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Five Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter

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As a kid, it seemed that wintertime was practically synonymous with sickness. My mother would always try to keep me from getting sick, but between being with other kids at school all day — and doing little to heed her warnings when she wasn’t looking — it seems that I got sick nearly every year. And as an adult, not much has changed. Sick classmates have given way to sick coworkers, and we’re too busy to keep up with our own health, much less the health of our children and families.

Instead of dealing with sickness when it arrives, focus on boosting your immune system so you can avoid getting sick in the first place. The following are five ways you and your entire family can boost the immune system to stay healthy and happy all winter long.

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Originally posted on December 18, 2013 @ 10:26 pm

4 Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling

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Whether you travel often or you’re just taking a quick vacation, staying healthy while you’re on the go can be difficult. Even though traveling means an unpredictable daily schedule, few food options outside of fast food or restaurants and limited resources, you can still stay healthy while you’re away from home. Not sure how you can stay healthy when you’re away from home? These 4 tips can help you maintain your health even when you’re not home.

1. Maintain a workout routine. Even if you can’t sustain the workout routine you normally keep when you’re home, squeezing in a few workouts while you’re traveling is great for your mind and body. Almost all hotels have a gym and pool available and most operate with flexible hours that could allow you to workout early in the morning or later at night before bed. You can also take classes at local fitness studios. If you’re on an extended trip, you could even buy series classes from a gym or fitness studio. If you don’t have access to a gym, you could walk instead of drive to some of your sightseeing or other vacation activities. You can also use Google Maps to plan a running, walking or hiking route that starts right from your hotel door.

2. Eat healthy meals and travel with healthy snacks. Eating healthy on vacation can be tough. With the ease of restaurants and fast food, many travelers eat out for every meal while they’re traveling. If your hotel has a kitchen, you can prepare your own healthy meals and snacks. You’ll also save money by eating a few, or all of your meals at the hotel. For days when you’ll be out and about, pack plenty of healthy non-perishable foods to snack on during the day. Pack nuts, protein bars, trail mix, dried fruit, dry cereal and any other non-processed foods that have good fats, fiber and carbs.

3. Stay hydrated and well rested. Staying hydrated and getting adequate sleep every night will impact your overall health greatly. Invest in a good quality water bottle that’s durable and portable. Fill it up several times per day and be sure you’re getting enough water. If you’re traveling to an area without good drinking water, buy a water bottle with a built in filter. Be sure to get plenty of rest at night. If you’re staying in a loud city or traveling with noisy companions, a pair of earplugs can help keep out unwanted noise so you can get a full night’s rest. Try to stick to your normal sleep schedule as closely as possible by falling asleep and waking up at roughly the same time as you would if you were at home.

4. Purchase international insurance. If you travel frequently, or plan to be away for a while, purchasing international insurance will keep you covered in the event of a medical emergency. International insurance is perfect for business or leisure trips, study abroad, mission trips or any overseas adventure. Knowing that you’re covered just in case something happens will give you peace of mind so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Staying healthy and safe while you’re away will help you enjoy your vacation and come back feeling refreshed and fulfilled. By planning ahead and being pro-active about exercise and eating healthy, you can get the most out of your vacation. These few tips can help you stay healthy, happy and safe while you’re away from home.

Originally posted on July 23, 2013 @ 1:32 am

Staying Healthy After Graduation

Growing up … into adulthood … is a pretty serious reality check. You go from attending a few classes each day to working 8 straight hours every day. You go from partying non-stop on the weekends to going to bed at 10 on a Friday night. You go from having a free gym membership and a fully charged metabolism to sitting at a desk for hours on end and struggling to burn as much as you eat. Life after college is a big transition, but it can also be one of the most exciting times of your life. Staying fit and active in your 20s can help you make the most out of your transition time while promoting a healthy mind and body.

1.         Establish a routine. Having a healthy and productive daily routine is one of the best ways to stay fit. Try to go to bed at roughly the same time every night and wake up at roughly the same time every morning. Eat your meals around the same time every day and have scheduled snacks between meals to keep you from grazing too much or overeating after you’ve gone hours without food. Including scheduled workouts in your routine is as important as any other scheduled event on your work or personal calendar.

