Monday 25 February 2013
Quick Tip
Make a binder of your favorite take-out menus using transparent binder pockets. That way they are all in one place and are easy to access.
Quick Tip
Bring a notebook or piece of paper to doctors appointments so that you can write down instructions or any questions you may have. A bit of paper will also allow you to play tic-tac-toe while waiting for your appointment.
Sunday 24 February 2013
When the Tax Man Cometh
Some Tax and Other Benefits You May Not Have Known About
Being a caregiver or having a disability can be expensive so getting a break on your taxes can be a real boon. Since tax time is almost upon us I figured I'd look into what tax and other benefits my husband and I might be eligible for. Here's a list of some tax and other benefits that you may not have known about and click on the links for more information. Now, I'm not a financial or tax professional so be sure to speak to your advisor to see what else you or your loved one may be eligible for.Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits. This is for people who have to take time off from work to provide care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death. You may also be eligible if you are self-employed. You can find more information at
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/compassionate.shtml.
Caregivers and Tax This site summarizes four key tax credits that you may be eligible for such as the Amount for an eligible dependant, Amount for infirm dependants age 18 or older, Caregiver amount and Family Caregiver Amount.
Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit This is a permanent, refundable personal income tax credit for seniors and family members who live with them to help with the costs of improving safety and accessibility in the home. You basically get 15 % back on claims up to $10,000 worth of eligible renovations on your taxes.
Ontario Senior Homeowners Property Tax Grant Gives you up to $500 to help with your property taxes.
Here in Ontario there is the Trillium Drug Program which helps with high prescription drug costs relative to household income.
Disability Tax Credit. People with one of nine long-term disabilities can collect as much as $1,100.00 a year - more if they seek retroactive credits. Anyone who has problems with seeing; speaking, hearing, walking, bowel or bladder functions, feeding, dressing or performing mental functions necessary for everyday life may be eligible for the credit. Search for form T2201.
Children's Activity Tax Credit If you are paying fees for classes or activities for your children you can claim up to $526 in eligible expenses and get up to $52.60 back for each child under 16 for 2012. You can receive up to $105.20 back for a child with a disability who is under 18.
If you are temporarily looking after a child who is in financial need and you are not the legal guardian you may be able get money to care for them though the Temporary Care Assistance Program.
This list is by no means comprehensive so check out your Provincial Government and the Federal Government's web sites for more benefits and tax credits that you may be eligible for and talk to your tax or financial advisor.
Saturday 23 February 2013
The Health Benefits Of Yoga (Infographic)
Yoga is a wonderful practice for anyone from moms and tots to stroke survivors but it is really useful for caregivers. Recent studies are showing that yoga increases GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels in the brain which promotes a decrease in depression and anxiety, reduces levels and frequency of episodes if atrial fibrillation, improves quality of life, eases chronic pain and more.
Getting out to a yoga class can be difficult as a caregiver ( I know all too well ) but there are alternatives. Here in Toronto at 5 am there's a TV show on PBS Buffalo called Wai Lana Yoga that I record and do some of the poses in my living room when I get the chance. She's more for the advanced student but I modify the poses to what I can do. Check out different TV channels near you, there may be a show that you like and can do. You can also get yoga DVD's and books free from the library. If you're thinking that going to classes is going to be to expensive, some studios have a classes that are taught by a student teacher and are usually about half price or a karma class where the price if the class is lower and the money goes to a charity.
Try to add yoga to your day for your Body, Mind and Soul.
Friday 22 February 2013
Thursday 21 February 2013
How to do an Aromatherapy Shower
How to Do It
After you have hopped into your hot shower (you need the steam), put the plug into the drain and put 3-8 drops of your essential oil(s) into the shower through the running water from above. Enjoy the steam for about 2 minutes or until you can't smell the essential oils anymore. Pull plug etc. You can do this either at the beginning or end of your shower.
Why this works (In a nutshell)
There are three ways that essential oils get into the body to affect it: The nose, the skin and the lungs. Essential oil molecules tend to be very small and are easily absorbed through the skin into the body where they have a therapeutic effect on different body systems. These molecules, being so small, are also easily aerosolized in steam so when you inhale they enter the lungs and thus into the body. In the nose, essential oils affect the limbic system, a part of the brain that affects emotions and physiologic responses such as blood pressure and heart rate.
So here you are standing in about 2 inches of water (skin), inhaling the steam (lungs, nose) enjoying the scents (nose) of the essential oils.
Some Suggested Blends
- 3 drops Eucalyptus and 5 Grapefruit: Great in the morning to perk up, clear the lungs and make the day seem more cheerful.
- 4 drops Eucalyptus and 4 Peppermint: Smells like Vicks Vapor Rub, great for colds and bronchitis.
- 2 drops Clary Sage, 3 drops Lavender and 3 drops Bergamot: Good for before bed and want a good night's sleep after having a bad day.
- 3 drops Rosemary, 2 drops Peppermint and 3 drops Lemon: Good for cold season and when you need to be alert, gets the mind going.
General Safety Tips
Never use essential oils undiluted on the skin. Always dilute essential oils.
Consult a qualified aromatherapist if you are pregnant or have a complex medical condition.
Use extreme caution when using essential oils on small children and use the safest and most gentle oils in the lowest dilutions.
If in doubt, consult a qualified aromatherapist.
Quick Caregiving Tip
Wednesday 20 February 2013
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Some Low Sodium Supermarket Options Updated
Nutrition and sodium levels in food are a concern for anyone but particularly when you are ill or caring for someone with special dietary needs. With chemotherapy, my Mom's tastes changed - she wanted nothing that was too salty or sweet and currently my husband is on a low sodium-diabetic diet.
This makes life interesting when going shopping at the supermarket.
According to Health Canada, you're to look for foods with less than 360 mg of sodium in a serving or 15% of the Daily Value and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency states that foods containing 140 mg or less may be labeled as low sodium. Some of the words to look for are "No Salt Added", "Sodium Reduced", "Low in Sodium" and "Salt Free"
Make sure to read the nutrition labels because sometimes when they cut the salt they add sugar.
I have found these products in NoFrills, FreshCo, Loblaws, Grocery Gateway, and Metro but unfortunately not all in the same place.
I'll be updating this list periodically when I find new things that are low sodium so check back every so often.
Breads
There was a press release in February of 2012 by the CDC on hidden sources of salt in foods and bread was near the top of the list. I had figured this out a couple of years previous while trying to find a type of bread that was low in salt for Mom.
