Health

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD

The New Year is here and most of us are interested in adding “lose a few pounds” to our list of New Year’s resolutions. Sounds simple enough, but where to begin?  The key to losing weight, almost effortlessly, is to eat real food most of the time and listen to your body.

A great goal is to eat real food 75-80% of the time.  The term “real food” may be defined differently according to other health professionals, but my definition is:

Flu Shots are still available at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health.  Flu shots are recommended for all those who have not yet received the vaccine and will be effective throughout the rest of the flu season.
Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care continues to offer flu shots every Friday by appointment. Appointments can be made by calling 563-568-5660.

COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines may be administered at the same visit, on the same day. For example, COVID-19 vaccines can safely and effectively be administered the same time as the flu vaccines.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health has announced they will be offering walk-in clinics for all doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, each Friday afternoon in January from 1:30-3:45 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room located on the southeast side of the hospital.  Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available.

Parking is available by the orange cones along the golf course for easy access to the vaccine location. Flu shots will also be available and can be safely administered at the same time as the COVID vaccine. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Those participating must wear a mask and bring their insurance card and vaccination card if they are coming for their second or booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise following the holidays, many are caring for someone at home who has been diagnosed with the virus. The following is a list of ways to care for and support those sick at home with COVID-19 from the CDC:

Provide Support
• See if over-the-counter medicines for fever help the person feel better.
• Make sure the person who is sick drinks a lot of fluids and rests.

Watch for warning signs
• Call their doctor if the person keeps getting sicker.
• For medical emergencies, call 911 and tell the dispatcher that the person has or might have COVID-19.

Exercising is important to do all year round. One should not feel that they need to stay indoors to exercise during cold weather. A good workout outdoors in the winter can be very exhilarating. Just follow the steps below for keeping it a safe outdoor winter workout:

• Warm up longer than usual before heading outdoors in cold weather.
• Keep skin dry. This in turn will keep the exerciser warmer.
• Dress accordingly using many layers. Be sure that the outer layer will break the wind. Add a fluffy layer, like fleece or wool, to trap heat in. And long underwear is good to keep the skin dry.
• Always wear a hat to prevent heat loss through the top of the head.
• Wear mittens instead of gloves to allow air to circulate better between the fingers, keeping the hands warmer.

Always be sure to exercise in a safe, well-lit area. Stay clear of any icy spots and proceed with care in snow. One never knows what may lie under those snow-covered spots.

The dry air experienced during the winter months is an integral factor in creating dry skin problems. Heating systems to warm homes and offices, most commonly forced-air heat, wrings even more moisture out of the already dry air. This dry air can take moisture right out of the skin and causes the top layer, which is made up of dead skin cells, to flake.

What can a person do?
1. Use a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier to replace the moisture in the air. Fewer static electricity shocks will be given off of light switches, and clothes, especially sweaters, won’t crackle or stick to the body.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health continue to hold Friday vaccine clinics for COVID-19 booster immunizations. The COVID-19 booster dose is now available for anyone who wishes to receive it, ages five and up, as long as it has been at least six months since their last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Everyone will need to wear a mask and bring along any insurance cards. Also bring along your vaccination card for updating.

General immunizations and flu shots are available the first and third Wednesday of each month between the hours of 1:30-5:30 p.m. by appointment only. Make an appointment for these clinics by calling 563-568-5660. COVID-19 vaccine is also available at the Waukon Gundersen Clinic, Hartig Drug, Nightingale Pharmacy and the Veterans Memorial Hospital Medical Clinic.

by Diane Allison, R.N., Certified Lactation Consultant at Veterans Memorial Hospital   

Choosing whether to breastfeed or formula feed your baby is only one of the many decisions expectant parents will make. It takes time to make such an important decision because it will not only affect your baby’s life but also the lives of the entire household. Breastfeeding is a commitment that both parents are involved in as it takes support from the partner to be successful.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) joins other organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) in recommending breastfeeding as the best for babies. Breastfeeding helps defend against infections, prevent allergies, and protects against a number of chronic conditions.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to five days (if asymptomatic) followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the one to two days prior to onset of symptoms and the two to three days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for five days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for five days to minimize the risk of infecting others.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, January 6, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.