Oct 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
If a trip to Greece, Spain or Southern Italy is not in your near future, you can still benefit from a Mediterranean-inspired diet and lifestyle! There is no one “Mediterranean” diet, rather there are some common dietary patterns seen among people who live in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. And, there is some evidence that people from the Mediterranean region live longer and have a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Here’s how to eat “Mediterranean” style:
* Build your meals around plant sources of protein such as grain, lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts, seeds and vegetables.
* A few times each week, select fish, such as tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines.
* Eat less poultry, eggs and cheese.
* Limit red meat and avoid processed meat.
* Prepare food simply with herbs and olive or canola oil without adding salt.
* Enjoy eating olives, which provide heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables, salad and on whole grain bread.
* Do not fry food.
* Include fresh fruit as part of every meal and as a snack. Snack on a handful of unsalted nuts or hummus with fresh vegetables.
* Consider, if you are medically able to consume alcohol safely, red wine in moderation (which generally means up to 5 ounces a day).
* Manage your weight through eating appropriate portions of food.
* Lastly, embrace the Mediterranean lifestyle, which includes physical activity, leisurely dining and lots of quality time with family and friends.
If you’re interested in healthy eating, you might want to read about foods that can help reduce the risk of cancer.
Michele Weisberger is a Registered Dietician and Nutritionist for Cancer Supportive Services at Beth Israel Medical Center.
Oct 21, 2012 | Uncategorized
Recently, my wife paged me during a clinical meeting. “Call Mom urgently!” After negotiating the practical challenges of placing an international call from New York to South Africa while trying to guess what the crisis was, I was told my dad was in the operating room. His surgeon had just emerged to say that my father had cancer, which had spread to the liver (bad) and the lining of the abdominal cavity (worse). There was “nothing to be done.”
Three months earlier, I walked the golf course with my dad, who was still working full-time in his mid 70s and with no apparent health issues! Now the nightmare of every immigrant who left loved ones behind was my reality.
This scenario is not unusual now as we live in a mobile society. Our parents, children or relatives who may be far away from you might face serious illness and need help. Here are some tips on how to manage the crisis:
* Manage yourself. Stay calm and prioritize. Colleagues and family will respond to your request for urgent practical help so that you can work simultaneously or cover your commitments and hold the fort for you at home. They can also help you locate resources to draw on.
* Manage the family. Smaller families, spread out in different places coupled with the stresses of modern life all reduce the chance that there is someone in the family who is completely free to assume the role of caregiver. One family member should, however, assume a leadership role and can act as a spokesperson transmitting information to the rest of the family, as well as to the doctors.
* Gather information. Start to compile lists about the diagnosis and the planned course of treatment, as well as the prognosis. Are there alternatives to the proposed treatment? Clinical trials for this disease? The Internet is a fabulous resource for information, but even as a physician who speaks the language of “Medicine,” information on the Internet is unfiltered and can be very confusing. Start with reputable sites like the American Heart Association (www.heart.org), American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or the National Institutes of Health (www.health.nih.gov).
* Weigh the Information. Well-meant platitudes or the experience of someone’s cousin or nail lady is not necessarily relevant to your relative’s situation. When I had a rare and life-threatening cancer myself, I was told by an acquaintance that if one had to have a cancer, mine was the sort one would choose. (So wrong!) Enlist help from someone who understands the technical language to interpret the results of your searches. The family caregiver alliance is a very useful resource (www.caregiver.org).
* Talk to the doctor. Once you have permission from the patient, an introductory phone call can be useful. Email is especially useful for back and forth communication and used by most physicians especially if distance and time zones are an issue. When you travel, try to see the patient’s doctor face to face. Have a prepared list of written questions and get someone to accompany you to help record answers and impressions and supplement your questions. Try to set up a timeline and goals for treatment so you can plan future trips.
* Talk to the other care providers. Nurses in both hospital and outpatient settings, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are all invaluable sources of information about the treatment course and practical issues. Build a relationship with them, as they will undertake much of the patient care. Again, have the patient make his or her wishes clear that you can have access to medical information.
* Consider practical matters. Set up a plan for care including transportation, nutrition, and exercise (physical and mental). Ask for and accept specific help from friends, family and others where you live and where your loved one is. People will want to help, but you need to be specific with each offer (walk my dog/fetch me from the airport/find me the name of a specific specialist for a second opinion). When far away, religious community leaders can be a useful resource.
