H1N1 Vaccine: The Facts About the Flu

(facts) - (fear) = sound choices

I had a pretty wonderful piece on how to avoid arguing with someone all ready to go when, at the gym, I saw this 60 Minutes story on the H1N1 vaccine.

Being so tired of all the fear mongering going around about this vaccine, I thought I would share this with my readers. I pick the sources of my information with the greatest of care; CBS News in general, and 60 Minutes in particular, are reputable and generally respected by the general public. I think their record of public service and quality reporting speaks for itself.

That said, listen to the people CBS selected to tell this story. Making decisions based on facts as opposed to fear is always the better choice.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Obama and I Agree :) The Flu is National Threat

 (healthy mind) + (healthy body) = healthy mody

Just a few minutes ago the president released the news that he believes the flu to be a "national emergency." I am happy to hear that he is committed to the spread of the flu. Congrats to our president for taking a stand and making it easier for at-risk populations to seek preventive care and treatment.

As posted on this blog last week, vaccination and information are two key allies in this fight. That said, there is one more preventive act that is easy, inexpensive and mandatory--hand washing.

Washing hands with warm soap and water, up to the wrists, is a crucial part of protecting yourself from bacteria that could harm you. As an added precaution, turn water off (don't leave it running) with a paper towel, your sleeve or some other object that keeps you from immediate contact with the faucet. Also, open the bathroom door with the same object, as it is most likely contaminated with a variety of bacteria that can spread influenza.

I know this may seem elementary--the president was mocked for discussing this earlier--but it is mandatory to stop the spread of the flu, in addition to a variety of other illnesses.

New Link Between Depression and Heart Disease?

 (mind) + (body) = mody

Apparently so...while this is a preliminary study, the research design and the results are impressive. More proof, as if we need any, that the mody is the new way to see ourselves.

Read about the research here.

What's the Number One Reason People Can't Make Changes Stick?

(change) - (one step) = status quo

'Tis the season to change. People are back from the beach, out of Mai Tai mix and realizing that whatever was wrong pre-tan line is still there post-tan. Regardless of if it is needing a career change, wanting to lose that final 20 pounds or conquering depression, the fall is the time when people reach out to me for help.

Based on my own experience and the experiences of my clients, I have the number one reason short-term change fails to translate into long-term success.

Drum roll please.......

They don't fully engage. I work wtih them to understand their problem and help them design a plan to create significant, and real change in their lives. They are on board for 80 or 90% of it but one key aspect of the plan, many times THE key aspect, keeps them from success.

Let me give you an example. Years ago a client came to me complaining of anxiety, insomnia and of a boyfriend she was "addicted" to. No matter how hard she tried, she could not shake him out of her life. I spent a few weeks learning about friends (very few or none) and family relationships (she had cut them off because they were critical of HIM). She had inherited a significant amount of money from her father's estate so she did not work. It seemed that for the most part she had taken on Rodney (a pseudonym) as her full time job.

She and I created a plan that engaged her in community service with a few key causes she was passionate about. In that way she could begin to build friendships with people who shared her interests. We also implemented a three day a week exercise plan, mostly made up of classes, so she would have a schedule to keep and other opportunities for friendship. The most important part of the plan regarded Rodney--we agreed she would write and tell him they needed a full year apart to see who she was--and who he was too. I was convinced that the year clear of Rodney would allow her to see him for what he was as opposed to the man she imagined him to be.

Almost immediately we began weekly check-ins to see where she was on her three goals. She excelled in her non-profit work and lost seven pounds in her first month working out. She had also weened herself from her anti-anxiety meds, replacing them with the square breathing exercises I had taught her when she felt anxious. Her sleep had also gotten better in that she was physically and mentally active, making her more tired at day's end. Last of all, she had not spoken to Rodney, who she missed greatly.; she realized why the break was important and was committed to sticking to her plan. All tolled, she had a real success on her hands.

