Mdhelp PLLC

Calorie restriction can be more effective at promoting weight loss than intermittent fasting, based on a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Intermittent fasting is not advisable in patients taking medications which decrease blood glucose.( e.g insulin , glipizide , etc)

Make sure you take adequate Macro nutrients ( carbs , protein, fats) and micronutrients like minerals and vitamins in what ever diet u follow.

Gout should be considered as differential diagnosis if you have a single or multiple joint pain and swelling without trauma.

It’s a condition where uric acid accumulates in bones and tendons and cause inflammation.

High purine diet to be avoided to prevent gout.

Foods to avoid or decrease intake to prevent gout flare ups are spinach , red meat , seafood , shrimp , and alcohol especially beer and spirits.

Lower extremity edema or swelling in the feet is a sign of many medical problems.

Never ignore if you notice swelling in one leg after prolonged air travel, as it can be due to blood clot in the veins.

Bilateral lower extremity swelling in the evenings could be dependent Edema.

Any vital organ failure like heart, liver , kidneys can cause edema.

Low Thyroid hormone/ adrenal hormone levels can cause swelling too.

Talk to your doctor if you notice swelling in the legs .

Our nails can tell a lot about our health

1. Spoon shaped nails Could be due to iron deficiency anemia
2. Clubbing or increased mass of distal tip under nail could be due to decreased oxygenation from lung disease or congenital heart diseases,
3. Mild Clubbing can be a normal presentation if it is Hereditary or runs in family.
4. Thickened yellow nails on the toes can be due to fungal infection
5. Nail pitts can be a sign of psoriatic arthritis.

Discuss with your doctor if you see above findings

3 things to consider for healthy living in addition to healthy diet and daily physical activity

1. Dental hygiene -brush atleast 5-10 minutes a day

2. Bowel care-add fruits or fiber in your diet.

3. Skin care -use skin moisturizers daily after a shower

Prediabetes can increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Fasting glucose levels between 100-125 or A1C of 6 to less than 6.5 is prediabetes.

Always ask your doctor to check for A1c if u have risk factors of family history or obesity

7 basic things you must do for healthy living

1. Avoid smoking
2. Eat right with good portions of protein, vegetables, carbs.
3. Exercise daily for 20-30 minutes by picking up your choice of workout, if you are older than 40, try isotonic exercises like walking, jogging , cardio . Swimming, Yoga is good too.
4. Sleep for 7-8 hours a day.
5. Talk to any person other than your family everyday. There is nothing better than talking to a friend for bursting stress.
6. Avoid Heavy alcohol use. Males - avoid more than 2 drinks a day. Females - avoid more than 1 drink a day
7. Just like your vehicle or appliance maintenance, follow up with a health professional once a year.
Our health is our priority.

Tips/preventions for stomach upset

Most common causes

1. Food contamination

2. Infectious diarrhea , which is common during travel (eg: norovirus , very common in cruise ships ) or bacterial outbreaks ( eg salmonella)

Home remedies

Take a probiotic 1-2 times a day

Adequate hydration

Eat cooked food and drink filtered water, pasteurized products.

Rest yourself

Contact your primary care doctor if you have persistent symptoms

Avoid anti diarrheal medications like Imodium if it is infectious diarrhea.

Go to acute care hospital if you have low blood pressure, severe dehydration, cannot tolerate oral fluids , persisting vomiting, fever, severe abdominal pain, severe fatigue.

Wish you a happy and healthy new year 2020.

Try to Start your new year with a small beginning to make your health better and keep it progressive.

Consider spending at least 20 minutes a day on yourself. Try any of these ..walking , jogging, gym, yoga, meditation, swimming as tolerated.

Be positive.

Fatigue

5 common things which need to be considered for evaluation of fatigue or generalized weakness

1. Stress/ depression- get peer support

2. Organ failure from Thyroid, kidney, Heart, lung diseases- Get yearly check up done by a doctor.

3. Medications like sleeping pills, - review medications with your doctor

4. Cancer - get screened

5. Infections -don’t ignore !

Life style modifications are the first step to control high blood pressure

Things which can help

Low sodium diet
Weight reduction
Physical exercise like 30 minutes of brisk walking a day