Can your Mental Health affect your Physical Health?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “ a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. So, does the way you feel emotionally have an affect on your physical health? It certainly does!
When you feel good about yourself, you are more likely to take good care of your physical self, but you are not happy with your physical being, possibly due to excessive stress, anxiety or depression (feeling blue mentally), not only does your body machinery malfunction but also your behavior changes for the worse.
The mind/body connection is strong and if one is out of balance it adversely affects the other. Stress, anxiety and anger can all lead to physical ailments. The reverse is also true: physical problems such as heart disease, diabetes and chronic pain can make you depressed. There are many stresses in life - the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job or moving to a new place, can all take a toll on our physical health. It is important to try to keep things in check or ask for help, so that the initial stressful condition doesn’t escalate into a serious physical illness.
The effects of mental illness on physical health can be serious. The journal of World Psychiatry reported in its February 2011 issue that the lifespan of people with severe mental illness is shorter by 13-30 years, compared to the general population. This excess mortality is mainly due to physical illness. Mental health illness can lead to substance abuse, risky sexual behavior and neglect of your essential body needs, eventually hurting you physically as well as mentally.
On the brighter side, a positive perception of our physical health positively can be a mood booster. When we are happy with life it is easier to hit the gym, make good choices about our health and stay “the course”. FamilyDoctor.org reports “…people who have good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They have learned healthy ways to cope with the stress and problems that are a normal part of life. They feel good about themselves.” Also, increased levels of physical activity are positively associated with general well being, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and a positive mood.
Looking good and feeling well go hand in hand. With all life’s stressors we need to work on a daily basis to keep ourselves both mentally/emotionally sane and physically healthy. And while we all have bad days and may get down in the dumps from time to time, we need to be reminded that, poor mental health can lead to a serious physical condition. In case we feel down for longer than a few weeks, it may be worth talking to your health care provider.
So as the song says “don’t worry, be happy”-well, as much as you possibly can! If not, ask for help.
To your health!
Dr. Anthony
THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF HUNGER!
You read labels that say “HFCS”, or High Fructose Corn Syrup, or corn syrup….but what does that mean? If corn is in HFCS...well, corn is a vegetable so it must be healthy, right? Well, don’t be fooled. HFCS is a form of sugar and like all simple sugars, gives our body empty calories that turn into fat without providing any fiber, vitamins or antioxidants.
HFCS, like ALL simple sugars, is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and forces insulin to spike, leading to a mild hypoglycemia and then two hours later it makes us hungry and forces us to eat again...
This creates a Vicious Cycle of Hunger -
Hunger = Sugar Eating = Insulin Spikes = Hypoglycemia = More Eating
with the cycle repeating again and again, several times a day!
The result is all too well known: obesity, leading over time to type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, with the final result being heart disease and stroke. In this respect, HFCS is as dangerous and as unhealthy as cane sugar or any other calorie-containing artificial sweetener. But is it more dangerous than cane sugar?
Since the 1970’s, the use of HFCS as sweetener in sodas, baked goods and packaged products has increased dramatically in the US, as it cheaper and easier to use and more tasty. As the use of HFS has coincided with the dramatic increase in obesity, scientists and consumers alike legitimately questioned whether HFCS was behind the obesity epidemic. Well, after decades of serious scientific work, all the evidence points to HFCS being as bad but no worse than cane sugar in contributing to obesity. Too much added sugar of any kind contributes an excess of empty calories that lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and liver disease, several forms of cancer, and tooth decay. While HFCS is part of the cause of high levels of obesity and diabetes in our country, it is not the only villain; consider that from 1970 to 2000 the average person in the US has increased its consumption of fat by almost 50%, compared to sugars increased by about 25%.
The American Heart Association recommends most women get at most 100 calories a day of added sugar from any source, and men get no more than 150. That equates to about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 for men. Additionally, HFCS is not the only sweetener that contains fructose. Honey is approximately 50% fructose and 50% glucose and fruit and nectar-based sweeteners may have more fructose than glucose.
The corn industry will try to fool you to think corn syrup is ok. Please don’t fall for it. They have even gone so far as calling it naturally occurring corn sugar.
So what can YOU do to cut out HFCS and other fattening and dangerous sugars?
Read labels
Check to see what is in the food you are eating
Eat organic
This will eliminate the chance you are eating genetically modified foods.
Eat whole foods
This means real food not pre-packaged food
CUT out sugary drinks
Think before you eat
You would be surprised to find out how many foods have corn syrup as one of their ingredients.
Be smart, be healthy!
To your health!
Dr. Anthony
OBESITY 1988-2014: There is good news and bad news…well, sort of good news.
