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3 Simple Habits to Control Weight in the Workplace

Focusing on a career is both stressful and fruitful at the same time. For one, you are able to advance yourself further than the tight competition this generation is pitted against. At the same time, you become more aware of the many aspects which underline your career.

The other side of it is that when you devote so much time for your work, you tend to forget the other facets of your life, such as social life, family, and, most importantly, your health. This is common for many people, as modern life in America has led many to eat more unhealthy foods, eat bigger food portions, and be less active. As a result, the number of Americans who are overweight or obese (very overweight) has been rising for the past years. Recent studies show about 1 in 3 American adults being obese, and another 1 in 3 is overweight.

Considering the fact that the demand for competent employees nowadays is strikingly high, the unfortunate reality is that your time is packed in a schedule where it is hard to fit in a regular schedule for exercise and healthy living. This is why it is important that you take note of the simple habits in which you can be healthy while also considering the limitations that are laid on you.

Cheat the way you eat

While most of you find it hard to stick to a diet plan that actually works for you, it is important that you consider making small adjustments not only to your portions, but also to your mindset. Eating habits are much more mental than physical. Cheating your brain into thinking that your stomach is full can actually help you control your weight fast.

How exactly do you do that? There are a variety of ways that can help you do just that.

First things first, it is important that you stay disciplined in eating regularly. By regular, it means that you eat at specific times when you should, such as for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping these three important meals of the day makes it harder for you to actually control your weight.

Although it proves difficult to actually get off at work to eat right at schedule, one hack that may just aid your problems in your eating schedule is by packing your food to eat at work. With packed food, you have more control with your portions, and it is more convenient because you don’t have to waste time “hunting” for food outside of the office.

Another way to cheat your brain is to use downsized dinnerware. Studies show that you are likely to eat less when your plates are smaller. The theory is that your eyes get tricked into thinking you are eating more because your plate makes the food portions look bigger and your plate full. The result: you are satisfied with less food.

In addition to using smaller plates, it is best that you focus on eating when it’s eating time. It can be tough to focus on eating when there’s work to do, but chowing down when you’re distracted can lead to accidentally taking in more than you need. Distracted eating doesn’t just lead to more consumption in the moment. It can even compel you to eat more than necessary later on in the day, according to a systematic review of 24 studies in the February 2013 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

If you find all of this hard to stick with, there are actually alternative means to control your weight. With humans learning and understanding more about the science behind everything in this world, even weight control has become that you can master. Help shed fat with these products, and you might just find yourself on your way to better health.

Simple Physical Activity Can Give You a Boost

New research has found that prolonged sitting—like the kind you do all day at work—is sabotaging your health and turning you into a 9-to-5 couch potato. One study last year has found that sitting can increase your risk for cancer by more than 60%. What’s a desk jockey to do? Luckily, spending all day at the office doesn’t have to mean spending it sedentarily.

A variety of specialized exercises at work have been produced since many employees find it hard to make time for actual workouts. Before actual office hours, there are easy steps in which you can maximize your time to work your body while taking into consideration your daily time constraints.

Walking to work comes with a host of great benefits, and not just for the environment. Your body, mind and bank balance can all benefit, too, so why not make this simple change and see what a difference it can make? Walking is a great form of cardio exercise that doesn’t require you to sweat it out at the gym. If you walk fast enough to raise your heart rate, temperature and breathing, you can still reap the same kind of rewards as a run on the treadmill.

After a while, you’ll find that you don’t feel as worn out when you get to the office. Moreover, you have burned more energy than when you commute.

While walking to work seems to be a good idea, taking the stairs levels it up for a better physical exercise. Climbing stairs burns calories, which can help you better manage your weight. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator helps you increase your overall activity, contributing to a higher daily calorie burn.

For example, a 150-lb person burns about 544 calories just walking up stairs for an hour, according to The sport of stair climbing, which involves running up the stairs, can help you burn nearly twice as much calorie as compared to other sports like volleyball and baseball, according to The number of calories you burn depends on your weight, the slope of the stairs, number of stairs and your pace.

Water is Power

Other diet therapies can be harsh to follow since they require a lot of time and discipline. However, one method which proves useful and convenient especially for you working people is water therapy. Drinking a lot of water can be a useful tool in a dieter’s arsenal when weight loss is a goal. It helps boosts your metabolism, suppresses your appetite, and, surprisingly, helps you shed water weight. Getting in the recommended 8-10 glasses a day can be difficult, but with determination, you can soon be on the right track of using water to your weight loss advantage.

The benefits of water are numerous. Well-hydrated body helps your muscles and organs work quickly and efficiently. When your body is working well, it boosts your metabolic rate and helps you to feel more energetic. Water can help improve your metabolism, burning calories 3% faster than normal. Metabolism plays a big role in losing weight so it’s important to give your body what it needs in order for it to work the way you want.

Since feeling thirsty and hungry often go hand-in-hand, if you’re feeling thirsty, you might accidentally start eating instead of going for a glass of water. Try to listen to what your body needs and keep a water bottle close at hand. You don’t want to be adding on the extra pounds by eating when you’re not even hungry.

If you’re feeling hungry, drink a glass of water 15 minutes before eating. It helps your body control the hunger so that you can better manage your portion control. It is also a good idea to have a glass of water with every meal. Try to take a sip of water between every few bites, which can help you feel full faster.

