Category Preventative Health

Taking Youth For Granted – Part 2

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Though there are plenty of young people who are fitness-conscious and practice healthy eating habits, there are also many who tempt fate by eating poorly, avoiding exercise and physcial activity, and who party every weekend. When I am at fitness events, I tend to see the fit people, but as a doctor, I see the individuals who don’t know how to take care of their bodies. As an example, I remember seeing one patient who, at the age of 20, was disgusted with herself, and who begged me to give her some advice on how to get in shape quickly and easily. She was about 20 pounds overweight, and it was obvious that she didn’t exercise at all. Her skin was dull and peppered with acne, and her eyes were bloodshot.

I was in the midst of giving the patient general recommendations on eating healthy and getting regular exercise, when she interrupted me. “Ummm, excuse me doc, but I’m not gonna stop eating at Burger King! It’s my daily stop for dinner, and it’s right by my work, so I can just pick it up and eat it in the car before I get home.” I was so stunned that I had to clarify the frequency of her visits with her to make sure I heard her right. Yes, she would visit the Burger King drive-thru every single night after she finished work, and would wolf down a burger in the car because she was always famished from not eating all day. Then she would go home and eat chips while sitting in front of the television. When I told her how unhealthy her eating habits were, she stated, “I don’t see what the big deal is anyway. I mean, I hate vegetables and all that healthy crap other people eat. Besides, I’m young, so it doesn’t even matter!”

That patient wasn’t the only one I have seen who refused to eat right and exercise, but she was particularly stubborn and set in her ways. She walked into that office not wanting me to truly help her, but instead wanted me to give her a prescription for a diet pill so that she could slim down for bikini season. I shook my head and told her that I don’t believe in them, and that I would not give her a prescription, whereupon she hopped off the examination table and said, “Whatever. I thought you were supposed to help people with weight loss shit, but I guess not. See ya.”

When I see young people eating all kinds of crap on a consistent basis, it saddens me, because I know that poor eating habits will have consequences on their health. Nine times out of ten, those same people will hit the clubs on the weekends and go on drinking binges. Some of them don’t even wait until the weekend to get their party on. I can guarantee that people who adopt atrocious habits like these will show signs of age much faster, and will put themselves at a much greater risk for developing diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer. Though they may think that their youthfulness protects them, they usually will get a wicked surprise down the line when disease processes begin to rear their ugly heads.

If you want to optimize your health for the long term, make sure to consume healthy food options the majority of the time, limit alcohol consumption, don’t smoke, and get plenty of regular exercise. Those measures can serve as the best insurance policy for wellness as you get older.

The Language Of Medicine

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stethoscope

I often forget that my brain was heavily bombarded with tens of thousands of medical terms, because I have no use for about 95% of those words in my daily life. But there is a vast ocean of multisyllabic words swirling around in the depths of my memory which would make any logophile giddy with delight. Back when I was in grade school, I had already cultivated a strange fascination for long coils of letters, a fascination which became an advantage as I was able to spell difficult words with ease, and could edit my friends’ term papers fluidly.

Once I reached my college years, I immersed myself in the world of complex vocabulary by concentrating on the sciences. I thought the terminology used in chemistry, comparative anatomy, physiology, and microbiology was absolutely beautiful, and enjoyed learning it all. Even now, when I alight upon a scientific passage or book (a recent favorite was The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean), I almost get giddy with anticipation of what I am about to read. Though I appreciate the world of medical nomenclature and can pronounce the tongue-twisting jumbles of letters, I no longer have the same passion for them I once had.

I know that one of the reasons why I no longer adore words like cholelithiasis (gallstones) is because of my deep immersion in medical language for so long. I became tired of having to memorize massive amounts of information, and I realize there are esoteric medical terms taking up valuable real estate in my brain, terms which I will likely never use because they delve into subspecialties like hematologic oncology or cardiothoracic surgery, neither of which I discuss at length. I still remember most of the mnemonics which are a necessary part of the memorization process and am thankful for their existence. But there are only a few which stuck, the ones which have utility in my current practice of medicine, such as OOOTTAFAGVAH, SEXLAB, and “Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can’t Handle” (I will leave these undefined for those of you who like puzzles).

In some ways I guess I could say that I am bilingual, since medical speak is a completely different entity from regular, everyday speech. When my medical hat is on, I shift in to medical language effortlessly, and occasionally find it challenging to replace descriptive medical vocabulary with layperson terms. Usually the blank stare from a patient or friend is enough to jar me from my speech patterns and find more general words to describe a physiological process, a disease, or a treatment course. I suppose the science nerd in me will remain very much intact as a result of the vocabulary floating around in my noggin!

So Happy To Bupsessed With Yup Brands!

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I ADORE this company! Yup Brands makes the VERY BEST PROTEIN BARS, HANDS DOWN!!! I am honored to be featured as one of their Bupsessed Athletes, because I have truly been obsessed with B-Up Bars and B-Jammin’ Bars since September of 2014! Yup Brands dares to make their bars different and more nutritionally sound by using a higher grade of prebiotic vegetable fiber, and only uses natural ingredients and sweeteners. I love the fact that you can eat their bars and enjoy the real flavor of the ingredients, as opposed to the obvious chemical taste that many high protein bars have. The bars are moist and chewy, and absolutely delicious!

