Flowers for Joy.

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Dr. Amy

I have to say I love it when science verifies something women have known all along: Flowers make us happy.  Not just in a temporary way but in a real, sustainable way. Isn’t it amazing that something so simple can have such a big impact?  The study, conducted at Rutgers, was a resounding success showing that the mere presence of flowers initiates happy feelings, enhances feelings of life satisfaction and even changes social behavior.  All this from a simple bloom.

Don't you feel better already?

The study, which lasted ten months, had several major findings:

  1. Everyone, regardless of age or gender, is universally delighted by flowers.  When you receive flowers, you smile.  Simple!
  2. Flowers don’t just improve your mood short-term, they have long-term effects. Study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers and were able to experience more enjoyment and a greater sense of satisfaction with their lives.
  3. The presence of flowers actually caused people to connect more intimately with other people. Study participants with flowers in the room contacted family and friends more frequently than those without flowers.

    You can't help but smile, right?

So what does this all mean?  Simple! Have more flowers.  You can use them when you know you need a boost, or make them a simple staple of your life for a more joyful home or work environment.  This doesn’t have to break the budget – in fact flowers can be easy to afford.  Most florists and even grocery stores will sell a single stem for a couple of dollars and they can generally suggest the most long-lived varieties.  The study never said it has to be a massive bouquet – just a small flower in a bud vase will do it. I think keeping flowers in the house for 2012 is a great idea.  Some can come from the garden, some from the store but all of them will be joyful.

I couldn't resist one last shot...

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Best. Christmas. Cookies. Ever. And Eggnog for Breakfast – Yipee!

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Dr. Amy

In light of all the bad news, tragedy, stress and strife lately, I figured we all (myself included) need a dose of holiday happiness and nothing in the world does that better than awesome Christmas cookies (or holiday cookies if you prefer) that are just as good when they’re gluten free.  This is a Czech recipe – thanks to my dad’s side of the family – that has a very simple flavor and a melt in your mouth texture.  I’ve never been able to eat just one – I just keep nibbling every time I pass by.

It can be festivus and christmas at the same time, right?

Czech Butter Cookies:

Ingredients:

  1. 1 1/4 cup organic butter
  2. 5 tablespoons sugar
  3. 2 egg yolks (organic)
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  5. 2 2/3 cups flour – all purpose if you’re not gluten free, and Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Mix if you are.

Method:

Preheat oven to 375*. Cream together butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla.  Add in the flour and mix thoroughly. Shape into balls and press to flatten or force through a cookie press onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes if using regular flour and a few minutes longer if using gluten free. The cookies will be slightly golden around the edges but not brown at all.  They’re like a light, fluffy, buttery shortbread. Yummm.

If you want some variety you can always press nut pieces, candied fruit, or whatever you like on to the top of the cookies for a little variety, but try them plain first – the melt-in-your-mouth part is the best.

*Note: When I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix I make sure the cookies are totally done.  I’d rather they were overdone than underdone.  This flour mix is made from a variety of ingredients but it’s pretty heavy on the bean flours – which is great because it’s high protein and high fiber, but if the cookies aren’t cooked all the way through then there’s a subtle bean flavor that I don’t like.  The great news is that it disappears completely as long as you cook the cookies through so just take one out when they look right and let it cool and taste-test before you take the rest of them out of the oven.

Eggnog for breakfast:

So – eggnog is possibly the best thing in the universe and I’m going to give you two recipes. One is for straight-up holiday greatness eggnog with alcohol. The other is for a morning smoothie that is pretty darn close to the real thing (but might go over better at work if you don’t put rum in it).

Traditional Eggnog:

Ingredients:

  1. 3/4 cup organic milk
  2. 1/4 cup organic cream
  3. 1 organic egg
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  5. 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  6. 1 jigger spiced rum (or brandy, irish cream or kahlua if you prefer)

Method:

Add everything to your blender and blend until it’s smooth, creamy and delicious.  Drink liberally over the holidays. Also if you like a little more flavor to it you can add nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spices or Chinese five spice to the mix.

