It's been too long since I've taken the time to share what's going on. The new job has been a pleasant change yet very tiring. I continue to be frustrated by the number of patients I see with poorly managed heart disease and diabetes. All the blame doesn't fall on the patients either.
If you have ever been a patient in a hospital, you know the doctor will normally order a diet for you that is appropriate for your health issue, i.e. diabetic diet, heart healthy diet, etc. However, what I see being passed off as a "diabetic diet" in the hospital helps me to understand why it is so difficult to keep the patients glucose levels under control. The other day I walked in to give a patient his insulin. He had been ordered a diabetic tray. To my amazement this included a cheese burger on a white bun and a big order of French fries. I'm not sure on what planet that qualifies as a "diabetic diet", but it also helped to explain why he had better glucose control at home than he had while in the hospital.
I'm not sure what the dieticians are thinking when they develop the menus for our patients, but it isn't working! Any fried foods and/or white bread should never, ever be on the menu of a diabetic or a person with heart disease. As healthcare workers we are supposed to be working to make our patients healthier...not contributing to the problem.
Often when I ask my patients if their doctor has ever referred them to someone to help with meal planning to help them better manage their disease, frequently the answer is, "No!" How do we expect our patients to get a better handle on disease management if we aren't giving them the tools they need to accomplish their goals?! Having them watch videos or read handouts in the hospital isn't cutting it. There needs to be an ongoing process of support and follow-up.
My other rant is fat people, obese people, whatever you want to call them. I'm so tired of the acceptance of these movie stars and famous people who are grossly overweight yet dressed in these expensive clothes and are made all up. Being obese = being unhealthy...period! There is no dancing around it. There is no politically correct way to say it. When I see an obese child, I want to walk up to the parent and whack them in the head with a stick. I strongly believe that any parent with an obese child should be charged with child abuse. They are dooming the child to a life of poor health and ridicule. They need to take charge and stop feeding their child crap!
I stand in line at the grocery store and look at what people have in their baskets. There are often tons of juices, pop (soda), chips, processed foods, cakes, and cookies. I'm always looking to see any sign of a fresh fruit or vegetable. People whine about how expensive it is to eat healthy. Eating healthy isn't nearly as expensive as having to have your toes or leg cut off from diabetes. Eating healthy isn't as expensive as having to go to the doctor 6-8 times a year to manage your chronic illnesses. Invest your money where it will do the most good. Has it ever donned on anyone that if the doctors got everyone healthy, they wouldn't have much work? Doctors and hospitals get rich off of people's inability to have self control...self discipline. Stop blaming the doctors, hospitals, and government for the high cost of healthcare when you aren't willing to do what it takes to keep yourself healthy! I also don't want my tax dollars going to pay for healthcare for people that choose to be unhealthy.
Summer is around the corner and so are thoughts of cook-outs and BBQ. There are ways to enjoy those cook-out favorites without going totally over the top with unhealthy food choices. I accept the fact that it is pretty difficult to do anything to ribs or hot dogs to make them healthy so I'll leave them alone. They are what they are. Moderation is all I can say.
There are ways to make some of your other favorite cook-out dishes a bit healthier. When you make deviled eggs, try using canola mayo and substitute half of the mayo with plain yogurt. People won't be able to tell the difference. Make warm potato salad and use olive oil and a little red wine vinegar instead of mayo. This will reduce the bad fats in the potato salad and the vinegar will help to slow down the release of the sugars in the potatoes. Collard greens are high in vitamins and fiber. Slice them into thin strips and use them to make a slaw. If you love baked beans, use dried beans and make them from scratch instead of buying the canned beans that are full of salt and sugar. There are tons of recipes online for the baked beans or be creative and try new things yourself.
In the next couple of weeks I'll be posting some summer recipes that are flavorful and healthy.
