Twelve Tips to Creating a Healthier and Happier Lifestyle

Made a New Year’s resolution to take better care of yourself?  Wondering where to start?  Here are 12 tips to creating a healthier and happier lifestyle for 2012:

1. Lose the booze.  Maybe not entirely, but try to drink in moderation. One or two glasses of red wine is heart healthy but too much can wear the body down and make it harder to for you to get to sleep. Drinking releases neurotransmitters that may make you feel better, but only temporarily (that can spiral into you not wanting to go to the gym).  Resveratrol capsules or powder is a better way to get the benefits without the extra calories and sugar.

2. Work up a sweat.  Sweating rids the body of toxins and releases neurotransmitters, which make you feel better. Working up a sweat can put those neurotransmitters to work for you and help and improve mood. Staying physically fit will help you stay mentally fit as well a physically ward off many chronic diseases.

3. Keep to a sleeping schedule. We all know that a few bad night’s sleep can wreak havoc on your skin, your health and your mood. Even when you've got more on your social calendar, try and stick to the same bedtime each night. Try Barry Goldstein’s “Ambiology Series” to get you to sleep and keep you asleep.

4. Get more vitamin D. Even if you have a lot of sun exposure you still need the base molecule for the sun to convert.  Most patients I test even in Arizona are deficient.  35 times your body weight gives you a rough estimate of how much to take.  Testing again in about 3 months makes sure you aren’t too high or low.

5. Mangia - eat like an Italian. A Mediterranean diet helps reduce inflammation and therefore, can reduce your chance of getting sick. When you're at the grocery store, load up on vegetables, nuts, and olive oil. 

6. DON'T forget the yogurt.  Nearly 90 percent of doctors eat yogurt and for good reason. Yogurt provides ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract, and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you'll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic literally means ''for life.'' Probiotic health begins in the gut and moves to the immune system and neurotransmitters. If you have a blood sugar issue, eat plain or greek only. The fruit in most yogurt makes the sugar content too high.

 
 8.  Sleep well . . .  If you have difficulty getting to sleep consider listening to music at bedtime that uses to train your brain to get to sleep and promote better sleep.  You pineal gland is supposed to be triggered by darkness around 7 p.m. to product your own sleep hormone melatonin.  Darken your house around that time even is your still going strong. 

9.  Reduce inflammation. There are numerous over-the counter products as well as all-natural products that will help you reduce inflammation in achy and stiff joints. I particularly like turmeric and Curcumin.  You’ll feel better and your joints will fare better if the inflammation is reduced. Another great way of reducing inflammation is identifying which food you may be eating that cause a reaction.  This is a simple blood test done by a doctor trained in IgG allergy responses. 

10. Detox.  The lead content in foods and supplements is something a lot of people are unaware of. Make sure your products have been approved by your naturopathic doctor or that you know the questions to ask the health food stores about testing.  A urine test allows environmentally trained doctors to see your levels of heavy metals and if high create a chelation plan for you.

11.  Spend more time in the bedroom . . . There are plenty of scientific studies that say more intimacy means better health.  For your research go the site most doctors use.  PubMed to search any topic you desire.

12. Be mindful.  Begin and end your day with a mindfulness practice in the morning to set your intention for the day and to release any stress at end of the day.

Dr. Worden on KTVK CH 3 in the Morning

Dr. Worden shares how to boost your health in 2012.

KTVK 1-3 8AM

How to LOSE Weight During the Holidays

We all know that any holiday we celebrate has FOOD as a main component and one of the most enjoyable to experience.  Sometimes it's the comfort food that helps us through the "family" thing and other times it may be what brings the family together.  Without taking away the joy and pleasure the holiday foods bring...how do we protect ourselves from not gaining weight during that time period.  If you ONLY gain 3 pounds each year, where are you in 5 years . . . OOPS. 

Here are a few easy ideas that may keep you from gaining and may even afford some WEIGHT LOSS:

1.  EAT BREAKFAST - no matter how much you may plan on eating for the rest of the day.  The breakfast (high protein/low carb) will help to stabilize your blood sugars for the rest of the day and will help keep you full so you won't want to snack as much.  Try a good GREENS/PROTEIN drink for breakfast.

2.  EAT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS - sometimes it's not just how much we eat but what foods cause an inflammatory response in our bodies.  If you have done the blood test for IgG allergies stay away from them.  If you have not . . . high allergen foods tend to be wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeasts.  If you can gain or lose more than a pound overnight...then you have put something into your body that caused an inflammatory reaction.  You can't gain muscle or fat overnight.

3.  TAKE YOUR OMEGA-3 FISH OIL.  It's an anti-inflammatory and helps to stabilize your brain's neurotransmitters.  It helps with depression and anxiety, both of which are high during the holidays and it will also help you with the detriment of the YUMMY foods.

