by Rich | Aug 5, 2015 | Disorders, Weight Loss |
Breaking a habit is a tough task to accomplish whether it be smoking, biting your nails, or drinking diet soda. Even though diet soda may seem harmless to the body, it turns out it is the complete opposite. Many diet sodas feature a common artificial sweetener called Aspartame. Aspartame, also known as Nutrasweet and Equal, is added to a variety of foods to create a sweet sensation meanwhile producing a product with fewer calories. Sweeteners like aspartame can be very detrimental to your body such as altering your brain chemistry. Since artificial sweeteners don’t contain calories, your body will still feel the need for calories after but in addition will begin to crave a sweet sensation. Therefore, many individuals will just grab another diet soda to subdue the sweet craving and so begins the cycle. Here are some easy to follow steps that will help you eliminate your habit for good. 1. Cleanse your environment – This involves discarding any food that may contain artificial sweeteners such as flavored water, gum, or cereal. These foods may contain hidden sweeteners that could cause a relapse to your habit. 2. Find the reason for your problem – all habits have patterns. With every habit there is a trigger/cue, a routine, and a reward. If you are able to notice anything that triggers your behavior, try to understand what put you in this situation and what emotions you feel when participating in your habit. 3. Start a Cravings Journal – by starting a cravings journal, you will become more aware of your surroundings and it will be a lot easier to fight...
by Rich | Jul 29, 2015 | Stretching |
Over the last two years, I decided to grow my hair out to donate to the Locks of Love Organization. Locks of Love is an organization that is devoted to helping every child suffering from medical hair loss. Most recipients are financially disadvantaged children, ages 21 and under, who suffer from long-term medical hair loss from a variety of causes. Many children who suffer from hair loss develop a low self-esteem in which keeps them from participating in normal childhood activities. Unlike adults, children are unable to use most wigs sold by retailers because they are either made to fit adults or are much too big for children to wear. In honor, Farmingdale Physical Therapy West will donate the August donations form “Casual Fridays For A Cause” to the Locks of Love Organization. If you are looking to donate your hair to locks of love, you must follow these guidelines… Guidelines For Acceptable Donations Hair that is colored or permed is acceptable. Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid. Hair that has been bleached (usually this refers to highlighted hair) is not usable. If unsure, ask your stylist. We are not able to accept bleached hair due to a chemical reaction that occurs during the manufacturing process. **If the hair was bleached years ago and has completely grown out it is fine to donate. Hair that is swept off of the floor is not usable because it is not bundled in a ponytail or braid. Hair that is shaved off and not in a ponytail or braid is not usable....
by Rich | Jul 22, 2015 | Community |
Recently I participated in a built environment experiment in which many participants self-reported several dangerous and unsafe recreational paths in their community. The projects ranged from analyzing the safety of intersections to figuring out how we can make drivers more aware of their obligations when approaching school zones. For my project, I decided to analyze the pedestrian sidewalk across from Farmingdale Physical Therapy West on Hempstead Turnpike. My rationale behind my built environment project, as well as the participants, was to help raise awareness about the neglected safety of pedestrians, increase physical activity, and to publicize our concerns so we can improve our community. The part of the pedestrian sidewalk that I decided to analyze spanned 600 feet and connected a residential community to a commercial development. In addition, pedestrians had to cross an entrance/exit ramp to the expressway and under an overpass. In my analysis, I decided to use a Walkability Assessment Worksheet featured in the book “A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities” by Laura Sandt. The worksheet put different qualities into three categories that are graded from one to five; High importance, medium importance, and low importance. The high importance category included the overall condition of the trail, any conflicts along the trail, and the conditions of the crosswalks. Meanwhile the medium importance category included maintenance, trail size, trail buffer, accessibility, and aesthetics with the low importance category only including the amount of shade providing on the trail. Along my walk, I observed that there was trash littered all along the side of the road, several broken/hidden signs, no guard rail to protect pedestrians,...
by Rich | Jul 15, 2015 | Weight Loss |
Food is comprised of Macronutrients and Micronutrients. The three main macronutrients include Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins. Meanwhile, Micronutrients consist of many different vitamins and minerals that are critical to your body. One great way to keep track of all the macronutrients and micronutrients is nutrition databases/apps. These apps such as MyFitnessPal, make it easy to keep track of your daily intake and maintain your preset goals. MyFitnessPal features a daily food log that calculates the amount of calories, percentage of macro and micronutrients in your diet, and if you achieved your daily dietary reference intake or adequate intake for those nutrients. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are values that are numerical approximations of nutrient intakes to be used for evaluating diets for individuals. Meanwhile, Adequate Intake (AI) are values based on observed or experimentally estimates of nutrient intake by a group of healthy people. Overall, MyFitnessPal ensure that you are dedicated to your diet and provide you with a great outlook of your nutrition. Furthermore, you can always consult with a dietitian to help maintain your diet and maximize your results. It’s not hard to eat healthy. Here are some tips to get you started… • Make sure to drink a lot of water • Limit your sugar, fats, alcohol, and sugar in your diet • Try to eat variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains • Lean meats, fish, beans, low-fat dairy products are...
by Rich | Jul 8, 2015 | Rehabilitation |
The assessment of gait is a common practice in a Physical Therapy clinic. From an individual’s abnormal gait pattern, a health professional can determine muscle weakness, impaired proprioception, balance or gait issues involved with a disease, and changes in somatosensory function. Gait and balance abnormalities occur in 14% of individuals over the age of 65 and in 50% of individuals over the age of 85. In addition, a person’s gait speed can be indicative of an individual’s well-being and good assessment for safety/fall risk. Three tests that may be used to assess an individual would be finding overall speed, the 10 meter walk test, and the 10 foot walk test. In these tests, certain gait speeds/times denote either that an individual can function independently or is dependent on another individual and requires help when accomplishing several tasks. An important mark that should be a primary goal for all individuals should be at the 1 m/s mark. This walking speed is suggestive that is less likely to be hospitalized, can be independent of activities of daily living (ADLs), and is less likely to suffer a fall. Another important walking speed marks that should be primary goals for individuals to meet is the 1.2 m/s mark. The 1.2 m/s mark ensures that an individual function completely independent when traveling around the community. Furthermore, graphs and test like the ones explained above are used to raise awareness by Physical Therapist and Exercise Specialist to individuals that may not meet these requirements. This helps these individuals further understand their overall health and seek the appropriate actions to ensure their safety. If you would...
