health education | wellness

Author: Amy

Pros and Cons of Email Communication with Patients and Families
As is the case with almost all technologies, the trick is find the right balance in order to utilize them to their full advantage while avoiding the potential pitfalls that usually accompany an over-dependence upon technology. That’s especially true in the digital age, when tools like email are commonplace. But there are also many people who advocate more emphasis on old-fashioned face-to-face communication, particularly when it comes to the relationship between health care providers and patients.
- Health care providers should definitely leverage the power and convenience of email communication, for example, but should so thoughtfully and strategically. Of course, confidentiality and privacy of patient information is of paramount importance, so the first step is to make sure that nothing that falls into that category is ever transmitted by email.
- Even if the patient or family requests it, you have to be consistent in the implementation of those rules and safeguards.
The way to use email with patients is for such things as reminding them of upcoming appointments or to acknowledge the receipt of a question or patient records.
- That saves both you and the patient time and aggravation and can help prevent the hassle of inadvertently missed office visits. You should also use email to convey instructions such as those related to fasting prior to taking lab work blood samples. Email also provides an excellent tool for sending invoices or reminders to make timely payments. ·
- But keep emails short and to the point. More in-depth dialog should occur in person, so that you can more effectively explain procedures, make your diagnosis, and evaluate the overall health and wellness of the patient or address the concerns of family members.
One of the best uses of email these days is to send health and wellness newsletters to patients. You can do this on a monthly, quarterly, or seasonal basis. These communication tools help to build and maintain rapport with the patient, and if the patient shares the tips and information you include that can be a valuable marketing asset, too. There are also affordable but powerful software programs that help you create attractive email templates for basic emails or for newsletters, and many of them have features that let you track metrics such as how many people read them and which patients responded to them or forwarded them on to their friends and family.
August 31, 2015
How to Improve Health? Two Simple things to Improve Health
Dr. Sarika Arora is a well respected physician in the Boston area and the founder of Aum Healing Center. In this video she shares 2 simple things you can do to improve your health today.
1. Mindful Eating
2. Aqequate Water Intake
This is an excerpt from an interview with Dr. Sarika Arora, the founder of Aum Healing Center. http://www.aumhealingcenter.com
August 30, 2015
Vitamin K, A Necessary but Overlooked Nutrient

Vitamin K, one of the essentially needed vitamins in the body, is also referred to as the clotting vitamin.
There are 3 most common forms of Vitamin K. Two are found in nature (naturally occurring) while the other is synthetic. Biological Vitamin K takes 2 vital forms.

Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone), found generously in plants or green leafy vegetables, is essential in the food processing of plants (photosynthesis) hence is called the “plant-form” of Vitamin K.
Vitamin K2, (Menaquinone) generally stored in animals, is an essential element in transforming certain protein components in the human body to maintain three basic processes: blood clotting, bone growth and maintenance of healthy blood vessels.
The other form of Vitamin K, also known as K3 (Menadione), does not occur naturally (synthetic) but used to treat some clotting deficiencies. Vitamin K3 is metabolized by the body to Vitamin K2.

Functions of Vitamin K

Vitamin K is one of the fat-soluble vitamins used for helping the body make four of the 13 proteins needed for blood clotting. It is also important in the creation of bone proteins, which help people’s bodies maintain strong bones and good posture which is most needed by elderly people and newborns.

Recent research has shown that low levels of circulating Vitamin K can be linked to low bone density. With proper supplementation, sufficient Vitamin K in the body will lead to improvements in the body’s biochemical measures in preserving bone health.

What are the signs of Vitamin K deficiency?

Since Vitamin K is a blood clotting nutrient, human blood takes a longer time to clot when people don’t get enough of it. In cases of severe physical injury, Vitamin K deficiency can lead to excessive blood loss or even the risk of death. People with insufficient Vitamin K are more likely to have bleeding and bruising, hence it is pertinent to obtain the same levels of this vitamin in the blood every day. They may also have poor bone health or osteoporosis.
Long-term treatments with antibiotics often lead to vitamin K deficiency; therefore, people who are on chronic antibiotic therapy should be on the look out as they may be at higher risk. Similarly, people with severe digestive disorders cannot synthesize Vitamin K efficiently in the body. For this reason, people should make sure they keep a high level of Vitamin K intake in their daily diet to maintain appropriate Vitamin K levels in the blood.

