Healthy RGV Issue 104 - Driscoll Urology Clinics offer Comprehensive Care for Children

ISSUE 104

EDITORIAL CONTENT

HEALTHY KIDS

RAISING ADVENTUROUS KIDS

8

HOW TO IMPLEMENT MINIMALISM

FOR YOUR KIDS IN YOUR HOME

10

FITNESS & BEAUTY

THE CASE FOR PROGRESSIVE

LENSES: YAY OR NAY?

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

12

HOW SLEEP SUPPORTS YOUR

WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM

KERATOSIS PILARIS

34

36

FRIENDSHIP

6

MEAT LOAF

38

DRISCOLL UROLOGY CLINICS

OFFER COMPREHENSIVE

CARE FOR CHILDREN

14

HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN EARLY

ADULTHOOD INCREASES LONG-

TERM RISK OF CORONARY

HEART DISEASE

16

HOW TO RECOGNIZE

ADD IN ADULTS

18

PREVENTATIVE PMS: HOW TO

PROTECT LOVED ONES AND

BALANCE YOUR BOD

21

REVOLUTIONIZING THE PATIENT

EXPERIENCE THROUGH NEXT-

GENERATION CANCER CARE

24

BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR

RESISTANCE: THE KEY TO SURFING

AND SURVIVING THE CHAOS OF

TODAY'S UNCERTAIN WORLD

32

WHY ARE MILLENNIALS HAVING

HIGHER RATES OF

COLORECTAL CANCER?

31

contact@healthymagazine.com

ph. 305-395-4554 | www.healthymagazine.com

PUBLISHER

Mauricio Portillo

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Claudia Portillo

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Arnaldo Del Valle

"Being

healthy and

fit is not longer

a fad or a trend

it's a Lifestyle."

COPY EDITOR

Lora Incardona

ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR

Andres Portillo

WEBSITE DIRECTOR

Maria Alejandra Wehdeking

ART AND DESIGN

Carolina Pedraza

PHOTOGRAPHY

Irene Kaplan

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Maria Alejandra Wehdeking

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

James Okun, MD

Nurul Wahid, MD

Meg Meeker, MD

Joaquin N Diego, MD, FCCP, FACC

Rubel Shelly

Allie Casazza

Ava Mallory

Sarah May Bates

Rubel Shelly

Lynn Andrews

Frank Apodaca

Maydelaine Moreno

Judy Elbaum

Claudia Portillo

Editor in Chief

The long-awaited Summer season is upon us! Three

full months to enjoy fun, family time, sunshine, warm

temps, and hopefully, kickstart your commitment to

getting and staying healthy. Three months to start a

new healthier lifestyle, to develop a new, healthy habit,

to expand your horizons, to learn something new, and

hopefully, to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride

due to all your efforts to improve your life and the lives

of those you love. This month, we’re focusing on just

that.

In previous issues, we’ve focused on men, women,

children and almost everything in between, but this

month we’re going to delve into an often-overlooked

segment of the population where health topics are

concerned. This month we’re going to focus on young

adult/early adult health and prevention to, hopefully,

help them gain a head start to stave off potential health

problems later in life. Everything from taking proper

care of your eyes as you age (yes, forty-somethings,

we’re talking to you) to understanding the signs of

symptoms of potential colorectal issues and what you

can do now to decrease your chances of developing

issues later to in-depth discussions pertaining to ADD in

adults and so much more to help keep you on the right

track or to help get you on the right track.

In addition to the bevy of young adult health articles,

you’ll find the same fun, informative, and timely articles

to guide you through your best summer yet. Find new

healthy recipes, discover fun locales to visit, celebrate

the season, enjoy summer barbecues, graduations, and

weddings and rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul

before cooler temps find their way to our side of the

globe and before school is back in session, and the next

warm weather season is months away.

As always, our goal to curate the best advice possible

for our readers has been met yet again. I, for one,

cannot wait to share what we learned, show you what

could be possible, and help you to incorporate new,

healthy habits and lifestyle changes that just may save

your life in the long run. While the topics we discuss

might not be at the top of the list for dinner discussion

options, you’ll soon find out just how vital they are to

your life and to the lives of everyone you’ve ever met.

Without further ado, dear Healthy magazine readers,

this month is all about making your life, and more

importantly, making you the best possible version of

you and helping you to prevent future health issues.

There is no magic bullet, but there are simple, easy, and

life-altering steps you can take to ensure you’re in the

best of health for a longtime coming. There is no better

time to get the ball rolling and take the necessary steps

to make positive changes once and for all, no matter

what stage of life you’re in.

Here’s to your health and cheers to a fun, safe, and

healthy Summer for all!

cportillo@healthymagazine.com

/HEALTHYMAGAZINE

@HEALTHYVALLEY

/HEALTHYMAGAZINEONLINE

/ HEALTHYMAG08

contact@healthymagazine.com | ph. 305-395-4554 | www.healthymagazine.com

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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017

FRIENDSHIP

More and more of us appear

to have fewer and fewer

people in our lives whom

we would consider friends.

And lest the word friend

be left too ambiguous,

let a friend be defined as

someone with whom you

have confided matters that

are truly important to you

within the past six months.

Researchers cite evidence

that Americans have a third

fewer close friends than

just a couple of decades

ago. More disturbing still,

the data seem to indicate

that the number of us who

have nobody to count as a

close personal friend has

more than doubled.

The findings hold for both males and

females. They are consistent for people of

all races, ages, and educational levels. Even

within families, the degree of intimacy has

diminished considerably. All this information

can’t be good news, for it translates into

people who feel lonelier and more isolated

than ever.

Emotionally healthy people form meaningful

ties with other human beings. They don’t just

exchange information but share personal

things. They talk about likes and dislikes, joys

and fears. They extend themselves to help

others and know how to accept assistance

when they get in over their heads. When

they have important decisions to make, they

get insight and support from their friends.

Everybody needs a handful of people with

whom to connect in these intimate ways.

Nobody is smart enough, strong enough, or

competent enough to negotiate something

as complicated as this human adventure

called life alone. John Donne protested the

idea that men and women could function

in splendid isolation from one another. “No

man is an island, entire of itself,” he wrote.

I know. You’re busy! So is everybody else –

including the people who are healthy enough

to have emotional ties. You don’t have time

for the obligations in your life already? I

understand that excuse too. But the issue

here is priorities. Which is more important?

Playing computer games or having a friend?

Getting a bigger house or loving (and being

loved by)

the people in the house you have now?

Making extra cash or having a real life?

The same research shows not only that

people have fewer friends these days but

that more and more of us are feeling the

need for them. With the circle drawn so tiny,

people are feeling lonely. Everybody needs

people to count on.

"Everybody

needs a handful

of people

with whom to

connect in these

intimate ways."

If you are one of those people in need of

friends, the best advice I can give is this:

Spend more time being a friend to someone

than in trying to find one.

Care to guess what sort of dividend is

returned on that investment?

By Rubel Shelly

6 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Healthy Kids


8

HOW TO IMPLEMENT

MINIMALISM FOR YOUR

KIDS IN YOUR HOME

THE CASE FOR

PROGRESSIVE LENSES:

YAY OR NAY?

10

14

I

have to say that one of my favorite

conversations to date was with Bob & Maria

Goff. Bob is the author of Love Does and

Maria recently released her first book called

Love Lives Here, and I thought it was the perfect

opportunity to talk to them about their lives as

fearless parents, risk-takers and nurturing a sense

of adventure in your kids.

HEALTHY KIDS · JULY 2017


Bob and Maria were such a joy to talk to and I

hope something you hear encourages and inspires

you! Here are just a few excerpts from our

conversation.

MM: In your book, you make a statement that

I absolutely love, “Do what makes you the most

loving, hopeful version of yourself.” One of the

things I’ve learned as a pediatrician is that when

parents get their lives in order – their kids thrive.

Can you expand on that statement?

MG: I think that one of the things that we

struggle with, whether we’re a single person, a

career person, a mother of a lot of kids or none

at all, we tend to compare ourselves to each

other. It’s a human nature condition. I found that

I was doing that a lot as a young child because

I struggled in school. That was a hard lesson to

learn early on and I think what I got out of that

is that eventually, we have to discover who we

are – and embrace that without trying to judge

someone else’s gift as more important than ours.

For example, in our marriage, Bob and I are very

different. I like to think of him as the balloon and

I’m the string. Each of us is doing different things,

but what each of us is doing is equally important.

MM: Bob, you and Maria have lived a lot of life

together and clearly, you have a strong marriage

– and you really worked as a team in raising your

kids. How did you support each other while raising

your kids?

BG: I think one of the things that stand out in my

mind, is that Maria would always talk to us (myself

and the kids) about who we were becoming,

rather than who we were. Some people get

“head-faked,” thinking they are defined by their

biggest failure. And we’re not. Other people get

“head-faked” another way, thinking their successes

define them. And the truth is, we’re really all just

turning into love, some of us more slowly than

others.

PARENTS, AFFIRM HOW FAR

YOUR KIDS HAVE COME

INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON

HOW FAR THEY HAVE TO GO.

Maria doesn’t talk about how far we have to

go – she talks a lot about how far we’ve come.

