by admin | Jun 9, 2023 | health, Newsletter |
I hope you are staying healthy during the effects from the Canada wildfires. I received this notification yesterday from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) about guidance during the wildfire smoke and wanted to share it with you. The air quality should be improving gradually and hopefully be better by Sunday. But it is important to check this link AirNow (1) to get current updates in your area. The reason why the smoke is so harmful is because of the particulate matter (PM)–the very small particles than can get in our lungs and blood vessels, eyes, ears, nose, and throat and cause medical problems. The current PM that is in the smoke is called PM 2.5, which is 2.5 microns wide. There are 25,000 microns in one inch.(2) Here are the salient points from bulletin from the NYC DOHMH: “Smoke from wildfires in Canada is continuing to impact New York City air quality. The conditions are changing in real time as we experience this event. Everyone should monitor news alerts for updates. Wildfire smoke can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Groups that may be more sensitive to wildfire smoke include: – Infants and Children – Older Adults – Pregnant Women – People with Lung Conditions – People with Heart Conditions – People with Social Vulnerabilities, such as lack of access to safe housing or health care, lack of transportation, and other factors There are effective steps you can take to reduce the effects of wildfire smoke: – Stay indoors and limit time spent outdoors. – Reduce physical activity when air quality...
by admin | Jun 3, 2023 | health |
Do you ever feel angry at the world, yourself, and everyone in your path? You just don’t have the emotional space or desire to pause, reflect, and respond appropriately. I have these days. There can be an array of reasons why we feel this way—we may not feel physically well; we could be constipated; the dog pooped on the new carpet; we see a friend on Facebook having a great time and we “compare and despair,” etc. We need to decide whether we wish to stay in this mindset, or choose another, more positive tack. This is called “Emotion Regulation.” What can you do to change the tenor of how you feel and manage your emotions better? MOVE!! It is already known that exercise increases endorphins, improves the immune system, and improves mood. Recent new evidence shows that the body influences the mind through different mechanisms, and that changes in “posture and movement” affect emotion regulation (3) and rumination.(2) When you are having a “Bad Day”: 1. MARCH in place. If you are at your desk, stand up and march in place 15 to 75 steps. Do this every 30 minutes.(1) 2. DANCE. Put in your ear buds and dance to a song you love. Do it in the bathroom if you can’t do it at your desk! “Moving to music can also create that sense of connection and allow us to get lost in the rhythm and disconnect from rumination.”(2) 3. WALK 4. EXERCISE 5. IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE MOVING! Yes! Even imagining yourself running on the beach can influence your emotions! (3) 6....
by admin | May 26, 2023 | health |
Have you ever felt like a fraud? or Have you felt inadequate despite the outer trappings of your accomplishments? or Do you experience nagging self-doubt? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you might be struggling with “Impostor Syndrome” also called “Impostor Phenomenon.” And you are not alone. Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, Sheryl Sandberg, and even Albert Einstein have had these feelings at one time or another.(1) What is Impostor Phenomenon? Coined by Psychologists Clance and Imes in 1978 (2), the simplest definition is “the fear of being exposed as inadequate.”(3) Women seem to experience this more than men, and members of minority and marginalized groups can also have these feelings. What can you do about it? According to Dr. Gail Gazelle, a physician-coach affiliated with Harvard University, and the author of the new book, “Mindful MD,” there are four steps you can take to help you deal with Impostor Phenomenon: 1. Recognize that you are having these thoughts and acknowledge that they are just thoughts. 2. Let these thoughts pass through your mind, just like clouds pass in the sky, without attaching to the thoughts. 3. Focus on your strengths and accomplishments. 4. Build the muscle of self-compassion—Bring the same compassion to oneself that you bring to others. With the pressures of society to excel, compete, and “look good” in both our personal and professional lives, it is understandable that many of us, including myself, will question our abilities, strengths, and self-worth. This can take a toll on our health and well-being. Dr. Gazelle has prepared a helpful free guide to dealing with Impostor...
