|
|
|
|
Home Sweet Home Care Newsletter - January 2011
Dear friends, clients and associates,
The chill, windy, rainy and overcast days of January reminds us of what fun it is to cook and eat delicious home-made foods with people you care about. When you take a bite of a cooked concoction made with natural ingredients, whether it's a soup or a stew that's been simmering on the stove, you can't help but feel nurtured and content. That's why we always keep a sharp eye out for caregivers who love to cook and are good at it.
I personally believe there is a big difference between good, clean, natural food and processed foods that have a ton of unfamiliar and unpronounceable chemicals in them. I would even venture to say that processed foods have negative effects on the body, and it would behoove people to try to eliminate as many unfamiliar ingredients in their diets as they can in order to support their health and the health of the people who eat the foods they make. I do admit that I'm a big subscriber to the theory of nutrition which asserts that, food is medicine. (See article, Eat Your Medicine: Food as Pharmacology, by Dr. Mark Hyman, which appeared in our October, 2011 issue and is linked here.)
Now with 60% of Americans describing themselves as overweight, and with so many of us who are diabetic and have other serious health issues, it might be a good time to consider making some changes, starting with slowing down on the consumption of fast and processed foods. Why not use these long, chilly nights to make a delicious and aromatic pot of something tasty and nutritious? Lack of time is not a good excuse anymore for not cooking because vegetables, meats and poultry, these days, come already cut up and ready to use. And if you're looking for recipes, you can find them in a minute on your smart phone or by calling up a friend or relative who loves to cook.
So start cooking and baking--your friends and family members will love it. It'll also save you a lot of money, you'll have fun, you'll eat more nutritionally, and you'll have great leftovers for lunch the next day. To that end, we've asked our admin staff member, Elizabeth Dekle, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, to provide us with some great, simple recipes that are healthful, delicious and easy to prepare, ones that both seniors and active adults would like. So scroll down and find these suggested recipes below. We think you'll like them. And, as always we've assembled a batch of interesting articles for your review about the latest developments in the areas of health, aging and eldercare. Enjoy!
Shirley Cohen
...............................................................
Shirley Cohen is the Executive Director of Home Sweet Home Care, a full-service home care aide agency serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1990.
|
 |
|
Q & A, Ken Dychtwald, Founder and CEO of Agewave 
Popular perceptions of aging are changing, with people of all ages taking a more positive view of growing older-one of our 10 Trends for 2012. As attitudes shift, we'll redefine when "old age" occurs and what the term means. We discussed new views on aging with Ken Dychtwald, who runs the marketing consultancy AgeWave. With more than three decades in the field of gerontology, Dychtwald has developed a keen understanding of the mature marketplace and its stakeholders.
|
|
How to Know if Your Aging Parent Needs A Caregiver
 When will you know when your elderly parents need help? One thing is certain: your parents won't be the ones who tell you they need help!
Read More |
|
Coconut Oil Touted as Alzheimer's Remedy
An estimated 5.4 million people in the U.S. have  been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and that number is expected to increase exponentially as baby boomer generation enters their golden years. But for some people, coconut oil has proven to slow the progression of Alzheimer's and may have even prevented it. Read More |
A Gut-Check for Many Ailments
What you think is going on in your head may be caused in part by what's happening in your gut.
A growing body of research shows the gut affects bodily functions far beyond digestion. Studies have shown intriguing links from the gut's health to bone formation, learning and memory and even conditions including Parkinson's disease.
|
|
Kentucky Couple Married 73 Years Dies Hours Apart
We'd like to extend our condolences to the family of the Kentucky couple whose long love story warmed our hearts. Their marriage of 73 years and their deaths of natural causes on the same day should be like a beacon of hope to us all--that love can last a lifetime and that marriages can be made and continued in heaven like we assume theirs was and will be.
Read More
|
|
Recipes of the Month
Classic Winter Beef Stew
There's nothing more comforting on a foggy cold day than a hearty beef stew. My secret for the best flavor is keeping the heat low, and cooking things slowly so that the flavors have a chance to develop. 'Low and slow' will also give you tender meat and big flavor.
3 T olive oil
1 softball-sized onion, diced into medium-sized pieces
3 ribs of celery, ends trimmed and sliced into chunky ¼ inch half moons
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and diced into ¼ inch pieces
8oz button/white mushrooms, quartered
2.5 lbs of stew meat or brisket, if the piece of meat is whole, slice into ½ inch chunks
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves of garlic, pressed, or finely chopped
2 cups of water
4 cups of chicken stock (I like Swanson's Nature's Goodness - it has great flavor, no MSG, and low sodium)
In a large stock pot, heat 1.5 T of the oil over medium heat. Pick through the stew meat, cutting out gristle, fibrous pieces and any excess fat, and halving any large chunks. Season the meat with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour. Brown the meat in the oil quickly, in batches. You can add more oil for the second batch if you need to. Transfer the browned meat to a clean bowl to rest while you cook the vegetables. Don't clean the pot, but do turn the heat down to medium low.
****************
Glazed Salmon
Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which help the brain. This is a good 'fix and forget' recipe because all you really have to do is make the marinade. Just don't forget the fish in the oven!
2 4oz Salmon fillets, skin removed
1/4 cup salted butter, melted (4 Tbsp.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Whisk together all the ingredients, except the salmon. Whisk until the mixture thickens. Place the fish in a container or dish and pour the marinade on top, cover. Chill for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat your oven for 5 minutes with the broiler on low. Remove the fish from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the fish on a baking sheet or in a cast iron pan and broil on high for 8 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and the sugar has caramelized around the edges. Serve with fresh vegetables.
****************
Easy Applesauce
I love this recipe. It doubles and triples easily, keeps for about a week - if it lasts that long - and is very healthy and delicious. The fresh apples ensure great wholesome nutrition and the cinnamon is good for your heart and has a lot of antioxidants which help fight free radical cells that can cause cell deterioration.
4 medium apples, this recipes is great with braeburn and pink lady apples
¾ cup water
¼ to ½ cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Place the chopped apples into a medium sized pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples are fork-tender. With a potato masher, mash the apples, still in the remaining water. When mostly smooth, add the sugar, to taste, and then add the cinnamon.
Allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. The applesauce will keep for up to 1 week. |
|
|
Let's Get Social with Social Media
Don't forget to check out our Twitter feed (see icon below). I think you'll be amazed by how many quality articles we find and publish on all kinds of things that affect the lives of seniors. We're very pleased and proud to offer our readers this wonderful resource library and want to invite you to check it out and sign up for our RSS feed so that you can get the latest posts on your desktop.
We'd also like to invite those readers who work directly with the eldercare community to join us on LinkedIn and Facebook (see icons below) where we can all discuss issues of concern and interest to seniors and their families. While you're on the Facebook page don't hesitate to click the "Like" option to help bring our articles to the attention of more readers.
Also, feel free to call us directly by phone at 415.776.7337 if you have any input about our newsletter, want to let us know about special community events or, if you want to inquire about our home care aide services.
|
|
Home Sweet Home Care is a full-service home care aide agency which has been providing bonded and insured home care aide services in the San Francisco Bay area since 1990. We have a large pool of qualified and professional home care aides available to provide warm and caring services to seniors on a part-time, full-time, temporary or long-term basis. Our care providers are ready to assist seniors living with a wide range of conditions, including Alzheimer's, hip replacement recovery, post-op recovery, cardiac, cancer, stroke, Parkinson's, Hospice, to name a few. We also have live-ins. Call us today to find out how we can help at 1-800-286-2774 or visit our website at:homesweethomecare.com
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
