Then, and ONLY Then, Will It Happen For You

It's 20 days into the new year of 2013, and I wonder what percentage of New Year's Resolutions are still standing.  So I did a little (very little) research into the topic.  Here's what I found in one article this morning:

"It took one-third of Americans less than a week to cheat on their New Year's Resolutions, a new study by research and consulting firm YouGov reveals. The research showed that 11 percent had already broken at least one resolution, while 22 percent had cheated a few times, but were still trying to stick to their goals."  That was taken from Business News Daily's January 15 edition.  

Wow, that didn't take long did it? Less than a week?  Elsewhere in the article, it stated that health and fitness were the most common types of resolutions made, and thus the most common ones to be broken.  Have you been one of those annual health and fitness resolution breakers this year?  and last year?  Or maybe for most or all of your life?  There's a simple reason for this, and I am going to explain it here.

Here it is in a nutshell:  Your "why" isn't big enough.  That's really it.  If your "why" were big enough, you'd not have any issue staying true to your stated goal/resolution.  Your "why" is your reason for making that decision.  If your resolution is to get fit, or lose weight, or get healthy because you're in need of those things, yet you've failed regularly at it, then your "why" isn't big enough to keep you committed to your goal.

Oh sure, you "know" you should get fit.  You "know" you should lose weight.  But you actually haven't sat down and really gotten serious about listing and reading and "feeling" all your reasons for staying true to your desire. It's in your head, but not your heart.   If you had done this, your commitment would stick.  Lots of people "want" to, but most don't.  I had a friend and patient that allowed herself to gain massive amounts of weight, and I mean massive.  I remember trying to coach her to stop the weight gain as she became larger and less healthy.  Eventually she had to have a tracheotomy so she could breath, and eventually she was confined to wheelchair, and eventually her bed.  I even tried to hit her with what to me would be the most convincing and compelling reason to change:  watching her son grow up.  Sadly, none of this worked and she continued to gain weight, her health continued to deteriorate, and she died in her mid 40's.  

On the other hand, I can think of a few examples in my world where people have hit "rock bottom" and created such a massive reason or "why" that they made incredible changes in their life and thus in their health.  One such lady lost well over 100 pounds by eating better and exercising and now looks FANTASTIC!!  Beyond looking fantastic, she's feeling great physically, and about herself.  She simply had a big enough "why" to stay committed to her goal.

Oh sure, I get that there are reasons that sometimes we fail.  I sometimes have my reasons......er...ok.....let's be real here, there aren't reasons, there are excuses.  I sometimes come up with a good enough excuse to not exercise for a day, or eat badly for a bit.  It happens to the best of us.  But how long do we sit in those excuses?  That is the issue.  Skipping exercise isn't so bad for a day, but when that day turns into a week, or longer, or a lifestyle, that is the issue.  

If you're not where you want to be with regards to your health, fitness, weight etc and you know it, GOOD!  At least you know it.  First step done!!  Now you have to come up with all the reasons why you need to change, all the pain that you have from not making that change.  Make it real.  Feel it.  What will your life/body be like if you continue down this path in 1 year, 5 years, a decade?  How will you feel about yourself if you don't make the changes?  Then, spin it around and write down and think/dream/feel what it will be like if you DO make the changes you know you need to make?  Get really really good at feeling those emotions for making and NOT making the changes.  Once you have that down, you'll get moving in the right direction.  If you fall off the wagon, re-focus on those reasons again.  See and feel them.  Make it real.  

Then, and ONLY then, will you it happen for you.

If the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count.

Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce

Building Immunity, The Natural Way

We are right in the middle of the annual flu season, and there's a rather large (to say the least) outbreak occurring in our country.  It's all over the news.  It's the talk at coffee shops.  People are asking questions about flu shots and immunity. In short, it's the talk of the town.

This isn't a discussion about whether or not you should have the flu shot.  I'll leave that up to you to get educated and make an informed decision.  I will say this though.  The shot gives you only about a 40% chance of not getting the flu, so even if you DO get the shot, you'd better do a few other things to increase your odds.  Here's my suggestions.

