Martin Memorial Hosts Screening Event to Promote Healthy Weight for Adults

An estimated 66 percent of American adults between the ages of 20 and 74 are overweight or obese -- a number that has continued to climb in recent years. Unfortunately, people who are overweight or obese also have higher risks for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Because of the potential health issues being overweight or obese poses, Martin Memorial will be hosting a health screening event on Saturday, Feb. 27 that is designed to provide information on the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, as well as actions that can help accomplish that goal.

The event will take place from 7 to 11 a.m. at Martin Memorial Medical Center, located at 200 S.E. Hospital Ave. in Stuart. Attendees can browse informational tables and speak directly to experts on weight controls, weight loss and other health-realted issues.

The screening will include:

• Personal BMI calculation
• Blood glucose level test
• Cholesterol test
• Blood pressure check

There will also be a panel discussion from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., featuring nutritionists, a diabetes counselor, staff from the Martin Memorial weight-management program, bariatric surgeons and sleep center clinicians.

Registration is required and can be made by calling 1-866-361-HOPE (4673). The screening event costs $25 and space is limited.

Want to Go Out to Eat? Do Your Homework to Find Healthy Options

Last week I gave a lesson on eating out – or should I say it is more like filling up and filling out. America’s restaurants seem to be in competition to determine who can dish you up the best bang for your buck – that is, the quickest heart attack.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill has a shot to win in the Italian category with their spaghetti and meatballs topping 1,800 calories, 57 grams of bad fat (saturated), and 4,900 grams of sodium. It’s like asking for a side of high cholesterol, please.

Restaurants are continuing to dish out these meals and they are growing increasingly larger. We poke fun at it, but it’s the industry and bottom line that is clogging our arteries, raising our blood pressure and contributing to diabetes and obesity.

Why do we need to have all this fat? What makes a burger that delivers 141 grams of fat and 1,940 calories (Ruby Tuesday’s Colossal Burger) better than a regular old Quarter Pounder with Cheese (510 calories, 26 grams of fat)? I thought that was bad enough. And is this food even good? I hear my stomach calling and I hear pain.

To put this in perspective, most people shouldn’t eat more than 2,000 calories a day, 20 grams of bad fat and greater than 2,300 mgs of sodium. What’s scary is that most people don’t have a clue how much they’re eating. One study showed that consumers underestimated their meals by 632 calories. Now we add up those extra pounds and see where we went wrong.

New York City has led the way by requiring restaurants to post nutrition facts and more than 20 other cities are considering the same regulations. How do you think you would react to see that morning muffin snack sets you back 630 calories?

I hope this menu label law continues to spread because at least consumers can be in the know. But until this happens the key is to know before you go. Check out the company’s Web site or do a Google search. You can also find healthy options by checking out healthydiningfinder.com.

Eating out can be healthy if you do your homework.

--Beth St.Louis, MS, RD, LDN
Program Dietitian
Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing

New Year, New You: Program Provides You With Tools for Improved Weight Management

The holidays are over and you have enjoyed them by participating in those special foods, great parties, cookies and eggnog. Perhaps some of your New Year’s resolutions include stopping smoking, monitoring what you are eating, getting some exercise and leading a healthier lifestyle.

Here are a few tips to help fulfill those resolutions:

· Start with small changes – you’ll be amazed at how they can add up to big calorie savings and weight loss.
· Evaluate your eating habits – are you eating late at night, nibbling while cooking or finishing the kids’ meals?
· Always shop with a full belly.
· Eat regular meals – maybe you need six small meals a day instead of three regular meals.
· Start your day with breakfast.
· Eat slowly, chew every bite.
· Get some exercise – walking is the best exercise and you can do it anywhere and it only takes a good pair of sneakers.
· Make time to exercise.

The Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing offers a unique approach to weight management through its 12-, 26- and 52-week weight management programs. Individual and group programs are offered and include nutrition counseling, support and educational programs, as well as membership in the Martin Memorial Health and Fitness Centers.

A new session of the 12-week group weight management class begins Jan. 14 and ends April 1. For more information, or to register for a class, contact the center at (772) 223-4916.