Some good brands are Rudolph's Bakery, some of Dimpflmeier Bakery's and apparently there is a new line of breads by Dempster's called Healthy Way that has 110 mg of sodium per slice. Dempster's also has a sodium counter on their site.( I've not seen the Dempster's in my stores yet but hopefully soon.) I had also found a bread that had about 95 mg of salt per slice but I've forgotten the brand . I'll let you know what it was when I find it again.
Update: The bread that has 95 mg of sodium per slice is the Rigsky Bread from All Stars Bakery and their Baltic Rye Bread has 80 mg of sodium per slice.
I'll just say this, Rye breads, for whatever reason, seem to be one of the lower sodium options out there that are available in the supermarket.
Salt Substitutes
Mrs. Dash original and garlic and herb blends are a staple in my kitchen but I wish I could find her marinades in the store (They're available online from http://healthyheartmarket.com/ and they ship internationally). I also use Club House No Salt Steak Spice ( I like it on my eggs) and a product called NoSalt which is potassium chloride (no good if you're on a potassium restricted diet).
Loblaws Blue Menu no salt added Sun-dried Tomato and Herb (my new favorite)
A.Vogel Herbamare Sodium Free Again potassium chloride but infused with 14 herbs and vegetables
Butter/Margarine
Unsalted butter and Becel's unsalted margarine
Bacon
Lou's Quick and Easy Traditional Slice (140 mg sodium per 100 g serving - way less than even sodium reduced bacon) It's kind of like peameal bacon without the cornmeal and cooks in 2 minutes.
Canned Goods
Clover Leaf low sodium Tuna and Salmon, Eden Organic no salt added beans, refried beans, vegetables and tomatoes,
Campbell's no salt added broths,
Condiments
Kozlick's Canadian Mustards a little pricey (and delicious) but only 35 mg sodium per 5 ml or 1% of the Daily Value for the XXX variety (they have over 30 types and they can be bought online), Heinz Easy Squeeze low sodium ketchup, Loblaws Blue Menu Low Sodium Ketchup Style Sauce , Kikkoman Sodium reduced soy sauce, Hellman's Mayonnaise (95 mg per tablespoon) and Kraft no sugar, no salt peanut butter (tastes like regular Kraft peanut butter and no stirring). Liquid Smoke This stuff is great-it adds a barbecue flavor to anything you put it in.
Cheeses
Unfortunately there is not a lot of choices out there. Cracker Barrel used to make a low sodium cheddar but they stopped, probably due to costs and no one knowing about it (I only saw it once at a Metro years ago) But there are some options such as Swiss cheese, Bocconcini and fresh Mozzarella in water. Some brands are better than others just make sure to read the labels.
Cereals
Puffed rice, Quaker Harvest Crunch, Alpine Muesli, and Cheerio's Multi Grain, Multigrain Spooners Frosted (only 1 mg of sodium and 9 mg of sugars)
Snacks
Lay's Chips lightly salted, Hunt's Snack Pack Lemon Meringue Pie, and Dole Fruit Bowl in Gel, Triscuit Low Sodium Roasted Garlic and Herb (50 mg Sodium), Dare Breaktime Ginger Cookies (65 mg of Sodium)
Beverages
Ovaltine Chocolate Has 25 mg of sodium and 13 g of carbohydrates of which only 8 g are Sugars
Carnation Hot Chocolate Marshmallow High in Sugars (19 g) but has 40 mg of sodium per 3 Tbsp
Miscellaneous
Manischewitz Matzo Farfel Basically unleavened crushed crackers that can be used for breading or stuffing and has 0 mg of sodium per 1/4 cup
Paxo Stuffing this is the lowest sodium box of stuffing that I have found so far, even lower than the reduced sodium Stove Top stuffing.
This list is by no means comprehensive but it goes to show that there are low sodium options available at the local supermarket. Happy Hunting!
This makes life interesting when going shopping at the supermarket.
According to Health Canada, you're to look for foods with less than 360 mg of sodium in a serving or 15% of the Daily Value and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency states that foods containing 140 mg or less may be labeled as low sodium. Some of the words to look for are "No Salt Added", "Sodium Reduced", "Low in Sodium" and "Salt Free"
Make sure to read the nutrition labels because sometimes when they cut the salt they add sugar.
I have found these products in NoFrills, FreshCo, Loblaws, Grocery Gateway, and Metro but unfortunately not all in the same place.
I'll be updating this list periodically when I find new things that are low sodium so check back every so often.
Breads
There was a press release in February of 2012 by the CDC on hidden sources of salt in foods and bread was near the top of the list. I had figured this out a couple of years previous while trying to find a type of bread that was low in salt for Mom.
Some good brands are Rudolph's Bakery, some of Dimpflmeier Bakery's and apparently there is a new line of breads by Dempster's called Healthy Way that has 110 mg of sodium per slice. Dempster's also has a sodium counter on their site.( I've not seen the Dempster's in my stores yet but hopefully soon.) I had also found a bread that had about 95 mg of salt per slice but I've forgotten the brand . I'll let you know what it was when I find it again.
Update: The bread that has 95 mg of sodium per slice is the Rigsky Bread from All Stars Bakery and their Baltic Rye Bread has 80 mg of sodium per slice.
I'll just say this, Rye breads, for whatever reason, seem to be one of the lower sodium options out there that are available in the supermarket.
Salt Substitutes
Mrs. Dash original and garlic and herb blends are a staple in my kitchen but I wish I could find her marinades in the store (They're available online from http://healthyheartmarket.com/ and they ship internationally). I also use Club House No Salt Steak Spice ( I like it on my eggs) and a product called NoSalt which is potassium chloride (no good if you're on a potassium restricted diet).
Loblaws Blue Menu no salt added Sun-dried Tomato and Herb (my new favorite)
A.Vogel Herbamare Sodium Free Again potassium chloride but infused with 14 herbs and vegetables
Butter/Margarine
Unsalted butter and Becel's unsalted margarine
Bacon
Lou's Quick and Easy Traditional Slice (140 mg sodium per 100 g serving - way less than even sodium reduced bacon) It's kind of like peameal bacon without the cornmeal and cooks in 2 minutes.
Canned Goods
Clover Leaf low sodium Tuna and Salmon, Eden Organic no salt added beans, refried beans, vegetables and tomatoes,
Campbell's no salt added broths,
Condiments
Kozlick's Canadian Mustards a little pricey (and delicious) but only 35 mg sodium per 5 ml or 1% of the Daily Value for the XXX variety (they have over 30 types and they can be bought online), Heinz Easy Squeeze low sodium ketchup, Loblaws Blue Menu Low Sodium Ketchup Style Sauce , Kikkoman Sodium reduced soy sauce, Hellman's Mayonnaise (95 mg per tablespoon) and Kraft no sugar, no salt peanut butter (tastes like regular Kraft peanut butter and no stirring). Liquid Smoke This stuff is great-it adds a barbecue flavor to anything you put it in.
