Almond Milk is a great Substitute

I was a mild baby; a big milk baby.  As a teenager, I would go through gallons of milk weekly.  I believed milk to be the ultimate for growth, energy and physical well-being.  I'm not sure where I got those beliefs; where does any teenager get their beliefs?  Only with increasing knowledge, and hopefully a little wisdom, have I been able to re-examine those beliefs, and decide the following.

We have all heard of Lactose Intolerance.  The more I read, the more I see another very large group of people who may not have a lactose intolerance issue, but who just have problems consuming dairy.  The problems they have are not bad enough for a doctor visit, and sometimes are not even noticeable enough for them to make the connection between the symptom and dairy products at all.  Heartburn, fatigue, joint pain, allergic rhinitis, throat-clearing, rashes/eczema, mild diarrhea, mild bloating, and unexplained mild weight gain are just a few of these possible problems.  If you think you could be one of these people, then read on...

After three decades of being the milk-baby as described above, I had read enough to wonder if my chronic mild-moderate Heartburn, bloating and increasing joint pain/stiffness had anything to do with dairy.  I worried about the hormone issues of Soy Milk, and so decided to try Almond Milk.

Almond milk is very tasty and has about the same levels of calcium and Vitamin D as cow's milk.  It has no lactose, animal fat or casein, however; and for some folks that might just be a good thing.  Many people don't know that cow's milk does not naturally have any Vitamin D at all; it is added during the processing.  I personally was mildly shocked when I discovered this fact.  How had I not known that cow's milk contained no Vitamin D naturally?  After a trial of Almond Milk and no dairy, I was quite pleased with the changes.

It seems that many of us just outgrow the need for dairy, and the ability to digest it comfortably.  This makes sense if you look at nature; humans are the only species on the planet that routinely try to drink milk past infancy.  If you suffer from vague feelings of fatigue or any of the problems listed above, it is worth stopping anything dairy in your diet for a month and looking for any improvement.  If, after a month, you feel no differently, then you can probably still consume dairy just fine.  I would counsel you to repeat this month-long experiment every few years, as the landscape of your gut changes over time

As I have said,  I was a milk drinker until my late thirties; at that time I decided to try almond milk after reading an online article much like this one.  Within a week the mild, daily heartburn I had been having disappeared; vague, achy joint pains left; and, my energy level became better and more predictable.  I didn't believe this to be a true connection at first and restarted dairy; only to have the heartburn quickly return. 

Upon switching back to almond milk, the heartburn and other symptoms again went away.  Now, I hardly ever touch dairy, enjoying instead tasty almond milk.  Give it a try, I think you'll be glad you did.  Realize, these statements and research came very hard for me, as a previous fanatical advocate for dairy; I did not grow up in a household where it was acceptable to doubt dairy.

You can either buy a good brand like Blue Diamond, or you can very simply make it yourself (I've done it!) by using the instructions in this nifty video.

I don't put in the dates or salt they mention; but maybe will try it that way soon.  Enjoy!
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Insomnia: Natural, Inexpensive Ways to Combat Sleeplessness

Not being able to sleep as deeply or a long as you think you should is a very common problem.  Part of this problem arises because of false beliefs about sleep, and part because of things we do that actually decrease our ability to sleep deeply.  There are very good medicines for people with true insomnia; this post is for those who have trouble sleeping, and would like to try every cheap and natural means to correct the problem before resorting to medications.  First, let's talk about the natural sleep cycle with respect to getting older, and some things that can mess up your sleep.

It is completely natural for it to take anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes for you to fall asleep.  Everyone is different in this respect, and one is not better than the other.  Using medication to try and change this is not a good idea.

Great Sleep Aid

As you get older it is a natural and normal thing for you not to sleep as deep, or as long, as you did as a younger person.  It is normal for a person who slept "dead to the world" for eight good hours every night in their 20's, to "cat-nap" for 5-6hrs nightly in their 60's and beyond. A good rule of thumb as one gets old is, if you don't find yourself falling asleep during waking  hours then you are getting enough sleep during your sleep hours, even if you feel that you are not sleeping well.  If you find yourself falling asleep in the car during red-lights, or dozing off in the doctor's waiting room then you may not be getting enough sleep.  If you are not sleeping well, then before you start taking a pill, let's make sure you are not doing anything to interrupt your natural sleep cycle.

Many patients want a pill that will "knock me out".  Since some doctors have obliged them in the past, they feel this must be a healthy request.  I have to inform them that it is not natural or healthy to be "knocked out".  Healthy, refreshing sleep is something you slip into gradually over 10-60 minutes.  Taking anything that will turn off the lights quickly is definitely a good way to wild up hooked on something, or to have long-term problems with your sleep cycle.

When I was a teenager, I could drink a 2-Liter Mountain Dew and then go immediately to sleep; now, if I have any caffeine after noon, I'll be up at 3 am tossing and turning!  Both caffeine and nicotine appear to have greater negative effects on sleep as you age.  So a good rule is to stop any caffeine at lunch, and keep nicotine use as far away from bedtime as possible; better yet, just QUIT SMOKING!

