Blog
Enjoy the Holidays - Healthier!
Brought to you by the JMC’s Institute for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery
The holidays can be a joyous time of year with family and friends, but they may also bring stress and anxiety as we struggle to keep up with often-unrealistic demands and expectations. Below are some helpful tips to help you stay healthy during the holidays.
Exercise:
During the season, try to have as many ‘normal’ days as possible – days when you eat healthy foods and exercise. While a workout can’t compensate for overeating, it does help stabilize weight and gives you a psychological boost too. Document your exercise time in your weekly planner and consider it as absolute.
How to Enjoy Parties without Overeating:
- Do not arrive at a party hungry. Eat a light meal or snack before going to a food-laden party. Try to eat foods high in protein, like a handful of almonds, chicken, cup of cottage cheese. These foods will make you feel full and help you eat less at the party.
- Pass on pretzels, salted nuts, chips, dips, sauces and dressings. Spend your calories wisely.
- Wear a form-fitting outfit, with a belt if possible.
- Plan how much alcohol you will drink. It loosens your inhibitions and contributes to calorie consumption. Instead of high fat eggnog, have a light beer or wine. After that, stick with calorie-free drinks such as water, unsweetened ice tea, hot tea or coffee.
- Stand or sit as far away from the buffet table as possible. Keep your back to the table so you can’t see it.
- Wear a special piece of jewelry, such as a ring or bangle, as a visible reminder to yourself to eat in moderation.
- Focus on socializing. Don’t stand at the food table. Focus your energies on making conversation with others instead of food. Conversation is calorie free.
- Portion control is the key to avoiding weight gain during the holiday season. Use a side plate. Fill your dish with larger portions of healthier foods like lean proteins, cheese, and veggies and only take small portions of extra fatty foods.
- A small portion of an appetizer may help you from overeating at dinner. Stick with veggies and a piece of cheese. Avoid crackers, chips, dips and dressings.
- “Small Plate Please!” Fill half of your plate with protein, one quarter with veggies or salad, and if you must, the final quarter with a starch. Be careful with gravy, dressings and butter. Remove the skin from your turkey and discard. Never go back for seconds.
- Brush your teeth between courses; it helps to subdue your appetite.
- Learn to say “NO”! Practice saying, “No thank you, I’ve had enough.” You will find it’s not so hard.
- After a holiday meal, go for a walk with friends and family to enjoy holiday displays in the neighborhood.
- For dessert, have a small piece of what is being offered. Better yet, find a reduced calorie recipe and make your own to serve or bring as a dish with you.
Holiday Cooking Tips:
- Enlist the help of friends and family. It’s up to you to figure out your vulnerabilities and strengths – and communicate them.
- This year, a holiday makeover is definitely in order, meaning it’s time to deck the kitchen with healthier ingredients and lower-calorie treats. With visions of skim milk, egg substitutes, and a sprinkle of cinnamon dancing in your head, the trick is to pack in the flavor and pull out the fat. This way you can enjoy all the tasty treats the season has to offer, without the guilt and gratuitous calories.
- Substitute fatty ingredients with lower fat, lower calorie foods. You can still enjoy your favorite stuffing or mashed potatoes recipes, but use fruits and vegetables in your stuffing and try smashed sweet potatoes.
- Use fruits and spices to flavor your dishes instead of meat drippings and butter.
Smart Seasonal Drinking:
- Seasonal drinks are a staple of the holiday season but treats like hot chocolate, eggnog
- and cider are high in calories from either alcohol or cream (one cup of eggnog is 400
- calories).
- Drink plenty of water in the days around big holiday gatherings to keep you feeling full
- and hydrated. Drinking water will also help you flush out your system and shed extra
- salt that your body may be absorbing.
- Alcohol is almost always flowing at holiday events. Seek alternatives to higher calorie
- drinks like beer and eggnog. Opt for hot tea, light beer or wine spritzers.
- Limit your alcohol intake to just one or two glasses. The more you drink, the more
- inclined you are to keep eating past the point of fullness.
Remember these tips and you can still ‘eat, drink and be merry’ – just in a healthier way – during the holidays.
For more information, please contact Julie Minister, RN, CNOR, LNC, JMC’s Institute for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, at JMinister@jupitermed.com or (561) 263-5695.
November is American Diabetes Month, a time when all Americans should take a moment to evaluate the importance of preventing and controlling this pervasive disease. Diabetics also have to take added precautions to prevent a common affliction of the disease, diabetic foot ulcers.
