Healthy Gluten-Free & Organic Food Tips, Dr. Lisa in Eric's Max Workout, Sons

Happy 80th Birthday Mom!

My wonderful Mom, Virginia Wolf celebrates her 80th birthday this summer! Most of the women in our family got together last weekend to celebrate by eating and shopping well, and staying overnight together at a downtown hotel (my Mom and most of my family live in Fort Wayne, IN). We thank God for an awesome time together, and I cried at the end of the weekend - we will just have to do again soon! The top picture is a photoshop pic my daughter Christina made for the party including the immediate women in our family (daughters, granddaughters, and 2 great-granddaughters), and the bottom one is after dinner last Saturday night. (And I am so happy that I was able to take my thumb splint off last week!)

This article I will write about tips from my patients Shelly and Karen and my husband Bruce on how to switch to gluten-free and organic (Shelly switched 2 months ago and feels so much better and finally can lose weight - has lost 10 pounds with the same amount of exercise and no more irritable bowel/stomach/colon issues that she had for years; and Karen just switched a month ago and has lost 6 pounds and has less fibromyalgia/migraine pain). Eric made a video of me doing the Maximum Effort workout. Please call him if you need an excellent personal trainer (and Purdue grad like me) - he has some openings now (eric_walden@waldopersonaltraining.com, 765-404-7343). He and my son Brendan are gone this coming week at Rainbow Christian Camp - their high school out of state trip - canoeing and caving and hiking (Eric as an adult chaperone!).

Healthy Gluten-Free & Organic Food Tips

From my patient Shelly

"First I would like to share a website http://www.gnowfglins.com/, which stands for God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season. And I have found a great book by Alicia Silverstone; "The Kind Diet", which is a vegetarian diet but also a wonderful source of information. This book explains how food is processed and where it comes from. Through my journey I have learned a great deal regarding the sources of our food. Which is why I have chosen to try to buy organically and locally. I have not taken the plunge to become a vegetarian, and in the book it talks about the superhero diet--which is pretty extreme. I have cut out all red meat and pork but I still eat chicken and turkey. I also suggest watching "Food, Inc" (you can borrow it from the library or watch it on youtube). The documentary goes behind the scenes into our countries farms and processing plants. I was horrified at what I learned. I will only buy meat that is cage free, hormone free and no antibiotics. My local Farmers Market has a variety of local meats and also Trader Joe's is a great place too.

So Here is a typical day for me:

Morning--Atkins shake and take all my vitamins & supplements

2hrs later--piece of fruit & a small amount of nuts (almonds are best)

Lunch--Cup of Greek Yogurt with fresh blackberries and blueberries

afternoon snack--fruit and vegetable smoothie

Supper--grilled tilapia with steamed zucchini and wild rice and mushrooms

dessert--a small piece of 70% dark chocolate. (I use the darkest chocolate I can find for my sweet cravings)

When I am on the go I always have with me nuts, dried fruit, strips from Trader Joe's (no sugar added) and plenty of water. I Never eat at Fast Food Restaurants!!!!!!! Brown rice noodles and corn noodles are good pasta, but need to be made al dente (otherwise they get mushy faster than those made with wheat).

When planning to go out to eat, I look up on the web for restaurants have gluten free menus. I also have an Iphone which helps with planning while I'm out. Also for Grocery shopping I have a Gluten App that is full of ingredient of info. I have cut out all high fructose corn syrup, processed sweeteners, artificial flavorings and preservatives. It takes longer at the grocery store but it is worth it. A great cookbook is "1000 Gluten-Free Recipes" by Carol Fenster, and she also has several other books about how to go gluten-free.

This journey has been a wonderful experience with guidance from our Lord. I have never felt this good about taking care of my body and family!! My health has improved by leaps and bounds!!!!! and I no longer suffer everyday with stomach pain. My girls are now more aware of the kinds of food they are eating and making great choices independently!!!!!! I can't thank you enough for opening this door for me. I do believe that God surrounds us with his love through relationships. He can take care of our needs if we surrender!!! Thank you!!!!

Shelly"

Tips From Karen - these are gluten free foods she has liked - Edward & Sons (Brown Rice Snaps), Gen Soy (Soy Crisps), Annie Chun's (Black Pearle Rice, Sprouted Brown Rice, Multigrain Rice - are good with chicken, veggies, and a little toasted sesame oil), Cream of Rice, Blue Diamond Natural (Almond Breeze Vanilla Unsweetened), Moody Meats (http://www.moodymeat.com/)

Tips from Bruce, my husband

-we all love the great food delivered weekly by Farm Fresh Delivery, and you can easily choose each week online what you want with even added things like meat and milk/cheese from Trader's Point Creamery, coffee, and many gluten free products (http://www.farmfreshdelivery.com/)

-from Costco, Crunchmaster Multigrain Crackers - gluten free

-plant your own garden, and we even have strawberries in our front flower bed

-a local woman from Labanon, Victoria Wessler writes a blog about growing and buying local organic foods, http://www.goinglocal-info.com/, and a couple other links, http://www.localharvest.org/, and http://www.indychef.blogspot.com/ (and from Costco magazine, http://www.celiacdiseasecenter.org/, and www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319, http://www.rockli.com/ )

Eric's Fitness Tips: Max Cardio Workout with Dr. Miller!

Family & Faith

Marriage Tips - from "Simple Secrets Couples Should Know", by Bob & Emilie Barnes

Secrets to Romancing Your Wife

*Help your wife wash her hair.

*Cuddle up in front of a roaring fireplace (no TV, no children, and no phone)

*Bring home and watch her favorite movie.

*Write "I love you" on the bathroom mirror with a piece of soap.

*Take your wife's car to be serviced.

*Call your wife from work just to tell her you love her.

*Give your wife a kiss and thank her for all she does to make home so warm and fun.

*Write down five things you love and appreciate about your wife. Sign and date it, and then give it to her. She'll love it.

Secrets to Romancing Your Husband

*Write your husband a thank-you note just for being him-self. Place it under his pillow.

*Fly a kite together.

*Wash and vacuum his car until it sparkles like new.

*Recognize his sock and underwear drawer.

*Wash and iron his dress shirts that need attention.

*Give him a shoulder, neck, and back rub.

*Shine his dress shoes.

*Run an errand for him today.

*Take his clothes to the cleaners.

*Surprise him with tickets to a game or a movie that he'll enjoy.

Parenting Tips for Boys - from "Bringing Up Boys", by Dobson

Father & Sons - pray diligently for your sons and daughters; read the first 5 chapters of Proverbs, where King Solomon gives fatherly advice to his son

Modeling- "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one." Boys watch their dad intently, noting every minor detail of behavior and values. If a dad is honest, trustworthy,caring, loving, self-disciplined, and God-fearing, then his boys will be influenced by those traits as they age. He needs to be an oak tree - a man of strength and integrity. Your boys and girls need to see you doing what is right, especially when it is inconvenient to do so.

Specific Instructions - dads need to transmit to their sons, especially about girls and women - Tell your son he may never hit a girl under any circumstance; he must protect girls if they are threatened; he should walk on the outside of the sidewalk near the car; he must open doors for girls and women and help them with their coat; teach him to stand in formal situations when a woman leaves the room or table and when she returns; on a date he must knock on the front door and introduce himself and shake hands with eye contact-be the initiators of dates-pay for her food; and stress sexual abstinence and a very very slow progression of physical touch-tell your son not to take anything that doesn't belong to him ESPECIALLY the moral purity of a woman - sexual morality is not just right and proper: it is one of the keys to a healthy marriage and family life. If a man treats a woman like a lady, she will respect him and treat him like a man.

"I strongly urge fathers to tell their teenage and college age boys that girls are incurable romantics, and that it will not be enough for them as husbands to be successful in their professional pursuits. If they are going to have strong marriages and families, they must reserve time and energy for the marital relationship, talking together and treating each other as sweethearts."

