The Melting Pot Coaching

Boost Your Memory, Focus, and Mental Clarity  With A Few Brain Activities 🧠 Hey Everyone, I'm back with some fun and creative ways of exercising our brains, because it's just as important as caring for our bodies. While many older adults are focused on keeping their minds sharp, the truth is, people of all ages benefit from flexing their mental muscles. These activities can help support memory, improve focus, and even make daily tasks feel easier and more fluid. Let’s explore 13 brain-boosting practices that are both evidence-based and enjoyable. 🧩 1. Jigsaw Puzzles From 100 pieces to 1,000, puzzles challenge your brain to think in new ways. They support visual-spatial reasoning and memory, and they offer a satisfying sense of accomplishment when you click that last piece into place.                🧠 Bonus: Research suggests puzzles may help reduce cognitive aging over time. ♠️ 2. Card Games Grab a deck and gather a few friends or f...

What's All This About the Mediterranean Diet? A Brief Breakdown of the Hype Hey Y'all, I'm sure you've heard about the Mediterranean diet by now. It's making it's rounds on social media, the news, and in many health articles, but if you aren't familiar with it here's a quick rundown. Basically, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods like colorful vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc. etc. It's less about restriction and more about enjoying food that fuels your body and supports long-term health. But let's be real, the word diet  feels restrictive and temporary, or even a little judgy. Like, ' oh great they're talking about another fad diet' . That’s why I'm tossing the word diet out altogether.  Moving forward we're calling it the Mediterranean lifestyle  ...a nourishing and satisfying way of eating that has proven itself across cultures bordering the Mediter...

Accessible Gardening A Sensory Guide for Different Bodies Hey Everyone, It's that time of year again where we dust off our garden gloves and pull out the tools for starting or reviving our gardens.  Gardening is more than just planting seeds, pulling weeds, and posting pics to social media, although that's enjoyable as well. It's therapy in some ways. There's the joy of creating and nurturing something while moving about the garden, grounding yourself with nature, and experiencing moments of mindfulness that makes it so addictive! And no matter your age, ability, or experience, there are  ways to get connected to the earth. It doesn't matter if you live with a vision or hearing impairment, limited mobility, or just need a little extra support in the garden, there are creative and soothing ways to still dig around in the dirt and hopefully, get some blooms. 🌸 For the Visually Impaired  Let the Garden Speak Through Scent and Touch When one sense fades, others usually...

Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's A New PBS Documentary  Premiered May 5, 2025 From Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s, Sue Darrow and her partner Janice Goldberg in Manhattan. (Credit: PBS) Hey Everyone, I'd like to suggest a documentary that I found very thought-provoking and informative. It premiered back in May, but if you have Passport you can go and watch it from the PBS website. It may also be available on Youtube. Here's the link and a brief description: Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s is an intimate portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer’s and how this progressive neurodegenerative disease transforms roles and relationships. Whether it's a partner caring for a loved one or an adult child shifting into being their parent's caregiver, these stories show how families evolve when a loved one is diagnosed. https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/matter-of-mind-my-alzheimers/?utm_source=Next+Avenue+Email+Newsletter&utm_ca...

Six Stories of Children Who Watched Europe Descend Into Tyranny Sweden's Most Internationally Renowned Graphic Novel Hey Y'all, In an attempt to switch up from my usual content I'll start doing book reviews once a month. For May, I'm reviewing the graphic novel by Jessica Bab Bonde and Peter Bergting titled  We'll Soon Be Home Again.  It's a haunting but necessary read that shares six real stories of children who survived the Holocaust, each one raw and painful. The illustrations are honest and stark; the storytelling straightforward, which somehow makes it hit even harder. As we watch anti-Blackness, anti-migrant, and all forms of hate rise in today’s America, especially against anyone who isn’t cis, white, or Christian, this book feels urgent. For me it served as a history lesson and a warning... I'm going to be honest, this isn’t an easy read, but it shouldn’t be. Their stories are a moving cry for compassion, as each one is stripped of their possessions ...

Why Yoga Can Work Wonders for Our Mental and Physical Health Hey again, y'all! We know that Yoga is an ancient practice that's been around for thousands of years, and it offers countless benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. However, the Black community has historically been underrepresented if not entirely absent in yoga spaces.  Often perceived as a practice for wealthy, white women, yoga can feel exclusionary. Youtube isn't exactly overflowing with Black yoga instructors and some spaces can make yoga feel unwelcoming.  I remember how I felt going into my first few classes-- completely out of place. Not to mention, yoga classes and club memberships can be on the pricey side.  Nevertheless, yoga can offer us tools to address our mental health challenges, build some physical strength, and foster community.  Surviving these next few years will require us to prioritize self-care, reduce our stress levels and take our overall wellbeing seriously.  Benefits of Yo...