i'm arthel neville. time for "sunday housecall." >> joining us as he always is dr. marc siegel, professor of medicined a nyu's langone medical center and author of "unlocking the secret code of sickness and health." >> and dr. david samadi from lennox hill hospital and chief of robotic surgery. hello. >> good to see both you. >> the latest beef recall, highlighting the importance of taking right precautions when firing up the grill this memorial day weekend or whenever

you're serving meat, but how can you be sure that you're doing the right thing. dr. samadi, let's start with you on this. >> another good time for memorial day, right? the department of agriculture just recalled 1.8 million pounds of ground beef, and it was packed in detroit. it's gone to all the restaurants across the u.s. four states are having problems right now. massachusetts, missouri, michigan and ohio and been 11 people are sick from this. this is a strain of e. coli that's quite dangerous. it causes some g.i. bleeding, but the worst as a urologist i will tell you it can cause kidney failure, children under the age 5, immunocompromised and pregnant women, look at the label of the beef. and if you see the 2574b you want to be careful. either dump the food and get a new one. what should people do coming to memorial? we want you to wash your hands before and after and make sure that there's no

cross-contamination with other foods that you're not cutting. make sure that you cook your meat to 160 degrees and invest a little bit in one of the meat thermometers to make sure you cook it. i know like everyone likes it medium and you have the pink. no room for any pink. you want medium well. it may not taste as good, but e. coli lives in that pink area so you want to be careful. >> takes like all the fun out of it if you're going to put a thermometer in the middle of your meat. when about pressing it down and it's pink and juice comes out, is that not done enough in. >> that should not be your solution because it can be brown looking by the way and still could not be fully cooked. use the meat thermometer david is talking about. this all starts with how we're treating animals in the country. overdoing the antibiotic use. 80% of the antibiotics we give to animals produces this resistant bacteria, and i'll tell you what the real problem with bacteria is. it makes a toxin called ashigatoxin which means you need only a tiny bit of bacteria to

get you sick. people say all the time shouldn't i take an antibiotic right away when i get this? the answer is no. you know why? >> tell me. >> it may kill the bacteria but not the toxin and it sends up spreading more and the condition that david talked about of kidney failure is more likely. wait it out. cink a lot of fluids and stay hydrated and consult a physician, if you have a physician, eric wants me to add, but make sure to not overuse antibiotics in this setting because that's what causes the problem. in terms of the cross-contamination he's talking about, want to talk about that in a little bit of a different way. here's what it means. when you cook your food and get it off the grill do not put it back in the same place that it started in, and don't put it in with vegetables. david just said cook the meat to 160 degrees, but you're not cooking the vegetables, so if they get contaminated with the bacteria there's almost no way to avoid it. >> one part of the problem and the utensil that you use. if you're going to use your knives and cut watermelon with

that so you'll basically bring the e. coli to that, but the bigger question that -- this is not probably part of this segment is why do we have so many recalls and why -- >> actually i have a question. i want to keep us on topic and that is the burnt part, you know. lots of cancer-causing particles in, that right? i'm one of the people who will scrape the grill and eat the burned part. shouldn't do that. >> the burned part is actually carcinogenic. >> exactly. >> had a lot of discussion about this. when you burn the bread, a lot of carbs and even meat you can cause a lot of carcinogenic material. you don't want to do that. going back -- not to take the fun away. >> not just a little. >> you can have your hamburger but given what we have with the e. coli, make sure you cook it well and that's how you kill the bacteria so ground beef, cook it up to 10. fish is about 140 and there's a whole recipe out there that we'll post for people to know. >> want to say one last thing to

