November, December and January bring bountiful holiday meals.

While it’s tempting to chow down, experts are cautioning about how overindulgence can make you feel mentally and physically crummy in the moment, plus open the door to long-term unhealthy eating habits.

Have the right mindset

Andrew Zasada, MD, provides emergency department care at OSF HealthCare. He says avoiding stuffing yourself starts before you sit down for the meal.

“If you come to the meal hungry, you tend to try to make up for not having breakfast. You load your plate up, which is going to cause you to overeat,” Dr. Zasada says. “Instead, have a light snack an hour or two before you sit down to the meal.

“Put the food in one room and sit down in another room to eat. That necessitates you going there rather than having food available for another fill.”

The meal itself

Enjoy holiday meals, Dr. Zasada says. It’s not a race.

Grab a smaller plate, and take smaller portions of each item. Pretend you’re filling the plate up for a child. You wouldn’t take five rolls and two big slabs of meat for a youngster, so don’t do it for your adult self.

Other tips: Chew slowly. Between bites, put your utensil down, take a drink of water and talk to someone. This allows your stomach to fill up and tell your brain that you’re full.

When you finish eating, leave the table, and go to another room. Staying next to the food increases the temptation to keep nibbling.

If you can’t help it

Dr. Zasada says despite our best efforts, sometimes you overeat during holiday meals. Maybe you don’t want to offend your aunt by not having a slice of her famous pie.

If that happens, Dr. Zasada says there are two pitfalls to avoid: Drinking alcohol and lying down right after the meal.

“That opens up the sphincters of your stomach, slows down digestion and increases the chance for heartburn,” Dr. Zasada says.

Try tea or coffee after a meal instead of alcohol. But if you must indulge in a spirit, Dr. Zasada says to wait at least 90 minutes so your stomach can partially empty.

Instead of lying down for that post-meal nap, sit upright, talk to people or play a game. If the weather is nice, go for a walk.

A word on more serious eating issues

Holiday meals may be difficult for people who suffer from eating disorders, such as binge eating (eating a lot in one sitting and feeling you can’t stop), anorexia nervosa (an unwarranted fear of being overweight which leads to things like starvation) or bulimia nervosa (taking unhealthy steps to avoid weight gain like purging your food).

Dr. Zasada says, in the moment, you should have someone you trust who can help you through the holiday meal and check in with you later. Long term, he says these are serious issues that should be talked about with a health care provider.

“Repeated bulimia will damage your teeth. It’s corrosive. You lose electrolytes when you vomit,” Dr. Zasada says. “You become sick. If you do this repeatedly, you will lose weight in an unhealthy way. You will possibly dehydrate. You will start losing muscle mass.

“It’s just not a good thing.”

Bottom line: Don’t get discouraged

Dr. Zasada says one day of extra eating may make you feel bad, but it isn’t going to derail your overall health.

“One day won’t make you fat,” he says.

Get back into your healthy eating habits the next day while enjoying those leftovers in moderation. If you feel you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight or body image, talk to your primary care provider. They may refer you to a specialist like a dietitian or mental health provider. From there, plans could include a diet and exercise regimen, medication or, in rare cases, weight loss surgery.

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Holiday meals bring candy, cookies and other sweets in bountiful amounts. Most of us will chow down with a promise to return to healthy eating tomorrow. But people with diabetes must closely monitor their intake of sugar and carbohydrates at every meal.

What is diabetes? 

Aminat Ogun, MD, is a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare. She says diabetes is a disorder that affects how your body uses blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is when an autoimmune reaction stops your body from making insulin. Type 2 is when the body can’t recognize insulin and use it well. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women.

Dr. Ogun says a sedentary lifestyle can be a big risk factor for developing diabetes, so regular exercise is important. Treatment typically involves medication and lifestyle changes.

Moderation is key 

Dr. Ogun says there’s no magic number of cookies you can eat on Christmas and walk away with no diabetes complications. Your nutrition depends on your age, sex, height, weight and more. Plus, she says the brain needs some sugar to function.

Dr. Ogun recommends small portions. Put just a couple of cookies or chocolates on your plate after the holiday meal. Don’t keep going back for more.

