Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Culinary treats you'd be sorry to miss #1: Mitchell's Ice Cream
I tasted some ice-cream yesterday, that got me excited enough to warrant a blog post!
After successfully finishing my ACLS class in San Francisco, I was craving carbohydrates like there was no tomorrow. It must have been the excitement and lack of sleep during the weekend. On Saturday I went by Mitchell’s Ice Cream twice on my way to and from class. Both times I was wondering about the crowded store in weather that would not necessarily drive me into an ice-cream parlor.
Yesterday however, after passing my written and hands-on tests, I felt some sense of entitlement to a special treat. Mitchell’s Ice Cream parlor was the only inviting store around this bare street, so in I went. I did not regret it.
The small crowd of regulars in front of me, who were waiting for their orders to be prepared, stepped willingly aside to grant me full view of the counter and thus countless buckets of the most interesting ice-cream flavors—Espresso Toffee, New York Cherry, Rum Raisin, Toasted Almond,… I lost track quicker than usual…Avocado, Ginger—oh my! they really have ginger ice-cream!!...Green Tea, Ube, Lucuma, Macapuno…what on earth?? Later I figured out, that most of their tropical flavors are based on fruit imported from the Philippines—hence their names. However, where I was finally tripping was the Grasshopper Pie flavor. Awesome! It actually looked like grasshopper pie smushed into an ice-cream bin. I asked the friendly guy behind the counter for a sample—mmmmmmhhhhh!!!! Delicious. Before I could get side-tracked again, I ordered a scoop of said Grasshopper Pie and one of Ginger flavor. Who could say no to ginger? Ever since my chai experiment, I can’t. The friendly guy behind the counter offered two cups, so the flavors wouldn’t mix. I very much appreciate thoughtful merchants, but declined.
Besides their delicious ice-cream, ready to be turned into sundaes, smoothies, or any other custom-built lusciousness, they offer take-home gallons of most of their flavors and ice-cream cakes and pies. The store offers some inside and outside seating and ample parking in the back.
If you are tired of Ben & Jerry’s or Baskin Robbins, or simply want to support a local family business that has been making delicious ice-cream since 1953, please enjoy some special treat at Mitchell's Ice Cream in San Francisco. And, nope…I don’t receive any commission for endorsing their product. I am also aware that ice-cream isn’t a staple food to be enjoyed on a daily basis or in large quantities, although…just think about it...wouldn’t this be nice?!
Enjoy!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Almost last semester...
It has gotten curiously quiet on this blog…and for good reason, my friend!
I’ve been busily heralding the last semester of nursing school—and this even before the semester has officially begun. Just to start it off with a bang, 30 eager classmates, students from the junior cohort, and I, spent 3 hours yesterday listening to an awesome lecture by ICU nurse Tony about how to read EKGs. It was great and prepared me well for today—day 1 of 2 of ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) training.
Still in vacation mode until yesterday, I had somehow missed out on the fact that one is supposed to prepare for ACLS… Ouch! Review of Basic Life Support, self study of the 10 ACLS Core Cases (100 pages!), review of the relevant thirty-something drugs, and—yes—the ability to identify the most common and most deadly EKG rhythms. So, Tony’s lecture helped with the latter, but for the rest I spent a good ten hours frantically cramming last night and early this morning…
I must have completely lost my mind doing this during my vacation!
However, it turned out to be a fantastic day today. I got lucky with five incredible instructors, who together brought a wealth of knowledge to the classroom, were funny and engaging. Even better, they broke down the 120-pages textbook in easily chewable bites. The most important concepts got boiled down into one readily remembered flow-chart, starting with step 1—is the patient stable, unstable or dead? I can do that! Now my arms hurt from giving rounds and rounds of chest compressions, in my head EKG patterns twirl around with drug doses and contraindications, and ACLS algorithms play tag with the “Rule of 3s.” Information overload! I think I won’t last long tonight because it’s back to the classroom tomorrow at 8am for 4 hours straight of mock codes…
One piece of new information I learned today, I’d like to share nevertheless. Did you know that the most recent changes in the AHA standards for Basic Life Support (BLS) have reversed the A-B-C-D order to C-A-B-D? It’s all about chest compressions now. Wait. Not only chest compressions, but HIGH QUALITY CHEST COMPRESSIONS (this is the answer to questions #4 and #21 on tomorrow’s test…). Instead of the 1.5 to 2 inches of compression depth, it is now 2 inches or more at a rate of 100/minute. That’s fast! Hence my sore arms… Studies have shown that chances of survival to hospital discharge or neurologic outcome are significantly increased if chest compressions are started immediately and interrupted as little as possible, no more than 10 seconds at a time. See the video clip below for more on these changes.