The good news is according to the findings of the Journal of the American Heart Association, obese adults (those age 20 and over, with BMI above 30) are now at lower risk for developing heart disease, compared to 30 years ago. However, with the good comes the bad - and the bad news is obese individuals are MORE at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
So what does all this mean? Well, first we need to understand diabetes … According to the American Diabetes Association, in diabetes there is a problem with the body’s metabolism that causes sugar (glucose) to rise in the bloodstream whereas the cells, that need glucose as their energy source, are starving. How does this happen?
The main source of glucose is the carbs we eat; these carbs are digested and absorbed through the stomach and then enter into the bloodstream primarily as glucose (sugar).
Once glucose is in the bloodstream, it can reach all the cells in your body. Once these sugar molecules arrive at their destination, imagine them knocking on the cell’s door, the body orders the pancreas to produce insulin, the “key” that opens the cell’s door and lets the sugar in.
Either the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin (type 1 and late type 2 diabetes) or the normal amounts of insulin fail to work properly (“insulin resistance”/obesity and early type 2 diabetes). Over time both these abnormalities take place and result in excess sugar in the bloodstream (with toxic effects for the cells) and, at the same time, severe shortage of sugar inside the cells.
The cells are then forced to turn into fat, instead of sugar, for their energy needs. This diabetic state is very damaging to the body - both through the toxic effects of high blood sugar levels which can cause blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage to widespread damage of our arteries, leading to heart attacks, stroke and leg amputations.
The Center for disease control states 29 million people in the United states have diabetes which is three million more than just six years ago. Worldwide more than 380 million people suffer from diabetes. More than one in three adults in the US have pre-diabetes which us 86 million people. A healthy lifestyle, including almost daily exercise and healthy diet, both reduces the chances of becoming diabetic in the first place and improves the outcome in those already suffering from diabetes.
Now is the time to take on the challenge of obesity and diabetes. Not only do we need to personally practice prevention, but we also need to convey the message of wellness, through our personal examples, skills and knowledge, to our loved ones, our colleagues and the society at large. There is no reason why we cannot succeed in the fight against obesity and diabetes, should we show the necessary resolve and determination, and be given the time required to re-engineer our daily lives, both in the workplace and at home. Spread the good news and work for what remains to be done. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and help prove wrong the pessimistic statistics on the future of obesity and diabetes.
To your health!
Dr. Anthony
Not All Fat is Created Equal...
Your health is, in many ways, determined by the size of your GUT.
While fat around the hips (“pear” body shape) is metabolically innocent, but the fat inside the belly (“apple” body type) can be truly dangerous and, potentially, life-threatening. Abdominal obesity or Abdobesity is defined in men as a waist circumference of 40 inches or more and, in women, 35 inches or more and is linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
While a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30kg/m2 defines obesity, the two conditions (abdobesity and obesity) do not always coexist, as is the case of a “pear” type person or a muscular person that weighs a lot but the above-average weight consists mainly of lean protein (muscle).
The fat confined in our belly is dangerous, in part because it is directly connected to our liver, the main factory of our metabolism. A “highway” called portal vein, allows for constant traffic of belly fat to the liver, turning the liver into a factory of “fat bullets” that bombard our arteries, giving rise to cholesterol plaques. Those plaques mature over the years and became inflamed and unstable, resulting in heart attacks, strokes or even sudden death. As the belly fat affects our entire metabolism, it contributes to diabetes, a serious disease with multiple complications of its own, including heart attacks, strokes, blindness, and kidney failure. Overeating and under exercising can lead to a flabby gut (abdobesity). That spare tire may be more than too much chocolate - it is the prelude of a series of potentially deadly medical conditions.
Sometimes you hear people refer to their “core”. Your core is more than just your stomach. The core is a complex series of muscle that are essential for core stability and spine protection. It’s important to achieve core stability to protect the spine and surrounding musculature from injury. The skin fat that surrounds the muscles and the stomach is not medically dangerous, but the deep belly fat, the one inside your belly muscles can cause health trouble. This deep belly fat, beyond contributing to diabetes and heart disease, it also makes it hard to strengthen the core and can lead to chronic low-back pain.
Most individuals with abdobesity were probably much thinner as young children. Some started putting on weight as kids, others as adolescents, and many as adults. Although every person’s metabolism is different (in part due to different rates of food absorption by the gut), healthy people will not become obese without taking in more calories than they burn.
So what can you do to lose that spare tire? There are a few things to kick start the process. Of course a healthy lifestyle (eating healthy and exercise) are the key.
