What can I do that counts as strength training from home? Social Benefits of Strength Training. The harm of skipping strength training. Fitness indicators. The healthy adolescent should be able to…. Okay! There was lots of excellent food info in last week’s video (week 5), but this week lets bring you back to fitness—specifically the benefits of strength training, which play a huge role in overall health and wellness.✓ I know, I know, the word fitness might make you feel a bit meh; it happens to EVERYONE! Yes! Even professional weight lifters! So don’t worry! The good thing about fitness is that it’s diverse! Many people workout to improve their image; others do it because they feel so good! And that is what I want you guys to remember…. It’s not just about how you look; its mostly about how good you feel! Who doesn’t like feeling good? Exactly!? Another great thing is that there are so many different types of exercises you can engage in. There is always something else you can try to see if you like that better. Its kind of like eating healthy.. strict diets might not motivate you to continue them. And super painful exhausting workouts might not drive either unless you like what you feel like after the workout.. which can happen. So what can do that counts as resistance training, why is it so good for you to do at any age and even more so as you get older, and what are some fitness indicators for adolescents? Now, this may not apply to you, but individual schools hold a National Physical Fitness Exam aimed at testing the fitness levels of its students. We’ll talk about what types of exercises they use to rate a child’s and even adolescent’s fitness level a bit more later.✓ Let’s begin with, what is resistance training? Any exercise that makes you put force against anything resistant to move like moving your muscles against gravity such as lifting weights.?? Exercising in the water like doing water pilates is another excellent exercise, especially as you get older. If you have any pain in your hips or knees, these kinds of activities are fantastic because it takes the weight off those joints, but you are still pushing and pulling against the water.. aka RESISTANCE EXERCISE!✓ Lastly, pushing or pulling large, heavy objects is another great workout. Ever watch an American football movie where the players are training, and they drive a big massive thing across the field? The coach is usually standing on it, pushing the players to run faster. TALK ABOUT PUSHING AGAINST RESISTANCE!✓ Ever try to re-arrange your furniture? Pushing and Pulling on those massive couches, chairs, tables, maybe even carpets, you got resistance TRAINING! Every works vacuuming a fuzzy carpet? RESISTANCE TRAINING! How about washing pots and pans? They are heavy! You’re holding them up against gravity! AND you are moving it around, trying to clean each corner.. yeap, you got it… RESISTANCE TRAINING!? What about using stairs instead of an elevator? Not only gets your heart pumping, but you will feel the burn! It is because you are using your body weight, and you are working against resistance gravity. Others include push-ups, squats, and pull-ups. These are all types of resistance training exercises! There are SO many! You don’t have to stick to just one if you don’t like it, and it’s in your everyday life too. I have to make sure I tell you, though, that there are two types of exercises here: One that improves your strength/power and another that enhances your endurance.? Strength/Power is your ability to exert the force…even just one time, like doing one pull-up. Endurance is your ability to do it repeatedly without your muscles getting tired and giving out like doing 40 pull-ups, and your muscles feel fantastic. To work on strength and power, try to repeat an exercise 8-12 times. If you are an adult, repeat the exercise between 10-15 times. One of the lesser-known benefits of strength training is that it not only builds power but also supports endurance when done consistently. If you want to work on your endurance, just do more, between 15-20 repeats of an exercise.✓ Its recommended that you work for each MAJOR muscle group about 2-3 times each week and switch it up! Have fun with it! So what are those muscle groups? Chest✓ Shoulders Arms (Biceps and Triceps)✓ Back✓ Legs (Thighs and Buttocks)✓ Calves✓ Start small little weight and even NO WEIGHTS, high repeats (also called repetitions). 12-15. When you finish your first 12-15 repetitions, this is called 1 set. Repeat an exercise for a total of 2-3 sets. You can start with two and work your way up. Its got to be A LITTLE challenging. NOT impossible, or painful.. just “a bit heavy” for Start two times a week, no need to go all crazy if it’s your first time… get used to it first. Stretch a little before and after (we’ll talk about why stretching is important in a few weeks). Warm-up – like a 5minute fast walk, or even a 10 min jog. First time? Use the same exercises for a few weeks to get your body a little stronger before you go into other routines.? Okay, so there are options and recommendations, but why is it right for you? One of the biggest benefits of strength training is that it prepares your body to handle everyday activities more easily. Working on these muscles is very important because it makes activities of your daily life more comfortable to do without getting tired out too quickly. Makes things like carrying groceries into your house easier, can make running to class easier, especially if it’s up to the stairs. It just improves your ability to do things with less effort. Another great thing is that because your muscles are stronger, and you can do daily activities with less effort, there is less room for injury! Yes! So it not only helps you feel
Osteoporosis Treatment Bones and Their Health: Osteoporosis. As some of you may know if you follow me on Instagram (@doctor.vero), I recently volunteered at the West Kendall Health Fair provided by DOCs and PHSA, which are two organizations from the University of Miami in which medical students and public health students volunteer their time to do a variety of health screenings such as blood tests, female exams, physical therapy, bone scans, pediatric education, cardiology, etc. A few of these stations have practicing physicians who perform necessary tests, including PAP smears and blood draws. My station was bone density. Many people don’t realize the value of a simple station such as this one, so I have decided to write this post to talk a bit about osteoporosis and a few essential things about it, like who is at risk and things you can do to PREVENT it before it happens and even prevent it from getting worse. First, what does OSTEOPOROSIS even mean? Osteoporosis means porous bone. Don’t forget that bone carries all the weight of your body. If you