Healthy choices
-
Sleep
The American culture has a hard time with sleep. In clinical practice, it literally is one of the top things I discuss with patients. The struggle is very real: folks have a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep, and then wake up too early. Different factors affect sleep in significant ways: stress, bad habits, relational…
-
Naches Peak Trail Loop, again!
It’s July and my family spent a weekend up near Chinook Pass, and after everyone left and I finished my cleanup chores, I drove up to the pass for another dose of my favorite hike: Naches Peak Loop! It’s my go-to hike for July because of a number of factors. First the snow pack is…
-
No
Do you trust your instincts? My first thought when I saw this prompt was to answer yes: I follow my instincts all the time. I feel like my work day is full of this dynamic: I have a feeling, then I act on it and make the right call. I have a conversation with a…
-
How is your heart?
If you are going to worry about your health, what should be on the top of the list? Your HEART. Number one killer: In the United States, one of every 5 deaths is heart related. This has been the case for decades, but our treatment abilities for this deadly group of diseases has increased significantly.…
-
The elephant in the room
For decades, the healthcare world believed that a bit of alcohol every day provided some heart benefit, specifically red wine. It seemed to be part of the magical Mediterranean diet, which again and again proves wondrous for the human heart and decreased disease. Unfortunately, the science behind this suggestion was wrong, and not only false…
-
How Audiobooks Transformed My Reading Habit
During the last three years, my life has been significantly enhanced and helped by a new habit: listening to audiobooks. For years, I enjoyed reading a few books per year, but was always feeling like I was missing out. Time to read was short and I always struggled with the act of sitting or laying…
-
Leg cramps
I hate leg cramps. My son was at summer camp and I was called by the camp nurse, just as my wife and I were heading out for a date with no kids for the first time in many years, with a report of problematic illness. He needed to be picked up tonight, now if…
-
Most underrated national park…
There are a lot of national parks, and the top 5 get the lion’s share of attention. Everyone knows about Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. These are iconic parks, that are matchless in their unique natural settings and huge yearly attendance. The Great Smoky Mountains have more visitors by far than any other national…
-
Vaccinate this fall…
This year, there are three problematic viruses to be concerned about. Over the last few decades, these three viruses have produced countless days of suffering, and so many deaths. To name them, there is influenza, Covid, and RSV. At the same time, very effective vaccinations have been developed that decrease the chances of having significant…
Myhealthadventure 