Heart Health and You- Part 2- Exercise!

How strong is your heart? The healthy heart can produce enough energy in an hour to lift a one-ton car off the ground, and accumulate enough pressure to squirt blood at a distance of 30ft! Although most of us would like to think that our own heart has this ability; it’s not usually the case. In fact heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States today with a whopping 599,413 deaths per year. This number is especially concerning because although some people are more genetically inclined to develop a cardiac illness, for most of us it’s 100% preventable. Earlier this month, we discussed the many different foods and beverages that will aid you in your journey to becoming heart healthy and in this second installment, we will be providing some simple and effective exercises that you can utilize in combination with your new and improved diet.

For most of us, getting regular exercise seems like a chore with no gratification. The idea of pain, sweat and tears without the instant gratification of seeing results isn’t very appealing when deciding whether or not to leave the comfort of your couch. However, any moderate-intensity exercise like swimming, jogging, Pilates or yoga is excellent for your fitness without feeling like you’re going to cough up a lung. Exercising your heart muscle means exercising your body: no need for a gym, just a bit of motivation and a good pair of walking shoes. If you “don’t have time” then fit shorter but more frequent periods of time, like 5-10 minute intervals several times a day throughout your day. Take the stairs, park your car further away from the door, and definitely count in those house chores such as mowing the lawn, vacuuming, or a short brisk walk around the block at lunch or for a break. The gaming console Wii also has several fun games such as Wii Sports or Wii Fit Step Aerobics – which is great exercise you can do with your kids-make it a family affair.

For adults that are 65 and older or anyone with chronic conditions or limited mobility, you still need the same amount of exercise as younger people but the activity can be less intense. Practice balance exercises to help prevent falls and injuries. Balance techniques are used frequently as exercises in yoga or more simple forms of balancing exercises such as walking heal-to-toe, standing on one foot, or standing up and sitting down without using your hands. Use good judgment and follow your doctor’s advice.

When these components are combined with a healthy diet, the outcome will hopefully be a much healthier heart and surely a much longer life. These tips make choosing to live a heart healthy life an accessible and reasonable goal to work towards so get started today! You are responsible for the health of your heart and the health of your life! Get the support of your family and primary care provider and get that blood pumping!

Part 2 of our February blog was written by Dania Abdul-Resoul, an intern at avecinia wellness center.  Dania is a pre-physical therapy student at Cal State Fresno.


For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page and follow avecinia on twitter . avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!

Obesity in Fresno and You!

The Central Valley has the highest overall rate of obesity in California (See Prevalence of Obesity amongst Adults Age 18 and Over) and almost 1 in 3 kids in California are overweight or obese.   Obesity amongst minority (ethnic and socio-economic) children is even more rampant.  The cost of obesity, to families, employers, the health care industry and the government is approximately $21 billion (Obesity and Diabetes: Two Growing Epidemics in California, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, August 2010).  Without serious efforts to address this growing epidemic, there may be no turning back. 

It will take a collective effort, the effort of health care providers, parents, children and the community to start making a difference. The following are examples of things parents and children can do, health care providers and the community can do and an example of something being done right here in Fresno!

Parents and children:

Parents are the biggest influences in their children’s lives. As a parent, you have the power to turn off the TV, select what you and your family will eat, structure how you will spend time with your kids and be healthy role models.  Start with:

• Let your kids let it out, the energy that is.  Get your kids to play, run around, be physical for at least an hour a day. Avoid using restriction of play as a disciplinary measure;
• Turn off the tube.  Not only does TV time decrease play time, the “foodless fridge” also inundates your kids with marketing for sugary snacks and other unhealthy food;
• Get them to bed.  Create a sleep friendly environment and habits. DO NOT PUT A TV OR COMPUTER IN THEIR ROOM.  Have quiet time before bed time.  Talk to your doctor about including safe, natural sleep supplements such as melatonin in your diet.  Studies show that children and adults who sleep less than 8 hours have higher levels of hormones that make you feel hungry and lower levels of hormones that make you feel satisfied; and
• Use the kitchen as family time by cooking healthy meals with your kids.  Not only will the family save money by not eating out, you can eat healthier, teach your kids good habits and bond with them all at the same time.  Who knows, you may even inspire the next Martha Stewart or Emeril!

The community and you:

The community you live in is a reflection of you.  Unfortunately in Fresno and the Central Valley, we have the highest rate of obesity and diabetes in California.  Studies indicate that higher rates of obesity and diabetes impact poorer areas more than wealthier areas.  This can be due to more restricted access to gyms, inadequate food choices, and lack of health care. 

However, the lack of financial resources cannot be an excuse.  Here are some ways you and your community can work together to combat obesity: 

• Here in the San Joaquin Valley, we have access to beautiful, natural gyms- our vast amount of parks, trails and other places to be physically active.  Go for a walk with a loved one, make sure you wear sunscreen;
• If a park is too far or it’s too hot, the community should ask for local schools to be open during the weekend so gyms can be used to hold free fitness classes.  For example, a local business can sponsor a trainer to hold 30 minute aerobic classes on the evenings and/or weekends; and
• Local government can help by restricting the number of permits for fast food restaurants in low-income neighborhoods and incentivizing more grocery stores or farmers markets to locate within those same neighborhoods.   Sometimes people need help in making better choice.