How to keep a Proper Sitting Position to Avoid Back Injuries

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re having back pain even though you’re not lifting heavy weights constantly, it’s most likely because you’re not sitting properly. For anyone who’s wondering what the best posture is for sitting, science would tell you that there is actually an ergonomic and utterly safe way to sit – especially for those who spend a lot of hours in front of a computer desk while working.

First things first, consider the Computer Monitor and your Eye Level.

It’s important to have your eyes in line with the area of the screen you focus on the most, whether that’s the top (if you’re sending lots of emails), or the bottom (if you’re writing a bunch of programming code, for example). Looking down at your screen puts excess strain on your neck, which leaves you vulnerable to injuries such as cervical disc herniation, cervical strains, and headaches.

Though most modern-age computer monitors already have a way to increase its height, stacking books under your monitor is a simple trick if you need to raise your screen to be at eye level. Especially with office workers or work-from-home employees, maintaining a good eye level with the computer monitor is tantamount to healthy vision and proper posture. It is also important to take note that if you happen to be a multi-monitor worker, make sure you apply this tip to the monitor you use the most—the last thing you want is an injury from looking sideways all day.

Now, look at your desk.

Anything that you constantly use – such as your mobile phone, the mouse, or coffee mug – can be a source of physical stress on your body if you’re always reaching out to grab it. Instead of forcing your body to overwork (and be in an uncomfortable position), keep these must-use items within a foot of a distance from where you’re seated. In this way, you can minimize the amount of physical strain your body may experience.

Next is the arm positioning.

Human physiology tells you that when your arms are stretched and extended, your shoulders start to rotate forward, causing you to lose strength in your upper back. Because of this, you always have to consider your arm positioning as it is equally important to sitting ergonomics. To avoid shoulder injuries and chronic upper back pain, keep your arms at a comfortable 90-degree angle at a nice, neutral resting position.

Additionally, you should never take for granted what armrests are for – chairs come with armrests for a reason, particularly to aid your arm positioning for the most comfortable way possible.

Now, take note of the proper back positioning.

Always consider that your back should be comfortable and supported, with a small curve in the lumbar spine where your natural lower back is. Without support, the back tends to get too much of a curve in the opposite direction — what’s known as kyphosis, or more commonly, hunchback — leaving the lower back perfectly exposed to disc herniation and chronic postural lower back sprains and strains.

With this in mind, if you don’t have a chair that can provide support, look for pillows, blankets, or some stuffed objects in your house to keep your back comfortable at all times.

Legs and Feet shouldn’t be taken for granted.

When your legs are crossed or just your toes are touching the floor, you’re putting unnecessary stress on large supportive muscles and hampering proper blood flow. Even little things such as keeping your legs crossed all day long – can lead to chronic pain. It’s totally alright to cross your legs from time to time, but this shouldn’t be your most accessed positioning for your legs and feet.

Lastly, take note of your vertical alignment.

While seated, you should never want to be reaching or leaning forward. According to researches, for every inch that the head comes forward, the spine feels like is has taken on an extra 10 pounds. This alone can bring major strain on your muscles.

Health Magic – 6 Tips on How to Eat Healthy

Eating healthy shouldn’t be a hard task for anyone. Surely, calculating calories or keeping the cholesterol count in check could be too hard for anyone at the start. When the challenge becomes too much to bear, eventually, people would rather opt to eat unhealthily just because of the fact that eating properly could be a chore.

Then again, healthy options shouldn’t be too hard to choose. Something as simple as going for water instead of soda can be one of the most important health decisions you would ever make.

Find out more about the easiest ways for you to be healthy – you don’t even need to think too hard. These health hacks targets your unconscious mind:

Using Smaller Plates

One of the best actions you could take is to get smaller plates. The simple idea is that when using smaller plates, you brain is wired that only a small amount of food can fit on it.

Of course, bigger plates mean bigger portions, and that means you eat more. According to many studies, opting for a smaller plate can help you eat significantly less amount of food. For example, if you made a simple change and served your dinner on 10-inch plates instead of a 12-inch plate, you would eat 22% less food over the course of the next year.

Also, psychology says that eating less is not as easy as just putting less food on your plate regardless of the diameter of the plate. If you’re thinking, “maybe I’ll just put less food on my plate,” you become more susceptible to being unsuccessful as compared to someone who uses a smaller plate. Additionally, psychology says that when you eat a small portion off of a large plate, your mind feels unsatisfied. Meanwhile, the same portion seems more filling when eaten off of a small plate.

Make water more accessible

Most people mindlessly give in to the temptation of drinking soda or a sip of iced tea while the mind is busy doing something else. The human mind would choose to drink the nearest possible potable liquid that the arms could reach, especially when thirsty. This is why a good measure for you to be healthier is to put enough distance between you and any unhealthy drink.

Try this instead: buy a large water bottle and set it somewhere near you throughout the day. You would find that if it’s sitting next to you, you would often opt for water instead and avoid less healthy options naturally.

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids – and having fresh water with you any time you need it can definitely help you a lot. For one, your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

Don’t keep junk food in the house.

Much like the idea of keeping water close to you at all times, if you keep away the junk food from yourself, you can put yourself into a position to be healthier. There are numerous reasons for this.

For example, if you’re hungry and looking for something salty to munch on, you’d most likely opt not to eat at all when there is no junk food on one of your cupboards – the idea of having to go out of the house and go to the nearest convenience store is most often enough to deter you from satisfying your temptations to eat junk food. Conversely, if there is any junk food inside your house – even if it’s not your favorite one – you would easily fall into the temptation of binging on them.

