Iron Doctor

Please join us in congratulating Pediatrics Consultants' own Dr. Chris Mathis on recently finishing the IRON MAN race in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! The Iron Man is a grueling competition that combines incredibly long distances in swimming, biking, and running. It is viewed as the the ultimate athletic endurance competition in the world.

Just how far are the three components of the Iron Man? A 2.5-mile swim along the azure blue waters of the Sea of Cortes kicked off the Iron Man for Dr. Mathis, which was immediately followed by a 112-mile bike ride. Finally, the athletes have to run the marathon distance run of 26.2 miles between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, a feat of athletic endurance in and of itself.

To give some perspective on the astonishing length of the Iron Man, here are a few things to think about. The total distance for the competition is about 140 miles. That is the distance between Memphis and Little Rock, Arkansas! The running portion alone would be the equivalent of running from the Mississippi river all the way to our Pediatric Consultants office in Collierville!

Dr. Mathis completed the Iron Man in 14 hours and 58 minutes, all in the blazing heat of the Mexican sun. To combat the intense rays, he wore long sleeves and high SPF sun screen. Locals along the way referred to him as "the ghost" because of his white sunscreen appearance, but it was important to keep his skin well-protected!

Joining Dr. Mathis in the Iron Man Competition and in training was fourth-year medical student, Cayce Nawaf. Cayce created the University of Tennessee College of Medicine's 5K Race last year to raise money for scholarships for the medical school. The second annual installment of the Medicine in May 5K race will take place on May 18 at 8:30am at Health Sciences Park (formerly Forrest Park) and will include music from the midtown band The Vintones.

Dr. Mathis hopes that his achievements in the Iron Man will serve as a reminder for the importance of exercise in our lives, and also, the importance of wearing sunscreen. The next time you see Dr. Mathis at the office, make sure to give the Iron Man a high five!

Le Bonheur Pumpkin Run

It was a beautiful day for the 7th annual Le Bonheur Pumpkin Run on Saturday, October 8th. Team PC came out in full force to show our support for our world class children's hospital! We even brought the kids along for this family friendly event. If you would like to donate money to the hospital, you can still give through our team page!

Biggest Loser Update!

With 6 weeks to go in our Biggest Loser contest, our 14 brave competitors have lost a total of 123 pounds! We are continuing to eat healthy, exercise more, and support each other to meet our personal goals!

The Biggest Loser – Pediatric Consultants Style

The Le Bonheur office decided it’s time for us to lose some weight. We started our own “Biggest Loser” competition, and three weeks into the competition, we’re already feeling healthier. In fact, the 14 competitors have already lost a combined total of 67 pounds!

It’s hard to lose weight on your own, so that’s why we’re doing it together. We don’t have personal trainers or 24 hours a day to exercise like the contestants on TV do, but we’re all making changes in our lifestyle. Exercise is a big component of losing weight and getting healthier, so some people are walking more, and others are doing exercise videos.

Nutrition is the other area where we can all improve. Everyone is following their own plan, but the idea is “fewer calories in, more calories out” We try to share weekly weight loss tips and help each other out. We have a home health agency that brings us donuts once a week. Now, at the end of the day, the box of donuts is still there! Last week they brought donuts and a bunch of bananas because of our weight loss competition.

The competition ends on October 31st. All the participants paid a $10 entry fee, plus the corporation matched the pot! The winner takes all, but we are measuring % weight loss to even the playing field. Make sure to cheer on all the employees at the downtown office! And feel free to share your own weight loss tips or healthy recipes in the comments!

Teens and Fitness

Dr. Frizzell was recently featured in an article about teen fitness in the Commercial Appeal! We talk a lot about healthy living at Pediatric Consultants and on our blog, and this article has great tips for getting active and staying fit:

“In his more than 30 years of practicing general pediatrics, Dr. Noel K. "Kip" Frizzell, CEO of Memphis-based Pediatric Consultants PC, has seen firsthand the problems associated with teenagers who don't get enough exercise.

"Today's teens are not getting close to enough exercise," Frizzell said. "There are a million reasons that we could blame it on, but, overall, the incidence of obesity and poor physical fitness are just way too high. I write a lot of 'healthy living' prescriptions these days, but, unfortunately, it mainly comes up when I'm seeing some of my patients with obesity."

Frizzell recommends at least one hour of exercise each day for teens. "It doesn't have to be a strenuous workout, just something fun that will make you breathe fast and get your heart rate up," he said. "Any kind of play outdoors will do." (Check out letsmove.gov/get-active or bam.gov/sub_physicalactivity /index.html)

Frizzell also recommends limiting screen time (TV, video games, computer) to two hours a day. "You'd be surprised how many kids get six hours of TV every day," he said. "It's hard to be active and stay in shape if you watch that much TV. The type of exercise each child needs is very individualized. Not everyone has good eye-hand coordination or enjoys team sports, but every child (with a parent's help and encouragement) can find an activity that is fun.””

