What is "preventive medicine"?

By Natalia Quiroga Sáez - Bootcamp by PFG

With a good diet and exercise we can make our body stronger and less prone to getting sick. This is known as "preventive medicine", everything we can do to protect ourselves from external agents that weaken us. Instead of feeling bad and resorting to medical treatment, with good habits we can avoid contracting diseases.

In this regard, Patricia Javkin, an Argentine doctor with a residency in internal medicine in Minnesota (United States), explains what preventive medicine is in the following video:

" Preventive medicine is taking care of ourselves in how we do things . What do I mean by that? If we are going to eat we have to know what we put inside our bodies. I always say that our bodies are like a temple, we must take care of it" .

If we see the human body as a machine, it will not always work optimally: "We think that everything is normal, that it is normal to see well, that it is normal to feel good and no, it is because our body is working perfectly and that is not it's what always happens, "says the doctor.

How to eat?

Good nutrition is essential for good health. " Junk food is not called yes for nothing. It is called junk food because it is full of saturated fats that increase cholesterol, fat deposits, heart risk, the danger of having diabetes ...", explains Javkin.

Although the day-to-day routine is not easy and makes it difficult for us to prepare and take food from home, "I prefer to take what is mine, I know what it is, and not have to buy any junk on the street. The problem is that when we are very hungry we eat anything ".

The answer is not to eat less or, worse, not eat: "The brain only works with what we have just ingested. So, if we do not have food, the brain, which only works with glucose and carbohydrates, does not eat. And if the brain does not eat the famous headaches and dizziness begin. That is why it is too important to keep the stomach occupied . If you cannot eat something, have a herbal tea or natural fruit juices, "he recommends.

Information is power

"I believe that we are all free to decide, but always, for that we must know. If one does not know, he decides badly. So, if you know everything and still want to eat junk food, and still want to weigh a hundred kilos and smoke, well, You know that your quality of life risks are not going to be good. "

The doctor assures that the key to a good diet is knowledge and that people begin to change when they begin to feel better and investigate what they eat and what is good for their body.

" That's why you always need a health coach to work with the whole family, look at what they have in the refrigerators, what they have in the cupboards. Show them what each thing is and have them google it . More importantly, for me to tell them. Say, it's to be seen, "he says.

That is why the doctor recommends having a diet routine, eating healthy, exercising and regular medical check-ups. "Anything that helps the patient feel better is valid."

She believes that if a person wants to resort to homeopathy, acupuncture and other alternative medicines, if they help, that is fine.In turn, he does not consider that a person should go to the other extreme like self-medicating with pills without medical supervision.

When you cannot stop medical treatment

There are times when we cannot prevent disease or access alternative medicine methods. " In hypertension, medication is very important. It is very important that your doctor follow you, with blood tests. Blood pressure must be kept within the parameters," explains the doctor.

Although a hypertensive person can lose weight to improve their condition, " they must always be with a doctor behind them so that things go well. The same with diabetes, a disease in which pills cannot be left," he says.

In turn, "surgery is necessary and can save lives. And it is good that the patient wants to be well informed and compare opinions of various doctors. Fortunately, now surgeries have changed. They are less invasive," says the doctor.

Patricia Javkin explains that every surgical process has what is called "surgical stress", it is subjecting the body to a difficult process .

"In the case that I have a patient with a difficulty, what do I prefer for my patient? - he says - A surgery because his quality of life can be better. It is what one seeks, to live better, one does not undergo surgery to live worse ".