Learn to eat more vegetables and fruits a day

Not everyone is fond of eating a lot of vegetables; you may be even that kind of person who generally hates eating vegetables. Surely, the taste of vegetables (or the healthiest fruits) isn’t that desirable for everyone. The big problem, however, is that the most common health concerns arise from people not eating the vegetables or fruits regularly.

Then again, you can teach yourself to get used to eating healthy food that you don’t like. Yes, you can learn to love vegetables if you start eating smaller portions then increase your rations as time goes by. By starting small then slowly increase, you can acclimate your taste buds to like vegetables and fruits after a given period of time.


Always opt for the healthiest snacks.

The biggest misconception about packing snacks is that it’s hard to do. One thing that works for most fit people is preparing healthy snacks for the entire week, or getting them together the night before. It literally takes five minutes. Doing so can help you eat healthier throughout the day.

Here are some healthy snacks that take no time to prepare:

Beet Chips With Curried Yogurt: Mix together 2 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek yogurt and ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon curry powder. Serve with 1 cup beet chips.

Crackers With Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread and Banana: Dividing evenly, spread 2 crisp bread crackers with 1 tablespoon chocolate-hazelnut spread. Top with 1 sliced small banana.

Ham and Jicama Wraps: Wrap 6 jicama or celery sticks with 3 slices ham. Serve with 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard for dipping.

Banana, Kale, and Almond Milk Smoothie: In a blender, puree 1 medium banana, 1 cup chopped kale, and 1 cup almond milk until smooth.

Minty Pea Dip With Pretzel Chips: Mash ½ cup frozen peas with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint and 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice. Serve with 15 pretzel chips.

Bagel With Ricotta and Strawberries: Spread ½ toasted whole-grain “flat” bagel with 2 tablespoons fresh ricotta. Top with ⅓ cup sliced strawberries. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar.

Lemony Avocado With Endive Dippers: Mash ⅓ chopped avocado with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Serve with endive leaves.

If you opt for these easy meals based on very healthy ingredients, you could find yourself craving for the healthiest types of food almost every time.

Definitely don’t skip breakfast.

Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast – that’s where its name originates, breaking the fast. Without breakfast you are effectively running on empty, like trying to start the car without petrol. Nutritionists advise that breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking, and that a healthy breakfast should provide calories in the range of 20-35% of your guideline daily allowance (GDA).

Apart from providing people with energy, common breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fiber. The body needs these essential nutrients and research shows that if these are missed at breakfast, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day. Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Try to include a portion of your daily five at breakfast, whether that be a banana or glass of fruit juice.

6 Common Misconceptions About Oral Health

Dental health is more than just having white teeth! There are other factors beyond just having pearly whites that you need to take into consideration if you really want to achieve truly superior oral health. To enlighten you more, here are six common misconceptions about dental health and the real truth behind them.

It’s best if You Brush Your Teeth After Eating…

A study was conducted where a group of volunteers were observed for three weeks as researchers examined the impact of brushing on their teeth after they drank diet soda. In this study, the scientists found an increase in dentin loss when brushing in the 20 minutes after drinking soda. However, there was considerably less wear when brushing took place 30 or 60 minutes afterward.


Contrary to popular belief, brushing your teeth immediately after eating is not good for the enamel of your teeth. Your human nature would tell you to grab your toothbrush and scrub away at your teeth straight after a meal to get rid of any food particles. However, modern studies have proven that brushing right after eating not only gives you a weird taste in your mouth; it can also be detrimental to your overall dental health.

Research shows that brushing too soon after eating, especially with meals that are partnered with acidic drinks, can do more harm than good. Acid attacks the teeth, eroding enamel and the layer below it, called dentin. By brushing, you could actually push the acid deeper into the enamel and the dentin.

Whiter Teeth are Healthier Teeth…

Perhaps the most common myth is that having whiter teeth means that your teeth are healthy. Your teeth may be white, but this cannot show if there is an infection or cavities between the teeth. Pure white teeth do not equate to healthier teeth, although they should be on the whiter side. The natural color of teeth varies from one person to another where people with healthy teeth could have more yellowish teeth than the next person.


Your teeth also yellow with age, but that doesn’t mean they’re not healthy. On the contrary, ultra white teeth could be bad. It can mean your teeth have excessive fluorides or hypocalcified spots that denote calcium deficiency.

What’s important is the pinkness of your gums: Healthy gums should look pink and firm, not red and swollen. To keep gums healthy, practice good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss at least once a day, rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash once or twice a day, see your dentist regularly, and avoid smoking or chewing tobacco.

You only need the dentist when the tooth aches…

Usually, people only go to see the dentist when they have toothaches, and by this time, the problem is almost severe. Do not have that mentality of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it applied on your dental health. Have your teeth checked up regularly because you won’t know if you have a dental health problem unless a dentist checks it. You’ll save yourself more dollars and, of course, your teeth if you keep yourself regularly checked.


Experts recommend that adults should be called for dental check-ups, depending on risk factors including alcohol, tobacco use and diet. It is recommended to go to a dentist every three months for those most at risk of dental problems and every two years for those with the lowest risk.

It’s wise to visit your dental team regularly even if you are not experiencing any problems with your mouth or teeth. Having check-ups regularly helps you and your dentist, dental hygienist or dental therapist keep your teeth and gums healthy and pain-free. They understand your needs and can recommend how often you should visit them back based on their assessments.

