Showing posts with label Health Education. Show all posts

The Best Medical Schools – What to Look for

In Davao City, there’s only one medical school that you can attend to, i.e. Davao Medical School Foundation. It’s one of the bet medical schools in the Philippines but not in Asia. Still, it’s a chosen school of some Indians who come to the Philippines to study medicine as they don’t want to spend millions for their medical studies.

Choosing the best medical schools in the Philippines will require you to conduct a thorough research. Just because a school is popular doesn’t mean it can offer you the right knowledge and training that you need to become a successful medical doctor.

What does it focus?

Medical schools have their own specialties. Davao Medical School Foundation, for instance, specializes in primary care. Thus, it’s not the best medical school if you want to become a researcher. It might not be the right fit for your goal.

What’s the quality of their teaching?

The best way to answer this is to ask the past and current students. Or you may also check out the school’s faculty to student ratio.

Avoid consulting its admission’s office as you’ll only get biased information.

Asking the current students of that school can give you unbiased review. Pretty sure, they’ll give you an honest nod or a thumb down.

How competitive it is?

The best medical schools in Asia aren’t calm. Most of them are cut-throat. Students are competing against each other just to be on top of the class or just pass.

However, a medical school that’s calm and collaborative doesn’t mean it’s not the best one on list. In fact, one of the best medical schools has unique evaluation system that lets you enjoy your schooling.

Are the students happy?

The best medical schools won’t only give their students that best training but they’ll also give them an enjoyable life, despite the competition.

You won’t be studying all the time. So, you need a school that can also give you a break when you need to. It’s best to talk to the school’s current students and learn about how their medical school life is. Are they happy staying in that school or are they wishing they’ve enrolled somewhere else?

Where is it located?

The location of the school is important in helping you make the right decision. Make sure that it’s still near your family and friends.

Good thing is that most medical schools have their own clinical facilities where their students are trained. At Davao Medical School Foundation, students can apply for internship at DMSFH. The hospital is just adjacent to the school.

How much does it cost?

The best medical schools aren’t cheap. You’ll need to shell out thousands to millions of pesos just to go through the system. However, they do offer some scholarships that you can apply to in order to reduce the overall expenses of attending a medical school. Then again, applying for one is a cut-throat business. This is because the school will only grant scholarships to a limited number of students.

It’s difficult to find the best medical school where you can enroll in. But the most important thing is to go with a school that can make you happy while training to be a medical doctor.

New Health Information About Ebola

What’s the new health information about the deadly Ebola?

The Philippines is still free of the deadly Ebola virus. US, on the other hand, has a few cases.

In Ohio, there are 116 people being monitored for any symptoms of this disease. This is done after a Dallas nurse tested positive for Ebola. She’s the same nurse who treated the first patient who died of the virus in the US.

In West Africa, the WHO has already proclaimed an international health emergency following the death of more than 3,859 people caused by Ebola virus in Nigeria.

This viral illness will cause initial symptoms of sudden fever, muscle pain, sore throat and intense weakness. If the symptoms aren’t treated immediately, they could lead to vomiting and diarrhea. And in some severe cases, they could cause internal and external bleeding, which may result in death.

The new health information about Ebola is that the WHO is now considering it as the deadliest, since it was discovered in 1976.

How Ebola infects human?

Infectious disease experts fear that this deadly virus could actually mutate causing an airborne disease, which could be transmitted through cough and sneeze.

But I’m hoping that it won’t come to that.

For now, the disease is transmitted through close contact with infected animals. When you have direct contact with those animals through their bodily fluids and contaminated environments, you’ll surely catch the disease. Funerals of Ebola victims can cause a risk of spreading the disease, especially if the mourners would come in direct contact with the victim’s body.

New health information - How it’s diagnosed?

It’s still difficult to diagnose the virus. This is because its symptoms are not specific to this infection. Sometimes, the symptoms can be mistaken for malaria and typhoid fever.

The diagnostic tests available in detecting the virus will include antigen-capture ELISA, IgM ELISA, PCR, and virus isolation.

How to avoid it?

You must avoid having direct contact with Ebola patients, especially their bodily fluids. Thus, you must steer clear of sharing towels.

To fight the virus, you need to wash your hands or improve your hygiene.

Don’t shake hands or even kiss someone with this virus. In fact, Liberia’s health minister recommended stopping having sex. Bear in mind that sexual intercourse may also cause infection to spread through semen, even the male partner has already recovered from Ebola.

New health information – Is Ebola the new AIDS?

