Pesticides in Foods, Eric's Tips-Exercise Routine for Older Adults, Obeying the 1st Time, Keep Listening and Talking

Welcome springlike weather! My son Brendan is enjoying the sunshine to take a nap by our Cavelier puppies, and Annika thinks it is Summer with her shorts and popsicle (on top of the snow pile)!.. With the change in temperature, allergy symptoms will begin to cause major symptoms for many children and adults. If you or a family member or friend are having problems, you can review my May 26th article on "Allergy Treatments and Medicine" (also can access it under "Resources" tab on our main website), and see us in our office to review your individual symptoms and needs. Remember the Neil Med saline irrigation by nettipot or my favorite squeeze bottle is a great natural treatment for allergies in adults and children (my 9 year old and 21 year old often request and use it!).

To follow along with my current healthy diet theme, I decided to research pesticides in foods because the amount ingested in our and our children's lifetimes can dramatically affect our health and cancer risks. Eric's tips will return with his emphasis over his past several articles to help older adults with their exercise and fitness. I then discuss in my "Family and Faith" section suggestions and God's direction for our children to obey without challenge without excuse and without delay, and relationship tips.

Pesticides/Chemicals in Foods

We all need to focus on foods with the least burden of pesticides, additives, and hormones. Generally we can avoid pesticide exposure by 80% when we avoid the most contaminated vegetables and fruits, and even less exposure when we use a natural cleansing spray. A government study showed that if you have 5 servings (the least amount recommended/day in a healthy diet) from the most contaminated foods, you will consume 10 pesticides/day. If you consume 5 servings from the least contaminated foods, you will consume 2 pesticides/day. Below are the current worst and cleanest foods.

Current Worst Foods (should buy organic if at all possible)
peach
apple
bell peppers
celery
nectarine
strawberries
cherries
kale
lettuce (can have some of the most potent pesticides)
grapes (imported are much worse)
carrots (better if you scrub and peel)
pears
white potatoes (have pesticides and fungicides)

15 Cleanest (currently) - still best to wash well and with veggie spray
onion
avacado
sweet corn
pineapple
mango
asparagus
sweet peas
kiwi
cabbage
eggplant
papaya
watermelon
broccoli
tomatoes (used to be on the worst list)
sweet potatoes

Milk-contains pesticides and hormones, best to buy organic or almond, soy, or rice milk

Meat- buy organic to avoid hormones (not much pesticides)

Coffee (often grown in countries without pesticide regulation) - look for USDA Organic label and a step further with Fair Trade Certified label (supports farmers being paid and treated fairly)

http://www.farmfreshdelivery.com/ is a great source of excellent well priced organic local vegetables and fruits which are delivered to you door

"Shopper's Guide to Pesticides" is an iphone application

Tips to Prevent Bacterial Illness from Food
We and our children can get serious and life-threatening bacterial infections from infected or improperly handled food. The Indianapolis Star in their Healthy Living section last Thursday had a very informative article about this, "Focusing on Food Safety" by Shari Rudavsky. Below are their tips to prevent illness.
1. Make sure cold food stays cold and hot food stays hot - refrigerators should be 40 degrees or below (if not it will be a breeding ground for bacteria and illness), and when your refrigerator is full the temperature goes up!
2. Use different cutting boards and different knives to cut raw meat and produce.
3. Wipe down counter tops thoroughly.
4. In the grocery buy a whole head of lettuce or spinach and remove the outer leaves and wash well - a ready to eat product does carry a slightly higher risk.
5. Wash your hands with soapy water before and after handling food.
6. Avoid unpasteurized milk and food made from it, raw eggs, an draw meat.
7. You can sign up for alerts about food safety recalls at the website of Safe Tables Our Priority - http://www.safetables.org/.

Eric's Tips
By
Eric Walden

Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults:

Today I want to go over some actual exercises and put together a routine. I want to focus on some problems that may occur for an older population. Some key problem areas for some older adults are their feet and knees. Hopefully if you do have some problems with either of theses area’s you have had them looked at by your doctor. I am a strong proponent of body symmetry. I see so many people that have imbalances that cause so many problems. I feel that a lot of people can reduce some of the knee problems or even feet problems through exercise.
First I want to deal with the feet. Many problems can be caused by the wrong type of shoes. It even can be caused by a lack of flexibility. Flexibility is so important in any walk of life. Make sure to stretch the calf muscles out before you go for a run or walk. The easiest way to do this is by using a step and standing with the balls of your feet on the on the step and let your heels drop down. This will stretch the calf muscle. It will also stretch the Achilles tendon. Having a very tight Achilles can cause pain the heel of your foot and even in the arch of your foot. Sometimes these symptoms may feel like a bruise. Also chances are if your Achilles and calf muscle are tight then so are your hamstrings. This is a first indication that you need to be stretching more than what you are now. Even using no shoes or a flat sole shoe may help stretch out the arch of your foot as well and relieve some pain.

Using different types of machines will help get around some initial pain. Get off your feet by using a recumbent bike or even a rower. Most lifting can be done sitting, so long periods of standing can be avoided. Most people that I have talked to complain of foot pain during long periods of cardio sessions and not weight lifting. It is okay to take a break during cardio sessions. Evening just walking to the water fountain will help relieve some pain.

Knee pain is a totally different problem. Pain in the knee can be caused by a variety of different ailments and imbalances. Most in the older population complain of knee pain from arthritis or lack of cushioning in the knee joint. Again like foot pain getting off your knees can help. Most exercises can be done without standing. There are a few key exercises that can be done to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee. Two key ones that come to mind are leg extension and leg press. The bad thing about these two exercises they also may cause some of the most pain as well. But there are ways around the pain. I have any of my clients that are experiences pain to work above or below the pain. Meaning if they are experiencing pain during a leg press movement, I ask them to tell me where the pain begins. Once we are able to figure that out I instruct them to not go down as far. The same goes with the leg extension machine. Working above or below the pain will still help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee and can help reduce pain to that joint. Another way to strengthen the quadriceps muscles is by static strengthening. An example of this is lying on your back and flexing your leg muscles. Hold this flexion for 10 seconds then relax. Do this 10 times. This will help strengthen those muscles just above the knee. For some more serious cases this may be the best place to start. Do these exercises 2-3 times a day.

Exercise Routine:
Get a good warm up in. This is key for warming up the knees. Here are a few different exercises to strengthen the upper legs.

Leg Press- if any knee pain- work above or below it.
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Body weight squat
Chair Stand- sit down and stand up out of a chair without using your hands
Step up- stepping up on to a step or small stool.
Adductor- inner thighs
Abductor- outer thighs
Calf raises

Family and Faith

Parenting Tip
I have been having more trouble lately with my nine year old listening well and obeying - are any of you having this same trouble?.. I remembered the book I read last summer "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tripp saying you need to parent your child to obey "without challenge, without excuse, and without delay", and NOT after something like counting to three! Does this sound like a dream? Mr. Tripp encourages that it is not a dream and is something we need to teach and often reteach our children. He gives very good God centered instruction for us to achieve this in our children.

After Thursday night when Annika again did not listen and obey (she ignored her dad Bruce's instruction to go to bed after we got home from our small group, while I was on an important patient call), Bruce and I decided we needed to review Mr. Tripp's teaching from his book. Last summer after reading the book, Bruce and I taken the time to discuss some of the teaching from the book with Annika and even her older teenage siblings, especially the main Biblical concept that she and we need to obey God to be in His circle of blessing and protection, and we need to constantly work on and "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life", Proverbs 4:23. I also several times had to give her a spanking in the Biblical instructional manner Mr. Tripp outlines. This teaching and instruction grew much fruit in her heart and helped her in obeying God and us. But of course she (and we!) often slip back into our own selfish old patterns, and need refresher instructions.

