April 2008 Archives

This is the gleaning of an article from Heart and Soul magazine.  I will try and simplify it for quicker reading.

Here are 10 ideas we should all apply to our hurried, scurried lives.

1.  Eat more dark leafy greens.  They are good for you.  Rich in Vitamin K.  High in fiber.  Increased intake linked to decreased cancer risk.

2.  Omega-3 rich foods 2 times a week.  Vital to brain function and hormonal processes.  Influence mood and metabolism.  Found in fatty fish, walnuts and flaxseed.  Use high-quality fish oil supplements when food not available.

3.  Walk for 30 minutes a day.  It's portable.  It can improve sleep, mood and energy.  Supports weight loss and reduces risk of diabetes and cancer.

4.  Breathe deeply for 5 minutes a day.   Counters the negative effects of stress.  It stimulates the vagus nerve and "turns on" the parasympathetic nervous system - a good thing!

5.  Start eating quinona.  It's gluten-free, balanced in amino acids, and easy to digest.  A step beyond brown rice and it cooks in 20 minutes.

6.  Use more spices.  Substitute for salt.  Have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties.  Try ginger, garlic, basil, and turmeric.

7.  Create deadlines.  These pressure prompters head off procrastination.

8.  Eat a better breakfast and lunch.  Energy drops in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon rob us of productivity.  The use of sugar, salt, chocolate, and caffeine in snacks do not meet our needs and result in fatigue and bad moods.

9.  Go to bed half an hour earlier.  It's do-able.  This will give you more needed rest which the average body desperately needs.

10. Choose one person to connect with.  It's hard to keep up with everyone.  Strong social networks may promote longevity,reduce stress, protect from depression, boost heart health and improve sleep. 

A D.O. is a Doctor of Osteopathy or an Osteopath.  D.O.s are fully licensed physicians who practice as M.D.s do in that they prescribe medicines and perform surgery.  But their training emphasizes whole-person, preventive care.  D.O.s receive special training in the musculskeletal system and use osteopathic manipulation to diagnose and treat a range of conditions and injuries.

More information can be found at academyofosteopathy.org.

What kind of question is that?  Duh!

As long as you can still take in a breath of air it's not too late.

Here are some facts from the Cleveland Clinic by Dr. Bard Bowman, a WebMD Medical Editor.

Now these are worth reading.

After 20 minutes:  Your blood pressure and pulse decrease.  The temperature of your hands and feet increases.

After 8 hours:  Carbon monoxide in your blood reverts to normal.  Oxygen levels in your blood increases.

After 24 hours:  Your heart attack risk decreases.

After 48 hours:  The ability to taste and smell begins to return.

After 72 hours:  Your broncial tubes relax.

After 2 weeks to 3 months:  Your circulation improves.

After 1 to 9 months:  The cilia (tiny hairs) in the lungs regrow improving the lung's ability to clean itself.  Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath also decrease.

After 1 to 5 years:  Your risk of dying of heart disease is 1/2 that of a lifelong smoker.

After 10 years:  Your risk of dying from lung cancer drops to almost that of a lifelong NONsmoker.  Mouth, larynx and other cancers also decrease.

In the February issue of Corlandt Forum, there was an intersting article about treating sinusitis.  Based on a head-to-head (pardon the pun) study comparing placebos to the use of antibiotics with and without steroids, placebos were just as effective.  This study was detailed in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2007; 298:2487-2496.

The take on this is you are just as well off with symptomatic treatment and analgesics as with expensive medications that don't work.

Not related to this article, but of value for sinusitis are two products.  Xlear nasal spray and Oreganol spray.  If you suffer with intermittent sinusitis, then research these two products.

It would seem safe to say that no one wants cancer.

Well, what can we do to lessen our chances?

These thoughts were gleaned from the April, Corlandt Forum.  There are 10 suggestions that I think have merit with some exceptions.

1.  Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.

2.  Be physically active.

3.  Avoid sugary drinks and limit consumption of energy dense foods.

4.  Eat mostly foods of plant origin.

5.  Limit red meat and avoid processed meat.

6.  Limit alcoholic drinks.

7.  Limit consumption of salt (unless adrenally stressed)

8.  Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone (Well, the principle is sound.  But, the application is of concern).

9.  Exclusively breastfeed infants (no other liquids) for up to six months.

10.  Cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention unless otherwise directed by their treating physician.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 1960-62 to 2003-04 obesity in U.S. adults has increased dramatically from 13.3% to 33.9%.  Now that's a lot of obesity.

Here are some thoughts from Sherry Boschert from the Family Practice News.  Based on studies there are eight strategies that are successful in keeping weight off once it has been lost.

Now this isn't rocket science, but it is worth thinking about.

Eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet.  Very few of us today work at plowing a mule or loading pulp wood.

Engage in a high level of physical activity.  Couch taters be gone.

Limit TV viewing.  But, what about those Andy Griffith reruns?

Step on a scale often.  It makes you painfully aware.

Maintain diet consistency.  What's a little discipline!

Limit diet variety.  Find your type and stick with it.

Eat breakfast.  Now how many times have you heard that?

Limit fast food.  Could this put McDonald's in danger of financial devastation?

Save a life.  It could be your own.

This is a synopsis of an article from the American Medical News.

According to this article there are 3,170 pairs of drug names that look or sound alike and can be confused causing a medication error.

In January 2008, the United States Pharmacopeia reported that there were 30,000 drug-name mistakes that caused harm 1.4% of the time and resulted in seven deaths.

Some of the medications listed with the largest number of look or sound alike names included cefazolin (15), lisinopril (13), enalapril (12), prednisone (12), trazodone (12), metronidazole (11), diazepam (10), levothyroxine (10), and labetalol (10).

One recommendation to protect you from one of these potential errors is to ask your doctor to write on your prescription what you medication is for.  This would also benefit patients on multiple medications.  Who knows, it could save a life and it might be yours.