Medical treatment this day and age has become quite complicated.  There is a ton of information out there. Doctors are expected to wade through new studies and information on a moment-to-moment basis AND see an overwhelming number of patients on a daily basis. That makes for frustration on the part of doctor’s and patients.

Adding to this is a pervasive attitude that if something goes wrong it is someone else’s fault.  If a patient is overweight or obese, it is the fault of the food industry, which has gotten them addicted to sugar and fat. If someone is injured on the sidewalk, it is the city’s fault. If medication doesn’t work, it is the doctor’s fault.

It is time that we all stop blaming everyone else and start looking at ourselves. When it comes to your own health I have some suggestions.  If you have a weight problem, it is time to start eating healthier foods, eating less and moving more. No excuses! If you have a medical condition, become knowledgeable about it.  There are some excellent academic websites on the Internet. Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, and the Cleveland Clinic are great places to look. Once you know what you have, find ways to improve things. It could involve changes in diet and exercise patterns and/or taking medication.

If you are prescribed medication, know the name and the dosage.  Keep a list. It always amazes me when patients have no idea what they are taking or how much. Take your medication as prescribed. If you have side effects or it is not working let your doctor know.

Think about how you got into your health situation and change it for the better. It is estimated that 80% of medical illness is due to lifestyle choices. You can take your statin drugs to lower your cholesterol and keep eating donuts or you can eat a healthy Mediterranean style diet and exercise. You can use your inhalers for asthma and COPD and/or you can quit smoking. You can wait for the miracle weight loss pill to come on the market or you can start taking care of yourself. It is amazing what a few simple changes can do.

It is time to be accountable for you health.  You and you alone are responsible. It is time to stop finding blame and start looking for solutions. Take control of your health. The time is now.

There are many ways that you can improve your immune system and ward off colds and viruses. It can be as simple as eating the right foods and exercising!

Foods that Boost your Immunity

Omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fish, flaxseed, and walnuts reduce inflammation and help strengthen the immune system. You might want to shoot for at least two servings a week.

Protein

Zinc is important for white blood cells to function properly. The white blood cells are the cells that fight infection. Zinc is found in protein such as lean meats, chicken, eggs, and tofu. It is also found in fortified foods. It is important to eat adequate amounts of these zinc containing proteins.

Fruits and Vegetables

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are loaded with phytonutrients. Phytonutrients improve the immune system and can help to fight cancers as well. Not to mention, they are just plain good for you!

Citrus

Citrus fruits contain vitamin C. This vitamin can help ward off colds. Although you can find it in supplements, it is probably more effective if you can get it in food such as oranges and grapefruit.

Nuts

Nuts contain vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin that helps to fight colds and upper respiratory infections. The best nuts for vitamin E are sunflower seeds (1/4 cup), almonds (1/4 cup) and 2-3 brazil nuts (they also contain selenium).

Garlic

Garlic has immune boosting properties that fights bacteria and viruses. If you have a cold, the best way to use garlic is to chop it up and swallow it. You can use it as a paste on bread or mixed in applesauce. Don’t chew it if you don’t want your breath to smell!

Chicken Soup

The hot liquid of chicken soup clears the nasal passages. However, something about most chicken soup helps boost the immune system and helps to fight colds. Whether it is the soup or the love with which it is cooked, chicken soup works!

Mushrooms

Mitake, shitake, and reishi mushrooms are among the mushrooms that help boost the immune system. You can stir fry them or get them in capsules (fungi.com). Better yet, put them in your chicken soup!

Exercise

Regular, moderate exercise allows the cells that fight viruses and bacteria to circulate more quickly throughout the body. While they are getting an energy boost, they give your immunity a big boost. The more you exercise, the longer lasting the immune effect. That is another reason why exercise is so important.

In Summary

By eating well and exercising, you can increase your odds of having a healthy cold-free winter!

Everyone has his or her reasons for being on Facebook. For me, I like to use it to post funny or inspirational sayings or medical information.  Over the holidays I noticed that there were many posts of families all together, fun and happy occasions, parents cuddling with their cute little children and everyone looking so happy and well behaved.  People can portray their lives however they like whether it bares any resemblance to reality or not.

There are anecdotal reports and an occasional study that have shown there is a phenomenon called Facebook depression and Facebook fueled divorces.  These may be due to seeing the grass as always greener on the other side. People may feel that their lives pale in comparison to those on Facebook and their relationships are lacking.

Recent studies have found that there may be an upside with some positive aspects to Facebook.  Researchers at the University of California San Diego found that social media may spread happiness.  Those who put up happy status updates encouraged others to do the same thing. So, using Facebook can be OK.