Please click on the links below to read my feature, as well as the features on the other nine amazing athletes! This is a dynamic, diverse, motivated group of people, and I am so happy to keep company with such an incredible team!

Stacey Naito

https://yupbrands.com/bupssessed/

As always, if you want to try these amazing bars, you can go to https://yupbrands.com/shop/ to order and have them shipped to you! Shipping is FREE and the prices are great! Though ALL the flavors are delicious, my personal favorites are the peanut butter varieties because I am a peanut butter fanatic.

FitLife Magazine: Ladies First – Dr. Stacey Naito

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I am honored and blessed to be featured in the Ladies First section of the March 30, 2016 edition of FITLife Magazine! Big thanks to Kevin Myles for a beautifully written article, Terry Goodlad for his fantastic photography and endless jokes, Ana Tigre for her input on wardrobe and for bringing the dogs, and Elaine Goodlad for her awesome makeup artistry. I am grateful to you all for making all of this possible. You’re wonderful!

Please also be sure to check out the other sections in this great online men’s fitness publication!

To read the feature, please click on the link below:

Ladies First – Dr. Stacey Naito

Yes You Are Shrinking

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Have you ever noticed that people tend to shrink as they get older? This phenomenon is pretty much unavoidable, but at least we can take steps to minimize the amount of height loss over time.

On a personal note, I hit 5 feet, 5-1/2 inches at my tallest when I was 17, and remained there until I reached the age of 40. Then I noticed a loss of 1/4 inch, putting me at 5 feet, 5-1/4 inches. By the time I began competing in NPC bodybuilding events, I was at 5 feet, 5 inches. Now, at the age of 49, I stand at 5 feet, 4-1/2 inches. Though I will never be as short as my 4 foot 8 inch Japanese grandmother was, I am definitely losing height as I get older.

Numerous research studies have demonstrated that the process of shrinking stature begins as early as our 30’s, with men losing about an inch between the ages of 30 and 70, and women losing twice that amount. The shrinkage continues into our 70’s and 80’s too. There are a number of reasons why we lose height over time:

1. Cartilage which cushions the joints begins to compress and wear down, and in weight-bearing joints like the spine, hips, knees and ankles, results in a loss of stature.
2. The ratio of bone formation versus bone absorption decreases, and the bones become more weak. In women, the loss of estrogen after menopause further decreases the rate of bone formation.
3. Over time, muscle mass gradually decreases, a process known as sarcopenia. This results in a decrease in postural strength and stability.

How can we minimize the rate of shrinkage in height as we age? Here are some guidelines to follow:

– Perform weight-bearing exercise at least three days per week.
– Consume foods rich in calcium and vitamin D.
– Sit up straight!
– Quit smoking.
– Avoid excessive intake of alcohol and caffeine.
– Don’t starve yourself or practice perpetual dieting.

When you visit your primary care provider for your annual checkup, make sure that your height is measured. If you avoid regular checkups, get into the habit of checking your height once a year, either on your birthday or at the beginning of the year so that you have a standard time of year to measure it. According to numerous studies, a loss of 1 to 2 inches within a year correlates with a higher risk of hip and non-vertebral fractures, and should be investigated by a physician.

Why Diets Don’t Work For Weight Loss

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food snsg

Please check out my latest article for Sports Nutrition Supplement Guide! You can access the article directly here:

http://www.sportsnutritionsupplementguide.com/eating-plans/tips-for-a-healthy-diet/item/1577-why-diets-don-t-work-for-weight-loss

Of if you prefer to read it here, I have included it below.

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If you are like many people, you probably have been led to believe that the only way to effectively lose weight is to practice severe caloric restriction. However, if you are always struggling to lose those last 5, 10, or 15 pounds, and are frustrated because you tend to lose some weight, only to gain all of it back plus some extra fluff, then it is highly likely that you have damaged your metabolism via severe calorie restriction.

There is a very good reason why the weight loss and diet industry is so successful, and why certain well-known weight loss programs keep their customers coming back. Most diet plans doom their clients to failure, because they don’t provide enough caloric fuel to keep the body happy, so it becomes sluggish, and the metabolic rate drops in an effort to make the body more efficient at running on low fuel.

When you consume a very small amount of calories in an effort to create a significant caloric deficit, you can potentially wreak havoc on your metabolism by causing it to slow down. Why does this happen? When there is no food to break down, the body’s furnace slows down and becomes so sluggish that when you actually do eat something, your body is less equipped to break down the food quickly, and instead stores it as fat. Depriving yourself of food also causes sharp drops in blood sugar, robbing you of energy and increasing insulin resistance. Increased insulin resistance over time can precipitate the development of diabetes.

