Introduction

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work for a day in your life. Yes, this was what Confucius said from so long ago. Strangely enough, it is applicable to our lives even today. And why?

Because human beings since then until now, have aspirations. They aspire to be somebody if not like somebody they admire. For it is in our hopes and dreams that we find who we are being the seat of all desire… the desire to live fully based on what drives us – what defines us.

Perhaps this is the only difference between a career and a job.

The bottom line though is the motivation behind your aspirations, and the biggest indicator of whether your deepest held dreams will stand the test of time and talent or not.

For some of us, our choice of profession might be in the arts, science, medicine or technology but the ones that many of us can draw inspiration from, are careers in teaching and medicine. And by no means do these career choices pay any lesser than careers in other industries.

One vital career in the field of medicine is that of a nutritionist and one that is growing in demand for the lack of qualified personnel in a country that is obsessed with health and fitness.

The Role of the Nutritionist

The profession of Nutrition (as opposed to Dietetics) is "the study of nutrients in food, how nutrients are used in the body and the relationship between diet, health and disease".

So, nutritionists (and dietitians) plan food & nutrition programs, supervise the preparation of meals as well as oversee the serving of meals. However, the nutritionist's role only caters to people who are healthy and would like to improve their health further whereas the dietitian caters to people who are ill as well.

It's common knowledge that the profession of a 'nutritionist' has been given a 'bad rap' in hallowed circles, as the levels of education vary from minimal to nothing among its practitioners. So the best way to progress in this field is to acquire a four year bachelor's degree that several universities provide courses for, to become a registered dietitian.

Once you complete your education, you receive the certification of a 'registered dietitian', and then you can work your way up in this field in roles such as:

1) Clinical dietitians – who work at hospitals, nursing care facilities and other such institutes.

2) Community dietitians – which involves counseling groups and individuals on nutritional practices that promote health or prevent disease.

3) Management dietitians – who supervise large-scale meal planning and preparation in healthcare facilities, prisons, schools and cafeterias.

4) Consultant dietitians – either working with a healthcare facility under a contract or practicing privately.

Since there is a growing demand for qualified nutritionists, the salaries that they receive are just as good as any graduate with a certain amount of experience.

The Salary of a Nutritionist

Much like most careers, these salaries vary by experience, education and by geographic region. According to a report in the year 2007, here are median salaries for registered dietitians:

1) Consultation and Business – $60,008

2) Food and nutrition management – $64,002

3) Nutrition education and research – $66,061

4) Clinical nutrition/ambulatory care – $52,000

5) Clinical nutrition/long-term care – $53,997

6) Community nutrition – $48,006

7) Clinical nutrition/acute care – $48,984

In Closing

When you come to think of it, choosing the field of nutrition and dietetics is not such a bad idea when you compare it to the yearly income of doctorate-holders which average out to almost $70,000 to $80,000 a year. Not only is it inspiring work that seeks to better the health of the people you help but it pays pretty well too.

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Introduction

The Chinese have always fascinated me when it comes to nutrition. Yes, what they don't call Chinese food but just food. I don't mean to 'noodle' around but seriously, any normal person would run out of fingers if they tried counting the number of food products that the Chinese given to the world beginning with 'lice'…

OK, before this begins to sound offensive, all I'm trying to point out that the Chinese live a healthy lifestyle, largely due to their food habits which should  tells you (along with your poor doctor, who sometimes is only seen but not heard) that if you want to stay healthy, you have to eat healthy. Oh, and you can have your version of 'rice wine', if only sparingly…

However, if your Dad's last name doesn't even come close to sounding like the players you would find in the Mortal Kombat video games, there's no need to fear as Western medicine is here!

As corny as that sounded, for those of you who would like to take your health a bit more seriously, contacting a nutritionist could help you in make a fresh (although, an elementary) start when it comes to matters taking your first baby steps towards taking nutritional supplements.

