Tag Archives: healthy lifestyle

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.

 

Free Online Workouts to Help You Safely Meet Your Fitness Goals

By: Patricia Chambliss, M.D.

Is getting more exercise one of your New Year’s resolutions? Has being quarantined for months led to some unwanted pounds?

Many of my patients tell me they’d like to take an exercise class but don’t want to risk being around a room full of people. If that’s your case, virtual workouts could be for you.

There are dozens of free exercise programs online, ranging from short core sessions to extended yoga classes. They range from easy to hardcore, require little or no equipment, and can be done in the safety and privacy of your home.

Below, I link to a few sample classes, but for more options see this HuffPost article that lists 50 free workouts. You’re sure to find something you like.

  • GymRa offers a range of workouts, including 5- to 15-minute sessions for beginners, abs workouts, dumbbell workouts, no-equipment workouts, total body routines and yoga sessions.
  • See Sweaty Betty for yoga workouts, HIIT routines, and many other types of routines. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, Sweaty Betty will get you working at the right level.
  • eFit30 gives you yoga, Pilates, and gentle muscle strengthening workouts. They are 20 to 40 minutes long and will give you a satisfying workout.
  • How about weight training at home without buying expensive weights? Turbulence Training shows you how to do no-equipment bodyweight workouts to burn fat and get lean. These sessions are mostly under 10 minutes and can be used to create your own workouts.

If you haven’t worked out for a while, I recommend taking it easy and building up your strength and stamina. And if you have an underlying health condition, it’s always a good idea to consult your MPCP provider before starting an exercise program.

More resources for you
How to Start Exercising: A Beginner’s Guide to Working Out, Healthline
Exercise Is the Immune System Booster You Need Right Now, WebMD

 

 

Dr. Chambliss joined Maryland Primary Care Physicians  in 2013 and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She sees patients in the Pasadena office.

5 Tips to Stay Safe as Quarantine Ends

By: Victor M. Plavner, M.D.

With Maryland taking steps to reopen, you may be tempted to think the Covid-19 crisis is over. Not true ─ the coronavirus is still out there, with new cases being reported every day. To avoid a second wave of infections, you need to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Here are five tips for how to re-enter public life safely.

  1. Remember the basics

We all learned safe habits during the quarantine. You should keep doing them when in public:

  • Wear a mask
  • Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer
  • Avoid touching your face
  • Practice social distancing: 6 feet apart
  • Disinfect surfaces and equipment
  • Limit contact with people who are at higher risk, such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Remember, if you are infected, you can spread the virus before you show any symptoms.
  1. Avoid confined spaces

Try to stay out of places where air can be trapped or is unfiltered, such as elevators, break rooms and small shops. When possible, take advantage of any outdoor or open-air areas where people can meet while maintaining a healthy distance.

  1. Have a coming-home routine

Create a daily routine for arriving home to prevent bringing infectious germs into your home. Depending on your level of risk, this may include:

  • Using hand sanitizer before entering your house
  • Cleaning personal items with disinfectant before going in, such as keys, mobile phones, and things in your pockets
  • Taking a shower
  • Washing your work clothes
  1. Stay alert at gatherings

As we return to gathering socially, we should maintain a certain level of caution. This includes distancing or limiting interaction with people who don’t have the same level of concern about the virus. We have no way of knowing where someone has been, or their level of exposure to possible infection, so our best protection is to avoid getting close to people in restaurants, churches, stores, bars and other public places.

  1. Take care at work

If you work near others or have to attend meetings, try to keep some space between you and other people and wear a facemask. Try to keep surfaces in work and meeting areas sanitized.

The same applies to having lunch with a group of work friends. The wise thing is to skip this custom for a while. Eat lunch alone or carve out some personal space.

See this Wall Street Journal article for more tips to stay safe while you’re out and about.

Victor Plavner, M.D.Dr. Plavner is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians, LLC partner, practices at the MPCP Arnold office . He earned his medical degree at the University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; and at George Washington University Medical Center.

5 Diets You Should Absolutely Avoid in 2020

By: Janice Rutkowski, M.D.

We’ve all seen the ads with the blaring headlines:

  • LOSE 20 POUNDS IN 7 DAYS!
  • BURN BELLY FAT NATURALLY!
  • BLAST OFF 30+ LBS OF FAT IN 2 WEEKS!