As new cases of Ebola heightened, many experts are now comparing it with AIDS. Fortunately, Ebola won’t be on the same league as AIDS, when it comes to infections and deaths. Although the virus has already caused 4,500 deaths in West Africa alone, the number is nothing compared to more than a million of deaths per year from AIDS on the same continent.

The scariest thing about virus-causing Ebola is that it can quickly kill the sufferer. In HIV cases, an infected person won’t experience symptoms for several years. But this makes HIV a more dangerous disease as an infected person can spread the infection for years without him/her knowing it.

Ebola, on the other hand, may kill the sufferers dramatically. But because its symptoms show up within a few days, it’ll help experts in identifying and isolating cases so they’ll be monitored properly.

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Eggs

Eggs. They’re my favorite food for breakfast as they’re easy to prepare. Packed with vitamins and minerals, they’re also rich in protein. Although most eggs can be eaten, the most commonly consumed ones are of the hen. I also like quail and goose eggs. And of course, balut!

In choosing the best

Eggs come in different sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large. Size doesn’t matter but most recipes require large to extra-large eggs.

When choosing an egg while in a grocery store, make sure that you opt for eggs with at least a week or two before its “best before” date. And you must eat them before their expiry date. I tried eating expired eggs but nothing happened to me. However, according to my microbiologist sister, I must avoid doing it again as I might develop a disease later on. Thankfully, I didn’t.

I want to find organic eggs but they’re difficult to obtain. Plus, they’re also expensive. What we can normally find are caged hens as they’re the cheapest. They’re hens farmed using the cheapest method, i.e. with limited room and high densities. They also don’t have access to direct sunlight.

Many experts recommend getting eggs marked with Lion Quality Stamp. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one with such label. Why it’s important? This stamp would mean that the eggs were obtained from hens that have been vaccinated against the Salmonella.

How to know that an egg is fresh?

It can be frustrating to crack open an egg and add it to a bowl with some ingredients in your recipe. But only to realize that it’s stale.

To know how fresh an egg is before cracking it open, you can drop it in a glass of water. When it drops to the bottom of the glass and it stays there, then it’s a fresh catch. If it’s slightly older, it hovers in the middle. A stale egg will just float. If it does, throw it away.

Proper way to store eggs

After you’ve purchased a tray of eggs from a grocery store, you need to maintain their freshness by storing them in your fridge. In this way, they can last longer. Whole eggs can still be consumed 3 weeks after laying. That is, if you stored them immediately in the fridge. You can freeze whites and yolks up to 3 months.

However, whites will only last 3 weeks as long as they are placed in a container and covered with clingfilm. Yolks must be consumed within 3 days and they must also be covered with clingfilm.

Recipes about eggs

There are many ways to cook and prepare eggs. The most popular one is scrambled. When preparing scrambled eggs, you need to add a full cream milk and butter. Use large eggs to obtain better results.

I use non-stick pan for best results. It’s also easier for me to clean the pan. Over-stirring is a no-no when making scrambled eggs. Make sure that the eggs have the same texture as soft curds. Don’t overcrowd the pan as they won’t cook well.

Crock Pot Recipes: How Can You Convert Ordinary Recipes Into Crock Pot Recipes?

There are tips and tricks on how to prepare crock pot recipes. Listed below are some tips on how to convert some ordinary recipes into crock pot recipes.

1. Cut vegetables into not more than 1 inch thick
When vegetables are cooked using this technique, they must be 1-inch thick or less. Then, place them at the bottom of the pot as they take a lot longer to cook than other ingredients.

2. Decrease cooking time for liquids
In slow cooking, liquids are decreased by half the recommended amount. But this rule does not apply when cooking rice or pasta.

3. Cook pasta or rice until it is slightly tender
If it requires cooked pasta to be added to your crock pot recipe, you must first cook the pasta or rice into another container before adding it to the pot. For best results, you must use long grain rice.

4. Soak beans first
Beans must be soaked first before cooking using crock pot. Experts recommend pre-soaking them for 10 minutes in unsalted water. Then, drain them before adding them to the crock pat recipe you are preparing.

5. Add herbs and spices near the end of cooking
Herbs do release their flavors over time. For that reason, it is best to add them near the end of your cooking session. Before serving, you must taste the food first and make adjustments, if necessary.

Because some dishes lose their flavor, you need to take extra preparation steps to avoid it to happen. For instance, to enhance the flavor of most meats, you must make them brown first. Meat can be dredged, browned or deglazed with wine or broth to add flavor to your recipe.

