AU Blogspot

                 Thanks to Melody for permission to use this Photo.

I’m lucky to have a membership at the gym, a little gym in my community and a mini gym at my house.  The thing is, my membership at the gym is going to come to an end…why?  The location of my gym is no longer a convenience to me.  I’m a simple person, all I need is a treadmill, an elliptical, a mat, and free weights.  In addition, I have a swiss ball and resistance band, which I use to vary my workouts.  I’m thinking about getting an elliptical machine for the home too.  Being able to rent different work out videos from Netflix too also gives variety to pilates, yoga, and fun cardio workouts.  So to me, I don’t really need the gym, just as long as I mix up my workouts.  Besides, exercising at home is more convenient, and I get to exercise with the fresh air not too far from me (since my porch houses most of my equipment). (more…)

               Thanks to Rachel Zack for permission to use this Photo.I want you to understand how truly wonderful an experience massage can be for the terminally ill.  No matter what condition the person is in, conscious or unconscious, it’s nice to think that somehow, on some level, he or she knows that you are there and are caring for them in such a gentle, loving way.  This type of massage may not seem appealing to you.  Maybe you have a hard time dealing with death.  That’s okay.  Never do anything that makes you uncomfortable.  But if someone you love is at the end of his or her life, you may be surprised by the strength you are able to find.  It is very important that you practice self-care in this situation.  If you are able to maintain your emotional well-being, this massage can be a very powerful experience for both the receiver and the giver.  This memory will be one you will cherish after your special friend is gone.  Also keep in mind that massage can be a blessing to the grieving family members of the person who has passed.  Be prepared for emotional release.  Just be loving and understanding.  That’s all you can do. Kristy CarterMassage Techniques Program InstructorAshworth University

Special thanks to Jason_Carter for permission to use this photo.

It can be hard to stay active these days, especially since so many people have jobs where they are working at a desk and do not move around much. There are certain exercises that you can perform however, which can even be done right at your desk. These exercises can help you to ease back pain and boost your energy and stay focus and more alert.You may feel a little silly thinking about doing exercises at your desk, but the benefits that you can gain from this are great indeed. Especially if you are typing on a computer all day your wrists and fingers are going to be tired and sore, and so if you want to ease the pain of these or other muscles, you are going to want to really consider doing these types of exercises while you are at work.

Stretch Exercise #1 - Shrug Your Shoulders

One of the easiest exercises that you can perform at your desk is to shrug your shoulders. This may be a very simple exercise but it offers almost immediate results and helps ease your muscle pain. All you need to do here is inhale deeply and then shrug your shoulders up, towards your ears. Then you want to hold this position and drop after a few seconds. Repeat this a few times.

Stretch Exercise #2 - Wrist Stretch

This is an all around great exercise to do at work, particularly for those working on computers. To perform this stretch you want to extend your arm in front of you with your palm up and then grab the fingers on your other hand. Gently pull hand down to stretch the forearm, and then repeat this with the other side. (more…)

                 Thanks to Rinux for permission to use this Photo.

A Kaiser Permanente study released today virtually confirms the link between high caffeine intake during the pregnancy period and an increased risk of miscarriage.  This link has often been suspected by researchers, but past studies have proven inconclusive due to a lack of testing control over pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, which made it difficult to directly measure caffeine’s precise impact.  Although the conclusions of this study are troubling, mothers should also feel empowered to make healthier decisions regarding their consumption of caffeine.  Furthermore, the study provides expectant mothers with some practical advice to help balance their need for extra energy, i.e. switch to sources of natural energy such as walks, yoga, and dried fruits.  This is a must read article for all of our mothers to be out there.  Keep your Ashworth Health Care community updated if you begin to make some positive lifestyle changes in this area.  Take care! 

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

 
            Thanks to Mykl Roventine for permission to use this Photo.

