Fight Back Against Comfort Food

Written by: Dr. David Bloom

The holiday season is in full swing and while it becomes more difficult than ever to cut calories and keep to your health regimen, healthy doses of protein can help curb your stress-induced diet choices.

A new study has found that including enough protein in your diet, rather than relying on cutting calories, can be an important factor in controlling your appetite and preventing excessive consumption of fats and carbohydrates, such as stuffing, bread, rolls, and pie.

People who consume a diet that includes only 10% protein will snack more between meals, as well as eat more calories overall compared to those who fill their plates with 15% protein or more.

Researchers found that humans, by nature, have a strong appetite for protein and those that include less in their diet seek more energy through carbohydrates. Holiday standards, such as mashed potatoes, only reinforce this practice.

Carbohydrates are not only easy to make, but are often cheap and readily available like never before in our society. The easy access to these quick sources of energy has contributed to the obesity epidemic sweeping the country and contributes to overeating.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has dropped the traditional food pyramid we grew up with in favor of My Plate. My Plate recommends a balanced meal and shows how to properly portion for your plate. The protein segment, between 15% and 25% of your balanced plate, should include a variety of foods made from low-fat meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, soy products, seeds, beans and peas.

To determine how much protein you should include, take your body weight in pounds and multiply by 0.37. This number will indicate the minimum amount of grams of protein you should consume on a daily basis. According to the Food and Nutrition Board at the National Academy of Sciences, a 120-pound person should eat 44 grams of protein each day, a 150-pound person should eat 55 grams of protein each day and a 200-pound person should eat 74 grams of protein daily.

An easy trick for the holiday season is to imagine the My Plate and try to replicate that on your own. Try placing the turkey, ham, chicken or prime rib on your plate in the recommended portion and eat it first, curbing your appetite for the delicious, although less nutritious traditional holiday fixings.

For more advice on creating a balanced diet, with the correct balance of protein, for you and your family, make sure to visit your personal physician or your nutritionist.

Tanning Beds: Is your tan worth your health?

Written by: Dr. David Bloom

California just passed a law banning minors from spending time in tanning beds.

The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, modifies current regulations which had allowed anyone between the ages of 14 and 17 to pay for yearlong sun-kissed skin with written permission by their parents.

Those that fought for the bill’s passage at the state capitol cited adverse health effects, including skin cancer, from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays as the reason for pushing through this new regulation.

How does a tanning bed work?

While German researcher Friedrich Wolff was studying the beneficial effects of ultraviolet light on athletes, he noticed a side effect: tanned skin. His discovery was brought over to the United States during the late 1970s.

Tanning beds emit ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) waves, similar to the rays of the sun, which in turn tans the skin by darkening the skin’s pigment melanin.

While exposure to some UVB rays is beneficial for humans and help keep vitamin D in the body at healthy levels, many scientists and researchers warn against excessive exposure.

For or against?

The World Health Organization warns against the use of indoor tanning beds, citing the increased risk in “the development of skin cancer, cataracts and other eye conditions” and the possible suppression of the immune system and premature skin aging.

The organization further classifies the beds as carcinogenic and recommends banning the use for children under 18. According to recent data, approximately 1 out of 5 teenage girls have used an indoor tanning bed at least once.

The Indoor Tanning Association agrees that there are risks for certain skin types and overexposure to ultraviolet light may have adverse consequences. Although visits are often for cosmetic reasons in the United States, the Tanning Association asserts the industry’s roots are therapeutic and many still visit for that purpose (such as for psoriasis or certain types of eczema).

Indoor tanning beds, the association argues, helps minimize the risk of a sunburn while still keeping tanned skin (not necessarily an accepted medical fact).

Alternatives

Spray tanning is an alternative to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays and can be done at home or by a professional. The worry with spray tanning, as with bronzing lotions, is keeping your “tan” even, especially around the joints.

Another alternative is to spend some time out in the sun, protected by sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. We do live in OC and you can visit the beach all year long without getting too chilly.

Is it safe or not?

Overall, there is no “safe tan.”  Any tanning induces some amount of skin damage and photo-aging.  And the more exposure to these harmful rays the higher one’s risk of cancer.   As in most of our daily choices we must weigh any benefits against the risks.  And at least now in California, such decisions are left to an adult.   Just as buying and smoking cigarettes are illegal for those under 18, so is choosing to use a tanning bed.

Pancreatic Cancer: What is it?

