Is Social Media Making Me Fat?

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Joann Ariola

Have you ever wondered why when you see postings of food on social media that are pleasing to your eyes, you immediately begin to desire that food or think, “Gee, I’m hungry?

The human mind is divided into two parts, the conscious and subconscious mind. The conscious mind works while we are awake, while the subconscious mind is always activated. The subconscious mind regulates everything in our body, our character, our speech and receives and processes information. The food and beverage postings on social media speak directly to our conscious and subconscious mind.

According to researchers, 70 percent of household meals in America are influenced by digital media. Pictures of food and beverages show up on news feeds 63 percent of the time. One popular social media site noted that a widely used food hashtag marked photos of snacks and meals 54 million times on their site alone.

In addition to subliminally causing you to want to eat more food, studies have shown that people who spent two hours or more using a device with LED display, such as a smart phone or tablet, had a corresponding dip in melatonin levels. Melatonin is the chemical that prepares your body for sleep. When we lose sleep, we can pack on extra pounds because there is a link between sleep loss and weight gain. If you are awake for longer periods of time, you may be more inclined to reach for a late night snack or bag of chips.

Some steps you can take to curb your hunger and promote good health are:

Choose fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.
Prepare your meals at home and limit dining out and processed on-the-go meals.
Try to avoid being distracted by TV, work, driving or surfing on your computer, phone or tablet while eating.
Regulate your social media feed, especially if the pictures of food and beverages make your stomach moan.

Obesity is on the rise because many factors, but keep in mind that you are in control and can make healthy choices to live a healthy life. It’s better to eat with your stomach and not with your eyes.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Are You an Emotional Eater?

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Joann Ariola

Often, people turn to food for comfort during times of stress, anger or sadness. However, if you are eating for emotional reasons and not because you are physically hungry, there may be a problem.

Some of the signs of being an emotional eater are:

Eating without hunger
Eating until you are uncomfortable or stuffed

Many people believe that emotional eating is due to a lack of self-control, but this is not the case. There has been extensive research to prove that emotional eating is actually an eating disorder.

The five top things that contribute to emotional eating are:

Unawareness – Emotional eating can be a direct result of not being conscious of what or why you are eating. Unconscious eating is defined as continuing to eat when you have finished your meal and continue to pick at it, slowly eating the remaining portion that you intended to leave behind.
Food as your only pleasure – Do not use food as a reward after a long and hectic day. Although the calming, soothing affects you may feel when you eat ice cream or potato chips are real, due to the opioids they release in our brain, they are a difficult habit to break.
Inability to tolerate difficult feelings –When you do not have the ability to tolerate life’s inevitable bad feelings, you are susceptible to emotional eating. Practice letting yourself experience difficult feelings and keeping in mind that feeling mad, sad, rejected or bored, doesn’t change anything.
Body loathing – Hating your body is one of the biggest factors in emotional eating. You have to stop hating your body before you can stop emotional eating.
Physiology – The best way to leave yourself open to emotional eating is to wait until you are too tired or hungry to eat. When we are too tired or hungry, the body sends strong messages to your brain that signal it to eat, leaving us with an inability to fight off cravings or urges.

In addition these tips listed above, it is always a good practice to eat several small meals during the day and get plenty of sleep. Emotional eating is a cycle that cannot be broken until you make a commitment to reach deep inside yourself to make a change.

March is National Kidney Month

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Joann Ariola

March is National Kidney Month and the National Kidney Foundation is urging all Americans to give their kidneys a well-deserved checkup.

The kidneys are two, fist-sized organs in your lower back. They maintain overall health by serving following functions:

Filtering waste out of 200 liters of blood each day
Regulating of the body’s salt, potassium and acid content
Removing toxins from the body.
Balancing the body’s fluids
Releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure
Producing an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
Controlling the production of red blood cells

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control, some quick facts on Kidney Disease are:

Kidney disease is the 9^th leading cause of death in the country.
More than 26 million Americans have kidney disease, and most don’t know it.
There are over 95,000 people waiting for kidney transplants.
Currently, more than 590,000 people have kidney failure in the U.S. today.

Often times, kidney failure can be prevented or delayed through early detection and proper treatment of underlying disease such as diabetes and high blood pressure which can slow additional damage to the kidneys.

If you are 18 years or older with diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or a family history of kidney disease, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor and ask that you be screened for kidney disease.

If you would like to make an appointment to have your Kidney’s checked, you can call Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center at 718-206-7001 for an appointment.

