Health and Fitness For You

While I read about nursing assistant certification in the health tips blog, I realized that it could be a good idea to write about it here as well. Simply to diversify the information over here about health.

In the niche of healthcare, we are lacking lot of certified nursing assistants that play important role in patient’s health and well being. It’s simply because not many of us choose to get into nursing profession due to our prejudiced mind. You have to keep in mind that nursing profession is now a days the top few sought after professions due to it’s demand into developed countries like United States, United Kingdom and countries in West Europe.

Though they are high demands for qualified nurses, there are very few professionals available and that’s where the career opportunities for qualified nursing assistant lie in.

Nursing profression brings in high value and satisfaction in the career along with it’s high responsibilities. Nursing assistants are not only involved in feeding, dressing, and bathing the patient but they are more like eyes of doctor. These assistants help to observe the patient’s behavior and reaction towards the medical supply to her body.

More than changing the sheets, bathing the patients; the important Nursing Assistant Duties is to provide emotional support to both the patients and their families and making them as comfortable as possible.

Keeping all these duties in mind, you can take appropriate decision about your orientation towards nursing career.

2009 has started and with it comes the new year resolutions to lose weight. While many people do these resolutions with good intentions the fact is that it can be really easy to lose your stomach fat fast without expensive gym memberships and strict diets.

Gone are the days that fad diets were the only way to lose weight. You don’t have to save $100s of dollars to join a gym that you’re never going to go to. You can actually save your money and lose weight without costly memberships and locked in contracts. You’ve already probably done that right and never gone and wasted hundreds of dollars that you could have spent elsewhere, am I right?

Exercise is highly recommended when you are wanting to be lighter and healthier. However, weight training and 1 hour daily workouts are the not the key and won’t give you the results you desire. I mean, do you have 1 hour a day to devote to working out? I know I don’t.

What you need to do is find an eating plan that works and is also delicious. Ultimately this is the only way you’re going to lose weight and keep it off in the long term. What you need to do is find a diet that is not too strict or restrictive.

A plan that you will stick to will be one that will have you still eating the foods that you love but with fat loss as a consequence. The right diet plan will also help you stay motivated and give you great recipes that you and your family will all enjoy. It’s a lifestyle change for the better.

Imagine yourself in your new slimmer body and get the body you desire safely and easily in 2009.

Until now, you were reading the tips for diet and ways to reduce fats but did you think in opposite way anytime. If the diet is not done properly, there are consequences of wrong diet adopted for quick weight loss.

It’s an unfortunate Fact that if the diets are not done properly with help from doctors, diets will only make you fatter. When it comes to the latest in Diet fads, we are quite gullible and easily tempted by a Diet’s empty promised. Reason being….the diet industry KNOWS we are in search of the “quick fix” and will only play with our emotions - our desperation for the quickest way to relieve looking and feeling fat.

Here are the Top 10 Reasons Why you should NOT “go” on a Diet for quick weight loss:

1. Diets do NOT work.

Diets have a 99% Failure Rate. Have you noticed a pattern yet? Lose weight….quickly regain it? Over time, studies show if you diet you are more likely to be overweight than people who eat normally and make small gradual changes to their lifestyle. No, the Law of Averages does not apply to this faulty system.

2. Dieting can be Dangerous.

Any time you severely restrict the amount or types of foods you eat you put your health and life at risk. Dieting has been related to injuries and sudden deaths from electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, and heart arrhythmia’s. Weight cycling, or yo-yo-ing weight, is associated with higher death rates - especially if some type of pills are being used. At no point should you ever place weight loss above your health.

3. Dieting Destroys your Metabolism.

Diets will cause your weight to quickly cycle up and down. Sure, you may lose weight quickly because you are simply not eating enough. In the initial stages, the first seven to nine pounds lost are water, presenting a real danger of dehydration and mineral deficiencies. Even more terrifying ins the break down of lean muscle due to inefficient nutrients and calories. If you are losing more than 3-4 pounds a week, you can be sure this is what is happening - very little fat is lost this state.

Now, any muscle loss will cause your metabolism slow to a crawl. The cumulative effect takes place for you cannot survive very long on very low calories (1200 or less) and you will eventually eat more - on top of a slower metabolism. All those excess calories will be stored as fat - causing rapid weight gain.

4. Dieting is Exhausting.

Diets are just reduced calorie Fads disguised by a clever gimmick. “Lose weight while you sleep” “Eat all you want and still lose weight” Not eating enough or cutting out certain food groups means your body may not be getting the energy it needs, or may lack certain nutrients. You will feel exhausted, light headed and experience some not-so-fun mood swings.