Mothers and Sons

Moms need to reach out and physically touch their boys if they want to get their attention, and give messages in short bursts. Boys, just like most men, are not listening much of the time! The quality of early relationships between boys and their mothers is a powerful predictor of lifelong psychological and physical health. Spend time developing the bond between mother and child in the preschool years. Then in the school age years the presence of parents is very beneficial at four key times during the day - early morning, after school, dinnertime, and bedtime. When that regular contact is combined with other shared activities between parents and kids, the most positive outcome is achieved. Adolescents whose parents ate dinner with them 5 times per week or more are the least likely to be on drugs, depressed, or in trouble with the law. Parental involvement is key, and family mealtimes continue to be great settings in which to impart the truths of our faith. As the blessings of the day are recounted, children see evidence of God's loving faithful care and then importance of honoring Him with times of thanks.

Dr. Dobson also encourages us moms to facilitate the access of children to their father, and for us to talk regularly with our sons. Work hard at keeping the lines of communication open. Explore what your children and spouse are thinking and feeling. Especially seek out and target your boys, because they can often be concealing a cauldron of emotion.

Faith

Psalm 63:6

"I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night." (- and I will rest more peacefully!)

Remember to go to bed praising God for His goodness. This lays the groundwork for gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise in the morning. Recalling His goodness motivates you to trust Him for the future, to be honest and admit your need for Him, and gives you hope for the day to come, and helps you turn to Him quickly no matter what may arise.

With my hugs and prayers for all you so very special wonderful gifts from our Lord and for your families,

Dr. Lisa

Eric's Max Effort Workout, Adrenal DHEA Hormone, Raising Sons & Daughters

Happy Memorial Day!

This is my daughter Annika and my nephew Sheriff Bryce Wolf in Annika's third grade class last week. My deepest thanks to him for teaching her class about his profession and answering all their many questions on his day off! (And my deepest thanks to Annika's terrific teacher Mrs. Hunter and to all our wonderful dedicated teachers. Please help them out and help in school as much as you can!) Annika was the student of the week last week in her class and was allowed to invite a guest speaker. Bryce was her 1st choice, and she feels his job is much more interesting than any of her parent's jobs!

Are you aerobically exercising at least a half hour 5 days a week? Are you watching any TV or non work related activities on your computer? Then you have plenty of time to do the aerobic exercise. God gave you a wonderful body and you need to exercise and care well for it! Do not turn on the TV or computer until you have exercised. You must make exercise a priority and plan each week ahead to accomplish it... You and your health will thank you! Eric gives a great workout routine below that he planned and had me and my husband and son do last week when he trained us (and there is another great routine that he filmed me doing on my blog last month that you can alternate between). I recommend you calling Eric to hire him (or another excellent trainer like him) to get you started well and keep you going!

Eric's Fitness Tips

Max Effort Work out
By
Eric Walden

Here is a great workout that takes only about 20 minutes. It is a max effort workout. Meaning you only do each exercise once, but you leave nothing left in the tank after each one. Make sure to record the number of reps you do for each exercise. This way you can keep track of your progress. At the bottom I will put some alternative exercises. The only equipment you may need is a pull up bar. These are easily purchased at Wal-Mart or Target for $20, the kind that goes in the doorway. Keep a water bottle handy during this one, I told Lisa to keep the cap off too for easy access. This one is just as much about the heart muscle as it is about the muscles you are working.
I have room for new clients over the summer. So please email me or call to set up an appointment. eric_walden@waldospersonaltraining.com or 765-404-7343

Each exercise is to be done for 50 seconds. All out effort is required. You get 10-15 seconds rest in between each exercise.

Max Effort Workout
Date & Reps - journal the date and # of reps to chart your and even your family progress!
1. Pull ups
2. Prisoner Squat with Jump
3. Mountain Climber
4. Jump Lunges
5. Clap Push-ups
6. Bicycle crunches
7. Dips
8. Lunge Front to Back
9. Side Crunch with leg raise
10. Burpees

1. Pull-ups – self explanatory, but there is a way to this without a pull-up bar. Using a broom stick place the broom on two chairs leaving a gap in between the chairs. Lying flat on the ground line your chest up with the broom. Then using an overhand grip grab the broom. Keep your body tight pull yourself up so your chest touches the broom. The key here is keep your abs engaged to keep your body straight.
2. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and clasp hands behind the head, squat down and upon rising jump. It doesn’t have to be an all out jump, just jump.
3. In a push-up position jump feet in and out keep your hands in place. The key here is keeping your hips down. If the hips rise it takes away from the exercise.
4. Basically doing a normal lunge but upon standing back up you are jumping and while in the air move feet from front to back and vice versa. For first time clients I let them hold onto a bar for additional help.
5. Do a normal push up but thrust your body in the air and clap and return hands to position be for you fall. If you can’t do clap push-ups do regular push-ups. I had Lisa’s husband us a bosu ball and as he came up he pulled the bosu off the ground. Still getting the impact of a clap push up but less dangerous.
6. Bicycle crunches- everyone has done these. Make sure the breath on this one. I tend to hold my breath when doing this particular exercise.
7. Dips- You can use a bench or even a chair to perform this exercise.
8. Lunge front to back- this is a stationary lunge, but instead of just going forward, use the same foot and do a front lunge as you stand up swing you leg behind you and do a backward lunge. Use the same leg for 50 seconds then switch legs.
9. Side Crunch- staying on your side crunch up and bring your knees up to your elbow. It takes a little coordination to perform this exercise.
10. Burpee- From a standing position squat down placing hands in a push-up position and jump both legs back into a full push- up position then jump both legs back to the front then stand up. Repeat.

Adrenal Hormone Natural Supplement DHEA

DHEA is secreted by the adrenal glands (small glands above the kidneys which secrete many of our hormones). It is the precursor for the synthesis of more than 50 hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. DHEA has also been shown to stimulate the production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone which stimulates anabolic metabolism, accerates muscle growth, inmproves insulin sensitivity, and enhances energy production.

Production of DHEA peaks during the mid-20s, and then begins a progresive steady decline with age, and declines with increased stress. Low levels have been in some reports associated with common diseases of aging (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis), loss of muscle mass, memory/mood/energy problems, vaginal dryness, and decreased libido/sexual dysfunction,\ among other things.

I consider checking DHEA blood levels in patients with hormone problems/issues or patients with chronic nonspecific problems (especially chronic fatigue). When cost of the test is an issue, I often recomend a trial of this inexpensive supplement. The most common dose is 5-10 mg dissolved under the tongue or vaginally. The uses I especially consider DHEA for are decreased libido, decreased energy/mood, and vaginal dryness.

Family and Faith

Parenting

Daughters -"MOM'S Everything Book for Daughters" by Becky Freeman

Chapter "Beauty at What Price?"

We need to constantly remind ourselves and especially our daughters that God made us each uniquely beautiful exactly the way we are and there is not another girl exactly like us! The right guy when we are dating will be attracted to our inner and outer beauty at the right time without any premeditated sexy moves. Hollywood and our culture images of beauty in women are not real and are psychologically dangerous to girls, so limit as much as possible those TV, computer, or magazine images. What can you do to help your daughter feel good about herself physically?

-focus on what is important - values, character, and behaviour - much more than looks

-don't communicate your own weight concerns with your daughter

-let her know weight gai during puberty is not only natural but important for healthy development (and regular periods)

-keep your coments positive and realistic

-stress health and fitness as a family (don't single just one child out) - eat regular healthy meals, have healthy foods and snacks, eat (slowly) when hungray and stop when you are full, and exercise daily

-have no tolerance for teasing

-appropriately touch and hug our daughters as we verbally approve of their iner and outer beauty

-remember even our very pretty girls are insecure

"Tell your daughter that, "You are lovely and, truly , your beauty is a pleasure to behold. But I want you to read this line from Marmie and know that what I most cherish in you is the beauty you carry inside your heart. And these are the things God cherishes most in you as well.""

One of the most profound statements mother can make to her daughter comes from the movie "Little Women" when Marmie is combing her daughter's lovely hair, "I only care what you think of yourself. If you feel your value lies in bing merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that's all you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind - your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are the things I cherish so in you."

Write this quote out for your daughter on a pretty piece of paper in very nice handwriting or nice font from your computer, and suggest she keep it somewhere where she can read it often or at least occasionally!

