health education | wellness

Category: Patient Education

Five Practical Tips to Avoid Drug Interactions

It is accepted for people to combine foods when eating lunch or dinner as this activity makes eating more enjoyable. What is not accepted is for people to combine the use of medication, which is known as drug interactions. A drug interaction is the act of mixing incompatible medications that can cause dangerous side effects to the body. If you are taking various medications, here are a few tips on how you can avoid drug interactions, which may cause harm to your health.

Consult your physician first.

It is common for many people to self-medicate themselves when they are sick. Self-medication is unacceptable if you want to avoid the consequences of drug-drug interactions. If you must take medication, always consult your doctor first. Ask them about any restrictions that you need to strictly follow when taking new medication.

Make a list of all your medications.

As your physician meets with you, he or she will always ask what current medication you are taking, if any. This information is very important for doctors as they use this to prescribe the ideal medication that is compatible with the current medicine that you are taking. Making a list of all the medicine that you are currently using will be very helpful to your doctor prescribing new medication if necessary.

Read warning labels.

If you are taking medication for a cold or the flu, you must always make it a point to read the warning labels found on their bottles. Labels contain a lot of information such as warnings, side-effects, and uses. Knowing this information is vital for medicine users as they know what the medication does and when to consult a physician in the event of side effects occurring.

Buy your medicine from one specific pharmacy.

When buying prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you may want to consider buying them regularly from one specific pharmacy. This lets you establish a personal relationship with the store’s pharmacist/s. With this relationship, you always have someone to ask questions or make clarifications regarding specific medications that you take. Keep in mind that having another trusted source of information aside from your doctor is always a good thing.

Keep your medicine in their proper containers.

One of the worst occurrences that can happen to you is to experience nasty side effects because you accidentally took the wrong medicine. To avoid these adverse side-effects, it is essential that you regularly keep your medicine in their original containers. This makes identifying them very easy; therefore, avoiding any confusion. You should also consider placing the containers in one specific area so that you always know where to find them.

Drug-drug interactions tend to result in numerous side effects that your body simply cannot afford. These side effects can complicate an already existing condition that you may suffer from. Following these 5 practical tips will allow you to effectively treat your condition without experiencing any complication that arises from mixing incompatible medicine.

References

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Avoiding drug interactions. Retrieved on 7/9/15 from http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm096386.htm

Drugwatch. Drug interactions. Retrieved on 7/9/15 from http://www.drugwatch.com/drug-interactions/

July 17, 2015
Reasons to Eat More Green Foods

Keeping track of what to eat and what to avoid can seem like a full-time job, particularly when you are preparing meals for an entire family. That is especially true in this day and age when so many processed foods and unhealthy choices are on menus and grocery store shelves. But one of the ways to simplify all of that is to always include plenty of green foods in your diet or with your meals.

Nature has basically given us a color-coding system to help us make smarter food choices. Select the fresh green vegetables and you really cannot go wrong, because they are one of the single most important parts of a healthy diet. Not only are they low in calories and sugar-free, but they contain concentrated amounts of helpful vitamins and minerals.

Why Green Foods?

Why are green foods like kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, and peas so reliably healthy and good for us? For starters, they are all green for a reason, because they are high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the agent that turns plants green and is essential to the process of photosynthesis. In grade school, students learn that photosynthesis helps purify the air and produces oxygen.

Likewise, eating green foods boosts your body’s oxygen supply so you have more energy and a stronger immune system. Without an adequate amount of oxygen, on the other hand, your blood is weaker and the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other vital organs have to work overtime. Your muscles need oxygen, which is why strenuous exercise makes you breather harder, and the brain actually uses about three times as much oxygen as the muscles do. So eating greens makes you both stronger and smarter.

Green foods also contain important cellular salts, digestive enzymes, and essential minerals like potassium. Eating more greens is also a way to improve your digestion!

July 16, 2015
Healthy Diet Can Create A Healthier Gut Microbiome

There are colonies of bacteria or microbiome inside our digestive tract that can aid in good digestion and better overall health. In fact, there are more bacteria living in our intestines that our own human cells! The so-called “good bacteria” can also be cultivated by making better dietary choices and create a healthier gut microbiome.

Microbiome responds to diet

In 2014, Scientific American published an article describing research that showed that the gut microbiome can respond within just a matter of days to changes in your diet. Researchers at the University of Chicago specializing in gastroenterology, discovered that the body is highly sensitive to dietary changes, and they reiterated that the connection to diet and health is critical. By paying closer attention to what we eat, we can avoid many common ailments and help to minimize problems such as indigestion, inflamed bowels, and even obesity and anxiety.