Mix in healthier snacks, like fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. Look for “whole grain” or “whole wheat” on the label. If you’re craving sugar, try yogurt with berries or an apple with peanut butter. Artificial sweeteners are another option to satisfy the sweet tooth, as Dr. Ogun says they do not raise your blood sugar level. For example, mix a sweetener powder into your water.

Dr. Ogun says if you rely on insulin, check your blood sugar level as often as your doctor advises.

“You would have discussed with your doctor the amount of carbohydrates you can take,” Dr. Ogun says. “Try to keep to that level.”

Dr. Ogun admits it may be more difficult for children not to gorge on holiday sweets. So, parents need to keep a close eye and provide motivation to eat healthy.

“If they eat a certain amount of vegetables of fruits in a day, maybe reward with a cookie or snack,” Dr. Ogun suggests.

Learn more 

Symptoms of diabetes include increased urination, increased thirst and blurred vision. More serious cases could bring nausea, vomiting and eye, heart and kidney issues. Nerve damage leading to numbness and tingling in your hands and feet known as diabetic neuropathy is also possible.

“We lose sensation in those areas. People may step on a nail and might not feel it,” Dr. Ogun says. “The issue grows and grows and leads to an ulcer, which makes wound healing harder for diabetic patients.

“That’s when we have to consider amputation,” of a foot, for example, she adds.

Diabetes can also be fatal, Dr. Ogun says.

Read about diabetes care on the OSF HealthCare website. If you have questions about this disorder or have symptoms, talk to your primary care provider.

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As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50^th anniversary, one thing it has been known for over the decades is the use of comedy to make a commentary on what’s happening in the world. Recently, 
it was a skit about how the only way to get a young man to an annual physical is to pretend it’s a podcast appearance.

OSF HealthCare primary care physician, Mfowethu Langeni, DO, said he heard about the skit and then watched it with appreciation.

“So hopefully this can help encourage people to change that mindset and change the framing and letting them know that we will see you even if you have no symptoms, no issues. Preventive health is equally as important as any other aspect of health care.”

Nearly 40% of Generation Z men (age 20-29) don’t have a primary care provider and millennial men (age 29-43) make up the second-highest number of men without regular primary care according to one study.

Using comedy to tell hard truths can be an effective tool so Dr. Langeni hopes the skit breaks through the perception of many young men – a feeling they are invincible and therefore don’t need medical attention unless they experience serious symptoms.

Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reveals young men have a misperception they are healthier than they are.

“A good portion of men between the age of 18 and 35 are actually in probably fair to poor condition as far as health is concerned. So, I think the first thing we do when you walk in the door in a primary doctor's office, we check your weight, we check your vitals, and we check blood pressure. Those are some really quick things that we can get, but it can tell a lot of information.”

For example, Dr. Langeni says Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure don’t always have prominent symptoms right away and without an annual exam, they can go undetected for years. That poses the risk of irreversible harm. During an initial primary care visit, Dr. Langeni says he’ll also go over family history because there are some diseases, including cancer, that can be genetically linked.

“And so, if your father or mother or grandmother, uncle had a condition, you could also be predisposed to that condition as well. So, we address these things, we talk about these things, and then we come up with shared decision making and figure out what to do next.”

Research also shows men are increasingly turning to social media platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok for their health information, often relying on influencers. That’s not all bad, says Dr. Langeni, but he says having a primary care provider as a trusted source is a great way to verify information from social media.

“I promote people getting information, but the big thing is just then take the information and then ask, ‘Hey, what's true? What's not true, or if it is, is this right for me?’ If it's not right for me, because everyone is individually different, having a primary doctor really will help to cater to your individual plan.”

With OSF MyChart, you can also easily access your primary care provider with questions about a variety of concerns, including medications, supplements, or issues that might arise between appointments. If it requires a referral to a specialist, your primary care provider can make that happen. Dr. Langeni suggests thinking of a primary care provider as someone who is a care coordinator and your advocate.

National statistics reveal other health realities men might consider. For example, men die by suicide at twice the rate of women and 40.5% of men over 20 have obesity. A primary care provider can help with lifestyle changes and medication, if necessary, to address obesity. Some mental health challenges can be managed at the primary care level, but Dr. Langeni says having a professional you trust to discuss stress, anxiety, depression or other concerns is crucial. Then, he says, your provider can recommend whether seeing a behavioral health specialist might be the best approach.