* Plan for emergencies. In the worst case scenario, a call to 911 can result in a patient being deposited in the emergency room of the nearest hospital where no one knows the patient history and time might be wasted and painful tests repeated unnecessarily! Avoid this and create an emergency packet that can go with the patient. Include a list of essential phone numbers and names, a list of medicines and allergies, a list of doctors and their phone numbers, and a timeline of the medical history.
* Pace yourself. Remember to conserve your own health. I tell my patients’ relatives that major illness is not a sprint event but a marathon and you need to pace yourself accordingly. Try for a healthy diet, maintain or increase your exercise level (to counteract the stress and all that sitting in waiting rooms), and try to get enough sleep and rest. Get help from your own doctor if needed.
Darryl M. Hoffman, MD, is a Cardiac Surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
This blog post originally appeared on The Child and Family Institute Notes.
The Young Associates Committee for Mental Health and Addiction Awareness (YAC) is a newly formed group of young professionals who are interested in working together to destigmatize mental illness and addiction. We organize events and activities to support the much-needed mental health and addiction treatment services provided by The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals.
The reason I am a YAC member is simple – this is my passion. Working towards ending the stigma surrounding mental illness has been my mission since I was in high school. Not only have I dealt with my own struggles with major depression and anxiety for more than a decade, but I have also seen the devastation that untreated mental illness can lead to. Think of how many lives could be saved every year if society were more accepting and willing to help people affected by these disorders.
Mental illnesses are invisible diseases that affect the brain, so to the average person on the street you may appear fine because you don’t look physically sick. Some people even function and go to work every day, but fight a silent, dark battle because it is unacceptable to be out in the open with their disease. It’s the stigma that surrounds these illnesses that often prevents people from seeking treatment. I know it came into play for me. I was young and physically healthy – I should have been able to control my brain and just make myself feel better. If I couldn’t, then just imagine how weak I must have been. This is just one of the stereotypes that are out there.
Along with other YAC members, I want to help make mental health a priority for everyone. With increased awareness, education and understanding, we can all make the world a better place for those who deal with these diseases. I want to live in a place where, if you tell someone you have bipolar disorder, the first word that pops into their head is not “crazy!” I want to live in a place where these illnesses are not a joke to people. And, I want to live in a place where everyone has a chance to live a healthy life because they aren’t afraid to get the help they need. I think that place is something all YAC members are striving for and, with more of us out there, it may come true in our lifetime.
To find out more about YAC, please “like” our Facebook page and consider joining our efforts. We are a group of young people who like to have fun and support a very serious and meaningful cause while we’re at it.
This blog was written by YAC member Katie Gerenski Gallo.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Men's Health, Sexual Health, Uncategorized, Urology
Guest blog post by Doron S. Stember, MD, Urologist at Beth Israel Medical Center.
At some point in their lives, nearly half of American men experience erectile dysfunction (ED), the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. While the major male hormone, testosterone, is important for overall male health, including maintaining muscle strength, bone density and sense of well-being, the relationship between testosterone and ED is less straightforward.
ED Isn’t Always Caused by Low Testosterone
While testosterone is closely linked to libido, or sexual drive, many men who complain of ED may have normal erectile function, but decreased libido. On the other hand, a major study showed that men with low testosterone who failed to have a response to Viagra had a significantly improved response to Viagra when their testosterone levels were treated.
The Bottom Line
There is a common misconception, even among physicians, that treating low testosterone will significantly improve erections in men with ED. It’s a good idea to screen for testosterone levels if you have ED, especially if you have failed to respond to Viagra or a similar medication. Treating a low testosterone level, however, should rarely be considered as the first-line or only therapy for ED. Low testosterone may not be causing your ED and treatment for low testosterone has potential side effects and implications that should be carefully discussed.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you have problems with erectile function, libido or both, consult with your doctor. He or she can help define the cause of the problem, as well as help you understand your treatment options. The good news is that there are many ways to address erectile function and low libido and the best choices can be customized to your specific issues and goals.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Safety, Uncategorized
Every day, you are exposed to chemicals in the products you use for cleaning, garden care and even personal hygiene. Ever wonder about the safety of these chemicals?
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