God's creation and His love are amazing! Bruce and I just got back from Denver and Colorado Springs' Garden of the God's, and were very blessed to go back to our wedding site (see above picture). We were there for me to attend a 3 day seminar at the American Academy of Family Physicians Annual Conference. We had a wonderful marital get-a-way together, AND I learned so so much great information attending good talks on many important and applicable things to our lives and health. I look forward to sharing these things in my upcoming blogs as I get my notes together. This blog I will review allergies and common colds/sinus infections and Eric wrote a great article on the dangers of soda pop. In Family & Faith, I am starting to write about tremendous soul training which I am learning from reading James Bryan Smith's, "The Good and Beautiful God", and marriage tips about finances and great reasons to schedule sex in your marriage!
Allergies, Common Colds, and Sinusitis
Allergy Tips - prevention and treatment!
Work to identify and avoid your allergens (like not having your window open at night if you have seasonal outdoor allergies).
Water!!! - if you are even a little dehydrated, then your body produces histamines which make your allergies worse, so you need to drink preferably filtered water 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day plus extra after exercise (with no sweetener additives and no other drink hydrates) - doing this has made me (Dr. Lisa) not have to take my daily Singulair for mild asthma!
Use saline irrigation with a nettipot or squirt bottle. This is what I use daily to irrigate my sinuses (made by Neil Med), and at any sign of increased congestion or infection I use it two or more times a day.
Antihistamines: -help with the sneezing, itching, runny nose (& can add Sudafed to make the "D" to any of these - but use Sudafed with careful caution if you have high blood pressure or prostate problems)
Usually non sedating
-Claritin (Alavert) & Zyrtec - available over the counter
-Allegra - available generic - only by prescription
-Clarinex - by prescription
-XYZall - by prescription
Sedating-Benadryl (best used at night)
Decongestants
-Sudafed (see above)
-Mucinex
Rx Nosesprays
Cortisone-take several days and need to continue to see best effect
-Flonase - available generic
-Nasacort
-Nasonex
-Veramyst
-Omnaris
-Rhinocort
Antihistamine/Other-quick acting, and can use as needed
-Astelin & Astepro
-Atrovent
OTC Nosespray
-types like Afrin you can only use for short periods of time (no more than 1 week)
Eye drops
OTC - Naphcon A or generic brand (my husband Bruce's favorite) or Visine A
RX - Patenol, Optivar
Singulair - can help especially for congestion symptoms and asthma
If significant symptoms despite medicines - see us to discuss possibility or allergy testing and immune therapy (weekly to every other week injections)If recurrent infections - see us to consider other causes and a sinus CT scan
Common Cold and Sinusitis Evaluation and Treatment Summary
The average occurrence of the common cold in preschool children is 5-7 episodes/year and decreases to 2-3/year in adulthood and last about 7-10 days. They are caused by viruses transmitted mostly by hand contact (and can live on hands for up to 2 hours) – we all need to be very cautious to wash our hands frequently (or apply antibacterial hand gel), especially if we have any symptoms of a cold (and persistently train our children)!
Antibiotics are not used to treat the common cold, because they cannot kill viruses and taken early do not prevent bacterial infections which occasionally result from the common cold. They are occasionally needed after about 10 days if persistent signs of yellow or green drainage, if symptoms worsen within 10 days of initial improvement, or develop into painful ear infections. (Certainly strep throat is bacterial and requires antibiotics right away. Strep throats usually present with only a sore throat and fever, and often fatigue and gland swelling. Rarely is it accompanied by any nasal or chest symptoms.)
Treatment - symptomatic treatment is the mainstay for common colds !
Nasal Saline Irrigations (such as Neil Med products which I use daily, and available in our office and at drugstores) – Washing the nasal cavities with saline often gives immediate great relief and reduces nasal drainage/congestion/pressure, removes secretions, and rinses away allergens and irritants and can be used daily (as I do because of recurrent sinus infections in the past and allergies) or as needed and multiple times daily. They can be used immediately prior to using other nasal medicines so the nose is freshly cleaned before using the medicines. I feel the bottle washes give the best pressure to relieve symptoms, followed by the nettipots and lastly sprays. Even my 8 year old requests this first line for significant nasal cold symptoms!
Antihistamines – These can alleviate runny nose and sneezing, but also can cause dryness and sometimes sedation. OTC medicines are Claritin (non sedating), Zyrtec (occasionally sedating), and Benedryl (always sedating but good at bedtime!). Rx ones are Allegra (available generic), Clarinex, and XYZall.
Decongestants – pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and phenyephrine can decrease nasal congestion. Topical nasal spray Afrin can be very effectively used for several days (but not longer than 1 week at a time or nasal dependence can happen).
Expectorants – Mucinex (guafenesin) can in some people thin secretions and decrease cough. Antitussives - Cough suppressants with dextromethorphan (Delsym, Robitussin DM) or codeine/hydrocodone are of variable help for coughs.