Just as you take your car in for a regular oil change, Dr. Langeni strongly suggests regular health maintenance with a primary care provider. Putting it another way, he emphasizes, “primary care is preventive care” and that’s nothing to laugh at. 

Dr. Mfowethu Langeni

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Are you treating your care better than your body?

The National Institute on Aging says people age 65 and older are at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease and heart failure. Now is the perfect time for people 65+ and their caregivers to arm themselves with the information and supplies needed to keep their heart healthy.

Karen Whitehorn, MD, is an internal medicine physician at OSF HealthCare. Of the many risk factors for heart issues in older people, she points to blood pressure as a big one to watch. Dr. Whitehorn says a healthy blood pressure reading is 130/80 and below.

“If you’re on medication, take your medicine every day,” to keep your blood pressure normal, Dr. Whitehorn says. “Exercise and eat healthy. You want a diet that’s low in sodium and processed food. You want fruits, vegetables, fresh whole grains and lean proteins like turkey, chicken and lean pork.”

An annual physical exam is critical, too.

On exercise, Dr. Whitehorn admits mobility may be an issue for older people. She recommends checking with a health care provider like a physical therapist to see what exercises are right for you. Some workouts can be done sitting down. Low-impact cardio like walking is an option.

“But if any exercises hurt, don’t do them,” Dr. Whitehorn warns. “If you walk too far and you’re having pain, stop walking. You might not want to walk every single day.”

Dr. Whitehorn says if you have high blood pressure, check it at least once a day at home. Ask your health care provider what type of home blood pressure kit is best. If you don’t have high blood pressure, check it every six months. Your provider should also check your blood pressure when you have an appointment. But Dr. Whitehorn says don’t worry if that reading is a little high.

“People get nervous just seeing the doctor. They’re already a little upset because they have to come to the doctor,” Dr. Whitehorn says of the phenomenon known as white coat syndrome. “So when you take their blood pressure, it goes up. Normally, the nurse takes the blood pressure first. Then, after the person has been resting for a while, the doctor takes it again. It usually comes down.”

Other symptoms of heart issues include shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness. Someone experiencing a heart attack might suffer nausea and neck, arm or shoulder pain. If you experience these symptoms, call 9-1-1 right away.

Your doctor may order a stress test to get a better idea if your symptoms are indeed due to a heart problem. Dr. Whitehorn says one type of stress test puts you on a treadmill while your heart rhythm is monitored.

“If the rhythm is abnormal, it might indicate there’s a problem with your heart,” Dr. Whitehorn says.

For people who can’t tolerate walking or jogging on a treadmill, there is medicine to safely increase their heart rate while a health care provider monitors.

If the results of the stress test warrant further examination, a doctor will perform a cardiac catheterization. They will insert a catheter, usually through the groin, and send it up to your heart to take images using contrast dye. This will show if any of your arteries are narrow and what steps the provider will take next, short term and long term.

Learn more about heart care on the OSF HealthCare website.

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A mother is speaking out about water bead safety after her 14 month-old daughter swallowed a bead and wound up in the hospital.

Hannah Reif of Iowa tells Good Morning America that her child was vomiting, and doctors later found a one-inch water bead in the girl's small intestine.

Water beads are tactile toys that are marble-sized and water-absorbing. They are often used to reduce stress and anxiety while helping to develop focus and attention. The National Poison Control Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics say water beads can expand inside a person and cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage.

This latest incident with Reif's family is a reminder to know the signs of poisoning and choking and the steps to reverse the effects of each, says Aminat Ogun, MD, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare in Champaign, Illinois.

“Make sure there are no loose coins around  - no small toys they can pick up and swallow,” Dr. Ogun advises as a first step. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a list of recalled products.

Food should be cut into small bites for kids. Chemicals, like bleach used for cleaning, should be capped and stored out of a child’s reach. Cabinet locks add an extra layer of protection.

If your child does ingest something they’re not supposed to, Dr. Ogun advises taking an ambulance to the Emergency Department of your local hospital. Health care providers will assess the child, consulting with the poison control center if necessary, and decide what to do. One option is to pump the poison out of the child’s stomach. If it’s a small object that doesn’t present a grave threat, Dr. Ogun says doctors may see if it will pass naturally in a bowel movement.