Written by: Dr. Jeffrey Barke

With the loss of one of the greatest minds of our generation to pancreatic cancer, it raises questions about the disease that claimed the man who has changed the way we talk, compute, listen to music or even read.

Steve Jobs passed away on Oct. 5 after suffering respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs. The co-founder, and former chairman and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. was 56.

Everyone has known someone with one of the more common types of cancer of those that receive more attention and funding – breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia – but the full weight of pancreatic cancer seems a bit more difficult to grasp. Most people can identify the affected body parts or understand a disease that attacks the blood, however, most Americans have a difficult time pointing to where their pancreas resides, let alone what it does.

What is the pancreas?
The pancreas is a six inch long organ surrounded by the stomach, small intestine, liver and spleen in the upper middle of the abdomen. It looks like a thin pear and is responsible for creating pancreatic juices to help digest food and produce hormones for the body, such as insulin.

he pancreatic juices contain enzymes through a system of ducts. The main duct joins with the common bile duct with the liver and gallbladder, which carries bile to digest fat before emptying out into the first part of the small intestine. The hormones produced by the pancreas help the body use or store energy for food.

What goes wrong?
Pancreatic cancer occurs with cells in your pancreas begin to grow out of control and continue to live after normal cells would typically die. The extra cells can form a tumor.

There are two primary types of pancreatic cancer, one that forms in the ducts that produce digestive juices and another that forms in the hormone producing cells, with more cases of the former, instead of the latter.

Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly and is rarely detected in its early stages. Unfortunately, it is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the country.

What are the symptoms?
In its early stages, pancreatic cancer may present itself with a yellowing of the skin, mucus membranes or the eyes, called jaundice. Besides the pigmentation change, you could experience a change in digestive habits, loss of appetite and weight loss, fatigue and weakness, nausea and vomiting or pain in the area where the pancreas is located. Other possible symptoms include back pain, blood clots and indigestion.

Are you at risk?
According to the National Cancer Institute, in the past year 44,030 new cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed and there were 37,660 deaths. Although a rare form of cancer, risk increases with age, especially over the age of 60, those of African American descent, being overweight or obese, chronic inflammation of the pancreas, diabetes, family history and smoking.

Prevention and outreach
November is the designated awareness month for pancreatic cancer, but with current events, there is nothing wrong with starting early. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the easier it is for your physician to determine a proactive and effective plan of care. Treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, age and well-being, and pancreatic cancer is usually only curable when found in its earliest stages. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are the most common treatment types and are to remove the cancer and relieve painful symptoms that the cancer is causing if possible. Besides living a healthy lifestyle, the best defense is to avoid smoking.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network works to educate the public about the disease to better identify the symptoms to catch and diagnose the cancer in its earliest stages.

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest relative survival rate of all the cancers tracked by both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, according to the network. It is the only cancer with a five-year relative survival rate in the single digits at just six percent. 94% of patients will die within five years of diagnosis – only 6% survive more than five years and 74% of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of diagnosis.

To learn more, visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network or become an advocate for additional federal funding for education and research for the fourth leading cancer killer.

Unfortunately there is much about cancer that we do not understand. My belief is that we are all dealt a genetic hand. Some are dealt four aces and can live to 110 despite very poor self-care. Others, despite almost perfect self-care, need to bluff their way to get to age 60. Most of us are somewhere in the middle; that is how we take care of ourselves will determine the genetic expression of disease. I further believe that inflammation in our body is the foundation upon which our genetic expression of disease occurs: cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even cancer. Control inflammation and you control the genetic expression of disease. Inflammation is best controlled by our nutrition and secondarily by exercise and supplements. See my previous blogs to better understand anti-inflammatory nutrition.

The pancreatic cancer that plagued Steve Jobs was the rarest form of the disease and affects only 5% of those with pancreatic cancer, but his passing serves as a reminder of the lack of early treatment and screening options.

Resist the Loss, Strength Training

Written by: Krista Reader

Personalcare Physicans Strength Training!

You have heard us say it before, but one more time just in case you have forgotten.  As we get older, we can naturally lose 30% (or more) of our muscle mass between the ages of 40 and 75.  The best way we can protect ourselves and prevent this from happening is to commit to strength (or resistance) training.

Your muscles are important for everything you do. Whether you’re reaching for a box of cereal in the morning, climbing the steps outside your home and walking the dog, you need your muscles to move and function every day.

