Humans make mistakes. Humans get sad. Humans get mad. Humans feel insecure. Humans doubt themselves at times. These experiences are part of being human. No one is immune from them. Nobody.

So, why is there so much pressure in our society to be almost super-human? To not make a mistake? To look forever youthful? To look like we have it all together? To be rich and ‘successful?’ To be healthy and happy, everyday?

I get exhausted just thinking about all that pressure.

Another part of being human is having a deep desire for love and connection. To feel like we belong and are accepted just as we are, flaws and all.

Feeling connected to others…be it our family, our friends, co-workers, or like-minded groups…is what gives purpose and meaning to our life. Neuro-biologically, when we feel connection, love, and acceptance, our bodies are healthier. Cortisol decreases. Blood pressure drops. The feel good hormones are released. Thus feeling connected is a key ‘nutrient’ for health and well-being.

Our hunger for connection is then very similar to our hunger for food…both are key nutrients needed to support life. But you can’t just pay $3.99 for a box of ‘connection’ at the grocery store. That fact…the availability of connection or lack there of…can feel kind of scary at times.

The opposite of connection is shame. At the core of shame is the fear of disconnection. The associated thought is, ‘Is there something about me that if others knew about or could see would make me unworthy of connection?’

To some degree or another, there is not a single human on this planet that has not had this thought. Shame is a universal human experience. The less comfortable someone is talking about it, the more they have it.

Given how important the feeling of connection is to our health and well-being, this fear is understandable. Yet to deal with our fear of disconnection, we bend over backwards trying to keep up with society’s definition of what is deemed ‘acceptable.’ (No wonder why there is so much back pain today.)

Imagine a stunningly beautiful person who is incredibly wealthy, famous, blissfully in love, and always presents themselves as the picture of perfect health. How easy would it be to be friends with this person?

Therein lies the problem: ‘having it all together’ actually pushes people away. Society pressures us to feel like we should always have all our ducks in a row. Yet, feeling connected and loved are key ingredients for good health…and the only way to do this is via being willing to let our true selves be seen.

Yep, that’s right. We need to be vulnerable because being vulnerable is good for our health.

The two are directly correlated. The more willing we are to let our real selves be seen, the more love and connection we are able to feel. So how do we deal with vulnerability as a society today? Well, not very well.

One of the most common ways is we numb it…through alcohol, excess food, shopping, and/or taking prescription medications or other drugs. We are the most addicted, obese, in debt, and over medicated adult cohort in American history.

Politicians numb themselves by not having conversations and instead throwing blame back and forth. Corporations numb themselves by ignoring the fact that their actions can have a wide reaching negative impact on the world. Parents numb themselves by perfecting their children. Adults numb themselves by taking fat from their rear end and sticking it into their cheeks.

The problem is we cannot selectively numb emotions.  “I don’t want to feel vulnerable so I’m going to have a few beers and a chocolate chip cookie to make myself feel better.” This actually doesn’t work. When we numb negative emotions, we also numb joy, happiness, and feelings of love and connection. Avoidance of vulnerability is a key contributor to the unhappiness and disease rampant in society today and to that which, as healthcare providers, we likely see in our offices on a regular basis.

The first time the direct correlation between my willingness to be vulnerable and my experience of love and acceptance became vividly clear to me was when I was an inpatient at a 30-day eating disorder rehab center in my early 20’s. Upon arrival, I was not happy about being there, to say the least (because needing treatment and wanting treatment are two entirely different matters). I stomped around the place like an angry, captured, wild animal growling at anyone who attempted to talk to me.

It took me a few days to surrender my fury but eventually I accepted that I was right where I needed to be. Once my personal storm cloud of rage had dissipated, an immense amount of shame came over me.

Shame about how rude I had to been, not only to the staff, but also to the other women suffering with the same issues as I. It was hard for me to look at anyone in the eye because I felt so badly about myself and assumed everyone probably hated me. I imagined everyone thinking, ‘There’s that angry girl. Stay away from her!’

