All posts by Deidre

A child of Colorado, Delaware, Oregon, and California – where she obtained her first college degree and became a Nursing Home Administrator – Deidre Edwards now resides in North Carolina. While helping her husband start a video production business and raising their two children, Deidre returned to college to earn her nursing degree. A teacher at heart, she soon applied her nursing skills and knowledge to helping high school students expand their medical career interests through the Health Science Program she established. After retiring from teaching, Deidre wrote her first book – Toolkit for Wellness – as a response to the health issues she witnessed while working. She witnessed both students and staff had struggling with excess weight, diabetes, poor food choices, and stress issues – yet everyone shared the desire for a healthier life. Her easy-to-understand explanations of body functions and how foods break down, clearly show her passion for teaching others. Deidre’s dual passion in learning about habits and habit formation is expressed in her books and regular blog writings so others can learn how to make big improvements through daily small changes. Life took a dramatic turn when Deidre’s husband became confined to bed under Hospice care at home for over two years. With all of her nursing skills on board, and a deep love between them to sweeten the moments, she provided the loving, quality-of-life care he needed. Still the teacher at heart, Deidre realized there was a huge need to light the way for others as they walked the path of caregiving for a loved one. Hence, she wrote Toolkit for Caregivers and Love Lives Here, Toolkit for Caregiver Survival. Together, both books address the caregiving processes, skills, and issues for before, during, and afterward. Deidre continues to be involved with her community through choral singing groups, volunteering for the North Carolina Symphony, Chamber of Commerce, church functions, and activities with friends and family. She also enjoys the time she spends promoting her books and speaking with others about health and caregiving.
Blogging for good health!, This -n- That

Don’t Forget To “Colour My World”

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Is your closet color coordinated? For instance, do you group your clothes by color?  

There is a lot of black in my closet.  

I prefer to think that black goes with everything, and I can add splashes of color at will – which I do, thanks to a diverse collection of scarves. 

But black is not my favorite color. 

I didn’t realize the natural depth of how much I liked my favorite color until we were making color selections during the design selection phase for our new house last year. 

When holding ceramic tiles of assorted colors, examining each color one-by-one, I was not getting excited about any color I held in my hand.  

One after another.  

Meh. Meh. Meh. 

Then, when I picked up a certain tile, an unsolicited smile spread across my face! Bingo! 

TAUPE! 

I knew I had a bent for taupe years ago, when going through the throws of changing out carpeting in my former home. My daughter and I laughed at the endless array of shades that taupe could offer.  

We were going Looney Toons with the shade differences.  

“Taaaauuuuupe!” 

But last year, when a deep peace and happiness immediately descended upon me upon seeing – and experiencing – the color of taupe, I was struck at my response.  

“What’s your favorite color, Deidre?”  

“Taupe …”  

I wanted to keep that a secret. Sounded nuts. Milk toast. Dull. Unimaginative. 

Until our editor, Sheree, did a bit of googling and shared COLOR PSYCHOLOGY. 

There, I found out that, “people who favor taupe are dependable, classic, and down to earth … that taupe lovers fit in with just about anyone and their warmth makes others gravitate toward them.” 

When I added a dash of my other favorites, chartreuse and periwinkle, I found my enthusiasm, positivity, and enjoyment of challenges – along with ease of friendship, fond memories, and innocence. 

So, just for fun, take a trip into the color wheel to see how your favorite colors play into your personality. 

This could be a fun family or group activity to break the ice and learn about each other. 

Have a color-filled day in health –  

Deidre 

Editor’s Note: Taupe is definitely Deidre – or should I say, Deidre is definitely a taupe?  

Hmmm. Things I ponder here at FootTalk4You.

Bottom line: She’s a terrific gal, partner, and bestie – with or without color. *smile*  Sheree

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Shhhhh! Cascade – Pass It On

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Cascading.

The extent to which we control our health is the subject of my recent deep dives in reading.  

As a culture, we have come to understand that controlling factors in our external environment – along with what we put into our bodies – has a direct correlation to our health and longevity.  

Nicotine, for example, is bad for our lungs and cardiovascular system. The link of cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke to cancer and heart disease was eventually accepted by our society, and policies to restrict its use and exposure to bystanders are now the norm – although that process took decades. 

