Recommended Foods

Make your calories count with these nutritious foods. Choose healthy carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, fish and "good" fats.

Healthy carbohydrates. During digestion, sugars and starches break down into blood glucose. Focus on healthy carbohydrates, such as:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes, such as beans and peas
• Low-fat dairy products, such as milk and cheese

Fiber-rich foods. Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Fiber moderates how your body digests and helps control blood sugar levels. Foods high in fiber include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Legumes, such as beans and peas
• Whole grains

Heart-healthy fish. Eat heart-healthy fish at least twice a week. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may prevent heart disease. Avoid fried fish and fish with high levels of mercury, such as king mackerel.

'Good' fats. Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol levels. These include:

• Avocados
• Nuts
• Canola, olive and peanut oils

Foods to avoid

Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by accelerating the development of clogged and hardened arteries. Foods containing the following can work against your goal of a heart-healthy diet.

• Saturated fats. Avoid high-fat dairy products and animal proteins such as butter, beef, hot dogs, sausage and bacon. Also limit coconut and palm kernel oils.
• Trans fats. Avoid trans fats found in processed snacks, baked goods, shortening and stick margarines.
• Cholesterol. Cholesterol sources include high-fat dairy products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and other organ meats. Aim for no more than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day.
• Sodium. Aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Your doctor may suggest you aim for even less if you have high blood pressure.

Self-care isn’t a brilliant epiphany or a single life-improving hack, but it is a series of small choices that add up to a healthier lifestyle.

1. Start from where you are. Self-care isn’t all fancy spas or relaxing vacations. In reality you need to take better care of yourself where you are — at home, in the car, at work, or out with family and friends.
2. Stay in tuned to your body. Mental illness doesn’t impact the mind alone, it’s physical, too. Self-care starts with noticing how you feel, both physically and emotionally. Paying closer attention to what is happening in your body clues you in to what is happening in your mind.
3. Breathe deeply, all day every day. Taking a series of deep breaths helps to pause and step outside of your racing thoughts. Inhaling and exhaling gives an emotional release, and it also helps physically. Deep breathing increases circulation, releases endorphins, and relaxes muscles.
4. Changing how you look at yourself in the mirror. One symptom of depression can be negative thinking. Treat yourself with more kindness, by making a concerted effort to change these thoughts.
5. Take personal "time outs" when you need them. Acknowledge your symptoms and take a time-out for yourself. Sometimes, you need a short break, like a brief walk outside or deep breathing in a private room.

Does alcohol comsumption help drinkers lose weight, or does it promote weight gain? Is a little alocohol with a meal good for you or is it dangerous? There seems to be conflicting data available about the nutritional effects of alcohol. The reality is that the overall health effects of alcohol can vary from one individual to the next. The amount of alcohol that is consumed can also play a critical role.

Overeating

Individuals tend to overeat when they sit down to a high-fat meal and wash it down with alcoholic drinks.

Malnutrition

When large amounts of alcohol are consumed, the body senses that its calroic needs have been met. This produces a decreased demand for other foods.

Many people who have arthritis or a related disease may be living with chronic pain. Pain is chronic when it lasts three to six months or longer, but arthritis pain can last a lifetime. It may be constant, or it may come and go. Chronic pain can make it hard to perform daily activities like cleaning the house, dressing, or looking after your kids. However, there are ways to effectively manage chronic arthritis pain.

1. Take your medications. Perscription and over-the-counter drugs recommended by your doctor can help control inflammation and pain.
2. Manage your weight. Excess weight can cause more pressure on the weight-bearing joints and increas pain. Being overweight is bad for your overall health, as it increases your chances for heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers.
3. Stay active. Activities like walking, water aerobics at your local gym, or yoga can help reduce joint pain and improve flexibility, balance and strength.
4. Keep a positive attitude. Many people with chronic arthritis pain find that a positive attitude can significantly boost their ability to cope with pain. Try not to give in to the pain.

Every year, more than 480,000 people die in the United States due to tobacco-related diseases. That is around 1 in 5 of all deaths in the U.S. annually. It is estimated that 1 in 2 smokers will die from a smoking-related disease.

Smoking shortens the life of a male by about 12 years and the life of a female by around 11 years.

Two poisons in tobacco that affect peoples’ health are:

• Carbon monoxide is found in car exhaust fumes and is fatal in large doses. It replaces oxygen in the blood and starves organs of oxygen and stops them being able to function properly.
• Tar is a sticky, brown substance that coats the lungs and affects breathing.

Sometimes the strongest food cravings hit when you're at your weakest point emotionally. You may turn to food for comfort — consciously or unconsciously — when facing a difficult problem, feeling stressed or even feeling bored.

Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. It often leads to eating too much — especially too much of high-calorie, sweet and fatty foods. The good news is that if you're prone to emotional eating, you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals.

• Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you might see patterns that reveal the connection between mood and food.
• Tame your stress. If stress contributes to your emotional eating, try a stress management technique, such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing.
• Have a hunger reality check. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not hungry. Give the craving time to pass.
• Get support. You're more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.
• Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you're not hungry, distract yourself and substitute a healthier behavior. Take a walk, watch a movie, play with your cat, listen to music, read, surf the internet or call a friend.
• Take away temptation. Don't keep hard-to-resist comfort foods in your home. And if you feel angry or blue, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you have your emotions in check.
• Don't deprive yourself. When trying to lose weight, you might limit calories too much, eat the same foods repeatedly and banish treats. This may just serve to increase your food cravings, especially in response to emotions. Eat satisfying amounts of healthier foods, enjoy an occasional treat and get plenty of variety to help curb cravings.
• Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a healthy snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with low-fat dip, nuts or unbuttered popcorn. Or try lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.
• Learn from setbacks. If you have an episode of emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience and make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future. Focus on the positive changes you're making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making changes that'll lead to better health.

A good night's sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it is just as important as eating health and exercising.

Here are 10 reasons why good sleep is important:

1. Poor sleep is linked to higher body weight
2. Good sleepers tend to eat fewer calories
3. Good sleep can improve concentration and productivity
4. Good sleep can maximize athletic performance
5. Poor sleepers have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke
6. Sleep affects glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk
7. Poor sleep is linked to depression
8. Sleep improves your immune function
9. Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation
10. Sleep affects emotions and social interactions

Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into blood vessels, which carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood out to the body and contributes to hardening of the arteries to stroke, kidney disease, and to heart failure.

The exact causes of high blood pressure are not known, but several things may play a role, including:

• Smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of physical activity
• Too much salt in the diet
• Too much alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Older age
• Genetics
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Chronic kidney disease
• Adrenal and thyroid disorders
• Sleep apnea

Even people at high risk can cut their risk in half through healthy lifestyle choices like these:

• Eat a healthy diet: eat plenty of high-fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Choose fish as a protein source and reduce full-fat dairy and red meat in your diet, as well as foods that are high in saturated fat.
• Get to healthy weight: being obese is linked to higher LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to lower HDL cholesterol, as well as high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Exercise: not exercising is linked to heart disease and can also impact a variety of general health risks.
• Stop smoking: tobacco can have as serious an effect on your heart as it does on your lungs, raising the risk of both heart disease and heart attack.
• Drink less: too much alcohol harms your heart in many ways. It raises blood pressure and triglycerides, a contributing factor in atherosclerosis.
• Reduce stress: stress can increase your risk of a heat attack and a stroke.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas stops producing insulin - a hormone that allows the body to get energy from food.

With type 2 diabetes your body doesn't use insulin properly - which is known as insulin resistance. As a result, your pancreas makes extra insulin to compensate, but over time it is unable to keep up.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

• Frequent urination
• Extreme thirst
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue and weakness
• Increased appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Slow-healing cuts

Although the signs of diabetes can begin to show early, sometimes it takes a person a while to recognize the symptoms. This often makes it seem like signs and symptoms of diabetes appear suddenly. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your body, rather than simply brushing them off.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living.

More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn't a weakness and you can't simply "snap out" of it. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don't get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both.

If you feel depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor or mental health professional as soon as you can. If you're reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, any health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust.

If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

Also consider these options if you're having suicidal thoughts:

• Call your doctor or mental health professional.
• Call a suicide hotline number — in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Use that same number and press "1" to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
• Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
• Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community.

If you have a loved one who is in danger of suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you think you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.

The long-term effects of alcohol abuse include alcoholism, liver disease, pancreatitis, malnutrition and cancer. An alcohol addiction treatment program may help a person quit alcohol and avoid some of the long-term effects it can have.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects every organ in the body. When a person drinks alcohol, it’s absorbed into their bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine and then circulated throughout the system. Long-term alcohol abuse can cause cancer of the liver, mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus and stomach.

Organs that may be damaged by long-term alcohol abuse include:

• brain
• liver
• heart
• pancreas
• kidneys
• stomach

If you have arthritis, you know just how devastating this condition can be. Fortunately, there are many foods that can ease inflammation and may help relieve some of the joint pain associated with arthritis.

1. Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout)
2. Garlic
3. Ginger
4. Broccoli
5. Walnuts
6. Berries
7. Spinach
8. Grapes
9. Olive Oil
10. Tart Cherry Juice

Smoking cigarettes cans have many adverse effects on the body. Some of these can lead to life-threatening complications. Smoking increases the risk of dying from all causes, not just those linked to tobacco use.

1. Lung damage: smoking cigarettes affects lung health because a person breathes in not only nicotine but also a variety of additional chemicals.
2. Heart disease: smoking can damage the heart, blood vessels, and blood cells.
3. Fertility problems: smoking can damage a female's reproductive system and make it more difficult to get pregnant.
4. Risk of pregnancy complications: smoking can affect pregnancy and the developing fetus in several ways including increasing the risk of ectopic pregnancy, reducing the baby's birth weight, increasing the risk of preterm delivery, damaging the fetus's lungs, brain and central nervous system, and increasing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
5. Risk of type 2 diabetes: people that smoke regularly have a 30-40 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
6. Weakened immune system: smoking cigarettes can weaken a person's immune system, making them more susceptible to illness.
7. Vision problems: smoking can cause eye problem including a greater risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
8. Poor oral hygiene: people who smoke have double the risk of gum disease.
9. Unhealthy skin and hair: smoking can affect a person's skin and hair; a person who smokes may experience prematurely aged, wrinkled skin.
10. Risk of other cancers: in addition to the well-documented link with lung cancer, smoking cigarettes can also contribute to other forms of cancer including mouth, laryngeal, throat, esophageal, kidney, cervical, liver, and colon.

