Category Archives: Health & Wellness
How to Exercise in Cold Weather
By: Dawn Roelofs, CRNP
There’s no reason to stop exercising outdoors when the temperature drops. In fact, exercise in cold weather has some advantages over warmer weather:
- There’s no heat and humidity to deal with.
- You may be able to work out longer.
- Winter sunlight can improve your mood and help your body make vitamin D.
- Exercise boosts your immunity during cold and flu season.
Just follow these tips for cold-weather workouts to maintain your fitness regimen this winter.
1. Acclimate. Understand that it will take time for you to get used to working out in the cold. When you first start exercising, your body will probably need more time to warm up to perform well. Make your workouts a little lighter at first to help your body adjust.
2. Hydrate. You still sweat in cold weather, so stay hydrated. Drink water frequently even if you don’t feel very thirsty
3. Go for layers. Dressing in layers helps you manage the combination of cold air, body heat and sweat. For your first layer, choose a moisture-wicking fabric that pulls sweat away from your skin and keeps you dry. Next, add a layer of fleece, and on top put a thin waterproof garment. If you start to perspire, you can remove a layer. Avoid cotton garments. Once cotton becomes wet with sweat or snow, the moisture is trapped and will make you feel colder. Protect your hands with a thin pair of glove liners made of a wicking material under a pair of heavier gloves. Consider wearing thermal socks to keep your feet warm, and a hat or headband to protect your head and ears, or even a scarf to protect your face.
4. Know the risks. Being cold can lead to hypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia means your body temperature has fallen below safe levels, and it can kill you. Symptoms include lack of coordination, mental confusion, slowed reactions, slurred speech, cold feet and hands, shivering and sleepiness.
Frostbite happens when cold freezes your skin. Frostbite is most common on exposed skin, such as your cheeks, nose and ears. Early warning signs include numbness, loss of feeling or a stinging sensation.
If you experience any symptoms of hypothermia or frostbite, get out of the cold immediately and get medical help.
Don’t forget the sunscreen as the winter sun can burn you, especially when it reflects off ice or snow.
5. Be realistic, stay safe. There’s a point when uncomfortable weather becomes unsafe. Check the weather before your workout. If the wind chill is extreme, the temperature is well below zero or there’s ice on the ground, it may be safer to work out indoors.
Dawn Roelofs, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Drexel University. She cares for patients in MPCP’s Columbia office.
Should I take dietary supplements? Common myths
By: Katherine Grote, CRNP
More than three quarters of Americans take dietary supplements, such as vitamins and minerals. If you’re one of them, your reasons may include improving your nutrition, preventing disease and living a healthier life.
Taking dietary supplements for the right reasons can help supply your body with important nutrients. However, there is a lot of misinformation about supplements, and not all of them perform as advertised. See these common myths about supplements and how to get real benefits from them.
Myth 1: Most people need supplements. In fact, most adults can meet their nutritional needs with a well-balanced, healthy diet. In cases of nutritional deficiency that cannot be solved through food alone, taking the vitamins and minerals you need can help fill the gaps. If your doctor recommends a supplement, well and good. Otherwise, you’ll do better to eat healthy.
Myth 2: Supplements are natural, so they are safe. Natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe or effective. Supplements that have been linked to significant health risks include St. John’s Wort, kava, comfrey, chaparral and pennyroyal.
Myth 3: Supplements are approved by the government. Supplements do not need to be proven safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. In fact, the FDA gets involved only after a supplement is on the market, and can ban supplements that have negative effects. However, that happens after people are already using the supplements.
Myth 4: You can’t take too many vitamins. Some people believe large doses of certain supplements can prevent or cure certain health issues, such as vitamin C for colds. In most cases, this overdosing has no effect, and you just waste your money. However, some supplements can be toxic in large doses. For example, too much vitamin C can cause upset stomach or diarrhea, and excess vitamin B-6 can cause neuropathy, a form of nerve damage.
Myth 5: Supplements won’t interfere with medicine. Some supplements, especially the herbal varieties, can interfere with medicines, making them less effective or causing unwanted side effects. For example, if you are on the blood thinner warfarin, vitamin K, which promotes blood clotting, can interfere with the warfarin. Also, if you take antibiotics at the same time as probiotics, the antibiotics will kill the probiotics, and you end up with no benefit.
Myth 6: Supplement labels are accurate. Since dietary supplements are largely unregulated, it may be hard to know what’s in them. For example, a supplement can claim to contain 100% of a vitamin but really contain as little as 10%. Some supplements are tested by independent third parties, such as NSF International, to verify their contents. Look for that information on the label. If you don’t see it, you can’t be sure what you’re buying.
Myth 7: Supplements do what they claim. Some supplements make unproven health claims, such as preventing cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, causing quick weight loss and improving your immune system. Dietary supplements can’t legally claim to treat or prevent a disease, but some do it anyway. A good rule of thumb: if a supplement’s claim sounds too good to be true, it is.
