Bone Health Update

Osteoporosis is no longer considered an old person’s disease. At age 4o bone mass begins to dramatically decrease. The good news? Simple lifestyle changes you make now can keep your skeleton strong.

1. THE DYNAMIC DUO calcium and vitamin D are the dream team that helps prevent osteoporosis and debilitating fractures. Found in dairy products, the mineral calcium increases bone density, while vitamin D, which the body produces in response to sunlight, helps with calcium absorption. Unfortunately, most women don’t get enough of either nutrient, so ask your doctor about supplements.
Experts recommend a daily dose of 1,000 to 1,400 mg of calcium and 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D.

2. THE PERFECT PAIRING by forcing your skeleton to work harder, weight-bearing exercises help strengthen your bones, says Deena Goodman, a physical therapist in Los Angeles. So in addition to trying to squeeze in 30 minutes of walking on most days, do these easy exercises three times a week:

Sit-to-stand

• Sit upright in a chair, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Push your heels into the ground and stand up slowly, back straight, without using your arms.
• Stand for one second, then gradually lower your body back to the sitting position (again, no hands).
• Repeat this simple up-and-down motion 10 times.

Step up

• Standing, place your right foot on a curb, the bottom step of a staircase or a sturdy footstool.
• Then, lift your left foot onto the step too.
• Step back down, leading with your left foot.
• Repeat 10 times, and then do reps starting with your left foot.

3. A COUPLE OF SNACKS lean proteins and whole grains are key to a healthy diet, but they’re usually highly Acidic – and excess acid breaks down bone. To maintain a balance, bulk up on fruits and veggies, which contain alkaline compounds (the opposite of acids).

Source: Jane Bianchi, Family Circle May 2009

PS: There are two delicious fruit and veggie recipes that can be used as 2 of the 5 daily servings. If interested, send us an e-mail to receive the recipes.

Unique Conference Inspires Nurses

Source: INOVA Inside Edition July 2007

Earlier this year, a special gathering of nurses took place locally that brought Iranian nurses from several countries and many states together to celebrate their unique bond and shared commitment to nursing. Organized by Inova's own Simin Hayati, RN, MSN, and a fellow graduate of National Iranian Oil Company School of Nursing (NIOC-SON), Nooshin Javan, RN, MSN, the conference goals included reuniting graduates from the school to renew the spirit for the nursing profession and its service to humanity, while also remembering the school where the received degrees, which was destroyed during wartime.

This spring's gathering was the second time Iranian nurses gathered together, following the inaugural reunion event in April 2005 involving the school's alumni. This year's event did not restrict attendance to school ties, but was open to any Iranian nurse. The conference captured the attention of Nursing Spectrum magazine and parts of the speaker's remarks were even broadcast by Voice of America and heard around the world!

You may recognize Simin as the author of the poem "Nurses are Beautiful," which has been shared with many audiences, including the attendees of the annual Edelman conference for Inova nurses held during Nurses Week. Simin has been a nurse for 43 years and has spent 18 with Inova - most recently in case management. Her words are inspiring and the poem is excerpted below:

A Trip to Abadan Above The Clouds

Download High Quality (145 KB)

The History of Nursing in Iran

This book is not available at the moment but it is ready for publication.

Inova Nurses Organizes Unusual Reunion

Source: INOVA Inside Edition, July 2005

When Inova VNA Home Health nurse Simin Hayati set out to organize a reunion of her fellow nursing school graduates, she faced a daunting task. For this was no ordinary reunion.

Hayati is a graduate of the National Iranian Oil Company School if Nurses (NOIC), an Iranian nursing school that was destroyed during the Iran-Iraq war. She and her schoolmate Nooshin Java, a nurse-mentor who runs the nurse retention program for Dimensions Healthcare System in Maryland, spent six months tracking down NOIC graduates around the world. In April, more than 85 nurses from 10 countries, ranging in age from 30 to 80, gathered in Las Vegas to share memories, honor colleagues and celeberate the joy of finding one another again.

"This was an amazing thing," says Hayati, who is grateful for Inova's support as she worked with javan to organize the reunion. "Locating these nurses took many months of hard work, We were thrilled so many could attend."