have porous bone, then the bone is not as strong as the bone is weak. Like all things strong, if they hit the ground, they are less likely to break. Similarly, if something is fragile, it can break easily. This is why having porous bones (osteoporosis) is dangerous. ✓ If, for any reason, you fall or hit yourself or trip and land on your hands and knees, you can break a bone, like your wrists or knees or even your hip or spine. Sometimes, even just from the weight, the spine can erode a bit. You can lose some height, AND it can create a curve in your spine, making it impossible to stand straight. Scary, right? Gender Females are more at risk than males of developing osteoporosis. Age After your early 20s, bone density begins to decline slowly and steadily in both men and women. In women, menopause causes quicker bone loss, but once women are older than 65, the bone loss declines at the same rate as in men. Ethnicity Osteoporosis is most common among non-Hispanic white females. Being of Hispanic or African American descent is protective. BUT osteoporosis is a disease of old age as well, so it affects ALL RACES as people get older. Family History If your parents have had any fractures, especially hip fractures, it increases your own risk of both bone fractures and hip fractures, separate from your bone density. I know, I know, it all sounds terrible and gloomy, and as I often joke, “it’s all downhill from here.” But don’t worry! There are things you can DO NOW to PREVENT bone loss and PROTECT yourself from fractures when you’re older. So let’s get into it quickly before you think all hope is lost… because, in reality… there is so much you can do to help your bones! So what if you are already diagnosed with osteoporosis? You can’t reverse it, BUT you can prevent further damage… You can also make sure you improve your stability to prevent falls from decreasing your risk of injury and bone fractures. ✓ To prevent bone loss and prevent further bone loss, the best thing you can do is what? EXERCISE! This is what is essential to know: The TYPE of exercise you do matters. Your bones are the backbone of your muscles. Your bones adapt to maintain your muscles. Wait for what? If you have bigger, stronger muscles, your bones will also grow so you can sustain them. Muscle strength leads to bone strength. So anything that improves your muscle strength will help your bones. Swimming is a wonderful exercise, no doubt, and so is biking… BUT these are not considered to be most beneficial for your bones. They’re great for your heart health… but not the best for your bone health. The most helpful are RESISTANCE EXERCISES. Those that make your body work AGAINST GRAVITY. ✓ Such as: Weight training Yoga Hiking Climbing stairs is beneficial for your fitness. BUT AS I ALWAYS SAY See your doctor before beginning ANY exercise. If you have osteoporosis, avoid activities that make you twist or bend your spine too much, so be careful with that acro yoga. Avoid high-impact exercises like jumping with difficult landings, etc. You want to protect your bones by exercising, not increase your risk of injury. Last tip: If you can, find a fitness instructor who can direct you properly on how to do all kinds of exercises the safe way for your bones. Look for someone who specialises in things like exercise, physiology, and physical therapy. They would know how to help you the most. Also, make sure you do exercises that improve your balance as well, such as tai chi and yoga. But be sure to do the yoga in a safe way to prevent bone fractures. ✓ So there you have it! Understand the significance of osteoporosis! Be Healthy and safe!
How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets How often should you wash your sheets? Did you guys know that the average American waits about 25 days before changing their bedsheets? If you’re single, you wait about 37 days, and single men wait about 10 days more than women. WHAT? This sounds insane! But why is this a big deal? Well, whether you’d like to admit it or not, you lose fluids every night when you sleep. Through sweat, oil from your skin, saliva, tears, and if you have a cold, a runny nose.✓ These get into your sheets and pillowcases. You might wake up feeling dry, BUT you weren’t dry all night, and your sheets are accumulating all these fluids, making it the perfect breeding ground for dust mites and bacteria alike.✓ How often should you wash your sheets and Why? Dust mites are teeny tiny bugs that you’re naked eye cannot see. These bugs don’t sound that bad… I mean, we have microscopic bacteria ON our skin as our first line of defense against pathogens anyway… BUT these dust mites can affect your health, especially if you suffer from allergies, eczema, and asthma. These dust mites feed on the dead skin flakes you shed. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), people shed about 1.5grams of skin daily, and this can feed up to 1 million dust mites! Ugh! Gross and Freaky! Now, much like cockroaches are a source of allergic reaction in people, these dust mites themselves can also cause allergies, but it’s not just these tiny critters. Their feces too! Yuck! How often should you wash your bed sheets? ONCE A WEEK So why bother with washing your sheets or changing them weekly? Are there any real health concerns here? The answer is YES there are! 1. Allergies If you have allergies, then you know the recommendations to avoid having pets in the house if you can, or remove any carpets from the room, or make sure you wash and change your sheets and vacuum the mattress? If not…well, then these are a few things you should think about doing to help with your allergies. 2. Eczema Dry and itchy skin after contact with allergens or irritants is not only irritating and annoying but can put you at risk of skin infections. Why? Well, the scratching can break your skin, allowing other bacteria, viruses, and fungi in. 3. Asthma Like allergies and eczema, dust mites can induce asthma attacks, whether it’s during the day or at night. Recommended that those with asthma reduce their exposure to triggers to help manage their condition. No pets, no carpets, vacuuming, cleaning your sheets, cleaning your vents. These are all recommended.. and now you know why! 4. Acne By far, maybe the least known health effect of not changing your sheets. There’s something referred to as acne mechanic. It relates to acne caused by pressure or friction on the skin from clothing or anything else. Hmm, like pillowcases? Maybe Under your skin, you have glands that produce oil – sebum. These glands are connected to your pores, which open to the surface of your skin by follicles. These same follicles are where hairs grow. The oil from the glands helps bring old skin cells to the surface. Sometimes the hair, dead skin, and fat clump together and get trapped under the skin. Bacteria can also get trapped and produces inflammation leading to acne. Now, if you’re sleeping on bacteria-infested, oily pillowcases and you apply pressure and friction on your face or even back and chest from the sheets.. you might get acne. There is more to changing your sheets than you thought. So what if you’re not asthmatic, not allergic, and have no acne or eczema? Why should you still change your sheets? Healthwise, no Reason, I Guess. Allergies Asthma Acne Eczema Maybe no reason other than to stay clean. But the above questions… you might answer with: We’ll I wore them. Right… well, you laid in your sheets and on your pillows all night for SEVEN days… I think if you wash your clothes daily, why not wash your sheets weekly? You tell me.✓
