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Weight management tips... just for the ladies.
Additional Info
- Segment Number 1
- Audio File wellness_for_life/1523wl5a.mp3
- Featured Speaker Caroline Cederquist, MD
- Guest Website BistroMD
-
Guest Bio
Dr. Caroline Cederquist has taken a road few physicians have traveled. Caroline read her first statistics about obesity at a very young age. Growing up, the majority of Caroline's family was overweight. Through her knowledge of weight management, she is proof that you can manage your genetic predispositions through healthy lifestyle changes. She wanted a career where she could help people understand this too.
Beginning in 1991, she started her career in family practice. As it often happens with conventional medicine, she found herself prescribing round after round of medication, while knowing that if her patients could lose around 20-30 pounds that they wouldn’t need any medication at all. With the desire to stop treating patients in a way that didn’t address the root of her patients’ problems, she came to a personal conclusion that conventional medicine did not provide all of the tools she needed to help her patients achieve optimum health.
Intent on discovering the underlying causes of her patients most common issues, like high
cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and weight gain, she began to envision Cederquist Medical Wellness Center. She decided to move to Naples, FL, with her family, and committed to taking an entirely different approach to impact her patients’ health. She wanted an approach that could reduce medications, decrease a variety of risk factors, and improve health and quality of life long-term, by using food as medicine, and working with patients on an individual basis.
Dr. Cederquist founded Cederquist Medical Wellness Center in 1997, with the primary aim of treating patients by treating the causes of their health issues. By providing the right dietary and lifestyle treatment program, she has helped patients normalize cholesterol levels without any medication. Patients who have tried everything to lose weight finally find the answers they need, and they begin to lose weight after years of failure. Patients who have diabetes are able to reduce or eliminate their medications. Most importantly, patients have been able to improve their health and well-being in life-transforming ways.
With a customized treatment program created specifically for each patient, Dr. Cederquist has helped thousands of people lose weight and achieve better health. It’s through her extensive work with patients that Caroline developed the nutritional foundation for bistroMD, focusing on the right balance of macronutrients in the diet: the protein, the right carbohydrates, healthy fats and fiber. -
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Wellness for Life Radio | Original Air Date: June 5, 2015
Host: Susanne Bennett, DC
Guest: Caroline Cederquist, MD
You’re listening to RadioMD. She’s a chiropractic, holistic physician, best-selling author, international speaker, entrepreneur and talk show host. She’s Dr. Susanne Bennett. It’s time now for Wellness for Life radio. Here’s Dr. Susanne.
DR. SUSANNE: Why is it that it seems as each year passes on another pound is gained, especially around the belly and hips? It really doesn’t matter, I don’t think, whether it is a woman or a man. I think this has just been the norm here. It’s known as we all grow older our metabolism changes and it slows down. But don’t you really want to know why and how to fix it? My next guest certainly knows the answers. She has shared her weight management expertise on several popular television shows, including Dr. Phil. She is here today to share with you how to lose weight no matter what your age. Please welcome the author of The MD Factor, Dr. Caroline Cederquist. Thanks for being here. Now, why is it that it’s so difficult for men and women, but particularly women, to lose weight as we get older?
DR. CAROLINE: What happens is that people develop what I call metabolism dysfunction. That’s what the MD in MD Factor stands for. Metabolism dysfunction is a metabolic condition that increases in almost all of us as we get older, but for women, it really takes an increase in intensity around the time of hormone change. So, perimenopause or menopause which, for women is going to be in the later 40’s or early 50’s. When this metabolism dysfunction sets in, part of that is the deposition of belly fat which then changes your metabolism to make it easier to gain more fat.
DR. SUSANNE: Got it. What is exactly going on, though, as we get older to that perimenopausal age, even the late 30’s, early 40’s – what is specifically going on hormonally that’s causing the weight to center around our waist and hips?
DR. CAROLINE: Yes. What actually is changing is we are having a change in our receptors on our cells in terms of how we move glucose or sugar into our cells. Sugar is the primary fuel for our body and as we get older, the ability for sugar to move easily and normally into our cells declines. They’ve actually found that if you had a normal weight 30 year old and a normal weight 60 year old and they eat the same meal, the 60 year old is going to have a higher glucose level and a higher insulin level to respond to that meal. So, it’s not necessarily that testosterone levels are plummeting or estrogen or one particular hormone is decreasing, but our body is changing in terms of our metabolism of carbohydrates. If we are aware of that, we can adjust our diet and activity and prevent the kind of ten pounds per decade that almost everyone experiences.
DR. SUSANNE: Ten pounds per decade that is so true –
DR. CAROLINE: A pound a year.
DR. SUSANNE: It’s amazing. That is a lot of weight when you think about it and, particularly, it’s actually fat weight, not muscle weight, everyone. It’s fat weight, right? In my practice I talk a lot about sarcopenia, Dr. Cederquist. Sarcopenia is age related muscle loss. When that happens, you have a lower ability to get that glucose into the cell. Isn’t that correct?
DR. CAROLINE: That is absolutely correct. What we used to think--When I was preparing for this book, we actually discussed sarcopenia because it was thought you have sarcopenia and then you develop this metabolism issue because you have more fat. In fact, the changes at the receptor level of the cells are because of this metabolism dysfunction an make it less easy for your body to make muscle and more likely to break it down. So, even if somebody is not overweight but they are just getting a little older, most people will find that their pants are getting tighter, the waist line is increasing. We want to keep in check our carbohydrate intake relative to our protein intake so that we can avoid that happening. That way, we can maintain our lean tissue and not put on more fat.
DR. SUSANNE: That totally makes sense. When I talk about sarcopenia with my patients, I also talk about the biggest factor with sarcopenia is that we lose muscle mass, particularly our mitochondrial muscle mass, which is the actual energy powerhouse that burns fat and produces energy.
DR. CAROLINE: Yes.
DR. SUSANNE: That is metabolic rate right there, isn’t it?
DR. CAROLINE: Absolutely. Yes, and what happens when this MD factor – metabolic dysfunction-- is present is, there is a higher load of free radicals that ends up damaging the mitochondria. So many times people will say, “Oh, I’m just getting older.” And we accept this because if we look at our society, almost all men and women, as they get older, just gain weight and they lose some height and their bellies become the largest part of their bodies. But people who remain active and people who watch their diet and particularly are willing to give up that, “I used to be able to eat certain things and I want to do that now” and realize that “I’m changing – my diet has to change”.
DR. SUSANNE: Right, as you’re saying in your book, you go into the metabolic issues and how to keep that metabolism going. Right?
DR. CAROLINE: Yes.
DR. SUSANNE: Keep it going with the foods that we eat. You also mentioned that our body slows down this ability in the receptors. In my book, we talk a lot about environmental toxins that end up blocking these receptors. Do you talk about that much in your book?
DR. CAROLINE: I didn’t actually go into that part of it in the book, but you are absolutely right. We are finding that more and more all the time, but to be honest, for many people it can be so overwhelming. BPA--it’s in everything and what I find is there is most certainly a role for that. We want to try to eat clean, less processed, drink out of glass, use stainless steel instead of plastic. Probably the biggest thing that can reverse this insulin resistance is losing fat, but maintaining your muscle mass by making sure that you get adequate lean protein all day long and by spreading it out throughout the day. Not a large amount at once and then none for the rest of the day.
DR. SUSANNE: I love what you are saying, spreading it out. So, when you are saying lean protein, I’m assuming you’re talking about all types of protein. With vegetarians, what should we advise them?
DR. CAROLINE: Yes, with the vegetarian diet you absolutely can get adequate protein. But it is something to keep in mind that a typical vegetarian meal, let’s say beans and rice, will have about four times the amount of carbohydrate as the protein because of how it’s found whereas something like a chicken breast will have almost no carbohydrates and all of the protein that you need. So, sometimes if a vegetarian is willing to do egg, and maybe some type of dairy, it helps. If we have vegetarians who absolutely can’t do that for theoretical reasons or any concerns, then we probably have to rely on some really good quality protein powders that are low carbohydrate and working with soy.
DR. SUSANNE: Got it. You talk about metabolism a lot. How much does it actually change from – let’s say you’re 25 years old to let’s say a 50 year old? I’m 53. So, how much does it change in the last half of my life?
DR. CAROLINE: The average woman will gain 15 to 30 pounds in the years of menopause and perimenopause. Sometimes it’s fast or it’s just slow going. But my patients who are 70 now will look back and say, “Oh, yeah. I’ve gained this 30 pounds starting in my 50’s.” It doesn’t have to happen all at once although sometimes it can and it can be frightening because a woman can gain 30 pounds over night almost it seems. Again, it doesn’t have to be. Unfortunately, for women as we go through hormone change, the rate at which our bodies burn calories with exercise actually declines. So if it’s “Well, look. I’m still running three days a week” we may need to increase that.
DR. SUSANNE: Got it. You gave such great information, Dr. Cedarquist. Everyone take a look at her book, The MD Factor, or go to BistroMD.com for more information and you can also to my Wellness For Life show page on RadioMD.
Thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Cedarquist. This is Dr. Susanne Bennett, sharing natural strategies for ultimate health and wellness right here on RadioMD. Until next time. Stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Susanne Bennett, DC
Can something as simple as vitamin C cause a problem for those taking blood thinners?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 5
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml5d.mp3
- Featured Speaker Ward W. Bond, PhD
- Guest Website Dr. Ward Bond
-
Guest Bio
Dr. Ward W. Bond is widely known from his writings, his television and radio appearances, and his lectures, as one of America's most prominent authorities on what has become a "hot" topic: the use of natural, safe nutrients and remedies to combat problems of our health... and to head off potential problems associated with aging.
-
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Melanie Cole's Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 5, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Ward W. Bond, PhD
It’s time for Health Radio with Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: You may already know the amazing healing benefits that you can get from herbs and certain nutrients. But did you know that if you are mixing them with specific medications that can actually work against you? For example, if you’re on the blood thinner, Coumadin, there are specific herbs that you definitely need to stay away from. What are those herbs that you need to monitor or stay away from? My guest today is Dr. Ward Bond. He is widely known from his writings, his TV and radio appearances, and his lectures. He is one of the more prominent authorities in the country on what’s become the hot topic use of safe, natural alternatives.
