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Alfredo Ermac Jr., MD, 21216 Northwest Freeway, Suite 210, Cypress, TX (2026)

02/05/2026

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📞 Call our office 281-957-4848 to book your time slot. Appointments are limited!

01/06/2026

Are Sugar-Free Beverages Helping You Lose Weight? Study Says No

Of course, many variables are involved, but studies suggest that sugar-sweetened beverages are a prime culprit. Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, flavored waters, smoothies, sports drinks, specialty coffees, sweet tea and fruit juices have been linked to weight gain and obesity and raise the risk for serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases, gout, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, heart disease, brain aging and tooth decay and cavities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Sugary drinks have been contributing to health issues for decades. Big Soda has tried capitalizing on these health issues by offering alternative products. For example, Royal Crown Cola’s Diet Rite was introduced in 1958, appealing to Americans who were trying to lower their calories and/or sugar intake. Since then, a wide array of soft drinks and foods are made with artificial sweeteners – an industry that grew into a nearly $5 billion business with about 40 percent of Americans as consumers.

Artificial Sweeteners
The problem is, artificial sweeteners can’t help you manage your weight – at least not long term, according to a study conducted by University of Southern California and published in Nature Metabolism.

There are eight artificial sweeteners approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the Mayo Clinic; they include:

Acesulfame potassium – used in Sweet One and Sunett.
Advantame.
Aspartame – used in NutraSweet and Equal.
Neotame – used in Newtame.
Saccharin – used in Sweet'N Low.
Sucralose- used in Splenda.
Luo han guo – used in Monk Fruit in the Raw.
Purified stevia leaf extracts – used in Truvia, PureVia, others.

In this new study, researchers only looked at sucralose, a common, all-purpose artificial sweetener used in baked goods, beverages, chewing gum, gelatins, frozen dairy desserts, Diet Coke with Splenda, Diet Pepsi with Splenda, Gatorade’s Propel Water, low-calorie Kool-Aid and Atkins Diet products. Sucralose is considered generally recognized as safe when consumed in moderation. But study results are mixed regarding its long-term effects.

Researchers recruited 75 subjects evenly split between male and female and weight status, i.e., healthy weight, overweight or obese. Participants had three visits. Each visit they had:

Baseline brain scan, blood samples and survey to determine hunger levels
300 ml of plain water, a drink sweetened with 75 grams of sugar and a drink sweetened with sucralose. The sugar- and sucralose-sweetened drinks were the equivalent of 16-ounce can of sugary soda.
Follow-up brain scan, blood samples and survey to determine hunger levels several times for the following two hours
Subjects also underwent fMRI scans (or functional MRI). This type of MRI scan shows the most active areas of the brain. This helped researchers understand how regions of the brain communicate with one another.

Although the study was small, researchers were able to document the differences within and between subjects.

When participants drank the sugary drink, their hunger was dampened, and their peripheral glucose levels rose. But when they drank the non-caloric sucralose sweetened drink, activity in their hypothalamus grew by 20 percent compared to the sugary drink. The hypothalamus is the area of the brain that produces hormones that control hunger. Increased blood flow and activity correlates to increased appetite, researchers said. The sucralose sweetened drinks also caused a stronger hypothalamic reaction than plain water.

These effects were more pronounced in obese subjects. Earlier studies saw similar effects in animals.

Should You Give Up Your Diet Drinks?
It depends. How much are you consuming? Studies have found moderate amounts artificial sweeteners safe for healthy adults. They also can help manage weight when used in moderation or on a short-term basis because they help control your caloric and sugar intake.

But realize that researchers have questioned the benefits of artificial sweeteners for years. In fact, the World Health Organization issued an advisory in May 2023 warning consumers that beverages and foods with sugar substitutes is associated with weight gain because they trigger hunger.

Previous studies also link sucralose with insulin resistance and liver inflammation. Moreover, sucralose has been found to cause gut microbiome imbalances by cutting the number of good bacteria by half.

Artificial sweeteners also are much sweeter than sugar – sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar – which means they can affect how food and beverages taste. This is why you’re usually better off getting natural sugar from whole foods like fruits whenever possible.

12/30/2025

Are Prebiotic Sodas Healthy?

