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Wednesday 8 June 2016

Power Foods for the Workplace

Power Foods for the Workplace
Photo Credit LDProd/iStock/Getty Images

Overview

It's that time of day and you're zoning out. Lethargy kicks in, your eyes glaze over and your head is dangerously close to the keyboard. You've hit the midday slump.
But you're not alone in this crash. People often begin craving coffee or snacks from the vending machine at around 2 or 3 p.m.
"They want a pick-me-up," said Sheah Rarback, registered dietitian and director of nutrition for the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami, "due to the plunge of energy level caused by our natural circadian rhythm, not getting a good night's sleep, skipping breakfast or eating a lunch of processed carbohydrates without added protein."
The secret is to power up ahead of time, lessening, or even preventing, the collapse. Still, all is not lost if you failed to fuel up; there also are immediate options. Just avoid grabbing sugary snacks that give you an initial rush but leave you more tired and hungry an hour later.
The best fare for preventing or defeating the afternoon skids combine fiber and protein, are low in fat and sugar, and provide less than 200 calories.

The plunge of energy [is] caused by our natural circadian rhythm, not getting a good night's sleep, skipping breakfast or eating a lunch of processed carbohydrates without added protein.

- Sheah Rarback, registered dietitian and director of nutrition for the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami

Beat the Slump

Quick tips to help avoid the midday crash:
• Don't skip breakfast.
• Eat a well-portioned lunch. Not eating enough will leave you with few nutrients and little energy. Eating too much will make you bloated and sluggish.
• Get at least eight hours of sleep at night.
• Avoids sweets, which will cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash.
• Get up and move every hour to help the blood flow and reduce fatigue.
• Avoid foods that are high in sodium and fat. They can make you feel bloated.
• Exercise regularly to rev up your energy levels.

Walnuts and Almonds

Stave off the blood sugar roller coaster ride by grabbing a healthy handful of almonds -- about 23 -- in the morning. Almonds help stabilize blood sugar levels for the rest of the day, according to a study by Purdue University researchers published in the January 2011 issue of "Nutrition and Metabolism."
And the next time you're under a deadline, try snacking on a handful of walnuts, or 12 to 14 walnut halves, to help improve your mood and brainpower. According to a 2007 University of Pittsburgh study, omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts may boost brain areas that help bring mood into balance.
For a treat with a kick, toast 2 cups of walnuts in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in an oven set at 375 degrees F. The cayenne pepper adds heat and anti-cancer fighting properties.

Low-Fat Dairy

The milk sugar, or lactose, in low-fat dairy foods give you instant energy, while the high amount of protein helps fend off hunger afterward, says Susie Garcia, a registered dietitian based in Oakland, California.
For a healthy morning boost, add a dollop of yogurt to a bowl of oatmeal. The pairing of a prebiotic and probiotic food contributes to healthy digestion and immunity, and prevents bloating.
Make a habit of adding milk to your coffee. Or better yet, make low-fat yogurt or string cheese a part of your morning routine, because while those cups of Joe offer the caffeine boost to kick-start your day, regular consumption may affect bone health over time. According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, caffeine increases the amount of calcium lost in the urine.

Avocado and Olive Oil

An avocado a day keeps hunger pangs away, especially helpful when your midday funk includes the munchies. Heart-healthy monounsaturated fats in avocado and olive oil slow down the emptying of the stomach so you feel satisfied longer. And according to a study published in the October 2008 issue of "Cell Metabolism," the oleic acid from olive oil helps suppress hunger between meals. 
"Oleic acid triggers a reaction in the body that keeps hunger at bay and activates an area in the brain that tells the body it is feeling full," said Rarback.
Avocados are also rich in potassium, which regulates kidney function and blood pressure, and folate, a B vitamin that helps the body produce and maintain new cells.
For a mid-morning or afternoon snack, halve a small avocado and remove the pit. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Hard-Boiled Egg

With just 80 calories, one protein-packed hard-boiled egg can curb your appetite for hours. In a study published in the June 2010 issue of "Appetite," participants reported higher levels of satiety and satisfaction three to four hours after eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate breakfast than after a low-protein, high-carb meal.
"Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, so it provides longer satiety and sustained energy levels," said Garcia.
Convenient to eat, one hard-boiled egg takes about 10 minutes to make -- three minutes to achieve a hard boil, then seven minutes to sit covered. Boil a batch on Sunday and store them in the fridge for up to a week. When it's time to enjoy one, sprinkle it with paprika, pepper and salt, then squeeze a bit of lemon juice on it to taste.