Healthy Breakfast Eggnog Smoothie:

Ingredients:

  1. 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  2. 1 scoop benefiber or citriclear unflavored fiber powder that mixes clear
  3. 1 1/2 cup organic milk
  4. 1/4 cup organic cream
  5. 1 tablespoon flax oil
  6. 2 organic eggs
  7. 1/2 frozen banana
  8. 1 teaspoon rum flavor (or just use the rum if it’s going to be that kind of a day)
  9. 1 tablespoon maple syrup if needed (usually the protein powder and banana make it sweet enough)
  10. Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin pie spice or Chinese five spice if you like a little bit of warm, spicy flavor in your nog.  I like a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg for mine…

Method:

Just dump it all in the blender and let it go! There’s not so much liquid so it will be pretty thick and creamy once it’s done. This smoothie is so rich and creamy and delicious you’ll swear it’s more like custard than anything else. It’s ridiculously delicious and great for you!

Happy Holidays Everyone and Here’s to a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous 2012.

With love from Dr. Amy.

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Brains! They Eat Brains!

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Dr. Amy

I am a huge fan of neti pots, simply because they *work.* They’re fast and inexpensive and easy to use and generally safe, except for lately.  Unfortunately a second death has been linked to neti pot use, in what sounds like a B-rated zombie movie plot because yes – they eat brains.

This is a screenshot from the game Plants vs. Zombies, by PopCap. I couldn't resist a little levity.

The highly science-fiction sounding brain-eating amoeba, or Naegleria fowleri, is common in lakes and rivers but happily for us, rarely has access to people’s brains.  Unfortunately, pouring a bunch of it directly into the nose gives this opportunistic amoeba a good chance to set in and cause a brain infection, which is life-threatening, called encephalitis. There have been reports of children dying after jumping in these lakes and rivers (presumably getting the infected water up their noses and hence allowing the amoeba brain access.) But the most recent deaths were actually from infected tap water used in neti pots. Both neti pot related deaths were in Louisianna which prompted to Louisiana Department of Health and Hopitals to issue a statement urging people to use distilled or filtered water in their neti pots.

This brings up a great point about the importance of good neti pot hygiene simply because you are actually putting something directly inside your skull, so it’s good to take care to do it properly.  It is not that neti pots are dangerous or unsafe, it is just that medically it’s important not to introduce any foreign bacteria, chemicals, viruses or amoeba inside of your delicate tissues.

Here are some steps to safe neti pot use:

  1. Always use filtered or distilled water as a base for your neti pot solution. If those are unavailable make sure you boil the water you are going to use and let it cool to room temperature.
  2. Thoroughly clean your neti pot and allow it to dry completely between each use.  Ceramic neti pots are typically dishwasher safe, but the squeeze bottle type, which is soft plastic,  has to be scrubbed.  Allowing it to dry completely ensures that no water-loving amoeba will survive.
  3. Use premixed salt packets or a simple solution of 1/4 teaspoon table salt, 8 oz filtered or distilled water and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda if you find that the plain salt solution burns your nose a little.  Do not add anything else to the solution, even if it’s a “healthy” thing, unless directed to do so by your doctor.

These are all simple and logical steps, but when you’re rushing around in the morning routine it’s easier to just fill the neti pot with tap water than anything else so please, for the sake of fewer zombie jokes, use distilled.  Brain-eating anything is pretty serious.  Also exercise some caution when swimming this summer and try to avoid water-up-the-nose type activities like belly flops and cannonballs. The brain-eating amoeba likes warm waters in warm Southern climates and for anybody local – this is a warm Southern climate.

Symptoms of Naegleria Encephalopathy:

  • Headache
  • Neck Stiffness
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Confusion
  • Lack of Reactivity
  • Hallucinations
  • Seizures

Sadly, this infection is almost universally fatal. There is only one known person who has survived so please – use safe water in your neti pot.

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Life is Short – Celebrate!