I decided one night after dinner to stand up and apologize to everyone for having been so rude. The motivation came solely out of needing to absolve myself of the piercing shame I was feeling in my chest. I certainly didn’t have the expectation that anyone would care to think better of me or want to be friendly to me…but that is exactly what happened.

As I stood there sheepishly apologizing and nakedly baring my humanness, the room of women began to smile at me. Much to my surprise, several women came up afterward to give me a hug and say how happy they were I had finally let go of my resistance and anger, and had opened up to the healing that was now possible for me. Another one just laughed and told me how she had acted in the exact same manner upon arriving and was proud of me for having let go of my anger faster than she had.

There I was admitting my absolute flawed humanness, and all I received was love. It is a day I will never forget.

Vulnerability may be at the core of our shame, fear, and struggle for worthiness…but it is also the birthplace for being able to feel joy, creativity, belonging, for enjoying good health and experiencing love.

So what is the solution for dealing with vulnerability? Studies have shown that those that have a strong sense of love and belonging are those that simply believe they are worthy of love and belonging, as well as regularly being courageous.

The word ‘courage’ comes from the Latin root word ‘cor,’ which means heart. The original definition of courage was: to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.

This meaning can be expanded into… having the courage to be imperfect, having the compassion to be kind to ourselves and others, to be willing to be true to who we are and let go of who we ‘think’ we should be, to fully embrace vulnerability as a natural part of being human and not something to hide, the willingness to do something where there are no guarantees, to say I love you first, to invest in a relationship that may or may not work out, to be willing to breath through the waiting period after a cancer screening…

Thus the ‘treatment plan’ I recommend we employ with ourselves…to avoid the epidemic of numbing out to vulnerability and the resulting health issues that come with it…is to let ourselves be seen deeply and fully, love with our whole heart even when there is no guarantee, to practice gratitude and joy especially in moments of fear and doubt, to know that being vulnerable is a necessary part of being human, and to know we are enough exactly as we are, which allows us to be kinder to ourselves and those around us.

Furthermore, when you take on the courage of being vulnerable, you allow others to feel more comfortable with being vulnerable themselves. In my role as a health care provider, I may think I especially need to make sure I have it all together in order for my patients to feel confident in my care. Of course, I can’t make careless mistakes, but there is no accident that the phrase is, ‘practicing’ medicine.

By being willing to say to a patient, “I don’t know…I will need to look that up and get back to you,” actually shows shows my patients how much I care. There have been several times where after a patient has walked out my door, I realized there was something I wanted to change about the treatment plan I had just designed for them. In this case, I do not hesitate to contact them right away and notify them of how after putting extra thought into what was best for their care and referring with a colleague, I had changed my mind.

Speaking of being vulnerable, I have recently released a book that captures my experience of working at an elite health spa for the rich and famous in Thailand in 2008. Not only does the book capture my many insights of what it’s like working with people from every corner of the globe, but I also courageously expose my own internal journey of how I handled the ups and downs of being a single female living alone in a foreign country. Weaved throughout the amazing stories detailed in every chapter are many of my core naturopathic principles, as well as all the wisdom I gained while experiencing a 10-day silent Buddhist meditation retreat.

You can read more about my exciting book HUNGER, An Adventurous Journey of Finding Peace Within and pick up a copy by clicking here.

In closing, embrace your humanness today. If you’re feeling like you are trying to hold it all together, allow yourself to let your guard down. Ask for help. Call a friend. Take a break in your day to just breath for a few minutes. Remember, it’s okay to be vulnerable. Actually, it’s good for your health.

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Dr. Jody Stanislaw practices in Ketchum, Idaho. She also works with patients remotely over Skype. She specializes in teaching patients how to adopt the healthy lifestyle habits needed to enjoy life-long vitality. If you would like to apply for a free health consult with Dr. Jody, please fill out an application here.

