Today's posting is actually a column I wrote for tomorrow's editions of The Tribune-Democrat, in print and online at www.tribdem.com.
So you are getting a free preview of Wednesday's paper.
There is an outside chance, I'll put up a few sentences tomorrow, but don't stick by your electronic devices just for that.
I will be pretty busy starting on a new project that I is going to be very exciting. But I'm not telling yet.
Here is the column:
There are many things I love about my job.
I love that it is something different every day. I love getting out in the world and meeting interesting people who are involved in their communities. I love being able to work from home some days. I love having some flexibility in my schedule. I love the feeling that we sometimes can make a positive difference in readers’ lives and have an impact on our community.
But mostly I love learning about different subjects as I investigate my stories.
Boy, did I learn a lot this month.
I learned stuff I can use, like different tips on eating healthy and cranking up my metabolism to lose weight; and about how to gauge my exercise routine.
I learned a lot of stuff I hope I never have to use, like some of the more subtle signs of heart disease, and a whole lot about cardiac electrophysiology – the treatment of heart rhythms.
And there was information that was just plain interesting: Like the history of heart surgery in Johnstown and how physical fitness, health and school lunch programs are changing to address childhood obesity and wellness.
When I tackled the American Heart Month project last year, I used the work as a catalyst to ramp up my own heart-health program. It continued to pay off through the ensuing months and was re-energized during this month’s project. Although my weight loss is not as significant as the six pounds I claimed last year during February, I’m down at least four over the last 29 days.
Through the month, I’ve kept up an almost-daily blog (short for Weblog) that was linked to The Tribune-Democrat website, www.tribdem.com. I did the same thing last year, with thoughts of continuing the postings through the year on different health care issues.
That didn’t happen, mostly because a blog feels like it should be an ongoing thing following a certain subject. I am going to give it another shot this year, but it may be centered around a weekly online wellness tip. From there, I feel like I can expand on the subject, update my own wellness (thereby keeping myself accountable) and maybe preview or expand on subjects we are developing for the newspaper and website.
I’ll keep you posted.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Final throes of heart month
The final package of stories for the American Heart Month project was published in Sunday's editions. I have one more story I'm writing for Wednesday's paper, wrapping up the month with a look ahead toward an April event in Ebesnburg that could be a precursor to the American Heart Association's next big national fundraiser.
I plan to write a final column for Wednesday's paper, which will also be my last heart-month blog posting. Therefore, I don't want to expand too much here, except to say it has been a very rewarding month.
After wrapping up the writing on Friday evening, I was headed home when I realized I had not posted to the blog. I almost batted out a couple paragraphs from home, but decided my marital health was as important as my heart health. I took my Lovely Bride out on the town with for a very enjoyable evening with friends at the Westwood Gardens karaoke event. No I didn't sing “Dog and the Butterfly,” “What About Love?” or any other Heart songs.
We didn't perform at all – only danced a little and cheered on the vocalists.
The rest of the weekend we were busy, but did not get out for any real cardiovascular exercise. I guess we need a personal trainer to scream at us and shame us into the exercise thing.
It worked for our older cat. Gypsy was 10 this year, and was told by her veterinarian a couple years ago that she should get more exercise and lose some weight.
Maybe she'd chase one of those laser lights around the room, or maybe we could get her to run after some toys, the vet suggested. We tried it, but she just looked at us like Morris when he was being finicky (for those of you old enough to remember the old 9-Lives commercials).
Then we got Purrsey. He got his name from being persistent at repeatedly jumping onto things he was pushed off – and for the noise he likes to make in our ears when we are sleeping.
Purrsey races and jumps after and onto Gypsy whenever he is bored. She spends most of her waking hours running away from him and jumping up onto counters or chairs to intimidate him.
It has done wonders for her waistline and heart health.
I plan to write a final column for Wednesday's paper, which will also be my last heart-month blog posting. Therefore, I don't want to expand too much here, except to say it has been a very rewarding month.