Strength training is the best solution to building and maintaining muscle mass to keep functioning at your best. Performing daily exercises with weights and learning to increase the difficulty as your body adjusts to the pattern gives the most physical benefits for your body.

In addition to the benefits for your muscles, strength training will also help you:

• Develop strong bones – By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
• Control your weight – As you gain muscle, your body gains the ability to burn calories more efficiently, which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.
• Reduce your risk of injury – Building muscle helps protect your joints from injury and contributes to better balance, which can help you maintain independence as you age.
• Boost your stamina – As you get stronger, you won’t fatigue as easily.
• Manage chronic conditions – Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
• Sharpen your focus – Some research suggests that regular strength training helps improve attention span and concentration as we age.

Strength training can be done at home or in the gym and here are some options for you to consider as you are building your program:

• Body weight – You can do many exercises with little or no equipment including push-ups (elevated or on knees if needed), front & side abdominal planks, dips, lunges and squats.
• Resistance tubing – Resistance tubing is inexpensive, lightweight tubing that provides resistance when stretched.
• Free weights – Barbells and dumbbells are classic strength training tools.
• Weight machines – Most fitness centers offer various resistance machines and there are tons of options for home gyms that are portable.

Getting started

Please make sure to check with your primary care physician before you begin a strength training program and plan to start slowly. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of active stretching and/or light aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. Then choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 repetitions.

To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group. When you can easily do more than 15 repetitions of a certain exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance. Remember to stop if you feel pain. Although mild muscle soreness is normal, sharp pain and sore or swollen joints are signs that you’ve overdone it.

When to expect results

You don’t need to spend hours a day lifting weights to benefit from strength training. Depending on your goals, two to three strength training sessions a week lasting just 30-40 minutes are sufficient for most people starting a strength training routine. Two times per week is plenty if your goal is to just maintain your current muscle mass and at least three sessions if you are looking to build.

By exercising your entire body (not just the muscles you can see) you will prevent your body from losing muscle mass as you grow older and ensuring you keep your independent spirit both physically and mentally. If done properly, you will notice a difference in your strength and stamina in as little as a few weeks.

Strength training can do wonders for your physical and emotional well-being. Make it part of your quest for better health.  If you are just getting started, we highly recommend seeking the help of a professional trainer to ensure that you know how to most effectively exercise and avoid injury.  Please feel free to contact our Healthfit 4 Life Fitness Team for help getting started.

Memory and Aging

Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen

Does it seem like you’re always looking for your keys when you walk out the door now? Are you repeating yourself during conversations or can’t remember small details? Are you concerned that your memory is getting worse?

A certain amount of memory decline is to be expected as our brains age but when should you be worried about significant “cognitive impairment” that may need medical intervention? At Personalcare Physicians, we are utilizing a diagnostic screening tool that can identify this subtle memory loss and distinguish normal aging from abnormal memory loss.  By detecting any signs of mild cognitive impairment of the brain early, we can help you to find and treat the cause.

The MCI Screen is designed to accurately measure an individual’s memory function. This short, accurate memory test can be performed in the comfort of our office. Answers are analyzed by a computerized scoring method with results provided to your physician to review with you. This diagnostic tool enables a physician to distinguish normal aging from subtle memory changes due to other medical causes. It is about 97% accurate.

Conditions such as anxiety, sleep deprivation, ADHD, depression, thyroid gland disease, diabetes, metabolic encephalopathy, Vitamin deficiency, infections and medications can cause significant memory loss. The effects can often be reversed after finding the cause and with the appropriate treatment.

Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and dementia are the first culprits patients associate with memory loss, and usually the worst case scenario. Through early diagnosis and treatment, doctors can work towards a reduced rate of memory decline and often allow patients to continue living a good quality of life for a long time.

A complete list of what may cause memory loss is available here, but in the meantime, take the following short test for yourself. Check off any of the following if you have found you are having increasing difficulty with the tasks.

Symptoms of Medical Conditions:

• Forgetting important details of things you have done in the past few weeks.
• Forgetting to do things you said you would do.
• Forgetting recent events or conversations.
• Retelling a story or joke to the same person because you forgot that I had already told them.
• Completing complex tasks at work or home (i.e. balancing checkbook, planning projects).

Symptoms of Normal Aging:

• Forgetting the name of someone you know well.
• Forgetting what you were going to say in a conversation.
• Forgetting what you were going to do when going into another room.
• Finding things you have just put down.
• Recalling a specific word you want to use.