As a naturopath, I work with patients to not just help you be free of your main complaint, but also to support you in having a strong Four Pillars of Health, which are as follows:

1. Nutritious Food…the very fuel for every cell in your body
2. Adequate Sleep & Rest…your most powerful anti-aging tool
3. Physical Activity…the cleaning crew for every inch of your body
4. Emotional Well-being…at the heart of everything you do

The Four Pillars of Health set the foundation for your overall health and well-being. If even one area is weak, optimal health is not achievable. Keeping them robust is the work of a lifetime.  So here are some simple ways to strengthen your Four Pillars of Health:

Nutritional Intake:

• Eat three different colors of vegetables today
• Buy a new vegetable each time you go to the grocery store

Adequate Sleep & Rest:

• Take 20 deep breaths as you fall asleep tonight, imagining exhaling out all stress and tension
• If you generally wake up to go to the bathroom, avoid all liquids after 6pm tonight

Physical Activity:

• Go outside right now for a 5 min brisk walk…great way to clear your head & rejuvenate your energy
• Do 50 sit ups before you go to bed tonight

Emotional Well-being:

• Think of 5 – 10 things you are grateful for in your life…either share them with someone or write them down right now or before the end of the day
• Put your hand on your heart and whisper, ‘I love you’…(especially if this feels challenging for you)

Increasing your health and vitality can be this simple. I encourage you to pick one or two of the above and incorporate them before the end of today. By doing so, enjoy feeling an extra jump in your step!

If you would like to learn more simple ways to increase your vitality via strengthening your Four Pillars of Health, apply for a free health consultation over the phone with Dr. Jody by clicking here. Based upon availability and Dr. Jody’s schedule, you will be contacted within a week to schedule a phone appointment.

I am dedicated to helping others feel more health and vitality in their lives. I hope this article brought you inspiration to take an extra step to honor your body today. I’m honored and grateful to my readers. Thank you! 

To your Vitality!

Dr. Jody Stanislaw

To enjoy daily health tips, follow me on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/DrJodyND

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Kathy, after posting on her blog about my new book, HUNGER, An Adventurous Journey of Finding Peace Within, has handed me this “writer’s torch” and so it’s my turn to pass it on. In this post, I will tell you a bit about Kathy, then answer questions about my book, and at the end, introduce to you 3 other great authors who I think you will enjoy. So about Kathy…

Lessons from the Monk I Married is a captivating account of Kathy’s 15-year journey with her husband, Yoon, a former Korean Buddhist monk. Her book received rave reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Beliefnet, Wisdom a la Carte, Lonely Planet Travel Guides, and Shambhala Sun, which called it “…travel writing at its best.” The book is part memoir, part spiritual guide, part travelogue and was nominated for a Pacific Northwest Book Award. Katherine and Yoon have conducted yoga/writing retreats nationally and internationally. Their next retreat will be in Kona, Hawaii, March 20-26, 2013. Limited space is available, so please e-mail info@yoonsyogabliss.com to inquire and secure your spot.

And now, about my brand new book
HUNGER, An Adventurous Journey of Finding Peace Within:

Where did the idea for your book come from?

As I was working in Thailand during 2008 as a physician at an elite health spa for the rich and famous, I started a blog to capture the amazing stories I was experiencing in my day to day life. Having always been someone who loves math and science, never writing, I was pleasantly surprised when the number of my blog followers began to grow and grow, and the feedback I received was raving about how much my readers were enjoying my entries. My biggest fan sent me a reply after every new entry I wrote, begging me to write a book…and that, my friends, is how the idea for HUNGER was born!

What genre does this book fall under?

1. Adventure
2. Spirituality
3. Inspirational
4. Health & healthy living

Which actors would you choose to play in a movie rendition?

Truth be told, I’ve always wanted to be an actress! So main character = me! But in case I’m too busy, Julia Roberts would do..or maybe Drew Barymore. My three girlfriends could be played by Lucy Liu (=Monica), Cameron Diaz (=Katrina), Drew Barymore (=Nadine).

What is a one sentence synopsis of HUNGER?

A captivating true story of daring adventures, courageous vulnerability, life wisdom and inspiration.

