BLOG 230: JOBS THAT CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN
A career life and the adulthood that goes along with making a living, can correlate with lots of time spent sitting. the hours of being sedentary increase with age and eventually, less time is spent being active and making healthy choices. Between office lunches, entertaining clients and customers, the spread in the breakroom, vending machines taunting in the hallways, and whatever co-workers decide to share, the combination of more time seated with more sugary and fat ridden foods, become a recipe for gaining weight and increase the risk for poor health.
Some of the most common jobs that are prone to weight gain include the following:
1. Software engineer: IT professionals are prone to getting wrapped up in projects that lead to skipping meals and then eating junk food when there’s time to scarf something down. All this while sitting at a computer.
2. Nurse Practitioner: Ironically this profession in the health field that advocates for nutritious eating, is rampant with stress eating.
3. Teacher: Between students, other staff members, parents, and standardized testing, this profession can be stressful. Managing a classroom setting all day then taking homework to grade can lead to stress eating and reaching for whatever is closest and most convenient to eat.
4. Police offer: There are many hours spent patrolling, sitting, and observing. When there’s action this can be very stressful. Dealing with life threating situations does lead to stress and often times comforting foods.
5. Bus driver/ Taxi/Uber/Lyft Driver: Night or day, this job is all sitting and eating on the go.
6. Administrative assistant: This profession requires juggling the lives and schedules of everyone else, leaving little self-time. Often times, this person is the first one in the office and the last one to leave, sitting and working away to help others.
7. Call center or sales jobs: The phone is always in hand and each hour is filled with constant conversation while sitting. Customer service can be stressful, while meeting commissions and quotas.
Stress alarms the body as cortisol levels strike. Feelings of fight or flight lead a person to want to suppress such levels of high emotion with food or drinks. The mind doesn’t always turn off at the end of the day, and poor sleep leads to poor choices. Waking up tired attracts the easy route when it comes to what to wear, what to eat, and this can lead to complete disregard for extracurricular activities like exercise. Even though a person might be sitting all day, coming home and sitting more sounds more appealing then hitting the gym. Suddenly, years have past and pounds have added up. Your I.D. badge depicts an entirely different body shape. Don’t let stress and your career cut years off your life. Don’t work just to use your health insurance later to cover the costs of the damage that has resulted to your body. Find time for health and set the example to your co-workers that quality of life is critical and necessary.
BLOG 229: CEREALS
What’s breakfast without cereal when you were a kid?? Super convenient and taste bud pleasing, but is cereal actually healthy?? Cereal does come from processed grains. How cereal is made is highly processed starting with processing the grains into flour, then adding sugar and water, undergoing high temperatures to shape the cereal, and then drying out the product into the final shapes. Nutrients are added, hence many of the labels stating fortified with vitamins and minerals. This crunchy food is typically enjoyed with milk or yogurt in puffed, flaked, or shredded form.
The major trouble that comes with cereal is the added sugar. Consumers are often misled by false claiming labels. You have to read the nutrition facts, not the claims that say they can lower cholesterol or help fight diabetes. The next problem with cereal is that most people eat well over one serving at a time. Most cereals abide by ½ cup to 1 cup per serving with around 200 calories. However, a “bowl” of cereal is much more than this amount. Many cereals also contain refined grains, so it is important to find those that are whole grain so that more of the nutritional value is intact. To help out, always look for cereals that contain at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Another worry with cereal is that it can pack on the sodium. Therefore, between the added sugar and sodium, it’s no wonder we want to keep adding more and more to the bowl if there is milk left. Some cereals contain up to 500 mg per serving. When it comes to sugar, some cereal equates to eating cookies. Cereal also does not contain much protein at all, which means it doesn’t necessarily keep you satiated unless of course you eat a large quantity of it.
There are close to 6 million types of cereal. There are many crispy and crunchy brands. Cereals is quick and easy, and of course has a longer shelf life than eggs and toast since it is a highly processed food. There are also hot cereals such as oatmeal and grits. All types of cereal either come in corn, wheat, or rice form. This ready to eat packaged option makes the morning routine much easier to manage. The worst types of cereals are those made for children and they can contain up to 50% sugar. The packages only claim the good qualities, but it is important to read further into your selection. All of the colors and shapes make cereal fun and attractive. Even in adulthood we can be nostalgic for a good bowl of cereal. For some, it’s a late-night snack too. Always read labels, always. Then make more informed choices because how you start your day can direct your energy, mood, and performance.
