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cultivating gratitude

4 Ways to Practice Gratitude During the Holidays

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday tradition that’s been celebrated in the US and Canada since the mid-1800s. At the heart of the Thanksgiving celebration is the universal message of gratitude.

Gratitude is the expression of being thankful. It’s about having an attitude of appreciation, allowing yourself to feel awe, not taking things for granted, and seeing the potential upside of life’s challenges. But did you know that practicing gratitude can have profound benefits to our mental, emotional and physical well-being?

Let’s take a closer look at how practicing gratitude can contribute to our overall well-being and some effective ways to incorporate this practice into our daily lives.

The Link Between Gratitude and Well-Being

Practicing gratitude can benefit the mind, body, and spirit in a number of ways. It can lower stress levels, improve sleep, strengthen relationships with friends and family, and even increase our emotional resilience. Medical research has confirmed this direct correlation between gratitude and well-being:

  • A 2022 study published in Frontiers of Psychology found that women with elevated depressive symptoms who routinely practiced gratitude were more accepting of their condition than those who did not. Similarly, a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that people who regularly expressed gratitude reported feeling healthier than their counterparts; a correlation that was mediated by psychological health and an attitude to seek help for health concerns.
  • A 2018 abstract, printed in the journal Psychology, Health & Medicine, found that dispositional gratitude (i.e. the character trait of noticing and appreciating the positive in life and being thankful for those positive aspects of life) correlated with lower levels of stress and loneliness.
  • Practicing gratitude can improve sleep quality by promoting more positive emotions and lessening the effects of anxiety and rumination.
  • In a 2013 study, Dr. Robert Emmons, a leading authority on gratitude, noted that: “Gratitude is a key, underappreciated quality in the clinical practice of psychology, its relevance deriving from its strong, unique, and causal relationship with well-being, as well as its dynamic healing influence on the therapist-patient relationship.”
  • Acts of kindness (public expressions of gratitude) can be linked to an increase in life satisfaction, according to a study published in The Journal of Social Psychology.
  • Researchers who looked at the role of gratitude in asymptomatic heart failure patients found that “patients expressing more gratitude also had lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers,” as well as better sleep and mood, and less fatigue.

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703-532-4892 x2

How to Cultivate Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a conscious choice we make to affect positive change in our lives. There are a number of ways to practice gratitude, such as:

Appreciate nature 

Beauty is everywhere. Taking a moment to stop and experience the beauty in nature can provide you with a greater sense of well-being that can stay with you throughout the day. As you walk or observe, mentally list the things that bring you joy, peace, or fulfillment.

Keep a gratitude diary 

Write down 5 or 6 things daily for which you are grateful. Recognizing what you are grateful for will help keep you focused on what you have rather than what you have not and creates a record of appreciation to look back on when you need a mood boost.

Meditate

A daily meditation practice, for even just a few minutes a day, helps reset your body’s autonomic stress response, which can help to improve sleep, reduce pain, enhance mood, and foster a better sense of well-being.

Say “Thank you.”

Taking the time to thank others, whether through a note, a text message, or a face-to-face conversation, not only uplifts their spirits but also helps reinforce your own sense of appreciation. This practice nurtures social bonds and fosters a greater sense of connection and well-being.

As we prepare for another Thanksgiving holiday in the US, it’s my wish that gratitude and all its benefits be present in your life and the lives of those you care about. And I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

– Dr. Gary

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

Updated: November 2024

References

Tomczyk J, Nezlek JB, Krejtz I. Gratitude Can Help Women At-Risk for Depression Accept Their Depressive Symptoms, Which Leads to Improved Mental Health. Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 7;13:878819. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.878819. PMID: 35465539; PMCID: PMC9022718.

Hill PL, Allemand M, Roberts BW. Examining the Pathways between Gratitude and Self-Rated Physical Health across Adulthood. Pers Individ Dif. 2013 Jan;54(1):92-96. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.08.011. PMID: 23139438; PMCID: PMC3489271.

O’Connell BH, Killeen-Byrt M. Psychosocial health mediates the gratitude-physical health link. Psychol Health Med. 2018 Oct;23(9):1145-1150. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2018.1469782. Epub 2018 Apr 29. PMID: 29707980.