Memory verse to have her w

rite out or type as a reminder of her truest, innermost beauty, 1Peter 3:3-4, "Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on jewelry, or beautiful clothes, or hair arrangement. Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to God."

Sons - next blog!

Faith

Remember His greatest comandment is to LOVE - the joys in our lives as well as the testy's, foes, and fars. If I (or you) harbor any resentment or hatred toward just one individul in the world, by that much I am separated from God... Phillip Yancy says in his book "What's so Amazing About Grace", that we only love Jesus as much as we love the person we like the least...

With my hugs and prayers,

Dr. Lisa

Constipation, Eric's Tips for Exercise with Bad Knees, A Weekend to Remember, Faith and Parenting Daughters and Sons

Happy Mother's Day and May and Indy 500 Month!

I was so very blessed last Sunday to have 4 of my children (missed you Easton and your 2 Frenchies!) and Bruce and I in a park with a terrific photographer Liz Kaye. I love enjoying God's beauty, family, and taking pictures, so it was a perfect Mother's Day for me - thank your family and Liz! Liz has such great talent and specializes in dog and puppy photography, and families along with them! She is always looking for dogs and puppies to photograph (and with the owners permission submits them to calendar, magazine, and greeting card companies) and owners/families if desired. If you, too, are interested in having your special pet photographed, contact Liz at 317-357-5785, http://www.lizkaye.com/. We all had a wonderful afternoon in the park together!

I want to thank all my so very special patients for giving me the honor of caring for you and learning and sharing from you! I will summarize the frequent problem of constipation and "A Weekend to Remember" for marriage, and begin to share insights from 2 good books on parenting boys and girls. I love to learn and read, and await my patient Shelly's tips on a gluten free diet to share with you soon (she feels so much better and has lost 15# in not quite 2 months). My thumb is still bothering me with swelling and pain and a splint, so I am sorry my blogs are a little late (I know it will heal in time, and now I know what a broken bone is like)!

Lab tip from my patient Andrea (for people with a large deductible or no insurance)- LabCorp at 75th and Shadeland has many less expensive/cheap lab tests available even without an order, like a 14 panel test including blood sugar, cholesterol, liver enzymes for $27 plus a $10 draw fee (needs to be paid at the time of draw). The website is http://www.labcorp.com/, and phone # is 317-577-5820.

Constipation

Constipation refers to a change in bowel habits - stools may be too hard or too small, difficult to pass or infrequent (less than 3 times/week), and people may notice a frequent need to strain and a sense bowels are not completely empty. The prevalence of constipation in the U.S. varies between 2 – 27%, and is more common in women, people with less physical activity, and those over 60 (with 26% of men and 34% of women reporting constipation). I will first discuss constipation in adults and then in children.

Adults
Many factors can contribute to constipation, although in most people no single cause can be found. The most common contributing cause is poor dietary fiber and water and magnesium intake and lack of physical activity. Other causes can be systemic disorders (such as hypothyroidism and diabetes), neurologic or obstructive intestinal disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or commonly as a side effect of medicines (especially pain medicines). You can usually treat constipation at home, but come to see me if the problem is new and lasts longer than 2-3 weeks, is severe, or is associated with concerning things such as blood on the toilet paper, weight loss, fevers, or weakness.

Treatment includes changing some behaviors, eating foods high in fiber (lots of healthy vegetables, fruits, and beans), taking magnesium, drinking plenty of water, and natural supplements or laxatives/enemas if needed.

Behavior changes – The bowels are most active following meals. This is the time when stools pass more readily, so pay close attention and go to the bathroom when you get the signal (and a small amount like a cup of coffee can be helpful). Ignoring your body’s signals to have a bowel movement can make the signals weaker over time.

Increase fiber (at least 25-30 grams/day) and water (at least ½ of your body weight in ounces/day) – Eating at least 5-10 servings of healthy fruits and vegetables/day and legumes/beans is very helpful for constipation and required for the best health. Often grains, especially wheat, are not the best because gluten intolerance is an alarmingly increasing problem and grains can interfere with your body’s magnesium absorption.

Magnesium as a nutrient not a laxative (anyone with kidney disease should not take magnesium supplements without consulting your kidney specialist) – Adequate magnesium levels in the body cause water to be drawn into the colon, where it softens the stool for easy passage, and magnesium acts as a natural stimulant on bowel muscles (magnesium is beneficial to the body in many other ways for energy production, proper insulin use, heart rhythm and blood pressure, and overall feeling of calm). Magnesium is in high concentration in green plants, and are best eaten properly cooked (not overcooked!) or raw. Also, if we were eating our meats from animals grazing on open pastures of grasses and herbage, these meats would have substantial amounts of magnesium.

For adults to determine your effective magnesium dose, start with 150-200mg after dinner, and can increase it by 150-200mg every 2-3 days until your stools are regular (most people find their effective dose between 400-1200mg/day). If you start having loose stools, then gradually decrease your dose. Remember that during stress your body uses up more magnesium, so you may require more during those times. Also, you may need more magnesium when eating dairy foods from cow milk (contains the sticky protein casein).

Magnesium aspirate (the one we carry at our office) or citrate in capsular forms are the most absorbable forms of magnesium, and very good when in combination with vitamin B6 in a well absorbed multivitamin in capsular form (like our Orthomolecular Alpha Base) or B complex vitamin. The best most well absorbed vitamins are almost always in capsular forms, and you need also to check the contents (see “How to Pick Out Vitamins and Supplements” on the 2nd page of my “For Your Health” article accessed under “Resources” on our home page). Be very wary of drugstore or discount store vitamins and supplements which are often very poorly absorbed and poor quality, and get your vitamins and supplements from a trusted informed place like our office or quality health food store (and still check the contents or bring in at your next visit with me to check).

Aloe Lite (supplement at our office) – take one daily (and can take up to two) containing 150mg/capsule aloe vera (anti-inflammatory for the digestive tract helping constipation and even diarrhea/irritable bowel), slippery elm (soothes digestive tract mucosa), and stone root (can help shrink and decrease inflammation of hemorrhoids)

Laxatives – You usually will not need any of these by following the above, but if you do, here are the categories.

Bulk forming Laxatives – Psyllium (Metamucil, Perdiem), Methycellulose (Citrucel), Calcium Polycarbophil (FibeCon, Fiber-Lax), Wheat Dextrin (Benefiber) – Increase these slowly to prevent gas and bloating, and always take with at least 16 ounces of water.

Hyperosmolar Laxatives – Polyethylene Glycol(MiriLax, GlycoLax), Lactulose prescription generic medicine and Sorbitol (these produce more gas and bloating than polyethylene glycol).
Saline Laxatives – these act similar to the hyperosmolar laxatives and include Milk of Magnesia and Evac-Q-Mag.

Stimulant Laxatives – include senna (Ex-Lax, Senokot, Flether’s Castoria) and bisacodyl (Correctol, Dulcolax) – overuse can cause side effects such as low potassium

Stool softeners – less side effects but less effective than laxatives – docusate (Colace)

Enemas – sodium phoasphate/biphosphate (Fleet) can be used and work quickly but are not recommended for people with kidney or heart problems, and hydrogen peroxide enemas should be avoided due to extreme colon lining irritation

Others – mineral oil (prolonged use can decrease absorption of nutrients or hurt the lungs if vomited), a prescription medicine Amitiza, or other natural products

Children
Complaints of constipation from children should not be ignored. If the opportunity for early intervention is missed, complications can quickly occur such as worsening constipation, stool withholding and fecal soiling, anal fissures, and even fecal impaction. The times when constipation are most likely to occur include: introduction of solid foods or cow’s milk/dairy, toilet training, and school entry.

Transition to solid diet – Ensure adequate fiber in fruits and vegetables (about 20grams/day in toddlers and young children) and adequate water (about 1 ounce per pound body weight in toddlers and children). Limit cow’s milk to less than 24 ounces/day.

Toilet training – Ensure the potty seat provides appropriate foot support and leverage for elimination, and that your child’s diet has adequate fiber and water and not too much cow’s milk/dairy. Once stool withholding behavior has begun, it can only be reversed by making the stools soft and passage pain-free. If your child just does not like having a bowel movement on a potty after your best encouragement and instruction, you may need to use a glycerin small child suppository to encourage them. (I had to do this with one of my children, and it only took one suppository to then encourage that child to regularly use the potty!)

