Letting The Sun Shine In

July 09, 2009

Do you wear sunscreen? I bet many of you don’t! Unfortunately, nearly one third of Americans still don’t wear any sunscreen. And yet, the evidence is clear: you don’t even need to get a sunburn...just being in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer. There are lots of wrong ideas floating around out there, which might explain why skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in men right now, and the second fastest in women.

Here are some tips to keep you out of the danger zone:

• Put on sunscreen at least 15 minutes before going into the sun. How many of you had planned to put it on at the beach or the pool, and then you forget about it once you’re there?  It’s happened to all of us...don’t make it a habit.
• I tell all my patients to wear sunscreen under their clothes. They often look at me funny since most of them believe that if you are wearing clothes you don’t need sunscreen. That’s a myth!  Sun rays penetrate clothing.  A white shirt typically has the equivalent SPF of only about 4. That means your skin might start to get damaged in about 1 hour without more protection. 
• While we’re on the topic of clothes, wear clothes with tighter fabrics, in darker colors, and keep them dry to let less sun through.
• Don't think that because your skin is dark you are safe! Paler-skinned people do get more skin cancer, but darker-toned people can get it too, often under the nails and on the soles of the feet, and it is often not caught in time! With skin cancer, timing is critical...it is almost completely curable if you get it early. If not, it is very hard to treat.
• Ditch the tanning beds; they are not a safer way to get color. Twenty minutes on a tanning bed is like spending four hours under the sun.  I know you may think it makes you look healthy, but there is no such thing as a "healthy" tan.
• Wear non-shiny lip gloss; the shiny ones make your lips more vulnerable.
• Protect your children! Children can get skin cancer too, so check your kid’s skin, and remember: getting sun damage when you are young gives you more risk for cancer than getting sun damage when you are older.

Preventing skin cancer can even be romantic! After a long day at the beach, try undressing in front of your honey to look each other over, head to toe. A likely spot for skin cancer is on your back, especially in men. Women should especially check their legs. Even look on your scalp, between the hairs! You can also use a mirror and some creative yoga to check those hard to reach spots. Skin cancer can happen on any part of your body, even the places that don't see the sun. Only one third of us have ever checked our skin for cancer.  Three out of four skin cancers are found not by doctors, but by patients and their families, so go for it!

With these few small steps, you are all set for some fun in the sun.

What Are Your Pet Peeves?

June 29, 2009

We all know that stress impacts our health. Our daily goal should be to reduce stress. That's a tall order, since life seems to be getting more stressful. Let me share with you some of my pet peeves that cause me a lot of stress.

Aisle Hogs. If you sit on the aisle in an airplane, you cannot go to sleep. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a middle seat on a cross country flight and the person next to me decides to fall into a deep slumber (except of course to miraculously wake up for food!). Given the decreasing size of seats and the growing size of people, it's impossible to either climb over them or wedge between the seat and the person without touching either. Honestly, it's like you're a hostage! So if you want to sit on the aisle, ya gotta stay awake.

Parking Incompetents. I park at a Starbucks every morning on the way to work. Yes, I know....I am addicted to caffeine! But my peeve is when SUVs occupy two spots. Or worse: when they park in the spot next to you, and it's too close to your driver's side door. It becomes impossible to squeeze in. Don't people know they need to be equidistant from both parking lines!?  Now granted...my Starbucks has a Bikram yoga studio above it, and yoga-ites are probably in a rush to get all hot. But seriously, watch where you park! Otherwise, you're hot and I'm bothered!

Sweaty Gym-Goers. I try to go to the gym 4 days a week, to relieve the stress of the aforementioned peeves. But I am surprised how many people don't wipe the equipment after they're done with it. Seriously, it's gross! I know it's a gym and we're sweating, but I really don't want to come into contact with other people's sweat. Ya don't need to walk around with antibacterial wipes, but if ya shvits a lot, carry a towel.

