There’s been a lot of press lately on the benefits of antioxidants, the cell-protecting nutrients found in a wide range of foods that help combat heart disease, cancer, the effects of aging, and other conditions. To help you add more disease-fighting antioxidants to your diet, we’ve created this quick alphabetical list of 20 foods you may not have realized are excellent sources.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) urges women to put health at the top of their 2010 to-do lists. Remember these healthy living tips:
Eat Healthier. Aim to eat a balanced diet rich in a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lowfat dairy, and lean protein. Additionally, cut back on sodium, fats, processed sugar, and refined grains.
Get Active. Regular physical activity helps increase overall well-being while lowering the risk of diabetes, osteoporosis, some cancers, and other illnesses caused by inactivity. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week to lower the risk of chronic disease; 60 minutes on most days to maintain weight; and at least 60 to 90 minutes on most days to lose weight. A well-rounded exercise regimen should include cardiovascular, strength training, and flexibility components.
Get Some Rest. Your body repairs and regenerates tissue, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens its immunity while you sleep. Not getting enough sleep may cause short-term problems such as irritability and memory loss and long-term conditions including diabetes and heart disease. The average adult should aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Visit Your Ob-Gyn. Women should see their doctor regularly for preventive care. Routine visits to the ob-gyn help ensure women receive age appropriate screenings, exams, and immunizations, and they allow physicians to identify and treat common problems before serious health risk develop.
Margot Larson is a Life Transition Coach, helping people face challenges and changes in their life and careers. She has already done due diligence in facing her own illness, (Non Small Cell inoperable and recurrent Lung Cancer, Stage IIIB). In 2001, Margot authored “Jump Start Your Life,” about choosing your own lifestyle before someone chooses it for you.
by Margot Larson
Everyone approaches adversity in a different manner. Reaction and emotion run the gamut. Some get floored and incapable of action; others burst into action and tackle the challenge with gusto. And then again, some address it with such optimism that it mimics denial and out-of-touch with reality while others are angry and resentful. F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace of mind.”
Regardless of your reaction, everyone who has cancer will experience a change in lifestyle and capabilities, even years after treatment. I don’t need to list all the residual side effects. If you’ve been there, you know them.
Yes, we are grateful for being alive but that doesn’t change the hurdle of adjusting to this life that we had not anticipated. For many it’s the loss of vigor and physical capacity.
I can’t hike in the woods. I can’t go back to my job full time. I can’t enjoy kayaking ‘cause I no longer can carry it to the water. I can’t bicycle that 10 miles or play tennis the way I used to. I have lost cognitive skills, my memory is undependable, my eyesight is weak. I’m not sleeping well and I’m not having fun.
You have been propelled out of your comfort zone. You’ve lost energy; fatigue is a common visitor. Your eyesight, hearing and memory have aged you beyond your years. You pass by a mirror and wonder who’s looking back. And with every test or visit to your oncologist, you endure anxiety as you await the results. Then, on the days when you feel almost normal, you want your old life back, and it’s beyond your reach.
I could go on, but the bottom line is we are trying to recapture our lives and just like aging, we can’t rewind the clock. The past represents memories. We must find the joy in the present now that we have a chance of seeing the future. We are allowed a little time to grieve but should not waste too much time there. We’ve learned that time is precious. Don’t get stuck – move on.
So what’s next? What can we do? If we are truly grateful to be alive, shouldn’t we focus on the present, the gift we received for a second chance? Let’s spend our time and energies on the choices we do have.
Make a list of your obstacles. What is standing in your way? What is causing you stress and really bugging you? Acknowledging these obstacles is the first step to finding the solution. Now, focus on what you can do. You’ve already shown a great deal of fortitude and courage in battling cancer. Don’t stop now.
Redefine yourself. Who are you? You are not somebody’s spouse or parent. You are not your job title. Find your identity, the real you. Accept that you used to be a great accountant or nurse and now you are something else. There is still time for something else and this is your first conscious choice.
I was a great management consultant. Now I am a retired HR Consultant, a Writer and a Life Transition Coach. I still have valuable skills that I can transition and apply to something else.
