PT 360 - October 2021

PT 360 - October 2021

Getting you back to the life you want to live.

360

OCTOBER 2021

In Touch

TO PARTY OR NOT TO PARTY! It’s October again! Having a late September birthday with a kiddo who has an early October birthday means mine has often gone ignored. My now tween kiddo wants to hang out and do fun things on my birthday, when I really would be okay with sleeping in and a fancy coffee and treat. I’m learning that celebrations are just that, to be festive and most definitely unordinary.

My very creative kiddo has chosen yet another theme party. There was the Tiger party, the Barbie party, the fairy tale party, the Zombie party, the “Myth” party (and my favorite pun, “Don’t myth it!”), and this year, the cooking party. With the pandemic, the usual 10-month planning went by the wayside, and a “roll with it” attitude has arrived in it’s place. As I like to say often, “The upside of Covid …” Every previous year, my daughter has challenged my comfort zone without even trying. The Tiger party year, it was a special request for “Tiger Strawberry Pie.” As a non-pie maker, I had to get creative. As you can imagine, the Barbie party came along with a Barbie cake. Again, met that challenge! The fairy tale party had me skating in a “Maleficent” costume, and the Zombie party (truly my sweet spot) had me cooking “brains” and “zombie fingers.” The myth party was a “Game of Thrones” Pinterest extravaganza that got me more than a few mom side-eyes for how ridiculous the food offerings were. I would be side-eyeing myself if I weren’t the sucker actually doing the nonsense. Through it all, I have found joy in things I didn’t know I enjoyed. I love to learn new things. These are just not the things I would “choose” to learn, so it’s a bit of a surprise to find out that meeting the crazy challenge is half the fun. This year, I’m not doing a darned thing except driving kiddos. Through the pandemic, my daughter has enjoyed delightful in-person, kid-focused cooking classes. The teacher will handle lunch and the cake with the kids, doing all the work

themselves. I won’t hardly know what to do with myself without decorating, or cake designing, or entertaining. But I hope I’ll learn. My wish for you is that you get to push your edges with some fun and joyful stuff, and also give yourself the space to just enjoy and not “do.” I know we’re all running for the joy of normalcy right now, but staying connected to the enjoyment of just being around your people or furry friends without demands is a wonderful gift too, one we’ve mostly gotten more of this last year and a half. Hang on to that gift tightly and gently. It’s worth hanging onto.

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At the very best, poor blood circulation in the body can lead to various annoying aches and pains. At worst, it can cause serious health conditions, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), where a blood clot forms in the deep veins and makes its way to a main artery, potentially causing a fatal pulmonary embolism. Whatever the case, one tool you might not know much about could be the solution to your aches and pains: compression socks. Compression socks are a type of sock that tightly compresses your leg as you wear them, reducing the diameter of major veins and increasing blood flow to the heart rather than downward to your feet or laterally into superficial veins. Among several other benefits, compression socks are meant to support veins, prevent blood from pooling in them, decrease swelling, and reduce orthostatic hypertension. Compression socks can come in a variety of types, lengths, and compression levels. The three basic types of compression socks are: • Graduated compression stockings compress more strongly toward the ankle than at the top of the sock. These are designed for people who plan to be up and moving about. • Anti-embolism stockings are designed specifically for nonmobile people to help them fight against DVT. And How Can They Help You With Aches and Pains? What Are Compression Socks?