So what do I do when I get in these situations? Here's how I try to relieve my stress:

Deep breathing. Sounds simple, but most people don't do it right. Stand or sit up straight. Put your hand on your stomach, and slowly breathe in through your nose. Feel your hand move up. Then slowly breathe out through your mouth, feeling your hand go down. Try it a few times next time you get stressed. It works for many folks.

Laugh at the absurdity of it. Laughter is always good medicine.

Listen to music. I talked about what's in my iPod in my last post...and honestly, music does help to relieve stress.

What's your pet peeve that causes you stress, and how do you deal with it?

What’s in Your iPod?

June 05, 2009

I usually use this space to talk about different therapeutic options like drugs and medical devices for diseases and other conditions.  Like most people, I sometimes overlook simple things.  For instance, did you know that listening to music can improve health?

A recent study showed that listening to music dilated people’s blood vessels by nearly 25%. Participants listened to 30 minutes of their favorite music daily.  At the end of the study, they actually had lower cholesterol levels as well as improved heart function.  It’s unclear exactly how music caused these improvements but it may be because the music-induced dilated vessels increases blood flow to the heart. Listening to music may also cause the release of nitric oxide which might help prevent buildup of clots and cause reduction in cholesterol formation.

Another study showed that stroke patients who listened to music daily actually had improvement in their vision, and actually had shorter recovery times.  There’s even some data to show music might improve memory.

Granted, these studies are preliminary and more research needs to be done but it’s hard to argue that listening to your favorite music is a good thing to do.  Who hasn’t found some reduction in anxiety by popping in their favorite CD into their stereo?  Who hasn’t had certain songs bring back special memories from childhood or momentous occasions that allowed you to escape for a few minutes?  Listening to music you enjoy can have real value in improving your health.  But remember – make sure it’s music you like!  Listening to Meatloaf if you’re a classical music aficionado will not be a good thing to do!

So what’s in your iPod?  I have quite a mix of songs in mine…I listen to rock and pop during gym sessions to get the heart pumping and give me the added energy to run further or lift heavier.  If you don’t think music makes a difference, see how your exercise varies if you listen to slow music or none at all! Sixty minutes will seem like 2 hours.

My iPod has become invaluable in keeping stress levels down while I’m navigating through airports and train stations.  Listen to a little Coldplay or The Fray, and those long lines don’t seem so troublesome.  And turning up Bach or Puccini while in traffic jam is a convenient way to tune out the blasting horns from other cars.

So remember the simple things when it comes to your health - take some time today to listen to 30 minutes of your favorite music.  Your heart and brain will thank you.

What Every Future Mom Needs to Know

May 07, 2009

It’s Mother’s Day today, so here are good wishes to all the moms out there! 

For most moms, the health of their children is a top priority.  So I thought today would be a good time to share a message about a way to help women have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies.  Did you know that even though we’re one of the richest countries in the world, we don’t have the best birth outcomes?  About 13 percent of babies in the U.S. are premature, eight percent have low birthweight, and seven out of every 1,000 babies die before reaching one year of age.

If you’re thinking about a pregnancy, how can you increase the odds that the baby will be healthy?  Most people have heard of prenatal care, but there’s something else you should know about.  It’s called “preconception care.”  At least three months before the pregnancy, the future mom should pay a visit to the doctor to talk about getting ready.  The visit should cover a wide range of topics including genetic background, past pregnancies, nutrition, and more.  The dad’s health can affect a pregnancy, too, so future fathers should check in with their doctors as well.

If you’re a woman thinking about pregnancy, here are five especially important steps to take before conception:

 

1.  Take folic acid, 400 mcg per day, beginning at least three months before you conceive.  Folic acid can reduce the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect, such as a deformation of the spine or incomplete development of the brain.  It’s important to start getting enough folic acid before you become pregnant, because these defects occur very early in the baby’s development.  Neural tube defects can happen before you even realize you’re pregnant.  If you have any personal or family history of neural tube defects, or if you have a chronic illness like diabetes or epilepsy, tell your doctor.  You may need a higher dose of folic acid.