4.  KEEP YOUR ROUTINE WITH MULTI-VITAMINS.  Don't throw out the good just because the bad is coming. These will help the body for the onslaught. 

5.  LEARN THE CALLAHAN TECHNIQUE for the emotional eating part.  It's a quick easy way to not grab for that EXTRA serving or that second piece of dessert.  Your family may think you've gone nuts when you start tapping yourself but next year they will have the extra pounds not you.

6.  EXERCISE -  whatever your routine is...you must so more on the day you overeat.  You can burn up the extra calories.  If you don't want to count calories . . . just do SOMETHING for one hour.  Wait 2 hours after eating and then go WITH your family and friends to walk, dance, yoga, whatever...make it part of the day's plan.  Everyone will feel better and not have the guilt.  Don't huddle on the couch too long you'll never get up. Make a pact with your group that you WILL exercise after eating . . . someone in the group will actually hold the rest to it. 

7.  DON'T STARVE YOURSELF before and after.  You will teach your body that it must store whatever you eat next to fat because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming.  If your body sees some food every day then when you overeat it won't be as likely to hold on to it.   Eat less for the days before and after to cut some calories for the week and to "shrink" the stomach, but be sure and eat healthy meals and only cut the size down... not cut OUT.

8. DRINK A LOT OF WATER - it will keep you full.  If you are used to 8 glasses a day drink 10-12.  If you only drink 1-2 SHAME ON YOU but get over it.  DOUBLE the amount on these days.  I'm not asking you to cut out anything.  You can have your coffee and alcohol just smaller amounts and if you decide not to have them on these gorge days all the better.  WATER, WATER, WATER.  It will satiate you.

9.  EAT DESSERT - just one piece.  If you want a bite of them ALL then a bite of each that equals one serving in total.  You can satisfy your taste and your curiosity and not put yourself into a blood sugar swing. There are probably other people who want to do the same thing so you won't be destroying the piece for someone else.  Forget splitting ...it's too much . . . ONE TOTAL PIECE.   

10.  NIX the leftovers.  If the meal is at your house give away ALL leftovers except some turkey and veggies.  Give the rest away.  If you are the guest do not take home the left overs that will put on the pounds. 

11.  EAT BEETS..they will help cleanse your liver and gall bladder. 

Some things to take that will help you maintain your weight if you decide not to burn more calories than you eat (in other words you STAY on the couch):  

a.  Digestive enzymes. Take 20 minutes before a meal to help digest your food.  This is great for the GERD and TOOTS that usually follow when you overeat.  They will also help you break the food down so it won't be so easily stored in the wrong places.

b.  Probiotic. You will be eating food with hormones in them and your gut flora will be a mess for days.  Populate your gastro intestinal system with the good bugs and it will help with digestive issues.

c.  Natural anti-inflammatories such as Tumeric and Curcumin.  Many products have these as well as Green Tea and other ingredients that keep the inflammation down and increase your metabolism.

d.  Cinnulin(a water extracted cinnamon) and chromium to stabalize blood sugars and help you with the cravings.

e. Hoodia for appetite suppressant.  This is an herb used by African tribesmen to suppress appetite while hunting.  Take 2 hours before the big meal of the day. 

You don't need stimulants, etc.  remember you are teaching your body that most of the time you eat well so when the BIG BOY days come...it can handle it.  If you feel guilty after eating, the stress chemicals you produce will pack it on in the middle. Sooooo . . .

ENJOY your food, eat less, exercise more and take some supplements to help. Sounds easy and it is.  Make your goal to lose a certain amount of weight during the 2 weeks before and after a holiday.  If you follow these rules...you will.  

Your Health - Your Choice with Dr. Donese

Every first Monday of the month I offer a 20 minute segment called Your Health-Your Choice as an opener to The Sandie Sedgbeer Show: Conversation at the Cutting Edge on the Awakening Zone Network.  If you missed my last segment that aired on October 6th you can listen right now!

Listen to internet radio with awakeningzone4 on Blog Talk Radio

My next episode of Your Health-Your Choice airs on The Sandie Sedgbeer Show at 2:00PM Central Time on Thursday, November 3rd.

To listen to the show LIVE on Thursday, November 3rd follow the link below:

http://www.awakeningzone.com/Episode.aspx?EpisodeID=664#Player

Be sure to obtain a user id and password from AwakeningZone.com so you can log into the chat room and participate in the conversation during the show.

It's All About You

You’ve entered the best part of your life, a time when anything’s possible. It’s what we at Worden Medical Specialties like to think of as your “re-new” age. So why is it so many of us feel stressed, exhausted, foggy, and hurting? You try medicines. You even try meditating. Nothing seems to work.

What’s Life Without Energy?

At Worden Medical Specialties, we believe health means having the energy to do all the things you love in life – and for as long you want. That’s why we take loss of energy very seriously. It may be the earliest sign of a future medical problem, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. By intervening early, we can often prevent or delay the worst, re-energizing and “re-poweringTM” you now, while preventing future anguish (to say nothing of costs of hospitalization and other major medical services).