Nutritionists & Dieticians: An Introduction

Before one consults a nutritionist, it is imperative to understand where they stand and what they're capable of in terms of medicinal practice first. To put it rather coarsely, the comparison between a dietician and nutritionist can be likened to the distinction between the fabled shaman and good old doctor who graduated from a college of medicine in the good old days based on which he/ she sets up his practice.

Undeniably though, they both have their uses and methods of healing and so despite the crude comparison, the 'medicine man' (much like the nutritionist) should be allowed to go about his business without any judgment just like doctors are, regardless of whether one thinks it works or not.

The point I'm trying to make is that the difference between the dietician and the nutritionist is that while the latter is effective in his own way does not necessarily possess the level of expertise and training that the system of medicine has offered the former.

So, in short, almost anyone who is working in a health-related field can be called a nutritionist, as he provides nutrition recommendations to improve one's health when consulted. However, some states do recognize the term 'nutritionist' as there are certifications for those who are interested in this profession.

Another twist to this is that some folks in the medicine community refer to themselves as 'nutritionists' even though they have the relevant education that certifies them as a 'Registered Dietician', so rather than being hesitant one should take note of whether the nutritionist is an RD.

So where can you find a nutritionist then?

One can find nutritionists online, but the preference should be given to making an appointment in person and here are some options that will point you in the right direction if not help get in touch with a qualified nutritionist immediately whether online or in person.

1. Dr. Whitaker's Directory of Nutrition-Oriented Physicians

2. Life Extension Foundation (LEF)

3. Well-Mind Association of Greater Washington (WMAGW)

4. American College of Advancement in Medicine (ACAM)

In Closing

A good nutritionist provides you with solid advice based on his/ her learning to achieve improvements in disease or to obtain optimal health, and nothing more. Yes, much like the Chinese have been doing for years now and are years ahead of us all…

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Introduction

To most of us, George Carlin was a genius. To others, he was condescendingly abrasive with his views on social issues that according to him, had a crossed a line of fetishism (non-erotic, of course) that was deemed unhealthy.

Strangely enough, his seemingly flawless logic and rebellious wit covered every issue in America (especially, the ones that people wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole) during his time.

And in this case, his rant about how children get far too much attention comes to mind, leaving you to think about whether kids today are really all that spoilt.

Evidently though, he did make good points in this regard which leaves us with two options: We can agree rather grudgingly (because it really points to parenting) or just agree anyways.

However, if one is a parent (and I'm not!) or is close to his/ her parents, it's not too hard to see why. Every responsible parent would hurt twice as much to see his or her son or daughter suffer. There seems to be this invisible 'umbilical cord' that began during conception and will last for a lifetime between parent and child, and perhaps this is the reason why parents wish to give their kids everything that they possibly can, even if it means spoiling them.

Perhaps the reason why George said what he said was because he wanted kids to acquire a 'toughness' that would only prepare them for the real world when Mom and Dad weren't around. Who knows?

Parenting and the Basics

But you know what? I would take parents like these any day compared to those who take undue credit for giving their kids JUST the basics (such as food, clothing and shelter) to get by.

Almost everyone knows how important it is for kids to eat healthy (as opposed to kids on the streets of Brazil who have to sniff glue in order to quell their hunger). There's no doubt about this as these habits taught will last way past their time into adulthood and possibly give them an edge over their not-so-cognizant peers.

And we all know how as kids we just didn't want to eat those veggies even though Mom insisted that we did. Nor can we forget the tricks that she had to come up with for us to swallow that 'bitter pill', if you know what I mean. Some things never change… do they? Kids will be kids!

