Our warm summer days offer the perfect opportunity to slow down and do “a bit of nothing,” as Dr. Shannon prescribes in our front-page quote. It’s a good time to rest our busy brains, and make space for personal reflection. We need it to recharge, renew and rebalance. Reading through this new edition, I am… Read more »
Have you heard of “The Great Resignation?” The phrase is commonly used in the business sector today to reference the vast number of people resigning from their jobs. Many are moving around or out of the workforce and numerous companies are experiencing mass exodus. The reference makes sense. But when I first saw this expression,… Read more »
Many say it’s not a matter of if you’ll get COVID, but when. And chances are that when you do, you won’t be prepared. After two years of following the rules, increasing supplements and trimming our social schedule, my husband, Tommy, and I thought we were playing it safe. Then last November, when events returned… Read more »
As kids, goals that helped shaped our path towards adulthood were set for us. We started school at 5, became tweens at 10 and teenagers at 13. We couldn’t wait to drive, finish high school, and of course, turn 21. Once we became adults, the job of setting goals was left up to us. How… Read more »
Has it been a difficult season for you? Several friends and I have had extra curveballs thrown our way, and together we are searching for hope amidst hardship. When the going gets tough, sometimes it feels as if all reserves are exhausted. That makes this a good time to tune in to your own very… Read more »
As new variants to COVID-19 continue to emerge, along with increasing rates of infection, it is more important than ever to be prepared for a health emergency. Consider whether you are just planning or if you are really prepared for a health emergency by reviewing the list below: If you become ill or are in… Read more »
Prescribing long-term oxygen therapy in patients with chronic lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a shared decision-making process between the clinician and patient. This process can encourage patients to accept the American Thoracic Society (ATS) clinical practice guideline recommendation on home oxygen therapy as published by… Read more »
“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.” Eugene Ionesco, Playwright Your dreams are an innate gift. They possess the ability to open the sacred dream doorways to the divine. If you lost someone you care about, the opportunity to see them again in your dreams is comforting. These are called visitation dreams and… Read more »
Last January, many of us were relieved, enthusiastic, and ready to embrace new goals. We could see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and we could not wait to emerge triumphant. Suddenly, a new variant was discovered, and the light dimmed. Last year felt like “Ground Hog Day”- every day seemed the… Read more »
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 14 percent of American adults smoke cigarettes. Although this is a drastic decrease from the prevalence seen during the mid-20th century, that is still about 43 million people who consider themselves smokers. Some of the overall negative health effects of this habit are well known, but many… Read more »
Watching my grandchildren grow has been a mind-blowing and mind-expanding experience, from both a personal perspective and a psycho-therapeutic one as well. I have viewed the positive interactions between parent and child closely. I feel fortunate to have observed patient, kind, and empathetic responses from parents and noted how it directly relates to the positive… Read more »
It’s a fact of modern life: there will always be external crises ready to overtake you. The trick to happy, healthy living is to learn how to thrive despite the calamities. As this new year dawns, you do have a choice: You can focus on fear, division, and polarization, or you can choose to make… Read more »
Welcome 2022! Have you set your resolutions, intentions or goals? Have you done this before and either quit by February (with the other 87 percent of the planet) or completed what you started, yet still felt nothing? You are not alone – and there is an alternative. About a decade ago, after setting countless resolutions… Read more »
Is salt good for us or not? The human body cannot live without sodium, but excessive amounts can lead to high blood pressure. Salt is most commonly known for flavoring food, but there are many types and uses that are actually beneficial. Our body uses salt to balance fluids in the blood and maintain healthy… Read more »
Memories are who we are. Photos from our life are treasures that allow us to journey through our own mental time machine. For me, the importance of curating these images became a personal, precious activity inviting significant contemplation during the holidays. I committed to scanning and digitizing the slides from my parent’s travels in the… Read more »
We are creatures of habit; change isn’t easy. Yet every New Year’s Eve, we ceremoniously make resolutions of personal change. But, that doesn’t mean we are each in a place to make those changes. Many of us “fail” within a couple months, maybe giving up all together, yet repeat it again a year later. Like… Read more »
If you’ve ever eaten a rich or greasy meal, then wondered how get rid of that heavy, sluggish feeling, let me introduce you to the perfect after dinner beverage to aid digestion and cut through the fat: pu-erh tea, a fermented drink from Yunnan Province in southern China that alters your gut bacteria and lowers… Read more »
Fascia is a tough connective tissue which surrounds and permeates all structures in the body including bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and internal organs. It resembles a three-dimensional spider web that spreads throughout the body without interruption. Imagine a spider web glistening with morning dew. This is how healthy fascia appears in the body. The… Read more »
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, most attributed to regulating the circadian rhythm of the body. However, it does so much more than helping us get to sleep. Melatonin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as mechanisms that help to support the immune system. These properties make melatonin a potential option… Read more »
If your 2022 resolutions include losing weight and/or enhancing mental sharpness, lowering carbohydrate intake is a good place to start; then, you can easily expedite your efforts by adding MCT oil. This natural, coconut additive can effectively curb your appetite, enhance energy and fuel brain cells when coupled with a healthy low-carb diet.1,3 Medium chain… Read more »