What are good sources of vitamin K?

The best way to get enough vitamin K is by taking in good food sources. This vitamin is mostly found in vegetables, especially green leafy ones such as broccoli, kale, collards, spinach, and cabbage; as well as soybean oil. These vegetable sources contain high amounts of this important nutrient, specifically K1 (Phylloquinone). Aside from these foods, smaller amounts can also be found in fish, liver, eggs, meat, and cereals.

Minor amounts of this vitamin can also be obtained from the good bacteria that normally live in the gastrointestinal tract. These good inhabiting bacteria manufacture the nutrient from the gut, and we are able to absorb some of it.
Newborns have very low levels of the vitamin in their bodies.

For this reason, a shot of the K vitamin is generally given to newborns soon after birth. This shot is very important as it enables normal blood clotting during the fragile first weeks of a newborn’s life.

Eating the foods mentioned above on a regular basis will provide most people with enough of this vitamin for their daily requirements, hence supplements are usually not needed.

Generally, Vitamin K is a fat-soluble, meaning this vitamin can only be stored and manufactured in the body with the help of fats already in our tissues. On the other hand, water-soluble forms of the K Vitamin can be synthetically manufactured and taken in, as they can be beneficial for people who have problems with fat digestion and absorption and for people who receive long-term treatments with antibiotics. Water-soluble forms are found mostly in many multivitamin supplements.

It is also important to know that people who take anticoagulant/antiplatelet medications should avoid high intakes of vitamin K, as this vitamin prompts blood coagulation or clotting. There are no known records of any side effects related to consuming high intakes of this vitamin, except for people who use anticoagulant medications.

Relevance of Maintained Dietary Intake

It is relevant to understand the function and importance of this often overlooked nutrient and what it does to our body for us to know why it has to be taken seriously. Since we can absorb high levels of this vitamin through the food we eat and with food that’s easily found in the markets, we should make sure that our daily intake remains high. By keeping this in mind, our blood and our bones will be very grateful, and we wouldn’t have to worry about the side effects caused by deficiency.

References:
R. Elaine Turner and Wendy J. Dahl – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY20900.pdf
U.S. National Library of Medicine http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamink.html#cat51
New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/vitamin-k

August 26, 2015
Insulin Resistance (aka Metabolic Syndrome) – What is it and What Can You Do About It?
A simple 5 steps approach to insulin resistance
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(updated Feb 2023)
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Metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance affects up to 80 million people in the United States. In most cases, patients are not even aware that they are sick, which can lead to more significant issues in the future. It is important to know what this condition is and what to do if you have it.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a hormone created in the pancreas. It helps to maintain the regulation of your blood sugar. It makes sure your body’s cells absorb glucose and use it for energy. In simple words, glucose is used as “fuel” for your body’s activities and insulin delivers the “fuel” inside the cell.
After each meal, the digestive tract turns carbohydrates (sugars found in a majority of foods) into glucose. Once the carbs are broken down into glucose, they enter the bloodstream, and this is where insulin takes the stage. When insulin is working correctly, it prevents your blood sugar levels from getting too high (or too low as we will explain in a future post).

What is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance occurs when the muscle and liver cells have too much lipid or fat deposits. This makes it difficult for glucose to enter the cells. This further leads to the pancreas putting out more and more insulin. Eventually, the cells stop responding to insulin and resistance occurs. One of the most common consequences of this problem is diabetes.

The main indicators of insulin resistance are elevated blood sugar levels and elevated triglycerides. However, these are only symptoms, not the actual cause of the problem. The cause is elevated insulin which hasn’t been checked or treated over decades. Elevated insulin is caused by high saturated fat and simple carbohydrate intake, physical inactivity, a stressful lifestyle, and environmental toxins.

