by Mona Saint MD on January 6, 2009
This is always a good time of year to think about ways to make our lives healthier and I know fitness and nutrition is at the top of my list especially after the holidays! When thinking about change, it can help to specifically define your goals and rationale and write them down in a positive format. For example: the goal may be to lose 10 pounds over the next 2 months, and the reason is to fit back into old jeans and feel good about yourself. The positive affirmation one can write and repeat is, “I easily lose weight and feel energetic and healthy”. In addition, keeping a food diary and having someone to check in with has been shown in studies to help maximize weight loss and help keep it off. Remember that small changes over time can lead to success. I know drastic change sounds enticing, but if we cannot maintain the strict new routine, it may be easy to quit altogether and fall back into our old ways. If we start small by doing things like reducing portion size, cutting back on empty calories and processed foods, and not eating when we are not hungry, we can gradually lose weight and keep it off with changes that are long lasting.
Many of my patients have asked me about diets that work and I have to start by advising to avoid all those fad, rapid weight loss diets that aren’t balanced in nutrition or sustainable. Yo-yo dieting is never long lasting and can lead to weight gain in the long run. I have found over the years that South Beach and Weight Watchers are two excellent, healthy diet programs that I have seen my patients use and have success with. Many have said that South Beach doesn’t really feel like a diet, which is important for actually being able to maintain a nutrition program. Studies have shown great results for weight loss and improving cholesterol profiles with the South Beach diet. Some people don’t feel right during the non-carbohydrate induction phase and it can be hard to do a vigorous workout during this phase, so if this is a problem you can more rapidly add back some healthy carbohydrates and still experience the main benefits.
For pregnant patients [click to continue…]
by Mona Saint MD on January 6, 2009
A small study showed that pregnant women who had a Vitamin D deficiency at delivery had a higher chance of delivering via cesarean section than those who were not deficient. There are many factors that can lead to a cesarean section and currently Vitamin D levels are not checked during pregnancy. However, I am a big proponent in people getting enough vitamins amidst our busy lifestyle and Vitamin D is a very important one. Prenatal vitamins typically contain between 200-400 IU of Vitamin D. So during pregnancy be sure to take a prenatal vitamin with Vitamin D, have 15 minutes of sunlight per day without sunscreen if climate permits, and increase dietary intake of Vitamin D fortified foods.
Merewood et al. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2008; NY Times Health 2008.
by Mona Saint MD on January 6, 2009
This study found that adolescents who take abstinence pledges are not less sexually active than other adolescents but they are less likely to use condoms and birth control. Take home message: Teaching abstinence is commendable but adolescents should also be aware of pregnancy chances and sexual transmission of infections with sexual activity.
Rosenbaum. Pediatrics 2008; CBSNEWS.COM
by Mona Saint MD on January 6, 2009
Breast feeding has been established to have numerous health benefits including protection from neonatal infections and this study found that children who were breast fed for 4 months or longer had better lung function at age 10 than those who were not. Hmmm…maybe Michael Phelps nursed until he was 5?
Ogbuanu et al. Thorax 2008.
by Mona Saint MD on January 6, 2009
This study looked at patients who averaged 6 hours of sleep per night and for every extra hour of sleep it reduced their chances of developing calcification of the coronary arteries by 33% over a 5 year period. Take home message: less sleep could increase the chances of coronary artery calcification, which in the long run could increase the chances of developing a heart attack.
King et al. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008; CBS news.com
by Mona Saint MD on December 19, 2008
I am in my 30’s and my PMS symptoms seem to have gotten worse over the past few years — is this common? What’s the deal and what can I do?
It is hard to tell what exact symptoms you’re having from the email, but I’ll assume that you have premenstrual syndrome (PMS). And it often does seem to get worse with age and especially with our hectic lives. PMS specifically occurs anytime up to about a week or two before your period starts and the symptoms are usually gone by the fourth day of your period. Many women have experienced crying at the drop of a hat, and partners usually are wise enough to steer clear, especially if we bait them with a question like, “do I look fat?” The kids probably also sense that mommy’s on edge and why is she crying over American Idol? PMS symptoms are really quite common, and below I’ll cover some options to help provide some much needed relief. To make sure we’re all on the same page let’s look at the most common symptoms from most frequent to least: fatigue, irritability, bloating, anxiety/tension, breast tenderness, bad mood, depression, change in appetite, acne, oversensitivity, swelling, anger, crying easily, feeling of isolation, headache, forgetfulness, gastrointestinal symptoms, poor concentration, and uncommonly hot flashes and heart palpitations. As a gynecologist [click to continue…]
by Mona Saint MD on December 19, 2008
Researchers have found acupuncture to be more effective than medications in chronic headaches including migraine and tension headaches in a systematic review of 31 studies done over the past 40 years. Back in 1998 the National Institutes of Health listed acupuncture as a useful treatment for headaches. In Ob/Gyn we often refer patients to acupuncture for a variety of women’s health conditions including endometriosis, infertility and pelvic pain and I have seen significant improvement in numerous patients with a well known acupuncturist that we refer to. [click to continue…]
by Mona Saint MD on December 19, 2008
Two interesting studies about diet and breast cancer came out this week. In the first study laboratory researchers found that extra virgin olive oil could suppress genes that can cause breast cancer. Approximately 20-30% of breast cancers come from people who carry this gene which might explain why some studies show Mediterranean diets can lower the breast cancer risk while other diets have not shown any effect. Extra virgin olive oil is made using no heat so it has the benefit of retaining chemicals that are lost in the more processed olive oils. Researchers believe that these chemicals could be responsible for the suppression of the breast cancer gene. In another study, a low-fat diet high in fruits, vegetables, and fiber has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of recurrence of breast cancer. [click to continue…]
by Mona Saint MD on December 3, 2008
An astounding and potentially groundbreaking study was recently published showing that invasive breast cancers may sometimes go away on their own without treatment. The study looked at over 200,000 women in Norway and is interesting because they looked at rates of breast cancer detection after they recently started mammography screening. The authors of the study were initially astonished by the findings and some critics aren’t sure if they believe the results, but many leading national cancer experts have reviewed the study and think that the findings are plausible (1). [click to continue…]
by Mona Saint MD on December 2, 2008
A recent study on happiness looked at 45,000 Americans and what activities they regularly engaged in and determined which activities the happier people tended to be involved in. The happiest people tended to: socialize more with family and friends, go to church and read the newspaper more, engage in slightly more sex, and watch less TV than the unhappy folks. [click to continue…]
Mona Saint M.D., M.P.H. is a board certified Ob/Gyn and a mother of two young boys. She has won awards of excellence in gynecologic surgery and teaching, and she continually receives the highest ratings in patient satisfaction surveys. Most of all, she is appreciated for her down to earth and easy to understand explanations of complex medical questions and her empathetic style.