Exercise and Nutrition – What’s More Important Than Breakfast?

***This post was written by friend and former coworker Jason Goodwin, an experienced personal trainer and current nutritionist student in California......I'll go ahead and assume he knows what the hell he's talking about.......***

A healthy diet and nutrition has been forever focused on breakfast being key to your daily performance and eating habits. You have hear it over and over again, read it everywhere, and been asked about it time and time again by trainers and nutritionists who work with you – Breakfast. What are you eating, when and why? They will tell you how breakfast is the single most important meal of the day.

These exercise and nutrition professionals will tell you how you have to have it to get your metabolism jump-started after a 7-8 hour sleepy slow down, and that eating breakfast will assist you in potentially losing weight through the day. It is true that skipping breakfast is a bad idea, especially if it forces you to over-feed at lunch or dinner. Assuming a lunch at noon and dinner at 8:00 the night before, one will have gone up to 16 hours without a meal if they pass on breakfast. On a regular basis this is detrimental to your weight as well as your mental and behavioral functions. I do advocate starvation practices over the short term and on a planned and infrequent basis, but as a way of life well, we have to eat.

Breakfast Is A Must To Jump-Start Your Metabolism

While skipping breakfast can cause you to eat more than normal at your following meals and can lead to unhealthy snacking and craving, this does not make it the most important meal of your day. Being the intense, weight training, fit, fighting machine, that you are – the most important you eat each day is the first meal immediately after your vigorous workout! This is the key to exercise nutrition.

‘Post Workout Nutrition’ is an important practice that has to be done correctly to maximize all of your time and effort in the gym. Feeding those starving muscles the correct ingredients and at the right time can help trigger recovery and muscle growth to ensure you build the most muscle possible. And as we have hammered home in previous articles, more muscle burns more calories and fat!



Too many people spend too much time in the gym, training with intensity, yet failing to show much or any progress even after a year of training. Many times the culprit is not the exercise or effort, but rather it is the timing of nutrients and nutrition after your session. Immediately after training your body is still breaking down muscle (catabolic), not building new muscle fibers, and this process has to be halted and changed to an anabolic (muscle building) state as quickly as possible. Exercise depletes your carbohydrate reserves and protein structures at the muscular level, these must be replenished right away, as your body sends the message to “recover”. Recovery happens when the body is fed the right macronutrients at the right time, coupled with the required rest.

Proper Post Workout Nutrition Maximizes Your Ability to Build Muscle

In order to feed those starving muscles you want to use the hormone insulin to your advantage as it will hammer home all those valuable nutrients directly to your ripe and ready muscles. Eating sufficient carbohydrates is what triggers this insulin spike, so a post-workout meal full of carbohydrates and fast digesting protein is essential. Insulin will shuttle the protein and carbs to your muscles leading to replenished energy stores and moves the amino acids in protein to the muscles where recovery and muscle growth occurs.

A guideline to follow for healthy nutrition and exercise recovery is 1 gram of carbohydrates and roughly 0.4 gram of protein for every kilogram you weigh, again, use this as a guideline because finding your own way is the best approach. Post workout fat intake should be kept low because the insulin spike we purposely create with carb consumption is going to send most of these nutrients into storage (carbs for glycogen and protein for repair) and we need this to happen quickly. Fat slows absorption, which means the nutrients will take longer to get to their desired destination.

Finally, your first meal after your strenuous workout should be immediately after exercise when the muscles are primed for compensation. It has been proven that a meal within 1 hour (within 45 minutes is best) of exercise is far more beneficial than one consumed 3 hours after a workout. This is why a fast digesting whey protein shake with easily digested carbohydrates is so helpful.

Your post workout nutrition is the most important of the entire day, every day, it is the difference between muscles growing or muscles being broken down. More muscle burns more calories even at rest so more fat is burned daily. Yes, please eat your healthy breakfast every day, but missing your post workout meal can be damaging.

Pharmacy Tech Certification In Bakersfield - PTCB

PTCB certifications are issued by the PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board), this is the national organization that creates the board exam which you will sit for after training.

There are two parts to PTCB certifications and to being a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT):

1. Pharmacy technicians must sit for and pass the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE). Once a pharmacy technician has passed the exam, he or she may use the designation of CPhT.
2. To continue to hold certification, a CPhT is required to obtain twenty hours of continuing education for recertification within two years of original certification or previous recertification.

