Blog

Eat Well for Good Health

Eat Well for Good Health

Door County Medical Center is educating the community about nutrition and the importance of eating healthy during National Nutrition Month. Since 1980, eating healthier has been observed each year in March in response to growing concerns about obesity.

Despite numerous campaigns by health professionals and the CDC to eat healthy, Americans struggle with eating well and the subsequent obesity that can occur with poor eating habits. According to the CDC, approximately 93.3 million of US adults are obese. With obesity comes obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

To beat the winter blues and to celebrate National Nutrition Month, we asked DCMC Registered Dietitian Gina Newton to weigh in on how we can improve our personal nutrition through education and awareness.


IMG-0999.jpgWhat are the top three barriers we have to eating well?

  • We are busy. When we’re on the go, temptation for fast, convenient foods is a big problem. People who plan their meals generally make healthier choices than those who
    do not plan meals;  

  • People are emotional eaters. We eat when we are
    happy, sad, anxious and everything in between.
    Emotional eating is oftentimes high calorie, low-nutrient dense foods and we overeat these things;

  • We lack food variety. We tend to get stuck on certain types of food and maintain unhealthy routines.
    We can improve variety by adding in new fruits and
    vegetables on a regular basis.
     

What are some small changes we can make to improve our diet?

  • Eat less. Our society as a whole tends to overeat. Even cutting back slightly on all of our portions can make a big difference over time;

  • Choose vegetables and fruit. Mom was right! Swap out processed and sugary snacks for an apple or kale chips or a handful of grapes. Try a new vegetable each week at the grocery store. Be creative and look up a new vegetarian based recipe!

How do our nutritional needs change as we get older?

  • Our calorie needs decrease. As we age, it is still important that we consume a well-balanced diet in order to ensure we receive essential nutrients needed for maintaining strength and good skin integrity;

  • We need liquids. Older adults tend to skimp on fluid consumption. Our fluid needs are still high and can be even greater due to certain medication;

  • Loss of muscle mass. To improve the inevitable, maintaining adequate protein intake is essential;

  • Taste acuity is decreased. Older people will sometimes lack an appetite or motivation to eat. It can be especially difficult for those of us who lose a spouse or undergo dramatic life changes.

What services does DCMC provide regarding nutrition & education?

Door County Medical Center’s Clinical Dietitians provide a variety of services inside and outside of our clinic walls. Outpatient dietitian, Carmen Schroeder, provides education for patients and also offers classes and presentations to our community on various nutrition topics. Carmen is a Certified Diabetes Educator and serves on The Community’s Garden board.

Judi Sowl, RDN, provides nutrition counseling for the Healing Project and leads workplace wellness projects to help our employees focus on making healthy food choices. As clinical dietitians, Judi and myself, as well as Sandra Wendlandt, provide education to our in-patients according to their diagnosis and specific needs.

For more information about DCMC’s services or to make an appointment, please call 920-743-5566.