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Dr. Amy

I wish I could say that the inspiration for this post is a happy one, but it’s anything but.  I found out today that three colleagues, two of whom were dear friends from graduate school, have passed away recently.  Eli was a completely hilarious, quick witted, sarcastic man who kept everyone around him laughing and would go out of his way to make people happy.  Susan was a beautiful, vibrant woman who was somewhat quiet and always smiley but when she did speak up it was always with something unexpectedly funny that would take everyone by surprise.  She was one of the kindest, warmest people I’ve met. Stacey was in school after I was, but we worked together and I was impressed by her positivity and drive.

These three were all young (30s and 40s), vibrant, and did everything for their health. They had great relationships, children, careers and busy lives. I don’t think any of them would have anticipated leaving the world so early. I can’t begin to fathom that they are gone.

As I sit in my house, surrounded by my stuff and reminders of the things that normally weight heavily on my mind I am struck by the sheer madness of my entire existence.  That I am here and whole and healthy is such a miracle – such a gift.  I feel so ashamed at the amount of time I waste worrying about things that don’t matter. When I look around today, after learning of these three deaths, my worries are so trivial and tiny and neurotic.  I have everything I need, I have wonderful friends, amazing family, a house I love and good food on the table. What does the rest of it matter? Where is there any kind of problem?

I’m also ashamed of  the time I waste doing things that don’t truly make a difference in the end.  Sure it’s a good idea to make sure my business keeps running and my house is in good repair. But what about the time I fritter away on the internet or with some kind of escapism like TV or movies or books?  Doesn’t that just amount to watching other people live instead of living myself? There is nothing like the stark reality of death to make a whole bunch of silliness just fall away.

This also throws light on the social and emotional stuff that can become issues in my head but are utterly meaningless.  How many times have I not called a dear friend because I was too busy or had to get one more thing done at work? How many people have I failed to keep in touch with, or not shown my feelings for  – for some ridiculous reason like laziness or shyness or inconvenience.  How many activities and events have I missed because there was something that really needed doing, or work, or I was so tired from work that I couldn’t muster up the energy, or some other equally small excuse.

At moments like this it is so hard not to look at my life and feel like maybe I’ve missed something somewhere. If Susan or Eli or Stacey had just a few more days – would they spend them working? Taking care of responsibilities? Or would they smile with their loved ones, maybe go to a park, pick flowers for their bedside table, eat chocolate or watch the sunset. Or maybe something totally different and fun and wonderful – who knows? The point is – they’d probably make joy and love and laughter a pretty high priority. And shouldn’t we all? I’m not saying we should ignore real life and let everything go – but what if work and money and stuff mattered just a little less and life and people and friends and joy mattered just a little bit more?

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Kundalini Yoga – The Secret Shortcut to Joy

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Dr. Amy

Life has been stressful lately – too much to do and too little time, financial obligations all over the place and too little money, resources stretched thin everywhere.  I’ve been hearing about kundalini yoga for years – one of my dearest friends swears by it – but having never been a yoga-type person I’ve always brushed it off as a good idea for some undefined date in the future.  Well – that day has come.

I enrolled in a kundalini foundations class at yoga yoga with some hesitation.  Kundalini, the little I knew about it, is the weird yoga – lots of chanting and panting with nothing nearly so dignified as a ‘warrior pose’ to make you feel properly hip or cool.  Frankly, it’s so yoga it’s a little intimidating.  I slunk into the first class hoping to hide in the back, only to find out it was a tiny class and there would be no hiding.

I really can’t say I knew what to expect, but the class was relatively straight forward.  We started with some warm up exercises that are deliciously simple and nurturing and most of them combine  simple motions like twisting from left to right or bending the spine forward and back with rhythmic breathing. To my vast relief, I found out that most of the class is done with your eyes closed (thank goodness).  After the warm-up the main exercise, called a kriya, is started.  I say exercise but it often includes various breathing activities, physical poses, chanting and meditation.  It’s so much more than just a series of physical activities.  After that there is a final relaxation in which we all lay comfortably on the floor and the instructor (mine is Billy – a kind, generous soul who truly wants to share yoga with the world) plays the gong.  If you’ve never experienced this, I would highly suggest you rush out today and get into your nearest kundalini class because it’s absolutely blissful.

