Amanda Newman (00:00):
What are cortisol cocktails and charcoal lattes? Should you try snail mucin for skin care? Why are Brazil nuts the new superfood? All that and more on this episode of The Healthiest You.
(00:15):
Health trends are always emerging online, and it can be anything from helpful to harmful advice, from drinks to sip-on, skin care, dominating diets and so much more. We’re wrapping up this year by talking about the trends that may be worth trying and the ones to leave behind. We are focusing on women’s health and wellness on The Healthiest You podcast. Whether you’re on your way to work or enjoying a cup of coffee, take this time to focus on your health.
(00:47):
Here to talk about some of the top health trends on social media is Dr. Tina George, family medicine physician with Lehigh Valley Health Network. Dr. George, welcome to the show.
Tina George, MD (01:00):
Thank you for having me.
Amanda Newman (01:01):
So there have been several skin-care trends on social media this year, including using snail mucin or snail slime on your face. Is the mucus trail from snails a good anti-aging serum?
Tina George, MD (01:17):
Yeah. So it has emerged in the last few years and has been a topic of some research in the field of dermatology. So it appears that snail mucin does have some benefits for your skin. It contains a couple of structures that we often see in over-the-counter or creams that we use for skin care, like hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid niacinamide, and you’ll see that on several boxes if you just are browsing through the store, looking for different kinds of skin care, serums, lotions, moisturizers. So snail mucin has all of that, and it also appears to be a bit of an emollient or an exfoliator that can also exfoliate the top layer of skin, which obviously reduces the appearance of wrinkles, but can also help de-emphasize scars, particularly acne scars.
(02:11):
Some of the research also suggests that the mucin has antibacterial properties, so there has been some minor research into whether it can be effective for wound care. But particularly the setting of acne, there does seem to be some antibacterial properties that can have some benefits. These products are available over the counter. They’re not extraordinarily expensive. Some consumers might care about where the mucin comes from, and that is important. So there are some facilities and companies that will say that snails were not harmed in the making of the mucin. Some of them might also advertise that they’re actually producing the mucin as a product of romance between snails.
Amanda Newman (02:58):
Oh.
Tina George, MD (03:00):
Some are cruelty free, and they’ll just try and put the snails in a relaxing environment, and let them move around and release their slime, and then collect it. There are other producers where there might be some poking and prodding and stimulating the snails, so it’s not quite as animal friendly. So if that’s something you care about, usually the producers will make that evident on the labeling.
Amanda Newman (03:28):
That’s good to know. Have you tried it?
Tina George, MD (03:30):
I haven’t.
Amanda Newman (03:32):
OK.
Tina George, MD (03:32):
I was actually just speaking with a friend, and she’s like, “I’ll try it.” But I did look at it, and I think it would be valuable possibly, again, as an exfoliator to smooth skin. It’s not an overnight treatment, so it’s not like most of the moisturizers you would buy or the serums. You’re going to have to use it for six to eight weeks to see. It doesn’t appear to be very allergenic like a lot of compounds can be, so there’s value in that, and it appears to be safe for most skin types, so that’s valuable as well too.
Amanda Newman (04:04):
Yeah. So if you’re more oily-prone or you have acne or dry skin too. I know for me, I really struggle with dry skin, so I actually fell for the social media ad. I was like, “I’m going to try this snail slime.”
Tina George, MD (04:17):
You tried it?
Amanda Newman (04:17):
I did.
Tina George, MD (04:17):
What did you think?
Amanda Newman (04:19):
I love it. It’s just like this lightweight serum.
Tina George, MD (04:22):
OK.
Amanda Newman (04:22):
It’s very hydrating. And a tip that I actually just learned is you should apply it with your skin being a little bit moist.
Tina George, MD (04:30):
Yes.
Amanda Newman (04:30):
For better absorption. So I recommend it. It’s really affordable too.
Tina George, MD (04:35):
Yeah, it’s not super expensive. It seems like even probably a two-month supply is maybe $25.
Amanda Newman (04:40):
Yeah.
Tina George, MD (04:40):
Not crazy. That’s what I had seen too, is you should put it on damp skin. The only issue I had thought is, it could be kind of gooey, like slimy.
Amanda Newman (04:51):
It is a little slimy, but I feel like it’s worth it though.
Tina George, MD (04:57):
Right. Yeah, I don’t think it’s greasy.
Amanda Newman (05:00):
No, and that’s something that I don’t particularly like if it’s greasy, for example, like Vaseline or something. It’s nice, it’s lightweight, it is a little funky texture, but not bad. It absorbs pretty quickly, so I really like it.
Tina George, MD (05:14):
That’s great. Yeah, I think it’s particularly interesting for acne, because I think acne, it can be so difficult and so refractory to a lot of the treatments we have. And it’s hard. You’re at a hard moment in your life sometimes in terms of teens and early 20s when you’re experiencing acne. So to just try something else in addition to all of the traditional treatments we use like salicylic acid, retinoic acid, that might be a little bit more gentle, I think it’s worth a shot.
