The Reality .....

As I come to the end of my first week at the hospital, the reality of how the choices we make now affect our future is quite apparent. This past week, I have observed countless sick people. The commonality for many of them is they have a health condition brought on by their poor choices. I saw individuals with cirrhosis (liver disease), COPD (lung disease), cardiovascular disease (heart), kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, and the list goes on. All of these illnesses are typically due to poor health choices (smoking, excessive drinking, poor diets, lack of physical activity, etc). I saw a man who was only 46 years old and he was literally wasting away. He did not look like a young man. He looked like a sickly, frail old man with no muscle or fat left on his body. I saw a handful of older women who also were wasting away. One was 60 lbs, another 75 lbs. They are confused, depressed, and lonely. Others struggle to breath. Many are unable to eat and need to be fed through a tube or an IV. It is the sad reality of a hospital setting.

As I reflect on these individuals, it brings on great concern, concern for my family, friends, society as a whole, and myself. Ask yourself “what am I doing now to build a better tomorrow?” I know I have many areas to work on as well, specifically getting enough exercise. This has been screaming at me all week as I follow the dietitian I am shadowing! We have been taking the stairs everywhere in the hospital. I could walk for hours in the halls, but flights and flights of stairs really get to me. The tower is the worse ~ 6 + long flights of stairs in a poorly ventilated area. I hope by the end of the 12 weeks I will be breezing up those stairs :)

The reality is so many diseases could be prevented or managed by making better food and health choices. Think about your daily meals. How do they measure up? Are you making the best choice possible? Are the food and beverages you are selecting giving you what you need? Where can you start making improvements? Pick a goal for this week and devise a plan of how you’ll accomplish this goal.

Let’s look at some ideas for each meal of the day!
Starting with breakfast, often called the most important meal of the day. The idea with breakfast is to provide your body with nourishment to replete the nutrient stores. You have been without food or beverages for hours and your stomach is empty. Breakfast gives your body a jump start to the day. Breakfast does not have to be huge, just well planned. It should be balanced, meaning there should be protein (eggs, dairy, nut butters), carbohydrates (grains, bread, cereals, and fruit), and healthy fat (nut butters, avocado). A few simple meals I can throw together quickly:
• whole grain toaster waffles, peanut butter, a touch of honey, and a piece of fruit and sometimes some almond milk
• fruit protein smoothie (milk substitute, a splash of juice, banana, frozen berries, protein powder, and sometimes a little peanut butter ~ ice may be needed)
• steel cut oatmeal (Trader Joes has frozen oatmeal ready in minutes). I usually like to add nuts and seeds, sometimes unsweetened shredded coconut, and cut up fruit
• Egg sandwich ~ toasted whole grain English muffin, egg cooked in a teaspoon of olive oil, warmed thin ham slices, a little bit of mayo and add a piece of fruit, berries, or melon on the side

Next, lunch and dinner. Again the idea is to create a balance of nutrients. Both of these meals are an ideal time to include vegetables. Plan to have about half of your meal include non starchy vegetables. Then include a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, millet), starchy vegetable (corn), or a bread product (or tortilla, crackers, pasta). Finally, a healthy protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, tofu). Rather than making the meat the main item of the meal, place the focus on the vegetables and whole grains. Meat should be an addition not the main course. Keep in mind a true serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

Snacks are also important. Consider having vegetables with humus, an apple with peanut butter, cheese with crackers and grapes, or yogurt with berries and granola. Other helpful ideas are to include a variety of colors when selecting vegetables and fruit and use herbs and spices in meals. Also, remember your water! Stay hydrated 

Remember to ask yourself what you can do to build a healthy, strong body for the future!!!

To your health!!!
Denise