by Sarah Jividen | Nov 20, 2019 | Food, Nurse Health Tips, Nurse Life
*This post about diet plans for nurses contains affiliate links.
Written by Adela Ellis, RN, BSN
In theory, dieting is an easy concept. After all, it’s merely a process of eating less and exercising more to achieve a calorie deficit that allows us to reduce body fat, right?
Anyone who has dieted, however, will tell you just how challenging it is to stick to that seemingly simple plan, and for nurses, adhering to a diet on a hectic schedule can seem nearly impossible.
For nurses, finding the time for regular meals on alternating night and day shifts can be a hassle.
With 12-hour shifts, you get busy, end up exhausted, and eat whatever is available whenever there is a chance. This can be a reality that is seemingly impossible to overcome.
But it doesn’t have to be! When many of us think of dieting, we think of harsh, impossible to follow restrictions that are doomed to fail, leading to yo-yo dieting and repeated unsuccessful attempts.
So how do nurses lose weight and get proper nutrition to fuel even the most hectic schedule?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to make radical changes to begin losing weight: You simply need to stick to a series of small ones. A healthy diet plan can teach you to reconsider how you eat, not only what you eat. The following diet plans can help nurses develop a new lifestyle while boosting metabolism, energy, and weight loss for overall well-being and a longer, happier, and healthier life.
#1. Plant-Based Diet
There are many plant-based diets to choose from, and all emphasize consuming foods that are known for their heart-health benefits, including veggies, whole grains, fruits, legumes, nuts, and oils. Based on the consumption of foods that are found in Italy and Greece, such as fish and seafood, extra virgin olive oil and olives, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts, the Mediterranean Diet is renowned as heart-healthy and waistline-friendly lifestyle, and is another healthy choice, though not entirely plant-based. It is one of several types of flexitarian diets you could try.
Plant-based diets are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
They are also known for their ability to reduce the risk of diabetes and help an individual maintain a healthy weight. Diets that are based on consuming nutrient-rich plant-based foods are particularly suited to the hectic lifestyle of nurses because they are based on a relatively simple concept of eating that encourages lifelong healthy eating habits.
An example of a plant-based diet meal. Adopting a plant-based diet offers an excellent nutritional benefit for nurses with a hectic schedule.
To follow a plant-based diet, adopt more plants, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats into your diet and lower your consumption or eliminate any animal foods, including red meat, cold cuts and processed meats, poultry, fish and seafood, and animal-based milks and cheeses. Look for plant-based milks and cheeses in your supermarket or health-food store.
When composing a plant-based meal, half of your plate should be covered in colorful fruits and a variety of veggies. The other half should be divided between healthy proteins, such as nuts and seeds and beans and whole grains, including brown rice and whole-grain bread. There are many plant-based protein products available in most supermarkets, and more on the way, so be on the lookout for them. Remember, the types of plant foods you choose matter.
Plant-based diet tips:
| Limit |
Avoid |
Choose instead |
| Butter |
Trans Fats |
Olive oil, canola oil, plant-milk-based butters |
| Animal-produced milk, Juice |
Soda |
Water, tea, plant-based milks like soy, oat, or almond |
| White rice, white bread |
Sugary bread |
Whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta |
| All meats, animal milk cheese |
Bacon, cold cuts, processed meats |
Beans, nuts, seeds, nut cheeses, vegetable-based protein products |
Meal Prep Tip: For an easy plant-based diet meal, try your hand at Vietnamese spring rolls with tofu. Traditional spring rolls are made of rice roll skins and filled with mint leaves, lettuce, prawns, rice noodles, strips of carrot and cucumber and accompanied with a peanut dipping sauce, but the above recipe substitutes crispy tofu for the prawns.
However, you can try any variation of veggies, lean vegetable-based proteins, whole grain rice, spices, and herbs for an easy make-ahead meal that is healthy, refreshing, and delicious and will have your favorite pair of scrubs fitting a little more comfortably.
Additional recommended reading:
#2. Carb Cycling
Carbohydrate cycling diet plans have been used in the bodybuilding world for years as an easy way to monitor carbohydrate intake to build muscle while shedding fat. The basic principle behind carb cycling involves altering your carbohydrate intake according to your needs that week, month, or year. This revolves around the concept that, when your body consumes a limited number of carbs, it uses the body’s stored fat as its fuel source, which can boost fat loss and revamp the metabolism.
Carb cycling can help nurses meet their nutritional goals and help with weight loss on a busy schedule
By strategically eating carbs according to when you need them, you can more efficiently use them rather than storing them on your body as fat.
Carb cycling is an excellent choice for nurses because, just like a professional weight trainer, your schedule and energy needs vary throughout the week. For “on days,” your body requires more carbs for energy, and for “off days,” it requires less.