The easiest way to get the recommended amount of folic acid is to take a supplement.  Most multivitamins contain at least 400 mcg (0.4 mg), so a daily vitamin may be all you need.  You can also find individual folic acid supplements.  In each case, check the label to be sure of the dose.  Some foods are fortified with folic acid.  You could get your daily dose by eating a breakfast cereal with at least 400 mcg per serving.  Enriched breads, pastas, and other cereals contain folic acid, but far less than the full 400 mcg.  It can be hard to make sure you get at least 400 mcg per day from these types of foods, so be sure to check labels.

 

2.  If you smoke or drink alcohol, stop.  Women who smoke are more likely to have decreased fertility, pregnancy complications, premature babies, and babies with low birthweight.  Alcohol puts your baby at risk for mental retardation, learning disabilities, heart defects, and other problems. 

 

3.  Make sure any medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or epilepsy, are under control and that your vaccinations are up to date.  Obesity is also considered a medical condition.  It has been linked to pregnancy complications, birth defects, and fetal death, so aim for a healthy weight before you conceive. 

 

4.  Tell your doctor and pharmacist about any medicines you take.  That includes over-the counter medicines and herbal treatments or supplements, not just prescriptions.  Make sure that nothing you’re taking could be dangerous to a developing fetus.

 

5.  Check your home and workplace for hazardous chemicals, toxins, infectious materials, and other exposures.  Avoid contact with cat litter, which may harbor a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.  It can cause birth defects if a woman becomes infected just before or during pregnancy.[1]

Even if you’re thinking that pregnancy is a long way off, it’s a good idea to start a conversation with your doctor about what you’ll need to do.  It’s never too early to start planning for a healthy baby!

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[1] Toxoplasmisis—pregnant women.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Page last modified 1/11/09.  Accessed online 4/14/09 at http://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/pregnant.html#cat

Health Care Costs Just Keep Going Up

April 20, 2009

I usually use this space to talk about diseases and conditions.  Lately, I’ve been talking to friends, patients, and other physicians about the broader topic of health.  If you’ve been following the news lately, you know there’s been a lot of talk about health care reform.  Right now, spending on health care in the U.S. is more than $2 trillion each year, and costs keep rising!  We spend about twice as much as other developed countries.  But if you look at health outcomes, on many measures- such as infant mortality and life expectancy -- our system is not as good as it should be.

I think it’s important that we all have a say in any changes to our health care system.  It’s our health—and it’s also our money that pays for private insurance and government programs.  That means we all should be informed about where the money is going.

The $2 trillion is a sort of snapshot of the whole system.  In order to make sense of such a huge number, you need to know how the money is divided.  People often think that expensive drugs must be one of the main reasons for our nation’s high healthcare spending. This is probably because you often have a co-pay when you go to your local pharmacy.  Actually, outpatient prescriptions make up only 10% of the total.  Thirty-one percent goes for hospital care.  That includes your actual hospital room, medicines you receive, nursing care, and any other services the hospital provides.  Twenty-one percent covers doctors’ fees and clinic services, mostly for outpatient care.  Nursing home stays account for 6%.  Public health programs are only 3% of the total.  Seven percent of our health care dollars go to administrative costs and overhead.

Guess how much health care spending is already financed by our tax dollars.  The amount may surprise you!   It’s nearly half!  That includes Medicaid, Medicare, and other government programs.  This amount increases every year, so you need to be informed.

Now that you know where the money is going, another big question is why costs keep going up.  It turns out that there are some drivers of spending we can’t change.  About 6% of the increase we see is due to the aging of our population.  The baby boom generation is getting older, and they are going to need more health care! As we get older, we typically develop health problems – that’s also a big reason why we need to focus more on prevention and healthy living!   The influences can also shift from year to year.  There was a big increase in Medicare spending in 2006 when the new prescription drug benefit kicked in—but interestingly, growth slowed down again the following year.  The growth in prescription drug spending actually slowed down last year. For reliable ways to lower costs, experts are looking at things like improving efficiency within the system, lowering overhead, and making sure we’re using the best and most effective treatments.

