How to Start Living a Life without Addiction

Living a life without addiction is like living a life of passion and happiness. Understandably, recovery is a challenging task, but you must not be afraid. Find the courage to re-discover your dreams in life. Learn about effective strategies to make a positive life shift. Here I’ve discussed a few ways for you:

Have the Nerve to Admit Your Mistakes

First and foremost, if you desire recovery from your addiction, you need to accept your mistakes. What’s done is done! There is nothing you can do about your earlier slips. However, what you can do now is to fully accept that you were wrong. You should pledge yourself to change for a clean future. Have the courage to put aside your ego and attempt to reshape your present. I understand it is challenging to let go of your substance abuse disorder, but it is essential for a greater good. Take one step at a time, and you are ready to fight for a new and positive change in life.

Get Professional Assistance

Once you have framed your mindset to cope with the addiction problem, you need to seek professional support. Self-help is not adequate to stay clean in the long-run. You can easily deceive yourself due to probable external and internal factors. Hence, getting help via medical treatments and rehab programs is like making a promise to yourself. The experts will never give up on you. Clearly, it is a hard step towards your lifelong journey, but it is needed for your sustainable recovery. Physicians, clinicians, nurses, and supporting staff work together to offer you quality care. Search online if you are wondering, “what are the best alcohol treatment centers near me?”

Make Up Damage

There is a high chance that you have done some damage to other people or relationships while you were an addict human being. Perhaps, your actions might have hurt people close to you in more than one way. For instance, disappointing your parents or causing financial instability for your family, kids, etc. Therefore, it is the right time for you to start repairing yourself and make up damage caused by your hostile activities. Your family and friends will be happier to see your efforts toward a sober and healthy life. It is better on your end to realize the positive impact of your recovery on your loved ones as soon as possible. This way, you can make things right.

Find New Activities

Diversion is the most important thing while you are on your way towards a life without addiction. This is the phase when you need to control your cravings, get a hold on triggers, distance yourself from the company of negative people, and avoid going to clubs/cafes that serve alcohol or any other form of substance. You must find new activities to distract yourself from old habits. You can work on new hobbies, like singing, dancing, acting, baking, etc. Whatever excites you in life other than alcohol or drugs, you must try that. Direct yourself to the right path.

Pursue Your Goals

Lastly, your recovery must aim for something good and better in life. It is sensible on your end to set short-term and long-term goals for yourself. They can be related to any aspect of your life like family, relationship, education, career, self-care, healthy routine, etc. Your goals must be interlinked. This way, you can motivate yourself to achieve one thing after another. Follow these goals, and life will automatically turn out good for you in the long-run. Remember that your future is like a blank slate, and it is up to you what you desire to do or have in life. For instance, if you want a better career, you should pursue your education.

This is a guest blog entry.

6 Major Benefits of Good Nutrition and Regular Exercise

Regular exercise, coupled with a balanced diet is a proven way to boost your mood and energy levels. More importantly, consistently exercising and eating well will improve your health and ultimately increase your life span.

The secret here is pretty simple: engage in at least three hours of aerobic exercise and two full-body training sessions every week. Combine that with a nutritionally rich diet that is high in fiber but low in fat and sodium—watch your health improve over time. Once in a while, you can reward yourself by having a delicious drink made from Monin products. Find recipes and more at https://www.monin.com/us/.

When eating healthy food becomes our lifestyle, we are not only healthier but also happier. Multiple research indicates that eating right is the most critical part of our fitness routine. Some dietitians are also encouraging healthy eating habits as a way to prevent obesity and other related illnesses.

Let’s now look at the key benefits of eating and exercising well:

1. Sleep

If you exercise for only thirty minutes every day, you may sleep much more soundly at night. As you know, activity triggers a rise in body temperature, and the post-exercise drop in temperature may propel falling asleep. If you find yourself struggling with anxiety, depression, or insomnia symptoms, daily exercise might do the trick by promoting rest. A good night’s sleep will improve your energy and mental acuity the next day.

2. Health

Proper nutrition and regular exercise may alleviate or prevent a variety of diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and many others. Please consult with your physician to allocate your diet and exercise routine so that they are compatible with your health conditions and medications.

3. Energy

If you eat small, healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you’ll feel more energetic and keep your blood sugar in check. If you hit the gym for half an hour every day (could be in the evening after work), you’ll have the added advantage of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that acts as a natural mood booster.

