Inflammation is an important part of
our immune system’s response to injury and infection. It is our bodies way of
signaling the immune system to defend, heal, or repair itself against possible
infection or bacteria. Without inflammation as a physiological response, our
body would not heal properly, and many conditions would be deadly.
That being said, if our inflammatory
process goes on longer than needed or if it occurs in unnecessary places,
inflammation suddenly becomes an issue. Chronic inflammation has been linked to
the development of numerous diseases and health conditions.
Your diet and lifestyle habits can contribute to your bodies inflammation. It’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep inflammation in check.
Starches, Fruits, Vegetables
Choose whole-grain starches, fresh whole fruits and vegetables.
Consume a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Limit refined starches (white versions) and added sugars (white or brown sugar, soda, energy drinks).
Meats
Limit high-fat red meat such as prime rib, bacon and sausage, as well as processed meats (ex: bologna, salami and hot dogs). These are higher in saturated fat, which if consumed in excess can increase inflammation.
Choose skinless poultry, fish, eggs, legumes.
Fat
Limit saturated fat. This includes butter, whole milk, cheese, high-fat red meat and skin on poultry. Our bodies only require a small amount so excess intake will increase inflammatory risk.
Be very cautious or avoid trans-fat altogether (ex: prepackaged baked goods, flavored coffee creams).
Choose monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, these are thought to neutralize inflammation. Found in olive oil, avocados and nuts.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon and tuna, walnuts, and ground flaxseed. Omega-3 is an essential fat that our bodies cannot make. We must obtain it from dietary sources or supplements.
Other suggestions
Flavor food with spices and herbs that have antioxidant properties such as garlic, green herbs, ginger, and turmeric.
Moderation in all areas, excess of any food (even if it has anti-inflammatory properties) is not a good thing.
An exact and strict diet plan for a patient with chronic inflammation is still lacking but we do know general healthy eating suggestions that help produce anti-inflammatory results over time. The suggestions above will come as no surprise, as it is information we have all heard numerous times. The key is to adapt these suggestions into your daily lifestyle.
• Plan meals around fresh produce, lean proteins, and low fat dairy items that are on sale and utilize sales and coupons. Check store flyers and coupons for additional savings. Compare brands to choose the lowest price. Once you’ve identified the sale items, incorporate them into simple meals—baked, grilled, or broiled meats and fish, add veggies (frozen or canned…or fresh if on sale), and whole grains (brown/wild rice, whole grain noodles, etc…or even a potato—which is cost effective).
• Create a shopping list and weekly eating plan and stick to it! Prioritize your food dollars with nutrient rich choices. Prepare your meals with similar ingredients to keep your grocery list minimized. Skip highly processed and packaged foods. They are not so healthy and can add up in spending.
• Choose low-cost recipes and meals. Recipes with fewer ingredients are often cheaper and quick to make.
• Shop fruits and veggies in season—seasonal produce is at its peak flavor and typically sold at a lower price.
• Canned and frozen fruits and veggies can be just as nutritious and offer an alternative to fresh in regards to being more budget friendly. Be sure to check the ingredients and label to avoid items with high or added sugars or salt.
• Meat, chicken, and fish are often the highest dollar ingredient in a recipe. Consider buying a larger quantity of meat that is on sale and preparing extra for a few meals. You can also incorporate more non-meat proteins into meals such as beans, nuts, and eggs.
• Save leftovers! Freeze them for a later date. Or, keep them in the fridge and eat within a few days.
• You can also double a recipe so you’ll have extra for easy meals later that week.
• Reduce waste- make the most of your food spending by cutting down on waste. Plan to use highly perishable items first and save more hearty items for later in the week. Incorporate this into your planning!
Tips: Low-Cost Healthy Cooking
• For canned veggies and beans, drain and rinse them before using.
• For frozen veggies, use those without added sauces.
• For canned fruit, drain and rinse it if canned in syrup.
• For frozen fruit, make sure it has no added sugar by checking the ingredient list.
• Cook with less processed grains like regular oats and rice. They cost less than the instant type.
• Drink water with meals instead of buying soda and alcohol.
• For beef, cook with chuck or bottom round roast. These cuts have less fat and cost less. They need to be covered during cooking and cooked longer to make the meat tender.
• When cooking ground meat, drain and rinse it under hot water after cooking.
Working out as a family not only pushes you to get moving, but you can all gain strength at the same time. We all have particular exercises we like doing, but strength training is important for all of us. It not only makes us stronger, but endurance, balance, and coordination can all improve as well. When you are done, you can see which one of you in the family can have bragging rights for that day on who “killed that workout”!
A portion of my garage is converted into what I call the Reiflex Center, our personal gym, where we can work on weights, and body strength exercises. Some other additional equipment helps too, such as kettle bells, hand weights, weighted balls, and jump ropes. You can also be creative with certain exercises with make shift equipment. The best equipment to have is you! Show up! There are all kinds of body weight activities to do as well that are also very good for gaining strength.
They are numerous different activities that you can do to gain strength. With everything going on with the pandemic right now, we are out there 3 days a week, for up to 30 minutes each time, doing a variety of exercises. Typically Sarah and I will do 5 different exercises, with different repetitions depending on what the activity is, completing 1 round of all 5 activities, and then repeating for 5 different sets. We are sweating when we are done!
We can keep each other motivated, as well as have some fun. When our daughter Megan joins us, we can have someone else to push, or laugh at as well!
Especially when she is struggling with the push ups! Unless you have done them, you don’t know how tough they can be!
