I Resolve to Resolve

Like a lot of Americans, today is my last shot at gluttony, overindulgence and lethargy.

From now on, the newer, better me will emerge from the primordial ooze of 2007, rising from its depths like the Phoenix. A rebirth, if you will.

Yes, it is time for New Year’s Resolutions, words that induce terror in the weak-willed among us. It is a time of reckoning for the sins we’ve rendered upon ourselves, a time when egg nog and cookies, burgers and fries, creamy pasta dishes and foot-long subs long devoured return to haunt us like the Ghosts of Processed Foods Past.

Here then are my iron-clad health resolutions for 2008, which I swear on a block of tofu I will adhere to:

1. I will eat better (visual evidence at left). Goodbye, chicken wings. Hello, you glorious all-white meat chicken breast, baked, broiled or grilled. I swear I will appreciate your blandness and not dump tons of sodium-laden flavorings on you. And you there! Green vegetables and luscious multi-colored fruits! Get thee upon my plate! Apparently you are more than just a pizza topping.

2. I will exercise more. I will jump to conclusions! I will run off at the mouth! These are more than just irritating personal habits. I’m sure we can find studies that show these activities can burn excess calories, giving you those six-pack abs you’ve been dreaming of.

3. I will quit smoking. Technically I gave up smoking a dozen years ago. But it’s a popular resolution and, since it’s one I’ve already accomplished, the odds of me failing to achieve it are low. Unlike the others.

4. I will switch from coffee to green tea. Studies show there may be numerous health benefits of green tea. So why wouldn’t I drink it? I mean other than going through the coffee detoxification jitters and irritability.

5. I will reduce the harmful effects of stress. Countless studies indicate stress can lead to all kinds of health problems. My wife’s been trying to get me to do yoga and pilates, which apparently have all kinds of health benefits. I’m sure my stress levels will go down when I’m in bed for a month with yoga-related injuries.

So there you have it. Five new ways of making myself the best possible human being I can be. If you want to share your resolutions, click on the comments section below and we’ll compare notes in 2009.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Simple Strategy for Losing Holiday Pounds

It’s that time of year once again. Everyone is thinking about the holiday pounds, including me. As the holidays slide by, the thoughts turn to losing the extra “Lbs.” So what is the best way to drop those extra “cookies” and more importantly, how can you stay motivated to continue a healthy exercise and nutrition regimen?

The first thing to do is be realistic. What are your true goals and what is the best way to keep with it? Well, that is actually easy. Keep your goals short term. In other words, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you’ll need to come up with a reasonable time frame and a good strategy.

What is a “good strategy?” One to two pounds a week is the recommended pace. OK, so what do you need to do to lose these one to two pounds? You need to stick with it. Pick a time of the day when exercise is convenient for you. Perhaps that time is early in the morning, or perhaps at lunch time.

The next step is to figure out just what type of exercise and how much of it to do. Let me give you some numbers: 3,500 calories equals one pound. That’s right, look at that cheeseburger and think, “3,500 calories for just one pound.” Now, how much exercise will you need to do to burn those 3,500 calories? You would need to burn 250 calories a day through exercise which would be equivalent to a 2.5-mile brisk walk. OK, that’s a start.

So what else? You’ll need to skip the doughnut and the latte. If you can put together a 500 calorie a day deficit and keep this up for seven days then guess what? You’ll have lost one pound.

It won’t happen overnight. Have faith and stick with it. You’ll be amazed – and you can skip the fad diets. Lastly, don’t forget about all of the money you’ll save if you skip the latte and the doughnut once a day.

--Jane Reynolds
Health and Fitness Leader, certified personal trainer
Martin Memorial Hospital South Health and Fitness Center

Don’t Want to Feel the Burn? Stretch!

Susan Hastings, co-owner of Fleet Feet Stuart running store, will be posting tips for the next several weeks to help you train for a 5K run. Her goal is to get you excited about running in the second-annual “Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart 5K.” The run takes place Feb. 9, 2008 and proceeds will benefit the Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Memorial.

Okay, you’ve been training for two weeks now and if you’ve followed the schedule you are well on your way.

Several things can make your life easier as you continue on your quest to add running or walking to your lifestyle. I’ll talk about stretching on this blog, because it’s an important aspect of helping you remain injury free. I’ll explain a few basic stretches that will focus on the main muscles you use when running. Do each of these three stretches three times each and hold each stretch for 30 seconds – it’s as simple as that.

Calves: Stand facing a wall with your arms slightly bent in front of you on the wall, feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward. Bring one leg forward with the knee slightly bent and lean into the wall a little. Hold the leg in back straight, with heel on the ground and knee straight, for 30 seconds. Then bend the knee slightly (you should feel the lower part of you calf stretching now) and hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat with this leg. Do this three times.

Quadriceps: Start where you can hold onto something with one hand and bend one leg behind you and grab your ankle. Your leg should be bent behind you with you holding it up as close to your rear end as possible. The most critical thing is to be sure your knees are even, the bent one is as far back as the one you’re standing on, and it is not flared out.

Hamstrings: Take one leg and raise it in front of you and place your heel on a raised object such as a bench or car bumper. Keep your knee straight as you bend forward, trying to get your forehead as close as you can to your knee. This is a very slow movement, so lean as far forward as you can and hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

Stretching should be done after the muscles have warmed up so it’s never good to jump out of bed and go straight to stretching. In a perfect world you should walk or slow jog for a little, stop and stretch, and then continue on, stretching again when you finish. In the real world you should at least stretch when you return from your run or walk. The least you should do is take an extra 15 minutes and stretch when you finish.

Now for the next two weeks of your training:

Week 3 – Alternately jog/walk, varying the segments between 200 and 400 yards, for a total of 1 1/2 miles. Same workout for all three days.
Week 4 – Alternately jog/walk, but walk only half the distance for each jog. Vary the segments between 1/4 and 1/2 mile for a total of 1 3/4 miles. Same workout for all three days.

