Get Healthy Magazine

A PublicAtion of the times

OUR GUIDE TO

WEIGHT LOSS FACT OR FICTION:

TRACY TUCKER of Hammond shares the story of her life-changing weight loss.

Dieting myths, squeezing in exercise at work, weight-loss challenges as we age, and a local woman’s success with bariatric surgery

ALSO

Weight lifting for women Finding your support system online A special bonus section: Taking control of diabetes MARCH/APRIL 2012 NWI.COM/GETHEALTHY

Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana hospitals have partnered with The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) – the #1 ranked rehabilitation hospital in America* – giving our patients access to the best care around.

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march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 1

march/april 2012

18 Shedding light on weight loss Losing weight is difficult, but we're here to help you

separate the facts from fiction. Also find out the effect of aging on your weight, and how to calculate your BMI.

24 Diabetes on the rise Follow our healthy lifestyle tips to help

prevent a diagnosis of this growing disease.

22 A 'Healthy U' Plan now to attend this empowering workshop

By Kathleen Quilligan

HEALTHY PRODUCTS

Free mammograms to qualifying women

SQUASH THE FLU IN THE SHOWER It’s that time of year again, the time when you’re likely to be sniffling and sneezing, and all that congestion can cause issues for your nose and skin. Kiss My Face has introduced its Cold & Flu Shower and Bath Gel, for those sickly, spring moments. The gel comforts your skin, with an infusion of botanicals including eucalyptus, fennel and horehound.

The gel also contains olive oil, aloe vera, and allantoin to help soothe your irritated skin.

The Kiss My Face Cold & Flu Shower and Bath Gel is available at Whole Foods stores and at KissMyFace.com for $10.95.

Franciscan Physicians Hospital received $6,750 from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust to provide 100 free screening mammograms for underinsured and uninsured area women. Screenings are done at the Franciscan Hammond Clinic Specialty Center, 7905 Calumet Avenue, Munster.

The grant, which will not cover the entire cost of the mammography screening, is available through Dec. 31. Financial assistance will be provided by Franciscan Physicians Hospital to supplement the cost of the mammograms.

The hospital currently provides roughly 5,100 mammograms per year and is partnering with Franciscan Hammond Clinic to identify women who would not otherwise be able to afford a screening.

Participants will complete a survey that indicates possible barriers to testing, such as financial, education, social and cultural, among others. The information is integrated into the program planning to refine the process for overcoming barriers.

The project, developed by IBCAT, aims to identify and resolve potential and actual barriers for women attempting to obtain regular screenings. Franciscan Physicians Hospital will assist by providing more than 500 women education on breast cancer through multiple educational offerings throughout 2012.

For more information about health events and screenings, contact Franciscan Hammond Clinic at 219.836.5800.

Senior community to open in April

Avalon Springs Health Campus, 2400 Silhavy Road, Valparaiso, is scheduled to open in April. The health campus allows the residents to experience a full continuum of senior living and related health care services including short-term rehabilitation, longterm care, specialized memory care, and assisted living in a noninstitutional setting.

Avalon Springs features a predominance of private resident suites, all with private baths, and numerous common living areas including a sun terrace, living room and library where residents can relax and visit with guests. Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services are offered in the health club.

Also located on the Avalon Springs campus is the Legacy, a memory care residence designed specifically for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Features of the Legacy include “life stations” that encourage residents to engage in familiar tasks, and décor that encourages memories of days gone by, a secured courtyard that promotes regular contact with nature, family-style dining and private bedrooms with private baths.

For more information please contact Avalon Springs at 219.462.1778.

Porter receives award

Porter Hospital received a three-year American Cancer Society Gold Standard of Accreditation for its computed technology, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine procedures.

The ACR Gold Standard of Accreditation is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards and represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. To achieve this level of accreditation, Porter diagnostic imaging personnel, equipment and quality control procedures went through a rigorous review process, which was overseen by board-certified radiologists and medical physicists highly regarded for their advanced diagnostic imaging experience.

“We are proud to have received this accreditation from the ACR,” says Porter CEO Jonathan Nalli. “Our patients can be assured that Porter meets nationally accepted standards of care.”

MAT PROVIDES WORKOUT RIGHT UNDER YOUR FEET Congrats! You’ve made it off the couch and are ready to work out—if only you could remember the exercises you’re supposed to be doing.

That’s the concept behind the TRAINERmat for Weight Loss, an exercise mat with the routine printed on the mat. The TRAINERmat allows you to train yourself at home or on the go.

Illustrated with ten different exercises and three levels of fitness, users can build the intensity of their workout or mix the exercises for a custom routine.

The stretches are physiciancertified with an easy-to-read color scheme of blue and orange. The mat is 6 by 2 feet, providing ample space for your workout.

The TRAINERmat for Weight Loss retails for $29.99 and can be purchased at TrainerMat.com.

NAUSEA DISAPPEARS WITHOUT DRUGS If you haven’t been there, someone you know has. When nausea hits, either from motion sickness, pregnancy, or from other avenues, it’s miserable.

That’s why Romy Taormina and Carla Falcone, both moms who suffered from morning sickness, created the Psi Bands, acupressure wrist bands that are fashionable and functional against nausea from motion sickness, pregnancy, chemotherapy and anesthesia.

Psi Bands are drug-free, allowing the wearer to avoid the side effects common in nausea medications.

Psi Bands come two to a set, so you can wear one on each wrist, and sell for $14.99 to $19.99 per set depending on retailer and location. Psi Bands are available in the Chicagoland area at REI and Buy Buy Baby, and Fagen Pharmacy as well as online.

For a complete list of retailers and/or to learn more about Psi Bands, visit psibands.com.

Life

Back Surgery after

“There is life after back surgery,” Barbara Leestma says. • There’s also biking, skiing, keeping up with her 5-year-old granddaughter, and ballroom dancing.

In fact, the 59-year-old Highland resident won a ballroom dance competition in Chicago 18 months after back surgery at Pinnacle Hospital in Crown Point.

“It’s amazing. I forget that I had back surgery,” she says.

Back problems plagued this vibrant, physically active woman for 15 to 20 years before the incident in March 2010 that left her unable to move her right leg. Injuries over the years added to the pain she experienced.

But chronic back pain didn’t stop Barbara Leestma from following her passion for competitive dancing—a sport she watched on TV, but says she didn’t know she could participate in. Neither did a broken foot and knee surgery.

Her interest in dancing occurred before Dancing with the Stars. “I watched championship ballroom dancing on Channel 11. I was enthralled,” she says.

“I have no dance background.”

However, her husband encouraged her to take up dancing. Dr. Eric Leestma, 59, is a family practice physician who is a partner in Pinnacle Hospital.

“I said, ‘No, I don’t know any dancing people.’ He kept after me. I finally took three mini-lessons and I loved it,” Barbara Leestma says.

Keith Clinton, her first instructor, now owns Gotta Dance in Schererville, where she continues to take lessons. “I was his first student,” she says. “Like me, he came to ballroom dancing later in life.”

The chronic back pain didn’t affect her dancing, she says, despite the level of physical and aerobic activity involved in the movements.

When the pain got bad enough, Barbara Leestma sought help from orthopedic spinal specialists.

She was diagnosed with lower back problems in the lumbar area, L-4, -5 and -6. Pain shots helped relieve some of the discomfort, but can only be given so many times a year, she says.

“The doctors kept saying I was not a really good candidate for surgery. They knew I was very athletic and I’d go to the health club. That helped strengthen my back,” she recalls.

Her physically active lifestyle fell apart during the couple’s annual ski trip to Vail, Colorado, in spring 2010.

Rather than fly, the Leestmas drove to Colorado.

After unpacking the first night at the ski resort, the

couple decided to go skiing. “I went to step onto the first step of the shuttle bus and my right leg totally gave out. I had no feeling in it,” she says.

Back home in Highland, she felt nothing but pain. “I kept thinking, ‘This will never get better,’” she says. “By that time, I was ready to have the surgery done. I’d never heard the usual horror stories about back surgery that people tell.”

Pinnacle Hospital and its medical staff were logical choices, Barbara Leestma says. “My husband is associated with the hospital. I had a lot of confidence in the medical system here.”

In fact, Dr. Donald Kucharzyk, who performed the spinal surgery, was a classmate of Eric Leestma at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. The two-part surgery Dr. Kucharzyk performed involved making an incision in Barbara’s abdomen to access the lumbar area of her spine. After relieving the nerve that ran to her right leg and fusing the vertebrae, he inserted a titanium cage to stabilize her spine.

Several days of hospitalization at Pinnacle was followed by three months of intensive physical therapy, during which Barbara Leestma wore a back brace.

Six months after surgery in late 2010, doctors gave her permission to dance. “I did competitive dancing with Keith at the Indiana Challenge and at the largest pro-am dancing competition in Columbus, Ohio,” Barbara Leestma says.

Coincidentally, that was the competition she began watching years before on Channel 11.

Last October, Barbara Leestma and her partner, Rodolfo Blanquicett of Gotta Dance, won first place in the Chicago Harvest Moon Ball Championships competition at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, sponsored by Gotta Dance.

“When I came back to dancing from back surgery, I was very nervous. Keith knew I had had back surgery and knew I was very concerned about falls,” she says. “I’m totally 100 percent now, better than I was before.” —Lu Ann Franklin

on your mind

the body shop

heavylifting Local woman uses weight lifting to keep healthy When Julia Ladewski was in high school, she decided to start lifting weights to help improve her athletic performance. But she found the benefits of lifting weights were much greater than that.

Ladewski, who runs the Parisi Speed School at Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness Schererville, says it also gave her a sense of empowerment. About a decade ago, she began competing in weight lifting competitions and has been in about fifteen competitions.

The competitions help her stay focused and motivated and work towards goals, she says.

Her next goal is to be able to squat, bench press and dead lift a combined total of 1,100 pounds. At her last competition in August, she had a combined total of about 975 pounds. “I really enjoy competing,” she says. “It holds me accountable towards a goal.”

Ladewski says many women are afraid to lift weights because of the stereotypes associated with it. “The biggest stereotype is that women think it’s going to produce enormous muscle,” she says. She says that’s not the case, because women have different body structures and lack testosterone.

“Building muscle is a good thing,” Ladewski says.

“You get a lot of benefits from it.”

She says the best way to start is to find some friends so everyone can lift weights together. It also might be beneficial to have a personal trainer to demonstrate exercises that are appropriate or go to a group weight lifting class. The Internet and DVDs also can provide a good starting point.

Ladewski says it is important to have accountability.

“Accountability makes a big difference,” she says. “It keeps you motivated.”

It’s also crucial to have a goal, which can be anything from weight loss to transforming your body through building muscle. It can range from running a 5K to doing

fifteen push-ups.

“Goals keep you focused on your performance,” she says. “As you work towards your goal, you notice your body is truly changing.”

Ladewski says lifting weights helps her feel better, look better and be a little more patient with her children, ages 4 1/2 and 3.

“You need to find something you enjoy,” she says. “Exercise helps you see what your body is capable of.” —Carrie Rodovich

Julia Ladewski PHOTO BY TONY V. MARTIN

GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING OFFERS FITNESS OPTIONS For those who want some extra attention to help build strength while they work out but don’t want to hire their own personal trainer, group personal training (GPT) could be a good option, says Julia Ladewski, program director for Parisi Speed School.

