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This week’s edition of Our Health takes a look at how eating differently can change your life, what inspectors found at area restuaurants and how quick treatment saved one man from a catastrophic brain injury. Recovery from a traumatic fall 1B • Area Health Inspections 3B • Do your walking on an historic tour 4B

Enrolling Grades 1-8

713-290-8277 5000 West Tidwell www.oslschool.org

Saturday, December 12, 2015 • Page 1B

Eating Clean – What it means and what it can do for your life Eating Clean has been a buzz word for some time now. Less about diet and more about a way of life – and a focus on eating primarily unprocessed foods, it is a concept that many in The Leader area have embraced. Lorraine Cherry said that as a result of reading several of Michael Pollan’s books like the Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, she strongly believes in the importance of eating real food. “I try to avoid any packaged food that has more than four ingredients or has unrecognizable chemical ingredients,” she said. “I don’t eat lowfat dairy foods or baked goods, which not only don’t taste very good but also make up for the fat content with more sugar. When I want to eat vegetarian, I don’t reach for fake meats that have the flavor profile pumped up with chemicals and artificial flavors. I trend towards a lot of traditional ethnic foods which are typically made with fresh, seasonal ingredients and have been the backbone of regional cuisines for centuries.” I became more interested in the

concept two years ago, although I wouldn’t have known to call it clean eating. I have Crohn’s Disease, which is an auto-immune disease, and after experiencing a particularly bad flare, I was ready to try anything to feel better in addition to my medicine. A blogger turned me on to a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall which touts the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. In a nutshell, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet is sort of similar to the Paleo diet and limits the eating of complex carbohydrates. Prohibited foods include cereal grains, potatoes and lactose-containing dairy products. The theory is that certain people have a harder time breaking down complex carbs and that in turn causes inflammation in the body. I love bread more than I love chocolate. But as I mentioned, I was desperate, so I tried it. My flare subsided and I lost 15 pounds to boot. The diet wasn’t easy and I’ve since eased up on it – the author of the above book recommends it as a lifelong habit – but I do pay more attention to what I eat now and have made an effort to See Clean, P. 2B

chiropractic care

Northwest ChiropraCtiC George G. Junkin, D.C. D.A.C.B.N. Nutritionist 11500 NW Frwy - Suite 201 Houston, Texas 77092 Tel: 713-686-0828 www.drjunkin.com

Major Hospitals

Memorial Hermann Greater Heights 1635 North Loop West Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-867-2000 memorialhermann.org Physician Referral 713.222.CARE

Contributed Photo A participant in Katy Wood’s clean eating challenge on Facebook shared this before and after photo with the group to help inspire others doing the program.

Expert care helps patient make full recovery after traumatic fall For The Leader Memorial Hermann Greater Heights

Medical Suppliers

Maintaining workout routines in the middle of the holidays For The Leader

Between decking the halls, visiting family and attending holiday parties, it may seem like there is little time to maintain a workout routine during the holiday season. While the holiday season is an especially busy time of year, men and women who plan and stay dedicated to their routines do not need to let their health fall by the wayside until January. Those who struggle to keep the weight off understand the importance of maintaining both a consistent fitness schedule and healthy eating habits. This may be challenging when the rich foods and parties synonymous with the holiday season are around to threaten healthy habits. Here’s how to stay on course. • Establish a regular exercise date. Treat exercise as any other obligation on the calendar. Make it a necessity and not a luxury. Schedule time for workouts, even if it means removing something else from your agenda. • DonÕt worry about the length of your workouts. If youÕre accustomed to an hourlong workout but cannot fit in more than 20 minutes on some days, donÕt skip the workout simply because itÕs shorter. Make the most of that time by targeting larger, core muscles. • Change your schedule. You may need to alter your daily schedule to fit in gym workouts or other exercise. Try getting up earlier and heading out prior to work or school. This will open up time throughout the rest of your day, and you can use that time to meet the demands of the holiday season. • Get a trainer or a workout buddy. ItÕs far easier to blow off a workout when you go it alone. However, if you have a workout partner who is counting on you and vice versa, you may be less inclined to miss a workout Ñ even when youÕre not especially motivated to hit the gym. • Try new activities. Workouts need not be limited to exercises in the gym. Plenty of activities work