Some children may swallow a poisonous liquid and not say anything, perhaps because they don’t even know the seriousness of what they did. In this case, Dr. Ogun says to watch for changes in your child’s health, like vomiting and lethargy, and see a doctor right away.

If a child is choking, Dr. Ogun says there are life-saving steps you can take at home.

For children under one, Dr. Ogun says to lay the child face down on your lap and pat their back five times. Then turn the child over and repeat the pats on their chest.

For older kids, perform the Heimlich maneuver. Dr. Ogun says stand behind the person, wrap one arm around them and place your hand in a fist between their belly button and the bottom of their sternum. Lay your other hand flat on the fist. Then make upward thrusts.

If you’re alone, you can perform thrusts on yourself or thrust your upper abdomen against the back of a chair or the edge of a counter.

Local first responders or health care organizations may offer training on these life-saving techniques.

One word of caution: “Do not put your hand in the child’s mouth to try to get the object out,” Dr. Ogun says. “That could make it worse.”

If these steps don’t dislodge the object and get the child breathing again within a couple minutes, call an ambulance and get to the Emergency Department.

“If the person is turning blue, not able to speak or gasping, those are signs to go to the Emergency Department,” Dr. Ogun says.

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OSF HealthCare Newsroom: Don't choke when planning for summer fun

Andrew Zasada, MD, can’t help but chuckle when asked about the “latest and greatest” body cleansing fads.

But the internal medicine physician at OSF HealthCare says these whims can turn into anything but a laughing matter.

“When you put stuff that’s not really regulated in your body, you don’t know what’s going in,” Dr. Zasada says. “And if you mix in your regular medicine, too, you’re not doing yourself a favor.”

Dr. Zasada is reminding you to talk to your primary care provider before starting any significant treatment. Don’t believe everything you read online or on a label.

Diatomaceous earth as a cleanse

Dr. Zasada says diatomaceous earth has several legitimate uses in industry. But it’s also seen in powder form as a dietary supplement.

The product comes from ground-up and processed skeletons of algae. It contains silica, one of the main components of sand. There are two types of diatomaceous earth: edible, which contains 2% to 4% silica, and industrial with 60% or more silica.

Dr. Zasada says ingesting silica in small amounts – for example, mixing it in water – is harmless because it does not absorb into your body. But you should never inhale it.

“It causes irritation of the lungs which can be permanent and cause scarring. It can cause you to be short of breath. It’s called silicosis,” Dr. Zasada explains. “It’s similar to what coal miners get when they inhale coal dust. People die from silicosis every year.”

Dr. Zasada says some people claim diatomaceous earth cleanses your digestive tract and improves cholesterol. But he says scientific evidence for and against these claims is “scant at best.”

“There have been a few studies that showed that it lowers cholesterol. But at the same time, we don’t know what else that patient may have eaten because it was a poorly designed study,” Dr. Zasada says. “Was the silica responsible? Was it dietary? We simply don’t know.”

Dewormers and other cleanses

Dr. Zasada says dewormers do what the name suggests – remove intestinal parasites from your insides. He says they serve a purpose in livestock but not humans.

“Some people believe we all carry some type of parasite, and we need to deworm ourselves,” Dr. Zasada says with a sigh.

“If you really think you have an intestinal parasite, see your doctor. The test is simple. If you do, in fact, have a parasite, it can be eliminated.”

Dr. Zasada adds that there’s no evidence that our bodies are loaded with toxins that must be removed. He says that removal happens naturally through our liver, kidneys and bowel movements.

“We’ve been around as a species for hundreds of thousands of years without colon cleanses, and we’ve done pretty well,” he quips.

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From Elon Musk to TikTokers, ongoing social media chatter claims drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy are the magic way to weight loss.

There’s good news, says Aminat Ogun, MD, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare in Champaign, Illinois. Those drugs can help you lose weight when prescribed by a doctor under specific circumstances and paired with diet and exercise.

The more important bad news? There’s no magic, one-size-fits-all drug that will by itself cause you to shed pounds. And if someone on social media is claiming so, they’re wrong.

Dr. Ogun says Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy are from the same family of medicine. They are usually prescribed to people with Type 2 diabetes.

