Episode Transcript
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Dr. Madsen Suffers a Bad Trip Alone On a Run
Dr. Troy Madsen is an avid trail runner and recently suffered a major fall while on a run in the San Rafael Swell. He tripped after catching his toe on a rock and immediately felt a tear in his hamstring, his toe felt broken, and his hands were scraped up. He found himself eight miles from his car and all alone. What did he do? And more importantly, what should he have done?
If you find yourself injured and alone you should do the following:
- Call for help if you have cell service.
- Wait for others if possible.
- If you are all alone and need to get back to safety, take it easy on your injured leg. Do what feels comfortable and limp back.
And some tips for common running injuries:
- If you have broken a toe, there is no need to go to the ER. Tape the broken toe to the toe next to it and take it easy.
- You do not need to ice a sprain. While it may seem like a common practice, research shows that icing a sprain does very little for healing. If it makes the injury feel better, feel free to ice it, but there is no rush to get ice on it.
Remember, the Road to Recovery is a Long One
After a sports injury like Troy's, it may take quite a while to get back to the same level of activity. Whether it be a repetitive stress injury, or a sprain or a break, recovering from an injury can take a long time. You need to allow yourself time to heal. Otherwise, you could hurt yourself more.
After an injury, you feel like you've been set back. For example, you may not be able to run a seven-minute mile for a while, and that can be discouraging. Instead of focusing on what you could do before the injury, remind yourself of why you were doing the physical activity in the first place and why you want to keep doing it. Is it an activity you do to improve your health? Do you like the time it gives you to think? Does it bring you joy?
ER or Not: I Have Electrocuted Myself
Perhaps you've been doing some home improvement and forgot to turn off the breaker, or accidentally put something in an outlet, you've felt a jolt, but you feel fine. Should you go to the ER.
The definitive answer: you absolutely need to go to the ER.
Any amount of electrical shock, even a small bite from a house wire, can cause problems with your heart. That small jolt you felt in your hand may have interfered with your cardiovascular system and caused an irregular rhythm.
Go to the hospital. Get an EKG. It's better to catch the potential damage caused by any amount of electrocution early.
Poor Diet is Linked to 20% of All Deaths Worldwide
A recent Time Magazine article citing new research from the Lancet points to poor diet causing one in five of all deaths in the world. That's more than smoking.
The number one risk factor of poor diet is eating too much high sodium and trans fats. A diet high in sodium and trans fat diet is one of the leading factors in stroke, heart disease, heart attacks, and high blood pressure.
Be sure to watch your intake of salty and fatty foods to lower your risk of these health problems.
The second highest risk factor was linked to not eating enough nutritious foods. These foods include:
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Unsaturated Fats
- Legumes
- Fruits and vegetables
Eating these foods can lead to a lower risk of diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and diabetes. But most people in the world just aren't eating enough. Here are some simple tips to help you increase how many servings of these healthy foods in your diet:
- Reframe your dietary thinking. Tell yourself that you are adding healthy foods to your diet, rather than thinking you are depriving yourself of junk food.
- Make it convenient. Keep healthy foods like nuts, fruits, and vegetables around your house and office so they're easy to eat rather than getting something from a drive-thru or a vending machine.
- Don't cut out all carbs. Whole grains are great for you. Cutting those carbs completely doesn't necessarily help you lose weight and deprives you of some nutritious fiber and nutrients your body needs.
- Eat more nuts. Only 12% of people are eating as many nuts as they should. Get them around your house and start eating them today!
Read the study yourself:
Just Going to Leave This Here
On this episode's Just Going to Leave This Here, Scot speaks about the importance of preparing for an annual physical and Troy is excited for a new test for chlamydia and gonorrhea that will help him treat people in the ER.
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