Lifestyle Medicine Presents:

TIPS FOR EATING OUT
AT RESTAURANTS

by Dr. Marissa Fernandez-Kiemele

The holidays are here and the temptations are huge. Here are

some tips to help you survive this time of year and eat out at

your favorite restaurants without feeling like you've failed.

BEFORE YOU ORDER:

These practical tips will help you make great choices, even before you order:

•  If you're familiar with the menu, decide what you'll order before you enter the restaurant. That will help you avoid the temptation of ordering something that won't pamper your waistline.
•  If you're trying a new place, take some time to study the menu. This will help you avoid making split-second - and often regrettable - decisions.
•  Drink two full glasses of water before your food arrives.
•  Avoid foods described in the following way: buttery, buttered, fried, pan-fried, creamed, escalloped, au gratin or a la mode.
•  Good bread-basket choices are melba toast and whole-grain rolls. Avoid higher-fat muffins and croissants, and skip the butter or margarine.
If you are going to a planned dinner out with friends, try eating a healthy snack and drinking water 30 minutes prior to leaving for the restaurant.

ORDERING ADVICE

Knowing your healthy options and making a few simple requests can help you order tasty, nutritious and healthful meals. These tips will get you started in the right direction:

•  Don't be shy. Ask the server about ingredients or preparation methods for the dishes you're not familiar with. You deserve to know what you're eating.
•  Ask the server to substitute low-fat foods for high-fat ones. For example, ask for steamed vegetables in place of French fries or fresh fruit salad in place of mayonnaise-laden coleslaw.
•  If virtually everything on the menu is high in fat, ask the server whether the chef could prepare a fruit or vegetable platter for you. Most chefs are eager to please.
•  Remove the skin of poultry at the table.
•  Order all dressings and sauces on the side, so you can control your portions.
•  Order vegetable side dishes. Be sure to ask the server to have any sauces or butter on the side.
•  Be selective at salad bars and choose fresh greens, raw vegetables, fresh fruits and beans. Avoid cheeses, marinated salads, pasta salads and fruit salads with whipped cream.
•  Order foods that are steamed, broiled, grilled, stir-fried or roasted. Or ask the chef to prepare the food with very little butter or use healthy oils.
•  If you love potatoes, order them baked, boiled or roasted - not fried. Then ask the server to leave off the butter and sour cream. Try salsa or pepper and chives instead.
•  For dessert, check your menu to see whether the restaurant offers low- saturated fat dishes. If not, order fresh fruit or sorbet. Order fresh, seasonal fruit without whipped cream or a topping.

Put these tips into action and let us know how it worked for you!

Dr. Marissa Fernandez-Kiemele practices at WWMG's Family Medicine Centers in Everett and Silver Lake.  Click here to learn more about Dr. Fernandez-Kiemele

Happy Thanksgiving

At Western Washington Medical Group we wish you and yours a great Thanksgiving day!

Orthopedist, Harold McCutchan, MD, wins Patients' Choice Award

One of the unique things about Western Washington Medical Group is that patients receive uncompromised care that is tailored to their needs. Because of that, many of our physicians are recognized locally and nationally. It should be no surprise then that our own Dr. McCutchan was recently named a Patients' Choice physician. This is no small honor as it is only given to 5 percent of the 720,000 active physicians in the US.  Patients across the country rate their doctors in several areas, including various aspects of the kind of care they receive and their overall opinion of the physician. Those who receive the award get nearly perfect scores and will be prominently displayed on many websites including Patients' Choice, Vitals, and Google, along with many health insurance sites and managed care sites which are viewed by over half a million people a day.

Congratulations, Dr. McCutchan!

Dr. McCutchan practices Orthopedics and Sports & Hand Medicine at WWMG's Orthopedic, Sports & Hand Center in Everett. WA.  Click here to learn more about Dr. McCutchan.

Dr. Fong  performs first urology surgery with da Vinci robotic assisted system at Swedish Edmonds

The Edmonds Beacon reported today about Western Washington Medical Group's own urologist, Brian Fong, MD, and the new da Vinci robot at Swedish Edmonds, a technology that gives surgeons more precision and greater dexterity and also reduces recovery time after surgery. If you want to know more about this amazing technology and Dr. Fong, I recommend that you read the article. Click on the Edmonds Beacon link below.

Edmonds Beacon Story     

Dr. Fong practices Urology at WWMG's Urology department in Everett and also at the Woodlands Specialty Center in Bothell.  Click here to learn more.

Dr. Grossman talks about cycling

The Everett Herald wrote a story on Sunday about one of our Family Medicine doctors, Dr. Art Grossman, and his passion for cycling and exercise. You can find it here:

The Everett Herald Story on Dr. Grossman    It's inspiring when someone has so much passion for doing something they love. He loves babies, too. Dr. Grossman practices Family Medicine at WWMG's Family Medicine Centers in Everett and Silver Lake.  Click here to learn more about Dr. Grossman.

