Category Archives: Health

Appreciation Night A Big Success!

Mid Florida Cancer Centers hosted a night of appreciation for medical personnel in their community. Knowing that their patient’s care is guided by caring people in other offices as well as their own, MFCC  invited them over for some fun! All the primary care offices, and some specialists as well, received personalized invitations for key personnel involved in patient care to come to the event. With over 100 people in attendance, the event was a hit!

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Guests were welcomed with the smiling faces of MFCC staff at the door.  They received a menu, a tour guide and 2 tickets for gifts and prizes. Each guest was introduced to and welcome by all 8 physicians in the group before they toured the facility. During the tour, they were surprised by the size and quality of the MFCC comprehensive center. Guests reported, “I didn’t know you had all this!”

The Varian RapidArc Radiation machine is an impressive sight and is currently the latest technology available in radiation. RapicArc delivers integrated and personalized treatment with increased speed and precision that substantially shortens treatment times and minimizes damage to healthy tissue. MFCC feels it is important the community know where to find the best care for cancer patients in the area.

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Guests were led through the facility stopping periodically at a different food or drink station and also being introduced to other MFCC staff. They saw the CT and PET Scan, the Chemotherapy room, lab and other treatment rooms. Mid Florida also had live music playing by a keyboardist and saxophone player through the center.

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Towards the end of the night, there was a big drawing for great prizes such as a spa treatment, a google NEXUS electronic tablet and an iPad. Before the guests left, each one received a thank gift. The guest were grateful and happy as were the staff and doctors of Mid Florida Cancer Centers.

It is important to appreciate the people that help us in our lives, whether at home or at work. We all get too busy sometimes to remember, but a little appreciation can go a long way towards helping to create positive and healthy change in a community.

Post by Jill Jordan

Rev Up Your Health Resolutions For 2013

From: foxnews.com

By Chris Kilham

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It’s tough love time. Most people will make New Year resolutions, and very few will keep them. Why? Because they make the so-called resolution, but don’t initiate new behaviors to see those resolutions through.

If you really want to make changes in your health for this New Year, you can do it. Here are some tips for getting real.

Stop smoking

This is perhaps the toughest addiction of all to break – but doing so could save your life.  Continuing to smoke can lead to greater risk of a heart attack or any number of gruesome cancers. Smoking adds absolutely no benefits to life, and is a dangerous and destructive habit.

Acupuncture can help.  The trick is to find a highly qualified acupuncturist with experience helping smokers to quit. Utilizing hair-thin wires, the treatment re-wires patterns in the nervous system and does not hurt.

Hypnosis can also be very valuable. Make sure that the person you see is trained and highly experienced. Many people have undergone a few sessions of well-conducted hypnotherapy and have walked away smoke-free. Ericksonian hypnotherapy is an especially effective method of hypnosis for helping to quit smoking.

While you’re trying to kick the habit, drink lots of pure, fresh, plain water daily to detoxify your body, and take a couple of grams of vitamin C daily to rejuvenate your cells and provide antioxidant protection.

Most important of all, if you’re struggling with a smoking addiction, get help. Many people simply cannot quit on their own. Do whatever you have to do to win this battle over cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or whatever form your tobacco vice takes. Change some of your daily routine to disrupt your smoking schedule.

Lose weight

For starters, try not to finish your plate or consuming fewer calories. You gain excess pounds by taking in more calories than you expend, pure and simple.

Avoid all fast foods and fried foods, and stop drinking sodas, which are just liquid candy. Also, cutting out snacks and junk food can help with weight loss.

If you really want to lose weight, you need to change your eating habits. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.  Try eating a fresh apple every day. Apples help elimination, are packed with antioxidants, and help to stabilize metabolism.

Drink a couple of cups of green tea daily. The antioxidant compounds in green tea aid weight loss. Try taking green coffee extract – a minimum of 500 milligrams twice daily. Either Svetol or GCA are the brands that are actually tested and proven effective. Both cause your body to steadily shed pounds, day after day.

It’s not just diet that will help you lose weight – but exercise is also key.  Exercise faithfully, every day. Get out and walk at least two miles – and if you can, make that four. Exercise spends calories that would otherwise turn into fat, and it tones your body while helping to clear your mind. You can absolutely lose weight if you really want to.

Be more focused

If you want to maximize your mind power, start by taking 400 milligrams of Rhodiola rosea extract every day. Rhodiola is proven in human clinical studies to enhance concentration, thought formation, memory and overall mood.

Meditate daily. You don’t need to become a monk; just learn to meditate and clear your mind, so you can live in a naturally fresh and alert state. Drink less alcohol – or even no alcohol at all. A little alcohol is fine for health, but booze does in fact fog the mind. Want to be razor sharp? Nix the drink.

Get in shape

Start with realistic goals. If you don’t walk much, start walking just two miles daily at a brisk pace. Increase your daily exercise gradually, so you’ll stay with it.

