Tag Archives: healthy lifestyle

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.

Will My Child Be Safe at School?

BY: ANDREA C. CUNIFF, M.D.

Maryland children are finally returning to the classroom. This is welcome news for most families, but some parents wonder whether their kids will be safe from COVID-19 at school.

Maryland schools are taking precautions to protect children and staff members, including social distancing, mask wearing, limited class size and stepped-up cleaning. So as reported in Maryland School Reopening Guidance from the Maryland Department of Education, schools are pretty safe when it comes to the coronavirus. Here are some highlights from the report:

    • Many fewer children have been infected with COVID-19 than adults.
    • Children are less likely to become infected than adults.
    • Children under 10 appear to not spread the virus as much as adults.
    • Children generally have milder cases of the disease and lower rates of hospitalization.
    • Spread of the virus in schools is uncommon when prevention strategies are used effectively.
    • When Covid-19 does spread in schools, it is much more likely to be between staff members than between staff and children.
    • From Aug. 10, 2020 to Jan. 10, 2021, only 4.3% of persons 19 years or younger who got COVID-19 said they had attended or visited in a pre-K-12 school. That means most were not infected at school.
    • Maryland has prioritized vaccination of educators and staff in all K-12 schools. This is underway now.

See public and non-public K-12 schools that have reported Covid-19 cases

While schools are taking precautions, you should remind your children to protect themselves with these safe practices:

  • Stay separated (at least three feet, according to the latest CDC guidance): This includes not bunching up while standing in line, leaving space between seats at lunch, and not getting too close to others at recess.
  • Wear face masks: This should be a priority, especially when it’s hard to maintain social distance, such as on the bus or entering the school building. Wear cloth masks or the disposable medical face masks that are now widely available at grocery and drug stores.
    • Give your child a clean mask and back-up mask each day and a clean, resealable bag for them to store the mask when they can’t wear it, such as at lunch.
  • Keep hands clean: Practice hand-washing at home with your child: soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Encourage them to wash before and after eating or after coughing/sneezing. If hand washing isn’t available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Stay home if sick: Children should stay home if they have tested positive or are showing any COVID-19 symptoms:
    • Fever or chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    • Fatigue
    • Muscle or body aches
    • Headache
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea

Dr. Andrea C. Cuniff earned her medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She sees patients in the Annapolis office.

A Good Night’s Sleep in Anxious Times

By: Michael Volker, CRNP

During office visits, it’s not unusual for patients to tell me they’re experiencing stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, and it’s spoiling their sleep. This is normal, I tell them: COVID-19 messes with our lives in many ways, including our ability to sleep well.

Getting a good night’s sleep is more important than ever in these troubled times. If you’re well rested, you lower your risk of getting sick, reduce stress and depression, and generally feel better.

Here are some tips I give my patients who are having trouble sleeping. They’re designed to put your mind at ease so you can get restful, healthful sleep.

Understand what makes you anxious
Think about why your anxiety is bad at bedtime and what you can do to ease it. Do you watch TV news at night? Spend time on social media? Worry that you’re going to get the virus? All these can raise your anxiety level and increase sleeplessness. While it’s impossible to shut off all worry, it helps to avoid things that make you anxious, especially at bedtime.

Exercise during the day
Moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes five or more days a week can help you relax and fall into a deep sleep. Moderate exercise could be a brisk walk where you can still carry on a conversation. Vigorous exercise, like running, is also good, but do it at least two hours before going to bed.

Limit nap time
Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you do nap, limit yourself to 30 minutes and avoid napping late in the day.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Both of these can mess up your natural sleep rhythms and cause wakefulness. Stop drinking alcohol at least two hours before bed, and try not to drink caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m.

Instead, try herbal teas in the evening to relax and unwind. Popular choices include chamomile and lavender, available in many stores.

Develop a bedtime routine
Having a regular bedtime routine tells your mind and body it’s time to slow down and prepare for sleep. Tailor your routine to your own needs, but it could include:

  • Keep to a sleep schedule. A regular bedtime helps maintain your body’s internal clock.
  • Prepare your bedroom. At night, you want a dark, quiet and cool room to fall asleep. Try adjusting your thermostat to a lower temperature, changing to cotton or bamboo linens, or taking a shower/bath before bed.
  • Wash your sheets regularly. Clean linens can also help you fall asleep faster.
  • Quiet your mind. Before you go to bed, empty your worries and anxieties. For example, write down what you have to do the next day and then put it in a drawer. Or write down your anxious thoughts, then crumple the paper and throw it away to let your worries go.
  • Turn off your TV, phone and other electronics at least one hour before bed. Using devices in the bedroom leads to higher insomnia, a later wake-up time, shorter sleep duration, and greater fatigue. If you are watching TV or using your phone at night time, turn on the blue light filter or wear blue light filtering glasses.
  • Find relaxing bedtime activities. Calm your mind by reading a book, listening to soothing music, deep breathing, or meditating.

Try melatonin instead of sleeping pills
Melatonin is a hormone in your body that plays a role in sleep. It is available as a supplement, which some people take to help them fall asleep. Melatonin is not habit forming. Try to avoid other night time medications, such as Tylenol PM or Advil PM. These contain diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Usually they only help you fall asleep and do not promote restful sleep, and diphenhydramine can also become habit forming.

If you wake up
If worry makes you wake up in the middle of the night, try this:

  • Don’t lie there, get out of bed.
  • Remove yourself from the bedroom or sit in a chair in the bedroom.
  • Do screen-free activities to get sleepy again.

Know when to contact your doctor
During this time of COVID-19, nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night, but if your sleeplessness continues, contact your MPCP provider. We can help you identify and treat any underlying causes that may be keeping you from a good night’s sleep.

More resources for you:
9 Resources for Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety, Healthline
9 Tips for A Good Night’s Sleep, Psych Central

 

Michael Volker, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received his B.S. in Nursing degree from University of Maryland Baltimore School of Nursing and his M.S. in Nursing degree from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Volker is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. He sees patients in the Arundel Mills office.