Dr. Frank’s Office
We’ve changed!Barnhill Family Medicine is now part of the Novant Medical Group, the physician network for Novant Health, a non-profit group that includes the Presbyterian Hospital system in Charlotte North Carolina!
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722 Hyatt Street
Gaffney, SC 29341Call Us
(864) 489-8168
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(864) 489-6958
Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Risk of Cancer
Medical studies have shown the Mediterranean diet to reduce one’s risk of heart attack and stroke, but now in addition, the very same diet might also reduce the risk of cancer. My Uncle Frank has always said “Not only are you made of what you eat, but with whom you break bread has a lot to do with what you eat and how much you partake!”
I think Uncle Frank’s statement is supported by our tendency to eat junk-fast foods when we’re with others who do the same and to overeat when we’re with those who likewise tend to engorge themselves. My grandmother, Ruby Mae, often said “If you eat enough junk food, that’s what you’ll be made of… junk.”
When I was eleven years old, she explained that if you ate substandard food, cheap foods of poor quality and a lot of junk food that your body would eventually be made up of the very same poor things you had eaten. She said that’s why some people had heart attacks at an early age or developed cancer of their “insides”. She only bought the best foods with the highest quality ingredients-even if she had to pay a little extra. Uncle Frank is correct and so was she…you become what you eat.
Here are my thoughts about why the Mediterranean Diet not only reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack, but also reduces our likelihood of developing cancer…
The Mediterranean diet:
- · Eliminates fast foods and highly processed foods-both of which have been implicated in premature cardiovascular disease due to high fat content-many times bad fats instead of good fats-and often contain chemicals implicated in causing gastrointestinal cancers.
- · Is made up of foods that are high in antioxidants, vitamins, complex omega free-fatty acids, and essential nutrients that protect us from the “radical molecules” that build up in the blood stream causing inflammation and premature vascular disease and carcinoma and that promote normal growth and tissue repair.
- · Helps the body develop a more natural elimination of bodily wastes-eliminating those things found in our digestive system that could harm our body-all without having to use laxatives and bulk-forming fibers. One of my medical school professors impressed me with a study he had done in the 1960’s that showed people who ate a lot of minimally processed fiber and natural milk products not only suffered less constipation, but had a lower risk of colon cancer.
With all of that in mind, I’d like to tell you about a book I just finished reading-“Zest for Life-The Mediterranean Anti-Cancer Diet.”
In Zest for Life, a delightful and insightful young lady, Conner Middelmann-Whiney shares her upbringing and her family experiences that formed her passion to teach others about the importance of eating properly to enjoy a long and healthy diet.
Her book provides discovery and learning critical to understanding why poor eating habits may lead to cancer and other illnesses and is so logical in its content, that you’ll have one of those moments-you know…that “Oh, my gosh” moment as you realize it makes so much sense. She gives us glimpses into her personal life that add humor and a humanistic approach to following her roadmap when confronting the problem of nutritional deficits.
Conner’s book is easy to read and organized in such a fashion that it can be used as a ready reference to help us select, acquire and prepare nutritious-healthy-anti-cancer meals with a minimum of time, expense and frustration. Of course, these are the most common excuses we hear in our medical practice-“I don’t know what to buy-I don’t have the time to get all of that stuff and fix it-and I can’t afford to eat healthy foods.”
Conner will help debunk these common myths and will touch your heart and stimulate the inner-you; the part of you that secretly wants to be healthy-wants to live a long and prosperous life and wants your family to be just as lucky.
If you are going to invest in one book about nutrition-healthy eating this year, then this should be the book. Zest for Life will be an investment on your entire family’s good health and longevity.
As I tell my patients-“You become what you eat-no more and no less!”
Dr. Frank
Mediterranean Diet Reduces Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
As many of us advance into middle age, we’re increasingly concerned about our risk of having a heart attack (myocardial infarction-MI) or stroke (cerebrovascular accident-CVA).