I also learned that Seattle, WA is the US city with the best survival chances for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests—38%. That’s pretty darn good! What do they have that other cities don’t? Apparently it’s a very high percentage of lay people trained in CPR and use of AEDs, in conjunction with many accessible AEDs in public places.
So much for now! Stay save, my friend, and if you have never or not recently taken a CPR class—do it! I bet we could reach 38% or more here, and in your hometown too.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Video clips you'd be sorry to miss #3: A Good Day
Yes—we all have those days.
The good news is that it actually is a good day. It only depends on our perspective.
Take some time to enjoy this video...
and be grateful!
If you are still feeling blue and don't know how to change things around, take a look at this New Years post for some inspiration.
Have a really Good Day!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Back from Tibet
Have you been looking for that special something to surprise a loved one? Or a nifty accessory to impress the beautiful yoga nymph from class, or the friendly barista guy behind the health food store juice bar, whom you always wanted to ask out but never dared to? Maybe you are in need of a gift to show your partner, that rarely spending any time with him or her anymore because you are in nursing school now or spent the past month searching for yourself in Tibet, doesn’t mean anything? Don’t look any further, my friend. You have come to the right place:
The Muses’ Catalog of Must-Have Gift Ideas
This handy little tool gets rid of the mess your “all organic-all naturally freshly grinded-all naturally separating peanut butter” leaves you with! Just twist on the lid and crank the embedded chrome-plated mixing rod for an evenly mixed spread—just like frothed up in the factory. Easy like this! Should the included lid not fit onto your naturally separating peanut butter jar, you have two easy options: a) Take a bamboo spoon and scoop the gooey unstirrable mess into a jar that fits the new lid. b) Close your jar with the lid it came, take a sharp knife, or a hammer and a nail, and create an opening large enough to insert the chrome-plated mixing rod—and done! Easy like this!
Natural peanut butter lovers all over the world will love this incredibly sleek and clever gift. It’s yours for only $10!
The technology interested target of your affection will be thrilled to receive this “Deluxe Personal Air Supply!” Stifling patient rooms? Muggy Bikram yoga spaces? Just returned from the clean airs of Tibet? Moving to Taiwan? This is the gift to give! It comes with a breakaway neck strap, so in case anyone else should grab this device in a desperate attempt to breathe some clean air, it won’t hurt to share. And who wouldn’t want to own a gadget that produces 120 trillion—yes, my friend, that’s 120,000,000,000,000—ions per second?! This equals to an incredible 7,200,000,000,000,000 ions per minute!! Unbelievable!!
Now this one is a gem! You may remember my Recycled Recreation post in which I commented on landfills. We should all cut back on producing waste, right?! Here’s a cute way to help out with this—the Countertop Bag Dryer. At first sight it may look like a bunch of incense sticks, which even more underlines a thoughtful lifestyle, but this tool can do so much more! You just rinse out your used plastic bags and hang them upside down over one of the skewers made from sustainably harvested birch and ash woods. Even the most difficult to dry plastic bag is no match for the air circulation provided by this unique tool. And when you don’t have any plastic bags to dry? It folds neatly for storage!
This is a must have for any thoughtful countertop owner and always a welcomed gift. Considering the money you save by reusing your plastic bags—and the infinite positive karma this will bring you—the $20 for this cute product is very well spent.
You are looking for a gift for an environmentally conscious dog owner? Then this is for you! Who would think that this flat, white plastic cap on the lawn is not part of a solar-powered, water saving sprinkler system, but instead contains a pile of decomposing dog crap?! This well-disguised cesspit is merely identifiable by the adorable “Doggie Dooley” print on the lid (sorry Heather!). To start out, you simply dig a round hole 48" deep by 15" in diameter, slip the Doggie Dooley in, fill it with 6 gallons of water and 2 tablespoons of the Waste Terminator enzyme digestion powder. Now you are ready to fill in whatever dog shit you can find around the house and on your lawn! Easy like this! Never worry about Pooch’s organic wastes anymore. This really works! [Just disregard the customer reviews on the website…]
Buy the Doggie Dooley together with the necessary Waste Terminator powder for only $98. And always remember—you will never have to use another plastic bag for Pooch again. Just drop it in!
Saving the best for last, let me introduce you to this amazing Digital Zen Alarm Clock. Given as a thoughtful gift, this alarm clock, which is set in a hardwood casing, awakens your loved one to the gentle sound of a Tibetan chime. You don’t know what a Tibetan chime sounds like? Click below to find out.
This wonderful clock can also be used as a pre-programmed timer to softly remind you of the outside world towards the end of a meditation or yoga session.
