Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

Body

Attack of the 30lb Sumo

A few months ago, after listening to me nag, one of my BFF’s decided to do a cleansing/detox diet to get healthy.  She has 4 lovely children, a full time job, and a crazy busy life.  Jody is the most fabulous cook and often drops gourmet meals off for us on a whim.  I think we have a kindred connection because those are usually the days I am driving home from work thinking I’m too exhausted to cook and will go postal on my family the first time someone asks “When’s dinner?”  The girls are all just chomping at the bit to jump away from their phones and computers to lend a hand.  NOT!  Then I’ll ask for help, they will roll their eyes and then proceed  to bicker with each other the entire time.  It’s difficult to cook when you are peeling Emma off of Sid’s back when she has attacked like a sumo wrestler.  Jody just knows–she should, she’s a mom.  She and her sister, Dee, are incredibly creative, whitty, and enjoy life.  They have started feeling so much better after changing their diets, they were inspired to share their story.

Let me introduce Jody and Dee’s mission  “Food Forethought”

 

Food For Thought, Food Forethought

We all think about food. Most of us even have emotional experience relating to liking food, disliking food, craving food, loving food. At some point as an adult, we start to think about food based upon how it makes us feel after we’ve eaten it. When dieting, we obsess about everything that’s on the “don’t eat” list. What do you think happens when one tells herself “I can’t have cheesecake, I can’t have cheesecake, I can’t have cheesecake” incessantly? You will likely give your right arm at the end of the day for a piece of cheesecake. The aftermath of guilt and digestive agony is a recurring nightmare.

Here’s our plan: let’s think about food, what we CAN eat, before we eat it. Food is so much fun! If you look at what the earth provides us, rich in color and nutrition and taste, it’s amazing. We want to take a look at healthy and flavorful recipe options that will change your mind, and change your health.

Here’s the interesting part (and the disclaimer): the contributors of this site are not physicians, not nutritionists, and not culinary experts. We are parents, spouses, full-time office workers, neighbors, and friends. We are on this journey with you, adapting common comfort foods for a healthier life.

As we get to know each other, we will share our secrets and successes and we will encourage each other to persist in this journey to better health.  We can do this!

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Family, Guest Blog, Humor, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food 1 Comment

Obsession and Compulsion Strike Again!

As most of you know, I tend to be a bit obsessive/compulsive.  I am especially bad when I’m overstressed, tired, and when it comes to parenting.  I fell asleep on a Friday night after a long week while watching a movie with Sidney.  Eek!  I woke up still on the couch at 4 am and she had put herself to bed.  To most, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but for me, it was a catastrophe.  The next morning, crying my eyes, out to Tim;  I declared that I was the worst mother ever.  Sidney was going to ruin her kids because I was a failure parent;  she was headed to delinquency as an unloved preteen; and I would die without having anyone to pluck the black hairs off my chin  in the nursing home.   He cracked up and called me a nutjob.  “She’s 12, whats the big deal?”  Great!  World’s worst mom and nutjob wife who was obviously unloved because he clearly didn’t recognize the anguish I was experiencing.

Here is a little trick I have recently learned that has really changed my life (thank you Kim!)

She said, “When you walk into the grocery store with baby puke on your shirt, bunny slippers  on and your hair  a mess;  What crosses your mind when see  a patient of yours in Aisle 10?”  I replied, I think SHIT, I gotta get outta here because if they see me they are going to think I am either psychotic or strung out on heroin!

Then she told me about cognitive distortions.  When people with obsessive compulsive traits (I would say all mom’s) get stressed out and overwhelmed, we tend to distort our thinking and become paranoid.  Well I didn’t know what the heck that meant so I had to have her dumb it down.

Black and White Thinking –if your performance falls short of perfection, you think you are a total failure

Catastrophizing Things–exaggerating the importance of something

Mind Reading–arbitrarily concluding that someone is reacting negatively to you

So my grocery scenario proved I was distorting the reality.  I was thinking that if someone looked disheveled, they were obviously not ok.  I took my disastrous appearance and translated it to “psychotic and on drugs.”  Lastly, I assumed that the patient even cared what I looked like!  They were probably more worried about moving their candy bars to the bottom of the cart so I couldn’t see their unhealthy choices.

So I went back and rethought my meltdown about being a worthless parent.  Not tucking my 12yo into bed one night did not automatically make me a bad mom.  It didn’t  mean she was going to make bad choices.   Actually,  she declared me Best Mom Ever for letting her stay up so late!!!  And oops, sorry Tim, I guess the 2 hour lecture on how you didn’t love me was a little extreme considering I am a nutjob.

Thank God because I just plucked a black chin hair!

For more information on Cognitive Distortions–Read “The Feeling Good Handbook” by David Burns.  And when your next negative emotion enters your mind–ask yourself to rethink the reality of it.  Trust me, I do it on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.

