Healthy RGV Issue 104 - Driscoll Urology Clinics offer Comprehensive Care for Children

ISSUE 104
EDITORIAL CONTENT
HEALTHY KIDS
RAISING ADVENTUROUS KIDS
8
HOW TO IMPLEMENT MINIMALISM
FOR YOUR KIDS IN YOUR HOME
10
FITNESS & BEAUTY
THE CASE FOR PROGRESSIVE
LENSES: YAY OR NAY?
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
12
HOW SLEEP SUPPORTS YOUR
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
KERATOSIS PILARIS
34
36
FRIENDSHIP
6
MEAT LOAF
38
DRISCOLL UROLOGY CLINICS
OFFER COMPREHENSIVE
CARE FOR CHILDREN
14
HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN EARLY
ADULTHOOD INCREASES LONG-
TERM RISK OF CORONARY
HEART DISEASE
16
HOW TO RECOGNIZE
ADD IN ADULTS
18
PREVENTATIVE PMS: HOW TO
PROTECT LOVED ONES AND
BALANCE YOUR BOD
21
REVOLUTIONIZING THE PATIENT
EXPERIENCE THROUGH NEXT-
GENERATION CANCER CARE
24
BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR
RESISTANCE: THE KEY TO SURFING
AND SURVIVING THE CHAOS OF
TODAY'S UNCERTAIN WORLD
32
WHY ARE MILLENNIALS HAVING
HIGHER RATES OF
COLORECTAL CANCER?
31
contact@healthymagazine.com
ph. 305-395-4554 | www.healthymagazine.com

PUBLISHER
Mauricio Portillo
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Claudia Portillo
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Arnaldo Del Valle
"Being
healthy and
fit is not longer
a fad or a trend
it's a Lifestyle."
COPY EDITOR
Lora Incardona
ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR
Andres Portillo
WEBSITE DIRECTOR
Maria Alejandra Wehdeking
ART AND DESIGN
Carolina Pedraza
PHOTOGRAPHY
Irene Kaplan
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Maria Alejandra Wehdeking
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
James Okun, MD
Nurul Wahid, MD
Meg Meeker, MD
Joaquin N Diego, MD, FCCP, FACC
Rubel Shelly
Allie Casazza
Ava Mallory
Sarah May Bates
Rubel Shelly
Lynn Andrews
Frank Apodaca
Maydelaine Moreno
Judy Elbaum
Claudia Portillo
Editor in Chief
The long-awaited Summer season is upon us! Three
full months to enjoy fun, family time, sunshine, warm
temps, and hopefully, kickstart your commitment to
getting and staying healthy. Three months to start a
new healthier lifestyle, to develop a new, healthy habit,
to expand your horizons, to learn something new, and
hopefully, to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride
due to all your efforts to improve your life and the lives
of those you love. This month, we’re focusing on just
that.
In previous issues, we’ve focused on men, women,
children and almost everything in between, but this
month we’re going to delve into an often-overlooked
segment of the population where health topics are
concerned. This month we’re going to focus on young
adult/early adult health and prevention to, hopefully,
help them gain a head start to stave off potential health
problems later in life. Everything from taking proper
care of your eyes as you age (yes, forty-somethings,
we’re talking to you) to understanding the signs of
symptoms of potential colorectal issues and what you
can do now to decrease your chances of developing
issues later to in-depth discussions pertaining to ADD in
adults and so much more to help keep you on the right
track or to help get you on the right track.
In addition to the bevy of young adult health articles,
you’ll find the same fun, informative, and timely articles
to guide you through your best summer yet. Find new
healthy recipes, discover fun locales to visit, celebrate
the season, enjoy summer barbecues, graduations, and
weddings and rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul
before cooler temps find their way to our side of the
globe and before school is back in session, and the next
warm weather season is months away.
As always, our goal to curate the best advice possible
for our readers has been met yet again. I, for one,
cannot wait to share what we learned, show you what
could be possible, and help you to incorporate new,
healthy habits and lifestyle changes that just may save
your life in the long run. While the topics we discuss
might not be at the top of the list for dinner discussion
options, you’ll soon find out just how vital they are to
your life and to the lives of everyone you’ve ever met.
Without further ado, dear Healthy magazine readers,
this month is all about making your life, and more
importantly, making you the best possible version of
you and helping you to prevent future health issues.
There is no magic bullet, but there are simple, easy, and
life-altering steps you can take to ensure you’re in the
best of health for a longtime coming. There is no better
time to get the ball rolling and take the necessary steps
to make positive changes once and for all, no matter
what stage of life you’re in.
Here’s to your health and cheers to a fun, safe, and
healthy Summer for all!
cportillo@healthymagazine.com
/HEALTHYMAGAZINE
@HEALTHYVALLEY
/HEALTHYMAGAZINEONLINE
/ HEALTHYMAG08
contact@healthymagazine.com | ph. 305-395-4554 | www.healthymagazine.com
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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
FRIENDSHIP
More and more of us appear
to have fewer and fewer
people in our lives whom
we would consider friends.
And lest the word friend
be left too ambiguous,
let a friend be defined as
someone with whom you
have confided matters that
are truly important to you
within the past six months.
Researchers cite evidence
that Americans have a third
fewer close friends than
just a couple of decades
ago. More disturbing still,
the data seem to indicate
that the number of us who
have nobody to count as a
close personal friend has
more than doubled.
The findings hold for both males and
females. They are consistent for people of
all races, ages, and educational levels. Even
within families, the degree of intimacy has
diminished considerably. All this information
can’t be good news, for it translates into
people who feel lonelier and more isolated
than ever.
Emotionally healthy people form meaningful
ties with other human beings. They don’t just
exchange information but share personal
things. They talk about likes and dislikes, joys
and fears. They extend themselves to help
others and know how to accept assistance
when they get in over their heads. When
they have important decisions to make, they
get insight and support from their friends.
Everybody needs a handful of people with
whom to connect in these intimate ways.
Nobody is smart enough, strong enough, or
competent enough to negotiate something
as complicated as this human adventure
called life alone. John Donne protested the
idea that men and women could function
in splendid isolation from one another. “No
man is an island, entire of itself,” he wrote.
I know. You’re busy! So is everybody else –
including the people who are healthy enough
to have emotional ties. You don’t have time
for the obligations in your life already? I
understand that excuse too. But the issue
here is priorities. Which is more important?
Playing computer games or having a friend?
Getting a bigger house or loving (and being
loved by)
the people in the house you have now?
Making extra cash or having a real life?
The same research shows not only that
people have fewer friends these days but
that more and more of us are feeling the
need for them. With the circle drawn so tiny,
people are feeling lonely. Everybody needs
people to count on.
"Everybody
needs a handful
of people
with whom to
connect in these
intimate ways."
If you are one of those people in need of
friends, the best advice I can give is this:
Spend more time being a friend to someone
than in trying to find one.
Care to guess what sort of dividend is
returned on that investment?
By Rubel Shelly
6 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Healthy Kids
RAISING ADVENTUROUS KIDS
8
HOW TO IMPLEMENT
MINIMALISM FOR YOUR
KIDS IN YOUR HOME
THE CASE FOR
PROGRESSIVE LENSES:
YAY OR NAY?
10
14

