Archive for the ‘diet’ Category
Monday, September 26th, 2011
Nesconset Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, a 240 bed skilled nursing facility in Smithtown, NY announces the addition of a courtesy van. Intended to promote resident trips, family visitation and other important psychosocial supports, the Van is another demonstration that Nesconset Nursing Center seeks to keep our residents integrated into the Community and fostering family visitation.
Nesconset Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation provides high quality skilled nursing services and rehabilitation (Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapies) to persons effected by a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, arthritis for both short term rehabilitation (sub-acute rehab) as well as for long term care stays. We accept medicaid, Medicare and a host of private insurances.
Posted in aging, Alzheimer's, Arthritis, cardio, cardiovascular, diet, health, knee & hip, nutrition, osteoporosis, rehab, seniors, stroke | Comments Off
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Make sure to join us at our upcoming “American Red Cross Family Care Giver Program. Always Best Care Senior Services (ABC) is an authorized provider of the American Red Cross Family Care Giver Program. Anthony D’Amico, Care Coordinator for ABC will be the Trainer.
Family Care-giving offers eight one-hour classes to help you provide the best care you can for your loved one and gain a better understanding of safety, nutrition, personal care, and legal and financial issues. The modular program lets you pick any session you want to attend. Normally, there is a nominal fee; however, NCNR will provide the series for FREE. We hope you will take this opportunity to attend these enlightening classes, and find camaraderie among others who share the same issues you may be facing. We must cap the classes at 50 participants; therefore, it is first come first serve. Please make sure you sign up for any program you are interested in. Please call the receptionist at 361-8800 if we have extreme weather conditions, to make sure your class isn’t cancelled. In addition, please call if you need to cancel, so the spot can be offered to an alternate participant.
Please feel free to contact Arline Behret, LMSW at (631) 361-8800 X218 / arlinbe@ncnrehab.com
| CALENDER OF CLASSES |
2nd Wednesday of the Month
6:30 PM (Second Floor Dining Room) |
|
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| January 12 2011 |
General Caregiving |
| February 09 2011 |
Home Safety |
| March 09 2011 |
Assisting with Personal Care |
| April 13 2011 |
Healthy Eating |
| May 11 2011 |
Positioning and Helping Your Loved One Move |
| June 08 2011 |
Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia |
| July 13 2011 |
Caring for the Caregiver |
| August 10 2011 |
Legal and Financial Issues |
Tags: Always Best Care Senior Services, Alzheimer’s disease, American Red Cross, American Red Cross Family Care Giver Program, and legal and financial issues, Anthony D’Amico, Arline Behret, Care Giver, dementia, NCNR, nutrition, personal care, safety
Posted in aging, Alzheimer's, diet, disease, health, nutrition, relationships | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
No curmudgeon here, but just one harried boomer, who’s watching life’s intrusions chip, chipping away…One upside of travel used to be the “turn off your mobile phones” announcement, and now, it appears one’s conscience gets no time – off from calorie counting. Regulators’ appetite for calorie counts is about to extend beyond restaurants to include airplanes, movie theaters and convenience stores. The government wants calorie listings posted to make it easier for consumers to select healthier options…and I just want to be left alone.
Sure, I watch what I eat – but I’ll do it on my time & my watch. Though initially appreciative of the health-care overhaul enacted in March that had restaurants post calories, resentment started creeping in on the very rare occasions I was about to succumb. One chocolate chip cookie with my Dunkin Donuts coffee would certainly not wreak havoc on this body… until, I espied the 600 plus calories affixed to that slot.
I know. An airplane is the last place you want their food offerings, but I wish Big Brother would keep its elbows out of my less than roomy aisle seat!
Health advocates say the change could be a powerful tool in fighting the obesity epidemic, a top initiative in Washington since first lady Michelle Obama made childhood obesity her signature cause in February.
Come to think of it…Michelle can stay away too!
Tags: calories, health-care, obesity
Posted in diet, exercise, fitness, health | Comments Off
Monday, May 17th, 2010
As we work with administrators to help navigate the world of Long Term Care it is hard not to be hyper-aware of our own mortality and the eventuality that we, too, are likely to reach a point where we will need some level of assistance in getting through the tasks of day-to-day living. This awareness, combined with our mission to be a resource for those who serve the aging, means that our antennae are up for any news related to maintaining our bodies and minds well into our twilight years!
A New York Times review of the new book The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain caught my eye a week or so ago, and the author, Barbara Straunch, had some interesting insights to share relative to what middle-aged brains are actually good at, and how to keep our brains functioning well into the future.
- Our brains are still growing and developing far into adulthood. Although we do have some compromises in short term memory (Where are my keys anyway? And what is your name?), the middle-aged brain is actually better in many ways than at any other point in our lives.
- Logic, creativity and social skills are all at a high point during those middle years. Although you might not remember the name of the person to whom you are speaking, you will be an excellent judge of his character.
- We do not, as previously thought, actually lose brain cells as we age.