And I think that’s what I’ve observed that makes

our family strong. In parenting, just simply

acknowledging how far your kids have come are

words of life you can speak to them.

MM: Your parenting style seems to be quite bold.

And you write about encouraging adventure in

kids, and I need you to tell our audience, Maria,

about how you helped your children “run away.”

MG: They were probably 4, 6 and 8 at the time

and were playing in our safe, fenced in backyard

by themselves. They came running inside and

exclaimed that they had this wonderful idea that

they wanted to “run away.” Of course, that pushed

every mommy button in me! I wanted to knock

down their dream and tell them they were too

young and that it was a bad idea, that you can’t

think like that. But I had a choice – to either knock

it down or to get behind them.

And I decided that I would get behind them. I saw

the delight in their eyes and their enthusiasm –

that they weren’t running away from something,

they were running towards an adventure they

wanted to take together. And I saw the value in

that. I thought This is beautiful. They feel like

they can take on the world because they have

each other. Their “running away ” involved tying

all their items up into a scarf at the end of a

stick, like Huckleberry Finn, climbing on top of

our cinder block wall, and just marching around

all 3 corners of our property line, making it bad

for dinner. And I watched them the entire time

through the kitchen window, as they discovered

this “adventure.”

DON'T BE AFRAID TO

ENCOURAGE ADVENTURE

IN YOUR KIDS.

When they got home for dinner, the tone in their

voice was priceless! They felt like their world just

got bigger. They saw themselves and each other in

a different way. And I see them now, today, going

on adult-type adventures with each other. So I

think we can help plant those seeds in them when

they’re young, in hopes that when they grow, they

still know who are the people around them that

have their back.

8 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

MM: It seems to me that both of you parent with

the sense of fearlessness, and I see a lot of fear in

parents. What are parents so afraid of?

BG: I think one of the things that come naturally

to all of us is the fear of failing. You don’t want to

mess up. But the truth is, failing isn’t a bad day, it’s

just a Tuesday. I think that if there is one thing that

we’ve spoken to our kids about a lot is “fail trying.”

We’ve all experienced pain and loss, but I want to

fail trying – I don’t want to fail watching. Failing

every once in a while, or even every day, doesn’t

define who we are.

MG: As a mom, the fact that I did hit rock bottom

in the course of my life and did bounce back up

means that I place a high value on hitting rock

bottom. Sometimes I would pray that when my

kids had rough spells, that God would get them

there quickly… get them to that bottom place fast

so we can work on the bouncing back up and all

the lessons learned from it.

WE DON’T ALWAYS GROW

WHERE WE’RE INSTRUCTED.

WE GROW WHERE WE’RE

LOVED AND ACCEPTED.

BG: We don’t always grow where we’re

instructed. We grow where we’re loved. We grow

where we’re accepted. What I’ve seen Maria do in

our family, in particular, is to create a place where

there is love, acceptance – it isn’t algebra class –

we’re not trying to teach everybody new things

– we’re trying to love them so they would grow in

the ways that they’re meant to grow. And there’s

something beautiful if you know you’re never

flying without a net. There’s something beautiful

for risk takers, when you just say “let’s go do this

thing.” Our kids knew that even if they failed, they

were loved unconditionally.

By Meg Meeker, MD

HEALTHY KIDS · JULY 2017

HOW TO IMPLEMENT

MINIMALISM FOR YOUR

KIDS IN YOUR HOME

01

DECLUTTER

THE TOYS

In order to get started, you have to

let go of all the things that have been

keeping you overwhelmed and your kids

overstimulated with entertainment. Start

slow, don’t overthink it, and just startthose

are my biggest pieces of advice

here. Don’t sneak around and get rid of

stuff behind your kids’ back- that’s not

what we want here. We want them to be

aware and understand this process, so

it’s better to go slower and wait for them

to get on board than to lose their trust.

02

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Kids know what you show them. When

I implemented minimalism in the rest of

the house and we started living this way

in every area, my kids learned that this

was just a part of our family and how we

roll. Now they don’t remember anything

else and it’s just the way things are.

03

CHOOSE OUTDOOR

TIME OVER SCREEN

TIME

It’s a habit you can choose to make.

Technology is awesome and there’s a time

and place for it, but it doesn’t have to be

the only way to fill your kids’ time if you

don’t want it to be. Don’t let bad weather

be an excuse to pull the iPad out either. If

you live in a state with lots of freezing or

scalding days, you have the challenge of

getting creative and encouraging your kids

to do the same! Nothing amazing comes

easy. Sometimes you have to fight for

what you want and make it happen like the

warrior mama you are!

04

PLAY WITH YOUR KIDS

SOMETIMES (BUT LET

THEM LEARN HOW TO

KEEP THEMSELVES

ENTERTAINED TOO)

Get outside, have a living room dance party,

make up a game together… be the mom

who plays and makes awesome memories!

05

CONSCIOUS

CONSUMERISM

What kind of toys are you choosing to

keep as you declutter? What kind of toys

will you buy going forward?

Personally, I choose to have things in our

house that encourage my kids to use their

imaginations or to build things. Legos,

blocks, dress up costumes, things like that

are so worth the space they take up and

always inspire creative play. If you have

things like this and your kids don’t play

with them, declutter the rest of the toys,

give it a week and watch what changes.

ALLIE CASAZZA is The

Purposeful Housewife.

She is all about helping

you purge the clutter

that's clogging your joy,

rediscover the purpose

in your days, and live with

intention.

Learn more about Allie

@thepurposefulhousewife.

10 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


THE CASE FOR

PROGRESSIVE

LENSES: YAY

OR NAY?

Aging is inevitable even for our eyes. The fact

of the matter is our eyes age right along with

the rest of our bodies. Eventually, it becomes

more and more difficult to adjust our focus

from what we can see at arm’s length to what

we can see at a distance. Progressive lenses

allow us to see everything-near or far-more

clearly.

SO, WHAT PROGRESSIVE

LENSES AND HOW DO

THEY WORK?

They are the lenses that will transform a

blurry blob into a crystal-clear picture no

matter the distance. With these lenses, there

is a near-seamless transition between long

distances away and what is right in front of

your face. No more jumping between images.

No more having to switch from a glasses

on and a glasses off position or having to

go from looking out the top of your lens to

looking through the bottom of a lens to see

at different distances. And unlike the clunky

glasses of old, progressive lenses appear

clear throughout. No more distracting lines

that are notorious in everyday, run of the mill

bifocal lenses.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE

LENSES AND BIFOCALS?

Bifocals only let you see clearly faraway and

up close, but objects at arm’s length away will

still appear blurry. On top of that, the abrupt

change will be jarring to the eye and perhaps

your equilibrium, especially when shifting

your focus from near and far viewing areas.

Not only is this off-putting to longtime lens

wearers, but it can be extremely distracting

and unattractive to the eye. The half-moon

shape lower lenses that make the bifocal

get in the way when you’re doing simple eye

tasks, and can create headaches.

WHEN TO MAKE

THE TRANSITION TO

PROGRESSIVE LENSES?

Here’s the gist of what happens to your eyes

as you age; starting at about the age of forty,

your eyes begin to slowly, over time, lose

their ability to focus on objects that are close

by. You’ll find yourself holding the newspaper

or a book at an arm’s length to see, or you

might notice difficulty driving at night or

reading in dim light. Oftentimes, we put off

having our eyes checked. We strain our eyes,

refusing to acknowledge the truth about

what’s going on. That choice often leads to

eye fatigue, tension headaches, and most

notably, may cause you to miss important

details around you.

Who wants to continue rocking a bifocal,

letting their eyes stress and strain to do

normal, everyday tasks, when you could have

the perfect eye accessory that not only looks

stylish, feels great, and also makes it possible

to see from all ranges: close, mid, and far

away. Stop going back and forth between

lenses and use a lens that won’t make you

feel older but will make you and your poor

eyes feel better. They’re the perfect stylish

solution for a smart, sophisticated and stylish

consumer that won’t feel like you’ve put a

sign on your forehead alerting people to

the fact that you’re aging just like the rest

of us have or will. Progressive lenses are the

solution to all your eye problems.

12 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Healthy

Lifestyle

FRIENDSHIP

DRISCOLL UROLOGY CLINICS

OFFER COMPREHENSIVE

CARE FOR CHILDREN

HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN EARLY

ADULTHOOD INCREASES

LONG-TERM RISK OF

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

HOW TO RECOGNIZE

ADD IN ADULTS

PREVENTATIVE PMS: HOW TO

PROTECT LOVED ONES AND

BALANCE YOUR BOD




WHY ARE MILLENNIALS

HAVING HIGHER RATES OF

COLORECTAL CANCER?

BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR

RESISTANCE: THE KEY TO SURFING

AND SURVIVING THE CHAOS OF

TODAY'S UNCERTAIN WORLD

6

14

16

18

21

24

31

32

COVER STORY · JULY 2017

Pediatric Urologists Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD

(left), and Leon Smith-Harrison, MD, are

dedicated to bringing the best care possible

to their patients in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Adding urodynamic testing to the McAllen clinic

makes it more accessible to the community and

it means quicker and more efficient care for the

patients,” said Pediatric Urologist Leon Smith-

Harrison, MD, one of two Driscoll Children’s

Hospital urologists who travel to the Valley to see

patients.

