Self Care
The shoemaker’s kids have holes in their shoes and the carpenter’s roof leaks… Are you too busy to take care of the caregiver? If so you need to read this! Hey, how are you feeling today?
Often when we think of self care for health care workers we think about back school training and general physical fitness. In professions that require the transport of patients (lifting/turning/mobilizing) self care frequently means a healthy back!
Massage therapists, home health aides, and medical assistants are three fields where back care is critical for the prevention of injuries. Of course personal trainers need instruction in proper back care in order to protect themselves and their clients.
So the first question is, are you “watching your own back”? Here are some of the basic rules for back self care:
1. The first rule of self care is prevention. Prevent back problems by caring for your back before you have a problem.
2. General physical fitness is the first building block of a back care program. You have a whole body, of which your back is a part, so you need to engage in regular fitness general fitness exercises like walking, biking, or swimming to maintain your overall physical fitness.
3. Your healthy back needs specific back conditioning exercises, especially if your health occupation requires that you stand in certain postures for long periods of time, have to reach and/or bend to perform job functions, or you have to engage in patient transfer (lifting/turning/mobilizing).
4. Studies show that health care workers engaged in patient transfer are at high risk for a back injury. Preventive strengthening or stretching exercises are critically important for health care workers.
5. Back exercises involving strengthening or stretching should be performed daily by health care workers and should be performed after general fitness activities which have warmed the musculoskeletal tissue and have increased both circulation and breathing.
6. The best exercises for prevention and self care are low impact continuous motion activities, stretching or yoga classes.
7. If you already have a back care problem or injury you need to see a physician and/or physical therapist for specific care instructions. If you are rehabilitating a chronic back condition one of the best exercises is swimming.
8. The other general rules for maintaining good back health include:
a. Proper hydration (drink water, non sugary beverages, and whole juices).
b. Maintain a proper weight and body mass index. Being over-weight increases back stress and strain.
c. Avoid non-nutritious foods and beverages, as well as, smoking and alcohol consumption.
You can find more information on fitness for yourself and your patients at:
http://www.fitness.gov/
Good Self Care Begins with Good Nutrition - The Top Five Foods That Target Specific Health Functions and Help Improve Health by Becky Fisher
We all want to improve our health in easy ways, and eating the proper foods is probably the most basic and simple way to do so. By targeting the regions of the body that thrive on specific nutrients you can easily give your body what it needs to improve your health.
1. Foods for Heart Health. While everyone has heard that plant sterols can help improve your heart's function, do you really know which foods have these? Consuming a small amount of nuts on a daily basis can give you the sterols you need. Dark chocolate is also good for the heart, so if you can find an organic dark chocolate bar with nuts you'll be getting twice the nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids are also known to improve the health of the heart and can be found in certain eggs that have come from chicken given a healthy diet. The best eggs are organic eggs that have come from chicken fed an all-natural vegetarian diet enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon and sardines are also good for the heart and provide omega-3 fatty acid. Vitamin C, flavonoids and potassium are all good for the heart in addition to eating a diet that contains only monounsaturated fatty acids. Avocados, flax seeds, lentils and whole grains are all foods that contribute to the overall health of the heart.
2. Foods for Muscles and Bones. When nutrients for the muscles and bones come to mind, most people think of calcium. Calcium of course is ideal for this part of the body and can be found in a multitude of sources from milk, yogurt and surprisingly some beans such as black or soy. Tofu and spinach also contain amounts of calcium that can help improve your health. In addition to calcium, potassium is important for muscle and bone health. The banana is probably the most popular source of potassium, and can easily be incorporated into any meal of the day. Potatoes are another popular source and are actually the number one vegetable in America. Be cautious not to overindulge or consume fried potatoes which can actually end up having a negative effect on your health. Vitamin D is another important contributor to muscle and bone health and can be found in salmon, sardines, and enriched products such as milk or eggs. Protein is the building block for muscle and bone health so be sure to also get enough of this nutrient in your daily routine if you truly want to improve your health.
3. Foods for Digestive Health. Of course the number one contributor to a healthy difestive tract is fiber, and this can be found in an increasing number of products available at your local supermarket. While many natural items contain fiber such as apples and beans, new products have added fiber to make it easier to consume. In addition to fiber, probiotics are a good component that truly helps the digestive tract stay regular. Probiotics are most commonly found in yogurt. To keep your urinary tract healthy as well, try consuming just one serving of cranberry juice each day. While cranberries contain fiber and Vitamin C which are also good for digestive health, they have been proven to contain specific tannins which aid in keeping the urinary tract healthy. Apricots, sweet potatoes and cabbage are also good for digestive health.
4. Foods to Aid the Immune System. Lots of Vitamin C rich items such as citrus fruits, broccoli and tomatoes are ideal for keeping the immune system healthy. Besides consuming foods high in Vitamin C, foods that contain zinc are also important for the immune system's health. Wheat germ and wheat bran top the list for zinc rich foods, coming in just below oysters which contain the highest amount. Some nuts such as pine and pecan also contain small amounts of zinc. Vitamin E assists the immune system as well and can be found in raw sunflower seeds and almonds which contain high amounts of these healthy nutrients. Olives and leafy greens also contain Vitamin E, and surprisingly the sardine shows up again as having this vitamin. Combining some of these nutrients together in a recipe can help to give you a meal that will truly boost the immune system. Try making a mix of seeds to eat on top of yogurt or a rich leafy green salad loaded with nuts, seeds, olives and citrus fruits to really improve your health.
5. Foods for the Nervous System. Similar to the immune system, the central nervous system benefits from a diet rich with Vitamins C and E. Additionally the nervous system requires carotenoids which are easy to spot due to the bright colors they cause in their foods. Carrots, berries, green vegetables and many others all contain carotenoids in various forms. Squash is an excellent source of nutrients that support the central nervous system and they are also quite tasty when prepared properly. Omega-3 fatty acids are also good for this part of the body, so by eating foods rich in this nutrient you will be maintaining the health of both your heart and your central nervous system. Try using only olive oil in all your dishes to increase the omega-3 fatty acids and really take a step to improve your health.