Emmons RA, Stern R. Gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention. J Clin Psychol. 2013 Aug;69(8):846-55. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22020. Epub 2013 Jun 17. PMID: 23775470.

Jia Wei Zhang, Ryan T. Howell, Ravi Iyer, Engagement with natural beauty moderates the positive relation between connectedness with nature and psychological well-being, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 38, 2014, Pages 55-63, ISSN 0272-4944, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.12.013.

Rowland L, Curry OS. A range of kindness activities boost happiness. J Soc Psychol. 2019;159(3):340-343. doi: 10.1080/00224545.2018.1469461. Epub 2018 May 15. PMID: 29702043.

Mills PJ, Redwine L, Wilson K, Pung MA, Chinh K, Greenberg BH, Lunde O, Maisel A, Raisinghani A, Wood A, Chopra D. The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Well-being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients. Spiritual Clin Pract (Wash D C ). 2015 Mar;2(1):5-17. doi: 10.1037/scp0000050. PMID: 26203459; PMCID: PMC4507265.

Chronic Pain: Integrative Strategies for Relief

Chronic Pain: Integrative Strategies for Relief

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Finding relief from chronic pain may feel like a never-ending, uphill battle. Maybe you’ve been prescribed a medication or you’ve tried some type of therapy to address your most debilitating symptoms only for your pain to eventually return. Or, maybe you’ve gotten to the point of accepting life with it. Many people can’t even fathom attempting to get rid of it because it’s physically and emotionally exhausting to try. Indeed, your chronic pain may never fully go away, but if you are living with chronic pain you must understand the following:

  1. Chronic pain will generally get worse over time and the longer it is neglected the more complex the healing process can be. If you have chronic pain, that means you have been living with a condition for months at minimum, and more likely for years. You may not feel ready now, but the longer you wait to address your condition, the longer the treatment process can be.
  2. Chronic pain is not just physical discomfort, it is intricately tied to our emotional well-being. It is estimated that 60% of patients who have chronic pain, also have depression and this relationship is bidirectional (meaning that depression can cause pain and vice versa). Research also confirms that the more severe your pain is, the more severe your depression becomes, with the reverse also being true. The longer you live with chronic pain the higher your risk of developing anxiety or depression.
  3. Chronic pain is a symptom of inflammation. Inflammation can stem from any number of conditions that are taxing to the body such as an illness or disorder, an injury, infection, toxicity, or nutritional deficiencies, and can be cumulative in their inflammatory effect. Heightened inflammation can affect the nervous system and undermine the function of your immune system exacerbating both physical and emotional pain. Without addressing the underlying source(s) of inflammation, your chronic pain will not get better or go away. Once the inflammation is addressed, the severity and frequency of symptoms can improve, sometimes drastically and sometimes completely.

How We Can Help

Seeking guidance from healthcare professionals who specialize in treating chronic pain is key. You want a pain specialist who will 1) uncover ALL of the reasons why your body is inflamed and in pain, and 2) offer you a comprehensive and multifaceted treatment so your healing is as complete as it can be. This functional medicine approach is centered on improving the function of your body as a whole. This may not mean living completely pain-free, it means getting back your energy to reengage in life and feel good both mentally and physically.

Our team is made up of physicians, nurses, PTs, a nutritionist, a psychotherapist, and an acupuncturist so that the most appropriate treatment for you is available under one roof. We will take time to explore the onset of your pain, the specific nature of your symptoms, and the overall status of your health. Once accurately diagnosed we’ll work with you to come up with targeted solutions that suit your lifestyle and your preferences.

