Category Archives: Healthy Living

Betty Lin-Fisher|Akron Beacon Journal

Riley Ickes didnt used to like going to school, but now the 16-year-old cant wait until her school gets back to in-person sessions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Riley thinks a lot of her Ellet High School classmates may not recognize her.

Shes nearly 100 pounds lighter than last March when classes went online at her heaviest 324 pounds. As of this week, she has lost 94 pounds and is still going, thanks to drastic changes in her lifestyle, including nearly daily exercise, diet and bariatric surgery.

More: Summit County Public Health gives drive-thru COVID-19 vaccinations

In September, Riley was one of the first patients to undergo bariatric surgery in a new program at Akron Childrens Hospital. The surgery is not for everyone, but for some patients who have medical conditions that make it difficult for them to lose weight it can be an option, said Dr. Marnie Wagner Walston, a pediatrician who specializes in pediatric obesity medicine and adolescent bariatric surgery.

Walston oversees the hospitals Healthy Active Living program, which provides evaluation and treatment for children and teens who are overweight. The team includes a physician, psychologist, certified nurse practitioner, dietitian and exercise physiologist.

Theres a common misconception that surgery is a quick fix or an easy way out and a patient doesnt have to work, said Walston, who graduated from Firestone High School in 2004.

Patients who want to undergo bariatric surgery still have an eight-to-nine-month process before starting surgery plans, she said.

We're working on healthy lifestyle changes. That might help a patient lose weight without even needing surgery. Thats the ideal situation, Walston said.

But statistics show that for most teens with severe obesity, theyre not going to be successful with behavioral and lifestyle changes alone, she said.

Riley said shes always struggled with her weight.

I've always been a lot bigger than everybody, she said. My mom would take me to different doctors to try to figure out what was going on.

At around age 14, she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, an imbalance of hormones, which can also cause fertility issues and obesity. She also had high cholesterol and was pre-diabetic.

Renee Ickes, Rileys mom, said: Shes always been active and shes a good eater but she doesnt eat any different than anyone else. She struggled her whole life and we just tried everything including gym memberships, dieticians and dance classes.

After the diagnosis, they were referred to the Healthy Active Living program.

Everything changed. They're amazing, said Renee.

Surgery was not initially brought up.

She tried all the options and the struggle was there. She just couldnt do it," said Renee Ickes. "The doctor brought it up to us. It took us a while to research and convince everyone it was the right thing.

Adolescent bariatric surgery came about in the 2000s. As procedures have improved, they have become minimally invasive done laparoscopically with minimal incisions and a one- to two-night hospital stay, said Dr. Mark Wulkan, the new chair of Childrens Department of Surgery.

You dont do the operation to be pretty for the prom;it's really about the health benefits, said Wulkan. People think its a cosmetic operation. This is an operation to help reverse a disease [obesity].

There are the same advantages for the patient of doing bariatric surgery in an adult and a teen, which include reducing health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and liver disease, said Wulkan. But studies have shown that those risks are easier to reverse the younger you do the surgery, he said.

That makes the argument that maybe its not a last resort. Maybe its something we should be looking at and it's just one of the tools in your toolbox to treat being overweight," Wulkan said.

He arrived from Atlanta in August. Childrens had already been working on starting the bariatric surgery program before his arrival, but Wulkan, a general surgeon, has a special interest and expertise in bariatric surgery, which he has been performing since 2004. He and Dr. Scott Boulanger will perform the surgeries.

In order for a patient to qualify for bariatric surgery, several factors are considered, including whether the operation outweighs the medical risks and the patients body mass index (BMI) the relationship between height and weight.In addition, the patient must actively participate in a weight-management program for six months.

Even with that, Walston said, not all candidates ultimately have the surgery. There have been three completed (COVID-19 slowed things down) and about 21 patients are working toward surgery. About a quarter of those patients may not pursue surgery, she said.

The patients have to make lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, before the surgery to make those changes stick after surgery, Wulkan said.

