FROM THE OFFICE OF DR.DOS SANTOS
Your Best Friend I am your best friend, but you do not realize it. Yes, I like you in my life, but you prefer other friends. You rather stay in your comfortable home instead of going out with me. You choose your TV, sofa, iPhone, and playing video games instead of spending time with me. You know, I am the best thing that has ever happened to you. I can help you with many situations, even health problems. I can help you to avoid diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. No, I am not a pill, but many call me that. And I can help you to prevent heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. But you still do not like me. Why? How about your weight. You are in big trouble with that, and I am the only one who can help. But you always throw me out. Why is that that you dislike me so much? You know with me you could wear your old clothes again. And better, you could buy new clothes and reach your lean shape. Yes, I could help you to fulfill the dream of your life, but you reject me. I am not a psychiatrist or counselor, but I could help you with your stress, anxiety, and depression. But you prefer the medications. I can help you with your sleep, but you choose the pills. I could help you with your physical and mental performance, but you prefer “red bull!” How about your back pain? That is another thing I could help with, but no, you ask the doctor for strong pills. I keep telling you that I can help, but I only get a rejection from you. Was that something I did for you in the past? In fact, when you were younger, we were such good friends! Remember, we spent time together mostly every day and much more during the weekends. Now you left me behind! I compare this situation to those romances when a person is in love with someone who did not correspond while someone closer loves them a lot, but they do not realize. Yes, that is what is happening between us. I am available, I am at your side always, but you ignore me. I am here to get you a wonderful life, maybe the best life you can have in this world, but you seem not to see it. Who am I? No, I am not your mother and neither a relative of yours. Not your doctor, too, even though he has talked to you about me many times. No, I am not a psychologist or a mental health professional, but I can help with your mood. No, I am not a genie or a magician, but I can give you so many prizes. And I am not a healer, but I can tell you that I am able to make miracles. And no, I am not God, even though He created me. So, who am I? My name is PA*, most people call me WO*, but my real name is EXERCISE. I am your best friend! Would you, please, spend more time with me? “When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble.” Proverbs 4:12 *PA – Physical Activity *WO – Work Out FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. DOS SANTOS
OPINION Take your cause to the next level! About four blocks from my house in Redlands, a group of President Trump supporters used to hold a place in the street with banners, flyers, and other promoting materials. They were there even after the elections' results. That was notable! OK, what was notable was their dedication. I am not talking about their cause and neither supporting it or not. My point is their dedication to their cause. How many of us would stay in the streets for hours, leaving our family behind, our TV, and our comfortable sofa? That is the point. Many people do it, and even for causes that many of us would say are not that noble. They embrace their issues and defend their causes and promote them whenever and wherever they can. So, how about us? Yes, do we have good and legitimate causes? Yes, I would say! But why is it that we sometimes are quiet about that? Why we have opinions and ideas that can save the world, but sometimes they stay only in our papers and small talks? I am not saying that we should go to the Walmart parking lot and promote broccoli, prebiotics, or our favorite sport or exercise. Neither am I saying that we should push our ideas down other people's throats, no matter what it takes. What I am saying is where our passion for what we believe is? Or better, what are we doing to promote our health views with other people? The challenge is to take your cause to the next level. What does it mean? Well, it all depends on what you are doing with what you believe. For instance, if you think that vegetarianism is good but what you do is only being a vegetarian, that is on the same level. In this case, going to the next level would form a vegetarian discussing group, developing a website, writing about it, lecturing about it, singing about it! OK, enough! Yes, we might be going overboard here! But taking your cause to the world to help more people is what I mean by the next level. Of course, I need to discuss here the spiritual aspect of it. One day the Jehovah's Witnesses came to my house, and I entertained a few words with them. Then, I told them that their work going door to door was impressive. They responded that only the Jehovah's Witnesses could do it. I did not dispute them further, but other people do so, like the Mormons and even other religions and the Seventh-day Adventists in some places. But the point here again is our dedication to the cause. If we believe in something, why aren't we more involved in promoting it or taking it to the next level? Many would say, "I don't know how to do it!" That is not a problem when you consider spiritual aspects. The only thing you need to do is ask God to lead the way and guide you or inspire you. Then, the doors will be opened, and you will be surprised how God will use you. Concluding this thought, I would say that whatever you think is right and noble, be more involved. If you know some health ideas, if you figured out some health secrets in your research, if you are passionate about something, please take it to the next level. And better, ask the Lord to help you take it to the next level, being physical, mental, or spiritual issues. "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:15 NIV FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT - Read the eBook, "LAUGH YOUR ILLNESS AWAY' at amazon.com. FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. DOS SANTOS