Looking for benefits of eating healthy food? Food is everywhere, and I am sure many of you have heard the phrase “you are what you eat.” I don’t like this phrase. It makes food the enemy. And the food is your friend. ✓ DRASTIC CHANGES NEVER LAST. So this recipe is not meant to make your DIET. Yuck… another word that makes you FEAR food… but the food is NICE, and it’s SWEET and it’s FUEL! FUEL FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL BODY. ✓ I LOVE FOOD… and by the time you finish reading this post. I am sure you will love it too!? So what is it about food that we should know? First of all, no one can survive without it, but more importantly, it can both prevent disease and reduce disease. Not only that, but it can also improve energy throughout the day, improve cognition, increase attention, and be good for your skin (things like acne and aging) and your oral health. ✓ It’s crucial for muscle growth, bone strength, intestinal health, and heart health, just to name a few. Sure, many people focus on “weight loss” when they become “food conscious.” ✓ However, this should not be the only reason for making changes to your diet. Why? Well, you will, as they say, “fall off the wagon” and go back to your regular eating habits because no one likes to “diet.” I don’t either. This is all great, but if you’re a teen, you might be thinking, “How does this apply to me?” First of all, your schedules are crazy! Wake up early, be awake and alert for hours, and make that brain work for hours? If you are part of a sports team, then you need to play your best, train hard, and avoid tiring yourself out. Or perhaps you get home right after school and just play with friends. Or maybe you arrive back and do your homework right away..meaning.…more brain work even after your brain has worked all day. Then you probably need to clean your room or do some chores. Maybe you have younger siblings that make you run around, perhaps even a puppy you play with. Your lives are hectic too! Which is why food is essential for you, too! YOU NEED FUEL!? So you can stay awake and alert in class. ✓ Run from class to class up and downstairs (if your school has them) and not be exhausted after. Avoid getting tired too quickly after starting your training in a sport. Be able to study and retain info for those exams. You want to do a lot of things and do them without feeling lousy. ✓ Is where FOOD comes in. You want to do a lot of things and do them without feeling lousy. This is where FOOD comes in. So let’s talk yummy food, healthy food to make you feel good, and staying healthy so you can enjoy the words “breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time” the way they are supposed to be appreciated… This appreciation should occur 100% of the time. ✓ It is always something to look forward to, rather than something to fear! Let’s review the benefits of eating healthy food that were mentioned earlier and provide you with some food options to help improve your well-being. No more ,avoid this or that, but rather… Eat more of this or that. I will discuss food groups that you should consider adding to or including in your daily diet so that you can experience the wide variety of benefits associated with eating healthy foods. ✓ Fiber Where does it come from, and what can it do for you? You can get it from fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.), nuts, and seeds! You are welcome to look back at previous videos to remind yourself what some of those food choices are. The body does NOT absorb other foods fiber. It stays in your intestines and passes all the way through, which is part of the reason why they are so great for your health. Benefits for adults and adolescents are the same, and they recommend about 14g per 1000 Calories consumed. But what does it do for you? Well, if you spend hours on the toilet and still aren’t able to have a bowel movement, fiber has got your back. If at your doctor’s visit, you were told your blood pressure was high, or your cholesterol and even your blood sugar, then fiber can help regulate all that. A little burning sensation at the pit of your stomach when you don’t eat for a while, or even after you eat something, then fiber can help. Lastly, if you like fitting into your pants every day, then texture is your friend! So it protects you from lots of things! It helps you regulate your body and also improves your daily life. It’s a Win-Win-Win! Food is medicine. Protein: Where does it come from, and what can it do for you? Like I mentioned in one of our first videos, protein can come from animals like meat, chicken, and dairy (milk or cheese) or others OR from plants such as beans, peas, lentils, tofu, and others. But you need protein! You need it for lots of things, like your muscles. Strong muscles are essential, especially when you’re playing sports and running around. It also helps to keep your bones strong and protect you from injuries while doing regular daily activities. This benefit is huge, even for your adolescents! You probably want to play every game! Not being injured is a sure way to play at each event. In addition to that, you also need protein to grow into healthy adults! You need it for growth and development. If you want to improve your performance in sports, you need protein to help you gain strength and repair your muscles after a long day of training. It also enables you to fight off infections! Who likes being sick? Yeah, I didn’t think so! Regardless
