Happy Holidays!!!
This is the new baby in our family, Ally! She is a Cavalier King Charles Spanial, the largest member of the Toy Family - now 5 lbs at 9 weeks old, and will grow to about 14 lbs. We have been considering adding another dog to join our 12 year old lab mix, Delilah. We decided to adopt this beautiful baby as our Christmas puppy once I saw her picture. Bruce and kids drove to Michigan last Wednesday to get her from a great Cavalier breeder, Crystal Cavaliers (www.cristalcavaliers@aol.com). Bruce is holding her mom, Brendan is holding Ally, and Annika and Christina are holding Ally's sisters. Ally has been an absolutely wonderful puppy, and has so filled our hearts with even more love! Thank you God!
Mammograms
The U.S Preventative Services Task Force recommended this November 16th, that women with average risk do not get yearly mammograms until age 50. This is based on their data that indicates in order to save the life of one woman in her 40s from breast cancer, 1,904 women would have to be screened every year for up to 20 years. There was a new recommendation last year that woman in their 40s could get a mammogram every two years.
I recommend women over age 40 get a mammogram about once a year, but if you have average risk it would be fine to get it every 2 years. Then at age 50 all woman should get a mammogram once every year. The following are good question and answers...
1. Who is affected by the new guidelines?
Women over 40 at average risk of breast cancer. See my recommendations for my patients above.
2. If you are in your 40s, can you still get mammograms?
Yes, the guidelines do not advise against mammomgrams for any woman.
3. Will insurance still cover mammograms for women in their 40s?
Insurers have indicated no plans to change mammogram coverage for women in their 40s.
4. What are my risks if I do not get a mammogram?
The risks and benfits vary with each woman, but curent data show that yearly screenings on average decrease the risk of dying from breast cancer by 15%.
5. Who is at high risk for developing breast cancer?
Factors which increase your risk include a family history of breast cancer, genetic mutations, smoking, alcohol, hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, lack of exercise, metabolic syndrome.
Cardiovascular Training
By
Eric Walden
How many of you go to the gym and hop on a treadmill, elliptical or bike and ride for 30-45 minutes? How many of you just do the manual program on the machine? How many of you just do the bare minimum of cardio? I’m sure there are quite a few of you who are shaking your head yes, and saying that is me. Well I have some news for you. There is a lot more to doing cardio than just getting on and riding or walking. I see all the time people come into the gym and head straight for the cardio area. They get their time in and then they leave. For months I watch them “slave” away on the cardio machine with no progress. If this is you it is time to change your approach.
There are 2 philosophies out there about doing cardio first then lifting weights or visa versa. I’m going to focus on the second. I have had great success doing my weight lifting first then doing cardio. I have had personal success in losing weight and my clients have had great success with this approach as well.
The reasoning behind this point of view is simple. If I am wanting lose weight I need to burn up all the energy that I have readily available while lifting weights. Then I can go to the cardio floor and do a constant movement for 30-45 minutes. I do this because I have fatigued my muscles as much as I could through weight training and now I’m going to get into the fat stores and burn that up while doing cardio. I have also found that I can keep my heart rate up easier after I have lifted because I am fatigued. It does make the cardio more challenging. I have also gotten a good sweat while lifting so when I am doing the cardio my body sweats easier and keeps me cooled better internally.
The second part that needs to be changed is your intensity. Ask yourself am I working hard enough or could I push myself just a little more? One of the biggest mistakes I see is people not working hard enough. A person will just go at a constant speed for their entire time they are doing cardio. This isn’t being efficient with your time.
I highly recommend doing Sprint Intervals. Sprint intervals are similar to intervals, but the difference is you are sprinting during the peak or higher intense sections. On a treadmill this would be for example jogging at 4.5 mi/p/h for 90 seconds then upping the speed and incline and sprinting for 30 seconds. This will help increase your heart rate, but it will also help you burn more calories in a shorter period of time. Do this for 20 minutes to start and then slowly work your way up to 45 minutes. Trust me you will feel so much better when you are done doing cardio. You’ll be surprised if you watch your distance that you will cover just about the same as you did while you went at a constant speed. Plus you’ll find that you will have more energy readily at hand. I find that after doing this type of cardio training I can run up stairs better without getting out of breathe or run after my kids when they dart off and not be out of breath.
Keep up the hard work! This is the best time of year to get started. Don’t wait until the beginning of a new year. Start now to avoid gaining the weight during the holiday season. It astonishes to me how many people wait until they have gained the holiday 10 pounds to start working it off. Starting now and I mean today, it will help keep that weight off during the next 60 days and fuel you into the New Year. Give yourself an early present and start working out now!
I , my family, and my patients have tremendously benefitted from Eric's expert personal training (he will train and consult you for very reasonable prices at your home or his home). Please seriously consider investing in your health, exercise, and training by contacting Eric! You can email him at walden@waldopersonaltraining.com, or call him on his cell phone at 765-404-7343.
