Archive for the 'Healthy Practice Tips' Category

Wanna Lift Weights? Why Not?

March 15, 2008

When people talk about exercise… it is almost always synonymous to aerobic exercises like jogging, walking and dancing. Never does weight training come into the picture. Combining both should be better!

But why lift weights? Is it advantageous than just sweating it out by running?

A recent article from the Harvard HealthBeat beautifully illustrates the reasons  why:

___________________________________________________

Muscle tissue, bone density, and strength all dwindle over the years. So, too, does muscle power. These changes open the door to accidents and injuries that can compromise your ability to lead an independent, active life. Strength training is the most effective way to slow and possibly reverse much of this decline.

Having smaller, weaker muscles doesn’t just change the way people look or move. Muscle loss affects the body in many ways. Strong muscles pluck oxygen and nutrients from the blood much more efficiently than weak ones. That means any activity requires less cardiac work and puts less strain on your heart.

Strong muscles are better at sopping up sugar in the blood and helping the body stay sensitive to insulin (which helps cells remove sugar from the blood). In these ways, strong muscles can help keep blood sugar levels in check, which in turn helps prevent or control type 2 diabetes and is good for the heart. Strong muscles also enhance weight control.

On the other hand, weak muscles hasten the loss of independence as everyday activities — such as walking, cleaning, shopping, and even dressing — become more difficult. They also make it harder to balance your body properly when moving or even standing still, or to catch yourself if you trip. The loss of power compounds this.

Perhaps it’s not so surprising that, by age 65, one in three people reports falls. Because bones also weaken over time, one out of every 20 of these falls ends in fracture, usually of the hip, wrist, or leg. The good news is that the risk of these problems can be reduced by an exercise and fitness routine that includes strength training.

___________________________________________________

As we prevent complications from illnesses to happen…we also should have this obligation to live longer but healthier! And one sure thing to accomplish this goal is to exercise regularly and exercise the right way!

Incorporating weight training to your regimen not only strengthens muscles but likewise prevents obesity since the more muscle you have, the less fat you get and the more metabolically active the muscle mass is compared to fat! As a result you likewise help prevent the onset of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension!

I do incorporate weights into my exercise regimen. I don’t go to the gym but after my sit-ups in the morning, I then do my routine abdominal twisting disc then do the weights using the arm band that you can buy in sports shops, or my barbell weights. You can likewise do the tiptoe setup by putting you two hands on the wall then tiptoe to raise yourself as high as you can then hold it for few seconds then repeat it 8 to 10 x daily!

Simple Rules and Simple Measures For a Healthier You!

The Pedometer: “Small But Terrific” Gadget for Losing Weight

March 12, 2008

Go to fullsize imageObesity continues to be a problem worldwide.  Measures to make people lose weight have made a lot of entrepreneurs out of doctors from selling miracle drugs to lose weight to marketing centers promising dramatic weight loss.  The bottom line however continues to be the need to incorporate lifestyle change to every measure that we implement in increasing chances to a successful weight loss.

The pedometer is one such gadget that is small and handy but a powerful tool to help patients lose weight.  A new meta-analysis published recently in the Annals of Family Medicine showed the effectiveness of this gadget in curbong obesity.

________________________________________________________

RESULTS Nine studies met the study inclusion criteria. Cohort sample size ranged from 15 to 106, for a total of 307 participants, 73% of whom were women and 27% of whom were men. The duration of the intervention ranged from 4 weeks to 1 year, with a median duration of 16 weeks. The pooled estimate of mean weight change from baseline using a fixed-effects model and combining data from all 9 cohorts was –1.27 kg (95% confidence interval, –1.85 to –0.70 kg). Longer intervention duration was associated with greater weight change. On average, participants lost 0.05 kg per week during the interventions.

CONCLUSION Pedometer-based walking programs result in a modest amount of weight loss. Longer programs lead to more weight loss than shorter programs.

__________________________________________________________________________

What This Study Found as stated by the Editors of the AFM “In Brief”:

 Walking programs that use a pedometer as a motivational tool result in a moderate amount of weight loss in overweight or obese sedentary adults. The average participant in a pedometer-based walking program without dietary change can expect to lose about 1 pound every 10 weeks, or about 5 pounds per year. Longer programs are associated with greater weight loss.

Implications

  • The amount of weight loss from pedometer-based walking programs is small but significant from a clinical perspective.
  • Walking programs that use pedometers can have health benefits that are associated with both a modest weight loss and increased physical activity.

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Changes in Health!!!

Want Your Kids To Lose Weight?

March 5, 2008

Go to fullsize imageA new study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine showed that cutting TV and Computer time can increase a child’s chances of controlling and losing weight. 

In a prepared statement from the authors…they theorized that:

  • “Television viewing is related to consumption of fast food and foods and beverages that are advertised on television,”
  • “Viewing cartoons with embedded food commercials can increase choice of the advertised item in preschoolers, and television commercials may prompt eating.”

The bottom line is: by restricitng TV time then the children can do other physical activites aside from benefiting from less exposure to food ads and therefore less chances for them to eat unhealthy junk.