2.         Pack a lunch and healthy snacks for work. If you work a full-time job, eating lunch out every day is not only unhealthy, but it’s expensive too. Pack fruits, veggies, dried fruit, nuts, healthy protein bars and 100-calorie packs of your favorite snacks. Also be sure to drink plenty of water while you’re at work. A water bottle with measurements printed on the side is a great way to see how much water you’re drinking per day.

3.         Exercise regularly. Having access to a free gym when you were still in school was awesome, but now you probably don’t have that same perk. If you have access to a gym through work or your apartment complex, try to go a few times a week at the same time so you’ll start to form the habit. Look into gym discounts if you can. For instance, some YMCA branches offer income-based membership rates. If you don’t have access to a gym and don’t want to pay for a monthly membership, you can still work out. You can walk, run or bike outside. You can also spend $20 or so on workout DVDs, or stream good workouts of every type for free on YouTube. You can even squeeze in a short workout during your lunch break, even if it’s just a 30-minute walk.

4.         Get health insurance and visit the doctor at least once a year.  The gray area after graduation can be hard to navigate. If you’re no longer covered under your parents’ insurance and don’t have a job with full benefits, you can consider short term health insurance just so you don’t have to go for any period of time without coverage. You never know when an accident could happen and medical bills on top of student loans are an expensive debt to try to pay off. Once you have health insurance, visit a doctor at least once a year for your annual physical.

5.         Everything in moderation. No one said life after college wouldn’t include parties, assorted shenanigans and fun weekends with friends. There’s nothing wrong with going to a big lunch with co-workers, boozy brunch on the weekends, partying with friends and eating whatever you want to – as long as you do it in moderation. Remember that what you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while. Enjoy your life, indulge in things you love and balance it out with a healthy diet and exercise the other 80 to 90 percent of the time.

Living a healthy lifestyle in your 20s sets a solid foundation for the rest of your adult years. The healthy patterns you establish now you’ll likely carry with your forever – and those healthy patterns will be great for body as you continue to age.

Originally posted on August 1, 2013 @ 10:16 pm

Safely Disposing Of Biohazardous And Chemical Materials

In warehouse or medical work environments, it’s common to have to dispose of biohazardous materials, but chemical spills and accidents can pose a serious threat to workers if they’re not cleaned up properly or if they’re left unattended. If you’re new to running a warehouse, you should be aware of safety procedures for disposing of biohazardous materials. The following are basic guidelines for safely handling dangerous chemicals.

What materials are biohazardous or dangerous chemicals?

Before disposing of hazardous materials, you first have to know what’s classified as such. Any substance that’s potentially infectious is considered biohazardous waste. Blood, bodily fluids, specimen cultures, human tissue and animal waste are all biohazards.

Chemical wastes are a little more difficult to identify — they’re defined by federal and state regulations and by being toxic, corrosive, ignitable or reactive.

Use properly labeled chemical waste disposal containers

For the safety of employees and sanitation workers, throw away hazardous materials in designated biohazardous or chemical waste bags and containers.

Biohazardous waste bags and containers are either clear or red and should have the biohazard symbol somewhere on the receptacle. The bags must be tightly sealed before being placed in, again, clearly marked biohazard waste containers.

Chemical waste must be placed in sealable containers with the proper hazardous waste label, and the type of chemicals inside should be written on said label. Make sure that the chemical won’t react to the container, and that two chemicals in the same container won’t react to each other.

Use tools designated for biohazardous waste disposal

Besides using the right hazardous waste containers, certain waste disposal tools make chemical handling that much safer. Tools like corrosion-proof shovels and scrapers, and toxin-resistant hand scoops are useful for gathering broken glass and can be reused after being thoroughly washed. A chemical-resistant plastic bucket with a built-in divider is also necessary for cleaning up more than one substance.

Wear chemical-safe clothing when handling materials

If you’re handling or disposing of potentially dangerous chemicals, protect yourself by wearing clothing that keeps contaminants from getting on your skin and in your eyes. Thick latex gloves and eye goggles are a must when handling liquids.

The required uniform depends on your place of employment — in a medical facility, white lab coats or bodysuits and plastic shoe coverings are usually enforced, whereas warehouse protective gear might include a hardhat or — in extreme circumstances — a full-body plastic chemical suit.

Keeping employees safe should be the number one priority, and knowing proper chemical safety procedures is critical to preventing serious health problems. Make sure every employee is aware of how to handle and dispose of hazardous waste.

Image courtesy of cohdra

Originally posted on August 30, 2013 @ 12:37 am