4. Weight Control

Watching your weight and losing some of it takes a combination of burning more energy and eating even fewer calories. Eat low-calorie, nutrition-dense foods such as fruits, lean meats, vegetables, and other proteins will rest. Incorporate physical activity such as yoga into your daily routine in addition to timetabled exercise.

5. Metabolism

If you want to stimulate and accelerate the fat-burning process, ensure you take foods that do precisely that—reduce fat! Adding metabolism-boosting diets will be a great benefit to your current nutrition program and workout sessions. The following foods can actively improve your metabolism:

• Fatty fish - adds component Omega-3 fatty acids
• Hot peppers - contains active component capsaicin
• Black coffee - adds caffeine
• Green tea - adds caffeine
• Apple - adds fiber
• Whole grains - adds active components of iron and fiber
• Cold water - drinking water daily boosts metabolic rate by 30%
• Nuts and seeds - adds component essential fatty acids
• Yogurt - adds active components, calcium, and probiotics.

6. Sex life

Do you feel too fatigued to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular exercise, combined with the right foods, can boost energy levels and raise your confidence about your physical outlook, which may improve your sex life.

But there’s even more to it. Consistent workouts may enhance sex arousal for females. And men who hit the gym regularly are far less likely to experience erectile dysfunction than those who don’t exercise.

What Are Some Fitness Foods?

Have you ever heard of the term superfoods? Well, physicians claim that it is interchangeable with fitness foods. Eating foods rich in fitness supplements is crucial to your overall wellness. So, if you want to achieve a lean and healthy body, it’s time you incorporate such foods into your diet.

The following is a list of supplements recommended by fitness aficionados:

• Apples - antioxidants (increases metabolism/reduces inflammation)
• Eggs - (muscle building, protein source)
• Oats - High in fiber (increases metabolism, boosts digestion)
• Greens - antioxidants (reduces inflammation)
• Fish/Lean meat - amino acids (muscle building)

Bottom line

Regular exercise combined with a well-balanced diet can work magic for anyone looking for health improvement. They can boost every aspect of your health from the inside out.

Physical activity can raise the production of hormones that can help you sleep better and feel happier.
Ultimately, eating the right foods before and after any physical activity can help keep your weight in check, improve your sex life, and lessen the risk of chronic ailments.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.

What to consider when choosing a surgeon for a big medical operation

Need for surgery

Unless it is an emergency, the decision to undergo surgery is a fairly long process. Typically, the physician evaluates your medical condition, orders tests and possibly asks you to consult with a surgeon, if surgery is the best course of action to treat your condition. The physician may suggest a surgeon who would be performing the surgery at a recommended hospital.

While you don’t have an obligation to accept the physician’s recommendations, it is better for you to evaluate your options before choosing the surgeon. In order to help you choose the right surgeon you can follow the following tips.

Surgeon rating service 

You can use a rating service to help you shortlist a few surgeons for your impending surgery.

There are several doctor rating services available, two of which offer a surgeon rating service. They are Surgeon Scorecard and Surgeon Ratings.

Surgeon Scorecard  is a search engine that uses data from 63,173 Medicare patients, who were readmitted to the hospital after eight elective procedures from 2009 to 2013.

Surgeon Ratings tells you which doctors had bad outcomes for 12 broad categories of surgery (from 4 million surgeries conducted by 50,000 surgeons) and relatively few deaths listed, which doctors were most often recommended by other doctors, which hospitals used by the doctors had the best surgical outcomes, and other key facts, such as board certification, education, and training. The information was culled from 4 million surgeries conducted by 50,000 surgeons.

It is worth taking a look at these ratings to make a short list of surgeons you want to consider.
Shortlist

You can consult your friends and family and seek their recommendations for a suitable surgeon for your surgery. You can add these names to the names you chose from the rating agencies. You can discuss this list with the members of your family and your friends, to help you to narrow the list to 3 or 4 surgeons.

Credentials of surgeon

Prepare a dossier on shortlisted surgeons, as to their credentials. You can be as detailed as possible. You can find out how many successful surgeries they have performed and how many resulted in mortalities. You can check their professional qualifications, specializations and certifications. You should also check whether the surgeon has a history of any medical malpractice cases. You can list questions for which you could not find answers, for you to ask the surgeons when you talk to them.

Talk to surgeons

You can talk to the shortlisted surgeons and seek their response to all your questions. If the shortlisted surgeon and your physician agree, you can have a tripartite discussion. You can also raise any issues flagged by the rating agencies, to seek the surgeon’s reaction. It is advisable to make a list of questions you want answered by the surgeon and ensure you get a response from the surgeon on all your questions. You can also ask the surgeons to give references of patients, whom you could meet to get more valuable information on the surgeons.

