by kelsey | Nov 9, 2017 | Etc.
Our Pharmacist Deidra VanGilder talked at our recent STRIVE 2 Survive lecture. She always does a great job addressing the hot topic of vitamins and minerals. Thus I thought we’d share some of her information on the blog for those of you interested in this topic! If you have any individual questions, please email us at strive2survive@brownclinic.org.
There are many different kinds of multivitamins and it’s hard to know which one is best for you. We always prefer you to get the vitamins and minerals from real food over supplements, so striving for a well balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, and lean proteins is the first step. If you are cutting calories to lose weight, you have a health condition that needs additional vitamins or minerals, or you just want to stay healthy and aid in disease prevention, a MVI may be for you. There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K and can be stored in our bodies. Water soluble vitamins such as the B vitamins and vitamin C cannot be stored in the body, which means we can only store so much and when excess is consumed, they are excreted out. This concept is very important to understand as often times, you may be wasting your money on a supplement if you are already getting adequate amounts through your diet.
Below is Deidra’s take on the various kinds of supplements:
- Basic: contains essential vitamins from vitamin A to Zinc
- Women’s- more Calcium and Vitamin D to help support breast and bone health
- Men’s- more Lycopene for prostate health
- Silver (50+)- Supports eye health, bone health, and B vitamins for energy…Deidra recommends the Centrum Silver as an excellent one for this population.
- Prenatal- More folic acid, iron, and DHA (omega-3) to help support child growth
- Performance/Energy/Metabolism- Contain some herbals thought to help increase energy as well as extra B vitamins…be sure to ask your health care team about these before taking them as they may interact with your meds or contain extra caffeine.
- Cholesterol/Cardio- Contain phytosterols to help lower cholesterol
** Vitamins vary in the levels of vitamins/minerals they contain
** Look at the amount of calcium and vitamin D in each vitamin
** Some multivitamins don’t contain iron
** Grocery store generic vitamins are ok to buy
As you can see there are many different types of vitamins. Overall, we recommend just a basic multivitamin such as One a Day or Centrum Silver to help fill the gaps that your diet is not fulfilling (a multivitamin should NEVER replace real food included in a well balanced diet!). If you have a specific health need such as a woman being pregnant or you are over the age of 50, then you can take that specific vitamin to fit your needs. The supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA like prescription drugs are…thus it is essential to consult your health care provider before taking supplements to ensure it is appropriate for you.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 7, 2017 | Etc.
Dr.Dan and I enjoy blogging and posting about topics that are of interest to you all! I want to invite you to submit your questions and topic requests to us! This is a great way to get your questions answered by professionals in the field…and free of charge! Please email us at strive2survive@brownclinic.org. Questions should be health, nutrition, and fitness related. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Nov 5, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Having fun in life! Is that not what it is all about? There is a talk by former governor of South Dakota, Frank Farrar, this coming Thursday at the Event Center starting at 6PM, being sponsored by the Prairie Lakes Hospital Foundation. You can get on Facebook and look up Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation, and if will provide you to the link to register to go to this event It is free! No excuses, this will be great, and I am especially looking forward to this! Come out at listen to what he has to day. He is 88 years old, and still participating in triathlons. He is a perfect example of someone who is going to live life to the fullest, and enjoy the ride along the way. I am looking forward to going, and helping motivate me as well. I don’t know if I will even be here when I am 88 years old, much less doing triathlons, but hopefully I am helping to increase my odds of this.
Enjoy your friends along the way, and work together to help stay motivated to exercise. Here Paula, Jill, Sarah, and myself are in the starting ling of the Twin Cities Marathon on Oct 1 this year. We had 4 great months of training together, all coming together on this one day.
Sarah and I got to cross the finish line together! A memory to last forever. Now that is living life “limitless”. Don’t hold back on anything. The majority of times are limitations we have are created between our ears, and we have to quit listening to all the negative thoughts/ideas, and go out and take a chance! If you don’t take a chance, you never know what life will have to offer to you. Use is or lose it! How true can this be? You need to be like our run club when we meet on Sunday mornings. We are not meeting just because we like to run…but because of the social interaction, the time to talk, laugh, learn some life lessons from each other. We all have something to teach someone else, and we are never to old to stop learning. Be in charge of your life! Be in the driver’s seat! Decide what you want, and then go for it. Nobody said it would be easy. Nobody said you would not have to work for it. When you work hard at something you really enjoy, before too long it is really not work…it is fun!