Crock pot recipes require the use of a crock pot. To obtain best results, you must cook them with a crockery type cookery.

I recommend:
Sleep Benefits - 4 Surprising Advantages Of Having Adequate Rest
Dessert: 5 Surprising Ways To Make Healthier Dessert
Benefits Of Green Tea
Heart Disease - 4 Prevention Tips To Avoid Cardiovascular Problems
The Milk: 5 Ways On How To Properly Freeze Milk

Chicken Recipes: How To Make Chicken A La King

One of the chicken recipes that I want to try is Chicken a la King. But, instead of classic creamy choice, I want to use low-fat milk and flour for thickening purposes. In this way, it will not be filled with saturated fat.

Ingredients for Chicken a La King:
Boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken
All-purpose flour
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White Mushrooms
Bell pepper
Ground pepper
Salt
Less sodium chicken broth
Low fat milk
Pimientos
Scallions

How to make this chicken recipe?
1. First, you need to put the chicken into a medium bowl filled with flour.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Place the chicken to the hot pan
4. Stir it occasionally.
5. Let it stay there until lightly browned
6. Reduce the heat before adding one tablespoon of oil to the pan
7. Add the mushrooms, salt, bell pepper and ground peper
8. Stir it often or until the mushrooms start to brown
9. Whip the chicken broth and low-fat milk into the reserved flour.
10. Do it until the mixture becomes smooth.
11. Stir it into the pan.
12. Let is simmer for a few minutes.
13. Allow all ingredients to be cooked. The vegetables must be tender and the chicken must be cooked enough.

Note: This is one of the chicken recipes that some chefs do recommend omitting salt. You may only add salt when this chicken recipe is already on your plate.

I recommend:
Diabetes Prevention - Tips To Effectively Prevent Or Control Diabetes
What Is HDL? - 5 Must-Eat Foods To Increase HDL Level
Acne Prevention: 5 Tips That Can Make Acne Vulgaris Go Away
What Is The Real Cause Of Acne?
What Is Depression? - 5 Natural Ways To Lift Your Mood

Dental Clinics In Davao City

Here is a list of dental clinics or dentists in the city of Davao:

1. Noeme Abellar
Telephone number: 227-2329
Address: 105-A Pichon

2. Alojado Dental Clinic
Telephone number: 221-0928
Address: Lapu-lapu Street, Davao City

3. Pinky Daisy Ancog
Telephone number: 221-0966
Address: Paseo De Legaspi

4. Andres Dental Clinic
Telephone number: 227-1741
Address: Central Plaza Building, Davao City

5. Bacus Dental Clinic
Telephone number: 305-2081
Address: Skylite Arcade Davao City

6. Jossie gloria Balignot
Telephone number: 221-2100
Address: C.M. Recto Avenue, Davao City

7. Bautista Orthodontic Clinic - General Dentistry and Orthodontics
Telephone number: 221-5724
Address: JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City

8. June Buenaventura
Telephone number: 224-1664
Address: Aldevinco Shopping Center, Davao City

9. Dental Magic Oral Care - Orthodontics and Aesthetic Dentistry
Telephone number: 298-4964
Mobile number: 63-920-636-5584
Address: Eco-West Drive Davao City

10. Dental Point Clinic - Pediatric Dentistry, Oral Surgery, Dental Implants
Telephone number: 227-8188
Address: Palma Gil, Davao City

11. Ma. Cristina Domingo
Telephone number: 224-6220
Address: Davao Doctors Medical Tower

12. E De Jesus Dental Office
Telephone number: 221-4040
Address: 10 Mt. Mayon Street, Davao City

13. Gentle Dental Care - Dentistry for children, Aesthetic dentistry, Endodontics, Orthodontics and oral surgery, and Treatment for gum and bone disease.
Telephone number: 221-8486 and 282-1534

14. San Vicente Dental Clinic
Telephone number: 227-1535
Mobile number: 63-919-637-5163
Note: I highly recommend Dr. San Vicente to treat your tooth problems.

If you dial outside Davao City, the area code you must use is 082.
If you want your dental clinic to be included in the list, please submit your contact information through the comment section.

Diabetes Prevention - Tips To Effectively Prevent Or Control Diabetes

Diabetes can be prevented or controlled by simply changing your lifestyle. Controlling or preventing it from worsening is as basic as consuming more healthy foods and becoming more physically active. If you start now, you can avoid the health complications of this disease.

Here are some of the diabetes prevention tips that you can implement to your life as presented by the American Diabetes Association.

