New Year Brings New Beginnings!
By: Jessica Cook MS, RD, LD/N (Director of Education)
Welcome to the new Monthly Healthy Living with Diabetes Newsletter. We
hope you find new ways to help manage your health and diabetes with our
useful information and tips to living a healthy lifestyle.
With monthly information from our physicians, certified diabetes educators
registered dietitians and even some great feedback from our patients right
here at Palm Beach Diabetes and Endocrine Specialists, I hope you enjoy
January’s issue.
New Year Resolutions CAN be Achieved!
By: Monika Lambertson, MS, RD, LD, CDE
It is New Year resolution time again, and according to the December Journal of Psychology, this year’s #1 New Year’s resolution is, you guessed it, Weight Loss. This should not surprise you. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and an estimated 40 billion dollars are spent annually on weight loss products in the United States.
If you are considering a weight loss program, think about this. Studies have shown that just about any diet that cuts calories will result in weight loss. The problem with many of these “diets”, however, is that they are often too restrictive and extreme, making them too difficult to stick to for more than a month or two. A return to old eating habits quickly ensues, resulting in regaining the lost weight, and often a few additional pounds to boot. Keep these three essential components in mind when evaluating a weight loss program:
- BALANCED NUTRITION: A good weight loss program will include foods from ALL the food groups. This should include grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and limited fats and oils. The plan should provide balanced nutrition and include foods that you like so you can stick to it for the long haul. Trendy diets frequently leave you feeling deprived, and often lack essential nutrients.
- EXERCISE: A good weight loss program will stress the importance of regular physical exercise. Exercise is key to help keep metabolism-boosting muscle mass from diminishing as we age. Choose an activity that you like, and find a friend to join you. You’ll be more likely to stick to it.
- BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: A good weight loss program will help you identify behaviors that are interfering with your weight loss goals and teach you ways to help incorporate new, healthy habits into your life. Changing behavior is perhaps the hardest component to any weight loss program, but essential to achieve lasting results.
Red-flag words to watch out for when considering a weight loss program include the use of terms like “rapid”, “quick”, “amazing”, “effortless”, and “miraculous.” Healthy weight loss is hard work. Let us help you decide whether a particular weight loss plan is right for you, or help you identify behaviors or food choices that are preventing you from losing weight. Ask your endocrinologist to refer you for a personal consultation with one of our registered dietitians today. We are dedicated to support you in achieving and maintaining your long-term health and wellness goals.
Inspirational Story from PBDES Patient Carol Cohen
My name is Carol Cohen and I am just like all of you. Fifteen years ago I was shocked to wake up to a new disease to me, Diabetes. The only thing I knew for sure was that this disease was a mystery to me. I was advised by my internist to attend an education class to be more aware of my new “problem.” I attended a diabetes education class at a local hospital, which was before I realized that I also needed to be seen by an Endocrinologist.
When I found Palm Beach Diabetes and Endocrine Specialists, I was amazed to find out what I did not know! There was much more to learn than the little amount of information I had been taught from my initial class. During my fifteen years, I have learned not only from my own experience, but also from classes attended right here at Palm Beach Diabetes that helped me focus on ways to control my blood sugar numbers by watching what I eat, exercising, and most important, knowing how to count carbohydrates.
The program that is offered at Palm Beach Diabetes and Endocrine Specialists is so important for you to stay healthy while having Diabetes. As a patient here, it is your responsibility to attend workshops that will help you stay healthy and happy. SIGN UP TODAY!
Sincerely,
Carol Cohen
Did you know?
Medicare will cover for their patients to see a registered dietitian twice per year. Medicare also covers two hours of diabetes self-management classes which can be used as two individual sessions with the certified diabetes educator or by attending our 2-hour refresher course, which is offered twice per month. This extra diabetes education services can help you stay on track to help manage your health, medications, blood sugar numbers, diet, and weight.
If you have Medicare and haven’t scheduled your allotted diabetes education now is the time to prepare for the New Year! Call our scheduling department today to make an appointment at (561) 513-5100.
At Healthy Living with Diabetes we want to ensure that you are satisfied with all services received. We also would like your input on educational workshops that you would like us to offer, information you would like to read about in Healthy Living with Diabetes Monthly or feedback on any workshop that you may have attended.
You can contact the director of education personally by email jcook@PBDES.COM or leave a message at (561) 513-5100. We would love to hear from you!