by kelsey | Sep 18, 2012 | Etc.
Today is always an enjoyable day for us as we get to spend part of it with the Seniors in the area at the Senior Seminar! The Senior Seminar is a great event held every year at the Codington County Extension Complex from 11:30am-3:30pm. There are a variety of booths and speakers for the Seniors to check out and learn from. We will be providing an osteoporosis scan and have information on nutrition and health recommendations for the Seniors. Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD and myself will be present to answer any pharmacy or nutrition questions. If you have some free time today, be sure to come visit us!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 11, 2012 | Etc., Wellness/Health
Eleven years ago today, I was a junior at WHS sitting in my pyschology class. It started as a regular Tuesday during KIYI week which is always full of fun and excitement. My parents were gone to New York City with another couple who we showed horses with from Illinois. The men were taking in a medical conference and the women went along for shopping, socializing, and fun. A good family friend was staying with me since my brothers were at college and mom and dad were going to be gone most of the week. The night before I had spoken to them on the phone from the top of the Empire State Building. They were excited to go visit the World Trade Center the next morning and take in some sight seeing before attending the afternoon conference.
The morning of 9/11 is one I will never forget, as I’m sure the rest you will not either. As I sat in class at WHS and watched the horror and destruction on TV, I couldn’t help but wonder if my parents and our good family friends had gone to the WTC that morning and if they were ok. I sat with my classmate’s and the anxiety and nervousness increased as time went on….until the phone range directly into the classroom and our teacher told me it was for me. Bonnie, from the clinic was on the other line….not my parents! Well thankfully, Bonnie told me that due to the extreme busy phone lines, my Dad was only able to get a call into the clinic to let us know they were ok. Bonnie was calling the three of us kids and my parents’ parents to let everyone know they were ok. After we talked the night before, the men made a quick decision to stay at the conference in the morning and sight-see in the afternoon as the material in the morning was more applicable to them. ….Well that one decision most likely saved their lives as they would have been at the WTC that morning of 9/11. They were staying a few miles from the WTC and saw, heard, and smelled the destruction, however they were safe and sound in their hotel. They eventually had to rent a car and drive home from NYC as that was their only means of transportation due to the airlines and trains being shut down.
I know everyone has their own story and memory of 9/11, but every year, I can’t help but be very thankful and count my blessings to still have my parents with me and have our whole family intact. This story isn’t exactly nutrition related, however it is related to wellness as it’s important to have faith and purpose in our lives. We often get bombarded with thoughts of dieting and exercise, but in order to obtain true wellness, we need to think about the big picture and how each facet affects you…which does include, faith, family, friends, and purpose in life. Make the most of each day as you don’t know when it will be your last and make sure you tell your loved ones you care about them. It’s a day to take time to thank our service members and appreciate our freedom. And, as you examine your goals, be sure to think about your purpose and what is driving you to be healthy. For many of us, it’s our family …and today I have a lot to be thankful for!
These pictures are from my wedding 2 years ago (thanks to Kari Mertz Photography!). We now have two more little ones in the family, but I am blessed to have them all and today, I will be counting my blessings!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 4, 2012 | Etc.
Today is the unofficial start of fall and I couldn’t be more excited to start it off in an exciting way with kicking off our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive. We have a great group signed up and we look forward to working with everyone! STRIVE 2 Survive is an overall wellness program that really focuses on disease prevention and helping you achieve a healthy body and promote longevity. We know there will always be bumps along the road thus it’s our goal to give you the tools you need to live healthy and work through those challenging times. There are many ways to get that quick fix for weight loss, however we’re really focused on promoting life long improvements through lifestyle changes. Weight loss, cholesterol improvement, glucose improvement, blood sugar improvement, activity improvement and improvement in overall wellness have been seen in our participants (see our results and feedback page for more details!). Our team offers a variety of experts in their specialized area to provide the Watertown area with a top notch team. We do still have some room, so if you’re interested, be sure to contact us today to learn more and get signed up!
Our first lecture starts tonight at 5:30pm at the County Fair Banquet Hall….hope to see you there!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 29, 2012 | Etc.
Fall STRIVE 2 Survive starts in a little less than a week and we couldn’t be more excited to kick off our fall in a great way! STRIVE 2 Survive, Brown Clinic’s health and wellness program is a 12 week program where we meet 6 out of the 12 weeks (see calendar for dates). The other 6 weeks you will get a take home lesson, thus each week you will be provided with education, nutrition therapy, etc in our two main components: diet and exercise. In addition to weekly education, therapy, and coaching, we include lab work and body composition testing at the beginning and end of the program. It’s a great program for people wanting to improve their health in efforts to live a long and healthy life! Our list is filling up, but there is still a little room left! If you’re interested or would like to learn more, contact us today at 884-4226 or email us at strive2survive@brownclinic.org.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 21, 2012 | Etc.
Did you fall off the wagon with your wellness goals this summer due to summer festivities and lack of activity? We can help you! Two weeks from today, we’ll be kicking off our fall is an exciting way with our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive. Our first session starts September 4th at the County Fair Banquet Hall at 5:30pm. Be sure to check out our website for more details and contact us today to get signed up! It’s never too late to put YOU first to achieve a healthier lifestyle!
by kelsey | Aug 16, 2012 | Etc.
It’s hard to believe summer is close to an end which means school starts again and we get back into helping people get healthy inside and out through STRIVE 2 Survive. The last two mornings, I have had the opportunity to visit with the folks at KXLG radio and Jeff Anderson with 1480AM to promote our program. A common question people ask about STRIVE is what kind of success we have seen. Since we are not a program like the Biggest Loser that focuses on total weight loss in a short amount of time, we measure our success by cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar improvements as well as weight, body fat percentage, and waist circumference improvements. We actually want to see a slower and steady weight loss rather than a fast, large weight loss as the person who has the slow and steady weight loss will be more apt to keep it off in the long run. Under our “info” tab, we have highlighted many of our participant’s success, but I thought I’d include it here as well to help show the success of our program in regards to disease prevention and wellness.
Female Participant (Age 30-35): lost 19 lbs, improved her cholesterol by 45 points and triglycerides by 95 points, also lost 2 inches off her waist!
Female Participant (Age 50-55): lost 13 lbs (lost 42 lbs total over the last 6-8 months by working with Kelsey), lost 5.8% body weight, improved blood sugars and cholesterol, lost 2 inches off her waist!
Male Participant (Age 55-60): Lost 36.8 lbs, 10.75% of his body weight, improved total cholesterol by 10 pts (was already in a normal range), triglycerides by 65 points, dropped blood pressure into normal range from hypertension range, lost 3 inches on his waist, and reduction in his body fat percent and fat mass!
Female Participant (Age 35-40): Lost 21 lbs, 12% of her body weight, improved her total cholesterol by 66 points, LDL cholesterol by 61 points, blood pressure to a more normal range, dropped 3 ½ inches off her waist and her BMI into the healthy weight category from overweight, along with greatly improving her body fat percent and fat mass!
Female Participant (Age 60-65): lost 3 lbs, but improved her cholesterol by 50 points and dropped her LDL by 40 points!
Male Participant (Age 65-70): lost 10 lbs, improved his total cholesterol and LDL by 25 points, dropped sugars 20 points and went from prediabetic to under the range, and lost 2 ½ inches on his waist!
We are so excited to start the fall with another great group of people all working to improve their health and wellness. It’s a perfect time to put YOU first!! Contact us today to get enrolled!
-Kelsey
