Brief Succinct Tips
1. Have a big glass of water before each meal.
2. Eat slowly.
3. Have fun in what you do.
4. Leave the table feeling you can eat more.
5. Park your car in the furthest spot at the shopping centre and use the stairs.
6. Tend to your relationships.
7. Do slow deep breathing each day.
8. Eliminate soft drinks and fruit juices from your diet and replace them with water.
9. Get adequate sleep.
10. Minimize foods, which come from a manufacturing “plant” and maximize food, which come from plants that grow in the ground.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
There Ain't No Shortcut
Yes, I said Ain't. My elementary school English teacher, Mrs. Sims would have a fit if she saw that in my title. But it just seemed to be the right choice. I promise I ain't going to use that word in this post though, so I hope you ain't deterred from reading further. Onward we go.
It happens monthly, maybe even weekly. I see/hear of another shortcut for weight loss. Sometimes it's a supplement. Sometimes it's a weird diet. Sometimes it's a weird activity of some sort. And yes, sometimes it's even surgical intervention (which while I don't like at all, may be necessary in extreme morbid obesity cases I think).
Well guess what? I heard of a new one recently. What it is doesn't matter, it just goes to show that our Western culture's infatuation with the shortcut to health still exists. The magic pill, the long sought for panacea, the fountain of youth, the.......the.....well you get the point.
And guess what? It probably works to reduce fat and make one look better. Yep that's right, they look better. The key word here is LOOK. Notice I did NOT say be healthier.
In 1984, I owned a 1973 VW Beetle. It was a sight to behold. It was mostly blue. It had a yellow door. It had 2 gray fenders. It had rust. I spent about 400 dollars to have it reworked and painted, (yes all one color). It looked much much better, just like new. However, if I didn't change the oil from time to time, clean the carburetor (remember those?), change the spark plugs out when needed etc. then the car would die. It would still LOOK good on the outside, but would be ill on the inside. And no one would notice as I drove it that the engine was about to blow.
Yep, our bodies are the same. In our culture we want to look good on the outside (botox anyone?). We want the appearance of health so badly, that we focus on the outside instead of on what makes us truly healthy (or for that matter, what makes us truly sick). So billion dollar industries are created on this farce of health and wellness. Yes it's a farce. And it's a suicidal farce at that.
The reality of it is, while we slowly commit suicide by lifestyle in our culture by running to the next magic cure, the answer is really oh so simple. Simple? Yes, simple. And if you read any of my stuff you should know the answer by now. Eat well, Move well, Think well and Rest well. That's it. There is no other answer. Oh sure, surgery for some of our self inflicted illnesses is necessary at times when things are too out of control. But that only puts out a fire, it doesn't rebuild the structure. My formula listed above does rebuild the structure. It's the only way.
Ok, one more time, repeat after me: There ain't no shortcut (my apologies to Mrs. Sims).
Until next time... Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
It happens monthly, maybe even weekly. I see/hear of another shortcut for weight loss. Sometimes it's a supplement. Sometimes it's a weird diet. Sometimes it's a weird activity of some sort. And yes, sometimes it's even surgical intervention (which while I don't like at all, may be necessary in extreme morbid obesity cases I think).
Well guess what? I heard of a new one recently. What it is doesn't matter, it just goes to show that our Western culture's infatuation with the shortcut to health still exists. The magic pill, the long sought for panacea, the fountain of youth, the.......the.....well you get the point.
And guess what? It probably works to reduce fat and make one look better. Yep that's right, they look better. The key word here is LOOK. Notice I did NOT say be healthier.
In 1984, I owned a 1973 VW Beetle. It was a sight to behold. It was mostly blue. It had a yellow door. It had 2 gray fenders. It had rust. I spent about 400 dollars to have it reworked and painted, (yes all one color). It looked much much better, just like new. However, if I didn't change the oil from time to time, clean the carburetor (remember those?), change the spark plugs out when needed etc. then the car would die. It would still LOOK good on the outside, but would be ill on the inside. And no one would notice as I drove it that the engine was about to blow.
Yep, our bodies are the same. In our culture we want to look good on the outside (botox anyone?). We want the appearance of health so badly, that we focus on the outside instead of on what makes us truly healthy (or for that matter, what makes us truly sick). So billion dollar industries are created on this farce of health and wellness. Yes it's a farce. And it's a suicidal farce at that.
