I hear so much education for adults on health, nutrition, and exercise.  And there are targeted programs for young children as well to learn about healthy eating and proper food choices.  But what about the teenager population?

A few days ago the CDC produced the results of a survey that they sent nationwide (within the US) to high school students, in which they got just over 114k results, and the results were rather shocking, I must say.   It showed that only 8% of high school girls get the recommended 60 minutes of aerobic exercise whereas 22% of boys hit the mark.  Not doing enough physical activity when you are younger can shape your attitude towards physical activity, and can lead to an adult that doesn’t work out.  Plus, it can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes later on.

Other shocking results were related to nutrition, and honestly it made me a little sad.  63% of respondents said that they drink at least one soda a day (that was full calorie soda, but as we know diet soda is no better for you in the case of Type II diabetes) and 33% report drinking two or more sodas a day.  There are tons of choices of water, milk, and juice in schools, which the teens are also drinking, but then they tend to reach for the sodas!  This also becomes a lifestyle choice, just like lack of exercise, and can be a really hard habit to break.

These choices come from home, peer influence, and from education.  I think that we are not doing a good enough job educating children and teens on nutrition in schools, and reinforcing that information or helping to shape the education at home either.  If we all cooked healthy foods and stocked out homes with fruits and veggies and organic meats, taught our kids about a healthy diet and fed it to them, they would learn at home, and it would become how they eat.  BUT I totally get that I am thinking in an ideal world where money grows on trees, people don’t have to work, and we have time to cook three healthy meals a day!!

I understand in the real world, where money can be an influence, that unhealthy food tends to be cheaper, but if the choice comes down to buying your family a fast food meal, or buying a loaf of whole wheat bread organic peanut butter and some preserves?  The PB&J is healthier, cheaper, and will feed your family for longer…plus you can spend time together making your “meal” which includes whole grains, proteins, and fruit.  That is something that you can teach your kids!  Also, fruits and veg are really cheap at local farms, and even if you live in the city, look for farmers markets; it’s the time when farmers are bringing their goods closer to you!!

I also want to encourage you to walk to the markets or ride bikes…WITH YOUR KIDS!  Exercising together can encourage them to make healthier choices on their own; we really need to lead by example with our children, especially with things that will allow them to be healthier and prevent disease later in life.  Tat is part of having a cild; keeping them healthy and safe, and teaching them how to be an adult.  So, while schools might be missing the mark on educating them, and their friends parents might not be doing their part, YOU can do yours, and bring up the healthiest child you can!

Start at home….and maybe there will be a new teen exercise program in the Boston area soon (email me and let me know your thoughts)!

Yours in Good Health
B

I have never been a big huge fan of “warming up” and I usually get chastised by the people I work out with and by my clients that I work out; they always want a “warm up” period and I just jump in and go.  Honestly, I am usually going for a run with my dogs before work, or have some sort of time constraint, so I just hop to it.  I never felt there was an issue with it, but other people made me feel super guilty about it.  The theory is that heated (or warmed) muscles are more flexible and ready to adapt to the work out and allow you to perform better…but that theory may have been blown to bits! But, I feel that I am now supported in skipping the warm ups!  A recent study from the Journal of Applied Physiology, showed that warm ups are really not helpful and actually prevent you from getting a hard workout.

Why are your workouts thwarted?
Well, highly trained male cyclists volunteered to be studied and they either performed their normal warm up or a much shorter version followed by their regular workouts. It turns out that the cyclists warm ups were 20 minutes in length and they got to around 95% of their maximal heart rate.  Their muscles were electrically stimulated before (cold) and after their warm ups; it was found that the muscles contracted much more forcefully when the muscles were cold.  The muscles were over exerted and tired when the athletes finished their warm ups.

The same findings were present in Olympic skaters when training before the 2010 Olympics.  In trying to warm up their muscles, these athletes were actually truly fatiguing them, thus the athletes could not optimally perform.

If the athletes warmed up for 15 minutes reaching only 65% of their maximal heart rate, their muscles contracted still forcefully and didn’t seem over-fatigued. The problem is that most people think they are warming up, and really they are overexerting themselves, and then push themselves further, which allows for a risk of injury.  Ironic right? People think they are preventing injury by warming up, but really they are stressing their muscles by pushing themselves too much.

