Chocolate and Depression

May 3, 2010

Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report

First things first.

Did everyone enjoy their peek at summer weather?

I hope it put a smile on everyone's face, especially after our brutal winter.

If it did not, maybe you need a mood enhancer?

How bout some chocolate ?

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Chocolate and Depression

Yep!

I am back to chocolate yet again.

I wrote a previous post about chocolate that can be found here.

The definition of a chocoholic is: a person who loves/is addicted to chocolate.

I really have a taste for chocolate, but I am not convinced that I meet enough criteria to be labeled a "chocoholic".

You see, there are many days that I turn down a Hershey's kiss.

But today is not looking good! And tomorrow is not looking much better ; )

Oh well!!

Now let's look at the study.

First they screened 1018 individuals for depression. Of these, 694 were men, and 314 were women.

First question: How did they get twice as many men as women for a chocolate study???

The study allowed 931 of the 1018 into the study, as these individuals were not presently on any antidepressant medication. These 931 subjects tracked their chocolate consumption as well as being tested for mood using a depression screening scale.

The study results were as follows.

There were three patterns which were grouped according to the depression scales.

The individuals who scored high on the depression scales consumed 55% more chocolate than those not positive for depression.

Even more interesting was that the individuals who scored the highest on the depression scales consumed over twice the amount of chocolate as those who scored not positive for depression.

There was no statistical difference between men and women.

These results can be viewed a few different ways.

1) Since depressed individuals eat more chocolate, maybe the chocolate is causing the depression.

I sure hope this is not the case, as I do not want to give up my chocolate ; )

2) Depressed individuals self medicate by eating chocolate, as chocolate is high in polyphenols which can raise serotonin levels in the brain. The prescription drug Prozac also works by raising brain serotonin levels. Here is a link to more information on why chocolate may help with mood.

I can see the slogan now.

"Feeling down or depressed? Eat a Hershey's Kiss. It's natures Prozac !"

I guess that could be good or bad for Hershey's chocolate sales???

And the third reason,

Drum roll please ...................

3) Some people just enjoy the taste of chocolate!!!

Being in the medical field, my personal theory agrees with both #2 and #3. I am a firm believer that you are what you eat. I also believe that we have subconscious cravings for different foods dependent upon their nutritional value. This is very evident in the diets of pregnant women, but occurs in everyone, just to different degrees. In that vein, here is a link to the top ten scientific reasons why chocolate is the world's perfect food, and why you may also crave chocolate.

P.S.

Don't tell Jessica, my medical assistant, that I ratted her out, but I think she is a chocoholic !!!!
So if you want to get on her good side, you know, to get that script called in quickly, or to get a copy of your recent test mailed to you, chocolate goes a long way ; )

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Institute For Medical Wellness New Offers:

I came across a very interesting blog article. The article discussed how our gut flora, the billions of bacteria that live in our digestive tract, get out of balance. This can occur with natural aging, as well as a result of our lifestyle choices which include diets, stress, and use of prescription medications, among others. I will not go further into this theory here, other than to say that to slow down aging, I agree with the blog author that we need to decrease inflammation in our body. As lifestyle accommodations can take years of trial and error to perfect, I like to focus on supplements that help our bodies immune system to properly control inflammation.

Soooooo........................

My supplement of the month offer for May 2010, includes two supplements that help with decreasing inflammation and maintaining proper gut flora.

For May 2010,

Vitamin D3- Liquid 2000iu per drop, 900 drops per bottle- regularly $20

plus

Probiotic Pearls- ProFlora Immune- 30 pearls, regularly $20.

Purchase these two supplements together for $30, a 25% savings.

This offer can be used with other Institute For Medical Wellness supplement discount offers!!

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Don't forget that a massage makes a wonderful Mother's Day Gift.

For more information on our massage services please click here.
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And now for an important announcement.

I have added an Announcement page to our website.

This page will include recent and new happenings concerning the Institute For Medical Wellness, including new programs and special offers, which sometimes may be good discounts. So please check out the Announcement page every so often.
Other Institute For Medical Wellness Programs and Events:

1) Healthy Heart Program
2) Healthy Weight Program- Lite Edition
3) Traditional Wellness Plan

4) I am pleased to announce that the Institute For Medical Wellness is a Silver Sponsor of Moorestown Day 2010.


Please look for our booth on Main Street in Moorestown on Saturday June 5, 2010, between 9AM-3PM.

I hope to see you there, and please wish for good weather, that is, no rain!

It is no fun being outside in the rain!!

To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311

http://www.drhorvitz.com/

Hearts, Fish, Sugars and a back!

April 29, 2010

Hearts, Fish, Sugars and a back!

I just came across a study about coronary calcium scores.

Hmmm.

