February 10th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
Tags: News, Weight Loss
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I am so excited to see that we now have more than 1000 people working together to lose up to 20 pounds by spring. Why are people flocking to this group? Here are my thoughts:
1. People want to lose weight (this is my “no, duh” point)
2. Support groups help people with accountability – the Hawthorne effect (people work harder when they’re being watched) is powerful and we’re using it to our advantage.
3. The people in my group are really cool – they have creative ideas and are always encouraging one another to strive harder.
4. The activity tracker is fun – you can fill out a daily check box regarding your diet and exercise compliance.
5. I can offer medical information and guidance when necessary, plus I’m an enthusiastic cheerleader.
6. It’s free and really easy to use.
7. We’re using the American Heart Association fitness guidelines as part of a comprehensive weight loss strategy.
At this point in the year, at least one third of people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions… but the trick is not to wait another year to get back on track. If you’re struggling with weight loss goals, why not join me and 1000+ other motivated people who want to make long term habits that will get us all to a healthier place? We have weekly challenges, and share everything from recipes to pet photos. Come on in, the water’s warm!This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 7th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
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Valentine’s Day is one week from today. Since I’m a bit of a blog geek (ok, my husband calls me the “bloginatrix” – go ahead, you can laugh), I can’t think of a better way to spend MY Valentine’s eve than with Dr. Anonymous and 3 other lady bloggers: Crzegrl, Chronic Babe, and Emergency Em on a special Blog Talk Radio feature show! The idea for the show came up when I was complaining to Dr. Anonymous about the fact that most of his guests were male, and that the conversations inevitably degenerated into viagra and cialis debates by the end of the full hour. I suggested that a little bit of estrogen should be added to the testosterone-focused show, then the ladies in the chat room piped up with an enthusiastic, “Let’s have a lady’s night – we’ll call it Estrofest!” And the rest is social networking history.
So please mark your calendars – join me for “Estrofest” on a special Valentine’s Day radio podcast on the Dr. Anonymous show, 9-10pm EST, February 14th. You can call in and chat with us ladies, or just listen in to what we think about medicine, dating, and life in the blogging fast lane. I’m going to do my best to keep this PG-13, but with fellow guests like crzegrl, I’m not sure it’ll be entirely within my control.
Hope to see you at the show!
P.S. Don’t fall for the pressure of Hallmark et al… you can be “romantic” any night of the week… postpone your Valentine’s Day plans with that special someone, and join us at Estrofest!
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
January 21st, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
Tags: Cancer, Grand Rounds, Hospitals, Medicare, Parenting, Surgery
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Health tips
Are you struggling with depression? Mira Kirshenbaum suggests that talk therapy may be more effective than medications.
Does your child have mono? Dr. Stacy Stryer explains that mono has very different symptoms depending on a child’s age.
Be careful of vitamins and supplements – some of them may negatively affect your other medications. Dr. Julie Silver offers a list of the most common supplements that interact with medications.
If you see flashing lights or floating objects in your visual fields, see an ophthalmologist right away. Dr. Jackie Griffiths explains why the symptoms of retinal detachment can be quite ominous.
Are you about to have surgery? Dr. Jim Herndon suggests some questions to ask your surgeon before and after the operation.
Don’t be shy about asking for help when you have cancer. Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz highlights some great advice from the Colon Cancer Alliance.
Looking for ways to enhance your sex life? Mira Kirshenbaum has some creative suggestions.
Do you have diabetes? Exercise might be the most important “treatment” for type 2 diabetes. Dr. Jim Hill explains.
Did you know?
Fertility decreases by 5% for every 1 point increment in BMI over 29. That means that getting pregnant becomes more and more difficult as you gain weight! Dr. Mark Perloe explains.
Men can suffer from post-vasectomy pain. Dr. Joe Scherger describes this problem and what to do about it.
Could having children increase a man’s risk for prostate cancer? Dr. Mike Glode reviews the evidence.
Your brain needs sleep to recharge its neurotransmitters. Dr. Steve Poceta explains the exact reasons why sleep is so important for the health of the human brain.
Approximately 1 in 25 children will have at least one febrile seizure in their lifetime. Dr. Olajide Williams explains that a seizure that occurs during a time of fever does not mean a child has epilepsy.
Siestas and/or power naps could reduce your risk of heart disease. Dr. Joe Scherger highly recommends this regular form of stress reduction.
There are fat zip codes and skinny zip codes. Dr. Jim Hill explains why thinner people congregate in certain places. Think upper east side, Manhattan!
A recent study suggests that calcium supplements may put older women at higher risk for heart attacks. Dr. Jim Herndon explains why he’s skeptical of this potential link.
Medicare will not pay for in-hospital complications believed to be due to errors. Kelly Close wonders how they know for sure that an adverse outcome is related to an actual error or not.
Do you know someone who engages in repetitive, jerky movements? Dr. Olajide Williams is a neurologist who explains what “tics” are and what can be done about them.
Around the globe
China: How many autism experts are there in China? About 30 for 1.3 billion people. Robin Morris describes how bleak the prospects are for parents of children with autism.
United States: In an outrageous court ruling, a physician was held responsible for the death of a young boy who was run over by a patient (while driving his car) on blood pressure medicines. Dr. Cole Brown wonders how much of a patients’ actions can be blamed on his physician?
Africa: “River blindness” is caused by a parasitic invasion of the eye. These parasites can be killed with a medicine called ivermectin, but apparently the wily larvae have developed a genetic mutation that renders them resistant to the only known medicine that can kill them. Dr. Jackie Griffiths reminds us all how tenuous our antibiotic victory over microbes and parasites really is.
Personal perspectives
Some people use diet coke in their CPAP machines! Dr. Steve Poceta tells the story of how one of his patients preferred this type of humidified air. Not sure what that will do to your lungs…
Ever wonder how to weigh the pro’s and con’s of chemotherapy in a terminally ill patient? Dr. Mike Rabow describes how he advises patients about this difficult decision.
Dr. Rabow describes some tear jerking true stories from a hospice in Florida.
From the blogosphere at large: this week’s grand rounds is hosted by Alvaro Fernandez at SharpBrains.com. The theme is: briefing the next US president on healthcare. Some really important information in there folks, so go ahead and have a good read!
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
January 19th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
Tags: News
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As you know, the annual MedGadget medblog awards are underway… nominations have been made, finalists were chosen, and now YOU get to vote for your favorite in each of 7 categories. Polls close at midnight Sunday, January 20th EST… so head on over now and cast your vote! I’m up for the Best New Medblog 2007.
And don’t forget to join Dr. Anonymous and the MedGadget team live Sunday night for the final coverage of the race. The special edition of the Dr. Anonymous show starts at 9pm EST.
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
January 19th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
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A friend of mine sent me this neat link. It’s an interactive page that shows you where all the presidential candidates stack up on major healthcare issues, and by answering a few questions, you can see where YOU fit on the graph. Check it out!This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
