. Also, they do not get hurried, which adds years to life because when are you stressed or in a rush, it triggers inflationary stress response, which is associated with chronic disease.

-A sense of purpose – This is worth an extra 7 years of life expectancy. People who live longest have a sense of purpose, and wake up every day pursuing that purpose. There are many benefits to having a lifelong sense of purpose, including helping keep people active and improved mental health. In fact, they say 2 most dangerous years of your life are the year you are born (due to infant mortality) and the year you retire. This is because when you retire, you may lose your sense of purpose, which negatively impacts your health. It can set the tone for the rest of your life.

When it comes to longevity and living to 100, there is no short term fix, but rather lifelong lifestyle habits. Private Home Care invites you to celebrate National Centenarian Day today and honor those who have lived to 100+!

Preventing Alzheimer’s and Dementia with a Healthy Lifestyle

A central mission at Private Home Care is providing education about how to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s through a healthy lifestyle, the pillars of which are a nutritious diet and exercise. Our company President, Mary Demakes R.N., is an expert in both nutrition and brain health. Research has proven time and again that eating a Mediterranean style diet has incredible brain health benefits and helps reduce the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Eating certain foods (and avoiding others) has been shown to slow brain aging by 3-7.5 years, and reduce the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, potatoes, nuts, olive oil and fish. Processed foods, fried and fast foods, snack foods, red meat, poultry and whole-fat dairy foods are infrequently eaten on the Mediterranean diet. Recently, nutrition and brain health experts have developed the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). This is a combination of two diets that have well-known health benefits — Mediterranean and DASH. It’s designed to prevent or slow brain decline. Early studies show that it lowers risk of Alzheimer’s by 53% in those who follow it closely and by 35% in those who follow more loosely.

The MIND diet is a version of the Mediterranean diet that includes 15 types of foods. Ten are considered “brain-healthy:” green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, olive oil, and wine. Five are considered unhealthy: red meat, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries, sweets and fried/fast foods.

Many experts suggest the diet can prevent diseases ranging from heart attack to stroke. Eating this way has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, protect against various kinds of cell damage, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels. Not only does the MIND diet benefit the brain, but it benefits the entire body.

What is good for the body is good for the brain, and vice versa. Exercise has proven to be fundamental for brain health as well. When you exercise, you are using different parts of your brain together, as well as are stimulating your entire body. Exercising also releases feel-good chemicals, and good mood is linked to healthy aging and brain maintenance. Studies have shown that even just a 20 minute walk three times a week can be a sufficient amount of exercise for heart and brain health. When regular exercise and proper nutrition are combined, they are powerful preventative tools in preventing and delaying the onset and progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

How Diet Impacts Alzheimer’s and Dementia

In honor of World Alzheimer’s Day, let’s explore the brain mechanisms behind cognitive impairment and decline. Once we understand what is occurring in the brain, then we know how to prevent and combat Alzheimer’s and dementia.

A healthy diet and lifestyle is key for maintaining brain health. Decades of research confirm that what we eat and our eating habits directly influences brain function. But how is it that a healthy diet can help prevent brain and memory illnesses? It starts on a cellular level. Everything that we consume impacts our bodies as it breaks down to fuel our systems. Food intake influences brain chemistry and neural function. The human brain is more complex than the most advanced computer, and it requires nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals, and caloric energy. When the brain does not receive those important forms of nourishment, it will not function at its best. If this goes on for a long period of time, then the brain is susceptible to developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. This occurs when neuron brain cells do not transmit ‘messages’ (electric currents) properly, or sometimes they stop altogether. What happens is that the ends of neurons become tangled, which inhibit communication between the cells and causes the brain to shrink. Other factors that contribute to cognitive decline are lack of blood to the brain and oxidative stress to the cells.

So when the proper nutrients, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and calories are provided, the brain cells can do their job best. When we eat a healthy diet, all of the systems in our bodies work better, including the vascular system, which helps pump blood to and within the brain.

Eating foods that are high in antioxidants helps reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is essentially the aging process. Your body constantly reacts with oxygen as you breathe and your cells produce energy. As a consequence of this activity, highly reactive molecules (free radicals) are produced. Free radicals are toxins that damage our cell membranes, and lead to inflammation. Inflammation in the brain means that plaque material builds up and makes it difficult for neurons to communicate.

What should you avoid? Inflammatory diet patterns that are high in sugar, refined carbs, unhealthy fats and processed foods can contribute to impaired memory and learning, as well as increase your risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Foods to avoid include sugary drinks like soda, processed cheese like American cheese or cheez whiz, aspartame, processed meats including deli meats and bacon, microwave popcorn, and fast food.