I just received breaking news, which may be especially interesting to students of SFSU’s School of Nursing. Dr O, it says, has contributed an alternative alarm sound to the Digital Zen Alarm Clock. Please, sample this deeply nurturing tone below while reciting all pharmacology and pathophysiology facts you can remember!
I’m torn between the previous two exhilarating sound samples, so I would like to offer my own Zen alarm tone below. After all, we are talking about an alarm clock here, right? Right? So, please sit back, and give this one a try…
Whichever alarm tone you prefer for your gift of good taste and tranquility, this incredible clock, made in China—land of ancient healers—won’t cost you more than a petty $136! Go get it now, and feel the love!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Video clips you'd be sorry to miss #2: Reflections--Body Image Program
(Sandro Botticelli - The Birth of Venus)
In my last blog post I wrote about how breastfeeding increases the likelihood of a healthy weight. However, "healthy weight" is as much in our head as it is in our body. The influence of the popular but distorted body image that surrounds us in Western cultures, often leads to perceive a perfectly healthy body as flawed and unsightly.
These two videos from Tri Delta's "Reflections--Body Image Program" were used to promote their "Fat Talk Free Week" in 2008 and 2009.
I always get goosebumps watching them...
Stunning visuals with a very strong message.
Read more about Tri Delta's efforts here.
You may also want to read here, an inspiring blog about healthy body images that I just discovered .
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Of Breasts and Milk
This week I intercepted my relaxing semester break and spent two days at work. Both days were busy and kept me on my toes from the time I set my feet in the unit until I left. Yet, I would not have wanted it any other way.
My profession, practiced during these days—I am an IBCLC, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and have been working per diem in the Family Birth Center of a busy local hospital for more than 8 years.
My work—I am doing lactation rounds, in which I visit with every breastfeeding mom and family (95% of our clients), listen, listen some more, and even a little bit more, answer questions, educate on what to expect—and what not—in these very first days after birth, assist and—if needed—teach the new mom (and family) how to breastfeed the newborn, and help to find and implement solutions should problems arise.
Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, right? So why a specific profession? Why a license that requires more than 1000 practice and theory hours, topped by a challenging, day-long exam?
Well, it turns out, that breastfeeding is more of a learned art than intrinsic knowledge, coded for in our DNA. In cultures where breastfeeding is, and has been an inherent part of life and child rearing, an IBCLC is rarely needed. Us here…hmmm…we are of a different kind—the kind that all too often is rather intimidated by this naturally learned process.
Yesterday, the comment of an 18-hours-old father, as I was handing his wife a Nursing Journal, sums it up better than I ever could. Overjoyed he reached for the booklet and said: “Oooh! Is this a manual?!” I felt like giving him a big old hug! No, my dear friend, they don’t come with a manual!
The time following the birth of a child is unique and very special for every new family. Emotions underlie their own erratic rules, and tears of joy, worries and frustration may rapidly alternate with sheer bliss and heartfelt laughter. It is my utmost pleasure to stand back, and humbly watch it all unfold. Having been there myself four times, I am pleased to watch different parenting styles evolve. Sometimes well-meant intentions shatter early on when the new parents notice that their 8-pounds bundle of joy is more a bundle of pure energy and temperament. Parenting is a learned art as well!
Working with families during such a sensitive and vulnerable time, on such a physically close and intimate level, leads inevitably to quite interesting situations. Empathy and professionalism, I find, are key in getting out of any weird situation I may find myself in at work. Sometimes that’s easier said than done…
Such as the day I was helping a new mom years ago. Her baby was a few days old already, her mature milk was coming in and for various reasons this process had left her terribly—and I mean TERRIBLY—engorged. If you have never seen engorged breasts—let alone terribly engorged ones, my friend—start by imagining two good-sized cantaloupes sitting snug, right where days before a B or C cup bra was perfectly sufficient. While it may be visually impressive, they HURT! BADLY! Engorgement rarely gets this bad, but gone that far it is no fun at all. I spent a very long time with this mom—hot compresses, massage, attempts to latch the baby, attempts to pump,… Any effort to empty her painfully, ready-to-burst breasts failed because she was hurting so badly. Massage was all that was left, and while she was pressing her hands against her face in an effort to find some abatement, I was able to gently hand express milk which soon gave her some relief. Her previously tensed up facial expressions lightened up, and to my surprise she suddenly started to giggle. She looked at me and said with a big grin: “Wow! This is almost like in a good porn video.”
