Category: News

There is a saying “The difference between a successful person and a non-successful person….A successful person continues to do things he doesn’t want to do.”  I don’t know where this quote comes from or who said it, but it is a truth in life when someone persists toward achieving a goal no matter what stands in the way success doesn’t stop with achievement.  Success is also measured in how one continues to deal with roadblocks that stand in the way of maintaining an achieved goal.

The Health Coach is a guide who has the ability to provide information and resources to guard against failure.   Coaching is a process that involves identifying your strengths and empowering you with knowledge, ideas, solutions and complementary alternative methods of health and wellness toward achievable goals.   The Health Coach brings information from all areas of life to help you achieve your health goal; translate research or concepts into understandable language; pose questions that may need answers and direct you to sources of information including but not limited to your Insurance Provider, Non-profit Organizations, Healthcare Provider and others, as well as to reliable internet sources.

Success is yours.  “Yours and yours alone……No one else can live your life.  No one can eat for you or exercise for you or create your career.  Your sleep is your own and every waking moment is yours to use.  You are at the center of your body with all its beauty and strength as well as all of its challenges.  you are also in control of your thoughts and decisions.  Experiences happen to you, this is true.  But you are able to frame them at will; to decide if they will be learning opportunities or weapons of destruction in your life experience.  Even when we work from a faith base that says God is in control of life there we recognize that the responsibility for making decisions is entrusted to us.” (“Maximum Level of Attainable Wellness and Performance; 8 Realms of Life by Intention”; W.Carranza, Ph.D., 2010)      

A destination that has always been on my wish list is Puerto Rico.  It has beautiful people, captivating beaches, great food and the shops in Old San Juan are quaint and inviting.  Experiencing my wish for the past 10 days has been all that I envisioned except one thing.  

After five days of experiencing our present surroundings, we contemplated spending time engaging in adventuresome activities.  I noticed that the tour desk at the Hotel we were staying advertised tours to the rain forest.  The rain forest was quite a distance drive and isolated within an area high up in the mountains. It occurred to me that maybe it could be a health risk since the forest is home to many parasites, snakes and other dangers not made known to unsuspected human visitors.  Due to my nursing instincts, my husband and I decided not to take any tours away from the area where we were staying.  This turned out to be a very good decision based upon a subsequent encounter.

While we were having diner across the street from the Hotel, our waiter introduced himself as an American from the states who just graduated from college and came to Puerto Rico to be with his brother and sister who have been living in Puerto Rico for the past few years.  He went on to explain that he was interested in going to graduate school in Puerto Rico to study epidemiology which in layman’s terms is the study of the occurrence of disease in well-defined populations.  He explained that he read that there is a high incidence of malaria-like disease in the more remote areas of Puerto Rico.  The opportunity to combine his studies with helping the island’s population was motivating him to stay and explore the demographics of this issue.

Upon our return home to the US, I researched some information about the incidence of malaria and malaria-like diseases and found out something that everyone who travels to tropical areas should know about.  The malaria-like infection is known as Dengue Fever or Dengue Infection and is endemic (prevalent) in Puerto Rico (www.cdc.gov).  Currently, there is not a vaccine to prevent this infection.  The CDC reported that there were 2 confirmed cases reported in Dade County, Florida back in October 2011.

This infection is caused by a mosquito bite.  Initial symptoms are a sudden high fever up to 104 degrees Farenheit or higher, a flat rash 2-5 days after the fever turning into a raised rash that looks like measles.  Fatigue, headache behind the eyes, joint and muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, nausea and vomiting are also other symptoms that may occur (www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov).

The point of sharing this with you is to make you aware of researching before you go on any trips in order to avoid getting sick through exposure to parasites or elements within an environment that can harm you.  Even trips within the US to areas that have undergone floods in the past have the potential to breed species of bugs that might not have been indigenous to that area in the past.  When I think about Dade County, Florida, and the discovery of Dengue Fever within our country, it compels me to make everyone aware of the importance of implementing precautions.

The best resource to use is the Center for Disease Control website for knowing about up-to-date information.  Stay well everyone!  e-Nurse Femtique Judith  

The practice of Yoga has been a valuable activity in my daily life since September 2011.    I am taking a 200 hour Teacher Training Certification Curriculum while taking on extra-curricular classes taught by different instructors to learn all of the various types of Yoga asanas (poses).   Recently, a sciatic pain developed that was so intense that after getting out of bed from an 8 hour sleep,  my legs buckled from under me when getting out of bed.  This was remedied through trying different stretching positions on the floor until I was able to stand without shooting pain.