Final choice

You can collate the information you have gathered from the rating agencies and discuss this with the surgeons and then make a final choice. You could base your evaluation on outcomes, qualifications, training, specializations, experience, familiarity with the hospital where surgery would be conducted, the facilities at that hospital and so on. You can give increase your comfort level and gauge the body language of the surgeons, during your discussion with them. This will go a long way in preparing your mind for a successful surgery.

A major surgery is a big event for you that would sap your emotional quotient. The surgeon is a critical part of this exercise. So, don’t be shy or wary of seeking clarifications from the surgeon. Your mind must be set to rest about the surgeon and then you will definitely sail through your surgery.

This is a guest blog entry.

Doctor Recommendations for Post-Surgery Recovery

You have done all your research and prepared for your surgery. No matter the surgery that you are having, the post-surgery recovery is just as important. If done properly and following your doctor’s order, healing and recovery should happen quickly so you can return to normal life. Here are a few recommendations to aid in a speedy post-surgery recovery.

Get Plenty of Rest

Rest is one of the most important steps in recovery. Even if you had a simple laparoscopic surgery with only a small incision, your body has still been taxed both mentally and physically from the procedure. It is recommended that you stay in bed rest for at least 24 hours and possibly more depending on the surgery. When on bed rest and movement is minimal, the elevation of your legs is also important. Resting in bed and not moving around much increases your risk for blood clots or thrombosis. Smart beds can help to ease this problem by allowing elevation of legs and other limbs.

Once you are ready to start moving gradually. This will also prevent blood clots. Start by just walking around your home and eventually take a few steps outdoors. If you start to feel ill, take a rest.

Use Medication as Directed

After surgery, you probably received pain medications. It is important to use these pain medications so you heal properly. Many people don’t enjoy taking pain medications because they can make you foggy or unable to think straight. However, not taking your medication can make your recovery take much longer. People in pain tend not to move around as much, which can lead to blood clots, especially in the legs. If you are in pain, you also tend not to cough as much. Coughing after surgery is important to prevent respiratory disease and pneumonia.

Antibiotics will probably be prescribed as well. Although you may be feeling better and your incision appears healed, it is still very important you finish your full round of antibiotics. If you were to stop early, your body will build immunity to all the antibiotics in the same class. This means when you need antibiotics, they won’t work as well in the future.

Eat Healthy and Hydrate

Post-surgery you will want to keep your body as healthy as can be. Eat more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and do your best to avoid processed foods with lots of sugar, fat, and salt. It might be a good idea to prepare some healthy meals before your surgery so you're not eating out or straining yourself to cook. You should consult your doctor about what food to eat and not eat.

Hydration is also important to keep your body healthy. Doctors recommended having between nine and thirteen cups a day after surgery instead of the normal eight cups. Hydration helps your body by flushing your kidneys, keeps your digestive system running smoothly, lowers your risk of blood clots, and increases the number of nutrients brought to your cells. If plain water is not appealing to you, add sliced fruits for flavor.

Prevent Infection

Infection can occur easily in your incision if you are not monitoring it. The best thing you can do is follow your doctor's directions. Checking your incision for proper healing several times a day is important. Look for odd coloration, oozing, fluid leaking, or anything else unusual. If you feel your incision has become infected, contact your doctor for further treatment.

Go to Your Follow-up Appointments

Many people won’t go to their follow-up appointment if they’re feeling well and their incision looks good. Your doctor will ask how you feel and look at your incision, but they will look for other things too. They will look for less obvious signs of infection, making sure treatment is adequate, and adjusting medications. You should attend all of your follow-ups appointments whether it is two weeks or ten weeks post-surgery.

Recovering from surgery is just as important as preparing. Your doctor is your best resource for all your after surgery questions from how long you should stay on bed rest to what kinds of foods you should be eating. This list will also help in your recovery and lead to a healthy recovery.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.

Do You Have Sleep Debt? Why Sleep Is So Important to You

Either you get enough sleep or you do not. Most people require seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. While getting too much sleep can hinder your day, not enough sleep consistently can affect your health in many ways. You might call it sleep debt. If you experience a lack of sleep most nights, your body is not going to function correctly. This puts you at a higher risk for a few of the following:

• The slow healing process of vital blood vessels that carries sufficient oxygen throughout your body
• The risk for a wide variety of health problems such as fibromyalgia
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Possible stroke
• Increased signs of depression
• Mood changes
• Irritability

How do you pay your sleep debt off? Sleep is natural if you know all the right things to do.