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what's considered healthy for his or her height.

Obesity happens over time when you eat more calories than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Factors that might affect your weight include your genetic makeup, overeating, eating high-fat foods, and not being physically active.

Obesity increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers. If you have obesity, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases. For example, that means losing 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds.

Whether or not we get high-quality slumber at night is dependent on a lot more than what time we turn in at night and what time we set the alarm for. That includes everything from how much exercise we get to how much time we spend in the sun to how much time we spend looking at our phones and computer screens. And the combination of foods and drinks we fuel our bodies with throughout the day also get an important spot on that list.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to what you are putting in your body:

1. Pay attention to caffeine intake (and when you're getting it)
2. Lay off the booze before bedtime
3. Avoid heavy spicy or fatty foods too close to slumber
4. Breakfast like a king and supper like a pauper
5. Snack wisely before bed
6. Cut back on sugar
7. Stay hydrated all day long

High blood pressure is a symptomless “silent killer” that quietly damages blood vessels and leads to serious health problems.

While there is no cure, using medications as prescribed and making lifestyle changes can enhance your quality of life and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and more.

Make changes that matter:

• Eat a well-balanced diet that is low in salt
• Limit alcohol
• Enjoy regular physical activity
• Manage stress
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Quit smoking
• Take your medications properly
• Work together with your doctor

If you have high blood pressure, it’s vital that you listen to your doctor. Remember: You’re a part of your healthcare team. Educate yourself about HBP and learn how to monitor your blood pressure at home. Armed with this information, you can commit to living heart healthy.

By adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle, you can:

• Reduce high blood pressure.
• Prevent or delay the development of high blood pressure.
• Enhance the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
• Lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney damage, vision loss, and sexual dysfunction.

Wishing you and your family a joyful and safe holiday season!

Wellness Wednesday tips will start back the second Wednesday of the new year.

• Start by knowing how many calories you should be eating and drinking to maintain your weight. Nutrition and calorie information on food labels is typically based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. You may need fewer or more calories depending on several factors including age, gender, and level of physical activity.
• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity (or an equal combination of both) each week.
• You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Nutrient-rich foods have minerals, protein, whole grains and other nutrients but are lower in calories.
• Limit saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages. If you choose to eat red meat, compare labels and select the leanest cuts available.

Managing diabetes is a daily challenge. There are so many variables to keep in mind -- food, exercise, stress, general health, etc. -- that keeping blood sugar levels in the desired range is a constant balancing act.

Useful tips on many of the day-to-day issues facing people living with diabetes

• Carb Counting: carbs are broken down into glucose, so if you eat too much of them your blood sugar may rise.
• Checking Blood Sugar: checking blood sugar at home, in school, and in the workplace is key to managing diabetes. It puts you in control of your diabetes.
• Insulin Therapy: people with type 1 diabetes, and some people with type 2 diabetes, need to replace the insulin that they are unable to produce, to maintain normal body functions.
• Keeping Your Heart Healthy: statistics show that heart disease and stroke account for approximately 65% of deaths in people with diabetes.
• Setting Goals: diabetes can impact all aspects of life. With all the challenges of managing diabetes, it can be difficult for people living with disease to stay on track. Setting goals can help you to achieve this -- goals for things like eating, exercise, checking blood sugar, reducing stress, etc.

Often depression and an anxiety disorder can be treated similarly. In many cases, therapy can be tailored to an individual so that it works to reduce the symptoms of both disorders.

Several forms of psychotherapy are effective. Cognitive-behavioral therapy works to replace negative and unproductive thought patterns with more realistic and useful ones. These treatments focus on taking specific steps to overcome anxiety and depression. Treatment often involves facing one’s fears as part of the pathway to recovery. Interpersonal therapy and problem-solving therapy are also effective.

There are other things that you can do to help treat depression and anxiety.

• Consider joining a support group.
• Try relaxation techniques, meditation, and breathing exercises.
• Talk with family members and friends and explain how they can be helpful.
• Regular exercise can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Alcohol has a profound effect on the complex structures of the brain. It blocks chemical signals between brain cells, leading to the common immediate symptoms of intoxication, including impulsive behavior, slurred speech, poor memory, and slowed reflexes. If heavy drinking continues over a long period of time, the brain adapts to the blocked signals by responding more dramatically to certain brain chemicals. After alcohol leaves the system, the brain continues over activating the neurotransmitters, causing painful and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms that can damage brain cells. This damage is made worse by drinking binges and sudden withdrawal.

What are the observable effects of this damage? Since alcohol affects a large portion of the brain, many different kinds of cognitive impairment can occur as a result of heavy drinking, including problems with verbal fluency and verbal learning, processing speed, working memory, attention, problem solving, spatial processing, and impulsivity. Parts of the brain relating to memory and "higher functions" (e.g., problem solving and impulse control) are more susceptible to damage than other parts of the brain, so problems in these areas tend to be worse than others.

