Information for a
Healthy Lifestyle Today
mar/apr 2016
Set Your
Plate for
Wholeness
Arthritis
warning sign
Playtime for health
at any age
Try Mindfulness
for Anxiety
fyi:
ask the
To make an
appointment with an
orthopedic physician,
call 909-558-2808.
expert
What is osteoarthritis
of the knee and how is
it treated?
A: Cartilage is the smooth
and spongy shock-absorbing
coating that covers ends
of bones that form joints.
Osteoarthritis is the disease
process describing the
breakdown of cartilage.
Our joints have a limited
capacity to repair cartilage and,
as cartilage wear accumulates,
the underlying bone can
sustain damage and become
inflamed. This can create
painful, achy joints and limit
movement. The knee is the
most common joint in which
osteoarthritis develops both
from normal mechanical wear
and injuries.
Fortunately, initial treatment
for osteoarthritis of the knee
tends to be nonoperative.
These include but are not
limited to weight loss, physical
therapy, selective bracing, overthe-counter and/or prescription
anti-inflammatory medications,
topical medications, cortisone
and/or viscosupplementation
injections into the joint. The
type of initial treatment depends
on the severity of symptoms.
Hasan M. Syed, MD, assistant
professor at Loma Linda University
specializes in orthopaedic surgery,
shoulder, knee and sports medicine.
To schedule an appointment, call
1-877-LLUMC-4U.
Do You Have This Arthritis
Warning Sign
P
ain on stairs could serve as the
first warning sign of osteoarthritis,
findings show. Early treatment can
help you stop the disease before the joint
sustains major damage.
Spotting The First Sign
Researchers studied more than 4,500
people at high risk for arthritis. Each
year for seven years, participants
reported whether they felt pain in one or
both knees while walking, using stairs,
lying in bed, sitting down or standing.
Among those who went on to
develop arthritis, pain appeared first on
the stairs. That’s according to results
published in the journal Arthritis Care
& Research. The authors suspect it’s
because moving up or down steps
involves bending your knee while
putting weight on it. Even in the early
stages of arthritis, this combo can
trigger aches.
Other Early Symptoms
By age 85, about half of Americans will
have osteoarthritis. Doctors aren’t sure
2 ❯❯ Loma Linda University Health ❯❯ A Healthy Tomorrow
why it occurs. But they do know that
over time, the cartilage that cushions
your joints breaks down, causing pain,
stiffness and limited movement.
The new findings represent an
opportunity to intervene early, before
osteoarthritis progresses. Talk with
your doctor if you have this or other
signs of knee arthritis, including:
■■ Swelling
■■ A crunching feeling in your knee
■■ Stiffness when you first wake up in
the morning or after staying in one
position for a long time
If you have osteoarthritis, these
symptoms tend to grow more persistent.
Move Through
Joint Pain
At your visit, your doctor will ask you
to describe your symptoms, examine
your joints and muscles, and perhaps
take X-rays. If you do have
osteoarthritis, treatment can control
pain and improve joint function so
that you can live a healthy life.
facebook.com/lluh
playtime protects against disease
Taking time to play keeps adults young at heart in more ways than one. Research increasingly suggests
childlike pursuits—from coloring to checkers—protect against serious adult diseases. These include anxiety
disorders, obesity, heart disease and dementia. Here’s how to reap the rewards of recreation, at any age.
Hit the Playground
Try a fitness class that transports you out
of the gym and right back to recess. By
having fun and competing in games like
hot potato and relay races, you’ll burn
calories, distract yourself from discomfort
and boost production of brain chemicals
that improve cognitive function. Not into
group exercise? Head to the park and use
equipment like monkey bars and park
benches to build strength and agility.
Color In the Lines
The latest coloring books aren’t just for
kids. Use colored pencils, crayons or finetipped markers to shade in designs like
butterflies and tranquil landscapes. Beyond
the fun involved in creative expression,
coloring intricate designs called mandalas
might even ward off anxiety. That’s
according to a study in Art Therapy: Journal
of the American Art Therapy Association.
Hoop It Up
The Hula-Hoop gained ground as a child’s
toy in the 1950s. Decades later, there are
compelling reasons for adults to pick them
back up. An American Council on Exercise
study found spinning one around your
hips revs up your heart rate and burns
about 210 calories in 30 minutes. In other
words, it’s as good of a workout as step
aerobics, kickboxing or
boot camp classes.
Roll the Dice
From bingo to bridge, board and parlor
games offer more than a good time.
Playing them can also shore up your
cognitive reserves, stores of brainpower
that ward off signs of dementia. In fact,
older adults who more often played cards,
chess and other games had 15 percent
lower odds of developing dementia over a
20-year period, found a recent French
study in the journal BMJ Open. They also
had lower rates of depression than those
who tended to sit out.
