Category: A Healthier Community

Telemedicine Saved My Sanity and My Vacation

Some things can’t be avoided—like colds that settle in right before a vacation. And flights that can’t be postponed because I’m sick and don’t want to miss one niece’s wedding and another niece’s baby shower, and I haven’t seen my 91-year-old mother in six months.

Here’s how my get well journey began and ultimately led to my using telemedicine so I could enjoy time with my family in Oklahoma and Missouri.

My trip was looming

After my sickness hit, I was resigned to sniffling, sneezing and coughing my way through the next few days. After all, colds, as the adage goes, are “three days coming, three days here and three days going.” I started taking over-the-counter cold medicine to relieve symptoms and drinking lots of liquids and tried to get more shut-eye. Standard operating procedure for waiting out a cold.

My trip was looming. I needed to be healthy. But when my throat felt like it was lined with razor blades, I visited an urgent care center to rule out strep. Because I’ve found the quick strep test not always reliable, I requested a throat culture which takes a couple of days to grow. I hoped to get the results back Saturday so if they came back positive, I could be prescribed an antibiotic before leaving on Sunday. Fortunately, I tested negative.

No hugs. I’m fighting a cold.

So, I sucked it up and boarded the plane armed with a decongestant, a nasal inhaler, plenty of tissues, antiseptic wipes and hand sanitizer. I discreetly coated the inside of my nose with a saline nasal gel and used earplugs to avoid airplane ear, an especially uncomfortable condition when you’re flying with nasal congestion. Still, my eardrums felt like they were about to burst on the descent—not once, but twice since I had a connection in Chicago. No wonder some babies and little kids cry so loud on planes!

When my sisters picked me up at the Tulsa airport, I warned them, “No hugs. I’m fighting a cold.”

Each morning, I hoped to have turned the corner and be on the mend, but I wasn’t getting better. Friday, day 10 of my cold and the day of the rehearsal dinner, I still felt miserable. There wasn’t time for and it wasn’t convenient for another urgent care visit. What to do? What to do?

Telemedicine to the rescue

Then, I had an “aha” moment. Telemedicine! I’d used it successfully a couple of times before at home in New York. Once for a cut that would not heal, another for a rash, the kinds of minor illnesses and injuries that many telemedicine services treat.

But, it would also work in Missouri! For what I thought was a cold and knew was something more significant!!

The author was able to enjoy her visit with her 91-year-old mom in Tulsa thanks to telemedicine.

I was already registered with MDLIVE, the telemedicine service affiliated with my health insurance. Now, I just had to schedule an appointment. I knew I could do a phone consultation or a face-to-face visit via video conference.

When I made the initial call that morning, I asked for an immediate doctor visit, although I could have scheduled one later in the day. In a few minutes, a doctor licensed in Missouri called me. He asked about my symptoms, how long I had had them, and what I’d been taking to alleviate them. I told him about the negative throat culture. He was friendly and compassionate. (A recent survey of upstate New Yorkers by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield indicated that 80 percent of those who have used telemedicine rated their experience as “excellent” or “very good.”)

Ready for the wedding

The doctor concluded my cold had probably developed into a sinus infection. He faxed some prescriptions to a pharmacy near the hotel. They were ready in about an hour, and that afternoon, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the wedding festivities.

The telemedicine visit was fast, effective and cheap. (Through my health insurance, my co-pay for a telemedicine visit is $10. Check with your health plan to see if you have a telemedicine benefit. If you don’t, you can still use the service. Google “telemedicine” or “telehealth” online to see what’s available and how much it costs.)

Although I felt better soon after taking the prescribed medications, having to fly again a few days later seemed to set me back. When I got home, I scheduled a visit with my regular doctor who prescribed an inhaler for a slight wheeze.

So, if you find yourself or a family member with a minor illness or injury and your regular doctor isn’t available or you’re out-of-town, telemedicine may save the day—or your vacation.

50 Small Changes for a Healthier Life

I’m obsessed with my popcorn popper. My hot-air wonder has been popping healthy treats since before I met my hubby and had kids – even before I got the now-elderly feline.

You come to my house, I serve you popcorn. You invite me to your house, I come with popcorn.

My friends mock me for my love of air-popped popcorn. But they lust after salty chips and fudgy ice cream, while I happily embrace my popper and bag of popcorn kernels.

It’s my simple solution to healthy snacking.

“Swapping out junky treats for air-popped popcorn is a simple change that can lead to a healthier tomorrow,” said Patricia Salzer, registered dietitian, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.  “One cup of popcorn is about 30 calories – if you don’t add gobs of butter and other unhealthy stuff!”

It’s not the only simple solution to life’s healthy living problems. Consider these 50 small healthy changes that can make a big difference, and visit ExcellusBCBS.com/LiveFearlessNation for more on how to make small changes – one fearless step at a time. Help spread the word with family and friends and inspire others to be part of this Fearless Nation.

Eat better

Let’s start with my biggest hurdle – eating right! I generally eat OK, especially when I’m inhaling popcorn, but I’m a sucker for sweets. Here are some ideas:

  1. Invest in an air popper! (Are you surprised this is tip #1?) You, too, can be mocked by friends for snacking on nothing but popcorn. But, get this. One of those friends ran out a few years ago and BOUGHT HER OWN POPPER! It changed her life.
  2. Banish the Oreos to the highest of shelves! Exile the double fudge ice cream to the back of your freezer!  Out of sight, out of mind, right?
  3. Wash and cut-up raw veggies and coax them to the front of your fridge. When you’re looking for something quick to eat, you can grab and go. For an added treat, dip them in a hummus or a yogurt mix.
  4. Swap out the cookie jar for a bowl of apples. Apples are guilt-free because they have just traces of fat and sodium and no cholesterol. The skin of the apple is loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.
  5. Ditch the gigantic plates. Smaller plates can help control portion size. The bigger the plate, the bigger the portions . . . and the more calories you’ll consume.