really be a spoiled sport. the fda is researching and going into the raw meats and finding over 80% of the ground turkey out there is infected with this resistant bacteria. over 80%. chopped meat, about 55%. this is an incredible epidemic problem among the beef. >> but we don't want to spoil the memorial day. >> cook the turkey. >> well done is the way to cook it. >> well done, but not burnt. >> right. >> memorial day weekend is the official kickoff for the summer and when the summer comes that means a lot of us will be under the sun, but skin cancer happens to be the leading cause and most common cancer here in our country. some critics say the u.s. is still way behind making available the best and most effective sunscreen products. the stuff you put on your face and elsewhere. dr. siegel has more about that. >> one of the best protections against skin cancer is daily use of broad spectrum sunscreen, but experts say the most effective kinds which prevent skin cancer and wrinkles are not available in the united states because of bureaucratic delays within the

food and drug administration. >> there are effective choices in this country, but those choices are limited, and we are behind the curve in terms of the innovation that's taken place over the last ten years, and we see that because there are more products with more innovative options available in other countries. >> those products penetrate the skin deeper, last longer and provide better protection against ultra violet rays. according to the american cancer society, skin cancer is now the most common of all cancers with more than 3.5 million new cases diagnosed every year. the fda must approve ingredients used in all sunblocks sold in this country but despite innovation the list has not changed since 1999. currently eight ingredient applications are pending. >> it's frustrating to develop technology that is cutting edge to be delayed for a decade and getting it into the consummers' hand. it is very frustrating that way, but we're one of many manufacturers who are involved in this, and are looking for

ways to improve upon that time limit. >> in a statement to the fox news channel the fda says in part, quote, the fda recognizes the public health importance of sunscreen use and has prioritized reviewing the safety and effectiveness of additional sunscreen ingredients as quickly as possible given the agency's resources. earlier this year bipartisan legislation was r was introduced in cook aimed at changing the current review process. the bill has gained widespread support from dermatologists, melanoma experts and manufacturers. >> you know, considering that skin cancer is the number one cancer in the united states with over 3.5 million cases per year we've got to get on this more, and the fda has been sitting since 1999 on several of these applications. some key ingredients that i'll post on facebook, tenosorm and s are found in the european versions of sunscreen and have been found to be totally safe, as safe as what we have.

what we have doesn't work as well against uva-a rays which penetrate deeper and affect and cause wrinkles and are involved with skin cancer. >> i am medium xlekted. do i need a sunscreen as well? >> everybody needs. you're at less risk than eric because, yes, you have some protection over there, but certainly everyone needs to use it, but i'm gl going to give you fun stuff. this is all serious fda and white house and congress and stuff. it's summertime so what i'm going to say is uva more dangerous or uvb? which one is more dangerous? which one can cause more cancer? >> i think "b." >> uva has more penetration and uvb causes sunburn. both are dangerous so get a broad spectrum sunscreen, that's important, to cover both. number two, sfp 15, spf 30, is spf 30 double the coverage or not? >> no. >> not case. those numbers are different. sp f-15 covers you 92% and spf

30 is 98% so never buy anything over sp f-15. >> remember the a, b, c, d and e. >> reamie it every two hours. reapply it every two hours because it washes off. >> it's not waterproof. >> thank you. >> good to know, guys. >> we have to interrupt a little bit because we have a fox news alert the president making a surprise visit to afghanistan there to meet with the troops on this memorial day weekend, and we're showing you pictures right now of brad paisley performing for the troops, and getting them jazzed up on this weekend here, and the president, by the way, is expected to talk to the troops. we're going to bring that to you live when it happens, and we are not sure if the president is -- has prepared remarks to address the v.a. scandal with the troops, but the american legion representative we just interviewed said that he would not be surprised if a question does arise, but in the meantime we're waiting for the president

to speak to the troops there in afghanistan in kabul at baghram air field. when that happens, we'll bring it to you live and that as brad paisley is performing for the troops. we'll take a break and be back with more. (mother vo) when i was pregnant ...i got lots of advice, but i needed information i could trust. unitedhealthcare's innovative, simple program helps moms stay on track with their doctors to get the right care and guidance. (anncr vo) that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. and the award goes to ceramics house. congratulations. thank you. the success of your small business depends on results. go vests! all organic, and there's tons of info on our website. that's why you rely on the best for your business. and verizon delivers the best devices on the best network. you're all big toes to me. so go ahead, stream and download with confidence on america's largest, most reliable 4glte network. activate any 4glte smartphone and get $100 off. for best results, use verizon.

