What is a superfood?
Superfoods are not a distinct food category on their own. Rather, this heroic-sounding name simply describes whole, minimally processed foods that are nutrient dense. Generally, superfoods contain healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other compounds found to promote good health and prevent illness and disease. While most are plant-based, certain fish and dairy products may also be considered superfoods. No single superfood provides all the nutrition older adults need. That’s why, if you’re caring for a loved one, you’ll want to encourage them to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods daily. Anti-aging superfoods include:
1) Dark leafy greens
2) Cruciferous vegetables
3) Blueberries
4) Nuts and seeds
5) Eggs
6) Salmon
7) Plain Greek yogurt
8) Avocados
Stuck on a problem
Being stuck means that you’re not able to finish or make progress in a task with your current knowledge, mental state or physical state. We usually grow when faced with challenges to:
1. Recognize you aren’t making progress, don’t understand or are truly frustrated.
2. Recognize you’ve just found an opportunity for growth.
3. Step away. Go for a walk. Breathe mindfully. Eat the right and get a good night’s sleep.
4. Do your research. Google it. It’s likely been solved before.
5. Ask for help
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is the creation of a personal plan for your health care journey. It helps you express your wishes, what is important to you. Your plan lets others know what you’d like to happen if you are unable to speak It’s easy to make and share your plan using free mini planning guides and videos from advancecareplanning.ca
Diabetes and eye health
Associated with several eye conditions, like retinopathy, diabetes can lead to vision loss. New evidence also shows that untreated vision loss is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The good news: prevention or slowed progress can be achieved with consistent blood sugar management.
Source: McMaster Optimal Aging Portal
Top 5 Caregiver Do’s and Don’ts
Caregiving for someone with arthritis can be a significant life change for many people, including the person receiving care. The Arthritis Society connected with individuals who provide or receive care for arthritis, and based on their input, produced the following Do’s and Don’ts of caregiving.
Don’t make assumptions. Try open conversations about what their needs are, and how they would like to receive your help, if at all.
Do ask. It’s important to ask how you can be helpful and what might be needed. It’s also important to request permission before touching or moving an assistive device, or before helping with more personal tasks, such as bathing.
Don’t expect every day to be the same. You, or the person you care for may have an off day, or something you had planned might change last minute. Consider planning for the unexpected and try to maintain flexibility in your care. Patience and empathy are key aspects of caregiving.
Do go with the flow. Since we can’t predict the future try to make the most of the moment you are in. If the moment is difficult, it will pass. If you’re in a moment of enjoyment, savour it, and remember these moments the next time you have one that doesn’t feel quite as nice.
Don’t get to the point of burnout. Burnout can happen very quickly, or it can be something that accumulates over a long period of time. The signs of burnout are not always noticeable right away, and this makes it easy for things to get worse quickly. It is important to practice self-care and to have an outlet for your stress that is separate from the person for whom you provide care.
Don’t forget your medications
These good tips will help you to remember to take your medication prescribed.
• Place your medication where you can see it
• Use a pill organizer
• Request blister packs from the pharmacy
• Take meds at the same time every day
• Put an alert on your watch, cellphone or computer.
Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation
Bone basics
We are born with 350 bones in our skeleton. Over the course of time and during our aging process, our bones fuse together leaving us with 206 bones as adults.
Source: Seniorly
7 reasons to stay silent
• Be silent in the heat of anger
• Be silent when you feel too emotional
• Be silent if you silence can save bonds
• Be silent if you don’t know the full story
• Be silent if your words can offend a person
• Be silent if your words can destroy a friendship
• Be silent if you can’t talk without yelling
Source: Stoic Nomad
Images: CanStock.