  1. Fill that smaller plate with the right stuff. Fill half the plate with fruits and veggies and split the rest between lean protein (chicken, fish, beans, etc.) and grains.
  2. Hey ladies: If you’re thinking of having a baby at some point, consider stocking up on folic acid. This vitamin helps to prevent birth defects. Aim for 400 micrograms of folic acid daily in vitamins or foods, such as fortified breakfast cereal.
  3. Ditch the “I need to get Vitamin D” excuse for excess sunbathing. Don’t risk getting skin cancer. Consider eating foods high in the vitamin, such as tuna fish, salmon and fortified milk. The vitamin is critical to having strong and healthy muscles and bones.
  4. Carry around a water bottle for easy drinking. Drinking lots of water can help curb your hunger and help you lose weight.
  5. Not a fan of water? Add flavor to tap water with slices of cucumber, cinnamon sticks, apples, fresh cranberries or a sprig of mint.
  6. Now that you have an air-popper, consider adding a crock-pot to your collection of small appliances. Become a wiz at making easy, healthy meals. It can even save your sanity and your marriage.
  7. Add veggies to your meals, whenever possible. Got fussy kids? Find ways to sneak veggies into their foods. Try this Stealthy Zucchini Meatball recipe.
  8. Eat breakfast. Lose weight. Really.
  9. Indulge in healthy snacks. Think plain Greek yogurt, a few nuts, fruit, veggies or nut butter. If you get too hungry, you’ll likely overeat at your next meal.
  10. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season in the fall, winter, spring and summer. Eat foods at their peak for flavor and freshness.
  11. Drink your greens. You won’t taste the added veggies, but you’ll be getting an extra serving of produce without even trying. Check out this recipe.

Move more

I used to run – a lot. But then then I had kid #1 and kid #2, and started running less. I stressed over my inability to find enough time to run.

I finally faced reality. As long as I moved a lot in a day, it’s OK if I didn’t run. My new outlook saved my sanity, and kept me active.

Here are ideas for moving more:

  1. Buy a FitBit or another activity tracker — if you don’t mind spending the cash! It might be the motivation you need to hit certain activity goals, like 10,000 steps or more a day.
  2. Walk out your front door and keep walking. Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. It’s so easy to do!
  3. Loop around the perimeter of a big box store such as Walmart, Target or Wegmans before you fill your cart.
  4. Race your kid. Run outside with the little ones, climb that tree, jump rope and kick the ball. When I’m low on steps for the day, I race my kindergartener around our yard to boost my activity totals.
  5. Stand up! More than half of your day is likely spent sitting. Too much sitting is linked to heart disease and other serious issues. Sit all day at work? Set a reminder to stand every hour. Stand when on a conference call or eating lunch. Or, try a walking meeting with co-workers.

  1. Wake up 10 minutes earlier for a quick workout. I’m currently hooked on a 12-minute Tank Top Arms Workout on YouTube. My co-worker swears by the free workout app, Seven, for — you guessed it – seven-minute workouts.
  2. Time strapped in the morning? Squeeze in a few push-ups (on toes or knees) before you brush your teeth.
  3. Keep refilling the water bottle or glass of water. That’ll get you extra steps – especially from added bathroom breaks!
  4. Skip the email! Get up, walk to your co-worker’s desk and have an actual conversation in person.
  5. While watching TV, stand, stretch or squeeze in exercises.
  6. Schedule a gym date with a friend. You’re more likely to go if you have a buddy holding you accountable.

Feel better

My neighborhood is full of big weeping willows and other park-like, mature trees. A creek winds through my yard. A walk around my yard or street is the perfect stress buster, since being in nature is a great mood booster. Here are other ideas to help you stay sane:

  1. Trek through a park, forest or trail. As I mentioned — nature is believed to reduce stress and depression.
  2. An even simpler solution? Go outside and breathe in the fresh air.
  3. When you’re outside, look up! The sky can be beautiful and a great distraction from your troubles.
  4. Gardening – Fixing up your yard or tending to rows of tomato plants can help reduce stress.
  5. Breathe … deeply. It’ll help distract you from your thoughts and might actually help you (really) relax.
  6. Power Pose!  Stand tall with your hands on your hips! Or, flex your muscles! Do whatever pose makes you feel powerful for two minutes. It might boost your confidence before a job interview or another high-pressured event.

 

  1. Exercise to . . . relax? It’s a real thing. Exercise can decrease stress levels while stimulating the feel good chemicals in your brain, called endorphins.
  2. Pen thank you notes. Focusing on the good things in your life, such as how others have helped you, can make you feel happy.
  3. Write only happy thoughts. Journal about what makes you feel good. It’s the same idea behind #33. Gratitude can boost the positive emotions that make you happy.
  4. Call a friend. Connecting with good friends can prevent you from feeling lonely, offer companionship and boost your overall mood.
  5. Smile! I mean a real, full-fledged smile that leaves crinkles around the eyes. Smile your way out of your crabby mood.
  6. Volunteer. If you want to fight depression and loneliness, helping others is a great antidote.
  7. Hey road-ragers: Get a stress ball. Instead of shrieking at the car in front of you, find other ways to alleviate stress.

Sleep more

I took an amazing nap the other day. It was Sunday, and I was up early with the kids. After a morning of chasing them around, doing errands, laundry, etc., I was cranky and exhausted. Then I took that amazing 20-minute nap. I woke feeling unusually refreshed and pleasant!

