Listen to another informative (and entertaining!) segment of “Doctor’s Call” with Jaclyn Cashman and Hillary Chabot on Boston Herald Radio https://soundcloud.com/bostonherald/doctors-call-with-dr-lippi-roy . Topics this week: health benefits of blender/juicers like “NutriNinja”; antibiotic shortages; minimum age to smoke in Hawaii raised to 21.
More info below. Enjoy, and have a happy, healthy week!
——————————————————————————————
“Nutri-Ninja” & other Blenders, Juicers — How healthy do these machines make us?Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Juicers have become quite the rage — ‘Nutri-Ninja’, ‘Nutri-bullet’,…many more! But is all the hype valid? And aren’t blenders and juicers the same? Actually, no.
Blenders mix ALL the parts of fruits and vegetables together — including the PULP. And it’s the latter that matters. The pulp contains fiber which bestows many health benefits: decreases cholesterol, improves digestion and keeps you full longer.
Dedicated juicers can make root vegetables (e.g. beets, carrots, sweet potatoes) more palatable to the taste.
Health Benefits to fruit and vegetable smoothies?:
-
You get your daily allowance of fruits and veggies with just one or two glasses
-
They’re fairly quick and easy to make — usually faster than preparing a full meal
-
Smoothies can improve digestion
-
Nutrients from a smoothie can be easier to absorb and incorporate into your body versus a solid meal
Do you absolutely need to consume smoothies to be healthy?
NO!! I counsel all my patients to eat balanced meals: plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole wheat carbs (pasta, bread, brown rice), lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish), and to minimize trans fats, sugar and processed foods which are typically found in greasy/fried foots (e.g. chips, fries, burgers), sweets (donuts, cookies, cake). Home-cooked meals are almost always healthier. And be sure to drink plenty of water. And of course, exercise Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
——————————————————————————————
“Antibiotic shortage is on the Rise”
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A recent study revealed some concerns about current availability of antibiotics. Between 2001 and 2013, nearly 150 antibiotics were in short supply. According to lead researcher of the study, Dr. Larissa May, from George Washington University, half of the shortage were for Clostridium difficile, MRSA, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
What’s concerning is that drug companies aren’t required to report the shortages, catching doctors and hospitals off guard. With the low-margin and low cost, drug companies have few incentives to make more antibiotics. Government may need to get involved. Read more:
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/HealthDay698691_20150423_Antibiotic_Shortages_On_the_Rise_in_U_S_.html
——————————————————————————————
Hawaii lawmakers tobacco minimum age 21Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Hawaii lawmakers passed a bill that would increase the smoking age to 21 — first state in the U.S. to do so. The Bill would also ban the sale, purchase or use of electronic cigarettes for people under 21.
As background, according to the CDC, cigarette smoking is the #1 cause of preventable death in the U.S. accounting for 480,000 deaths per year, or 1 out of 5 deaths.
How will this law make a difference? Studies show that raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21 or 25 would dramatically reduce smoking and tobacco-related disease.
Good news so far? Smoking rates have dropped *significantly* in the last 50 years from 42% (in 1964) to 18% (in 2015). But this wonderful reduction is in the U.S. Rates have sadly gone up in Asia where big tobacco is aggressively advertising their harmful products.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/25/us-usa-hawaii-tobacco-idUSKBN0NG06N20150425
=========================================================
REFERENCES:
IDSA
FDA
Capital OTC (image) http://www.capitalotc.com/doctors-from-many-hospitals-prescribe-too-many-unnecessary-antibiotics-study/22080/
Cracked (image) http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-6-grossest-anti-smoking-ads-all-time/
The Girl Who Ate Everything (image) http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/06/healthy-strawberry-lemon-smoothie.html