Tag: new years

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New Year’s Thoughts

I hope you all had a very good Christmas and new year.

Now, what’s your plan for 2006? Made any resolutions?

I don’t have big plans for this year. I am going to apply the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. I will continue to focus on my mental and physical health. I will continue to follow the principles of ELMOSS about which I have written frequently. ELMOSS stands for exercise, laughter, meditation, organic healthy food, stress relief, and no smoking.

I do not smoke so I don’t have to worry about that. I exercise three to four times a week on regular basis. I would like to do it five times a week if possible. As we all know stretching and exercise is very important for maintaining good physical health. But you have to know your limitations and check with your doctor before you embark on exercise you are not used to. Walking and swimming is simple, cheap and usually safe.

I am lucky to be surrounded by friends and family who make me laugh. I like funny movies and some comedy shows on television. I enjoy reading cartoons and comic strips.

I like to meditate. Couple of times a week I sit in meditation for 20 to 30 minutes. Most lunch hour I shut my eyes for few minutes and relax and sometimes I snore! That is my kind of meditation. Important thing is to sit in a quite place and shut your eyes for few minutes.

Eating healthy and sometimes organic food is not a big problem for me. I am lucky that my wife takes care of that. She buys fruits and vegetables in abundance and buys the leanest possible meat. We eat fair amount of chicken but not enough of fish. We do not eat pork or ham. Once a week or so I get on the scale and see if the scale is still lying!

Recently, stress has not a big factor in my life. I have made significant amount of changes in how I work. Now I am able to spend more time at home with my family and I have more time to look after my health. To achieve this kind of freedom, I had to make some sacrifices. But I have survived and life goes on.

Come to think of it, it is not very difficult to follow the principles of ELMOSS. You can do little at a time and build it up. It is difficult for smokers to give up their addiction. But if there is a will then it can be done. There is plenty of help available. If you are serious about quitting then you can do it. The desire to quit should come from within you.

Whatever you plan to do with your time and money in 2006, do it well. Work hard, enjoy, stay safe, stay healthy and be happy. Keep it simple.

Good luck and all the best for 2006.

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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New Year’s Resolution

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

-Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

Somebody asked me the other day, “Eh, doc, what is going to be your new year’s resolution?”

“Good question, I haven’t given it a thought yet!” I replied.

Then came an e-mail from a gentleman who wants to meet with me. He liked my column titled “Walking and my Grandma”. He wants me to take this subject one step further.

So, I met him last week. His name is Rob Gardner. He is a soft spoken, persuasive, enthusiastic, Community Education Coordinator for Canadian Diabetic Association (CDA). Currently, he is enrolling Medicine Hatters into CDA’s diabetes prevention program called “Keep Your Body in Check.”

“Rob”, I asked, “why do I need to enroll in this program? I don’t have diabetes.”

Gently, he put a small colorful flyer on my hands. He said, “Doc, this was mailed to everybody in Medicine Hat. Did you get one?” I could not recollect getting one. Have you looked at all the flyers which have come to your mail box this month? I haven’t!

Rob asked me to look at the question on the other side of the flyer. The question is: Are you at risk for type 2 diabetes?

The pamphlet says yes, I am at risk for type 2 diabetes if I am over 40, overweight (especially around my middle), or am of aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian, south Asian or African descent.

Yes, I am at risk if I have a parent or sibling with diabetes, if I have high cholesterol level, or I have high blood pressure or heart disease.

Yes, I am at high risk if I have given birth to a baby over four kilograms or had gestational diabetes.

I realized immediately that I had more than one risk factor for type 2 diabetes. I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that. So, I enrolled in the diabetes prevention program.

Just like a good Santa, Rob gave me a box full of goodies – all free. Like an excited little boy, I opened the box. I was pleasantly surprised to see a pedometer (step counter), with a log book, a nice t-shirt, and a measuring tape to measure my waist. All free!

So, I knew what my New Year’s resolution was going to be – to keep my body in check and prevent type 2 diabetes. You can do the same, whether or not you have any risk factors. It is a good program to stay healthy. It is very easy to enroll and the gift box will arrive by mail. Use one of the following options to enroll:

-toll free number 1-866-533-7462 or
-the website www.keepincheck.ca or
-phone Rob Gardner at 403-529-4729 or
-e-mail him at rob.gardner@diabetes.ca

Mention that you read about this program in “What’s up doc?” column then Rob will give you an extra gift! Unfortunately, this program is only for people with Medicine Hat postal code. So, hurry up!

In case you missed my column, “Walking and my Grandma” then you can find it on my website: www.nbharwani.com and search under “Articles” or phone my office 527-0099 for a copy. In 2005, this column will run on Tuesdays.

Have a happy and wonderful 2005. And don’t forget Rob Gardner and keep your body in check!

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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Looking Back to 2004

If you believe the doctors, nothing is wholesome:
If you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent:
If you believe the soldiers, nothing is safe.
Lord Salisbury – (1830-1903).

It is time to look back to 2004.

Most of us are worried about our health. What did 2004 do for us? Did we make any significant gains to achieve good health? Did medical science make any progress in that direction?

