(gentle music)
- Did you know that one in three millennials
do not have a primary care physician?
This means that they're less likely
to seek preventative care
for important health issues.
And it's only been worsened by the pandemic.
I'm Dr. Jake Deutsch, and this is A Little Bit Better.
I'm seeing more patients in my practice
that have common health issues.
These include hypertension, diabetes, skin cancer
and the most important, mental health.
(gentle music)
Do you know your blood pressure?
Do you run high or low?
Hypertension is rising as a serious concern.
High blood pressure is a common condition
in which long-term force
of the blood against your artery walls
is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems
such as heart disease.
And there are a number of factors
that increase blood pressure.
Stress, smoking, cholesterol.
Only one in four adults have their condition under control.
When it comes to making indent into your blood pressure,
think about simple changes in your diet.
Less salt and sodium
and more things that are high in potassium.
Potassium is our MVP here.
You have leafy vegetables and of course, fruits.
I got bananas, oranges, and tons of fresh berries.
I know it seems like dieting and exercise
is the solution for everything.
But when it comes to your blood pressure,
a simple trick like attaching the things that you love,
i.e. social media, with a little bit of exercise,
so you can spin while you swipe,
and now you've worked out for an hour.
And I can't not emphasize the importance
of not smoking when it comes
to treating your high blood pressure.
That includes vaping.
Even e-cigarettes contain nicotine.
The substance that's known
to give you the effect of smoking,
particularly the hardening of your blood vessels.
(upbeat music)
Do you know that the United States
is the developed world leader for diabetes?
And we don't wanna be winning at that.
So what is diabetes?
And why do so many millennials suffer from it?
To break it down,
diabetes is a problem with insulin resistance.
Type one, there's no insulin being made,
whereas type two, which is more common in millennials,
there's a decreased amount of insulin
and there's a resistance for it to actually work.
What we call a metabolic syndrome.
A syndrome that includes obesity, diabetes,
and other factors like high cholesterol.
That's why your diet is so important.
Make sure to cut out those processed sugars
and focus on things that are found more naturally in nature.
Fruits and vegetables, of course,
sugars are contained in fruits,
but they're easier for your body to digest.
Intermittent fasting is a great way to counterbalance that.
And how it works is basically, you use your reserve fuels
and then you burn calories in a different way,
and all of that resistance out the window.
And if you don't know,
there's actually a blood test called an A1C
that you need to make sure that your doctor tests.
What it does is look at a measurement of your blood sugar
over a several month period.
It's a predictor of the metabolic syndrome.
(suspenseful music)
Malignant melanoma is the second most common
cause of cancer in adults aged 25 to 29.
And millennial women are at the greatest risk.
The millennial findings show
that 58% think that a tan makes them more attractive.
53% believe that a tan makes a person look healthy.
And 31% use tanning beds to get a baseline tan.
Getting screened every year is important.
And that means a full exam, head to toe, completely naked.
That's because skin cancer sometimes shows up
in the most unexpected spots.
Red flags are dark irregular shape moles
that are growing rapidly.
And with over 400,000 cases of skincare
diagnosed in the US each year,
attributable to tanning beds,
avoid them at all costs.
Don't forget to apply sunscreen frequently.
At least 30 or higher,
15 minutes before going in the sun.
And for those areas you can't reach,
get a friend to help you out.
(upbeat music)
Just because you're going to see your doctor for a physical,
don't forget about the importance of our brain.
Mental health is probably the most undiagnosed condition
that we see among millennials.
We're all aware that COVID has increased
mental health issues.
People are spending much more time in isolation
and the economic implications
are really weighing on people's psyche.
Remember, how I said exercise is the answer to everything,
well, it goes without saying
it's a huge part of your mental wellbeing.
You don't have to become a CrossFit obsessive
to reap the benefits of physical activity.
Especially when you're dealing with anxiety,
sometimes your body just needs some physical release.
Meditation is a great way to balance off mental health.
I tell patients, "Try to do it every day.
"It's a great way to burn off anxiety and be productive."
Remember when I said that the mental
and the physical are always linked?
When you're feeling anxious
just find something that you like doing.
Get moving, it's always gonna help relieve stress.
I see a huge change towards holistic health
as an option for treating mental health.
That means less pills prescribed
and more other options are about wellness
on the big picture.
I'm Dr. Jake Deutsch,
and this has been another episode of A Little Bit Better.
If you have any other medical questions,
make sure to leave in the comments below
and don't forget to subscribe to Bustle.
(gentle music)