Here are tips for grabbing more of that elusive shuteye:

  1. Nap! A short, 20-30 minute nap can help fix a poor night’s sleep.

  1. No bedtime iPhone-ing. That light from your smartphone might wreck your ability to sleep.
  2. Read a book. When I’m struggling for shuteye, I grab the Kindle and read until my eye lids start to droop. It. Works. Every. Time.
  3. Quiet your racing mind. One large sleeping roadblock is your obsession with your to-do list, your workload, your kids, etc. But meditation can help calm your mind and relax. Sleep.org has tips for meditating before bed.
  4. Skip the booze. I’m really sorry about this one. The wine before bed might help you quickly doze off, but you might not get a restful night’s sleep. Everyone’s body is different, so listen to yours in deciding if and how much to drink before bed.
  5. Exercise during the day. When I run, I sleep. Doing aerobic exercise for at least 10 minutes and you might have a more satisfying slumber.
  6.  Snack before bed. This blog article, “11 easy snacks to help you sleep better,”  will get you thinking about nighttime indulgences.
  7. Adult lullabies. Sure, you’re a big adult with big adult responsibilities. But even big adults sometimes need “adult lullabies” to wind down and fall asleep.
  8. Thin, firm or no pillow? Are you a back, side or stomach sleeper? Certain pillows will work best for certain sleepers. Get tips HERE.

Our last small change is….

Have you seen how kids clean their teeth nowadays? They’ve got bags of colorful, flavorful “flossers” to sharpen their fangs. All I got as a child were boring containers of … floss.

  1. Speaking of floss, do it! Flossing helps prevent gum disease, which in turn can lead to a host of health issues. So floss, and you might reduce your risk of heart disease.

Personal Spotlight on Nicole Kazimer of Hikyoga

Nicole Kazimer is the founder of Hikyoga, a hiking-infused yoga class in Rochester. Born and raised in Webster, NY, Nicole is a certified yoga instructor whose Hikyoga journey began when she started to teach her friends yoga at a Rochester park. Upstate New York has so many amazing hiking trails, making it the perfect place for Nicole to start her business. In an interview with AHealthierUpstate.org, Nicole shares insight into how she leads her healthiest life.

Tell us about Hikyoga. What does it involve?  

Taking yoga outside inspires people to become more present with their surroundings. As the yoga “studio” is ever changing from trail to trail and season to season, participants are continuously engaged with nature.

Hikyoga attracts newcomers interested in trying yoga as it eliminates the stress and intimidation sometimes associated with studio yoga. It also attracts life-long yogis! Incorporating movement into yoga as we move from the studio to the outdoors is a great variation from traditional styles.

Healthy eating can be a struggle for all of us. What do you do to stay on top of it?

Breakfast! We hear it’s the most important meal of the day… that is no joke. I eat breakfast within the first 20 minutes of waking up and make sure I eat more protein than sugar. Too much sugar and carbs for breakfast makes me feel yucky the rest of the day.

Smoothies are so much easier than everyone thinks. Throw the ingredients into a blender and you’re good to go. Hikyoga even offers super fun smoothie making workshops that include yoga plus smoothies made by Mackenzie’s Table.

For me, counting calories does more harm than good; it creates more stress which leads to unhealthy choices. Eliminating the pressure from calorie counting helps me listen to what my body needs and enjoy what I’m eating!

You sound like a pretty busy lady! How do you balance it all?

I make time for myself. I make time for sleep, self-care, alone time, and schedule one night a week for nothing but family time.

My schedule is jammed, especially on nights and weekends. I make sure to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night to ensure I have a sharp mind the next day. Also, I’m always prepared with snacks! I’m the snack queen – especially when I know that I’ll be running around for a while. Some of my favorite snacks include yogurt (siggi’s is my jam right now), spoonfuls of peanut butter and clementines.

Upstate New York, as you know, can have some pretty tough winters. How do you stay active?

I make time for the outdoors in the winter and take full advantage of the sunny winter days to get outside and hike. I practice indoor yoga about once a week. I’ve learned that if you don’t like it… don’t do it and find something that works for you.

Doing something you love is extremely important in living an active lifestyle no matter what the season is. If you’ve tried it all, and you’re still not totally keen on it, bring a friend. You’ll hold each other accountable and have fun!

How does a healthy lifestyle help you at home and at work?

The food we put into our bodies makes us who we are. If I feed my body with nutrients and feed my mind with positivity, then I’ll be the best version of myself.

Stress takes a toll on our bodies, even if we’re stressed over something we enjoy doing. My passion is teaching to large groups and organizing big, fun events – but it’s extremely demanding. I know if I sleep well, eat healthy, and feed my mind with positive thoughts, I’ll be able to conquer the day and be the best version of myself for my students.

What advice do you have for someone who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle?

Know that it’s ok to say “no” to things that don’t excite you. We’re pressured into doing a lot of things that we “should” be doing, but does it really make us happy? There are tons of ways to stay healthy, so have fun experimenting with what works for you! Also, spend more time on your mental wellbeing and your physical wellbeing will follow.

Where do you go in your community to be healthy?

I am super lucky my job allows me to be outside exploring trails in and around Rochester. These trails help me stay in the present as I calm/clear my mind. When I’m outside, I don’t like to check my phone.  Instead, I look up, look down and all around and take in nature. Our minds are going so fast all day long between all the stimulants and high demands. Some of my favorite trails include Abraham Lincoln Park in Penfield, Chimney Bluffs State Park in Wolcott, and Highland Park in Rochester.

To learn more about Nicole, go to hikyoga.com

Invite more balance, strength and flexibility into your healthy lifestyle by trying some of Nicole’s favorite yoga poses:

MyFitnessPal, My New Best Friend

MyFitnessPal makes it easy to journal what you eat and drink.

MyFitnessPal is a food diary, calorie and nutrient tracker and exercise journal rolled into one easy-to-use app. I use the MyFitnessPal app when I realize I’ve been eating a little less than “mindfully” and need to inject some discipline into my routine. Journaling everything you eat and drink is a great way to hold yourself accountable for what you consume, and counting calories through journaling is often heralded as an effective way to maintain or lose weight.