After wrapping up the writing on Friday evening, I was headed home when I realized I had not posted to the blog. I almost batted out a couple paragraphs from home, but decided my marital health was as important as my heart health. I took my Lovely Bride out on the town with for a very enjoyable evening with friends at the Westwood Gardens karaoke event. No I didn't sing “Dog and the Butterfly,” “What About Love?” or any other Heart songs.
We didn't perform at all – only danced a little and cheered on the vocalists.
The rest of the weekend we were busy, but did not get out for any real cardiovascular exercise. I guess we need a personal trainer to scream at us and shame us into the exercise thing.
It worked for our older cat. Gypsy was 10 this year, and was told by her veterinarian a couple years ago that she should get more exercise and lose some weight.
Maybe she'd chase one of those laser lights around the room, or maybe we could get her to run after some toys, the vet suggested. We tried it, but she just looked at us like Morris when he was being finicky (for those of you old enough to remember the old 9-Lives commercials).
Then we got Purrsey. He got his name from being persistent at repeatedly jumping onto things he was pushed off – and for the noise he likes to make in our ears when we are sleeping.
Purrsey races and jumps after and onto Gypsy whenever he is bored. She spends most of her waking hours running away from him and jumping up onto counters or chairs to intimidate him.
It has done wonders for her waistline and heart health.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
An excuse to nibble
“Snack often.”
That was my favorite diet advice from Joe Shetler at last week's Women's Information Network luncheon.
Shetler said small, healthy snacks every three hours of so will help keep metabolism rate up. If you starve yourself, the body shuts down metabolism, storing energy as fat, he explained.
“People who don't eat regularly train their bodies to be fat-absorbing machines,” Shetler said. “People who eat and exercise train their body to be fat burning machines. It makes weight loss much more effective.”
So what should you snack on? Shetler said fruit is a good choice, but suggested a little peanut butter or cheese should be included for protein. Even the natural carbohydrates in fruit get absorbed quickly into the blood.
“Protein takes 25 percent more energy to digest than carbs,” Shetler said. “It jump-starts metabolism.”
For me, it's usually a dried-fruit-and-nut trail mix, with extra protein from added almonds and soybeans in the form of edemame, some with wasabi.
Those two snacking suggestions are among six points Shetler stressed during the talk at the Holiday Inn-Downtown.
In a nutshell, here they are:
1.Snack often.
2.Include protein.
3.Strength train to build muscle. Muscle creates a better metabolism, pound-for-pound burning three times as many calories as fat just as maintenance.
4.Include cadiovascular exercise.
5.Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. It helps burn fat more efficiently. Shetler adds that you shouldn't drink your calories because your body doesn't recognize soda or juice as nutrition immediately. Drinking 300 calories will still leave you hungry, so you will probably eat more.
6.Eat a healthy breakfast, including complex carbohydrates, protein and a little fat. The body is starving in the morning and needs food to crank up metabolic rates.
Here is what the American Heart Association recommends for a heart healthy diet:
Fruits and vegetables: At least 4.5 cups a day
Fish (preferably oily fish): At least two 3.5-ounce servings a week
Fiber-rich whole grains: At least three 1-ounce-equivalent servings a day
Sodium: Less than 1,500 mg a day
Sugar-sweetened beverages: No more than 450 calories (36 ounces) a week
Other Dietary Measures:
Nuts, legumes and seeds: At least 4 servings a week
Processed meats: No more than 2 servings a week
Everybody I've been trying to talk to all week got into contact with me today. In fact, I have so much information, I am again contemplating an extra story, which will necessitate an extra picture. I did have some fun and got a cool shot today at Portage Junior Senior High School. A tobacco-prevention program by Mike Messina of Community Action Partnership of Cambria County was getting an encouraging amount of attention.
I actually got onto the track at Windber HealthStyles again last night with my Lovely Bride for a good half-hour walk before heading back home for a late supper of chicken-something pasta.
That was my favorite diet advice from Joe Shetler at last week's Women's Information Network luncheon.
Shetler said small, healthy snacks every three hours of so will help keep metabolism rate up. If you starve yourself, the body shuts down metabolism, storing energy as fat, he explained.