Even with your arthritis, it’s entirely possible to make the leap from couch potato to avid exerciser – and well worth the effort. A study found that sedentary individuals with arthritis (both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis) who exercised twice a week for an hour experienced significant declines in pain and fatigue and improved their ability to manage their arthritis.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to start – and stick with – an exercise program:

Get Ready…

• Check in with your doctor: Let your rheumatologist and general practitioner know that you’re going to start exercising as they may advise against specific activities because of your medical history.
• Set Modest Goals to Start: The best advice is to start small.
• Find your courage: Don’t let fear prevent you from taking action to reduce pain and improve function.
• Know What to Wear: Perhaps the most important thing you’ll need is a supportive but comfortable pair of shoes – and good fit is paramount.

Get Set …

• Don’t go it alone: If you find exercise tedious or lonely, you’re less likely to stick with it, ask a friend or significant other to join you.
• Reward yourself: Research shows that when people are rewarded for "good behavior" – including exercise – they feel better about it and are more likely to repeat it.
• Commit to the cause: Make physical activity a non-negotiable part of your day.
• Pick the right time: You’ll enjoy your workout more if you don’t do it when your symptoms are at their worst.
• Shop around: Take a tour or accept a trial membership at a variety of gyms in your area.

Go!

• Walking: There’s a reason it’s America’s favorite workout: it’s safe for almost everyone, even those with severe arthritis.
• Water workouts: Swimming or water aerobics are especially great for people who are heavier or who have advanced arthritis.
• Stationary or recumbent cycling: Both recumbent and stationary bikes allow you to get your heart rate up, but they put very little pressure on the hip and knee joints.
• Yoga and tai chi: Tai chi and yoga improve flexibility and balance – two areas which individuals with arthritis often struggle with – and both are gentle on joints.
• Resistance training: Resistance training is an absolute must for people with arthritis, contrary to popular belief, weights are an excellent choice.

Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.

Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Illegal drug use
• Alcohol use
• Motor vehicle injuries
• Firearm-related incidents

More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States. It causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths. More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer. Smoking causes about 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women. The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in the U.S.

Gaining a few pounds during the year may not seem like a big deal. But these pounds can add up over time. How can you tell if your weight could increase your chances of developing health problems? Knowing two numbers may help you understand your risk: your body mass index (BMI) score and your waist size in inches.

Body Mass Index

The BMI is one way to tell whether you are at a normal weight, are overweight, or have obesity. It measures your weight in relation to your height and provides a score to help place you in a category:

• normal weight: BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
• overweight: BMI of 25 to 29.9
• obesity: BMI of 30 or higher

Waist Size

Another important number to know is your waist size in inches. Having too much fat around your waist may increase health risks even more than having fat in other parts of your body. Women with a waist size of more than 35 inches and men with a waist size of more than 40 inches may have higher chances of developing diseases related to obesity.

Many effects of a lack of sleep, such as feeling grumpy and not working at your best, are well known. But did you know that sleep deprivation can also have profound consequences on your physical health?

How much sleep do we need?

Most of us need around 8 hours of good-quality sleep a night to function properly – but some need more and some less. What matters is that you find out how much sleep you need and then try to achieve it. As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it's likely that you're not getting enough sleep.

What happens if I don't sleep?

Everyone's experienced the fatigue, short temper and lack of focus that often follow a poor night's sleep.

An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won't harm your health.

After several sleepless nights, the mental effects become more serious. Your brain will fog, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. You'll start to feel down, and may fall asleep during the day. Your risk of injury and accidents at home, work and on the road also increases.

The DASH (dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a lifelong approach to healthy eating that's designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure.

The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods — and moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts.

Grains: 6 to 8 servings a day

• Grains include bread, cereal, rice and pasta.
• Examples of one serving of grains include 1 slice whole-wheat bread, 1 ounce dry cereal, or 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta.

Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings a day

• Tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, greens and other vegetables.
• Examples of one serving include 1 cup raw leafy green vegetables or 1/2 cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables.

Fruits: 4 to 5 servings a day

• Many fruits need little preparation to become a healthy part of a meal or snack. They're packed with fiber, potassium and magnesium and are typically low in fat — coconuts are an exception.
• Examples of one serving include one medium fruit, 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit, or 4 ounces of juice.

Dairy: 2 to 3 servings a day

• Milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products are major sources of calcium, vitamin D and protein.
• Examples of one serving include 1 cup skim or 1 percent milk, 1 cup low-fat yogurt, or 1 1/2 ounces part-skim cheese.

Lean meat, poultry and fish: 6 one-ounce servings or fewer a day

• Meat can be a rich source of protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc. Choose lean varieties and aim for no more than 6 one-ounce servings a day.
• Examples of one serving include 1 egg or 1 ounce of cooked meat, poultry or fish.

Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4 to 5 servings a week

• Almonds, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, peas, lentils and other foods in this family are good sources of magnesium, potassium and protein.
• Examples of one serving include 1/3 cup nuts, 2 tablespoons seeds or nut butter, or 1/2 cup cooked beans or peas.

Fats and oils: 2 to 3 servings a day

• Fat helps your body absorb essential vitamins and helps your body's immune system. But too much fat increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
• Examples of one serving include 1 teaspoon soft margarine, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or 2 tablespoons salad dressing.

Sweets: 5 servings or fewer a week

• You don't have to banish sweets entirely while following the DASH diet — just go easy on them.
• Examples of one serving include 1 tablespoon sugar, jelly or jam, 1/2 cup sorbet, or 1 cup lemonade.

Alcohol & Caffeine:

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that men limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day and women to one or less.
• The DASH diet doesn't address caffeine consumption. The influence of caffeine on blood pressure remains unclear. But caffeine can cause your blood pressure to rise at least temporarily.

Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems, and heart defects you're born with, among others.

The term "heart disease" is often used interchangeably with the term "cardiovascular disease." Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as those that affect your heart's muscle, valves or rhythm, also are considered forms of heart disease.

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices.

Symptoms can include:

• Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina)
• Shortness of breath
• Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed
• Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back

Knowing how diabetes affects your body can help you look after your body and prevent diabetic complications from developing.

Many of the effects of diabetes stem from the same guilty parties; namely high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a lack of blood glucose control.

Signs of diabetes:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent need to urinate
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Tingling or pain in the hands, feet and/or legs

Long term effects of diabetes on the body:

• Diabetes contributes to high blood pressure and is linked with high cholesterol which significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. This also raises the risk of strokes.
• A common complication is diabetic retinopathy which is caused by blood vessels in the back of the eye swelling and leaking.
• Kidney disease can also result from diabetes. Damage to the kidneys takes place over a a period of years.
• The effects of diabetes on the nerves can be serious as the nerves are involved in so many of our bodily functions, from movement to digestion.
• Diabetes can affect digestion in a number of ways. If nerve damage has developed, this can lead to nausea, constipation or diarrhea.

Depression affects much more than just moods. These are a few of the most common physical symptoms of depression:

• Increased aches and pains
• Chronic fatigue
• Decreased interest in sex
• Decreased appetite
• Insomnia, lack of sleep, or oversleeping

Changes in the brain have an effect on many of the body's systems. Abnormal functioning of brain messengers can alter your pain threshold.

A person's blood alcohol content (BAC) determines the effect of alcohol on the central nervous system. Those who have built up a tolerance to alcohol can drink more than those with a lower tolerance level.

Depending on your BAC, you can experience an array of side effects that range from minor complications to more severe ones. For example, lower BAC percentages tend to come with temporary side effects that subside within a few hours. However, as BAC percentages increase, the symptoms become much more serious and can be life-threatening.

Here’s a breakdown of different BAC percentages along with their symptoms:

• BAC 0.033-0.12 Percent: Improvement in mood, higher self-confidence, less anxiety, flushing of the face, shorter attention span, lack of fine motor coordination, and impairment of judgment
• BAC 0.09-0.25 Percent: Sedation, loss of memory and lack of comprehension, delayed motor reactions, balance problems and ataxia, and blurred vision and sensation impairment
• BAC 0.25-0.40 Percent: In and out of consciousness or complete unconsciousness, amnesia during the events while intoxicated, staggering gait, vomiting with aspiration, respiratory depression, incontinence of urine, and slowed heart rate
• BAC 0.35-0.80 Percent: Comatose, lack of pupillary response to light, life-threatening respiratory depression, severe decrease in heart rate, and death

The word arthritis literally means joint inflammation. It refers to more than 100 different diseases. These diseases usually affect the area in or around joints such as muscles and tendons. Some of these diseases can also affect other parts of the body including the skin and internal organs. There are many types of arthritis. Most forms of arthritis are chronic which means they may last a lifetime.

Arthritis usually causes stiffness pain and fatigue. The severity varies from person to person and even from day to day. In some people only a few joints are affected and the impact may be small. In other people the entire body system may be affected.

The joints of the body are the site of much of the action in arthritis. Many types of arthritis show signs of joint inflammation: swelling, stiffness, tenderness, redness or warmth. These joint symptoms may be accompanied by weight loss, fever or weakness.

It is healthy for you to keep active and move your joints. If you do not move a joint regularly, the muscles around it weaken and/or become tight. The joint can stiffen or even freeze. When you do try to move the joint and muscles hurt because they have been still for so long.

Many things affect how your joints and muscles feel. Pain may be caused by swelling, joint damage, muscle tightness or spasm. Muscles hurt after doing exercise or activities you aren't used to; sometimes when the joint is damaged simple activities stress the joint.

When your joints are inflamed or damaged, you need to take certain precautions as you do all your daily activities. Your doctor or therapist can teach you exercises and the correct use of heat and cold to decrease pain. You can also learn how to use your body with the least stress to your joints for less pain, easier movement and even more energy.

The potential health benefits of smoking cessation are substantial. Stopping smoking reduces the future risk of tobacco-related diseases, slows the progression of existing tobacco-related disease, and improves life expectancy by an average of 10 years.

