Each edition of “Dr. Taz MD “Guide to Living Healthy, Naturally” will provide readers with a comprehensive report on a variety of current, topical and important health issues, diet and nutritional suggestions and relevant feature stories focusing on major health issues of the day.The goal of the Dr. Taz MD’s Living Healthy, Naturally guide is to help ensure that our readers and the general public are well-informed and knowledgeable, in a timely manner on current and topical health issues.
To ensure that our readers have the best available information our research team at our Atlanta Center of Holistic and Integrative Medicine is aboard to help vet our material from a broad group of established and reliable sources.
We would most welcome the comments and suggestions of our readers so we may continue to broaden, enhance and better understand the interest and needs of our audience.
Warmest Regards,
Dr. Taz Bhatia MD.
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Living Healthy Tip
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Research has shown us that the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with conditions that damage the heart and blood vessels; i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and high cholesterol. Autopsy studies show that as many as 80 percent of Alzheimer’s patients also had cardiovascular disease. There is also evidence that exercise can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s. Even more exciting is the data supporting the theory that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. When I look at all this research, I see one thing: Inflammation. If we want to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, heart disease or even cancer; we have to keep inflammation in our bodies to a minimum.
Exercise and eating a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (like the Mediterranean diet) both fight inflammation. It is important to supplement your diet with omega 3 and increase healthy fats to 20 percent of your total intake. Make sure you are getting at least 15 mg of vitamin E in your diet. Sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds, spinach and broccoli are all good sources of vitamin E. Additionally, individuals who continue to challenge themselves intellectually and engage socially are at significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those who do not. Be sure to read my recent blog about Alzheimer’s disease here.
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INTHENEWS:
Diabetes Awareness by Dr. Taz MD
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. The goal of Diabetes Awareness Month is to stop diabetes by finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes and spreading information about how to prevent Type 2 diabetes. nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes and another 79 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease requiring constant vigilance and maintenance; it can lead to nerve damage, blindness, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and death.
Ask Dr. Taz MD:
I am having trouble staying awake and alert throughout my workday. I get a full 8 hours of rest a night, yet i find myself yawning and becoming groggy early in the afternoon. What can i do to combat this?
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- Take a time out A short break from a stressful or upsetting situation can help you think more clearly and help you make a healthy decision about what to do next.
Express yourself Call or text a friend who you can talk to about what’s bothering you.
Distract yourself Take a walk, play a game, or read a good book.
Get your body moving If you’re feeling low, take a walk or a jog around the block.
Rehearse and practice dealing with stressful situations If your go-to response to uncomfortable emotions is to stuff them away and pretend they’re not there, it may be time to try to express them. When we bury or deny feelings, they build up until we are on the verge of exploding at the slightest offense. This can be especially tricky when you need to confront someone who has hurt or offended you. Sometimes talking through things in more neutral territory can help.
Make a list and set goals Break down your larger tasks into smaller steps. Then cross off each step as you go to see your progress.
Don’t let negative thoughts take over If you’re feeling down about yourself or life, make a list of things for which you are grateful.
Give yourself a break Instead of demanding total perfection from yourself, allow yourself to be happy with doing a pretty good job. Just aim to do your best without having to be perfect.
Exercise, eat regularly, and get plenty of sleep Being physically rundown can make it much harder to deal with a bad mood. Take care of yourself.
When you are feeling extremely upset, use the Stop-Think-Breathe method Stop for a minute and think about the big picture. Sometimes things that don’t really matter in the long run can get you all worked up in the moment. Count to 10, breathing deeply, and concentrate on calming down.
Beauty Buzz:
Environmental health concepts can sometimes be hard to understand or explain to others. Beauty Counter created this Environmental Health 101 infographic as a tool to help illustrate the big picture (like cumulative exposure to toxic chemicals), and to call into focus some important findings (like why exposure to even tiny amounts of chemicals matter) that define this concept.
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