Our Integrative Treatments

Integrative medicine combines the best of conventional and alternative treatments to get the outcome you need to live with less pain and an improved quality of life. Your chronic pain could be treated by one or a combination of the following,

  • Manual Therapies (osteopathic manipulative medicine, physical therapy)
    Osteopathic techniques restore function to an unbalanced and restricted musculoskeletal system. Gentle stretching and manipulation can improve the mobility of your muscles, soft tissues, and joints, for an improved range of motion. In the same vein, physical therapy will employ exercises to restore function to a particular area. When manual therapy is recommended, you and your provider will discuss which type is most appropriate for your condition.
  • Injection Therapies (prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma/PRP, perineural injections/PIT, trigger point injections, steroid injections)
    Depending on the nature and location of your pain, injection therapy may be recommended. While all injection therapies deliver some type of solution to a targeted area, some are used to treat musculoskeletal injuries, and others are used for treating neuropathic pain.
  • Nutrition and Lifestyle Modifications
    Eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can play a significant role in managing chronic pain. Certain foods and beverages, such as inflammatory foods, caffeine, and alcohol, may exacerbate pain symptoms, while others, such as anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidants, and vitamins, can help reduce inflammation and promote healing. If inflammation in the gut or food sensitivities are identified, it’s even more crucial to make changes to your nutrition right away to control the inflammation they may be causing.
  • Detoxification Therapy
    When toxins accumulate in the body over a long period, it can cause damage to your tissues and organs and a toxicity disorder can develop. Unidentified pain can sometimes be caused by such disorders. If toxicity is suspected and confirmed via testing, medications may be prescribed to bind to and eliminate the harmful toxins from your body.
  • Acupuncture, Biofeedback, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    Therapies based on the connection between the mind and body can greatly influence our physical health and emotional well-being. Practices such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help individuals with chronic pain learn to manage their symptoms more effectively.
    ♦ Acupuncture – involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate energy flow and promote healing
    ♦ Biofeedback – teaches individuals to control physiological responses such as heart rate and muscle tension through relaxation techniques
    ♦ Cognitive-behavioral therapy – helps identify and modify negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to chronic pain
  • Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques
    Chronic pain and stress often go hand in hand, creating a vicious cycle that exacerbates discomfort. Learning to manage stress and incorporate relaxation techniques into your daily routine can help lower inflammation (this is proven!) and reduce your perception of pain. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and mindfulness meditation can promote relaxation, reduce muscle tension, and alleviate pain. Engaging in activities that bring you joy and foster a sense of well-being, such as spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or connecting with nature, can also help to distract you from pain and improve your overall outlook on life.
  • Exercise and Movement
    Physical activity is crucial for managing chronic pain since it helps strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and release endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers. While it’s essential to choose activities that are gentle on your body and appropriate for your condition, incorporating regular exercise into your routine can have significant benefits. This may include activities such as walking, swimming, yoga, or tai chi, which promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance overall physical function. Start slowly, listen to your body, and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts as tolerated.

The complexities of chronic pain are not just in its causes but in its effects. It can lead to decreased mobility, a constant state of alertness, and emotional distress. We can help you. We understand that your chronic pain is as unique as you are. We also understand that how and when you choose to address your pain is no small decision. Our team is ready to support you every step of the way.

If you have been experiencing chronic pain and need help managing the condition, be sure to speak to one of our experienced nurses today. Please give us a call at 703-532-4892.

References:

Roughan WH, Campos AI, García-Marín LM, Cuéllar-Partida G, Lupton MK, Hickie IB, Medland SE, Wray NR, Byrne EM, Ngo TT, Martin NG, Rentería ME. Comorbid Chronic Pain and Depression: Shared Risk Factors and Differential Antidepressant Effectiveness. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Apr 12;12:643609. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.643609. PMID: 33912086; PMCID: PMC8072020.

meditation for stress

Why Meditation Is One of The Most Important Things You Can Do for Heart Health: A Doctor Explains

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Despite medical advances, heart disease remains the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. This is a startling reality, especially given how preventable it is for those of us that are not genetically predisposed. Stress, along with smoking, sedentary habits, and a poor diet are some of the main lifestyle-related risk factors that increase your chance of developing the condition.

This article looks specifically at stress as a risk factor for heart disease, and meditation as a natural and proven method to mitigate its effects.

How The Stress-Response System Works

Whether it’s related to work, health, money, relationships, or some other life event or situation, stress eventually finds its way into your life. Thankfully, your body is well equipped to handle stressful situations thanks to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is dedicated to regulating processes such as increased heart rate and shallow breathing, which kick in when you begin to experience stress or anxiety.