The Rundown

  1. Set yourself up: When you first launch the app, you’ll enter your height and weight, activity levels and weight goals. The app will calculate a daily calorie goal for you based on this information.
    • Example:
      Height:  5 feet 6 inches tall
      Weight: 150 lbs.
      Daily activity level: Lightly active
      Goal weight: 145 lbs.
      Weekly Goal: Lose a pound a week
      Result: The app will allot around 1,480 calories a day (this will adjust for each individual’s specific goals and circumstances).
  2. From your mouth to the app: Each day, enter what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks and drinks. Try not to make exceptions to this rule—the point is to really see what you’re consuming!The app takes out a lot of the guesswork: you can search through a vast catalogue of millions of foods and meals from different stores, brands and restaurants, with nutritional information. Select your food and serving size, and log it in. The app calculates the total calories and keeps your running total for the day.
  3. Feel the burn: Did you go over your calorie goal for the day? Fear not. MyFitnessPal offers no shame, only support. If you’re lacing up those running shoes or hitting the gym, the app allows you to add your exercise and it will increase your calorie allotment based on your activity.

Features and Extras

Entering meals in the diary can be easy and fast. Use your smartphone’s camera to scan the barcode on packaged foods—like a bag of granola or a protein bar—to automatically record calories. You can even store your go-to snacks in the app.

Calculating calories in meals made from scratch with whole ingredients, such as your grandmother’s chicken noodle soup, can be a little tricky. For homemade meals, enter each separate ingredient, or find a similar meal in the catalogue (just remember that the calorie counts could be inaccurate!). Luckily, if you make certain recipes often, you can save them to use again later.

What I Learned

MyFitnessPal shed light on some of my less-than-healthy eating habits.  I was unpleasantly surprised, for example, to learn how many calories (up to 500!) are in the average smoothie. I switched to plain Greek yogurt with some walnuts for a weekday breakfast at only 220 calories.  That doesn’t mean I can never have the smoothie—I just have to really want it and be willing to absorb the calories that come with it.

The app also forces you to come to grips with serving size. For me, it was a wake-up call of sorts to face what a recommended serving size really is, versus what I actually consume. To my chagrin, the app forced me to realize that while it might not be so bad to indulge in the half-cup serving size of ice cream listed on the carton, eating three times that amount knocks my daily calorie goal out of reach.

Any Critiques?

The search function on the food catalog can be a little confusing, and the easiest-to-find foods are often those that are packaged or made ready-to-eat. If you search for something simple like “roasted broccoli,” the results include dishes from restaurants and chains that might not be anything like what you made at home. It’s sometimes hard to know which to choose to really reflect what you ate.

Similarly, it’s challenging to ensure you’re correctly logging activity in the exercise diary. You can choose between “cardio” or “strength” activity categories, but there is no way to enter a class that combines both, such as a Zumba class that uses weights, or a kickboxing class that also focuses on pushups and conditioning.  To get by, I log the activity by selecting exercises from each category that best represents what I did in class, but it would be nice if the app had some combinations preset in the catalog.

Even if the log isn’t 100 percent accurate, the simple act of tracking my activity is helpful for keeping me accountable, and for looking back at my day with pride, if I met or even came close to meeting my targets.

The Gist

MyFitnessPal is a great way to stay on track, make sure I’m aware of what I’m putting in my body, and how it impacts my wellness goals. I try not to obsess over calories and enjoy the occasional indulgence. But it really helps to see what kind of damage eating the less-than-worth-it slice of sheet cake in the break room might do to my calorie goals for the day. When you’re paying attention—which the app forces you to do—you can see how little things you take for granted can really throw off your momentum for the day. The app—like any true pal—supports you, gives you tough love when necessary, and helps you adjust to make better choices.

Download: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Cost: FREE (a paid version is available that includes several more features, such as macronutrient tracking and variable calorie and workout goals based on the day of the week)

 

Disclaimer: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield does not endorse or have any business relationship with MyFitnessPal.

11 Facts About HPV and Cervical Cancer

Before you decide whether or not to have your pre-teen vaccinated against HPV (human papillomavirus), you may want to read about Christine Baze’s battle with cervical cancer.

Don’t have kids that age? You may still want to read Christine’s story. The National Cancer Institute says HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get the virus at some point in their lives.

Here are more facts about HPV and Cervical Cancer:

  1. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the most commonly sexually transmitted infections in the U.S.
  2. There are more than 100 types of HPV, and HPV is so common that most sexually-active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives.
  3. HPV is spread by intimate skin-to-skin contact; oral or genital infection can occur without sexual intercourse. HPV can be passed even when an infected person has no signs or symptoms.
  4. The main cause of cervical cancer is HPV. Other cancers that HPV causes are anal, oropharyngeal (throat and mouth), penile, vaginal and vulvar. HPV also causes genital warts.
  5. The HPV vaccine can reduce the risk of contracting certain types of HPV-related cancers by up to 99 percent, if all the doses of the vaccine are administered before sexual activity begins, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
  6. Because preteens have a higher immune response to the vaccine, it’s recommended both girls and boys receive the vaccine when they are 11 to 12 years old; it’s most effective before they are sexually active.
  7. If they did not get vaccinated when they were younger, young women through age 27 and young men through age 22 can receive the HPV vaccination.
  8. The CDC recommends vaccination up to age 27 for certain populations, including those who have certain immunocompromising conditions and males who identify as gay or bisexual or young adults who are transgender.
  9. Millions of people have received the HPV vaccine without serious side effects,
  10. Kids who are 11 or 12 years old should get two shots of HPV vaccine six to 12 months apart. Adolescents who receive two shots less than five months apart will require a third dose of HPV vaccine. Older teens and young adults may need three doses of the HPV vaccine.
  11. For women age 21 to 65, the US Preventive Task Force recommends screening for cervical cancer with cytology (Pap smear) every three years; for women age 30 to 65 years who want to lengthen the screening interval, the USPTF recommends screening with a combination of cytology and HPV testing every five years. These recommendations are under review and expected to be updated in 2018.