1. Be more physically active.
By this it means you need to spend at least 30 minutes of your time to get an exercise. Through exercise, you can lower your blood sugar while you lose weight. Exercise also improves your sensitivity to insulin allowing you to keep your sugar levels within a normal range. A good diabetes fitness program includes both aerobic and resistance training.

2. Eat whole grains.
Experts do recommend eating whole grains as they can reduce your risk of developing diabetes or health complications. Whole grains are also good in maintaining your blood sugar levels. Some breads and pasta products are made from whole grains. When choosing a product, you must look for the word "whole" in the ingredient list.

3. Lose extra pounds.
Each pound that you lose will definitely improve your health. In a study conducted, overweight adults who lost at least 2 pounds have reduced their diabetes risk by 16%. If you want to further reduce your risk of developing diabetes, you must aim to lose at least 5% to 10% of your initial body weight.

4. Make healthier choices.
Instead of following fad diets, you must consider portion control as part of your healthy-eating plan. Low-carb diets, for instance, are not that effective in preventing diabetes. They also do not provide long-term effects to patients as they require you to give up some essential nutrients.

5. Eat plenty of fiber
By eating fiber-rich foods, you are helping your body in losing weight. These foods help you feel full for a longer period of time letting you eat fewer calories. They also reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems and improve your blood sugar control.

The American Diabetes Association also recommends seeing a doctor regularly to further help you prevent or reduce your risk of developing diabetes.

I recommend:
Carbs On - 4 Simple Ways To Choose The Right Carbohydrates
Calories In To: 4 Simple Ways To Cut Calorie Intake
Food Recipes: 3 Healthier Food Alternatives
How To Lose Weight - 5 Essential Nutrients That You Must Be Eating To Lose Weight
What Is HDL? - 5 Must-Eat Foods To Increase HDL Level

What Is HDL? -- 5 Must-Eat Foods To Increase HDL Level

What is HDL?
It is considered a good cholesterol. High Density Lipoprotein gathers all bad cholesterol in your body from the arteries and carries it back to the liver. It has anti-inflammatory effects that are beneficial to your heart. And this is one of the reasons your HDL level must be high so it can protect your arteries from plaque build-up.

The ideal HDL levels must be over 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. Although genetics can affect the level of your HDL, you can still change that by improving your lifestyle choices. These are the foods that can help you increase this good cholesterol level.

1. Nuts
They are good sources of healthy fats, which are good for your heart. What is good thing about them is that you can easily add them to your cereal, salad, pasta dishes and rice. They can be eaten raw, toasted or baked.

2. Salmon, mackerel and other seafood choices.
You must aim for fatty fish options like halibut, albacore tuna, salmon and mackerel. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to be beneficial for your heart. They can reduce the risk of death. The recommended serving is at least 2 servings per week. Fish oil supplements are also great if seafood is too hard to find.

3. Olive oil.
This, too, is great in elevating your HDL level as it contains high level of unsaturated fats. Instead of using butter, you can cook your food in an olive oil. But, even though it is healthy, it is still oil. So, you must only use it in moderation.

4. Avocado.
It may be high in fat but it is also good for your heart. You can spread it on your sandwich or add it to your omelets.

5. Oatmeal.
It is not only rich in fiber but it is also great in bumping up your HDL. While it increases your good cholesterol, it also reduces LDL. It is an excellent source of fiber just like bran, dried peas and beans.

6. Exercise .
You must incorporate these foods with daily exercise to produce more HDL. Aim to become active for 30 minutes each day and your heart will thank you for it.

Suggested topics:
Hunger: Understanding Your Hunger Rhythms
Acne Prevention: 5 Tips That Can Make Acne Vulgaris Go Away
4 Ways To Prevent Diabetes From Worsening
What Is The Real Cause Of Acne
Cosmetic Dentists -- 5 Important Cosmetic Dentistry Services That You Must Be Aware Of

Acne Prevention: 5 Tips That Can Make Acne Vulgaris Go Away

Here are some things to keep in mind to prevent acne from recurring:

1. Clean your face.
But you must only clean it once or twice a day. Overcleaning will not do any good to your condition.

The main goal of washing your face is to remove impurities and excess oil from the skin surface.

When washing your face, you must only use warm water and not hot. Avoid using harsh soap. Instead, you must only use mild facial cleanser. Avocado soap is a good one too.

Do not scrub your skin using a loofah or a washcloth.

2. Use moisturizer.
Even if you have oily skin, you still need to apply moisturizer. But make sure it is gel-based. The importance of this product is to avoid drying your skin as topical acne products contain ingredients that can cause dryness and skin peeling. Herbalife Soothing gel is a good moisturizer, too.

