Category Archives: Health

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.

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.

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

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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

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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.

Tips to help combat allergies as you age

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, allergies incur Americans up to $18 billion in medical expenses; they take up number six as a leading cause of chronic illnesses. The risk for allergies increases as you grow old and the problem is likely to go unrecognized. Unfortunately, changes to the immune system that occur as you age mean that your body’s response to inflammation from allergies is not as strong as it once was. The resulting effect is that you are likely to experience problems with allergies as seasons’ change, which is characterized by sneezing, a running nose and watery eyes.


Fortunately, there are precautions you can take to prevent allergies as you age, such as:

Indoor plants

While you may enjoy indoor gardening as a relaxing activity, avoid having any pollen producing plants indoors. If you must have plants within the house, water them occasionally to avoid mold from growing, which then creates mold pollen. Additionally, avoid using silk and other fake plants, as they are notorious dust collectors.

Invest in sunglasses

If you are likely to experience hay fever from wind-borne pollen, invest in a pair of quality sunglasses that wrap around your eyes to prevent as much pollen as possible from getting into your eyes. If you wear optical glasses, ask your eye doctor to give you prescription sunglasses to help you outdoors. Sunglasses will prevent the amount of pollen getting into your eyes, making you feel better.

Switch up your exercise routine

Avoid outdoor exercises in the morning; pollen count is highest before 10 o’clock. If you enjoy jogging or taking a walk, do it in the afternoon or later in the evening. Alternatively, choose a different exercise activity such as yoga, which allows you to work out in a controlled environment, with numerous other health benefits.

Run your air conditioner

Keep your filter clean and run your air conditioner instead of opening the windows, which lets in pollen and other allergens. The air conditioner reduces humidity within the house and serves as an alternative to fans, which end up blowing dust and pollen around the room, worsening the likelihood of you developing allergies.

While there are several precautions you can take to prevent or reduce the effects of allergies, you cannot avoid them entirely. If you notice any persistent irritation or inflammation, consult your doctor immediately. Conditions such as a congested nose can become critical fast, especially if you suffer from pre-existing cardiovascular or nasal conditions. Lastly, avoid traditional antihistamines as you can develop negative side effects or suffer from effects of mixing them with your other prescriptions.


Your health care needs change gradually as age, forcing you to take extra precautions to stay healthy. Avoid allergens as much as possible and consult your doctor if you notice any symptoms that may indicate an allergic reaction. Taking the right precautions allows you to enjoy the outdoors more regardless of the season.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.



Degage Ministries patrons prepare for River Bank Run, achieve more than fitness goals

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Heartside All Stars for Health (photo supplied)

By Alison Clark, Clark Communications


It’s not only elite athletes and experienced runners who are preparing for this weekend’s 42nd River Bank Run. For the ninth year, former and current residents of Dégagé Ministries Open Door Women’s Center will participate in the Amway River Bank 5k Walk. Dégagé’s walking group, the ‘Heartside All Stars for Health’, is a group of approximately 12 women who have overcome or are working to overcome things like poverty, addiction and homelessness. With the support of Dégagé’s staff and volunteers, the organization’s walking group totals nearly 30 people. 


The Heartside All Stars for Health participate in weekly training sessions lead by a volunteer community nurse at Dégagé. Of course, the walking provides physical benefits, but it also offers emotional, social and spiritual benefits, particularly for women who are facing so much difficulty in their lives and for whom exercise is not always a priority. Training for the walk gives the women an opportunity to support each other as they try to achieve big dreams, like securing safe and permanent housing. One of these women, Linda, says that participating with the walking group helps her “pick up her shoes instead of a bottle”.


On Wednesdays, it is a common sight to see the group gather outside Dégagé’s doors looking bundled up and eager to get moving. One of these eager walkers is Linda, who is a recovered alcoholic. She credits her involvement with Walking Club and Dégagé as one of the things that keeps her sober, motivated, and focused.


Linda’s journey to healing has been a long trek. For thirty years she struggled with addiction. Before finding Dégagé, Linda was homeless for four years, bouncing from shelter to shelter each night. But eight years ago, something changed. Linda made a commitment to get sober. She had heard about Dégagé through a friend and started coming for the services offered on the 1st and 2nd floor. She got an ID, earned vouchers for meals, and got help finding permanent housing.

Linda laces up to get moving with Dégagé’s Walking Club (courtesy Dégagé Ministries)

Along the way, Linda heard about Dégagé’s Walking Club. She began showing up on Wednesdays and soon found walking was one of her true passions. She discovered that lacing up her tennis shoes was a great way to keep her from being tempted to pick up the bottle. Linda loves the challenge and activity as well as the community and conversation. Finding Walking Club and Dégagé meant finally having a place to belong. It is her support and her community.


When Linda was asked what she hopes to achieve through her participation in Walking Club, she contemplated the answer for a moment before breaking into a smile, “Continue in my sobriety and helping others through their journey.”


And with that, she finished tying her shoe and raced off to walk with her friends.


12 tips to prep you for spring activity

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Warm up your body for better weather activities. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Eve Clayton, Spectrum Health Beat


Warmer weather has a way of getting us off the couch and into more active pastimes—biking, yard work, tennis and spring cleaning.


If you’re feeling the urge to get up and get active, take a minute to prepare yourself with these tips from Jason Lazor, DO, a specialist in sports medicine and musculoskeletal injuries with the Spectrum Health Medical Group Sports Medicine.


What you learn here may help you steer clear of tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, shoulder injuries and other forms of tendonitis, which can all result from overuse.


“In the springtime, I see a lot of overuse injuries,” Dr. Lazor said. “People have deconditioned a little bit over the winter, and they jump out expecting to go and perform their sport or activity at the level they were pre-winter.”


So before you get up and go, hit pause and read an orthopedic pro’s suggestions for easing your body into spring and summer.

Dr. Lazor’s Top 12 Tips:

1. Set realistic expectations.

“If you have been more sedentary over the winter, then slowly evolve back into your sport,” Dr. Lazor said. Pushing your muscles too hard too fast isn’t worth the risk of injury.

2. Stretch and warm up.

Do this before any physical activity, whether it’s golfing or working around the house. Stretching your joints for five minutes can do a lot to prevent acute muscle or tendon injuries.


For athletes, Dr. Lazor recommends warming up with sport-specific exercises and drills rather than just, say, jogging to get the blood flowing. But he cautions against “bouncy stretching.” Keep movements slow and controlled.

3. Take a break.

Yes, take a breather when you feel muscle tightness setting in. Then do some more light stretching to loosen up before resuming the activity.

4. Stay hydrated.

This is good advice anytime, but especially when you’re engaged in sports. Dehydrated muscles and tendons are less flexible and less resilient, Dr. Lazor said.


So if you’re a coffee drinker, reduce your risk of muscle strain by drinking more water than coffee. And avoid excessive alcohol, another cause of dehydration.

5. Avoid smoking.

In addition to its other downsides, nicotine impairs the healing process for tendons and muscles.

6. Vary your activities.

To prevent muscle imbalance, you should mix it up. The shoulder, for example, has more than 20 muscles attached to it.


If you keep repeating the same overhead motion, “certain muscles will get overworked and others will decondition,” Dr. Lazor said. That throws off the shoulder’s balance, resulting in tendon damage.


Resistance training is a good way to prevent overuse injuries because it makes the muscles and tendons more resilient. Dr. Lazor emphasizes the essential part of resistance training—the slow, controlled downward motion of a biceps curl, for example, which lengthens the muscle and protects it from injury.

7. Use proper form.

When lifting and carrying heavy items, make sure your body mechanics are correct. Keep an upright position to help protect your back. And if you’re doing overhead work, use a ladder or step stool to put the work at eye level and reduce stress on the shoulders.

8. Eat well.

If you play endurance sports such as tennis, eat well so your muscles have the nutrients needed to stay healthy and heal if they become strained.


Plus, eating well makes you feel better. “If you eat junk, you are going to feel like junk,” Dr. Lazor said.

9. Use proper sports equipment and footwear.

Avoid injury by wearing shoes meant to support your particular foot anatomy.


Also, make sure to have the equipment that fits your body and experience level. For example, tennis players should use a racquet that matches your size and skill level.

10. Practice cross-training.

Keep your muscles in balance with variety. Don’t spend all of your time on one sport, Dr. Lazor said.


“You want to incorporate other sports—swimming, biking, running—because that works the muscles differently. It gives some of those muscles that are getting overused a break and works them in different ways.”

11. Build your core.

This means focusing on your abdomen, back, glutes and pelvis—because many sports injuries are related to deficits in core strength.

“I like planks for core work,” said Dr. Lazor. “When you do planks, whether it’s prone planks or side planks, you have to focus on utilizing your core—squeezing your butt cheeks together and, for both males and females, using the Kegel muscles.”

12. Stretch again at the end.

“I’m a big fan of doing your deep stretching after your activity,” Dr. Lazor said.