My kids love cartoons and of course computer games.  But they’re off limits during school days.  Only when they finish their study period earlier that I allow them to play their PSP but restiricted to 30 minutes only.  The kid’s room has no cable so they cant watch cartoon network or other cable channels where junk food ads are in abundance.  They can however watch cartoon movies where I know nothing out of the box commercials promoting something I dont agree with will pop out in surprise!

I am a true follower of the above regulation in our house with regard to restricting TV and computer times and glad to say am pretty successful with my kids school and study habits PLUS improving their …

Health Through Better Nutrition and Discipline!

Low Carb Diet and Diabetes: A Better Partner?

February 29, 2008

Go to fullsize imageDieatry intervention remains the cornerstone of therapy for Diabetes.  It requires education and self discipline for it to work!  It may be frustrating for doctors but if only we find time to explain the benefits and allow this intervention to work…it is really worth the effort.  My center now not only caters to diabetes education but has already 2 dieticians on board to see the dietary needs of my patients with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

I have been a proponent of the 40% carb and 40% fat diet for my diabetic patients. The fat however should be mainly monounstaurated which will give us the source of the good fat with less than 7% to 10% of the Saturated fat or the Bad fat!  I always emphasize the low fat sources or the vegetable sources of protein! 

This February 2008 comes a new study from the Harvard Medical Group of the longstanding Nurses Health Study that came up with the finding that indeed a Low Carb Diet may be the way to go for Diabetic patients.

___________________________________________________________

Design:  prospectively examined the association between low-carbohydrate-diet score (based on percentage of energy as carbohydrate, fat, and protein) and risk of diabetes among 85 059 women in the Nurses’ Health Study.

Results: During 20 y of follow-up, we documented 4670 cases of type 2 diabetes. 

  •  A higher dietary glycemic load was strongly associated with an increased risk of diabetes in a comparison of extreme deciles (RR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.75, 3.47; P for trend < 0.0001)).
  • A higher carbohydrate consumption was also associated with an increased risk of diabetes in a comparison of extreme deciles (RR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.49; P for trend = 0.003).

Conclusion: These data suggest that diets lower in carbohydrate and higher in fat and protein do not increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. In fact, diets rich in vegetable sources of fat and protein may modestly reduce the risk of diabetes.

__________________________________________________________________________

The term glycemic load refers to the capacity of a food to increase ones blood sugar upon ingestion.  As a result, I always emphasize to my patients to avoid some of the fruits with the highest glycemic index like pineapple, mangos, watermelon and banana and instead enjoy apple and pear.  The study proves that indeed the higher the glycemic load, the higher the risk to develop diabetes or for those with diabetes…the more difficult blood sugar control will be!

One more reason to go low Carb!  This recommendation looks similar to the Atkins Diet but with a better and healthier protein source with less saturated fat!

Finding a partner in life requires committment… similar to finding a partner in our quest for controlling blood sugar through proper lifestyle and the right diet AND should be made…. a way of life!

Indeed Low Carb Is The BETTER Partner for Health!

Stress and Heart Disease: A Close Circuit!

February 18, 2008

Stress from work?  Who isnt? But the way we handle stress can make a difference in how it affects our lives.  We always associate it as part of our day to day activity otherwise, it is not living if we dont have stress.  It gives us the challenge to move on and to pursue what we have in mind to achieve. But along the way comes the roadblocks called “Stress”

Recently an nice article examined how stress can affect out health.  I am a believer of stress as a big factor in increasing a patient’s risk to develop chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure.  Now published in the European Heart Journal is a detailed examination of how stress can affect the heart!

___________________________________________________________

A total of 10 308 London-based male and female civil servants aged 35–55 of the Whitehall II study were studied. Exposures included work stress and outcomes included behavioural risk factors, the metabolic syndrome, heart rate variability, morning rise in cortisol, and incident CHD on the basis of CHD death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or definite angina.

  • Chronic work stress was associated with CHD and this association was stronger among participants aged under 50 by 68%.
  • There were similar associations between work stress and low physical activity, poor diet, the metabolic syndrome, its components, and lower heart rate variability.
  • Cross-sectionally, work stress was associated with a higher morning rise in cortisol.
  • Around 32% of the effect of work stress on CHD was attributable to its effect on health behaviours and the metabolic syndrome.

Conclusion: Work Stress may be an important determinant of CHD among workiing-age populations, which is mediated through indirect effects on health behaviours and direct effects on neuroendocrine stress pathways.

__________________________________________________________________________

The above results are clear: once you’re stressed out… you produce stress hormones through the nueroendocrine system resulting in an increase of serum cortisol which can be harmful to the body including the way it signals how the heart beats! End result: Heart disease….

Further examination revealed that work stress is associated with a poorer diet in terms of eating less fruit and vegetables, and less exercise which also then contribute to increasing one’s risk for heart disease further.  I am sure a lot of the readers are guilty of this!  Too little time…too much to do! In fact in this study around 32% of the effect of work stress on CHD could be explained by its effect on health behaviors and the metabolic syndrome.

