Common Asthma Medications

Unfortunately, the breathing disorder known as asthma is an incurable disease. The good news is that it can be effectively managed in ways that can enable those who suffer from asthma to live happy, productive lives. Here is an overview of the most common asthma medications and treatments with an explanation of how each one works and what they are designed to do.

Steroids

The use of steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs are the primary treatment prescribed for most people who have asthma. Steroids work by lessening mucus production in the airways of the lungs and reducing any swelling. This medication, generally administered by the use of inhalers, can dramatically reduce the negative reactions to asthma triggers and quickly relieve the symptoms. 

Bronchodilators

Like steroids, bronchodilators are usually taken by using inhalers. They are muscle relaxers that prevent tightening of the airways and help to keep the air passages open. Bronchodilators are especially effective in relieving symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. However, they are not designed for routine use, and if needed more than a couple of times a week may indicate the need for adjustments in the use of other asthma medications. 

Nebulisers

Inhalers are the most common way of taking asthma medications, yet, it is not uncommon for doctors to prescribe the use of a nebuliser. These machines utilize a mask or mouthpiece and are often the most effective way to provide medicine to small children or the frail elderly. By changing medications into a mist form, it becomes easier to inhale. Here are some of the more common nebulisers on the market. 

Prednisone 

This is a corticosteroid that is usually only prescribed after a serious asthma attack. Because there are possible side effects with long term use, it is seldom prescribed for more than about two weeks. However, it very effective and allows essential relief until an effective program of other drugs can be developed. 

Every Patient is Unique

There is no drug or combination of drugs that is effective with every asthma patient. However, with patience and experimentation, the right treatment program can be developed that will treat whatever form the asthma takes, whether it be mild or more serious. Today's arsenal of medical treatments can be effectively utilized in ways that will improve breathing and enhance the quality of life of virtually every patient. With the help and advice of a doctor, a targeted treatment program can be designed that will be tailored to make a positive difference in the life of anyone with asthma.

Zucchini and vegetable slice

I've seen lots of zucchini slice recipes, usually involving up to 10 eggs, heavy cream, lots of hard cheese and rashers of bacon making them tasty but only suitable as "sometimes" food. I have given these recipes the LGH magic wand to make a more nutritious option that you can eat more regularly if you wish. It's tasty and also versatile and can be eaten hot or cold. Add whatever you have in the fridge for a delicious summer meal.
My version had zucchini, carrot, onion, fresh parsley, dill, peas, spinach and red salmon - but this recipe has flexibility to use whatever is in your fridge!

Ingredients
 2 large zucchinis
2 large carrots
1 onion
a cup of whatever other vegetables you have handy (fresh frozen or canned) such as spinach, corn, peas, shallots, capsicum
fresh or dried herbs
1 cup of leftover rice or canned cannelini beans or chick peas for low GI energy
200g can red salmon (optional - consider adding diced tofu for protein if you are not a fish eater)
1 cup wholemeal self raising flour
5 eggs (whisked)
squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 cup grated low fat cheese


Method: 
Preheat oven to 200 C
Grate your zucchini and carrots into a large bowl
Finely dice onion, herbs and any other veggies and add all into the bowl.
Add rice or drained beans and can of salmon, season with salt pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice

Mix everything well then add flour, whisked eggs and mix through
Sprinkle cheese on top
Spoon into a well greased cake tin /baking dish and bake for 30-40 mins or so until golden on top and springy. Slice into squares. Serve hot with a salad or vegetables, or cold .

Serves 8-10
Keep for 3 days in the fridge or 4 weeks in the freezer.

Bon appetit!

3 Tips for Choosing a Career

Are you undecided about your future? Many people are. Even those who choose an industry are often left wondering if the grass is greener on the other side.

With the right consideration, however, you can find a career that's both profitable and personally fulfilling. Just be prepared to do a lot of soul searching. In that vein, here are three tips for figuring it all out.

1. Know Your Passions

What excites you? What motivates you? "Do what you love" may sound like a cliche, but if you want to find a lifetime career, it's extremely valuable advice. You'll be doing this thing five days a week until retirement. You should love it.

