With most of the United States falling in the category of being obese it is unsettling to know that there are several misconceptions that the general public have about weight loss.
So can you guess Fact or Fiction?
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Daylight Savings or Spendings?
I don't know about most people, but springing forward is one of the worst times of the year. I am a fairly habitual person. On days when I don't have to wake up at an early hour, my biological clock still springs its alarm and refuses to let me rest. My sleep is one thing that no one should ever mess with; yet each year we have to tweak with our biological clocks and switch the clocks forwards and backwards. How is messing with our biological clocks effecting our health?
The switch is no big deal for most. We just change our clocks and live out our Sunday with an hour less of sleep. For some people, however, there is some research that proposes that changes in the sleep-wake cycle can cause people with predisposed conditions to greater risks. People with depression are at greater risk of committing suicide, and those with heart problems are more likely to suffer from a heart attack. So, is saving daylight worth risking lives. Shouldn't we be saving lives and risking a little bit of daylight?
Why do we "save daylight" in the modern age? The concept of daylight savings was originally proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 in an essay titled “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light” that proposed making better use of the morning sunlight to ease the economical impact of candles. It wasn't until 1908 that an attempt to introduce daylight savings as a law was attempted and failed mainly due to opposition of farmers. During WWI at 11:00 P.M. on April 30, 1916, daylight savings time was introduced to reduce the amount of time, energy, and fuel resources of artificial light and save vital resources for the war. Time was reverted back to normal at the end of WWI and was reintroduced during WW2 for similar measures and was reverted back to "Peace Time" at the end of the war. Daylight savings time caused a ton of confusion between 1945 and 1966 due to states, cities, and towns being able to choose when they would observe daylight savings time. Trains, planes, and automobiles had a difficulty of being on time as they traveled from place to place. In 1966 Congress established the Uniform Time Act of 1966 which put us essentially where we are today.
Is Daylight Savings Time still relevant? We aren't in war time. We aren't using oil lamps to light our houses or trying to conserve resources. Why are we putting people at risk for a seemingly outdated practice? According to an Australian study published in 2008, men are more likely to commit suicide during the first few weeks of Daylight Savings Time than at any other time during the year. Another 2008 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that serious heart attacks jumps from 6% to 10% on the first three workdays after Daylight Savings Time begins. In 2010, a paper was published that found that women who did late-night shift work had a 50% increase in breast cancer risk. Another study showed that for each hour of sleep lost per night caused a 5% increase in psychological distress of the study volunteers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are approximately 50 to 70 million Americans aren't getting enough sleep. Chronic loss of sleep has been proven time and time again to be detrimental to your health. So, what do we do about it?
Here are some healthy sleep tips:
1. Maintain a regular bed and wake schedule including weekends.
There have been many times that I have been ridiculed for having a bed time alarm. As silly as it sounds, it does help to keep a regular schedule as it helps to fall asleep and wake up in the mornings. Try it for a week and you will notice a difference in your day.
2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as reading a book or listening to soothing music.
A relaxing routine can help ease you to sleep and reduce any stress or anxiety that may make it more difficult for one to fall asleep.
3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable.
4. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
5. Exercise regularly.
6. Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
7. Avoid nicotine close to bedtime.
8. Don't eat 2-3 hours before bedtime.
9. Avoid caffeine close to bedtime.
#'s 6-9 can all keep you awake and make you less comfortable. Cutting these out can lead to a better night's sleep.
In conclusion, make sure that you continue to get plenty of "healthy" sleep this Daylight Savings Time night and every night into the future.
Sleep Well!
For more info:
Tips for a healthy night's sleep
Is Daylight Savings Time bad for your health?
The switch is no big deal for most. We just change our clocks and live out our Sunday with an hour less of sleep. For some people, however, there is some research that proposes that changes in the sleep-wake cycle can cause people with predisposed conditions to greater risks. People with depression are at greater risk of committing suicide, and those with heart problems are more likely to suffer from a heart attack. So, is saving daylight worth risking lives. Shouldn't we be saving lives and risking a little bit of daylight?
Why do we "save daylight" in the modern age? The concept of daylight savings was originally proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 in an essay titled “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light” that proposed making better use of the morning sunlight to ease the economical impact of candles. It wasn't until 1908 that an attempt to introduce daylight savings as a law was attempted and failed mainly due to opposition of farmers. During WWI at 11:00 P.M. on April 30, 1916, daylight savings time was introduced to reduce the amount of time, energy, and fuel resources of artificial light and save vital resources for the war. Time was reverted back to normal at the end of WWI and was reintroduced during WW2 for similar measures and was reverted back to "Peace Time" at the end of the war. Daylight savings time caused a ton of confusion between 1945 and 1966 due to states, cities, and towns being able to choose when they would observe daylight savings time. Trains, planes, and automobiles had a difficulty of being on time as they traveled from place to place. In 1966 Congress established the Uniform Time Act of 1966 which put us essentially where we are today.