In short….Enjoy your work…problems come but solutions are abundant.  It is a matter of finding them!

Mind Your Heart… Eat Healthy, Exercie Freely and Be Stress Free!

Exercise As An Investment In Life…. Offers Great Returns!

February 12, 2008

Go to fullsize imageExercise can reduce risk of death!!!

Exercise can make you live longer and make you enjoy your life better. We know this for centuries but lifestyle continues to be one big struggle for doctors to ask their patients to comply. 

That’s the conclusion reached in a study recently published in Circulation Feb 2008.

__________________________________________________________

Methods and Results— We assessed the association between exercise capacity and mortality in  male veterans with and without cardiovascular disease who successfully completed a treadmill exercise test at the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Washington, DC, and Palo Alto, Calif. Fitness categories were based on peak metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved. Subjects were followed up for all-cause mortality for 7.5±5.3 years.

Among clinical and exercise test variables, exercise capacity was the strongest predictor of risk for mortality. The adjusted risk was reduced by 13% for every 1-MET increase in exercise capacity

  • Compared with those who achieved <5 METs, the mortality risk was 50% lower for those with an exercise capacity of 7.1 to 10 METs
  • 70% lower for those achieving >10 METs 
  •  The findings were similar for those with and without cardiovascular disease.

ConclusionsExercise capacity is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality !

__________________________________________________________

So the study suggests…the more we exercise and the more calories we burn resulting in a better shape and better exercise capacity, the longer we live!  A 70% reduction in the risk of death is GREAT news for exercise lovers! There you go guys…. it’s about time that we sit down and think…how much do we love ourselves.  Are we doing things to satisfy our ambitions in life with great disregard to our well being?

We may be great thinkers, scholars or successful businessmen… we may be great in everything we do BUT our body also deserves to be treated right.  Success in life comes in different forms and all come from doing what you think is best!

If you therefore want to to enjoy that success and live longer…enjoy the fruits of your labor longer…enjoy life and have more fun times with your kids and family… then take the extra steps to health.  Just like what you do in taking the extra effort to be successful in your careers and goals in life.  So take time to Exercise…It is indeed an investment worthy of its great returns…..

Take The Extra Time To EXERCISE!!!

Exercise for Life….

February 4, 2008

Go to fullsize imageHarvard News Letter: The HelathBeat just came out with an article solely devoted to the benefits of exercise.  This post is just a reminder to all that exercise is good for the health not only to prevent disease but to live long and enjoy a better life:

___________________________________________

Exercise at a glance

This is what exercise can do:

  • reduce your chances of getting heart disease. For those who already have heart disease, exercise reduces the chances of dying from it.
  • lower your risk of developing hypertension and diabetes.
  • reduce your risk for colon cancer and some other forms of cancer.
  • improve your mood and mental functioning.
  • keep your bones strong and joints healthy.
  • help you maintain a healthy weight.
  • help you maintain your independence well into your later years.

___________________________________________

It’s a matter of taking time to do it and the willingness to do it! 

Because in Health … There is NO Shortcut!

Red Meat and Fried Foods Linked To Disease….

January 28, 2008

Go to fullsize imageWe have known this association of westernized diet ( read meat, fried foods and refined sugar) and the development of chronic disease all along but this new study published in Circulation this year 2008.  confirmed this even more! This study included the dietary intake using prospective data from 9514 participants (age, 45 to 64 years) enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Metabolic Syndrome is the combination of 4 major diseases in one: Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol and Obesity. The clinical implication of having the four diseases is the associated increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

_____________________________________________

Findings:

  • Analysis of individual food groups revealed that meat, fried foods , and diet soda also were adversely associated with incident MetSyn.
  • Dairy consumption was beneficial.
  • No associations were observed between incident MetSyn and a prudent dietary pattern or intakes of whole grains, refined grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, coffee, or sweetened beverages.

Conclusions—These prospective findings suggest that consumption of a Western dietary pattern, meat, and fried foods promotes the incidence of MetSyn, whereas dairy consumption provides some protection. The diet soda association was not hypothesized and deserves further study.

_____________________________________________

The above findings suggest only 1 thing:  Be careful with what you eat because what you take in predicts the product and outcome in terms of health or disease!

Red Meat should be taken the least and White meat the most! Diet Soda may make one less guilty to eat steak and I believe that is where the association lies between drinking this no calorie drink and the development of the disease.  In contrast, drinking diary product does not entice one to eat more fried foods and therefore it’s a healthier choice!

It’s a choice of what is good versus badwhat is healthy versus not and what you want versus what you need!

Can I Exercise Even If I Have Arthritis?

January 21, 2008

A common question indeed! Diabetics are prone to arthropathies.  Or shall we say…joint pains due to arthritis affect almost every pateint after the age of 50.  The tendency of patient with arthritis is to assume a position that they deem less painful and avoid the joint from being moved.  Unfortunately this reflex of patients gets them into more trouble.

