Professional and elite athletes rely on sports-med doctors to stay in the game. They don't wait for an injury to become so bad that they can't play -- they can't. Their jobs depend on it.

The rest of us might not be so quick to see a doctor when we feel a little pain -- we tend to rely on RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), often focusing on the "rest" part more than anything else. And that might be totally fine, but some injuries require attention from someone whose medical credentials don't rely solely on their love of Grey's Anatomy.

Shape magazine has some great tips on how to treat some injuries at home as well as information on what kinds of injuries might require further medical attention. There's even a list of some of the most commonly treated injuries as well as suggestions for avoiding these injuries in the first place.

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RealAge expert John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine, says it makes sense that beans have the power to knock off a few pounds. They are full of fiber, full of protein, and low in fat. This means they'll keep you fuller longer and will make only a small dent in your calorie intake.

Not sure which beans to eat? Dark beans are best because they have the most antioxidants. Top antioxidant content, in order, is as follows: black, red, brown, yellow, and white.

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Aren't we all dying to be told to eat some bread....lots of bread? Unfortunately...I recently dealt with a pretty disgusting reason to chow down on some firm crusted French bread. Ick, ack and yuck! There was a hair stuck in my throat, and I was going nuts! I know........gross! But it was true. Fortunately that's about the grossest thing I've dealt with in a while, so I suppose I should feel pretty lucky? Hmmm.

Anyway. I complained about it to some friends, and they too had experienced the same thing at some point. Very annoying. So I Googled the question and fortunately found an answer. Dr. Khaghn recommended drinking milk to break down the hair (which could take up to three weeks!) Or ... eating some bread which had a good chance of grabbing on to the hair and dragging it down. I chose the latter, and thank goodness it worked. (Now it's probably stuck in my stomach.)

So! If you ever are violated by a hair that won't go away ... find some milk and bread. If you ever want a great excuse to devour some white flour .. chow down on some hair!

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The key to having a successful doctor's visit is to be able to get your questions answered and your health assessed in the shortest time possible. Nobody has time to waste, you or the doctor. So follow these tips for the most efficient and satisfying trip to the MD office:

• Plan ahead. Write down all of your medical problems and keep a symptom diary, instead of expecting to just remember everything on the spot. Be specific.
• Know how you're feeling. The doctor can't feel sick for you, so you'll have to communicate exactly what's going on or he/she won't be able to help you.
• Know your medications. Know the names, dosages, and times of everything you take -- including herbal and OTC remedies.
• Be honest, and don't leave details out.
• Get over your embarrassment -- your doctor has heard it all!
• Keep an open mind. It's one thing to be educated and have an idea going in about what the issue may be, but it's something else altogether to go in with all kinds of preconceived notions about what treatment you should be getting. Let the doctor decide, that's his/her job.
• Write things down at the appointment that you want to look up or follow-up on later, like medications or information.

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I'm horrible about admitting I need to see the doctor for something, and a lot of my family members are too (must be hereditary!), but that's hardly a good thing. Although running to make an appointment every time you get the sniffles is overkill, it's just as bad to not recognize when you really need professional help and think you can handle everything. Some symptoms that shouldn't be ignored:

• Unexplained weight loss or lack of appetite
• Slurred speech, paralysis, weakness, tingling, burning, numbness, and confusion
• Black, tarry stools
• A headache that comes with a stiff neck and a fever
• Any sudden, severe headache that is unlike anything you've ever experienced before
• For women: vaginal bleeding after menopause; and for men: any lump in the testicles

Of course these are just a few examples, but really anything that is sudden, severe, or unexplained should be checked out by a professional.

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While most of us are stressing over our insurance and things like co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses, there are some people out there ordering physician house calls and dishing out serious dollars for the service. And it stems from more than just rich people not wanting to sit in a doctor's office -- due to current health care issues and shortages we're all familiar with waiting days, weeks, or even months in order to get an appointment. Doctors who make house calls can do everything from assess rashes to do ultrasounds and mobile x-rays.

Of course it's a luxury that few can afford, but there's enough of a market that business is booming in some areas. I admit that if I had the money I'd prefer a house call over the doctor's office!

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"I'm sorry, Dr. Smith isn't available right now. He's in theater class."

What???

Seriously. Doctors across the country, in growing numbers, are turning to acting classes to help them improve their bedside manners.

It's really not as bad as it sounds. The goal is not to teach doctors to "act" like they care more, but instead to give them some formal training on just how big of an impact body language, attentiveness, eye contact, and verbal cues can have on a person's perception.

Considering 'bedside manner' is such an important part of what makes a good doctor good, I think this is a great idea.

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Your doctor should be the last person you're embarrassed to talk to about health issues, including advice and help with losing weight, but that doesn't mean it always works that way. Some people actually find their doctor the hardest to approach about their weight, instead of the easiest. Maybe it's something about the guilt -- deep down I think we all want to get a good "grade" at our doctors visits and bringing up the fact that we're overweight feels like we're pointing out a mistake that otherwise might sneak by unnoticed (but believe me, your doctor notices, whether he/she says something or not).

