Be Healthy, Well & Inspired

Spotlight on Men’s Healt

By Anna June 13, 2013 Physical No Comments

Men’s Health Month, celebrated all throughout the month of June, is aimed at increasing awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. By raising awareness this month and beyond, advancing health education, and recognizing culturally influenced behaviors, each of us can help improve men’s health.

And the statistics are staggering: Two-thirds of men would not seek a health care professional if they were experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, two early warning signs of a heart attack. Seven million American men have not attended a physician’s appointment in more than 10 years.

The most astounding statistic? More than half of all premature deaths among men are preventable.

The infographic below lays out additional statistics about the state of men’s health in the United States, and offers suggestions for improving it, including when and how often they should be tested for certain health issues. This content is not meant as personal health guidance; consult a health care professional for all health-related questions.

Via Nurse Practitioner Programs and Nursing License Map

Erica Moss is the community manager for Georgetown University’s online acnp programs. She enjoys blogging, TV, pop culture and tweeting @ericajmoss.

Nurses Need Patience for Patients

By Anna June 11, 2013 Physical No Comments

This infographic was brought to you by Brown Mackie.

Healthy cookie recipe

By Anna June 10, 2013 Physical No Comments

A simple and delicious idea for Father’s Day (June 16^th). Dads love homemade goodies but they’re not always as healthy as they could be. These No-Bake Cookies with Salba Chia Seeds are not only a tasty treat, but they also pack a nutritional punch of Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA), fiber, antioxidants and protein. Please feel free to share this recipe and image with your readers as our gift to fathers everywhere this month:

No-Bake Cookies with Salba Chia Seeds

· ½ C. butter

· 1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

· 1 C. white sugar

· ½ C. milk

· 1/3 C. Salba Chia seeds

· ½ C. peanut butter

· 3 C. oats

Directions:

1. Over low heat*, melt together butter, sugar and cocoa powder.

2. Stir in milk, Salba Chia seeds and peanut butter.

3. Slowly add in oats.

4. Drop spoonful of batter onto wax paper.

5. Refrigerate until cookies set.

*Children under 11 years of age will require adult assistance to heat ingredients.

Why Salba Chia? It’s the richest whole food source of Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) and fiber found in nature on a gram for gram basis. Every 15g serving of Salba provides over 3,400 mg of Omega-3s (ALA) – 800% more Omega-3s (ALA) than salmon (EPA/DHA). Used whole or ground, Salba Chia can boost phytonutrient-rich shakes and smoothies too – a great pairing for Father’s Day cookies!

Celebrating with Dad – My Favorite Moment

By Anna June 8, 2013 Emotional No Comments

Father’s Day is next week and I have to admit I haven’t been around for Father’s Day much since I lived in NYC. This is the first year I am in the same city with my dad in over a decade. My dad has been there for me through the years but one activity that reminds me of my dad is driving. My dad loves to drive and will drive me anywhere I want to go.

If I had to pick one activity that reminds me of my dad is anything car related. The first activity specifically is car shopping. I’ve bought two cars in my life so far and my dad was there both times to wheel and deal with the car salesmen. In fact, my dad knows about cars so much he knows the real price and gets me the absolute best deal. Its not just car shopping that reminds me of my dad its the entire car theme and driving. When I moved back to the same city as my father, I was nervous to drive in the highway again. I haven’t driven a car in more than seven years and haven’t driven on the highway in twelve years! My dad drove me 22 miles back and forth everyday for two months. I just couldn’t drive on the busy highway. This is an example of unconditional love from a father to his daughter.

So for Father’s Day, I had a dentist appointment in another city and I cancelled it because everyone else in my family was either working or on vacation. My dad cannot spend Father’s Day alone so I cancelled my appointment. Life is too short.

I remember last year, my boyfriend at the time, spent his last Father’s Day with his father, unknowingly. His father passed away last September. He was happy to have spent Father’s Day with his father. No one wants to think about the future but we are not getting any younger and spending time with our family is something that is important to me.

If you are out of ideas of what to give your dad, remember a card from Cardstore is a great gift for a man who has it all. At least, my dad does! What is special about Cardstore?

