- Weight Loss, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogChildhood obesity is a debilitating disease that can affect children physically and mentally. As a child, it’s easy to gravitate toward snacks that come in bright, colorful wrapping or grab a tasty, sugary drink without thinking much of the long-term effects. But, if your child combines consistent poor diet choices with other factors, this can lead to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S., with the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity tripling since the 1970s. Data shows one in five school age children and young people in the U.S. has obesity, making it the most common chronic disease of childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parents should be aware of factors that contribute to childhood obesity. These include genetics, metabolism, eating behaviors and physical activity, sleep schedule and negative events that a child might have experienced. There are health risks linked to childhood obesity that can have a harmful effect on the body in more than one way. Obese children can experience high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, breathing problems and joint discomfort, among other conditions. Obese children are also susceptible to psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. It’s important that you help your child develop a healthy relationship with food from the very beginning. My best advice for parents and guardians is to keep it practical, primarily focusing on nutrition and physical activity. Here are some steps in preventing childhood obesity: Develop a healthy relationship between a child and food. Focus on the health factor, not the body factor to prevent developing a negative relationship between a child and food. Be careful how you talk about weight. Tell your child you want to help them focus on eating foods that are healthy. Eat healthy. Eating five or more servings of fruits and veggies per day can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and early death. Get more hours of exercise per day. I recommend 60 minutes every day. This includes walking or any other aerobic activity. An easy way to make exercise fun is for your child to get involved in a team sport, play with other children in the park or go biking. If you yourself practice this, your child will be more likely to do it and develop it as a habit. Remember, they look up to you! Stay away from sugary drinks and snacks. Focus more on the produce aisle and stay away from high sugar drinks and high calorie snacks. Limit these to special occasions so your child begins to develop the habit of having these every once in a while and not as frequently. Instead, try a new fruit or vegetable every month. Practice mindful eating. We tend to eat more when we’re distracted. Instead of watching TV, practice mindful eating and being present. This also allows for more family time and having conversations with each other. Sleep. This is very important. If your child sleeps less than nine hours a night, he or she is more likely to be obese. Make sure your child has a regular sleep schedule. This will also help your child have the energy he or she needs to get through the day. If needed, consider seeing a nutritionist. It won’t be an overnight change, but you can start by changing your child’s diet and encouraging healthy weight loss (no more than two pounds a week if they’re a child or adolescent, and no more than one pound per month if they’re between two and five to make sure they get the nutrition they need to grow). When you make these little changes, you’re setting them up to make good decisions for the rest of their lives. Author Deon Edgerson-George, MD, is an internal medicine physician and pediatrician at Luminis Health Primary Care.
- Men's Health, Weight Loss, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogGive up soda, start an exercise regime or start meditation. These might be just a handful of goals you have for the new year. But by the end of January, 36 percent of New Year’s resolvers have thrown their hands up in the air and said, “Better luck next year.” It’s normal to want to reboot your life come Jan. 1, but before you go crazy with your New Year’s resolutions list, you want to consider these common mistakes that could set you up for failure, rather than success. Mistake #1: You set your goals too broad. Goals like losing weight, eating healthy and exercising are too ambiguous to execute. Make sure your resolution passes the SMART goals test. It should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Instead of aiming to eat more vegetables, commit to incorporate at least one vegetable in at least two meals per day. Mistake #2: You don’t hold yourself accountable. If there are no consequences surrounding your goal, you are more likely to make excuses, fall behind or give up. You have to put yourself in a situation that makes it difficult to slack off. If you thrive on encouragement, ask a friend, family member or a trusted health expert to make sure you are on track with your goal. For example, if your resolution involves exercise, participate in a team challenge or set non-negotiable exercise dates with a friend so you can’t bail at the last minute. Mistake #3: You’re not tracking your progress. Monitor your progress. Whether it’s stepping on the scale, tracking your workouts or journaling your activities, tracking what you do can increase your chances of following through with the changes you need to make. It also allows you to recognize and celebrate milestones along the way, a process that’s vital to keeping you confident and motivated. Mistake #4: You allow lapses to become relapses. Slip ups will happen, but successful resolvers use these to strengthen their determination. Recognize your mistake and learn from it. Confidence is a strong predictor of success. To boost your ‘can do’ attitude, focus on playing up your strengths and don’t get hung up on your weak spots or missteps. If you are dining at a friend’s house or are at a party, you can bring a side of fruits or vegetables next time to ensure you have healthy options available. Mistake #5: You do not develop realistic plans to achieve your goal. