Heart Care
General Page Tier 3
Heart-Healthy Eating One Bite at a Time
Blog
The foods you choose to fuel your body with today, affect your heart health tomorrow. You can do your part to keep your heart healthy by eating a healthy diet. Need some motivation? Studies show up to 70 percent of heart disease cases can be prevented with the right food choices.
You have the power to help prevent heart disease by changing what you eat. And the good news is you don’t have to give up all the foods you love. Focus on making smart, healthy choices at home, work, restaurants and the grocery store. Try this heart-healthy recipe that’s perfect for cold winter months.
Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sweet/yellow, diced
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
Juice from one lime
Optional for garnish: ½ cup chopped cilantro, ½ avocado, ½ cup diced green onion/scallions
Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and add onion and garlic, stirring until translucent. Stir in carrots and celery. Cook for five to 10 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for one minute. Add black beans and vegetable broth. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat, add lime juice and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
For a thicker-textured soup, use an immersion blender or blender to puree two cups of the soup and add it back into the pot.
Serve with desired toppings.
Follow these tips to get on the path to a healthier heart:
Even if a packaged food item looks healthy, it’s best to read the label. Ingredients and nutrient content can vary.
When choosing between items, compare nutrition information on package labels. Select foods with the lowest amounts of sodium, added sugars, saturated and trans fat. Avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils.
Look for the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark in the grocery store to identify foods that can be part of a healthy diet. Learn more at HeartCheck.org.
Watch your calorie intake. To maintain your current weight, consume only as many calories as you use up through physical activity. If you need to lose weight, consume fewer calories and burn more.
Eat reasonable portions. Most restaurants serve you more food than you should eat. It’s easy to snack on foods like dips and finger-food snacks without knowing how much you actually ate. It’s best to limit these foods to avoid gaining weight.
Cook healthy meals at home. This way you have more control over ingredients and portion sizes. It may help you save money by not eating out, too.
Eat a wide variety of foods to get all the nutrients your body needs. Fruits and vegetables are a healthy choice and full of essential nutrients to keep your heart, and your body, healthy.
Make it fun. Get creative and find snacks that feature vegetables and fruits for special occasions, like the Super Bowl.
Authors
By Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford, nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them call 443-481-5555.
0
News & Press Releases
General Page Tier 3
Participants Needed For Reflux Study
Blog
More than 60 million adults in the U.S. experience heartburn, the most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
GERD is a digestive condition that causes indigestion and acid reflux. If you feel a burning sensation below your ribs or a sour taste at the back of your mouth after you eat, GERD may be to blame.
AAMC is participating in a clinical reflux study to compare treatment options for patients who continue to have symptoms, like heartburn and regurgitation, despite taking medication every day.
The study is comparing two treatment options for controlling reflux–a medical device, called LINX, and medications called Proton Pump Inhibitors (such as Nexium, Prevacid, and Priolosec) given two times per day.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you are 21 years or older and currently receive daily treatment for reflux symptoms. To determine if you’re eligible, additional testing will be required. For more information, please contact Almaz Holmatova, MD, study coordinator, at 443-481-4943 or [email protected].
0
Men's Health, News & Press Releases, Women's Health, Uncategorized
General Page Tier 3
Help For Inflammatory Bowel Disease: AAMC Opens Crohn’s and Colitis Clinic
Blog
Our new Crohn’s and Colitis Clinic is now open. The clinic’s team includes gastroenterologists, surgeons, nutritionists and other specialists—all with focused training and experience in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
“With the entire team in one clinic, everything revolves around the patient,” explains AAMC Department of Surgery Chair Adrian Park, MD. “Instead of sending patients out for consults, we collaborate as a team to help the patient. This seamless process provides a better level of care.”
The clinic’s team of experts offers broad treatment, including new immune-suppressing drug therapy. Team members have a weekly conference to talk about your needs, treatment options and progress. They work closely with you and your referring doctor to give you the best results. Our goal is for you to take an active, informed role in your journey.