Some important points to note regarding PTCB certifications are:

• Exam schedules - PTCB certification-s exam is given 3 times a year in MARCH, JULY & NOVEMBER.
• Application fee – $120
• Continuing education – Must complete 20 hrs every 2 years before license renewal, make sure to keep a record of completed ce (continuing education) credits for each year.
• Eligibility – Candidate must have a HS diploma or GED and never have been convicted of a felony, however, there may be certain cases where the PTCB may make an exception, contact them for more information.
• Exam format – 140 multiple-choice questions. Fifteen of the 140 questions are pre-test questions and will not count toward your final score. However, there is no way to know which questions are pre-test questions and therefore you should answer every single question within the allotted time if you can.
• Exam questions - Questions may cover all aspects of pharmacy and if you recall I mentioned on the checklist that good pharmacy tech courses should cover most aspects of pharmacy.
• Reexamination – The PTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination) may be taken by eligible candidates as many times as needed to earn a passing score. A new application including appropriate documentation and $120 in fees must be submitted each time to the PES (Professional Examination Service). This is an agency that conducts testing on behalf of the PTCB.
• Passing score – if you receive a score of 650 or greater then you’ve passed the exam.

Once you pass the exam the board will issue a license in your name and you will then be able to use the credentials “Cpht” (Certified Pharmacy Technician), it is these credentials that employers want to see when they make their hiring decisions.

A point to note is that not all states require a pharmacy technician to be certified in order to work in a pharmacy BUT regardless of the state’s requirement most employers may only hire pharmacy technicians that are certified or are in the process of becoming certified or are in training to become certified.

Pharmacy Tech Programs Bakersfield Ca - Why Take The PTCE?

Uncertified techs may become a liability if they are not experienced and may not possess the necessary pharmaceutical knowledge in order to function efficiently within the pharmacy team. This could give rise to lawsuits towards the company if, for example, the wrong medication gets dispensed to patients. There can also be other medication errors of which the uncertified tech is a cause of.

Completion of one of the accredited Pharmacy Tech Programs Bakersfield Ca qualifies the student to sit for the PTCB certification exam. So, certification is essential and sooner or later states that do not have PTCB certifications requirement will adopt them.  Also, if you’re certified you may very well start at a higher salary than someone that isn’t.
The PTCB has created a candidates guidebook to certification that can be downloaded for free from their site HERE. This guide will cover the above points in detail and will also have contact info for the PTCB.

Bloodeborne Pathogen Training In Bakersfield Ca

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious micro-organisms that can cause disease and may be found in blood or other body fluids. Bakersfield-area healthcare workers can learn how to safeguard themselves and others against bloodborne pathogens as part of the American Heart Association's Bloodborne Pathogens course. Such training modules can address appropriate policies and procedures for safe dealing with bloodborne pathogens and other bio-hazardous materials.

Dangers of Bloodborne Pathogens

Exposure to bloodborne pathogens can cause a person to become infected with serious diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Medical professionals are at particular risk to exposure to bloodborne pathogens due to the nature of their work.

Risks to Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers and Bakersfield nursing students on clinical rotation may be exposed to blood and other potentially infectious bio-hazard materials, such as human tissue and body fluids, on a daily basis. Blood should always be considered potentially infectious and handled accordingly. Bloodborne pathogens can be passed along via a prick or cut to a person’s skin or exposure to a mucous membrane. Such exposure can be the result of an accidental jab from a needle or cut from contaminated medical waste.

Prevention of Exposure

The health threats presented by bloodborne pathogens are very real. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all workplaces develop a bloodborne pathogen exposure control plan. Such plans call for details on instituted employee protection measures and what to do if exposure occurs. For healthcare workers who may regularly come into contact with bloodborne pathogens, it is important to learn how to properly handle and dispose of medical waste. It is also important for employees to be aware of what personal protective equipment might be recommended to help safeguard against bloodborne pathogens.

Medical Assistant Programs In Bakersfield Ca

What Is A Certified Medical Assistant?

Doctors do not perform all the basic tasks related to the medical, administrative and surgical procedures, due to the constraints of time and other obligations. Thus for most, medical and administrative tasks they use the support of a medical assistant. A Medical assistant is a professional who performs routine tasks that are necessary for the proper functioning of health care offices. This includes patient care like measuring a patient’s vital signs, maintaining health records and up keep of various medical instruments. The work can be broadly divided into three categories:

General medical assisting: This includes effectively communicating with the patient and being well versed with various medical terminologies.

Administrative medical assisting: Administrative assisting can involve work in the health insurance sector or with financial bookkeeping required for a public or private hospital.

Clinical medical assisting: This usually involves intensive training and is very important in complementing the work of a health care department. It includes sterilization, maintenance of medical instruments, measuring a patient’s vital signs, and being able to obtain samples for various pathological procedures like blood test.

