Tag Archive - health

Singing a New Tune: Robert Parish’s Life After Weight Loss Surgery

January 25, 2012 in Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss with 0 Comments

Robert is a nursing supervisor at St. David’s Rehab Hospital.  Along with his expertise as a care provider, he is also a very talented actor, musician, and songwriter.  Feeling his health deteriorating from excess weight, he made the decision to have bariatric surgery, or weight loss surgery.  It has been 2 years since Robert’s gastric bypass surgery and I recently had an opportunity to sit down and talk to him about his life after surgery.

Q:  The first thing I notice about you is how healthy you look.

A:  I feel healthy and I am healthy.  Losing 135 pounds made a huge difference in my health.

Q:  What type of health issues were you dealing with?

A:  My blood pressure skyrocketing and I had a severe case of sleep apnea.  I found that as I grew older, not only was my health becoming worse, but my ability to lose the excess weight was becoming more difficult.

Q:  What made you look at surgical options for weight management?

A:  My primary care doctor looked at me one day when I was there for an appointment and asked, “When are you going to stop battling this weight?”  It was the spark that I needed to prompt me to look for a solution.  And I didn’t have to look far.  I was caring for postop bariatric surgery patients at the time and I saw what a difference it was making in their lives.

Q: And what difference has weight loss surgery made in your life?

A:  My blood pressure is normal and my sleep apnea is gone.  I’m wearing clothes that haven’t seen the light of day in at least 10 years.  But, most profound is the sense of relief that I experience every day – the relief that  don’t have to be constantly at war with myself and my issue with food.  I feel like I’ve gotten my life back.

Interested in seeing if weight loss surgery is right for you?  Visit our web site at stdavidsweightloss.com or give us a call at St. David’s Bariatric Center – 512-544-LIFE (5433)

Holiday Tips for Expecting Moms!

December 7, 2011 in Baby/Infant, Children, Community, Holiday, Lifestyle Tips, Pregnancy, Women, Women: Ages & Stages with 0 Comments

Here are some helpful holiday tips for expecting Mom’s!

During the holidays we are all participating in many activities that generally bring happiness, but may also cause stress.

If you are pregnant, be sure to listen to your body this holiday season! Here are some tips to take care of yourself and your unwrapped present during this time of year:

  • Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep – you are growing an entire human being, congrats! That is hard work. Make sure to take time out for yourself and rest when you body tells you to.
  • Stay hydrated! During the winter months people generally don’t drink enough water since the temperatures outside are dropping. Water is key to a healthy pregnancy and feeling well. Being dehydrated can lead to fatigue and even uncomfortable contractions. Make sure to keep a water bottle with you throughout the day and take small, frequent sips!
  • Eat smaller meals, but eat often- This is especially important for women who are farther along in pregnancy. As the baby grows, he or she will push on your stomach causing you to feel discomfort if you are eating a large meal. Small snacks throughout the day may help you avoid tummy discomfort and heartburn. We often see women in labor & delivery reporting abdominal pain after eating a Christmas feast! Eating smaller meals can most certainly help avoid this discomfort.

What tips have you received for surviving the holidays while pregnant? Share with us, we would love to hear them!

Happy Holidays-

Meg

Holiday Heart Syndrome: The Gift you DON’T Want this Year

December 5, 2011 in AFIB, Community, Diet, Heart, Heart Rhythm, Holiday, Lifestyle Tips with 0 Comments

Ahhh, the holidays… the one time of the year we’re free to eat, drink, and be merry to our hearts’ content.  I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but all of that merriment can do a number on your body.  Consider all the ways the holidays tend to assault our health:   there’s the extra pound of weight most of us gain during the holidays (which, sadly, rarely comes off the next year), the added salt and fat of those rich holiday goodies, the additional financial and family strain that are common this time of year, the workouts that fall by the wayside, and all those festive cocktails.   That last one can lead to what doctors call “Holiday Heart Syndrome,” a temporary disturbance in heart rhythm and/or function that usually occurs in folks who have no other health problems and is thought to be brought on by binge drinking.  So one minute you’re enjoying your third glass of champagne, and the next minute, your heart feels like it’s going to pound out of your chest.

The term Holiday Heart Syndrome was coined in the 1970s, when physicians began noticing an increase in heart rhythm disturbances in patients around the holiday season.  Most commonly, the sufferer of this syndrome is young, healthy, and does not normally drink in excess.  Imbibing a modest to large quantity of alcohol, though (which many of us do at holiday parties) can over-stimulate the electrical system of this otherwise healthy person’s heart and cause rhythm problems, most commonly Atrial Fibrillation.  Rhythm disturbances associated with Holiday Heart can also be caused by fluid overload, associated with all the salty foods we tend to eat during the holidays.  Luckily, most cases of Holiday Heart Syndrome go away on their own within 24 hours.  But some can persist or recur, increasing the sufferer’s risk of stroke or cardiomyopathy.

The most common symptoms of Holiday Heart Syndrome are palpitations, feeling like your heart is “jumping around” in your chest, and dizziness or fainting.  If you experience these symptoms, especially if you’re otherwise healthy and you’ve been back to the punch bowl a few times, your heart is telling you to stop drinking, sit down, hydrate well with water, and get some rest.  If the symptoms last for more than 5-10 minutes, it’s a good idea to go to the emergency room.  Even if they go away fairly quickly, though, it’s not a bad idea to tell your doctor; you could have a greater propensity toward heart rhythm disturbance in the future.

So how do we prevent Holiday Heart Syndrome?  According to one of TCAI’s Nurse Practitioners, D. Kay Zedlitz, ACNP, “the key is moderation.”  It’s okay to indulge in some festive food and drink, but don’t go overboard.  One alcoholic beverage per day for women and two for men is what’s widely considered moderate; if you go over your daily limit, consider abstaining the next several days to let your system rest.  Remember: alcohol is a toxin to the heart.  Try alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (preferably water) at holiday parties, and limit your proportions of rich, salty foods.  Your heart will thank you for it.

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Did you know… Friends Can Keep You Healthy?

October 12, 2011 in Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Tips, Women with 0 Comments

Friendships buffer everyday stress and help keep you healthy.

Research shows that social interaction, laughing, smiling and feeling connected to others helps release the “happiness hormones”, serotonin and endorphins. These hormones increase your energy level, boost your immune system, minimize pain and reduce stress.

Chronic stress is known to impair the immune system, leading to increased colds and illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and yes, influenza – the common flu.

So the next time you’re feeling run down, tired and under the weather, ask yourself, ‘Am I enjoying enough time with my family and friends?’ Maybe all you need is more time to relax with your friends – take time, whether minutes or hours, with your favorite connections to stay healthy.

In addition to friendships, you can help strengthen your immune system by:

  • getting enough vitamin C on a daily basis; natural foods are best, but if you choose a supplement, aim for 200mg per day.
  • including vitamin E rich foods in your diet, such as seeds, vegetable oils and grains.
  • eating your carrots; beta-carotene is essential to building infection fighting cells.
  • choosing a variety of fruits and vegetables; these provide a boost of bioflavenoids which help to protect the cells in the body.
  • maximizing your zinc intake to strengthen the production of your white blood cells; foods such as fortified cereal have the largest concentration.
To find out more about St. David’s Spirt of Women or to sign up visit: stdavidswomen.com