The reality of it is, while we slowly commit suicide by lifestyle in our culture by running to the next magic cure, the answer is really oh so simple. Simple? Yes, simple. And if you read any of my stuff you should know the answer by now. Eat well, Move well, Think well and Rest well. That's it. There is no other answer. Oh sure, surgery for some of our self inflicted illnesses is necessary at times when things are too out of control. But that only puts out a fire, it doesn't rebuild the structure. My formula listed above does rebuild the structure. It's the only way.
Ok, one more time, repeat after me: There ain't no shortcut (my apologies to Mrs. Sims).
Until next time... Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Staying Hydrated, Staying Well
It’s mid-May as I am writing this and for the first time in
a long time, I looked at the 10 day forecast and saw 90’s as the predicted high
temperature. That can only mean one
thing: Summer is right around the corner and the long timeframe of 90+ degree
days week after week after week looms ahead.
Summer is a time where we spend a lot of time outdoors, and great
memories will be made this summer for many, but it’s important that we also
keep a very important thought in mind:
Hydration.
Intake of fluids is vital for our daily health, even in the
winter, though it certainly increases in the summer months as we work outside
in our yards and schedule outdoor events/play time. On the hottest of days, when it’s impossible
to avoid being outdoors (while working for instance) it even becomes vital to
our safety and our lives. 60% of our
body weight is made from water, and when it gets out of balance, significant
alterations in important physiological reactions in the body occur than can be
life threatening.
So we obviously know staying hydrated is important, but how
do we do it? The best way of course is
water, plain pure water. I recommend filtered water. Bottled water is
acceptable as well. Drink it often,
drink it regularly and make it a habit.
Don’t like water? Try adding some
lemon or lime squeezed into it for flavor.
Yes you can get water from other drinks, but most come with added
ingredients that are deleterious to your health. You can try juicing for instance. I am a fan of tea (unsweetened, with lemon or
lime again) but it shouldn’t be something you drink all day long. There really is no true replacement for plain
good old fashioned water.
How much should we drink?
Different authors vary, some sticking with the eight 8-ounce
glasses/day, but I don’t believe that one size fits all. If you’re 6’5” and weigh 250 pounds, you
probably have a different water intake requirement than a 5’0 110 pound
person. One formula says to divide your
weight in half, and drink that number of ounces/day. Let me say that is a lot of water and you’ll
surely stay hydrated at that rate (and you’ll surely stay in the bathroom a
lot). It’s a great goal to shoot for
though, and I have managed to hit that level with some frequency.
However the best thing is to constantly be sipping on water
throughout your day. Keep a large bottle
with you in your office, keep one at home too and drink and refill throughout
the day. I keep a 32 ounce bottle at my
office and I try to go through 2 of them/day.
If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are most likely under-hydrated
already so don’t wait that long. A great
way to tell if you are hydrated or not is (seriously) the color of your
urine. It should be a pale straw color
at most (remember this saying “Pee Pale”).
If it is dark colored or bright colored, you are certainly under
hydrated (unless you are taking vitamins, or have had beets or beet juice
recently). It’s a simple way to assess
where you are. And, in the summer, if
you’re sweating a lot, or exercising a lot, of course you’ll need more water.
Caution signs for dehydration include dry mouth and swollen
tongue, weakness, dizziness, confusion, sluggishness or fainting, inability to
sweat and decreased urine output. More
significant dehydration that requires calling for emergency services include
fever higher than 103, headaches, seizures, no urine output for 12 hours,
fainting or difficulty breathing.
Water is vital to our health. Remember “The solution to
pollution is dilution”, so keep yourself well hydrated for optimum health too!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The End Of The Weekend...Bummed or Pumped?
Sunday evenings are a time in most households where people start wrapping up the weekend and thinking about the upcoming week. Some people dread the end of the weekend, and are already looking forward to the following weekend. I find it sad, that people live lives that are based on living for the next day off and hate Mondays so much. I think people should enjoy their weekends, rest and rejuvenate, so that they are ready to attack and not just survive Mondays. I would hope that everyone would be grateful for having some down time on weekends, and look forward to Mondays as they strive to make a difference in their career, in overcoming challenges with/for people, and leaving a legacy via their calling.
I like to use Sunday nights, especially after my family goes to bed, for planning out the week. This includes my "to do's" for work, as well as the times I am needed to perform family duties (cooking, driving, cleaning, errands) and of course times for my wellness. I include times for exercise, plans for eating well, noting potential challenges to living in the realm of wellness (where I might struggle with eating, moving, thinking and resting in a wellness way). When I note that a particularly difficult time is coming in regards to living well, I make sure that before and after I live appropriately to offset those challenging times.
