Learn how ignoring or downplaying your symptoms can hurt your health.
In our over-stimulating world, we’ve become very good at tuning things out, like background conversations on the train, sidebar advertisements online, and TV commercials. Unfortunately, this seems to have carried over into our heath lives and a concerning number of people are ignoring messages from their body, even potential cancer symptoms, according to research published in the journal PLOS One.
Surveying 1,700 people, they found that 53 percent had experienced at least one symptom that could be a red flag for cancer during the previous three months. The scary part: Only 2 percent didn’t dismiss cancer as a possibility.
“It’s worrying that even the more obvious warning symptoms, such as unexplained lumps or changes to the appearance of a mole, were rarely attributed to cancer [in this study],” says Dr. Katriina Whitaker, lead study author and senior research fellow at University College London.
Dr. Whitaker also points out that, even if cancer isn’t at the root, responding to this kind of serious symptom could catch other serious diseases early. “That’s why it’s important that these symptoms are checked out, especially if they don’t go away. But people could delay seeing a doctor if they don’t acknowledge cancer as a possible cause,” she says.
In addition to unexplained lumps or moles, some of the cancer red-flags included in the questionnaire included unexplained cough, bleeding, unexplained weight loss, unexplained pain, and persistent changes in bowel or bladder habits. Of the people who experienced concerning symptoms, just over half contacted their doctor, even if they didn’t attribute the symptom to cancer.
Catching cancer, or any disease really, early is a huge advantage for recovery, but that means that you need to dial into what your body is telling you and really listen. Gary Kaplan, DO, author of Total Recovery, says learning to listen to our bodies can save lives, but we’re really bad at doing this.
“It still amazes me how many aches and pains patients take for granted. At the most basic level, many people are stiff in the morning when they get out of bed,” says Dr. Kaplan. “They’re irritable and foggy-headed until they have a second cup of coffee. Since their friends are having the same experience, they joke about ‘getting older’ and assume that what they’re feeling is just nature taking its course, that there’s nothing they can do about it. But that’s not true.”
He asks us to ask ourselves the question “‘What are you putting up with?’ Whatever it is, the research is showing that the time to address it is now, not later.”
One of the big things we can listen for are signs of inflammation. “Only recently have we come to realize that so many of our most chronic diseases are primarily inflammatory conditions: inflammatory bowel disease (5 million),3 cancer (10 million), diabetes (14 million), 4 autoimmune disease (24 million), asthma (30 million), allergies (50 million), rheumatoid arthritis (50 million), 5 and cardiovascular disease (60 million), among many others,” he explains.
Dr. Kaplan recommends watching out for these three sneaky symptoms that may be trying to tell you “Something is wrong!”
Nutritional and Gastrointestinal Issues
“Gas, bloating, and poor digestion are also so common in our culture that it’s easy to assume they’re normal and nothing to worry about,” says Dr. Kaplan, but he points out that this is not the case: An upset tummy is not status quo. “It may be a symptom of a sustained inflammatory reaction in your body due to leaky gut, celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or other gastrointestinal disorders.”
Infections with pain, fever, malaise, or mood alterations
“The body is an ecosystem, so inflammation in the periphery can always potentially affect the central nervous system as well,” he says. “A lingering infection in the body can perpetuate inflammation.”
Unfortunately, he also points out that our best cure for infections, antibiotics, can upset the microflora in your gut, leading to leaky gut [link]. “It’s not that antibiotics are bad,” he clarifies, “But we know that antibiotics can have damaging side effects, so it makes sense to be aware of the consequences of using them and take precautions to offset it.”
Injuries
“The injuries that contribute to [relentless inflammation] seem to be the ones that have never fully healed,” he says. Unfortunately, the “bad back” or “trick knee” that people force themselves to just live with keeping the inflammation going. ” If you still feel lingering effects from physical trauma, I encourage you to find a way to treat it. Total recovery is your best protection against the effects of cumulative traumas.”
