Tag Archives: healthy lifestyle

Careful with the Caffeine

By: PAUL CHITE, M.D.

For most adults, caffeine helps us wake up in the morning and gives us a pleasant boost during the day. There are a variety of available caffeinated products to suit any taste, from tea and coffee to energy drinks and chocolate.

Caffeine is a stimulant, and its effects increase with the amount consumed. Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day is safe for most healthy adults. That’s the equivalent of about four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two “energy shot” drinks. (See the chart below for the caffeine content of popular drinks.)

Health downsides
As you may know from experience – for example, on days you drink more coffee than usual — too much caffeine can cause some unpleasant side effects. Common side effects include headaches, feeling jittery, increased urination, and irritability. Most side effects are mild, but others are more serious and can cause health problems such as:

  • Trouble sleeping: Too much caffeine can cause difficulty falling and staying asleep. Even moderate amounts can cause insomnia in some people, especially if you have it too close to bedtime. In fact, caffeine can stay in your system for up to eight hours after you consume it. Lack of sleep can contribute to health problems – such as mood disorders and obesity — so avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening if you notice it affects your sleep.
  • Faster heart rate: Caffeine causes your heart to beat a little faster. That’s not a problem for most of us, but if you consume too much, your pulse may stay high too long. It may even feel like your heart beats in an irregular rhythm, sometimes called heart palpitations. Excessive caffeine may even trigger episodes in people who have certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation.
  • Raised blood pressure: Caffeine can spike your blood pressure for a short while and sometimes over the long term. High blood pressure is linked to other health problems, including heart and kidney disease, so talk to your doctor about how much caffeine you can take if you have high blood pressure.
  • Worsened menopause symptoms: Women experience the change of menopause around age 50, and caffeine can increase the sudden hot flashes that often happen at this time of life.

Many teens enjoy sugary coffee drinks or caffeine-laden energy drinks, but teens are especially sensitive to caffeine’s effects and should avoid it. Also, caffeine can interfere with fetal development, so women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should talk with their health provider about limiting caffeine use.

Curbing your caffeine habit
Your body gets used to a certain level of caffeine, so if you decide to quit it all at once, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and fatigue. These symptoms are usually mild and resolve after a few days.

A better approach may be to gradually reduce the amount of caffeine you consume until you are caffeine-free. Try these methods:

  • Cut back slowly: Try drinking one less cup of coffee or one less soda each day or drink a smaller cup of coffee. This will help your body get used to the lower levels of caffeine.
  • Switch to decaf. Most decaffeinated beverages look and taste much the same as their caffeinated counterparts.
  • Shorten brew time or go herbal. When making tea, brew it for less time. This cuts down on its caffeine content. Or drink herbal teas that don’t have caffeine.
  • Avoid energy drinks: Caffeine is a main ingredient of many energy drinks, so it’s best to avoid them.

 

Typical caffeine content of popular drinks

Coffee Sizes Caffeine content (mg)
Brewed 8 oz. 96 mg
Brewed, decaf 8 oz. 2 mg
Espresso 1 oz. 64 mg
Espresso, decaf 1 oz. 30 mg
Teas Sizes Caffeine content (mg)
Brewed black 8 oz. 47 mg
Brewed black, decaf 8 oz. 2 mg
Brewed green 8 oz. 28 mg
Bottled 8 oz. 19 mg
Sodas Sizes Caffeine content (mg)
Cola 8 oz. 22 mg
Root beer 8 oz. 0 mg
Citrus-flavored 8 oz. 0 mg
Energy Drinks Sizes Caffeine content (mg)
Energy drink 8 oz. 71.9 mg
Energy shot 2 oz. 215 mg

Source: Mayo Clinic

 

Paul Chite, M.D.Dr. Chite cares for patients in the Pasadena office. He earned his medical degree from American University of the Caribbean, Saint Maarten, and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

YIKES! I’m Too Young to Have High Blood Pressure and Diabetes

By: DANIEL LAMPHIER, M.D.

When you hear “high blood pressure” and “diabetes,” do you think of health problems your parents or grandparents may have? Unfortunately, a growing number of young adults are dealing with these dangerous conditions. In fact, Millennials (born 1981-1996) are now being diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes at greater rates than any other age group.

What’s the cause of this unhealthy trend? Mostly, it’s lifestyle: Millennials eat a lot of processed and fast foods with high levels of calories, sugar, salt and fat. And they tend to be less active, preferring screen time to physical activity. As a result, about 70% of young adults are overweight or obese.

