Tag: family member

Once a Month Cooking

If you are like most moms around the earth, there never seems to be enough time or energy at the end of immensely days to prepare the nice home cooked meal you would passion to have ready mythical for your familiar. Unfortunately, cooking a good family meal requires both time and energy. A few wise moms have discovered a concept that has become known as once a month or freezer cooking to assist in those nights when time, energy, or both are in short supply.

The thought behind once a month cooking is that for one or two days ( if you prefer to spread the process out over a couple of shorter days rather than one long day of cooking ) of intense culinary effort your family can dine right for an entire month. Many women who have tried this have also discovered that not only does it help by always having something nice and familiar cooked for dinner, but also helps families stay within budget.

Far too many mothers will guiltily raise their hands when asked whether or not theyve ever resorted to fast food or junk food meals simply because they were too tired to cook or were missing one ingredient for a meal and did not feel up to running to the grocery store in order to pick up the missing ingredient. This practice can get inestimable over time and rob your family of some well – earned pleasant money.

There are some important things you must keep in mind if you are being once a month cooking as a way of life for your family. The first thing you need to keep in consciousness is that planning is the key. You bequeath need to set aside a day ( or two ) for the cooking when nothing else is on the calendar. It is simply too difficult to see to all the details if you are planning your cooking event around car pools, soccer games, or dance practices. You need a full day that will be relatively uninterrupted. If you keep a spouse, partner, or family member that can take the children for the day this will be the ideal situation. Otherwise be sure to have plenty of distractions on hand for the little ones or find a street to indenture their help with any chilled, chopping, slicing, dicing, or peeling that may need to be done.

You should also create a thorough entree followed by a list of each and every ingredient you will need. Shopping needs to be done on a date other than when you are planning to cook. This means that you arent likely to rush through the shopping trip and forget something whereas a result. Bring your menu and your list and bend everything you need in one trip whenever possible. You can also save money by planning your meals for the month according to the sales circulars and coupons you posses for the week in order to stretch your budget a little further.

Finally, you need to make sure that you have all the supplies, dishes, and containers you need in order to prepare and store the meals youve prepared properly. You should also make sure that the recipes you are using for your once a month cooking marathon are recipes that freeze well. It is even choice if you have recipes that coupled well therefrom that you can get twice the results from the identical effort.

You should further make sure you are mentally prepared for your marathon cooking session. Beginning with a nice and tidy kitchen is a great opening. Folding card tables make an excellent flat surface for storing things out of the way and freeing up valuable counter space for preparing and assembling the foods that will be prepared. You should also utilize as many appliances in your kitchen as possible for maximum efficiency. Dont limit all cooking to the oven. Find dishes that freeze well and can be prepared in the crock pot or on the range top. Once a month cooking is a challenge but many women will engage it is well worth the effort on those nights when the attention of cooking seems unbearable and the wallet has been stretched to its limit.

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Narcolepsy – A Rare Sleep Disorder

Narcolepsy, a relatively rare sleep disorder, causes people to fall asleep when they do not want to. This is caused by a neurological disorder. The brain sends signals to the body that are sleep inducing; however, they are sent at inappropriate and unpredictable times. Often it happens when a person is involved in a quiet activity, such as watching a movie or during a meeting. Sometimes a person with this sleep disorder falls asleep while driving, which is obviously extremely dangerous. Others fall asleep while they are eating or talking. The overwhelming need to sleep can come at any hour of the day during any activity.

People suffering with narcolepsy often do not realize how sleepy they are, nor how often they fall asleep. It is often a family member, friend or coworker that convinces them that they need to seek medical help for their sleep disorder.

Narcolepsy has five main symptoms. These are excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia and fragmented sleep, sleep paralysis, cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. Some people with this sleep disorder experience only one symptom but others can experience all five.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is generally the first symptom to appear. Everyone with narcolepsy has this symptom. The feeling of needing to sleep is so strong that sufferers are unable to fend it off, regardless of how hard they try. These sleep attacks, as they are usually called, can happen several times and last for five to ten minutes.

Insomnia and fragmented sleep are a very common symptom of this sleep disorder. People with narcolepsey often have a very difficult time falling asleep at night, even though they fall asleep easily throughout the day. When they do fall asleep at night they wake up often and do not follow a typical REM / non REM sleep pattern.

Sleep paralysis occurs in about half of the people that suffer from this sleep disorder. For several minutes before falling to sleep or waking up, the person with this symptom cannot talk or move.

The loss of muscle function while awake is cataplexy. These episodes are usually very short in length. Over half of the people with narcolepsy experience this symptom of this sleep disorder. They are caused by a part of REM not functioning correctly. Often, episodes are brought on by anger, laughter or any other strong emotion. Sometimes knees buckle, necks and jaws become weak or the person may fall to the ground. Even though the person looks like they are asleep and cannot talk, they are fully awake and aware of what is happening.

A hypnagogic hallucination is experiencing very vivid and often frightening sounds, images or physical sensations. These occur from dreams just before the person is falling asleep or waking up. It is very difficult for a person with this sleep disorder to distinguish between the dream and reality. These hallucinations often have very dangerous themes and are extremely frightening. Often they are accompanied by sleep paralysis.

