I Feel So Taxed

I wish to help those who help themselves. 

Sounds simple. But more people than you can imagine do not take a personal responsibility for their health. Maybe they weren't raised to. Maybe they weren't educated to. But enabling is not the answer. Not for them or the nation. 

My recent clinical position is at a hospital that cares primarily for medicaid and medicare patients. I wish to provide care to humans regardless of their finances. However, when heroin overdose patients come into the hospital because they had a myocardial infraction, refuse education, leave against medical advice, and return 2 days later for more government supported healthcare it "taxes" me. 

I know not everyone was blessed to have the wonderful and fortunate upbringing I did. But allowing people benefits when they are non-compliant with the free healthcare they receive isn't wonderful or fortunate for me. 

Really not fortunate-I got my first (overtime) paycheck today from this hospital (woot woot) and an hour later got my Department of Education Federal Loan interest bill. They were almost equivilant. Turns out the taxes I owe this year are also equivalent. That leaves me at...ohhh, I'd say, a negative one paycheck. 
And with a negative, defeated attitude. 

Although the nation "understands" there is a national obesity epidemic, dietitians are sill not reimbursed for most all of their services, making our salaries meager compared to all other allied health professions. So here, the government doesn't value my my profession (education) and in turn, taxes me while treating patients that don't seem to care about their health. I'm happy the government cares. Or should I say.."I" do? 


It's not to say I wish that things couldn't be better for everyone. It's not to say that I try any less to help-Except when I deem cardiac diet education unnecessary for young patients who have healthy BMIs with positive tox reports (cocaine). Especially when their past medical history includes stab wound, aggression, and getting kicked out of a nursing home at age 48 for deviant behaviors with a visiting girlfriend. (Seriously a patient of mine today).

But apparently my unnecessary education required a necessary chart note for government auditing purposes. And a little of my tax dollars.
But my schooling did educate me on how to improve and maintain my personal health. And that's worth millions! The job may not be worth millions, at least right now, but I suppose the stories are worth a decent amount. And the job is educating me on the government healthcare system-or at least my thoughts on it.

Is an Irish Pint a Pound the World Around?

I got hooked on a House marathon the other day. It’s evil. They’re so good. Especially because they play on Friday nights when all I want to do is forget about work, curl up, and watch a TV show about my work environment? Seriously, what’s wrong with me?

One, of the like 7point25, episodes I watched was about an athlete who was discharged and re-admitted the next day. House (and crew) couldn’t figure out anything different with his labs or status…Except! That he had lost one pound. House jumped on the fact that he had lost one pound and held it over his peons’ heads like the obvious answer. ONE pound?!

After 1point25 weeks at my current clinical dietitian position, it baffles me that House would assume accurate weights were recorded on discharge and admission AND that it was such a pertinent change.

• First off, there is the clothing differences, bedding/tubing weight differences (if weighed on an ICU bed), precision in the scales & measurers, consistency in the time of day the weights were taken.

• Second off, hydration status is huge. Any healthy, weight stable individual does not weigh the same from start to end of a day. We eat, we drink, and we create “output”…

I mean, we even shrink height-wise throughout a day-a thought truly startling to this 5 foot being (ok, ok, 4’11.75’’).

I think about heart failure patients on fluid restrictions and Lasix (a drug that pulls water off your body). I think about ventilator dependent patients with tube feeds, free water flushes, and IV fluids. I think about patients with C-diff (a terrible case of the “runs”). I think about end stage kidney disease patients who have fluid drawn off them from dialysis or paracentesis.

And then I’m happy when people remain Close to weight stable.

Once my thinking thoughts spiraled, they came to that saying “a pint’s a pound the world around.” Meaning the weight of one pint of water is equivalent to one pound. Not pound of weight gain-that would be equivalent to 3,500 calories and a pint of water is zero calories- but a pound of [body] weight.

 

Of course, tomorrow-being St. Patrick’s Day and my second favorite holiday behind Thanksgiving, I’m thinking about pints. 8 ounces makes 1 cup, 2 cups makes 1 pint, 1 pint makes 1 pound, and 1 Irish pint makes a happy Margaret Catherine Murphy. No but really, 1 pint probably makes about 200 additional calories to help me celebrate one of the best holidays.

And after celebrating, I will have gained several pounds of body weight and maybe a little towards weight gain-and in the morning, I will have diuresised to a dehydrated body weight while unfortunately keeping the weight gain.

Tis the luck of the Irish for you. 

National Registered Dietitian Day!

If you:
1. are about to have a baby, 2. are and RD, 3. need a fill-in RD 4. AND! Want to deliver or go on bed rest earlier than expected...then I'm your girl!

For the second time, I have had one day of training for my temporary fill in. And today being national RD day is either celebrating me or making a mockery of me. Not sure which one yet but here's to figuring everything out! And to a happy RD day :)

What a Slap in the Face to Mother Nature

I urge you to read this article: Hungry? Soon you may be able to print your dinner.

After reading the article above I am horrified. Completely and utterly horrified. 

The site that posted this is called Mother Nature Network. I didn't realize Mother Nature was planning a vacation. Permanently. 
10,000 years from now, before Earth is consumed by the Sun, Mother Nature will look back on this extremely brief, minute period of history and say "I gave you humans good land, water, oxygen, and sunlight-which was more than any other planet received-and you decided to make food from a man-made printer using food "ink" and syringes created by a synthetic lab. No wonder you didn't survive."