“People who don't eat regularly train their bodies to be fat-absorbing machines,” Shetler said. “People who eat and exercise train their body to be fat burning machines. It makes weight loss much more effective.”
So what should you snack on? Shetler said fruit is a good choice, but suggested a little peanut butter or cheese should be included for protein. Even the natural carbohydrates in fruit get absorbed quickly into the blood.
“Protein takes 25 percent more energy to digest than carbs,” Shetler said. “It jump-starts metabolism.”
For me, it's usually a dried-fruit-and-nut trail mix, with extra protein from added almonds and soybeans in the form of edemame, some with wasabi.
Those two snacking suggestions are among six points Shetler stressed during the talk at the Holiday Inn-Downtown.
In a nutshell, here they are:
1.Snack often.
2.Include protein.
3.Strength train to build muscle. Muscle creates a better metabolism, pound-for-pound burning three times as many calories as fat just as maintenance.
4.Include cadiovascular exercise.
5.Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. It helps burn fat more efficiently. Shetler adds that you shouldn't drink your calories because your body doesn't recognize soda or juice as nutrition immediately. Drinking 300 calories will still leave you hungry, so you will probably eat more.
6.Eat a healthy breakfast, including complex carbohydrates, protein and a little fat. The body is starving in the morning and needs food to crank up metabolic rates.
Here is what the American Heart Association recommends for a heart healthy diet:
Fruits and vegetables: At least 4.5 cups a day
Fish (preferably oily fish): At least two 3.5-ounce servings a week
Fiber-rich whole grains: At least three 1-ounce-equivalent servings a day
Sodium: Less than 1,500 mg a day
Sugar-sweetened beverages: No more than 450 calories (36 ounces) a week
Other Dietary Measures:
Nuts, legumes and seeds: At least 4 servings a week
Processed meats: No more than 2 servings a week
Everybody I've been trying to talk to all week got into contact with me today. In fact, I have so much information, I am again contemplating an extra story, which will necessitate an extra picture. I did have some fun and got a cool shot today at Portage Junior Senior High School. A tobacco-prevention program by Mike Messina of Community Action Partnership of Cambria County was getting an encouraging amount of attention.
I actually got onto the track at Windber HealthStyles again last night with my Lovely Bride for a good half-hour walk before heading back home for a late supper of chicken-something pasta.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fighting the current
I feel like I'm swimming upstream through quicksand this week.
While that might provide a good cardiovascular workout, it is not very much fun. I think the biggest issue is that I am out of my element. This weekend's installment American Heart Month project will focus on early education and lifetime prevention of risk factors.
I started, naturally, with my usual suspects at the hospitals and institutions I deal with throughout the year as healthcare reporter. With a few minor exceptions, I got some good stuff from them. But since school systems dominate so much of children's lives, I feel it will be important to include school-based programs and wellness policies in the story.
Now I have covered a few school districts over the last few years and have good contacts there, but I thought I would try to start in some of the more rural areas.
That's when I got into the quicksand.
Maybe it illustrates the issue that has made Cambria County the second most-obese county in the state, but many of the school administrative offices seemed confused about who is in charge of these programs. I admit it is a broad spectrum of issues: Nutrition education, tobacco prevention, physical fitness education and physical activity schedules are all involved in heart health. Some districts seem to delegate the programs to individual school buildings, scattered throughout the health, physical education and consumer science departments, with help from the school nurse and food services director.
So what has been happening: I explain what I'm looking for, and I get told someone will call me back or transferred to someone's voice mail where I explain the whole thing again and ask them to call me back.
Mostly, they haven't called back. When they do, it is to tell me I really should talk to someone else. Then I get transferred to a voice mail or told the new contact will call me back.
And now it's Wednesday; and school is out.
All this may explain why I did not post to this blog on Tuesday (I hope someone missed it). It simply got pushed off the schedule. In addition, I covered an airport authority meeting for a story in today's editions.
Despite the setbacks, I have been inspired by the passion of those working with children to improve their health and develop healthy lifestyles. It is also heartening to see different organizations like the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA, Windber Research Institute, Highmark and Alternative Community Resource Program working together and with schools to reach at-risk children.
