Preventive Measures You Recomend

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2003

It might be obvious to us in healthcare, but since a lot of people don't do it, I would start with diet and exercise. Eating five fruits and vegetables a day would be a goal I would encourage. As well as low fat foods, without processed grains.

In the best of worlds I would educate about the glycemic index and the importance of avoiding high glycemic foods. The difference between good fats and bad fats. For instance I would encourage heart patients that it's o.k. to eat fatty fish, nuts, olive oil, flax seeds/oil etc. I would encourage foods of many colors like blueberries.

Also some tried and true "alternative" therapies like they use in Europe like echineachia, ginseng, valarian, etc.

Other "alternative" therapies I would include would be yoga and meditation, and perhaps prayer.

I would discourage cure-alls like fat-blocking pills, ephedra.

I realize I'm being very middle class here, as the poor can't afford these things.

Is this what you are asking?

Altra, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2003

This is probably not really what you're looking for, but here's my take:

You know those "life skills" classes taught in most high schools now? They teach some money management basics, a little basic employment & housing law, etc. I'd like to see a component added on the basics of the health care system as it now exists in the U.S. Some things that could be included: how managed care/PPOs work; patient rights & responsibilities; differences in education and roles of various health care providers - MDs, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, NPs; and the basics of advanced directives. Or maybe this info could be included in high school health classes.

Just MHO -- I'm running into too many people (including educated, affluent professionals) who are completely ignorant of the health care system.

BTW - I wholeheartedly agree with 3rdShiftGuy - basic good nutrition, weight management and exercise is the foundation of health for everyone.

Leigh

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Nov 29, 2003

HI, Angus. This isn't directly responsive, but something I feel is important before going forward with this kind of project.

Think I'd start by trying to identify the folks in your potential audience (whoever it is you're capable of reaching) who'd be interested / open to learning and to making health-related lifestyle changes.

Without the above, we're likely to merely spin our wheels and waste available resources. There are lots of folk out there that don't really want any part of what we may wanna impart.

Agnus · Nov 30, 2003

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy
I realize I'm being very middle class here, as the poor can't afford these things.

Is this what you are asking?

Yes. AND I don't think you are being very middle class at all. Of course "poor" is relative but what you are discussing is (in my mind) very low cost.

MLSO,

We do think alike. Yes there are a lot of things that seriously impact that lay folks (nurse sometimes too) would not think of as a nursing or health issue. Like the importance of having a car

->so you can get a job->so that you earn money -> so that you can meet your families need-> so that they stay healthy.

Good suggestions. Thanks

Larry,

I agree an acessment of needs is critical. As is finding a receptive audience.

This is in a way an indirect part of my assessment. Granted I need to assess a particular audience. However, your feed back is invaulable to me as others may see things I miss.

Additionally when I hear nurses repeating some of the same things over and over as areas that need to be addressed that tells me something.

I also believe that a client's self assessment of what they need to know most about is often not the best assessment.

When you don't know what you don't know your idea of what you need to know is often way off.

That is not to say I would discount a client's self assessment of need. It need to be incorporated in the decision about what to addressed

I whole hartedly agree if you don't want to hear it then I am spinning my wheels.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Nov 30, 2003

from Tweety
In the best of worlds I would educate about the glycemic index and the importance of avoiding high glycemic foods.

Please educate me on this concept---is it the amount of carbs/starches in food??

Agnus · Nov 30, 2003

Originally posted by NRSKarenRN
Please educate me on this concept---is it the amount of carbs/starches in food??

More than the amount it has to do with how quickly they are broken down into glucose.

The higher the glycemic index. the faster glucose is dumped into the bloodstream causing a large amt of insulin to be released causing the yo yo effect of blood sugars soaring then bottoming because the large dose of glucose is followed by a large does of insulin.

The lower glycemic foods cause the release insulin at a slower and steadier rate.

Carots are higher than colliflower. Carots are not only starchy but contain more of the simpler sugars than colliflower.

So it is not only quantity of sugars and starch but also the complexity of the molacule.

sorry for the spelling and typos.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2003

Originally posted by NRSKarenRN
Please educate me on this concept---is it the amount of carbs/starches in food??

Agnus explains it well. The latest buzz in nutrition is that glucose control is very important to overall health. That the rapid release of insulin is not good for you.

This is one of the reasons why brown rice is better than white rice, why slow cooked large grain oatmeal is better than packaged instant, why an apple is better than a pineapple, why pumpernickel bread is better than white or wheat. This is very important for diabetics to control blood pressure flucuations, but also important for you and I.

Here's pretty good book on the subject if you every come across it in your travels it's worth looking at, that I've thumbed through in the bookstore but haven't read.

This is not the "carbs are bad, protein is good school" or the "carbs make you fat school".

The University of Sydney in Austrailia has done the most comprehensive research in this area in the world and has a good website explaining it.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569245061/qid=1070221559/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/103-3639138-5047000

From personal experience as I've learned about this way of eating, I can say I feel better. I used to be a vegetarian and when I was first becoming a vegetarian I hate a lot of white pasta, baked potatoes and made my own juices. I had a lot of hunger and fatigue. Since eating lower glycemic I have much more energy and less hunger. I had other problems with my vegetarian diet and now eat meat after 12 years, but that's another issue.