• Develop a daily routine that works for you, such as getting up the same time every day. If you need a nap, take a rest for no more then one hour. Go to bed at the same time every night, if possible
• Your room needs to be dark, cool, and quiet
• Do relaxation techniques before bed and throughout the day
• Develop an exercise routine, but not before bed
• Eat a well-balanced diet, drink plenty of water, avoid caffeinated beverages beyond the later afternoon

To get a peaceful, good night's sleep, you significantly lower the risk of the above issues. Getting a restful and deep sleep most nights helps your body to function correctly.

Five Top Reason Why People Do Not Sleep Well

An Ill-Fitting Bed

The first reason why people do not sleep well is because of the bed they are sleeping on. You are different from the next person and require a specific mattress that accommodates your body's demand. If you sleep better on a firm bed and a soft mattress is what you sleep on, this can be enough to interfere with a night of peaceful, comfortable sleep. Before you purchase your next mattress, you need to try it out.

Working the Night Shift

Working the night shift may be the demand of your employer, or it may merely be that working the night shift fits your schedule better at the current time. Maybe working the night shift is your preference. However, consistently staying up all night is not normal and tends to throw your body into a vicious cycle unless you get into a habit of staying up all night on your days off to keep in step with the nights you work.

Alcohol

One alcoholic drink before bed can impede your sleep cycle. This is when you go from a gentle sleep to the deepest sleep known as REM. The REM cycle is when dreams occur. Alcohol tends to cause a chopped sleep and prevents you from getting that much needed peaceful and relaxing sleep pattern. You may think that you can sleep after drinking alcohol; however, your sleep is impaired. Your best bet is to forego any alcohol before bed.

Stress and Worry About Things Beyond Your Control

If you can change things that worry you, then set a plan in motion to change things. However, if you cannot change circumstances, it does no good to worry about these issues. Never allow these stresses to interfere with you getting a peaceful night's rest. Clear your mind and fill it with all the blessings of the day. Focus on the good things in your life and you will soon fall into a peaceful rest.

Caffeine Before Bed

As much as you would like that calming coffee or glass of iced cold soda, it is not a good idea due to the caffeine that coffee and soda contain. You may believe that you have a high tolerance for caffeine; however, caffeine can prevent you from entering that all-important phase of REM sleep. The best thing to do is to avoid coffee or soda from late afternoon to evening. Avoid decaffeinated coffee and pop as the chemicals added to decaf beverages are just as harmful to a good night's sleep.

Incorporate some of these ideas into your life if you are having trouble sleeping. Getting a good eight hours of sleep can make all the difference the following day. You will feel rested and ready to handle anything that comes along.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.

4 Shortcuts to Good Health During COVID-19

If there’s one thing that COVID-19 has taught us, it’s that right now we need to be a little bit more resourceful. Most of us are limited to staying at home right now with a little bit of outside time, which means that we’ve got to think of creative ways to stay sane and healthy.

You also might be ever so slightly worried about the possibility of getting the coronavirus. If you're taking every precaution, then the chances are low. However, it still pays to be safe. Let's take a look at four shortcuts to good health during COVID-19, so you can keep that risk nice and low.

1. Keep Breathing

Want a quick, efficient way to keep breathing without inducing anxiety? Depression and anxiety are both things that are completely normal to experience right now, given the current circumstances. However, it's important that we try to keep the anxiety at bay as best we can for our physical and mental well-being.

This starts with your breathing. Deep breathing techniques are a great way to reduce tension and stress, as well as anxiety. Go online and have a look at the wealth of resources out there when it comes to learning how to breathe slowly and deeply so that you remain calm in the face of chaos.

2. Chew Your Food

This sounds less like a life health hack, and more of a request from your mother. However, how you chew your food has a direct effect on your digestive and gut health, so it’s important to keep it in check.

When you don’t chew your food properly, it can be difficult for your body to digest well. Ultimately, your food should be so broken down by the time it gets to your stomach that it has no texture left and is totally broken down. This makes it a lot easier to pass through your digestive system, keeping everything on the inside nice and healthy.

3. Try an At-Home STD Test

How is your sexual health? When it comes to taking care of yourself, you need to think about your body and mind holistically. This means understanding that everything is interconnected, and if one thing is off, then this could have a ripple effect.

If your sexual health isn’t where it needs to be, this could lower your immune system and even compromise it. However, not all of us are able to visit the doctor right now. That’s where an at-home STD test comes in. They’re subtle, convenient, and offer same-day testing.