Other consequences of skipping meals include the following:

• Malnutrition – If you do not feed your body regular, balanced meals, it is highly likely that you are depriving it of essential nutrients. Malnourished states can lead to weight gain, poor health and progression of disease over time.

• Poor concentration – This is due to the depletion of glycogen stores which occurs. The brain simply does not have enough fuel to run on, resulting in fogginess.

• Hunger pangs – When you skip meals, you may experience intense feelings of hunger along with anxiety, dizziness or nausea. In addition, such feeling may lead to overeating when you finally sit down to eat something. Loading the body with a large meal is overkill, and leads to poor digestion and absorption as well as increased storage in body fat stores.

Do yourself a favor and practice the following guidelines. If you do, you will be rewarded with a healthy weight for a lifetime.

1. Don’t skip meals.

2. Make sure to eat enough protein to sustain your energy levels and satisfy your hunger.

3. EAT BREAKFAST.

4. Commit to healthy meals.

5. When you turn to snacks, make sure healthy alternatives are available so you aren’t tempted to reach for a nutrient-poor convenience food.

What Do You Want To See On My Blog?

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Noel Denim

Hey everyone! I wanted to check in with you to see what you would like to see on my blog. Since I have been posting every single day, it can be a real challenge to come up with content to post. For that reason, I am not as prone to write lengthy posts.

I have also decided to change my posting frequency to three days per week from now on. I will post every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday or Sunday.

Here is a list of topics which I typically cover:

Preventative health
Optimal health
Brain health
Medical conditions
Anti-aging
Nutrition
Healthy recipes
Supplements
Weightlifting
Exercise
Fitness
Bodybuilding
Sports
Cosmetic Dermatology
Skincare
Makeup
Personal grooming
Empowerment
Modeling
Branding
Fashion
Bodybuilding contests and prep
Music
Pets
Relationships
Travel
Comedy
Entertainment

I welcome suggestions from you! Please reply to this post and let me know how I can best accommodate your interests.

Thanks so much for following my blog!

Don’t Sleep In Your Makeup!

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sleeping in makeup

There are enough women out there who are in the habit of sleeping with their makeup on that I thought this would be a great topic to tackle in my blog. The three most common reasons why women sleep in their makeup are 1) they don’t want their bedmates to know what they really look like (listen, if you’re that concerned, the object of your love/lust is probably too shallow to be a good catch anyway), 2) they are too lazy to take a few minutes to remove their makeup, or 3) they are too drunk to perform a makeup removal ritual. I am not going to say that I have never fallen asleep with my makeup on, but it is exceedingly rare. I am so fastidious about removing makeup that I do a thorough face cleansing immediately after photo shoots and events, because I can’t stand the feeling of full makeup on my face. I honestly don’t know how many women wear full makeup every single day, and I especially cannot understand how some of them will sleep in those layers of gunk!

I cringe every time I hear a woman say that she frequently sleeps in her makeup, because I immediately think about how her skin is unable to breathe and heal because of all the pollutants, germs and oils which bake into it while she sleeps. Makeup is like a mask, and when it sits on top of the skin at night when you are sleeping, it prevents the cells in the skin from performing their restorative processes. Harmful chemicals from the environment cause free radical formation which goes unchecked when the skin is not cleansed, so the result is dull, prematurely aged skin.

Another reason why sleeping in makeup is unhealthy is that it clogs pores. As if that wasn’t enough, all that caked-on makeup serves as a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. I can always tell when women sleep in their makeup, because their skin has a congested, dull appearance, and acne breakouts are common. Even on the nights when a woman who habitually sleeps in her makeup decides to cleanse her skin, she is re-exposing herself to the bacteria, pollution, and oils which were left on the pillowcase along with the makeup from the evenings when she was too lazy to remove her makeup. In addition, sleeping with full makeup is a sure way to stain pillowcases.

I have actually heard women say that as long as they remove their face makeup, there shouldn’t be any hygienic issues with leaving eye makeup wrong. They couldn’t be more wrong. Eye shadows commonly have highly irritating substances like bismuth in them, and leaving them in contact with the delicate skin of the eyelids can invite eyelid inflammation, aka blepharitis, which is NOT fun at all. In addition, mascara, eye shadow and eyeliner can transfer onto the pillow, then get into your eyes, causing corneal irritation or infection.

Another reason why sleeping in eye makeup is a bad idea is that most mascara formulas dry out the eyelashes, and when left on for prolonged periods of time, can cause them to become extremely brittle. Lashes are more prone to breakage when they are dry. Also, for those of you who dare to sleep in false eyelashes at night, be aware that lash adhesives also tend to be very drying and irritating to the lash line, and can even inhibit lash growth if kept on the lash margin for too long.

Though the best way to cleanse your skin at night is to use a gentle yet thorough cleanser and a motorized brush (Clarisonic makes great brushes, but there are decent drugstore brands too), you should at the very least use a makeup remover towelette. If you are truly lazy, keep the towelettes by your bed so that you can easily grab them and wipe your face and eyes before hitting dreamland.