STRIVE 2 Survive Feedback

by kelsey | Mar 1, 2016 | Etc.

In two weeks, we will start another session of STRIVE 2 Survive! I always like to highlight a few of our success stories and previous participants to show what STRIVE can do for you! Laurie Danforth and her husband Mike participated in STRIVE 2 Survive and found great value in it. If you are on the fence or wondering if you should join us, check out Laurie’s feedback below. We hope you will consider it and let us help you improve your health and well-being through improved nutrition and activity! If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email us at strive2survive@brownclinic.org or call 884-4226. Fall STRIVE starts March 15th and enrollment is currently underway!

• What pushed you to join STRIVE? After sending our last child off to college and becoming empty nesters we decided it was time to change our eating habits. Mike wanted to lose a few pounds so I suggested we do S2S and do it the right way.

• What was your goal? (weight loss, cholesterol, B/P, healthy eating, etc.) My goal was to develop better healthy eating and to maintain of improve lab values.

• Have you met your goal? Yes until the kids came home for the summer then our eating changes some but I always have S2S on my mind and look for healthier ways to fix meals.

• If so, what are you doing to maintain? Looking forward to 2 of the boys returning to college to help with our change of habits when had adapted to.
• How did STRIVE help? Brought awareness to foods and their contents and also the ability to prepare foods differently to make them healthier. The frequent e mails and updates on the web also help.

• What is your motivation to continue? My competitiveness to keep my lab values where they were after being diligent of changing habits. I challenge myself to make sure they stay in good healthy ranges. I also feel much better after changing my diet habits.

• If you could tell anyone about Strive to Survive, what would you say? By all means join the program. Don’t think of it as a “diet” but a way of changing your daily eating habits along with exercise. It is not all about weight loss but eating healthier and making changes to adding or increasing exercise. I lost inches and improved lab values but did not lose much weight, all with feeling better. (Side note–Laurie didn’t have much to lose, so she focused on toning, lab improvement, and overall health improvements)

• Do you feel that the program has a lifetime change for you? By all means.

• What do you think they biggest highlight of the program is? Learning how to label read and prepare foods bought at the grocery store to change habits. It is much cheaper and healthier to buy foods at the grocery store for weight loss versus buying a program of mixes and shakes that may produce rapid weight loss. I know with this program I was making healthy choices that were not inadvertently affecting my lab values.

• Would you tell a friend about us? I have told friends about this program and encouraged them to join. The cost of the program is far less than “buying” weight loss with the many advertised programs out there.

• If people are in doubt of joining, what would you tell them? Give it a try!

-Kelsey

Benefits of STRIVE

by kelsey | Feb 25, 2016 | Etc.

As many of you know, our focus is to promote lifelong healthy habits and not just a quick fix. There are all kinds of fad diets out there that will give you the quick fix, but we are focused on your overall health (inside and out!) and want to give our participants in STRIVE 2 Survive and patients, the education and tools they need to live a long and healthy life. Below is a glimpse of the results we see. This female participant lost about 22lbs in the 12 weeks, 15% body weight and greatly improved her lab results, waist circumference, and fat composition…all with the help of our program.  She didn’t do anything crazy such as eliminate food groups, skip meals, only drink shakes, or over-exercise…she basically started watching her diet more closely and kept a food log of her intake, made healthier choices by reading labels and being more aware of the choices out there, and exercised about 30 minutes every day. Seeing her cholesterol elevated at the beginning of our 12 weeks was a motivator for her and she wanted to work hard to improve her weight and her cholesterol to prevent disease later in life.  When we were visiting about her results, the biggest thing that stood out to me was that she said she knows she can stick with this. She didn’t do anything drastic that she can’t keep up with the rest of her life. If you want to learn more about our wellness opportunities and our 12 week program, be sure to give us a call or email! Our spring program starts March 15th!

-Kelsey

SPRING STRIVE STARTS MARCH 15th!! 3 Weeks away!

by kelsey | Feb 24, 2016 | Etc.

Spring STRIVE is only 3 weeks away and enrollment is underway! Our 12 week wellness program will start March 15th!  For those wanting to learn more about our 12 week wellness program, check out the details below and contact us today to get enrolled in the spring session!