Prebiotic sodas taste like regular soda and are offered in typical soda flavors but have added fiber and less calories and sugar. They were developed to be a healthier alternative to regular soda. You can find them the beverage aisle of most grocery stores. They’ve been around for a while and have caught the attention of Big Soda with Coca Cola owning Simply Pop and Pepsico purchasing Poppi.

But are they healthful? Here’s what you need to know.

Let’s start by explaining what probiotics and prebiotics are. Probiotics are a dietary fiber that add healthy bacteria to gut microbiome, enabling them to flourish, creating a healthier gut environment. Your best source of probiotics are fermented foods like yogurt, miso, sauerkraut and sour cream, as well as kombucha. Supplements exist, but studies have found them to be of limited value.

Prebiotics are complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber and serve as food for probiotics. Apples, asparagus, bananas, beans, berries, broccoli, chickpeas, leafy green vegetables and onions are rich in prebiotics. The problem is, most Americans don’t get enough high-fiber foods into their diet, potentially raising the risk for heart disease, obesity, gastrointestinal conditions and some cancers.

Prebiotic supplements are available and have been found to be effective. Studies suggest prebiotic supplements can help digestion and strengthen the immune system. They’ve also been credited with lowering inflammation, in turn possibly reducing stress, anxiety and depression among people with metabolic syndrome, according to a small study published in the British Journal of Medicine.

Food manufacturers capitalized on this by including prebiotic ingredients in foods and beverages. For example, some brands of bread have added prebiotics; they’re listed as inulin, wheat dextrin, acacia gum, psyllium, polydextrose, GOS (galactooligosaccharides), FOS (fructooligosaccharides) and TOS (transgalactooligosaccharides) on food labels. Researchers have found that bread supplemented with prebiotics improves the nutritional content of the bread and helps prolong the shelf life, according to a study published in the journal Foods.

This leads us to prebiotic sodas like Simply Pop, Olipop and Poppi. Do they have any benefits? The answer is not much. That’s because soda doesn’t have any nutritional value, even if it has less sugar. It offers a small serving of prebiotics -- not enough to replace a healthy diet with an appropriate amount of complex carbohydrates. Plus, the prebiotics used in these drinks, e.g., chicory root, inulin and Jerusalem artichoke can cause gastrointestinal distress in people.

Are they a healthier alternative to regular soda? Arguably, yes. They have a lot less sugar than regular soda and less artificial sweeteners than typical diet sodas. But at the end of the day, prebiotic sodas are still just soda.

12/23/2025

Depression in Men Looks Different than It Does in Women

Women usually experience:
Feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, helplessness and/or guilt
Have changes in their appetite, causing weight fluctuations
Sleep too little or too much; feel tired and irritable
Lose interest in enjoyable activities and hobbies
Have difficulty concentrating, remembering facts and/or making decisions
Deal with headaches, digestive issues and aches/pains

Men can go undergo some of those signs and symptoms. But unlike women, many men also:
Develop substance use issues
Exhibit risky behavior like reckless driving and unsafe s*x
Present controlling or abusive behavior in relationships
Act angry, violent and/or frustrated
When men do recognize they’re feeling off – they ignore it, downplay it, avoid discussing it and/or resist treatment. Sadly, 49 percent of men are more depressed than they admit, according to Mindwise.

Why? Our society encourages men to suppress their feelings. And men’s depression is often triggered by financial, legal or work-related stress – issues men don’t want to discuss because it’s viewed as a disappointment or failure.

“It’s extremely important to talk about what’s troubling you,” says Bernard Kaminetsky, medical director, MDVIP. “Untreated depression can result in bigger problems.”

Depression in Men Typically Goes Undiagnosed & Untreated
When depression isn’t addressed, its signs and symptoms tend to exacerbate, eventually affecting relationships and work life. Workers suffering from depression miss twice as many days on the job as workers without depression. Some top reasons why depression in men usually goes undiagnosed:

Physical Health
Depression also takes a toll on physical health. Take substance abuse for example. When men are depressed, they’re twice as likely to binge drink as women. Since alcohol is a depressant, the over consumption can cause and/or worsen depression. Substance use, along with other negative lifestyle habits associated with depression, including poor sleep habits, unhealthy nutrition choices and skipping workouts, raise the risk for obesity, high blood pressure, addictions, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The American Heart Association now considers depression a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Studies also have found depression slows recovery of a heart attack or stroke.

