10 Ways to Have a Happy, Healthy Relationship with Food

Posted on January 25, 2016September 9, 2023 by Martin

For many people with binge eating disorder, or similar conditions, developing a happy, healthy relationship with food is incredibly difficult.

Fortunately, there are many ways to fix your relationship with food and most often, they begin by being kind with yourself and setting realistic expectations. If you’re struggling with developing a healthy relationship to food, it’s important to remember to consult your doctor accordingly. Once you’ve sought proper treatment, though, you can take a series of small, daily steps that can help transform your eating experience. If you’re struggling with food and eating, here are some simple tips to help you get to a better place:

1) Be Realistic

If you’ve developed unhealthy eating habits over the years, it’s important to remember that change doesn’t happen overnight. In order to set yourself up for success, you need to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. This helps you avoid disappointment borne from unrealistic expectations. By setting small daily goals (noticing when you feel full after lunch, for example), you can ensure that you begin your new relationship with food from a place of compassion and understanding.

2) Eat Mindfully

So much of unhealthy food relationships can be traced back to unmindful eating. More often than not, people eat alone, in their cars, in front of the television, or while doing something else like reading or typing. To do away with this, focus instead on eating mindfully.

This means sitting down to eat, eating slowly, focusing on tasting every bite, and not doing other activities like driving or watching television when you eat. Doing this can help you recognize the physical cues that tell you when you’re full and can help you lose weight naturally.

3) Focus On Moderation Rather than Blacklisting Foods

We’re human and we know that when we’re not supposed to do something, we often want it more than ever. To avoid this and foster a healthy relationship with food, focus on enjoying everything in moderation rather than forbidding certain foods.

One of the biggest steps to developing happy relationships with food is simply ensuring that you’re enjoying your favorite foods in moderation. To put this another way, if you love pasta (and there’s no medical reason you can’t eat it) enjoy it in moderation on a weekly basis rather than telling yourself you won’t eat it and then binging on it during a burst of emotional eating. This prevents you from developing dangerous food cravings and makes eating fun once more.

4) Eat Only When You’re Hungry

This seems too obvious to be true, but it’s an important tip. Many people at compulsively – meaning they eat when food is available or when other people are doing so. What’s more, some people eat more when the people around them eat larger meals. To avoid the unhealthy weight gain and blood sugar spikes this creates, focus instead on eating only when you’re physically hungry. Doing this can help you avoid emotional eating and ensure that you’re making healthy food choices.

5) Stop When You’re Full

You’ve got a plate of something delicious in front of you. It’s only natural to want to eat the entire thing, right? Unfortunately, doing this can lead to unhealthy eating patterns. Our bodies’ satiety signals start quiet and get louder and louder until they’re screaming at us.

Unfortunately, however, many people don’t notice that they’re full until they’re uncomfortably “stuffed.” To avoid this, focus instead on paying attention to your body’s signals after every bite of food and getting to a place where you’re okay with the idea of leftovers. You don’t need to clean your plate at every meal, so focus instead on stopping when you’re full. Doing this can help you maintain a healthy weight and develop healthier eating patterns.

6) Eat Breakfast

There are several unhealthy food myths flying around the universe. One of the particularly problematic ones is that skipping meals can help you lose weight and be healthier. While it’s true that not eating breakfast may help you lose weight (in a very unhealthy way), it’s also true that people who eat breakfast on a regular basis have better memories, lower cholesterol, and higher energy levels. They also typically weigh less than people who skip breakfast.

With this in mind, it’s important to begin your day with a healthy breakfast. Be sure to eat one that includes balanced levels of proteins, fats, carbs, and low sugar levels. This can help maintain your energy levels throughout the day and ensure that you avoid the dreaded mid-morning crash.

7) Make Your House a “Safe Zone”

If your pantries are stocked with junk food, it’s going to be difficult to avoid problematic cravings. For this reason, keeping your house free of problematic foods can help you avoid emotional eating patterns and develop healthier food relationships, instead.