- Exercise and diet recommendations that benefit your heart are also likely to benefit the health of your brain. Exercise in particular can actually help strengthen and grow your brain. So get out there and start moving!
- Although there are benefits to making your brain work hard, crossword puzzles and learning a foreign language hold no particular magic powers in terms of maintaining the health of your brain. Partaking in vigorous debates on subjects of interest can be just as helpful, so unless you just love the Sunday Times crossword puzzle, you can stop doing it!
- Meeting and engaging with people is healthy for your brain, and your mood!
It is so refreshing to hear that middle age is not necessarily the beginning of a slow slide into senility. Staying engaged and active in life, both in terms of intellectual pursuits and social involvement, seems to be key to keeping your gray matter from graying.
I am hopeful that by maintaining an active life filled with fulfilling relationships, creative pursuits and lively conversation, I can remain one less consumer of Long Term Care services in New York!
Tags: aging, brain, diet, exercise, health, research, seniors
Posted in aging, diet, exercise, fitness, lifestyle, nutrition, research, seniors | Comments Off
Saturday, May 1st, 2010
I am admittedly not the trendiest girl around. I don’t have designer shoes or a luxury car or get my hair blown out. Actually, where I live getting your hair blown out means you drove with a window open, but I don’t do that much either. The NYC crowd would have a field day with how un-cool I am with my suburban clothes and addiction to Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee. I am about as mainstream as they come, and for this I am generally unapologetic. It’s who I am and I’m OK with that.
Although un-hip, I am quite interested in doing things to keep myself and my family healthy. I try mightily to get my children to willingly eat vegetables. I don’t cook red meat. I choose fresh ingredients rather than food-in-a-box whenever possible. I am embarking on an experiment to be a vegetarian, and I recently gave up caffeine for a month. I am willing to try new things – within reason.
There was a recent article in the New York Times about the popularity of a fermented tea drink called kombucha. Apparently this tea can do all kinds of magical things like re-growing hair, calming digestive issues and curing hangovers. Those who drink it claim that it is quite delish. Sounds good, right? I’m in! I could be the first one in the suburbs to partake of this delightful elixir! How do I get it?
This is where things get a little hairy for me. Because kombucha is made by immersing a disk of bacteria into brewed tea and letting it sit, unrefrigerated, for up to two weeks.
A disk of bacteria.
In your tea.
On purpose.
I am so not down with that.
I understand the benefits of probiotics. I eat yogurt (from the refrigerator, thank you very much). But, I have to admit that I wouldn’t even drink the plain tea if it sat out for two weeks – and the introduction of the bacteria disk into the equation does nothing to improve the situation for me.
I suppose the nature of kombucha is essentially similar to beer. Fermented substances in a drink are not that uncommon. And yet, I can’t quite get my head around voluntarily introducing bacteria into a completely acceptable drink like tea. I guess I don’t brew my own beer either, although I do enjoy drinking it.
There are packaged versions of kombucha available, including one made by Red Bull. I am slightly more comfortable with the manufactured versions, mostly because I work under the assumption that beverage manufacturers are as terrified of being sued as I am of dying of kombucha poisoning.
I am a big sucker for slick marketing and putting anything, even something utterly disgusting, in a pretty bottle and giving it a fun name goes a long way to drawing my interest. If I actually went out and purchased a Carpe Diem Kombucha, it would be an ultimate marking success for them.
Ooooo…pretty bottle….fancy name…who cares what’s in it? I must have it!
I want to be cool and brave enough to jump on this bandwagon and give kombucha a try. But the reality is that it’s probably beyond my capabilities to be that cool and brave. And the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is working just fine for me, thanks!
Tags: diet, health, research
Posted in diet, fitness, health, lifestyle, nutrition, seniors, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Yup, there’s actually such a title. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted the growth of a new genre – upscale, more palatable cuisine now offered in healthcare facilities.
The typical hospital fare such as jello, soggy sandwiches and tasteless chow that we’re all familiar with, seems to be a thing of the past. Think Machaca Steak with Sauce and Curried Banana Pierogi. Hospitals are now competing with the likes of five-star hotels and restaurants by installing sushi stations, organic salad bars and pizza ovens.
The National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management recently launched an annual cooking competition. “We want to show the world that health-care food is so much different. It can be creative. It can dazzle,” said Betty Perez, a society board member and a hospital food administrator in New Jersey. “We have chefs that can compete with the best of them.”
However, hospital chefs must play by different rules than their glitzy restaurant counterparts. Their creative offerings must be in tune with doctors orders, as well as nutritionists and cost-sensitive food administrators.
600 calories, 20 grams of fat, and 1,000 milligrams of sodium were the max for each contest dish and the production cost per dish could not exceed $5.
So pass the Green Apple-Jicama Slaw and enjoy your stay.
