THE KETO DIET

By now, you’ve likely heard about this new diet, and perhaps had discussions about it with friends or family.  This diet follows a strict regimen of foods high in fats, low in carbohydrates, and moderate in amounts of protein. 

The Keto Diet is not a traditional “calorie-counting diet.”  When following the Keto Diet, you must keep a close watch on your carbohydrate intake, limiting carbs to fewer than 50 grams per day—less than the carbs in four slices of bread.  This “high-fat, low-carb” regimen results in a state of ketosis (thus the name), in which the body burns fat for energy, leading to weight loss. 

The Keto diet can be beneficial for diabetics, especially those with Type-2 diabetes that are looking to reverse it, as it further-prompts the dieter to keep a wary eye on the amount of carbs in their diet. However, it does not come without risk; such a low intake of carbohydrates can lead to hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can cause dizziness and, very rarely, seizures.  Other side effects may include constipation, headaches, and bad breath.  Following the Keto diet recommendations can also make it difficult to meet your daily nutritional needs.

If you’re planning to start the Keto diet the key is always consistency. The weight loss plan that works is the one with which you can adhere.

WHICH FLU SHOT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

It’s time for your annual flu shot!  Annual vaccination against influenza A and B viruses is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.  All US seasonal vaccines are effective against both common strains of influenza A, while trivalent vaccines are effective against one strain of influenza B and quadrivalent vaccines are help prevent both common strains of influenza B.

Most commonly administered vaccines are given by injection and are inactivated, meaning that the vaccines are created using eggs and virus particles that are not capable of causing infection.  Recombinant vaccines are created without the use of influenza virus or eggs.  The Flumist vaccine is live-attenuated, meaning that the vaccine contains virus that is alive but has been treated to render it unlikely to cause infection, and it is administered by nasal inhalation.  Flumist should not be given to persons whose immune systems are not functioning normally.

Here’s the breakdown of what’s right for you:

• Children age 6-24 months can take the quadrivalent vaccine.

• Children age 2 through 17 can take the Flumist or inactivated vaccines.

• Adults age 18-49 can take the Flumist, inactivated or recombinant vaccines.

• Adults 50 and over can take inactivated or recombinant vaccines.

• High-dose vaccines are trivalent are approved for use in persons 65 and older and may be more effective than standard-dose vaccines.

• Pregnant women can and should take inactivated or recombinant vaccines.

• Persons with egg allergy can take inactivated, recombinant or live-attenuated vaccines and should be vaccinated in a healthcare setting.

There are many different brand names and types of vaccines.  Please check with your health care provider to determine what’s best for you.

THE TRUTH ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS

People want to eat what they want when they want it but think they can work it off with some exercise.

It’s a numbers game.

The truth, the uncomfortable truth, is that calorie restriction is the only practical way to lose weight.  The average adult needs 1800-2000 calories to maintain their weight.  Each 3500-calorie deficit can produce one pound of weight loss. One hour’s exercise burns 175 calories (cooking), 220 calories (bowling), 300 calories (push mowing) and 500 calories (high impact aerobics), while one cookie in many restaurants can amount to more than 400 calories and a scoop of ice cream 140-200 calories.  You really are what you eat.

HOW DOCTORS DECIDE WHICH PREVENTIVE SERVICES YOU NEED.

For many years doctors based their plans for the preventive care of well patients on the opinions of recognized regional and national experts.  Because these opinions were drawn from physicians’ personal experiences and were prone to bias, medical leaders looked for a new way to provide accurate and up-to-date recommendations.

In 1984 the United States Preventive Services Task Force—an independent, volunteer panel of experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine—was created and tasked to improve the health of Americans by making evidence-based (rather than opinion-based) recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screenings, counseling services, and preventive medications.  Task force members come from a variety of fields of preventive medicine and primary care, and their recommendations are based upon a rigorous review of existing peer-reviewed evidence.  All recommendations are published on the Task Force’s website and\or in peer-reviewed journals.

These recommendations apply only to people who have no signs or symptoms of the specific disease or condition under evaluation, and the recommendations address only services offered in the primary care setting or services referred by a primary care physician.   Common recommendations include when to perform Pap smears, mammograms, and screenings for colon cancer

The current USPSTF recommendations can be viewed at https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Name/recommendations.

WHAT’S UP WITH ASPIRIN?

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has caused confusion about the use of aspirin to prevent heart attacks, strokes, dementia and cancer.

In healthy blacks and Hispanics 65 and older and whites 70 and older and without a history of dementia, physical disability, heart attacks or strokes, the use of low dose (100 mg) aspirin did not help prevent these diseases and may have increased the risk of major bleeding.

These findings do not apply to people who have already had heart attacks or strokes, which usually involve blood clots.  These patients need aspirin, because it inhibits clots.

The take home message: healthy older people should not begin taking aspirin, but those who have already been taking it regularly should not quit based upon these findings but should instead talk with their doctor first.