Medsave Bemidji Blog

Mini Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Recipe

medsave — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:57:19 +0000

These are so easy and fun to make, plus you can let kids, grandchildren or family and friends get involved and let them decorate their own mini pizza. The recipe below either makes about 36-48 cookies (depending on what size you make them) OR one large pizza with 12-18 cookies leftover. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Crust

1/4 C Milk
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 C Butter or Margarine
4 C Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs

Soften margarine slightly, then add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir well, then mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and milk. Chill dough for about an hour and it will be easier to roll out.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it’s a little more than 1/4″ thick. You can either transfer it to an ungreased pizza pan to make a big pizza or use circle cookie cutters to make mini pizzas. (If you make the large pizza size, you will only use about 3/4 of the dough, so you can make mini ones with the leftovers!) Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. Let the sugar cookie crust cool completely before adding the cream cheese layer.

Cream Cheese Layer

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1 C Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
8 oz. Cool Whip

Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in the Cool Whip and stir well. Spread cream cheese layer over cooled sugar cookie. Then you can start adding the fruit.

Fruit Options

Strawberries
Kiwi
Bananas
Grapes
Blueberries
Mandarin Oranges
Raspberries
Pineapple
Or whatever fruit you love!!

www.sixsisterstuff.com

Ask the Expert: Diabetic Screenings

medsave — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:54:08 +0000

Q. As a diabetic, what tests and vaccinations should I have on a regular basis?

A. The newest recommendations include:

Blood pressure check at each opportunity
Hemoglobin AIC every six months
Cholesterol and blood lipids once a year
Flu shot (once a year)
Microalbumin (at least once a year)
Foot Exam every time you see your health practitioner. To include sensory testing with monofilament. Diabetic shoes are available at our pharmacy and are 80% paid for by Medicare and most insurances on prescription. The pharmacy will handle the process.
Injections site exam every time you see your health practitioner.
Pneumonia shot- At diagnosis, repeated at age 65 and as suggested by your practitioner. Pick up a prescription from your practitioner at your next visit and bring it to them.

MedSave Family Pharmacy can provide many of these services to you at a reduced cost or for free. Ask us!

It may also be practical for you to reduce the number of blood glucose tests done each day and save money by grouping your tests and doing them less often. Ask your practitioner or your pharmacist. Get prior approval from your practitioner before making a change in your test frequency and process.

Find a pharmacy that specializes in diabetic care and has a “”Medicare Approved” diabetic education program.

- Richard Chernugal RPh

How important is it to stop smoking? Isn’t the damage already done?

medsave — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:25:31 +0000

No matter your age, quitting smoking immediately cuts some important health risks. According to the American Lung Association, when an older person stops smoking, circulation immediately improves. The lungs begin an immediate repair process, and just one year after quitting the risk off heart disease linked to smoking is cut almost in half, along with a reduced risk of stroke, lung disease, and some cancers.

Moreover, men who quit smoking at age 65 add up to two years to their life, while women add almost four years! Together with watching your weight and getting enough exercise, quitting smoking could help you live significantly longer!

What happens if you don’t quit? The American Lung Association reports that men over age of 65 who smoke are twice as likely to die from a stroke, while women smokers are 1.5 times at greater risk. Similarly, for all smokers over age 65, the risk of dying from a heart attack is 60% higher than for non-smokers. Smoking also increases the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, as well as cataracts, a leading cause of blindness and vision loss associated with aging.

If you have questions about quitting smoking, feel free to call Richard at MedSave. Richard is a Certified Smoking Cessation Educator.

Source: www.webmd.com

Ask the Expert: Cholesterol Medication

medsave — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:12:35 +0000

Q. I take care of my aging mother who is in her 80’s, is cholesterol medication still beneficial?

A. This can be a difficult question for many families especially if a person is taking multiple medications and if the given cholesterol medication is causing side effects. However cholesterol is still a very important risk factor for heart disease in all people no matter the age. Statins are a commonly prescribed class of cholesterol medications that are usually prescribed to help lower bad cholesterol. Experts recommend continuing using these medications in elderly people unless the person is not likely to live a year, and it is important to keep in mind that a person who reaches the age of 80 will live an average of 8 more years. Statins however are known to cause some side effects, with the most common side effect of muscle pain and weakness. If this is causing a problem talk to the doctor or pharmacist as they may be able to suggest a different statin medicine that is less likely to cause problems. In addition some people with muscle pain due to statins have been helped by taking CoQ10 (an OTC supplement), and having their vitamin D level checked.