School entry – Some children do not want to have a stool at school or do not have enough time, so they withhold their stools. Make sure to occasionally ask about their bowel movements, especially in young school age children. The best time to have a bowel movement as discussed above is usually following meals and paying attention to your body signals.

Treatment
In infants less than 1 year – Addition of indigestible osmotically active carbohydrates to the formula – increasing the dose as needed to induce a daily bowel movement. This includes sorbitol-containing juices or purees (for babies who have started solids) – apple, prune or pear. Barley cereal may e substituted for rice cereal, and soy formulas may be tried. Glycerin suppositories or rectal stimulation with a lubricated rectal thermometer can be used occasionally if there is very hard stool in the rectum (but not used frequently).

Older children – Ensure adequate fiber and water and you may need to eliminate cow’s milk/dairy. Children unwilling to consume adequate dietary fiber may need daily fiber supplement (as described under adults, but 20 grams/day for early childhood and 30 grams/day for adolescent girls and 40 for boys). An occasional does of laxative may be needed, or an enema if a child has not had a bowel movement for several days and cannot pass a stool.

Eric's Fitness Tips

By:Eric Walden

Older Adults Continued - pictures to come soon

In February we started a series for older adults and I want to continue that series for a little while longer. I want to go over a couple of exercise routines for bad or achy knees. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to with bad knees. It doesn’t matter the age or gender. It seems that everyone has achy joints. So I want give you some solid solutions to working around and strengthening the knee joints.

When addressing a client with knee problems I always ask if they have had any surgeries. Most people tell me no, but they follow it up with my doctor tells me it is going to be replaced. I say okay what have you done since then to strengthen the muscles around the knee. The answer is almost always nothing. Sometimes the answer is I have tried different stuff but my knees just ache so I quit. I honestly love both of these answers, because this opens the door for me to be able to try a variety of different exercise routines with them. When a client has tried but given up on exercises I usually find that they only tried it once or twice. Now there are always exceptions. Another reason I love working with clients with “problems” is because I enjoy figuring out how to help with work around the pain. By “working around” the pain I mean working different ranges of motion (ROM). Most leg machines have a ROM adjustment. Typically this adjustment isn’t shown in an orientation; mainly it gets very confusing to the new member. But look for one. I’ll give some examples here and hopefully paint a good picture for you. Plus I will post a couple of pictures as well to help. Not all machines are the same, so there will be some varying adjustments depending on the type of machine that is being used.

Leg Extension Machine:

Toning Strengthening

Sets: 3 3

Reps: 12-15 6-8 add more weight

Adjustments:

The pad should be just above the tongue of your shoe. A ROM adjustment would be that you feet are starting out underneath you. This can usually be adjusted to start out farther so your feet don’t go behind you so much in the down position. Typically the user straightens their legs straight out raising the pad up. The top part can sometimes be adjusted as well to stop the user from going all the way up.

I will start a client off with the full ROM and adjust it to a shorter ROM depending on how they are feeling (ie. Pain level). I let the client tell me how they are feeling then I adjust the ROM to keep them out of a ROM of pain. For example say the client bends their legs and their feet are underneath them, but that position hurts. I will adjust the ROM so the legs don’t bend so far back in the down position. Then I will have them do a few more reps to see if this ROM hurts. I will do this until I find a pain free ROM. The same holds true for the top position. If pain is present at the top I adjust so they client doesn’t raise

the pad to the top position.

Leg Curl Machine: seated or lying

Toning Strengthening

Sets: 3 3

Reps: 12-15 6-8 add more weight

Adjustments:

The same holds true here as well as the leg extension. It doesn’t matter if it the seated or lying machine. If at any point of a full ROM there is pain adjust the machine so there is none. On this machine it is usually the start position that hurts most people. This machine tends to “hyperextend” the knee when starting. I personally love the stretch it gives my tendons when I start this machine. I don’t leave my legs there more than 10 seconds though. Typically you can adjust this so you start with your knees slightly bent. I personally prefer the lying leg curl machine. I feel like my hamstrings getting a workout. Plus I can do single leg sets easier from this position as well.

Leg Press:

Toning Strengthening

Sets: 3 3

Reps: 12-15 6-8 add more weight

Adjustments:

This one is the easiest to adjust. The ideal starting point for a leg press is the knees bent to 90 degrees. Now some people can’t get down to 90 degrees because of how big their bellies are or because of bad knees. Go down as far as possible to start. Use a full ROM for a few reps and see how your knees feel. If there is pain stop above or below where the pain is located.

Lunge:

Toning Strengthening

Sets: 3 3

Reps: 12-15 6-8 add more weight- ie. dumbbells

Adjustments:

You don’t have to go all the way down for this exercise to be effective. I like to put first timers or my “knee” pain clients in a squat rack with the bar set at waist level. The bar is to hold onto while performing the lunge. This is an aide to the lunge. As you go down hold onto the bar and if the movement becomes difficult use your arms to help pull you up. I have a current client that needs a ton of help doing this exercise but it is so effective in strengthening the quadriceps muscles. It has helped improve her stair climbing ability and walking distance.

Adductor/Abductor:

Toning Strengthening

Sets: 3 3

Reps: 12-15 6-8 add more weight

Adjustments:

There aren’t any adjustments that will help the knees are these two exercises. They are however two great exercises for strengthening the out and inner legs. Any exercise that helps with strengthening of the upper leg is going to be key in keeping the knees from aching.

This routine is a very simple straight forward leg routine. If you get anything out of this article I hope it is that you can still do a variety of exercises and work around the pain.

As summer gets closer I know a lot of people will be hitting the walking trails and getting out more. Remember to keep lifting weights even through the summer. You don’t want to lose what you have gained in the winter months (muscle that is). I currently have some openings for anyone who would want to do some personal training as well. This is a good time as any to use a trainer to help get you going on the right foot. Check out my website for more information and my email. http://www.waldospersonaltraining.com/

Family and Faith

"A Weekend to Remember", from Family Life - this June 4-6th downtown at the Indianapolis Marriott-sign up at www.familylife.com to spend needed time and continuing education for your marriage! Below is my summary from the seminar last June 2009...

Family and Faith “A Weekend to Remember” Marriage Retreat (http://www.familylife.com/) This is a marriage, life, and family changing terrific Christian marriage retreat. My husband Bruce and I so learned, discovered, enjoyed, and were renewed by attending this conference! It is tremendous and life/marriage changing to take the time to focus on each other and learn to love your spouse better the way they want to be loved.
I strongly encourage you to spend the time and effort on each your marriage and family legacy to attend this or a similar marriage enrichment conference. Your spouse is your gift from God!

The topics covered were:

Why Marriages Fail - due to difficult adjustments (differing backgrounds, motivations, expectations), culture's pattern of 50/50 (vs God's encouraging oneness, giving 100%, looking at self), inevitable difficulties (need plan so will not drive apart), extramarital "affairs" (work, kids, activities/business, materialism, fantasy/porn, infidelity, isolation), and selfishness
Can We Talk – helping communication w a project - how can we understand our spouse (and NOT how we can get them to do what we want), LISTEN/repeat back/ask more questions
Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage - Our spouse is our gift from God
God's purpose for oneness -- to mirror God's image, mutually complete one another, multiply a Godly legacy with your children, keep away Satan (no secrets, work on yourself /struggles and be willing to hear feedback about yourself, be more dependent upon God)
From How to Wow - God's plan for oneness and a project (writing each other a love letter) -- Leave (establish independence from parents), Cleave (establish commitment to one another), Become one flesh (establish intimacy with one another) - this can be very difficult due to our differences, weaknesses, and self-centeredness
-we need to celebrate differences and help in each other's weaknesses
What Every Marriage Needs - God's power for oneness -- establish a relationship with God, experience an ongoing relationship with God together (read bible, pray together and individually, church home, time w other Christians/small group)
We Fight Too – with a project -- Conflict (and opportunity to know each other better) and to avoid conflict is to avoid reality
--resolving conflict requires loving confrontation (slow down and check your role, motives and heart, and choose your words carefully)
--resolving conflict requires choosing forgiveness (admit you are wrong, humbly seek forgiveness, release your spouse free from seeking revenge, build trust by consistent behavior over time)
--we minimize conflict when we choose to actively bless one another in marriage - refrain your tongue from speaking evil, turn away fro evil, do good, bee a peacemaker (anger shows that I care more about how we look than God) - I love you and your are not my enemy!
Marriage After Dark (with a project) - sex was created by God and designed for our good (the freedom to enjoy each other's body), sex is a thermometer that can measure your individual well-being, sex can be enhanced by understanding the differences between man and woman, and a great sex life is built on - Companionship (communication, tenderness, spending time together), Commitment (faithfulness, respect, forgiveness), Passion (planning and creativity), and Spiritual Intimacy (prayer and the Bible)