Male Depressions & Su***de
Probably the biggest threat linked to untreated depression is su***de. And while su***de is a risk to both genders, men die from su***de 3.8 times more often than women.

One reason for the higher su***de rates is trauma. About 60 percent of men experience trauma such as an accident, physical assault, combat or a disaster. Keep in mind, most first responders (police officers, firefighters, EMTs) and military service members are men. Many events they’re involved in handling can haunt them, manifest into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition notorious for increasing the likelihood of depression, suicidal thoughts and su***de.

12/16/2025

Six Symptoms You Should Never Just Dismiss

Morning headaches
Some people may wake up with a headache, dismiss it as dehydration, and chug some water before their coffee. But persistent morning headaches are a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder. People who have this type of sleep apnea pause breathing throughout the night. Snoring is also a symptom. Sometimes people aren’t aware that they’re breathing irregularly or snoring. Headaches, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, and being tired throughout the day are other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. Getting diagnosed is important—sleep apnea is associated with heart disease and stroke, and can lead to death.

Eye floaters with flashes of light
Eye floaters—specks, strands, or web-like particles in your field of vision—often show up as we age. The fluid inside the eye, the vitreous, thickens and clumps together, and casts shadows on the back of the inside of the eye. (People who have nearsightedness or type 2 diabetes are more likely to have floaters.)

Floaters by themselves are common. But when new or large floaters appear with flashes of light, visit a doctor, emergency room, or eye specialist immediately. These could be signs of a detached retina, which can cause permanent vision loss. It’s treatable, but it’s important to get care right away.

Itching
If you’ve got itchy skin and it’s so annoying that it’s interfering with your daily life or sleep, you may need more attention than a sq**rt of your favorite moisturizer. Itchiness for reasons you can’t explain (such a rash or bug bite) can be signs of liver or kidney disease.

When itching is a symptom of liver disease, it’s common to have itchy arms, legs, palms, or soles, and it can be mild or so annoying that people scratch until they break the skin. Look for changes in skin color, too, such as yellowing or a greyish tone. If nothing relieves the itch, see your primary care physician.

Feeling cold all the time
It’s harder for the body to regulate its temperature as we age. Many older adults find themselves putting on an extra sweater or nudging the thermostat a degree or two. Women often dismiss feeling cold as a side effect of menopause or post-menopausal changes. But if you usually feel cold, though, it’s worth talking to your physician. Cold intolerance can be a symptom of anemia—your blood is not delivering enough oxygen to the rest of your body. If that’s the case, treatment depends on the type of anemia you have.

Cold intolerance can also be a symptom of fibromyalgia, vascular problems such as Raynaud’s phenomenon, an issue with the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that regulates body temperature), or a thyroid issue.

Persistent fatigue
Having good energy is good health—so when you’re consistently feeling tired and your energy is low, you shouldn’t ignore it. (Many Americans assume demanding work is exhausting them.) Persistent tiredness can signal different health issues, including depression, fibromyalgia, long COVID, heart disease, sleep disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, certain types of cancer, or type 2 diabetes. You’ll need a physician to help identify what’s behind the fatigue and offer a treatment plan.

Muscle pain that starts when you’re physically active and then goes away when you rest
It might be tempting to dismiss pain that comes and goes. But these could be signs of a more serious condition that requires prompt care. Symptoms of peripheral artery disease (PAD) include muscle cramps in the legs and hips, particularly while exercising, walking, or climbing stairs. The pain usually goes away a few minutes after you stop. With PAD, your muscles are cramping because plaque buildup in your arteries is keeping the muscles from getting enough blood. PAD can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can also cause leg pain that goes away when you stop moving. DVT is caused by blood clots that usually start in the legs. The clots can break away and move up to your heart, brain, or lungs, so it’s important to go to an emergency room immediately for an evaluation.

Takeaway
It’s not unusual to assume some symptoms are part of natural aging, work-related stress or even because you skipped a warm-up. But it’s important to pay attention to your body, acknowledge what you experience, and get the care you need to stay healthy.

10/22/2025

Taking a GLP-1 Drug? Here’s What You Need to Know About Nutrition

In recent years, GLP-1 weight-loss medications have become one of the most talked-about developments in the fight against obesity and type 2 diabetes. With brand names like Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound and Trulicity, these drugs have evolved from diabetes treatments to powerful tools for weight management. Currently, about 12 percent of American adults have used a GLP-1 drug, according to a medical brief published in JAMA.