Again, using tennis as an example, this means stretching the shoulder, pectoral and back muscles, as well as the hamstrings and quads. Stretching after a workout, whether around the house or on the courts, will help your muscles rebound faster.


Preventing spring and summertime strains and muscle pains isn’t hard. It just takes a little patience, insight and common sense.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Growing threat for vets: Heart disease

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Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


More U.S. veterans are at increased risk for heart disease, a looming public health problem, researchers say.


They analyzed data from more than 153,000 people who took part in the National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.


Vets between the ages of 35 and 70 reported significantly more heart conditions than non-veterans, the data showed.


After age 70, non-veterans reported more, but the study’s author suspects that might be because fewer vets survived into old age due to heart disease.


“I think it’s sort of the first indication of a coming public health crisis for veterans,” said study author Ramon Hinojosa, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida.


“Because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have a relatively large, new younger generation of veterans who are going to survive for 30 or 40 years after their war experience,” he said in a university news release.


The study suggests that what’s known as the “healthy soldier effect” is no longer guaranteed. That’s the tendency for members of the military to be more fit and less overweight than same-age civilians.


Hinojosa said the change could be due the nature of modern warfare, changes in diet, leisure and exercise, more obesity among younger vets and higher rates of drinking, smoking and mental illness.


“It’s concerning to know that the physical benefits of military service seem to be not holding as well for the younger veterans,” he said.


“This suggests the health protective benefits of military service are not what they used to be,” Hinojosa said. “I think that should cause us to really look at what’s going on among the veterans after they leave military service.”


Being aware of this emerging problem can help health care providers offset the likelihood of early onset heart disease, Hinojosa noted.


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


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Celebrating spring in Michigan: 9 ways to enjoy the outdoors

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Spring has finally arrived and warm weather is soon to follow. Now that the change in seasons has made its way to Michigan, many of us are ready to go outside and enjoy the sun. If you are a senior, you may think that your days of outdoor adventures are over, but that is far from true. From heading out on the water to birdwatching to parties, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors during a Michigan spring.

1. Go fish

Fishing is a great way to get outdoors and into nature, and it’s a great activity to do with family, especially grandkids. You don’t need a lot of expensive equipment or experience to go fishing, just a few rods and some worms.


With so many lakes and rivers in Michigan, finding a nice spot should be no trouble at all. But if you are struggling to get the fish biting, local guidebooks and websites can help lead you to the best places.

2. Test out the waters

You don’t have to own a boat to enjoy the water all around Michigan. Head out with friends and charter a boat to explore the open waters. You can also go on ferry rides to get out on the water and see all the beautiful scenery of spring.


If boating isn’t your thing, a day at the beach might be in order. It’s still too cold in spring to do much swimming, but walking the shoreline or just sitting back and watching the waves can be a peaceful way to enjoy the water without having to get out on it.

3. Start a spring garden

What better way to welcome spring than with flowers! Gardening is a wonderful activity that was made for springtime. You can start a small outdoor garden, or revitalize your flower beds. If you struggle with bending down and getting up, then tall planters can bring the flowers to your level.


Even if gardening isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy some of the floral benefits of spring. You can go flower picking and enjoy some of the wildflowers that are beginning to bloom, or browse around local flower shops to see the spring selections.

4. Explore local walking trails

One of the best ways to get into nature is to go for a trail walk, and there are plenty of options for that in Michigan. There are paved paths so you don’t need to worry as much about falling, or there are more natural paths if you feel daring. Even walking on the sidewalks near you can be a great way to breathe in the fresh air of spring.

5. Take a day trip

Getting out doesn’t just have to mean going out in nature. Sometimes taking a day trip to a different town can be a great way to spend a spring day. Carpool with friends or family and find local amusements, outdoor shopping centers, festivals, crafts and art shows, or other local Michigan attractions and spend the day exploring a new area.

6. Head out for a picnic

A classic warm weather activity for a reason, picnics are a great way to spend a day enjoying the outdoors and having a delicious meal as well. Sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, salads, cheeses, and pastries are all great picnic foods. And all that food is best enjoyed with your family and friends, so invite them along as you find a nice park or meadow to picnic in.

7. Grab binoculars and go birdwatching

As the warm weather returns, so do the birds that had flown away from Michigan for the winter. Birdwatching allows you to get outside, but you don’t need to do a lot of physical activity, which is great for seniors who struggle with mobility. Many areas have local birdwatching groups or clubs for you to join and make new friends.

8. Try your hand at photography

If you want an outdoor activity that doesn’t require a lot of physical movement, but have decided that birdwatching isn’t your thing, then maybe photography is for you. You don’t need the newest camera on the market to start this hobby— even your phone camera is a good start for beginners. Spring is a perfect time to try and capture all the small changes happening outside as the days get warmer.

9. Host a get-together

Is there a better way to spend spring than with your family and friends? Hosting a get-together doesn’t have to be a huge event, but a small party where you and your loved ones spend time together and enjoy the spring weather can help everyone embrace the change in seasons. A garden party theme can get everyone in the mood for spring.


There are so many fun activities to welcome spring back to Michigan, and being elderly doesn’t have to slow you down. With all of these activities and more, there is no stop to the amazing ways you can get outdoors and enjoy the warm weather for a Michigan spring.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.



5 ways to help a senior with spring cleaning

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Although spring may seem like it’s been a long time coming, it is finally here. One of the things that comes along with spring is the feeling we have to declutter, clean our homes and clear out the garage. That’s right—spring cleaning.


Spring cleaning gives us a chance to start the year with a fresh mindset. Seniors are no exception, but as they age it gets harder and harder to manage a full house cleaning on their own. Here are five ways in which you can help your senior loved one with their spring cleaning while still encouraging their independence.

Plan for a Full Day

Cleaning always takes a little bit longer than you think it should. You probably notice this working on your own chores, and helping someone who moves a bit slower is going to add a few more hours to a cleaning process. Picking a day well in advance gives everyone who will be involved the chance to prepare and get ready ahead of time.


Planning ahead also gives you plenty of time to gather supplies. Things like boxes for packing things in as you declutter and extra cleaning products for deep cleaning may take a bit more time to buy and gather. You want to make sure you don’t need to halt cleaning and run to the store on the big day.

Ask Others to Help You

Don’t take on an entire project by yourself! Enlist the help of some other family and friends to help you and your aging family member. You can break down tasks so everyone has something to do that fits their skill set and ability. The whole day can go by much faster with extra hands. Even having someone stop by for a few hours can make a big difference.


While many people are going to be happy to help out, you can always consider offering snacks and dinner as incentives. Sometimes people are much more agreeable when there is a promise of a meal to follow.

Make a Checklist

Planning ahead by making a list can help you as you prepare for the big cleaning day. You won’t have to worry about forgetting certain chores or leaving something out that you meant to do when you have a solid plan of attack.


Take your loved one and go through the entire home and write down exactly what you want to get done and how you want to do it. Writing it all down will help you remember exactly what you want to tackle and it allows you to organize your day more efficiently. We’ll get you started with some of the big ones in the next section.

Go Room to Room

As you go around, plan out your cleaning room-by-room to ensure you stay organized and see everything that you want to accomplish. In each room take note of what needs to be done, such as:

In the Kitchen

  • Empty out the fridge
  • Clean surfaces
  • Clean the oven and range
  • Clean appliances like the dishwasher and microwave.
  • Reorganize drawers and pantry
  • Sanitize cutting boards and knives
  • Eliminate unnecessary dishes and small appliances

In the Bathroom

  • Scrub out shower
  • Empty cabinets
  • Disinfect countertops
  • Deep clean the toilet
  • Clean exhaust fan
  • Clean the floors
  • Go through medicines and make sure all prescriptions are up to date

In the Bedrooms

  • Flip the mattress
  • Dust thoroughly
  • Polish wood furniture
  • Organize clothes and switch out seasonal clothing
  • Clean under the bed
  • Sort out closets and drawers
  • Wash all linens

In the Living Room and Family Areas

  • Clean dust off of ceilings
  • Vacuum or wash furniture
  • Air out rugs
  • Dust fans, lamps, bookshelves, and pictures
  • Disinfect door knobs and light switches
  • Shampoo carpets
  • Declutter knick-knacks and decorations

Keep Your Loved One Involved

Don’t have your loved one just sit on the sidelines while you do all the work. Find tasks they can do to help out and allow them to be a part of the cleaning process with you. Simply informing them of what you do as you go along is a major way to keep them invested.


Ask your family member before making big changes, like moving furniture and reorganizing closets. If you plan on donating or selling some things to help declutter, make sure to check in with them before you make decisions. Including your loved one lets them know that you respect their wishes and appreciate their help.


Spring cleaning is a yearly tradition that allows people to start the year feeling refreshed and clean. You can help your elderly family member by lending a hand and helping them out as we all begin to enjoy the spring weather.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.



Power of the sweet potato

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Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, B and C. Sweet potatoes are also a source of antioxidants, which are important to reduce cancer and heart disease risk. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Midlife and menopause are stages of life when weight gain happens fast and weight loss can be very slow.