Not so for other countries around the world who think we are unreasonably possessed and controlling in our zealous quest to stop smoking. They light up whenever and wherever they please, thank you. 

So, it’s easy to see it’s going to be a harder ‘sell’ to shine a light on how influential our inner environment – created by how our thoughts change the chemistry in our body – is on our health. 

Even when I am learning about the influence of positive or negative thinking, the application of my knowledge is spotty. 

Sigh. 

But we learn from our mistakes, right? 

I know that everything I think is my choice. Sure, I may have been conditioned by circumstances to respond to situations in a certain way, but as a reasoning adult with access to the latest information, I can gain tools to think and respond differently.  

One of my new tools is, You Are the Placebo, by Dr. Joe Dispenza. This book is broadening my understanding of what is physically happening when we think and how thought can change so much relating to our health. 

So – returning to last week’s mention of an exploding glass dish that sprayed tiny shards all over my kitchen and beyond – I had a choice to make. 

Explode like that glass bowl – or not. 

After the initial reaction of dismay – this was a marvel in glass breaking, I must admit – I was immediately disheartened at the extent of the damage.  

An open dishwasher with clean dishes exposed to breakage. Open deep drawer of dishes sprayed with glass shards. A just-cleaned floor littered with glass and carpet nine feet away with glitters of glass. 

Everything in sight had to be cleaned, recleaned, and cleaned up again. Broom. Gloves. Vacuum. Wiped. Over and over.  

Surely, I deserved a meltdown or just a bit of rage. You think? 

I knew I was in control of my reaction. My mantra is, after all, my mind believes what I tell it. I needed to be careful how I related to this inconvenience. Really, it was not life-altering, after all. 

The slow burn of discouragement of having all my earlier work wiped away came to a crescendo when I was asked, “What happened”? 

Then I chose to let loose. I chose to label all the negative things directly and capped it off with how ticked off I was.  

So there! 

Probably even a little dramatic. 

I thought venting would help. Wrong. A wave of negativity physically flowed through me even hours later.  

I was emotional earlier in the day. What I was feeling that night was physical. 

Examining why I had chosen to be as emotional as I was at the time, has proven to be helpful. Sometimes there are subplots to our outbursts. 

I am not advocating ignoring emotions – but a few messages were driven home for me.

1) I could have chosen to laugh at the absurdity of my predicament.

2) I could have asked for help.

3) I could have measured my verbal response to be less dramatic.

It was a matter of choice. I am here to tell you that I physically felt the ramifications of that choice hours later. 

We’ve heard, “you are what you eat.” I can add another aspect to that, “you are what you think.” 

Continue the conversation by sharing using the options under the MORE button below. 

Right there learning with you –  

Deidre  

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Embrace The New!

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New.  

It’s such a short word. 

To some, it inspires excitement and adventure. To others, it terrifies. 

There have been times when I longed for the comfort of sameness. No surprises. Just wind me up and let me go unimpeded.  

I would have loved to just routinely put my dishes away this week. However, a glass bowl virtually exploded in my hand – raining down shards over an open dishwasher filled with clean dishes, and even into an exposed open drawer and beyond! Of course, it then flew over freshly cleaned floors. (More on the aftermath of that next week). 

That was taxing enough, but day-after-day repeats? 

Even good repetitions can be suffocating for me.   

Why? It’s not a matter of being a thrill seeker, but I have a deep desire to not live the same day repeatedly. (Remember the movie Groundhog Day?)  

Why would I want to paint the same picture on every new page? 

My young adult self was very unsure about the concept of the future, setting goals, change, new beginnings, and anything unknown. There was a struggle within between ‘going with the flow’ and ‘being the master of my own ship.’  

As I have aged and have watched and experienced the unpredictability of life for everyone, there is no desire to lather/rinse/repeat with my time. 

Knowing I am the only one in control of my life, even when visiting the same restaurant, I want to branch out from my location-specific choices of old to discover something new.  

Taking a walk this morning saw us on a new path through the neighborhood. Discovering more houses being built inspired us to walk around the build sites, where we observed new interesting home features.  