The stress-reaction process is truly an amazing and efficient one: when your body is under stress the amygdala in the brain fires up and sends an alert that there is a stressor, then the sympathetic nervous system is activated and prepares your body to “fight or take flight.” Your adrenals then go to work, supplying your body with cortisol and adrenaline, completing the trifecta of the stress-response process.

Typically the stress-response system is self-limiting, and when the stressor is gone, cortisol and adrenaline levels subside, and allostasis or stability is restored to your body. However, when the stress-reaction process is repeated multiple times over a relatively short period, stress becomes chronic, and the system breaks down. This is called “allostatic load,” which often results in an increase in physiological issues that compromise your immune system, inducing illness, and even accelerating disease processes such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Questions? Give Us a Call!

703-532-4892 x2

Why Meditation Can Help Your Heart

The practice of meditation for stress relief has become more widely accepted as a complementary treatment to conventional medicine. As research affirms its positive psychological and physiological effects on the body, the attitude of “it can’t hurt” has shifted to “it can help.” According to an NIH survey done in 2017, next to yoga, meditation is the second most used mind-body therapy in the U.S.

How Lowering Stress Promotes Heart Health

A regular meditation practice can play a role in reducing cardiovascular disease by:

  1. Lowering blood pressure. When left untreated high blood pressure can lead to stroke and heart disease. In 2021, a systematic review and meta-analysis that looked at six studies concluded that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) contributed to a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive and prehypertensive participants.
  2. Releasing feelings of stress and tension. Meditating quietly even for just a few minutes a day can restore feelings of calm and peacefulness. In a 2021 study on nursing students, researchers reported a significant reduction of anxiety and stress after engaging in mind-body techniques such as meditation over a period of time.
  3. Improving sleep. Evidence shows that mindfulness meditation can be successfully used for the treatment of insomnia.
  4. Improving the response to emotional stimuli. After an 8-week period, the researchers in this 2016 study reported “…MBSR led to changes in the amygdala consistent with improved emotion regulation.”
  5. Boosting the immune system. After an 8-week period, the researchers in this study in Psychosomatic Medicine reported “demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.”
  6. Reducing inflammation. Inflammation plays a major role in heart disease. Chronic inflammation is involved in all stages of atherosclerosis, the process that leads to cholesterol-clogged arteries. Practicing a mind-body therapy such as meditation, in adjunct with dietary and exercise programs, can help reduce underlying inflammatory processes.

The bottom line: Meditation is a practice that you can do anywhere at any time, alone in the privacy of your own home, or in the company of others. As with many things in life, getting started is the hardest step. Private consultations with a trained practitioner can be a wonderful way for you to take that first step or to enhance an existing practice.

Below you’ll find some additional studies that demonstrate the positive effects of meditation, as well as yoga (which incorporates many of the wonderful elements of meditation), on cardiovascular health.

In the battle against stress and even heart disease, there is a lot you can do! By being proactive now, you can bring about changes that can make a significant difference in how you feel, both physically and emotionally, in the very near future.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

This article first appeared in Dr. Kaplan’s column on MindBodyGreen.com. Reviewed and updated April, 2024.

Downshift_for_restful_sleep

Downshift Your Day and Get Set for Restful Sleep

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Great things happen when we are well-rested: our breath is full, slow, and deep, the digestive system works well, and the body can focus on repair – including reduction of inflammation, tissue repair, and hormone production. In fact, getting regular, restful sleep is the best medicine for improving a health condition or for simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But modern living comes with a price. Overbooked, highly stressed, and often running on reserves, as many as one-third of adults in the United States are not getting the quality of sleep the body requires.

Impact of Stress on Body

Let’s face it, stress is a fact of life. Stress is a biological and psychological response that occurs when we encounter a threat that we do not feel we have the resources to deal with. Any number of stressors, such as exams, divorce, illness, the death of a loved one, moving, or job loss, will create a physical response in the body. You may experience an increase in heart rate, an increase in breathing, a rush of energy to the limbs, a decrease in digestive activity (impacting elimination), and the liver is stimulated to release glucose for energy.

This physiological process also referred to as fight, flight, or freeze, is an instinctual survival mechanism controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). When we operate under stress on a daily basis, the heightened activity of the ANS can end up causing more damage than benefits. The key becomes how a person can effectively manage – or downregulate – the stress response, and this is something that can be practiced and developed over time.

