Category Archives: Community Health

6 ways for older adults to manage seasonal allergies

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Spring in the Midwest, with its growing greenery and flowers, is like a breath of fresh air after a long winter. Unfortunately for some, however, new growth means that the air is also full of pollen, setting off allergies in residents young and old. Whether you’ve suffered spring allergies your whole life, or if your symptoms have worsened as you got older, hafever can be serious for seniors. Here are 6 tips to manage your allergies when there’s pollen in the air.

1. Learn allergy symptoms

As we age, our immune systems tend to get weaker. For some people, this means that their allergy symptoms actually improve or disappear, as their bodies stop recognizing the pollen that enters their systems as a threat. For others, their allergy symptoms can remain unchanged or even worsen.


Learning what seasonal allergy symptoms look like is critical to managing them for yourself or for your loved ones. The main symptoms are:

  • Runny nose
  • Watery or itchy eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Dark circles under the eyes

These symptoms may seem harmless enough, but they can cause extreme discomfort and complicate treatment of other conditions. Seniors living with dementia may be unable to communicate their discomfort, so you should always know the signs.

2. Avoid high pollen days

The amount of pollen in the air can vary from day to day, or even hour to hour, so plan your time outdoors to avoid especially high pollen counts. Many weather services report on the pollen count during the weather forecast in spring, and if it’s not broadcast, you can always find it online.


If you’re not near a television, computer, or smartphone, there are some basic guidelines for how high the pollen count will be: stay inside if the weather is warm and dry, or dry and windy. Pollen count is usually highest from 5am to 10am every day, then falls as the day goes on. The best time for people with spring allergies to be outside is after a heavy rainfall, when pollen is stuck to the ground by moisture. By staying indoors and minimizing your exposure to pollen, you can keep your symptoms manageable.

3. Wear the right clothes when you’re outside

Sometimes, staying inside is a tall order when the weather is beautiful, and getting fresh air, sun, and exercise is a good idea for people of all ages. When you do go outside, be sure you’re wearing clothing that can help you keep the pollen at bay. Sunglasses are a must to prevent pollen from getting in your eyes and irritating them. A hat, headscarf, or bandana keeps irritants out of your hair that can fall into your eyes and nose later, and long sleeves and pants allow for easy cleaning when you return indoors.


Even with proper attire, avoiding the outdoors during times when pollen levels are high is always going to be more effective than covering up, but if you can’t plan around it, be sure you’re protecting yourself when you go outside.

4. Keep your house pollen-free

It’s close to impossible to keep all allergens out of your home, especially if you’re always coming and going, but there are several strategies to keep your house as pollen-free as possible.


First, avoid opening windows, even though it may be tempting. If you get too warm, use fans or ideally, your air conditioner, as it can help remove pollen that may have gotten into your home. Second, wash your hands and shower often, especially when you come inside after being exposed to high pollen levels. Pollen on your skin and hair can easily fall off and circulate throughout your house. Third, after being outdoors, change your clothes immediately and put the clothes that have been exposed to pollen in the washing machine. This isolates all irritants, and the wash cycle will get rid of them so your clothes are ready for their next wear.

5. Eat immune-boosting foods

Foods that boost your immune system can help you manage your seasonal allergy symptoms, but none have been proven as a tried-and-true treatment for allergies. Try some of these foods in your springtime diet and see what works for you:

  • Apples:
    • Apples, as well as berries, garlic, onions, cabbage, and cauliflower contain quercetin, a bioflavonoid that can help prevent your body’s immune cells from releasing histamines, which causes allergy symptoms.
  • Strawberries:
    • The Vitamin C combined with the quercetin in strawberries make these sweet fruits a powerful immune booster that also suppress histamines.
  • Fatty Fish:
    • Omega-3 fatty acids are a great way to reduce inflammation, and therefore help keep allergic reactions from causing too much damage. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel are delicious sources of omega-3, which is also great for heart health and memory.
  • Yogurt:
    • Probiotics, such as the live bacteria found in yogurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, are healthy for your digestive system and your immune system. Use caution, however, as dairy and the natural histamines in fermented foods could actually make your symptoms worse.

6. Talk to your doctor

As with all conditions, from allergies to illnesses, you should always consult your primary care doctor or another healthcare professional about the best approach to handling your health. The treatment most commonly used to treat allergies, antihistamines, are not recommended for seniors as they can interfere with other medications or have more severe side effects than in younger adults. A doctor will be able to determine the best way to manage or treat your allergy symptoms.


Suffering from seasonal allergies can put a rain cloud over the nice spring weather, but by knowing how to manage your symptoms, you can still make the most of the season. And if getting outside does more harm than good during spring? Don’t worry, summer promises better weather and lower pollen counts.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


Lore of the snore

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A sleep schedule allowing for fewer than seven hours of sleep each night is likely to lead to serious health problems. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Mistaken beliefs about sleep are common and pose a significant health threat, a new study warns.


Among these myths: some people only need five hours of sleep, snoring is harmless and a drink before bedtime helps you fall asleep.


“Sleep is a vital part of life that affects our productivity, mood and general health and well-being,” lead investigator Rebecca Robbins said. “Dispelling myths about sleep promotes healthier sleep habits which, in turn, promote overall better health.”


Robbins is a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of population health at NYU Langone Health in New York City.


For the study, the researchers reviewed more than 8,000 websites to identify the 20 most common beliefs about sleep.


One of the top myths was the claim of some people who insist they can get by on five hours of sleep a night. The study authors said this poses the most serious health risk due the effects of long-term lack of sleep.


Robbins and her colleagues suggested creating a consistent sleep schedule and getting at least seven hours of shut-eye a night.


And don’t assume your snoring is no big deal—that’s another myth, the study team said. While it can be harmless, snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during the night. Left untreated, it can lead to heart problems and other illnesses.


The researchers also dispelled the notion that a drink before bed can help you sleep. Alcohol actually makes it harder to achieve deep sleep, which is crucial for proper daytime functioning, they explained in a news release from NYU Langone.


The study was published online recently in the journal Sleep Health.


Study senior investigator Girardin Jean-Louis, a professor in the departments of population health and psychiatry at NYU Langone, said the public needs to be better informed about the importance of sleep.


“For example, by discussing sleep habits with their patients, doctors can help prevent sleep myths from increasing risks for heart disease, obesity and diabetes,” he said in the news release.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

‘SEEDS’ require water

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Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Water is a critical component of our body’s structure and all its functions.


It makes up approximately 55 percent of the female body.


Key organs—muscles, heart, brain and lungs—are made up of more than 75 percent water.


So what happens when we get busy and don’t take the time to hydrate?


If we leave water out of our daily habits, the results can be subtle but significant. Hypo-hydration can take its toll in ways that affect our normal daily function.


A patient I’ll call Sally is a prime example of what can happen when we don’t hydrate enough.


When she came to see me in the Spectrum Health Midlife and Menopause Health Clinic, she wondered if she was going into menopause because she felt so terrible. She had attended one of my talks and remembered me mentioning the symptoms of menopause—fatigue, hot flashes and irritability.


She had been experiencing all these symptoms, as well as suffering headaches and feeling short-tempered with her husband and kids. Her periods were also irregular, but not entirely indicative of menopause.


After gathering Sally’s information, I had a very good idea what was going on with her.

Dried out

As Sally talked, I noticed her skin and hair were dry. She looked tired and quite thin.


To confirm my suspicions, I started by asking Sally if she practiced her SEEDS (Seven Essential Elements of Daily Success) every day, especially the first one—drinking plenty of water.


Sally said she drank only about one or two 8-ounce bottles of water most days, but she hoped her five cups of coffee and nightly glass of wine would make up the difference. Wrong!


Unfortunately, Sally wasn’t doing very well on the rest of her SEEDS either. She only slept about five hours a night. She didn’t eat balanced meals. She rarely exercised because she was too tired. She barely practiced any meditation or gratitude.


Instead, she found herself rushing to the next event or handling another emergency at work or at home.


When we finished discussing the SEEDS, I told Sally her symptoms were not the result of menopause or her hormones.


She asked why I focused on water and diet. I explained how body function depends on water, especially for cooling and energy. When the body is dehydrated, the muscles can get hotter more quickly, causing them to get tight like beef jerky.


Without adequate water, women can experience hot flashes, muscle spasms and fatigue.


Dehydration can also cause constipation, because the colon removes all the water from the bowel movement to keep enough for survival, causing the bowel movement to be dry and slow-moving.


Why was Sally’s skin so dry? Without adequate water, skin dries up like a sad houseplant. It can look old and tired before its time.


I asked her to think about the water-coffee balance. Her body requires about 80 ounces of water per day. Because coffee and alcohol are dehydrating, she needed to drink an additional glass of water for each cup of coffee or glass of alcohol she consumed, just to stay in balance.


Sally began to realize that her inadequate water intake, combined with her diet poor in complex carbs and protein, had been contributing to her poor energy, bad mood and lack of motivation to exercise or play with her kids.

Lots of libation

Sally’s story is similar to those of many women who come to see me.


She got out of the habit of self-care and thought she did a better job by focusing first on work and others. Wrong again!


Unfortunately, the result is just the opposite of what she strove for. Everyone, including herself, ended up worse off because she neglected herself.


All women, including Sally, must include themselves on their list of people to take care of.


We used the list of SEEDS to make a plan to get Sally back on the road to feeling healthy again.


She agreed to drink two glasses of water before she left the house in the morning (and before her first coffee), another one in the car, one in her office with her second cup of coffee and one more before lunch.


She also committed to drinking another glass of water at lunch, one in the afternoon, one in the car on the way home and a glass at dinner. She even agreed to sacrifice her nightly glass of wine and only drink one or two glasses on the weekend—at least until she felt better.


In addition, she said she would start eating at least two small meals of things like Ezekiel Bread with peanut butter, bananas (for potassium) and a salad with a protein for dinner.


These were all small changes, but at least it would be a start.


I suggested waiting until she felt a little better before beginning a strenuous exercise program. Instead, we talked about incorporating yoga and stretches into her daily routine and focusing on getting more sleep and taking walks with her family.


Sally was surprised when I told her it would take her body at least three days to really catch up on hydration, noting that her muscles, skin and hair would take some time to soak it all up.


She was relieved to hear she would not have to urinate so much after three or four days.

Back to basics

When Sally came in for her recheck four weeks later, I almost didn’t recognize her!


She actually laughed at herself for thinking she was in menopause and not realizing how she had let her health go. She came in hoping for a hormone patch or magic pill to make her feel better, but she was pleasantly surprised to discover she simply had to get back to the basics and recognize the power of hydration.


In the past four weeks, Sally drank plenty of water and felt so much better that:

  • She was no longer depending on coffee to give her energy. She still drank coffee but did so just because she enjoyed the taste, instead of using it as a vice.
  • Her muscle cramps were gone.
  • Her mood improved and everyone noticed. She didn’t even miss her nightly wine.
  • Her night sweats had improved to the point she only experienced them the night before her period started.
  • Her hairdresser commented how much better Sally’s hair felt and looked.
  • She began to think about how she could put daily exercise back in her schedule.
  • She began to have more fun with her kids than she had in a long time.

Things are definitely headed in the right direction for Sally and her family—and it all started with going back to the basics!


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Independent living: Staying independent in assisted living

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Moving to an assisted living facility doesn’t mean giving up on the important things in your life and it most certainly doesn’t mean losing your independence. An assisted living community is meant to enhance life and offer residents the chance to relax and enjoy life. But that doesn’t mean you need to give up the things you want to be doing.


Many communities, like Vista Springs, are flexible in how much assistance they offer their residents. With the option to use as much or as little as you need; use the following tips to help maintain your independence after making the move to assisted living.

Get involved in activities

Most facilities offer a wide range of activities both inside the facility and outside meant to engage the residents and bring the community to them. Even if you are leaving a familiar community, you can build a new one within the walls of your new home by simply participating in the activities offered by the facility. From dances and card clubs, to viewing parties and game nights, many facilities offer a full calendar to keep residents busy and engaged.

Get involved in activities outside the facility

Don’t cut yourself off from the community you love when you move to assisted living. Just because there are plenty of activities happening within the facility doesn’t mean you are limited to those. As long as it’s possible, engage in activities put on by the community surrounding the facility. Volunteer at local schools or food banks, join book clubs at local coffee shops or join a walking group. Leaving the facility on a regular basis can help you feel engaged with the community.

Maintain your daily routine

Before moving to your new community, what was your daily routine? Did you take a walk before breakfast and then have coffee while reading the paper? Maintain that routine within your new community. Whether you have a coffee maker in your room or walk down to a cafe or cafeteria, continue to do the things you did before the move.

Visit old stomping grounds

When you’re out in the community getting involved, make sure to stop by the places you enjoy visiting. If you’re in a new neighborhood, make plans to visit familiar places once a week or once a month. Organize transportation through your facility, ask a family member, or drive yourself if you’ve brought your car. Don’t cut off your old life simply because you’ve started a new one.

Exercise

Maintaining independence means maintaining your physical health. Avoiding injuries that mean confinement or assistance to get around will help guarantee that you can do the things you love to do. To avoid those injuries, be sure you are exercising on a regular basis. Many communities offer exercise programs to assist in this but if you feel you need more, build a routine on your own. Walk, do yoga, even get out to a gym, gather friends who want to do the same things, just get out and move.

Stay organized

Of course many facilities will maintain a schedule for residents to keep them on top of their everyday activities, but maintaining your own can add an extra level of independence. Keep a calendar, date book, and set up the meetings and activities that are important to you.