4. Keep the Decision Making Low

One aspect of our busy daily lives that can increase the levels of stress in our bodies is decision making. Think about it – you do it from the moment that you wake up. How many times am I going to reset the alarm? What am I going to have for breakfast? Should I have a shower now or after my coffee?

This constant decision-making process occurring in your mind can be overwhelming and lead to high levels of stress. Try to plan things ahead of time so that you're not always making decisions on the spot. Use this time during lockdown to stay as calm and refreshed as possible.

We’ve all got to take care of ourselves during these unprecedented times, and this looks different for everyone. Remember, there are many different aspects to your health, so try to remember to take care of them all.

This is a guest blog posting.

How much lactose in 5 mg Eliquis?

This article was written with the help of Fairpricerx.com expert - Ann Greenfield.

How much lactose in 5 mg Eliquis?

As you know, Eliquis 5 mg is a med that is used to inhibit the creation of serious blood clot. Clots usually develop due to a situation which causes irregular beating of heart muscles usually referred to as atrial fibrillation.

Clots arising because of this ailment sometimes moves around the body to vital organs therefore predisposing you to risks of getting a stroke.

As an anticoagulant, Eliquis works by inhibiting proteins responsible for clogging of the blood. If you are wondering what generic eliquis 5 mg looks like, well, this medication exists in two strengths.

The 2.5 mg is yellow in color debossed with the numbers 893 on one side and 212 on the other. The 5 mg strength is pink in color and also debossed with the numbers 894 on one side and 5 on the other.

They are easy to distinguish without much needed expertise. If you are intolerant to sugars and wondering how much lactose us in 5mg Eliquis, for each tab there is some small amount of lactose as an active ingredient.

It is wise to consult a doctor before using this medication. Note that as anti-clotting medication, Eliquis will inhibit the creation of clots.

Remember to avoid unnecessary bruising and cuts due to excessive bleeding.

How do I take Eliquis 5 mg? 

Reading the medication guidelines must always be the first step when using this medication. In case of either questions or clarifications, consult a physician for further guidance.

Eliquis 5 mg is administered by mouth and can or cannot be taken with meals depending on the directions given by a doctor.

In case of any trouble when ingesting, break down then stir together with a suitable liquid preferable water or applesauce and then consume immediately.

Do not prepare for later use. In case you miss an administration, remember to take one immediately when you are able to. It is not advisable to administer more than the required amount in any situation whatsoever without proper direction.

This medication is usually taken twice a day. A dosage could, however, be adjusted depending on a response to treatment.

How do I get off Eliquis 5 mg oral tablet?

It is critical to mention that early suspension of this medication or any other anticoagulant increases a chances of developing thrombotic complications.

Suspension of this medication whether as a result of pathological bleeding or conclusion of therapy, consider replacement with a different anti-clotting medication.

Use of this medication should be suspended 48 hours before any major surgical operation that causes major bleeding under the supervision of a doctor.

In case of a lesser procedure with little blood loss, Eliquis should be suspended 24 hours prior under the supervision of a doctor. However, you ought to resume using the medications immediately when normal conditions are established under the supervision of a doctor.

After treatment ailments of Eliquis

The only serious after therapy ailment of Eliquis 5mg is having difficulty in clogging. Prolonged use of this medication is likely to get in the way of the proteins responsible for the clotting of blood.

In this case, with any sign of serious bleeding like prolonged bleeding, bleeding gums and overall discomfort, seek immediate medical intervention.

Keep in mind that a doctor has prescribed this medication if the overall benefits outweighs the risks involved with the after treatment ailments.

Serious after therapy ailments with this medication is not very common. However, if you notice any symptom that may indicate a possible allergic reaction seek immediate medical assistance.

Keep in mind that the aforementioned symptoms are not the only ones as far as after medication ailments and allergic reactions are concerned.

Precautions before using Eliquis

Before getting on this med inform a medic on any allergic reaction that is experienced. The Eliquis 5 mg oral tablet may contain ingredients that may cause allergic reactions.

Remember to inform a doctor on your medical history and especially on any pre-existing bleeding conditions such as hemophilia.

When using this medication, take caution when handling sharp objects to avoid bruising and unnecessary cuts.

What is the cost of Eliquis 5 mg oral tablet?

If you are wondering why is Eliquis so expensive, then it could be you are looking in the wrong places.

This medication attracts different prices depending on where you decide to purchase it. Although this drug is usually a bit pricey, for the best deal check out FairPriceRx.com .