2. Look at Industry Growth

Jobs in the fast food business have different projections than bioinformatics careers. No matter where you decide to work, you'll want to know what to expect of salaries, market trends and advancement opportunities in the coming decade.

3. Get Some Experience

If you're on the fence about choosing a certain career, look for internships and apprenticeships that will allow you to "taste" the job before fully committing to it. You can also ask your professors and community leaders if they know anyone you can shadow at work.

Whether you're a corporate employee looking to change industries or just a high school senior trying to map out your future, you'll need to think carefully about your career options before making a decision. Good luck!

The LGH e-book is LIVE

So after three years of a Facebook page with 25,000 followers, two years of a blog with over 45,000 views and now dozens of people saying "I wish you would put all these tips together and write a book" - I did it!  The Lean Green and Healthy eBook has been launched and is so far proving to be very popular. 

This is a fad-free lifestyle manual for not just losing weight, but also gaining health.
Chapters include: 
Why are we all getting fatter? 
What diet should I be following? 
What does a balanced meal look like? 
What about sueprfoods? 
What about exercise? 
Motivation tips and a selection of my favourite recipes. 

To keep prices down I have published it as an eBook. You can get it on Amazon as a text only, or direct from me for a colour PDF - which you can read on iPad, iPhone, android (using PDF reader, ibooks or the kindle app) or on your computer. 

Hey, you can even print it yourself if you want to!

So if you want to join the happy LGH club and get all the tips at your fingertips, go to  http://bit.ly/LGHebook and order using credit  card, debit card or your PayPal account. Once payment is received you will be emailed the download link within 24 hours. 

The book is priced at $AUD 9.99 (which is around $7 USD) so I think it's a pretty good deal!

Have you already bought the book? Let me know what you think in the comments below. I'm excited!

Thanks for your support
Lyndal@ LGH

Health Benefits of Tea

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what if you can not find an apple? Simple drink tea. Mmm.. not so apt one. Anyway what I was trying to tell was that drinking tea is not that bad as it is thought to be.

I can already hear cheers from all the tea lovers. Well, its true and I have some valid reasons to support it as well. But before going in those details I would like to ask you one question.

How many types of tea are there apart from Green and Black? I knew these would be the words that will spring out of your head. Any guesses?
Well let me take the responsibility of enlightening you on this. There are four main types of tea- Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea and Oolong Tea.
Given below are some reasons to enjoy your cup of tea.
� Tea contains antioxidants which protect our bodies from the negative effects of pollution.
� The level of caffeine in a cup of tea is comparatively lesser than in a cup of coffee.
� Tea in itself does not have calories. So until to decide to add sweeteners or milk in your cup of tea it is a top calorie-free drink.

� Tea increases the metabolism rate which in turn does not allow excess fat to mount up in the body.
� It reduces cholesterol level in the body and thus trim down the chances of a heart attack.
� Tea contains fluoride which helps to fight cavities and strengthen our bones.
� Tea reduces the risk of hypertension.
� Tea is also very effective in reducing the stress hormones.
� It enhances the immune system of the body. People who drink tea are less likely to catch cold and flu.
� The amino acids present in tea helps to improve the concentration power of a person.
� The antioxidants present in tea help to reduce the risk of cancer.
� Don�t forget you can always use tea bags to get rid of puffy eyes. After all both health and beauty are important.
� Tea is also great for removing strong odors like one coming from fish.

So, now when you know about all these benefits I would suggest you to avoid adding milk and sugar in you tea. No matter how tasteless it may be but to reap all the benefits of these magical leaves you need to do it.

Online Master of Science in Nursing

Ohio University offers a master's degree in nursing that students can earn completely online. Individuals who already have a bachelor's degree in nursing will likely be drawn to a program like the one Ohio University offers. The master's degree gives students the opportunity to choose a specialty practice of nursing and qualifies individuals to be family nurse practitioners upon graduation. 

OU's online MSN, or Master of Science in Nursing, is specially designed for those who are actively working as registered nurses. There is nursing practice information that is based on evidence and case studies included in the main curriculum. 

An Emphasis on the Family

The family nurse practitioner concentration is designed to help students learn how to provide proper medical care for everyone in the family. A special emphasis on women's health is also included in the coursework as the health of the women in a family often leads to the well-being of children and other related adults.