No matter where you choose to spend your retirement years, maintain the lifestyle you want to lead by choosing a community that fits with your life.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


Kent County’s top law enforcer answers smoldering questions on legal marijuana

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By. K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Contrary what you might have recently smelled at local concert venues, if not on the main streets of Michigan, smoking marijuana is legal but — currently — not if you bought it or if you are lighting it up in public.

Didn’t know those facts? Don’t feel alone.

With extensive government regulation and rules still being written, it still a little cloudy on the laws surrounding the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, which Michigan voters approved last fall and which legalized adult recreational marijuana use.

To find out just what is legal and what is not, currently and possibly in the future, WKTV sat down with Christopher R. Becker, Kent County Prosecuting Attorney. And from what he said, smokers are not the only ones a little hazy on the subject — to some Michiganders it is unclear if legal marijuana use it is actually the law of the land already.

“Legalization actually went into effect in December (2018), just about a month from it being passed,” said Becker, who was elected to the position in 2016 and leads the prosecutor’s office team of more than 30 attorneys. “The best description would probably be that it is in a transition stage right now.”

As far as the current laws governing several situations of illegal use and possession, Becker said, “for the vast majority of cases it is a civil infraction … There are some unique things, criminally. But then for the rest, the infrastructure if you will, the dispensary, the system to distribute it … the state is still working through getting that all set up right now.”



The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) is the government body drafting the state’s rule and regulations. But at this point, it is legal to possess marijuana but there is no place to buy it — legally.

“Essentially, that is what it is,” Becker said. “If you are over 21, you can have it in your possession, you can smoke it in your own house, you can share it — and that is a very important term. … (selling it, or supplying it ‘with remuneration’) is still illegal.”

Becker, in the WKTV Journal In Focus interview, also went on to detail the current laws of public consumption, the evolving laws — and flaws in the laws— associated with driving in possession and while under the influence, and other current and possible legal aspects of legal recreational marijuana.

In the interview, Becker also talked about his office’s work with new and innovative justice system programs in Kent County, including Restorative Justice for Juveniles, and courthouse therapy dogs for children and vulnerable adult victims.

He also addressed recent criticism of Michigan’s prosecutors from the Michigan ACLU, associated with the group’s Smart Justice Campaign, focused on the rights of poor and minority persons charged with crimes but not convicted. See a WKTV story on the ACLU’s Smart Justice campaign here.

Background on MRTMA and local reaction

On Nov. 6, 2018, Michigan voters approved Proposal 18-1, which created the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act (MRTMA) and legalized adult marijuana use for recreational purposes. This law automatically “opts-in” all municipalities, but each municipality can decide the extent to which it may limit or prohibit state-licensed recreational marijuana establishments prior to a December 2019 deadline.

Many municipalities across the state are waiting on their “opt-in or opt-out” decision until the state finishes writing the rules for the new adult-use marijuana industry, expected to be in draft form in June. But Wyoming and Kentwood did not wait around.

The City of Kentwood City Commission, in November of 2018, just after the proposal was approved, voted in favor of an amendment to the city code to prohibit marijuana establishments within the city, according to media reports.

The City of Wyoming’s City Council, in December of 2018, adopted a pair of ordinance amendments: one prohibits the operation of both recreational marijuana establishments and medical marijuana facilities; a second updates the city’s guidelines on recreational marijuana so that is might be regulated the same as alcohol in the future.

Maintain your bone health

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Don’t forget to give your skeleton what it needs to carry you safely through life. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


One in 3 women and 1 in 5 men older than 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture.


Hip fractures often require surgery and may lead to loss of independence, and vertebral fractures lead to loss of height, pain, nerve compression, and sometimes deformity.

A bit about bones

Our bones are constantly remodeling, with steady building and breakdown, and we reach a peak bone mass in our late 20s.


After our peak, we lose a bit more each year than we build, and when the bones get to be too porous and weak, we are at risk for a fragility fracture, or a break that occurs with minimal trauma such as stepping wrong off a curb or a low-impact fall.


Osteoporosis is the condition when the bones are thin enough to increase risk of fracture to the point that treatment might be indicated, and our goal is to keep osteoporosis from happening.


Osteoporosis is a silent disease, and has no symptoms. The good news is osteoporosis can be prevented, and also predicted if you know the risks.


The basic concept is we want to support our bone-building cells by supplying adequate calcium in our diet. This includes four servings of dairy or leafy greens, adequate vitamin D to allow for calcium absorption (about 2000 IU per day for most adults), and enough weight-bearing activity to let the bones know they are needed. Research shows we need approximately 20 minutes of weight-bearing activity per day.

Midlife wellness

As a busy obstetrician and gynecologist, I should have been thinking about my patient’s bone health way more than I did, but it was not on my radar for those years of delivering babies.


As I started to care more for women approaching midlife and thinking about how I could support wellness, I started asking my patients about risk factors.


I soon met with an internal medicine physician who is passionate about bone health and supports our patients on how to avoid fracture and disability. He taught me about prevention, diagnosis and treatment options.


Also at that time, I had a patient who underwent a bone scan and, when I called her with the bad news that she had osteoporosis, she felt absolutely floored. How could she, a healthy 52-year-old, have osteoporosis?


We went through the risk factors, and she probably never took enough D like the rest of us, avoided dairy due to lactose intolerance, was active but perhaps not enough, and occasionally took oral steroids for asthma.


She decided to start hormone replacement therapy for her menopause symptoms, which is also indicated for prevention of osteoporosis as it supports the good bone she still had. She also became serious about vitamin D and calcium supplements, and exercised every day or at least did her 50 jumps.


A followup scan three years later showed stable bones. Further, her fitness regimen had improved her balance so she was less likely to fall. Thank goodness we found her osteoporosis before she had a fracture.

Supporting your skeleton

We support bone health by knowing what risk factors to avoid. If we have other health conditions that put our bones at risk, we should be aware of the issues and do what we can to make up for the risk.


Lifestyle risk factors for osteoporosis include more than two alcohol drinks per day, cigarette smoking, inactivity, low body weight, and inadequate calcium and vitamin D.


Genetic factors for osteoporosis include family history and conditions such as cystic fibrosis and other metabolic conditions. Hormone conditions— such as menopause, especially if premature, diabetes, Cushing disease and parathyroid dysfunction—are also factors.


Medical conditions such as anorexia and bulimia also put people at risk, as well as celiac disease, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, gastric bypass surgery and lupus. Many cancers also put people at risk for accelerated bone loss such as multiple myeloma, treatments for breast cancer, and medication use to include oral steroids, antacids and anti-seizure medication.


The good news is, if we look, we can get information in time to act and help slow or prevent bone loss. The results from a scan, together with risk factors, help us make recommendations for potential treatment.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Snapshots: Health news for Kentwood, Wyoming, everybody

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By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“Live long and prosper” is an abbreviated version of a traditional Jewish religious blessing. It came to a wider public in the Star Trek TV series.

Salt of the Earth

The leading sources of excess sodium in the average American diet might not be obvious. Packaged foods such as bread, desserts and even canned vegetables—vegetables, for Pete’s sake!—can be prepared with alarmingly high salt levels. For the complete story, visit here.


Need a walking buddy?

Expand your workout circle and form a walking group in your community. By planning walks and encouraging one another, each member will have an impact on everyone else’s health. For the complete story, visit here.

Take care in the sun

Only half of Americans routinely protect themselves from the sun when outdoors, a recent American Academy of Dermatology survey found. For the complete story, visit here.

(Not so) fun fact:

1 in 5

One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life, the AAD estimates. (Source)

Sodium stealth bombs

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Simple table salt ought not trouble you at mealtime. The real concern is how much salt went into processing and preparing the meal itself. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Sarah Mahoney, Spectrum Health Beat


Quick, name a food that contains too much salt.


If you’re like most people, you won’t have any trouble identifying the usual suspects. (French fries, chips and pretzels—we’re looking at you.)


The leading sources of excess sodium in the average American diet are less obvious.


Packaged foods such as bread, desserts and even canned vegetables—vegetables, for Pete’s sake!—can be prepared with alarmingly high salt levels.


That should be a cause for universal concern.


While there’s been some debate about precise levels, current guidelines call for an intake of 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.

|
The American Heart Association goes even further, recommending all American adults try to limit themselves to 1,500 milligrams per day. This is also the level recommended for people with high blood pressure and heart disease.


African Americans are also advised to stick to the lower level.


The reality? The average American eats well over twice that amount, or about 3,400 milligrams a day, and sometimes more.


“Most people don’t realize that the problem isn’t using their salt shaker, but all the foods they eat with those hidden sources,” said Caren Dobreff, RD, projects dietitian at Spectrum Health.


Such as? “Toast and cereal,” Dobreff said. “Because sodium is widely used for flavor, as a leavening agent (think baking soda), as a preservative, it turns up in places you don’t expect.” Portion sizes can add to the confusion since few people limit themselves to a single slice of bread or a half cup of cereal.


The immediate impact of too much salt can be a bloated feeling due to water retention.


“Water retention can make your socks or shoes or waistband feel snug,” Dobreff said.


Over time, too much sodium may increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure, as well as osteoporosis, stomach cancer, kidney disease and headaches.


The best defense: Tune up your sodium radar.


Restaurant foods contribute to about a quarter of the typical American’s dietary sodium. Meals prepared at home account for another 10 percent. Surprisingly, less than 5 percent of dietary salt is added at the table.


This means the worst offenders—about 65 percent, reports the American Heart Association—are foods we buy at the store.

Here’s how to protect yourself from sneaky salt attacks:

Read the label

Manufacturers of packaged foods must list nutritional information on the label. This includes listing sodium content.


The fine print will help you discover, for example, that 3 ounces of deli meat such as ham or turkey can contain up to 1,050 milligrams of sodium. A cup of chicken noodle soup packs 940 milligrams, a slice of American cheese has 460 milligrams and a piece of bread has 230 milligrams. That’s pretty salty.


Check chicken labels, too, especially if the package notes, “Contains broth.” Meat processors often plump the chicken by injecting it with sodium, improving moisture retention. This enhanced chicken can increase sodium content as much as 440 milligrams.


Most red meat cuts have 100 milligrams or less, but processed meat—think cold cuts, sausages and hot dogs—can have hundreds of milligrams of added salt.

Research your restaurant favorites

While it’s harder to learn what’s in your favorite restaurant foods, most national chains have nutrition details on their websites.


A little digging before you get there will help you discover that a slice of pizza at your local shop may well have 760 milligrams of sodium, while a cheeseburger has a whopping 1,690 milligrams. At some fast food joints, just 3 ounces of breaded chicken strips contain 900 milligrams of sodium.


And don’t be fooled when restaurants label something low- or reduced-sodium. Reduced-sodium soy sauce, for example, can still have as much as 500 milligrams per serving.

Cook from scratch

Cooking from scratch offers the most control over how much salt winds up on your plate. A tomato, for example, contains a mere 6 milligrams of sodium. But half a cup of canned low-sodium diced tomatoes has already more than tripled to 20 milligrams.


A helping of regular canned tomatoes is 10 times saltier, at 220 milligrams.


“Look for ways to create flavor explosions,” Dobreff said. She recommends high-impact seasoning like citrus, vinegar, herbs and spices, such as cumin and chili powder.

Don’t get duped

As appealing as some popular gourmet salts sound—pink Himalayan, Hawaiian black lava, grey sea salt, kosher salt and even dusting salt—they’re still just sodium chloride.


“Some people like to experiment with them for flavor and some are prepared more naturally,” Dobreff said. “But the sodium is roughly the same.”

Plan a counterattack

When you’ve got a major salt craving, play nutritional offense. Keep whole fresh fruits and vegetables and unsalted roasted nuts and seeds on hand. We tend to snack on what we can see and what our arms can reach.


“Buy a lower-sodium type of pretzels or chips, for example, and count out the amount of a single serving,” Dobreff said. “Then enjoy them. But be careful to balance them out with foods that day that are high in potassium, such as bananas, citrus fruits, papayas, avocados or potatoes.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Tick, tick, boom!

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A black-legged tick poses on a leaf, waiting for an animal to brush up against it, so it may crawl on its new blood host. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat staff


They lie in wait in the tall grass, hoping to hop onto unsuspecting passersby.


They’re just teeny-tiny ticks, but these dark-bodied bloodsuckers can pack a powerful—and potentially serious—punch.


And this year, the ticks are out in full force, experts say. The season is expected to be an especially bad one for ticks, because of an overall warming trend and a wet winter and spring.


“Many of us have heard about the tick boom,” said Rosemary Olivero, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the Spectrum Health Medical Group. “It’s important to remember that we always expect a dramatic increase in the presence of all types of ticks during this time of year.”


The Michigan Department of Community Health has reported an increase in black-legged ticks along the Lake Michigan shorelines during the past seven years. The black-legged tick was formerly referred to as the deer tick.


Brian Hartl, an epidemiologist at the Kent County Health Department’s Communicable Diseases division, said the tick boom has been a multi-year trend.


“In terms of ticks, we don’t do any surveillance, per se, but we know the tick habitats are spreading eastward,” Hartl explained. “Historically, black-legged ticks—those that carry Lyme disease—have been on the lake shore. But they’re expanding inland from the lakes.”


But there’s more trouble to ticks than just Lyme disease, Dr. Olivero said.


“The black-legged tick can transmit Lyme disease, which is the most common tick-borne infection in Michigan,” she said. “The same tick can also transmit Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis, which almost never occur in Michigan. Other ticks (such as the American Dog tick, Lone Star tick, Woodchuck tick and Brown Dog tick) can transmit other diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Ehrlichisos, Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis. Luckily these infections are quite rare in Michigan.”