The Power of Prevention

According to a survey published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a few years back, Americans have never felt more vulnerable. We are more fearful of unpredictable, mainly random events such as terrorist attacks, anthrax exposure, West Nile virus, violence and crime and other uncontrollable threats such as a plane crash than we are of largely preventable life-threatening diseases.

The risks of illness or death from chronic disease, however, are far greater. While many Americans are aware of the seriousness of chronic illness, most of us have not changed our lifestyles sufficiently to reduce their risk of death or illness.

The top five chronic diseases – heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes – cause more than two thirds of all deaths each year. This epidemic is not limited to older adults: a third of the years of potential life lost before age 65 are due to chronic disease.

The number of deaths alone fails to convey the full picture of the toll of chronic disease. More than 125 million Americans live with chronic conditions, with millions of cases diagnosed each year. These disabling conditions (such as arthritis, stroke and diabetes) cause major limitations in activity for one of every 10 Americans. And almost everyone is adversely affected by chronic disease in one way or another – through the death of a loved one; a family member’s struggle with lifelong illness, disability or compromised quality of life; or the huge personal and societal financial burden brought on by chronic disease.

We cannot afford to ignore the urgency of chronic disease. Although this epidemic is the most common and costly of all health problems, it is also the most preventable. Access to high-quality and affordable prevention measures (including screening and appropriate follow-up) is essential if we are to saves lives and reduce medical care costs.

Three modifiable health-damaging behaviors – tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits – are responsible for much of our chronic disease. That’s why Martin Memorial has put resources in place to help fight these diseases:

Effective Oct. 1, we will be a smoke-free campus. To assist our patients and Associates, we are conducting more than our typical offering of cessation classes for day and evening availability.

We have comprehensive weight-management and diabetes-education programs.

We have on-site fitness centers.

We will be conducting biometric screenings (blood pressure, glucose, BMI and cholesterol) for our Associates during our benefits open-enrollment period in the summer and fall.

Our health promotion team is working with our cafeteria vendor for healthy menu options.

We have youth weight-management classes.

We conduct resilience workshops.

These are key ingredients for helping to create a healthier, prevention-centric mindset and will provide impact toward a better quality workforce and community.

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

Youth Obesity Epidemic Slimming Down?

For years there has been considerable concern coming from every corner of the healthcare globe about the unhealthy growth spurt happening to American kids.

Kids were getting fatter and fatter, growing out rather than up. Everything was to blame: parents, television, fast food marketers, school lunches, too many video games and no physical activity.

Experts across the land called it an obesity epidemic and glumly warned that today’s youth would be facing increased health risks as they grew older. Already there were rising numbers of kids being diagnosed with diabetes or even heart disease as a result of the extra pounds.

Finally, there was a bright spot. This week a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was released that indicated the percentage of American children considered overweight or obese had not risen since 2004.

OK, so it’s not like the genie’s been put back in the bottle. Of the 8,000 or so kids studied, 32 percent of them were overweight but not obese, 16 percent qualified as being obese and another 11 percent were considered significantly obese. That’s still a lot of overweight kids.

Hopefully, the message is starting to resonate to parents, school administrators and even the kids themselves. Hopefully, those numbers will begin to eventually come down as people begin to understand the dangers of the dilemma and change their behaviors.

Because this isn’t a problem that is just affecting people right now; it’s a problem that will have lasting effects for years to come.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Reaching Goals with Fuzzy Math

The holidays are thoroughly over at this point and I did lose the 14 pounds that I planned.

I lost eight actual pounds plus I didn’t gain the seven that experts say most people gain during the holidays, so I figure that’s 15! I actually exceeded my goal by one pound.

Some people might find faults in my math. I choose not to.

I did, however, find faults in my goal. Having a goal to lose weight is not very realistic because it’s too easy to amend during the timeframe allotted. If the plan was one pound per week, then if I didn’t lose one pound this week then I’ll just lose two next week. This type of carrying over effect is too typical.

When I thought about it, losing weight is an outcome or a byproduct of a goal. My goal should have been to eat sensible portions of healthy foods, no second helpings and increase my fitness by running no less than three times per week. The weight will come off whether I plan for it or not.

