Category Archives: Healthy Lifestyle
Eating to Prevent Cancer
By: Patricia Jett, M.D.
Can you prevent cancer by watching what you put in your mouth? Researchers are discovering that eating certain foods – and avoiding others – can reduce your risk of getting certain types of cancer.
‘Good’ and ‘bad’ foods
People who eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains and beans tend to get less cancer. That may be because those foods are high in antioxidants — chemicals that fight the cell damage that leads to cancer. Besides fresh produce, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables have many of the same important nutrients. Be mindful of canned goods, as they may contain more salt.
On the other hand, if you eat a lot of fat, sugar and refined carbs (like white bread), you’re more likely to gain weight and become obese. Obesity is linked to several types of cancer, so it’s important to keep your weight low. Try to limit your carb intake to < 30 grams per serving.
Are you at a healthy weight? Check your Body Mass Index (BMI).
Some healthy eating tips:
- Try to eat at least 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, and get a variety of types and colors. Be adventurous; try something new!
- Choose whole-grain products, such as breads, pastas and brown rice, instead of those with refined grains. Quinoa anyone?
- Avoid high-calorie processed foods and sugary beverages like soda, sweet tea, and juice-flavored drinks. Also watch those flavored waters – read your labels.
- Reduce your intake of processed meats such as bacon, sausage, lunch meats and hot dogs.
- Choose fish and poultry instead of red meat. If you eat red meat, choose lean cuts and smaller portions.
- Try to drink at least 64 oz. of water a day.
Watch out for alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol is also linked to several types of cancer. All types — beer, wine, and spirits — seem to raise your chances. Limit yourself to one drink a day (1.5 oz. liquor, 5 oz wine, or 12 oz beer) if you’re a woman and two drinks a day if you’re a man.
Besides healthy eating, physical activity is important for reducing your cancer risk. Learn more from the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Patricia Jett is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians, LLC partner and practices in MPCP’s Annapolis office. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed her residency program in Family Practice at Franklin Square Hospital Center.
Don’t Let Stress Harm Your Health
I’m Doctor Sneha Sheth. I’m one of the board-certified family physicians here at Maryland Primary Care Physicians.
Did you know that stress is a normal part of life? In fact, in certain situations, it can save your life.
But, if stress becomes a constant companion, it can do serious harm to your health.
Stress is the body’s reaction to a demand or threat. Your body releases stress hormones that increase your heart rate, tense your muscles, and get you ready for action. This is your “fight or flight” response.
But when the stress becomes a constant state of being, it can cause real damage. It can lead to aches and pains, headaches, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, and even frequent illness due to a weakened immune system.
Many aspects of life can lead to chronic stress: Financial worries, job issues, relationship trouble. Even positive things can cause stress – like retirement, buying a house, or planning a wedding.
So, it’s important to identify and break the patterns of stress in our lives. It can take as little as 10 to 20 minutes a day to reset your body’s stress response.
Meditation can help calm your body and your spirit. Exercise or a short walk outdoors can help the body to release endorphins, which trigger positive feelings in your body. Be sure to get enough sleep. Even pausing to take a few slow and deep breaths can make a difference.
So, if you’re feeling that stress might be gaining the upper hand, talk to your doctor. We’ll work with you to help you break the patterns of stress in your life.
Tackling stress could be key to you feeling better and staying healthy.
Dr. Sheth is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She cares for patients at MPCP’s Arundel Mills office.
Paleo, Keto, Veganism: Dishing on Top Diets
By: Tywanna Hamilton CRNP
Every time you turn on the TV, you may hear about a hot new diet that promises rapid weight loss and fabulous health. Let’s look at three diet plans that are getting a lot of buzz right now and see if they are healthy choices for you.
The Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, is based on the idea that we evolved to eat certain foods and that to stay healthy we need to eat the same foods as our Stone Age relatives did.
The Paleo diet focuses on foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors may have eaten, before farming was developed:
- Meat from animals, fish, reptiles and insects
- Animal products, such as eggs and honey
- Vegetables and fruits
- Raw nuts and seeds
The diet excludes foods that supposedly weren’t available to our ancestors:
- Legumes, including beans and peas
- Dairy products
- Cereals or grains and grain-like seeds, such as buckwheat and quinoa
- Factory-farmed meats, due to pesticides and antibiotics in their feed
- Soft drinks and sugary fruit juices
- Sweets, anything with processed sugar
The Paleo emphasis on lean meats, fruits and vegetables agrees with current dietary best practices. It is also a big improvement over the typical American diet and has been shown to help reduce obesity and prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
However, the diet also leaves out some food groups that have proven nutritional value, including grains, legumes and diary. This isn’t supported by dietary research, and I don’t recommend it.
So, if you want to eat like a cave man, go ahead. Just be willing to evolve a little to get all the nutrition you need.