Amanda Newman (05:46):
Yeah, definitely. If you’re someone that struggles with acne, maybe give it a shot.
OK, so snails aside, what about slugs? We’ve seen slugging or applying a thick layer of either Vaseline or Bag Balm skin-moisturizer on your face overnight. Is this a great way to moisturize or a recipe for clogged pores?
Tina George, MD (06:08):
Yeah. So slugging has become really popular, and it’s basically just, as you mentioned, a way to keep the moisture in. Typically, you’re using these really dense, heavy products on top of your normal skin care. It does not appear to clog pores. So the way the process is done, you would wash your face and then do an exfoliation, and then apply a dense material like petroleum jelly or Bag Balm over your typical skin care overnight to try and lock in the moisture. There are scenarios where it could be harmful. So if you have an active infection, obviously, but that can also apply to a closed comedone with a pimple. If you have a bad cystic acne, it’s probably not the best method for you because you could end up just trapping a lot of those oils that you’re trying to exfoliate. So in those situations, not as good of an idea.
(07:07):
But for dryness especially, I would think for folks with dry skin or women who are maybe in a phase of life where they’re not so worried about acne, more worried about wrinkles and fine lines, in those scenarios, the moisture and trapping the moisture can really help reduce the appearance of that. So you’d want to do your normal skin-care routine, so that’s like a good toner with cleansing and then whatever serums you typically use, your normal moisturizer, and then this is your top layer to help lock everything in.
Amanda Newman (07:40):
OK. Maybe I’ll have to give that a try because I really struggle with dry skin.
Tina George, MD (07:46):
Yes. The other piece is makeup, right? So you don’t want to trap any makeup in there when you’re …
Amanda Newman (07:50):
Yes.
Tina George, MD (07:51):
Because it will definitely exacerbate any comedones or pimples that you have.
Amanda Newman (07:57):
This is a reminder for all the ladies, take your makeup off.
Tina George, MD (07:59):
Take your makeup off.
Amanda Newman (08:00):
I know it’s not always fun, and we’re tired, but take the makeup off.
Tina George, MD (08:05):
Absolutely. You can use the petroleum jelly, which is nice because it’s so non-hypoallergenic. It generally doesn’t exacerbate. We use it as the base in a lot of the ointments, prescription ointments that we use. So it tends to be very neutral even for people with allergies. So that’s a great base. Other people are using Bag Balm, which is a combination of minerals, sometimes petroleum jelly, and also lanolin. Lanolin, a lot of women might be familiar with from breastfeeding. We buy it as a nipple treatment when breastfeeding because it provides that barrier. It’s derived from the sebaceous glands of sheep, so they call it wool fat. It’s made by actually extracting the oil off of the wool when they take it, when they’re processing the wool. So that’s where the lanolin comes from. And it’s a good barrier. The only issue with that can be that if you do have a wool allergy or a sensitivity, it can be more allergenic, but by and large, it’s fine.
Amanda Newman (09:20):
That was so interesting. Thank you for explaining that.
Tina George, MD (09:23):
Sure. Yeah. So Bag Balm can be a little bit maybe more of a concern for folks with sensitive skin. You might want to stick to just a plain petroleum jelly.
Amanda Newman (09:32):
OK.
Tina George, MD (09:33):
Obviously it’s greasy, so you have to be aware.
Amanda Newman (09:36):
Yes.
Tina George, MD (09:36):
It might get in your hair, it might get in your pillow. And then it’s safe generally for occasional, if it gets near your nose, that’s fine, safe on your lips, and obviously not right near your eyes.
Amanda Newman (09:48):
Maybe putting an old pillowcase on would probably be a good idea.
Tina George, MD (09:54):
Yes. Yeah, because oil stains, it stains sheets. If you ever use Neosporin on a cut and then went to bed, you’ll see it does leave a stain, and it’s the same base.
Amanda Newman (10:04):
How about face yoga? In our last episode, we talked about the physical and mental health benefits of yoga, but what about this concept of strength training for your face for better skin?
Tina George, MD (10:17):
So this was new to me. I hadn’t heard about it, but I guess it is a big trend. A lot of women are looking it up online. I didn’t see any structured activities with regard to it, but some prominent dermatologists are recommending it, and there’s a process of expanding your eyes and stretching your face. I think it could have benefits. The muscles that we use the most tend to have more prominent features. The only thing is you’re not going to get the same definition that you would get with other skeletal muscle in your body. So for example, if you were trying to get defined biceps, you’re able to do that against resistance with either weights or bands or machines. Obviously with your face, you can’t do it against resistance in the same way. But the muscles that we use the most do become more defined.
(11:13):
The one concern I would have is that it could be easy to exaggerate wrinkles, right? It’s hard to squeeze your face and move your face in a way that you’re not going to exacerbate crow’s feet or those fine lines. So you have to, I think, take that into account. The other thing though that I think is valuable is that generally I think we tend to find with people with frown lines, or my friends, your 11s, right here, we do often hold our face in a static position. I was driving down here today, and I looked in the mirror and found that I was furrowed because I was focusing on traffic. So I think sometimes those sort of practices – whether it’s face yoga or some folks like the jade rollers – if it relaxes your face, there’s benefits because you’re not holding those tonic expressions that can exacerbate your wrinkles.