Cardstore allows users to create custom cards by adding personal photos, personalized messaging and your signature for a personal touch
Cardstore can print, stamp and send your card via US postal service for you

5 Questions to ask your Dentist about Dental Implant

By Anna June 7, 2013 Health, Physical No Comments

One or more missing teeth can have a negative impact on the ability to chew food and make people shy away from the public eye. This unfortunate situation can result from tooth decay or an unforeseen accident – but we can all agree that no one likes to be left with a toothless grin! In the past, when someone did lose their teeth, the only options available were dental bridges or dentures. Thankfully, modern dentistry has given patients the choice of dental implants to improve mouth functionality and smile aesthetics.

But, if you are considering this treatment then you are likely to have many questions that you want to ask your dentist – or you may not know where to start and be wondering what to ask your dentist! Either way, let us give you a helping hand by taking a look at 5 questions to ask your dentist about dental implant treatment (and we even give you some answers too!):

Am I a suitable candidate for the treatment?

Whether or not you are a suitable candidate will be determined during an initial examination where the dentist carries out X-rays and examines your mouth. The level of bone available is a major factor in whether treatment can progress and any signs of gum disease will need to be treated before placement. The treatment may not be recommended for patients who have uncontrolled type II diabetes or previous history of strokes or heart attacks. These issues should be discussed with your dentist.

How long has the dentist been placing dental implants?

If you are going to get implants it is best to get them from a qualified dentist with several years of experience. How many implants has the dentist placed in their career? What is their success rate? Not just anyone can provide the treatment but you still want to find someone you feel comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to ask about a dentist’s training and experience, and don’t be afraid to shop around.

Is the treatment painful and can I have sedation?

Post-operative discomfort is normally minimal and the patient will be prescribed with medication to alleviate any painful symptoms. Anaesthesia will be used during the procedure to limit any pain, but certain patients may prefer the option of sedation. This can help patients to feel more comfortable during the placement, and sedation is often preferred by nervous individuals or dental phobic patients.

How long does treatment take?

Treatment time will differ for each patient due to the range of variables that can impact the implant process. Initially, an examination will be performed before the treatment begins, after which the area will be left to heal for around 3 months. This is so they can integrate with the jawbone tissue. After this time the dentist will check that the implants have integrated properly and place the teeth restorations. Total treatment time can be up to 8 months depending on the patient’s specific circumstances.

Can I see previous patients’ before and afters?

This is something many patients do not think to ask but it can give great insight into the kind of smile transformations your dentist has achieved; if they did this for that patient then they can do it for me too! If the dentist is unwilling to show you any before and afters then alarm bells should be ringing. You can also ask to speak to previous patients if you wish, which can give you a great outlook of what to expect.

Your questions
Of course, these are just some of the general questions people consider when they are set to get dental implants. But they do not allow for each person’s unique needs, so make sure to consider your dental needs and to ask the questions that matter to you.

This is a guest post from dentists Ollie & Darsh where patients can receive a range of cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Chia Seed Bars

By Anna May 17, 2013 Physical No Comments

I first discovered chia seeds this year at a cooking demo. The person giving the demo is a nutritionist, Laura. She gave a demo on how to make chia seed pudding. It looked really interesting as well. It looked like tapioca and I love tapioca! I liked the chia seed pudding so much I made it myself. Of course, my version was not as good as Laura but it was because I used sunflower milk instead of soy milk. Big difference.

Not that many people know about chia seeds. When I was looking for them in the health food stores, I had to ask several people until he was able to tell me where they were located. I introduced chia seeds to my boyfriend and he loved them so much he started putting chia seeds in his oatmeal. In fact, he even took my bag of chia seeds that I bought!

When someone asked me if I wanted to try the Health Warrior chia seeds bar, I happily said “Yes!” I had no idea that chia seeds are the hottest superfood now. I sampled Health Warrior chia seeds bar in cococut, acai berry and peanut butter chocolate. My favorite was the acai berry hands down. I eat these bars in between breakfast and lunch and these small bars are packed with nutrients and protein.