I took two weeks off from running during the holidays due to uncontrolled circumstances, but I started back up in January. I kept it going with the plan to run in the “Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart 5K” on Feb. 9.

My training went well enough and when the “Susan Komen Race for the Cure 5K” came around on Jan. 19, I went ahead and ran in it – three weeks before I’d planned to run in a race! I have to tell you, it was a great event. The massive amount of the community present for such a great cause was very touching.

Last Saturday was the “Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart.” I ran in it and actually improved my race time from three weeks earlier. It was another great cause and it attracted 270 runners, plus hundreds of others from the community to support the Frances Langford Heart Center.

I know that I’m not setting any records in these races and I’m never going to; but I am doing a small part to support my community while increasing my fitness.

I’m going to try to keep up this whole running thing. It seems to be good for all of us.

--John Romano
Director of Medical Surgical and Neuroscience Services

Do You Know Your Eating Style?

Most of us have a certain style: the way we dress, how we wear our hair. But have you ever considered your eating style?

Is the ice cream in your freezer calling out your name until the last bite is finished, or will you find it three months down the road with a bad case of freezer burn? If you’re trying to lose weight, or make a habit out of healthy eating, it helps to know your eating style.

Once good nutrition is your norm, an occasional indulgence will be just that – occasional. In the meantime, which style is yours?

A little dab will do you. You are able to have a bite or two of something decadent then go right back to your healthy habits. That little taste is enough to hold you over for days or even weeks, helping you to stick to your nutrition goals.

Your indulgences are eaten thoughtfully, one piece at a time; you would not dream of overdoing it. So go ahead and keep some treats in the cabinet since you are not at risk of going over your self-imposed limit.

Out of sight, out of mind. If you don’t see that high calorie treat, you don’t want it – in your mind it does not exist. You know yourself well enough not to partake of that candy just because a co-worker offers it to you. Your little indulgence becomes a daily ritual and you’re back at square one trying to break an unhealthy habit.

You are best off avoiding desserts and high calorie snacks, even in small amounts, until you have made healthy eating your norm. Then you’ll cross over into the “little dab will do you” category and a little will go a long way.

I can’t believe I ate the whole thing. Your intention is one bite of leftovers or cake, but before you know it, the plate or container is empty and you’ve consumed a few hundred extra calories without giving it a second thought. You are best off putting all leftovers away immediately and not allowing yourself to be left alone with high calorie foods that might call to you in the middle of the night.

--Rosemarie Lembo James
Clinical Director of Nutrition Services

Resolution Progress Report

We’re a month into the New Year. How is everyone doing with his or her New Year’s resolutions to get fit and to lose those extra pounds? I for one can tell you that it is not easy. I regret every piece of holiday candy and every extra scooping of potatoes. It’s a lot easier to add those extra pounds than it is to lose them.

Since it takes a loss of 3,500 calories a week to lose just one pound, this is not the time to give up. It doesn’t happen easily and late January is the time many begin to lose hope and interest and become discouraged. Here are a few tips to help you stay focused on your goals:

1. Set realistic goals for yourself
Many people say, “Jane, I will workout seven days a week…” Although I would love to see them every day, that kind of a schedule is just too difficult for most people to maintain. You are setting yourself up to fail. My advice is to go four to five days a week at a time day that is both convenient and enjoyable for you.

2. Vary your workout routines
Try different classes. Martin Memorial Health and Fitness Centers offer many different classes including Zumba for the Latin beat, kickboxing, senior fitness, yoga and tai chi just to name a few. Don’t limit yourself to just the treadmill or weights. You just might have fun and meet a few new friends in group exercise classes.

3. Try personal training
Think about it. You’ve never worked out with fitness equipment. Most of us were not born with an intimate knowledge of the equipment and it’s easy to become intimidated. The health and fitness centers always offer a free training session when you join.

Sometimes a few extra sessions with a personal trainer (like Nancy Aldrich, shown at left) will help you set realistic goals and develop a long-term plan. Some of the advantages of a trainer are:

· Injury prevention
· Accountability
· Partnership
· New workouts

So, here’s to a great year of health and fitness. Remember that you’re not doing this just for the outward appearance – your heart and lungs will thank you as well.

