Archive for category: Health

WASHINGTON — With health care an election-year priority, a major doctors’ organization on Monday called for sweeping government action to guarantee coverage for all, reduce costs and improve the basic well-being of Americans.

Declaring that the U.S. health care system “is ill and needs a bold new prescription,” the American College of Physicians endorsed either of the two general approaches being debated by Democratic presidential candidates: a government-run “single-payer” system that would cover everyone, or a new “public option” government plan that would offer comprehensive coverage to compete with private insurance.

But the group’s president, Dr. Robert McLean, said his organization is not signing on to specific proposals, such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for all bill or former Vice President Joe Biden’s combination of a public option, improvements to “Obamacare” and deputizing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.

Instead, he said, the group arrived at its recommendations by analyzing available evidence on what might best address the nation’s problems with high costs, gaps in insurance coverage, uneven quality, and mind-boggling complexity.

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New research overturns the belief that people with severe mental illness are incapable of effective communication with their psychiatrist, and are able to work together with them to achieve better outcomes for themselves.

“Interviews are a critical part of assessing people suffering from thought disorder (TD), and deciding what the best therapy is for them,” says Professor Cherrie Galletly from the Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide.

“Clinical interactions with people suffering with severe mental illness can be challenging, especially if the patient has disordered communication.”

Published in the journal Australian Psychiatry the study analysed 24 routine clinical interviews between psychiatrists and inpatients, with a mean age of just under 30 years, who were suffering from TD.

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Unfortunately, healthy eating isn’t always quite as simple or fast as, say, stopping at McDonald’s on the way home. Eating healthy all the time feels too expensive and inaccessible to many people. If it didn’t, everyone would make the right food choices. But here’s the thing: while eating better can definitely be a challenge, it doesn’t have to be an impossible one. There are ways to make it easier and more convenient, you just have to go through a little bit of an adjustment period. Here are a few tips to keep in mind…

Skip the fad diets, and simply start avoiding processed foods. Anything processed, like bags of chips, salty frozen meals, fast food, etc., is going to be loaded with salt, calories, and probably a dose of chemicals as well.

You’re better off eating whole foods, like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Basically, anything you could grow or raise should be the main part of your diet.

Instead of aimlessly wandering the grocery store thinking about what you want to eat the next night or two, put more thought into it. Before you go shopping, sit down and come up with a few meal ideas for the next few days and fill your cart with those items. This keeps you from buying unhealthy items you really don’t need and sets you up for success throughout the week.

Bonus tip: don’t go to the grocery store hungry, or you’ll end up buying all the snacks.

If you’re making the change from not eating that great to eating healthy, be realistic about your goals and expectations. Don’t Go into this thinking you’re going to 100 percent change everything immediately. It may take time for you to adjust, and it’s okay if you “mess up” and don’t eat super healthy every single day. It’s all about balance more than being “perfect.”

Set small goals, lower your expectations, and allow yourself to do the best you can under your own circumstances. Taking the pressure off will make things a little easier even if you don’t realize it right away.

One way to remove the temptation of eating unhealthy foods is to simply remove them from your kitchen. Toss any bags of chips or cookies that you want to remove from your life, and stock up on healthy options instead. Keep the fridge packed with fruits, veggies, yogurts, and other nutritious choices. Buy healthy snack options for the pantry. If the right foods are in your kitchen, you’re more likely to put the right foods in your body.

Protein and fiber are two kinds of food that are going to make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. If you eat meals and snacks packed with these ingredients, you’re less likely to reach for junk food the rest of the day. Eggs, lean meats, poultry, and beans are great sources of protein. Fruits, veggies, and nuts can give you the fiber you need.

Spend half of one day preparing and making meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — or at least for some of them. Separate each meal into its own container and stock the fridge. When you’re hungry and short on time during the week, you can just grab one and heat it up.

You can prepare your own healthy snacks in bulk if you’d like, or simply buy them and keep them in your kitchen. It’s never a bad idea to take them with you whenever you’re going out too.

Some ideas for healthy snacks include protein bars that are low on sugar, carrots or celery sticks with hummus, Greek yogurt with apples or berries, a smoothie with lots of veggies or fruits (and no added sugar), or something like chia seed pudding that you can make on your own.

If you’re finding it difficult to work with fresh produce that has a short shelf life, stock up on frozen fruits and veggies that aren’t loaded with preservatives. These can make for quick smoothies or meals when you’re in a pinch. You can also stock up on frozen meats or seafood to use when needed.

Make some of your favorite meals more healthy instantly just by switching the way you cook them. Bake instead of sauteeing – baking or roasting uses less oil and is therefore healthier. Instead of traditional frying, use an air fryer, which also uses less oils and fat and can actually be a faster process.