For instance, tomorrow morning I have a breakfast meeting. I can't control what they serve, but I can make sure that before I leave for the meeting, I put some good things in my body so that I am not starving and forced to "pig out" on whatever is available tomorrow. So I will make sure I have my superfood shake in the morning as well as a boiled egg. Then at the meeting I will eat minimally and definitely avoid the worst of the offerings.
So, instead of being bummed that Sunday night is here, and that Monday morning is right around the corner, use Sunday nights to design your week, and thus your life! You'll look at Sunday evenings and the end of the weekend in a whole new light!
Until next time...Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
I like to use Sunday nights, especially after my family goes to bed, for planning out the week. This includes my "to do's" for work, as well as the times I am needed to perform family duties (cooking, driving, cleaning, errands) and of course times for my wellness. I include times for exercise, plans for eating well, noting potential challenges to living in the realm of wellness (where I might struggle with eating, moving, thinking and resting in a wellness way). When I note that a particularly difficult time is coming in regards to living well, I make sure that before and after I live appropriately to offset those challenging times.
For instance, tomorrow morning I have a breakfast meeting. I can't control what they serve, but I can make sure that before I leave for the meeting, I put some good things in my body so that I am not starving and forced to "pig out" on whatever is available tomorrow. So I will make sure I have my superfood shake in the morning as well as a boiled egg. Then at the meeting I will eat minimally and definitely avoid the worst of the offerings.
So, instead of being bummed that Sunday night is here, and that Monday morning is right around the corner, use Sunday nights to design your week, and thus your life! You'll look at Sunday evenings and the end of the weekend in a whole new light!
Until next time...Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, April 20, 2012
Maintenence, Prevention, or Wellness, Which Do You Want?
Wellness is
the biggest buzz word on the health care front these days. You read about it in the newspaper and
online, you hear about it on commercials, you see websites developed all around
the word. Many times it is intermingled
with the other two concepts listed in the title: Prevention and maintenance. It can be a bit confusing for people I am
sure, and I think there are some significant differences between the three and
I hope to delineate those here now.
The term
maintenance is used a lot of times for health care purposes, even or especially
in my line of work. Some people like to
come in for regular adjustments and what they call maintenance. This is not a bad thing to try to maintain
one’s self in general, unless of course you have a chronic or acute
illness. If you have high blood
pressure, do you want to maintain it?
If your cholesterol or blood sugar level is out of the good range, do
you want to maintain that? No of course
not. But the idea of maintenance is used
sometimes in conjunction with wellness and I just pointed out a glaring problem
with that. Maintenance is not wellness,
it is keeping you right where you are, and most of us, me included, don’t need
to stay right where we are. We NEED to
improve some, or all of our health.
Now, what
about prevention? The idea of
preventative care is almost synonymous with wellness care in many circles. I would strongly object to the linking of
these two words. If you have reached a
certain age, and the stats say you need to have “x” test done regularly
(mammograms, prostate exams, a certain blood test or the dreaded colonoscopy
etc.) and the test comes back positive, then that means you have a disease
process starting, it means you are not well.
Naturally that can NOT be wellness or wellness care since the purpose of
the test is to find out if you’re ill or not.
Again, that does NOT mean these tests are a bad thing, in fact they are much
needed oftentimes. So don’t hear me
knocking running the tests, and please don’t stop getting tested appropriately.
Now, on to the
topic at hand: wellness. The word is used in so many ways, some places
call themselves wellness centers and they are doing botox injections. How is that wellness? Does it make a person any healthier? Of course not. Wellness is a word that implies action and
responsibility. Wellness to me should be
defined as experiencing optimum health in all aspects of one’s life,
physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, relationally etc. It is something that I believe few, if any,
attain for any great length of time, but it is a worthy goal to be striving for
but it’s also something that takes constant attention and tweaking. It should be an ongoing process where we are
continually striving for optimum health.
Can the pursuit of wellness include some maintenance care? Yes.
Can it include getting blood pressure tested? Yes.
But it doesn’t stop there. Those
two things are passive, in that the test or care is performed on us. Wellness should require active involvement
that we as individuals are responsible for doing like exercising, relaxing,
learning to eat better and proper rest.
That is what we try to inspire at our office, people taking responsibility
for where they are on the wellness spectrum, then learning and acting upon
information that can move them forward and closer to true wellness.