What Are GLP-1 Drugs?
GLP-1 drugs are a class of medications that mimic the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Originally designed to help manage type 2 diabetes, they have since been adapted to promote weight loss by targeting the brain’s appetite centers, regulating blood sugar and reducing cravings. One newer drug, Mounjaro, also activates GIP receptors—another hormone involved in regulating appetite—making it even more effective for some people. Many users report that these drugs help quiet “food noise”—the constant preoccupation with eating.
On average, people who take GLP-1 medications lose between 10 and 15 percent of body weight over a year. Some users lose as much as 20 percent, according to Columbia University Department of Surgery.
In addition to managing type 2 diabetes and controlling weight, studies also found that these drugs may lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes, reduce alcohol consumption and improve brain and mental health. In fact, some GLP-1s are FDA-approved for people with obesity and related cardiovascular conditions, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Should You Take a GLP-1 Drug?
These drugs aren’t designed for people trying to lose vanity weight. They’re intended for people with either type 2 diabetes, a BMI higher than 27 plus high blood pressure, sleep apnea, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or a BMI higher than 30. Furthermore, people with type 1 diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, pancreatitis, a personal or familial history of certain thyroid cancer or pregnant women should not take a GLP-1 drug.

Like many medications, GLP-1 drugs can cause side effects. Two common side effects are nausea and upset stomach. Both can be alleviated by taking the medication with food and drinking ginger tea. Other typical side effects like headache, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, changes in vision and injection site reactions may subside over time. Occasionally, GLP-1s cause gall bladder, kidney, pancreas, thyroid and/or stomach issues, which can interfere with your usage of the drug.

The Critical Role of Nutrition
GLP-1 drugs slow the speed at which food moves through your digestive system, helping you feel fuller longer. Two tactics to help prevent stomach discomfort after meals are drinking ginger tea and eating five or six small meals throughout the day, plus healthy snacks.
Nutrient-dense food choices will help maximize the benefits of the medication. In other words, skip empty calories from greasy fried foods, sugary over-processed foods and alcohol. Instead, choose foods rich in protein, fiber and nutrients. You should include protein, a fruit or vegetable, and whole grain with each meal.

Examples of foods that should be kept on rotation include eggs, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts and beans for protein, as well as oats, berries, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and lentils for fiber. Once again, plenty of protein is a must to avoid muscle loss.

Lastly, it’s imperative to stay hydrated. GLP-1 medications are known for suppressing thirst. This is a problem because dehydration contributes to side effects, particularly nausea, fatigue and headaches. Ideally, you should drink between 8 and 10 glasses of fluid each day. Your go-to drinks should include water, herbal teas, broth-based soups, vegetable juices and coconut water. Limit sugary, overly processed and/or caffeinated

10/15/2025

Colder Temperatures Can Affect Your Blood Pressure

Circulation, in particular, can be impacted by winter weather. Colder air narrows blood vessels in your toes, fingers and skin, causing heat loss. In turn, the heart works harder to pump blood throughout the body to maintain your body temperature. And when it does, it also raises the heart rate and blood pressure.

This can be a real problem if you already have hypertension. Blood pressure, specifically the systolic pressure (top number) rises during with winter months compared to the summer months, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2023.
“These results don’t surprise me,” says Bernard Kaminetsky, MD, medical director, MDVIP. “Previous studies found that blood pressure fluctuates throughout day and has seasonal variations.”

Researchers analyzed electronic medical records of more than 60,000 American adults under treatment for high blood pressure. The average of age of participants was 62, just over half identified as white and almost 60 percent were female.
The records were collected from six health care centers located in the southeast and midwestern U.S. between 2018 and 2023. Blood pressures taken between December and February were classified as winter, while blood pressures taken between June and August were considered summer.

Results showed a 1.7 mm Hg rise in systolic blood pressures during the winter months, compared to the summer months. They also found a five percent decrease in blood pressure management over during the summer.
“The results may seem slight, but it contributes to a much bigger picture,” says Kaminetsky. “The coldest winter months raise the risk for a heart attack by 30 percent.”

Poorly controlled blood pressure is a leading cause of emergency department visits. It’s a major risk factor for heart disease, the global leading cause of death. And it can damage the brain, kidneys, eyes and s*xual function.
Almost 50 percent of American adults have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association’s 2023 Statistical Update. The good news is you can help control blood pressure by adjusting your lifestyle.

