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» WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 » MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER
BREAST CANCER 2014 5 Rules for Effective Physicals Prevention is key, and knowing how to talk to your doctor could set you on the road to a healthier year – here are the top tips to ace your exam BY BEV BENNETT CTW FEATURES If you’re scheduling your first routine physical, or first in years, you may anticipate a conversation similar to speed dating. You want your doctor to know as much as possible about you, but you have a limited amount of time to share it. In addition, you may wonder if, as in speed dating, you should omit a few less appealing facts until the patient-doctor relationship progresses. Although physicians each have their own preferences about how much they want to address in one session, they do have general areas of agreement. Here are five things physicians want to hear from you during that first visit. 1. WHY YOU MADE THE APPOINTMENT
“You may say you’re here for a physical but you probably have an issue,” says Dr.
Richard Sadovsky, associate professor of family medicine, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. “Be clear to say why you’re here. The doctor will explore that,” Dr. Sadovsky says. Have ready your list of concerns. Some physicians want your top 3; others don’t mind all 30. “We take an ‘everything’s on the table approach,’ but not everything might be addressed on the first visit. It may take more than one visit to address all the concerns,” says Scott Massey, professor of physician assistant studies and program director, Misericordia University, Dallas, Pa. Prioritize – introduce the most urgent health matters first. If you’re unsure, think about any symptoms you experience. Ask yourself whether these are continuous and whether they’re getting worse, says Dr. Christopher Fitzgerald, internal medicine-pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Health Sys-
tems, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, Beverly Hills, Calif. “If symptoms are getting worse we have to address them,” Dr. Fitzgerald says. Physicians also will encourage you to mention symptoms considered trivial, especially if recurring and bothersome, such as intermittent heartburn. “There may be a disease lurking under trivial symptoms,” Massey says. 2. YOUR HEALTH HISTORY
Include your medical records, medications, family history going back to your grandparents and your lifestyle habits, Massey says. Smoking, drinking and lack of sleep, can affect your health.Don’t hold back because you think you’ll be judged. “Most doctors aren’t judgmental, even with things that might be embarrassing. If you feel you can’t be honest, get another doctor,” Dr. Fitzgerald says.
patient – you may not be getting appropriate care. Don’t be afraid to speak up. “You want the physician to know what concerns you,” Dr. Sadovsky says. Being forthright helps physicians as well, he says. 4. YOUR FOLLOW-THROUGH PLANS
Ask your physician what your next steps should be. These may include treatment for any conditions, screening tests according to your age and risk factors and a review of the test results. 5. YOUR DOORKNOB QUESTION
This is what you bring up when you or the physician are halfway out the door. Ideally this wouldn’t come up because you came prepared and are feeling comfortable with the physician. But, speak up if something is still on your mind. “In my practice I would rather have a patient ask and take an extra minute than 3. YOUR EXPECTATIONS not,” Dr. Fitzgerald says. If you have a tendency to be deferential It’s easy to play Internet MD, looking up – to not ask for what you need because you symptoms for various conditions you’ve don’t want to be perceived as a “bad” self-diagnosed. There are advantages and disadvantages to this, Dr. Fitzgerald says. You could use the information to take better care of yourself. But if you visit a site that’s not from a credible source, you could be misinformed. Your health professional is likely to commend you on your desire to be up to date, but then recommend you not get too far ahead or read too much into the sympTuesday, October 14th toms, Massey says. Triple Negative Breast Cancer For guidelines on the frePresented by Dr. Pamela Strickland, Breast Surgeon, quency of a physical exam Dr. Stephen Davidson, Medical Oncologist, and screening tests for your age and gender, visit the Dr. Lee Franklin, Radiation Oncologist National Institutes of Contact Us Today! Health website at: http://1. usa.gov/PTHNDZ (334) 220-4599
A Woman lifted up by others is stronger than a woman standing alone! 2014 Breast Cancer Support Group
womenofhope@charter.net www.thewomenofhope.org
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» WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 » MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER » WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 »
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BREAST CANCER 2014
Celebrity Health
Eat, Exercise, Survive Chef Rocco DiSpirito, proponent of the breast-cancer-friendly Mediterranean diet, reveals how he learned to love food and lose weight
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» WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 » MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER
BREAST CANCER 2014 BY LISA IANNUCCI CTW FEATURES
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few years ago, Chef Rocco DiSpirito fell into bad habits. “If you are a chef, you live in an environment full of indulgences,” says the Food Network star and author of 10 cookbooks. “There is a lot of foie gras and other food and you taste everything you make. It’s a late night lifestyle that comes with an above average amount of drinking and eating. As we get older, most chefs find that they are putting on the pounds. You know what they say, never trust a skinny chef.” All kidding aside, the 47-year-old DiSpirito, who had been working in kitchens since he was a mere 11 years old and traveling around the world living in Paris and Israel, began to pack on the pounds. “It wasn’t until I was in my 30s when things changed and I started to take note,” he says. When he couldn’t see his feet anymore, he began to follow a Mediterranean diet, choosing whole fruits, vegetables and grains over fatty
foods. DiSpirito also cycles and spins to keep in shape and dropped his extra 30 pounds and has since written multiple weight loss books, including his “Now Eat This” (Ballantine, 2010) and his latest, “The Pound a Day Diet: Lose Up to 5 Pounds in 5 Days by Eating the Foods You Love” (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014). DiSpirito knows something about eating foods you love, especially growing up in a household with a mom who cooked traditional Italian feasts. “Funny thing about Italian food though is that it’s not that unhealthy at all,” DiSpirito says. “The Mediterranean diet is also not a fad in Spain, Italy and Greece. Even though there’s mozzarella and parmesan, Italians in Italy use local fresh foods. They don’t eat tons of chocolate; it’s treasured for a very special moment. Soda is a rare thing. Most of the time they are drinking water and wine they make themselves.” DiSpirito stresses that the Mediterranean diet is just as much about socializing as it is about eating. “When you eat you commune with
people and you’re laughing and talking,” DiSpirito says. “It’s not just about indulging and sugar craving. It’s a much richer social experience when you’re making better choices. You also eat less and slower.” In the book, he explains how by following the plan, you will obtain most of your calories from fruits, vegetables and grains. His book includes 50 quick, 5-ingredient recipes, as well as ready-made suggestions for those who simply cannot find the time to cook; a primer on healthy and fast cooking techniques; calorie-calibrated menus and shopping lists. “It’s a collection of everything I’ve learned,” DiSpirito says. “There are healthy and delicious solutions out there. This book shows you how to get a lot of food out of a calorie.” DiSpirito understands that others
have struggled with diet programs. “Think about the reasons for making the change,” he says. “Use your overall fitness level as motivation. Deciding to make the change is the hardest part for some people. Make healthy changes and give up sugar immediately. Use monk fruit and stevia. Sugar is a dangerous addiction.” DiSpirito says that artificial sweetener is OK to use here and there, especially if you’re transitioning off of sugar, but using substitutes like monk fruit is all natural and safe. Preparing for your new healthy routine is also vital to your success. “You can’t leave home unprepared,” he says. “Bring food with you constantly. I bring a box of food and ask the hotels for an extra refrigerator to keep my food. I don’t want to eat other food.” For more information on Rocco DiSpirito and “The Pound A Day Diet,” visit http://www.poundadaydiet.com. © CTW FEATURES
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