Local business can work with the community to promote healthier living.  That’s what we are doing.  Recognizing the severity of the obesity epidemic in the Central Valley, avecinia wellness center (www.avecinia.com) partnered with Marjaree Mason Center (“MMC”)  (www.mmcenter.org) and donated the services of Registered Dietician Sunny Yingling, MS, RD to develop a nutrition program for MMC clients.  The MMC serves over 86,000 meals, with more than half going to children, children who statistically are more likely to be or become obese. The program helps the MMC pick nutrient dense food items for its clients who then use recipes learned in classes taught by Sunny to bond with their children over meal preparation.  This past June, we partnered with Granville’s Sageberry grand opening to raise money and awareness about childhood obesity and the nutrition program. Through the nutrition program, avecinia, other local businesses and MMC are able to make a small, but important, step in the fight against obesity.   If you are part of a local business and would like to know how you can help make Fresno better, feel free to contact Aamer Hayat at aamer@avecinia.com.

For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page (facebook.com/avecinia) and follow avecinia on twitter (twitter.com/avecinia4health). avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!

Your Health is Your Wealth! Managing the costs of healthcare.

How to make more money by investing in yourself "The greatest wealth is health!"   I'm sure you've heard of that famous quote by Virgil.  In the past year, the health care debate was mentioned almost every day in the news and became part of our daily conversation.  As the economy tumbled, the costs of health care became even more apparent.  Job loss meant health insurance loss.  Employers started cutting costs by shifting health insurance costs to employees.  For the first time, people had to start including healthcare in their budget.  For a nation in which 1 in 3 individuals is overweight,  1 in 5 is obese and 1 in 10 have diabetes, these direct health care costs are expensive.  In a difficult economy or economic situation, you might be saying to yourself "Well, if I go see the doctor 2-3 times this month, that is going to cost me $300-$400 this month! I don't have that money!"  What we don't seem to realize is that if we don't invest in our own healthcare now, these costs are only going to rise. The perfect scenario to demonstrate the importance of investing in one's own health is a diabetic patient.  Here are just some of the statistics that show how expensive having a disease can be: The average health care costs for treating a diabetic patient is $10,000 a year (United Health Care); The average person with diabetes spends up to $900 a month for syringes, supplies, medicine and doctor's visits (The Cost of Diabetes); and The 15 year risk for a heart attack for a person with poorly controlled diabetes is 16.9%.  The costs over that period: $271,000 (The High Cost of Diabetes also a great website to see what happens if you don't take care of yourself; Your $15-$25 co-pay investment today will give you a $271,000 return "tomorrow"). Now, what does this mean to you?  Well, if you are a diabetic patient, or someone that has other chronic disease such as high cholesterol, hypertension, or hyperthyroidism (which are other expensive diseases), what could you do if you suddenly had $900 a month to do whatever you wanted or needed to do instead of spending on medicine, supplies and doctor's visits? Adding $900 a month to your monthly net income isn't a gimmick or get rich quick scheme. It can be done. Let's look at our diabetic patient example (based on an actual patient):   Prior to taking a proactive step, patient would come in every 2-3 weeks regularly or would only come in once every 3 months for medication renewal.  Diabetes Medication alone cost him $500 a month; After agreeing to work with us to help him,  the patient came in 4 times in the 1st month to jump start his plan which required initial longer, complex visits- Office Visit Avg $125- total $500 For the next 3 months after month 1, once the plan was in place and patient was proactively participating, we were able to reduce his visits to once a month. The once a month visits were to review his labs, check progress and start taking patient off of the diabetes drugs he no longer needed. At end of Month 2, patient reduced A1C to 5.7.  Office Visit Avg- $100, total for 3 months- $300 In month 4, patient had lost significant weight and maintained his A1C at 5.7 and was no longer on any diabetes medication.  Office Visit - $100.  Savings from reduction in medication- $500. Month 5's appointment was 3 months after month 4. Patient no longer had to have regular, complex office visits. Office Visit - $100 Next office visit in Month 8- $100  Next office visit, Month 11- $100  Total: $3,2000 Office Visits- $1,200 Medicine- $2,000 Total if patient decided not to invest in his health: $6,300 to $6,500 Office Visits- Range from $300 to $500 Medicine - $6,000 As this comparison shows, by investing in your health, you can save 50% or more just in your first year.  Imagine compounding the savings, or worse, the expense! Sure at first it may seem like it cost a lot more to do something about your health, but do the math, or talk to us about helping you do the math!   We think you are worth the investment. We hope you do too! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at aamer@avecinia.com.  If you would like to put together a plan, contact Colette Vaquilar, our Patient Specialist, at billing@avecinia.com.  She will be happy to help you invest in your health!  For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page (facebook.com/avecinia) and follow avecinia on twitter (twitter.com/avecinia4health). avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!