Have fun with it!

--Susan Hastings

Flower Power

The hospital at night has a different feel to it than during the day. It’s quieter, people are settling in for the evening and the glow of televisions emanates from many of the rooms.

But last week, the nocturnal rhythm on the oncology floor at the Martin Memorial Medical Center was happily disrupted by a handful of most welcome visitors: members of the Daisy Girl Scout Troop from Palm City, dressed in their blue smocks, with candy canes jammed in the pockets and Santa hats pulled over their tousled hair.

There were four girls, between the ages of 5 and 6, with their mothers/troop leaders chaperoning them. Their destination was the oncology floor, where in-patients with cancer are treated.

Dinner was being served for some, while others received medications and some were already asleep. But as the Daisies pulled out folders that featured lyrics for carols and began serenading the nurses, the family of one patient put in a request to stop by their loved one’s room and sing a song for them.

One by one, the Daisies went to patients’ rooms, gathering around their beds and belting out “Frosty the Snowman” or “Jingle Bells” or “Deck the Halls.” Then one of the girls would hand the patient a candy cane, some wrapped with fuzzy brown pipe cleaners that resembled reindeer antlers.

The response was touching.

“Thank you for coming,” one woman said. Another interrupted a phone call, telling the caller she would have to call her back as the girls stood patiently by her bed. Smiles blossomed like daisies in the spring.

As the girls finished up another rendition of “Frosty the Snowman,” one of the Daisies turned to a patient and smiled.

“I hope you get better,” she said.

For that moment, the woman in the bed seemed to do just that. It was the best present anyone could give during the holiday season.

--Scott Samples

Hit the Road With These Eating Tips

Today we have become a very mobile society and the holidays are no different to be on the road and out of town. It’s great to visit those distant relatives but getting to our destination can mean whole days of sitting in a car, at the airport or on a plane. Plus, there will be high-calorie meals at each stop calling out to you and before you know it, your plan for eating healthy can go right out the door.

How can you eat smart and move more while traveling? Try these tips:

1. Pack some snacks. To avoid the fast-food stops, try packing snacks that are travel-friendly and healthy. Make sure you pack plenty of water as well.

2. When traveling with children, try to avoid the “Happy Meal Syndrome” and pack bite-sized, whole-grain cereal, cut-up veggies with low-fat dip, whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese, nuts and dried fruit (remember the portion is ¼ cup).

3. Let your host or hostess know you are trying to maintain your weight. They will more likely support your efforts and you can also volunteer to cook one night and make a healthy meal.

4. Plan ahead. If you are traveling by car, check your route to see if you can find restaurants that provide nutrition information. A good Website to find healthy restaurants where you will be traveling is: www.healthydiningfinder.com/site/diners/

When staring at a menu in a restaurant full of options, try to be mindful of the high-calorie and high-fat foods. Choose foods that are broiled, baked, roasted, poached, steamed or grilled. If a menu items says fried, sautéed, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, or pan fried—BEWARE!

Order water, unsweetened tea (then use Splenda to sweeten), or diet soda for your drink and use low-fat salad dressings or order it on the side to keep the calories down. Don’t settle for the french fries on the side, ask for a healthier option.

Since most restaurants serve large portions, you can split appetizers, entrees and desserts. The main thing is to listen to your body and make eating its own event. Pay attention to your food and don’t be distracted by TV, conversation or reading.

Your body will thank you Jan. 1!

--Lani Kee, MS
Manager, Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing

Freeze the Cold, Shoo the Flu for Kids

It happens every year. First comes a sniffle, then a cough, then a fever and pretty soon your child is in bed with a cold or the flu.

Children often are more susceptible to catching cold or flu because they haven’t had a lifetime of illness to build their immunity. Also, they often spend hours in institutions such as schools or daycares where there are a large number of children serving as incubators for germs. Additionally, children are less likely to have proper hygiene, which is one of the primary methods of preventing disease from occurring.

It’s been said before, but really the importance of hand-washing cannot be overstated. Whether it’s alcohol-based hand sanitizers or old-fashioned soap and water, the best way to prevent cold and flu – for you, your child and everyone else – is to wash those hands frequently and well.

There are some potential preventative alternatives as well. Vitamin C, as well as B complex vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids have shown some ability to boost immune systems in an effort to ward off illness. They are safe for children, but certainly provide no guarantee that your child will never get sick.

Flu vaccines can help. I recommend vaccinations for children between six months and five years of age, provided they have no contraindications for the vaccine. Children under five are at just as high a risk of hospitalization with influenza as the elderly. Additionally any child with a condition that makes them more susceptible to illness should receive the flu shot. The flu shot is very well tolerated by children and it is a rarity that any child gets sick from the vaccine itself.

If your child does get sick, I recommend using medications sparingly. Most cold medicines aren’t terribly effective and it should be emphasized that no medicine available over the counter will get your child better faster. Recently it was determined that children under the age of two should not use cold medicines. Those between the ages of two and six should use them as little as possible.

Finally, if your child does develop cold or flu, you can help prevent it from spreading to others by keeping them home until they are no longer contagious. My general rule of thumb is that if they haven’t had a fever within 24 hours, and if they have started to show signs of improvement, they should be ready to return to school or daycare.

--Michael Jampol, M.D.
Pediatrician

To hear Dr. Jampol discuss tips on how to prevent your child from getting the cold or flu, listen to Martin Memorial Healthcast. You can access the weekly podcast by visiting www.mmhs.com/content/healthcasts.htm.

Look Out! Stuff is Trying to Make You Sick!

You there! With the fluffy, dark eyelashes! Drop that mascara! It’s probably loaded with mercury and ready to give you some kind of neurological damage.