“Having urodynamic testing offered in McAllen

will be of great benefit for many of our patients

in the Rio Grande Valley area that up to this point

needed to travel to our clinic in Corpus Christi to

have the testing done. Providing this care locally

in McAllen will increase treatment compliance and

therefore will improve the care to our patients,”

said Pediatric Urologist Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD.

“Most of the patients requiring urodynamic testing

need close follow-up, sometimes repeating studies

every 6-12 months in order to monitor changes in

the functionality, elasticity, capacity, contractility,

etc., that could affect renal function. Detecting

these changes on time decreases chances of

infections, renal failure, hemodialysis and kidney

transplantation,” said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.

UD testing will be available in McAllen in August.

The tests will be administered by Driscoll nurse

practitioners Natalie Barganski, RN, CPNP, and

Melissa Miller, RN, FNP-C, and the results will

be read by Drs. Smith-Harrison and Cruz-Diaz.

Primary care physicians can’t schedule a UD test,

so patients must first be evaluated by a urologist.

DRISCOLL

UROLOGY CLINICS

OFFER COMPREHENSIVE

CARE FOR CHILDREN

In addition to the McAllen clinic, Driscoll Children’s

Hospital has Urology clinics at Driscoll Children’s

Specialty Center – Brownsville (5500 North

Expressway 77), Driscoll Children’s Specialty

Center – Harlingen (2121 Pease St., Medical Arts

Pavilion, Suite 600), Driscoll Children’s Specialty

Center – Laredo (7210 McPherson Road, Suite 104,

Building A), Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus

Christi (3533 South Alameda St., Furman Building,

Suite 301), and Driscoll Children’s Specialty Center

– Victoria (115 Medical Drive, Suite 201).

In the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Smith-Harrison sees

patients in McAllen, while Dr. Cruz-Diaz sees

patients in McAllen, Brownsville and Laredo.

Drs. Smith-Harrison and Cruz-Diaz are proud of all

their staff at the various Valley clinics.

Big things are in store for the

Urology Clinic at Driscoll

Children’s Medical Plaza –

McAllen (1120 East Ridge Road),

with the upcoming inclusion of

urodynamic testing at the clinic.

The children of the Rio Grande Valley will benefit

greatly from the establishment of urodynamic

testing at Driscoll’s Urology Clinic in McAllen, since

it will be the first pediatric-focused clinic in the Rio

Grande Valley to offer the testing.

Urodynamic testing is a study that assesses how

the bladder and urethra are performing their job

of storing and releasing urine. A urodynamic (UD)

test helps physicians learn more about a child’s

bladder capacity, a child’s bladder pressures, and a

child’s ability to hold and empty urine.

“We have a fantastic staff that begins with

our receptionists who answer the calls. Our

medical assistants, registered nurses and nurse

practitioners screen and address our patients’

needs. They are dedicated professionals who do

not give up until our patients’ needs are fulfilled,”

said Dr. Smith-Harrison.

14 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

COVER STORY · JULY 2017

“Being the primary interface with the

patients, the staff is indispensable to the

providers in caring for our patients. We

establish the trust with our patients by

providing timely and supportive care,”

said Dr. Smith-Harrison.

Such trust is important, especially when

parents have to decide what kind of care

they want their children to receive.

“In the pediatric world, I like to think

that we are a team: a team that involves

nurses, technicians, medical assistants,

physicians, but more importantly, the

parents. First of all, parents are the

ones who take the initial decision of

trusting their child to our practice. They

decide whether or not they will pursue

surgery, whether or not they will give

the medication, whether or not they will

follow recommendations provided in

our encounters. As you can see, parents

are the key element to the success of

treatment of our patients,” said Dr.

Cruz-Diaz.

INDIVIDUALIZED CARE

IS IMPORTANT TO

DRISCOLL PHYSICIANS.

“Children are unique when it comes to their

diagnoses and pathology that need to be

addressed; therefore our medical approach is

indeed different. Children react differently. The

parents are also involved in these visits and they

need to be addressed as well, so that they are able

to care for the children properly,” said Dr. Smith-

Harrison.

Driscoll’s Urology clinics offer comprehensive

services for children from birth to 21 years of

age. Areas of expertise for Urology medical

staff involve children’s kidneys, bladder,

congenital anomalies, bladder infections, urinary

incontinence, kidney stones, cancers, urinary tract

infections, and complex reconstruction.

The clinics also offer specialized care to children

with a vast array of pathologies involving the

genitourinary system such as undescended

testicles, hydrocele/inguinal hernias, neurogenic

bladder/bowel, voiding dysfunction, ambiguous

genitalia, penile anomalies (hypospadias,

epispadias, penile torsion, penile curvature),

bladder exstrophy, cloacal anomalies, among

others.

“We are able to meet all and any pediatric urology

needs. The primary challenge that we come across

often is distance. We see a plethora of patients

and most of them live in the Rio Grande Valley or

in between the Valley and Corpus Christi,” said Dr.

Smith-Harrison.

To meet such needs, education is necessary.

The daVinci XI Surgical System is an advanced robotic device that allows Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD (left), and Leon

Smith-Harrison, MD, to better perform laparoscopic surgery. The daVinci offers minimally invasive surgery,

faster recovery time, smaller incisions, and less pain and blood loss for patients.

“Education is an integral aspect of pediatric

urology. On some occasions, education is the only

management that certain patients require. For

example, patients who have voiding dysfunction

(bedwetting, urinary incontinence, urinary holding,

etc.) require a profound education not only for

the patient but for their family support system.

Currently, our nurse practitioners and ourselves

are directly involved in providing education to our

patients,” said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.

“Our patients are children, so they need to be

reached at their age level of communication. We

stress during the time of the visit to the parents

the child’s needs to educate them as to what is

going on with their child. Recently, we also started

doing weekend conferences to offer additional

education for the parents and patients,” said Dr.

Smith-Harrison.

Driscoll urologists believe in using the latest

in medical technology to help their young

patients. Both physicians have seen numerous

technological advances during their medical

careers.

“The primary change in technology has

revolved around computers and the internet

in communication, medical records, diagnostic

equipment, and robots. Because of this with

regards to surgery, we’ve developed a way to

perform minimal invasive surgeries,” said Dr.

Smith-Harrison. Currently, only minor procedures

such as circumcision are offered in the Valley.

The daVinci XI Surgical System is one device the

urologists are utilizing in performing laparoscopic

surgery. The daVinci is an advanced robotic device

which allows for minimally invasive surgery, faster

recovery time, smaller incisions, and less pain and

blood loss for patients.

“One of our goals is to continue expanding the

robotic program to include more challenging/

advanced robotic surgical procedures such as

bladder augmentation and bladder neck surgery,”

said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.

“

There will always

be a need to balance

technology and science with

‘the art of medicine,’ ” said

Dr. Smith-Harrison.

Both physicians are keenly aware of the

importance of properly practicing “the art of

medicine.”

“We believe it’s a privilege and honor to care for

our pediatric urology patients in South Texas. We

are honored by the trust given to us by patients.

We are able to provide a spectrum of pediatric

urology care, from the medical diagnosis to the

treatments and finally their surgeries. We are

absolutely committed to providing state-of-the-art

care to the children of the Rio Grande Valley,” said

Dr. Smith-Harrison.

“I always remind myself of the privilege of being

a pediatric urologist. With every patient that I

take care of, I am not only impacting the life of

the patient, I also impact the life of the people

surrounding the child, with every decision, with

every word, with every gesture. I just feel blessed,”

said Dr. Cruz-Diaz. “My passion of providing

excellent care will never change, regardless of the

challenges that a patient may present.”

15 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


Hyperlipidemia in

Early Adulthood

Increases Long-

Term Risk

of Coronary

Heart Disease

Recent research by Duke

University reports that a

prolonged diagnosis of

hyperlipidemia in young

adulthood does raise

the risk of developing

CHD, Coronary Heart Disease, in the

future.

It is widely known that hyperlipidemia is

a term that encompasses many different

disorders. Its implications can be a direct

result of many factors including certain

genetic disorders. What it means to

have hyperlipidemia is that one might

experience high levels of fats circulating

in the bloodstream including fats,

cholesterol, and triglycerides. When these

fats (lipids) enter artery walls, they can,

and most often do, increase a person's

risk of developing atherosclerosis, or the

hardening of the arteries). That increase

can lead to conditions like strokes, heart

attacks, and perhaps the need to amputate

a limb if necessary. Risk factors for early

adults with hyperlipidemia increase with

other comorbidities like diabetes, history

of smoking, high blood pressure and renal

insufficiency.

Hyperlipidemia is a chronic condition that

requires ongoing medications, such as statins

or fenofibrates, to control blood lipid levels.

It is most often found in people living in

the United States and Europe due to the

prevalence of those who follow a high-fat

diet.