Try these seven measures to help manage your blood pressure in colder temperatures:
• Live a heart healthy lifestyle. This can help control your blood pressure.
• Maintain your body heat. Dress in layers and wear scarfs, gloves and hats while outdoors.
• Limit strenuous activities to the indoors. If you must perform a strenuous activity outdoors, go slowly.
• Sit outside for a while before beginning any physical activity. This can help your body acclimate to the weather.
• Lower caffeine and alcohol intake. Both contribute to lower body temperatures.
• Monitor your blood pressure regularly. This will help you track how it fluctuates during the day.
• Follow your physician’s advice. Make sure you’re taking medications your doctor has prescribed

10/08/2025

Does the Flu Knock You Out for Weeks? Boost Your T-Cells

Influenza is a virus responsible for about 9 million illnesses, 4 million medical visits, 10,000 hospitalizations and 35,000 deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why is there such a wide range of reactions to the virus?
Researchers from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited found that protection from severe symptoms lies in having a more diverse set of immune cells, as opposed to having higher levels of influenza antibodies, as historically thought, according to a study published in Nature Immunology.

Researchers tapped into 206 volunteers (a mix of vaccinated or unvaccinated people) from New Zealand’s SHIVERS-II, a community cohort-based study on influenza-like illnesses. They conducted an initial blood draw on participants six months before flu season to establish their baseline humoral immune and cell-mediated immune functions, two different types of immune responses.
Humoral and cell-mediated immune functions are two mechanisms of the adapted immune system. Humoral immunity is based on B cells producing antibodies (proteins that impede a virus’ ability to infect cells) in response to antigens (toxins or foreign substances that trigger the immune system) detected in body fluids. Cell-mediated immunity activates helper T cells to attack cells infected by an antigen. Participants continued having regular blood draws to differentiate immune cells and learn which ones provided protection from flu symptoms.

Researchers then compared immune cell profiles in the blood of patients with flu symptoms to those who were asymptomatic or uninfected. Turns out, the two groups had very different sets of immune cells:
• Immune cells that indicate severity of symptoms appear about six months before contracting the flu.
• Participants who contracted the flu but had mild or no symptoms had a more diverse set of immune cells with a higher proportion of helper T cells. This differs from previous theories that antibodies determined symptomology.
• Participants with mild or no symptoms also had a specific long-term immune response to the flu, which some researchers refer to as a memory response.
• Participants with significant symptoms tended to have a similar set of inflammatory immune cells with a nonspecific, narrow focus.
• Participants with significant symptoms also had a short-term immune response to the flu.
Researchers believe the knowledge gained through this study can lead to meaningful progress in flu control. For instance, it may be possible to identify people at high-risk for serious flu and help them take steps to control it, including flu vaccinations engineered to create higher levels of the appropriate immune cells.

In the meantime, you can take steps to strengthen your immune system. To boost your T-cells, try to:
• Drink green tea daily.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, lean protein (poultry and beef), fatty fish (salmon, tuna and flounder).
• Cook with fresh garlic.
• Take vitamin D supplements.
• Avoid heavily processed and fast foods.
• Get plenty of exercise.

09/22/2025

Fast Versus Slow Metabolism: When It Comes to Your Health, It’s Complicated

People often blame their metabolism for weight gain and stalled weight loss. It’s not that simple. Metabolism plays a role when we’re trying to manage our weight, but gaining and losing weight is still mostly determined by how many calories we take in versus how many calories we burn.

The role metabolism plays comes down to a simple measurement: How many calories do we burn when we’re at rest? This is called our Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. BMR, which is typically expressed in calories, fuels everything from cell division to blood circulation.
For example, if you burn 1,500 calories when you’re at rest, but you consume 2,000 calories per day, you’ll need to burn 500 or so calories through activity (walking, exercise, etc.) just to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight, you’ll need to cut the number of calories you consume or burn more through exercise.
Our BMR is unique and is influenced by diet and exercise but also by the uncontrollable forces such as age, gender, race and genetics. If you have slow metabolism or a low BMR, your body requires fewer calories — less fuel from food — to keep it functioning, especially in a resting state.