In most pediatric cases, the surgery is a gastric sleeve, where 80 to 85 percent of the stomach is removed. That decreases the capacity of the stomach, so the patient gets full with less. The stomach also produces a hormone that makes you feel hungry. After the surgery, there is less of that hormone, so it decreases your appetite.

It works mechanically and hormonally, Wulkan said.

But that means the body also doesnt signal that it is hungry, Walston said, so patients have to learn how to eat smaller, healthier meals more often. The patients work with experts to make sure theyre eating appropriately and taking vitamins and mineral supplements to make sure there are no nutritional deficiencies.

Surgery helps you reduce the appetite. It's not the fix, said Walston. The surgery itself doesnt remove any weight from the body, but it gives you tools.

The surgerys benefits can be defeated if the patients dont make the lifestyle changes, including exercise and diet, she said.

Candidates for surgery tend to be in their teens, the doctors said, but the team will discuss with a younger patient and family if there is a reason to have the surgery.

"You want to be really thoughtful about the patients emotional ability, ability to be able to live with the implications and understand, Walston said.

Walston is happy that Akron-area adolescent patients have an option for the surgery. Before the hospitals program started, patients had to go to an adult hospital or another region, she said.

Riley enjoys planning and cooking her own meals. She also goes to work out every morning before coming home for online classes while Akron schools are still remote. Riley also works at Walmart after school.

Renee said she doesnt even worry about Riley and her eating habits now.

This kid carries a cooler around with her with chicken. She has her produce and her proteins and she is like an expert in reading all of the labels," Renee said.

Riley is excited to go back to school in person, but concerned about how to keep up the good exercise schedule she's established before school and work.

Her goal weight is 165. Doctors told her shed lose about 75 pounds right after surgery. Shes already exceeded that, and as of this week has lost 94 pounds at 229 pounds.

Her close friends have seen her, but there are a bunch of friends I havent seen since school had let out last March. I dont know what theyre going to say. I'm kind of excited about that.

Shes also excited to get involved with school activities.

With my size, I wasnt comfortable to do anything. I didnt want to. But now if we were back in school, Id probably get into more activities and do more stuff, she said.This week, she ran into her high school band director, who had to do a double-take before he recognized her.

Overall, I feel great. I've never felt this happy with myself, said Riley. She also no longer has high cholesterol and is no longer considered pre-diabetic.

I dont stress out so much. I used to be so concerned when everyone would look at me when I would do something. Now I dont care, and I'm a lot more comfortable with myself.

Riley is especially excited for the day when she can go to Cedar Point and get on a ride. She had avoided until now because she was afraid she wouldnt fit.

Rileys weight-loss journey has changed her career desires. She had been interested in interior design, but now after I went through the clinic and what they do, it really inspired me to want to do that for the kids. She is interested in maybe being a child life advocate or some type of job to work with kids struggling with weight.

Rileys dad, Ron, said it was hard to watch his daughter struggle with her weight and not want to be involved in activities at school.

"With this surgery and the progress shes made, it just totally changed her mental state of mind. I'm starting to see that go-get attitude, he said. For her now to be able to jump in and commit to... taking a hold of nutrition and the routine of the gym, it blows me away to see that.

It's like I have a new daughter, he said.

Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or http://www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ To see her most recent stories and columns, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher

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'I've never felt this happy with myself': Akron bariatric teen patient finds new lifestyle - Akron Beacon Journal

Healthy Kingsport began several years ago with a group of committed community members who saw the urgency associated with our communitys adverse health trends. The trends showed our community was moving in the wrong direction regarding obesity, physical activity and tobacco use. So, the group dedicated themselves to changing our communitys direction.

Healthy Kingsport evolved over the next few years into a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a community that actively embraces healthy living by promoting wellness, enhancing infrastructure and influencing policy.

Our work is accomplished by the Collective Impact Modela best practice for solving complex, pressing social issues. This model is designed around a backbone organization (Healthy Kingsport), which serves as the convener of many organizations working toward a common agenda with shared measurements, mutually reinforcing activities and continuous communication.