Heart Healthy for American Heart Month

Heart Health

From the beginning of time, the heart has held, well….. a special place in our heart. The ancient Egyptians believed the heart was where the soul lived, where wisdom came from, where memory was stored and where emotions sprang forth.  It was considered the most important of the body’s organs.   The ancient Greeks had similar beliefs about the heart.  Yet now, cardio-vascular disease is the number 1 cause of death globally (approximately 29% of all global deaths http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/) and the leading cause of death for both men and women in America.  In 2006, more than 1 in 4 Americans   died of heart disease.  In 2010, heart disease cost the United States approximately $316.4 billion in health care services, medications and lost productivity.  In California, the leading cause of death (35%) is due to Heart Disease and Stroke.

 

However, just as the ancient Egyptians and Greeks valued the heart, you can too.  February is American Heart Month and it’s the perfect time for a heart tune-up! Our health blog this month will help you recognize the risks and symptoms of heart disease and give you simple, easy to follow tips to help you become heart healthy! And if you are planning on being at the Central Valley Go Red For Women Fashion Show and Luncheon (Friday, February 11, 2011 https://ahafresno.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/20102011CentralValleyGoRedLuncheon/tabid/234136/Default.aspx) stop by our booth to say hi!

Risks

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, elevated Body Mass Index or BMI (overweight or obesity) and physical inactivity are major risk factors for heart disease.  The best way to mitigate all of the risk factors for heart disease is by addressing elevated BMI  (being overweight/obese) and your first step in addressing that risk is by… well, taking a few steps.  Reducing your weight by just 10% can significantly decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol and reduce your risk of diabetes.

   

Symptoms

It can be difficult to “catch” cardio vascular disease because the build-up of cholesterol or rise in high blood pressure is usually gradual.  It is usually at the time of an event (such as a heart attack) that a person knows they have a disease. The most common symptom or sign of cardiovascular disease is angina or chest pain. You may feel tightness, burning, or swelling in your chest with angina.  However, these symptoms can also occur with heartburn, so you must consult your health care provider if they occur.  If you are also having heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea and excessive sweating, it is more likely to be a cardio vascular event such as a heart attack.

During a heart attack, symptoms may last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or oral medication.

To learn more and print a handy symptom guide, visit Mayo Clinic’s Heart Disease Symptom Guide.

If the symptoms are severe, immediately call 911.

Prevention - So how do you get started on a heart healthy lifestyle?

1.       First, speak with your primary care provider about your concerns! 

a.       At avecinia wellness center, we have a strong history of addressing our patient’s heart health issues and can work with you to develop a heart healthy plan.  We also partner with other great health and wellness providers, such as Fitness Studio 108, to help you get the most comprehensive attention to your heart;

b.      We offer many resources on our website and facebook page.  You can also log on to your Patient Portal and research any of the questions you may have.

2.       Use the web to learn more!

a.       If you don’t know where to go, visit our “Your Health” link on our Facebook page for a list of trusted resource.

b.      Or  visit one of these health related web resources:

                                                                   i.      The American Heart Association’s Tools for Your Heart Health site

                                                                  ii.      The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Heart Disease site

                                                                iii.      The Mayo Clinic Heart Disease site

                                                                iv.      The California Heart Disease and Prevention Program site

c.       Use the web to track your progress. Keeping a log is a proven way of remembering where you started, how you’re doing and measuring  your success.  The American Heart Association has a several different progress trackers here.

3.       Get your friends and family involved!

a.       The more, the merrier. Having the support of friends, family and loved ones makes it easier to overcome any challenges and more fun to celebrate the achievements!

                                                                   i.      Take a 30 minute family walk together at least every other day.  Use the time to unwind, connect, and encourage family fitness.

                                                                  ii.      Cook dinner together.  Having more meals at home saves lives and money -Food at restaurants usually have higher fat content and portions are much larger than necessary.  Cooking at home allows you to control the amounts of fats, oils, and sugars used.  It’s also a great way to learn and teach healthy eating habits.  Here’s a great link to heart healthy cooking:  WebMD

                                                                iii.      Share your plan with your family.  Let them know you are serious so they can help you on the difficult days and keep you on track.

Ready to get healthy?

We recognize it may not be easy to take the first steps necessary to live a heart healthy life. But it’s not impossible.  To see how incorporating physical activity and a healthier diet can change your life, view this report by Christina Lusby of KSEE 24 on Bob Tharp.  Bob lost over 80 pounds, has his diabetes under control, and is saving $500 a month all by incorporating physical activity and a proper diet into his routine with the guidance of avecinia wellness center.  Bob and avecinia are now working on developing a diabetes management support group for Fresno and Central Valley residents. We plan on having our first, free meeting in March!  To learn more about our program or join the mailing list, email us at wellness@avecinia.com with Diabetes Support Group in the subject line.

Get started today though by at least having an honest conversation with yourself, your loved ones, and your primary care provider on why you want to become heart healthy!