Monday, September 27, 2010

 

Don’t let myths sway your organ donation decision

Losing a loved one is an upsetting event in anyone’s lifetime. Organ and tissue donation is a controversial topic of discussion.

From a young age, I have always been a proponent of organ and tissue donation, and working in a hospital setting has only solidified my feelings. In June of 2001, the issue took on even more importance for my husband and I.

My mother-in-law was in need of a kidney transplant due to uncontrolled high blood pressure. The call came late at night. A kidney became available and she was on her way to the hospital.

I was uncertain if I should be happy or sad. In order for my mother-in-law to receive a kidney, someone had to die.

I admit I was happy that she would see her first grandchild, but what was that other family going through? Who was this family that decided to be so selfless?

Many of us do not understand organ and tissue donation and there are many myths that surround this issue. Hare are some facts according to Donate Life Connecticut:

• When receiving or renewing a Connecticut state driver’s license, you will be asked if you wish to become an organ and/or tissue donor. The information you provide goes into a donor registry database accessible by the organ procurement organization (OPO) in the event you become a potential donor. If you answer, “YES” to the question, this is considered legal consent for donation.

• Anyone age 18 or over can also sign a uniform donor card. If you are under the age of 18, at least one parent or legal guardian must be a co-signer. A signed donor card is also legal consent for donation. You should also make your wishes known to your family.

• Organs that may be donated following death include: heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, and small intestine. Corneas, skin, bone, heart valves, connective tissue and blood vessels are all examples of tissues that can be donated after cardiac death.

Total body donation for medical research and education is also an option.

• There is no age limit for organ donation. Patients’ medical histories are more important than their age.

Efforts to save a person’s life are not lessened if hospital staff knows you have a signed donor card or are on the donor registry. The goal of emergency medical personnel and hospital staff is to save your life. The organ and tissue donation team does not become involved until after it has been determined that all efforts to save a patient’s life have failed.

• There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ and tissue donation.

Qualified doctors perform removal of organs and tissues and open-casket viewing can still take place.

I thank this family for the gift of life given to my mother-in-law. We all have the power to donate life.

For more information on organ and tissue donation, go to Donate Life Connecticut. http://www.ctorganandtissuedonation.org/home.html

Lisa Cook is a registered nurse with the Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Cook or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org


Monday, September 20, 2010

 

Holiday season means frequent food temptations

A new photo may be needed to accompany this column after I lost 33 pounds through the always-healthy combination of diet and exercise.

I am proud of this accomplishment and feel good about myself.

But I am also wary — the holiday season is coming and temptations will be lurking beginning with the leftover Halloween candy and not ending until the Super Bowl.

That’s why I am so looking forward to the upcoming Enjoy LIFE (Lifelong Investment in Fitness & Exercise) program. On Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Plainfield Recreation Department, Registered Backus Hospital Registered Dietitian Sarah Hospod will give us the tricks to avoid the treats this holiday season.

Sarah knows it would be nearly impossible to avoid all the foods and drinks available at parties and get-togethers during the holidays. But there are ways to mitigate the damage to your caloric consumption in the next few months.

Here are some of the tips Sarah will offer:

• Use smaller plates – the less you put on your plate the less you will eat.

• When arriving at the buffet table, pause. Scan the entire food spread, and decide what you would really like to try instead of a sampling of everything. Portion control can make all the difference in these situations.

• Wait at least 10 minutes before having seconds, and ask yourself if you are really still hungry. Sarah refers to this process as “allowing your stomach to catch up to your head.”

If you want to attend the free program on Oct 14, call 860-889-8331, ext. 2495 to register.

I am a firm believer in limiting dietary damage ahead of time rather than playing catch up later. I will be paying close attention to Sarah’s presentation, and wish everyone luck keeping the pounds off this holiday season.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator with the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org


Monday, September 13, 2010

 

Internet health information: Reliable or bogus?

Health information is abundant and literally at your fingertips on the internet.

But is it reliable?

Following bad health advice can have disastrous results. Anybody can establish a “health” website.

So who do you trust? How can you distinguish between good and bad information? You want current, unbiased information based on research. Be skeptical.

