January, Is That You? Time For A New Year Of Classes & Events With GMC

All of these classes and more will be offered by Gwinnett Medical Center. If a registration number is not listed, please call 678-312-5000 to register, or register online at gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/classes.

Scroll to the bottom of the list to see some of our support groups. A full list of support groups is available here.

Classes

Monthly Pre-Diabetes Classes

If you’ve been told you have pre-diabetes, or are at high risk of developing diabetes, take charge of your health! Learn effective lifestyle strategies that can dramatically improve your overall health and reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. Topics include healthy eating, reading food labels, importance of exercise, and weight management. Presented by a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, this class is for ages 18 years and older. All classes will be held 5 – 7:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

For more information or to register, please call 678-312-6048.

Lawrenceville classes: 
Diabetes Education classroom, Suite 212
100 Medical Center Boulevard
Lawrenceville, GA 30046

Duluth classes: 
Glancy Education Classroom
Kiwi Room
Glancy Campus
3215 McClure Bridge Road
Duluth, GA 30096 

OB Tours- English

Please join us as we tour the Labor & Delivery and Maternal Infant Units. Our tour will familiarize you with the facility and what to expect when you arrive on delivery day. In addition to touring the facility, we will provide you with information on admissions paperwork, family waiting areas and services provided. Tours are given during the Healthy Childbirth - 3rd Trimester classes, so if you are signed up for one, you don't need to sign up for a separate tour.

·         January 5 (Sat.), 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

·         January 8 (Tue.), 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

·         January 15 (Tue.), 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

·         January 22 (Tue.), 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

·         January 29 (Tue.), 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

550 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

Fee: Free

OB Tours – Spanish

Please join us as we tour the Labor & Delivery and Maternal Infant Units. Our tour will familiarize you with the facility and what to expect when you arrive on delivery day. In addition to touring the facility, we will provide you with information on admissions paperwork, visitation policies, family waiting areas and services provided. Tours are given during the Healthy Childbirth - 3rd Trimester classes, so if you are signed up for one, you don't need to sign up for a separate tour.

·         January 15 (Tue.), 7:30 p.m.

·         January 29 (Tue.), 7:30 p.m.

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

550 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

Fee: Free

Newborn Care

This single session class helps expectant parents prepare to care for a newborn. Topics include: newborn physical characteristics, calming a crying baby, bathing, umbilical cord care, circumcision care, illness, when to call a doctor and diapering.

·         January 8 (Tue.), 7 p.m.

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

550 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

Fee: $40

Healthy Childbirth Series: 3^rd Trimester

Please join us for our 4 week childbirth preparation series, one class per week. You will learn signs of labor, breathing & relaxation techniques, medical interventions, and more. A tour of Gwinnett Women's Pavilion is included.

·         January 10 (Thur.), 7 p.m.

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

550 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

Fee: $95

Healthy Childbirth Weekend

Please join us for our condensed weekend class series that is taken during your third trimester. You will learn signs of labor, breathing & relaxation techniques, medical interventions, and more. A tour of Gwinnett Women's Pavilion is included.

·         January 11 (Fri.), 6 – 9 p.m. to January 12 (Sat.), 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

550 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

Fee: $95 per couple

The Concussion Discussion

The Concussion Discussion is an educational symposium & awareness day. Educational topics include concussion best practices, challenges in concussion care, new programs in Georgia, concussion management in athletes, concussions and domestic violence, concussion management in the workplace, and more.

·         January 12 (Sat.), 8:30 a.m.

Gwinnett Technical College - The Busbee Center

5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 700

Lawrenceville, GA 30043

Fee: $25

Big Brothers/Big Sisters to Be

Children ages 3 to 10 will tour the Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion, discuss what to expect, practice holding and swaddling, and make a birthday card. Parents also receive materials on sibling preparation.

·         January 29 (Tue.), 6:30 p.m.

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

550 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, GA  30046

Fee: $20 per child, $10 for each additional child

Support Groups

Smoking Cessation – Freshstart Program

Quitting smoking is hard and we want to help. Our smoking cessation programs are designed to provide counseling and support for those interested in quitting smoking. The Freshstart Program is a smoking cessation program created by the American Cancer Society. The program consists of four classes taught by trained facilitators with the goal of helping participants to stop smoking by educating them in a supportive group environment.