Cheeses
Unfortunately there is not a lot of choices out there. Cracker Barrel used to make a low sodium cheddar but they stopped, probably due to costs and no one knowing about it (I only saw it once at a Metro years ago) But there are some options such as Swiss cheese, Bocconcini and fresh Mozzarella in water. Some brands are better than others just make sure to read the labels.
Cereals
Puffed rice, Quaker Harvest Crunch, Alpine Muesli, and Cheerio's Multi Grain, Multigrain Spooners Frosted (only 1 mg of sodium and 9 mg of sugars)
Snacks
Lay's Chips lightly salted, Hunt's Snack Pack Lemon Meringue Pie, and Dole Fruit Bowl in Gel, Triscuit Low Sodium Roasted Garlic and Herb (50 mg Sodium), Dare Breaktime Ginger Cookies (65 mg of Sodium)
Beverages
Ovaltine Chocolate Has 25 mg of sodium and 13 g of carbohydrates of which only 8 g are Sugars
Carnation Hot Chocolate Marshmallow High in Sugars (19 g) but has 40 mg of sodium per 3 Tbsp
Miscellaneous
Manischewitz Matzo Farfel Basically unleavened crushed crackers that can be used for breading or stuffing and has 0 mg of sodium per 1/4 cup
Paxo Stuffing this is the lowest sodium box of stuffing that I have found so far, even lower than the reduced sodium Stove Top stuffing.
This list is by no means comprehensive but it goes to show that there are low sodium options available at the local supermarket. Happy Hunting!
A Useful Recipe
While my mother was undergoing chemotherapy, I was worried about getting nutrition into her because of the nausea and her lack of appetite. I mentioned this to her nurse and she loaned me a couple of books to look through until her visit the next week ( Thank You Nurse!). I busily copied some recipes out by hand and tried them out. One was for a vegetable broth that was quite tasty and I was still using it until I misplaced my copy after reorganizing my home office (Oops) .
I wanted to share the recipe because it is a great base for any dish, nutritious, and tasty but I couldn't remember the author's name! So, today I decided I'd try googleing for the broth. I figured " you never know, everything seems to be on the net these days and perhaps someone else thought it was a great recipe too". Guess what....I found it! Here's a link to the recipe for the Magical Mineral Broth (I thought it was called Super Broth but I found it anyway). Now that I've found the recipe again I'll be making it soon and trying it out in the slow cooker, with a few other tweaks for the husband's dietary needs, and try to figure out what to do with the leftover vegetables (I hate to waste them, they are still full of fiber).
Because I found the recipe, I now knew the author's name so I googled her and found her website http://rebeccakatz.com/ . She doesn't have a lot of recipes there but I'm going to be trying a few of them and probably get her book The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen which is where the original recipe was from. From what I remember (it has been a couple of years) it was full of stuff on portion sizes, snacks, balanced nutrition, what to eat when nauseous and other great advice. I also liked the fact that the recipes were great for anyone and not just people undergoing cancer treatment.
Enjoy!
I wanted to share the recipe because it is a great base for any dish, nutritious, and tasty but I couldn't remember the author's name! So, today I decided I'd try googleing for the broth. I figured " you never know, everything seems to be on the net these days and perhaps someone else thought it was a great recipe too". Guess what....I found it! Here's a link to the recipe for the Magical Mineral Broth (I thought it was called Super Broth but I found it anyway). Now that I've found the recipe again I'll be making it soon and trying it out in the slow cooker, with a few other tweaks for the husband's dietary needs, and try to figure out what to do with the leftover vegetables (I hate to waste them, they are still full of fiber).
Because I found the recipe, I now knew the author's name so I googled her and found her website http://rebeccakatz.com/ . She doesn't have a lot of recipes there but I'm going to be trying a few of them and probably get her book The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen which is where the original recipe was from. From what I remember (it has been a couple of years) it was full of stuff on portion sizes, snacks, balanced nutrition, what to eat when nauseous and other great advice. I also liked the fact that the recipes were great for anyone and not just people undergoing cancer treatment.
Enjoy!
Monday 18 February 2013
Actively Listening: A Powerful Art
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| Photo by Jerith Sykes |
Meditation, deep breathing, prayer, counting or repeating a mantra are simple things to do for yourself to keep balanced but are some of the hardest things to remember to do when you are seeing red. I find by taking 5 minutes to walk away and splash some water on my face it may be just enough to change my perspective and allow everyone to calm down. I then do my deep breathing and return to actively Listen to what is being said.
Active listening is one of the hardest things I have ever learnt and am still learning how to do. To learn to actively listen requires determination and concentration. Active listening is, basically, rephrasing what you have heard the other person saying, in your own words, usually in the form of a question and not parroting that information back at them. You may have heard your doctor do this when you were presenting them with a problem.
Active listening helps to clarify the situation, avoid conflict and misunderstandings. It also shows that you have heard and understood what is being said to you. By actively listening you are gaining information and a deeper understanding which will allow you to respond appropriately to the other person and for you both to find solutions.
By truly listening the other person as you would like to be, almost as if you are in their shoes, you are better able to understand their perspective, even if you don't agree, and it allows you to both to consider feelings, alternatives and responses in a non judgmental way. A great article on active listening is http://www.go2itech.org/HTML/CM08/toolkit/links/print/Mentoring/Active_Listening.pdf by Kathleen Robinson. The article is from a medical perspective but is applicable to anyone.
Practicing active listening takes patience and concentration by giving the other person your undivided attention to everything that is being said both verbally and non verbally. I sometimes view it as a form of meditation , of being in the NOW, of listening with our whole being - body, mind and heart. It is a powerful tool that can help you get through the rough times and open ways that were previously denied.
Sunday 17 February 2013
Some of My Favorite Websites
I'm just going to lay this out into a list in no particular order. These are websites that I have found useful in helping me be a caregiver and just in living life in general. The links to these sites are at the beginning of a brief blurb.
FlyLady This is a website for helping you to get organized when (as she says) you are suffering from C.H.A.O.S - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. She breaks cleaning, finances, weight loss and lots more down into manageable bits and helps you to develop a schedule that fits your life. I particularly like her Crisis Clean as it helps me kick start my schedule after I've neglected my chores for a while. There's also a forum where you can talk to others in similar situations like caring for children with Autism, Students, Caregivers and more. You can also sign up for her mailing list and get her Flight Plan for the day right in your inbox.