If you’ve noticed that your house is a junk food zone, focus on cleaning your cupboards of excessively processed, sugary, or fatty foods and replacing them with healthy alternatives like nuts, dried fruits, nut butters, fruit, healthy dips like hummus, and whole-grain crackers. This simple step can help ensure that you’re not falling victim to emotional eating and that when you do need a snack, you’re reaching for healthier alternatives.

8) Pay Attention to Portions

Paying attention to portions goes hand in hand with mindful eating habits. If you sit down in front of the television with an entire bag of chips, for example, the likelihood that you’re going to overeat is much higher than it would be if you got a small handful sized portion, placed it in a bowl, and sat down to eat at the table. If you have difficulty avoiding overeating, consider purchasing snacks and treats in individual serving-sized packages (available at stores like Costco) or always serving yourself from a bowl rather than the package or bag.

9) Don’t Eat For the Scale

When you eat according to the numbers on a scale, you’re inherently depriving yourself of nutrition, healthy meals, and enjoying your food. Rather than eating for weight loss or gain, focus on eating what makes you feel good.

Your meals should be balanced, healthy, made from whole-food ingredients, and eaten in a conscious, mindful setting. Doing this helps ensure that you’re eating for the health of your body rather than for the number on the scale.

10) Allow Yourself to Enjoy Eating

One of the main traits of people who have healthy, happy relationships with food is that they allow themselves to enjoy the act of eating. All the other tips on this list aren’t worth anything if you can’t allow yourself to enjoy the act of sitting down to eat a delicious meal.

Instead of scarfing your meals, eating on the go, or grabbing something quick every time you feel a hunger pang, focus on truly making time for your meals. Give yourself at least a half hour to enjoy your lunch every day and, whenever you can, focus on making your meal times private, uninterrupted, and leisurely. Enjoying your meals in a peaceful, leisurely setting can help you avoid bingeing and can translate into better food choices.

Conclusion

While the relationship between eating and food can be difficult for many people, there are plenty of surefire ways to ensure that your relationship with eating is as healthy as possible. By following these tips, you can make better food decisions, avoid emotional binges, and set yourself up for healthy eating patterns for life.

Debunking 15 Crazy Home Care Myths and Misconceptions

Posted on January 19, 2016September 9, 2023 by Martin

How much do you know about in-home care?

While the popularity of in-home care continues to grow, many people aren’t sure exactly what home care entails or how to secure in-home services. Fortunately, these problems are easy to fix! By debunking the most common home care myths and misconceptions, you and your loved ones can ensure that you’re getting the most that home care has to offer.

15 Home Care Myths Most People Believe

Home care: it’s important, life-changing, and very, very misunderstood. These 15 myths are the most common that surround the home care industry. Here’s what you need to know about them:

1) Home care is only for very sick people

While home care can certainly be helpful for terminally ill people, not all home care recipients are very ill. In fact, there are two very distinct types of home care services: medical and non-medical care. Medical care is often utilized by people who are recovering from an illness or injury or for people who need help coping with chronic conditions.

Non-medical care, on the other hand, offers help with activities of daily living (ADLs) like eating, bathing, personal care, and transportation. Non-medical home care aides may help their clients shop, prepare meals, clean, or complete housework. In some cases, non-medical home care simply provides companionship, which can be helpful in avoiding depressive symptoms and elevating an individual’s mood.

2) Home care is very expensive

For families that have never utilized home care, the thought can be intimidating. Many people believe that hiring an in-home care aide will be far too expensive, but fortunately they’re wrong! According to a 2010 survey conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care Network, the average family overestimates the cost of hiring a non-medical home care aide by about $6 an hour.

This means that hiring in-home care is actually far more affordable than most people believe. In stark contrast, Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey from 2011 states that the price of a private room in a nursing facility has jumped about 3.4% – to a total of more than $77,745 annually! With those numbers in mind, it’s clear that hiring in-home care may actually be more affordable than a nursing home.