Just last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning about a general uptick in all insect-borne illness.


This arrived on the tails of the agency sharing news about a new, formerly rare tick-borne illness—the Powassan virus. Seventy-five cases of Powassan were reported in the United States in the past 10 years, but that number is expected go up as the ranks of mice and the ticks that carry the disease increase.


Symptoms of this serious infection can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss. Long-term neurologic problems may occur. The CDC notes there is no specific treatment, but some people need to be hospitalized to receive respiratory support and intravenous fluids or medications to reduce swelling in the brain.


Hartl said the best defense against ticks is to make it tough for them to latch on in the first place.


“Really it’s just being cognizant of your environment,” he said. “If you’re camping or hiking, wear pants or long socks to keep from getting ticks. They like to hang out in long grass and grab hold of you as you walk by.”


And if you do find a tick attached to your body, properly remove it. There are some videos online for how to do so. Dr. Olivero recommended this video for the proper way to remove ticks. For Lyme disease to be transmitted, ticks need to be attached for 24 to 48 hours.


“If you can remove it quickly enough you can keep from getting Lyme disease,” Hartl said.


Dr. Olivero agreed.


“There are two effective ways to prevent tick bites: wearing long sleeves, and using insect repellents,” she said. “Doing daily tick checks to remove any attached ticks can help prevent contracting Lyme disease from a tick. Important areas to check for ticks include the hairline and behind the ears. Carefully, using pointed tweezers, is the most effective way to remove a tick.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Stay sun smart—shun the rays

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An ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure: A severe sunburn in your youth can nearly double your chances of developing melanoma later in life. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Only half of Americans routinely protect themselves from the sun when outdoors, a recent American Academy of Dermatology survey found.


Those who don’t practice sun safety put themselves at increased risk for skin cancer, which is the most common cancer in the United States, despite being one of the most preventable cancers.


One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life, the AAD estimates.


Just one serious sunburn in childhood or the teen years can nearly double a person’s risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, later in life.


“Exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer, and there are many simple things you can do to protect yourself from the sun,” AAD President Dr. George Hruza said in an academy news release.


Seek shade when possible, especially between 10am and 2pm when the sun’s rays are strongest.


Wear protective clothing, such as a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.


Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all skin not covered by clothing. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.


“It’s also important to remember to protect parts of your body you think might not be getting any sun,” Hruza said.


“Areas like the tops of your hands, bottoms of your feet or the part in your hair may not immediately come to mind when it comes to sun protection, but they are still vulnerable to dangerous sun damage,” he explained.


Skin cancer is highly treatable when caught early, so it’s important to do regular skin self-exams and look out for ABCDEs—the warning signs of melanoma:

  • Asymmetry: One half of the spot is unlike the other half.
  • Border: The spot has an irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border.
  • Color: The spot has varying colors from one area to the next, such as shades of tan, brown or black, or areas of white, red or blue.
  • Diameter: Melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, but they can be smaller.
  • Evolving: The spot looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.

“If you find any new or suspicious spots on your skin, make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist,” Hruza said. “Spots that are changing, itching or bleeding could be a sign of skin cancer, and the earlier skin cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Easy indoor gardening in assisted living

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Gardening offers many therapeutic benefits to seniors; it acts as a stress reliever and lowers blood pressure. In assisted living where some seniors cannot access the outdoors as easily, indoor gardening offers you an opportunity to stay active. Indoor gardening also gives you a sense of purpose, especially when you work with herbs and vegetables to share with friends inside your community. You can share your growth with your loved ones who have an interest in indoor gardening or gift the plants to those in the hospital.


There are many different indoor plants you can bring into an assisted living facility, some great ones include: 

Aloe

The succulent plant can grow up to three feet, making it ideal for livening up your décor. If you prefer smaller varieties, try the aloe vera. Aloe plants thrive in temperatures of approximately 70 degrees and require plenty of sunlight. Position your aloe plant next to a natural light source such as a window or on a balcony, and avoid watering it frequently as it thrives best in dry soil.

English Ivy

The English Ivy symbolizes timeless elegance, even as it matures and trails different furniture pieces for a picturesque effect. A new English Ivy begins with a stem cutting you can easily share with friends and family members who want to have one in their homes. Keep the soil moist, and your plant in cool temperatures of between 50 and 70 degrees for best results.

Rubber Tree

The rubber tree grows into a picture perfect 8-foot tree, with dark green shiny leaves, you can use as a statement piece in your interior design. If you prefer it smaller, prune the long stems and keep it as a shrub. The rubber tree thrives in bright to medium light at room temperature; let the soil dry out before re-watering it.

Snake Plant

The snake plant, featuring variegated leaves with yellow or white edges and a rare small white flower, is one of the easiest indoor plants to grow. It thrives at room temperature in different lighting conditions, with slightly dry air and requires very little water.

Areca Palms

If you are looking for a larger plant, choose the areca palm, which grows to a pretty 7-feet. However, if you love the plant and prefer it smaller, use a small pot to contain it. Position your areca plant away from direct light, preferably in a corner or a hallway away from the windows, and water it every other week to maintain a healthy plant.


The decision to take up gardening can drastically improve your health; there are psychological benefits to nurturing a living thing and watching it blossom. In addition to the plants above, you will come across different varieties and species specific to your geographical location. Look at indoor gardening as a fun activity you can enjoy alone or with friends even when you have limited mobility or the weather limits your ability to spend time doing outdoor gardening.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


10 doctor-approved tips for runners

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Dr. Matthew Axtman, Spectrum Health Medical Group Orthopedics, is the medical lead for the annual River Bank Run, the largest 25K in the country (Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat)

By Jason Singer, Spectrum Health Beat

Photos by Chris Clark


Ready to lace up your running shoes?


Springtime usually heralds the beginning of another full season of 5Ks and roadside runners.


Whether you’re training for your first race, want to be more active, or seek to cut minutes off your run times, here are 10 tips from doctors in the know:

1. Set a goal

Setting a goal, along with a timeline to accomplish that goal, is key, said Matt Axtman, DO, a sports medicine specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group.


Your goal may be running for 30 minutes straight without any walking by May 15, running a 5K in 25 minutes by July 1, or completing a marathon in five hours by September.


A specific goal is the first step toward a runner making strides.

2. Select a program

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

After setting a goal, selecting a program and schedule is the next major step.


“The Internet is a wealth of information,” Dr. Axtman said.


Whether it’s an 8-week plan to go from running to walking or beginner’s guides to running 5Ks or 10Ks, Google can help you find pretty much anything. Runner’s World, the popular international magazine and website, also offers a variety of plans for less than $10.

3. Cross training

On days when you’re not running, continue to do athletic activities, whether it’s lifting weights, hiking or other sports.


The most fit athletes are multi-sport athletes, Dr. Axtman said, citing Bo Jackson, a former professional football and baseball player, and Cal Ripken Jr., a baseball Hall-of-Famer known as “The Ironman” because he has the longest consecutive-games-played streak. Ripken was both a soccer and baseball player growing up.


“If you want to be an elite runner, it’s more than just running: It’s weight-lifting, it’s cross-training,” Dr. Axtman said. “We don’t like to see single-sport athletes, they tend to get overuse injuries and fatigue injuries.”

4. Listen to your body

“You’re going to have a normal soreness and achiness (after you run),” Dr. Axtman said. “That muscle fatigue is going to be there.”

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

But with rest and stretching, that should go away in no more than a few days, he said. If you have pain, apply ice to the affected area to reduce inflammation. If the pain lingers for more than a week, don’t push it.


And if rest doesn’t cure the pain, see a professional.


“Something that might not be a big deal initially, it could become a big deal and cause major problems if you don’t listen to your body and push it too hard,” Dr. Axtman said.

5. Proper shoes

Footwear is important, Dr. Axtman said. Having the wrong shoe can alter your gait, which can lead to more stress on the ankles, knees and lower back, and ultimately lead to injuries.


His advice? Get your foot and stride evaluated at a store that sells athletic footwear. They’ll help you select the proper shoe.“Also, pay attention to the mileage,” Dr. Axtman said. “Shoes typically last from 300-500 miles. After that, the soles start to wear out, the cushioning starts to wear out, which can alter your mechanics and lead to injury.”

6. Outdoors vs. Treadmill

All running is helpful, Dr. Axtman said.


When coming back from injury, treadmills are recommended because they have more cushioning and bounce, which leads to less impact on the body. But running on the road tends to be more difficult because there are hills and the surface material is less forgiving.


If you choose to run on a treadmill, change the incline to 2 percent, which will approximate the difficulties of running outdoors and keep you on track with your training schedule, he said.

7. Weight lifting

“You don’t need to do intense weight-lifting—you don’t need to be buff and Arnold Schwarzenegger-like,” Dr. Axtman said. “But you want to be strong, and that’ll help you run better times and run longer distances.”


Weight-lifting allows the body to perform at optimum levels.“It’s like driving in your car,” he said. “If alignment is off, your car is going to shake. And that’ll affect gas mileage (and) it’ll burn gasoline more quickly. If there’s one thing with your car, it affects all the other systems. Same with your body.


“When you’re running, you’re using core muscles to provide stability, along with your spine, and you use your shoulders and upper muscles to provide torque. It’s all important. It’ll all help you.”

8. Running partners

Unless you’re incredibly self-motivated, keeping to a training program can be difficult. Studies have shown, however, that running partners not only motivate you to show up to training sessions, but push you to run longer distances.

All running is helpful, Dr. Axtman said. When coming back from injury, treadmills are recommended because they have more cushioning and bounce, which leads to less impact on the body. (Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat)

“They make you accountable, so you’re more likely to show up and give 100 percent during your workout because you know that someone else is counting on you,” said Andrew Allden, who coaches women’s cross-country at the University of South Carolina, in an interview with Runner’s World.


And as another Runner’s World article once declared, “Partners make the best alarm clocks.”

9. Hydration

Knowing your “sweat rate” is important: Weigh yourself before and after a run, and calculate the difference and that’s your rate, Dr. Axtman said.


“And that’s typically how much water you can consume,” he said. “You don’t need to equal it, but get close.”


Water shouldn’t be chugged before running because that can cause sloshing, cramping and nausea while you run. It should be sipped in the hours before a run.


And for long-distance runners—say, more than two hours on the road, “we also recommend rehydrating with a sport drink or sport gel because you’re also losing sodium and minerals and want to replenish those,” Dr. Axtman said. “That’ll keep your body working optimally.”

10. Lifestyle changes

Training is wonderful, but significant barriers to serious improvement are diet and sleep habits.


“Altering your eating habits can take your weight down, which is going to put a lot less stress on joints,” says Dr. Axtman. Doctors recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is flexible and sustainable. The important thing is to eat whole foods instead of processed foods.


“If you buy it in a box, bag or can, it’s probably processed,” says Thomas Boyden, MD, a cardiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “If you’re eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans and still a little bit of animal, the evidence is strong (your health will improve quickly).”


And so will your running times, Dr. Axtman said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Enjoy sugar, but in moderation

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By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Too much sugar is never good for you. Combine it with extra stress, and you have a recipe for disaster.


There are certain times of the year we know we will indulge in extra sweets: holidays, birthdays, graduations and work outings. These are also times when we might feel more stressed.


But is it possible to enjoy sugar in moderation and be healthy at the same time? Absolutely.


If you can master the basics of healthy eating, despite the extra stress you may be feeling, you can keep your eating in check during any occasion.

Belly up and listen

What I’m really talking about is belly fat. I take this topic very seriously because belly fat can kill you. It can happen to any of us, and it’s something I discuss with nearly all of my patients at one time or another.


Shelly is one of those patients. She came to see me for her physical, and she was upset because her favorite jeans did not fit.


She was just 50 years old and still having periods, and she began to notice her metabolism changing. She had gained her usual 5 pounds over the summer because of numerous summer parties, backyard barbecues, fruity cocktails and beer.


She typically didn’t drink during the week, but it was just too easy to crack open a cold beer when she was doing yard work under the summer sun. When friends would stop over, she’d mix up some drinks. I’m sure we can all relate to these same situations.


In the past, Shelly would go back to her normal routine when fall arrived. The 5 pounds would come right off. She would only drink on the weekends and she’d begin a better routine of regular exercise and sleep.


This year, however, something was different: She didn’t lose the 5 pounds and she actually started gaining weight.


Knowing that the holidays weren’t far off, she was worried her weight would get out of control and she would have even bigger issues.


Shelly was smart to be worried.


Once belly fat starts, it gets a mind of its own and can get out of control quickly. That’s exactly what was happening to Shelly—she was gaining all of her weight in her belly. I knew she was concerned and disappointed.


She said she always had a flat belly, but now that was changing.

Icky, sticky

A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine proves what we already know: Belly fat leads to early death in men and women by increasing our risk of heart attack and stroke—up to 10 years earlier than it might have happened if we didn’t have any belly fat.


The reality is most of us will die of heart attack or stroke at some point. But belly fat makes it happen sooner.


How? Belly fat is deep on the inside, wrapped around your bowels and liver, and craving sugar. As belly fat grows, your liver uses it to make bad cholesterol, and then the belly fat produces inflammatory chemicals to make your blood vessel linings sticky.


At the same time, the fat makes your body insulin-resistant, raising insulin levels and keeping blood sugar high by making you crave sugar.


This combination—sticky blood vessels, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol—causes plaque to build up in the blood vessels, blocking blood flow to your brain and heart muscle. All of this can lead to heart attack and stroke, and once the belly fat gets going, it doesn’t give up easily.