Article reprinted from Well!, a publication from TuftsHealthPlan.com, Fall/2014
If you find yourself wanting to crawl into bed after work these days, rest assured you’re not getting lazy. And it’s not your imagination that you feel more sluggish now that the sun goes down earlier. “The lack of sunlight makes us feel more tired,” says Gary Kaplan, DO, director of The Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Total Recovery. “We’re programmed to be up with the sun and down when the sun is gone.” We can’t control the sun’s activities, but we can do a few things to energize.
1. Wake up to light
If the sun is up when you wake up for work, open up your curtains and let light in, as research shows this can help you feel more awake.
2. Jump-start energy with the right breakfast
Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal made with low-fat milk, topped with almond butter and chia seeds, says Keri Gans, MS, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. A combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fat will keep you energized until lunchtime. Low-fat plain yogurt with fruit is also a good choice.
3. Go for a short stroll
A 10-minute brisk walk (even indoors) can translate into 2 hours of increased energy, Dr. Kaplan says. He suggests that if your job or schedule allows it, break up your day with brief activity bursts to keep energy levels high.
4. Recall the good things in your life
Practicing gratitude is another way to feel uplifted and energized. Spend a few minutes daily writing down or thinking about the things you’re most grateful for. Doing this regularly will increase energy, boost mood, and help keep your immune system strong, according to Dr. Kaplan.
5. Breathe deeply
Often when we’re concentrating hard on a task, we fall into shallow breathing patterns. To feel more awake and alert, take slow deep breaths for 30 seconds. “Deep breathing is a signal to the body that it needs to wake up. You’re getting more oxygen, increased blood flow, and more oxygenation in the body, waking your brain up,” Dr. Kaplan says.
6. Don’t miss magnesium
This mineral helps us get a good night’s sleep, and it also helps break down glucose for energy, Dr. Kaplan says. You need 300 mg to 350 mg of magnesium a day. Dark greens, whole grains, and Brazil nuts are good sources. If you’re routinely feeling low on energy, ask your doctor if you need more magnesium.
7. Make time for belly laughs
If you’re having trouble concentrating, watch online videos that make you chuckle. “Laughing for a few minutes will help you wake up, increase your heart rate, and release endorphins so you feel more energized,” Dr. Kaplan says.
A year ago, local running coach and veteran marathoner Kathy Pugh was preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon. But despite a tried-and-true training program, it wasn’t going well.
“I just didn’t have the energy,” Pugh says. “I was struggling and felt like I never wanted to do a marathon again.”
What had happened?
As Pugh found out through a blood test, she was iron-deficient, something that’s not all that unusual for premenopausal women, particularly athletes.
“It’s quite common for female athletes to have iron deficiency,” says Nancy Clark, a Boston-based sports nutritionist and author of the “Sports Nutrition Guidebook.”
“And it really affects performance.”
Exactly how prevalent iron deficiency is among female athletes isn’t known, but Clark says it could be as high as 50 percent. In the general premenopausal female population, the prevalence is roughly 9 percent. A 2011 study of female collegiate rowers in New York state found 10 percent were anemic and 30 percent had low iron stores.
(Anemic refers to low hemoglobin, for which the most common reason is low iron. But you can be iron-deficient without being anemic — as was true for Pugh.)
Clark attributes iron deficiency among female athletes to monthly blood loss (true for most premenopausal women) and an added demand on iron stores through high-intensity training as well as a focus on lean, vegetarian and natural foods.
But wouldn’t “lean, vegetarian and natural” be a good thing?
“Absolutely, but if you are vegan, especially as an athlete, you have to make sure you are getting what you need nutritionally,” says Lisa Lilienfield, a doctor with the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine in McLean, whose expertise includes women’s health and sports medicine.
Iron can be taken as a supplement but is readily available in our food — especially in red meat and seafood (in particular, clams). It is also abundant in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and in beans and fortified cereals.
And so, Clark says, the trend among female athletes and other health-conscious consumers to move away from red meat and to give up fortified foods in favor of natural foods creates a “perfect storm” for iron deficiency.
“Female athletes tend to be very health- and weight-conscious,” she says. “And when they want to lose weight, they’ll give up things like hamburgers and steaks,” as well as processed food, she says.
