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Holiday Pounds

The holidays have arrived.  They are so much fun, but everyone talks about the weight gain.  Hey, it is fun to celebrate with our friends and family.  Right?  After all it is Christmas!

I don’t want people to feel guilty about having treats at this special time of year, but what is your plan to discard the few pounds you might gain?

Maybe you aren’t pulled by food.  I know I am.  It looks so good.  You know what I am talking about.  And most of the time it tastes good too.  I end up eating more than I should.

Intermittent fasting is not new.  You probably know all about it.  But if you don’t, look on youtube for just the right person for you to learn from, I mean, of course, besides me.

Most people can fast.  There are so many ways to do intermittent fasting, there is probably a perfect way for you.  You can make a window of 5 hours a day where you eat, you can eat dinner tonight, and not eat again until tomorrow night.  Listen to what others say about it to find the perfect way to lose those few pounds you might gain over the holiday.  And yes, you can wait until January to start.  The doctor I was listening to tonight said he had gained some weight and started fasting at lunch and breakfast.  After a few days, he got on the scale and found, yes, he had lost a couple of pounds.  He said he kept it up until he had lost the 20 pounds he had “found” over the previous few years.   Most people are surprised how easy it is to do.  Well, not easy, but doable.  Of course, there are some people who shouldn’t fast.  If you have questions, you can always call or text me.  Enjoy your holidays and consider  intermittent fasting now or after the holidays if you add a few pounds. 

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Thanksgiving!

My patients and friends:  Happy Thanksgiving.  

When my great-niece was a little girl, I was at their house and she was setting the table for dinner.  She said, “Let’s do that thing where we go around and say what we are grateful for.”  

Isn’t that a great idea to do every day?  We get in a hurry and are running from one thing to another.  But we can take a moment before eating and teach the children, as well as ourselves, to be thankful for our lives and the love in it.

I love my family, patients and friends.  I consider all of you my family.  And this Thanksgiving, know I am thinking of you and feeling grateful that you share your life with me!

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Friendship

As we are closing in on the Thanksgiving holiday, yes, let’s be thankful.  And health is at the top of the list.  You expect me to say that.  Right?  But what makes us healthy?

One important aspect of good health is friendship.  Not everyone will love us, we know that.  But to feel that deep sense of friendship where you accept the person for who they are, and feel accepted by them, can make many burdens lighter.  Friendship is the spice in life.  The right kind of friendship helps us see ourselves better.  It helps us love ourselves even when we are not perfect!  It helps us continue when things are difficult and life brings difficulties!

Let’s be thankful for friends, real friends.  It is especially wonderful when family can be friends.  It is a great time of year to re-access your friendships and see where you want to spend your time and energy.  Everyone has limits on time and energy.  Inside we know who to be grateful for in our lives.  Nurture that!

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Hang on Tight. Here We Go!

The holidays have begun.  It is a race and we need to pace ourselves.  It starts before Halloween.  And as soon as the costumes are off, Christmas items are in the stores, even before we order the turkey for Thanksgiving.   After Santa closes the door, we have our eyes on New Year’s festivities.  It is a marathon, not a sprint.  We have to pace ourselves

There are a few things I’d like to remind you to do to help you enjoy the holidays as they are so fun!  Get enough sleep.  Wash your hands often.  Eat well.  Get some exercise.  Plan ahead so you aren’t buying gifts at the last minute.  Wrap gifts ahead of time.  Make your holiday menu early.  

All of these suggestions are to keep you well.  And if you get sick this fall, get in right away and get some herbs and an adjustment so you aren’t out of the race very long!  This is the most fun time of the year! You don’t want to miss it.

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Infection!

Maybe you know someone who got an infection while in the hospital?  You thought you were safe in a hospital, right?  Think again.  But there is hope.

You see, all breakthroughs are from someone finding their purpose, which is often determined by interest, and struggling with it until the curtain opens and an answer is revealed.

I read this article and felt that way about this Dr. Stephanie Taylor.  She wondered why so many of her patients, who were children, got infection.  She decided to return to school to study architecture because she felt it was due to the layout of the building.

In doing a research project with over 8 million data points, one issue stood out above all others which correlated to infections.  It was dry indoor air.   The most healty relative humidity for indoors to avoid infection is between 40 and 60% relative humidity.  