3. Apply an anti-bacterial agent.
It must be a product that contains salicylic or benzoyl peroxide, which is known to get rid of bacteria and slough off skin. You must first start at a small amount. Then, increase or decrease the amount later.

4. Avoid applying makeup.
If you have to wear a makeup, you need to wash it off before going to bed. Choose oil-free cosmetics without those harmful chemicals. Your dermatologist may also recommend going for water-based cosmetics.

5. Visit a dermatologist.
You and your dermatologist can work together to prevent acne from appearing on your face.

Photo source: Acne Prevention
Suggested articles:
Hormonal Imbalance Linked To Acne Problem
What Is The Real Cause Of Acne?
Acne Remedy
Herbalife Products: Beneficial In My Father's Fast Recovery
Understanding Mesothelioma

What Is The Real Cause Of Acne?

What is the real cause of acne?

It is not food or personal hygiene. The real culprits of this annoying skin condition are clogged pores. This skin condition only occurs if the excess oil and skin cells in your face clog the pores. Skin bacteria start to grow in those pores and produce certain substance that can cause inflammation, i.e. acne.

According to dermatologists, acne is not caused by poor hygiene. In fact, if you excessively wash your face and scrub it can make your acne worse as these acts can irritate your skin.

Foods, too, do not cause acne. (No matter how many boxes of pizza I ate, I did not experience acne breakouts).

Unfortunately, for us, women, we are more prone to adult acne. Fluctuating hormones during menstrual cycle can cause acne breakouts. We are also more susceptible if we discontinue taking birth control pills or prescription drugs.

Acne Treatment
OTC products may help ease this skin condition. However, if this skin condition does not clear up, you must see a dermatologist. To prevent severe acne, you must treat it now. If your doctor has prescribed acne medication, you must stick with it for a few weeks. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as overnight treatment. So, give it at least eight weeks before you decide that such treatment is effective or not.

You must also remember that acne breakouts can be a sign of an underlying condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome, hormone-secreting tumor or disorder in the adrenal gland. If you have this condition, your acne will never clear up until the underlying disease has been resolved.

Photo Source: What Causes Acne
Other topics of interest:
Hormonal Imbalance Linked To Acne Problem
Acne Remedy
Acne Treatment: Is Overcleansing Good for the Skin?
Herbalife Products Beneficial for Your Health
Herbalife Products: Beneficial in My Father's Fast Recovery

What is Depression? -- 5 Natural Ways To Lift Your Mood

What is depression? You are clinically depressed if you have at least five of the nine symptoms presented below.

Depressed mood throughout the day
Loss of energy each day
Feeling of guilt
Diminished interest in almost all activities
Significant weight loss or gain
Insomnia or hypersomnia
Indecisiveness
Thoughts of suicide
Sense of being slowed down

How can you treat it?

This condition may require the use of anti-depressant pills. They can be a life-saving element for individuals who suffer from this condition. However, if you are not a suicidal type, you may take advantage of natural treatments that may be useful in lifting your mood. These natural remedies will include the following:

Exercise. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. They are hormones that can lift your mood to help you feel happy. They are considered by psychologists as natural anti-depressants.
Eat a diet rich in serotonin. Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids are also high in serotonin. Healthy fats are also beneficial for patients with depression. A high-protein diet is also advisable.
Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks. The reason for this is that caffeine can reduce the levels of serotonin in your body.
Meditate. Meditation can lift your mood. This is especially true if you incorporate it with healthy lifestyle.
Balance out your hormones. If the hormone levels in your body are out of whack, your mood will surely shift to the negative side. See a doctor to help you interpret results from thyroid gland tests, adrenal gland tests, and sex hormone tests.

Photo source: depression.wikia.com
Related topics:

Migraine Remedies: 5 Possible Tricks to Ease the Pain

Alzheimer's Disease -- Different Ways to Delay Its Onset

Menopause Hot Flashes -- 5 Home Remedies You Need to Know to Reduce Frequency of Hot Flashes

Sleep Benefits -- 4 Surprising Advantages of Having Adequate Rest

How to Get Toned Abs -- 3 Important Tips to Help You Get Flatter Stomach

Migraine Remedies: 5 Possible Tricks to Ease The Pain

I take prescription medicines if I have migraine but I am also searching for effective migraine remedies that can help ease the pain. Here are some self-care measures I found that may also be effective in alleviating the pain each time migraine attacks me.