So in
summary, maintenance care and preventative care are passive things that happen TO
us. Wellness is something we PURSUE via
our lifestyle choices, and it’s the way to optimum health and well-being. So
with that in mind, take charge of where you are, decide where you want to be, and
then take appropriate action steps to get there. Where you are is only temporary if you decide
to make it temporary. Give us a call, we’d
be glad to help you move forward in your pursuit of wellness!
Until next
time… Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, March 29, 2012
5 Simple Stress Busters Anyone Can Do
Stress kills. It's that simple. It kills. Dead. Terminally dead. It can kill you suddenly (or what appears to be suddenly) via a heart attack or stroke, or it can take a long time as your body deteriorates slowly but earlier and faster than it would have otherwise and you become ill with life threatening diseases. It is said that the lion's share of visits to doctor's offices are in some way related to stress. But here's the kicker: Stress will happen in our life, but the real issue is not the stress, but how we deal and combat the stress. Here's a few simple ways to fight it off.
1. Exercise. Yep. I just read yet another article today that most people with anxiety issues that began a good solid exercise plan benefited from exercise as much as they would have from prescription drugs, and the only side effects were better health from the exercise! Get a good exercise plan in place pronto!
2. Don't procrastinate. Putting things off definitely creates more stress in your life. The next time you feel like procrastinating, remember the effect it has when you have to rush to accomplish whatever task it is you put off.
3. Work on being grateful. Anytime I have a patient feeling overwhelmed with stress, one of the things I encourage them to do is start a gratefulness journal. They are to write down 5 things daily that they are grateful for from that day, and why they are grateful for each thing. It takes your mind off of what's not right in your life, and puts it on what IS right in your life and how blessed you are.
4. Serve others. You want to feel better about your own life? Invest some time in the lives of others. There is no shortage of needs for volunteers at places like food pantries, women's shelters, tutoring underprivileged kids etc. Find a way to give back to the world that benefits others, with no strings attached.
5. Deep breathing exercises. Learn to get your body to relax by using techniques that slow your breathing, and allow your body to fully oxygenate with each breath. It's a proven fact that when under stress we start taking short shallow breaths, and that does nothing but create more stress on our body. Breathe in deeply through your nose, as deep as you can, and then slowly exhale til every bit of air is back out of your lungs. Do just 10 breaths like that when under stress, or if your stress is chronic, spend 10 minutes a day doing this.
I promise if you practice these 5 things, the effects of stress will be minimized significantly, to the point where you might even be able to stop certain medications if you've been prescribed some for your stress. Give it a go, you've got nothing to lose and a lifetime of health and wellness to gain!
Until next time...Be Well!!!
Dr. Bruce
1. Exercise. Yep. I just read yet another article today that most people with anxiety issues that began a good solid exercise plan benefited from exercise as much as they would have from prescription drugs, and the only side effects were better health from the exercise! Get a good exercise plan in place pronto!
2. Don't procrastinate. Putting things off definitely creates more stress in your life. The next time you feel like procrastinating, remember the effect it has when you have to rush to accomplish whatever task it is you put off.
3. Work on being grateful. Anytime I have a patient feeling overwhelmed with stress, one of the things I encourage them to do is start a gratefulness journal. They are to write down 5 things daily that they are grateful for from that day, and why they are grateful for each thing. It takes your mind off of what's not right in your life, and puts it on what IS right in your life and how blessed you are.
4. Serve others. You want to feel better about your own life? Invest some time in the lives of others. There is no shortage of needs for volunteers at places like food pantries, women's shelters, tutoring underprivileged kids etc. Find a way to give back to the world that benefits others, with no strings attached.
5. Deep breathing exercises. Learn to get your body to relax by using techniques that slow your breathing, and allow your body to fully oxygenate with each breath. It's a proven fact that when under stress we start taking short shallow breaths, and that does nothing but create more stress on our body. Breathe in deeply through your nose, as deep as you can, and then slowly exhale til every bit of air is back out of your lungs. Do just 10 breaths like that when under stress, or if your stress is chronic, spend 10 minutes a day doing this.
I promise if you practice these 5 things, the effects of stress will be minimized significantly, to the point where you might even be able to stop certain medications if you've been prescribed some for your stress. Give it a go, you've got nothing to lose and a lifetime of health and wellness to gain!
Until next time...Be Well!!!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, March 22, 2012
What's It All About?
