Following Healthy

The two sides of the coin. Health is a really difficult matter. While you may be encouraging those around you to eat healthy, exercise, do all the things to really help themselves, at the end of the day you can only do so much. It ends up as to how much will they take what you give them and actually DO SOMETHING for themselves. Some people really take your advice and change their life, prevent future diseases and stop their diseases from exacerbating. When will people actually go to the doctor before their problems get severely debilitating? While we know what's good for us, why aren't we taking those measures and following through with the true cause of the problems and not just resorting to a last minute quick-fix? As I was job shadowing with a PA, I saw countless cases of patients with diabetes. There is a difference now, between two different types of diabetes. One is commonly referred to as "juvenile" diabetes, which is basically a genetic predisposition t

I probably should be taking pictures, but sometimes pictures just don't show you how tasty something really is..  In like 5 steps I will be giving you one of the healthiest and yummiest recipes you can make in like 10 minutes... This doesn't take hardly any cooking knowledge, and I didn't think it would turn out this good but WALA! It did.. therefore, here you go all you health-nuts::: 1. Go to the store and grab: A . Broccoli   B. Cauliflower   C. Firm Tofo     D. Stir Fry Sauce 2. Now that you have successfully done that... cut broccoli and cauli up into however big you would like and steam them in a stir fry pan with some water and pepper! Put the lid on it so it doesn't lose water. 3. Add your tofu into other manageable pieces with the stir fry sauce (I recommend House of Tsang Classic Stir Fry Sauce) add enough to turn water brownish. 4. Let that mix around a little and cook for a little longer until cauli and broc are soft to your liking; makin

Why carbs, why!?? I'm trying this new thing out... it's called.... eating less bready carbs!! With running I don't think I could even remember all the times I have heard to carb-o-load.. which for me means stuff my face full of spaghetti the night before a race. Why is this important? Carbs are excellent source of instant energy, it's pretty much the first thing your body burns. After that is fats then proteins. While eating carbs is not bad for you, I realized it is SO addicting. I realized that my body was craving the bad carbs..  So many times I found myself instantaneously getting home and looking in the cupboard for the first yummy bready thing I could find. Why are they so dang addicting??? Not good carbs like the ones in fruits and vegies but the bready kinds like muffins, pancakes,,, yada ya. The list goes on and on. What happens when you don't burn all that extra glucose floating around in your body? It gets stored! I decided to make a little switch: It

Hello All! Firstly, I wanted to say sorry for not writing.. FOREVER.  I have been immensely swamped with tasks to prepare me for .. drumroll.. PA School Applications! I cannot wait to hear back and see where my next adventure in life will be! I thought I would share 5 tips for the start of a healthy school year and what help me stay sane in my crazy life, that I love! 1. Staying optimistic. I truly believe that being optimistic will propel you in life. Each and every day find something to look forward to. If you can't do that, then search for something that interests you! Why can't life be fun? Wake up and take in the fresh air or even look at all the trees getting ready for fall. Don't Complain. Just don't do it. Instead, look for the positive. The easiest way to stay optimistic is to realize you are not alone and the world is full of beautiful and amazing opportunities and people that are there to inspire you, help you, and keep your imagination and spirit runni

Simple ways to get in a little bit of exercise: Life can be crazy busy. As important as it is to be on time to all your events, work, and have enough time to spare with family and friends, it is important to schedule in some time for yourself and for exercise. I figured I would share some easy ways to get in a little exercise in your day that do not take too long. These are probably the easiest, cheapest and best ways for simple toning or maintaining while building your difficulty level (add some weight for more intensity)... 1. Abs I always do this before I take a shower and get ready for bed but you can kill two birds with a stone and do 10 minutes while watching tv :) = entertainment and exercise! Pick several different ones that you like the best or are varying difficulties. Doing it with family or friends makes it more fun as well, listen to music too! My friends and I go through an ab circle and have some favorites (depending on how difficult it is or how many you have done

