Celebrating 90 Years – my mom

Aug 2nd, 2010

At age 90, finding out you’ve got an aggressive rare cancer (stage 4), moving from one assisted living apartment to another one several states away with a husband who has dementia and congestive heart failure–that’s a lot to take in, but mom’s doing it.  She comes from pioneer stock to be sure. 

In the past month,  mom and dad moved from their assisted living apartment in Sanford, NC to their new assisted living apartment in Chelsea, Michigan to be near family for mom’s remaining weeks or months.  The surgeon removed a third of her colon and discovered that it had spread to her abdominal cavity.  She was hopeful that she could do chemotherapy but was recently informed that chemo was not recommended in her case.  She’s taking it like a trooper but confessed she wishes she had a couple more years.  Her family does too.   Her kids are heading to Michigan this weekend to celebrate her 90th birthday.  Dad turns 87 in August so we’ll be celebrating his birthday too.

The video below was made last year when mom was released for a few hours from the rehab hospital where she was recovering from a stroke.  My sister Diane and I were visiting and clearing out their home of 24 years so they could move into assisted living in Sanford, North Carolina.   She has a missing tooth (it broke when she bit into a biscotti biscuit she received in a birthday basket—tough luck!).  Other than that, she looks pretty good for 88 don’t you think.  This little snippet is so funny – she has an infectious laugh and sense of humor.

I welcome your comments and stories about your family. 

A Wellness Moment When Life Takes a Turn

Jul 14th, 2010

With much flurry, I emailed my blog subscribers that the Spring Clean Your Body series would be extended through June….then I got the call that my mother had colon cancer.  After several nights of tossing and turning about the tossing and turning events of life, I headed to Sanford, North Carolina to the Parkview Retirement Community.  The day after arriving, I got mom out of the hospital (no easy task) and into a rehab hospital one hour away in Pittsboro (also no easy task).  After a Dairy Queen treat with my dad, we settled down for a few wellness moments of story telling.  With my handy Flip video camera I pressed the red record button and dad reminisced.

Even though he has dementia, he can recall old stories with a good deal of accuracy.  But at this stage in life, accuracy is less important.  In fact, if someone asks what he had for lunch and he doesn’t remember, he’ll make something up.  That’s pretty smart.  An accurate account of life is over rated when you have dementia or when you’re listening to a story you’ve never heard before. 

The next day I took him to the emergency room for congestive heart failure.  After a stay in ICU, he was released – so glad to go home—read the paper, take a nap, read Time magazine, take a nap, watch Larry King or CNN, take a nap, eat dinner, take a nap, and then go to bed.  It gets simple for old folks.  And complicated for their kids.

So here’s a peek into my dad’s life the day before hospitalization.  He tells stories about his 44 years of selling on the road. 

Healthy Vegetarian/Vegan Eating!

May 29th, 2009

I received an email from a subscriber, Bill, that I want to share with all of you.  I couldn’t have said it better!

Thanks for your efforts to encourage wellness.  My wife and I have followed a largely vegetarian diet for the past two years and have seen significant benefits. Our original motivation was to save a few animal lives, especially given the cruelty in factory-farm food-animal production and slaughter. The positive health consequences were an unexpected benefit. There is also the satisfaction of knowing that reductions in meat eating will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

(Here’s a bit more of their story from a separate email……)

My wife and I attended a meeting two years ago of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). On the way there, knowing we would be would be having no meat during the conference, we had double cheeseburgers at a fast-food place, and joked whether we would be doing the same following the conference, as we anticipated no long-term change in our eating habits.

Halfway through the conference, we realized what great vegan food we were having and had a better understanding of the cruelty associated with much of the meat industry, and decided we would give vegetarianism a try. We have not been absolute by any means, but the health consequences were dramatic and surprising. I am about 20 pounds lighter and continuing to play tennis and full-court basketball at age 70. My wife Linda saw her previously astronomical cholesterol and triglyceride numbers plummet.

In short, whatever your own eating habits may be, I hope you will include some discussion of vegetarian options in your series on healthy eating.

Any other vegetarians or vegans want to chime in?  Do so at the comment link below…..would love to hear from you! 

March is National Kidney month

Mar 25th, 2009

Here are some ways to protect your kidneys:
· Regular Exercise
· Limit use of over-the-counter painkillers
· Maintain Healthy Weight
· Regular physician check-ups
· Maintain Healthy diet
· Know your family health history
· Regular blood pressure & cholesterol checks
· Become knowledgeable about kidney disease
· Avoid tobacco use and alcohol abuse
· If you are at risk, be tested

EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique

Mar 23rd, 2009

Have you heard about EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique.  It’s a very interesting way to manage physical, emotional, and spiritual stressors.  You an get rid of headaches, learn to stick with a healthy living plan, calm down, or manage just about anything else. 

Here’s a 6 minute video that gives you a quick strategy for using the technique.  The EFT practitioner demonstrates the technique to get rid of a headache.

Have you used EFT?  What has been the result?

KANSAS Diabetes Walk–Topeka, Wichita, Overland Park

Aug 28th, 2008

DIABETES WALK IN OVERLAND PARK, TOPEKA, AND WICHITA – sign up to join in!