The group personal training sessions are available for members of Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness. Currently, about 40 people are in the program.

Classes are offered in the Omni studios or in the Parisi Speed School every morning and several evenings during the week, Ladewski says.

Group sizes range from four to twelve people and include participants ages 21 to 61, she says.

The small-group sessions focus on building strength and muscle tone using kettle bells, ropes and suspension trainers.

Sessions focus on injury prevention and flexibility and are geared towards a variety of ability levels.

“We focus on . . . getting people to move their bodies more efficiently on a daily basis,” she says. “They are extremely effective for fat burning by utilizing high intensity intervals and metabolic conditioning.”

Ladewski says the group personal training program offers personal coaching with the accountability and sociability of a regular fitness class. “Group personal training is the newest and best thing in the fitness industry right now,” she says.

—Carrie Rodovich

ONLINE GROUPS OFFER KNOWLEDGE AND HELP IN TIME OF NEED There once was a time that one could feel very alone in this world. Whether dealing with something as serious as a life-threatening illness or as common as a baby who won’t sleep through the night, many have found times in their lives when they were positive no one could possibly understand what they were going through.

Well...not anymore.

These days, there are countless online groups where people can come to gain not only knowledge, but the priceless emotional support of others. “Online support groups really give the person an extra support

unit that can be available to them 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” explains Jean Trammel of New Leaf Resources in Crown Point. “But, similar to finding a therapist, we advise patients to make absolutely sure that the online support group is a good fit.”

“We often encourage our patients to go online to do necessary research on their condition,” adds Lori Krol, a Pinnacle Healthcare family nurse practitioner who recently opened Krol Family Medicine in Wheatfield. “But in some cases, talking to an actual human being is going to be just as beneficial.”

Indeed, experts seem to agree that one should not solely rely on online networking support groups to help get them through life’s challenges. Yet, having both online and offline support can often produce remarkable results.

However, one must be cautious.

Confidentiality within

an online support group can be tough to keep. In addition, one can never be sure if the other members of the support group are being entirely honest regarding to their conditions and backgrounds. And above all, many can become so immersed in their online support groups that they tend to shut out the people closest to them in their life.

“People can often become addicted to the website or online support group,” Krol explains. “You must always ask yourself if you are spending more time on the computer instead of with the people that mean the most.”

However, if kept in check, an online support group can offer yet another opportunity to come together with similar people to deal with life’s issues. Trammel says, “Above all, you want to make sure they know that you are there for them and willing to be their support, no matter what.”

—Tricia Despres

Adding exercise to a busy life isn’t impossible

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food & fitness

Networking for Support

weight loss

GET

FITIN

1

Fitting exercise into a busy lifestyle doesn’t take that much time. In fact, according to area fitness experts, adding as little as 10 minutes of physical activity into your routine is a great start to reaching your overall wellness goals.

Kari Bukur, wellness coordinator for the Valparaiso Family YMCA, says creating consistent workouts can be difficult, so she suggests fitting ten minutes of physical activity in during the morning, lunchtime and night.

“This is a really great way to add variety into your workout,” she says.

“Focus on things you like to do and what you can do with your kids. Finding things that you like to do and involving those around you is being realistic.”

Bukur recommends doing simple jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups, squats and jogging in place for one minute each before alternating.

And staying fit in the winter can be easy and fun, she adds. Performing simple chores like shoveling the driveway or sidewalk, if in generally good cardiovascular health, can pack fitness quickly into a daily routine. She also suggests having a snowball fight or sledding with the family.

“Getting fit in ten minutes is easy this time of year. It can be fun if it’s in season,” Bukur says.

For more of a mind/body experience, Elly Lesnick, of East Wind Studios in Chesterton, suggests several quick yoga-inspired stretches. “It’s a matter of taking some deep cleansing breaths and quieting your mind,” Lesnick says.

“Stretching relieves stress and tension—really centers yourself from the inside out. When your mind is fit, your body is fit.”

While sitting down, she explains, scoot to the edge of your seat, plant your feet flat on the floor and elongate your back. Try to imagine a string in the center of your head pointing straight up to the ceiling. Take deep cleansing breaths in and out of your nose and try to elongate the spine.

“It’ll bring in oxygen into our blood, which circulates the nutrients throughout our body,” Lesnick adds. “You’ll start to physically feel stronger, and find stamina in your arms and legs.”

—Danielle Ziulkowski

ask the expert DR. GERALD CAHILL

taking

stepsto a

healthier life For Hammond woman, surgery is the key to weight-loss success

t

racy Tucker remembers being the “chunky one” in her fifth grade class.

In middle school, she remembers dreading getting on the scale during gym class and being acutely aware of weighing more than other girls.

Her first diet was after eighth grade, when she went on Richard Simmons’ Deal A Meal program and lost about 90 pounds before she started her freshman year at Gavit High School in Hammond.

At 5 foot 9 inches, Tucker weighed about 160 pounds when the school year started. She kept it off through high school, in part because she was dancing five days a week with the school’s pom squad.

Her senior year, she was named homecoming

PROVIDED

survivor spotlight

PHOTO COPYRIGHT

what’s new Local Health News

2011 CAROL BROCKMAN

on March 24. Celebrity stylist Nick Verreos will be hosting a seminar.

queen.

When she got pregnant at age 18, she weighed 145 pounds.

Over the years, the weight started to creep on.

When her twins, now 11, were born nine weeks premature in 2000, she weighed 260 pounds.

Instead of losing the “baby weight,” she continued to gain. “They were in the hospital for six weeks, and I was going back and forth,” she says. “Food was my best friend.”

She tried Weight Watchers twice and Jenny Craig once. She used an at-home meal delivery service.

Nothing helped her get the weight off and keep it off. “I spent so much money trying to lose weight,” she says.

Tucker, who is a nurse at Eggers Middle School for the School City of Hammond, earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Indiana State and her bachelor’s in nursing from Indiana Wesleyan. She

Bariatric surgery launches life-changing journey

Dr. Gerald Cahill has seen the evolution and growth of the bariatric surgery field since he performed his first procedure in 1998 at a time when it was still rare. He has performed in excess of 2,500 bariatric operations during his career and he now leads Midwest Bariatric Institute at Franciscan St. Margaret Health in Dyer as medical director. The institute provides services for patients in the Northern region of the Franciscan Alliance hospital network.

Q: What are the basics of bariatric surgery?

Today, bariatric surgery has a two-fold purpose. It has evolved into a surgery that is for both weight loss and control of certain metabolic problems such as diabetes. The goal of surgery is for weight reduction and at the same time the control of medical problems associated with being overweight.

Q: What are the different procedures available under the bariatric surgery umbrella? We perform three operations here at the institute.

Laparoscopic gastric bypass is where the stomach is reduced dramatically in size and the small intestine is rerouted or reconfigured to plug into a new pouchlike stomach. This is the most common procedure performed as it has the longest track record and the most dependable data on what outcome to expect.

Laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy transforms the stomach from football-shaped to more of a thin banana shape and 80 percent of the stomach is removed. We also perform Lap-Band surgery, where a device is placed in the stomach to create control.

This surgery hit high numbers in 2008 but has gone down as it is very patient-driven in terms of success so there are a variety of outcomes.

Q: Who are the ideal candidates for bariatric surgery? Most candidates we see are people

who have a BMI—a measurement of height versus weight—that is greater than 40 as that has been the historic norm. Patients who have a BMI between 35 and 40 can qualify as well if have they have health issues such as sleep apnea, diabetes, degenerative joint disorders, high cholesterol or hypertension.

Q: What can patients expect when they go through the process at the institute? Our program is multifaceted, with medical, nutritional, behavioral and surgical components. We try to put them all together and utilize all facets to ensure patients’ long-term success. It is ultimately the patient who controls the outcome and weight-loss stability.

For after care, there are two components: the early phase and the long-term phase, as the perspectives and discussion vary at different stages in the journey.

Our support group is run by some people who have had surgery themselves, and they can use their experience to navigate the early post-op period. As they have done this themselves, they understand the physical and psychological changes patients face and to help them is very empowering. We give the support and tools they need to stay on the right path including free lifetime support and access to a nurse on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so they have a resource to make the journey to better health under safe conditions.

Q: How have you seen the field evolve? One of the reasons I got involved in bariatric surgery is there was a very great need but few people were doing it at the time. In 1998, it was rare and there were only a handful of surgeons performing procedures in the Chicago market. There has been a gradual evolution from conventional surgery to laparoscopic, providing a quicker recovery for patients. Today, the use of the da Vinci system in laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery at the institute is another aspect of how we are expanding and adapting to use technology to perform procedures in a safer and more efficient way. It’s another step in what we have been doing for a long, long time.

Q: How have you seen bariatric surgery change the lives of patients? It’s been very rewarding to be involved in the field, as there are both physical and psychosocial benefits to the procedures, but the benefit in this culture and society is hard to define and hard to put a number on. —Lesly Bailey FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Dr. Gerald Cahill, bariatric surgeon and medical director at Midwest Bariatric Institute at Franciscan St. Margaret Health located at Saint Margaret Mercy’s Dyer Campus, 24 Joliet Street in Dyer. For information call 219.852.2518.

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what’s new

survivor spotlight

the body shop

on your mind

food & fitness

weight loss

ask the expert

Free mammograms, senior community opens, and new products

Barb Leestma wins dance award after back surgery

Empowering women through weight lifting

Finding support groups online

Quick workouts for busy people

Tracy Tucker makes a life-changing journey

Dr. Gerald Cahill discusses bariatric surgery

4 letter from the editor 2 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

|

6 health care advisory council

|

12 well-being events

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letter from the editor volume 7 | issue 2

T

30 minutes, five days a week. • That’s my goal for 2012. I’m keeping it simple and hopefully attainable.

he American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.

And my preferred method is walking.

Life is busy. And I know I am not the only one who feels that way. But if we just take that little time each day, it can reap big awards. The Heart Association says studies show for every hour of walking, life expectancy may increase by two hours.

On page 29, we offer some suggestions of exercises to do at the office using resistance bands. And back to walking—I like to walk around the office building for about 20 minutes just to release some stress and get some fresh air. I always come back to my desk feeling recharged.

On page 21, we look at how weight loss challenges change as we age. It amazes me how much harder it is to lose weight at 38 than it was at 28.

And on page 30, Tracy Tucker, featured on the cover of this issue, shares how she decided to have bariatric surgery to aid her weight-loss efforts. Since her surgery, the Hammond resident has lost more than 140 pounds.

In addition to weight loss, we have included a bonus supplement targeting diabetes. The number of people affected by the disease continues to increase. According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 25.8 million Americans have diabetes—of those, 7 million people remain undiagnosed—and 79 million people have pre-diabetes. On page 24, we examine these alarming numbers and offer ways to help combat the disease.

Adults aren’t the only people affected by diabetes. The American Diabetes Association says about one in every 400 children and adolescents has the disease. On page 27, local medical experts offer suggestions to parents to help them make better food choices.

Education is the key to prevention.

