By: Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS My father migrated from Macau and joined me in Los Angeles when he was 70 years old. He was very active in his volunteer work in Chinatown at the Senior center. He promoted exchange of cultural events by sponsoring Cantonese Opera to perform here. He also taught the younger folks in the community how to organize the cultural … Continue reading Helping Seniors Cope with Losing Friends and Family

By: Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS With Mother’s Day approaching this Sunday, I thought it would be appropriate to gather some random thoughts on this international event. As everyone knows, this is the day to honor your mom and her contribution in your family and perhaps in the society. After being a mom for 51 years, I have come to the conclusion that I … Continue reading Reflecting on Mother’s Day

By: Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS Abstracted by Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS From The Overwhelmed Woman’s Guide to … Caring for Aging Parents By Julie-Allyson Ieron Helping the seniors feel trustworthy and valuable are not the only tools we can deplore to work with grumpy old men and women. What if no positive talk or loving action can help? That’s when another … Continue reading Caring for seniors Part III

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Abstracted by Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS From The Overwhelmed Woman’s Guide to … Caring for Aging Parents By Julie-Allyson Ieron Last week we began to explore ways to help seniors cope with their loss of independence due to aging by in depth discussion on these two strategies: Easing the tension and helping them Feel loved. … Continue reading Caring for seniors Part II

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Understanding that grief over lost independence is one of the contributory factors for seniors to be grumpy would be the first step to cope with such tantrums. In 2002 the National Institutes of Health held a “Successful Aging” seminar. In synthesizing the information presented at the seminar Dr. Judy Salerno, who directs the NIH’s National Institute on … Continue reading Emotions and elders

I was given a book by a dear friend to help me understand how to care for aging parents. The title is “The Overwhelmed Woman’s Guide to …. Caring for Aging Parents” by Ms. Julie-Allyson Ieron. I am going to share some of the chapters that captured my attention. The chapter on the “Grumpy Old Men and Women” presented a vivid discussion of the reasons … Continue reading Caring for aging parents

Kobe Bryant was once asked what was his secret to be such a successful basketball player. He replied: “Practice, practice, practice!” I, therefore, take on his strategy to help us recall the 10 plans to reverse insulin resistance by repeating these 10 points this week. I promise I will not dwell on them again for the coming year. Here are the 10 plans discussed: have … Continue reading A 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance Summary

Repetition is a good tool to be able to recall new learning, therefore let us refresh our memory of the strategies to reverse insulin resistance for the past 8 weeks: Check your portion. Eat more vegetables and fruit. Get walking. Switch to whole grain. Manage your stress. Get adequate sleep. Don’t forget the snacks. Ramp up your exercise. Yes, we are almost at our final … Continue reading A 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance (Week 9 and 10)

We seniors are forgetful. It might be helpful to recapture the first 6 approaches to reverse insulin resistance: Check your portion. Eat more vegetables and fruit every day. Get walking. Switch to whole grains. Manage your stress Get adequate sleep. Have you tried any of the plans mentioned above? How does it work for you? If you are ready to learn the rest of the … Continue reading A 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance (Week 7 and 8)

Let us recall the 4 key points from the first 4 weeks’ plan: Check your portion. Eat more vegetables and fruit. Get walking. Switch to whole grain. Good, you remember all the 4 points. Now you are ready to continue week 5 and week 6’s plan for reversing insulin resistance. Week 5: Manage your stress Take stress seriously and find ways to reduce it. Chronic … Continue reading A 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance (Week 5 and 6)

Abstract by: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, BA, MS We started learning healthy lifestyle suggestions following simple goals and plans 2 weeks at a time. This week, we will map out the strategies for week 3 and 4. Let us get started: Week 3: Get Walking Start walking, even if you are only able to manage a few minutes at a time. Aim to walk most … Continue reading A 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance (Week 3 and 4)

Abstract by: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, BA, MS While reviewing the dietary strategy to combat insulin resistance, a 10 week plan, we came across the mention of the DASH diet. I thought it might be worthwhile to understand this important diet and its origin. The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet focuses on lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. In … Continue reading The DASH diet

Abstract by: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, BA, MS I am a practical person. So when I came across “The Everything Guide to the Insulin Resistance Diet “ by Ms. M. Feldman and J. Dalyai, I gave them a thumb up for some very good easy to follow tips.  For the next 4 weeks, I will present to you their 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance. … Continue reading A 10-Week Plan for Reversing Insulin Resistance

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP When you read the title “Eating right with diabetes”, you probably would say: “There is nothing new.” I would agree that the information is not totally earth shattering. However, when I reviewed this topic, I found that my fruit intake is way more than my vegetable, which means my sugar consumption is out of proportion. Hence I … Continue reading Eating Right with Diabetes

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Medical record keeping becomes essential in 2021. When we travelled to Spain in November, we had to prove our vaccination status and verify that we had negative testing on COVID before boarding the flight. Without these records, you can kiss goodbye to your travel plan outside the United States. At home, our record noting the insurance status, … Continue reading Annual Campaign for the Use of the Health Form

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP Following the discussion of low blood sugar, this week, from the educational material on diabetes, Kaiser Permanente (Learning to live well), we summarize symptoms of high blood sugar and what to do at home. Hyperglycemia = High blood sugar (Blood sugar above 240 mg/dl): Starts gradually Causes ·         Too much food ·         Too many carbohydrates (sugar, starchy … Continue reading Type 2 Diabetes 101: High Blood Sugar: What to do?

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP From the educational material on diabetes, Kaiser Permanente (Learning to live well)) summarizes symptoms of low and high blood sugar and what to do at home. Before going into the symptoms of low or high blood sugar, one must understand the range that your doctor wants you to achieve. If you take pills to control your diabetes, … Continue reading Type 2 Diabetes 101: Low Blood Sugar: What to do?

By: Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS, CPN, FCCP In our last discussion, we reviewed relevant oral medication therapy for diabetes. This week, let us examine the injectable therapy that is the next step medication when oral medication does not control the condition well. Source is from the Mayo Clinic. Insulin therapy Some people who have type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy. In the past, insulin … Continue reading Type 2 Diabetes 101: Insulin Therapy and side effects