Amanda Newman (12:06):
You’re releasing that tension too.
Tina George, MD (12:08):
Right, right. In the same way a lot of facials incorporate facial massage, I think it’s that same idea of relaxing those muscles. So I think there’s probably some benefits. I don’t think it’s going to be a cure-all. And I know there’s some concern in folks with facial fillers that you can remove your benefit by dislodging it or basically making it less prominent by changing the structure of your muscles. The other thought would be if you have paralytics like Botox, that you’re going to be a little bit more limited in your facial movement.
Amanda Newman (12:41):
So perhaps if you’re someone who opts for fillers or Botox, maybe steer clear of doing the strength-training exercises,
Tina George, MD (12:49):
Right, right.
Amanda Newman (12:49):
But if not, this may be an alternative if that’s not something you want to do.
Tina George, MD (12:54):
Right, right. Another popular face-toning device that I’ve seen, that there’s really no data behind, are the chin slimmers that you hold. They’re supposed to vibrate and get rid of your gobble-gobble.
Amanda Newman (13:09):
I have not seen this. I’m going to look this up.
Tina George, MD (13:11):
Yeah, but that is not effective.
Amanda Newman (13:14):
OK. So don’t do that.
Tina George, MD (13:16):
Yeah.
Amanda Newman (13:17):
But maybe like the gua sha or the jade roller that you mentioned.
Tina George, MD (13:21):
Yeah, there’s no harm in it. It feels nice, and I do think it can relax and make you a little bit less aware of some of the fine lines that you get from normal facial expression.
Amanda Newman (13:34):
And at the end of the day, it’s an act of self-care for you to unwind.
Tina George, MD (13:37):
Right, right.
Amanda Newman (13:39):
There’s also been a lot of buzz lately about Brazil nuts. Apparently, eating Brazil nuts every day may improve your immune health and thyroid function since they’re rich in selenium. Is this an easy way to get this important mineral?
Tina George, MD (13:56):
There’s really no harm in it. It’s hard to overdo it on the selenium, but you can. So yeah, nuts are great. All nuts contain healthy fats, have fiber, generally are a good component to add to any diet. Brazil nuts have a lot of omega-3s, which people take often for skin health. Like you mentioned, the selenium, it’s a trace element, but it is important for thyroid function. In our part of the world, it’s very rare to see a selenium deficiency. We only see it in folks hospitalized on perineural nutrition. So I wouldn’t be too worried about supplementing a deficiency like people do, other more common deficiencies, vitamin D, vitamin B-12. But there’s no harm as long as you’re not overdoing it and eating massive quantities.
Amanda Newman (14:56):
So like one or two Brazil nuts a day would be appropriate?
Tina George, MD (15:00):
Yeah, for sure.
Amanda Newman (15:01):
OK.
Tina George, MD (15:01):
Yeah, and along with other nuts. They’re all great sources of healthy fats and fiber.
Amanda Newman (15:08):
OK. So another food trend that has received a lot of attention on social media is the carnivore diet where only meat and other animal products like fish or eggs are consumed. Why is this restrictive diet unhealthy and even dangerous?
Tina George, MD (15:24):
Yeah. So I’m not a fan. These diets have become popular in the wake of Atkins, but now you see it taken up more by influencers. With Atkins, the goal had always been to develop ketogenesis and make your body start to break down fats in the absence of sugar. Now I think the influencers describe it as more of feelings, like feeling well, feeling stronger, developing muscle. And maybe for short periods of time, it would be OK, but as a sustained way to live your life, I just don’t think it’s sustainable or healthy. … Short term, when you talk to your primary care physician, they’re going to express concerns about your lipids, your cholesterol, your triglycerides, because all of the animal products are going to be rich in those things. And we need them to some extent, but we don’t want to elevate them in a way that’s unsafe.
(16:24):
So in the past, Atkins was always done for short periods of time and so we never worried too much because we would say, “OK, we’ll tolerate these levels for six months while you drop the weight you want to drop.” But with these types, they’re more of a lifestyle change. So we start to worry more about those lipids, cholesterol being elevated over time. The other piece is animal-fat products, be it meat or eggs, or not so much eggs, but mainly especially red meat can be rich in purines, which we talk about a lot in terms of how they affect gout. So especially if it’s in consumption with alcohol, we can see worsened gout when you’re on these kinds of diets. It can provoke gout in otherwise healthy people when you’re eating these large quantities of meat. The other piece is sodium. We’ll often see sodium get elevated, causing long-term hypertension, things like that, when you’re eating these kinds of meats because often they’re processed with salt.