Even while doing the familiar, there is something for us to discover that is new. We must actively look for it.  

Need I add, it takes us looking away from our cell phones to really see the world around us? To experience something new, we must be present in the moment. 

How are you experiencing newness? Can you do, think, learn, and create something unique or distinctive right now, today, and tomorrow? 

Can you find the blessing in your new experience?  

Speaking of blessings, happy birthday to our editor, Sheree Alderman, who is not only starting a new year, but charting several new courses! It will be a grand ride, Captain! 

In health –  

Deidre  

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That, Titles Worth Reading

And Now – The Holistic Angle on Caregiving

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For certain, there’s more than one way to tell a story!  

As a practical, roll-up-my-sleeves author who reaches out to caregivers with a skills-oriented how-to approach, I was delighted to become aware of Ilene Nathanson’s book, Caregiving Confidential: Path of Meaning, because of her different style and message. 

Weaving true story vignettes that walk the reader through the unfolding of several common pathways to caregiving, Dr. Nathanson’s passion for the holistic needs of caregivers and care recipients is evident on each page. 

I was immediately drawn into her narrative style that cleverly brought me through the broad range of circumstances that will, ultimately, confront us all – maybe several times in our lives. 

There is no escaping the issue.  

We are all aging.  

Our needs, and the needs of our loved ones, are going to evolve – and most of us are unprepared. 

As a retired chief administrator of graduate social work at Long Island University, with a strong passion for gerontology, her guidance and teaching skills continue in this book and in her co-founding of the New Aging Partnership.  

Did you know that the phrase “aging in place,” is the buzz word not only for longings of the heart, casual conversations, and policy makers, but is also the focus of dozens of new and old industries? 

Retirement communities have been with us for decades, but now there are real estate agents focusing on senior needs, downsizing specialists, senior service agencies, and more – who are all swooping in to meet the unfolding needs of this growing niche market.  

Sandwich generation families are rewriting the book for taking care of parents/grandparents, while juggling the demands of their own children, plus full-time jobs in or outside of the house.  

The dynamics of multi-generational households are different than in previous years. 

This is why Caregiving Confidential is a beautiful place to start. Enjoyable to read and laced with poignant humor – Ilene Nathanson’s book is always spot on. Like me, you will not want to put it down. 

I consider it to be the perfect flashlight for us to use as a primer for this timely topic and a great place to start the aging conversation in our own families. 

We are all about sharing here at foodtalk4you. Please share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 

In health –  

Deidre  

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Happy 9th Anniversary! So, What’s Your Type?

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Marking major passages of time seems to naturally cause introspection.  

Another year passes – what went well, what could be improved, what is needed? 

A funny thing happened as I cleaned up the remains and results of tax preparations this past week. Not only was I vacuuming up the tiny, spilled scraps of ancient tax documents, now shredded, but I was also filing random papers that had not found their proper place in my new home. 

My office floor was covered with files, papers, articles, notes taken – heaven help me, I am a consummate note taker – and one last bundle was in my hand.  

I was holding the results of the personality test I took a couple of years ago, and strangely enough, it was the topic going around the table the other night as we dined with friends. Everyone knew their alphabet soup of personality types the same way they knew their astrological signs!  

Well, except me. It seemed like such a jumble of letters. ENFJ just doesn’t roll off my tongue. 

But reviewing the 18 pages of explanations helped my understanding of what makes me roll.  

Coupled with today being the 9th anniversary of foodtalk4you, I am more committed to continuing my natural bent to guide, teach, and mentor – both here, and in my books and presentations. 

As we go forward with conversations about lifestyles – including exercise, food, and positive thinking – I do realize each of us is coming to these topics from diverse backgrounds, start points, and experiences. 

My promise to readers and listeners is to maintain a thoughtful approach that will uplift and encourage everyone, sharing tools and skills that can be adapted to our unique situations.  

Above all, we will collectively move forward with healthier thoughts, a greater appreciation for all that does our body good and sharing helpful information. 

There are many avenues to taking an online Myers Briggs type test. The TypeFinder Personality Assessment test I used was free to take, but I recall a slight fee to have the results fully explained. It was totally worth it. 

