Year: 2019

July is watermelon month. There isn’t another fruit that screams summer like watermelon.  Doesn’t everyone love watermelon?  

It is great for hydration and why we naturally go for it on hot summer days.  Headaches and even bad moods can be cured by hydrating.  Watermelon is over 90% water.  Can you think of a more delicious way to hydrate?

High blood pressure is decreased with the natural potassium in watermelon.  And don’t forget the gift of fiber we get from watermelon.

Enjoy July and don’t forget to enjoy watermelon!  It makes you smile!

We are still talking about statins.  The research is coming in that statins raise blood sugar and causing diabetes.   Here is a reference that taking statins contributes to our diabetic epidemic.  

Just in case you have missed it, the numbers are in for statins.  If one hundred people are given statins, one of those people will live longer because of taking the statin.  Thirty to forty will have a negative reaction, like muscle pain which may or may not go away. The other people in the study aren’t hurt and their life expectancy isn’t lengthened.  I say they are just  supporting the drug companies.

You are very astute about the food you eat.  

You want to avoid chemicals. You want to avoid metals.  And, you want to avoid drugs.  

Fish can be contaminated with drugs, even cocaine.  What would you do if you knew your shrimp contained antibiotics as well as pesticides that have been banned.  

Our knowledge informs our decisions about what to eat.   Here is an article to increase your knowledge.  

We love science, right? Here is a scientist and I am sure you will enjoy her interview.

She is obviously very smart. She has worked with many retroviruses, including HIV, which can become AIDS.

I will let her do the talking for this health tip. ENJOY!

“It’s summertime, and the living is easy!”  Right? Well, we want it to be.  But it might not feel like living is easy.   That might be because you don’t get enough sleep.  There are many factors that keep people from getting the proper sleep and keeps them from recuperating and feeling refreshed in the morning.  

Top of the list is: how old is your mattress?  And how comfortable is your mattress?  The internet says a mattress should last between 7 to 10 years.  I say it can last as long as you are comfortable and get a good night’s sleep. If you buy a good mattress, it can last longer than 10 years.  Just like shoes, at some point, it needs to be replaced.  I’ve had patients say it made a world of difference for them in terms of sleep and feeling rested.

But don’t be too quick to throw out the mattress.  It might be your pillow that is causing you to feel tired when you get up in the morning. And, certainly, a pillow is less expensive than a mattress.  It makes sense that you need to change a pillow.  After you put your weight on a shoe for so long, it loses some of its padding. So does a pillow.  If you have used a pillow for two years, it is time to get a new one.  Not only has the pillow lost its fluffiness, but it has collected the saliva from your mouth.  Yep, you might need a new pillow!!

For the most part, people tend to be healthier in the summer months.  The weather is warm, so people walk and exercise more.  It feels good to get in the sun for a short period of time. Our body likes the vitamin D.  

I’ve noticed over the years that patients are healthier in the summer.  Are you? We don’t have to keep our necks wrapped up to avoid the cold, there are more fruits and vegetables to enjoy and typically we eat lighter meals.  There is a lot to like about summer and how it pertains to your health!

A bad cold was going around the neighborhood.  If you are still suffering, come see me.  I know you want to enjoy your summer! Summer seems short so let’s enjoy as much of it as possible!

Often, you race through life.  That makes it hard to be present?  It is impossible to smell the roses.

Then, something makes you stop in your tracks.  Maybe it is the birth of a new baby.  Or maybe it is the death of a friend or loved one.  

Either experience gives us the opportunity to slow down.  Experience the real in life.  Recognize what is most important, and that usually  has to do with the people we love.  Notice what is going on with you emotionally and physically.

You might not be aware of the stress you are living with on a day to day basis until you stop.  When you stop, you realize how fast you have been going.  It is ok to slow down.  It is ok to feel yourself, really feel yourself.

Your fast-paced life is a ticket to self-forgetting.  You forget your needs are important. Your needs are necessary.   It is easier when you remember that you can’t be there for your children, your spouse or anyone else, in the way you want, if you haven’t had your own cup filled.  This is all part of loving yourself!  

What supplement do you automatically think of when I mention osteoporosis?  Most likely it is calcium.

Most of the time, my patients think it is necessary to take calcium for their bones.  Sometimes they test for it, but much of the time they don’t. Doesn’t it make sense that we utilize the nutrients in food better than in supplements?  There has been some concern that too many calcium pills might leave calcium deposits in the circulatory system, right where we don’t want them.  And to use the calcium in the bone, K2 and Vitamin D is needed.  As always, let’s take supplements judiciously.  

Most people have heard of the famous Framingham study.  Here is information that they found about osteoporosis in that study.  I will give you the punch line:  take vitamin C! Read this to understand just how important diet is to our health.

If you are open to a different take on what causes most of the problems that people have, including yourself, please listen to this video.  It is for people who have physical problems, addictions, behavioral problems: actually, any problem.  And it is for those who seem to never have problems!

He speaks to depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, and oppositional deviant disorder.  

He actually speaks to the human condition.  This video explains so much!  As I often tell my patients:  no one had perfect parents.  Life happens. It isn’t about blame, but understanding ourselves and others.  You may want to listen to other videos on youtube by Dr. Mate.  Let’s learn as much as we can!

I’ve had so many people tell me they are pre-diabetic.  Even those who eat well.  It might be because they play with the numbers which includes more people.  But let’s face it, our society is built all around food. Today’s health tip features a podcast with Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist, who talks about diabetes and has written several books about it.  He is refreshing because he says with insulin, we are treating the symptom, not the disease.  He is so right.  This may be a health tip you choose to share with those you love.  If you do not want to listen to the intro, go to 6:45 and start there.  I love Dr. Fung’s message to the world.  There is hope.  He talks about having written an article that is published that followed people who had been on insulin for 10 years and he got them off their medication.  How?  He quit treating the symptom and treated the problem.  Hope you love him as much as I do.  

Show 1143: Can You Control Your Blood Sugar by Fasting?