If you have a high BMR, it means your body burns a lot of calories even when you’re not doing anything. But that doesn’t mean everyone with a fast metabolism is naturally thin. You can still be overweight or obese with a fast metabolism because you consume more calories than your activity and BMR can burn. Studies show that overweight or obese people frequently do have a fast metabolism.

There’s a different measurement that’s often confused with BMR — RMR or resting metabolic rate. While BMR is the minimum calories your body requires for basic functions (heart beats, cell repair, blood flow, etc.), your RMR is the number of calories your body actually burns while you’re not doing much -- stretching, walking to and from the fridge and light activities like snacking.
While the numbers aren’t the same, they are useful. Your doctor can help you calculate your BMR or RMR, which can become a basis for weight management and weight loss.

How do you improve or maintain your metabolism? Here are four tips that work:

Eat healthily:
To maintain metabolic health, fuel your body with a fiber-rich, well-balanced diet of lean protein, healthy carbohydrates, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocados and nuts, non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens and colorful varieties) and legumes. These foods promote efficient digestion, extraction of essential nutrients and blood glucose level control.

Move more:
If you follow the recommended weekly physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes (2.5 hours), that’s great. But you also need to add muscle-strengthening activity two days a week. Strength-training in particular helps boost BMR, because building lean muscle mass burns more calories and helps increase metabolism.

Get your Zs:
Research shows sleep is intricately involved with having a healthy metabolism. Thirty percent of Americans sleep fewer than 6 hours a night and the negative impact on metabolism can be profound. Lack of sleep can cause metabolic dysregulation including hormonal imbalances, inflammation and overstimulation of your sympathetic nervous system.

Additional factors:
For optimum metabolic health and to minimize your risk of metabolic syndrome, maintain strong mental health, manage your stress levels, limit alcohol consumption and quit smoking.

09/15/2025

Do You Sit for Hours? Take Steps to Prevent Health Issues

Many people spend hours of their day sitting at a workstation – for work, to manage personal finances or engage in a hobby like gaming. That sewing desk, painter’s easel and work bench are also workstations.

But sitting for hours at a time can take a toll on your health. In fact, about 15 years ago, long-term sitting became recognized as a public health issue. It was even deemed as “the new smoking” because studies found long-term sitting raised the risk for vascular problems, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, obesity, cancer and back pain.
“Long-term sitting can interfere with proper metabolic function, slow circulation, promote feelings of exhaustion and cause postural complications and musculoskeletal issues,” says Bernard Kaminetsky, MD, medical director, MDVIP.

If you’re sitting between 8 and 11 hours a day, you’re at high risk for these conditions, while sitting between 4 and 8 hours provides a moderate risk and less than 4 hours is considered low risk. Fortunately, you can help alleviate the negative effects of sitting with these tips.

Use Ergonomic Principles:
Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. Understanding its principles can help prevent aches, pains and fatigue, as well as help you work more proficiently. Ergonomic measurements vary among people, but you can try these steps from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to help you set up an ergonomically sound workstation.

Stand Up Periodically:
Whether you’re sitting for periods of time to work, write in a journal, knit or even drive, it’s important to incorporate moments of standing in your day. Standing helps lower blood sugar, stress, fatigue and risk factors for heart disease. That said, if your work involves sitting, make sure you stand up at least every 30 minutes. When standing, use proper posture, which means you should:
• Stand up straight.
• Align your ears over your shoulders.
• Gently glide your chin back straight.
• Align your shoulders over your hips.
• Pull in your stomach.
• Place your weight predominantly on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.

Many activities can be performed while standing. This is why some people opt for standing desks. If you’re interested in using a standing desk, but your company doesn’t provide them or you don’t feel like purchasing one for your home, use a high table or counter and position your workstation according to your height. Here are some tips from UCLA to set up an ergonomically correct standing workstation.

Keep in mind that prolonged standing also has health drawbacks, such as muscle soreness, fatigue, slower reaction time and it may increase the risk for circulatory issues like deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins. This is why you may want a sit-to-stand desk, a type of workstation with both sitting and standing options.

Walk Around for Few Minutes:
Whether you’re sitting for hours at a workstation or on a couch to knit, watch television or doomscroll on social media, you should get up and walk around for five minutes, every half hour. Walking 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of prolonged sitting helps offset many of the harmful effects associated with sitting, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Alfredo Ermac Jr., MD

02/05/2026

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