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There are thirteen common resolutions for the New Year – Which one is yours?

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful New Year. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
Wishing you all a happy and peaceful New Year. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

Being happy may be your only resolution for the New Year. But remember what Aldous Huxley, an English writer said, “Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.”

Depending on your age, you have probably made hundreds of New Year’s resolutions in your lifetime. But these resolutions do not last more than a few days to a few weeks. There are other important things in life that take up our time and money.

There are hundreds of businesses that tell you how their products will make you healthy, wealthy and wise. I am sure they mean well. But how many people succeed in achieving their goals?

So what’s my point? It is simple. Don’t make life too complicated. Stay focused on your goal. Avoid doing too many things at the same time. Be happy and don’t worry too much… remember I said too much. Some element of worry is required to achieve your goal. Make a long term plan. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a year or after a New Year’s resolution.

Since I do not know everything (and that is the truth!), I did some research. According to www.USA.gov there are thirteen New Year’s resolutions popular every year. It provides information that can help you achieve your goals in 2014.

Here is the list: 1. Lose Weight, 2. Volunteer to Help Others, 3. Quit Smoking, 4. Get a Better Education, 5. Get a Better Job, 6. Save Money, 7. Get Fit, 8. Eat Healthy Food, 9. Manage Stress, 10. Manage Debt, 11. Take a Trip, 12. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, 13. Drink Less Alcohol.

Losing weight is on top of the list. There are many ways to lose weight, but it is not always easy. The article says, “The key to successful weight loss is making changes in your eating and physical activity habits that you can keep up for the rest of your life.” The message is, “KISS – keep it simple stupid.” Sorry about that.

If you are five feet tall then you should not be over 125 pounds in weight. If you are six feet tall then you should not be over 175 pounds in weight. You can find a full chart on the website mentioned earlier.

Make sure your healthy eating plan is one that has fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Include lean meats, poultry, fish, bean, eggs, and nuts. And is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

That is all for today. Be happy, don’t worry, laugh a lot and have a wonderful safe New Year. Remember what Walter Bagehot, a British journalist and businessman said, “The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Season’s Greetings

Season's Greetings (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
Season's Greetings (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Restless Legs can Disturb Your Sleep

A beautiful place in Kananaskis to dream, relax, listen to music, dance and sleep. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
A beautiful place in Kananaskis to dream, relax, listen to music, dance and sleep. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

Before we talk about your legs and how they are connected to your sleep, let me tell you what others have to say about sleep. If you are a person who believes in meditation then you would agree with Dalai Lama, who said, “Sleep is the best meditation.” I believe in that.

If you are a George Bernard Shaw fan then you will agree with him, “Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who cannot sleep with the window shut, and a woman who cannot sleep with the window open.” I won’t tell you where I stand on that.

If you tell your doctor you are constantly tired, have day time sleepiness, have difficulty falling asleep at night, have to move your legs at bedtime to find comfort then you probably have restless legs syndrome.

A syndrome is a group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition.

According to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ November 19, 2013), restless legs syndrome is a neurologic movement disorder that may adversely affect sleep, and thereby result in daytime fatigue, somnolence and a reduced quality of life.

The article goes on to say, “This condition has also been associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome is incompletely understood.”

Restless legs syndrome is common, affecting five to 15 per cent of the population. Making a diagnosis is not easy. The National Institutes of Health state that four criteria are essential for diagnosis:

  • An urge to move the legs usually accompanied by, or caused by, uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations in the legs;
  • Unpleasant sensations that begin or worsen during periods of rest or inactivity;
  • Unpleasant sensations that are partially or totally relieved by movement;
  • And unpleasant sensations that are worse in the evening or at night compared with during the day or that only occur in the evening or at night.

There is no specific laboratory test or treatment to conclusively confirm the diagnosis or treat it. Management by a sleep specialist is required. Avoiding alcohol, caffeine and cigarette smoke may help.

According to the article, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recently published detailed management guidelines – available online.

If I remember correctly, Marilyn Monroe was said to have trouble sleeping. I wonder why. She said, “The nicest thing for me is sleep, then at least I can dream.”

That’s it for today. Think big, laugh a lot, sleep well and have sweet dreams.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Preventing Stroke Important for Independent Lifestyle

Tranquility - One way to relax and meditate. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
Tranquility - One way to relax and meditate. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

“There are many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream – whatever that dream might be,” said Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973), a bestselling and Nobel Prize–winning author.

What stroke does to a person is to take away a dream. But where there is a will there is a way. Two basic things required for any kind of success are: patience and perseverance. With appropriate help from family, friends and caregivers much can be achieved, although it may take time.

What is more important is to prevent stroke in the general population and especially people who are at a high risk.

A commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ November 19, 2013) titled, “Stroke prevention in older adults with atrial fibrillation,” by Michiel Coppens, MD and colleagues, discuss the use of new oral blood thinners that reduced the risk of bleeding in the brain by 30 to 70 per cent compared with warfarin. The new medications were at least as effective as warfarin in preventing stroke due to reduced blood supply to the brain.

People with atrial fibrillation have irregular heartbeats, which make them prone to forming blood clots. Warfarin is the most commonly used drug (also used as rat poison) as a blood thinner in humans to prevent blood clots. The main drawback is that the patient has to have regular blood tests to make sure the blood is not too thin. It may cause internal or external bleeding.

The new oral blood thinners (dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban) are approved in more than 80 countries for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients do not require blood tests to check if the blood is dangerously too thin.

According to the CMAJ article, the key points to remember are that many patients do not receive recommended blood thinner treatment. The new oral blood thinners offer consistent benefits over warfarin in older (age 75 years or older) patients with atrial fibrillation.

The article says the rate of internal brain bleeding, the most feared complication of blood thinners, is related to age and is sharply reduced by the new blood thinners relative to warfarin, making these agents particularly attractive for older patients.

Like any new medication, only time will tell whether the drugs are safe and superior to currently used warfarin or should I say rat poison? Talk to you again soon. Take care and don’t forget to listen to music, dance and laugh.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!