Since it was late last Thursday night, I told her to get back into God's circle of protection and blessing and work on her heart she would either have a spanking in the AM or memorize 2 Bible passages from Proverbs based on instruction. Memorizing verses really helps our children and us hold God's love and teaching in our hearts and minds (I often memorize verses during my almost daily exercise). Annika chose to learn the Bible verses and even enlisted the aid of her best friend Kristen to help her on the bus ride to and from school (you can see the Holy Spirit working all the time for God's kingdom- helping Kristen too!). When she walked in our front door she perfectly knew both verses - the above Proverbs 4:23, and Proverbs 4:3 "Hold on to (and obey) instruction, do not let it go, guard it well for it is your life"... Thank you God and Holy Spirit!

You can read my chapter by chapter review of Mr. Tripp's book in my July 19th blog or under the "Resources" tab on our main website. I will retype here the review of the chapter "Infancy to Childhood: Training Objectives".

A child must learn that he is an individual under authority. He has been made by and for God and has responsibility to honor and obey God in all things. Ephesians 6:1 "Honor your father and mother that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth." Children must be taught that they can stay within God's circle of blessing and safety by honoring and obeying and submitting to their parents, and the function of communication and the rod is to rescue them from their disobedience back into God's blessing. Obedience is willing submission of one person to the authority of another (and often means doing something that we do not want to do). A child must be taught to do what he is told--without challenge, without excuse, and without delay. You can teach them to make an appeal, but only when they--begin to obey immediately (not after an appeal), be prepared to obey either way, appeal in a respectful manner, and accept the result of the appeal with a gracious spirit. Knowing our native resistance to authority (selfishness) and inablility to always do what God has commanded, we are confronted with our need for the grace and power of Jesus Christ. Training our children to do what they ought, regardless of how they fee, prepares them to be a person who lives by principle rather than mood or impulse. Genuine submission to Godly authority bears good fruit.

Marriage Tip

Keep Listening and Talking - taken from the book "Simple Secrets Couples Should Know" by Bob and Emilie Barnes
"Dear brothers, don't ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry." James 1:19

There are 3 partners in a Christian marriage - husband, wife, and Jesus Christ. For healthy communication to exist, there must be communication between all 3 partners. If there is a breakdown in dialog between any 2 members, the breakdown will automatically affect the third member of the partnership. Dwight Small says, "Lines open to God invariable open to one another, for a person cannot be genuinely open to God and closed to his mate... God fulfills His design for Christian marriage when lines of communication are first open to Him." If you and your mate are having difficulty communicating, the first are to check is your individual devotional life with God.

The Barnes' state that whenever they suffer a breakdown in relating with each other, it is because one of them has failed to talk with God on a regular basis. When both are communicating with God regularly, they generally enjoy excellent communication with each other. They show the diagram of a triangle with God at the top and each mate at the other corners. As the diagram suggests, the closer they both are to God, the closer they are together. The inverse is also true - the farther we move away from God by not communicating with Him, the farther apart we will be from our mates.

My next blog I will outline suggestions on how to communicate better.

Suggestions for Romance
*Take complete charge of the children for an AM or PM and tell your mate to do what they would like.
*Learn to delegate at work more, so you can come home at a good hour to be with your mate and family.
*Both husband and wife try being totally positive, accepting, supportive, and nonjudgmental for one entire week. no complaining, nagging, or preaching.
*Take a risk--be romantic.
*Rent a convertible on a sunny day and cruise around just the two of you.
*Serve your spouse breakfast on Saturday morning.
*While on the road, send your spouse a postcard every day you're away.
*Write your spouse a love letter and mail it to your home.
*Record your favorite love songs from the time you were dating and play them in the car as you travel.

My Bible study class this week - still doing "Experiencing God" by Blackaby
My memory verse for the week (and I usually learn during my exercise time), Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.", and next week is Luke 14:33, "Any of you who does not give up everything cannot be my disciple."
Mr. Blackaby writes that adjusting your life to God is the second critical turning point in your knowing and doing the will of God. The first turning point was the crises of belief: you must believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. Without faith in God, you will make the wrong decision at this first turning point. Adjusting your life to what God wants to do through you is another turning point. If you choose to make the adjustment, you can move on to obedience. If you refuse to make the adjustment, you will miss what God has in store for you. The Spirit's job is to guide you according to the Father's will. Then He enables you to do God's will. Mr. Blackaby notes three statements about adjustments and obedience:
1. I cannot stay where I am and go with God at the same time.
2. Obedience is costly to me and those around me (and I can trust God to care for me and my family).
3. Obedience requires total dependence on God to work through me.
A method is never the key to accomplishing God's work. The key is our relationship with a Person - God wants you to know Him, not a method or formula. If we follow someone else's plan, use a method, or emphasize a program, we tend to forget about our dependence on God. We leave the relationship with God and go after a method or program, which Mr. Blackaby calls spiritual adultery. He notes that only God has the right to tell you what to do. Wait before God until He tells you what His will and plans are for you, and then trust Him to enable you. We need to die harder to self and not try harder, and lean into the Holy Spirit's guidance and power.

With hugs and all my praise to our Lord for his word, sacrifice, and guidance and inspiration!
Dr. Lisa

Our New Office!, More on Elimination Diet, Faith

Greetings from our new office right next door! We just moved into more space right next door in building 6B - remember at your next office visit, stop by anytime, and we always welcome your suggestions on how to continually better serve you! We are accepting new patients, and our best compliment is for you to recommend us to your friends and family! We want to always continue to work our hardest for your physical, emotional, and nutritional health, and care for all ages from newborn starting in the hospital to our wonderful grandparents and greatgrandparents!!!

Nutritional Update

During a small break from our office move last week, us doctors had a nutritional update from Dr. Ed Zimmer - our expert chiropractor and nutritionist - in Suite 8E of our office complex, 317-813-1998, www.zimmerchiropractic.com. He and his partner Dr. Abby Eaton and their office are available for chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage, and nutritional consults (and many insurances pay for chiropractic care and physical and massage therapy through his office). I will discuss more in later blogs, but below are some highlights.

Weight loss - Many people with problems losing weight after good efforts (lower calorie diet and exercise) have gluten sensitivity or other food allergies and will lose significant weight with a gluten free diet and elimination diet.

ADD (attention defict disorder) - Many children and adults show significant improvement in their ADD with a gluten free diet and elimination diet (to determine food sensitivities).

Acne problems and Allergy problems - Many children and adults benefit from the anti-inflammatory benefits from an elimination diet which discovers food sensitivities that fuel inflammation. Dr. Zimmer recommends all people with significant acne eliminate dairy products and often corn and gluten - need to do the elimination diet.

Many chronic diseases including fibromyalgia, immune disorders and others significantly benefit from the anti-inflammatory elimination diet.

Foods with greatest pesticide risks - dairy products, peanuts and peanut butter, and soft skinned fruits and veggies which are difficult to wash (like strawberries). The fruit/veggie wash sprays work well with most fruits and veggies, but not strawberries. Dr. Zimmer recommends organic milk or rice/soy/or almond milk, and organic peanuts and peanutbutter.