Now we need to educate!  Hospitals should see this study!  If you know a doctor, forward this article to them.  And don’t forget to check the relative humidity in your own home!

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Let It Snow!

Living in Denver, occasionally we have snow days.  Most snow days we continue our schedule just as we would when it doesn’t snow.  But then there are real snow days.  The city basically shuts down.  As long as the electricity stays on, we are fine watching the snow fall and accumulating.  

When we are forced to stay home because of the elements, we can relax.  There is nothing to do and no place to go.  Maybe the parents play games with the children.  You have a family day.  Children play making a fort with quilts and blankets or play grocery store taking everything out of the pantry.  Or everyone dresses appropriately and makes a snow man. That is what I did on the farm when I was a child.  But that is the way we lived, not the exceptional day.  We did not live the busy lives we live today.  

Yes, we have progressed to computers and phones and we live in a world of constant entertainment.  Things change and I’m in the older crowd.  But really cherish the snow days.  Being home a whole day with no one leaving is an exception to the rule these days.  When it happens, ENJOY IT! 

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Cortisone Shots!

When you injure a joint and go to a medical doctor, often a cortisone shot is suggested.  Many patients have asked me, over the years, what I think of them.  

Understanding that sometimes we are desperate, they can be necessary and helpful.  But make no mistake, the shots will make the arthritis worse over time.  

This isn’t my idea.  It is in the research.  Read this article and beware. 

I’ve had patients who have had marvelous luck with one steroid shot.  Fabulous!! But keep it to a minimum!  

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Microwave Cooking

Microwaves

I remember when I was a child, my Grandpa smoked.  He was in the hospital and his cardiologist sat on the bed with him while they both enjoyed a smoke.  That picture is seared in my brain.  How horrifying today.  But back then, we were blind to the problems of cigarettes.

Microwaves are bad for your health.  One student did an experiment in school.  She had a number of plants.  She divided them in half.  One half she watered with regular water.  The other one she watered with water that had been microwaved.  The result:  All of the plants watered with the microwaved water died.   The other plants were just fine.

In fact, this has been studied, just like cigarettes.  How long will it take us to LEARN?

Continually eating microwaved food causes brain damage.  The body can’t metabolize the microwaved food very well.  Our hormones are altered by foods that are microwaved.

If we look at the rise of brain problems, gut issues, and hormone issues, we should be horrified.  There are other causes, no doubt.  But this is an easy one to change.  Cooking is popular.  Learn a few great recipes.  Watch the cooking shows.  Make cooking family fun!  And forget about the microwave! 

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Sinus Issues

Many people suffer with sinus issues.  They can’t breathe well.  They are always snorting.  They often don’t sleep well.  Often, they snore, even children.   Or perhaps always have a runny nose or just congestion.  Do you want to end your pain?  Obviously, we are all different, but how many have been helped with one fairly simple change in behavior?  They quit eating dairy.  All dairy.  Sometimes you will not believe what symptoms abate when you quit eating/drinking dairy in any form be it yogurt, cheese or milk in your coffee.  

We are not little cows.  Other countries look in disbelief that we drink the milk from another species!  Some people simply cannot digest dairy well.  You may love it.  Many people do.  

If you snort and cough and wheeze and are constantly bothered by sinus issues, please just stop dairy for 3 weeks and see how you feel.  If you don’t really suffer with sinus, but you get sick and are congested, stop dairy.  Diary is a mucous maker.  You don’t want that when you are sick.  Remember, Good Health is Priceless!!

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Autism Controversy

This is your opportunity to understand the controversy about vaccines.  And if you are a parent or a grandparent, surely you will take a few minutes to understand the controversy and how it developed about vaccines causing autism. This video is only FREE for a week, so please, do it NOW!

The issue may seem far from you, but every 7 minutes in the US a child is diagnosed with autism.  By 2032, if it continues, 80% of boys will become autistic and one in two children will be autistic.  What does that say about our future?   I am a senior, but there are young people I love who will still be here, God willing, and I want them to have a good life.  How will our society care for these adults who used to be children?  

This video makes the controversy understandable.  Our civilization depends on us understanding this and doing something about it.