Good Book

Some medicines can affect your sleep. Steroids like prednisone can really interrupt your sleep cycle.  So if you're having to take steroids for an itchy rash or some medical problem, you can expect to get less that good sleep until you have finished your medicine.  Beta-Blockers such as atenolol and metoprolol, and some pain medications can aggravate certain peoples sleep problems, and help others.  If you have to take these medicines then you will have to experiment with the best time of day for you to take them.

I personally have found that having kids or pets in the bed is a good way to get a bad nights sleep.  As much as you love them, if lack of sleep is interfering with your daytime happiness, it may be time to send them to their own bed.

Eating a light snack before bed-time may help you fall asleep, but a big meal can interfere with deep sleep, and also can cause heartburn.

Exercise is a must if you want to sleep deeply.  It is best to exercise at least 4 hours before bed; exercising too closely to bedtime can leave you tossing and turning.  I've had many a patient complaining of not sleeping deeply correct this problem immediately (and for free) by starting to walk a mile or two each day.

Some people notice that having milk or turkey helps them fall asleep better, this is because of of the tryptophan they contain.  This doesn't seem to help everyone, though.  Two other natural sleep aids are melatonin and Valerian root.  Neither will knock you out nor cause disruptions in the sleep cycle; but they will help most everyone have more restful nights.  Over the counter sleep aids like Tylenol-PM contains benadryl and are fine for occasional use.  No research has shown that any of these sleep aids to be habit-forming or problem-causing.

Good New Book

Many folks think that alcohol is a good sleep aid, but we need to talk about this...  Having one drink in the evening may in fact help you sleep better, but more alcohol is Not better.  Oh, and for my red-neck buddy's, one drink is defined as one 12oz beer, or 1oz of alcohol in a mixed drink, or 8oz of wine; sorry but "40's" and "stovepipes" count as more than one drink!  Too much alcohol before bed and you will fall asleep quicker, but you will stay in the shallow stages of sleep most of the night and thus not feel rested the next day, or wake in the middle of the night and be unable to return to sleep.  Also, you will quickly become habituated to this pseudo-sleep-aid and won't be able to fall asleep without more of it. 

More tips on getting a better night of sleep can be found here and here.
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Generic Medicines are Reliable and Much Cheaper

Every day I am asked by more than one patient, "Is there a generic medicine I can use, and is it just as good as the name brand?" As inflation eats away at our income and gas prices continue to rise, this question becomes increasingly more important. Many of my patients are on a very fixed income that will not tolerate the expensive new medications that are available.

The good news is, generic medications have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for some time, and are just as effective as the name-brand medications. I know that in the past stories circulated about generics not being as good, but this is no longer the case (if it ever was...)

On their website, the FDA states that generics are manufactured under the same stringent guidelines and must meet the same quality control as name-brand medicines. Now I am not a big fan of the FDA, and I question many of their decisions, but in this case I agree with their ruling.  The shelf life and strength of generics is required to be the same.

So, according to the FDA, there is virtually never a reason to prescribe name-brand medicines for most common conditions. I'd like to let you know just what is available for use as generics, but first, I'd like to give you a little back-stage peak at what happens in a doctor's office that might persuade a Doctor to prescribe name brand medicine for you, for no good reason...

Obviously, Doctors are very busy at the office. Constantly more stringent guidelines and decreasing payment from insurance companies and Medicare make it seem like I must see lots of patients to make ends meet. Almost every day, a "Drug-Rep" pushing some new drug will come to the office just asking for 2 minutes to tell me all the advantages of the drug he is pushing. Even though these people are obviously salesmen without any true depth of medical knowledge and no real concern for my patients, it is time-honored tradition (for now) to listen to their small speech and sign for some samples to give to my patients.

Now, contrary to the belief of some, the drug companies do not and cannot give Doctors anything more than some free pens or post-it notes; the days of cash payments, vacations and free books are long gone. So, after visiting with this 'gentleman' I go back to taking care of my patients and quite possibly, I might see a patient who has the very condition that the new drug will treat.

A busy Doctor, if he does not think about his treatment plan, might give his patient some samples and a prescription for this new drug (I try never to do this!) Probably, this will turn out to be too expensive for the patient to pay for and they will either just not take anything, or have to return to the office for something else. This brings us to one of those Laws of Life: Products are only advertised on television if there is a nice, big fat profit margin! That is why there are never commercials for generic drugs.

So, if you heard about it on TV, it is very likely that your co-pay will be sky-high, or that your insurance company just won't cover it at all. In the future, after seeing one of these drug ads on TV, a good question you might ask your Doctor is, "Is there a generic version of the drug I saw on TV last night?" The answer will often be no. Since Jan 1 of 2010, I no longer even see Drug Reps; I now focus that wasted time on my patients and how I can help them with less expensive options.  Now back to generics.

All our local pharmacies now have lists of very inexpensive medicines that will usually substitute for the pricey ones. On the 4 or 5 dollar list there are approximately 10 different antibiotics to fight bacterial infection, 8 medicines for arthritis pain, 6 for diabetes, 2 for cholesterol, 30 different medicines to lower high blood pressure, 6 for depression, 3 for Menopausal symptoms and scores of others for other conditions. I consider it the duty of a Doctor to consider the relative cost of a medicine before prescribing it to a patient. I am doing the patient no service if the medicine is out of their price range and thus not affordable.