3) Caregivers aren’t trustworthy

Any reputable in-home care service provider will do its absolute best to match seniors to caregivers who display similar interests and personalities. Additionally, most caregivers are required to pass measures like background and competency tests before interacting with clients. This helps ensure that the senior is matched with a quality caregiver that can meet the senior’s needs while also being trustworthy and reliable.

4) Home care is for people who lack independence

Hiring an in-home care aide doesn’t mean sacrificing your independence! In fact, in many cases, the introduction of an in-home care aide can actually help an individual maintain independence. By handling things that may be difficult, like cooking and cleaning, an in-home care aide can help make daily life easier and support the senior’s efforts to live independently for as long as possible.

Additionally, in-home caregivers can help clients maintain independence by preventing common nonfatal injuries like falls and fractures, which the CDC reports are the leading cause of injury death among those 65 and older.

5) In-home care is basically adult babysitting

Think again! While many seniors worry that hiring an in-home caregiver means having a watchful and disproving attendant around at all times, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In many cases, seniors form strong bonds with their in-home caregivers, which creates an environment of fun and closeness every time the caregiver visits.

6) Home care isn’t helpful for people with low or moderate needs

If you only need help conducting your shopping, but you can manage your housework and personal care just fine, don’t write off home care just yet. Home care is a widely varied market and there are professionals available to help you, regardless of what your needs may be. Whether you need an hour or 40 hours of help each week, you can find a caregiver that will provide this for you.

7) I don’t need home care – my family is already helping

As you age and your needs become more pronounced, the burden on friends and family can quickly become overwhelming. Hiring an in-home caregiver can allow your family and friends to participate in your care without stretching themselves too thin. The introduction of an in-home care aide ensures quality care, relief for family and friends, and a balanced care plan for everyone involved.

8) Home care is only for seniors

Just like home care isn’t only for people with limiting illnesses or disabilities, it’s not only for seniors. Home care is often utilized by parents with newborns or people recovering from surgical procedures. Home health care can be individualized to fit your unique needs, so you’ll always have access to a provider that can give you exactly what you need for your unique situation.

9) Home care is dangerous

While we certainly don’t recommend undergoing surgery at home, home care aides are trained professionals. If you require in-home medical care, you’ll be matched with a medical caregiver who can help administer a plan of care that is safe and medically sound.

For individuals who need high levels of in-home care, it’s often possible to secure the assistance of an in-home RN or other highly trained medical personnel. This ensures that your in-home care is just as safe as it would be in a hospital.

10) Seniors who need 24/7 care aren’t qualified for home care

Again, home care is highly individualized. This means that clients who need high levels of home care can find providers to offer it while those who need lower levels of home care will be matched accordingly. Home care agencies often put together 24/7 care teams and can work with you to ensure that you get exactly the services you need.

11) Home care doesn’t accommodate long-term needs

For seniors or other individuals with long-term care needs, home care can be a fantastic option. By matching the individual in need with a qualified individual or team of in-home caregivers, it’s easy for in-home care to accommodate long-term care needs.

12) The client has no say over who the in-home caregiver is

Just like all things, it’s possible that finding an ideal in-home caregiver may take some experimentation, but you as the client always have the final say. If you find that a caregiver and you don’t get along well, that you don’t trust or feel comfortable with the caregiver, or that the caregiver isn’t meeting your needs, you always have the option to replace the caregiver with one who works better. This ensures that you always find a great in-home care match and that you’re satisfied with your in-home services.

13) An in-home caregiver will replace the role of my friends and family

While an in-home caregiver can certainly provide a much-needed break for friends and family, it’s untrue that the presence of in-home care will replace the importance of friends and family. An in-home caregiver can supplement the care your friends and family provide, while at the same time deferring to the care preferences that you and your family agree upon.