There are dozens of diets on the market that promise super-fast weight loss, but many of them take an unbalanced approach to diet and nutrition. Some tell you to avoid “bad” foods, such as carbohydrates or fats, others restrict you to just a few foods, and still others require you to buy expensive supplements or pills.

Any diet that cuts out certain foods or limits calories can lead to short-term weight loss. But fad diets rarely bring long-term results because people often return to their previous eating habits when the diet ends. Also, people who follow extreme diets may not be getting all the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Let’s look at five popular diets you should avoid in 2020. Then we’ll give you tips for managing your weight in a smart, healthy way.

  1. Carnivore diet: The carnivore diet has you eat mostly meat (along with some eggs and fat, like cheese). This is not a healthy or sustainable diet — it is extremely high in saturated fat, which can put you at risk for increased cholesterol levels, and it also leaves out a lot of foods that contain important nutrients, including fruits and vegetables.
  2. Whole30: This 30-day diet has you eat a lot of fresh, organic vegetables, grass-fed chicken and beef, and healthy fats like avocado and nuts. That’s well and good, but it also eliminates many foods, such as grains, dairy, soy, legumes, sugars and alcohol. And if you slip one day, you have to start over. The big problem with Whole30 is that it’s difficult to maintain. You may crave the foods you can’t eat and feel guilty if you “cheat.” This can turn into an unhealthy cycle where you avoid certain foods for a while and then binge on them later.
  3. Keto diet: “Keto” is a low-carbohydrate diet with plenty of meats, eggs, processed meats, sausages, cheeses, fish, nuts, butter, oils, seeds and fibrous vegetables. But you can’t eat breads, pasta, potatoes, rice, oats flour, sugar, 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. The problem is keto isn’t sustainable in the long term. 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.
  4. Atkins diet: Atkins is the granddaddy of low-carb diets. It requires you to eat a lot of meat, cheese and eggs but severely limits carbohydrates, including sugar, bread, pasta, milk, fruits and vegetables. Similar to the keto diet, it causes your body to enter ketosis and burn fat. Like many fad diets, you lose weight quickly on Atkins, but it’s difficult to stay on it for long. Also, there is medical concern about the negative effects of a high-protein diet on kidney function, cholesterol levels, and the risks of heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.
  5. Pegan diet: The pegan diet combines the popular paleo diet with some vegan principles. You eat lots of fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and seeds, oils, no dairy or gluten, a small amount of meat, and few beans or grains. You get to eat healthy foods, but the pegan diet restricts some foods that provides important nutrients. Also, since it limits what you can eat, it is hard to maintain over the long run.

Now that we’ve looked at diets to avoid, here are some good tips to help you achieve your weight-loss goal:

  1. Eat smaller portions: It’s common sense, if you want to lose weight, eat less. For example, if you usually eat a cup of rice, reduce it to a half cup. If you normally eat a plate full of pasta, cut down it to half a plate.
  2. Focus on healthier foods: Make fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, such as fish and chicken, the major part of your diet. Avoid junk foods, fast food and other foods you know are loaded with fats and calories. For helpful eating guidelines, see Choose My Plate from the USDA.
  3. Get physical: Exercise is the safest way to get fit and lose weight. And you don’t have to go to the gym seven days a week. Start with just five minutes a day and increase your activity gradually. Create an exercise plan that works for you with these guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services. Strive for between 150 and 200 minutes a week.
  4. Avoid extra sugar: Sugar occurs naturally in many foods, and your body uses it for energy. But what you should do is avoid extra sugar. Skip dessert and stay away from drinks and snacks from are loaded with the sweet stuff. See these tips for reducing extra sugar from the American Heart Association.
  5. Don’t get hungry: You should never, ever skip meals. By being hungry, you increase the chances that you will binge on unhealthy snacks and food. Avoid hunger by always having some healthy snacks handy. Have a granola bar or eat a variety of nuts in between meals.
  6. Talk to your doctor: Before starting any weight-loss program, it’s a good idea to discuss it with your doctor to make sure it is balanced and healthy. Your doctor can make recommendations for eating plans, exercise programs and more.

 

Dr. Rutkowski is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians, LLC partner and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She cares for patients at MPCP’s Arundel Mills office.