Exercise is part of arthritis treatment regimen…it is encouraged and not avoided. Exercise has been shown to help improve joint mobility, increase ones muscle strength as well as sense of well being by improving overall physical conditioning, and helping one lose weight.  Likewise, exercise has been shown to help keep bone and cartilage tissue strong and healthy resulting in improved mobility of the joints involved.

Some exercises that we recommend for patient with arthritis include: Flexibility or stretching exercises to improve the range of motion of the joints involved.  Strenghtening exercises to keep the muscles strong to protect the joints from further injury. For my patients with knee pain,  I usually also recommend stationary bike exercise to provide less strain to the knees while allowing mobility to the feet and arms.  Swimming is best also because the bouyancy helps put less pressure on the kness and joints.

My recommendation to those who suffer from arthritis is: Keep your joints moving. Exercise daily if you can and help make your lives better by making yourself feel better through exercise not only to help you move but likewise move free of pain.  

Here are some tips from the University of Washington regarding exercise and arthritis:

________________________________________________

These exercises can help keep your joints moving. Follow these tips to get the most benefit.

  1. Do these once or twice per day.
  2. Do each exercise 3 to 10 times.
  3. Move slowly. Do not bounce.
  4. Breathe while you exercise. Count out loud.
  5. Begin exercises slowly, doing each exercise a few times only and gradually build up to more.
  6. Try to achieve full range of motion by moving until you feel a slight stretch, but don’t force a movement.
  7. Don’t try to help others do their exercises by moving their arms or legs.
  8. STOP exercising if you have severe pain.

________________________________________________

Make exercise part of your daily routine.  Remeber to start slow and go slow. 

Again this is where Discipline Counts to make life better and easier!

Simple Steps To Control Your Blood Pressure

January 3, 2008

Go to fullsize imageAfter the holidays comes the Blues…. high sugar, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These form the deadly triad which if coupled with obesity forms the Deadly Quartet called the Metabolic Syndrome.  Its deadly because of the complications associated with the combination of diseases resulting in stroke and heart attack.  But we can do something about them if we are dsicplined enough to do it for the new year.

Recently the Harvard Medical School Publication: The Harvard Healthbeat came up with easy suggestions that we can do to help control our Blood Pressure.  Medications come in handy but they can have side effects.

________________________________________________

1. Check it. You can’t do much about your blood pressure unless you know what it is. Your doctor should check it at every visit. Measuring it at home is even better. Relatively inexpensive home monitors are available in most pharmacies.

2. Get moving. Regular exercise, even something as simple as brisk walking, improves blood vessel flexibility and heart function. It can lower blood pressure by 10 points, prevent the onset of high blood pressure, or let you reduce your dosage of blood pressure medications.

3. Eat right. A landmark study called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) showed that you can eat your way to better blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, and downplays red meat, sweets, sugar-containing beverages, and saturated fat and cholesterol.

4. Control your weight. If you are carrying too many pounds for your frame, losing weight can lower your blood pressure. You don’t need to become rail-thin — losing 10% of your current weight, or even 10 pounds, can make a big difference.

5. Don’t smoke. Nicotine constricts small blood vessels. Smoking a cigarette can cause a 20-point spike in systolic blood pressure. Quitting is tough, but there are now more aids to help.

6. Drink alcohol in moderation. A drink a day for women and one or two a day for men is good for the heart and blood vessels. Going beyond that can contribute to higher blood pressure.

7. Shake up your salts. Too much sodium and too little potassium boost blood pressure in people who are sensitive to salt. The imbalance is so great that the American Medical Association is calling for food makers and restaurants to cut the sodium content of food by 50% by 2016. Aim for less than 1.5 grams of sodium a day, and at least 4.7 grams of potassium.

8. Sleep is good. Burning the candle at both ends night after night can contribute to high blood pressure, not to mention increase the chances of developing heart disease or a sudden cardiac arrest. How much sleep is enough? At least six hours a night, though eight hours is probably more like it for most people.

9. Reduce stress. As surely as mental and emotional stress can raise blood pressure, meditation, deep breathing, and other stress-busting activities can lower it.

10. Stick with your medications. Taking pills to keep your blood pressure in check won’t make you feel any different. But it can keep you from having a stroke, heart attack, or other problem.

_______________________________________________

So be warned and be good this new year.  Resolve to keep our body healthy by keeping our lifestyle clean.  Our biggest enemy is really the habit of eating out and enjoying the food too much neglecting to consider that harm that can be done to our body with what we put in!

Following Simple Lifestyle Changes can make a Difference!

Smoking and Impotence: A Deadly Combination

January 2, 2008

IGo to fullsize imaget is very difficult to stop an addiction.  Smoking is one problem that we almost always encounter among our male patients who come in with Diabetes.  Seldom do many realize that smoking in itself doubles or triples the harm that high blood sugar entails among our diabetic patients.

But one complication that many dont realize is that smoking contributes to the increasing risk of impotence. 

