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NEW JERSEY COPS ■ JULY 2014
Healthy Living Tips From
Ask Our Physician
If you’ve had a heart attack it’s
time to fiber up
Many studies have touted the benefits of a high-fiber diet; it
can help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol and even lower
the risk of heart disease. New research takes those findings one
step further, suggesting that fiber, especially from whole grains,
can help heart attack survivors live longer.
In the study of more than 4,000 adults, those who ate the most
cereal fiber – found in foods like oatmeal, barley and wholewheat pasta – were 27-percent less likely to die than those who
ate the least.
How much fiber do you need? Experts recommend women
ages 50 or younger get about 25 grams per day; older women
need a bit less, about 21 grams. Men ages 50 or younger should
aim for 38 grams per day, while those ages 51 and up need about
30 grams.
If you plan to increase your fiber intake, be sure to do it gradually and drink more water as well. (If you have heart failure, talk
with your doctor before increasing fluid intake.)
How to do it? If you haven’t already, switch to whole-wheat
bread and pasta, and choose brown rice over white. Use wholewheat flour in recipes that call for flour, sprinkle sunflower seeds
or almonds in salads or add barley to soups. Need a filling breakfast? Steel-cut oats are a fiber-rich choice.
For more ideas, go to www.deborah.org. d
John Cooper, DO, FACOS
Wound Care Center Medical Director at
Deborah Heart and Lung Center,
answers your question:
I am diabetic and have an open wound on
JOHN
my leg that just won’t heal despite everyCOOPER
thing my doctor has recommended. Is
there anything else I can do?
~ David H., Toms River
Absolutely, David. Deborah has just opened The James
Klinghoffer Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Treatment. This Center is a natural extension for Deborah’s core specialty services offering additional continuum of care, since
many cardiovascular patients suffer with poor circulation and
diabetes, often leading to slow-healing wounds.
The Center offers a comprehensive approach from Deborah
specialists to care for patients with non-healing wounds and
complex medical issues, combined with a strong panel of
board-certified wound and hyperbaric specialists.
If needed, the Center also has hyperbaric oxygen therapy
(HBOt) chambers delivering 100-percent pure oxygen in a
pressurized environment two to three times higher than normal air pressure, enabling quicker wound healing for open
sores in a comfortable environment with built-in TVs and the
ability to talk to the staff.
Please contact us for your evaluation at 1-800-555-1990. d