All Recipes This site is all about recipes (obviously) I like it because you can search for recipes by ingredients, cooking style or general name ( eg. cupcakes, vegetarian, slow cooker) The recipes also have this cool feature of being able to have the servings adjusted up or down. You can become a member which will allow you to post recipes and save them to a recipe box. I haven't bothered to join as I have enough screen names and passwords to remember.
Grocery Gateway This is basically an online version of Longo's supermarket here in Toronto that delivers your shopping to your front door.. They also have a good selection of organic and natural products. There is a free tour but you have to become a member with this site in order to shop for your groceries. There is a $11.95 delivery fee for residential orders and $17 for corporate orders with a minimum order of $45. The website is accessible to people with physical disabilities and they deliver to your door. You also get to pick a delivery time that's convenient for you. There is also an App for your Smartphone so you can shop anywhere. You can pay online or at the door.
Facebook Everyone seems to be here. I'm still figuring it out because they seem to change things at least once a year. The nice thing is that here you can keep up with family, find old friends, play games and follow stuff that you like. Also available on Smartphones.
I Can Has Cheezburger? This is for my daily laugh. This is a site of humorous pictures of animals with captions, GIF's, Fails and more.
Medical Xpress This is a news gathering site on current medical research on everything from AIDS to zoonosis. You can even read it on a mobile device.
Pinterest This one is a new favorite addiction. It's basically a pin board of things people are interested in. There a categories like Health and Fitness, Women's Fashion, DIY, Decor, Food and Drink and more. It's a great site for getting ideas usually with links to the original site or blog. My personal favorites are DIY, Decor and Geek (Doctor Who anyone?)
Google Scholar I use this search engine for finding scientific articles and research on specific diseases and treatments.
Rob Cares I just found this site about a week ago. He's got great advice for caregivers but most of his resources are for those who are in the United States. He's also on Facebook and Pinterest where he posts little snippets of great advice for any caregiver.
Next Bus As I don't drive this is a wonderful bus predictor site. At least I'll know how long I have to wait for my bus. Here in Canada it includes the transit systems for Alberta: St Albert and Banff; Manitoba: Selkirk Transit; Ontario: St.Thomas, Guelph, Thunder Bay, Toronto TTC; Quebec: CIT Laurentides, Societe de Transport de Laval; New Brunswick: St.John Transit and last (but not least) City of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. It also has tonnes of cities in the States (Universal Studios anyone?) It's also available on a Smartphone. They use GPS tracking so you know it's fairly accurate (unless they're updating the site)
Natural Health Care Canada This website is "Your destination website for information, products, and services related to holistic, alternative, and complementary health and healing." It will help you find a practitioner in your area, learn about herbs and nutrition, has updates on news, events in your area, workplace wellness and more.
Toronto 211 A directory of over 20,000 of community, social, heath and government services in the city of Toronto. Includes stuff like Food banks, legal clinics, seniors services, services for children and more. Some of the stuff is out of date but still pretty good overall.
Fax Zero This allows you to send a fax for free over the internet. There is an advertisement on the cover page but you are allowed a maximum of 3 pages+cover, and 5 free faxes per day. Handy when you need to fax something and don't have a fax machine, fax program or can't get out to one.
Flyerland All of your weekly local flyers in one place. Useful if you've didn't get them or if you didn't pick them up in time from your apartment lobby. There's more here but I've not tried any of it yet.
And Finally (for now) The Mayo Clinic for their information on diseases and conditions, supplements and healthy living. It's found under the Health Information tag at the top of the homepage.
I realize that a lot of these sites are Torontocentric but that happens to be where I am. If you have a website that you have found useful for your area please feel free to share!
FlyLady This is a website for helping you to get organized when (as she says) you are suffering from C.H.A.O.S - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. She breaks cleaning, finances, weight loss and lots more down into manageable bits and helps you to develop a schedule that fits your life. I particularly like her Crisis Clean as it helps me kick start my schedule after I've neglected my chores for a while. There's also a forum where you can talk to others in similar situations like caring for children with Autism, Students, Caregivers and more. You can also sign up for her mailing list and get her Flight Plan for the day right in your inbox.
All Recipes This site is all about recipes (obviously) I like it because you can search for recipes by ingredients, cooking style or general name ( eg. cupcakes, vegetarian, slow cooker) The recipes also have this cool feature of being able to have the servings adjusted up or down. You can become a member which will allow you to post recipes and save them to a recipe box. I haven't bothered to join as I have enough screen names and passwords to remember.
Grocery Gateway This is basically an online version of Longo's supermarket here in Toronto that delivers your shopping to your front door.. They also have a good selection of organic and natural products. There is a free tour but you have to become a member with this site in order to shop for your groceries. There is a $11.95 delivery fee for residential orders and $17 for corporate orders with a minimum order of $45. The website is accessible to people with physical disabilities and they deliver to your door. You also get to pick a delivery time that's convenient for you. There is also an App for your Smartphone so you can shop anywhere. You can pay online or at the door.
Facebook Everyone seems to be here. I'm still figuring it out because they seem to change things at least once a year. The nice thing is that here you can keep up with family, find old friends, play games and follow stuff that you like. Also available on Smartphones.
I Can Has Cheezburger? This is for my daily laugh. This is a site of humorous pictures of animals with captions, GIF's, Fails and more.
Medical Xpress This is a news gathering site on current medical research on everything from AIDS to zoonosis. You can even read it on a mobile device.
Pinterest This one is a new favorite addiction. It's basically a pin board of things people are interested in. There a categories like Health and Fitness, Women's Fashion, DIY, Decor, Food and Drink and more. It's a great site for getting ideas usually with links to the original site or blog. My personal favorites are DIY, Decor and Geek (Doctor Who anyone?)
Google Scholar I use this search engine for finding scientific articles and research on specific diseases and treatments.
Rob Cares I just found this site about a week ago. He's got great advice for caregivers but most of his resources are for those who are in the United States. He's also on Facebook and Pinterest where he posts little snippets of great advice for any caregiver.
Next Bus As I don't drive this is a wonderful bus predictor site. At least I'll know how long I have to wait for my bus. Here in Canada it includes the transit systems for Alberta: St Albert and Banff; Manitoba: Selkirk Transit; Ontario: St.Thomas, Guelph, Thunder Bay, Toronto TTC; Quebec: CIT Laurentides, Societe de Transport de Laval; New Brunswick: St.John Transit and last (but not least) City of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. It also has tonnes of cities in the States (Universal Studios anyone?) It's also available on a Smartphone. They use GPS tracking so you know it's fairly accurate (unless they're updating the site)
Natural Health Care Canada This website is "Your destination website for information, products, and services related to holistic, alternative, and complementary health and healing." It will help you find a practitioner in your area, learn about herbs and nutrition, has updates on news, events in your area, workplace wellness and more.
Toronto 211 A directory of over 20,000 of community, social, heath and government services in the city of Toronto. Includes stuff like Food banks, legal clinics, seniors services, services for children and more. Some of the stuff is out of date but still pretty good overall.
Fax Zero This allows you to send a fax for free over the internet. There is an advertisement on the cover page but you are allowed a maximum of 3 pages+cover, and 5 free faxes per day. Handy when you need to fax something and don't have a fax machine, fax program or can't get out to one.
Flyerland All of your weekly local flyers in one place. Useful if you've didn't get them or if you didn't pick them up in time from your apartment lobby. There's more here but I've not tried any of it yet.
And Finally (for now) The Mayo Clinic for their information on diseases and conditions, supplements and healthy living. It's found under the Health Information tag at the top of the homepage.
I realize that a lot of these sites are Torontocentric but that happens to be where I am. If you have a website that you have found useful for your area please feel free to share!
The Strongest People
I just had to re-blog this from Dave's Words of Wisdom. It's a great summary as to what it is to be a caregiver at times. Have confidence you can do it!
Friday 15 February 2013
Rose: Queen of the Flowers
I'd hoped that I would have finished this by Valentine's Day but Roses are the flower of love any time of year. Enjoy!
Monday 11 February 2013
Sunday 10 February 2013
When You're Just too Pooped to Cook
Getting the energy to cook after a long day is tough enough for anyone and it can be even tougher when you are a caregiver. Here are some ideas that I hope you will find helpful when you're just too pooped to cook.
One of the things that I found that was the most helpful, while I was caring for my Mom and for my husband in two different households, was when her friends brought over care packages of frozen food that they had made for her. Fortunately Mom had a small chest freezer for all the goodies and I was also able to snag some for the husband. It was so nice to be able to pull something out of the freezer and know that the food had been made with love, not too salty for her, unlike frozen dinners from the supermarket, and that all I had to do was pop it in the microwave or oven. One of my husband's best friends brings over sugar free baked goodies that his wife has made. This is something that you can have family and friends do when they ask what can they do for you when they come by to visit. If the person you are caring for has dietary restrictions, let people know what they are and I'm sure that they'll happily adapt their recipes.
After my husband got out of hospital the last time, I was working occasionally and was worried that he would not be eating lunch as he was still weak and that he didn't have the strength to stand long enough to make himself something to eat. I solved that problem by making him a lunch box that could be kept near him with a frozen juice box , a sandwich and a dessert. By lunch time the juice box had thawed (mostly) and the sandwich was still cold. I also keep snacks in the fridge that are easy for him to grab.
Because I was worried, the social worker at the hospital also gave me the number for meals-on-wheels and I was seriously considering getting the service. I went to the website for an agency that has the program for my area and looked at the menu. I discovered that the hot lunch program is kind of potluck, as in you get whatever they made in the kitchen that day and have no control on any dietary restrictions, but their frozen meal program has a range of meals for special diets such as gluten free,lactose free, renal diets and for diabetes. The meals looked really good and I was tempted to get them for myself, I didn't, but I was tempted. You can find a local meals-on-wheels by looking them up on the internet.
Slow cookers have also been a godsend for me. You plunk the ingredients of whatever it is you want in the cooker, turn it on low and, depending on what it is, between 4-12 hours later you have a hot meal. If you put in on in the morning, you have a hot dinner or, if you put it on in the evening, a hot breakfast. I like making chili and stews but I have also made things like rice, pot roast, pork chops, scalloped potatoes and pulled pork. The next thing I'm going to try is bread in the slow cooker. I've looked at a lot of recipes, particularly from the All Recipes website, and am planning on trying many more. I'll be adapting the recipes I try for DH's dietary restrictions and I hope they'll turn out well.
Slow cookers are also useful for freezer cooking. As there is only the two of us, I find that there are a lot of leftovers when I use the slow cooker even though I bought myself the smallest one I could find in my neighborhood (It's 4 quarts). I divvy up the leftovers into either freezer bags or those 1 lb aluminum containers from the dollar store that remind me of take out containers. I let them cool in the fridge and then toss them in the freezer. When I'm too tired to cook all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer, heat it up and I know that they'll work with the DH's diet, I'm saving money and eating healthier than the frozen meals from the supermarket.
Keeping meals ready in the freezer will help you and your loved ones eat well and healthily when you are too tired to cook. Eating well will keep you from getting sick and help keep you going.
One of the things that I found that was the most helpful, while I was caring for my Mom and for my husband in two different households, was when her friends brought over care packages of frozen food that they had made for her. Fortunately Mom had a small chest freezer for all the goodies and I was also able to snag some for the husband. It was so nice to be able to pull something out of the freezer and know that the food had been made with love, not too salty for her, unlike frozen dinners from the supermarket, and that all I had to do was pop it in the microwave or oven. One of my husband's best friends brings over sugar free baked goodies that his wife has made. This is something that you can have family and friends do when they ask what can they do for you when they come by to visit. If the person you are caring for has dietary restrictions, let people know what they are and I'm sure that they'll happily adapt their recipes.
After my husband got out of hospital the last time, I was working occasionally and was worried that he would not be eating lunch as he was still weak and that he didn't have the strength to stand long enough to make himself something to eat. I solved that problem by making him a lunch box that could be kept near him with a frozen juice box , a sandwich and a dessert. By lunch time the juice box had thawed (mostly) and the sandwich was still cold. I also keep snacks in the fridge that are easy for him to grab.
Because I was worried, the social worker at the hospital also gave me the number for meals-on-wheels and I was seriously considering getting the service. I went to the website for an agency that has the program for my area and looked at the menu. I discovered that the hot lunch program is kind of potluck, as in you get whatever they made in the kitchen that day and have no control on any dietary restrictions, but their frozen meal program has a range of meals for special diets such as gluten free,lactose free, renal diets and for diabetes. The meals looked really good and I was tempted to get them for myself, I didn't, but I was tempted. You can find a local meals-on-wheels by looking them up on the internet.