Karin Saltanovitz Managing Editor‌

Check out nwi.com/gethealthy, where you’ll find: Our comprehensive calendar of Well-Being Events • Fresh new articles and information every day • Health advice from local and national experts • The place to sign up for our weekly email newsletter to receive advice and ideas on nutrition, fitness, mental health and health care

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Publisher — BILL MASTERSON, JR. Associate Publisher/Editor — PAT COLANDER Managing Editor — KARIN SALTANOVITZ Design Director — BEN CUNNINGHAM Designer — APRIL BURFORD Asst. Managing Editor — KATHRYN MACNEIL Niche Assistant — LAVETA HUGHES Contributing Editors HEATHER AUGUSTYN, Lesly Bailey, Tricia Despres, Rob Earnshaw, LU ANN FRANKLIN, Terri Gordon, Julie Dean Kessler, BONNIE MCGRATH, KATHLEEN QUILLIGAN, Kim Ranegar, SHARON BIGGS WALLER Niche Publication Sales Account Executives MIKE CANE, ANDREA WALCZAK Advertising Operations Manager ERIC HORON Advertising Managers DEB ANSELM, LISA DAUGHERTY, JEFFREY PRECOURT Production Manager TOM KACIUS Creative Services Manager AMI REESE

Published by Lee Enterprises The Times of Northwest Indiana Niche Productions Division 601 W 45th Ave, Munster, Indiana 46321 219.933.3200 2080 N Main St Crown Point, Indiana 46307 219.662.5300 1111 Glendale Blvd Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 219.462.5151 Copyright, Reprints and Permissions: You must have permission before reproducing material from Get Healthy magazine.

Get Healthy magazine is published six times each year

by Lee Enterprises, The Times of Northwest Indiana, Niche Division, 601 W 45th Ave, Munster, IN 46321.

Dr. Platis is a recognized leader in body contouring surgeries including tummy tucks, breast enhancement and “mommy makeover” procedures which help reverse the body changes that often occur with pregnancies.

Now is the time to consider making the improvement to your physique that diet and exercise alone cannot.

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Northwest Indiana health care Advisory council

THE NEW PROACTIVE ERA IN HEALTH CARE DEPENDS ON COLLABORATION AND FEEDBACK

T

he doctor (or intake assistant) has a checklist: Any shortness of breath? Heartburn? Dizziness? Trouble sleeping? Constipation? Fever? Allergies? Headaches? You think about each item, usually say “no” and move on.

This saves time—when it’s your turn to see the physician, he or she already knows why you are there and is looking at a checklist for incongruities, those details that don’t add up and good old-fashioned red flags. Then the doctor will probe deeper with more questions.

People know by now that this routine kind of conversation can be the most important part of a doctor visit. A detailed patient profile and noticing the subtle changes between appointments can make the difference between early diagnosis and sudden death. At least, that is some of the feedback we are getting from our readers.

Telling other people’s health care (or health scare) stories is not purely inspirational work—though the stories people tell each other about health care can be very inspiring—the basic purpose is mostly about teaching and learning.

The media looks over the shoulders of the doctors and other health care professionals (usually with full cooperation from the patient and the caretakers) treating the brain injuries of former Congresswoman Giffords or Senator Kirk because of the value of those very public teaching moments. This type of journalism is not gossip; it’s vital education in an aging population.

Our mission has always been simple: We want you to know everything we know about what’s available and what’s happening. Have you ever taken a copy of an article from a newspaper or magazine or a link into your doctor’s office? Lots of people do now, and sometimes that information helps the physician. Though bringing the story to the doctor’s attention may not always be relevant, at the very least you can cross one scenario off the list. In a world of way too much information, that’s helpful.

There is at least one item that will be debated in the General Assembly this session: a public smoking ban, a cause that Rep. Charlie Brown has supported and tirelessly worked to advance for years. If it passes, we would all benefit.

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Quality medical care...

By professionals who

care about you.

Ramesh Kanuru, MD

John Jack Noonan, Patient

I’ve had back surgery before. This was the most invasive surgery I’ve ever had, and I had the least level of pain I’ve ever felt. I was treated with dignity and respect.

When I arrived in the Emergency Room at Pinnacle Hospital that Friday, Dec. 2, my left leg was so weak.

I had so much pain. The surgery was the next day, on a Saturday. My left leg now has full strength. This is the only place I would go for back surgery.

-John Jack Noonan, Homer Glen, Ill.

Providing patients with immediate, safe and quality medical care from highly-trained physicians with on-site laboratory and radiology services.

9301 ConneCtiCut Drive • Crown Point • 219-756-2100 www.PinnaClehealthCare.net Pinnacle is conveniently located on 93rd Avenue, just east of Broadway in Crown Point.

We measure your wait in minutes not hours.

Walk-ins welcome and no referrals are necessary!

march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 7

what’s new

By Kathleen Quilligan

Local Health News

HEALTHY PRODUCTS

Free mammograms to qualifying women

Squash the flu in the shower It’s that time of year again, the time when you’re likely to be sniffling and sneezing, and all that congestion can cause issues for your nose and skin. Kiss My Face has introduced its Cold & Flu Shower and Bath Gel, for those sickly, spring moments. The gel comforts your skin, with an infusion of botanicals including eucalyptus, fennel and horehound.

The gel also contains olive oil, aloe vera, and allantoin to help soothe your irritated skin.

The Kiss My Face Cold & Flu Shower and Bath Gel is available at Whole Foods stores and at KissMyFace.com for $10.95.

Franciscan Physicians Hospital received $6,750 from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust to provide 100 free screening mammograms for underinsured and uninsured area women. Screenings are done at the Franciscan Hammond Clinic Specialty Center, 7905 Calumet Avenue, Munster.

The grant, which will not cover the entire cost of the mammography screening, is available through Dec. 31. Financial assistance will be provided by Franciscan Physicians Hospital to supplement the cost of the mammograms.

The hospital currently provides roughly 5,100 mammograms per year and is partnering with Franciscan Hammond Clinic to identify women who would not otherwise be able to afford a screening.

Participants will complete a survey that indicates possible barriers to testing, such as financial, education, social and cultural, among others. The information is integrated into the program planning to refine the process for overcoming barriers.

The project, developed by IBCAT, aims to identify and resolve potential and actual barriers for women attempting to obtain regular screenings. Franciscan Physicians Hospital will assist by providing more than 500 women education on breast cancer through multiple educational offerings throughout 2012.

For more information about health events and screenings, contact Franciscan Hammond Clinic at 219.836.5800.

Senior community to open in April

Avalon Springs Health Campus, 2400 Silhavy Road, Valparaiso, is scheduled to open in April. The health campus allows the residents to experience a full continuum of senior living and related health care services including short-term rehabilitation, longterm care, specialized memory care, and assisted living in a noninstitutional setting.

Avalon Springs features a predominance of private resident suites, all with private baths, and numerous common living areas including a sun terrace, living room and library where residents can relax and visit with guests. Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services are offered in the health club.

Also located on the Avalon Springs campus is the Legacy, a memory care residence designed specifically for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Features of the Legacy include “life stations” that encourage residents to engage in familiar tasks, and décor that encourages memories of days gone by, a secured courtyard that promotes regular contact with nature, family-style dining and private bedrooms with private baths.

For more information please contact Avalon Springs at 219.462.1778.

Porter receives award

Porter Hospital received a three-year American College of Radiology Gold Standard of Accreditation for its computed technology, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine procedures.

The ACR Gold Standard of Accreditation is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards and represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. To achieve this level of accreditation, Porter diagnostic imaging personnel, equipment and quality control procedures went through a rigorous review process, which was overseen by board-certified radiologists and medical physicists highly regarded for their advanced diagnostic imaging experience.

“We are proud to have received this accreditation from the ACR,” says Porter CEO Jonathan Nalli. “Our patients can be assured that Porter meets nationally accepted standards of care.”

8 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

Mat provides workout right under your feet Congrats! You’ve made it off the couch and are ready to work out—if only you could remember the exercises you’re supposed to be doing.

That’s the concept behind the TRAINERmat for Weight Loss, an exercise mat with the routine printed on the mat. The TRAINERmat allows you to train yourself at home or on the go.

Illustrated with ten different exercises and three levels of fitness, users can build the intensity of their workout or mix the exercises for a custom routine.

The stretches are physiciancertified with an easy-to-read color scheme of blue and orange. The mat is 6 by 2 feet, providing ample space for your workout.

The TRAINERmat for Weight Loss retails for $29.99 and can be purchased at TrainerMat.com.

Nausea disappears without drugs If you haven’t been there, someone you know has. When nausea hits, either from motion sickness, pregnancy, or from other avenues, it’s miserable.

That’s why Romy Taormina and Carla Falcone, both moms who suffered from morning sickness, created the Psi Bands, acupressure wrist bands that are fashionable and functional against nausea from motion sickness, pregnancy, chemotherapy and anesthesia.

Psi Bands are drug-free, allowing the wearer to avoid the side effects common in nausea medications.

Psi Bands come two to a set, so you can wear one on each wrist, and sell for $14.99 to $19.99 per set depending on retailer and location. Psi Bands are available in the Chicagoland area at REI and Buy Buy Baby, and Fagen Pharmacy as well as online.

For a complete list of retailers and/or to learn more about Psi Bands, visit psibands.com.

Should I have my wisdom teeth removed?

When should I have them removed?

These are a few questions that are commonly asked in our office.

We would like to have the opportunity to see you for a consultation to determine if you will benefit from wisdom tooth removal. Consultations are always complimentary for wisdom teeth and dental implant patients. Dr. Platt has been serving Northwest Indiana for over 20 years with quality oral surgery care in Wisdom Teeth Removal, Dental Implants, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Extractions, General and IV Sedations.

Patient financing available

Wisdom

teeth

45 S221 322 Indianapolis Blvd., Suite 100 (Behind Steak N’ Shake) Schererville, IN

219~864~1133

We welcome new patients Monday -Thursday: 8am - 5pm Friday: 7am - 2pm We are currently scheduling for spring break appointments. Please consider scheduling your wisdom tooth consultation early for the most convenient appointment times.

Dr. Jay Platt and his staff work closely with you and your dentist to ensure your treatment exceeds your expectations. Choosing an oral surgeon is an important decision. Our team is composed of experienced professionals who are dedicated to your care. We are looking forward to fulfilling your dental needs.

www.jplattdds.com march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 9

2011 Carol Br ockman

Life

Photo Copyri ght

survivor spotlight

Back Surgery after

“There is life after back surgery,” Barbara Leestma says. • There’s also biking, skiing, keeping up with her 5-year-old granddaughter, and ballroom dancing.

In fact, the 59-year-old Highland resident won a ballroom dance competition in Chicago 18 months after back surgery at Pinnacle Hospital in Crown Point.

“It’s amazing. I forget that I had back surgery,” she says.

Back problems plagued this vibrant, physically active woman for 15 to 20 years before the incident in March 2010 that left her unable to move her right leg. Injuries over the years added to the pain she experienced.

But chronic back pain didn’t stop Barbara Leestma from following her passion for competitive dancing—a sport she watched on TV, but says she didn’t know she could participate in. Neither did a broken foot and knee surgery.

Her interest in dancing occurred before Dancing with the Stars. “I watched championship ballroom dancing on Channel 11. I was enthralled,” she says.

“I have no dance background.”

However, her husband encouraged her to take up dancing. Dr. Eric Leestma, 59, is a family practice physician who is a partner in Pinnacle Hospital.

“I said, ‘No, I don’t know any dancing people.’ He kept after me. I finally took three mini-lessons and I loved it,” Barbara Leestma says.

