Tag Archives: MetroHealth

Brick by Brick: Tributes placed in Cancer Center garden

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Photo supplied

 

By MetroHealth-University of Michigan Health

 

One of the most devastating words in the English language is “cancer”. Even more sobering is the fact and 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime (according to the American Cancer Society).

 

Pat Holland knows this pain firsthand. His dear wife, Peggy, lost her battle against cancer in 2014. Holland wanted to memorialize his wife and her 18-month journey at The Cancer Center at Metro Health Village.

 

“Peggy was everything to me, everything I could want in a wife and best friend,” said Holland. “I wanted to do something substantial to help celebrate her memory; something people would notice for a long time.”

 

Holland worked with the Metro Health Hospital Foundation and came up with a plan to install tribute bricks in the Cancer Center garden. A campaign was held offering anyone touched by the Cancer Center a chance to plant a brick in memory of a loved one. More than 30 people did so, purchasing bricks by making a donation to the Cancer Center via the foundation. Though most bricks are memorials, some bear message of hope from Cancer Center survivors.

 

Photo supplied

Last summer, a few dozen family members, friends and former patients gathered in the garden to dedicate  the first round of bricks, which raised more than $7,000 for the Cancer Center.

 

“It’s a little piece of tranquility,” Holland said of the garden, which is visible through a wall of windows from the chemotherapy infusion chairs. “Peggy and I found comfort in the view during difficult times.”

 

If you are interested in including your message to the garden, a gift of $100 or more will add a brick with your message of hope and celebration to the path in the Cancer Center Garden. Contact Foundation to make your gift today at 616.252.5000 or foundation@metrogr.org.

March is Nutrition Month so learn how to read those nutrition labels

3-bottom, Food, Health, ,

Nothing can be more confusing then the nutrition labels on the cereal box. Is it really healthy or not.

In celebration of the fact that March is Nutrition Month, we gathered a few tips on how to read those nutrition labels from our friends at MetroHealth and the hospital’s Healthy Living Blog.

Understanding what’s in your food can help you maintain a healthy, balanced diet. All of the information on nutrition labels can be overwhelming, so here are five things to look for.

  • Serving size and servings per container. These are the first things listed on the label. Be aware of how many servings are in a package because an item that seems like a single serving could actually contain two or three, causing you to consume double or triple the amount of calories listed.
  • Percent Daily Value. This is the percent listed on the right side of the label. Everyone should eat a certain amount of each nutrient daily to stay healthy. This number tells you the fraction of the daily amount that is in one serving. A serving with 5 percent or less is considered low, and 20 percent or more is considered high. You will also notice a footnote at the bottom of the label that states “daily values are based off a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet”, so depending on how many calories you consume daily you may need to adjust these amounts.
  • Total, saturated, and trans fat. Try to limit the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet because it can increase your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. The average individual should eat less than 20 grams of saturated fat per day and zero grams of trans fat. Be aware that companies are allowed to list the amount of trans fat as zero grams if it contains less than half a gram per serving. Check the ingredients list for items that contain trans fat, like partially hydrogenated oils.
  • Cholesterol. The average person should eat less than 300 milligrams per day.
  • Fiber and Nutrients. Nutrients like fiber, Vitamin A and C, Calcium, and Iron can improve your health, but most people do not consume enough of them daily. Try to eat foods with high amounts of these nutrients to maintain a balanced diet.

If you have any questions or concerns about the amount of nutrients you are eating daily, contact your primary care physician to talk through your diet and daily nutrition goals.