As you listen to discussions about health care reform, keep these numbers in mind—and keep an eye out for more details.  Knowing more about where our spending goes can help you make your own judgments what we need to address and which plans for reform make the most sense.

Weight-Loss Isn’t Always a Good Thing

March 23, 2009

I know for the last several weeks I’ve been preaching about the need to lose weight and effective strategies as to how to shed those unwanted pounds!  Many of you have commented about your success in the weight-loss department and I offer you my props!  There are some instances, however, where weight loss should cause a concern.  I’m focused on those of you who aren’t trying to lose weight yet still are losing pounds.  Typically, people will say that their pants are loose, or someone told them they look like they’ve lost weight. Physicians typically refer to this as unwanted or unintentional weight loss.  Some of you might be playfully thinking “how do I get that condition?”—but it can be a symptom of something more serious.

Like we’ve talked about before, weight loss is still simple math – calories expended are more than calories taken in.   So something is going on that is causing you to eat less, or calories are not being absorbed properly, or there is a hyperactive or catabolic process going on in your body.

Beyond the Challenge – Motivation for the Rest of the Year

February 17, 2009

Is motivation created or is it an inherent trait?  Certain events in our life can motivate us – maybe it’s an upcoming wedding or reunion, a New Year’s Resolution, or maybe it’s the National Body Challenge.  But each of those comes and goes.  How do you then keep your motivation beyond your particular event? 

Here are 4 strategies that will help you reignite that burning desire to get in the best shape of your life!

1.    Realize it is not that easy.  The initial motivation is powerful, but that’s often short lived.  Small steps each day mean big changes in the long run; nothing will happen overnight and it’s important to continually encourage yourself.  Habits weren’t created overnight and they won’t be broken overnight.  Changing behaviors is difficult, but it can be done.

2.    Understand Motivation.  Why do you want to lose weight?  People often give very superficial, general reasons why they want to lose weight—lose a few pounds, improve health, etc.  These are not specific enough.  If you ultimately want to change behavior, you need to dig a bit deeper so you can determine what will really help you commit.  “Lose weight”, for example, is very general and is not likely to keep people motivated to continue for the long haul.  These same folks were likely motivated when they purchased a fad diet book, supplement off an infomercial, or what have you.  Remember, you need to find the underlying issue(s) and help change those. 

3.    Self-Monitor.  One of the most valuable tools you have at your fingertips is to self-monitor behaviors.  Self-monitoring is the observation and recording of a specific behavior.  Self-monitoring can be as detailed as writing everything down regarding that behavior (i.e. specific details, date, time, location, emotions, etc) to as little as placing a checkmark on a calendar indicating that a desired behavior was achieved. 

Many times individuals are not aware of their own behaviors.  Self-monitoring can help increase awareness.  Self-monitoring can be useful to gather a baseline for behaviors or as an ‘as needed’ measure when struggling.

4.    Work in groups.  Social support has been shown to improve the ability to lose and maintain weight loss.  Use this to your advantage.  Get a group of friends, family members, or co-workers together to get on a plan and work towards a goal.  It’s much more likely that you make time for exercise if you know you are meeting other people; it is just another way to be held accountable. 

These 4 strategies can reignite that motivational flame – remember, baby steps will go a long way to permanent success!

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Related Links:

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Use our National Body Challenge Community to stay motivated!

My Flabby Family – How to Keep the Entire Family Fit

February 09, 2009

“Do as I say, not as a do” is surely not a principle that is encouraged when it comes to shaping your life.  Exercise is encouraged for everyone, from young children to their great grandparents, and everyone in between.  As parents, it’s important to be good role models for your kids and walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Exercising together as a family can be great for the physical health of the individuals, but it’s a wonderful way to enhance communication between family members and the overall relationships as well. You’ll be surprised what people say when walking together!

