logo
Weather page
GET THE APP
ePaper
google_play
app_store
  • Login
  • E-Edition
    • Marketplace
  • News
  • Sports
  • Obituaries
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • All Listings
    • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Photo Gallery
  • Contests
  • Lifestyle/Entertainment
  • Games
    • News
      • Local News
      • PA State News
      • Nation/World
    • Sports
      • Local
      • College Sports
      • State
      • National
    • Obituaries
    • Opinion
      • News
        • Local News
        • PA State News
        • Nation/World
      • Sports
        • Local
        • College Sports
        • State
        • National
      • Obituaries
      • Opinion
    logo
    • Classifieds
      • Place an Ad
      • All Listings
      • Jobs
    • E-Edition
      • Marketplace
    • Subscribe
    • Login
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • All Listings
        • Jobs
      • E-Edition
        • Marketplace
      • Subscribe
      • Login
    Home Lifestyles 'How am I going to do it?' A cardiologist helps nurses eat healthier and take better care of themselves
    ‘How am I going to do it?’ A cardiologist helps nurses eat healthier and take better care of themselves
    Lifestyles, Local News, PA State News
    July 20, 2025

    ‘How am I going to do it?’ A cardiologist helps nurses eat healthier and take better care of themselves

    By SONO MOTOYAMA  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

    PITTSBURGH (TNS) — Nurses are charged with other people’s health, but they often do not prioritize their own.

    The stresses of their jobs and difficulties inherent in rotating shift work may result in increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other long-term illnesses, multiple studies have shown.

    “There’s recognition that our nurses … do not take very good care of themselves because of the work schedules and the challenges, the stresses that come with that,” said Indu Poornima, a cardiologist at Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh’s North Side and the medical director of the Allegheny Health Network Women’s Heart Center.

    Chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, are common among nurses, she said.

    For that reason, she wanted to start a program for nurses focused on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

    Coincidentally, an AHN patient who had undergone multiple surgeries for coronary artery disease adopted a plant-based diet. He became so convinced of the benefits of his vegan regimen that he gave an anonymous $100,000 gift to AHN to promote plant-based eating.

    That’s how the AHN Cardiovascular Prevention Program began.

    “It just came together that I wanted to do a program for the nurses,” Poornima said. “He wanted to introduce a plant-based diet program to a wider audience and essentially gave us some financial support to do this.”

    The program aims at overall lifestyle modification with a focus on diet. It incorporates cooking demonstrations and tips on plant-based eating; regular virtual presentations and discussions on exercise, nutrition, smoking, alcohol cessation, sleep and stress management; self-monitoring through pedometers and food logs; and a free, one-year gym membership.

    The six-month program also included medical testing at its advent in April, measuring height, weight, body-mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose and an inflammatory marker. Those characteristics will be measured again at the end of the program to gauge changes.

    Poornima, who is a lifelong vegetarian herself, said she will also administer a questionnaire after 12 months to see if participants have kept up with the program’s recommendations.

    “You can sort of push people,” she said, “but ultimately there needs to be some intrinsic motivation.”

    The goal of recruiting 100 nurses was fulfilled quickly, in five days, Poornima said. There has since been some dropout, and there are currently 85 participants.

    Though the program is collecting data, it is not a research program, the cardiologist emphasized. It does not mandate any specific milestones for the nurses or require for them to become 100% vegetarian.

    “It’s easy to get discouraged when you have set goals,” she said. “Showing some sort of a positive change is all we are looking for.”

    A participant might go from zero vegetarian meals a week to two, or from two to 10. Nurses can determine their own trajectories, Poornima said.

    A learning process

    On a recent afternoon at Allegheny General, program participants had gathered for a combination cooking demo and lunch. Chef Mario Aponte, from the hospital’s dining service provider, Cura Hospitality, demonstrated how quick and easy it is to prepare a vegetable stir-fry.

    Kileigh Barnes, a nurse who has a family history of heart disease, said she initially did not want to be in the program because she thought she would have to become a vegetarian.

    “I was very intimidated because I’m like, ‘How am I going to do it?'” she said.

    But because many of her coworkers were participating, she joined and even recruited others.

    “It’s like a whole entire floor of us on the program,” she said.

