Here at Miami Integrative Medicine we hope that you have a wonderful New Year celebration ahead that includes all of your favorite things.
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Monthly Archives: December 2013
Keep Healthy
Sometimes in all our excitement of parties and places to go we forget to look out for ourselves. Dr. Bordenave reminds us that grabbing a jacket is a good habit to acquire.
Merry Christmas
Dr. Bordenave and his staff want to wish all their wonderful patients, friends and family a very Merry Christmas full of happiness and light.
Holiday Greetings
Everyone at Miami Integrative Medicine hopes that whatever you do this holiday, that you spend it with family, friends and joy.
Be Careful Not to Share Everything
The holidays are wonderful, but along with all the get-togethers come winter colds and flu. Try not to kiss anyone who appears to be sick and wash your hands frequently.
Too Much Egg Nog
Egg nog is a traditional holiday beverage that many enjoy, but it is very high in calories. Dr. Bordenave says that it’s okay to enjoy a serving or two, but make sure you pass up the rum.
Fabulous Fiber
It almost goes without saying that everyone knows that eating a healthy diet is paramount to health and wellness. Although eating a healthy diet doesn’t always translate into living disease free because outside forces such as environment and genetics also play a part. In addition, as we age, joints begin to creak and energy levels drop. However, eating a healthy diet can slow the effects of old age and provide a lot of benefits throughout your life.
The Magic of Fiber
If there was a magic ingredient easily found in many foods that is not only inexpensive, tasty, can help you lose weight, avoid dangerous diseases and live longer, would you want to use it every day? Of course you would. However, there is such an ingredient and most of us choose to ignore it.
The magic ingredient is fiber, and 80% of us make the mistake of not getting the recommended amount of fiber each day.
New Research
New research published in The American Journal of Medicine (AJM) in December, reports on a study of 23,168 people who were monitored for their consumption of fiber. Of those studied, 80% took in far less than the recommended amount. Most of the men in the study consumed an average of less than half the amount required to keep a healthy heart.
Those who ate the least amount of fiber had a much-increased rate of risk factors for heart disease. These risk factors included chronic inflammation, obesity and a group of disorders called metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is described as a group of medical disorders, that when they occur together, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by double and quintuples it for diabetes. There are studies that estimate that 25% of the American population suffers from this.
This group of disorders includes an increased blood sugar levels, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and excess fat around the belly. Any one of these symptoms may increase your chances of heart disease or diabetes however, having them all together increases your risk significantly more.
Benefits of Fiber
Something that most everyone knows about fiber is that it is good for the digestive system and helps to avoid constipation and diarrhea by keeping food in the intestines moving along in a normal fashion.
There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Either one is good for your digestive health. Research is growing that fiber helps control heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes (by controlling blood glucose levels), lowers cholesterol, helps control diverticular diseases, gallstones and kidney stones. All of these medical problems can be helped greatly by including the recommended amount of fiber in your diet. It can also help you lose or maintain weight by helping you feel full and it will contribute to your overall feeling of wellness.
Fiber Recommendations
The AJM study showed that most people get less than half the recommended daily amount of fiber each day. Here is what you should aim for on a daily basis:
- Men aged 19 to 50 38 grams
- Men aged over 50 30 grams
- Women aged 19 to 50 25 grams
- Women aged over 50 21 grams
- Children age 1 to 3 19 grams
- Children age 4 to 8 25 grams
- Girls age 9 to 13 26 grams
- Girls age 14 to 18 29 grams
- Boys age 9 to 13 31 grams
- Boys age 14 to 18 31 grams
Meeting the Requirements
Perhaps part of the problem with getting enough fiber is translating grams of fiber into the food items we eat. You can find an excellent chart here. The information here helps translate grams of fiber into measurements that make more sense:
- Applesauce 2/3 cup 3.6 grams
- Baked Beans 1 cup 16 grams
- Pinto Beans 1 cup 18.8 grams
- Whole Wheat Bread 2 slices 6 grams
- Broccoli ¾ cup cooked 7 grams
- Carrots ½ cup cooked 3.4 grams
- Noodles whole wheat 1 cup 5.7 grams
- Peach 1 medium 2.3 grams
These are just a few examples of the information you will find. It can significantly improve your intake of fiber when you know how much of what will help you meet your daily requirements. Also, check the nutrition information on canned and boxed foods for fiber content. Getting enough fiber in your diet is important whether you follow modern medicine, holistic medicine or integrative medicine. Contact us at Miami Integrative Medicine and talk to Dr. Bordenave about a healthy diet that is best for you.
