Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:
- For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
- Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
- Commit to that change for SEVEN days.
MEDICATION DISPENSER: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #3
Time to practice what I preach, and get back to using my own weekly medication box! This week’s 20-1-7 challenge is to fill and use my dispenser.
As a doctor, you would think I could manage to take my ONE prescription medication plus or minus a couple vitamins …yet I find on many days that I literally cannot remember whether or not I took them. Like everyone else, I’m in a hurry in the morning, barely paying attention as I brush my teeth (which is when I grab my medication). I tell patients all the time that this is exactly why birth control pills come in a day-labeled package! Truly, if you take ANY medication on a daily basis (even OTC antihistamines or vitamins), please try using a weekly pill dispenser. Special note to parents of teens- have THEM start using one, including the weekly pill dispensing, so when they head to college, they are very comfortable with this system- especially if they take ADD medications.
BOTTOM LINE: Improve your medication compliance by using a weekly pill box- they are NOT just for “seniors”!
20-1-7 Challenge Week #1: COLOR
20-1-7 Challenge Week #2: Veggie Spiralizer This week, I put a new “twist” on my vegetables by using a new veggie spiralizer ($6 at the grocery store) and replaced pasta and rice all week with spiraled zucchini or yellow squash.
FEEDBACK: Honestly, we ate out more than in this week, so I give myself at best a B- on this one; I used the spiralizer enough to master it, but had very few meals with this new tool. On the plus side, I am going strong continuing my push for extra veggies/fruit at every meal! For example, I added shredded carrots to my standard caprese salad of tomatoes and cheese.