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Before you take action, make a list of things you can do each day to achieve your goal. Then, include weekly and monthly milestones you want to hit. Breaking your goal down into several smaller short-term goals helps you stay focused and feel accomplished, even on hard days. Effective New Year’s resolution ideas to get you started: Do your daily workout in the morning. You’ll be less likely to schedule something over your exercise time or skip it because of a last-minute change in your schedule. Make a workout date with a friend. If weather precludes outdoor activities, invite your friend to your house and get your sweat on in your living room with a streaming fitness program. Slowly change your diet. Eat two extra servings of vegetables every day for a month. Get creative. Try one new dinner idea every week that has a lot of vegetables. Make a slow-cooker meal every Sunday. Eat the leftovers or repurpose the rest for meals later in the week. Turn to homemade food. Bring your lunch to work every day for the next month. Hydrate. Drink a glass of water every morning when you wake up and before every meal. Consume less carbs. When eating out, swap your carb-filled sides (such as fries or rolls) with vegetables or fruit. Pick one or two, but no more than three specific, measurable, attainable yet realistic resolutions that are compatible with your schedule and fitness level. Start small and build on these after they are implemented and habitual. Make this year the one where you accomplish the resolutions you have set for yourself! Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published Jan. 7, 2019. Last updated Dec. 30, 2019.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogVictoria Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health, announced today the appointment of Sherry B. Perkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, as the new president of Anne Arundel Medical Center, effective early next year. This appointment comes with a unanimous endorsement by AAMC’s Board of Trustees. Perkins holds a 30-year career in the health care industry with leadership roles in major Maryland and Delaware health systems, including serving as president and chief executive officer of University of Maryland Capital Region Health. There she led governance, quality, regulatory, and operational improvements. As president of AAMC, Perkins is returning to the medical center where she formerly served as chief operating officer and chief nursing officer from 2006 until 2016. “As we continue to establish and develop Luminis Health as our new parent organization, we also are ensuring that we have the right leadership in place for AAMC,” said Victoria Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health and former president of AAMC. “The role of AAMC president is vital and all the more significant given AAMC’s history in this community and its unique culture. Not only does Dr. Perkins bring a great depth and breadth of experience as a leader, we are fortunate to have a former senior executive who understands our culture and our place in the community.” “We know the health care landscape is changing and strong and experienced leadership is paramount,” said John Belcher, chair of AAMC’s Board of Trustees. “Dr. Perkin’s 30-year career in health care has been marked by excellence and positive results. She is a proven leader who is also driven with care and compassion. All of these attributes make her poised for this very important role. As we advance our care delivery to meet the growing needs of this community, she is the right leader for AAMC.” “I’m thrilled and honored to return to AAMC,” said Perkins. “As we grow and evolve with new services and programs, we also want to sustain that local approach in how we focus on patients and their families. It is what AAMC is known for, and it is what AAMC employees and caregivers do so well. I look forward to leading the organization as president and working with the highly regarded team that makes AAMC such a special and unique place for our patients and our community.” As president of AAMC, Perkins will serve as a member of the Luminis Health executive team. She will participate in the development and execution of the strategic goals and initiatives for the system, while overseeing operational activities at AAMC and working with the hospital’s leadership team to ensure high-quality, high-efficiency delivery of care. READ MORE: Anne Arundel Medical Center, Doctors Community Health System combine to form Luminis Health Perkins is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and a member of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Patient Safety Center. She is a national advisor to the Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care and the GetWellNetwork O’Neil Center Clinical Advisory Board and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. As a frequent writer and presenter, Perkins has contributed to nearly 120 publications. She has been honored with the YWCA Tribute to Women and Industry Award as well as the Maryland Nurses Association’s Outstanding Leadership Award. Most recently, Perkins was named an Influential Marylander by the Daily Record. Perkins holds a BSN from Baylor University, MS from Texas Woman’s University and a PhD from the University of Kansas. She is also a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania fellows program in management. READ MORE: Luminis Health names general counsel and chief legal officer