There will also be extensive emphasis placed on the Affordable Care Act. Nurses will learn how important this act is and will encounter a number of possible scenarios in which the Affordable Care Act should be incorporated during coursework.

Education on Your Terms

The online programs allows nursing students to earn their degrees while working, as program administrators understand the demands of a nurse's schedule. It takes between 27 and 30 months for an individual to earn a master's in nursing with Ohio University's online program. All the coursework for the degree is done online, and there are clinical requirements that must be met as well. 

Ohio University boasts more than 40 years of experience when it comes to nursing education. The online degree program allows more nurses to further their education, as the virtual classroom can be accessed at the student's convenience. 

Since there have recently been updates in regulations, only nursing students who reside in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia are eligible to enter the online master's in nursing program. However, once nursing students graduate, they are not obligated to practice in these states. The university is currently working with other states in order to obtain authorization.

Do you like to colour in?

Colouring in for mindfulness and meditation is all the rage at the moment. I like to colour, but more than that I like to draw. So here's my colouring picture for today for you - I drew it while I was enjoying a relaxing cup of tea this afternoon. You can download and print the image to colour it in, or if you want the PDF come and join the Lean Green and Healthy chat group here on Facebook and you can download it from the files section.

Enjoy!
Lyndal at LGH

25,000 Facebook friends

Today isn't just any Saturday night here at LGH headquarters- tonight we have had our 25,000th friend join us on our Facebook page. WOW! Thank you everyone for spreading the word about simple eating, home cooking and living a healthy lifestyle, about moderation, balance and making changes that last. Stop dieting, stop following crazy programs and all that self torture. Love yourself, be happy and just eat real food! Share with your friends and lets keep on spreading the word! 

Lyndal
 Lean Green and Healthy

Protect Your Bones

There are telltale signs that a woman does not have enough calcium in her diet. For instance, going to the dentist might reveal an inadequate amount of calcium in a woman�s diet. If a woman can see through the edges of her teeth, it�s an indication or an inadequate amount of calcium. In addition, the dentist may inform the woman that it�s easy to drill through her teeth. There are special toothpastes that have calcium in them to help rebuild teeth; however, it is far better for a woman to take calcium internally.

It is debatable whether getting calcium from milk is beneficial. There is an argument that the protein in milk and other substances can cause calcium loss and that the body absorbs very little from what is ingested. Various vegetables and legumes can provide better sources of calcium. For instance, darky leafy greens and beans provide a good source of calcium. There are other sources of calcium that can help provide the body with an adequate source, such as Calsura products.

The body is constantly building up and breaking down bone in the body to keep a steady amount of calcium in the blood. However, past the age of 30 people experience more bone loss than what is built up. It�s important to maintain a daily amount of calcium in the diet to avoid an exorbitant amount of calcium loss. This is especially true for women. Getting educated about calcium needs and meeting those needs can save many broken bones down the road.

How To Help An Addict

If you know someone who is addicted to drugs, then you know that the drug can take over the person's life. If you care about the person, there are some ways that you can help in dealing with the recovery process.

You need to understand the addiction in order to help. Do some research on the drug so that you know what it will do to the body. Once you know what you're dealing with, you will have a better understanding of how to help the person you love. When you're talking to the person who has drugs as a part of his life, don't believe every word that is said. The person usually isn't who is talking. The drug has likely controlled the person to the point that it's a choice of family and friends or the drug. If someone is heavily addicted, he will choose the drugs, and he will lie in order to get what he needs. Some people will say that if you help them one more time, they will get clean and go to rehab. You need to see actions instead of words before you offer any more help with a place to live, a car or money.

While you are helping, you need to set boundaries. Only give emotional support instead of giving the person money to go get more drugs. When the person knows that you will always be there to support them in any way, they will continue to come back to you for any kind of support possible. When the person hits bottom and has no where to turn, you will be called. This is when you have to stick to your limits. Often, the best thing that you can do for the person so that he sees what the drug is doing is by letting him fall on his face. He needs to see how hard it is taking care of himself, buying food, clothing and paying for a place to live. When he realizes the true help he has received without being on the drugs, then he will be more willing to get help from a facility like Morningside Recovery Center.