Woman to Woman - Priorities (#1 grow in her relationship w God, #2 respect and support her husband, #3 teach/train her children w wisdom from the Bible, #4 everything else ordered after the 1st 3!), God's design (equals w different roles/responsibilities/purposes - husband as leader and each other complete through marriage and mutual submission/selflessness), Respect and support her husband (unconditional respect which empowers her husband, thankfulness, praise, listening, sexuality, encouraging words/attitude/actions, never criticize husband in public or in front of children), Depend on God
Man to Man - Follow and obey Christ and his leader, Role as leader in marriage - sacrificially loving his wife (cherishes, trustworthy, listening, helping, praying, putting her needs ahead of his own, nourishes her gifts/dreams/love/romance), courageously leading his wife (finances, 1st taking care if wife and children, protecting his family emotionally/spiritually/physically), Responsibility as father (each child a unique gift from God, loves and cares willingly/eagerly/consistently/not domineering, spends time listening/hugging/things they enjoy/praying, leads by example and with God/loves their mother/teaches biblical wisdom)
How Marriages Thrive for Oneness in Marriage and a revolutionary relationship
-the habit of extravagant love is a choice and leads to genuine intimacy (Exclusive- one person having your heart for a lifetime, Expressed by repeating often through words and actions, Extraordinary-placing spouse's needs above your own)
-the habit of generous forgiveness leads to true security (with humility and without bitterness)
-the habit of enthusiastic encouragement leads to unity and team together for life (believe in and motivate your spouse, openly affirm/praise, maintain positive attitude, avoid critical words)
Leaving a Legacy - for our the next generations
-by doing the constant work of strengthening our marriage and family and relationship with God, and always looking to serve God and others
Lisa's things to remember from the conference
-work hard to love God and Bruce - to mirror God and complete each other
-work hard to avoid "extramarital affairs" such as work or business or selfishness
-celebrate each other's differences and help each other in our weaknesses
-take the time to raise Godly children - teach, train, talk
Lisa's top 3 priorities from the conference experience
-be my husband Bruce's cheerleader
-listen, repeat back, ask more questions
-work together to avoid "extramarital affairs" for each other and our

Parenting

I read 4 great parenting books while on my spring break vacation. Over the next several blogs, I will summarize parts of "MOM'S Everything Book for Daughter's" by Becky Freeman, and "Bringing up Boys" by James Dobson.

Daughters: Build your mother-daughter connections by making her feel loved by,

1. Give her the gift of your presence - listen with focused attention, sit and slow down, look her in the eyes, touch her in motherly ways (stroke her hair, rub her arm, hug her).

2. Speak to her with respect and kindness

3. Encourage her efforts with enthusiast.

4. Seek first to understand your daughter's point of view.

5 Answer her honest questions with your honest answers.

6. Say yes whenever you possibly can (reserve no for when necessary).

7. Ask her opinion.

8. Allow your daughter to feel any feelings she may have.

9. Let her cry, and don't be afraid to cry with her (you could have or make a family teddy bear that is passed to the person most in need of some extra love and cuddling on a particularly trying day).

Ideas to do together - plan a time to look over baby or girlhood pictures, watch a great mom-daughter movie (like Princess Diaries, Mary Poppins, Father of the Bride, Singing in the Rain, etc.-get the book for a long great list and many great ideas), read Proverbs 31:10-31 together (about the virtuous woman)

Sons

The hormone testosterone in largely responsible for maleness. It shows up in the 6-7 week embryo and begins transforming them into boys (it is a hormonal bath that changes the make-up and even color of the brain).

Boys are men in training, and often value change, risk, speculation, and adventure, and need to be shaped, molded, and "civilized". Watch out for wounded spirits in your boys from other children being mean/taunting, schools, and society (closely monitor any TV watched and computers). Be available and listen without judging or belittling.

A good summary of raising healthy boys in our shock-wave wounded world is from columnist Kathleen Parker... "We need to be reasonable, smart, and fully awake. Reduce boys' exposure to violence, be there when they return from school, help them with homework, ask them about their day, let them cry if need be, support them when they're down, help them to see options, teach them to handle guns safely if you have them, reward good behavior, provide meaningful consequences for unacceptable behavior, make reasonable demands, express moral expectations, talk to their teachers, and hug those boys every chance you get. Don't ask them to be men when they're just little boys, but show them how to be real men by demonstrating the thing we as a society seem to have lost: self-control. It's the greatest gift, and it isn't even rocket science. It's just good parenting."

Next blog I will write Dr. Dobson's comments about Father and sons and Mother and son's relationships. He starts out with the statement that we as parents need to have our sons (and daughters) see a sermon, NOT hear a sermon... see us doing what is right even though it is inconvenient or difficult!

Faith

I my Bible study the past two weeks, a couple things really stood out to me:

1. As the 5th pledge of believing God from Beth Moore covers, I need to remember and believe that God's word is alive and active in me (and in YOU!) and when I speak it out loud it is even more alive and powerful! Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." For reasons ultimately known to God alone, He has ordained that spoken words carry a power, authority, and effectiveness that exceed words we simply think. Therefore, I (and you) need to speak out loud more and daily of God's words, promises, our prayers, and for satan to stay away. When reading the Bible, make sure to read out loud at least some of what you read.

2. Do not let life's disappointments hinder our pursuit of God and reaching out to others in love. Remember that the Holy Spirit is always in us with God's all surpassing power, and putting our favorite Bible verses on 3x5 cards and memorizing them is great to do (I often memorize while jogging or exercising). Then we have God's words set in our hearts and ready to be remembered, utilized, and spoken - having our shield of faith and armor of God, and remember the power of praying God's words and promises in your prayers...

Psalm 91:14-15 "Because I have set my love upon You, You will deliver me. You will set me on high, because I have known Your name. I will call upon You, and You will answer me. You will be with me in trouble; You will deliver me and honor me."

Psalm 37:5 "Delight yourself also in Me, your Lord, and I will give you the desires of your heart."

Prayer - God forgive me that I so often allow disappointments in life deter me from moving toward You. Help me put everything I am and have in your hands - with nothing held back!

Hugs and prayers for you to be filled to overflowing with the fruit of His Spirit! Gal.5:22

Dr. Lisa

Plastic Hazzards/Safe Water Bottles, Lisa in Eric's Body Weight Cardio Workout, Veggie Steam Guide

Greetings and blessings to you all! My thanks to so many of you for your prayers, cards, offers to help with my broken thumb (and loved Les' card with the chicken noodle soup!)! I am starting to heal after 3 weeks in a splint and hope I do not need a pin. I see my orthopedist Dr. Frank Wilson (who gave me the idea of the Pass It On cards in our office) again in 3 weeks. I certainly have a MUCH deeper appreciation of the many needs of my thumbs now!


Our family so appreciated my Mom staying with us last weekend - I certainly look nothing like her?...! If you want to know where I am very often when not at my practice site, think of me sitting here in my sunny computer room, with the puppies, my great husband Bruce and my children around.


I wanted to share a picture of one of God's creations that I had never seen before - the Luna Moth. It flew in front of us on our deck last week and we were able to get a picture of it. They are about 4-5 inches in wingspan, found only in Eastern North America, are on the endangered species list, and only live for one week as an adult.