The pre-judgement I had about kundalini being intimidating was my own, silly little construct.  It’s not intimidating at all – in fact it’s the most gentle and nurturing yoga I’ve ever experienced and the classes leave me feeling peaceful, less frantic and more grounded.  I’m also noticing that my moods are more stable through the days that I’m practicing – which is a huge bonus right now.

Kundalini is a type of yoga that emphasizes creating balance, not only in the physical body but also in the mental, emotional and energetic bodies. In short – balance in life. There is no competitive contortionism (as is my complaint with many yoga classes where the first row can all wrap their leg around their waste and look fabulous while the rest of us twitch and sweat in the back row just trying to touch our toes). There is no sense of ‘doing it wrong’ or ‘not being flexible enough.’ In fact, in the classes it seems that all of the teachers go out of their way to emphasize compassion for your body and gentle treatment of your self.  It’s completely refreshing.

See how balanced my chakras are now? :)

I’m finding that I look forward to my next kundalini class, and am trying to sneak classes in almost every day – simply because I feel better when I do.  Happier, more grounded, less stressed.  Not only that, it’s fun – and it’s exercise.  I’m doing something great for me as a whole person and enjoying it – how great is that? Is it the gateway to enlightenment?  I have no idea.  But it’s certainly worth it!

If anyone wants to try a class I was given a hand-full of new student passes that will get you into a class for free so email me if you’d like me to save one for you!

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Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Dr. Amy

These things just go together, right?  So much so that it’s pretty darn near a cliche. And yet there is something in the rhythm of the year that makes this season the perfect time of year for introspection and for reflecting back on the previous year as you get ready for the changes you want to make in the new year.

Happily, gratitude is also showing promising health benefits.  In a new movement called Positive Psychology, gratitude is being shown to promote positive mental health and a positive mental attitude. The whole idea behind Positive Psychology is focusing on the great things in life instead of illness, life stresses or emotional problems. The best thing about it, of course, is that it works.   Just like smiling when you’re down actually elevates your mood in that moment, positive thinking boosts your mood long-term.

So today, for thanksgiving, make a list of the ten things you’re most grateful for in this past year – even if your year, like mine, has been a little bit rocky. Don’t just scratch the surface with the slightly cynical ‘I’m grateful for this bottle of wine’ type.  Really think about it and find the things in your life that truly mean something to you. So – here’s my list.

  1. I’m so grateful that even though this year has been another financially stressful one for so many people (myself included) I have always been able to pay my mortgage and put good food on the table.
  2. I’m thankful that through thick and thin, moves and distance, I have such a fabulous group of friends who love me even when I’m being crazy and who can tell me *when* I’m being crazy. That helps so much.
  3. I’m thankful for all my fabulous patients who try the crazy things like food elimination diets and wet socks  – and most grateful to have the opportunity to help point them in the right direction back to health.  It’s such a gift to share this part of life with people.
  4. I’m ridiculously grateful that I’m finally learning, after 34 long years, to let go of all the little (and big) junk that I can’t control.  There is so much less stress when I stop trying to pretend I can control anything at all.
  5. I’m grateful I made it through the summer from hell, it was touch and go there for a bit.
  6. I’m so happy that after three years of enjoying the project my fixer-upper house is *almost* done!!! Woohoo!
  7. I’m so grateful for all of the people who have helped me with my own health – this year has been a great one for learning more about my body and what it really needs.
  8. I’m so thankful for my yard – I can’t begin to cover how much having a quiet space in which to garden acts as a balm for my soul.
  9. I’m grateful that horses have come back into my life after a long intermission – I loved them as a kid, got away from riding when school got hectic and am only just getting back to it now.  As it turns out, once a horse person always a horse person.
  10. I’m thankful that I’m learning to really understand myself. Funny that we’re always the last ones to see ourselves clearly, and how painful and beautiful that process is.

