Monthly Archives: March 2012

Behind the Glass

by Ryan Conklin on March 29, 2012

Ryan Conklin is a Chef Manager for Culinary & Nutritional Services at Rex. His mission is to bring healthy, gourmet cuisine to the Rex community & shed the label of “hospital food.”

5:00am- Raleigh North Carolina. Marjorie McPhail awakes to the sound of her alarm clock. After waiting in bed for an extra few minutes, she fully awakes…it’s time to go to work.

5:30am- Marjorie gets in her Honda, and proceeds onto the hustle and bustle of Raleigh’s outer belt line for her 20 minute commute. This is a daily routine for her, as she listens to her music and thinks about her busy workday ahead. “I usually am in my car, thinking about the food the chefs are cooking, I hope they make it look good for me”.

6:00am- The customers start rolling in. At first, it’s one by one, then as we creep more towards 7:00am, they start arriving in small groups. Read more…

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Meh…it’s just 100 calories

by Dr. Grace Tang on March 28, 2012

Dr. Grace Tang is a physician with Rex Family Practice of Wakefield. Her “A day in my life” blog series brings you an inside look at the daily routine of a family physician, both inside and outside of the office.

All 100 Calories

I get a lot of questions, especially this time of year, about my thoughts on certain “extreme diets”– high protein/ low carb, liquid diets, hormone injections, appetite suppressants, juicing, etc.

My answer is generally: “I’m sure you’ll lose a lot of weight quickly, but you’ll gain it all back when you get tired of it.” (And mark my words, you will get tired of it.) Read more…

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Fresh, Frozen or Canned. What About Boxed?

by Ashley Honeycutt on March 26, 2012

Ashley Honeycutt, RD, LDN is the Manager of Corporate and Community Services for Rex Wellness Centers. She blogs about nutrition, wellness & healthy living.

As a dietitian, you would think that I buy new and different fruits and vegetables every time I go grocery shopping. Nope. Like everyone else, I am comfortable with my routine. I have the same handful of favorites on our weekly menu. Most of the time, these favorites are planned around what’s on sale. Don’t get me wrong, we eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. But, we usually eat them the same five ways, over and over again. Thanks to my husband, we are out of our produce rut. Last fall, he signed up for The Produce Box, and I am the first to admit that it’s the greatest thing we’ve done in a while (although it would have been better if I had signed up for it, right?) Read more…

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Balancing Act

by Rex Healthcare on March 22, 2012

Post by Alden M. Parsons, M.D. of Rex Thoracic Specialists. Dr. Parsons is a published researcher and experienced surgeon. She is also a compassionate doctor who brings her expertise to patients at Rex Healthcare.

I understand now, having been in practice for a few years, that there’s a reason why there are only 200 female cardiothoracic surgeons in the United States. Balancing the demands and stress of a growing thoracic surgery practice with the needs and expectations as a mother, is not easy.

There is a reason that cardiothoracic surgery lags behind every other medical specialty in the percentage of women that have entered the field. The acuity of issues that need to be addressed on a daily basis can be quite stressful. On top of the juggling that’s required to manage a household with small children, it is clear why this is not a choice a lot of women make. Read more…

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Healing Tar Heel… One Inch at a Time

by Brian Trabulsi on March 22, 2012

Brian Trabulsi, MPT, ATC is a physical therapist at Rex Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation in Raleigh.

The hopes of Tar Heel fans nationwide rest on a small bone in star point guard Kendall Marshall’s wrist – a bone that is notorious for poor healing. The scaphoid or navicular bone is the first bone in the first row of carpal (wrist) bones. It is most frequently injured by falling on an outstretched hand. According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, scaphoid fractures frequently go undiagnosed because there is usually minimal swelling and bruising is rare. Read more…

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Memorable Meals

by Ryan Conklin on March 19, 2012

Ryan Conklin is a Chef Manager for Culinary & Nutritional Services at Rex. His mission is to bring healthy, gourmet cuisine to the Rex community & shed the label of “hospital food.”

Back in January of 2003, I went on a brief trip back to Ireland, a place I had lived in previously and worked as a young aspiring chef. This time when I went “across the pond”, it wasn’t to cook. I was eager to enjoy all the beauty and fun that this country has to offer with my soon to be wife Heather. We rented a tiny car and stayed at various Bed and Breakfasts throughout the Cities of Dublin and Limerick, as well as in the lush Irish countryside. In the middle of the week, our destiny was the Cliffs of Moher, located on Ireland’s southwest coast. Read more…

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Thumbs Down on Texting

by Rex Healthcare on March 17, 2012

Post by Karin Singleton. Karin has been working in the fitness industry since 1994 and is a MELT (Myofascial Energetic Length Technique) and Pilates instructor at Rex Wellness Center of Raleigh.

A few days ago, I read with utter amazement that the average teenager sends thousands of text messages per months. To me, this is an incomprehensible figure but I am not here to argue whether this is a good way to communicate or not. I do not believe that I am to be the judge of that.

What concerns me, though, is the impact is has on health, particularly repetitive stress injuries to the thumbs. There is already a name for it: “Blackberry Thumb”. And it is easy to see how this can lead to problems up the chain towards the hands, wrists, shoulders, upper back and neck. Read more…

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Hooray, it’s Gym Day!

by Dr. Grace Tang on March 15, 2012

Gym day today…determined to go after work today! At the end of the day my brain always says, “don’t you just want to go home and relax on the couch after your long hard day? You deserve it! ” Here are some tips I use to trick myself into going to the gym:

Bring my gym clothes to work. I DO NOT go home- I know I will not leave.
Sometimes I’ll meet a friend there so I can’t bail.
Eat a small snack before my workout so I can’t say “I’m too hungry to go to the gym” (use whiney voice to get the full effect). A cheese stick and some carrots keep me satisfied.
I like to go to group classes and stand up front so I am shamed into staying the whole time. It’s also more fun and your competitive spirit comes out.
When all else fails, weigh myself. That will most certainly get me motivated!

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Keep Moving – You Were Born to Do It!

by Rex Healthcare on March 13, 2012

Post by David Tsai, M.D. of Rex Primary Care of Holly Springs. Dr. Tsai is a physician with Rex Primary Care of Holly Springs with a focus on primary care and sports medicine.

If I told you I had a treatment that could not only extend your life, but it improves your relationships and sex-life and helps you remember where you left your keys – how interested would you be in taking it?

It also benefits children. The earlier it’s provided to children, the greater benefit to them later as an adult.

Newton’s Law of Inertia states – “A body at rest remains at rest and a body in motion remains in motion.” Read more…

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Allergies …or Something Else?

by Rex Healthcare on March 13, 2012

It’s that time of year again. Your eyes itch, your nose is runny, you sneeze constantly and your head is congested—all-too-familiar symptoms for the estimated 18.6 million Americans who suffer from allergic rhinitis or hay fever. But when you’re used to coping with miserable symptoms from spring through fall, how do you know when you’re really sick? Key warning signs that your symptoms are not from your allergies include fever, body aches, yellow or green nasal discharge and malaise. Read more…