Make the Most of Your Assets

Lately, you've lost some of your self-confidence. You want to get your sparkle back and make a statement to the world. Whether you are heading out for a job interview, trying to win the affections of that special man, or you just want to give yourself some extra attention, now is the time to make yourself a top priority. They say change is good. Give yourself a chance to change for the better.

Get a Hair Transformation
It is time to say goodbye to that tired, old hair style. Change your color and your cut. Pull out all the stops and really shake things up. Choose a picture that really makes you say wow or ask the hairdresser to give you a dazzling, new look. You can discover your full potential by simply freshening up your hair.

Liven Up Your Wardrobe
Stop wearing the same thing every week. Pick up a few, new pieces that can be interchanged with other standards in your wardrobe. Add some color to put a little pizazz in your life. Don't forget shoes and accessories to complete an outfit.

Think Fitness
You need to get active. If you already are doing some type of exercise, change it up. Join a club or find a group in your neighborhood that is out for a run. Find something that really excites you. You'll find that you will really feel good about yourself when you get in shape.

Eat Right
Take care of yourself and eat healthy foods. Drink water and get plenty of fresh produce. Low fat dairy products are good for your skin and bones. Lean proteins are best. If you want to indulge, remember portion control. You only get one go around in life. Make the best of it by choosing food that will fuel your body without packing on extra calories.

Enhance Your Body
If you feel that you have certain features that need an improvement, give them some extra help. Sometimes, all of your efforts to take care of yourself can't give you the body that you want. Learn more from a site like http://sandramcgill.ca/ for various cosmetic procedures, including a breast lift in montreal. Whether you want a subtle change or decide to really make a splash, your cosmetic surgeon can discuss all of your options.

Recipe - mini breakfast frittatas

I saw a version of these on the internet with lots of high salt ingredients like sausage and feta, and lots of processed cheese - I thought I'd try a slightly toned down healthier version. I have used a little lean bacon for flavour but you could certainly omit that if you wish.  You could also put all your vegetables in raw, I just know my son is not a fan of raw mushrooms and capsicum so cooking it with a small amount of bacon would make him more likely to eat them!




You will need:
(To make 12 frittatas - if you have a 6 muffin tray then halve the recipe or make two batches)
Fillings of your choice - I used cherry tomatoes, a handful of baby spinach, fresh mushrooms, two pieces of lean short cut bacon trimmed of extra fat, half a capsicum (bell pepper). You could use any vegetables you have in the fridge - onions, silverbeet, roasted diced sweet potato, carrots, grated zucchini, and even add leftover cooked chicken, tinned red salmon, tinned corn or asparagus - use your imagination!
12 eggs - basically one egg per muffin cup
Small amount of grated cheese
Mixed dry herbs
pepper for seasoning
a splash of milk
olive oil spray to grease your muffin tray (May not be needed if you have a silicone tray)

Grease your muffin tray with olive oil spray (or use muffin cases) and heat your oven to 200 degrees C
Dice your ingredients finely
Fry your bacon, mushrooms and capsicum in a hot pan with a little olive oil if needed and a sprinkle of mixed herbs until softened and golden. Take off the heat.





Starting with one egg per muffin cup, crack your eggs into a jug and whisk with a splash of milk. I did 6 at a time as it was easier to manage. Season your eggs with black pepper and perhaps some herbs if you wish.

In each cup of your muffin tray add some finely chopped spinach, diced tomato and the bacon/mushroom/capsicum mix until around half full. 









Carefully pour your egg mixture on the top of the vegetables. Top with a small sprinkle of grated cheese (I had run out so used a little flaked parmesan instead). If you wish you can sprinkle with sweet paprika for some extra flavour and colour.

Cook for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tray to make them easer to remove. 

These could be frozen in individual ziplock bags, or alternatively keep in a container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

For a quick balanced breakfast, zap one in the microwave for 30 seconds,  and team with a piece of fruit or a slice of grainy toast for low GI carbohydrate energy.  These would also be great cold in a lunchbox.

Bon appetit!

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy