Acne in Teenagers
August 19th, 2019
As school and athletics are back in full swing, let's look at a teenage centric return to school issue, muscle building and acne. Dairy has been used for decades as a source of high quality protein for muscle growth and secondarily, athletic benefits. Unfortunately, many Americans are challenged by the increased frequency of allergy and sensitivity to the dairy based casein protein, also known as the milk curd, prompting many to switch to pure whey dairy based protein supplements for muscle growth.
Cyber Bullying and Young Girls
August 19, 2019
An adolescent daughter's mood and sense of wellbeing have been on parent's minds for centuries. The variables of distraction and abuse change over time leading up to the current study in the Journal Lancet Child and Adolescent Health by Dr. Viner and colleagues. They looked at a secondary analyses of public data from the Our Futures study, an English longitudinal study of 12,866 young people from age 13 years to 16 years analyzing the social media effects on adolescent mental health and well-being.
Celery
Aug 12th, 2019
Celery, every part, including the stalks, seeds, and leaves are edible and are rich in nutrients. Celery leaves are often added to soups and stir-fries. Celery seeds present in different forms such as whole seed, ground and extract can give you beneficial health benefits. Crushed celery seeds can be used as a spice. Apiol, an oily compound in celery seeds, contributes to a distinctive flavor and many medicinal uses. Celery is loaded with vitamin B6, calcium, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, folate, vitamin K, fiber, and protein.
Quick Hits
August 12th, 2019
1) High School performance significantly improves with more nighttime sleep. Gideon Dunster and colleagues looked at a 55 minute later HS start time in Seattle, Washington and its effect on school performance. The authors state: "We carried out a pre-/post-research study and show that there was an increase in the daily median sleep duration of 34 min, associated with a 4.5% increase in the median grades of the students and an improvement in attendance."
Taking the Time
August 12, 2019
When I think of taking the time, I think of the Cat Stevens song, "Cats in the Cradle"* and its sad repertoire of words pointing to time missed between a son and a father. Having always been moved by these words, I swore to myself as a young teenager that I would be like my father, present, and not grow up to be another member of the song's story as the son or later the father.
Shopping Tips for chicken:
August 5th ,2019
1. The best way to ensure you're buying the freshest poultry is to look at the fat - it should be white to deep yellow, never gray or pale. Make sure the package is well wrapped and leak-free.
2. Check the label carefully to avoid poultry that has been "enhanced" with an added sodium solution-it's higher in sodium than those without added solution. The word "natural" on the label does not guarantee a non-enhanced product. To determine if poultry is enhanced, scan the ingredients on the label for any added solution that is not plain water.
Plastic bottles of water and health
August 5, 2019
Everywhere we turn we see plastic water bottles being toted around and imbibed by the American populace at large. Drinking water out of bottles is fascinatingly expensive. When we go to a convenience store and purchase a liter of bottled water we pay on average 2.00$ per bottle times four which equals 8$ per gallon, 3.5 times more expensive than a gallon of gasoline! Despite this slight insanity in cost, we all choose at times the convenience of "clean" spring or other fancy water.
Sugary Beverages
July 29th, 2019
Dr. Chazelas and colleagues looked at the association between sugar laden beverage consumption and all cause cancer risk in a study published in the British Medical Journal this past May.
"101,257 participants aged 18 and over from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2017) were included. Consumptions of sugary drinks and artificially sweetened beverages were assessed by using repeated 24 hour dietary records, which were designed to register participants' usual consumption for 3,300 different food and beverage items."
The 90/10 Rule
July 29, 2019
#897
When you have written as many articles as I have about health as it relates to nutrition and lifestyle, you start to get labeled as an all or nothing person. There is some mild truth to it, however, nothing is ever 100%. I cannot remember the last time that I discussed this topic so here we go.
When I show up in a grocery store and someone recognizes me, they always do two things:
Couch Potatoes
July 22, 2019
Sedentary behavior has been known to be a risk factor for diseases of the body and mind. A study from the Journal of Research in Personality by Dr. Yannick Stephan and colleagues looked at the chronicity of the couch potato phenotype over time. They wanted to see whether these sedentary behaviors had any lasting effects on personality and other patterned behavior.
The original data sets were from two large studies, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and the Midlife in the United States Study that began in the 1990's.
Acute Flaccid Myelitis, AFM
July 22, 2019
AFM is a post viral disorder that presents with weakness and progresses to paralysis in ill patients. It became a distinct disease entity in 2014. Ill patients initially have a benign fever associated with a respiratory viral illness.
"Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) was initially defined as a distinct entity in 2014 following reports of the occurrence of acute limb weakness in previously healthy children across the United States during an outbreak
Substance Use
JUly 15th, 2019
Substance Use Disorder versus Substance Abuser
Why do we demonize people with addictions? Because we hate what they represent? Because we are afraid of them?
There are many reasons that we stigmatize substance users. What we need to do is look at the issue in modern terms.
At a conference in San Antonio on substance use and treatment, Dr. John Kelly discussed the reality that when people abuse food, we do not call them food abusers. They have an eating disorder of too much or too little. All abuse issues are problems of psychology and epigenetics based on life experiences that have occurred to shape one's psyche predisposing them to self-medication with drugs, alcohol or other substance to numb the psychological pain. We are very clear that substance abuse is not a choice for most people.
Science Time
July 15, 2019
Overeating and excessive glucose/sugar in your blood has always been known to be a negative event. What is really happening at the cell level? I am in the midst of a deep dive into the world of immunology and nutrition and decided it was time to share some cutting edge data. This will be science heavy. Skip to the end if you just want the take home point!
Science Time:
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an enzyme that plays a key role as a master regulator of cellular energy balance. AMPK is turned on in response to stresses that deplete cellular ATP energy supplies such as:
Fast Food Experiment
July 8th, 2019
I was contemplating the reality that maggots and mold will not attack American processed burgers, but they loved the organic version. Are these rudimentary creatures truly smarter than humans? We eat these poisons willingly. Our FDA says that these chemicals are safe. What are we missing here?
If worms and mold are deterred by these chemicals, why are we not? Do they have sensory mechanisms in place that are capable of recognizing danger better than we can? The answer is that we don't know.
I fall back to the same simple explanations on life. If nature is against it, I think that I should be as well.
Dr. M
Sleep Part IIII
July 8th, 2019
Continuing the sleep education from a few weeks ago.
Sleep is a most special event that we all need to continue to focus heavily on in order to live a healthy and long life. It may be the single most important event that we do daily.
Here are a few more quick hits on sleep from the Matthew Walker/Peter Attia podcast AMA #6. The following is adapted or directly quoted from Dr. Attia's show notes.
1) Our bodies need to drop 3-4 degrees F before we can comfortably fall asleep. This can be induced by cooling the room down between 65-70 degrees.
Telemedicine
July 8, 2019
Every-time a new way of practicing comes to life in medicine, we have to question what is the reason behind the change. This is no different for telemedicine and urgent care. Both of these new modalities are springing up in increasing numbers in the medical world in order to meet the new driver of medical changes, convenience.
Medical consumers are now demanding convenience of time and location of their healthcare experience. On first blush, this is not a bad idea.
Devices and Neck Concerns
July 1, 2019
What has been a concern of mine since the beginning of the smart phone era may be coming true. In the past, we have focused on myopia/nearsightedness caused by the continual viewing of a device or a book close up (AOA link). That has been coming to fruition unfortunately for the past decade.
Now we see a report from Dr. Shahar and colleague regarding potential neck damage from the chronic user's downward gaze on a tablet or smart phone. Published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2018, the authors have noted an increase in "exostosis" developing on the base of studied patient's skulls.
Letting Go and Chores
July 1, 2019
One of the hardest things to do in life is to let go and let your children figure it out. I have been and am currently knee deep into experiencing this reality daily as my teenagers explore the modern world. After reading an excellent article in the New York Times Magazine by Heather Havrilesky, I decided to write about parenting, chores and letting go.
Where did it all go? The letting children learn and fail parenting style that is. The giving them chores because they are a part of the family team. The telling them that I love you and this is part of growing up.
Choking Reboot
June 24th, 2019
Choking is a common and scary event that plays out in the homes of some parents of infants and toddlers. Counseling young parents on effective parenting around eating and play time can really help reduce the risk of such events.
"Choking can be prevented. Food accounts for over 50% of choking episodes. Be alert for small objects that can cause choking, such as coins, buttons, and small toys. Check under furniture and between cushions for small items that children could find and put in their mouths.
TBI and Fish Oil
June 24, 2019
Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, TBI, are real problems in modern America. The driving force behind TBI is some physically traumatic event that rattles the brain producing a significant inflammatory response that does not resolve appropriately leaving the sufferer with subacute or chronic negative symptoms .
There is a significant body of research looking at the effects of omega three fatty acids on the brain in relation to inflammation.