Our body is the host of 100 trillion microbes.  These microbes weigh a total of just under three pounds.  The microbes perform functions that we need to thrive. The gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small and large intestines) contains most of this bacteria.  The flora is very complex and many species have not yet been identified. In addition to the large number of organisms, each person’s composite is unique and just as specific as a fingerprint.

The bacteria we harbor protects us from invading pathogens.  They also provide us with as much as 10% of our energy needs, and supply a broad range of vitamins and are essential for the absorption of minerals. Our immune system is dependent on the microbes in our bodies.  Our indigenous flora has protective, structural and metabolic functions.

If the balance of the microbes is disturbed, side effects and even disease can occur.  One of the reasons it is imperative to use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary is that antibiotics are non-discriminatory.  They destroy both bad and good bacteria.

There is a growing movement to incorporate ‘probiotics’ in our daily diet to protect this bacterial growth we need. “Probiotics” is formed from the Greek “for life” and can help prevent many diseases.

So eat healthy, stay away from unnecessary antibiotics and maintain a good balance.

Some of us think if we fast the day before we can over-indulge on Thanksgiving day. Better to do 30 minutes of cardio about 12 hours before the big feast. Researchers have found that this exercise can help prevent one of the most damaging effects of over-eating – a spike in triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood and measured in your cholesterol count. They are a big problem as they are very good at penetrating the arterial wall causing stroke and heart attack especially risky for women.
Researchers in Denmark found that women with high triglycerides (over 400) have a 17% more risk of stroke. High levels of triglycerides are also a sign of pre-diabetes or insulin impairment. Diabetes starts in the muscle. If the sugar isn’t used by muscle, it is stored in the liver in the form of fat. This is triglycerides. Eating a heavy fatty meal can impair the proper function of the blood vessels. Cardio exercise for 30 continuous minutes has been shown to reduce the peak of triglycerides that occur after eating a meal up to 12-16 hours later. Even light exercise like walking will improve the triglyceride levels. Some research found that the benefits of exercise can last as long as 48 hrs. Ideally, one should exercise in a consistent manner. But, if one is more sedentary; it is best to exercise 12-16 hours before a big feast like Thanksgiving.
So tomorrow – Wednesday before the holiday- in between baking and making that cranberry sauce take a cardio break of 30 minutes. Your heart and your brain will thank you.

These unpleasant, painful mouth sores can make it difficult to eat, talk and most importantly – smile. If you get recurrent sores on your lips, get your health care provider to test you for herpes simplex. If you test positive, there is medication you can take which will decrease the amount of time the sore lingers and increase the time between outbreaks. Herpes simplex is in the family of chicken pox, shingles and genital herpes. It is not sexually transmitted like genital herpes.

Canker sores that occur inside the mouth are of a different nature. Many people get these painful sores during times of high stress. If you are one of the unfortunate 25% of the population getting recurrent mouth sores, try regular antimicrobial mouthwashes. Once you have an outbreak, use Benadryl liquid rinses or diluted hydrogen peroxide in warm water.
To prevent the canker sores, keep to a diet high in Vitamin B12 and of course manage your daily stress levels with meditation or yoga or tai chi.

There is much research going on to discover the process of aging. A recent study by German scientists studied men and women and the life span of their cells.
Some of the people were young and sedentary, some middle aged and sedentary and two groups were very active. One of the active groups were professional runners in their 20s – training about 45 miles a week. The other group were serious, middle-aged longtime runners (avg age 51) and average running of 50 miles/wk.
First thing the scientists noted was that the older runners looked much younger than their cohorts. And they found that the telomeres of the older and younger groups were the same size. Telomeres are the ends of DNA strands and as cells divide the telomere is snipped. Eventually, the telomere becomes too short and the cell dies. The length of a telomere is accepted by scientists as a reliable marker of the cell’s age.
When researchers measured the sedentary middle-aged groups telomeres, they found them to be 40% shorter than those of the sedentary young group.
Of course, many of us would not chose to run 50 miles a week. So the question is how much exercise does it take to keep the telomeres long and thus cellular life long? There is no exact answer to this; however, we do know that a sedentary lifestyle speeds up the death of cells. So the speculation is that any form of intense, regular exercise will improve ‘telomere biology’ or add youth to aging cells.

Give yourself a “bodylift” and start doing some intense cardio exercise every day.

Different immunizations are required depending on where you are traveling. Even short trips of less than two weeks may require a booster or vaccination. Check out the cdc.gov website to investigate what you may need.
If you have chronic problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma, be sure and take a health record summary and sufficient medications. Take a list of your drugs in the generic form in case you need to get an overseas refill.
Medications for diarrhea, malaria and high altitude sickness
are often available to take with you as a precaution. Please ask your health care provider about this. And always pack a small health care kit of bandages, disinfectant, aspirin, diarrhea remedies, insect repellant and water purification tablets.
And check with your insurance company to see if/what it covers in health care outside the USA.
And of course, bring some photos back to share with your health care provider.

You may have noticed a recent ‘Run for the Cure’ race. October is breast cancer awareness month.
Over 90% of breast cancer is curable if found in the early stages. So this is the month to get a mammogram..tell your sisters, nieces, aunts, daughters, mothers…to get screened. Early breast cancer may have no symptoms or notable signs. Self examination – although useful – will often not pick up early breast cancer. Schedule your mammograms today. There is a tweet going around..
‘big or small – save them all’

We have known about the relationship of sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels for over 60 yrs. In the past 20 years studies have shown that over exposure to UV from sunlight is linked to skin cancer. And as the use of sunscreen and limiting sun exposure has increased, our levels of vitamin D has decreased.

Vitamin D has broad spectrum effects on our cells. It regulates calcium and phosphorous, helps cell growth and decreases the risk of some forms of colon and breast cancer. There is continuing research looking at the correlation between vitamin D and several other forms of cancer and medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer dementia.  Vitamin D is essential in bone health.
The daily recommended dose of vitamin D3 for adults is between 1-2000 international units a day. Increasing BMI and age are risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. And decreased exposure to sunlight or use of sunscreen also decreases the amount of vitamin D.
Be sure to have your vitamin D levels checked at your annual physical exam.

Flu season has started earlier than usual in the DC metro area. So get your flu shots starting the 1st week of October rather than the last. Symptoms include upper respiratory congestion, productive cough, fever or sweats, and body aches. Our center has immunizations in stock now. Make your appointment to come in to get this soon. If you have a chronic condition like diabetes, asthma or COPD most insurance coverage will apply.

It is always a good idea to be proactive regarding your health. Whenever you are given a prescription for a new medication, check out how it works, if it reacts to any other medications you are on, and what the serious side effects are. Notice the term “serious” because all medications have some annoying side effects – like nausea or GI upset.

Two web sites to use for this are: WebMD and Mayoclinic.com And of course if you have any concerns or questions – make an appointment and we will discuss them.

Fall is a good time to take a look at our lives and decide what we like and what we want to change.  In trying to attain/maintain a health life style, this is a great time of year to get outdoors.  Check out the hikes the Sierra Club sponsors.  Or head down to one of the Potomac boatyards and rent a kayak or canoe.  Make an effort to get outdoors and do something active four times a week within the next thirty days.