Welcome to the show, Dr. Bond. Blood thinners seem to have a lot of things that interact with their affects. Grapefruit not being the very least of them. So, speak about blood thinners and why these things seem to interact and which ones we should really watch out for.
DR. BOND: With blood thinners, of all of the medications that are out there, blood thinners seem to have the longest list of nutrients, herbs, even food that interact with them. People need to be educated and to know what prescribed medication they are taking and they really need to talk to their doctor or even the pharmacist to find out what the interactions could be. The problem is not everybody is well-versed in the area of herbal medicine. We know that the herbal industry is a multi-billion dollar industry now and many people are taking them but they’re also taking medication and there are interactions there. But of all of the medications that I’ve ever researched, blood thinners seem to have the longest lists of interactions with the natural nutrients.
MELANIE: Me, too. I’ve seen that as well. Working with so many people as I do, I’m an exercise physiologist, and so many people in cardiac rehab are on various blood thinners. They’re always asking me why these things don’t work with them or why they have to be careful of these things. So, list some of them out for us, Dr. Bond, and explain what you have to really be careful of. Whether it’s an increase in that actual medication’s response because of whatever you took and that it can actually become toxic.
DR. BOND: Well, that’s true. Let’s start off with something very easy. Everybody always knows, or if they are prescribed a blood thinner like Coumadin – the only thing the doctor ever tells them is avoid nutrients like vitamin K or food that contains vitamin K. For the food that contains vitamin K, you’re looking at basil; you’re looking at kale, mustard greens, spinach, and collard greens -
MELANIE: Healthy stuff.
DR. BOND: Healthy stuff – dandelion and even turnips. The darker the green, the higher the level of vitamin K. But there are other things the people may not even realize that they need to look at that are things such as soy bean oil - which we should all avoid – olive oil, cottonseed oil and canola oil. I always tell people, “Read your labels because if you find these things, avoid them if you are on prescribed blood thinners.”
MELANIE: Wow. Yes, I imagine that people wonder about all of these healthy foods that are supposed to be bad and why is that? So, let’s talk about you mentioned vitamin K, but what about things like green tea or Coq10, which may be found in a multi that we take.
DR. BOND: Well, of course, and you bring up a great point with the Coq10. Even though the structure is similar to vitamin K, there have really been only four case reports ever reported with a problem with Coq10 but that interaction is extremely rare and a lot of the research has not been done to verify this. Of course, I have to hand it to doctors. By promoting the use of Coq10, we do need that for our heart, especially for those who are on statin drugs. If you are on a statin, we all know and have learned that those drugs will deplete the heart of Coq10, so you need to supplement with that. But with blood thinners, they are starting to see where the Coq10 is not posing a great problem. I believe that if someone stays with a dose of around 100 – 200 milligrams a day they’ll be okay. It’s those people that may have higher doses, anywhere from 400 – 1000 milligrams of Coq10 due to certain medical issues, they may really need to watch out and have their blood tested on a regular basis if they are taking Coumadin.
MELANIE: Okay, so that’s a good point you bring up right there. Having your blood tested on a regular basis. Because that would find out if you’re having some interaction with some of these things. What about something like garlic? Garlic has its own blood thinning action but we use it in a lot of cooking.
DR. BOND: It does. That’s true. When it comes to garlic, what I always tell my clients is this – if you’re on a blood thinner, then avoiding garlic in the diet. I probably wouldn’t even think about that. If you want to have some garlic with your food, great. But if you’re doing a clove a day, then you may need to rethink that. If you are on garlic supplements, some people like to take more than what is listed on the label. Then, to be on the safe side, I would probably avoid those. The thing about blood thinners is this – there are patients out there that are on blood thinners for long term use - they are the ones that really need to research all of these nutrients. Then, there are those that are only on blood thinners for short term use. If you are on it for short term, you follow your doctor’s directions and then when you get off of it, you can start adding these nutrients back into your diet. I, for one, I am a huge believer of garlic because there are so many great properties to it. But, unfortunately, if someone is taking these every day and they are on a higher dose of Coumadin or a blood thinner, they really need to be careful. One of the other nutrients or herbal nutrients that we really need to watch out for, believe it or not, is green tea. One of the healthiest substances we’ve ever taken – green tea and blood thinners do not mix. We take a case study, such as a gentleman who was drinking a half a gallon to a gallon of green tea a day. He developed, based on laboratory testing, that his blood got very thick because it was blocking the Coumadin. Then, by removing the green tea from his diet, his blood test returned to normal. So, these are things that we need to watch out for.
MELANIE: Wow.
DR. BOND: And believe it or not, we still have people out there that do St. John’s wort for mild to moderate depression. St. John’s wort has shown in seven case studies by the Medical Products Agency in Sweden that it actually decreases the drug Coumadin. So, those taking St. John’s wort and Coumadin need to stop taking the St. Johns wort for a time until they find an alternative to the blood thinning medication that they are taking. As for women out there who really like to do natural herbals for hormonal regulation the herb Dong Quai actually contains at least six Coumadin derivatives. That herb should be avoided if a female out there is taking blood thinners long term.
MELANIE: What about ginger? We don’t have a whole lot of time, but I want to make sure to hit ginger, alcohol use in blood thinners and I mentioned at the beginning grapefruit. Because people are like, “Can I eat a grapefruit? Can I drink grapefruit juice?” But it can actually increase the levels of your medication, can’t it?
DR. BOND: It can but I’ve not seen an interaction with grapefruit and blood thinners. There seems to be more of a problem with grapefruit with cholesterol controlling drugs.
MELANIE: In statins.
DR. BOND: Right, the statins. And in some cases, maybe high blood pressure medication. But they need to check with their pharmacist because grapefruit is usually listed in those pamphlets that the pharmacist will give out with the medication.
MELANIE: What about ginger?
DAWN: We all know that ginger can reduce platelet stickiness, especially in research studies. But at this time, if someone wants to use ginger and they are on blood thinner, it seems to be okay. There’s not been anything out there to really tell us that it’s a danger.
MELANIE: Well, that’s good to know and the last one I want to ask you about is ginseng. People are still using it for energy. Is there something wrong with ginseng?
DR.BOND: Ginseng. Boy. I’ve never really truly found a big problem with the ginseng itself. It’s the Asian ginseng that they really watch out for because it actually decreases Warfarin activity. The Asian, I would watch out for. As for the eleuthero root, they did a 1999 animal study but it did not reveal any interact between Coumadin and eleuthero root itself. But it’s the Asian ginseng, that I would probably be on the safe side and avoid that and use something else.
MELANIE: That is great information and something to be really on the lookout for. If you’re on the blood thinning medication, Coumadin, make sure you check and find out if any of the medications, nutrients, or herbal supplements that you are taking are on this list.
This is Melanie Cole. You’re listening to RadioMD. Thanks so much for listening. Scroll around and learn something with us. Stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
What are the most common mistakes when applying sunscreen?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 3
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml5c.mp3
- Featured Speaker Dawn M. Holman, MPH
- Organization Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Guest Bio
Dawn M. Holman, MPH, is a behavioral scientist in CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control's Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch.
Much of her work focuses on identifying opportunities at the population level to reduce the incidence of cancer in the United States.
Ms. Holman has led the production of two supplemental journal issues: one in the Journal of Adolescent Health on opportunities for cancer prevention during pre-adolescence and adolescence and another in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on opportunities for cancer prevention during midlife. She also is working on similar projects that focus on cancer prevention opportunities during other periods within the lifespan.
Ms. Holman has a strong interest in skin cancer prevention and has taken a leadership role in many of the Division's skin cancer prevention efforts, including examining national surveillance data to describe trends and correlates of sun-protective behaviors, indoor tanning, and sunburns among U.S. adolescents and adults. In addition, Ms. Holman served as a lead writer for the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer and as a member of the coordination team for The Community Guide review of community-level interventions to prevent skin cancer.
Ms. Holman completed her undergraduate education at the University of Georgia with a bachelor of science and earned her master of public health from Emory University. Before coming to CDC, Ms. Holman worked at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University as the project coordinator of the Pool Cool program, a research-based, sun-safety education program designed for use at outdoor swimming pools. -
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Melanie Cole's Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 5, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Dawn M. Holman, MPH
It’s Health Radio. Here’s Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: Summer is such a fun time and if you’ve been trapped inside all winter, you’ve got that sort of cabin fever. You’re ready to get outside. And even though you might want to take advantage of soaking up every minute of the sun – I like to just get out there in it when the summer comes--you might have been told that you should be wearing sunscreen all year round, not even just for the summer months. However, a recent study conducted by the CDC found that only 14% of men - that would be my husband - and 29% of women regularly even use sunscreen. My guest today is Dawn Holman. She is a behavioral scientist in the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch.
Welcome to the show, Dawn. Cool job. Tell us a little bit about UVA versus UVB rays. Which ones are more dangerous? Or are they both pretty much bad?
DAWN: Both of them are not so great for your skin. The sun’s rays, we experience it when we’re outdoors in the sun. We get exposed to both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Both of these types of radiation can increase your risk for skin cancer. The main difference between the two is that UVB rays are really the ones that cause sunburn. I always remember that by “B” for burn. UVB rays cause sunburn. UVA rays are able to penetrate a little bit deeper into your skin, so they are actually the rays that increase your risk for premature skin aging like wrinkles and age spots.
MELANIE: Okay. There are so many millions of sunscreens out there on the market – millions of them. That go all the way up to 120. I saw one. How do we look at all of those sun screens, Dawn and figure out which ones are going to keep us from the burning rays? Which ones from the tanning rays? Which ones – what do we do?
DAWN: I know. There are so many sunscreens out there on the market, but it’s actually pretty simple. There are three key things I want to remind folks to look for when they are choosing a sunscreen. The first is simply make sure the label says broad spectrum. That ensures that you are getting protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Second – make sure that the SPF is an SPF of at least 15 or higher. And, usually, we remind people that once you get above an SPF 50, the added protection is very minimal. Third, I always like to encourage people to check the expiration date especially if you are digging through sunscreen at home that you maybe haven’t used for a while.
MELANIE: Good point.
DAWN: Just to make sure that your sunscreen, or the sunscreen that you are about to purchase hasn’t expired and won’t expire before you plan to use it.
MELANIE: That is a great, great point. Sunscreen has to be put on. For kids, this is never an easy thing. You have to grab the little kiddos, the little runners and spray them down and then let them go out again and this is not that easy. Do you have a preference between some of these sprays that are out there versus a cream, a thick lathery cream?
