Following Healthy

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