Self-published or traditional publishing house?

As for now, I’ve self-published HUNGER. Yet my dream is that it touches a million readers to live a healthier and happier life…so if I don’t hit that number through my own marketing efforts in the next year, I will then consider going the traditional publishing route. (But another aspect of my dream is that Oprah, Ellen, Today Show or the like will pick it up and give it the exposure needed to reach the masses!)

How long did it take to write the first draft?

As I mentioned above, my writings just started out as a blog I kept throughout 2008. After my  year in Thailand, I moved to Bali to turn my 50+ blog entries into HUNGER. I spent 5 months, 2-3 hours per day writing. I then moved back to the states and did not write a word for 2 years, as I moved to Idaho and started my private practice. Yet in the back of my mind, my unfinished manuscript constantly called out to me for attention. I eventually couldn’t ignore it’s calls anymore, and started writing again summer of 2011…and I wrote the last word of the original 500 age document in spring of 2012…then a few months of editing…and then it’s first release was fall of 2012.

What other books are similar to HUNGER?

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert…very similar in terms of  both are true stories capturing the adventures of a single, American woman traveling the world, sharing her introspections on life in a humorous and inspirational way.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I was reading Eat, Pray, Love as I was living in Thailand writing my blog. This was the year that Oprah was loving this book and she even featured the author on her show twice. As I received all the glowing feedback from my blog followers, I couldn’t help but think, “Hey, I think my writing is as good as Elizabeth Gilbert’s and that Oprah would love my book too!”

So that planted the seed that I could touch a million or more lives with my writing. My blogs captured day-to-day adventures, but as someone who is passionate about helping others live happier and healthier lives, I started weaving in teachings on natural health, Buddhism, and other life lessons throughout the book. As a physician, I work one-on-one with patients but have always yearned to reach many, many more people. So I realized if I wove life wisdom throughout the book, it would be a great way for me to satisfy my urge to reach millions with my message of health and inspiration. And you could be the next one!

CLICK HERE to buy HUNGER

And now, to introduce to you three other authors whom I think you will enjoy:

Mary O’Malley’s latest book is, ‘What’s in the Way, IS the Way.’ Besides being my auntie, Mary is an author, teacher and counselor whose work awakens others to the joy of being fully alive.  Her inspired and transformative approach to compulsions offers a way to replace fear, hopelessness and struggle with ease, well-being and joy. Her new book invites you on the most important journey you will ever take: the journey back to yourself and to a trust-filled connection with Life. The book is filled with teachings, stories and exercises which will guide you every step of the way. On this journey, you will discover how to weave every part of yourself into your own heart so that you can know the joy of being fully here for Life. Forward by Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations With God.
To learn more about Mary and her new book, click here: http://www.maryomalley.com/

My friend Christine Arylo just recently launched her latest book, ‘Madly in love with ME.’ In this moving book, Christine invites women to consider making the vow to yourself to love yourself… to spend your lifetime falling more and more in love with the beautiful, powerful, free person you are… and then inspire all the women and girls you touch to do the same. This book is just one part of Christine’s movement…Madly in Love with ME™ is a international self-love movement. It was created to raise the awareness of self-love among women and girls around the world… and to provide a pathway that gives those women and girls the guidance, support, wisdom and inspiration they need to freely…and fully live and love the women they are, free of self-criticism, self-hatred, and self-abuse.
To learn more about Christine and her work, click here: http://madlyinlovewithme.com/madly-in-love-with-me/

My friend Amy Ahler’s is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, ‘Big Fat Lies Women Tell About Themselves.’ This book promises to help you quit being so hard on yourself and enjoy more happiness! 59 of the most common Big Fat Lies are exposed, such as…”I’m not enough,” ”I Don’t Measure Up,” ”I’m too (fat, thin, short, ugly…fill in the blank!)”…Amy walks you through discovering the powerful TRUTH about each Lie, followed by a powerful coaching exercise, an affirmation and an inspiring quotation to lock it in. This is a great book for re-wiring your brain from self-criticism –> into self-love.
To find out more about Amy and her work, click here: http://wakeupcallcoaching.com/book#

1. BEFORE walking into a party, HAVE A PLAN. Take time to think about how much you want to eat and come up with a strategy to keep to your promise. Visualize how you will feel after enjoying the party without over indulging. Bonus = be accountable to someone before as well as after the party….tell them your intention shortly before you go to the party, and promise to call them afterwards to report your success.