So, if you feel you need to lose weight, make a goal for yourself that you'll ask at least one question of your doctor the next time you go. There are some good tips and pointers here if you need ideas, such as asking if they have any pamphlets or brochures in the office and having the doctor or one of the nurses take your measurements.

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Sometimes I wonder if we're far too reliant on doctors to be looking out for our best interests. Shouldn't we be addressing our own health concerns rather than trusting our lives with someone who sees us once a month or so? My dad died of cancer a couple of years ago, and while his doctor ignored his symptoms, telling him it was just 'old age', he (and I) knew that there was something more to it than that -- we ignored our gut instincts and he paid the ultimate price for it.

My experience is that instincts are hardly ever wrong, and while you might not want to bother your busy MD with your 'feelings', it's better to be safe than sorry, right? eDiet's agrees with me -- This article encourages you to not take everything your doctor tels you as gospel, because after all, who knows you better than you do? No one.

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It makes no sense, but it seems that as health care becomes a bigger and bigger issue in this country some of the people who should care about it the most, the doctors, are voting less and less. A study coming out of Johns Hopkins Medical School looked at different professions and much they participated in voting in presidential elections and found that although not at the very bottom of the list (laborers came in last) doctors are shockingly uninvolved in the political process. 1 in 4 doctors haven't bothered to vote in the last 3 presidential elections.

And guess who came in first, with the best turnout of all? Lawyers, of course.

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So the idea is that you call 911 in an emergency, hoping to get rushed to the hospital. But what happens when the hospital calls 911?

Believe it or not, it happens fairly often. I get that sometimes stabilizing a patient and calling for "Flight for Life" to take them somewhere with more advanced equipment or specialized staff is necessary, but a hospital calling 911? No way, that's like a doctor calling himself...

Well apparently "hospital" doesn't always mean "doctor." In over 140 small hospitals around the country there isn't always a doctor in the facility around the clock, and so when patients suffer severe complications like breathing problems or medication reactions the nurses resort to dialing 911 to get the patient rushed to a bigger hospital with an MD on site.

It sounds like there are a whole lot of politics surrounding these small hospitals that specialize in procedures like heart surgery and knee replacements, but as far as I'm concerned it's pretty simple: if you want to use the name "hospital" you should be required to have a doctor -- at all times.

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Winter is a great time for skiing and snowboarding, but unfortunately along with winter sports come winter sports injuries. Twisted and sprained joints, usually the knees and wrists, can range from mild to severe. If you get hurt on the slopes, remember this acronym: RICE. R= Rest the injured area, I= Apply ice, C= Use compression, and E= Elevate the affected area. When the injury is still fresh you want to avoid inflammation, so stay out of the hot tub and take an anti-inflammatory, like ibuprofen.

How do you know if you need to see a doctor? If the injured joint swells and/or you don't have full motion you should seek professional help, or if it isn't getting better after a couple of days. But what's the best thing for winter injuries? Do what you can to minimize the damage, or even avoid getting hurt altogether by taking what precautions you can -- like doing certain exercises well before you head outdoors and scoping out the slopes so you know the terrain.

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You don't have to be a doctor to know that they often work outrageously long shifts, meaning upwards of 24 to 30 hours in one stretch. There are enough medical dramas on TV showing exhausted interns napping in break rooms while leaning on a locker to make any of us appreciate whatever horrible schedule we thought we had at our jobs (unless, of course, you're one of those doctors). And I can't help but wonder: of all the professions, of all the people out there making the world go 'round, are doctors really the ones we want working on too little sleep?

The "tradition" of new and training doctors working abnormally long shifts began back in the 1890's and was intended as a means for learning the course of illnesses by following a patient through their entire hospital stay -- day and night. But a recent study of almost 3,000 young doctors found that a significant number of "mental slips and lapses" typical of exhaustion occurred, some of which were very serious or even deadly. The study results have drawn some attention to the seemingly out-of-date scheduling practices of resident doctors, and Congress has even been asked (although not for the first time) to do something about it.

I think this one sentence from the article pretty much sums it up: "The human brain simply does not perform reliably for 30 consecutive hours without sleep." I know mine doesn't! And if there's anybody I want "performing reliably," it's my doctor.

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Whether you're newly diagnosed, or have had asthma for years, it's important to make the most out of the short time you have with your doctor during an appointment. He or she will ask you a lot of questions, but here are at least 3 questions you should make a point to ask them:

Can you help me identify my asthma triggers? Asthma triggers can be any number of things, and it's important to determine what yours are -- so you can avoid them if possible, or at the very least be prepared.

Am I taking my meds correctly? This may sound like a silly question, especially if you've been dealing with asthma for a long time. But many people may not be getting the most effective relief from their rescue inhalers, and it's recommended that you ask your doctor to demonstrate the correct way to use one -- regardless of how experienced you think you are.

Is there a way to improve my treatment? You should talk with your doctor about fine-tuning your treatment at every visit, because even though your current regimen might be working it's possible it could be even better.

And who doesn't want to breathe better?

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