680 pounds of food!!



CARING EMPLOYEES

COLLECT 680 POUNDS OF FOOD

FOR VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA

For the past five years, the employees of Western Washington Medical Group’s  Gastroenterology Department have collected food for the needy and then donated it to a local charity or mission. This year, they decided to step it up by creating a competition between Gastroenterology, Family Medicine and Urology, to see who could collect the most food in pounds by November 18^th and were successful in collecting 680 pounds of food which was donated to the Volunteers of America Food Bank in Everett. The food bank distributes emergency food to families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.

The contest was a tie between Gastroenterology and Family Medicine. Shown above are, from left to right, Shannon, Jan, and Megan from the Gastroenterology’s medical records department standing next to a portion of the food they collected. Much of what you see there was donated by patients who came through in a big way this year.

“This is the most caring employer I’ve ever had,” said Shannon Brossard. “I wanted to give something back and it was amazing to see how much food we dropped off. All the groups that participated did a great job and I know that many families will be helped as a result of their hard work.”

Way to go, ladies! That is a lot of food and you'll make a huge impact on some needy families this holiday season! 

WWMG's Gastroenterology Department is located at  4225 Hoyt Avenue, Suite A, in Everett, WA. Click here to visit their site:  Gastroenterology

Want to know more about GERD?

Stay tuned. Next week I will be posting audio with our own gastroenterologist, Dr. McDonnell. He will be talking about GERD on FOX Sports KRKO 1380's Health Matters radio show.  The talk with include treatment options, trigger foods, how to avoid GERD or indigestion over the holidays, antacids, prevention, and more!

Dr. McDonnell practices at WWMG's Gastroenterology Department in Everett, WA. Click here to learn more about him.

The holidays make me do it -- overindulge that is!

 

Making the MOST of Thanksgiving

Healthy Tips for the Weight Conscious

By Dr. Marissa Fernandez-Kiemele

Family Medicine Physician at WWMG
and Amateur Gourmet Cook

Well, here is it again!  That time of wonderful year that all “dieters” dread as being the grim reaper of will power.  The holidays are known for piles of delicious foods dripping with bad fat and sugar.  So how does anyone make it through this time of year without overindulging?  Here are some tips to keep you on track!

Remember why you are celebrating.  The holidays are about family and friends and giving thanks, not food. 

Try refocusing the day around other family-fun activities rather than a monstrous meal.  Here are a few suggestions:

Go for a walk.

Play games!  Get everyone involved.   

Turn on some fun holiday music and get those bodies moving! Shake, shake, shake! It burns tons of calories and it’s loads of fun!

Pack up the family and volunteer at a shelter serving food to others. 

Get creative.

Plan the Thanksgiving meal around the same time as you would normally have dinner or just one to two hours earlier (4pm at the earliest).  This will keep you from gorging yourself early in the day and continuing the binge all day and into the evening. 

Be sure to eat a normal nutritious breakfast and also a light lunch at usual times.  Have fresh veggies available for snacking on between lunch and turkey time. 

Thanksgiving is just one day.  While many take the opportunity to continue the celebration into Christmas and on to Valentines Day, it is important to realize that one day of indulging will not cause you to gain 10 pounds.  It is the continued party that makes the New Year’s resolution necessary.  Make your resolution early this year: I will be a mindful eater during the holidays! 

Avoid “all-or-nothing” thinking.  Just because you decided to have that second helping of pumpkin pie does not give you carte blanche to have a dessert every night for the next two to three weeks.  Don’t think of those extra helpings on Thanksgiving day as failing your “diet”.  This is a special day that should be guilt-free.  Remind yourself that you are in control and that the day/week after your delicious meal will include healthy food choices.

Eat slowly. Slow down and really savor each bite. Taste your food.  Pause between bites.  Chew slowly. Don’t take the next bite until you have swallowed what you have in your mouth.  Periodically take a longer pause while you enjoy the company of friends and family. 

Give your body time to digest.  It is generally thought that it takes your body twenty minutes to tell your brain that you are full.  Try drinking some water and wait a few minutes before you decide you need a second helping.

Prepare as much as possible the day or two beforehand so that you can focus on your family and stay out of the kitchen where you will be more tempted to nibble.

Most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself. 

Dr. Marissa Fernandez-Kiemele practices Family and Lifestyle Medicine at WWMG's Family Medicine Centers in Everett and Silver Lake.






 

Just for fun!

Just for fun!

WWMG's Family Medicine "Pumpkin Team" at the Hoyt Avenue Care Center

Patricia Nelson, center, Marci Farmer, left and Beverly Measor, on the right

I know it's a little late, and Halloween is far behind us. But I really do like this winning pumpkin from the Halloween Pumpkin Decorating Contest so I'm going to tell you about it anyway.