The beauty of carb cycling for nurses is that it is entirely customizable according to your schedule. For example, say you work three-night shifts per week. Your meals for those three days should be high in healthy carbohydrates, while your calories on the four remaining days should come from plant and other protein sources.
On high carb days, try to ensure you are getting about 60% of your calories from complex carbs. With carb cycling, it is essential to remember that quality matters: high-carb does not equate to pizza and French fries. In fact, on low-carb days, it is particularly important to choose fiber-packed carbohydrate sources, as achieving adequate fiber consumption every day is still essential.
Carb Cycling: High Carb Days
| Avoid |
Choose instead |
| French fries |
Sweet potatoes |
| Sugary cereals |
Oatmeal |
| White rice, white bread |
Whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa |
| Soda drinks, sports drinks |
Fruits |
Carb Cycling: Low Carb Days
| Avoid |
Choose instead |
| Fruits |
Lean proteins |
| Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn |
Leafy greens, eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, avocadoes |
| Trans fats |
Olive oil, nuts, seeds, fatty fishes |
Meal Prep Tip: For an easy, high-carb breakfast in the morning, prepare some overnight oats in a mason jar containing oats, almond milk, cinnamon, flax seeds, honey, and apples.
Conversely, for low-carb breakfasts, make muffin pan egg omelets that can be reheated in the morning containing eggs, peppers, shredded chicken, avocadoes, and a sprinkling of cheese.
Final thoughts
Don’t be afraid to change things up if your diet is not working for you. Part of finding a healthy and sustainable diet is finding the right mix of both habits and foods that contribute to your overall health and well-being, and that process is sure to involve trial and error. Developing a healthy lifestyle as a nurse may seem challenging, but it can be done. In a few months, your new diet will be so routine that you’ll only wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
Additional recommended reading:
About the author: Adela Ellis is a full-time nurse and part-time ambassador for Infinity Scrubs. Adela attended the University of Arizona and has been a travel nurse for the last six years. She enjoys working with different doctors, nurses, and patients from all over the country and blogging about her experiences. In her free time, she loves true-crime podcasts and cooking for friends and family.
by Sarah Jividen | Apr 1, 2018 | Body, Self Care For Caregivers
I am crazy, deeply, madly in LOVE with essential oils.
There, I finally said it. My love for essential oils is officially out of the closet!
My oily love story began almost three years ago when I participated in an Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) program at my hospital (where I work an a ER/med surg resource nurse).
The 3 month, intensive program was designed for nurses to learn how to treat patients from a more holistic approach by combining both eastern and western therapies (including essential oil therapy, Reiki, yoga movements, and guided meditation).
I didn’t know much about essential oils at the time (except that they smelled amazing!). Fortunately, I was given a Young Living essential oils kit in the program to practice with on patients and my colleges in the program.
Since then, the results I have seen using essential oils with patients has been incredible. I have been able to help patients with essential oils for nausea, anxiety, fatigue and even pain. In some cases we were even able to reduce some of their medications such as anti-nausea medications or other narcotics. Our hospital even has 6 of the Young Living essential oils stocked on most of the units to use for patients.
As a nurse, I learned about essential oils as a way to treat my patients more holistically.
The healthcare paradigm is changing.
This makes me so happy. I love it when my patients take responsibility for their own health. My ideology around patient care has forever changed, as it has for many doctors and other professionals in the health care system.
My goal with essential oils is to live a more toxin and chemical free lifestyle and use products that I trust are actually safe for my family. I am able to make so many easy DIY products and I love it because I know exactly what goes into them.
8 Reason Why I Love Using Essential Oils. (And why you should too!)
8 Top Reasons Why I love Essential Oils:
#1. I believe in evidence based care.
I am a registered nurse at a large teaching facility in Los Angeles. Everything we do in the hospital has to be evidence based. In other words, if it hasn’t been proven to work in literature, then we don’t use it. That is the gold standard!
Essential oils are not junk science. Not only have they been used for over 4500 years, they have been widely studied and documented in medical literature to be effective and useful for treatments for a multitude of ailments. (You do need to make sure you are using oils from a reputable company which is why I use Young Living Essential Oils- you can read about their seed-to-seal process here).
PubMed is full of studies on essential oils. For example, there are over 2000 research studies on lavender alone (one of my favorites!). Peppermint has over 1200 published studies. (PubMed is a search engine for research studies, please visit if you would like to read any essential oil studies firsthand).
Essential oils have been used as part of a holistic approach to healthcare in many US healthcare institutions in recent years. In the hospital where I work I have been able to help my own patients using ginger for nausea and lavender for anxiety. In some cases we have been able to reduce some of the patient’s medications. We keep it stocked in the Pyxis along with all of the other medications we give our patients.
#2. I can clean my home with chemical and toxin free products.
