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Let's Talk About Medications
Janie Ellington
I want to share with everyone a great resource. Janie Ellington is a pharmacist that runs the blog – Let’s Talk About Medications. I’m an “Ask the Expert” for The Health Central Network and frequently see questions related to medications. Medications are not my specialty, which is why I’m sharing this resource with you. I’ve posted a recent interview with Janie below.
1. What is your current position?
I am a registered pharmacist. I manage an in-house pharmacy for a nonprofit pediatric clinic for children of low-income families who do not have health insurance. We are only open weekday mornings. During the cold and flu season, our patient load requires that we stay into the afternoon a bit, but I still have some time for other pursuits. That’s where my article writing and blogging comes in.
2. What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?
Over my career as a pharmacist, I have come across so many misconceptions with regard to medications and general health concerns and I have wished I had an opportunity to clarify some of those issues for the public on a wider scale than just the one-on-one that I get when I counsel when dispensing a new medication. I enjoy helping people who want to take more responsibility for their health and to understand how to use medications safely.
3. What services can you offer to someone struggling to be heart healthy?
My best advice to people who are struggling with any health concern is to educate themselves as much as they can. I have found that people who fail to take responsibility, by learning about issues concerning their health, often have worse outcomes overall. I would encourage people to participate fully in their own care.
My interests in health in general are not limited to prescription drugs. I also enjoy studying and writing about the benefits of natural approaches.
4. Are you able to benefit individuals struggling with weight loss?
In general, I do not agree with taking medications for weight loss. If they are used, it should be for a very short time while you are learning new habits. I have been a pharmacist for thirty years and I have not seen people have health improvements due to these drugs. On the contrary, weight loss drugs can be addictive and otherwise go against the goals for good overall health. Taking a drug to help with weight loss denies the role that self responsibility plays in any health concern. You simply cannot continue bad habits and expect good outcomes. Dieting and taking medications for that purpose usually creates a vicious cycle which seems to add more fat and less muscle as the years go by.
5. Do you have a forum where questions can be submitted?
Yes, I would especially enjoy answering questions about health issues that I have written about in my blog. Go to to view articles I’ve written and submit questions via email. I can only answer specific questions based on what is known about the drug you are taking. Without access to your health information, I cannot effectively answer questions specific to your treatment.
6. What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with high cholesterol or blood pressure?
I think most doctors assume that people don’t want to change their bad habits. That’s pretty much what I have seen over the years in patients who are sickest. Further, doctors are not wellness experts. They are trained to treat disease.
The first step after diagnosis would be to ask your doctor if it would be safe for you to have a trial period to get your cholesterol and/or blood pressure under control through natural means. Educate yourself. There are so many approaches to cholesterol control, including plant sterols, increased fiber intake, eating better, and the list goes on. Blood pressure can often be controlled naturally too. Exercise, weight loss, stress reduction measures, proper salt intake and many other lifestyle changes can be tried before one goes on prescription drugs. Drugs can create problems of their own. They change the ecology inside the body’s systems and there are side effects and drug interactions to consider, not to mention the increased cost.
If you are willing to educate yourself and value your health and take pride in what you can do on your own, you are on your way to better health and a great feeling of accomplishment.
Thank goodness we have effective medications for people who must have them to lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure. Even if improving your diet and lifestyle doesn’t get you all the way to your goals, and your doctor still recommends drug therapy, you can start therapy armed with some valuable tools to help your medications work better and to get better results. If you do start on drug therapy, make it your goal to know more about the drugs you are taking than your doctor or pharmacist does. When you read a long list of side effects, such as you will find with cholesterol and blood pressure medications, bear in mind that all drugs have side effects.
Find out what the most common side effects are and what to be on the lookout for. Certain drugs have side effects that can be dangerous. Know if that is the case for the drug you are taking and how to recognize its onset. If you have a worrisome side effect, report it to your doctor. Sometimes a different drug within the same class of drugs will not cause the same side effects. Everyone, and their reaction to every drug, is different.
I hope you’ve found this information useful and visit Janie’s blog to learn more.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
Lose Weight by Slowing Down
Eating slowly will help you feel fuller and decrease the calories you eat each meal, all of which leads to shedding the unwanted pounds! It takes ~20 minutes for your head to tell your stomach it’s full, so aim for at least 20 minutes to eat each meal.
Those who eat quickly until they are full are three times more likely to be overweight (research published in the British Medical Journal).
If you’re use to eating at a frenzied pace, slowing down won’t feel natural. Small steps, such as setting down your utensil between bites, will help you slow down. You may find you now have a chance to actually taste and enjoy your meals!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
Lose Weight the Healthy Way
Willpower and weight loss
When you are trying to shed extra pounds I do not recommend you rely on willpower alone. Clear out the unhealthy foods that weaken your resolve to be heart healthy and lose weight out of your cupboards. Once you have established good habits and can “trust yourself” to enjoy the occasional goodie in moderation, bring a few treats back into your home. Until then, removing temptation is the better route to success!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
Lose Weight the Healthy Way
Body fat – Nature versus Nurture
I find it interesting that identical twins raised apart have similar weight gain patterns and fat deposits. If one is overweight, the other is usually overweight. This suggests that 80% of obesity is related to genetics and not eating habits.
My gut reaction is to argue this and say it provides too easy of a cop out for overweight individuals to say “it’s just my genes”. I argue that the remaining 20%, which is determined by how a child is raised, has a signficant impact on overall overweight status.