Amanda Newman (17:28):
So with these diets that are so protein rich, you’re missing out on fiber too. I would be so sad without my vegetables and my fruit, and getting that fiber is so important, and the carnivore diet doesn’t allow for that.
Tina George, MD (17:43):
It can absolutely lead to constipation because you’re eliminating most of our dietary sources of fiber, fruits, vegetables. It’s easy to get bound up.
Amanda Newman (17:54):
Yeah. Ugh, that’s the last thing you want. So steer clear of the carnivore diet because it just messes up your digestion, and it’s just really unhealthy.
Tina George, MD (18:05):
Agreed.
Amanda Newman (18:07):
So the popular parasite cleansing trend is back, except this time it’s with papaya seeds. Some people believe that eating the seeds is a natural way to eliminate parasites. Is this true? Should you eat papaya seeds?
Tina George, MD (18:24):
So it’s safe to eat papaya seeds, and we’re talking about omega-3s a lot today, but they are a source of omega-3s. Any seed like that is going to be a good source of fiber. So in terms of whether it’s safe to eat them, absolutely, as long as if you like the taste or you want it as a snack. In terms of the parasite discussion, so parasite cleanses have been a really popular, popular trend. It is really unlikely for most people in the audience for this podcast to have a parasite. In my years of practice, I’ve run hundreds of tests on stool and folks who are having symptoms, and I’ve only had a couple, a handful, ever come back with parasites, right?
Amanda Newman (19:09):
Yeah.
Tina George, MD (19:10):
So I mean, certainly if you have risk factors, if you’ve traveled, if you were in a lake with giardia. We actually, where I come from, we do have a lake that has a lot of giardia from the beavers. There’s a lot of beavers, and they shed, they poop a lot of giardia. Apparently they’re pretty asymptomatic, but folks who swim in the lake every summer and end up, depending on what part they’re in, getting it. So it’s definitely possible, but with that, you’re going to be symptomatic. Other parasites, not so much.
(19:45):
The other parasite that I would say I probably see more commonly is pinworm, because preschoolers, little kids, they do get pinworm. Again, they’re often symptomatic with itchy bums. So that happens. But I think the parasites people are thinking about when they’re thinking about these cleanses are usually more like roundworms, tapeworms, and they’re just not as common when you get farther from the equator and those areas of the world. So it’s unlikely that you would have. But a lot of folks do get hung up on the idea of parasites, because honestly, if we’re going to talk about poop, when you look at your stool, it can look like that depending on what you eat.
Amanda Newman (20:28):
You’re right.
Tina George, MD (20:29):
Processed lettuce can look wormy. So people will often look at their stool, and listen, I’m a fan of looking at your stool. Sometimes I’ll ask people, patients, what their poop looked like because I want to get a sense of if they’re constipated, if it’s loose or if there’s blood, whatever. And they’ll be like, “Oh, I don’t look.”
Amanda Newman (20:48):
Oh, no. I always look.
Tina George, MD (20:50):
I’m a big endorser of looking. It’s valuable. Look, but don’t examine.
Amanda Newman (20:56):
Got it. Check your poop.
Tina George, MD (20:58):
Look at it to get a sense, but don’t get involved in that. You’re going to start to worry yourself if you look too much. But yeah, no, so the impulse, it’s natural because some of it does look that way. But realistically, most people don’t have parasites and don’t need to do a cleanse. Now, in terms of the seeds, I guess a lot of this came from anecdotal evidence in parts of Africa where they had noticed that the consumption of the seeds had a reduced impact on carriage of parasites. So the study that’s being referenced when a lot of people talk about this was done in schoolchildren where they did ground papaya seeds as a supplement in basically the oatmeal porridge that they fed to schoolchildren. And they did see a reduction in carriage of ascaris worms, roundworms, which are very common in the soil in certain parts of the world, Latin America, parts of Africa, Southeast Asia.
(22:04):
So you can see chronic carriage, and eradicating these worms is a big issue in those areas. So a lot of times the traditional pharmaceuticals have to be repeated several times. So they were looking for something a little more benign that would be easy to introduce into the diet of these kids and maybe reduce the burden of these. Because these parasites, they can cause anemia, they can cause weight loss, they can cause symptoms in kids that we just would rather eradicate.
(22:33):
But in most parts of the West, we’re not seeing these kinds of parasitic chronic-carriage seeds. So I don’t think there’s a need for it. Might it be effective for one type of worm in a certain part of the world? Yes. Is it something that most people here should be doing? No. And I also want to comment on, I know there are some websites that do it, and there’s some naturopathic providers that do sell parasite cleanses.
Amanda Newman (23:03):
Yes.
Tina George, MD (23:05):
Some of those, I mean, most of them just give you diarrhea, but also it’s unnecessary and it can really disrupt your electrolytes. So just don’t. You just don’t need those kinds of cleanses, and that goes for enemas and a lot of the spa treatments around your digestive health.
Amanda Newman (23:25):
Because it can really do some serious damage on your gut microbiome when you start hopping on these trends.
