Tour de Lis

When: Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 8:00 a.m.
Where: City Park, Behind Tad Gormley Stadium

The inaugural Tour de Lis in April 2007 raised $40,000 and featured five riders who cycled 150 miles around Lake Pontchartrain. In 2008, they created a community-wide event and in 2009, Tour de Lis raised over $198,000 for the beneficiary organizations:

The Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans (CAGNO), prides itself in protecting and defending the community against cancer through education, outreach, and research. CAGNO’s patient services program provides vital prescription medications, transportation and other necessities to cancer patients who otherwise would have to do without.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation programs provide financial support and capacity-building to community-centered initiatives that address the physical, emotional and practical challenges of cancer survivorship.

(Click on Image to make a Donation and help Tour de Lis meet their goal)

The goal of the Tour de Lis is to provide a ride, walk or run that is safe, fun, non-competitive and open to all levels of athletic ability, while bringing cancer awareness to the community and raising funds for organizations that are in the forefront of Cancer Survivor Support.

Participants include cancer survivors celebrating life, family and friends who want to honor a loved one affected by cancer, or in memory of a loved one who lost the battle. Tour de Lis unites people who are passionate about cancer survival, knowledge and support. Join us for Tour de Lis to celebrate hope, strength, love and remembrance.

Registration Fees:

Bike Registration: $35
5K Run/Walk Registration: $25
Combo Bike and 5K Run/Walk Registration: $40

Final Date to Register: Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 11:59 PM

Click here to Register

There are Four Types of Diabetes

The first is called type 1 diabetes which affects some 5 – 10% of the total diabetic population. This condition used to be referred to as either insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes. Its cause is unknown, but it’s an autoimmune disease in which a person’s body attacks the cells that produce insulin in the organ called the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that is essential in assisting cells in the blood to accept sugar coming from food. When these cells (beta cells) in the pancreas can no longer produce insulin – it causes an inability of cells to accept the sugar which in turn causing the sugar to increase higher and higher. Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed before age 20. It’s rarely diagnosed later in life, but it can happen. Individuals who have this type of diabetes have to inject insulin via a syringe for the rest of their life. Individuals with this type of diabetes have to monitor their blood sugar closely every day and follow an active physical activity program. There is no cure, but there is some promising research that may heal these patients.

The second type of diabetes is called pre-diabetes. This condition does not mean that a person is diabetic – it means that it increases your chance of developing this disease, unless immediate action takes place. During this condition the blood sugar exceeds (120 mg/dl) the normal fasting number when fasting. Some individuals may take oral hypoglycemic medications (i.e. Glucophage) temporarily to help bring their blood sugar down. Physical activity (exercise) is essential to all diabetics and is one of the best ways along with a healthy diet to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.

The third type of diabetes and most frequent is called type II. This type affects nearly 90 – 95% of all diabetics. This disease begins with the body’s inability to accept insulin which in touch allows the sugar in the blood to be taken in the cell to get burned for energy. This condition is called insulin resistance. Or similar to type I diabetes, the body may not be produce enough insulin from the pancreas. As with each type of this disease, when blood sugar remains higher than 120 mg/dl at a fasting state, diabetes complications will soon follow. The following races seem to be more susceptible to developing this type of diabetes … Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans and Pacific islanders and Hawaiians.

The fourth and least common type is called Gestational diabetes. This type can occur during pregnancy. Between 40 – 60% of women with this type of diabetes will develop type II diabetes in a span of 10 years post-partum. The numbers are high, yes, but it is not inevitable that women with gestational diabetes will have diabetes for life.

Check back next week when we discuss diagnostic criteria for each type of diabetes.

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.

Yesterday, I attended 1 one of the 3 Transition New Orleans Recreation Task Force Public Meetings – held by the New Orleans Recreation Department Citizens Advisory Panel (NORDcap). The goal of NORDcap is to provide recommendations for the development of high quality, broad-based playgrounds, facilities, programs and services creating a sense of community, enabling a safe and secure environment, and enhancing New Orleans’ quality of life.

By far the biggest thing that clearly stood out last night is how extremely passionate the citizens of New Orleans are about improving recreational opportunities and facilities because of how critical it is to the proper formation of our youths.

Coaches, parents, children and communities leaders stood up one by one; taking their 2 minutes and 30 seconds to express their concerns, disappointment, and burning desire to see changes in NORD and to see community parks, facilities and programs returned and be properly managed.