The takeaway: if your doctor recommends a dietary supplement to treat a nutritional deficiency, go ahead and take it. Otherwise, it probably won’t benefit your health or bank account.
Katherine Grote, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, holds her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Indiana State University, and is board certified by the AANP in Family Practice. She sees patients in MPCP’s Bowie office.
HPV, the First Cancer Vaccine
By: Jamie Harms, M.D.
In 2006, the first vaccine to help prevent a cancer was released in the United States: the HPV vaccine.
Cervical cancer was one of the most common cancers among women in the U.S. until Pap smears became routine and helped identify pre-cancerous and early cancerous cervical cells. Cervical cancer is almost always caused by a virus, the human papilloma virus.
HPV is common
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is also the cause of anal and genital warts, as well as vaginal, anal, penile and oral cancers. It is spread by skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact as well as oral sex and hand-to-genital contact.
HPV is common. It is estimated that 75-80% of sexually active adults will become infected with at least one strain of HPV by the age of 50. There are over 100 strains of HPV, and while most of them are not harmful, about 15 are known to cause cervical cancer. Most times, HPV infection goes away on its own, but in 10-20% of women, the HPV infection does not go away. These women are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine
In 2006, a vaccine against HPV was released in the U.S. The vaccine is recommended for both girls and boys at 11-12 years of age. It is given in a series of two vaccines, 6 months apart. Teens and young adults can get this vaccine later but will need three vaccines if it is given after age 15 because the vaccine is much more effective in younger teens.
Proven safe and effective
Here’s the best news… this vaccine is making a difference in our health. In girls 13-19 years of age, HPV infections have dropped by 83%. The number of women 20-24 years of age infected by HPV has dropped by 66%. That’s HUGE! The frequency of genital warts in girls and boys has dropped, too — girls by 67% and boys by 48%. The number of precancerous findings in girls has dropped by 51%.
So, this vaccine is working, and working well. Since the vaccine was released, there have been no reports of major side effects. The most common side effects are soreness and redness at the injection site, headaches and nausea. Some parents have worried that giving their child this vaccine will result in decreased fertility or will encourage them to have sex earlier or more often, but studies show that this is not true.
MPCP recommends that your child receive the HPV vaccine with their other required vaccines at 11-12 years of age. Talk with your doctor or look at these good sources for more information:
Are ‘Meatless Meats’ Better for You?
By: Christine Jones, M.D.
Plant-based meat substitutes are booming in popularity, with grocery stores and restaurants offering meatless “hamburger” and “sausage” that look and taste like the real thing. Some people eat these products because they fit their vegetarian or vegan diets, but many others are trying them because they think “meatless meat” is healthier and will even help them lose weight.
How plant-based burgers compare to beef
When it comes to your health, meat-substitute burgers do have an advantage over beef. They’re plant-based – for example, Beyond Meat uses pea protein and Impossible Foods uses soy and potato protein – so they provide healthy fiber and cut out the cholesterol found in animal products. But their health benefits are not across the board as shown in the chart below, which compares the nutrition of a beef burger to an Impossible Burger and a Beyond Burger.
| 4 Oz. Patty | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85% Lean Ground Beef | 192* | 12* | 0 grams | 20 grams | 55 milligrams |
| Impossible Burger | 240 | 14 grams | 9 grams | 9 grams | 370 milligrams |
| Beyond Burger | 250 | 18 grams | 3 grams | 20 grams | 390 milligrams |
Nutrition data from the USDA, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. * Calories and fat after cooking. Pre-cooking calories were 283.
Beef and meatless burgers contain about the same amount of protein. However, beef patties can give you fewer calories and less fat since you can squeeze fat out of a beef burger by cooking it longer, as shown in the example above. (Cooking doesn’t affect the calories in meatless patties.) Plant-based burgers are also higher in carbs since they are made of vegetables, and they contain significantly more sodium since salt is one of their ingredients. (You have the option of not salting a beef patty.)
Also remember that adding a bun and condiments, such as cheese, ketchup and mayo, can greatly increase any burger’s fat and calories.
Nutritionists have noted two cautions about Impossible Burgers and Beyond Burgers. First, both are made with processed plant-based ingredients rather than whole foods, which are a more healthful option. Second, both products contain coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat and can raise LDL (“bad” cholesterol) just like beef fat. Coconut oil gives Beyond Burgers and Impossible burgers comparable saturated fat levels to beef.
Bottom line on burgers
You’re not automatically eating healthier by choosing plant-based meat, and if you think eating meatless will make you lose weight, think again. But if you choose a plant-based burger, you can do so knowing that you’re getting comparable taste and nutrition to beef.
Dr. Christine Jones earned her medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She cares for patients at MPCP’s Annapolis office.