2. Never arrive at a party overly hungry. If you are going to a party straight after work, make sure to have a healthy snack, such as an apple, hummus & veggies, a handful of nuts, a bit of protein such as a few bites of chicken or a hardboiled egg, before entering the party. Or, you can always drink a tall glass of water upon arriving. This will stretch your stomach and trick you into feeling full, at least for about 20 minutes. Repeat if necessary.

3. Always stand away from the buffet/snack table.

4. Always have a low calorie drink in your hand.

5. At a buffet, fill your plate once and commit to being satisfied with not going back for seconds. It takes at least 20 minutes for the fullness signal to reach your brain anyway…so after eating, focus on enjoying the conversation and resist the urge to fill your plate again.
6. Offer to bring a dish of your own…and bring a healthy one so you can guarantee there will be at least one healthy one you will be able to enjoy!

Before entering any party, imagining how great you’ll feel as you make healthy food choices throughout the evening is a powerful way to set yourself up for success.

Enjoy a healthy and happy holiday season!

To your health!

Dr. Jody

What is your reaction to that statement? Or I should say, what did your mind do with that statement? Agree? Or emphatically disagree? Make you confused? Or give you clarity? Or perhaps you responded with wonder as to why I would even say such a thing? Let me explain.

A beautiful blue-sky day! This is clearly a wonderful event loved by all, right? To many, a blue-sky day means joy, energy, beauty, and brings out enthusiasm. But think about someone who suffers with migraines initiated by bright light? To them, a blue-sky day means the probability of a debilitating headache.

A rare and poisonous snake found while hiking in the woods. This is not a fun situation for anyone, right? To most, this means fear and danger. However, suppose the woman who encountered the snake had dedicated her entire life to finding this very rare species. To her, this snake means the fruition of a dream of a lifetime.

Being given the diagnosis of bronchitis. To a busy mom, this is a dreaded diagnosis that means she will be unable to perform her daily duties. To a child who would rather endure anything than to have to go to school, this is a welcomed invitation that means he gets to stay home.

Do you see my point? Nothing in life inherently has its own meaning. Life only has the meaning that we choose to give it. Think about what Jesus means to the world. Even amongst devout Christians, there will be a vast array of descriptions of what Jesus means to them, and then consider the even more varied opinions that exist amongst non-Christians.

Chocolate: A lover’s delight or a dieter’s nightmare?

Family: the joy of one’s life or the bane of one’s existence?

Sunset: a romantic setting or death to someone stranded out in the cold?

Stop and think about this for a moment: There is nothing in life that inherently contains its own meaning. No matter how horrific or joyful a situation may seem, things only have significance once we ourselves apply meaning to them.

I use this powerful tool with all of my patients. A diagnosis of diabetes: a death sentence or the very motivation one finally needs to make life saving dietary changes? I love this concept. It embraces the truth that one can always choose to respond to even the most challenging health issue with either a victim mentality, or the willingness to see it as an opportunity for personal growth and change. Any diagnosis itself has no meaning except that which we choose to give it.

When talking with others, it is important to grasp this concept because the way you deliver information to others can either be pitiful or empowering; depressing or encouraging. When patients come to me in pain and desperation, I see my role as their physician to not only give them therapies in the classic sense, but to also make sure I deliver my treatment plan to them in way that conveys empowerment, opportunity, and positivity. This optimistic meaning I choose to put onto their treatment plan can itself often be more powerful ‘medicine’ than the very therapies I prescribe.

