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Strategies for dealing with snack attacks Jan 23rd 2013, 06:00 With Mayo Clinic nutritionists Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D. read biography Latest entries Strategies for dealing with snack attacks Jan. 23, 2013 Are sports supplements sabotaging you? Jan. 16, 2013 Is 'pink slime' making a comeback? Jan. 3, 2013 Healthy ideas for gobbling up leftover turkey Nov. 28, 2012 Holiday food safety tips Nov. 13, 2012 Free E-newsletter Subscribe to Housecall Our weekly general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics. Sign up now Nutrition-wise blog Jan. 23, 2013 Strategies for dealing with snack attacks By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D. Recipes for Healthy Living Subscribe to our Recipes for Healthy Living e-newsletter for healthy and tasty recipes. Sign up now It's a couple of hours past dinner and you wander into the kitchen and open the cupboards looking for a snack. You're not alone. More than half of Americans are doing the same thing — snacking on impulse or as a treat or for no particular reason at all. That doesn't bode well for our waistlines. Does that mean snacking is bad? Not necessarily. Snacking can be a strategy to control hunger and overall calorie intake, if done smartly. Snack because you are hungry. Not because it looks good, smells good, or that you know it tastes good. Remind yourself that the opportunity to eat that same snack will present itself another day. Call it success if you can indulge less often rather than at every opportunity. Snack if you're routinely hungry at a certain time of day. Plan for it. Be prepared with a low-calorie snack with some redeeming qualities such as key nutrients. Try fruits and vegetables alone or in combination with a moderate portion of lean protein or healthy fat. Good options include low-fat yogurt, an ounce of cheese, hummus or a few nuts. If you're not hungry, don't snack. Instead ask yourself why you're drawn to snacking. Here are common triggers — and ideas for dealing with them: Boredom? Try a new activity or tackle a few things on your to-do list. Anxious? Try some deep breathing or other stress-management techniques. Habit? Make a new one. Try exercising, playing a game or writing in a journal. The next time a snack attack hits, ask yourself these questions: Are you hungry because you ate a light dinner three hours ago? Or do you and the chips have a regular date on the couch? If so, what else could fill your time before bed? Or are you just tired and need to go to bed? Lastly, be honest with yourself. If you're going to snack despite all of the above, choose low-calorie snacks, such as raw veggies, and munch away. To your health, Katherine blog index References Snacking in America. Hartman Group. http://www.hartman-group.com/hartbeat/snacking-in-america-infographic. Accessed Jan. 21, 2013. Tap into the spiritual for help dealing with tragedy Jan 23rd 2013, 06:00 If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room Call your physician, health provider or clergy National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) Avoid cold-weather pitfalls when you have diabetes Jan 23rd 2013, 06:00 Living with diabetes blog Jan. 23, 2013 By Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N. Controlling Your Diabetes Subscribe to our Controlling Your Diabetes e-newsletter to stay up to date on diabetes topics. Sign up now My son, who has type 1 diabetes, recently mentioned that his insulin needs are higher in the winter. Do you find that your blood sugar levels and A1C are a little higher in the colder months? If you do, it might not be the colder weather itself that's responsible. Colder months provide a couple big potential pitfalls for diabetes management. For example, from November to February, colder months in many places, there are several holidays that typically surround you with tempting foods, generally high in calories and carbohydrates. And if you live in northern climates, you're also dealing with extended winters that can discourage you from getting enough exercise. Add together holiday foods and decreased activity and what do you get? Often times, you get weight gain and a decreased metabolism. Here are some simple ways to enjoy colder weather without risking your health. Test your blood sugar regularly to help you catch high or low blood sugar levels and keep your sugar levels under control. Increase physical activity, even just a little activity such as a short walk a day. If it's too cold for that, be active in the comfort of your own living room with activities such as walking or jumping in place with an exercise DVD or exercise games on the Nintendo Wii or Xbox Kinect. I like to take an extra walk around a department store in winter months. Physical activity helps your blood sugar levels in several ways: It keeps you warm! And the effects last beyond the time when you're actually exercising. It keeps your mind active, too. It increases sensitivity to insulin, which helps your body use insulin better, meaning you'll need less insulin. It can affect your blood sugar for up to 48 hours, so if you take insulin, keep in mind that you may need to adjust your insulin dose. Be mindful of what you eat — people tend