As we enter February, most people have already lost the motivation that inspired their New Year’s resolutions.  Perhaps you are thinking to yourself, “If I can stick my health and nutrition resolutions longer than three months, I know that I can keep going for the rest of the year.”  Well, let’s talk about what you can do to stick to those resolutions that will most contribute to a healthy lifestyle.  Let’s make it past those first three months of 2008 with our resolutions intact!  Although most people have good intentions about their resolution, most seem to fail within the first few months.  But you do not have to fail! All you need to do is follow these easy tips to keep your fitness regimen going strong throughout the year. 

Set Realistic Goals 

By telling yourself that you are going to look like Jennifer Anniston or Patrick Dempsey or that you’re going to break the four-minute mile mark; you are most likely setting yourself up to fail.  On the other hand, if you plan to lose one pound a week by exercising 3 times a week, for at least 30 minutes along with following a healthy diet, you are setting a realistic goal for yourself.

Find Support 

Finding an exercise partner as a “buddy” support system to help you keep your New Year’s resolution is a way to stay accountable.  Having this accountability will allow you to reach your target a lot easier versus only relying on yourself. You can lean on each other for encouragement and can help each other when you find yourself making one excuse after another, such as “It is too cold outside, so I will double my time tomorrow.” (Because of course, tomorrow never comes).

Set Mini Goals 

Perhaps a reason you have not succeeded on your past New Year’s Resolutions was because the goal you set was too much to accomplish at one time.  Setting mini goals may help you reach your main objective whether it be to lose weight or increase your cardiovascular fitness.  For instance, if your aspiration is to run a marathon or a half marathon, begin by walking, then run/walk.  Run a 5K race in the spring, a 10K by summer and by Thanksgiving you will be lining up to complete the half marathon in Atlanta!  If you’ve committed to stop eating fast food and drinking soda, don’t feel that you have to quit “cold turkey” so to speak.  In the long run, simply make a conscious effort on a daily basis to change your eating habits.  As you increase your self-control, you’ll gradually discover that you longer crave the unhealthy foods you once did—at least you won’t crave them nearly as much. (more…)

Special thanks to Roger_F for permission to use this photo.

What you eat is just as important as exercising, and for me, eating is probably the most difficult. There are a few eating habits that we’re all guilty of doing one time or another.

Relying on convenience foods - this is one that I’m guilty of. It’s definitely tough to cook a healthy dinner after a crazy hectic day, but prepackaged, prepared foods are probably not a good alternative. It’s better to grab something that is fresh than anything else.

Weekend splurging - another one I’m guilty of. I tell myself, “okay, I deserve something good to eat since I made it through the week,” and eat something I later regret. I’d be really good with what I’ve eating throughout the week, then I cave. This is something I’m aware of and working on.

Being young and feeling invincible - thinking about this worries me: eating the way I do now could set me up for tough health conditions later on. Eating “bad” foods such as the Big Macs and dreaded French fries will definitely catch up later. Sure we only live once, but wouldn’t you want to live without having to worry about risk of heart disease and diabetes? (more…)

                 Thanks to Corey for permission to use this Photo.

At one point in time, a long time ago (around 2000), I wondered if centralized, government maintained electronic health records was the way to go.  In defense of this position, my arguments revolved around the notions of efficiency and control, in that it was easier for systems to be monitored, maintained, and updated if they were all in one place.  But, as anyone with a technical background could point out, there are significant technical issues behind such a strategy.  It would seem that some people agree: “German doctors say no to centrally stored patient records“.

What I find interesting is the proposed “counter” solution:

As an alternative, the German private doctors’ body is suggesting the use of encrypted USB-sticks. These could be handed over to patients and would carry all relevant patient data, including digital images such as radiographs or CT-scansWow.  I haven’t heard a call for the use of physical based media in quite some time.  Personally, I thought that this line of thinking was disappearing as the feasibility of cloud computing increases and slowly becomes a realistic option.  In all fairness, there are a few other very interesting points raised by the group representing the German physicians. 

Allow hackers to try to and crack the USB system in order to prove that it can be made safe.

Make patients more aware of what information is collected and stored. (more…)