Can Nutrition Bars Really Be Nutritional?
My patients frequently ask me if using nutrition bars would be of any benefit to their overall health or weight loss plan. I admit, even I grab one of these bars every now and then for a quick snack, or even lunch on a really busy day sometimes. In fact, I would much rather have my patients substitute a good nutrition bar for lunch than grab a high-saturated-fat burger and fries.These bars are convenient, they don’t require refrigeration, and, if you read labels before buying, they really can help you get some good nutrition in a hurry. Here’s what I tell my patients about the pros and cons of the “nutrition on the run” that these bars offer.Are All Nutrition Bars Alike?Seems every time I go to the health food store, there’s a new nutrition bar promising to be better tasting, or more vitamin/protein-packed than all the other bars! However, what tastes good to me may not to you, so, different flavors aside, let me explain what ingredients should be in a good nutrition bar.•Protein:For meal replacement, a good bar should have at least 15 grams of protein, preferably from whey or even casein protein and not soy, gelatin or collagen protein. Many bars, however, contain soy protein isolate, or a blend of whey, casein, and soy. Soy products can interfere with thyroid hormones as well as imbalance male and female hormones, as it adds plant estrogen, or phytoestrogens, to your body.•Fat: Should be fairly low in fat, not more than 3 grams saturated fat and 0 trans fat, 10 grams total fat. Steer clear of bars that contain cholesterol-boosting oils like palm kernel oil. Bars with polyunsaturated vegetable oils like olive, safflower, or coconut oil are best.•Carbohydrate: For meal replacement, there should be a balanced fat/carbohydrate/protein ratio, in a 40/30/30 distribution, i.e., 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbohydrate. If you want added protein only, then the carb and fat level can be lower than this distribution. Some bars can contain a whopping amount of sugar, however! Limit sugar to 10-15 grams.•Sugar Alcohols: Many low carb nutrition bars contain sugar alcohols. These help sweeten the bar without adding carbohydrates. When figuring the carbohydrate, or glycemic load, they should be subtracted from the overall carbohydrate content. For example, if the bar contains 25 grams of carbohydrate and also 20 grams of sugar alcohols, then the effective carbohydrate count would only be 5. Some people get digestive upsets from sugar alcohols which can be a drawback to bars that contain it.•Vitamins: A good bar has at least 1/3 of the minimum daily requirements for vitamins, usually in the 30% range for crucial vitamins like C, E, D, A. This is especially important if you are using a nutrition bar as a meal replacement.•Minerals: Many good bars also contain 1/3 the minimum daily requirement of necessary minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc. Again, should be in the 30% range for meal replacement use.•Fiber: Many nutrition bars contain very little fiber, but several brands have between 4-6 grams. Or, at least have a piece of fruit, or a salad, with it to make up for fiber deficiencies.•Calories: If you’re using it as a meal replacement for a quick lunch, your nutrition bar should have between 200-300 calories in it. Otherwise you’ll be at the snack machine in an hour!Are There Any Cons to Nutrition Bars?We’ve talked about what I recommend a good bar should contain. Now, are there any real disadvantages, or cons, to using nutrition bars? As I tell my patients, I think that answer depends on how you use them. With that in mind, here are some possible disadvantages to using nutrition bars that you might consider when deciding to use them everyday or just occasionally:•Cost: Most good nutrition bars can cost anywhere from $2 to $3 a piece. This can get expensive if you use them everyday. However, if you use them as a meal replacement for one meal a day, that’s still less than the cheapest burger place for lunch, a lot less fat and salt, controlled calorie amount, and more vitamins and minerals.•Excessive Nutrition: If you’re using a nutrition bar for just a snack here and there, and not as meal replacement, look for one that has less than the 30% minimum daily requirement of vitamins and minerals to avoid over-intake of nutrients. This is especially true if you are taking a good vitamin/mineral supplement already everyday and eating well at your other meals. Too much Vitamin A can pose liver problems. Too much Vitamin E can result in excessive bleeding should you cut yourself.•May Contain Herbals: Steer clear of nutrition bars that contain “energy boosting” herbs such as ephedra, bitter orange, or even caffeine from green or black tea extracts which can affect some people’s heart rate or blood pressure adversely.•Taste: The taste of these bars can vary widely from brand to brand and price range. Some are in the “acquired” taste category and can be rather dry. Then there are others that really taste great. You really have to shop around and try a lot of different ones to find one you like and could eat on a regular basis.If you take medications, it’s always a good idea to ask your doctor about adding anything with vitamins/minerals in it that may interfere with absorption of your medications. Nutrition bars should not take the place of a balanced diet of whole foods, but they can provide a satisfying solution to a chocolaty-sweets craving, or provide a quick and nutritional meal on the run!