THE SYMPTOMS OF

HYPERLIPIDEMIA INCLUDE:

Elevated blood lipid levels upon

testing that have no known cause

Symptoms that develop following

a diagnosis of atherosclerosis

Angina and heart attacks caused

by narrow heart arteries

Strokes

Pain with walking and or a

diagnosis of gangrene

It should be noted that hyperlipidemia in

itself doesn't cause symptoms, it can increase

the risk of developing cardiovascular disease,

including diseases associated with the blood

vessels that supply the heart (coronary artery

disease), the brain (cerebrovascular disease),

and the limbs (peripheral vascular disease).

The implications of an early adulthood

diagnosis drastically increase the risk of

developing more serious comorbidities that

can be detrimental to one's health over the

long term.

Other factors increase the risks even more,

like gender, age, family history of coronary

disease at a young age in a parents or a

sibling, particularly a young (younger than

55 years of age) sibling, cigarette smoking,

hypertension (elevated blood pressure),

kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus type

I or II, and other varied conditions.

On top of treating the condition after

diagnosis, health care providers spend

a considerable amount of time and

effort focusing on strong and proven

preventative medicine. Diagnosis and

management at the onset of the condition

and ongoing after a diagnosis have

been shown to prevent cardiovascular

disease (CVD). Over recent decades,

their ongoing treatment of patients with

hyperlipidemia has shown a direct correlation

between high lipid concentrations and the

risk of CVD, the leading cause of death in the

United States.

One landmark study determined that the

proper therapeutic interventions to lower

elevated cholesterol levels do result in

reduced risk factors for cardiovascular

morbidity or mortality for those diagnosed

with hyperlipidemia, thus furthering the idea

that one does indeed impact the other. For

those reasons, medical practitioners have

shifted their focus to prevention overall.

By Joaquin N Diego, MD, FCCP, FACC

16 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


HOW TO

RECOGNIZE

ADD IN

ADULTS

Did you know that ADHD, or

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder, isn't just a disorder

children suffer from? Over the

last couple of decades, more

and more adults have been diagnosed with

it, and that's not to mention the estimated

number of adults who've yet to be diagnosed

it.

No matter what your age, the problem can be

difficult to diagnose. The symptoms that are

synonymous with ADHD can be attributed

to many other disorders or hard to pinpoint

unless there is clear evidence of other

symptoms.

BUT DOCTORS MAY HAVE

COME UP WITH A WAY TO

MAKE A DIAGNOSIS EASIER

TO DETERMINE. THEY'VE

CREATED A SIMPLE SIX-

QUESTION SCREENING

TEST THAT MAY BE ABLE TO

DETERMINE IF AN ADULT

HAS ADHD ACCURATELY.

The test was designed by an advisory group

of the World Health Organization. They,

along with two board-certified psychiatrists,

is based on updated ADHD criteria as it's

lined out in the Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual of Mental Disorders-5. These criteria

are broader than the original version because

the previous version didn't accurately detect

a broad cross-section of adults who suffer

with mild to extreme cases of ADHD.

THESE SIX QUESTIONS MAKE UP

THE NEW ADHD SCREENING TEST:

1. How often do you have difficulty

concentrating on what people say to

you, even when they are speaking to you

directly?

2. How often do you leave your seat in

meetings or other situations in which

you are expected to remain seated?

3. How often do you have difficulty

unwinding and relaxing when you have

time to yourself?

4. When you're in a conversation, how

often do you find yourself finishing

the sentences of the people you are

talking to before they can finish them

themselves?

5. How often do you put things off until the

last minute?

6. How often do you depend on others

to keep your life in order and attend to

details?

The answers for these questions include

either "never", "rarely", "sometimes", "often",

and "very often". The "never" response gets

a score of zero. Scores for higher responses

vary. In total, they can collectively add up

to a maximum number of 24. A score of 14

points or more may indicate a diagnosis of

Adult onset ADHD. Of course, this test is

not the only thing to consider when trying

to determine a diagnosis, but it provides a

strong basis for a potential diagnosis.

If when you take the quiz and think you meet

the criteria for adult ADHD, be sure to make

an appointment with your family doctor to

confirm a diagnosis. While no diagnosis is

ever easy to hear, it is far better to know than

to be left wondering whether your suspicions

are right or not. You might be surprised to

know that there are a variety of treatments

and therapies or a combination of the two

that can help you deal with the symptoms,

and in some cases, find much-needed relief

from the most bothersome aspects of the

problem.

By Ava Mallory

18 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Only one heart.

Only one you.

INDIVIDUALIZED HEART CARE,

DEVOTED TO YOU.

No two hearts are exactly the same.

That’s why the cardiovascular

specialists of Valley Baptist Health

System pursue an individualized

care plan for every single heart we

encounter. From preventative care to

treating heart conditions, every

element is designed to take care

of our first priority: you.

To learn more about our services or to find a cardiologist near you

call (844) 614-9386 or visit ValleyHearts.com/onlyone

1040 W Jefferson St.

Brownsville, TX 78520

2101 Pease St.

Harlingen, TX 78550

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE· JULY 2017

specific things that trigger it: if

you’re stressed out, you drink

a lot of alcohol, or you don’t

exercise regularly, or you have a

lot of caffeine. Also, consuming

anything cow: beef and dairy

can worsen it because of all

the hormones (I don’t know

about other kinds of milk). Not

to mention “xenoestrogens” –

chemicals found in numerous

personal hygiene and household

products, things like parabens in

skin products – and pesticides

in foods. These affect your

estrogen levels. There are too

many xenoestrogens to list here

but here’s a link to more info.

Another major factor is whether

or not you eat organic fruits and

vegetables. PMS is effected by

the toxins you absorb.

PREVENTATIVE PMS:

HOW TO PROTECT LOVED ONES

AND BALANCE YOUR BOD

This is for those who suffers gnar PMS. I know girls

who don’t go out when they’re PMS-ing because

of how dangerous it is for others. It can be

confusing and rob you of yourself! I hope to give

you some background info about how to prep for

PMS. If you’re a severe sufferer, you likely know

all this stuff, but hopefully, you’ll read something

helpful or at the very least– guilt-relieving.

PART 1: THE WHAT

Intense PMS and hormonal shifts that make you

feel crazy. Hormones are a mess. They can make

you feel out of control in all sorts of situations –

from feeling attached and in love – to bawling your

eyes out for what might or might not be a good

reason– to screaming at someone you care about,

for a made up situation.

It compromises your rational, cool, calm, happy

self to a position that feels, well, borderline

dangerous. I know people who don’t go out when

they’re PMS-ing because of how dangerous it is for

others they love. So here is some background info

about it – including all the info I could find on the

internet. If you’re a severe sufferer, you likely know

all this stuff, but I will include some other stuff that

you might not know. So hopefully something good

or at least guilt-relieving will come out of this.

PART 2: THE WHY

Some look at the female cycle as a natural purging

method – when all the unvented emotions are

flushed out. So these emotions are “real” but

unknown: the cutoff parts of ourselves. I’m not

sure if I’d agree entirely with this concept since

hormones can make you believe opposite things.

For example, there’s an episode of This American

Life called Testosterone that this all about how

the hormone changed one person’s entire focus in

life while transitioning. It changed her personality

because of what her body was driven by sex. So

I’d say think of PMS as your body and emotions

on the extreme setting. Just like hormones can

make you bond with a baby, they can make you

hate a spouse. Sure, on some level it’s anger that

has been unvented– however, it is exacerbated

because of the imbalances. Like your anger on

crack. It doesn’t mean the feelings don’t exist, or

they’re not from you – but they are heightened to

extremes that otherwise wouldn’t exist.

For a lot of people, PMS tends to get worse as

you get older. It often comes with gifts like acne,

weight gain, water-weight gain, depression, fatigue,

anxiety, cravings, severe bouts of rage followed by

crying. What’s happening is your hormones are

doing loopy-loops – your estrogen levels go up,

your progesterone levels go down. And there are

This is all super important

especially when you get into

adulthood because your

hormone regulation is weighted

more heavily in your adrenal

glands. You want to support

your adrenal glands by balancing your body before

you are in a state of PMS. Stress is a big one

because cortisol taxes your system and therefore

your other hormone production is compromised.

It’s also dangerous for reasons

tied to illness – they call it estrogen

dominance, and it can lead to things

like cancer. You want to make your

hormones stable and not crazy –

so no crash dieting around your

period, either. You can get tested for

estrogen dominance at your doctor’s

office or a naturopath’s office – it’s

a saliva test – and if you test for

estrogen dominance, you can take

more dramatic steps to regulate it.

PART 3: THE HOW: THE TOOLS

(These are super basic.)

01 EXERCISE.

At least 30 minutes, 4 to 5 times a week.

Long enough to get your heart rate up.

02

TAKE PROBIOTICS.

Your gut bacteria helps you balance

out and shed the impurities. Constipation and

imbalances in the gut bacteria can worsen the

situation, because they lead to the reabsorption of

estrogen from the gut back into your blood, even

after your liver has tried to get rid of it. These

are hugely helpful for just balance in general. And

they help you rid yourself of toxins. My favorite

brand is Flora Udo’s Super 8 (what my naturopath

recommended).

21 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


TOOL 3: CLEAN UP

YOUR DIET!