10 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

Keith Clinton, her first instructor, now owns Gotta Dance in Schererville, where she continues to take lessons. “I was his first student,” she says. “Like me, he came to ballroom dancing later in life.”

The chronic back pain didn’t affect her dancing, she says, despite the level of physical and aerobic activity involved in the movements.

When the pain got bad enough, Barbara Leestma sought help from orthopedic spinal specialists.

She was diagnosed with lower back problems in the lumbar area, L-4, -5 and -6. Pain shots helped relieve some of the discomfort, but can only be given so many times a year, she says.

“The doctors kept saying I was not a really good candidate for surgery. They knew I was very athletic and I’d go to the health club. That helped strengthen my back,” she recalls.

Her physically active lifestyle fell apart during the couple’s annual ski trip to Vail, Colorado, in spring 2010.

Rather than fly, the Leestmas drove to Colorado.

After unpacking the first night at the ski resort, the

couple decided to go skiing. “I went to step onto the first step of the shuttle bus and my right leg totally gave out. I had no feeling in it,” she says.

Back home in Highland, she felt nothing but pain. “I kept thinking, ‘This will never get better,’” she says. “By that time, I was ready to have the surgery done. I’d never heard the usual horror stories about back surgery that people tell.”

Pinnacle Hospital and its medical staff were logical choices, Barbara Leestma says. “My husband is associated with the hospital. I had a lot of confidence in the medical system here.”

In fact, Dr. Donald Kucharzyk, who performed the spinal surgery, was a classmate of Eric Leestma at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. The two-part surgery Dr. Kucharzyk performed involved making an incision in Barbara’s abdomen to access the lumbar area of her spine. After relieving the nerve that ran to her right leg and fusing the vertebrae, he inserted a titanium cage to stabilize her spine.

Several days of hospitalization at Pinnacle was followed by three months of intensive physical therapy, during which Barbara Leestma wore a back brace.

Six months after surgery in late 2010, doctors gave her permission to dance. “I did competitive dancing with Keith at the Indiana Challenge and at the largest pro-am dancing competition in Columbus, Ohio,” Barbara Leestma says.

Coincidentally, that was the competition she began watching years before on Channel 11.

Last October, Barbara Leestma and her partner, Rodolfo Blanquicett of Gotta Dance, won first place in the Chicago Harvest Moon Ball Championships competition at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, sponsored by Gotta Dance.

“When I came back to dancing from back surgery, I was very nervous. Keith knew I had had back surgery and knew I was very concerned about falls,” she says. “I’m totally 100 percent now, better than I was before.” —Lu Ann Franklin‌

With the Help of CyberKnife, Cancer Didn’t Stop Jerry When Hammond resident, Jerry Parker, went for a regular check-up, he was surprised to learn that his prostatespecific antigen (PSA) level was elevated, pointing to prostate cancer.

“CyberKnife at St. Catherine Hospital was clearly the best option for me. No pain, no cutting, no side effects. I had treatments one hour a day, for five days. I'm already back to my active lifestyle walking our two dogs five miles per day and swimming in our pool,” Jerry says.

Physicians at the CyberKnife Center at St. Catherine Hospital are successfully stopping prostate cancer in its tracks without damaging surrounding tissue and minimizing side effects. The power of this technology is now being used to treat many types of cancer.

Contact the CyberKnife Center to find out if you are a candidate for treatment.

Call toll-free at 1-877-32-CYBER.

Jerry Parker Hammond, IN

Want to learn more about CyberKnife?

Use your Smartphone’s QR code reader to scan this code and watch a 2 minute video about the CyberKnife of St. Catherine Hospital.

Call toll-free at 1-877-32-CYBER.

march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 11

well-being events Because dates and times are subject to change, please call ahead to confirm all event details. If you would like to submit a health-related event to be considered for listing in the Get Healthy calendar of events, please send the information at least 6-8 weeks in advance to laveta.hughes@nwi.com.

c o m p i l e d b y L aV e ta H u g h e s

FITNESS ONGOING Chi Gong, 9:3010:30am Thu, Cancer Resource Centre, 926 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.3349. cancerresourcecentre.com. This ancient Eastern healing art of breath, movement, non-movement and meditation will be taught through a one-hour session of warm-ups, positions and focused movements.

ONGOING Running Club, 6pm Tue, 5:30am Thu, 6:30am Sat, Duneland Family YMCA, 215 Roosevelt St, Chesterton.

219.926.4204. dunelandymca.org. This program is for all skill levels—beginning, intermediate and advanced. Participants should dress for an outdoor run. Saturday runs are held off-site.

ONGOING Senior Aerobics, 9:3010:30am Tue, Thu, Pruzin Community Center, 5750 Tyler St, Merrillville. 219.980.5911.

Merrillville residents ages 50 and older can stay fit at this free aerobics class.

Association, participants will have learned all aspects of diabetes care. Afternoon and evening sessions are available, as are individual appointments for glucose monitoring or insulin administration, and free blood glucose screenings.

ONGOING State Health Insurance Assistance Program, call for dates and times. 219.392.7448. comhs.org. This program is sponsored by Community Healthcare System to assist seniors in getting the most from their health insurance and understanding Medicare and Medicaid programs.

ONGOING Weight Management Class, 6:30pm, 2nd Mon of every month, Franciscan Hammond Clinic Specialty Center, 7905 Calumet Ave, Munster. 219.836.5800. hammondclinic.com. Those interested in

weight loss through bariatric surgery should attend this ongoing weight management class. A physician referral is required to attend.

FEB 20 Weight-Loss Surgery: Is it Right for Me? 6-8pm, St. Mary Medical Center, Patient Tower, 1500 S Lake Park Ave, Hobart. 219.836.3477. comhs.org. Using a team approach to achieving weight loss, bariatric surgeons Drs. Paul Stanish and Hung Dang discuss the etiology of obesity, its effect on an individual’s physical, emotional and psychological health, and how surgical weight loss can help increase an individual’s ability to move, improve self-esteem and, most importantly, extend their life. Additional dates: Mar 19, Apr 16; on Mar 6, Apr 3: Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, 9950 Calumet Ave, Munster.

12 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

FEB 29 Victory over Violence, 5-6pm, St. Catherine Hospital, Pastoral Care Dept, 4321 Fir St, East Chicago. comhs.org.

219.836.3477. This free session is for those who are dealing with the aftermath of a violent incident. Additional dates: Mar 28, Apr 25.

MAR 8 Answers for Your Aching Joints, 6-7pm, St. Mary Medical Center, Patient Tower, 1500 S Lake Park Ave, Hobart.

219.836.3477. comhs.org. Orthopedic surgeon Scott Andrews M.D. discusses the most common causes of hip pain, signs and symptoms, the latest treatment options and the most advanced surgical procedures.

CLASSES/SEMINARS

ONGOING Diabetes Management Classes, 1201 S Main St, Crown Point.

219.757.6268. stanthonymedicalcenter.com.

After completion of this four-week course, recognized by the American Diabetes

FEB 21 Take a Look at Your Heart, 1:30-3:15pm, Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, 9950 Calumet Ave, Munster.

219.836.3477. comhs.org. Community Hospital cardiology staff explains various diagnostic tests for your heart, such as EKG, echo, angio, nuclear medicine, and calcium scoring.

MAR 3-Apr 7 Art Therapy, 9am-noon Sat, Cancer Resource Centre, 926 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.3477. comhs.org.

Art therapy has been recognized as an effective mind-body intervention. This class consists of six sessions facilitated

by Amanda Wyatt, board certified art therapist. Class is limited to ten participants. Additional session begins on Apr 14.

MAR 29-MAY 3 Pilates, every Thu 5:306:30pm, Schererville Town Hall Community Room, 10 E Joliet St, Schererville. activenwi. com. Pilates will be offered in 6-week sessions, suitable for all levels. This matbased class will help strengthen major muscles, improve flexibility, and focus on core strengthening. Participants will begin with basic Pilates and advance to intermediate exercises. Please bring a mat.

ONGOING C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Natural Birth & Parenting Network, 7pm, 1st Wed of the month, Hebron Community Center, 611 N Main St, Hebron.

219.996.5188. indianabirthchoices.com. This free community program brings together midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, chiropractors, breastfeeding consultants and new and expecting parents. No need to preregister.

FEB 20 What’s the Big Deal About Metabolic Rate? 6:30-7:30pm, Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, 9950 Calumet Ave, Munster. 219.836.3477. comhs.org. This class provides information about resting metabolism and its relationship to managing weight.

Additional dates: Mar 29, Apr 19.

MAR 12

Yoga and Pain Management 5:30-6:30pm, Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, 9950 Calumet Ave, Munster. 219.836.3477

Learn how movement, stretching and strengthening can resolve discomfort. These exercises can be performed almost anywhere at any time and can be incorporated into your daily movements.

SUPPORT GROUPS ONGOING Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group, 10am-noon, 3rd Tue of every month, Franciscan St. Anthony Health, Crown Point. 219.757.6368. stanthonymedicalcenter.com. Mothers meet to discuss various topics in an open forum.

ONGOING Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, 6pm, 1st and 3rd Wed of every month, PorterStarke Services, 701 Wall St, Entrance C, Valparaiso; 7pm, 2nd and 4th Mon of every month, Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus, 8701 Broadway, Merrillville. 219.462.3689. porterstarke. org. This unique support group is a peer-directed discussion, with patients being treated for depression or bipolar disorder and their families helping form a comprehensive common denominator of the support needed.

ONGOING Yogabilities, 4pm Wed, Franciscan St. Margaret Health, 5454 Hohman Ave, Hammond. 219.322.2037. franciscanstmargaret.org. This event combines movements with music to increase flexibility and strength. Stories and crafts are available for children ages 3 to 6.

SCREENINGS ONGOING Blood Pressure Screening, 10:30-11:30am, Central Library Red Desk, 1919 W 81st Ave, Merrillville. 219.756.0744. lcplin.org. Blood pressure screenings are provided by Spring Mill Health Campus.

ONGOING Gluten Intolerance Group of Northwest Indiana, 7-8pm, 2nd Mon of every month, St. Mary Medical Center, 1500 S Lake Park Ave, Hobart.

219.588.9829. comhs.org. This free support group is for those with gluten intolerances, including celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis and other sensitivities.

ONGOING Pain Management Group Therapy, 9-10:30am, 2nd and 4th Tue of every month, St. Catherine Hospital, 4321 Fir St, East Chicago.

219.392.7722. comhs.org. This free group provides an opportunity to learn a variety of coping skills and techniques of pain control for those with chronic pain.

ONGOING Stroke Survivor Support Group, 7pm, 3rd Thu of every month, Trinity Lutheran Church Teacher’s Lounge, 250 S Indiana Ave, Crown Point. 219.663.0265. Individuals who have survived a stroke are invited to join this new support group.

Registration is encouraged by calling 219.663.0265.

FEB 21 Alzheimer’s Support Group, 6-7:30pm, St. Mary Medical Center, 1500 S Lake Park Ave, Hobart. comhs.org.

219.836.3477. This group is for patients, family, caregivers and friends dealing with Alzheimer’s.

MAR 6 Memories, 5:30-6:30pm, St. Catherine Hospital, Pastoral Care Dept, 4321 Fir St, East Chicago. 219.836.3477. comhs.org. This group is for parents and family members who have lost their unborn child or a child at a very early age.