What is cardio and strength training, and what is flexibility training? Exercise Recommendations Our caveman ancestors were built to move. To run, to lift heavy things, and to stretch their bodies much as cats and dogs do. We are beings of movement, but lately, we are more inclined to be couch potatoes.✓ That’s demand for Cardio and strength training. Today, we will go over the reasons why exercise is extremely beneficial for you! We’ll also talk about what sedentary behaviors are and why they are so bad for you. ✓ Also, make sure you watch till the end to hear this week’s challenge! Prepare to be mind blown! That’s right.. because what I am about to tell you will make you want to get your inner CAVEMAN or CAVE-LADY moving.?? First things first: Safety. Before you start any crazy exercise routines, make sure that you have a good bill of health from your doctor. So give your doctor a call and get yourself checked out before you start training for a triathlon.?? Okay, so did you know that there are three different types of exercise? Right? Who knew! I always thought exercise was exercise too! Weight lifting, sports, running, walking, yoga, pilates, etc. etc.. So what are these different types of exercise exactly? The American College of Sports Medicine has the breakdown: Cardio and Strength Training Exercise Recommendations Cardiorespiratory Exercise 1) Cardiorespiratory Exercise✓ 2) Resistance Exercise (weight training)✓ 3) Flexibility and Neuromotor Exercise✓ You should be participating in ALL THREE types of exercises. It sounds crazy complicated and like a lot of work.… It may even sound impossible to fit into your busy schedules, but don’t worry! We’re here to start small and find the time where there isn’t any! HA! Each of these categories has its benefits, and I think it’s super important that you guys know them. But how much exercise should you do? Give thanks to the American Heart Association for giving us this info? Adults should engage in at least ≥ 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. For a total of 150 minutes a week! Means go for a fast walk, dance a little, go hiking, garden a bit, or ride around in your bike. Or, you could do ≥ 25 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 days a week. For a total of 75 minutes a week! This means dance salsa or merengue. Are you kidding? This is the most insane workout ever; its no wonder Zumba gets you’re all sweaty or OUT OF BREATH! That’s the KEY here. If you can chat with a friend or gossip, it’s not vigorous enough. come on; you got this… let’s pick up the pace! Adolescents should aim for 60 minutes every single day. If you’re new to any of this, don’t worry, I’ll be making a few posts about these in the future. Once you know what these are, making the time for exercise… well… that’s a whole different story, let me tell you. Days can get super busy, and it happens to everyone! There is no shame in that. Luckily you’re about to get a few tips on what to do so you can start squeezing in some exercise despite your nutty schedule. For example, You don’t have to do it all at once! You can also split it up into three different sets of 10-20 minutes if that’s all you can squeeze in! The idea is to SQUEEZE in the daily or weekly recommended amount! Cardio and strength training are key parts of staying active and healthy. Okay, now let’s get into the benefits of engaging in an exercise in general. It helps to keep a healthy weight, which is fantastic both for your physical health and your mental health! Moreover, it also reduces some cancers and the risk of falls. It even makes your bones stronger, so guess what? If you do fall, you are less likely to fracture something! Are you having trouble sleeping? Try doing a little exercise! Exercise also improves your mood! Who doesn’t love being happy and smiling and being silly because you’re having a good day? I know I do! And what if you have a chronic pain condition like knee pain or back pain. Simply walking for 150min a week has been shown to improve pain symptoms as well. But I am about to give you TWO of the MOST AMAZING benefits: Your BRAIN! It improves your cognition! Improves your attention, and therefore school performance! It also improves cognition in people who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. So all groups of people can benefit. Your HEART! Exercise reduces the stress on your heart while you’re doing your daily activities. You won’t get winded as easily when climbing stairs, won’t need as many breaks if you’re playing outside. It helps lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol. It helps protect you from a heart attack, and if you’ve already had one, then it can protect you from getting a second one.? The bottom line exercise makes you smart, happy, strong, and healthy! Last thing to know: The time you spend watching TV, playing video games, on a computer or desk or seated are all very important.✓ These are all referred to as SEDENTARY BEHAVIORS. Or what is commonly known as Being a Couch potato. These are behaviors that you want to LIMIT as much as possible because they affect your health even if you are exercising regularly. Ever hear of the term “use it or lose it”? Exactly! If you don’t move around, you won’t need the muscle.✓ Muscle strength protects your body from injuries. You are sitting for too long without moving changes your metabolism. You won’t be as efficient at breaking down sugars or fats. And, you can gain weight. It can affect your mood, too, by making you feel sad and depressed. You can even lose bone strength and lose stability, which means you are more prone to falls and fractures! None of this sounds like fun. But that’s not all! Did you know
Why Do I Never Feel Full Have you ever eaten everything in the fridge and somehow still craved another? It’s happened to me! Ever so often, I get these pangs of hunger, but it’s not hunger. There’s no way it could be. Why am I always hungry even after eating? That haunts me. If you’ve ever had similar urges to eat and eat and still feel “hungry” and keep eating and have NO IDEA WHY… There are a few reasons why this may be happening. Why Am I Always Hungry Even After Eating? 1: Dehydration Your body is smart… but sometimes, it gets a bit confused and decides to send you the wrong signal. It might tell you to feel hungry when, in reality, you’re just thirsty! How crazy is that? No, your body is not crazy. I think it’s pretty intriguing. Thirst is a sensation that you might not always notice, but hunger is a feeling that you definitely cannot ignore. Next time you still feel hungry after a meal, consider drinking some water. Try drinking a glass of water BEFORE you eat. Sure, this will fill you up too, so it helps with weight management a bit, but it’s more than that if you’re just dehydrated. Then drinking water will just satisfy you. See More: 2 Weeks of Exercise & Benefits. 