Are you a rabbit? I have tolerated people who came to me for many years asking, “Are you vegetarian?” And when I say yes, they continue, “I cannot do it. I am not a rabbit!” Most of the time, my answer has been, “You don’t need to eat like a rabbit to be vegetarian! Rabbits do not eat beans, brown rice and tofu, and a bunch of other foods!” And I kept arguing that vegetarians are superior. OK, superior to rabbits! But, lately, I came back to this rabbit idea and started thinking with a different view. If you are not a rabbit, what are you? Without any offense, I could say that you are a dog, or a cat, maybe a lion, if you eat meat; or a shark if you eat fish, or a coyote if you eat chicken. By the way, coyotes are omnivores, meaning they can eat all sorts of foods. Ahah! Human beings are coyotes, then! It looks like revenge talking, but my point is not that. Let’s go back to the rabbit. What is the problem of eating like a rabbit? Rabbits are strict vegetarians. They eat carrots and a lot of other fresh fruits and vegetables. Then, take a look at some scientific factors. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, people who eat like rabbits – meaning that they eat lots of non-starchy fresh vegetables, have a lower risk of cancer in the mouth, pharynx, and larynx. These “rabbit people” also have suggestive evidence of lower risk of cancer in the lungs, bladder, colon, esophagus, and breast. “Rabbit-people” who eat lots of fruits have suggestive evidence of lower risk of esophagus, lungs (mostly in smokers), stomach, colon, and breast cancers (wcrf.org). What, then, is the problem with eating like a rabbit? Rabbits do not have cancer. OK, I do not have any evidence to back up this. I would suggest to our veterinarian friends to do this; yes, comparing the death certificates of dogs with the ones for rabbits. I know most dogs die of cancer, so eating like a dog might not be a good idea. But, definitely, eating like a rabbit is more likely to prevent this terrible disease. Now, what is the problem of not eating like a rabbit? If you eat like a lion, you would be fine, but lions do not fry, grill, or bake their meats; they eat them raw. Whenever you fry or grill meats to a higher temperature, you create heterocyclic amines and benzopyrene, classic cancer-producing agents. Red meats are also related to diabetes and heart disease because of their saturated fat content. And, finally, there are other benefits of eating like a rabbit. Eating more fresh vegetables might decrease your chances of gaining weight, help you prevent and control diabetes, decrease your blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes, and make you happier. OK, I added the last one, but just think with me! Rabbits are constantly jumping and running around, but lions are always lying down and grumpy. Maybe their food influences their personalities. Just a thought, no evidence again. Sorry, I am not a veterinarian to research those things! It is not normal for human beings to eat dead bodies. Sorry, but the only animals who eat old dead bodies are hyenas and vultures. And human beings! Do you know that your fast-food hamburger has been dead for weeks and sometimes months? They freeze it, and it loses its color. Then, they unfreeze it and add some products to bring their color back and send it to the junk food restaurants – now I know the actual origin of that name. If you are not a rabbit, and you like those hamburgers, you are a… (revenge talk again, sorry!) Human beings were made to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. God created those items especially for food. The animals were not designed for food; this was not a part of the original menu. So, eating like a rabbit means eating like what was proposed for human beings. And I would add that rabbits are the ones who kept their original diets. We changed, we added other foods, but we are paying the price for it. Conclusion: If you want to be healthier, you better eat more like a rabbit! “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT - Read the e-Book, "Laugh Your Illness Away." Kindle book at amazon.com. FROM THE OFFICE OF Dr. DOS SANTOS
