BrookeMD's Blog

How do you define being healthy?

BrookeMD — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:55:07 +0000

What does it mean to you to be healthy? When so many are concerned with “being healthy,” perhaps it would be beneficial to take a look at what that actually is. Is it merely being free from any disease or ailments? Is it freedom from any physical suffering? Does it mean not having to take any vitamins, supplements or medications…ever? Does it mean you never have to go see a doctor? If we are not sure what the goal is, how will we ever get there?

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

“Physical, mental and social well-being.” Physical well-being involves taking care of the body you have to live your life in: nutrition, fitness, medical care. Mental well-being involves a balance of self responsibility and self love, appropriate coping mechanisms to assist you in dealing with stress, freedom from worry, learning you can be happy no matter what circumstance you are in. And finally, social well-being involves having meaningful relationships with healthy communication. When it comes down to it, life is about relationship with yourself and others.

Physical, mental and social well-being are intertwined together. So what do you think, are you healthy? I’ve noticed that if you work on mental well-being first, the rest tends to fall into place.

Next post: how preventive medicine addresses physical, mental and social well-being.

Heal your mind and notice if the body follows.

BrookeMD — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:03:57 +0000

A dear friend reminded me of the importance the mind has on the physical body’s health. When your thinking is contaminated with stressful thoughts, that stress can come out in many different ways and manifest in your body. Your immune system may be weakened and unable to fight off infections. You may not be able to sleep with the thoughts churning in your mind. When you do not have a way to deal with those thoughts, the only alternative is to find a way to escape from them. Maybe it’s with eating to numb the mind, turning to drugs or alcohol, escaping from the pain with prescription medications (narcotics, antidepressants, etc.), sex, smoking, watching TV, too much exercise or not enough exercise. These addictions, where you turn to escape from the pain, may eventually lead to obesity, heart disease, cancer, dependence on drugs and alcohol and the list goes on and on.

If you had to choose, would you rather have a healthy body or a healthy mind? As Byron Katie says, “I hope you chose mind because bodies don’t make it.” Heal your mind and notice if the body follows. Start by just noticing what thoughts you are having in the moments before you turn to your escape, whatever that is for you.

“I’m not good enough.” ”My body shouldn’t be hurting.” ”I am alone.” ”I’m too fat.” ”I have too much to do.”

If we are honest, we all have them…just notice.

Swine Flu in Birmingham, AL

BrookeMD — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:05:23 +0000

I’m working at the health department this month and swine flu is certainly continuing to circulate in Jefferson County. See your doctor if you have fever > 100 with cough and/or sore throat. The only treatment are anti-virals (like Tamiflu) which do not cure swine flu but may lessen the severity of the illness or shorten the course of illness by 1-2 days. Some physicians are now even calling in these medicines for children with fever, cough and/or sore throat to avoid them having to wait in the waiting room at their office. Fortunately, thus far, most cases of swine flu have been fairly mild.

When you are swabbed for influenza at your doctor’s office, most can do a rapid test in their office to tell you if you have influenza but it must be sent to the state lab to determine if it is H1N1. Since 8/1/09, of specimens testing positive for influenza in AL, 99% have been confirmed novel H1N1. As of 8/27/09, Alabama has had 1,587 confirmed cases of novel H1N1 influenza (or swine flu).

There is no vaccine available for H1N1 yet. It is encouraged for all to get the seasonal flu vaccine when available. The H1N1 vaccine (separate from the seasonal flu vaccine) is scheduled to be available by mid-October but this will be given to high-risk patients first.

So what can you do? The most important preventive measure is personal hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water!! Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. (If you don’t have a tissue to cover your mouth, cough into the crook of your elbow.) Stay home from school or work if you are sick. Get the seasonal flu vaccine when available. Remember, vaccines work best when everyone gets them.

AL Department of Public Health

The 10 leading causes of death and what you can do to help prevent them.

BrookeMD — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:26:03 +0000

Here’s a list of the 10 leading causes of death as determined by the CDC for the year 2006:

Diseases of heart (heart disease)

Malignant neoplasms (cancer)

Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke)

Chronic lower respiratory diseases

Accidents (unintentional injuries)

Diabetes mellitus (diabetes)

Alzheimer’s disease

Influenza and pneumonia

Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease)

10.

Septicemia

11.

Intentional self-harm (suicide)

12.

Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis

13.

Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease (hypertension)

14.

Parkinson’s disease

15.

