Category Archive

2024 October

The Importance of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates often get a bad reputation.

Maybe it’s because carbohydrates are processed as sugar (the body turns carbs into glucose during digestion), and people immediately associate it with weight gain or unhealthy spikes in blood sugar and issues with insulin. But that isn’t always the case. Fiber, starch, and sugars all fall under the umbrella term of carbs. And when your body turns the carbs into glucose, it gives your body and organs the energy it needs to perform basic functions.

 

Not All Carbohydrates Are Created Equal

Carbs can be complex or simple and can be digested at different speeds. The longer it takes, the less your blood sugar spikes. Complex carbs include fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods. These are less likely to cause a large blood sugar spike.

Simple carbs digest quicker and are more likely to contribute to weight gain or the risk of diabetes. Some examples of simple carbs are lactose, sucrose, fructose, and glucose. They can be found in items like candy or highly processed food items where the fiber has been stripped away.

 

Fiber

Fiber is found in plant-based foods and helps your body regulate blood sugar and healthy cholesterol levels. It also keeps you feeling fuller throughout the day. Good sources of fiber are:

  • Beans
  • Legumes
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Brown rice
  • Oatmeal
  • Whole-wheat bread or pasta

Starches

Starchy foods — beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, etc. — provide your body with micronutrients and stabilize blood sugar levels, similar to fiber.

 

Carbs Have a Place in Your Diet

Restricting your carb intake can be hard to sustain long term, and it can be detrimental if you deprive your body of all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that come with (specifically) complex carbohydrates.

Most importantly, carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source that fuels your body’s ability to breathe and move and your brain’s ability to think. The whole grains and dietary fiber found in complex carbs are known to lower the threat of heart disease and stroke, protect against obesity and colon and rectal cancers, and reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes.

When in doubt, follow the Mayo Clinic’s advice to “choose your carbohydrates wisely. Limit foods with added sugars and refined grains, such as sugary drinks, desserts, and candy. These are high in calories but low in nutrition. Instead, select fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on how your thoughts, emotions, and actions are connected.

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At its core, cognitive behavioral therapy treats psychological problems rooted partly in faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking and learned patterns of unhelpful behavior. It aims to teach better coping methods to relieve symptoms and improve one’s quality of life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help treat certain emotional conditions, including:

  • Depression or anxiety disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Eating disorders
  • Phobias
  • Sleep disorders
  • Managing stressful life situations
  • Bipolar disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

It can also help you work through everyday challenges regarding relationship issues, grief, divorce, professional work issues, etc.

Some steps taken during cognitive behavioral therapy appointments include:

  • Identifying the situations in your life (illness, divorce, grief, anger, etc.) causing obstacles in your life
  • Tune into the thoughts and interpretations you have about these situations
  • Developing confidence in one’s abilities
  • Recognizing any thinking or behavioral patterns that contribute to the problem(s) or distort your understanding of a situation
  • Working to reshape negative or inaccurate thinking through problem-solving and coping skills

It can be done in one-on-one settings, in a group setting, or with family members. Some of the strategies employed in cognitive behavioral therapy are facing your fears, role playing to prepare for anxiety-inducing or potentially problematic interactions, and learning tools to calm and relax your mind and body. It can be particularly effective when combined with other forms of treatment, including medication, when appropriate.

While cognitive behavioral therapy may not completely solve your problem, it can help you cope more effectively and feel better about your situation.

If your symptoms worsen, contact your healthcare provider right away. Call 988 to get help immediately if you have suicidal thoughts or are thinking about harming others.

In-Office Maternal Benefits

It’s no secret that being a working mom has challenges, and that’s especially true for women who are returning to work after giving birth.

On top of the emotional and logistical obstacles they face, many post-partum women have the added challenge of needing to express breastmilk throughout the day.

The PUMP Act— which stands for Providing Urgent Maternal Protections — is a law that requires employers across the nation to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for an employee to pump breast milk.

The location must be shielded from the view of others and free of intrusion from the public or coworkers, and the employee must have access to these accommodations for one year after childbirth.

It was signed into law at the end of 2022 and helped close gaps in the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law that left 1 in 4 women without pumping protection during the workday and expanded the legal right to teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and more. The PUMP Act also clarifies that these breaks count as working time and allows an employee to take legal action against the employer if the law is violated. On April 28, 2023, The PUMP Act expanded its enforcement provision to allow employees to file a lawsuit for monetary remedies.

A lawsuit can be filed under the following circumstances:

  • Violations of the break time requirement
  • The employer indicates no intention of providing private space for pumping
  • If an employee is terminated for requesting break time or space

Complaints can be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) at the toll-free number 1-800-487-9243 or by visiting www.dol.gov/whd. Employees may also contact the free helplines from the Center for WorkLife Law and/or A Better Balance to understand their legal rights and options.

Acupuncture for Pain

The insertion of very small needles in specific points of the body — known as acupuncture — is known to relieve pain and treat health issues.

Most people don’t like being poked and prodded with needles. Still, the insertion of very small needles in specific points of the body — known as acupuncture — is growing in popularity throughout western parts of the world to help relieve pain and treat health issues.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, acupuncture is part of the
ancient practice of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
that has evolved over thousands of years to
prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.

The belief is that your body’s vital energy (called qi) flows along specific meridian channels and lends itself to spiritual, emotional, and physical health when balanced. When unbalanced, it can lead to health issues, but one approach to restoring the balance and flow is acupuncture. Acupuncturists believe 2,000+ acupuncture points on the body are linked through the various meridians. The actual practice of acupuncture includes placing thin needles into the skin on certain points of a meridian. These are then activated by the provider’s hands or through electrical stimulation.

In Western practices, acupuncture points are seen as places to stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue and stimulate pain management naturally in the body.

The needles used in acupuncture are extremely thin, causing little pain to the recipient. Instead, many feel relaxed or energized through the practice of acupuncture. Other forms of stimulation may also be used in the sites, including heat, pressure, friction, and suction.

Professionals use acupuncture to relieve discomfort and treat conditions like:

  • Chemotherapy-induced and postoperative nausea and vomiting
  • Dental pain
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Headaches (tension and migraines)
  • Labor pain
  • Lower back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Respiratory disorders
  • Tennis elbow
Acupuncture_Vector

Other studies show acupuncture can also support treatment for addiction, asthma, digestive issues, emotional conditions (including anxiety, depression, insomnia, nervousness), and sinusitis.

The risks of acupuncture are low. They include soreness or minor bruising and bleeding at the needle insertion sites. The widespread adoption of single-use needles helps mitigate the risk of infection.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, some insurance policies cover acupuncture while others do not, and coverage can be limited based on what is being treated.