Advanced Family Medicine

What You Should Know About Cancer Screening Before Talking with Your Doctor No doubt about it, cancer’s a scary topic; one that makes people immediately uncomfortable, since it’s touched nearly all of our lives in one way or another. And perhaps worst of all is how cancer can seemingly appear out of nowhere, wreak havoc on our lives, and snatch our loved ones away in the blink of an eye. Because cancer is so widespread and can be so unforgiving, along with the fact that medical technology continues to advance at a breakneck speed, we here at  Advanced Family Medicine are often asked by our patients about cancer screening. After all, the earlier you find the cancer, the better the chances of survival, right? What is a Cancer Screening? Simply put,  cancer screening  is “looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms.” What many patients may not understand though, is that there isn’t a single test your physician can run in order to screen you for all possib...

What a Full Body Skin Exam Is, & Why You Need to Have One Have you had your complete physical exam yet this year? If not, you might want to schedule one soon, as most medical insurance policies cover these types of exams once per year. I know, I know, just the thought of going through a complete physical is enough to make some people uneasy. But the truth is that these complete exams are vitally important to your health, due in no small part to the full body skin examination that occurs at this time. What Happens During a Full Body Skin Exam? During your skin “check up,”  your AFM physician  will check all the skin over your entire body for abnormal (or in most instances, slightly abnormal) lesions, including moles and other types of growths, especially those that change shape or size, itch or bleed frequently, or don’t heal like other wounds. But why do this in the first place? Because abnormalities like the ones described above may signify pre-cancerous s...

Walking the Tightrope of Unconditional Love If you’re reading this, you almost certainly love your children unconditionally. In other words, there’s essentially nothing that your children could possibly do that would make you love them any less. This is fantastic though, because unconditional love is a cornerstone for raising happy, healthy, well-rounded children. The Difference Between Unconditional Love & Influential Parenting However, the fact of the matter is that many modern parents have taken the concept of “unconditional love” and turned it into “my child can do no wrong” or into “my child will never be disciplined,” which can be equally as damaging as not showing them unconditional love in the first place. In fact, according to  this article , approaches such as this simply lead to children that are “lazy, disinterested, and out of control.” In order to stop yourself from falling into this dangerous trap, when talking about unconditional love, a good way to ...

7 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Health Through Effective Communication As an adult, you recognize the importance of communication in a relationship, whether it’s between you and the checkout person at the supermarket; between you and those you work with; or between you and your spouse. But did you know that forming an open line of communication with your children is equally as important? It’s true. Not only does consistent, effective communication with your children help you to understand them better, while helping them to become better at speaking what’s on their minds, it also works as a solid bonding agent. In fact, if your otherwise healthy child is regularly misbehaving, there is often a strong correlation between this behavior and impaired communication between them and their parents. This is because children tend to act out when they don’t have the ability to negotiate, when they feel insecure, or when they feel like they’re not being heard. With this in mind, what are ...

The Connection Between Mind-Body Medicine & Good Health “ Why don’t you just look at the bright side? ” Has anyone ever said this to you when something bad has happened? Admittedly, it can be difficult to remain positive while life is handing you lemons, and advice such as this often comes off as a bit “new age,” or even as pseudoscience. After all, up until the 20 th  century, “mind over matter” has often been overlooked by Western medicine. But as it turns out, there may a strong correlation between your emotional and your physical health. In fact, according to  this article  posted on the National Institute’s of Health MedlinePlus website, “Over the past 20 years, mind-body medicine has provided evidence that psychological factors can play a major role in such illnesses as heart disease, and that mind-body techniques can aid in their treatment. Clinical trials have indicated mind-body therapies to be helpful in managing arthritis and other chronic pain co...

Dr. Vaiman’s 4 Keys to Sustainable Weight Loss Although weight loss battles seem to be a recent phenomenon, the fact of the matter is that individuals have been trying to lose weight for one reason or another for centuries. However, patients often visit the  Advanced Family Medicine  office concerned about how to lose weight, and stressed about how they can keep it off once they do. Because of this, we thought we’d discuss the 4 most important factors you can apply in order to lose weight and keep it off for the long run. Tip #1: Minimize Carbohydrate Intake Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient that is vitally important for each and every one of us. This is because carbohydrates are processed by your body into glucose, which is a universal energy source that your body needs to thrive. Despite this fact, the reality that the more carbohydrates (flour and sugar-based foods) you eat, the hungrier you’ll be, and the more carbohy...

The 4 Most Popular Cancer Screening Tests: What They Are and How They Can Help You Live Longer Did you know that, according to the  American Cancer Society , more than 1.6 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year? And unfortunately, of these, more than 580,000 will die as a result. Clearly, cancers of all types are a big problem, not only in the U.S., but all around the world as well. While many of the most prominent cancers (e.g. lung, skin, etc.) are highly preventable, there is also a high survival rate among patients who were diagnosed early, which provides adequate time to treat the cancer before it spreads to other parts of the body. Because of this, we here at  Advanced Family Medicine  are often asked by patients if we can perform cancer screenings, which we thought would make a great topic for a blog post. So let’s take a look at some of the most common cancer screening tests, and find out how they can help. What Kind of ...

The Most Effective Methods to Losing Weight You Can Put to Immediate Use Did you know that during 2013 alone, the  American weight loss industry  made almost $61 billion? This is largely because, as the media is constantly reminding us, we are a nation of overweight individuals. In fact, according to the  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases  (NIDDK): More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than 1 in 3 adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity. With numbers like these, it’s no wonder that the weight loss industry is as big as it is. But here’s a not-so-hidden secret:  Nearly all of the products, programs, and fad diets offered by weight loss companies simply don’t work,  which is why—much like an addiction—many Americans find themselves in a seemingly never-ending cycle of weight loss, only to regain their weight (and then some)...

The Link Between Exercise and Brain Function It’s a well known fact that regular exercise has a wide range of benefits, including improved circulatory health, boosted metabolism, a better night’s sleep, and—perhaps most noticeably—helping you to look your best. But did you know that regular exercise is an important part of keeping your brain healthy as well? It’s true: More and more information is emerging based on medical research that shows a significant correlation between exercise and human brain function. In fact, in one well-designed study, a year of moderately intense aerobic exercise reversed age related brain decline by the equivalent of 1 to 2 years, and seemed to be especially beneficial for people 55 to 80 years old. And as mentioned in  this  study, “staying mentally sharp” outranks social security and physical health as the top priority and concern in the United States.” With this information in mind, where can you begin? How exactly does exercise imp...

Vitamin D - Myth and Reality Vitamin D deficiency is known now as a significant problem, especially in the Seattle area due to our frequent gloomy weather and general lack of sun. The human body, through sun exposure, naturally absorbs Vitamin D; however the same rays that deliver vitamin D also increase the risk of skin cancer—and sunscreens block vitamin D absorption—thus creating the need to supplement vitamin D levels. There is much debate today about vitamin D deficiency and how it affects our health. Some of the debate is constructive and raises valid concerns, and some is controversial and has no scientific basis. In this paper, we will separate fact from fiction about vitamin D deficiency.  Myth: The more Vitamin D intake the better. Reality: The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D for an adult is around 2000 u and for a child- 400 u. However, the RDA for you may be different, a personal recommendation from your health care provider regarding vit...