The bad news

Being overweight is a major risk factor for many chronic health issues, especially high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Left untreated, these two diseases can have life-long, devastating effects on your health.

High blood pressure (or hypertension) occurs when the force of circulating blood against the walls of arteries is too high. People with high blood pressure are 3.6 times more likely to get type 2 diabetes, 3.5 times more likely to have narrowed or blocked arteries, and five times more likely to suffer a stroke or heart failure. It’s called “the silent killer” because it often has no symptoms and most people don’t know they have it. The only way to detect it is to get your blood pressure checked by a health professional.

Type 2 diabetes results when your body can’t properly manage sugar, resulting in too much sugar circulating in your bloodstream. Diabetes greatly increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, kidney and eye disease, poor circulation and nerve damage. There’s no cure for diabetes but it can be managed through diet and medicine.

The good news

By making some basic lifestyle changes, you can greatly lower your risk for getting high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, or successfully manage the diseases if you already have them. In fact, some patients are able to improve their condition to the point that they no longer need to take medicine. Here are eight health strategies that apply to both high blood pressure and diabetes.

1. Eat healthy. No surprise here: a healthy diet can lower both high blood pressure and diabetes.

  • Consume fewer processed foods and fast foods that are high in salt and fat.
  • Avoid sweet snacks, desserts and sugary drinks such as sodas, fruit juices and fancy coffees.
  • Get plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
  • Choose nonfat dairy and lean meats, such as skinless chicken and fish.
  • Carbohydrates turn into sugar, so if you’re diabetic watch your carb intake.
  • No foods are strictly off-limits but focus on eating only as much as your body needs.

2. Reduce salt (sodium) in your diet. There is a strong link between sodium and high blood pressure, so reducing your salt intake is key.

  • Read food labels. Look for low-sodium versions of foods and beverages.
  • Eat fewer processed foods like canned soups, lunch meats and boxed meals. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added during processing.
  • Don’t add salt. Use herbs or spices to add flavor to food.

3. Exercise. Regular physical activity helps bring down your blood sugar and reduce your blood pressure. Plus, it can help you lose extra pounds. You don’t have to join a gym — just walk fast or ride a bike. Aim for 30 minutes of activity that makes you sweat and breathe a little harder on most days of the week.

4. Lose weight. The bad effects of blood pressure and diabetes often climb as your weight increases, so weight loss is one of the best ways to prevent/control them. Losing even a few pounds can help.

5. Manage stress. When you’re stressed, both your blood sugar level and blood pressure go up. Find ways to relieve stress — through deep breathing, yoga, walking or relaxing hobbies.

6. Quit smoking. Diabetes makes you more likely to have health problems like heart disease, eye disease, stroke, kidney disease, blood vessel disease, nerve damage and foot problems. If you smoke, your chance of getting these problems is even higher. Talk with your doctor about ways to quit.

7. Limit your alcohol. Alcohol can make your blood sugar go too high or too low, and it can also raise your blood pressure. Women should have no more than one drink a day and men should have no more than two.

8. Monitor your blood pressure and get regular checkups. Home monitoring can help you track your blood pressure. Your MPCP provider can also evaluate your health situation and help you make a lifestyle plan you can live with.

 

Dr. Daniel Lamphier is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians, LLC partner and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He earned his medical degree from George Washington University, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, and cares for patients in the Queenstown office.

Escape the Sugar Trap

By: IZABELA PLUCINSKA, CRNP

At lunch, you enjoy a nice cold soda – containing 12 teaspoons of sugar. On the way home, you stop at your favorite coffee shop for a refreshing Double Vanilla Caramel Mocha Latte – and 18 teaspoons of sugar.

It’s no secret that we eat too much sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day and that men should not exceed nine teaspoons. The reality is a typical American – adult and child – consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. We are caught in a sugar trap.

Sugar is everywhere

Sugar occurs naturally in many whole foods, and our bodies need it to burn for energy. However, food manufacturers also add sugar to many products to increase flavor or extend shelf life. Sugary drinks, candy, baked goods and sweetened dairy are the main sources of added sugar. But even foods like soups, bread, cured meats, tomato sauce and ketchup can have extra sugar, making it easy for us to overdose on the sweet stuff.

While natural foods have sugar, they also contain the nutrients our bodies need to be healthy. Not so with sugary processed foods: they are mostly “empty calories” that give you little nutritional benefit.