Plastics Hazards and Safe Water Bottles - Please do not drink out of warm plastic bottles, especially with the warm weather here!

Many scientific reports over the past several years are starting to show the potential hazards and danger of toxic chemicals from the plastics we use. Biphenal-A (BPA) is one such toxin that is still in some plastic bottles and mimics estrogen in the body. BPA and other toxins in plastics are linked to reproductive problems, breast cancer and other cancers, and even behavioral problems. Check the recycle number on your plastics. The recycle numbers 3, 6, and 7 are being associated with increased toxin risk.

When you cannot drink out of your real glass at home, stainless steel bottles are the best for cold beverages and water. They are guaranteed not to leach any chemicals, are durable, and water tastes great in them. (Aluminum is not as safe, because aluminum has been associated development of Alzheimer's.) If you do drink out of a thin plastic bottle, please only do so once (and then recycle), and never drink from a plastic bottle that is warm.


Eric's Tips - Lisa and Eric demonstrate his body weight cardio workout




Proper Steaming Guide for Vegetables - from my great over age 80 patient David!

The following vegetables steam perfectly in 8 minutes: asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, zucchini, summer squash, kale, mushrooms, spinach, red Swiss chard, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts

• Carrots (sliced 1/4 in. or 7mm thick)-12 minutes
• String beans (green, yellow, or mottled)-12 minutes
• Corn on the cob-5 minutes (when cooked perfectly like this it does not require butter and salt-it'll be tasty plain)
• Potato (sliced 1/4 in. or 7mm thick)-10 minutes
• Sweet potato, Yams (sliced 1/4 in. or 7mm thick)-12 minutes
• Onion (sweet Vidalia type)-no need to peel; cut in half through stem; cut half into 4 servings; steam 7 minutes, peel slips off easily
• Green peppers slices, cherry tomatoes-3minutes
• Red pepper slices-12 minutes (for best digestibility)
• Buttercup, butternut, and acorn squash-24 minutes
• Parsnips-6minutes
• Beets (sliced 1/4 in. or 7mm thick)-12 minutes
• Turnip-30 minutes (may be a bit firm after cooking, but this retains flavor)
• Eggplant (sliced 1/4 in. or 7mm thick)-10 minutes

Family and Faith

Parenting Tip
One of my so many wonderful patients, Kendel, gave me a quick help with parenting boys at a well child visit last week. She said that boys do not respond to "don't"s very well. Rather than saying "don't hit your baby sister," tell them instead "that hurts so let's give kisses or tickle her feet." Kendall says she has learned a lot of good parenting tips for parenting each gender specifically by the book "Gender Matters" by Leonard Sax.

Marriage Tip
Last week my minister Aaron asked how much training and continuing we had for our jobs. Then he asked how much training and education we are doing for our marriages? I am really proud of you because by reading this you are furthering your marriage education :) To continue working on you marriage education and enrichment here are some more things you can do:

1. Sign up for a great marriage seminar in downtown Indianapolis June 4-6 weekend called "A Weekend to Remember." They are offering a buy one person get your spouse free right now online at www.familylife.com. My husband Bruce and I attended last year and loved it. It continued to deepen our love and relationship. We are going to the same conference in St. Louis this fall because I will be celebrating my Mom's 80th birthday when the conference is in Indianapolis. We also wanted to experience a different city as something fun and new to do as a couple. You can read my review and summary of last year's summary in my June 2009 blog (click on June 2009 on the left side of this page).

2. You can also do your own marriage seminar at home by listening to the 5 part marriage sermon series "The Knot" online from my church website at www.tpcc.org. I gave a quick summary of it in my last blog.

From "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby

"One of the most exciting things you can do is to look to see where god is working in your spouse's life and join Him! You can do this in several ways:"

1. Regularly pray for and with your spouse
2. Regularly ask your spouse spiritual questions-such as what has God been showing you in your quiet times lately? or Where have you seen God's activity?
3. Review your spiritual markers as a couple-key moments when God clearly has spoken and you have seen God's activity in your lives.
4. Minister together as a couple-there are many ways God wants to work uniquely through you.
5. Give together-jointly determine where God leads you to invest the money He has given you, storing up treasures in heaven.

With my prayers for you and healing of my thumb!

Dr. Lisa

Water & How to Start Eating Healthy/Organic, Eric's Tips to Cut 500 Cal/day, Strengthening Marriage Knot, Parenting Tips

I thank and praise God for each one of you reading this and for our gorgeous Spring weather! I pray for Him to fill all of you and your family and friends to overflowing with His love and power and blessings!

Please forgive me for not writing! I have so much to share that I recently learned while reading 6 books on vacation, from my experience with my patients, and foremost God's leading. I am so excited about it all, but sadly I broke my thumb last weekend in a fall on water on a slick floor! I am healing over a 4-8 week period and being a good "patient". I am starting my blog tonight, and I will finish Tuesday (and then write another before the end of the month - I am committed to writing 2 a month to educate and motivate!). See the above pic of my 4 gifts from God after their Easter basket hunt and our puppies.

This blog I will write about our need for more and healthy water intake, suggestions to start eating healthier and more organic (taken from my current attempts after learning so much), Eric's tips for cutting calories, and excellent marriage tips (my church, Trader's Point Christian Church is in the middle of a series on "Tying the Knot") and parenting tips.
After a continually wonderful church experience, I want to encourage you all to find a great church AND small group in that church for you to attend (and I also suggest finding a good men's or woman's Bible study to attend and read your Bible daily - God's book of love to us). They make SUCH a difference in your knowledge and experience of God and life. They are our true family, along with our biological family. Just today Jay sent me an email of how he is praying for my thumb to heal, Larry and Beth brought over a macaroni casserole for me and my family (cooking is not easy for me right now-my beloved husband is so awesome to be cooking all the time right now and more importantly happily and wanting to do anything I need anytime!), and Larry asked how my patient Tammy is doing with her new diagnosis of breast cancer (I asked for prayer for her in all our groups 2 weeks ago). You can know I often ask for prayers for specific patients of mine from my husband, our small group, and my woman's Bible study group (but of course only by first name), and I daily pray for all of you! The more you read God's word and are around good people, the more active and powerful God is in your life and the more you are filled with His fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

WATER & Tips to Start Eating Healthier and Organic

Water (excerpts taken from "Overcoming Arthritis" by David Brownstein)
Water is an essential nutrient for everyone. Our body is composed of 70-80% water, with the brain being 85%, blood 83%, and muscles 75%. Adequate water intake (and salt along with it) is essential to promote good health and functioning of all our cells and to flush out the many toxins we ingest or make in our bodies.
My experience is that most people are at least mildly dehydrated and most chronically ill patients are very dehydrated. You cannot rely on your thirst to make you drink enough water, and your urine should always be almost clear when you are drinking enough water. One of the first signs of dehydration can be pain anywhere in the body, including the joint pain of arthritis, joint stiffness and early morning stiffness, and back spasms or other muscle spasms. If your body is dehydrated your joints and muscles will be also, and they will be more painful. Fatigue, dry tongue, coated tongue, vertical ridges on nails, dry skin, and poor skin elasticity are common signs of dehydration. Water loss can be accelerated by many things, including inadequate water intake, excess caffeine intake (caffeine is a potent diuretic), excess soda consumption (a government study in the 1990s showed the average person consumed 49 gallons per year!), alcoholic beverages, and diuretic medicine.

Many people assume that by drinking beverages other than water, they are supplying the body with an adequate amount of water. This is absolutely not the case, and these other liquids actually cause water loss in the body to accelerate. Chronic caffeine use can over-stimulate the adrenal glands and ultimately result in a depletion of the adrenal hormones. This can exacerbate other hormonal irregularities and weaken the immune system. When a person is in a dehydrated state, histamine levels are elevated throughout the body and this can worsen allergies, asthma, and the immune system.

Since water is such a nourishing agent for the body, it is important to drink water in its purest form and without additives and chemicals. Bottled water contains toxins leached from the plastic and tap water often contains chemicals harmful to your hormonal system and health (including fluoride and chlorine). Therefore it is important to drink filtered or distilled water, preferably from glass or stainless steel. Since a filter system removes many minerals and toxic agents from tap water, it is important that you take a well absorbed daily multiple vitamin-mineral supplement.

