From Tansy Rodgers, FNTP (Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner), Health and Lifestyle Coach, Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Physical Therapist Assistant
Seasonal allergies can be miserable and cause even the best days to feel like a struggle. The good news is that there’s some natural remedies that may offer relief…so you don’t need to unnecessarily suffer through the sneezing, congestion, itchy and watery eyes, and more.
Why Allergies are Becoming More Common Place?
The number of people who suffer from allergies is growing, and there’s a good reason why. Not only are we becoming more flooded with exposure to pollutants and toxins, but our gut health and overall nutrition could be setting us up for experiencing greater allergy symptoms. Common allergen triggers include pollen from grass and trees, the fecal particles of dust mites, animal dander, certain foods, air pollution, beauty product ingredients, or even insect bites.
Allergy Response & Your Immune System
Diet, strong gut health, and overall health can make a big difference when it comes to seasonal Allergies, because allergic response has everything to do with the immune system. And, approximately 65% of our immune system’s cells reside in the gut. The body is like a bathtub — every time something enters the body (food, water, air, etc.), the body reacts to keep itself in a state of homeostasis. If too much goes into the bathtub, it’s going to overflow. This is the same with the immune system. Instead of overflowing, it gets overloaded and overstimulated and the immune system responds to what would normally be harmless substances as if it is a harmful foreign invader. This is why your gut health and your immune system strength needs to be addressed to find relief from seasonal allergies.
As prime allergy season is amongst us (at least in our area), I’m sharing some natural remedies and food choices that help to greatly lessen seasonal allergies. Not all of them may be as immediately effective as a medication, but over the long-term, they are quite effective.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – This is an age-old food that has been used for so many ailments, my favorite being for better digestion and heart burn relief. For allergies, the belief is its ability to reduce mucous production and cleanse the lymphatic system.
Cleanse Your Nostrils – This is effective because it helps to prevent the offending allergen (or at least as much of it) from entering your airways. You can use a Neti Pot or a saline spray to get the job done.
Consume Quercetin – Quercetin has been shown to prevent immune cells from releasing histamines, which are chemicals that cause allergic reactions. As a result, researchers think that quercetin may help reduce symptoms of allergies, including runny nose, watery eyes, hives, and swelling of the face and lips. It also helps to decrease inflammation. You can find it naturally in citrus and broccoli, but it is hard to get the dose you need. You may need to take a supplement to gain the benefits.
Consume Nettle Leaf – Nettle leaf is another natural antihistamine that can be very effective as it naturally blocks the body’s ability to produce histamine. You can use a tincture or a tea, but it may be more convenient to take nettle leaf in capsule form. Nettle leaf is also great for decreasing inflammation and joint health.
Eat More Anti-inflammatory Foods – Foods, teas, and spices with known anti-inflammatory benefits may play a role in reducing unpleasant allergy symptoms. Ginger and green tea have been shown to block a key cell receptor involved in producing an allergic response.
Take A Probiotic – Allergies are the result of an imbalance in the immune system that causes the body to react too strongly to a stimuli. Many studies link the presence of beneficial bacteria in the gut with reduced incidence of allergies.
Alter Your Diet – Sometimes dietary changes can be the answer to allergy problems. Try consuming more healing bone broth and eliminating foods that cause you sensitivity. Also, decreasing sugar and processed foods can bring you relief, since they both cause more systemic inflammation and compromise gut health. If allergies are severe, you may need some gut healing/rebalancing.
Interested in learning more about wellness from Tansy? Visit her website at www.tansyrodgers.com.
With a delayed start to barbeque season this summer, the resident grill masters and BBQ lovers alike at Moravian Manor Communities are firing up the cookers at the outdoor pavilions and atop the Tree Top Terrace. If you smell something amazing around campus and the surrounding Lititz neighborhood, its likely residents’ special recipes making you feel hungry.
Ed Noyalis’ grilling meat of choice is filet mignon, with a Dijon mustard marinade. His specialty for potluck picnics is grilled zucchini. And Ed has a tantalizing sauce for “Steak Diane,” for which friends are begging to know the secret ingredient.
You’re likely sick of your home right about now after several months of stay-at-home orders. But now that it’s summer, vacation season, what can you do that serves as a therapeutic mental refresher from home base.
1. Take a walk like a tourist: To see your hometown in a novel way, start taking walks as if you didn’t live there. Explore a street you’ve never walked down before. Look more closely at the blooming flowers, gardens, wildlife and even the sky.