If pessimism, anxiety or depression are often a part of your life, then a gratitude journal could be a great idea.  Try for 5 things that you’re truly grateful for each day.  Really some days even the little stuff – like ‘I’m grateful I didn’t *actually* lose my cool and toss my phone into the toilet’ – will round out your list nicely.  As you turn your mind towards the wonderful things in your days and in your life a mysterious change happens.  You see more wonderful things and because you’re able to appreciate them they don’t get lost in the problems that inevitably pop up.  Life starts to have more color, more spark, and more joy.  All from a simple little journal and 5 minutes a day.

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Cleaning Out My Closet Has Changed My Life

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Dr. Amy

Ok – so I know this isn’t exactly ‘medical’ or even health related – but then, it seems that staying sane in a ridiculously insane world counts a little bit, right?  Here’s the back story:  I’ve been in a little bit of a rut lately and lots of chaos is happening in my life. The second edition of my book is getting closer to completion, I’m doing a kitchen remodel (god save me), my car is wheezing it’s last breaths and forcing me to compare cars online (I’d rather eat all the dirt in my garden.) In short, life is happening and the only thing that’s predictable is the unpredictability.

One of my dearest friends was telling me about a friend of hers who hired a style consultant to go through their closet and streamline and how much it’s made her life easier.  A style consultant would be a ridiculous extravagance in my life right now, but cleaning out the closet sounded like the perfect thing!  Honestly I wasn’t expecting much, but it’s a great thing that I could do and still feel productive, even though I was obviously avoiding the 20 things I should have been doing at that time.  As it turns out it was TOTALLY worth it.

HAND EMBROIDERED CLOTHES © Ashish Maurya | Dreamstime.com

Here’s what I did:

  1. Set aside my absolutely can’t-live-without favorites and if anything needs mending or attention put it on a pile of things that need to have something done to them (i.e. button sewn back on, hem repaired, etc…)
  2. Try on the different pieces in your closet and look at yourself in them with new eyes.  Then ask these questions:
  • Does it flatter your body shape? If no, then put it in the goodwill pile. No matter how fabulous or expensive or wonderful it is, if it doesn’t suit you then it has to go.
  • Is it comfortable to wear?  If it isn’t then goodwill it! If you feel uncomfortable you also don’t look right.  Just let it go.
  • Do you always have to adjust it to make it stay in place? That’s the worst, most annoying thing ever.  Goodwill!
  • Have you worn it in the last year? If not, then chances are you’re not going to.  Sure – probably you’ve got a cocktail dress or a tuxedo that might stay even though you haven’t worn it in a year, but if it’s just a shirt then goodwill it.
  • Has it been waiting for a repair for ages? You know the thing in the back of your closet that needs a button?  Yeah.  Unless it’s a can’t-live-without then chuck it.
  • Does it go with anything else in your closet?  If you’re anything like me you have that adorable skirt that you’ve never worn because nothing really goes with it.  Goodwill baby.
  • Are you still waiting to squeeze back into it?  Look – if it’s been more than 5 years since you’ve been that size then let it go.  I’m not saying you won’t be that size again, but by the time you are you’re not going to want to wear that. I promise.  Someone at goodwill needs it more than you.
  • Do you have another one almost exactly like it?  If you do then pick your favorite and ditch the other one.
  • Is it the ‘guilt’ shirt?  You know the one I mean – The one with the designer label that you bought on sale because it was on sale (but not really your style) and you’ve never worn it but occasionally you pull it out just to admire it?  Um… Yeah. I had a couple of these and some lucky person at goodwill just got them this morning.

Now we start on the shoes:

  • Do they pinch, rub, cause blisters, create foot aches or otherwise bite in some unpleasant way?  Life is too damn short for that.
  • Are they even your size?  My feet have grown as an adult but I was hanging on to those expensive boots, just in case they decided to shrink again.  It doesn’t seem to be happening.
  • Have you worn them in a year?  Sure – they were great at that fabulous party in 1992.  So were lots of things.
  • Do they match anything you own? I had the inexplicable green-grey pair.  Totally great shoes that match absolutely nothing in my closet. Goodwill pile!