 

Unless noted otherwise, these facts are attributed to the Centers for Disease Control.

F is for Fridays, Food, and Family

After a long week at work, there’s nothing more comforting than coming home on a Friday night and having some idea of what you’re going to serve your family for dinner.

I really hate it when I don’t have a meal plan, especially on a Friday night when my creative reserves are fairly depleted. Having something already in mind can make all the difference in the world. It can, quite literally, make the difference between having a nice, relaxing night to end a long week … and the evening dissolving into a pool of frustration with no dinner in sight until much later than you’d like.

For me, one of my favorite Friday night family meals is homemade pizza – a meal that’s easy, tasty and healthy, but also a wild departure from my Eastern European upbringing.

Must be easy

So my plans for Friday night dinner generally revolve around something I can pull together fairly easily. Usually, I like to have all of the ingredients on hand. But if I don’t, I can pick up a few things fairly easily at our local meat market on my way home.

Stopping at a larger grocery store would just make my trip home longer, add too much stress to the end of the day and needlessly complicate the chore. For me, that’s an easy one to drop from the realm of possibilities on a Friday night.

Must be healthy

The selection also has to be fairly healthy. My husband and I are of the years when things like cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium content make a difference. I’m always fighting high cholesterol and constantly looking for ways to lower the number that appears on my yearly health risk assessment.

Must be tasty

And, of course, dinner must also taste good. I mean, what’s the point of eating anything if it isn’t delicious? That’s a lesson I learned a long time ago … while growing up in a family where such Old World favorites as beet soup and stuffed cabbage with potatoes were the standard fare.

When I was young, no one I knew ate such dishes. They were a far cry from the macaroni and cheese, fish sticks and French fries that my classmates lived on.

Back then, my distaste for beet soup was so palpable that I was known to have sat for hours without so much as touching a steaming bowl of (purple-colored!) beet soup. Now, of course, beet soup and stuffed cabbage are favorites of mine, and I can hardly recall what all the fuss was about, except that for me, as a first-generation American back then, it was.

Vegetable pigments make beet soup beautiful and delicious.

Vegetable pigments make beet soup beautiful and delicious.

Leaving behind the Old World

My attitude toward food changed when I was introduced to the art of cooking in home economics classes in junior high school. It was eye-opening to learn that there were endless combinations of foods and ways to prepare them that could actually look and taste good.

Pretty soon, I was preparing the food I’d learned to cook in school at home, much to the surprise of my family. There was no end to the ribbing my brothers gave me about the grapefruit halves that I ran under the broiler and served as an appetizer with a maraschino cherry on top. For them, that was a wild departure from the mostly Eastern European, meat-and-potatoes dishes we were used to.

My fascination for cooking continued after I got married and had a family of my own. I wasn’t going to serve them food that didn’t at least look appetizing and have some nutritional value.

Bye mac & cheese. Hello tahini paste.

Of course, when our children were little, my go-to meals tended toward kid-friendly macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casseroles and homemade chicken nuggets. No one ever tired of these tried-and-true favorites, and they were simple and easy to make with ingredients that usually were on-hand.

Our tastes became more adventurous and sophisticated as the years went on, though. Now, the staples that can usually be found in our refrigerator and pantry are things like hot chicken sausage in the freezer, kale in the vegetable crisper, and tahini paste, canned tomatoes with green chilies and just about every variety of beans you can think of in the cupboard.

These ingredients can add zip and zing to just about any dish, and make something as mundane as Friday night dinner into FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER.

The perfect Friday night FAMILY meal: Homemade pizza

More often than not, the dish that I go to when I think about Friday night dinner on my way home after a long week at work is homemade pizza.

It’s a meal in one — no other sides, other than perhaps a salad, are required. It comes piping hot out of your oven — without ever tasting like the cardboard box that a delivered pizza tastes like. It’s satisfying and nutritious — dressed up with an endless variety of fresh vegetables.

Yes, pizza can be healthy

The fact that pizza can be satisfying and nutritious is probably the single biggest reason for choosing homemade pizza on a Friday night. The recipe below calls for hot chicken sausage (a healthy substitute for the usual pork sausage), but you can also use turkey pepperoni for something different.

All kinds of vegetables and vegetable combinations go well with pizza. They’re especially tasty sprinkled with fresh herbs snipped from the pots on your windowsill or in your kitchen garden. Use those same herbs to make a pesto (frozen and later thawed) that adds a nice touch to homemade pizza in the winter months.

When you make your own pie, you also have full control of the amount and type of cheese you use. Feel free to try lower-fat varieties, which may suit your tastes just as well as full-fat selections. Because you’re eating in, you can also afford to be choosy about your pizza dough. Here in Syracuse, there’s nothing like Columbus Bakery’s prepared pizza dough, but you may have other out-of-this-world dough suggestions from your favorite bakeries to recommend in the comments section below. You could even try whole wheat pizza dough as a healthier alternative.

So have fun experimenting, bon appétit and please let us know your favorite homemade pizza recipes, topping combinations or other go-to Friday night family dinner recipes below.

Print Recipe
 Chicken Sausage Pizza
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Stretch pizza dough to fit a round, lightly oiled pizza pan. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and cook chopped onion a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute or two. Add hot chicken sausage and cook until browned and crumbled.
  2. Cover pizza dough with desired amount of sauce. Layer with the sausage mixture. Top with chopped red peppers and other vegetables if desired. Sprinkle with seasonings and red pepper flakes for added kick.
  3. Place sliced tomatoes on top of sausage/vegetable/seasoning mixture, covering the pie. Brush any visible crust with olive oil and spray tomatoes with cooking spray.
  4. Place in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. When it starts to rise and the crust just starts to turn brown, remove from oven and top with shredded mozzarella/cheddar cheese and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Brush crust with oil again and return to oven just until cheese melts.
  5. Remove from oven, slice with pizza cutter and serve immediately!

