Here we are 3 days before Christmas. How's it going for you on keeping up your wellness routines? I am fighting hard, am up 1-2 pounds since Thanksgiving, and am going to a spin class this morning, as well as a 1.5 hour spin class on Christmas eve. I can't find any other time for more cardio but at least I am getting that done.
I have patients bringing me goodies every day it seems lol. Guess they think I need a few pounds? I appreciate their thoughtfullness, and the treats are tasty (thus the 1-2 pounds). I just try to minimize the quantity of what I consume.
I want to encourage everyone to enjoy this season and it's flavors, but still stay focused on keeping as many of the normal healthy habits as possible. I am with ya!!
Until next time, Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
A New Christmas Poem, (A Worthy Read)
New Christmas Poem
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
Monday, December 14, 2009
In The Midst Of The Insanity.....
that occurs this season, remember a couple of important things.
1. Your health is your greatest asset while walking planet earth.
2. Remember to recharge your battery.
3. Remember to eat well while you can, because the next opportunity to eat Christmas treats is just around the corner.
4. Remember to increase your H20 intake.
5. Remember to keep on moving by exercising. I know sometimes you just "don't have time", but we may have to MAKE time for it.
6. Remember to rest. Don't let your immune system suffer by not resting well!
7. Remember the reason we celebrate this season. Peace on earth, good will to men.
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
1. Your health is your greatest asset while walking planet earth.
2. Remember to recharge your battery.
3. Remember to eat well while you can, because the next opportunity to eat Christmas treats is just around the corner.
4. Remember to increase your H20 intake.
5. Remember to keep on moving by exercising. I know sometimes you just "don't have time", but we may have to MAKE time for it.
6. Remember to rest. Don't let your immune system suffer by not resting well!
7. Remember the reason we celebrate this season. Peace on earth, good will to men.
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Monday, November 30, 2009
A Wellness Plan For The Holidays
We are officially in the holiday season. What are your plans for staying healthy? Parties, dinners, desserts and crazy schedules take us out of our routines and leave us open to ill health and weight gain. We need to make sure to plan our weeks and eat, move, think and rest well when we can, knowing that there will be plenty of opportunity to NOT make the proper choice. Planning can keep us healthier, and help us keep the "Holiday 5" off!
Remember, people don't plan to fail. Rather, they fail to plan! Make your plans now for a healthy holiday season. Accept that there will be more parties with unhealthy choices. Before you go to the party, eat some fruit and nuts to get your stomach partially full. Then you can still enjoy some tasty treats without going overboard. Make sure to plan for rest when you can too. Sometimes our schedules get so hectic, we don't rest like we should. Schedule some down time for physical and mental restoration. And don't forget to keep up your exercise schedule. Not only will it keep some pounds away, but will help you de-stress from the hustle and bustle!
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. B
Remember, people don't plan to fail. Rather, they fail to plan! Make your plans now for a healthy holiday season. Accept that there will be more parties with unhealthy choices. Before you go to the party, eat some fruit and nuts to get your stomach partially full. Then you can still enjoy some tasty treats without going overboard. Make sure to plan for rest when you can too. Sometimes our schedules get so hectic, we don't rest like we should. Schedule some down time for physical and mental restoration. And don't forget to keep up your exercise schedule. Not only will it keep some pounds away, but will help you de-stress from the hustle and bustle!
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. B
Friday, November 13, 2009
Even The YOU Docs Agree
I just happened across an article on boosting your immunity naturally by Drs. Oz and Rosen. I know sometimes you guys all look at me and say "yea, yea, yea" or "blah blah blah" when I speak about how you can boost your immunity. Some of you roll your eyes when you hear me speak about "Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well and Rest well". So, it was somewhat comforting to hear it said by the "big wigs" so to speak. Not that I need THEIR validation! Maybe they've been reading MY stuff huh!!
Well, they don't use the same terms but they do speak about eating, resting, de-stressing and exercising as ways to boost your immunity. Here's a link to the article I mentioned: http://www.realage.com/blogs/doctor-oz-roizen/boost-your-natural-immunity
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Well, they don't use the same terms but they do speak about eating, resting, de-stressing and exercising as ways to boost your immunity. Here's a link to the article I mentioned: http://www.realage.com/blogs/doctor-oz-roizen/boost-your-natural-immunity
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Even The Best Laid Plans..........
sometimes go awry.
Here I am, always promoting health and wellness. And yet, Friday afternoon, I started having sore throat at work, no biggie I thought. By Friday night, I had NO, and I mean NO voice. I got up Saturday morning, and still had no voice, and my throat was bad. I was going to try to go in to see patients because at 7:00 in the morning I had no fever at all, and there was a full schedule on the books.
By 8:30 I had a slight fever, called the staff to get them to handle phone calls etc. After all, I always preach not exposing others to one's illness, and I can't focus on patients if I am feeling that poorly.
By noon my temp had reached 100, and by 3 pm it was 101. Oh boy I thought.....Swine flu??? I recalled 3 or 4 patients this past week that came in, and when I touched their skin they were hot, and I asked if they were sick, and they all said yes. In my business, I touch people physically 25-45 times/day, so it's hard to not get exposed to whatever they may be carrying.
What did I do for myself to combat being ill? Here it is: 3 (maybe 4, I forget) servings of NanoGReens (8-10 servings of ORGANIC fruits and veggies/serving). 2 Fruit Smoothies. TONS of water, and doing nothing but laying on the couch (resting extra). I took time to practice some deep relaxation techniques as I lay there. I remember thinking I might be very sick, and probably be out of commission 3-4 days since my fever was SO high (usually means a viral issue, and most likely the flu considering the season). I let my fever keep on, taking no anti-fever meds, letting the fever do its thing to cook the bug in me.
Now here it is, Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after a 101 degree temp. I sit here feeling MUCH better, almost normal except for being tired, and a voice that is cracking like a pre-teen as it attempts to come back to life. My temp has been no higher than 97.0. Feels like I have come out of the illness with little to no problem, knock on wood, and I'll be able to be back at the office serving people at 9:00 a.m in the morning.
I don't say this to brag, but it's a great example of what I teach to my patients: being healthy does NOT mean never getting sick, everyone gets sick on occasion. It does mean bouncing back quickly, like the old blow-up punching bags with the weighted bottoms that you could punch and they'd bounce back up. It's what we've done with our kids (not the punching them part) by not filling them full of antibiotics at every turn etc. They're little immune systems are quite the killers after being brought up the way we have.
If everyone would do more of this, eating, resting, thinking, and moving well, now THAT would be some true "health care reform" in my opinion! We'd have a LOT less of those diseases of lifestyle like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer etc, and we'd spend a LOT less time at the doctors spending our hard earned money there and on the inevitable prescriptions that follow.
Hope you find this little anecdote beneficial......and until next time.....
Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
Here I am, always promoting health and wellness. And yet, Friday afternoon, I started having sore throat at work, no biggie I thought. By Friday night, I had NO, and I mean NO voice. I got up Saturday morning, and still had no voice, and my throat was bad. I was going to try to go in to see patients because at 7:00 in the morning I had no fever at all, and there was a full schedule on the books.
By 8:30 I had a slight fever, called the staff to get them to handle phone calls etc. After all, I always preach not exposing others to one's illness, and I can't focus on patients if I am feeling that poorly.
By noon my temp had reached 100, and by 3 pm it was 101. Oh boy I thought.....Swine flu??? I recalled 3 or 4 patients this past week that came in, and when I touched their skin they were hot, and I asked if they were sick, and they all said yes. In my business, I touch people physically 25-45 times/day, so it's hard to not get exposed to whatever they may be carrying.
What did I do for myself to combat being ill? Here it is: 3 (maybe 4, I forget) servings of NanoGReens (8-10 servings of ORGANIC fruits and veggies/serving). 2 Fruit Smoothies. TONS of water, and doing nothing but laying on the couch (resting extra). I took time to practice some deep relaxation techniques as I lay there. I remember thinking I might be very sick, and probably be out of commission 3-4 days since my fever was SO high (usually means a viral issue, and most likely the flu considering the season). I let my fever keep on, taking no anti-fever meds, letting the fever do its thing to cook the bug in me.
Now here it is, Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after a 101 degree temp. I sit here feeling MUCH better, almost normal except for being tired, and a voice that is cracking like a pre-teen as it attempts to come back to life. My temp has been no higher than 97.0. Feels like I have come out of the illness with little to no problem, knock on wood, and I'll be able to be back at the office serving people at 9:00 a.m in the morning.
I don't say this to brag, but it's a great example of what I teach to my patients: being healthy does NOT mean never getting sick, everyone gets sick on occasion. It does mean bouncing back quickly, like the old blow-up punching bags with the weighted bottoms that you could punch and they'd bounce back up. It's what we've done with our kids (not the punching them part) by not filling them full of antibiotics at every turn etc. They're little immune systems are quite the killers after being brought up the way we have.
If everyone would do more of this, eating, resting, thinking, and moving well, now THAT would be some true "health care reform" in my opinion! We'd have a LOT less of those diseases of lifestyle like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer etc, and we'd spend a LOT less time at the doctors spending our hard earned money there and on the inevitable prescriptions that follow.
