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Healthy Habits from Fellow Patients
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In August, we asked our loyal Advancing Health readers "What are your ideas for staying flexible?" Here's what our readers had to share:
- Mike: "I take a yoga class 1-2 times a week. It's really helped with my low back pain and has made me stronger too."
- Amy: "Every morning, I do a stretching routine for about 10 minutes. It wakes me up and gets me moving."
- Alice: "After exercise--even walking!--I make sure to cool down and stretch for at least 10 minutes. My muscles are already warm and stretching helps prevent injury too."
- Carl: "At work, I always make sure to get up and move around every so often. I usually include some stretches in this as well. It feels great!"
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Spice Spotlight: Cumin
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Cumin, known as 'jerra' in Indian culture, is native from the eastern parts of the Mediterranean and India.
Characteristics: bitter taste; distinct, strong, warm flavor.
Foods commonly used in: beans, chicken, couscous, curry, eggplant, fish, lamb, lentils, peas, pork, potatoes, rice, sausages, soups, stews, egg. Possible health benefits: aids in digestion; a good source of iron, niacin(B3) and vitamin B6; possible anti-carcinogenic properties.
How to use and store:
Store in an airtight container and place in a dry, cool area, away from light. It should keep for up to six months.
Recipes:
Fun Facts:
- Cumin is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
- In the Middle Ages, cumin was thought to promote love and fidelity.
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Do you have Diabetic Neuropathy?
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Do you suffer from Diabetic Neuropathy? We are conducting studies that involve the use of a patch for pain management, oral medication for pain management and oral medication for nerve regeneration. Take our free survey to see if you may be eligible to participate in one of our clinical research studies!
Go online to
to complete a short survey. If you qualify for a study, a member of our recruiting staff will contact you shortly.
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Hormone Highlight:
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)
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AKA: Pregnancy Hormone
Location:
After conception, hCG is produced by syncytiotrophoblast cells (part of the fertilized egg), which in turn creates the placenta. hCG can be extracted from the urine of a pregnant woman.
Function(s):
- hCG is naturally present in pregnant women. It tells the corpus luteum to continue making progesterone, which prevents further menstruation. Thanks to hCG, progesterone also promotes the
endometrial-uterine lining so that the uterus can sustain a fetus.
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As a prescription, hCG is used to treat fertility issues. However, some claim that it promotes weight loss by suppressing hunger and allowing your body to burn fat. It has not been proven effective for weight loss. A hCG "diet" brings up safety concerns as the injections are also paired with a diet of 500-800 calories per day.
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Advancing Health Newsletter
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September 2013
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Hello! Here's what we have going on at DCR throughout the month of September:
- Don't forget! Tomorrow from 3-5pm, Dr. Mark Christiansen will be giving an encore presentation of his Insulin 201 lecture. Call or email to reserve your seat.
- Nutrition Education: Our next nutrition talk will be on Thursday, September 26th from 4-5pm in honor of National Cholesterol Education Month. Our next Mental Health workshop will be held in October--stay tuned for the date.
- We're always looking for people for our studies! If you have a friend, co-worker or family member who you think could benefit from medical research, let us know! They can fill out a Contact Form on our website or they can call (925) 930-7267 and ask for Recruiting at extension #201.
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Do you have Type 1 diabetes?
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Resolution #9: Let go of stress
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At the start of every year, millions of people make New Year's resolutions, yet a majority of these resolutions have fizzled out by February. Engaging in goal setting (such as S.M.A.R.T. goals) or making your goals known to friends and family are just two of many sure-fire ways to help those resolutions stick. And Diablo Clinical Research is here to help! Each month we'll be highlighting a resolution or goal and ways to help you achieve it. Read on for this month's resolution...
September: Let your worries melt away...
Why? Some stress can be positive. It helps keep us alert and ready if danger strikes. But most of us experience ongoing stress. This stress is not usually due to immediate dangers, but rather small, daily stress that tends to build up over time. If we're continuously stressed and have little time to relax, it wreaks havoc on our well-being. Stress can play a role in headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety. Signs and symptoms of stress can be physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioral. Physical stress includes aches and pains, frequent colds and loss of sex drive. Cognitive signs include anxiety, memory problems and impaired judgment. Emotional stress can include irritability, short temper and feeling overwhelmed. Behavioral responses to stress may include changes in eating and sleeping patterns or using substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs) to relax or escape.