In addition to exercising together as a family, eating together as a family is important too.  Unfortunately, few families set aside time for family dinners; both parents often work and kids are doing many different activities that dinner time is often no time.  How do you create time together?  The key is making time to be together, not finding it.

Find a time everyone can be together.  Now schedule this, just like any other important event; it’s something that can’t be put off, or pushed aside for a more convenient time.  There are a few ways to help make eating together possible and enjoyable.

1.    Choose 1 night each week where the kids are in charge of cooking.  Depending on their ages, this can be a meal they plan and prepare 100% on their own.  Or maybe, if the kids are younger, you help them put things together, but still give them important roles.

2.    Allow your children to pick 5 foods they want each week to add to the grocery list.  Work with them to then educate them on their choices.

3.    During the warmer months, try gardening as a new activity.  And keep a spot for the kids to have their “own” garden within the family spot – they can pick their favorite vegetable to grow and cultivate themselves.  Those who have their own garden eat more produce. 

When everyone is on board, success is easier to come by.  No one is immune to disease.  No one is immune to weight gain.  Share your healthy habits with your kids and your entire family will benefit!

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Related Links:

Join the National Body Challenge FREE today! 

Use our National Body Challenge Community to stay motivated!

Real Life, Real Advice – Strategies for every day living

February 06, 2009

I know you’ve been making changes, trying to reach your goals of the Challenge.  Now’s the time to start thinking about strategies for every day living.  And there are a variety of ways to help kick start your health into high gear.  I’ve got  10 simple strategies that can help you  get on or remain on track to feeling better, having more energy, and ultimately getting into the best shape of your life!   Surely, you’ll find a couple you like!

1.    Have the Little Engine that Could Mentality. 
I know….it’s corny…but ya know what…it works!  Change requires a shift in your mindset; focusing on the positive “I think I can” attitude, like in the children’s book, The Little Engine that Could with everything you do, from daily exercise, to eating right!  If you believe you’ll be successful, you most likely will be.  Have confidence in yourself.

2.    Make your goals commitments. 
Goal setting works—period.  But goals are merely the first step in the process.  To make the goals reality, you have to make commitments.  Rather than setting a goal to wake up every day at 6 AM to exercise before work, make a commitment to do so.  Set a date, a deadline, where you will commit to making that goal a reality.  Once that date is reached you can revisit if you want to keep going or if you’d rather “let yourself off the hook”, but you won’t do it before then. 

3.    Eat more fruits and vegetables. 
While this may seem a bit basic, Americans eat an average of only 2 servings each day.  The minimum recommendation is 5, meaning we’re not even halfway to the minimum recommendation.  Make sure you have a rainbow of colors with every single meal – the more colorful the fruits and vegetables, the better.

4.    Move more, move often. 
Move as much as possible, as often as possible.  Always take the stairs at work, the mall, the airport, etc.  Park as far away from your destination as possible and of course carve out a minimum of 30 minutes each day for physical activity.  Every step adds up to create a new you and allow you to reclaim your health. 

5.    Eat breakfast. 
Americans eat breakfast just a few days each week.  And you know by now, it is the most important meal of the day for a good reason. 

6.    Focus on carbohydrate quality. 
How much you eat is important, but arguably even more important is what you’re eating.  Carbohydrates are fantastic for you—when you choose high fiber, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.  When you eat too much sugar, on the other hand, your health will suffer.

7.    Increase your intake of healthy fats. 
Certain dietary fats are necessary to survive.  Others not only allow us to survive, but can truly optimize our health.  And those fats are omega-3 fats.  Those who eat more omega-3 fats and less unhealthy saturated and trans fats have lower rates of heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and many other disease.  Eat more fish—the American Heart Association recommends at least 12 oz of fish per week.