Regular dental check-ups should also be practiced all the more when you already have dentures. You can have the best dentures from Anchorage Dentures or Instant Smile premium dentures, but you still need them checked frequently for overall dental health.

Bleaching is Dangerous for your Teeth…

Before, people have claimed that bleaching their teeth developed several oral problems. However, bleaching has been mastered by dentists for years now, and it’s not any more dangerous to your dental health.

Bleaching is one of the most used dental aesthetics services in recent years with the new technology allowing patients to get whiter smiles faster and safer. Prior to 90’s, the acidic raw materials has been used to bleach teeth, causing unnatural enamel break down, but now, these bleaching materials are PH neutral and do not show damage to the enamel or root of the tooth with its use.

When you are bleaching your teeth, you are simply oxidizing your teeth using carbamide peroxide so that light refracts more favorably off the enamel. What can be dangerous are aggressively high concentrations of whitening gels that can traumatize or shock the tooth. Prolonged use of bleaching could cause sensitivity, but once one ceases to use the trays, the pain should go away.

Sugar is the killer of teeth…

Excessive sugar can be bad for your teeth. However, it’s not actually the sugar that is hurting them. Bacteria in the mouth needs processed sugar to survive, but if you don’t consume sugar and have poor oral hygiene habits, you can still be prone to the same decay. Conversely, if you eat a lot of processed sugars you are more likely to incur a certain amount of tooth decay, but with proper dental hygiene you, won’t get them.


Several species of oral bacteria feed on carbohydrates and produce acid as a by-product through a process of simple fermentation. These bacteria live on the teeth in a biofilm called plaque. The acid slowly eats away at the tooth enamel, a thin layer of calcium that covers the tooth.

Basically, the human tooth is in a constant state of mineralization and demineralization. Saliva helps neutralize acid from food to keep demineralization at a minimum. However, if the region gets too acidic, then demineralization takes over and rot sets in.

Nevertheless, maintaining oral hygiene through brushing and flossing regularly can clear away food residue and starve the bacteria, keeping its growth in check. In the absence of brushing, the carbohydrates that linger the longest can cause the most damage.

Overall, the true cause of tooth decay is the combination of bacteria, sugar, and acid. Your gums can get irritated if sugar gets caught in between your teeth. It is important to brush or rinse after eating, especially after sweets, to get rid of the sugars and acids that can damage the enamel.

Flossing is optional…

Flossing is an extra step many people tend to skip after brushing our teeth but this can lead to the buildup of bacteria. If someone doesn’t floss, he or she is not cleaning almost 33% of their tooth surfaces that regular brushing can’t reach.


Brushing alone cannot clean the whole area around a tooth when there is another tooth beside it. Flossing completes tooth brushing by removing dental plaque and food debris remaining in the inter-proximal region (the area that is between two teeth). That region is a place where tooth decay commonly forms.

Also, if dental plaque that is found between teeth is not cleaned, it can eventually release a bad odor from your mouth. This is a major reason why a person may suffer from bad breath (halitosis). Tooth decay and gum disease, also caused by dental plaque, are a source of a bad smell in the mouth as well.

3 Things to Do to Achieve Overall Good Health

healthy living

There are many different factors to consider in order to declare that a person is healthy. Acquiring good physical stature by means of exercise and good diet is one of the factors that people usually hear. However, aside from that, having an excellent mental state of mind, emotional and social stability and controlled judgement are also vital elements to achieve your overall wellness.

Fusing them all together, a person can be seen as a holistically healthy and fundamentally fit. Since being healthy can only exist if all factors come into play, achieving good overall health seems to be quite a challenge for many people of practically all ages and gender.  It would most likely take time and a whole lot of patience and determination to hear from a health practitioner that you are one of the lucky, healthy ones.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that good health is not merely the absence of disease; it is also a reflection of the social and mental well-being of a person in a community. Many influences affect one’s health.  According to WHO, in order to effectively provide good health for everyone in a community, actions should aim not simply to reduce disease, but also to reduce social tensions and mental ill-health to acceptable levels.

Then again, it is important to always note that being healthy always starts with the person themselves.

To start being healthy overall, one must take various steps forward in the physical, emotional, mental and social facets of his or her life. Some people do not recognize that some of their habits actually play significant roles on these factors. Routinely talking and mingling with people at work induces a sense of belonging, thus create a positive attitude. A for one’s physicality, a simple walk makes up for a good exercise in the physical aspect. These small steps are assured to jumpstart any aspiring efforts for one to attain their ultimate health goal.

So what can one do to finally attain that vision of health and wellness? Here are 3 good ways to spark people’s drives on their way to achieving good overall health.

Eat Right, Work Out Mighty

The most obvious thing to go about in attaining good physical health is by having a balanced diet and working out.

So how does one really define a balanced diet?

A balanced diet is one that gives the human body the nutrients it needs to function properly. In order to get the proper nutrition from one’s diet, research notes that people should obtain the majority of his or her daily calories from fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and lean proteins.

being healthy

Children with a poor diet run the risk of growth and developmental problems and poor academic performance. More importantly, bad eating habits can persist for the rest of their lives, so it is definitely better to start at an early age.

Furthermore, eating the right foods ultimately aids the body’s organs and tissues and gives them the proper nutrition they need to work effectively. Without good nutrition, a person’s body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue and poor performance of daily activities. With that in mind, a diet that is planned out for the week may help a person track what he or she puts in his or her body. The person may also have an idea how many calories he or she may have taken and thus needs to burn to stay fit.

