As a writer, I’m always thinking about words and as a nurse, I’m always thinking about bodies the two ideas seem to go together. Each of these entities has individual parts that contribute to making the whole a better unit yet if we take each part away from the whole the unit rearranges and doesn’t function. Books and bodies, each is a sum of the whole – a person needs to read the signs of their body to determine the…..
It’s the end of a busy, stressful day your feet are tired and the blood pressure monitor would probably register high enough so that your doctor is concerned. The fatty, salty burger you gobble for lunch is only partially digested because the hectic office environment keeps you jittery all afternoon. Evening commute Interstate bumper-to-bumper traffic jams have cars backed up for ten miles. Your drive home is eventful enough: you don’t need the road construction barriers marking a detour at…..
Epigenetics piggybacks with CRISPR. The addition of methyl groups (methylation) to our (deoxyribonucleic acid) DNA can change rapidly during the life span of a cell or organism, or it can be essentially permanent once set early in the development of the embryo (Epigenetics). (Encyclopeaedia Britannica Inc., 2018. Web. 29 Jul. 2018) So, what does this mean? It means what you do in your everyday life or what your ancestors were exposed to can ‘tweak’ your DNA (chemical modification). Essentially, the…..
‘Take 2 and call me in the morning.’ Dr. John Whyte Chief Medical Officer at WebMD states that for more than a century aspirin has been considered a wonder drug; treating conditions from heart disease to easing pain. However, medical providers and scientists are gaining a greater understanding of this ‘wonder drug.’ Even though you can purchase this item over the counter (OTC) without a prescription it may not always be safe. Aspirin works by inhibiting the blood from clotting…..
When was the last time you gave something to someone that was good for their health? We all read information about how to keep ourselves healthy – it’s usually while we’re reading through a magazine article in the waiting room of a doctor’s office or when a friend says to us “Ya just gotta read this great article about vitamins.” But do we actually sit down with someone we care for and talk about health issues or share our time…..
You’re in the spotlight every day. A bright light may not be blinding your eyes or beads of sweat forming on your forehead but a glaring spotlight may be shining right in your direction just the same. That heat is the glare of potential illness. Cancer, diabetes, eczema, multiple sclerosis, depression, asthma, psoriasis, deep vein thrombosis, leukemia, lymphoma, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, meningitis, myocardial infarction are just a few of the potential illnesses that are interrogated under the extreme glow…..
Saying NO isn’t easy – but vitally necessary. Especially true when someone you care for asks you to postpone your physical workout. Your workout routine keeps you healthy not only for yourself but your loved ones. Health, wellness, and vitality is part of being totally present for your family and friends. Truly, if the people in your life want you to be in their life for a long time they’ll understand your “NO.” “I love you, but no.” is a…..
Reaching centenarian status is a real possibility. A study in PLOS One indicates that adults who perceive aging in a positive light have a nearly 44% lower risk of developing dementia (WebMD.com, Sept./2018). Extensive studies by WebMD provide interesting statistics: 14 million, # of adults 65 and older with chronic health problems 67%, adults older than 65 with high blood pressure 88%, drop in dementia risk for women who are physically fit in middle age 1 in 4, adults 65…..
Storing critical information in your brain takes a three-prong strategy: saying the words, reading the words and most importantly writing the words. There’s power in the simple act of writing words. Writing locks into your memory the information that you need to remember and it’s more likely to stick in your long-term memory (WebMD June 2019). You will remember the items on your shopping list. Technology provides modern-day options such as cell phone apps and pictures sent to us on…..
The doctor’s office is a logical place to be barraged with health questions. “Have you signed in? Do you have your insurance card? Has your health changed?” We freely give out personal information in a public setting to a stranger who may or may not be a trusted confidant assuming that our health will be improved by their interventions. Imagine how effective it is to ask those same intimate questions of someone who really cares about you, someone who you…..
Doctors and medical providers are talking to all of their patients about autoimmune diseases. According to a recent September 2018 Redbook article, the immune system is like the body’s army – it spends the earliest years of your life distinguishing friends from enemies so it can protect you from invaders. An autoimmune attack can come seemingly out of nowhere, possibly due to a combination of genetics and the environment according to Anca Askanase, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Columbia…..
As we enter the month of December the feeling of free-floating anxiety is rising. There seems to be an unwritten rule that we must perform unusual social activities with our friends and casual acquaintances for the next few weeks in order to fulfill an invisible cultural norm. This duty requires our appearance at social functions that are often scheduled to include potluck meals prepared with high-calorie foods that we prepare late at night with ingredients we normally wouldn’t purchase. We…..