âI felt like I was at the bottom of a deep well with no way to get out.â This is how one patient described their depression symptoms to me. Another patient having panic attacks said, âAll of a sudden I was terrified and thought I was going to die, but I didnât know why.â
Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and the two are closely connected. After all, our brain is part of our body. Over 20 years ago I experienced an episode of depression that required medical treatment. I, too, felt like I was at the bottom of a well. I couldnât understand why people around me were enjoying life when I could not find any enjoyment in my own life. I sought medical help and I successfully made my way through and came out the other side.
I learned from that episode that self-care is vitally important to both our physical and mental health.
Many of the lifestyle choices that improve our physical health can also improve our mental health. Mental health problems can sometimes be just as serious as physical health problems, so donât hesitate to contact your health care provider if you have any concerns.
Move! â No, I donât mean pack your bags and relocate. I mean move your body! Walking 30 minutes a day can work wonders. It can even be broken up into 10-minute walks, 3 times a day. If you can only walk 20 minutes or 10 minutes at a time, go for it. Join a walking group for group support and fun interaction. Or, watch for the TBCC catalogue in your mailbox each quarter for the latest group fitness programming from partners like the Tillamook YMCA and NCRD.
Spend time outdoors â science tells us that we get extra benefit from being outside. Being outside can be a chance to take a break and enjoy some peace.
Make Healthy Food Choices â including lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains in your diet helps reduce inflammation, helps with digestive health and helps you feel better overall. The Mediterranean Diet is a good place to start.
Sleep â try to get a minimum of 7 to 8 hours of sleep as often as you can. Avoid using your cell phone, computer or TV close to bedtime because blue screens can make it harder to sleep well.
Stay connected to positive people – Spend time with supportive friends and family. Healthy relationships help us feel better.
Relax â try to set aside time daily for yourself to sit and relax without using your computer, TV or cell phone (unless you are using a relaxation app). Try meditation, prayer, yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong or other calming activities. This is time for YOU. Check the schedule at the Tillamook YMCA for free community classes such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
Practice Gratitude â make a list of things you are grateful for, and before you go to sleep at night think of 3 positive things that happened during the day.
If you are already feeling stressed or overwhelmed, this list might be too long to tackle all at once. Choose one activity from the list to focus on and give it a try. I have been working on getting consistent sleep and it has made a big difference in how I feel.
What can we do to help a friend or loved one struggling with mental health issues? The best thing to do is to be present. Be with them. Listen. You donât have to give advice or try to solve their problems. As someone who has been in that situation, I can tell you that just having someone there by your side can make all the difference in the world.
And if you feel you might need professional help, please know you have options. Talk to your health care provider. Many primary care offices have mental health professionals as part of their patient care team to make it easy for you to get the care you need.
Like physical health, mental health is not just one condition. In the way that our physical health can be affected by a wide variety of issues such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure, our mental health can be affected by a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder and others. The National Institute of Mental Health web page has a list of Health Topics to help us learn about and understand our mental health.
Knowledge is power. Understanding mental health helps us be better able to manage it. And, self-care is the one thing we can do for ourselves, often at no extra cost.
AUTHOR: Dr. Ben Douglas, MD Adventist Health Tillamook
Dr. Ben Douglas has been providing healthcare for more than 35 years. He is board certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. His focus is keeping people healthy from birth through the golden years. In his free time, Dr. Douglas enjoys cooking, running, sailing and playing guitar.
For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Food has become much more complicated than it once was. Instead of simple ingredients going into homemade foods, we have an abundance of time-saving products that may have a more enticing taste and may also be a cheaper way to get a filling meal on the table. Is it worth it to save time with convenient foods? Which convenient foods arenât as nourishing? Are these foods helping us toward our desire to feel good and enjoy our health?
In comes the concept of food as medicine. Food is natureâs medicine, providing our body with the building blocks that it needs to maintain health. Some say that we can pay a farmer now, or a pharmacy later. And while this statement may oversimplify the whole picture of nutrition and health, hopefully it has you thinking. In reading the ideas below, you may draw some connections between what is (or isnât) on your fork and how youâre feeling.
Note: If you decide to take a food as medicine approach to eating, it is important to continue to take medications as prescribed and consult with your medical provider before making any medication changes. A salad with dinner is not a replacement for a specific medication, though several small steps over time may begin to shift things in a positive direction.