The scientists were unable to draw a conclusion wether warm ups were really even necessary, but they couldn’t find anything that swayed them either way.  The lead researcher didn’t see a need, but had no solid proof for or against that statement. So, since there is no data showing me I have to warm up, I am going to keep on keeping on and you all can warm up if you want, but I am just going to hop  right into my runs and let my muscles fatigue at their own will.

If you have any injuries related to running, you may want to keep with a short, easy warm up and then assess for discomfort or anything that doesn’t feel right, and stop if need be!  For those of us who run/workout because we love it and not because we are training for the Olympics, I think this is all cause for personal choice, but if you are new to working out, you may want a warm up to get your heart and lungs ready.  As well, if you have any illnesses and you are new to working out, you should get approval from your HCP before starting any new regimen.  But if you are healthy and feel up to it, hop right in and get the workout you need!

Yours in Good Health
B

There are so many people that come to the hospital daily for emergency treatment,  without insurance for primary care treatment, or just without a primary HCP, so they go to the Emergency Room for treatment.  Now, I am not going to hop on a soapbox about getting treatment in the ER versus primary treatment; I want to give you information regarding what you should know and think about before you go to a hospital, or bring a loved one to the hospital for treatment.

Medication Lists:
This is CRUCIAL!  It is so important for you to have written down, or typed out, all of the medications that you take. Now, on this list, you need to have medications, doses, frequency with which you take them, and when you normally take them.  That helps us in two major ways: knowing what you have last taken (maybe you are having a reaction) and it gives us insight into what we should treat you with and when you require your next dose.  It also might help us figure out what NOT to give you.

It is important to remember to add ALL medications, including medications that you may not take every day (like a rescue inhaler, for example), over the counter medications, and herbal supplements/vitamins. Some herbal supplements may cause reactions with prescribed medications, and in the case (which we hope doesn’t happen) that you are unable to speak for some reason, we can ascertain some of your past medical history based upon your medical treatments.

Thoughts on Treatment:
We like to know, in the case that someone doesn’t have advanced directives or a power of attorney designated, what they would and would NOT like performed when they come into the hospital.  If, again, you become unable to speak, we need to have a way of knowing what you would like us to do (based on religious or personal preferences): insert a breathing tube and place you on a ventilator if you are unable to breathe on your own? Place large IV’s in your chest and into your heart?  Chest tubes to drain fluids?  We will perform every available treatment to save your life, should you become increasingly ill, but is that something you want?

It is food for thought, and something that everyone should think about and talk to your family (parents, children, siblings, significant others) so that they know what you want done, should you become very ill. Also, give someone close to you a copy of your medication list, or let them know where it is, in case there is an accident and you are unable to obtain it yourself.

I know it is a bit of a morbid topic, but you really need to think about these things, and taking 10 minutes to write down your medications can save you from a possible serious interaction, and allow us to treat you appropriately. And talk to your family about what you want and need for treatment…it will help us help YOU!

Yours in Good Health
B

For many years, people have thought that having pets along with children at an early age, is a bad idea for allergy reasons. It is estimated that 40% of American homes have dogs alone, and around 6 million Americans are allergic to cats and less than half of that have dog allergies, are the allergies due to early exposure?  Many HCP’s thought that kids who had a bunch of allergies were having the allergic reactions because they were exposed to either cats or dogs at a young age. And all studies prior to now had been basically looking at the rates of children with allergies to pets/pet dander (skin flakes and many times their saliva from “kisses” can cause a reaction to those allergic)and making an educated guess that having the pets caused stress on the immature immune system, and caused an allergy to the animal itself.  A new study is making that a myth of the past!

What is the new study?
A study was performed over 18 years looking at both children in homes with animals as pets and those without, and following up to see how many of them had allergies to pets 18 years later.  They found a minimal relative risk of increased allergies to cats and negligible risk with dogs; also cesarean babies versus vaginal deliveries had no real difference in allergy to pets risk.  This study looked at blood titer levels of reactions to whatever pet they lived with, and if they had an increased level of immune response, they were assumed to be allergic.  This is actually great news for those if us who have furry friends and worry about the risk (allergies) to our pending offspring!