I have to admit, when I was told I could make my own toilet cleaner, bathroom tile scrub, floor cleaner and surface cleaner using thieves essential oil, I was pretty skeptical. So one Saturday afternoon I made my own DIY cleaners and put them to the test. Guess what? They actually worked better than some of my store bought products!
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization focused on environment and public health, recently came out with their “Cleaners Hall Of Shame” List. Many common store bought cleaners contain carcinogens, asthma instigators, poisons and cancer causing ingredients.
As the mother of a two-year-old and a newborn, I want to keep as many toxic chemicals out f my house as possible! I don’t need them getting their cute little hands on them and then putting them in their mouths.
#3. I can make my own non-toxic perfumes.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic. But because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren’t required to list their ingredients but merely label them as containing “fragrance.”
I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty scary! Fortunately now I am able to make my own DIY perfumes with vanilla, rose, geranium and jasmine essential oils at home (as an added bonus, my husband loves them).
#4. I save money by DIYing my lotions, face wash and body scrub.
When I was is nursing school I quit using my expensive face creams and body lotions in place of coconut oil to save money. In fact, I used almost nothing but coconut oil on my skin for almost 6 years. Not only did I save a ton of money but I realized that using home products can be as good as many expensive store bought products.
I have become a little “fancier” in recent years. But all the good quality, organic products are so expensive! I could easily spend $75-$100s for one jar of eye cream alone.
Now I am able to make my own eye cream, lotion, face wash and body scrub with essential oils and I feel like I am using the same organic, expensive products I would buy at a spa. (My absolute favorite is my body scrub: 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup sugar, 5 drops lavender and 5 drops frankincense. Ahhhh, heavenly!).
When I started adding a drop of frankincense to my face lotion every morning and night I notice a noticeable improvement in my skin texture within two weeks. And my skin smells delightful to boot!
#5. My home always smells amazing.
Diffusing essential oils is one of the easiest ways to discover all the benefits of aromatherapy, which can include:
- neutralizing odors
- inspiring a positive emotional state
- supporting your physical wellness
Diffusing essential oils throughout my home helps me to reduce my stress and relax a little. With two small babies, a nursing career and a busy life I can get a little overwhelmed sometimes (don’t we all?). Diffusing essential oils is how I try to chill out when I don’t have the time to actually sit still and relax. I enjoy having the ability to make my home a working sanctuary.
There are so many essential oil blends to make. My go-to right now is called “Gentle Baby.” Six drops in my difuser and my life instantly becomes a sweeter place (my blood pressure is lowering just thinking about it).
Difusing lavender essential oil during a yoga practice is a divine treat!
#6. Great for beauty treatments on the skin.
The skin is an amazing organ. It has the ability to protect us from the outside world… to an extent. Pretty much everything you put on your skin can seep right through and into your bloodstream. Including many dangerous chemicals and preservatives in skin products that can cause inflammation and worse. But if you are using natural skin care, including homemade skin products made with essential oils then you know you aren’t inviting these nasty ingredients into your body.
Remember how I said I am all about evidence-based care? Well, there have been a ton of studies showing that essential oils like lavender and frankincense are wonderful for the skin by reducing inflammation, helping with wrinkles, and even chronic wound healing. You can read for yourself here, or here, or even here.
#7. I can enhance many of my recipes.
Adding essential oils to food and drinks are a simple way to incorporate antioxidants into my life. It is very important to check oil bottles for the supplement facts label to know which oils can be ingested. Essential oils are very potent so you’ll need a lot less than dried herbs. Depending on the recipe, usually a drop is plenty.
Here is an easy one to start with: add a drop of lime to your sparkling water (or beer!)
My favorite: 3 drops of lemon in my loaded veggie bean salad dish!
#8. Great for stress relieving activities
Have a meditation or yoga practice? Adding essential oils in a no-brainer. Essential oils are perfect adjunct to yoga, meditation, reflexology massage or just trying to relax. I love adding aromatherapy to my yoga practice. Added bonus: yoga is so good for you, especially if you have a stressful job or are an ER nurse, like me!
Interested in trying Young Living essential oils?
(You can purchase a Young Living Starter Kit Here. By ordering a starter kit of Young Living essential oils you automatically become a part of our exclusive Facebook group “The Oil Spill” where we discuss various recipes and uses for essential oils and offer support for oil users.)
Food for thought
Consider a new way of treating yourself and your family. Take a look at some of to toxins you are bringing into your body and your home.
Review the ingredients of the products you put on your face and body. Do you know what they mean? Can you even pronounce them? Are you blindly trusting them to be both effective and safe?
In closing…
Treat your body like a temple. Fill it with vital nutrients and antioxidants. Give it some tender love.
You will be less likely you are to wind up as one of my patients, which is a very good thing!
Have you thought about using essential oils? What are your thoughts? Please let me know if you are interested in or have any questions about essential oils. I would love to help you get started!