MAR 8 Good Grief, 5-6pm, St. Catherine Hospital, 4321 Fir St, East Chicago. 219.836.3477. comhs.org.

This group provides support for those suffering from the loss of a loved one.

Additional date: Apr 12.

FEB 25

Heart Health Fair 9am-noon, St. Catherine Hospital Professional Office Building Conference Room, 4321 Fir St, East Chicago. 219.836.3477

This event will showcase fun, interactive ways to learn about heart health and the effects of cardiovascular disease.

Information booths, screenings, and interactive displays will be available.

NUTRITION ONGOING Nutrition Counseling, call for dates and times, Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, 9950 Calumet Ave, Munster. 219.934.2858. comhs. org. This program offers individualized meal planning designed by a registered dietitian with expertise in food allergies, weight management, abnormal blood lipid management, diabetes, eating disorders and more.

ONGOING Nutrition for Life, call for dates and times, Cancer Resource Centre, 926 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.3349. comhs.org. This program, facilitated by a registered dietitian/diabetes educator, reinforces the importance of healthy eating.

KIDS ONGOING Healing Hearts for Teens, 5:30-6:45pm Mon, 600 Superior Ave, Munster. 219.922.2732, 708.895.8332. This free six-session

support group, sponsored by Hospice of the Calumet Area, is for youth ages 13 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one and need support for their grief.

ONGOING KidFit Camp, Ingalls Wellness Center, 2920 W 183rd St, Homewood. 708.206.0072. ingallshealthsystem.org. This program is a children’s weight management series geared toward kids ages 8-12 to help children learn healthy lifestyle changes without an emphasis on diet. The focus is on self-esteem and promoting healthy attitudes and habits that will last.

ONGOING Yoga for Kids, 10:15-10:45 (ages 4-6), 11-11:30am (ages 7-10) Sat, Valparaiso Family YMCA, 1201 Cumberland Crossing Dr, Valparaiso. 219.762.9622. valpoymca. org. Boys and girls ages 4 to 10 can learn traditional yoga poses in fun and educational ways at this yoga class taught by certified Yogafit instructor Anita Beaudoin.

ONGOING Blood Profile Screening, 9am-noon, Wed and Fri, call for dates and locations. 219.762.3196 or 219.769.2258. comhs.org. A 12-hour fast is necessary before this screening, which checks cholesterol, HDL/LDL ratio, glucose and triglycerides and provides results in only a few minutes.

ONGOING Sleep Apnea Screening, Duneland YMCA, 215 Roosevelt St, Chesterton. Portage YMCA, 3100 Willowcreek Rd, Portage. Valparaiso YMCA, 1201 Cumberland Crossing, Valparaiso. 219.764.4567. porterhealth. com. No appointment is necessary for these free sleep apnea screenings performed by Porter’s Sleep Disorders Institute. For dates and times, call 219.764.4567.

MAR 27 Memory Screening, 10am2pm, Hartsfield Village Senior Living Community, 10000 Columbia Ave, Munster.

219.934.0750 ext 200. comhs.org. Early detection and recognition of mild cognitive impairment is important to improving the quality of life. Hartsfield Village Senior Living Community, a designated Memory Screening center for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, offers free, confidential memory screenings.

APR 14 Coronary Health Appraisal, 8-11am, St. Mary Medical Center, 1500 S Lake Park Ave, Hobart. 219.836.3477. comhs.org. This screening determines risk for heart disease and other related medical conditions. Screening includes: cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), hemoglobin A1C and average estimated glucose, metabolic syndrome, blood pressure, body mass index, and a Heart Health Profile. A 1012 hour fast is required.

march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 13

the body shop

heavylifting Local woman uses weight lifting to keep healthy When Julia Ladewski was in high school, she decided to start lifting weights to help improve her athletic performance. But she found the benefits of lifting weights were much greater than that.

Ladewski, who runs the Parisi Speed School at Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness Schererville, says it also gave her a sense of empowerment. About a decade ago, she began competing in weight lifting competitions and has been in about fifteen competitions.

The competitions help her stay focused and motivated and work towards goals, she says.

Her next goal is to be able to squat, bench press and dead lift a combined total of 1,100 pounds. At her last competition in August, she had a combined total of about 975 pounds. “I really enjoy competing,” she says. “It holds me accountable towards a goal.”

Ladewski says many women are afraid to lift weights because of the stereotypes associated with it. “The biggest stereotype is that women think it’s going to produce enormous muscle,” she says. She says that’s not the case, because women have different body structures and lack testosterone.

“Building muscle is a good thing,” Ladewski says.

“You get a lot of benefits from it.”

She says the best way to start is to find some friends so everyone can lift weights together. It also might be beneficial to have a personal trainer to demonstrate exercises that are appropriate or go to a group weight lifting class. The Internet and DVDs also can provide a good starting point.

Ladewski says it is important to have accountability.

“Accountability makes a big difference,” she says. “It keeps you motivated.”

It’s also crucial to have a goal, which can be anything from weight loss to transforming your body through building muscle. It can range from running a 5K to doing 14 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

fifteen push-ups.

“Goals keep you focused on your performance,” she says. “As you work towards your goal, you notice your body is truly changing.”

Ladewski says lifting weights helps her feel better, look better and be a little more patient with her children, ages 4 1/2 and 3.

“You need to find something you enjoy,” she says. “Exercise helps you see what your body is capable of.” —Carrie Rodovich‌

Julia Ladewski Photo by Tony V. Martin

Group Personal Training offers fitness options For those who want some extra attention to help build strength while they work out but don’t want to hire their own personal trainer, group personal training (GPT) could be a good option, says Julia Ladewski, program director for Parisi Speed School.

The group personal training sessions are available for members of Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness. Currently, about 40 people are in the program.

Classes are offered in the Omni studios or in the Parisi Speed School every morning and several evenings during the week, Ladewski says.

Group sizes range from four to twelve people and include participants ages 21 to 61, she says.

The small-group sessions focus on building strength and muscle tone using kettle bells, ropes and suspension trainers.

Sessions focus on injury prevention and flexibility and are geared towards a variety of ability levels.

“We focus on . . . getting people to move their bodies more efficiently on a daily basis,” she says. “They are extremely effective for fat burning by utilizing high intensity intervals and metabolic conditioning.”

Ladewski says the group personal training program offers personal coaching with the accountability and sociability of a regular fitness class. “Group personal training is the newest and best thing in the fitness industry right now,” she says.

—Carrie Rodovich‌

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Early diagnosis can help treat TMJ disorders TMJ—most of us have heard this term. For a variety of reasons, many of us have had inflammation, pain or stiffness in our temporomandibular joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull. Or perhaps we’ve experienced ringing in the ears, earache, headache, neck pain, shoulder pain—and other discomfort such as a sense of “fullness” due to trouble in that joint.

But by calling such problems simply “TMJ,” it’s like calling pain, stiffness or arthritis in the knee “Knee,” or in the elbow “Elbow,” says Dr. Daniel Bade, a dentist and specialist in orofacial pain and TMJ disorders with a practice in Hammond and LaPorte. When there are TMJ troubles in your life, they should be called TMJ disorders, TMJ pain or TMJ problems, he explains.

Bade says that the vast majority of TMJ trouble is muscular, like a “charley horse of the face.” Problems can also manifest in “clicking” or “popping” of the joint, or even displacement of the joint.

“But if it doesn’t hurt,” Bade advises, “don’t try to fix it.”

As a first line of defense for TMJ pain, Bade recommends simple fixes such as ice and rest.

Or perhaps stretching, physical therapy, oral “appliances,” an injection, a medication or biofeedback and/or another type of psychological treatment to reduce stress and tension in one’s life—which can lead to TMJ problems from grinding and clenching on the joint.

Bade says 92 percent of TMJ pain will resolve

using noninvasive techniques.

The rest may require surgery— arthroscopic (a less invasive surgery) or a more aggressive approach in the operating room.

Bade says the longer one waits after experiencing symptoms, the harder it is to manage TMJ trouble and it can get worse.

“Get to a dentist early,” he says, “as soon as you start to feel something.”

Women are more sensitive to pain resulting from TMJ problems for a variety of reasons and seek treatment in greater numbers, Bade says. Both sexes, however, may face roadblocks when trying to get insurance to kick in for the treatment of TMJ trouble. Bade explains that dental insurance often has low monetary caps and doesn’t go far enough in its coverage. And medical insurance won’t cover the treatment of medical conditions treated by dentists—so coverage is excluded. —Bonnie McGrath‌

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on your mind

Networking for Support Online groups offer knowledge and help in time of need There once was a time that one could feel very alone in this world. Whether dealing with something as serious as a life-threatening illness or as common as a baby who won’t sleep through the night, many have found times in their lives when they were positive no one could possibly understand what they were going through.

Well...not anymore.

These days, there are countless online groups where people can come to gain not only knowledge, but the priceless emotional support of others. “Online support groups really give the person an extra support

16 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

unit that can be available to them 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” explains Jean Trammel of New Leaf Resources in Crown Point. “But, similar to finding a therapist, we advise patients to make absolutely sure that the online support group is a good fit.”

“We often encourage our patients to go online to do necessary research on their condition,” adds Lori Krol, a Pinnacle Healthcare family nurse practitioner who recently opened Krol Family Medicine in Wheatfield. “But in some cases, talking to an actual human being is going to be just as beneficial.”

Indeed, experts seem to agree that one should not solely rely on online networking support groups to help get them through life’s challenges. Yet, having both online and offline support can often produce remarkable results.

However, one must be cautious.

Confidentiality within

an online support group can be tough to keep. In addition, one can never be sure if the other members of the support group are being entirely honest regarding to their conditions and backgrounds. And above all, many can become so immersed in their online support groups that they tend to shut out the people closest to them in their life.

“People can often become addicted to the website or online support group,” Krol explains. “You must always ask yourself if you are spending more time on the computer instead of with the people that mean the most.”

However, if kept in check, an online support group can offer yet another opportunity to come together with similar people to deal with life’s issues. Trammel says, “Above all, you want to make sure they know that you are there for them and willing to be their support, no matter what.”

—Tricia Despres‌

Emotional Manipulation

Let’s not tiptoe around the subject!

Barbara Boatright wondered whether she or her husband would commit suicide first.

That revelation was her breaking point—the point in her marriage when she knew it was toxic and she could no longer live that way, for good.

In a recently released memoir, Boatright, a Gary native, details the misery she suffered in a twoyear marriage to a man who she says emotionally abused her.

The book, Impaled on the Horns of the Devil—The Development of Vulnerability to an Abusive Relationship, details how the man who became her second husband (and abuser) encouraged her to divorce her first husband and become dependent on him for emotional support.

Though readers who have suffered from abuse and who have suffered through failed marriages may relate to her struggles, Boatright says she also hopes to reach readers who will benefit from her story and learn from her mistakes. “It’s something a lot of women have in common with me and I hope that perhaps my book will influence women to get out of an abusive situation,” she says. “My major push is to get a dialogue going in how we can watch our teenagers and make sure they don’t make the same mistakes we made.”

Boatright, a former

Provided by Barbara Boatrig ht

A Gary native writes a memoir about her abusive marriage

educator in Gary and Portage, now lives in San Marcos, Calif., with her third husband, whom she’s been with for 50 years. She wants readers to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, though at times during her abusive second marriage, she says she wasn’t sure an end was in sight.

