Paige and Sam Peek of Seagrove Beach went to New Orleans to see their daughter, Holly, graduate from Tulane University School of Medicine and School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with dual degrees, Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health. She has accepted a Tulane residency position in the hospitals and clinics of New Orleans. Dr. Peek is a 2004 International Baccalaureate graduate of Niceville High School. Congrats to Dr. Holly Peek!

       Yes, I graduated on May 19, 2012. And after spending several weeks traveling the country interviewing for a psychiatry residency position, I ultimately decided to stay in New Orleans. In some ways, it was a difficult decision to make because I loved all the cities where I interviewed…New York, Atlanta, Charleston, San Francisco…and the residency programs were oh-so-tempting at schools like Columbia, NYU, Duke, Emory, and UCSF…but I kept feeling like I wasn’t finished in New Orleans yet! Oh I was finished being a medical student, and I was finished being Miss New Orleans (I had a wild ride in the world of beauty pageants but that’s a story for another time), but there was so much more I wanted to accomplish in New Orleans, and so much more I wanted to contribute. New Orleans has been called “the city that care forgot” and it could use a little extra care right now. So here I am, a psychiatry resident in what could now be called “the city that mental health care forgot.” And this is where my new journey begins.

       I have set my focus for the past several months on being an intern and learning how to be a doctor. Although this is occupying most of my time these days, I am continuing to write a biweekly mental health column for Tulane’s student newspaper, The Hullaballoo. As I continue on my journey as a psychiatrist-in-training in one of the most interesting, quirky, and lovingly bizarre cities in America, I am looking forward to where my career path takes me next.

Whitney Houston’s tragic and untimely death surprised much of the nation. She has been honored and remembered during the last week, with special tributes at the Grammy Awards and thousands of status updates blanketing social media to praise her incredible talent. Such a shocking death certainly has not escaped the gossip of the mainstream media. Though the results from her autopsy will not be available for some time, the singer, who has dealt with drug and alcohol addictions in the past, was reportedly abusing a deadly combination of alcohol and Xanax around the time of her death. No one can say as of now what ultimately caused Houston’s death. It is important, however, to realize how dangerous the combination of alcohol and drugs like Xanax can be, especially around Mardi Gras.

Xanax, also known by the generic name alprazolam, is in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Klonipin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam) and Ativan (lorazepam) are included in the same drug class. Similar to alcohol, benzodiazepines work as a depressant in the body’s central nervous system. Specifically, they enhance the effect of an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the body called GABA. Enhancing these inhibitory effects in the body can cause sedation, muscle relaxation, sleep-induction, anti-anxiety and amnesic effects.

Hey Health Nuts!

Are you experienced in health education, nutrition or culinary arts?

Are you motivated to help reduce obesity and hunger in New Orleans?

Be a Part of Shopping Matters®

Come help the Edna Pilsbury WIC clinic lead grocery store shopping tours and teach families key shopping skills like buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, comparing unit prices, reading food labels and identifying whole grains.

 To learn more about the program or sign up to be a tour facilitator email Davita Petty at dpetty@tulane.edu

For many people, it can sometimes be a struggle to maintain a routine of healthy eating (we definitely experience this first-hand in New Orleans!). The first step of eating healthy is learning how to shop for healthy foods at the grocery store. This can be especially difficult and overwhelming if a person has never been taught healthy shopping habits, is trying to provide for a family, and is shopping on a tight budget. Studies have shown that learning how to find good value foods at a good price has the effect of “improving sense of self-control, self-esteem, and empowerment” in regard to food shopping (Webber, 2010). Furthermore,  shoppers with this opportunistic outlook increase their fruit and vegetable intake, especially when given incentives such as food vouchers through programs such as WIC (Herman, 2006).

If you are reading this blog, you are probably personally interested  and actively learning about living a healthy lifestyle. Why not give back to the community by becoming involved in a program that spreads the knowledge of healthy shopping and cooking habits? I encourage anyone interested in volunteering in New Orleans to contact Davita Petty (dpetty@tulane.edu) and become involved in this organization! You will learn how to teach New Orleans families to shop for healthy foods on a budget through the WIC program. You will probably learn a lot about healthy shopping for yourself too!

Resources:

Shopping Matters Website: http://join.strength.org/site/PageNavigator/SOS/SOS_ofl_shoppingmatters_home

Herman, D. R., Harrison, G. G., & Jenks, E. (2006). Choices made by low-income women provided with an economic supplement for fresh fruit and vegetable purchase. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106, 740–744.

Webber, C.B., Sobal J., Dollahite, J.S. (2010). Shopping for fruits and vegetables. Food and retail qualities of importance to low-income households at the grocery store. Appetite, 54, 297-303.

Interview with Dr. Indranill Basu Ray, expert in the field of meditation and medicine. Check out his website at www.indranillbasuray.com. As discussed in the show, Dr. Basu Ray offers meditation guidance free of charge!

Dr. Basu Ray has trained in medicine and cardiology in India; in interventional electrophysiology and device therapy from the University of Toronto; and in electrophysiology research from Massachussets General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. He has been in charge of Experimental EP Lab at Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center and a faculty in Medicine (Cardiology) at Harvard Medical School. He is presently with Ochsner Medical Foundation and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans and at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Basu Ray is a Professor and Dean of the College of Integrative Medicine, HUA, in Orlando, Florida since 2008.

By Jacques Courseault, M.D.
Founder of Exercisemenu.com

Although there is still a disconnect between healthy behaviors and longevity, if there were ever a generation that would change America’s health and fitness paradigm, Generation Y would be the one to bet on. We are smart, confident, casual, chill, and value life and family over work and money. Combine this personality with an evolving scientific conscience that promotes healthy living and you get a group of people that enjoy running with the latest GPS-tracking smartphone, who rarely eat fast food and pride themselves in knowing the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats.