- Employee SpotlightGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSome call it luck, others call it destiny. Faith Christina Kienstra, staff chaplain at Anne Arundel Medical Center, describes ending up in Annapolis as a “complete fluke.” “I moved to the East Coast about three and a half years ago. I had decided to make a temporary move to Annapolis and saw there was an opening for a chaplain at AAMC so I eagerly applied, and I am blessed to be here two and a half years later,” she said. Faith was nervous about working at a hospital that’s not religious-based, saying she was ambivalent by how others would interpret her approach to work as a chaplain. But to her surprise, she was pleasantly welcomed by an integrated team that gave her a platform where she could continue to thrive with her work. “It’s such a special hospital because people who work here are called to do what they do,” she said. “There is grace, respect and a sense of lifting up others throughout the entire organization, from top executives all the way through to the volunteers.” This is important for Faith, whose main duty revolves around dealing with situations that can be challenging. Through the years, she has learned that when a crisis happens, it doesn’t only affect the person it happens to, it also happens to everyone around them. She gives credit to her faith, training, family, friends, dogs and AAMC team members for being the support she needs to move forward with resiliency. “The gift of presence is so powerful and to see how people, both patients and staff, handle difficult situations with such grace is an honor,” she said. “To hold someone’s pain, even if for a short amount of time, and be there with and for others during a difficult time is such a gift.” Faith attended Aquinas Institute of Theology Catholic seminary, where she received a master’s in pastoral studies. She did her clinical internship and residency at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo. Today, she feels privileged to do what she loves and be a light during some of the darkest times of many people’s lives. PRO TIP: “It’s the way that we do what we do that is our gift. No matter what your position is, bring your heart to it. Realize your value and know we’re all part of a team. Without each other, we would be nothing. Do what brings you joy.” 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.
- General Page Tier 3BlogFood recommendations to eat more fiber, fruits and vegetables haven’t changed. These guidelines are not lost on the food industry either. In efforts to sell their products they use buzzwords on labels such as “equals one serving of vegetables,” or “a good source of fiber” to sell veggie chips, chewy bars and even cookies. It appears to have become about marketing, not healthy eating. This is not the only place in the grocery store that takes the opportunity to try and shape your choices and tell you what you should be eating. Let’s answer a few questions to set the record straight. Are brownies rich in fiber a good choice to increase our fiber? No, the fiber in these products is a white powder called inulin, polydextrose and modified starches. This processed fiber does not provide the bulk or fullness feeling as advertised to promote weight loss. The best sources of fiber are fresh fruits, vegetables and high fiber grains with more than three grams per serving. Is gluten bad for everyone? If you have celiac disease, then you shouldn’t eat gluten. There is also a group of people that have gluten intolerance, which does not cause the autoimmune response that individuals with celiac disease experience, yet improves digestion. Gluten intolerance research is ongoing since there aren’t diagnostic criteria to diagnose. Some people believe gluten-free eating is healthier — this is false. It is usually void of fiber; is higher in either fat or sugar, or both; and has more calories. Is organic healthier? There is not enough evidence to show that organic food is always healthier than conventionally grown food. While there are some differences in the nutrient contents, the flexible nature of food production and handling makes it difficult to generalize results. The term organic refers to foods that meet a set of standards that restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. They are usually not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives. Does everyone need probiotics to be healthy? Not necessarily. Probiotics are a type of good bacteria. These microorganisms can help with digestion and offer protection from harmful bacteria, just as the existing good bacteria already do. You can find probiotics in foods like yogurts, sauerkraut and kimchi. Although more research is needed, there is evidence that probiotics might help treat diarrhea, especially after antibiotic use; irritable bowel syndrome; and ease allergic disorders, such as eczema and hay fever. If you take a supplement, make sure to check with your doctor first. Do detox teas and drinks clean our system? Our digestion system includes the liver and kidneys, which naturally cleanse our bodies of harmful substances. Usually, detox products are weight loss gimmicks designed to give people short-term gratification, with no regard for their long-term health, physique or lifestyle habits. If you want to lose weight, eat less and exercise more! The size of our grocery stores with 24 lanes is a good example of the difference of foods available today, compared with years ago when we had six lanes. The foods we look for to provide vital nutrients do not come in packages, bags or processed foods — they grow naturally and are found on the perimeter of the store. Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published May 7, 2018. Last updated Dec. 17, 2019.
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