Pointers for Health & Wellness Enthusiasts

The impact of pandemic trauma cannot be overstated. That's because it's common for emotional pain to be buried and hidden in the unconscious. Until it's uncovered, symptoms will persist, wearing on your emotional well-being — and your health — and inhibiting you from living your best life — without you knowing it.

In my last podcast, I talked about how stress can impair the immune system, something we want to avoid right now with COVID-19, since those with a compromised immune system are most at risk. Fortunately, there are some very simple ways to stay calm and relaxed, not just now, but always. And what a better time to begin to change your lifestyle than now, at this stay at home time.

Today is March 13th, 2020, several months since the COVID-19 coronavirus first broke out, now reportedly, in November of 2019. A month ago I did a podcast on boosting your immune system to help prevent an infection, such as COVID-19, the flu or the common cold. Today, I'd like to follow-up on that podcast with a thought. As COVID-19 has spread from China to other countries around the world, I feel that there is an important point we may be missing, which is this: ultimately, the risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19 is mostly dependent upon the state of one's immune system, and the state of one's immune system is greatly affected by lifestyle — health lifestyle, something that I feel strongly about and advocate for as a breast cancer survivor. We've already had SARS, now COVID-19, we don't know what may be next. The point is this: COVID-19 raises a global call to improve our health. Here's why.

I'm in the midwest with my family helping to care for a loved one who has been experiencing a bit of cognitive decline — specifically, with short term memory. Today's podcast will be the first in a series to talk about it. Throughout this series, I will reference the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen, an internationally recognized expert in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Last year, I did a podcast on his groundbreaking 2014 research, and now my family and I have been putting his RECODE program into practice with our mother beginning in October, 2019. Today's podcast will discuss poor hearing as a factor.

The Center for Disease Control considers the 2019 novel coronavirus respiratory illness that broke out in China a serious illness but recoverable, the same as the flu. What the CDC recommends to prevent the illness is the same as what is recommended to prevent a cold or flu infection. Today, I'll discuss what the CDC recommends, as well as simple ways you can boost and strengthen your immune system all year round.

Today is Feb 4th. It's World Cancer Day, which is an international awareness day led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise worldwide attention and inspire action for a cancer-free future. I'm a cancer survivor. In 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and today I'd like to read my cancer story to you and offer my thoughts on outcomes.

Recently, Elizabeth Warren was interviewed by Cosmopolitan magazine and asked about her skincare routine (among other things). To which she responded that she uses Pond's moisturizer, every morning, every night, and she never washes her face. I've written about healthy skin in the Look Good chapter of The Simple Seven book and today I'd like to read an excerpt which answers the question, Should you wash you face?

It's been a while since I've created a Pointers podcast, but here's the latest, live from a local cafe! So, apologies for the background noise. Today, I'd like to talk about body size. Recently, Jillian Michaels, who is a leading fitness expert, had some things to say about Lizzo, a talented singer/songwriter, regarding her body and health and it's stirred up a bit of a discussion. I have written about body size in The Simple Seven book. There's a chapter, a bonus chapter, that's entitled, Look Good, and in it I discuss various topics regarding appearance and how it relates to health. As a matter of fact, it's all tied together. But with regard to body size, I'd like to read to you an excerpt from the book. This section is about body fat.

In today's podcast, I'll talk about why health hasn't been simple: Namely, that health is confusing — health information is constantly changing, everybody has an opinion, and research has known problems. I'll also talk about how health can be simple: I'll discuss epigenetics, a field of biology, that supports how lifestyle can override your genes and genetic predisposition to illness and disease.

My mother turns 87 today. She's in terrific health! Knock on wood, she doesn't have or has ever had any major illnesses, and she isn't on any medications. In today's world, that's unheard of. She's strong and vital and has always looked ten or twenty years younger. She's taken good care of herself and it's paid off. Join me as I honor my mother and share about her vibrant health on this day, her 87th birthday.

Obtaining vibrant health begins with eating healthy — or eating fresh food, as I call it. Food that comes straight from the land or seas. But eating fresh food alone doesn't guarantee that your body can assimilate food nutrients. It depends on how well your body can break down food into nutrients. In today's podcast, I'll talk about the importance of good digestion and a healthy gut.

Vibrant health is hard to attain living in the modern world. Scientifically-speaking, we're not using our bodies in the way they were designed to be used. But we also don't make a commitment to health; we don't have the time. And there are some obstacles that can't be avoided. Yet, medical experts agree that chronic diseases and conditions — such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and obesity — are preventable, and your lifestyle is key. You must make a commitment to your health. You'd be foolish not to. In today's podcast, I'll explain what your options are.

When we think about anxiety, we tend to think of it as having one root cause. That may be because of how anxiety is treated — in physical terms, as one set of symptoms. Yet there can be any number of emotional reasons for our anxiety and it will differ from one person to the next. All anxiety begins with a thought, which can be conscious or unconscious. Unconscious thoughts pose the greater problem. Learn how it happens and how anxiety can be uncovered and healed using a technique that is designed to help you let go of what is bothering you.

Do you sometimes overdo healthy things? It's easy to do. It's exciting when you hear about a compelling, new idea. The idea may be beneficial, but overdoing it usually is not. In part, overdoing it has to do with some of our common attitudes that include “all or nothing” thinking. Instead of “less is more” , “more is more.” And ”no pain, no gain.” And yet, that's not how the human body is designed to work. Learn about the science that supports why overdoing healthy things can be unhealthy.

In today's podcast, I'll talk about the relationship between cognitive decline and lifestyle using the example of a therapeutic protocol designed by Alzheimer's expert, Dr. Dale Bredesen, MD, to reverse memory and thinking problems.

There are seven things that you and I are responsible for doing in caring for the health of our bodies. It's like an owner's manual, and it's based on how the human body is designed. How we do the seven things determines a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. Learn about the science that points to lifestyle and how to achieve vibrant health.