Some foods just have all around great health benefits.  Here is my list of foods I recommend to improve your health.  The next time you are in the grocery store, don’t be afraid to try them.  Find creative ways to incorporate them into your diet.  Each morning, I have a small bowl of Greek yogurt and add a teaspoon each of flax seeds and chia seeds, and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (trust me, it tastes fine!).

• Flax seeds– A great source of omega-3 fatty acids “the good fats” which can raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and add a bit of fiber to your day.  Add a teaspoonful to your yogurt or oatmeal each morning.  Do not buy oils or pre-ground flax seeds as the health benefits degrade shortly after the seeds are crushed.  You can grind them in your coffee grinder or in a mortar or pestle before adding to your food.  I think of the taste as being “neutral” like sesame seeds.
• Chia seeds– Another source of omega-3’s and fiber.  When dry, they look just like poppy seeds.  After hitting liquid or the inside of your stomach, they expand almost like magic and can keep you feeling full.
• Extra virgin olive oil– I can’t say enough about the benefits!  Just be sure you get good quality oil and you take it uncooked.  The Mediterranean Diet recommends 4 tablespoons per day.  Heat destroys the valuable polyphenols which are the main ingredients which increase the HDL cholesterol.
• Kale– Amazing green vegetable full of vitamins C, K and A.  The fiber content of kale is far superior to iceberg or romaine lettuce.  A diet high in fiber can lower your cholesterol.  Add it to your salads, stir fry, or stews.  If you don’t like the texture or taste, chop it finely and add a dash of lemon juice.
• Green tea– Chock full of antioxidants, calcium and polyphenols.  Make sure to use good quality green tea (generally loose leaf tea is better quality than tea bags).  Try it iced with lemon for a nice refreshing summer drink.
• Tree nuts–  Very high in fats, but the good kind.  The recommended serving size is one handful (approximately 6 nuts).  Choose from a wide range of nuts.  The only nuts I would avoid are peanuts and cashews as these can actually raise your “Bad” cholesterol (LDL).
• Greek yogurt– Higher in protein than the traditional yogurt.  Protein keeps you feeling fuller for a longer period of time, and is a great source of energy for your body.  It’s a great snack for 3-4pm when you feel your energy is starting to drop.  Yogurt is also a probiotic food that contains good bacteria for digestive health.
• Honey– Replace refined sugar with honey.  Because it tastes naturally sweeter, you will use less of it.  The form of sugar in honey is not as readily absorbed by your body as refined (white) sugar.  If you get unfiltered honey made locally, it can actually help with your seasonal allergies.  Unfiltered honey can contain small amounts of pollen which can make your immune system desensitized to it, resulting in a “tolerance” for pollen when it enters your nose.  There also seem to be probiotic properties.  Isn’t it amazing that honey is essentially sugar water, but does not get spoiled even after being kept at room temperature for months?  It’s no surprise that bees intended this superfood as the first food for their young to get a good head start on life!
• Cinnamon– This spice is a common staple of pastries, but should be a part of our daily diet.  It can lower blood sugar levels.  Try adding a dash of it to your coffee in the morning.  You may find you won’t need to add any sugar, and it adds a whole dimension of flavor to your daily java.  Make sure you get good quality organic cinnamon as there are some retailers selling powder that is flavored bark of other trees.

Many adults do not realize they still need immunizations even after they have graduated from the pediatrician’s office.  As a result, we are seeing a resurgence in vaccine preventable diseases in adults.  Part of the reason is that many adults are not seeing primary care doctors and are not keeping records of their vaccines.  We are seeing large increases in measles, mumps, and pertussis (whooping cough) cases.  Many people may also not be aware that diseases such as shingles (the adult reactivation of chickenpox on the skin) and pneumonia, have effective vaccines that can reduce complications or even prevent them.  These are especially important if you have chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or asthma as these conditions can increase your chance for getting sick.  The next time you talk to your physician, ask him/her what vaccines you should get.  Also, be sure to keep a record in a safe place so that you remember when you got the vaccines and when you are due for your next one.

If you are traveling to a foreign country, it is important to contact your physician to find out what vaccines you need to have updated or if there are any health issues you need to address before leaving.  Do this as soon as you have booked your tickets.  Many vaccines can take up to 2-3 weeks to become effective.

Shots are not just for kids. Make sure you protect yourself and keep up to date with your routine vaccines.

As I’m typing this blogpost on an iPad, I am curling up.  My neck is bent, my back is hunched over, the tablet is resting partly on my lap and my knees are raised slightly.  The tablet is not lightweight and after an hour in this position, my hands are tiring out and I curl even more with my lower back to compensate.  Observe your body the next time you are texting on the phone or using your laptop.  We all end up in this same “curled” position. It is no surprise that I am seeing a sudden increase in people complaining of lower back, neck and wrist pain.

Digital devices are a necessary evil for most of us.  What I recommend is that you take frequent breaks while using them.  If you can modify your posture while using them, that would also help. For example, perhaps you could purchase a monitor that you can hook your laptop and the screen will be closer to eye level.  It is also important to do a few stretches to extend, relieve tension in the spine, and “uncurl”.

One stretch I recommend is what is called the “Chicken”, named for the appearance of the end position.  I recommend doing this every 10 minutes while working on any electronic device or sitting for long periods of time.  Some patients have told me that they set their phone to have an alarm so that they remember to do this throughout the day.  After doing this stretch, you will notice a change in the way you sit, your spine will be straighter, your upper arms less tight, and your lower back more relaxed.