1.  Focus on eating health promoting foods.  I'd particularly focus on fruits and vegetables.  If you're a fan of juicing, double up on your juices, try some new recipes.  Avoid eating junk, including soft drinks, candies, crackers, bread (even supposedly healthy "whole grains bread) and other things that lower your immune response.  Find a good whole food supplement (I use Nanogreens and Nanoreds) to SUPPLEMENT (not replace) your healthy diet.

2.  Keep up with your exercise program.  If you're not exercising, start.  And if you're not exercising, do NOT over do it.  This will lower your immune response by wearing out your body.  Actually that goes for regular exercisers too.  Be careful not to push too far and have a worn down body.  Exercise has been shown to increase the immune response, and it combats stress which would ordinarily lower your body's ability to respond to potential infections but too much has the opposite effect.

3.  Keep your body on schedule.  This will allow you to rest appropriately.  Our bodies work best when on a schedule, they get into a rhythm and the result is a body that is best prepared to attack when foreign invaders attack.  It has been shown that one bad night's sleep slows down your immune response, so do your best to stay rested.

4.  Lastly, wash your hands regularly.  Using regular water, and soap from time to time as well, especially if you are in contact with people in public.

PS, if you didn't recognize something vaguely familiar in the first 3 recommendations, they boil down to my wellness mantra:  Eat well, move well, think well and rest well.  It's as simple as that.

Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce

What Kind Of Breeding Ground Are You Creating?

It's the time of year where I see more and more of my patients and friends and acquaintances dealing with the common cold, or upper respiratory issues, sinusitis and the like.  Many of them are quick to rush out to grab the first over the counter "remedy" they can find.  Some venture beyond that to see a medical doctor for their symptoms, with our without having had any fever (sign of infection).  I find this interesting and sad all at the same time.

It's sad because so many times, simple throat irritations, cold symptoms, and even mild fevers are going to resolve without any help from anyone.  It's interesting to me, because it shows that our culture in general still looks to the medical community as the be all, end all, for health and well being.  Of course, I live in a different world, a world where I know the body has this amazing healing ability, a world where I believe that the body doesn't need outside help as much as it needs less interference.  In my world, I grasp the fact that we are constantly building or destroying our bodies with our habits.  How we eat, move, think and rest creates a breeding ground for one of two things:  health and wellness, or sickness and disease.  It's a long term process that occurs daily.  Just like we don't become obese by eating one bad meal, or skipping exercise one day, we don't become ill by one exposure to someone with the flu.  Conversely, we don't become well by eating a healthy meal one day, or for a week etc.  It's a constant, ongoing process that sees us always moving one way or the other on what I term the "Wellness Spectrum".

Have you ever noticed how often sick people get sick ?  This is not a knock on anyone that gets sick a lot, but honestly, I see people with years, or decades, of behavior patterns that are unhealthy, and they are the one's usually who are always sick.  (Yes I know there are exceptions to the rule, but they are, by definition, exceptions, not the rule).  For someone like that, it may take years of turning their life around with new habits, to clean out their body, and to build a new foundation inside for wellness.  I see people with unhealthy relationships, lifestyles, habits that are consistently getting sick, taking medication (over the counter or prescription) and they never seem to get any better.  Oh sure, they get over the current condition, only to be whacked by another one right around the corner.

Again, this is not a knock on anyone, and some people have had serious problems that have weakened their immune systems, that's a given.  But too many of us blame outside circumstances for our health issues, ie bad luck or bad genes.  Yes, those may be a factor.  But in reality, if we work to build our body's immune system, if we strengthen it by how we eat, move, rest and think, our batting average of fighting off illness will get better.  I'm a good example of this. I used to get sick and miss work about 2x a year as I am constantly exposed to people carrying various illnesses, viruses, etc into my office and me touching them physically.  However, in the past 7 or 8 years, as I've focused on wellness more intently, this has begun to happen less and less. It doesn't mean I don't ever get sick, everyone gets a little sick at times whether it's the flu, or just a bit of a scratchy throat.  Again, I like the concept of "batting average", where we improve our ratio of well times vs. sick times, much like a baseball player wants to improve his ratio of how many hits he/she gets to how many times they make an out.

Start a trend today, right now, to move in a wellness direction consistently.  Don't get down if you do fall ill, you may have decades of habits that have created an unhealthy base in your life, and everyone gets sick somewhat at some point.  It takes time, but in the long run it's worth it!

Until next time...Be Well!!