Grandma’s Chicken Soup

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Joann Ariola

When you have a cold or flu, it is best to keep hydrated and drink at least eight glasses of fluid a day. A great way to keep hydrated, help relieve the symptomscongested nose and sore throat is to eat chicken soup.

Researchers believe that substances in chicken soup can help reduce the inflammation associated with a cold or flu.

If you would like to test the effects of chicken soup on your cold or flu you may want to try

Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe –

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups wide egg noodles

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

12 cups chicken broth

1 ½ tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup cornstarch

¼ cup water

3 cups diced, cooked chicken meat

Directions:

Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and oil, boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse under cool running water.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery and onion. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken, and heat through.

Serves 12

For this and other easy, delicious recipes you may want to visit .

Arthritis and Exercise

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Joann Ariola

Did you know that if you have arthritis, exercise may benefit your bones, muscles and joints?

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon or swim with the intensity of an Olympic competitor. Low impact exercise can help improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. These exercises may include raising your arms over head or rolling your shoulders.

In conjunction with a treatment plan, exercise can:

Strengthen the muscles around your joints
Help you maintain bone strength
Give you more energy to get through the day
Make it easier to get a good night’s sleep
Help you control your weight
Improve your balance
Enhance your quality of life

Exercises can relieve stiffness and increase your ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. It is always good to speak with your doctor about fitting exercise into your treatment plan. The types of exercises that are best for you will depend on your type of arthritis and which joints are affected.

If you have arthritis and would like to explore adding exercise to your treatment plan, you can speak with one of the dozens of trained physicians at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center. To make an appointment with a physician, call 718-206-7001.

The Winter Itch

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Joann Ariola

Seasonal itchiness is common when the cold, dry winter air takes moisture away from your skin. The top layer of skin is made up of dead skin cells embedded in a mix of natural oils. The oils in this skin layer help keep water inside the body and prevent irritants and germs from entering. The dead cells and skin oils lock some water into the top layer, which keeps the skin soft and smooth. Cold, dry air can damage the top skin layer, allowing water in the skin to escape and cause small cracks that expose underlying cells to irritants and germs. This irritation may cause nerves in the skin to send “itch” signals to the brain.

Weather-related itching may be accompanied by other dry skin symptoms, such as dullness, flakiness, roughness and more visible fine lines. Fortunately, weather-related dry skin isn’t usually serious and is easily treated.

Some products from your local stores can help, such as:

Moisturizers: In the winter, the best types of moisturizers to use are the ones that are oil-based rather than water-based. These are thicker and create a protective layer on the skin that will retain moisture in your skin for longer periods of time.
Sunscreen: Despite the cold temperatures, you can still get sunburned during the winter, which will make your skin even drier. When you plan to be outside, apply sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 about 30 minutes before going out. If you are out for longer periods of time reapply the sunscreen every couple of hours.
Gloves: Your hands are one part of your body that is exposed to the cold more often, so protect them whenever you can by wearing warm gloves.
Humidifier: Using a humidifier adds moisture to the air, which can help counteract the effects of using heat in your home or office. Place the humidifier in rooms where you spend most of your time to get the best results.
Oatmeal: Take an oatmeal bath to soothe the itching. In addition to taking these soothing baths, refrain from taking very hot baths and showers in the winter. Instead use warm water and try not to stay in the bath or the shower for too long.

If the itchiness you are experiencing becomes severe or the skin begins to peel or crack significantly, you may have a skin disorder in addition to the typical dryness that occurs during colder months and should consult your physician.

If you itchy skin has become red and cracked, you may want to make an appointment with the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center. It is centrally located and has convenient hours. Call 718-670-XXXXfor an appointment.

How “Annual” Is Your Annual Physical?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Joann Ariola

A. Yearly

B. Bi-Yearly

C. When I don’t feel good

D. I don’t do doctors

An annual exam is a good way of tracking your health progress. Some of the benefits are:

Primary prevention
To identify risk factors for common chronic diseases
To detect disease that has no apparent symptoms (secondary prevention)
A way for the doctor to counsel people to promote healthy behavior
To update clinical data since your last check-up
To enhance the relationship betweenyou and your doctor

If you are interested in scheduling an exam, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center is centrally located and has convenient hours. Call 718-206-7001 for an appointment.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Andrew Rubin

The month of November has been designated American Diabetes Awareness Month by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Diabetes affects nearly 30 million people in the United States which is ten percent of the total population. There are 86 million more people who have pre-diabetes and are at risk of developing type II diabetes during their lifetime.