Let me share a secret that can help: sweet potatoes.


Many people are surprised to learn the sweet potato is a healthy food that can to be added to any meal and help us all keep a healthy weight and get daily vitamins and fiber at the same time.


The sweet potato qualifies as a superfood—a weapon against weight gain, belly fat and diabetes. It can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even as a snack.


The sweet potato has so many health benefits. For weight control, it is a low glycemic index food, meaning that while it contains carbohydrates, the carbs are slowly broken down in the blood and can be used by the brain, muscles and liver and not sent straight to the belly to become fat.


Low estrogen levels, which define the life stage of menopause, cause cravings for sugar or any simple carbohydrate, such as what is found in white potatoes, white rice or white bread. Our body’s response to stress or sleep deprivation can include a rise in insulin surges and insulin response, which can result in an increased waistline.


Including foods such as sweet potatoes in your diet can help slow weight gain and add many good vitamins and fiber.


Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, B and C. Sweet potatoes are also a source of antioxidants, which are important to reduce cancer and heart disease risk. Manganese is also in sweet potatoes and can help with your metabolism.


Being healthy is about using small tips and tricks in daily life. The sweet potato can be used in fast and easy ways. They can be roasted, boiled, steamed, or even eaten raw.


The vitamins are best preserved when steamed, but I tend to roast my potatoes because it is easier. I wash the sweet potatoes, poke holes in the skin to avoid explosions in the oven, and put them on a cookie sheet for an hour at 350 degrees. Once they are cooled, I use the cooked sweet potatoes in a variety of ways to make satisfying and tasty recipes.


For breakfast, especially on the weekend when I have more time, I love to make one of my favorites—sweet potato hash.


Sweet potato hash: 1/2 cup chopped onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup of greens such as spinach or Swiss chard, 1-2 cups cubed roasted sweet potato, and optional meat of 1/4 cup cooked sausage or cooked bacon. These ingredients are sautéed together and then topped with a fried egg. Maple syrup added around the edge of the plate makes a tasty treat.


Here are some other ideas:


Sweet potato snack: Cooked sweet potato mashed with a fork, covered with a tablespoon of real maple syrup, chopped nuts such as walnuts, almonds or pecans, and warmed in the microwave.


Fast lunch with sweet potato: Cubed sweet potato with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, warmed in the microwave and tossed with salad greens and leftover cold chicken or sautéed tofu. This is tasty, filling, and helps avoid sugar spikes.


Sweet potato french fries: For dinner, my kids prefer sweet potato fries, simply made by cutting the raw sweet potatoes into whatever shape works—sliced to be round (fastest) or cut into traditional fry shape. Simply place the pieces on a cookie sheet with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and bake at 400 degrees until brown or about 30 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through for evenness.


Sweet potato custard: Mash 2 cups of roasted sweet potato and add 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup almond or cow milk, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and spices such as cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Place in a small baking dish or ramekins, placed on a cookie sheet and baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Yum!


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Top 8 helmet stats aimed at saving your brain

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“Lead by example and keep your kids safe by requiring them to always wear a helmet when riding.” (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Jodi Stanley, Spectrum HealthBeat

The joy of bicycles is a beautiful thing.

Great exercise, endless games and the freedom to “travel” as a kid.

But before the kids flip up the kickstands for the season, hit the brakes for a minute.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration urges everyone to remember that bicycles aren’t toys—they are vehicles, officially—and even experienced riders should do what they can to minimize risk.

Applying that perspective to your family’s youthful riders should motivate every family to do what we can to prepare and prevent accidents before they happen.

And while it might seem about as fun as a flat tire, knowing, understanding, and taking steps to prevent bicycle mishaps now can make a smooth, happy ride for the rest of the summer.

“Bike riding is a great family activity,” said Jennifer Hoekstra, program coordinator of Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Program and Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids.

“Lead by example and keep your kids safe by requiring them to always wear a helmet when riding.”

Why wear a helmet?

Consider these facts about bicycles, kids and injuries from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and www.helmets.org:

  • Helmet use is lowest (for all ages) among children ages 11 to 14.
  • Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury and the risk of brain injury.
  • The Center for Head Injury Services reports that 85 percent of all head injuries in bicycle accidents can be prevented by wearing a helmet.
  • Bicycle helmets have also been shown to offer substantial protection to the forehead and midface.
  • Universal use of bicycle helmets by children ages 4 to 15 could prevent between 135 and 155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.
  • Child helmet ownership and use increases with the parent’s income and education level, yet decreases with the child’s age.
  • Children are more likely to wear a bicycle helmet if riding with others who are also wearing one.
  • In a national survey of children ages 8 to 12, 53 percent reported that a parental rule for helmet use would persuade them to wear a helmet, and 49 percent would wear a helmet if a state or community law required it.

Bicycle helmet use by every rider, of every age, for every ride should be every family’s rule.

Kids may think they look “babyish” or “uncool” with a helmet. Teach them it’s just the opposite.

When possible, let them pick out their own helmet or add flair if it helps them get into it. And if they still hate it? Tell them it’s the rule to ride and stick with it.

When parents ride without helmets, kids are quick to copy. They may wonder why, if it is a big deal, mom and dad aren’t wearing them, too. The moral of the story is everybody should wear a helmet, every ride.

It’s a no brainer

Correct fit and proper positioning are essential to the effectiveness of bike helmets at reducing injury.

One study found that children whose helmets fit poorly are at twice the risk of head injury in a crash compared to children whose helmet fit is excellent. In addition, children who wear their helmets tipped back on their heads have a 52 percent greater risk of head injury than those who wear their helmets centered on their heads.

“Remember, it can only protect their head if they wear it correctly each and every time they ride,” Hoekstra added.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

5 W’s for eating the Mediterranean way

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Did you know eating a Mediterranean diet could prevent or even reverse metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes? (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Jill Seidelman, Spectrum Health Beat


We always hear about the latest fad diet, but don’t we often wonder what really works?


Where should we start? How should we start?


In an effort to develop positive eating habits, many of us have tried several diets over the years. More often than not, these diets provide only short-term solutions that leave us without a strong foundation to make significant, long-term behavioral changes.


The Mediterranean diet, however, isn’t a diet so much as it’s a way of living.


It’s a lifestyle.

Who?

Who should be interested in the Mediterranean diet? You, me and anyone who wants to cook and eat real, healthy, whole, unprocessed foods that bring your weight, health and life back to their prime.


We all know that eating the right fats, reading labels and watching carbs is beneficial, but what does that really mean? We go to the grocery store and we fill up our carts with products we either know, or think we know, are good for us. But are they really?


The Mediterranean diet offers many healthy options, no matter what your taste palate. It balances carbohydrates with grains, good fats and proteins, promoting optimal health and natural weight loss.

What?

The Mediterranean diet is not a “fad,” but a long-term solution: Eat low-glycemic-index foods to help you keep your metabolism steady, feel full longer and eat less.


Low-glycemic foods break down slowly, allowing you to feel satisfied and lose weight at the same time. Examples include: berries, citrus, apples, pears, vegetables, legumes, minimally processed grains, oatmeal, nuts, hummus, kidney beans and chickpeas.


With this type of meal plan, you can still fit in your favorite foods. It’s a way of cooking and eating that’s non-restrictive, so you don’t have to suffer through deprivation.


Based on the cuisine of Greece, Middle East, Southern Italy and Spain, the diet entails less consumption of red meat, sweets and saturated fats that are found in butter or high-fat dairy products.


It’s also a sustainable diet that you can live with. If you like to eat “real” foods, if you shop at farmers markets, or if you eat farm-to-table, the Mediterranean way could be the right plan for you.


It’s worth noting that U.S. News & World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet first place in the “plant-based diets,” according to Best Diets 2013 rankings.

Why?

How about, why not? How about cooking like a Greek islander, or learning a gourmet dish from Spain or Italy? Eating like a Greek is not only healthy, it’s delicious.


Mediterranean foods are rich in antioxidants and they have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. So you can live longer, with less disease.

When?

Realistically, we can follow it every day. And since it’s proven to help us live longer, healthier lives, we should.


By incorporating techniques that improve our eating behaviors—meal planning, food choice, and cooking prep—we can reap a lifetime of benefits.

Where?

In the kitchen, the heart of the home, and just about everywhere else. The Mediterranean diet fits a busy, healthy lifestyle, whether you’re learning the art of cooking at home or you’re working to educate yourself on healthy food choices when dining out.

Let’s not forget: How?

