TODAY’S DOSE OF HONESTY

Overindulged last weekend? Here’s my personal Rx.

We've all had holidays and weekends and vacations where we engage in, shall we say, excessive eating and drinking fun. Which often brings on sluggishness, bloating, general malaise, and—since we have potentially derailed our weight loss goals—a bit of regret afterward. I get it. I've been there. It happens.

But here's the thing: One day, or one weekend, or even one WEEK does not a weight disaster make. It's really what you do the rest of the time that truly matters. Yes, you might gain a pound or two after a lapse of concentration and focus, or getting knocked off your game, so to speak. But it’s not something you can't recover from. 

Don't beat yourself up about it. In the whole scheme of things, it's a drop in the bucket. What can and WILL make you feel better is to nurture your body by giving it three things it needs and wants: good rest (sleep), good activity (movement/ exercise) and good, clean fuel (whole, fresh foods that are high in fiber and lean protein). For me, this means getting 8 hours of sleep; getting a good workout of low intensity cardio and weightlifting; and eating a big salad and drinking my protein/fiber smoothie (click, then scroll down to find it) and lots of water. If you revert back to this trifecta of good health, those brief lapses in focus on your routine of well-being will fade into the rearview mirror faster than you can say "holiday weekend! 

SYMPTOM SOLUTIONS

Want to live longer? Here’s what our expert recommends.

How can you add years to your life? The best person to answer this question is someone who has made studying what makes people age and how to slow—and even reverse—this process his life’s work. Our Core Expert, Dr. William Li, gives us his Rx for prolonging healthy living.

Eat a traditional Mediterranean-style diet—but don’t overeat! The Mediterranean diet consists of all the key health-promoting ingredients shown to promote longevity: whole vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy oils (like extra virgin olive oil), and seafoods. These foods are rich in polyphenols, dietary fiber, and healthy fats and oils that activate the body’s health defenses to help you resist disease. And by not overeating, you are limiting your caloric intake, which has been shown to slow cellular deterioration and support healthy aging.

Stay active—both mentally and physically! When it comes to body and brain health, it’s a “use it or lose it” situation. By staying physically active, you’re keeping your muscles and circulation in shape and stimulating your immune system as well as your stem cells, which are crucial for regenerating your health from the inside out. And cognitive and mental engagement, curiosity, and a lifelong interest in learning are hallmarks of people who live to ripe old ages.

Cultivate your social connections. Having strong connections with supportive friends and family helps improve immune function and mental health, and makes you feel positive with a sense of purpose in life. This is a hallmark of people living in our planet’s Blue Zones, where longevity reigns supreme!

Get good quality sleep. When you’re sleeping, your body is anything but inactive. This is the time when your brain actively drains toxins that accumulate during the daytime, your immune system has a chance to reset, your metabolism burns away excess body fat, and your gut microbiome is groomed. Chronic lack of sleep makes you miss out on these key functions that promote long-term health.

Avoid dangerous activities. Simply, you live longer by staying out of harm’s way. Activities such as extreme sports, free climbing, and base jumping go without saying, but reckless driving or continually overtaxing your body or putting yourself in hazardous situations may also put you at greater risk for fatal accidents. Just don’t.

Shed unhealthy habits. Ditch the habits that are known to shorten your life, such as smoking or vaping, consuming excess alcohol, and taking opioid drugs. These habits erode your health and put you at risk for cancer, organ failure, and lethal overdose. Quit while you’re ahead.

Lower your stress levels. It's normal and even beneficial to have some stress, but for the long run in life, it’s important to try to lower excessive and chronic stress. High levels of stress cause inflammation in the body, which is a set up for chronic diseases and it accelerates cellular aging.

Our Core Expert

William W. Li, M.D., is an internationally renowned physician, scientist, and two-time New York Times bestselling author of Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer and Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. He is president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation; his groundbreaking work has led to the development of more than 40 new medical treatments and impacts care for more than 70 diseases, including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease, and obesity. His TED Talk “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views, and he has been featured on multiple national media platforms. drwilliamli.com @drwilliamli

COMMUNITY

“I’m pretty sure I have sleep apnea, but that CPAP mask looks like a nightmare—help!”