Conceiving A Miracle: When Getting Pregnant Isn’t A Given

“What are you guys waiting for?” That’s the question friends and family would ask every year at my son’s birthday parties.

Little did everyone know that we’d been struggling for years to have our second child.

Our struggle to conceive has been fraught with doubt and disappointment.   But for the first time, I’m also feeling hopeful.

Just relax? Yeah, you try that.

So many people – from my obstetrician (OB) to friends and family alike – would suggest “just relaxing” or “try not to think about it.” I now know that’s the worst advice you can give anyone in these situations. (If you are looking for ways to help friends and family struggling with infertility, or even looking for different ways to start a family, visit Resolve.org.)

Even still, we tried, took dozens of pills and injections, had seven surgeries and procedures, removed grains and dairy from my diet, and still suffered two miscarriages, all of which made us feel very alone and anything but relaxed. My body, our minds, and our finances were drained.

Meanwhile friends and family lapped us – having one or two more children to our zero. Trust me, it was not a competition, but you can imagine how defeated we’d feel when we knew we too were once able to just get pregnant on our own. But for some reason, this second child wasn’t going to be as easy.

I celebrated each friend or family member’s new baby as best I could – always with a smile and hope. I never wanted to get on the other side of my situation and have people reflect on how hard it has been for me. I wanted to make sure I was there for them, too- with a positive spirit.

IVF: Not for the faint of heart

After six intrauterine inseminations (IUIs) – two of which resulted in miscarriages – we decided to try In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

The process is not for the faint of heart, but I am grateful to the support group/yoga class I’d been attending for nearly two years. These women have seen it all and dropped everything to help a newbie. Each time I spoke with them, I felt less alone, more hopeful, more comfortable being the person I had to be.

Our IVF protocol was a rigorous one. At this point I’m 39 years old, so my “advanced maternal age” wasn’t necessarily increasing my chances of getting pregnant again. I was bruised mentally from negative pregnancy tests and pregnancy losses, and physically from the injections and blood work.

The mental bruises take a long time to go away. The bruises make you doubt that you’ll actually get pregnant, a skepticism that those “just relax” advisors would yell at you for. Those who’ve done this already know, it’s a doubt you can’t get rid of – but you do have to tuck it away in a remote location of your mind. I carried the doubt, but tried so hard not to let it consume me. I realized that two years later we were smarter, trying new things each time, and each attempt was different. So I forced myself not to ask, “Why should this time be different?”

We’re pregnant! Hooray, right? Well….

 In January 2016, we began prepping for our first retrieval.

By now I was used to the fatigue that comes with constantly running to appointments, juggling prescription refills and approvals, and the general malaise that the injections caused my body.

February’s retrieval came and went.  I was almost in auto pilot mode because in the back of my mind, I was more terrified of the next step to come – the transfer.

Because of the intense protocol I signed us up for, we didn’t transfer until April. When April came, I felt like I was stuck in one those dreams I used to have about my college exams:   the dream where I prepared for the exam, but then showed up for a test that I knew nothing about, and had to wing it. That’s kind of like the IVF experience. You can prep all you want, but it’s really up to science.

After our transfer, we waited and kept ourselves distracted with other things. Over the years we’d been doing this, I became a fan of distractions – anything to not dwell on the one thing we cannot control. We’d take day trips, have fun dinners, just play with our son, or I’d immerse myself in my work.

All along there’d been yoga – every morning I get up and practice solo for about 20 to 30 minutes to organize my body and my head.

Then on May 4th we got our phone call – we were pregnant. Hooray right? Well…

I couldn’t get excited about being pregnant

 As soon as we got our positive blood test, I moved on. I did not get excited.

I said, “Great, see you at next week’s appointment.” We kept the faith, but realistically kept moving on with our lives. This was ironic because I once dreamed of the day we’d get our “get out of jail card” and become pregnant again.

I imagined we’d be ecstatic, able to embrace this joyful moment and be happy. But because of our past emotional experiences, I just couldn’t put myself in that mindset.

With each week and each check-up, we got great reports. Numbers were great and we had a strong heartbeat – all great signs and things we hadn’t seen with past positive tests.

But I just couldn’t let myself enjoy being pregnant. With this technically being my fourth pregnancy, my body was changing fast. I was cramming myself into my normal clothes at eight weeks of pregnancy because I didn’t want to “jinx” us by wearing maternity clothes.

Worse was that I would dread going to the bathroom because there was always that chance that blood would show up, a sign that I might be miscarrying again. There were times I would cry myself to sleep for fear that a normal stomachache was something worse. Or I would spend days at my desk hiding from people so they couldn’t see the fatigue and bloat, or ask questions I didn’t want to answer.

Somehow, one day after one of our last appointments with our fertility team, I actually stopped thinking about the fear of losing this pregnancy. I let it go. I decided I could move on, and try to enjoy the experience.

Then it happened. I was bleeding.

Learning to have faith

 I was paralyzed with fear and anger. My first thought wasn’t what most rational women would say (“oh, it’s probably nothing”). My first reaction was to punish myself for being hopeful – “look at that, you let down your guard and you ruined it.”

I believe that IVF post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real thing. (Though this is not a clinical diagnosis for me specifically, it’s a sentiment or a feeling of loss of security or safety, and that trauma of loss or negative results will continue to occur for me.)

We hurried to the doctor and confirmed that everything was still a-ok. Heartbeat, sac, even limbs were all still there. I most likely had subchorionic bleeding, which can be scary, but is common early in pregnancy and doesn’t normally indicate that the pregnancy is at risk.

Ironically, after that incident, I had more faith and confidence in myself and in this little human who is growing inside me. I learned that not everything is what we think it is every time. And perhaps it was a test to show me that it is OK to let my guard down.