Five ways to help reduce that gut are:
- Don't Eat Sugar and Avoid Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
- Eat the right amount of Lean Protein
- Cut the Bad Carbs From Your Diet
- Eat Foods Rich in Fiber
- Eat Good Fats
- Exercise almost Daily
It is important to add some specifics about the stomach; It produces hydrochloric acid that serves as a first line of defense for the immune system by killing off bacteria and viruses that may enter with the food you eat. Stress can upset your stomach, and not just discomfort. As the central nervous system, through its “subsidiaries”, controls the function of your stomach, stress can often upset these organs, contributing to discomfort, acid reflux, gas, bloating or diarrhea.
So keeping your tummy healthy is important to your overall health. It would be wonderful to have “6 pack abs”, but the health beyond it is important. If your belly is hanging over your belt, take it seriously, as this may be the only obvious sign that other medical problems may be going on in your body. A big belly can be “hiding” prediabetes or diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, conditions that predispose to serious complications, like heart attacks, stroke and kidney failure. Adopt a healthy lifestyle and ask your doctor about what should be done to help you lose that weight and, even more importantly, to protect your arteries, your liver and your life.
To your health!
Dr. Anthony
If YOU know how your body works then…
“Know thyself “
- An ancient Greek aphorism that appeared in the Temple of Apollo in Delphi and was also inscribed-in Latin- over the Oracle’s door in the 1999 film “Matrix”.
- A maxim that has been attributed to ancient philosophers.
- Benjamin Franklin wrote: "There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self."
Understanding our self, our feelings, our emotions, and what motivates our behavior is or should be an important goal in life. But what does it practically mean in the areas of health, wellness and prevention?
Knowing how our body works helps us understand what is important in keeping it healthy. In order to keep our arteries healthy and avoid heart attacks and stroke, for example, we should care about what we put into our mouth (diet), as this stuff is absorbed by our gut and enters the arteries and heart circulation, with potential salutary (fruits and vegetables filled with antioxidants) or destructive effects (frequent intake of red meat, fast food or cold cuts, filled with unhealthy fats). A healthy metabolism supports healthy arteries and its pillars are a combination of healthy diet and near-daily exercise, including both cardio- and muscle building through light weights. As another example, knowing that one of our immediate family members has type 2 diabetes means that our own pancreas cells that produce insulin are probably not very durable, so we better watch it and avoid becoming obese or eating too many cookies and desserts, or else!
Listen to your body -- once you know it well enough, you can pick up on its cues.
As it is true that no one can know our feelings or emotions better than ourselves, we can also be the best barometers of our physical health. Many times we know when something is “out of whack”, without being able to pinpoint to the exact, precise cause or details. Such knowledge or “gut feeling” may prompt us to make changes in our lifestyle or even visit our doctor. Speaking about doctors, there must be the right “chemistry” between us and our health care provider.
There are several ways to advocate for yourself.
Ask question’s - It is ok to arrive at your doctor’s office with a list of questions. The better organized you are they better it will be for you and your health care provider.
Second opinion - It may be appropriate to get a second opinion. That is why when it comes to YOUR health, you are allowed to talk to several medical professionals about the concerns you have.
Be honest - Feel comfortable telling the truth without hiding anything or fearing that will be chastised for doing so. The old saying Honesty is the best Policy certainly applies here.
Not the Right Match - In case we sense that our doctor is not the right match, we should not hesitate to find another provider.
Knowing our body will help us shape and keep our healthiest version of ourselves. Whereas the general principles of a healthy lifestyle may be, more or less, the same for all of us, the details of how to get there are different. This should come as no surprise as no two individuals are the same, not even monozygotic twins. We have recently spoken to a woman who joined a gym and felt pressured to take a yoga class, as her friends raved about it and she, herself read about its benefits. However, after trying it, she found that yoga was not for her. She did not enjoy it; she felt it was something like a chore she had to attend. As she was not getting the most out of it, she tried something else. She found that a toning class using light weights was more her style. What works for one person does not work for all.
We need not worry if we do not look like the supermodels in the magazines or that bodybuilder at the gym. Actually, this may be a good thing. Some supermodels smoke like a chimney, in order to control their appetite and eat less (smoking is worse than obesity) and many bodybuilders use anabolic steroid drugs that seriously undermine their health. Keep in mind that the weight we carry around our hips is not nearly as bad for our metabolism as our belly weight. In pursuit of a healthy diet, some may be able to follow a strict program and count calories, while others find it easier to just eat healthy. Remember that a diet is good only if we keep it in the long run. And that is okay to be different! If everyone was exactly the same - wouldn’t that make for a boring world?
Listen to your body and watch your body. If you see or notice changes, take action. In today’s busy society it is easy to put everyone else first: kids, spouse, job, even your pet! But YOU have to take care of YOU. Also, do not forget to reward yourself from time to time. Embrace your differences, and work to be the healthiest version of YOU that you can be!
Here’s to your Health!!
Dr. Anthony