It’s illuminating to read about how we tick. The section, “Your Personality at Work,” discussed the work environment best suited to my personality followed by my own leadership and teamwork styles.  

How cool it was to see my career and life experiences span 1/3 of the 45 good fit recommendations tailored to my personality type.  

LOL! I may be onto something!  

Our foodtalk4you anniversary gift idea to you is TypeFinder – check it out. 

You may share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 

In health –  

Deidre    

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction

It’s Electric – With Mind Over Matter

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It’s just a thought.

What’s the big deal? We think lots of thoughts.

No harm – no foul, right?

Nothing hurtful was spoken. No punches were exchanged.

“I can think anything I want!”

Well, not so fast, grasshopper.

Turns out, even our most fleeting of thoughts has significant consequences inside of our bodies.

I have written about the effects of negative self-talk before in foodtalk4you, and my new book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, (out this summer) has a section about managing the inner dialogue as well. The more research I do about the power of our thoughts, the more I want to practice, learn, and share with you.

The most recent foray into this science of the mind, stemmed from an article my daughter shared with me: Somatic Movement Center – Placebo Effect, which has started a cascade of reading – and well, thinking.

Please read that article. Copy and paste it into a word document. Reread it. Highlight it in a rainbow of colors. Reread it again. Add italics. Underline. And reread it again. Absorb its meaning and the implications to you.

Here’s a glimpse of what I have gleaned:

“Only about two percent of diseases, can be blamed on single genes and can be considered truly unavoidable.

The vast majority of us are born with genetics that can allow us to be healthy throughout our lives—given the right environmental conditions.

Research shows that only 5% of an adult’s genes are unchangeable; the other 95% can be turned on and off by environmental factors.

What exactly is the environment? The environment that affects our genes includes factors outside our body that we may have limited control over, and inside our body that we potentially have total control over.

Genes do not randomly turn themselves on and off. The majority of genes are inactive until an environmental signal tells them to turn on. And once they’re turned on, they require an environmental signal in order to be turned off.”

Do you wonder what the environmental signals are?

We create those environmental signals inside of our bodies.

How?

By the nature of the thoughts we think. Our thoughts generate electrical signals that course along the nerve cells in our brains, which direct what kind of a protein, called a neuropeptide, is released.

As those neuropeptides are swimming around our bodies, our individual cells pick them up through receptors:

“The input that the receptors receive affects the behavior and structure of the cell. So as we have thoughts and experience emotions, the activity and structure of the trillions of cells throughout our body are affected.”

Eventually, the genes found in the cell’s nucleus/brain are influenced to start a cascade of events that will turn on or off the expression of that gene. In other words – you may have inherited genes for XYZ disease/condition, but you are in control of creating the environment that will turn those genes on or off.

This is a lot to take in.

There is rock hard science behind people getting out of wheelchairs, fighting the odds, or beating diseases. We will be revisiting this topic in future posts.

For this week, let’s practice running our inner dialogue through the parameters of what this article is revealing to us.

Remember: Our mind believes what we tell it. We, alone, can reprogram our thoughts to generate better outcomes within our bodies.

Thinking health in all things,

Deidre

Sometimes it’s a recipe; sometimes it’s an idea or an exercise. You never know what’s coming up next; but you can be assured it’s something that’s good for you. Scroll to the bottom of your device or to the top left of your computer screen to subscribe to foodtalk4you today. No gimmicks. No hype. Thanks.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

Under the Sea – Under the Sea-ee …

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A recent trip to my old hometown and one of its beloved art stores, Carolina Creations, put me in such a nautical mood.

Suspended from the gallery’s lofty ceilings were various sizes of hand blown glass sculptures of manta rays – bringing back memories of a tour through the Atlanta Aquarium this past fall. There I was, watching these amazing creatures gliding through the water overhead as I stood below, gazing through the Plexiglas above.

While in the art gallery, I fancied making a serious investment in creating an under-the-seas theme – perhaps in the master bath – with the glass replicas of manta rays, jelly fish, and sea horses floating around the high ceilings overhead.

Ahhh.

Instead, I found a new home for an existing piece of art featuring an ocean wave, and I might put some conch shells on the ledge of the narrow shower window. The giant, graceful rays will have to be in my imagination.