What’s more important, luscious eyelashes that make you look like a young Marilyn Monroe or a mercury-free body? And don’t you dare bring that health hazard to Minnesota – the state recently banned any mercury-laden cosmetics in the interest of public safety.

Hey! What in the name of General Tso’s chicken do you think you’re doing buying a toy made in China for the holidays? Have you not read a newspaper recently? Are you trying to kill little Jimmy with that Transformer?

Dozens of toys have been recalled because they contain lead, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is a well known health hazard. Everything from “The First Years 3-in-1 Flush and Sounds Potty Seats” to “Curious George Plush Dolls” have been recalled this year.

Oh, for the love of…you are not about to eat that double bacon cheeseburger are you? Didn’t you just have steak and eggs for breakfast and a Philly cheese steak for lunch? Did you not read the study that links a diet high in red and processed meats to every kind of cancer except fingernail cancer?

Apparently, the culprits – including all types of beef, pork and lamb, as well as bacon, sausage, lunch meats, cold cuts, ham and hot dogs – can cause your DNA to mutate and create cancer. DNA mutation is cool when it happens to the Incredible Hulk but less cool when it happens to you.

What’s that you say? You’re feeling fine, despite the fact your lashes are coated in mascara, you’ve been playing with toys slathered in lead and you just finished your second helping of baby back ribs?

Oh really? You think maybe I’ve been reading too many of the health studies and stories that flood the airwaves and the Internet and the papers? You think I may make myself sick worrying over getting sick?

What’s that? I should go to a Website like http://www.mediadoctor.org.au/, an Australian site that evaluates recent studies to determine their usefulness, or its American counterpart, http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?

Fine, fine. But did you read the study about how abdominal fat is a risk factor for heart disease? Hey, I’m just saying…those bacon cheeseburgers look like they’re going straight to your stomach.

--Scott Samples

Cold and Flu Prevention is in Your Hands

It’s cold and flu time again. Each year in the United States, on average 5 to 20 percent of the population will get influenza – commonly called “the flu.” More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and about 36,000 people will die from flu.

Will you be one of the unlucky ones who will come down with the flu this season? Perhaps you’ll escape the flu but will suffer through one or more of the estimated 1 billion colds people catch every year in the U.S. While these numbers may put you in good company, they won’t offer much comfort while slogging through running noses, sore throats, fever and other symptoms of a cold or the flu.

So how can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder (lasting about one week) and people with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose.

Colds and the flu are highly contagious. They most often spread when droplets of fluid that contain a cold virus are transferred by touch (or inhaled). Similarly, the main way that flu viruses are spread is from person-to-person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes.

To a lesser extent, flu viruses can also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose before washing their hands.

Colds are extremely difficult to prevent entirely. The American Lung Association recommends the following:

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccination each year.

• Avoid close contact with people who have a cold, especially during the first few days when they are most likely to spread the infection.
  
• Wash your hands after touching someone who has a cold, after touching an object they have touched and after blowing your own nose.

Keep your fingers away from your nose and eyes to avoid infecting yourself with cold virus particles you may have picked up. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.

--Bonnie Hannon
Manager, Martin Memorial Hospital South Infection Control

How to Train for a 5K Run

Susan Hastings, co-owner of Fleet Feet Stuart running store, will be posting tips for the next several weeks to help you train for a 5K run. Her goal is to get you excited about running in the second-annual “Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart 5K.” The run takes place Feb. 9, 2008 and proceeds will benefit the Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Memorial. In the photo below, Susan (second from left) and her husband Al present a check for $5,200 to Kelly DeGregorio and Rusty Brink of the Martin Memorial Foundation after last year's event.

Believe it or not, even if you’ve never run a step in your life without being chased, you can complete a 5K with this eight-week training program. I have to give credit where credit is due: Cliff Held, one of our friends/customers, created this for us and we have used it in our beginning running classes with great success. I’ll give you the steps to succeed, you just have to take them.

Over the next few weeks, in addition to giving you your training schedule, I’ll talk a little about stretching, eating right and hydrating – all things that help you start and continue a healthy running regimen. If you don’t start properly it can be difficult and discouraging.

You won’t necessarily love it the first time you run but stick with it – the sense of accomplishment makes it worth it and you’ll be surprised that you start looking forward to your next one. If you follow this program I’ll get you to the start and across the finish line in a healthy, positive and enjoyable way.

Believe it or not, the average ‘runner’ runs three miles, three times a week and that’s great for cardiovascular health. You don’t need to have a marathon in your future (although you could!), you just have to want to
hit the road.

Of course, being the owner of Fleet Feet Stuart, I do have to mention that it’s important as you start your training in the right way to have the proper footwear. If you don’t, you risk injuries such as shin splints, knee pain, plantar fasciitis (if you don’t know what it is consider yourself lucky), and many other aches and pains that could possibly be alleviated with the proper shoes.

Now let’s get to the training…and please email me at susan@fleetfeetstuart.com if you have any questions.

Week 1 – Alternately jog/walk (eight of each for a total of 16) 100-yard segments for a total of 1 mile. Do this same workout three times the first week.
Week 2 – Alternately jog/walk (five of each for a total of 10) 200-yard segments for a total of 1 ¼ miles. Same workout, three times the second week.

Get in your car, clock off your mile and get started. You can do a rough estimate of your 100- and 200-yard segments. The most important thing is to stick to your mileage for the designated week and don’t try to go too fast; just run at a pace that’s comfortable for you.

Get your friends, family, and co-workers to join you. Some people are morning runners, some prefer night. Whatever it is, put it on your calendar like any other appointment and show up on time!

Happy running!

--Susan Hastings

These Foods Are Made for Walkin'

The other day a co-worker sent a rather disturbing e-mail – a checklist of traditional holiday foods, along with their caloric content. As you go down the list, checking off one delectable goodie after another, the site adds up the grim total and provides your walking papers – an estimation of how many miles you’d have to walk to burn all those calories.