Erin Folland Pharm-D

Preventing Tick Bites

medsave — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:25:43 +0000

While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, be extra vigilant in warmer months (April-September) when ticks are most active.

Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks

Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
Walk in the center of trails.

Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin

Use repellents that contain 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on the exposed skin for protection that lasts up to several hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and remains protective for up to 70 washings.
Other repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may be found at http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/.

Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body

Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs. Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.

Source: www.cdc.gov

Nutrients that help lower blood pressure

medsave — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:52:07 +0000

Do you have high blood pressure? Below are some nutrients that you should include in your diet to lower your blood pressure:

- Potassium: acorn squash, sweet potatoes, edamame, cooked spinach, bananas, orange juice, dried apricots, baked potatoes with skin, cataloupes, low-sodium V8 juice, yellowfin tuna.

- Soy Protein: edamame, soy milk, tofu, soy nuts (unsalted)

- Omega-3′s: salmon, tuna, halibut, mackerel, walnuts, soybeans, flaxseed, chia seeds

- Calcium: almonds, herring, greens, calcium fortified almond milk, low-fat yogurt, milk

- Magnesium: brown rice, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, cashews, dark chocolate, spinach, high-fiber cereals, lentils, whole grain bread.

Ask the Expert: Blood Pressure Meds

medsave — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:10:51 +0000

Q. What is the best time of day to take blood pressure medication?

A. Blood pressure is not constant throughout the day. Most people follow a typical 24 hour pattern in which blood pressure slowly increases in the morning between three and six AM, rises quickly upon awakening, increases for another four to six hours, and typically dips between midnight and three in the morning. Many people take all once-daily blood pressure medications first thing in the morning. This is just fine if just taking one or two medications. However, research has shown that some people may benefit by taking at least one medication at night if they are on three or more medications. In addition, people who have diabetes, kidney disease or resistant high blood pressure may benefit as more often with these conditions the blood pressure does not drop at night and doesn’t follow the usual pattern. Since there are many different kinds of blood pressure medications, call your pharmacist if you have questions or would like a recommendation about what time of day is best.

Erin Folland Pharm-D

It’s Healthy Heart Month! Keep your heart healthy. We can help!

medsave — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:35:40 +0000

February is American Heart Month, and unfortunately, most of us know someone who has had heart disease or stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day. These conditions are also leading causes of disability preventing people from working and enjoying family activities. We would like to encourage you to help prevent heart disease by leading a healthy lifestyle. Below are some tips to follow.

Know your ABCS:
- Ask your doctor if you should take an Aspirin every day.Aspirin is on SALE all month long at MedSave. Only $1.25 (81 mg, 120 count).
- Find out if you have high Blood pressure or Cholesterol, and if you do, get effective treatment.MedSave ALWAYS offers free blood pressure checks anytime during business hours. We are also offering full lipid panel cholesterol checks with blood glucose throughout the month of February for only $25.00. Call Aimee at MedSave at 759-1222 to make an appointment.
- If you Smoke, get help to quit.Richard Chernugal RPh is a certified smoking cessation educator and can help educate you to drop your smoking habit. Feel free to call Richard for more information.
Make your calories count by eating a heart-healthy diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in sodium and trans-fat.Need help with nutrition? Make an appointment with our Registered Dietitian, Kelly Zellmann.
Take control of your heart health by following your doctor’s prescription instructions.We offer Medication Therapy Management (MTM) where a pharmacist will sit down with you one on one and go through all of your medications to ensure that they are working the way that they should.
Get up and get active by being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.The saying, “Move It or Lose It” cannot say it any better. If you stop using your muscles, you will lose your strength. Get moving and keep your health in check. Looking for an affordable place to exercise? Come try InCharge Fitness for a free week. More info at www.inchargefitnesscenter.com.

