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Duke provides resources to improve health one meal at a time
Evan Heisman grew up watching his father and grandfather take daily medication for high cholesterol.
Heisman, 32, assumed cholesterol would not be an issue for him for another decade, but a routine physical exam last year proved otherwise. His cholesterol level was 245, 45 points higher than the recommended level for adults.
Heisman turned to a dietitian through LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, for help last year. LIVE FOR LIFE provides two free nutrition consultations per year to staff and faculty at no charge.
Under the dietitian’s guidance, Heisman cut out fast food, ate more vegetables and set up a home gym with exercise bands and hand weights.
“I thought I was a generally healthy person,” said Heisman, staff assistant for the Dean of Students Office in Student Affairs. “It was nice to have someone put positive pressure on me and hold me accountable to making healthier choices.”
In addition to sessions with a LIVE FOR LIFE dietitian, Duke employees can see a registered dietitian through Duke’s medical plans. Duke Select, the most popular plan, provides up to six consultations per year with a $20 copay for each session.
Staff and faculty who see a nutritionist through a Duke medical plan typically do so for guidance on healthy eating and specific concerns such as an eating disorder, serious food allergy or major illness.
LIVE FOR LIFE dietitians most often help with general healthy eating, weight loss or weight gain, healthy pregnancies, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Esther Granville, a registered dietitian and manager of nutrition and health coaching programs for LIVE FOR LIFE, said Duke employees who have met with LIVE FOR LIFE dietitians report improved well-being. Consultations begin with a discussion about personal goals. Then, through discussion of medical history, dietary habits and food preferences, the dietitian works alongside each person to develop a plan.
“We want to make sure they leave with tangible next steps,” Granville said.
Heisman, who saw the LIVE FOR LIFE dietician, has enjoyed learning how to cook healthier with his wife, Morgan Heisman, a volunteer assistant coach for Duke Women’s Lacrosse.
They fix cauliflower rice instead of white rice. They make marinara and pour it over zucchini noodles. They roast spaghetti squash with onions and peppers. Heisman has also developed a taste for sautéed spinach.
He has lost 12 pounds and dropped his cholesterol to 199 – levels lower than 200 are recommended for adults.
“I feel about as healthy as ever,” Heisman said. “I’m extremely grateful for this benefit. It’s done a lot of good in my life.”
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