If you’re worried about memory loss, give your personal physician a call to speak about options and possibly taking the short MCI Screen.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Written by: Dr. David Bloom

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men across the country. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and it is more important than ever to be aware of the warning signs and protect yourself and those you love with regular screenings.

Prostate Cancer is second only to lung cancer in the number of cancer deaths in the United States. The prostate organ is only in men, about the size of a walnut and occupies the space just below the bladder in the body. It plays a role in the reproductive system, but when cancer starts in the prostate, abnormal cells begin to grow out of control and may cause pain or other inhibit other bodily functions.

Although some men may not display any symptoms, others may experience difficulty before, during or after urination, continuous pain in the back, hips or lower pelvis or painful sexual activity.

If you have any symptoms that worry you, please visit your primary care doctor.  Identified early on, five-year survival rates are upwards of 97%.  Most prostate symptoms that men will notice are usually not cancer and more likely from Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (benign enlargement) or possibly Prostatitis (swelling, inflammation, possible infection).  But to differentiate and exclude cancer first is very important and thus a doctors visit or better yet, a complete full physical

A screening a fast and easy for patients and only have to be often as you and your doctor decide.   It is important to start screening early if there is a family history of prostate cancer, as well as with African-American men.  Most doctors begin the PSA blood test at age 50, but depending upon the indivdual patient’s histroy & physical, his doctor may begin younger – usually age 40.

Purple Potatoes: A New Health Craze?

Written by: Natasha Daguio

Who knew a strange-colored starch could be good for you?

Potatoes – in French fry form – have been blamed for increasing America’s waistlines, but a new study has shown that incorporating purple potatoes into a daily diet can lower blood pressure without causing weight gain

The study, conducted by a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, fed 18 overweight and obese patients their normal, daily meal twice a day. The patients ate six to eight purple potatoes with each of their meals for four weeks before switching back to their normal diets without the potatoes.

While consuming the violet-skinned spud, on average, both the diastolic and systolic blood pressures of patients dropped between 3.5% and 4.3%. None of the subjects involved gained weight and even the patients on anti-hypertensive medications experienced lower blood pressure throughout the course of the study.

Purple potatoes have become increasingly popular and available in the past few years at chain grocery stores, as well as specialty food and farmers’ markets. The lavender tubers have higher levels of antioxidants that may protect the body’s cells from diseases. In order to capitalize on these benefits, the subjects in the study were required to microwave their potatoes instead of using other preparation methods.

In addition to the possible blood pressure benefits, red, white, brown and all other potatoes contain vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and iron. Although America chooses to fry most of its potatoes, the spud remains an important, nutritional factor in diets around the world.

The findings (unpublished as of this release) were presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Denver. Funding for the work came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s State Cooperative Potato Research Program.

Purple potatoes can be substituted in any recipe that calls for small yellow fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold.

As a reminder, always opt for color in your whole foods.  Modified, mass produced foods do not contain the same nutrient content as organic, local produce.  Check your local farmers markets, they might just be in stock!

Hot Weather Protection

Written by: Dr. Kenneth Cheng

With record temperatures recorded around the country this summer, there is reason to be concerned about your children out in heat.

Football and the fall athletic season is almost upon us and it is especially important to be aware of the warning signs of serious health conditions, such as heat stroke, and prepare yourself and your family to throw around the pigskin.

Warning signs that something may be wrong include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches and dizziness, according to physicians. In many cases, however, individuals can display systems of heat stroke suddenly and without warning.

Extreme symptoms, on the other hand, include high body temperature, lack of sweating with flushed, dry skin, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, strange behavior, hallucination, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure or even a coma.

According to a study out of the University of Georgia, most of the heat-related football fatalities during the past 30 years were children under the age of 18 and athletes, along with infants, the elderly and those who work outside are among the most susceptible.

Although the best solution is to avoid extreme heat, there are a few prevention measures you and your family should take when the love of the game draws you out to the field or you just can’t miss your family reunion:

• Wear loose fitting, light clothing
• Get to a cooler place
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Take extra precautions with certain medications – ask your pharmacist or doctor about possible side effects while out in the hot sun
• Avoid being inside a hot car, especially children and older adults
• Avoid strenuous activity in the heat

So why it’s great to have fun in the sun, play in the grass and get some exercise, make sure to take the appropriate precautions when headed out the door.