• Within the first 24 hours of quitting, a person’s blood pressure, heart rate, and peripheral circulation begin to improve. The carbon monoxide content of the airways within the lung can decrease to normal levels by the end of the first day.
• By 48 hours, all nicotine has left the body, and the former smoker’s taste and smell are on their way to recovering.
• After 1 to 3 months, an ex-smoker’s lung function may have already improved by as much as 30 percent.
• About 6 months later, shortness of breath has significantly improved, and that chronic “smoker’s cough” is becoming less of a daily occurrence.
• One year after cessation, the risk of a heart attack drops to half that of the risk of smokers.
• The risk of lung cancer falls by 50-60 percent after a decade of abstinence. After 15 years of abstinence, the risk of heart attack and stroke falls to that of people who never smoked.

• In 2015-2016, the prevalence of obesity was 39.8% and affected about 93.3 million of US adults.
• Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer that are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
• The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008 US dollars; the medical cost for people who have obesity was $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
• Hispanics (47.0%) and non-Hispanic blacks (46.8%) had the highest age-adjusted prevalence of obesity, followed by non-Hispanic whites (37.9%) and non-Hispanic Asians (12.7%).
• The prevalence of obesity was 35.7% among young adults aged 20 to 39 years, 42.8% among middle-aged adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 41.0% among older adults aged 60 and older.

Insufficient sleep can compromise the way that you feel and function. Good-quality sleep provides your mind and body with the opportunity for renewal and rejuvenation, which can help enhance your everyday performance.

Your mind won’t function optimally. Sleep is critical for the formation and consolidation of memories—and for your ability to retrieve them while you’re awake.

Your mood can take a nosedive. Getting enough shuteye helps with mood and emotion regulation, so you might feel cranky, irritable, or emotionally out of sorts if you don’t snooze enough.

Your reaction time may suffer. Going 19 hours without sleep can compromise your speed and accuracy on tests of judgment and motor reaction time as much as if you were legally drunk.

Your heart can suffer. Sleeping fewer than six hours a night can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure or worsen high blood pressure if you already have it.

Your appetite can go into overdrive. When you don’t get enough sleep, you may feel hungrier than usual and crave high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods, in particular.

Your immune system will take a hit. When you’re tired and even moderately sleep-deprived, your immune function is compromised.

High blood pressure increase the risk of developing cardiac (heart) disease. A periodic blood pressure screening is necessary to detect this problem as, without it, high blood pressure may remain unnoticed for years or even decades causing damage in the meantime.

Normal blood pressure: below 120/80

Pre-hypertension: between 120/80 and 139/89

High blood pressure: 140/90 or more

The top number is the systolic blood pressure or the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps the blood forward into the arteries.

The bottom number is the diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction.

Coronary Heart Disease is the most common type of heart disease in the U.S. When you have it, a waxy substance called plaque builds up in your heart’s arteries. You won’t know it’s there at first, but over time, it narrows your arteries, like a clog in a pipe. That limits the blood flow to your heart muscle.

With less flow, your heart doesn't get the oxygen it needs, and that can cause chest pain, called angina, especially when you exercise or do heavy labor. It also can affect how well your heart pumps and make the rest of your body short on oxygen, too. Without it, your cells won’t work as well as they should, and you may be short of breath or feel more tired than usual. If plaque breaks off and totally blocks an artery, you have a heart attack.

With type 2 diabetes, the muscles and liver that normally take up blood sugar and use it for energy begin to lose their sensitivity to the hormone insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance.

The pancreas, which contains the insulin-making beta cells, responds to the body's insulin resistance by churning out even more of the hormone. Even though insulin levels may increase to a degree, even the increased amount is not sufficient to prevent blood sugar from becoming too high.

The excess blood sugar in diabetes can wreak havoc on blood vessels all over the body and cause complications.It can severely damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and other body parts; cause sexual problems; and double the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Eventually, insulin-producing cells can shut down and stop producing the hormone completely. Some people with type 2 diabetes need insulin, but most don't. You may need to inject insulin to help replace or supplement your own natural production of the hormone and to help your body overcome insulin resistance.

Depression can impact every area of your life, including but not limited to how you sleep and eat, your education and career, your relationships, health, and concentration. Individuals suffering from depression often also have comorbid disorders, such as alcohol and drug abuse or other addictions. Depression doesn't just occur for an individual in a vacuum; it can affect your friends, family, co-workers, and everyone around you. In addition, depression may impact how you perform at work or your levels of concentration, so it can negatively affect your productivity.

Leaving depression untreated can lead to many other complications in on'es personal and professional life. This is why it is so important to seek out help, not just for relationships and work, but for your own sake.

Regular drinking can effect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish. This is because drinking disrupts your sleep cycle.

When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into deep sleep quicker. This is why some people find drinking alcohol helps them drop-off to sleep, but as the night goes on you spend more time in this deep sleep and less time than usual in the more restful, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep.

This can leave you feeling tired the next day no matter how long you stay in bed.

But having alcohol-free days can help. You should be sleeping better and find it easier to wake up in the morning.