Elimination Diet (and Dr. Zimmer has detailed booklets for this and his treatment and detox protocols)

Basics - NO wheat/gluten, dairy, corn, red meat, excessive sugar, or foods with preservatives, food colorings, or added chemicals for 3 weeks

-learn to eat for hunger not pleasure and eat only until full

-need to carefully read labels to fully avoid gluten/wheat, corn, dairy

-good idea to have food allergy blood test before starting

Fruits - all fresh or frozen fruits (NOT large quantities of high sugar fruiits like dried fruits, pineapple, grapes, bananas and at most 4-6 oz of 100% fruit juice/day)

Vegetables - all Fresh raw, steamed, sauteed, juiced or roasted (NOT corn)

Starch rarely - rice, oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, tapioca, buckwheat, potatoes (NOT wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, anything with gluten)

Bread/cereal rarely - anything made from the grains listed above (not the ones in the NOT)

Legumes (beans) - all including peas and lentils (no restrictions unless allergic to any)

Nuts/seeds - almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, peanuts, hazel nuts (no restrictions unless allergic to some)

Meat/fish - all fresh organic fish, lamb, chicken, turkey, wild game, eggs, shellfish (if not allergic) - NOT beef/pork/cold cuts/hot dogs/sausage

Milk products - rice/soy/almond/coconut milks, goat milk (NOT any cow products like milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream)

Fats - oils like extra virgin olive, flaxseed, canola, safflower, sunflower, sesame (NOT margarine, butter, shortening, mayonnaise, spreads, trans fats)

Beverages - filtered/distilled water-best to drink at least 1/2-1 gallon/day (Dr. Miller drinks at least a 13oz bottle of water before each meal and mid afternoon), herbal teas, mineral water (NOT soda pop, alcohol, coffee, tea, caffeinated beverages - but can drink a small amount of coffee or tea each day - 1 cup)

Spices/condiments - vinegar, all spices including salt, pepper, cinnamon, dill, cumin, garlic, ginger, turmeric, oregano, parsely, thyrme, mustard, etc. (NOT chocolate, ketsup, relish, BBQ sauce)

Sweeteners - brown rice syrup, stevia, blackstrao molasses, xylitol, honey, real maple syrup, rapadura sugar (NOT corn syrup, processed maple syrup, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners)

Gluten-free diet helpful resources

-http://gfkitchen.server101.com and http://www.csaceliacs.org/

Glycemic foods - want an index number below 50 for a low glycemic food - http://www.glycemicindex.com/

I will write more about this later!!!

Faith

In my woman's Bible study group we are doing a great life and faith bulding study "Experiencing God" by Blackaby. Mr. Blackaby teaches from the Bible and scripture that...

1. God is always at work around you (and we need to open our eyes and hearts to God).

2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal (and EVERYTHING in your life depends upon the quality of your love relationship with God).

3. God invites you to become involved with Him and His work.

4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways (and these are actual encounters with our living God!).

5. God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crises of belief that requires faith and action (the way I live my life is a testimony of what I believe about God and has eternal dimensions for God's kingdom and my descendants).

6. You must make major adjustmen ts in your life to join God in what He is doing (God does not adjust to me, and I must make sure as I pray and live that I really want "Thy will be done" and NOT MY will be done).

7. You come to know God by experience as you trust and obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you (and "He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" and fills us with the fruit of His Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control, and gives us total victory!).

Hebrews 11:6

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

With my hugs, prayers, and thanks!

Dr. Lisa

Mediterranean Diet, Erics Tips for Older Adult Exercise, Are You Spent?

Happy Valentine’s Day! It is a good reminder of the greatest commandment – to LOVE! We are called not only to love the “joys” in our life (those easy to love), but also our “testys” (those that are irritating to us), “foes” (those we do not like), and “fars” (those we do not know – like the Haitiens). Phillip Yancy in his terrific book “What’s so Amazing About Grace” states, “You only love God as much as you love the person you like the least.”…

I hope and pray you all have stayed safe and warm and healthy with all our snow and cold weather! Please remember to take your vitamins (most important daily fish oil 1 gram and daily vitamin D), get at least 7 hours sleep, eat healthy (5-10 servings veggies and fruits/day), and drink plenty of water (1/2-1 gallon/day).

Mediterranean Diet – Basics of the World’s Healthiest Diet

A Mediterranean Diet is the eating habits traditionally followed by people living in the 16 counties surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The common thread is a diet that is plant-based and low in meat and moderate in fat – with most of the fat coming from olive oil. This diet is a healthy way to reduce weight and maintain excellent health and body weight throughout a longer life (and decreased risks of diabetes, inflammatory conditions, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, macular eye degeneration, and digestive ailments).

Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:

Near daily exercise and eating your meals with your family and friends

Eating a generous amount of vegetables and fruits (about 3 cups of veggies and 2 cups of fruit per day)

Consuming healthy fats like olive oil and canola oil (or sesame, peanut, walnut or grapeseed) – 1-2 tablespoons daily (sprinkle over salads or veggies or pasta sparingly because 1 tablespoon has 120 calories)

Flavoring foods with herbs and spices instead of salt – like oregano, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, anise, garlic and pepper (1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano has as many antioxidants as 3 cups of spinach)

Eating small portions of nuts (high in antioxidants and heart healthy fats, 1 – 1 ½ ounces daily, especially walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, peanuts, and natural peanut butter)

Drinking wine in moderation (for women one glass of red wine with meals, more than that raises you risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and breast cancer) or if you do not drink then a small amount of grape juice may be beneficial

Consuming whole grains (2 - 4 ½ cup servings per day – 1 slice of bread is one serving) and beans (1/2-2/3cup cooked beans at least 3 times per week) – any type of bean is an excellent source of low fat protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber – including kidney, black, red, fava, garbanzo, cannellini, edaname, lima, lentils, soy nuts, split peas

Eat fish and poultry as your main sources of protein – eat fish at least twice a week, and chicken, turkey, or eggs every other day (less than 4 eggs/week)

Limit red meat (and only lean red meat at most one serving per week) and sweets (just a few times a week, and eat fruit as your sweet instead, such as apple slices sprinkled sparingly with sugar and cinnamon) and avoid highly processed foods, and whenever possible eat seasonally fresh and locally grown foods

Eat only a low to moderate amount of low fat cheese and yogert (2-3 servings per day) and limit butter

Know the percentages – 50% carbohydrates (from vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains), 35% fat (from healthy oils, nuts, seeds, and fish), and 15% protein (from beans, fish, nuts, dairy, poultry, and eggs)

When eating out – choose items with plenty of veggies but not much cream sauces or cheese, such as vegetarian pasta tossed in olive oil and sprinkled lightly with Parmesan cheese, or baked chicken with a salad (only dip your fork in the dressing on the side) or steamed vegetables

Count Calories – to lose weight, a 150 lb. woman should eat 1200-1400 calories a day to lose about 1 lb. per week, and for the same woman to maintain her weight about 1800 calories per day

Sample Mediterranean Diet
Breakfast:
-1/3 cantaloupe
-1 slice whole grain toast
-2 tsp natural peanut butter
-1/2-1 apple

Lunch:
-2c. fresh spinach salad
-2 oz grilled chicken
-1 tbs. olive oil
-1 tbs. vinaigrette
-1 small whole wheat pita
-1/2-1 apple

Dinner:
-5 oz. fish
-1 small sweet potatoe
-2-3 c. broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions sautéed in garlic and olive oil
-1 c. fresh fruit

Snack:
-1 small handful of nuts to be eaten midmorning or mid-afternoon

Fitness Tips
By
Eric Walden
Published by IDEA Fitness Journal: Feb 2010

Exercise and Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults:

Exercise for Health
- Do a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week
- For greater health benefits, increase the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise

Endurance Exercise

Frequency and Duration
With moderate-intensity activities, accumulate a total of 150-300 minutes a week in bouts of 10 minutes or more (up to 60 for greater benefits) per day. With vigorous-intensity activities, complete total of 75-150 minutes per week in 20-30 minutes work bouts.

Intensity
Using a subjective assessment range of 0-10, let 506 represent moderate-intensity exertion and 7-8 signify vigorous-intensity effort.

Type
Use any exercise mode that does not trigger orthopedic stress to the body, for clients with lower-extremity limitations, water exercise, walking elliptical training and stationary cycling may be more advantageous, owing to the minimal-impact stresses.

Resistance Training

Frequency and Intensity
Complete resistance training at least twice per week at a moderate (5-6 intensity on a 10- point scale) or vigorous (7-8) intensity.