the body and burn calories. Sledding, ice skating, skiing, and snowboarding are just a few winter sports that can help you stay in shape. • Choose a hotel with a pool or gym. If holiday travel is on your itinerary, select a hotel that has fitness equipment. This way you can keep up with your routine. Even swimming a few laps in an indoor pool can provide a cardiovascular workout while youÕre on vacation. Remember, it only takes a two-week break from exercise to experience a fitness regression, and you will only have to work harder to get back to your current fitness level if you let exercise slide too long. • Add short, high-intensity exercises. Burn more calories in less time with high-intensity workouts. This way you wonÕt need to schedule as much time for workouts but will still get the benefit of exercise. • Transform chores into exercise opportunities. See that vacuum cleaner, rake or broom as a piece of exercise equipment. While cleaning up for holiday company, turn on the radio and get your heart pumping, too. Do leg raises while youÕre preparing meals or do some pushups off of the kitchen counter. • Use your bodyweight. Even if you canÕt make it to the gym, rely on your own body resistance for a thorough workout. Pushups, squats, burpees, mountain climbers, jumping rope, and lunges are some exercises that rely on bodyweight for effectiveness. • Periodically exercise during the day. If you have a few free moments here and there during the day, use these opportunities to exercise. By the end of the day, you may find you squeezed in an entire workoutÕs worth of exercise over the course of several 10-minute intervals. Exercise and fitness do not have to play second fiddle to other holiday activities. Make time for workouts, and you will be ahead of the game come the new year.

Complete Medical Supply 1714 W. 18th Street (At Ella Blvd) Houston, TX 77008 Tel: (713) 880-4000 www.CompleteMedicalSupply.net

Texas Medical Supply, Inc. 1906 W 18th St. Between Ella Blvd. & 610 N. Loop West Tel: 713-864-7636 www.txmedicalsuply.com

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Contributed Photo The Braunschweig’s visit to thank the care team from the Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital Emergency Center

in The Heights 1917 Ashland Street Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-757-1000 Physician Referral 713-757-7575

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See Recovery, P. 2B

St. Joseph Medical Center

Andrew Braunschweig is living proof that minutes matter in a medical emergency. After falling backward from a height of 16 feet onto concrete flooring at work, he arrived at the Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital Emergency Center in critical condition. The Emergency Center staff played a pivotal role in Braunschweig’s full recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal fractures by administering fast and expert care. Today, the 26-year-old is back at work, traveling and spending time with family and friends. WELL-ORCHESTRATED CARE Braunschweig remembers nothing about the October 2014 accident, but Emergency Center nurse Courtney Richter does. “Initially, Andrew was fairly responsive, but then his speech started to slur, and we received the results of the CT scan that showed a large brain bleed,” says Richter. The Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Emergency Center team worked quickly to prepare Braunschweig for transport to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. They briefed Ryan Kitagawa, M.D., a neurosurgeon affiliated with the Memorial Hermann Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial HermannTMC, on their patient. Concurrently, they finally reached Braunschweig’s

parents, Robin and Joe, who began an anxiety-filled drive from San Antonio to Houston. ROAD TO RECOVERY “Receiving calls from Dr. Kitagawa, a nurse and from one of Andrew’s co-workers, while en route to Houston, we knew his condition was really bad,” recalls Robin. “Dr. Kitagawa wanted us to see Andrew before starting surgery but explained a time would come where he couldn’t wait any longer. That time came before Joe and I reached the hospital.” Following a seven-and-a-half-hour surgery to remove damaged portions of Braunschweig’s skull and brain, Robin and Joe met Dr. Kitagawa. Learning about their son’s multiple brain and spinal fractures and how these injuries might alter his cognitive and physical abilities, Robin later wrote on social media, “The depth and pain of despair were beyond words.” Over the next 36 weeks, Braunschweig underwent three more brain surgeries at Memorial Hermann-TMC and extensive rehabilitation therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Robin resigned from her job and moved to Houston to care for her son. LEARNING OF EMERGENCY CARE One day, while accompanying Braunschweig to rehabilitation therapy and grateful for his record-breaking progress, Robin expressed thanks