Blueberries

After lunch, treat yourself to a cup of blueberries topped with low-fat whipped cream. At just 80 calories per cup and no fat, blueberries will sharpen your focus for the rest of the afternoon.
In a Tufts University study published in the January 2010 issue of "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," rats fed blueberries over a period of four months performed better on tests for memory and mental alertness. Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant-rich foods, explains Rarback. Their compounds fight free radical damage and trigger the growth of new brain cells.
Or you might consider switching your afternoon coffee to a glass of blueberry juice. In a study published in the April 2010 issue of the same journal, people with age-related memory problems performed better on learning and memory tests than the control group after drinking blueberry juice every day for two months.

Dark Chocolate

If your afternoon workday collapse is accompanied by stress, reach for a piece of dark chocolate, which triggers the release of endorphins that will pick up your mood. Serotonin, the calming neurotransmitter, is also affected by chocolate, Rarback says.
Rich in flavonoids, these pieces of decadence have antioxidant power that helps resist cell damage caused by free radicals, and according to a study published in the June 2010 issue of "BMC Medicine," dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure.
But snack in a serving-controlled manner. Limit yourself to only one or two dark chocolate drops or squares, advised Garcia.

Citrus Fruits

When you're about ready to doze off at your desk, smell an orange. Sniffing citrus scents can stimulate alertness, according to research published in the November 2003 issue of "Experimental Biology and Medicine."
Then eat the fruit. Its natural sugars are digested within 30 minutes, providing quick and enduring energy.
"Fruits contain fiber and other complex carbohydrates that provide more lasting energy than eating candy with no fiber," said Elizabeth Ward, registered dietitian and author of "MyPlate for Moms, How to Feed Yourself & Your Family Better."
Furthermore, eating half of a grapefruit before a meal can help you lose weight, says a Scripps Clinic study published in the spring 2006 issue of "Journal of Medicinal Food."
Enjoy grapefruit by cutting it in half, scooping out the flesh and topping the grapefruit sections with a half-cup of cottage cheese


www.livestrong.com

Find Your Motivation

Find Your Motivation
A young man climbing up a rock wall at the gym. Photo Credit Ramonespelt/iStock/Getty Images

Overview

Though they may have you subconsciously biting your nails, lighting up after lunch or grabbing one more fistful of fries, your bad habits didn't start out bad. There was motivation behind them.
"All habits -- even bad habits -- start out as true friends. They help, or helped, us deal with something," said Meg Selig, a counselor and author of "Changepower! 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success." 
Many habits help us regulate our moods, she says, so changing could leave us without a way to feel good.
When you "want" chocolate to "feel better," for example, you don't really want chocolate.
"You want a dopamine release," said Marie-Josee Shaar, founder of Smarts and Stamina in Pennsylvania.
Dopamine is a chemical that makes you feel good, and chocolate helps your body release it. That good feeling is the motivation behind your craving. But if you can find another way to get the dopamine -- through sleep, exercise or interaction -- you can satisfy the craving without the calories, Shaar says. (See the sidebar "Get What You Really Want" for more on this.)
Tell yourself that mistakes are just a part of change. Begin talking to yourself like your own best friend rather than your worst enemy.
- Meg Selig, counselor and author of "Changepower! 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success"

Motivation is the driving force behind our bad habits, so tap into yours and use it to form new, good habits. By identifying what you want and how you'll get it, you can shape new behaviors that, with a little practice, will become as routine as your bad habits ever were.

Find Your "Why" to Get Motivated

When performing interviews with weight-loss research subjects, Joanna Buscemi is not only interested in what people want to change, but also in what they don't want to change.
"If they're fine with how many vegetables they're eating, then I'm not going to harp on them about that," said the psychology researcher and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Memphis.
Instead, Buscemi says, she focuses on things that her subjects want to change and helps them find motivators. And these motivators can stem from any number of influences, not only from the positive things we see.
"People can also be motivated by wanting to avoid pain," said Selig. "I quit smoking because I had a beloved aunt who couldn't quit and died from lung cancer."
Selig kicked her habit to avoid the pain of cancer and to prolong her life. The motivators you find should be specific to you, she says, and make you want something positive for yourself. Instead of "I don't want to die," choose a statement like "If I quit smoking, I'll have a good, long life."
Once you've found a motivator, staying amped up can be challenging. People who want to make a change "are very motivated, but that motivation is teetering on the brink of collapse," said Jared Meacham, owner and personal training director at Precision Body Designs in Covington, Louisiana. 
You can strengthen faltering motivations, though, with quickly noticeable results. Set an easy, short-term starter goal to give yourself an early boost, Meacham suggests. Choose a one- or two-week mark, and pick something very attainable: Reduce your fast-food consumption by one meal per week or increase your workouts by one session per week. Use your success with the smaller step to get pumped for the next, bigger step.