I’d be a liar if I told you that, at nine weeks pregnant and experiencing bleeding, I was thrilled and relieved. My growing confidence allowed me to celebrate this little human in quiet prayer and yoga every day. But it wasn’t until I reached almost 21-weeks of pregnancy that I started to relax and enjoy the miracle of my pregnancy.

With peace of mind, comes joy

 Until experiences showed me that I was not going to have another disappointment, I felt I had to protect myself emotionally and physically.  So I went on “auto pilot” for about 13 more weeks. I got up, got dressed, fed my family, drank my decaf coffee, went to work, and went to bed. I worked hard to avoid thinking about being pregnant – and to my family it came off as a negative attitude. What was hard for them to understand was that I had to build up a shell, that I was just using all of my energy to breathe and keep functioning, leaving no energy to enjoy life for the moment.

While the fear has gotten quieter, it honestly hasn’t gone away. As I near the end of my pregnancy, I know that until I hold this human in my arms, I won’t fully let my guard down. With each passing week, it does get easier. After ultrasounds and check-ups, after seeing our little girl, her cute profile and all of her organs, I finally have some peace of mind.  With peace comes joy. And with joy comes space to smile, laugh, and enjoy some of life. Because life will keep going, this baby will keep growing, and I can keep breathing.

Update: My healthy, beautiful daughter was born in late December 2016. We stare at her in complete disbelief and happiness.

Notes: This narrative was motivated and inspired by Amy Klein’s blog post on the New York Times “Motherlode.” In this amazing post, Ms. Klein introduces the concept of PTSD for fertility patients. http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/after-i-v-f-pregnant-but-still-stuck-in-the-past/

Sleep Cycle App Will Kick You Out of Bed, But Gently

The Sleep Cycle app is listed as “essential” in the app store, and for good reason! Sleep Cycle is an app that helps wake you up based on how you sleep. Since I’m basically the opposite of a morning person, I find that the customizable features and 30-minute “wake-up phase” help me feel less like a zombie when I wake up. Instead, I’m more ready to face my day fully recharged (if that’s even possible with me).

How it works

  1. When you’re ready for bed, set Sleep Cycle’s wake-up alarm and place your phone face-down next to your bed or on the edge of your mattress.
  2. Using your phone’s microphone or accelerometer (a type of motion detector), your sleep patterns are analyzed based on your movements in bed.
  3. While you sleep, the app tracks the peaks and valleys of your lightest to deepest sleep phases.
  4. Since I share a bed with another Sleep Cycle user, the app links our phones through the Wi-Fi connection, accounting for both of our movements. That way his sleep phases don’t impact my sleep statistics and vice versa.

How to customize

Using the app settings, select how you’d like to wake up, choosing between several fairly gentle alarm sounds, such as “warm breeze” or “forest glade.”  Premium users can also enable the “random alarm sound” setting to cycle through a new one each day so you don’t get too irritated with just one sound (you can get irritated with them all instead!).

I use the “random” feature to keep things interesting, and to prevent myself from getting so used to one tone that I start to sleep through the alarm. Plus, I know myself ­– there are only so many times I can hear “forest glade” in one week before chucking my phone across the room and dozing back off to sleep.

During the recommended 30-minute, “wake-up phase,” the alarm goes off when you’re in your lightest sleep of that time period, making it easier to wake. For me, this setting means instead of feeling majorly groggy and sluggish when my alarm sounds, I feel only slightly groggy– a big improvement in my book.

You “hit” snooze by either double tapping on or near your phone or by picking up the entire phone. The “intelligent” feature can also be programmed so the alarm sounds get closer together each time you hit snooze, which I found to be an especially useful feature. Since I’m a true snooze-button-addict, I need an extra few kicks in the morning to willingly emerge from the covers.

Extras

The app provides reports on your average sleep quality and time in bed every day, and premium users can access trend reports for the days, weeks, and months you use the app. Premium users can also record mood and heart rate upon waking, add “sleep notes” like whether you worked out or consumed alcohol, and see how weather might affect sleep.  For example, I learned I sleep significantly better on days I work out, and significantly worse after I consume alcohol, experience a stressful day, or get a sunburn!

What I Learned

I learned that my deepest sleep is typically between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., which could be why I have such a hard time waking up most mornings. I was also fascinated to see how my daytime activities affected my sleep quality. I now think twice before having that glass or two of wine before bed when I want to feel rested the next day. I also try to give myself plenty of time to unwind before bed, and the app motivates me to keep on track with my gym schedule — no one likes a poor night’s rest!

Any Critiques?

The app helped me learn more about my sleep patterns and the effect my habits have on them, but didn’t exactly change my life. I may never be a morning person and I’ll probably never find an app that can make me into one.

There’s also no way to know the true accuracy of the sleep cycle app. I sometimes wake up feeling as if I’ve had the best sleep of my life, only to have the app report my sleep quality at 50 percent. The app isn’t a substitute for a sleep study and doesn’t claim to be, but these little inconsistencies can sometimes leave me second-guessing the technology.

The Gist

Healthy sleep is critical to good health. When you sleep well, you tend to feel better, be more alert and reduce your risks for medical conditions, such as heart disease.  Sleep Cycle helps me better understand my sleep needs and patterns, helping me get more of that essential shut-eye!

Download: https://www.sleepcycle.com/

Cost: FREE

Premium: $29.99/year

Disclaimer: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield does not endorse or have any business relationship with Sleep Cycle.

pregnant moms take note

Pregnant Moms Take Note: Sooner Isn’t Better

Reaching the 37th week of pregnancy with both of my boys felt like a big milestone.

After heaving my bloated, pregnant self around for way too long, my baby boy was finally “full-term,” or fully developed. It wouldn’t matter if he was delivered now, I mistakenly thought, or on my due date in a few weeks.