Hope you find this little anecdote beneficial......and until next time.....
Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sometimes You Just Can't
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you can't eat healthy. I have that challenge just as you do. Often when my son is in a baseball tournament, I eat baseball food: hot dogs, nachos, hamburgers etc. I do try to make sure I drink only water to avoid the sugary alternatives though. Last night was another good example for me. Worked late, wife and kids were running around doing what had to be done, my Mom was staying the night, and some old friends of hers/ours were coming over for dessert and coffee.
What did I do? I ate pizza delivered by our chef (Chef Domino of course lol) and had a slice of key lime pie. Ouch!!! I noticed how it made me feel afterward: not good. Fortunately, the rest of the day I had things like a Superfood Solution Shake, smoothie, fresh apple/carrot juice, a salad, almonds, fruit and plenty of water all day long.
The lesson I take from this is that you can't always control how well you eat, but when you do have any say at all, you (I) need to make the right choices. Plus, like I said, I noticed the difference in how I felt after eating poorly compared to how I had been eating prior to that. And, know that sometimes you'll blow it, but the next time you get the chance to re-fuel, do it in a good way!
Til next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
What did I do? I ate pizza delivered by our chef (Chef Domino of course lol) and had a slice of key lime pie. Ouch!!! I noticed how it made me feel afterward: not good. Fortunately, the rest of the day I had things like a Superfood Solution Shake, smoothie, fresh apple/carrot juice, a salad, almonds, fruit and plenty of water all day long.
The lesson I take from this is that you can't always control how well you eat, but when you do have any say at all, you (I) need to make the right choices. Plus, like I said, I noticed the difference in how I felt after eating poorly compared to how I had been eating prior to that. And, know that sometimes you'll blow it, but the next time you get the chance to re-fuel, do it in a good way!
Til next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Hug Them A Little Bit Tighter
Yesterday I sat outside on a gorgeous afternoon watching my son's baseball team play very well, and watching him perform at a high level. I marveled at how he launched a bomb deep to the fence in right field. I was a proud Dad as he made two outstanding catches and a great throw to the plate from the outfield. All is as it should be it seemed, and I was enjoying the day immensely.
My wife received a text during the 2nd game.
I am at a loss for words. My son's 12 year old friend died of cancer yesterday morning. It was expected, yet I cannot begin to wrap my brain around the intensity of the loss Austin's parents must be feeling, and I cannot wrap my brain around how his friends must all be feeling, after losing one of their own at an age where it's just not supposed to happen.
They are ours but for a little while it is said, usually referring to how they grow up and move on. Austin's parents have lost theirs in a completely different, and overwhelmingly painful way.
We never know. Hug them a little tighter today.
My wife received a text during the 2nd game.
I am at a loss for words. My son's 12 year old friend died of cancer yesterday morning. It was expected, yet I cannot begin to wrap my brain around the intensity of the loss Austin's parents must be feeling, and I cannot wrap my brain around how his friends must all be feeling, after losing one of their own at an age where it's just not supposed to happen.
They are ours but for a little while it is said, usually referring to how they grow up and move on. Austin's parents have lost theirs in a completely different, and overwhelmingly painful way.
We never know. Hug them a little tighter today.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Media Fast Results
I did a media fast this week, it was hard to not be online especially, doing facebook, twitter, posting on a local neighborhood website etc. But it was good too, like a cleanse. I'll probably be more aware of my time spent in media now, maybe even do a fast from news sources more regularly. I recommend a physical cleanse for people often, why not a mental cleanse of sorts? After all, part of the "Be Well" formula is to "THINK well" right? Take some time to cleanse your mind regularly to be more healthy from the neck up!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Media Fast
In an earlier blog, I touched on the concept of watching too much media and how it can affect us. Our culture today provides the opportunity to be engrossed in media pretty much 24/7. And most of it has spin, much of it is sensationalized (even the weather these days is not immune to sensationalism, ever seen the headlines "wicked weather"?, almost daily right!?). In short, it is filled with negativism, sensationalism and probably a few other negative "ism's".
Currently I am in the midst of a "media fast" along with my church. This blog is the closest to "media" I get. No personal facebook (only my business facebook), no news, no newspaper, no reading the news online, not even sports talk radio! While it is not easy, it IS a good thing. We have to protect what we allow into our minds, because what goes in, stays in. Anyone here have the words to a theme song memorized? How many of you actually sat down to memorize those words? None of us. But to this day I could sing "The Brady Bunch" or "Gilligans Island" theme songs (and yes that DOES date me). We heard those songs enough that they became ingrained in our brains. Spending too much time in the media can have deleterious effects on our health.
I am not saying you have to do a media fast, I am saying we need to protect our minds, which in turn protects our attitude, which in turn protects our health. Remember that THINKING well is part of our Be Well formula.
Until next time.....BE WELL!
Dr. B
Currently I am in the midst of a "media fast" along with my church. This blog is the closest to "media" I get. No personal facebook (only my business facebook), no news, no newspaper, no reading the news online, not even sports talk radio! While it is not easy, it IS a good thing. We have to protect what we allow into our minds, because what goes in, stays in. Anyone here have the words to a theme song memorized? How many of you actually sat down to memorize those words? None of us. But to this day I could sing "The Brady Bunch" or "Gilligans Island" theme songs (and yes that DOES date me). We heard those songs enough that they became ingrained in our brains. Spending too much time in the media can have deleterious effects on our health.
I am not saying you have to do a media fast, I am saying we need to protect our minds, which in turn protects our attitude, which in turn protects our health. Remember that THINKING well is part of our Be Well formula.
Until next time.....BE WELL!
Dr. B
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Best Defense.......
is a good offense right? Right! Many people are running around scared and nervous about the most recent outbreak of Swine Flu. It is good to be aware and cautious, but it is NOT good to get nervous and over the top freaked out about it. That only increases your chances of getting ill! Let's talk about a good "offense" to ward off the chances of becoming ill with Swine Flu, or any other illness for that matter.
The actual simple solution is to make sure that you are not a good host for any virus or bacteria that tries to make its home inside your body. Simple right? Yes, not always easy, but it IS simple. That is the answer though, and no one would dispute that. How we go about making our bodies not be a good host is where it gets more complicated, but that boils down to what you've undoubtedly heard me say before: To BE well, we must EAT well, MOVE well, THINK Well and REST well.
So, when you are attempting to make your body stronger, eat better than you ever thought you could. Focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Eat them with your meals, and use them as snacks For instance, today so far I've had a Superfood Solution Shake (NanoGreens, NanOmega 3 and NanoPro), made a blueberry/banana smoothie, and brought some grapes, fresh blueberries and almonds to snack on. That's a good start!
Make sure you aren't stressing out too much. Stress lowers your immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness. Take time to De-stress daily (deep breathing/relaxation exercises). Make a list of things you have to be grateful for daily (here on this blog is a sample I used from a few months back).
Of course, exercise helps boost your immune system too. It also helps mitigate the effects of stress on the body. Keep up with your exercise, or start a walking program. I find that a good hard workout leaves me feeling totally de-stressed. Don't start working out hard if you haven't been, and get cleared by your doctor if you're over the age of 35 before you start a program.
Remember to get your REST! Keep your sleep habits the same (if they're good) even on weekends. Go to bed around the same time and wake around the same time daily. Use de-stresing exercises such as deep breathing/relaxation before you go to bed, or if you wake up and can't get back to sleep. Avoid caffiene late at night and avoid wild TV shows or movies late at night as well.
There you have it in a nutshell, but also remember to wash your hands regularly and if you feel sick, stay away from people as much as possible to reduce the chances of spreading illness.
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. B.
The actual simple solution is to make sure that you are not a good host for any virus or bacteria that tries to make its home inside your body. Simple right? Yes, not always easy, but it IS simple. That is the answer though, and no one would dispute that. How we go about making our bodies not be a good host is where it gets more complicated, but that boils down to what you've undoubtedly heard me say before: To BE well, we must EAT well, MOVE well, THINK Well and REST well.
So, when you are attempting to make your body stronger, eat better than you ever thought you could. Focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Eat them with your meals, and use them as snacks For instance, today so far I've had a Superfood Solution Shake (NanoGreens, NanOmega 3 and NanoPro), made a blueberry/banana smoothie, and brought some grapes, fresh blueberries and almonds to snack on. That's a good start!
Make sure you aren't stressing out too much. Stress lowers your immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness. Take time to De-stress daily (deep breathing/relaxation exercises). Make a list of things you have to be grateful for daily (here on this blog is a sample I used from a few months back).
Of course, exercise helps boost your immune system too. It also helps mitigate the effects of stress on the body. Keep up with your exercise, or start a walking program. I find that a good hard workout leaves me feeling totally de-stressed. Don't start working out hard if you haven't been, and get cleared by your doctor if you're over the age of 35 before you start a program.
Remember to get your REST! Keep your sleep habits the same (if they're good) even on weekends. Go to bed around the same time and wake around the same time daily. Use de-stresing exercises such as deep breathing/relaxation before you go to bed, or if you wake up and can't get back to sleep. Avoid caffiene late at night and avoid wild TV shows or movies late at night as well.