So being a curious sort, I figured I’d play along. Knowledge is power, they say, so it might help to know what exactly we’re getting ourselves into as we bounce to a party here, a gathering there.

I opened the Holiday Calorie Calculator and imagined I was at a festive party, the foods and beverages spread before me. I felt a little drool escape as visions of eggnog and stuffing, of turkey and cookies, of pies and green been casserole danced in my head.

So I began clicking down the list, checking off the most likely culinary culprits. Eggnog? You bet. Glass of wine? Sure, why not. Mixed raw vegetables? Probably not, but I’ll feel better if I say yes. Mixed nuts, chips, dips, crackers and cheese, a handful of Chex mix? You have to have appetizers, right? It’s rude not to, really.

I assumed I’d have a salad with dinner, just to balance everything out. Then came the main course: turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes (hold the gravy; I’m watching my calories, here), green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and a dinner roll.

Dessert? Well, I’m pretty full, but what the heck. So I took a piece of pecan pie, had a snickerdoodle cookie and cleansed my palate with a candy cane. Heck, I’m as sophisticated as the next guy.

The final damage was, to put it mildly, unsettling. I had consumed 3,436 virtual calories, which, according to the calculator, meant that I had to walk 34.36 miles to get them off. That means I’d have to walk from Stuart to Vero Beach just to burn those calories.

Should I care that much? I can always buy bigger pants, right? Besides, an article on msnbc.com cited a New England Journal of Medicine study that suggests we may not gain as much weight as we think during the six-week holiday stretch.

The problem is, according to the study, we often don’t take those pounds off which leads to further problems down the road. That’s why we’re better off trying to limit the damage now, rather than walking all the way to Maine later.

For some helpful tips on how to do just that, listen to Rosemarie Lembo James, clinical director of nutrition at Martin Memorial, on this week’s Martin Memorial Healthcast.

--Scott Samples

A Story Straight from the Heart

It was a beautiful sunny Florida afternoon and Tiffany, who enjoyed being outdoors, was in her garden.

On this particular day, however, something unusual happened. Tiffany developed a sudden onset of chest pain, accompanied by some shortness of breath. She had been working very hard to get her garden in order, not taking any breaks; without hesitation she decided to go inside and get a drink. Surely, she thought, rehydration would relieve what she felt to be heat exhaustion.

After several minutes, the chest pain increased. What she was feeling was nothing like she had ever experienced before, so Tiffany decided to look up her symptoms on the Internet. To her surprise the results came back “heart attack,” but she didn’t have a family history of heart disease, she exercised, wasn’t overweight and didn’t have all the symptoms listed.

As she made her way through the rest of the article she developed the remaining symptoms listed on the Web page. At that moment, aside from being in a near panic, she phoned several family members and a friend. All advised her to quickly call 911.

Paramedics arrived just in time. Tiffany went into cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated. She was transported to Martin Memorial Medical Center, where the medical team at the Frances Langford Heart Center was able to open the blocked artery and save her life.

This story has a happy ending: Tiffany is alive today and recently celebrated her 29th birthday.
Heart disease is known as the silent killer, especially in women. Listed below are some quick facts about heart disease:

· Only 13 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat, even though it’s women’s No. 1 killer.
· Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills more than 480,000 women a year, about one per minute.
· Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 single killer of women over age 25.
· Sixty-four percent of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.
· One in 2.6 female deaths are from CVD, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.

To learn more about women and heart disease visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/.
Heart disease can be prevented, so take a moment to learn how to reduce your risk of heart disease and protect your health.

--Melissa Zinderman, RN
Cardiovascular Patient Educator/STS Data Collector

The Simple Truth of Weight Control

The mystery of weight control is not really a mystery at all. That balance between calories in and calories out is as much a matter of math as anything else.

But you were never a math scholar, you say? Let’s make it simple. A pound equals 3,500 calories. To lose a pound a week you need a deficit of 500 calories per day. Try eating 250 calories less (do you really want that afternoon candy bar?) and burning 250 additional calories per day (30 minutes of brisk cardio, anyone?).

I know that does not sound glamorous, sexy or exciting, but the beauty of it is that it can be done. Along the way you want to be sure that you are eating foods that are low in fat (white meat such as poultry, fish, skim dairy products), high in fiber (whole-grain breads and cereals, fresh fruit, salads, grilled or steamed veggies), and also taste good (your spice rack is very valuable here).

Read food labels and watch your portions. Be sure to check the important, “servings per container” section of those food labels. Check out the magazines “Eating Well” and “Cooking Light” for some inspiration; those are my personal favorites. I know that it is not always easy to eat healthy and control your weight, but the principle is simple.

While you are getting to the nuts and bolts of weight loss and healthy eating, do yourself a big favor – stop referring to yourself as being “good” or “bad” depending on what you have eaten. It’s as though Santa is always standing over your shoulder saying, “Salad and grilled fish for dinner – what a good girl!” Worse yet, “Double cheeseburger? Bad boy! No presents for you!”

Healthy eating is something we do for ourselves. When we eat healthy foods we feel better, look better, and have more energy. When we eat unhealthy foods we’re not bad people, we’ve just made poor choices.

But the point is that it’s our choice. Our food choices don’t make us good or bad; they just help to make us healthy or not as healthy. So, this holiday season and all year long, remember that the choice is yours. Healthful eating and regular exercise make us healthy people; poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle make us unhealthy people. Stop putting a value judgment on it.

Won’t it be great to have one less thing to feel stressed about?


-- Rosemarie Lembo James, RD, CNSD, LD/N
Clinical Director, Nutrition Services


Listen to Rosemarie talk about weight control on the Dec. 10 edition of Martin Memorial Healthcast, a weekly podcast created by Martin Memorial discussing topics that can help you improve your health. A new edition of Healthcast appears each Monday. To access Healthcast, visit www.mmhs.com.