But perhaps if we did make healthy food fun and tasty enough for kids, then this habit could be inculcated into them. So here are some recipes that made my mouth water even though are so many of them available on the internet:

Healthy Recipes for Kids

Breakfast

Option 1: Bisquick Pumpkin Pancakes

Option 2: Oatmeal with Bananas, Walnuts, Cranberries and Brown Sugar

Lunch

Option 1: Baked Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Option 2: Corn Dogs

Dinner

Option 1: Southwestern Beef & Bean Burger Wraps

Option 2: Easy Shepherd Pie

Snacks

Options: Fresh fruit, dairy product based delights like smoothies, pudding, yoghurt etc., dried fruits, raw veggies with low-fat dip or dressing and the 'mother' of them all, popsicles with 100 % fruit juice

In Closing

Perhaps it is in the very nature of kids to be self-indulgent, and since there is a child in all of us, it's obvious as adults that we haven't mastered the art of  self-restraint so even though this piece of writing might inspire you to inculcate healthier ways, it's better to go easy on them kids as most of us will never get to be Peter Pan!

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Introduction

An amusing ex-colleague while moaning about her paycheck once said: "You pay peanuts, you get monkeys". While the idiomatic expression seemed a bit amusing, literally speaking, you do get the picture that monkeys do like peanuts. And I suppose another name for the peanut is appropriately titled the 'monkey nut'.

Apart from being a nice little snack to go along with your beer or hard liquor (thus the name, beer nuts), the peanut is a nutritious nut that is enjoyed in so many forms.

It's amazing that such a tiny fruit or nut (or call it what you will) can pack a punch when it comes to calories in its various modern day offerings. And there's more…

Peanuts – Nutritional Value and Uses

Even though you would associate peanuts to a bar, men farting while consuming large amounts of beer and loud incoherent grumbling and cheering simultaneously at a football game watched on television (read: fun that could cost you healthwise but being fun all the same – what the hell, fun costs you, doesn't it?), its size barely gives away its nutritional value defying that age-old belief that 'more is more'.

To put it succinctly, peanuts have over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients, leaving me to state the obvious fact that they are indeed healthy for you.

As they are excellent sources of niacin, phosphorus, manganese, folate, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E and contain almost 25% protein (which is the highest than in any true nut) among several other nutrients listed here, there are several claims of health benefits that works well for just about anyone except those with an allergy to peanuts, of course.

Apart from the salted peanuts, peanut butter sandwiches, candy bars, peanut brittle, and shelled nuts that we're so used to, there are several other uses of peanuts in areas other than nutrition.

In some parts of the world, peanut oil and flour are used while for famine relief peanut-based paste is used to counter malnutrition. Low-grade peanuts and peanut oil also have industrial uses ranging from paints to soaps and other cosmetics to even being a potential fuel.

Benefits and Complications (The Pros and Cons)

Even though that there's misconception that peanuts are responsible for unwanted weight gain, nothing can be futher from the truth. The reason being that most of the fats in peanuts are 'good fats' with a negligible amount being bad. Protection from cardiovascular disease and cancer, lowering of cholesterol, increased brain health (really!!!) and improved blood flow are some of the benefits of peanuts. In short, the benefits far outweigh the downside, in terms of its nutritious value!

However (and there always is a however), for those with an allergy to peanuts the reactions can be mild to fatal, so one should be careful before touching peanuts, or even foods that have been processed through machines that have produced peanut products earlier.

The adverse reactions can manifest in any or with a combination of body systems such as the cardiovascular system, nervous system, gastrointestinal system, respiratory system and skin.

In some cases, even breathing the dust from peanuts can prove to be disastrous… and really there is no other option but to complete avoid peanuts for life!

In Closing

What occurs to me abundantly since, generally speaking, men love peanuts… perhaps just perhaps the theory of monkey-to-man can be justified. Seems like old habits die hard (yes, even good ones, like an affinity to peanuts)… without even burning a hole in your wallet, of course.

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Introduction

There's no doubt that America's fascination for peanut butter as a sandwich spread is well-documented, apart from being a popular choice in the Netherlands as well. And if this isn't enough, you'll agree with me when I say that January 24 every year is celebrated as the National Peanut Butter Day. Obviously, the United States (along with China – surprise surprise!!!) are the largest exporters of peanut butter.