A survey published in the American Journal of Epidimeology showed that the risk to develop impotence among smokers is 42% higher compared to non smokers!!!!   If this vice is coupled with alcohol consumption and obesity then the risk of erectile dysfunction substantially increases further!

So to all smokers out there… you may just ward off the effects of smoking on the heart, and the lungs but to be impotent is a DISASTER!!!!!

This New Year’s: Resolve To Stop Smoking For Health and Wellness!

Yogurt And Its Health Benefits….

December 22, 2007

My family loves Yogurt so I thought of sharing with you how this great tasting beverage can be healthy as well.

1. Yogurt contains active, living cultures and the most abundant are lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. These cultures help keep the colon healthy with studies showing it to lower the risk of colon cancer.

2. Yogurt contains lots of protein, vitamins, and minerals — and now you have choices of which to choose depending on the amount of calories each preparation has.  But overall for the weight conscious…it contains less calories than you think.

3. Yogurt uses nonfat milk in its preparation, and therefore a rich source of calcium and water as well. Meaning good for the bones!!!!

4. For those who have lactose intolerance and therefore unable to tolerate milk can easily enjoy yogurt.  The culturing process of yogurt makes it easily digestible.  The cultures present in yogurt help create the substance lacking in patients with lactose intolerance which is lactase.

5. Yogurt helps increase the absorption of certain nutrients and vitamins including Vitamin B and calcium.

6. Lastly, some studies have shown it to boost ones immunity and is considered a grow food… good for our children because it is rich in protein but also it helps in the absorption of other food protein needed for growth!!!

Need I say more my friends.  I let my kids bring yogurt to school daily as snack instead of the usual fruit juices which are rich in sugar and therefore calories.  I also prefer yogurt mixed with my fruits and they just blend very well….Use it in place of ice cream and one can even use yogurt in place of milk for baking goodies….

So next time you go grocery shopping in time for the Christmas celebration dinner… grab a yogurt on your way out or two!

Yogurt Does Your Body GOOD!

Resting To Burn Fat Faster….

November 24, 2007

exerc.jpgHere’s one good news to those who hate long hours of exercise to get a benefit! 

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology this June of 2007  showed that:

repeated bouts of exercise cause enhanced fat metabolism compared with a single bout of prolonged exercise of equivalent total exercise duration.”

The exercise regimen that they tested?

… Exercise for 30 minutes…take a break for 20 minutes… then exercise again for 30 min…. 

The rest period resulted in more fats being burned than no rest period at all…

So just like any activity… the body needs to rest and rejuvenate!

Remember…

Overdoing Even A Good Thing May Do More Harm!!!

 

__________________________________________________________________________

adtxtimg3.gif 2/18/08 

Notes From Our Marketing Friends: 

One should apply healthy cleaning strategies at ones home. Use dust cleaners to avoid dust allergy. Many sort of allergies lead to serious diseases like eczema etc. Go for proper eczema treatment is you are suffering form eczema. Dirty carpets are the source of much kind of allergies. Use handy vacuum cleaner to ensure the complete cleanliness of the carpets.
__________________________________________________________________________

More Sleep Time To Prevent Childhood Obesity

November 22, 2007

Go to fullsize imageChildhood Obesity is getting to be a huge problem not only in developed countries but worldwide!  The AACE Philippine Chapter in fact recently launched our Power of Prevention Program aimed at preventing Obesity among children where different school prinicpals and administrators were invited to the launching initially to involve Metro Manila school children. 

Now comes a remedy to wegiht gain among children that we can do at home!  A new interesting study was recenlty published in Pediatrics November 2007 issue , linking the lack of sleep or inadequate sleep among children and the risk of being overweight.

______________________________________________

Of 785 children, 50% were male, 81% were white, and 18% were overweight in 6th grade.

  • Shorter sleep duration in 6th grade was independently associated with a greater likelihood of overweight in 6th grade.
  • Shorter sleep duration in 3rd grade was also independently associated with overweight in 6th grade, independent of the child’s weight status in 3rd grade.
  • Sleep problems were not associated with overweight.

__________________________________________________________

So how many hours of sleep should our children have?  This study provided us some insights:

  • Sixth-graders with less than 8.5 hours of sleep a night had a 23 percent rate of obesity,
  • Well-rested peers with more than 9.25 hours of sleep had at 12 percent rate of obesity.

For me this study tells us one thing:

  • By putting your kids to sleep earlier… means less TV time…means less chances to munch on junk food…resulting in a lesser risk to gain weight!
  • Sleep is as important as healthy food and physical activity when it comes to Weight control.

Put Premium on Sleep Than Being Awake Especially For Our Children!

______________________________________________________

 adtxtimg8.gif 2/18/08

Notes From Our Marketing Friends: 

There are many sensitive issues that a lactating mother must be keeping in mind. During lactation mother should follow healthy food recipes to avoid any kind of deficiency in her. As a lactating mother feeds her baby on her milk, so she should take complete care her breasts. There are many lactation equipments now available in the market that helps a mother to nourish her baby with her milk. These include medela breast pump, maternity bras and large cup nursing bras etc.
__________________________________________________________________________

Tips on How To Get A Flat Tummy Without Tummy Tuck!

