Weight Loss, Heart Care
General Page Tier 3
Oatmeal Toppings Without the Added Sugar
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Love your morning oatmeal, but wondering how you’ll enjoy it without that spoonful of sugar on top? Sprinkle these yummy, unexpected combos of low-sugar fruits and nuts on top for a new, healthy taste sensation. Try these oatmeal toppings without the added sugar.
Tart and Tasty
1 oz cranberries
1 oz blackberries
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
A Creamy Confection
1 oz chopped avocado
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
Berry Surprise
1 oz raspberries
1 oz chopped strawberries
Citrus Delight
1 oz chopped lemon
1 oz chopped tangerine
1 oz chopped lime
Sweet and Crunchy
1 oz sliced almonds
1 oz Brazil nuts
A sprinkling of cinnamon to taste
Sunny Side Up
Sprinkle sunflower seeds on any of the oatmeal toppings provided
Author
Maureen Shackelford, registered dietitian and nutritionist at Luminis Health, provided these recipes.
Originally published Feb. 15, 2017. Last updated Sep 1, 2025.
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Nutrition, Wellness, Weight Loss
General Page Tier 3
Forget dieting, try mindful eating
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Want to start making smart and informed food choices? Mindful eating is often more effective than restrictive diets. We encourage you to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives.
Enjoy food traditions
Food and social activities often go together. Food plays a central role in holiday occasions and nearly all social gatherings, which can be good. Research shows that eating dinner together with your family can promote healthier eating and strengthen relationships. Prioritize family meals and take time to enjoy food traditions that come with social gatherings.
Take your time
In today’s busy world, people often eat quickly and mindlessly. Try eating slowly to help you savor the flavor of your food. Eat one bite at a time, and focus on the different flavors and textures. Stop and take time between bites, put your fork down and enjoy conversation. Eating slowly not only allows you to enjoy your food, but it can also help you eat less by giving your stomach time to tell your brain that you’re full.
Be a mindful eater
What you eat is important, but how, when, why and where you eat are equally as important. Think about where you eat most of your meals. Many people eat lunch on the go or at their work desks and dinner in front of the television. Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to find a nice place to mindfully eat instead of multitasking during meals.
Each person’s dietary needs are different based on individual health. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help guide your food choices while considering your tastes and preferences. RDNs are able to separate fact from fad and translate nutritional science into information you can use. While a healthy lifestyle goes beyond eating more fruits and vegetables, adding them to your diet has lots of nutritional benefits. For a healthy side dish, try making this spicy cauliflower recipe.
Spicy Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of a lemon (or 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar)
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
Directions:
Cut the cauliflower into large florets and then use your hands to break into very small florets.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the oils, cauliflower and garlic. Stir the cauliflower around in the pan, allowing it to get very brown in some areas. Cook for 5–8 minutes, then turn the heat to low.
Add the soy sauce, lemon juice and most of the sliced green onions. Stir and cook for 1 minute, then add the hot sauce and stir until well mixed.
Serve warm. Sprinkle remaining green onions on top.
To learn more about nutrition services at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, visit Luminishealth.org/nutrition-services.
Authors
By Ann Caldwell, nutritionist and registered dietitian at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach her call 443-481-5555.
Originally published March 8, 2016. Last updated July 9, 2018.
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Infectious Disease
General Page Tier 3
Why It’s Important to Wear Masks to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
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Every day, we are learning new things about coronavirus (COVID-19) and the way it spreads.
The virus mainly spreads through people who are in close contact with each other. When someone who is infected (with or without symptoms) coughs, sneezes or speaks, they produce respiratory droplets that others can inhale. Or, they can get into their eyes, nose or mouth.
This is why we recommend that you wear a mask in public spaces, and when you are around other people. And it’s especially important when you can’t stay at least six feet apart from others.
If you are infected with COVID-19, wearing a mask may keep you from passing the virus to others. Likewise, other people’s masks may protect you.
What Type of Mask Should You Wear?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people cover their faces with cloth masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Cloth masks should have at least two layers of fabric.
You should avoid wearing masks with exhalation valves or vents. These vents appear as a plastic clip on the outside of the mask. These types of masks allow the breath you exhale to come out through the holes unfiltered. This can allow your respiratory droplets to reach others and spread the virus.
Personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks and N-95 respirators, should be saved for health care workers and others who are on the front lines of patient care.
How to Wear a Mask
It’s important to make sure you are wearing your mask properly. Here are some of the dos and don’ts of mask wearing:
Do cover your mouth, nose and chin.
Don’t leave gaps between your face and the mask. If the mask slips down over your nose, the mask is either loose or too big. A proper fitting mask should contour your face and minimize gapping along the nose, cheeks and chin.
Don’t over-tighten your mask, as it may cause skin irritation, injury or difficulty breathing.
Do handle the mask by its straps or ties when putting on and removing the mask.
Don’t touch the front surface of the mask while wearing it. Adjust mask from the side edges to reposition it. If you do have to touch it, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before and after.
Do wash your cloth mask daily or more frequently, if it becomes soiled. You can wash your masks with other laundry using regular detergent.
Don’t wear a mask that is damp.