Touched by Evel

When I was a kid in the 1970s, it was good to be Evel.

Evel Knievel, that is. The motorcycle daredevil defined cool by jumping over canyons and Greyhound buses and Caesar’s Palace fountains. Or trying to, at least. He broke more bones than Tony Soprano – except the bones Knievel broke were his own after failed jump attempts.

One of my first cherished toys was an Evel Knievel action figure, complete with red, white and blue jumpsuit. And no matter how many times I smashed him into the wall, or ran him over with my bike, or pounded on him with a hammer, the miniature version of Evel Knievel lived to see another day.

Much like the man himself.

Despite the fact he broke some 40 bones in his body over the course of his career, the man seemed indestructible. That might have been part of his appeal – if Evel Knievel could take these risks and live to tell the tale, maybe we should be unafraid to take risks in our own lives.

But last Friday, life caught up to him: Knievel died at the age of 69 in Clearwater. According to an obit in USA Today, Knievel was burdened with the same kinds of ailments and health issues that many of us mortals have to deal with. Knievel had been living with diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and had liver damage from hepatitis C that eventually led to a transplant.

It’s another reminder that no matter how tough we think we are, no matter how indestructible we consider ourselves to be, diseases can catch up to anyone. That’s why it’s so important to do everything possible to adopt a healthy lifestyle to ward off ailments that you often can try to prevent, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

It’s unlikely the biggest health risk most of us are going to face is crashing into the side of a canyon. But taking care of your health now may help you prevent the kind of hard landing Evel Knievel faced later in his life.

-- Scott Samples

“Martin Memorial Healthcast” to Provide Health Info on the Go for Multi-Taskers

Multi-tasking. Is it becoming a worn-out phrase or does it just wear us out? For me, it means sitting at my home computer writing a marketing plan while being peppered with questions from a 5th grader such as what’s the common factor of 48 (no, I’m not smarter than a 5th grader), meanwhile keeping an ear on the sound of the shower so at exactly 10 minutes I can yell to my teen: ‘don’t make a career out of taking a shower.’ By the way, dinner’s in the oven, the dog wants out and my cup of dark chocolate M & Ms is running low.

Multi-tasking means using the left and the right side of our brains at the same time. It’s texting with the zeal of a 14-year old at a school dance while in the drive thru at Starbucks. It’s answering a few of those daily voice mails while grocery shopping. No matter your version of multi-tasking, we’re all trying to be efficient with our time and accomplish more with less.

When we started this blog, we promised to help you prevent disease and live longer. We also know that sometimes you need health information in a to-go box. That’s why we created Martin Memorial Healthcast, a new weekly podcast premiering Dec. 3 that will deliver health information you can use in a voice file. Simply go to http://www.mmhs.com/ and click on Martin Memorial Healthcast, where you will find programs to help you get fit or prevent disease, all for downloading to your iPod or computer. Listen to Healthcast while doing one of those 100 million other things you do. Like refilling the cup with dark chocolate M & Ms.

--Lisa McCluskey
Director of Marketing Communications

Hit the Home Stretch for Fitness

The Fall 2007 edition of For Your Health, Martin Memorial’s community health magazine, hits mailboxes starting next week. The magazine, which comes out four times a year, provides a wide array of health tips and resources to help Treasure Coast residents stay healthy.


Here’s a preview from the magazine that features tips on how stretching can help you reach your fitness goals, courtesy of Lonee Halbach, a certified personal trainer and program coordinator of group exercise classes at Martin Memorial Treasure Coast Health and Fitness Center.

Aerobic conditioning and strength training are key elements to any fitness program. But many people aren’t aware of the importance of flexibility training and its role in injury prevention. By consistently following a static stretch program, your range of motion can increase, enabling you to move, bend, and reach with greater efficiency (Ute Schwartz, a certified trainer at Martin Memorial Treasure Coast Health and Fitness Center, demonstrates stretching techniques in the picture at left). This increased ability to move with greater ease and fluidity is a key component in injury prevention.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Like any exercise program, start off slow and easy. Begin with three to four days a week, making sure to include all major muscle groups.


• Hold each stretch with an intensity level of one to three on a scale of 10, with light tension.


• Hold each stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat each stretch two times. Do not bounce.


• As you progress in your stretch program, gradually increase the days, intensity level, duration, and repetition of each stretch. Before you know it, you’ll be walking taller, reaching higher, and moving with greater grace and ease.

Drink a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

For those so inclined, the holidays are often a time when spirits are plentiful – and I’m not talking about the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Alcohol flows freely around the holidays, whether it’s champagne on New Year’s Eve, or wine with Thanksgiving dinner, or a shot of Jack Daniels to help calm frazzled nerves when visiting relatives have overstayed their welcome.

Finally, scientists are finding that it’s not only OK to down a couple martinis to get you through the office holiday party, but it could be good for your health.

An article that appeared recently on msnbc.com from SELF Magazine suggests that alcohol can help your heart, your pancreas and your joints. The article also suggests women who down a few drinks have better overall health than women who don’t. In other words, you’re cheating yourself if you turn down a glass of merlot.

With alcohol being considered as a preventative medicine, America’s bartenders and liquor store owners may soon be considered primary care providers. People who hate going to the doctor will be more than willing to go for their annual checkup at the neighborhood pub. There may also be a tremendous sigh of relief from holiday imbibers who can tell chiding spouses that they’re simply following doctor’s orders when having another spiked egg nog.

Of course, like any of the other seemingly endless scientific health studies that are printed each year, there are caveats. The key to all of this is moderation, which generally is considered to be just a drink a day.

That means going to the bar isn’t considered a workout. It also means that just because one drink might be healthy, chugging a six-pack after work won’t make you a health nut.