HealthFitness employs more than 3,000 health professionals across all 50 states. Each day, they work directly with participants to educate, encourage and engage them in caring for their health, similar to Healthy Kingsports efforts. Today, HealthFitness has the privilege of serving 160 clients many of them are employed at Eastman Chemical Co. in Kingsport.

HealthFitness help clients

and their employees by:

Building comprehensive programs that span wellness, fitness, recreation and injury prevention and treatment.

Managing the program on the employers behalf, integrating all their wellness programs into one seamless experience.

Engaging employees and meeting them where they need us most (onsite and online) helps them navigate their wellness journey.

HealthFitness is proud to serve as a sponsor for Healthy Kingsport, which shares our mission of making people healthier where they work, play and live, said program manager Jessica Shutter.

Today, Sullivan County ranks 32nd out of 95 Tennessee counties in the category of Health Outcomes with 24% of adults using tobacco and 38% of adults physically inactive.

These percentages reflect cultural norms that are higher than the national average and cause great concern for our families, friends and neighbors. While these pressing social problems cannot be solved in the near-term, much work is being done to positively impact these percentages and increase the health and well-being of those living in our community.

Healthy Kingsport expresses great appreciation to HealthFitness for supporting the important efforts around health and wellness taking root in Greater Kingsport. The commitments made by this business are yielding positive results for our family members, friends, and neighbors. The focus on health and wellness is also helping our community prosper as existing companies expand and new businesses locate here.

Again, many thanks for working to create a community that actively embraces healthy living!

Healthy Kingsport is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a community that actively embraces healthy living by promoting wellness, enhancing infrastructure and influencing policy.

Link:
Healthy Kingsport and HealthFitness | Family | timesnews.net - Kingsport Times News

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Have you broken your New Years resolution yet? If you have, you are not alone. Research shows nearly 80% of resolutions will ultimately be broken by the second week of February. No one intends to break their New Years resolutions but most of us will because it is a challenge to maintain new and sometimes unrealistic goals beyond January especially in the midst of a pandemic.

One common resolution that consumers make each and every year is to improve their health.According to research, 84% of all consumers are limiting the amount of sugar in their diet, and more than 70% of adults say sugar is the #1 ingredient they are most trying to cut down or avoid completely.

What can be done to make sure that you stick to your resolutions and dont break them this year? Mia Syn, Masters of Science in Human Nutrition (MS) from Columbia University, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist(RDN), knows the importance of healthy living and has come up with a list of health hacks to help people stick with their New Years resolutions.She offered tips and tricks to enjoy your favorite indulgences while doing so in a healthier manner.

Mia Syn, Masters of Science in Human Nutrition (MS) from Columbia University, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), is a national on-air nutrition expert, host of Good Food Friday on ABC News 4 and one of the most recognized and trusted young dietitians in the media.With more TV appearances than any other young nutritionist in the country, she has helped millions of viewers, readers and clients learn healthier, sustainable eating habits.

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New Years Resolutions: Easy to make, easier to break - NMLiving

Here we are, a week into a new month in, thank goodness, a new year. As the buzz from the holidays, sugar, and time off wans, I have to say it feels good to get back in the swing of things. Im a creature of habit. I love structure, routine and schedules. I know, I know. Maybe youre getting back into the swing of things, or you started 2021 with guns blazing, resolutions in hand, ready to go.

While Ive certainly shared that Im a lover of lists, resolutions Im not so big on. I dont do well with setting goals for myself and not completing them. Because of this I like to set mini goals, intentions if you will. If you made grandiose goals for 2021, by all means go for it. If youre like me or those goals are already starting to lose their luster, I thought Id share a few of the things Im doing in this new month and year to regain focus and reinforce healthy habits.