This is where the exercising part comes in.

Working out goes hand in hand with eating healthy mainly because what a person eats is what a person has to burn. In order to stay healthy, a person has to “burn” the food with an equivalent workout. Every person aspiring to work out should know that there are specific approaches or types of exercise which can be done based on a person’s body type and preferred results.

To choosing a specific workout method, it greatly helps to find out the possible results that the exercise could provide as this could provide a great sense of motivation for a person. Besides, working out is part mental and part physical. Also, hiring a personal trainer can provide a lot of benefits for any individual. Not only are they qualified for the job because of their experience, they also have their ways in motivating a person by keeping them in check for their workouts. Plus, they can provide really good tips about working out and life in general.

Good Smile, Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude is a very important facet in achieving overall health. This is because a positive attitude attracts other people to socialize and be comfortable in their presence. It also allows for a possible emotional connection.

What should be kept in mind when it comes to having a healthy social and emotional pull?

heart candy

The fact is that it always boils down to presentation. Someone who smells good or has an attractive dress may easily attract other people. However, reports suggest that it all starts with a person’s smile. A person’s smile affects the body inside and outside.  The act of smiling activates neural messages that benefits one’s health and sense of happiness.

A person is actually better looking when he or she smiles. When someone sees another person smiles, their reaction towards the smiling individual changes drastically. A person is viewed as attractive, reliable, relaxed and sincere. A study published in the journal Neuropsychologia reported that seeing an attractive smiling face activates the orbitofrontal cortex, the region in the brain that process sensory rewards. This suggests that when one views a person smiling, he is actually feeling rewarded.

As such, good dental care comes into play. People are now learning that good teeth allows for better smiles, ergo, allows for a positive attitude. Many dental clinics and professionals, like those at Case Orthodontics are providing the right amount of attention to one’s dental care needs for a person to help them improve on their physical and even social life. Those sparkling whites really get the job done!

Be Headstrong with Mental Therapy

One of the more overlooked facets in overall health is having a good mental state of mind. This is because there is a stigma that when a person goes for the services of a mental health professional, he or she might have some severe mental illness. Not necessarily so.

People who are open to seeking professional services of mental health professionals are actually reaping the benefits. Having a therapist who listens to their challenges and provides them plausible ways to go about achieving their goals can ultimately revamp one’s outlooks and perspective.

mental therapy

National Health Service in the United Kingdom  notes that sometimes, it is easier to talk to a stranger than to relatives or friends. During talking therapy, a trained counselor or therapist listens to the person and helps him or her find their own answers to problems, without the judgement factor. The therapist gives time for the person to talk, cry, shout or just think. It’s an opportunity to look at one’s problems in a different way with someone who can respect the person and his or her opinions.

Usually, patients seeking advice talk one-on-one with a therapist. Sometimes, talking treatments are held in groups or couples, such as relationship counseling. Although there are lots of different types of talking therapy, they all have a similar aim: to help a person feel better. Some people say that talking therapies don’t make their problems go away, but they find it easier to cope with them and feel happier.

A Stitch in Time – A Physician’s Guide to Saving Time

Today’s hustle and bustle proves to be a huge challenge for the majority of the population. From the arduous trials brought about by balancing time for yourself, your family and school or work, you can easily note that time management is as important as it gets. Allowing time for each of the important things in your life is vital in achieving a balanced and healthy social, emotional and personal state.

Given this, if you’re a physician, the word ‘leisure’ may seem to be rare term in your vocabulary.


Being a physician has always been a busy job. A study entitled “Time and the Patient–Physician Relationship” found in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health suggests that physician time is a major factor in the whole process of medication. This is especially true for primary care physicians who set as their goal the delivery and coordination of comprehensive care for patients. Achieving such a goal requires availability, a broad spectrum of medical knowledge, effective use of the local health care system, and attention to both the “big picture” and the details of a patient’s general health.

The life of a physician is mostly a demanding mix of work and education, plus the slightest hint of personal of family time.  If you’re one of them, you would agree that your life may be described as extremely routine-based. You drive to the hospital, and then you put on your scrubs. You may or may not start with looking at the charts and doing your rounds, but most of the time you do. Truth be told, most doctors would likely be burnt out trying to manage what remains of their time.

This is why many studies have been done to try to help physicians become more efficient, just like what a Stanford study did. The method includes you “banking” the time you spend doing the often-unappreciated work of mentoring, serving on committees, covering colleagues’ shifts on short notice or deploying in emergencies, and earn credits to use for work or home-related services.

The simple idea is aimed at addressing a complex challenge: doctors, on average, work 10 hours more every week than other professionals, with nearly 40 percent working 60 hours or more, according to a 2012 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

It shows that 1 in 2 physicians report at least one symptom of being burnout and that they’re twice as dissatisfied with their work-life balance as those in other professions. Within 10 years of joining an academic medical faculty, 5 of every 10 doctors leave, with four leave academic medicine entirely.

doctor checkingt watch

If you’re trying to start on your own in managing time, it can be very frustrating to keep track and be consistent with what you’re doing. It can also be a challenge for you how to bring back the spark in your ride towards a more balanced life.

At the end of it all, you might find the light in your quest to bring back that balance in your life. As such, it is to take note of the different ways, whether big or small, to help physicians save time.