14) An in-home caregiver will take over my loved one’s care plan

In-home caregivers are ideal for providing an extra set of hands and some medical expertise. Aside from that, however, they don’t dominate the in-home care situation. Depending upon the need of the client, an in-home caregiver will work with the client and his or her family to develop a care plan that meets the client’s needs while also working closely with the family and the client to ensure that the family feels involved to their desired level. This helps ensure an active role in the care of a loved one and prevents an in-home caregiver from providing more services than are needed or wanted.

15) In-home caregivers don’t care about their clients

While it’s important to hire a reputable in-home caregiver from a reputable home care agency, most caregivers enter the business specifically because they care about clients and want to do everything in their power to serve them.

When the match between a caregiver and a client is good, caregivers and clients often become friends. Most caregivers care deeply about their clients and will do everything in their power to help their clients feel happy, healthy, and independent.

The Case for in-Home Care

As long as people need personalized, individualized services, the popularity of in-home care will continue to grow. In order for this to happen, however, it’s important that we dispel the most common myths that surround home care. From its target population to its use for younger individuals, it’s important to know exactly what home care is and isn’t in order to use in-home care services as effectively as possible.

15 Habits of Perpetually Positive and Happy People

Posted on January 13, 2016September 9, 2023 by Martin

Have you ever looked around and wondered why some people are so happy while others seem down, depressed, or sad? It’s easy to envy very happy people or to go so far as thinking that, somehow, that person is better than you are. Fortunately, this is never the case.

Instead, happy people simply practice a series of habits and tricks that allow them to live with a perpetual smile on their face. Happiness, like sadness, is a learned behavior and happy people generally do these things:

1. They Practice Gratitude

Being grateful has been scientifically proven to make you a happier person. When a person practices gratitude by doing something like keeping a gratitude journal or simply focusing on the good rather than the negative parts of his or her life, they are generally happier, less anxious, and more optimistic.

According to one University of California study, people who wrote about the things they were grateful each day had fewer doctor visits and a higher level of physical activity than their counterparts. This just goes to show that something as simple as being thankful for the little things can have a marked effect on your health.

To bring this into your life, try keeping a gratitude journal. Get a small notebook and keep it somewhere it’s always reachable and within view. When you wake up, take a second to jot down 2-3 things you’re grateful for. When you go to sleep that night, do the same thing. This helps you shift your mind into a frame of thankfulness and creates a more positive attitude over time.

2. They Nourish Their Bodies

Poor diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies, which can quickly lead to conditions like depression, weight gain, anxiety, and diabetes. One of the most notable traits of happy people is that they take the time needed every day to eat healthy, well-balanced meals. It’s hard to feel happy and optimistic if your body feels poor or if you’re wrestling with nutritionally-caused mood disorders.

Fortunately, it’s easy to route around these things by focusing on feeding yourself well each day. Try to get adequate servings of whole grain, fruits, vegetables, fiber, and protein at every meal. While this tip may seem simple, it goes a long way toward making you feel better on a daily basis

3. They Give Back

Volunteering for a cause you believe in has been shown to do everything from increasing self-confidence and providing a sense of purpose to combating depression and helping you stay physically and mentally healthy. As a general rule, happy, positive people commit themselves to a regular volunteer schedule. Whether it’s a church, community organization, or independent group, volunteering can have huge effects on your overall happiness and well-being.

So, offer to dish up soup at the community café, deliver food to a women’s shelter, read to children at the library, or pick up trash in your community. In addition to making the community you live in a better, stronger place, volunteering also helps you build social connections, see the good in people, and focus on the things that make you happy.

4. They Exercise

Exercise is the holy grail of happiness and health. Combined with a good diet, exercise has the potential to fend off degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s while also combating obesity, depression, and social isolation. Because of this, happy people tend to exercise as a force of habit. Whether you like to walk, bike, swim, or do yoga, committing to regular exercise can help make you a happier, healthier person.

