Health & Fitness
Page 6
Fall Flavors by Tracey Shaffer, RDN, LD
Fall brings an abundance of flavorful, seasonal foods that are packed full of nutrition! October is National Pork Month, Apple Month, Cranberry Month - and October 29 is National Oatmeal Day! Now is the time to take advantage of these flavorful fall foods and the nutrition they provide. Oatmeal is a great pairing with these seasonal fall foods. National Pork Month – Pork Month was originally started because October was the time most hogs were brought to market. Now the month has evolved into a way to educate consumers on pork production and the nutritional benefits of eating pork. According to the USDA, pork is the world’s most widely eaten meat, making up 42% of meat consumption worldwide. To choose the leanest cuts, look for the words “round” or “loin” in the name. These cuts will contain higher amounts of quality protein and lower amounts of saturated fat. Pork tenderloin contains the same fat content as a skinless chicken breast, and offers a good source of many B vitamins and minerals. The pork tenderloin is not only lean, but it is versatile and flavorful as well! Oatmeal works great as a coating for both tenderloin and pork chops.
You can leave the oatmeal whole, or grind it up into a flour for a flavorful twist. Or you can try the recipe below for an easy pork chop sauté; it is a weeknight dinner idea your family will be sure to love. National Cranberry Month – October is the peak month of harvesting cranberries. Cranberries are grown on vines in bogs, or wet marshy areas. Cranberries are known for their bacteria-blocking compounds that have been linked to the prevention of urinary tract infections. Newer research is showing these compounds may also be helpful in preventing ulcers and gum disease. Cranberries’ rich antioxidant content may help reduce inflammation and increase heart health. Cranberries come in a variety of forms with varying nutrition content. Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and cranberry juice all contain the bacteria-blocking compounds. If fresh or frozen cranberries are too tart for you, make them into a sauce by boiling them with water or lowsugar orange juice just until they pop. Overcooking the cranberries will increase their bitterness. Fresh cranberry sauce is excellent stirred into oatmeal or plain Greek yogurt. Better yet, stir all three together for
a creamy fall treat. When choosing dried cranberries or juice, look for ones with no or less added sugar. National Apple Month – More than 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the U.S. There is sure to be a variety to please even the pickiest eater! The saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” has scientific merit. One study found eating an apple a day helped reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol. Regular apple consumption has also been linked to weight loss, improved gut health, cancer prevention and reduced inflammation. There are many ways to add apples to your daily diet. The easiest way is to wash and eat! Or add chopped apples and a dash of cinnamon to oatmeal before cooking it for a flavorful fall treat. Apples and oatmeal make a great fall combo in bars, cookies and breakfast breads as well. Keep in mind, apples ripen six to 10 times faster at room temperature, so if you want your apples to last longer, store them in the refrigerator. Tracey Shaffer, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian at the Blue Springs Hy-Vee. She can be reached at tshaffer@hy-vee.com. The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.
Apple-Caraway Pork Roast Servings: 18 Prep: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Ingredients: Non-stick cooking spray 5 lbs. boneless pork loin roast 1 tsp. caraway seeds 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground mustard 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground pepper 6 medium apples, cored, cut into 1inch slices (6 med=about 2 pounds) 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 med = about 2 lb) Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray large roasting pan and rack with cooking spray; place roast, fatside up, on prepared rack. Combine caraway seeds, cinnamon, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl; spread evenly over roast. Arrange apples and sweet potatoes around roast; spray evenly with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer in center of thickest part of roast. Bake 1 to 1-½ hours, or until meat thermometer reaches at least 145 degrees. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 minutes. Cut roast into slices; arrange on serving platter. Surround with the apples and sweet potatoes.
Concussion Destruction by Dr. Chad Sharky, Saint Luke’s Primary Care–Independence
A traumatic brain injury occurs every 15 seconds. A concussion is considered a mild traumatic brain injury. Saint Luke’s wants to help you understand how a concussion can affect your health. Concussions can occur any time there is bump, hit, jolt or blunt force to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skill. This can mean the nerve fiber tracts at the base of the brain stretch, or it can be actual contact of the brain against the inside of the skull. Therefore, you do not need to hit your head to suffer a concussion. You can have a blast injury – like soldiers can experience, you can fall and catch yourself with your hands, or even experience whip lash and still suffer a concussion. Every time you are dazed after
you fall or been hit on the head or body and you are not aware of where you are, unable to function or do things well you probably suffered a small concussion. The longer time that you lose before or after being hit or falling, the more severe of a concussion. Acute concussion symptoms can include loss of consciousness but this is not necessary. With acute concussion many patients develop disorientation and have amnesia of recent events. Patients often complain of blurred vision, dizziness and headache. However, nausea and vomiting can also occur. Post-concussion symptoms may linger for weeks or months and these include persistent dizziness, headache, cognitive slowing, sleep disruption, fatigue and mood
changes. Some people recover very quickly and function almost immediately. Some people have post-concussed symptoms where they continue to feel slightly off for hours, days, or even weeks after the incident. If you experience an acute concussion you will want to get a medical examination and talk to your physician about managing your concussion symptoms. If you have severe injury or loss of consciousness, imaging of the brain may be required. Post-concussion symptoms are also managed with medications and time. In athletes, we recommend that they return to play after they are completely free of any postconcussion symptoms for 1 week and activity levels are gradually
increased according to tolerance. It is often recommended that the patient have both mental and physical rest for two or three days after a significant concussion injury. Athletes who return to play too quickly after concussion injury and experience a second concussion injury, may develop a second injury syndrome which causes swelling of the brain and can be fatal in some instances. We know that until you recover completely from a concussion, you’re much more vulnerable to have another concussion, and that is also the most vulnerable time for your brain to suffer further significant injury. To make an appointment with one of our physicians please call 816251-5200.