Start Your Work Right on Time

The key factor in every time management plan is starting your day on time. It is important to note what the term “on-time” exactly means. Starting late can cause nuisance for you at work since you have to cope with the time you that could have been used to be more productive. Sadly, this is an accepted fact.

Now, you might begin to wonder – why starting early is bad too?

Researches showed that every minute that you’re earlier than the required time you have to be equates to an overall lack of sleep. Physicians don’t get a lot of sleep to begin with, and this may cause early symptoms of burnout. In fact, physicians may or may not have any at all. Similarly, you would be off-sync with most people at the hospital who start at the specified time.

In a new survey, physicians report that they are not getting the sleep they need to function at their best, and current work schedules may contribute to their inadequate sleep. The survey, issued by the American College of Chest Physicians Sleep Institute (ACCP-SI), shows that most physicians sleep fewer hours than needed for peak performance, and nearly half of physicians believe their work schedules do not allow for adequate sleep. Results further indicated that, when compared to the general population, who sleeps 7-9 hours, physicians take in more caffeine to function in their profession.

This is an alarming fact that may be addressed by regulating the time to start work.

Work Smarter

Dictate your charts. If you belong to the minority of physicians who keep records in longhand, change your ways and dictate your charts. With the time you save, you should be able to see enough additional patients to pay for the service easily. As a bonus, your notes become more complete and more legible.

doctor working on laptop

Immediately after you see a patient, dictate your notes (some physicians even do their dictation in the patient’s presence). Don’t let anything stand in the way of this rule. Dictation takes longer if you are trying to remember the patient’s history or what your plans were even an hour after the encounter, much less at the end of the day. In addition, when the patient encounter is not fresh in your mind, errors are inevitable and may lead to wasted time during the patient’s next visit or call.

Avoid needless breaks. When you are in the office, move directly from one patient to the next. A surprising number of doctors fall into the habit of taking a break between each patient encounter — drinking coffee, making personal phone calls, casually conversing with colleagues and so on. Of course, an occasional break or conversation is necessary, but it shouldn’t be a distractive habit. A doctor who wants to stay on schedule and manage their time must stay on task.

Another thing to note is to always keep yourself busy. Instruct your support staff to keep you busy at all times. All office activities stem from physician activities, either directly or indirectly. If the physician isn’t making good use of his or her time, the practice eventually suffers. Train your staff that it is their responsibility to make sure you always have something productive to do.

Utilize Physician Scheduling Software

While it may seem a drastic method for others, using a Physician Scheduling Software is turning out to be a popular option for new age physicians, and it can provide huge benefits for you. In fact, top medical organizations and physicians across the United States and other countries use this computer integration in their roster, proving to be a vital cog in professional time management processes for doctors.

scheduling software

The best physician scheduling software provides easy to use tools to simplify physician scheduling, pay calculation, and communications for medical professionals. Users all across the nation are reaping the benefits of using it, having up to a resounding 90% time savings in schedule preparation.  The emergence of a more technologically advanced tool has turned out to be a useful practice tool and professional business launch pad.

When time is saved, it automatically follows that you improve retention and workplace morale. Medical and administrative staffers are able to work as one unit. Private practice levels up and becomes more equipped to take on more clients. The bottom line is that time saved through proper organization equates to savings. This ultimately provides improved patient care, all because of the incorporation of a technological advancement to support proper time alignment in the workplace.

Things Nurses will tell Patients about their Asthma


doctor helping patient






Asthma and Allergies are different


asthma attack




Patients Need Constant Medication





People CAN and SHOULD exercise





Humidity CAN help but won’t cure it




It won’t just go away


docotor helping child



Love your Lungs – 6 Habits That Can Improve Lung Health





fitness machine




Quit smoking


no to smoking


Clean up your indoor air


air conditioner




Eat for a better lung health




eat veggies


Protect against infection






  • Avoids crowds during the cold and flu season.

no germs

Know the warning signs of lung disease



  • Chest pain (especially when you breathe or cough)
  • Chronic cough
  • Chronic production of mucus
  • Coughing up blood
  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing


How poor air quality could damage your lungs


woman enjoying fresh air




Poor Air Quality


air quality






Respiratory Health Risk 1 – Asthma






Respiratory Health Risk 2 – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder





heart attack


Respiratory Health Risk 3 – Lung Cancer



lung diagram




How Much Do You Really Know About Leukemia?

“Love is like a wind, you can’t see but you can feel it.” – A Walk to Remember, 2002

Whatever it is that you are doing before reading this article, try to stop and think. Take a breather. Your business proposals and sales records from Quickbooks Online can wait for 5 minutes.

Even after years of not encountering the words that made you feel fear, anger and bliss all at the same time, everything is coming back right now. You just simply begin to remind yourself of the emotions you once had for the love story of Landon and Jaime.


Your brain and heart start recalling how much A Walk to Remember touched your life in any way that maybe up to this moment you cannot comprehend. You feel again your deep connection with both the book and the film adaptation.

You remember the day they went to two places at once. You remember the butterfly tattoo.

You remember how they got married on the church where Jaime’s parents exchanged vows.

You remember the leukemia.

The illness has become the exclamation point of this beloved love story. You cannot deny how much leukemia changed the lives of the two protagonists.

At the back of your mind, you pray that it does not change your life, too.

Learn more about the nature of leukemia, and find out you address or mitigate the terminal disease before it change your life forever.

What is Leukemia?