SPIRITUAL I lost my dog! This was something that happened to me one week ago. I was on a trail with my little chihuahua mix, Wookie. It has been a very smart dog and my companion for all my walks and hikes around Redlands, Yucaipa, and Loma Linda. For this hike, I chose the Loch Leven trail from a place on highway 38 called Mountain Home Village that goes up to Angelus Oaks in the San Bernardino National Forest. The place is beautiful, and the trail is not challenging, and it follows a creek most of the time. It was a good hike. When we got to 5,000 steps (about 2 miles), I lost track of the trail. There was a bridge over the creek that was destroyed, and I tried to explore where to go. Then, I decided to go back as I could not find my way on the trail anymore. When I said the magic word,” Let’s go back,” Wookie got crazy. He likes to walk, but he is crazy to go back to the car or the house. Then, he ran ahead of me. Usually, he would do it for a few yards and then return to me to see if I am around or following him. This time, however, he took over, and that was the last time I saw him. I thought it would be waiting by the car, but it was not. For the whole week, I repeatedly checked that trail; I talked to many people around, posted ‘dog lost’ signs everywhere, and went online. I posted it on Facebook, Nextdoor neighborhood (3 sites), and checked on the local animal shelter sites, nothing! During the same week, I got a call from one of my students, and she asked me how I was doing. Reluctantly, I shared the story of the lost dog. She said she was sorry, and we continued our conversation. Then, when she talked about her courses, she said that two of her friends who used to proofread her papers have died of Covid 19. That was tragic, and I started to feel uneasy about sharing my poor dog story with her. Anyway, she continued and said that she also lost some relatives from the disease, four of them, and in the last week, she lost a nephew in a car head-on collision. She lost about seven people between friends and relatives in the previous few weeks. Now I felt really embarrassed to have shared the dog’s story with her. And I told her so, “I thought I had a problem, but comparing to yours, it is nothing!” Seven lost people! It is incredible, but this brought comfort for my loss because now I was the one giving words of consolation. And this is precisely what I tell my clients to do. I mean to talk to other people, to help others when they have struggles in their lives, and they will see that we are all humans and subject to tragedies every day. But on doing so, many times, comforting other people because of their struggles helps us find relief. And we always see someone with more significant problems than ours. The lesson is evident, we need to live our lives focusing on helping others, and our troubles will become smaller until one day when we will live in a place without any misfortunes. Let’s keep our hopes on that day! “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4 Stress Management with humor? Read the e-Book “Laugh Your Illness Away” by Dr. Dos Santos (Kindle books – amazon.com). The first coronavirus pandemic happened in 2003. The SARS (Syndrome of Acquired Respiratory Syndrome) occurred in China and also spread around the world. It did not cause much tragedy as the current Covid19; Hong Kong, however, had more than 1,000 deaths. I was in Hong Kong when this happened and learned a few lessons, similar to the ones we are experiencing now.
Diet - It looks like the virus originated from a wild animal common in the Canton province, including Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, among other cities. People used to eat those animals sold in the open markets. If you have visited one of those markets, you could imagine a virus, bacteria, and other microorganisms flying in the air just by the place's smell and dirtiness. Lesson learned: Being vegetarian and sanitation. Masks - Then, everyone was wearing masks. I remember that I was traveling to the US when I decided to go to the plane restroom. When I stood up and looked back, it was a surreal vision of ghost-looking masked people. Everyone was wearing a mask. Lesson learned: Use masks and avoid crowded environments. Clean hands - many times, people with contaminated hands would touch their noses, mouths, and eyes and get the disease. Washing hands, using hand sanitizers and alcohol, and even gloves was the measure. In my lectures about the immune system, I invented a device made with cardboard to put around the neck that makes it impossible to touch the face – I did not get any royalties from that! Lesson learned: Keep your hands clean and do not touch your face. Stay at home - That was a hard lesson to learn. When I was in medical school in Brazil, I did not miss one single class when I got mumps – oops!! In any case, in the middle of that pandemic, if you sneezed, they would put you in jail (joking here). So, we followed the rule. Lesson learned: Stay home as much as possible, especially if you are sick. Social distance - For the first time, I learned that term, which now is familiar around the globe; Stay far away from each other as the virus usually will not spread farther than 6 feet. It was easy for me to do so as I am precisely 6 ft tall, so I imagine staying away about the same distance of my height. Lesson learned: Do not hug or shake hands but instead use your body language to greet people. Immune system - I presented many lectures about the immune system and learned a lot of new things. Astragalus was the Chinese herbal of the time, and even university medical professionals were using concoctions of the herb. I put my hopes on lifestyle, like a healthy diet, exercise, rest, and avoiding toxic substances. Lesson learned: Keep a healthy lifestyle, Do not fear – For a few times, I thought I had got the virus. One time I was shaking, tired, and sneezing while attending a lecture about SARS. I was sure I got it, but then I went to the bathroom and peed for almost 4 minutes or so. It was the air conditioning that was so cold, and I was shivering. Lesson learned: Relax, listen to good music, have more humor in your life, and pray. Well, I survived that coronavirus pandemic in 2003. And so far, I have survived the Covid19 too. My only struggle is to restrict contact with my grandchildren. The thing is that my son Mauricio is a dentist, my son-in-law, Caroline's husband, is an emergency room doctor, and my granddaughter Alana, from Andre, is going to school – not zoom school. I am following the above precautions and took the vaccine. The rest is with the Lord! "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." Psalm 91:7 Quarantine for Covid19