Doctor Brownstein's recommendation is that you ensure adequate water intake every day. It is impossible to achieve optimum health or recover from a chronic illness without adequate water intake. He recommends that you take your weight in pounds, divide it in two and use this figure as the amount of water in ounces to ingest on a daily basis. People who are more active will need to further increase their daily intake of water. (Since I weigh 130 pounds I need to intake at least 65 ounces a day.) I have found it helpful to intentionally drink at least 20 ounces of water at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I then drink at least 20 more ounces after exercise or exertion.

THE BENEFITS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SALT

We have been taught that salt is bad. Well too much salt can be bad when we do not drink enough water (in a dehydrated state) and if kidney problems/failure. Salt dose have good properties of helping in healing, attracting water for lubrication, can improve allergies by acting as a natural antihistamine, clears excess acidity from the body, produces energy in the body, and thins out mucous secretions.

Unfortunately, the most common salt is refined salt, and it has the healthy minerals removed and has a high content of aluminum. Unrefined sea salt (Celtic may be the best) contains trace amounts of over 80 minerals and is the best salt to eat. Dr. Brownstein recommends a pinch of sea salt each day followed by a large glass of water, and doing this in addition before strenous exercise.

Tips to Star Eating Healthier and Organic

There is a lot of information about excessive toxic exposures in our foods - especially hormones and antibiotics in milk and dairy and meat products (and animals horribly treated to produce more and cheaper product as my patient Karen told me about recently published video), pesticides on foods, toxins released from plastics, and GMO's (genetically modified organisms which change the chemical make-up of the plants we eat). We do have to live, and cannot eliminate all exposures. What are we to do 1st? My husband and I are working on this, and I will continue to inform you of our progress. Below are my initial tips.

1. Drink organic milk, or soy or almond or rice milk. Let your children know why.

2. Drink water and beverages out of stainless steel or glass containers, and work to avoid plastic. Especially with the warm weather, do not drink any beverages out of plastic containers that have been out in the sun and heat (especially in your car, and I will write more about plastic in a later article). DRINK 1/2 OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN OUNCES PER DAY AT LEAST TO CLEAR TOXINS!

3. Eat organic range-free non-cloned meats as much as possible, and add some protein sources like tofu.

4. If you do not eat fish, work to make yourself and children eat fish at least once a week (and best grown in the U.S. which has more controls on toxin exposure).

5. Try to buy certified organic vegetables and fruits, and avoid the ones I wrote about in my recent blog on pesticides in foods. We just started ordering from www.farmfreshdelivery.com, so I will let you know how this goes (many of my patients love this).

ERIC'S TIPS

Fitness Tips
By
Eric Walden

Cut 500 Calories a Day
By Health Magazine Dec 2009

Dance- 2 hours of dancing burns 500 calories
Get Enough Sleep- lack of sleep can make you snack
Don’t eat in front of the TV. Trade TV time for a walk
Get in tune with your stomach- listen when it tells you it’s full
Limit Dinner Guest- More people = more food = more snacking
Fill up on less- cup of soup before dinner
Limit salad toppings- ie. Cheese, croutons, bacon bits
Don’t clean your plate- leave some on your plate
Use smaller plates
Serve and Sit- serve food in the kitchen and leave the food there
Make a swap- 1 cup plain fat free yogurt for heavy cream
Make mine a mini
Ditch that buttered movie popcorn
Count your chips and crackers- don’t eat from the bag
Step away from the nuts-
Skip the whip- or at least size it down
Kick the soda habit
Drink Sugar Free
Skinny up Cocktails
Eat less pasta or switch to a whole grain pasta
Knitting- at a rate of 100 an hour
Cleaning the house- up to 2 ½ hours
Check the number of servings in a dish
Beware the healthy-food trap
Build a lean burrito- order a naked one- no cheese, beef, black beans, and salsa
Think small at the ice cream shop
Think thin when it comes to pizza
Beware of hidden oils
Order spaghetti with meat sauce-instead of with Italian sausage
Nix that Smoothie a day
Help a friend move
Shovel snow
Ice skate
Tap your foot
Be the hostess with the mostest- grocery shop, cooking and setting the table
Go Window Shopping
Hit the pool
Stroll you way slim- push the stroller with the kids
Head to a county fair or amusement park
Play a game
Head for the nearest hill- sledding or just walking up and down it
Do an hour of Circuit Training
Tackle the garage- clear out that junk
Rake the leaves- minimum 1 hour 45 minutes
Kick-box
Go cross-country skiing
Exercise at home- 1 dvd with 20 minutes of yoga
Walk or run a 10K
Go hiking
Cut down your own Christmas Tree- hike out, cut it, and haul it back

Family & Faith

Marriage - "The Knot"

My church has just started a 5 sermon series on marriage called "The Knot". You can access the sermons free at www.tpcc.org through an itunes link there. I strongly encourage you (and your spouse if you are married) to do this. You could make a marriage seminar/enhancement or date night out of this. I also recommend memorizing a few verses of the Song of Solomon for yourself and your spouse - to intentionally remind you how desirable your spouse is and you are!

Jake, our high school minister, stared the series April 11, talking about our marriage "knot", and how we need to continually work to strengthen it. God created us as His most importnt creations - for and to compliment each other. This last thing God created, Satan went right after. Sin separates us from God, and Man from Woman.

Last Sunday, our lead minister Aaron talked about the primary purpose of marriage - to make us more holy (not to always make us happy!). He talked about the initial hormone and chemical "falling" in love phase, but that staying and growing in love requires intentional work, but then is SO much better than the hormone/chemical start! Many people feel that actions follow feelings, but this is wrong. FEELING FOLLOW DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL ACTIONS. Aaron started to interpret God's wonderful and sensual blueprint of a healthy marriage in the Song of Solomon. Solomon and his beloved were intentional in their actions with each other. She knew how very powerful the words "I respect you!" are to a man. He knew how needed and powerful repeating to her how beautiful and special she is. We must continually pursue our spouses like we did when we first dated. We put a lot of time into our degrees/schooling and work. We need to put even more time in to our marriages - strengthening our "knots"!

Parenting Tips - from my womans's Bible study book, "Experiencing God", by Blackaby

Learn to ask your children God-centered questions. Instead of asking what they want to be when they grow up, ask "What do you sense God wants you to do?". When your children come to you with a question, ask them "What do you think God wants you to do?". If you just give them your opinion, you do not teach them to put their trust in God. As your children get older, regularly ask them "What has God taught you lately?". This provides many opportunities to discuss important issues with them... These are also great questions for you and your spouse to ask each other!

Hugs and prayers,

Dr. Lisa

Happy Spring & Easter! Halitosis (Bad Breath), Eric's Tips-Mindset, Communication for Couples, Proverbs for Parenting

Happy Spring and Easter to all of you very very special and loved people! We were decorating eggs today, and have enjoyed the recent beautiful weather - hope you all have too (and hope you are exercising your very special bodies really daily)!

I am writing about bad breath because Julia asked me about it last week, and I often have patients with this complaint. Please fax me at my office if you have a topic you would like me to cover in an upcoming blog article (621-1680, fax).

Halitosis = Bad Breath!

Bad breath is any offensive odor on the breath, and is present in 15-30% of people (can be as young as age 2, but usually is a problem more of adults, and increases with age). 80-90% of bad breath originates in the mouth - largely the result of bacterial breakdown releasing gasses from stagnant saliva, food debris, mouth cells coming off in normal cell turnover, blood, and postnasal drip in the oral cavity. The odor can be much worse with oral pathology such as gingivitis, periodontitis, cavities, imperfect dental restorations, and unclean dentures. 5-8% of bad breath is from the nasal passages - due to infections, thick mucous or polyps, oral or nasal cancers, and foreign bodies in children. 3% of bad breath originates from tonsils - due to recurrent infection or tonsillolliths (stones). 1-2% can arise from other sources - such as lung infections, kidney or liver failure, cancers, and biochemical disorders. Bad breath almost never arises from the esophagus, stomach, or intestines, and there is no higher incidence in people with dry mouth.

