Tim Penix's Tumblr Blog

Tim Penix leverages his training in integrative medicine from the Duke University Medical Center to instruct patients at the Department of Veteran Affairs on how to improve their health. As a health coach, he employs motivational interviewing techniques to help veterans with substance dependencies, weight management struggles, and sleeping disorders, among other medical needs. Additionally, Tim Penix facilitates several group classes on topics such as diabetes education and mindful-based stress reduction. Prior to his position with the Department of Veteran Affairs, he served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Penix specialized in intelligence and logistics and earned a variety of awards for exceeding the call of duty. He later joined the California Army National Guard and fulfilled assignments as an administrative, training, and logistics officer. An active philanthropist, Tim Penix regularly contributes to the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America. He also avidly supports the Special Olympics and the American Cancer Society.

[timpenix-blog]

How Access to Healthy Food and Exercise Facilities Impacts Diabetes

A member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, Tim Penix is a retired serviceman who currently serves as a health coach at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Sepulveda, California. To offer the best care possible, Tim Penix stays informed on sports medicine as well as news on healthy food and lifestyle. In June of 2015, US News & World Report released an article about a study concerning access to healthy food and fitness facilities and the impact of that access on diabetes. In terms of fitness facilities, the study took into consideration gyms as well as areas that promoted leisurely walks. The study found that neighborhoods making nutritious foods easily accessible to residents showed a 12 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes; those establishing safe environments that encourage exercise had a reduced risk of 21 percent. It also analyzed the expense of healthy foods, noting that greater access to markets with fresh produce alone did not translate to lower diabetes risk. Rather, the ability for people to afford the food played a significant role in creating and sustaining nutritious food buying habits.