In the last five years, since Katrina, it’s clear that the citizens of the city, the parents, coaches, booster clubs and volunteers have put forth the efforts, the money, the time, love, and care in reviving the parks, and organizing the programs.  The citizens of New Orleans are heart broken by the recent raise of violence and are demanding change and better opportunities, and programs for the kids in the city.

The members of the NORDcap chaired by Rod West, CEO, Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and Roy Glapion, Founder and past President, Citywide Testing & Inspections, Inc., listened carefully, took notes and have a big job to fill in making the best possible recommendations to Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

To find out more about the New Orleans Recreation Task Force I recommend listening to the New Orleans Recreation Department Citizens Advisory Panel presentation to the New Orleans City Council, August 28, 2009 – Rod West clearly articulates the current situation, the issues that need to be addressed, the challenges ahead, and mission NORDcap has undertaken.

I personally stood up last night, stepped to the microphone and expressed that as the parks and recreation centers are revived, it’s critical that the entire family and community is taken into account. As the CEO of Be Fit NOLA – what I’ve discovered is how many people have no access to any kinds of facilities or ability to exercise and workout.  I do believe it’s critical to setup programs for kids but it’s also imperative to give parents access to exercise programs and equipment.  Lets setup Green Gyms in our parks…lets invest in the health of the citizens in New Orleans by providing parks and recreation centers that support all – people of all ages.

I really hope that amazing things will happen in the next few years…real change, real improvement, real innovation.

Diabetes rates:

The prevalence of diabetes is quickly soaring to become one of the top preventable diseases and causes of premature death in the United States. Little over 1.5 million Americans over the age of 20 are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Currently, some 24 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. That’s nearly 8% of our entire population. Diabetes rates are increasing rapidly and expected to double in the next 20-30 years. So, we must act quickly to counter this seemingly grim fate. It’s that important!

National Demographics:

This disease does not discriminate between genders. The numbers are nearly split down the center between men (12 million) and women (11.5 million). Considering age brackets 12.2 million or 23.1% of Americans over the age of 60 have the disease. Almost 11% of Americans over age 20 have the disease. A little under 186,000 children and teens under the age of 20 have the disease.

Louisiana Demographics:

In Louisiana, we fare much worse than other states. Orleans parish has some of the highest rates in the state with 10.6% of its population being diabetic. Following Orleans is Tangipahoa (11.1%); Plaquemines (10.7); St. Charles (10.4%); Jefferson (10.2%); St. Bernard (9.9) and St. Tammany (7.9%) being the home to the lowest prevalence of diabetics in Louisiana. In just ten short years the prevalence of newly diagnosed diabetics in LA has risen from 5.2% in 1997 to 10.1% in 2007. Sadly, our state posts the highest death rate from diabetes in the nation (35.5 per 100,000 population).

Cost of Diabetes (Nationally):

Total costs associated with diabetes have been reported to be a staggering $174 billion (yes that’s with a B) annually. A closer look at the numbers reveals $116 billion goes toward direct medical costs and another $58 billion for indirect costs (disability, work loss, premature mortality). Considering related factors such as gestational diabetes, pre-diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes, the cost rises to an eye twitching $218 billion annually. In 2006, total costs related to diabetes in Louisiana were approximately $2,431,000,000.

Check back next week when we define the various types of diabetes. For more information about diabetes rates in Louisiana, check out the Louisiana Diabetes Control Program (DPCP) Website here .

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.

A limited number of participants will be screened. You may call (504) 861-4500 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for pre-registration guidelines and to obtain an appointment time.

Most Americans know that heart disease and cancer can be silent killers and understand that monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol and having regular mammograms are critical to protecting their health. Too few adults and not enough doctors realize, however, that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is another common, life-threatening illness that often goes undetected until very advanced when it could be diagnosed early through simple tests.  Twenty-six million Americans (1 in 9 adults) suffer from CKD and another 20 million are at risk.

Caught early, it can often be managed, and kidney damage can be slowed or stopped. The earlier CKD is detected, the better a person’s chances are of working successfully with his or her doctors to slow the loss of kidney function and avoid health problems. That’s why early testing for people at risk is so important.The National Kidney Foundation of LA will offer a FREE screening through its Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) for people at risk for CKD.  All participants will receive a series of FREE testing valued at over $320 to determine their kidney function and other health issues.  This includes blood   pressure reading, weight and waist measurements for body index, hemoglobin blood test for anemia, lipid panel for cholesterol and triglycerides, urine analysis for albumin to creatinine ratio, serum creatinine to measure how well kidneys are filtering blood and the estimated glomerular filtration rate  (eGFR) to measure the kidney function.