Turns out I was wrong.

But it’s not my fault, or the fault of many moms, who think their little bundles of joy are ready to go at 37 weeks, when they really aren’t. Up until a few years ago, even medical experts thought 37 weeks was the ideal goal.

Pushing the Goal Line Back

That all changed several years ago, when medical experts changed the rules for pregnant moms. No longer was the goal of many pregnant moms to reach the 37th week of pregnancy. The goal line was pushed back to 39 weeks, because new research showed that babies still had a lot of growing to do at weeks 37 and 38. The baby’s brain and lungs, for example, were still developing.

It’s important to note that some babies need to be delivered early. This may be because the mother or baby is at risk for complications. But if there are no complications, inducing labor or scheduling a C-section before 39 weeks should be avoided, because the baby is still growing, according to Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation.

Babies born at 37 or 38 weeks run a greater risk of having feeding problems or needing respiratory support, compared to babies born full-term (between 39 to 41 weeks.)

An infographic on more reasons you might want to avoid inducing labor or scheduling C-sections before 39 weeks (if you can!)

 Did you know?

The Choosing Wisely program was started to reduce waste in the health care system and avoid risks associated with unnecessary treatments. The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation publishes and shares hundreds of care recommendations from more than 70 medical specialty societies. A goal of the program is to promote conversations between physicians and patients about the necessity of certain tests and procedures. This includes the risks associated with scheduling a C-section before 39 weeks gestation. Another important goal of Choosing Wisley is to give patients more of a say in some of the decisions.

12 Ways to Workout on the Cheap

I’ve done boot camp. I’ve joined a gym or two. I’m pretty committed when I join things—I like to get my money’s worth. But, I’ve found that the best workouts for me are those that I do at home or on my own.

Don’t get me wrong. A lot of people like the socialization and motivation that comes with belonging to a gym or going to a class. I like to take a yoga class once a week, but for everyday activity, I’m more likely to exercise when the time and place are convenient for me.

Jan practicing yoga on the cheap.

To help you tackle your fitness goals at little or no cost, I’ve compiled the following tips for working out on the cheap this year:

  1. Walk! For many years, walking has been my go-to exercise. When we lived in the country but on a busy highway, I sometimes drove to nearby less-trafficked neighborhoods to walk. Now, I live in a small village in Central New York. It’s a walker’s dream. There are sidewalks. I can stroll to a nearby park and take a trail by 9-Mile Creek. The sound of the rushing water is soothing; there’s green everywhere in the summer and the trees are leafed in a riot of color in the fall. (Recent research points out that being in nature is good for your brain and body.)

Since I got a FitBit, I’m adamant about getting in 10,000 steps a day. It motivates me to move and it’s good for maintaining a healthy weight and a good barometer for how active I’ve been during the day.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

When it’s too slippery and cold to walk outside, I’ve found other ways to step it up.

  1. Loop around the perimeter of a big box store such as Walmart, Target or Wegmans before you fill your cart.
  2. Check with your local school or community center. Our middle school gym has a track that’s available for local use on weekday evenings. If your local school has a pool, they may open hours to the public to swim for free. Many communities have rec centers where membership is free (especially for seniors) or costs less than a gym. 
  3. Take the stairs at work, at home, wherever. I recently found a portable “stair stepper” for $40; when my sister asked what I wanted for my birthday, it was on my doorstep in a few days.

Other Ways to Move It

  1. If your workplace has a fitness facility like mine does, don’t waste this great benefit. Come in early, stay late or work out during lunch time.
  2. Make chores fun. Put on your favorite playlist and step to the music as you prepare dinner or make dusting an opportunity to improve your dance moves. It will make the work go faster and doesn’t feel like exercise.
  3. Exercise bands are inexpensive, but learn how to use them properly. Try out this printable 20-minute workout.
  4. Jump rope. I have a few co-workers who swear by jumping rope. Joy, for example, was an avid jump roper as a kid. She’ll occasionally get out a jump rope when she’s looking for an alternative (very intense!) cardio workout. A simple challenge is to see how long you can jump rope without stopping or getting the rope tangled and then working towards beating your record time.

Online, Anytime

  1. Exercise videos. Believe it or not, I still use exercise DVDs. Before you laugh – I did find a bunch of DVDs at Goodwill for a few dollars each. YouTube also has an abundance of free exercise and instructional videos that you can stream. My co-worker recently stumbled upon a 9-minute “Tank Top Arms Workout” that she now regularly follows. You can subscribe to exercise channels on the internet, stream videos from Amazon Prime or pick them up on cable TV.
  2. You don’t need to buy a lot of fancy equipment to lift weights. Websites like WebMD.com show you routines where you can use your own body weight to strengthen your muscles—lunges, push-ups and double chair lifts are a few demonstrated with this no-gym workout. (I guess this is where I should include the part about checking with your doctor before you begin any strenuous exercise routine.)
  3. There’s an app for that. One of my work colleagues, Erika, likes to use free workout apps to track steps or log workouts. Here are some of her favorites:

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em

  1. Bite the bullet, bundle up and try a winter sport such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or ice skating that lets you enjoy nature while you get in a work-out. I’ve decided snowshoeing is more my speed. Investing in the equipment several years ago has paid off and is a sport I can do on my own or with my son or friends. You can snowshoe or cross-country ski for little or no cost at many parks. Don’t own your own equipment? Lots of places rent it.

Just Do It

The hard part of exercising is getting started. Commit to exercise for five or ten minutes a day, and I bet you’ll find yourself making it part of your daily routine.

Once you get in the habit of exercising, it becomes an important part of your life. I do my yoga routine either in the morning to start the day or after work to unwind. If skip it, I feel as if something’s missing. Although I like to walk before work, I often have to squeeze in a few minutes during my lunch break. After dinner is also a nice time. If you have someone to walk with to share your day, even better.