Bottom line: We can’t let the belly fat start.

Back to basics

Another factor that makes belly fat grow is stress—both good stress and bad stress.


Added stress can raise insulin levels and use up stress hormones such as cortisol and DHEA. It can cause our sleep to be interrupted, leaving us sleepy and fatigued. We know that sleep deprivation leads to insulin resistance, causing us to crave and store more sugar. It’s a vicious cycle.


During Shelly’s physical, I asked if I could measure her waist circumference. Measuring waist circumference is easy, but it can feel more personal than a pelvic exam.


Here’s how it’s done: Take a tape measure and wrap it around the small of your back, over your hip bones and around your belly.


We measured Shelly’s belly and it was 39 inches. Healthy is 35 inches.


After seeing that number on the measuring tape, Shelly made it a goal to lose 4 inches of belly fat.


After hearing what I had to say about belly fat, Shelly knew she needed to get off the sugar, reduce stress in her life, and change her sleep habits.


In other words, she needed to get back to the basics.

Grow with SEEDS

By having a plan, you can succeed even during the toughest of times.


When you adopt these habits and work hard to follow them every day, it is easier to get back on track if you have a stressful day or have a sleepless night.


When I talk about the basics, I am referring to the SEEDS—Seven Essential Elements of Daily Success—concept as a way of life.


Here are the seven basic things I discussed with Shelly:

  • Drink plenty of water (eight glasses a day). Add one more for each cup of coffee or for each serving of alcohol.
  • Get plenty of sleep (seven hours a night). Take power naps if necessary to be sure you are getting enough sleep.
  • Take your vitamins daily, including Vitamin D and a multivitamin.
  • Eat a balanced diet, including plenty of healthy carbs and protein, with only one sugar treat (including alcohol).
  • Eat plenty of fiber (think vegetables) and take a fiber pill if needed.
  • Exercise regularly (30 minutes a day, with a mix of walking, aerobic activity, strength training and stretching).
  • Start a gratitude journal and do metered breathing each night before going to bed.

You may have noticed that alcohol is mentioned more than once in the list of SEEDS.


Beer, wine and liquor are all forms of alcohol, and they all contain sugar. Since alcohol is often a part of a celebration or party, it’s important to limit your other forms of sugar (pasta, white bread, cookies, etc.) if you will be consuming a drink (or two or three) that same day.


And remember to add an extra glass of water for each drink consumed.


Shelly may not have been excited to see that her waist circumference was 39 inches, but she was happy with our discussion.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Plant science at the dinner table: Asparagus

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Bacon-wrapped asparagus. Photo by Dixie Sandborn, MSU Extension.

By Dixie Sandborn, Michigan State University Extension


When I was young, I remember May was the only time of year we would eat fresh asparagus. Spring was the only time it was available fresh at the grocer, picked at a local asparagus farm or from wild patches along roadsides in the county.


Now, thanks to Peru and other countries in the southern hemisphere, much or our produce, including asparagus, is available fresh throughout the year.


Growing up, asparagus was simmered or steamed and served with butter, salt and maybe a dash of pepper. I am happy asparagus has become a much more versatile vegetable. Asparagus can be eaten raw but is generally cooked. It can be roasted, sautéed, added to pasta dishes, soups and stir fries and even deep-fried.


Asparagus is tasty and high in many important vitamins and minerals.

Here are a few facts about asparagus:

  • Asparagus is a member of the Liliaceae family.
  • It grows on a flowering herbaceous perennial plant.
  • Asparagus has been consumed for over 2,000 years, originating in the Mediterranean.
  • There have been wild varieties of asparagus discovered in Africa.
  • China is the world’s biggest asparagus producer followed by Peru and Germany.
  • Michigan is the No. 2 producer of asparagus in the U.S.; California ranks No. 1.
  • Oceana County is the leading Michigan producer of asparagus.
  • Michigan celebrates asparagus at the annual Asparagus Festival in Empire, Michigan.
  • There are about 120 farmers in Michigan growing over 9,500 acres of this green gem.
  • Michigan asparagus is snapped (picked) by hand resulting in a product that is tenderer.
  • Forty percent of Michigan asparagus is sold fresh in May and June. The remaining crop is processed or frozen.
  • We eat the stem of the asparagus plant.
  • The red berries of asparagus are poisonous to humans.
  • Asparagus is very low in calories, there are only 19 calories in six medium spears.
  • Asparagus is an excellent source of many nutrients and vitamins including vitamin K, folate, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C and vitamin E.
  • It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B3, potassium, choline, vitamin A, zinc, iron, protein and vitamin B6.
  • White asparagus is favored in Germany. To keep asparagus white, dirt is mounded around the shoots so sunlight never touches the plant and therefore the plant does not produce chlorophyll.

Asparagus is easy to grow if you have a sunny spot and some sandy soil. To help get you started, check out these Michigan State University Extension resources: “How to grow asparagus” and “Growing asparagus at home.”


My go-to recipe for asparagus is simple: roasting it with a little olive oil and sea salt. However, I recently purchased some fresh asparagus and decided to research various recipes. I adapted a bacon wrapped asparagus recipe. Here is the final version after a few attempts.

Bacon-wrapped Asparagus — 4 servings

Bacon wrapped asparagus
Bacon-wrapped asparagus ready to go in the oven. Photo by Dixie Sandborn, MSU Extension.
  • ½ pound fresh Michigan asparagus (I like very thin stalks)
  • 4 slices thin-cut bacon
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide asparagus into four bundles. Carefully wrap a piece of bacon around each bundle and secure with a toothpick. Place the bundles on a baking tray.


In a sauce pan, combine butter, brown sugar, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly.


Pour this mixture over the asparagus bundles and place the dish in the preheated oven.


Bake for about 20 minutes, then broil for 5-6 minutes, watching carefully and turning often, until the bacon is crisp.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).


What you need to know about long-term care insurance

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Long-term care insurance is usually used to help pay for nursing homes or assisted living care after you reach an age where can no longer take care of yourself. However, there are many doubts as to whether the care is worth the uncertainty and the cost. Learn what you need to know about long-term care insurance, including the types of plans available, who can quality, and more tips on how to plan for your future.

What is Long Term Care Insurance?

Long-term care is the name given to insurance policies that are made to help you cover the costs of living that aren’t covered under regular medical insurance. Specifically, long-term care insurance exists to cover the living expenses that come with nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other senior living facilities.


Long-term care insurance is important because it covers the things that Medicare and regular insurance policies don’t. Medicare will not cover the cost of a nursing home, so you need to be prepared with other options.


In addition to the living costs of assisted living or nursing homes, long-term care insurance can also help to cover the costs of care for chronic medical conditions that can make themselves known after retirement or in old age. It also can cover activities of daily living, or ADLs, such as:

  • Bathing
  • Using the bathroom
  • Getting in and out of your bed or a chair
  • Dressing
  • Eating

About 50% of people will need help with either ADLs, the costs of care for chronic medical conditions, paying for senior care communities, or a combination of all three.

Traditional Policies

The traditional way that long-term care policies work is that after finding a company that sells policies and getting approved, you start paying premiums. Policies usually have a lifetime cap of what you can pay. Once you reach an age where you need help with ADLs or need to move to a senior care facility, then you make a claim.


After making a claim the insurance company will verify with your doctor, check your medical documents, and send a nurse to evaluate your health situation. If approved, there is still a waiting period—usually between 30 to 90 days— before your policy will pay out.


A problem that began to arise with these traditional policies is that the premiums could suddenly spike. Another problem that came with a traditional policy was the uncertainty that it would ever be needed. Paying into a policy only to find out that you didn’t need long-term care helped to lead to a dramatic drop in popularity for long-term care policies.


Very few insurance agencies sell these kinds of policies anymore, although you can still find one if it appeals to you. After the decline in these policies, a new type of long-term care policy began to emerge.

New Policy Options

The new type of policy that covers long-term care is often called a “hybrid policy”. These are life insurance policies that cover you for your whole life. Hybrid policies have a locked premium that doesn’t change, and you can draw from them to pay for ADLs and long-term care living as you age.


These policies also have a money back guarantee. If you don’t end up using the policy to pay for ADLs or long-term care, then you still get a return on what you paid, either to be left to an heir in your will, or to be used for other care costs that you encounter as you age.


The downfall of these policies is that there are more expensive than the traditional policy. Because you have guaranteed money coming back to you, the initial premium that you pay is going to be higher than traditional long-term care insurance policies, even though traditional policies can have premium hikes.

Who Qualifies?

As with all insurance policies, there are people who will qualify for long-term care insurance and those who won’t. The older you are the less likely you are to qualify for long-term care insurance, so planning ahead is essential. If you already have an existing chronic health problem, you are also not as likely to be covered.


If you are worried that you are too old or have existing health problems, then applying for a newer hybrid policy is going to be the best course of action. These are much more flexible in terms of coverage, and your chances of qualifying are higher.

Have a Plan

Even if you decide that long-term care insurance is not for you, you still need to have a plan in place for when you reach a certain age. Remember, half the population is going to need assistance with ADLs or need to move into a nursing home or other type of assisted living community. These costs can come out to about 140,000 on average, and if you are paying out of pocket that’s a lot of money.


You can’t always predict ahead of time if you are going to need long-term care, and because it isn’t paid through Medicare or regular insurance policies, you need to have a plan in place for how you are going to pay for medical costs. Start planning as soon as you can so you have the most options available to help pay for long-term care.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Picnics, potlucks and … pathogens?

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Proper food preparation and smart organization can help you avoid cross-contamination and spoilage. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Kristi Veltkamp, Spectrum Health Beat


The end of the school year is fast approaching. The warm-weather days are finally here. You’ve penciled in your must-see, must-do events for the summer.


Boating. Amusement parks. Local festivals. Pretty much anything that gives you an excuse to soak up the sunshine.


But few things rival the all-time summer classic: picnics and potlucks.


And while those grand gatherings of food and friends may seem like they’re free of worry and strife, they’re actually a golden opportunity to contract foodborne illness—particularly if you don’t pay attention to food preparation and handling.


How many people really stop to think about the safety of the food that has been sitting in the sun all day? Foodborne illnesses happen more often than you’d expect.


You can smarten up your food safety by following these sensible tips on preparation, handling and storage.

Keep it cold

Place cold items into a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. The temperature should remain below 40 degrees. Frozen meats should also be placed into a cooler to ensure they stay cold longer.


Once the cold food is served, it should not be left out for more than two hours. If the outdoor temperature exceeds 90 degrees, this time frame drops to one hour. If your cold food has been out longer than this, you need to throw it away. To help cool food when it’s out, you can place dishes such as chicken salad or potato salad directly onto a bowl of ice.

Rule the cooler

Your cooler should be in tip-top order, with everything organized according to accessibility, use and safety. This avoids spillage, contamination and overexposure to the warm temperature.


If you place an in-demand food item at the bottom of the cooler, for example, you will repeatedly expose other top-level, lesser-used items to the outdoor temperature. This is unwise.


For starters, consider placing beverages into a separate cooler, so your food cooler doesn’t need to be opened as frequently. This will keep the temperature down on your cold foods. And place your lesser-used items toward the bottom of the cooler.


The trick is to limit the number of times the coolers are opened, so you keep your food cold as long as possible.

Avoid cross-contamination

Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood securely wrapped to prevent any juices from contaminating prepared dishes and raw foods. Consider using a separate meat cooler, in fact, or placing raw meat below the prepared dishes.

Prep your produce

When you’re packing things up at home, take time to rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water. Scrub any firm-skinned produce with a vegetable brush, and make sure you cut and prep all your servings so that you’re not messing with it at the picnic.

Grill it right

If you want to use a marinade, do it while the meat is in the refrigerator at home. Don’t re-use the marinade after the meat is cooked!


Also, if you are partially cooking the meat before grilling, do so immediately before leaving the house. Meat should be cooked thoroughly and kept hot until served.


Hot foods should be kept above 140 degrees when holding for serving and they should not be left out for more than two hours.


Avoid re-using platters or utensils that were used with raw meats.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers a handy chart that details safe cooking temperatures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers seven tips for safe picnics, including this time-tested truth: “When in doubt, throw it out.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


The heal-better diet

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Rich in healthy fats and plant-based foods, the Mediterranean diet is the ideal meal plan for fighting inflammation. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Sarah Mahoney, Spectrum Health Beat


Looking for a better way to bounce back from a sports injury or orthopedic surgery? The solution may be as close as your fork.


Experts say choosing the right foods—and avoiding the wrong ones—can help bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments repair faster, getting you off the couch and moving again.


“There are two things to keep in mind,” said Kristi Veltkamp, RD, who counsels Spectrum Health patients on eating well. “First, make sure you are managing inflammation. And second, get the nutrients needed to help you heal and repair.”


Inflammation after any injury is normal.


“There’s often heat, swelling or redness,” Veltkamp said. “To calm that inflammation, look for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in salmon, walnuts and flax seed. Olive oil also helps. And try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.”


If that all sounds familiar, it should. It’s the basis of the Mediterranean diet, which is shown to reduce inflammation, Veltkamp said.


Also avoid foods that are high in sugar, refined flour or trans fats. Alcohol, which slows healing, should be avoided as well.

Building blocks

Alongside managing inflammation, you should focus on getting plenty of the nutrients required for healthy rebuilding.


Start with protein.


“The majority of our tissues are made up of protein,” said Matthew Axtman, DO, a sports medicine specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group Orthopedics. “So even though protein is part of your normal diet, look to increase healthy sources, like chicken, fish and nuts.