I
have to say that one of my favorite
conversations to date was with Bob & Maria
Goff. Bob is the author of Love Does and
Maria recently released her first book called
Love Lives Here, and I thought it was the perfect
opportunity to talk to them about their lives as
fearless parents, risk-takers and nurturing a sense
of adventure in your kids.
HEALTHY KIDS · JULY 2017
RAISING ADVENTUROUS KIDS
Bob and Maria were such a joy to talk to and I
hope something you hear encourages and inspires
you! Here are just a few excerpts from our
conversation.
MM: In your book, you make a statement that
I absolutely love, “Do what makes you the most
loving, hopeful version of yourself.” One of the
things I’ve learned as a pediatrician is that when
parents get their lives in order – their kids thrive.
Can you expand on that statement?
MG: I think that one of the things that we
struggle with, whether we’re a single person, a
career person, a mother of a lot of kids or none
at all, we tend to compare ourselves to each
other. It’s a human nature condition. I found that
I was doing that a lot as a young child because
I struggled in school. That was a hard lesson to
learn early on and I think what I got out of that
is that eventually, we have to discover who we
are – and embrace that without trying to judge
someone else’s gift as more important than ours.
For example, in our marriage, Bob and I are very
different. I like to think of him as the balloon and
I’m the string. Each of us is doing different things,
but what each of us is doing is equally important.
MM: Bob, you and Maria have lived a lot of life
together and clearly, you have a strong marriage
– and you really worked as a team in raising your
kids. How did you support each other while raising
your kids?
BG: I think one of the things that stand out in my
mind, is that Maria would always talk to us (myself
and the kids) about who we were becoming,
rather than who we were. Some people get
“head-faked,” thinking they are defined by their
biggest failure. And we’re not. Other people get
“head-faked” another way, thinking their successes
define them. And the truth is, we’re really all just
turning into love, some of us more slowly than
others.
PARENTS, AFFIRM HOW FAR
YOUR KIDS HAVE COME
INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON
HOW FAR THEY HAVE TO GO.
Maria doesn’t talk about how far we have to
go – she talks a lot about how far we’ve come.
And I think that’s what I’ve observed that makes
our family strong. In parenting, just simply
acknowledging how far your kids have come are
words of life you can speak to them.
MM: Your parenting style seems to be quite bold.
And you write about encouraging adventure in
kids, and I need you to tell our audience, Maria,
about how you helped your children “run away.”
MG: They were probably 4, 6 and 8 at the time
and were playing in our safe, fenced in backyard
by themselves. They came running inside and
exclaimed that they had this wonderful idea that
they wanted to “run away.” Of course, that pushed
every mommy button in me! I wanted to knock
down their dream and tell them they were too
young and that it was a bad idea, that you can’t
think like that. But I had a choice – to either knock
it down or to get behind them.
And I decided that I would get behind them. I saw
the delight in their eyes and their enthusiasm –
that they weren’t running away from something,
they were running towards an adventure they
wanted to take together. And I saw the value in
that. I thought This is beautiful. They feel like
they can take on the world because they have
each other. Their “running away ” involved tying
all their items up into a scarf at the end of a
stick, like Huckleberry Finn, climbing on top of
our cinder block wall, and just marching around
all 3 corners of our property line, making it bad
for dinner. And I watched them the entire time
through the kitchen window, as they discovered
this “adventure.”
DON'T BE AFRAID TO
ENCOURAGE ADVENTURE
IN YOUR KIDS.
When they got home for dinner, the tone in their
voice was priceless! They felt like their world just
got bigger. They saw themselves and each other in
a different way. And I see them now, today, going
on adult-type adventures with each other. So I
think we can help plant those seeds in them when
they’re young, in hopes that when they grow, they
still know who are the people around them that
have their back.
8 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
MM: It seems to me that both of you parent with
the sense of fearlessness, and I see a lot of fear in
parents. What are parents so afraid of?
BG: I think one of the things that come naturally
to all of us is the fear of failing. You don’t want to
mess up. But the truth is, failing isn’t a bad day, it’s
just a Tuesday. I think that if there is one thing that
we’ve spoken to our kids about a lot is “fail trying.”
We’ve all experienced pain and loss, but I want to
fail trying – I don’t want to fail watching. Failing
every once in a while, or even every day, doesn’t
define who we are.
MG: As a mom, the fact that I did hit rock bottom
in the course of my life and did bounce back up
means that I place a high value on hitting rock
bottom. Sometimes I would pray that when my
kids had rough spells, that God would get them
there quickly… get them to that bottom place fast
so we can work on the bouncing back up and all
the lessons learned from it.
WE DON’T ALWAYS GROW
WHERE WE’RE INSTRUCTED.
WE GROW WHERE WE’RE
LOVED AND ACCEPTED.
BG: We don’t always grow where we’re
instructed. We grow where we’re loved. We grow
where we’re accepted. What I’ve seen Maria do in
our family, in particular, is to create a place where
there is love, acceptance – it isn’t algebra class –
we’re not trying to teach everybody new things
– we’re trying to love them so they would grow in
the ways that they’re meant to grow. And there’s
something beautiful if you know you’re never
flying without a net. There’s something beautiful
for risk takers, when you just say “let’s go do this
thing.” Our kids knew that even if they failed, they
were loved unconditionally.
By Meg Meeker, MD

HEALTHY KIDS · JULY 2017
HOW TO IMPLEMENT
MINIMALISM FOR YOUR
KIDS IN YOUR HOME
01
DECLUTTER
THE TOYS
In order to get started, you have to
let go of all the things that have been
keeping you overwhelmed and your kids
overstimulated with entertainment. Start
slow, don’t overthink it, and just startthose
are my biggest pieces of advice
here. Don’t sneak around and get rid of
stuff behind your kids’ back- that’s not
what we want here. We want them to be
aware and understand this process, so
it’s better to go slower and wait for them
to get on board than to lose their trust.
02
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Kids know what you show them. When
I implemented minimalism in the rest of
the house and we started living this way
in every area, my kids learned that this
was just a part of our family and how we
roll. Now they don’t remember anything
else and it’s just the way things are.
03
CHOOSE OUTDOOR
TIME OVER SCREEN
TIME
It’s a habit you can choose to make.
Technology is awesome and there’s a time
and place for it, but it doesn’t have to be
the only way to fill your kids’ time if you
don’t want it to be. Don’t let bad weather
be an excuse to pull the iPad out either. If
you live in a state with lots of freezing or
scalding days, you have the challenge of
getting creative and encouraging your kids
to do the same! Nothing amazing comes
easy. Sometimes you have to fight for
what you want and make it happen like the
warrior mama you are!
04
PLAY WITH YOUR KIDS
SOMETIMES (BUT LET
THEM LEARN HOW TO
KEEP THEMSELVES
ENTERTAINED TOO)
Get outside, have a living room dance party,
make up a game together… be the mom
who plays and makes awesome memories!
05
CONSCIOUS
CONSUMERISM
What kind of toys are you choosing to
keep as you declutter? What kind of toys
will you buy going forward?
Personally, I choose to have things in our
house that encourage my kids to use their
imaginations or to build things. Legos,
blocks, dress up costumes, things like that
are so worth the space they take up and
always inspire creative play. If you have
things like this and your kids don’t play
with them, declutter the rest of the toys,
give it a week and watch what changes.
ALLIE CASAZZA is The
Purposeful Housewife.
She is all about helping
you purge the clutter
that's clogging your joy,
rediscover the purpose
in your days, and live with
intention.
Learn more about Allie
@thepurposefulhousewife.
10 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
THE CASE FOR
PROGRESSIVE
LENSES: YAY
OR NAY?
Aging is inevitable even for our eyes. The fact
of the matter is our eyes age right along with
the rest of our bodies. Eventually, it becomes
more and more difficult to adjust our focus
from what we can see at arm’s length to what
we can see at a distance. Progressive lenses
allow us to see everything-near or far-more
clearly.
SO, WHAT PROGRESSIVE
LENSES AND HOW DO
THEY WORK?
They are the lenses that will transform a
blurry blob into a crystal-clear picture no
matter the distance. With these lenses, there
is a near-seamless transition between long
distances away and what is right in front of
your face. No more jumping between images.
No more having to switch from a glasses
on and a glasses off position or having to
go from looking out the top of your lens to
looking through the bottom of a lens to see
at different distances. And unlike the clunky
glasses of old, progressive lenses appear
clear throughout. No more distracting lines
that are notorious in everyday, run of the mill
bifocal lenses.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE
LENSES AND BIFOCALS?
Bifocals only let you see clearly faraway and
up close, but objects at arm’s length away will
still appear blurry. On top of that, the abrupt
change will be jarring to the eye and perhaps
your equilibrium, especially when shifting
your focus from near and far viewing areas.
Not only is this off-putting to longtime lens
wearers, but it can be extremely distracting
and unattractive to the eye. The half-moon
shape lower lenses that make the bifocal
get in the way when you’re doing simple eye
tasks, and can create headaches.
WHEN TO MAKE
THE TRANSITION TO
PROGRESSIVE LENSES?
Here’s the gist of what happens to your eyes
as you age; starting at about the age of forty,
your eyes begin to slowly, over time, lose
their ability to focus on objects that are close
by. You’ll find yourself holding the newspaper
or a book at an arm’s length to see, or you
might notice difficulty driving at night or
reading in dim light. Oftentimes, we put off
having our eyes checked. We strain our eyes,
refusing to acknowledge the truth about
what’s going on. That choice often leads to
eye fatigue, tension headaches, and most
notably, may cause you to miss important
details around you.
Who wants to continue rocking a bifocal,
letting their eyes stress and strain to do
normal, everyday tasks, when you could have
the perfect eye accessory that not only looks
stylish, feels great, and also makes it possible
to see from all ranges: close, mid, and far
away. Stop going back and forth between
lenses and use a lens that won’t make you
feel older but will make you and your poor
eyes feel better. They’re the perfect stylish
solution for a smart, sophisticated and stylish
consumer that won’t feel like you’ve put a
sign on your forehead alerting people to
the fact that you’re aging just like the rest
of us have or will. Progressive lenses are the
solution to all your eye problems.
12 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Healthy
Lifestyle
FRIENDSHIP
DRISCOLL UROLOGY CLINICS
OFFER COMPREHENSIVE
CARE FOR CHILDREN
HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN EARLY
ADULTHOOD INCREASES
LONG-TERM RISK OF
CORONARY HEART DISEASE
HOW TO RECOGNIZE
ADD IN ADULTS
PREVENTATIVE PMS: HOW TO
PROTECT LOVED ONES AND
BALANCE YOUR BOD
REVOLUTIONIZING THE PATIENT
EXPERIENCE THROUGH NEXT-
GENERATION CANCER CARE
WHY ARE MILLENNIALS
HAVING HIGHER RATES OF
COLORECTAL CANCER?
BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR
RESISTANCE: THE KEY TO SURFING
AND SURVIVING THE CHAOS OF
TODAY'S UNCERTAIN WORLD
6
14
16
18
21
24
31
32