For more information, call the Gwinnett Medical Center Smokers Quit Line at 678-312-2053. We are happy to offer our smoking cessation program free of charge.

Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group

The third Tuesday of each month, 7– 8:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month, 10 –11a.m.

Duluth First United Methodist Church, Room F-145-146

For more information, contact Randi Williams, Faith Community Nurse, 

at rwilliams@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776 ext. 115.

Amputees Moving Forward Support Group

Second Tuesday each month, 6 p.m.

Gwinnett SportsRehab

500 Medical Center Blvd., Suite 130

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

For more information, call 678-312-4412

FREE. No registration required

Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Ostomy

Second Tuesday every other month during the school year, 7 p.m.

GMC Resource Center

665 Duluth Highway

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

For more information, call 678-312-2607

FREE. No registration required

Jack Jacobs Aphasia Conversation Group

Second and Fourth Thursdays each month, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Mango Room

Glancy Rehabilitation Center

3215 McClure Bridge Road

Duluth, Ga. 30096

For more information, call 678-312-6167

FREE. No registration required

Memory People^TM Alzheimer's/Dementia & Memory Impairment Community Support Group
Fourth Friday of each month, 2 - 3:30 p.m.

Glancy Campus, Diabetes & Nutrition Education Center - Mango Room
For more information, contact Teri Evans at 770-851-0101.

New Beginnings Brain Injury Support Group
First Friday of each month
Annandale Village - Patricia Brown Center for Programs, 3500 Annandale Lane, Suwanee, GA 30024
For more information, contact Paige Havens at havensp@bellsouth.net or 678-938-4279 or Vickie Thomas at vickie.thomas@annandale.org or 770-945-8381.

The Lactation Club (TLC)

Join other breastfeeding moms to discuss the joys and challenges of breastfeeding and beyond. Babies are welcome!

Every Monday, 11 a.m. – noon

Azalea Room

Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion

1000 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

For more information call 678-312-4743

FREE. No registration required

Bereavement Support Group
Meetings are held the 2nd Monday of the month from 7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Duluth First United Methodist Church, Room B113, Counseling Room
Everyone who has had a loss is welcome to attend.

For more information, please contact Randi Williams, Faith Community Nurse, at rwilliams@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776 ext. 115.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group

This support group offers an open environment in which bereaved parents can share their thoughts and feelings as well as recognize they are not alone.

Third Tuesday of every month, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Maple Room

GMC Resource Center

665 Duluth Highway

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

For more information call 678-312-4786

FREE. No registration required

Rainbow Support for Children
This is a support group for children who have lost a parent by death or divorce. It is a 12-week course.

For more information, please contact Randi Williams, Faith Community Nurse, at rwilliams@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 115.

Women’s Cancer Support Group

Second Tuesday each month, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Cancer Support Center

631 Professional Dr., Suite 220

Lawrenceville, Ga. 30046

For more information call 678-312-4010

FREE. No registration required

The Margaret Andrews Parkinson’s Support Group

For patients and caregivers.

Second Friday of each month, 1:30 p.m.

Glancy Campus – Kiwi Room

3215 McClure Bridge Road

Duluth, Ga. 30096

For more information call 678-312-6167

FREE. No registration required

Stroke Support Group

For survivors and caregivers.

Third Wednesday of each month, 1:30 p.m.

Kiwi Room.

Glancy Rehabilitation Center

3215 McClure Bridge Road

Duluth, Ga. 30096

For more information call 678-312-6167

FREE. No registration required

Caregiver Support Group

Designed to make it possible for families and loved ones to understand their feelings about the impact cancer has had on their daily lives.

Second Thursday of each month, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Amy Stanitzke by calling 770-289-0887

FREE. No registration required

C.A.R.E. (Cancer Affects Really Everyone)
These meetings are designed for those with cancer, cancer survivors and family and friends.
The first Tuesday each month, 7 p.m.
Mount Zion Baptist Church-Genesis Building, 1525 Scenic Hwy, Snellville, GA 30078 770-972-5020 mountzionsnellville.com

A GMC Fitness Specialist's Beginner Training Plan

If you’re one of the thousands who have made a New Year’s resolution to exercise more—kudos to you. While there may be some doubt as to how effective these resolutions are, any excuse to exercise—improved health, stress relief or weight loss—is a good one.

