St. Jude Medical Center - Fall 2018 - 6

Ask a Doctor
Q

In terms of nutrition, what should I focus on to
improve my child's health?

Cutting back on sugar is a great place to start. Nutrition
advice has changed over the years; for instance, once
upon a time parents were told to eliminate fats from their
child's diet. But when the importance of healthy fats to brain
development and overall good health was understood, the advice
became more accurate and nuanced: unhealthy fats (especially
the trans fats found in crackers, cookies and processed foods)
are seriously problematic. Healthy fats-like those found in fish,
avocados, olive and nuts-should be plentiful in your child's diet.
But reducing your child's sugar consumption is nutrition advice
that has not changed. It remains as important today, as when
physicians and nutritionists first sounded the alarm several
decades ago. High sugar consumption has been linked to
everything from cognitive decline and depression, to obesity,
diabetes and artery damage.
Health and nutrition experts have two simple recommendations.
First, restrict sugar-sweetened drinks to once a week. (Kids
shouldn't consume more than six teaspoons of added sugar per
day-yet most consume three times this amount.) And, don't give
children under two any added sugar (including juice), as they
need nutrient-rich diets and are developing taste preferences.

David Joung, MD, is a board-certified
pediatrician with St. Jude Heritage
Medical Group, who is committed
to offering comprehensive care
and education to his patients and
their families.
Dr. Joung is accepting new patients and
his office is located at 4300 Rose Drive in Yorba Linda. To make
an appointment, please call (714) 528-4211.

6 ST. JUDE MEDICAL CENTER

What are the symptoms of prediabetes?
Is it serious?

For most people, there are no symptoms. About 86 million
Americans-one-third of adults-have prediabetes, and
most of them don't even know it. Prediabetes means your blood
sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to
be diagnosed as diabetes. In other words, prediabetes means
you are on the road to diabetes and all of its health-threatening
complications, unless you take steps to prevent or reverse it.
* Talk to your doctor about your risk and ask for a blood
glucose test, particularly if you are overweight and
inactive, or have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
* Increase your physical activity and make smarter, more
nutritious food choices. Start to include Mediterraneanstyle eating habits into your daily routine (more fish,
healthy fats and vegetables, and less sugar and trans
fats). This style of eating offers a long list of benefits for
your heart, brain and overall health.
Losing even a small amount of weight and getting at least 150
minutes of physical activity per week can dramatically reduce
your risk of diabetes. In addition to pushing blood sugar levels
back into the normal range, exercise and weight loss can also
help prevent stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer's and other
debilitating diseases.

Henry Kaw, MD, is a board-certified
family medicine physician who cares for
individuals of all ages and every stage
of life. He is committed to helping
patient prevent disease and improve
their well-being.
Dr. Kaw is accepting new patients. To
make an appointment, please call (714) 462-8383. His office is
located at 321 N. Pomona Avenue, Suite D, in Fullerton.

St. Jude Medical Center - Fall 2018

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