Nasal Sprays
Intal – can improve cold symptoms
Atrovent - can help runny nose and sneezing
Steroid nose sprays (generic Flonase, brands Nasacort, Nasonex, Veramyst, Omnaris, Rhinocort) – these have more proven benefit for allergic rhinitis
Zinc sprays or lozenges – have minor benefits for cold symptoms, and rarely the nose sprays can make a person lose their sense of smell.
Echinacea – has minor benefits in treating common colds in most people.
Prevention of Common Colds
Exercise – moderate intensity exercise over one year has been shown to decrease colds, so as I say “Just do it!”
Vitamin C – 500 – 1000mg daily can help in preventing colds for some people.
Vitamin D – 1000-2000iu/day or doubling your usual dose can boost your immune system to help prevent colds for 1-2 weeks around exposures, and more studies will likely come out soon showing maybe even higher doses for about a week around cold exposure can help.
Vitamin E – 200iu/day has been shown to help in some people.
Echinacea and Elderberry Tonic – may help in decreasing colds.
Antibiotics for Sinusitis and Ear Infections
Amoxicillin
Bactrim – trimethoprim/sulfamethoxisole
Macrolides – zpac, e-mycin, biaxin
Cephalosporins – Keflex, Ceftin, Omnicef and others
Doxycycline
Augmentin – amoxicillin and clavulinic acid
Avelox or Levaquin
Eric's Tips - Soda Pop Dangers -
Fitness Tips
By
Eric Walden
Affects of Soda Pop
Is soda pop okay to drink?
I have been getting this question a lot lately. My gut response is “NO!” Sometimes too adamantly to whomever I am talking to. To me there are some things that I wish that we as a culture could dis-invent and soda pop is one of them. It makes me cringe to watch people come into a gym or personal training session carrying their preferred soda pop and drinking it during the workout. DON’T YOU REALIZE YOU ARE HURTING YOUR BODY??? But its diet or it has no calories are the typical responses I get. Okay so why are you drinking it? Why are you wasting your money and your time drinking something that can’t help you achieve your fitness goal? So to back up my soap box I went hunting to back up my theory. Before I totally tick to many people off let me put some rational on this. It is okay every once and while to drink a soda pop and by every once and while I mean once every two weeks. I take this approach to ice cream or cookies. Moderation is key, BUT PLEASE DO NOT WALK INTO YOUR GYM WITH IT OR A TRAINING SESSION WITH ME! I’ll give you the “Are you kidding me look”. Okay so here is what I’ve found when searching for “Affects of soda pop on your body”.
First I’m going to break down what is in most soda pops:
Phosphoric Acid: May interfere with the body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.
Sugar: Soft drink manufacturers are the largest single user of refined sugar in the United States. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.
Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. Further, when aspartame is stored for long periods of time or kept in warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.
Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks can cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.
Soda is one of the main reasons, nutritionally speaking, why many people suffer health problems. Aside from the negative effects of the soda itself, drinking a lot of soda is likely to leave you with little appetite for vegetables, protein and other food that your body needs.
How many sodas have you had today? How about your kids? The average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year, but before you grab that next can of soda, consider this: one can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites (www.oleda.com/products.asp?dept=48).
Now like I said before; what is in most sodas. Here are some more quotes I’ve found from doctors who have studied the affects of soda on the body.
Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND
Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition
"The allergenicity of penicillin in the general population is thought to be at least ten percent. Nearly 25 percent of these individuals will display hives, angioedema, or anaphylaxis upon ingestion of penicillin…. hives and anaphylactic symptoms have been traced to penicillin in milk, soft drinks, and frozen dinners."
"Many general dietary factors have been suggested as a cause of osteoporosis, including: low calcium-high phosphorus intake, high-protein diet, high-acid-ash diet, high salt intake, and trace mineral deficiencies. It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis. A deficiency of vitamin K leads to impaired mineralization of bone. Boron deficiency may contribute greatly to osteoporosis as well as to menopausal symptoms."
"Soft drinks have long been suspected of leading to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones. The phosphate content of soft drinks like Coca -Cola and Pepsi is very high, and they contain virtually no calcium."
"The United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption. The per-capita consumption of soft drinks is in excess of 150 quarts per year, or about three quarts per week."
"Soft drink consumption in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones."
"Of the fifty-seven children who had low blood calcium levels, thirty-eight (66.7 percent) drank more than four bottles (12 to 16 ounces per bottle) of soft drinks per week, but only forty-eight (28 percent) of the 171 children with normal serum calcium levels consumed as much soft drink … These results more than support the contention that soft drink consumption leads to lower calcium levels in children. This situation that ultimately leads to poor bone mineralization, which explains the greater risk of broken bones in children who consume soft drinks."
"Soft drink consumption may be a major factor for osteoporosis as they are high in phosphates but contain virtually no calcium. This leads to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. The United States ranks first among countries for soft drink consumption with a per capita consumption of approximately 15 ounces a day." (http://www.naturalnews.com/004416.html)
Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!
Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.
Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet. (See: Hoehn, SK et al: "Complex versus simple carbohydrates and mammary tumors in mice." Nutr Cancer 1979; 1: 27.)
You may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.
Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.
Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading. (http://health.yahoo.net/experts/drmao/what-soft-drinks-are-doing-your-body)
So I think I can safely say that I win this debate about soda pop. There is enough proof that it is not good for your body. Soda pop is a not a product that anyone should be putting in their bodies let alone while trying to work out and lose weight. Heck even consuming while trying to gain weight isn’t a good idea either. Either way you look at it soda pop is not good for you body.
Come find out your Fitness Score at Snap Fitness of Fishers. Call 317-594-1200 to set your appointment. Or send us an email at fishers@snapfitness.com to set up your appointment.
Family & Faith
Marriage Tips
Financial Harmony - Talk and Save!
Many couples are raised in families with very different approaches to money - some have never learned to save, and others raised to follow strict budgets. These differences make the most common fights between couples and lead to significant stress that can erode a marriage.
The root of the problem is miscommunication, and a key to financial harmony is to regularly discuss finances at calm times - NOT when you are already fighting or stressed or in bed (and the best is to discuss financial goals, spending and expectations even before you marry)! Many financial counselors recommend going for a walk to discuss financial problems, and plan a monthly time to review your money and accounts (maybe a Sunday after church). Talk about your family and personal financial history and discuss short and long term goals (if you inherited $25,000 right now what would you do with it?, when and what kind of lifestyle do you want at retirement?). Be humble, try not to blame each other , and give suggestions and focus on solutions. Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace classes are very beneficial in achieving financial happiness and balance. The general rule of tithing 10 % (giving to your church and other charities), saving 10%, and living on 80% is a great long term plan.
Many couples have problems when they have a "my" (rather than "our")approach about money, and when they have debts that accrued before marriage. Some couples choose separate accounts (create a budget of their incomes and joint expenses, decide what to save for retirement and long-term expenses, and any remaining money split into separate accounts to spend as they each wish) and some couples choose joint accounts (mix their money completely - works best when one is in charge of the usual bill paying tasks and updates the other, have an agreed upon budget and spending cap for fun items, and any purchase above this needs to be discussed first). Marital finances work best with a "team" approach. Talk regularly and find your common goals, create a concrete common mission, and respect your joint pool of spending and savings money. This will put yourself in control of your finances (rather than letting it control your marriage and relationship) and lead to a happier and healthier marriage!
Schedule sex with your spouse AT LEAST one night or time per week!
This will develop a high sexual comfort level since you know you will have sex at least once a week.
-scheduling sex eliminates "The Ask" (and potential rejection from the spouse with the higher desire)
-scheduling sex increases desire (it engages the brain because it is the largest sex organ in the human body)
-scheduling sex increases anticipation (can anticipate and prepare for your marital recreation!)
-scheduling sex allows for prime time planning (put it in the best time for each of you)
-scheduling sex helps couples prepare physically (hot bath or shower or freshly shaved body)
-scheduling sex builds trust and intimacy in a marriage (if we commit to this, we must honor our word and agreement)
Spontaneous sex can have its place in life, but scheduling sex always has its place on our calendar!
Adapted from "Red-Hot Monogamy" by Bill and Pam Farrel
Upcoming blog - traits of a red-hot lover, from "Red-Hot Monogamy"!
Soul Training - discover a new and better way to experience life and discover the God Jesus reveals, from "The Good and Beautiful God", by James Bryan Smith
This is the first in a series of 3 great and life changing books by Mr. Smith, which we are reading in my weekly small group. I will start to highlight some of his biblical based insights and teaching from the first chapter of his first book in this blog, and continue it over the next several blogs. With each chapter, James includes a soul training exercise to help train our souls.
"The only thing that counts is faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6) in our hearts, our homes, our work, our community, and our planet, and "it all starts with knowing the God Jesus knows, and loving God with every fiber of your being." Mr. Smith states that most people want to change but fail - not because they are not trying, but they are not training properly and relying upon the Holy Spirit (God and Jesus in us!).
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!", 2Corinthians 5:17.
Our lifelong transformation into all God has planned for us is accomplished by changing our own and worldly narratives into Jesus' and God's narratives, soul training exercises, being in Christian fellowship and community, and the Holy Spirit.
Exercise 1 - At least one day this week sleep until you cannot sleep anymore, and go to bed at a consistent time each night... The greatest enemy of Christian spiritual formation is exhaustion. Most studies show that people need at least 8 hours of sleep a night to maintain good health (so God designed us to spend at least 1/3 of our lives sleeping) - this leads us to be happier, less tired, and more creative, energetic, and productive. God designed us to be stewards of our lives - or body, mind, and soul. We cannot neglect our body and be effective in our spiritual growth and transformation!
From one of my wonderful and so special patients, Amber: "I found a great new medicine for fatigue... it's called SLEEP!!! My husband and I feel so much better and sleep so much better by going to bed at the same time each night!"
I will discuss the next several chapters in my next blog. Until then, I pray that you and I will allow the Holy Spirit to work in and with us to make a regular bedtime and sleep at least 8 hours a night. I pray that we (and our families, friends, and world) all grow each day more and more in love with God with every fiber of our being!
Hugs and love,
Dr. Lisa