Dr. Axtman recommends getting plenty of vitamin C.


“It helps build collagen, which is the basis of tendons and ligaments,” he said. Look for it in citrus fruits, kiwi, peppers and tomatoes.


Calcium is also essential, especially if you’ve injured a bone. You can find it—along with Vitamin D, which aids in absorption—in dairy products and dark-green, leafy vegetables.


Avoid salt and caffeine during your recovery because they cause you to urinate more. This makes your body lose calcium, Dr. Axtman said.


Meanwhile, those deep-green vegetables are also a great source of fiber.


“If you’re sitting around more and moving less, it can affect your gut,” Dr. Axtman said. “Fiber-rich foods will help.”

Mind and body

During the rebuilding process, it may help to take supplements for about two to four weeks. This holds true even if you typically prefer to get all your nutrients from a balanced diet.


“While you’re healing, consider adding vitamin A, naturally found in many orange vegetables, at 10,000 IUs a day,” Veltkamp said.


Look for a multivitamin that contains 2 to 4 milligrams of copper and 15 to 30 milligrams of zinc, which is shown to help with wound healing.


Veltkamp also recommends HMB, a protein that can help prevent muscle wasting. It’s found in sports supplements such as Myoplex Muscle Armor.


Finally, give a little thought to the emotional aspects of eating. Recovery can be as tedious as watching grass grow, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of eating from boredom instead of hunger.


“Have a list of things you can do when you feel like reaching for food for the wrong reasons,” Veltkamp said. “Like knitting, taking a bath, anything soothing and distracting.”


It’s normal to have food cravings during recovery, but that’s because food can make us feel better. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself now and then.


“Just look for healthier alternatives,” Veltkamp said. “Like chocolate-banana smoothies.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Life in the fast lane

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The speed at which you can tackle a flight of stairs is a fairly reasonable indicator of your muscle power. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


If you want to celebrate many more birthdays, new research suggests you should speed up your weight-lifting routine.


Boosting muscle power, which is different than muscle strength, translated into longer lives, the Brazilian scientists said.


What exactly is the difference?


For example, climbing stairs requires muscle power—the faster you climb, the more power you need. But holding or pushing a heavy object only requires muscle strength.


“Rising from a chair in old age and kicking a ball depends more on muscle power than muscle strength, yet most weight-bearing exercise focuses on the latter,” said researcher Claudio Gil Araujo. He’s director of research and education at the Exercise Medicine Clinic—CLINIMEX, in Rio de Janeiro.


“Our study shows for the first time that people with more muscle power tend to live longer,” Araujo said in a European Society of Cardiology news release.


The study included nearly 3,900 adults, aged 41 to 85, with an average age of 59, whose maximum muscle power was assessed.


Over an average follow-up of 6.5 years, 10% of the men and 6% of the women died.


Participants with maximal muscle power above the median for their gender had the best survival rates. Compared to those above the median, those in the lowest and second-lowest quarters below the median had a 10 to 13, and 4 to 5 times greater risk of dying during the study period, respectively.


The study was to be presented soon at a European Society of Cardiology meeting in Lisbon, Portugal. Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.


“We now show that power is strongly related to all-cause (death). But the good news is that you only need to be above the median for your sex to have the best survival, with no further benefit in becoming even more powerful,” Araujo said.


“For strength training at the gym, most people just think about the amount of weight being lifted and the number of repetitions, without paying attention to the speed of execution,” Araujo said. “But for optimal power training results, you should go beyond typical strength training and add speed to your weight lifts.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

CDC: Hepatitis A infections soaring

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The most effective defense against hepatitis A is vaccination, but the most vulnerable populations typically remain unvaccinated. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay


The number of Americans infected with hepatitis A has grown nearly 300% in just three years, health officials reported recently.


The staggering increase has come despite an effective vaccine and is seen mostly among drug abusers and the homeless, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Hepatitis A virus can linger in feces and be spread hand-to-hand, with infection occurring when a hand contaminated by the virus touches the person’s mouth.


“In the previous decade, large outbreaks of hepatitis A were rare and mostly attributed to contaminated commercial food products,” noted lead researcher Dr. Monique Foster, an epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis.


Although 2016 saw two outbreaks of hepatitis A caused by contaminated food, the main culprit of outbreaks has been the living conditions of drug addicts and the homeless, Foster said.


The vast majority of the thousands of U.S. cases between 2016 and 2018 involved person-to-person transmission, Foster added.


“Since the hepatitis A outbreaks were first identified in 2016, more than 15,000 cases, 8,500 hospitalizations and 140 deaths have been reported,” she said.


Although hepatitis A can make you very sick, it usually goes away by itself in about six months, after which you become immune, explained Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.


Hepatitis A attacks the liver, he said. Those most likely to develop serious liver illness are those with other conditions like cancer or those whose immune systems are not functioning normally.


The most effective defense against this potentially deadly infection is vaccination, which is also the best way to prevent outbreaks, Foster said.


“Since the widespread availability of the hepatitis A vaccine and recommendations to vaccinate children, the overall rate of hepatitis A infections has decreased dramatically in the U.S.,” she said.


But a large population of susceptible, unvaccinated adults who were not infected during childhood remain vulnerable to infection, Foster said.


This includes people who use drugs, homeless people and gay and bisexual men, she said.


“Vaccination is the most powerful tool we have to stop these outbreaks now and prevent similar ones in the future,” Foster said.


To this end, the CDC recommends that those at the highest risk get vaccinated.


“Transience, economic instability and limited access to health care among the affected populations have made the outbreaks more difficult for states to control,” Foster said.


Siegel believes, however, that the only way to contain the epidemic and prevent future outbreaks is to solve the social problems that feed it.


“This is really not a hepatitis A problem and it’s not solvable by giving everybody a vaccine,” he said. “We have to realize it’s a public health issue and it’s a matter of cleaning up places where the virus breeds.”


Only by improving sanitation can outbreaks among the most vulnerable be prevented, Siegel said. “It’s more an issue of sanitation, public safety and cultural problems than it is one of public awareness.”


The report was published recently in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Reasons why you should throw flip and flop out

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They may look colorful, fun and harmless, but flip-flops are anything but. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat staff


Warm weather activities seem custom-made for flip-flops.


But even Jimmy Buffett sings about how he blew out his flip-flop when he stepped on a pop top and cut his heel, then cruised on back home.


John Harris, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, certainly agrees with Buffett’s iconic lyrics. He would tell you not to wear the flip-flops in the first place. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about cutting your heel.


That’s not all Dr. Harris said about flip-flops, which he considers the scourge of the footwear world.

Top 3 reasons to throw out the flip-flops:

1. Ouch! Heel pain.

The lack of suitable, or any, arch support in flip-flops can cause plantar fasciitis—heel pain or pain across the bottom of the foot.


Anyone with this lingering condition will tell you to avoid it at all costs.

2. Pain in the … ball of the foot

Not having adequate cushioning and arch support can cause soreness on the bottom of the foot.


Treatment requires more supportive shoes with effective arch support.

3. Avoid ‘flip-flop heel’

This condition is caused by walking around barefoot or wearing shoes that don’t have a back.


A thick callus rim forms around the edge of the heel when wearing shoes like flip-flops that don’t have backs to act as heel counters. This creates a situation in which your heel is constantly being exfoliated while walking. That creates a callus.


Aside from being unsightly, the cracked rim of the callus is painful.

Other flip-flip concerns

Less common, Dr. Harris said, but equally concerning are injuries from activities while wearing flip-flops.


Doctors often see ankle sprains from someone playing basketball or other sports in flip-flops, skin abrasions from a child riding a bike while wearing flip-flops, or cuts on a foot when a person wears flip-flops into a river and they slip off and float, exposing the barefoot to sharp rocks and river debris.


In addition, a study by Auburn University points out that wearing flip-flops causes you to take shorter steps and changes the way you walk compared to your gait while wearing sneakers. This can cause muscle strain.


“Instead of flip-flops, wear activity-specific shoe gear,” Dr. Harris suggested.


He pointed out that the child riding a bike should wear sneakers, the basketball player should wear basketball shoes or sneakers, and the person in the river should wear something like Keen shoes for walking in a lake or river, unless it is a sandy-bottomed lake.


“For daily wear in the summer, I’ll wear a pair of shoes similar to flip-flops,” Dr. Harris conceded. “But, I choose a shoe or sandal that has a more substantial sole and significant arch support compared to the inexpensive and flimsy flip-flops you find at stores all over town.”


There are many brands that fit this category, he said, suggesting people look for something like Chaco, Keen, Teva or Vionic.


“They’re designed to protect your foot while allowing you to engage in activities,” he said.


All in all, Dr. Harris encourages everyone to look for summer sandals that have a more substantial sole compared to those that feature a couple millimeters of foam, often found in common flip-flops, and to look for sandals with arch support rather than just a flat surface for the foot bed.


“No matter what brand you select, you still should never play basketball or mow your lawn in flip-flops,” Dr. Harris warned. “It’s just too risky.”

WKTV in Focus podcast answers the question: What does it mean to be a ‘New American’?

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WKTV Journal In Focus podcast on New Americans, with (from right) Emily Bridson, Milinda Ysasi, Bing Goei and In Focus host Ken Norris. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we discuss the the challenges and contributions made by New Americans, immigrants to West Michigan, the state and all across the country.

Visiting our studios, each with unique perspectives on the subject, are Kentwood City Commissioner and community advocate Emily Bridson; Bing Goei, a successful business person and the former Director of the Michigan Office for New Americans under then Governor Rick Snyder; and Milinda Ysasi, co-founder of the Latina Network of West Michigan and current executive director of The Source, a not-for-profit employee support organization.

For a link to the audio podcast, click here; for a link to the WKTV’s Facebook “The Whole Picture Podcasts” interview video, click here. (If you’d like to give us some feedback on our special In Focus podcast, please contact Ken Norris at ken@wktv.org.)

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times).

Ladies, cherish your heart

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Work with a care team to reduce your cardiovascular disease risks. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


For many women, cardiovascular disease is personal because they have lost their mom or sister to a heart attack or stroke.


They get how heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and that too many women are robbed of happy years with family and friends. They have experienced firsthand a loss that could have been prevented.


Women’s heart disease is more common than thought, and especially increases after menopause if women do not take estrogen medication.


There are other risk factors, which include belly fat, pre-diabetes or diabetes, lack of exercise, sleep deprivation, and a diet high in processed foods, unhealthy carbohydrates and saturated fats.


Prevention of heart attacks and strokes is possible, but has to start with a goal and a plan.


Once a woman decides to not have heart disease, or if she survives a heart attack and wants to prevent another, she needs a team. On that team, at minimum, should be a preventive cardiologist and a certified menopause specialist. This team will put the patient in the middle, and partner with her to help her achieve her wellness goals.


An example of how such a team collaborates might be best told by a patient I’ll call Laura.


Laura came to see our menopause specialists because her hot flashes would not go away and interfered with her life.


She had been told hormones might not be safe because she was overweight, had high cholesterol and took blood pressure medication. Her family had a history of cardiovascular disease and her loved ones had suffered heart attacks.


Her biggest concern? To not have a heart attack herself. She was also desperate to get the hot flashes to stop.


As menopause specialists, the first thing we do after understanding a woman’s story and risk factors is to consider treatment options.


We always start with the SEEDS and Laura definitely had room for improvement in this area. She realized she needed to drink more water, cut the sugar, and get more restful hours of sleep each night.


These lifestyle habits alone could significantly ease her symptoms, but since she was only two years out from her last period, we also had the option of considering hormones. We know that FDA-approved hormone medications used the correct way can actually help reduce risk factors for heart disease and could definitely help her feel better.


In reviewing her history, I saw she had enough risk factors that I wanted the opinion of preventive cardiologist Thomas Boyden, MD. After an evaluation, testing and suggestions for how to prevent heart disease, Laura was cleared to proceed with our treatment plan.


The end result? Laura felt more informed, had the tools to be successful from her care team, and she could start taking hormones because they would be a safe option for her.


Laura now had hope for how she could age differently than her relatives.



Reprinted by permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Money’s tight? You can still eat right

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You can save money on produce by purchasing it in season and preserving it for later, either by canning or freezing. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat staff


Gas prices are going up again and food isn’t getting cheaper. That’s the outlook in American homes this year.


Amid a tight budget and high prices, what steps can you take to ensure you and your family eat healthy, great-tasting food?


Planning is the name of the game, Spectrum Health registered dietitian Kristi Veltkamp said.


“Lack of planning is the biggest deal-breaker,” Veltkamp said.


Does your after-school or after-work routine involve the question, “What’s for dinner?” Do you rummage through the refrigerator or pantry at the last minute, hoping to whip up something suitable for dinner?


It may be time to sit down and think carefully about how you’re spending your food money. It can help you avoid the desperate, late-evening runs to fast-food restaurants or pizza parlors—or pricey restaurants—and it’ll keep your wallet and your waistline in top shape.

Veltkamp’s 5 tips to keep your food budget under control:

1. Plan your meals 

This is the No. 1 solution to save money. Planning your meals ahead of time allows you to build according to your budget. It sets you up for success each week, Veltkamp said.


It’s not just about dinner, either. “You can pack your lunch so you don’t have to go out at work,” Veltkamp said. “And you can plan to use the leftovers.”


You should also aim for more vegetarian meals—they’re cheaper and healthier. “Meat tends to be the most expensive item,” Veltkamp said.