Self-Assessment

By answering a few simple questions you can get a good sense of whether the amount and quality of sleep you are getting on average per night is enough. If your answer is “no” to any one of the questions below, it’s a good indicator that your sleep pattern needs adjustment*.

  1. Do you have a regular bedtime?
  2. Do you get up at the same time every day?
  3. Do you sleep the entire night through?
  4. Do you have a way to downshift or release stress from your day?
  5. Do you wake up in the morning feeling rested and restored?

 

*If you are concerned that your sleep pattern indicates a serious problem, please give us a call at 703-532-4892 and ask to speak to a nurse or schedule an appointment. 

Preparing for Restful Sleep

Once you’ve identified that your sleep pattern needs improvement, there are several ways to teach yourself how to downregulate the nervous system in order to prepare for a better night’s sleep. This means setting some guidelines for yourself during the day and establishing a nighttime/sleep routine.

During the daytime:

  • Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages after noon and exercise should also be completed a solid two hours before sleeping.
  • If there are worries on your mind, jot them down in a journal to temporarily release them from your mind. Keeping a running list of “things to do” handy also helps to clear your mind before the evening.
  • Another extremely important element to getting restful sleep is managing others’ expectations and honoring your own boundaries. Taking on more tasks than one can handle is quite common, but it can really push us to our limits and cause unintentional stress. By setting some boundaries and staying within those lines as much as possible we can make more time available to decompress from the day’s activities.

In the evenings, aim for the following:

  • Avoid food or excessive drink after 7 p.m.
  • Avoid caffeine after Noon
  • Avoid alcoholic beverages
  • Honor your bedtime
  • Dim lights & disconnect from technology 2 hours before bed. Yes, 2 hours!
  • Arrange for comfort (soft sheets, warm blankets, and comfortable clothing)
  • Set the room temperature to one that is comfortable for you (some people sleep better in a cooler room)
  • Soothe the nervous system with meditation and stress reduction exercises – for tips, read on!

Stress Reduction

Aside from meditation, there are a number of exercises and other techniques to relax the nervous system before bed that can be done either with a partner or alone.

Just Breathe…

Belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, can soothe the nervous system. Watch and feel your belly expand with each inhalation. Breathing into the belly, instead of the upper lungs, can slow the heart rate and calm the nervous system. In addition, when your exhale breath is longer than your inhale breath, the heart rate slows down.

Practice inhaling for 2 counts and exhaling for 4 counts and repeat. As your heart rate slows, you may try to do a 4 count inhale and a 6 count exhale. Repeat this 4-5 times at least 30 minutes before bed. Note that your body may respond differently to the breathing, listen to your body and notice what calms your system and practice that.

Adrenal HoldAdrenal Hold

This is a soothing partner activity which involves cradling the adrenals to initiate feelings of calmness and relaxation. We have two adrenal glands, located on the top of each kidney. The adrenals are responsible for releasing the hormones cortisol, aldosterone, adrenaline, and noradrenaline that, among other processes, are involved in the fight, flight or freeze response.

Have the receiver sit comfortably in a chair so their partner, the holder, can easily reach their back to gently cradle the adrenals with warm hands (please, no energy work or bodywork). The holder creates a “safe basket” of warmth for the glands and allows the receiver to relax. This can also be done without a partner by using a warm pack for 5 minutes on the area. After a few minutes, the receiver will notice that they start to slow their breathing and may start to feel more relaxed. This is a wonderful way to calm down after a busy day of work and settle into a restful evening.

Triple Warmer Meridian

Within Traditional Chinese Medicine’s perspective on healing, you’ll find the concept of body meridians. Twelve major meridians channel life energy – or Qi – throughout the body, interacting with every major organ system. Good health is an indicator of balance within these energy pathways; likewise, diminished health and illness are indicative of an imbalance that must be corrected.

Triple Warmer is the meridian that controls our fight, flight or freeze response. According to Donna Eden, author of Energy Medicine, the triple warmer impacts the immune system and our ability to manage stress. When it is activated, the body is on high alert. When you practice tracing your triple warmer meridian backward, it can sedate or calm the fight or flight response.

