Healthy Diet, A Need Often Neglected by Health Workers

Did you wonder why many of your colleagues were overweight when you first started working as a nurse? If not, maybe you were just too overwhelmed with the fact that you finally made it in the healthcare industry. But as months pass by, you noticed that you, too, are gaining weight as your nursing uniforms are starting to get too snug already. What seemed to be a mere sight is finally dawning in your mind; healthcare is afflicted with the rest of the world’s most acquired disease, obesity.

The reason for obesity epidemic among nurses is the lack of proper and healthy diet itself. It’s something that nurses cannot simply own due to the overwhelming tasks. Hearing complaints about not being able to take lunch is all too common. In fact, you would rather wonder if you know somebody was able to fully and regularly spend his or her lunch break over a healthy meal. In many cases, they’d only be given a few minutes to grab a donut, some cookies or pizza pie, and then, they’ll run back to their tasks again. It’s also normal for them to take their lunch one or two hours after their scheduled break time. Sometimes, they won’t even be able to eat at all.

How many times were you able to sit comfortably in the pantry during your lunch break? And can you name a handful of your coworkers who bring healthy veggies and fruits regularly? Were the resident doctors and nurses in your hospital even urged you to eat healthy?

More than anybody in hospitals, healthcare workers need to stay as healthy as ever because the patients, the patients’ loved ones, and their own families rely on them. It just so happen that their very job does not allow them that, an issue that is, well, too often overlooked. Sadly, these are the very same people who are trusted for care. When we know they don’t do well for their own health, should we be worried about our safety or does it undermine our nurses’ integrity as professionals?

In a country where nurses are outnumbered by patients, ensuring utmost health of healthcare workers is the least that hospital administrators can do. It might not be as huge as salary increase, but is sure gives a good dose of positive energy. And it’s a good thing that there are those who also work hard to promote healthy diet among healthcare professionals, and become role models themselves with their choice of food.

What’s the Next Big Thing?

2011 did a significantly fierce welcoming. Relentless raining caused floods and landslides in Australia, Brazil, Philippines and several other lands, claimed many lives and left people homeless. Snowstorms across America paralyzed businesses. Terrorists blew bombs in Russia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Earlier this week, Tunisia rocked the world when civil and political unrest broke out. Following the turmoil in the said country are violent protests against the government of Egypt. If there were positive things that came in with the new year, they were significantly minute when compared to all those huge dilemmas. Now, will the next big thing follow the same fierce tracks as the ones mentioned?

If you’re praying to all the gods for little better situations in the coming days, I’m trying to focus my sight on the beneficial things that are alreay available. Talking of the ill occurrences that are triggered by poverty and power-hungry tyrants is already sickening. So let’s talk about something that’s supposedly going to benefit all.

The next big thing should involve a great number of people, pushing them to take necessary steps to get into it. And just what is this big thing that would drive people just like that? Well, guys, it’s but the long standing issue on how to lose fat. Gone are the days of Atkins and south beach diet, or has it indeed been flushed away. Nah, I’m afraid not. But one thing’s for sure, they weren’t successful in encouraging nurses, even with the prospect of being able to fit in smaller sized nursing uniforms.

Okay. So, what’s the next big thing? The resistant starch foods. What is this so called resistant starch food? In the most understandable human language, resistant starch food simply point to food that does not digest in the small intestine. What does it do? The slow disintegration of starch makes a person feel full longer, and that helps curb the actual amount of calories being ingested. Essentially, adding resistant starch foods to your diet, or replacing some of your food items with these would have positive effects on your weight and overall health.

Resistant starch is commonly found in natural and unprocessed foods, most of which are barley, beans, cereals, fruits, brown rice and root crops. Commercial food products that contain resistant starch are also growing in number in the market already. They are found in breads and pastas. Now, if you’re a nurse and you dream of fitting nicely in fashion nursing uniforms, you might as well consider replacing cookies, donuts and chocolate cakes with resistant starch foods.

The problem goes beyond these nurses eating habits. It’s deeply rooted in the economic problem of the society, in general. You should see the real thing when you see the plates of the common people who cannot afford the kind of foods that are considered healthy.

Sleep Your Way to Fat Loss

Contrary to what has been believed that sleep makes one fat, a new study reveals enough sleep contributes to reduction of fat. So, dieters might as well want to strive to sleep more every night to be able to improve weight loss. The study, however, involved only 10 overweight men and women participants. The number is relatively small and the period of only two separate 2-week of study was too short to be conclusive.