Assault (homicide

1.Heart Disease

2.Cancer

3.Strokes

4.Chronic lung disease (like COPD)

5.Accidents (unintentional injuries)

6.Diabetes mellitus (diabetes)

7.Alzheimer’s disease

8.Influenza and pneumonia

9.Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease)

10.Septicemia (infection in the blood)

Now here’s a list of the top 10 things you can do to maintain your health. If you do the things on this list, you’ll be reducing your risk of all of the diseases on the list above. Do your part to take care of yourself! Don’t wait until you are sick to make changes in your lifestyle. Prevention is key!

1. Do not smoke. If you smoke, quitting is the single best thing you could do to improve your health. (Click here for more info.)

2. Limit your Alcohol intake to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women.

3. Maintain a healthy diet and lose weight if you are overweight.

4. Exercise 30-60 min 5 days a week.

5. Don’t sunbathe or use tanning booths.

6. Practice safe sex.

7. Control your cholesterol and blood pressure with diet, exercise and medication if needed.

8. Keep your shots up to date, including flu and pneumonia (if over age 65).

9. Have yearly health screenings with your primary care doctor even if you don’t feel sick. (You may need to be seen several times a year if you have chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease).

10. Get help if you are suffering from psychological problems like depression, anxiety, or excess stress instead of turning to addictive habits like smoking, alcohol, drugs, overeating or other self destructive behaviors.

Vitamin B12- who needs it and are pills okay?

BrookeMD — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:23:18 +0000

Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin mostly obtained from dairy products and meat. It is a critical ingredient your body needs to make red blood cells and also helps your nervous system work correctly. If you have low B12 levels, you might have anemia, depression, dementia or neuropathy (pain, burning or tingling sensation). Some people with low B12 also have high levels of homocysteine which may increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Your doctor can run a simple blood test to see if your B12 level is low.

The most common reasons for low B12 are 1) not taking in enough in your diet or 2) a problem with your stomach or intestines that prevents you from being able to absorb the vitamin. This includes Pernicious Anemia (where you do not have the cells needed in your stomach to absorb B12) or long standing heartburn or ulcers or having had surgery on your stomach or intestines.

In the past, everyone who needed B12 supplementation was given shots- initially given several times a week for a couple weeks and then once a month. Now we know that unless you have a problem absorbing B12, it is just as effective to take a daily pill instead of getting a shot. Over the counter Vitamin B12 pills do not have enough B12 to increase your levels- you need to take at least 1000 mcg of B12 everyday. You can get a prescription for this high dose from your doctor if you levels are low.

Even if you’ve been getting Vitamin B12 shots for years, you can switch to the pill and it will be just as effective unless you have a problem absorbing B12 from your digestive tract.

How much TV do you watch a day?

BrookeMD — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:00:58 +0000

According to a recent study by Nielson, the average American watches about 5 hours of TV per day or 153 hours per month. That’s almost 160 hours per month – equivalent to another 40 hour work week. In a 65 year life, that person will have spent 9 years watching television! That doesn’t even count the time spent playing video games or on the computer. Did you know the average American youth spends 900 hours in school in one year and 1500 hours watching TV in one year?

It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that children have their screen time (TV, videos, video games, computer time) limited to no more than 2 hours total per day. If yours or yours child’s screen time was truly 2 hours a day, how much time would be left to participate in more stimulating and productive activities? If you only watched 2 hours of TV a day, your children would also be much less likely to watch over 2 hours a day. There would be more time to exercise or be involved in some sort of physical activity, spend more time in conversation with our children, help them with homework, prepare healthier meals and eat them with our family. Essentially, there would be more time to do a huge number of activities that are likely more valuable than watching TV. Next time you say “I don”t have time to exercise or cook my family a healthy dinner” add up the hours that week you spent glued to the TV and ask yourself if that is really true?

Where do you spend most of your time in the grocery store?

BrookeMD — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:30:33 +0000

Here’s one thing I have noticed about the grocery store. The healthiest foods are located around the periphery of the store. That’s where the dairy, meats, fruits and vegetables are found. The aisles are typically filled with pre-packaged, processed carbohydrates and bad fats. Think about your trips to the grocery store- do you find most of the items on your list around the periphery in the produce and refrigerated sections or do you spend most of your time weaving your way through the aisles? More “aisle time” probably reflects the amount of unhealthy food you are stocking your pantry with which almost certainly reflects what you are eating. Except for an occasional trip to an aisle for a specific item like beans or legumes for example, try spending your next trip to the grocery store only around the periphery and notice the difference in what’s in your refrigerator when you get home.