There you have it in a nutshell, but also remember to wash your hands regularly and if you feel sick, stay away from people as much as possible to reduce the chances of spreading illness.
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. B.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
8 Decades
Today my Mother turns 80 years old. 8 decades. WOW.....which is MOM upside down...not that that has any significance.
Back on topic. 8 decades. That is amazing. So many don't make it that long, and certainly not in as good of a condition as my Mom has made it. She is blessed, we are blessed to have had her this long, and I don't see it changing any time soon. How does one do that? Well let's take a look.
I wish I could say Mom was an exercise freak, as it would TOTALLY back up my way of life but she wasn't. Mom didn't eat fast food much, she did smoke til about 40 years of age (who in her generation DIDN'T smoke at some point?). She drank moderately, and still does (ok sometimes in her younger years more than moderately). She laughed a lot with my Dad, her life partner of over 50 years (Dad died at 78). She and Dad did start walking in their 40's and 50's and beyond, but never had a serious exercise plan, though they certainly weren't sedentary.
She raised 7 great kids, has enjoyed 20 or more grandkids (I don't recall the exact number and refuse to start counting now) and now several great grandkids. She has kids and grandkids that call on her to say hi, and visit with her regularly.
She and Dad always had a great social circle, and gave back to their community through church and investing in kids lives through youth group activities. They always had projects they worked on at the house, yardwork, gardens, cleaning, always a purpose to the day. She still goes through her day keeping her life in order, her house spotless, and talks daily with at least a couple of my siblings plus some of her generation. Today she has several of her best friends coming to visit her from Louisiana. Mom still drives all the way from Ft. Worth to Houston, spends the night with one of us, then drives 3 hours to Eunice.
I think all of these things contributed to her healthy life. Sure she has a few health issues, but nothing severe. I think that she and Dad lived life, loved life and are leaving a great legacy of love and laughter behind which helped them live as long as they did.
I'm impressed with her, and blessed to have her around. I hope that one day I cross that octogenarian line with my bride in as good of form as she has.
Happy 80th Mom!
Back on topic. 8 decades. That is amazing. So many don't make it that long, and certainly not in as good of a condition as my Mom has made it. She is blessed, we are blessed to have had her this long, and I don't see it changing any time soon. How does one do that? Well let's take a look.
I wish I could say Mom was an exercise freak, as it would TOTALLY back up my way of life but she wasn't. Mom didn't eat fast food much, she did smoke til about 40 years of age (who in her generation DIDN'T smoke at some point?). She drank moderately, and still does (ok sometimes in her younger years more than moderately). She laughed a lot with my Dad, her life partner of over 50 years (Dad died at 78). She and Dad did start walking in their 40's and 50's and beyond, but never had a serious exercise plan, though they certainly weren't sedentary.
She raised 7 great kids, has enjoyed 20 or more grandkids (I don't recall the exact number and refuse to start counting now) and now several great grandkids. She has kids and grandkids that call on her to say hi, and visit with her regularly.
She and Dad always had a great social circle, and gave back to their community through church and investing in kids lives through youth group activities. They always had projects they worked on at the house, yardwork, gardens, cleaning, always a purpose to the day. She still goes through her day keeping her life in order, her house spotless, and talks daily with at least a couple of my siblings plus some of her generation. Today she has several of her best friends coming to visit her from Louisiana. Mom still drives all the way from Ft. Worth to Houston, spends the night with one of us, then drives 3 hours to Eunice.
I think all of these things contributed to her healthy life. Sure she has a few health issues, but nothing severe. I think that she and Dad lived life, loved life and are leaving a great legacy of love and laughter behind which helped them live as long as they did.
I'm impressed with her, and blessed to have her around. I hope that one day I cross that octogenarian line with my bride in as good of form as she has.
Happy 80th Mom!
Friday, September 11, 2009
9/11 and Thinking Well
Ok, I am officially ready to potentially make a few people mad. But hey, it's my blog right? I'm glad you agree.
No adult around will not recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when the 9/11 catastrophe occurred. We'll always recall how that day "changed everything". I for one recall becoming addicted to the news, and eventually in the following years addicted to political news and the talking heads that we are all so familiar with these days.
During this time I've seen more divisiveness in our country than I can ever recall in my 20+ years of adulthood. It's all over the TV and radio daily. People I know spend hours reading political blogs, watching political TV, listening to political radio. Again, until about a year or two ago, I did the same, so I know of what I speak.
Let me be honest here. During that time in my life, I found myself with a large degree of anger and frustration built up inside of me. I found myself so wrapped up in the political news world that I began developing feelings of dislike for those of opposing views. Stay with me here, I am just being honest about a time period in my life. I found myself with an "us vs. them" mentality. Not exactly healthy thinking, right?
But eventually I recalled what I had learned in the 90's about being careful what I allowed into my brain on a regular basis. I recall being taught in more than one venue to avoid spending too much time watching/listening to the news as it was so negative, and never without what we now call "spin". I also began noticing the "us vs. them" mentality displayed on talk shows everywhere and I recall thinking back to a time when it wasn't so, a time that seemed so far back, but it really wasn't that long ago. I began recognizing so many of the political news folks were all about the "win" for their side, not about seeing a possible compromise, or even trying to see the other side.
It was then that I realized how unhealthy it was to be so caught up in the whole game. Now, in retrospect, I see the lack of "Thinking Well" that occurs in politics, and in our minds when we become too wrapped up in it. I look back on 9/11 and I am still amazed at how not thinking well led a handful of people, who had listened for too long to the rhetoric of some other non "thinking well" people, and agreed to hijack planes and eventually took the lives of thousands of innocent people. I can see how not thinking well led many to have vile hatred for the people of the religion whose people perpetrated the act. Trust me, I have no respect for those that choose to commit acts of terror, but I know in my heart that hatred for them is an unwell way of thinking.
That same emotion of hatred now has our country divided by and caught up in the "us vs. them" mentality. For nothing more than a letter that stands behind a name (D or R) a plethora of negative emotions and actions are brought forth. That kind of thinking is a non-starter for unity and for the health and well being of our country. I am saddened by it, and wish that my children could experience some of the days where it wasn't so rampant.
I am not saying that I don't have views, or that I walk the line on every issue. I am saying that the emotions that are brought out by this whole game are a serious problem that will affect the future of our country for generations to come if it is not changed. And to call it a "game" is a misnomer. Life is not a trial run, not a dress rehearsal. This is the real deal, and this "game", if it continues, will undoubtedly have real and serious consequences in our future, and it probably has already had said consequences.
On the other hand, thinking well, realizing we are all on the same planet, that maybe some other views may warrant a second look, that we truly are on the same team, can have real and everlasting positive consequences for our future, and for the future of our kids. On this anniversary of a very sad day in the history of this great nation, and of this planet, take some time to step back and see if you are caught up in some of this divisiveness. It can't hurt.
Until next time, "Be Well".
Dr. B
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Kids and High Blood Pressure
I recently received a message from a lifelong friend stating that their 18 year old athletic son had been seen by a doctor and had high blood pressure. Actually, I think it was a case of "white coat hypertension", but it was alarming to her family and his doctor initially. When they later checked his bp again it was fine, and at my office it was fine. However, I did let him know that I've read some studies showing that those with white coat hypertension can have be predisposed to hypertension in general.
Additionally, recent studies have begun to show an alarming trend: early stages of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) has been found to be more common in our teenagers (http://tiny.cc/ciCEl) than we thought. I personally have seen high blood pressure in high school children in our office. Why is this? Well, let's go back to the basics of wellness!
Remember, to BE well, we must EAT well, MOVE well, THINK well and REST well, right? Many of our children are growing up on non real food (edible food like substances), stressed because of tough schedules, family issues etc, playing too much Wii, and staying up half the night on the internet or texting their friends. All of this leads to poor health. Do you think we all of a sudden "get" high blood pressure? Of course not, it's a process that develops over time, based on lifestyle choices in how we eat, move think, and rest.
We MUST make changes in our kids lives for their health. Otherwise, the next generation will be worse off than our current sick generation! WAtch for seminars by our office on the Be Well formula, or schedule a Wellness Consult with us to start making changes now!
Until next time.....BE WELL!
Dr. B
Additionally, recent studies have begun to show an alarming trend: early stages of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) has been found to be more common in our teenagers (http://tiny.cc/ciCEl) than we thought. I personally have seen high blood pressure in high school children in our office. Why is this? Well, let's go back to the basics of wellness!
Remember, to BE well, we must EAT well, MOVE well, THINK well and REST well, right? Many of our children are growing up on non real food (edible food like substances), stressed because of tough schedules, family issues etc, playing too much Wii, and staying up half the night on the internet or texting their friends. All of this leads to poor health. Do you think we all of a sudden "get" high blood pressure? Of course not, it's a process that develops over time, based on lifestyle choices in how we eat, move think, and rest.
We MUST make changes in our kids lives for their health. Otherwise, the next generation will be worse off than our current sick generation! WAtch for seminars by our office on the Be Well formula, or schedule a Wellness Consult with us to start making changes now!
Until next time.....BE WELL!
Dr. B
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Can You Eat Healthy In A Tex Mex Restaurant?
Sure you can! This is a biggie for me since I love Tex-Mex!