Create routines. Challenge yourself to develop new habits. Take the time to consider what you really enjoy and want in your life. Start the day and end the day with a routine so you feel a sense of normalcy. Set goals–something to focus on and gain a sense of accomplishment outside of your battle for health. Recognize your little successes at the end of each day, each week.
Make your “bucket list.” It’s as good a time as any to create your list of things you always wanted to try or do. You don’t have to be facing death to reach for some of your dreams. You may need help from others to reach some of them. Ask.
Develop a strong sense of community. Create a network, a following, a support resource, before you need it. It’s never too late to start. Rekindle old friendships. Join an exercise group or book club or coffee club with like-minded people. If you reach out to others, people will gravitate your way. Volunteer somewhere. It’s a great way to make new friends and acquaintances.
Reach out for help. If you find yourself stuck, ask for help. Tap in to your company’s employee assistance program if you are still on the payroll or a retiree. Attend an appropriate support group. Many people find themselves gravitating to their faith during difficult times. Consult a therapist, particularly someone who specializes in working with cancer patients. You may also work with a life transition coach to help you surmount some of the obstacles that are standing in your way. Ask your best friend for help.
When your house is on fire, the reaction is usually to call for help quickly. You don’t procrastinate or spend a lot of time considering the alternatives. So reach out the moment you realize you need help.
Add significance to your life. Take it a small step at a time. Look for the opportunity. Open your eyes, your mind and your heart. Find your “new” passion. Perhaps helping others might bring you a sense of purpose that you feel is missing in your life. How could you help someone or bring joy to someone else? Try things out. It doesn’t have to be permanent. Enjoy the exploration.
Be patient. Life is a journey not a destination. It takes a while to build new habits, to make new friends. It’s an evolution. Cut yourself some slack. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Remember, you are no longer on a treadmill. You can choose to slow it down.
Adopt healthy living practices and balance. Make it a priority. Learn about nutrition and adopt healthy habits. Exercise regularly, at whatever level you can manage. Enjoy/cherish your relationships. Identify what causes you stress, so you can focus on getting it out of your life. Step away from toxic and negative environments and relationships. Forgive others and make peace a priority in your life. Learn to shrug. Identify the little things that make you smile and feel good. Let go of the urgency to always finish things quickly by learning to enjoy the process. Focus on what you CAN do rather, than on your limitations.
If you look at life’s events and search for the lesson, you might find it easier to accept the present. Perhaps the purpose is not evident to you — yet. Live in the present, in the moment. Let go of the pass so you can find peace with who you are and the possibilities that exist for you.
(l-r) Ulysses Hammond, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, Crista Durand, Vice President Strategic Planning, Amit Khanna, MD, Medical Director of the Sleep Center, Bruce D. Cummings, Hospital President & CEO and Max Gorski, L&M Administrative Director of the Sleep Center all attended the grand opening of the new sleep center.
James Streeter,Groton Town Mayor, “Our town is proud to have the new center.”He received a tour from Crista Durand, Vice President Strategic Planning.
by Kelly Anthony, Director, PR & Media Services
An estimated 150 community leaders, hospital staff and area residents turned out last week (Wednesday, January 20) to officially celebrate the grand opening of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital’s new Sleep Center located at the Hilton Garden Inn on Route 184 in Groton.
“Our town is proud to have the new center,” said Town of Groton Mayor James Streeter who described the Sleep Center as a major advancement in the study and treatment of sleep disorders for residents of Southeastern Connecticut and beyond.
Replacing a cramped facility in an old wing of the hospital, the new Sleep Center features eight private hotel rooms for patients, each equipped with state-of-the-art sleep monitoring equipment plus all the amenities and comforts of a top-rated hotel, explained L&M Hospital President and CEO Bruce D. Cummings. The Sleep Center’s move out of the hospital also will help “decompress the main campus while improving services and providing easier access for patients, some of whom may need to use a room that can accommodate special needs,” he said. Cummings noted that the Sleep Center staff always did a great job, but that the new location will “help the staff shine even brighter by allowing them to broaden and expand their services in a state-of-the-art facility.”