What is the best way of knowing you are alive? What if you were just living in a dream? Remember when they say,"Pinch me, am I dreaming?" well, I have always tried to figure out why I like to run the 800. For some strange reason, whenever asked what event I run and I respond with, "the 800!" with a happy smile on my face (always expecting the same sad answer "Why??") and they look at me like I am crazy. I am here to explain myself, and explain why you should like running too.. or exercising.  You should really think about it: When you workout, it's painful. You are essentially tearing down your muscles (that doesn't sound fun at all) but in the end, they are rebuilt! They are stronger, more durable and you look better too! Maybe you do it for the results, but when you are pushing yourself to the limits, there is something that you can enjoy in those moments. Y ou feel alive.  You are doing something to better yourself. You are taking some

As this semester comes to an end, I thought I would share some of the most interesting things I have learned: 1. You can get more energy from an apple than coffee.  2. If in desperate need of water (desperate as in stuck in the mountains with no other method of drinking) drink the still water as opposed to the running water for cleaner water.  3. Limiting caloric intake (not starvation, but within reason) and drinking red wine (ingredient resveratrol) prevents aging. 4.  Eating  6 pds  of chocolate is equivalent to smoking a joint. 5. Successful aging takes into account lots of things, but a major impact is staying positive and adapting ! 6. It is possible to synthesize the smell of a banana (isoamyl acetate) from only a couple of chemicals  (isoamyl alcohol and acetic acid), that before do not smell like a banana!  7. You can make a mirror from only a little silver nitrate and glucose solution.  8. Antioxidants (like in blueberries and other

My favorite.. food! Wherever you are in life and whatever you are doing, you need to be eating healthy (finding the right foods to fulfill the essentials: proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, water) to fuel you. Whether you are fueling your mind and studying the night away or fueling your body and training for competitions or just living a healthy nutritious life, knowing how to eat and what to eat is exponentially important for your body. Nutrition is especially important and all the while, complicated. Note all the strict diet plans and explanations throughout the world. In an extremely simplistic way, I am going to try and tackle some essentials for nutrition and how to do it on a budget: take into mind..college. How do I eat right on a budget?? What is important??  First off, 1. Cut the unnecessaries: this means bye bye chips and ice cream.. at least to an extreme minimum. Tip: stick to the outside aisles of your grocery store. 2. Find the superfoods: this means

For myself, I'm going to put this out there 4 hours til track practice. 7 hours til work. 12 hours til lots of homework is due. 2 days until I leave for a big track meet. and one week until 2 tests in Cell Bio and Organic Chemistry. blah blahaoeijenaneoiueoknael k  ... AHHHHHH!!  What I SHOULD be doing is scrambling around the house trying to get stuff done before I leave and preparing myself for my track race..but...I would much rather sit here instead and write, watch t.v. and relax...YAY :) Personally, I think life is all about balance. That is thee 1 and only way I have been able to get through school, work and track in college while still managing time to have fun with friends and RELAX.. the most important part. As good as I am about balance, I am even better at one thing.. Procrastinating. Dun Dun Dun. Which is what I am doing right this very second, what I will do during my trip and probably next week as I "prepare" for my tests. As you are re

cheer up chap.    

Being Content.  Staying optimistic. Focusing on what is important and the good things about the here and now. Have you ever felt in the middle of a season of your life? Have you ever felt a passion to be doing something else but you do not know how to get there or are waiting for the sign or door to open? For all those who are in that season, do not fret! I have always thought that if you work hard for something, doors will be opened for you. Maybe, it will not be exactly how or when you wanted it but it will come..  I have learned a few lessons since starting my first job (sixteen years old, Taco Time :) as a crew worker.. woohoo! haha) and the most important one is to put your heart and soul into where you are at. For example, at my first job I was so excited to get my first job! Yay I could finally have my own money to buy cute clothes and put more than my allowance of gas in my car for all my movie trips and events with friends. The worst part, when I first started I absolut