Pesticides, The Dirty Dozen

Written by: Krista Reader

Should we still send our kids to school with an apple for their teacher when school starts this fall?  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 98% of commercially grown apples contain pesticide residue.

In the Environmental Working Group’s yearly shopping guide, the data earned the fruit the top spot on the “Dirty Dozen” list, accompanied by celery, strawberries, peaches and spinach.  But, before you cross apples off the grocery list or start bringing onions – which topped the clean list – for teachers, the pesticide residue measured well below unsafe levels determined by the USDA.

“It’s a headache,” Mark Seetin of the U.S. Apple Association told The Wall Street Journal. “It implies that something terrible is going on. But growers are doing nothing illegal. They’re just trying to keep their apples fresh and nutritious.”

Others in the industry calculate that crop losses would double without these chemicals, leaving consumers without the choice between often expensive organic fruits and commercial grown options.

The pesticides are used for a variety of functions including keeping the apples free from blemishes, warding off and insects that may take food, sunlight or water from the plants and to keep the fruit fresh before reaching your shopping cart.

To test the pesticide levels, the USDA washed samples of the fruit for 10 seconds under cold water in order to mimic the average American consumer.

The lists are not compiled in order to scare consumers, according to the Environmental Working Group, but more of a guide to encourage shoppers to consider buying organic for thin, edible skinned fruits and vegetables – virtually guaranteeing a pesticide-free product – and be aware of the data.

According to members of the group, the health benefits of a diet “rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure.”

For those that don’t want to take the risk, onions were joined by corn, pineapples, avocado and asparagus at the top of the clean list.

Stress Linked to Obesity

Written by: Dr. David Bloom

Alarm clocks, traffic jams, deadlines, bank accounts and the dog barking across the street in the middle of the night can all be contributing to your body’s battle with obesity.

According to recent research, stress has been linked to biochemical changes in your body that trigger cravings for a bag of potato chips instead of reaching for an apple.

Often people allow stress to control their eating habits. Working under deadline at work may mean it’s easier to grab a burger and soda at a drive-thru rather than taking the time to make lunches at home. Unfortunately, as stress may cause people to eat inappropriately and gain weight, the extra pounds cause further stress extending the cycle.

The body’s feel-good chemical – serotonin – plays a major role in what your body craves.

As you find yourself drawn to sweets, pasta or potatoes (what we affectionately refer to as comfort foods), your body is encouraging you to self-medicate with carbohydrates, which raise the body’s serotonin level. More often than not, the carbohydrates you ingest are full of fat.

Chronic stress can contribute to the excess release of cortisol by the body. Cortisol manages fat storage in the body, how the body uses energy and even helps with the development of short term memories in the brain. As more cortisol is released while experiencing stress, it can increase your appetite and can leave you yearning for sugary or fatty foods.

A lesser known hormone in the body, neuropeptide, also plays a role in how our bodies process food while undergoing continual stress. While experiencing stress, nerve cells in the body release neuropeptide that encourages fat accumulation and increases the body’s desire to take in more foods high in fat and sugar.

If stress enables your body to work against you and your goals, how do you break the cycle?

Don’t allow yourself to get too hungry. If you’re the type of person who gets the evil look in your eye when you haven’t been fed, be cautious and prepared – bring healthy snacks in your bag or keep a few in your car.

Keep portion size in mind. After a stressful meeting or getting out of a traffic jam, it is understandable that you may want eat the plate your food is served on. Starting out with small portions, chewing each bite and pausing to put your fork down can help your calorie intake.

Eat healthy snacks. The best snacks are ones that combine more than one food group. Peanut butter and celery sticks, cheese and small tomatoes or even a handful or nuts or pack of yogurt are an easy choice to avoid snacks high in fat and sugar.

Calm down. Eating properly and taking a few minutes to exercise or just relax can work miracles for how your body deals with stress. Finding time to stretch, spend time with friends and taking a short walk around the block will help your body combat the hormones that may be working against you.

In addition to weight gain, stress has been linked to numerous emotional and physical disorders including

• depression
• anxiety
• heart attacks
• stroke
• hypertension
• immune system disturbances that increase susceptibility to infections
• a host of viral linked disorders ranging from the common cold and herpes to AIDS and even certain cancers
• autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis

If stress is getting the better of you, we strongly recommend taking the time to talk to a specialist or your primary care physician before more serious issues occur.