For example, good ol’ Grape Nuts – a fortified (“processed”) cereal has 90 percent of the recommended daily allowance for iron, while the natural Kashi Go Lean Crunch has 8 percent.
“I would recommend that female endurance athletes get screened so they can see if they need iron supplementation,” Clark said. Note: Too much iron is not healthful, either, so it’s important to know the right level before taking any iron supplementation.
Pugh says she can relate to both parts of Clark’s perfect storm: She moved away from red meat and tried eating all-natural foods for the year leading up to the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon.
“I was doing my green smoothies and eating nutritional yeast — I felt like I was the picture of perfect health, and yet I felt tired,” Pugh says.
For women who want to get more of their iron from plants, one possibility is to consume greens or beans together with vitamin C, which improves iron absorption, Lilienfield says.
For example, says Pugh, who is now also a trained health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition: “You could have your salad with a lemon vinaigrette.”
It’s also worth limiting consumption of foods that inhibit the uptake of iron, she says, including calcium and coffee and tea.
So, what are some of the signs — aside from lack of energy — of low iron, and why is iron important in sports?
One is the desire to chew ice, says Clark (the medical term is pacophagia). In addition, “being cold all the time, feeling depressed and feeling tired,” can be signs of iron deficiency.
Iron is essential for successful athletic performance since it helps carry oxygen to cells throughout the body. But when athletes feel overtired from workouts they often assume they need to lose weight — and in doing so they often deplete their iron stores even more.
“Athletes in endurance sports will notice it the most,” Clark says. “But iron deficiency could impact all sports.”
And she adds that iron deficiency is a “needless” problem, “since it’s totally preventable. I see it as an education problem.”
Pugh says she definitely has learned what works better for her these past few months. Her diet still consists of mostly natural foods and lots of greens, but she has added some red meat once a week or so — and says she thinks there is a link to her feeling better.
Listening To Your Body – Red Flags You Should Never Ignore
/in Wellness/by Kaplan CenterBy Julia Westbrook
Learn how ignoring or downplaying your symptoms can hurt your health.
In our over-stimulating world, we’ve become very good at tuning things out, like background conversations on the train, sidebar advertisements online, and TV commercials. Unfortunately, this seems to have carried over into our heath lives and a concerning number of people are ignoring messages from their body, even potential cancer symptoms, according to research published in the journal PLOS One.
Surveying 1,700 people, they found that 53 percent had experienced at least one symptom that could be a red flag for cancer during the previous three months. The scary part: Only 2 percent didn’t dismiss cancer as a possibility.
“It’s worrying that even the more obvious warning symptoms, such as unexplained lumps or changes to the appearance of a mole, were rarely attributed to cancer [in this study],” says Dr. Katriina Whitaker, lead study author and senior research fellow at University College London.
Dr. Whitaker also points out that, even if cancer isn’t at the root, responding to this kind of serious symptom could catch other serious diseases early. “That’s why it’s important that these symptoms are checked out, especially if they don’t go away. But people could delay seeing a doctor if they don’t acknowledge cancer as a possible cause,” she says.
In addition to unexplained lumps or moles, some of the cancer red-flags included in the questionnaire included unexplained cough, bleeding, unexplained weight loss, unexplained pain, and persistent changes in bowel or bladder habits. Of the people who experienced concerning symptoms, just over half contacted their doctor, even if they didn’t attribute the symptom to cancer.
Catching cancer, or any disease really, early is a huge advantage for recovery, but that means that you need to dial into what your body is telling you and really listen. Gary Kaplan, DO, author of Total Recovery, says learning to listen to our bodies can save lives, but we’re really bad at doing this.
“It still amazes me how many aches and pains patients take for granted. At the most basic level, many people are stiff in the morning when they get out of bed,” says Dr. Kaplan. “They’re irritable and foggy-headed until they have a second cup of coffee. Since their friends are having the same experience, they joke about ‘getting older’ and assume that what they’re feeling is just nature taking its course, that there’s nothing they can do about it. But that’s not true.”
He asks us to ask ourselves the question “‘What are you putting up with?’ Whatever it is, the research is showing that the time to address it is now, not later.”