Tina George, MD (23:31):
Sure, absolutely. Again, I think if you have chronic constipation and you’re trying to do something to treat that, that’s one issue. But generally speaking, as a routine practice, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Amanda Newman (23:43):
All right. Avoid. Wearing food to bed is another trend. People are slicing potatoes and onions and placing them in their socks overnight to draw out toxins and reduce cold or flu symptoms. Does this work?
Tina George, MD (24:02):
No. No. I don’t know where it came. I mean, apparently it’s a very old tradition.
Amanda Newman (24:09):
Yes.
Tina George, MD (24:10):
People used to do it back in the Middle Ages, and I had thought with onions it made sense. Because of the acidity of the onions and that pungent smell, I thought maybe it just cleared people’s sinuses, so they presumed it worked. Excuse me. But with potatoes, I don’t know. I don’t know why. Maybe because it just looks so starchy and absorptive.
Amanda Newman (24:30):
Yeah.
Tina George, MD (24:32):
I’ve had patients who do this with Vicks VapoRub. I’ll often recommend Vicks VapoRub on the feet for dry skin or for fungal issues. Not that there’s not data behind that; that’s more of a wives’ tale. But the Vicks VapoRub on the feet when you have a cold, I’ve heard that before, but I hadn’t heard about the vegetables. But unfortunately, I don’t think there’s any evidence to support it, but it won’t hurt.
Amanda Newman (24:55):
So it probably would be better to eat the onions or the potatoes.
Tina George, MD (24:59):
Put it in soup, right? There’s evidence for soup, so do that.
Amanda Newman (25:03):
How about charcoal lattes? There are claims online that adding activated charcoal to your cup of coffee can help with detoxification, improved digestion, and even whiten teeth. What are the health benefits and the risks?
Tina George, MD (25:19):
Sure. So I think the first question to ask is, what is charcoal? It’s not naturally occurring. It’s produced. So it’s made of peat, which comes out of the ground, sometimes a bit of coal, wood, and sometimes petroleum and coconut shells. So that’s charcoal itself. What is activated charcoal? That’s when it’s hydrolyzed or heated to sort of generate pockets so that the charcoal can be more absorptive and kind of molecularly.
(25:52):
In terms of health benefits, I guess the first thought would be, how do we use activated charcoal medically? We use it as an antitoxin. So it’s used in cases of ingestions, like over-ingestions of products like aspirin or certain toxins, most often in kids because they’re most likely to get into these products. It’s not often the case though that we use it with the charcoal because it has a limited application. You have to generally be within an hour of when the patient takes it. You also have to make sure that the substance has the right charge. Activated charcoal is negatively charged, so it’s going to draw in more positively-charged molecules. So only certain kinds of chemicals are susceptible to that kind of binding.
(26:45):
The other thing is, if something is rapidly digested, we don’t use it. What the charcoal does is, it’ll bind a toxin and then it’ll slow down digestion of that toxin so that all of its byproducts don’t occur all at once, so that you’re not exposed to that maximum level of toxin at one time. So when we do use charcoal, we have to be aware of what it can actually bind, and that’s only certain substances. And then another consideration is that because it’s such an effective binder, it can bind the medications in your stomach. So if you are using charcoal as part of a morning coffee routine, you also have to be aware of the medications you take around that time. Really, any medication potentially could bind to it. Particularly though if you’re taking higher-stakes medications, things like blood thinners, things like cardiac medications. We have to really make sure with your health care … nurse practitioner or doctor that they’re safe.
Amanda Newman (27:47):
Because that can reduce the effectiveness of the medication.
Tina George, MD (27:50):
Absolutely. In a general context, like a nonmedical context, the most likely thing you’re going to have with charcoal is constipation because it’s going to slow your digestion. I don’t see the benefit of taking it on a routine basis in drinks, and I think it does carry some risks of the charcoal forming an obstruction if you are doing it on a daily basis in drinks. I think small amounts in treatments or dental treatments is probably safe.
Amanda Newman (28:26):
But not something to regularly have in your morning cup of coffee.
Tina George, MD (28:30):
No, and I don’t think the benefits are there. I don’t think the benefits necessarily outweigh the risks.
Amanda Newman (28:37):
OK. Another drink craze is cortisol cocktails or adrenal cocktails, a mixture of magnesium, vitamin C, ashwagandha. A common recipe is orange juice, salt, cream of tartar, lemon and coconut water. Can this drink lower stress levels?
Tina George, MD (28:58):
I don’t know. I think a lot of these homemade drinks are popular because they’re sort of mimicking an energy drink or an electrolyte drink like a Gatorade. Right? So I think that what you’re trying to do is give yourself a little bit of sugar, a little bit of electrolyte, and maybe the cream of tartar I think is supposed to balance the pH. I don’t know if they’re going to have any benefit beyond the kinds of drinks that you can get over the counter at the grocery store right now. So the big impetus to start drinking these types of things was the development of Gatorade, which has a little bit of sugar and some electrolytes, which we lose when we work out or sweat profusely. But on a general basis, I don’t think it’s necessary probably with the cortisol. I think there’s no evidence that the drinks do anything to balance your cortisol level.