The biggest thing is we can all get a workout in, but we can have fun doing it. It is times like this when you have to be creative. That is what I like about working out at home. I have my own access 24/7, and just have to walk to the garage. You don’t need to have a lot of fancy equipment, you just have to move. The music is going, and we are laughing, but we are getting activity as well. The strength training is important, and we all need to do this 2-3 times a week. It is amazing how far we have already come in regards to this, and how much this helps our running for Sarah and I, and swimming for Megan. Be creative. You need a little space. What I have spent on equipment already has long been paid for with what a membership would cost, and I truly can use it anytime. What are you waiting for? Keep moving everybody!
Happy Earth Day! Today is the 50th Anniversary of this cool day celebrating Earth and support for environmental protection. Since many of you are at home right now with your kids, this is a great day to learn about the Earth but also get some activity doing so with a scavenger hunt! It’s also a beautiful day to be outside!
Grandma Gerry (my mom) took my boys on a scavenger hunt in the yard. Some things they had to find were: flower, water, tree, spiderweb, antler (Corbin is demonstrating this one ;)), nest, bug, leaf, butterfly, rocks, grass, flower, dirt, water, cloud, etc. Some of these were staged and others not. Do a simple google search for lists to help you! This is a fun way to learn and be active!
Here I am sitting at my desk doing a telehealth visit. I can look directly at the patient, and discuss whatever we need to discuss, and yet I can still also visualize the patient without them having to come in. I also have direct access to their chart as well to review and update, and discuss whatever questions our patients may have. In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to become creative on how we can still keep taking care of our patients, and yet limit both our patients exposure, and our staff’s exposure to this virus. The telehealth visit also provides a means of triage to help us determine if someone is truly sick enough that they would have to come in and be seen in person. Brown Clinic is continuously changing our protocols on how we are adapting to this pandemic. We have never seen anything like this before, so it is not like we can just do everything in a day. We keep adapting to what works, and what does not.
Every patient coming into the clinic is triaged at the door. All staff is triaged at the door when they come in as well. One of our staff will be masked, gowned, and wearing a face shield as well. (My nurse here had just taken off her shield and gown, so I did not make her put it back on for the sake of the picture!) But she has a skin thermometer to take your temperature, and is holding stickers that is placed on the staff, and the patients, triaging them according to symptoms. For our staff, if they are sick, they are going to be seen immediately, and then sent home as well. For patients entering the clinic, this screening is done as soon as they walk in the door. This also serves as a factor as to whether the patient is gong to have to wear a mask, and whether they will need to be taken directly to a room to be away from everybody else. So if you are truly not sick enough, avoid coming into the clinic. We can also help determine if you should be coming in by doing a telehealth visit as well.
The staff at the clinic are wearing masks for every patient regardless of what they are seen for. Depending on the triage protocols, we then decide if we need to gown up, and wear face shields as well. Anything we can do to avoid unnecessary visits into the clinic is being done. We have also instituted drive up lab draws to still be taking care of all of the other health issues that we need to deal with daily as well, not just that related to COVID-19. We are encouraging people if they are sick, to get a hold of us at the clinic first, and set up a telehealth visit, whether by video, or telephone, and be taken care of this way first. The amount of information that we can get by these visits is incredible, and we can still take care of you, and at the same time limit both our patients, and our staff’s, exposure. People who thought they could never do this before are finding out that it is really pretty simple, and we will help walk you through every step of it in an attempt to take care of you. Our hours at Brown Clinic, just like many other facilities, have changed from 7:30-5:00 PM every day, Monday through Friday, but we have the capability and opportunity to create a telehealth visit, in one way or another, 24/7, 7 days a week. Our previous convenience care hours from 5-7 PM are staffed with more people as well to handle any increased telehealth visits as well. We are still available this way continuously, just we always have been, but in a way that limits exposure to everybody involved.
You can get a hold of us with this number, and in particular, after hours, hit option “0” and we will help you through the rest of it! Be safe. Be smart. Utilize this service as a means to be taken care of. This is consistent with our mission statement as well: “To provide quality and compassionate health care.” We are committed to continuous improvement…because that is the kind of care you expect from Brown Clinic–the people you know and trust. Keep moving everybody!
Spring is finally here! With longer days and warmer temperatures brings the chance to get outside and enjoy some physical activity. Along with a well-balanced eating plan, exercise is important both for losing weight and maintaining an overall healthy body and mind.
It is recommended that adults engage in a minimum of 150 minutes each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 90 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. With planning ahead and setting aside time, you can easily fit 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity into your routine most days of the week. Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities: walking, water aerobics, bicycling (under 5 mph), tennis (doubles), or ballroom dancing. Examples of vigorous-intensity activities: race-walking, jogging, running, swimming laps, bicycling (faster than 10 mph), tennis (singles), or aerobic dancing. Be sure to chose an activity you enjoy doing!! I included some pictures of my son Corbin–he loves being active–running, playing tag, biking, soccer, you name it, he loves it. Sitting still is not his specialty–something we could learn from! 😉
Thumbs up for his new bike! And yes, he does have a helmet, just wasn’t wearing it for the picture! 🙂
Choose activities that you will enjoy and can fit into your daily schedule. If you are starting from little to no daily physical activity, begin with five to ten minutes per day. Then increase your duration every week by 10-minute increments until you are up to 30-60 minutes most days of the week. It is important to remember good nutrition is needed for physical performance; carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water are all a part of a well-balanced and healthy diet. No excuses anymore now that the weather is getting nicer!! Get out and get moving!!