2. Create built-in stability. There’s nothing less festive than a jack-o’-lantern going dark because its candle has tipped over. To prevent that, carve a depression into the floor of the pumpkin that’s the same shape and size as the base of your candle. Then, drop the candle in! This simple trick will hold it in place. 3. Go bottomless. Another option that will solve the toppling candle problem is hollowing out your pumpkin from the bottom instead of cutting a lid out of the top. If you do that, you can set up and light your candle first, then place the jack- o’-lantern over it. As long as your pumpkin is on a hard, level surface, your candle should be stable. 4. Light up at the right moment. The easiest way to prevent burns is to light your candle at the right time and with the right method. If you like to hollow your pumpkins out from the bottom, light your candle first then place the pumpkin over it to prevent burns. If you hollow your pumpkins from the top, remove the “lid,” place the unlit candle inside, then light it with a long lighter or fireplace match. 5. Don’t forget the chimney hole. To prevent heat and smoke from building up inside of your pumpkin and cooking it slowly, light up your candle and peek inside to see which spot on the top is warming up the fastest. Then, cut out a notch or “chimney hole” in that spot to let the heat escape. • Nonmedical support stockings are available without a prescription. They help alleviate aches and pains caused by poor circulation in the legs. Each type of compression sock may vary in the level of pressure they apply to your legs. Mild pressure, which is anything less than 15 mmHg, will help you combat aches and pains just fine; 15–20 mmHg can help people with minor swelling or who have concerns about DVT. Anything 20–40 mmHg is considered medical grade and is only necessary if you have severe swelling or you’re recovering from surgery. Typically, the only negative side effect that might result from wearing compression socks is some irritation and redness, but if you wear them correctly, they should fit flush against your skin and feel snug but not painful. If you think that compression socks could help you, try on a pair of nonprescription socks or check with a health care professional to see what option would be best for you.

5 LOW-TECH TIPS FOR LIGHTING YOUR JACK-O'-LANTERNS

Halloween is almost here, and you know what that means: home- carved jack-o’-lanterns! Turning pumpkins into decor is an ancient tradition, but as any experienced carver knows, using real candles inside them can be frustrating. Cooking pumpkins, unstable candles, and accidental burns are just a few of the issues that often crop up. To avoid them this Halloween, try these five tips. 1. Choose your candle wisely. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it’s best to choose a candle that is at least an inch shorter than the hollow space inside of your pumpkin. To achieve this, you can buy long candles and trim them to size or learn to make your own from the book “Beeswax Alchemy” by Petra Ahnert.

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Self-Help Books Can't Do It All HOW READING FICTION CAN BENEFIT YOU

More Comfort With Uncertainty Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. Greater Happiness Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!

Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse

the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self- help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? Greater Empathy When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. Less Stress and Better Sleep When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas

of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off.

BREAKFAST SWEET POTATOES

Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com

Finish the end of sweet potato season strong with this must-try breakfast recipe!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 banana, sliced • 2 tsp chia seeds • Cinnamon and salt to taste

• 2 medium sweet potatoes • 2 tbsp of your preferred nut butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and cover a medium baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 2. Poke holes in the sweet potatoes and bake on the prepared sheet for 45–60 minutes. 3. Once cooled, split the sweet potatoes down the middle and top with nut butter, banana, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

To Party or not to Party! Page 1

All About Compression Socks 5 Low-Tech Tips for Lighting Your Jack-o'-Lanterns Page 2

The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction Breakfast Sweet Potatoes Page 3 Tips for Protecting Your Brain in a Fall Page 4

Feel Yourself Taking a Tumble? TRY THESE TRICKS TO PROTECT YOUR BRAIN!

for TBIs or hip fractures — every single year. To

Taking a fall is one of the most common causes of a deadly traumatic brain injury (TBI). This is a pretty scary statistic, considering 1 in 10 adults fall at least once a year, and we all live in a world filled with tripping hazards! Not every fall is deadly, but about 1 in 5 can cause a serious injury. Fortunately, you can do a few things to protect your brain if you feel yourself starting to tumble. The insurance company Lawley recommends these: • Tucking your chin and lowering your head • Turning your head to the side if you’re falling face first • Protecting your head with your arms while keeping your arms and legs bent to spread out the impact (Don’t fall on only your arms or hands — you could break them!) • Trying to land on your side

prevent those, try to make sure your floors at home are clutter-free and be careful on ice during winter. Of course, these techniques are a last resort. Ideally, you should prevent falls long before you feel yourself teetering: Strengthen the muscles that help you balance on your feet,

like your core, lower back, and legs with simple home exercises. You can visit NHS.uk/Live-Well/Exercise/Balance-Exercises for an easy visual guide or turn to a physical therapist for help. If you’re young and athletic, you may not need a PT, but physical therapy can be a great option for older adults already experiencing balance problems or people recovering from an illness or injury. In these cases, it’s best to work with a professional to ensure you don’t hurt yourself in your quest for better balance! They’ll create a customized treatment plan for you, which will protect you from overdoing it.

• Relaxing your body • Rolling after impact

In addition to TBIs, many falls also cause hip fractures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports over 800,000 patients are hospitalized because of fall injuries — almost always

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