You need to speak up for your health
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh interviewed 306 women and did ultrasound imaging of their carotid artery. They found that the more frequently women reported being what is called “self-silencing,” the more likely they were to have atherosclerosis in that major artery to the brain.
Carotid plaque is a serious threat: Reduction of blood flow to the brain limits oxygen essential for healthy brain function, and heavy plaque deposits or broken-off chunks can lead to a stroke.
Listen up (guys, too): Bottling up your feelings isn’t good for anyone. So if your response to a tough conversation is to shut up and shut down, here’s what cognitive behavioral therapy says can help you protect your health:
1. Tune in to how your suppressed feelings affect your body. Notice where tension sets up camp.
2. If you don’t have a friend or therapist to talk with, write down your thoughts and feelings. Get them out.
3. When communicating your feelings to another person, start the sentence with “I feel …” Avoid “You make me feel …”
The bottom line: Having an open heart-to-heart will improve your relationship and your heart health.
Obesity-related cancers
A recent study from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland looked at more than 2.6 million cases of obesity related cancers and 3.4 million cases of non-obesity related cancers in the U.S. It revealed that rates for six of 12 cancers related to obesity — colorectal, uterine, gallbladder, kidney and pancreatic cancer, and multiple myeloma — have significantly increased for adults under 50. In fact, the rates for those cancers among millennials (born 1981-1996) is about double the rate for baby boomers (born 1946-1964) when they were the same age.
Excess weight is a known carcinogen — fueling inflammation, feeding cancer cells and accelerating their growth. When younger folks are overweight and obese, it just gives the fat more time to fuel cancer.
The takeaway? If you or someone in your family is an overweight child, adolescent or adult under 50, it’s possible to reclaim the future by eating a whole-food, plant-centered diet and getting as much physical activity as possible. Besides slashing the risk for early onset of obesity-related cancers, you will be creating protection from cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes.
Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.