Keeping in step with our seaside vibe, a recipe I use year round for gatherings is my Hot Seafood Salad. Since the main ingredient is imitation crab meat, I don’t like calling it a Hot Crab Salad, but one could.

Back when imitation crab was first introduced to the grocery stores, I did not like it – plus it contained wheat. Now, most packages of imitation crab proudly display their Gluten-Free label.

Hurray!

With just a little prep work – “mise en place” – this hot hors d’oeuvre is always a crowd pleaser, which frequently brings requests for the recipe.

The secret is in turning the solid, leg style pieces of fish into crab-like stringiness. To do that, just place the intact contents of the package onto your cutting board. Using a sturdy, wide-tined dinner fork, comb through the long pieces of fish.

This is so much fun!

Following the long grain of the meat, the tines of the fork separate the fish into delightful crab-like wonderfulness. You may need to turn the fish over to “comb” the other side.

After that, you’re ready to cook. In no time at all, the mixture will be slightly browned and ready to eat.

My spices of choice are:

Old Bay

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic

Crushed Red Pepper

The concept recipe below is easily adaptable to ingredients on hand. I usually use some colorful bell pepper – red, orange, or yellow – frozen green peas, frozen corn, and some fresh grated carrot to go along with the thinly sliced onion.

Check out the downloadable recipe here:

Hot-Seafood-Salad-by-Foodtalk4you.docxDownload

I can even see a finishing ingredient of some cream cheese to melt and “glue” this loose salad together. Appetizers are often so cheese-centric that I am happy not adding any with this recipe.

Whether you eat this Hot Seafood Salad on a cracker or simply by the forkful, you can be assured of a tasty treat that’s actually good for you – fish and veggies.

What could be better?

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In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Recipes

Slaying the French Dragon – A Lesson in Souffles! 

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Pres. John F. Kennedy with
Head Chef René Verdon
May 2, 1963

Funny how things stick in our minds. A recollection from my early teen years during the President Kennedy era, was the story of how the White House chefs fretted over the timely serving of delicate souffles fresh from the oven.  

Souffles were on the menu for the President and his important world leader guest that day. The trouble was, there was uncertainty about when the President and his guest would exit their talks and arrive to the dining area for their luncheon souffles. 

Souffles need to be served at the peak of perfection and puffiness straight from the oven – lest they deflate. Oh, horrors! 

So, the story was told that the chefs created several rounds of souffles to come out of the oven every few minutes so the best-of-the-best could be served when the distinguished diners arrived.  

French Chef

This magazine article colored my thinking about souffles from then on.  

  • Precise timing.  
    • Ingredients just so.  
      • Risk of deflation.  
        • Nervous French chefs.  
          • Pressure.  
            • Egads! … Souffles! 

I may have majored in the French language, but that kind of haute cuisine and exactitude seemed out of my league. I’ll take fluffy scrambled eggs. 

Until … Panera Bread and their breakfast souffles. 

Now, I don’t normally do gluten – but while in the throes of packing and moving last year, I stopped off at the local Panera Bread and ordered one of their souffles. Total indulgence for weary nerves. 

What was this cloud of fluffy egginess surrounded by … what was that?… A delicate pastry? I’ll never forget my happiness. I almost cried. 

Occasionally – post move and with calm nerves – we will order these souffles.  

Could I create something even close? With a smaller bread factor – or Gluten-free? 

Souffles are baked without crusts at all; but with my Panera Bread experience, the ‘En Croute’ method had won me over – meaning it was encased in pastry and is pronounced [on-KROOT]. 

I’m still experimenting with techniques and combinations – and, beware – you would benefit from a sous chef to help with prep and clean up!  

Today, I created four servings of souffle – two En Croute, and two traditional – all with no fancy souffle dishes – don’t tell the Cordon Bleu! 

For the light pastry wrapping, I used two sheets of phyllo dough/wrappers, with a layer of brushed melted butter gluing them together. Phyllo sheets are available in the frozen section of most grocery stores. Gluten, yes, if you can handle it. I’m still not expert in handling phyllo sheets, and they will dry out if prepped too early.  Sous chef – please! 