BLOG 228: HIGHEST SUGAR DRINKS
Liquid calories are dangerous and are often times they go underestimated or neglected. Yet the truth reveals itself on the scale or waistline. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), men should consume no more than 37.5 grams of sugar per day while women should consume no more than 25 grams per day. Here are a list of sugar filled drinks that you may or may not consume, but might think twice about next time.
1. McDonald’s Frappe Mocha: one 8oz has 62 grams of sugar
2. Rockstar Guava: one 8oz can 32 grams
3. Sunkist orange soda: one 8oz can 35grams
4. Starbucks Salted Carmel Mocha Frappacino: 8oz has 33 grams
5. Mountain Dew: one 8oz can 30 grams
6. Newman’s Limeade: 8oz has 34 grams
7. Sobe Greentea Energizer: 20oz bottle 51 grams
8. Minute Maid Cranberry Grape: 8oz has 38 grams
9. McDonald’s Chocolate Shake: 8oz has 42 grams
10. Cold Stone Peanut Butter and Chocolate shake: 8oz has 47 grams
For women, the number of sugar content is easily surpassed. For men, having one of these drinks and a banana makes the daily sugar done for the day. The trouble is that sugar is in so much that we eat, even bread. This means that consuming a large quantity in one choice, leaves the rest of the day chaotic for choices if starting to watch your sugar. Diabetics have to be especially careful. We learn as we go and can see that if these drinks are consumed regularly, how much damage can occur.
Eating too much sugar can lead to metabolic syndrome which encompasses weight gain, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar levels, increased bad LDL cholesterol, and high blood pressure. No matter what sugar is called or hidden as, even in breads, sugar is sugar to the body. The brain likes the dopamine feeling. Your mood raises then crashes and burns. Sugar can rot the teeth. Eating lots of sugar has been associated with inflammation in the joints. Skin can even age faster. The heart become stressed because insulin levels raise int eh blood stream. This can lead to heart attack, heart disease, and stroke. Kidney damage can occur. The pancreas can also go into overdrive producing insulin.
Any little cut back in sugar is better for you both inside and out. We have to prioritize our sugar intake and understand that sugar is all around us. It adds up quickly. Awareness is the knowledge we need, and action is what we must do to be advocates for our health. Don’t ignore labels and don’t ignore the changes that are needed to improve your health. Sugary drinks only offer temporary satisfaction but can have long term damage.
BLOG 227 BABY OIL
Originally formatted for baby’s sensitive skin, baby oil is a great product. In fact, it is just mineral oil without the smell. It had evolved and changed over the years, and some people even know how to make it at home. This product has many uses and it is no longer (or has it ever been) just for babies, despite the labeling name. There are many personal applicational uses and even home uses that have many people raving over this oil.
Baby oil is made of the following ingredients: mineral oil, honey, aloe vera extract, vitamin A, vitamin E, and sometime other aromatic compounds. Other variations of this product that are not 100% natural might also have carrier oil (such as coconut oil), wheat germ, beeswax to make it thicker, and other essential oils like lavender or tangerine.
Baby oil’s originally intended purpose was and still is to moisturize a baby’s skin. However, kids and adults can also reap the benefits. Here are other uses of this incredible product:
1. Moisturize hair: This oil can be a treatment to the scalp and hydration to the scalp and hair.
2. Help with flaky, scaly skin: This might include making the skin of the heels softer.
3. Help with under-eye skin: This is a sensitive area that is neglected by many, despite its constant exposure to the environment.
4. Make-up remover: It works well removing the line-up of makeup used for the day.
5. After shaving oil: It can help add and lock in moisture to the newly exposed pores.
6. It can be used as a lubricant for machine parts or appliances.
7. Earwax: It can be used to help remove this.
8. Stretch marks: It can be applied for prevention.
9. Polishing: it can make counter tops and stone products sparkle.
10. Message oil: It is used by many in this industry.
11. It can help remove temporary tattoos and bandages without pulling to much hair and leaving residue.
12. It can help un-do a stuck zipper.
13. Soothe insect bites: It can be used as an anti-inflammatory.
14. Heel skin rashes: It works well to ease irritation.
Baby oil is one of the products to keep around the house just in case. This versatile oil is good for so many reasons, that having some on hand as the answer to little issues that arise can help save time, help address the problem faster, and make the pain go away quicker. Most people are advocates of baby oil in adult life and there’s certainly good cause for this.