November 15, 2007

Go to fullsize imageI am ” no no” when it comes to cosmetic surgery.  It is definitely temporary measure of something that can be done with healthy lifestyle and discipline. Beauty as we said is deep within… and for me… only if you are using your face or body for business like being a movie star and marketing for extra mileage that one may elect to have them done.

Recently I came accross a short article on how we can flatten our tummy without necessarily resorting to surgery.  This comes from a reliable Health Source of the Mayo Clinic….

______________________________________________

Just can’t seem to maintain a flat tummy, even though you are not overweight? According to the August issue of the Mayo Clinic Women’s HealhSource, you could just have a genetic tendency to accumulate fat in that area. Or if you have lost some height over the years, bulges can become more prominent. Whatever the cause, you can help flatten your stomach.

  • Get regular, general exercise. Burning calories reduces overall body fat. (Just doing sit-ups won’t flatten the bulge.)
  • Target lower and deeper abdominal muscles. Exercises that target these muscle groups can help. An example is a pelvic tilt. Lie on your back on the floor with knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdomen and bending your pelvis up. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.
  • Stand tall. A slouched position makes your tummy more prominent.
  • Beware of bloating. Some foods — beans, cabbage and bran, for example — can cause bloating and accentuate your bulge.

______________________________________________

There you go my friends.  Simple and concise.  Do them daily…change your lifestyle that incorporates exercise or physical activity to your daily life.

Everyday before I take a bath…I lie on my bathroom floor and do the situps and tummy exercise.  Then I hop on to my waist twisting disc then I do the strength exercise using a rubberized belt ( I am not sure what you call it actually).  Once an activity is incorporated into your system…then its difficult to start the day without it!

Give Your Body The Look You Want It To Have….

Thru Exercise!

____________________________________________________

adtxtimg.gif

Notes From Our Marketing Friends:

As people are becoming aware with the health and fitness issues they are spending most of their time in health and fitness centers. There are many 24 hour fitness centers which provide services round the clock. However you can make your own gym at your home as well. All the gym equipments are available online you can purchase weight scale, tread mills, racing cycles or anything you want. Accessories like yoga mats, water bottles are also available over the internet.

__________________________________________________________

The Benefit of Taking Siestas Or A Nap…

November 2, 2007

We’re know how to take naps and siestas in the past… BUT this habit is becoming a rarity rather than a need with the changing times.  However, new studies have come up that in regions where naps continue to be practiced, the incidence of cardiac problems seem to be on a decline… and now a new study may give us the reason why. 

Siesta apparently is associated with lowering of BP and as a result it reduces the strain to the heart in an article published in Journal of Applied Physiology  October of 2007 issue. 

____________________________________________________________________

The siesta habit is associated with a 37% reduction in coronary mortality, possibly because of reduced cardiovascular stress associated with daytime sleep.  Whether the most important behavior is the daytime nap itself, a supine posture, or the expectancy of a nap is unknown.

We present the first detailed description on healthy individuals of the acute changes in cardiovascular function during defined phases of the daytime sleep-onset period. These responses were compared with lying awake and standing.

Following a night of restricted (4 h) sleep, nine healthy participants (aged 34 ± 5 yr) were allowed to sleep at 1400 for up to 1 h. Polysomnography was used to calculate three phases of daytime sleep onset: phase 1, a baseline period of relaxed wakefulness before lights out; phase 2, the period between lights out and onset of stage 1 sleep; and phase 3, the period between onsets of stages 1 and 2 sleep.

Differences (means ± SD) in blood pressure, heart rate, and forearm cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) between phases were analyzed. During the 9.7 ± 13.8 min of phase 2, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 4.7 ± 4.5 and 3.6 ± 2.8 mmHg lower than baseline, whereas CVC was 9.5 ± 4.3% higher than baseline (P < 0.05). Subsequent changes in cardiovascular function during the sleep itself were trivial (P > 0.05). The above changes were not observed when subjects stood or laid supine in relaxed wakefulness for 1 h (P > 0.05).

Our findings suggest that the period between lights out and sleep onset is associated with the largest acute reduction in blood pressure during one afternoon siesta.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Now we know why siestas make us feel good and “healthier”.  In fact studies have shown that this blood pressure reduction may actually be the reason why there is lower coronary mortality rates in Mediterranean and Latin American populations where siestas are common… the effect of naps on the heart!

Simple take home message from this study: 

  1. Take time to rest and a nap…if you can have it in between breaks…go for it. 
  2. Sleep is likewise important… now it shows that sleep debt is unhealthy and dangerous!

Life is too short not to enjoy it BUT make sure you get enough rest and sleep to enjoy the beauty of life to live longer!

Siestas Equate To Better Health! 

Tips To Change Unhealthy Habits: Self Control vs WillPower

October 31, 2007

Go to fullsize imageHere’s one article I read from the Mayo Clinic Health Letter I want to share to everyone.  This is timely and concise at these times that everything that surrounds us is tempting us to do other than what our body requires us to do.  It’s The Will Power to do good things being overcome by destructive tempations leading to unhealthy lifestyle.