Generation Y.

We grew up playing team sports. We rode bikes and rollerbladed until the street lights came on. We watched as people lost weight on reality TV shows. We learned that being excessively overweight is strongly linked to the development of serious health complications, and we witnessed the First Lady launch the “Let’s Move” campaign.

Now, we come home after work to play video games that only operate with physical movement. We continue to promote change in the food industry- ridding trans fats to provide healthy options when eating on the go.  We know at least one person you know has tried P90X or participated in a “Boot Camp.” And “we are sexy and we know it (we workout)!”

Ah, Generation Y.

As we begin to take over the world, serious change is underway. A shift in focus, or a recycling back towards what sustains us is happening. We can’t blame past generations, as they have all had difficult challenges to face, from economic crashes to racism. Not that those issues are obsolete, but learning to take care of ourselves, our family and our environment are becoming more of a forethought, and a priority. A time is coming where “primary prevention” isn’t just your doctor telling you to quit smoking, eat more vegetables and exercise as she walks out the exam room. Soon, healthcare will be more synonymous with fitness instead of sickness.

Generation Y.

We have built the strongest networks in the history of the world with the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Between texting and blogging we can continue to encourage each other to make healthy choices. We can post our runs, seek motivation to complete marathons, show off our workouts on YouTube and share interesting health and fitness articles with a click of the Like button. Let’s take advantage of technology and combine it with our motivation to do what is good and right. Do your part and keep yourself and your family as healthy as possible. Workout for at least 20-minutes per day and strive to eat at least half a plate of fruits and vegetables with each meal.

In the end, we will all benefit…

Generation Y… Let’s get it done…

Bio: Jacques Courseault, M.D. is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, and founder of ExerciseMenu.com. His site promotes practical fitness measures through informative articles and home workout programs.

A study published in the Journal of Urology in 1996  looked at the PSA levels of 260 men before and after a four day, 250 mile bike ride. After comparing the pre and post bike ride PSA levels, the study concluded that there was no statistically or clinically significant increase in PSA levels after the bicycle ride. There was, however, a subset of men within the study who had elevated baseline PSA levels before the ride and this group did experience a more significant increase in their PSA levels. Another study published in the journal Urology in 2003 investigated whether bicycle riding altered the PSA levels in men ages 50-74 after a 13 mile bike ride. Similarly, this study found that any increases in the PSA levels were not significant and had no diagnostic impact for prostate cancer screening. A 2009 study from the journal Urology specifically looked at the PSA levels of professional cyclists and also concluded that there was no effect of professional bicycle riding on serum PSA levels.

In short, studies have generally concluded that if a man does not have elevated baseline PSA levels, any increase in PSA after a bike ride is transient and not significant. If a man has elevated baseline PSA levels or prostate problems, he may experience a larger increase in his PSA level post bike ride and may want to discuss the issue with his physician before continuing any rigorous cycling exercise. Although several of the studies suggested that the increases seen in this subset of men were not clinically significant, I didn’t find anything that could definitively state this. Furthermore, I didn’t find any studies that have shown that cycling can increase the chances of a man developing benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) or prostate cancer.

As for the question whether some seats are better than others, the information I found on livestrong.com suggests that if you are encountering discomfort or irritation from cycling, try some padding or switch up seats until you find something that works.

Trauma from cycling has been associated with the development of prostatitis, which is basically an inflammation of the prostate gland. Symptoms may include: pain or burning sensation when urinating; difficulty urinating; frequent or urgent need to urinate; pain in the abdomen, groin or lower back; pain in the area between the scrotum and rectum; pain or discomfort of the penis or testicles; and painful orgasms.

Although prostatitis is treatable, it certainly doesn’t sound fun. Basically, if it hurts when you are cycling get some padding or change seats until it doesn’t! And if you have concerns about your PSA levels, see your doctor.

People often turn to several holiday vices to deal with pressure, whether that be stuffing their faces with those delicious holiday cookies or having a few extra glasses of eggnog. Recognizing my own sources of holiday stress, I’ve recently been reflecting on my personal game plan for dealing with the holiday blues. Exercise — yoga in particular — has always given me a sense of calm in times of stress, so I’ve decided to amp up my routine this season. Though exercise and yoga have always been my coping habits, I’ve often wondered why they seem to work so well. I’d like to share a little research so that maybe you too will consider rolling out your yoga mats this holiday season.

In November, millions of men around the world sprouted moustaches to support the “Movember” movement. “Mo Bros,” as they are called, groom and trim their fine moustaches during the month of November while raising money for the Movember Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of men’s health issues, particularly cancers that affect men, such as prostate and testicular cancers.

Upcoming NOLA Mo Events:

Thurs, Mov 17th 5pm-7pm @ Loa

Tues, Mov 29th 5pm-til @ Rusty Nail

Parties in the works at Capdeville and Squeel BBQ, stay tuned! Click here to search for Mo parties near you.

Learn more about Movember and Men’s Health at us.movember.com.

Check out my post about men’s health from June 2011….great links are at the bottom and make sure to watch the video, hilarious!

NOLA Shavedown 11/5/11

I started wearing my contact lenses about a year ago. I was told, as most of us have been, to never sleep with my contacts in. In the beginning, I was very conscientious about how I handled my lenses. I always changed them, properly cleaned them and never even napped in them, let alone wear them at night. But as time wore on and as I got more accustomed to the lenses in my eyes, I got lazy. I occasionally slept in them and didn’t change them out as often as I should. And this is why I find myself spending this beautiful fall afternoon in my ophthalmologist’s office.