First, here are some danger spots: Chips, Salsa, and tortillas primarily. For the chips and salsa, I recommend that if you HAVE to have it, do it this way: Take the basket of chips, take about 5 out and ask them to take the basket away. Then, break the chips into smaller pieces to dip in the salsa. After all, it's the salsa we're after, not the chip when we eat it right? Also, try to order as quickly as possible to minimize the time you're left in front of chips/salsa. And remember, you don't need an appetizer if you have chips and salsa, that will keep you from over indulging.
Most of these spots have GREAT fajita salads. Use Salsa for dressing. It will fill you up! If not, order fajitas, and avoid the rice, maybe eat only the fajita meat or chicken, mixed with the veggies and some guacamole. If you MUST have tortillas, try to eat only one, and eat the meat alone after that. Or, put a TON of meat into one tortilla and that should be enough. Also, many times (most of the time) fajitas for 1 is enough for two, so if two of you want fajitas, order for only one and you'll have plenty!
Often times you can get a GREAT grilled chicken dish with onions and bell pepper on it. That's a great way to go also. Try to avoid the rice as usual.
There's a few options, so if Tex Mex is your fav, you can now go there minus the guilt!! As always, in restaurants, be willing to ask for a "to go" box immediately and put 1/2 your meal away to take home to avoid too many calories!
Be Well!
First, here are some danger spots: Chips, Salsa, and tortillas primarily. For the chips and salsa, I recommend that if you HAVE to have it, do it this way: Take the basket of chips, take about 5 out and ask them to take the basket away. Then, break the chips into smaller pieces to dip in the salsa. After all, it's the salsa we're after, not the chip when we eat it right? Also, try to order as quickly as possible to minimize the time you're left in front of chips/salsa. And remember, you don't need an appetizer if you have chips and salsa, that will keep you from over indulging.
Most of these spots have GREAT fajita salads. Use Salsa for dressing. It will fill you up! If not, order fajitas, and avoid the rice, maybe eat only the fajita meat or chicken, mixed with the veggies and some guacamole. If you MUST have tortillas, try to eat only one, and eat the meat alone after that. Or, put a TON of meat into one tortilla and that should be enough. Also, many times (most of the time) fajitas for 1 is enough for two, so if two of you want fajitas, order for only one and you'll have plenty!
Often times you can get a GREAT grilled chicken dish with onions and bell pepper on it. That's a great way to go also. Try to avoid the rice as usual.
There's a few options, so if Tex Mex is your fav, you can now go there minus the guilt!! As always, in restaurants, be willing to ask for a "to go" box immediately and put 1/2 your meal away to take home to avoid too many calories!
Be Well!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Drink This Not That??
Are you kidding me? Read the article linked below, but ignore the "drink this instead of that" part. Stay away from all of that toxic stuff, except maybe for an occasional treat.
http://tiny.cc/n4qrR
http://tiny.cc/n4qrR
Thursday, July 2, 2009
More Drugs and Surgery
Yea that's the answer. Considering that we have more new drugs and surgeries available than ever before in the history of man, how's that working out for us? How much healthier are we? Read the obesity report below. In 1991 no state had an obesity rate of 20%. Now? Only 1 state DOESN'T!! Me thinks it's NOT working out well for us.
The problem is, in America, we have such a short term mentality about health. "A pill for every ill" is our thought process. So we pour more chemicals into our body, we take out body parts, I guess because we obviously have just too many body parts for our own good.
Remember, to BE WELL, we must Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well and Rest Well.
The problem is, in America, we have such a short term mentality about health. "A pill for every ill" is our thought process. So we pour more chemicals into our body, we take out body parts, I guess because we obviously have just too many body parts for our own good.
Remember, to BE WELL, we must Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well and Rest Well.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
We're FAT.
As a nation we are all growing fatter. A report that came out today saying that we as a nation continue to grow fatter. In 1991, no state had more than a 20 percent obesity rate. Today, the only state that doesn't is Colorado, at 18.9 percent.
Texas is #14 in the list of fattest states.
It's not just about the waist size, it's about what it does to our health! Do you want to have more health issues as you age? Then be fat, it's a guarantee, and not many things in life are guaranteed.
Here's part of the announcement from today.
WASHINGTON — Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers.
It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news. In 31 states, more than one in four adults are obese, says a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
And obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year, and no state experienced a significant decline.
"The obesity epidemic clearly goes beyond being an individual problem," said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust, a nonprofit public health group.
It's a national crisis that "calls for a national strategy to combat obesity," added Robert Wood Johnson vice president Dr. James Marks. "The crest of the wave of obesity is still to crash."
While the nation has long been bracing for a surge in Medicare as the boomers start turning 65, the new report makes clear that fat, not just age, will fuel much of those bills. In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to 64-year-olds _ the oldest boomers _ than among today's 65-and-beyond.
The report provides one of the first in-depth looks at obese boomers, and its implications are sobering. This first wave of aging boomers will mean a jump of obese Medicare patients that ranges from 5.2 percent in New York to a high of 16.3 percent in Alabama, the report concluded. In Alabama, nearly 39 percent of the oldest boomers are obese.
Health economists once made the harsh financial calculation that the obese would save money by dying sooner. But more recent research instead suggests that better treatments are keeping them alive nearly as long _ but they're much sicker for longer, requiring such costly interventions as knee replacements and diabetes care and dialysis. Medicare spends anywhere from $1,400 to $6,000 more annually on health care for an obese senior than for the non-obese, Levi said.
"There isn't a magic bullet. We don't have a pill for it," said Levi. "It's not going to be solved in the doctor's office but in the community, where we change norms."
His group is pushing for health reform legislation to include community-level programs that help people make healthier choices _ like building sidewalks so people can walk their neighborhoods instead of drive, and providing healthier school lunches to help fight the childhood obesity that turns into adult obesity. The pending House and Senate bills address obesity in different ways; one provision would particularly target baby boomers.
Many states have begun programs to try to tackle obesity, and there are hints of improvements, Marks said.
"We're still getting fatter, but maybe a little more slowly than before," he said: Last year's report found obesity rates rising in 37 states compared with 23 this time around.
He's encouraged that 19 states have implemented nutritional standards for school meals that are stricter than the federal government's; in 2004, just four states did. Some are requiring nutritional information for restaurant food, he added.
States "recognize the solutions will lie outside traditional medical care," Marks said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long said that nearly a third of Americans are obese. The Trust report uses somewhat more conservative CDC surveys for a closer state-by-state look. Among the findings:
_Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity, 32.5 percent, for the fifth year in a row.
_Three additional states now have adult obesity rates above 30 percent, including Alabama, 31.2 percent; West Virginia, 31.1 percent; and Tennessee, 30.2 percent.
_In 1991, no state had more than a 20 percent obesity rate. Today, the only state that doesn't is Colorado, at 18.9 percent.
_The South is the fattest region. The Northeast and West are slightly slimmer than the rest of the country.
_Mississippi also had the highest rate of overweight and obese children, at 44.4 percent in total. It's followed by Arkansas, 37.5 percent; and Georgia, 37.3 percent.
_Following Alabama, Michigan ranks No. 2 with fat boomers; 36 percent of its 55- to 64-year-olds are obese. Colorado has the lowest rate, 21.8 percent.
Texas is #14 in the list of fattest states.
It's not just about the waist size, it's about what it does to our health! Do you want to have more health issues as you age? Then be fat, it's a guarantee, and not many things in life are guaranteed.
Here's part of the announcement from today.
WASHINGTON — Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers.
It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news. In 31 states, more than one in four adults are obese, says a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
And obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year, and no state experienced a significant decline.
"The obesity epidemic clearly goes beyond being an individual problem," said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust, a nonprofit public health group.
It's a national crisis that "calls for a national strategy to combat obesity," added Robert Wood Johnson vice president Dr. James Marks. "The crest of the wave of obesity is still to crash."
While the nation has long been bracing for a surge in Medicare as the boomers start turning 65, the new report makes clear that fat, not just age, will fuel much of those bills. In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to 64-year-olds _ the oldest boomers _ than among today's 65-and-beyond.
The report provides one of the first in-depth looks at obese boomers, and its implications are sobering. This first wave of aging boomers will mean a jump of obese Medicare patients that ranges from 5.2 percent in New York to a high of 16.3 percent in Alabama, the report concluded. In Alabama, nearly 39 percent of the oldest boomers are obese.
Health economists once made the harsh financial calculation that the obese would save money by dying sooner. But more recent research instead suggests that better treatments are keeping them alive nearly as long _ but they're much sicker for longer, requiring such costly interventions as knee replacements and diabetes care and dialysis. Medicare spends anywhere from $1,400 to $6,000 more annually on health care for an obese senior than for the non-obese, Levi said.
"There isn't a magic bullet. We don't have a pill for it," said Levi. "It's not going to be solved in the doctor's office but in the community, where we change norms."
His group is pushing for health reform legislation to include community-level programs that help people make healthier choices _ like building sidewalks so people can walk their neighborhoods instead of drive, and providing healthier school lunches to help fight the childhood obesity that turns into adult obesity. The pending House and Senate bills address obesity in different ways; one provision would particularly target baby boomers.
Many states have begun programs to try to tackle obesity, and there are hints of improvements, Marks said.