What to do About Insulin Resistance?

There are a number of things you can do to keep insulin resistance in check. For the most part, this involves you keeping control of your diet and making sure to eat the right things at the right times.

Luckily, there is a way to reverse this condition, and it consists of 5 easy steps :

Balance your diet

A balanced diet results in weight loss, but it also prevents insulin resistance. Choosing healthy foods and avoiding simple carbohydrates is the first step you should take. Make sure that your diet contains a healthy amount of fiber and essential fatty acids. Forget about white bread and choose whole grain foods such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, quinoa, and millet. Take the skin off the turkey and chicken and choose fresh meat instead of heavily processed products. Stop drinking soda or other sugary beverages that will spike your blood sugar. Drink water instead. Don’t fry your food: eat grilled or baked dishes. Eat smaller meal portions and limit snacking.

Don’t eat after 8 pm and give your pancreas a rest.

Exercise

Exercise is crucial for improving insulin sensitivity. It improves sugar levels by helping reduce central body fat. Regular exercise will prevent insulin resistance and reduce the risk of many other conditions. Make sure that you are exercising on a regular basis to help control your insulin level, regulate metabolic function, and ensure a proper hormonal balance in the body
The optimal level of exercise for preventing diabetes is walking 30 minutes a day. Take a 20-minute walk after each meal and you will reduce your blood sugar significantly.

Use nutritional supplements

Using nutritional supplements might be helpful in preventing insulin resistance. There is a number of different supplements you can use, including multivitamins and minerals; calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D; fish oil; chromium; antioxidants; B-complex vitamins; biotin; cinnamon. This should be done with the guidance of a medical doctor because supplements may not be helpful in all cases and could be harmful.

Reduce stress

When it comes to blood sugar imbalances, the levels of stress play a significant role. Stress triggers insulin resistance, increases inflammation, and causes weight gain around the middle. It can ultimately lead to diabetes.

Include relaxation practices in your everyday life. Use well-known methods such as yoga, hot baths, massage, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing.

Make sure you get adequate sleep. Sleep is extremely restorative and a necessity for optimal health.

If necessary, use medications

There are several classes of medications that may be helpful for preventing insulin resistance: glp-1 receptor agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, biguanides, thiazolidinedione drugs, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. Each of these classes has its own effects. Talk to your doctor and let him or her choose the perfect combination for your condition.

If you suspect that you may have insulin resistance, talk to your doctor. He or she can administer the right tests to see if you have any of the characteristic medical issues that can come with it.
August 24, 2015
What Are the Differences Between Integrative Medicine, Functional Medicine and Complementary Medicine?

When you are looking to improve your health and wellness, you may to explore options to complement the standard care you receive. Understanding a little about each of the types of medicine will help you to narrow down the best choices for you. The three most well-known types include integrative, complementary, and functional.

Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine uses a combination of complementary medicine techniques, conventional medicine and alternative medicine. It serves to create a comprehensive treatment regimen that treats your medical condition, as well as your total health. For example, if you suffer from anxiety, this system of medicine would create a comprehensive plan by combining things like prescription anti-anxiety medications, herbs or teas for reducing anxiety and massage or reflexology.

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine serves to unite alternative medicine with Western medicine. It looks at your symptoms and links them to an imbalance that may be occurring in your body to see which organ system is the culprit. Practitioners then create a treatment plan that helps to restore balance in your body by focusing on the specific body system that is not functioning properly. This, in turn, will reduce the symptoms you are experiencing.

Complementary Medicine

Complementary medicine is something that people often confuse with alternative medicine because the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, complementary medicine works as a complement to your traditional medical treatments. For example, if you have multiple sclerosis, muscle tightness and spasms are common. This system of medicine would add a massage to your prescription muscle relaxers to improve your comfort.

Now you have a better understanding of each of these systems of medicine. Talk to your doctor and make a decision about which ones is going to be the best for your medical conditions and overall health.

August 24, 2015