So as the onslaught of holiday parties, family get-togethers or tailgating for college football bowl games reaches a crescendo, keep in mind that too much health can be a bad thing.
--Scott Samples

Cancer on Trial

As a nurse coming from the ER, working at the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center has opened my eyes to a lot of things we do at Martin Memorial that I didn’t even know about. Do you want to know one of the biggies? OK, get ready, get set…we do clinical trials!

We have protocols for different types of cancer through the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, cooperative groups and pharmaceutical companies. Now that you’re over the shock of finding out that our community hospital actually has a research department, I would like to tell you about some of our upcoming and ongoing trials.

For lung cancer, the MAGRIT trial will open in December. This is a vaccine trial through GlaxoSmithKline that tests for certain antigens that are only present on cancer cells called MAGE-A3. This is for non-small cell lung cancer, stages IB-IIIA that has been completely resected.

For pancreatic cancer, we have a trial through Pfizer. This is for cancer that is locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic. The regimen assigned would either be Gemcitabine (medication that is currently standard of care) and Axitinib (new medication), or Gemcitabine alone. Pfizer is trying to find out if adding Axitinib would change the survival rates for these patients.

For breast cancer, the SoftScan trial is still ongoing. We currently have 122 patients out of the 200 that are needed. The SoftScan machine could replace biopsies if proven effective. Women with an abnormal mammogram could have this non-invasive scan instead of a biopsy. The machine is approved for use in Europe and Canada.

For all cancer, Total Cancer Care is coming! Watch for more details on this (hint: it’s all very exciting!).

--Lindsay Mattino, RN
Clinical Research Coordinator and Genetics Nurse Educator

Safe Holiday (and Every Day) Cooking

As we approach Thanksgiving and the wonderful abundance of festive foods and gatherings of the holiday season, once again there is the challenge of preparing foods that are not only aromatic, sumptuous and aesthetically appealing, but safe as well. Safe food preparation (demonstrated by the author below) is certainly a practice that everyone should be fully aware of at all times but is especially important around the holidays – whether enjoying feasts at the homes of others or providing the festivities yourself.

Turkey, as well as other poultry products that are often the traditional center of attraction for the holidays, are potentially hazardous foods if not handled properly. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind while preparing and serving (or eating) your goodies:

No. 10: Always use separate utensils for serving different foods.

No. 9: Thaw frozen turkeys, chicken or ground meats only under refrigeration (never at room temperature). Large birds may take three to five days to thaw, so plan ahead.

No. 8: If there is not enough time, birds may be thawed in a sink of water with the water running up to 1 hour.

No. 7: Do not stuff turkey the night before cooking because this may pose a serious hazard due to the difference in temperature of the products.

No. 6: Always wash the poultry with clean, lukewarm water inside and out before cooking (one part vinegar to three parts water is a great anti-bacterial wash and will not alter the flavor)

No. 5: All poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (check at the center of the thickest part of the thigh).

No. 4: When serving, keep hot foods hot (140 degrees or above) and cold foods cold (40 degrees or below). Do not leave foods out of this range for more than 40 minutes.

No. 3: Cool leftovers rapidly (in the freezer is a good way). Spread out things like stuffing and mashed potatoes to increase surface area. Foods should be cooled to a maximum of 70 degrees in two hours and to 40 degrees in an additional four hours.

No. 2: When reheating, all foods should be brought to a minimum of 165 degrees in less than two hours.

And the No. 1 way to reduce the risk of food-born illness during the holidays (and all year long) is ... wash your hands! A lot! Wash hands before, during and after handling raw foods, switching from food to food, handling different utensils, touching your hair face or body, using the restroom and if just leaving your preparation area to do something else.

May you and your families have a safe and happy holiday season!

--Robert J. Barbeau, MPH
Director of Nutrition Services

New York State of Mind

I’ll do most anything to get a beer.

So when I visited New York City for the first time with my wife last weekend, getting a beer at cool little spots our friends recommended often meant walking. And walking. And walking.

From our base in the West Village, we trekked through Lower Manhattan, strolled around Midtown and Times Square, sojourned through Central Park and over to the Upper East Side, hiked through part of Harlem and ambled through Greenwich Village.

Though we both work out, my wife Eve and I (seen here during the Central Park sojourn) felt like we’d run marathons by the end of our three-day trip. While our dogs were tired, we appreciated the ability to walk to most of our destinations without having to get in a car.

That’s something missing in a lot of cities (including much of the Treasure Coast). Port St. Lucie, where we live, doesn’t have sidewalks in a lot of places. That can turn walking from a form of exercise into a live-action version of the video game “Frogger.” And often there’s not much to walk to besides other houses.

While getting hit by a car can be a sure-fire health drawback, so can lack of exercise. For many people, walking is an easy way to burn calories: Prevention magazine’s November issue cites a study that says when women over age 40 annually add an average of 3,520 steps – or roughly 1 ¾ miles – they lost an additional five pounds during a year and cut their belly fat by 12 percent.

There are scientists looking at whether urban sprawl, which generally creates more dependence on cars, has helped lead to increases in obesity rates. Less walking and more driving, they say, means fatter people.

As a lifelong suburbanite, I’m used to getting where I want to go by car. But there is something to be said for using your feet to get there instead. For instance, that beer and a slice of pizza at John’s of Bleecker Street? Probably in the neighborhood of 800 calories. To burn those calories means I’d have to walk about seven miles.

Which means it’s time to lace up those walking shoes.


--Scott Samples

Understanding Diabetes

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so we thought we’d provide some information to help you decipher the signs and symptoms of this invisible epidemic. Read the post from Maureen Daniello, Martin Memorial’s diabetes education program coordinator, to learn more or take this diabetes quiz to test your knowledge. Check out the Palm Beach Post’s report on our weight management programs, aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes in teens and adults.

