Niacin Study

There is news today of a study evaluating the benefits of niacin supplementation.  This study was stopped early due to preliminary data evaluation showing lack of benefit.  The actual data from this study has yet to be release and will not be till the end of the year.  I will need to review the study design in greater detail prior to making any formal recommendations regarding niacin therapy.  This is available and I will have more information in the coming days.  There are other studies to date looking at niacin's benefit that have been positive and this trial is not expected to be the end-all, be-all answer.  In the meantime I recommend patients continue taking niacin (either by prescription or over-the-counter).  Please continue to check back for more information.

Pencol Pharmacy Evening Lecture

Here is a link to Pencol Pharmacy's next evening lecture on Mid-Life Wellness and hormone replacement.  It's a great option to gain some background information on these issues.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pencolrx.com%2Fuploads%2F235261302547533.pdf

Reactor Situation in Japan

I recently received an overview from the Colorado Department of Public Health.  This information was distributed from Washington.  While I fully believe the government does not tell us the "whole story" most of the time, in times of large public health concerns they provide a good starting point from where to get information and are more reliable than many other sources out there.  The summary is likely far more detailed than most people would want to read but I decided to repost it verbatim.  The general consensus is that there is no current danger to the American food supply and that agencies are aggressively monitoring the situation.  Additionally there are no reports of dangerous radiation levels in the states.  Taking something for radiation exposure is not needed.


While I agree that the food supply is safe, it's as good a time as any to make some changes and buying some local products.  While produce season is not in fully swing locally, there is always a great supply of locally produced animal products, free of added toxins.  As we move deeper into Spring and Summer, explore the wealth of farmers markets around town and search out for local produce in grocery stores.  The less distance food needs to travel to your table, the less preservatives and processing it will likely have received.


Please click on the Japan tab in the health information section on the left for the full article.

Healthy Eating - Themes

     Probably the most discussed topic in the office is diet.  So much of our health revolves around what we put into our body.  It's well known that healthy eating and maintaining an optimal body weight are imperative to prevent and treat diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease.   What is less appreciated is the impact nutrition has on day-to-day well-being, encompassing all aspects of wellness.   In my opinion, what we eat has dramatic ramifications for the entire body, and remains the cornerstone of intestinal, psychiatric, hormonal, and musculo-skeletal health.   While we've all heard the idiom, “you are what you eat,” we often don't live this motto; that leaves us vulnerable to illness and poor quality of life.   My goals in medicine are prevention of disease and maintenance of a high quality-of-life.  What you eat is the foundation to achieve those goals.

      Below are general themes that I believe should be the guide on our dietary journey.   While our knowledge changes with ongoing research, I believe these themes will remain intact.   My beliefs and recommendations are pulled from many areas including personal experience, my formal education, reading of experts, and some plain common sense.   I'll attempt to reference specific people should I use direct quotes or copyrighted material.   However, much of what I believe is in common with others so general themes may be familiar from your own reading on the subject.  Below is a brief summary of the key themes in which I believe.

• Desire to be healthy!  Maintaining a healthy diet, foremost involves being aware of and caring about what you eat. You need to want to eat healthy food because our society has made it so easy to do the opposite.
• Be aware!  When you know what you are eating and the ingredients involved, it is much easier to do things positively.
• Take control!  Self-preparation is the simplest way to ensure good stuff is going in.
• Routine is good!  It's a lot easier to maintain healthy routines that continually trying to develop them.   Once you've developed good patterns, you don't have to think as much and can focus your energy to other areas of your life.
• Remember 90-10! Focus on what you do day-in and day-out as part of your normal routines (90% of the time) and make your changes and commitment there.   If your doing positive things most of the time, what happens during that final 10% isn't nearly as important.  Put simpler, you can still have Doritos once in a while.
• Quality counts! There's more to the dietary world than just carbs, fat and protein.  The quality of ingredients goes a long way towards keeping your body functioning at a high level.  This is especially true for animal products.
• Healthy diet is not only for weight loss!  Most people attribute making changes in what they eat to attempts at weight loss.   However, the true goal is to eat healthfully and this is important to those at any weight (or age).
• Have fun!  Eating healthy doesn't have to be painful.  Preparing and eating food is a great way to relax, spend time with family, and learn about places & people around the world.

Click here to read more details on individual themes!