Sea Crest Health Care Center

Yup, there’s actually such a title. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted the growth of a new genre – upscale, more palatable cuisine now offered in healthcare facilities.

The typical hospital fare such as jello, soggy sandwiches and tasteless chow that we’re all familiar with, seems to be a thing of the past.  Think Machaca Steak with Sauce and Curried Banana Pierogi. Hospitals are now competing with the likes of five-star hotels and restaurants by installing sushi stations, organic salad bars and pizza ovens.

The National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management recently launched an annual cooking competition. “We want to show the world that health-care food is so much different. It can be creative. It can dazzle,” said Betty Perez, a society board member and a hospital food administrator in New Jersey. “We have chefs that can compete with the best of them.”

However, hospital chefs must play by different rules than their glitzy restaurant counterparts. Their creative offerings must be in tune with doctors orders, as well as nutritionists and cost-sensitive food administrators.

600 calories, 20 grams of fat, and 1,000 milligrams of sodium were the max for each contest dish and the production cost per dish could not exceed $5.

So pass the Green Apple-Jicama Slaw and enjoy your stay.

Aside from therapy and medication – crucial elements in one’s battle against serious doldrums, there are some natural lifestyle changes that can be quite effective.

“Having a routine gives you a sense of control over the day,” says Ian A. Cook, MD, director of the Depression Research Program at UCLA. “We know that helps, and we know that not having a sense of control makes people feel worse.”

– Exercise is proven to be a great mood-booster.

– A basic healthy eating plan will do wonders.

– Get a good night’s sleep.

–  Set realistic goals daily and try to meet them.

–  Incorporate some downtime for fun or relaxation into your schedule.

– Have a support network of family and friends and don’t distance yourself from them.

–  Make sure you have some responsibilities that give you a sense of accomplishment and keep you active.

– Try a natural supplement such as fish oil, but only after checking with your doctor.

– Stay away from substance abuse.

– When you’re in a rut, go out of your way to try something new and different. Push yourself to go to a museum . . .Volunteer at a soup kitchen . . . Take a language class. . .

Here are some cognitive ways to fight automatic negative thinking:

– Use logic when you have exaggerated terrible thoughts about yourself.
“Try to impose some reason,” says Cook. “Inject some reality.” Is it really true that no one likes you? Is there real evidence for that?  Sure, you might feel like the most stupid and hateful person on the planet, but really, what are the odds?”

– Clear your head of negativity by taking a break. Breathing exercises or a simple walk around the room can help.

Just remember not to ignore serious signs of depression. If you’re not functioning make sure to get professional help.

Everyone knows that breakfast’s good for you. How good just became a little clearer. A team of British Researchers have pinpointed scientifically how your brain craves high calorie food when you skip your morning meal.

Utilizing MRI’s of the brain, they studied 20 healthy, thin people who went without breakfast that day.?When those people were exposed to an array of food photos, both high and low fat, their brains become more active at the sight of the high-calorie options than when they saw low calorie foods. When this test was repeated on another day 90 minutes after they ate breakfast, there was no significant difference in their brain’s reaction to different caloric foods

Corresponding to the MRI findings, were ratings of appealing food pictures. After skipping breakfast, participants found calorie laden food choices to be much more tempting.  After eating, however, the group did not show a strong preference for the high-calorie foods.

According to Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, a consultant endocrinologist with the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London, “Our results support the advice for eating a healthy breakfast as part of the dietary prevention and treatment of obesity, When people skip meals, especially breakfast, changes in brain activity in response to food may hinder weight loss and even promote weight gain.”

It starts with neglecting one’s hygiene, nutrition and medications, and can lead to death within the year. According to data compiled by the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), an older person’s risk of dying within the year increases six-fold when he or she starts to ignore his or her physical and medical needs.

The CHAP?study took place from 1993-2005 in three Chicago neighborhoods and the 9,318 participants were ages 65 or older. Among that population there were 1,544 reported cases of self-neglect (mean age of 73.2 years old) and in the average follow-up within almost a year, there were 927 deaths (47.8%) in that group.

Elder abuse of any kind also generated a greater mortality rate, with a 61.6% death rate within an average of 2.7 years.

By the self neglect cases,  the increased mortality rate wasn’t affected by whether or not the senior’s cognitive or physical functions were impaired. However by confirmed abuse cases there was a significant difference – increased mortality was not associated with elder abuse of high functioning seniors, demonstrating that this group was more likely to recognize abuse and seek help.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, there is a swelling populaton of people suffering from osteoarthritis. Arthritis pain seems to go hand in hand with insomnia, with joint pain keeping awake 60% of those with osteoarthritis

A new study, reported in the Aug. 15 issue of Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, finds that cognitive therapy has a beneficial effect on osteoarthritis patients and insomniacs – assisting them in their quest for a good night’s sleep.

Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia or CBT-I,was given by an experienced clinical psychologist who taught participants cognitive restructuring techniques that helped change unrealistic beliefs and irrational fears regarding sleep or lack of it.

Handwritten sleep logs kept by participants documented their sleep patterns, and pain level was graded by the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and the Body Pain Subscale (SF-PAIN) question from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Pain.

Results showed that after CBT-I treatement, patients were falling asleep faster than before, and remained sleeping approximately 37 minutes longer. CBT-I seems to be an effective tool for treatment of osteoarthritis in conjunction with other pain management techniques, and may also work well with other chronic pain conditions.