I mentioned this to an instructor who recognized this syndrome as “Yoga Butt”.  What a term for a diagnosis!  I had “Yoga Butt”!  The recommended remedy provided was to bend the knees during poses that place too much tension on the hamstrings.  OK, that made sense and so I implemented the intervention to no avail.

A few days later I told a different instructor about my diagnosis of  “Yoga Butt”.  She asked me to explain what I was feeling.  I told her that the pain was originating in the piriformis muscle and shot down to mid-hamstring level.   She identified this as a possible strain by overextending hip-opening poses.  She proceeded to assist me with modifications during the class and provided appropriate counter poses.  The end result is after a few days working with modifications and counter poses, I do not have the intense sciatic pain.

Anatomically, the sciatic nerve passes through the piriformis muscle.  The piriformis originates from the anterior surface of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sacral segments of the spine.  The sacral nerve plexus is located on the surface of the piriformis muscle (Netter’s Anatomy Flash Cards, 3rd edition).    When the piriformis muscle is stretched and taut it compresses the sciatic nerve.  Over extension or an intense Yoga asana may result in muscle spasms if a counter pose is not engaged.  This causes the radiating pain down the nerve pathway.

Aadil Palkhivala identifies asanas that stretch the piriformis are Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana), King Pigeon Pose (Raja Kapotasana),  Forward Bend, Ankle to knee pose, Staff Pose (Dandasana) (www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers.

Palkhivala recommends the best way to release the hip flexors or Counter Poses is by doing Back-Bending Series.  A few good asanas for this are the Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Bridge Pose (Setubandhasana), Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)  and Fish ( Susan L. Smith, MYI, ERYT,  “Susan’s Power Flow Yoga”);  additionally,  One Leg Reclined Hero Pose (Eka Pada Supta Virasana) (www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers).  Aadil Palkhivala is a Master Yoga Teacher, Writer, Attorney and Rounder-Director of Yoga Centers in Bellevue, Washington.

Another good reference that I use in addition to the above instructors is “The Key Poses of Yoga”, “Anatomy for Hip Openers and Forward Bends” and “Anatomy for Backbends and Twists” by Ray Long, MD, FRCSC.  The acronym FRCSC stands for Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.  Dr. Long is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon who has studied Hatha Yoga for over 20 years.  He studied in India with B.K.S. Iyengar and many other leading Yoga Masters.

Nameste!

Meet Health Coach Judith Beaulieu: Network of RN Health Coaches Empowers Women and Children

While taking blood pressures on people after church services this morning, I encountered a few conversations concerning questions about the negative effects eating too much salt.  Actually, one of the effects of salt is to regulate blood pressure.  The debates are out there in the medical literature concerning lowering salt intake to accommodate lowering blood pressure.  Nothing is certain about this, however, one thing is for sure and that is the American Diet far exceeds the intake of 6 grams a day.  This is about 1 teaspoonful.

You read labels for sodium content, don’t add table salt to your food, special order sodium-free meals on restaurant menus and you still aren’t sure that is enough.  It is frustrating to bank on diet restrictions only.

Another thing you can add to your life-style is “exercise” 5 days a week for at least 60 minutes in the form of hot vinyasa yoga, running, power walking, biking, anything that produces sweat and increases your respirations.  This is a way to eliminate sodium through the skin (the largest organ of the body) and through breath.  Hydrating with water after a good workout helps to flush out more sodium and toxins via the kidneys which is part of their job.

Adding fruits to your diet that are high in magnesium like water melon or pineapple are also needed to keep  the body in balance.  Potassium from oranges – not juice – bananas, strawberries and kiwi replenish the body with this important electrolyte.  Why am I telling you to add these to your diet when discussing sodium?  Because in order to help keep sodium in balance within your body these are necessary to ingest every day of your life.

Lastly, eliminate ALL soda from your daily beverage list.  It is loaded with sodium – yes, even the diet sodas have a huge amount of it.  Explore the world of teas and coffee without adding the sugar and dairy.  After about a month or so you will wonder why you were drinking soda in the first place.

I lift my mug of tea to you in Good Health!  e-Nurse Femtique Judith

There is a need to make education available to everyone about breastfeeding – mother’s-to-be, father’s-to-be, family members, friends, corporations and society as a whole can benefit their understanding of the dynamic influence bestowed upon human beings through breastfeeding.

It is important to know about the major benefits of this God-given gift to women’s bodies and to gain the support necessary to work toward “Healthy  People 2020” which addresses the need of more women to breast feed their babies  (www.CDC.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2020.htm).

Newborn Nutrition is best achieved through human breast milk which is species-specific designed to optimally grow and develop a brain, protect the gut and boost the immune system.  The process of breastfeeding the baby encourages attachment behavior.  This is also known as “bonding”.  If there could be an area here in America that can be improved, in my opinion, it is here at the socially acceptable level of endorsing the mother/baby bond.  Providing a decent place for breastfeeding mothers to attend to the call of her hungry baby is an ideal way to show you care.    