Eeeeeeeeeeeewwww!!! Wrong connection! Absolutely wrong! I was completely perplexed for a moment and must have stared at her my most appalled stare. I was blown away and wondered how on earth this could have been her first thought after finally being relieved of the pain. Lucky me, the friendly voice in my head quickly reminded me—“you better use your finest skills—empathy and professionalism!” Yes!, I thought, ready to set some boundaries. I smiled back at the mom and said something to the extent of: “One could think that, but we both know that this is not the case.” Then I went on and taught her how to hand express herself… Ha!
So, if breastfeeding can leave you terribly engorged and making terrible comments, which may leave your IBCLC terribly shocked—why bother with it at all? The quick answer is—because it is a human infant’s natural source of food. If human moms would give birth to calves or soy beans, formula would probably be the first choice. While there doubtlessly are medical indications for babies to be fed formula, its unquestioned use in the early days and weeks can be especially detrimental to the breastfeeding relationship.
On the other hand, breastfeeding has unique far-reaching benefits for baby, mom, the family and the community. Here are just a few, as stated by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics). A decreased incidence in infectious diseases, such as diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infections, and otitis media alone are worth every ounce of breastmilk given. If you have ever lost nights of sleep while taking care of a little one with said conditions, you’ll understand… Breastfeeding also leads to a decreased incident of Diabetes Mellitus type 1 & 2, certain childhood cancers, asthma, overweight and obesity. As Signifying Nothing states in his latest blog post, 38.5% of girls born in 2000 will develop diabetes. 32.8% of boys born in 2000 will meet the same fate. Similarly alarming rates are reported for cancer, asthma and obesity—a decrease of these numbers is worth every sip fresh from the tap!
There are plenty of rewards for breastfeeding moms as well. How about earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight? Breastmilk production burns about 500kcal extra per day, just like this! Directly after birth, nursing decreases blood loss, because the hormones involved in breastfeeding cause the uterus to contract and reach pre-pregnancy size faster. In the long run there is a decreased risk for breast and ovarian cancer and possibly osteoporosis. I would take these benefits at any time. Who wouldn’t?
My work as an IBCLC enables me to support young families in the early decision making process and its subsequent successful implementation. This can influence their baby’s and their own health for decades to come. It is my pleasure and passion to be their advocate and be part of improving individual and public health—one family at a time.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Video clips you'd be sorry to miss #1
She makes it look so easy, while practicing with the utmost grace.
Enjoy!
Ashtanga Yoga - Viparīta Chakrāsana
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Recycled Recreation
This morning I made it to Bayfront Park in Menlo Park. I used to go running there regularly in my life prior to nursing school. It seems like an eternity ago.
Bayfront Park’s 160 acres extend over the area of a solid waste landfill that was closed in 1984. It is located on a small peninsula, surrounded by salt ponds and salt sloughs of the bay on three sides. The forth side adjoins to an industrial area of the city and the highway on-ramp.
As I was taking an unhurried walk today, stopping every now and then to take a photo, I tried to imagine this place full of serenity and life covered in trash. This required quite a mental stretch. Although there are plenty of signs of the surrounding industry—smoking chimney stacks in the far, huge storage and office buildings closer by—the landfill is visible only to the discerning eye.
I always wondered why there was a small sewage treatment plant at the far end of the park. Its extremely noisy machinery had annoyed me many times as I was passing by. So did the foul stench of what smelled like rotten organic material mixed with manure that often filled the air. Both of these nuisances used to have the fantastic side effect of making me run much faster at about halfway through the perimeter trail, just to get away into an olfactory neutral zone.
It was just today that it finally clicked! I read a very well written article about how a landfill works. Of course, the responsibility for a waste dump doesn’t stop when it is capped with soil, and brush and trees are planted. The smelly sewage at the plant in the far back of the park is a penetrating reminder of the very existence of this man-made pile of junk. What is collecting in the pond near the noisy pump station is leachate from the landfill that is drained through pipes, then tested and detoxified if needed. The smell that surrounds the area stems from methane gas which, mixed with CO2, is emitted from the activity of anaerob bacteria, working hard at slowly decomposing what once was dragged to our curbs.
The city of Menlo Park budgets more than $225,000 per year just to maintain the landfill and keep the surrounding ecosystems intact. This does not include any costs for the maintenance of the recreational part of the park. Millions of dollars to keep an enormous pile of garbage under control? That is quite perplexing. I guess we can call ourselves lucky, that at least this junk was not dumped into the ocean to add on to the ever-growing pacific gyre, but instead is taken care of in our very own backyard.
Yet, one can’t deny that this landfill contributes considerable recreational value to the area. Runners, walkers, bikers, dog owners, bird watchers, artists, model plane pilots, kite flyers, backyard gardeners who shovel buckets full of free compost soil, people looking for solitude, as well as noisily chit-chatting groups that enjoy each others’ company—there seems to be a place for everyone. I have always found mine whenever I came.