With a creative mind, you can find new and innovative ways to use items such as beans and rice, which are cheaper and preserve longer, she said. Tacos made from rotisserie chicken and all the fixings, for example, make for a quick, cheap and easy meal.

2. Get Crocking

If you plan your meals ahead at the start of each week, the Crock-Pot can prove to be a lifesaver not only in money but in time, too.


“When you’re doing the cooking yourself, you’ll save more money,” Veltkamp said.


The tacit message here: Stay away from restaurants as much as possible—they eat up your budget. (They also increase your salt intake.)


Generally, Crock-Pot meals can be healthy. “It depends on what you’re putting into it,” Veltkamp said. Canned goods are OK, but you should rinse them first to cut down on the sodium.


“One of the ways it saves on money is when you use more ingredients that haven’t been prepared—raw products like rice, potatoes, beans or even frozen veggies,” Veltkamp said.

3. Buy in season

Items that are local, fresh and in season should be on your list each week.


“They’re higher in nutrients and they haven’t been delivered across the globe,” Veltkamp said. “And if you buy a lot at once, they’re cheap. You can can them or freeze them and save them for later.”


This includes berries, greens, tomatoes and much more. Veltkamp said some people will toss their herbs in water and freeze them into cubes, then throw them into soups once they’re needed.


One tip: Buy in-season items fresh, then buy them mostly canned or frozen when they’re out of season. Some fresh produce can get pricey when it’s out of season.

4. Buy in bulk

Bulk food stores are sometimes hard to come by without a membership—Costco, Sams Club and the like.


But if you can manage to pick up some essential items in bulk, you can truly save a bundle.


What should you buy in bulk? “Things that aren’t going to spoil fast,” Veltkamp said. “Nuts, grains, rice, beans, flour—non-perishable items.”

5. Shun the junk

This is a big one. Junk foods may sometimes appear like the cheap way to go, but in the long run you’re only setting yourself up for trouble.


Junk foods—processed foods, sugary foods—offer empty calories that only leave you craving more.


“Your body doesn’t need the empty calories,” Veltkamp said. “If you eat healthy, you crave less.”


Healthy foods are simply more filling.


Think about it: A bag of chips is a few bucks, but there are many people who can sit down and make that bag disappear in one evening. A bag of apples may cost slightly more.


“But who sits down and eats a bag of apples?” Veltkamp said. One or two apples will satisfy hunger cravings and also deliver much-needed nutrition.


“Healthier foods tend to fill you up more and make you more satisfied,” Veltkamp said. “You don’t have the cravings you get with those processed foods.”


Bottom line: You’re eating less food and getting more nutrition.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Take caution while spring cleaning

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Repeat exposure to harmful cleaning agents can cause serious health problems later in life. To reduce risk, wear protective clothing and properly ventilate your work area. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


While it’s a regular ritual, spring cleaning can become a dangerous chore for your health, experts warn.


Some cleaning supplies—air fresheners, rug cleaners, bleach, oven cleaners and floor polish—have dangerous chemicals such as volatile organic compounds.


These chemicals become vapors that can irritate the nose, throat, eyes and lungs, said Dr. Timothy Craig, an allergist and immunologist at Penn State Health.


“The nose provides a helpful warning signal,” he added in a health system news release. “If someone’s nose becomes irritated while cleaning, it’s safe to assume his or her lungs will be irritated, too.”


“For most people, using chemical cleaners occasionally would not create clinically significant reductions in lung function,” Craig said.


“But repeated exposure to harmful chemicals over a lifetime could lead to significant disability later in life, especially for people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder that may cause lung or liver disease,” he warned.


“We all clean with bleach and other chemicals from time to time,” said Dr. Ann Bogdan, a family health physician from Penn State Health Medical Group-Mechanicsburg. “But I encourage my patients to be careful when doing so.”


The doctors offer these six safety precautions while spring cleaning.

  • Don’t combine chemical cleaners. “In particular, never mix ammonia and bleach,” Bogdan said. This can result in dangerously toxic vapors.
  • While cleaning, be sure to have proper ventilation by opening a window or running a fan.
  • Wear rubber gloves. “Without them, you run the risk of developing redness or rashes on your hands,” Craig said.
  • Try using old-fashioned cleaners. “Diluted vinegar works well to clean windows and baking soda gives you scrubbing power,” Bogdan said.
  • Read labels and look for volatile organic compounds and other potential irritants, even in products labeled as “green” or “healthy.”
  • Look for products with the “Safer Choice” logo, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems as “safer for human health and the environment.”

And their final advice: If you develop coughing, wheezing, throat soreness or eye watering while using chemical cleaners, step into another room or walk outside. If the symptoms persist even after leaving the room, call a doctor.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

ACLU’s Smart Justice event focuses national, statewide, local efforts with single goal

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The ACLU’s annual Grand Rapids luncheon Wednesday, May 16, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Supplied/Courtesy John Corriveau)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

The Smart Justice Campaign, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has the stated goal to “eliminate racism in the criminal legal system and reduce the U.S. jail and prison population by 50 percent” across the nation.

(Federal Bureau of Prisions)

The need for the effort is clear: America has an “addiction” for incarceration, ACLU leaders like to say — despite having about five percent of the global population, the United States has nearly 25 percent of the world’s prison population, with about 2.3 million people in our nation’s jails and prisons currently, according to the ACLU. Our prison system costs taxpayers $80 billion per year nationwide.

And racial issues are a huge part in the problem: Persons who identify as “Black or African-American” make up about 13 percent of America’s population, but according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of May 2019, almost 38 parent of those incarcerated are black. One out of every three black males born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime, as can one of every six Latino males, compared to one of every 17 white males, according to the ACLU.

But, as was part of the discussion at the ACLU’s annual Grand Rapids luncheon Wednesday, May 16, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, the problems with America’s legal system are not entirely a racial issue and very much a West Michigan issue.

Brandon Buskey, ACLU national deputy director of the Smart Justice Litigation and Criminal Law Reform Project. (Supplied/Courtesy John Corriveau)

“There are a host of people who are trapped in this system, who cannot get out, who are not black or brown,” Brandon Buskey, ACLU national deputy director of the Smart Justice Litigation and Criminal Law Reform Project, said to WKTV prior to his keynote talk at the local luncheon. “But this is all still tied to our nation’s addiction to punishment. And we really don’t think about these kinds of systems because they are impacting people with the least amount of power.”

And those people without power, mostly people of color, are the focal point of the new ACLU Smart Justice Campaign.

Smart Justice Campaign elements

The campaign, according to ACLU information, focuses on five general areas: reforming sentencing laws and policies that lead to “extraordinary long” prison sentences; overhauling “harmful, unjust, and for-profit” bail systems that discriminate against the poor; challenging prosecutorial “abuse” in the courts and legislatures — and through voter education; addressing a “broken” parole and release system; and, finally, helping prisoner re-entry into society when they are confronted with “federal, state and local legal restrictions that make it difficult to reintegrate.”

“In a nutshell, the campaign for Smart Justice is a multi-year, multi-state effort,” Buskey said. “At the national level, we are developing blueprints for all 50 states, all of our affiliates, that sets forth a real set of options as to how we can realistically get to this goal of 50 percent decarceration. That is where it goes local. That is where states like Michigan have picked up the baton.”

That picking up of the Smart Justice baton, in Michigan and in the Grand Rapids area, has recently taken the form of both a ACLU lawsuit in the Detroit area to challenge bail procedures for low income persons and a local kick-off of a community organizing effort led by Richard Griffin, ACLU field organizer and a survivor of America’s penal system himself.

Local ACLU action focuses on community action

The ACLU’s West Michigan Smart Justice effort, led by Griffin, recently held its campaign launch event which highlighted the local, multi-organizational “community-based” program. Griffin is one of four community organizers recently set up across Michigan.

Richard Griffin, ACLU field organizer in Grand Rapids area. (Supplied/Courtesy John Corriveau)

“Here in Grand Rapids, we partnered with the NAACP, Linc Up (community development organization), as well as the Kent County probate division,” specifically the Probate Court’s Delta youthful offender program, “and other grassroots groups,” Griffin said to WKTV prior to the luncheon. “We wanted educate the Grand Rapids community and make sure the Grand Rapidians were informed as to what Smart Justice is … what the goals are to correct what is wrong with our criminal justice system.”

And what is next for the local Smart Justice effort?

“We want to galvanize this community, to mobilize individuals, whether that be through legislative advocacy to try to move the needle legislatively,” Griffin said, or “our canvasing efforts, to make sure we are getting the word out.”

Griffin has been on the job in Grand Rapids since last year. But his passion for the work runs deep — he was incarcerated at the age of 16 for a drug-related homicide and spent 23 years behind bars. For a WKTV In Focus interview with him from just after he took the ACLU position, visit here.

Over the time Griffin has been on the job locally, he said there has been some lessons learned.

“The biggest lesson is recognizing the social dynamic in Kent County between different demographics and ethnicities,” he said. “The black and the brown communities are dispersed, somewhat, and disconnected. … That was a stark reality for me to accept. I had not been around in this community for some time. Getting familiar with that. … That social and community disconnect is important in rolling out a campaign like this (Smart Justice). … Many people are disconnected from the issues while suffering from the issues.”

ACLU lawsuit against Detroit court system

The lawsuit in the Detroit area — led by the ACLU of Michigan, the national ACLU, and the law firm Covington & Burling LLP — is a federal class action lawsuit against the 36th District Court in Detroit for “violating the constitutional rights of people who are presumed innocent but are confined to jail because they cannot afford to pay bail following their arrest,” so states an ACLU statement echoed by Buskey.

“The lawsuit seeks an overhaul of an unconstitutional cash bail system that discriminates against poor people, locking them up because they cannot afford to pay while allowing those who have money to go free,” he said.

And, Buskey said to WKTV, the current system in the Detroit court system — and mirrored in varying ways across the nation, including in West Michigan — amounts to a modern debtor prison system and can discriminate against all poor persons not just poor persons of color.

“It may be a simple way of putting it, but (calling it debtor’s prison) is entirely accurate,” Buskey said. “In places like Detroit, the going assumption is that a person will have to pay some amount of money prior to their trial if they want to go home to their family. If they can’t pay that money, they are going to go back to jail, potentially for the rest of their case. These are people who have not been convicted of anything, they are presumed innocent and yet … we are essentially running a debtor’s prison.”

In the Detroit court system, Buskey pointed out, 85 percent of the people coming before the courts are having some kind of financial conditions set and they are often held because they cannot come up with the bail money — “and there are other options to make sure people come back to court, which is the whole reason for our current (bail) system.”

It is not just persons of color who are caught up in a legal system that discriminates against the poor, but in Detroit it is impossible to avoid the racial aspect.

“There are a number of reasons why we have allow these types of systems to persist,” Buskey said. “But in our county it is really had to separate the two issues (race and economic status). It is hard to separate the fact that people of color — black people, brown people — have traditionally been those with the least economic means in our country.”

Griffin added that the legal system problems faced by poor persons of color can and do impact all the community in West Michigan, but locally the numbers point to a racial problem as well.

“It is much more than a racially focused issue, but race is still a part of that conversation,” Griffin said. “While African American, Latinx as well as our Caucasian counterparts currently fill our Kent County jail, the African American community only represents 14 percent of this city’s population but we make up over 50 percent of Kent County jail’s population.”

But “more than it being an issue of race, it is an issue of treating people fairly,” he said. “The instruments used to facilitate a prosecution should be used to facilitate it equally and with the intent of reform are rehabilitation in mind, we are not geared to a punitive approach.”

For more information about the Smart Justice Campaign, visit aclumich.org .

Music therapy for senior holistic care

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Holistic care seeks to address some of the aspects of your health that traditional care options can sometimes overlook. The holistic approach works to heal more than the body by taking the mental and spiritual needs of a patient into consideration. Things like aromatherapy using essential oils and color therapy help promote wellness that, when used with the direction of a healthcare professional in conjunction with regular care options, can lead to a happier and healthier you.


Music therapy is a type of holistic care that involves listening to, creating, or moving to music. A certified music therapist can assess the needs of an individual and create a plan that can improve physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. Seniors in particular, whether in assisted living communities or other senior living communities, can greatly benefit from music therapy as it is low-effort and provides a number of holistic benefits.

Benefits of music therapy

Stress reduction

Music therapy can help seniors relax and focus not on their surroundings—which can often be stressful or frightening—but rather to what they are listening to. The right music and lyrics can slow an anxious heart rate and help seniors relax.

Pain alleviation

As with stress reduction, using music therapy can help seniors by focus their attention on the music rather than any physical pain that they may be suffering from. The treatment can help seniors by creating a sensory stimulation that relaxes muscles and calms the mind.

Bringing seniors together

Music therapy is often a social activity. Seniors can listen and do activities in groups while connecting to each other through the music. Being in a group during therapy helps seniors feel less isolated and alone. And an improved social life is important to your loved one’s overall well-being.

Physical movement and exercise

We all know songs that immediately get our feet tapping, and music therapists know how to take advantage of this. Music encourages movement. Swaying, tapping, dancing, and clapping are all forms of physical movement that can improve a senior’s well being without being straining and taxing on the body.

Improved mental health

Listening to music changes our moods. We notice this as we listen to our favorite songs and playlists. Some music can brighten us up, while other music can have a sobering effect. Music is incredibly powerful when it comes to affecting our moods, and a trained music therapist can harness that to improve the mental health of seniors.

Cognitive benefits

One of the most unique benefits of music therapy compared to other holistic care options is the improvement it has been shown to have on cognitive functions in seniors. The rhythmic sounds and vibrations in music increases blood flow to the brain, which can help with a senior’s ability to speak and think clearly.