Treatment Options
The clinic offers custom treatment plans to fit your individual needs based on your symptoms. Options may include:
· Medication: Many different medications are available to treat both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
· Diet: Changes in diet and nutrition can reduce symptoms. Our nutritionist can work with you to create a detailed diet plan and support you along the way.
· Surgery: If you don’t respond to medication or can’t maintain diet and lifestyle changes, you may need surgery. Many different surgical options are available.
· Alternative medicine: Our experts study new alternative treatments and therapies, and can talk about these options with you.
Learn more by calling 443-481-6699.
0
Behavioral Health, Community, Pediatrics
General Page Tier 3
Tackling the Opioid Epidemic with Suboxone Treatment
Blog
The heroin epidemic is a national problem that hits close to home in Anne Arundel County. According to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, heroin-related deaths in the county have increased by 128 percent between 2010 and 2013. The rate of heroin use here is 5.5 percent for youths ages 16 and 17 and 10.7 percent for adults age 18 and older. Both of these numbers are above the averages for the state of Maryland.
The Danger of Opioids
Fueling the epidemic are opioids. Opioids come in two main forms: prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet and illegal drugs like heroin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is writing new guidelines for physicians to explore other options before prescribing opioids. Still, many people already have a prescription for opioids.
In 2012, doctors wrote 259 million opioid prescriptions. That’s enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle of pills, according to the CDC.
Not everyone who takes opioids gets addicted. However, everyone develops tolerance and some may start to crave these drugs. Opioid use can lead to risk of falls, respiratory problems, sleep apnea, interaction with other medications and potentially fatal overdoses.
Suboxone: A Safe Solution
Quitting opioids “cold turkey” is painful and dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms start around 12 hours after someone stops using opioids. Symptoms can include stomach pain, anxiety, body pain, chills, diarrhea, nausea, sweating, insomnia, weakness and more.
For people dependent on opioids, Suboxone can help. Suboxone is a medication that helps people safely stop opioid use by reducing withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings. The medication also blocks the effects of other opioids.
Suboxone treatment not only allows people to safely withdraw from opioids with little discomfort, it helps manage other health issues related to opioid use. Suboxone treatment also links people with professional counselors. Counselors can help people develop coping skills and behaviors to prevent setbacks. Only qualified, licensed doctors can prescribe Suboxone.
Pathways, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s substance use and mental health treatment center, offers both inpatient and outpatient Suboxone treatment. Both programs begin with a phone call to understand the patient’s needs. Based on the phone call, we recommend either inpatient or outpatient care.
The opioid epidemic is complex, and the solution is not simple. At Pathways, we believe we can begin to turn this public health crisis around by working together with other healthcare professionals, our community partners and our patients.
For more information on Suboxone treatment and other options available through Pathways, visit PathwaysProgram.org.
0
News & Press Releases, Women's Health
General Page Tier 3
Chesapeake Women’s Health Joins Anne Arundel Medical Group
Blog
Chesapeake Women’s Health of Easton and Cambridge, Md. has joined Anne Arundel Medical Group, a multi-specialty physician group that is part of Anne Arundel Medical Center.
The practice will now be known as Anne Arundel Medical Group Chesapeake Women’s Health. They will continue to serve patients in their current locations at:
401 Purdy Street, Suite 102 in Easton
100 Bramble Street, Suites E and F in Cambridge
“These are exciting times for AAMG Chesapeake Women’s Health,” says Patrick O’Brien, MD, an OB-GYN who has been with the practice since 2006. “This decision has been thoughtfully made to provide long-term stability to our practice and allow us to continue to care for patients in our community.”
AAMG Chesapeake Women’s Health will continue to provide the same excellent medicine and high-quality, attentive care patients deserve and have come to expect in the practice. Providers will continue to deliver babies and provide gynecological surgical care in Easton. They will continue to accept and honor all insurance providers and employers who currently allow patients to see them for care.
“We at Anne Arundel Medical Center are committed to serving residents of the Eastern Shore,” said Steve Clarke, vice president of physician services at Anne Arundel Medical Center. “Bringing Chesapeake Women’s Health into the AAMC care network strengthens Eastern Shore community members’ access to high-quality care and services.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 410-820-0038.
0