(29:58):
So cortisol is a hormone released by our adrenal glands. We generally associate cortisol with stress, but we also have a basal level of cortisol that’s always with us. These drinks, I think, are supposed to reduce the amount of cortisol in your body. There’s no evidence for that. Also, there’s no evidence to presume that your cortisol level is actually a problem. We use that, it’s sort of analogous to our stress level, but our stress level doesn’t necessarily correlate to our cortisol level. It might, it might not. We do know that in times of severe stress, the demand for cortisol is higher or cortisol levels might be higher, but that may not be the case on a day-to-day basis. I think a much healthier way to deal with stress would be the routine kinds of things you would do for stress reduction, be that exercise, meditation, watching TV, being with your family, engaging in hobbies. Those things are probably a better strategy.
Amanda Newman (31:00):
That’s what I was going to say is that just doing things that you enjoy doing and sticking to that routine, whatever that is, because habits are important. And as people who really like routines, that probably helps eliminate some of the stress in the morning hustle and bustle.
Tina George, MD (31:17):
Oh, routines. I’m a big fan of routines.
Amanda Newman (31:19):
Me too.
Tina George, MD (31:20):
I mean, I think that it lets us function better.
Amanda Newman (31:22):
Yes.
Tina George, MD (31:23):
It gives us some sense of constancy.
Amanda Newman (31:24):
Think clearer.
Tina George, MD (31:25):
Right.
Amanda Newman (31:25):
Yeah.
Tina George, MD (31:27):
I think knowing it’s a scaffold, it’s a safety net that gives us the ability to have the wherewithal to react to things if we know our basic routines, and that’s true for us adults, it’s true for kids. That’s one of the biggest issues with kids, is routine. Right? And that doesn’t change as we get older or we still like to have that sense of constancy.
(31:50):
The other thing, by the way, that I did want to comment on with the cortisol, we live in an era where there’s a lot of great health-promotion online and there’s a lot of services available to people more than there ever was. And that’s great for education. And I think it’s also great for diseases and that patients have more access. Unfortunately, sometimes that also can open the door to grifters and people who maybe take advantage or businesses that take advantage.
(32:18):
So I often get nervous when we start to talk about cortisol, is that a lot of times those things get manufactured as a message of cortisol deficiency. What they end up doing is giving patients steroids, things like prednisone or Decadron, things that we usually reserve for the treatment of specific conditions, but they kind of get given to patients through different platforms as a treatment for a cortisol deficiency, and that’s not often accurate. So I have seen patients end up in very bad places taking inappropriate steroids given by these types of facilities. So I always say, with the cortisol, be very cautious. Please make sure to talk to your regular family doctor or primary care doctor about this because you don’t want to end up in that sort of a place and inviting other complications.
Amanda Newman (33:15):
Now, what about electrolyte packets? Are they the key to staying hydrated?
Tina George, MD (33:21):
Electrolytes are obviously really important. In terms of the packets, most of us don’t need additional supplementation beyond what we get in our normal diet. The packets themselves, depending on what they contain, things like magnesium, potassium, chloride, those are generally safe. So the packets with those as a main item as the product are probably OK. The one concern I have sometimes is that they incorporate caffeine, and it’s very easy to get a concentrated dose of caffeine in those. The other issue is I see a lot of younger people using those packets to flavor drinks, and we’re talking about kids and young teens, and generally, they especially aren’t going to need it. It’s better to not introduce that as a habit. But for adults, especially if you’re doing an intense exercise, generally it’s safe.
Amanda Newman (34:16):
I take one every day, and I always opt for the unflavored because I’m a no person when it comes to natural flavors or added sugars because you just don’t know what all goes into it.
Tina George, MD (34:29):
For sure.
Amanda Newman (34:30):
What is tadpole water? Can it help with losing weight? I mean …
Tina George, MD (34:34):
It sounds so gross.
Amanda Newman (34:36):
It does.
Tina George, MD (34:39):
So it’s basically just chia seeds suspended in water. So it refers to the practice of drinking the concentrated chia seeds. Chia has been really popular for a long time. People, again, like it because seeds are a great source of fiber, great source of omega-3s and relatively flavorless. So people do. It probably doesn’t offer a benefit beyond other foods that are rich in omega-3s like nuts. But the fiber is beneficial. People also like it because they say it gives them a sense of satiety, which any fiber can do. I’ll often recommend inulin fiber to my patients, which is just again like a natural vegetable fiber. And that’s what comes in a lot of the fiber gummies for the sense of satiety. And it’s just generally good for digestive health. So the chia seeds, people are taking them for the satiety, to help reduce appetite. If you want to use it that way, that’s OK. It’s safe. I have no concerns with it. I just think it’s hard to stomach. I think if it doesn’t dissuade you in your appetite, then fine.