Stop your intake of refined

sugars, refined carbs, nonhormone

free meats and dairy,

and try to eat organic as often

as possible. Why? Pesticides

exacerbate this issue. Alcohol

counts as sugar! It also prevents

your body from excreting excess

estrogen. And if this sounds

crazy to you – then do it for at

least the week before you get

your period.

Eat organic animal products to

avoid environmental estrogens

from hormones and pesticides.

Cut out caffeine, stop drinking

alcohol - at least a week before

you PMS and during your cycle.

Balance your blood sugar by

eating protein, and eat more

omega 3’s. Because we get an

excess of omegas 6’s in corn

and everything uses corn oils,

our bodies are out of whack.

We need the other omega 3’s –

specifically EPA and DHA – mostly the EPA. So aim

to take 1000 mg of EPA a day and 500 of DHA.

That’s what I take anyway.

TOOL 4: SUPPLEMENTS!

Take supplements to help your regular metabolism

and your hormonal metabolism. This is a link to

a doctor’s website – Dr. Hyman, no less! Basically,

that site is where the majority of this research

comes from, where he lists more supplements. I

will only list the ones I personally use:

• EPA and DHA – Omega 3 fatty acids. Make

sure you’re buying molecularly-distilled. I buy

the Nordic Naturals Brand, and I take 1,000

mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA a day. This is

also great for depression!

• Vitex Chastberry, this also helps your cycle

become more regular, which helps is you’re

trying to conceive!

• B6 and B12. All the sources matter so choose

a good brand that’s organic and not derived

from a construction site. I recommend

Garden of Life and Now Naturals.

TOOL 5: TACKLE YOUR STRESS

AND ANY DEPRESSION.

Just like you want to get your body moving,

you want to release your stress, so things like

meditation, yoga, breathing, hiking, laughing,

cooking, nature…do whatever works for you to get

your balance in mental awareness, back. PMS can

also aggravate underlying depression so consider

seeing a therapist and get lots of suns and take

your fish oil!

….And because family and friends are the greatest

casualties of PMS, here are a few ways to warn

them during and before they are injured. Basically,

put your symptoms in the box that separates them

from your personality.

TOOL 6: COVER IT WITH

WARNING LABELS!

If you are in a rage state, make sure to cover it

somewhere with your warning: also I am super

cranky! You might want to get out of here because

I’m super hormonal. Another way to remember

this is narration about the state you’re in. As best

you can.

TOOL 7: SOFTEN THE BLOW.

Basically, take some pragmatic steps toward

slowing down your communications. Sometimes

things come out less intensely if you type them

(just because you are not using volume), so for

example, try emailing things when you’re PMSing.

If you can create a delay for yourself – I

use Boomerang, this sends my emails out in 10

minutes or an hour. This means I can edit things I

know are too mean. Ask yourself when reviewing

emails: Is this something I can say, tomorrow?

Alternately you can tell someone else to tell a

person, for you. Basically, give yourself a buffer of

any shape or form.

TOOL 8: THE RATIONAL SCALE

OF EXTREMITY.

This is good to use when you’re hyper-emotional

and can’t literally tell if you should be mad or not.

Draw a line on a piece of paper. Make notches

from 1 to 10. Write down the worst thing you

can imagine that would enrage you at 10, then

write the mildest thing you can imagine at 1. For

example, “Giving me a weak handshake.” All the

way to, “Cheating on me.” When you look at this

list, where does this thing fall? If it’s below the

50% mark, you must wait to bring it up til you are

in a calm state. OR give it at least 12 hours. Write

everything you want to say in full form, in an email

and send it to yourself.

IN CLOSING…

It is worth changing your diet habits before

moving on to medical therapies because you are

less likely to have side effects. I suggest you try

alternative therapies and try them in combinations

before you go on any meds – mainly because you

have to take the meds forever and the results, in

my humble opinion, are vague at best. Why not try

something like acupuncture, first? Also suggested

in my research were homeopathic treatments,

which I myself, have never tried. But for now, keep

it simple! Try to eat more fruits, vegetables, and

whole grains the week before your period. And

get lots of exercise and rest. Cut down on your

exposure to toxins of all kinds including herbicides,

plastics, bleaches and bleached products, solvents,

etc. And above all, try to let go of the shame and

guilt – remind yourself you are a good person,

coming from love and trying your best in the midst

of a chemical storm.

I wanted to include links to helpful resources in

one spot:

The clue is an app/period tracker that a few ladies

sent me after the podcast went live. I haven’t

tried it myself, but it seems rad! Also, a listener

recommended baths with lavender.

Smile lovely friends! XOX

By Sarah May Bates

22 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


Technology alone won’t cure

cancer, but new innovations

and approaches are helping

patients win the fight against

cancer. Advancements like

robotic surgery and innovative treatments

like immunotherapy are among the many

approaches improving quality of life during

and after cancer treatment. This leap to

next-generation cancer care has the ability

to greatly improve outcomes and the overall

patient experience. Let’s take a look at

some of the leading-edge treatments and

approaches to care that are revolutionizing

cancer care.

As technology advances, the way

patients receive cancer care is changing.

It’s no longer only chemotherapy

infusions and radiation treatment. Even

those treatments are advancing, with

some chemotherapy given as an oral

pill, and proton therapy offering

an advanced form of radiation

treatment.

Immunotherapy is another innovative

treatment type. Our immune systems help

us fight infection and disease. Cancer care

directly impacts and generally weakens our

immune systems. Immunotherapy uses the

body’s own defense mechanisms, including

the immune system, to fight cancer at the

cellular level. This advanced treatment is

used for many types of cancer.

Combination therapies—the use of more

than one therapy option to, for example,

combat drug resistance and increase the

benefits to the patient—is also on the rise.

Thanks to advances in research and clinical

trials, we are learning more about new

combination drugs therapies and how they

can positively impact patients undergoing

cancer treatment. Moreover, a patient

may be presented with an opportunity to

use multiple treatment options together

as opposed to relying solely on only

one treatment option. An example of

this is a breakthrough drug that may be

best combined with a more traditional

chemotherapy treatment option.

Equally as promising as leading-edge

innovations in cancer treatment are

technologies that improve the patient




experience. Cancer treatment can have

numerous side effects on a patient, both

physical and emotional. One new therapy to

help mitigate the side effect of hair loss is

called a cooling system, or a “cooling cap.”

This technology was created to cool the

scalp during chemotherapy treatment. As the

cap cools the scalp, it tightens blood vessels

and reduces the amount of chemo that

impacts the hair follicles. In turn, patients

are able to reduce hair loss that occurs as a

result of chemotherapy.

Innovative technologies and treatment

options will propel us into the next

generation of cancer care. At Texas Oncology

we take a holistic approach to care that

marries leading-edge technology and

treatment with our adoption of a team-based

approach to care. Patients are guided by

our experts from the earliest days of their

cancer journey. Whether it’s after-hours care

coordination, patient navigation, emotional

support or treatment planning, our oncology

care team plays an important role in

surrounding our patients with the support

they need. These trusted members of the

care team guide patients through every

aspect of their treatment.

The innovative advances driving the leap

forward in care provide access to an array

of patient-focused services that improve

outcomes and the patient experience. These

leading principles culminate in a patient-first,

compassionate model of care at the heart of

Texas communities.

We take this approach to cancer care at

every one of our clinic locations, whether

you are in Houston, Dallas, Amarillo, or

somewhere in between. I’m excited about

the future of cancer care and proud to be a

part of the revolutionary approaches we are

embracing at Texas Oncology.

NURUL WAHID, MD

Nurul Wahid, M.D., is a

medical oncologist at

Texas Oncology–McAllen,

1901 South 2nd Street in

McAllen, Texas.

To learn more about

exciting advancements in

cancer treatment, visit

www.TexasOncology.com or

call 1-888-864-I CAN (4226).

24 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Weslaco

Texas Oncology delivers high-quality cancer care with leading-edge technology and advanced treatment

options to help patients achieve “More breakthroughs. More victories.” in their fights against cancer.

Texas Oncology, a pioneer in community-based cancer care, is an independent oncology

practice with sites of service throughout Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Texas

Oncology patients have the opportunity to take part in some of the most

promising clinical trials in the nation for a broad range of cancers. In

fact, Texas Oncology has played an integral role in gaining Food

and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for 29 of the

latest cancer therapies.

Habib Ghaddar, MD, FACP

Medical Oncology/Hematology

Dr. Ghaddar specializes in medical oncology and hematology. He is board-certified by the American Board of

Internal Medicine in hematology and medical oncology. He received his medical degree from the American

University of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Good

Samaritan Hospital/John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed his fellowship in

hematology/oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. He has been in

practice with Texas Oncology since 1995.

Daniel Farray, MD


Dr. Farray is board-certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine. He received his medical

degree in 1998 from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in the Dominican Republic and completed

his residency in internal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed his

fellowship in medical oncology and hematology in 2006 at Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center/Loyola University

Chicago. Dr. Farray ranked first in his medical school class. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical

Oncology and American College of Physicians.