For the last three years at Western Washington Medical Group (WWMG) Family Medicine, the Halloween pumpkin carving contest has been a highly anticipated family tradition.  Employees chose a pumpkin from the selection supplied by the center and took them home to carve up and decorate. Then they were displayed on a table in the reception area. As patients came in, they were encouraged to vote on the pumpkin of their choice and sometimes they had such a hard time picking one pumpkin that they voted for several.  By Halloween, a winner was chosen and kudos were sent all around.

But as luck would have it, many of the prized pumpkins hardly made it through the Halloween season because they became squishy and shriveled up due to early carving.  This led to a more creative method of decorating pumpkins.

This year, the center asked their employees to dress up their pumpkins in any way they wanted, except carving or cutting them open. What came back was one of the most creative displays of pumpkin pageantry they’ve ever seen, including a Dorothy with red slippers, a Cheshire cat, an autumn leaf, and several other equally amusing themes.

The winner, however, was one-eyed Mike, a character from Monsters, Inc., who won the heart of many patients who came through the doors. Patricia Nelson is shown holding Mike as receptionist Marci Farmer stands to her left and Beverly Measor, medical records specialist, stands to her right.

Watch us Grow!

 Dr. Lindstrom, Family Medicine Physician at WWMG's Family Medicine Practice at the Silver Lake Medical Center

 

To the doctors at Western Washington Medical Group (WWMG), working with their neighbors makes for powerful medicine. It should be no surprise then that our philosophy has caused us to grow.  As our neighborhood has enlarged, we have opened our new Silver Lake Center which gives our patients more scheduling options and a choice of whether to continue seeing their doctor at the 4301 Hoyt Avenue address (which will remain open), or whether to see their doctor in the Silver Lake area. 

WWMG Family Medicine and WWMG Internal Medicine are now accepting new patients. Family Medicine patients can be seen at both the Silver Lake Center and the Hoyt Center, and Internal Medicine patients can be seen at the Silver Lake Center and the Woodlands Specialty Center in Bothell. To schedule an appointment, you can call Family Medicine at 425-317-8025, and Internal Medicine 425-420-1648, and those numbers will get you scheduled at either clinic.

Everett location: 4301 Hoyt Avenue, Suite A, Everett, WA  98203
Silver Lake Location: 12728 19th Avenue SE, Suite 300, Everett, WA  98208

TOYS FOR TOTS

Western Washington Medical Group (WWMG) is pleased to announce that the Family Medicine Group at the Silver Lake Medical Center, 12728 19^th Avenue SE, Suite 300, Everett, WA  98208, will be collecting toys for the US Marine Corp’s Toys for Tots 2011 campaign. Toys can be dropped off from Monday, November 28^th through Wednesday, December 14^th, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The center is not open on weekends. The donation box will be located near the elevator on the third floor.

A new unwrapped toy will delight a needy local child and bring them a message of hope and help during the Christmas season. The idea began back in 1947 when a Major Bill Hendricks, a Marine Reservist in Los Angeles, was inspired by his wife to collect 5,000 toys and distribute them to needy children for Christmas. It was so successful that the following year, the US Marine Corp adopted the program and took it nation-wide. Since then, it has brought the joy of Christmas to over 188 million children.

There's no time like the holiday season to reach out to the less fortunate and bring some of our own holiday cheer into their lives. We live in a world where people struggle, even in America, to put enough food on the table for their children or to provide for them the way that they want. For those of us who don't struggle with those issues day after day, there is much joy in helping others --especially around the holiday season. And that is why Western Washington Medical Group has chosen to be a Toys for Tots collection site this year.

If you live in the South Everett, Silver Lake, or Mill Creek area we are convenient for an easy drop off at our Family Medicine site. Please consider stopping by with an unwrapped toy for a child of any age. It will make you feel warm and fuzzy all over.

Have you heard about Lifestyle Medicine?

We live busy lives and sometimes they're so stressful that we don't eat or sleep right. Over time, that takes a toll on our health and we may find ourselves struggling with chronic disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or we may even rank ourselves among the 30+-% of overweight people in the United States.

At Western Washington medical Group (WWMG), we like to focus on being proactive with our patients, considering the whole person and incorporating the use of exercise, nutrition, stress reduction, and soul-care exercises to provide patients with unique tools and personal encouragement they need to turn doctors' suggestions into real, lasting lifestyle changes.

It's more than diabetes education. It's not a weight loss program. It's a part of group appointments with a one-on-one visit with your physician who will help you walk this path to better health.

WWMG is starting Lifestyle Medicine Group Classes in 2012. There will be Weight
Management, Chronic Disease Management, Wellness Cuisine, and Lifestyle Medicine Boot Camp. You can call 425-317-8025 to get more information or to reserve a spot for January.

Welcome to Western Washington Medical Group

If you live in the Everett, WA area, you've heard about us. We are a dynamic group of sixteen specialties of excellent physicians who live and work in their community and who care deeply about their patients and the care they receive. Welcome to our new blog. In the future, we will have information on the many types of issues that affect people throughout all the stages of their lives.