House Call, MD: Health Carefully Explained

by Joshua Goldman, MD MBA | goldman@myhousecallmd.com

It happens, invariably, every year.  Come January 1st, invigorated by our New Year’s resolutions, we begin our commitment to fitness for the year.  This commitment often includes new gym memberships, work out clothes, and fitness equipment.  The problem is that the market is so saturated with fitness gear, it’s hard to weed out the good from the bad and the ugly…which is where our expertise comes in.  We’ve reached out to the best and brightest sports medicine physicians and personal trainers in the business to put together our list of the top 10 items you should consider for your fitness regimen in 2011.  We don’t believe in fads.  We don’t believe in useless gadgets.  We don’t believe in wasting money.  We believe in proven products that make health a reality for you.

Fitness Tip: Find a workout routine you love.  It’s the only way you’re going to stick with a regular workout regimen when life gets busy.  If you hate running, don’t try to convince yourself to love it.  Try a variety of different types of exercise and then stick with the ones you enjoy.  If you look forward to exercising, it’s more likely to happen.

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

With a new diet making headlines each week it can be more than a little confusing deciding which diet will give you the results you’re looking for. Many of these diets have some good intentions but can be very stringent or not realistic to follow for more than a few days. Most fad diets cut out entire food groups, making it difficult to meet the nutrient requirements we need for our bodies to function properly. These fad diets become popular because people actually lose weight on them; many of these fad diets will reduce your caloric intake in one way or another leading to weight loss…it’s not rocket science. Last year, a nutrition professor lost weight on a diet consisting of twinkies and donuts because he simply decreased his overall calorie intake. We don’t recommend the Twinkie Diet (it is obviously lacking in several areas including fruits and vegetables), but it proves a valuable point: there’s more to a healthy diet than weight loss.  We’ll not only discuss the basic idea behind recent fad diets, but also get into the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of each.

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by Georgina Lee, PharmD 2011 | lee@myhousecallmd.com

What do Pro Volleyball, Lance Armstrong, and Motor Sports have in common?  Besides making us feel like we should get off the couch more, all of them are sponsored by a revolutionary energy drink that promises “to produce more real energy.”  Real energy?  It turns out we can blame sleep deprivation for America’s craving for alternative energy.  Approximately 20-40% of adults report difficulty sleeping at some point each year due to a myriad of reasons (first date anxiety, work deadlines, World of Warcraft…you get the idea) (1).  It’s no surprise that more people are turning to a quick “natural” fix after a sleepless night to boost their energy level like Pac-man and his power pellets.  Free Radical System (FRS) claims to offer a natural, healthy form of energy.  Should we denounce milk and pour FRS into our cereal bowls instead? Besides questionable after taste, it might not be a bad idea to learn more about the active ingredient in FRS before doing so.

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by Brenton Bauer, MD 2012 | bauer@myhousecallmd.com

For generations, mankind has searched for the mythical “fountain of youth” that will both make them look and feel younger while prolonging their life.  While immortality remains a myth, modern cosmetic medicine has found a number of ways to make us appear younger, with the wonder drug that is Botox toping the list.  Since the FDA approved Botox for cosmetic purposes, its use has spread like wildfire across the country to the point where Botox is now a household name.  But what is Botox?  Furthermore, do we use Botox for anything besides wrinkles?

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by G. John Mullen, DPT 2011 | mullen@myhousecallmd.com

Whether yours are large or small, everyone is familiar with the pectoral muscles (not to be confused with breast tissue).  Regardless of their size, they are an area of both admiration and concern for all genders…and an area that no one wants to injure!  Lucky for us, pectoral tears and strains are as uncommon as a gringo in Shanghai (trust us, we know).  These injuries are bothersome and painful and, unfortunately, can be overlooked if without proper screening by a professional.  Historically, pectoral tears were work related.  Hop in your Delorian and travel back to a time in which we performed infinitely more manual labor.  Imagine tearing your pectoral muscle while moving a giant hanging calf carcass…not fun.  Nowadays, pectoral injuries are caused by 1) sports injury (typically football or basketball when the arm is in extension and externally rotated or 2) the ever popular bench press (performed improperly 90% of the time; a trip to 24 Hour Fitness makes us cringe!).

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