For me that got rid of probably a quarter of my clothing and shoes and also allowed me to rediscover some hidden treasures that were buried under things I never moved (how sad is that?) Now the hard part…  Look at everything that’s left and for every 5 similar things take out your least favorite.  So fore every 5 pairs of dark slacks, one of them should go.  Likewise for every 5 blouses, every 5 tank tops, every 5 t-shirts, every 5 pairs of jeans.  Seriously how many do you think you need?  This part is harder, but SO worth it.

Now you’re left with pieces that fit you perfectly, look great, match other things and are comfortable to wear.  Best of all, there is breathing room in your closet.  Actual air space.  This means your choices when you get up in the morning are so much more simple – everything is already fabulous, you just have to put it on.  Every choice you make no matter how simple or small or meaningless (like picking out your outfit) adds a burden of stress to your day.  The more of those choices you can make easier, the less stress you have to endure.  Plus you can release all of the guilt you’ve been carrying for not wearing that thing you got on sale, or for not mending that button or whatever.  Just let it go and move on with your newer, sleeker, more fabulous wardrobe.

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Searching for Happiness? Try Something New

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Dr. Amy

Do you ever have those days when you realize that you did exactly the same thing as you did the day before? And the day before that?  Like your whole life is a cycle of get up, get the kids to school, get to work, rush home, do homework, get the kids ready for bed, collapse and repeat? Yeah – me too.  And that is a terrifying and depressing place to be simply because there’s no *life* in your life, there’s no joy, there’s nothing that’s new.  And that’s the crux of the issue – the lack of newness.

Joe Robinson wrote a great book recently called Don’t Miss Your Life exploring the link between boredom and depression or anxiety, and between newness and joy. Joe asserts that your brain is essentially hard-wired to both resist newness (keeping you safe – just like always) and to love it and reward you for it.

Your brain develops connections between neurons in response to new experiences and those connections degrade and disappear when there is no novelty in your life.  So actively learning something new helps strengthen the connections between your nerves and create new ones – new connections and new neural networks.  If you’re not following that means that newness helps your brain to grow and change and that’s a big deal!  Not only that, but your brain releases dopamine, your “reward” neurotransmitter even when you’re just expecting to do something new and not yet doing that new thing.  This is called an “exploration bonus” and basically means that your brain rewards you for novelty.

Don't worry - it doesn't have to be quite *this* new... PARACHUTE WITH MAN © Kopitoto | Dreamstime.com

The other thing the book points out is that warring with this reward for newness, is your tried and true desire for safety.  Your brain is wired to stay safe – to eliminate potential threat and to evaluate every new behavior in terms of how threatening it might be. An area of your brain, called the amygdala, views the unknown as “scary” and often makes you overestimate the negatives and underestimate the positives of this new activity – giving you the impression that your same old routine is pretty darn good. But don’t listen! You need newness to bring joy and growth to your life and the only way to make that happen is to overcome your fear.

Letting Go of Your Fear and Embracing the New:

Like everything else, there are some ways to make this easy for yourself.

  1. Start Simple – Instead of jumping right into the newness of something really scary, like say bullfighting or extreme sports, try a baby-step new instead.  What if instead of going to Starbucks like always you go to that funky little independent coffee shop?  You’re still getting coffee, you’re doing the same thing – it’s just a little location change. Even something as simple as this is ‘new.’
  2. Do Something You Used To Love – Probably there were a bunch of things you loved to do as a kid, but haven’t done in a while.  Why not try one of those again? They’re not exactly new, but they’re new enough to be less-threatening. Pick up that guitar, those art supplies or the baseball bat.  Give it another shot.
  3. Make  a Newness Goal – How about one little new thing every month? Or this year you’re going to learn something totally new, like a language or pottery or flamanco dancing or skiing.  How about flying to one random place every year? Whatever your newness goal, make it a priority in your life.
  4. Don’t Put Performance Pressure on Yourself – Do this new thing purely to enjoy it.  It doesn’t matter if you become fluent in that language or if your pottery is good enough to sell – just do it for the pure enjoyment.
  5. Play Around – If you’re like me there are about 4000 things you can think of that might be fun, and that is a bit overwhelming so dabble.  Try a tiny bit of something before you commit to a whole class or expensive equipment.  Just give a few things a brief try and see what really makes you happy.
  6. Scared? Play the ‘And Then’ game – This is one of my favorites (and not just for the movie reference).  If your brain is tormenting you with all the things that could go wrong then it’s time for ‘and then…’ Say you’ve decided to join a pottery class but your safety-brain tries to scare you. “You’ll be horrible and make ugly pots!” Just ask: “and then?” Well, then your safety brain has to come up with something really scary “You’ll feel foolish” and so you ask “and then?” There are very few situations that actually reduce to something dangerous – it’s mostly just excuses to not do things from your safety brain. Generally the last point you get to is “and then…. ?” Because it’s nothing that matters.

