by kelsey | Oct 30, 2018 | Etc., Wellness/Health
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 Dan | Oct 28, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
The annual Halloween Hustle put on by the Prairie Lakes Hospital Wellness Center took place on Saturday morning. Costumes are encouraged for this event, so it is a great way to truly go out and just have fun while getting some exercise. You could run or walk, and the distance was at most a 5K, 3.1 miles. We had several characters out there: Batman for me; Super Girl for Sarah; Buzz Lightyear for Jason; and the McElroy clan was Sleeping Beauty and 3 good fairies!
We had great weather, and the sun was shining. It was a great time to get out and either run, or walk. Who says you can’t have fun, and still exercise? The kids loved it, but so did the adults! They gave prizes away for the top male and female finishes in each category, but the main point of this one was to see you could be the most creative with their costumes…and still be able to run or walk in them. Try it next year. It is a great way to get some activity. Bring out that inner “child” in you for all you adults. And for the kids, well…just be yourself…just get your parents out there with you. It truly can be a family event. What are you waiting for? Keep moving everybody! And have fun along the way!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4049
by kelsey | Oct 25, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
To me, one of the most stressful sections/aisle in the grocery store is the yogurt and/or dairy aisle. There are so many options, I feel overwhelmed and then just don’t end up buying any. There is Greek, Icelandic, Australian, Kefir, non-dairy, added flavors, traditional yogurts, etc. All of these add to the confusion. Yogurt has benefits for your health. It can be a great snack, breakfast on the go, or even a small dessert for after a meal. Benefits of yogurt include:
- Probiotics!-these help with digestion, gut health, and boosting immune systems
- Calcium-calcium is needed for building bone tissue, blood clotting, and muscle to work properly
- Protein-can help fill you up, helps build muscle, healthy skin, cell growth, and many other functions of the body
- As you walk down the yogurt aisle you may notice the packages with say higher protein, low fat, no fat, no sugar added, real fruit, added fruit, etc. These labels can be confusing and overwhelming. How do you navigate them all? Read the nutrition label is the greatest tip to use. Read the ingredients list. Try picking yogurts with less ingredients. This helps to reduce amount corn syrup, preservatives and other added ingredients that are consumed through yogurt. Fat free doesn’t mean sugar free! Many producers will take out the fat, but then will add sugar or corn syrup back in to replace fat. This makes the sugar and carbohydrate amount be increased. A light yogurt or low fat yogurt would be a better option if you were diabetic as they usually have the sweeteners like stevia, Splenda, equal, etc. Maybe you are wanting a yogurt with more protein, go for a Greek yogurt or ultra-filtered yogurt. Want to stay fuller longer? Try a yogurt with more fat and protein. This provides more calories to keep you fuller longer. Fruits, honey, and granola will add more calories and carbohydrates. Try a plain or vanilla yogurt and add your own whole fruits or whole grain cereals to it. There isn’t a 1 kind fits all in the yogurt aisle. Explore which one you like the best and which one best fits your nutritional needs.
-Written by Alyssa Kauffman, SDSU Dietetic Intern
by Dan | Oct 25, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This past weekend a group of us from the Watertown Area Run Club took an adventure out to Denver to do the Rock N Roll Half Marathon, and 5k. Amanda, Jill, Paula, Sarah, and I, and Tom, who originally was going to run, but could not due to injury, but was out there to help cheer us on. We originally had thought this would be a time to get away to some where different, and run a bigger race. A bigger race it definitely was, but it evolved into something bigger than even we imagined. As we were getting ready the week or 2 before this race, we decided that we should wear our Team FARA shirts, Friedereich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, the cause we were running for in the Twin Cities last year, and show our support in Colorado. We had so many people asking us during the 5K what FA was, and of course we told them! We decided we had not sweat enough in the 5K race that we should all wear them again the next day for the Half Marathon as well. We lost count how many people asked us during the Half Marathon what FA was! It was a great way to help spread the word. Again, FA is an autosomal recessive inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. It can lead to gait disturbance, scoliosis, heart conditions, and diabetes. It is progressive, and eventually a wheelchair is required for mobility. Its incidence in the general population is one in 50,000 people, and we had 4 in Watertown alone! There is no cure at this point, but research is working hard at trying to find that cure. Whether by raising money, or spreading the word, both help. Amanda will be running in New York in the Marathon next month raising money for the cure. When we got done, one individual, Paige McFarlane, came up behind us in her wheelchair to thank us for running for FA. She has FA, and was working the Half Marathon. She was so appreciative, and wanted to have her picture taken with us. That alone made the effort totally worthwhile! This is why we do this!
Even the day before the 5k on Saturday, this overall plan we were thinking of was evolving as the day went. Originally we were just going to wear the shirts in the 5k. But the response we got that first told us we had to wear them the next day too. After all, we are runners. We may sweat, but we don’t stink! Of course we were going to wear the shirts again!
Our rock n roll team was ready to take on anything. It also helped us complete the races. If we got tired, we just thought of those people with FA who cannot run, but wish they could. That was all the motivation we needed.
Sarah and I got to spend some time getting away as well, and yet were still working towards a good cause! I think our finish line photos of Jill, Sarah, and I coming in together pretty much summed up the weekend!
We were joining together for the cause, and we were going to finish together as well. It turned out that helping to spread awareness was really the reason for being there. That in and of itself made the weekend one to remember.
Together we will find a cure. We will help Danny and Ryanne here in Watertown, and Paige in Denver, and to all those other people afflicted with FA in the world. Keep raising money for research. Keep spreading the word so people are even aware of what this is. Keep running and moving because we can. Don’t ever take that for granted. We don’t know when that may change for us. Running races are fun…running for a cause is even more fun…regardless of our race times! Thanks for an amazing weekend Sarah, Jill, Paula, Amanda, Tom, Sue, Kristina, and Mike. Tom you will be running with us next time! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4046
by kelsey | Oct 23, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
It’s that time of year again. Not only are the aisles of Wal-Mart strewn with witch hats, zombie make-up and fairy wings, but of course there is the looming aisle of Halloween candy. It can be easy to over indulge on treats this time of year. Most of the candy passed out to trick-or-treaters comes in “fun size” or “mini” portions. However, looks can be deceiving; people often believe that since they are smaller in size, more can be consumed. Calories from Halloween candy can quickly add up. For example; 3 mini snickers bars pack 300 calories. To burn off that many calories you would have to walk at a brisk pace for 1.5 hours or run for 40 minutes.
Fortunately the 31st of October doesn’t have to mean automatic weight gain. Try waiting until the day before to buy treats to pass out. You will be less likely to feel the need to nibble if you don’t buy it a month ahead of time. Keeping it out of sight, such as up in a closet you rarely use, can help you forget that it’s even in the house. The biggest challenge with Halloween candy is the leftovers. After the trick-or-treaters have come and gone we are often left with the reality that we stocked up for 400 doorbell ringers, and only got 15. Buying candy that you don’t like is an easy way to keep you from eating it both before and after the holiday and you can always donate it to get it out of your house. Below are some healthier options to pass out next week!
Halloween the Healthy Way….treats/prizes to try:
Sugar-free gum
Boxes of raisins
Animal crackers
Pretzels
Trail mix
Fruit snacks
Lollipops
Non-Candy choices: stickers, small toys, erasers, etc.
Pictured above my busy bee Corbin last year. Be sure to check back to our blog on Halloween for this year’s costume!
-Kelsey