“It was like I lived two lives,” Boatright says. “I was so dedicated to my kids at school. Despite what was going on at home, I could concentrate on my teaching. I really believe my teaching and my dedication to teaching saved me. It kept me sane.”

But after two years of emotional manipulation, she broke free with the help of her family. In addition to her book, she speaks in front of groups about her abusive background and how she eventually was able to find happiness. —Christine Bryant

For your information Barbara Boatright’s memoir is available through Amazon.com.

Readers also may purchase autographed copies directly from Boatright by emailing her at carlnbb@cox.net.

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a issue We are a couple of months into the new year.

And for many of us that might mean our New Year’s resolutions are slipping away. But it’s not too late to get back on track. And we are here to help. In this issue we look at different weight-loss challenges that arise at different stages of life.

We tackle the fact and fiction surrounding popular weight-loss advice. And we figure out the math behind the Body Mass Index.

18 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

Local dietitians shed some light to help you lose pounds

Debunking Myths

W

eight-loss myths abound these days with fad diet authors and blogs weighing in with the latest ways to shed pounds.

Our dietitians and trainers bust some of the top weight-loss tales.

Lori Granich, RD, at St. Margaret Mercy in Dyer: • Skip meals to lose weight. Metabolism, in its simplest terms, is how many calories you burn. The best way to keep your metabolism up is by not skipping meals so that your body can begin to break down food rather than conserve calories.

• Portion size doesn’t matter when you’re eating healthy. Portion size is important. Calories count. If you’re on a 1,200 calorie diet and eat 1,600 calories of apples, weight loss will not occur. An easy way to avoid this common mistake is by measuring out portions, using small plates or bulking up on veggies, because they are not calorically dense.

Michael Sena, co-owner of Michael Sena’s Pro-Fit: Program Fitness for Results, in Dyer: • You have to eat less to lose weight.

The opposite is true. Most people don’t realize that you have to feed and fuel the body so that

metabolism resets. A well-proportioned diet high in protein, complex carbs and mono- and polyunsaturated fats will give your body the right breakdown and balance. Avoid empty calories like those found in pastry and candy.

• You shouldn’t eat before or after a workout. Pre- and post-recovery meals are vital. Before workouts, eating foods like fresh fruit, yogurt, high fiber cold cereal or natural peanut butter will give your body the necessary blood sugar energy it needs. After workouts, a protein smoothie with stable complex carbs or a healthy meal of brown rice, sweet potatoes or greens can help to replenish your body with protein to repair muscle tissue.

Julie Williams, R.D., C. D., at Porter Health: • Fad diets work. Many of us are drawn to them because we hear of a friend that had a quick weight loss. Most fads lower calorie intake and cut out specific foods, making these diets difficult to follow. Once you stop the diet, the weight returns. Also a lack of food variety means lack of nutrients.

• Eating after 6 p.m. is bad.

Weight gain occurs when food intake exceeds activity. If you want to snack at night, simply look back at what you did and what you ate during the day to make a sensible choice.

• Cut out starches when dieting.

Carbs are our main sources of energy, so they are important. But choose healthy ones.

Whole grains, fruits and vegetables contain the complex carbs we need. Avoiding simple carbs, like those found in pies and cookies, is a good idea.

Julia Burns, fitness instructor at Phenomenal Fitness in Chicago: • You must always work out as hard as you can. Your body responds best to training that is set in timed, measurable progressions and regressions. This means workouts should be of varying intensities throughout a training cycle, allowing the body to make necessary gains and recoveries to avoid hitting a plateau.

—Sharon Biggs Waller‌

march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 19

FYI BMI

The number on the scale isn’t the only thing to take into consideration when determining weight and health risk. Doctors, trainers and dietitians also look at the body mass index, or BMI.

K

ate Fairbairn, certified nutrition specialist and lifestyle strategies/ wellness coach, ACE personal trainer at Fitness Pointe in Munster, says the BMI is a simple mathematical computation of the ratio of weight to height, and is another tool to help determine health risk for disease. “The higher the BMI number, the more risk for disease such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, and coronary heart disease,” she says. “Easy-to-use charts are available in doctors’ offices, health clubs or online.”

Dr. Holly Lucille, a nationally recognized licensed naturopathic physician, author and educator, says the number is reached by using weight plus height. So if you are 5 foot, 8 inches and weigh 160 pounds, your BMI is 24.3, the high end of normal.

Mortality rate decreases as the BMI decreases.

The lowest mortality range for females is between 19 and 21 BMI and for males 20 to 22 BMI. Normal weight is 18.5-24.9 BMI, overweight 24.929.9, obese 30 plus, and over 40 is considered morbidly obese. The BMI does not distinguish between female and male in regards to weight ratings. “Although the BMI is an estimate, it does give us a good idea of the amount of fat versus lean muscle tissue on an individual,” Dr. Lucille says.

It’s important to note that the BMI does not measure body fat. “Individuals who are muscular, and have a large skeletal mass and therefore higher scale weight will have a higher BMI, but won’t necessarily be considered overweight or have increased disease risk,” Fairbairn says.

For your Fairbairn says the information waist circumference To calculate factor is a useful your BMI visit tool to include with nhlbisupport.com/bmi the BMI, since the higher the waist measurement the higher the disease risk. “Risk factors increase regardless of an individual’s BMI when a women is over 35 inches around the waist and a man is over 40 inches,” she says. “So essentially the risk factor is higher when body fat accumulates in the abdominal area versus hips and buttocks.”

Dr. Lucille adds that this doesn’t give pearshaped and hourglass-shaped individuals a free pass. “Even if the weight is on the thighs and hips and not around the waist, the heart still has to work harder to pump nutrients to that extra weight, so the health risk factors are still there.

However, try not to get hung up on the pieces of the puzzle. It’s good to pay attention to the BMI but not to obsess about it.” —Sharon Biggs Waller‌

“The higher the BMI number, the more risk for disease such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, and coronary heart disease.”

Kate Fairbairn 20 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

How age affects the number on the scale

The

Story of Weight W

hile exercise and proper diet are always important to maintaining and losing weight, different issues can surface during different stages in life.

Karen Krutz, bariatric coordinator at ReStart Center, says the college atmosphere can be a perfect storm of lifestyle challenges. The weight loss/bariatric center is located at Methodist Hospitals’ Southlake Campus in Merrillville.

The college years “When kids go off to college, they are eating all the wrong foods and they have their social lives going on and they are not exercising. The lack of sleep slows down their metabolism,” Krutz says.

“They need to eat foods that count instead of putting garbage in there.”

Kristina Greene, registered dietitian and diabetes educator at ReStart Center, says drinking a lot of pop is also an issue for teens and twentysomethings. “They need to be eating more lowfat milk products and drinking milk, as these have essential nutrients to maintain metabolism,” Greene says. “The college-age group doesn’t know how to cook and they eat junk.”

Krutz suggests twentysomethings take a class in order to learn how to cook healthy meals.

Heading into motherhood and beyond The twenties and thirties can also present challenges unique to women, Greene says, as pregnancy provides a platform to eat more calories, gain too much weight and have that weight remain after giving birth.

It is during the forties that a slower metabolism surfaces, a basic fact of life as people get older, says Dr. Zeba Ali, a board-certified family medicine physician at Portage Medical Group located within Porter’s Portage Hospital.

“For many people, the body begins to do the unthinkable: replacing muscle with a layer of fat,” Dr. Ali says.

“Fat cells don’t burn as many calories as muscle cells do, so as a result there is weight gain,” Krutz says. “For women when perimenopause is going on, it is harder to decrease weight. Stress and hormone levels increase and your tummy is not going to be as nice and lean as it was before unless you really, really work at it. You have to exercise a lot more in order to drop five pounds.”

Dr. Ali says people in their forties aren’t as active as before, and stress and lack of sleep can also push the number up on the scale. “Women and men in their forties are busier, and they are consuming more calories than they are burning.

Stress releases cortisol, which increases appetite and stimulates overeating,” Dr. Ali says. “As we get older, we feel it is time to enjoy ourselves, and letting go of willpower and control is not a very good combination.”

build muscle, which fights osteoporosis down the road and eradicates fat • Stretching to maintain flexibility “You can increase your activity by playing with the kids, parking your car farther away and walking, and carrying things up the stairs in two trips instead of one,” Dr. Ali says. “Stretching helps align joints to bones so everything is in perfect harmony, and that helps keep mobility later in life.”

“The name of the game is to keep weight under control and stay fit as long as you possibly can throughout your entire life,” Kurtz adds.

Dr. Ali warns that worrying about weight can be a stress trigger, too. “If you are stressed out about this, that’s not a good thing, as that starts a vicious cycle,” she says. “Have the holidays or weekends to have something you like—in moderation.”

—Lesly Bailey‌

Dr. Ali emphasizes the basics to battle weight gain at any age include: • Healthy eating by avoiding sugars and fats and focusing on fruits and vegetables • 2-1/2 hours of physical activity a week • Strength training to march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 21

U

Healthy

B

y March, your New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get healthier may have flown out the window, but an upcoming workshop, complete with a celebrity stylist, will get you back on track.

On March 24 at Avalon Manor, Creative Solutionz and the Times Media Co. will offer Healthy U, a seminar where participants will attend a variety of 45-minute workshops in health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, environment and style.

Nick Verreos, a celebrity stylist and contestant on Season 2 of Project Runway, will give the workshop “Me, My Shape, and I” and will headline the event. All event attendees will be able to take part in Verreos’ workshop.

“I get intimidated when I hear some curator of the chichi museum of fashion discuss it as if it were a nuclear bomb or something,” he says. “A lot of people feel, ‘Fashion-smashion. I can’t look like Angelina Jolie.’ For me, I kind of demystify that and make it friendly. Fashion is your friend.”

Being healthy can be your friend, too, says Lourdes Castellanos, who runs Creative Solutionz with her brother and business partner Eddie Castellanos.

“We want Healthy U to encourage the community to

consider various options for living healthy. Overall mind and body health is more than just diet and exercise; it’s a way of life and education is key. We can begin to make educated decisions when we know and understand what our options are in terms of living healthy. If each attendee walks away from Healthy U having learned something that will incorporate into their life, then we’ve achieved our goal,” Castellanos says.

Verreos won’t be the only reality TV star at the event.

Marci Crozier, a contestant on Season 11 of The Biggest Loser, will be the event’s Welcome Speaker, Castellanos says.

Workshops will span a variety of healthy activities. For example, Mary Haire, a licensed esthetician at Vanis Salon & Day Spa, will lead a workshop on healthy skin rituals.

Citizens Financial Bank will lead seminars on financial wellness, including the basics of credit management and how to prevent identity theft. Ryan Richardson, the owner and manager of County Line Orchard, will teach attendees about the health and economic benefits of a community garden. And McShane’s Business Products and Solutions will discuss the reasons for eating local and the benefits buying local food provides the community.

“We’re extremely pleased to have local businesses participate in Healthy U this year. As local businesses become involved in Healthy U, it truly becomes a community effort,” Castellanos says. “Healthy U will most certainly be an annual event. We know that it will grow as more members of the community and local businesses learn and hear about it.” —Kathleen Quilligan

For your information

Marci Crozier will be the event’s Welcome Speaker

22 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

Tickets are on sale at yourhealthyu.com and at the Times offices in Munster, Crown Point and Valparaiso. Regular ticket price is $85 per ticket.Tickets for Verreos’ seminar only are $30. For more information, visit yourhealthyu.com or call 219.678.8255.

