Debbie Mandel's Weekly Wellness Newsletter 7/28/2004

The best remedy to fight fatigue during radiation therapy is exercise, according to a new study on men with prostate cancer. Inactivity may actually increase fatigue. Aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, or swimming may be more beneficial in fighting fatigue and preventing further weakness, than rest and taking it easy!
All carbs are not created equal! Complex carbs are actually good for you and keep weight off your middle. Evidence shows that high-fiber foods help to control weight in several ways: They tend to fill you up faster, so you're less hungry and less likely to overeat. They also produce less of a spike in blood sugar levels after meals and therefore less of an increase in insulin levels. In contrast, high glycemic foods -- which include most refined foods and starches -- are associated with more weight gain and greater risk of diabetes.
The FDA has approved a new type of antidepressant, Cymbalta, designed to treat both the mental and physical effects of depression. Depression is a mind-body illness, but most modern antidepressants treat the emotional symptoms, such as crying and sadness, better than they treat the physical symptoms of depression, vague aches and pains.
Three months ago, the rheumatoid arthritis drug, Enbrel, became the first drug of its kind to win FDA approval for the treatment of the psoriasis. Now, research suggests that the similar arthritis drug, Humira, is also effective in treating this inflammatory skin condition. Humira and Enbrel are biologics which hold the promise of potentially fewer side effects. However, the most exciting thing is that now there are more treatment options. No one drug can be called miraculous and will work for everyone, but the good news is that most patients can be helped with some kind of treatment. Lives have been greatly improved.
The latest symptom of body dysmorphia as well as addiction is constant tanning. In fact, the majority of tanners considered their main defect to be their light-colored skin and as a result, they used tanning to deepen their skin tone. Others used tanning to camouflage specific perceived defects. Sun worshipping has taken on a more sinister tone.
Feeling depressed? Vitamin D deficiency may be an explanation for depression and boosting vitamin D levels may help prevent or ease symptoms. However, how much vitamin D you need depends on several factors, such as the environment you live in, what time of year it is, your skin type, and sun exposure. In the warm months just 20 minutes exposure a day is great. During the winter months you will probably need a supplement.
Medicine is not always high tech. Wound-care clinics around the United States are giving maggots a try on some of their sickest patients after high-tech treatments fail. By the way leeches are back, too.