5. Dieting is Disruptive.

Dieting negatively affects your normal eating patterns. Diets can lead to binge eating, overeating and chaotic eating. When you diet, it is common to override your internal signals telling you to eat. You end up trying to use willpower or resist hunger signals and may even go as far as taking appetite suppressants. This results in being unable to know when you really are hungry or wore….when you’re full.

6. Dieting can lead to eating disorders.

Experts state that the high rates of eating disorders in the U.S. are due in part to people dieting, losing weight, rebounding, and becoming chronic dieters.

7. Dieting Causes Food Obsessions.

If you spend a large amount of time and energy depriving yourself of food or certain types of food - you will spend more time thinking about food and become obsessed attempts to control your weight by what you choose to eat or not eat. How long do you want to live like this?

8. Dieting Diminishes Women.

There is way too much attention focused on our appearance and an arbitrary number on the scale. In the midst of this focus - we end up avoiding what really matters to us - our dreams and ambitions. Even worse, it erodes our confidence and self-respect.

9. Dieting Intensifies Negativity.

If you diet, you are more judgmental and critical of yourself and others. Once again, wasted time and energy.

10. Diets Put Your Life on Hold.

Does this sound familiar….”I’ll be happy when I weigh “x pounds.” Guess what, the issues in your life are not related to your weight. Take responsibility and take back control of your life. Decide to be happy now and do what it takes to live a lifestyle that reflects your priorities.

• Vegetarian diet is one of the richest and most beneficial sources of calcium. Vegetables are free from contaminants and harmful substances which are part of most foods coming from animal sources. We can safely claim that a vegetarian diet is a good source of calcium and should be adopted to live a healthy, fruitful life.
• Vegetables like kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and dandelion greens contain adequate amounts of calcium. Kale is easy to digest and the calcium it contains gets readily absorbed by the bloodstream. Similarly, other vegetables belonging to this family are healthful sources of calcium.
• Soybeans, white beans, navy beans, lima beans and some others are fairly good sources of calcium coming from plant sources. However, they do not provide adequate amounts required to fulfill daily calcium needs. And because of this reason, beans are not considered as a very good source of calcium.
• Nevertheless, tofu has been found to be a fairly good source of calcium. ½ a cup of regular tofu provides up to 135 mg of calcium. Similarly, same quantity of firm tofu provides about 80 mg of calcium. Peanuts, almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds are rich sources of calcium. 1 ounce of roasted almonds provides up to 80 mg of calcium.
• Other foods listed under the vegetarian diet are almond butter, peanut butter, cranberry juice, orange juice, figs, soy milk, and Brussel sprouts. 4-6 of the above-mentioned calcium sources should be added to an everyday diet to receive good quantities of calcium. You can also add blackstrap molasses and brown sugar to baked desserts to receive calcium in good amounts.
• Vitamin D is required for proper absorption of calcium. Try to add those sources which are also rich in vitamin D, iron and phosphorus. Fish and seafood is considered as one of the most healthful sources of calcium and vitamin D. Similarly, calcium supplements containing vitamin D and vitamin K2 can also be used to fulfill daily calcium needs.
• Recently, it has been discovered that a special kind of calcium carbonate known as coral calcium is very effective for long-term bone health. It contains calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium and many other minerals in just the right quantities. It is obtained in an environmentally friendly manner from fossilized coral reefs above sea level. It is pure, safe and totally natural.
• Calcium supplements containing coral calcium are very beneficial for health and should be consumed to complement a calcium-rich vegetarian diet.

There are mainly two cycles in bodybuilding. One is the bulking phase, the other is the cutting phase. Bulking is putting muscle, cutting is removing fat. The reason for this is that it is difficult to put on muscle and take off fat at the same time.

Bulking:

If you’re trying to bulk up you need to eat a lot more than you’re eating now. Start a journal and write down everything you eat. You should be able to calculate a total for calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat. You should be eating around 1.5g x your weight in protein a day. This will ensure there is enough protein to meet the needs of muscle growth as well as some left over, just in case. Your carbohydrates should be above normal at this time to give you extended energy reserves for the gym.

Cutting:

If you’re trying to remove the fat off your body, while leaving the muscle on your body, you’re going to have to eat less. Start a journal and record the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat. You should be eating around 0.9g x your weight in protein a day. During this time you’ll find that your carbohydrates will be lowered and you’ll find you tire easy at the gym. This is what happens when you cut fat.

These are the two different bodybuilding diets that you will cycle over time. Most people tend to bulk up, than cut fat. Really depends on your goals at the time.