Type
Do 8-10 progressive weight training exercises involving the major muscles of the body. Weight-bearing calisthenics and stair climbing are also beneficial.

Flexibility Exercise

Frequency and Intensity
Do stretching exercises at least 2 days per week at moderate (5-6) intensity on the 0-10 scale.

Type
Perform static stretches that maintain and/or increase the desired range of motion for the selected joint or group of joints.

Balance Exercise for Frequent Fallers and Older Adults with Mobility Problems

At this time, the research does not specify an optimal dose (frequency, intensity, time, duration) for balance exercises. That said, the ACSM guidelines for balance include gradually more challenging exercises that reduce the base of balance support (e.g., two-legged stationary stand with legs different widths apart, weight shifting from one leg to the other, one-legged stand); dynamic movements that challenge the center of gravity (e.g., walking in the circle or figure eight and changing direction and speed); exercise that challenged the posture muscles (e.g., heal stands and toe stands); and movements that challenge sensory input (e.g., standing movements with eyes closed).

Family and Faith

Sermon Series on the theme “Spent” from my church, TPCC with minister Aaron Brockett and based on 1Kings 17:12-14
The Bible talks most about money because where our treasure goes there our heart goes also. Aaron reminded us that we come into the world with nothing and go out with nothing. What we fill our hands with can rob us of life. Our money is a temporary gift from God that just passes through our hands and needs to be spent wisely. Actually, everything we have is on rent from God. In Proverbs chapter 3, God states we need to give our FIRST fruits (first 10 percent to tithe to God for His kingdom and heaven work) and then the Lord will bless us. Aaron says that one of the most frequent questions he gets asked is “do I tithe on gross or net?” – his answer is which do you want God to bless – your gross or net? In Matthew 6:19, “Store your treasures in heaven, where they will not be destroyed.” God does not need our money (He is all powerful!), but He wants our heart and love and knows that where our treasure goes so our heart goes also. Tithing is our training and proof that we are trusting and believing God. Aaron talked about the trust needed in the trapeze artists – the flier needs to keep his arms outstretched to be caught by the catcher and trust that the strong arms of the catcher will catch him. If the flier tries to grab the catcher, really bad things happen. We are the fliers with our arms outstretched to God, and with our faith we trust Him to always catch us as He promises in the Bible. “Fear not” is the most common command from God to us in the Bible.
Last Sunday Aaron talked about when we are “spent up”. When we are stressed and feeling spent up at so many different times and in so many different ways, there is almost always too much of ME (and trying to do things on our own power) and not enough of God. The only remedy for being “spent” is to trust and allow God to fill you up in the face of difficult circumstances. Contentment and happiness is something that we learn if we are willing and something we can have and choose with God’s Spirit in us regardless of our circumstances and even in our worst trials. To be fulfilled and get full, we need less of me and more of God.

Parenting Tip: We as parents need to first learn and model and practice, and then teach and explain these truths from God about money and possessions to our children!

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Thank you for reading and considering - you all are so very special!.. My prayers for you and your family and our country and world, that there is so much more of God and His power and Spirit, and less of me (and my self centered will). May we actively trust and believe, and then all will be so powerfully magnified in His will!
Hugs,
Dr. Lisa

Go Colts!, Family Update, Hair Loss, Eric's Tips-Exercise Guidelines for Older Adults, Valentine's Day Ideas

Go Colts!!! We are very lucky to have such a great football team and quarterback and to be going to the Superbowl again. It certainly makes these 2 winter weeks more interesting. I and my family were very blessed to be at the AFC championship game, but we will not be going to the Superbowl. We will be warm and dry at home watching the game this time.

Many people have asked how my family is doing. I want to thank God for my so many blessings, especially a wonderful loving husband and great kids who are very hard working. I am so thankful and proud of them. My husband Bruce is a stay at home Dad for now and really letting God direct him in several men’s Bible studies and taking a college class in the Old Testament. My stepson Easton is making a good living in Chicago selling his artwork and will likely go to grad school in the Fall to get his Masters of Fine Art (http://www.eastonawesome.com/). Christina is a junior at IUPUI majoring in Sports Marketing and Spanish, and is vice-president of campus events for their student organization SOAR (many of you saw her interviewed on TV this Fall in their first annual IUPUI Rigatta). Nathan really likes Purdue (his mother’s alma mater!) and is a freshman majoring in Physics and Pre-med. Brendan is a freshman at Zionsville High School, and has done a great job of being a student athlete with straight A’s (plays second string wide receiver and cornerback on the freshman football team and continues to intensively work out at least twice a week in the offseason). Annika is a third grader at Union Elementary playing travel soccer, in the school play this spring, and takes guitar lessons with her Dad Bruce. The picture above is our new addition just this weekend, Penny, for a playmate for our puppy Ally! (We purchased her from another great breeder in Warsaw, Cindy Koehring , 574-269-9454. She still has 3 sibling Cavelliers from Penny’s litter for sale – all 3 are the ruby color and beautiful with great personalities – a hallmark of Caveliers.)

Hair Loss
Hair loss is a very common concern and affects up to 50% of people in their lives. It can occur anywhere on the body, but is the most cosmetic problem on the scalp. Hair loss is divided into the major categories of focal or diffuse hair loss.

Focal Hair Loss
This type of hair loss is due to an underlying problem that may cause scarring or nonscarring patches of hair loss. Scarring alopecia (lack of hair) causes permanent hair loss from destruction of hair follicles from severe immune diseases like lupus.

Nonscarring
Alopecia Areata: This is single to multiple patches of hair loss which an occur equally in men and women at any age (the most common age is young adult) and it can be from genetic predisposition in 20 – 40 percent of cases or from an autoimmune cause(such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, vitiligo, or thyroid disease). The classic finding is a smooth hairless patch surrounded by small broken hairs. Treatment is usually topical cortisone, and 30-50% of people recover within 1 year.

Tinea Capitus: Children are most likely to be affected by this fungal infection, usually presenting with a round patch of hair loss with some scaling and surrounding redness. Treatment is usually with an oral fungal medicine, though topical lamisil cream can be tried at first.

Traction Alopecia: Hair loss from pulling on hair from tight braids, curlers, bleaching/coloring, and wigs. Treatment involves eliminating the source of stress.

Trichotillomania: This is a psychiatric hair loss from repeated hair plucking.

Diffuse Hair Loss

Female Pattern Hair Loss
About 50% of women will experience this during their lifetime, and it is characterized by hair thinning over the top of the scalp but with preservation of the front hairline. Women should be evaluated for excess testosterone, anemia, or thyroid problems. Topical minoxidil 2% twice daily is the only approved treatment, but some women with a high level of testosterone can be treated with a water pill spironolactone. Treatment of any anemia and thyroid problems can improve this hair loss.

Male Pattern Hair Loss
This affects up to 50% of all white men by age 50, and a little less percentage of African American men. Hair loss starts in the temporal regions and then spreads to thinning in the vertex and frontal regions in a classic M pattern. Treatments include topical minoxidil 2% (the 5% is no better and can cause more side effects, it is applied twice daily to the scalp), oral Propecia once daily (less side effects in men younger than 40 – can cause decreased libido and impotence and erection disorders), and in some men Nizoral shampoo and Head and Shoulders shampoo 2 to 4 times per week can help. Some studes have shown increased efficacy with combined treatments.

Telogen Effluvium
This type of hair loss results when an increased number of hair cells enter the resting phase rather than the growing phase. Usually an average of 100 hairs are lost each day, but in this type of hair loss 30 to 50 percent of body hair can be rapidly lost. This can be precipitated by severe illness, injury, infection, surgery, crash diets, psychological stress, giving birth, thyroid disorders, iron deficiency, anemia, or drugs (especially can be seen with hormones, antithyroid drugs, anticoagulants, seizure medicines, blood pressure medicines - b-blockers and ACE inhibitors like lisinopril, and lithium). No cause is found in about 1/3 of cases. A hair pull test can help diagnose this (positive if greater than 10 percent of 40-60 hairs being pulled come out with steady traction). Treatment involves removing the underlying stressor and correction of any underlying medical problem.