DAWN: Well, CDC doesn’t have any specific recommendations currently about spray-on sunscreen versus the lotions that you would apply by hand. But there have been some concerns raised by the FDA – which is the organization that actually regulates sunscreen products. The main concern is that when you are putting on sunscreen you want to make sure that you’re applying it thickly and, of course, that you are covering all exposed skin. With some of these spray-ons that can be a little bit of a challenge and even just if you are spraying it on outside if a wind gust comes, it blows it away before it even reaches your skin.
MELANIE: That’s right.
DAWN: And it is just hard to make sure that you are applying it as thickly and as evenly as you need to be. Generally, the lotions and creams are a little bit easier to apply effectively.
MELANIE: So, what about those generic ones. Walgreens has a brand you see. Coppertone and then, right next to it you see the generic brand. Is it like medication? I mean, do we worry about the generic brand? Do we think it may not have the same ingredients? And what can we do to encourage people who don’t want to put on sunscreen to finally do it?
DAWN: There are two questions there. The first, if you’re looking at sunscreens, generic versus the specific brand you are familiar with, you still just need to go back to those three key things I mentioned. Make sure it’s broad spectrum, SPF 15 or higher and that it hasn’t expired. If you check those three things, you can be confident that sunscreen will provide adequate protection to help prevent sunburn, premature skin aging, and skin cancer. As we found with our study results and as you mentioned at the beginning of the podcast, a lot of people aren’t using sunscreen. For some people, maybe for whatever reason that’s not something that they will ever be interested in doing. But, fortunately, there are other forms of protection. I’ll use that to also mention to folks that we really encourage sunscreen to be paired with other forms of protection. We encourage you not to just use sunscreen alone, but use it in combination with other things. For example, when you are outdoors in the sun, you can seek shade which can provide full body protection from the sun. Also during the hot summer months, it really provides a lot of relief from the heat. You can also rely on protective clothing like shirts with long sleeves or pants. Wide brim hats are great because they cover the face but also the back of the neck and the ears, which happen to be places that people tend to forget to put on sunscreen sometimes and we also really encourage folks to use sunglasses to protect their eyes. Another great strategy is just rethinking the timing of your outdoor activities. So, just scheduling your activities a little bit earlier in the day or kind of later in the afternoon or early evening can really reduce your UV exposure while you’re outside.
MELANIE: Okay. So, we try all of these things and you mentioned sunglasses because I always find that interesting. You see a parent sitting on the beach with sunglasses on and their kids are running around without them on. And little kids’ little eyes can burn even faster than adults. That’s a really good one and the hat, too. So, is this something do you think, Dawn, that doctors should be bringing up with their patients about? Dermatologists do, but what about regular docs?
DAWN: Definitely. It is a great idea for doctors to encourage their patients to use sun protection and to remind parents to protect their kids. But, in particular, we have great evidence showing that counseling in a clinical setting – so, by your physician, or nurse, or another practioner - counseling for fair skinned patients between the ages of 10 and 25 about skin cancer prevention has actually been shown to lead to improvements in their use of sun protection and reduce their use of indoor tanning. We know that doctors talking to their patients works.
MELANIE: You know what I heard works, too, especially with the younger set, Dawn, is appealing to their vanity. As opposed to skin cancer, which they don’t believe they’ll ever get. Then, you talk about wrinkles and the nasty look of a face with those marks on them and having basal cell things removed from your face and your scalp. Those kinds of things tend to work in that sort of kind of scared straight tactic. What do you think?
DAWN: That’s a great point. We’ve seen that work really well with folks who are into tanning and use either sunbathing outdoors or indoor tanning as a way to get a tan. They are very appearance focused anyway, so you are tapping into that motivation to keep their skin looking healthy and youthful. And we know that UV exposure is one of the key causes of premature skin aging. So, the wrinkles and age spots that everyone tries to avoid. And I think that also just encouraging people to use some protection so they avoid getting a sunburn because no one wants that because it doesn’t look good and it can be painful and uncomfortable.
MELANIE: Absolutely. In the last 30 seconds, Dawn, sum it up for us. Give us your best advice as a CDC research scientist, cool job that you have in sunscreen and why we have been using it wrong. Just about 30 seconds here.
DAWN: I would just say we all need to take responsibility for keeping our skin healthy and safe and helping our children stay sun safe and that, of course, includes using sunscreen while you’re outdoors in the sun. Look for SPF 15 or higher and be sure that sunscreen is broad spectrum. Be sure to pair it with other forms of protection like clothing, wide brim hats and staying in the shade.
MELANIE: Thank you. It’s great information. If you missed any of the great information that we’re giving here, you can listen anytime on demand or on the go at RadioMD.com. You can listen to us on iHeartRadio and download the segments on iTunes. Share them you’re your friends. Put them on Facebook. We’re all over the place. That way everybody gets to learn together.
This is Melanie Cole for RadioMD. The show is Health Radio. Stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
What does this new test mean for IBS sufferers?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 2
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml5b.mp3
- Featured Speaker Stephen Wangen, ND
- Book Title The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution: How It's Cured at the IBS Treatment Center
- Guest Website IBS Treatment Center
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Guest Bio
Dr. Stephen Wangen is the founder and Medical Director of the IBS Treatment Center. He is the author of two books on food allergies and intolerances, and since 2005 the IBS Treatment Center has successfully treated over 5000 people with digestive disorders.
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Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 5, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Stephen Wangen, ND
This is Health Radio, with Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: Millions of people suffer from the effects of irritable bowel syndrome known as IBS. Bloating, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, constipation; it can all be so confusing, so uncomfortable. And although the malady itself, let alone the cause, it has been notoriously difficult to diagnose IBS.
My guest today is Dr. Stephen Wangen, he is the founder and medical director of the IBS Treatment Center in Los Angeles.
Welcome to the show. So, Dr. Wangen, first tell the listeners what is IBS and why is it so difficult to diagnose?
DR. WANGEN: As you were saying, IBS is really a broad spectrum of issues. The label doesn’t really define anything too clearly because anybody who’s got diarrhea, who’s got constipation, who’s got gas, who’s got bloating, or just simply has abdominal pain and doesn’t have anything else. So, you don’t have appendicitis and you don’t have gallstones and you don’t have Crohn’s disease. If you’ve got one of those symptoms in any combination, it doesn’t matter which one you have or if you’ve got all five of them, then essentially you’re left with IBS. That is millions of people in this country.
MELANIE: Do we have any idea what causes it?
DR. WANGEN: I think it depends on who you talk to. Your typical doctor is so busy ruling out all of these other issues and making sure that there is nothing life threatening that essentially when they do that they’re pretty much at the end of their expertise. They are saying, “Well, we haven’t found anything that is going to kill you today or in the next few weeks.” Therefore, as far as they are concerned, you are essentially fine. But unfortunately, as people who suffer from these things, like I have, it’s incredibly debilitating. It affects everything that you do. It affects your ability to work, your ability to have a social life, your ability to travel and all these things that people want to and expect to be able to do is altered by these symptoms that, of course, are very, at minimum, embarrassing, but can be incredibly painful even.
MELANIE: Absolutely.
DR. WANGEN: Yes and it’s the story that I hear from patients over and over and they are very frustrated because they have been to so many doctors and they are not getting any answers and that is essentially what happened to me as well. When I had IBS 20 years ago and I had the same problem, I would go to doctors and they would say, “Well, we don’t know what’s wrong.” And I would say, “Well, this is ridiculous. There’s got to be a cause if there’s a problem. We’ve got to be able to figure this out.” What I learned over the years as I became more and more focused on this topic and then eventually founded the IBS Treatment Center, was that it was just a label that didn’t really tell you anything about the cause because there were literally hundreds of causes.
MELANIE: Yes. I’d like to narrow down some of those and talk about this blood test. I had IBS 20 years ago, too, and while I’ve had colonoscopies, they did a barium enema. There’s a pleasant test. Oh, my God. It was so painful. So, what about this blood test--because we don’t have a lot of time in these segments – but what is this new blood test that can confirm IBS?
DR. WANGEN: What the blood test might do, at least, is maybe prevent the need for some other tests. Because all of those tests are designed to rule out other things. So, if the blood test shows a positive, it is a much higher indication that you’ve got IBS, at least in the cases of people who have diarrhea with IBS. It is only valuable in those cases. It doesn’t have anything to do or help with any other form of IBS, but it gives you some indication that you probably don’t have any other problem. It really still is like a lot of tools that have been used in medicine. It’s a rule out tool. Ruling out other problems and saying, “Well, we’re left with IBS.” It’s a step in the right direction, but it really still doesn’t provide patients with a great piece of information that says, “Okay, now what do you do? Now, how are you going to solve this problem?” But it might help prevent you going through other testing that would be a waste of time, or like you said, could be incredibly uncomfortable.
MELANIE: Really uncomfortable. So, what else can you do to treat IBS? Let’s just stick with that now because treatment – I had it, mine went away. I’m not sure exactly why because Chrone’s runs in my family, but mine went away. I didn’t eliminate gluten. I stopped eating broccoli for a while, but now I can eat it again. So, what are we looking at? Is it the high gassy foods? Do you steer clear of some things that you know are triggers? Fiber supplements? What do we do?