Since my father suffered many heart attacks and underwent coronary artery bypass surgery twice in less than seven years-all before age 60-I started concentrating on my cardiovascular health at age 40.
Statistics show that we as Americans, are becoming less active, eating a poorer diet-often filled with fast food and junk foods- and consequently are gaining weight, increasing not only our waist lines, but our blood pressures and cholesterol-triglyceride levels. All of which, leads to an increased overall risk of heart attack, stroke and developing adult type Diabetes Mellitus.
A recent article in The American Journal of Medicine outlined research that compared the popular Mediterranean Diet with the low-fat diet when it came to decreasing a person’s cardiovascular risk factors.
The researchers found the Mediterranean Diet to be statistically better at decreasing:
- Blood pressures
- Blood sugar (glucose)
- Total Cholesterol
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- And C-reactive proteins (indicators of inflammation that can cause premature artery disease leading to CVA or MI).
Unfortunately, the researchers could not prove that the Mediterranean Diet was better than a low-fat diet when it came to helping you keep the weight off, but in my and my patient’s experiences, I’ve found that it does help control your weight once you’ve lost it!
What can you do to help reduce the risk of a stroke, heart attack or diabetes?
Experts will quickly tell you that the first thing a person should do when they want to live longer and experience a healthier, more disease free life, is to change their lifestyle.
A change in lifestyle might mean all or some of the following things to you:
- If you smoke or use tobacco-stop now-ask your doctor for help
- If you use alcohol-do so in moderation-excessive alcohol is stored by the body as fat
- If you are overweight (calculated based on height, age and weight)-then lose weight-even a 10 pound weight loss will lower your cholesterol and blood pressure rapidly-the Mediterranean Diet may be perfect for you-it includes fruits, whole grains, protein derived from plants-veggies, fish and white meats, moderate alcohol, and very little red meat, refined grains-breads and sweets.
- If you are a couch potato-get up off the couch and exercise every day for at least 45 minutes-you’ll build muscle and burn fat-plus improve your blood pressure-daily exercise has also been known to improve sleep and sex
- If you are a chronic worrier-enroll in a Yoga-Pilates-Meditation class and learn to relax
- Have a yearly physical-well-being exam so your doctor can assess your health risks and advise you on treatment and prevention.
All of these things can either increase or decrease your risk of a heart attack or stroke and help you live a richer longer life!
Think maybe a Mediterranean Diet would be good for you?
Take a look at the diet and decide for yourself-Mediterranean Diet http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/diets/1041.html
I think so too-an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Dr. Frank
References:
Nordmann, Alain J. MD, et al. “Meta-Analysis Comparing Mediterranean to Low-Fat Diets for Modification of Cardiovascular Risk Factors.” The American Journal of Medicine. Volume 124:issue 9:September 2011;pp841-851.
FamilyDoctor.org-health information for the whole family. Food and Nutrition information supplied by the American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food.html
Treatment for Fibromyalgia-Nighttime Muscle Relaxants
Nighttime pain is almost universal among those who suffer fibromyalgia and any successful treatment for fibromyalgiashould include either pre-bedtime-early evening physical therapy or muscle relaxants.
Experts who treat fibromyalgia have long known that muscle relaxantscan be used to lessen pain and improve ambulation in the more than 5 million patients in the United States diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
As most family member know, fibromyalgia is associated with chronic pain, muscle tenderness, fatigue, restless sleep, and poor concentration. Its cause is still unknown, making it difficult to treat effectively.
Recent studies have underscored the fact that muscle relaxants nay be used to lessen the nighttime pain of fibromyalgia. One such study (listed in the references) discovered that “low doses of the muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), taken at bedtime, help people with fibromyalgia sleep better and feel less pain.” Use of Flexeril for fibromyalgia pain is considered “off label” or not specifically approved for such use by the Food and Drug Administration.