COVER STORY · JULY 2017
Pediatric Urologists Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD
(left), and Leon Smith-Harrison, MD, are
dedicated to bringing the best care possible
to their patients in the Rio Grande Valley.
“Adding urodynamic testing to the McAllen clinic
makes it more accessible to the community and
it means quicker and more efficient care for the
patients,” said Pediatric Urologist Leon Smith-
Harrison, MD, one of two Driscoll Children’s
Hospital urologists who travel to the Valley to see
patients.
“Having urodynamic testing offered in McAllen
will be of great benefit for many of our patients
in the Rio Grande Valley area that up to this point
needed to travel to our clinic in Corpus Christi to
have the testing done. Providing this care locally
in McAllen will increase treatment compliance and
therefore will improve the care to our patients,”
said Pediatric Urologist Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD.
“Most of the patients requiring urodynamic testing
need close follow-up, sometimes repeating studies
every 6-12 months in order to monitor changes in
the functionality, elasticity, capacity, contractility,
etc., that could affect renal function. Detecting
these changes on time decreases chances of
infections, renal failure, hemodialysis and kidney
transplantation,” said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.
UD testing will be available in McAllen in August.
The tests will be administered by Driscoll nurse
practitioners Natalie Barganski, RN, CPNP, and
Melissa Miller, RN, FNP-C, and the results will
be read by Drs. Smith-Harrison and Cruz-Diaz.
Primary care physicians can’t schedule a UD test,
so patients must first be evaluated by a urologist.
DRISCOLL
UROLOGY CLINICS
OFFER COMPREHENSIVE
CARE FOR CHILDREN
In addition to the McAllen clinic, Driscoll Children’s
Hospital has Urology clinics at Driscoll Children’s
Specialty Center – Brownsville (5500 North
Expressway 77), Driscoll Children’s Specialty
Center – Harlingen (2121 Pease St., Medical Arts
Pavilion, Suite 600), Driscoll Children’s Specialty
Center – Laredo (7210 McPherson Road, Suite 104,
Building A), Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus
Christi (3533 South Alameda St., Furman Building,
Suite 301), and Driscoll Children’s Specialty Center
– Victoria (115 Medical Drive, Suite 201).
In the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Smith-Harrison sees
patients in McAllen, while Dr. Cruz-Diaz sees
patients in McAllen, Brownsville and Laredo.
Drs. Smith-Harrison and Cruz-Diaz are proud of all
their staff at the various Valley clinics.
Big things are in store for the
Urology Clinic at Driscoll
Children’s Medical Plaza –
McAllen (1120 East Ridge Road),
with the upcoming inclusion of
urodynamic testing at the clinic.
The children of the Rio Grande Valley will benefit
greatly from the establishment of urodynamic
testing at Driscoll’s Urology Clinic in McAllen, since
it will be the first pediatric-focused clinic in the Rio
Grande Valley to offer the testing.
Urodynamic testing is a study that assesses how
the bladder and urethra are performing their job
of storing and releasing urine. A urodynamic (UD)
test helps physicians learn more about a child’s
bladder capacity, a child’s bladder pressures, and a
child’s ability to hold and empty urine.
“We have a fantastic staff that begins with
our receptionists who answer the calls. Our
medical assistants, registered nurses and nurse
practitioners screen and address our patients’
needs. They are dedicated professionals who do
not give up until our patients’ needs are fulfilled,”
said Dr. Smith-Harrison.
14 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

COVER STORY · JULY 2017
“Being the primary interface with the
patients, the staff is indispensable to the
providers in caring for our patients. We
establish the trust with our patients by
providing timely and supportive care,”
said Dr. Smith-Harrison.
Such trust is important, especially when
parents have to decide what kind of care
they want their children to receive.
“In the pediatric world, I like to think
that we are a team: a team that involves
nurses, technicians, medical assistants,
physicians, but more importantly, the
parents. First of all, parents are the
ones who take the initial decision of
trusting their child to our practice. They
decide whether or not they will pursue
surgery, whether or not they will give
the medication, whether or not they will
follow recommendations provided in
our encounters. As you can see, parents
are the key element to the success of
treatment of our patients,” said Dr.
Cruz-Diaz.
INDIVIDUALIZED CARE
IS IMPORTANT TO
DRISCOLL PHYSICIANS.
“Children are unique when it comes to their
diagnoses and pathology that need to be
addressed; therefore our medical approach is
indeed different. Children react differently. The
parents are also involved in these visits and they
need to be addressed as well, so that they are able
to care for the children properly,” said Dr. Smith-
Harrison.
Driscoll’s Urology clinics offer comprehensive
services for children from birth to 21 years of
age. Areas of expertise for Urology medical
staff involve children’s kidneys, bladder,
congenital anomalies, bladder infections, urinary
incontinence, kidney stones, cancers, urinary tract
infections, and complex reconstruction.
The clinics also offer specialized care to children
with a vast array of pathologies involving the
genitourinary system such as undescended
testicles, hydrocele/inguinal hernias, neurogenic
bladder/bowel, voiding dysfunction, ambiguous
genitalia, penile anomalies (hypospadias,
epispadias, penile torsion, penile curvature),
bladder exstrophy, cloacal anomalies, among
others.
“We are able to meet all and any pediatric urology
needs. The primary challenge that we come across
often is distance. We see a plethora of patients
and most of them live in the Rio Grande Valley or
in between the Valley and Corpus Christi,” said Dr.
Smith-Harrison.
To meet such needs, education is necessary.
The daVinci XI Surgical System is an advanced robotic device that allows Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD (left), and Leon
Smith-Harrison, MD, to better perform laparoscopic surgery. The daVinci offers minimally invasive surgery,
faster recovery time, smaller incisions, and less pain and blood loss for patients.
“Education is an integral aspect of pediatric
urology. On some occasions, education is the only
management that certain patients require. For
example, patients who have voiding dysfunction
(bedwetting, urinary incontinence, urinary holding,
etc.) require a profound education not only for
the patient but for their family support system.
Currently, our nurse practitioners and ourselves
are directly involved in providing education to our
patients,” said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.
“Our patients are children, so they need to be
reached at their age level of communication. We
stress during the time of the visit to the parents
the child’s needs to educate them as to what is
going on with their child. Recently, we also started
doing weekend conferences to offer additional
education for the parents and patients,” said Dr.
Smith-Harrison.
Driscoll urologists believe in using the latest
in medical technology to help their young
patients. Both physicians have seen numerous
technological advances during their medical
careers.
“The primary change in technology has
revolved around computers and the internet
in communication, medical records, diagnostic
equipment, and robots. Because of this with
regards to surgery, we’ve developed a way to
perform minimal invasive surgeries,” said Dr.
Smith-Harrison. Currently, only minor procedures
such as circumcision are offered in the Valley.
The daVinci XI Surgical System is one device the
urologists are utilizing in performing laparoscopic
surgery. The daVinci is an advanced robotic device
which allows for minimally invasive surgery, faster
recovery time, smaller incisions, and less pain and
blood loss for patients.
“One of our goals is to continue expanding the
robotic program to include more challenging/
advanced robotic surgical procedures such as
bladder augmentation and bladder neck surgery,”
said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.
“
There will always
be a need to balance
technology and science with
‘the art of medicine,’ ” said
Dr. Smith-Harrison.
Both physicians are keenly aware of the
importance of properly practicing “the art of
medicine.”
“We believe it’s a privilege and honor to care for
our pediatric urology patients in South Texas. We
are honored by the trust given to us by patients.
We are able to provide a spectrum of pediatric
urology care, from the medical diagnosis to the
treatments and finally their surgeries. We are
absolutely committed to providing state-of-the-art
care to the children of the Rio Grande Valley,” said
Dr. Smith-Harrison.
“I always remind myself of the privilege of being
a pediatric urologist. With every patient that I
take care of, I am not only impacting the life of
the patient, I also impact the life of the people
surrounding the child, with every decision, with
every word, with every gesture. I just feel blessed,”
said Dr. Cruz-Diaz. “My passion of providing
excellent care will never change, regardless of the
challenges that a patient may present.”
15 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
Hyperlipidemia in
Early Adulthood
Increases Long-
Term Risk
of Coronary
Heart Disease
Recent research by Duke
University reports that a
prolonged diagnosis of
hyperlipidemia in young
adulthood does raise
the risk of developing
CHD, Coronary Heart Disease, in the
future.
It is widely known that hyperlipidemia is
a term that encompasses many different
disorders. Its implications can be a direct
result of many factors including certain
genetic disorders. What it means to
have hyperlipidemia is that one might
experience high levels of fats circulating
in the bloodstream including fats,
cholesterol, and triglycerides. When these
fats (lipids) enter artery walls, they can,
and most often do, increase a person's
risk of developing atherosclerosis, or the
hardening of the arteries). That increase
can lead to conditions like strokes, heart
attacks, and perhaps the need to amputate
a limb if necessary. Risk factors for early
adults with hyperlipidemia increase with
other comorbidities like diabetes, history
of smoking, high blood pressure and renal
insufficiency.
Hyperlipidemia is a chronic condition that
requires ongoing medications, such as statins
or fenofibrates, to control blood lipid levels.
It is most often found in people living in
the United States and Europe due to the
prevalence of those who follow a high-fat
diet.
THE SYMPTOMS OF
HYPERLIPIDEMIA INCLUDE:
Elevated blood lipid levels upon
testing that have no known cause
Symptoms that develop following
a diagnosis of atherosclerosis
Angina and heart attacks caused
by narrow heart arteries
Strokes
Pain with walking and or a
diagnosis of gangrene
It should be noted that hyperlipidemia in
itself doesn't cause symptoms, it can increase
the risk of developing cardiovascular disease,
including diseases associated with the blood
vessels that supply the heart (coronary artery
disease), the brain (cerebrovascular disease),
and the limbs (peripheral vascular disease).
The implications of an early adulthood
diagnosis drastically increase the risk of
developing more serious comorbidities that
can be detrimental to one's health over the
long term.
Other factors increase the risks even more,
like gender, age, family history of coronary
disease at a young age in a parents or a
sibling, particularly a young (younger than
55 years of age) sibling, cigarette smoking,
hypertension (elevated blood pressure),
kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus type
I or II, and other varied conditions.
On top of treating the condition after
diagnosis, health care providers spend
a considerable amount of time and
effort focusing on strong and proven
preventative medicine. Diagnosis and
management at the onset of the condition
and ongoing after a diagnosis have
been shown to prevent cardiovascular
disease (CVD). Over recent decades,
their ongoing treatment of patients with
hyperlipidemia has shown a direct correlation
between high lipid concentrations and the
risk of CVD, the leading cause of death in the
United States.
One landmark study determined that the
proper therapeutic interventions to lower
elevated cholesterol levels do result in
reduced risk factors for cardiovascular
morbidity or mortality for those diagnosed
with hyperlipidemia, thus furthering the idea
that one does indeed impact the other. For
those reasons, medical practitioners have
shifted their focus to prevention overall.
By Joaquin N Diego, MD, FCCP, FACC
16 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
HOW TO
RECOGNIZE
ADD IN
ADULTS
Did you know that ADHD, or
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, isn't just a disorder
children suffer from? Over the
last couple of decades, more
and more adults have been diagnosed with
it, and that's not to mention the estimated
number of adults who've yet to be diagnosed
it.
No matter what your age, the problem can be
difficult to diagnose. The symptoms that are
synonymous with ADHD can be attributed
to many other disorders or hard to pinpoint
unless there is clear evidence of other
symptoms.
BUT DOCTORS MAY HAVE
COME UP WITH A WAY TO
MAKE A DIAGNOSIS EASIER
TO DETERMINE. THEY'VE
CREATED A SIMPLE SIX-
QUESTION SCREENING
TEST THAT MAY BE ABLE TO
DETERMINE IF AN ADULT
HAS ADHD ACCURATELY.
The test was designed by an advisory group
of the World Health Organization. They,
along with two board-certified psychiatrists,
is based on updated ADHD criteria as it's
lined out in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders-5. These criteria
are broader than the original version because
the previous version didn't accurately detect
a broad cross-section of adults who suffer
with mild to extreme cases of ADHD.
THESE SIX QUESTIONS MAKE UP
THE NEW ADHD SCREENING TEST:
1. How often do you have difficulty
concentrating on what people say to
you, even when they are speaking to you
directly?
2. How often do you leave your seat in
meetings or other situations in which
you are expected to remain seated?
3. How often do you have difficulty
unwinding and relaxing when you have
time to yourself?
4. When you're in a conversation, how
often do you find yourself finishing
the sentences of the people you are
talking to before they can finish them
themselves?
5. How often do you put things off until the
last minute?
6. How often do you depend on others
to keep your life in order and attend to
details?
The answers for these questions include
either "never", "rarely", "sometimes", "often",
and "very often". The "never" response gets
a score of zero. Scores for higher responses
vary. In total, they can collectively add up
to a maximum number of 24. A score of 14
points or more may indicate a diagnosis of
Adult onset ADHD. Of course, this test is
not the only thing to consider when trying
to determine a diagnosis, but it provides a
strong basis for a potential diagnosis.
If when you take the quiz and think you meet
the criteria for adult ADHD, be sure to make
an appointment with your family doctor to
confirm a diagnosis. While no diagnosis is
ever easy to hear, it is far better to know than
to be left wondering whether your suspicions
are right or not. You might be surprised to
know that there are a variety of treatments
and therapies or a combination of the two
that can help you deal with the symptoms,
and in some cases, find much-needed relief
from the most bothersome aspects of the
problem.
By Ava Mallory
18 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Only one heart.
Only one you.
INDIVIDUALIZED HEART CARE,
DEVOTED TO YOU.
No two hearts are exactly the same.
That’s why the cardiovascular
specialists of Valley Baptist Health
System pursue an individualized
care plan for every single heart we
encounter. From preventative care to
treating heart conditions, every
element is designed to take care
of our first priority: you.
To learn more about our services or to find a cardiologist near you
call (844) 614-9386 or visit ValleyHearts.com/onlyone
1040 W Jefferson St.
Brownsville, TX 78520
2101 Pease St.
Harlingen, TX 78550