    Cali Clark, a cardiology fellow at the hospital, understands those initial fears. She is now a vegetarian — and has spoken to the group about her experiences — but took a gradual approach to changing her diet.

    She decided to explore vegetarianism in medical school when she learned about its cardiovascular benefits. But she said it was hard to get over her initial resistance.

    “Honestly, it was scary to not cook with meat,” she said. “How do you make meals? What do you center it around?”

    Clark grew up in the Midwest, she said, and ate typical American meals. “We ate meat with every meal and twice on Sundays.”

    She and her husband started slowly, with meatless Mondays, when they’d perhaps have a vegetarian burrito bowl. Gradually, she built up a battery of tested recipes, and increased the number of meatless meals she ate.

    She made the complete switch when she realized how much better she felt.

    “I felt like I had more energy, I didn’t require as much caffeine and got better sleep,” she said.

    She also likes to explain to her patients the benefits of a plant-based diet, emphasizing that making the switch is a learning process.

    “It’s just education,” she said.

    Putting others first

    Barnes and her colleague, Katie Rapp, spoke of the importance of stress management for overall health. They noted that the strains of the job could affect their eating habits.

    “I think we’re very giving and I know I am very guilty of putting myself last or putting myself on the back burner in order to help others,” Rapp said.

    At the end of the day, she might realize, “Oh, did I even have a sip of water today?”

    Barnes, who works with cardiac patients, agreed.

    “Stress-wise, I mean we’re here to take care of people with heart failure, so we see them at their sickest,” she said. “It’s just a constant battle of trying to keep your patient out of the hospital. What else can I be doing for this patient? So it does get stressful.”

    That’s why the cardiovascular program includes sessions on mindfulness and meditation.

    “We know that lifestyle modification and change in diet cannot occur in isolation,” Poornima said, explaining the reasons for the array of educational sessions the program provides.

    “If you don’t have the knowledge, sometimes it’s hard to make changes,” she said. “So this is about providing knowledge.”

    Poornima hopes that the program will provide a model for a program with a wider enrollment in the future.

    Mushroom Bok Choy Sushi Bowl

    1 small bok choy head

    1/2 cup mushrooms

    1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

    Sea salt to taste

    1 cup prepared sushi rice

    2 tablespoons ginger carrots or plain shredded carrots

    1 tablespoon green onions

    1/3 cup red bell pepper

    1 piece nori, cut into 2 pieces

    1 ounce sesame soy sauce

    1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds

    Preheat grill, wok or frying pan to high heat.

    Cut baby bok choy in half and leave mushrooms whole.

    Season vegetables with sesame oil and sea salt.

    Place mushrooms on grill for 30 seconds and then turn. Place baby bok choy on grill and cook 20-30 seconds with mushrooms.

    Remove from heat and cool. Be careful not to cook until soft. Boy choy should be bright green and white, and mushrooms should be firm.

    Once mushrooms have cooled, cut into quarters.

    Place sushi rice in center of bowl. Place carrots, green onions and red pepper along the perimeter. Finish with nori pieces, soy sauce and sesame seeds.

    Serves 1.

    — Cura Hospitality

    The Bradford Era

    Local & Social
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Latest news for you
    Other Voices: At a third world precipice
    Comment & Opinion, Opinion
    Other Voices: At a third world precipice
    July 20, 2025
    Many Americans believe that if the MAGA movement fails, American culture and values will be destroyed and we will truly become another third world cou...
    Read More...
    McCormick summit shows that leaders matter
    Comment & Opinion, Opinion
    McCormick summit shows that leaders matter
    By BRANDON McGINLEY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
    July 20, 2025
    PITTSBURGH (TNS) — It's not a coincidence that the person who delivered the biggest economic development coup in recent Pittsburgh history, and finall...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To print", "bradfordera-website":"Website"}
    Gardening questions answered by Master Gardeners at Ag Progress Days
    Local News, PA State News
    Gardening questions answered by Master Gardeners at Ag Progress Days
    July 20, 2025
    UNIVERSITY PARK — From identifying pests to improving plant health, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners will provide research-based gardening advice...
    Read More...
    Perry’s challenger wants another chance in 2026
    PA State News
    Perry’s challenger wants another chance in 2026
    By MARC LEVY Associated Press 
    July 20, 2025
    HARRISBURG (AP) — Democrat Janelle Stelson, who lost to Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry by barely a percentage point in 2024, will run again in the r...
    Read More...
    ‘Who’s got next?’ Dems already lining up for 2028 presidential race
    Nation & World
    ‘Who’s got next?’ Dems already lining up for 2028 presidential race
    By STEVE PEOPLES, MEG KINNARD and HOLLY RAMER - Associated Press 
    July 19, 2025
    SENECA, S.C. (AP) — The first presidential primary votes won't be cast for another two and a half years. And yet, over the span of 10 days in July, th...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To print", "bradfordera-website":"Website"}
    Fungicides intended to suppress turfgrass diseases may damage fairways
    PA State News
    Fungicides intended to suppress turfgrass diseases may damage fairways
    July 19, 2025
    UNIVERSITY PARK — Golf course managers have much more insight into which fungicides to use to suppress turfgrass diseases, such as the common and cost...
    Read More...
    This Week's Ads
    Current e-Edition
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Already a subscriber? Click the image to view the latest e-edition.
    Don't have a subscription? Click here to see our subscription options.
    Mobile App