Get adequate amount of sleep. Although it is important that you sleep at least six hours a night, you must not oversleep as it can worsen your condition. It is also highly recommended that you go to bed and wake up at regular times.
Rest. (This is what I do when I feel like headache is going to attack me. I just lie down in my bedroom and try to relax and sleep.) According to experts, it is also helpful if you apply an ice pack on the back of your neck to ease those painful areas.
Know what triggers your migraine. Knowing what triggers headache can help you prevent it from happening. This will also help your doctor better understand your condition so he/she can give you the right medicine or treatment specifically for your case.
Try acupuncture. (One of these days, I will try this natural treatment.) In clinical trials, this non-traditional therapy was found to be helpful in alleviating headache pain.
Take vitamins and minerals. There are reports that feverfew and butterbur can prevent or reduce the severity of headache. Unfortunately, these herbs are not easy to find. Taking of riboflavin may also help in preventing migraine to occur as it corrects some deficiencies in the brain cells. You may also try taking magnesium supplements but be sure to ask your doctor about it.

These migraine remedies may or may not help in easing the pain but there is no harm in trying one of them. (I will definitely try acupunture.)

Photo source: nhs.uk

Related topics:

How to Prevent Migraine?

Alzheimer's Disease -- Different Ways to Delay Its Onset

Menopause Hot Flashes -- 5 Home Remedies You Need to Know to Reduce Frequency of Hot Flashes

Flashes of Light in the Eyes

Osteoporosis: How to Prevent Osteoporosis?

Menopause Hot Flashes -- 5 Home Remedies You Need to Know to Reduce Frequency of Hot Flashes

You do not need prescription medicines to alleviate menopause hot flashes. You can easily cool things off using the following home remedies. Of course not all of them will work. So try out a couple of these tips to find out which one can help you counter the symptoms of menopause. Before you know it, you will feel a lot cooler.

Get a regular exercise. If you really want to cool things off, you must engage in a regular exercise. Doing yoga five days a way can reduce the frequency of hot flashes. You should also engage in other aerobic activities in a week. Plus, you need to do muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week. These physical activities will not only make your hot flashes less intense but they will also enhance your overall health.
Eliminate coffee. Yes, coffee is good to help you be alert. But it contains stimulant. This means that it can only worsen your condition. If you cannot eliminate coffee from your routine, then you must try limiting to 300 milligrams of caffeine each day. This is about 1 1/1 cups of coffee per day. Replace caffeinated drinks with water. When cutting back on coffee, you must cut it gradually to avoid experiencing caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
Quit smoking. When compared with nonsmokers, women who smoke are more likely to experience hot flashes. This is the result of the stimulating effects of nicotine. If it is too difficult for you to quit, you may use some local resources to assist you in succeeding.
Change your diet. Whole grains, fruit and vegetables are great for your weight helping you decrease the intensity of hot flashes. Cut back on spicy foods and alcohol. Consume foods that are rich in soy. Soy contains high amount of isoflavones, which can offer similar positive effects to estrogen supplements.
Take black cohosh. This herbal remedy is known to relieve some symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal remedy if you are suffering from liver disease.

Photo source: rodale.com

Related topics:

Sleep Benefits -- 4 Surprising Advantages of Having Adequate Rest

Urinary Infection: Tips to Ease the Pain Caused by this Infection

What is Autism: 4 Signs You Must Know About this Disorder

Why Protein in the Morning? -- Reasons You Must Focus on Protein in the Morning

The Milk: 5 Ways on How to Properly Freeze Milk

What is Autism: 4 Signs You Must Know About This Disorder

What is autism? What are its signs?

This neurological developmental disorder is not a disease. According to doctors, this disorder is purely a genetic condition.

The signs of autism can be noticed as early as 18 months old. The first person to perceive them is the mother or the caregiver of the child. In order to address the doubts, it is ideal to consult a licensed professional, who is an expert in this field. Psychologists have the check lists that can determine whether or not a child has this type of disorder.

Mother must not hesitate to take action as soon as possible because early intervention can alleviate this disorder. With early diagnosis and treatment, problems associated with it will become less complicated.

Here are some of the signs you should be aware of if you want to know more about what is autism:

Your kid is having difficulty communicating with other children of the same age.
He/she uses inappropriate or repetitive words.
He/she utilizes the word "you" rather than "I" or "me."
Your child has difficulty approaching people or initiating a dialogue with other kids.

These are just 4 of the signs that you must be aware of what is autism.

To manage your child's autistic behavior, you must know your child first. Does your child need sensory input? The more you know about your child, the easier it is to handle him/her.