I prep the phyllo on a sheet of wax or parchment paper, and then transfer the sheets to the baking dishes, where I will gently press them to the bottom and sides. This leaves the extra to fold to the top when the souffle batter is placed inside. 

Souffles come with all kinds of added ingredients. Cheeses, bacon, artichoke hearts, fresh herbs – it’s all up to the preparer. Today, I used fresh grated Parmesan, cheddar, and Swiss cheese along with some cooked asparagus, cooked bacon, and fresh thyme, because they were on hand. 

If you are preparing this by yourself, especially, make sure to lay out and prep all ingredients before cooking and mixing things. Forget preheating the oven at the beginning. I don’t take that step until things start to come together about midway in the process. 

Gathering all ingredients and doing the small, advanced prep is called: Mise en place, [mi z ahn plas] and is key to not become frazzled when cooking. Every time I jump to cooking without the advanced prep steps – grabbing things as I go – I am reminded why it’s so important.  

Mise en place, everyone! 

The baking dishes I used allow for individual servings – a la Panera Bread – and consisted of two 6” glass pie pans for the En Croute/phyllo version, and two glass food storage containers for the plain. Certainly, the straight-sided, white souffle dish is traditional. 

On to the Cheese Souffle recipe Sheree has prepared for easy downloading and printing. 

CHEESE-SOUFFLE-by-foodtalk4youDownload

I hope you will try this recipe. Let me know how it went and what special ingredients you used. As always, sharing options for this post are under the MORE button below. 

Bon Appetit!  

In health –  

Deidre  

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes

Italian 101 – It’s Party Time!

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Since the ribbon-cutting ceremony we held the day I signed the papers to my new home, we have been known as The Party House!

Thirty-five or so of our neighbors joined us in celebrating this new beginning. Even though the house was bare, it was an event full of love and warm wishes.

My message is this. Don’t wait until everything is perfect and in place to gather with friends.

Some of my favorite memories of home parties through the years, happened before we even had a proper dining room table. Who cares?

What makes a good time is the participants, not the perfect décor.

In that spirit, we had two gatherings last week before our sofa was delivered – and no one missed it.

For both events, my sweetheart’s daughter introduced us to a tasty lentil, Bruschetta, and feta-cheese mixture, suitable for spreading on crackers or toasted bread – also as a handy addition to a green salad.

Apparently, this is a staple recipe from ingredients found at Trader Joe’s.

1-Minute-Lentil-Salad-_-Trader-JoesDownload

It was all new to me, and frankly – lentils?

Yes, lentils!

The Trader Joe’s version utilizes their packaged, steamed lentils along with pre-made Bruschetta, and a tub of feta crumbles.

Now, this salad – or spread – will not win any beauty contests. The use of garnish will aid in the presentation; but the taste and satisfaction will greatly counterbalance any visual shortcomings.

Eager to duplicate her concoction, I sought the ingredients at our local grocery store.

Nope.

No precooked lentils. No pre-made Bruschetta. No problem.

Cooking lentils is so easy – no pre-soaking is needed – so I knocked that off my list this morning while fixing breakfast.

Finding a recipe for Bruschetta was easily accomplished while in the store, and ingredients were bought.

Garlic and empty basil leaves for Bruschetta recipe

There are numerous recipes for homemade Bruschetta; and I have melded a couple to land on the downloadable recipe below.

NOTE: I learned something! One of the most mispronounced culinary words in Italian is Bruschetta. I stand corrected. It’s pronounced “Bru SKET ah,” not “Bru shet ah.” Apparently, the “h” causes the “sc” to have a hard sound – like the ‘’c” in “cat.”

Click HERE to learn how to say Bruschetta by recorded pronouncement.

That’s Italian 101 for today!

Additionally, Bruschetta is a word referring to the toasted bread, not the topping. I did not eat any bread with my lentil mixture, opting, instead, to use gluten-free crackers.

Armed with cooked lentils and homemade Bruschetta, all I had to do was crumble the block of feta I had on hand. Cool thing is, once you have the separate ingredients, this spreadable dip can be made fresh at a moment’s notice and in a quantity of your liking.