There are also several lesser symptoms of narcolepsy. These include blurred vision, migraine headaches, memory or concentration problems and automatic behavior. An apostate of automatic behavior can last for several minutes. During that time a person with this sleep disorder will perform a routine task. The task is often done incorrectly, such as placing a turkey in the dishwasher or writing past the end of a page.

Narcolepsy can be diagnosed and treated with various drugs. If left untreated this sleep disorder can ruin a person’s life.

Depression And The Elderly

The elderly face many more challenges than their younger counterparts. They are at an age where death is almost expected whether it is reading about a friend in the paper or losing a family member. They also face more health problems. These factors can often lead to depression if older people do not have the appropriate support systems in place. Depression does not have to happen and it is not part of aging. However it can happen and it will prevent an elderly person from living a full life as they are more likely to withdraw into themselves and their memories.

The biggest thing a family can do for their elderly parent or relative is to learn to distinguish between the symptoms of depression and of grief. Grief occurs much more frequently for the elderly as they are more likely to lose loved ones, their health, their mobility, their freedoms, and their careers. Doctors know grief is painful and can last a long time sometimes even weeks. It is when these weeks start to turn in to months and the grievers behaviors start to change that is cause for concern.

Depression in the elderly is more likely to go unchecked and untreated than in any other age group. Often relatives do not visit as often so do not notice how long the person has been feeling sad. Some assume feeling sad is part of aging, although that could not be further from the truth. Even doctors are often more concerned about the physical well-being of their patients rather than their emotion state. The consequences of these inactions are cause for serious concern. Depressed elderly individuals are at a higher risk for alcohol and drug abuse, illness, and suicide. Their relatives need to be able to discern when a person is depressed and to watch out for the warning signs.

Warning signs for depression in the elderly can be isolation, extreme sadness, loss of interest in hobbies, weight loss, difficulties sleeping, feelings of being a burden to their family, lack of personal hygiene, even possible suicide attempts. Sometimes the signs are harder to see as the depressed elderly individual may not even feel sad. It may be that they are constantly worrying, wringing their hands, complaining more than usual, experiencing more aches and pains than before, pacing in the home, or even generally lacking energy. These are all signs of depression that relatives should be on the lookout for so they can help the elderly seek the treatment they need and deserve.

Treatment is available and necessary. As the general population of Americans age, the once-called baby boomers are now turning into our elderly. The population of elderly is steadily increasing at rates never before seen. It is essential for families and relatives to pull together to help keep an eye on our older loved ones. Perhaps it is as simple as inviting a parent, grand-parent, or elderly aunt over for supper. Perhaps it is getting involved at the local recreation center and organizing activities for the elderly. Perhaps it is watching over older family members more closely to make sure they are eating properly and taking their medications on time. Whatever we choose to do, it is our responsibility as the younger generation to look after our elders.

How to Lessen Your Fear of Going to the Chiropractor

How to Lessen Your Fear of Going to the Chiropractor

Do you need to seek pain relief from a chiropractor? If this is your first time seeking chiropractic care, you may be both excited and overwhelmed. You want a pain-free life, but any new medical treatment is scary. You have nothing to fear about this natural healthcare, but it may be difficult to stop your mind from wandering. So, how can you lessen your fear of going to the chiropractor?

Know that they are real medical professionals. It is widely accepted now, but in the past it was touted as a form of alterative medicine. These are real medical professionals, just like your primary care physician. They just specialize in all-natural pain relief with manual therapy. Someone cannot just wake up and decide to be a chiropractor. Years of schooling, training, and testing is required.

Think about the pain. Most experts suggest not concentrating on pain. For many, it just makes the pain worse. You want to think about the pain. Think about it a lot. Consider where it hurts, how much it hurts, and how it is negatively influencing your life. Does your neck pain prevent you from playing with your kids or enjoying a game of golf? Once again, focus on your pain and the limitations it imposes.

Next, think about the relief. You just realized how your pain is influencing your life and it is never good. Now, focus on the relief. What would you do if you didnt feel pain? You would feel less depression, be able to play with your kids, and enjoy some of your favorite hobbies. A life without pain sounds nice doesnt it? You have no reason to fear a chiropractor, but focus on your life without pain. It should give you that extra push you need to attend your appointment and with confidence.

Ask those you know about their experiences. Chances are, you know at least one person who has undergone chiropractic care. Talk to them. Whether it be a family member, friend, neighbor, or coworker, ask about their experiences. What type of treatment did they undergo? Ask them to explain in detail. Ask about pain. Did they feel any during treatment and did the pain subside afterwards? If your acquaintance has nothing but good things to say about a certain chiropractor, consider seeking treatment from that same practitioner.

Ask to meet with the doctor beforehand. One of the fears people have isnt necessarily related to the practice of chiropractic, but their new provider. It is always nerve-racking meeting with a new medical professional. You are entrusting that person with your life and to cure your pain. A positive working relationship is a must. See if you can meet with your new chiropractor before your first appointment, even if just for five minutes. Gauge their personality and their passion. Pickup forms while there, so you can fill them out at home and not in the waiting room at your first appointment.

While at your appointment, ask questions. With primary care physicians, some patients are so worked up about the blood-drawing needle that they dont even know why samples are taken. Dont let this happen to you. Ask your chiropractor to explain each action. It will ease your fears, as you are not unaware or left wondering. You always know what is going on.

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