Although rheumatoid arthritis can have many different symptoms, joints are always affected. It almost always affects the joints of the hands, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and/or feet. The larger joints, such as the shoulders, hips, and jaw, may be affected. The usual joint symptoms include the following:

• Stiffness
• Inflammation
• Swelling
• Nodules
• Pain

No matter how you smoke it, tobacco is dangerous to your health. There are no safe substance in any tobacco products, from acetone and tar to nicotine and carbon monoxide.

Smoking can lead to a variety of ongoing complications in the body, as well as long-term effects on your body systems. While smoking can increase your risk of a variety of problems over several years, some of the bodily effects are immediate.

Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that can have a negative effect on many systems in your body. People who are overweight or obese have a much greater risk of developing serious conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bone and joint disease.

The causes of obesity are complex. There are many interrelated factors, such as genetics, lifestyle and how your body uses energy. Some endocrine disorders, diseases and medications can also cause weight to increase.

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

The way you feel while you're awake depends in part on what happens while you're sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy rain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

The damage from sleep deficiency can occur in an instant or it can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn and get along with others.

If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down. Your lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.

Here are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down.

1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat a healthy diet
4. Reduce sodium in your diet
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
6. Quit smoking
7. Cut back on caffeine
8. Reduce your stress
9. Monitor your blood pressure at home
10. See your doctor regularly

There is no single cause for CVD (Cardio Vascular Disease), but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing it. There are modifiable risk factors and non-modifiable risk factors.

Modifiable risk factors include:

• poor diet
• smoking
• high total cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• management of diabetes
• being physically inactive
• being overweight or obese
• management of depression

Social isolation and lack of social support are risk factors for heart disease that are usually able to be changed, although it can seem challenging to do so.

Risk factors that are non-modifiable include increasing age, being male and having a family history of heart disease.

You may worry that having diabetes means going without the foods that you enjoy. The good news is that you can still eat your favorite foods, but you might need to eat smaller portions or enjoy them less often.

Eat foods with heart-healthy fats, which mainly come form these foods:

• oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as canola and olive oil
• nuts and seeds
• heart-healthy fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
• avocado

Food and drinks to limit include:

• fried foods and other foods high in saturated fat and trans fat
• foods high in salt
• sweets, such as baked goods, candy, and ice cream
• beverages with added sugars, such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports or energy drinks

Depression has a way of sucking the joy and meaning from life. Chronic feelings of hopelessness, apathy, or despair are part of the condition. It may also bring physical symptoms, such as weigh loss, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and aches and pains.

Some or all of the triggers and brain changes of depression may impair cognition that is thinking skills, such as:

• Attention
• Memory
• Decision making
• Information processing
• Executive function

Some of the ways alcohol affects your health are well known, but others may surprise you.

1. Drinking gives your body work to do that keeps it from other processes: once you take a drink, your body makes metabolizing it a priority.
2. Abusing alcohol causes bacteria to grow in your gut: this can eventually migrate through the intestinal wall and into the liver leading to liver damage.
3. Too much is bad for your heart: it can cause the heart to become weak and have an irregular beat pattern.
4. People can develop pancreatitis: alcohol abuse can lead to inflammation of the pancreas.
5. Drinking too much puts you at risk for some cancer: it can lead to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, throat, liver and breast.
6. It can affect your immune system: if you drink every day or almost every day, you might notice that you catch colds, flu or other illnesses more frequently than people who don't drink.

You know that arthritis affects your joints when painful, swollen knees or fingers are impossible to ignore. But did you know that other parts of your body may also be affected.

• Skin: nodules over bony areas exposed to pressure and inflammation of the blood vessels causing rashes to appear.
• Bones: chronic inflammation leads to loss of bone density.
• Eyes: some develop inflammation on the whites of the eyes that can lead to scarring, as well as damage to the tear-producing glands.
• Mouth: damage inflammation can damage the moisture-producing glands.
• Lungs: prolonged inflammation of the lung tissue can lead to a form of lung disease and nodules might form in the lungs.
• Heart & Blood Vessels: damaged endothelial cells that line the blood vessels can cause the vessels to absorb more cholesterol and form plaques, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
• Blood: unchecked inflammation can lead to a reduction in red blood cells which can impact your iron supply; elevated blood platelet levels and blood clots may also cause by inflammation.
• Nervous system: inflammation of tissue may cause compression of the nerves.
• Medications for arthritis can also cause health issues to the these body parts, as well as your liver and kidneys.

About half of all Americans who keep smoking will die because of the habit. Each year more than 480,000 people in the United States die from illnesses related to tobacco use. This means each year smoking causes 1 out of 5 deaths in the US.

• Smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, HIV, guns, and illegal drugs combined.
• Smoking shortens a male smokers' lives by about 12 years and female smokers' lives by about 11 years.
• Smoking not only causes cancer. It can damage nearly every organ in the body, including the lungs, heart, blood vessels, reproductive organs, mouth, skin, eyes, and bones.