You may be wondering what the ingredients of the chia seeds bars. They are made out of white chia seeds, brown rice syrup, organic cashew butter, unsweetened coconut, gluten free rolled oats, organic agave syrup, almond meal, brown rice crisps, arabic gum, vanilla extract, sea salt, mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin E), and organic sunflower oil.

I am addicted to chia seeds now. I have to have the bars in between breakfast and lunch. The bars curbs my appetite and have energy to last me through lunch. If you want to know more about chia seeds, read the paragraph below.

Chia seeds pack a mighty punch in a small package: 1⁄4 the size of a grain of rice, pound for pound, Chia has more omega-3 fatty acidsthan salmon, more fiber than oatmeal, more protein than tofu, more calcium than milk and more magnesium than broccoli.

Health Warrior Chia Seeds, as well as its popular Chia Bars, which come in three delicious flavors (Acai Berry, Coconut, and Chocolate Peanut Butter), are available at Whole Foods nationwide. The bars are all-natural, vegan, dairy and soy free and around 100 calories each. As the only bar on the market boasting chia seeds as its #1 ingredient, Health Warrior Chia Bars have 1000 mg omega-3s, 16% DV of fiber and only 5g of sugar.

Bliss Review and Recipes

By Anna April 24, 2013 Physical No Comments

I love coffee. I love creamer so when they invented liquid creamer, I was in heaven. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that the makers of Coffee Mate came up with Natural Bliss. I am a customer of Natural Bliss. The first time I tried it was at BlogHer and quickly fell in love with the taste. I immediately bought all of the flavors. Even though I do not put a lot of cream in my coffee, I was still concerned with the sugar.

Now, there is a low fat chocolate version of Natural Bliss coffeemate. To be honest with you, the first time I tried the chocolate low fat flavor, I thought it wasn’t sweet enough so I added more. But, I still was not used to the chocolate flavor so I had to try it again and again. Finally, in the second week, I started liking the Natural Bliss chocolate flavor. Its a matter of getting used to the flavor. Don’t get me wrong I love chocolate. I am just used to my coffee being sweeter than not. I know that does not sound healthy but its a personal preference.

What is healthy is Bliss Lowfat Chocolate creamer. If you want to spice up your coffee in the morning, try this new flavor from Bliss. There are more ways to use this product other than your coffee in the morning. You can make crepes or add Bliss Chocolate flavor to your hot chocolate.

Here are the recipes:

Hot Cocoa

6 tablespoons Baking Cocoa
¼ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup water
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-natural Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Low-fat Chocolate
Softly whipped cream or mini marshmallows (optional)
Ground cinnamon or cocoa (optional)

- WHISK together cocoa, sugar, salt and water in small saucepan over low heat until smooth.

-COOK, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes, making sure whisk gets into the edges of pan.

Crepes

6 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all-natural Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Low-fat Chocolate
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Butter

Filling

1 package (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-natural Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Low-fat Chocolate
2 Tbsp. NESTLÉ Toll House Baking Cocoa
Fresh raspberries or berries
Fresh mint for garnish
Powdered sugar

For Crêpes:

- PLACE eggs, milk, Natural Bliss, flour, powdered sugar and salt in blender; cover. Blend until well combined.

- HEAT 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; lightly coat with butter.

- POUR 1/4 cup batter into the center of the skillet and swirl until the batter covers the bottom in a thin layer.

- COOK for 30 to 45 seconds or until underside is golden and top is just set. Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof rubber spatula, then flip crêpe over with your fingertips and cook for an additional 15 seconds.

- TRANSFER to a plate. Repeat procedure with remaining crêpe batter. You should have about 14 crêpes total. Set aside to cool completely.

For Filling:

- COMBINE mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, ¾ cup powdered sugar, Natural Bliss and cocoa in large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy.

- CENTER a crêpe on a serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread a layer of filling (about 3 heaping tablespoons) over the crêpe. Continue stacking crêpes and spreading with filling, ending with a crêpe on top.

- COVER; refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24.

- TOP with fresh berries and sprig of mint; dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

*****DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary bottle of Natural Bliss in order to write this review. This review is my own honest opinion and I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.

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