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and as we've been reporting on this memorial day sunday, president obama has arrived in afghanistan. he's there for a surprise visit, visiting the troops. very significant, of course, wendall goler at the white house with more on this surprise trip. hi, wendall. >> reporter: eric, it's a surprise trip, of course, for security reasons. the president slipping out of the white house late last night and flying overnight to baghram air face in afghanistan. we're seeing singer brad paisley who is entertaining the troops.

flew over on air force one with the president and he eentertain the troops while mr. obama gets a briefing from senior military commanders and visits with wounded men and women in a hospital at the baghram air force base. the president will not meet with president hamid karzai who backed out of an agreement to keep a limited number of u.s. troops in afghanistan to act as trainers and to do counterterrorism missions. officials say that's important to keep afghanistan from suffering the fate iraq has suffered where the central government is losing control of parts of that country. they don't want the taliban to regain control of parts of afghanistan. this is the last of hamid karzai's tenure in office. the country had an election. no one got a majority but the runoff election is june 14th and the frowner in that race, abdullah abdullah has pledged to honor this agreement to keep several thousand u.s. troops in the country. now the cloud over this trip, of

course, is the veterans administration scandal. a number of v.a. facilities hiding the actual wait times that vets were enduring before they were able to get medical care. the president trying to keep v.a. secretary eric shinseki on the job to fix the problem though there have been calls from a number of republicans and even some democrats for shin sec toe step down. the secretary announced earlier this weekend that vets -- some vets will be allowed to obtain health care at private facilities. the v.a. already spends around $4.8 billion to enable veterans to get care at private facilities. eric? >> wendell, thank you. we all owe a debt of gratitude on this memorial day weekend to each and every one of the service members we see behind brad. we thank them as a nation. wendell, of course, thank you.

meanwhile, the doctors are still in. we've all been there, feeling nervous and somewhat inkurtable in a patient waiting room, but what can make that experience much worse is a doctor with really bad bedside manners. now, these guys don't have that. i've seen them both, but dr. samadi, i do want to talk about this because, you know, if you're already afraid you as a doctor could possibly misdiagnose because the patient is afraid to tell you really what's going on and perhaps a bad doctor is not really listening. >> you're absolutely right, and the art of medicine, which is a bedside man earning the relationship that you have as a doctor with your patient, and that trust comes with time. you have to earn the patient's trust, and that takes some time. that means that you have to listen to them. that means you have to be honest with them and communicate with them, and the excuse that, you know, there's a lot of pressure from surroundings and insurance companies, that's not going to cut it, and i can tell you that a lot of the bedside manner it's

in your blood as a doctor. you can build up on it and learn from a lot of mentors. >> some of it is outright egos. >> some surgeons have big egos, not a very bad thing which can help you through a tough time. if it's not because of our egos as surgeons you would lose patients, but i can tell you have to have self-control. when you're making a turn to see the family members after a big surgery, you cannot let other problems bring you down and have that space. there's a lot that goes into as a surgeon. every day i deal with patients with cancer and people come in and they are nervous and stressed out. you not only have to take care of the patients but the wives and families are involved so it takes a lot out of it, but that bedside manner is what heals and, of course, giving a prescription to someone is not a big deal, but that's much more important. >> if i may, dr. siegel, is there any such thing as a bad question as a patient? >> no, there is not, and to add to david's points here we learned to dehumanize patients in our medical training.

