www.pmsiforlife.com Pottstown Medical Specialists Inc. January 2013 January is National Blood Donor Month!
Give the gift of life! This month is dedicated to bringing awareness to the importance of donating blood and to honor all of those donors who continue to remain faithful with their donations. Busy schedules, the holiday season, illness, and bad weather; these are all reasons that donations drop during the winter months. However, there could not be a greater need for blood than during the month of January. This month makes it very difficult for the blood bank to collect donations due to frequent cancellations. Keep these facts in mind during the month of January: Every two seconds someone is in need of blood in the United States, over 44,000 blood donations are needed every day, three lives can be saved from 1 pint of blood, one in seven people admitted to the hospital is in need of blood. Before your donation: ü Try to drink an extra 16 oz. of water/fluids. ü Go to bed and get a good night’s sleep! ü Consume a healthy meal before donation. After your donation: ü Avoid physical activity and exercise for five hours after donating. ü Drink as many fluids over the next 24-­‐48 hours as possible to make up for what your body lost during donating. ü If you feel light headed or nauseous, lie down until the feeling passes. ü Reward yourself knowing that you helped save lives! Thank you to
the American
Red Cross!
They fund
40% of the
nation’s blood
supply!
www.pmsiforlife.com Pottstown Medical Specialists Inc. January 2013 Sickle Cell Disease This disease is a blood disorder that affects over 80,000 Americans. This disorder can cause strokes, lung and tissue damage, anemia and severe pain. Unfortunately, there is no cure for sickle cell disease. This disease is manageable through blood transfusions. Ninety percent of those who suffer from sickle cell disease in the United States are primarily of African descent. The blood that you donate can help a child or adult who are in need of their ongoing blood transfusions for sickle cell disease. Welcome to PMSI’s patient newsletter. You can look forward to monthly editions with tips to improve your health. Visit our website, pmsiforlife.com, for archived issues. www.facebook.com/pmsiforlife www.twitter.com/PMSI_FOR_LIFE Toasted Pita and Bean Salad
It is important to maintain a healthy level of iron in your body, especially when donating blood. Here is an iron-­‐enriched recipe to try! Recipe from: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/toasted_pita_bean_salad.html Ingredients 2 – 6 inch whole-­‐wheat pita breads, cut/torn into bite sized pieces 2 – Cloves of garlic peeled 1/8 teaspoon – salt 2 tablespoons – fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons – ground toasted cumin seeds 3 tablespoons – extra virgin olive oil Freshly Ground Pepper 2 cups – cooked pinto beans; well drained and slightly warmed 1 cup – diced plum tomatoes (or ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered) ½ -­‐ peeled and diced cucumber 1 cup – sliced romaine lettuce 1 cup – crumbled feta cheese 3 tablespoons – chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons – chopped fresh mint Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F 2. Spread the pita pieces onto a large baking sheet. Bake the pita pieces until crisp and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool on the pan. 3. Mash garlic and salt with the back of a chef’s knife to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add lemon juice and ground cumin and whisk to blend. Next, add the oil in a slow steady stream – whisking continually. Season with pepper. 4. Place beans, tomatoes and cucumber in a serving bowl. Add the toasted pita, lettuce, feta, parsley, mint and the dressing; toss to mix. Season with more pepper. Serve immediately.