2. Check out local hiking or biking trails: Now that you’ve paced or cycled through your neighborhood enough times to memorize the cracks in the sidewalk and dips in the road, it’s maybe time to see what nearby hiking or biking trails exist to blaze a new adventure. If you’re leery of uneven paths, order a pair of hiking poles that are growing in popularity (online they run from very low $19.99 and $24.99 from Target and Dicks Sporting Goods respectively, to $38 and 58 at REI). You can hit the trails with one of several Apps such as:
AllTrails – 50,000+ trail guides for hiking, biking and more. It even lets you save a trail for offline use so you can take your trail guide to the field. Filters for dog-friendly, kid-friendly and wheelchair-friendly trails make narrowing down a choice easier.
TrailLink – track down more than 40,000 miles of multi-use rails-to-trails.
Gaia GPS – lets you check out a plethora of hiking trails across the country.
Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder – a database filled to the brim with info on national parks, national forests and all other federal recreation destinations. It also includes every state and local park in the nation.
Map My Hike – uses your phone’s sensors to track and log your hiking route, complete with information on pace, distance, calorie counting and route navigation. In addition to logging your own hikes, you can search and download other nearby routes.
3. Delve deeper into the world around you. See a star and wonder what constellation it’s part of? Ever look at a plant and wonder what it is? There is an APP for that!
Star Walk 2 – identify the constellations above you when you’re outside in the evening or figure out where to look for any stars or planets you want to see.
Sky Walk – Star Constellations – open this app, point it in the sky and it names off the celestial objects right in front of you.
ISS Tracker – track the International Space Station with this app, that lets you know peak days for viewing when it’s passing overhead of wherever you are.
Seek by iNaturalist – helps identify plants and animals, shows you commonly recorded flora and fauna near you, and offers observation challenges you can do to earn badges.
4. Pick up a club or tag alone in the cart. If you’ve never golfed before or just puttered in the past, maybe now’s the time to get out on the course. Even if you’re not into golfing, you can join your spouse in the same golf cart (households are permitted to ride in the same cart) and bird watch or enjoy a change of scenery.
5. Pick up a paddle. While navigating unchartered “waters” during COVID-19, boating could be a way to explore a little beyond your home. Check out www.discoverboating.com/go-boating-today to find local boat rentals near you.
6. Get a license and “Go Fish!” – Fishing is PA is permitted, and another perfect socially isolating activity. Visit www.fishandboat.com to answer any questions.
7. If you prefer to keep even closer to home, consider rearranging rooms in your home so that they feel different. Paint or redecorate. Sleep in the guest room a few nights. Or dust off the old tent and camp out for an evening. Anything that breaks out of the ordinary can be refreshing and provide a mental vacation from everyday life. Check out Sherwin Williams Color Snap Visualizer, where you can upload and “paint” your own photo to try out different colors. The App “Room Planner: Design for IKEA” uses 3D to help you renovate or redecorate your home.
Staying home is an adjustment for everyone. But there are still plenty of ways to thrive during it all. Try out one or all of the suggested activities above and share your experiences with us on Facebook.
FROM: David Swartley, President/CEO DATE: July 2, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #21
In last week’s update, I discussed some of the implications of Lancaster County entering the Green Phase. The first change for Moravian Manor Communities was the gradual reopening of our dining venues. Week One has proceeded smoothly; I remind everyone that to dine, you need to make a reservation.
Our testing has proceeded as scheduled; at the time of this writing, we have had no residents test positive for COVID-19 and two staff members who have previously tested positive and have recovered at home. With the volume of testing increasing rapidly across the Commonwealth, our test results have lagged by almost one week. We anticipate this time frame tightening in the coming weeks. Our required Universal Testing will occur the week of July 13.
Yesterday, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania released an update concerning a mask mandate. Below I share part of their release:
The Department of Health announced on Wednesday that there were 636 new positive cases in Pennsylvania, for a total of 87,242 positive cases statewide since the pandemic began.
As part of Dr. Levine’s orders, Pennsylvanians are required to wear a face-covering if they are outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or are in any indoor, public location.
The order also extends to the workplace, health care facilities, and transport, including public transportation, taxis, private car services, and ride-sharing vehicles.
Individuals who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition, children under two, anyone with working conditions that would be unsafe to wear a mask in, and individuals such as the hearing-impaired who need to see the mouth for communication are all exempt from the order.
The department has yet to announce penalties for going against the order but noted that state and local officials and law enforcement would be tasked with educating anyone not in compliance.
Please adhere to the guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as stated above. As you know, cases across the United States have continued to spike, raising some concerns. One local retirement community reinstituted their “lockdown” for residential living residents. If we adhere to the advice given, this should not be necessary for Moravian Manor Communities.
What does this order mean for Moravian Manor Communities? First, if you are indoors, and in a common space, wear a mask. Getting your mail, going through common areas for any reason, please wear a mask. If you are outside walking by yourself or with a significant other, a mask is unnecessary if you maintain a six-foot distance from folks outside your immediate household.