A medical director and technicians at the sleep center will monitor a patient’s sleep routines to identify and treat problems or disorders, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. All patients undergoing sleep studies will have access to the Hilton Garden’s fitness room and pool as well as a flat-screen TV and internet access in their rooms. Each patient also will receive a complimentary breakfast. Patients will need a physician referral for a full sleep study but will not need a referral if they just want to consult with the Center’s Board Certified medical director for both adult and pediatric sleep problems.
Crista Durand, L&M Vice President, Strategic Planning & Marketing, who guided the project from inception to completion, noted that an onsite medical equipment company with the latest products in sleep technology is located within the Sleep Center. “Patients who may need equipment such as a Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine or ‘CPAP’ will be able to go home with exactly what they need and the device will be fitted perfectly for each patient.”
Durand noted that L&M doctors also would use the Sleep Center to advance the study of sleep disorders in children. “We’re fortunate to have Dr. Amit Khanna as Medical Director,” said Durand. “He has double Board Certifications in sleep medicine as well as Board Certification in family medicine. In addition, L&M’s Sleep Center will be the only one in the region with the clinical expertise and technology to evaluate children as well as adults with sleep disorders.”
Said Dr. Khanna: “Children as young as two-years-old can be evaluated at the Sleep Center and I am always willing to consult with parents or adults who are having sleep issues. Recent studies have shown that many illnesses are related to sleep disorders, including anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and cardiology issues.”
Andrea Stillman, State Senator, “People are going to feel relaxed the moment they walk in the door.”
“Other than your own bed, there’s really no place better to sleep than a hotel,” said Dr. Khanna. “L&M’s new Sleep Center will provide the highest quality of medicine and care. We’re offering the kind of care that is only provided by major medical centers.”
Ulysses Hammond, Chairman of the Hospital’s Board of Directors, toured the rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn and met the staff, who shared details on how patients are monitored throughout the night for heart rate, muscle movements, oxygen, neurological and respiratory functions.
“It’s fabulous,” Hammond said in his remarks. “A lot of great thought and planning has gone into this. They can meet the needs here of anyone, no matter what type of sleep disorder they may have.”
State Senator Andrea Stillman described the new Sleep Center accommodations as “Beautiful. People are going to feel relaxed the moment they walk in the door,” she said. “This is the place to go when you’re in need of this particular service,” she said.
Dr. Khanna said sleep disorders have long been under-estimated by the medical community. People who regularly lose sleep at night can suffer in many ways, including problems at work and with relationships. Many driving accidents are the result of sleep deprivation. Other health problems also can be exacerbated by a chronic lack of rest.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than giving someone back a good night’s sleep,” Khanna said. “They’re more energized and feel they’ve been given their lives back. We try to give them the quality of life they deserve.”
Annual screening for cognitive impairment is important. Learn the 7 interesting facts to help you better understand the impact of stroke.
by Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
Each year, about 700,000 people in the USA suffer a stroke. While it is certainly true that stroke can be deadly, it is the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer, it can also cause significant cognitive changes in those who survive.
These changes may be subtle and cause mild cognitive impairment or they may be more severe resulting in dementia. Following are seven interesting facts to help you better understand the impact of stroke.
1. While stroke is the third leading cause of death, it is the second most common cause of cognitive impairment and dementia.
2. Even damage to a small portion of the brain can have serious consequences. In fact, a thimble full of damaged brain due to stroke can cause dementia.
3. Stroke begins after age 50 and can gradually build up in the brain for decades. This gradual accumulation of tiny strokes can interfere progressively with the brain’s function until the individual becomes demented.
4. The risk of developing cognitive impairment is highest in those persons with vascular risk factors. These factors include: High Blood Pressure or Low Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Obesity, Diabetes, Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), Minimal physical exercise (less than 2 days/week and 30 mins/session, Smoking, Alcohol dependence or Prior stroke.
5. The most common types of cognitive problems due to are disturbances of attention, language, memory and executive function. Executive function is the ability to analyze, interpret, plan, organize, and execute complex instructions.
6. The risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as the rate of cognitive decline in cerebrovascular disease, is highly correlated with underlying risk factors for stroke.
7. If left untreated, vascular cognitive impairment and dementia worsen. Annual screening for cognitive impairment in attention, memory and executive function starting at age 50 will help detect gradually accumulating cerebrovascular disease that may otherwise typically be undetected for many years.
• Apples (Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Delicious, with skin)