Anagen Effluvium
This is abrupt loss of 80 – 90 percent of body hair. The main cause is chemotherapy.

Alopecia Totalis
Total hair loss on the scalp and or body presumed from autoimmune disorders or family history.

Natural Treatment:

Generally a balanced life and diet with adequate sleep, manageable stress, healthy diet, plenty of water intake (1/2-1 gallon per day), regular exercise, and general supplements (fish oil, vitamin D, multivitamin, calcium for women) will help avoid excessive hair loss. Biotin supplement has been shown to help some people with hair loss, and in some can help grow longer and thicker hair. Biotin is vitamin B7 and is water soluable, so your body will eliminate any unneeded amount. Adults require 30mg/day in their diet (found in grain, peas, nuts, vegetables), and supplements range from 1000 – 2000mg/day.

Eric’s Fitness Tips
By
Eric Walden

To start of this New Year and I want to a series for older Adults. I want to start out by going over some basic guidelines. In this mini-series I hope to help our older population to get started working out and hopefully stay healthier.

Guidelines for older Adults

American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association published the following Activity Guidelines from adults over the age of 65 (adults 50-64 with chronic conditions, such as arthritis):

- Do moderately intense aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week
- Do vigorously intense exercise 20 minutes a day, 2 days a week
- Do 8-10 strength training exercises, performing 10-15 repetitions of exercises 2-3 times a week.
- If you are at risk for falls, perform balance exercises
- Have a physical activity plan

Key Points in the Guidelines for Older Adults

Although the guidelines for older adults and adults with chronic conditions are similar to those for younger adults, there are a few key differences and points to consider.
- It’s important to get started-and seek help if necessary. The general recommendation is that older adults should meet or exceed 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week; however, it is also recognized that goals below this threshold may be necessary for older adults with physical impairments or functional limits.
- Functional health is an important benefit of physical activity for older adults. Physical activity contributes to the ease of doing everyday activities, such as gardening, walking or cleaning the house.
- Strength training is extremely important for all adults, but especially so for older adults as it prevents loss of muscle mass and bone and is beneficial for functional health
- If older adults can exceed the minimum recommendations, they should do it!
- Flexibility is also important. Each day older adults perform aerobic or strength training activities, they should take an extra 10 minutes to stretch the major muscle and tendon groups, spending 10-30 seconds on each stretch and repeating stretches 3-4 times.

Family and Faith

Valentine’s Day – is coming soon, and think about planning some special things!

Valentine’s Day is a special time for expressing love and affection to those special to us – spouses, children, family, friends. The following are some suggestions.

Scripture – Song of Solomon (has great scripture to include in a Valentine to your very special love!), Deut. 6:5, Psalm 18:1, Psalm 116:1, Psalm 145:20, Proverbs 8:17, Romans, 8:28, and my memory verse for this week in my woman’s Bible study, Matthew 22:37-37 “Jesus replied, “Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest Commandment.”

Decorate for Valentine’s Day – get out any saved decorations, red candles, a heart wreath of paper or fabric

Lend a helping hand – make red hearts with the words in the middle “I did it because I love you” and place it next to something you did to show your love for that person – a bed that has been made, dishes washed and put away, clothes washed and folded, carpet vacuumed, meal or snack made for a family member, bills paid, coffee or dinner made, etc!

How Mom and Dad met, dated, proposed, wedding photos – at a family dinner or time together discuss and bring out photos

Love Messages – write notes to each member of your family to tell them why you love/respect them and appreciate them (be specific) – tuck them in lunchboxes, briefcases, purses, backpacks, or on pillows, and write with red lipstick or soap on your spouse’s bathroom mirror – “I love you!”

Dinner by Candlelight – make a special family and then maybe different dinner for your spouse by candlelight with heart name cards or valentines, special dinnerware you may have or silverware, and maybe even send a special invitation a few days before (even on their pillows), then at dinner discuss how much you love/respect and appreciate each family member

Valentine treasure hunt – buy a package of children’s valentines and make a treasure hunt for your spouse and or your children, with a small love gift with the last valentine

Make a heart shaped cake or cookies

Chinese fortune cookies – take out the fortunes inside with tweezers and replace with your own love/respect or appreciation notes

Pink pancakes – on Valentine’s Day add red food coloring to pancake mix and surprise your family!

Heart sandwiches and chocolate kisses

Homemade Valentines – be creative and make for your spouse, children, and others – decorate with hearts, lace, ribbons, pictures – create a poem or use a Bible verse and write specific reasons as to why your love, respect, and appreciate them

Faith
My spring woman’s Bible study is “Experiencing God” by Blackaby. This week I was struck by the teaching about our love relationship with God. He continually pursues us, and EVERYTHING in our life depends upon the quality of our love relationship with God. Also, we need to not tell God what we are going to do for Him, but ask Him what he wants us to do for Him, and watch, listen, seek and join Him in what He is doing.

My church, Trader’s Point Christian Church just finished a sermon series on Matthew 23, entitled “The Pretenders”in us. Our minister Aaron’s messages delved deeply into the quality of our relationship and heart with God - are we truly following God to reflect His glory in our lives through guidance and learning from the Holy Spirit, or are we hypocrites and “woe to us” if we are more concerned with men’s applause, rules, and pretenses. What are my motivations, and am I more concerned about my image or my character and who I am becoming in my daily decisions and time?

My prayers and blessings for you and your families – and may we continue to see any pretending in ourselves, and help us to be what we already are in You – give us the courage to let You in!
Hugs, Dr. Lisa

Elimination&Gluten-free Diets, Eric's Four D's, Family Traditions&Memories

Happy New Year and new decade!!! I am so happy and blessed to be back to the work I love and writing to you after a very nice family vacation visiting my parents and Aunt Rita in Florida and Disneyworld for two days. We had very treasured family times together, and my favorite was playing the game “Apples to Apples” all together on New Year’s Eve (ages 9 to 83 all had terrific times and many laughs). We will all remember that forever. I hope you all, too, enjoyed many treasured times. It is great to awaken each day with thanks and gratefulness, and as Tony Dungy (and I!) would say, hug your spouse and your kids (and each other) every chance you get!

Elimination Diet & Gluten Free Diet

Spurred on by my thirty-something patient Keelan and listening to my patients, I decided to research elimination and gluten free diets. Keelan suffered from weight gain and mild irritable bowel starting in her twenties despite efforts at healthier eating and exercise. She did an elimination diet and found she had sensitivity to gluten (protein found in wheat, barley, and rye). After eating a gluten free diet this past year she feels so much better and has lost 30 pounds (and now at a good weight for her size/build). If she eats even a little guten (or pasta), she says she can just feel the quick weight increase.

I feel many people are similar to Keelan. Some estimates say about 95% of our population have at least some sensitivity to gluten. I recommend any of you not feeling well or at your best weight to try an elimination diet and then see what you find out to continue a better healthier diet for you. Along with a good diet, it is essential to drink plenty of water (at least ½ - 1 gallon/day – I drink at least a 13oz bottle of water at 3 meals and on my way home from work), and take a few appropriate daily supplements for your best health (for most people extra vitamin D, fish oil, multivitamin, probiotic, and calcium for women – see us for your yearly physicals to go over the best for you), along with exercise and proper rest/sleep. I have found many people are unsuspectingly vitamin deficient (like vitamin D/zinc/iodine/and more, causing fatigue, hair loss/skin problems, decreased libido, and much more), so please see us for your yearly physical to check what you need and consider some vitamin tests (several at no charge in our office and some blood).