What are signs and symptoms of pet allergies?
Coughing and wheezing
Runny, itchy, stuffy nose
Red, itchy eyes
Sneezing
Hives on the skin where a dog may have licked you (if allergic to saliva)
Asthma

How do I know if my child is allergic?
Your HCP can perform a RAST (radioallergosorbent test) which is a blood test to find out specifically what a person is allergic to; it is more accurate than the skin reaction tests.  The RAST will allow you to find out specifically what the child is reacting to, and then you can help to change the environment to allow for less allergic reactions.

What can I do if my child is allergic?
You can allow the pet only in certain parts of the home, clean fanatically if the animal goes to other parts of the home, ensure that everyone who plays with or touches the pet washes their hands thoroughly afterwards, or get rid of the pet (which makes me soooo sad!!)
OR
You can try antihistamines (such as Benadryl, Allegra, or Zyrtec) to see if you child has decreased reactions.  Use decongestants such as Sudafed or Allegra-D to allow for less stuffiness in the nose and clear up secretions, or try prescription medications such as Flonase or Nasonex that are steroids that can help prevent allergic reactions.  Hopefully one of those medications can work so that you can keep your child healthy and keep your families pet!!

So, this is all good news, bad news! We can easily test for the allergens, there are treatments for pet allergies, and the allergies are not caused by early exposure to pets….so what does cause pet allergies??  I guess until we know further, we have to assume genetics, so if you are allergic to pets, be wary with your children around pets, and have them tested so that they can be around other children/families and their pets if they aren’t allergic.  And if you do have a child that is allergic, let them know about their allergy, how to be careful around pets, and to tell their friends if they can’t be around a certain type of animal.  Do what is best for your family and your child, and talk to your HCP about your options.

Yours in Good Health
B

I wanted to give a littles heads up about current worldwide drug recalls from the Aidapak Company.  Apparently, there was a massive cross contamination of all drugs created by the company and penicillin’s contaminated almost all of their products.

This is a huge deal, many people have penicillin allergies and of that, anaphylaxis can ensure with each additional exposure.  So, even if penicillin or B-lactim exposure usually just causes you some hives or light skin rash, you could be taking a medication that isn’t supposed to contain those compounds and go into anaphylaxis (a whole body allergic reaction that can cause death quickly if not treated immediately.)

It is not know exactly how many drugs were cross-contaminated but the company has asked all clinics and hospitals to remove the drugs from use, but there is a list of 300 drugs on the Aidapak website listing all drugs affected.  So if you are taking any drugs made by this company, just double check that your medication hasn’t been recalled, especially if you have a penicillin allergy.

Yours in Good Health
B

There has always been back and forth about what is healthy during pregnancy, especially early pregnancy.  And, in the case of antibiotics, there has been some bad press in the past, and directly linked to early pregnancy.  Obviously, if you are sick and need treatment due to a bacterial infection, you need treatment, but the issue is in the choice of drugs.

What are the main culprits?
Well, in 2009 there was some data derived from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, and the authors spoke out against the use of sulfonamides and nitrofurantoins.  Sulfonamides are also known as sulfa drugs and have good antibacterial effects against a broad spectrum of bacteria; sulfa drugs (i.e. Bactrim or Septra) are commonly used to treat UTI’s (urinary tract infections).  Nitrofurantoins, the most commonly used is Macrobid, are antibiotics that are also used to treat UTI’s; they are not as common as Sulfa drugs, but have a lower resistance rate (for people who have bacteria resistant UTI’s).

What is the current scoop on antibiotics use?
The key is to treat the bacteria present, as accurately as you can.  So, The American College of Gynecology and Obstetrics think that it is safe to use these drugs in the first trimester, as long as they are the most appropriate to treat the bacteria of a UTI or other infection and there aren’t alternatives.  And despite publishing the 2009 study, the authors noted that they saw a higher risk in birth defects, but no other studies showed those results, which usually makes me think there is some sort of flaw…I mean, these drugs have been around for ages, and just in 2009 it was found they have serious side effects??  Hmmm….NurseBridgid doesn’t think so!