Dr. Bruce

No More New Years Resolutions

Here it is folks, the end of 2012, and the beginning of 2013.  As always, it's a great time to review, reflect, and most importantly, re-focus!  I'm not fan of New Years Resolutions though.  According to surveys, 92% of New Years Resolutions are not kept, and 80% are gone by January 20.  Not a fantastically successful rate is it?  I agree.  I am however, a fan of setting goals, in a productive way, that improves the batting average of goal setters, and makes them more likely to be a goal GETTER!

I think goals should be broken down into categories.  You can create your own, but here are some of the areas I work on:  Physical, Business, Spiritual, Personal.  I'm not saying those are the best for you, I'm just saying that's what I use.  Under each area I might have 3-5 goals set.  I don't set them by just sitting down on January 1 and saying "what do I want this year?".  I take some time, sometimes a month or so in advance, on a regular basis to start thinking about, and (here's the key) writing down possible goals.  I spend time thinking about what I really want to accomplish in the coming year.  After all, if you're going to design your life, it's probably best to not just go off willy nilly writing things down in my opinion.

Once I have them written down, I review them and think or pray about each of them toward the end of the year.  I want to make certain that this is the direction I want my life to go, the direction God is leading me, and a direction that will provide a challenge for me, but not an insurmountable one.  I just completed a serious review this morning of my 2013 goals and feel like they're pretty well set.  So, now what?

It's one thing to set a goal.  But if we really want to accomplish those things, they need to be in the forefront of our mind.  I can't expect to just jump in a car and drive without focusing on where I want to go, and so it is with my life.  In becoming a goal getter, laser sharp focus is needed.  This focus is developed by a habit of reviewing my goals every day.  How often?  EVERY day.  What does EVERY day mean?  It means, EVERY day.  Is that clear? :-)   So every morning I should be rising early and spending 10 minutes reviewing my goals, AND setting up my daily plan for getting me one step closer to them.  My to do list should include steps for moving in the direction of goal achievement.

Finally, I'd suggest re-evaluating the goals quarterly.  Mostly they shouldn't change much if I spent a lot of time setting them.  But my plans for achieving them might easily change if I find I'm not getting closer to the goal.  But sometimes even the goal may have to change if it's become abundantly clear it's not the right goal. That should be a rarity if we've done appropriate goal setting.

Setting and achieve goals is part of a wellness lifestyle. It's fun, it helps keep us focused on becoming the person we're designed to be, and helps us connect with our sense of purpose.  I wish you an amazing 2013!

Until next time...Be Well!!

Dr. Bruce

Make Resolutions That REALLY Count

I've spent the past week contemplating a lot.  The brevity of life has been thrown in my face from far away places (Newtown Conn) to very close by (a 34 year old neighbor across the street dying in a car accident Tuesday).  During this time my own son has been away in Chicago.  It's the first time he's been that far from us (he's 16), first time we feel he's been way out of our realm of protection.

It sure has made me want to appreciate the people in my life more.  My family, my friends, employees, patients, and those that are "on the fringe" where I know them maybe only in passing each other in life from time to time.  The frenetic pace at which we tend to live in our Western culture, which is exacerbated 10x during this Christmas season, sometimes gets the best of me.  I take people for granted daily.  Yes I know that we can be here one minute, and gone the next.  That's been painfully obvious this week.  On a mental level, I think I get that.

But do I really?  Sometimes I'm not so sure.   If I were really grasping how significant that concept is, I'd never, ever take for granted one moment I get to spend around those I love.  I'd not take it for granted that a friend, or family member that lives far away is only phone call away, and I'd make that call regularly.  I'd make sure that I don't get frustrated or lose my temper over silly things my family may do, no matter how many times I've asked them not to do that.  I'd spend more time with my family doing life. .  I'd turn off the computer in the evenings when I got home and have real conversations with my family.  The list could go on. And I fail regularly much of the time on that list. I spent this past Thursday afternoon shopping with my teenage daughter (never done that before with her), and then we wrapped presents together on the living room floor (never done that before either). We didn't do anything spectacular  But those are the moments that our life should be made of.  For one brief instant, I feel like I hit the mark. I wish I felt that way more often.