Here are some tips to keep you from letting Facebook rule your life:

• If you don’t have time to log on, rather than feel like you are missing out, be happy that you are doing something else. Take time to enjoy yourself and do not get sucked into the Facebook craziness.

• Do not try to keep up with all your friends. Limit your time on Facebook. A well-known psychologist, Robin Dunbar has determined that we are only able to maintain 148 connections comfortably on social media.  More than that becomes overwhelming.

• Keep your true relationships between live people who you actually talk to and interact with in person.

• Remember that what is placed on Facebook is not reality.  It is most often the best version of us. It is not reality.  If you start comparing your life to those on Facebook, stop and remind yourself of that fact.

Facebook can be fun, but don’t stop enjoying the activities in your life and what is going on in front of you.  If you see yourself becoming obsessed, it may mean that you need to step away from the computer and the phone and step away from Facebook all-together.

Weight loss is in the top five resolutions for each New Year. Unfortunately, 60% of those who commit to losing weight fail. There are many things that can improve success of a weight loss commitment. First and foremost, it is important to set a reasonable goal.  Expecting to lose 50 pounds right off the bat is unrealistic, but 5 to 10 pounds is do-able.

Here are my top five tips for success:

• Exercise will help to accelerate weight loss. One of the most common mistakes that people make is overdoing it.  Unfortunately, high intensity exercise may prompt people to eat more and then they gain weight instead of losing it.  Moderate exercise is the best way to start especially if you have been relatively sedentary.  Another common mistake is that some people eat more after exercise; because they overestimate how many calories they burn.  So, watch out!

• Eat one less bite at each meal. By doing that you can cut out 75 calories a day and lose 8 pounds over a year. Most of us were raised to be part of the “clean plate” club. It is time to give up your membership.

• Water is essential for life. It is important to maintain adequate hydration.  the general recommendation is for 64 ounces or eight glasses of water a day. It will fill you up and help you to burn calories.  Drinking ice water burns even more calories.

• Eating a low-cal veggie soup before a meal will help decrease calorie consumption by 20%.  Add spice and it will further help with hunger. Not only that but, capsaicin, which is found in chilies can trigger the release of endorphins, those feel-good hormones that are also increased with exercise.  So, you will feel happy AND less hungry.

• Eating breakfast is very important to aid with weight loss.  In fact, eating the majority of your calories early in the day can make a big difference. An Israeli study looked at two groups of overweight women.  They were all fed the same amount of calories and the exact same food every day over 12 weeks.  The only difference was the timing.  One group had the major number of calories at breakfast and the fewest at dinner.  The other group had the major number of calories at dinner and the fewest at breakfast. The breakfast group lost an average of 17.8 pounds the dinner group lost an average of 7.3 pounds.

If you have resolved to lose weight this year be realistic and be reasonable.

Follow these simple tips to successfully lose weight and maintain your weight loss for life.  These are just good principles to follow. Have a happy and healthy New Year!

It is inevitable that as the New Year approaches most morning talk shows, magazine articles and radio shows are urging us to make our New Year’s resolutions. My lists were quite extensive in the past. As I have gotten older and wiser (I think) my lists have gotten shorter and much more realistic. It is a good idea to look back on the previous year and find ways to improve. I worry, however, that most of us set ourselves up for failure. So, here is my advice:

*If weight loss is your goal estimate the possibility of losing one pound a week. Thinking you can lose a tremendous amount of weight over a short period of time is unrealistic. Try for five to ten pounds at a time.

*For exercise, if you have been sedentary, start slow. Walk one block a day and add blocks from there. Get your doctor to help with an exercise program.

*If you are looking to become healthier, find a doctor or provider who can help you come up with a reasonable plan. Going to the vitamin counter of the local health food store without guidance is not a good idea. Natural is not necessarily safe.

*Plan out your health care goals by mapping out the preventive studies that you need and get them scheduled. Eye exams, blood pressure checks, BMI calculations, vaccines, and pap smears and mammograms for women, PSA’s and digital rectal exams for men, cholesterol profiles and fasting blood sugars are a good start.

*For fun: smile and laugh more, love more, give more of yourself by paying it forward, and eat chocolate on occasion in moderation of course!

The key is to put yourself first on the list. If you do not take care of yourself then you cannot take care of anyone else. Keep your list short, sweet and something that you can follow and achieve in 2015. Happy Healthy New Year!

During this time of year the subject of happiness seems to come up quite a bit. Tis’ the season. What is happiness all about?

