written by Rebecca Buddy - Dec. 22, 2016 Did you know that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is three to five pounds? Don’t let your belly turn into “a bowl full of jelly.” The holiday season may not be the best time to attempt weight loss with holiday parties and plentiful feasts, but it is possible to maintain your weight and not spread your waistline. With some planning, fitting holiday treats into a healthful eating plan is easy. All foods can fit into healthy eating plan if you choose smaller portions of high fat and calorie foods that are popular this time of

infographic by Lauren Murphy - Jan. 3, 2017 A good night’s sleep—every night—can be the key to better health. We talked to Dr. Mayank Sharma to find out how to get the best out of a good night's rest.

written by Rebecca Budde - Feb. 21, 2017 It’s an unfortunate fact that black Americans often have more health-care problems than other ethnic groups. According to the CDC, the life expectancy for the black population is 3.8 years lower than the life expectancy for the white population, which is due to higher death rates from heart disease, cancer, homicide, diabetes and perinatal conditions. In addition, some cancers are more prevalent in the African-American population and are generally discovered at more advanced stages. "Certain cancers either tend to affect minorities more often or tend to

written by Gayle Jennings, RD, CDE - Feb. 22, 2017 March not only brings warmer temperatures, the chance to open up the windows and get some fresh air, it’s also National Nutrition Month (R), a time to focus on eating healthy and being healthy. If you’re like most Americans, you do a lot of eating on the run. People are looking for fast, easy and good-tasting foods that fit into a hectic lifestyle. No matter what you are rushing to, here is a top 10 list of tips to eat healthier when you are eating out: Plan ahead. When you’re about to eat out, consider what meal options are available. Look

written by Wesley Robinson-McNeese, MD In 1976 I was a fledgling, weekly newspaper editor also working as a reserve Aeromedical Technician, part of the crew of a C-9 Nightingale flying out of Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois. I never dreamed of becoming a physician. I had simply cross-trained from radio operator to something a bit more people-oriented and mobile, sure to get me off the airbase more than listening to dots and dashes through a headset. After hundreds of hours transporting patients from one military site to another, however, the ups and downs of my Air Force and

written by Steve Sandstrom and Karen Carlson In the days following the presidential election, racial tensions soared. Hate crimes and racist comments and actions flooded social media. Although few surfaced at SIU School of Medicine, Sacharita Bowers, MD, was troubled. “I wondered if I was the only one who was concerned. Did anybody feel like I did?” Dr. Bowers, an assistant professor in internal medicine, talked with Dean and Provost Dr. Jerry Kruse about her concerns. He listened intently and saw it as an opportunity to continue discussions of diversity, race and inclusion that have soaked

written by Steve Sandstrom The minister fixed his gaze on the Sunday morning congregation. In a firm baritone, he said, “In the old days, mapmakers would sometimes mark the margins outside of the known areas with the statement, ‘Beyond this, there be monsters.’” He stepped from behind the pulpit. “What they were trying to say is, ‘We only know so much. And you should only go as far as we know. So stay within the boundaries.’” “But sometimes we do things that are dangerous, and there are problems that threaten our daily life,” he said, pacing across the stage as he spoke. “So you’ve got to have