At any given moment somewhere between 4% and 10% of diabetic patients will have a diabetic foot ulcer and over a lifetime of diabetes, a quarter of diabetic patients will experience a diabetic foot ulcer. The more risk factors are present, the more likely a diabetic foot ulcer will occur. In high risk groups it is not uncommon for nearly half of the patients to develop a new ulcer every year.
More troubling still is that approximately 3-5% of cases, the ulcer will become severe enough that an amputation will need to be performed in order to save a leg or even the patient’s life. Approximately 80,000 limb amputations are performed every year as a consequence of diabetic foot ulcers. When critical limb ischemia is present, 13% of patients will have an amputation.
Diabetic foot ulcers don't just pose significant health issues; the costs can also be staggering:
• The cost to heal a simple diabetic foot ulcer is about $5,000-$6,000, assuming prompt treatment
• Cost for patients with infected ulcers or with peripheral arterial disease is nearly $21,000 on average at today’s prices.
• Minor amputations (e.g. big toe) initially cost $23,000 on average while below the knee amputations cost $53,000
• Annual cost of diabetic foot ulcers in the USA is about $12.5 billion
Many diabetic foot ulcers can be prevented through routine foot care by both the patient and his or her physician or podiatrist. Proper fitting of shoes are also important. Other recommendations include wearing seamless socks or stockings, changing socks or stockings daily, avoiding garters or elastics that are tight around the legs and, of course, walking daily. Since early detection is always the best defense against any ailment, diabetics should check their feet regularly for signs that a problem may be developing.
With appropriate and aggressive care, most diabetic foot ulcers will heal. However, delays in treatment or inappropriate treatment can cause wounds to progress and may require foot or leg amputation even in low risk patients.
When should a diabetic patient consider visiting a specialized Wound Care Center®?
• When a wound has failed to show significant healing in 4 weeks of standard care (no meaningful decrease in wound size, for example)
• When a wound involves deep tissue structures, or is limb- or life-threatening.
The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Services at Jupiter Medical Center encourages and welcomes the opportunity to evaluate, manage, and effectively treat anyone who may be experiencing chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 561-263-5760.
Top 10 Things You Should Know About
Breast Health
10. Comprehensive Breast Care Program
Jupiter Medical Center’s Comprehensive Breast Care Program combines the diagnostic expertise found at the Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center, with advanced treatment options at the Kristin Hoke Breast Health Program. The program was the first in Palm Beach County to be accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. Visit our new breast health website, jupiterbreastcare.com, to learn more about our services.
9. Revolutionary Breast Imaging Technology
The Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center offers tomosynthesis, revolutionary 3D breast imaging to find breast cancer at an earlier stage, providing an eight percent increase in breast cancer detection. This new technology is especially useful for women with dense breasts. We also offer Positron Emission Mammography (PEM), which detects breast lesions as small as a grain of rice; a state-of-the-art Hologic Discovery bone density DEXA system, which has the capability to perform single sweep total body composition to determine bone health; Phillips IU22 Breast Ultrasound units with elastography capability, which detect and measure hard, cancerous breast tissue; and breast MRI, with a wide bore design to reduce anxiety and claustrophobia.
8. Get a Mammogram
If you are a woman between the ages of 35 – 40 you should have a baseline mammogram. Mammograms are part of preventive health and are covered under the Affordable Health Care Act. To schedule a mammogram at the Niedland Breast Center, call (561) 263-4414. A result letter with the actual report will be sent after the visit. If additional imaging is required, you’ll receive a phone call from a team member at the Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center and they will assist you with setting up an appointment. You will need a prescription from your healthcare provider for any additional exams. For more information or questions, call (561) 575-2000.
7. Spa Nights & Extended Hours
Spa Nights are offered Wednesday evenings, from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm, at the Niedland Breast Center, featuring chair massages, aromatherapy and light appetizers. The facility also offers extended hours on Thursdays and every other Saturday.
6. Know Your Risk
Do you know your family history? It’s important! Mutations to either breast cancer gene — BRCA1 or BRCA2 — significantly increase your risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer when compared with the cancer risk of a woman without a BRCA gene mutation. Men with inherited BRCA gene mutations also face an increased risk of breast cancer. BRCA mutations may increase the risk of other types of cancer in women and men as well. Conni Murphy, ARNP, coordinates the Risk Assessment & Cancer Genetics Program at the Niedland Breast Center. Call (561)-575-2000 or visit jupiterbreastcare.com/genetic-testing for more information.
5. Reduce Your Risk
Some of the steps you can take to reduce your risk are lifestyle changes including: maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating more fruits and vegetables, and quitting smoking. Be proactive about your health and start making small changes that can make a big difference! Visit jupitermed.com/health for healthy lifestyle information and calculators to help you reach your goals.
