3 Simple Steps To Make Healthy Resolutions You’ll Keep

While it’s easy to make New Year’s resolutions such as “lose weight” or “get more sleep,” it can be hard to keep them. This year try designing a series of simple and achievable resolutions that you can focus on over the course of the entire year.

To craft successful resolutions, make sure they have three simple characteristics.

Make sure they are:

• Specific
• Attainable (doable)
• Forgiving (less than perfect)

For example, “be more physically active” is a great resolution. But it’s not specific.

• “Walk 5 miles every day” is specific and measurable. But it may not be doable if you’re just starting out.
• “Walk 30 minutes every day.” This resolution is specific and it’s more doable. But what happens if you’re held up at work one day and there’s a thunderstorm during your walking time another day? Thus this resolution is not forgiving.
• “Walk 30 minutes, 3 or more days each week.” This resolution is specific, doable, and forgiving. In short, it’s just right!

6 New Year’s Resolutions To Try

Here are examples of healthy resolutions that are specific, attainable, and forgiving. Choose from this list, or make your own resolutions. Remember, the best New Year’s resolutions are the ones you will keep!

1. Have a meatless dinner 1 day a week.

2. Try a new grain once a month.

3. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier 2 nights a week.Try a new heart healthy substitution each week.

4. Make one substitution.

Substitution suggestions:

• Low-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole milk.
• Plain, low-fat yogurt or fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream.
• Reduced- or low-fat cheese instead of regular cheese.
• Whole-grain pasta instead of regular pasta.
• Brown rice instead of white rice.
• 100 percent whole-grain bread instead of white bread.
• A hearty bean soup instead of stew.
• Broiled or baked fish instead of other meats.
• Extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey instead of regular ground beef.

5. Take a family walk after dinner 1 day a week.

6. Turn off the TV during meals 3 days a week.

Southern Heart Group’s own Dr. George Le-Bert, a cardiologist board certified in both transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography, will be performing the diagnostic procedure at Baptist Medical Center Nassau in Fernandina Beach. Previously, patients needing this advanced cardiac imaging were required to travel well outside of Nassau County to have the test performed. Says Dr. Le-Bert, “We now have the ability to evaluate and manage a variety of complex cardiac conditions that traditionally have required transfer to other institutions.”

An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional or sometimes three-dimensional slices of the heart. A standard echo is obtained by applying a transducer to the front of the chest. The ultrasound beam travels through the chest wall (skin, muscle, bone, tissue) and lungs to reach the heart. At times, certain physical traits of the patient such as closely positioned ribs may create technical difficulties by limiting the transmission of the ultrasound beams to and from the heart. In such cases, your physician may elect to get a transesophageal echo, where the echo transducer is placed in the esophagus or food pipe that connects the mouth to the stomach. Since the esophagus sits behind the heart, the echo beam does not have to travel through the front of the chest, avoiding any obstacles such as the one described above. Therefore, TEE offers a much clearer image of the heart, particularly, the back structures, such as the left atrium, which may not be seen as well by a standard echo taken from the front of the heart.

TEE is a relatively common procedure that is extremely useful in diagnosing a variety of heart problems. The ability to offer this important diagnostic tool and offer advanced cardiac imaging to Nassau County residents in the community in which they live will improve patient care and convenience dramatically.

As a Southern Heart Group physician, Dr.Le-Bert is part of a distinguished team of multi-disciplined cardiovascular specialists dedicated to providing superior care and service. Dr. Le-Bert practices full time at our Fernandina Beach location and is currently accepting new patients. For more information on TEE or on Dr. Le-Bert, please contact us at (904) 885-6646.

A native and lifelong Floridian, Dr. Le-Bert was born and raised in Miami and completed his undergraduate degree in Tallahassee at Florida State University. From there, Dr. Le-Bert went on to earn his DO at Nova Southeastern University where the comprehensive education centers around the idea that a patient is much more than a presenting symptom; each person is a complete human being to be evaluated and treated as an individual.  The osteopathic model of medicine is comprehensive and holistic and demands that its practitioners possess both humanitarian and intellectual qualities. The program encourages a broad educational background in the sciences as well as the humanities.

After completing his DO, Dr. Le-Bert returned to Miami to perform an Internal Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the United States. There, Dr. Le-Bert was able to train with top experts in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of adult diseases. Choosing to remain at Mount Sinai to complete his cardiology fellowship allowed Dr. Le-Bert to train at the Mount Sinai Heart Institute, recognized as high performing in cardiology and heart surgery. The Mount Sinai Heart Institute, a partnership with New York’s prestigious Columbia University, has the best outcomes and survival rates in the state of Florida.

During his internship and fellowship, Dr. Le-Bert was chosen as Intern of the Year and Chief Cardiology Fellow, a significant achievement demonstrating his level of knowledge and dedication to clinical excellence. His high-energy approach to patient care and his compassionate, friendly demeanor make him a favorite of patients and colleagues alike.

Dr. Le-Bert is newly-wed to his longtime sweetheart, Carolina, a marine mammal veterinarian and together they reside in Fernandina Beach. Dr. Le-Bert is accepting new patients at our Fernandina Beach location where he will practice full time and looks forward to caring for the people of Nassau’s communities.

http://www.southernheartgroup.com/fernandina-beach-office/

]]> http://www.southernheartgroup.com/george-g-le-bert-do/feed/ 0 http://www.southernheartgroup.com/southern-heart-group-welcomes-dr-george-le-bert/ http://www.southernheartgroup.com/southern-heart-group-welcomes-dr-george-le-bert/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:34:50 +0000 Amanda http://www.southernheartgroup.com/?p=819 Southern Heart Group is proud to announce the addition of Dr. George-LeBert to our cardiovascular team!