Photo source: itri4autism.com
Related reading:

Why Protein in the Morning? -- Reasons You Must Focus on Protein in the Morning

The Milk: 5 Ways on How to Properly Freeze Milk

What is Coffee? -- 3 Benefits of Coffee That You May Not Know of

What to Eat? -- 5 Overlooked Healthy Foods

The Cold: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself AGainst the Cold Virus

The Cold: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself Against the Cold Virus

There are a lot of ways to protect yourself against the cold and one of them is to get the flu shot. It boosts your immune system, thereby, providing better protection. Even though you had a shot last year, you should not skip it this year as its protection level declines within a year.

Are probiotics useful in getting rid of the cold?
Some probiotics, but not all, can shorten colds in two days, according to a certain study. You should keep an eye for these two Lactobacillus strains:

Plantarum HEAL 9
Paracasei 8700:2

Unfortunately, these strains are not yet available on the market.

In addition to probiotics and flu shot, you can get relief from the cold by taking zinc. But you must take a lozenge or syrup so it can directly contact with the virus in your throat. For zinc to be effective in fighting against the cold virus, you must take at least 75 mg daily. The said amount is safe for short-term use only. Although this type of remedy is effective, it has its own downsides, such as bad taste in the mouth and mild nausea.

Photo source: 001yourtranslationservice.com
Suggested reading:

Meningococcal B: 4 Useful Tips to Prevent Yourself from Catching Meningitis

Diabetes and Bitter Melon: Can Ampalaya (bitter melon) Help in Treating Type-2 Diabetes?

What are the Symptoms of Disease: Kidney Problems

Mental Disorders: Ways to Prevent Them

Natural Arthritis Treatments: Discover Ways to Alleviate the Pain Caused by Arthritis

Dessert: 5 Surprising Ways to Make Healthier Dessert

I love dessert. Although I am watching my diet, I cannot stop myself from eating sugary foods rich in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. But because of the consequences of devouring too much of them, I have found some strategies that can slash the kilojoules and make healthier dessert.

Make smaller desserts. Instead of preparing the whole recipe, cutting it in half can make smaller serves, thereby, reducing kilojoule load. Although they are smaller desserts, they can still satisfy sugar cravings.
Add fruits. According to experts, desserts overloaded with fruits have fewer kilojoules compared with those that are chocolate-based. Fruits improve the overall benefits of a dessert because they are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Therefore, it would be best to add in more fruit than what is stated in the original recipe.
Reduce sugar. Desserts may mean a lot of sugar but they can be cut back without directly affecting the flavor. But this strategy is very tricky. To make it work, start by taking out at least 10% of the sugar.
Tweak recipes. By this it means reducing or eliminating unhealthy ingredients. For instance, instead of using cream, adding natural yoghurt and ricotta will do. Any tweaking will do as long as it aims to reduce saturated fats, kilojoules and sugar.
Replace white flour. Use whole grain flour, instead. It is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Desserts are there to satisfy sugar cravings. They can be healthy if they are eaten moderately. Also, it would help if you eat it at the table, rather than eating them mindfully while watching TV.

Photo source: yourperfectpartyshop.blogspot.com

Red Meat or Chicken: Which is a Healthier Choice?

Why You Should Eat Fruits and Vegetables?

Your Basal Metabolic Rate

Hormonal Imbalance Linked to Acne Problem

Pilates Exercise: Is It Effective?

Radiology Career: Training Requirements When Pursuing a Career in this Field

The job of a radiologist is to read and interpret digital images of patients obtained via a camera, machine and other imaging equipment. He/she uses this information to help the treating physician in diagnosing the patient and to come up with a course of treatment. Radiologists are also involved in image-guided procedures to aid in the treatment of health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases.

Training requirements
To practice in this area, radiologists must complete the following training requirements:

Bachelor's degree
Medical degree
Residency training for 4 years
Sub-specialization training

They must also meet additional requirements to practice medicine in the Philippines (or in other countries). Optional subspecialties will include radiology, body imaging, mammography and musculo-skeletal, among others.

What is to like about this profession?

Compensation. This area of medicine offers one of the highest salaries and best benefits.
Vacation. Unlike other physicians, they have a lot of time for vacation. Even though they read tens of thousands of images a year, they have 8-12 weeks of free time.
Work flexibility. They can read scans from home through a computer linked into a hospital network. They do not have to work at night like physicians of other areas of medicine.

