Make Your Mental Health a Priority This New Year

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Joann Ariola

Tis’ the season for New Year Resolutions! We are all talking about shedding some holiday pounds, keeping ourselves more organized or just living our best lives in 2019. While striving towards those goals, why not included your mental health in this years resolutions?

Did you know that mental illness affects millions of Americans, yet not surprisingly, many of those who need help do not receive it. There are many reasons why – it could be due to limited availability of services, or a strong distrust of others, or those who are mentally ill might have such a sense of hopelessness that they do not seek care.

While all of these are factors as to why someone doesn’t seek support, perhaps the biggest single reason is a sense of fear and shame associated with admitting help is needed. This sense of shame is very common and it is only reinforced by society, which has attached stigmas to mental illness. The beliefs the public has about mental illness leads those who need help to avoid it so they are not labeled as “crazy” and have their condition negatively affect their personal relationships and career goals.

Getting society to overcome the stigmas associated with mental illness is the key to having more individuals come forward, but unfortunately negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common. These stigmas can lead to obvious and direct discrimination, such as someone making a negative remark about mental illness or it may be unintentional or subtle, such as someone avoiding an individual because they assume they could be unstable, violent or dangerous due to mental illness.

Those with mental illness should never be ashamed of their condition and here are some reasons why:

According to the World Health Organization, one out of four people will experience mental health problems at some point in their lives.
Shame is pretty much guaranteed to make things worse. Feelings of shame are proven to have detrimental effects on our mental and physical health
Mental illness is no one’s fault. No one asks to have a mental illness and it is definitely not a choice we make.
We’re not ashamed when our bodies get sick, so why should we be ashamed when our minds aren’t in top form.
There is no normal – our minds are complex things and no single brain is the same
Our mental health doesn’t define us. Don’t let your mental illness become who you are, it is just one aspect of you.

It’s time to speak out against the stigmas associated with mental illness and reframe the way we see it. Getting help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength.

Flushing Hospital advises anyone who feels they need help to get it. Don’t let the fear of being labeled with a mental illness prevent you from seeking help. Treatment can provide relief and help you in life.

To make an appointment at Flushing Hospital’s Outpatient Mental Health Center, please call 718-670-5522.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

When Eating Healthy, This Desert Takes the Cake!

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Joann Ariola

Rich Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ingredients

CRUST:

30 chocolate wafers (such as Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Wafers)
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon canola oil

FILLING:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
2 large egg yolks
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon white rum
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
10 tablespoon fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

PREPARATION

To prepare crust, place wafers in a food processor; process until finely ground. Add 3 ounces melted chocolate and oil; process until blended. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze 15 minutes or until set.
To prepare the filling, combine sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in a large saucepan; stir with a whisk. Add half of milk and 2 yolks; stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 4 ounces chocolate, and stir until smooth. Stir in rum. Pour filling into prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 4 hours or until set. Serve with raspberries and whipped topping.

For this and more healthy deserts, check out –

Department of Finance and Food Services Bring Holiday Cheer to Children!

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Joann Ariola

Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s (FHMC) Department Spotlight shines on two departments who brought holiday cheer to the children in our Pediatric Unit and children living in shelters.

The Department of Finance held their Annual Holiday Gathering and collected toys from each participant at the event. The donated toys will be distributed to the children are spending the holiday season in the hospital.

Maria Smilios, RN, Director of Nursing who oversees Pediatrics stated, “There were so many toys collected they will given to for the children long after the holidays are over.”

Another department who was committed to bringing cheer to the less fortunate was Food Services and Nutrition. They collected over 100 toys for Toys For Tots. The donation was made to the NYPD for distribution to family shelters in Queens.

Tracy Tompkins, Director of Food and Nutrition was elated by the participation of her department as well as the staff at FHMC.

The departments involved in the toy collection would like to thank the employees and administrators at FHMC , as well as Health First for their generous donation of toys.

Easy and Delicious Frittata

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Joann Ariola

Tired of the same meals night after night? Try this easy and delicious Frittata receipe. We bet most of the ingredients are already in your fridge!

Ingredients:

Olive oil for drizzling
8 mushrooms, quartered
6 asparagus spears, chopped
Salt and ground pepper to taste
12 large eggs
½ cup grated Monterey Jack
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 dashes of hot sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
1 cold baked potato, diced
¼ cup chopped green olives with pimentos
2 jarred roasted peppers, sliced thin
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Drizzle olive oil over the mushrooms and asparagus on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until a nice color is achieved, about 12 minutes. Set aside.

Beat together the eggs with some salt and pepper in a bowl. (Do not over-beat; just mix until the eggs mostly come together.) Stir in the Monterey Jack, Parmesan and hot sauce and set aside.

In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown, several minutes. Add the diced potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add the asparagus, mushrooms, olives and roasted red peppers and cook, stirring, until everything is hot.

Make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed across the bottom of the skillet, then pour in the egg mixture so that it evenly coats everything. Let it sit on the burner for 30 to 45 seconds to set the edges, then put the skillet in the oven. Cook, watching it carefully, until the eggs are set but not very brown on top, 10 to 12 minutes.

Slide the frittata out of the skillet and onto a cutting board. Sprinkle on the basil and slice into wedges with a long serrated knife.

For this and more delicious recipes visit –

Is There a Sale on Your Health? Try Walking the Mall for Exercise

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Joann Ariola

We all know that regular physical activity is important to our overall health, especially for seniors.

Did you know walking is a great way for older adults to remain active?

