Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine

Did you know that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is three to five pounds? Don’t let your belly turn into “a bowl full of jelly.”

The holiday season may not be the best time to attempt weight loss with holiday parties and plentiful feasts, but it is possible to maintain your weight and not spread your waistline.

With some planning, fitting holiday treats into a healthful eating plan is easy.  All foods can fit into healthy eating plan if you choose smaller portions of high fat and calorie foods that are popular this time of year.

SIU registered dietitian Sara Lopinski has these suggestions when cooking and preparing food:

• substitute evaporated skim milk for heavy cream in side dishes and sauces
• use chicken broth in place of butter for potatoes and stuffing
• substitute an equal amount of applesauce for at least half the oil, margarine or butter in muffins, desserts and quick breads like banana bread

Lopinski also suggests some simple guidelines for healthy holiday eating:

• Be Prepared: Accept the fact  that temptations are high during the holiday season. Fight inevitable cravings by increasing physical activity, which can help suppress your appetite
• Be Realistic: Don’t try to diet. Your goal should be to maintain weight, not lose it.  Remember that calories in must equal calories out to keep your weight the same.
• Be Selective: Choose the holiday favorites you MUST have. Don’t try to cut out high-fat holiday favorites like eggnog and candied sweet potatoes. Instead, choose small portions and fill the rest of your plate with lower fat, higher fiber choices, such as apples, cranberry dishes, baked squash, pumpkin, whole grain breads and pastas.
• Plan Ahead: To avoid surrendering to high-fat fast foods on hectic days, pre-plan several quick, healthy meals. Have these readily available in the refrigerator or freeze for quick reheating. When going to a party, offer to bring a favorite low-calorie dish, so you know there will be at least one “safe” item available.
• Hydrate: Try to drink water throughout the day to help curb your appetite.
• Get Moving: Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes 3-4 times a week.

Win the weight gain battle by shifting entertainment to non-food events such as dancing, playing games, ice-skating or singing carols. It’s your key to maintaining good health and a healthy weight.

Copyright, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine

The holiday season can be a stressful and even sad time for some people, which may be caused by unrealistic expectations. Some people experience the “holiday blues” during this time of year. In addition to some people missing loved ones and dealing with financial stresses, bad weather, shortened daylight hours and lack of sleep can lead to holiday blues.

Dr. Kathy Bottum, assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine explains.
The holidays are often very, very difficult for people. Memories of past holidays with loved ones who are gone, existing conflicts with loved ones who are here, the pressures to have the perfect holiday experience, bake and shop and spend more money than you have.”

So how do you get over the holiday blues when there’s so much shopping, baking and other holiday prep to cause stress? In the midst of making the holiday happy for others, don’t forget to take care of yourself, Dr. Bottom says. She offers some tips:

1. Maintain your normal life as much as possible.
2. Get enough sleep
3. Take time to exercise
4. Only drink alcohol in moderation
5. Make time to do things that are fun, that are relaxing and rewarding for yourself.

If your holiday blues last longer than a few weeks, it could develop into more serious conditions. For serious depression, she recommends seeing a family doctor or mental health counselor for an evaluation and possible treatment.

Copyright ©SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but all the excitement of the holiday can interrupt a child’s routine, causing stress and behavioral problems.

Stress and pressure from extra activities, traveling, shopping and high expectations can impact family harmony, according to SIU child psychologist Glen Aylward, PhD. “Kids’ schedules change during the holidays, which can cause anxiety. The big hype to get the best toy and other things that they probably don’t even need increases pressure. This is exacerbated in situations or families with pre-existing anxiety about food insecurity, lack of social support and other family issues.”

Dr. Aylward says behavioral challenges might include emotional volatility and tension. “If parents are under pressure, the children can sense this as they are bell weathers of stress.”

He advises parents to take care of themselves and make the holidays more fun and less stressful, which will make their children’s behaviors more acceptable. These tips can help:

• keep finances under control
• don’t exhaust yourselves by too much revelry
• avoid family squabbles, especially in front of children
• be sure children keep to their usual sleep routines as much as possible

He also recommends guiding children away from the material issues of the holiday and get into the giving – the actual spirit of the season. Having family traditions each year is recommended as well. If a child’s behavior becomes more disruptive or doesn’t return to normal soon after the holidays, the child may need to see a doctor or pediatric counselor.

Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry. Regular, effective handwashing can help reduce the spread of many illnesses.

Learn more about when and how to wash your hands, the importance of using soap and water, and what you can do if soap and clean, running water are not available here.

Did you know that flu season can begin as early as October, it usually peaks between December and February, and it can last as late as May? As long as flu viruses are spreading, it’s not too late to get a flu vaccine to protect yourself and your loved ones through fall, winter and into spring.

Inside or out, when the weather is cold, the risk of falling increases.

Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine

Baby, it’s cold outside, and that dry, crisp air is not forgiving to the skin. If your skin is dry, flaky,
tight or chapped, SIU dermatologist Dr. Stephen Stone shares how you can give your skin a little break.

There’s more than one type of humidifier, but at the most basic level, the device emits water vapor into a space to increase the level of humidity. When used correctly, humidifiers can help to alleviate dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds and other pesky cold-weather conditions. They can even help to reduce some snoring!

Humidify – “When it gets dry enough, the moisture on our skin evaporates into the air,” says Dr. Stone. “Any way you can add humidity to the air in an environment in which you spend a lot of time is going to be helpful.” Dry air can lead to dry skin, chapped lips and nose bleeds. If you have a whole-house humidifier installed on your furnace, turn it up a bit in the winter time. Invest in a humidifier for your bedroom to increase the moisture while you sleep.

Cool it off – Though you might be tempted to bask in the humidity created by a scorching hot shower, Dr. Stone warns that although the heat of the water feels good at the moment, it actually damages the skin by taking away the body’s natural oils. This is especially damaging to older people because their oil glands produce less than when they were younger. He also recommends keeping your bath routine short; staying in the water for too long can also dry out the skin.

Keep it mild – Use mild cleansers on your face and body. You may need to invest in a gentler product during the winter. There are many new moisturizing body washes available, which may be more moisturizing to the skin than bar soaps.  Deodorant soaps and products with alcohol or fragrance can irritate skin.

Moisturize – Dr. Stone recommends consistently applying a moisturizer after bathing to seal in moisture. Creams and ointments usually alleviate dry skin better than lotions, and ingredients such as lactic acid, urea, lanolin, glycerin and alpha hydroxy acids have been known to help soothe dry skin. Dr. Stone also recommends using a small amount of petroleum jelly on your hands before bed if your hands are especially dry or chapped.

Watch what you wear – When it’s cold, cover up! Exposure to cold wind can chafe and dry skin. As you layer, keep in mind that wool and itchy fabrics will irritate the skin. Use mild detergents on the clothing that is close to the skin.

Don’t forget the lips – Keep lips from drying and cracking by using a lip balm, preferably one with SPF 30, throughout the day. Before bed, put on a little petroleum jelly.

Be hands on – Treat your hands as well as the rest of your body. Wear gloves when you’re outside and apply hand cream after each hand washing. Wear waterproof gloves if your hands will be submerged in water or you work with harsh cleaning products. Petroleum jelly before bed can help too.

Copyright ©SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine

The bustling holiday season is here, but the next few days offer a reminder to say two simple words that mean a lot: “Thank you.”

Thank you to

• Our health care providers who support the heath care needs of the community
• Our faculty who continue to motivate our learners
• Our learners who continue to strive for excellence
• Our staff who work collaboratively and creatively
• Our researchers as they work toward innovate cures and therapies
• Our community for choosing SIU HealthCare
• Our benefactors for giving back to SIU School of Medicine so that we can continue our mission of assisting the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs.

Copyright ©SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Written by Lauren Murphy, SIU School of Medicine

SIU School of Medicine’s Children’s Medical and Mental Health Resource Network (CMMHRN) is helping children, teens and their families through a new type of therapy – trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

More than 175 children and teens have received trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy through the Trauma Informed System of Care Learning Collaborative, an effort made possible by a $100,000 donation from The Poshard Foundation and an $80,000 grant from the SIU School of Medicine Rural Health Initiative.

According to CMMHRN clinical director Ginger Meyer, MSW, LCSW, abused children referred to the program, on average, experience more than three different types of trauma, most often sexual and emotional abuse, before receiving help. Nearly two-thirds of these children, ages 3 to 18, experience some form of post-traumatic stress.

The short-term treatment model consists of 8-25 sessions with the child/adolescent and caregiver. The therapy assists youth and parents in learning new skills to help process thoughts and feelings related to traumatic life events; managing and resolving distressing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related traumatic life events; and enhancing safety, awareness, parenting skills and family communication.

Part of the innovative therapy involves the child creating a “trauma narrative.” A trauma narrative serves as a method for the child to learn to tolerate remembering without significant distress and to arrive at a true and helpful way of understanding what the trauma means in their life so that it can be put in the past.

When children can’t yet find the words to express their trauma, therapists encourage them to draw or paint. “Implementing play therapy and art therapy into their sessions can really amplify the positive effects of the trauma therapy,” Kim Honey, LCSW, a member of the Collaborative who is trained to provide the trauma-focused therapy.

The CMMHRN and partner agencies formed 19 care teams that trained 65 clinicians on Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. “This treatment is not just a model of therapy but a unique process of maintaining hope for many kids who may have lost hope due to childhood trauma,” says Honey.

“When you know you can help those children, it feels really good,” Meyer says. “The medical care and therapy the Network provides is one of the first steps to healing.”

To learn more about the CMMHRN and some of the teens who have been helped by this therapy, click here.

Copyright ©SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois