by admin | Jan 19, 2026 | health |
It’s been a few weeks since my last Newsletter— Thinking of You Before You Set Any Goals This Year. It’s easy to forget the questions I posed when they are not front and center: Are you stretching yourself in a way that feels healthy? Are you focusing on what truly matters to you? Are you allowing space for positive expectancy? Honestly, I forgot about them until I started writing today’s Newsletter! I just posted them on my computer as empowered reminders. —————————————————– Today’s newsletter is about three things: An unexpected gift Covid gave me, A gentle reminder about protecting one another, And a moment of joy that comes from watching my beloved mother dance at 99. (Well, she was two weeks shy of her 99th) I’ve just recovered from Covid. This bout was thankfully milder than my previous two—starting with what felt like nothing more than a runny nose, followed by significant fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell. I had to cancel my patient appointments and social engagements for the week and stay home. What Covid gave me—beyond the illness—was the gift of “forced rest.” This does not minimize the very real and long-term effects of Covid that many people continue to experience. In my case, being sick required me to stop. I didn’t leave my home for a week. I went to bed early. I allowed my body to heal. It made me realize how rarely many of us allow ourselves deep rest unless we are forced into it.(1) (2) There is a difference between healing from illness and true restorative rest. Deep rest isn’t just sleep—it’s a state where the...
by admin | Jan 2, 2026 | health |
I may or may not know you personally, but I am thinking of you on this New Year’s Day. I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season. I am thinking about you for two reasons. First, I want to thank you for subscribing to and reading my Newsletter. I do my best to send you information that can enhance and enrich your life and it gives me joy when I hear that something I have written about has helped someone. Second, New Year’s is a time when many people make resolutions and goals to improve their lives. It can be both exciting and confronting to make these commitments, especially when “94% of us drop the ball on our commitments within two months, and only six percent follow through.” (2) (3) If you are making New Year’s resolutions, it might be helpful to take a few moments to sit and close your eyes and envision what you would like to happen in 2026 in one or more areas of your life as you define them. This could be primary relationship, friends, family, career, finances, personal enrichment, travel, health, etc. To avoid being overwhelmed by this future thinking, I recommend three concepts that may be helpful to you to achieve your goals and desires this year. They are: 1. ‘What you focus on, grows.’ This is referenced by William James, the famous psychology professor from Harvard, who said: “My experience is what I agree to attend to” (1). Having the “intention” and “attention” for what you want can help you achieve your goals, while also increasing neuroplasticity.(9) 2. Optimism: Be a “Moderate” Optimist not an “Extreme” Optimist (1). Moderate or “realistic” (having a positive expectancy) optimists tend to have better physical and emotional...
by admin | Nov 28, 2025 | health |
Happy Thanksgiving! On this day of gratitude, I recommend one simple action to take that has been scientifically proven to create a feeling of well-being for you and another human being.(1) This one action is to give someone a compliment. The simple deed of giving a sincere acknowledgement to someone can give us a psychological and physiological boost. Giving someone a compliment creates a “win-win” for both the giver and the receiver. They both benefit from improved mood, social bonding, and reduced stress–thanks to a combination of oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins, and decreased stress hormones.(2) To genuinely acknowledge someone isn’t just kind—it’s powerful. To lift someone’s mood, or make them smile with just a kind word, is truly medicine that costs nothing. I believe complimenting someone and making them feel better can create a positive ripple effect. Today, on Thanksgiving, take a moment to give a heartfelt compliment or word of thanks to another person. It will make you feel so good. With warmest regards, Dr. Jill References: 1. Boothby EJ, Bohns VK. Why a Simple Act of Kindness Is Not as Simple as It Seems: Underestimating the Positive Impact of Our Compliments on Others. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2021 May;47(5):826-840. doi: 10.1177/0146167220949003. Epub 2020 Aug 28. PMID: 32856538. 2. Heinrichs M, Baumgartner T, Kirschbaum C, Ehlert U. Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Dec 15;54(12):1389-98. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(03)00465-7. PMID: 14675803. ————————————— Past Newsletters: Please feel free to read my past Newsletters on my blog Dr. Jill Baron Newsletters and Blog which has helpful tips for you to feel good...
by admin | Nov 10, 2025 | health |
Raise a Glass? Maybe Not—New Research Ties Alcohol to Dementia As we approach the season to be merry, I want to tell you about new research about alcohol and the brain. I have written about the risks of alcohol before What’s the Buzz About Alcohol. Previously it was thought that alcohol was good for us–especially our hearts. But when the studies were reanalyzed and new research performed, “alcohol was linked to higher risks for hypertension, heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and many other forms of cardiovascular disease — not to mention accidents, trauma, cirrhosis, several forms of cancer (eg, gastrointestinal and breast), and shortened lifespans.”(1) Alcohol: Bad for Heart, Brain, and Cognition? Now, there is even more evidence that drinking alcohol, even small amounts is associated with dementia. (2) See this article: No Level of Alcohol Use Is Safe for the Brain What’s a human who enjoys alcohol to do? 1. Recognize that drinking alcohol has significant health risks. 2. If you drink, try and limit alcohol to 0 to 1/week. 3. To help convince yourself of the need to reduce alcohol consumption, do research on yourself. See how you feel the day after you drink–do you feel more lethargic, have some brain fogginess, feel puffy, etc.? Write down what you notice. Do not drink for two days after that. On the third day, see how you feel. Do you feel better? There are many factors influencing how you feel on a given day, but perhaps notice the contrast between the day after drinking and the day after not drinking. 4. When in social situations, order a...
by admin | Oct 28, 2025 | Newsletter |
I hope you are well. Please join me tmw night, October 28th at 6pm for a free webinar on The Exposome and Your Health–What Physicians and Patients Need to Know.” The “Exposome” is a relatively new concept that encompasses the environmental and social factors we encounter throughout our lives—from the air we breathe and the food we eat, to stress, relationships, and living conditions—that can affect our health from before birth onward.(1) Awareness of the Exposome’s impact on our health is essential for improving both our quality and length of life.(2) I will be Co-Moderating the webinar with Dr. Steven Mandel. Please click the image below to register. I hope you can join us for this exciting educational program! To Your Health, Dr. Jill References: 1. Vineis P, Robinson O, Chadeau-Hyam M, Dehghan A, Mudway I, Dagnino S. What is new in the exposome? Environ Int. 2020 Oct;143:105887. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105887. Epub 2020 Jun 30. PMID: 32619912. 2. Aliberti SM, Capunzo M. The Power of Environment: A Comprehensive Review of the Exposome’s Role in Healthy Aging, Longevity, and Preventive Medicine-Lessons from Blue Zones and Cilento. Nutrients. 2025 Feb 18;17(4):722. doi: 10.3390/nu17040722. PMID: 40005049; PMCID: PMC11858149. Past Newsletters: Please feel free to read my past Newsletters on my blog Dr. Jill Baron Newsletters and Blog which has helpful tips for you to feel good and optimize your health. Feel Free to Forward to a Friend: If a friend has forwarded you this email, I invite you to receive my Newsletter by clicking on the link Dr. Jill Newsletter Sign Up. After filling out the form, you will receive a Stress Management Guide gift in your inbox! Please click...