I heard something about that test before.

I think I heard about it here, and I think I included this test as part of the Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Heart program.

The study indicated that using coronary calcium scores enables a better stratification of risk for heart disease.

I hope you agree with me that it is better to prevent your first heart attack, than to treat you after you have had one.

The coronary calcium score is also available separate from the Healthy Heart program. And if you are already enrolled in a Wellness Plan and have this test performed, we will give you a one year free membership in the Track Your Plaque program, to help you halt or even reverse your risk of heart disease.

If you have any questions about coronary calcium scores or would like to have the test performed, please call our office at 856-231-0590 or email me at drhorvitz@drhorvitz.com

We have all heard recommendations to take fish oils.

But what about other oils used as supplements, as well as in food preparation and cooking.

Well, I could write many, many newsletters on this subject, but I found a web article that beat me to the punch and it can be found here.

While the web article starts by discussing how omega-3 oils, found most commonly in fish oils, are good for the skin, it goes much further and discusses other types of oils and whether they are healthy for you, or just hype.

So I hope this article starts you in thinking that fish oils can be of benefit to your health.

But how much fish oil should I take is the next question?

That was always a tough question to answer, but no longer.

There is now a test, called the Omega-3 Index, that actually measures the amounts of Omega-3 oils in your bodies cells. It compares the healthier Omega 3 levels to the unhealthier Omega 6 levels to give us an Omega-3 index. The higher the index, the lower your risk of a heart event, such as sudden cardiac death. That is why the Omega-3 index is included in our Healthy Heart Program.

And just like the cornary calcium score, I have decided to make this test available outside of the Healthy Heart program. Unfortunately, at this time insurers do not cover this test. Then again, insurers do not like to cover many of the newer preventative tests that we offer. But I will try not to digress.

The Omega-3 index is performed by drawing a tube of blood and sending it out to a reference laboratory. We are able to offer this test for $149. The beauty of this test, and why I feel it is worth the expense, is that it will provide us with actionable lab values which we can use to both modify your dietary and supplement dosages of fish oils, which has been shown to lower your risk of sudden cardiac death.

Changing direction now.....

One of the common misconceptions about sugars, fat and cholesterols is that dietary fat raises your cholesterol and carbohydrates and sugars do not. Unfortunately this statement is a fallacy for the majority of individuals. A recently published article in JAMA, the Journal of The American Medical Association, finally suggested that added sugars in the diet increases TRIGLYCERIDES, raises LDL (BAD CHOLESTEROL), and lowers HDL (GOOD CHOLESTEROL). All of these markers are moving in a direction of increased risk for heart disease.

Wow!

Does JAMA finally get it, because they are usually pretty far behind the times?

Or could JAMA be helping the government set up a "food police", along the likes of a ban on trans fats, lowering of salt intake, and a California county outlawing give-away toys with McDonald's happy meals. ??

I have my own views on diet, which are probably at present in the minority.

Please focus on the words, "at present". In the not too distant future, these views will be a majority.

My views on diet are based on real life metabolism and human physiology as well as almost two decades of patient results.

What I give is advice.

I do not give ultimatums, nor pass laws.

So what you eat is still your choice. I just hope you let me help you to make the best choice for your health!

So do not forget about our Healthy Weight Program-Lite Edition.

Some of you already know that I have what I consider a "bad back". I never had a bad injury, but my many years of playing tennis during high school and college have worn me down and set me up for occasional bouts of aches and pains. A few weeks ago I "re-tweaked" my back, but in a different location than my norm.

I re-learned a few important lessons from my recent ordeal:

1) No matter how good you think you used to be at a sport when you were younger, do not dive back in at full force when you are older.

2) Hot showers work well for muscle spasms.

3) Therapeutic massage can work wonders. I had 2 therapeutic massages from Julie Fischer, our therapeutic massage guru. I truly believe that is what put me on the road to recovery.

So while pain meds, muscle relaxers, and muscle creams help to mask pain, I know that the addition of massage therapy truly put my body into heal and restore mode.

So my thanks to Julie !!!!

Don't forget that a massage makes a wonderful Mother's Day Gift.

For more information on Julie's services please click here.

And now for an important announcement.

I have added an Announcement page to our website.

This page will include recent and new happenings concerning the Institute For Medical Wellness, including new programs and special offers, which sometimes may be good discounts. So please check out the Announcement page every so often.

When you are not looking at our web page, why not look for our booth at Moorestown Day on Saturday June 5, 2010.

And please wish for good weather, that is, no rain! It is no fun being outside in the rain!!

To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
http://www.drhorvitz.com/

Hey Doc, they said........

April 9, 2010

Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report


Hey Doc, they said........

One of the more common reasons people come to visit me at my office, starts with, "They said......"