A little bit of history can help us to understand why quarantining is important and what does the word quarantine mean. The term was first used in Europe during the bubonic plague in the 14th century. Even though the process of isolation dates back thousands of years to the biblical times. The bible book of Leviticus has many verses that describe the process of isolation during leprosy or other infections. “He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside of the camp.” Leviticus 13:46 Some legends, that I could not confirm due to time it happened (14-15 century), say that the priests, who were the doctors at that time, were having a hard time to control the black plague (or bubonic plague) that decimated one-third of Europe. Either they looked at the bible verses and found the idea of isolation there, or they looked to the Jewish people who appeared to had controlled the epidemic on their villages by practicing isolation. In any case, they started isolating sick people and ultimately were able to control the epidemic. One documented historical event in Europe clarified the process of quarantine. Officials from the city of Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia) passed laws to establish 30 days of isolation for ships arriving from infected areas (similar to our passenger screenings at our airports for affected Covid19 areas). At first, people in the ships needed to wait for 30 days and later it was expanded to 40 days, which is called “quarantino” in Italian – the root of the English word ‘quarantine.’ They also developed special places for quarantined people separated from the city. As time passed the period of isolation became dependent on the incubation period for the disease, but the term quarantine was kept. After years of dealing with global epidemics, quarantine became one fo the main methods to control diseases that are transmitted by contact or human discharges such as hepatitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, flu, SARS, and now the Covid19 pandemic that is affecting the whole world. Therefore, in your case or mine, with the Covid 19, we must follow the same procedure; isolation and social distance as much as possible. I remember when I was in Hong Kong during the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic caused by a coronavirus more deadly than Covid19, that one infected person entered a hotel in the city and took the elevator. All the people on that elevator were infected and died later on. On that epidemic of SARS, the death rates were about 10% and not respecting age but 55% of deaths were above 60 years old. The 1918 influenza that affected 1/3 of the world population had a death rate of 2% and it was more common among 20-40 years old. The seasonal flu has a death rate of 0.1% and also is more deadly to old folks or those with other health complications. The Covid19 rates of death are 3.4%, even though in some areas it is less than that. However, the risk is higher for older people or those with underlying health conditions. As we do not have a specific treatment either a vaccine for it yet, still the best preventive action is social distance and isolation. South Korea was the country that was able to manage and control the disease better than any other country, with death rates lower than 1%. One of their main strategies was making faster identification of infected people, tracing their contacts and isolation. And they were very efficient at it and could provide tracing to where the positive people were, which stores they went, and even which buses they took with specific times of those activities. Therefore, people could check if they were closer to those contagious people at any of those times. Back to isolation, that is what I am doing now as I am 65 years old. I hope I will survive it, but nobody knows! In any case, our best shot is isolation if a person is sick. If a person is not sick, he or she should stay home if possible. If not, he should avoid agglomerations, wear protective gear, wash hands thoroughly and frequently and do not touch the face with hands. When we have Covid19 free testing for all, it will help to identify infected people and lead to more specific isolation. This will lead to more efficient control of the epidemic; until then, use the precautions. And trust in the Lord. He guided the Israelites during their epidemics in the desert, he guided the priest doctors during the middle ages, and he will guide our doctors and ourselves today. Stay safe in His hands! Hildemar Dos Santos, MD, DrPH Associate Professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health Director of the Preventive Care DrPH Program and Drayson Center Office of Preventive Care References: bostomglobe.com - accessed on March 30, 2020 healthline.com – accessed on March 30, 2020 time.com – accessed on March 30, 2020 I just watched a report of an old couple, maybe in their seventies, who was affected by the COVID 19 infection but survived. However, their daughter, in her forties, died. The daughter of my wife's friend with 18 years old also got the pandemic and is not doing well as she has asthma. Another friend of mine, in his thirties, contracted the disease, was very sick but survived, fortunately.