So, the lentil salad dip is:

Cooked lentils

Bruschetta tomato mixture

Crumbled feta – along with salt and pepper to taste

Put in a bowl, combine, garnish. Done.

Yum!

This recipe is high in fiber and vegetable protein – and is an instant crowd pleaser.

Enjoy the following recipe for this delicious Bruschetta surprise!

BRUSCHETTA-from-Foodtalk4you.com_Download


In health –

Deidre

Bon Appétit!

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

A Little Sneak Peak …

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Last week, I mentioned our good news about Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, being available for pre-order on Amazon, and it occurred to me it might be nice to share a snippet of that book with you today.  

Here is the first part of Chapter 2, where I introduce readers to the first technique we do as an exercise that: 

1) Assists people in understanding how much control they have over their emotions  

2) How to create an accepting mindset and environment for emotions, and  

3) How to, at least temporarily, let it go.  

I am also introducing caregivers to the idea that they count. Their total health is a valid focus that needs to be recognized, so they can successfully be there for their loved one/patient.  

Here is your peek inside of Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions: 

Chapter 2 

Are you drowning? 

We caregivers of loved ones often think we should just soldier on in silence. Don’t complain. Don’t reach out for help. Just do the job. Any feelings we experience about ourselves are pushed so far down they are out of sight. 

Our loved one comes first, last, and everywhere in between.  

That philosophy may work for a while … until it clearly does not. 

I can tell when it’s not working. Caregivers come to talk to me with that glazed-over, shell-shocked look, like they are drowning at sea and are going down for the third time – lacking the energy to even signal for help. 

A greater understanding of the unique caregiver emotional situation will assist you in smoother transitions through the phases of caring – and even grieving. 

I thought I had everything figured out when I started caring for my dear husband. I was a nurse who taught Certified Nursing Assistants, after all. 

Little did I know, there was still much to learn – especially about my emotional and physical needs during that blessed time of caring for him. 

You see, in a caregiving situation, there are two patients. Two patients with equally important, but very different needs. Two patients whose needs are intertwined and dependent upon each other.  

Those patients are you, the caregiver; and the loved one you are caring for. Ignore the needs and welfare of the one, and the other will not be cared for.  

I want to shine a light on the unpredictable roller coaster of often surprising and negative caregiver emotions.  

Emotions are what make us human. When we cry, we’re experiencing emotion. Whenever we are happy, sad, mad, passionate, upset – those are all emotions. 

But sometimes, negative emotions need to be reined in!  

Emotions can steal our involvement and enjoyment of the present moment. 

You see, emotions should just come and go. But sometimes, we get so uncontrollably wrapped up in our feelings, we start identifying with them.  

This is what I know – we are not our emotions; and we can – and should – control them at times. But how?  

Keep reading and follow along with the techniques I share. 

  • Copyright 2022, Deidre Edwards 

Oh, I just hope you are wanting to turn the page to read what’s next!  

And you will get to do that. My goal is to beat my deadline of August 2nd by publishing early!  

Foodtalk4you subscribers can assist us in getting this book into the hands of the over 50 million caregivers – in America alone – by joining the launch team. Very soon, we will send out information on how you can get an inside look at a book and participate in its success.  

There will be opportunities for getting FREE autographed copies for launch participants. Yay! 

UPDATE!!

Dear Readers – It’s a humble little burnt orange banner, but it means so very much:

“#1 New Release in (the category of)  Physician and Patient Caregiving”

This means YOUR pre-orders for Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions are enabling others to see this book on Amazon so much easier! In the coming weeks, I’ll be dedicating myself to publishing before my projected date of August 2nd because more and more caregivers need this message of hope, understanding, and techniques.

A change in our health status can come in the blink of an eye – not only do we need to be prepared for the physical tasks of caregiving, but we need the mental and emotional skills to stay sane, not feel alone, and to strengthen life-long resilience skills. The third title in my Caregiver Series will do that.

I just cannot say, “Thank You” enough! 

In the meantime, it’s time to get up from this desk, do a minute of planks, and go for a walk before the temperature decides to return to winter.  

Boing! That’s springtime in the Northern Hemisphere! 

Pssst! You have my permission to share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 😊 

In health –  

Deidre