Another likeable factor about this profession is the fact that radiologists do not need to spend a lot of time directly interacting with their patients. However, they still need to develop their collaborative and consultative skills as they have to coordinate with other allied health professionals.

Photo Source: dentalradiology.com

Pharmacist Career: 3 Things You Need to Do When Opting for this Profession

The career of a pharmacist is promising (unlike MT). Although this is a rapidly expanding field, it is essential for aspiring individuals to seriously consider the fierce competition in this field. Plus, there is more to being in this field than working in a local drugstore. To help you win in the competition, you might want to study the tips provided by veteran pharmacists.

Explore career options in this field. There are multitude of careers inside the pharmacy department. Pharmacists can work in insurance companies, veterinarian practices and law firms. You can also work in clinical research where you are tasked to investigate drugs that might someday be useful to (dying) patients.
Apply to several colleges. Keep in mind that some schools that offer pharmacy programs only accept enrollees in this area once a year. Hence, if you will not be accepted, you will have to wait for another year to reapply. Therefore, you should apply to various schools to increase your chances of being accepted. But when you shop for the best school, however, you need to look at the passing rate in previous year's licensure examination. Completing your pharmacy education from an established school leads to better job opportunities.
Be compassionate and thorough. The job of a pharmacist is not easy. This profession does not have a room for errors. Just like medical technology profession, accuracy is very important in this job. And because you are interacting with sick patients, you need to become compassionate all the time. You must be ready to help a patient who might be needing your assistance any time.

(Note to myself: If I had known the multitude of opportunities offered by this profession, I would have picked it over MT.)

Photo Source: Pharmacist
Related topics:
Where Art Thou Medical Technologists
About Medical Technology Avenue
SparkPeople A Great Online Food Diary
Cranberries Can Cure Bladder Infection
Nursing Versus Medical Technology

Recipes for a Vegetarian

Recipes for a vegetarian are becoming popular. But cooking or preparing vegetarian is still a big challenge. It could be that you do not have time to prepare/cook or that foods for vegetarians are too expensive and hard to find.

When looking for recipes for a vegetarian, you may heed to the following pieces of advice:

When cooking green vegetables, you should know how to test whether they are undercooked or overcooked. Steam them until they are tender but still crispy. After cooking vegies for 4 minutes, pierce a small piece using the tip of the knife. If they resist slightly, then they are ready to be served.
Eat pears if you are looking for high fiber fruit. A medium-sized pear contains six grams of fiber, 190 milligrams of potassium and 26 grams of carbs.
If you want recipes for a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian friends, you can serve grains, veggies and meat but serve them separately. You can also serve a pizza that has only meat on one side and vegies on another side.
Some meatless options will include breads, couscous, rice, potatoes, and veggie casseroles.

Among the recipes for a vegetarian I have seen, I want to try this Soy Milk Capuccino. It is said to be a healthy alternative to, well, brewed coffee or soda.

What you need:

Unflavored soymilk
Honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
chocolate shavings

To prepare, heat soy milk through a saucepan or microwave. Heat it until below boiling and remove it from heat before adding the remaining ingredients. To make it frothy, beat it using an egg beater. You may add chocolate shavings for garnish.

Photo source: Yupedia.com

Calories and Nutrition: Avoid the Calories in Your Starbucks Coffee Cup

You cannot see the calories and nutrition facts of Starbucks via its website. Hence, if you are conscious about the number of calories you are taking in each day, then it is important that you know what you should not drink while in this popular coffee shop.

Tips that can prevent yourself from drinking coffee at Starbucks with calories equivalent to an entire meal.

Opt for skinny drinks. They are sugar free. They include non-fat milk and whip cream. Examples of skinny drinks will include vanilla latte or non-fat capuccino. The latter option is ideal if you want to have pure coffee taste. On the other hand, if you want to drink coffee at Starbucks with fewer calories than those options mentioned earlier, then you can have plain brewed coffee. It has only 5 calories. Or you can opt for cafe Americano with 10 calories.
Drink tea, like green tea or passion fruit tea. The latter is my favorite pick every time I get to visit Starbucks. This is the best choice if you want to stay within your weight loss goal. Drinking tea allows you to save calories, thereby, helping you avoid cheating on your weight loss plans.
Avoid the pastry. You should learn how to resist the pastry when you drop by Startucks coffee shop. The better option is to have yogurt at 300 calories, i.e. if you really need to fill your stomach in addition to the coffee drink that you have.

These are just some of the simple ways that you can to help you save on calories and nutrition when it comes to drinking coffee at Starbucks.

Photo Source: DietsinReview.com