Monday, January 30, 2012

Healthy Eating But Cheap

In these tough financial times, it's important to learn how much it costs to eat clean healthy food. Healthy food should always be a priority, but if times are tough and you can't afford your local organic shop then it can be easy to slip into bad eating habits. The truth is, now is the best time to eat well, as you don't want to be catching a cold or getting sick and having to pay for doctor's appointments or medication.

Fruit & Vegetables

1. Shop at a market if you're not doing it already. For $10 you can buy a week's worth of vegetables. Cook your food in larger batches so you don't waste any food that gets old at the bottom of the fridge.

2. Buy food that is in season. Food that is not in season ALWAYS costs more. If you don't know when each fruit or veggie comes in season then shop at a market or your local green grocer as they will only stock the fresh stuff. For this reason you should avoid supermarkets as much as possible.

3. Frozen vegetables are a good option to keep in your freezer for when you run out of fresh food. They don't taste as good as fresh, but they are fine when used in cooking.

4. Vegetables that I have found to be the cheapest and go a long way are cabbage, onion and potato. These are so versatile, and if you vary your herbs and spices you will get a great range of tasty meals.

5. Fruit is often more expensive than vegetables and generally doesn't fill you up so much. If you are counting your pennies then I suggest forgoing fruit. Vegetables generally have a higher nutritional value so you won't be missing out on much.

Meat

1. My number one tip here is to shop at a farmers market. They are EVERYWHERE here in Melbourne - from Collingwood to Hurstbridge, you can find a farmers market near you. The markets tend to travel so some market locations are monthly, while others are bi monthly or weekly. Search online for a farmers market near you so you can plan in advance when to go.

2. Make friends with your local butcher. The meat is better quality than the supermarket and often cheaper too. Buy larger quantities to cook up a big batch of something, which can be portioned and frozen for future meals. You can also bulk up your meals with potatoes, onion, capsicum and other cheap vegetables.

3. If you have a fishing rod, consider catching a meal or two.

4. Meat is not a cheap source of protein so if times are tough then you should consider vegetarian sources of protein.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Ways to Stop Excessive Sweating

If you are someone who has to deal with the condition of sweating too much, you understand what an unpleasant condition this is. Having to face the embarrassment of all that extra moisture that can come upon you suddenly is not an enjoyable experience for anyone. Happily, there are ways that you can combat this condition, which is also known as hyperhidrosis.

The first and easiest thing that you can do is invest in some very powerful antiperspirant. While deodorant minimizes the odor that your bodily emissions will cause, you will continue to sweat if you merely apply deodorant. However, if you use antiperspirant, you might be able to stop the sweating from happening altogether. This depends on just how much you sweat, since such products are not equipped to combat extremely high levels of perspiration. Still, if you are on the borderline, it may be enough, and even if it isn't, it might at least cut down on the moisture.

If you don't sweat primarily through your underarms, antiperspirant is not going to be much help. You might be a good candidate to consider taking a pill to curb your sweating. These medications, which are known as anticholinergics, can be very helpful to people with pervasive perspiration problems. However, they also come with side effects, and these can be so harmful that many doctors are hesitant to prescribe them, especially in mild cases.

Some patients have success with a procedure known as iontophoresis, which involves electric currents and lasts about 20 minutes. It is not a dangerous procedure, but it requires multiple sessions, and usually, these sessions only alleviate the symptoms rather than providing a permanent solution. Another possibility it getting Botox injections in the armpits. This can be useful, but it doesn't always provide substantial benefits, and it has more drawbacks than other methods. The process of getting the injections is painful, and it needs to be repeated several times in order to take effect. Additionally, there is a risk of infection.

Some people have discovered natural remedies for dealing with excessive sweating. For instance, baking soda is naturally absorbent and can alleviate the problems if applied to the underarms, particularly in combination with cornstarch. Other folk remedies can be found online if you do a little investigating, and while most are not permanent, they can provide temporary relief.

Another thing that you can do is wear protective layers such as underarm pads. This will not stop the sweating from occurring, but it may be able to stop its effects from being visible to casual observers. Additionally, you might try to preventative measure of avoiding situations that you know trigger the sweating. For instance, if it is stress-induced, try to avoid stressful situations as much as you can.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Coping With Cankers

The canker sore, also known as an apthous ulcer, or apthous stomatitis, is a widespread oral condition, experienced by 10% of the world's population. It is very easy to detect a cold sore in the mouth. Usually, the pain alone is a convincing indicator, and the ordeal of eating, drinking and talking with a mouth ulcer is known to many people.