Amanda Newman (35:51):
Well, the texture too, I think for some people, it’s like, “Oh.” What about chia seed pudding? That’s something I can get on board with. I don’t know if you’ve done chia seed pudding.
Tina George, MD (36:00):
I’ve seen it at the store, but I’ve never had it. But again, if you don’t mind the texture because it’s a little gritty and you can get the seeds, I think it’s a great source of fiber. It’s funny, because I love berries and I started buying more frozen berries rather than fresh because you just can’t stay on top of them and the rate that they go fast. So I started buying frozen berries and doing my own smoothies, and that is very seedy. So it’s not really that different than the chia seeds, but for some reason it doesn’t bother me.
Amanda Newman (36:33):
That’s what I do too with fruit. I don’t buy the fresh fruit. We just get frozen. Our freezer is full of frozen fruit because we love to do smoothies and things like that. But like you’re saying, with smoothies, you get the little seeds from the strawberries, the raspberries. So it’s not all that different from a chia seed drink or chia seed pudding.
Tina George, MD (36:52):
No. And I think some of the smoothie mixes, the frozen smoothie mixes, if you buy it pre-made as a mix, I think there’s chia in some of those.
Amanda Newman (37:00):
I think so, yeah. Now some people are using honey and pink salt as their new pre-workout to give them more energy. Should you consider switching to this all-natural pre-workout?
Tina George, MD (37:14):
So the idea behind using the honey is to give yourself a little jolt of sugar and raise your glucose levels and increase your energy, and then the salt, again, to prepare yourself to lose sodium chloride when you’re sweating really intensely. Really it’s not that different than using a sugar-containing energy drink. You are getting the same benefit. Your body doesn’t know the difference between honey and candy. So as far as your body is concerned and your pancreas is concerned, glucose is glucose. There’s a difference between simple and complex carbohydrates, but there’s not a difference between honey and candy as far as your glucose metabolism is concerned. And that’s not to speak to long-term health benefits, and that one might have other value, but just generally speaking. So in terms of pre-workout, probably a lot of things could give you that benefit, but that is fine. It’s OK and it can absolutely give you some energy. It’s just like in high school sports, when they told you to eat a plate of spaghetti. It’s the same idea.
Amanda Newman (38:21):
But would a piece of chocolate also give …
Tina George, MD (38:23):
It would.
Amanda Newman (38:25):
I had to ask that because that sounds more exciting than drinking.
Tina George, MD (38:30):
Yeah, absolutely. Right. You’re not getting the salt, but you’re getting the sugar. I think any candy would probably give you that same benefit.
Amanda Newman (38:36):
Maybe like a salted caramel chocolate.
Tina George, MD (38:40):
Right. I’ll take it.
Amanda Newman (38:42):
More and more women are focusing on longevity training at home or the gym. Why is this important? And what are the top exercise routines among women this year?
Tina George, MD (38:55):
Really, weightlifting has had a huge resurgence among women. We’re seeing so much more at gyms that are focusing on weight training for women. I think it began with CrossFit, where it’s not just female bodybuilders that we see trying to lift weights. It really popularized it among a lot of women. So coming out of CrossFit, you’re seeing a lot more weight routines. For a lot of women, that’s like a low weight, lightweight, frequent high intensity in terms of reps, and that’s really effective. So I think weightlifting is great for women of all ages. I think it’s really great for women approaching menopause, getting from your 40s, and then moving forward into menopause.
(39:36):
It has a ton of benefits. You see increased bone strength. You’re using those muscles, you’re giving some resistance that’s going to help your bone health. You see better balance just through the exercises you do, and then also through the muscle tone. It’s going to help you with balance. And balance is huge. Falls are such a huge issue as we get older, and anything we can do to prevent those has benefit. The last thing is mobility. We see that mobility improves with any activity, but weightlifting and strength training, when I say strength training, I mean anything with resistance. So if you’re using a weighted band or anything like that, it’s going to help your mobility and keep your joints moving.
Amanda Newman (40:22):
I love weight training. I try to do two to three times a week.
Tina George, MD (40:28):
How much do you lift?
Amanda Newman (40:29):
Well, probably for arm curls, I would do about 15.
Tina George, MD (40:34):
Oh, my god.
Amanda Newman (40:36):
Yeah. But I only do a few reps, but I’m trying to build up my strength. And then we also have a bench set up, and so far the most that I’ve done is like 35, 40.
Tina George, MD (40:47):
Wow.
Amanda Newman (40:48):
Yeah. My husband’s there, spotting me as I’m doing my lifting, but it is so much fun and I feel so satisfied after doing it because I’m like, “This is a challenge and I want to do it.” Strength training, I absolutely love it.
Tina George, MD (41:02):
Yeah. I only ever got to 10 pounds and then …
Amanda Newman (41:06):
That’s still great.
Tina George, MD (41:07):
I had to back down to eight and then to five, and right now I use three, but …
Amanda Newman (41:14):
That still counts.