There is no cure for diabetes but there are many ways for people who have been diagnosed with the disease to live long, healthy lives if it is controlled properly. Learning to live with diabetes is one of the most important components for managing the disease. Proper nutrition, regular physical activity, monitoring blood sugar daily and taking medication to control diabetes are some of the ways that complications can be prevented. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to many complications. It is the leading cause of blindness, non traumatic amputations, kidney disease and also increases the risk for heart attacks.

During the month of November the ADA sponsors events around the country that serve to make people aware of the risk factors and the warning signs of diabetes. For more information on events taking place, please see the American Diabetes Association’s website at . It is important to have regular medical exams to manage diabetes successfully. To schedule an appointment with a physician at Jamaica Hospital please call 718-206-6742.

Diabetes and Your Oral Health

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Michael Hinck

Living with diabetes can affect your entire body and your mouth no exception. The good news however is that by effectively managing your blood sugar and practicing good oral hygiene habits, you can avoid diabetes-related problems to your teeth and gums.
Diabetes can take a toll on your mouth in the following ways:

• Tooth decay (cavities) – When bacteria in the mouth interact with sugars and starches found in the food we eat, it creates plaque, which destroys the enamel on our teeth and creates cavities. There are more sugars and starches in the mouths of diabetics because they have higher blood glucose levels, and are therefore more susceptible to tooth erosion and damage.

• Gum disease (gingivitis) – Diabetes reduces our bodies ability to fight bacteria, such as plaque. When plaque hardens on the gum line, it creates tartar, which can irritate the gums and cause swelling and bleeding. Gum disease can advance to a condition known as periodontitis, which can result in your teeth falling out.

• Thrush -People with diabetes who take antibiotics to combat infections are more likely to develop this fungal infection of the mouth and tongue, causing a burning sensation. This fungus thrives on the high levels of blood sugar found in the saliva of diabetics.

You can do a lot to avoid these problems, including:

• Manage your diabetes by monitoring your blood sugar and keeping it within your target range

• Take good care of your mouth by brushing at least two times per day with a soft-bristled brush and floss once per day to help remove plaque.

• Schedule regular dental visits and make sure your dentist is aware that you have diabetes and provide him with your doctor’s contact information.

• Look out for early signs of gum disease such as redness, bleeding or swelling. Also alert your dentist of loose teeth or mouth pain.

• Quit smoking as it increases the risk of serious diabetic complications, including gum disease. Ask your doctor about ways to quit if you need help.

If you have diabetes and are experiencing problems with your teeth and gums, make an appointment with your dentist immediately. Jamaica Hospital operates a full-service dental facility on its main campus. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 718-206-6980.

The Many Benefits of Garlic

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Michael Hinck

Looking for a wonder drug that can:

• Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol? Check
• Boost your immune system? Check
• Control you diabetes? Check
• Improve your digestive and respiratory system? Check

What is this new, breakthrough drug? It’s not a medication at all; in fact you can find it at your local grocery store. It’s garlic!

Garlic is a plant that is used in many cultures for both culinary and medical purposes for hundreds of years. Eaten on its own, or more commonly used as an ingredient in many tasty dishes, garlic contains allicin, which is known to have anti-oxidant, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties.

Garlic has been shown to lower blood pressure by relaxing vein and artery walls. This action helps keep platelets from clumping together and improves blood flow, thereby reducing the risk of stroke. Garlic also decreases the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, substances that increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Studies suggest that regularly eating garlic helps lower blood pressure and controls blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

This popular herb may also improve immunity by stimulating some of the body’s natural immune cells. Studies suggest that garlic may help prevent breast, bladder, skin, stomach, and colon cancer. Garlic’s antibacterial properties also make it a wonderful anti-viral and decongestant to prevent and combat colds, coughs, and upper respiratory tract infections. In addition, Garlic is often used to treat many other common maladies such as ear infections, toothaches, and treatment for warts and athlete’s foot.

Garlic can be digested either cooked or in raw form (but only in small amounts). If you do not like the taste of garlic there are also powdered or caplet forms. Your doctor can recommend which form of garlic is best for you.

For most people, consuming garlic does not cause any serious side effects if taken in moderation, but it can cause heartburn or stomach irritation if taken in excess. Due to its blood thinning properties, individuals taking anti-coagulant medications should speak with their doctor before increasing their daily garlic intake.