Seniors who commit to taking a brisk walk each day may be at a lower risk of:

Heart Disease
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Breast and colon cancers
Depression
Anxiety
Insomnia

With the onset of colder months upon us, how can older adults continue their walking routine and remain active?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that in the colder months, you can utilize indoor malls for your brisk walk. Malls can be pedestrian friendly, they are climate-controlled, are well lit, have benches for resting, fountains for hydrating, restrooms, as well as security guards and cameras for safety.

For more information on mall walking programs and for other walking resources visit the CDC’s Mall Walking: A program Resource Guide at –

So get yourself a comfortable pair of walking shoes, hit the mall and improve your health!

National Handwashing Awareness Week!

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Joann Ariola

The first week in December is marked as National Handwashing Awareness Week. Flushing Hospital Medical Center believes that Infection prevention is important to all of us and each of us has a valuable role to play in keeping patients safe from infection.

According to the CDC, handwashing is a “do-it-yourself” precaution —it involves five simple and effective steps (Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) you can take to reduce the spread of diarrheal and respiratory illness so you can stay healthy. Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.

It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick. Handwashing is a win for everyone, except the germs.

DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT – WOUND CARE SERVICES

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Joann Ariola

This month our Department Spotlight shines on Wound Care Services. Wound healing is a multidisciplinary service that provides specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing wounds. They are usually wounds that do not show improvement in four weeks or are not totally healed in eight weeks.

These types of wounds can lead to life-threatening infections, amputation, and debilitating health problems.

The Wound Care Center at Flushing Hospital Medical Center is a state-of-the-art unit that provides specialized, interdisciplinary wound care to patients who suffer from non-healing or chronic wounds.

Designed to bring technically advanced, surgically-oriented wound care to patients whose wounds are resistant to traditional forms of treatment, the center is staffed with plastic surgeons, general surgeons, podiatrists, vascular surgeons and RNs certified in wound care.

It currently boasts a success rate of 91%, which is above the national average, and has expanded to a six-bed unit to better accommodate its growing number of patients.

If you have a sore or wound that just won’t heal and you’d like to schedule an appointment with our Wound Care Services, call 718-670-4542.

Employee Spotlight – Fran Goulston

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Joann Ariola

The November Employee Spotlight shines on Frances (Fran) Goulston. Fran is the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Coordinator at Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC). She has been a well-respected member of the FHMC team since October, 2000.

As Coordinator for CME activities, her duties include the organization of conferences, maintaining resident attendance records, distribution of CME credits, handling the funds devoted to conferences, finding and contacting guest speakers, maintaining relationships with sponsoring agencies as well as maintaining relationships with staff at Flushing and Jamaica Hospital’s. Fran also works with the hospital’s surrounding community organizations and medical groups such as the Association of Chinese American Physicians (ACAP).

At home, Fran Goulston is known as the backbone of her family. When she is not at work, she can be found with her daughter Eva, Drew, shopping with her nieces, watching TV with their puppy Royce or working for her community as Vice President of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association.

When asked about how she feels about her work, she stated, “Being a people person, I really like the day to day interactions I have with people from different professional and ethnic backgrounds. My job can be challenging, but I like a good challenge!”

#Wellness Wednesday

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Joann Ariola

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. -John F. Kennedy

BENEFITS OF COLLAGEN FOR MAINTAINING A HEALTHY GUT

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Joann Ariola

When talking about collagen, most people would equate it with skin care, but younger looking skin is only where the benefits of collagen begin. Collagen can also play an important role in building and maintaining healthy connective tissue throughout your digestive tract.

Maintaining a strong digestive tract and stomach lining is extremely important for the prevention of a condition known as “leaky gut.” Leaky gut happens when there are damages in the barrier lining of your intestine. This condition may allow food and waste particles to pass into the bloodstream, causing an inflammation. Leaky gut can cause bloating, gas, stomach cramps, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), as well as sensitivity to foods that are wheat-based, high in sugar and contain gluten.

Foods that are known to trigger leaky gut are:

Wheat-based products
Gluten-containing grains
Processed meats
Baked goods
Snack foods
Junk food
Dairy products
Refined oils
Artificial sweeteners
Sauces
Beverages

Some simple ways to add more collagen to your diet are:Collagen is beneficial to gut health because it contains large amounts of the amino acids glycine, glutamine and proline which can be beneficial to the intestinal tract as well as the stomach.

Bone broth – Bone broth is made by simmering bones to help extract the flavor and beneficial nutrients of the bones marrow. It is not only an excellent source of collagen, but it is tastes good and is easy to add to your diet through soups and stews.
Powdered gelatin – Gelatin is the cooked form or collagen. By utilizing powdered gelatin as a tea or by adding it to your soups, stews and broths, you can quickly bump up your collagen consumption.
Supplements with collagen peptides – Collagen peptides are an easy way to get this important amino acid. Most brands are broken down so that they are easy to digest and absorb.

Although leaky gut is more prevalent in persons with chronic diseases such as, celiac’s disease and type 1 diabetes, main source of leaky gut remains a mystery. Therefore, its treatment may vary. Most doctors recommend adding a healthier menu to your lifestyle. They suggest adding more vegetables, fruit, gluten-free grains, healthy fats, fish, lean meats, eggs and yogurt to your diet.

If you are showing signs and symptoms of leaky gut and they persist, please see your doctor for further discussion. If you’d like to make an appointment at Flushing Hospital Medical Centers, Ambulatory Care Center, call 718-670-5486 to schedule an appointment.