How important is sleep, and in what ways does insufficient sleep affect your patients鈥 health?
When we鈥檙e asleep, our bodies are recharging and our brains are getting rid of waste. Sleeping is important for immune function, mental health, and metabolic regulation. Obesity medicine is a large part of my practice, and sleep deprivation can lead to increased hunger, inability to lose weight, or weight gain. Poor sleep leads to poor choices, like lack of exercise and unhealthy foods.
As a bariatric surgeon, I have many patients with prediabetes or diabetes, and so I emphasize the importance of sleep for glycemic control. Many of my patients also have sleep apnea, which also contributes to poor sleep. I think it is essential that patients are tested appropriately for sleep disorders, like sleep apnea or chronic insomnia, and treated appropriately to enhance their sleep.
Good sleep means sleeping long enough and deeply enough. For all patients of all ages and all sizes, we emphasize the need for adequate sleep hygiene to optimize body and brain health. We all know when we鈥檙e sleep deprived we can become irritable, have increased anxiety, decreased ability to learn, and generally don鈥檛 feel as well. Good sleep hygiene involves sleeping in a cool, dark room; going to bed at the same time each night; avoiding alcohol and smoking; avoiding caffeine after the morning; avoiding eating close to bedtime; eliminating noise; and avoiding long naps during the day and avoiding screen time from our TVs, laptops, phones, watches, and even checking the clock during the night.
Exercising four to six hours before bedtime is most beneficial for good sleep.
What advice do you give patients to help them live a longer, healthier life?
As a bariatric surgeon, my practice focuses heavily on obesity medicine and nutrition. Obesity is associated with multiple cancers in addition to diabetes, joint pain, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, and shorter life spans. There are multiple treatments for overweight and obesity, including surgical and nonsurgical options; however, proper nutrition is critical for all treatment plans.
For patients of all weights, nutrition is the key for maintaining a healthy weight and providing energy. I do appreciate the old adage 鈥淵ou are what you eat.鈥 Nutrition affects mental well-being [and] can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, Alzheimer鈥檚, and many other health conditions.
Nutrition truly is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. For all patients, we recommend reducing high-glycemic-index foods, processed foods, high-fat or high-sugar foods. Reducing alcohol intake and liquid calories is also important.
For most patients, a high-protein and high-fiber diet is beneficial. Your body needs the proper fuel to function at its best.
This article originally appeared alongside 黑料网 Detroit鈥檚 2024 Top Docs List. Click here to read the full list.听
This story originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of 黑料网 Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of 黑料网 Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our will be available on Oct. 7.
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