vitamin D – Secure Healthcare Solutions

We all understand that being a registered general nurse is a job that can be very demanding at times, by doing long hours, changing shift patterns and dealing with endless number of patients with different needs. Achieving the ideal work-life balance is something that we all strive to achieved, particularly when you are in a profession that involves putting the needs of other before your own.

Research carried out by the health and safety executive indicates that 9 in 10 registered general nurses in the healthcare sector admit feeling more stressed and anxious. This is why it is important to put in place ways that will help you maintain a steady work-life balance. There are various different ways to accomplish a positive work-life balance. Below are a few helpful tips to inspire you and encourage you to achieve a better work-life balance.

Excercise
When you have had a busy day on the ward, it is important that you exercise to improve your mental and physical well-being. Exercise allows you to release any built-up stress and allows you to focus on something aside from work. This allows you to detach yourself from stresses experienced during the day. When you have finished your shifts, it is best to schedule exercise straight after work, this could be doing a workout at the gym, after your shift, completing a home workout or going on a run. It is important to ensure routine of exercising at least three times a week to take your mind off things and help you relax. Switching off from work is important to reduce stress and take your mind off things.

Balanced Diet
When doing long shift patterns and working a lot of days, having a balanced diet can be difficult to fit in, however it is important that you are feeding your body with nutrients to ensure your body feels energised. This will help you care for patients and during your days off, you will feel more refreshed to undertake other activities and spend time with loved ones. It is important to eat a healthy balanced diet that is full of vitamins, protein and having the right amount of fats and carbohydrates to keep you energised throughout the day.

Undertake a hobby
During your time away from work, it is important to undertake a hobby to take your mind off things. If it important to discover something your passionate about doing, you may have to try a few things before finding something that you really enjoy. Examples of this could include, ice skating, painting, swimming, painting, yoga and much more.

Socialise
During your time out of work it is important to socialise with friends and family, it could be spending time on video call or going out for shopping or a meal to take your mind off work stresses. This is likely to put you in positive moods by treating yourself, friends and family.

We are a nursing agency in Wolverhampton and we have many registered nurse jobs across the Midlands and Staffordshire, offering flexible shifts to suit your availability and we offer high rates of pay. Check out our job search tool to discover roles local to you or contact our recruitment team on 0121 285 9449 to find out more about our registered general nurse, registered learning disability and registered mental nurse roles to secure, and secure a role with us today. We have a team of specialist nurses and we are continuously looking to grow our team by working with you.

We are celebrating nutrition and hydration week to highlight the importance of nutrition and hydration within the healthcare sector.

Nutrition and hydration are very important, particularly for the older generation. Not consuming enough food and not being hydrated can cause fragile skin and bones, dizziness, headaches and feel weak, increased risk of infections, falls, kidney problems, and many other problems.

It essential that we provide our patients a nutritious well-balanced diet and ensure our patients are hydrated on a consistent basis, our healthcare staff ensures our patients healthy and energized.

Secure healthcare work closely with chefs at care/nursing homes and home care patients to assist and support to ensure individuals receive nutritious tasty meals and make sure our patients are hydrated.

It is important to have a well-balanced diet that is nutritious and that you remain hydrated, as your long term health is likely to be impacted if you are not doing this, whether that is if you are not eating enough or if you are eating fatty foods such as pizza, cheese, fast food meals, etc. Having a well-balanced nutritious diet and staying hydrated will ensure you are energized throughout the day and you will be much healthier.

The British Nutrition Foundation highlights that one-third of our diet should be made up of fruit and vegetables. A portion of fruit and vegetables is 80grams and it is important to have 5 portions to contribute towards your 5-a-day.

Fruit and vegetables are important to contribute towards your vitamins and minerals, to ensure a healthy well-balanced diet, and reduce nutritional deficiencies. Fruit can be a good way to start your day, eating a banana full of, high in sugar and fiber will give you great morning energy, also it vital to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day to ensure you have a nutritious diet.

High fiber fruit and vegetables are good for the digestive system, to remove waste more efficiently. Eating a diet with fiber can reduce blood cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease, bowel cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Click here to find out more about different fruit and vegetables nutritious information

Protein

Is it essential that you have a diet that has your daily protein intake to fuel your energy and to help you repair your body cells and make new ones? For adults it is recommended to take an average of 0.8g of protein per kilogram body weight per day, for example, if you weigh 75kg, you would need 60grams of protein per day. If you work out having 20-30grams of extra protein after workout out is important, to repair your muscles.

Some high protein foods per (100g) include: Chicken breast (28g), Salmon (20g), Cheese (25g), Red lentils (7.6g), Chickpeas (8.4g), Oatmeal (11.2g), Almonds (21.1g)

Hydrate your body

Ensure that your drink enough water throughout the day to make sure you are hydrated. Hot drinks often tend to cause dehydration, therefore it is important that you drink water throughout the day. In the UK it is recommended that adults have 1600ml of fluid (women) and 2000ml of fluid (men), approximately 6-8 glasses a day. For those that do not drink enough, you will feel dehydrated, you will become thirsty, urine will become darker in colour, and will notice a stronger smell, you may also experience headaches, feeling dizzy and tired, and finding it difficult to concentrate.

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins required throughout the year for the human body to feel energized throughout the year. This vitamin relies on a large amount of exposure to sunlight and is known as the sunshine vitamin. The limited sunshine in the UK results in a lot of the UK being deficient in vitamin D, particularly during the winter months, also the BAME community is at increased risk of lower levels of vitamin D, as darker skin absorbs far less vitamin D than lighter skin.

The main factors likely to increase being affected by Vitamin D deficiency include:

Living in a country where there is a limited amount of sun exposure all year round
Having darker skin, less likely to absorb vitamin D
Spending a lot of time indoors
Lacking a diet rich in vitamin D foods
Being Obese
Elderly

Approximately 1 in 5 people have low vitamin D in the UK. There have been several studies reported that those who lack vitamin D are more likely to experience more severe Covid 19 symptoms. Studies carried out indicate that individuals lacking vitamin D are more likely to die with Covid 19. It is particularly important for individuals low in Vitamin D to take vitamin supplements and eat foods rich in vitamin D.

Symptoms of low Vitamin D

Bone and muscle pain
Fatigue and tiredness
Hair Loss
Reoccurring bacterial and viral infections
Feeling depressed and mood changes

What to do if you feel you have Vitamin D deficiency?

If you are experiencing the symptoms mentioned above and you feel you have a vitamin D deficiency, we strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor to arrange a blood test to check your vitamin D levels.

The NHS recommends adults take a vitamin supplement throughout the year. The recommended dosage is 400 IU (10ug per day), as it not possible to achieve sufficient levels of vitamin D through a diet alone. If your vitamin D level is very low, your doctor is likely to write you a stronger dose of vitamin D.

Fair-skinned people should spend 15-20 minutes per day in the sun, particularly in the spring and summer, to avoid vitamin D deficiency all year, during the winter period vitamin D will from coming from your diet and vitamin D supplements.

Darker-skinned people’s exposure to sunlight should be 20-40 minutes due to being unable to absorb sunlight as effectively as lighter skin colors.
Food which contains vitamin D includes:

Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout

Red meat
Cod liver oil
Orange Juice
Egg Yolks
Fortified cereals, dairy, and milk
Mushrooms

Secure Healthcare Solutions recommends to find out more about vitamin D deficiency, visit the NHS using the link below.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/