Heart healthy eating. What does this mean besides the basic understanding that a heart-healthy diet leads to a strong and healthy heart? It seems that every week there is a new “super food.” So how are you supposed to develop long-term heart-healthy eating habits? Read on for some helpful real-life tips. Add Fiber. In the…
It can be tricky to navigate the holidays and avoid gaining weight to ring in the New Year. Eating excessive amounts of all foods (meat, potatoes, pastas, cookies, candy and beverages) contributes to that higher reading on the scale New Year’s Day but one food in particular, sugar, is creating year-round health problems. There is…
After 14 Months With Mercy Weight Management, Local Woman Loses 170 Pounds Last summer, Sarah Young, an area field manager for U-Haul, was in the waiting room at Mercy Medical Center filling out paperwork for her physical exam to renew her commercial driver’s license. At 350 pounds, she was uncomfortable sitting, in constant pain and…
Do you have the creep? You know: the middle-age weight gain that creeps up on you and turns your scale from friend to foe. If so, you are not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health, the average young adult gains 30 pounds by the time he or she turns 50. Why, Oh Why,…
Dr. David Gormsen is blessed with wellness. At 67, Mercy’s chief medical officer doesn’t struggle with health issues and takes no prescription medications. Longevity runs in his family – his father lived until 93 and his mother is an active 97-year-old. Luck and good genes? Maybe. But he has never taken his health for granted….
When Mercy speech therapist Dory Moore makes her daily smoothie, six little hands often help her fill the Ninja blender with chunks of fruits and vegetables. She stretches and relaxes by doing YouTube yoga videos and her children–Alex (6), Max (4), and Finn (2)–are frequently right beside her, showing off their best downward dogs. This…
Steve Knox’s “Uh-Oh” moment came when he saw himself in a photo. “It was a wake-up call for me,” said Mercy Medical Center’s Director of Finance. “I thought, well, I might want to do something about this.” Besides carrying extra weight, he wasn’t feeling great and his numbers at his last physical were less than…
Mercy employee Alex Camacho talks about what motivates him to stay healthy while juggling a demanding career and a busy family life. Alex Camacho, RN, has a lot of people depending on him — his wife, Monica, his 2-year-old son, Adrian, his coworkers in the ICU and his patients — and he doesn’t take his…
It’s hard to imagine that Brian Busto, a biomedical equipment technician, has struggled with his weight for most of his life. The trim marathoner once shunned physical activity and depended on medication to control high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. His transformation from an unhealthy 308 pounds to a 185-pound physique was not without…
Imagine wearing a baby carrier on your chest. Now imagine that you’re not carrying a baby in it, but instead you’re carrying a 70-pound St. Bernard dog. Imagine carrying this 70-pound St. Bernard on your chest for 24 hours a day. That’s how it feels to be overweight. Stair steps, walking, and even sleeping are much harder with a…
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient your body requires primarily to build strong bones and for overall good health. A fat-soluble vitamin that functions like a steroid hormone in the body, vitamin D comes in two forms in your diet, D2 and D3, and can also be produced in your skin when exposed to sunlight….
Larry*, a Mercy Weight Management Client, Shares How Losing Weight Put Him, Not His Weight, in Control When you are overweight at 380 pounds, it affects every area of your life. Your weight is always on your mind, and it has an impact on everything you do. Before joining the Mercy Weight Management OPTIFAST program,…
We know we should, but drinking enough water during the day can be a struggle. It should be simple enough, but there can be barriers to staying hydrated. Some people don’t enjoy the taste of water. Others prefer drinking sugar sweetened beverages. Others get so busy with their day they don’t think to have some…
People experience the most unwanted weight gain from Halloween to New Year’s. Studies show that weight gained over this eight-week period can take months to lose. The days and weeks leading up to the holidays and after can be stressful enough without having to worry about stepping on the scale. Practice these tips to help…
Food is fuel for your body, not a form of recreation. Food gives you the energy you need to be able to enjoy the other activities in life. Think about comparing your body to your car. You fill up your car’s gas tank when it is empty, not when it is full. So, don’t eat…
In the summer, you want to kick back and enjoy the warm weather and longer days. No one wants to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals. But do we have to sacrifice healthy eating for convenience? No way! Just go to the grill. It’s an easy, quick, flavorful way to cook with a bonus:…
Gaining weight is easy and a lot more fun than trying to lose weight. Maybe it is just by nature we resist the thought of losing. We hate losing our car keys or our favorite baseball cap. Losing a loved one is painful. So, if losing is so hard, maybe we need to change our…
The OPTIFAST® weight-loss system at Mercy Weight Management is different from other diet programs that focus on just looking good. At Mercy, we want you want to feel good, too. Discover the six things that make Mercy’s OPTIFAST program unique! When choosing a program, it is important to choose a trusted weight loss solution that…
The holiday season is the time of year to celebrate your blessings, have some fun and feel your best. Many of you have worked hard all year to drop those excess pounds. Don’t let the holidays sabotage you. This holiday season, I encourage you to adopt a “maintain, not gain” attitude. Here are seven tips…
Give your family and yourself the gift of good health this holiday season by using strategies to incorporate exercise and good nutrition into the festivities. Holiday shopping, spending money, family obligations, wrapping gifts, children’s activities, church programs, decorating, cooking and traveling can all can be stressful and drain your energy. As Charlie Brown says, “AAAAAHHHHH!”…
There are 31 days in December. This year, try something new — and good for you — on every one of them with the Healthy & “Wise” Holiday Calendar from Mercy’s own Kathy Wise, registered dietitian nutritionist and director of employee health and wellness. Print out a copy of this calendar for easy reference every…
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