Great taste and zero calories aren’t the only benefits of infused water—it can also help flush toxins, improve skin and enhance mood. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

Here’s how to follow a low-glycemic diet such as the Mediterranean diet:

  • You do not need to memorize the glycemic index or count grams of carbohydrates in foods.
  • Choose fiber-rich, natural carbohydrates, including vegetables, fruits and legumes. Eat them along with a source of protein and a healthy fat.
  • Eat grain products in the least-processed state possible. Examples include stone ground whole wheat bread as opposed to white bread.
  • When you have a sugary treat, do it in moderation—and after a balanced meal.
  • Limit fruit juice and avoid sugary soda. Drink more water. If you don’t enjoy drinking water, try an infused water recipe to add a little excitement to H2O.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

PMS and the blues

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Brain chemicals can get a bit wonky from time to time, causing moods you can’t shake. There’s help. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


In the dark days of winter, we all start feeling caged in and sick of the cold.


It is normal to feel moody, irritable, anxious, sad, depressed, less motivated and even overwhelmed. Some days we would just rather stay in bed and hide from the world under the covers.


If you have the misfortune to suffer premenstrual syndrome, or premenstrual dysthymic disorder, the winter will seem even longer.


Many women suffer mild mood changes such as irritability during their monthly period, after the birth of a baby or around the time of menopause.


In a normal menstrual cycle, estrogen drops slowly before the period starts. Mood changes are tied to estrogen level changes and, as another cycle begins, estrogen rises and mood changes go away.


What are not as common are mood changes that affect relationships, work behavior or lifestyle habits such as use of alcohol. This happens to women who suffer from these premenstrual syndromes.


The way this works is our brain chemical balance is influenced by estrogen. We each are unique in our chemistry. Our brain chemical balance is a big part of our personality—how we cope, our sex drive, our behavior in general.

Banking with brain chemicals

A couple of brain chemicals to pay attention to are gamma-aminobutyric acid and serotonin.


Gamma-aminobutyric acid is the brain chemical that helps with concentration. Some brains do not make enough of it and this contributes to symptoms of attention deficit disorder.


Serotonin is the brain chemical many women depend on to feel normal. One way to think about serotonin is like money in the bank. Picture a bank balance sheet. We make serotonin during sleep.


Due to genetics, some women make more serotonin than others. Serotonin goes in the “deposit” column of your balance sheet. Serotonin is “spent” on each life event. Unresolved issues or emotional challenges like elder parent care or a difficult job situation “costs” more serotonin than, for example, being late for work or not having any clothes that fit.


When estrogen is low—right before a menstrual period—serotonin is spent more quickly. Something needs to happen to rebuild your balance.

A real life example

A patient of mine I’ll call Mary came to me at the urging of friends.


Mary’s behavior had changed significantly. At Mary’s appointment, we assessed the situation. Her periods were slightly irregular, but still came every month. She had been noticing more headaches, bloating and fatigue around the time of her period. Overall, she thought she was doing well but agreed her moods had been worse.


I asked her what had changed in her life. Mary confided that normally when she was in a bit of a bad mood, she could still “act happy.” Lately, however, she seemed unable to control what came out of her mouth. She worried about everything, particularly—and needlessly—about money or future plans.


Too many nights she could not sleep because her mind simply would not stop. Her weight and sex drive had changed for the worse. Mary simply did not feel connected and often felt sad and she did not know what to do about it.


We talked about how brain chemicals and estrogen are closely related. Because of her lower estrogen level right before periods, she spent her brain chemicals too fast. Also because of low estrogen, she couldn’t sleep well before a period, and therefore didn’t make enough brain chemicals.


Mary had fallen into a vicious cycle.


She hesitated to consider taking medication to help. I reminded her that women 75 years ago would have given anything for the medical options we have today. Women now do not have to suffer like in years past. Times have changed for the better.


Mary did choose to take advantage of medicine that raised her brain chemical serotonin. After three months, she felt like her normal self. She was more active, had started walking again every day and wanted to go out with her friends.


So pay attention, ladies: Bad moods can be a symptom of changing hormone levels, but they do not have to be suffered in silence. Please talk to your doctor and get help.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Make sense of highfalutin’ diets

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Photo by Chris Clark

By Shawn Foucher, Spectrum Health Beat

Photos by Chris Clark


If you’re looking for a sustainable nutrition plan—something that’ll suit you 20 years from now—you should stop looking at high-protein diets.


They’re popular now for dropping pounds quickly but they’re simply not practical beyond the horizon, said Harland Holman, MD, medical director at the Spectrum Health Family Medicine Residency Center.


“You can pick the high-protein diet to lose weight, but what you want to think about is the long-term,” Dr. Holman said. “If you go back to normal dieting, you’d put all that weight right back on. I’d recommend picking a diet you can stick with that’s healthy.”


America is deluged with new diets from year to year—high-fat, low-carb, high-protein—but in the end it seems the basics are best: a plant-based diet with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean meats and seafood.

Photo by Chris Clark

One diet in particular fits the bill: The Mediterranean.


“You’ll lose weight on it and you can also look at all the positive effects, even much later,” Dr. Holman said.


Ample evidence supports the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet, including reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Research also suggests that diet plays an outsized role in brain health, while a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive or nuts is associated with improved cognitive function in older adults.


Calling it a Mediterranean “diet,” in fact, may be something of a misnomer.


“It’s not a diet—it’s not something you go on and quit,” said dietitian Jessica Corwin, a community nutrition educator at Spectrum Health Healthier Communities. “It’s a way of thinking about meals differently.”


Remember the old Clinton-era food pyramid, early 1990s or so? That majestic work of art featured bread, rice, cereal and pasta prominently at the bottom, recommending a carbtastic 6 to 11 servings per day.

Photo by Chris Clark

Some illustrations of the Mediterranean food pyramid, meanwhile, don’t even show food at the bottom. They feature families playing and people interacting.


Seriously.


“The very base of the pyramid is about having fun, living an active lifestyle, and enjoying your food,” Corwin said. “It’s a stark contrast to our culture’s habit of racing through a meal while standing, driving or watching TV.”


As for actual food, the diet places heavy emphasis on leafy greens, vegetables, fruit and whole grains, building out from there.


Said Corwin: “Those following a plant-based Mediterranean Diet plan their meals around the vegetables, rather than the meat. Instead of saying, ‘OK, Monday we’ll have beef with something else,’ the focus switches to, ‘We have a ton of leafy greens we need to use up tonight, so what should we do with that?’”


First add nuts, beans, legumes, seeds, herbs, spices and olive oil, then fish and seafood. Poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt would come once every other day, or perhaps a few times per week, with red meat and desserts just once or twice a month.

Photo By Chris Clark

But the takeaway is not simply that the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet outpace any high-protein diets.


High-protein diets can increase your health risks. Research has shown that people who regularly consume high-protein foods—red meat, in particular—are effectively increasing their lifetime risk of chronic disease.


“Red meat, animal protein, has been linked to increased cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes,” Dr. Holman said.


A person with kidney problems, meanwhile, may see their condition worsen on a high-protein diet.


“When you have tons of protein, it’s harder for the kidneys to process and clear it,” Dr. Holman said. “Super-high protein levels can affect your kidneys. Most of the time, healthy people are OK, but if you’re predisposed to problems with your kidneys it can cause you to retain fluid.”


A predictable side effect of the diet craze: People are protein-crazy.

Photo by Chris Clark

“Sometimes people don’t think they’re getting enough protein, but they are,” Dr. Holman said. “Most people overestimate how much protein they need.”


Smart dieting is the first step to positive lifestyle change, but don’t feel pressured to make dramatic changes immediately. Dr. Holman said he’ll first ask his patients to maintain a 24-hour food journal, carefully documenting the foods they typically eat in one day.


“You have to think about lifestyle change,” he said. “They’ll pick one or two things they can change. Sometimes it’s just as simple as cutting out soda. And most people don’t realize how healthy nuts are—they should switch to nuts as one of their snacks.”


The payoffs are real: Studies have shown people who adhere to a Mediterranean diet are about 30 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, Dr. Holman said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood news you ought to know — weekend edition

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By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“Beer’s intellectual. What a shame so many idiots drink it.”

~ Ray Bradbury

Never fear, here’s more beer

Hopslam behind-the-scenes tour (photo supplied)

Because it’s never enough. Pike 51 Brewing Co. and Hudsonville Winery will host their annual IPA Daze festival at 3768 Chicago Drive, in Hudsonville, on Saturday, April 20. There will be live music and a special “Stogies and Stouts” event with a cigar rolling demonstration. And 25 wine choices, five wine slushy flavors, traditional hard cider as well as “cyser” and mead. Go here for the story. But, wait. There’s more! Watch out for next weekend when New Holland Brewing Company releases Dragon’s Milk Triple Mash (last released in 2017). The bourbon barrel-aged stout will be available—in Michigan only— starting Saturday, April 27.

Apathy gets expensive

Photo by Steven Depolo

Michigan’s U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D) will host a summit at Michigan State University on Earth Day to examine the rising costs to taxpayers from extreme weather and climate change. The event, scheduled for Monday. April 22, at 10:30am, in East Lansing, is open to the public and will be streamed live on Facebook. Read more here.

This will make you itch

Unhatched nit (just what you wanted to see, right?)