Is Daylight Savings Time still relevant? We aren't in war time. We aren't using oil lamps to light our houses or trying to conserve resources. Why are we putting people at risk for a seemingly outdated practice? According to an Australian study published in 2008, men are more likely to commit suicide during the first few weeks of Daylight Savings Time than at any other time during the year. Another 2008 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that serious heart attacks jumps from 6% to 10% on the first three workdays after Daylight Savings Time begins. In 2010, a paper was published that found that women who did late-night shift work had a 50% increase in breast cancer risk. Another study showed that for each hour of sleep lost per night caused a 5% increase in psychological distress of the study volunteers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are approximately 50 to 70 million Americans aren't getting enough sleep. Chronic loss of sleep has been proven time and time again to be detrimental to your health. So, what do we do about it?
Here are some healthy sleep tips:
1. Maintain a regular bed and wake schedule including weekends.
There have been many times that I have been ridiculed for having a bed time alarm. As silly as it sounds, it does help to keep a regular schedule as it helps to fall asleep and wake up in the mornings. Try it for a week and you will notice a difference in your day.
2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as reading a book or listening to soothing music.
A relaxing routine can help ease you to sleep and reduce any stress or anxiety that may make it more difficult for one to fall asleep.
3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable.
4. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
5. Exercise regularly.
6. Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
7. Avoid nicotine close to bedtime.
8. Don't eat 2-3 hours before bedtime.
9. Avoid caffeine close to bedtime.
#'s 6-9 can all keep you awake and make you less comfortable. Cutting these out can lead to a better night's sleep.
In conclusion, make sure that you continue to get plenty of "healthy" sleep this Daylight Savings Time night and every night into the future.
Sleep Well!
For more info:
Tips for a healthy night's sleep
Is Daylight Savings Time bad for your health?
Friday, March 1, 2013
Against the odds
No matter how slim the chance there is always a chance of anything happening in life and in medicine. For one family in Texas they beat the odds and won the biological lottery by having two sets of identical twins without any help from fertility drugs. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't know what to do if a physician told me that you aren't only having one baby but four to add to your family. This article made me think about the biological lottery that many play everyday. When it comes to pregnancy, what are the odds?
Ask yourself, what are the odds of getting pregnant after having sex only once?
Ask yourself, what are the odds of getting pregnant after having sex only once?
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Choco-what?!?
Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I am sure there are still remnants of flowers, cute cards, and pieces of chocolate left over from the indulgent holiday. Hopefully no one suffered from Broken Heart Syndrome and was able to enjoy some of that wonderful chocolate. Now that the chocolate is nearly gone let's discuss the health benefits you may have gotten from that tasty dark stuff.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Heartbreak Hotel
Today is Valentine's Day and most will be spending time with that special someone. I know I will be spending time with my soon to be wife and will be enjoying my last Valentine's Day as a "single" man. While many of us will be enjoying the lovey dovey stuff that goes with Valentine's Day, there will be some that participate in "Single's Awareness Day" and others will be eating raw cookie dough and ice cream trying to mend a broken heart. I sincerely hope that each and every one of my readers has a wonderful Valentine's day, but if you do decide to check into the Heartbreak Hotel this Valentine's Day, don't allow your emotions to consume you. Heartbreak can be a devastating process and can even cause death if taken to the extreme. In my experiences, I have seen a dog mourn itself to death after the loss of a companion. I have seen elderly couples that seemingly couldn't live without each other because after one spouse passed, the other died witin a few weeks. Was it grief, stress, or some other psychological process that we don't understand that drove them to death? We may never know, but it is not impossible to think that they suffered from Broken Heart Syndrome. That is right your broken heart can not only affect your psychological state, but it can also affect your physical state as well.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Chicken Soup: Does it heal the soul?
For as long as I can remember my mom and grandmother have always said that the best remedy for a cold is chicken noodle soup. As I was growing up I never questioned the amazing healing properties of this mystical liquid, but now find myself being a skeptic of many of the "truths" my family taught me about health and wellness. Going through medical school has definitely changed my outlook on the way I view health and wellness and it is no longer acceptable for me to just take any one's word about a treatment (even if it is my mom's word). After doing some research I found that chicken soup as a cure is not just an old wives tale. There are compounds called carnosine that strengthen the immune system to fight off the cold and flu bugs. Previous studies show that Chicken Noodle Soup has an anti-inflammatory effect which can help reduce upper respiratory symptoms. Who ever would have thought that mom's had it right all along?
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Southern Diet Increases Stroke Risk
As I am sure most people in the South will agree that the food in the south is better than most. I personally love deep-fried chicken and who could live in the South without enjoying some amazing sweet tea. Moderation is the key with any food and as much as I love these foods I always have them in moderation. Looking at the study does discourage eating certain foods typical to the Southern diet, but there is good news as well. Some foods in the Southern diet actually prevent strokes instead of causing them. Collard greens are one such food cited as an example. Being from the South that I find that many of our foods are fried and full
First Post
This blog is to let others know more about me and to provide readers with commentary on the most recent health news that I come across as I go through my journey in medicine. Currently, I am a fourth year medical student about to graduate and will be going through the match. This alone should bring some exciting times. As I enter residency there will be more exciting times and plenty to talk about as I experience the medical system in a brand new way. I hope that this blog brings you good health and prosperity and teaches everyone something new health and wellness.
Please comment below if there are any particular topics that you would like to be discussed or would like to know more about. I will not answer specific medical questions, but will provide more insight about a particular topic if someone wants to know more.
Please comment below if there are any particular topics that you would like to be discussed or would like to know more about. I will not answer specific medical questions, but will provide more insight about a particular topic if someone wants to know more.
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