5. Happy People Commit Random Acts of Kindness

Imagine if you were standing in line at the grocery store and the person in front of you bought someone else’s groceries for them. Wouldn’t that make you feel good? Happy people generally have one thing in common: they enjoy doing good and they strive to make it part of their daily routine.

Whether you choose to pick up an abandoned pop can on the street or surprise a friend in need with a bouquet of flowers, small, simple acts of kindness can help you feel more positive and develop a happier outlook on life.

6. They Don’t Dwell On The Past

While everyone has a past, not everyone lives in their past. Happy people display one thing that’s quite different from their unhappy counterparts. Unlike unhappy people, happy people rarely dwell on their pasts and, instead, are content to focus on living in the here and now. This minimizes regret and grudges and creates space for happy people to notice all of the good things that are happening around them on a daily basis.

7. They Have Goals

According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, having clearly defined goals is one of the most important factors in creating a happy, healthy life. Whey you set a goal and then see yourself making progress toward it, you give yourself an instant boost of self-confidence, happiness, and achievement while also suppressing negative emotions.

To make goal-setting more present in your life, aim to set small weekly goals and then work toward them. You could, for example, aim to read 50 pages of your new book this week or attend a painting class you’ve always wondered about. While these things may be simple, they’re important for developing a happy, healthy mindset.

8. They Have A Social Circle

Friendships can’t be underestimated when it comes to our happiness. Friends lift us up, support us when we’re down, and offer laughs, good times, and hand-holding throughout life. In fact, having great friends is so important that doubling the number of friends you have creates a happiness boost that’s much like increasing your income by 50%. Nurturing your social relationships translates into happier, healthier connections and a more fulfilling life.

9. They Do What They Enjoy

Think about artists for a moment: while they generally don’t make much money, most of them would describe themselves as being very happy. Why is this? More likely than not, it’s because they get a chance to do what they enjoy every single day. To make this more prevalent in your life, seek to make time on a daily basis to follow your passions. Whether you love to paint, read, play music, or go for long walks in the woods, you need to carve out time every day to do these things in order to safeguard your happiness.

10. They Know That Money Isn’t Everything

Multiple studies have shown that, once a person’s basic needs for food, clothing, medical care, and shelter are met, making more money doesn’t have a marked effect on happiness. In fact, research has shown that chasing more money and more possessions often make people less happy. That said, focus on being grateful for what you have now and increasing the quality of life you live on a daily basis. Doing this rather than wishing you always had more is a great way to kick start your happiness.

11. They Say “Sorry”

Holding grudges isn’t good for anyone and, when you examine happy people closely, you’ll soon find that all of them are willing to put their negative feelings aside, own their mistakes, and move forward. To be happier on a daily basis, focus on apologizing when you need to, forgiving other people, and moving past conflict.

12. They Try New Things

Life is impermanent and happy people are able to adapt to that truth. This often means trying new things, meeting new friends, going new places, and not being afraid to step outside of the box. This approach, while simple, can go a long way toward making you a happier, healthier human being.

13. They Know What They Want

Happy people know what they want and they aren’t afraid to do what they need to do to get it. Whether it’s a new skill, a deeper connection, or a fun tradition, happy people are capable of creating things for themselves, by themselves.

14. They Count The Good, Even In Bad Situations

Into every life, a little rain must fall and, when it does, happy people understand that suffering is neither permanent nor is it the end-all of everything good. Instead, happy people know that even though life gets hard at times, things always turn around and that even when the sky looks gray, there’s a silver lining somewhere.

15. Their Lives Have Meaning

It’s impossible to be happy without a feeling of meaning in your life. Whether your church, family, or volunteer work gives you meaning, it’s important to identify the things that give you a sense of purpose and hold onto them tightly. Doing this can help you feel stronger, happier, and more resilient at every stage of life.

Conclusion

There you have it – happy people aren’t better; they just practice a series of specific things that allow them to see the world differently. By bringing these things into your life, you, too, can produce happiness and a sense of overall well-being.