Nobody likes ’em, so why do they exist? We’ll leave that for you to ponder, but meanwhile, did you know that head lice are common among children ages 3 to 11? It’s true. They can live on all types of hair—straight, curly, dyed or natural. They are most frequently found on girls and are more prevalent among Caucasian children. YIKES. Here are some tips for getting rid of the little buggers. The lice, that is. Go here for the story.


Fun fact:

7 to 10 days

That’s the time it takes for a nit to hatch after a head louse lays an egg. After hatching, the head louse will require 7 to 10 days before becoming a fully grown louse. Besides the head, they can also be found on eyebrows and eyelashes. So, now you know.

Hello there, handsome! Hey, check out those claws.




Lice: What to know and what to do

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Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

By Carrie Shrier, Michigan State University Extension


It is easy to panic if your child gets lice. It’s hard to feel calm about the idea of little bugs crawling around on your child’s (or your) scalp. Lice, while definitely creepy and crawly, are not dangerous and do not spread disease. The only major issue they cause is itching. So, what should a parent do to get rid of lice quickly? Michigan State University Extension offers the following tips to thoroughly eliminate lice.

Know your lice facts

Lice are tiny, wingless parasites that feed on blood. They are found on your scalp and are most easily seen at the nape of the neck and behind the ears. Head lice are common among children ages 3 to 11. They can live on all types of hair—straight, curly, dyed or natural. They are most frequently found on girls and are more prevalent among Caucasian children. Head lice do not jump, they do not live on pets and poor personal hygiene does not make someone more likely to have them.


Lice are most frequently spread by head to head contact. Less commonly, they can be spread through shared items that touch the head such has hats, combs, brushes or hair accessories. Lice do not live for more than a day off of the human body.

Signs and symptoms

Although they’re very small, lice can be seen with the naked eye. Here is what to look for:

  • People with head lice often complain of itchy, scratchy heads. This is a reaction to the saliva of the lice. Some people may feel things moving around in their hair as well. Some children may get small, red bumps from itching and scratching, especially behind their ears and around the nape of their neck.
  • Nits, or lice eggs, are often what is visible in a lice infestation instead of louse. The nits are tiny yellow, brown or tan dots. They cling to the hair shaft close to the scalp where they are warm until they hatch. They look like dandruff but can’t be easily brushed off. See a picture of nits in hair from the Mayo Clinic.
  • Adult lice and nymphs (baby lice). An adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed and is grayish white or tan. Nymphs are smaller and become an adult louse one to two weeks after they hatch.

Treatment and de-lousing

Once your child is diagnosed, it’s time to treat. There are several over-the-counter treatment options. The most commonly used medications contain pyrethins, which are made from the chrysanthemum flower. These should not be used if you or your child are allergic to chrysanthemums, mums or ragweed. Some lice have developed resistance to the commonly used medications. Learn more about medication options from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Head louse nymph

Keep these tips in mind when using medication to treat for lice:

  • Follow package directions. Creams and shampoos are typically applied directly to the hair, either dry or freshly washed (not conditioned). Apply when you or your child are full dressed and rinse into the sink or bathtub. Do not rinse off while bathing. Limit how much of the medication touches the skin.
  • After treatment, use a nit comb. Once the medication is applied and rinsed, change you or your child into clean clothes and carefully comb the hair in small sections utilizing a nit comb. Specially designed nit combs can be purchased and may be more effective. Many flea combs will also work. Separate the hair into small sections and comb the hair shaft from root to tip.
  • Wash clothing, bedding and towels. Wash items worn in the last two days by the infected person such as hats, coats, pillowcases, towels and bedding. Lice and eggs do not live long off a person and are easily killed by five minutes or greater in hot water or hot air cycles greater than 103 degrees; typically, the hot water/high temperature dry cycles are sufficient. Soak combs and brushes in hot water. Items that cannot be washed can be sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks.
  • Continue to check and nit comb. Repeat nit combing every two to three days to check for remaining lice and nits.
  • Many medications require retreatment seven to nine days after initial treatment. This is meant to kill newly hatched lice before they mature and lay eggs.

Avoid re-infestation

Continue to check the infected person’s hair every two to three days for two to three weeks. Reapply a second dose of the treatment if the package indicates it is required. This is because many medications only kill the live lice and not the eggs. Failure to retreat can cause a second round of lice to hatch. If you treated correctly and they are not going away, you may have lice that are resistant to the over-the-counter medications. These so-called “super lice” may require prescription medications. Follow up with your doctor for additional advice should over-the-counter treatments fail to be successful.

 

There is no need to use lice sprays or fumigate your home. Lice do not live long off the human body. Washing bedding, clothing and towels should be sufficient to kill any lice that have fallen off of the head. You can vacuum the infected person’s bed and common seating areas, but intense cleaning and household treatments are not necessary. Animals cannot get lice or spread lice. There is no additional need to treat your pets.

 

While the discovery of lice on you or your children can be alarming, there is no need to panic. They can typically be treated inexpensively and relatively quickly. With some time and focus, you’ll be back to enjoying a lice-free home again in short order.

 

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).

Reclaiming her spark

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[huge_it_slider id=”69″]


By Eve Clayton, Spectrum Health Beat, photos by Taylor Ballek


If you were to meet Judy Pellerito today, you would say she’s full of life.


Newly retired after 31 years of teaching, the Kentwood, Michigan, resident is animated, outgoing and full of dreams.


She’s starting a community choir “open to anyone ages 13 to 103.” She plans to play her ukulele for nursing home residents and bring her pup Mabel along as a therapy dog.


So Pellerito would agree with you: At age 54, her life is good.


“I have energy and hope and optimism and gratitude,” she said on a recent fall morning.


But wind the clock back a year or two and get Pellerito to level with you, and you might hear a different story. A story marked by anxiety, depression, poor sleep and low energy.


Sure, she still got up and went to school every day. The former Northview High School choral director loved teaching, loved her students and her colleagues.


But it became harder and harder to summon the “energy and the stamina and find the joy day after day,” she said.


Finally a good friend saw through her smiling façade and nudged her to get help. To find out what was going on. Tired of saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Pellerito acquiesced.


She made an appointment with a psychologist, who listened as Pellerito talked about life—and heard her describe many of the classic symptoms of menopause.

Hormone decline

Pellerito’s counselor referred her to Marjorie Taylor, NP, a member of the Spectrum Health Midlife, Menopause & Sexual Health team who specializes in hormone-related issues.

Photo by Taylor Ballek

Recognizing her symptoms as typical of a woman going through midlife hormonal changes, Taylor did a physical exam and a thorough blood workup, paying close attention to Pellerito’s thyroid and other hormone levels.


Not surprisingly, Pellerito’s blood levels showed that “her estrogen was really low,” Taylor said.


Taylor’s message for her patient? There’s help for you. You don’t have to struggle.


Taylor started Pellerito on an antidepressant and hormone therapy tailored to her medical situation. After just five months, Pellerito felt like herself again—or, perhaps, like a more jubilant version of herself.


“I didn’t know that my hormones had bottomed out,” she said. “It’s not like there is a switch that’s flipped—you don’t one day get symptoms. It’s so gradual that it’s almost imperceptible. You don’t realize until you look back.”


In retrospect, Pellerito says her menopause symptoms probably escalated over the course of five to 10 years, gradually stripping away her joy.


“I can look back now and just see an incredible difference,” she said. “And an incredible future.”

Feeling good again

Stories like Pellerito’s fuel Taylor’s enthusiasm for her work.


“It’s so fun to do because every visit you see improvement, and you see this person find their spark again,” she said. “When everything gets balanced, whether it’s thyroid, hormones, whatever it is, we see not only their energy come back, but they sleep better. It helps relationships, it helps—just their whole quality of life improves.”


Taylor acknowledges that hormone therapy isn’t right for everyone, but as a strong advocate of its benefits, she gives her patients lots of information and works hard to clear up the misperceptions about its risks.


“People have no clue of the wonderful benefits that hormone therapy can bring,” she said.

Photo by Taylor Ballek

Hormone therapy can contribute to women’s longevity, Taylor said, by preventing heart attacks, strokes and osteoporosis, and by helping to alleviate fatigue, depression, anxiety, vaginal issues and bladder issues.


“But the biggest thing is that it brings the spark back to their life and they feel normal again,” she said. “When people start going through perimenopause, they think, ‘Ugh, I’m aging and I’m just never going to feel good again. … And that’s not true.”

Start sooner

Pellerito’s experience is a vivid case in point. She now feels healthy, both physically and emotionally, and is eager to explore new opportunities as a young retiree.


Once a week she returns to her previous school district to work as a vocal coach.


“I’m still pouring love into teenagers and adults in different ways,” she said, “but everything is different now.”


For other women who may be feeling some of the symptoms she experienced, Pellerito says not to wait like she did.


“I would just recommend people walk down the path of getting help sooner,” she said. “Sooner, sooner.”


Reprinted with permission by Spectrum Health Beat.