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE· JULY 2017
specific things that trigger it: if
you’re stressed out, you drink
a lot of alcohol, or you don’t
exercise regularly, or you have a
lot of caffeine. Also, consuming
anything cow: beef and dairy
can worsen it because of all
the hormones (I don’t know
about other kinds of milk). Not
to mention “xenoestrogens” –
chemicals found in numerous
personal hygiene and household
products, things like parabens in
skin products – and pesticides
in foods. These affect your
estrogen levels. There are too
many xenoestrogens to list here
but here’s a link to more info.
Another major factor is whether
or not you eat organic fruits and
vegetables. PMS is effected by
the toxins you absorb.
PREVENTATIVE PMS:
HOW TO PROTECT LOVED ONES
AND BALANCE YOUR BOD
This is for those who suffers gnar PMS. I know girls
who don’t go out when they’re PMS-ing because
of how dangerous it is for others. It can be
confusing and rob you of yourself! I hope to give
you some background info about how to prep for
PMS. If you’re a severe sufferer, you likely know
all this stuff, but hopefully, you’ll read something
helpful or at the very least– guilt-relieving.
PART 1: THE WHAT
Intense PMS and hormonal shifts that make you
feel crazy. Hormones are a mess. They can make
you feel out of control in all sorts of situations –
from feeling attached and in love – to bawling your
eyes out for what might or might not be a good
reason– to screaming at someone you care about,
for a made up situation.
It compromises your rational, cool, calm, happy
self to a position that feels, well, borderline
dangerous. I know people who don’t go out when
they’re PMS-ing because of how dangerous it is for
others they love. So here is some background info
about it – including all the info I could find on the
internet. If you’re a severe sufferer, you likely know
all this stuff, but I will include some other stuff that
you might not know. So hopefully something good
or at least guilt-relieving will come out of this.
PART 2: THE WHY
Some look at the female cycle as a natural purging
method – when all the unvented emotions are
flushed out. So these emotions are “real” but
unknown: the cutoff parts of ourselves. I’m not
sure if I’d agree entirely with this concept since
hormones can make you believe opposite things.
For example, there’s an episode of This American
Life called Testosterone that this all about how
the hormone changed one person’s entire focus in
life while transitioning. It changed her personality
because of what her body was driven by sex. So
I’d say think of PMS as your body and emotions
on the extreme setting. Just like hormones can
make you bond with a baby, they can make you
hate a spouse. Sure, on some level it’s anger that
has been unvented– however, it is exacerbated
because of the imbalances. Like your anger on
crack. It doesn’t mean the feelings don’t exist, or
they’re not from you – but they are heightened to
extremes that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
For a lot of people, PMS tends to get worse as
you get older. It often comes with gifts like acne,
weight gain, water-weight gain, depression, fatigue,
anxiety, cravings, severe bouts of rage followed by
crying. What’s happening is your hormones are
doing loopy-loops – your estrogen levels go up,
your progesterone levels go down. And there are
This is all super important
especially when you get into
adulthood because your
hormone regulation is weighted
more heavily in your adrenal
glands. You want to support
your adrenal glands by balancing your body before
you are in a state of PMS. Stress is a big one
because cortisol taxes your system and therefore
your other hormone production is compromised.
It’s also dangerous for reasons
tied to illness – they call it estrogen
dominance, and it can lead to things
like cancer. You want to make your
hormones stable and not crazy –
so no crash dieting around your
period, either. You can get tested for
estrogen dominance at your doctor’s
office or a naturopath’s office – it’s
a saliva test – and if you test for
estrogen dominance, you can take
more dramatic steps to regulate it.
PART 3: THE HOW: THE TOOLS
(These are super basic.)
01 EXERCISE.
At least 30 minutes, 4 to 5 times a week.
Long enough to get your heart rate up.
02
TAKE PROBIOTICS.
Your gut bacteria helps you balance
out and shed the impurities. Constipation and
imbalances in the gut bacteria can worsen the
situation, because they lead to the reabsorption of
estrogen from the gut back into your blood, even
after your liver has tried to get rid of it. These
are hugely helpful for just balance in general. And
they help you rid yourself of toxins. My favorite
brand is Flora Udo’s Super 8 (what my naturopath
recommended).
21 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
TOOL 3: CLEAN UP
YOUR DIET!
Stop your intake of refined
sugars, refined carbs, nonhormone
free meats and dairy,
and try to eat organic as often
as possible. Why? Pesticides
exacerbate this issue. Alcohol
counts as sugar! It also prevents
your body from excreting excess
estrogen. And if this sounds
crazy to you – then do it for at
least the week before you get
your period.
Eat organic animal products to
avoid environmental estrogens
from hormones and pesticides.
Cut out caffeine, stop drinking
alcohol - at least a week before
you PMS and during your cycle.
Balance your blood sugar by
eating protein, and eat more
omega 3’s. Because we get an
excess of omegas 6’s in corn
and everything uses corn oils,
our bodies are out of whack.
We need the other omega 3’s –
specifically EPA and DHA – mostly the EPA. So aim
to take 1000 mg of EPA a day and 500 of DHA.
That’s what I take anyway.
TOOL 4: SUPPLEMENTS!
Take supplements to help your regular metabolism
and your hormonal metabolism. This is a link to
a doctor’s website – Dr. Hyman, no less! Basically,
that site is where the majority of this research
comes from, where he lists more supplements. I
will only list the ones I personally use:
• EPA and DHA – Omega 3 fatty acids. Make
sure you’re buying molecularly-distilled. I buy
the Nordic Naturals Brand, and I take 1,000
mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA a day. This is
also great for depression!
• Vitex Chastberry, this also helps your cycle
become more regular, which helps is you’re
trying to conceive!
• B6 and B12. All the sources matter so choose
a good brand that’s organic and not derived
from a construction site. I recommend
Garden of Life and Now Naturals.
TOOL 5: TACKLE YOUR STRESS
AND ANY DEPRESSION.
Just like you want to get your body moving,
you want to release your stress, so things like
meditation, yoga, breathing, hiking, laughing,
cooking, nature…do whatever works for you to get
your balance in mental awareness, back. PMS can
also aggravate underlying depression so consider
seeing a therapist and get lots of suns and take
your fish oil!
….And because family and friends are the greatest
casualties of PMS, here are a few ways to warn
them during and before they are injured. Basically,
put your symptoms in the box that separates them
from your personality.
TOOL 6: COVER IT WITH
WARNING LABELS!
If you are in a rage state, make sure to cover it
somewhere with your warning: also I am super
cranky! You might want to get out of here because
I’m super hormonal. Another way to remember
this is narration about the state you’re in. As best
you can.
TOOL 7: SOFTEN THE BLOW.
Basically, take some pragmatic steps toward
slowing down your communications. Sometimes
things come out less intensely if you type them
(just because you are not using volume), so for
example, try emailing things when you’re PMSing.
If you can create a delay for yourself – I
use Boomerang, this sends my emails out in 10
minutes or an hour. This means I can edit things I
know are too mean. Ask yourself when reviewing
emails: Is this something I can say, tomorrow?
Alternately you can tell someone else to tell a
person, for you. Basically, give yourself a buffer of
any shape or form.
TOOL 8: THE RATIONAL SCALE
OF EXTREMITY.
This is good to use when you’re hyper-emotional
and can’t literally tell if you should be mad or not.
Draw a line on a piece of paper. Make notches
from 1 to 10. Write down the worst thing you
can imagine that would enrage you at 10, then
write the mildest thing you can imagine at 1. For
example, “Giving me a weak handshake.” All the
way to, “Cheating on me.” When you look at this
list, where does this thing fall? If it’s below the
50% mark, you must wait to bring it up til you are
in a calm state. OR give it at least 12 hours. Write
everything you want to say in full form, in an email
and send it to yourself.
IN CLOSING…
It is worth changing your diet habits before
moving on to medical therapies because you are
less likely to have side effects. I suggest you try
alternative therapies and try them in combinations
before you go on any meds – mainly because you
have to take the meds forever and the results, in
my humble opinion, are vague at best. Why not try
something like acupuncture, first? Also suggested
in my research were homeopathic treatments,
which I myself, have never tried. But for now, keep
it simple! Try to eat more fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains the week before your period. And
get lots of exercise and rest. Cut down on your
exposure to toxins of all kinds including herbicides,
plastics, bleaches and bleached products, solvents,
etc. And above all, try to let go of the shame and
guilt – remind yourself you are a good person,
coming from love and trying your best in the midst
of a chemical storm.
I wanted to include links to helpful resources in
one spot:
The clue is an app/period tracker that a few ladies
sent me after the podcast went live. I haven’t
tried it myself, but it seems rad! Also, a listener
recommended baths with lavender.
Smile lovely friends! XOX
By Sarah May Bates
22 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
Technology alone won’t cure
cancer, but new innovations
and approaches are helping
patients win the fight against
cancer. Advancements like
robotic surgery and innovative treatments
like immunotherapy are among the many
approaches improving quality of life during
and after cancer treatment. This leap to
next-generation cancer care has the ability
to greatly improve outcomes and the overall
patient experience. Let’s take a look at
some of the leading-edge treatments and
approaches to care that are revolutionizing
cancer care.
As technology advances, the way
patients receive cancer care is changing.
It’s no longer only chemotherapy
infusions and radiation treatment. Even
those treatments are advancing, with
some chemotherapy given as an oral
pill, and proton therapy offering
an advanced form of radiation
treatment.
Immunotherapy is another innovative
treatment type. Our immune systems help
us fight infection and disease. Cancer care
directly impacts and generally weakens our
immune systems. Immunotherapy uses the
body’s own defense mechanisms, including
the immune system, to fight cancer at the
cellular level. This advanced treatment is
used for many types of cancer.
Combination therapies—the use of more
than one therapy option to, for example,
combat drug resistance and increase the
benefits to the patient—is also on the rise.
Thanks to advances in research and clinical
trials, we are learning more about new
combination drugs therapies and how they
can positively impact patients undergoing
cancer treatment. Moreover, a patient
may be presented with an opportunity to
use multiple treatment options together
as opposed to relying solely on only
one treatment option. An example of
this is a breakthrough drug that may be
best combined with a more traditional
chemotherapy treatment option.
Equally as promising as leading-edge
innovations in cancer treatment are
technologies that improve the patient
REVOLUTIONIZING THE PATIENT
EXPERIENCE THROUGH NEXT-
GENERATION CANCER CARE
experience. Cancer treatment can have
numerous side effects on a patient, both
physical and emotional. One new therapy to
help mitigate the side effect of hair loss is
called a cooling system, or a “cooling cap.”
This technology was created to cool the
scalp during chemotherapy treatment. As the
cap cools the scalp, it tightens blood vessels
and reduces the amount of chemo that
impacts the hair follicles. In turn, patients
are able to reduce hair loss that occurs as a
result of chemotherapy.
Innovative technologies and treatment
options will propel us into the next
generation of cancer care. At Texas Oncology
we take a holistic approach to care that
marries leading-edge technology and
treatment with our adoption of a team-based
approach to care. Patients are guided by
our experts from the earliest days of their
cancer journey. Whether it’s after-hours care
coordination, patient navigation, emotional
support or treatment planning, our oncology
care team plays an important role in
surrounding our patients with the support
they need. These trusted members of the
care team guide patients through every
aspect of their treatment.
The innovative advances driving the leap
forward in care provide access to an array
of patient-focused services that improve
outcomes and the patient experience. These
leading principles culminate in a patient-first,
compassionate model of care at the heart of
Texas communities.
We take this approach to cancer care at
every one of our clinic locations, whether
you are in Houston, Dallas, Amarillo, or
somewhere in between. I’m excited about
the future of cancer care and proud to be a
part of the revolutionary approaches we are
embracing at Texas Oncology.
NURUL WAHID, MD
Nurul Wahid, M.D., is a
medical oncologist at
Texas Oncology–McAllen,
1901 South 2nd Street in
McAllen, Texas.
To learn more about
exciting advancements in
cancer treatment, visit
www.TexasOncology.com or
call 1-888-864-I CAN (4226).
24 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