What do you think?
Additional interesting statistics:
A child with no obese parent has a 10% chance of being an obese adult.
A child with one obese parent has a 40% chance of being an obese adult.
A child with two obese parents has an 80% chance of being an obese adult.
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
eNutritionServices
Want more respect?
Overcoming stress is one positive step towards heart health and weight loss. Here’s a guest post from Doris Helge, Ph.D. She provides a simple technique for gaining more respect so you can get your needs met and enjoy your life much more. Turn anger, fear, and other negative emotions into peace and confidence.
Want more respect?
by Doris Helge, Ph.D.
Even though Jan and Nan are both very talented, Jan’s contributions are applauded while Nan’s gifts are unnoticed. What’s Jan’s secret? Jan has discovered that we are constantly training other people how to treat us. When Jan is treated with disrespect, she politely says, “No thank you” by using the technique in this article. Even though Jan knows we can’t change other people, she knows how to set up situations in which she’s treated well and her needs are met.
The following is an example of how you can gain peace of mind when someone else’s behavior rubs you the wrong way. My coaching clients call it The Get Respect Now Technique.
DON’T BE AN OSTRICH
Nan tries to ignore her problems like an ostrich that hides its head in the sand. Then Nan moans that life presents her with the same snarly packages over and over. Jan’s approach is very different. She meets a challenge with, “Hmmm . . . I wonder what I’ll learn from this experience?” Denying an unpleasant situation breeds more of the same. The challenge magnifies until we finally say, “Alright, already . . . I’ll deal with this.” Avoid getting hit over the head by a 2×4 by standing up for yourself when a toothpick jabs you. Perceive situations as accurately as possible. A rope is a rope and a snake is a snake. The simple act of acknowledging what exists initiates the potential for positive change. Why? You signal your mind to search for solutions.
AIM FOR RESULTS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE “RIGHT.”
When you’ve been treated with disrespect, pause a moment and ponder. How can you express what you’re entitled to in a factual way? The other person may never acknowledge that you’re right because all of us have erroneous perceptions. They’ve been formed by decades of experiences and faulty beliefs.
Do you ever watch a “sunset” even though the sun never sets? Do you ever instantly like or dislike a person you’ve never met? When treated with disregard, your goal is to be heard and get your needs met. We can’t force other adults to change their opinions or behavior. However, we are in total control of how we respond to every situation. We can say what we need to and transform anxiety into peace of mind.
EXAMPLES
Here’s an example you might use at work. “I felt hurt when his contributions were recognized and mine weren’t noticed. I need for my work to be acknowledged.” An example at home is, “When you didn’t call and tell me you changed your plans, I worried about you. I need to know when you’ll be late so I can arrange my own schedule.” Notice: These statements are not drenched with negative emotions or accusations that trigger defensiveness and counter attacks. You gain positive results faster by using “I statements” that acknowledge your emotions. Use the minimum amount of words possible to say what you need. Know you deserve it. This approach will empower you to breathe a big sigh of relief and go on with your next step in life.
THE FINAL OUTCOME
No matter what the final outcome of the particular situation, you’ll meet your personal growth challenge, so this type of situation will occur less frequently. Just use the technique I’ve outlined so you can easily resolve conflicts with “difficult people.” Soon, an effective response to disrespectful behavior will become easy and automatic because you’ll be clear what you deserve. Enjoy knowing you are so powerful that you can infinitely reshape your life. You deserve happiness. Turn every unpleasant experience into a rich opportunity for personal growth.
Visit http://www.FreeJoyOnTheJobEbooks.com and GET YOUR FREE EBOOKS: “Secrets of Happiness at Work,” “Employee Engagement Made Easy,” and “Get the Respect & Appreciation You Deserve Now.” Doris Helge, Ph.D., is 100% dedicated to empowering you to create more meaning, fun, and fulfillment at work. Dr. Doris is an executive coach & a corporate trainer for companies as large as Microsoft. Download sample chapters from Dr. Helge’s latest books, “Joy on the Job” & “Transforming Pain Into Power” at http://www.MoreJoyOnTheJob.com.
Lose Weight with Chromium Picolinate?
A study was published this month in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, indicating a link between chromium picolinate supplementation, increased satiety, and reduced appetite.
This was a study of 42 overweight adult women that were divided into two groups. One group received 1,000 mg of chromium picolinate daily and the second group received a placebo. The women that received chromium picolinate reduced their calorie intake, but did not report an increase in hunger. Women receiving the placebo did not reduce their calorie intake and reported increased hunger between 4-4 1/2 hours after lunch. This suggests that chromium picolinate may reduce physical hunger during times of caloric restriction. However, neither group lost a significant amount of weight during the 8 week study. The group receiving chromium picolinate lost about 1 pound, while the placebo group gained about 1 pound.
Chromium picolinate has been touted as a weight loss aid in the past, but it has never been approved by the FDA for weight loss. I’m sure many nutrition and weight loss products are going to use this recent research to amp up their marketing efforts to get you to buy!
Chromium is a trace mineral that occurs naturally in small amounts in foods, such as yeast, egg yolks, lean meat, cheese, and whole grain products. Chromium is known to play a role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and enhances blood glucose control. An adequate intake of chromium for men and women is ~25-35 micrograms/day, with the RDA being set at 50-200 micrograms/day. So, 1000 mg (which was used in this study) is a substantial increase.
It will be interesting to see if future research continues to support this latest study findings.
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