Here are several questions to ask when evaluating web site health information.

Who runs the site? Is it a university (.edu) or the government (.gov)? Is it a health organization (.org) or a business that wants to sell you something (.com)?

Is the information written by experts? Check the “About Us” link — it should list the credentials of the professionals and experts writing the advice.

Is the information reviewed by experts? Is there an editorial board?

This info would also be found in the “About Us” section.

Is there a way to contact the writers of the health information? Is there a phone number, email, street address?

Are there unbelievable claims or testimonials? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Are there privacy policies? Do they ask for personal information? Will this information be shared? Are you comfortable with that?

Are there references on research studies reported? Do they identify sources of information?

Is the information current and up to date?

Internet health information is not a substitute for your own personal health care provider’s advice. Before following any advice from the internet, discuss it first with your personal physician or healthcare professional.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator with the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org


Tuesday, September 07, 2010

 

Pack a healthy punch with your kids’ lunch

After you’ve tossed the last empty sun block bottle and shaken all the sand out of the beach bag your mind turns to thoughts of school, soccer practice and packing lunches.

School began last week and if your child does not eat hot lunch you began asking the nearly inevitable daily question: “What do you want for lunch?”

We all want our children to eat a nutritious lunch and nibble on carrot sticks for snack, but it’s never that simple.

As a dietitian and mother, I can be particularly obsessive on this topic.

One child loves fruit, but avoids vegetables and most forms of protein. While my older daughter will gobble down broccoli, she avoids most fruits.

Shopping for lunch and snack items has become a less than ideal chore. The following suggestions include things I have tried to expand my daughters’ palates and still provide them a balanced diet.

Have your children help plan and make meals. Take them grocery shopping, have them pick out snacks in the produce department and dairy. When your child plays a role in choosing and preparing a meal they are more inclined to actually eat it.

Keep a checklist for each child listing what they enjoy from each food group. Have them help you create the list.

Make the lunches as appealing as possible. Fun shapes with cookie cutters, meat and cheese roll ups, small thermoses for soup or left over pasta and sauce are a few ideas to keep lunch enticing.

Build in a small treat. Foods such as popcorn, a small bag of trail mix, a low fat pudding cup or jello, or chocolate chip granola bar will appeal to your child’s taste buds yet still as a qualify healthy choice.

If too many calories is a concern, avoid juice boxes, and put in a water bottle or money to buy low-fat milk at school. Whole milk is no longer offered at most schools.

A great choice for flavored water is the Capri Sun Roaring Waters. The packaging appeals to the kids – and is calorie-free.

Here is a list of meal and snack ideas I’ve accumulated over time to keep my daughters’ lunches healthy and appealing. Try to incorporate at least one item from each category when planning lunch and snacks, and mix it up -- kids get bored easily.

• Fruit: Fresh berries, sliced apples with peanut butter or caramel to dip, applesauce, pitted cherries, watermelon cubes, raisins, plums, peaches, etc…

• Vegetables: Carrot sticks, sliced peppers, raw broccoli, or even lightly salted soy beans found in the frozen food section (believe it or not my kids love these). Serve the raw veggies with a low fat dressing or better yet, take plain low fat Greek yogurt and add a dry ranch dressing mix to create a dip. You’ll gain the protein and calcium from the yogurt and your kids won’t notice the difference.

• Protein: Peanut butter, almond butter, low fat cheese sticks, Chobani kids Greek yogurt, GoGurts, trail mix with an assortment of nuts, low sodium deli meats, leftover chili or pasta and meat sauce in a thermos. Try adding shredded light cheddar to your next box of macaroni and cheese. This will boost calcium and protein and stays warm in the thermos.

• Grains: Whole grain crackers, whole wheat mini bagels with peanut butter, wraps, popcorn, goldfish, pretzels, 100% whole wheat bread or whole grain white, Barilla Plus pasta.

Rarely are we blessed with perfect eaters, myself included. But there are things we can do as parents to make school food and snacks healthier – and fun.

Wendy Kane is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator in the Backus Hospital Diabetes Management Center. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Kane or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org


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