So start today – take a baby step towards novelty and push those happy buttons in your brain because frankly, I don’t know anyone who couldn’t use some good happy-button pushing.

And Here’s the Kindle Edition for the digital age…

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Chicken Soup Really Is the Best Cure

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Dr. Amy

In light of my actually having to take a sick day, I thought you might like to know my secret weapon against colds and the flu, and it’s actually not-so-secret. I’m pretty sure your mom told you about this one – because it’s home made chicken soup. Turns out your mom was right (but don’t tell her, you’ll never hear the end of it).  The best thing to help when you have an upper respiratory tract infection like a cold or flu really is chicken soup.

It may sound crazy but there is plenty of research out there showing just how effective chicken soup really is.  One of my favorite articles, published in the journal CHEST by Barbara Rennard et. al. says:

The present study, therefore, suggests that chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity. A mild anti-inflammatory effect could be one mechanism by which the soup could result in the mitigation of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections.

So how did I spend my sick day?  In bed reading with a pot of Chicken stock cooking on the stove.  Here’s how to make your own chicken soup because guess what?  The studies say homemade really is most effective (I’m not kidding – they really do!)

Making Your Own Chicken Stock:

  1. Save all of the chicken bones from your family’s meals in a bag in the freezer.  Along with the chicken bones, save vegetable pieces that can’t be used but are still good – things like mushroom stalks, the stems of parsley and cilantro, the leafy tops of your celery, the end of the asparagus that you snap off before you cook them, the woody parts of the broccoli stem, and the skins from your onions.  Any type of vegetable can be used because you’re not eating these, you’re just boiling them in the soup stock.
  2. When you’re making your stock put the entire contents of this freezer bag into 1 gallon of water in a big pot and set the stove to high to boil for 5 minutes.
  3. Turn the heat all the way low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours.
  4. Strain the stock into another pot through a colander and throw out all the stuff that’s left in the colander – it’s just bones and left-over veggie pieces.
  5. Taste your stock and see what it needs – usually it just needs some salt.
  6. Ta-Da! You have your own home-made yummy miracle cure.
  7. If you’re just starting out and you don’t have your freezer bag already full of random bits and pieces you can start a batch of stock with chicken wings or chicken thighs from the grocery store.  Use about 5-6 wings or 3-4 thighs per gallon of water.  If you’re starting this way then add 1/2 an onion coarsely chopped with the skin and all, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots and any odds and ends of vegetables that you have around. I suggest adding a few mushrooms for a richer flavor. Cook it all the same way and strain out the chicken pieces just the same.  You may be able to use some of the meat from the bones in the soup itself, so after you strain it then pick out the chicken pieces and cut the meat off of them into the stock.

Making Chicken Stock into Chicken Soup:

The first thing you’ll notice is that home-made chicken stock is a whole different beast than store-bought chicken stock.  It’s rich and flavorful and ridiculously yummy by itself.  But, if you want to make it into a soup with some body to it then we can add some goodies.  Here’s my favorite. You’ll need:

  1. 4 chicken thighs
  2. 1 cup pearl barley (can use rice or another grain if you’re not a fan of barley)
  3. 3-4 stalks celery
  4. 2 carrots
  5. 1 bunch green onions
  6. 1/2 bunch parsley or 1 bunch cilantro (whichever you prefer)
  7. 1 cup mushrooms

Add the barley (or whatever grain) to the stock that you already made and bring it to a low boil.  Finely chop all of your veggies and dump them into the stock.  Let it cook for about half an hour or until the barley/grain is tender.