Do put your used masks in a clean paper bag or container that allows moisture to escape. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after you touch them.
Don’t remove the mask to speak to someone.
The CDC doesn’t recommend that children under the age of two wear masks. People who have trouble breathing should consult with their doctor.
You should wear masks while observing other safety precautions. Those include washing your hands often using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer, staying at least six feet apart from others, and cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces.
We all must do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are in this together.
Author
Jean Murray is the director of Infection Control for Anne Arundel Medical Center.
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Employee Spotlight, Graduate Medical Education
General Page Tier 3
Employee Spotlight: Drs. Shyam Jayaraman and Abdel-Moneim Mohamed Ali
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One January day, resident Abdel-Moneim Mohamed Ali, MD, was completing his acute care surgery rotation when he received a call to the Emergency Department to evaluate a patient for an urgent umbilical hernia repair. When Dr. Ali saw the patient, he learned that the patient was also on a waiting list for a liver transplant.
He consulted his fellow resident and senior team member, Shyam (Jay) Jayaraman, MD, and, together, they made a decision that would ultimately save the patient’s life: they decided to calculate the patient’s MELD score.
A MELD score is used to gauge how urgently a patient needs a liver transplant. Patients with higher numbers are higher on the transplant list. As they suspected, their patient’s score was dangerously high. “The patient’s liver failure was getting worse,” said Dr. Jay. “The hernia was purely excess fluid in the abdomen caused by the patient’s liver failure.”
Thanks to Dr. Jay and Dr. Ali’s meticulous evaluation, the patient received a life-saving liver transplant the very next day.
When they’re not saving lives, the two might be found preparing for a game of jeopardy.
In 2018, Dr. Jay and Dr. Ali competed as a two-person team in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Surgical Jeopardy contest at the ACS Annual Clinical Congress held in Boston. The duo took an impressive second place in the rigorous contest.
“It all comes down to teamwork,” they concurred.
Pro tip: “Treat the patient and not the imaging or lab value. Look at the whole picture and do what’s best for the patient.”
Learn more about GME at AAMC by visiting www.AAHS.org/Graduate-Medical-Education. Watch our video to hear program officials describe AAMC’s unique learning environment for residents, as well as the benefit of a teaching hospital to the community.
If you know a great individual or a fantastic team going above and beyond to make a difference, make sure to let us know!
Looking for a career in health care? We invite you to join a diverse and collaborative team of professionals working together to innovate the future of health care for our entire region. Check out our career opportunities.
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Cancer Care, Women's Health
General Page Tier 3
Genetic Counseling for Breast and Ovarian Cancer
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With Angelina Jolie in the news recently for preventatively having her ovaries removed—following a preventative double mastectomy just two years ago—many women have questions about genetic counseling and the role it can play in determining your risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
If you test positive for one of the main breast cancer genes, called the BRCA genes, you have up to an 85 percent greater lifetime risk for developing breast cancer, as well as an increased risk for ovarian cancer. Plus, if you’ve already had breast cancer there’s a significantly increased risk for having another breast cancer—nearly 65 percent.
If you find out you have a genetic mutation that puts you at an increased risk of another breast cancer, this may change your initial surgical decision. Instead of pursuing a lumpectomy or a single mastectomy, you may instead choose a bilateral mastectomy. Also, if you are a BRCA carrier you may elect to have your ovaries removed by a certain age because currently we do not have an effective way to screen for ovarian cancer.
Genetic counselors help you figure out the best plan of care if you have or are at risk of having a genetic condition. To make sure you are fully informed before making a decision to proceed with genetic testing, the counselor discusses benefits and limitations, as well as the implications for you and your family of the possible test results.
The genetic counselor reviews your medical and family history, providing information regarding the genetics and natural history of hereditary cancer syndromes and reviewing personalized options for risk reduction and increased cancer surveillance. The goal is to provide a comprehensive risk assessment to determine if genetic testing is reasonable and which genetic test is most appropriate.
The family history takes into account at least first-, second-, and third-degree relatives to establish whether there’s a pattern of cancer in the family that may indicate an increased likelihood of an inherited mutation. Since the majority of cancer is not hereditary, things such as shared environment and lifestyle factors are important to consider. Taking a complete family history allows the genetic counselor to look for certain red flags that guide the discussion and help identify who can benefit from genetic testing.
Ideally, genetic testing starts with a family member who has had cancer because that provides the most useful information for the entire family. While the analysis and interpretation of genetic test results are complex, the test itself only requires a saliva sample or a blood draw and the testing is completed in several weeks.
It’s important to know having a genetic mutation does not mean you will definitely develop either breast or ovarian cancer. Figuring out how to address the increased risk is a personal decision that should be made following consultation with your doctor.
Genetic counseling can provide information to patients to help them choose the best course of treatment, but ultimately the patient and their family will decide what is best for them.
If you think you may be at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer, talk with your doctor about whether genetic counseling may be right for you. Health insurance often covers genetic counseling, so check with your individual plan.
Learn more about genetic counseling at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Author
By Ashley Allenby, MGC, CGC, certified genetic counselor at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach her, call 443-481-4295.
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