"We're still getting fatter, but maybe a little more slowly than before," he said: Last year's report found obesity rates rising in 37 states compared with 23 this time around.
He's encouraged that 19 states have implemented nutritional standards for school meals that are stricter than the federal government's; in 2004, just four states did. Some are requiring nutritional information for restaurant food, he added.
States "recognize the solutions will lie outside traditional medical care," Marks said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long said that nearly a third of Americans are obese. The Trust report uses somewhat more conservative CDC surveys for a closer state-by-state look. Among the findings:
_Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity, 32.5 percent, for the fifth year in a row.
_Three additional states now have adult obesity rates above 30 percent, including Alabama, 31.2 percent; West Virginia, 31.1 percent; and Tennessee, 30.2 percent.
_In 1991, no state had more than a 20 percent obesity rate. Today, the only state that doesn't is Colorado, at 18.9 percent.
_The South is the fattest region. The Northeast and West are slightly slimmer than the rest of the country.
_Mississippi also had the highest rate of overweight and obese children, at 44.4 percent in total. It's followed by Arkansas, 37.5 percent; and Georgia, 37.3 percent.
_Following Alabama, Michigan ranks No. 2 with fat boomers; 36 percent of its 55- to 64-year-olds are obese. Colorado has the lowest rate, 21.8 percent.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
GOING GREEN
We're excited about Nanogreens, a greens drink with the potency of 8-10 servings of organic fruits and vegetables and loads of other healthy ingredients! Our staff had noticed increased energy, decreased healing time, better elimination and more! Combining it with NanOmega3's and/or NanoPro (whey protien) makes a phenomenally healthy meal replacement!
We're having a "GO GREEN" day at our office on June 19, 2009 with free taste tests and discounts on all our Nano products!
It should be a blast!! But more importantly, how many people will lead healthier lives by consuming 8-10 servings of organic fruits and vegetables????????? More than I can imagine! GO GREEN!!
We're having a "GO GREEN" day at our office on June 19, 2009 with free taste tests and discounts on all our Nano products!
It should be a blast!! But more importantly, how many people will lead healthier lives by consuming 8-10 servings of organic fruits and vegetables????????? More than I can imagine! GO GREEN!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Are you on Facebook??
If so, sign up to be a fan of our office page at http://tiny.cc/WrnLj
I have daily short blurbs about health and happenings at our clinic!!
If you'd like to receive a monthly newsletter via email, email me at dr.bruce@embarqmail.com and we'll get you on the program!
I have daily short blurbs about health and happenings at our clinic!!
If you'd like to receive a monthly newsletter via email, email me at dr.bruce@embarqmail.com and we'll get you on the program!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Eating A Healthy Breakfast: How Hard Is It?
I've had a few instances recently whereby I've had people trying to find out how to eat healthy to start their day. We know breakfast is very important, but unfortunately, many of our western breakfast regulars are not healthy. There is hardly a cereal out there that I would consider healthy. Most of them are quite processed and have the evil High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS) or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Even some juices touted as healthy such as V8 Splash have as their first listed ingredient HFCS. That is an ingredient that is particularly unhealthy and found to be a source of many different health problems. Do a google search on HFCS and it's harmful effects, I guarantee you will start looking for it in your food products.
Sorry, I digressed a bit there. Now, onto healthy breakfasts. I'll start with more complicated ones first, then to the easier ones. Try making a healthy Omelet with eggs and cheese of course, but add in some green pepper, mushrooms, spinach or other vegetable to go along with it. If you're like me and can't really make an official omelet, just scramble some eggs with that mixture in it. Get creative and try different things in your eggs. I sometimes just add in a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles in it for a bit of spice.
I would always suggest a serving of fruit in the mornings. We need fiber in all of our meals, and not from a fiber supplement. If you only add a supplement, then you are missing out on anti-oxidants that come with the fiber of fruits and vegetables. Try some oatmeal with some fresh (organic if possible) strawberries/blackberries/blueberries in them. whole grain cereals like shredded wheat with berries is a good choice too. You can also add in some ground flax seed into oatmeal and cereals for fiber and healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.
Fruit smoothies are a great way to start the day as well. Don't go buy them, most of the ones you buy use syrupy fruit concoctions that are not healthy. Instead, buy froze fruits (organic is best). You can get all kinds of berries, berry medleys etc in any grocery store. Put in a cup to 2 cups of frozen fruit. Add in some lowfat plain yogurt (about a cup worth). Then use a fruit juice like orange juice, pineapple etc along with some low fat milk (almond milk would be a great choice). You'll need to play with the exact amounts to make the smoothie to the consistency you like. You can also add in the ground flax seed to your smoothies, as well as a whey protein mix for added benefits.
Juicing is also good on occasion. 3 good sized apples, along with three carrots and a small piece of ginger root makes a tasty, tangy juice. It's not enough for a full breakfast by any means, but it's a good "side" dish. If you can get the Vita-mixer, it even pulverizes the fiber and has it in the juice too. For an added benefit, a bit of greens like kale or mustard greens can be added in too, but don't go overboard with that as it will make the juice too bitter.
With all juicing and smoothies, if you're diabetic, please consult your doctor and watch your blood sugar levels. Some may have a bit of a blood sugar spike, if so, use the smoothies as a side dish instead of a main meal.
Sorry, I digressed a bit there. Now, onto healthy breakfasts. I'll start with more complicated ones first, then to the easier ones. Try making a healthy Omelet with eggs and cheese of course, but add in some green pepper, mushrooms, spinach or other vegetable to go along with it. If you're like me and can't really make an official omelet, just scramble some eggs with that mixture in it. Get creative and try different things in your eggs. I sometimes just add in a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles in it for a bit of spice.
I would always suggest a serving of fruit in the mornings. We need fiber in all of our meals, and not from a fiber supplement. If you only add a supplement, then you are missing out on anti-oxidants that come with the fiber of fruits and vegetables. Try some oatmeal with some fresh (organic if possible) strawberries/blackberries/blueberries in them. whole grain cereals like shredded wheat with berries is a good choice too. You can also add in some ground flax seed into oatmeal and cereals for fiber and healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.
Fruit smoothies are a great way to start the day as well. Don't go buy them, most of the ones you buy use syrupy fruit concoctions that are not healthy. Instead, buy froze fruits (organic is best). You can get all kinds of berries, berry medleys etc in any grocery store. Put in a cup to 2 cups of frozen fruit. Add in some lowfat plain yogurt (about a cup worth). Then use a fruit juice like orange juice, pineapple etc along with some low fat milk (almond milk would be a great choice). You'll need to play with the exact amounts to make the smoothie to the consistency you like. You can also add in the ground flax seed to your smoothies, as well as a whey protein mix for added benefits.
Juicing is also good on occasion. 3 good sized apples, along with three carrots and a small piece of ginger root makes a tasty, tangy juice. It's not enough for a full breakfast by any means, but it's a good "side" dish. If you can get the Vita-mixer, it even pulverizes the fiber and has it in the juice too. For an added benefit, a bit of greens like kale or mustard greens can be added in too, but don't go overboard with that as it will make the juice too bitter.
With all juicing and smoothies, if you're diabetic, please consult your doctor and watch your blood sugar levels. Some may have a bit of a blood sugar spike, if so, use the smoothies as a side dish instead of a main meal.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
4 Keys to Being Well
So you want to BE WELL? It's simple: Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well and Rest Well!
It's as simple as that!
It's as simple as that!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Schedule Keeping You From Your Exercise Plan?
Boy do I understand that! From the time we started getting ready to move, to now 3 months after the move, I've had issues with my schedule. Lately it seems I could only get in about 2 days/week, or 3 if I was lucky.
I was faithful to do at least that much though. I find that totally giving up on the plan is much worse than just toning it down temporarily. Doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING!
Finally, I figured out a way to get more exercise in, walking particularly. So today, I got up early, took my dog outside on a gorgeous spring day, and voila, I had a 30 minute brisk walk, good for the dog and good for me.
My point is, if we just at least keep doing something, even in a reduced amount, when our schedule clears up, or becomes more regular, then we can jump back in and not have lost as much ground.
So keep grinding it out, it will happen!
I was faithful to do at least that much though. I find that totally giving up on the plan is much worse than just toning it down temporarily. Doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING!
Finally, I figured out a way to get more exercise in, walking particularly. So today, I got up early, took my dog outside on a gorgeous spring day, and voila, I had a 30 minute brisk walk, good for the dog and good for me.
My point is, if we just at least keep doing something, even in a reduced amount, when our schedule clears up, or becomes more regular, then we can jump back in and not have lost as much ground.
So keep grinding it out, it will happen!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Coffee Jitters
Ok, so today I was taking care of my first few patients, and noticed I was nervous, anxious and my heart seemed to be beating harder than normal. I couldn't figure it out. Then I recalled the fact that I had been drinking more coffee than usual. I usually have only about 2-4 cups/week, but it had slowly crept up to daily and sometimes 2x a day. It all made sense to me. 3 hours later I was feeling fine again.
Back to moderation in my coffee intake!!
Back to moderation in my coffee intake!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Staying Well
Just a quick note. I've been teaching to Eat Well Move Well and Think Well for optimum health. I still believe that to be very important. However, I am adding in one new habit: Rest well.