When you have diabetes, the food you eat cannot be used for energy either because your body is not making enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin you have is not working the way it should.

Either way, sugar cannot get into your body’s cells. Instead of entering the cells, it stays trapped in the bloodstream, raising the amount of sugar in your blood to abnormally high levels.

There are some tell-tale signs of diabetes. Because your body is not getting the sugar it needs, you are likely to feel tired. You may urinate more often than usual, you may be very thirsty, or you may lose weight even though you are eating the way you normally do.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, keeping your blood sugar low is crucial. According to the American Diabetes Association, a normal fasting blood sugar range for a person who does not have diabetes is less than 100 mg/dL and the target blood sugar for most people with diabetes is 90-130 mg/dL .

Unfortunately, your body cannot lower blood sugar by itself. You have to help, by balancing what you eat with regular exercise, medications (if prescribed) and weight loss (if you are overweight). Knowing what to eat and how it affects your blood sugar is vital to controlling diabetes.

Martin Memorial’s diabetes education program can help you learn how to live with diabetes. For more information, call (772) 223-2822.

--Maureen Daniello, RN
Program Coordinator, Diabetes Education
Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing

A Real “Dear John” Letter

Ordinarily, I delete emails that have been forwarded over and over again – especially the ones that insist you need to send it to everyone on your address list. But when I got this e-mail I had to open it (mainly because I am the director of the neuroscience unit) to see what kind of crazy advice people are spreading on the Internet. It read:

Subject: FW: FW: FW: FW: A SIGN OF STROKE
Importance: High
A MUST READ! A SIGN OF STROKE

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours, he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word:

During a barbecue, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – at 6 p.m., Ingrid passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the barbecue. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead…

I really think there are people out there who want to help others, which is why e-mails like this are forwarded so often. I agree with much of the content, because stroke can be deadly: it’s the third-leading cause of death in America today and a major cause of severe, long-term disability.

Identifying a stroke and getting treatment quickly is crucial, because there’s a strict three-hour window for treating certain types (but not all) strokes. A medicine can be given in some cases that dissolves clots that occlude blood flow to your brain.

But there are definitive criteria that must be met before the medicine can be safely given, which is why a thorough screening takes place in the emergency department to determine eligibility. After three hours, it is generally considered too dangerous to give the medicine.

That’s why it’s extremely important to recognize when a stroke is occurring and get immediate medical care if you or someone you know is experiencing one. The five warning signs of an acute stroke are:

• Sudden numbness of the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headaches with no known cause.

If you recognize these signs taking place, call 911 immediately or have someone drive the stroke victim directly to the hospital. Ingrid might be alive today if someone had recognized the signs.

--John Romano, RN, BSN
Director of Medical Surgical and Neuroscience

A Weighty Study

Feeling guilty about eating that third burrito from Taco Bell? Don’t! Gut bursting from one too many slices of greasy sausage pizza? Relax!

After years of being advised to eat healthy, get exercise and reduce our weight, along comes a scientific study conducted for all of us who’ve been fattening up like grizzly bears ready for hibernation feel just a little better about ourselves.

The study, which came out last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that carrying a few extra pounds may not be catastrophic to your health and can actually protect you against some diseases.

While being overweight can contribute to things like diabetes and kidney disease, it may not have any correlation with heart disease or cancer. (That’s not the case, however, for people who are obese.)

Some health experts instantly disputed the new findings. Others supported it. Still others couldn’t comment, their mouths filled with chicken wings.

I found the findings to be fantastic news as I crammed my face into a platter of cookies (visual evidence at left) that one of my coworkers brought in – all in the name of health, of course.

Granted, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a new study that claims to have all the answers to all our health questions. Picking and choosing which study to believe just because you want to keep doing the things you’re already doing isn’t necessarily a sound health strategy.

And really, just because you might be OK with a few extra pounds doesn’t mean you’d be better off without that additional weight. Besides, in a couple more days another study will come along discounting the previous one, and we’ll be freaking out about the five pounds we gained after believing heart and soul in the previous study.

Until then, however, I’ve got a plate of nachos calling my name. I think I can still fit a couple more pounds under my belt.
--Scott Samples

Get fit, not fat!

With the holidays right around the corner, make your way through without guilt or added pounds. The secret is balance over a several day period.

Instead of reaching for caffeine, go for a walk or take an exercise class. Too much caffeine can make you feel tired and wired, but a good workout helps you feel physically relaxed but mentally alert. It relieves tension and stress and helps concentration. Exercise also enhances sleep quality.

Plan to do cardiovascular activities several times a week, but be realistic. This is a special time of year to spend with family and friends. Set a goal to maintain, not raise your fitness level. Shorter workouts are better than none. Try a fitness DVD, park a long way from the mall, take a walk before or after work to regroup before the activities begin. Carry water and healthful snacks with you. Don't skip meals. Eat healthful foods before parties and practice portion control.

Try strength training circuits instead of your regular routine. It will help get you in and out of the gym quickly, but still allow you to receive the benefits from weight training. Plan to do some daily stretches and find some time for some longer relaxation or yoga sessions.

Your goal during the holidays should not be just to survive them, but enjoy them. Fitness is a great gift to yourself, even during the busiest time of year!

– Laura Henry, manager, Martin Memorial Hospital South Health and Fitness Center

Having a Ball at the Ball

The first pair of shoes Karen Keane wore to last week’s Martin Memorial Foundation Chrysanthemum Ball didn’t last long – they were quickly taken off and replaced with another, slightly more comfortable pair.

But those shoes hurt her feet too, which is why they were soon gone as well. Finally, like Goldilocks finding the perfect bowl of porridge, Keane slid into a third pair of shoes and was soon dancing the night away.