BASIC ELIMINATION PLAN
Elimination or allergy diets are used to isolate food allergies or sensitivities. There are a number of medical symptoms that can be related to food, including recurrent yeast infections, rashes and eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, asthma, migraines, lactose intolerance (deficiency in the enzyme needed to digest milk or milk products) and more.

You can eat: preferably organic meats-chicken-turkey-fish (Moody Meats or even Target are good places), vegetables & fruits (best organic or well washed, good to get at Fresh Market or http://www.farmfreshdelivery.com/), beans, and rice for at least 14-21 days, then gradually add groups as instructed below every 4-7 days and monitor how you feel/symptoms.

Water - most everyone is dehydrated and this can cause many chronic symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, problems sleeping, joint aches - you need to drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces/day (#150 lb person needs at least 75 ounces) - filtered or distilled water (no other fluids count and really only other healthy fluids are herbal or green teas)

Eliminate the following foods from the diet for a period of 14-21days to a month:
--Dairy products, including cheese (instead use soy milk and soy cheese; rice milk, rice-based ice cream)
--Egg and egg-containing products
--Food containing gluten, such as wheat and wheat-based products (including pasta), and barley, oat, or rye grains (alternative grains could be brown rice, buckwheat, spelt, millet, potatoes or sweet potatoes)
--Citrus fruits
--Corn and corn-containing products
--All processed foods including caffeine

Note that suddenly stopping some foods (such as caffeine) can result in withdrawal symptoms (typically headaches) – however this usually lasts only a few days.

Next, reintroduce one food group to your diet about every 5 days.

The reintroduction period allows enough time to determine any intolerances.

Celiac Disease (or also called celiac sprue) is allergic reactions to the protein gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley, and can be very mild or severe leading to malnutrition. Gluten sensitivity is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms can be related to other causes. Some of the many possible symptoms are weight gain, abdominal pain and bloating, fatigue or weakness, cold sores, lactose intolerance, headaches or migraines, gas, diarrhea or constipation, irregular stools, depression, respiratory problems, more frequent infections, swelling and rashes, hair loss, acne, infertility, miscarriage, lupus, autoimmune disease, acid reflux, vitamin D deficiency, joint pain, muscle cramping, and allergies. With gluten allergy one’s immune system attacks its own intestinal lining cells which damages them and allows toxins to enter the blood stream, malnutrition, and inflammation.

Below are recommendations from the Celiac Sprue Association. Their website has a tremendous amount of information at www.csaceliacs.org.

Gluten-free Diet: Basics

Generally allowed foods – meats, poultry, most dairy products (except if lactose intolerant which is common in people with celiac disease), fruits, vegetables, rice, and potatoes.

Alcholic Beverages – gluten-free beer, wine and brandy without preservatives and additives, potatoe vodka, rum, tequila

Breads – commercial gluten-free breads and mixes made from ingredients such as white or brown rice flours and starches such as arrowroot, potatoe, or tapioca.

Cereals – gluten-free cereal grains and sources without malt, hot cereals made from corn meal, cream of rice, hominy, and rice

Cheeses – all aged hard cheeses as cheddar, Swiss, Edam, and Parmesan, and check ingredients on cottage cheese, cream cheese, and pasteurized processed cheese (avoid cheeses with vegetable gum, food starch and preservatives not defined by a gluten-free source)

Crackers and Snack Foods – rice wafers, potatoes or cornstarch based, pure cornmeal chips and tortillas, popcorn, vegetable and gluten-free nut based chips

Desserts – gelatin desserts, certain pudding mixes and ice cream and sherbet or yogurt (without suspect additives, wheat flour, or gluten stabilizers), custard, junket, homemade or commercial desserts from gluten-free ingredients

Drinks and Juices – fresh brewed coffee, tea, chocolate made with cocoa, fruit juices, carbonated drinks and some nut and rice drinks, and a few root beers (and instant or processed drinks without malt, additives, stabilizers, or emulsifiers)

Fats and Oils – olive oils, soy, safflower, grape seed, sunflower, corn oils, canola, margarines, butter, lard, cream, cottonseed, pure mayonnaise, peanut butters, and hydrogenated soy oils (and evaluate low fat combinations)

Flours – use gluten-free flours and starches from food already common in one’s diet (many commercial blends are available)

Fruits – fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruit (evaluate thickeners, additives, or preservatives)

Grains and Grain Substitutes – any gluten-free grains such as rice, brown rice, corn and popcorn, tapioca, sorghum, flax and wild rice, yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soy

Meats or Meat Substitutes and Eggs – meats, meat substitutes, fish, minimally processed poultry and eggs prepared with the allowed grains (evaluate all marinades and coatings, hot dogs and sausages)

Miscellaneous – herbs, spices, nuts, coconut, chocolate, pure cocoa

Potatoes-Pasta-Starches – potatoes and sweet potatoes, yams, hominy, rice and wild rice and gluten-free pastas (in the U.S. the word “starch” is made from cornstarch)

Soups-Soy Sauce-Teriyaki Sauces – read all the label of ingredients

Sweets – sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, most jellies and jams, plain hard candy, marshmallows, gumdrops, and homemade or commercial candies made with allowed ingredients

Vegetables – fresh, frozen, dried, or canned unless they contain thickening agents to evaluate (canned vegetables may contain emulsifiers, preservatives, stabilizers, and food starch not defined by source)

Vinegars – balsalmic, apple cider and wine vinegars

Eric’s Fitness Tips
By Eric Walden

I used the four D’s during my training for my first bodybuilding competition. This helped me day in and day out to remember why I was torturing my body. Use this as template for your success. Each person has to find what makes them tick and put stepping stones in place to help them succeed. Everyone is different and will take their own path to success, but these are the basics that everyone must have to succeed.

Each of these components in of themselves can not lead you to success, but when combined together they will almost guarantee success. A person must have each of these components to be successful. A person must first have the desire to accomplish a task. Then they must have the discipline to put together a plan of attack. Third, they must have the drive to keep going when the going gets tough. Last, a person has to have the dedication to complete the task.

The four D’s don’t have to be applied strictly to fitness. It can be applied to daily life. But putting together a plan and acknowledging that the road to success isn’t going to be easy.

The Four D’s to Success

Desire- to long or hope for: exhibit or feel desire for a: to express a wish for

Discipline- a: training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; b: control gained by enforcing obedience or order c: orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior

Drive- to impart a forward motion to by physical force; a: to exert inescapable or coercive pressure on b: to compel to undergo or suffer a change (as in situation or emotional state) c: to urge relentlessly to continuous exertion d: to press or force into an activity, course, or direction e: to project, inject, or impress incisively

Dedication- a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose

Family and Faith

Parenting Tip:
Thinking about our New Years Eve playing “Apples to Apples” reminds me of the importance of special family traditions and memories. I recently read a helpful book on this topic, “Fifteen Minute Family Traditions and Memories”, by Emilie Barnes. Emilie says that a memory-builder does not have to be limited to one season of the year or a certain holiday. It can be any event that later becomes a happy memory – a family ritual, a season, a tradition, or the creation of a memorable event out of an ordinary day. Emilie reminds us that we need to plan our lives to create treasured memories, and that “successful people do what unsuccessful people aren’t willing to do”.

Special family traditions can be making family dinners and prayers a priority with no TV (and maybe one evening a week planning a longer family dinner with special conversation and often asking “What was the best thing that happened to you today?” or have a jar of canned questions to pull out one or several to ask), a special family handshake, making favorite cookies, having pet names, at least once a day telling your children you love them and often tell them how much you enjoy being their parents, having a “You Are Special Today” plate to honor a family member or guest, make a big deal and honor a child on success, designate one night a week as a family night, and special occasion things like a birthday plate or glass, making special secret valentines for family members, coloring East eggs together, reading the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke before Christmas meal just to name a few. Work to identify your special family traditions, keep them up, and plan others that you want!