Music therapy, dementia, and Alzheimer’s

A major reason behind the use of music therapy as a holistic care treatment for seniors is the relation between music and memory—namely, memory loss diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Music therapy has been shown to help seniors who are suffering from these ailments.


Music can trigger intense memories, even in patients who struggle with memory loss. There have been cases of unresponsive seniors in late stage dementia moving and interacting with music, and cases of nonverbal seniors humming or making noises during music therapy appointments.


Music therapy can also help pacify some of the aggressive and agitated behaviors associated with memory loss disease. As with stress and pain management through music therapy, the relaxing sounds and rhythms can help soothe seniors and encourage calmness.

Paying for music therapy

A big question that you may have is whether music therapy is a reimbursable service through a healthcare plan. Under Medicare, music therapy is a fully reimbursable service so long as they are included in part of a treatment plan rather than as a recreational activity. With Medicaid, music therapy can sometimes qualify under existing treatment categories. Each state is different, so make sure you know beforehand.


Private insurance usually goes through a case-by-case study, but nearly all major health care plans have reimbursed for music therapy at some point. Make sure that you have the backing of a health professional and a treatment plan to show how music therapy will help to reach treatment goals.

Final thoughts

Music therapy provides great benefits for seniors, but as with other holistic care options it shouldn’t be taken as a magic cure for all ailments, or as a replacement for traditional medical care. Music therapy works best when combined with other care therapies.


Another thing to keep in mind is the lack of verified scientific research and scientific studies done on music therapy. While it is an established health profession there are some claims of what music therapy can do that ought to be carefully considered before they are believed.


You can find a music therapist near your loved one, or a sometimes a nearby open class specifically tailored for seniors. The benefits of music therapy when administered by a certified music therapist are incredible, and your senior family member can enjoy all the benefits of this holistic care treatment.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

FDA amps sleeping pill scrutiny

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Sleep pills can produce daytime drowsiness that leads to accidents and other harmful outcomes. This has prompted the FDA to issue new warnings on the drugs. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Many Americans use prescription sleep meds such as Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata to get good shut-eye.


But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has slapped a tough new warning label on this class of drugs, due to dangers from daytime drowsiness the day after their use.


The move was spurred by 66 cases in which patients engaged in what are called “complex sleep behaviors” after taking the insomnia medications.


In 20 cases, behaviors ended up being fatal.


Causes of death ranged from carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, falls, hypothermia or motor vehicle collisions (with the patient driving), and apparent suicide, the FDA said.


Forty-six other reports involved serious but nonfatal injuries among people who took prescription sleep meds and then engaged in sleepwalking, sleep driving and other activities while not fully awake, the agency said in a statement.


While no one was killed in those reports, injuries included accidental overdoses, falls, burns, near-drowning, exposure to extreme cold temperatures resulting in limb loss or near death, self-injuries such as gunshot wounds and even apparent suicide attempts.


As a result, the FDA is ordering new boxed warnings—the most prominent type of label warning—on eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, Intermezzo and Zolpimist).


“This warning is likely to affect a lot of people, as millions take hypnotics—sleep aids—at least occasionally,” said Dr. Steven Feinsilver, who directs the Center for Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.


Another expert said the warning was needed.


“These type of medications are well-known to trigger these (dangerous) events,” said Dr. Thomas Kilkenny, who directs sleep medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City. “In a susceptible person there could be no control over what happens once the patient goes to sleep.”


In addition to the boxed warning, the FDA is requiring the addition of a “contraindication”—advice to not use these medicines for patients who have displayed complex sleep behaviors after taking them.


“We recognize that millions of Americans suffer from insomnia and rely on these drugs to help them sleep better at night,” FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said in an agency news release.


However, “while these incidents are rare, they are serious and it’s important that patients and health care professionals are aware of the risk,” he added.


“These incidents can occur after the first dose of these sleep medicines or after a longer period of treatment, and can occur in patients without any history of these behaviors and even at the lowest recommended doses,” he said.


The association between this class of drugs and complex sleep behaviors has long been included in the labeling of these medications. The new labeling changes should make the warning even more prominent, however, reflecting the risk of serious injury and death, the FDA said.


For now, patients should stop taking these medicines and contact their health care provider immediately if they have engaged in activities while not fully awake or if they do not remember activities they’ve done while taking the medication.


The FDA offered additional advice to people who take sleep aids:

  • Don’t use the drugs in combination with any other sleep medicine, including non-prescription sleep aids.
  • Avoid alcohol before or while taking these medicines, due to raised odds for side effects.
  • If you still feel drowsy after waking, be aware that any insomnia medicine can lower alertness and interfere with driving or other complex tasks.

For his part, Feinsilver said the effectiveness of prescription sleep aids is “overrated” anyway.


Instead, he said, “most patients with chronic insomnia should be treated behaviorally. There often is no quick fix with sleeping pills.”


In the meantime, Kilkenny believes that with the new warning, “physicians hopefully will take greater care in prescribing these medications to patients and also take more care in following up after the prescriptions are written.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


The 10-minute battle

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An hour a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may reduce disabilities associated with arthritis. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Less than 10 minutes a day of brisk walking can help prevent disability in people with arthritis pain in their knee, hip, ankle or foot, researchers report.


Just one hour a week of brisk physical activity “is less than 10 minutes a day for people to maintain their independence. It’s very doable,” said lead study author Dorothy Dunlop. She’s a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.


“This minimum threshold may motivate inactive older adults to begin their path toward a physically active lifestyle with the wide range of health benefits promoted by physical activity,” Dunlop added in a university news release.


She and her team analyzed four years of data from more than 1,500 older adults in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio, and Pawtucket, R.I., who had pain, aching or stiffness in their lower joints from osteoarthritis but were initially free of disability.


The participants’ levels of physical activity were monitored using a wearable device.


An hour a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduced their risk of disability, the study found.


Specifically, the activity reduced the risk of walking too slowly to safely cross a street by 85 percent. It reduced their risk of not being able to do daily living activities—for example, morning routine tasks such as walking across a room, bathing and dressing—by nearly 45 percent.


By the end of the four years, 24 percent of participants who did not get a weekly hour of brisk physical activity were walking too slowly to safely cross the street and 23 percent had difficulty performing their morning routines, according to the study.


About 14 million older Americans have symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, the most common type of osteoarthritis. About 2 in 5 people with osteoarthritis—most of whom have it in their lower joints—develop disability.


Federal guidelines recommend low-impact physical activity for older adults with arthritis and recommend that older adults do at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity activity.


But that amount of activity can be too much for inactive older adults with lower extremity pain, according to Dunlop.


“We hope this new public health finding will motivate an intermediate physical activity goal,” she said. “One hour a week is a stepping stone for people who are currently inactive. People can start to work toward that.”


The study was published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Unraveling Alzheimer’s

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Earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s means patients and families can plan for the future, including safety, care, legal and financial issues. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Brain scans can improve diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study claims.


“The good news is that there are no side effects from any of these recommendations,” said Dr. Thoits, the division chief of neurology with Spectrum Health Medical Group.


Researchers assessed the use of PET scans to identify Alzheimer’s-related amyloid plaques in the brain. The study included more than 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries with mild thinking impairment or dementia of uncertain cause.


This scanning technique changed the diagnosis of the cause of mental impairment in more than one-third of the participants in the study.


The brain scan results also changed management—including the use of medications and counseling—in nearly two-thirds of cases, according to the study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.


“These results present highly credible, large-scale evidence that amyloid PET imaging can be a powerful tool to improve the accuracy of Alzheimer’s diagnosis and lead to better medical management, especially in difficult-to-diagnose cases,” said study co-author Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association.


“It is important that amyloid PET imaging be more broadly accessible to those who need it,” she added in an association news release.


Funding for the study came from Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., General Electric Healthcare and Life Molecular Imaging.


“We are impressed by the magnitude of these results, which make it clear that amyloid PET imaging can have a major impact on how we diagnose and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline,” said lead author Dr. Gil Rabinovici. He’s a professor of neurology at the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but early diagnosis means that patients can receive treatment to manage symptoms and be directed to clinical trials for new drugs.


Early diagnosis also means that patients and families can plan for the future, including safety, care, legal and financial issues, and access resources and support programs, the researchers said.


In this study, the PET scans revealed that about one-third of patients previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s had no significant amyloid buildup and their Alzheimer’s diagnosis was reversed.


But in nearly half of patients not previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the PET scans revealed significant amyloid plaque buildup, resulting in a new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.


One-third of the study participants who had previously been referred to Alzheimer’s clinical trials showed no sign of amyloid buildup based on PET scans. Based on those results, doctors were able to ensure that nearly all (93%) of patients referred to Alzheimer’s trials were amyloid-positive, which is critical to these trials’ success.


“Accurate diagnoses are critical to ensure patients are receiving the most appropriate treatments. In particular, Alzheimer’s medications can worsen cognitive decline in people with other brain diseases,” Rabinovici said.


“But perhaps more fundamentally, people who come into the clinic with concerns about memory problems want answers. An early, definitive diagnosis may allow individuals to be part of planning for the next phase of their lives and to make decisions that otherwise would eventually need to be made by others,” he said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Snapshots: Kentwood, Wyoming fun things to do this weekend

3-bottom, Community Health, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Recreation

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“My artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore fun of deep significance.”
 
                     ― Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes)
Maya Lin, Blue Lake Pass, 2006. Duraflake particleboard (Courtesy Pace Gallery)

New show at the GRAM

The Kent County Parks and the Kent County Parks Foundation invites all county residents to DISCOVER! Millennium Park, a free, fun, and educational program for all ages Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park (at the corner of Riverbend Drive and Butterworth). For the complete story, visit here.

Supplied (Kent County Parks)

County’s Millennium Park event

The Kent County Parks and the Kent County Parks Foundation invites all county residents to DISCOVER! Millennium Park, a free, fun, and educational program for all ages Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park (at the corner of Riverbend Drive and Butterworth). For the compete story, visit here.

Local high school baseball and softball action is on the schedule for the WKTV sports coverage team. (Supplied)

High School Sports in the sun

There is plenty of spring baseball and softball games as part of the weekend’s high school sports action all over the Wyoming and Kentwood area, so check out something live if you can. For the complete story, visit here.

Fun fact:

158 days

On average, there are 158 sunny days per year in Grand Rapids. The US average is 205 sunny days. Don’t waste one. (Source)

Get your workout mojo back

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Strength training is a great way to build muscle and avoid weight gain. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)


By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


If you’re like most women, you have a tough time getting back into a workout routine once you get out of the habit of exercise.


We think we are active enough with weekend activities, yard work and the occasional jog or bike ride. But as we get older, we realize this type of exercise routine isn’t quite enough, and we start to gain a few pounds each year.


Worse still, if we become more relaxed about our diet, the weight gain is even greater.


We might not notice until our clothes are suddenly a little too tight.


This may be the wake-up call we need to get our exercise mojo back.


So where do we begin? Let’s start with the basics of exercise.

Aerobic, strength, stretching

I like to focus on three types of activity: (1) aerobic exercise, where we get our heart rate up and keep it sustained for a given time; (2) strength training, to maintain and build muscle; and (3) stretching, to prevent injury and fatigue.


All three aspects are important to help maintain a healthy and strong body.


All three also play a vital role in helping you fit into the clothes you love.


Strength training is especially important for women as we age, because if we allow muscle mass to be lost, fat moves in between the muscle fibers, leaving muscles weak and flabby. When muscle mass drops, weight gain starts.


Men don’t often have the same issues as women when it comes to weight gain. They tend to keep weight off more easily for many years because they start with more muscle mass and naturally express more testosterone.


Women who keep their muscles toned by doing interval training, weight lifting, resistance training and incline training can keep the weight off more easily as well.


You may be shaking your head and thinking all this exercise sounds way too difficult, but it’s much easier than it sounds.

Choose it

First, make sure whatever type of workout you pick is something you like to do. For example, I like to swim—I participated on the swim team in high school. I also like to lift weights, and I learned the proper way to lift from my roommate in college.


One of my other favorite forms of exercise is yoga. I do it twice a week at home. As you can see, if you find something you enjoy doing, you can make it work. If I’m pressed for time, I lift weights and do yoga without ever leaving my home.


Fortunately, there are many different forms of exercise—you just need to find the right one for you and your lifestyle.


If you don’t like yoga, try a Zumba, body pump, or kickboxing class. Pilates, Tai Chi, or aquafit classes are also good options. Even better, mix it up and try several types of workouts each week.


To help build muscle, add in some weight-lifting exercises either at a gym or in the privacy of your own home if you have some weights.


If you need a little help getting started, check out one of my favorite health books, Body for Life for Women by Pamela Peeke, MD.


You’ll find some simple strength-training workouts for the upper and lower body in the back of the book. Even if you do the book’s lower-body workout two or three times per week, you can maintain—and possibly even increase—muscle mass. I think you’ll find the exercises and the entire book helpful.

Schedule it

In addition to the type of exercise you choose, you also need to determine a time when you’ll actually do the exercises each day, or at least several times per week.


I prefer to do my workout at night, when I’m too drained to do other work such as paying bills or writing.


When I have finished helping my kids with their homework and my kitchen is cleaned up after dinner, I head to the exercise bike or yoga mat—usually around 9pm. This allows me to get in a good workout, clean up and head to bed before it gets too late.


This routine works well for me and allows me to de-stress from the day. I know I don’t have time to exercise in the morning, so I don’t plan on it. Many women, however, see morning as the best time to do their workout—they’re then done for the day, and they know there’s no way they would do it at night.


