Methodist Healthcare System | Keeping Well | Winter 2021

6 SAHealth.com KEEPINGWELL —WINTER 2021 Meal prepping: Howto get started Benefits of meal-prepping » Eating more meals at home allows you to control what is in your food. (e.g.: less fat, less sugar). » It is cost-effective due to not eating out as much » You’ll be less tempted to grab an unhealthy meal if you already have food ready to eat. » You can feel a sense of stress relief and accomplishment for practicing healthier living. Tips for meal-prepping » Make a plan—planning for the week helps you decide on which foods to buy at the grocery store. » Keep staple items in the house that you use frequently in your meals. » Schedule time to plan and prepare your meals. » Use appliances you have to cook multiple items at once to save time (e.g.: Instant Pot, slow cooker, rice cooker, air fryer). » Portion foods out using food scales and measuring cups or spoons. » Batch cook recipes—double the recipe so you can eat one after cooking it and freeze the rest. » Use convenient products when you can, like pre-cut vegetables, or frozen fruits and vegetables. » Prepare the part of the recipe that takes the most time on your meal prep day, and then on the day you plan on serving the meal, finish up the recipe. For example, you could make a homemade marinara sauce on your meal prep day, and then on the day you plan on eating the marinara sauce, boil up the whole wheat noodles. Meal prepping does not always mean cooking the food entirely; you can cook part of the recipe to titer down your overall cooking time. » Collect recipes that you like and keep them together, so you have ideas for future meals. Recommended equipment » Mason jars with reusable lids. » Glass containers with air-tight lids that have sections or compartments to separate foods. » Freezer Ziploc bags. » Tape and a permanent marker for labeling your prepared meals and the date you prepared them. Boeing engineer benefits fromknee replacement surgery advances William Thompson says he was hard on his knees growing up. He loved football, wrestling, rugby and working out. As he got older, he noticed the pain was increasing and he needed to do something about it. As an engineer for Boeing, he needed to be able to go in and out of airplanes at work. “I started having issues with my right knee several years ago, and I tried everything to fix it,” said William. “It was about a year before I realized I needed surgery.” William had knee osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in the knee breaks down and limits movement of the knee. It can be extremely painful. He had knee replacement surgery on his right knee. Five years later, William’s left knee started to hurt. His doctor told him there was no cartilage left in his knee. “This time I went straight for the surgery because the other treatments didn’t work for my body,” said William. “Having it done before and knowing the pain I was in at the time, I was looking forward to it.” William said the surgery was less invasive, and the scar was almost non-existent. Even his recovery was much smoother this second time. Raymond Skunda, MD, orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Hospital | Texsan Joint Replacement Center, performed William’s second knee replacement surgery. “In the five years between William’s knee replacement surgeries, we have made huge advancements,” said Skunda. “I perform total knee replacement using robotic arm technology. This technology can reduce bone and soft tissue trauma, decrease postoperative pain, and reduce opioid use postoperatively.” William Thompson benefited from knee replacement surgery advances when Raymond Skunda, MD, orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Hospital | Texsan Joint Replacement Center, performed William’s second surgery. If you live with knee pain or have experienced an injury, our multidisciplinary team of orthopedic specialists at our Joint Replacement Centers at Methodist Hospital | Texsan, Methodist Hospital | Northeast and Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak can help. Call 210-575-0355 to learn more. “Meal prepping can be a useful tool for planning out your meals for the week to better allow you to select healthy foods, focus on portion sizes and avoid eating out as often.” — Analicia Mireles, MS, RDN, LD, Registered Dietician, Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan