Exercise in regular dosing has long been known to reduce the risk of developing various cancers. Here's an intriguing study on the complex interplay of adrenaline and the immune system and how it may contribute to cancer prevention.
In practical terms, I highly recommend at least 20 minutes of a physical activity in whatever form you're drawn to most days of the week (if not all). My preferred forms are walking in nature, yoga and dance. What are yours?? http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2016/02/24/how-exercise-may-lower-cancer-risk/?mwrsm=Facebook&referer=http://m.facebook.com
0 Comments
BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!
I am absolutely THRILLED to announce that I am officially joining West Holistic Medicine to practice alongside Dr. Jennifer Pollard, Vanessa Huffman, L.Ac., Dr. Dane Mosher (functional medicine), Chef Priti Bhatt and Lis Riley, RYT (yoga therapist)!!! I'll be seeing patients Monday mornings and Thursday evenings starting March 3rd, with expanded hours within the next 3-9 months!! I am so excited to finally have a location to call home for Neshama Medicine. Would be honored to serve any of you as your Internist and/or Integrative Medicine consultant. Contact the office to make an appointment today! Www.westholisticmedicine.com 512 814 0148 It’s February 16th and Valentine’s Day has now come and gone. Millions of people around the globe honored their loved ones with cards, chocolates, flowers, etc., on this infamous day. Yet, how many truly honor themselves? How many stand up for what they want and speak their truth? How many have a negative self-view and constantly berate themselves for not being slim enough or pretty enough or for not owning a bigger house or fancier car?
These are the questions I am asking today. Questions that go deeper than a simple Hallmark greeting. For me, a new version of The Golden Rule could be: Are you treating your self the way you would want to be treated by others? Are you being kind to yourself more often than not? Do you truly, deeply love yourself? Are you walking your talk of self love or are you making compromises in order to "not rock the boat"? If your answer to these questions is mostly yes, great! Sounds like you are on a fulfilling path of self love. Keep up the transformational work! If you answered no, consider what it might take to have you answer yes to all 3 questions. For some, it takes a horrible illness or disease to have the courage to live the life they want. For others, it takes financial ruin. Ultimately, though, if a person is to move towards self love after a devastating illness or financial ruin, a chain reaction towards a person’s “Phoenix Process”, as renowned author and speaker Elizabeth Lesser calls it, must be catalyzed. The Phoenix Process is the process of breaking fully open after a catastrophic event or trauma and subsequently doing the painstaking work to rebuild oneself. It is thought to be a regeneration or rebirth of great proportion, as referenced through Greek mythology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(mythology). Is it necessary to go through such a life-changing trauma in order to reinvent yourself? Of course not; however, major life events call in to question everything a person has known up to that date. People tend to live more intentionally during this transformation and typically only have energy for those people and things that truly excite them. It is a beautiful process to observe, however scary it may feel from the inside. You may ask, "Why is a physician talking about transformation and self love?". Well, for one, as a physician, I’ve had the honor and privilege of guiding many of my patients through their Phoenix Process. Perhaps they are dying from cancer or are getting their life back from debilitating chronic pain through various lifestyle changes they have implemented (it does happen). Or maybe they are battling addiction and have been sober or cigarette-free for 21 days. Whatever the case may be, I feel honored to be there, on the front lines, with my patients through their transformation. Secondly, I am also someone who has been through a few Phoenix processes and as such, I know how scary and liberating the experience can be. I am currently in such a process as we speak. And thirdly, in most cases, self-love translates to health as it sets the tone for the way people live their lives. Whether or not you choose to eat well, abstain from smoking and drugs, exercise and treat yourself mostly stems from self love. And all of these factors influence your health. Of course, no-one can eat perfectly and choose only healthy behaviors 100% of the time, but we definitely ALL have room for improvement. And this doesn't mean that all physically healthy people are emotional healthy, nor is it vice versa. But, when you have a healthy self image, you tend to choose healthier behaviors that perpetuate your self love. Oh, and healthy behaviors make you FEEL good! :) As the allegorical author, C.S Lewis once said, “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” So, looking at your life...ask yourself: Have you hatched? Are you ready to fly? Or, conversely, are you okay with remaining an egg? (All answers are perfectly fine just something to think about). Have a great week and happy belated Valentine’s Day (aka Self-Love Day), Dr. M To those who came before me, I am eternally grateful.