DR. WANGEN: Well, that is the million dollar question, or the billion dollar question. When I see a patient, I honestly don’t even have a plan yet of exactly what we are going to need to do because there are so many potential problems. But what I am looking at is narrowing those down. So, as an IBS specialist, my goal isn’t to diagnose IBS, it’s to solve it. It’s to say, “This is the starting point. You’ve got these symptoms. We need to be able to solve this, so what do we do next?” That is a detective process where we say, “You could be reacting to literally anything.” You mentioned gluten. You mentioned broccoli. You mentioned all these things. Every patient is different and that’s what makes it so challenging. Especially for people on their own. They start going on diets that they heard about and it might be a thing that they need to do. They’re told, “Maybe you should go on the [inaudible 5:40] diet or maybe you should go on the [inaudible 5:41] diet. Maybe you should do this or you should do that. And they try these things and it might help a small percentage of people, but for most people, it’s actually not going to be the answer because they are going to have a completely different issue. What I have to do is take each patient individually and say “Well, anything is open to the possibility at the beginning.” Anything, it could be dairy, it could be egg, it could be soy, it could be corn, it could be gluten, it could be yeast, it could be almonds, and it could be you name it. It could be foods that everybody on the planet has told you are good for you; it could be bad for you. Plaque; it could be anything. But I have to start there and be really logical and methodical narrowing it down. The same is true with all of these other issues you hear about probiotics and you hear about candida and you hear about parasites. You hear about this whole microbial world of the gut. It is a fascinating world, but we need to understand it better. We need to figure out what a person really needs. Because I have just as many patients that feel worse on probiotics as feel better. And there are reasons for that. We need to take that at face value and say, “Well, if that’s what’s happening, I need to know that so I can do some more detective work to I can figure out why that is.” I wish there was a simple answer where I could say everybody with IBS just go do that. But that is what you are already being told. You’re being told, “Well, just go on this diet” or “Just go take a probiotic” or “Take this enzyme.” It is not going to be something that is going to be cured by a supplement or by just everybody going gluten free. For some people that is going to work great. But that is not going to work for 95% of the people who are going to try it. If there were looking for a nice quick easy pop answer I could give it to you, but in reality what a person needs is somebody who’s full focus and interest is on solving the IBS, essentially an IBS expert, who that’s their job. That’s a big distinction from a gastroenterologist whose job is to perform colonoscopies. It is to look and scope look for other problems but not necessarily to solve IBS.
MELANIE: So, if people are looking to solve IBS, do you typically, I mean probiotics certainly have been touted and trying all these different eliminations of things and stress reduction. Because I’ve heard that stress is such a big contributor to IBS. So, what do you recommend? We only have a minute left, so wrap it up for us. In your best recommendations about the importance that you think this blood test might have in getting the diagnosis just a little bit quicker so we don’t have to go through so many of those uncomfortable tests and what you think the best advice for treatment is.
DR. WANGEN: Stress is often blamed. I think what happens to people is that when the doctor can’t find anything; they get pushed in that direction of “Well, it must be stress. It must be in your head. Because everything seems to be showing up normal.” Ironically, what I find is that for most patients it’s the IBS that is causing the stress, not the other way around.
MELANIE: Interesting. We only have 10 seconds, Doc.
DR. WANGEN: Sure. I want people to do is to have hope that there is an answer. But it’s not necessarily going to be a simple, “Oh, I can pick this up off of the internet.” But keep the faith. Keep hopeful that there is something out there that is really the solution to your problem. Our website IBSTreatmentCenter.Com is full of information and stories about people who have found the answer to their IBS.
MELANIE: Thank you so much. It’s great information. You’re listening to Health Radio right here on RadioMD. I’m Melanie Cole. Stay well and stay tuned. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
How long do you have to wait to have intercourse after you've given birth?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 1
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml5a.mp3
- Featured Speaker Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD, FACOG
- Book Title V Is For Vagina: You’re A to Z Guide to Periods, Piercings, Pleasures
- Guest Website Dr. Dweck
-
Guest Bio
Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD, FACOG, is a full-time practicing OB/GYN. She provides care to women of all ages; she has delivered thousands of babies.
A graduate of Barnard College, she has a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition from Columbia University and her Medical Degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, now named Drexel University. Dr. Dweck trained at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, where she was Chief Resident in 1994.
Dr. Dweck is on the Health Advisory Board of Family Circle Magazine and contributed regularly to YM Magazine, in a series called "Paging Dr. Dweck."
She has also contributed to Cosmopolitan, SHAPE, Family Circle, and Girl's Life. Dr. Dweck lectures at various Westchester public schools on relevant gynecologic subjects, most recently, Sexually Transmitted Infections. She lives in Chappaqua, New York, with her husband, their two sons and their English bull dog. -
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Melanie Cole's Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 5, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD, FACOG
It’s time for Health Radio. With Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: If you’ve just given birth, congratulations. Oh, I love new little babies. But the last thing you might be thinking about when you have just had a baby is when you are going to have sex again. I don’t know. Maybe some of us do, maybe some of us don’t. But not only does your body go through some drastic, amazing changes and needs that time to heal, but you may be wondering when you might even find the time, or feel like it. My guest today is Dr. Alyssa Dweck. She is a full-time practicing OB/GYN and is on the health advisor board of Family Circle Magazine. I love that magazine.
Welcome to the show Dr. Dweck. So, you just have a baby. The husband tells the doctor to take an extra stitch down there, right, that’s the old joke. So, do we feel like having sex? What about the time factor? What about our libido? What about the size of our vagina at that point? Kind of hit it all for us here.
DR. DWECK: Sure. Hello, and thank you so much for having me. As far as timing, it is really fairly standard to recommend waiting on sex for at least six weeks after having a baby. This really allows for a couple of things. Number one, you need to heal. If you’ve had a vaginal delivery, of course a baby coming through that area is going to take its toll in some way or another. You may be healing from an episiotomy or from lacerations and that takes a little bit of time. In addition, we have to wait for bleeding to stop and we have to wait for cramping to stop and those are going to take a little bit of time as well. In fact, the bleeding after delivery can sometimes last upwards of six weeks. That’s where that six week time frame typically comes in. After a C-section, it’s reasonable to think that there might be some pain in the incision area of the abdomen which might preclude comfortable relations for a bit. So, of course, we typically have people wait six weeks after that as well.
MELANIE: It hurts at that point. If you’ve had a vaginal delivery as both of mine were, it hurt to poop for the first couple of weeks much less having intercourse. Absolutely the last thing. Hormones aside and the time factor, you feel like now all of the sudden this baby is going to start to cry, is going to need something. You don’t feel good about your body. There is the whole self-esteem issue, Dr. Dweck. So, how can you and your partner, keep that intimacy? My producer who is going to have a baby soon should listen to this. How can you and your partner keep that intimacy while breast feeding, formula feeding, changing poopy diapers, all of it?
DR. DWECK: I often tell my patients that they may have to actually schedule intimate times and they may have to think outside the box in terms of timing. It might be convenient to think of intimacy when your baby is taking a nap or when you can get a family member in to babysit for an hour or two and you take a little time for yourself. But I do want to go back to the self-image issue and a couple of other physical things that you mention which are so incredibly important. Regarding healing after delivery, thankfully, so many women are nursing after delivery and they will really find that the vagina is so dry when they are given the go ahead for sexual relations. Lubricant comes in very, very handy and I would absolutely recommend that that’s available. There are lots of different types of lubricants out there, over the counter that are very helpful. Some women resort to things like coconut oil, although whatever works is really fine. Keep that in mind. Especially with nursing because with low estrogen levels and nursing, the vaginal area will be particularly dry. Regarding fatigue, which is huge, that has a bearing on sexual relations. My obstetrician many, many years back gave me the advice, “Why don’t you try to take a nap when you’re baby naps if you’re home and have the good fortune to be able to do that and you’ll have a little bit of extra energy on your hands when the time comes.” So, that was always a helpful piece of advice. But I would say schedule intimacy times and try to beat the fatigue for sure.
MELANIE: Taking a nap when the baby naps is always really good advice. But then, what if the spouse feels neglected? Even if you nap, Dr. Dweck, you know that with the nighttime feedings and just the worry of SIDS and all of the things we women go through. My, God. We don’t have that much time for our husbands. You can say schedule the intimacy, but what if we are just not feeling it? We’re just like “Eww. Don’t touch me. I just had a baby.” You know, what if that’s what’s going on?
DR. DWECK: Well, thankfully we have the benefit of time because that’s definitely going to help. I think usually the first couple of months are the hardest but after that time, you get your baby on a schedule, you get back on a schedule and, like I said, it may have to be something that you actually plan and prioritize for a bit of time until you get back into an “adult schedule”. Regarding self-image issues, I have women who come into my practice and they are very concerned about intimacy with their partners after having a baby. Their breasts are leaking at the thought of their crying baby and that may be uncomfortable. They do worry about pain because of dryness and the lack of use that their vagina may have been dealing with over the months prior. Also, baby weight and losing that and getting back to your pre-baby body and feeling comfortable with yourself. This just is a matter of discipline and time. Eventually, the amount of milk that you make will accommodate to what your baby needs and you won’t be leaking all the time, every time you think about a baby crying. You can pick up an exercise program as soon as your doctor or health care provider gives you the okay. Doing toning exercises and cardio not only is great for the mind and clears the mind and gets those endorphins flowing for feel good moments, but also will get your weight back in order. I always love to remind people that breast feeding in and of itself burns a whole lot of extra calories. That will be helpful with baby weight loss as well. As far as dryness, we covered that a little bit. But the lack of use and dryness can be taken care of with lubricants in most cases and just getting back in the saddle, if you will.
MELANIE: Dr. Dweck, when do you worry? We talk about post-partum depression on these shows and we talk about things you should be on the lookout for but when do you worry that those hormones may not come back? You’re just too baby-centered. They are one year old and you still haven’t felt like having too much sex. Is there a point at which some women just don’t seem to bounce back?
DR. DWECK: I think that this is so variable based on individuals. A lot of this is also based on whether there is a history of depression in the past, anxiety in the past, and what was your sex life and your sex drive like prior to baby? Some people will report that they really have a diminished sex drive after they deliver because they are so distracted with everything going on with their family and their baby and what not. If this is something distressing to someone, then it’s worth taking the extra step – taking a step back and really prioritizing this and I think that there’s a lot we can do to try to help prioritize including “date night”, including trying to get back into some adult activities so that you are just not centered around baby activities all of the time.
MELANIE: Does breast feeding ever take away from the sensation? Or maybe the husband now doesn’t really find your breasts very attractive because they are used as a feeding system?
DR. DWECK: Oh, I think just the opposite. I mean there may be some men who find it unappealing, but most men are so absolutely blown away by the bond that nursing seems to create between mom and baby. And, you know, it doesn’t just have to be between mom and baby. The partner can certainly take part with pumped breast milk and do their part in terms of overnight feedings and feeling that they are also helping in that way. A lot of men probably find it very arousing or even at least just get some loving feelings when they witness breast feedings.
MELANIE: That would be the best sort of feelings to get. Thank you so much, Dr. Dweck, what a great guest you are. The book is V is for Vagina: Your A to Z Guide to Periods, Piercing, and Pleasures. Good information. Finding out how to be intimate after baby. Wow.
