by admin | Sep 1, 2023 | health, Newsletter |
I hope you have had a great summer! As its end is approaching, I have been thinking about how to savor the remaining days. Summer can be a time to slow down and reflect. It offers us a chance to literally smell the flowers. It gives us an opportunity to be more present with ourselves and others, as well as experience the beautiful things in our lives and environments. Cultivating this present-focused mindfulness enables us to get the most out of life and enhance our health and well-being.(1) (Look at this great, simple reference about mindfulness) Check out these ideas to celebrate the end of summer: 1. Take a walk in nature. Stroll through a park and notice the trees, plants, and flowers. Please see my prior Newsletter about Forest Bathing to learn about the health benefits of being in nature. 2. Go to the beach and feel your toes in the sand. Breathe in the delicious clean air. 3. Have a family picnic. 4. Go to a Farmer’s Market. Try a locally grown fruit or vegetable you have never eaten before. Have a look at handmade arts and crafts. Have fun! —————————————— Dr. Jill’s New Online Course, “Don’t Mess with Stress™ I am so excited to tell you that I will be offering my first LIVE online Don’t Mess with Stress™ Course, a 6-part course based on my best-selling book* of the same name. You will discover how to manage your stress and optimize your health, and have fun in the process! If you are having trouble dealing with stress, and also wish to feel healthier and happier,...
by admin | Jul 31, 2023 | health, Newsletter |
I hope you are enjoying the summer. I know it has been challenging with the heat and air quality issues. New York City issued a Heat Advisory for today and tomorrow, 7/28/23 and 7/29/23. Please see the Advisory below. I believe it is also important to check the air quality daily, as we know that poor air quality can greatly affect our health especially our hearts, blood vessels, and lungs, and cause premature death(1). Please go to www.airnow.gov to check out the air quality in your area. The two major types of pollution in the US are ozone and particle pollution. Please click on these links to learn more. Please see my earlier Newsletter, Guidance During Wildfire Smoke, for more information as well. ———————– The National Weather Service has issued the following: What: Heat Advisory Where: NYC When: 9:00 PM on 7/28 to 8:00 PM on 7/29 Hazards: High heat and humidity with heat indices of up to 101 degrees expected. These conditions are dangerous to health. People without air conditioning, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions are most at risk. An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect citywide until 9:00 PM on Friday, 7/28. Preparedness Actions: – Avoid strenuous activity – Active children, adults, and people with lung disease such as asthma should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors For more information and safety tips on avoiding heat illness, visit www.NYC.gov/beattheheat. For the latest weather info: www.weather.gov/okx/. I hope this information and the websites provided empower you to stay cool and breathe easier. Have a beautiful weekend! Dr. Jill References: 1. The Terrible 10: Air Pollution’s...
by admin | Jul 7, 2023 | Newsletter |
Dear Test, I hope you are having a nice summer. I just returned from a 12-day trip to Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw, and two concentration camps—Terezin and Auschwitz— under the guidance of tenured Union College history professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies, Dr. Stephen Berk. I felt compelled to take this trip to learn more about my Jewish heritage and understand what transpired during the Holocaust so that going forward I can work to combat antisemitism, racism, and other forms of hate and discrimination. It is difficult to convey the scope of what I observed and learned on this life altering trip in a brief Newsletter. In addition to visiting these beautiful cities, I was not prepared for the magnitude of “man’s inhumanity to man” that occurred in these places during World War II. I hope to raise awareness of what I experienced in this brief missive to inspire us to stand up to hate and halt it in its tracks. The goal of the Holocaust was to exterminate the Jews and other persecuted groups to “Aryanize” the world. Instituted by Hitler and the Nazis, it was carried out by the Nazis and “masses of Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Romanians, Hungarians, French, and Dutch” from 1939-1945. In many cases these collaborators were more brutal than the Nazis. The Holocaust dehumanized its victims by systematically removing “rights, property, freedom, human dignity, and life” before murdering 12 million people. Six million Jews and 6 million non-Jews including political and religious prisoners, people who helped the Jews, homosexuals, Gypsies, alcoholics, criminals, vagrants, and members of other persecuted groups including disabled people were...
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 | Nov 23, 2022 | Newsletter |
At this time of year, we are especially thankful for our lives, family and friends. Living a life of thankfulness is a wonderful quality to have year round. To live with gratitude means continuously appreciating all we have. Things may not always turn out as we hope, but living with gratitude means looking on the positive side, appreciating what we do have and taking advantage of every moment and experience. “Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”(1) The importance of living life to the fullest was brought home to me recently when two people dear to me, a relative and a friend passed away suddenly. Life is precious and we need to live joyous, purposeful, and giving lives. Here are some steps to achieve these goals: 1. Acknowledge that we can choose how we live. We can prioritize what makes us happy. We can live life to the fullest! 2. Ask these questions: What really matters to me? How am I spending my time and does it make me feel fulfilled? Am I devoting time to self improvement and living a life of purpose? Can I find humor even during challenging times? Am I pursuing my passions and also contributing to the lives of others? Am I managing my health so that I have optimal mental, emotional, and physical vitality, resilience, and well-being? I hope these questions inspire you to make positive changes in your life and the lives of others. I wish you a beautiful Thanksgiving. And...
by admin | Aug 9, 2022 | Newsletter |
When I started to write this issue of the Newsletter, we had just witnessed the recent horrific loss of life and injuries in Buffalo. Then, we experienced the shooting of children and adults in Uvalde. This was on top of the Russia-Ukraine War and the effects of other wars, insurrections, terrorism, and national and international political events. The news of these negative events jolted my physiology. I experienced emotions of sorrow, anger, and fear often at the same time. I realize that exposure to violence has become a daily occurrence in our lives, in addition to the everyday personal stressors that we deal with. I am concerned about the health effects of these toxic events on myself, my family, friends, my patients, you, and the people of the world. Thinking about this led me to ask these two questions: 1. How do we METABOLIZE the effects of these stressors on our minds, bodies, and spirits so that we don’t get sick? 2. How does one CULTIVATE a Calm Mind in the face of massive distress and uncertainty? To answer these questions I believe we need to first focus on our own health and well-being. To help you do this, I recommend going back to basics and accessing the Don’t Mess with Stress™ framework described in my book, and summarized below. As I have stated in prior Newsletters, this Don’t Mess with Stress™ foundation helps us create physical, mental, and emotional strength and resilience, which lead to centeredness and calmness. Check Out these Don’t Mess with Stress™ “Core 4” Components: 1. Diet: Have an anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean Diet—mostly plants, fruits, seeds,...
