Small Bite of inspiration: taken from Small Bites Daily Inspirations for Weight Loss Surgery Patients by Katie Jay and Julia A. F. Persing
Take advantage of wisdom.
If only people were born with all the wisdom they would need to get through life. Everything would be so much easier that way.
The journey to wisdom is a long and painful process littered with regrets and mistakes. But each mistake is a learning experience that adds to your wisdom. And the road ahead is always brighter, because you have learned, and will continue to learn, from your mistakes.
Action for the day
Meditate on wisdom today. Are you using this powerful and hard-earned tool? When you are faced with a challenge, ask yourself, “What is the wise thing for me to do?”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum regarding intensive behavioral counseling for Medicare beneficiaries affected by obesity. This is undergoing continuing review to determine the impact of this memorandum. The following are basic guidelines:
Intensive behavior therapy for obesity consist of: screening for obesity in adults using BMI, nutritional assessment, and intensive behavioral therapy to promote sustained weight loss through high intensity interventions on diet and exercise.
The framework for the intensive behavioral intervention for obesity fits into the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) called a 5-A framework which includes: assess for health risks related to behavior, advise about personal health risks and benefits of the identified behaviors; agree on appropriate treatment goals based on the individual’s interest in and willingness to change; assist the individual in making needed changes, use medical treatment when appropriate, and arrange for follow up and referral to other healthcare providers as needed
I believe this to be a positive step forward not only for Medicare and Medicaid patients but all insured patients, as private insurance company’s often follows the CMS guidelines for coverage of services. Collaboration between an individual and their healthcare provider is essential for health promotion, prevention, and maintenance of health status no matter what the health issue may be.
The above 5-A framework must be based on a trusting relationship between the individual and their provider. That is why you, as the individual, must be a primary director of your health care. You have a vested interest in what happens to you today, tomorrow, and the long term future.
Nutrition
Going Green in the Kitchen: Using minimally processed foods. Kathleen Stanley. Excerpted from Diabetes Self-Management, September/October 2011.
Humans have used many methods of preserving foods but some of the methods can change the nutrient profile of foods and depending on the preservation method create problems for certain people, for example sodium is often added to foods and may need to be avoided by people who have heart disease or high blood pressure. Learn to read your labels and look for hidden sources of sugars, sodium, and other well known preservatives like vitamin C, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), benzoic acid, and sodium nitrite. Look for fresh and minimally processed foods. Consider your needs when buying in quantity as these foods will generally spoil faster. Is it something that can be portioned and frozen or something that you need to buy in a smaller quantity so it will be used before it becomes spoiled.