I went on a good old-fashioned grocery store haul. I had spinach, carrots, avocados, apples, beets, grapefruit, peppers, kraut, bananas, almond milk, brown rice, sprouted grain cinnamon raisin English muffins just to name a few healthy items in my cart Saturday. After one too many holiday treats my body, and I suspect yours, is probably craving produce. Dont adopt that diet mentality of skipping snacks and meals, living off diet soft drinks and air. Stock your fridge and pantry with produce and healthy items. Opening a well-stocked fridge with lovely fruits and veggies within reach is often the push you need, that and getting rid of some of the overly processed junk thats crowding your pantry and fridge.

Speaking of produce, I love salads. I pack a salad most every day for my lunch. During the holidays with time off and an abundance of yummy leftovers I fell out of that habit. My go to and the recipe Im sharing below takes minimal effort. Something you can throw together in five minutes. I love my salads with a serving of yummy whole grain crackers, fruit and a little bubbly courtesy of kombucha.

Packable Crunchy Detox Salad with Sesame Ginger DressingFrom the blog Eating Bird Food

1 1/2 cups kale and cabbage mix (can find a premade option or DIY)

1/3 cup bite-size apple chunks (about 1/2 an apple)

1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Instructions: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Package salad ingredients in a portable container until ready for lunch. Toss greens with the toppings. Add sliced avocado and drizzle on the dressing. Add a squirt of sriracha if you like to spice things up a bit and enjoy.

I am hitting restart on my training program. I run almost every morning. Ive explained in this little space before that its not only my daily exercise but often my therapy. With a new job in 2020, which meant an earlier wake up time, COVID-19, canceling not only my precious morning runs with my girlfriends and any races I was training for, I fell into a comfortable pattern of just jogging a few miles a day. I havent been doing long runs, cross training, or challenging myself. Im optimistic the races I was training for and looking forward to last year will happen in 2021.

With optimism by my side its time for me to focus on following a training plan. This is by no means meant to make you feel like you should be training for a race. If you like to walk, jog or run, youve decided 2021 is your year to take up one of these good for you physical activities, or its been a minute, Id encourage you to follow a training plan as well. There are so many wonderful, free resources out there. Couch to 5k and Hal Higdon are two of my favorites, both free and great for all levels, training programs.

I am saying no to post holiday food guilt. In the past, Ive spent many a holiday season stressing and attempting to out-exercise my favorite treats. Skipping meals, saying no to my moms homemade Christmas candy, which I love, really just being miserable. Why? One homemade chocolate covered cherry isnt going to make me gain a pound and I am certain that neither myself or you have ever looked back on a Christmas and thought I wish I wouldnt have had that slice of grandmas pie.

One thing I have learned is to focus on making reasonably healthy choices throughout the day. Eating a filling and produce-heavy breakfast and lunch, running not to burn off my meal from the night before but because I love it and it makes me feel good. That salad or run will always be there. Time spent with loved ones, enjoying a beautiful meal will not.

Jessica Barnett is a Southwest Virginia girl married to a Greeneville native, a mom, personal trainer, certified fitness nutrition specialist, runner, herbivore and ice cream lover. To learn about working with Jessica, prospective clients may email jcbarnett616@gmail.com.

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Love Your Health: Living With Intention In 2021 - Greeneville Sun

BALTIMORE (WJZ) The New Year is traditionally a time when people start to try living a new healthy lifestyle. In the middle of a pandemic, doctors say thats more important than ever.

Molly Bell is taking advantage of the warmer than average January temperatures.

Staying sane, trying to find a little fresh air, a little exercise, Bell said.

Something doctors said we all should be doing as we find ourselves stuck at home.

The quarantine 15 is not a joke. Its very, very real, said Dr. Elizabeth Dovec.

Dr. Dovec is the director of Greater Baltimore Medical Centers comprehensive obesity management program. She said the coronavirus is even more of a reason to get your health and weigh under control.

If you do get the virus youll have a better outcome with the virus, youll have a faster and easier recovery without the necessity of hospitalization for other respiratory support and that sort of thing, Dr. Dovec said.

But living a healthier lifestyle can be easier said than done, and the ever-changing world of fad diets and workouts only adds to the confusion.