4. Real Men Wear Pink
Jupiter Medical Center’s second annual Real Men Wear Pink event will take place on Friday, October 12th at Downtown at the Gardens. We’re looking for a few good men who aren’t afraid to wear pink as Jupiter Medical Center goes pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Put on your best pink shirt or tie, take a picture and post it on our Facebook page. Then bring the family and join us for a free concert with The Party Dogs!
3. We’re Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Jupiter Medical Center is the premiere sponsor of the 2012 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Save the date for Saturday October 13th, at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. To join our team, register online at makingstrides.acsevents.org.
2. Tell A Friend
Take the time to tell a friend about the importance of breast health. Whether it’s your mother, sister, daughter or friend let them know that you care about them and want to make sure that they practice better breast health! Visit jupiterbreastcare.com for more information on better breast health.
And the #1 Thing You Should Know is…..
1. Early Detection Is The Best Protection
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. More than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the five-year survival rate is ninety-eight percent. Be sure to get your annual mammogram and perform monthly breast self-exams.
Women and Lung Cancer
K. Adam Lee, MD, Medical Director, Thoracic Surgery & Lung Center, Jupiter Medical Center
1240 S. Old Dixie Hwy
Jupiter, FL 33458
(561) 263-5560
Lung cancer kills more women every year than breast, ovarian and cervical cancers combined. Because lung cancer was once mostly a male disease associated with smoking, women assume if they never smoked or if they stopped years ago, they don't need to be on the lookout for this deadly cancer. But they do.
Women who have never smoked appear to be at two to three times greater risk for developing lung cancer than men who have never smoked. Women tend to develop lung cancer at younger ages than men, and the disease is striking younger women who have never smoked.
Yet the stigma of smoking and the shame people feel for bringing on their illness has caused women to delay seeking medical attention, even in the early stages of lung cancer. As a result, lung cancer rates have continued to rise and this disease has overtaken breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women.
Don’t be a statistic. Low-dose CT lung screening at Jupiter Medical Center gives you the ability to take that first step to safeguard your health. Based on the National Lung Screening Trial guidelines, screening recommendations are for those ages 55 to 74 years old, who have no personal history of cancer, are current or former heavy smokers or have quit smoking less than ten years ago. If you have any signs or symptoms of lung disease, you would require a diagnostic test, not a screening. You can self-refer for this test by contacting the Thoracic Surgery & Lung Center at (561) 263-5560.
The Thoracic Surgery & Lung Center at Jupiter Medical Center offers the areas only comprehensive program dedicated to the prevention, early detection and treatment of lung cancer. The program includes a Lung Nodule Clinic designed to follow patients who have positive findings on CT lung scans and a Multimodality Lung Clinic that offers the convenience of seeing multiple specialists in one day. Patients leave with a plan of treatment in hand. The clinic is designed for newly diagnosed patients, patients with a recurrence of their disease or patients seeking a second opinion.
The program is led by K. Adam Lee, MD, Board Certified, Thoracic Surgeon, who serves as the medical director. Minimally-invasive thoracic surgery, including robotic assisted thoracic surgery has changed the future of lung surgery. Dr. Lee was the first surgeon in the state of Florida to perfor m robotic assisted thoracic surgery and has a decade of experience in this field. Performed through less than 2-inch incision, this surgery is highly accurate, offering patients less blood loss, less pain, less chance for infection and a much faster recovery.
To learn more about The Thoracic Surgery & Lung Center at Jupiter Medical Center, call our Lung Cancer Patient Navigator at (561) 263-3604 or visit jupitermed.com/lung.
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Firefighter Anthony Ramos was performing routine physical training with his squad at a Rockledge, Florida fire station, and took his turn practicing with the hoseline. Struggling with the hose, blasting water at approximately 150 pounds per square inch, he heard a loud ripping sound.
“It felt like you lost a wheel on your car and your transmission failed,” said Ramos. Wearing 60 pounds of gear, Ramos ripped his right pectoralis major muscle under the water pressure and completely detached it from the humerus bone.
Pectoralis major tears (pec tears), although rare, occur mostly in athletes performing sports-related activities. Weightlifters, wrestlers, tennis players and even football players can rip the pectoralis major from too much strain. Most common in weightlifting, pec tears can occur from the bottom of a heavy bench-press or initiation of a dumbbell chest fly. The injury is extremely painful and often rips loudly, similar to the sound of Velcro.
A pec tear is manageable and one can live with the injury, but will lose muscle function. Exercises like pushups and chest flyes become impossible, and activities involving the chest muscles become extremely difficult.