To read the rest of the article, including tips from personal trainers, dance instructors, and parents, click here!

Pediatric Consultants Triathletes!

The race site of this year's Memphis in May Triathlon!

The doctors, nurses, and staff of Pediatric Consultants preach the importance of exercising and staying physically active to our patients and parents on a daily basis. We also practice what we preach! This past weekend, Dr. Kip Frizzell (Le Behoneur office) Dr. Marybeth Huggins (Le Bonheur), Dr. Chris Mathis (Baptist Women's East), and nurse Cassandra Dyer (East) competed in the Memphis in May Triathlon, located this year in Tunica, Mississippi.

Nurse Cassandra kicked off the weekend's fun by completing the sprint triathlon on Saturday. Her husband, Tim, also did the olympic triathlon Sunday! Dr. Frizzell and Dr. Huggins teamed up to form a dynamic duo relay team, while Dr. Mathis completed the entire olympic triathlon on his own! The weather was definitely iffy as hard rain poured down for a large portion of the event, making the course wet, but also perhaps providing a bit of relief from the heat.

All four of our Pediatric Consultants competitors put in hours, days, weeks, and even months of training in order to be able to complete these events. Dr. Frizzell logged over 800 miles on his bike in order to build endurance to complete the 40K (24 miles) bike portion of he and Dr. Huggins' relay team. Dr. Huggins swam 1.4K (one mile) in the water just outside of Harrah's Casino to begin their relay, then she got a brief rest as Dr. Frizzell briskly finished the bike course. Dr. Huggins then ran 10K to finish the race, which would normally be just over 6 miles, but the course actually was longer, almost seven miles total!

Dr. Mathis, a fitness enthusiast and well-rounded athlete, did the entire olympic race by himself, finishing the event in an impressive 2 hours and 50 minutes (that's almost 34 miles total via water, bike, and foot!).

Fun was had by all four and we send them a hearty congratulations for completing such a difficult challenge, and for setting a wonderful example for our patients, parents, and friends!

Dr. Mathis Runs for St. Jude!

Photo by Mike Maple, The Commercial Appeal

 On December 4, 2010,  thousands of people ran through downtown Memphis, Midtown, and the St. Jude's campus to raise money for children's cancer research. Our own Dr. Chris Mathis was one of those people! Every year, he participates in the St. Jude Marathon Weekend and this year he achieved a personal record in the half marathon (13.1 miles)!


Dr. Mathis says, "Running and raising funds for St Jude is on my calendar every December. We tend to take for granted having the world's premier children's cancer hospital right in our backyard. St Jude also has added a biking event this year in the late summer which Dr. Frizzell and I plan to do next year. Right, Dr Kip?"


Dr. Mathis stays fit by running, biking, swimming, competing in triathlons, and playing neighborhood kickball. If anyone out there has a New Year's Resolution to get fit this year, consider signing up for a race! It's a great motivator, and it's also a great way to raise money for a cause you believe in. Try starting with a 5K, but in time you may be ready to run a half marathon like Dr. Mathis!


"Training for the half marathon doesn't take too much time from your schedule. Four runs a week will do. Allow three months to get ready. Speed work one day a week, a long run one day a week, and middle distance or cross training the other two. Find a training partner if you can or join Memphis Runners Track Club to get the scoop on group runs around town," advises Dr. Mathis.


What was Dr. Mathis's favorite part of the race? "The best parts of the run are Beale Street with all the screaming supporters and the St Jude campus with patients and their families lining the route. This year I ran with a friend in his second year of med school who was running the full marathon so I couldn't complain about the pace! See you all next year!"

Happy New Year! Resolutions for a Healthy Family

The new year is a time for renewed commitments to yourself. The slate is wiped clean of all of the excesses and mistakes of the last year, and hope and optimism abound. Many of us use the new year as an opportunity to make resolutions - promises to ourselves that we're going to be better people, that 2011 is going to be the best year yet, and that we will finally make those lifestyle changes that can be so difficult. Here are three resolutions you can make with your family for healthier kids and a healthier you!

1. Eat more fruits and veggies!
Aim for at least 5 servings a day. It's fun to keep track and you can even make it a competition to see who can get there first! Eat a variety of colors to get an array of different vitamins and minerals. It's easy to add more fresh fruits and veggies to your diet.

2. Get active together!
There are so many fun ways to get active! You can take the dogs for a walk, go to the park and play catch, play active video games, or just dance around in the living room to your favorite tunes! One of our favorite ways to get active in 2011 is the new Memphis Greenline, that gave us seven miles of biking/walking/jogging bliss in 2010. Get out there and get moving!


Photo art courtesy of the Greater Memphis Greenline

 3. Get some sleep!
This sounds like a no-brainer, but research shows that most parents, and a lot of kids, are sleep-deprived. You will be healthier and happier with a good dose of shut-eye. Healthy sleep habits will help your kids grow into happy, energetic, and healthy adults.Happy new year to all of our patients and their families! Stay healthy, happy, and safe in 2011!