This is Melanie Cole. You’re listening to Health Radio right here on RadioMD. Thanks for listening and stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received Yes
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
What are the crucial self-defense moves you should know when walking or running alone?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 4
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml4d.mp3
- Featured Speaker Ross Cascio, Krav Maga Instructor
- Organization Krav Maga
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Guest Bio
Ross Cascio is an Expert Level Krav Maga Instructor with over a decade teaching Krav Maga self-defense, fight, and fitness classes. Originally from Virginia, Ross moved to Los Angeles in 1998 and worked in the movie industry as a screenplay reader and story editor for almost ten years. He is 42, married and enjoys spending time with his dog.
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Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Melanie Cole's Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 4, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Ross Cascio
Health Radio. Here is your host, Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: You know that running and walking are two of the most simple and least expensive ways to get active. If you listen to my shows, you know that I am always talking about running and walking and I love walking, myself. But if you head out the door – early morning like I like to do – or late night, or when we’re up at someone’s house like up in Wisconsin, you are walking up on these kind of lonely roads. There are certain safety precautions that you should probably take.
My guest today Ross Cascio, I got that right. Expert level krav maga instructor with over a decade teaching krav maga, self-defense, fight and fitness classes.
Welcome to the show, Ross. Start with the walkers. Ladies, we like to walk. We’re walking out on sometimes roads where there’s not a lot of people. I sometimes look at the trucks that drive by and think if they just pulled over, they could grab me and no one would ever even know. So, what do we do? How do we keep ourselves safe? Not that they would want to grab me. That’s what I’m saying.
ROSS: Well, Melanie, that instinct is probably one of the best things that you can have. If you are already thinking that way then you are a little bit ahead of the game. What we like to think about at krav maga when we talk to students about being safe in any situation is sort of being what we call “situationally aware”. So, the fact that you are already thinking about those kinds of things is already a step in the right direction. You are already prepared for what the dangers could possibly be in the area that you are exercising in. Someone like me--I live in Los Angeles--when my wife goes out jogging or walking, there’s different threats. It’s a more populous area, so she would have to be aware of corners you can’t see around, objects people could hide behind. Those kinds of things. The most important thing is to be, as I referred to it, situationally aware. A couple easy things you can do to help maintain a level of situational awareness is keeping your eyes up and keeping your ears open. When you go walking, Melanie, do you like listening to music or that kind of thing? Or bring your phone with you?
MELANIE: That’s an interesting question, Ross, because sometimes I’ll have the things in my ears and I’ll take one out. But that’s for me for cars and such because I can picture just being off in my own little music world and just stepping into the street. Like some texter and walker and getting hit. So, I try and keep that open ear, but I know what you mean because if somebody comes running past you, if they are a runner and they come running on your left, you’re like “Oh”. It gives you a little jump start. You know? It gives you a little shock. So, you need be ear aware and keep your eyes up. How do we do all of these things at the same time while trying to walk and not fall?
ROSS: Something else that could help you, if you had a friend or buddy to walk with so you have 4 ears and 4 eyes working, that would help. But if you are listening to music, you don’t have to listen to it so loud where you can’t hear what else is going on so someone could sneak up to the side of you or behind you; that kind of thing. If it’s walking, and certainly, again, we’re talking about on busy sidewalks and maybe even on lonely sidewalks. So often, you see people with their face down in their phone then text, text, text, whatever they are doing. If we are just keeping our eyes up every once in a while, being aware, again, of what is going on around us, there is a lot less chance of someone sneaking up on you and taking advantage of you. Being situationally aware, keeping your eyes up and keeping your ears open.
MELANIE: So, that is the best advice right there. Being aware of your surroundings. Keeping your eyes open. Keeping your ears clear. Maybe walking with a buddy, certainly. Really good. But now, what if you are an alone walker, as I am. Maybe your wife is. What should you do if somebody approaches you? Or if someone starts following you? What do you do?
ROSS: Again, it depends on the situation you are in. If you are close to a place where you can be around other people and get to some place where other people can possible help you if you feel like you’re in danger, then get there. If you’re by yourself and it is a situation where nobody else is around for a long distance or couldn’t come to help you for a great period of time, get yourself out of there. A little bit of common sense. If we’re talking about a situation where I’m being approached or now someone is definitely coming close to me to attack me that is where training with us at Krav Maga Worldwide and taking krav maga self-defense classes is really going to help.
MELANIE: Tell us a little bit about that, Ross. What does it teach you?
ROSS: Krav maga is a self-defense system, a martial art, if you will, that was developed in Israel about the time Israel was first becoming a nation. It was used to help sort of regular people – when Israel need to form an army, they needed to take regular people and teach them how to fight. That’s what our system does. We teach people how to, basically, defend themselves in a number of different situations and we bring people up to a good level of proficiency in punching, kicking, striking, avoiding – getting out of headlocks and chokes and stuff like that in a relatively short period of time. Krav maga is a self-defense system that you can apply in a short period of time to a lot of threats that are real world dangers today.
MELANIE: It’s such an interesting concept. I am kind of little. I’m 4 foot 10. I know I don’t sound like that on the radio. When I was in college, I took Tae Kwon Do; some karate classes.
ROSS: Nice.
MELANIE: I learned that it doesn’t matter how little you are. It’s about what you do with your littleness. What you do with that other person’s weight against you and that sort of thing. Give us just a few, little workable tips that someone little like me, or somebody else can do if somebody approaches them while they are out walking; while they are out running. Just something that they can do and I know it depends on the circumstances, but if somebody actually came up and grabbed their arm, turned them around or came up behind them. Just a couple of little tips.
ROSS: I think the key in any situation, if we’re being attacked, if I know I have to defend myself--like there is no getting out of it. I know I’m going to be in a fight, they have grabbed me and it’s on. Right? What we teach students is to be as aggressive as possible and fight until you do damage to the person that is attacking you. I can try and get away, try and get away and try and get away, but if I am not essentially damaging the person who is trying to attack me, I am not going to be able to turn the tide of that encounter. If someone grabbed me by my arm and they had both hands on my arm and I had one arm free, I would punch them in the face, I would poke them in the eyes, or I would chop them in the neck, or I would kick them in the groin. These are the type of things that we work with. If someone grabs me around the throat with both hands I am going to try to pluck their hands away from my neck, kick them in the groin at the same time or knee them in the groin at the same time. If someone grabs me from behind…
MELANIE: So, we really should do all of that? Fight as hard as we can and do all of those things? Now, we have just about a minute left. So, wrap up for us. Your best advice for going out there, krav maga. What you want the women to know, or men, that are out there walking around, how to stay safe if you’re running or walking alone.
ROSS: I think the first thing I would say, Melanie, that if you feel like a situation is kind of weird or potentially dangerous, it’s probably going to be. Trust your instincts and avoid a situation where you might actually have to fight somebody as much as possible. If it is a situation like we talked about a second ago, where it is unavoidable and I know I am in a self-defense situation, students at Krav Maga Worldwide and our philosophy at Krav Maga Worldwide is that we are going to fight as aggressively as possible until we can safely get away from that situation.
MELANIE: Absolutely. That’s great advice. Thank you so much. You’re listening to Health Radio right here on RadioMD. Share these shows with your friends because you can listen any time on demand or on the go at RadioMD.com.
This is Melanie Cole. Thanks for listening. Stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
How can you avoid exposure to BPA and its just-as-harmful replacement BPS?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 3
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml4c.mp3
- Featured Speaker Cassandra Kinch, PhD
- Organization University of Calgary
-
Guest Bio
Dr. Cassandra Kinch is a recent PhD graduate in the Department of Medical Genetics at University of Calgary under the supervision of Dr. Deborah Kurrasch.
Kinch's research focuses on effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS), the common analogue used in BPA-free products, on early brain development, work which is now published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
More recently, Kinch has become interested in the impact of maternal nutrition on the severity of BPA/BPS effects later in life. Her work is funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Cassandra Kinch completed her Bachelor of Science with a major in Ecology at the University of Calgary. She began her Masters at UofC in Reproductive Endocrinology then later switched focus to Neuroendocrinology and Development upon transferring into her PhD.
Due to interest garnered by the PNAS publication, Kinch has participated in three national TV interview broadcasts, 10+ media reporter interviews and published research findings in 180+ news sites, including CBC, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal and LA Times. Kinch has also been personally profiled in Utoday magazine twice (June 2014, Jan. 2015) and UCalgary Medicine magazine once (Nov. 2014). -
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Melanie Cole's Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 4, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Cassandra Kinch, PhD
This is Health Radio on RadioMD. Here’s Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: With all the hype you hear in the media surrounding BPAs, you might have decided to steer away from those kinds of materials. However, you probably realize how difficult it is, since so many products – including your plastic containers, juices, sodas, water bottles, receipts now we hear, baby products – all contain these BPAs.
My guest today is Dr. Cassandra Kinch. She’s a recent PhD graduate in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Calgary. Congratulations to you and welcome to the show, Dr. Kinch.
I’d like to start by having you explain for the listeners, what is a BPA and what’s the difference between BPA and now we’re hearing about BPS?
DR. KINCH: Sure. Thank you for inviting me to be on the show. So, BPA is a chemical that’s used in the production of plastic %that are used for food containers, also in some construction materials, and it’s also present in the lining of tin cans. More recently what we’re coming to realize is that it’s actually used as a color developer on credit card receipts. Once you touch one of these products or if you’re storing food within the product, over time the product can become exposed to BPA, and then once it’s ingested or taken in by a person it, can then have a wide range of adverse physiological effects. We know this has effects on the developing fetus. We also know it has effects on the adult. So, given that there’s been a big societal push to get rid of BPAs from our consumer products, a lot of manufacturers have now been using very similar compounds, other bisphenol compounds, such as Bisphenol S. The reason for that is that they need something that’s going to make the chemical reaction in order to produce their products. So, if it’s not BPA, it might be BPS, it might be BPF, it might be BPD. So, there’s a wide range of other bisphenol compounds that are currently in use.
So, what our project our identified was that not only is BPA is harmful but BPS might also be harmful as well.
MELANIE: Wow. So, how do we really avoid all of these things? I mean the receipts? People are learning when they ask you now if you want an emailed receipt, that’s the one you take so that you just have that receipt, stick it in some file somewhere in your Gmail and there you go. You’ve got it. I personally still like the paper receipts, but I’m trying to remember to wash my hands and save paper. But what do you do about all these products? How do you stay away from them all?