As American doctors celebrated the first ever National Woman Physicians Day on February 3rd, 2016, I reflect on my road to becoming a female physician. I think about the trials, the tribulations and the triumphs that presented along the way. But none of these experiences seem as intense as what the first female physicians likely had to put up with. Not only did these brave women have to prove their right to work as physicians, they had to prove their worth as females. I honestly do not think I would have been courageous enough to take on the abusive nature of their education and training. Because of these Pioneers, I never questioned the possibility of becoming a doctor based on my gender (Yes, I questioned it based on whether I had the determination and fortitude to endure the 12 combined years of pre-medical prerequisites, medical school, and the greatest challenge of medical residency. However, never on my gender). Women born in to my generation could be astronauts, lawyers, bankers, politicians and firefighters. We could be teachers, nurses and doctors and all without discrimination by gender. But Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female to graduate from an American medical school, felt no such support. In an online biography written by the National Library of Medicine, it reads, “Blackwell had no idea how to become a physician, so she consulted with several physicians known by her family. They told her it was a fine idea, but impossible; it was too expensive, and such education was not available to women. Yet Blackwell reasoned that if the idea were a good one, there must be some way to do it, and she was attracted by the challenge. She convinced two physician friends to let her read medicine with them for a year, and applied to all the medical schools in New York and Philadelphia. She also applied to twelve more schools in the northeast states and was accepted by Geneva Medical College in western New York state in 1847. The faculty, assuming that the all-male student body would never agree to a woman joining their ranks, allowed them to vote on her admission. As a joke, they voted "yes," and she gained admittance, despite the reluctance of most students and faculty.” Turns out, the joke was on them, as Dr. Blackwell went on to become the first female to graduate from the medical school. She eventually established a clinic in New York City called the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her physician sister, Dr. Emily Blackwell and another physician, Dr. Marie Zakrzewska. It was there that they provided care for women, children and the poor. And now, more than 32% of the U.S. physician work-force is female. Although the profession is far from perfect, and women still suffer from a great deal of discrimination within medicine, things are a far cry from what they used to be! And for these Pioneers, I am eternally grateful. So thank you, Drs. Blackwell and Zakrzewska, for defying the odds and paving the way for female physicians everywhere! You have left an incredible legacy. Source: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_35.html If you've opened a newspaper over the last few days (or even weeks, months or years) you're likely to have stumbled upon the facts and figures of the costs of chronic diseases to Americans and to the world in general. We all know (or have learned) that medical care in the U.S. is costly. And a new report on the cost of one such disease, dementia, highlights that fact. Dementia care cost the U.S. around $200 billion dollars in 2010 and is estimated to increase by 80% per adult by 2040!!!!! These are STAGGERING numbers and they should shock you (as they've shocked me).
If you've ever had a family member with Alzheimers or other types of dementia (neurovascular, Lewy body dementia, etc), you know the devastating toll dementia can take, not only mentally, but physically, emotionally and spiritually for both the patient and caregiver(s). (There are support groups set up specifically for those taking care of people with dementia, so if you are caring for someone with this diagnosis, make sure you seek proper self-care/support.) My best advice would be to try everything in your power to avoid/prevent this progressive deterioration. What can you do to PREVENT this devastating diagnosis that millions suffer from?? The evidence is still out for many preventive suggestions, but here are a few that seem to reduce your risk. Per Dr. Weil's website, you can make the following Lifestyle Changes "1. Maintain a positive attitude. Studies show that a positive emotional state may help ward off cognitive decline. Social ties, involvement in church and community, and meaningful relationships all seem to be protective. 2. Keep your blood pressure under control. High blood pressure is the strongest risk factor for multi-infarct dementia. (I'd add to keep your sugars and weight at a healthy level to avoid microvascular damage to your blood vessels and nerves) 3. Exercise regularly. You can slow memory loss with regular aerobic exercise. 4. Keep your mind active. Combine physical and mental exercise: sing familiar songs while walking, or read the newspaper while riding a stationary exercise bike. Nutrition and Supplements Consider a daily low-dose aspirin. Some studies link the use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Try turmeric, a unique spice. Recent animal research suggests that the yellow spice turmeric, a major ingredient in American mustard and Indian curry, can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This may help explain the unusually low incidence of Alzheimer’s in India, where people consume significant amounts of turmeric as part of the daily diet." Use that noggin daily and here's to your health! Dr. M 'An international team of experts reported today that evidence linking hormone-mimicking chemicals to human health problems has grown stronger over the past decade, becoming a "global threat" that should be addressed. The report is a joint effort by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to give policymakers the latest information on chemicals that seem to mess with the hormones of people and wildlife. Much has changed since 2002, when the organizations released a report that called the evidence “weak.” The panel of 16 scientists from 10 nations found that endocrine-related diseases and disorders are on the rise. There is now “emerging evidence for adverse reproductive outcomes” and “mounting evidence" for effects on thyroids, brains and metabolism, the report summary says.' Clearly, I'm a bit ecstatic about this week's public health news. For one, Proctor and Gamble, the makers of Tide detergents, has agreed to decrease the amount of cancer-causing 1.4-dioxin in many of its products to decrease the human potential for developing cancer. Then, PepsiCo announced that it is dropping a brominated chemical (brominated vegetable oil, a known flame retardant) from its orange Gatorade (but not other products like Mountain Dew)! And finally, a report from the Federal Trade Commission shows that advertising to children by food companies has dropped by 19.5% in 2009 from 2006.