Makeover your kitchen

BrookeMD — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:30:32 +0000

Wanting to make over your body? The best place to start is your kitchen. Good nutrition is in part about knowing which foods are good to eat but it may be more about altering lifestyle habits. Even if you know what’s good to eat, if those foods are not around, you won’t eat them! So how do you start establishing a lifetime of good nutrition? Well, start at home! Your dietary willpower and discipline will be frequently challenged at potluck dinners, social events, lunch meetings at work, etc. But, what matters more than an occasional non-nutritious meal is the other meals you are eating the majority of the time. Start by making your home a “safe place.”

Here are some excerpts from Gourmet Nutrition by John Berardi, PhD, founder of Precision Nutrition.

“If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you will eventually eat it. That’s right, if you wish to be healthy and lean; you must remove all foods not conducive to your goals from your residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices. Now, before you go thinking that this is just a suggestion- one way to improve your body- we want to make it clear. This is the only way to improve your body….We assure you that once you makeover your kitchen, your body will follow.”

Take a look in your fridge and pantry- is it filled with soft drinks, fruit juices, processed foods wrapped in colorful wrappers, boxes and containers? If so, it may be time for a kitchen makeover.

The best way to get control of your stress

BrookeMD — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:27:28 +0000

Since stress is an activation of our “fight or flight” or sympathetic activity, it is important to balance that with our “rest and digest” or parasympathetic activity. I’ve heard many people say they exercise for stress relief. While consistent exercise is a critical component to overall health and improving your body’s capability of coping with stress, it is yet another activiation of your sympathetic system. In fact, competitive athletes consider recovery a valuable part of their training. They understand the need for rest and relaxation to allow their body to recover from the stress it is put under during exercise and intense training.

So while we are unlikely to find a way to live in our world and eliminate all the sources of stress in our life, we can learn to increase our parasympathetic activity to balance that. Here is the key: take 30 minutes a day to engage in some activity that allows your mind to go into a state of relaxation. Choose activities that help you get quiet, restful and worry-free parasympathetic activiation. Every person’s activity might be different. One person could achieve that state by taking a bath each evening to relax but another might take a bath and allow their mind to spin with worries the whole time- that doesn’t count! The key is to do what allows your mind and body to relax for 30 minutes each and every day.

Here’s a list of activities that might work for you:

Yoga or Pilates

Meditation

Massage Therapy

Jacuzzi/sauna

Reading in a quiet spot

“Zoning out”

Listening to soothing music

Taking a bath

When you do this and have actually relaxed, you may notice tension in your neck, shoulder and back release. You might experience a decrease in your heart rate and blood pressure and a sense of calmness. If you do your activity before bed, you will probably be able to fall asleep faster and achieve a better night’s sleep.

Does it sound too simple? It’s obviously not that easy to do because how many of us get 30 minutes a day of a truly relaxed state of mind. But remember all those effects of stress on your body and health- it’s important to allow your body to recover! This is the best way to get control of stress- start today, make it a habit!

Are you stressed? What is it doing to your body?

BrookeMD — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:38:37 +0000

A study done in 2003 showed that 80% of Americans reported feeling stressed out. Are you one of them? Take a look at what being stressed can do to your body. Chronic stress can alter our biochemical state and have major effects on our health.

Being stressed puts our bodies in the “fight or flight” state which leads to high levels of cortisol and adrenaline. When we are under chronic stress, the secretion of these hormones takes precedence over other functions like digestion, cellular repair, immune function, reproduction and liver function and detoxification. So we end up with poor blood sugar control, sleep disruption, carbohydrate cravings (which worsens the poor blood sugar control), reduced metabolism, reduced thyroid function, alterered sex hormone activity, infertility, depression, alcohol and drug abuse. Your immune system doesn’t work as well to fight off infections. Stress has even been linked to heart disease.

Basically our bodies are in a state of hormonal imbalance and we simply are not able to function like we want to. Not only that, but stress is also known to decrease the brains functionality causing difficulty thinking and solving problems or a loss of memory. And, after a long time of your body pumping out so much cortisol and adrenaline eventually it wears out and chronic fatigue sets in.

diffi culty thinking creatively,

solving problems, or shift ing attention

So as you can see, stress is not something to just blow off by saying “things will calm down when the kids are back in school” or “as soon as I get this project done at work my stress level will be a lot less.” You are just continuing the cycle and setting yourself up for problems that are becoming more and more common in America- obesity, heart disease, infertility, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, alcohol and drug abuse.

The best time to slow down and relax is when you don’t have time for it!

Stay tuned for some tips on decreasing your stress level.