Weslaco
Texas Oncology delivers high-quality cancer care with leading-edge technology and advanced treatment
options to help patients achieve “More breakthroughs. More victories.” in their fights against cancer.
Texas Oncology, a pioneer in community-based cancer care, is an independent oncology
practice with sites of service throughout Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Texas
Oncology patients have the opportunity to take part in some of the most
promising clinical trials in the nation for a broad range of cancers. In
fact, Texas Oncology has played an integral role in gaining Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for 29 of the
latest cancer therapies.
Habib Ghaddar, MD, FACP
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Ghaddar specializes in medical oncology and hematology. He is board-certified by the American Board of
Internal Medicine in hematology and medical oncology. He received his medical degree from the American
University of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Good
Samaritan Hospital/John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed his fellowship in
hematology/oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. He has been in
practice with Texas Oncology since 1995.
Daniel Farray, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Farray is board-certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine. He received his medical
degree in 1998 from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in the Dominican Republic and completed
his residency in internal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed his
fellowship in medical oncology and hematology in 2006 at Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center/Loyola University
Chicago. Dr. Farray ranked first in his medical school class. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical
Oncology and American College of Physicians.
Weslaco 1330 East 6th Street, Suite 204 Weslaco, Texas 78596 PH: 956.969.0021 FAX: 956.968.9744
www.TexasOncology.com