I am confident the project's child-focused stories this weekend, although likely less voluminous than previous installments, will be informative and useful.
The personal reward of gathering information and completing stories for the Heart Month project has been enhanced by learning more about how to improve my own heart health.
Sometimes the knowledge is hard to use, though. Especially the fitness advice. But I'm doing better.
I didn't have a chance to blog on Tuesday, but I did get out for a quick walk in the rain with my Lovely Bride after working all day and then going to church functions until almost 9 p.m. We may not have been at a cardiovascular pace for the full 30 minutes, but it was a healthy loop of the Richland Town Centre sidewalk, with an extra circuit of the adjacent Starbucks-Five Guys plaza.
The Shrove Tuesday all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage dinner may not have been the best heart-healthy choice, but it was part of an uplifting evening of preparation for lent.
But if the church dinner, service and evening walk provided a rewarding end of Tuesday, it didn't start out so well. We had a tragic loss at our house Tuesday morning: My 20-plus-year-old coffee grinder died after a couple seconds of use, leaving me with no brewable coffee in the house. I thought it might be a message that I should give up coffee for lent, but decided it was just a burnt motor.
Tomorrow, I will try to get back to those weight-loss tips I promised on Monday.
While that might provide a good cardiovascular workout, it is not very much fun. I think the biggest issue is that I am out of my element. This weekend's installment American Heart Month project will focus on early education and lifetime prevention of risk factors.
I started, naturally, with my usual suspects at the hospitals and institutions I deal with throughout the year as healthcare reporter. With a few minor exceptions, I got some good stuff from them. But since school systems dominate so much of children's lives, I feel it will be important to include school-based programs and wellness policies in the story.
Now I have covered a few school districts over the last few years and have good contacts there, but I thought I would try to start in some of the more rural areas.
That's when I got into the quicksand.
Maybe it illustrates the issue that has made Cambria County the second most-obese county in the state, but many of the school administrative offices seemed confused about who is in charge of these programs. I admit it is a broad spectrum of issues: Nutrition education, tobacco prevention, physical fitness education and physical activity schedules are all involved in heart health. Some districts seem to delegate the programs to individual school buildings, scattered throughout the health, physical education and consumer science departments, with help from the school nurse and food services director.
So what has been happening: I explain what I'm looking for, and I get told someone will call me back or transferred to someone's voice mail where I explain the whole thing again and ask them to call me back.
Mostly, they haven't called back. When they do, it is to tell me I really should talk to someone else. Then I get transferred to a voice mail or told the new contact will call me back.
And now it's Wednesday; and school is out.
All this may explain why I did not post to this blog on Tuesday (I hope someone missed it). It simply got pushed off the schedule. In addition, I covered an airport authority meeting for a story in today's editions.
Despite the setbacks, I have been inspired by the passion of those working with children to improve their health and develop healthy lifestyles. It is also heartening to see different organizations like the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA, Windber Research Institute, Highmark and Alternative Community Resource Program working together and with schools to reach at-risk children.
I am confident the project's child-focused stories this weekend, although likely less voluminous than previous installments, will be informative and useful.
The personal reward of gathering information and completing stories for the Heart Month project has been enhanced by learning more about how to improve my own heart health.
Sometimes the knowledge is hard to use, though. Especially the fitness advice. But I'm doing better.
I didn't have a chance to blog on Tuesday, but I did get out for a quick walk in the rain with my Lovely Bride after working all day and then going to church functions until almost 9 p.m. We may not have been at a cardiovascular pace for the full 30 minutes, but it was a healthy loop of the Richland Town Centre sidewalk, with an extra circuit of the adjacent Starbucks-Five Guys plaza.
The Shrove Tuesday all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage dinner may not have been the best heart-healthy choice, but it was part of an uplifting evening of preparation for lent.
But if the church dinner, service and evening walk provided a rewarding end of Tuesday, it didn't start out so well. We had a tragic loss at our house Tuesday morning: My 20-plus-year-old coffee grinder died after a couple seconds of use, leaving me with no brewable coffee in the house. I thought it might be a message that I should give up coffee for lent, but decided it was just a burnt motor.
Tomorrow, I will try to get back to those weight-loss tips I promised on Monday.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Puttin' on the Ritz -- Gangster-style
As you can see we were “Puttin' on
the Ritz” with 1920s swankiness Saturday at the Cambria-Somerset
Heart Ball.
It was really a great time, and I'm not
just saying that because my boss, Editor Chip Minemyer, was a
co-chairman. Nor am I saying that because several people came up to
me and thanked me for the work on The Tribune-Democrat's American
Heart Month Project.
It really was fun for a great cause,
The American Heart Association. Emcee Marty Radovonic of WJAC-TV got everybody
thinking about how to support the important research work, and Eileen
Graham and her party planning team created a festive theme for the
evening.
By the way those are "spats" over my shoes.
I do have to admit I was struck by the
irony of including fake cigarettes with our 1920s theme outfits after
writing a huge story about the dangers of smoking last week. But I
decided it also illustrated how far we have come in so many ways
since those old days.
The rest of my Saturday was spent
recovering from the busy week preparing stories for Sunday's and
today's editions. Although I did help some friends load up their
rented truck for a moving adventure, it really wasn't any sustained
cardiovascular exercise involved; maybe some weight-training.
So it was important that we spend at
least 30 minutes in vigorous movement on the dance floor. That is
never a problem with my Lovely Bride. Becky would go dancing every night,
if we could afford it!
There were two potential downfalls to
the evening: The prime variety of beers and the exquisite dessert
spread featured by the Sunnehanna staff. It was especially dangerous
after our regular Friday night Happy Hour at Tulune's South Side
extended into the evening, with supper and an additional draft on the
calorie count.
So we took it a little easy on the food
Sunday, and ended the day with a healthy walk around the
Pitt-Johnstown campus, where we were carefully observed by about 20
deer in one of the athletic fields.
I am happy to report that, despite the
diet extravagances, I was at 188 both Sunday and this morning,
sustaining that weight for two consecutive days for the first time
since before Thanksgiving.
I give some credit to Conemaugh Health
System exercise physiologist and nutritionist Joe Shetler, whom I
included in one of Sunday's story. I picked up a few more weight-loss
tips during his program last week than I could include in that story.
I plan bring some of those into this blog later this week.
My work on this coming Sunday's Heart
Month package started today with a valuable interview with Dr.
Matthew Masiello at Windber Research Institute. He is a pediatrician
with an extensive background in public health science. Most of the
experts I have been talking to all month say that heart disease
prevention must begin with children, even as infants. That is why
this week's package is focusing on children, with a look at
school-based and community-based programs to encourage healthy diet
and active lifestyles and discourage smoking.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Gangster and my flapper
Friday, February 17, 2012
Ready for the Ball!
I just finished typing up the last of four stories for this weekend's American Heart Month package.
Stories revolve around prevention measures, with a lot of information about smoking cessation and health affects of tobacco use.
With a story about one woman's success in reducing her risk factors and another about a unique research-prevention clinic in Somerset County, I ended up with more than 3,200 words. But I think it will all be useful and very readable.
It has kept me almost glued to my computer for the last couple days. I stopped to get a picture for the clinic story at Windber HealthStyles at the end of my shift Thursday evening and then hit the track for a half hour, completing two miles. I felt so good I took off my jacket and tie and jumped on the elliptical for another 10 minutes.
That session put me above the cardiovascular workout, though, based on Conemaugh Health System nutritionist Joe Shetler's useful sing-talk-gasp scale. I could have carried on a conversation while walking on the track, but not on the elliptical. It left me a little gaspy.
I am looking forward to the Heart Ball on Saturday. My Lovely Bride and I are embracing the “1920s swankiness” theme. She got a flapper dress, with appropriate accessories, and I'm going Gangster.
Next week, I tackle a slightly different angle: Prevention programs geared for children. They target childhood obesity and smoking prevention that doctors say are key to long term reduction in heart disease.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)