As a dietitian, I have a strong interest in having my family eat healthy. But I also want them to like and enjoy healthy foods. Being a mother has allowed me to use my children as guinea pigs in regard to healthy eating. Although no one in my family has diabetes, we follow the healthy eating guidelines that I teach to my patients with diabetes (with the exception of a gluten-free diet for me due to celiac disease). So, I decided to share a few healthy eating tips that I use with my family.

1. Buy more real food
Stock your house with healthy foods to set your family up for success. The more fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, yogurt, and nuts available in the house, the more your family will eat them over overprocessed, packaged foods.

2. Make vegetables taste good
Vegetables can be the biggest food challenge for both adults and kids, so trying to get your family to eat more veggies requires them to taste good. Different ways appeal to different people. My four-year-old daughter loves cucumbers and hummus. My six-year-old son loves raw carrots with a little dip. My husband likes the convenience of buying a large veggie tray and snacking on that.

But, the number one way I have gotten my family to eat more veggies is by roasting vegetables. Roasting brings out more flavor in veggies and you can roast just about any kind - broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, and carrots. Simply cut up vegetables (small florets for broccoli and cauliflower, cut Brussel sprouts in half) and drizzle veggies with olive oil, salt (if allowed), and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes, until veggies are slightly brown and cooked. You can sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese if needed. A little chopped, cooked bacon with Brussel sprouts makes them taste amazing.

3. Get kids involved in shopping, cooking, and gardening
Kids of all ages can learn about healthy eating by getting more involved in meal preparation. Have your kids pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try at the grocery store. Let them assist in the kitchen so they can learn how to cook and prepare healthier foods. My daughter loves to bake, so we make healthy treats like banana bread, muffins, and snack mixes. My son loves cracking eggs so he helps with that.

Having a garden is another great way to get your family eating healthy food from your backyard. Have the kids help with planting the garden. If you start at a young age, they will learn to love watching things grow and eating foods straight out of the garden. You don't need a huge space for a garden - it's amazing what you can grow while only using pots or small garden boxes. We have grown cantaloupe, strawberries, cucumbers, peppers, and herbs in our garden box.

4. Take advantage of your family's hunger
Introduce a new vegetable or food when both kids and adults are hungry (maybe right before dinner). Serve this food before the rest of the meal comes out to table. When we are hungrier, certain foods tend be more appealing.

5. Don't assume you (or your kids) will never like certain foods.
Our tastes change as we age, so certain foods we didn't like as kids may now appeal to us as adults. I remember when my daughter was two-years-old and she wouldn't eat broccoli. I kept serving it on her plate and she wouldn't eat it. One day I was rushing and almost skipped the broccoli for her, but I didn't and gave her a serving. I was shocked to see her eating the broccoli and liking it! I thought that was going to be a food she would never eat and I was wrong. She still eats it today. So, don't give up!

6. Make only ONE healthy meal for the entire family
Meal preparation takes time and effort, so only offer one meal for adults, kids, and anyone that has diabetes in the family. Healthy eating is good for the entire family and if a child doesn't like the dinner they should NOT be offered chicken nuggets or mac and cheese instead. This encourages children to avoid trying and eating healthy foods and can cause kids to get into ruts of only eating certain foods. Kids learn quickly how to try to control the dinner table and parents must be in charge to put an end to this behavior.

7. Do not forbid treats or favorite foods
Favorite foods or treats should not be forbidden for adults or children. If possible, figure out how to make healthy treats like pumpkin muffins, oat snack balls, smoothies, etc. Allow certain occasional foods that might not be the healthiest choice. If you have diabetes and are on insulin, adjust it as directed.

Read Lara's bio here.

Read more of Lara Rondinelli's columns.

NOTE: The information is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional or for professional medical advice related to diabetes or another medical condition. Please contact your physician or medical professional with any questions and concerns about your medical condition.

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With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Q: Why are you working to advance Medicare reforms for rural hospitals?