to eat more during the winter months because of holidays, less daylight or shorter days and boredom. I find that I do best if I generally eat healthy meals and snacks and watch portion sizes. Stay healthy — illness makes diabetes harder to control. Get an influenza shot and pneumonia shot, as recommended by your doctor. Stay home if you aren't feeling well. Test your blood sugar more frequently for any rising trends. Wash your hands regularly with hot water and soap or use hand sanitizer to avoid getting colds or respiratory viruses. I'm always mindful of washing my hands more frequently after shopping or a group activity. Many public places now offer antibacterial hand cleaner by the exit. Seek counseling if you're feeling low, sluggish or sad. Don't be afraid to seek help! Winter months leave many people feeling blue. The stress of the holidays, finances, unpleasant cold weather and lack of sunlight can all contribute to depression. Being active and eating healthy foods also can help. Stay hydrated — it can be a dry time of year, whether you're outside in the cold weather or inside with a heater. Drink plenty of fluids, and apply lotions to avoid dry skin. Have a great week! Peggy blog index Dear Abby's connection to Mayo Clinic continues Jan 22nd 2013, 06:00 Alzheimer's blog Jan. 22, 2013 By Angela Lunde Alzheimer's Caregiving Subscribe to our Alzheimer's Caregiving e-newsletter to stay up to date on Alzheimer's topics. Sign up now You may have heard that Pauline Friedman Phillips, or Dear Abby as she was known to many, died last week at the age of 94. She had been living with, and challenged by, Alzheimer's for more than a decade. She wrote under the byline of Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby) beginning in the mid 1950's. Her column was read daily by millions of people who sought her no-nonsense perspective, advice and wisdom. Adoring fans followed her throughout her entire run as Dear Abby. In 2002, when her family revealed publicly that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, her daughter, Jeanne, officially took over the column. Pauline Phillips has a special connection to Mayo Clinic. Ten years ago, the Alzheimer's research facility where I work in Rochester, Minn., was named "Mayo Clinic Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic" in honor of a gracious gift from the family of Pauline Phillips. At that time, Edward Phillips, Pauline's son, made the following statement: "My mother made a profound difference in the lives of generations of American families; in fact people throughout the world.  She suffers from Alzheimer's disease that has gradually stolen this precious resource from us ... It is our hope that this massive research undertaking by Mayo Clinic will make a major difference to those suffering from Alzheimer's and their families. We are proud to share a common vision with Mayo Clinic — to one day find ways to treat, cure and prevent this disease." For me, Dear Abby validates a basic need we each have to reach out and feel connected to one another, hence, some asked her advice and millions read her responses. We all need an affiliation and a sense that we aren't alone on this journey and that others share our vulnerabilities, struggles and doubts. Dear Abby offered a window into the day-to-day lives of real people. Her combination of wit, humor and empathy, with an ample dose of candor connected a community of readers for over half a century. In just a couple of months, another affirmation that you aren't alone on this journey will take place — and you're invited. The event is called Meeting of the Minds. This is the Mayo Clinic and Minnesota-North Dakota Alzheimer's Association's annual conference for persons living with early stage dementia, families, caregivers, researchers, therapists and other caring professionals. Themes for the conference center on well-being and caring, along with meaningful engagement, integrative therapies, spirituality, communication and research. One special guest will be Pat Summitt. She's the winningest college basketball coach of all time. In August 2011, Summitt bravely shared her diagnosis of younger onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. Later that year, she started The Pat Summitt Foundation, a non-profit committed to Alzheimer's awareness, support and research at the local and national level. For me, Meeting of the Minds is celebratory, a gathering of like-minded seekers of guidance, understanding and most importantly, connectedness. Together we gather to affirm our passion to the cause, extend compassion to one another and soak in the healing energy that I promise will be felt. Please consider joining me at the St. Paul, Minn., River Center on Saturday, March 1. For details and to register, go to the Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter page of the Alzheimer's Association website. Be forever in peace Pauline Esther Phillips, our Dear Abby. I leave you with an excerpt for one of her columns: "JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine. JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot. JUST FOR TODAY, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself." — Abigail Van Buren blog index

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