Published by Axiom Health Care Marketing
No Dry Turkey
Airport Scanner Exposure
Our life is full of exposure to hazards to our health and well-being, from the chemicals found in our personal grooming products, sometimes in our food, and all around us in our environment. We are also exposed to common forms of electromagnetic radiation such as what we get from Wi-Fi signals and airport body scanners.
Electromagnetic fields emanate from cell phones, Wi-Fi and other electronic devices. Continual exposure to electromagnetic radiation affects our wellness, causing what has been termed as Electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and occurs when certain symptoms appear such as headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, short-term memory problems, insomnia, skin rashes, tinnitus, nausea and dizziness, and perhaps others.
However, research to date has not established any clear-cut scientific evidence demonstrating that electromagnetic fields are directly responsible for any of these adverse affects on our wellness, including cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) EHS has “no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. Further, EHS is not a medical diagnosis, nor is it clear that it represents a single medical problem. Some say that ongoing research may eventually demonstrate a scientific basis for EHS, but we’re not there yet.
Radiation is Found Everywhere in Our Environment
While panic mounts worldwide about exposure to radiation coming from the Japanese power plant plumes, an immediate source of radiation has some concerned: full-body airport scanners. Some experts have worried about this radiation from the start.
There has been much controversy and debate over the use of full-body X-ray scanners at U.S. airports. How risky are they to our health and well-being? What do we know about radiation exposure and how much is too much?
Exposure is Constant
Our bodies are continually exposed to small amounts of radiation. Radiation is found everywhere in our environment. Uranium, thorium and radium emit it naturally from the earth’s soil. We find radiation in heat, light and microwaves, this type of exposure is generally not considered a health concern. As a matter of fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80 percent of human exposure comes from the earth’s natural resources, only 20 percent is manufactured: mainly form X-rays.
The overall consensus in the scientific community is that these everyday exposures are not harmful. However, what about the future of full-body scanning at airports?
Molecular-Level Full-body Scanners
According to a report by Gizmodo.com, the government has subcontracted, through the Department of Homeland Security, with Genia Photonics, a company that has acquired 30 patents relating to molecular-level scanners machines that will be capable of scanning every single molecule in your body. It is reportedly 10 million times faster and a million times more sensitive than the scanners currently in use by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and at our ports of entry. Perhaps we need to question whether airport security would really need this kind of full-body scanning equipment. The prospect of radiation exposure on a molecular-level has to raise many questions regarding the affects of this on the body. 
A single full-body scanning with current devices in use, according to the manufacturers, involves exposure to 10 micrograms of radiation, an insignificant amount, if it is correct. Your cumulative amount of exposure from 30 hours of air travel is equal to that of a single chest X-ray.
Testing Shows Levels to be Below Standards
Last year, the scanners underwent more than 700 inspections with all tests showing the radiation levels below standards used by their manufacturer and the TSA, according to a USA TODAY review of the recently released reports. The first report, from David A. Schauer, who directs the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, is that he thinks that risks are minimal. We are exposed to much more radiation during routine medical exams. Then again, if we think of frequent fliers, getting a medical exam 3 or 4 times a week is hardly likely. You are free to decline its use and settle for the patting down by security. You are free to choose what you believe is the healthiest for your well-being.
Published by Axiom Health Care Marketing
Keep Your Schedule
Although the holiday season is busy and there are a lot of demands on our time, try to keep to your normal schedule. Maintaining your usual schedule of sleep and exercise will make it easier to return to when the holidays are over.