Weslaco 1330 East 6th Street, Suite 204 Weslaco, Texas 78596 PH: 956.969.0021 FAX: 956.968.9744

www.TexasOncology.com

Harlingen

Marco A. Araneda, MD


Dr. Araneda specializes in medical oncology and is board-certified in internal medicine and medical

oncology. He received his medical degree from San Carlos University in Guatemala and completed a

medical oncology fellowship at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, as well as a

fellowship in bone marrow transplantation at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. He has special

interests in breast cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies, hematologic malignancies, and molecular

targeted therapy.

Nabeel Sarhill


Dr. Nabeel Sarhill is board-certified in hematology, medical oncology, and internal medicine. He earned his

medical doctorate from the University of Tishreen Medical School in Lattakia, Syria, and completed his

residency in internal medicine at Case Wester Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His fellowship in

hematology was completed at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, and his

clinical research fellowship in medicine and symptoms management at The Harry R. Horvitz Center for

Palliative Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Nabeel Sarhill is a member of the American Society of Clinical

Oncology, American Society of Hematology, Syrian Medical Association, Syrian Ministry of Health, American

Board of Hematology, American Board of Medical Oncology, and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Benjamin West, MD

Radiation Oncology

Dr. West is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He was a physicist prior to becoming a physician.

Hayan Moualla, MD


Dr. Moualla completed his Internal Medicine residency followed by a fellowship in Geriatrics and later a

fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. For

almost 5 years before joining Texas Oncology, Dr. Moualla practiced in beautiful southern Virginia. He is

Board Certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology with special interest in elderly cancer and blood

disorders. His emphasis is making sure that all patient understand their conditions well and have a good

idea about available options. Dr. Moualla is married and has a boy and twin girls. His biggest pleasure is

spending time with family. He also enjoys soccer, ping pong, badminton and swimming.

Harlingen 2121 Pease Street, Suite 101 Harlingen, Texas 78550 PH: 956.425.8845 FAX: 956.364.6793


McALLEN

Billie J. Marek, MD, FACP


Dr. Marek is board-certified and specializes in medical oncology and heamatology. He currently serves as a

director of Texas Oncology and is the medical director for Texas Oncology-McAllen. He has served the Rio

Grande Valley for the past 22 years as a medical oncologist and hematologist, has been recognized as a

“Super Doctor” in oncology for five years in a row, and was recognized as Doctor of The Year for Rio

Grande Regional. Dr. Marek received his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical School at

San Antonio. He completed his fellowship at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Alvaro Restrepo, MD


“I can be part of your team... and together we can fight the battle.” Dr. Restrepo specializes in, medical

oncology and hematology. He completed his fellowship at the University of Miami. He also serves on the

reast Cancer Committee of US Oncology and has completed a fellowship in breast cancer treatment.

Through the Life Beyond Cancer Fundation he established the Texas Oncology–McAllen Breast Cancer

Ride/Walk undraiser to raise funds for Rio Grande Valley cancer patients. To date approximately $30,000 has

been donated to cancer patients in the Rio Grande Valley.

Suresh Ratnam, MD, FACP


Dr. Ratnam has been with Texas Oncology-McAllen for 13 years, which he joined after completing his

fellowship at the renowned National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He has

co-authored several research publications and is passionate about cutting-edge oncology care. He currently

serves on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of US Oncology and chairman of the Credentials

Committee for South Texas Health System.

Guillermo Lazo, MD


Dr. Lazo specializes in medical oncology and hematology. He completed his fellowship at The University of

Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a recipient of several awards including the American Society of

Clinical Oncology Merit Award and is the author of several peer-reviewed medical publications as well as

book chapters. He received the highest honors on the professional examination for his medical doctorate

degree.

McAllen 1901 South 2nd Street McAllen, Texas 78503 PH: 956.687.5150 FAX: 956.687.9546


Nurul Wahid, MD


Dr. Wahid was fellowship-trained in medical oncology and hematology at Columbia University College of

Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He is board certified in Hematology and Oncology. He has been

recognized as Physician of the Year at Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen where he has served as senior

attending physician for the past 13 years.

Rogelio Salinas, MD

Radiation Oncology

Dr. Salinas is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He completed his residency training at Memorial

Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York followed by his fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson

Cancer Center.

Joseph Litam, MD


Dr. Litam was fellowship-trained at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is well

known in the community and was in private practice for 27 years before joining Texas Oncology. He has special

interest in treating solid tumors.

Benjamin West, MD

Radiation Oncology

Dr. West is board-certified radiation oncologist. He was physicist prior to becoming a physician.

Phoebe Verano, RN, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Phoebe Cepeda Verano is a certified Family Nurse Practioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who

received her Masters degree at the University of Texas- Pan American (UTPA) in 2013. She has more than

30 years of experience as a registered nurse, most of it in an adult critical care setting. As a nurse

practitioner, she has the compassion to be a part of a patient’s journey through cancer care and believes

that patient education is an important first step following diagnosis and treatment plan development. “I

am committed to preparing cancer patients for their journeys and assuring they know that we are always

here to support them.”

Cristelita Parrocho, RN, BSN,CCRN,MSN,FNP-C

Nurse Practicioner

Cristy graduated as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in

California. She is also a certified Adult Critical Care Registered Nurse. Before joining Texas Oncology-McAllen

she was a hospitalist with IPC Healthcare. “Cancer is brutal but I believe loving and actually feeling while you

care for these patients will somehow bring upon sunshine in the darkest moments of their lives. It is not

how much time but how much love you put into it.”

McAllen 1901 South 2nd Street McAllen, Texas 78503 PH: 956.687.5150 FAX: 956.687.9546


Brownsville

Balesh Sharma, MD


Balesh Sharma, MD specializes in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. He is board certified by in

medical oncology. Dr. Sharma received an MD Delhi University in New Delhi, India, in 1990, where he also

completed his residency in Anesthesia and Critical Care in 1991. He completed his medical internship at Lincoln

Medical Center in New York in 1992-93. Dr. Sharma completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Vincent’s

Medical Center in affiliation with Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut. In 1998, he completed a

fellowship in hematology and oncology from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and has

been in private practice since then.

Marcelo Boek, MD


Dr Marcelo M Boek specializes in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology/Hematology. He is board certified in

Medical Oncology and Hematology. He received his medical degree from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

in Brazil. He also completed his Internal Medicine residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital- University of Miami.

In 2003 he completed his Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology at John Strogger- Cook County

Hospital in Chicago. Dr Boek then worked as a Medical Oncologist at The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency at The

Allan Blair Cancer Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and as an investigator affiliated with The North

Central Cancer Treatment Group and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. He was also appointed as a Clinical

Assistant Professor with the Division of Oncology, College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and

held this job until he moved back to the United States. Dr Boek joined Texas Oncology in 2006

Carlos Gonzalez-Angulo, MD

Radiation Oncology

Dr. Gonzalez specializes in radiation oncology and internal medicine. He is certified by the American Board of

Internal Medicine as well as the American Board of Radiology, and is a member of the American Society of

Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). He completed his

fellowship in radiation oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, in Buffalo, New York, and also completed a

second residency in radiation oncology at Jackson Memorial Hospital/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center,

in Miami, Florida. Aside from his medical practice, Dr. Gonzalez is a Christian lay minister and a student of

ancient Greek.

Mariza D. Oliver, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Advanced Practice Provider

Mariza is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, and has a Masters degree in

Nursing Administration. She has over 17 years experience in nursing and has worked in healthcare areas such as

medical-surgical, post-partum, hospice, and home health. She has extensive experience in providing care for the

adult and geriatric population of the Rio Grande Valley.

2150 N. Expressway 83 Brownsville, TX 78521 PH: 956-548-0810 FAX: 956-548-2239 www.TexasOncology.com

A

new American Cancer

Society study conducted

over the period

between 1974 and 2013

looked at over 490,000 people

over the age of twenty who

were diagnosed with invasive

colorectal cancer and found

that their risk of colon cancer

quadrupled the risk of them

developing rectal cancer.


WHY ARE MILLENNIALS

HAVING HIGHER RATES OF

COLORECTAL CANCER?

This alarming study defied the commonly

accepted notion that risk of colorectal

cancer generally increased with age,

especially with regards to young people in

general. For those over fifty-five years of age,

the findings showed that the rates generally

declined for them.

Millennials, per the dictionary, are defined

as persons born in the 1980s and 1990s.

To put it in perspective, someone born in

1990 would be twenty-seven-years-old now,

and the likelihood of being diagnosed with

colorectal cancer sometime in their lifetimeduring

the primes of their lives-increases day

by day. The study's authors hypothesize that

obesity and a sedentary lifestyle along with

a high fat, low fiber diet may be contributing

factors. What those physical and dietary

factors do is "initiate inflammation and

proliferation in the colonic mucosa" in as

little as two weeks' time.

Historically, some risk factors for colorectal

cancer include a positive family history,

obesity, inactivity, smoking, a diet "high in red

and processed meats" and "heavy" alcohol

consumption increase the risk of developing

colorectal cancer. Also, increasing risk

is a history of premalignant polyps and

having Type II diabetes. Certain hereditary

syndromes and history of Crohn's disease

and ulcerative colitis also increase the risk.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include

rectal bleeding, dark or bloody stools,

change in bowel habits or a change in the

caliber of stool, weakness,

fatigue and/or weight loss.