Pregnancy Hair Care Tips
Some changes your body experiences
during pregnancy are welcome. Take
your hair. You might be noticing fuller
locks than you had before. During
pregnancy, hair looks thicker because
an estrogen boost makes hair that
would normally fall out linger.
A few months after the baby is born,
pregnancy hormones return to prepregnancy levels. When hair resumes
its normal growth and loss cycle, the
extra hair falls out. To help prevent
temporary hair loss, treat your hair
gently all the time:
1. Avoid combing wet hair.
2. Let your hair air-dry partially before
styling.
3. Keep dyeing, perming and relaxing
to a minimum.
1-877-LLUMC-4U ❮❮ lluhealth.org ❮❮ 3
Live it!
Quick tips to keep you healthy!
From the place where people live
the longest in the nation, comes a
health series unveiling secrets of
living a long and healthy life. Tune
into our new LIVE IT: Online Health
Show at liveitlomalinda.org.
Set Your Plate for Wholeness
The My Plate plan is a guideline to help you eat a healthy diet. The plan can help you eat
a variety of foods while encouraging the right amount of calories and fat. The USDA and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have prepared the My Plate plan. My Plate is
divided into five food group categories, emphasizing the following foods:
Fruits
Any fruit or 100 percent
fruit juice counts as part
of the fruit group. Fruits
may be fresh, canned
(choose those packed
in 100 percent juice or
water), frozen, or dried,
and may be whole, cut up
or puréed.
Vegetables
Vary your vegetables.
Choose a variety of
vegetables, including dark
green, red and orange kinds;
legumes (peas and beans)
and starchy vegetables.
Healthier options include
fresh, canned (low-sodium
or no-added-salt versions)
or plain frozen vegetables
(without added sauces
or seasonings).
Dairy
Milk products and many
foods made from milk are
considered part of this
food group. Focus on fatfree or low-fat products,
as well as those that are
high in calcium.
the skinny on fats
Oils are not a food group, yet some, such as nut oils,
contain essential nutrients and can be included in your diet.
Others, such as animal fats, are solid and should be avoided.
Exercise and everyday physical activity should also be
included with a healthy dietary plan.
Always consult your health care provider regarding your
healthy diet and exercise requirements.
Grains
Foods that are made
from wheat, rice, oats,
cornmeal, barley or
another cereal grain are
grain products. Examples
include whole wheat,
brown rice and oatmeal.
Protein
Go lean on protein. Vary
your protein routine—
choose more nuts, seeds,
peas and beans.
Stay on the lookout for this symbol
at our participating healthy eateries!
LLUH now provides an exclusive Wholeness Endorsement to recognize a
food service establishment’s commitment to quality vegetarian nutrition,
environmental sustainability and most importantly, our community’s
health! To learn more, visit publichealth.llu.edu/practice.
4 ❯❯ Loma Linda University Health ❯❯ A Healthy Tomorrow
recipe
Savor
More
Flavor
Cold Sesame Noodles
and Vegetables
Ingredients
8 oz. whole wheat linguine
¹∕³ cup cilantro leaves
2 tbsp. peanut butter
2 tbsp. liquid aminos
2½ tsp. honey
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ carrot, slivered
1 red bell pepper, slivered
1 large stalk celery, slivered
2 scallions, slivered
These simple cooking
techniques from the
Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics will enhance the
flavor of the foods you
cook: Cook sliced onions
slowly over low heat in a
small amount of oil to
caramelize them and bring
out their natural sugar flavor.
Roast vegetables in a 450-degree
oven or grill them for a sweet, smoky
flavor. Don’t forget to brush or spray them
lightly with oil so they don’t dry out.
Directions
1. Cook linguine in a large pot of
boiling water, according to
package directions. Drain,
reserving ½ cup cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, combine cilantro,
peanut butter, soy sauce, honey,
sesame oil, garlic and salt in a
food processor and purée.
Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Whisk in reserved pasta
cooking water. Add linguine,
carrot, bell pepper, celery and
scallions. Toss. Chill at least one
hour before serving.
The Facts
About Sriracha
The spicy chili paste known as Sriracha heats up
Thai and Chinese dishes. But now, its influence
has reached outside these Asian cuisines.
However, this dietary habit has downsides.
Cool it down to prevent:
I rritable bowel syndrome
(IBS). Fans of fiery flavor might
seem to have stomachs of steel.
But in fact, spicy foods can
increase the risk for IBS, a
digestive disorder marked by
abdominal pain and changes in
bathroom habits.
■Acid reflux. Spicy foods
trigger episodes of acid reflux,
when the contents of your
stomach rise up into your
■
throat. The result: the burning
sensation in your chest
commonly known as heartburn.