If you have high blood pressure and/or diabetes; or if your parents or siblings have high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease, then you qualify for a FREE kidney evaluation because you are at risk for developing chronic kidney disease.

For more information contact Julie Gable, Program Services Director National Kidney Foundation of Louisiana (504) 861-4500

Fill each basket with healthy items i.e. sugar-free chewing gum, sugar-free Life Savers, sugar-free suckers and carrots – cuts the sugar and calories

Use colored plastic Easter eggs for scavenger hunts – using real boiled eggs can put the little one’s at risk of food illness – when eating real eggs don’t let them sit at room temperatures for more than 2 hours

Avoid all-you-can eat buffets on Easter Sunday; opt for restaurants that offer a la carte menu items – this will help eliminate adding extra calories to your meal

Try giving kids non-edible items in their baskets such as Easter erasers, stickers, pencils, tattoos, coloring books and toys (Hot Wheels for boys and dolls for girls) instead of traditional high calorie sweets.

Limit egg consumption around this holiday – one regular egg has 210mg of Cholesterol – it is recommended to eat only 300mg of Cholesterol per day – choose brands like Christopher eggs and Eggland’s Best – these brands have less cholesterol/Saturated (unhealthy) fat and added omega fats + vitamins for heart heath in their eggs.

Add a little physical to your holiday gatherings – hide physical activity games in the plastic eggs i.e. Hop like the Easter bunny to find the next egg or try egg toss contests and spoon egg races or take the family out to see the Chris Owens Easter parade in the French Quarter which starts at 1pm or check-out the Easter on the Avenue on St. Charles at 12:15pm.  The Parade will start at Emeril’s Delmonico Restaurant and make its way around Lee Circle, then up Cadiz Street where it turns around and returns to the restaurant.

Freeze fruit and offer natural sugar/sugar-free drinks instead of giving the children candy – the sweeter fruits work best i.e. papaya, berries, grapes/grape juice, sugar free Hawaiian punch mix

If you must go for the traditional sweets – go for Elmer’s dark chocolate heavenly hash and Gold brick eggs – you can also buy Hershey’s dark chocolate bars and melt them into a fondue bowl – dip strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, and nuts in to make a yummy dessert

For more information on healthy Easter recipes and meal ideas, visit the EatingWell Magazine.

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.

HealthCamp is an unconference inspired by the popular BarCamp conferences, which are intended to allow people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees.

The purpose of the HealthCamp is to bring together health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area to share knowledge, network, and open dialogues around the challenges, issues, and concerns they face every day.  As well as, brainstorm, explore and discuss solutions, ideas and the latest innovations, policies and technology available.

An unconference means that the attendees are the presenters – this is a user generated conference.  There is no keynote speaker and planned agenda for the day.  However, we are establishing some guidelines and tracks.

HealthCamp NOLA will explore 4 different tracks:

Technology

Sessions in the technology track will vary from discussing improving or extending the efficacy of health care by embracing social networks, open standards, and the latest web and mobile technologies to new breakthroughs and latest technology available or being developed that will change the way health services are provided.

Prevention/Wellness:

Sessions in the prevention and wellness track will focus on discussing and addressing what can be done in our community to educate, assist, motivate and encourage people to take preventive measures to prevent diseases and health problems. What can be done?  What are the biggest factors affecting the members of our community? How can health care and fitness professionals best support and help each other? Etc.

Policy

Sessions in the policy track will focus and vary from discussing federal, State and city policy that impact health and wellness providers.  This could include anything from funding issues and concerns, privatization of local hospitals, and the impact of the Health Care Reform Bills recently signed by President Obama.

Business

Session in the business track is to discuss the state of health and wellness businesses, opportunities and entrepreneurship in the health and wellness industry.  What opportunities exist in New Orleans? What type of businesses already exist – what makes them successful?

This will be an extremely beneficial event to all health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area – the energy, opportunities and networking generated from unconferences can’t be compared to anything else you have attended in the past.

Our first priority in bringing this event to New Orleans is finding a location that can support 100-150 attendees.  A space with 4-5 classrooms.  The event will be held on a Saturday.