Thinking back, I actually grew up close to a similar construct—der Gruene Heiner. About a ten minute drive from my childhood home in Germany, this popular 230 feet high green destination towers over the otherwise mostly flat landscape. It was built back in the 1950’s—from WW2 debris. Today people enjoy its recreational value. In 1999 a windmill-powered plant was added to its summit and has been providing green energy ever since.
While I would prefer to walk on natural grounds that were aggregated by California’s overactive tectonic, I can hardly turn my back on an issue as big as Western societies' overactive consumerism with all of its unattractive side-effects, such as giant landfills. Yet, one has to give credit to humankind’s creativity and problem solving skills. Turning a pile of crap into an area of recreational value is truly a masterpiece--a masterpiece that many people enjoy regularly for exercise and stress relief, and thus maintenance of good health.
To say it in the words of Albert Einstein:
“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Aparigraha and the Mind of the Beast
She denies any involvement with this matter…
Although she has been seen around the site of the action right about the time of the incident…
But then…
Could these eyes lie?
No. Hm…maybe…
Let’s look at the evidence:
The frazzled bite marks on my yoga mat….....................the fangs of the vicious beast.
Check!
This happened last summer, and since the beast tends to have more of a dog-like demeanour, loyally following my every step in the backyard, I could hardly be angry about her adornment to my mat. After all, the reason I bought my own about a year ago was by far more disturbing. At the height of the cold season I took a yoga class—then still using the common mats offered by the facility—when one of the participants took a gigantic sneeze that spread unhalted all over her mat and the ones of her neighboring yogis left and right. Now my friend, if you have ever seen images of sneezing people such as these…
…then you will understand that only hours after this memorable class, I owned my very first personal yoga mat. I think I bought it at REI, just because I had to run some errands there anyways. You may know that REI isn’t a particularly dedicated source for yoga products, but rather of any kind of outdoor activity. Honestly, I didn’t even care what kind of a mat I bought. I just wanted one that would harbor only my own pathogens.
Now, after a good year of quite regular, often daily use, attacks by the beast, and misuse by the kids (sometimes they just need a roof for their play house structures…), even I can’t deny that it probably needs to be replaced. Too many downward dogs with sweaty paws, attempts to balance a most wobbly crow, and too many times melting into the mat in my favorite pigeon, took their toll on it.
This time, however, I want to be cleverer when choosing such an important utensil! I looked around in classes and online to find some inspiration, since the muses failed me in that matter. While I could imagine that size, thickness, and material plays a role, until last week I had no idea that also the shape is a variable.
I was a few minutes late for class, rushed to the studio, squeezed through the door as quietly as I could, removed all unnecessary clothes then turned around to find a spot amongst the yogis who were already sitting in silent meditation. Whoa! My attention was immediately drawn to the young yogi, who had her mat placed right in front of the teacher. To get the right visual, my friend, you must know that said yogi had a ROUND yoga mat that spanned across the space that could usually be utilized by two. But that was not all…this bodacious, blue mat was bearing the sign—the sign of high quality, being en vogue and bearing a big wallet: Lululemon.
Throughout the class I couldn’t help but glance over to the front-row yogi to get some idea of how practical this mat is. I have gotten out of the habit of looking at my fellow yogis during practice. I even close my eyes most of the time to be more focused (which unfortunately is quite detrimental to my already weak sense of balance…). This external focus, however, almost led to a forwards crash-landing of my wobbly crow that morning. But then…I’ve already been known to endanger my health in pursuit of new knowledge (keyword: chai) if necessary, so what’s a crashed crow?!
The young yogi seemed to enjoy her practice within her private double lot, although I could not make out any poses that would have actually required the extra space left and right. While I’m not opposed at all to an enormous, blue, round mat—nor to Lululemon for that matter—I have some doubts this would be the right product for me…
I guess this leaves me a seeker for now. Maybe I should consider the eight limbs of yoga to aid me through this process. The first one, yama, often translated as ethical disciplines, includes aparigraha--the non-accumulation of superfluous physical objects. BKS Iyengar writes in his book Light on Yoga: “By the observance of aparigraha, the yogi makes his life as simple as possible and trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything. Then everything he really needs will come to him by itself at the proper time.”
Here my lack of knowledge in the philosophy of yoga shows terribly… Maybe aparigraha is a hint to keep waiting for a new mat to magically appear. Or even worse, it indicates that the old one must do for now, because it’s likely not the proper time yet for another.
I think I'll let the beast decide.
Namaste!
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