Steps Necessary To Become A Certified Medical Assistant In Kern County

MA's are required to complete one of the Medical Assistant programs in Bakersfield Ca that takes a year to complete or they may even complete an associate degree medical assistant courses that takes two years. Formal medical assistant training is highly recommended and most accredited programs do offer internships and training. The internship may be within a hospital setting or a general physician’s office. There isn’t any medical assistance licensing requirement, however certain states require them to pass a certain test before they can perform certain procedures like X-ray testing.

Medical Assistant Training Schools In Kern County

Qualification includes only a high school diploma. But a formal education through medical assistant schools or sometimes medical assistant classes is preferred. There are various medical assistant training programs that are offered by vocational schools, community colleges and universities. These programs are usually a yearlong for a certificate course, while associate degree programs may extend up to two years. Accreditation Bureau of Health Education Schools and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs are the two recognized agencies that provide accreditation to medical assistance programs in the country. It is advised to check for accreditation through either of these agencies before applying for any diploma or degree programs. After competing either of the programs assistants can take certificate exam for CMA. CMAs are usually preferred by employers over other applying assistants.

Job Opportunities For Certified Medical Assistants

Employment opportunities for Medical Assistants in Kern County are expected to grow at a rapid rate due to the growth of healthcare sector and due to an aging population. Outpatient settings have also grown in number in the past few years, and this trend is expected to continue. Since, medical assistants work mostly in these setting the job prospects are expected to get better as time passes. In such a scenario medical assistants with a good education, training background and certification can expect good medical assistant jobs offers coming their way. A Medical Assistant salary lies in the range of $29,000 to $37,000 annually.

Hours Worked As A Back Office MA Now Count Towards Physician Assistant Clinical Hours Worked

Some Physician Assistant Programs require a minimum of 3000 hours of clinical work. In past years, this was typically restricted to nursing and hands-on hospital clinical care. The Stanford Physician Assistant Program, which has a Kern County satellite program in Bakersfield, now counts hours worked as a back office medical assistant towards their 3000 hour minimum clinical hours prerequisite.

What Is A Nurse Practitioner?

Advanced Practice Nursing

A nurse practitioner is, in essence, an advanced registered nurse. An NP has completed all of the necessary education and training to become a registered nurse, but has gone on to achieve an advanced degree and completed a residency, much like a physician does, in the field of his or her choice. While the education process is more involved and requires a greater time commitment, choosing this path has a variety of advantages to you as the medical professional and to your prospective patients.

Greater Job Opportunities

The job outlook for advanced practice nurses is very bright. There is a continuing demand for nurses, and as this is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. As the medical field continues to change and grow, the role of nurse practitioners has become a very important one. Because of their advanced education, nurse practitioners can take on many of the duties and responsibilities which were once limited only to physicians. This means that as an NP, you can enjoy a fulfilling career in a hospital or doctor’s office with more responsibilities and a greater degree of autonomy than you will have experienced as an RN. Most hospitals and clinics, as well as many ambulatory units and physician’s offices are adding nurse practitioners to their staffs and relying more and more heavily on them, creating even more job security in the field.

Choose Your Specialty

As a licensed nurse practitioner in the field of your choice, you can drive your career in the direction that best suits you. Neonatal nurse practitioners specialize in the care and treatment of newborns, while family nurse practitioners focus on diagnosis, wellness, and disease prevention from the arena of family practice. Other Nurse Practitioner specialties range from child and adult acute care to oncology and anesthesiology, and everything in between. When you choose your nursing program, whether you are starting from the beginning or returning to school as a registered nurse, you will have the opportunity to make decisions about the focus of your training.

Boost Your Income

The average salary for an experienced registered nurse is around $68,000 per year, nationally. Nurse practitioners, depending on specialty average $89,000, up to $100,000 per year or more. Your long term employment will more than pay for the schooling required to make the jump from one to the other. Why the disparity between salaries? The higher level of education achieved by the nurse practitioner allows him or her to treat patients independently in many cases. This means that he or she has the ability to see patients, make diagnoses, and provide treatment without the direct oversight of the physician. This ability to see and care for patients in the place of a physician at certain times greatly amplifies the value in the work place.

Choose Your Venue

The use of nurse practitioners has become commonplace in a variety of different environments, so you can choose the career that you find most rewarding. You will find nurse practitioners in almost every department of most large and small hospitals. Public health clinics make use of nurse practitioners as a money saving alternative to bringing on more doctors. Physician’s offices hire nurse practitioners to handle the overflow of patients that often prevent physicians from keeping track of their appointments in a timely manner. For example, an emergency appointment in a pediatrician office for an ear infection or a fever can be handled by the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, rather than a Pediatrician.