_______________________________________________

But counting on willpower alone to make a change is inviting failure. A Special Report in the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter discusses the essential steps to a healthier life, including how planning and self-control skills — not willpower alone — help make healthy behavior changes.

How Self Cotrol wins Over Will Power 

Dessert splurge

Willpower: I’ll make a cheesecake for others in the house, but I won’t eat it.

Self-control: I won’t make a cheesecake, but I can have a slice when I dine out.

Accessible alcohol

Willpower: I’ll keep a liquor cabinet for guests, but I won’t drink.

Self-control: For a time, and perhaps forever, I will not have alcohol in the house.

Smoking cessation

Willpower: I’ll stop cold turkey.

Self-control: Before I stop, I’ll talk to my doctor about ways to ease withdrawal.

Dining out

Willpower: We’ll go to the buffet, but I’ll just have salad.

Self-control: We’ll go to a restaurant that offers small portions and low-fat or vegetarian items.

Exercise

Willpower: Although I’m tired in the evening, I’m going to get out and walk for 30 minutes every day after dinner.

Self-control: I’m going to try to walk 15 to 30 minutes in the morning and at lunch. I’ll ask a friend to join me for encouragement.

Self-control is one step. But many factors impact why we do what we do — or don’t do. In fact, discarding an unhealthy behavior, or adopting a healthy one, is a tough challenge and often takes from three to 30 attempts.

_______________________________________________

Simple easy steps to a healthy lifestyle.  Its a matter of combining self control and the will to do things in a manner that will satisfy your body, your self and your health!  It may take time to do things right but as long as one has the will and the foresight to do them with a purpose …then you will be successful! 

Remember…. Not trying is the worst thing you can do to yourself and your health!

Take Self Control and The Will To Be Healthy!

The Danger of Sleepless Nights!!!!

October 29, 2007

Go to fullsize imageFeeling Grumpy after waking up? Maybe lack of sound sleep? Or deprived of sleep? Or sleep debt?

No matter what you do, this lack of sleep has been shown to increase one’s emotional outburst.  Needless to say, one is not too keen in listening to problems in office or even offering solutions without having to raise ones voice.  It is therefore difficult or problematic to handle delicate situations in times of sleep debt.  The day to day interaction with friends or co workers and employees can result in negative outcome and productivity.

In the October 23 issue of Cell Biology comes a new study that looked at the reason why this happens as the lead author has said: “Sleep deprivation fractures the brain mechanisms that regulate key aspects of our mental health.”

______________________________________________________________________

Sleep deprivation is known to impair a range of functions, including immune regulation and metabolic control, as well as neurocognitive processes, such as learning and memory. But evidence for the role of sleep in regulating our emotional brain-state is surprisingly scarce, and while the dysregulation of affective stability following sleep loss has received subjective documentation , any neural examination remains absent.

Clinical evidence suggests that sleep and emotion interact; nearly all psychiatric and neurological disorders expressing sleep disruption display corresponding symptoms of affective imbalance. Independent of sleep, knowledge of the basic neural and cognitive mechanisms regulating emotion is remarkably advanced.

The amygdala has a well-documented role in the processing of emotionally salient information, particularly aversive stimuli . The extent of amygdala engagement can also be influenced by a variety of connected systems, particularly the medial-prefrontal cortex (MPFC); the MPFC is proposed to exert an inhibitory, top-down control of amygdala function, resulting in contextually appropriate emotional responses.

We have focused on this network and using functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI) have obtained evidence, reported here, that a lack of sleep inappropriately modulates the human emotional brain response to negative aversive stimuli.

______________________________________________________________________

My practice to to advocate a balance of stress and de-stress! Balance the time of work and play… this may not be easy for some but health dictates us to be vigilant and be more aggressive in finding ways our body can rest!!! The system works best if noxious stimuli can be avoided or be rid off!  Sleep is one way the body regenerates the energy it requires to handle the stresses of the next day!

Sleep Debt as we know of can lead to all the dangers of health stress: it has been shown to be a major risk factor for developing metabolic illnesses like Diabetes and High blood pressure.  With this new study comes data linking neuronal changes to sleep debt that can result in emotional unrest!  Remember…any emotional stress increases the production of stress hormones in the body that can have harmful effects on the heart!

Work is important but so is Sleep and Rest!  Just make sure…a balance is made between what you do and want to accomplish and what your health dictates you to do!

Health is Wealth My Friends!

Read My Other Related Posts:

Too Little Sleep Because Of Work?

Sleep And The Risk of Obesity and Diabetes
__________________________________________________________________________

 adtxtimg2.gif 2/18/08

Notes From Our Marketing Friends: 

There are many sensitive issues that a lactating mother must be keeping in mind. During lactation mother should follow healthy food recipes to avoid any kind of deficiency in her. As a lactating mother feeds her baby on her milk, so she should take complete care her breasts. There are many lactation equipments now available in the market that helps a mother to nourish her baby with her milk. These include medela breast pump, maternity bras and large cup nursing bras etc.
_________________________________________________________________________

Cough Medicines and Stroke…. How To Avoid A Stroke!!!

