by kelsey | Oct 1, 2014 | Family, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As many of you know my maiden name is Likness and my father is Dr.Clark Likness. I have discussed in previous posts about how growing up in a home where medical terms and science were discussed on a regular basis helped shape my interest and passion for health, wellness, and nutrition. Healthy eating and regular activity were norms in our household and have continued to be a focus for us as we all get older. Many of you have probably heard stories, rumors, or maybe the actual truth about what has been going on about my Dad recently. There seems to be a lot more of the rumors versus the actual truth going around about what happened, that Dad and I decided it was time to discuss it on our wellness blog to not only inform you all of the truth, but show how important healthy living, choices, and wellness checks with your regular doctors are.
“Dr.Likness” to many of you, “Dad” to me, “Clark” to friends, and “Grandpa Clarky” to my nieces and nephew has been out of the clinic on medical leave since the middle of August. He is doing well and will be coming back to the clinic to see patients in a few weeks. In the early summer, he noticed he was having some issues with his veins in his legs and decided to get it checked out. A small tumor was found on his kidney and after multiple tests and consults with various top notch health professionals, they concluded the tumor needed to be removed as there was a possibility of it being cancer. If removed, he was cured, no matter if it was benign or malignant. In the meantime, he was working on some landscaping at my parent’s lake cabin and blew out his rotator cuff in his shoulder and developed a hernia. In Dad’s early years (before becoming a doctor), he helped his grandparents and parents on the farm and worked road construction. The years of manual labor and hard work caught up to him this summer and basically his body was falling apart! So facing the fact that he needed to have all of these issues taken care of, he decided to do them all at once so that he could be out at the same time for them and not have to take multiple medical leaves of absence from the clinic. It may seem crazy to have it all done in the same time period, but he thought it was best for himself and his patients to not be out multiple times. In August he had the tumor on his kidney removed and the surgery was successful. The pathology report came back that it was benign, which means NO CANCER! We were relieved and thrilled with the news. A few weeks later, he had the hernia and his shoulder repaired. He is now recovering from that and engaging in therapy to get himself back up to steam and have full range of motion again. The picture above is from our last short boat ride around the lake this last weekend before we pulled everything out for winter. As you can see he’s looking good!
There have been multiple rumors going around that he has liver cancer, lung cancer, and is retiring, and we want you all to know NONE of these are true!! He is doing great and will be back to work and 100% health soon! Each doctor he saw through all of this remarked how he went into surgeries, surgeries were successful, and the recovery will be better all because he has kept himself in good shape. He exercises regularly and makes efforts to eat healthy. The benefits of making these daily choices are rewarding! In addition, regular check ups and screenings are essential for good health and prevention as if he wouldn’t have gotten checked out, there is a chance that the tumor in his kidney could have progressed into a cancerous tumor. Even though making healthy choices, practicing portion control and moderation, and making time for regular activity aren’t always appealing (yes it does take some effort and motivation!), we need to make these efforts to take good care of our bodies as we only get one! We decided to share his story to show you how important healthy living and proper self care is…and a little piece of me wanted to help set the record straight! 😉 Dad’s motivation continues to be his family (all of us below minus the newest addition, my niece Blair who was born in the spring) as he wants to be around to enjoy all of life’s events with us! We all need to find that certain motivation to help us stay on track with our goals and efforts! If you don’t have it now, I encourage you to do some serious thinking on what motivates you to live healthy. That motivation and incentive is your key for a long and healthy life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 25, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Etc., Family, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
This last weekend, our Nurse Practitioner Beth Schultz and her family represented Brown Clinic in the Chili Cookoff. They made up an outstanding batch of chili that won 1st Place-Judge’s Choice! Chili is a great way to combine a bunch of healthy ingredients into one dish that everyone loves! Incorporating lean meats, beans loaded with fiber and protein, and plenty of great vegetables makes chili a balanced and healthy meal! Beth and her husband Auston along with their girls did a great job representing the clinic and showed how eating healthy can be enjoyable and taste great! Congratulations Beth, Auston, and girls!
Delicious Chili
BC’s Booth with Auston hard at work!
by kelsey | Sep 24, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
September is National Cholesterol Education Month. Whether you have high cholesterol of not, it is important to know what your cholesterol levels are and what you can do to help control them so you can reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three people in the United States is affected by heart-related diseases. There are many risk factors when it comes to heart disease including: excess weight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (to name a few). In addition to working with your doctor, you can minimize these risk factors by your dietary intake and physical activity.
For a healthy heart you want to consume a diet low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol. Challenge yourself to replace these with some of the foods and food components listed below:
- Fruits and Vegetables- Many fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps your body take in more nutrients, can lower cholesterol levels, aid in achieving a healthy weight. Fruits and vegetables not only contain fiber, but they also contain potassium and antioxidants. Potassium can help with blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Antioxidants may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.. At the grocery store, be sure to choose a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, broccoli, beets, berries and kidney beans to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals.
