Nutrition

Joe Edwards, Patient Safety Attendant, finds a nutrition lifestyle to help take care of his heart.

On a Saturday afternoon in October 2019, Joe experienced what he thought was indigestion, but his neighbors encouraged him to get to the hospital. His neighbors drove him to the Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center emergency department, where doctors told him he was having a heart attack.

From that day on, Joe has made big changes to his diet. Since his heart attack, he has not eaten any fried food. Instead, he follows the Mediterranean Diet, eating mostly salads, salmon and baked chicken. He is also going to Cardiac Rehab at Atrium Health Pineville twice a week. It is great exercise, and he loves it.

Today, when someone asks Joe how he feels, he says “I feel pretty good…no, make that great!”

Pat Fogarty, RD, Senior Dietitian Nutritionist, teaches easy ways to add plant-based nutrition to your lifestyle.

Pat encourages her nutrition class participants to incorporate at least one or two meat-free meals each week and replace one snack a day with fruits and vegetables. Foods like beans, tofu (if you’re adventurous!), legumes, basmati rice, cauliflower, baby carrots and cucumbers. Pat’s personal favorite is mini sweet peppers with hummus or low-fat dressing.

Plants contain phytochemicals, which protect cells from damage that could lead to cancer. Here are 20 ways to eat more fruits and vegetables throughout your day.

Learn more about Pat's story in the LiveWELL Calendar.

Mike Newton, Systems Engineer, reduces added sugars and preps his meals from home to achieve his nutrition goals.

In 2010, Mike lost 55 pounds by reducing sugary sodas and increasing exercise. By 2018 the weight had returned. On a family trip to Universal Studios, he found himself unable to join his family on a ride due to his size. Motivated, Mike reflected on his successes in 2010 and reduced sugar and sodas while walking at least 10,000 steps a day. He joined the LiveWELL Omada program, using the program tools including health coaching and the app meal tracker. In September 2019, Mike returned to Universal Studios, 60 pounds lighter and enjoyed the Harry Potter ride he could not ride only a year before. Today, eighty percent of Mike's day is sedentary. To get steps in, Mike walks before and after work, and during lunch to get his steps in. He prepares his meals from home and seeks out new goals like tracking fiber in his diet.  He finds continued support through a Facebook weight loss support group. This year his steps completed are already equal to the distance to Pigeon Forge, TN.

Keri Brown, Administrative Assistant – IAS, finds support with teammates and a structured weight loss program.

Every Wednesday a group of teammates gather for a meeting. This meeting is unique, each teammate is a Weight Watchers participant, there to support each other on their well-being journey.

Keri Brown started this on-site Weight Watchers meeting in the summer of 2019, speaking with teammates to generate interest.  In addition to group support, Keri attributes her success to tools like the Weight Watchers app, utilizing the app’s points tracker and food scanner to track points on-the-go. She is more aware of food portions and calorie intake. One of her ‘ah-ha’ moments was discovering her breakfast was more points than she needed in one day! Since starting the program, Keri has also seen her healthiest routine lab results in five years.

Today, twenty teammates are starting their third, 12-week Weight Watchers series. Collectively, the group has lost more than 500 pounds to-date, with individuals losing 30-40 pounds and maintaining their weight loss. In addition to their Wednesday meetings, teammates find continued support through their Yammer group.