New Patient Welcome Letter
We want to thank you for choosing us for your individual health needs! The mission of the UT Health San Antonio Green Wellness Program is to make lives better by promoting lifestyle change, including a plant-predominant eating pattern to achieve optimal health. We are passionate about healthy living by eating plant-based, whole foods. We strive to be recognized as the leading plant-based diet program to reverse chronic illness in San Antonio, Texas and beyond.
You are scheduled for 11 sessions using Shared Medical Appointments (SMA). There may be up to ten people in each session group who will be learning alongside you about plant nutrition as the main staple of your eating pattern. You will also learn about sleep hygiene, stress reduction, ways to increase physical activity, and journaling. Your healthcare teams is experts in plant nutrition and consist of a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, and a registered dietitian.
Your sessions are on _________________ from _____ to ______ at the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing Wellness 360 clinic with the first session being on______. There may be one or two days of cooking demonstrations at the Mays Cancer Center with our registered dietitian. Please arrive to all sessions at least 15 minutes prior to the start time to obtain vital signs and weight.
| Before your first session | Homework |
|---|---|
| • Make an appointment with the Dr. Paula Christianson-Silva (Family Nurse Practitioner) in the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing Wellness 360 clinic for your initial comprehensive physical with blood work. To schedule, please call the clinic at (210) 567-2788. | • Know how to monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and weight |
| •Sign the confidentiality form. | • Have a home weight scale, a blood pressure/heart rate monitor (or a free place to use one) |
| •Write down questions. | •Have an available journal-self reflection |
| •Complete homework to ensure you have a foundation of plant-based nutrition, physical activity, and meditation. | •Watch the assigned videos below |
| • In your journal, write down your goal while you are in the program. | •Download and familiarize yourself with the Soothing Pod & MyFitnessPal app |
| •Learn how to document food intake, weight, exercise-My Fitness Pal app | |
| •If you will be 100% plant-based, vitamin b-12 supplementation is needed |
| Whole Food Plant Diet (watch all three. Optional other documentaries based on your interest) | Physical Activity (choose 1) | App Downloads |
|---|---|---|
| What is a Whole Food Plant Based Diet? | 10-minute workout for seniors, beginner exercisers | • Meditation by Soothing Pod: Mindfulness, Calm, & Sleep (free). -Start with Day 1- Getting started • MyFitnessPal (free) -Start with learning how to input weight, exercise, and food intake. |
| An Introduction to a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet - a presentation by Dr. Lim 1 hr 16 min | 5-minute Heart Health Cardio! Increasing your Heart Rate | |
| Shopping for a whole-food plant diet 7 minutes | ||
| Other documentaries |