"They said that cholesterol is bad for you"
"They said that you should drink more water"
"They said that butter and saturated fat are bad for you"
"They said that taking cholesterol lowering medications is good for you"
"They said that eating more grains is good for you."
"They said that being out in the sun is bad for you."
"They said that a lowfat diet is healthy for you."
"They said that a lowcarb diet is bad for you."

I could go on and on and on and on and on and on........, as there are so, so many experts in the world today.

But do "They" actually know "you", and can "They" actually give "you" advice?

I think it works better when someone who actually knows you and your medical and health history has a say in what is good and bad for you.

And just who is that someone?

It is actually two someones. And it is the someones who can better lead you to good health, at least a lot better than the "Theys".

The first and most important someone is you, as no one knows you better. But you need some help in getting through the tsunami of health information available today. That is where the second someone comes in.

Can anyone guess who that is?

Below is a recent email testimonial I received.

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Hi Dr. Horvitz,

This is Sue.

I want to thank you for suggesting I take Dream Protein. I make a shake every morning for breakfast instead of eating cereal. I lost those 5 pounds and took 2 inches off my waist. It's very filling and satisfying. I also eat an egg or cheese. Maybe once a week I'll have half the cereal I used to eat. My stomach is so much flatter. I now exercise 5 days a week and continue with my dumbells and stomach exercises. I can't believe how easy it was to lose that weight and keep it off. I want to stay this weight and continue to lose inches from my stomach.

Thanks again.

Sue

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Emails like that are always good for an ego boost, but egos are not my thing.

My thing is to change the way of family healthcare by partnering with my patient's to steer them towards optimal health. A big part of that comes from my Osteopathic education.

As an Osteopathic physician, I am a strong believer that the body can heal itself, if we do not get in its way. If we do need to step in and provide or prescribe a treatment, it is usually because the body is moving in the wrong direction. My job is to steer your body away from danger and back in the proper direction, towards waht I like to say is towards, safety, health and happiness.

This is why the Institute For Medical Wellness is leading the way in South Jersey. The Institute For Medical Wellness, through its many Wellness programs, puts a major emphasis on each individuals unique lifestyle. Using a thorough medical history, along with different testing modalities, we look for weaknesses that affect your health. Then, our first strategy rarely relies on medication. Instead we look for lifestyle and nutritional adjustments, sometimes supplements, as well as other therapeutic modalities to enable a healthier you. Be assured that if a medication is prescribed, then we have exhausted other safer alternatives.

So you can go to a traditional medical practice, and spend more time in the waiting room, than with your doctor.

You can go to a traditional medical practice and get prescribed another blue or red pill.

You can listen to all the "Theys", who do not know you, and continue with the status quo. Or, you can enroll in our Traditional Wellness plan, and truly work on steering your body in a healthier direction, with less reliance on the "Theys", and more confidence in yourself, as you move towards better health.

Some of the many ways the Institute For Medical Wellness differs from other medical practices can be found below.

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Institute For Medical Wellness - Yearly Wellness Plans

Our Wellness Plans are growing fast this year. We are adding more individuals, couples and families every month. Our Wellness Plans include a comprehensive yearly wellness exam along with unlimited follow-up evaluations for well or sick care. The emphasis in our wellness plans is on optimal health, not just treating you when you are ill. And so, year to year, their popularity continues to build, as evidenced by a greater than 90% renewal rate.

If you have not looked closely at these plans, more information can be found here, as well as the cost of the plans listed below.

Individuals Ages 6-24: once yearly fee of $399.
Individuals Ages 25 to 29: once yearly fee of $449.

Individuals Ages 30 and up: once yearly fee of $549.

Married couples: once yearly fee of $999.

Family Plan: once yearly fee of $1199.


Monthly payment options are also available

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Institute For Medical Wellness Special Offers:

Our supplement of the month continues to be Dream Protein.

Dream Protein is an all natural whey protein powder, available in both vanilla and chocolate. It is very popular when used to help with both weight loss and muscle growth. I have used it on an almost daily basis for the past 6 months, during which time I lost 15-20 pounds, all from my waist. This protein supplement does not work alone, and results will always vary. It is one of the better whey protein supplements on the market that I have used. This is also the protein supplement used in our Healthy Weight Program.

Regular cost is $45.

For the month of April, Dream Protein will be available for $36, a 20% savings.

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Healthy Weight Program - Lite Edition

Dream protein is a part of our Healthy Weight Program, and many have had similar to success, like Sue.