Many scientists have tried to answer that question. One of the major studies was the Harvard Grant Study. In this study the researchers followed 268 male Harvard undergraduates from the classes of 1938-1940 for 75 years.  They collected data at regular intervals and found some very interesting information.

1. First and foremost love is the answer. Regardless of how much money, health and success the subjects had they were only happy if they had love and supportive relationships in their lives.
2. Having money and power did not correlate with happiness. Rather, contentment with work is what really mattered.
3.  Even if you are unhappy in the early part of your life, you can find happiness later. One of the subjects had been sad and suicidal early in life but found happiness later by making connections with others.

There have been several other studies that have added to the above conclusions:

• A study done at San Francisco University in 2009 found that sending money on experiences vs. possessions brings more happiness.  Seeing a play or going out for a meal brought more satisfaction because of human connection.

• A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that expressing gratitude brings happiness.

• At Claremont University, researchers found that oxytocin; the hormone that helps with human connection increases happiness. Oxytocin can increase with 8 hugs a day.

• A study at Michigan State found that those who smile are happier. Want to improve your mood? Smile!

• At the University of California, San Diego, researchers found that those who surround themselves with happy people are happier.

• At the University of British Columbia, children who were kind were more accepted by their peers and that made them happier.

• At the University of Bristol, those who exercise on workdays are happier and better able to handle stress.

• Research at Exeter Medical School found that volunteering benefits mental health, well-being and overall satisfaction in life.

• A study at the University of California Berkeley found that spending more money on others resulted in greater happiness.

Here is the bottom line summary: To find happiness, seek love and human connection. There are certain things that can enhance the feeling.  These include expressing gratitude and kindness, being surrounded by happy people, volunteering and helping others. Finally, it is time to smile and work on giving at least 8 hugs a day.

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy”

The Dalai Lama

During a recent trip to New York City, I found myself becoming more and more annoyed. The noise was driving me crazy. That got me thinking. What is the problem with noise? What does it do to people who live in noisy places?

Here are some facts about noise:

• It is the leading cause of hearing loss
• It can lead to emotional problems including anxiety, aggression and fatigue
• It can cause physical problems including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, migraines, and reduced and poor quality sleep.

Loud noises such as those from factory machines, construction sight banging or even rock music can damage and destroy the hair cells in our ears responsible for relaying sound signals to the brain. Once the hairs are gone they cannot be replaced.

Whether the sound is scary or not, the body experiences a stress response which can cause high blood pressure (that can increase the risk for heart disease) and the continuous release of stress hormones if the noise continues.  Noise is associated with trouble concentrating, poor learning in children, reduced motivation and aggressive behavior when prolonged.

A study done in New York City in the 1970’s found that noise has a negative impact on learning. Unfortunately, urban development has caused the noise levels to go up and it is having a negative effect on the population exposed.  One of the places with growing noise issues is the hospital. There are beeps and machine noises and a continuous din in most hospitals.

Knowing this, it is key that we all find a way to be quiet. Getting out into nature is an easy way to escape the noise. Living with it, there are some things that can help.  Carpeting will dampen the sound.  Double paned windows help.  Planting trees around houses helps to cushion sound. If there is outside noise where you live, and it still gets in, then play soothing sounds and music to drown it out. If you work in a noisy environment or go to a loud concert then make sure you wear ear protection. If you wind up in the hospital, use your headphones, and drown out the noise with calming sounds.

The effects of noise pollution are subtle but substantial.  Being aware of the problem we can find ways to avoid the potential emotional and physical distress that can result.

“I like it where it gets dark at night, and if you want noise, you have to make it yourself.”
― H. Beam Piper, Fuzzies and Other People

Every year there are blogs about how to avoid weight during the holidays. So, here we go again. I have some quick tips that I think will help.

• Make sure to eat a good breakfast on Thanksgiving Day so you aren’t ready to eat the turkey all by yourself.

• Go for a walk and relax before your dinner.

• Choose a small plate and take small amounts of food. Talking can distract you and cause you to eat faster.  Fast music and being surrounding by fast eaters can do it as well. .  So, chew slowly and enjoy every bite.

• Fill yourself up with veggies.

• Dessert is OK but take small amounts and bites.

• Watch the alcohol.  Many drinks are loaded with calories and those who drink tend to eat more.

• Fill up by drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated.

• Finally, move around and socialize rather than hang out on the couch after dinner.

Thanksgiving means different things to different people.  For most it is a time to express gratitude for our freedom, and to enjoy family and friends. It is important not to get so rapped up in the food and festivities that we forget the true meaning.

