Unleashing Your Inner Olympian
I was talking to a diabetic patient of mine one day who was was worried about the an upcoming trip to Disney with his grand-daughter where he would have to do more walking than he was accustomed to. I asked him if he exercised. He held up his hand in a “stop right there” gesture and said, “Do not speak to me about exercise, I follow the religion of comfort and exercise is uncomfortable.” His statement left me completely speechless (and if you knew me you would appreciate how uncharacteristic that is).
This post is for all of you who have lost touch with your inner Olympian.
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Smoking Your Brains Out?
As a former smoker myself (I quit more than 25 years ago), I fully appreciate the pleasures of smoking. However, after what I’ve seen in the 20+ years I’ve been a clinician, no matter how pleasurable it might seem there is simply no upside to smoking - or any other form of tobacco use for that matter.
Smoking is literally a poison delivery system. I’m not nagging (yes, I am) but I want to update you on some research I read that reported on effects of smoking you may find surprising. I found this study a little scary.
Read on to see what they found out about smoking and your brain.
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Should You Be Checking Your Own BP? Yes.
I am a big believer in people checking their own blood pressures from time to time. In fact, I carry little cards around in my lab coat pocket and give them to my patients to carry in their wallets so they can write down the BPs they measure.
I don’t care where people check their BPs. Some of my patients have home BP monitors and others check theirs at the grocery or drug store.
Read this post to learn why checking your own blood pressure is a good idea.
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I’m Down with the Flu - Some Tips for You
It got me. I am down - SO down - with the flu.
I followed all my own advice (which I posted here before flu season). But as a Nurse Practitioner, 6 to 8 of the patients I see every day are sick this time of year. Catching the flu is just an occupational hazard in my line of work.
Read this for tips on how to take care of yourself if you get sick, too. It will tell you when you need to see a health professional and give you some tips on how to keep yourself out of the hospital.
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NP World News: Carla Mills – NP on the Edge
This year I was invited by Louise and George Young, publishers of Nurse Practitioner World News, to write a column about my views on NP practice, health and health care reform.
NP World News is the official news publication of nurse practitioners and its contributors and columnists are thought leaders in the NP profession.
As a loyal and long-time reader of NP World News as well as NP Communications other professional journals, I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute. I am posting these columns on my blog to give readers of NP World News (and anyone else) a place to comment and discuss the topics I will be wrting about in my column “NPs on the Edge”.
This post is a profile about me written by Laurie Lewis, the NP World News editor. My first column will be published in the next issue.
Click “Read Full Post” if you would like to leave a comment.
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Women - Different Health Risks at Different Ages
Someone asked me recently what health risks I see women take voluntarily that put them at increased risk for chronic diseases or pre-mature death.
My answer depends on the age of the woman. Read this post to see common risks I see women face at different ages.
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How to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget
Economic times are bad and pundits are predicting that we are all going to get fatter in these lean times. They say we will choose “cheap” fast foods over healthy fresh foods. I say - let’s we prove them wrong.
Hard times call for hard choices. While it may seem economical to hit the drive-thru for a “value” meal, nutritionally speaking, “value” meals are worthless. There are other alternatives. It is possible to eat lean during hard times and come through the crisis healthier rather than heftier. It is all about the choices you make. Read this post for some tips on eating healthy and eating cheap.
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The Vytorin Controversy One Year Later - An Update
On January 8, 2009, the FDA issued it safety review of Vytorin and concluded: “patients should not stop taking Vytorin or other cholesterol lowering medications and should talk to their [health provider] if they have any questions about these medications.”
Dear patient, you have been drawn into a medical slugfest that is being fought among leading cardiologists, so what are you to do? Read my prior post to get some background on the Vytorin controversy and then read this post to see where we are one year later.
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Straight Health Talk with Teens
In the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health it was reported that young people had a better perception of their provider when they were able to discuss sensitive subjects. What remains to be studied is whether those discussions will result in better health outcomes, I believe they will.
Read this post to see what the teens had to say.
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FDA Warns - Beware Contaminated Weight Loss Products
In late December 2008, the FDA published a warning to consumers about over the counter weight loss products now on the shelves that are contaminated with unapproved drugs and chemicals. If you are considering taking a weight loss supplement, please read this first.
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