But before you let your excitement get the best of you, let’s take a step back and make sure you’re kicking off your renewed commitment to exercise the best way possible. Especially if you’re like many who’ve left their exercise routine in November, just as the holiday season settled in.

The truth is, if you’ve taken a month or more off from your exercise routine, you’ll need to ease back into workouts. That means listening to your body and accepting that you may not be able to exercise with the same intensity or endurance as before. But not to worry, you’ll be back up to speed in no time (thanks, muscle memory).

On the other hand, if you’re eager to try a new exercise for the New Year, then look no further than strength training.

“Not only are there ample benefits to this form of exercise—don’t worry, I’ll get to those—it’s also a great way to activate muscle groups and enhance strength, while also minimizing injury and impact,” explains Kristie Delgado, MS, GMC’s Fitness Specialist. “On top of that, these exercises definitely do a great job of revving up your heart rate, too.”

Here are just some of the benefits of strength training:

·             Reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke

·             Strengthening bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis

·             Increasing energy and decreasing fatigue

·             Improving depression, anxiety and mental clarity

·             Improving blood pressure

·             Reducing body fat

“If you’re new to strength training, I recommend starting with these five resistance exercises that you can do anywhere,” notes Kristie.

1. Chair Stand/Squat

·                 Stand tall with good posture.

·                 Push hips back and down, keeping upper body straight and knees over the heels. Do not let your knees shift forward over your toes. Weight should be centered between ball of foot and the heel.

·                 Sit down completely without releasing the tension. Push through your heels, activating your glutes, to rise to the starting position.

·                 To increase the challenge: Try adding weights.

2. Bent Knee Bridges

·                 Lie on your back, with your knees bent at an angle that allows you to keep your feet flat on the ground. Feet should be hip-width apart.

·                 Pushing through your heels, and activating your glutes, lift your hips towards the ceiling until your shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line. Hold for a count of one-one thousand then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

·                To increase the challenge: straighten one leg at the knee, holding it in the air so that the thighs maintain alignment with each other. Perform all repetitions on one leg before lowering raised leg, then repeat on.

3. Bent Over Rows

·                 Stand tall with good posture and weighted object in hand.

·                 Keeping your upper body/back straight, your knees slightly bent and your shoulders pulled back and down, hinge at the hips as far as you can without rounding your back. Lower the weights until they are directly below the shoulders, maintaining tension. Ears, shoulders and hips should stay in alignment.

·                 Maintaining this position, pull your elbows straight up to the ceiling, keeping the forearms vertical. Slowly lower the weighted object to directly below the shoulder. Complete all repetitions before standing up.

·                To increase the challenge: Try increasing weights with each set.

4. Seals

·       Lie face down on the ground with your feet extended (toes pointed/relaxed) and your neck neutral, looking down at the ground.

·       Slowly peel yourself off the ground, lifting your head, then your chest and lastly your rib cage away from the ground. Hold for a count of one-one thousand then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

·       To increase the challenge: Change up your arm position and extend the length of each rep. Place your fingertips on the back of your ears with your elbows flared out to the side. For even more of a challenge, place arms straight overhead in a Superman position.

5. Inclined Planks

·         Stand tall in front of an elevated surface. This could be a table, a bench, etc.

·        Hinge at the hips, maintain good posture and place your elbows on the surface so that they are bent to 90° and directly below the shoulder joint.

·       Keeping your abdominal muscles pulled in and down, step your feet back until your body is in a straight line from the ears through the shoulders, hips and knees to the ankles. Hold this position (aim to hold it for 15 seconds).

·       To increase the challenge: Try using a lower surface. Once you can complete three 60-second planks at that height, progress to a lower surface until you are able to complete all three planks on the floor.

We’re with you from the start.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re ready to take your exercise regimen to the next level, GMC’s established Sports Medicine program can help. Our experts work to shift your focus away from difficulties to goals, from discomfort to confidence, from injury to strength. This is made possible with our extensive range of services, our knowledgeable specialists and numerous resources. We’re with you every step of the way.

4 Heart-Healthy Recipes For Your New Year's Eve Bash

Planning a party for New Year’s Eve? Check out these delicious and heart-healthy appetizers sure to make your festivities a hit that will impress even the pickiest of foodies. 

For more recipes to spice up your party, check out our Health (e) Library and follow us on Pinterest.