Viox has gone off the shelves after initially being promoted as the magic drug. Looks like Celebrex and other painkillers will go the same way. These events remind us once again that medicine is an imperfect science, clouded with uncertainties

We have experts in all kinds of fields. But experience of life teaches us that we should be careful of what the experts have to say. An article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says, “Despite the exponential growth of medical information, the effects of healthcare interventions are often uncertain or controversial.”

I cannot recollect any major scientific breakthrough this year that changed medical practice in a positive way. Most headlines related to medical practice were of negative nature – withdrawal of Viox, outbreak of diarrhea in Calgary and Montreal, shortage of flu vaccine in US etc.

We continue to fight the old battles against obesity (including trans-fatty acids), smoking, cancer, heart disease and trauma. These are the big five causes of most diseases and disabilities in our society. This has not changed in 2004.

The editors of the journal Science have put out a list of top 10 scientific achievements of 2004. But the list does not contain any medical breakthrough to improve our health in the immediate future. For example, here are the top three scientific achievements of 2004:

The most important scientific achievement was the landing and discovery of water on Mars by NASA’s two rovers, Opportunity and Spirit.
The second was the discovery on the Indonesian island of Flores of fossils from a species of tiny humans. These humans were one meter tall with a brain less than one-third the size of modern humans. They lived about 18,000 years ago.

Third most important scientific achievement was the cloning of human embryos by South Korean researcher Woo San-hwang and his colleagues.

Why progress in medicine is so slow?

According to the BMJ article the major hidden barriers to better health care:

-uncertainty as a result of lack of convincing evidence because of delayed or obsolete data from clinical studies;

-uncertainty about applicability of evidence from research to the patient’s bedside;

-and uncertainty about interpretation of data.

Because of these uncertainties, there is overuse, misuse and sometimes underuse of medical technology with associated errors. Patients undergo excessive investigations and sometimes inappropriate treatment.

The BMJ article asks, “Can the fog that enshrouds the medical practice be lifted?”

Yes, the article says, if we can find evidence that is judged to be important for practicing doctors. Unfortunately, most existing evidence is irrelevant or unreliable.

Yes, if we can train doctors to make decisions under uncertainty.

Yes, if our leaders and the public understand the inherent limitations of medical knowledge and the role of research in reducing uncertainty.

Unfortunately, uncertainty influences virtually all of medical decision making. And this has not changed in 2004. So, we just have to keep fighting the old battles!

Thought for the week:
To like and dislike the same things, that is indeed true friendship.
-Sallust 86-34 BC

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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Looking Ahead To 2004

The best years of your life are the ones in which you
decide your problems are your own.
You do not blame them on your mother,
the ecology or the president.
You realize that you control your own destiny.
– Albert Ellis

Well, 2004 is here. And it is going to be here for the next 365 days. So, what are you going to do to stay healthy and happy and perhaps control your own destiny in areas of mental and physical health?

It’s a simple question. Can we find a good and a simple answer for you? Let us give it a try!

First, you need to take stock of your current situation. Then you need to have some idea of what you expect to achieve in the next 363 days (two days have already gone by!).

Do you have any risk factors – genetic, environmental, or lifestyle habits – which make you prone to mental and physical ill health? If yes, then you need to take actions to reduce these risks factors and if possible to eliminate them.

If you do not have any risk factors then you need to take actions which will keep you healthy and happy for many years to come.

As we know, our health is determined by many things. Our genes play an important role. So do our environment and the lifestyle we choose to pursue.

About hundred years ago, many lives were lost in infancy and childhood or before the age of 50. This was due to malnutrition and infection.

Since then we have made progress. Now a child born in Canada can expect to live to about 80 years. Many factors have contributed to our longevity – improvement in nutrition, public hygiene, discovery of antibiotics, introduction of immunization programs, newer and better methods of understanding, diagnosing and treating many illnesses.

Now we seem to take life for granted – especially in the industrialized and affluent countries we live in. Very few people die of infection or malnutrition. Instead we have an epidemic of obesity – which leads to diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses and disabilities.

The prevalence of diabetes in Canada is increasing. The proportion of Canadians with diabetes rose from 3.4 percent in 1994/95 to an estimated 4.5 percent in 2000/01.

Heart disease, stroke, cancer and lung diseases (most of them related to smoking) take its own toll. Use and abuse of alcohol costs our health care system billions of dollars. A British government sponsored report found that “average drinkers” today are consuming 150 percent more alcohol than their counterparts did 50 years ago.

Motor vehicle accidents and other types of accidents kill and disable many of our young people.

So, is this how life is going to be? Or can we change it? Or can we be selfish enough to keep ourselves and our families out of trouble?

We cannot change our genes. But we can make a contribution to improve our environment. We can try and reduce stress and make better lifestyle choices. Yes, lifestyle choices! Healthy lifestyle choices.

Here are few suggestions – eat right, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, quit smoking, wear a seatbelt, drive carefully, and watch your alcohol intake. Make time for laughter, meditation and family.

Making changes is not always easy. But one has to make a commitment and go for it. You may have to make some sacrifices but in the long run it will be a good investment.

It is estimated that if you live up to 80, then the last 10 years of your life will be spent fighting some sort of disease or disability. This burden may be reduced if we take care of our health during our better days.

So, 2004 is here. And you have to make some choices – yes, choices. Make sure they are healthy ones!

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