    Download Now

    The Bradford Era mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the Bradford Era on your mobile device just as it appears in print.

    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store

    Help Our Community

    Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You!

    Get in touch with The Bradford Era
    Submit Content
    • Submit News
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Place Wedding Announcement
      • Submit News
      • Letter to the Editor
      • Place Wedding Announcement
    Advertise
    • Place Birth Announcement
    • Place Anniversary Announcement
    • Place Obituary Call (814) 368-3173
      • Place Birth Announcement
      • Place Anniversary Announcement
      • Place Obituary Call (814) 368-3173
    Subscribe
    • Start a Subscription
    • e-Edition
    • Contact Us
      • Start a Subscription
      • e-Edition
      • Contact Us
    CMG | Community Media Group
    Illinois
    • Hancock Journal-Pilot
    • Iroquois Times-Republic
    • Journal-Republican
    • The News-Gazette
      • Hancock Journal-Pilot
      • Iroquois Times-Republic
      • Journal-Republican
      • The News-Gazette
    Indiana
    • Fountain Co. Neighbor
    • Herald Journal
    • KV Post News
    • Newton Co. Enterprise
    • Rensselaer Republican
    • Review-Republican
      • Fountain Co. Neighbor
      • Herald Journal
      • KV Post News
      • Newton Co. Enterprise
      • Rensselaer Republican
      • Review-Republican
    Iowa
    • Atlantic News Telegraph
    • Audubon Advocate-Journal
    • Barr’s Post Card News
    • Burlington Hawk Eye
    • Collector’s Journal
    • Fayette County Union
    • Ft. Madison Daily Democrat
    • Independence Bulletin-Journal
    • Keokuk Daily Gate City
    • Oelwein Daily Register
    • Vinton Newspapers
    • Waverly Newspapers
      • Atlantic News Telegraph
      • Audubon Advocate-Journal
      • Barr’s Post Card News
      • Burlington Hawk Eye
      • Collector’s Journal
      • Fayette County Union
      • Ft. Madison Daily Democrat
      • Independence Bulletin-Journal
      • Keokuk Daily Gate City
      • Oelwein Daily Register
      • Vinton Newspapers
      • Waverly Newspapers
    Michigan
    • Iosco County News-Herald
    • Ludington Daily News
    • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
    • Oscoda Press
    • White Lake Beacon
      • Iosco County News-Herald
      • Ludington Daily News
      • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
      • Oscoda Press
      • White Lake Beacon
    New York
    • Finger Lakes Times
    • Olean Times Herald
    • Salamanca Press
      • Finger Lakes Times
      • Olean Times Herald
      • Salamanca Press
    Pennsylvania
    • Bradford Era
    • Clearfield Progress
    • Courier Express
    • Free Press Courier
    • Jeffersonian Democrat
    • Leader Vindicator
    • Potter Leader-Enterprise
    • The Wellsboro Gazette
      • Bradford Era
      • Clearfield Progress
      • Courier Express
      • Free Press Courier
      • Jeffersonian Democrat
      • Leader Vindicator
      • Potter Leader-Enterprise
      • The Wellsboro Gazette
    © Copyright The Bradford Era 43 Main St, Bradford, PA  | Terms of Use  | Privacy Policy
    Powered by TECNAVIA