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

stress

Stress–is it killing you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no doubt in my mind that chronic unrelenting stress makes you sick!  It inhibits fat loss by way of elevating the hormone cortisol.  Cortisol robs the body of metabolic muscle tissue and messes with your hormone levels.  Unfortunately, today’s society leaves most of us feeling overworked and unrested.  Our current culture thrives on material rewards, debt and drama.  Needless to say,  it’s no wonder we are all fat, sick, and nearly dead.  Here is a little description of how the HPA axis works to cause weight gain.

1.  Stress causes the hypothalamus to produce CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) to the pituitary gland.

2.  The pituitary gland then releases ACTH (adrenocorticotropin) to head to the adrenal gland.

3.  The adrenal gland then receives the ACTH and starts producing cortisol.

4.  When the hypothalamus senses the cortisol production is up—it turns off the production of CRH

Under normal conditions, the body programs a perfect cycle to rev up cortisol production and then shut it back down.  However, if you continue to have unrelenting stress constantly –the cycle revs up and begins to dysfunction with the constant ups and downs of cortisol levels.  Imagine if you were constantly washing your favorite pair of jeans, drying them and then rewashing –eventually, the jeans wear out and the machine breaks!

So why does stress give you belly fat?  There are 4 more times cortisol receptors in abdominal fat versus subcutaneous fat.

Breathe, Live in the Moment, Smell the Roses, and Relax!

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss Leave a comment

The New Stress

Machines are robbing us of our ability to focus.  We are giving ourselves a new version of attention deficit disorder literally by our device.  Between email, twitter, laptops, phones, and tablets we have fallen into habits of distraction that cause our concentration and focus to wander.  This unfortunately ends up causing stress and inefficiency.  I challenge myself for the next few days to stay on task at whatever I am doing whether it be work,  preparing dinner, or spending time with my kids.   I have laid out a few simple rules for myself to de-clutter and simplify my life.

1.  Pick a task–focus from start to completion without allowing any interruptions.

2.  Schedule correspondence times– check email on the hour or half hour only –then respond only to urgent ones.

3.  Maintain human contact–keep eye contact in conversation and focus.

Hopefully this will help keep me completely in the moment and able to enjoy each conversation, each moment and to really take more time to smell the roses.  I love Sherry Turkle’s segment entitled “Alone Together” as I really think it depicts our loneliness as a society in this tech driven age.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Emotional Eating

This topic is near to my heart right now.  As many of you know, our family of 6 at home drastically dropped in the last two weeks.  Alex moved out into a house with her highschool best friend and we toted Ciara off to IU to start her freshman year.  I didn’t think I would take the change so hard.  I completely melted down –crying, emotional outbursts, and binge eating!  In that one weekend, I consumed enough pizza, chicken fingers, nachos, ice cream and potato chips to sink the Bismark!  Unfortunately, the binge triggered all the old cravings for those nasty players again.  I have found myself no longer practicing what I preach!  This video from one of my favorite bloggers gives a nice plan and explanation for change.  It’s a little lengthy but, realistic.

Visit her site  http://www.lindawagner.net for more informational posts—you can also click the healthy eating link on the right to go directly to her great blog!

First day of kindergarten to first day of college

Posted on by Angela in Diet, disease, Guest Blog, Mind, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Give and Take

Very well said Dee!  I have and regularly do change the toilet paper roll while on it!  For some odd reason, my family members are physically incapable.   I am raising teenage mutant toilet paper changers!  The infamous “MOM–BRING ME TOILET PAPER” echoes through the house at least once a week!”
Dee writes today:
This note is to women, specifically speaking to a couple of my closest friends, you know who you are. I’m of the strong opinion that most women are givers rather than takers. Men can be either one but I don’t know any women who are takers. I am a giver, married to a taker.At different places in my life I’ve reached really low lows and I actually feel like I’ve tapped into a deficit reserve, overdrawn my emotional bank account to be sure to give to the important people in my life. Lots of you do this, to a fault, despite the havoc it wreaks on your health and/or self-worth. The funny part about our performance of these super-human feats is that it’s not for any recognition or glory. There is no payment, payoff or earthly reward. The benefit is rarely an ego boost and efforts are frequently unnoticed or taken for granted.I’ve multi-tasked in some of the most humorous situations…ever sopped up water on the floor by scooting in your socks, scrubbed a shower while you’re in it, changed the toilet paper roll while your on it?

We eat cold dinner after everyone else has finished, or no dinner when unexpected kids show up.  We staple our hems and safety-pin our bras, squeezing every bit of life out of them before investing in new ones.

I’ve been called a martyr, but that was by the taker in my family, the adult one. It’s really not martyrdom at all, just what we do. Anyway girls, just be mindful of it and don’t feel like you can’t take time for yourselves, pamper yourselves, indulge yourselves. Afterall, you can’t give what you don’t have. Don’t drive on fumes!

Posted on by Angela in Family, Guest Blog, Humor, Spirit Leave a comment