Over 16 years ago Dr. Dan Reiffenberger wrote a grant for the American College of Sports Medicine about the development of a fitness program entitled STRIVE to Survive.  The STRIVE represents “Securing Time for Regular Involvement in a Variety of Exercise”.  Since that time, it has become our Brown Clinic Wellness Program, with modifications and improvements along the way.  It is a 12 week program incorporating exercise and nutrition, with the goal of continuing these types of habits for a lifetime.  Our dietitian Kelsey Raml has helped incorporate the nutrition component and  Dr. Clark Likness, Dr. Jon McAreavey, and Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD are also involved creating a multi-disciplinary approach to health and wellness. We also have a great assistant, Barb, that keep us organized.

We the 12 week program periodically throughout the year. During the 12 weeks, we meet every other Tuesday at the County Fair Banquet Hall from 5:30-6:30pm. During the weeks we don’t meet, each participant gets a take home lesson focused on our two main components: diet and exercise. The meetings are held in a group atmosphere, but we can also work with you individually in the clinic if desired.

12 Weeks to a Better You!
Brown’s Diet and Exercise Wellness Program.

Who:
– The Strive2Survive Wellness Program is open to everyone, young and old.
– Conducted by Dr. Dan Reiffenberger, Board Certified in both Family Medicine and Sports Medicine and Registered Dietitian Kelsey Raml.

What:
– Lose Weight- Gain Strength – Maintain Fitness- Improve Diet.
– Evaluations: lab work- lipid and glucose, body composition testing-weight, height, BMI, body fat mass and percent, muscle mass…all pre and post the 12 week program.
– Free T-shirt
– 6 class lectures and 6 take home lessons.

Where:
– County Fair Banquet Hall

When:

March 15: “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN

March 29: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger & Dr.Torness

April 12: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey

April 26: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, PharmD

May 10: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness

May 24: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team

Cost:
– $130

Results show improvements in weight, blood sugars, blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall health, wellness, and strength! STRIVE applies to all who have a heartbeat!

Call, e-mail or use the contact form for more information.
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
605-884-4226
strive2survive@brownclinic.org

Fish Fridays

by kelsey | Feb 17, 2016 | Etc.

Fish is not the most popular protein in our area since we are a land locked, northern state. Our mid-western diet typically includes proteins from beef, chicken, and pork…and fish often gets overlooked. During the Lenten season, it’s a good time to try out some new varieties and types of fish as they are better stocked and often times are better priced (ie- salmon, mahi-mahi, talapia, etc). The frozen bags of fish often have the filets in individual servings or two servings in a wrap so you can just take out as much as you need and then put the rest of the bag back in the freezer. Fish is a very lean and low fat protein so if you are watching your weight, it’s a good choice. Another benefit of some types of fish is the omega 3 fatty acids. Fatty fish such as herring, trout, tuna, mackerel, seabass, and salmon have these good fats. Our fresh water fish from around here such as walleye, northern, and perch, do not have these fats, however they are still lean proteins. It is recommended to incorporate two servings of fish into your weekly intake, so get into the habit of this during Lent and it could stick!

When we eat fish, we often think of it as breaded and fried, however that is not the healthiest choice. Instead of frying try these cooking methods:

• Grill: Season the fish with herbs and spices and a little lemon juice (from real lemons!). Lightly brush the fish with a little olive or canola oil so it won’t stick to the grill and cook for 10-20 minutes. The picture shows one of my favorites: grilled shrimp.
• Saute: You can saute any type of skinless fish. Again, season as desired and then heat a little olive or canola oil in the skillet on medium-high. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on both side.
• Poach: Place the fish in a saucepan or deep skillet and add enough stock, water, or wine to barely cover the fish. Add your seasonings, herbs, or spices and bring the liquid to a simmer on medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the center is opaque. Then you can dress it up with a sauce if desired.
• Bake: lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the seasoned fish fillets on the sheet with seasoning. Bake for 7-10 minutes…you do not need to flip the fish. You can also put the fish filet in tin foil so the seasonings and herbs really flavor the fish.
• Broil: season the fish filet and brush with olive oil. Place on a broiler pan rack and broil 4-6 minutes on each side.
• If you choose to fry, try making it a little healthier by using an egg white to coat your filet, use canola oil to fry in, and instead of the white flour coating, try whole grain cracker or bread crumbs.
• When your fish is opaque and flakes easily, your fish is fully cooked.

Give it a try…you may be surprised how much you like it!

-Kelsey