Jump into action! Have fun, stay healthy, work together with someone. Sunday mornings are now turning into one of my favorite activities for the week. If you don’t make an effort, you will never know how much you are missing. I see many people that do not make an effort, but just complain all of the time about how hard it is, or that they don’t feel good, or they are not healthy. Some of this is out of our control, but much of it is. If we worked just as hard at trying as we did complaining, we would have it made. Now, keep moving everybody! Have fun. Hope to see you Thursday evening for a great evening of motivation, and learning about what life has to offer…about “living limitless”!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3690
by kelsey | Nov 2, 2017 | Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There’s a lot of buzz about carbohydrates….are they good? Are they bad? How much should you have? , etc etc etc. In celebration of National Diabetes Month, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main (and best) source of energy for your brain and central nervous system. Carbohydrates are essential for energy; however they raise your blood sugar levels higher and faster than any other kind of food. Carbohydrates are essential for your body to be able to sustain energy, so just like a car needs the right type of fuel (gas) to run, you need the right kind of fuel (food) to function and be healthy. To sustain energy, your body needs adequate carbohydrates: 50% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates. Cutting out all carbs can be very detrimental to our body, especially our brain, central nervous system, liver, kidneys, and heart. Because they are an excellent source of energy, but they do raise blood sugars, it’s important to recognize the types of carbohydrates and how to count them in efforts of controlling your blood sugars while still maintaining good health and adequate energy..
Carbohydrates are found in the following:
Starches: found in grains, some vegetables, and beans.
- Grains: bread, pasta, cereal, tortillas, rice
- Starchy Vegetables: potatoes, peas, corn, yams, squash
- Beans: kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, and lentils
- **The best and recommended sources of starches are whole grains…choose them over the white, refined grains!
Sugars: found naturally in foods or added to foods.
- Natural Sugars: fruits, fruit juices, dairy products, honey, and molasses.
- Added Sugars: desserts, processed foods, candy, regular soda, and fruit drinks.
- **Natural sugars are better than added sugars, but large quantities of them can still raise your blood sugars…we recommend getting at 2-3 fruits and 3 servings of veggies/day. Anytime you can limit or eliminate the added sugars, do so!
To aid in ideal blood sugar control, we recommend a moderate intake of carbohydrates which means about 45-60g/meal and 15-30g/snack with several small meals and snacks throughout the day. I visit with patients daily about finding the right balance in their intake. If you would like help managing your blood sugars, to learn more about diabetes self care, or a personalized nutrition plan, be sure to contact me for further help!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 1, 2017 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health, Winter
As the weather starts getting colder and dryer, I thought it was perfect timing to discuss nutrition for skin health! Winter will be here before we know it and the winter months make it hard on our skin as the air is dry and cold! The beauty industry has a variety of products to help promote healthy and glowing skin, however diet is also an important factor. Research on the best foods for healthy skin is limited, but what we do know is that antioxidant rich foods are effective in promoting healthy and glowing skin. Antioxidants are substances that protect our cells against free radical damage. Free radicals are molecules made when our body breaks down food or by environmental exposures such as tobacco use or radiation. They damage the cells and may play a role in diseases such as heart disease and cancer. A colorful diet is most effective for skin health and each color offers specific vitamins and minerals such as: beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. A diet rich in the following foods will help you get beautiful and healthy skin you’re wanting!
- Red, Orange, & Yellow Produce: carrots, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, apricots, etc
- Green Leafy Vegetables: spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, etc
- Blue & Purple Produce: blueberries, raspberries, eggplant, etc
- Lean Proteins: beans, lentils, nuts
- Fatty Fish: salmon, mackerel, sea bass
It’s also important to be mindful of foods that can cause greasy and oily skin such as high sugar and high fat foods: pastries, cookies, fried foods, etc. These foods should be avoided or limited and instead focus on a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low fat dairy, and whole grains. In addition to diet, eliminating tobacco abuse and using sunscreen are effective in promoting healthy skin. These recommendations are not only going to benefit your skin, but also your overall health. Color and variety in your diet will help you look stunning always!
-Kelsey