Mostly found in the bone marrow, blood cells can either be red blood cells or white blood cells. The red blood cells serve as the carrier of oxygen to and from your heart, while the function of the white blood cells is to protect your body to alien organisms. In other words, they fight infections in your body.


The problem with leukemia is that your bone marrow does not produce white blood cells that follow their supposed nature. Instead, your body produces abnormal number of white blood cells. In this light, cancer cells form and replace the healthy blood cells in your bone marrow.

Basically, leukemia (or leukaemia) is cancer of the blood cells. It is a progressive disease in which the organs and other tissues that produce blood, like the bone marrow, create a higher quantity of abnormal or immature leukocytes. This event may lead to anemia since the presence of leukocytes blocks out the production of normal, healthier blood cells.

Despite the massive advancement of medical technologies, the exact reasons or causes behind leukemia still unknown to mankind. However, this does not mean that researchers and scientists are not doing anything to determine the causes.

According to current studies, the researchers and scientists link the roots of leukemia with genetic and environmental factors.

red blood cells

With regard to genetic factors, there are cases wherein the changes in the genes can be passed to an offspring, and this can be a major factor for children to develop blood cancer cells early on. One good example is the Li-Fraumeni syndrome. It is a way of inheriting tumor suppressor genes which can activate the leukemia cells.

Considering the environmental factors, mutations in the DNA can result to cancer cells. The basis for the mutation, however, is still unknown. In addition, cancer may come up when there is a chromosome translocation, resulting to the birth of cancer-promoting genes. Unfortunately, the change in chromosome just happens randomly at your body without even knowing about it.

What Are The Symptoms Of Leukemia?

Check the following list, in case that you are experiencing any of these symptoms:

  •         You have a fever
  •         You experience excessive sweating especially at night
  •         You always feel weak and highly fatigued
  •         You lose weight despite any dietary routines
  •         You have swollen lymph nodes
  •         You can easily bleed and bruise
  •         You experience bone and joint pains
  •         You see red spots all over your skin
  •         You experience recurring nose bleeds

The symptoms list is just a guide, they do not intend to scare you. You just need to look after yourself and take note if the said symptoms are always happening. If that is the case, seek for medical advice from your doctor to verify your condition.

Then again, do not diagnose yourself and immediately call your condition as cancer just because you experience everything listed. It might be a different case. It is still advisable to have a formal check up with your doctor.

What Are The Types Of Leukemia?                       

Leukemia has four major types: acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia.

  1.   Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia – this type of leukemia is the most common type that can be found on children. However, it does not mean that adults cannot be diagnosed with this type.

Your bone marrow is producing too many lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells, for your body. If you have this type of leukemia, then you have immature lymphoid cells that can grow rapidly in your blood.


  1.   Acute Myelogenous Leukemia – unlike with the previous type, the second type of leukemia is common for both children and adults. The rapid growth of your myeloid cells is the center of this type of leukemia.

In other words, your bone marrow is producing abnormal myoblasts, red blood cells, or platelets. If you are smoking, undergone chemotherapy treatments and exposure to radiation, then you have a higher risk on this type of leukemia.

  1.   Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia – this type of leukemia normally affects people from 55 five years old and above. In this type, the growth of the cancer cells is slower compared to the first two types.

Your body is producing too many blood stem cells which become the abnormal lymphocytes. They do not transform into healthy white blood cells. They also overthrow healthy white blood cells in your bone marrow.

  1.   Chronic Myeloid Leukemia – this type of leukemia has the same characteristic with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It also attacks adults, but it rarely happens to children.

The said type of leukemia is also an example of a slow progressing blood cancer. Your bone marrow is producing an abnormal number of blood stem cells. They eventually become granulocytes. Granulocytes are abnormal white blood cells that occupy the spaces for healthy white blood cells in the bone marrow.

In addition to this, there are three minor types of leukemia.

  1.   Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia – it is an example of a chronic leukemia. This type of leukemia normally attacks four-year olds and younger.
  2.   T-cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia – this type of leukemia is an example of mature T-cell leukemia. T-cells are subtype of white blood cells. It has an aggressive behavior, and it normally attacks the bone marrow, blood, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and sometimes, the skin.
  3.   Hairy Cell Leukemia – this type of leukemia is a subtype of chronic lymphoid leukemia. It is also an example of tumor that can be differentiated through its accumulation of abnormal B lymphocytes.

Learning and putting into heart the knowledge about leukemia does not mean that you are now immune to the ailment. Gaining the knowledge is just the first step towards a better understanding of the disease.

If you or your loved ones leukemia, knowing more can help you address the terminal disease as early as possible. Consequently, it is now all up to you on how you are going to act up on a disease that can change your life forever.

“I’m sorry she never got her miracle.”

“She did get her miracle, Landon, her miracle was you.”

Why Having a Pet Can Be Good For Your Health

Friendship can be considered one of the fundamental parts of a person’s life.

Everybody has his or her own companion in life that treats them well, helps them to succeed, and supports them in whatever goal they are pursuing. That feeling of mutual affection creates a harmonic view in life and provides the understanding of happiness shared with one another. A friend can be your lover, your neighbor, your relative or even… your pet!

You and your pet.

As a matter of fact, research has shown that growing old with pets has proven to effectively help you in improving your health. Your cute and cuddly companion helps you boost your immune system, lowers blood pressure and anxiety issues. It can even help you find a date that you sought to have over the years now. What a very thoughtful friend, indeed!