I walk my talk and have applied this to my own life. For example, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of seven and spent a week at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. I was so touched by the physicians who taught my family and I how to live with this new condition, that it was from that day I decided to become a physician. Furthermore, it launched me on a trajectory of healthy eating and regular exercise that makes me believe, even as a diabetic, I am likely healthier than most Americans my age.

Patients that come to me initially for their chief complaint often continue with regular visits for counseling. The mental transformation that occurs during these sessions is often the most potent ‘medicine’ I could ever prescribe.

The meaning we all put on every aspect of our lives can have a tremendous impact on our overall health and longevity. Empowering others to free themselves from the tunnel vision views that all of us often apply to the events in our lives can be life changing. You have the power to choose the meaning applied to any event in your life…Choose wisely.

The commonly used explanation, ‘I caught a cold because Suzy kept coughing on me,’ is not entirely true. If it were, every person near Suzy would become ill, but this doesn’t happen. If you ‘catch’ a cold versus if you do not lies in the strength of your immune system.

A poor diet, chronic stress, alcohol, and a lack of sleep and exercise are the biggest culprits in weakening your immune system. Flu shots are touted as being a key step to take this time of year to keep you healthy. But reports of their effectiveness are actually quite mixed.

To keep your immune system robust this season, I suggest these tried and true simple tips, which will benefit you by not only boosting your immune function, but are great for your overall health and wellbeing as well:

1.) Eat a whole foods diet, including an abundance of colorful vegetables and fruit. If food is in the shape from which it grew in nature, it’s considered a whole food, thus is packed with immune boosting nutrients. If man made it, don’t eat it often.

Oatmeal with fruit, mixed vegetable salad with chicken, veggies and fish. Other whole foods include beans, lentils, fish, chicken, brown rice, fruit, nuts… And stay hydrated with plenty of water….half your body weight in ounces, so a 150lb person should drink a minimum of 75oz/day. Sorry, sugary drinks or coffee don’t count…

Sugar and processed foods not only weaken the immune system, but are devoid of key nutrients that your immune system depends on for fuel. Aim for eating whole foods 80% of the time, and include vegetables DAILY to ensure you are ingesting a high concentration of immune boosting nutrients.

2.) Adequate rest. Sleep is the most rejuvenating time for your body. Every night, your body regenerates cells allowing your immune system to be on top if its game the next day. Just like the fatigue you feel when you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system will be suffering this same fatigue.

3.) Exercise.  Exercise has been proven to be one of the most powerful ‘medicines’ around, not only for keeping your immune system strong, but also reducing your risk of many diseases and is your most effective antidepressant.

4.) Key supplements:

•  Adults who took a multivitamin had a 50% decrease in the number of days of illness due to the common cold than those who didn’t.
• Vitamin C is a proven immune booster. 1000mg 1-2x’s/day to prevent sickness; 3000++mg/day if already sick.
• Get your vitamin D and zinc checked and take a supplement if you are low.
• High quality probiotics, which contain healthy gut flora, are great immune boosters (ask for one at a health food store…they also can relieve constipation, and not having a bowel movement DAILY weakens the immune system).
• There are great immune boosting herbs too. To be effective, they must be high quality and taken in adequate amounts.
• I have a terrific herbal supplement that helps my patients and their families immune from getting sick during cold & flu season. Please contact me using the ‘contact’ tab above if you would like to receive it. Comes in adult & child formulas. I highly recommend it!

If you feel you are getting sick, try some of these simple tips:

• Eat an orange/day or other citrus fruits for their vitamin C
• Eat garlic and onions for their antiviral & antibacterial properties
• Gargle with warm salt water if you get a sore throat
• Do a saline nasal rinse to clear clogged sinuses
• Use Elderberry syrup to reduce flu symptoms
• Cut back on intense workouts &/or do light exercise
• Watch a funny movie because laughter is one of the best medicines!

The common cold and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria so avoid antibiotics because they are NOT effective treatment.

If you would like to schedule an individualized session over the phone to empower yourself with the key knowledge you need to keep you and your family healthy this season, send a note to me via the ‘contact’ tab above.