That introduces the appeal I am making here. Yes, this pandemic is something we haven't seen before. It has been spread worldwide, and it is not going away as we expected. It is affecting young people now, and some of them are dying. OK, we have the vaccine, but we still do not yet understand a lot of things. My appeal, therefore, is for us to take it seriously. Yes, this is not a joke! This is not a light flu, as some people of influence are saying. And this is not a conspiracy, as I have heard many. It is not something created with a political agenda or to eliminate sections of the population. This is a viral pandemic infection that can kill old and young people, people with morbidities and people without it, people with a suppressed immune system, and people with a regular immune system. Also, a disease that can kill our front-line health professionals, who should be the ones most protected. During the first coronavirus infection in Hong Kong in 2003, many doctors and nurses died, even at young ages. It was a terrible experience, and I was living in that city when it occurred. It was not fair for health professionals to die! Now, back to my appeal, please, take it seriously! First, avoiding crowded places, especially bars. Why? For two main reasons, they do not use masks when drinking and eating, and they drink alcohol. Alcohol drinking suppresses the immune system and affects sound reasoning. You would not like to be around an intoxicated positive COVID-19 person, would you? My appeal is for you to keep it safe, use your masks, maintain social distance, use your sanitizers, wash your hands, do not touch your mouth, nose, and eyes, and stay home as much as possible. And keep doing it even after you are vaccinated until the authorities say it is safe to relax on those measures. I know nothing is new here, but the appeal is to keep doing it, do not stop! Why am I making this appeal? Because this is my obligation as a Preventive Care Specialist (PCS). PCSs do not deal with diagnoses, treatments, or follow-ups. They are into prevention. They go for the cause of the diseases and promote the necessary preventive steps, being that a healthy lifestyle or a sanitation measure. The second part of my appeal is to improve your immune system by maintaining healthy habits. Have a balanced lifestyle, moderate exercise, and a healthy diet, control your stress, sleep well, and avoid toxic and addictive substances are things that maintain your immunity active. Again, nothing new, just keep doing it! Therefore, I appeal to you to keep your practices to avoid the virus and the ones that improve your defenses. Other than that, my last advice is prayer; prayer for those who are sick and for those who deal with those who are sick. God can protect people against infections, and nobody will die without His endorsement. And do not forget that, no matter what happens, He provides eternal life for those who pray, even if they die! "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die…" John 11: 25-26. From the Office of Dr. Dos Santos – opinions, messages, inspirations. For your Stress Management – Read the e-Book “Laugh Your Illness Away” – Amazon Kindle Pandemic of Anxiety
These days have been hard for everyone. No matter the social class, race, color, age, gender, or any other difference that we humans have, we are all under the influence of the circumstances around us, mostly related to the Covid 19 pandemic. One of the most discouraging factors regarding the pandemic is the authorities' inability to handle the situation and predict what will happen in the future. Not that they are wrong, and I am right. The problem is that nobody was prepared for a crisis like that, therefore no sure approach to deal with it, and nobody is entirely confident of what will happen tomorrow. At the beginning of the pandemic, I remember that masks' use was seen as not protective as the virus could pass through the mask. Today, everyone is using masks. One day, I was walking on a trail in Colorado and saw people walking with masks on in the middle of the jungle. People drive with masks, keep their masks on inside of their homes, and even sleep with them. Then, we have the uncertainty related to what to do. Vaccines might help, or might not! Acquired immunity after the first infection with Covid 19, or not! Effective medication to treat the virus, or not! Numbers of infections and deaths going down, or not! This Covid 19 has created something that was never experienced by humanity in the past. How about the financial crisis? Do we have it, or are we going to have it? No one can predict it with assurance! Yet, many people have lost their jobs, companies are closing down or downsizing, and the fear of the unknown is spreading quickly. On top of this, the social unrest due to racial tensions, the wildfires in the west, the effects of global warming, the hurricanes, refugees' situation from developing countries, terrorists and mass killings, and violence everywhere. The world is becoming an anxiety-producing machine. How to deal with that? The mental health professionals might have the solution: a treatment with anxiolytic medications, therapies, relaxation techniques, exercise, lifestyle modification, and more. It all depends on how severe your anxiety is, and if you have a major anxiety disorder. Definitely, in this situation, you need professional help. However, in my opinion, the main factor for relief and prevent today's anxiety is God. Jesus Christ summarized it well, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 I want to paraphrase this part of the verse, "In this world, you will have Covid 19; or, in this world, you will have racial tensions; or, in this world, you will have global warming, fires, and hurricanes." And Jesus said, "I told you so!" But He also said, "In me, you may have peace!" No matter the situation you face in this world, if you ask for God's peace, you will receive it. However, Jesus was not saying that He would solve every single problem that people have in this world and respond to every single prayer precisely as it was asked. He said that even if we get the Covid 19, He would give us peace. And peace now, and peace tomorrow and eternal peace! I don't know what your situation is and what is going on with you and your family. But one thing is sure, whatever is happening to you, God is aware, and if you ask Him, he will listen! No matter what fears you have, God can give you the power to relax, overcome, and find peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 |
Author/AutorDr. Hildemar Dos Santos, MD, DrPH |