BodyWise Physical Therapy

Loraine Frey, PT

Loraine received her Bachelor of Science in Physical therapy from the University of Delaware in 1983 and is pursuing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University with an expected graduation date of August 2011.  Loraine has been a licensed physical therapist in the Baltimore area for over 25 years with an extensive background in a variety of practice settings including acute care, home health, and outpatient rehabilitation in both private practice and assisted living facilities. Loraine has also received a Certificate on Aging from Johns Hopkins University in 2008 with a special interest in reducing the fall risk in the geriatric population.

Loraine is an avid tennis player and has been playing competitive USTA tennis for the last 10 years. She combined her love of biking and running and twice trained and competed in the Iron Girl Triathlon here in Columbia to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Foundation for Young Adults. When not training, Loraine enjoys reading a great novel, sewing clothes, and especially enjoys spending quality time with her husband, her two daughters, good friends and her rescue Golden Retriever. Loraine is thrilled to be a part of the BodyWise team where she can practice the art and science of Physical Therapy in a practice that promotes physical, mental and spiritual well being.

Click here to read more about the therapists at BodyWise Physical Therapy.

PICKING THE BEST FOODS FROM THE VENDING MACHINE

Because vending machines are a part of our daily lives, learning how to pick healthy food from them is a must if we intend to maintain our weight and eat nutritiously while away from home. Below you’ll find comparisons of four different vending machines—two typical snack food machines, a “fresh food” machine containing some more substantial, lunch type items, and finally, the classic soda machine. Let’s evaluate the choices in these machines, picking both the best and worst items from each. In today’s fast-paced world where vending machine food is almost unavoidable, this comparison will help you…choose wisely.

Vending Machine #1

Contents: Potato chips, nacho chips, cheese crackers, pretzels, candy bars, cupcakes, Oreo cookies, doughnuts, hard candy, and several different brands of chewing gum.

Wise Choice: Pretzels are your best bet here. Unlike all the other crunchy, comfort foods, pretzels are very low in fat and high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates will give you sustained energy as opposed to the quick rush of energy you get from gobbling down a candy bar. If you see any baked potato or nacho chips, they would be a wise choice, too. Baking can substantially reduce the fat content in chips.

Worst Choice: It’s a toss-up. The doughnuts are extremely high in calories (500+) and also full of sugar which will eventually be stored as fat. The candy bar, depending on which one you choose, isn’t a wise choice either. Most candy bars contain about 300 calories and 15 grams of fat—awfully high numbers for something that’s gone in five minutes.

Vending Machine #2

Contents: Oatmeal cookies, jumbo soft pretzels, animal crackers, soft chewy candies, nut rolls, taffy, onion chips, pork rinds, popcorn cakes.

Wise Choice: Popcorn cakes. These can be great snacks because a four-ounce serving contains only 160 calories and 2 grams of fat. Popcorn (unless it’s drenched in butter and covered in salt) is always a wise decision. Animal crackers rank as a close second. You’ll want to read the food label, but depending on your serving size, animal crackers can also be a low-calorie, low-fat snack.

Worst Choice: The pork rinds, hands down. This classic little snack racks up big numbers when it comes to fat and calorie content. Would you believe that a four-ounce serving of pork rinds contains 600 calories and almost 40 grams of fat? Eating more than 4 ounces can quickly bring you to your limit for both fat and calories for the entire day—in just one snack!

Fresh Food Machine

Contents: Often found in convenience stores and airports, these machines dispense more substantial items like ham and cheese sandwiches, tuna fish sandwiches, fresh green salads, yogurt, bagels, and even baked potatoes with savory toppings.

Wise Choice: There’s no surprise here, the green salad is your best bet—especially if the dressing is on the side. If you’re really hungry, the baked potato is a pretty good choice, but you’ll need to scrape off most of the toppings—especially if it’s cheese.  Oftentimes, the cheese on these items is of the processed variety, and is loaded with fat.

Worst Choice: Watch out for almost any of the sandwiches. These sandwiches are usually loaded with high-fat spreads like mayonnaise (especially the chicken salad or tuna salad) and are usually served on white bread. White bread means “junk carbs”— carbohydrates that will likely be stored as fat.

The Soda Machine

Contents: Cola, Cherry Cola, Dr. Pepper, Lemon Lime, Citrus, Orange, Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Seltzer Water.

Wise Choice: If you’re lucky enough to find a soda machine—or you’re at a restaurant that has seltzer water—drink up. There are no calories and it can be quite refreshing. However, chances are, you won’t find seltzer water, so at least try to choose a diet soda.  Diet sodas are usually calorie and sugar free, and they’re a pretty good way to go.

Worst Choice: Without question, orange soda is your worst choice at the soda machine. It has the most calories and the most sugar. If you simply must have orange soda—or soda at all for that matter—try to switch to diet. Once you’re used to the change

Source: Wellness Council of America

As you age, your body reminds you almost daily that something doesn’t seem “quite right.” By paying attention to your body’s language of pain, or uneasiness, you can become your own “health care” specialist. You can learn your body’s signals, guiding you to focus on prevention. As you become more comfortable with being your own health care manager, you may initiate more aggressive early detection of problems through other screening and the use of traditional and complementary interventions.

Your primary prevention management activities should include healthy choices: eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, not smoking, limiting use of alcohol and other drugs, and managing your stress. You also need to practice regular self care (secondary prevention) by paying attention to these possible bodily changes and doing the following self examinations: self breast exams, testicular exams, skin changes, shortness of breath, irregular heart beats, changes in bowel or bladder habits; and any other noticeable changes in your body functions that do not go back to normal in a few weeks. When you find something unusual, seek medical care.

Screening For Early Detection
Health Risk Appraisals (secondary prevention) at work can uncover health problems that need further analysis and referral. Your Doctor can perform, or order, a variety of screening tests aimed at early detection (secondary prevention) of problems. Common health problem indicators include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, rectal bleeding, mammography, cervical abnormalities, C-reactive protein, and vision and hearing function. Your Doctor may suggest other tests, depending on your age, gender, and medical history. By actively monitoring your health, receiving early screening and diagnosis, and following treatment recommendations, you will increase your chances for a robust, full life.

Recommended Prevention & Screenings for your Long-Term Health

1. Start with lifestyle: eat a balanced diet and monitor your weight, don’t smoke, exercise, limit alcohol and other drug use, and manage stress.
2. See your health care provider as close to age 40 as possible to get a comprehensive physical. This establishes your baseline screening results for future comparisons.
3. Monitor your body every month; really look at yourself and notice changes in skin, moles, or anything that seems to be changing.
4. Women should get annual gynecological examinations and mammography’s and practice self breast examination (age appropriate).
5. Men should have routine prostate exams and examine their testicles monthly. A PSA test is recommended as part of standard medical screenings for men (age appropriate).
6. Both men and women should have a colonoscopy by age 50 to detect any possibility of colon cancer. Annual fecal occult blood stool testing is recommended.
7. Women should be screened after 50 for osteoporosis/osteopenia (calcium loss in bone).
8. Men and women should see their Dentist twice per year.
9. After 50, both men and women should have their hearing and vision checked regularly.
10. Both men and women should be immunized against pneumonia and influenza.

Source: Wellness Council of America