What does this mean?
Well, the risk of NOT treating an infection when you are pregnant is much more detrimental to your unborn baby than taking an antibiotic.  Plus, you should always go and see your HCP or OBGYN to ensure that you do have a bacterial infection that requires treatment with antibiotics.  Your HCP will discuss risks and benefits and most likely take a urine sample or blood samples to be able to prescribe the most appropriate drug for you; so no taking some random antibiotics that you have “left over” (which causes me chest pain, baseline….but definitely not when you are pregnant!)

So stay healthy, eat well, rest, and start learning what to expect when you are expecting!!

Yours in Good Health
B

A few years ago it became a hypothesis that taking Niacin, as a dietary supplement, could help to raise your HDL (High Density Lipoprotein- the good cholesterol), essentially boosting your bodies own defenses to protect itself from cardiac damage.   So, a HUGE study from the NIH (National Institute of Health) was actually underway to study the use of extended-release Niacin, but suddenly stopped due to little, if any improvement, and actually some risks…which is pretty shocking news, seeing as many HCP’s suggested the Niacin supplement to cardiac patients.

What is Niacin?
Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3, something we ingest probably every day of our lives!  Niacin works by blocking the breakdown of fats in adipose (fatty) tissues,if these fats were to breakdown, VLDLP (VERY low density lipoproteins) are created in the liver, which are BAD.  But blocking this breakdown, we have less free fatty acids flowing in our blood, which leads to less VLDLP created in the liver, and higher amounts of HDL.  Due to this, the hypothesis was that Niacin protected your heart, as HDL levels increase….seems OK, right?

What was the Study?
It was a large study including 3,400 patients with high risk for heart attacks and strokes, that were treated with high dose extended release niacin (AKA Niaspan) to off-set their current higher levels of LDL’s and hopefully increase HDL’s, thus decreasing their risk of heart attack and stroke.  The problem is that the study had to be stopped due to a found increase of stroke in the study patients; 28 of the patients that got the study drug (of 1,718 patients) had strokes versus 12 of the 1,696 patients that got a placebo.  Due to these findings, the NIH stopped the study 18 months early, despite some of the patients receiving the study drug had some positive responses.

What does this mean to me?
Well, I wouldn’t go run out to take Niacin to help with elevated LDL levels BUT if your HCP has put you on Niaspan (or high dose Niacin) I wouldn’t encourage you to stop without discussing with them first.  Plenty of new drugs are constantly being created and trialled as heart disease kills over 800,000 Americans each year, and I am sure that there will be a drug soon that can help to increase our HDL levels without creating other risks to our bodies.  But, until that point, eat healthy, get exercise, relax (try T’ai Chi or yoga!), and talk to your HCP about what your options are.

Yours in Good Health
B

T’ai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art that is usually practiced both for self defense and for its health benefits.  It is a series of slow, controlled movements, all of which started very traditionally and have branched out and now there are many hybrid forms in the modern world, but the practice was started in East as far back as the 1500’s and are based in Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian ideals that health is controlled by two opposing forces: yin and yang.  A new study shows that this can actually help prevent falls in older adults, and give great health benefits.

How does T’ai Chi work?
One form is a slow series of movements that focus on a straight spine, abdominal breathing, and a natural range of motion.  Another form focuses on pushing hands  in a series of movements to be done with a partner for training movement purposes. But, bot forms help to focus the student on their center of gravity, retain their posture, and maintain flexibility in their joints.

How does this prevent falls in the elderly?
In the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a study was performed specifically looking at the benefits in elderly and prevention of falls when practicing T’ai Chi.   It has been hypothesized that T’ai Chi is beneficial for many different conditions, such as osteoarthritis, but it was hard to collect adequate data and the studies always came out inconclusive.  This was a smaller study, but the results were pretty clear that the elderly benefit from T’ai Chi from both a fall prevention perspective and it has improved psychological functioning, along with improved overall general health, even in the presence of other diseases.

This is a pretty important study because falls are a huge problem in the elderly population.  Falls can cause broken bones, bleeding (if on blood thinners), and can lead to early death.  I think this is important for anyone who wants to benefit their health and to work on flexibility and stress relief, but it can be especially important for the older generations, and HCPs should encourage all elderly clients to get involved with T’ai Chi, it can benefit your life in many different facets.