Harlingen
Marco A. Araneda, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Araneda specializes in medical oncology and is board-certified in internal medicine and medical
oncology. He received his medical degree from San Carlos University in Guatemala and completed a
medical oncology fellowship at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, as well as a
fellowship in bone marrow transplantation at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. He has special
interests in breast cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies, hematologic malignancies, and molecular
targeted therapy.
Nabeel Sarhill
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Nabeel Sarhill is board-certified in hematology, medical oncology, and internal medicine. He earned his
medical doctorate from the University of Tishreen Medical School in Lattakia, Syria, and completed his
residency in internal medicine at Case Wester Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His fellowship in
hematology was completed at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, and his
clinical research fellowship in medicine and symptoms management at The Harry R. Horvitz Center for
Palliative Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Nabeel Sarhill is a member of the American Society of Clinical
Oncology, American Society of Hematology, Syrian Medical Association, Syrian Ministry of Health, American
Board of Hematology, American Board of Medical Oncology, and the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Benjamin West, MD
Radiation Oncology
Dr. West is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He was a physicist prior to becoming a physician.
Hayan Moualla, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Moualla completed his Internal Medicine residency followed by a fellowship in Geriatrics and later a
fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. For
almost 5 years before joining Texas Oncology, Dr. Moualla practiced in beautiful southern Virginia. He is
Board Certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology with special interest in elderly cancer and blood
disorders. His emphasis is making sure that all patient understand their conditions well and have a good
idea about available options. Dr. Moualla is married and has a boy and twin girls. His biggest pleasure is
spending time with family. He also enjoys soccer, ping pong, badminton and swimming.
Harlingen 2121 Pease Street, Suite 101 Harlingen, Texas 78550 PH: 956.425.8845 FAX: 956.364.6793
www.TexasOncology.com

McALLEN
Billie J. Marek, MD, FACP
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Marek is board-certified and specializes in medical oncology and heamatology. He currently serves as a
director of Texas Oncology and is the medical director for Texas Oncology-McAllen. He has served the Rio
Grande Valley for the past 22 years as a medical oncologist and hematologist, has been recognized as a
“Super Doctor” in oncology for five years in a row, and was recognized as Doctor of The Year for Rio
Grande Regional. Dr. Marek received his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical School at
San Antonio. He completed his fellowship at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Alvaro Restrepo, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
“I can be part of your team... and together we can fight the battle.” Dr. Restrepo specializes in, medical
oncology and hematology. He completed his fellowship at the University of Miami. He also serves on the
reast Cancer Committee of US Oncology and has completed a fellowship in breast cancer treatment.
Through the Life Beyond Cancer Fundation he established the Texas Oncology–McAllen Breast Cancer
Ride/Walk undraiser to raise funds for Rio Grande Valley cancer patients. To date approximately $30,000 has
been donated to cancer patients in the Rio Grande Valley.
Suresh Ratnam, MD, FACP
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Ratnam has been with Texas Oncology-McAllen for 13 years, which he joined after completing his
fellowship at the renowned National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He has
co-authored several research publications and is passionate about cutting-edge oncology care. He currently
serves on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of US Oncology and chairman of the Credentials
Committee for South Texas Health System.
Guillermo Lazo, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Lazo specializes in medical oncology and hematology. He completed his fellowship at The University of
Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a recipient of several awards including the American Society of
Clinical Oncology Merit Award and is the author of several peer-reviewed medical publications as well as
book chapters. He received the highest honors on the professional examination for his medical doctorate
degree.
McAllen 1901 South 2nd Street McAllen, Texas 78503 PH: 956.687.5150 FAX: 956.687.9546
www.TexasOncology.com

Nurul Wahid, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Wahid was fellowship-trained in medical oncology and hematology at Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He is board certified in Hematology and Oncology. He has been
recognized as Physician of the Year at Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen where he has served as senior
attending physician for the past 13 years.
Rogelio Salinas, MD
Radiation Oncology
Dr. Salinas is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He completed his residency training at Memorial
Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York followed by his fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center.
Joseph Litam, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr. Litam was fellowship-trained at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is well
known in the community and was in private practice for 27 years before joining Texas Oncology. He has special
interest in treating solid tumors.
Benjamin West, MD
Radiation Oncology
Dr. West is board-certified radiation oncologist. He was physicist prior to becoming a physician.
Phoebe Verano, RN, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Phoebe Cepeda Verano is a certified Family Nurse Practioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who
received her Masters degree at the University of Texas- Pan American (UTPA) in 2013. She has more than
30 years of experience as a registered nurse, most of it in an adult critical care setting. As a nurse
practitioner, she has the compassion to be a part of a patient’s journey through cancer care and believes
that patient education is an important first step following diagnosis and treatment plan development. “I
am committed to preparing cancer patients for their journeys and assuring they know that we are always
here to support them.”
Cristelita Parrocho, RN, BSN,CCRN,MSN,FNP-C
Nurse Practicioner
Cristy graduated as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in
California. She is also a certified Adult Critical Care Registered Nurse. Before joining Texas Oncology-McAllen
she was a hospitalist with IPC Healthcare. “Cancer is brutal but I believe loving and actually feeling while you
care for these patients will somehow bring upon sunshine in the darkest moments of their lives. It is not
how much time but how much love you put into it.”
McAllen 1901 South 2nd Street McAllen, Texas 78503 PH: 956.687.5150 FAX: 956.687.9546
www.TexasOncology.com

Brownsville
Balesh Sharma, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Balesh Sharma, MD specializes in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. He is board certified by in
medical oncology. Dr. Sharma received an MD Delhi University in New Delhi, India, in 1990, where he also
completed his residency in Anesthesia and Critical Care in 1991. He completed his medical internship at Lincoln
Medical Center in New York in 1992-93. Dr. Sharma completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Vincent’s
Medical Center in affiliation with Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut. In 1998, he completed a
fellowship in hematology and oncology from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and has
been in private practice since then.
Marcelo Boek, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
Dr Marcelo M Boek specializes in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology/Hematology. He is board certified in
Medical Oncology and Hematology. He received his medical degree from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
in Brazil. He also completed his Internal Medicine residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital- University of Miami.
In 2003 he completed his Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology at John Strogger- Cook County
Hospital in Chicago. Dr Boek then worked as a Medical Oncologist at The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency at The
Allan Blair Cancer Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and as an investigator affiliated with The North
Central Cancer Treatment Group and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. He was also appointed as a Clinical
Assistant Professor with the Division of Oncology, College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and
held this job until he moved back to the United States. Dr Boek joined Texas Oncology in 2006
Carlos Gonzalez-Angulo, MD
Radiation Oncology
Dr. Gonzalez specializes in radiation oncology and internal medicine. He is certified by the American Board of
Internal Medicine as well as the American Board of Radiology, and is a member of the American Society of
Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). He completed his
fellowship in radiation oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, in Buffalo, New York, and also completed a
second residency in radiation oncology at Jackson Memorial Hospital/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center,
in Miami, Florida. Aside from his medical practice, Dr. Gonzalez is a Christian lay minister and a student of
ancient Greek.
Mariza D. Oliver, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Advanced Practice Provider
Mariza is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, and has a Masters degree in
Nursing Administration. She has over 17 years experience in nursing and has worked in healthcare areas such as
medical-surgical, post-partum, hospice, and home health. She has extensive experience in providing care for the
adult and geriatric population of the Rio Grande Valley.
2150 N. Expressway 83 Brownsville, TX 78521 PH: 956-548-0810 FAX: 956-548-2239 www.TexasOncology.com