 

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“Even if you don’t have a medical problem, it’s helpful to get a checkup annually,” says internal medicine physician Jodi Lenko, MD, with LVPG Internal Medicine–Alliance Drive in Hazle Township. “A primary care physician looks at aspects of health that a specialist may not emphasize, such as weight, diet, exercise, sleeping patterns, smoking cessation, and mental health.”

Common and troubling symptoms can be caused by a range of problems, and PCPs sleuth out other evidence to discover underlying issues. “One of the biggest complaints is fatigue,” says family medicine physician Kenneth Sharp, DO, with LVPG Family Medicine– Lehighton. “I make sure there’s not a reason like anemia, infection, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes or Lyme disease. If everything seems normal, we direct the conversation to things like activity, diet, and weight.”

Every visit will entail basic checks of blood pressure and weight, along with relevant conversations about diet, exercise, and smoking. Your PCP also will keep tabs on whether you’re up to date on immunizations, including flu shots.

Your doctor may notice shifts in your appearance that you don’t. “When you see yourself every day, you often don’t notice gradual changes, but they’ll stand out to me,” Sharp says. Guide-lines also change. “For example, there’s a new shingles vaccine, and the recommendation now is to get it at 50, not 60,” Lenko says.

Seeing the same doctor consistently fosters a relationship that facilitates better care. “I’ve seen some patients from childhood through adulthood, and I’m in tune with their entire health history,” Sharp says. “I know my patients better than any other care provider.”

Screenings such as colonoscopies, mammograms and blood tests for cholesterol, glucose, and others can vary by age, family history, previous findings, and overall health. “Your physician will discuss appropriate tests to order or not,” Lenko says. “You shouldn’t have to worry about tracking everything – that’s our job.”

“People often don’t know what kind of doctor to see, and I can help direct them,” Sharp says. “A person who is short of breath may assume they need a lung doctor but a heart issue is more likely.” In many cases, a primary care doctor can provide the care you need.

Specialists focus on an area of expertise. “But your primary care doctor knows the big picture of what is happening in your overall health,” Lenko says. “We help connect doctors and put everything together, so nothing is missed, especially as you get older and health issues get more complicated.”

In cases where a specialist can help, your primary care doctor can facilitate expert treatment, often in areas such as cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, rheumatology, endocrinology, and behavioral health. “We work closely with other doctors and in many cases have completed first steps that are helpful when you see a specialist,” Lenko says.

 

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It’s that kale time of year. You know, that time when people think about their health and contemplate eating more leafy greens and less meat.

El Pollo Loco took the lead this year with a new line of fitness bowls.

Other fast food chains have made new year’s additions to their menus. Most are good tweaks, but maybe a tweak is all you need to get started on your diet resolutions.

The Costa Mesa-based chain’s new Pollo Fit Bowls are aimed at people who follow ketogenic or paleolithic diets, better known as keto or paleo. Keto diets are an update to the low-carb craze in the early years of this century, while paleo diets are built around lean meats, nuts and plants, the kinds of foods that were supposedly available in prehistoric times.

Two of the bowls are keto-certified: Double Chicken & Avocado and Double Chicken & Double Chicken & Queso Fresco. The main difference is that one has avocado and the other has black beans.

Double Chicken & Mango is billed as paleo-friendly.

All three bowls are high-protein, and include organic spinach, other vegetables and salsas.

In a news release chief marketing officer Hector Muñoz describes the bowls as only the beginning of a better-for-you menu. elpolloloco.com

El Pollo Loco’s Newport Beach competitor came out with its own diet-specific Lifestyle Bowls a year ago.

This year, Chipotle is introducing a supergreens salad mix that features baby kale and baby spinach as well as romaine lettuce.

Chipotle has also changed the oil in its grilled chicken marinade to make it compliant with the Whole30 diet, which emphasizes natural foods but shuns added sugar, alcohol, grains, and legumes. chipotle.com

The chain launched three burgers that are wrapped in iceberg lettuce in lieu of a bun on Jan. 5, National Keto Day. They are the Guacamole Bacon Thickburger Lettuce Wrap, the Jalapeño Thickburger Lettuce Wrap, and the Original Thickburger Lettuce Wrap.

All three feature an Angus beef patty weighing one-third of a pound. carlsjr.com

Turkey tacos are back for a limited time. They have 40 percent less fat than seasoned beef, according to the Lake Forest-based chain’s website, deltaco.com

The Irvine-based chain is serving brussels sprouts, which are considered healthy because they’re high in fiber and nutrients, for a limited time. But here, they’re sautéed in garlic butter and tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. habitburger.com

 

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