Questions to Ask Your Doctor at Routine Exams

Do you sit speechless when your doctor asks you if you have any questions at your routine appointments? You should really take this opportunity to ask your doctor about your health concerns. Dr. Richard Horowitz in Los Angeles suggests that you ask the following questions:

1. What can I do to be healthy? Eating habits, sleep habits, and exercise habits are very important components of being healthy, but you also want to make sure you do what is good for you as an individual and based on your family history.
2. How do I manage my weight? Both portion control and exercise are vital to maintaining a healthy weight. For those who want to lose weight, it is obviously important to manage your portion sizes and to exercise. The same also goes for people wanting to gain weight, but they will want to increase their portion sizes of healthy fats, not just fast food to put the pounds on fast.
3. How do I manage my cholesterol? Other questions include do I need to take medication? Dr. Horowitz suggests that patients have an Individual risk analysis that includes a personal history, family history, and their health habits that may affect their cholesterol. It is also important to remember that good cholesterol does not always mean no heart attacks.

Overall, Dr. Horowitz suggests that patients do these three things to keep themselves healthy:

1. Eat real food and eat everything in moderation.
2. Exercise–cardiovascular exercise is very important, but duration and frequency are more important than intense exercise routines that hurt and may make you want to quit sooner.
3. Finally, sleep enough and drink water.