And for those of you who are positively hooked, you have the 'cereal man', John H. Kellogg to thank, for his patent 'Process of preparing Nutmeal'  which details the method he invented for preparing 'nut-butter'.

However, one might wonder if there is more to what makes peanut butter so appealing other than the taste itself?

Peanut Butter – Nutritional Value & Benefits

Peanut butter comes in two forms such as the regular and natural of which the former is prepared with hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt and sweeteners to enhance the flavor which is either of the smooth or crunchy variety, while the latter is made of peanuts and oil.

But apart from its convenience of helping most people to grab a quick bite, it is nutritious and thus beneficial to our health as well.

Peanut Butter contains protein, monounsaturated fats, resveratrol, dietary fiber, arginine, vitamins B3 and E, the antioxidant p-coumaric acid, folate, potassium, copper, iron, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium. Interestingly, there is no alcohol, sodium or caffeine which makes it healthier as compared to most other processed foods.

Even though peanut butter is high in calories, the common misconception is that one will gain weight, however, this is false as the fats present in peanut butter are monounsaturated in nature.

Protection from cardiovascular disease and cancers (colo-rectal cancer, to be precise), regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels,  reduces the risk of hypertension, muscle spasms while intriguingly enabling the proper secretion of sexual hormones.

And despite commercial peanut butter being healthy enough, the natural version has also caught on as well, and there are very few differences between the two.

Natural Vs. Regular Peanut Butter

Right off the bat, the difference between the two is minimal except for the fact that in the natural version, the contents are only made of salt and peanuts, and in some cases of natural peanut butter, even the salt is taken away. One thing to remember here is that natural peanut butter has to be refrigerated as there are no preservatives added.

Truth be told, the health benefits are almost the same with the exception of the healthy fat (which is in liquid form during room temperature in natural peanut butter) is converted to its unhealthy form when produced commercially.

One very big reason why people prefer homemade to natural peanut butter is due to the salmonella outbreak that occurred in 2007 and off late in 2009 when peanut butter-based products such as crackers, cookies and dog treats when these products were recalled.

In Closing

There's no doubt that peanut butter is a nutritious food that has several benefits right from athletes to dieters as well as the common man. And the best part of it all is that all you need is two tablespoons of it… and you're satisfied!

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Monday is Blog Carnivals Day. A Blog Carnival is basically a collection of articles or blog posts, all relating to a similar subject, that are gathered together for your viewing pleasure. You can quickly and conveniently see a list of Article Titles and click on the ones that interest you to read the full post. Blog carnivals are a great way to see a wide variety of ideas and opinions on a similar subject. To see a list of all previous posts in the Blog Carnivals category, click here.

Want to see your article or blog post featured in the FitBuff.com Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival? Click here to submit yours now.

Be sure to tune in every Monday for the next Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival, and if you want to submit your own article for inclusion, click here before midnight (eastern time) on Sunday.

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After posting her pics here on FitBuff for the last few weeks, Alley decided to start her own website, so her progress pics and stats on now on her new health and fitness blog here:

Athletic Alley

Here are this week's progress pictures and measurements for me…

Weight: 189.4 pounds (+1.4lb from last week)
Waist: 33 inches (-0.1" from last week)

As you may or may not have noticed, the house of FitBuff is in a bit of disarray this week, and these progress pics and measurements are actually exact duplicates of last week.

There have been some electrical problems that have cut power to parts of the house, so we're sorting those out, and will be back to our regularly scheduled progress updates next week…

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Introduction

Seafood has been a favorite food of mine for a while now. As far as I can recall, prawns were always my favorite yet I would have to stay away because of the hives (the merciless itching as well !!) that broke out due a strong allergy that one observant chap said was due to the fact that most places which serve seafood do not remove its tail.

And somehow, my fear of the allergy has overridden my desire for prawns to the point of paranoia where in ordering a 'chicken fried rice', I still ask them not to add any prawn additives, come to think of it is like giving them ideas!

