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Easy Summer Pool Exercises7/26/2022  Aquatic Exercises Anybody Can Do There are many reasons people give up on exercise, including arthritis, joint pain, recovery from surgery and illness, weight gain, boredom, and more. But aquatic exercises can help with all of that. Exercising in the water takes the weight off hurting muscles and joints, making exercises less uncomfortable. The hydrostatic pressure “pushes” against your body, lowering the heart rate and helping blood circulate more efficiently. Aquatic workouts also help to improve the range of motion and balance so they can be very beneficial to everyday functioning and reducing falls. And water resistance actually makes any exercise harder than doing it on land, resulting in faster development of muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility – all while having fun. Here are some tips:
Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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Why you feel what you eat7/19/2022  A recent article in AARP points out that your gut has an important connection to your brain function. Perhaps the saying “you are what you eat” should really be “you feel what you eat.” Officially called the enteric nervous system (ENS), layers of nerve cells that line the gastrointestinal tract send electrical signals to your brain and back. This is how your brain knows you are hungry, feeling good, stressed, or depressed. In fact, your digestive tract may manufacture as much as 90 percent of the body's serotonin, the feel-good hormone that regulates mood! The following foods can help fuel the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) that help to keep your gut-brain connection healthy. Yogurt – Many people eat yogurt for the probiotic benefit, and a recent UCLA study found evidence that yogurt might actually affect the way the brain responds to the environment as well. Cold Cooked Potatoes – Potatoes are typically avoided because they are high in the starch that digests quickly, causing blood pressure and insulin to surge and then dip. But cooking and chilling potatoes changes the starch into “resistant starch,” passing it to the colon undigested and, once there, serving as a prebiotic (roughage) that feeds the healthy bacteria living in the gut. Even so, if you are dieting eat cold potatoes sparingly and no cheating – the potatoes must be chilled after cooking, with no butter added. Tip: they make a great addition to salads. Onions, Leeks & Garlic – These members of the allium family are some of the best sources of a soluble fiber called oligofructose, a natural source of “inulin”. Studies show that inulin stimulates the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. To activate their health-promoting compounds, allow chopped onions, minced garlic, or sliced leeks to rest for a few minutes before you cook them or add them to other ingredients. Sauerkraut – Have you heard? Tangy pickled cabbage (sauerkraut), kimchi, and sour pickles are a great way to restore healthy gut bacteria after taking a course of antibiotics. Antibiotics are designed to wipe out illness-causing bacteria, and so often cause gastrointestinal stress. These foods contain live bacteria that can help repopulate the gut with healthy bacteria and enzymes that are easy on the gut and help the body absorb some nutrients more readily. Look for fermented vegetables that are refrigerated, not shelf-stable, canned or bottled products, which have been preserved using vinegar rather than being naturally fermented. Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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Help for Caregivers7/12/2022  According to the "Caregiving in the U.S. 2020"* report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, about 53 million Americans are serving as a caregiver for a loved one, and around 6 in 10 of them are also working part-time or full-time jobs. Obviously, this is stressful, and caregivers often experience health problems of their own, including depression and physical exhaustion. In addition, caregiving reduces the time available for stress-relieving activities, like socializing and exercising. Caregivers need a break. Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is pleased to offer an array of caregiver support programs for residents of Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Somerset, and Passaic Counties, including some that are free of charge. Designed to help caregivers care for themselves while also caring for loved ones, these programs may include patient care education, assistance by Certified Home Health Aides, volunteer visits for companionship, grocery shopping, and even short-term live-in assistance. Program services, availability, and compensation varies by county. Contact VNA for more information or call 1-800-WE VISIT (1-800-938-4748). *AARP, What to know about employee benefits and the law, Updated January 27, 2022 Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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Safer Sunscreens for Summer7/5/2022  There are two basic types of sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin and absorb ultraviolet light. Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sunscreens are called mineral or physical sunscreens because they stay on top of your skin and deflect UVA and UVB rays. A recent clinical study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency found that some commonly used sunscreen chemicals can seep through your skin and into your bloodstream. The study found that even after a single application, the chemicals remain in your body for an extended period. The FDA did not say that these chemical ingredients are necessarily harmful to your health but some are under review in the US and are already banned in Europe. Oxybenzone, in particular, has been shown to cause allergic reactions and some studies have linked it to hormone problems, and some cancers. In addition, chemicals that dissolve in water sources like rivers, lakes, and the ocean, can be extremely harmful to aquatic life. There are safer sunscreen alternatives For those with sensitive skin, mineral or physical sunscreens cause fewer skin reactions because they don't get absorbed by your skin. Some people don’t like mineral sunscreens because they can leave a white film on your skin, but some brands have new formulas that use tiny micronized particles or skin-tone tints to reduce the appearance of the sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens are also believed to be a better choice for the environment. But if you do purchase a chemical sunscreen check the ingredients to be sure they don’t contain oxybenzone or octinoxate — these are the chemicals most detrimental to marine life (and possibly you). Why “SPF 30” and “Broad Spectrum” are important UVA rays form 95% of the UV (ultraviolet) radiation which reaches the earth. UVA rays are the concern in forming some types of skin cancers. UVB rays have a shorter wavelength that can only reach the outer layer of your skin called the epidermis. SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a measure of a product’s ability to protect you from the sun’s UVB rays that cause sunburn. Dermatologists recommend an SPF of 30 or higher, which blocks 97 percent of UVB rays. An SPF of more than 30 isn’t really going to add much more protection. Be sure to look for “broad spectrum” in addition to SPF 30, which is a better indicator that the sunscreen will also help protect you from the UVA rays which cause wrinkles and aging. Get regular skin checkups No matter how careful you are about using sunscreen, everyone is at risk for skin cancer and early detection is your best defense. So be sure to schedule a yearly skin check-up with your dermatologist IN ADDITION to daily use of your favorite mineral sunscreen. Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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