One of the big things we can listen for are signs of inflammation. “Only recently have we come to realize that so many of our most chronic diseases are primarily inflammatory conditions: inflammatory bowel disease (5 million),3 cancer (10 million), diabetes (14 million), 4 autoimmune disease (24 million), asthma (30 million), allergies (50 million), rheumatoid arthritis (50 million), 5 and cardiovascular disease (60 million), among many others,” he explains.
Dr. Kaplan recommends watching out for these three sneaky symptoms that may be trying to tell you “Something is wrong!”
Nutritional and Gastrointestinal Issues
“Gas, bloating, and poor digestion are also so common in our culture that it’s easy to assume they’re normal and nothing to worry about,” says Dr. Kaplan, but he points out that this is not the case: An upset tummy is not status quo. “It may be a symptom of a sustained inflammatory reaction in your body due to leaky gut, celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or other gastrointestinal disorders.”
Infections with pain, fever, malaise, or mood alterations
“The body is an ecosystem, so inflammation in the periphery can always potentially affect the central nervous system as well,” he says. “A lingering infection in the body can perpetuate inflammation.”
Unfortunately, he also points out that our best cure for infections, antibiotics, can upset the microflora in your gut, leading to leaky gut [link]. “It’s not that antibiotics are bad,” he clarifies, “But we know that antibiotics can have damaging side effects, so it makes sense to be aware of the consequences of using them and take precautions to offset it.”
Injuries
“The injuries that contribute to [relentless inflammation] seem to be the ones that have never fully healed,” he says. Unfortunately, the “bad back” or “trick knee” that people force themselves to just live with keeping the inflammation going. ” If you still feel lingering effects from physical trauma, I encourage you to find a way to treat it. Total recovery is your best protection against the effects of cumulative traumas.”
As first seen on www.RodaleNews.com
7 Steps to Re-energize Naturally
/in Lifestyle/by Kaplan CenterBeat the Seasonal Energy Crisis
Outsmart the mid-day urge to take a nap
Article reprinted from Well!, a publication from TuftsHealthPlan.com, Fall/2014
If you find yourself wanting to crawl into bed after work these days, rest assured you’re not getting lazy. And it’s not your imagination that you feel more sluggish now that the sun goes down earlier. “The lack of sunlight makes us feel more tired,” says Gary Kaplan, DO, director of The Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Total Recovery. “We’re programmed to be up with the sun and down when the sun is gone.” We can’t control the sun’s activities, but we can do a few things to energize.
1. Wake up to light
If the sun is up when you wake up for work, open up your curtains and let light in, as research shows this can help you feel more awake.
2. Jump-start energy with the right breakfast
Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal made with low-fat milk, topped with almond butter and chia seeds, says Keri Gans, MS, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. A combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fat will keep you energized until lunchtime. Low-fat plain yogurt with fruit is also a good choice.
3. Go for a short stroll
A 10-minute brisk walk (even indoors) can translate into 2 hours of increased energy, Dr. Kaplan says. He suggests that if your job or schedule allows it, break up your day with brief activity bursts to keep energy levels high.
4. Recall the good things in your life
Practicing gratitude is another way to feel uplifted and energized. Spend a few minutes daily writing down or thinking about the things you’re most grateful for. Doing this regularly will increase energy, boost mood, and help keep your immune system strong, according to Dr. Kaplan.
5. Breathe deeply
Often when we’re concentrating hard on a task, we fall into shallow breathing patterns. To feel more awake and alert, take slow deep breaths for 30 seconds. “Deep breathing is a signal to the body that it needs to wake up. You’re getting more oxygen, increased blood flow, and more oxygenation in the body, waking your brain up,” Dr. Kaplan says.
6. Don’t miss magnesium
This mineral helps us get a good night’s sleep, and it also helps break down glucose for energy, Dr. Kaplan says. You need 300 mg to 350 mg of magnesium a day. Dark greens, whole grains, and Brazil nuts are good sources. If you’re routinely feeling low on energy, ask your doctor if you need more magnesium.
7. Make time for belly laughs
If you’re having trouble concentrating, watch online videos that make you chuckle. “Laughing for a few minutes will help you wake up, increase your heart rate, and release endorphins so you feel more energized,” Dr. Kaplan says.