There is a lot of misinformation out there online which makes it difficult to know what to follow and some of the things out there are dangerous, she said.

Dr. Dovec said its about starting healthy habits like eating three meals a day that are high in protein.

When you skip breakfast and lunch its going to make you crave things that are higher energy source which are higher in glucose and higher in sugar which is the reason we gain weight, she said.

Exercise is also important, and finding the right activity is key to sticking with it.

Right now with the gyms, I understand that a lot of people are still anxious but as you can hopefully you can just look at things online, do a virtual class. Take a walk with a friend just do something creative that you will actually enjoy and hopefully stick with, Dr. Dovec said.

Experts said the hardest part of starting a healthy lifestyle is getting the ball rolling. So, find an activity you like, do some meal prepping and get going.

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Though The Pandemic Can Make It More Difficult To Live Healthy Lifestyle, Doctors Say Its More Important Than Ever - CBS Baltimore

As a leader in the field of integrative medicine,Dr. Andrew Weil has mastered the secrets of living a good life.

By following his own five pillars of optimal health: eating right, exercising, neutralizing stress, maintaining social and intellectual connectivity and attending to spiritual well-being, at age 78 he is proof that healthy aging is possible.

To help others embrace healthier lives, Dr. Weil shares his philosophy on his website, drweil.com, which is the leading online resource for healthy living based on the principles of integrative medicine, and through his 15 bestselling health and wellness books.

On his website, Dr. Weil notes how he learned his family has some genetic factors that put him at an increased risk of heart disease. His father had a mild heart attack at the age of 49, and later two coronary bypass surgeries. He lived to the age of 81. Dr. Weils paternal grandfather died of a heart attack at 50, and his paternal grandmother also had coronary artery disease and angina.

Knowing he couldnt counteract his genetics, Dr. Weil chose to address the cardiac risk factors he could control, such as adopting a pesco-vegetarian diet (eating fish, along with a vegetarian diet), exercising daily, working to reduce stress, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He says that implementing these changes have resulted in good heart health.

And while Dr. Weil, who has graced the cover of Time magazine twice, endorses making healthy resolutions, he also cautions against setting unrealistic goals.

One of the biggest mistakes people make with New Years resolutions is trying to do everything all at once, says Dr. Weil. Rather than setting too many expectations, I encourage pursuing smaller, realistic goals.

While conventional medicine treats chronic conditions with prescription medications, Dr. Weil, who trained at Harvard Medical School in Boston, explains that integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with natural and less invasive treatments, and looks at the whole person while emphasizing nutrition, lifestyle, naturopathic therapies (including herbs, massage and acupuncture), spirituality, and the mind-body connection.

According to Dr. Weil, good nutrition plays an important role in integrative medicine. Since processed and manufactured foods can lead to chronic inflammation, a contributor to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and other health conditions, Dr. Weil recommends following an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins, fatty fish and fresh herbs and spices.

An anti-inflammatory diet, basedon the Mediterranean diet, can help usall age gracefully and delay the onset of age-related disease and discomfort, Dr. Weil says.

For those who want to eat healthier in the new year, Dr. Weil recommends making one change at a time.

My top recommendation is to give up sweetened drinks of all kinds soda, sweetened teas and coffees, energy drinks and fruit juices, he advises. Consuming these sugary drinks can lead to weight gain, and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

In place of sugary coffee or tea drinks Dr. Weil is a fan of traditional matcha, a powdered green tea known to have many health benefits that he discovered while on a trip to Japan. He went on to launch a company, MatchaKari with Andr Fasciola, selling high-quality matcha.

Matcha is a good anti-inflammatory coffee alternative and an important part of my morning ritual, Dr. Weil says, adding that it has been shown to help with anxiety, reduce cholesterol levels, and stabilize blood sugar.

In his book, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health: A Proven Program for Taking Full Advantage of Your Bodys Natural Healing Power, he offers specific and detailed information on other ways that diet, supplements, vitamins, herbs and other integrative medicine practices can lead to better overall health.