■Bad dreams. Experts suspect
hot peppers change the body’s
temperature during rapid eye
movement (REM) sleep,
when vivid dreams occur.
Plus, they note, those who like
spicy foods tend to sleep fewer
hours and spend more time in
bed awake.
Nutrition facts
Serves four. Each serving provides:
Calories 310, Fat 9 g, Saturated fat
1.5 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium
170 mg, Carbohydrates 51 g,
Fiber 8 g, Sugars 8 g, Protein 10 g.
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Your Spring Survival Guide
for Asthma and Allergies
Spring is in the air.
And for people with
asthma and allergies,
pollen and pollution can
cause your symptoms to
flare up. But the change in
seasons doesn’t mean that
you have to stay inside
all the time.
1
Make a plan. Do you start
coughing and wheezing at the first
signs of spring? Talk with your doctor or
an allergist to figure out what’s causing
your symptoms. He or she can work
with you to create a plan that controls
your exposure to them or may prescribe
medicine to help control your symptoms.
2
Check the air quality.
While some air pollution exists all year,
certain types can get worse in the summer
during hot afternoons and evenings. If the
air is polluted, you may find it harder to
breathe when you are active outside. Air
pollution can also make you more sensitive
to other triggers. You may notice asthma
symptoms the day after you’ve been
breathing polluted air.
Sometimes it’s obvious when the air
is polluted, such as on a hazy or
smoggy day, but in other cases it’s
not. If you are sensitive to air
pollution, you may want to
check the air quality before you
plan any outside activities. You can usually
find reports about the air quality in your
area in local newspapers or on TV or radio
stations. These reports are also available on
the government’s Environmental Protection
Agency website www.airnow.gov.
3
Protect against pollen.
For many allergy sufferers, pollen and
mold are the main problem. Here are
some suggestions to help keep these tiny
particles from irritating your asthma:
■■ Close your windows at night to keep
pollen and mold from coming in.
■■ Don’t hang clothes or sheets outside
to dry.
■■ Shower and change your clothes after
spending time outside. Doing so will
help remove any pollen or mold that is
on your clothing, hair and skin.
■■ Take your asthma or allergy medicine
as directed. If you have asthma, find
out from your doctor in advance what
you should do if your symptoms get
more severe or if you feel like you are
having an asthma attack.
4
Get help if you need it.
The spring and summer months can
be difficult for many people with asthma,
but there’s no need to suffer. If you are
still having trouble with your asthma
despite trying to avoid triggers and taking
medication, talk with your doctor.
Relief for asthma
For an appointment at the Loma Linda
University Health Care (LLUHC) Asthma &
COPD Clinic, call 909-558-2896. To make an
appointment at LLUHC Sinus & Allergy Clinic,
call 909-558-2600.
6 ❯❯ Loma Linda University Health ❯❯ A Healthy Tomorrow
mar/apr 2016
events
Healthy People in
Healthy Communities
Conference
March 8 and 9
School of Allied
Health Professions
50th Anniversary
April 20 through 24
14th Annual
PossAbilities
Triathlon
April 24
Classes/Programs
Birth and Beyond
Education Classes
• Preparing for Childbirth
• Breastfeeding Basics
• And more!
Cancer
Cooking Classes
Call for dates and times.
Cooking demonstrations for
cancer patients, their families
and employees of Loma Linda.
Cardiac and
Pulmonary
Rehabilitation
Covered by most insurance.
Diabetes
Self-Management
Education Class
Call to register.
Five-session program recognized by
the American Diabetes Association.
Drayson Center
Wellness Clinic, The
Full Plate Diet
Lose weight with the healthiest diet
on the planet!
Lean Choices
Once a week. Call for dates
and times.
Lean Choices is a 12-week lifestyle
education group encounter that
features informal discussions and
goal-setting activities.
facebook.com/lluh
The Lebed Method—
Focus on Healing
Exercise Class
Call for dates and times.
Healing through therapeutic
exercises and movement to music.
Designed for anyone who has
experienced breast cancer and those
with chronic health conditions.
Nutrition Talks
Second Thursday
of each month, noon
Cancer Center Conference Room,
Schuman Pavilion Level A
Information for cancer patients and
interested parties on nutrition as
part of risk reduction, healthy foods,
weight management and more.
The Power of
Choice for Health,
Well-Being
and Longevity
Call for dates and times.
Learn how choices play a role
in health.
Prenatal Class
Second Monday of each
month, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
English and Spanish classes
providing information for a
safe and healthy pregnancy.
Sickle Cell
Education Series
Adult Group Meeting
Second Thursday of each
month, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
FREE Weight-Loss
Surgery Seminars
For dates and registration, visit
www.lomalindaweightloss.org.