Excess sugar consumption can have a serious impact on your health. It is a major factor in obesity, which affects 36% of all adults and 19% of all children. Among other things, obesity can lead to high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Getting free from sugar

Since added sugar is so common, you need to be carefully choosing your foods. Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Dump the sweet drinks: Many Americans get about 22% of their total calories from sweetened drinks, including soda, fruit juices, sports and energy drinks, and sweetened coffees. Instead, go with 100% fruit juice, sugar-free flavored water, or diet sodas, if you must have soda. Try to get your calories from foods, not drinks. And try to decrease your need for sweet-tasting foods and drinks generally.
  • Toss the table sugar: Whether it’s white, brown, corn syrup, honey, agave or molasses, it’s all sugar. Cut back on the amount of sweetener you add to foods like cereal, coffee or tea. Try cutting the usual amount you add by half and then keep decreasing it.
  • Favor fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits: Choose fruit canned in water or natural juice. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup. Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, try fresh or dried fruit.
  • Cut back when cooking: When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar in your recipe by one-third to one-half. (You may not notice the difference.) Or reduce sugar by substituting half the amount with unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. You can also use flavor extracts like almond, vanilla, orange or lemon instead of sugar.
  • Look at the label: Read the ingredients and Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods to find ones with less sugar:
    • Beware of products that list sugar as their first or second ingredient. However, to hide how much sugar they use, food makers may use variety of sweeteners and list each one individually, so read the whole label.
    • Look for the Daily Value (DV) for sugar on the Nutrition Facts label. This is a percentage of the recommended limit for sugar in your daily diet. The label lists both “Total Sugars” and underneath “Added Sugars.” 5% DV or less of added sugar per serving is considered low, while 20% DV or more of added sugar per serving is considered high

Your MPCP provider can also help you plan a healthy diet and suggest other ways to escape the sugar trap.

 

Izabela Plucinska, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received her Master of Science in Nursing degree from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, with a specialty in Women’s Health. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Family Practice, and treats patients in the Arnold office.

The ‘Miracle Drug’ for Everyone

By: JOSE ZARZUELA, M.D.

Suppose there was a miracle drug that could boost your mood and energy, reduce your weight, prevent serious illness, and even help you sleep better. Would you take it?

Good news: The miracle drug is real. It’s called exercise.
Your body needs regular physical activity to work right and feel good. People who are active tend to have fewer health problems. But people who spend most of their time just sitting weaken their bodies. And if a sedentary lifestyle is compounded with overeating, smoking, and too much alcohol, you greatly increase your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other serious issues.

More good news: You don’t have to spend hours at the gym. Something as simple as a brisk daily walk gives you physical and emotional benefits. When you head out for a walk, or any other type of moderate exercise:
• Your heart pumps more oxygen throughout your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack.
• Your body releases immune cells that find and destroy dangerous intruders (such as viruses) and defective cells (that can cause disease).
• Your brain produces more dopamine, a chemical that improves your mood and makes you feel more relaxed.

Regular exercise strengthens your heart, muscles, and bones, leading to overall better health. It also provides these other benefits:
• Increased ability to focus, as well as better memory and decision-making.
• Better moods: Increased levels of dopamine produce a greater sense of well-being, as well as reducing anxiety and worry.
• Improved sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Sound good so far? It gets better
• Exercise helps you manage your weight or lose pounds. It causes your body to burn more calories, and the more you burn the easier it is to control your weight.
• Helps your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and make your insulin work better. This can cut down your risk for type 2 diabetes, or if you already have it, exercise can help you manage it.
• Reduces your risk of some cancers. Studies show that regular physical activity can lower the risk of colon cancer 17%-30% and breast cancer risk 20%-30%.

How to get started
It doesn’t take much exercise to start boosting your health. Even small changes can help. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to a coworker’s office instead of sending an email. Wash the car yourself. Park further away from your destination.
For most people, your goal should be to work up to at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise, like a brisk walk. You could split that into 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
The resources below can help you get started. And if you haven’t been active for a while, it’s a good idea to consult with your health provider first.
• 10-Minute Workout (video)
• How to Start a Walking Program
• Ways to Exercise If You Hate to Work Out

Jose Zarzuela, M.D.Dr. Zarzuela is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians partner and is certified by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons for Internal Medicine and Sports Medicine. He sees patients in MPCP’s Pasadena office.