Make your garden one of delights, not dangers

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

Protect yourself while gardening. There are more dangers in the soil than you might expect. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Bruce Rossman, Spectrum Health Beat


What’s not to like about gardening? It beautifies your home, produces great food, plus it’s relaxing, stress reducing and a fun calorie-burner.


But it’s not without its hazards.


“A lot of outdoor diseases can be avoided with clothing and precaution,” said Christina Leonard, MD, an infectious disease specialists with the Spectrum Health Medical Group. “Prevention is key in avoiding problems.”

Avoiding infection in the garden

To protect yourself from diseases caused by mosquitoes and ticks, use insect repellent containing DEET and wear long-sleeved shirts and pants tucked into your socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots since ticks are usually located close to the ground.


It’s also important to be up-to-date on your tetanus/diphtheria vaccination. Tetanus lives in the soil and enters the body through breaks in the skin.


“Gardeners are particularly susceptible to tetanus infections because they dig in the dirt, use sharp tools and handle plants with sharp points,” Dr. Leonard said.


Roundworms and other nematodes inhabit most soil and some are parasitic. The biggest exposure danger is through ingesting eggs on vegetables, so don’t pull carrots and eat them in the garden.


Be sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling food. Wash, peel, or cook all raw vegetables and fruits before eating, particularly those that have been grown in soil fertilized with manure. Wearing footwear and gloves in the garden also helps prevent infection.


Watch those punctures! Sporotrichosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Sporothrix schenckii. The fungus enters the skin through small cuts or punctures from thorns, barbs, pine needles, splinters or wires from contaminated sphagnum moss, moldy hay, other plant materials or soil. It’s also known as rose handler’s disease.


The first signs of sporotrichosis are painless pink, red, or purple bumps usually on the finger, hand, or arm where the fungus entered the body. It’s usually treated with a solution of potassium iodine that is diluted and swallowed, but can cause problems for people with compromised immune systems. Again, wearing gloves will help prevent infection.

Avoiding injury in the garden

  • Dress to protect. Use appropriate gear to protect yourself from pests, chemicals, sharp or motorized equipment, insects and harmful rays of too much sun.
  • Wear sturdy shoes and long pants when using power equipment.
  • Protect your hearing. Wear ear protection with power equipment.
  • Wear gloves to lower the risk for skin irritations, cuts and potential infections.
  • Be sun smart. Wear long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
  • Powered and manual tools and equipment can cause serious injury. Pay attention, use chemicals and equipment properly, and be aware of hazards.
  • Follow instructions and warning labels on chemicals and lawn and garden equipment.
  • Make sure equipment is working properly.
  • Sharpen tools carefully.
  • Keep harmful chemicals, tools and equipment out of children’s reach.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Sharpen your supermarket smarts

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By Len Canter, HealthDay


If supermarket circulars influence your grocery shopping, you could be saving money at the expense of your health.


That’s because studies show the offerings are often far from the healthiest food choices.


Researchers looked at a year’s worth of circulars from a small Midwestern grocery chain to see how the nutritional quality of sale items compared to that of the average American diet, which itself scores low.


They found that sales reflected a tendency to eat too much protein and not enough fruits and vegetables.


While 25 percent of sale items were for protein-based foods, only 8 percent were for vegetables and 7 percent for fruits. Worse still, less than 3 percent were for the most healthful dark green, red and orange vegetables.


So it’s important not to let these circulars dictate your eating habits.


Eating healthy doesn’t have to cost as much as you might think. The difference can be as little as $1.50 more per day. Interestingly, some studies have shown that even people who spend the most money on food don’t automatically select healthier choices.


Regardless of budget, the average family spends the biggest chunk of their food budget—about 35 percent—on items like snacks, treats and frozen dinners. That means shifting just some of your shopping dollars may be enough to boost your diet.


Once you’re at the store, carefully shop the perimeter—that’s where fresh foods are displayed—for items that didn’t make the circular.


Buy seasonally to save money, and choose whole foods—like a chicken you cut up yourself—and fruits and vegetables that you wash and slice since precut ones cost more.


Buy in bulk when it makes sense, if for example, canned beans and whole wheat pasta are on sale.


Make a shopping list in advance to avoid impulse buying, but be flexible so you can take advantage of unannounced sales.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Go-to recipes for chaotic nights

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Don’t despair. You can eat healthy, quickly on even the busiest evenings. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Jessica Corwin, Spectrum Health Beat


We all have those nights when you’re home late from work or when picking up kids from their various activities throws your schedule way back. Your stomach is growling, the kids are hangry, and the temptation is strong to swing by a fast food drive-through for a quick fix.


But, deep inside, you know that’s not the best nutritional solution, and you’ll regret your decision as soon as the soda gurgles at the bottom of that paper cup.


While I generally encourage home-cooked meals, I understand the reality that our busy lives sometimes makes this ideal more difficult to achieve.


So here are some recipe ideas you can throw together in a pinch to deliver a healthful meal on the table in no time.

Nine of our family favorites:

1. Black Bean Quesadillas

Simply add a can of no-salt-added black beans to a whole grain tortilla with shredded cheese and a handful of baby spinach, then cook on a heated pan until the cheese is melted. Or, if your kids are food detectives as ours are, mash up white beans and spread in a thin layer on the tortilla before adding toppings. That adds some hidden nutrition.

2. Chicken or Tofu Stir-Fry

As time does not allow for much produce prep on these evenings, I opt for frozen stir-fry vegetables and a quick homemade teriyaki sauce of honey and tamari or soy sauce. Serve alongside brown rice (keep some ready to go in the freezer, refrigerator, or opt for a bag of microwavable rice). If you’re lucky, you may even have leftover chicken on hand that you can slice up; if not, quickly squeeze the moisture from firm tofu, dice, and stir-fry away!

3. Tortellini Pasta

I try to keep a well-stocked kitchen with pantry staples for Plan B nights. A few of the staples? Whole grain tortellini, spinach and marinara sauce. When you get home, begin simmering the marinara in a medium saucepan on the stove. In a separate skillet over medium, toss your fresh spinach or slowly heat your frozen spinach. Add the cooked tortellini to the spinach (or keep separated for little ones still learning to enjoy these flavors together) and top with the marinara. If you have any leftover chicken, turkey or beef, you could certainly serve this in or alongside this dish.

4. Corny Salmon Cakes

These are amazing and perfect finger foods for little ones! You can find the recipe here from the Meal Makeover Moms.

5. Black Bean Burgers

I often make my own and freeze an extra six or so, however you can also stock up on your favorite veggie burger as a quick and easy backup. My favorite recipe can be found here from the Six O’Clock Scramble.

6. Egg Sandwiches

All you need is whole grain bread, eggs, cheese, and if you prefer, fresh spinach leaves and sliced tomatoes. If you want to take things up a notch, add sliced avocado. Serve sunny-side up alongside a dish of fresh fruit for a complete (and completely simple) supper.

7. Pizza-Dia

Think pizza on a tortilla. In all honesty, we have even made these using whole grain bread or portabella mushrooms. All you need is mozzarella, tomato sauce, and the toppings of your choice.

8. Super Sloppy Joes

Another winner is this healthy sloppy Joe recipe made from ground meat (consider lean turkey), whole grain buns, and the veggies of your choice. Done and done.

9. Taco or Wrap Night

This meal can be served in a variety of ways. Whether you choose to go with traditional beef or bean tacos in a hard corn tortilla, or you choose to mix things up, the goal is to have a self-serve meal to save a bit of effort on your end. My family loves these fish tacos from Real Mom Nutrition.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Are hormones safe?

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For many women, a healthy lifestyle is not enough. They want some kind of treatment to help them feel better and get back to feeling like themselves. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Too many women suffer needlessly from symptoms of hormone changes and menopause.


Women want to age with health and vitality, but often are taken by surprise with midlife body changes. It is unfortunate that not enough women know the facts about hormones and options for healthy aging.


We are fortunate these days because there are so many treatment options available.


There has been significant research to help us understand how to individualize these options for each woman depending on her preferences, medical history, stage of menopause and degree of symptoms.

Options abound

The foundation of treatment for the symptoms of menopause is a healthy lifestyle. This is defined by the SEEDS, or seven essential elements of daily success.


Following the SEEDS each day includes:

  • Eighty ounces of water
  • Seven hours of sleep
  • A healthy balance of healthy carbs, protein and fats with only one unhealthy carb treat
  • A multivitamin and vitamin D
  • Exercise and stretching
  • Fiber
  • Calm breathing and gratitude

For some women, this is enough to feel good through menopause. Twenty percent of women get through their transition with only minimal symptoms.


For many women, however, a healthy lifestyle is not enough. They feel so in the hole of symptoms that they want some kind of treatment to help them feel better and get back into good habits. This is when we talk about the most effective treatment for hot flashes, night sweats, pain with sex, sleep and mood disturbances and decreased sex drive.


Estrogen medication works quickly and is safe for many women. There are many fear-based untruths out there that keep women from using medication that can help them feel like themselves again.