Obesity is when your body has too much fat. Obesity can cause a lot of damage to your body. People with severe obesity are more likely to have other diseases including:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Heart Disease
• Respiratory Disorders
• Cancer
• Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• Bone/Joint Damage

Combined with obesity, these diseases may lead people to have a lower quality of health. In some cases, these can lead to disability or early death.

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.

At some point, many adults experience short-term (acute) insomnia, which lasts for days or weeks. It's usually the result of stress or a traumatic event. But some people have long-term (chronic) insomnia that lasts for a month or more. Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other medical conditions or medications.

Chronic insomnia is usually a result of stress, life events or habits that disrupt sleep. Treating the underlying cause can resolve the insomnia, but sometimes it can last for years. Chronic insomnia may also be associated with medical conditions or the use of certain drugs. Treating the medical condition may help improve sleep, but the insomnia may persist after the medical condition improves.

High blood pressure can quietly damage your body for years before symptoms develop. Left uncontrolled, you may wind up with a disability, a poor quality of life or even a fatal heart attack. Roughly half the people with untreated hypertension die of heart disease related to poor blood flow and another third die of stroke.

Here is a look at the complications high blood pressure can cause when it's not effectively controlled.

• Damage to your arteries and aneurysm: high blood pressure gradually increases the pressure of blood flowing through your arteries which can lead to weakened arteries.
• Damage to your heart: your heart pumps blood to your entire body and uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your heart in a number of ways, such as coronary artery disease, enlarged left heart, and heart failure.
• Damage to your brain: your brain depends on a nourishing blood supply to work properly and survive, but high blood pressure can cause several problems including transient ischemic attack, stroke, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment.
• Damage to your kidneys: your kidneys filter excess fluid and waste from your blood - a process that depends on healthy blood vessels.
• Damage to your eyes: tiny, delicate blood vessels supply blood to your eyes, like other vessels they can be damage by high blood pressure via eye blood vessel damage, fluid buildup under the retina, and nerve damage.

When you have heart disease, there are little things you can do each day to make a big difference to your health.

Food and fitness matter. It's also important to reduce your stress and if you smoke, quit. Take your medicines and keep up with your doctor appointments and cardiac rehab.

Stay in touch with your mood. For many, depression comes along with heart disease. If you think you are depress, talk to your doctor to get treatment.

It may feel like you're going through a lot of changes all at once. It's a good idea to get help from dietitians, doctors, and support groups to keep focused.

Diabetes is a disease that occur when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy.

Type 1 Diabetes

Your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 Diabetes

Your body doesn't make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age and it is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes

Develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. If you've had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Other Types of Diabetes

Less common types include monogenic diabetes, which is an inherited form of diabetes and cystic fibrosis related disease.

Depression is a complex mental health condition that causes a person to have low mood and may leave them feeling persistently sad and hopeless.

Research has documented many ways that depression can affect physical health, including the following:

• Weight gain or loss: people with depression may experience appetite changes.
• Chronic pain: people with depression may experience unexplained aches or pains, including joint or muscle pain, breast tenderness, and headaches.
• Heart disease: depression can reduce a person's motivation to make positive lifestyle choices and their risk of heart disease increase when they eat a poor diet and have a sedentary lifestyle.
• Inflammation: chronic stress and depression are linked to inflammation and may change the immune system.
• Sexual health problems: people with depression may have a decreased libido, have trouble becoming aroused, no longer have orgasms, or have less pleasurable orgasms.
• Worsening chronic health conditions: a person with depression may also struggle to follow the treatment plan for a chronic illness which can allow the symptoms to get worse.
• Trouble sleeping: people with depression may experience insomnia or trouble sleeping which can leave them feeling exhausted and make it difficult to manage both physical and mental health.
• Gastrointestinal problems: people with depression often report stomach or digestion problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, or constipation.

If you are healthy, you don't have to avoid alcohol altogether, but you shouldn't drink alcohol every day or even on most days of the week.

Fatty liver, which is early-stage alcoholic liver disease, develops in about 90 percent of people who drink more than one and a half to two ounces of alcohol in a day. If you drink that much or more on most days of the week, you probably have a fatty liver. Continued alcohol use leads to liver fibrosis and finally, cirrhosis, in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue.

Most people have no idea that eating the wrong foods can cause arthritis pain flare-ups.

Whether you've been diagnosed with arthritis or if you just have occasional achy joints, you should steer clear of the 4 biggest "food landmines."

1. Nightshade Vegetables (Tomatoes, White & Red Potatoes, Eggplant, Bell Peppers & Chili Peppers, Goji Berries, Paprika, Tobacco)
2. Blackened & Barbecued Foods
3. French Fries & Other Processed Fast Food
4. Bagels, Muffins, & Pasta (Gluten)

Welcome to The Physicians Weigh Wellness Wednesday page! Be on the lookout each week for new information and tips on comorbidities such as arthritis, alcohol, depression, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, obesity and tobacco.

Comorbidity refers to the presence of more than one disorder in the same person. They can occur at the same time or one after the other. Comorbidity also implies interactions between the illnesses that can worsen the course of both.

Conditions that are seen to overlap include physical ailments such as diabetes, cardiovascular illness, cancer, infectious diseases, and dementia. Mental disorders that tend to show comorbidity also include eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.