The Advantages To The Facility

It is an advantageous move for a hospital or clinic to offer employment to nurse practitioners to supplement their staff of physicians. Much of the care provided by a nurse practitioner can be done at a lower cost because the hourly cost of physicians is far higher than that of a nurse practitioner. A strategic mix of physicians and NP’s adds up to a wise and frugal way to offer excellent care to the patients of the facility.

Additionally, public health clinics, which often see more cases of influenza, strep throat, and the like than anything else can function far more economically without sacrificing a high level of care to their patients by employing nurse practitioners. A family nurse practitioner can provide much of the necessary diagnosis and treatment care that a physician can, at a lower cost.

The Advantages To The Patient

If they are not properly educated, patients may feel unsure about their feelings toward nurse practitioners, simply because they are not doctors. However, a nurse practitioner is well trained and is able to administer excellent care, and when a doctor’s office or hospital floor is staffed with an NP or two, the patient can count on prompt, timely care because they do not have to wait for a physician to become available. The practice of using nurse practitioners can also bring down the total cost of a hospital stay or procedure.

Online LVN Schools In California

The BVNPT's Stance on Online LVN Schools In California

California's Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) recently put out ANOTHER disclaimer on unapproved LVN programs. There's still tons of fly-by-night programs claiming to be accredited LVN programs. BVNPT has been dealing with this issue for many years, but they still have people attempting to sit for the NCLEX after finishing one of these programs. These programs claim proper accreditation, but accredited by who? It simply comes down to: if you pay for and complete an "online" course, it WILL NOT be accepted by BVNPT. Every once in a while I have someone coming through my Bakersfield shop talking about their plans to take one of these Online LVN Schools In California.

The latest cutsie little trick is to take one of these online courses that a State other than California will accept. So, for instance, a student will take either an online or "blended" LVN program in South Dakota, and get licensed in that State. Then, the person attempts to "challenge" the Boards in California. This is one of the pathways pitched to unsuspecting students by these "Online" schools. BVNPT has already caught onto this trick, and even if another State took the "Online" degree, California STILL won't accept it. So, with the average tuition for these online LVN programs running close to 30K, trying to get around BVNPT's firm stance on "Online" programs will leave you 30K lighter. You may have a degree suitable for framing, but you won't be getting licensed. Slowly but surely, the workarounds out there are being shut down by California's LVN Board.

The easiest way of dealing with this problem is to simply go to the Board's website HERE, and you'll find a list of the approved LVN programs in California. As more & more California Community Colleges tighten their LVN to RN Bridge program requirements, and the LVN scope of practice is narrowed, the value of an LVN license in California is already decreasing dramatically. These online scams are just adding fuel to the fire.

EMT Training In Bakersfield Ca

The Bakersfield College EMT program is a 7.5 unit course.

Every State requires all (volunteer, professional) Emergency Medical Technicians to be certified. Some States & Counties give their own certification tests in order to make sure their EMS personnel are well-prepared. Some states require a registration with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). In order to be able to do your job as an EMT, you need to stay current with recertification every two years, in addition to CEU's. Schools and employers who offer EMT training in Bakersfield Ca must receive approval from the County of Kern Emergency Medical Services Department. Some standards are clearly set forth, such as the length of any EMT program. Kern EMS mandates training of no less than 152 hours, 24 of which must be clinical hours in a hospital or pre-hospital setting. The EMT training programs are specialized in injury assessment and in treating heart attacks, respiratory distress, broken bones, severe bleeding, acute complications of diabetes, and other medical emergencies. In addition to the coursework, the students practice what they've learned, either in a hospital, or in a pre-hospital setting. The equipment in the training sessions usually includes backboards, stretchers, braces, oxygen tanks and splints. In order for students to successfully complete an EMT certification program, they have to pass both a written and a practical exam, which has to be supervised by NREMT. If a student wants to promote and to receive additional EMT training, he/she needs to take the first step of completing the EMT-Basic certification first.

EMT-Intermediate

For EMT-Intermediate, there two options available: EMT-Cardiac and Shock Trauma. The first part of the training program consists of learning how to administer several medicines. In the next part, they learn how to administer cardiac medication and how to analyze cardiac arrhythmias. In the EMT-Intermediate training program, students usually receive 50 hours or so of extra training. The EMT-Intermediate training is not recognized in all States. In California, for example, EMT-Intermediate is no longer recognized. Over the past decade or so, the trend seems to be moving away from Intermediate training. In Kern County, the Bakersfield College EMT program remains the most popular program. At 7.5 units, the program provides a good introduction to EMS, and employment opportunities for new EMT's remains strong. Bakersfield Memorial and Hall's Ambulance are a couple of the larger employers of new EMT's in Kern County.