Provided photo

Upcoming seminar helps you get back on track

Nick Verreos offers style tips for 2012 Bold color and color blocking “Stick to three colors, like a bright pink, a muted green and use a navy or a black to balance it out.”

Bold prints “Bold prints are big for 2012 especially for spring and summer, especially a geometric print.You don’t have to do head-to-toe. It could just be a scarf and that’s it; it’s about bringing a bold print into your wardrobe.”

Orange or tangerine, something citrusy “It looks great on an olive tone as well as the lighter-skin girls.”

Metallics “It’s about a little bit of bling bling. But for spring and for next year bring in a little bit of the gold, like a gold pencil skirt, metallic shoes, purses.”

Crop tops “They were a little bit Madonna [on the runway] and you have to be careful. When they show them on the runway, they show them on size 0 models with their waists showing.You have to be careful.You can go into muffin-top zone in a hot fashion minute.

But when I mean crop tops, it’s cropped jackets, a bolero-style jacket as opposed to a boyfriend-style jacket.”

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Special Feature

dealing with

diabetes According to the American Diabetes Association’s 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 25.8 million children and adults in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes. And there were 1.9 million new cases diagnosed in people 20 years and older in 2010. Inside this bonus supplement, we look at the signs and symptoms of the disease. We also discuss the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 and how the disease affects children.

Provided

Dorothy Klapak, registered nurse and certified diabetes educator at Franciscan St. Margaret Health, administers a finger stick blood glucose test at a health fair at the hospital’s Hammond campus.

diabetes

on the rise

atment Education is key to prevention and tre

As

tens of millions of Americans suffer from diabetes each day and several more millions of individuals remain undiagnosed, the effects of the disease are alarming and widespread. A local diabetes educator, with the help of a national nonprofit organization, hopes to treat and prevent diabetes through education.

According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 25.8 million Americans have diabetes—of those 7 million people remain undiagnosed—and 79 million people have pre-diabetes.

Dorothy Klapak, a board-certified registered nurse, has educated people about diabetes for more than two decades. Currently on staff at Franciscan St. Margaret Health, Klapak remembers when diabetes statistics were significantly lower.

“I was flabbergasted. I’ve been watching this for years and I’ve seen the rates going up this fast. It is scary,” she says, comparing the disease to an epidemic. “This 24 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

disease can be absolutely devastating if you don’t take care of it.”

Information made readily available by the American Diabetes Association explains diabetes is a disease resulting in elevated blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels due to defects in the body’s ability to produce and/or use insulin—a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Previously known as juvenile diabetes, Type 1 diabetes usually affects children and young adults whose bodies do not produce insulin. Some 5 percent of people have this form of the disease.

Another more uncommon form of the disease includes gestational diabetes, which many women develop during the 24th week of pregnancy. The disease can be managed during pregnancy to keep both mother and baby healthy, and is usually eliminated after birth.

Type 2 diabetes—the most common form of the disease— occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. If left untreated or improperly treated, diabetes can lead to complications like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and kidney disease, or even to more severe complications like blindness, amputations and even death. According to the ADA (diabetes.org), people with diabetes account for more than 60 percent of lowerlimb amputations.

More importantly, Klapak notes, these complications and even the disease can be prevented. Klapak says her sister has had Type 1 diabetes since the age of 10. Now in her midforties, Klapak’s sister is doing “absolutely fine.”

“It does not have to have a bad ending,” Klapak says. “It’s the education and caring for [diabetes] that makes all of the difference.”

Signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, according to the ADA, include: • Unusual thirst accompanied by frequent urination • Extreme hunger and unusual weight loss • Extreme fatigue and irritability • Frequent infections and cuts/bruises that are slow to heal • Recurring skin, gum or bladder infections • Blurred vision • Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet Despite the body’s warning signs, many people with diabetes do not experience symptoms. Simply knowing one’s risk factors is a huge step to conquering the disease. Klapak notes certain racial and ethnic groups have a high risk of diabetes, including African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans.

But the number one way to prevent diabetes, Klapak says, is to follow a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritiously and staying active. “It’s amazing how many people have no idea. They get some simple education and, boy, it saves the day,” she says. “Changing your lifelong habits is really ­ Danielle difficult. But the statistics are really frightening.” — Ziulkowski‌

The Importance of

foot care for Diabetics Regular checks are vital for healthy living Our feet are our foundation, and it’s important to take good care of them.

But good foot care is even more crucial for a diabetic. Diabetes isn’t just a blood sugar problem; the disease affects the entire body, and that includes nerves and circulation to the feet. However, foot problems often go unnoticed because diabetics tend to lose feeling in the feet over time.

Dr. Michael Nirenberg, a podiatrist at Friendly Foot Care in Crown Point, sees this problem rather frequently and strongly recommends that diabetics see a podiatrist once a year. A podiatrist will examine the foot and check the strength of the pulse in the foot. A pulse that is too strong or not strong enough can be an early indicator of circulation problems.

A broken bone or sore in the foot can be very painful, but a diabetic might feel little to no pain at all. Diabetic neuropathy can lessen the ability to feel pain even more.

“I’ve had diabetic patients over the years for various foot problems and I’ll find a sore or infection on the foot and they won’t know about it,” Dr. Nirenberg says.

“I’ll x-ray the foot and find needles and toothpicks imbedded that they never felt.”

Dr. Nirenberg stresses the importance of checking feet daily. If seeing the bottom of the feet is a problem, a mirror can be helpful. Dr. Nirenberg also recommends a scale called the Insight Foot Care Scale

that uses angled mirrors to give a full, magnified view of the bottom of the foot.

Diabetics, particularly those who still have good feeling in the hands, should get into the habit of checking their feet daily for any unusual bumps or sores. This should be done for 30 seconds a day and every part of the foot, including areas between the toes, should be examined.

Daily examination can help put a stop to possible infections or production of gangrene by giving the patient a chance to alert his or her podiatrist of anything unusual early on.

Since dry skin is at a greater risk for breaking open, a good moisturizer is another way to keep feet healthy.

Unfortunately, one in five diabetics will have an amputation of the foot. The most common result of amputation is an instability that causes a patient to walk and exercise much less afterward. As a strong believer that walking is the best way to get blood moving, Dr. Nirenberg has seen the overall health of diabetics often decreases significantly after this procedure and puts them at greater risk for heart attack.

The best way to keep those feet healthy is to examine them daily and to see your podiatrist at the first sign of a problem.

Don’t wait. Infections can be halted before they turn into a bigger problem. —Sharon Biggs Waller ‌

march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 25

GoNuts

A Harvard Study finds a healthy alternative to red “Nuts to you” no longer is just a derogatory put-down. Instead, for those with a propensity to develop Type 2 diabetes or for those who already have the disease, it may be the starting point to good health.

That’s because a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition offers proof that eating red meat and, even more so, processed red meat like bacon and hot dogs, raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes. But replacing just one of those red meat servings a day with nuts or low-fat dairy can lower the risk.

“I could see the value of replacing meat protein with protein from beans and nuts,” says Michael S. LaPointe, associate professor of biology at Indiana University Northwest. “It would reduce cholesterol intake and replace ‘bad lipids’ that are mostly saturated lipids with ‘good lipids’ oils. Peanut oil contains more good lipids. Other studies have shown that reducing red meat consumption or replacing red meat with fish reduces obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.”

For the 25 million people in the U.S. diagnosed with diabetes and the terrifying trend of more and more people likely to develop

meat in controlling Type 2 diabetes

it, that means a change in eating habits can help prevent Type 2 diabetes and the health issues associated with it—heart disease, stroke, liver and kidney damage, eye damage, poor healing after amputation and a susceptibility to infections.

Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and an author of the study, recommends eating just one serving of processed meat a week and limiting unprocessed red meat to two or three servings a week. “I think that’s the level that above which it appears to be associated with a substantially increased risk,” he told the New York Times, noting that the consumption of red meat, including both processed and unprocessed, is very high.

“Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistant and associated mostly with obesity,” LaPointe says.

“For most Type 2 diabetics, a great reduction in weight and/or increased activity can reverse the disease and the individuals will start responding again to normal insulin levels.”

But such a change is a radical alteration of the typical American diet. According to the most recent statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American eats more than 100 pounds of red meat every year.

“We’re talking about switching from a meatcentered diet to a more plant-based diet for the prevention of diabetes and other chronic diseases,” Hu says.

The study analyzed 300,000 people between the ages of 25 and 75, and looked at eating and health habits starting in 1976. Findings indicated that eating just 50 grams of processed meat a

day—think one hot dog or just a little more than two strips of bacon—increased the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 51 percent.

But don’t go overboard on the nuts, says Lori Granich, clinical dietitian at Franciscan St. Margaret Health—Dyer. “It’s all about portion control,” she says, “but certain fish and nuts like walnuts and almonds are high in omega-3, heart healthy and provide you with protein.

Beans are also a good substitute for meat as well.”

Granich says that studies show that when we buy nuts in a shell, the work of shelling and the accumulation of broken shells help keep us from overindulging. “It reminds us of how much we’ve eaten,” she says. “But eating a handful of nuts instead of a big burger is a very healthy option.” —Jane Ammeson‌

So if not red meat, then what?

• If you love grilled meat, opt for barbecued chicken salad for the hearty flavors you love with less fat and more protein.

• If you love pulled pork, opt for slow-cooker chicken picante to enjoy a rich texture and bold flavors.

• If you love beef stew, opt for home-style chicken stew, which has all of the flavor of this one-bowl comfort classic.

• If you love cheeseburgers, try a white bean veggie burger or a nut burger, packed with flavor and protein with minimal saturated fat.

SOURCE: dietinreview.com

Diabetes in Youth M

any myths exist about diabetes. And while the disease may be traditionally associated with an elder demographic, local health care professionals say diabetic risk factors in the younger generation are common and increasing in prevalence.

According to the American Diabetes Association, about one in every 400 children and adolescents has diabetes.

Dr. Clark Kramer, a pediatrician who has worked in Northwest Indiana since 1978, is currently working on a pilot program following children and teenagers with unhealthy risk factors—primarily those who have an elevated body mass index, high cholesterol and blood sugar. Of the 35 to 40 children in the program, Dr. Kramer says at least five to six have developed pre-diabetic symptoms.

“The unfortunate thing about obese adolescents is if they cannot get to a healthy weight, it’s almost certain they’ll develop diabetes before the age of 35. We are trying to be proactive,” he says.

Dr. Kramer credits obesity in children to the elimination of gym hours in school and a reduction in daily physical activities at home. Preventing unhealthy risk factors, and ultimately diabetes, he says, is as simple as staying active and eating healthy food.

The children in his program are referred to a specialist for lifestyle management.

Diabetes program administrator and educator Lucy Cole, of Medical Specialists, says, “What we’ve found is Type 2 diabetes was relatively in the past identified and diagnosed at age 40.

We’re seeing Type 2 diabetes starting to show up in 10-year-olds.”

Type 2 diabetes, Kramer explains, is the

Preventing the disease may be as simple as eating healthy and staying active

body’s “resistance to insulin.” The pancreas still produces insulin, but the insulin does not work as effectively. Over time, the pancreas becomes weaker.

“The most powerful medicine out there is preventing obesity,” Cole says. “We see children eat what they’re surrounded with. Parents must teach by example. Surround them with those healthy options.”

Cole suggests parents increase the amount of fruits and vegetables and limit the amount of treats throughout the day. She says many parents also abuse juice or liquid drinks served to their children. For example, four ounces of juice is equal to the amount of calories in a piece of fruit. So, a full glass serving of juice has around 180 calories—more than double the amount of calories in a single serving of fruit. Cole recommends serving children water instead or diluting the juice with water.

Another form of diabetes associated with children and young adults is Type 1 diabetes. Dr. Kramer describes this form of the disease as a “deficiency in insulin” caused by an autoimmune reaction to a virus. While there are signs parents can look out for, such as excessive urination, thirst and hunger associated with weight loss, Dr. Kramer says this form of the disease is mostly genetic.

While he does not want to alarm parents, diabetes should remain a constant concern. “It should be something they have in the back of their minds,” Dr. Kramer urges. “Parents are pretty smart and aware nowadays. It sounds so simple but a lot of these things can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle.” —Danielle Ziulkowski‌ march/april 2012 | GET HEALTHY | 27

food & fitness

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Fitin

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28 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

Fitting exercise into a busy lifestyle doesn’t take that much time. In fact, according to area fitness experts, adding as little as 10 minutes of physical activity into your routine is a great start to reaching your overall wellness goals.

Kari Bukur, wellness coordinator for the Valparaiso Family YMCA, says creating consistent workouts can be difficult, so she suggests fitting ten minutes of physical activity in during the morning, lunchtime and night.

“This is a really great way to add variety into your workout,” she says.

“Focus on things you like to do and what you can do with your kids. Finding things that you like to do and involving those around you is being realistic.”

Bukur recommends doing simple jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups, squats and jogging in place for one minute each before alternating.

And staying fit in the winter can be easy and fun, she adds. Performing simple chores like shoveling the driveway or sidewalk, if in generally good cardiovascular health, can pack fitness quickly into a daily routine. She also suggests having a snowball fight or sledding with the family.

“Getting fit in ten minutes is easy this time of year. It can be fun if it’s in season,” Bukur says.

For more of a mind/body experience, Elly Lesnick, of East Wind Studios in Chesterton, suggests several quick yoga-inspired stretches. “It’s a matter of taking some deep cleansing breaths and quieting your mind,” Lesnick says.

“Stretching relieves stress and tension—really centers yourself from the inside out. When your mind is fit, your body is fit.”

While sitting down, she explains, scoot to the edge of your seat, plant your feet flat on the floor and elongate your back. Try to imagine a string in the center of your head pointing straight up to the ceiling. Take deep cleansing breaths in and out of your nose and try to elongate the spine.

“It’ll bring in oxygen into our blood, which circulates the nutrients throughout our body,” Lesnick adds. “You’ll start to physically feel stronger, and find stamina in your arms and legs.”

—Danielle Ziulkowski‌

lose weight at

work

If losing weight is a goal this year, you might be surprised to learn you can lose those pounds just as easily at work as you could in a gym. Area experts recommend simple exercises and nutritious snacks to help shed some fat at the office.

E

xercise physiologist and fitness supervisor Jane Bogordos, of Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness in Schererville, says many exercises can be performed at your desk with the help of a resistance tube. The inexpensive equipment, which looks like a long rubber band with handles on both ends, can be bought online or at any major retailer.

Bogordos makes the following suggestions: • Stand on the tube with feet shoulder-width apart and hold the handles for bicep curls for two sets of twelve repetitions. For a more challenging workout, spread your feet for more resistance.

• In the same position, for the same amount of reps, hold the handles at your sides and raise arms up to shoulder-height and down for a lateral raise.

• Stand on the tube with feet shoulder-width apart again, hold the handles at your waist and

do squats for a lower body workout.

• Complete the workout by doing sidesteps on the tube to work the outer thighs.

“Some people don’t have an hour to exercise at a gym. Every little bit counts. Just don’t get in trouble when you are supposed to be working,” Bogordos laughs.

C

athy Held, a registered dietician with Franciscan St. Margaret Health in Hammond, recommends eating smaller snacks or meals every three to four hours to further weight loss.

Making sure each meal has adequate fiber will help ward off hunger pains, she says.

Held makes the following suggestions: • Cereal high in fiber with low-fat milk • Low-fat granola or cereal mixed in yogurt • Salad with egg whites, chicken, low-fat cheese and dressing • Last night’s leftovers • Sweet potato with cinnamon or low-fat sour cream • Egg salad (made with less yolk) and low-fat mayonnaise • Hummus with crackers or vegetables “When you pack your lunch, you are in control,” Held says. “You’re only limited by your imagination.” —Danielle Ziulkowski‌

weight loss

taking

stepsto a

healthier life For Hammond woman, surgery is the key to weight-loss success

t

racy Tucker remembers being the “chunky one” in her fifth grade class.

In middle school, she remembers dreading getting on the scale during gym class and being acutely aware of weighing more than other girls.

Her first diet was after eighth grade, when she went on Richard Simmons’ Deal A Meal program and lost about 90 pounds before she started her freshman year at Gavit High School in Hammond.

At 5 foot 9 inches, Tucker weighed about 160 pounds when the school year started. She kept it off through high school, in part because she was dancing five days a week with the school’s pom squad.

Her senior year, she was named homecoming queen.

When she got pregnant at age 18, she weighed 145 pounds.

Over the years, the weight started to creep on.

When her twins, now 11, were born nine weeks premature in 2000, she weighed 260 pounds.

Instead of losing the “baby weight,” she continued to gain. “They were in the hospital for six weeks, and I was going back and forth,” she says. “Food was my best friend.”

She tried Weight Watchers twice and Jenny Craig once. She used an at-home meal delivery service.

Nothing helped her get the weight off and keep it off. “I spent so much money trying to lose weight,” she says.

Tucker, who is a nurse at Eggers Middle School for the School City of Hammond, earned her

Photography by Tony V. Martin

Tracy Tucker is shown at the Health 4 Life office at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart with Dr. Omar Shamsi, left, and Bariatric Care Coordinator Laurie Edwards, right.

associate’s degree in nursing from Indiana State and her bachelor’s in nursing from Indiana Wesleyan. She is anticipating finishing her nurse practitioner degree in 2013.

“I knew how to lose it,” she says.

“I taught aerobics at one point, even.

But nothing worked for me.”

She skipped her ten-year high school reunion, in part because she was embarrassed by her looks. She cried when a man refused to sit next to her on the airplane because he felt she overlapped onto his seat.

But the breaking point didn’t come until 2010, after a doctor’s visit. Her blood pressure was out of control, she was borderline diabetic and she had a cancer scare. “I hurt all the time, and it was because of the weight,” Tucker says. “I prayed for help. I didn’t want to die and leave my babies and my husband.”

Her weight had crept up to 374 pounds.

For her, gastric bypass surgery was the answer. She credits her doctors, Dr. Stanish and Dr. Shamsi at Healthy 4 Life at Community and St. Mary Medical Center for helping her through the process.

She got the surgery only after

about six to eight months of monthly weigh-ins, food journals, nutrition classes and support group sessions. “Obesity is a mind thing and a stomach thing. You eat to fill a void,” she says. “But I still don’t know what my void was that I was trying to fill. I was happily married and had beautiful children, but still I ate.”

h

er diet consists primarily of meat, eggs and cheese and a few carbs. She avoids sugar altogether.

Since the surgery, she has lost more than 140 pounds and would like to bring her weight under 200 pounds. She tries to exercise several times a week, primarily walking, kettle bells and exercise DVDs at home.

“I want to be healthy more than I want to be 150 pounds,” she says.

“When I can fit into a size 12 or size 14, I’ll be good.” —Carrie Rodovich‌

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ask the expert Dr. Gerald Cahill

Bariatric surgery launches life-changing journey

Dr. Gerald Cahill has seen the evolution and growth of the bariatric surgery field since he performed his first procedure in 1998 at a time when it was still rare. He has performed in excess of 2,500 bariatric operations during his career and he now leads Midwest Bariatric Institute at Franciscan St. Margaret Health in Dyer as medical director. The institute provides services for patients in the Northern region of the Franciscan Alliance hospital network.

Q: What are the basics of bariatric surgery?

Today, bariatric surgery has a two-fold purpose. It has evolved into a surgery that is for both weight loss and control of certain metabolic problems such as diabetes. The goal of surgery is for weight reduction and at the same time the control of medical problems associated with being overweight.

Q: What are the different procedures available under the bariatric surgery umbrella? We perform three operations here at the institute.

Laparoscopic gastric bypass is where the stomach is reduced dramatically in size and the small intestine is rerouted or reconfigured to plug into a new pouchlike stomach. This is the most common procedure performed as it has the longest track record and the most dependable data on what outcome to expect.

Laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy transforms the stomach from football-shaped to more of a thin banana shape and 80 percent of the stomach is removed. We also perform Lap-Band surgery, where a device is placed in the stomach to create control.

This surgery hit high numbers in 2008 but has gone down as it is very patient-driven in terms of success so there are a variety of outcomes.

Q: Who are the ideal candidates for bariatric surgery? Most candidates we see are people 32 | GET HEALTHY | nwi.com/gethealthy

who have a BMI—a measurement of height versus weight—that is greater than 40 as that has been the historic norm. Patients who have a BMI between 35 and 40 can qualify as well if have they have health issues such as sleep apnea, diabetes, degenerative joint disorders, high cholesterol or hypertension.

Q: What can patients expect when they go through the process at the institute? Our program is multifaceted, with medical, nutritional, behavioral and surgical components. We try to put them all together and utilize all facets to ensure patients’ long-term success. It is ultimately the patient who controls the outcome and weight-loss stability.

For after care, there are two components: the early phase and the long-term phase, as the perspectives and discussion vary at different stages in the journey.

Our support group is run by some people who have had surgery themselves, and they can use their experience to navigate the early post-op period. As they have done this themselves, they understand the physical and psychological changes patients face and to help them is very empowering. We give the support and tools they need to stay on the right path including free lifetime support and access to a nurse on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so they have a resource to make the journey to better health under safe conditions.

Q: How have you seen the field evolve? One of the reasons I got involved in bariatric surgery is there was a very great need but few people were doing it at the time. In 1998, it was rare and there were only a handful of surgeons performing procedures in the Chicago market. There has been a gradual evolution from conventional surgery to laparoscopic, providing a quicker recovery for patients. Today, the use of the da Vinci system in laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery at the institute is another aspect of how we are expanding and adapting to use technology to perform procedures in a safer and more efficient way. It’s another step in what we have been doing for a long, long time.

Q: How have you seen bariatric surgery change the lives of patients? It’s been very rewarding to be involved in the field, as there are both physical and psychosocial benefits to the procedures, but the benefit in this culture and society is hard to define and hard to put a number on. —Lesly Bailey‌ For your information

Dr. Gerald Cahill, bariatric surgeon and medical director at Midwest Bariatric Institute at Franciscan St. Margaret Health located at Saint Margaret Mercy’s Dyer Campus, 24 Joliet Street in Dyer. For information call 219.852.2518.