Tribe Doctor

Make Parenting & Fitness Work Together

A new study out points to pregnancy weight as one of the contributing factors leading to obesity in America. But not losing weight after a baby is born is just the first step in a cycle that never has to start: the cycle of parents neglecting their own fitness because they’re way too busy with everything else.

Here are some ways to capitalize on the little free time you have and keep your whole family healthy and happy!

Hello fellow members of the Fit Tribe! Its great to hook up with others who “get it”! Others who are willing to make the commitment to be fit and healthy! I ask you, is there any other way?

This is the first of many articles or dialogues hopefully on a variety of topics related to achieving and maintaining Vibrant Fitness – health (physical, emotional and spiritual) beyond what you’ve previously dreamed possible. I hope you occasionally find this column informative, amusing, thought provoking. It’s up to you what you do with it, I welcome responses.

In recent years, there has been a major drift in both the trends of chronic disease states and the causes of death in the United States.¹ These changes reflect differences in lifestyle and behavioral choices. The major causes of death are not due to cancers or car accidents, but rather the poor management of habits that can lead to lifelong health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. A few examples of these bad habits are smoking, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol consumption.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracks trends of health-related behaviors and risks, with two public surveys: the telephone-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the interview-based National Health Interview Survey. Data collected from the BRFSS survey is compiled to create the Selected Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area Risk Trends (SMART) report. All data collected allows the CDC to identify problems in specific communities and allocate resources purposely.

If you don’t want to get breast cancer, don’t think about getting it!

“Clearly,” you say, “he must be mad!” How could a physician who specializes in optimal health make such a ridiculous statement? Here’s how: don’t focus on your fear; visualize vitality.

Aim For Your Desired Destination

When young people are learning to drive, they often swerve a lot at first. Their nail-biting path is due to where they mistakenly place their attention; on avoiding the curb. As they look at the yellow lines they unconsciously drive toward the curb! Young drivers soon learn not to drive to avoid the curb but instead drive toward their destination. In driving, the key is to keep your car tuned up and steer toward your desired destination.

Fast food may cause erectile dysfunction; yet another reason to avoid fast food altogether.

As if it weren’t bad enough that fast food makes you fat, gives you heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and messes with your skin, now there is evidence that, at least for men, eating too much fast food can make you a failure in the bedroom!

Testosterone is not only for men!

Yes, you heard me, testosterone. The same hormone that builds your muscle, improves your workouts, makes you develop a beard, and helps you lose body fat is important for your girlfriend, too! No, I’m not talking about some freaky guys here; ALL guys need their girlfriends to have adequate testosterone levels.

Didn’t start shaving until you were 18? And then, was it more for your manhood than need? It could be normal for you, but this could also reflect a testosterone deficiency. Although uncommon in young men, it is definitely worth considering if you answered “yes” to the above questions.

Recently, we discussed exercises that could improve your sex life, and MFT reader Stevers made a comment that inspired this article. He mentioned herbal solutions, maca and yohimbe, and wanted to hear my take.

Maca is a Peruvian plant with a history of consumption for warriors, livestock, and Peruvians. The plant can be mashed, boiled, roasted, fermented, or prepared as a salad. The reason maca is being brought up in the same conversation as sex is that it has been shown to increase libido and semen quality. However, it’s important to note that a diet high in maca and low in iodine has been associated with high rates of goiter. In rats, it has been shown to enlarge prostate glands. However, maca is consumed in many parts of the world as a dietary staple with minimal risks.

Improve your sex life with increased blood flow, agility, and vitality! Here are some tips that will enable you to have better sex:

1. Be fit – It seems so simple, but it’s imperative for a healthy sex life. Get on top of any existing conditions you may have, like high cholesterol or diabetes. Be sure that your prescriptions don’t have any sexual side effects. Eat a diet that’s low in fat and try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Finally, ensure that you’re getting enough rest. These are easy ways to prime your body to be in peak shape.

People who exercise regularly reap a host of health benefits, but did you know that a better chance of avoiding or kicking addiction is one of them? New research seems to indicate that people who get regular physical activity are less likely to abuse alcohol or other substances, and may be able to quit addictive behaviors more successfully as well.

If you find it’s always difficult to drag yourself out of bed for that 5 AM session at the gym, it may not be that you’re lazy. Having a hard time waking up, especially if you have gotten 7-8 hours of sleep is a typical symptom of an under-active thyroid gland. Other signs are: feeling cold all of the time or having cold hands and feet, foggy thinking, as well as dry skin especially on the heels and/or elbows. The most common complaint I hear is putting weight on easily and then having a great deal of trouble taking it off despite hours of cardio and dieting.

I was recently at an event where a lot of "Hollywood types" were present – models, actors, producers, etc. I overheard an acting and modeling coach extol the virtues of a “detox” diet to a naïve young model. Later, when she expressed that she was anxious to start the diet and lose 15 lbs. in one week, I realized how many people get taken in by these “detox” fads. I wonder if any of them realize that you can detoxify without starving yourself, and you can utilize detoxification tips to help you lose weight and keep it off, rather than just lose water weight.

Do you guzzle a Venti Cappuccino on your way to work? Inhale a Red Bull to get through a late-night lifting session? You may swear by your Starbucks, but that quick boost may not be doing your energy levels any favors.

Almost all of us have experienced heartburn at one time or another. Heartburn is the most common symptom of gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD), also known as acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when a sphincter called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) at the lower end of the esophagus does not work properly, causing stomach acid to back up in the esophagus. Heartburn, a painful burning sensation in the chest or throat, is the result.

That’s right, ED is not just for the old guys anymore! In fact, I am willing to bet may tribe members and well as some of the hot bods that grace these web pages suffer from ED from time to time.

In a study survey of 234 men aged 18-25 at three Chicago universities headed by Najah Senno Musacchio, MD, of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, 13% reported ever having difficulty getting or keeping an erection and 25% reported ever losing an erection while putting on a condom.