Food informs our bodies
Food is a powerful source of information for our bodies and we have several opportunities each day to make choices about what food we will eat. The field of epigenetics looks at how behaviors and environment can affect the expression of our genes. For someone with a family history of a particular condition or disease, there may be nutrition and lifestyle factors that can alter gene expression in a way that protects from that condition or disease. While we donât need to strive for perfection with our food choices or become fearful of eating something that isnât seen as nutritious, there are many ways we can adjust our food choices to be supportive of our health. Whether you already have a health-related diagnosis or are focused on prevention, there are many ways you can start making changes to move toward your goals.
Food connects us to the land
As the ground continues to warm and more seeds begin stirring within the earth, there will be more and more signs of spring here on the North Coast. This area is home to many amazing growers and producers, each offering us a unique way to connect with our region and with the seasons. While most of us enjoy the variety that we can find at a grocery store, nature is also providing what we need throughout the year. For example, vitamin C comes from many more places than oranges! In the early spring we may find vitamin C in overwintered kale in the garden, in the summer in fresh, juicy strawberries that come from the valley an in the winter in potatoes from a local farm.
Eating plants is for everyone
Luckily, you donât need to claim to be a vegetarian or vegan to enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables with your meals â plant foods are for everyone! Our bodies benefit from plants in various ways, such as the fiber that many plant foods contain. Fiber can bring ease to digestion, feeds the beneficial bacteria that live in our digestive tracts and can be an important part of a meal feeling satisfying. When increasing the amount of plant foods in your daily meals, it can also be a good idea to drink enough water, as water and fiber work together to keep digestion moving smoothly.
Boost flavor and nutrition with herbs and spices
Herbs and spices can be great ways to get an extra dose of nutrition and flavor. Many herbs and spices are sources of antioxidants, which are often linked to protecting the health of our cells. Adding spices could be as simple as a dash of ground pepper or more of a focus like a soup spiced with curry powder. Herbs can be used as a garnish, such as a sprinkle of parsley on the top of a bowl of soup or as a main feature of the meal such as vegetables and pasta tossed with basil pesto.
Eating well on a budget
If using food as medicine sounds expensive, it doesnât have to be! There are many ways to prepare and eat nutritious foods on a budget. Beans and lentils provide protein, fiber and so much more and are a great base for a hearty meal. If you donât have access to fresh vegetables or they often go bad in your refrigerator, frozen and canned can also be great options. Several local farms have Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes that you can subscribe to in the spring and enjoy a box of fresh vegetables each week throughout the summer. Buying spices in bulk can be much less expensive and allows you to try smaller amounts of new spices to see if you like them before purchasing a larger quantity.
Finding what works for you
If using a food as medicine philosophy is something youâre interested in and youâre not sure where to begin, you may want to connect with your primary care provider and ask for a referral to meet with a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are trained to translate nutrition science into actionable steps that you can take to maintain your health and to help treat or prevent many common illnesses. With some creativity and a sense of adventure, making changes to support your health and how you feel can be a fun and rewarding experiment.
For more information:
Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs): Food Roots provides a pickup spot for weekly CSAs and also has a wonderful selection of local products throughout the year; accepts SNAP benefits and matching program also available https://www.foodrootsnw.org/csa-shares
Bruce Roos has never shied away from a hard dayâs work, but that doesnât mean heâs not ready to enjoy, and explore some other things in life that are important to him. Thirty-five years as a dairy farmer, or any life-long career, will do that to a person. He and his wife Sandi raised their twin boys, Case and Cody, while running the farm on East Beaver Creek.Â
The couple is excited to enter this next phase of their lives. Yet, Bruce recognizes that at 58 years old, and with his familyâs medical history, he has a responsibility to ensure he will be ready, and healthy, for their new adventures.Â
âI have a family history of colorectal cancer. My dad got it. He was diagnosed in, I believe, 1978. He passed away in 1980 and he was sixty years old.â Cornelis Roos died when Bruce was only a sophomore in high school. âI missed my dad. I went through a lot of âlife isnât fair.âÂ
As he entered his 50âs, Bruce began getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer (CRC) a few years ago. During one of these colonoscopies, doctors found a polyp, which they removed. âThe doctor told me that if I hadnât taken care of that when I did, I would have been a very sick manâÂ
Bruce is not alone in this proactive family battle. His sister Nelly was getting a CRC screening when doctors found cancer in her colon. âShe was getting colonoscopies on a regular basis, every three years. It was a very aggressive form of cancer to have gotten to that stage so quickly.â
Doctors removed a section of Nellyâs colon and reattached it to save her life. âShe is currently cancer-free, sheâs doing fine,â said Bruce.