Support Groups
Care Partner
Support Group
Call for dates and times.
An understanding and compassionate
program designed to bring dignity
for loved ones of those living with
dementia. Groups available for
spouses/partners, children,
grandchildren and friends.
Always in My Heart
•S
econd Monday of each
month, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Fourth Tuesday of each
month, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
A bereavement group for parents
who have lost a baby.
Diabetes
Support Group
First Tuesday of each month,
6:15 to 7:30 p.m.
Diabetes experts provide educational
and resource information each month.
Head and Traumatic
Spinal Cord Injury
Support Group
Fourth Monday of each month,
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Survivors or family members
welcome.
Heart Transplant
Adult Support Group
Third Sunday of each month,
2 to 4 p.m.
Information for pretransplant,
posttransplant and assist device
patients and their families.
Hopeful Journey
Please call for time
and location.
A support group for women who
are pregnant following the death
of a baby. The group focuses on
dealing with fears and anxieties
while moving forward in hope.
Lupus and Rheumatic
Support Group
Women’s Cancer
Support Group
Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m.
For women with all types of cancer.
Family and friends are welcome.
Behavioral
Medicine Center
Chronic Pain
and Medication
Dependency Program
A specialized program to address
the unique needs of a chronic pain
patient by addressing all aspects of
the individual’s mind, body and
spirit so that the individual can
reclaim his or her life through hope,
healing and serenity.
Center for Health
Promotion
Comprehensive
Wellness Evaluations
An in-depth evaluation of your
health and wellness followed by
targeted interventions.
International
Travel Clinic
Wednesdays Walk-in,
1:30 to 4 p.m.
International travel vaccinations.
Weight Orientation
Review several treatment options
for weight loss.
Third Thursday of each month,
5 to 6 p.m.
Mended Hearts
Fourth Friday of each month,
1:30 to 3 p.m.
Loma Linda University Heart
and Surgical Hospital
For all heart patients and their families.
Metabolic and
Bariatric Surgery
Support Group
Biweekly. Call for dates
and times.
1-877-LLUMC-4U ❮❮ lluhealth.org
For more
information on
all classes and
programs, call
1-877-LLUMC-4U.
7
Loma Linda University Medical Center
11234 Anderson St.
Loma Linda, CA 92354-2804
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Loma Linda University
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A Healthy Tomorrow is published by Loma Linda
University Health to provide general health information.
It is not intended to provide personal medical advice,
which should be obtained directly from a physician.
© 2016. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Dr. Richard Hart
President Loma Linda University Health
Rachelle Bussell
Senior Vice President of Advancement
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Editor-in-Chief
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Managing Editor
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Developed by StayWell
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Could Mindfulness Help You Control Anxiety?
I
Mindfulness means learning to focus and
stay in the present moment.
Especially if you have an anxiety
disorder, your thoughts may
still scatter or race. But
instead of being distracted,
you’ll learn to let them
exist and take their
natural course.
With practice, you’ll
start accepting and
tolerating your fears and
worries, rather than trying to
actively push them away. Noticing
and stepping back from your thoughts may
help you let them go.
nhale, then exhale, focusing on your
breath. Place a mint on your
tongue, and pay close
attention to the taste.
These types of exercises
promote mindfulness. This
state—in which you
observe and accept the
present moment—may
reduce symptoms of anxiety
disorder, among other
conditions. Other effective
treatments for anxiety disorders
include counseling and medication.
Mindfulness training may be combined with
these approaches to ease stress and worries.
In a recent study, seven weeks of
mindfulness training reduced anxiety in
women with fibromyalgia, who are prone to
developing anxiety disorders. And in a review
of 19 studies containing almost 500
participants, researchers noticed similar
soothing results.
l
Apri
24
■■
Once you learn these techniques, you can
practice them on your own to continue
reaping the benefits. For instance, women in
the fibromyalgia study still had less anxiety
three months after finishing their training.
Get the Support You Need
Loma Linda University Behavioral Health Institute offers a sliding scale
counseling clinic that provides individual counseling for you or someone you
know who may need mental health support. Please call 1-877-LLUMC-4U.
N
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IA
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14t
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■■
Try these exercises to boost mindfulness:
Slowly scan your entire body, from your
toes to your head. Notice the sensations
in each area without trying to alter them.
While walking, focus on the movements
of each step. Describe the motions to
yourself mentally: “Lifting foot.
Stepping forward. Heel touching ground.
Toe touching ground.”
/ROLL
ALK
UN/W
5K R
To pre-register or sign up to volunteer,
go to teampossabilities.org and click
on“Upcoming Events” or go to
active.com and search PossAbilities.