However, a few weeks later month two proved to be harder; the anxiety outbreaks began to reappear and her exercise tapered off from three to two days a week. A few sessions later she said something about what Rodney was doing. I asked how she knew and she confessed that she had been texting with him for about three weeks. She claimed she did not think texting "counted," so we discussed the implications of any contact with a man who "did not seem to be good for her" (her words, not mine).

"It is so hard," she said, "we meant so much to each other for so long." I asked her if she thought it was a coincidence that her exercise had gone down and anxiety had risen--threatening her plan. She said no, and told me she would try harder.

Eventually all of her forward motion was derailed by her inability to take a year off from Rodney. Was the goal hard? Yes, I acknowledged that it was. However, I would say, and she agreed, that no matter how hard it was it was not as hard as the life she lived under Rodney's control.

She had asked me to help her create a transition plan and we did, an effective one at least at the start. However, it was her inability to be consistent that kept her from moving forward and making her life a better one.

Do you see any of my former client in you? Creating real change is so very hard. One way to ensure success is accepting the entire plan and trying it out. After all, what do you have to lose?

Health Care is Not a Luxury

(healthy body) + (healthy mind) = healthy nation

I just heard a podcast which I think, at the end of the day, is as eloquent a statement about the problems we have with health care in this country as any I have heard.

It is from a woman fresh out of college who has no health care and cannot afford any. If anything happens to her, large or small, she either cannot access care or has to do so through an emergency room at a much higher cost for the hospital, her, and all of us.

The very concept that everyone does not have health care in a nation of our stature is a joke. I have little patience for politics and find the arguments exhausting. But the object of this blog is to discuss the side effects of living. And I think the side effects of not being able to access a GP, or a dentist, or a therapist (which by the way, is not being offered under any proposal), when you need one, are monumental.

Can we put politics and special interests aside and take care of our own? Doing so would, in effect, benefit each and every one of us with a more productive, and healthier, population. That is truly money well spent.

Listen to Molly Adams' podcast here.

Flu Facts and Flu Fiction

 (mind) + (body) = mody

Flu season is truly upon us. In the past 24 hours I have heard so many people claim to have the flu, or the cold, or some combination thereunto, that I lost track.

And I have found a very handy on tool that I wanted to share with my readers--it is called Flu.Gov. While I am usually cautious around sites such as this, on this site I automatically found two things I liked:

1. There is a link to vaccination information all over the country

2. There is a H1N1/Swine Flu evaluation tool

I know the 'net is full of anecdotal horror stories about one person's beliefs about immunization.

Folks, the flu vaccine is science, not religion.

Immunization saves lives (or in the case of the flu, makes living a lot easier). Vaccines are not something to believe in, they are a fact and they are effective. They work, they save lives--go get one, especially if you are at risk (parents, health providers, people at risk, etc.). I am on my way to have my shot this morning--regardless of if I like it, or not.

Have a great day!

Healthy Street Food in New York City

I talk to my clients about defensive eating with great regularity, as there are hidden traps in almost every meal you have.

Today let's consider one of my favs--street food. New York city is littered with food carts selling meals that average about five bucks, and a lot of calories, many twice what one meal should be for an average diet.

So how to make one of the cart meals congruent with fitness goals?

• NO FRIED FOOD--that means falafel, aka Arabic hush puppies, are a no-no. Street vendors love to stuff dishes with fried tidbits. Tell them no....and watch closely as many will try to sneak them in "for flavor."
• SAUCE--there is an overwhelming desire amongst street merchants to slide in sauces of all sorts. Whenever I ask what "that" is, they say "sauce." My advice--light on the sauce or no sauce at all.
• BROWN RICE--always ask about rice options in advance and never do white rice, which is the grain world's version of shredded lettuce. Golden rice may also be available and a good option.
• VEGGIES--some guys will have all sorts of toppings for your dish--tell them yes to everything, with a few exceptions. If you are being mindful of the calorie count, say no to cheese (I do) and black olives (I do most of the time).
  
• WHITE SAUCE--I know I just talked sauce. But this one, the most egregious of the street sauces, deserves its own bullet point. NO WHITE SAUCE. It is dairy based and packed, packed with calories.