A recent study of hormone use showed that the risk of blood clots has a higher association with oral estrogen use, not with transdermal—absorbed through the skin—estrogen therapy. And for oral estrogen use, the risk was higher with equine estrogen, also known as premarin, and not with the bioidentical, FDA-approved form of estrogen.


Now, for women who have taken premarin for years and do not want to stop, the risk of associated blood clots is mainly in the first year. Switching is possible, but for those women who choose not to, the advice would be to minimize other risks for blood clots by maintaining a healthy weight, staying hydrated, and taking a baby aspirin when on long car trips or plane rides. And always talk to your doctor about your risk.


Bottom line, be informed, make decisions based on facts, and get advice from doctors and other health care providers who are menopause certified. Every woman is different and what works for her or is safe for her may not apply to another.

Test your hormone knowledge

True or false? Hormones will make me fat.


False. Menopause is associated with belly fat, hormone medications are not. Studies show that hormone medication may help with sleep and reduce insulin resistance, so if women do the work to stay healthy, hormones can help maintain a healthy weight.


True or false? Estrogen causes breast cancer.


False. In the aforementioned study, women who were on estrogen because they had a hysterectomy had a lower risk of breast cancer. Estrogen does not cause cancer, but if a woman gets breast cancer, we do not give estrogen in the blood (via a patch or pill) because of concerns it could cause a recurrence. We might prescribe vaginal estrogen, but not systemic. The only women in the Women’s Health Initiative study with more breast cancer were older and on synthetic oral progesterone more than seven years. This study helps us understand safe ways to give hormones and which type.


True or false? Prescription medication is not bioidentical.


False. It is biochemically identical to the estrogen the ovary makes before menopause. We prescribe FDA-approved estrogen and progesterone, meaning it is the same every time you place a patch or take a pill. There is no batch-to-batch variability like in the compounded medications. Insurance will cover the FDA-approved medication.

Hormone guidelines to consider

If the below criteria describes you, hormones could be a safe option:

  • Less than 10 years from last period
  • No history of breast cancer
  • No vascular heart disease (heart attack, or high risk for heart attack)
  • No history of blood clot in the leg or lung
  • No prior stroke
  • No dementia
  • No metabolic syndrome (combo of high blood pressure, central obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol)

These are only guidelines. If there are any questions regarding risk, your provider will bring in partners from cardiology, diabetes, hematology, and cancer care to help guide decisions.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Kentwood to celebrate senior health and fitness at annual expo

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Kentwood’s annual Senior Expo is coming later this month. (Courtesy/Vista Springs Assisted Living)


By City of Kentwood

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will host the 20th Annual Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo in partnership with Georgetown Seniors on Tuesday, April 23 — an event which will include more than 70 vendors, free health screenings and lunch.

All are invited to connect with others, learn about local services, and enjoy free snacks, lunch, and giveaways at the free-to-attend event, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Kentwood Activities Center, located at 355 48th St. SE.

“Our annual Spotlight on Seniors expo is about celebrating our seniors and connecting them with resources to promote healthy living,” said Lorraine Beloncis, Kentwood Parks and Recreation assistant director. “We are grateful for the opportunity to create a valuable and enriching experience for both familiar faces and new folks each year thanks to the support of our sponsors, vendors and the Georgetown Seniors.”

Attendees will be able to visit more than 70 vendors from a variety of senior-oriented businesses and receive free health screenings for balance, blood pressure, hearing and more. Door prizes, free snacks and a boxed lunch will also be offered.

“The strong partnership between Georgetown and Kentwood Seniors has allowed us to provide a truly resourceful event for both communities,” said Pam Haverdink, director of the Georgetown Senior Center. “This expo is a great opportunity for seniors to learn more about their health, inspire movement and fitness, and mingle with friends.”

Participating vendors include the Kentwood Police Department, AARP, Area Agency on Aging, Kent District Library and the Michigan Attorney General.  Others participating include professionals knowledgeable in everything from physical therapy and assisted living, to home improvement and legal aid.

“We are so thankful for our vendors,” said Haverdink. “They make the expo a fun and exciting event that seniors can look forward to every year.”

The gold sponsors of the 20th Annual Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo are Sheldon Meadows Assisted Living Center, Health Bridge Post-Acute Rehabilitation and Ready Ride Transportation. Silver sponsors are Vista Springs Assisted Living Memory Care and We Care 4 U @ Home.

Expo organizers always welcome volunteers. Those interested should contact Beloncis at 616-656-5278 or beloncisl@kentwood.us.

Conquer your sleep issues

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Sleep well with these doctor-approved techniques that calm the mind… and hormones. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum HealthBeat

 

Many of the women who come to our midlife and menopause clinic have a common problem: sleep issues.

 

As an OB/Gyn doctor who still delivers babies, I admit I don’t always get as much sleep as I should, but I do strive to get my seven to eight hours most nights.

 

Also, as a doctor, I am well aware of the problems people often encounter as a result of poor sleep habits: decreased cognitive function (also known as brain fog), difficulty remembering things, decreased job performance, and an increased chance of having a vehicle accident.

 

If you aren’t sleeping well, your overall quality of life suffers, and you may feel less motivated to follow a healthy and active lifestyle. This, in turn, can cause mood disturbances such as anxiety and depression. You may not suffer from major depression, but even having an underlying sense of dread or being in a bad mood is not a healthy way to live your life.

Having a hard time sleeping?

It may make you feel better to know that you’re not alone. In fact, about 69 percent of people have sleep problems, and women have 50 percent more problems with sleep than men.

 

Nearly 20 percent of people have chronic sleep issues that can cause serious medical risks, especially if they average less than six hours per night and have poor quality sleep. Some of these health threats include an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

 

These are serious health issues for people of all ages, but for women who are also navigating their way through menopause, sleep issues add more stress to an already difficult time in their lives.

 

So, why do sleep problems become worse during midlife and menopause, and what can you do to start getting more (and better) sleep?

 

The answer to the first question has to do with hormones. My experience with helping women in midlife and menopause has shown that a common pattern develops in women during this time, especially as their hormones start to change.

 

Even if your periods are regular, as you get older, your hormones can change three days before your period, causing night sweats. Early in the transition, you might not even think you are having night sweats, but waking three nights in a row in the middle of the night can actually be a slight nighttime hot flash.

 

Unfortunately, what happens to we busy women is that we turn a simple night of waking up into a catastrophe that may look something like this:

 

“OMG—I’m awake! I cannot afford to be awake. Oh geez, I have to pee, but I don’t want to get up to pee. Now I really have to pee, but if I get up, I might not be able to fall back asleep. What should I do? Oh, I will just lie here. Well, that is not working. Toss, turn, toss, turn. Fine—I will get up! Now that I’m up and can’t sleep, maybe I should clean, or check email, or watch TV, or check Facebook. Maybe then I will feel tired.”

 

Of course, then you fall back asleep at 4:30 a.m. or so, and the alarm goes off at 5:30 or 6 a.m. You wake up and you feel stressed, cranky and craving sugar.

 

Does this scenario sound familiar? If so, you know how poor sleep makes you feel, and it’s not good. To make matters worse, as women progress into perimenopause and then into menopause, the symptoms can stretch from happening three days a month to every night.

 

The result is what I call a hot mess.

What can I do about it?

Don’t fret. There is hope.

 

There are several treatments for sleep disorders, but it really comes down to how well you follow the recommendations and treatment guidelines from your physician. It’s important to treat any medical conditions, such as snoring, sleep apnea and obesity, that may be causing your sleep issues to worsen.

 

I talk to patients about using hormone replacement therapy for improving sleep issues. Such therapy is not a sleep medicine, but it can reduce hot flashes and night sweats, thereby reducing nighttime waking events.

 

We also discuss sleep hygiene, which includes developing a regular sleep schedule, avoiding stimulation such as caffeine or screen time before sleep, avoiding naps longer than 20 minutes in the afternoon, and keeping a regular exercise schedule of at least 20 minutes per day.

 

Probably the most effective recommendation I make for my patients is to make time each night before bed for metered breathing.

 

If you’re not familiar with this technique, here’s a quick explanation: Find a peaceful place in your house, outside of the bedroom. I call this your Zen spot. Turn on a low light and get into a comfortable position. Close your mouth, open your eyes, stare at a particular spot in the room, and just breathe. Breathing should not deep or forced. It should be relaxed.

 

Be aware of the sound of your breath. As you are aware of your breathing and focused on one visual stimuli, your mind will become still. If an annoying thought or worry enters your mind, simply think about it for a second and then go back to the sound of your breath.

 

Do this for five minutes, then go straight to bed, close your eyes and enter dreamland.

 

It may take several nights of practice before it works effectively. If you wake in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep, go to your Zen spot and do your metered breathing.