Treatments for colorectal

cancer include surgery,

radiation, chemotherapy and

targeted therapies which

can target specific molecules

to slow tumor growth or

decrease the formation of new

blood vessels.

If millennials continue to display alarming

and increasing rates of colorectal cancer

with some having excellent, well-balanced

diets and rigorous exercises, that all possible

causes need to be examined extensively.

The lack of solid proof leads some medical

researchers and practitioners to believe

there might be a correlation between

a negative attitude, outlook on life, and

negative emotions may also be key factors.

Studies have shown that negative emotions

do have an impact on our physical health, a

general feeling of malaise or phantom pains.

Could it be possible that they could also play

a role in colorectal health?

Quoting from Chapter 5 "Eli Siegel

and Aesthetic Realism – Contempt

Causes Insanity" in The History or New

Innovations in Modern Medicine in comment

on the field of Psychosomatics, Mr. Siegel

notes that "From the psychosomatic point

of view, it is fairly clear that if the self "hates"

reality, one of the components of the very

basis of disease is accepted by it."

The good news is that increasing awareness

of this potential for colorectal cancer in

millennials is leading to consideration of this

diagnosis in younger patients with rectal

bleeding, and therefore, earlier testing and

treatment.

Further research on the roles of diet,

exercise and the psychosomatic approach to

cancer may help shed light on the startling

rise in millennial colorectal cancer rates.

By James Okun, MD

31 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


If I could teach you

only one thing, I would

choose for you to learn

how to ride uncertainty

like a wave. If you can

learn to ride within the

power of the wave, to

allow its energy to propel

you forward, you

can tap into a source of

personal power.

BECOMING AWARE OF

YOUR RESISTANCE:

The Key to Surfing and Surviving the

Chaos of Today's Uncertain World

Did you know that you are

fearless, generous beyond

thought, gracious, creative,

able to shape shift your

des tiny?

You are! So what is keeping

you from celebrating

yourself, from living the bountiful life you deserve

and can create?

In looking at the events of the past several years,

I found a thread, a luminous thread that led me

through the maze of chal lenges we face today.

How did the events of our time form into the

chaos of the world today, as well as the turmoil

in our own personal lives? As you hold up your

star shield to the Great Spir it, you see that there

is a dangerous imbalance of the male and female

energies on this earth.

We must balance the

intellect and mind

of the male with the

intuition and emotion of

the female in order to

understand how we came

here from nature and

what we are made of. If

not, then maybe we are

lost. Maybe our evolution as a species will actually

cease.

But there is a choice we can make to prevent that

and achieve a critical balance. I believe it comes

down to the one lesson that the Sisterhood

of the Shields taught me over and over: how

to give up resistance and pick up the shield of

empowerment.

The events of this past year, in particular,

demonstrated the turmoil of uncertainty. We have

always lived with a sense of in security, and until

lately, most of us have spent our energy trying to

ignore it or pretend it doesn't bother us. So how

do we--as sha mans--learn to make uncertainty our

ally? How do we let go of our resistance to change,

our fear of what is different? This has become a

focus within my Shamanic Mystery School.

Using energy in a focused,

conscious way will reduce

the sense or experience of

chaotic energy for yourself

and others around you.

Chaos is a part of creation,

and instead of resisting or

responding in fear, we want

to shift how we respond to it

by directing our awareness to

the beauty and opportunities

it manifests.

Dynamic ener gy is given off

by an act of creation, and

the energy that comes from

the chaotic side of creation

is powerful. It is uneven and

somewhat like being in an

earth quake. This dynamic

energy is un certainty. But it

is an amazing en ergy once

we tap into it and ride it like

a wave.

The Sisterhood taught me to

not stand and fight the wave,

but to throw myself into it.

Like the dolphins riding the

surf line, when you relax

and move with the current,

you rise to the surface and

maintain your sense of

direction. Uncertainty in life

is like that and we choose

how to face it.

32 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


By Lynn Andrews

As shamans, we learn to see

the energy between all living

things - the energy of true

power. I want you to be aware

of the truth that energy is

just energy. It is not good or

bad, not dark or light, until

someone or something focuses

it. Energy itself is pure and unaffected in

its original state and is incredibly powerful.

By understanding and refocusing these

frequencies, you can move into their flow

and achieve the male/female energy balance.

You can learn to surf!

It is your awareness of energy that allows

you to begin to use it, to tap into its

power to create the life you desire, to bring

healing to yourself, your loved ones, the

planet. Within that awareness, you make a

shift of consciousness. However, the chaos

you experience today is the result of your

resistance to this shift.

Furthermore, through out much of the world

now, the economic field of energy is very

stressed. This stress spills over into almost

every aspect of your life, as you worry about

how to support your family, as our countries

move ever deep er into debt, creating an

instability that will become the legacy your

grandchildren inherit. This all results in fear.

Your inability to create mean ingful changes

in response causes you to put up walls of

resistance, to separate from others, to fear

and distrust those with whom you disagree

on ways to improve our world.

So it is essential, now more than ever, that you look at the

choices you make and why you hold resistance in your body -

which, in turn, creates a block, literally, within your life force.

That resistance depletes your energy, sep arates you from Great

Spirit, creating more chaos in your life and thereby in the world.

How do you shift away from resistance into

riding the wave of uncertainty?

Let me offer a practice using the Sacred

Wheel of shamanic tradition.

Find a place where you can be comfortable

and at peace...whether that is outdoors or

in your living room. Grab a piece of paper

or journal and a writing implement. Draw a

circle around you and sit inside of that circle,

with your journal at hand.

First face South, which represents the

physical part of spirit and the physical aspect

of the energy. Begin asking the following

questions, recording your answers in your

journal: Where do I experience resistance in

my body-Am I closing my mind to change?

Am I experiencing illness or physical pain?

Where do I feel stress? And finally, what

would I experience if I let that go or opened

my mind?

Then face West, which represents the

emotional aspect. Ask: How am I responding,

am I reacting? What do I feel? What emotions

am I experiencing? And then: what emotion

would allow me to flow with this change?

Next face North...this is the

direction of Spirit, the place

of inspiration and creation.

The questions to ask here are:

Am I listening to God? What

am I resisting in my spirit and

why? What is God trying to tell

me? Finally, if I was working

in concert with God, how would my spirit

respond to this challenge or change?

Lastly, turn to the East, the direction that

rules your mind. Propose these questions:

Without emotions interfering, what is the

rational response? What does common sense

say to do? And then ask: If I was facing this

choice with a calm and unattached mind,

how could I best embrace this change?

If you have gone around the circle once

and you have not yet released most of the

resistance, do it one more time. This is like

peeling an onion...with each turn, a layer

of resistance will peel away. The chaos will

subside and-eventually--you'll make friends

with it. This is where balance is restored.

It is also where you begin to experience the

freedom of letting resistance go, feeling the

flow of energy moving through you again,

and allowing creativity to bring new choices

and new opportunities. That unencumbered

creativity is the great healer that enhances

your personal power, and is your portal into

the energy field of a truly fearless, generous,

purposeful, and bountiful life.

33 HEALTHY MAGAZINE


is compromised. This increases the production

of cortisol, explained above, and you fall into a

vicious cycle of exhaustion due to stress factors.


WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM

This article is going to explore the effects

that poor/limited sleep has on your body

and how this can also affect your weight

loss program and ability to get lean,

ripped and lose weight.

Your body weight varies mainly depending on

how much/little food you eat, but there are also

many other variables that can have an indirect

effect on your ability to lose weight and keep it

off. Recent studies have suggested that the less

sleep you get, the more your hormones will be

impacted, significantly affecting how you feel on a

diet, and how well you stick to that diet.

BRAIN FUNCTION

A lack of sleep directly influences your brain

function by setting it up to make bad decisions.

Sleep deprivation, or sleep debt, happens when

you either don’t get enough rest, or a poor night’s

sleep. When this happens, it dulls the activity in

your brain’s frontal lobe, which is the area that

correlates with decision making and impulse

control.

Plus, your brain’s reward center becomes

stimulated. Your tired, overworked body is

essentially looking for comfort, and you are more

likely to turn to comfort foods, especially highcarb,

high-fat snacks. Larger portioned meals are

also more likely to be chosen by the tired mind.

and regulates energy. A lack of sleep equals a lack

of energy causing leptin levels to plummet… this

sends a signal to your brain to eat more food.

This makes things allot more difficult for you than

they need to be when you are following a diet

routine. While slipping on your diet and snacking

on a cookie will not make much of a difference to

your weight loss goals… eating the whole bag will

make a difference. And when you are under slept,

you will not only feel a greater urge to snack; but

you will also have less willpower to be able to stop

yourself.

CHANGES IN FAT CELLS

These hormone changes have a rapid effect on

your body as well, and it doesn’t take much time

at all to see and feel the difference. It only takes

four days of sleep debt for your body to disrupt

your body’s ability to properly use insulin. Insulin

is the hormone that allows your body to use the

energy from food. In fact, insulin sensitivity can

drop as much as 30% in this time period.

When insulin is functioning correctly, your fat

cells function properly as well, and remove

fatty acids and lipids from your bloodstream to

prevent fat storage. As you tire, and become

more insulin resistant, these fatty tissues circulate

in your blood and store themselves in places like

your liver- which leads to weight gain and diseases

like diabetes.