DR. KINCH: Exactly. The reality of it is that these compounds are everywhere, and they’re even in our drinking water. To completely avoid these bisphenol compounds would just be unrealistic. You would have to live in a bubble, I guess. But there are things that you can do. Like you said, instead of taking a paper receipt or only take a paper receipt if you need to, you can also try to limit your exposure to the receipts. So instead of crumpling it up in your hand, you can take it with two fingers, and then as you said wash your hands right away. Also, in terms of food storage, make sure you’re storing food in glass and in terms of drinking bottles, make sure you’re using aluminum or glass bottles instead of using plastic. Furthermore, when you’re making food choices within the grocery story, try to avoid purchasing canned food.
MELANIE: Except, now, okay, I get that. We hear that – nutrition is part of what I do for a living – so I tell people that canned food, if they have to keep something in the pantry, canned food, canned vegetables, canned beans, these things, if they can’t get the fresh all the time are great alternatives. But then, now you’re saying that the cans – which is better for us? To keep the cans and have the vegetables and beans or to worry about these BPAs and things that are in the cans? How do we make that distinction? Or should we start looking to products that maybe come in a cardboard box? Are those dangerous, too? Those little cardboard boxes that soups come in now.
DR. KINCH: I haven’t heard or found any studies within my research that indicate that foods preserved within a cardboard box are harmful and have BPAs contained within the container. I mean, by and large, we know that some canned foods contain higher amounts of BPA versus other foods that are canned just based on the acidity of the food. For an example, I know that canned tomatoes, those cans are really high for bisphenol products.
MELANIE: Now, why are they high? Is it because of the citric acid in the tomatoes? Does that bring out those BPAs more than say something like corn?
DR. KINCH: No, actually I believe that the release of BPAs is the same in all canned foods but don’t quote me on that, but the reason why they need to use the BPAs is to prevent corrosion. Since some foods are more acidic that others, they’re going to have to use more BPAs in the can in order to prevent corrosion of the metal.
MELANIE: Yes. That’s kind of what I was getting at. If it’s a more acidic food there going to have to…You can even do this test yourself and put an acidic food like stewed tomatoes onto a spoon for a while and you see that it corrodes it just a little bit. So, they have to use more of it to protect the inside of the metal can to make it have a shelf life.
DR. KINCH: Exactly.
MELANIE: So, glass jars. They’re my favorite thing because not only can you wash them in the dishwasher and then use them for canning and pickling and storing other foods. But now glass jars, they don’t have anything do they?
DR. KINCH: No, and that’s what our research group generally recommends. If you’re going to be storing food, use glass. Although it is a bit heavier than plastic, and I know especially too – talking to some young mothers – it’s hard to haul around glass all the time. But really in my opinion, it seems to be the only safe alternative.
MELANIE: I agree with you. I know that when I was using bottles and bringing juice and things around for my babies that I was using glass because I just didn’t like the way when you keep washing plastic. So, the plastic water bottles, we seem addicted to these things. What about the stainless steel ones? Do those contain anything in the inside of that stainless steel?
DR. KINCH: Again, I haven’t found anything in the literature to indicate that the stainless steel containers have any harmful effects long term. Again, that being said, we’re not sure what’s going on with ongoing research. But by and large, that’s another recommendation that our research group does put forth is that if you’re going to be drinking water out of bottles, make sure that those bottles are made of glass or made of aluminum.
MELANIE: See, that’s cool. Why don’t you wrap it up in the last minute for us, please if you would Dr. Kinch, and sort of wrap up the recommendations that you have heard about, that you guys have done research on, the recommendations for avoiding these BPAs, BPSs, and all those BP things.
DR. KINCH: Sure. Our group hasn’t actually done any research ourselves on that type of exposure. We’ve just looked at what’s going on from exposure to these compounds within the brain, so we’re thinking about what’s happening physiologically. However, what our recommendations are is that make sure that you use glass containers so you avoid storing food in plastic; make sure that you’re not putting plastic contains within the dishwasher and the microwave and heating them up. Secondly, try to avoid purchasing canned foods if at all possible. And lastly, if you don’t necessarily need your receipts when you’re at a retail store, just say “no”.
MELANIE: I think that is great advice. It really is. Using glass may be a little heavier, but pretty much safer. Try and avoid those receipts if at all possible, and if you have to, maybe, wash your hands. If you have to have your receipt or something, then wash your hands. But try and save some paper and not get those things all the time. Or aluminum – if you’re going to use a water bottle, use one that you can reuse made of aluminum because it’s certainly going to be better for us in the long run and better for our landfills as well.
This is Melanie Cole. You’re listening to Health Radio right here on RadioMD. Scroll around. Share these shows with your friends. Thanks for listening and stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
Are there certain foods you should and shouldn't be eating on your wedding day?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 2
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml4b.mp3
- Featured Speaker Keri Gans, MS, RD
- Guest Website Keri Gans
-
Guest Bio
Keri Gans is a Registered Dietitian, Spokesperson and Media Personality with a private practice in New York City. She is the author of The Small Change Diet (Gallery, March 2011), a Past-Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Past-President of The New York State Dietetic Association. Keri holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Ohio University.
Keri spends the majority of her time conducting individual nutrition counseling, public speaking, writing and consulting. She is the official Weight-Loss Coach weekly blogger for Shape.com and also blogs bi-monthly for U.S. News' Eat + Run.
She is frequently quoted as the nutrition expert in local and national publications, such as Glamour, Fitness, Shape, Self, Women's Health, and Health. Keri has made several television appearances including, EXTRA, The Dr. Oz Show, ABC News, WPIX11 Morning Show, Primetime, and Good Morning America and is regularly on radio shows such as Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's Dr. Radio and Martha Stewart Living. -
Transcription
relRadioMD Presents: Melanie Cole's Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 4, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Keri Gans, MS, RD
It’s time for Health Radio with Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: After all that planning, it’s so exciting. June’s coming up. The big day is coming up. Maybe you’ve had a few breakdowns. You’re a little nervous. You’re worried your dress won’t fit. All of these things go into that big exciting wedding day. But do you eat? Are you too sick to your stomach with nerves to eat in the morning? You’ve paid for all this great food at the wedding. Are you busy going from person to person saying hello to everybody that you never even get to try the little tenderloin sandwiches that you paid so much for? What are you supposed to eat the morning and the afternoon of your wedding day? And how do you keep yourself hydrated and getting good nutrition so that you’re at your best because you will look better, too.
My guest is Keri Gans. She’s a registered dietician, spokesperson and media personality with a private practice in New York City. Welcome to the show, Keri.
So, the wedding day. These ladies-- they know their next meal isn’t until maybe the evening. Do you eat in the morning? How do you not make yourself sick to your stomach?
KERI: You have to eat in the morning, because if you don’t – you hear about the bride who hasn’t eaten anything all day and then has a couple of drinks at her wedding, and it’s not always the best plan. You don’t want to approach the big night without food because if you start to drink at your wedding and you haven’t eaten anything, obviously, that liquor is going to go straight to your head.
MELANIE: Absolutely. Besides the fact that you want to be comfortable in your stomach, so you don’t want to get bloated. You want to make sure you poop plenty so that you don’t have to do that once you put that dress on.
KERI: Right, because you want to feel your best. What I tell most of my brides-to-be is that first and foremost: don’t try to have something you’ve never had before. Rule number one. The same way you don’t run a marathon without having something –
MELANIE: I was going to say it’s like running a marathon!
KERI: You know, there are certain rules of thumb. If you haven’t ever had that before or you haven’t eaten it in a long time, now is not the day to do it. But I feel a really safe way and an easy dish to have would be scrambled eggs. You want to get some protein in you. You start it with some scrambled eggs and some whole wheat bread. A lot of brides are thinking, “Wait a second, I haven’t had bread for two months.” Well, that’s another story. They shouldn’t have been avoiding the bread. But get a little whole grain in there for the quick energy. It’s a combination of some protein and some carbs is what you’re really looking for. So, scrambled eggs and some toast could be great. Or, you could even do a Greek yogurt and put a little high fiber cereal in there and maybe a little fresh fruit. You’re looking for that combination of protein and some carbohydrates.
MELANIE: Okay, scrambled eggs, I think, is a brilliant idea with a nice piece of toast. As you pointed out, it’s very similar to marathon day. You don’t want to try anything new, you want to keep foods that are settling on your stomach and good, but you do need those carbohydrates to soak up anything you might start drinking.
KERI: Right. And you need the carbohydrates for the energy! Because, really, it is our fuel, and you’re going to need to be supercharged that day. I mean, you might already be because of nerves, but it’s good to have it naturally coming from your body as well.
MELANIE: That’s right. It is. So, you know, you’re worried about being bloated, and you’ve mentioned these great foods that don’t typically bloat you. Do you have a few small meals? Do you just eat your breakfast and then wait? Do you eat a little bit after?
KERI: I think you need to eat again. You’re going to be up early. It’s going to be a long day. Who knows when your hair and make-up is going to start? So, basically eat your breakfast before you get to wherever or the person’s coming to you to you start the long day of getting prepped and groomed and looking like your best. And that’s even before you start with all the photographs. It’s just a very long day, as we know. I really feel like – I mentioned the yogurt earlier in the day, but that could be even just a quick, little, easy snack--something that you can just take with a spoon. You really don’t want to have to sit down and really take a lot of time to eat a meal, because you’re not going to do it. So, little snacks up until the point of when you’re getting your pictures taken and then the actual event starts could be recommended because most people, once the event starts, as much as I’m going to say, “Eat that amazing meal that you paid for”, you’re most likely not going to.
MELANIE: Yes, you know what? My friends and my bridesmaids and such forced me to. They grabbed me and said, “Mellie, sit down.” And then I sat there and I took some bites of food, and I was glad I did because it kept my energy level up. Even though you’ve got these endorphins, you’ve got this adrenaline going like nothing’s going to make you tired. But the energy--
What about foods to calm your nerves? Is there something you can have for lunch? Or something you recommend besides a mimosa while you’re getting dressed that can help calm those nerves?
KERI: Oh, how did you know I was going to recommend that?!
MELANIE: Well, I mean, that’s my favorite thing! So, something to calm your nerves?