Alcohol can cause massive damage to the brain when consumed in large quantities. (But, if alcohol is drunk in moderation – like a glass of red wine a few times a week, it can be beneficial for health) Also, mercury found in seafood can be neurotoxic and permanently damage developing brains.

World Alzheimer’s Day

Today, September 21st, is World Alzheimer’s Day. World Alzheimer’s Day is an international campaign to raise awareness and highlight issues faced by people affected by dementia. It is an opportunity for people and organizations to demonstrate how we can overcome these issues and help people live well with dementia.

Private Home Care is passionate about combatting Alzheimer’s and dementia. We are committed to providing the best caregiving for those with the disease, cultivating awareness about the condition and prevention efforts, supporting loved ones affected, and helping to work towards finding a cure.

Dance for Your Health!

Dancing is wonderful, and age does not have to slow anyone down – people can enjoy dancing their whole lives! In fact, dancing is very beneficial for seniors! Here are some reasons why we love dancing at Private Home Care:

Improving Strength, Mobility, and Balance

Many older adults have balance and mobility issues, which can lead to feelings of instability and increased risk of injury for falls. As we know, falls can be very dangerous for seniors, but luckily dancing can help reduce the risk or even help avoid falls! This can also have the bigger effect of compromising independent living. Several types of dance can help improve mobility, flexibility, and balance, while strengthening the muscles. By helping support and strengthen the way the body moves and functions, people are able to age in place safely and live a high quality life.

Good for Heart and Cardiovascular Health

All doctors recommend regular cardiovascular exercise as an essential practice for maintaining good heart health and preventing cardiovascular disease. Even though you may not realize it because you are having so much fun, you can get the same cardiovascular benefits from dance as they would through traditional cardio exercises like walking or cycling! Another great thing about dancing as exercise is that it can be done basically anywhere, with no special equipment or particular location needed. Dancing is available to those who may be physically limited – chair dancing is just as fun! All you need is some music, knowledge of the steps, and the will to practice. (And sometimes you don’t need knowledge of the steps, you can just ‘wing it’ and move however makes you feel good!) Regularly practicing dance can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, maintain a healthy body weight, and protect the heart from cardiovascular problems.

Reduces Muscle Pain and Joint Stiffness

A high percentage of seniors suffer from chronic inflammation that often results in joint and muscle stiffness. In addition, knee and hip issues are highly prevalent. Promising research into relieving chronic joint and muscle pain showed that low impact dancing routines can actually offer comfort as well as improved mobility! One study showed that after 12-weeks of a low intensity dance program, the participants with an average age of 80, reported being able to reduce the amount of pain medication they were taking for their stiff joints and muscles. They were also able to move around more freely and easily, helping to maintain an independent lifestyle. This goes to show the power of dance and how it can improve lives: dancing can help older adults stay living in their home for longer as well as reduce the amount of pain medication needed. Instead of pills, put on your dancing shoes!

Socialization

Dancing is a fun and social activity! Whatever style dance you choose – swing, latin, square dancing, or zoomba, it is tremendous fun to dance with others and meet new friends! Loneliness and isolation are a major issue for seniors, and can lead to health issues as well as a lower quality of life. However, when you socialize and connect with others, it is beneficial for your mental, emotional and even physical health! It has been proven that those who are most socially active and maintain meaningful relationships throughout their lives and in old age do end up living longer! Age does not have to be a factor for dancing as long as you practice and are doing it from the heart. (If truth must be told – some of our younger caregivers and staff have had seniors dance circles around them in dance classes!)

Minimizes Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

All exercise helps Dancing has been found to have a positive effect on mood! A study in Australia showed that older adults battling anxiety and depression, improved their mood levels and experienced a reduction in stress through dancing. Just a two-week program involving tango lessons showed significant improvements, due to the social and physical benefits of the activity. When you practice and improve at dancing, it can also give you more confidence!

The potential health benefits of routine dancing for seniors are tremendous. The physical, social, and mental aspects make dance one of the best overall health practices for seniors to boost independence, mobility, balance, mood, and overall wellness.

Defends Against Dementia

When compared to other leisure activities like playing golf, doing crosswords, reading and cycling, dancing appears to offer the best chance of helping stave off dementia. According to a 21-year study led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, aging adults who danced regularly had a 76 percent reduced risk for developing dementia. Experts theorize that dancing is beneficial for our brains because it combines cardiovascular exercise with split-second decision making that taxes our neural network, forcing it to create new pathways.

What is special about dancing is that it is a universal form of exercise and recreation as well. Every culture or country has their own type of dance, and engaging in that is a way of celebrating that! Seniors with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, dementia, cancer, arthritis, asthma and heart disease can all participate. Research into using dance as a therapy for each of these ailments has unearthed a host of advantages and very few risks. However, it’s always important to clear any exercises with a doctor before beginning a new regime, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.