Slow cookers have also been a godsend for me. You plunk the ingredients of whatever it is you want in the cooker, turn it on low and, depending on what it is, between 4-12 hours later you have a hot meal. If you put in on in the morning, you have a hot dinner or, if you put it on in the evening, a hot breakfast. I like making chili and stews but I have also made things like rice, pot roast, pork chops, scalloped potatoes and pulled pork. The next thing I'm going to try is bread in the slow cooker. I've looked at a lot of recipes, particularly from the All Recipes website, and am planning on trying many more. I'll be adapting the recipes I try for DH's dietary restrictions and I hope they'll turn out well.
Slow cookers are also useful for freezer cooking. As there is only the two of us, I find that there are a lot of leftovers when I use the slow cooker even though I bought myself the smallest one I could find in my neighborhood (It's 4 quarts). I divvy up the leftovers into either freezer bags or those 1 lb aluminum containers from the dollar store that remind me of take out containers. I let them cool in the fridge and then toss them in the freezer. When I'm too tired to cook all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer, heat it up and I know that they'll work with the DH's diet, I'm saving money and eating healthier than the frozen meals from the supermarket.
Keeping meals ready in the freezer will help you and your loved ones eat well and healthily when you are too tired to cook. Eating well will keep you from getting sick and help keep you going.
Saturday 9 February 2013
A Quote on Life
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| original image source: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m03craFeU41ql4iwso1_500.jpg |
Friday 8 February 2013
Tending to Tender Tootsies
Your feet are one of the most neglected yet the most used part of your body. You use them every day for walking, driving, standing, jumping and running. Feet contain about one quarter of the bones of our body as well as muscles, tendons and ligaments. When you're walking, the pressure on the feet can exceed your body weight and when running, up to four times as much (1). For fashion they are put into high heels or shoes that are too tight. The only time we pay attention to our feet is when they cause us pain or have been injured. It makes sense to take care of our feet since they do so much for us.
Here are some easy and fairly quick ways to pamper those tender tootsies that I often do together but you can do however is easiest for you.
1 . The Foot Bath. Grab yourself a towel, a bowl or basin that your feet can fit into ( a large disposable roasting pan will do in a pinch), the essential oil(s) of your choice (I like eucalyptus and peppermint especially when I have a cold or lavender when I want to have a good night's sleep), and 1/3 to 1 cup of Epsom salts (optional).
Place the towel on the floor where you are going to sit for your foot bath .
Fill the bowl about 3/4 full with very warm water - I'd say the water should be about your favorite shower temperature (you have to leave room for the displacement of water when you put your feet in).
Add the Epsom salts at this point (if you are using them), while you're still at the tap so that when you stir the water to dissolve the salts, it just makes a mess in the sink (or tub as the case may be).
Place the bowl on your towel and add 3-5 drops of the essential oil(s) and give the water a quick swish. Place your feet in the bowl for 5-20 minutes (it all depends on how hot your water was and how much time you've got). In the summer you can use cool water and peppermint essential oil to cool and refresh your feet.
Dry the feet off.
Some of the advantages of doing a foot bath are that it increases circulation, raises the temperature of the feet and legs, reduces pain and swelling, and it's just plain relaxing to both the muscles in the feet but also the whole body.
2. Exercises. OK, now that your feet are all warmed up and relaxed, it's much easier to exercise the ankles and feet. For this you will need the towel and a ball no larger than a tennis ball (any ball will do including one of those dryer balls from the dollar store -just don't press down on it too hard or it might break). Move the bowl out of the way.
Since you are still sitting down, lift your legs (or one leg at a time) in front of you and rotate your feet in whatever direction you like and then in the opposite direction. You don't have to do this very long or lift the leg very high, it's just to loosen the tendons and ligaments in the ankle. If you are standing in a line or at the sink you can also do ankle circles. Stand on one leg (hold onto something if your balance isn't good) and rotate the foot that's in the air in two directions . Switch legs.
Place your feet back on the floor. Now lift the toes of one (or both) foot towards the ceiling leaving the heel on the floor as if you are lifting your foot off a car's pedals. You then move your foot up onto your toes. Repeat as many times as is comfortable. This can also be done with your feet in the air, standing (not in heels), or while lying in bed.
Grab your ball and place it on the floor between your feet. Keeping the feet together on the ball, move the ball forwards and backwards along the arch from heel to toes or toe to heel. In reflexology, this area is associated with the spine (the tail bone at the heel and the head at the toes) and you may notice tender or crunchy spots along this area that correspond to any backache you may have ( mine's in the middle of my back thus in about the middle of my arch) If you do find such an area, just roll the ball around this area for a little longer.
Next, take the ball with one foot and roll it all over the sole of the foot. Don't worry if the ball gets away from you, just fetch it back. This area of the foot is associated in reflexology with the digestive system , urinary system, the heart and the lungs. Again, if you find any tender or crunchy spot just spend a little more time in that area with the ball. Repeat on the other foot.
Place the ball under the toes of one foot with the heel on the floor gripping the ball with the toes as best you can. Roll the ball from one side of the foot to the other while trying to keep the ball under the toes as much as possible (the ball likes to try to escape doing this one). This area is associated with the neck and shoulders which is where most people carry their tension so this is a great area to spend a bit more time on. Obviously, repeat on the other foot.
Finally, place your feet on the towel and scrunch it up under the toes as if you were going to pick it up with your toes. Do this about 5 times. You can also grab the ends of the towel to help stretch the Achilles tendon and the plantar surface of the foot by placing the towel under the ball of the foot and pulling on the ends of the towel so the moves foot upwards towards the shin. Needless to say, don't pull so hard as to hurt yourself. Hold as long as is comfortable and do both feet.
3. The Ultimate Pamper. If you do the exercises first ( or skip them all together), while your feet are still wet you can use a pumice stone to remove any calluses or dry and rough spots and push back the cuticles. After you have dried your feet, apply your favorite moisturizer, and give your feet an all over massage. Here, you can also trim your toenails (straight across to prevent ingrown toenails) and apply nail polish. If you skip the nail polish, put on a thick layer of moisturizer and a pair of cotton socks. The socks help keep your feet warm and allows the moisturizer to penetrate the skin better. Doing this at night before getting into bed you should have a good night's sleep and, in going to sleep in the socks, you will wake up with the softest feet you've had in a long time (great for sandal time).
Doing all of these things for your feet shouldn't take much longer than 30 minutes (not including polish drying time) but it will depend on how long you soak your feet. Breaking these things up during the day will also keep your energy up and can help keep your stress down. Make these things yours, but do try to do them as often as you can, and your feet (and the rest of you) will thank you.