In the first 2 weeks both men and women slept 8.5 hours, while they got only 5.5 sleep during the other 2 weeks. During these periods, participants lived in a sleep lab and they followed calorie restricted diet. After which, researchers found an average of 7lbs lost during both conditions. Here’s the thing, though, sleep-restricted period enabled loss of muscle rather than fat. Body tissues were shed, not fats.

Results during sleep-lab setting may be different from the real-world setting. But hey, there’s nothing to loose in trying this strategy. Besides, sleep has proven to be of great help on health, in general. So if you notice the Cherokee scrubs you bought just a couple of months ago are starting to feel tighter already, you might as well consider improving your sleep than digging into clearance scrubs for new ones. Even if positive results don’t show up soon, you’ll no doubt benefit from enough sleep physically, mentally, and emotionally.

10 Ways to Get Rid of Dark Circles

Your new Landau scrubs are well pressed, hair neatly tied, and shoes newly cleaned. You look almost perfect, except for that panda mask you’ve been wearing after only 2 weeks since you started working in the night shift. Yes, I’m referring to those dark circles. I personally have to deal with dark circles every time I face the mirror. And guess what, my colleagues call me panda.

I always desired to get rid of these dark circles, but I just don’t have time to look for any treatment, even from the internet. Today, though, while reading the news, I saw in the sidebar of one site tips on how to get rid of under eye circles. It took me to about.com.

I haven’t tried it yet, except the last two tips. Nonetheless, I wanna share it to you.

Dark circles appear for several reasons. It can be due to nasal congestion, allergies, and vitamin deficiency. It can also be brought about by poor adrenals, bad circulation, and broken vessels. Dark circles can also be hereditary. To be able to remove the discoloration under the eyes, of course, it’s the cause that must be treated first.

(1) Take Multivitamins. Health care workers who work in the night shift often suffer from vitamin deficiency, so taking multivitamins should work well. Vitamin b6, b12 and folic acid in multivitamins will substantiate the necessary vitamins.

2) Increase Calcium and Magnesium Intake. This should improve adrenal function.

3) Over the counter allergy meds could easily treat nasal congestion.

4) For improved circulation, eat foods with less salt, and quit smoking.

(5) If you have this habit of rubbing the eyes, it’s time to break it to avoid damage of delicate blood vessels in under the eye area.

(6) Splash cold water first thing in the morning to deal with puffy eyes. This should help undereye capillaries contract and reduce swelling. Puffy eyes give undereye area that discolored look.

(7) Gently press cold spoons on your eyes for five minutes. But first, put them in the freezer for 5 minutes.

(8) Put chamomile teabag, which were set in the fridge overnight, for 15 minutes. Cucumber should also do.

(9) Use creams that are concentrated with vitamin C or K.

(10) Apply concealer.

Get Long Sleep on Week Ends, Get Brain Boost

Everyday, your clock alarms early to practically saying to get off bed, get ready yourself and the Dickies uniforms, eat enough breakfast, and drive to the hospital to start another long tiring day. When the duty calls for overtime, you may need to extend up until the wee hours. With just barely 3 or 4 hours, you again have to wake up early to repeat what happened the day before. At the end of the extremely toxic week, you’re all too overwhelmed, and yet ready to stay up and party over the weekend.

The responsibility at work cannot be simply dismissed. So many of our nurses and doctors, spend the entire week taking care of patients. But stay up even on weekends is basically depriving oneself from what is most necessary in order to have the mind fully prepared for the coming week. Such is according to a study published in the Journal Sleep.

Scientists who conducted the study found that an extra dose of sleep in more than just luxury, but boosts essential brain power ahead of the working week. A single, long sleep can replenish the brain with the necessary energy to bring back alertness and better attention span. Subsequently, a person who doesn’t treat himself or herself with long line-in during the weekend could experience impairment with performance.

Depending on how much sleep a person gets during the weekdays, the length of sleep in the weekends may require 10 hours or more.

Red Cross Offers First Aid classes

GALESBURG —

The Western Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross will offer CPR/AED/First Aid classes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the American Red Cross, 143 E. Main St. Evening CPR/AED/First Aid Classes will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Jan. 11 and 13. Registration is required. To register and for more information, call (309) 344-1611