2: Lack of sleep I am not getting a good amount of sleep messes with your HORMONES! No, not the typical “teenage” hormones. The hormones that help you feel full and hungry. I mention these in my sleep deprivation posts, so check back on those posts to get a little recap. The hormones are mainly Leptin and Ghrelin. “Leptin keeps you lean,” and “Ghrelin makes you growl for food.” is how I remembered them from Med School. When you don’t sleep, your leptin, which usually helps you feel full, will go down. Therefore, your feeling of fullness is diminished. Not enough sleep will make ghrelin, which usually helps you feel hungry, go up. So now you’re extra hungry. Feeling hungry and not feeling satisfied is a recipe for disaster. Not eating filling foods look, I get it. It’s so tough to eat right, like eating all your veggies, fruits, and good grains daily. Sometimes you don’t eat enough filling foods like veggies, fruits, anything with lots of fibre, or whole wheat grains. On those days, you’re bound to want to eat more of everything! And then some. Yikes, Try to add a side of veggies to your meals. It’s not as easy as it sounds, especially if you’re not used to it. It’s small changes that pave the way for great improvements! I can’t quote anyone on that, because I just made it up! Ha! 3: Zinc Deficiency Another often overlooked reason people wonder why am I always hungry even after eating? is a mineral imbalance — specifically, zinc deficiency. Diet is super important for your health. You’re probably tired of me saying, “food is medicine,” but it is! So what else is new, right? Zinc deficiency also messes with your hormones, mainly leptin. Low in zinc, higher Leptin.. less full. The funny thing is that one of the symptoms of zinc deficiency is decreased appetite… weird. And a bit confusing. Interestingly, body fat also produces leptin, so the more body fat, the more leptin. So why is it that you don’t get full? Constant high levels of leptin make your body a little resistant to its effects. So do things to improve your sensitivity like eat right and exercise. It’s kind of like insulin resistance… exercise will help with that too! So what do you do about low zinc? Eat foods high in it, like almonds, oysters, nuts, beans, and others. But like all other vitamins and minerals, if you already have normal levels of these things… taking MORE WILL DO NOTHING for you. 4: You’re bored! Ahh! This has happened to me too; don’t you worry, you’re NOT ALONE. This often happens in teens too. Does anyone work from home? How many times do you walk up to the fridge out of pure instinct? Look around. Walk away, eating something, just to go right back to that fridge a few seconds later. So what then? DISTRACT YOURSELF! Your mind and body are smart, but they can also be tricked! How? Something SHINY? What? We’re not Dory from Finding Nemo… oh, but we kind of are. So the next time you feel that itch to “snack”, just call a friend and gossip. Get your mind off food and onto something else. This can be a surprisingly common reason people ask themselves, why am I always hungry even after eating? — boredom often masks itself as hunger. Go for a walk or do a full workout. That’s even better, ha! Never in my wildest dreams did I entertain the idea that I would become a fashion designer. I am no longer concerned with sensation and innovation but with the perfection of my style. You’re hungry! Why would your body tell you you’re hungry? Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you are!! DUH! Take a look at the time… when was the last time you ate?? Too many hours ago? Well, no wonder you feel the hunger pains. Time for you to eat! It’s so easy to lose track of time. Mind over matter for sure! If you’re so busy, you forget to eat and don’t notice you’re hungry. Well, that’s just a disaster waiting to happen. So what do you do? If you have a busy schedule and you tend to forget food, walk around with a snack or two in your pocket. And set the alarm when you think you should be eating. Like I’ve said before. I eat every 2-3 hours because I’m like a little birdy, ha! You know yourself best… you know when to set your timer. Exercise typically suppresses appetite. People who don’t regularly exercise don’t benefit from this. So if you’ve exercised excessively, you may compensate for the calorie depletion by eating more. What to do? Eat… but eat HEALTHY
High Blood Pressure Symptoms Recently, the guidelines for diagnosing high blood pressure have been changed! It used to be a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg, and it has been decreased to 130/80 mmHg. This means that a more significant part of our country will be diagnosed with hypertension. But what causes high blood pressure in the first place, and how can one avoid or treat it effectively? This is the most important question on the Americans’ asking list. I wrote this post to address potential questions you might not realize you have. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Are there any symptoms? What Causes High Blood Pressure? Many patients say, “I feel fine,” but why do I have to lower my salt intake? Why do I have to exercise? Why do I have to take this medication? So they stop. This medication is dangerous! High blood pressure is also called the Silent Killer precisely because you feel fine— until you’re not. What does that even mean? No symptoms, and then one day you have a massive heart attack, and unfortunately, you don’t survive it. Scary, right? So what do you need to know about high blood pressure? Risk factors—what will make your blood pressure high? Protective factors—what will help lower your blood pressure? These include the following: Lifestyle Diet Exercise Cigarette use Alcohol use These lifestyle choices are among the most common answers to the question: what causes high blood pressure? 2. Medications What you should know about Diet: Salt is NOT GOOD, especially in excess! Indeed, many of us have heard this advice previously. But why? The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a daily intake of salt of less than 5 g per day. Currently, people around the world consume, on average, about 9–12 grams per day. In the US, the average American consumes >3.4g per day. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that Americans consume less than 2.3 grams per day. We are eating way too much salt! The CDC listed ten foods that make up more than 40% of our sodium/salt intake: Bread and rolls Cold cuts and cured meats such as deli or packaged ham or turkey Pizza Fresh and processed poultry Soups Sandwiches such as cheeseburgers Cheese Pasta dishes (not including macaroni and Cheese). Examples of meat-mixed dishes include meatloaf with tomato sauce. Examples of snacks include chips, pretzels, and popcorn. The above list is copied directly from the CDC website for salt reduction. What makes a diet high in salt potentially harmful to your health? Your kidneys play a crucial role in your blood pressure as they respond to the amount of salt in your blood. If it’s a bit higher than usual, your kidneys can filter it out, and there’s no issue. The problem is when there is too much salt, more salt than your kidneys can filter out. But why is this a problem? Salt causes water retention. More salt in your diet means your kidneys can’t