There are so many changes I know should be made when reality hits home like it has for me in the past 7 days.  How about you?  This is a time of year that is often used for reflection, for making plans and goals or resolutions for the upcoming year.  My challenge to myself, and you, is to make plans for life, real life.  Life that is lived moment by moment with people, friends, coworkers, family etc.  Life that impacts and leaves little regret.  Oh sure, losing weight and being healthier are important things, but that's only in our physical body, and undoubtedly that will pass away.  The relationships we have, or more correctly, the legacy we leave behind through them, are lasting.

Make resolutions this year that will have a lasting impact, resolutions that count.  Merry Christmas.

Until next time....Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce

I Don't Understand

I really don't.  I don't know how anyone can take the life of another without there being a life threatening situation.  I really don't know how one can take the life of a young child.  I can't understand the pain the parents and families of those that lost loved ones today in the Connecticut shooting spree.  I can't begin to understand the amount of fear that must now be in the lives of the little kids that survived the shooting.  I don't understand.  I can't.

Prayers for the families.

Peace.

Health Care Reform May Kill Us

Health Care Reform will not make us healthier as a nation, and in fact may make us less healthy as a nation.  Yes sir (or m'am) it's true.  This new thing called Obamacare our country will most likely experience in the coming few years will not fix our health crisis.  And, it will most likely create more problems for us, including health problems.  Why is that?  I'm glad you asked.  Read on.

First of all, and I think I've said this before here, what is being promoted as health care reform, is NOT health care reform.  The term has a nice ring to it so it's the one that is used.  What is being bandied about as health care reform is actually health INSURANCE reform. And mostly, it's health insurance COVERAGE reform.  The goal is to assure health INSURANCE for the masses.  A ideal goal in it's purest form for sure.  Unfortunately, the main winner in this whole deal will be health INSURANCE COMPANIES.  They WILL be paid for covering more people.  And guess who pays?

Well, there are two ways insurance companies can get paid.  1.  By raising the premiums, copays, and or deductibles on all of us that pay for our insurance (hey they've been doing that all along, while paying health care providers less and less).  2.  The government will pay them.  (how does the government get the money to pay them when we as a nation are teetering on economic collapse you say?  hmm, just think on that for a bit).  Rest assured, they will get paid for the extra coverage.  So the winner in the whole health care reform thing is not the American people. It's not the health care providers   It's the insurance companies.  Feeling better yet?  The CEO's of the insurance companies are I'm sure.

So how can this kill us? (I will refrain from political lines of thought on this).  Unfortunately, it's very simple.  So, every American will now have coverage (ideally).  Great!  Now we can have access to all the drugs and surgery we need when we need them. Awesome.  Why do we need drugs and surgery?  Because of some kind of health crisis in our lives.  From where do most health crisis moments arise?  Most arise from our....choices.  Ouch.  Yes, most of the diseases that require ongoing care (drugs and/or surgery) are known as diseases of lifestyle.  Sure, some people are born with health issues (cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome etc), but most are diseases that arise from our choices in how we eat, move think and rest.  For instance, more and more studies are coming out showing that our lifestyle choices can significantly affect, and often times cure, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  I see more articles than ever speaking of how Type II diabetes is totally curable with lifestyle changes.  Heart disease can be reversed by lifestyle changes.  All good news.

But my fear is, with easier access to drugs and surgery, people will be even less likely to take appropriate care of themselves than we already do.  We already look for the easy way out, the pill for every ill.  Every year we see new meds or supplements designed for weight loss, and the public runs to them as the panacea for their ills.  No one in our government is sounding the bell for wellness.  No one is standing up to fight against the special interests that shape our policy on health and well being.  No one there mentions that the government recommendations for diet include things that actually CREATE more illness and disease (read my previous post about "healthy whole grains").  No one there  mentions that our nation is sick, and our health care system is actually a sick care system that functions to provide after the fact care, and that their version of wellness care is NOT wellness care at all.  Instead, they opt to create something that will sound and sell better, instead of handling the tougher topic that would solve the issue.

Real health care reform occurs in your home.  It occurs when you change your lifestyle to a wellness way of living.  It occurs when you raise your kids to not run to a drug every time they are sick.  It occurs when you sound the bell of wellness and let others know there's a better way.  In other words, it's not up to the government to create health care reform. It's up to us.  Any other way only kills.

Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce