Thursday, November 14, 2013

Foods that keep you happy

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.


Here is information on being the best 
caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Buzzle
 
10 Foods that Keep You Happy

Chocolate
One of my favorite anti-stress foods. I think everyone in this world loves chocolates. People are just looking for excuses to have a bite. Chocolates contain anadamine, a chemical that makes us cheerful. Scientists believe that other components in chocolate help anadamine to stay longer in the brain. The sugar content boosts our levels of glucose and endorphins (another hormone which makes us happy). Don't have chocolate in excess though.

Salmon
Salmon fish is a sea of omega-3 essential fatty acids which are regarded as one of the top antidepressants in the world. No one is quite sure how it works. But according to a recent research it has been found out that, people who consume omega-3 fatty acids daily, are always in a good mood than others. Other fish which have similar effects like salmon are mackerel, eel, and tuna. All of these are also known to fight symptoms of depression, persistent pessimism and erectile dysfunction.

Bananas
I have always heard the phrase the "mighty banana" from my mother and trust me, it is. Banana has tryptophan, a protein when consumed is converted into serotonin by the body. Most of us know that serotonin is directly associated with cheerfulness. Bananas also contains carbohydrates and high levels of potassium which are good for our body. Health experts believe that banana is one of the most healthiest foods. So, include a banana in your daily diet.

Rice, Bread, Noodles or Pasta
Carbohydrates, a favorite with many. Following all these low carb diets will make you thin, but trust me they are going to pull the life out of you. Eating carbohydrates increases serotonin levels in our body which has a calming effect. Choose healthier carbohydrates like brown rice, noodles, wheat bread and vegetables. These are some of the few healthy foods that fill you up.

Bake Potato
Heat one of these high energy potatoes and it will improve your concentration to a high extent. Have baked potato with salsa and low sodium salt. This is a great snack before going for a heavy workout. It gives you the energy that lasts.

Beans and Soybeans
Beans are filled with soluble fiber, folic acid and omega-3 fats, these three ingredients work best to make your mood cheerful. Beans are also an excellent source of iron and calcium which increases the number of blood cells in the body. Soy products contain genistein which helps in preventing prostate and breast cancer. You can also have soy milk and taho, they are also excellent sources of fiber which keep you healthy and happy.

Fresh Peas
Yes fresh green peas are also one of the healthy foods that make you happy. Peas contain high amounts of folate, a nutrient which helps body to produce serotonin. You can buy fresh frozen peas for your food, but avoid the canned ones as they have a minimal quantity of nutrients left. Peas are very easily included in salads and various other gravies.

Milk or Skim Milk
Milk and milk products are rich in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid which is needed by our brain to develop serotonin which helps us stay calm and cheerful. Milk also contains antioxidants, vitamin D and vitamin B12 that helps us brain to fight stress and old age. You can also go for skimmed milk, it makes you happy and is rich in calcium.

Spinach
It's Popeye's favorite food. So, if you want to be strong and powerful like Popeye, have spinach. It is rich in folic acid which helps body to make serotonin which gives your body a feel good factor. Most kids don't like it but it's very necessary that spinach becomes a part of their diet. Eat a cup of cooked spinach to help you feel strong and full of positivity to face the world.

Blueberries
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which are also well-known stress busters. Antioxidants help eliminate free radicals (toxins) which keep moving in our body. These free radicals cause us to age faster and harm our internal organs. Blueberries are packed with fiber which aids in good digestion. Some scientists also believe that blueberries and strawberries also prevent cancer.

So, these were some of the healthy foods that make you happy. If you really want to find healthy foods that keep you happy, then you must stop focusing on junk food and eat such healthy foods that enlighten your mind and make your day bright. Believe me, the above mentioned foods can cheer you up. Just add them to your daily diet and you will see the effects in a short span of time

Friday, November 8, 2013

Are you from a happy state


Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition

What is this all about?, you ask.Be sure to read the January 2014 edition of Activity Director Today

In December 2005, we requested proclamations for the 5th Annual Hunt for Happiness Week, Jan. 15 – 21, 2006, from 46 governors. We did not have Happy Proclamation Coordinators in Arkansas, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont.
If you didn’t like your governor’s response, feel free to tell them. And, if you are happy with your governor’s response, please tell them! (That’s what the Society is all about). If we don’t get a proclamation this year, we’ll ask again next year.
“Happy Governors (proclamation issued)Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell  (See the proclamation)
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
Maine Gov. John Baldacci
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman   (See a picture)
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski   (Text of proclamation)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry
Unhappy Governors (no proclamation issued)Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer
North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen
No Response YetAlabama Gov. Bob Riley
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens
Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue
Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle
Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack
Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco
Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr.
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt RoomeyMississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (601) 359-3150Nevada Gov. Kenny GuinnNew Hampshire Gov. John LynchNew Jersey Gov. Richard J. CodeyNew York Gov. George E. Pataki
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven
Ohio Gov. Bob Taft
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner(804) 786-2211
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Other Mitten Stories and Ideas



Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition

The Old Man's Mitten
 
The old man’s mitten   A story from Latvia Translated in English by Pērses pamatskola, Koknese ,Latvia   
 
 It was cold winter. An old man wanted to go to the forest to get wood. Suddenly the old man wanted to light his pipe. Whilst he was searching for tobacco and a cigarette-lighter, he lost one mitten. A fly that was running away from the frost, noticed the mitten and ran inside it. She was happy and started to dance.   A mouse that was running from the frost, ran to the mitten and asked: “ Who dances in the mitten ? “I - the queen of the flies. But who are you?” “I am a mouse-pepper. Allow me to warm myself.” “Crawl in and get warm!” The mouse crawled in the mitten. Both the mouse and the fly started to dance. A hare that was running away from the frost, noticed the mitten, ran to it and asked. “Who dances in the mitten?” “I - the queen of the flies and the mouse-pepper. But who are you?” “ I am a hare – white tail. Allow me to warm myself.” “OK, crawl in and get warm!” The hare crawled in the glove and all the three began to dance.
A wolf that was running from the frost ran to the mitten and asked: “Who dances in the mitten?” “I - the queen of the flies, the mouse-pepper and the hare – white tail. But who are you?” “I am a wolf – snappy ear. Allow me to warm myself.’’ “OK, crawl in and get warm!” The wolf crawled in the mitten and all the four begin to dance. A bear that was running from the frost, ran to the mitten and asked: “Who dances in the mitten?” “I - the queen of the flies, the mouse-pepper, and the hare – white tail and the wolf – snappy ear. But who are you?” “I am the big shaggy-haired bear. Allow me to warm myself.” “OK, crawl in and get warm!” The bear crawled in the mitten and all the five begin to dance. Suddenly a cock arrived and sang “Kikerigu, let’s run!” The dancers got scared and everybody began to force their way out of the mitten. The fly left for the king’s palace, the mouse to the cellar of potatoes, the hare – to the oats, the wolf – to the bushes, the bear – to the wood. While they were running, they tore the old man’s mitten. And so to this day the old man walks with one mitten.
 
A Mitten Song
 
 
The Mitten in the Snow Song
Tune: The Farmer in the Dell
This is the order of the animals in Jan Brett's version of the book:
A mole is the first to discover the mitten and crawls inside, followed by
a snowshoe rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, a bear and, finally a mouse.
The mouse causes the bear to sneeze; the mitten and all its occupants go flying.


The mitten in the snow
The mitten in the snow
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A mole squeezes in
A mole squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A rabbit squeezes in
A rabbit squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A hedgehog squeezes in
A hedgehog squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


An owl squeezes in
An owl squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A badger squeezes in
A badger squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A fox squeezes in
A fox squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A bear squeezes in
A bear squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.


A mouse squeezes in
A mouse squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

"A-choo"
The bear says, "A-choo!"
The bear says, "A-choo!"
All the animals fly out of
The mitten in the snow!
 
 
 
 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Another fishing game for those with dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Get your subscription to Activity Director Today's e magazine

Materials

Construction paper
Scissors
Pen, crayon, or marker
box, pot, or other container to be the fishing pond

Directions

Cut fish shapes out of colored construction paper.
On each fish write a different instruction: "Find something red"; "Count to ten"; "Touch your face"; "Sing a song"; "Shake your neighbor's hand"and so on.

Place the fish in a box or container and let each participant pick one fish at a time.

You or he read the instruction and have him perform it. You may want to do some of the things with the whole group depending on the skill level of the participants and the commands you have written.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Name That Tune for those with dementia



Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.


Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Go to Alzheimer's Care Guide Magazine

or Activity Director Today e magazine

Sarah’s Favorite Songs
You can also do an internet search for song titles, purchase a song book, or get song suggestions from your potential audience on another occasion. 

Monday, May 13, 2013

How did your Mother's day go?

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two



Activities directors, other healthcare professionals and caregivers, here are some pictures from our Mother'd Day event


We enjoy good food and conversation while the piano player plays music we love

We have a resident choral group. They always perform on Mother's Day at a tea for residents and their families

WHAT A GREAT START TO NATIONAL NURSING HOME WEEK!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Are you celebrating National Nurses Week


Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,


Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two





Fur the sake of teamwork in a long term care setting, celebrate National Nurses Week 2013

Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Visit the NNW History page, part of the NNW Media Kit.

Start Date: 5/6/2013 12:00:00 AM
End Date: 5/12/2013 12:00:00 AM
Location: May 6-12
Event URL:
Learn More... Official online NNW Catalog
Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers. As nurses, we work in emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters, to name a few. We have many roles – from staff nurse to educator to nurse practitioner and nurse researcher – and serve all of them with passion for the profession and with a strong commitment to patient safety.


Background
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Visit the NNW


History page, part of the NNW Media Kit. The National Nurses Week logo is developed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) to help celebrate nurses and all that they do. ANA does trademark this logo but allows facilities to use it in their own celebrations.