Halloween is almost upon us.  Houses are being decorated with cobwebs and skeletons, the candy stockpile is shifting from stores to households, pumpkins will soon be transformed into leering jack-o-lanterns, and the excitement amongst would-be princesses, ghouls, ninjas, witches, Jedis, and superheroes of all shapes and sizes is almost palpable.

At Atrius Health,

Almost anyone who battles with their weight or tries to eat healthfully can agree that the fast-approaching holiday feasting season presents many challenges.  Whether you count calories or carbs, it’s easy to slip up during the holidays, which for many of us starts when those bags of “fun-size” candy appear in the grocery stores in early October, and ends after the Valentine’s Day chocolates are eaten.

While statistics on holiday weight gain vary,

October is widely known as breast cancer awareness month, a focal moment to increase women’s awareness that they should have a clinical breast exam and mammogram every 1-2 years depending on their age and family history. 

It is also a time to focus on those who have breast cancer, celebrating survivors, remembering those we have lost, and supporting those living with breast cancer.  A diagnosis of breast cancer can be overwhelming,

Anxiety has a bad reputation. Many of us fear it and take steps to avoid the dreaded sensations that generally accompany it: increased heart rate, sweating, upset stomach, dizziness, and nervousness, all of which lead to a general sense of discomfort. If these symptoms persist for at least six months with feelings of worry and apprehension almost every day, this can be a more serious level of anxiety and is often diagnosed as an anxiety disorder.

Has your weight loss diet ever gone like this: 

Breakfast: 1 low fat muffin, coffee with equal and skim milk;
Lunch: salad with lite dressing and 3 croutons;
2:00 Snack: 15 pretzels, half a banana;
3:00 Snack:  small bag of chips and 15 more pretzels, other half banana;
4:00 Snack: half of a package of Oreos with a quart of ice cream and a can of cashews;
Dinner: an order of chicken fingers with an order of sweet and sour chicken,

What a way to kick-start our SMArt Kids Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) after a summer hiatus!  At our recent September 20th SMA, we had many new SMArt Kids plus a great showing of recent graduates.  The returning participants reported on their summer successes and did a great job showing our new participants the ropes.  We also reviewed our objectives for 2011-12:

• Limit screen time to less than 2 hours per day
• Participate in at least 1 hour of active play
• Limit sugary drinks to 0-4 ounces per day
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• Limit fast food to less than once per week
• Make breakfast a priority
• Choose healthy snacks
• Plan for family meals
• Get enough restful sleep
• Know where your food comes from                     

Yesterday, I had a good day.  I walked out of a patient’s room feeling so happy because I did not feel rushed. I think it’s safe to say that the woman I saw felt good, too, unrushed and more reassured leaving the office than when she walked in. However, more and more across the country, people are leaving doctors’ offices feeling less than satisfied.