Clients Hit Hard by BED BUGS!

Several clients in this past month of home visits have bed bug infestations in their homes.  Unfortunately, according the Maryland laws, unless bed bugs have spread into multiple units, the renter is responsible for extermination costs.  Not only must our clients pay for extermination costs of around $250, but they must also throw out their mattresses, linens, couches, and sometimes all their clothing and shoes and then figure out replacements.   

This week, our dietitian Jinee, visited William who has had bed bugs for the past two weeks.  His landlord has agreed to set up the bed bug treatment on Monday, but William has no idea how he is going to throw out his couch and bed let alone get new ones.  William is 5’9” 110lbs.  He has struggled for several months to build his weight and his strength.  Right now, with the bed bug problem, he sleeps on his old leather office chair to stay away from the bed bugs, keeping him up all night, and adding one more barrier to his ability to achieve a healthier self.   

Can you help William and other clients in similar predicaments?

Photo credit: Mattress Warehouse

Ways to Help!

·         Donate your time

o   Do you have availability and the ability to help move and throw out bed ridden furniture?  Or to deliver new furniture?

·         Donate furniture

o   Couch, loveseat, mattress, mattress box

·         Donate linens & clothing

o   If you have new or gently used clean clothing or new shoes to donate, please email Jinee to check on sizes needed.

o   If you would like to donate new bedding, most of our clients need full or queen sized fitted sheets, flat sheets, blankets, comforters, pillows, and pillow cases.

·         Donate bed bug covers

o   These would be a good thing to give to any of our clients! Here are a few links:

•  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=115661&RN=0
•  http://www.amazon.com/Ideaworks-Blockade-Mattress-Cover-Queen/dp/B004P9JDNW
• http://www.amazon.com/Bed-Mattress-Cover-Twin-Size/dp/B0043QQT16

Contact Dietitian Jinee Burdg at jburdg@mfeast.org for more information!

Thanks for all you do to improve quality of life for our clients. 

How to Prolong Life after Cancer

Based on new recommendations from the American Cancer Society, by living a healthy lifestyle, individuals who have overcome cancer can extend their lives—especially those with breast, colorectal or prostate cancer. Colleen Doyle, the Cancer Society’s director of nutrition and physical activity, provides the keys to prolonging life after cancer:

1.     Eat right

a.       Lots of fruits

b.      Lots of vegetables

c.       Mainly whole grains

d.      Lean protein

2.     Exercise

a.       Walking or other aerobic activity most days of the week

3.     Maintain normal weight

a.       Within normal range



Photo Credit: Art Fitness Training

Cancer Survivors might face other conditions

Individuals with cancer have a greater chance of developing other cancers, and could possibly be more likely to develop chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, said Nagi Kumar, Director of Cancer Chemoprevention at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.

“Many survivors are not going to die of cancer anymore,” Kumar said. “They are going to have problems with obesity, metabolic syndrome and other diseases that are very common in the U.S. anyway, and this is a little bit more vulnerable group.”

“It’s really important to be obsessive about what they do for themselves,” Nagi said. “Give it your all: do yoga, get more flexible, eat right. Become very obsessive about what you’re putting in your body.”

Be sure to check out our blog on Wednesdays to get new ideas for how to eat right and stay healthy. This week's Health Tip was on the benefits of black beans and included a recipe for a spicy black bean burrito. To read it, click here.  

Resources

Go to Health Day: For more information about this article by Jenifer Goodwin

The U.S. National Cancer Institute: For more ways to live a healthy lifestyle that can help prevent cancer

Benefits of Black Beans + Spicy Black Bean Burrito Recipe

Recent News about Black Beans

Black beans, also known as turtle beans, are legumes that are not only rich in flavor, but also in protein and fiber. Health benefits according the World’s Healthiest Food website include: 

Photo Credit: Weelicious

•  Digestive track support
• Blood sugar regulation benefits
•  Heart health promotion
• Better regulation of blood sugar
• Antioxidant protection
• Anti-inflammatory benefits 

Research shows a correlation between bean consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, various cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer.

Recommendation

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating 3 cups of legumes per week or ½ cup serving six days per week.

Want to get your first serving today? Try this recipe:

Spicy Black Bean Burrito

Photo Credit: The World's Healthiest Foods

You don’t have to go to Chipotle to enjoy a delicious burrito. You can easily make one at home following this 15 minute, extremely delicious recipe (below)!