The expansion of our cardiovascular team reflects Southern Heart Group’s ongoing dedication to fully serve the communities of Northeast Florida. We are proud to introduce our newest associate, Dr. George G. Le-Bert.

A native and lifelong Floridian, Dr. Le-Bert was born and raised in Miami and completed his undergraduate degree in Tallahassee at Florida State University. From there, Dr. Le-Bert went on to earn his DO at Nova Southeastern University where the comprehensive education centers around the idea that a patient is much more than a presenting symptom; each person is a complete human being to be evaluated and treated as an individual.  The osteopathic model of medicine is comprehensive and holistic and demands that its practitioners possess both humanitarian and intellectual qualities. The program encourages a broad educational background in the sciences as well as the humanities.

After completing his DO, Dr. Le-Bert returned to Miami to perform an Internal Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the United States. There, Dr. Le-Bert was able to train with top experts in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of adult diseases. Choosing to remain at Mount Sinai to complete his cardiology fellowship allowed Dr. Le-Bert to train at the Mount Sinai Heart Institute, recognized as high performing in cardiology and heart surgery. The Mount Sinai Heart Institute, a partnership with New York’s prestigious Columbia University, has the best outcomes and survival rates in the state of Florida.

During his internship and fellowship, Dr. Le-Bert was chosen as Intern of the Year and Chief Cardiology Fellow, a significant achievement demonstrating his level of knowledge and dedication to clinical excellence. His high-energy approach to patient care and his compassionate, friendly demeanor make him a favorite of patients and colleagues alike.

Dr. Le-Bert is newly-wed to his longtime sweetheart, Carolina, a marine mammal veterinarian and together they reside in Fernandina Beach. Dr. Le-Bert is accepting new patients at our Fernandina Beach location where he will practice full time and looks forward to caring for the people of Nassau’s communities.

http://www.southernheartgroup.com/fernandina-beach-office/

       Southern Heart Group physicians have once again been named among “Jacksonville’s Top Docs”.

Every year since 1996, Jacksonville Magazine has published a  list of First Coast healthcare professionals who are considered tops in their  respective fields. Congratulations to our Southern Heart Group physicians for being considered the best in Jacksonville. We are dedicated to providing superior care to the communities of Northeast Florida and are proud to be recognized as leaders.

Southern Heart Group…….going red for women EVERY day!

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February is American Heart Health Month! We want to celebrate with our patients by helping you make lifestyle improvements where necessary. Making healthy choices can greatly improve your cardiovascular health and help you control your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and diabetes among other things.

At Southern Heart Group our goal is to help you achieve optimum heart health. One way to improve your overall health and fight cardiovascular disease is by eating a healthy diet. The following links are full of heart healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and meal planning ideas that can help you improve your heart health! Enjoy these delicious recipes and you will be on your way to a healthy start to 2011!

http://www.hearthealthyonline.com/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/heart_healthy_diet

http://www.goredforwomen.org/BetterU/recipes.aspx

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/General/Healthy-Recipes_UCM_306797_Article.jsp

 Congratulations to Southern Heart Group’s own Dr. Paul H. Dillahunt II for being chosen by The Jacksonville Business Journal as one of Northeast Florida’s Health Care Heroes. Dr. Dillahunt was recognized for his clinical excellence and his never-ending dedication to improving the lives of each person entrusted to his care.  Widely known for his friendly approach and for treating patients with dignity and compassion, Dr. Dillahunt truly believes that each person is an individual with unique needs and challenges.

As a founding member of Southern Heart Group, Dr. Dillahunt has been caring for the residents of Northeast Florida for over 30 years. He has been elected Chief of Cardiology at Baptist Medical Center for 15 consecutive terms and is considered a pioneer in cardiac rehabilitation having been Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit since it’s inception in 1979. Dr. Dillahunt has performed more than 8,000 coronary interventions and is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, and Nuclear Cardiology.

Dr. Dillahunt is a true health care hero and we are proud to call him one of our own. His excellent reputation and compassionate demeanor have made Dr. Dillahunt a patient favorite and the personal choice of many physicians in the area. He is widely respected and well known in the medical community and has consistently been named one of “Jacksonville’s Top Docs”. Congratulations to Dr. Dillahunt on being chosen for this prestigious award!

As a Southern Heart Group physician, Dr. Dillahunt is part of a distinguished team of cardiovascular specialists who have cared for the heart health of Northeast Florida residents for over 30 years. With multiple national accreditations and cardiologists recognized among “America’s Top Physicians”, we are proud of our leadership role in the community and are pleased to have been chosen as “Northeast Florida’s Best for Cardiology Care”.

A native of the Pennsylvania area, Dr. Zentko completed her undergraduate degree with honors at Haverford College in Haverford, PA before attending medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After obtaining her MD, Dr. Zentko performed her internal medicine residency at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she trained with top experts in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. As a cardiology fellow at Weill Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Zentko specialized in all aspects of non-invasive cardiology including nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, and cardiac ct angiography.

Dr. Zentko is well published and her work has been featured in national publications such as Emerging Concepts in Cardiology and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.  Dr. Zentko is board certified in both internal medicine and cardiovascular disease and is a member of the Duval County Medical Society. She is a recipient of the NCI Research Fellowship Award and is a Fellow in Training of the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Zentko is dedicated to her patients and to achieving the best possible outcome for each person entrusted to her care. She is friendly and compassionate and brings a personal touch to everything she does. With her exceptional training and soothing demeanor, Dr. Zentko will no doubt become a patient favorite and make an invaluable addition to Southern Heart Group.

Dr. Zentko is currently accepting new patients at our Baptist South location.