Tags: Betty Perez, calories, chef, cooking competition, cuisine, fat, food administrator, healthcare facilities, hospital, hotels, National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management, nutritionist, organic salad bars, pizza ovens, restaurants, sodium, sushi stations, Wall Street Journal
Posted in diet, health, hospitals, nutrition, rehab, seniors | Comments Off
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Everyone knows that breakfast’s good for you. How good just became a little clearer. A team of British Researchers have pinpointed scientifically how your brain craves high calorie food when you skip your morning meal.
Utilizing MRI’s of the brain, they studied 20 healthy, thin people who went without breakfast that day. When those people were exposed to an array of food photos, both high and low fat, their brains become more active at the sight of the high-calorie options than when they saw low calorie foods. When this test was repeated on another day 90 minutes after they ate breakfast, there was no significant difference in their brain’s reaction to different caloric foods
Corresponding to the MRI findings, were ratings of appealing food pictures. After skipping breakfast, participants found calorie laden food choices to be much more tempting. After eating, however, the group did not show a strong preference for the high-calorie foods.
According to Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, a consultant endocrinologist with the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London, “Our results support the advice for eating a healthy breakfast as part of the dietary prevention and treatment of obesity, When people skip meals, especially breakfast, changes in brain activity in response to food may hinder weight loss and even promote weight gain.”
Tags: brain, breakfast, calories, Imperial College London, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, MRI, obesity, research, Tony Goldstone, weight
Posted in diet, health, lifestyle, nutrition, prevention, research | Comments Off
Monday, August 17th, 2009
At the recent Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, an eye opening study demonstrated that spouses who care for a mate suffering from dementia were more likely to develop the same condition, with husband caregivers at a much greater risk than wife caregivers.
Wives who cared for husbands with dementia were nearly four times more likely to develop dementia than wives of men who didn’t have dementia, while husband caregivers in the same circumstances were almost 12 times more likely to develop the disease.
So what exactly is it that causes the risk of developing Alzheimer’s to skyrocket? You can’t catch it, can you? Researchers think the root cause is the stress that comes along with these caregiving situations.
Ralph Nixon, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and Alzheimer’s disease expert at NYU and vice chairman of the Medical & Scientific Advisory Council at the Alzheimer’s Association feels that “the amount of stress involved in caring for a spouse with dementia is tremendous,and stress is a known risk factor for dementia.”
Healthy diet and exercise are key factors of good brain health, and both of these areas tend to falter when one is stressed out. It is critical that caregivers look after themselves properly, making sure to rest, to visit a doctor regularly and to maintain social ties.
Since men tend to rely on their wives to serve as the impetus for seeing the doctor and keeping up with friends and family, they are more apt than women caregivers to let these things slide when their spouse is cognitively impaired – thereby increasing their risk of high cholesterol, blood pressure and other conditions that can lead to dementia.
Tags: Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Association, blood pressure, caregiver, cholesterol, dementia, exercise, healthy diet, NYU, Ralph Nixon, risk factor, spouse, stress
Posted in aging, Alzheimer's, diet, exercise, health, lifestyle, prevention, relationships, research, seniors, stroke | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
By Donna Lampa
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology released a joint statement urging research to be done to determine the link between sleep apnea and heart disease, following increasing evidence of just such a connection, as well as the widespread prevalence of sleep apnea and rising levels of obesity in the United States, especially among young people. Obesity is a major cause of sleep apnea
“We feel it is important to alert the cardiovascular community to the implications of this emerging area of research. It is possible that diagnosing and treating sleep apnea may prove to be an important opportunity to advance our efforts at preventing and treating heart disease,” said Dr. Virend K. Somers, a professor of medicine and cardiovascular diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
“We need to more clearly define the cause and effect relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases and risk factors,” he noted. “There is evidence that sleep apnea may be a cause of some cases of high blood pressure, but for other cardiovascular conditions, the evidence is largely circumstantial.”
Tags: blood pressure, cardiology, heart, heart attack, heart disease, sleep apnea
Posted in cardio, diet, health | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
By Donna Lampa
About 50%-90% of people with asthma also suffer from a common form of indigestion – gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). No one had been able to unravel the mysterious link between these two conditions, but now new studies have shed some light on this relationship .
According to a recent study published by the European Journal of Clinical Investigation, the act of inhaling small amounts of stomach acid back up into the esophagus and lungs, a hallmark of GERD, slowly produces changes in the immune system that may lead to the development of asthma.
Although the rising cased of reflux may be causing increasing cases of asthma, the good news is that by modifying one’s lifestyle one can minimize gastric reflux thus reducing the risk of developing asthma.
You can avoid the risk factors of GERD by:
* Eating smaller meals
* Eating several hours before going to bed
* Raising the head of your bed a few inches
* Maintaining a healthy weight
* Limiting fatty foods, coffee, tea, caffeine, and alcohol because they can relax the esophageal sphincter and make reflux more likely.
Tags: asthma, diet, exercise, GERD, health, heart burn, indigestion
Posted in aging, diet, health | Comments Off