1. Sit up straight in your chair
2. Raise your hands above your head
3. Lower them down so your forearms are now at 90 degrees with your shoulder
4. Turn your hands so your palms face outward as if you were trying to push the walls apart
5. Think about your shoulder blades coming together as if you are being folded in half, and opening up your chest and lungs
6. Spread your fingers out like a fan, fully extended
7. Tilt your head slightly up and push your neck back slightly
8. Drop your jaw and let it totally relax
9. Hold this position for a full 10 seconds, taking deep breaths.  With each exhale concentrate on loosening the muscles in the neck, lower back, raising your head to the ceiling, and lengthening the spine.

Many people choose to wear contact lenses for the convenience and the look.  When shopping for contact lenses, there are some things you may want to consider.

• Buy daily wear contact lenses.  You do not need to spend money on expensive solutions to clean them.  You get a new fresh pair every morning, and if they rip, you can throw them out without wasting a lot of money.  Also, when you go through airport security you do not have to worry about the liquid ban.  You just bring the amount of lenses for the number of days you will be away.  Some people think that the daily lenses are more expensive, but when you consider the convenience, and the cost of cleaning solution, dailies come out to be about the same cost.
• If you choose to use weekly or bi-weekly lenses, make sure you take them out and clean them EVERY day.  Bacteria can grow very quickly on dirty lenses.  If you leave them in, you are putting yourself at great risk for eye infections.
• Change the contact lens container at least every 2 weeks.  Harmful bacteria such as pseudomonas, which thrives in water, can cause corneal ulcers which can be permanent.  Even though you change the solution every day, the bacteria can remain in small crevices in the plastic.
• If your eyes start to become red, immediately remove the contact lenses, and flush your eyes out with saline.  If the redness does not improve, you need to see an eye care professional or your health care provider IMMEDIATELY!  Infections in the eye can develop rapidly and can cause permanent scarring or loss of vision.
• Do not wear contact lenses when you have an eye infection.  You should wait until 24 hours after the redness has completely disappeared.  You should dispose of any lenses that you may have been wearing when you first got the redness as these are now likely to be contaminated.  If you wear eye makeup, dispose of any mascara or eye pencils as these can reinfect the eye.
• Try to avoid rubbing your eye while wearing contacts lenses as that could cause the lenses to warp, fold up, or fall out of the eye.  Purchase a bottle of saline eye drops.  These are great to rinse out any debris or to relieve the gritty feeling you may get from wearing contacts. You should rinse your eyes at night after removing the lenses.
• During the summer, it is very important to wear sunglasses with contact lenses.  The wind and pollen in the air can accumulate on them.  Wearing sunglasses especially with wrap-around sides can prevent this from happening.
• Give your eyes a break.  Try to wear glasses for at least one day during the week.  Contact lenses may not correct your vision 100% as well as eyeglasses do.  As a result you may get some eyestrain from using them.
• Always have a pair of glasses handy.  If your eyes start to get irritated, you will need to take the contact lenses out and put glasses on to continue with your day.  Otherwise you will be debilitated for the rest of the day.
• BUY DAILY WEAR CONTACT LENSES!  Sorry, I can’t emphasize this point enough.  I’ve seen many infections in my practice and many of them could have been easily avoided if they had daily disposable lenses.

In my practice, I am noticing a trend of worsening allergies or new allergies.  Upon further investigation, some people mention that they have started using a new room fragrance, detergent, or scented personal hygiene products.  Grocery stores and drug stores aisles are filled with products full of scented items.  Trash bags now even come with a scent!  I think much of this is overkill and potentially harmful to our health.  Much of these perfumed items are created in labs with chemicals, often containing hydrocarbons.  If you have small children, this is especially dangerous.  Because children are smaller, they are more sensitive to small amounts of chemicals in their environment.  They are also more likely to put things in their mouths or crawl along the floor, where dust mixed with chemicals is likely to accumulate.

I recommend reducing the amount of fragrance in the home and on your body.  Here are some tips:

• Buy detergent that is fragrance free and use less of it.  We put way too much detergent in our washing machines and as a result much of it remains in our clothes or in the machine.  These chemicals can irritate the skin and cause rashes.  The next time you do laundry, put half the amount of detergent that is recommended by the package instructions.  Trust me, your clothes will still be clean.
• Still not convinced? Put some “clean” towels into the washing machine, let it run with no detergent.  Halfway through the rinse cycle, open the machine.  If you see suds or smell detergent, that means there is detergent that is in the machine or embedded in your towels.
• Avoid fabric softener/dryer sheets.
• Do not use reed diffusers, scented candles, plug-in air fresheners, or room sprays.  Instead, you could use fresh flowers such as lilies or fresh slices of lemon or lime.  One trick I like to do is to simmer water on the stove and add cinnamon powder or ginger (it also makes a great tea that you can drink).
• Purchase a HEPA air purifier for rooms that consistently smell.  The key is to remove the odors, not cover them with more indoor “pollution”.  Certain houseplants are a natural way of cleaning the air.
• Buy lotions, creams, body washes, soaps, deodorants and shampoos that are fragrance-free.  If you have sensitive skin, you should also look for items that are hypo-allergenic.  Avoid any products containing “herbal” or “fruit” ingredients;  many of them are irritating to the skin.
• Allow your living areas to air out at least once a day.  Open a window in each room for about 5 minutes.  Many home items such as synthetic rugs, wall paints, floor finishes, and plastic items can emit small amounts of toxic fumes each day.  Because our homes are so well-insulated, many of these chemicals linger and accumulate in our homes.
• Buy home furnishings that are made of natural materials.  Avoid synthetic materials such as polyester or plastic.
• Have a friend come over your home and ask them what they smell.  Sometimes, we get accustomed to the way our home smells that we don’t realize it may be overpowering.

There is nothing “natural” about the scented products we buy.  As always, I believe in moderation.  If you must have some scents to mask some odors or create a mood, go ahead.  Just make sure they don’t end up getting you sick!