October 23, 2007

1619007209.jpgThe risk of stroke with OTC cough medicines had been with us since 2003 after the publication of the study in STROKE  linking OTC cough and colds meds to stroke.  Apparently these decongestants contribute to around 200 to 400 cases of stroke annually. The study eventually led to FDA giving advisory against the use of Phenylpropanolamine ( PPA ) in any medications for sale as cold remedies. 

Now comes a new FDA advisory targetting the cold remedies we use for children.  Apparently the cold remedies have not been proven to be safe but instead cause harm including death.  This really comes timely considering the increase numbers of upper respiratory tract infections in this rainy season. 

But what is really important is for us to understand that there are reasons why one gets a Stroke. Here’s a list of risk factors compiled by WebMD which I want to share:

___________________________________________

Certain diseases or conditions increase your risk of stroke. These include:

Certain behaviors can increase your risk of stroke. These include:

  • Smoking, including secondhand smoke.
  • Physical inactivity.
  • Being overweight.
  • Diet with few fruits and vegetables. Research suggests that people who eat more fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains (for example, brown rice) may have a lower risk of stroke than people who eat lots of red meat, processed foods such as lunch meat, and refined grains (for example, white flour).
  • Diet with too much salt. A healthy diet includes less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day (about one teaspoon).
  • Use of some medicines, such as birth control pills-especially by women who smoke or have a history of blood-clotting problems-and anticoagulants or steroids. In postmenopausal women, hormone replacement therapy has been shown to slightly increase the risk of stroke.
  • Heavy use of alcohol. People who drink alcohol excessively, especially people who binge drink, are more likely to have a stroke. Binge drinking is defined as drinking more than 5 drinks in a short period of time.

___________________________________________

So if you have any of those risk factors…the more one should avoid decongestants based on what we now know in terms of the potential for PPA to cause a stroke.

Storke can be avoided and should be avoided because it is  disabling disease.  I always counsel my diabetic hypertensives that the main reason why I try to make sure they get an excellent control in terms of their sugar and blood pressure including cholesterol is mainly: TO REDUCE THEIR RISK in getting a Stroke and Heart disease.

Genes and Lifestyle Complement Each Other….

Can I Eat Eggs Everyday? … Part 2

October 15, 2007

3557864019.jpgOne of the top posts of this website is about eggs.  It has really been a puzzle to the medical community as to how this seemingly affordable and easy available food can be so intriguing in terms of its good and bad effect on health.  Its really an option for anyone to take which sides you are depending on what study you read.

A recent publication from the Harvard Health Publications regarding the myths and facts on eggs is worth mentioning here for my readers to know my answer when they ask…Can I eat eggs everyday doc?

___________________________________________

BOSTON, MA – Common misconceptions keep many people, especially those worried about heart disease, from eating eggs. The July issue of the Harvard Heart Letter unscrambles the dietary facts and myths about the egg.

Fact: Eggs are a good source of nutrients. One egg contains 6 grams of protein and some healthful unsaturated fats. Eggs are also a good source of choline, which has been linked with preserving memory, and lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect against vision loss.

Fact: Eggs have a lot of cholesterol. The average large egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol. As foods go, that’s quite a bit, rivaled only by single servings of liver, shrimp, and duck meat.

Myth: All that cholesterol goes straight to your bloodstream and then into your arteries. Not so. For most people, only a small amount of the cholesterol in food passes into the blood. Saturated and trans fats have much bigger effects on blood cholesterol levels.

Myth: Eating eggs is bad for your heart. The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease—not on cholesterol levels or other intermediaries—found no connection between the two. In people with diabetes, though, egg-a-day eaters were a bit more likely to have developed heart disease than those who rarely ate eggs.

  • If you like eggs, eating one a day should be okay, especially if you cut back on saturated and trans fats.
  • Other ways to enjoy eggs without worrying about cholesterol include not eating the yolk, which contains all the cholesterol, or using pourable egg whites or yolk-free egg substitutes.

____________________________________________

One major reason why we advocate a low cholesterol diet is that any diet that is high in cholesterol may downregulate LDL-receptor (Bad cholesterol) synthesis which are the receptors that degrade or breakdown the bad cholesterol in our body. This bad effect apparently becomes more pronounced if the diet is also high in saturated fat because it can interfere with receptor binding and removal of the bad cholesterol and therefore accumulates in our system!

Likewise… if you eat a high cholesterol food…it is almost always associated with a high saturated fat meal! If you love egg yolk then it means the meal may also have steak or fried pork and other oily foods in it! This spells DISASTER!

Almost always… it’s already a cliche: eat everything in moderation.  I will continue to advocate 2 x or less eggs per week for my patients until more solid evidence tells me otherwise. 

It’s a matter of choosing the right food for a healthy body.