Bruce has made lifestyle choices to help improve his chances of avoiding a cancer diagnosis and to be in a better position to fight it if necessary. This includes lifestyle changes in diet, alcohol consumption, exercise and getting regular CRC screenings every three years. Â
Throughout this time, Bruce has gained a real understanding of whatâs important to him and how to prioritize a life-work-health balance, as he Sandi prepare for retirement. Their plans include lots of travel and spending time with family.
âWeâve saved enough money to go into retirement. Now, I want to be sure that Iâm taking care of myself enough to enjoy the years that weâve got to look forward to. Throw a grand kid in the picture and that changes things too,â said Bruce, his composure immediately softening as he talks about Rose, his two-year-old granddaughter.Â
âI want to be around for that.â
Bruce hopes that sharing his story will remind others to focus on the important things in life and to realize there are ways to increase the odds of enjoying them longer. He believes that even if only one person decides to get a CRC screening after hearing his tale, it was worth sharing it.
âI donât know much more to add, you know, you look around, you look at life, you look at the things you enjoy, and you ask yourself, âDo I want to be here?â If you do, thereâs only so much I can say. It is up to you, but I can only recommend that if you really enjoy things in life, do these things to help prolong your life.â If you are aged 50-75, contact your healthcare provider about getting screened for colorectal cancer.Â
So, itâs spring break time and naturally you are wanting a break! You want to get outside, have some fun, and do some exploring. But, you also know COVID-19 doesnât take a break. How can you enjoy your break and still prevent yourself and loved ones from getting COVID-19?
As much as weâd like to be saying to one another, âWe can finally travel without worry- people are getting vaccinated! Itâs finally over!â, we just canât say that yet. The truth is, worldwide we are still in the very early stages of vaccinating, and COVID-19 is still spreading. The same things we did to protect ourselves last year will be useful precautions for us all to take now, especially during Spring Break.
Just as with the Holiday Season, the absolute safest way to spend your Spring Break is to stay home. Try planning a staycation, see those parts of town that you havenât visited in a while, spending time with those in your household.
Whether you do decide to travel, or stay in your home area, here are some practical Doâs and Donâts for planning safe and responsible adventures:
1. Donât fly, take a train or bus if at all possible.
Instead, DO drive! Using your personal vehicle to get from place to place is the safest way to travel.
If you donât have your own vehicle, consider alternative options like biking or walking. If using public transportation or sharing a ride, wear a face mask and pick a seat that is 6ft or more apart.
Donât travel to or explore crowded, popular destinations.
Instead, DO get outside! Go camping or hiking in areas less populated, where it is easy to social distance.
If going to popular destinations, book private accommodations for yourself and household members.
3. Donât travel to parties, festivals or other large events.
Instead, DO attend virtually through Zoom or FaceTime!
4. Donât go out to eat at restaurants with indoor seating.
Instead, DO choose places with outdoor seating or buy groceries and prepare your own meals!
Going skiing? Call ahead and ask which lift times are less popular! Book private classes versus group classes.
Going to the beach to soak up some sun? Skip the group outings and book private excursions or do your own exploring!
Staying home or camping? Plan a family barbeque and make sâmores!
While this Spring Break will once again be a little unusual, we can make these small changes with huge effects by following the current guidelines to keep everyone safe. And remember: wear a mask, wash your hands and social distance!
AUTHOR: Morganne Skinner, RN, BSN, Public Health Nurse at Tillamook County Community Health Center
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Insulin Resistance. You might have heard this term before and wondered what it meant. Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes, and it is associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. If you have any of these conditions you might have insulin resistance.
So, what is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin is like the key that unlocks the door so that blood sugar can move from our blood stream into our bodyâs cells. This keeps our blood sugar from getting too high, resulting in diabetes.
But, what if we have insulin, but it doesnât work? Itâs like something has gummed up the lock and the key canât open the door to let the blood sugar move out of our blood stream. This is insulin resistance. We have insulin but something is resisting it and stopping it from working.
This is what happens in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, or prediabetes. Insulin resistance can be present for years before someone develops diabetes.
When insulin isnât working well enough, our pancreas tries to make more insulin to get the job done. But, over time, our pancreas starts to wear out and canât make enough insulin and our blood sugar goes up and we have type 2 diabetes.
Is there something we can do to help our insulin work better and prevent the pancreas from wearing out? YES!
