Study: Caregivers may live longer
C
aregiving may actually help you live longer. That’s the surprising finding of a new Johns Hopkins University study published in the latest Journal of Epidemiology which found that family caregivers had an 18 percent reduced rate of death compared with noncaregivers. Researchers concluded: “If highly stressful situations can be avoided or managed effectively, caregiving may actually offer some health benefits.” Life coach and caregiver advocate Yosaif August says we normally associate caregiving with burnout from juggling the demands of work and family along with caring for a loved one. This happens over and over because caregivers somehow manage to rise to the occasion, often showing heroic capacities for resilience, patience, and selfsacrifice as well. Despite their heroic efforts, caregivers still need a lot of support, and too often refuse to reach out for it, or when they do, they don’t know where to find it. August has written a critically acclaimed new book that offers help for caregivers, Coaching for Caregivers: How to Reach Out Before You Burn Out.
A
ugust’s message is this: Nobody can do this alone. There’s plenty of love and support available. But caregivers need to get past their reluctance to reach out for help. August shares five coaching tips to help resilient caregivers:
“If highly stressful situations can be avoided or managed effectively, caregiving may actually offer some health benefits.” • How to transform your resistance to reaching out and how to feel positive about it. • How to use “care sites,” – free online forums for caregivers, friends, and family – and their many benefits. • Where to find the best resources for caregivers. • Thirteen of the smartest and dumbest things to do when reaching out for help. • How to ask for help and support without losing the family’s privacy.
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Holiday treats you’ll love Check out these cookbooks for visions of sugarplums and other delicious treats. Great holiday gift ideas, too! Robert Rose: Complete Cake Mix Magic By Jill Snider ($24.95) More than 300 Duncan Hines recipes. Best Babycakes By K. Moore & R. Wyss ($24.95) Adorable cake pop recipes to make in the Cake Pop Maker with creative decorating illustrations and tips. Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays By Jeanne Sauvage (Chronicle Books, $24.95) Sixty homemade treats to indulge in for the holidays. Cake Pops Holidays By Bakerella (Chronicle Books, $14.95) More than 20 projects from this popular blogger. Frosty Friends Cake Pops Kit By Bakerella (Chronicle Books, $10.95) Twenty-four tags, bags, and sticks...adorable. Bake It In A Cupcake By Megan Seling (Andrews McMeel, $24.99) This blogger shares 50 sweet and savory recipes with a surprise inside with step-by-step details. Modern Art Desserts By Caitlin Freeman (10 Speed, $25) This San Francisco pastry chef captures 27 famous artists creations in a delicious, incredible dessert recipe project. Cupcakes By Better Homes & Gardens Editors (Wiley, $19.99) More than 150 creative cupcakes. Dolci By Francine Segan (Stewart Tabori & Chang, $35) Enjoy an Italian sweet bite-by-bite tour. Try this quintessential Italian Christmas.
“Instant” Rum Babà Panettone 3 cups sugar ¼ to ½ cup (2 to 4 fluid ounces) dark rum 8 slices or 8 small individual sized panettone Confectioners’ sugar Fresh or frozen berries, optional In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and 1½ cups (12 fluid ounces) water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rum and taste. Let cool to room temperature. Arrange the panettone on a serving platter. An hour before serving, slowly pour the rum syrup over the panettone so that all the liquid is absorbed. Serve topped with confectioners’ sugar and accompanied by berries, if you like.
Mentally challenging puzzle book
E
dwin F. Meyer and Joseph R. Luchsinger have written a new book that’s being prescribed by some doctors for patients susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The result of 40 years of collecting simply stated yet mentally challenging puzzles, The Gedanken Institute Book of Puzzles offers
Page 8
•
New Horizons
•
December 2013
a fun and stimulating approach to developing mental strength and stamina. This collection of hundreds of puzzles varies in difficulty while covering a wide range of topics and types including logic problems, physics problems, acronyms, and more. The Gedanken Institute Book of Puzzles is available for $19.95 from booksellers.