Firstly, canker sores are open sores that tend to appear in the soft tissues of the inside of the mouth. These tissues usually belong to the base of the gums, the tongue, the roof of the mouth, and the inner surfaces of the lips. A canker is identified by small tears in the mucous membranes of these tissues. The swelling of these tissues is also a common symptom. A cankers contact with food or fluids often results in painful stinging and burning sensations.

Cankers are usually solitary, although it is possible for small clusters to also develop. On sight, they appear as shallow open wounds, yellow or white in color. They are often surrounded by a border, or "halo" of swollen, red, irritated flesh.

Some extreme cases of apthous ulcers are preceded by specific symptoms. For instance, should they develop on the gums, swelling in the lymph glands below the jaw may prevail. Other symptoms, such as sensitive teeth or toothache-type sensations, can be precursors to a canker sore outbreak. Even fevers are possible indicators of bad canker afflictions.

These sores are usually caused by trauma to the mouth, originating from orthodontic equipment, accidental biting, and sports accidents. However, vitamin deficiencies, SLS toothpastes, hormonal fluctuations, and even quitting smoking have all been linked to the formation of canker sores.

The good news is that they do not last for too long. Two weeks is the maximum amount of time in the development and healing of a canker sore, and the duration period is subjective to the individual's health. It is, therefore, possible to simply "deal" with the pain without seeking treatment.

If the experience proves too painful to bear, there are many treatments available to accelerate the healing process, as well as to curb the pain of the open sore. Most people use remedies found in pharmacies, such as anesthetic creams and gels. Alternatively, many home remedies have proven to be just as effective. Salt water solutions, and hydrogen peroxide solutions, for example, soothe the canker sore and also protect it from other secondary bacterial infections.

It is important to note the differences between a canker and a cold sore. Often, people tend to confuse the two. In asking the question "are canker sores contagious?" they've assisted in generating the myth that cankers actually are contagious. They are not. Cold sores, which are viral infections, are contagious and must be treated accordingly. Apthous Ulcers, however painful, remain isolated to the person suffering them. One way to easily distinguish a canker core from a cold sore is the location of the sore itself. Cankers only affect the internal tissues of the mouth. Cold sores, on the other hand, appear on the surface tissues of the mouth, and can even infect the skin near the chin and nose. Mouth sores are very painful but with some patience and the proper remedies they can be overcome.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Five Ways in Which Environmental Management Can Help in Infection Control

Nosocomial infections are those that typically manifest themselves in a hospital setup. Such kinds of infection can spread in many different ways. That is where infection control comes in which is responsible to put in place various procedures and safeguards to minimize the risk of spreading diseases. Such controls have to work on several fronts, and though in the center of it all are patients, environmental management too is important.

The 5 ways mentioned below revolve around managing the hospital environment to check infection.

• Proper Ventilation: Suitable ventilation systems are of utmost importance whether it is a general area or a surgery room. The higher risk areas of a facility for transplants, operation and critical care must have filtration units for providing clean or ultra air depending on the room and the criticality of the procedures involved. If the patients' room or any general area is air-conditioned then the filters must be cleaned regularly. If instead of air-conditioning there are fans then its flow should be directed towards the nearest window and never towards other rooms or corridors. Also the use of fans must be avoided where the risk of airborne pathogens is high. A hospital's ventilation should be such that reduces the possibility of contamination and all the systems must be checked and maintained on a regular basis by the relevant personnel.

• Safe Water: Drinking water must be boiled or dispensed through purifiers. Also the dispensers for storing water must be completely sealed off against any kind of contact with hands or other materials, also the glasses must be disposable. In addition the tanks containing water for washing should be cleaned and monitored to keep any kind of contamination at bay.

• Maintaining Cleanliness: Cleanliness of the hospital is a fairly basic but important measure for infection control. While administrative sections of the facility can be cleaned like your house, the areas consisting of patients should be cleaned not by sweeping but with a mop soaked in a solution of hot water and detergent. A disinfectant may be added for certain specialized areas. Also any spills of body or fluids must be cleaned off immediately.

• Managing Waste: Waste generated by the hospital can literally be a reservoir for infection and must be handled accordingly. Such waste must be carefully segregated and stored in the proper container or bags which should be suitably marked. Their storage areas must have sufficient warning signs too. From here the waste can be sent to the incinerator and transported as per the requirements. Also remember that the personnel handling such waste must wear protective gear at all times.

• Laundry Services: Used laundry must be deposited in bags marked for the purpose, especially those that are contaminated by body fluids. Such laundry must be carefully transported with minimum agitation and ideally washed in washers with detergent and water at high temperatures, and then dried off in heavy duty driers.