On my way and in hopes of becoming a P.A, it has become an ever-increasing challenge of mine to try and diagnose my friends. I love it. It's like a mystery. Every clue gets you one step closer to the solution. For those of you, I am sorry if it has bugged you, especially with all my questions! I want to thank you for being so gracious as to telling me and letting me be your 'Dr. in practice'. Working in a lab, I have realized that as much as I know about the differences in (excuse my lab talk) an 'SST' tube vs. a 'Red tube' and a 'Urinalysis' vs a 'Urine Culture' it will not give me information on to WHY. Why is this test being done? Why does the sample look like this?? I have so many questions, no patient to see, no symptoms, just a list of random tests and several varying samples. I love to hear your problems, worries, guesses, and I love seeing if my advice works! For this reason, if anyone out there has a problem, send it my way! I

Have you ever seen an elderly person with a hunched back? This does not happen much in my town because  pretty much everyone is in college, but every time I see it, I am immediately reminded of my bad posture. For a few minutes after, I am consciously fixing this bad habit of mine. Repeated in my mind are words from my family to "Sit up straight!" and "Stop slouching!". It is probably my worst habit, and as much as I hate it, I cannot stop and do not even realize I am doing it! Thanks to one of our track and field trainers, I am urging this to end, especially for its good benefits. What is 'good posture'? The Mayo Clinic gives five easy tips: "  Hold your chest high.  Keep your shoulders back and relaxed.  Pull in your abdomen and buttocks.  Keep your feet parallel.  Balance your weight evenly on both feet, " (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Easily stated by the trainer was to, "Pull your shoulders back and stand proud." This looks a little like t

So.. I really don't like bananas. At the same time, I know they have lots of potassium, and all runners know how good potassium is for you. Right? As stated in Medline Plus, potassium is good to "build proteins, break down and use carbohydrates, build muscle, maintain normal body growth, control the electrical activity of the heart, and control the acid-base balance" (Medline Plus, 2012). Bananas are full of potassium! With that being said, the only way I can eat my banana is with peanut butter. Why? Because I hate the texture. For that reason when I found a mushy spot this morning, I thought, 'Can I give this to my bunny moo-moo?' My rationalizing was the following: she already eats newspaper, and my friends' bunny loves scrounging around their house and eating Doritos in addition to her own food (remember, I'm talking about college students). I decided to do a little research and was surprised by the significant amount of information on this topic! I

Running. Some people run to be fit or to "fit" into their old jeans. I personally have realized my love for long runs and love it when I get to catch the sunset in the Boise Foothills and love to find new and cool places. It is relaxing. Some people run to feel that "energy" or the runner's high that kicks in (endorphins). It's kind of like a magic trick. Ready for some science? Endorphins are chemicals that are released when you exercise and act on your brain receptors, reducing its perception of pain. Sometimes, when I am really tired, I think I am going very slow and look down at my watch and realize I am going faster than I normally go.. probably the endorphins kicking in! In fact, endorphins "trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine," (WebMD, 2013).  Crazy to think of all the little things in your body that work so hard to keep you happy and feeling good!  With tomorrow being my last indoor track meet, I

Hello all! All who care about life, being healthy, want a little wisdom, or a good story, This was a quick wim to start a blog. I'm in a health and aging class, where you have to write a discussion board weekly. Finding articles about health and wellness is something that not only interests me but keeps my mind fresh. I love learning new things and of course sharing them with all my friends and family. I also love those days when you find something so cool and interesting that it catches your eye to make a change. I have always loved writing stories and little things down about my day to go look back and see how far I have come or to remember my favorite memories. I realized that I really want to put both my memories and thoughts throughout the day, while also sharing the information I learn in my journey to become a P.A (physician's assistant), together for you! I also am an avid outdoorsy-kind of girl. Be prepared for an adventure. I love to be inspired by all different