A
new American Cancer
Society study conducted
over the period
between 1974 and 2013
looked at over 490,000 people
over the age of twenty who
were diagnosed with invasive
colorectal cancer and found
that their risk of colon cancer
quadrupled the risk of them
developing rectal cancer.
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
WHY ARE MILLENNIALS
HAVING HIGHER RATES OF
COLORECTAL CANCER?
This alarming study defied the commonly
accepted notion that risk of colorectal
cancer generally increased with age,
especially with regards to young people in
general. For those over fifty-five years of age,
the findings showed that the rates generally
declined for them.
Millennials, per the dictionary, are defined
as persons born in the 1980s and 1990s.
To put it in perspective, someone born in
1990 would be twenty-seven-years-old now,
and the likelihood of being diagnosed with
colorectal cancer sometime in their lifetimeduring
the primes of their lives-increases day
by day. The study's authors hypothesize that
obesity and a sedentary lifestyle along with
a high fat, low fiber diet may be contributing
factors. What those physical and dietary
factors do is "initiate inflammation and
proliferation in the colonic mucosa" in as
little as two weeks' time.
Historically, some risk factors for colorectal
cancer include a positive family history,
obesity, inactivity, smoking, a diet "high in red
and processed meats" and "heavy" alcohol
consumption increase the risk of developing
colorectal cancer. Also, increasing risk
is a history of premalignant polyps and
having Type II diabetes. Certain hereditary
syndromes and history of Crohn's disease
and ulcerative colitis also increase the risk.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include
rectal bleeding, dark or bloody stools,
change in bowel habits or a change in the
caliber of stool, weakness,
fatigue and/or weight loss.
Treatments for colorectal
cancer include surgery,
radiation, chemotherapy and
targeted therapies which
can target specific molecules
to slow tumor growth or
decrease the formation of new
blood vessels.
If millennials continue to display alarming
and increasing rates of colorectal cancer
with some having excellent, well-balanced
diets and rigorous exercises, that all possible
causes need to be examined extensively.
The lack of solid proof leads some medical
researchers and practitioners to believe
there might be a correlation between
a negative attitude, outlook on life, and
negative emotions may also be key factors.
Studies have shown that negative emotions
do have an impact on our physical health, a
general feeling of malaise or phantom pains.
Could it be possible that they could also play
a role in colorectal health?
Quoting from Chapter 5 "Eli Siegel
and Aesthetic Realism – Contempt
Causes Insanity" in The History or New
Innovations in Modern Medicine in comment
on the field of Psychosomatics, Mr. Siegel
notes that "From the psychosomatic point
of view, it is fairly clear that if the self "hates"
reality, one of the components of the very
basis of disease is accepted by it."
The good news is that increasing awareness
of this potential for colorectal cancer in
millennials is leading to consideration of this
diagnosis in younger patients with rectal
bleeding, and therefore, earlier testing and
treatment.
Further research on the roles of diet,
exercise and the psychosomatic approach to
cancer may help shed light on the startling
rise in millennial colorectal cancer rates.
By James Okun, MD
31 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
If I could teach you
only one thing, I would
choose for you to learn
how to ride uncertainty
like a wave. If you can
learn to ride within the
power of the wave, to
allow its energy to propel
you forward, you
can tap into a source of
personal power.
BECOMING AWARE OF
YOUR RESISTANCE:
The Key to Surfing and Surviving the
Chaos of Today's Uncertain World
Did you know that you are
fearless, generous beyond
thought, gracious, creative,
able to shape shift your
des tiny?
You are! So what is keeping
you from celebrating
yourself, from living the bountiful life you deserve
and can create?
In looking at the events of the past several years,
I found a thread, a luminous thread that led me
through the maze of chal lenges we face today.
How did the events of our time form into the
chaos of the world today, as well as the turmoil
in our own personal lives? As you hold up your
star shield to the Great Spir it, you see that there
is a dangerous imbalance of the male and female
energies on this earth.
We must balance the
intellect and mind
of the male with the
intuition and emotion of
the female in order to
understand how we came
here from nature and
what we are made of. If
not, then maybe we are
lost. Maybe our evolution as a species will actually
cease.
But there is a choice we can make to prevent that
and achieve a critical balance. I believe it comes
down to the one lesson that the Sisterhood
of the Shields taught me over and over: how
to give up resistance and pick up the shield of
empowerment.
The events of this past year, in particular,
demonstrated the turmoil of uncertainty. We have
always lived with a sense of in security, and until
lately, most of us have spent our energy trying to
ignore it or pretend it doesn't bother us. So how
do we--as sha mans--learn to make uncertainty our
ally? How do we let go of our resistance to change,
our fear of what is different? This has become a
focus within my Shamanic Mystery School.
Using energy in a focused,
conscious way will reduce
the sense or experience of
chaotic energy for yourself
and others around you.
Chaos is a part of creation,
and instead of resisting or
responding in fear, we want
to shift how we respond to it
by directing our awareness to
the beauty and opportunities
it manifests.
Dynamic ener gy is given off
by an act of creation, and
the energy that comes from
the chaotic side of creation
is powerful. It is uneven and
somewhat like being in an
earth quake. This dynamic
energy is un certainty. But it
is an amazing en ergy once
we tap into it and ride it like
a wave.
The Sisterhood taught me to
not stand and fight the wave,
but to throw myself into it.
Like the dolphins riding the
surf line, when you relax
and move with the current,
you rise to the surface and
maintain your sense of
direction. Uncertainty in life
is like that and we choose
how to face it.
32 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
By Lynn Andrews
As shamans, we learn to see
the energy between all living
things - the energy of true
power. I want you to be aware
of the truth that energy is
just energy. It is not good or
bad, not dark or light, until
someone or something focuses
it. Energy itself is pure and unaffected in
its original state and is incredibly powerful.
By understanding and refocusing these
frequencies, you can move into their flow
and achieve the male/female energy balance.
You can learn to surf!
It is your awareness of energy that allows
you to begin to use it, to tap into its
power to create the life you desire, to bring
healing to yourself, your loved ones, the
planet. Within that awareness, you make a
shift of consciousness. However, the chaos
you experience today is the result of your
resistance to this shift.
Furthermore, through out much of the world
now, the economic field of energy is very
stressed. This stress spills over into almost
every aspect of your life, as you worry about
how to support your family, as our countries
move ever deep er into debt, creating an
instability that will become the legacy your
grandchildren inherit. This all results in fear.
Your inability to create mean ingful changes
in response causes you to put up walls of
resistance, to separate from others, to fear
and distrust those with whom you disagree
on ways to improve our world.
So it is essential, now more than ever, that you look at the
choices you make and why you hold resistance in your body -
which, in turn, creates a block, literally, within your life force.
That resistance depletes your energy, sep arates you from Great
Spirit, creating more chaos in your life and thereby in the world.
How do you shift away from resistance into
riding the wave of uncertainty?
Let me offer a practice using the Sacred
Wheel of shamanic tradition.
Find a place where you can be comfortable
and at peace...whether that is outdoors or
in your living room. Grab a piece of paper
or journal and a writing implement. Draw a
circle around you and sit inside of that circle,
with your journal at hand.
First face South, which represents the
physical part of spirit and the physical aspect
of the energy. Begin asking the following
questions, recording your answers in your
journal: Where do I experience resistance in
my body-Am I closing my mind to change?
Am I experiencing illness or physical pain?
Where do I feel stress? And finally, what
would I experience if I let that go or opened
my mind?
Then face West, which represents the
emotional aspect. Ask: How am I responding,
am I reacting? What do I feel? What emotions
am I experiencing? And then: what emotion
would allow me to flow with this change?
Next face North...this is the
direction of Spirit, the place
of inspiration and creation.
The questions to ask here are:
Am I listening to God? What
am I resisting in my spirit and
why? What is God trying to tell
me? Finally, if I was working
in concert with God, how would my spirit
respond to this challenge or change?
Lastly, turn to the East, the direction that
rules your mind. Propose these questions:
Without emotions interfering, what is the
rational response? What does common sense
say to do? And then ask: If I was facing this
choice with a calm and unattached mind,
how could I best embrace this change?
If you have gone around the circle once
and you have not yet released most of the
resistance, do it one more time. This is like
peeling an onion...with each turn, a layer
of resistance will peel away. The chaos will
subside and-eventually--you'll make friends
with it. This is where balance is restored.
It is also where you begin to experience the
freedom of letting resistance go, feeling the
flow of energy moving through you again,
and allowing creativity to bring new choices
and new opportunities. That unencumbered
creativity is the great healer that enhances
your personal power, and is your portal into
the energy field of a truly fearless, generous,
purposeful, and bountiful life.
33 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2017
is compromised. This increases the production
of cortisol, explained above, and you fall into a
vicious cycle of exhaustion due to stress factors.
HOW SLEEP SUPPORTS YOUR
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
This article is going to explore the effects
that poor/limited sleep has on your body
and how this can also affect your weight
loss program and ability to get lean,
ripped and lose weight.
Your body weight varies mainly depending on
how much/little food you eat, but there are also
many other variables that can have an indirect
effect on your ability to lose weight and keep it
off. Recent studies have suggested that the less
sleep you get, the more your hormones will be
impacted, significantly affecting how you feel on a
diet, and how well you stick to that diet.
BRAIN FUNCTION
A lack of sleep directly influences your brain
function by setting it up to make bad decisions.
Sleep deprivation, or sleep debt, happens when
you either don’t get enough rest, or a poor night’s
sleep. When this happens, it dulls the activity in
your brain’s frontal lobe, which is the area that
correlates with decision making and impulse
control.
Plus, your brain’s reward center becomes
stimulated. Your tired, overworked body is
essentially looking for comfort, and you are more
likely to turn to comfort foods, especially highcarb,
high-fat snacks. Larger portioned meals are
also more likely to be chosen by the tired mind.
and regulates energy. A lack of sleep equals a lack
of energy causing leptin levels to plummet… this
sends a signal to your brain to eat more food.
This makes things allot more difficult for you than
they need to be when you are following a diet
routine. While slipping on your diet and snacking
on a cookie will not make much of a difference to
your weight loss goals… eating the whole bag will
make a difference. And when you are under slept,
you will not only feel a greater urge to snack; but
you will also have less willpower to be able to stop
yourself.
CHANGES IN FAT CELLS
These hormone changes have a rapid effect on
your body as well, and it doesn’t take much time
at all to see and feel the difference. It only takes
four days of sleep debt for your body to disrupt
your body’s ability to properly use insulin. Insulin
is the hormone that allows your body to use the
energy from food. In fact, insulin sensitivity can
drop as much as 30% in this time period.
When insulin is functioning correctly, your fat
cells function properly as well, and remove
fatty acids and lipids from your bloodstream to
prevent fat storage. As you tire, and become
more insulin resistant, these fatty tissues circulate
in your blood and store themselves in places like
your liver- which leads to weight gain and diseases
like diabetes.
TIPS FOR A
BETTER
NIGHT'S
REST
Even the most attentive of
us can fall into a pattern
of poor sleep. As seen
above, it doesn’t take long
for your body to become
compromised from a lack
of rest, resulting in both
short term and long term health risks. In fact,
it is estimated that up to one third of adults
are suffering from sleep debt at any given time,
meaning they aren’t getting the estimated 7 to 9
hours of rest needed for a healthy sleep duration.
And a lack of sleep isn’t only personal, many
vehicular and industrial accidents are caused each
year due to operator fatigue. So what can you do
to help get the shut-eye you need?
If you’re still tired despite your best efforts,
consider your sleep environment. Old or
poor quality mattresses often can be a
culprit of discomfort. Replacing a mattress is
easier than ever. The Sleep Judge provides a
nice list to start you off.
Create a bedtime ritual and schedule. If
you like to read each night before bed, set
a specific time to sit down before bed. It’s
important to get the hours you need, so
setting a reminder or alarm an hour or so
before bed helps get you in the mindset to
relax.
Turn off the television, tablets, and put
down the phone 60 to 90 minutes before
sleep each night. All of these devices
emit blue light, and disrupt your natural
melatonin levels, another hormone that
helps regulate your sleep patterns. Blue light
mimics daylight and tricks your brain into
wakefulness.
Save your bedroom for sleep and sex. It
should be a place of relaxation, not a place
to work or be entertained by electronics.
Be mindful of your eating patterns. Heavy
meals in the evening may cause discomfort,
and sugar and caffeine can stay in your
system up to 6 hours, causing you to feel
more alert.
Cool off your room. Sleeping cool is a
healthy choice and allows your body to
naturally regulate it’s internal temperature
while you sleep without overheating. And
it also can support weight loss through the
support of brown fats.
HUNGER HORMONES
Rest is like a meal for your brain, and the average
adult needs between 7 and 9 hours each night
to function properly. Without it, the hormones
that regulate both hunger and fullness are
compromised and are unable to send the
messages to the brain to make choices about how
much food to eat.
Ghrelin is the hormone that signals your brain
when it’s time to eat. It picks up on the signals
produced by the body when an energy source is
needed for both mental and physical functioning.
When you are tired, this hormone is created in
larger quantities as your body struggles to work
through daily exertion.
Leptin is another hormone that inhibits hunger
SABOTAGE GYM TIME
Lack of sleep is the enemy of muscle, which is a
big problem (whether we are regularly putting
in hours at the gym or not). Not only does being
tired influence bad decisions (like deciding to skip
the gym), and also create mental and physical
fatigue for a less effective workout, but it literally
decreases protein synthesis, which is your body’s
ability to make muscle.
Muscles are important to body function because
they support your skeletal structure, and are
crucial to breathing, digestion, and proper blood
flow. This directly influences your metabolism.
Muscle taxation is affected by your lack of sleep
and becomes almost impossible to recover
from since the production of growth hormone
34 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
CONCLUSION
Even if you aren’t looking to lose weight, your
poor sleep habits are affecting you even more
than you know. The less sleep you get, the more
prone you are to health issues that can severely
compromise your lifestyle over time. And it
doesn’t take long to notice a difference in your
body health when you haven’t gotten the proper
amount of sleep, especially if you have been on a
diet and exercise regimen.
To keep your weight in check or to lose weight,
make sure to get the proper amount of sleep
each night. Brain function and physical exhaustion
are a good indicator that you need to reassess
your rest habits before more noticeable, longterm
problems occur. By Ava Mallory
By Frank Apodaca