I get that question sometimes from others, and even myself when I think about tweeting, blogging etc as I do. Why? Because when you're talking about using the internet to spread a message about whatever topic interests you, you often don't really know if the message is just going out into cyberspace and not really even being seen. It's can feel like no man's land, unless you happen to get some responses, comments, questions etc. Several times recently I've had moments where something has happened that lets me know that all my blogging, tweeting, Facebook posting of wellness articles and information has some positive effect on people. I have to say it's rather refreshing.
One thing that I've seen recently is several people re-posting some of the articles I link to on different social media sites. That is really encouraging because now I don't feel like a loner lol. A couple of days ago a new follower on Twitter asked great questions regarding a post I had made there regarding Grape Seed Extract. Yesterday a patient called me asking about Vitamin D3 that I had mentioned on our clinic page. Just today, after posting a new recipe and picture of some fresh juice I had made, I had an extended "conversation" on facebook about juicing, juicers and recipes etc. The "conversation" ended with him saying "thanks for all the inspiration".
In the long haul, that's what it's really about. It's not about how many articles I can find to post (believe me, there is more than I can link to on any given day). It's not about how many friends, fans or followers I can get. It's about putting the word out there, and hopefully people taking it to heart, learning something new, being reminded to keep up their journey, or totally transforming their lives. That's my vision, dream or whatever you might call it, for my time spent on the net. It's hopefully about helping people create life transformation with their body, and knowing they can do it. It's about creating awareness so that more and more people spread what I refer to as "The Gospel Of Wellness".
From the selfish end, it's an never ending reminder to me to keep up with eating well, thinking well, moving well and resting well. Knowing there are people out there interested, searching and reading some of these posts and articles motivates me to work harder on my own well being, and on finding appropriate, solid information to put out into cyberspace. I would encourage you to keep reading and researching. If you do this regularly, it will be a constant reminder to up the ante on a daily basis, and in a few months or years, you will be on a whole different level with regards to your health.
So, keep it up. Find good people to follow and learn from. Never stop learning about how you can do better with your daily decisions in your pursuit of wellness. Don't stop finding new people out there that provide what you're looking for either, there are plenty of good ones! If you follow me on twitter (@docbruce65) you can look to see who I read and follow, and you may choose to follow some of the same ones to broaden your sources of wellness information. And re-send the information, you never know who is going to be really thankful you put it out there. Go for it, there's nothing to lose and plenty to gain.
Oh yea, I am immensely grateful for you reading this blog, and I wish you well in your journey toward wellness.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
One thing that I've seen recently is several people re-posting some of the articles I link to on different social media sites. That is really encouraging because now I don't feel like a loner lol. A couple of days ago a new follower on Twitter asked great questions regarding a post I had made there regarding Grape Seed Extract. Yesterday a patient called me asking about Vitamin D3 that I had mentioned on our clinic page. Just today, after posting a new recipe and picture of some fresh juice I had made, I had an extended "conversation" on facebook about juicing, juicers and recipes etc. The "conversation" ended with him saying "thanks for all the inspiration".
In the long haul, that's what it's really about. It's not about how many articles I can find to post (believe me, there is more than I can link to on any given day). It's not about how many friends, fans or followers I can get. It's about putting the word out there, and hopefully people taking it to heart, learning something new, being reminded to keep up their journey, or totally transforming their lives. That's my vision, dream or whatever you might call it, for my time spent on the net. It's hopefully about helping people create life transformation with their body, and knowing they can do it. It's about creating awareness so that more and more people spread what I refer to as "The Gospel Of Wellness".
From the selfish end, it's an never ending reminder to me to keep up with eating well, thinking well, moving well and resting well. Knowing there are people out there interested, searching and reading some of these posts and articles motivates me to work harder on my own well being, and on finding appropriate, solid information to put out into cyberspace. I would encourage you to keep reading and researching. If you do this regularly, it will be a constant reminder to up the ante on a daily basis, and in a few months or years, you will be on a whole different level with regards to your health.
So, keep it up. Find good people to follow and learn from. Never stop learning about how you can do better with your daily decisions in your pursuit of wellness. Don't stop finding new people out there that provide what you're looking for either, there are plenty of good ones! If you follow me on twitter (@docbruce65) you can look to see who I read and follow, and you may choose to follow some of the same ones to broaden your sources of wellness information. And re-send the information, you never know who is going to be really thankful you put it out there. Go for it, there's nothing to lose and plenty to gain.
Oh yea, I am immensely grateful for you reading this blog, and I wish you well in your journey toward wellness.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
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