(1) Retrieved from: Learn about Feet and Podiatric Medicine/ Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center;
http://www.pennmedicine.org/diabetes/hup/learn/feet.html ; Feb. 8, 2013
Here are some easy and fairly quick ways to pamper those tender tootsies that I often do together but you can do however is easiest for you.
1 . The Foot Bath. Grab yourself a towel, a bowl or basin that your feet can fit into ( a large disposable roasting pan will do in a pinch), the essential oil(s) of your choice (I like eucalyptus and peppermint especially when I have a cold or lavender when I want to have a good night's sleep), and 1/3 to 1 cup of Epsom salts (optional).
Place the towel on the floor where you are going to sit for your foot bath .
Fill the bowl about 3/4 full with very warm water - I'd say the water should be about your favorite shower temperature (you have to leave room for the displacement of water when you put your feet in).
Add the Epsom salts at this point (if you are using them), while you're still at the tap so that when you stir the water to dissolve the salts, it just makes a mess in the sink (or tub as the case may be).
Place the bowl on your towel and add 3-5 drops of the essential oil(s) and give the water a quick swish. Place your feet in the bowl for 5-20 minutes (it all depends on how hot your water was and how much time you've got). In the summer you can use cool water and peppermint essential oil to cool and refresh your feet.
Dry the feet off.
Some of the advantages of doing a foot bath are that it increases circulation, raises the temperature of the feet and legs, reduces pain and swelling, and it's just plain relaxing to both the muscles in the feet but also the whole body.
2. Exercises. OK, now that your feet are all warmed up and relaxed, it's much easier to exercise the ankles and feet. For this you will need the towel and a ball no larger than a tennis ball (any ball will do including one of those dryer balls from the dollar store -just don't press down on it too hard or it might break). Move the bowl out of the way.
Since you are still sitting down, lift your legs (or one leg at a time) in front of you and rotate your feet in whatever direction you like and then in the opposite direction. You don't have to do this very long or lift the leg very high, it's just to loosen the tendons and ligaments in the ankle. If you are standing in a line or at the sink you can also do ankle circles. Stand on one leg (hold onto something if your balance isn't good) and rotate the foot that's in the air in two directions . Switch legs.
Place your feet back on the floor. Now lift the toes of one (or both) foot towards the ceiling leaving the heel on the floor as if you are lifting your foot off a car's pedals. You then move your foot up onto your toes. Repeat as many times as is comfortable. This can also be done with your feet in the air, standing (not in heels), or while lying in bed.
Grab your ball and place it on the floor between your feet. Keeping the feet together on the ball, move the ball forwards and backwards along the arch from heel to toes or toe to heel. In reflexology, this area is associated with the spine (the tail bone at the heel and the head at the toes) and you may notice tender or crunchy spots along this area that correspond to any backache you may have ( mine's in the middle of my back thus in about the middle of my arch) If you do find such an area, just roll the ball around this area for a little longer.
Next, take the ball with one foot and roll it all over the sole of the foot. Don't worry if the ball gets away from you, just fetch it back. This area of the foot is associated in reflexology with the digestive system , urinary system, the heart and the lungs. Again, if you find any tender or crunchy spot just spend a little more time in that area with the ball. Repeat on the other foot.
Place the ball under the toes of one foot with the heel on the floor gripping the ball with the toes as best you can. Roll the ball from one side of the foot to the other while trying to keep the ball under the toes as much as possible (the ball likes to try to escape doing this one). This area is associated with the neck and shoulders which is where most people carry their tension so this is a great area to spend a bit more time on. Obviously, repeat on the other foot.
Finally, place your feet on the towel and scrunch it up under the toes as if you were going to pick it up with your toes. Do this about 5 times. You can also grab the ends of the towel to help stretch the Achilles tendon and the plantar surface of the foot by placing the towel under the ball of the foot and pulling on the ends of the towel so the moves foot upwards towards the shin. Needless to say, don't pull so hard as to hurt yourself. Hold as long as is comfortable and do both feet.
3. The Ultimate Pamper. If you do the exercises first ( or skip them all together), while your feet are still wet you can use a pumice stone to remove any calluses or dry and rough spots and push back the cuticles. After you have dried your feet, apply your favorite moisturizer, and give your feet an all over massage. Here, you can also trim your toenails (straight across to prevent ingrown toenails) and apply nail polish. If you skip the nail polish, put on a thick layer of moisturizer and a pair of cotton socks. The socks help keep your feet warm and allows the moisturizer to penetrate the skin better. Doing this at night before getting into bed you should have a good night's sleep and, in going to sleep in the socks, you will wake up with the softest feet you've had in a long time (great for sandal time).
Doing all of these things for your feet shouldn't take much longer than 30 minutes (not including polish drying time) but it will depend on how long you soak your feet. Breaking these things up during the day will also keep your energy up and can help keep your stress down. Make these things yours, but do try to do them as often as you can, and your feet (and the rest of you) will thank you.
(1) Retrieved from: Learn about Feet and Podiatric Medicine/ Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center;
http://www.pennmedicine.org/diabetes/hup/learn/feet.html ; Feb. 8, 2013
Thursday 7 February 2013
Wednesday 6 February 2013
Tea and laughter
I saw this on http://icanhas.cheezburger.com/ and thought "what a great summary of some of the heath benefits of different types of tea" and then I noticed the cat in the cup! Enjoy!
http://cheezburger.com/7026746880
( By the way, I realize that these are the potential health benefits of teas and tisanes. There is currently a lot of scientific research being done on how the anti-oxidants and other chemicals in teas could have a positive effect on human health for different illnesses, for example: alzheimer's disease, different cancers, influenza, and more. But, as tea is generally safe for anyone, have a cuppa and enjoy tea's potential benefits!)
Stress, the "Bear" Necessities
Stress. You hear the word bandied about nowadays and it seems "full of thunder, signifying nothing" but what does it mean to you as a caregiver (or anyone else for that matter)? Stress is an integral part of being alive and is simply the body's reaction to something that elicits the reaction "fight-or-flight" such as something that threatens you physically (bears) or mentally (lottery win). It can be either "good" like a lottery win or "bad" such as a divorce.
Back when humans were still in paleolithic times (so the theory goes) stress was useful to protect us from lions and tigers and bears (oh, my) as well as other marauding tribes. Adrenaline began to pump from the adrenal glands, a small pyramid shaped organ sitting right above the kidneys, causing the heart to beat faster, blood to move to the largest muscles in the body so we can run away like the wind (or beat up that bear), you breathe faster (more oxygen for running) and thought processes sped up so you could react to the situation much more quickly (which way do I run? What can I use to beat up that bear?). If the bear (or lion or tiger or tribe) continued to chase you more energy was needed for running so the body releases this needed energy by breaking down sugars and fats, fatigue sets in and all you could think of is running. By this time the bear has probably given up and you would quickly return to normal but that tribe would most likely still be chasing you. Fear (read stress) would further deplete your energy, you'd experience confused thoughts, have insomnia, be unable to eat, thus not giving your body the energy it needs, and, as the novelists say, "they ran him into the ground" and "he died of fear".