After you’ve chosen an exercise and a time frame, you need to put it on your calendar. You may think you don’t need to schedule your workouts, but it really does help you stick to your plan.


Here’s what I recommend: On Sunday night, plan out your week. Start by listing your priorities: work, kids’ events, appointments, exercise. The rest of your day should be planned around these scheduled priorities.


As I look at each day, I plan a longer workout, such as swimming, when I have more time. On days when I’m pressed for time, I schedule a shorter workout, such as the legs and core session from Dr. Peeke’s book.


There is usually one day each week when I simply have no time to fit in a workout, and that becomes my day off. So when the day comes, I have already planned to take it off—no guilt.

Do it

So what are you waiting for? Create your exercise plan today!


Usually by day five of my routine, I’m feeling so good that I’m choosing to exercise instead of making myself do it.


If you can get into a regular routine, add some strength training, and cut down on your carbohydrates intake—especially after 3 p.m.


The results will soon follow.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

AI enters the delivery room

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An innovative new device is aimed at reducing blood loss during birth for moms. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Susan Hollman Krieger, Spectrum Health Beat


Of all the reasons to visit a hospital, childbirth may be the absolute best.


The goal is to have mom and baby return home as soon as possible, happy and healthy.


Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, this isn’t always the case. Risk is inherent in the birth process.


Would you be surprised to learn that maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are headed in the wrong direction? It’s true.


According to the CDC, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. has been worsening for some time, jumping from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 18 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014.


To improve birth outcomes, hospitals have turned to 21st century innovations.

Precision measurement

In childbirth, there is always some blood loss on the part of the mother, not just during delivery but during postpartum recovery, too.


This can sometimes become a major concern, given that hemorrhaging is a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S.


Consequently, it’s vital to get detailed information about the volume of blood loss during vaginal deliveries and during C-sections, as it helps providers take quick and appropriate action when the moment demands.


Gauss Surgical, a Silicon Valley-based company, has developed technology to improve this process.


The company’s Gauss Triton system pairs artificial intelligence with a readily available iPad to give providers highly precise measurements of a mother’s blood loss.


The Triton app, downloaded directly to the iPad, can analyze visually and materially.


In instances of vaginal delivery, the Triton system can calculate for blood loss by weighing the blood-absorbent items that are used during delivery. The software effectively analyzes the weight of the used items and compares this to the pre-surgery weight of the items. With each hospital system using specific brands and sizes of sponges or swabs, it allows the software to make highly detailed assessments.


In C-section deliveries, the technology is all the more fascinating.


The doctor or nurse can point an iPad camera at the sponges or swabs used to clean blood and snap a photograph, allowing the system to scrutinize the image for hemoglobin and blood content.


The AI at work in this case is much like the AI used in facial recognition, only instead of analyzing faces, the system analyzes a blood-soaked swab or sponge.


Providers can immediately assess that data, helping them accurately monitor blood loss volume.


Altogether, the system is a tremendous upgrade from the approaches of yesteryear.


“Traditionally, we have weighed blood-soaked items to estimate how much blood has been lost,” said Carolyn Leja, CNM, director of women’s and infant services at Spectrum Health.


That approach had its obvious weaknesses, particularly in overestimating or underestimating blood loss. (It’s difficult, for example, to visually distinguish blood from other fluids on a sponge.)


The response to blood loss during delivery can depend on timing—how far along in the delivery process things have progressed if a problem arises. Where one response mandates medication as a method to slow delivery, another may require a blood transfusion.


More accurate measurements at the right time can lead to more precise responses, something the Gauss system helps providers achieve at critical moments.


By quickly identifying instances of hemorrhage, for example, the technology can reduce the need for blood transfusions and shorten a patient’s length of stay.


“The scanning technology helps assure that we are intervening at the right point,” Leja said. “This tells us within a few CCs how we are doing.”

Smarter AI

Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital has been using the Triton technology since December. The weight system is used in normal deliveries and the optical system is used in C-sections. It’s the first hospital in Michigan to use the new technology.


Spectrum Health Ventures is one of 10 investors in Gauss Surgical’s Triton artificial intelligence technology.


The larger plan is to incorporate the technology into all labor and delivery rooms.


“We worry about blood hemorrhages,” said David Colombo, MD, chief of Spectrum Health Maternal Fetal Medicine. “Young healthy people giving birth don’t consider risks, but we treat every case with potential risks in mind. When you talk about a patient hemorrhaging, well, this is the stuff we lose sleep over.”


As with many things involving today’s species of artificial intelligence, it is nothing short of remarkable.


Any technology that enhances the delivery process and improves outcomes—particularly by perfecting data collection and reporting—is a useful addition to the health care environment.


“There are lots of steps we can take,” Leja said. “We just want to be prepared for every delivery.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

7 shingles facts you need to know

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living,

Shingles is a real concern, and one that can prevented with a vaccine. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat Staff


With measles, mumps and other outbreaks making headlines, one local expert said we should set our sights on another adults-only ailment making a comeback:


Shingles.


“I just know I’ve seen a lot of it lately,” said Christina Leonard, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Spectrum Health. “Because of that, I certainly encourage the vaccinations. You see these cases, and they’re often preventable. People can be really devastated by shingles.”


Here are seven things Dr. Leonard believes you should know about the shingles:

1. Cases are on the rise

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one million people will get shingles this year, and one in three people will get shingles in their lifetime.


“The baby boomers are getting into their twilight years,” Dr. Leonard explained. “They were all people who didn’t get the (chickenpox) vaccine that were exposed to the virus. As you age, your immunity wears off.”

2. Blame it on chickenpox

Shingles are caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.


According to the CDC, “after a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in the body. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later, causing shingles.”

3. Remember, shingles start with tingles

Shingles start with a tingling sensation, Dr. Leonard said.


“The onset is you get a tingling or an itching,” she said. “That’s usually one of the first symptoms. The rash doesn’t usually come on until later. If you have that tingling or itching, and see these little red spots, you should get to your doctor right away and get on antivirals. You want to get evaluated right away.”

4. It’s often more serious than chickenpox

“Pain. That’s the thing that really bothers people the most, the exquisite pain of this rash,” Dr. Leonard said. “You don’t think it can be that bad. You think, ‘Chicken pox wasn’t that bad.’ But the second time around can bring nasty, nasty pain. It’s really debilitating.”

5. It can leave long-lasting effects

Shingles sufferers run the risk of developing post-herpetic neuralgia, which is the persistent nerve pain that lingers after you’ve had shingles.


“Most people don’t realize that this can stick around forever,” Dr. Leonard said.

6. Luckily, it doesn’t spread easily

“One of the other questions we get a lot is, ‘Am I contagious?’” Dr. Leonard said. “You can go to work. You just want to keep it covered. If you keep it covered, it’s not a big deal. If you’re around someone with a weak immune system, such as someone who’s pregnant, you should be extra cautious.”

7. There is a vaccine

Dr. Leonard said the shingles vaccine is often 100 percent covered by insurance, and recommended for anyone age 50 or older. It used to be age 60, but many younger people are getting shingles and the age was reduced by the CDC to 50.


“It gives you enough of a boost,” she said. “Even if you get the shingles vaccine, you can still get the shingles, but it decreases the severity and decreases the likelihood of long-term nerve pain.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Eating out? Mind your salt

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The more restaurant meals you eat, the greater your salt intake—and the greater your odds of developing hypertension. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay


You know that too much salt contributes to high blood pressure, but you might not realize how easily eating out could put you and your kids at risk.


Many entrees at leading restaurants and fast food places contain almost a full day’s allotment of salt, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Remember, that’s 2,300 milligrams, or about one teaspoon.


With many Americans eating out an average of five times a week, all that salt adds up. And the more salt you eat, the greater the odds for high blood pressure (hypertension), a major contributor to heart disease and stroke.


By some estimates, the average American takes in 50 percent more salt than the daily limit. This excess starts in childhood. Kids between 6 and 10 years of age take in 2,900 mg a day, while teens top out at about 3,700 mg.


Studies done around the world have looked at salt consumption and high blood pressure. A study of 500 people, aged 18 to 40, found that the more restaurant meals people ate every week, the higher their odds of pre-hypertension.


Young people with even a slightly elevated blood pressure level are at very high risk of full-blown hypertension.


About 80 percent of the salt consumed has been added by manufacturers of processed foods or at restaurants. While the salt in hundreds of processed foods has gone down slightly in recent years, a Harvard study reported that it has gone up in many fast food items.


To protect yourself and your family when dining out, ask about the salt content of meals you’re thinking of ordering. Restaurants with 20 or more locations must provide this on request. Many chains post the numbers online. Finally, resist reaching for the salt shaker.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Break the cycle

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To's, Senior Living,

Learn from your parents and teach your children how to live a healthy lifestyle and age well. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


It’s possible that a simple conversation between parents and their children is all it would take to stop the cycle of some diseases.


If parents would discuss their own health problems with their kids, things like heart disease and diabetes might occur much less often.


Diabetes, heart disease and even breast cancer are preventable by following a healthy lifestyle. A well-timed conversation—before another generation suffers—could make all the difference.


When people say, “Everyone in my family has diabetes” or “Everyone has heart disease,” the underlying reason is usually a sensitivity to sugar.


What does this mean? Some families have a predisposition to belly fat weight gain and get diabetes earlier in life. Anyone can get diabetes if they eat enough sugar and gain enough weight, but some people get diabetes at lower weights.


Examples of this include the Freshman 15, gaining 30 pounds after having a baby, or the 15 pounds many women gain at menopause. More belly fat means more sugar cravings for foods like white bread, white potatoes, white rice and sweets.


Once ingested, the sugar then goes straight from the stomach to the belly fat. It’s a vicious and very unhealthy cycle.


Unfortunately, high blood sugars typically mean high cholesterol as well, especially if your diet is also high in fats like butter, lard, bacon and red meat. Sugar and fat together are a bad combination because high blood sugars make blood vessel walls sticky, the fat sticks to the walls, and plaque or blockages are formed. When enough blockages form in blood vessels, enough blood cannot get through to your vital organs (heart and brain), which would lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Tackle your risk factors

I have discussed the topic of risk factors in previous blogs, and I believe the topic is important enough to mention again here. We all have risk factors we can’t change—family history, age and timing of menopause. But there are risk factors we can change (exercise, sleep habits, and food choices), and it’s not as difficult as you may think.


The first step is to make a goal toward better health.


To create your goal, look at how well your mom, dad, or grandparents aged.


Hopefully, they were able to be a good example of how to lead a healthy life. Sadly, many women have not grown up in households with parents who were positive examples of how to eat right and exercise.


Many parents never talked to their kids about eating a healthy diet or maintaining an active lifestyle in order to avoid diabetes or heart disease. If you were lucky enough to have a mom or dad who talked with you about the importance of being healthy, use that positive example to create your own goals.


If not, create a clear picture of yourself and how you want your own life to be, and use that picture to set some goals for your future. How do you want to look and feel in three months, one year, or when you are 50 years old?


A patient I’ll call Leonica is an example of someone who grew up with several family members who suffered from a variety of health problems.


They had heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer, but they never talked about their health issues. The memories continued to haunt her, and she decided she did not want to suffer in the same way. Leonica respected that her family was strong and independent, however, she wished her family could have talked about their health problems to help her and others from her generation lead better lives.


For example, Leonica had no idea about the connection between craving sugar and eating simple carbs. She didn’t realize that eating things like white bread, white rice and potatoes would make her feel tired.

Things to know (and remember)

By educating herself, Leonica learned how eating more complex carbs like sweet potatoes and brown rice, and having a protein and vegetable for dinner would help her lose weight—without giving up her favorite foods. She continued making diet changes to reverse early diabetes and became more active in her everyday life.


As a result of her changes, Leonica became an example for her children, nieces and nephews. She also became the voice to get others talking about how to change their lives for the better. By passing on this knowledge to her extended family, Leonica hopes to stop the cycle of the diseases that have plagued her family for years.


Here are a few key points to remember:

  • See your doctor—If your family members have heart disease, diabetes or obesity, it doesn’t mean you will have the same fate. However, you are more likely to suffer from these issues, so see your doctor, get tested early for diabetes, and learn how you can avoid the same health problems.
  • Talk with your family about their health—Ask your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and siblings about their health. Learn from them what you should and shouldn’t do to be healthy. Women who cope best ask for help and get educated so they can develop a goal and a plan. It’s OK to talk about bad moods, depression and anxiety; sharing can help others and take away the fear associated with these issues.
  • Know your numbers—Find out your waist size, blood sugar (A1C) level, cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It can be scary to know you have pre-diabetes, but knowing gives you power and can be motivating to get a plan in place—before it’s too late.
  • Know how close you are to menopause—Being healthy gets harder after menopause, so you want to know how close you are to being there. As estrogen hormone levels fall, the body craves sugar and stores it in belly fat. And belly fat raises insulin and insulin factors, which increase the risk of breast cancer. Everything is tied together.
  • Cut back on the simple carbs—These are the same as sugar, and, if you want to avoid diabetes and heart disease, you need to have only one simple carb serving per day. Examples of simple carb foods include white bread, white potatoes, white rice, white flour tortillas, sweet treats and alcohol. Remember—only one per day.
  • Eat a good breakfast—Include a complex carbohydrate (whole wheat bread, cooked oatmeal, whole wheat bagel), a protein (eggs, low-fat cheese, turkey bacon), and a healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts). Eating a healthy breakfast will keep your blood sugars stable and curb your cravings all day long.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.