We Call It “RepoweringTM.” You’ll Call It Relief.

As experienced Naturopathic Medical Doctors, we excel in combining conventional medicine with proven, leading edge alternative therapies to create unique, customized treatments. You can see your doctor, complete your lab work, and get your natural prescriptions filled all in one place.

www.wordenmedicalspecialties.com

Do Your Supplements Measure Up?

Supplements are a $20 billion industry. But what are we getting for our money? Many products sold by the supplement industry haven’t been widely studied. Others are ineffective because they contain the wrong form of active ingredient, no active ingredient, or they’re poorly absorbed. 

Does your supplement check out?  Below is a list of things you should consider when choosing supplements:

* Does the company perform independent lab assays on the raw materials and on clinical trials?

*  Does your supplement company manufacture in an ISO9001 and cGMP facility?

*  Are your supplements Kosher Certified?

* Are your supplements in Vegetarian capsules?

*  Are they packaged in glass?

*  Does your supplement company use GRAS (generally regarded as safe), certified herbs?

*  Does your supplement company employ a vendor contract?

*  Does your supplement company operate in an air conditioned facility?

*  Does your supplement company video tape all aspects of its production?

Don’t waste your money on “garbage” supplements.  Be your own health watchdog and research supplements before you buy.  If the ones you are already taking don't pass the test it's time to start looking for better options. 

Love those Lovely Legs

In these cost-cutting times, many things can be deemed unnecessary. But surely not strong, beautiful legs. For many of us, legs are our most visible feature – the exclamation marks to every outfit. Properly cared for, legs can go and go from an attractiveness perspective, give and give from a functional standpoint.  As former gymnast and dancer, I understand the allure of a great pair of “gams.” Therefore I have a unique approach to perfecting legs that uses naturopathic treatments to mobilize the body’s own repair and “beautifying” mechanisms. The results are legs that not only look beautiful but also function without pain. As a naturopathic medical doctor, I have a foot in both worlds – conventional medicine and alternative, or naturopathic, medicine. Every client has different needs when it comes to leg health. We focus on proven, effective therapies that work with the body to reduce cellulite and fat or bring relief from joint pain. Our goal is functional beauty that lasts.

There are a plethora of natural therapies for everything from spot-fat removal (mesotherapy), cellulite reduction, to sclerotherapy (vein removal), and Regenerative Injection Therapies to relieve joint pain and improve mobility. Naturopathic Medicine takes a comprehensive view of your body and then customizes a program specific to the patient. If you have swelling of ankles or varicose veins, it may be due to slowing circulation, which would be considered in our aesthetic plan so the problem doesn’t recur.  Natural leg aesthetic approaches include:

Mesotherapy:  This is a popular and effective technique for spot-fat reduction around the tummy, arms, hips and buttocks and the inside of knees. It involves injecting a fat-dissolving homeopathic substance into the trouble spot to liquefy fat and tighten skin. Unlike most aesthetic clinics that still use phosphatidylcholine injections, however, I prefer homeopathic injections, which are reaction-free. Mesotherapy can be augmented with cold laser therapy for optimal results.

Custom Fitness and Weight Loss: Mesotherapy may not be indicated for people who are 30 or more pounds overweight. In those cases, the focus begins with customizing a weight loss and fitness program that increases metabolism to achieve the ideal weight. To support a client’s aesthetic goals, medically supervised HCG therapy can be implemented using a unique European protocol for better weight loss results. In addition, a medically supervised personalized training program may be recommended. I work with highly trained fitness experts who have at minimum four years of kinesiology.

Cellulite Reduction: Though it can’t be eliminated completely, a combination of homeopathic injections from Italy and cold laser therapy to smooth and tighten the skin can be highly effective.

Remove Varicose and Spider Veins: These are treated with nutraceuticals to improve overall vascular health and/or sclerotherapy (saline injections). 

Joint Pain and Inflammation: Studies are showing Cortisone shots may damage tissue. I recommend leading-edge Regenerative Injection Techniques, such as Platelet Therapy. Platelet Therapy involves healing and strengthening tendons and ligaments by powerfully concentrating the body’s growth factors. Results are excellent. Other therapies available include homeopathic (eg, Traumeel) and Prolotherapy (dextrose) injections. In cases where the joint pain is due to inflammation, such as arthritis, food allergy testing is utilized to eliminate foods that increase inflammation.

Brittle Bones (Osteopenia, Osteoporosis): Bone health can be compromised by hormone loss in women and in men, by drugs such as proton-pump inhibitors, which interfere with bone mineralization. In addition to medically-supervised fitness programs that target bone health, comprehensive mineral status analysis and customized hormone panels should be considered.  

Please see www.wordenmedicalspecialties.com for a descriptive list of therapies with detailed information.