Peanut Butter Chocolate

No Bake Cookies

No holiday would be complete without a recipe for some delicious cookies. Our choice this year is peanut butter no bake cookies, brought to you by the people at

The Food Network

Click on the Food Network link and the recipe will pop right up for you. If you have children and don't have time to bake, this is a perfect recipe for the holidays. You can get these into the refrigerator in less than ten minutes and they can be ready for little hands in less than a half an hour.

Enjoy!

 

 

Dr. McDonnell talks about GERD

Do you have GERD or know someone who does?  Do you suffer from acid reflux and/or heartburn at least twice a week? Then you may want to listen to what Dr. McDonnell has to say about managing this condition.

Dr. McDonnell was a guest on the Health Matters radio program on KRKO in Everett and he has lots of good tips for handling this problem during the holidays. You can listen by clicking below.

Knowledge is power!

Dr. McDonell 112111 by Deetie

You can learn more about Dr. McDonnell by clicking here.

Two Internists Join WWMG

It's always exciting when new doctors join our group. Each brings his or her personality and  passion to the practice and the group becomes richer as a result. 

We are especially pleased to welcome Dr. Diane Doerner and Dr. John Okemah to the Internal Medicine practice at Western Washington Medical Group.  Both of them come with great strengths and an enthusiasm about providing care on an individualized and personal level. Dr. Doerner joined us on November 1st and Dr. Okemah will be coming on the 15th of December.

Internal Medicine doctors  treat adults with chronic conditions and treat diseases of all the internal organs and systems. For people with multiple medical conditions or problems, an Internist might be the very best choice for you. 


Dr. Doerner and Dr. Okemah practice at the Woodlands Specialty Clinic in Bothell and at the Silver Lake Medical Center in Everett. You will be hearing more about both of these doctors as they are patient favorites. Click here to learn more about Dr. Doerner and Dr. Okemah

  

PA-C'S CAN DIAGNOSE AND TREAT

Peter Frey, the new PA-C at WWMG’s Orthopedic, Sport & Hand Center  was originally an RN, but because he wanted to do more for his patients, he attended the University of Washington’s PA program in Seattle.  After 27 months of schooling, and a full didactic year followed by a full clinical year, he graduated with a Masters degree in Clinical Health Services (MCHS).

    

Now he is working  with WWMG’s talented orthopedist, Dr. Leavitt at the Orthopedic, Sport & Hand Center at 3726 Broadway, Suite 201, Everett.



Peter  has a lot of enthusiasm about being a PA-C and orthopedics in general. “If it’s broke, we fix it, most of the time. It is difficult to be able  to say that with other health care issues such as diabetes or hypertension,” Peter said. “And I work closely with the surgeon in order to correctly diagnose and treat a wide variety of orthopedic issues.” 

Peter stressed that helping patients sometimes includes  explaining how  we all need time to heal. Because surgery is not right for all types of fractures, patients need to have patience while their bodies heal.

When asked why he came to WWMG, he applauded Dr. Leavitt’s reputation as a surgeon, along with his bedside manner and sense of humor.


Peter occasionally plays the drums for different jazz groups at the Prohibition Grill in Everett, and enjoys time reading about orthopedics and spending time with his wife and dog.

Click here to learn more about the Orthopedics, Sports & Hand Center. 




   

Family Medicine Doctor, Albert Yuen, MD, Talks About Nutrition for Children

You can help your children avoid lifestyle disease

if you teach them how to eat while they are young.

http://www.wwmedgroup.com/

Many children are becoming obese earlier in life, leading to the development of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The common folk belief that a fat baby or chubby toddler is healthy is hard to break. Popular fad diets and TV ads often mix helpful and harmful components in their messages.

Children are currently exposed to a wide variety of foods that tend to be high in fat and sugar, including excess juice, juice-based sweetened beverages, French fries, and nutrient-poor snacks. And they often eat 35% more than they need. This is not good news for those who may be heading towards lifestyle disease later in life. It is the foremost reason why it’s so important to establish healthy eating habits in children at an early age.

What can a mother do?

Diet recommendations for 2-6 year olds are similar to those for older individuals, so it’s fairly easy to plan for the whole family. But the challenges for children’s diet relate to providing quality nutrient intake and avoiding excess caloric intake. It’s important to transition to low-fat milk and other dairy products, and sweetened beverages and other sugar-containing snacks should be offered sparingly.

Some tips to parents on implementing changes in diet (AHA guidelines):

• Reduce added sugars, including sugar-sweetened drinks and juices
• Use canola, soybean, corn oil, safflower oil, or other unsaturated oils instead of solid fats
• Use recommended portion sizes when preparing and serving food
• Use fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables and fruits and serve at every meal
• Introduce and regularly serve fish as an entrée
• Remove the skin from poultry before cooking/eating
• Use only lean cuts of meat and reduced-fat meat products
• Limit high-calorie sauces such as Alfredo, cream sauces, etc.
• Eat whole grain breads and cereals rather; read labels and ensure that “whole grain” is the first ingredient on the food label of these products 
• Eat more legumes (beans) and tofu in place of meat for some entrées
• Choose high-fiber, low-salt/low-sugar alternatives for breads and prepared foods

Success in changing habits starts early in life and is based on early parental guidance. If a parent mindfully implements these small but significant changes, they can have an impact on young children and help stem the tide of childhood obesity, ultimately saving lives and slowing down the progression of lifestyle diseases in our young.

Dr. Yuen practices Family Medicine at WWMG's Everett clinic and also the Silver Lake Medical Center.  Click here to learn more about him.

December 4-10 is National

Handwashing Awareness Week

According to the Centers for Disease Control, "the most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash you hands."

You can prevent illness and the flu by washing your hands. It only takes 20 seconds using warm soapy water.

There are so many reasons to wash your hands, but as we enter flu season, it's a good thing to remember that infectious diseases enter through the mucus membranes of your body--your ear, nose, or mouth. That's a good reason to keep them clean. So wash them frequently!

According to Henry the Hand at http://www.henrythehand.com/


The 4 Principles of Hand Awareness
1. Wash your hands when they are dirty and BEFORE eating
2. DO NOT cough into your hands
3. DO NOT sneeze into your hands
4. Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose or mouth

The American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442466766
makes the following recommendations:

Always wash your hands:

• After using the bathroom, changing diapers, cleaning up after pets, or handling money
• Before and after eating
• Before, during and after preparing food
• Frequently when sick, sneezing or coughing
• After touching garbage
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick

Wash often and stay healthy!