“It increases the insulin in the body, which helps bring glucose into the cells,” Dr. Ogun explains.

The medications also slow food leaving your stomach and suppress appetite.

Once the drugs became more well known, Dr. Ogun says people found, not surprisingly, that weight loss was a side effect and began prescribing them for that purpose under specific circumstances. She says the patient should have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 or a BMI greater than 27 with a chronic condition like diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia.

But even if you meet those guidelines, Dr. Ogun says you should talk with your doctor about whether a weight loss drug is right for you or whether simply changing habits can get the results you want.

For one, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy are expensive and may not be covered by insurance.

Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports a shortage of Ozempic and Wegovy. So Dr. Ogun says doctors may be less likely to prescribe the drugs for weight loss when diabetics may have a more critical need.

And like any other medication, there is a list of side effects.

“Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation are possible,” Dr. Ogun says. “There are also hypersensitivity side effects like angioedema and an anaphylaxis reaction. It’s also been known to cause kidney injury or pancreatitis.”

Lately, the term “Ozempic face” has been trending on social media, describing a hollowed-out appearance due to quick weight loss.

One last piece of advice you’ll hear doctors give over and over: don’t rely on social media for health tips. If you find a tip that might benefit you, talk to your doctor before starting any treatment.

“The good thing about social media is that it allows a lot of people to receive a variety of information all at once,” Dr. Ogun says. “The downside: is it a credible source?”

Find a primary care provider on the OSF HealthCare website.

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You visit a health care provider for a minor ailment, and you leave with a plan to get better. It could be medication or changing habits, combined with follow-up appointments.

But the issues in the background don’t go away. You might say to yourself:

•  I don’t have a car or childcare. How am I going to get back for the important follow-up?
   
•  A gas station is the only place around me to get food. I can’t go for walks because it’s unsafe. How am I going to start living healthier?
   
•  I can’t afford a new mattress. What will stop my back from hurting in the morning?

These outside, non-medical factors are called social determinants of health. Health care providers everywhere are trained to ask people about them and link them with resources.

Lucas Edwards, PA, is a primary care provider at OSF HealthCare in Godfrey, Illinois. He sees social determinants of health come into play frequently.

“[Some] patients don’t have a car or someone they can depend on for consistent rides,” Edwards says. “They might have something that’s going on that’s medically urgent, and they can’t get to where they need to go. And so they put things off until it gets to the point where things get a little bit out of control.”

In those cases, people usually end up in the emergency department – nobody’s idea of a pleasant day and a more costly way to receive care.

To keep social determinants of health in mind, Edwards says to speak up when you make first contact with your provider’s office – whether that’s on the phone, checking in on a tablet at the front desk or with a medical assistant in an exam room. Tell the person about your circumstances and be willing to answer when asked about the same.

The provider will see you for what brought you there, of course. But they might also direct you to programs within the health system or in the community to help. For example:

•  An upcoming visit may be changed to virtual, an option that became more common during the pandemic.
   
•  You might be able to get care at a reduced cost.
   
•  You could be referred to a social worker.

Edwards also says a simple conversation may enlighten.

“Some patients may not have had the same access to education. They don’t understand that they have this wound on their leg, and if they don’t keep it clean, it can get worse,” Edwards says.

“The provider and the patient need to be on the same wavelength. They need to understand why I want them to do something,” Edwards adds.

There’s one last player in the social determinants of health world: the people responsible for a community’s infrastructure and other daily things we often take for granted.

For example, your doctor can treat an infection. But if you go home and drink the same contaminated water, you’re back to square one.

Or, things cost more at the grocery store than they used to.

“We work with patients who have financial constraints. They have a fixed income, and they can only spend X amount on some object,” Edwards explains. “You need to go to the grocery store and get your bare necessities. So a lot of times, their health care dollars they have budgeted get dwindled.”

“It takes a village,” to keep everyone healthy, Edwards adds.

OSF HealthCare is proactive on social determinants of health. An ongoing effort aims to have people coming to medical offices fill out a social determinants of health screen at least once a year, either through their online patient portal or on a tablet at the office. Among patients screened so far, around two-thirds identified a social need.

Learn more about social determinants of health on the World Health Organization website.

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OSF HealthCare blog: Caring for patients beyond the health care setting