- Whole Grains-There are many components within whole grains which provide benefits. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. To reap the benefits, aim for at least 3 daily servings of whole grains. On the label, look for the phrase “whole grain” or “whole” before the grain’s name. Some examples include: whole grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn. Using a supplement such as ground flax seed (shown in the picture) is beneficial to improving total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. You can work up to using 2-3 Tbsps/day for improved levels. This is often mixed into cereal, oatmeal, or used like granola with yogurt…you can also bake with it.
- Heart Healthy Fats- A diet of moderate fat intake is beneficial to your health. You can enjoy the healthy benefits by choosing oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fat, such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, or soybean oils. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna are terrific sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are types of polyunsaturated fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease. If you are unable to get fish into your diet, you should consider taking a fish oil supplement of 1-4g/day with at least 1g of DHA and EPA.
- Stanols and Sterols- These plant-based food components help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. They are found in foods like corn, soy, wheat and some fortified foods like orange juice and yogurt. 1-3 grams of stanols or sterols are needed each day to see beneficial effects.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 23, 2014 | Etc.
Since absentee voting is now open for the November elections, I thought it was a good time to discuss an item on the ballot that directly affects you and your health care. The Initiated Measure (IM) 17 is a measure that would require all health insurers to include all willing and qualified health care providers on their provider lists. This measure allowing for patient choice, allows insured patients improved and less costly access to highly qualified and quality physicians that may be better suited or more familiar and convenient than those offered by the insurance company chosen by their employer.
The South Dakota Patient Choice website explains more (http://www.sdpatientchoice.org/explained):
“In some instances, a change of insurance may make it cost prohibitive for a patient to see their long-term provider. For example, if an employer selects a new group health insurance plan from a company that uses a closed network, an employee’s longtime primary care provider may be excluded from the network if he is not an employee of the hospital system that owns the insurance company that issued the new group policy. This results in the employee paying expensive out-of-pocket costs or finding a new, unfamiliar provider.
Under Initiated Measure 17, insurance companies would be required to open their networks to qualified providers who meet the insurance company’s requirements.”
Currently many patients are forced to use providers in insurance company networks or pay extra, and some are required to undergo unnecessary travel at their own expense. Voting Yes on IM 17 will allow patients the freedom to choose their own doctor as well as the following:
- Allows families to see doctors and other medical providers they know and trust.
- Cuts unnecessary re-testing by providers not familiar with case histories.
- Reduces probability of diagnostic or prescription errors.
- Eases unneeded travel.
- Virtually eliminates out of network personal medical fees.
- Increases competition, helping control spiraling medical costs.
IM 17 will require insurance companies to allow providers into their networks who meet their standards and agree to the insurance companies’ terms.
IM 17 is largely supported across the state of South Dakota as they feel having a consistent and on-going relationship with a provider is in the best interest of quality care. Supports include: SD State Medical Association, SD Orthopaedic Society, SD Optometric Society, SD American Physical Therapy Association, Independent Healthcare Associates, SD Dental Association, SD Chiropractic Association, SD Academy of Physician Assistants, and us here at Brown Clinic!
We encourage you to vote YES on IM 17, Patient Choice! You shouldn’t have to change doctors because your job or insurance changes!
For more information visit www.sdpatientchoice.org or check out the commercial of our very own Heather Lawrence, RN at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTZQTxF_mns&feature=youtu.be
by kelsey | Sep 17, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Last night we started our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive. I am so excited to get to work with another awesome group of people! Besides getting to help people improve their health and wellness, one of my favorite parts about STRIVE is the treats County Fair Foods provides us (yes dietitians actually do enjoy food!). Last night’s treats were new ones to us and were excellent! Be sure to give these a try! All of the ingredients can be purchased at our friendly County Fair Food Store.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
1 Box of angel food cake mix (one step kind–the kind that says just add water)
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
3/4 c water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 8oz package of light Cream Cheese
1) Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, water, and cinnamon.
2) Separately mix cream cheese with a couple tablespoons of water to make it smooth and thinned out.
3) Grease baking dish
4) Fill the baking dish with HALF of the pumpkin cake mix and HALF of the cream cheese
5) Run a knife through the mix making figure 8s for a fancy design
6) Then put the rest of the pumpkin cake mix in the baking dish and rest of the cream cheese mix. Again run a knife through the mix making figure 8s for a fancy design.
7) Bake for 35 minutes on 375 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut and enjoy
Mock Tuna
This is a chickpea spread that tastes like tuna salad. Great served in a sandwich or with crackers or pretzles as a dip.
1 (19oz) can of garbonzo beans
2 Tbsp light mayo
2 tsp spicy mustard
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
2 green onions chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1) In a food processor combine beans, mayo, mustard, relish, chopped onions, salt and pepper and mix well.
2) Chill.
3) Serve and enjoy!
-Kelsey