Most pharmacies have a list of generics they will give you and you might use it to discuss medicine options with your Doctor. Many patients, I have found, are taking hundreds of dollars worth of medicine that could safely and effortlessly be changed to a regimen costing less than 25 bucks a month. How is that for cutting costs?  ---Note to my colleagues, you can make the cost of your office visit much more attractive to prospective patients by saving them big bucks at the pharmacy---

PS. Don't forget that daily exercise, eating only healthy food instead of junk, and quitting smoking are all FREE and help to improve most every chronic medical condition. It will be hard for your Doctor to take you seriously if you are questioning the cost of your medicine with a pack of cigarettes peeking out of your pocket!
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My Arm Gets Numb During the Night...-

Many times have I had a very worried patient tell me they have noticed that they wake from sleep with an arm that is numb and tingling lately.  This is usually someone between the ages of 30-60, ranging from average size to a little overweight.  Some just want to make sure this is a normal thing, and some are convinced they have brain cancer...

Part of my job is finding out what the patients true objective is.  Is she here just to make sure this is nothing to worry about, or is this really affecting her activities of daily living?  Both are good reasons to see the Doctor.

If you wake with an arm that is "asleep" consisting of being numb and tingly that goes away within 20 minutes after rolling over, that is almost never related to any serious condition.  As you get older and heavier and your fat/muscle ratio changes (sorry...), this sort of thing happens more often and does not mean anything is wrong with you. 

This sensation is called a parasthesia and have been written about in the medical literature for centuries.  It is not unusual (or hypochondriacical) to worry about such things as you get older.  Some symptoms, however, should prompt a visit to your doctor...

Warning signs that you should see the doctor for include but are not limited to:

• waking to find both arms "asleep" at the same time
• moderate to severe neck pain associated with an numb/tingly arm
• if your arm falls "asleep" while you are driving, walking or sitting, or while at work
• if it stays "asleep" for more than 30 minutes after you discover it
• if there is tingling or numbness in the arm/hand/fingers the next day, even a little bit
• any fever or weight loss associated with your arm falling "asleep"

I probably have 2 patients a month see me in the office with this question each month.  With a little bit of knowledge, this is one of those conditions that often does not require a visit to the doctor.  Hopefully, this post will set someones mind at ease; it is a parasthesia, not brain cancer!  Feel free to share this with your hypochondriac friend or relative...
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Probiotics are Good Medicine

Probiotics are living bacteria one can ingest to promote good intestinal health, as well as a host of other possible benefits. Swallowing bacteria in a capsule may sound gross, but it seems to balance intestinal bacteria, replace bad bacteria with good, and promote an improvement in many stomach symptoms.

The addition of probiotics to ones regimen aids in digestion of food and is also believed to prevent harmful micro-organisms from flourishing in the intestines. Probiotics have been used for decades to restore bacterial imbalances resulting from antibiotic use, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis, among other causes. Today, ongoing research is bearing out many long-held beliefs about probiotics.

Recent research has focused on probiotic therapy as a means of regulating bacteria levels in the intestine to avoid possible health problems in the future. It has also been suggested that certain probiotics may have cancer-fighting effects, as well as other health benefits. Probiotics can often be found in the form of capsules, and in foods such as yogurt.

I have had hundreds of patients use probiotics to find relief from the bloating, intermittent diarrhea and gas that often comes after a round of antibiotics used to treat some infection.

In fact, I think virtually everyone should take probiotics during and for a few weeks after most antibiotic therapy. One of the worst bacterial complications of antibiotic therapy is known as Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea.

Adding probiotics to the usual therapy for clostridium difficile seems to decrease the time until healing, and the risk of relapse.

Many of my patients who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have noticed distinct lessening of their symptoms while taking long-term probiotic therapy. Bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation are decreased with long-term probiotic supplementation. Traveler's diarrhea can also be prevented or lessened by taking probiotics before, during and after your trip.

There is some research suggesting treatment with probiotics can soothe colic. Several moms I know have had success using probiotics to relieve their infants colic symptoms. More research is needed and is in the works, to determine the effects of probiotics on colic, and the proper dosage.

Vaginal yeast infections and other causes of vaginitis seem to improve dramatically with daily probiotic therapy. Ongoing research may soon prove that bladder infections, yeast infections and other vaginal infections can in fact prevented by daily probiotic use.

Eczema symptoms might be improved with probiotics in adults. As an auto-immune disease, any treatment that will calm the immune system can be of benefit. It was thought children with eczema might also benefit but research has not borne this out as of yet.

Finally, optimizing the bacterial flora in the gut seems to help prevent upper respiratory infections, as well as gastro-enteritis and colitis. When traveling, probiotics may be a good addition to your travel kit to prevent that trip-ruining diarrhea. Given their safety and reasonable cost, probiotics make a safe and often quite successful treatment for several varied conditions and symptoms.
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