Published 3/8/2019 8:23:19 PM
Tags: awareness, diet, news, nutrition, obesity

Search our blog

Popular Tags

3D Mammography   75   75th   acid reflux   addiction   adrc   advance directive   Affective   alcohol   Algoma   Algoma Community Wellness Center   als   alzheimer's disease   Ambassador   American College of Healthcare Executives   Angel Ball   anniversary   antibody treatment   anti-bullying   apnea   art   art for health   art gallery   arthritis   athlete   athletic edge camp   athletic trainer   Auxiliary   award   awards   Awareness   back   behavioral health   bill   bone marrow transplant   Bravo   Breast Cancer Awareness Month   breast cancer prevention   breastfeeding   Brian   brussels sprout slaw   Burkitt Leukemia   C.H.I.P.   cancer   cardiac   cardiopulmonary services   care manager   cataracts   catholic   catholic sisters   Celebrate Community   celebration   center   Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services   ceremony   certification   childcare   children   CHNA   cold flu prevention   colon cancer   colonoscopy   community   community health   Community outreach   Coronavirus   COVID 19   COVID-19 booster   COVID-19 vaccine   critical access hospital   CT scanner   cyberbullying   da Vinci robot   da Vinci Surgical System   daisy award   Daylight Savings Time   DCMC   DCMC Auxiliary   DCMC staff   dementia   dental clinic   dentist   depot   depression   dermatology   diabetes   diagnostic imaging   Diana Wallace   diet   directcare   Disorder   dogs   Domestic Violence Awareness   donate   donor   Door County   Door County CARES   door county half marathon   Door County Meals Cooperative   door county schools   Door County Triathlon   Door County YMCA   Door Healthy Weight Center   Door Orthopedic Center   Dr. Daniel Tomaszewski   Dr. Elizabeth Gaida   Dr. Mark Jordan   Dr. Michael St. Jean   Dr. Reisner   Dr. Rory Johnson   Dr. Shaun Melarvie   drive-through clinic   e-cigs   economic impact   economy   Edge 3D   Education   emergency department   employee art   employment   environment   environmental stewardship   exercise   eye surgery   fair   Family   family medicine   family practice   farmer's market   first responders   fitness   five   five star hospital   Florence Nightingale   flu   foot   foot pain   Foundation   fundraiser   gallery   gardening   general surgery   Gerald   GERD   gynecological procedures   handwashing   happy holidays   head   health   health insurance   health tips   healthcare   healthcare career   healthcare decisions   healthcare leader   healthcare leaders   healthy eating   heart   heart healthy   heart-attack   heartburn   Heartburn and Reflux Center   Help Our Heroes   hernia   hernia screening   hip replacement   history   HOPELINE   hospice   hospital   House and Garden Walk   HPV   Human Kindness Project   immunization   infant   insomnia   insurance workshop   international overdose awareness day   internships   job   job openings   jody boes   joint replacement   June   kelsie ladick   kids   Kids' health   kim   knee replacement   Lab Drive-Thru   LEAP   lice   life   LifeAssist   living will   luke spude   lyme disease   mammography   marinara sauce   medical services   medication   memory   memory clinic   memory loss   men's health   men's health month   mental health   mental illness   milk   ministry   ministry fund   mission and values   MRI   National Donate Life Month   national heath decisions day   national hospital week   National Nurses Week   National Organ Donation Day   National Women’s History Month   navigator   New Year   newborn   news   no surprise act   non-profits   North Shore Medical Clinic   Northeast Wisconsin Technical College   novel coronavirus   nurse   nursing   nursing excellence   nursing program   nutrition   nwtc   obesity   OB-GYN   open house   ophthalmologist   opioid   OPSU   organ   organ donor   orthopedics   outpatient surgery   outreach   pap test   patient   patient care   patient financial services   Patti Balestrieri   Paula Hobart   pediatrics   pelvic health   pets   physical activity   physical therapy   plastic surgery   podiatrist   post exercise tips   PRC   Prevea   prevention   primary care   Providers   race   recipe   recovery   recruitment   reflux   rehab services   resolutions   respiratory illness   robotic surgery   rotator cuff repair   RSV   running   rural   rural healthcare   SAAM   SAD   safe haven   scholarship   scholarships   school   School Nursing   Seasonal   senior life solutions   senior therapy   Seniors   services   sexual assault   Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner   Shop and Dine Day   Sister Bay   Sister Bay Clinic   skilled nursing   skilled nursing facility   skin cancer   Sleep   sleep disorder   sleep lab   smoking   snf   social justice   sparc   specialty providers   sports   sports medicine   sports training   St. Francis   star   state-of-the-art   Stephens   stroke patients   studer group   suicide awareness   suicide awareness month   suicide prevention   summer   summer programs   sun care   surgery   sweet dreams   swiggum   technology   Teen health   Teens   telemedicine   teleNICU   telepediatrics   The Angel Ball   The Community's Garden   The Healing Project   therapy   ticks   tissue donor   to   tooth fairy   training tips   Treatment   triathlon   urgent care   vaccination   vaccinations   vaccine   vaping   virtual appontments   virtual visit   vision   vlog   volunteers   wall   Washington Island   wellness   Wendy Ulrikson   women's center   women's health   work injuries   world breastfeeding week   Worrick   wound care   years   YMCA   youth workshops