Posted on by Angela in Family, Humor, Mind, Spirit, Uncategorized 2 Comments

For Joe and my superhero Amy

Lucy and Ethel or The Lone Ranger and Tonto, never mind the gender…the common denominator is simple: 100% True Friendship. Funny how in life we all can relate to side kicks. My ‘side kick’ happened to be my best friend Joe Griffith : aka “Superman Joey”. Joe was my very best friend in the whole world. I don’t even think our family and friends really understood just how much time we spent together. We could hang out all day and night … return home and still talk for endless hours on the phone till the wee hours of the morning. Joe was my confident,my partner in crime, my side kick Superhero. I knew no matter what circumstance he would be there for me. He was funny,caring, and so full of life. Joe was a devoted son,brother, and friend who volunteered in the community. We shared the love of film,art, and cooking together. He had this gap between his teeth that always bothered him greatly, but to me- it was the one thing that set him apart. It brought out his radiant smile and warm deep brown eyes. He had good morals, strong character, and loved God. When he smiled you could feel his heart full of joy and love. We laughed ,cried , and did just about everything together until I got the call one night that would change my life forever. The phone call that ended up making me a stronger woman in the fight for suicide prevention and awareness. I was supposed to go walking with Joe hours before he took his life. He left me a voice mail asking to do dinner later instead of a walk. I often wonder what if I would of been there to intercept that call – would our conversation at that dinner or on that initial walk made a difference? Why or how did I (his best friend) not see any signs of depression or anxiety? What did I do wrong? Was it my fault? It has been 3 years since Joe’s death – I still find myself asking these questions at times but know I will never have an anwser. I also know I had no control of Joe’s actions. I know survivors of suicide must face and ask these same questions. I can understand that deep pit in their stomach the moment when they hear their loved one is no longer with them. It is in that moment of silence and emptiness we die a little inside ourselves too. We feel empty … our loved one and “sidekick” is gone, forever gone and it is a very lonely feeling that attacks our entire body. After Joe’s death I found a letter I had never read before that he wrote to me. I found it one day in a stack of my favorite dvd’s we had been going through before his death and knew it was his way of telling me he loved me, he was with God…and he was okay. People often told us we were like Superman and Wonder Woman – attatched hip to hip trying to make a difference somehow with or without capes in the community. Whenever I was working on a charity event, I could always count on Joe being my number one supporter. He would participate in walks or help me get wonderful donations. I knew after reading the letter, there were many Superman Joey’s out there in the world who brought joy and love to their friends and family. After Joe’s death I realized my own friends became distant and the stigma of Joe’s suicide was a major part of the battle. I registered for my first Out Of The Darkness Walk and realized there were other survivors who understood exactly what I had been going through. A core group of Joe’s friends walked the first year. It was just what we all needed to get through his tragic death. It opened my eyes to be stronger and understand more the importance of suicide awareness and prevention. Unfortunately, the following year I could not find anyone to walk with me. Friends and family members simply just could not make it. I was stunned and a bit numb. Why wouldn’t anyone take time out to walk for someone who showed so much love to them..or just walk in support for such a huge loss? I heard friends were still angry at Joe and some were ashamed to be associated with suicide. Could it really be because of the stigma associated with suicide? I decided to volunteer and run the merchandise booth that year even if it meant going by myself. I felt so alone that day. I pretty much knew no one, had a huge pit in my stomach, and was missing my best friend terribly. I remember I walked up to the registration tent and was greeted with much love and support from other volunteers and staff. I knew then I was right where God wanted me to be. They say God works in mysterious ways – well he does. I was working the merchandising booth when a survivor came up to me to ask if I had seen the Superman and Wonder Woman? I had no idea what they were talking about and all of a sudden in the middle of a crowd of hundreds I see a red cape flying in the wind. I think to myself – “Out of ALL of the Superheroes …My Superman Joey is here at this walk – Unbelieveable!” I made my way to the people who were dressed in the superhero costumes and explained my situation. Within minutes the man dressed as Superman immediately grabbed and hugged me as he shouted he was walking in honor of Supermen Joey today! Was this real? Was this a sign? It was then at that very moment when I felt that Joe was there in spirit. I was not alone anymore.That feeling of spirit was spread all around the walk that day and it was as if I could feel other survivors celebrating their own loved ones too. Their loved ones may not have been there physically but they were living within us each in our own special ways. In every word, in every song, in everything God creates… their spirits live on. I ended up not being alone that year after all, it was then that I wanted to make sure no one should have to ever walk alone. This year I am very proud to be a committee member of the walk .Our local AFSP Indiana Chapter is also going to have volunteers as ambassadors at The Out Of The Darkness Walk for those who may not have anyone to walk with. I never imagined I would be so passionate and such an advocate for a cause that still has such a strong fight and stigma. I am not a Wonder Woman or a superhero by any means nor was Joe. We were just two best friends, two side kicks who will always have a forever bond and now a message. The message is simple – we all need to keep educating. AFSP has paved the way for us all to speak openly and honestly about suicide prevention and awareness. I lost my best friend, my side kick , my own Superhero to this horrible illness. I never saw the signs. I never dreamed this would happen to me. Most importantly, I never thought this would of happened to Joe. I miss his touch, I miss his voice, I miss that silly gap between his teeth that made his smile so bright. The message is simple: The more we educate others – the more we will continue to make a difference. We must remember that every walk does matter …every voice does speak volumes …and every minute counts.

Posted on by Angela in Benevolence, Family, Spirit, Suicide, Uncategorized Leave a comment
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