let's fix this finger or fix this arm but we also then have to turn back and consider the patient always as a person and here's one of the biggest tips of all. make a mistake and add mitt it. if a patient comes to you and says, hey, doc, you're distracted today and you don't seem here. listen to him and amend that and be more in the gape. also, it's not also a function of amount of time. clearly our time is getting slunk ashrunk -- shrunk and we'e spending more and more time on the computer. when one of my children was young he had an ear problem and i brought him to the top ear specialist in new york and afterwards i looked like that, i said wait a minute, he wasn't with me that long but he was relaxed and answering questions and there as long as i needed him to be. that's the way we tried to be. be relaxed and open to all of their questions and answer them. >> it's the art of medicine. the time you spend with a patient may or may not be important. it's the quality of the time you

spend. if you spend 45 minute and the patient doesn't get much out of it or you keep the patient in the waiting room, that's a big mistake that a lot of doctors wait. keep them in the waiting room for a long time. by the time you see them they are already upset. already a bad start. >> absolutely. >> and see the p.a.s and nurses and other people before they see you and the relationship is over. but there are things you can build up. the personalized part of medicine, reaching out to the patient, why we went to someone. william fair, the chair of immunology at sloan-kettering, and he's the one that gave us a lot of bedside manner. >> want to add one more thim thing. the staff should reflect the same openness and humanity as the doctor. >> don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want of your doctor. that's why you guys get paid for. we're montrick the live view of the president. he's meeting with troops on this memorial day weekend in afghanistan. country star brad paisley, as you can see now, performing for our troops. we'll have much more on the

visit president of the united states to honor our troops who are serving when we come back. "hashtag love dad" when you think aarp, then you don't know "aarp". our aarp tek program helps people find better ways to better connect with each other. find more real possibilities at aarp.org/possibilities

back on "sunday housecall" with our segment should i worry which is a segment about erg that worries us. and one of you asks, i don't have a doctor, should i worry? dr. siegel, it's a big issue for a lot of people in this country because of the way the medical system has been set up. >> this question came from eric because he's saying, doc, you always say go see your doctor. what if i don't have one?

if you have insurance, you should have a primary doctor of some kind. they can establish a path to other doctors you might need. if you break your ankle, an internist can send you to the right orthopedist. but if you don't have insurance, you have to look at things like urgent care centers and clinics. i also encourage you if you're going online for your information go to places like the centers for disease control, nih and university websites. get all the information you can and go to a central place. one last thing, emergency rooms, if you go there for insurance for the wrong reason, you may find your insurance doesn't pay for it. be careful. say i've got a scratch and run to the emergency room, be careful. >> and be careful of getting into an ambulance. the cost i'm talking about. in the walk-in clinics there are lots around town. if i don't have a doctor, can i go in there and rely on the care i get there? >> absolutely. i think for a lot of simple things. simple flu, sore throats, they work really well. but the idea of having a doctor

with you all the time is number one, you want to go for your screening tests. you want to make sure you prevent -- these are the key words we use in medicine now. screening prevention as opposed to having the problem and it's too late. and continuity of care. once you have a relationship with a doctor, god forbid when the problem comes up that person knows you well and you can really jump in and take care of the patient but for simple things you are 100% right. the urgent clinics are good ones to go to. >> prevention is not all about being in a doctor's office. david's point is great about have a doctor to guide you and have the relationship we talked about. but do what else we try on the show, try a mediterranean diet, exercise more, increase your sleep, decrease your stress. >> it all works. >> i do it. i'm on the mountain bike. >> you guys, thank you very much. very entertaining and very important. okay. our troops getting a very special visit this memorial day weekend.

we're going to take you live to afghanistan as the president meets with our servicemen and women as our annual motorcycle ride saluting those who serve rolls through the nation's capital. continuing coverage after this break.

. and a live look now. country star brad paisley entertaining our troops in afghanistan right now. as we await remarks from president obama who paid a

surprise visit to our troops there at bagram air base. that does it for us. shannon green is up next. breaking news out of afghanistan, president obama touching down at bagram airfield a short time ago for a surprise visit with u.s. troops on this memorial day weekend. the president is there for a very quick visit with the servicemen and women serving in the closing months of the afghanistan war. it all comes as mr. obama's struggling to secure an agreement regarding the number of u.s. troops to remain in afghanistan after 2014, and as he's facing a growing scandal here at home over the treatment of our veterans at v.a. hospitals across the nation. we're live at the white house with details. hi, wendall. >> reporter: hi, shannon. the president wanted to addres