As soon as we have reserved a location, we will accept sponsorships.  Sponsors are critical to make this a free event for attendees.  The sponsorship will be used to pay for the food for the day, possibly the facility and t-shirts.  NO MONEY is made by the organizers of this event – this event is being organized by volunteers…currently myself and Tung Ly; assisting us is the HealthCamp Organizer Mark Scrimshire.

You can stay abreast of what’s happening by joining our Facebook Group and following us on Twitter.

Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization designed by Tulane medical students, to promote long-term behavioral changes in terms of diet and exercise habits. DWTL ultimate goal is for each program participant to develop practical lifestyle changes without diet or exercise fads. They aim to promote small changes in nutrition habits, without sacrificing cultural characteristics in taste; and to increase physical activity, without needing sophisticated exercise equipment.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a faith-based non-profit health and wellness organization based in New Orleans. Basically, Ryan Jupiter and I came up with this idea as first-year Tulane medical students. There was a program that I ran, as a personal trainer, called “Fat Tuesday,” where we offered free body composition and cardiovascular screenings at the Reily Center (Tulane’s gym). Ryan and I were working out one day and were discussing ways to bring a program like Fat Tuesday out into the community. After a year of research and development, DWTL was born. DWTL is now an 8-week program, held twice a year at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Components include physician speakers, health screenings, free exercise equipment, exercises classes and personal counseling from medical students. At this point, we have seen around 500 participants, and many noted significant health improvements.

Q: How does someone become a participant in the Don’t Weight to Lose program?

Jacques Courseault: Visit www.dontweighttolose.org and sign up for our newsletter. We release dates 2 months in advance for people to sign-up. If you don’t want to wait, we have tons of exercise and nutrition information available on our affiliate websites www.ExerciseMenu.com and www.DrGourmet.com. I am the Chief Editor of Exercise Menu, and Dr. Timothy Harlan is a chef turned Tulane Internist who developed Dr.Gourmet.com.  There is tons of great information on both sites.

Q: How much personal attention do the participants receive?

Jacques Courseault: One of the great aspects about DWTL is the personal attention that participants receive from our medical students. We have about 25 volunteer medical students that are trained in exercise and nutrition counseling, in addition to, what they are learning in medical school. Each student is assigned to three to five participants. Students review body composition readings, nutrition diaries and workout logs with participants during each session. There is really a strong bond that develops…

Q: You mentioned it’s faith-based health and wellness program – can you explain that a little more?

Jacques Courseault: Faith-based meaning that we address health issues from the mind, body and spiritual perspectives. Obviously, you have to take physical action, by increasing physical activity and making health food choices to improve your overall health. What is not so obvious is that many of these issues have a psychological and spiritual basis to them that should also be addressed. Having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I have designed this program based on particular theories to address behavior change. Obesity and other chronic diseases have also been linked to psychological disorders, such as stress and depression. Last but not least, is the spiritual component. Making sustainable lifestyle changes is difficult. By making the connection that God has blessed us with the gift of life and health, I try to teach our participants not to take this time we have for granted. In addition, the church offers a support network that provides encouragement when the temptation to revert back to previous ways arises.

Q: What inspired you to start Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: I love New Orleans and the potential that this city has. Nothing can compare to the culture of this city. At the same time, I realize that overindulging in our food and leisurely activities can lead to serious health problems. So, I asked myself “How can we improve the health of this city and still eat great tasting foods and enjoy ourselves?” The answer is to teach small and practical changes that can drastically improve health. The people of New Orleans want to be healthy; however, it’s not always clear how to do that, especially with the day-to-day fads that pop up in mainstream media. Therefore, it is my passion as a personal trainer, physician and citizen of this great city to teach these practical changes.

Q: Have you reached out to former participants?  Have they maintained the new habits they developed during the program?

Jacques Courseault: Being a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and from seeing previous participants at various health fairs or at other functions, we realize that our changes look to be sustainable. We have also received many testimonials about the positive changes people are noting in their lives. One participant reported at 40-pound weight loss, and we have had quite a few that reported 25 pounds or more. We are working to set up a screening session of all of our former participants to see if these changes have been sustainable as we hoped.

Q: How do you feel about the health and fitness scene in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: The health and fitness scene in New Orleans has notably improved after Katrina. The greatest improvement that I have seen is at City Park, with the addition of the new walking and biking tracks. New Orleans provides many avenues for outdoor exercise. One can walk through the French Quarter, bike on the levees, play pick-up soccer at Audubon or join any of the many run/walks that are held here each year. Unfortunately, there is a lack of indoor facilities. To address this problem, I have developed ExerciseMenu.com, which allows people to workout in the comfort of their own home. Resistance training, or weight lifting is important, but we can maintain better health if we regularly participate in outdoor activities.