How to Start Eating Healthier

medsave — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:39:19 +0000

Most people are creatures of habit. We go to the grocery store on the same day every week and fill our carts with the same stuff. If it’s Monday, chicken’s for dinner and Wednesday always means spaghetti. We are comforted with knowing what to expect—even if our meals aren’t that exciting, we know what we’re going to eat.

That’s what makes eating healthier so scary sometimes. We are so used to eating a certain way that we rarely think about what we’re actually putting into our bodies. So to eat a healthier diet means actually waking up and paying attention to what’s on your plate.

Make Healthy Eating a Habit
Eating healthier doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you want to adopt healthy habits that will last, then the easiest way to do it is by making small, gradual changes. Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon—it takes about a month for any new action to become habit.

Before you start making any changes to your diet, take a week or two to observe your current eating habits. Track everything that goes in your mouth, including drinks and treats, no matter how small. Keeping a food journal will really open your eyes—realizing that you ate 10 cookies over the course of the week might make you think twice before reaching into the cookie jar again tonight, for example. You might not realize how bad your present eating habits are until you see an unhealthy pattern right there in black and white. Once you see that some changes are in order, then you’re ready to take the next steps.

Small Changes Mean Big Rewards
If you can’t stand the taste of broccoli, then vowing to eat it more often is pretty unrealistic. But if increasing the number of vegetables you eat each day is one of your goals, start by finding a few different ones that you can painlessly work into your diet. Make sure you select a variety of colors (dark green, red, orange, etc.) to get the most nutrients per bite. Add some shredded carrots to your muffin batter or top your pizza with fresh tomatoes, for example.

If you know you need to eat more fruit, start by adding some sliced bananas to your cereal in the morning or bake an apple with a bit of brown sugar for a yummy, low-cal dessert. Fresh berries and yogurt make a nice, light breakfast or snack too.

As you adopt this new style of eating, you will find that your food preferences will gradually change—when you cut out high-sugar, high-fat goodies, your cravings will actually go away in time. Your body wants healthy food!

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.
Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.
Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.
Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.
Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.
Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.
Don’t drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.
Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.
Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.
Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).
Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.
Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.
Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind “sees” that you’re eating a full plate of food.

Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods completely—you just have to make a few changes. Treat yourself to a mini chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one, for example. By trying to eat the most nutritious foods possible, you are creating a healthy lifestyle that will help you reach your best weight. You deserve the very best!

Resource: Spark People

Ask the Expert – Raising HDL Levels

medsave — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:25:02 +0000

Q. I just had my cholesterol checked and my doctor suggested that I should work on increasing my, “good” cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein. Can you give me some tips in how I can increase it? What number should I be reaching for?

A. Yes. Here are a few tips to increase your HDL.

Increase physical activity
Stop smoking
Lose excessive weight
Choose a Heart Healthy Diet

Choose lean beef and pork, poultry w/ skin removed, lean fish and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, albacore tuna, herring, sardines, mackerel)
Use tub margarine that is free of trans fat
Eat tofu, nuts (almonds & walnuts) and beans as lean protein source
Choose foods that are baked, broiled or steamed, grilled
Top salads with lower fat dressings made with liquid oils
Choose vegetables/bean or broth soups over cream soups
Use lower fat milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream
Drink one to two glasses of red wine daily
Add soluble fiber to your diet. Soluble fibers are found in oats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and result in both a reduction in LDL cholesterol and an increase HDL cholesterol.

The higher your HDL, the better. An HDL of 60 mg/dL or higher is beneficial and considered a negative risk factor. An HDL of 40 mg/dL or lower is considered a risk factor for heart disease.

If you would like your cholesterol checked or have additional questions, please call MedSave at 759-1222 and talk to a pharmacist.

To Happy, Healthy Living!
Richard Chernugal RPh