Although I am beyond ecstatic for all the positive changes going on in the food, beverage and chemical industries, this is only a drop in the bucket towards creating a healthier, less toxic America. How are you contributing to this process? Get involved through the Environmental Working Group - www.ewg.org, Women's Voices for the Earth - www.womensvoices.org/ - or do what Sarah Kavanagh, a 15-year-old high school student from Hattiesburg, Mississippi did after reading about the toxic effects of BVO in her Gatorade - Create a petition! Together we can implement change! SPENDING DECLINES ON FOOD MARKETING TO CHILDREN Total spending by food companies on marketing to children was down 19.5 percent in 2009 from 2006, according to the results of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) comprehensive study of food and beverage industry marketing expenditures and activities directed to children and teens. The study found that most of that decrease comes from less spending on television ads to youth. At the same time, food companies stepped up their spending by 50 percent to market to children and teens using online, mobile, and viral marketing strategies. Overall, food companies allocated $1.79 billion on marketing to youth ages 2-17 in 2009. A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents: Follow-Up Report gauges the progress industry has made since first launching self-regulatory efforts to promote healthier food choices to kids. It serves as a follow-up to the Commission’s 2008 report on food marketing requested by Congress. Additional information and key findings about the nutritional quality of foods within the product categories most heavily marketed to children or teens is contained in the report. In a JAMA study using functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans to assess differences in brain activity when ingesting glucose versus fructose, Yale researchers (Dr. Sherwin, et al) found that fructose (table sugar and high fructose corn syrup) inferiorly suppressed hunger and satiety (fullness) when compared to glucose (found naturally in plants and combined with other types of sugars (naturally) to form carbohydrates and dairy products). Fructose activated parts of the brain that are not necessarily important in feeding and satiety behaviors, while glucose activated "regions that act in concert to 'read' the metabolic state of an individual and drive motivation and reward". The researchers also found that glucose, but not fructose, had effects on circulating "hunger" hormone levels (insulin and GLP-1). This important research continues to help piece together the biological and psychological mechanisms behind sugar addictions that lead to overweight, obesity and morbidly obese states.
Read the full article below: "Glucose appears to temper brain activity in regions that regulate appetite and reward -- but fructose does not, researchers found. In a brain imaging study, participants who had a drink sweetened with glucose had significant reductions in cerebral blood flow in the hypothalamus, while those who drank a fructose-sweetened drink saw a slight increase in activity (P=0.01), Robert Sherwin, MD, of Yale University, and colleagues reported in the Jan. 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Glucose also reduced activation in the insula and striatum, other brain regions that regulate appetite, motivation, and reward processing, while fructose did not, the researchers wrote. In an accompanying editorial, Jonathan Purnell, MD, and Damien Fair, PhD, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, said the findings "support the conceptual framework that when the human brain is exposed to fructose, neurobiological pathways involved in appetite regulation are modulated, thereby promoting increased food intake." As the obesity epidemic has grown, so too has consumption of fructose in the American diet, the researchers explained in their article. Fructose is found in both sucrose, or table sugar, and in high-fructose corn syrup, another common sweetener. It is valued because it's sweeter than glucose. But studies show fructose may have different metabolic effects than glucose. For instance, fructose only weakly stimulates secretion of insulin, a hormone that can increase satiety, and attenuates levels of the satiety hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) -- so researchers are concerned that it could possibly increase food-seeking behavior and intake. To assess those effects, Sherwin and colleagues conducted functional MRIs (fMRIs) in 20 normal-weight, healthy adults who were given 75 grams of either glucose or fructose in a cherry-flavored drink, and then crossed over to a drink with the other sweetener. Participants rated their feelings of hunger, satiety, and fullness before and after the scan, and the researchers took blood to assess circulating hormone levels. Overall, the researchers found that glucose significantly reduced cerebral blood flow in the hypothalamus, while fructose did not. Specifically, blood flow fell 5.45 mL/g per minute from baseline with glucose, compared with an increase of 2.84 mL/g per minute with fructose, for a mean difference of 8.3 ml/g per minute, they reported (P=0.01). They also found that glucose reduced cerebral blood flow in the thalamus, insula, anterior cingulate, and striatum -- "regions that act in concert to 'read' the metabolic state of an individual and drive motivation and reward" -- compared with baseline (P<0.05). In contrast, fructose