I provide FEMTIQUE nurses to follow coaching mothers’ on breastfeeding through AWHONN.  I have been a member of AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses) since 1984.  This is an organization that strives to provide perinatal nurse members with the most accurate and latest evidence-based information.  Nurses utilizing the information are licensed to commit sharing the knowledge in conjunction with a moral and ethical responsibility to those serviced.  I encourage major stores to contact Inquiry@femtique.org to help establish the “Bonding with Baby” program for breastfeeding moms who patronize their stores.  This could only help your business, by the way.  

FEMTIQUE Health Coaches are dedicated to the Standards, Guidelines and Recommendations set forth by AWHONN.  This being said, our commitment is for the mother and baby and takes priority over convenience, productivity and costs.  Please contact us a inquiry@femtique if you would like to engage an educational coaching program for you or a group interested in knowing all about breastfeeding.

Happy New Year 2012!

e-nurse Femtique Judith      

“The Whole-Brain Child” by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel is a book that I endorse all moms to have in their home libraries.  It is a good, easy read with extremely helpful strategies to understand and nurture a child’s developing mind.  It addresses the “terrible twos” as well as the “rebellious teens”.

At 12:00 noon on Monday, October 10th, 2011, I was traveling home from my Yoga class and tuned my car radio to NPR to hear “Voices in the Family” and listened to an interview between the radio host, Dr. Dan Gottlieb and the author of “The Whole-Brain Child”,  Dr. Dan Siegel.  The author received his medical degree from Harvard University and is a practicing Neuropsychiatrist and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine as well as Co-Director of the “Mindful Awareness Research Center”.    He has done research studying the young brain with clinically significant outcomes.  After listening to the entire interview on NPR I bought the book and have been coaching clients using Dr. Seigel’s successful ways to nurture outbursts, arguments and fears that encompass everyday life.

If you would like to know more about Dr. Seigel just go to http://drdansiegel.com to read all about his endeavors.

One more comment, this book would make a nice holiday gift for any parent.  e-Nurse Femtique Judith      

Senator Robert Casey has acted upon strengthening the Federal Law P.I. 108-36 Keeping Children & Families Safe Act of 2003 42 U.S.C.5101 et seq.  This blog is to provide you with information about your duty as a citizen to report child abuse and who to contact within the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.  If you are not from these states you can find out your contact info by logging on to www.HHS.gov.

Formerly this law originated in 1974 as “The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and has been amended several times.

Mandatory reporting and failure to report suspected abuse can result in criminal liability, although the liability is typically a misdemeanor punishable by a fine (www.smith-lawfirm.com Susan K. Smith, Esquire – source of this information).

There is no conflict between the State Law and the Privacy Rule (HIPPA) and no preemption (duly noted for my Healthcare colleagues).  All updated documentation concerning abuse reporting can be obtained by going to www.HHS.gov.

The following are contacts for reporting child abuse:

PENNSYLVANIA Department of Public Welfare Reporting Hot Lines:
Toll-free: (800) 932-0313
TTD:  (866) 872-1677

NEW JERSEY Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) Hot Lines:
(877) NJ ABUSE (877) 652-2873
TTY/TDD use (800) 835-5510

DELAWARE Services for Children, Youth and Their Families Hot Lines:
(800) 292-9582

Provided to you by e-Nurse Femtique Judith

Thanksgiving is this week and  there are so many people out of work in the U.S. who cannot afford to keep up the expense of rent, mortgage, utilities, car expenses and the like.  Families will still gather together to give thanks and “break bread” together in spite of these hard times.

It is during the hard times that I think about how our ancestors who came to America survived hard times through epidemics, WWI, the depression of the 1930’s and WWII.  Their hard work and determination are the reasons why America grew to prosperity.  They never gave up and gathered together to form communities that helped each other through the tough times.  They sought opportunity and not security from the government.  They took the calculated risk to dream and build, to fail and to succeed.

Again, we find ourselves gathering together to help each other in order to survive.   When there is a shortage of food, we grow our own.    Remember, our ancestors did not have credit cards.  We do not spend money we do not have and we save whatever we can to provide for the future.  Cut out the things that cost money but do not serve any functional purpose for you at the present time.   Create ways in which to make money that do not already exist.  Seek out opportunities offered by others that will help make it happen for you.  Enjoy the benefit of your freedom.

Thank you to all of our veterans and active military who are serving our country in any and all areas of the U.S. and the world.  e-nurse Femtique Judith