For Triple Warmer techniques based on Donna Eden’s program, click here.

Other Tools to Achieve a More Restful Sleep

Create a bedtime routine to prepare your body for sleep.  This may include setting the stage so you are most comfortable and relaxed and ready for sleep:

  • Calming fragrances (lavender, chamomile)
  • Calming beverages (Organic Chamomile tea, Sleepy Time tea)
  • Dimming bedroom lights at least an hour before bed
  • Eye bags
  • SleepPhones and soothing sounds
  • White noise or a fan
  • Weighted Blanket – The deep pressure generated from a weighted blanket signals the brain to release serotonin, which in turn naturally calms and relaxes the body, promoting sleep and stress relief. Weighted blankets help calm children and adults with sensory integration disorder, autism, Rett Syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, PTSD and Restless Leg Syndrome!

Sleep is our birthright and we have more control over it than we may think! Find the methods that work best for you to enjoy better quality sleep and the health benefits that go along with it.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Sleep and Sleep Disorders

AlShareef SM. The impact of bedtime technology use on sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in adults. Sleep Sci. 2022 Apr-Jun;15(Spec 2):318-327. doi: 10.5935/1984-0063.20200128. PMID: 35371396; PMCID: PMC8906383.

Green, M. Cohen-Zion, A. Haim & Y. Dagan (2017) Evening light exposure to computer screens disrupts human sleep, biological rhythms, and attention abilities, Chronobiology International, 34:7, 855-865, DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2017.1324878

Cleveland Clinic: Diaphragmatic Breathing

Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, Zhang H, Duan NY, Shi YT, Wei GX, Li YF. The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults. Front Psychol. 2017 Jun 6;8:874. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874. PMID: 28626434; PMCID: PMC5455070.

lifestyle_medicine

Lifestyle Medicine and Chronic Disease

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Changing behavior is hard. Changing the way we think about a topic, an issue, or a pattern that we routinely engage in is hard. In fact, making change is so difficult that there’s an entire field of psychology dedicated to it. It’s the science of behavioral change and it looks at how we make change successfully and why.

Whether it’s the ability to start exercising, eating healthier foods, or just doing things to reduce stress levels, change takes effort. For example, study after study shows that after starting a new diet, most people will eventually regain the weight they lost. Experts think that as many as 80 to 95% of dieters gain back the weight they worked so hard to lose. Although that’s a bit disheartening, the point is that making meaningful and lasting change is a process and not a quick fix. This is true for many things, but it is especially true for lifestyle habits that impact our health. And this is where lifestyle medicine enters the picture.

What is Lifestyle medicine?

Lifestyle medicine is a field of medicine that uses behavioral change psychology to help tackle the rising levels of chronic disease. Chronic problems like heart disease, obesity, stroke, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes are among the most prevalent and costly health conditions in the United States. Consider that approximately 60% of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease; and this number is only increasing.

Lifestyle medicine can play an important role in the management of chronic disease because many of these conditions revolve around the same lifestyle issues – exercise, healthy eating, restful sleep, ideal body weight and reducing the esposure of harmful substances. Furthermore, promoting healthier habits and reducing stress can serve as an important tool for lowering inflammation and mitigating pain and depression – components of many chronic diseases. We know from research that engaging in certain positive lifestyle changes early on can dramatically lower the risk of developing these illnesses in the first place.

Lifestyle medicine focuses on these key aspects of health:

Physical activity

Study after study shows that regular and consistent physical activity is one of the best ways to improve mood, health, and longevity.

Stress

Periods of stress that come and go are natural but if stress becomes a constant part of an individual’s life, it can have negative impact on health. Ongoing stress can affect heart health, digestion, mental wellbeing (mood, focus), and physical health.

Nutrition

Research has highlighted the benefits of a healthy and nutrient-rich diet in lowering inflammation and reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and other medical conditions. The role of good nutrition in overall wellbeing cannot be understated.

Restorative sleep

Good sleeping patterns and habits can help bolster the immune system, remove waste products from the brain, improve focus and physical energy, and help lower the risk of stroke, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Mental health

Human beings are social creatures and meaningful social connections make up a large part of one’s mental and spiritual well-being. Research has shown that individuals who have stronger social connections are more resilient and less likely to develop cognitive impairment.