Marriage Tip (from “Fifteen Minute Family Traditions”) - Prescriptions For Romance
-compliment your mate and repeat every 4 – 6 hours
-say “I love you or respect and appreciate you” at least 3 times today and every day
-the unasked-for gift is most appreciated – the surprise gift most cherished
-run your hands and feet under warm water before coming to bed
-hug at least ten time today – watch out and it can be habit-forming!
-kidnap your mate – blindfold and drive around a little to confuse then take on a surrpise date
-hide 25 little “I love and or respect you because…” cards (on index cards, post-it notes, heart paper…) all over the house (even car, briefcase, freezer, sock drawer, books, etc) – some may stay hidden for months!
Make God and each other your priority!

Faith
In November and December at my church, Trader’s Point Christian Church, or lead minister Aaron Brocket gave a sermon series “Calling Out the Gods”. “You shall have no other Gods before me and you shall not worship idols.” Aaron talked about how we may at first think following the First Commandment is relatively easy, but actually is the one that always trips us up. There is a false God under every sin – idolatry is the tree and sin is the fruit (replacing God with a god substitute). We must daily look at who or what is sitting on the throne of our heart, or is the object of our worship, or what we sacrifice our time and money for? We must daily choose who we serve. God is not interested in being one among many, but being our one Lord.

Aaron discussed that idolatry is the number one threat to our walk with God, and our marriages and families. Our hearts and thoughts are idol factories, and we must discern our idols in the things we want or find happiness or pleasure in, the way we spend our money or our emotions. What are the idols of our hearts and thoughts - ?work, ?money, ?sexual sin, ?busyness, ?sports, ?alcohol/drugs, ?success. Idolatry is killing us and our sanctification (God’s plan for our lives to become more like Him). What we want drives what we do which reveals who we are. As Christians, we must discern our false gods, and dethrone them by daily remembering that who I am and what I do is based upon the glory of God and Him alone. We cannot remove a false god but must replace it with a new affection and pleasure in God and the Gospel. Then we must continue to choose on a daily and even each moment basis who we serve – a false little “g” god or the one true God…

I thank God first for Him and then for all of you – He so loves and knows and cares for each one of us, and the Bible is His book of love for me and you!
Happy New Year for eternity!
Hugs,
Dr. Lisa

Quick Workout

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and got to spend lots of time with family and friends. I had a great time with my family. It is the first time my wife and I hosted a Christmas party. It was a lot of work but fun at the same time. I definitely over indulged in food. I came up with this short work out to help burn off those extra calories that we put on. The video is about 7 minutes long but it takes you through step by step of each exercise and how to do it. I hope you enjoy.

Eric Walden

PS. I want to let you all know that I am running a special for the New Year. If you purchase 12 sessions you will receive 3 free sessions. Check out my website for pricing details. www.waldospersonaltraining.com

"Mistaken Identity", Eric's Tips, OCD, Respectful Kids-starts with us!

Merry Christmas!!! This time of year I want to make sure to take the time to ponder and revel in the eternal gift God gave to us in Jesus. I do not want to let myself get caught in the trap and character assassin of business and frenzy. I constantly seek with the Holy Spirit's help to make certain I do the important and not the urgent.

"Mistaken Identity", by the VanRyn's and Cerak's

Annika and I and many of my woman's bible study group were honored last Saturday to hear Colleen and Newell Cerak speak in my friend Shelly's home for over 90 minutes. They are the co-authors of the book "Mistaken Identity", about the tragic Taylor University accident over 3 years ago, where 5 people were killed in an auto accident on I69, and their daughter Whitney was one of the 5 declared dead. Then 5 weeks later they discovered actually Whitney was alive, and had been mistaken for Laura VanRyn... The following is my notes and lessons from their testimony, which was so moving that even my 9 year old Annika was totally attentive the entire time (and she has been sharing what she learned with many, and is learning more as she reads their book). Matt Lauer of the Today Show has emotionally said that the Cerak's and the VanRyn's are the most impressive people he has ever interviewed. The Cerak's live in Gaylord, MI and were here to speak at a church, and stayed with Shelly, who has been their long time friend (and they are happy to share their testimony and faith with any group or church, and just ask travel expenses).

After being told their daughter had died in the crash (and Newell has out of town at the time helping with Hurricane Katrina aftermath)...
Christians do not grieve as the world grieves, and they made Whitney's funeral a God-centered celebration. They were given the energy and strength for the funeral with their older daughter Carly's insistence they had to spend 2 hours alone together in prayer beforehand. They had Whitney's bible, and discovered she had been underlining meaningful passages to her months before the crash. Some that really spoke to them were Ps 105:4, 63:3, 62:5-8, 84:1-2, and they spent their 2 hours of prayer spent around Whitney's bible and some worship music. Then on Mother's Day which closely followed her funeral, Carly gave Colleen a card signed, "Your favorite daughter here on earth".
Newell was out of town on a youth Christian conference, and Colleen received a phone call at 5am to bring Whitney's dental records to a Grand Rapids rehab hospital. The Cerak's overwhelming joy at having their daughter alive became the VanRyn's pain, however the VanRyn's were so gracious and happy for them. Even though the world would think that theirs was not a happy ending, the VanRyn's knew that they and their daughter Laura who had died had the most happy ending - Heaven! Through all this and the following rehab for Whitney, God perfectly placed and timed so very many people to help and support the Cerak's.

Whitney's remarkable rehab and recovery...
A neuropsychologist said trauma to the brain is like a hurricane ripping through a forest of trees (the brain's connections being like the trees) - some are broken and some totally uprooted. When they first met Whitney again 5 weeks after the crash, her neuropsych testing did not even register her being in late preschool development. With rehab all summer with her sister and family, Whitney tested at the 8th grade level in August. She then wanted to return to Taylor for her sophmore year, and they modified classes for her. Whitney had a very difficult time that semester with being different and not funny any longer, and really missed her old self. Carly told her, "I miss the old Whitney too, but I love the new Whitney". On Thanksgiving, Whitney's neuropsych testing showed she was at a junior level in college!

Colleen's Lesson's
1. God is in control and His strength will carry you through, and He knows the big picture from the very beginning. She says she is a type A personality and likes to control/do, but she learned dramatically with the 2 hours of prayer before funeral preparations the power of time with God and letting Him control. Nothing is better than time alone with God and preparing ourselves with God's word. He is the foundation and strength underneath and within us. Remember to note and underline in your Bible.
2. Miracles do happen all the time, and stop whining and complaining and forgetting. Satan wants to disrupt, but God can use all for HIs glory. Colleen encourages us to break routines and desire God in the way He deserves to be desired.

Newell's Lessons
1. All Christians have their safety in Jesus and eternal Heaven, and through this Newell had his perspective totally change in regards to his family's safety. He no longer worries about their safety, but prays for safety of loved ones and others who do not know or accept Jesus.
2. God loves us just the way we are, and releases us to be who He wants. Our identity and value is in God and Jesus Christ, and He never changes. Our identity is not in our work or life here or our humor - that would be mistaken identity.
3. Crises will come and go, but God is still God no matter what the crises. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and we can always depend upon God. We will never be the same - our lives are in constant transition. We are not called to be normal, but to be bold and not afraid to share our faith and our source of strength. (The VanRyn's and Cerak's twice refused to appear on Oprah because she did not let her guests talk about the one true God. Only until Oprah agreed to let them share this and all their story and faith did they appear on Oprah to talk about their story and book.)

I asked about how they kept their marriage strong through the crises. They said that they focused and were attentive to their bond of at first of grieving together and then working together with God at their focus and center. They rely on God's strength and pray together daily. I then shared trainer Eric's visual of a triangle with God at the top and each partner/spouse at the bottoms of the triangle - the closer you each get to God, the closer you are together...