This program fits best after your yearly physical, as review of laboratory testing give valuable information about your metabolic profile, which helps to determine your proper program. The main part of your program will be your online Healthy Weight Notes, which we will privately share via a personalized google document. You will use this document to keep a diary of your food intake, as well as anything else pertinent to help you achieve your goals. I will be monitoring your IMW-Healthy Weight Notes, and giving what I hope to be good instruction and comments, as well as other helpful information, including any links to articles that I feel will be helpful to your success.

I will instruct you to weigh yourself on your home scale intermittently, to monitor your progress. At the end of each month, you should come to the office for a weigh-in. If you are doing well, and want to continue, you may renew the plan on a month-to-month basis. I believe that you will learn enough within the first month or two, that two months on the program will probably be sufficient for you to learn how to continue with your healthy weight goals. But if you need more help and guidance, you can continue for a longer period.

The cost for the Institute for Medical Wellness Healthy Weight Program-Lite Edition is, as its name includes, pretty lite at just $99 for the initial month, and $79 a month thereafter. To make this program even more effective, I suggest you combine it with exercise guidance with our affiliated personal trainers. I hope you use the training sessions to further move yourself towards your goals. For just $175 for the initial month, you can get both the Healthy Weight Program-Lite Edition and three one hour personal training sessions.

So no time is better than now to start working towards your healthy weight!

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Sorry, almost forgot about the Institute For Medical Wellness Therapeutic Massage:

You can enjoy as little as a one hour massage, or 3, 5, and 10 hour discounted packages are also available.

And if you are enrolled in a Wellness Plan, your first massage is half price!

To schedule a massage please call Julie directly, at 609-504-2783.

To Good Health!


Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com

To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.

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It is always nice to get good feedback. Good feedback tells me that I am definitely moving in the right direction! So please check out our patient testimonials.

Anniversary Newsletter

March 25, 2009

Dr. Steven Horvitz- Reading between the Lines:
Bringing you healthcare information you can trust!

It has been just over a year since my initial email newsletter, all of which are archived at my blog site located at http://drhorvitz.blogspot.com/ . What started out as a whim, has become enjoyable and fun. Being a science major in college, I never enjoyed writing. But I guess when you find the right topics, it can end up being fun. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to continue.

My newsletters are an easy 21st century segway to promoting a healthy lifestyle and serves as an extension of my practice, and of my philosophy of family medical care. A physicians duty is not just about treating the ill, but more importantly preventing illness from occurring. This takes planning and lots and lots of time. The majority of physicians in today's insurance and government dominated healthcare system do not have the luxury of time for prevention and wellness counseling. They are too busy "running the health insurance mill". I have overheard patient's say they were treated less like a number at the deli counter, than at their doctor's office. This is not a criticism of other doctors, but more of a criticism of the system in which they work. This dysfunctional system was the strongest motivating factor towards the evolution of the Institute for Medical Wellness.

On average, individuals visit their doctor's office about 3-4 times a year. During these visits, they are lucky to have 10-15 minutes in the exam room before the doctor is running to the next patient. Do you think this is adequate for healthy lifestyle promotion? I do not! Fifteen minutes is barely enough time to "put out the fires", let alone teach and encourage healthy behaviors. These time stressors made my transition away from health insurance contracts towards an individual patient-centered practice much easier. This style of practice puts the emphasis back on the doctor-patient relationship, and makes certain that this relationship is paramount. It limits the ability of any third party involvement in the decision making pertaining to your care. The strong doctor-patient relationship was the hallmark of medical care that past generations enjoyed, and is the practice style that I prefer.

To help promote wellness, I have continued to network with other like minded professionals. My website has a Wellness Network page that can serve as an introduction to their specialties, which includes a Naturopathic physician, personal trainer, yoga instructor, and Physical therapist. I am pleased to announce starting in April, Julie Fischer will begin performing massage therapy in my office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As the need expands, so will Julie's availability. For the month of April, Julie's massage services will be offered at a 10% discount. Wellness Plan members get even better pricing.

I hope you will look to the wellness network within the Institute for Medical Wellness for more of your healthcare needs. If there are other areas of wellness that you feel would be a good addition, please let me know. As for the newsletters, I plan on continuing to write them as long as useful information pops up in the news. So it looks like you are stuck with them for quite a while! At the bottom of each newsletter is a "manage your subscription" link where you can opt out of receiving the newsletter if you choose. But then you would be missing out on a whole lot of my unbiased medical opinions ; )

If you have any suggestions about topics for future newsletters, or how to make the newsletter better, please send me an email at DrHorvitz@DrHorvitz.com.

To Good Health!!

Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Medicine

Founder of The Institute for Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone: 856-231-0590
Fax: 856-294-0311

To view previous newsletters, please click here.

For more information about Dr. Horvitz and The Institute for Medical Wellness, please click here.

To view upcoming Wellness Network Events, please click here.

http://www.drhorvitz.com/