Approximately 25% of people seeking professional help for bad breath are halitophobics = exaggerated concern of bad breath when they actually have little or none.

Treatment (part from "Bad Breath" by Mel Rosenberg, PhD)

People with an identifiable cause of bad breath need to treat those conditions - such as dental problems, postnasal drip, infections. Many cases of bad breath can be alleviated by

*Proper dental care and oral hygiene (thoroughly brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day)

*Gentle cleansing of the posterior tongue with a tongue cleaner or toothbrush (often need to get very far back-can hold tongue out with a washcloth and make sure to be gentle)

*Rinsing and deep gargling with an effective mouthwash after brushing and flossing - this is most effective when done at bedtime, since bacterial activity leading to bad breath is greatest during the nighttime

----the most effective mouthwashes contain chlorhexidine gluconate, like Peridex, at 0.12-0.2 percent (only 0.12percent is readily available in the US)

*Eating fibrous foods

*Chewing sugar free gum briefly if the mouth is dry or after meals, especially with high protein intake

*Sufficient daily water intake - 1/2-1 gallon/day

*Decreasing alcohol and coffee intake

*Gargling with saline and or saline nasal irrigations in people with allergy or mucous problems

Information is available at http://www.smellwell.com/, or http://www.youtube.com/ "Bad breath - a human condition". Consulting a good dentist is advisable for most people with bad breath, but be very careful of some "bad breath experts/dentists" who are involved in pyramid marketing operations selling particular and overpriced products.

Factors which can exacerbate bad breath - accumulation of postnasal drip on the back of the tongue, poor oral hygiene (esp. failure to floss), improper dental care (faulty bridgework, crowns, abscesses), mouth breathing, unclean dentures and those left in mouth unnecessarily at night, alcohol consumption, being overweight, menstrual cycle, proteinaceous foods stuck between the teeth, onions and garlic.

Eric's Fitness Tips

By
Eric Walden

Hard Work or Exercise?
IDEA Fitness Journal- Jan 2010

In one of our Harvard studies, we looked at exercise and the mind. We started by asking chambermaids how much exercise they got in the course of a week. Our subjects were women who were exercising all day long at work, but because exercise is generally thought of a s something we do outside of work, they actually saw themselves as not getting any exercise. Despite their beliefs, since exercise is so good for one’s health, we expected them to be healthy. Actually, at the start of the study, they weren’t.
We divided the women into two groups and explained to one group that their work was exercise. We told them, “You’re getting more exercise than the surgeon general recommends.” They were shown how various tasks they did were equivalent to working on different machines at the gym, when we returned a month later, we asked as many questions as we could think of regarding exercise. Were they exercising outside of work now? Were they working harder? And so on. We asked if they were eating more, or differently. There were no changes, they only difference was that now they saw their work as exercise.
In that month, this group had lost weight and reduced their body mass, waist –to-hip ratios, and blood pressure levels. All of this happened because of the change in mindset.

I loved this article when I read it. It reminded me of so many people that I have talked to over the past few years. Those of you who do more of a manual labor type job can count that as exercise. The key to a weight loss is to possibly change the way you eat or maybe add in a couple of bouts of moderate cardio sessions. Or on the flip side if you want to add some strength your work is more like your cardio so going to a gym and lifting some weights may be needed to achieve your goal.

Changing your mindset is sometime what is needed to get your body going in the right direction. It can also be the hardest thing to accomplish. The mind is a powerful tool, but sometimes it is hard to tap into. Self talk is great way to help get the mind on the right path. Telling yourself what you are going achieve each day is a great way to get your mind going.

Hopefully this helps you to be able to change they way you think about exercise and help motivate you.

Family and Faith

"A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others."

Proverbs 12:15

Communication (from "Simple Secrets Couples Should Know", by Bob and Emilie Barnes)

Communication is sharing information with another person so he understands what you are saying, and it involves talking, listening, and understanding. Honor your mate by selecting the best times to talk, listen, and understand, and it is best to avoid difficult topics right after coming home and at mealtimes (want pleasant, edifying, uplifting conversation).

Talking Tips

* maintain a calm relational voice

* be mindful of proper timing to bring up certain topics

Listening Tips

* Realize everyone has a basic need to be listened to and heard - TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN

* Listen intently when your partner is talking with you - turn off the TV or stop other things and look in your partner's eyes - even better to touch or hold hands!

* Listen objectively - don't just think about your answers or politely wait or presume or judge while listening

* Reach out and care about what's being said - active participation with our heart and soul and not just ears (and not passive)

* Move past the surface message and get to the heart of what is being said

* Discipline yourself to listen - it doesn't come naturally or easily to any of us, since most are more comfortable being in control and speaking

* Receive and process and understand the message sent - even though the message may be painful, continue to listen

Understanding Tips

* Lack of understanding can occur when there is a difference between what we mean to say and what we really say, and when there is a difference between what we hear and what we think we hear

* Ask clarifying questions to keep the channels of understanding wide open and flowing - repeat to your mate what you heard and then ask, "Is that what you said?"

* Don't get caught up on minor details (like if something happened at 5 or 6 pm) - major on the majors, not the minors

Be sensitive of your mate's general needs.

Men - generally want #1 Sincerity (to know the topic is important to you) #2 Simplicity (hear the simple facts and get to the point) #3 Sensitivity (open up better at the right time and place) #4 Stability (keep their composure during conversation)

Women - generally want #1 Attention (want their mate's full attention when they speak) #2 Agreement (no arguments to break down the communication with their mates) #3 Appreciation (want their mates to value them and their role) #4 Appointments (want their mates to honor the time and place for communication)

General Tips

* Be willing to grow and change - learn from your mistakes and tomorrow is a new day!

* It's ok to disagree but NOT to disrespect or dishonor - never belittle, slander, or attack your partner even in a heated exchange

* It takes effort to communicate well - deciding to communicate better is a matter of will and work

* Don't second guess your partner - keep your mouth shut and hear out your partner

* When you have a communication breakdown, have an prior agreed upon method to ask to stop for right now and restart at a later time

--you must identify problem areas and plan a program to overcome them (at a good nonheated time), and you may need a trained counselor to help

* Remember that the closer you get to God, the closer you will get to each other (the triangle with God at the top and each partner at the bases that I discussed last blog) - perhaps you are not communicating well as a couple because you have not been communicating well yourself with God - through prayer, Bible reading, Church, Christian friend/groups/Bible studies

Secrets to Romancing Your Marriage (great tips at the end of each of the 22 chapters in this very good book)

* Never vacuum during the 4th quarter of a football game

* Laugh at his jokes

* Listen to her stories of the past

* Allow her to grieve over her losses

* Be accountable to each other

* Choose to love your spouse today

* Don't expect to understand each other completely

"Proverbs for Parenting" by Barbara Decker

This is a very good resource for Proverbs useful in parenting. The book "Shepherding A Child's Heart" suggests reading a Proverb every AM with your children, because it is the book of wisdom and teaching. Bruce and I have worked to put this in our routine most days, and we also have Annika memorize verses. When she had problems last week with obeying, I had her memorize Proverbs 4:3 "Hold onto (and obey) instruction, do not let it go, guard it well for it is your life.", and Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."

Proverbs for Obedience - 1:5, 1:8-9, 2:1-9, 3:1-4, 3:21-24, 4:1-5, 4:10, 4:13, 4:20-22, 5:1-2, 6:20-23, 7:1-3, 8:32-36, 9:9, 10:8, 10:17, 12:1, 12:15, 13:1, 13:18, 15:5, 15:32, 19:16, 19:20, 21:11, 22:17-18, 23:19, 23:22, 28:7, 29:18, 30:17

We need to always remember, that before we can teach our children something (especially about values), we must be modeling it ourselves and living it in our lives. To teach our children obedience, we must first be obedient ourselves - with God and each other... We all are on a constant journey to grow and become better more valued, faithful, and trustworthy people!

With my hugs and prayers for God to fill you and your family to overflowing with the fruit of His Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control!

Gal 5:22

Dr. Lisa