Tag Archives: Nourished Living

Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDM

Hospice programs provide family healing before and after loss

Hospice service is an invaluable source of help and healing for those at the end stages of their lives. And as I have discovered, it is a much older concept than I had realized.

The term “hospice” (from the same linguistic root as “hospitality”) can be traced back to medieval times when it referred to a place of shelter and rest for weary or ill travelers on a long journey.

The name was first applied to specialized care for dying patients in 1967 by physician Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded St. Christopher’s Hospice-the first modern hospice-in a residential suburb of London.

Saunders introduced the idea of specialized care for the dying to the United States during a 1963 visit to Yale University.

Her lecture on the concept of holistic hospice care was given to medical students, nurses, social workers and chaplains. Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

Lung cancer leading cause of cancer death, yet often preventable

Not only was November National Diabetes Month, but it was also Lung Cancer Awareness Month and National Hospice/ Palliative Care Month.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. It is estimated that smoking is the principle cause of about 90% of lung cancers in men and almost 80% in women.

Smoking also can contribute to cancer of the voice box (larynx), mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia.

It is important to remember that not all lung cancers are caused by smoking. Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

Seven million diabetes sufferers walk around undiagnosed

It’s November again, and you know what that means? Time to “celebrate” National Diabetes Awareness month.

As many of you may already know, I have been a card-carrying Type 1 Diabetic for 29 years.

For approximately 16 of those years I have been using an insulin pump.

Since first being diagnosed, the difference in treatments available and for the potential for a “cure” are truly amazing.

Back then we were still using pork or beef insulin, but now synthetic insulins are available.

Some people were still using urine dipsticks to check for “sugar,” however today we have glucose monitors that use a tiny amount of blood and give results in a matter of seconds. Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

Drastic changes made to 65-year-old federal lunch program

My memories of school lunch go back to my days at St. Charles grammar school where there was one choice for lunch.

It was served on real plates with real silverware.

Parents volunteered as “lunch ladies” and helped out in the cafeteria.

Isn’t it funny the things you remember from your childhood? Boy, how things have changed!

After having conversations with some parents, I get the impression that they don’t know exactly what the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is or what it consists of.

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over 101,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential childcare institutions.

In 2010, it provided nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches each day to more than 31 million children.

In 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in after-school educational and enrichment programs for children through 18 years of age.

The Food and Nutrition Service administers the program at the Federal level.

At the State level, the NSLP is usually administered by State Education agencies, which run the program through agreements with school food authorities.

Believe it or not, school lunch programs have been around since 1946 when President Harry S. Truman began the national school lunch program as a measure of national security.

He did this after reading a study that revealed many young men had been rejected from the World War II draft due to medical conditions caused by childhood malnutrition.

Since that time more than 180 million lunches have been served to American children. Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA,RD, CDN

Scaring up an actual cure for the lunchtime blues

So, what are you having for lunch today? If it’s something that you are not particularly excited about, here are some easy tips for packing a yummy and healthy mid-day meal that you can look forward to.

Transform last night’s dinner leftovers into today’s lunch. Leftover meat adds protein to a salad filled with veggies.

Include some extras such as Craisins, walnuts, seeds, etc.

When you include lower fat cheeses and meats, you will have a nutritionally packed, visually appealing and very tasty lunch.

Add a piece of multigrain bread or some multigrain crackers to round out the meal.

When choosing salad dressings, go for the lower fat vs. fat free varieties. Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

Hydration important during any type of physical activity

It’s so nice to see the kids back out there playing soccer, and seeing all the people out for their morning power walks when I’m driving to work in the morning.

However, one thing I don’t see is water bottles. I’m afraid people think that because summer is over they don’t have to stay as hydrated.

Staying hydrated is essential for everyone, but even more so for athletes or anyone participating in any type of physical activity.

Water is the most important nutrient for life and has many important functions including regulating temperature, lubricating joints and transporting nutrients and waste throughout the body. Continue reading →

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Nourished Living by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

If you bite it, write it: Benefits of keeping food journal

Part of my job when I am counseling someone is to ask them for a 24-hour recall of what they ate during that time period.

This is much more difficult than you would imagine.

For example, yesterday I had a woman in my office who said all she could remember eating was dinner.

One easy way to keep track of what you eat is by keeping a food journal. Continue reading →

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