For some incomprehensible reason, this has become a controversial subject. Even if you do not accept the commonly accepted reasoning on this subject, in the spirit of community, put on a mask for your neighbors’ sake! A friend of mine who runs a retail establishment was commenting on the guests in their store (about one out of ten is non-compliant). He said I could put up a sign that says “no shirt, no shoes, no service.” Why is putting up a sign that says, “no mask, no service” so controversial? I could not answer his question.
One challenge we have seen with the broader community is “partial compliance.” A mask must cover your mouth and nose. Surgical masks with pliable metal piece at the nose portion, needs to be pinched or snugged around the nose to minimize air loss and create a secure / close fitting face covering. The bottom of the mask should be under your chin. In recent visits to the grocery and auto parts store, I have seen folks exposing their nose and covering their mouth. Improper mask usage is like putting the seatbelt around you and not buckling it. It won’t do much good!
Remember, at some point, we will enter into a phase when we only wear masks during Halloween! We are writing a chapter of our history. How do you want that history to read? When this pandemic began, I commented to our staff, “When this is all over, I would rather be accused of overreacting than underreacting.” I still hold on to that belief.
Blessings to all of you as you navigate the continued stress of living through a pandemic. The Moravian Manor Communities’ spirit and support are remarkable. Let us not tire of doing the right thing!
From Andy Lebo, EGStoltzfus Custom Homes and Remodeling Division Manager
Thinking about a home remodeling project can stir up many emotions. You might feel excited one day…and overwhelmed the next. Many times, questions and uncertainty dominate our thoughts:
“Will this be better than what we have now?” “With all these options, what if I make wrong decisions?” “Will this pay off?”
When approaching a remodeling project, there are inherent, temporary inconveniences, as well as time obligations requesting and reviewing estimates, assessing the plans, and choosing fixtures and finishes. But individuals who do engage in a remodeling challenge derive long-term benefits and enjoyment from their new and improved living space. Similar to a vacation, remodeling requires planning and review of pricing. However, a vacation ends, while improvements to your home provide a source of ongoing daily pleasure.
Where should you begin? How do you know if you can add a first-floor master suite? Or maybe just remodel a bathroom? For many reasons, project pricing can vary significantly. It depends on the scope of your project, lifestyle needs, and desired material selections. But let’s focus on a few ideas, provide you with some average budget ranges, and share some of the factors that can influence remodeling costs.
Adding a typical first-floor master suite starts around $120 thousand.
Updating an existing full bathroom typically runs $20 – $65 thousand, depending largely on the fixtures and finishes. A more accessible layout, zero threshold shower, and multiple shower controls are some common additions in this area.
A standard kitchen renovation range is $35 – $55 thousand. Custom cabinetry, a large central island, and structural changes to open up the floorplan of a home are frequently part of a $55 – $80 thousand kitchen project.
The age of your home can also be a factor when remodeling.
While older homes often have lot sizes that allow for expansion such as a first-floor master suite, they may require electrical updates to meet new local standards.
Plumbing lines may need to be replaced depending on the type of material used and its current condition.
An aging HVAC system may need replaced with a larger more efficient system that can handle the extra load of new space you’re adding to your home.
Pre-1978 homes may have lead paint, and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) requires contractors to adhere to specific protocol for testing/removal when renovating these homes.
Homes with a private septic system may be restricted when adding bedrooms. Knowing your septic system and having a discussion with your township is a good place to start.
If you are contemplating the idea of aging in place in your current home, you are likely weighing the cost of remodeling. Clients often ask contractors, “How much would it cost me to…,” – and the common response is often “It depends on…” For some clients, that can be a difficult answer to accept.
An analogy that often helps is to consider the cost of a bag of groceries. Much like a remodel project, the cost is dependent on your list. For example, my bag of groceries might cost twice what your bag costs because of the difference in the meals we’re preparing. There could also be several price points for the same item. So, prioritize your remodeling list and speak with a qualified remodel company that can review and assess the feasibility of what you desire to accomplish and spend. Renovating with an experienced professional brings clarity to the process and ensures the most out of your investment.
For additional information, Remodeling Magazine compiles an annual “Cost vs. Value Report” that lists several project descriptions and average costs.
EGStoltzfus is a second-generation, family owned full-service construction company serving central PA. Building one story at a time, they specialize in the design and build of quality neighborhood homes, custom homes, residential remodeling and commercial construction, including various projects for Moravian Manor Communities. To learn more about the EGStoltzfus Remodeling division, visit egstoltzfusremodeling.com.
Compare the Value!
Interested in comparing the current costs of living in your home versus making a move to Moravian Manor Communities? Download our Compare the Value worksheet to see the advantages and savings available in our residential living homes, from apartments and cottages to carriage homes and townhomes. Or call our residential living sales office at 717-626-0214 to inquire about the various upgrades we can make to your home upon moving in to Moravian Manor Communities.