To receive my inspiring weekly Vitality Vibe email, join here: http://ow.ly/dagID
To enjoy daily health tips, follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJodyND
or on twitter: http://twitter.com/drjodynd 

I hope you found this article helpful. Feel free to email me with questions.

Here’s to staying healthy all winter long!

Dr. Jody Stanislaw

#1 – If smog in your area is especially bad, wear a mask when exercising outdoors. You can just wear a bandana, buy a simple painter’s mask, or the ones at the drug store that loop around your ears and cover up your nose and mouth. Wearing a something over your mouth will filter out the particulates in the air and save you from taking them into your lungs.

#2 – Exercise. Being active is actually protective to your lungs and is proven to help keep lung tissue healthy and strong.

#3 – Up your intake of foods high in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Omega 3 fatty acids. All three of these nutrients are instrumental in reducing inflammation in your lungs, as well as have a protective effect on lung tissue in general.

• Foods high in vitamin C include oranges, lemons, grapefruits, mangoes, papayas, kiwi, tomatoes, jicama, broccoli, potatoes, red peppers, orange peppers and yellow peppers.
• Foods high in vitamin E include broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, kiwi, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts.
• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon (best to eat only wild), tuna, herring, mackerel, lake trout and other cold-water fish.

#4 – Stay well hydrated. A good rule of thumb for your minimum daily water intake is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount in ounces of water per day. So a 100 lb person should drink at least 50 oz of water per day. More is needed with exercise, when at high altitude (that includes all of us living here in the valley), with caffeine and alcohol intake, and air travel.

Caffeinated and sugary drinks do not count. Water, herbal tea, bubbly water count.

#5 – Get adequate sleep. Sleep is the best preventative medicine, anti-aging, stress-reduction, health-promoting tool around. Getting enough sleep allows your body to regenerate from the inevitable cellular damage encountered during the day, especially if you live in a big city.

Besides the tip about wearing a mask of course, exercise, healthy foods, hydration and sleep are great tips for staying healthy all year round.

If you would like support adopting any of these healthy lifestyle habits, or have questions about or would like to improve your health in general, drop me  a note via the ‘contact’ tab above.

To Your Health!
Dr. Jody

By far, it is our children who are most at risk. We must do a better job protecting our children. If you have siblings or neighbors with children, or if you have grandchildren, share this information with these families.

The toxicity most relevant to most of us is chronic, the result of slow, cumulative exposure over time, year in and year out. So – don’t panic! There’s plenty of time to make a difference in your future health, and your children’s. The exposure we are concerned about happens slowly, over a long period of time. And, your body has a fantastic ability to rid itself of these poisons, most of the time!

The most important thing you can do to prevent chronic illness from chronic exposure to synthetic chemicals is:
Stop The Exposure. This is powerful!

And, for the most part, stopping or reducing exposure is simple, easy, and inexpensive.

For example, my patients hear me say over and over: “Take your shoes off at your front door when entering your home!!” Because many poisons have been identified in house dust, and house dust has become recognized as a principle source of exposure to:

• Lead
• Benzene
• Toluene
• Xylene
• Styrene
• Phthalates
• PVC
• Many other solvents, VOCs
• PFCs (Teflon®)
• Dioxins
• Flame retardant (PBDEs)
• And more………

Here are my top tips for reducing toxin exposure in your home. It’s a long list I know, so please don’t let it overwhelm you. Just pick a few you can commit to…that’s a great place to start!