flush it out in your pee, so you retain water, raising your blood pressure. This water retention is a key mechanism behind what causes high blood pressure in individuals with high sodium intake. Think of blood as the cars on a highway. Your arteries are a highway. More cars = congestion, which means blood will move slowly. Your heart would need to shove that blood to the rest of your body a lot harder than it normally would have to. Occasional higher blood pressure is not necessarily harmful. But your heart is a muscle! Think about it as your bicep. The more weight you lift… the bigger the bicep will get. Bigger muscles need more blood because muscles need oxygen to have the strength and be able to work perfectly. The issue with your heart is that once the heart is working so hard to pump blood, it will need much more oxygen than it is getting, and a part of your heart will not receive the needed amount of blood or oxygen. It will get damaged or even die. This is what a heart attack is called: an ischaemic (no oxygen) event, or infarction. Say I wake up in the morning and decide to have scrambled eggs using butter, a loaf of bread, a slice of Cheese, and a cup of coffee with milk. Great breakfast, right, not overeating, and it’s just what I need? Let’s look at how much salt I just had, and this is from the National Institute of Health (NIH). 1 piece of Cheese (28 g) = 112mg of salt 1 slice of bread (50g) = 125mg of salt 1.6 oz milk (1 g) = .5mg of salt An Egg (57g)= 45.6mg 1 tsp of Butter (4.73g) = 23.65mg of salt One teaspoon of salt, which weighs 5 grams, adds 1900 milligrams of salt when sprinkled on top of the egg. Total salt in my breakfast: 2206 mg = 2.206 g of salt. That is already almost half of the recommended salt intake by the WHO and nearly my recommended daily consumption by the CDC… and it was only one meal!!!! You can see why adding salt to anything is bad. Every food item already has salt in it!!! Adding extra salt is a health risk. Just 1 tsp of salt on food is equivalent to almost 2 g of the daily requirement. So definitely consider lowering the amount of salt you add and how much butter you use. Replace butter with olive oil or sesame oil because they have 0 mg of salt!!! Canned foods are also very high in salt to allow the food to last in your pantry! So try your best to make things from scratch! These include soups, canned corn, canned peas, and canned beans, to name a few. Anything in a box or anything in a can should immediately make you look at the label and look at how much salt is in there. My brother-in-law has high blood pressure; his doctor advised him to consume items that have ≤3% sodium on the label. I’m uncertain
Post Traumatic Stress Disorders Symptoms With every going on in the world today, from natural disasters to human-made disasters, I thought I would give you guys a little info on what is known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most people think, Oh yeah. Veterans have that after they come back from war. Others might think, Oh, right, people who have been assaulted in some way have that too. BUT it’s not just limited to those things.. It can be caused by so much more. And as of today, I am anxious about the survivors of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, the earthquakes in Mexico, the hurricanes in Puerto Rico, and the Shooting in Las Vegas. Not only are the survivors of those events at risk of PTSD, but the family members who lost loved ones in those events are as well. Often, we only think of the people involved in the circumstances as being at risk. But it’s important to know that families who lose loved ones can also have PTSD caused by the sudden, traumatic nature of their loss. There has been tons of research on this. There was research after Hurricane Katrina, after the Tsunami in Thailand, Mass Shootings, Earthquakes, and more. Not only is surviving a risk factor, but so is having property damage. A study showed that those who had more property damage had higher rates of PTSD than those who suffered minimal to no property damage. Struggling with post traumatic stress order due to Hurricane, it’s better to learn how to prepare yourself for hurricane. I want to tell you the things you should all know about PTSD, like risk factors, the symptoms, and what you can do if you or anyone you know has been diagnosed or maybe should be. Ready? Here we go! What are the risk factors? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Being female already sets you up for a higher risk. Why? Is it because we’re more emotional? Or because our brains are wired differently from a man’s? Maybe the bottom line is if you’re female and you’ve experienced a traumatic event, you are at risk of having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Your medical history and your family’s history are essential! History of any mental illness, either in yourself or your family, not just PTSD, puts you at risk. For example, if you have a family member with bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety. You have a higher risk of having a psychiatric disorder yourself. PTSD is one of them. If anyone if your family attempted or succeeded in committing suicide, you are at risk, and so are other family members. Being single also puts you at risk. Why? Some research points on the importance of having social and emotional support as a buffer after experiencing trauma. Low income, living in poverty, having many stressors in your life. All of these things increase your risk of PTSD. So what exactly are the symptoms of PTSD ..How is someone diagnosed? There are four categories of symptoms, and you need to have one in all types for at least one month for it to be considered PTSD You also need to be able to identify a traumatic event. Without a traumatic event, you cannot be diagnosed. Intrusion symptoms These can be either flashbacks, so intense you think you’re reliving the experience or dreams of the event Re-living the event is an essential part of this diagnosis.. You can lose time, forget where you are, and become completely immersed in the moment and believe it is happening at that exact moment in time. Arousal When I was in high school, we had a professor who had gone to war. Someone thought it would be funny to slam their books on the floor loudly, and the professor dropped to the floor and covered his head. This is arousal. You are more aware of your surroundings; any noise will set you off, a door slam, firecrackers, smells, even words. Arousal can induce intrusion symptoms. Avoidance You avoid areas that remind you of the event. Even other events that tell you of your previous experience. Anything similar to the initial trauma you will avoid. For example, if you survived the shooting in Las Vegas, you might want to avoid other concerts in open areas or areas with high rises around them, maybe even Las Vegas altogether. Mood Symptoms of depression or a diagnosis of depression are very common. These include loss of interest (anhedonia) in things you used to love doing; you don’t want to talk to the people you loved, you don’t feel like seeing your friends, you may feel guilty, shame, or worthlessness. Something called survivor’s guilt is familiar as well. ‘Why did I survive? I don’t deserve it.’ ‘Why couldn’t I save that person?’ ‘Why me? Why am I here when everyone else died?’. These are very powerful feelings. How long can these Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms last? Does anything make them worse? DEFINITELY! With time, symptoms can get better. They can even go away entirely. But not always. Sometimes they last years, and it becomes a chronic condition that you need chronic treatment for. Certain things, moments, seasons, anniversary of the event will spark your symptoms to get significantly worse. Anniversaries are a huge set off for many people who have experienced trauma, whether it’s sexual, loss of a loved one, shooting, natural disaster, etc. I once heard a survivor of a school shooting say on TV that she is extra lovely to herself the month before the anniversary of the shooting she survived because she knows her body will collapse the month the shooting happened. And I think it’s very important to recognize that this happens, so you can do things to prepare in the event that your body does react. Some studies show that most symptoms go away, such as intrusion and arousal, but the avoidance symptoms may increase over time. It all depends. Everyone is different; not everyone will
Opioid Epidemic In Florida Have You Ever Heard About the Opioid Epidemic in Florida? One of the essential obligations of a physician is to treat pain adequately. Recently, the treatment of chronic pain has expanded into the primary care setting (Reid MC, 2002). Many primary care physicians are unsure about how to efficiently and safely prescribe opioids for the treatment of pain (Savage SR, 2003). Opioid Treatment Moreover, the treatment of pain is complicated because many times, pain disorders are associated with a variety of psychiatric conditions (Chelminski PR, 2005). According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), nonmedical use of opioids has “more than doubled among adults” between 2001 and 2013. In fact, in a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), approximately 4.1 percent (10 million) of the adult population used opioid medications between 2012 and 2013. This is higher than the percentage of use between 2001-2002, which was 1.8 percent. In the last decade, the level of opioid use has increased to alarming levels (Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2006). As per Dr. Nora D. Volkow, MD, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “the increasing misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers poses a myriad of serious public health consequences.” These include “increases in opioid use disorders and related fatalities from overdoses, as well as the rising incidence of newborns who experience neonatal abstinence syndrome. In some instances, prescription opioid misuse can progress to intravenous heroin use with consequent increases in risk for HIV, Hepatitis C, and other infections among individuals sharing needles” (CITATION). Also, based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Drug Abuse Warning Network, there has been a 153 percent increase in emergency department visits from 2004 to 2011. In an analysis conducted in 2011 by the NIH, more than half of the patients who received prescription medications for pain in 2009 had filled another pain prescription 30 days earlier. The study also found that 12% of opioids that were prescribed to teens aged 10-29 were mostly by dentists, and nearly 46% of prescriptions were for patients 40-59 and mainly were prescribed by primary physicians. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prescription opioid overdose is now the 2nd leading cause of accidental death in the US, “killing more than heroin and cocaine combined,” and therefore has become a significant public health concern. Opioid Epidemic in Florida Another essential aspect of opioid abuse is that it is not limited to drug abusers alone, as previously mentioned. For example, the 2012-2013 NESARC-III data have found a link between the type of opioid used and mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar, schizotypal, antisocial personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It turns out that major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with nonmedical prescription opioid use, whereas bipolar type I disorder is associated with prescription opioid use. Both nonmedical prescription opioid and prescription opioid use increased from 2001 to 2013 by 161 percent and 125 percent, respectively. According to the authors of the study, this may have been because of the lower dosages, people may believe it to be less risky as it is now legal, and a lack of knowledge about the addictive. There are many contributors to opioid use. Alcohol abuse has correlate strongly with opioid addiction, and this poses a danger to all users. Combining alcohol and opioids is lethal. Moreover, prescription opioid abuse not only affects the patients; in 2001, the estimate shows over-prescription was $8.6 million. This included health care, criminal expenditures, as well as the workplace. According to Strassels SA, who wrote on the economic burden of prescription opioid misuse and abuse, the financial burden of those who abused opioid prescriptions was nearly more than five times the cost of non-abusers. An article on the Economic burden of prescription opioid use suggested intervening in three different aspects: 1) provider education, 2) patient screening, and 3) use of technology. Provider Education is a vital aspect of prescribing any medication, and more importantly, opioids. Many patients may not know the addictive properties of opioids. Also, adequate history taking is crucial. Many patients who abuse alcohol are at an increased risk of drug abuse, and the combination of alcohol with opioids can be fatal (Gudin JA, 2014). Moreover, studies have shown that many primary care physicians are not confident when prescribing pain medications to manage chronic pain (Pearson, Amy CS, 2017). In another study, many physicians wished they had received proper training during their medical student years so they could begin prescribing pain medications more comfortably and with more confidence (Khidir, Hazar 2016). In Massachusetts, their medical school programs have devised appropriate educational strategies to help their students identify patients at risk of opioid abuse, how to treat pain in patients identified as at high risk,’ and how to manage substance use disorders (O’Rourke J, 2016). As to patient screening, substance abuse questions are a common practice by all physicians when taking histories. According to Gudin et al., routine toxicology testing should also be considered. Especially by pain management physicians and primary care physicians who routinely prescribe opioids and benzodiazepines for chronic pain. Drug screening is done to monitor compliance and misuse (Milone, 2012), and this is something that should be extended to patients who may be prescribed opioids for pain management. This, I believe, helps in preventing over-prescription of opioids and especially to those who misused them. Based on the information above, I recommend the following three policies to address the rising opioid epidemic here in Florida. The recommendations were constructed using the following criteria: 1) Enhancing the likelihood of acceptance by voters in Florida. 