So what do you eat Dave? I get chicken and rice with salad. I only get TWO scoops of rice, as a scoop is about one cup of rice, which equals 218 calories (or thereabouts). So an extra scoop can take your dish into the high calorie zone quickly. No sauce except for "hot sauce," which usually is vinegar or tomato based. I always say no to the previously mentioned white sauce and also barbecue, which can have lots of hidden calories as well. Total calories? About 665, but that is a rough estimate as one cart's calories can vary vastly from another.

What do you do if they won't listen to me or can't understand my questions, instructions or pleas for help? As Dionne Warwick sang so long ago, "Walk on By," there is another one a block away...and you'll get a little extra exercise in to boot.

Bon apetit mes amis.

What Do You Get From Exercising JUST ONE TIME?

I have felt this oh so many times before, nice to see it proven...the very act of exercising can make you feel better about your body.

Lowering Your Anxiety Without Medication

 
(mind) + (body) = mody


We are all a product of our ancestors and since that is true, we inherited a variety of wonderful, and some less than wonderful traits that do not play so well in the 21^st century.  On of those is our response to stress. In ancient times, and in some cases today, our instinctual desire to fight or run away comes in handy (ever cross paths with a grizzly bear?). But most times these responses won’t work at the office or in an airplane on the tarmac. So understanding how you can naturally change the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream is an important tool in managing your anxiety. 

We breathe, on average, twelve to fourteen times per minute; a slight change in respiration, say two additional breaths per minute, can drastically change the oxygen content of your blood. And that increased oxygen send signals to your body that something is wrong. As a result a variety of symptoms may occur—faster heart beat, a feeling of being cool or hot, tingling feelings, Goosebumps or a feeling of dread.

To counteract these symptoms, we have to take control of something we normally do not—the rhythm of our breath. One method is placing a paper sack over one’s mouth. In doing so, we breathe in our own carbon dioxide and lessen the oxygen we take in.

However, the bag may not be handy or may be a tad obvious during a job interview or having dinner at the in-laws. And that is where square breathing comes in handy.

It is called square breathing because it is four sided and each side is the length of the other three.

1.   Breathe in to a count of four;

2.   Hold that breath for a four count;

3.   Exhale for the same count;

4.   Then hold off from breathing for one more count of four.

Do this over and over. It may be difficult at first but in a few moments you will begin to feel the benefit. The oxygen will level off and the symptoms, as well as the feelings will subside as a result. Over time, as you get more proficient, extend the count to six or seven, just as long as it feels comfortable for you.

Who would have thought being square would be so cool?

Taking Control of Your Mody

My spell check does not like the word “mody.” I suppose the main reason is that outside of my mind, the word has technically not existed.

Mody (mod-ee) noun, plural mod⋅ies, verb, mod⋅ied,Mod⋅y⋅ing, adjective. The physical structure, material substance, as well as the emotional and mental states of an animal, primarily human, but applying to other sentient beings as well.

When I first started working with clients who wanted to achieve their goals, I was asked if I “believed” in the mind-body link. At that time I was not sure. Now, five years later I have come to realize the concept of a mody is not something to believe in but it is a fact. The mind and body constantly reflect and reinforce each other; one is intimately, and immediately reinforced by the other. In an effort to teach people that this is a fact, I coined the term mody.

How does it work? Think about a time when you were not feeling well. Perhaps your stomach was upset or your allergies were annoying you. Your body felt bad and you felt “yucky” as well. You probably don’t want to be as social, or as productive when your body is not medically optimal. Chances are that if the illness was profound or extended, your mood shifted to a lower state—right?

Or recall a time when you were very sad from an event you had recently experienced. In turn your thoughts made you feel lethargic, not unlike a time when your body was medically at risk. Perhaps as a result your sleeping or eating changed (too much or not enough of either or both). That made you more susceptible to making yourself physically sick as well.

Body feeds mind and mind feeds body.

Let's examine this effect in a variety of way. What are the side effects of a body that is not in tip top shape? Also, what are the implications of a mind that is not functioning at its best?

Have a great day…and take care of your mody.