Fitness
& Beauty
HOW SLEEP SUPPORTS YOUR
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
KERATOSIS PILARIS
MEAT LOAF
34
36
38

FITNESS & BEAUTY · JULY 2017
KERATOSIS
PILARIS
You've probably never heard
it called by its medical name,
but chances are you've seen
someone who has it, or you
might be someone who suffers
from this skin condition. Keratosis Pilaris, or
"chicken skin," is a common skin condition
that affects nearly fifty to eighty percent
of adolescents and about forty percent of
adults. The condition is often mistaken for
small, red pimples, but they actually look like
small bumps that are scaly or rough-feeling.
Overall, it is a simple condition.
It can be embarrassingly or socially
damaging for some. Many people are
ill-informed and automatically assume it
can be spread from person to person like
a communicable disease, but that's not
the case. Unfortunately, most over-thecounter
treatments and medications won't
minimize the appearance or do anything
about the sandpaper-like bumps and make
your skin appear to be smoother or clear. It
is always better to consult your doctor or a
dermatologist for the proper treatment.
By definition,
keratosis pilaris
is when your
hair follicles
become
plugged and
form roughfeeling
bumps
on your skin. Its
rough texture
will cover small
portions of your body, most notably the arms
and cheeks, or anywhere where hair grows
on your body. It most commonly occurs in
adolescence, which in itself can be damaging
because of social ‘norms' or expectations.
But, alas, it is a manageable condition that
involves things like daily moisturizing, gentle
exfoliating treatments and with the use of
mild, non-irritating body soaps.
Anyone who suffers from this condition
knows that at certain times of the year like
during the winter months or when the skin
dries in low-humidity weather, they're more
susceptible to flare-ups. The dead, dry skin
causes the pores and hair follicles to clog.
That, in turn, promotes keratosis pilaris.
Some promising theories point to a possible
genetic component to this skin condition.
For instance, eczema can play a large factor
in determining whether or not you develop
keratosis pilaris. If atopic dermatitis, a type of
eczema, is prevalent in your family, you may
be more susceptible to developing other skin
conditions, including keratosis pilaris.
While there is no known cure for this
condition, there is good treatment for the
most annoying symptoms. The treatment
must be ongoing and usually involve
conventional types of treatments like
moisturizing lotions that contain lactic acid,
urea, glycolic acid, and/or salicylic acid.
They are keratolytic agents that help to thin
the skin around the area of inflammation
or lesions because one of the main
components of this condition involves the
growth or development of excess skin over
the affected area.
As mentioned, these treatments treat the
skin condition; they don't cure it. In order
to be remotely effective, the treatment
must be used on an ongoing basis in order
to keep keratosis pilaris at bay. It should be
noted that, as with
any treatment
or medication,
there are also
potential
side effects
to consider
and monitor.
Reactions
can vary from
person to person.
Another treatment involves the use of pulsed
dye laser targets to help reduce the redness
that's associated with the skin condition.
Studies have determined that this therapy
is safe and effective for the treatment of
the known
discoloration,
but again, it
doesn't cure
it or help to
improve the
rough, scaly skin
roughness.
By Maydelaine Moreno
36 HEALTHY MAGAZINE

FITNESS & BEAUTY · JULY 2017
MEAT LOAF
Here’s a recipe
for a hearty
meat loaf that
is the ultimate
soul food
for the meat
and potato
lover. I like to serve my meat
loaf with a plate of fluffy mashed
potatoes and a colorful medley
of roasted vegetables. While this
meat loaf is delicious served hot,
some say it is even better when
it is cold. To make a scrumptious
and satisfying sandwich, slice the
cold meat loaf into ½ inch slices,
place on your favorite whole
grain bread, top with lettuce,
tomato slices, onions and pickles.
Feel free to make a lighter and
more low calorie version by
substituting ground turkey for
the ground beef and 2 egg whites
for the whole egg in the recipe.
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
WW
1 tablespoon canola oil
WW
½ red pepper, finely chopped
WW
½ yellow pepper, finely
chopped
WW
1 small onion, finely chopped
WW
6 garlic cloves, minced
WW
1 pound ground beef or
ground turkey (dark meat)
WW
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
WW
¼ cup barbecue sauce
WW
1 egg, lightly beaten
WW
½ teaspoon garlic powder
WW
½ teaspoon onion powder
WW
½ teaspoon salt
WW
freshly ground pepper—
about 10 grinds
WW
½ cup bread crumbs—ok to
use gluten free
Before you begin, you will need
a 13” by 9” baking pan, lined on
the bottom with aluminum foil.
Spray the aluminum foil with Pam
to prevent the meat loaf from
sticking.
1. Preheat the oven to 350
degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a large
skillet. Add the red and
yellow peppers, onion
and garlic, and sauté
over medium heat for 5
to 10 minutes until the
onions are softened and
translucent. Allow to
cool for a few minutes.
3. Place the ground beef in
a large bowl and with a
fork break up into small
pieces.
4. Add the sautéed
peppers, onion and
garlic, teriyaki sauce,
barbecue sauce, egg,
garlic powder, onion
powder, salt, freshly
ground pepper and mix
well.
5. Add the bread crumbs
and combine until
the mixture just holds
together. You may need
to add more bread
crumbs as needed to
bind the mixture.
6. Place the meat loaf
mixture into the
prepared baking pan,
shape into an oval of
approximately 10” by
3” and place in the
preheated oven for one
hour.
7. If desired, brush on
some barbecue sauce
about 10 minutes before
the meat loaf is done to
glaze the loaf.
8. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe by Judy Elbaum
baba_judy
38 HEALTHY MAGAZINE