Small dietary changes can have a big impact and result in lasting change, Dr. Weil says. The basic principles of following an anti-inflammatory eating plan arent hard, but they do require shopping and preparing your own foods.

In his cookbook, Fast Food, Good Food: More Than 150 Quick and Easy Ways to Put Healthy, Delicious Food on the Table, he shares recipes that incorporate anti-inflammatory foodsand are also easy to prepare, healthy,and delicious.

Some of the unhealthiest foods are the cheapest and the most readily available, Dr. Weil says. I work to show peoplethat healthy meals can taste good and be easy to prepare.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Weils True Food Kitchen restaurants, where the seasonal menus are guided by his anti-inflammatory food pyramid. True Food Kitchen currently has more than 30 restaurants nationwide, including their Town Center at Boca Raton location.

Eating healthy doesnt mean giving up the foods you like, Dr. Weil says, citing his restaurants healthy pizza entrees, family meals and decadent desserts as evidence. It means reducing the percentage of animal foods in your diet and incorporating more fresh produce and healthy dietary fats, such as olive oil, into your meals.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle canbe challenging even during the best of times, but with the COVID-19 pandemic,Dr. Weil says the uncertainty of the virus has added a layer of anxiety for many.

When people are feeling stressedor anxious, I recommend practicing the4-7-8 breath, he explains. Taking these five simple steps will put you in a more relaxed state.

Dr. Weil starts his own morning with meditation, followed by this 4-7-8 breathing exercise:

In addition, Dr. Weil says regular exercise is also an important part of emotional wellness and can help prevent and ease depression. One of his favorite integrative exercises is walking. He also enjoys swimming and working in the garden at his Tucson home.

I recommend 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week, he noteson his website. In addition, I alsorecommend a strength or resistance training program using free weights or weight machines to strengthen and tone your muscles and increase the density of your bones.

He also offers additional free tools to help people maintain their health and wellness, boost immunity, and manage anxiety and stress during the pandemic on his website for the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The center, which opened in 1994,trains healthcare professionals in evidence-based, integrative medicine practices. Dr. Weil says his goal is to one day see integrative medicine taught as part of the standard curriculum at medical schools across the country.

Weve instructed over 2,000 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in a wide variety of specialty areas and currently have a waiting list for our medical fellowship program, says Dr. Weil who serves as the centers director. Our website, awcim.arizona.edu, allows consumers to search our alumni directory to locate an integrative medicine practitioner in their area.

The center is currently in the process of constructing a new, 34,000-square-foot building that is expected to be completed by 2022.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Weil has seen the practice of integrative medicine, which promotes prevention and the bodys natural ability to heal itself, evolve. Today, the practice has become more mainstream and continues to grow in popularity among both consumers and practitioners. He says he believes integrative medicine is the future of healthcare.

More people are taking prescription medications than ever before and this is cause for concern, Dr. Weil says. Americans now take 10 times as many prescription medications as they did in the 1950s and many are overused and misused.

All too often, Dr. Weil says, prescription medications simply reduce symptoms without addressing the root cause of disease.

Many other interventions exist that dont involve prescription drugs, but sadly, they arent taught in medical school, Dr. Weil notes on his website. When I write a treatment plan for a patient, my first recommendations always include food, what not to eat, what to eat more of, and what dietary changes to make to improve health.

According to Dr. Weil, an anti-inflammatory diet can improve health conditions such as allergies, asthma and other health conditions to the point where medication can often be reduced and in some cases, eliminated. In his book, Mind Over Meds: Know When Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better - and When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own, he takes a deep dive into the problems of overmedication and integrative medicine approaches to treat health conditions such as high blood pressure, allergies, depression and more.

With integrative medicine, patients and practitioners are partners in their health and healing, Dr. Weil says. By working with a practitioner trained in integrated medicine, patients can develop a lifelong wellness practice.

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Living Weil - The Boca Raton Observer