Are we really too lazy to go through the drive thru anymore? 10 years from now when I ask inner-city second graders to tell me where food comes from, not only will I have explain what a farm is but also what food is.

Like genetically modified foods and eliminating biodiversity isn't enough. If those long term consequences haven't reared their ugly faces, humans are really in for it. How did an international superpower get so stupid. We may need a lesson from a third world country instead of Cornell University's Computational Synthesis Lab. Or perhaps from Mother Nature herself. 


I wonder if Cornell's Dietetics Department knows about this research. I guess their nutrition computer analysis program won't be thought of as Food Processor Nutrient Analysis anymore. Apparently Cornell isn't well known for their medical or public health schools...or they won't be after this. I'm sure Mother Nature will have the last laugh.  

Shake up your Shelf Life Options

“Hi, my name is Meg….and I have an addiction…”

I’m straight up addicted to grocery shopping. It’s a problem. Especially when you’re buying for one and you’re an unemployed one. Not so much an addiction-more like unemployment boredom. But I do like a healthy stocked fridge, if possible. 

The other problem? Well fresh foods tend to spoil if you have a grocery shopping problem, prefer healthy foods, and are buying for uno.

Solution? Cooking strategies. Or I suppose freezing strategies.

Baby spinach doesn’t have the longest shelf life. Especially on my shelf where it competes with a hearty, heart of Romaine lettuce. As much as I like stocked fridges I also like to eat everything I buy before it spoils. It's like a game. Maybe only a dietitian finds this one fun. 

Options:

1. Sauté spinach in a sauce pan with olive oil and minced garlic then add/stuff it to chicken dishes or whatnot. 

2. Layer it into Lasagna. 

3. For a quick and healthy pizza, grab a whole wheat pita, throw it in the oven for like 3 minutes, take it out and top it with spinach leaves, canned diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, cottage cheese and throw it back in the oven for another 5 or so minutes. You can shake powdered parmesan and drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on top to dress!

4. Process a new type of Pesto. Place spinach into a food processor and add pine nuts and olive oil to make the alternate version! Tastes great as a whole wheat noodle sauce or as spreads on sandwiches. (Use walnuts instead of pine nuts to save money and benefit from omega-3 heart healthy fats!)

5. Scramble up your typical thawed spinach omelet. Cook a Greek omelet with one large egg plus one or two egg whites then throw in spinach and feta.

6. Shake up your morning breakfast! Today I threw the following ingredients into my food processor (because, sadly, I’m without a blender) and made a great breakfast or post work out shake. Sounds weird to add spinach but it balances out the banana and berries, adds color, texture, and little flavor. 

• Half a banana,
• ½-2/3 cup frozen blue berries 
• ½ cup of low fat, plain yogurt,
• ½ cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk,
• ¼ cup dried, whole oats,
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground flax seed,
• And a handful of spinach

…Well and of course garnish with fresh blueberries for visual appeal!

The whole thing is jam packed with calcium, vitamin D, monounsaturated fat, omega-3 fat, soluble and insoluble fiber, antioxidants, potassium and goodness. It’s about 315 kcals of love. And should keep you going until lunch!

Yum, Yum, Yum!

For additional protein you can blend in a ½ cup of low fat cottage cheese or sprinkle in some nonfat dry milk powder! Even bulking it up with peanut butter would taste fantastic. 
Can’t finish the whole thing? Use it to flavor cream cheese…blend plain cream cheese into the mix and spread on a whole wheat bagel or include it into pancake and muffin batters!

The possibilities of shake types and uses are endless. So don’t be afraid to shake things up! You really can't go wrong when all you do is throw stuff into a blender and let it rip! And, in my opinion, it’s okay to be addicted. When it's to goodness.

Miles of Tail-Wagging Smiles

I had the lovely pleasure of dog sitting the most precious dog today. I’m not sure his owner was going to get him back, actually. But unfortunately I was just watching him until we met at the park to walk. It was a 5.58 mile walk, according to the park volunteers at the park building where there are park bathrooms. 

Mom & Charlie

But before the 5.58 mile walk with mom, Charlie  and I took a 2 mile walk on our own.

It was crisp. It was sunny. It was a great dog walking day. And Charlie was in heaven. He got two walks in two of the biggest St. Louis parks with two of the best people (toot toot) in one day! 

 I couldn’t help thinking that more adults should try to act like dogs. No not animals- Puppies! Eager and happy to walk outside. You know that saying “all you need to know you learned in Kindergarten?” Well you could substitute “from a dog” for Kindergartner- But they both really do have the same vigor for play. And play equals running around outside. 
When an adult runs around outside it’s for a purpose: to burn calories, to catch the bus, to flee from the scene of a crime, to be the last in line to receive 49 cent hamburgers...The only comparable fun movement in the adult world I can think of is freeing their inner dance king/queen at a night club or wedding reception. 

• I noticed two things with that statement: A) When I was little hamburger deals were like 25 cents, and 2) there is no cent symbol on the keyboard. Was there ever? I thought there was. Are these the first signs of aging? I’m blaming it on the 7.58 miles of exhausting walking.

Maybe if I had “forgotten” to bring Charlie to the park, I'd have an amazing workout buddy. Not that “Mom” isn’t a great walking partner…but you really can’t say no to puppy eyes.

Charlie was my therapy dog today. He reminded me of how wonderful sunshine, fresh air, and walks were. And! as my intensive care unit registered nurse roommate informed me, I could lower my systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg by merely petting sweet Charlie.

I couldn’t ask for better therapy. Or a better reminder.To "play."