And one can only think that I've gone nuts…

Speaking of nuts though, there is a growing number of cases where people have found themselves allergic to these little delightful snacks.

Nut Allergies

And no, we don't mean an allergy to peanuts which is actually a legume as opposed to the allergies to tree nuts that kids and some adults have. Obviously, the reaction to these nuts can anywhere from mild to severe in their degree.

Some tree nuts that you might have heard of and perhaps enjoy regularly are almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, pecans, and cashews and so on and so forth.

So when you eat any of these nuts, your immune system considers it to be harmful for the body, even though it is quite the opposite, resulting in the release of antibodies known as immunoglobulin (IgE) that fight off the invading proteins from the food.

This is what happens during any allergic reaction, however, the symptoms might be the only the difference from allergy to allergy.

Symptoms

Even though these symptoms last for a day, they affect any or a combination of these four organs of the body.

a. Gastrointestinal System

Digestive issues like cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms of this allergy

b. Skin

Most allergies (not only to tree nuts) exhibit symptoms such as itchy, red, bumpy rashes (known as hives), redness and swelling around the mouth or face as well as eczema. Actually, this will be one of the first symptoms that you will notice.

c. Cardiovascular system

In severe cases, one can also feel dizzy, which is another symptoms that points to nuts.

d. Respiratory system

Symptoms include breathlessness, a running or watery nose, sneezing and in some cases, it can trigger asthma which includes coughing and wheezing.

Since most of the time these allergies may be mild, there are time when this condition can be life-threatening also known as 'anaphylaxis', where all the four aforementioned body systems mentioned above are under attack leading to symptoms like breathlessness, itchy skin, tightness in the throat with the inability to speak, abdominal pain, vomiting, nasal stuffiness and so on and so forth.

For immediate relief from these symptoms before you can get yourself to a hospital, one should epinephrine with them at all times. It is effective as it works to decrease any swelling as well as increases blood pressure as well. For other milder cases, one can only avoid all forms of nuts either directly, used as embellishment in foods or the oils that they use to prepare food with.

In closing

Paranoia or not… sometimes allergies are bets dealt with when these foods are avoided, for many a time I've watched members from my family unable to deal with their overwhelming desire for prawns, succumb to the "Oh, just take an allergy tablet" routine with disastrous results.

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Introduction

There was this article which outlined the relationship between obesity (more accurately, an enlarged waistline) with an increasing risk of cardiovascular disease. And with heart disease being the number one killer around the world, the medical community is exhorting their patients to switch to a healthier lifestyle, most importantly in regards to what they eat.

But after all this research, the fact that your diet is one of the biggest contributors to increased levels of bad cholesterol is common knowledge these days, leaving people to really watch (and eliminate) foods that lift those cholesterol levels substantially.

To be honest, some of the food out there is heart-rending…

So, how does the food we eat affect our 'bad' cholesterol levels?

Our Diet and bad cholesterol levels

Now for those who think that cholesterol is bad, think again. Cholesterol is a vital nutrient that is required for our body tissues, and is carried to and fro between the liver and body tissue by lipoproteins, known as LDLs (low density lipoproteins) and HDLs (high density lipoproteins).

As soon as our LDL levels increase, thanks to the food we eat which contains high cholesterol, this makes us more susceptible to heart disease. Not only that, if the HDL levels drop, that leaves us just as vulnerable to heart disease as the former.

Finally, one should also watch the triglyceride levels in the bloodstream that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

So, apart from maintaining a healthy diet…  exercise, weight loss, smoking cessation and avoiding alcohol abuse are all important pieces to the puzzle when it comes to heart care.

So your next question could be, what kind of nutrients will help maintain the right LDL, HDL, triglyceride levels?

Maintaining HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels through a healthy diet

Since all these factors are related to each other in one way or another, here are some broad guidelines that one can follow to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Experts says that a lacto-vegetarian diet is ideal consisting of whole grains, seeds, fruits and vegetable with a serious reduction of the amount of sugar and salt in your food. Another focus is that on foods that contain soluble fiber, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids (good fats) while one should drop foods from the list that are high in carbohydrates and cholesterol (obviously!!).