by admin | Apr 18, 2023 | health |
I hope you enjoyed the Newsletter about Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing). This weekend I went to the New York Botanical Gardens and immersed myself in the orchid show and the beautiful flower and forest offerings on their campus! Very calming and enriching and I got my steps in! Definitely worth a trip! I also received a notice that the JCC of New York is offering two Forest Bathing excursions in Central Park, the first, this Thursday morning, April 20th and the second, on May 18th. It should be fun and I am going to try and make one of them. Click below to register and I hope to see you there! —————————————— In Person Forest Bathing Lori Klamner, Association of Nature + Forest Therapy Forest bathing involves taking a walk in the woods with a trained guide to open your mind and body to connect with your surroundings. Lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of stress. Step into a deep and relaxing relationship with nature by slowing down and becoming more fully present. Register Now —————————————— I am sending you this Newsletter to tell you about four books that are educational and inspirational that can help us have better health and well-being. They are from my friends and Functional Medicine Colleagues, Dr. Jill Carnahan and Dr. Vince Pedre. The third book, is a compilation of 30 authors, including me, and the fourth is my book, Don’t Mess with Stress™ , which I wrote during the pandemic and still timely.* Please see these Four Empowering Books below: Dr. Jill Carnahan’s new book is called Unexpected. Dr. Jill Carnahan’s honest...
by admin | Apr 14, 2023 | health |
I am excited to report that I just returned from an amazing trip to Japan! I was immersed in Japanese culture from experiencing the beautiful cherry blossoms, seeing Mount Fuji in its magnificence, traveling on high-speed trains, and witnessing a culture of people respectful and eager to please. I was impressed with many things—the precision with which trains arrive and leave on time within seconds, the bowing after an interpersonal interaction, and the attention to detail, beauty and simplicity of their art and architecture, not to mention heated toilet seats!!! I was also deeply affected by my excursion to Hiroshima. Hiroshima had been a bustling City, filled with life and in one instant, was decimated by the atomic bomb in World War II. On a happier note, I want to speak to you about a wonderful custom endemic to Japanese culture—the practice of “Shinrin-yoku”—also known as Forest Bathing or Nature Therapy. It is the process of enjoying nature through our senses. Research has shown that being in nature and “green environments”(1) has significant health effects. With most of us connected to our technology, we often barely see the light of day. Exposure to daylight, especially morning daylight also has tremendous benefits.(2) Because of the significant health advantages from exposure to forest environments, a new medical discipline called “Forest Medicine” has been created, which combines “alternative medicine, environmental medicine and preventive medicine”(4) to study and define how to best prescribe this type of therapy for people. These are some Health Benefits of “Forest Bathing”(4): Increased Natural Killer Cell activity suggesting preventive effect on cancers Lowered blood pressure and heart rate...
by admin | Mar 9, 2023 | health |
I hope you are enjoying the winter season. This month’s Newsletter is about the new research on alcohol. Two new definitive statements about the dangers of alcohol were released this past January 2023 by the World Health Organization and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. (1,2) These groundbreaking pronouncements have shaken and stirred the general consensus that drinking alcohol in moderation is good for you. The word was that two drinks per day for a man and one drink per day for a woman were cardioprotective and might even decrease the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes. The new dictum from the WHO and the Canadian Centre is: “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for your health” That’s right. Zip, none! The World Health Organization now states that the risk of disease from alcohol starts from the first drop! Dr. Carina Borges, the WHO advisor for alcohol, claims that “the risk to a drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage.”(1) If you drink more, your risk of developing disease increases proportionately and alcohol is known to cause seven cancers including bowel and female breast. Furthermore, the WHO reports that moderate or light alcohol drinkers in the European region developed half of the cancers caused by alcohol, including the most alcohol-related breast cancers. The WHO believes that the potential good effects of light and moderate drinking are outweighed by the risk of cancer associated with the same level of drinking. Dr. Borges claims it doesn’t matter how much one drinks because there is no safe level of alcohol intake. Quantity counts. More is...