TIPS FOR A

BETTER

NIGHT'S

REST

Even the most attentive of

us can fall into a pattern

of poor sleep. As seen

above, it doesn’t take long

for your body to become

compromised from a lack

of rest, resulting in both

short term and long term health risks. In fact,

it is estimated that up to one third of adults

are suffering from sleep debt at any given time,

meaning they aren’t getting the estimated 7 to 9

hours of rest needed for a healthy sleep duration.

And a lack of sleep isn’t only personal, many

vehicular and industrial accidents are caused each

year due to operator fatigue. So what can you do

to help get the shut-eye you need?

If you’re still tired despite your best efforts,

consider your sleep environment. Old or

poor quality mattresses often can be a

culprit of discomfort. Replacing a mattress is

easier than ever. The Sleep Judge provides a

nice list to start you off.

Create a bedtime ritual and schedule. If

you like to read each night before bed, set

a specific time to sit down before bed. It’s

important to get the hours you need, so

setting a reminder or alarm an hour or so

before bed helps get you in the mindset to

relax.

Turn off the television, tablets, and put

down the phone 60 to 90 minutes before

sleep each night. All of these devices

emit blue light, and disrupt your natural

melatonin levels, another hormone that

helps regulate your sleep patterns. Blue light

mimics daylight and tricks your brain into

wakefulness.

Save your bedroom for sleep and sex. It

should be a place of relaxation, not a place

to work or be entertained by electronics.

Be mindful of your eating patterns. Heavy

meals in the evening may cause discomfort,

and sugar and caffeine can stay in your

system up to 6 hours, causing you to feel

more alert.

Cool off your room. Sleeping cool is a

healthy choice and allows your body to

naturally regulate it’s internal temperature

while you sleep without overheating. And

it also can support weight loss through the

support of brown fats.

HUNGER HORMONES

Rest is like a meal for your brain, and the average

adult needs between 7 and 9 hours each night

to function properly. Without it, the hormones

that regulate both hunger and fullness are

compromised and are unable to send the

messages to the brain to make choices about how

much food to eat.

Ghrelin is the hormone that signals your brain

when it’s time to eat. It picks up on the signals

produced by the body when an energy source is

needed for both mental and physical functioning.

When you are tired, this hormone is created in

larger quantities as your body struggles to work

through daily exertion.

Leptin is another hormone that inhibits hunger

SABOTAGE GYM TIME

Lack of sleep is the enemy of muscle, which is a

big problem (whether we are regularly putting

in hours at the gym or not). Not only does being

tired influence bad decisions (like deciding to skip

the gym), and also create mental and physical

fatigue for a less effective workout, but it literally

decreases protein synthesis, which is your body’s

ability to make muscle.

Muscles are important to body function because

they support your skeletal structure, and are

crucial to breathing, digestion, and proper blood

flow. This directly influences your metabolism.

Muscle taxation is affected by your lack of sleep

and becomes almost impossible to recover

from since the production of growth hormone

34 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

CONCLUSION

Even if you aren’t looking to lose weight, your

poor sleep habits are affecting you even more

than you know. The less sleep you get, the more

prone you are to health issues that can severely

compromise your lifestyle over time. And it

doesn’t take long to notice a difference in your

body health when you haven’t gotten the proper

amount of sleep, especially if you have been on a

diet and exercise regimen.

To keep your weight in check or to lose weight,

make sure to get the proper amount of sleep

each night. Brain function and physical exhaustion

are a good indicator that you need to reassess

your rest habits before more noticeable, longterm

problems occur. By Ava Mallory

By Frank Apodaca

Fitness

& Beauty


WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM

KERATOSIS PILARIS

MEAT LOAF

34

36

38

FITNESS & BEAUTY · JULY 2017

KERATOSIS

PILARIS

You've probably never heard

it called by its medical name,

but chances are you've seen

someone who has it, or you

might be someone who suffers

from this skin condition. Keratosis Pilaris, or

"chicken skin," is a common skin condition

that affects nearly fifty to eighty percent

of adolescents and about forty percent of

adults. The condition is often mistaken for

small, red pimples, but they actually look like

small bumps that are scaly or rough-feeling.

Overall, it is a simple condition.

It can be embarrassingly or socially

damaging for some. Many people are

ill-informed and automatically assume it

can be spread from person to person like

a communicable disease, but that's not

the case. Unfortunately, most over-thecounter

treatments and medications won't

minimize the appearance or do anything

about the sandpaper-like bumps and make

your skin appear to be smoother or clear. It

is always better to consult your doctor or a

dermatologist for the proper treatment.

By definition,

keratosis pilaris

is when your

hair follicles

become

plugged and

form roughfeeling

bumps

on your skin. Its

rough texture

will cover small

portions of your body, most notably the arms

and cheeks, or anywhere where hair grows

on your body. It most commonly occurs in

adolescence, which in itself can be damaging

because of social ‘norms' or expectations.

But, alas, it is a manageable condition that

involves things like daily moisturizing, gentle

exfoliating treatments and with the use of

mild, non-irritating body soaps.

Anyone who suffers from this condition

knows that at certain times of the year like

during the winter months or when the skin

dries in low-humidity weather, they're more

susceptible to flare-ups. The dead, dry skin

causes the pores and hair follicles to clog.

That, in turn, promotes keratosis pilaris.

Some promising theories point to a possible

genetic component to this skin condition.

For instance, eczema can play a large factor

in determining whether or not you develop

keratosis pilaris. If atopic dermatitis, a type of

eczema, is prevalent in your family, you may

be more susceptible to developing other skin

conditions, including keratosis pilaris.

While there is no known cure for this

condition, there is good treatment for the

most annoying symptoms. The treatment

must be ongoing and usually involve

conventional types of treatments like

moisturizing lotions that contain lactic acid,

urea, glycolic acid, and/or salicylic acid.

They are keratolytic agents that help to thin

the skin around the area of inflammation

or lesions because one of the main

components of this condition involves the

growth or development of excess skin over

the affected area.

As mentioned, these treatments treat the

skin condition; they don't cure it. In order

to be remotely effective, the treatment

must be used on an ongoing basis in order

to keep keratosis pilaris at bay. It should be

noted that, as with

any treatment

or medication,

there are also

potential

side effects

to consider

and monitor.

Reactions

can vary from

person to person.

Another treatment involves the use of pulsed

dye laser targets to help reduce the redness

that's associated with the skin condition.

Studies have determined that this therapy

is safe and effective for the treatment of

the known

discoloration,

but again, it

doesn't cure

it or help to

improve the

rough, scaly skin

roughness.

By Maydelaine Moreno

36 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

FITNESS & BEAUTY · JULY 2017

MEAT LOAF

Here’s a recipe

for a hearty

meat loaf that

is the ultimate

soul food

for the meat

and potato

lover. I like to serve my meat

loaf with a plate of fluffy mashed

potatoes and a colorful medley

of roasted vegetables. While this

meat loaf is delicious served hot,

some say it is even better when

it is cold. To make a scrumptious

and satisfying sandwich, slice the

cold meat loaf into ½ inch slices,

place on your favorite whole

grain bread, top with lettuce,

tomato slices, onions and pickles.

Feel free to make a lighter and

more low calorie version by

substituting ground turkey for

the ground beef and 2 egg whites

for the whole egg in the recipe.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

WW

1 tablespoon canola oil

WW

½ red pepper, finely chopped

WW

½ yellow pepper, finely

chopped

WW

1 small onion, finely chopped

WW

6 garlic cloves, minced

WW

1 pound ground beef or

ground turkey (dark meat)

WW

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

WW

¼ cup barbecue sauce

WW

1 egg, lightly beaten

WW

½ teaspoon garlic powder

WW

½ teaspoon onion powder

WW

½ teaspoon salt

WW

freshly ground pepper—

about 10 grinds

WW

½ cup bread crumbs—ok to

use gluten free

Before you begin, you will need

a 13” by 9” baking pan, lined on

the bottom with aluminum foil.

Spray the aluminum foil with Pam

to prevent the meat loaf from

sticking.

1. Preheat the oven to 350

degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a large

skillet. Add the red and

yellow peppers, onion

and garlic, and sauté

over medium heat for 5

to 10 minutes until the

onions are softened and

translucent. Allow to

cool for a few minutes.

3. Place the ground beef in

a large bowl and with a

fork break up into small

pieces.

4. Add the sautéed

peppers, onion and

garlic, teriyaki sauce,

barbecue sauce, egg,

garlic powder, onion

powder, salt, freshly

ground pepper and mix

well.

5. Add the bread crumbs

and combine until

the mixture just holds

together. You may need

to add more bread

crumbs as needed to

bind the mixture.

6. Place the meat loaf

mixture into the

prepared baking pan,

shape into an oval of

approximately 10” by

3” and place in the

preheated oven for one

hour.

7. If desired, brush on

some barbecue sauce

about 10 minutes before

the meat loaf is done to

glaze the loaf.

8. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe by Judy Elbaum

baba_judy

38 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Healthy RGV Issue 104 - Driscoll Urology Clinics offer Comprehensive Care for Children

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