If you've read my stuff, you know how I preach the importance of proper rest, so much so that I feel its value is missed by using only the 3 other "wells" (eat, move, think).
So, remember:
To BE Well, We Must EAT Well, MOVE Well, THINK Well and REST Well!!
If you've read my stuff, you know how I preach the importance of proper rest, so much so that I feel its value is missed by using only the 3 other "wells" (eat, move, think).
So, remember:
To BE Well, We Must EAT Well, MOVE Well, THINK Well and REST Well!!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Pregnancy Can Be A Pain In The ……Back!
For just a second or two I will take a break from talking about wellness, and move into dealing with a specific health issue. Recently I’ve run across several women that were pregnant and having to deal with lower back pain. It’s not surprising by any means, especially since 80% of the general population has back pain at some point in their lives. And considering that a large portion in our community is of child bearing age, I thought this might be a good topic to touch on this month.
Back pain or discomfort is common during pregnancy and should be expected to some degree by most women. Back pain may be experienced during any point of your pregnancy; however, it most commonly occurs later in the pregnancy as the weight of the baby increases. Back pain can disrupt your daily routine or interfere with a good night of sleep. The good news is there are steps you can take to manage the back pain that you experience.
There are a number of causes of back pain related to pregnancy. On top of all the wonderful changes your body goes through, hormones are released that allow the ligaments in the body to loosen, so that the pelvis can spread wider for the passage of the baby. That’s bad news on two fronts: 1. Your hips get bigger, and 2. Joints get stressed more (particularly the joints where the pelvis joins the triangular shaped bone called the sacrum). Another reason is your center of gravity changes as the baby grows. This causes more and more stress on your back muscles since they have to work harder to keep you upright and not falling over face first into the ground. Additionally, the challenge of finding comfortable positions to sit or stand in may cause you to assume poor posture at times, thus stressing your back further.
So, how can you prevent the back pain? Listed below are suggestions from the American Pregnancy Association:
1. Use exercises approved by your health care provider that support and help strengthen the back and abdomen
2. Squat to pick up something versus bending over
3. Avoid high heels and other shoes that do not provide adequate support
4. Avoid sleeping on your back
5. Wear a support belt under your lower abdomen
6. Make sure your back is aligned using a chiropractor
7. Get plenty of rest. Elevating your feet is also good for your back
But what if you are already suffering from back pain? Again, from the American Pregnancy Association website:
1. Use ice or heat
2. Braces or support devices
3. Sleep on your left side and use a support pillow under your knees
4. Medications used to treat inflammation
5. Use a licensed health care professional such as a chiropractor or massage therapist (our therapists are trained in pregnancy massage).
I hope this has been helpful for those in our community that are expecting, and wondering about or already suffering from back pain. We’d love to help you have a more enjoyable pregnancy if we can!
Back pain or discomfort is common during pregnancy and should be expected to some degree by most women. Back pain may be experienced during any point of your pregnancy; however, it most commonly occurs later in the pregnancy as the weight of the baby increases. Back pain can disrupt your daily routine or interfere with a good night of sleep. The good news is there are steps you can take to manage the back pain that you experience.
There are a number of causes of back pain related to pregnancy. On top of all the wonderful changes your body goes through, hormones are released that allow the ligaments in the body to loosen, so that the pelvis can spread wider for the passage of the baby. That’s bad news on two fronts: 1. Your hips get bigger, and 2. Joints get stressed more (particularly the joints where the pelvis joins the triangular shaped bone called the sacrum). Another reason is your center of gravity changes as the baby grows. This causes more and more stress on your back muscles since they have to work harder to keep you upright and not falling over face first into the ground. Additionally, the challenge of finding comfortable positions to sit or stand in may cause you to assume poor posture at times, thus stressing your back further.
So, how can you prevent the back pain? Listed below are suggestions from the American Pregnancy Association:
1. Use exercises approved by your health care provider that support and help strengthen the back and abdomen
2. Squat to pick up something versus bending over
3. Avoid high heels and other shoes that do not provide adequate support
4. Avoid sleeping on your back
5. Wear a support belt under your lower abdomen
6. Make sure your back is aligned using a chiropractor
7. Get plenty of rest. Elevating your feet is also good for your back
But what if you are already suffering from back pain? Again, from the American Pregnancy Association website:
1. Use ice or heat
2. Braces or support devices
3. Sleep on your left side and use a support pillow under your knees
4. Medications used to treat inflammation
5. Use a licensed health care professional such as a chiropractor or massage therapist (our therapists are trained in pregnancy massage).
I hope this has been helpful for those in our community that are expecting, and wondering about or already suffering from back pain. We’d love to help you have a more enjoyable pregnancy if we can!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Swine Flu Precautions
Here's a good sane bit of info on the swine flu and precautions.
http://stress.about.com/od/otherconditions/a/swine_flu.htm?nl=1
http://stress.about.com/od/otherconditions/a/swine_flu.htm?nl=1
Monday, April 20, 2009
An Apple A Day?? You need MORE!
Are you stuck in an apple-a-day rut? Here’s a good reason to chop up that apple with some strawberries, apples, grapes, and oranges.
It’s called synergy. You don’t just get a wider variety of nutrients by eating more fruits. Those nutrients actually work together to produce even more powerful health benefits than any single fruit could alone. Think of it like compounding interest -- but with fruit!
One Fruit, Two Fruit, Three Fruit, Four
We all know that the antioxidants in fruits and veggies work hard to protect your body from aging and disease. But what you may not know is that those antioxidants work even harder when they have the company of other antioxidants. That’s why researchers recommend people eat 5 to 10 servings of a wide variety of different fruits and veggies every day.
The Goal: Whole
If you tend to eat the same fruit over and over, consider breaking the mold next time you’re at the grocery store or farmers market, and pick up something you’ve never tried before. And choose whole organic fruit if possible, so you get the most antioxidant bang for your buck. Try a fruit smoothie with mixed berries, plain low fat yogurt (organic if possible), some pineapple juice and organic milk. It’s a great snack, or even a meal depending on how much of it you eat! You can buy frozen mixed berries and defrost a small amount at a time to put in a whole grain cereal, or oatmeal, even with just some plain yogurt. Load up on your berries every chance you get for some of the best antioxidant, cancer fighting, cardiovascular disease fighting doses around!
It’s called synergy. You don’t just get a wider variety of nutrients by eating more fruits. Those nutrients actually work together to produce even more powerful health benefits than any single fruit could alone. Think of it like compounding interest -- but with fruit!
One Fruit, Two Fruit, Three Fruit, Four
We all know that the antioxidants in fruits and veggies work hard to protect your body from aging and disease. But what you may not know is that those antioxidants work even harder when they have the company of other antioxidants. That’s why researchers recommend people eat 5 to 10 servings of a wide variety of different fruits and veggies every day.
The Goal: Whole
If you tend to eat the same fruit over and over, consider breaking the mold next time you’re at the grocery store or farmers market, and pick up something you’ve never tried before. And choose whole organic fruit if possible, so you get the most antioxidant bang for your buck. Try a fruit smoothie with mixed berries, plain low fat yogurt (organic if possible), some pineapple juice and organic milk. It’s a great snack, or even a meal depending on how much of it you eat! You can buy frozen mixed berries and defrost a small amount at a time to put in a whole grain cereal, or oatmeal, even with just some plain yogurt. Load up on your berries every chance you get for some of the best antioxidant, cancer fighting, cardiovascular disease fighting doses around!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Massage: An Integral Part Of A Wellness Plan
If you’ve ever had someone walk up from behind you when you are tense, and massage your shoulders, you know how great it can be, that is, if you have someone who knows what they are doing. I was at a seminar once, and the doctor teaching it had us stand up, turn to one side and massage the shoulders of the person in front of you for a minute or so. I did this and received a nice massage from the person that had been on my left side. Then, we had to turn the other way and do the same thing again. Suddenly, I was attacked by what felt like crap pinchers squeezing my shoulders. I felt as though it was the longest minute of my life and it was all I could do to not ask the person to stop. When it was over, my desire was to turn back around like the first time, and give that person a taste of what she had just done to me!! I resisted, and am better for the experience! So, the lesson learned is: Kids, don’t try this at home, get your massage from trained professionals!
However, there is NOTHING like a timely massage. The benefits of massage are well documented and go further than what most people know about. Let’s take a look at them here, and let me encourage you to consider using massage as part of your plan for optimum health and wellness.
First of all, as I said in a previous article, 90% of visits to a doctor’s office are said to be stress related in some fashion. That being said, reducing the effects of stress could ostensibly have positive effects on 90% of illnesses. There is no doubt about the positive effects of massage on stressed out people. Massage releases endorphins, the body’s natural anesthetic, countering the higher levels of cortisol and adrenaline that run rampant in stressed out people. So, for people under stress (like most of us), massage can be a tool to fight off its deleterious effects.
Massage can help or even prevent injuries too. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions or scar tissue that builds up from normal day to day living and exercise. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) necessary for tissue repair.