Associated pain in the shoulder and bicep pain is often common, and those injured often mistake a pec tear for a shoulder or bicep injury. The longer one goes without repairing the pectoralis major, the more the muscle belly retracts over the tear, limiting range of motion and activity.
“I couldn’t pick up my daughter and my two-month old son, let alone patients (while) on duty,” said Ramos. “It was very frustrating… all I wanted to do was play with my kids.”
Ramos was in fact, mistakenly diagnosed with a shoulder injury and even cleared to go back to work at the fire station after a few months. As he struggled to handle patients and perform his engineering duties at the fire station, Ramos took research matters into his own hands. Through internet forums and blogs, Ramos discovered Matthew Stiebel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Jupiter Medical Center specializing in sports medicine, with a history of more than forty pectoralis major repairs.
Only a handful of surgeons in the United States perform a large volume of pectoralis repair procedures. With an extensive background in orthopedic surgery for athletes, Dr. Stiebel handles patients from as far as Germany, Mexico and even the Netherlands. Within the first few minutes of his physical examination, Dr. Stiebel was able to diagnose Ramos’ pec tear, confirmed later by a pectoral MRI.
“I wanted to hug Dr. Stiebel for finally confirming that something was still wrong with my chest (and not my shoulder). You know when your tire on your car is flat. I knew something wasn’t right. I was so fortunate to find Dr. Stiebel in South Florida. The next closest doctor I found was in Puerto Rico!” said Ramos.
Matthew Stiebel, MD, FRCSC, completed an orthopedic surgery residency at McGill University and a subspecialty fellowship in sports medicine at Boston University after undergraduate and medical school degrees at Yale University. His specialties include complex shoulder and knee injuries, and the repair of pectoralis major muscle tears and their subsequent outcomes. Dr. Stiebel learned this pec repair technique from Anthony Schepsis, MD, the surgeon credited with developing the technique.
“I have to mobilize and free up the whole muscle. I put heavy sutures through the muscle in a special kind of weave, designed by Dr. Skeptis,” explained Dr. Stiebel. “I make a trough or a cavity in the proximal humerus and drill holes in the lateral side of it. Then, I pull the muscle into the trough I’ve created, pull the sutures out of the holes I make in the bone and tie them over a bone bridge. The trick is to mobilize the muscle and free it away from all the adhesions to make sure the nerves around it are okay. To get a good repair the muscle has to go to the bone. You can’t repair the muscle back to the tendon.”
A pec tear patient is generally kept overnight in the hospital following surgery, and wears a sling from four to six months before beginning rehab. They can begin strengthening the pectoral major as early as three months and can go back to weightlifting or sports around six months. Patients regain an average of 90-95 percent strength back in the pectoral muscle after having the surgery.
Ramos was just cleared to go back to work as a fulltime firefighter a few months after his pec repair procedure. “I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Stiebel and my pec surgery. I had an amazing experience at Jupiter Medical Center. I was nervous about having such major surgery, but my injury was affecting my very livelihood. I just wanted to pick up my kids again.”
Jupiter Medical Center is proud to offer the pectoralis repair procedure to patients. Jupiter Medical Center remains on the leading edge of orthopedics, offering highly-skilled orthopedic surgeons, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive rehabilitation services to help patients return to an active and healthy lifestyle. The Anderson Family Orthopedic and Spine Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for its total knee, total shoulder and total hip replacement program.
To learn more about Jupiter Medical Center’s Orthopedic Center of Excellence, call Judy Dellosa, RN, ONC, Orthopedic Clinical Coordinator, at (561) 263-3633 or visit www.jupitermed.com/ortho.
September is National Cholesterol Education Month, a great reason to get yours tested today.
More than 102 million American Adults (20 years or older) have total cholesterol levels at or above 200 mg/dL, which is above healthy levels. More than 35 million of these people have levels of 240 mg/dL or higher, which puts them at high risk for heart disease.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body and many foods. Your body needs cholesterol to function normally and makes all that you need. Too much cholesterol can build up in your arteries. After a while, these deposits narrow your arteries, putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke.
The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have their cholesterol checked every 5 years.
If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe medications to treat your high cholesterol.
In addition, you can lower your cholesterol levels through lifestyle changes:
•Low-fat and high-fiber food (Eat more fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grains).
•For adults, get at least 2 hours and a half hours of moderate or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week. For those aged 6-17, getting 1 hour or more of physical activity each day.
•Maintain a healthy weight.
•Quit smoking today.
Please give us a call at (561) 263-2234 to get your cholesterol checked at Jupiter Medical Center, or click HERE to request an appointment online.
Information provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