Sore feet or not, the Chrysanthemum Ball was once again a huge success. The annual fund-raiser brought in $1.2 million that will be used to purchase a second cardiac catheterization lab for the Frances Langford Heart Center.

Keane, who is director of the cardiac cath lab, has seen first hand how much of a difference the advanced technology makes for patients. In the first year that the heart center was open, physicians (such as Dr. Stephen McIntyre, pictured at right) performed 775 interventional catheterizations – something they could not do before the heart center was here.

“This year has seen major growth and changes in the way we take care of patients with cardiac disease. Having state-of-the-art equipment and interventional cardiologists on site has allowed us to give immediate care to patients,” Keane said. “We are incredibly thankful to everyone involved with the Chrysanthemum Ball and to those who support Martin Memorial in helping us provide the best possible care for this community.”

The event itself was, as always, elegant and glamorous. The music was festive and fun, with guests dancing all night long in a setting designed to replicate a restaurant rooftop. The vistas of several cities – places like New York, Seattle and others – slowly rotated so that it looked like you were visiting a bunch of places without ever leaving Stuart.

But the volunteer committee comprised of about 30 women won’t have long to rest on its laurels: planning for next year’s event begins in just a couple weeks.
--Scott Samples

Know Thy Enemy

A friend of mine, now in his early 40s, told me recently that the last time he’d been to the doctor for a physical was just before he went into college.

And while he may have been in perfect health before going in, I’m pretty sure that, like many of us, he probably did some major damage to himself between his freshman and senior years. Tack on another 20 years of aging and there’s bound to be some wear and tear on the body.

The thing is, he was telling me this while residing as a guest in our heart unit. He has high blood pressure – and knew it – but chose not to do anything about it. Until, that is, he had to drive himself to the emergency department with chest pains.

This isn’t unusual. Dr. Julie Price (pictured at left), a family physician in Hobe Sound, said she sees the phenomenon all the time. There are people who don’t want to go to the doctor or get screenings and tests that will tell them if there are problems. And if there are, they simply don’t want to take the medications that will help solve those problems.

“My goal as a doctor is to try to prevent my patients from getting sick and dying,” Dr. Price said. “I want to offer them screenings and preventative methods so we can treat them.”

As an example, Dr. Price said that if I have my cholesterol level tested and the numbers come back high, I can still lower those levels to decrease my risk of heart disease or stroke 30 to 40 percent by treating the condition with diet, exercise, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, and taking statin drugs.

There are all kinds of screenings and tests out there that will help doctors determine whether something’s wrong with you or not. That includes everything from mammograms to colonoscopies, blood sugar levels and pap smears.

Ultimately, the goal is to find out if you have a health problem before you know it. Because the sooner you know, the better you’ll be able to treat it.


Fortunately, my friend is doing fine. And now that he's actually seen a doctor, he's decided to follow his directions and work toward fixing the problem.
--Scott Samples

Navigating Lung Cancer

Quick quiz!

Which form of cancer causes the highest number of deaths in American women each year? Nope, not breast cancer.

OK, what kind of cancer kills the most men each year in the United States? No, it's not prostate cancer.

Alright, what form of cancer kills more Americans each year than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined? No fair if you’re looking up the answer (although I did).

The answer, if you haven’t guessed by now, is lung cancer. According to information from the American Cancer Society, an estimated 213,380 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2007, accounting for about 15 percent of cancer diagnoses. There will also be an estimated 160,390 deaths for both men and women, accounting for about 29 percent of all cancer deaths.

However, while there are huge campaigns for breast and prostate cancers that raise money as well as awareness of the need for prevention and early detection, there has been less of a crusade against lung cancer.

Part of that could stem from a social stigma. The most common factor for developing lung cancer is smoking and since most everyone by now (except, apparently, the tobacco companies) knows that smoking causes cancer, there seems to be less sympathy for those being diagnosed.

“People think, ‘You smoked, you got lung cancer, what did you expect?’” said Lindsay Mattino, clinical research coordinator and lung cancer navigator at the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center at Martin Memorial. “But nobody deserves to get cancer.”

To help lung cancer patients, Martin Memorial developed the lung cancer navigator program that began Nov. 1. It is similar to the breast health navigator program at the cancer center, which has been very successful in its two-plus years assisting patients with breast cancer.

Mattino will work with Paulette Craft, Martin Memorial’s oncology social worker, and they will help provide patients with access to resources. That can include financial assistance, help navigating through their treatment options and support groups.

“This is like a mission for me,” Mattino said. “I feel like we’re really going to be helping a population that needs help.”

For more information about the lung health navigator program, call Mattino at (772) 223-5945, ext. 1669.
-- Scott Samples

Read this blog, STAT!

Ever wonder why a hospital smells like a hospital?

Alright, we may not know the answer to that question (our guess is bleach, cafeteria food and band-aids). But we do know a bunch of other things about health care.

That’s why we’ve started this blog. It’s designed to provide information about your health in general or things you might not know about Martin Memorial. And if you have questions you want answered (like why do they make those needles so big?) send ’em in.

Want to know what a local pediatrician thinks about giving your kid cough medicine? Write us. Want to know why we don’t accept a particular insurance? Ask us. Want to know what it’s like to be a nurse on the night shift in the emergency department? Read the blog. Looking for a new exercise to help burn fat, build muscle and improve your cardiovascular health? Check out a demonstration from one of our exercise specialists from the health and fitness center.

The blog is scheduled to run three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It’ll primarily be written by Scott Samples, public information coordinator, as well as Kelly Bruce, publications editor from the marketing communications department at Martin Memorial.

Along the way, we’ll feature postings from docs and nurses, as well as folks behind the scenes who make the healthcare world go round.

Most importantly, we’ll be reporting health news from the people who are on the front lines who can help you find answers to your health questions.

We promise we’ll be gentle.
-- Scott Samples