A: This past year, I've heard a good deal of feedback from my town meetings in Iowa that acute health care services in rural areas of our state are at risk. A shrinking pool of patients is exposing a funding shortfall that is hurting small town hospitals. Many people who live in small town Iowa would rank the top four most important institutions in their community as the school, the bank, the hospital and their place of worship. Iowa farmers are spending countless hours bringing in the fall harvest.  As too many farm families know, tragic accidents occur around farm machinery, grain bins, tractor roll-overs and power-take-off shafts, when clothing or appendages get caught up in the rotating device.  That's when timing and access to critical health care are especially critical. As the population growth in Iowa continues to migrate toward urban, metropolitan hubs, policymakers need to address how the demographic shift affects services in our rural areas. That includes making sure Medicare recipients in sparsely populated communities aren't left without critical health care services, as an example. That's especially true for emergency medicine. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 60 percent of trauma deaths take place in rural areas, where only 15 percent of the population lives. Arguably, distance and response time to the nearest E.R. play a contributing factor to saving lives and limbs.  By not requiring rural hospitals to maintain inpatient care for participation in the Medicare program, my Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital (REACH) Act would give eligible hometown hospitals a lifeline to help keep their doors open. In addition to providing emergency medicine, they may also expand their purpose and sustainability by converting space for other medical services to serve their community, such as telemedicine, nursing home care, skilled nursing facility care, infusion services, home health and hospice. A more favorable Medicare payment prescription would resuscitate around-the-clock emergency health care services in rural areas of the country and help keep good-paying jobs and vital medical services available close to home.

Q: How would the REACH Act help?

A: The REACH Act recognizes the unique challenges facing health care providers serving rural communities. Access to primary health care services, particularly emergency medicine, is a critical issue of concern for people who live and work in less populated areas of the country. And rural areas, especially in Iowa, have a greater share of older residents who receive health care services paid for by Medicare. Without a doubt, Medicare creates a big footprint across the network of hospitals and health care providers serving 531,209 Iowans. Medicare spends $4.3 billion per year in Iowa and a lion's share of rural health care providers depend on Medicare business to stay in business.  As an outspoken advocate for rural America and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has legislative jurisdiction and oversight authority of the federal health insurance program for older and disabled citizens, I make it known loud and clear that Medicare needs to measure up to the needs of Iowa taxpayers, beneficiaries and providers. To serve rural residents and modernize Medicare policies to better reflect community needs, I introduced the REACH Act this summer.  It would create new flexibility and fix the payment structure so that reimbursements for rural emergency outpatient health care services are not tied to inpatient volume. Basically, a boost in the reimbursement formula (110 percent of reasonable costs) would help rural providers keep their doors open for business, including ambulance and telehealth services. Specifically, free-standing 24-hour emergency medical care outlets in our rural communities would get higher payment injections to help them pay their bills, make payroll and serve local residents. Individual states would apply for certification to participate. My bill also adds incentives to encourage emergency medical professionals to practice in rural areas. The goal of these changes is a budget-neutral proposal with no additional spending overall.

Q: Which rural hospitals would be eligible to participate under the REACH Act?

A: If adopted, my bill would designate as a rural emergency hospital any facility that is a critical access hospital, or a hospital with at most 50 beds located in a county. In addition, a rural emergency hospital must provide 24-hour emergency medical care. And, the facility does not provide acute care inpatient beds. It also must follow protocols for the timely transfer of patients to appropriate inpatient service providers. My bill would require that Medicare Part B cover rural emergency health care services and the ambulance services to transport patients who require inpatient care to a critical access hospital or full-service hospital. Finally, the facility must receive approval from the state and certification by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Featuring Dr. Colette Hostetler

MUSCATINE, IA - NOVEMBER  2015 -Gilda's Club is hosting its Hispanic Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon entitled "Salva Una Mujer Mas" or "Save One More Woman" on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at noon at Flickinger Learning Center.

The luncheon will provide educational information on breast health, screening and care. Attendees will be presented with screening guidelines, breast self-awareness and available resources to make their screenings more affordable.

Presenters include :

• Dr. Colette Hostetler

• Maria Ricaurte- Romza, MSW, Gilda's Club

• Helen Bolton, Flickinger Learning Center

Also in attendance will be representatives with: Care for Yourself, The Voucher Program, Pink Pass and Komen Quad Cities.

For more details and to register, please call Gilda's Club at 563-326-7504 or email kelly@gildasclubqc.org.

Para obtener una reservacion por favor habla a: Maria Ricaurte-Romza, Gilda's Club 563-607-1951

CUIDADO DE NIÑOS PROPOCIONADO

About Gilda's Club

Free of charge, Gilda's Club Quad Cities provides support, education and hope to all people affected by cancer.  As a Cancer Support Community affiliate, we are part of the largest employer of psychosocial oncology mental health professionals in the United States.  Our global network brings the highest quality cancer support to the millions of people touched by cancer.