Q: We hear you are graduating this year – what’s next for you? Will you be staying in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: I will never leave this city. I had a wonderful four years at Tulane University School of Medicine, but will now hang up the green and white for the LSU purple and gold. Starting in July, I will begin my residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I love this field because I can combine my exercise passions with medicine, in order to help people maintain their physical health. I will also continue to make sure that DWTL contributes to improving the health and wellness of this city.

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We’ve covered the basics of a healthy eating plan over the past two weeks but within those categories there are new things to try and new favorites to be found!

One reason people don’t stick with healthy eating plans they try is it seems that there are only certain things they can eat or they don’t like the way the “healthy” food tastes.

Within the food groups we’ve discussed over the past two weeks there is a wide range of choices and selections to find things that you not only enjoy but that are healthy too!

All it takes is being willing to try something new and before you know it you will have an expanded grocery list. Try one of these suggestions this month and you might be surprised with a new favorite food!

• Start Small—Try foods similar to those you like. If you like mashed potatoes, try smashed cauliflower, if you like meat loaf try making it with ground turkey.

• Branch Out—Do you eat the same meat all the time? Instead of beef or chicken try a new fish. Head to the fish counter and ask for suggestions for a local catch. A recipe for that locally caught mahi mahi is only finger tips away with websites like www.allrecipes.com, www.cookinglight.com, and one of my personal favorites www.healthylivingwithellie.com (recipes from a dietitian that taste great!).

• Switch Sides and Snacks—Sides and snacks are a good way to incorporate new foods because you don’t have to commit to a main dish. Try a handful of walnuts, sunflower seeds, or dried fruits for a snack. For a side, choose polenta or couscous instead of rice

• Have Fun—Try new foods with friends. Have a potluck and have each person bring a new recipe for the group to try. Feeling brave? Go out to a new restaurant with friends and let the server decide what you will eat based on what most people order.

A healthy eating plan that is designed by you and incorporates new and old favorites will be much more sustainable than eating foods you don’t really enjoy but eat them because you are “supposed to”. So step out, try a new fish, sauté your vegetables instead of boiling them, choose a new fruit to add to the grocery list each week. Before you know it you will find healthy favorites to keep you satisfied and on track.

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Lauren Futrell Dunaway, MPH, RD, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Dietetics.  She then completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After becoming a Registered Dietitian, she began to pursue a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Lauren currently works at the Tulane Prevention Research Center as a program manager for their core research project focusing on the built environment and how it affects obesity.

Yesterday, on my first day of the detox – you could say that “it” hit me pretty hard towards late afternoon.   I found myself running to the bathroom and feeling like parts of my insides were not very happy with me.  Frankly, I was shocked it got to me the way it did but Aaron pointed out “You have a pretty sensitive stomach to start out with”.  He made a good point. I do have a sensitive stomach.

Today, I got up and drank my second bottle.  The way it works – the Detox kit is a seven day detox system of seven potent 1oz bottles – one bottle a day mixed with one quart (32 ounce) of liquid.  In my case, I’m mixing it with light apple juice and water.  No way I could swallow it down with water only.  Not exactly the best tasting or smelling stuff…

I drank my entire “potion” before I left the house to go to the gym…I drank most of it while I was meditating, on an empty stomach.  I had to visit the bathroom while I was at the gym but it wasn’t too bad.  After lunch, Aaron and I went to get massages…I was doing just fine.

We left the massage place and headed to the grocery store on the other side of town.  Halfway there my stomach started acting up.  I’ll spare you the intricate details but we’ll just say that I barely made it and it was definitely not something I wanted to do in a public bathroom.

That was around 2:45pm…it’s past 8pm now – stomach is feeling fine.  Staying hydrated and maintaining electrolytes, I’m noticing to be extra important while on this detox.

I don’t know what’s in store for me tomorrow but for tomorrow and the rest of the week – I plan on looking closely at my schedule.  I don’t want to be caught somewhere out of reach of a bathroom.

What are my expectations on Day 7? No clue.  Will I feel “cleansed”?  Will I have more energy?  Will all the cravings be gone?  I’ll tell you on Sunday!