Dr. Lisa Lilienfield on Female Athletes & Iron Deficiency
/in Women's Health/by Kaplan CenterWhat Female Athletes Need to Know About Iron Deficiency
by Gabriella Boston
A year ago, local running coach and veteran marathoner Kathy Pugh was preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon. But despite a tried-and-true training program, it wasn’t going well.
“I just didn’t have the energy,” Pugh says. “I was struggling and felt like I never wanted to do a marathon again.”
What had happened?
As Pugh found out through a blood test, she was iron-deficient, something that’s not all that unusual for premenopausal women, particularly athletes.
“It’s quite common for female athletes to have iron deficiency,” says Nancy Clark, a Boston-based sports nutritionist and author of the “Sports Nutrition Guidebook.”
Exactly how prevalent iron deficiency is among female athletes isn’t known, but Clark says it could be as high as 50 percent. In the general premenopausal female population, the prevalence is roughly 9 percent. A 2011 study of female collegiate rowers in New York state found 10 percent were anemic and 30 percent had low iron stores.
(Anemic refers to low hemoglobin, for which the most common reason is low iron. But you can be iron-deficient without being anemic — as was true for Pugh.)
Clark attributes iron deficiency among female athletes to monthly blood loss (true for most premenopausal women) and an added demand on iron stores through high-intensity training as well as a focus on lean, vegetarian and natural foods.
But wouldn’t “lean, vegetarian and natural” be a good thing?
“Absolutely, but if you are vegan, especially as an athlete, you have to make sure you are getting what you need nutritionally,” says Lisa Lilienfield, a doctor with the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine in McLean, whose expertise includes women’s health and sports medicine.
Iron can be taken as a supplement but is readily available in our food — especially in red meat and seafood (in particular, clams). It is also abundant in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and in beans and fortified cereals.
“Female athletes tend to be very health- and weight-conscious,” she says. “And when they want to lose weight, they’ll give up things like hamburgers and steaks,” as well as processed food, she says.
For example, good ol’ Grape Nuts – a fortified (“processed”) cereal has 90 percent of the recommended daily allowance for iron, while the natural Kashi Go Lean Crunch has 8 percent.
The recommendation for the general female premenopausal population is 18 mg of iron per day. Lilienfield suggests that should be higher — in the range of 20 mg or higher — for female athletes.
“I would recommend that female endurance athletes get screened so they can see if they need iron supplementation,” Clark said. Note: Too much iron is not healthful, either, so it’s important to know the right level before taking any iron supplementation.
Pugh says she can relate to both parts of Clark’s perfect storm: She moved away from red meat and tried eating all-natural foods for the year leading up to the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon.
“I was doing my green smoothies and eating nutritional yeast — I felt like I was the picture of perfect health, and yet I felt tired,” Pugh says.
For women who want to get more of their iron from plants, one possibility is to consume greens or beans together with vitamin C, which improves iron absorption, Lilienfield says.
For example, says Pugh, who is now also a trained health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition: “You could have your salad with a lemon vinaigrette.”
It’s also worth limiting consumption of foods that inhibit the uptake of iron, she says, including calcium and coffee and tea.
So, what are some of the signs — aside from lack of energy — of low iron, and why is iron important in sports?
One is the desire to chew ice, says Clark (the medical term is pacophagia). In addition, “being cold all the time, feeling depressed and feeling tired,” can be signs of iron deficiency.
Iron is essential for successful athletic performance since it helps carry oxygen to cells throughout the body. But when athletes feel overtired from workouts they often assume they need to lose weight — and in doing so they often deplete their iron stores even more.
“Athletes in endurance sports will notice it the most,” Clark says. “But iron deficiency could impact all sports.”
And she adds that iron deficiency is a “needless” problem, “since it’s totally preventable. I see it as an education problem.”
Pugh says she definitely has learned what works better for her these past few months. Her diet still consists of mostly natural foods and lots of greens, but she has added some red meat once a week or so — and says she thinks there is a link to her feeling better.
Published date: October 14, 2014
www.WashingtonPost.com