Where is Whitney now? (And she does not want her story as a movie.) She is a missionary in Africa with her sister Carly, and totally has her humor and personality back. Her longtime boyfriend since high school just asked her to marry him, and they will be getting married in the spring or early summer (and then he will be deployed in the summer).

Eric's Fitness Tips
By
Eric Walden

The holidays can be a joyous time of year shared with family and friends, but they can also bring stress and anxiety as we struggle to keep up with often-unrealistic demands and expectations. That's why it is so important for all of us to relax and take good care of ourselves.

ACE's (www.acefitness.org) top tips for surviving the holidays are great for increasing your energy and reducing your stress, this season and all year long.

Take time for yourself. Although spending time with friends and family is essential, it's also important to have at least five minutes to yourself to relax. Try practicing deep breathing exercise when you feel stressed out.

Don't set unrealistic exercise goals. Aim to exercise 20 minutes a day instead of an hour. You'll be sure to get at least 20 minutes of exercise per day without feeling disappointed if you do not complete an hour.

Enlist a friend or family member to exercise with you. Walking and talking with a friend can be a great way to burn extra calories and reduce your stress level.

Create new, more active traditions. Instead of throwing a dessert or cocktail party, try snowshoeing or ice-skating as an alternate holiday event. Play powder puff football or build a snowman.

Don't try to lose weight or stick to a restrictive diet this holiday season. If you enjoy your favorite foods in small portions, you'll feel more satisfied. Trying to stay away from certain foods may leave you feeling deprived, which may cause you to eat more than you intended to.

Drink plenty of water. Although the cold weather may make you less inclined to grab a glass of water, it is just as important in the winter as it is during the summer. Water helps counter the dehydrating effects of travel or drinking alcoholic beverages, and it may also help satiate your appetite since thirst is often mistaken for hunger.

Spread out meals. Don't feel like you have to eat everything at once. Try eating dinner early and then taking a walk before sitting down for dessert.

Don't overdo it with alcohol or caffeine. These stimulants will only cause you more grief in the end by adding to your feelings of stress. Try drinking hot herbal tea instead of coffee, and keep the number of alcoholic drinks to a minimum.

Don't aim for perfection, and enjoy the imperfections. There is no such thing as the perfect party or the perfect decorations or the perfect way to spend the holidays. Don't set yourself up for disappointment by placing unrealistic demands on yourself.

Laugh. Laughing is a great tension reliever. It burns calories, reduces stress and usually means that you're enjoying yourself.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Family and Faith - from Eric
This week I am writing of one of Eric's tips for spiritual/mental and relationship fitness. He shared this with my daughter Christina who was talking with him about how she and her boyfriend were lately were not as in sync. Eric asked about how their relationship and time spent with God was lately. He then taught (and drew out) the lesson about the triangle with God at the top, and she and her boyfriend at each bottom. Eric drew arrows on each side of the triangle going from the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom. Then he explains that as you can see with that triangle, the closer each of you get to God, the closer you are together (and the farther you get away from God, the farther you are apart)... Thanks Eric!!!

(PS When he trains clients, he does not bring up spiritual and faith issues unless his clients bring it up and ask him, but he has such a wealth and depth of it!)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD
OCD has a lifetime incidence of about 2%, with symptom usually beginning in adolescence, and can cause marked distress and disability (and can be associated with depression, panic disorders, and substance abuse). OCD interferes with family and social relationships and work performance and is likely to persist without effective treatment. People are often embarrassed and reluctant to report OCD symptoms. If the diagnosis of OCD is suspected, these two screening questions can help decide - Do you have thoughts that are hard for you to get out of your mind? Do you feel the need to perform certain tasks that you really don't want to do or don't make sense over and over?
Obessions are recurrent intrusive thoughts or images which cause significant distress. Compulsions are repetitive activities to try to counteract the anxiety caused by the obsessions. Common obsessions are need for order (intense distress when things are disordered or asymmetric), repeated doubts (eg. wondering if an alarm was set), contamination (dirty from shaking hands, etc.), sexual imagery (recurrent porn images of thoughts), religious (excessive concern about unknowingly sinning or bad thoughts), and aggressive impulses (images of hurting a relative or person). Common compulsions are checking (repeated checking doors, alarms, appliances), cleaning (handwashing, housecleaning), ordering (reordering things to achieve symmetry), mental acts (counting, repeating words, praying), repetitive actions (like walking in/out of doorway multiple times), hoarding (saving rash/unnecessary things), and reassurance seeking (asking others continually for reassurance).
Treatment for OCD is through education, support, behavioral therapies, and medicine, though if usually takes weeks and months for the best effects/results of these treatments. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven effective for OCD, and is done under the direction of a trained counselor. They teach people with OCD to confront their obsessions and to avoid performing the compulsive behaviors. The best medicine for treating OCD is an SSRI like Prozac, Paxil, or Zoloft. For effectiveness in OCD, they are often needed in their maximal dosages and may take longer than usual to notice their effectiveness (even 10 - 12 weeks). Medical therapy then should be continued at least 2 years, and often for a lifetime. If an SSRI is not effective, another medicine can be added or switched to like clomipramine (Anafranil), or Effexor, or an anti-psychotic mood stabilizing medicine (like Risperdal, Seroquel, Haldol, or Abilify). Natural medicine therapies include the CBT and moderate intensity aerobic exercise (but St. John's wort has not been shown to help OCD).

Family and Faith

Parenting Tip - from the book "Respectful Kids - The Complete Guide to Bringing Out the Best in Your Child", by Dr. Todd Cartmell

I am just starting to read this book, and Dr. Cartmell suggests as we work to teach our children respect, that us parents need to first look in the mirror - are we a picture of compassion and understanding or of unreasonable expectations?, a picture of unshakeable honesty or of shading the truth when it's more convenient?, a picture of taking personal responsibility or of making excuses?, a picture that encourages others or that tears them down?, a picture of self control or of abusive anger?, and a picture that can be flexible or that becomes unyielding?.
Dr, Cartmell gives the illustration of how you vitally need the picture on the cover of a jigsaw puzzle to put the puzzle together. We as parents are the picture God has placed in our children's lives. We are the picture on the top that they cannot do without, and are constantly studying to figure out the jigsaw of their lives. So as always with parenting, we must start with studying and working upon ourselves.
How can we be the pictures God intends us to be? Dr. Cartmell teaches four steps we need to work with God upon - first to identify those aspects of our behavior that need to change, surrender that area to God, take it out of the closet, and get specific about how to move toward change. "Through these four steps, God can begin to shape our lives into the picture our children need to look at every day, and then our children will find it easier to become everything God has made them to be."

He identifies aspects that may need to change are -
-How we talk to our spouse
-The amount of time we spend with our kids

-How we express frustration
-The tone and volume of our voice when we correct our children
-The way we work through family problems
-The reasonableness of our expectations in relation to the age and understanding of our children
-How we joke with our kids
-The consistency of our devotional times.

Some specific steps to take to address issues we want to focus on are -
-Make a list of hurtful words you will no longer use
-Commit yourself to apologizing and asking forgiveness from your child every time you lose your temper with her
-Limit Internet and TV time to free up more time to be with your family
-Say one positive thing to each child every day
-Compliment your spouse in front of your kids
-Physically touch each child in a caring, appropriate way every day
-Spend a couple minutes at each bedtime asking your child about her day
-Take each child out to breakfast once a month, Lead a short family devotion each morning
-Prepare a family-time discussion once a week
-Read 5 chapters from the Bible each week
-Have a date night with your spouse at least once a month (see me last blog about time with your spouse)
-Pray with your spouse each night before going to bed
-and even Make an appointment with a marriage or family counselor.

I am so grateful for all of you and my many blessings, but primarily and especially eternally grateful to God and our savior Jesus! Remember to keep training our and our children's hearts in gratefulness and values, and very importantly to always want what we have (not have what we want)!
With my Hugs and Prayers for you and your families,
Dr. Lisa