Tina George, MD (41:16):
You really do, you lose it fast. I mean, that, I think, is the remarkable thing with weights. You lose that strength really fast. So it is important to maintain. But honestly, I do, I do see a benefit when I use... My kids make fun of me with my two- and three-pound weights.
Amanda Newman (41:31):
But you’re working out. That’s what matters.
Tina George, MD (41:33):
Balance, it really helps.
Amanda Newman (41:35):
Another rising trend is little treat culture. It’s when you reward yourself for completing a task with a small purchase like coffee to boost your mood. What are the pros and cons of this trend?
Tina George, MD (41:49):
Why not? I think we all need incentive. We all need to tie in incentive to an unpleasant task. I think most of us are really good at, we talked about routine, at doing our routine and enjoying the things we do. But at the end of the day, we always have some unpleasant task. I was talking with a friend on my way here about scrubbing the bathtub and how much I hate it.
Amanda Newman (42:11):
Oh, my goodness. Me too, because I’m so short. I need to get one of those extenders that they have on Amazon that has the spinning brush and stuff.
Tina George, MD (42:18):
Yes.
Amanda Newman (42:18):
Because I’m just jumping and scrubbing.
Tina George, MD (42:23):
Oh, my gosh. I feel like I have that conversation with my patients. I have so many women over the age of 70 who are trying to climb up on the walls of the bathtub and scrub it. I feel like I spend a lot of time yelling at people not to do that. But I bought the scrubber for my drill. I have it for my drill and I use it to scrub. But still, it’s a project.
Amanda Newman (42:42):
It is, because you’re still bending. Even if you have the extender, you’re still moving weirdly, and it doesn’t feel good.
Tina George, MD (42:49):
It’s the worst. And I use bleach, because after I had my bone marrow transplant, they wanted us to only use bleach to clean. So I became a believer in bleach. But I use it dilute, it’s just so strong, but I don’t want to smell it. I don’t want to contort my body to scrub. So yeah, I hate doing it. So I need to motivate myself. So if I do it, I will let myself have a little, I love frozen chocolate-covered fruit. TruFru. I love it. So that’s my big reward usually when I scrub the tub. But we all have things like that in our day to day that I think there’s nothing wrong with enjoying what you enjoy and giving yourself a reward for doing things. I mean, it’s just motivation. Why not?
Amanda Newman (43:31):
Yeah, give yourself a treat. You completed a task, you deserve a treat.
Tina George, MD (43:35):
Yeah, agree.
Amanda Newman (43:37):
What is a dopamine menu? And how can it help beat the winter blues?
Tina George, MD (43:43):
So when we talk about dopamine, we’re talking about neurotransmitter, and it’s often associated with reward. But we also have dopamine that helps with movement and lots of processes within our brains and in our behavior. My husband is a neuroscientist and he studies the way that we talk about neuroscience and the brain with regard to our behavior and popular culture. So I think he would say it’s OK, we don’t have to give it a physiological basis, and say that we do it because it’s dopaminergic. He would just say, “Do what you want. Do a thing that you enjoy.”
(44:21):
So if you want to say it’s dopaminergic, I think that’s fine. You could just as easily say it’s serotonergic. But I think it’s great to have a good idea of what you enjoy and knowing yourself and what you’re going to derive pleasure and meaning from. So when we talk about putting it on a menu, it means being aware of how you’re feeling and how those kinds of things that you enjoy are going to impact your mindset and your behavior. Especially as we go into the winter, I think it’s important to have things that you know you’re going to be able to derive pleasure from, and that’s going to be different for everybody. Sometimes that’s going to be, for some folks, that really is exercise. For some people, it’s really not.
Amanda Newman (45:05):
Yeah.
Tina George, MD (45:06):
A lot of times it’s friends, planning an event and having something on the calendar that you can look forward to. That really, really helps. We underestimate how much that helps us. And I think it’s really good to be self-aware in those ways and know the things that you can reliably go to for comfort. That’s just part of coping.
Amanda Newman (45:25):
Yeah.
Tina George, MD (45:27):
So to think about things that you really enjoy, and we were just talking about treats, right? It’s good to know yourself well enough to know when a thing is very taxing for you or a relationship or an interaction. We all have the holidays coming up. Sometimes that can be emotionally …
Amanda Newman (45:42):
Definitely.
Tina George, MD (45:43):
... difficult relationally or just in terms of our mindset and memory and all of that. So to have things you know you can do that are sort of safe for you, that you’re going to enjoy and you don’t have to guard yourself with, I think that’s great.
Amanda Newman (45:57):
Maybe create a list of three to five things that you really know are things that bring you joy and take you away and escape from all the things of the world.
Tina George, MD (46:10):
For sure.
Amanda Newman (46:11):
Well, Dr. George, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing so much helpful information with our listeners. This has been so much fun.
Tina George, MD (46:19):
Oh, thank you, Amanda. Thank you so much for having me.
Amanda Newman (46:22):
To learn more health tips, visit LVHN.org/HealthyYou. Remember to subscribe or follow The Healthiest You wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. And remember, be safe, be smart and be the healthiest you.