reduced blood flow in the hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, fusiform, and visual cortex -- but also in the thalamus (P<0.05). In terms of connectivity between brain regions, glucose upped the links between the hypothalamus and the thalamus and striatum, while fructose only increased connectivity between the hypothalamus and thalamus, but not the striatum -- the latter of which also de-activates once a person is sated, the researchers said. "These findings suggest that ingestion of glucose, but not fructose, initiates a coordinated response between the homeostatic-striatal network that regulates feeding behavior," they wrote. They also found that glucose, but not fructose, had effects on circulating "hunger" hormone levels. Glucose elevated levels of insulin and GLP-1 compared with fructose (P<0.001 and P=0.01, respectively). Leptin and ghrelin levels, however, weren't significantly different between the two sugars, the researchers found. The differences in brain effects between glucose and fructose also appeared to coordinate with ratings of hunger, since there was a significant difference from baseline in terms of fullness and satiety when participants drank glucose, but not fructose (P=0.005 and P=0.03, respectively). Sherwin and colleagues cautioned that the study was limited because fMRI doesn't provide a direct measure of neuronal activity, and thus any clinical implications can't yet be determined. Editorialists Purnell and Fair noted that while some researchers and clinicians warn that the total amount of calories is more important than the type of food when it comes to losing weight, the "reality ... is that hunger and fullness are major determinants of how much humans eat, just as thirst determines how much humans drink. These sensations cannot simply be willed away or ignored." "The remedy remains eating less," they wrote, "but the means involve reducing the food element, if possible." The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. Neither the researchers nor the editorialists reported any conflicts of interest. Primary source: Journal of the American Medical Association Source reference: Page KA, et al "Effects of fructose versus glucose on regional cerebral blood flow in brain regions involved with appetite and reward pathways" JAMA 2013; 309(1): 63-70." Direct from the AMA morning newsletter, I am happy to share this news with everyone! By working together and pooling resources to educate as many mothers about this problem, we are finally seeing some improvement (albeit small) on the childhood obesity front (see below) We have a long way to go to "Turn the Tide" but at least we're heading in the right direction. Very exciting!! On another note, sadly, 2 studies found that children with food allergies, or those seeking treatment for weight loss, reported bullying mainly by peers, including threatening the food-allergic kids with the food that they are allergic to.The studies found that the children who were victimized due to weight also reported parental bullying and continued bullying in school even after they lost weight! This is crazy! We must teach our children to love one another no matter what our apparent external differences may be. The world will be a better place when/if we do. Please consider talking with your kids about this asap! Thanks! Obesity down among young children from poor families. The New York Times (12/26, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports that research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association "has found modest declines in obesity among 2- to 4-year-olds from poor families, a dip that researchers say may indicate that the obesity epidemic has passed its peak among this group." The new "study, by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drew on the height and weight measurements of 27 million children who were part of the federal Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food subsidies to low-income mothers and their children up to the age of 5." Heidi M. Blanck, one of the study's authors and the acting director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the CDC, said, "The declines we're presenting here are pretty modest, but it is a change in direction." The Los Angeles Times (12/26, MacVean) "Booster Shots" blog reports, "The more than 26 million children whose data was included in the study were ages 2 to 4. The prevalence of obesity increased from 13% in 1998 to 15.2% in 2003, but declined to 14.9% in 2010; extreme obesity went from 1.75% in 1998 to 2.2% in 2003, to 2.07% in 2010." Bloomberg News (12/26, Ostrow) reports, "Researchers attributed the decline to greater awareness of health problems caused by obesity as well as an increase in breastfeeding, which research has shown can reduce the risk." Blanck said, "We're optimistic that with recent investments and recent initiatives we'll continue to see these numbers decline." Also covering the story are Reuters (12/26, Pittman) and WebMD (12/20, Mann). Although I'm not sure it's something to get worked up about, I do believe the barrage of environmental chemicals and toxins we are exposed to may potentially be leading to the increased rates of cancer, infertility and other chronic diseases. More research in this area of study and industry guidelines/watchdogs are definitely needed. Do we really know if flame retardants improve our survival in a house fire? What are the long term consequences of these chemicals? Read on for the full article.