Massage helps the movement of lymph in our body. The lymphatic system helps with our overall filtering of toxins. It is a set of channels like our blood vessels, but it doesn’t have a heart muscle to pump fluid through it. Muscular movement and contractions of muscle helps move it around and flush it out of our system. Massage helps aid the movement of lymph, and is especially good for those that are less physical and don’t get regular exercise. Thus, massage can help you stay healthy in this manner as well.
Pregnant women who receive massage often have their lower back pain alleviated significantly. It requires someone trained in prenatal massage, but it can be so beneficial to the mother. One study also noted that premature infants that received massage tended to gain more weight and fare better than those who weren’t.
The list goes on to fill more space than we have here for this article. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking to move yourself toward wellness, massage can and should be an important tool in your journey.
However, there is NOTHING like a timely massage. The benefits of massage are well documented and go further than what most people know about. Let’s take a look at them here, and let me encourage you to consider using massage as part of your plan for optimum health and wellness.
First of all, as I said in a previous article, 90% of visits to a doctor’s office are said to be stress related in some fashion. That being said, reducing the effects of stress could ostensibly have positive effects on 90% of illnesses. There is no doubt about the positive effects of massage on stressed out people. Massage releases endorphins, the body’s natural anesthetic, countering the higher levels of cortisol and adrenaline that run rampant in stressed out people. So, for people under stress (like most of us), massage can be a tool to fight off its deleterious effects.
Massage can help or even prevent injuries too. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions or scar tissue that builds up from normal day to day living and exercise. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) necessary for tissue repair.
Massage helps the movement of lymph in our body. The lymphatic system helps with our overall filtering of toxins. It is a set of channels like our blood vessels, but it doesn’t have a heart muscle to pump fluid through it. Muscular movement and contractions of muscle helps move it around and flush it out of our system. Massage helps aid the movement of lymph, and is especially good for those that are less physical and don’t get regular exercise. Thus, massage can help you stay healthy in this manner as well.
Pregnant women who receive massage often have their lower back pain alleviated significantly. It requires someone trained in prenatal massage, but it can be so beneficial to the mother. One study also noted that premature infants that received massage tended to gain more weight and fare better than those who weren’t.
The list goes on to fill more space than we have here for this article. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking to move yourself toward wellness, massage can and should be an important tool in your journey.
Friday, March 27, 2009
How's Your Attitude??
Here's a great little post on how our attitude affects our health and our ability to achieve our health goals. It also covers how to make our attitude improve so our chances of hitting those goals improve.
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/weightloss/276/making-a-change-attitude-is-everything/
just copy and paste that link to your browser's address space.
Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/weightloss/276/making-a-change-attitude-is-everything/
just copy and paste that link to your browser's address space.
Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Are Your Fruits/Veggies Plastic?
An interesting blog about the quality of our plant based foods. I know we are considering how to organically grow some things at our household.
http://blog.friendseat.com/supermarkets-vegetables-plastic/
http://blog.friendseat.com/supermarkets-vegetables-plastic/
Monday, March 23, 2009
Setting Yourself Up For Success In Your Health
So many times we decide to change our health status so drastically at one time that we set ourselves up for failure. Instead we need to learn to take small steps at a time to increase our chances of success. For instance, we can't go from be Cody the Couch Potato to Mike the Marathoner overnight. If we try, we set ourselves up for failure: overexertion soreness, serious injuries, discouragement etc. Instead, try the concept of "a little bit more"! Click on the link below to see how to go about setting goals for yourself in life and with regards to health and wellness.
http://longevity.about.com/od/makeachange/p/smartgoal.htm
http://longevity.about.com/od/makeachange/p/smartgoal.htm
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sleep Hygiene, An Important Part Of Wellness
The article below was published in Dock Line magazine in February of 2009 and I have added in a few things that I couldn't fit in to the article.
Ok, raise your hand if you’re glad to know that laying a foundation for wellness includes anything to do with sleep! You’ll be glad to know it is an integral part of being well. To be more specific, REST is an integral part of being well, and lack of it leads to breakdowns in the body. It’s also important to become familiar with a new term called “sleep hygiene”. We’ll touch on these things in the rest of this article, and hopefully I can fit it all into one issue, if not, rest assured (no pun intended), we’ll cover the rest (another unintended pun) next time.
First, why do we get sleepy? Did you ever wonder that? What is it that makes us feel ready to go to bed? Without going into the physiology of it all, let’s just say that the Guy who did the wiring on us knew what He was doing. Getting sleepy is the body’s way of telling us “ok, you’ve had a long day, it’s time to power down so we can repair any damage that has gone on”. Repair to the damages that are inflicted by daily living occurs when we rest. That is why when we don’t get enough rest, we can’t function, and can fall ill. That is also why we want to sleep more when we are ill. Our body’s innate intelligence is telling us to slow it down. So now you know there is a real reason for rest.
Remember I differentiated between sleep and rest. One can sleep without getting enough rest. The real resting occurs when we get into Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM). That is the deep, repair time sleep. We’ve all had nights where we were in the bed for 8 hours, maybe even sleeping most of that time, yet we still feel tired and un-rested. So, what things keep us from deep rest, and what can we do to get better at it? Read on!
There are several things that can keep us from resting well. Some things are well within our control, some we have less control over. For now, we’ll just focus on developing a good sleep hygiene plan. Sleep hygiene has to do with the habits you can learn to improve your resting. They are multi-faceted, and when working together will help you improve the chances of getting proper rest.
- Pre-sleep routine: You must develop a routine to follow for proper rest. An example would be as follows: Shower at 9:30, read from 10:00 to 10:30, followed by bedtime. The more of a routine you develop and follow, the more you body will be ready for rest.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine: I have some people tell me that they have no trouble sleeping after caffeine at night. I can understand that, but what I tell them is, while you may be able to fall asleep, studies show that you will not enter the deeper levels of sleep required for rest and repair. The same is true of alcohol. If you’ve ever had too much to drink, you know you can fall asleep easier, and sleep for a very long time. However, I am sure you felt very tired and worn out afterward, the effect of the alcohol having kept you from deep rest.
- Try a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime to relax you, especially if you've had a stressful day.
- As you get closer to your bedtime, start turning down the lights in the house. The darkness makes your body start preparing for sleep.
- Don’t watch stimulating TV shows right before bedtime (ie 24). It keeps your mind too active. No exercise for at least 2 hours before bedtime. Also don't use the TV in the bedroom to fall asleep.
- Use the bedroom only for rest and sex. Using it for work will create a neuroassociation in your mind of work/bedroom.
- Keep your bedroom temperature cooler vs. warmer
- If you can’t fall asleep, or you wake and can’t fall back asleep, don’t stay in the bed tossing and turning. Again, a negative neuroassociation will be linked to the bedroom and NOT being able to sleep. Instead, get up, read something non-stimulating (a maintenance guide) and keep the lights down low. Turning the lights up bright tells your body it’s time to wake.
- If you have trouble falling asleep, or falling back asleep, use the breathing technique we taught last month for reducing stress. In through your nose, out through your mouth, with exhalations much longer than inhalations. The way to slow down your exhalations is to breath out thru your mouth with your lips pursed as if you are going to whistle. Doing a session like this shortly before bedtime for 15 minutes will help prepare you for rest. Focus on relaxing every muscle in your body bit by bit until you finally doze off.
- Finally, get up and go to bed at the same time every day, or as close to it as possible. Developing that routine helps our bodies fall into a pattern. This is especially important as we age and sleep disorders become more common.
- Keep your room as dark as possible.
Be Well!!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Stress
Ok, who ISN'T stressed these days? We just came out of the holiday season, the economy is on everyone's mind, people in my practice are worried about jobs etc. This goes to show that life IS stressful a good portion of the time. So what do we do about that? Well it goes back to an age old saying: What happens to us is not as important as how we react to what happens to us. Why is that important? It's important because 90% of visits to doctor's offices are stress related. It's important because almost every common disease process has a stress factor in it. So how do we change our reaction to stressful events? Simply by changing our focus. Read on to see what I mean by that.
Take this test for me: Look around the room you're in now. Look around and notice everything in the room that is brown........go ahead and spend the next 15 seconds doing that........NOW!
scroll down to continue
Now............close your eyes. yes, I mean it.........close your eyes..........ok you can't close your eyes and read this at the same time, I know. So, ok read this: Close your eyes as soon as you finish reading this sentence: think of everything in the room that is green........for 15 seconds with your eyes closed.
Now, did you do it? If you did it right, you probably were surprised at all the green in the room. The point is, we see in our lives, what we choose to focus on. Sounds simplistic? I know. But it's real. If we spend our time focusing on the brown in life, we'll only notice the brown. If we spend time focusing on the green and growing stuff, we'll notice that more. Read the previous blog about being grateful to learn how to change your focus and feel better and less anxious or stressed.
Hey, what have you got to lose? Nothing!! What have you got to gain? EVERYTHING! Get serious, try this for 30 days faithfully and see if you don't feel much better and less stressed (or anxious, or depressed etc)
Be Well!
Take this test for me: Look around the room you're in now. Look around and notice everything in the room that is brown........go ahead and spend the next 15 seconds doing that........NOW!
scroll down to continue
Now............close your eyes. yes, I mean it.........close your eyes..........ok you can't close your eyes and read this at the same time, I know. So, ok read this: Close your eyes as soon as you finish reading this sentence: think of everything in the room that is green........for 15 seconds with your eyes closed.
