Hypertension, now identified as a public health emergency, affects more than half of all adults in the United States. Our lifestyle choices or what we do (e.g., consume too many calories, too much saturated fat, sodium, and alcohol, and smoke) and do not do (e.g., exercise and consume enough potassium-rich foods), have a potent effect …
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In the two years since COVID-19 entered the world’s consciousness, the adoption of patient-facing technologies has advanced significantly. Pandemic restrictions created the need to extend care beyond the doctors’ office and technology provided the answer. Telemedicine, patient portals, remote patient monitoring, and digital assessment became viable options for providers to continue care for patients with …
Loneliness is on the rise. In a 2020 survey by Cigna, more than 60 percent of respondents reported “…feeling lonely, left out, poorly understood, and lacking companionship.” For individuals living with chronic disease, this lack of connection can impact their response to treatment and disease progression. For example, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found …
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In the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the number of people battling depression. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that symptoms of depressive disorder rose considerably from April-June 2020 over the same period in 2019. Depression itself is a serious condition. Defined as a mood disorder, depression causes unrelenting sadness and …
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Sleeping regularly and adequately is indispensable for quality of life. Getting a good night’s sleep contributes to feeling rested and refreshed, but so much more happens during sleep. Sleep rejuvenates the cardiovascular and immune systems and regulates the production of the body’s hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. These two hormones control appetite, and when …
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The desire for convenience and efficiency has changed the way we look at meal replacements. Originally developed to deliver nutrients and calories to patients dealing with serious illness, meal replacements have evolved to be marketed as a time-saving alternative to preparing a full meal; a simplified option to adopt low-carb, low-sugar, or plant-based diets; and …
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Eating less meat and more plants is better for the environment and our health. But it can be difficult to convince meat lovers to pass on a steak in favor of tofu. There are many reasons why people eat a particular way. Culture, values, tradition, habits, finances, and health all can play a part, but …
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The recent blog post by Garry Welch, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Silver Fern, focused on ways to improve Americans’ fruit and vegetable intake. Dr. Welch discussed the rationale for society to invest in programs that allowed and encouraged medical personnel to prescribe food as opposed to, or in combination with medicine, to treat chronic …
When we teach patients or clients to eat better, we inevitably review label reading and ingredient lists on packages. We instruct patients to look for cereals with more than five grams of fiber and less than four grams of sugar, or for breads whose first ingredient is whole grain. But what do we tell our patients to …
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At some point in their busy lives, your patients are going to turn to or find themselves in a convenience store to buy food. This will happen occasionally for some patients, such as when they are traveling for vacation or run out of a food staple before the next grocery trip. However, it may be a regular practice for others, often because conveniences stores are, well convenient – close to …
Continue reading “Five Foods You Can Tell Your Patients to Reach for in a Convenience Store”