Step Out and make a difference! Diabetes takes a devastating toll on more than 23 million adults and children in the US, and the number is growing every day. Diabetes is linked to nearly 300,000 deaths a ear, and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, kidney disease and blindness. Chances are that a family member, friend or colleague has been touched by diabetes.

It’s time for Kansas to Take Steps Now to Fight Diabetes!

Join hundreds of people across the state in the annual signature event for the American Diabetes Association – Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes! The event raises funds to support the American Diabetes Association’s mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The ADA’s mission is carried out through educational programs and services for the public, as well as workplace support, camps for children with diabetes, support groups and research grants to cure diabetes. There are three walk sites throughout the state so sign up for one of them today! Register online at www.diabetes.org/stepout for one of the following walk sites:

Overland Park/Kansas City Area – Theis Park on the Country Club Plaza
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Registration and a Wellness Fair opens at 7:30 a.m.
Opening Ceremony and Walk begins at 9 a.m.
Questions? Contact Andrea Hughey, ahughey@diabetes.org, (888) DIABETES, ext. 6842.

Topeka, Kansas – Lake Shawnee
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Registration and a Wellness Fair opens at 9 a.m.
Opening Ceremony and Walk begins at 10 a.m.
Questions? Contact Andrea Hughey, ahughey@diabetes.org, (888) DIABETES, ext. 6842.

Wichita, Kansas – Sedgwick County Zoo
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Registration and a Wellness Fair opens:TBD
Opening Ceremony and Walk begins:TBD
Questions? Contact Jackie Nelson, jnelson@diabetes.org, (888) DIABETES, ext. 6911.

Thanks for joining this critical fight against diabetes!

What’s Cookin’ with Diabetes Workshops (Kansas)

Jun 11th, 2008

FREE – Coming this Fall to Several Cities in Kansas!

Do you or a loved one have diabetes? If so, attending a two-hour workshop hosted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, K-State Research and Extension Services and Prime Therapeutics LLC would be beneficial to you. The main goal of the workshops is to inform people about self-managing diabetes and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices to delay or prevent complications. Workshops will be held on the following dates at selected cities:

Sept. 23: Topeka (English and Spanish)

Oct. 2: Pittsburg

Oct. 6: Hays

Oct. 9: Salina

Oct. 13: Liberal (English and Spanish)

Oct. 14: Dodge City (English and Spanish)

Oct. 16: Newton

For specific locations, please visit www.bcbsks.com, and click on the “What’s Cookin’ with Diabetes” box near the bottom of the home page. Or call 1-800-520-3137; if you live in the Topeka area, call 291-7062. The seminars are open to the public and are free of charge.  Please note that pre-registration is required because of limited seating. Food samples will be given to attendees.

The Drugs I Need!

Sep 18th, 2007

Did you ever laugh out loud when watching a drug ad on television – all the side effects – or were you just hopeful that taking the drug would fix whatever ails you? In the U.S., we have a love affair with drugs. Our motto seems to be “better living through chemistry.” Hey that sounds familiar!

Watch this little video on this topic. Funny, yes?
The Drugs I Need

How to Get Fat Without Really Trying

Sep 11th, 2007

Before his death, Peter Jennings produced a fabulous series of programs on How to Get Fat Without Really Trying.  He interviews experts in nutrition, farming, public policy, and others.  Each video is short but eye-opening.  If you want your eyes opened, watch this this series.

Jennings discusses farm subsidies and a variety of unintentional consequences of our public policies.  The interviews shine the light on the disconnection between U.S. agricultural policies and public health.  Also up for discussion is…who is responsible for Americans getting fat?  Is it the individual, the government, the media, agribusinesses?  You may be surprised by what you see.

Watch it!

Are you insulin resistant?

May 9th, 2007

A colleague asked me the other day about insulin resistance.  Because it’s an increasingly prevalent health risk, I thought you’d like to know a little more about it.  Here’s a wee bit of information just to get you oriented to the topic.  At the bottom I’ve listed links to a wealth of additional information about this condition including information about carbohydrate cravings, glycemic load, and lifestyle changes that help turn this condition around. 

The unfortunate truth is that anyone can become insulin resistant — even if they are thin. We are all at risk in our society where we have access to a lot of refined carbohydrates (white bread, sugar, bagels, pasta, potatoes, Coke/Pepsi, processed foods with added fructose, etc.). In fact, most of us are likely to be somewhat sensitive to insulin. It is just a matter of degree. The more processed and refined food that we eat, the more insulin we require to metabolize it. The more insulin in our blood, the less responsive our cells become. As we age, this continual exposure wears out our tolerance for refined carbohydrates and reduces our sensitivity to insulin.

If you suffer from high cholesterol, high triglycerides, or hypertension, you should get checked for insulin resistance, regardless of your weight or age. If you have high blood pressure, it is likely that you are also suffering from insulin resistance. High blood pressure medication will not cure insulin resistance.

The good news is that insulin and glucose levels are very easily influenced by changes in lifestyle, exercise, and diet. If you are diagnosed with insulin resistance, there is a lot you can do to reverse its course.

>>read the article

Related articles on insulin resistance:

• Explaining food cravings
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Preventing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
• Insulin control and the four food groups
• Using the glycemic index and glycemic load
• Micronutrient therapy for insulin resistance and diabetes
• Risk factors for diabetes
• Types of diabetes
• Complications of diabetes