KERI: If you are a tea drinker, there is something about tea that is very calming. An actual food…I mean the whole thing is – what I keep saying is – you want to eat simple meals. I can’t say a particular type of food is going to all of a sudden make you calm. But I think if there’s less fuss and less to do, that is calming in itself. If there’s something like just even grabbing a granola type bar, just nibbling on one of those, taking small bites. Your stomach is going to be…those butterflies are there. You’re not going to feel like eating. So, you don’t necessarily want to push yourself, but you also want to take care of yourself. And taking care of yourself means you need to have something; even some berries that you can just pick with your fingers – finger foods that you can just pop in your mouth, especially once you’re getting your makeup done. You’re not going to want to be biting down into a big sandwich (even though I love sandwiches), you want little foods that you can just pop into your mouth and make it easy to eat. That in itself can be calming.
MELANIE: That’s true, and you’re exactly right. Something easy to eat. As a Jewish girl, we take our pictures before the wedding, so we’re still looking all nice and fresh and our lipstick is all still perfect and maybe people are milling around having food while you’re taking pictures. That way when it’s time, after you’ve gotten married, you don’t have to stand there taking pictures. You get to enjoy your own appetizers, again, that you’re spending so much money for. But then there’s that whole eating, messing up your lipstick. So, you want to make sure to get the morning, to get the afternoon, to drink tea, to eat these calming foods, these ones that are not going to mess around. Are there any foods you would want people – I know you said at the beginning, “No foods you haven’t tried before” – but are there any things you really want people to avoid? Like high fibers that will make you gassy? Yikes.
KERI: I think what I mostly tell them to avoid is very salty food. Because, again we want to be in that dress feeling just great, so we don’t want anything that is going to add to us feeling bloated. Even though you think of something like tomato juice could be very soothing; some tomato juices are high in sodium. So, read labels. The same way cottage cheese could be a great, easy thing to eat with a spoon, but make sure you’re getting a low sodium version because you don’t want to eat anything with a lot of salt. And you definitely don’t want to eat anything fried or greasy, but I think that’s a no brainer. I don’t really think any bride is about to do that.
MELANIE: No, I don’t think so either. I think the fried food is pretty much off the table that day. The tomato juice, as you say, can be salty, but if you add a little vodka and Tabasco then it becomes a Bloody Mary.
KERI: And then it becomes calming!
MELANIE: And then it becomes calming, so it’s all in how you put that food out there. We have about a minute left here. Keri, you are such a great guest and lots of fun. Please give the listeners your very best advice for wedding day jitters, foods to avoid, foods that are good, and keeping that slim figure all through the day but keeping your energy level up so that you don’t start drinking champagne and it goes right to your head.
KERI: The most important thing for the listeners is don’t not eat. Find something that you do enjoy, your typical usual foods, make them easy finger foods, eat small portions, and eat right up until the time where you’re just saying, “I don’t have any time to eat.” And most of all, have fun. It’s your wedding day. You’ve had weeks of stressing over this. Most important is just to enjoy the day.
MELANIE: Absolutely great advice. It really is the most important thing. Enjoy the day, and if there’s a few little snafus, don’t let it freak you out. Because in the long run, you’re going to have a great day and you’re going to be married and that’s what it’s really all about.
You’re listening to Health Radio right here on RadioMD. Scroll around. Learn something with us. Share these shows with your friends because that’s how we all learn together. This is Melanie Cole. Stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received Yes
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
More than 45 million Americans regularly suffer from headaches. Will the pain last forever?
Additional Info
- Segment Number 1
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml4a.mp3
- Featured Speaker Brian D. Loftus, MD
- Guest Website Bellaire Neurology
-
Guest Bio
Brian D. Loftus, MD, is a neurologist in private practice at Bellaire Neurology in Bellaire, Texas, a small town within the city of Houston, Texas. He is Board Certified in Neurology as well as Headache Medicine. His practice is mainly focused on headaches, but he also treats multiple sclerosis, epilepsy/seizures, neuropathic pain and hyperhidrosis.
Dr. Loftus is the Chief Medical Officer at Better QOL,Inc. (Better Quality of Life) a software company he founded that is dedicated to bringing quality of life metrics to routine clinical care. Their first product, iHeadache, was co-developed by Dr. Loftus. The iHeadache family of apps is the most widely used electronic headache diary available. It is free to all patients and their physicians for routine office use.
Dr. Loftus is a founding member of the Southern Headache Society and currently serves as Vice President. He is slated to become President of the Society in the fall of 2015. He is also a member of the American Headache Society, the National Headache Foundation, the International Headache Society, the Texas Neurologic Society and the American Academy of Neurology.
In addition, he also serves on the Clinical Care Committee of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Clinical Advisory Committee of the South Central Region of the National MS Society. His clinical research has primarily focused on patients with migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, postherpetic neuralgia, and diabetic neuropathic pain.
He has presented research at national medical meetings and international medical meetings in both Europe and the Middle East. -
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 4, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Brian D. Loftus, MD
It’s Health Radio. Here’s Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: Frequent or recurrent headaches can come close to ruining your life. If you’ve ever had a headache, they can hurt so much that all you want to do is lie down and close your eyes and even that doesn’t always take care of the situation. Sometimes they can be so pounding that you don’t even know what to do about it. More than 45 million Americans suffer from headaches regularly. My guest today is Dr. Brian Loftus. He’s a neurologist at Bellaire Neurology in Bellaire, Texas.
Welcome to the show, Dr. Loftus.
When you get a headache, we know that headaches can be a sign of impending stroke – and this is just me picking the worst possible outcomes – or God forbid, a brain something. So, when do we know that a headache is just a headache and seek treatment for it and when do we not freak out?
DR. LOFTUS: The time to get scared and head to the ER is a very rapid onset of a new type of headache that’s severe-- headache associated with fever and stiff neck; headache associated with weakness or numbness; and, of course, when you’re thinking about primary headaches – like tension headaches and migraines – they recur over and over again. But the first time you get your migraine, you may very well end up in an ER because you may have a very severe headache that you’ve never had anything like that before. So, getting checked out at an ER for the first time is always a good idea if your headache is really extreme. But usually people have a pattern and they know that they don’t have anything awful that is occurring.
MELANIE: Dr. Loftus, some people get headaches and some people don’t. They don’t get them when they’re sick. They don’t get them when they’re stressed. Some people just don’t get headaches. So is there a prevention? Is there a certain thing that you can pinpoint for the people that don’t typically get headaches and the people that do?
DR. LOFTUS: Presumably, it’s in the genes, so one more thing that you can blame your parents for. A tension headache which is the most common headache that we know much less about because it’s really disabling. Those are sort of the headaches that go away with Tylenol or Advil. The recurrent migraines are the ones that cause the disability for most people. There’s cluster headaches, also. But usually we’re talking about migraines, and there’s a whole host of migraine susceptibility genes that are being discovered. So far, they have not let to any specific treatment, but it’s pretty uncommon to have somebody with migraines with a decent sized family that doesn’t have a family history.
MELANIE: So, is there something you can do to prevent these headaches? Other than hangover headaches and just not overdrinking, what can you do to prevent some of these migraines or tension headaches? Is there anything?
DR. LOFTUS: For migraines in particular, the one thing you have under your control that’s a big trigger is sleep disturbance. Regular sleep habits is important for migraines. Not skipping meals is important for migraines. But, usually, if your headaches are frequent – twice a week or more, for sure, or even once a week--if your headaches have disability associated with them, you should get on a preventative regiment from your doctor, and they are usually pretty effective.
MELANIE: What is that kind of regimen?
DR. LOFTUS: In my practice, I sort of have 7 first-line drugs, and they all work about the same. So in order of my preference or use in practice is zonisamide, duloxetine, candesartan, propranolol, amitriptylene, topiramate, valproic acid. Needless to say, there’s lots of choices and the choice of medication is usually dictated upon patient’s weight because some of these cause weight gain and some cause weight loss; whether or not the patient wants to get pregnant or is pregnant, because that would limit the choices as well; if the patient has depression or anxiety. Some of these are antidepressants; if they have high blood pressure. Some of these are blood pressure agents. Usually, the choice is customized for the patient based upon their particular status in life. And then, for patients who are really miserable when they see me the first time, we also have a series of procedures that we can do to help get your migraines down. Most people have heard about Botox these days, but actually there’s a lot of cheaper options out that we do in the office at the first appointment like nerve blocks. There’s something called SPG blocks, or Sphenopalatine Ganglion blocks. It’s easier to just say SPG blocks. There’s multiple devices on the market for this now. The one I use is called an Allevio device, but there are others and those can be very effective in getting patients better before they even leave your office on the day that you see them.
MELANIE: So, do you right away go to a neurologist? What kind of doctor? Would you see your internist first, and then they will refer you to a neurologist? Or if you start to suffer these headaches, should you just make an appointment with a neurologist right off the bat?
DR. LOFTUS: Well, I think there are three levels of doctors that you should think about. There’s your primary care doctor, there’s the neurologist, and then there’s a headache specialist like me. What I would generally tell patients is to think about how often are your headaches, and if they’re once a week or less, then I’d start with your primary care. If they’re sort of in the one to three times a week, probably start with your general neurologist. If they’re more than half the days, you probably should start with a headache specialist. Then, I generally recommend the rule of three. So, if you go to a doctor three times for your headaches and they have not made you significantly better, then I recommend you consider going to the next level up of specialist.
MELANIE: That’s a great answer. Now, what about keeping a diary? Because with so many of our various ills, you forget. When you don’t have that headache, you forget what it was like to have one. You know, pain is sometimes like that. So, do you keep a diary of how intense the pain is, when you got it, and maybe what you were thinking of or what was going on in your life, what you ate or drank before you got that headache?
DR. LOFTUS: I think keeping a diary is very important, and I have developed something called “iHeadache.” There’s an app on the Apple system. There’s also iHeadache online on a computer for those who don’t have Apple products. The key things that I like my patients to track who have frequent headaches is how often they have it, the medications that they’re taking, and the disability that they’re having with their headaches. It’s hard to look for triggers when your headaches are frequent. When your headaches are infrequent, that’s when you can really try to find the trigger and the trigger that you’re thinking about is sleep disturbance, things you ate. So, when headaches are infrequent, I ask patients for five headaches in a row, write down everything about the 24 hours beforehand that they can think of and don’t do anything about it until they have sort of a series of them. Now, having said that I recommend all my patients to sleep well, not to skip meals, I usually have them stop all caffeine if they’re having more than one or two cups of coffee a day, just because that’s such a frequent trigger that’s out there. But as far as finding which food bothers you, if your headaches are even twice a week then there’s a random chance of 25% or so that that food had nothing to do with that headache that day. So, triggers is what we focus on when the counts are down. Getting the counts down is usually with procedures and with medication.
