What’s in your brown bag?

Packing your own lunch is a great way to eat healthier – and to save money. But sometimes the daily routine can get as stale as the crusts in the bottom of the bread bag.

So we’d love to hear from you. Have a favorite sandwich or healthy lunch tip to share? Tell us your great ideas in the comments section.

In the meantime, if you need a little help with healthy lunch ideas, read on.

Top reasons to explore weight loss surgery

Joslin Monk, October 2013

You’ve struggled with diets for years, but the weight keeps coming back.

You have a thyroid condition or other genetic issues that make it difficult to lose weight.

You are seriously overweight and feel your life is at risk from other related conditions, such as diabetes or heart problems.

Your weight is causing feelings of isolation, depression or hopelessness.

Excess weight is putting a serious strain on your joints and making arthritis symptoms more severe.

Click through to see Joslin's After photo!

Constant headache and congestion?

It could be sinusitis.

Other symptoms of this condition include:

• Severe sinus pressure that causes your face, head and even your teeth to hurt
• Thick mucus that irritates the back of the throat
• Losing your sense of smell and taste
• Irritability and fatigue

In the past, this was a tough condition to treat, with up to 60 percent of chronic sinusitis patients showing no relief from medications.

We’re seeing red!

It’s National Wear Red Day® and McLaren Macomb is marking the day by encouraging employees to wear red – part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the importance of good heart health for women.

In the United States, heart disease is the number one killer of women. For more than 10 years, the American Heart Association has sponsored National Wear Red Day® to increase efforts in the fight against heart disease in women.

So grab something red to wear and remember these healthy heart tips: Try to exercise more and eat a wide variety of healthy foods. These should include:

• Fruits and vegetables: At least 4.5 cups a day
• Fish (preferably oily fish): At least two 3.5-ounce servings a week
• Fiber-rich whole grains: At least three 1-ounce-equivalent servings a day
• Sodium: Less than 1,500 mg a day
• Sugar-sweetened beverages: No more than 450 calories (36 ounces) a week

Want to learn more?

To learn more about women and heart disease, attend a free seminar at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the auditorium of McLaren Macomb in Mount Clemens.

Dr. Beth Bowling, a board-certified interventional cardiologist with the Macomb Cardiovascular Institute, will discuss women and heart health.

To register for the free seminar, please call toll-free (855) 362-5273 or visit mclarenwomensheart.eventbrite.com. The program is part of the Mat Gaberty Heart Center’s Healthy

Knee pain. Is it just stiffness or could it be osteoarthritis?

People are living longer these days and staying more active. That’s good news, but it also means more people will need help with joint replacement surgery.

If you’re wondering about the type of pain you’re feeling, here are some things to consider. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that leads to the breakdown and eventual loss of joint cartilage. That allows bones under the cartilage to rub together and cause pain.

Weight loss surgery: Could it be right for you?

If you’ve always wondered about weight loss surgery, this could be the year to check it out.

Bariatric surgery can help people live longer, healthier lives, especially those who have struggled with weight loss for years.

Studies show that bariatric surgery can improve many weight-related health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and sleep apnea.

In addition, weight problems can lead to many life-threatening illnesses, such as heart disease, joint disease, infertility, or even feelings of isolation or depression.

Start the New Year off heart-smart

Resolutions. We make them and break them all too quickly.

But here’s one that’s worth trying: This year, start slowly and aim for a few healthy choices that will improve your health in 2014.

Learn more about weight management here.

Physicians and nutrition experts remind us – steer clear of the quick diet fads. They’re too easily abandoned. Instead, focus on healthier eating and finding the time for more exercise.

Considering weight loss surgery?

For anyone considering weight loss surgery, education is an important first step. McLaren Macomb’s Bariatric Surgery Institute offers free seminars about surgical weight loss options. Board-certified bariatric surgeon Dr. Carl Pesta will provide information and answer questions regarding bariatric surgery and life after surgery.

Do you know about atrial fibrillation?

That strange, fluttery feeling in your chest could be serious.

It could be atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a type of abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that causes the heart to pump blood ineffectively. A-fib is the most common type of persistent heart arrhythmia and it affects almost 5 million Americans.

FREE Seminar Advanced Wound Care Treatment

Heal better, feel better.

If you have a non-healing wound for 30 days or more, you may benefit from the McLaren Macomb Wound Treatment Center.

Every year chronic wounds caused by poor circulation, diabetes, or other
medical conditions keep five million people from functioning at normal
capacity. Such wounds include:

• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Pressure ulcers
• Non-healing surgical wounds
• Arterial ulcers
• Collagen vascular related wounds
• Venous stasis ulcers

Chronic wounds require specialized care and treatment.

Learn more about advanced wound care treatment at this FREE seminar.

Advanced Wound Treatment Seminar

Thursday, December 12, 2013
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
McLaren Macomb Medical Auditorium
Enter at Outpatient Entrance
(east parking lot and proceed to lower level of east tower)

This is a FREE community event but registration is required.
To register, call (855) 362-5273, or visit mclaren-woundcare.eventbrite.com

When the diagnosis is diabetes, what’s next? FREE expo with panel of experts

The Diabetes Center at McLaren Macomb will host a free diabetes education event offering the latest information on preventing and managing diabetes to reduce complications. The annual Diabetes Expo will be held Wednesday, October 2, 2013,1 p.m. to 3 p.m., in McLaren Macomb’s medical education auditorium (on the hospital’s lower level, east tower).

A panel of physicians will discuss the latest information on how diabetes relates to other medical conditions, especially heart disease, the nervous system and the digestive tract.

Free yourself from knee pain

For patients considering knee replacement surgery, major concerns are recovery time and pain during recovery. As a result, many individuals live with joint pain for months or years so they can avoid joint replacement surgery.