8.    Start strength training. 
Strength training improves balance, confidence, strength, bone density, balance, self esteem, and much, much more. 

9.    Surround Yourself with Positive Influences. 
Our friends, family, and co-workers can make or break success.  For example, rather than talking to your spouse while sitting on the couch, go for a walk with the entire family after dinner.  Take the family to the park.  Hang out with others who have similar goals and will encourage yours.

10.  Drink more water. 
Americans get an average of 450 calories each day from beverages alone (double that if you regularly stop at a coffee shop and get a fancy “large latte.”  That is nearly one pound per week just from beverages.  Switch to water.  With 17 tsp of sugar in a 20 oz soda, it’s way too much!  Eat your calories, don’t drink them.

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Related Links:

Join the National Body Challenge FREE today! 

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Getting Over That Plateau

January 26, 2009

You’ve been on the treadmill for what feels like days on end.  You are watching what you eat and drink.  However, despite earlier success watching that scale move in the direction you wanted it to, you’ve hit the infamous plateau!  What do you do? 

These 5 tips will help you break through any plateau and continue on your path to success.  By educating yourself and making sure you have all the proper behavioral “tools”, you can make more positive changes and continue to improve your health day after day!   Believe me, it’s worth the effort.

1.    Plan Ahead:  Without a plan, you won’t know where you’re trying to go.  You may have all the information in the world, are making the right food choices, increasing your exercise intensity, etc, but if you don’t plan your great intentions will go right out the window.  Pack your meals ahead – take some time on Sunday, for example, and prepare some extra food for throughout the week.  Pack this the night before work each day, so you’re never stuck without any options, forcing you to turn to the vending machine or fast food. 

2.    Learn to Grocery Shop:  This one is right in line with planning ahead.  Your weight loss efforts really start before you make any meals in your house.  They start at the grocery store and if you don’t know what do look for, you’ll struggle when faced with the 50,000 products that fill grocery store shelves.  Here is a simple step – stick to the perimeter of the store for 90% of your shopping.  Outside of produce, grains, seafood, meat, poultry, and dairy, there’s nothing else you need at the grocery store in terms of food. And make a list before you go, and stick to it.  It goes without say that you should not go grocery shopping when you are hungry – that’s a recipe for disaster!

3.    Realize there is no magic bullet.  Many folks become discouraged when beginning an exercise or weight loss program because they expect a magic bullet, or overnight success.  But starting a simple exercise program or reading a “diet” book won’t cure a 30 year ice cream or soda addiction.  Small steps each day mean big changes in the long run; nothing will happen overnight and it’s important to continually encourage yourself.  Unhealthy habits weren’t created overnight and they won’t be changed overnight.  You need to work towards improving your habits day after day.   

4.    Work with a friend(s) or spouse.  Social support has been shown to improve the ability to lose and maintain weight loss.  Use this to your advantage.  Get a group of friends, family members, or co-workers together to get on a plan and work towards a goal.  It’s much more likely that you make time for exercise if you know you are meeting other people; it is just another way to be held accountable.  At the very least, get a friend to train with; this will help both of you when trying to push and break through to the next level. 

5.    Eat Breakfast!  You’ve clearly heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?  Well, if not…it’s true!  Not only has research shown that those who eat breakfast regularly consume higher levels of many nutrients, but it has also shown time and time again that those who eat breakfast daily have lower body fat levels and body weights!  And, get this, you’ll be more physically and mentally alert all day!  Please don’t skip this important meal. 

There are always going to be many barriers to changing eating and exercise behaviors and breaking through plateaus.  Step out of your comfort zone and have a change of mindset.  It’s very easy to stop at a fast food restaurant or order a pizza for dinner, instead of taking 10 or 20 minutes to prepare a healthy meal.  The time to make a change is now!

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Related Links:

Join the National Body Challenge FREE today! 

Use our National Body Challenge Community to stay motivated!