If you like going to the gym, ask a trainer to help you out. Attend exercise classes, so you’ll be encouraged by others. Reinforce the habit of daily exercise.

The best tip is not to aim too high in the beginning. Don’t resolve to work out every day for two hours. You won’t do it. Be moderate and once you have the hang of it, go for more.

Get more sleep

Are you sleep-deprived and tired? Make more time for sleep. Spend less time in front of the TV and a bit more time in bed. Drink less alcohol (which often makes sleeping harder), and try passion flower
tea, holy basil (Tulsi) tea, or L-theanine capsules, 100 milligrams each. All these can help you to get more deep snoozing time.

Reduce stress

Start by taking walks outdoors on a regular basis. This is immensely helpful for shedding stress. Meditate daily to calm your mind. Play with your children more. It’s pretty hard to stay stressed when you’re actively having fun with kids.

Practice Yoga. It’s probably among the very best things for shedding stress and worry. Be more intimate with your significant other.  Exercise more, to work the tension right out of your body. Quit smoking, as smoking stresses everything.

More often than not, New Year’s resolutions are hopeful ideas that quickly dissipate as we engage in the same old behaviors. But by making real and significant changes, we can act on those resolutions and achieve our goals. So make it a happy – and healthy – New Year.

Foods You May Be Scared To Try, But Should

From: foxnews.com

By Amie Valpone

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Have you ever found yourself walking down the aisles of your food store and feeling a bit wary about purchasing kale chips?

Have you eliminated a menu item from your options because it contained hemp seeds that you were scared to try? You’re not alone. These seemingly exotic foods can seem intimidating if you haven’t tasted them before.

Here are some foods you may be too afraid to try, but actually taste great. Put aside those food fears and dig in to these flavorful treats; your taste buds will thank you.

• Ghee 
Ghee is different from the regular butter you have in your fridge.  It has been cooked longer to remove moisture. The milk solids are caramelized and strained, which gives ghee a nutty taste.  It’s mainly used in Indian cuisine, but can be incorporated into pasta and rice for a rich dish; try adding ghee to your garlic bread or spaghetti and meatballs.

• Sorghum flour
Sorghum flour is similar to corn, but it’s higher in protein and fat.  It’s used in many gluten-free flour blends for cooking and baking. Many people are scared by its name, but sorghum tastes great toasted as a crunchy topping for stir-fries or combined with oil in a skillet for a fun popped snack.

• Kelp noodles 
Noodles get an update with kelp instead of wheat. They can be added to soups or served as a main dish with sauce; there’s no need to cook these noodles as they are sold ready to eat. They’re served raw and perfect to add to green salads.

• Goji berries 
These red berries are loaded with antioxidants. They’re sold dried and fresh and can be thought of as a fancy spin on raisins.  They’re tasty alone or mixed into trail mix, cookies, muffins and oatmeal.

• Cacao nibs 
Cacao is the source of all cocoa and chocolate products before they are processed into shiny treats with tons of added sugar and dairy you see in the stores. These nibs might sound like candy, but they’re actually packed with lots of vitamins and minerals: beta-carotene, amino acids, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium. Try adding a sprinkle to your ice cream, baked goods or cereal.

•Hemp seeds
Instead of breadcrumbs, use ground hemp seeds to coat your chicken, tofu or fish. Hemp seeds are packed with magnesium, iron, potassium and fiber, so they can be a great way to sneak it a bit of a nutrition boost to your smoothie or yogurt snack. Leftover seeds add a hearty texture to hummus and served with tortilla chips.

• Gluten-free granola 
Gluten-free granola doesn’t have to be bland or boring; in fact, some varieties have an amazing variety of ‘granola clusters’ from a unique blend of 100 percent whole grains – amaranth, quinoa, oats, millet and buckwheat. They’re portable and versatile so you can enjoy them as a cereal with milk, as a snack by the handful, or on top of yogurt. This granola is so good that many of my clients don’t believe me when I tell them it’s gluten-free.

• Vegan cream cheese 
Looking for that cream cheese taste without the dairy? Vegan cream cheese can be used as a cream cheese substitute for vegans and people who are allergic to dairy. You’ll have a tough time convincing your guests that there is no dairy inside. Try it out on a piece of toasted bread in the morning.

• Dairy-free chocolate chips 
What happens when we’re looking for a healthier chip for baking our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? Dairy-free chocolate chips pack a lot of flavor; and they are perfect for chocolate-covered strawberries, in baked goods or for eating right out of the bag.

• Nori
Yes, you can eat seaweed, and it tastes great. Nori is the black wrapping you notice on the outside of your sushi rolls. It’s delicious and can be used in soups, salads and as a sandwich wrap instead of tortillas.

• Kale chips
Most people know that kale is a ‘superfood,’ but so many are intimidated by cooking it. You can ease worry and time by grabbing a pack of the new pre-packaged kale chips that you can find in many grocery stores, or make your own with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped fresh kale in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.