In the Fibromyalgia-cyclobenzaprine group of the study:
Pain decreased 28%
Tenderness in muscle-trigger points decreased as much as 30%
Depression (often found in fibromyalgia patients) improved 22%.
These numbers are indeed fantastic! Many who suffer fibromyalgia would gladly pay thousands of dollars for a 28% decrease in both pain and tenderness. So, I consider this study’s findings to be valuable and feel that every fibromyalgia patient should consider pre-bedtime cyclobenzaprine therapy.
During the past twenty years, many muscle relaxants have been used in treating fibromyalgia in hopes of improving quality of life issues in those with chronic pain, fatigue and muscle tenderness. And in fact, many of my patients have told me that cyclobenzaprine does work best in relieving the discomfort of their fibromyalgia, as compared to the other currently available muscle relaxants.
Additional therapies for fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia patients can use daily self-directed physical therapy using aerobic exercises such as swimming, bicycling and walking to decrease muscle stiffness and pain and thus improve their quality and length of sleep. We advise them to avoid exercising during the immediate two hours prior to bedtime, as exercising during that time period will cause continued autonomic (adrenal) stimulation and increased blood cortisol levels, making sleep onset difficult if not seemingly impossible.
I realize that not every drug works in every patient, but if there is even the slightest chance that something non-harmful will help ease one’s pain and suffering-then we should discuss the option carefully and consider using it as therapy. You should always discuss new drug therapies with your doctor before trying them!
Hopefully, this information will provide a ray of sunshine at the end of that long, dark tunnel called fibromyalgia.
Dr. Frank
Muscle Relaxant May Ease Fibromyalgia Pain
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749739?sssdmh=dm1.718853&src=nldne
Zinc
Zinc is often the forgotten essential mineral type nutrient found in whole grains, brans, meat and oysters. Its necessary for normal body cell growth, including bone and hair texture formation, as well as wound healing. Obviously, since zinc is intimately involved in almost all aspects of a persons physical and mental growth, its particularly necessary for the sudden changes we experience during puberty and adolescence.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at a maximum, only 32% of us are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 20 to 50 milligrams per day in our diets. In some studies, women only ingested as little as 17% of the Zinc RDA in natural dietary forms. These numbers suggest a high likelihood of zinc deficiency in all age groups of the general population. You can imagine kids deficient in zinc tend to keep sore throats longer and dont heal cuts and abrasions as fast as youd expect.
Deficiency can occur during periods of extreme emotional or physical stress, the starvation of anorexia nervosa or bulimia, and poor dietary habits. Persons deficient in Zinc may develop:
· Excessive skin stretch marks (striae) as the body has a hard time repairing skin tears and maintaining elasticity
· Dry patches or skin rashes called acrodermatitis
· Brittle hair shafts and hair that wont take or keep a shape
· Acne resistant to treatment
· Foul body odor that anti-deodorants wont touch
· Excessive sweating not responsive to anti-perspirants
· Decreased sense of smell and taste
· Abnormal white spots on fingernails (found in up to 45% of all kids under age 16 years)
· ADHD like symptoms such as poor concentration and problem solving difficulties
· Depression and anxiety that responds poorly to medications
· Wounds that heal poorly or very slowly
· Skin, mouth, or stomach ulcers that dont heal well
Specific uses for zinc preparations include:
· Use in speeding recovery from sore throats
· Promoting leg ulcer healing and other wounds to the skin, including those obtained during surgery.
· In eye preparations to prevent macular degeneration
· Treating vitamin A deficiency night blindness
Unlike some other minerals and vitamins, you can get too much zinc and possibly cause more problems than you solve. Ingestion of more than 50 milligrams of zinc per day can lead to reduced absorption of copper and copper deficiency. Copper is necessary for normal blood cell function and a deficiency could cause fatigue as well as a multitude of other vague symptoms.