Number 1 â Physical Activity – 30 minutes a day of moderate activity can reduce insulin resistance. This can be a brisk walk or bike ride, heavy housework like washing windows, vacuuming, mopping, yardwork like mowing the lawn or raking. You donât have to do all 30 minutes at once. It can be spread out through the day.
Number 2 â Eat more Fiber and Less Fat â High fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils and nuts can lower insulin resistance. High fat foods make insulin resistance worse, so aim for lean meat and fish and smaller portions of meat and dairy. The Mediterranean Diet is a good place to start.
Number 3 â Weight Loss â If you are overweight, you can improve insulin resistance by losing a few pounds. Physical activity and eating morefiber rich foods and fewer high fat foods help with weight loss.
Number 4 â Get a Good Nightâs Sleep â Seven to eight hours of quality sleep at night helps reduce insulin resistance and does many other good things for your health, but that is for another day.
Simple lifestyle choices can make a world of difference for your health. It is an investment that will last a lifetime. Check out the Diabetes Prevention Program on the Tillamook County Wellness page for more information.
And, when we are able to resume group medical appointments, Adventist Health will resume the Lifestyle Medicine Program led by Dr. Ben Douglas. These group appointments help patients learn about healthy nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle habits that keep us healthy and happy.
AUTHOR: Dr. Ben Douglas, Adventist Health Tillamook
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Photo Caption: Rinehart Clinic’s Art of Eating class participants touring Moon River Farm in Nehalem
At Rinehart Clinic in Wheeler, Oregon, we have learned that helping our patients take a broad and interactive approach to wellness makes a big difference. Combining a supportive environment with tools for health, such as fresh food (and free classes), leads to group and individual successes. The Rinehart Clinic understands success looks different for each person and so must our educational offerings!
What started four years ago as a summer-long veggie class transformed into a comprehensive effort to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and now has grown into a broader Community Wellness program. Many of our participants see multiple health benefits from lowered A1C, lower blood pressure, healthier eating habits, weight loss, and even improved mood.
By offering a wide range of classes â from nutritional education to movement and mindfulness â our goal is to offer something for everyone. We place an emphasis on creating supportive group classes and helping make it easier for people to have access to healthy foods and exercise. The classes often can create social networks, which we know play just as important of a role in health and wellness as recorded screening numbers.
Each year, we try new approaches and check in with our participants to see what they are interested in learning. Their input has helped our Community Wellness program evolve and grow.
Here is a sampling of the Community Wellness classes and workshops we have held over the past four years:
Mindfulness Meditation, taught by one of our social workers, focusing on mindful approaches to eating, managing stress, and more;
Blood Sugar & Nutrition, taught by our Certified Diabetes Educator;
Intro to Fasting, taught by our Naturopathic Physician, covering the health benefits of fasting;
our ever-popular Art of Eating, a hands-on class showcasing local farm-fresh vegetables, recipe sharing, and encouragement for healthy eating habits.
Over the past year, as the pandemic unfolded, it changed how we hold our classes as we moved to Zoom. In 2021, our hope is to continue Zoom offerings and eventually be able to offer some classes in person again (when we can safely do so).
These group classes are a critical part of Rinehart Clinicâs Community Wellness program, and thanks to grant funding and great community partners, we are also able to pair the classes with healthy foods. For instance, our Art of Eating participants not only get to sample and learn ways to cook fresh vegetables during class, but they also get a big bag of farm-fresh produce from Nehalemâs Moon River Farm to take home each week. And (depending on the season), some class participants receive vouchers they can use to buy healthy foods at the Manzanita Farmers Market or the Manzanita Grocery & Deli (the Little Apple).
As another addition to the program in early 2020, we started the Prescription for Exercise Program, partnering with the North County Recreation District (NCRD). As part of primary care appointments, providers could write prescriptions for exercise with patients receiving a 10-visit pass for swim or fitness. We hired a Wellness Navigator, Alisa, to help coordinate first steps into NCRD. We saw a lot of positive results, have a solid partnership in place and will look to resume this program later in 2021 as we adjust to these changing times.
We appreciate all our partners who make this Wellness Program possible–Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, Manzanita Farmers Market, Manzanita Grocery & Deli, Moon River Farm, and North County Recreation District. We are also fortunate to have a staff team whose varied backgrounds and interests allow us to offer such a range of classes. And lastly, the success is not possible without those in the community who participate and share this experience and wellness journey with us!
During 2021, we will continue many of our popular classes. And NEW, coming in March: a book study/discussion group called âHow to Be Sickâ led by Sara, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, focused on mindfulness, particularly for those facing chronic health conditions.