Dietary fiber is thought to promote this healthy microbiome, and some researchers say that by following a diet that contains too little fiber, it may be possible to starve that bacteria. With nothing else to subsist upon, the bacteria may attack the lining of the intestines. That can cause discomfort, irritation, and illness. But when the microbiome is healthy, it contributes to the digestive process and helps us make the most from our nutrition. Some of the best fiber comes from vegetables, so extra servings of fresh vegetables as a daily habit is recommended for most people.

A healthier gut microbiome with probiotics

Eating fermented foods is an an easy way to introduce healthy probiotics to the diet. A few examples of fermented foods include naturally-made yogurt (without added sugars or artificial ingredients), miso soup, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Some evidence indicates that probiotics have a positive effect on the composition of our gut microbiome, which is why many health providers recommend probiotics supplements or fermented foods after taking a course of antibiotics.

While antibiotics are important for certain infections, they may also wipe out colonies of good bacteria in the process, and restoring the balance of our microbiome is an essential step in the healing and restorative process.

When it comes to creating healthy digestion and a healthier gut microbiome, everyone’s body is unique, and we all have individual dietary needs that should be thoughtfully addressed in order to ensure our health and well being.

June 28, 2015
Reverse Obesity in 5 Simple Steps

Obesity is a serious problem and a primary contributor to risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Because so many young people are too obese to join the military, top-ranked generals at the Pentagon even consider the obesity epidemic a threat to America’s national security. The CDC also reports that more than one out of every three people in the USA are obese. Follow these steps to reverse obesity now.

Stay Active to Reverse Obesity

Not only does being physically active help burn calories to ensure that you can do a better job of managing your weight, but it has other benefits as well. Cardio exercise can be a natural mood enhancer and help you sleep better at night.

Avoid Processed Foods

Dieting is hard enough when you know what you are eating. But if you buy prepared packaged foods you may have no idea what was used in the recipe. In many cases, processed foods include exorbitant amounts of sodium that is bad for your health and increases unwanted weight gain. So cut down on processed foods to help reverse obesity.

Satisfy Your Hunger

Many people who are obese eat all the time but still have hunger pangs, because they are simply not getting enough nutrition. You can eat tons of junk food and still be hungry, whereas eating a healthy, balanced diet of nutrition-rich foods curbs your diet by giving your body genuine nourishment and real sustainable energy.

Educate Your Children

One of the main contributors to epidemic obesity is that people are not knowledgeable about proper food choices or healthy habits like daily exercise. So share your knowledge of those things with children so that they will grow up healthier, smarter, and less susceptible to obesity.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

While it may sound counter intuitive, sleeping at least eight hours a night can help you control your weight reverse obesity. That’s because a lack of proper sleep disrupts the body’s metabolism and interferes with proper digestion. So get enough sleep and that will actually help you fight unwanted weight gain.

June 28, 2015
Get Healthier Skin Now in 4 Easy Steps

Your skin is the first thing most people may notice about you. Whether it’s glowing and radiant, or dull and blotchy, skin can say a lot about your internal health, too. Since you only get one chance to make a first impression, it’s important that you take skin care seriously. Here are a few simple ways to achieve beautiful, healthier skin.

Sun protection for healthier skin

This first tip is the arguably most important to achieving beautiful, young-looking, healthier skin. Always wear sunscreen outdoors, rain or shine. Apply it generously all over your body, and pay close attention to your face. Don’t forget to cover your nose – it’s the one place that gets sunburned the quickest. You’re not just protecting your skin from being burned, but you’re also preventing premature wrinkles. Make sure you lather on plenty the next time you’re catching a few rays! Also consider wearing a wide-brim hat.

Rejuvenating sleep

Ensuring adequate sleep also plays a vital part in skin care. The reason is quite simple. Your body—skin included—is rejuvenated while you sleep. While you’re catching some Z’s, your skin has a chance to heal itself. Getting too little sleep can not only damage your skin – it’ll also make you look tired. How many people look their best when they’re tired? You know the answer to that question.

Balanced diet

A healthy, balanced diet is good for your skin and is the most vital aspect of your overall health. Eating foods high in antioxidants will keep your skin looking healthy and impart a young glow.

Reach for a piece of watermelon, which is rich in lycopene. Lycopene prevents wrinkling and even skin cancer. You probably never thought about that while eating this refreshing fruit! Make sure you stock up on it during the summer months.

Avoid hot showers

Avoid taking hot showers. It feels good taking a hot steamy shower but doing so will dry out your skin because the heat and water strip essential oils from your skin. This is one of the reasons why your skin becomes so itchy after a shower—not to mention all that hot water has made your skin dryer than a desert. Instead, take a shower in lukewarm water and your skin will thank you.

As you can see there are many ways to ensure to get healthier skin, and these are easy-to-follow tips that anyone can do. By following these simple steps, you’ll feel better and look better. After all, if you’re healthy, your skin will be, too! Making changes is the only way to get healthier skin today and prevent premature aging tomorrow!

June 24, 2015