Healthy Living January 2022

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Page 6 Healthy Living | www.localtownpages.com January 2022 Gluten-free is more than a trend for people with Celiac disease Walk the aisles of a neighborhood grocery store examining nutrition labels and packaging and you’re bound to find information that was not there a decade ago. On August 2, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a ruling that defined “gluten-free” for food labeling. Since then, items labeled glutenfree must meet a defined standard for gluten content. Chances are people who grew up in the 1990s or earlier probably never heard of the word gluten or discussed it as part of their diets. Today it is something even young children may be aware of as more people embrace alternative eating plans to alleviate various health concerns. Individuals avoid gluten for all sorts of reasons, including to lose weight or to reduce inflammation or to New England’s Premier Ice Skating School adhere to the advice of allergists and other doctors. While avoiding gluten is a choice for many people, it’s a necessity for the estimated three million people in the United States with celiac disease. The Celiac Disease Foundation says celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs in Rice is a staple of gluten-free diets. It also can be the main ingredient in gluten-free flours. genetically predisposed people. The ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect one in 100 people worldwide. When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, which can be found in wheat, rye and barley, the body mounts an immune system response that attacks the villi, which are small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine. The villi, when damaged, cannot properly absorb nutrients from food. Untreated celiac disease also may Year-Round Program for Toddlers, Children, and Adults! Campus Locations: Boston | Dedham | Fenway | Frog Pond | North End Norwood | Somerville | West Roxbury skatingacademy.org | (617) 787-5283 | info@skatingacademy.org lead to the development of other autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, according to the CDF. The intestinal damage from eating gluten often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating, and anemia, and can lead to serious complications, advises the Mayo Clinic. Therefore, the only way to avoid damage and distress is to stop consuming gluten entirely. Following a strict gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms and promote intestinal healing. Perhaps thanks to the popularity of gluten-free diets, more companies are producing glutenfree foods and stores are carrying them in greater numbers. There may be entire aisles devoted to gluten-free products — from burger buns to waffles to pastas. In addition, there are a number of new baking flours available that provide alternatives to traditional wheat-based formulas. People with celiac disease or gluten intolerances can use these specially designed flours to make homemade items. Certain flours also may be billed as one-to-one alternatives, meaning they can be substituted for traditional flour in recipes without adjusting the measurements. Celiac disease requires people to follow strict gluten-free diets to manage symptoms and prevent intestinal damage. Parent Child Classes • Pre-K Gymnastics • Grade School Gymnastics • Dance • Sports Skills • Awesome Birthday Bashes Dental hygiene is about more than just your teeth Individuals tend to learn about dental hygiene at an early age. On the recommendation of their children’s pediatricians, parents may begin brushing their youngsters’ teeth the moment the first tooth breaks through the gums. While proper dental hygiene is vital to oral health, it also can have a profound effect on the rest of the body. According to the Mayo Clinic, poor oral health might contribute to various diseases and conditions. Periodontitis is a severe yet preventable gum infection that can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. But the threat of periodontitis doesn’t end in the mouth. The American Academy of Periodontology notes there’s a connection between periodontitis and several other diseases. While bacteria was long suspected to be the link between periodontitis and other diseases in the body, the AAP notes that recent research points to inflammation as the culprit that connects periodontitis with diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes The AAP notes that people with diabetes are at increased risk for periodontal disease, speculating that diabetes patients’ risk is higher because people with diabetes are more vulnerable to infections than those without diabetes. While that suggests periodontal disease is a byproduct of diabetes, the AAP notes that research points to the relationship being a two-way street. Periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar, making dental hygiene an especially vital component of routine healthcare for people with diabetes. Heart disease The AAP notes that research indicates periodontal disease increases a person’s risk for heart disease, with the inflammation caused by the former leading to the latter. People with existing heart conditions also may find that periodontal disease exacerbates those conditions. The Mayo Clinic notes that the link between heart disease and periodontal disease is not fully understood, but enough studies have been conducted for scientists to support the notion that the two are connected. Can periodontal disease be prevented? Periodontal disease is preventable. A daily dental hygiene regimen that includes brushing after meals, flossing at least once per day and swishing with mouthwash are some simple, healthy habits that can prevent periodontal disease. In addition, the AAP recommends that people at increased risk for periodontal disease, including the elderly and smokers, should discuss their risk with their dental professionals. Dental hygiene can do more for individuals than produce a mouthful of pearly white teeth. In fact, people who prioritize dental hygiene may lower their risks for various diseases.