Extra zinc may be taken as chelated zinc or the chemical zinc orotate in over the counter preparations. All zinc supplements should be taken with food to prevent nausea, the most common side effect. A word of caution: not all preparations are absorbed the same and not everyone absorbs zinc well. Your doctor can draw blood to check zinc levels, but these levels will need to be compared to blood copper levels in order to maintain a blood level ratio of one to one. This ratio is considered the healthiest for you.
To a healthier you!
Dr. Frank
When Your Child is Sick…………
Remember the last time you had the flu, a cold, or even a strep throat? Just like you, your child has aches and pains when he is sick. Maybe your child cant tell you how bad he feels, but tries to relate his pain by crying, not eating, being irritable, or staying up all night. Try Childrens Tylenol® or Childrens Advil® for these aches and pains. You may find that your child is not as irritable and sleeps better after a few doses. If this works, then both of you will get a better nights sleep. If not, the child needs to see a doctor. Please do not use aspirindue to the possibility of Reyes Syndrome.
Your child is running a fever if his temperature by rectal or oral thermometer is over 100.4. You cannot tell when a child has a fever by touching the skin. Skin contact thermometers are terribly inaccurate. Please remember that a fever is just the bodys way of fighting an infection. So, a fever under 103 is usually not considered dangerous, unless your child has a history of febrile seizures. We like to alternate Childrens Advil® and Childrens Tylenol® every four hours to help bring a fever down. Another way to lower a fever is by removing clothing, giving a tepid water bath (not hot and not cold to the touch), and making sure the child drinks many cool liquids. You should never put your child in an ice bath unless told to do so by a doctor. Sudden lowering of core body temperature can cause seizure. If your childs fever persists for more than 36 to 48 hours, you should call your doctor.
Not every child needs antibiotics when they are sick, running a fever or have a croupy, deep cough. Many of these infections are viral, and some experts feel that the antibiotics actually may make the illness last longer by interfering with the bodys immune system. Ordinary antibiotics cannot cure viral illnesses. Inappropriate use of antibiotics may make the drug useless should your child need it in the future.
If for some reason your child should require an antibiotic, always finish all bottles and do not skip doses. Different illnesses require different lengths of treatment. Even though your child may feel better, the infection is probably just hanging around waiting to pop back up in a week or so. This hidden infection is the reason some kids appear to get well then seem to develop the very same symptoms a few days after the antibiotics are stopped.
Vomiting and diarrhea are common problems with colds and the flu. If a particular food seems to either cause or worsen the condition, by all means, avoid feeding your child that food until no vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramping has occurred for 24 to 48 hours. For young children, when abdominal cramping, vomiting or diarrhea starts, its time to use Pedialyte® or twice diluted Jell-O® water. Do not use full strength Gatorade® or other sports drinks as they may contain a high content of salt and this makes dehydration worse. Clear liquids should be used for 12 hours, and then an attempt should be made to feed bland foods, such as toast, applesauce, bananas or Jell-O®. You should phone your doctors office if vomiting or diarrhea persists beyond 36 to 48 hours. In young children, dehydration will result in no tears when crying, possible extreme sleepiness, irritability and lack of urination or sweating. Watch for these signs carefully in babies.
Stuffy noses are a big problem at almost any time of the year. The FDA has taken all childrens and adults cough and congestion containing phenylpropanolamine off the market due to the drug causing seizures. This call back means there are very few drugs available for a cough or stuffy nose, either prescription or over the counter. We feel that Robitussin CF® or Pediacare Cough® formula, as well as the new Advil Childrens Cold Formula are probably among the safest. Most of the time, it is not wise to totally suppress a cough, especially if your child has bronchitis. The cough mechanism is the bodys way of cleaning pus, mucus and debris out of the bronchial tubes. If a cough is suppressed, sometimes this will make recovery from the illness take longer. Weve seen such coughs last days or in rare cases, even weeks.
We hope these general tips provide some help during your childs illness. The content of this handout is not intended to provide the basis for diagnosis or treatment of any specific disease. That determination is still best made by your family physician. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask your family doctor.
Dr. Frank