Lifestyle medicine attempts to address all of these areas. It does not mean that all of these items need to be fixed in a jiffy; it just means that the importance of these factors and their role in good health should be recognized. If there is a particular area where changes can be made to improve your health, then a discussion should be had with your provider.

Where do you begin?

The first step is being open to change; self-motivation is key. You should educate yourself and be open to understand the benefits of the change you want to make to keep you motivated and focused on your goals. Can you foresee some challenges? Try o identify any barriers that are keeping you from moving forward and be prepared to deal with setbacks because they will happen. Be forgiving and keep moving forward.

For many, having an accountability partner or being a part of a structured program that considers the key aspects listed above can be the difference between success and failure. Lifestyle program teams are trained and experienced in these challenges and are supportive to those who are ready to embrace these changes.

Lifestyle medicine is relatively new as a field of practice and its principals are very similar to those of functional medicine (functional medicine also investigates and treats the root cause of disease and dysfunction). It sheds light on the importance of the day-to-day activities that we undertake, how they impact us, and why small changes can make a huge difference. Although change is hard, it is possible, and lifestyle medicine speaks to the tools and resources that we can use to help bring those positive changes about.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

 

References

https://www.acpm.org/initiatives/lifestyle-medicine/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5876976/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-people-diet-lose-weight-and-gain-it-all-back/

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21056174/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9985951/

 

 

One minute yoga meditation

One Minute Yoga Practice To Do Anywhere/Anytime

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At this moment, do you notice accumulated stress in your body? That slight clenching in your jaw, a furrow in your brow, the tension in your shoulders, and tightness in your belly?

The tools of Yoga Therapy are so powerful because they are accessible and meet us right where we are. The following exercise can help to release tension in 1-2 minutes. This breath technique effortlessly extends the length of your exhale, stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system to release a cascade of stress-reducing hormones that calm and restore your system.

One-minute yoga

– Sit comfortably, hands palms down on your lap, close your eyes, and feel your feet on the floor.

– Honor the intention of taking 1-2 minutes to relax your body and mind.

– Inhale through the nose, shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears.

– Exhale through the mouth with a sigh (if a sigh feels conspicuous, you can just exhale through the mouth), dropping your shoulders, imagining any buildup of stress falling off your shoulders. Repeat 3 times.

– Next, inhale through the nose, filling your belly.

– Exhale through your mouth as if you are exhaling out through a straw (lips pursed together creating a little opening between them as if you were holding a straw in your mouth). Repeat 3-5 times.

– Close by repeating the affirmation silently 3 times: “I am relaxed and at ease.” If you have a spiritual life/practice, take a moment to honor its presence in your life.

Laura Elizabeth Dorsett, MTS, RYT-500, has her master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School in partnership with Harvard Medical School, focusing on the intersection of spirituality and healing through Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation. At The Kaplan Center, Laura leads a free meditation class every Monday morning on Zoom from 10:00 – 11:00 am.

What I Know About Healing Chronic Pain From 37 Years Of Treating Patients

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There are over 50 million adults in the United States living with some form of chronic pain. The impact of chronic pain on people’s lives is enormous; unfortunately, despite modern medical advances we’re still not that great at treating it.

We may be unsuccessful in treating chronic pain because the way we’ve thought about where it comes from is all wrong. Research demonstrates that chronic pain is frequently a symptom of inflammation in the brain. Finding a cure requires that we identify and treat all the things that are causing the brain to remain in an inflamed state.

Here are seven things you need to do to effectively to deal with your chronic pain:

  1. Get a real diagnosis.

Chronic pain, in and of itself, is not a diagnosis. It’s a symptom of injury or illness, and even more specifically, it’s a symptom of inflammation. For example, over the course of 37 years of practicing family medicine and treating patients suffering from chronic pain, the worst case of acute shoulder pain I have ever seen was in a man who was having a heart attack.

I also have seen patients complain of chronic lower back pain, when their underlying problem was actually Crohn’s disease (an autoimmune disease that causes digestive problems).

Similarly, chronic migraine headaches may be a symptom of a food allergy. When this is the case, eliminating the offending foods can be a straightforward solution.