2) Be relatively low cost to implement, and 3) Have the most enormous impact on countering the opioid epidemic. My recommendations are as follows: Opioid Epidemic Solution 1: Begin Pain Management Training in Medical School First, proper training on how to treat pain must begin during medical school. Although current practicing physicians also need adequate guidance, the
Vegan Lifestyle My decision to go on a 2-week trial of a vegan diet started after I watched the “What the Health” documentary on Netflix. My decision. A lot of case reports, meaning people who shared their experiences, showed that health benefits and physical wellness started within 2 weeks of the diet. If you’ve watched my vlog posts or read part 1 or part 2 of the “What the health” blog posts, you know that I had a small accident while in medical school and have had neck and back pain ever since. So I was definitely interested in how the diet might affect me. At first, I believed that participating in this 2-week trial would be extremely difficult for me. I love cheese and all kinds of animal protein, even more so eggs. First, I was nervous, to say the least. Then the trial started. I was able to eat other foods that I loved in higher quantities. This included hummus, veggies, and fruits. I even found dairy/cheese replacements that, in my opinion, were quite delicious. Many people I spoke to disliked the vegan cheese options, but I myself loved them. Luckily, my diet already included tons of greens, fruits, and complex carbs and grains. I didn’t eat white rice as much and had been eating more quinoa and black rice than other kinds of carbs. I definitely think that for those who rarely eat “healthy” foods, this diet might be and probably will be more difficult to manage because it would have too many changes all at once. Overall, over the next two weeks, the changes I experienced were quite great. I used to experience the midday slump all the time. Whenever I felt sleepy or tired, I would crave a refreshing cup of coffee. Then, I found myself drinking less coffee than usual, yet still had more energy than before. I also felt great when I went to the gym. I would do my full weight training program, and then I still had the energy to run or bike or do easy steps for 15 minutes or more. At that time, I felt very energetic. With my previous eating habits, I would wake up a bit tired and didn’t feel like getting out of bed. Some people might say, “Oh, maybe you’re depressed.” Not really. I was just worn out. But after starting the vegan diet, I felt a different mood in the mornings. I also noticed I had a better temper. Not that I was a super angry person all the time, but certain things would get on my nerves, which is normal. On the vegan diet, my temper was more tolerant of things that would normally bug me. Being free from certain things was a pleasant experience. I went on a 2-week trial of a vegan diet after I watched the “What the Health” documentary on Netflix. I felt overall happier, more energetic, and healthier. My body felt healthier, and I looked forward to meals. I didn’t get tired after a few hours of eating, and I didn’t feel tired halfway through the day. And guess what? Neck and back pain improved. Don’t I usually always have neck and back pain, maybe around a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10? (1 being no pain, 10 being the worst pain ever). So my pain was definitely consistent and sometimes really bad. I did yoga, swam and ran, lifted weights, etc., and stayed active physically. These things all helped, but it wasn’t until the vegan diet that I actually noticed a lower level of pain. I felt the difference in pain almost immediately. After the first day, my back and neck felt better. I thought it was psychological, so I ignored it and kept on with my diet. Then, after the 3rd or 4th day, I noticed that my back and neck hadn’t been bothering me as much. By days 7–8, the pain had reached a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. The pain consistently remained at a manageable level of 4. In those 2 weeks, I felt neck and back pain maybe 3 times, whereas I used to feel it every day. So this was a big change for me and my way of life. Please keep in mind that living with pain is also associated with a worse mood. Could there be a connection between my decreased pain level and my improved mood? Very likely. The last Sunday of my vegan trial, I made a crazy decision. I would extend the diet; the end date is TBA (to be announced). Towards the end of the third week, my nephew turned 8 years old, and we had a party for him at a park. I broke my vegan streak and indulged in a hot dog and a burger throughout the day. I was so nervous. Nothing happened. The next morning, I had egg and avocado toast for breakfast. Still, nothing happened. My mind went back into my usual habits. And that afternoon, my neck and back started hurting. I assumed it was the usual occurrence of pain while on the vegan diet, but it didn’t go away. That day, for dinner, we had pizza. I ate a slice of Hawaiian. Which is my favorite second to pepperoni? I immediately regretted it and felt gross, so full, that “ugh” feeling. I waited to digest and went for a late-night 3-mile run. Then, I felt somewhat better and went to bed. The next day, the pain was back. Not to mention, this vegan diet has made my bathroom visits very regular. All of a sudden, I wasn’t as regular as I had been in those 3 weeks of being vegan. Regular Bowel Movements Are Important—Get Them With a Vegan Diet Gross topic. I know, but a lot of people will benefit from me discussing this, and regular bowel movements are important! It was easier to replace unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. I felt fantastic; my cravings were
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