1. To reduce exposure to almost everything: Take shoes off at the door – many toxins are in the dirt outside, in the yard, in the street — contaminated with paint, unburned gasoline from our cars, buses, styrene particles from car tire disintegration, flame retardant, PFCs, Plastics particles, Dioxins – and they get tracked into and around the home. And vacuum well, often. Get a vacuum with a Hepa filter, and a dust meter. Children and pets are most at risk.
2. Get a water filter for your kitchen sink. (Aquasana.com).
3. Wash hands before eating; use old-fashion soaps. Clean the house and car with simple ingredients — soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and borax, elbow grease. Avoid common toxic cleaners like 409 or Windex. Visit this website for lots of recommendations for safer household cleaning product companies.   www.organicconsumers.org –Some good companies: Ecover, 7^th Generation, Aubrey Organics, Bon Ami, Ecos
4. Vacate your home during remodels, or at least live in a well-partitioned part of the house. Clean well, often.
5. Avoid dishware from China and Mexico, and herbal medicines from China.
6. Follow the CDC fish advisory:  don’t eat high-mercury fish (Tuna, etc.); keep other fish intake to once or twice per week; exception:  more sardines, anchovies and herring is ok. Eat lots of fiber when you do eat fish, to reduce uptake of mercury into the bloodstream (fruit, vegetables, sea vegetables, whole grain). http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/files/MethylmercuryBrochure.pdf
   
7. For Mercury spills, find instructions at http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
   
8. Eat organic vegetables and fruits as much as possible. For Dirty Dozen: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php
   
9. Cook and serve food and hot/cold beverages in/on stainless steel, glass, or ceramic. If you are not anemic (iron deficient), do not cook regularly in cast-iron cookware or take iron supplements. Most meat-eating men and post-menopausal women need to donate blood occasionally to reduce their extra iron stores
10. To reduce Arsenic exposure: Avoid treated outdoor wood; replace decking and children’s play sets with untreated materials. Wash hands. Check soil information for your city for toxin contamination (scorecard.com).
11. Vent, Vent, Vent – use your kitchen fan on High setting if you have a gas kitchen stove!!
12. Visit this website to learn how to avoid flame retardants: http://www.ewg.org/files/EWG-PBDEguide.pdf
    
13. Opt for less flammable fabrics and materials, like leather, wool and cotton. Inspect and maintain foam items – contain the foam. Remove old carpet and pads with care, vacuuming well afterwards.
14. Avoid exposure to chemicals in plastics. Purchase, refrigerate, and microwave foods and beverages in glass containers. Avoid bottled water. Use a cloth shower curtain. Avoid vinyl flooring. If you use a plastic-type water container, choose plastics #1, #5, #4 – they look to be the least toxic.
15. Avoid PFCs (polymer water-proofing/non-stick surface material). Choose canned goods from these companies: Eden Organics, Vital Choice, Oregon’s Choice, Wild Planet, Eco Choice, Trader Joe’s label, Native Forest and Native Factor. Don’t buy food in microwaveable packaging – never popcorn!
16. To reduce VOC exposure:–Choose low-VOC paints for interior painting. No Styrofoam, or #6 plastic.–Avoid composite wood furniture (buy used or hardwood?), ventilate new carpet and construction at high heat for a few days.

Our bodies have hunger on many levels beyond simple physical hunger. We have emotional and spiritual hungers as well. We have a hunger for feeling excited about waking up everyday. We have a hunger for feeling satisfied with our day-to-day undertakings. We have a hunger for knowing what we are passionate about, and for creating a life in which we are allowed to live out that passion…

Yet, often these hungers have been ignored and suppressed for so many decades that they express themselves as feeling ‘hungry,’ even when our bellies are full. Or perhaps your hunger is for yet another new outfit, or another glass of wine, or another cigarette, or to surf the internet… for the fourth time today…

Many people in today’s fast paced lives are out of touch with how to satisfy these other natural hungers. A favorite quote of mine is, “Most people today spend more time planning a vacation…to escape from their stressful lives…than on planning their life itself.”

So here is my invitation to you…carve out some time to simply ask yourself the question, “What do I love about life? What makes me happy? What do I get excited about?” Even if its just 5 minutes scribbling on a napkin. If these questions create fear in you of not knowing the answer, then its even more of a reason for you to regularly carve out time in your life to discover your answers.

As you become more in touch with your answers, the energy you create by doing this will direct you towards how to bring more of what you want into your life. Why not do it right now? Your exuberant life is waiting…