Dr. Lisa
Family and Faith
Since my last blog on tips for husbands and asking many patients, I have been surprised that most men do not open the car door at all for their wives or only on dates. I encourage and challenge you men to try opening the car door for your women (and daughters) the month of December, and see how your women and relationships and respond. Then try to continue it, and teach your sons to follow your actions. P.S. Mom's help to teach your sons, and wait for them and your husbands to open your door - you are so special to God and your family!
I already knew that almost all married couples do not make love at least twice a week, and I take women (and men) to task on making a priority of time for your husband physically and emotionally. I also implore you both to work on the important "T.I.M.E." minimum for a great marriage encouraged by the authors of "Red Hot Monogamy".
I am reprinting this part of my blog from last month, because I feel it needs repeating and rereading. Please ask God to help you work on the areas needed for yourself and your marriage. I myself have worked specifically on memorizing scripture from the Song of Solomon, and I enjoy the effects on myself and especially my"ruddy and dazzling, outstanding among ten thousand" husband Bruce!...
Husband Tip - Please open your wife's car door for her to get in almost all the time. If you do this, great job! If you do not do this, start immediately and continue forever. This is a near daily effort that will continue to show your love and service to your wife, which will have far reaching effects in your marriage and even your children's marriages. I was reminded myself of the very specialness of this effort this past week. My wonderful husband Bruce has done this for me almost all the time ever since we started dating. However, last Thursday on our way to and home from our small group meeting, he did not do it. I then realized how much I appreciate it and how special it makes me feel...
Wife Tip (and husbands please read also!!) - Please make great sex and time with your husband (or wives) your main priority. In my work at physicals to encourage marriages, I am reminded of the frequent disparity between women and men of their sexual interest. Us women much more likely are affected by work and children and home demands to lower our sexual desire. To counter these exhausting demands, we need to be intentional to think about our Lord's gift of our husbands, and plan into our schedules as a priority making love frequently (AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK!) and time alone together daily. Remember, what we spend our time upon demonstrates our priorities - to ourselves, our husband, and our children who are constantly watching and learning from us...
Two great books for you to read to greatly help you with ideas to get or maintain an amazing intimate marriage, are "Red Hot Monogamy - Making Your Marriage Sizzle" by Bill and Pam Farrell, and "Intimate Issues - Conversations Woman to Woman" by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus.
From Red Hot Monogamy
"Couples need T.I.M.E. together. Here is what we see as a minimum time commitment you should have together just to maintain your relationship:
Ten to twenty minutes to talk together ALONE every day.
Invest in a weekly date night (or date lunch or breakfast) together for at least 4 hours (takes a couple hours to emotionally connect and leave some time for love making).
Make a monthly "day away" policy. At least once a month spend 8 - 12 uninterrupted hours together to reconnect. You can spend time doing things you BOTH enjoy (exercising, relaxing, errands, etc.), and be sure to have the house or your bedroom alone for some red-hot monogamy during this special time together.
Escape quarterly (or at least biannually) for a 48 hour weekend, and you can keep a special marriage treasure box to save up money for your special times together."
From "Intimate Issues"
Mind our mind! God gave us our minds with the expectation that we are to rule them - uproot weeds of past bad sexual images or attitudes, and renew and transform our minds with Scripture teaching on wonderful exhilarating marital love. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth" (Colossians 3:2) "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). Memorize Scripture and ask God to open your mind and feelings to these and other seeds from Scripture...
"As a loving hind and a graceful doe, let (my) breasts satisfy you at all times; be exhilarated always with (my) love. "(Proverbs 5:19)
"His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend." (Song of Solomon 5:16)
"I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me." (Song of Solomon 7:10)
Meditation sends the roots of Scripture down deep as you personalize what you've memorized and pray it back to God. For example you can meditate on Proverbs 5:19 by praying... "God, thank Your that You say that I am to be like a graceful and beautiful deer to my husband, that my breasts are to satisfy him at all times. God, show me how to be a creative and sensuous lover to him, how to use my breasts, my body to give him pleasure. I want him to be intoxicated and exhilarated with my skill as a lover."
Let you mind go and appreciate and meditate upon the manliness of your God-given lover and husband! Shulamith, a biblical example of a Godly and sensuous wife, used her mind to shift into sexual gear. She had placed a storehouse of treasured erotic memories in her mind and pulled them out reliving them. She is thinking about her lover, Solomon, in very sensuous ways. Listen to the start of her beautiful words, and then read them and the Song of Solomon in your Bible, asking our Lord to open up and renew and transform your mind...
"My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His head is like gold, pure gold; his locks are like clusters of dates, and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves, beside streams of water, bathed in milk and reposed in their setting. His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, banks of sweet-scented herbs; his lips are lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh. His hands are rods of gold set with beryl; his abdomen is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of alabaster set on pedestals of pure gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem..." (Song of Solomon 5:10-16)
Enjoy your Holidays in all ways!!!
With my hugs and prayers,
Dr. Lisa