The Keto Diet
Imagine if you could use your own body fat to help you shed pounds. That is at the heart of the ketogenic diet, which promises fast weight loss.
“Keto” is an extremely low-carbohydrate diet. It includes plenty of meats, eggs, processed meats, sausages, cheeses, fish, nuts, butter, oils, seeds, and fibrous vegetables. Excluded are breads, pasta, potatoes, rice, oats flour, sugar and fruit and alcoholic drinks.
The diet’s low carbohydrate content causes your blood sugar levels to drop, and your body begins breaking down fat to use as energy, a process caused ketosis.
Proponents claim ketosis leads to rapid weight loss. They also say it improves your energy and blood sugar control for patients with type 2 diabetes.
Critics say the keto diet usually only works in the short term and can be unhealthy. Once your body enters ketosis, you also begin to lose muscle, become fatigued, and eventually enter starvation mode. This is particularly dangerous for people with kidney or liver conditions.
Other negatives: keto can be heavy on red meat and other fatty, processed, and salty foods that are unhealthy. It is a very strict diet and hard to maintain, so people usually don’t stay on it for long, causing their weight to fluctuate. This is unhealthy and should be avoided.
With so many effective ways to lose weight, you should say no to keto.
Veganism
Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism. You give up all meat, poultry, fish and animal-based products — not even eggs or dairy are permitted. Your diet is solely plant products, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
A vegan diet can have some real health benefits:
- Studies link vegan diets to lower body weight and body mass index (BMI)
- Plant-based diets may reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer
On the downside, vegans need to eat a wide variety of foods to replace nutrients generally found in animal-based foods, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine and vitamins D and B-12. To make up for these, vegan diets often include:
- Legumes, such as peas, beans and peanuts
- Nuts and nut butters
- Hemp, flax and chia seeds
- Tofu and other meat substitutes
- Calcium-fortified plant milks and yogurts
- Seaweed
- Nutritional yeast
- Sprouted and fermented plant foods
Vegans who don’t eat enough essential nutrients can suffer from health problems, including anemia (from lack of iron) and bone fractures (from lack of calcium and vitamin D).
Something else to keep in mind: veganism is not necessarily healthy. If you cut out all animal-based foods but eat lots of refined grains, chips, cookies, sugary drinks, French fries, and other junky foods, you can increase your risk for obesity, heart disease and other health problems.
Your physician or a nutritionist can help you plan a balanced vegan menu so you can enjoy the benefits without the risks.
If you are thinking of changing your diet, your MPCP doctor is a good source of nutrition information to help you make decisions that will keep you eating happy and healthy.
Tywanna Hamilton, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She sees patients in the Arundel Mills office.
Type 2 Diabetes: Your Health Is in Your Hands
Q&A with Dr. Jose Zarzuela
Q: What is diabetes?
A: Diabetes is a chronic health condition when your body can’t properly use the glucose (sugar) you get from food, causing it to build up in your blood to unhealthy levels. If not controlled, diabetes can lead to heart and blood vessel disease, stroke and kidney failure, among other things.
Q: How many people have diabetes?
A: Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind of diabetes, is a growing problem. An estimated 23 million Americans have it, and many more are at risk for developing it.
Q: How do you get type 2 diabetes?
A: Risk factors include a family history of diabetes and ethnicity: African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians have higher rates. But negative factors in our American lifestyle, including obesity, inactivity and stress, can also increase your risk. In fact, 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Q: If I get type 2 diabetes, will I be on medicine the rest of my life?
A: No. Medicine is often helpful, but many of my patients have made lifestyle changes to successfully manage their diabetes and minimize its effects on their health. You can, too.
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- Improve your diet: Keep track of your carbohydrates so you don’t go overboard, and stay away from sweet drinks and other sugary foods. Get lots of dietary fiber through plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid foods with trans fats, and get lean protein from sources such as fish, chicken, dairy, beans or vegetables. You doctor may also refer you to a nutritionist to help you eat better.
- Get up and start moving: 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise each day, like walking, biking and swimming, can help you lose weight and keep it off.
- Reduce your stress: Stress pushes up blood glucose and raises your blood pressure. Ways to reduce stress:
- Do breathing exercises
- Tense your muscles and then release them
- Go on a walk or jog
- Stretch
- Do an activity you enjoy, like a hobby
- Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
As you do the right things to bring your blood sugar back to normal and keep it there, your doctor can provide support and tools to help you succeed ─ like a glucose monitor to help you stay on track. In many cases, patients who make healthy lifestyle changes are eventually able to stop taking diabetes medicine.
Managing your diabetes starts with making the changes that can make you healthy again. You’ll see for yourself – your health is in your hands.
Dr. Zarzuela received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He sees patients in MPCP’s Pasadena office.