Ingredients:

            1/2 red onion, diced

            2 cloves garlic, chopped

            1 red bell pepper, diced

            2 cups or 1 15 oz can (BPA-free) black beans

            2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

            2 tsp chili powder

            1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

            salt and pepper to taste

            2 whole wheat tortillas

            2 oz low-fat cheese

            1 cup prepared salsa

            goat cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Dice onions and chop garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits
• Dice bell peppers
• Healthy Sauté onions and bell peppers for 5 minutes
• Add garlic, black beans, olive oil, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste
• Wrap 1/2 of mixture and 1 oz of low-fat cheese into each of the two tortillas
• Top with salsa, and goat cheese (if desired).

ENJOY!

Resources:

The World’s Healthiest Foods website has more info about the nutritional profile of black beans, healthy recipes and the latest news about black beans.

Building Muscles Benefits Diabetes Patients

In a recent article in ScienceDaily, research findings reinforce that you can get the same results by weight training at a lower intensity but with more repetitions than lifting strictly high intensity weights.

Photo Credit: World Health

Why is this important?

Nicholas Burd, lead author in the study, states that, "these findings have important implications from a public health standpoint because skeletal muscle mass is a large contributor to daily energy expenditure and it assists in weight management. Additionally, skeletal muscle mass, because of its overall size, is the primary site of blood sugar disposal and thus will likely play a role in reducing the risk for development of type II diabetes." A UCLA study suggests that having more muscle mass decreases one’s risk for Type 2 Diabetes and other physical limitations. It decreases one’s risk by increasing metabolism and controlling insulin.

Individuals with compromised skeletal muscle mass, like the aged, patients with cancer and even someone who has had a stroke can benefit from these findings. It's motivating knowing that you can lift lighter weights and still have similar muscle mass as those who lift heavy weights.

Recommendations 

The American Diabetes Association and the American College of Sports and Medicine recommend weight training at least twice a week, doing 12 repetitions per set of eight to 10 exercises targeting major muscle groups.

According to an article in Everyday Health, strength training protects against various problems of diabetes by:

·         Reducing your risk of heart disease

·         Helping control blood pressure

·         Increasing your levels of good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol levels

·         Improving bone density

·         Preventing atrophy and loss of muscle mass due to age

Resources

For more info on Exercise and Diabetes

For Exercise programs visit LiveStrong

Rethink Breast Cancer: Your Man Reminder App

If you’ve heard of the Canadian-based breast cancer charity, Rethink Breast Cancer, then you’ve heard of “Your Man Reminder.” Rethink Breast Cancer was initiated by a couple of young women who were affected by breast cancer and realized that their needs were different from those of older women with breast cancer.

As a new way to reach out to and get young women educated and aware about breast cancer, Rethink came up with the creative and fresh idea to use extremely hot men to remind women to be breast aware - all through an app on their smart phones. Essentially, you can choose a man of your preference to give you monthly breast exam reminders. When the campaign was publicized, the video got over two million views and more than seventy thousand downloads of the app.

To get your very own hot guy reminders, download the app here!

Rethink Breast Cancer. Your breasts are in your hands!

Laugh Away Your Stress!

Happy National Stress Awareness Month and National Humor Month!

This April is the 20^th year of National Stress Awareness Month, sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN)—a non-profit health education organization. During this month, stress experts and other health care professionals collaborate to create awareness about the dangers of stress that are rampant in today’s stressed-out world. Materials on strategies to relief stress are also shared.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime

Consequences of Stress

Stress can result from everyday challenges life that presents us with. However, when stress is managed poorly, it can lead to serious health consequences like anxiety, mood swings, loss of energy, muscle tension, fatigue, headache, high blood pressure, heart disease and more 

Not sure how to relief your stress? Laugh away your stress!

This month also marks the 36^th year that National Humor Month is being celebrated.

Photo Credit: The Laughter Workout

Purpose of National Humor Month (NHM)

National Humor Month was founded in 1976 by best-selling humorist Larry Wilde, Director of The Carmel Institute of Humor. He has written over 50 books dealing with humor. The purpose of NHM, according to The National Humor Month website, is “to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life.”

Benefits of Humor

Scientific research shows that laughter is healing and combats debilitating stress and burnout. Dr. Madan Kataria, who initiated the first laughter yoga club in India, found that laughter can help relax muscles, lower blood pressure, improve blood circulation, increase oxygen levels, and boost your immune system. He views laughter as the “master key” to good health.

Wellesse provides a few easy tips for relieving stress:

• Try deep breathing, meditation, or praying
• Laugh - read a joke or think of a funny memory
• Go for a walk or run - exercise is a great stress reliever
• Talk to someone about why you are feeling stressed
• Watch a funny old movie or home videos that makes you laugh
• Get a massage

Photo Credit: Expatriate Games

More Resources:
Wellesse for more stress relief tips
National Humor Month Website
The Laughter Workout