 

You will be pleasantly surprised how well it works.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

7 Energizing foods for spring

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Finally, the sun is shining, and the grass looks greener if you squint: spring is officially here! For many people, ditching the winter blues in favor of longer days means brighter moods and higher energy, but a little boost never hurt in getting the most out of warmer weather. Here are seven of our favorite heart-healthy, energy-boosting foods to kick-start your spring.

1. Whole grains

Whole grains are great sources of long-lasting energy that powers you throughout the day. Refined grains, such as white flour and white rice, lose about 25% of the protein contained in the whole grain, and contain significantly smaller amounts of at least 17 key nutrients. Eat hearty whole wheat toast in the morning or a delicious quinoa salad, full of antioxidants, for lunch. The carbs from these whole grains provide your body with a slow-burning energy source that also doesn’t cause your blood sugar to spike, giving you consistent energy all day long.

2. Asparagus

Fresh, succulent asparagus is a spring favorite, and it’s full of energy- and health-boosting nutrients that your body craves. Asparagus is full of fiber, which may help lower cholesterol, vitamin K for bone strength, and folate, a mood-boosting vitamin to lift your spirits and your energy levels. It’s also incredibly versatile — grill it, bake it, or saute it, and serve it beside lean proteins or in pasta dishes for a scrumptious and nutritious meal. In the Midwest, fresh-picked asparagus is available from April through June, and the sooner it gets from field to plate, the more delicious it is!

3. Dark chocolate

Easter is approaching fast, and grocery store aisles are reflecting the date with displays of pastel colors and chocolate. And while that sugar-loaded milk chocolate bunny isn’t going to do your body any favors, indulging in dark chocolate as a snack or dessert can do wonders for your energy and mood. Eating a square or two of dark chocolate is great as a pick-me-up in the afternoon, as the small amounts of caffeine can jump start your body without the crash. Dark chocolate also contains flavanols, heart-healthy flavanoids that reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain.

4. Cold-water fish

Fishing seasons in the Midwest generally open in mid- to late-spring, and fatty, cold-water fish can be extremely beneficial for senior nutrition in general, and energy levels specifically. Not only are cold-water fish full of protein to keep you alert and full, but they’re also packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids that lower cholesterol, and riboflavin and niacin, which help you process food more effectively into energy. While fried fish is undeniably delicious, try it grilled or baked for a healthier meal that’s still full of flavor. For added fun, get a fishing license and serve your own catch to family and friends!

5. Mushrooms

Morel hunting is a favorite Michigan pastime, but eating them is even better. Mushrooms, and not just morels, are high in iron and fiber, and have more protein than most vegetables. There are a wide variety of mushrooms that can be used in many different cuisines and dishes, making it easy to add variety while reaping the benefits of these yummy fungi. If you can get your hands on some spring morels, try a hearty mushroom soup. Add mushrooms to your gravies, stir-fries, omelettes, and more to add fantastic savory flavor.

6. Eggs

While eggs and mushrooms don’t seem all that similar, eggs are also champions of versatility that are chock-full of protein. They sometimes get a bad rap for being contributors to high cholesterol, but while you should be aware of how much dietary cholesterol you have in your diet, saturated fats are much more likely to impact your risk of heart disease. Hard-boiled eggs are a great snack on their own, or as toppings on sandwiches and salads. Eat them scrambled (with your whole grain toast) in the morning to start your day with protein.

7. Water

Yes, water’s not really a food, but staying hydrated and getting enough water throughout the day is key to all other aspects of senior nutrition and health. The old 8×8 rule, or eight ounces of water, eight times a day, is a good rule of thumb, but recommended intake varies based on age, gender, and activity level. Plain old water is a great option for everyone (especially if you’re watching your weight) but you can also mix it up with coffee or tea. Just be sure to stay away from sugar-laden drinks, such as fruit juices, sodas, alcoholic beverages, and sweet coffee drinks, as sugar is a fast-burning energy source that can cause you to crash, and they tend to add a huge amount of calories to your diet without also contributing nutrients.


This spring, try incorporating some or all of these foods into your diet for energy that lasts you all day. With higher energy levels and a brighter mood, you’ll be ready for a full of life spring!


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

GVSU professor to talk on ‘belief change’ and its impact at Wealthy Theater

Area Education, Community Health, Education, Entertainment, Health, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events,
Dr. Michael Wolfe (Supplied/GVSU)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Grand Valley State University professor of psychology Dr. Michael Wolfe will present a lecture “Are we aware of our belief changes, and does it matter?” at the Wealthy Theater Annex front studio on Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m., in an event hosted by the Center for Inquiry (CFI) Michigan.

This event is free and open to the public. Suggested donation of $5. The Wealthy Theatre Annex is located at 1110 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids. For more information, visit here, and to learn about CFI Michigan, visit cfimichigan.org.

According to supplied information, Dr. Wolfe will describe recent research on belief change and the extent to which we are aware of changes to our beliefs.

A belief is defined as a statement about the truth value of something. Participants rate their beliefs on a subject. Later they read a one-sided text that is either consistent with or inconsistent with those beliefs, then are asked to try and remember how they rated those beliefs earlier. Awareness of belief change is found if subjects change their beliefs as a result of reading, and then can accurately report that they believed something different before the experiment.

 
The researchers also examine individual variation in people’s awareness of their belief changes to see if it relates to performance on other tasks. In particular, is it the case that people who are more aware of changes to their own beliefs are also more willing to seek out new information about the topic, while people who are less aware of their belief changes are less willing to seek out new information?

Dr. Wolfe will describe new research on people’s awareness of changes to their health status. Patients who participated in a longitudinal study of bariatric (weight loss) surgery rated their health every year for several years. They also rated how they perceived their health to have changed over the past year. The combination of these ratings makes it possible to examine the accuracy of their perceived changes in their health.

 
Dr. Wolfe is professor of psychology at Grand Valley State University and incoming chair of the Psychology Department. Dr. Wolfe received his PhD in cognitive psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Much of his research involves studies on reading comprehension and memory. In recent years, he has studied how and when beliefs may change as a result of reading, and the extent to which people are aware of these changes.

 
According to supplied information, the Center for Inquiry (CFI) Michigan is an Educational 501(c)3 Nonprofit that promotes and defends reason, science and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor.

Good Night, Sweetheart

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By Dr. Jenny Bush, Cherry Health

Anyone who has ever had a bad habit to break knows that life would have been easier if they had never started the habit in the first place. Bad sleep habits in young children can cause fatigue for the caregivers along with irritability and learning difficulties for the child. The following are tips for starting your child off with a good night sleep:

  • Newborn babies typically go through cycles of playing, eating and sleeping every 3-4 hours. If your baby has been recently fed and seems fussy, try to calm them by walking or rocking them. When they seem calm but are not quite asleep, place them in a crib on a firm surface on their back with nothing extra present. Doing this while they are tired but still awake will help them develop the ability to fall asleep on their own, which eventually helps them get back to sleep when they awaken at night.
  • If the baby gets fussy when put in the crib, try rubbing their tummy and softly shushing or singing a lullaby.
  • Never let a baby fall asleep with the bottle or breast in their mouth, as this habit is very hard to break and can cause severe dental infections that are often painful and require surgery to fix.
  • Establish a firm bedtime routine. It is good to have bedtime at the same time every night. Choose 2-3 things to do the same prior to saying goodnight. For example, you could read a book, sing a song and say ‘goodnight’ to a favorite stuffed animal.
  • Avoid stimulating activities such as television, phone or tablet use for 30 minutes prior to bedtime. This tip can help people of any age sleep better!

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.

Snapshots: For Wyoming & Kentwood, health news you need to know

3-bottom, Community Health, Food, Health

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“And in life, it is all about choices we make. And how the direction of our lives comes down to the choices we choose.”
 
                                              ― Catherine Pulsifer
Do you know what your diet is doing to you? (Supplied)

A gut feeling (something’s wrong)

The human body has more bacteria cells than human cells, and recent clinical research links an imbalance of bacteria in the gut microbiome (“good” vs “bad” bacteria) to almost every chronic disease — including obesity, diabetes, autoimmunity, depression, cancer, heart disease, fibromyalgia and asthma. For the complete story, visit here.



Two trees in the shape of a human head and brain as a symbol of the stress. (Supplied)

Keep calm & (don’t) stress out

There are different types of stress. Some stress is actually good (gets you motivated, gets you pumped up for performance, etc.). Acute stress is bad enough, but chronic stress is worse because it doesn’t let up; it can kill you. For the complete story, visit here.


Coffee and chocolate; what’s not to like? (WKTV)

Coffee, cola and chocolate, oh my!

Americans love caffeine. Whether it’s a steaming, hot cup of java that helps jolt us into the morning, a big cup of diet cola that gets us through the mid-day slump, chocolate to help improve our mood or the chewable/drinkable stimulants that keep us awake for late night driving or studying, we love having caffeine throughout the day. For the complete story, visit here.



Fun fact:

“You are what you eat”

“You are what you eat” has come to into the English language by quite a meandering route. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote in 1826: “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es.” (Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are). (Source)