Nowadays, in the Western world, you're not as likely to come across lions or tigers or bears (oh my) or marauding tribes and the fight-or -flight response is considered (by some) a holdover from those paleolithic days. In today's world, weddings, death of a loved one, lottery wins (big ones I hope), loss of a job, divorce, financial problems, almost being hit by a car, anger, fear, joy, frustration and sometimes just the daily pressures of life, such as pressures at work or planning for a family holiday get together are just some of the modern day equivalents of that dratted bear and the body reacts in exactly the same way. Problems arise when you get no relief from that modern day bear that is chasing you and what causes you stress may not be stressful to another. Heart disease, ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, hair loss, difficulty controlling diabetes, depression, changes in weight are some of the signals that you are over stressed. Personally, when I am over stressed, I wake too early with nausea and sometimes vomiting, I get more headaches, my back and shoulders hurt much more, and am more prone to catching every bug that is going around (so far I've had 7 colds this year, one of which lasted 2 months). So, now that you know some of what stress can do to you, what can you do to stress?
Back when humans were still in paleolithic times (so the theory goes) stress was useful to protect us from lions and tigers and bears (oh, my) as well as other marauding tribes. Adrenaline began to pump from the adrenal glands, a small pyramid shaped organ sitting right above the kidneys, causing the heart to beat faster, blood to move to the largest muscles in the body so we can run away like the wind (or beat up that bear), you breathe faster (more oxygen for running) and thought processes sped up so you could react to the situation much more quickly (which way do I run? What can I use to beat up that bear?). If the bear (or lion or tiger or tribe) continued to chase you more energy was needed for running so the body releases this needed energy by breaking down sugars and fats, fatigue sets in and all you could think of is running. By this time the bear has probably given up and you would quickly return to normal but that tribe would most likely still be chasing you. Fear (read stress) would further deplete your energy, you'd experience confused thoughts, have insomnia, be unable to eat, thus not giving your body the energy it needs, and, as the novelists say, "they ran him into the ground" and "he died of fear".
Nowadays, in the Western world, you're not as likely to come across lions or tigers or bears (oh my) or marauding tribes and the fight-or -flight response is considered (by some) a holdover from those paleolithic days. In today's world, weddings, death of a loved one, lottery wins (big ones I hope), loss of a job, divorce, financial problems, almost being hit by a car, anger, fear, joy, frustration and sometimes just the daily pressures of life, such as pressures at work or planning for a family holiday get together are just some of the modern day equivalents of that dratted bear and the body reacts in exactly the same way. Problems arise when you get no relief from that modern day bear that is chasing you and what causes you stress may not be stressful to another. Heart disease, ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, hair loss, difficulty controlling diabetes, depression, changes in weight are some of the signals that you are over stressed. Personally, when I am over stressed, I wake too early with nausea and sometimes vomiting, I get more headaches, my back and shoulders hurt much more, and am more prone to catching every bug that is going around (so far I've had 7 colds this year, one of which lasted 2 months). So, now that you know some of what stress can do to you, what can you do to stress?
- Be aware of what causes you to feel overwhelmed. This will help you figure out what your stress symptoms and triggers are (because every one is different) and what you may be able to do about it.
- Learn to say NO, but politely, it's only a two letter word. This one I always have trouble with. I want to help because I have compassion and a big heart (part of the reason I'm a caregiver) but sometimes enough is enough and if you take on too much you will burn out.
- Take care of yourself, if you don't, how can you care for others? This can include things as simple as reading a book with a cup of tea while listening to quiet music, going for coffee with a friend, taking time to exercise (yoga in the living room or stretching in the line at the supermarket) seeing your doctor, getting a massage, giving yourself an aromatherapy foot bath and trying to eat as healthy a diet as you can (even I sometimes resort to take-out and frozen dinners but slow cookers are a godsend)
- Delegate. Ask for help from friends, family, nurses, find a community group that has friendly visitors or a day care program (good for kids as well as adults). You don't have to do it all by yourself even though you feel like you should.
- Try to take it easy on yourself. Also known as "don't sweat the small stuff". This is another tough one I've found for myself (I cant, should, would, must or "stinking" thinking) I have to remind myself that I'm not (completely) perfect and that whatever it is that is bugging me gets done eventually, it is good enough.
- Keep to a schedule as best you can. About 3 years ago I was reading an article in one of my e-newsletters from Real Age (http://www.realage.com/tips/the-best-time-to-shower-for-better-sleep ) about a scientific study in older adults how those who "stick to a routine when it comes to personal care tend to fall asleep faster and enjoy better sleep quality compared with folks who have erratic schedules" and (according to the article) "keeping on schedule with daily activities had a slightly bigger impact on improving sleep than did sticking to a routine with weekly activities -- probably because daily activities are often integrated into nightly bedtime routines." What this means is that keeping to a schedule helps you sleep better and thus keeps you healthier because sleep is when your body rests and repairs itself. Schedules also let you know what you have going and allow you to have some control over things like taking out the garbage or getting all your running around in one area of town done in one day.
Sorry about such a long post but I wanted to set some groundwork as I'll be expanding on these ideas in greater detail. Remember that it is sometimes the small things that you can do for yourself that can make a difference for your stress and, as Lao-Tzu said in the Tao Te Ching, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step".
Tuesday 5 February 2013
Welcome
Being a caregiver is one of the most stressful, frustrating and rewarding things one can do for a loved one or friend. I am currently caring for my beloved husband of 18 years and a friend who is in long-term care. I decided to become an holistic practitioner after caring for my mother who passed away from cancer. Personally, I am still learning new things and am trying to navigate separate and diverse systems to aid both myself and my loved ones. Part of what I have been having to learn about is taxes (always fun), support systems for my husband and myself (not usually in one spot), finances (who doesn't wonder where the money went and where it's going), diseases, nursing and nutrition (all sorts of contradictory info out there).
What I hope to do with this blog is to share what I have learned (and am learning) about caring for oneself whilst caring for others from a holistic perspective. I'll be covering things like aromatherapy, reflexology, nutrition, exercises, spirituality, respite care, finding resources and much, much more. I will be trying to post frequently and bring you information that you will find helpful, informative and empowering.
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