--Jane Reynolds, certified personal trainer, health and fitness instructor

Martin Memorial Hospital South Health and Fitness Center

Consider Your Plate in 2008

Well, it’s a new year, full of promise and potential – and, oh yes, resolutions. One resolution I would encourage you to make is to “consider your plate in 2008.”

The word “consider,” according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, means: to think about carefully; to think of especially with regard to taking some action. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, eat more healthfully, or something to that effect, this is a great place to start.

Many people grab food when they are hungry, not thinking about what they are going to eat until they hear their stomach growling. A good start in considering your plate is to grocery shop once a week (twice if you run out of fresh produce or the occasional miscellaneous item), using a list.

If you plan your meals in advance, you won’t find yourself in the kitchen or in the supermarket line, after a long, hard day at work, wondering what the heck you are going to make for dinner. You also are less likely to find yourself headed for the drive-through or the take-out menu if you know in advance what you are going to prepare for dinner.

Advance planning will potentially save you not only fat and calories, but money as well. It helps to keep track of how much milk, produce, etc, you use during a typical week. Keep a magnetized note pad on your refrigerator and add items when you run out of them. Try to organize your list by store section or food category; you will be a lot less likely to forget something this way.

Meal planning is not difficult – it actually makes life a lot easier. Start with meals that are easy to make. Do you enjoy grilling? Are one-pot meals just your style? When you shop (from your list, remember?) buy enough for two meals so that you have leftovers for the next night, or lunch the next day.

Leave complicated meals for weekends – weekdays warrant speed and simplicity. Try a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and add your own vegetables and starch. You will have a quick, healthy meal in 20 minutes or less.

Remember to plan the entire meal. Check the weekly supermarket circulars in the newspaper to see what healthy foods are on sale and if need be, consult a cookbook or search on-line for some new recipes before you hit the store. Pork tenderloin may be on sale but if you don’t know how to cook it that won’t do you much good. Also, a piece of fish is a great source of protein, but what about your side dishes? Be sure that you have all of the ingredients you need for the meal you are planning to prepare.

I hope that 2008 will be your best year yet. I promise that it will be a lot less complicated and a lot more healthy if you consider your plate and plan ahead.

-- Rosemarie Lembo James
Clinical Director, Nutrition Services

Beating Weight Loss to the Punch

So here we are again, the holidays are over and I’m starving.

A couple of times each year I come up with the great idea that I need to lose a few pounds and get into some sort of quasi-shape. A couple of days before Thanksgiving, I was listening to “Morning Express” with Robin Meade on CNN and heard a story that put that great idea in my head.

The story related how the “average” American gains about five to seven pounds during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year. It occurred to me that I must be better than the average American because I can gain that much weight just looking at a Thanksgiving turkey.

I started thinking about it. Why wait until January to lose those holiday-acquired pounds? I thought if I could somehow lose seven pounds in that same time, plus the seven pounds that I won’t gain, that’s like a 14-pound swing. How awesome is that?

Here’s my plan. Eat sensible portions, more fruit and veggies, keep away from the Chex-mix, say no to candy, drink water instead of wine with dinner, no nibbling when I’m cooking (pre-eating) and start jogging again.

Portion control has always been my weakness, so the best way to control it is to have my wife fix my plate since I will always put too much on it if left to my own devices. Changing the food in my diet has not been too hard. In Nancy Reagan’s words, “Just say no!”

I heard a great tip to help out in the kitchen if you nibble when you cook: chew gum while you are cooking. You won’t want to stuff turkey in your mouth if you are chewing gum because that’s just nasty.

Finally, the jogging. Let me tell you, I am no natural born runner. I’m starting slow, a couple of miles at a time and I’m alternating between jogging and a rapid walk using the street lights on the road side as a measurable gauge of when to run and when to walk. I’ve been doing this three or four times a week since Thanksgiving and it is getting easier each week.

I’ve even decided to run the “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. The last time I ran in a race was during my senior year of high school in 1986. It’s motivating having made the commitment to run in the race, I’m just looking to finish somewhere among the pack.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. So far, so good.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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