Now, did you do it? If you did it right, you probably were surprised at all the green in the room. The point is, we see in our lives, what we choose to focus on. Sounds simplistic? I know. But it's real. If we spend our time focusing on the brown in life, we'll only notice the brown. If we spend time focusing on the green and growing stuff, we'll notice that more. Read the previous blog about being grateful to learn how to change your focus and feel better and less anxious or stressed.
Hey, what have you got to lose? Nothing!! What have you got to gain? EVERYTHING! Get serious, try this for 30 days faithfully and see if you don't feel much better and less stressed (or anxious, or depressed etc)
Be Well!
Friday, January 16, 2009
On Being Grateful.......
I have to admit to having felt sorry for myself a few times recently. Doesn't matter what I was feeling sorry about......just felt sorry for me. Things had happened in my life, as they do in everyone's life, that had created some stress and anxiety. At times I dealt with it well, at times I failed royally, causing me more pain, causing pain in my family etc. I wish I could say I passed this test with flying colors, but in truth, I scored a C-.
One of the things that has become clear to me is the importance of being grateful and developing a grateful mindset. Besides being THE way to live, it really helps change ones focus off of the crud that may be affecting us, and onto how fortunate we truly are. To do that, let me suggest a gratefulness journal. What is that you say? Sounds trite you say? Sounds goofy you say? I know, I know. I understand you feeling that way, and I'd have to say I felt the same way at one point, until I actually TRIED it! ;-)
So........what does a gratefulness journal look like??? Well, it's NOT just a list of words like this:
family
friends
job
home
health
favorite sports team
etc.
A gratitude journal needs to help you evoke the emotion of what it is you are grateful for. You need to ask yourself "why am I grateful for _______?" You need to feel grateful. So, to that end, here's my gratefulness journal for today, 1-16-09.
1. I am grateful that my son opened up to me about how he was feeling this morning. It made me feel like he can trust me and that's important to our relationship as he enters his teen years.
2. I am grateful for the time I spent with my wife at lunch today at a chamber event. It's fun to be involved in the community with her.
3. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to write in a magazine and share great information on health and wellness. I feel like I am getting to leave a mark on my community.
4. I am grateful for the loving heart that my daughter has. It blow me away and makes me realize how much more loving I could/should be.
5. I am grateful for having a successful business and the chance to serve in my home town area. I love the fact that I am able to be part of this great area.
6. I am grateful for the vision that I have for what I want to accomplish in life. I like the energy it gives me when I focus on it.
7. I am grateful for an awesome staff that I get to work with. I have the ability to let things go into their hands and not worry about things as much.
8. I am grateful for the cool weather outside this past week. I love the feeling of cool crisp mornings, though I am also grateful when it warms up a bit.
9. I am grateful for the passion I have inside of me for disseminating good wellness oriented information. I know I am working in my "sweet spot" when I do that.
10. I am grateful for my church family and our small group we met with last night. It was a great experience to hear other men discussing challenges in their lives and knowing that I am not alone in that.
Now, that was simple, took me about 5 minutes, but I gotta say, that after typing it and reading it, I feel great! I recommend everyone do that EVERY day.....10 things that you have to be grateful for, write 'em down and FEEL it! It will help reduce stress levels in your life!
Join us for one of our Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well seminars soon!
One of the things that has become clear to me is the importance of being grateful and developing a grateful mindset. Besides being THE way to live, it really helps change ones focus off of the crud that may be affecting us, and onto how fortunate we truly are. To do that, let me suggest a gratefulness journal. What is that you say? Sounds trite you say? Sounds goofy you say? I know, I know. I understand you feeling that way, and I'd have to say I felt the same way at one point, until I actually TRIED it! ;-)
So........what does a gratefulness journal look like??? Well, it's NOT just a list of words like this:
family
friends
job
home
health
favorite sports team
etc.
A gratitude journal needs to help you evoke the emotion of what it is you are grateful for. You need to ask yourself "why am I grateful for _______?" You need to feel grateful. So, to that end, here's my gratefulness journal for today, 1-16-09.
1. I am grateful that my son opened up to me about how he was feeling this morning. It made me feel like he can trust me and that's important to our relationship as he enters his teen years.
2. I am grateful for the time I spent with my wife at lunch today at a chamber event. It's fun to be involved in the community with her.
3. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to write in a magazine and share great information on health and wellness. I feel like I am getting to leave a mark on my community.
4. I am grateful for the loving heart that my daughter has. It blow me away and makes me realize how much more loving I could/should be.
5. I am grateful for having a successful business and the chance to serve in my home town area. I love the fact that I am able to be part of this great area.
6. I am grateful for the vision that I have for what I want to accomplish in life. I like the energy it gives me when I focus on it.
7. I am grateful for an awesome staff that I get to work with. I have the ability to let things go into their hands and not worry about things as much.
8. I am grateful for the cool weather outside this past week. I love the feeling of cool crisp mornings, though I am also grateful when it warms up a bit.
9. I am grateful for the passion I have inside of me for disseminating good wellness oriented information. I know I am working in my "sweet spot" when I do that.
10. I am grateful for my church family and our small group we met with last night. It was a great experience to hear other men discussing challenges in their lives and knowing that I am not alone in that.
Now, that was simple, took me about 5 minutes, but I gotta say, that after typing it and reading it, I feel great! I recommend everyone do that EVERY day.....10 things that you have to be grateful for, write 'em down and FEEL it! It will help reduce stress levels in your life!
Join us for one of our Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well seminars soon!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
How Are You Doing?
It's January 6........how are your New Year goals going? Dropped the ball yet on any of them? Honestly, I have. I am in the midst of a 30 day program, and I let my emotions get the best of me over the weekend and I missed a day. The good news is I recognized it and am back on track!
That's what life is about sometimes it seems......trying to stay on track, falling down a bit.......getting back up.......pushing on. That's what it's like when we try to make changes in our health habits. Realizing this ahead of time is important. No one ever stays on track 100% of the time physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. I find the important part is to realize when I've fallen into a rut, and get out of it as soon as possible instead of wallowing in it, feeling down about it, or whining about it.
Remember, if you get off track, it's not the end of the world. We can get back on the train at the next meal, the next time we connect with the person we messed up with, the next time we have the chance to respond to a situation, the next time our time for exercise comes back up.
I find the more I realize this, the more consistent I become with my plans for wellness.
DON'T FORGET: "EAT WELL, MOVE WELL, THINK WELL" STARTS JANUARY 27, 2009 AT OUR OFFICE. SPACE IS LIMITED SO CALL US AT 281-852-5600 TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!!
Be well!
Dr. Bruce
That's what life is about sometimes it seems......trying to stay on track, falling down a bit.......getting back up.......pushing on. That's what it's like when we try to make changes in our health habits. Realizing this ahead of time is important. No one ever stays on track 100% of the time physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. I find the important part is to realize when I've fallen into a rut, and get out of it as soon as possible instead of wallowing in it, feeling down about it, or whining about it.
Remember, if you get off track, it's not the end of the world. We can get back on the train at the next meal, the next time we connect with the person we messed up with, the next time we have the chance to respond to a situation, the next time our time for exercise comes back up.
I find the more I realize this, the more consistent I become with my plans for wellness.
DON'T FORGET: "EAT WELL, MOVE WELL, THINK WELL" STARTS JANUARY 27, 2009 AT OUR OFFICE. SPACE IS LIMITED SO CALL US AT 281-852-5600 TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!!
Be well!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, January 2, 2009
Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well
Join us for this exciting, cutting edge seminar series designed to help you attain maximum levels of wellness. Whether you suffer from cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, or some other disease, or if you are just looking to improve your health, THIS IS the place for you.
The seminar series will start on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 7:00 pm in our office in Atascocita. Seating is limited, so get your deposit in to reserve your spot asap. It will continue for 3 consecutive Tuesdays. Each individual seminar is $25.00 or you can purchase all 3 for $60.00.
After completing the series, you can sign up for monthly mentoring as we support, encourage and help you go after your health goals.
Contact us at 281-852-5600 for details.
Be well!
Dr. Bruce
The seminar series will start on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 7:00 pm in our office in Atascocita. Seating is limited, so get your deposit in to reserve your spot asap. It will continue for 3 consecutive Tuesdays. Each individual seminar is $25.00 or you can purchase all 3 for $60.00.
After completing the series, you can sign up for monthly mentoring as we support, encourage and help you go after your health goals.
Contact us at 281-852-5600 for details.
Be well!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year Atascocita!!
Well it's here; 2009. What will you do with it? I sat and reviewed my goals this morning, and one of them is to communicate via this blog weekly, even if it is very short. I hope you have your goals set, but if you haven't, it's not too late! Write 'em down, review them with regularity, figure out what steps you can take to move you closer to your goals today! If there were not limits, where would you be by December 31, 2009? What's stopping you? Usually it's only ourselves stopping us. I hope we can all move closer to being the person we innately know we were made to be this year. That's my wish for our community. We'd all be better off if we took steps toward that vision wouldn't we?
Be well!
Dr. B
Be well!
Dr. B
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