Tag Archives: Rick Jensen

Cholesterol 101: What you need to know

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Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Rick Jensen, Spectrum Health Beat


The nation’s top nutrition panel may be changing its tune when it comes to an earlier recommendation of avoiding eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods, but not all doctors agree.


A preliminary report released in 2014 noted that “cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for over-consumption,” meaning it might matter less how much cholesterol is in the foods we eat.


That doesn’t mean people should go wild with a pound of bacon each morning.


Thomas Boyden, MD, a Spectrum Health cardiovascular physician, said he believes diet and exercise are two of the most important components of cholesterol management.


“I am 100 percent for patients doing everything they can for themselves and ultimately taking responsibility for their own health,” Dr. Boyden said. “If patients were more focused on diet and routine aerobic activity, many would realize they have the opportunity to improve their overall health and reduce their chance of heart disease and stroke, potentially without the need for medications.”


Dr. Boyden said some people have inherent genetic risks or other illnesses and are at higher risk than others. These patients oftentimes cannot fix their cholesterol numbers with diet and exercise alone, so he advocates for medication in these cases.

If you have high cholesterol, here’s what you need to know:

Worst foods

Avoid fatty foods, but know that not all fat is bad fat. The worst are trans fats and saturated fats, which are mostly found in processed foods and fatty meats. Eating less of each of these will benefit a patient’s cholesterol levels. Beef and red meats should be consumed in moderation.

Best foods

Try to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and non-animal based proteins. Soy products, beans and fish (which has a better fat composition than other animal products) are all great to incorporate into your diet. Introducing fish into your diet a couple times per week can make a noticeable difference.

Activity

The more aerobic activity you can work into your routine, the better. Moderate aerobic activity is less likely to affect weight loss, but it can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and helps control blood sugar. Exercise improves mental capacity, makes bones strong and improves mood. Any exercise is helpful, so don’t feel that you need to train like an athlete. Just 20–30 minutes per day of moderate activity has proven benefits. The key is to get your pulse and breathing elevated, but there is no need to push yourself to extremes.

Family history

It is important to know family history and whether you have a higher disposition to illnesses and risk factors. Are you overweight? Do you have diabetes or high blood pressure? And do any of these conditions run in your family? Talk to your doctor about how your genetics could affect your health now and in the future.

Treatment

If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/or diabetes, it’s important to speak with a physician to create a personalized treatment plan that works for you. Your doctor can conduct an individualized risk assessment and help you determine what might work best for you.

Screenings

Learn about the effects of cholesterol on your health at a free vascular screening. To qualify for a free screening, you must have at least two of the following risk factors:

  • Diabetes
  • Age 60 or older
  • Hypertension
  • History of smoking
  • High cholesterol
  • Family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Family history of atherosclerosis before age 60

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


7 tips to avoid playground injuries

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Keep the play in playgrounds … and the tears away. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Rick Jensen, Spectrum Health Beat


Playgrounds are fun, but all too often result in injuries.


From kids falling from swings and monkey bars, to little tykes flying off the merry-go-round, hazards abound.


But that’s not a reason to avoid them altogether. If a playground has good equipment with soft landing surfaces, add in a bit of adult supervision and the risk is greatly reduced.


To make sure everyone has a merry time at the playground, keep in mind a few statistics.


Each year in the United States, emergency departments treat more than 200,000 children for playground-related injuries, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Falls are the most common, accounting for more than 75 percent of all playground-related injuries, according to Jennifer Hoekstra, an injury prevention specialist.


Lack of supervision is associated with approximately 45 percent of playground-related injuries.


Check out some helpful advice from the Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention team for keeping your kiddos safe at play.

7 tips to avoid playground injuries:

1. Actively supervise children on playgrounds.

It won’t be hard—they’ll probably be calling for you to watch them climb, jump and swing.

2. Look down.

Take your kids to playgrounds with shock-absorbing surfaces such as rubber, synthetic turf, sand, wood chips or mulch.


If your child falls, the landing will be more cushioned than on asphalt, gravel, concrete, grass or dirt.


For swings, make sure the surfacing extends in the back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar. (If the swing set is 10 feet high, the surfacing should extend 20 feet.)

3. Dress appropriately for the playground.

Remove necklaces, purses, scarves or clothing with drawstrings that can get caught on equipment and pose a strangulation hazard. Even helmets can be dangerous on a playground, so save those for bikes.

4. Make sure your kiddos are kind.

Teach children that pushing, shoving or crowding while on the playground can be dangerous.

5. Focus on the littles.

Little kids play differently than big kids, so it’s important to have a separate play area for kids younger than 5.

6. Inspect equipment.

Check playgrounds for hazards such as rusted or broken equipment and dangerous surfaces such as sharp points or edges. Report hazards to the school or local office.

7. Look up.

If playground platforms (such as the top of slides) are higher than a few feet, there should be guardrails that little ones can’t slip through and fall.


All openings should also have gaps of less than 3 1/2 inches or more than 9 inches to avoid head entrapment.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.