Yours, in health, Dr. M From my AMA (American Medical Association) Morning Rounds: "Two new studies on potentially toxic chemicals found in couches and other furniture in US households garnered extensive print and online coverage, but were not picked up by any of the major televisions stations. Most of the media sources noted that furniture manufacturers tend to tailor their products to meet California's standards because of the role its market plays in sustaining the nation's economy. The majority of sources also noted the health effects associated with the chemicals reported in the studies. USA Today (11/29, Koch) reports, "More than half of US couches contain potentially toxic flame retardants that pose risks to humans as the chemicals migrate from furniture foam into house dust," according to a study published in the Nov. 28 issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Science & Technology. Researchers from the University of California-Berkeley, and Duke University found that 41 percent of the 102 couches they tested had "foam with chlorinated Tris, a probable human carcinogen removed from baby pajamas in 1977." They also discovered that 17 percent of the sofas "contained the chemical pentaBDE," which has been banned globally. The Los Angeles Times (11/29, Boxall) "Greenspace" blog notes that the study team found that most (85%) of the couches which were purchased by US consumers "from 1985 to 2010," had been "treated with chemical flame retardants." However, another flame retardant, Firemaster 550, which "contains toxic ingredients, was detected in 13 couches, most of them sold in the last seven years." The Bangor (ME) Daily News (11/28, Farwell) points out that studies "have found that exposing rats to high doses of Firemaster 550 can lead to lower birth weight and genital and skeletal deformities." The Chicago Tribune (11/28, Hawthorne) noted that "several of the flame retardants detected in the new study have been linked to hormone disruption, developmental problems, lower IQ and impaired fertility." The American Chemistry Council responded to the study by issuing a statement saying, "There is no data in this study that indicate that the levels of flame retardants found would cause any human health problems." The industry trade group also "cited an analysis of a government-funded study that it said shows 'flame retardants in upholstered furniture can provide valuable escape time' from house fires." But the Tribune points out that studies by the "US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Underwriters Laboratories found that flame retardants in household furniture cushions provide no meaningful protection from fires." The ABC News (11/28, Bockman) "Medical Unit" blog reports that because of California's "flammability standard, known as TB117 [pdf], many furniture manufacturers treat polyurethane foam with flame retardants. TB117 requires furniture sold in the state to withstand a 12-second flame exposure without igniting." Most US states have similar laws. The NPR (11/29, Shute) "Shots" blog reports that in a second study published in the same journal, researchers at the Massachusetts-based Silent Spring Institute found "fire retardants in household dust." In 75 percent of the homes they "tested, the dust contained tris, which was banned in children's sleepwear in the 1970s because it caused cancer in lab animals." They also found that many homes "had related chemicals - TCEP and TDCIPP - which the state of California lists as carcinogens." The studies are also covered by Forbes (11/29, Westervelt), the Huffington Post (11/28, Peeples), the CNN (11/29, Kounang) "Vitals" blog, the Fox News (11/28) website, the Baltimore Sun (11/29, Walker) "Picture of Health" blog, California Watch (11/29, Jewett), the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (11/28, Robison) "Boomer Consumer" blog, Alabama Live (11/29, Oliver), the MinnPost (11/29, Perry) "Second Opinion" column, HealthDay (11/29, Preidt) and WebMD (11/28, Boyles). Studies come as lawmakers push for stricter regulations. The San Francisco Chronicle (11/28, Lee) notes that the new studies "arrive as state and federal lawmakers are pushing for stricter regulations on potentially hazardous chemicals that go into furniture, electronics and other products." California Gov. Jerry Brown "now wants regulations to reduce the number of chemicals permitted in furniture, but experts say the law has already done damage nationwide." Similarly, The Hill (11/29, Viebeck) "Healthwatch" blog reports that the release of the new research on Wednesday prompted advocates to "argue for passage of the Safe Chemicals Act." The bill, which Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) sponsored, "would restrict the use of chemicals that are not proven to be safe.'" Source: http://mailview.bulletinhealthcare.com/mailview.aspx?m=2012112901ama&r=5595545-802a |
AuthorDr. Maltz earned a Medical Degree and Master in Public Health from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, TX. She completed a combined Internal and Preventive Medicine Residency at UTMB in June, 2011. She then completed a 2-year Integrative Medicine Fellowship at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT, during which she simultaneously underwent an intensive 1000-hour curriculum created by The University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Program founded by Dr. Andrew Weil. Archives
October 2020
Categories
All
|