Mental Health Nursing – The Best Career
If you want to work in an environment that is interesting, challenging and rewarding a career in nursing (Mental health in nursing) will give you plenty of scope to do exactly that. With a nursing degree, you are not limited to work in hospitals only, there a variety of positions in businesses that a nurse will fit. There are different specialties in nursing like Aids care nurse, ambulatory care nurse, cardiac rehabilitation nurse, case management, Genetics Nurse and many others.Different types of nursing jobs in the market have given this Nursing career flexibility, which have drawn many peoples attention to pursue the course. The qualifications of Nursing are in whatever work you do are the same. Receive an associate of science degree or Bachelor of Science and become a registered Nurse.Mental Health nursing is one of the most demanding areas of nursing.A big percentages of people who are having health problem are suffering from mental illness. Mental illness happens because of crisis in life like when person losses their partner depression comes in. Alcohol and drug abuse are also a major cause of mental illness. The conditions of mental illness vary from one another and are very many, they include Psychological, personal disorders, psychoses, neuroses and others.Mental health nurses watch over the biological dimension of mental illness by giving medication, administration observing their behavior and interpretation. Their main duty is to establish a beneficial relation with those people who are mentally ill and their families. This relationship helps the patient to recover from the illness or bring a solution to make long their lifespan. A mental ill person’s welfare is monitored in a community health care center. Nurses work as a team to deliver the best and this happens to mental health nursing. They liaise with occupational therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, and other health care workers to deliver the best service to the patients.Other duties of a mental health nurse;- They apply techniques to help people manage their emotions and behavior- Providing evidence based individual therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy for depression and anxiety.- Organizing and encouraging the mental ill people to take part in social events, dramas and other activities to gain skills, which improves their health.- When patients are distressed they talk to them and handle them in a responsible way without threatening them.- They encourage the patient, take care of the medication as prescribed and monitor the performance of the patient.- They provide a quick recovery approach to improve their health.Mental health nurses pay is high due to their involving job and their hard work. The main tool for a nurse is body strength and communication skills that they have acquired. Mentally ill people act sometime irresponsibly and the nurse should handle that situation with care and love. Everybody regardless of the age, whether young or old can have mentally illness and the nurses educates the society on how to control this problem. For nursing student there is high demand in this specialty.
Future of Bitcoin
The world is changing rapidly in the recent times and so is the currency system. With the usage of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in vogue people are curious to gauge the possible future of Bitcoin which needs to be ascertained, and backed by facts and shrewd rationality.
In the year, 2009, there was a new currency concept that was introduced in the financial world. It was a little confusing for people, but within a span of a year or two, it emerged as a trend. Today, more and more people and business ventures are using Bitcoins for various reasons. The digital currency is still undergoing regular updates to make improvement in every way possible.
SOME OPINION ON BITCOIN
People all across the world have become quite aware of crypto currency. Furthermore, there are a lot more opinions on it from the experts. It is quite common to find that the currency experts who are pro-bitcoins hold that the currency is anticipated to touch between $250,000 and $500,000 for every coin in the next couple of years.
On the other hand, you will find several well recognised financial analysts and specialists who don’t hesitate to warn people about the problems that they might have to face investing in Bitcoins. The experts accept the fact, that this currency called Bitcoin and other crypto currencies might have a lot to give to the public, but the day is not far when the investing people are going to suffer and get a considerable blow.
There are several advantages and disadvantages of Bitcoins. In case, the cons are eliminated, there is a huge chance that the whole international financial system will undergo a transformation. Let us have a look at them:
SOME ADVANTAGES OF BITCOIN
• You genuinely have full control over the money, and can send and receive any amount 24X7. This is possible because the transactions are not executed by central or commercial banks or any centralized organizations.
• The transaction fee is minimal as compared to any other online money transaction. The mining service that records the transactions on the concerned blockchain charges the fees in reality, and that is quite low.
• Since no personal information is traded, it is the most secured way of transacting money. Furthermore, there are no hassles as well.
• With the minimal processing cost, everyone can depend on the reliable and the fastest way of transferring money.
• Bitcoin is not affected by the price fluctuations in any of the global economies, unlike other currencies.
THE CONS OF BITCOIN
• Bitcoin needs to have a better hold in the global and local financial markets.
• The stability in the Bitcoin price needs to be focussed with more number of people and businesses using crypto currency.
• There is no assurance on the purchasing power of Bitcoin yet, which could be provided to the investors or users.
The Future of Bitcoin is Simply all about Speculations
The cons of Bitcoins cannot be easily ignored, but can be somehow deterred easily. With a stronger presence in the market and more stability in the price, it can be the easiest types of online currency in the future. The future of the Bitcoin is basically nothing, but speculations. There are positive responses from the people across the globe, and it has the potential to become the next big thing.