January 2022 Healthy Living | www.localtownpages.com Page 7 The rise of telehealth services Getting sick once meant traveling to a physician’s office only to sit in a waiting room with fellow under-the-weather individuals. Few if any people like leaving home when they’re feeling ill, and thanks to technology, many no longer need to do so. Telehealth services, which the Massachusetts Medical Society defines as the delivery and facilitation of health and health-related services including medical care, provider and patient education, health information services, and self-care via telecommunications and digital communication technologies, are revolutionizing the healthcare industry. In many instances, patients need not leave the comfort of their beds or sofas to be diagnosed and treated. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology says telehealth, which is a broader scope of remote healthcare services than telemedicine, can utilize everything from videoconferencing, the internet, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, 3 strategies to protect mental health Improving one’s overall health and maintaining that health over the long haul can have a profound impact on quality of life. For example, the Harvard Medical School notes that regular exercise can slow the natural decline in physical performance that occurs as people age. That means routine exercise can serve as something like a fountain of youth that allows people to keep their cardiovascular fitness, metabolism and muscle function on par with their younger counterparts. When attempting to improve long-term health, it’s important that people emphasize mental health as much as they do their physical health. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America notes the importance and effectiveness of preventive efforts in relation to depression and anxiety. In regard to mental health, prevention efforts can function in much the same way that exercise serves physical health. Routine exercise helps people to maintain healthy weights, reducing their risk for various conditions and diseases. Preventive efforts designed to improve mental health can significantly reduce a person’s risk for anxiety and depression. Various techniques and strategies can be utilized to promote mental health, and these three are simple and highly effective. 1. Get enough sleep. According to the Primary Care Collaborative, a not-for-profit member organization dedicated to advancing an effective and efficient health system, sleep and mental health are intimately related. Sleep loss can contribute to emotional instability. The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for humans’ emotional responses. When an individual does not get enough sleep, his or her amygdala goes into overdrive, leading to more intense emotional reactions. The prefrontal cortex is another part of the brain that needs sufficient sleep to function properly. Without it, the prefrontal cortex, which is integral to impulse control, cannot function properly. Adults can speak with their physicians about how much sleep they should be getting each night. Those needs change as individuals age. 2. Eat a balanced diet. A balanced, healthy diet doesn’t just benefit the waistline. According to the ADAA, a balanced diet that includes protein, healthy nonsaturated fats, fiber, and some simple carbohydrates can reduce the likelihood that mental health issues like fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability will arise during the day. 3. Volunteer in your community. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that people who volunteered in the past were more satisfied with their lives and rated their overall health as much better than people who didn’t volunteer. Perhaps the most noteworthy finding in the study was that people who began volunteering with lower levels of well-being tended to get the biggest boost from volunteering. Volunteering provides opportunities to socialize, which can help ward off the loneliness that can sometimes contribute to anxiety and depression. Mental health is important, and protecting it should be part of everyone’s health care regimen. and terrestrial and wireless phone communications. Many providers and insurance companies now offer some method of telehealth services. Consider some of these statistics. • The American Telemedicine Association says more than onehalf of all hospitals in the United States have a telehealth program. • Forty-eight states require payers to cover telehealth, says the Center for Connected Health Policy. • BBC Research indicates that telehealth makes up roughly onequarter of the healthcare-related technology market. • The American Medical Association says nearly 75 percent of all doctor, urgent care and emergency room visits could be handled safely and effectively over the phone or via video. • Beckers Hospital Review says 82 percent of millennial patients surveyed would rather have a telemedicine visit than an in-person consultation. • Around seven million people use telehealth services across the globe, according to eVisit. Telehealth can connect rural Need Assistance Choosing a Healthcare Provider? Choosing a healthcare provider is a very personal decision - one in which you need to feel confident and comfortable, to ensure that you receive the best care possible. We’re proud to offer our community a broad range of healthcare providers to satisfy your unique preferences and needs. Whether you are seeking a primary care provider or a specialist, we’ve got you covered. To assist in the process, our New Patient Liaison is available Monday-Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM. High quality care, close to home, is only a phone call away. Sick? Telehealth services enable patients to connect with providers to get the care they need without leaving home. providers and their patients to services at other sites and promote patient-centered health care. With a shortage of some medical specialities in rural areas, telehealth can play an important role in ensuring all patients get access to care they need. But the benefits do not only extend to rural patients. Individuals who are elderly and/or those who have mobility issues and cannot travel easily can benefit from telehealth services. Furthermore, any patient with a rare condition may no longer have to travel long distances to consult with specialists in that field. Telehealth applications and programs on smartphones, tablets or laptops can make it easy for people to monitor their health. These apps can enable patients to do things like track health measurements, share information with clinicians, manage chronic illnesses, and set medication or appointment reminders. Patients also can communicate with providers to get health information through patient portals or to refill prescriptions effortlessly. Telehealth is changing the face of medicine and utilizing technology in unique ways. NEW PATIENT LIAISON 1-833-GET-MRPG 1-833-438-6774 MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM-4:30PM milfordregionalphysicians.org Follow us on Facebook @MilfordRegionalPhysicianGroup
Page 1 and 2: Healthy Living A SPECIAL PULL-OUT S
Page 3 and 4: January 2022 Healthy Living | www.l
Page 5: January 2022 Healthy Living | www.l

Healthy Living January 2022

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?