House Call, MD: Health Carefully Explained

MD 2011 | camilon@myhousecallmd.com

It’s the problem we all share. As you walk into your doctor’s office in the wee hours of the morning to squeeze in an appointment before work, chances are your doctor has the same drink in hand: a cup of coffee.  Let’s face it: America’s capitalistic, workaholic attitude thrives on caffeine so its no wonder that it’s the first thing we reach for in the morning…and at 2 o’clock in the afternoon…and after dinner.  Now, since we’re American, we have to do everything bigger and better bringing us to the Energy Drink. Heavily advertised as a beverage that will literally “energize you” with every sip, it’s not hard to imagine why this new segment of the beverage market has grown so rapidly (200 new brands were introduced to the US market in a one year period).  What exactly is behind these “magic potions?” Do the new “natural” ingredients really make an energy drink better than a cup of coffee?

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by Leah Frankel, MS, RD | frankel@myhousecallmd.com

With over half of American’s classified as either overweight or obese, there is a plethora of information available on weight loss (not that we recommend the unusual “grapefruit diet” your Google search pulled up). While most of us in America are trying to lose weight, have you ever thought about the people out there trying to gain weight? According to the Center for Disease Control (2003-2006), approximately 1.8% of adults are underweight. Adults are underweight for a variety of reasons including a desire to be thin for aesthetic reasons, medical conditions and poor dietary intake (which is common in the elderly). As with being overweight, there are risks associated with being underweight; we’ll discuss these risks as well as common reasons for being underweight and walk you through how to gain weight in a healthy manner without a diet of burgers and fries.

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by Marissa Camilon, MD 2011 | camilon@myhousecallmd.com

What it is? Where can you find it?

When we were kids, vitamin C lozenges were the equivalent of candy. Actually, they were even better than candy because they tasted great and they were healthy. As we grow older (and become more educated), we have to ask ourselves if this is really true.  Is all that delicious vitamin C actually good for our bodies?

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a “water-loving” vitamin that, like other vitamins, cannot be made in your body and must be consumed as part of your diet. Luckily, vitamin C can be found in lots of foods (not just citrus fruits). Other sources of vitamin C include potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cabbage, strawberries and spinach. Once inside your body, vitamin C plays a role in a number of metabolic reactions, including making collagen, transferring fatty acids into specific parts of your cells, assisting in hormone production and helping your immune response.  It is also considered one of the “antioxidant” vitamins. Read the rest of this entry →

by Leah Frankel, MS, RD | frankel@myhousecallmd.com

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but did you ever stop and wonder why? With so many wise tales out there suggesting why you should eat breakfast, it can be difficult to understand the real benefits.  Once you’ve decided that breakfast is a good idea, you’re faced with the task of deciding exactly what you’re suppose to eat in the morning for this vital meal. We’re here to discuss the benefits of eating breakfast as well as what to include in your well-balanced morning-starter. Finally, we’ll tackle some common excuses for skipping breakfast and debunk them with some helpful time-saving tips. Read the rest of this entry →

by Leah Frankel, MS, RD | frankel@myhousecallmd.com

You’re standing in the checkout aisle at the grocery store when you glance over at the newest entertainment magazine and see that yet another celebrity just lost all the weight she gained during her pregnancy in record time and looks even better than she did before the baby. You’re thinking to yourself, “Why can’t I lose my stubborn pregnancy weight?” One of the reasons many women have difficulty losing their post-pregnancy weight is because they don’t know how much weight they should be gaining during their pregnancy. While you are eating for two, you’re not eating for two adults!  We’ll discuss appropriate weight gain during pregnancy, what essential nutrients women need during pregnancy, some diseases that can develop during pregnancy and finally some tips to help lose weight after the big delivery.

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