Sleep apnea is no joke. Besides robbing you of needed sleep and making your days more fatigued (and worrying your bed partners), it’s a serious condition that puts you at risk for many life-robbing diseases. So, if you think you might have it, please, PLEASE, have your sleep analyzed to determine if you do suffer from sleep apnea and how you should be treated. That said, a CPAP mask can be intimidating and downright uncomfortable! I asked our Core Expert, sleep specialist Dr. Thanuja Hamilton, to provide a quick rundown and some real-life advice for making CPAP (still the most effective treatment) less disagreeable.

The whole point of CPAP is to blow pressurized air to keep the airway (compromised by apnea) open. It’s delivered from a machine at your bedside, through a tube and into a mask that traditionally has straps around your head to secure it. And it's completely understandable that it may seem like an unattractive option to treat sleep apnea. My patients have all sorts of nicknames for the full-face masks—Fighter Pilot, Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter, to name a few. If you’re a mouth breather, though, you may need this kind of mask. Try one that sits under the nose (like the Evora mask) instead of on the bridge of the nose. You could also try one with tubing above the head that’s more out of your way (like Airfit F30i).

The nasal masks are much smaller. There are some that can be inserted into the nose (such as Airfit P30). If head straps are a problem for you, there are models with straps that fit around your ears instead of around your head (such as Swift FX Bella). There are even some strapless masks (such as CPAP Pro) and masks that use adhesives (like the Bleep Eclipse). Whichever option you choose, use the humidifier that comes with the machine to prevent getting a dry mouth or nose. 

While CPAP is the gold standard for treatment for sleep apnea, there are other options to open up the airway:

• Losing weight can help, but weight isn't always a cause. Apnea may be due to structures in your body, like your tonsils or uvula or your tongue falling back into your airway.

• Positional therapy such as avoiding sleeping on your back or raising the head of your bed may help.

• An oral appliance such as a mandibular advancement device can bring the lower jaw forward, preventing an airway collapse. 

• Nasal sprays, nasal dilators, or surgery to open nasal passages may help in mild cases of sleep apnea.

• New surgical options are now available, such as the Inspire upper airway stimulator. It’s a device that works by providing gentle stimulation to open up the airway and bring the tongue forward. This is indicated for moderate to severe sleep apnea patients who have trouble tolerating CPAP.

Talk to your doctor about all the options available to you. Whichever one you choose, it helps to remind yourself that, for all its trappings, CPAP works. And remember: Sleep apnea is a disorder that should not be overlooked; it can have serious impacts on overall physical and mental health. Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease, insulin resistance, and depression, among other things. Good health is a much sexier option.

Our Core Expert

Thanuja Hamilton, M.D., is a double board-certified sleep medicine specialist. She is the owner and lead physician at Advocare Sleep Physicians of South Jersey. She is corporate medical director of Persante Health Care, a national provider for sleep center management services, and serves as medical director of Jefferson University Health Systems and Virtua Health Sleep Labs. @drthanujahamilton

GOT A QUESTION FOR DR. JEN? Click here to send it.

ABOUT DR. JEN

In her roles as chief medical correspondent for ABC News and on-air cohost of “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton—”Dr. Jen”—shares the latest health news and information with millions of viewers nationwide. As an OB-GYN, nutritionist, and board-certified obesity medicine specialist, she is passionate about promoting optimal health for “the whole woman.” She has written several books, including the best-selling The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier & Fitter—One Month at a Time. And she has gone through menopause…

Refer a friend and
get a FREE gift!

Do you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter? It’s easy to refer them! Just click the link in the box below and supply their email address. They’ll receive a message asking them to confirm their email address—make sure they do this! Once they’ve done that, they’ll start receiving the weekly newsletter—which, as you know, is absolutely FREE—and you’ll receive Dr. Jen’s Exclusive Hair Resuscitation Plan as my “thank you” for your referral!

Forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe.

Missed last week’s issue? Read it here!

Want a copy of Dr. Jen’s latest magazine? Get it here!