MELANIE: You’ve mentioned caffeine. Are there other foods that you’d like to warn people about? Sodium, can that contribute? Are there certain foods you want us to stay away from if there’s someone who suffers from these headaches?
DR. LOFTUS: The classic foods are the aged cheeses and wine, and there are certainly a lot of folks who are sensitive to that.
MELANIE: Really?
DR. LOFTUS: Yeah, unfortunately.
MELANIE: Is that the fermenting? So, maybe also sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, kimchi, any of those things too?
DR. LOFTUS: Probably. And then the vasoactive things, like MSG, is sort of a food additive. But to be perfectly honest, again, those are things that I focus on when your headaches are infrequent. And a lot of times people will find that, “Oh, it’s after I go out to this restaurant that we go to every other week or so that I always seem to have a headache the next day.” But, initially, when your headaches are just about every day or half the days, it’s really hard to figure those things out.
MELANIE: So, you have about 30 seconds. Wrap it up with your best advice for those suffering from whether it’s migraines or more infrequent tension and stress headaches.
DR. LOFTUS: I think the key is you don’t have to suffer as much as you used to. We have lots of great medications if your headaches are infrequent – those are called triptans. If your headaches are frequent, then you need to work hard on prevention and find a doctor to work with you.
MELANIE: Thank you so much. That is great information. You’re listening to Health Radio right here on RadioMD, and if you missed any of the great information that we’re giving, you can listen any time on demand. Go to my show page at Health Radio. Check them out. Share them with your friends. Scroll around and learn something with us.
This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening, and stay well. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
Text neck refers to the repetitive stress you're putting on your neck and back from constantly staring down at your phone.
Additional Info
- Segment Number 5
- Audio File health_radio/1523ml3d.mp3
- Featured Speaker Alfred O. Bonati, MD
- Guest Website Bonati Institute
-
Guest Bio
Dr. Alfred Bonati is the Chief Orthopedic Surgeon, founder and CEO of the Bonati Spine Institute, located in Tampa Bay, Florida. His pioneering work in outpatient, minimally-invasive spine surgery made medical history by providing an alternative to the traditional open-surgery to treat most spinal conditions. Dr. Bonati created, perfected and patented the precise tools and methods, known as the Bonati Spine Procedures, to minimize anesthesia, surgical scarring, and recovery time.
Moreover,The Bonati Spine Institute was the first ambulatory surgical center in the United States to receive FDA approval for the use of a laser in spine surgery. Dr. Bonati is a graduate of the University of Seville and the Bowman Gray Medical School, and completed internships and residencies at Cook County Hospital (Chicago), the University of Alabama, and Georgetown University. He is also a Diplomat in the International College of Surgeons, the American Board of Neurological, Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery, and the Arthroscopy Board of North America. -
Transcription
RadioMD Presents: Health Radio | Original Air Date: June 3, 2015
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest: Alfred O. Bonati, MD
It’s Health Radio. Here’s Melanie Cole.
MELANIE: So, did you know that people check their cell phones every six minutes with an average of 150 looks on their phone per day? You know, I am somebody that – if you’ve heard me talk before – I have this little piece of crap cell phone. It’s like a flip phone still. So, I don’t really text, and I only use the phone for emergencies only. But, you know, the thing is I can see with my kids: my son, 15, has an iPhone, my husband has some kind of Android, and now my 12-year-old daughter finally convinced us to get her a phone. She’s almost 13. So, we got her one. And all I can say is that when these kids are sitting there staring down at their phones again and again and again, and I am in sports medicine for a living. It’s making me crazy. So, we’re going to see a rise in what they’re calling “text neck.” So, what is “text neck”? I’m going to tell you right now because it’s becoming an epidemic. I’m seeing it right here in my household.
So, your human head weighs about 12 pounds. We learned that in Jerry McGuire, right? I think he said 10 but it’s almost 12. So, as your neck bends forward, kyphosis is this position. It’s what you see in old people when they are looking down at the ground because their posture is so bad because their rhomboid muscles between their shoulder blades get really, really weak. Well, that is what’s going to contribute to “text neck.” Actually, I have a guest today. He’s Dr. Alfred Bonati. He’s the chief orthopedic surgeon, founder, and CEO of The Bonati Spine Institute in Tampa Bay. Oh! Tampa Bay.
Welcome to the show, Dr. Bonati. We’re here in Chicago.
DR. BONATI: We’re raining here.
MELANIE: It is! But you know, the Blackhawks are playing Tampa tonight.
DR. BONATI: Yeah, I know.
MELANIE: There’s a big hockey game going on tonight. Anyways, let’s talk about “text neck.”
DR. BONATI: We’re going to win anyway.
MELANIE: You think so?
DR. BONATI: Yeah.
MELANIE: Okay. This is good. This is good. So, “text neck.” I was saying before, I’m an exercise physiologist, Dr. Bonati, and my children now have their phones, and I see them and my husband with their faces down at their phone. Tell us about “text neck” and what can we do to avoid it. Are we supposed to get our loved ones to hold their phones up in the air so that they’re looking straight ahead at them?
DR. BONATI: Well, usually what happens with these things is they create a bad custom to sustain your neck in the wrong position to try to hold the phone. So, if you continue doing that – I think the new techniques and the new ways to use the phone are probably going to correct the problem. But right now there are a lot of people that are using the phone and are holding the phone with their shoulder and they are using their hands for other things. So, when they do that, they create a lateral rotation of the vertebras on the neck and the ligaments and the muscles, and, initially, it’s not really a major problem. But then if you do that one for a living or if you do that one because you are in some type of a profession that requires that you use your hands free and your phone is being held by your shoulder practically, then you develop two problems. One is problems the problem of elevating your shoulder. When you do that, you create spasms of the muscles.
MELANIE: So, you’re talking about when you’re holding the phone up to your ear?
DR. BONATI: When you’re holding your phone. Exactly.
MELANIE: So, back in the day – now I don’t know how old you are, Dr. Bonati – but back in the day when we had the landline phones--I still have one--and you held the phone up to your ear, people would get that pain on the one side, right? And you would hold it with your shoulder, which is just even worse, and then you start to develop that pain in your neck and your shoulder. But nowadays with this “text neck,” the kids are getting that kyphotic curve. They’re getting that posture – I’m seeing it all over the place – because they’re looking down texting.
DR. BONATI: Yes. Well, what I’m referring to is that one part of the problem is when they hold the phone like that, and that will create spasms in the lateral parts of the muscles and create problems exactly on the facets on that side. Now, if you are going to be sitting in a position and your neck is all the way down, then you are practically creating kyphotic deformity on your neck if you sustain that one for long periods of time. Now, what you are doing is also affecting the facets in both sides, and you are hyperextending those facets. When you hyperextend the facets, you are going to produce some extension of the posterior primary rami, which is a small little nerves that feeds the facets for sensitivity. When you do that, you’re going to have neck pain.
MELANIE: Okay. If you get this neck pain – because we have to get to some information, some tips that you have for people, these are short segments and we only have a few minutes left here – but if you look around, you’re on the bus, the train, the subway, everybody has their heads down. Everybody is hunched over reading their emails and sending texts. Aside from the carpal tunnel their going to get from their thumbs—really. How fast can they text? Oh, my god. That’s going to be something we’re going to see down the line. What would you recommend if somebody came to you and said, “My 15-year-old son has his head down all the dang time because he’s texting constantly or checking email.” They don’t even check email anymore. Now, it’s Instagram and texting. What do you tell them to tell their children? What do you tell them to tell their business partners?
DR. BONATI: Well, unfortunately, because the technology requires that motion, there is very little that you can tell them. You need to educate them. You need to tell them, “Look, if you do this, this is going to create problems in this and these areas, and that is going to create pain. And then you’re going to have problems when you sleep and you’re going to have problems when you are active because your neck is going to hurt. So, at this stage, we don’t have anything that we can go ahead and substitute for that tool. The only solution that I see is that you tell them, “Stand up straight, get your neck up, and try to do the texting in a situation that is almost at the same height as your nose.” This is not going to happen. First, they are kids and they’re not going to pay attention.
MELANIE: They’re not going to pay attention, too. It’s like you know there are standing desks these days and you’re raising up everything so that you can stand and it’s at eye level – your computers. We certainly talk about that on my American College of Sports Medicine show. But with this, you’re forced to look down because who wants to hold their phone up in front of their face? So, I just would like you in the last minute – you know if somebody came to you – just give us your best advice in just this last minute of what you would tell your own son or daughter about “text neck” and getting their face up while they sit there texting.
DR. BONATI: I would teach them a little bit of the anatomy of the neck, and I would tell them, “These nerves are going to be effected, these joints are going to be effected, and you are going to suffer from neck pain.” Now, is that effective? I don’t think so. And right now, we don’t have any tool that can support this instrument at the height that is necessary to maintain the neck strength. So, we can recommend braces and we can recommend something called the “Head Straight.” It’s just education that we can do. Unfortunately, it’s just education. But you are also talking to warriors. These people, at that age, they feel that they are indestructible.
MELANIE: Absolutely, they do.
DR. BONATI: So, how are you going to solve the problem? The only way you are going to solve this is by education and by being alert.
MELANIE: I have to cut you off because we’re out of time, but as parents we have to get on your kids, poke your finger between their shoulder blades, because did you realize that the weight on the cervical spine begins to increase at a 15 degree angle, that weight is 27 pounds. At 30 degrees, it’s 40. As it increases, it could be 60 degrees at 60 pounds. So can you image carrying 60 pounds like an 8-year-old around your neck for several hours per day? Stop texting with your heads down and looking at your email. Hold it up. Teach your kids as Dr. Bonati said. Education: that’s the big key.
This is Melanie Cole. You’re listening to Health Radio right here on Radio MD. Love it. - Length (mins) 10
- Waiver Received No
- Host Melanie Cole, MS