You and Your Pet

There are lots of pets that you may choose as your partner to join you in your everyday living. If you like to hear pleasant chirps in the morning then you may raise birds like pigeons or the ever so playfully annoying but funny parrots. If you are into exotic animals, you might want to try raising reptiles like a chameleon, iguana or the silent and very clingy snake.

Some people get a sense of excitement by having an unusual buddy. They go for the unlikely pets like spiders, scorpions and others. Then again, others go for farm animals like a pig, goat, or a horse as they treat them with utmost care. Of course, the most common domesticated pets of all, say hello to the snobbish, proactive and furry cats, and to the widely known ‘man’s best friends’, the cuddly and friendly dogs.

Owning your very own pet takes a whole lot of responsibilities. Having one doesn’t mean your life’s about to go healthy and happy as you go by. Taking care of these pets entails you spending time, money and effort to raise them well. Say for example, if you are to own a dog, a lot of dog lovers would tell you that there’s nothing beneficial to your mental health when arriving at home, seeing your dog inside a cage, all alone for the entire day. Dogs do need attention from you. They need proper exercise and mental stimulation for them to say calm and in good health.

Puppy love.

Discipline is also the key to maintain your behavior towards your pets. It is true though, that they might be a handful for some, if not all, of the time. You might see that your cat is already at the dining table, already started breakfast by drinking your milk or perhaps your dog, happens to be a very proactive kind of a dog, have managed to rearrange your living room into a total disarray of cushions, broken vases, damaged remote controller and tattered slippers placed on your heavily scratched couch.

Raising a pet is a commitment. It’s hard to do but truly worth doing. So if ever you decide to have one, you should be ready to keep him healthy physically and mentally. No worries because as you keep your friend healthy, he or she is doing the same for you.

Health Benefits From Your Companion

Research has already proven how pets can change companionship. Pets are sources of love, compassion, and enjoyment which help you develop as a person. For several years now, increasing scientific evidences show that they play an important role to aid your happiness.

At Cambridge University, a study showed that owning a pet for as short as one month has already produced improvements in one’s health. The very same study lasted for ten months and as a result, pet owners were found to have suffered fewer headaches, fever, colds and other related ailments.

You may have already felt calmer by simply observing your fish swimming inside its aquarium or caressing your cat or dog. These little gestures can help you relax and melt the stress out of your mind. This effect is particularly common to people suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure. As researchers approved, such reduction in blood pressure is already equivalent to consuming a low salt diet or decreasing one’s alcohol intake.

A study in the U.K. has also concluded that keeping pets with you has a significant effect of reducing cholesterol and triglyceride, two factors of which happens to cause heart disease. Combining this with the reduction of blood pressure, it makes complete sense why pet owners are less likely to experience heart attacks compared to non-pet owners. Moreover, an American study has also proven that patients who have pets with them have higher chances of surviving from heart attacks.

Aside from physical health benefits, there are psychological and social benefits that your pets can provide, giving you that extraordinary boost in your daily lives. If you happen to see children playing with their pets for almost every day, just allow and let them be. Studies show that children with pets around them are often become less self-centered individuals than those who don’t even have one domesticated animal to play with them. Also, people suffering from psychiatric illnesses tend to become happier by raising a pet of their own, helping them to hasten their recovery.

A boy and his dog.

A pet has also been addressed as an icebreaker during meet-ups. Whenever you stroll over the park with your dog, attend sessions for pet trainings or consulting your pet’s health condition, all of those are opportunities for a good conversation with other people. Studies also revealed that walking a dog have increased number of encounters with other people than those out there walking alone.

Treating Your Pet Right

As the wise words say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Such words are now scientifically true especially with cherishing the lives of your dearest pet companion. Considering the expensive medical care service that a veterinary expert could provide your pet, you should keep in mind that there are some things you can do to improve the health of your domesticated friend.

To help your pets grow livelier each day, preventive medicine are the essential things to remember. It’s better to prevent worst things from happening s that you will have less things to worry about your pet. Always remember that the healthier your pet can be, the healthier you will be.

Some preventive medicines that you may use include feeding your pet with the least processed food you can find. When feeding your cute fish or your lively parrot, take into consideration the right mix of nutrients like low carbohydrates but rich in vegetable and protein sources. Your feline friend can benefit from adding fish oil, flaxseed oil, or hemp seed oil which are all beneficial for her daily needs. Also, you can provide essential good bacteria with a daily dose of probiotics for dogs which packs healthy bacteria for his digestion and immunity.

Doggy kisses in the sun.

Supplements for animals are also important for their well-being. Some of them include amino acids, minerals like zinc and calcium, herbal compounds and extracts and antioxidants. Take note that dosages of the supplements above mentioned are usually based on your pet’s weight so always check for the serving size that you feed for your pal. Aside from providing good nutrition, your pets should get disease vaccinations to lower the risk of exposure to harmful ailments.

Have them trained to be responsive whenever you call them for this will prevent them from running away from your house and get into some unavoidable accidents. Plus, if you yourself is very conscious about how you look when you smile, take the liberty to brush your pet’s teeth daily or even just three times per week. This will prevent them from having dental disease and will avoid taking the need of anesthesia-based dental cleanings.

Just like any other friends that you have, owning a pet means you have to show the love and care that they surely deserve. Taking them to a short walk in the park on a bright Sunday morning is a big help to earn their trust. Even just talking to them every once in awhile creates that deep attachment, helping you feel comfortable towards your best home buddy.