'Diabetes Education Center' posts

You are in charge of your health.

From scheduling your yearly doctor visit to carving out time in your day for 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, you have the power to keep your body and mind in top form. The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to turn this “scheduling” into an enjoyable routine. One of the best ways to do this is to start with the routine that none of us could live without: eating. Here are a few tips to make healthy eating a fun habit:

1. Add color! Colorful fruits and veggies are full of nutrients. Think of meals as art projects and play with color!

2. Mix and match. Choosemyplate.gov shows you how to divide up your plate between fruits, vegetables, protein, grains and dairy. Using that framework, mix and match foods and find the combinations that make your palate sing. Mix it up and make mealtime fun.

3. Get creative with herbs and spices. Herbs and spices are a great way to add depth of flavor to food while limiting salt. Experiment with different flavors!
4. Involve your family and friends. Healthy cooking can be fun and entertaining. Give yourself a reason to look forward to making this a routine!

Healthy habits take time to build so give yourself time to explore and get comfortable with cooking your way to health.

This is especially the case for ...

Many of us would choose not to go back to school. We’re finished with the exams, the studying and the lectures. But does that mean we don’t have anything more to learn? Unlikely. In fact, most of us could afford to get schooled some more…on health. Do you know the latest recommendations for lung cancer screening? Do you know how to cook heart healthy meals? What about the right way to do CPR, do you know it? Even as a health educator, I find myself at a loss with many of these questions. As students head into midterms and finals, maybe we should all hit the (health) books, too!

Of course, if you’ve been out of school for a while, it may seem hard to jump back in or even know where to jump back in. Where should you start? Consider your local health facility. When it comes to health, the hospital or your local health facility is more than just a place to go when you get sick. Hospitals are also the place to go to avoid getting sick. Learning about health is one of the best ways to do this and many hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities have health classes that can exercise your brain (and even your body, too!) Instead of paying a copay to ask a health care provider some basic questions, why not try a health class? Many are free or low cost and can offer opportunities to ask questions and get much needed answers to health questions.

Talk with your doctor, your neighbors or your friends to get ...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending “Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes” at Magnuson Park in Seattle and meeting hundreds of people touched by diabetes. Whether they had family members or loved ones with diabetes or had diabetes themself, each person had a clear passion for finding a cure for this condition. That passion was contagious and I was happy to catch it!

Joining doctors and Certified Diabetes Educators from Swedish’s Diabetes Education Center at a booth, I heard about patients’ challenges, from staying at a healthy weight to getting the right nutrition to checking their blood sugar. Facing a chronic disease like diabetes (which affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life) is truly heroic! As a health educator, I understand the risk factors for diabetes and how to treat it, but until you meet someone that deals with the finger pricks, test strips and insulin shots every day, it is difficult to grasp what living with diabetes is truly like.

What it also made me realize is that there is always more to learn about diabetes care and treatment. And many of these lessons can help those without diabetes! Learning how to stay healthy and practicing these skills does not have to be boring either. In fact, the Diabetes Education Center has a series of cooking classes where you can learn how to cook tasty healthy food (and eat it, too!) The interactive classes are usually held every few months with the next one coming up at Swedish/Cherry Hill on Tuesday, November 13th from 6-7:30 p.m. Frankly, I’m a poor cook but classes like these help remind me that being healthy can actually be fun. They are even hosting these classes at Swedish/Issaquah starting in 2013, too! Who’s coming with me?

Even as someone who works at a hospital, I find myself grabbing for that second treat more often than I should and a regular reminder of healthy habits is always welcome. Being at the Step Out walk was one of these reminders and it made me realize how strong those with chronic disease are. For those out there that deal with conditions like this every day, you are amazing.

Thanks for stepping out this weekend and reminding me why it is awesome to work with patients and families like you!

The Swedish team at Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes 2012

Men, what’s your excuse for not going to the doctor?

Everyone has them and they’re about as unique as our fingerprints. But put your finger on this: studies from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that American men have worse health than American women and they are less likely to go to the doctor. Help change these stats, stat!

We’ve all heard this advice: eat more veggies, watch your weight, exercise more—the list goes on. But going to the doctor is more than just a chance to be reminded of this advice. It’s a time to get your body tuned just like you would your car. But what screening tests should you have?

Check out this easy chart to find out:

 Swedish recently shot and produced a short video featuring two recipes for quick, easy and healthy Holiday drinks.