Now, half the battle is won when you know which foods are the worst for your heart, and since prevention is better than cure, let's look at a list of foods that you must avoid in order to have a healthy heart.

Foods that are high in cholesterol

In looking at a list of high cholesterol foods, one realizes that there are so many, and sadly they're the tastiest of the lot. However, there are two nutrients (if I might call it that!) that lead to high cholesterol such as saturated fats (which increase both triglyceride and LDL levels) and cholesterol from animals. But it's the ones that are loaded with bad fats are the ones that should be watched for, as opposed to those with moderate cholesterol content (which is required for the body!).

And from this, one can infer that most foods which have high levels of saturated fat are animal-based foods such as eggs, meat, fish, poultry, milk with higher fat content while processed foods which contain trans fats like pastries, muffins and so on and so forth are also on that list.

So, the key to a heart-healthy diet is to watch out for foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fats!

In closing

One cannot discount the importance of physical activity apart from watching what you eat. Exercise, by itself, can bring positive changes to your cholesterol levels… so one should keep this also in mind, which not only makes you feel better but helps you reduce obesity levels (that have a distinct connection with heart disease).

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Introduction

With cardiovascular disease being the largest cause of death and disability (killing one person every 34 seconds, actually!) in the United States and Europe, reducing cholesterol levels by maintaining a healthy diet, has been cited as one of the ways by one can reduce the risk of heart disease and therefore increase the lifespan of an individual.

However, if uninformed, one will naturally assume that cholesterol is bad for your heart. And that is definitely not true, so let us understand what cholesterol is before we get into looking at the options available for a low cholesterol diet.

'Good' and 'Bad' Cholesterol

Contrary to popular opinion, cholesterol is important for our body, that is produced in the liver and is used as an ingredient to generate bile, hormones and nerve tissue as well as Vitamin D.

So why all the fuss, anxiety and panic with cholesterol?

Cholesterol travel through the bloodstream from the liver to other tissues while being carried by lipoproteins, and these lipoproteins are further divided into two types, low density lipoproteins (LDLs) which carry cholesterol from the liver to the cells of the body and high density lipoproteins (HDLs) that carry cholesterol from the cells of the body back to the liver, while LDL-receptors regulate the amount of cholesterol in the body.

Of the two, LDLs are known as 'bad cholesterol' meaning that one should keep these levels as low as possible, while HDLs are known as 'good cholesterol' which means that these levels have to be increased.

If an increase in LDL levels or the reduction of HDL levels occurs, the risk of heart disease increases as in the case of the former, too much cholesterol accumulates in the arteries that cannot be removed by the HDLs despite being at healthy levels, while in the case of the latter, there are too few HDLs to remove the cholesterol from the arteries even though the right levels of LDLs are present in the blood.

And how do we maintain this balance?

A careful attention to diet will go a long way in maintaing a balance of HDL & LDL levels in the body.

Lowering Cholesterol Foods

Since it has been proven medically that a healthy diet will assist in dropping 'bad cholesterol' levels, here are a list of ten foods that can get you started:

Soups, meats such as beef, veal and lamb, fish, poultry, egg whites, non-fat or skim milk, cottage cheese, vegetables, fruits, salads and salad dressing, cereal, white and whole wheat bread and beverages such as tea, coffee and its substitutes, egg white eggnogs and non-fat milk cocoa.

Among these food groups, there are some foods that cut your bad cholesterol levels substantially, and some of them are apples, beans, brown rice, cinnamon, garlic, grapes, oats, salmon, soy and walnuts.

In Closing

One must understand that in order to avoid the risk of heart disease, not only should you watch what you eat but maintain an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercise as well, and not only do they ensure that a happier life but a healthier one too. And from this list, there's no doubt that your choices aren't limited at all.

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