How? After deciding that you need to make a change to how you manage stress, the next step involves identifying your personal stress triggers. Common stress triggers include work, relationships and finances. Long commutes, taking care of family members and unexpected life changes can also play a role. Even happy events--moving, a new job, starting a family--can trigger stress responses.
Once you know what your sources of stress are, you can take action. We may not always be able to reduce the amount of stress, but we can change how we respond to it.
- Exercise: Regular exercise is great for the body, but it also helps improve our mental health. When we exercise, our body increases production of endorphins (neurotransmitters that are involved with feelings of euphoria). This is why we usually feel pretty good after a workout--we're experiencing a 'high' from the release of endorphins. Typically called "runner's high", this feeling can occur with many types of strenuous activities. Regular exercise can also help relieve anxiety and depression.
- Mind-Body Connections:
- Yoga: a series of postures and breathing exercises designed to increase flexibility while focusing on the present. Yoga can also help reduce tension, lower blood pressure and improve heart function.
- Tai Chi: A form of Chinese martial arts, tai chai involves a series of focused movements while focusing on breathing. The body is continuously moving but in slower, calmer fashion.
- Qi gong: Combines breathing, physical movements, meditation and relaxation. Movements are slow, fluid and designed to calm the mind and body.
- Meditation: A great way to gain a different perspective on a stressful situation, meditation has numerous forms. All types focus on improving self-awareness, reducing negative thoughts and emotions and staying present in the moment.
- Guided Imagery: Involves forming mental images of places or situations that are relaxing. Picturing a quiet forest or a calm ocean are great examples.
- Mantra: Pick a positive word or phrase that you identify with. In times of stress, silently repeat this word or phrase to prevent distracting or negative thoughts.
- Transcendental: This takes your mantra one step further. It involves repeating your mantra for 15-20 minutes, twice a day, while sitting still with your eyes closed.
- Mindfullness: This is all about awareness and acceptance of what is going on in the present moment. It involves simply observing your thoughts and emotions as they arise, but not reacting to them. Slow, deep breathing is also involved.
- Deep breathing: Breathing is definitely a component of stress management. While meditation and mind-body exercises focus on the breathe, you can try deep breathing anywhere. Even a few minutes can help. This is an excellent way to reduce stress while sitting in traffic, at work or while getting ready for bed.
- Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR): A great way to reduce tension, PMR involves focusing on a specific muscle or muscle group. While quieting the mind, you tense specific muscles, then release them into a relaxed state. Here's a great example of how to practice PMR.
- Laughter: It's no joke--everyone feels better after a good laugh! Laughter helps to immediately reduce tension, stimulates organs, increases your intake of oxygen and releases endorphins. Laughing can also help improve your immune system, relieve pain and improve your mood. So whether it's a sly grin or a hearty belly chuckle, make sure you laugh every day.
What are your ideas for reducing stress and letting it go?
Send an email with your ideas to our
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Recipe Roundup:
Chicken Curry Salad
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Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp organic olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb organic skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp yellow curry powder
- 1/2 cup organic raisins
- 1 medium-large organic apple (tart or sweet, your preference), cored and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (just lightly packed)
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise (optional)
Directions:
Nutrition Facts per serving: 408 calories, 15g total fat ( 2.5g saturated, 7.5g monounsaturated, 3.5g polyunsaturated), 110mg cholesterol, 33g carbohydrates (4g fiber, 23g sugar), 38g protein, 282mg sodium, 1021mg potassium, vitamin A 6%, vitamin C 19%, calcium 6%, iron 13%
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HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
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Diablo Clinical Research is looking for Healthy Female Volunteers ages 18-35. Would you be interested in a 6 monthvaccine study for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)? RSV is a common virus that can make both adults and children sick. To qualify for this study you must:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 35
- In good health
- Be able to have children but be willing to not be pregnant or plan to become pregnant during the study.
- Participants will be compensated for time and travel.
For additional information or to find out if you qualify: CALL 925-930-7267 Visit www.diabloclinical.com E-mail studies@diabloclinical.com NOVO-VAX |
What's your favorite healthy fall recipe?
Send us an email with your recipe and you'll be entered to win a FREE 30 minute nutrition consultation! Your recipe will also be featured on our website! The contest runs until October 31st. Only 1 entry per person.
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NEW TYPE 2 DIABETES STUDY!
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