New Guidelines Released Addressing Obesity, Cholesterol and Heart Disease

At last week's Obesity Society meeting in Atlanta, the American Heart Association and American Cardiology released new prevention guidelines related to obesity, cholesterol and heart disease.  The text below was excerpted directly from the American Heart Association website, regarding the best dietary pattern and exercise for heart health:

"Americans shouldn’t sweat satisfying a sweet tooth with a slice of cake or ice cream every now and then. More critical to wellness is maintaining an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern than avoiding occasional indulgences, according to a new lifestyle management guideline from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

Just 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise three to four times a week was also found to be sufficient for most people. Even brisk walking will do.

The new recommendations are designed for people who need to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Many Americans fit that category: About one-third of U.S. adults have elevated levels of bad cholesterol, and nearly two-thirds have high blood pressure or prehypertension.

Recommended are dietary patterns that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Red meat and sugary foods and beverages should be limited. Many diets would work, including the DASH eating plan and plans suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association.

'Eating a healthy diet is not about good foods and bad foods in isolation from the rest of your diet – it’s about the overall diet,' said Robert Eckel, M.D., co-chair of a 19-member expert committee that wrote the guideline. Eckel is also a past American Heart Association president.

The overall dietary pattern should include less sodium, the guideline says. For people who need to lower their blood pressure, the guideline recommends an initial step-down approach to no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day. Currently, the average American adult consumes about 3,600 milligrams daily.

Americans can lower blood pressure even further by getting sodium down to 1,500 mg a day. Cutting out processed foods high in sodium may be necessary to stay below that threshold.
'We all eat too much sodium, and this guideline provides further evidence that we’d all do well to eat less of it,' Eckel said."

Click here to read about more of the new heart disease and stroke prevention guidelines just released!

Thanksgiving Super Foods!

With Thanksgiving exactly one week away, we wanted to share 15 Thanksgiving Super Foods that will help save your life! These foods are not only important around Thanksgiving time but also throughout the entire year!

Chef Michael Carmel with the Culinary Institute of Charleston Trident Technical College has created these tips to incorporate these super foods into your Thanksgiving meal and their health benefits.

1. Broccoli	Use as a side dish	Helps fight cancer and supports body’s detox process
2. Beans	Side Dish	Low in fat and high in protein, fiber and iron
3. Pumpkin and Squash	Toast Seeds Roast with red onion Use in soups and desserts	High in fiber and iron; Boosts the immune system
4. Spinach, Kale, Collards	Sauté Use in Soups	Lowers cholesterol and helps blood flow
5. Onions	Stuffing and Sauces	Reduces risk of heart attacks by 20%
6. Garlic	Sauté with everything	Used to treat stroke, arthritis; Anti-inflammatory
7. Tomatoes	Use in Sauces and Soups	Cancer preventative
8. Apples	Use in Stuffing and Desserts	Helps fight cancer, heart disease, diabetes
9. Oranges	Zest in cranberry sauce or serve naked	Great source of Vitamin C
10. Turkey	Roast in the Oven	Lean protein and Low in Saturated Fat
11. Olive Oil	Salad Dressings and Cooking	Source of Vitamin E, lowers blood pressure
12. Nuts	Put in stuffing and desserts	Reduces change of heart attacks by 15%
13. Honey	Desserts and substitute for sugar	High level of antioxidants
14. Cinnamon	Use in desserts	Brain booster- encourages cognitive ability
15.  Dark Chocolate	Just to eat!	Lowers blood pressure and high level of flavones

 Happy Holidays from MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness and Chef Carmel!

Grant Opportunity!: Find Your Energy Balance Challenge

Check out this grant opportunity from Together Counts- Find Your Energy Balance Challenge and encourage your school to apply today!

The Find Your Balance Challenge is open to all elementary school classrooms, grades K-5 and rewards student teams for taking steps towards achieving energy balance in your own school community! School classrooms must:

• Identify Energy Balance needs at your school from both sides of the Energy Balance Scale. (Physical Activity and Nutrition)
• Write a goal statement to help meet or address those needs. 
• Create a simple action plan to help your students meet that goal. 
• Engage your school's stakeholders (the wellness committee!) in this process. 

The winning class will be awarded $30,000! Second place will receive $10,000, and the third place classroom will receive a $5000 grant.  Click here to apply and get started!

Support the Girls!

MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness, Fleet Feet of Mount Pleasant, Moving Comfort and

Charleston County School District are working together to promote physical activity among high
school girls.  A new program called "Support the Girls" provides education and sports bras for girls enrolled in JROTC. The girls also learn techniques to make exercise more comfortable and the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise.  If your school has a JROTC program let us hear from you or if you are interested in helping donate sports bras for the program check out David Quick's Post and Courier article "Fitting the Need".

Docs Adopt Corner- Learning Following a Concussion

Dr. Helen Bertrand, pediatrician and Docs Adopt physician for Harborview Elementary, wanted to share this article from the most recent Pediatrics Journal, "Returning to Learning Following a Concussion." 

Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Cognitive difficulties, such as learning new tasks or remembering previously learned material, may pose challenges in the classroom. This report serves to provide a better understanding of possible factors that may contribute to difficulties in a school environment after a concussion and serves as a frame- work for the medical home, the educational home, and the family home to guide the student to a successful and safe return to learning.

To read the entire article, follow the link below:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/132/5/948.full.pdf+html

 

Walkin' and Rollin' to School

On October 9th, MEDcare Urgent Care was proud to participate in the National Walk to School Day at Fort Dorchester Elementary School (FDES). Walking to school is an effective way to combat the childhood obesity epidemic. Through our partnership with the school and the Doc-Adopt program, MEDcare will continue to work toward preventing obesity. 

Thanks for having us FDES!