Be Specific and Realistic About What You Want

Think back to the chocolate mentioned earlier. When you're craving chocolate, you know specifically what you want. You don't want candy. You don't want sugar or even just a treat. You want chocolate.
But when we resolve to make changes, we're rarely this specific. We want to "lose weight" or "eat less junk food" or "exercise more." And such vague goals are problem No. 1, says Selig.
"You have to know how you'll know when you've succeeded," she said, adding that a good goal is a "S.M.A.R.T." goal. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for "specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely," and the first two in the list are the most crucial. Creating a measurable outcome -- losing 20 lbs, drinking two fewer sodas a week or going to the gym three times per week -- makes your goal as specific as your craving.
How do you choose an attainable measurement for success? Start by analyzing and recording where you are now, says Buscemi.
If you'd like to drink fewer soft drinks or visit the gym more, she suggests spending some time recording how much or how little you're performing these behaviors now to set more realistic targets. If you're drinking four sodas per day, for example, cutting back to three per week is probably too ambitious at the start.
"If you're not exercising at all, don't go straight to seven days per week," she advised.
Turning your larger goal into smaller, bite-sized steps will help you reach the bigger outcome.
"I work with the client to focus on very short-term outcomes, to inch them forward," Meacham said. The smaller goals build to larger goals and can have a domino effect.

Figure Out How You'll Do It

"Studies show that when people start engaging in healthy behaviors, they're likely to engage in other healthy behaviors," Selig said.
But be aware: You are going to fail and falter along the path to your big goal. Everyone does; it's inevitable. But dealing with these small failures properly is the key to lasting change, Selig says. 
"Change your self-talk from discouraging to encouraging," she said. If you fall off the diet wagon and double up on dessert, don't beat yourself up and consider the day a waste. Instead, Selig suggests telling yourself "that mistakes are just a part of change. I'm not going to make matters worse by overdoing it for the rest of the day. Begin talking to yourself like your own best friend rather than your worst enemy."
Even friends can make us trip up, offering temptations to slip. Be ready with a plan of how you want to react, advises Shaar, and rehearse it.
"Be ready with what you'll say: 'No thanks, I'm good' or 'I don't want to feel bloated,'" she said. Rehearsing the exact words you'll use will help keep you from fumbling or clamming up when faced with an enticing offer.
"The other benefit is that it tells other people that you're someone that doesn't overeat," said Shaar. "They won't be prompting you as much in the future."
Sharing your goal with certain friends can help you stay on track, too, Selig says.
"Telling other people will help hold you accountable. They'll give you support, and it gets your pride into it in a good way -- you don't want to have to tell them you didn't exercise this week," she said. "But be selective. Tell the people who can really help you, rather than those who can undermine you."

Practice Any Way You Can

Turning a behavior into a subconscious habit can take a while -- about 66 days on average, Selig says, but up to 250 days for a more complex habit.
You get there with practice -- and not always in a direct way. If you're trying to avoid junk food, for example, you can make the behavior stick better by finding other ways to practice the habit, says Shaar.
"Speak your resolution, write your goals and visualize yourself doing it," she said.
Find creative ways to reinforce your goal. Make a text version of the goal, for example, and use it as the screensaver on your computer. 
Or change your password. "Instead of the name of your spouse, use 'sexy2011,'" said Shaar, "because you want to be sexier in 2011. You're reinforcing it: 'I'm a healthy person. I'm an active person.'"

www.livestrong.com

Evaluating innovation diffusion readiness among architectural and engineering design firms: Empirical evidence from Australia

Published Date
November 2012, Vol.27:5059, doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2012.05.009

Title 
Evaluating innovation diffusion readiness among architectural and engineering design firms: Empirical evidence from Australia
  • Author 
  • Kriengsak Panuwatwanich ,
  • Rodney A. Stewart 
  • Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland 4222, Australia

Effect of applying rhizobacteria and fertilizer on the growth of Ludwigia octovalvis for arsenic uptake and accumulation in phytoremediation

Published Date
September 2013, Vol.58:303313, doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.07.018
Open Access, Creative Commons license

Title 
Effect of applying rhizobacteria and fertilizer on the growth of Ludwigia octovalvis for arsenic uptake and accumulation in phytoremediation 
  • Author 
  • Harmin Sulistiyaning Titah a,b,d,,,,
  • Siti Rozaimah Sheikh Abdullah a,
  • Idris Mushrifah c
  • Nurina Anuar a
  • Hassan Basri b
  • Muhammad Mukhlisin b
  • aDepartment of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • bDepartment of Civil and Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • cTasik Chini Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • dDepartment of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), 60111 Keputih, Sukolilo, Surabaya, Indonesia

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