Have a healthy, happy and safe Thanksgiving.

I am addicted to coffee and proud of it. I look forward to the ritual of that morning cup of coffee to start my day. I felt guilty for many years with the thought that maybe it was not such a healthy thing to be drinking. However, as more studies have been done, I feel pretty good about my morning java.

In the early coffee drinking years there was a concern that it caused pancreatic cancer. That is because when the studies were done, they did not control for cigarette smoking and other risk factors for pancreatic cancer. It turns out that coffee drinking and cigarette smoking go together for many and that is how coffee got the bad rap. It was the cigarette smoke and not the coffee that increased the risk for pancreatic cancer.

Now we know that there are actual benefits to coffee drinking. There are many. Here are a few. Read on.

Coffee and the brain

Coffee helps with alertness and the ability to focus. A study done at Pennsylvania State University found that 1 to 2 cups of coffee a day improve concentration and memory.

A study done by the University of South Florida and the University of Miami found that in patients with mild cognitive impairment, those who drank three cups of caffeinated coffee regularly had a slower progression to Alzheimer’s disease by several years. Coffee may prevent dementia altogether.

Several studies have found that those who drink caffeinated coffee have a decreased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. In addition, a recent study found that those with Parkinson’s disease who were given caffeine (the equivalent of between 2 and 4 cups of coffee a day) had significantly improved movement.

A research study of over 50,000 women found that drinking 4 or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily decreased the incidence of depression by 20% as compared to those who did not drink coffee. A smaller study done in Finland found that men who were frequent coffee drinkers were less likely to commit suicide.

Coffee and cancer prevention

Research has found that women who drank the equivalent of three or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 20% decrease in the risk of developing basal cell cancer. Men had a 9% decreased risk.

Yet another study found that women who drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 25% decreased risk of developing endometrial cancer when compared to women who drank one cup or less daily.

Yet another study found that those who drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 39% decrease in oral cavity cancers.

Coffee and diabetes and heart disease

Several studies have confirmed that those who drink four or more cups of coffee daily have a 50% decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Another study has found that coffee in moderation (described as 2 cups a day) decreased the risk of heart failure by 11%.

Risks

Of course coffee does have some risks. It can precipitate heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux. Some people may get jittery if they overindulge, and it can cause palpitations in others. Adding sugar, syrups and cream can turn coffee into a high calorie drink. The caffeine addiction is real for habitual coffee drinkers and withdrawl can cause a wicked headache. However, overall it is relatively safe.

Conclusion

I am not urging anyone to start drinking coffee, but I would like to ease the guilt of those coffee drinkers who have been worrying about its safety. Drink your coffee but remember (which will be easier for you to do if you drink coffee!) as in all things, moderation is the key.

November is diabetes awareness month. Why is this important? Because, diabetes (specifically type 2 diabetes) is a HUGE problem. Here are some quick facts: Of those Americans over 65 years of age, close to a third (26.9%) had diabetes in 2010.

Between the years 2005 and 2008, more than a third of those over age 20 and half of those over 65 had prediabetes for a grand total of 79 million Americans over 20 who had prediabetes.

Why is it such a problem? Diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure, limb amputation and blindness. It is also a risk factor for stroke and heart attack. Overweight and obese individuals are most prone to developing type 2 diabetes. Weight gain decreases the body’s sensitivity to its own insulin. This causes the body to kick out more insulin but eventually insulin stores run down. This whole process results in inflammation, and that is how diabetes causes serious damage to the body.

Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes in the past, is no longer a disease of adults. As a result of our obesity epidemic it is becoming a disease of children. Unfortunately all the complications that follow as a result are being seen in children including stroke.

The symptoms of diabetes can be subtle. When it becomes more pronounced with increasing blood sugars the symptoms that occur include excessive thirst, urination and an increased appetite. Some people may lose weight. Others may also note fatigue and tingling of the hands and feet.

Fortunately, type 2 diabetes is preventable. A recent study found that small amounts of weight loss (5-10%) can delay or prevent diabetes in those who are at risk. In fact, it was pretty dramatic. Diabetes was reduced by 40 to 60% over the 3 to 6 years that the study was conducted.

The solution to this growing problem sounds easy. But, it is not, because achieving significant weight loss is tough. Obesity continues to grow as an epidemic that is threatening to kill our children, crush our medical system and ultimately our economy. We worry about terrorism and weapons of mass destruction or WMD, but perhaps what we should fear most are the ultimate WMD; the knife and the fork.