And you just made the best chicken soup you’ll ever eat.  Simple! The best part about this is that aside from chopping veggies in the last step, you get to lay in bed or on the couch while all of this is happening.  It’s mostly just hanging out cooking without you.

Enjoy!

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Keep Your Breasts Healthy Naturally

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Dr. Amy

In light of breast cancer awareness month I’d like to talk a little bit about keeping your girls healthy and happy and cancer-free. The fact is that there are lots of simple things you can do to stay healthy and help prevent breast cancer.  Simple changes can really add up – here are some places to start, taken from my book: DIY Health: For Women.

Natural Ways To Help Prevent Breast Cancer:

  1. Manage your estrogens – Make sure you are doing the things we’ve talked about to keep your estrogens under control and to keep them at a safe level.  Don’t forget the basics like fiber and exercise that we talked about here – they go a long way.
  2. Don’t take extra estrogens if you’re high risk – if you have genetic risk or a family history of breast cancer than just don’t use birth control or HRT that adds estrogens into your system.  That means no birth control pills, no implants, no shots, no patch.  If you really need a birth control method that isn’t condoms, then consider an IUD – the Mirena IUD actually secretes a small amount of progesterone and so would be very balancing for a woman who normally has high estrogen.  The copper IUD lasts longer (about 10 years for one IUD) but can cause heavy bleeding.  Talk with your doctor to find a solution that is right for you.
  3. Help your Breast tissue – if you have dense breasts or are fibrocystic, start with iodine therapy and GLA (the good fats from evening primrose oil or borage oil).  It’s really important to check with your doctor if you have thyroid problems before you start taking iodine.  It should only take 3-4 months for your breast tissue to change and soften.  After that you can just take iodine every now and then to maintain.
  4. Limit the estrogenic chemicals in your life – cut out the phthalates, the cleaning products, the pesticides and herbicides.  All of these chemicals mimic estrogen in your body and so have the same potential cancer causing effects. Switch to organic when you can, especially in milk, dairy and eggs. If you’re high-risk then this is especially important but I believe every woman should protect herself and her children.
  5. Exercise – how many times do I need to say it?
  6. Breast self-exams – this is really just to make sure that no lumps pop up quickly – use circular motions to feel the whole area of breast tissue, including under your arms on both sides.  Look for lumps or knots.  Also make sure you look at your breasts in the mirror – dimpling, puckering or inverted nipples can indicate a problem – especially if it starts suddenly.  Also watch for sores or ‘bug bites’ that don’t go away – it is much more rare but there is a form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer that just looks like a sore or an itchy rash-like spot on the breast that doesn’t heal.
  7. Lose Weight – I know. I make it sound so simple.  Remember the bottom line is that you need to use more calories than you eat.  Every woman is different in the weight loss department, but eliminating your food allergies will be a tremendous help.
  8. Eat your veggies and cut down on the meats – a more plant-based diet helps to reduce your risk and protect your body from many types of cancers, including breast.
  9. Screening – mammograms are suggested for women over 40 and although there is some radiation exposure they also help with early detection so talk with your doctor about what is right for you.  For women who are truly high risk having a thermogram, or thermal imaging, of the breasts done yearly can be extremely helpful.  Thermal imaging will show problem areas far before you would be able to feel a lump or find anything on a mammogram, although if a spot shows up you will still need to get a mammogram to pinpoint the exact location.  Thermal imaging essentially acts as an early warning system that shows you what to watch.  It also gives you the opportunity to take more aggressive steps if something does show up to prevent it from growing into cancer.

Take care of your breasts ladies – it’s incredibly important.  These days it seems like everyone knows and loves someone who has been touched by breast cancer. We all have mothers or aunts or sisters or friends who have faced this beast, but together we can help to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  Make sure your friends know how to take care of themselves, raise your children doing breast self-exams and practicing good eating habits.  Love your breasts ladies, it will help to keep you healthy.

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