Health Plan Example #1
Health goal: To be free of neck pain.
We agree that working on forgiving your ex-business partner is a key ingredient towards addressing your neck pain.
I am referring you to work with Jane Doe PhD. She has a particular expertise in helping people work through grief and forgiveness and I think you will like her. For an appointment call, 445-3344.
Consider reviewing the handout on forgiveness (PDF).
Follow up in 2 mths so we can see how this is going for you.
Health Plan Example #2
Health goal: To reduce the risk of a heart attack
1. Medications: Continue on you Metoprolol 50 mg daily and your statin, simvastatin 20 mg at bedtime.
2. Add fish oil (EPA + DHA=1000 mg), 1000 mg daily.
3. Review and incorporate the DASH diet
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and consists of foods high in potassium, magnesium and calcium. These include fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans. It is low in dairy, animal meat, saturated fat and sweets. It has been found to reduced blood pressure by 11.6 points systolic (top number) and 5.3 points diastolic (bottom number) two weeks after starting.
4. After reviewing your cardiac risk calculator, your 10 year risk of heart disease is 10%. We can reduce this to 2% if we can lose weight and increase your good (HDL) cholesterol.
To Increase the good cholesterol (HDL)
- Increase aerobic exercise, 40 minutes most days of the week.You mentioned that you enjoy walking your dog in nature. This is a great opportunity to use this time to get your mind more focused on the beauty in nature while enhancing your cardiovascular exercise with a pedometer. Consider wearing this daily and shooting for 10,000 steps a day.
- Maintain appropriate weight. As little as 8 lbs of weight loss can raise HDL. For every two pounds of weight loss the HDL rises by about 1%. We agreed to set a 6 mth weight loss goal of 10 lbs (1-2 lbs a month).
- Eat dark colored berries and grapes
- Consider one glass of dark colored wine (merlot or pinot noir) daily
- Consider adding Niacin 500 mg at bedtime. Start at 100 mg and increase by 100 mg each week until you reach 500. Avoid the “no-flush” Niacin (it does not work).
5. You mentioned that your mind is constantly racing and that you need to learn how to be less cluttered in your mind’s thoughts. I would recommend that you consider enrolling in a mindfulness stress reduction class.
The instructors in the University of Wisconsin Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program offer one-on-one sessions for discussion of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR). Call 263-7936 to arrange. For general information on regarding the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program call 265-8325 or visit www.uwhealth.org/integrativemed.
6. You mentioned that you feel socially isolated with few people to turn to in times of need. You also mentioned that when your family member passed, you appreciated the help you received from a hospice volunteer. Consider becoming a hospice volunteer yourself. Please consider contacting the Madison Hospice Association or Gilda’s Club of Madison to see what volunteer opportunities may be available.
7. Return in 6 mths at which time we will check a fasting lipid panel, a fasting blood sugar and see how you are doing in regards to blood pressure and weight goals. I also want to see how you are doing in regards to your ability to change your stress perception with the mindfulness training.