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5 Docs' Health Tips
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World-class medical experts tell you how to best stay out of their offices
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By Stacey Colino
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REMEDY Spring 2009
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Eat right. Stay active. De-stress. Yada yada yada. . . The mantras of the health-promotion movement are something we all know by heart. But what do they really mean to us on a practical level? And how can we apply them so that they really safeguard our health?
If anyone knows the best preventive strategies to follow, it’s the doctors who see patients on a daily basis with the very health problems we’re trying to avoid. So, to get the inside scoop on how to remain healthy and prevent life-compromising diseases, we consulted five physicians who have different specialties and asked them exactly what we should be doing day in and day out. Here’s what an infectious disease physician, an oncologist, a psychiatrist, a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist recommend.
When it comes to warding off infectious diseases, “you do have some control,” says Neil Schachter, M.D., professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and author of The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds & Flu.
His three-part approach to disease prevention includes avoiding infection, getting a flu shot—they are safe and 90 percent effective, he says—and boosting your immunity.
“If somebody is obviously sick, keep your distance; don’t hug them or shake hands,” advises Dr. Schachter. Use alcohol wipes to eliminate germs a sick person may have left behind; disinfect doorknobs, phones, keyboards, pens and other items. Also, clean your hands regularly—either wash them with soap and warm water for 20 to 30 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. These actions can kill most germs that cause colds, flu and gastrointestinal illnesses. And “you can make yourself stronger and more resistant to germs and viruses,” says Dr. Schachter, “by avoiding smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke; limiting your alcohol intake; engaging in a hobby or doing another relaxing activity for at least 10 to 15 minutes per day; getting the sleep you need nightly; consuming a healthy, balanced diet with lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables; maintaining a healthy weight, since being overweight depresses the immune system; and exercising regularly, which can bolster immune function.”
“Up to 60 percent of cancers could be avoided if people followed some simple rules: Don’t smoke or spend time around smokers, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight and get enough exercise,” says Mary B. Daly, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncologist and director of the population science division at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “People don’t realize how much they can do to reduce their risk of cancer.” And it doesn’t take a lot of work, she says. On the dietary front, consuming lots of fruits, vegetables and fish and minimizing your intake of high-fat foods can make a difference. So can avoiding charred meat, “which can stimulate abnormal cellular growth and has been associated with certain forms of cancer such as colon cancer,” says Dr. Daly. It’s also wise to limit your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for women, two for men—since higher amounts have been linked with an increased risk of breast, laryngeal, head and neck, and pancreatic cancers.
Some preventive measures do require you to go to a doctor’s office. “People tend to think of screening as a way of detecting cancer, but it is really a preventive measure,” she says. “With cervical cancer screening, skin cancer screening and colon cancer screening, we can find precancerous conditions and treat them before they turn into cancer.”
“Genetics play a part in mental health, but people can do a lot to boost their mental immune systems,” says Sudeepta Varma, M.D., medical director of the World Trade Center Mental Health Program at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. Rule number one: Get enough sleep. “If you don’t get enough on a regular basis, it can lead to disruption of your body’s circadian rhythms [24-hour cycles that regulate hormone production and other biological processes], which can make you feel more stressed and can be enough to trigger or exacerbate an underlying disorder,” explains Dr. Varma. Also, it is important to consume a diet with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, tuna, sardines, walnuts, canola oil and flaxseed), vitamin B-12 (found in fish, seafood, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products) and folate (found in fortified cereals, spinach, broccoli, peanuts and orange juice), since these nutrients can help ease depression and improve brain function. Engaging in regular exercise and relaxation techniques (such as yoga, tai chi or progressive muscle relaxation) can also help relieve mild anxiety or depression. Above all, it’s important to “maintain balance and moderation in anything you do,” Dr. Varma says.
“Many people don’t take care of their heart health,” says Tracy Stevens, M.D., a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO. “And the truth is, the majority of heart disease can be prevented through lifestyle changes.” The first step: Have your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar measured. Then, ask your doctor what you should do to manage any abnormalities. Taking medication to control high blood pressure, cholesterol abnormalities and elevated blood sugar can help protect your heart. In addition, “aspirin, omega-3 capsules and statin drugs are potent anti-inflammatories,” Dr. Stevens says. So ask your doctor if you might benefit from taking one.
At home, measure your waistline: Having a waist circumference that’s 35 inches or greater is risky for women; 40 inches or greater is risky for men. “Heart disease is in our bellies,” he says. “If you have excess fat in your abdomen, you’re more likely to lay down plaque in your arteries.”
It’s also wise to keep your weight in a healthy range. “I recommend at least two and a half hours of exercise a week,” says Dr. Stevens. “And don’t go more than two days without it.” Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and wild fish (which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids).
Other heart-protective measures include avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke and smoking. Get plenty of good-quality shut-eye, because being sleep-deprived “is correlated with high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance,” notes Dr. Stevens. And get a healthy grip on stress. “Stress can weaken the heart muscle and make plaque crack, which increases the chances of a clot forming,” he warns. Besides protecting your heart directly, reducing stress can help you feel more capable of launching other heart-healthy changes.
“The saying that you are what you eat really is true when it comes to gastrointestinal health,” says Paul McNeely, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. As far as diet goes, avoid fast food, high-fat foods, and charred foods, since these can increase the risk of colon cancer and obesity (in the case of fatty fare). Instead, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and consume plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. “Aim to get 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber per day from foods or supplements because fiber promotes good motility,” says Dr. McNeely. “If you have hard stools, fiber can soften them; if you have loose stools, fiber can bulk them up.” Limit your alcohol intake because consuming more than two cocktails per day can cause gastritis, heartburn, and liver damage in some people.
How you eat can also affect your GI tract. Skipping breakfast, wolfing down your food, consuming a huge dinner, and overeating in general are major no-no’s because they can cause abdominal distension and reflux.
“A lot of chronic gastrointestinal complaints such as pain, pressure and reflux get worse when weight goes up,” Dr. McNeely says, “so try to maintain an ideal body weight.” Finding ways to ease stress is also important. For one thing, “stress can cause motility problems,” he notes. Plus, many people, when stressed, reach for aspirin or some other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for tension-related aches. Overuse of NSAIDs is “one of the two leading causes of ulcers,” Dr. McNeely says.
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