November 2020 - A Beautiful Voice

A Sense of Place
Parks and green spaces are important for our mental health – but we need to make sure that everyone can benefit

"Recently, COVID-19 has revealed the inequalities that exist when it comes to access to green spaces. There have been many petitions to keep parks and gardens open for public use, with green spaces described as crucial for our well-being." Authors: Wendy Masterton, University of Stirling; Hannah Carver, University of Stirling, [...]

Susan Troyer2020-12-01T16:35:04-06:00November 28th, 2020|Categories: A Sense of Place|Tags: COVID, Forest bathing, Green space health inequality, Lockdown, Mental health, nature|0 Comments

Food for Life
Best food to counter the effects of air pollution

Growing up on the farm, I was "selective" about which veggies I would eat. However, as an adult, one of my goals became eating a consistently healthy diet with the most nutritious foods available. So - broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach and kale were tastes which I acquired in adulthood - [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-23T14:35:39-06:00November 27th, 2020|Categories: Food For Life, General|Tags: Food to counter air pollution, Michael Greger MD, NutritionFacts.org|0 Comments

Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
Why giving is good for the soul

"The paradox — that we happen to think is rather poetic — is that givers may only get these benefits when they’re not seeking them. A study found that giving for self-related reasons did not bring benefits: only when giving was altruistic, driven from compassion towards and connection with others, [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-28T20:08:54-06:00November 26th, 2020|Categories: Mindful Presence|Tags: Health, Mental health, Philanthropy, Psychology|0 Comments

Food for Life
Good Medicine: A Powerful Punch

"Both Western and traditional medicine agree, cranberries are more than just tart and tasty... Toss a crimson cranberry in your mouth and an irrepressible response begins. That sweet zip followed by a puckered sour. All your tissues constrict, as if your body is trying to fold in on itself, absorbing [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-28T15:46:49-06:00November 25th, 2020|Categories: Food For Life, General|0 Comments

Food for Life
5 ways eating in a pandemic is improving your relationship with food – and why you should stick with them

"People have come home to roost around food in these unprecedented times, discovering new habits and insights about what it means to truly nourish themselves." - Author, Stephanie Meyers, Boston University It’s 5 p.m. on who can tell which day, and instead of rushing from work to kids’ activities, [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-26T11:36:11-06:00November 24th, 2020|Categories: Food For Life|Tags: Cooking, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Family, Family meals, Farmers markets, Food, Health, Local food systems, Psychology, Vegetables, Vegetarian|0 Comments

Mindful Presence
More families are discussing end-of-life planning as COVID-19 cases rise – here’s how to start the conversation

"With family together, either in person or by video, the holidays offer an opportunity for deep, personal discussions about the future." - Lindy Grief Davidson, University of South Florida In homes across the U.S., families increasingly know someone who has been sick or hospitalized with COVID-19. With the death [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-23T15:18:33-06:00November 23rd, 2020|Categories: General, Mindful Presence|Tags: Caregivers, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Death, Elderly, Family, Health, Mental health, Mortality, Pandemic, Young adults|0 Comments

Mindful Presence
Buddha Board: Paint with water. Live in the moment. The art of letting go.

Buddha board - As the water evaporates, the image fades. Brush included. I recently came across this unique board for artistic expression. If I had known about the board, it would have been a great gift for Dad who had some artistic ability. Sketches which he had done in high [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-21T14:54:24-06:00November 21st, 2020|Categories: Mindful Presence|Tags: “Live-in-the-Moment” art board, Artistic expression in dementia care, Buddha board, Water - no chemicals|0 Comments

A Sense of Place
Why some doctors are prescribing a day in the park or a walk on the beach for good health

"Humans evolved in an open, natural environment and removing us from this environment could have a negative effect on our health. But what does the research say? Is there actually evidence that being in natural environments can promote our well-being, prevent disease and speed recovery?" - Author, Jay Maddock, Texas [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-21T16:26:41-06:00November 16th, 2020|Categories: A Sense of Place|Tags: Forest bathing, Hospital design|0 Comments

Mindful Presence - body, mind, spirit
How brains do what they do is more complex than what anatomy on its own suggests

"... my team’s bioengineering research focuses on relationships between brain structure and function. The overall goal is to scientifically explain all the connections – both anatomical and wireless – that activate different brain regions during cognitive tasks. We’re working on complex models that better capture what scientists know of brain [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-21T17:09:53-06:00November 15th, 2020|Categories: Mindful Presence|Tags: Bioengineering, Brain, Cognition, Cognitive function, Cognitive skills, Electricity, Nerve signal, Neural networks, Neural processing, Neuroscience, Wireless|0 Comments

Mindful Presence
Finding joy in 2020? It’s not such an absurd idea, really

"Joy, on the other hand, has a mysterious capacity to be felt alongside sorrow and even - sometimes, most especially - in the midst of suffering." - Author: Angela Gorrell, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University The year 2020 hasn't been [...]

Susan Troyer2020-11-14T00:25:19-06:00November 14th, 2020|Categories: General, Mindful Presence|Tags: caring, Feeling connected, Gratitude, Happiness, harmony between what we are doing and our values, joy, joyful, kinship with others, Pandemic, people need joy, teaching joy, Three types of joy|0 Comments

Monthly Archives: November 2020