Today, we are seeing more and more people experiencing pain symptoms as a result of a previous COVID-19 infection. Long-COVID Syndrome symptoms often mimic the pain symptoms of fibromyalgia, ME/CFS and POTS.

Getting the right diagnosis requires a comprehensive history by a physician who can connect the dots. Frequently, what you think is the beginning of your pain problem is not its actually cause.

Bottom line: you must know what to treat if you have any hope of finding a cure.

  1. Get tested for sleep disorders and get enough rest.

If you’re getting seven or more hours of sleep per night, but you still feel exhausted all the time, you may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition that means that while you’re sleeping you periodically stop breathing. During these intervals, your brain is deprived of oxygen, which causes inflammation of the neural tissue in the brain. Sleep apnea affects approximately 5% of Americans and it has been estimated that as many as 85% of people with this condition have not been diagnosed.

The inflammation caused by sleep apnea can cause or contribute to joint pain, migraine headaches, abdominal pain, and other chronic pain conditions. Ask your doctor about getting tested for sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. Sleep well and you’ll find you have more energy and less pain.

  1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.

To eliminate the dietary causes of chronic pain, I usually recommend that patients limit their food intake to rice, fish, chicken, and fresh fruits and vegetables for a period of six weeks. While this food plan doesn’t eliminate every possible allergen, it does eliminate the major offenders, such as gluten, milk and milk products, refined sugar, processed foods, nuts and eggs.

When you eat, notice if certain foods cause you to experience an adverse reaction such as a stuffy nose, fatigue, headache, bloating, or gas. By eliminating the foods that create inflammation in your brain and body, you’ll find that your pain decreases and your physical energy and mental clarity increase.

  1. Meditate.

Studies show that regular meditation improves brain function and can help the brain recover from inflammatory damage. Regular meditation also has been shown to improve our ability to tolerate and recover from stress. Meditate for 20 to 30 minutes a day and see if you notice a difference.

  1. Make time for manual therapy.

Hands-on therapies such as Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic therapy can help relieve, and in some cases, completely resolve chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Whatever the pain’s origin — whether its disease, traumatic injury or overuse, or emotional stress — bodywork can help stimulate healthy blood flow into damaged muscles, tendons, and connective tissue, thereby relieving musculoskeletal pain and tension and stimulating the body’s own ability to heal itself.

In fact, manual therapy is so effective in unlocking the emotional stress and trauma stored in our bodies that I often also recommend working with a psychotherapist who can help you process these issues.

  1. Take nutritional supplements that are right for you.

There are supplements on the market that can help address generalized inflammation and joint pain. Supplements are also a great way to strengthen your immune system and help keep you healthy. However, before you start taking any new product, make sure you are buying from a trusted supplier; the U.S. Food & Drug Administration does not regulate the manufacture and marketing of supplements as they do with prescription medication.

Talk with your doctor about the medications and other supplements you are already taking before starting a new supplement because some products can cause drug interactions. 

  1. Practice gratitude.

Although this is sometimes a lot to ask of people whose lives have been devastated by chronic pain, the cultivation of gratitude for family and friends and the other gifts in our lives helps make us more trusting, altruistic, resilient, and just plain happier. It also allows us to live each day more fully.

I recommend keeping a gratitude diary and listing five things for which you are grateful each day. Other gratitude exercises include visualizing and writing about your future, best possible self; putting your gratitude into action by writing a thank-you note or visiting a person to whom you owe a debt of gratitude. Spending time each day contemplating the things for which you are grateful is likely to help reduce not only your stress level but also your experience of physical pain.

Good luck on your healing journey!

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

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Everyday Behaviors That Can Impact a Healthy Immune System

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The key to longevity and optimal health is a healthy immune system. If our immune system is not in the optimal shape we are at risk for infections, autoimmune diseases, and even cancers. There are simple steps to take every day to keep your immune system healthy so that it can keep aggressors at bay. Read on to find out more.

1 – Sleep

Everyone knows that you need 7-8 hours of good quality sleep at night, but why? Your brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body. All that activity generates a lot of cellular waste products that need to be removed to keep our brains in optimal health. The glymphatic system is the brain’s specialized waste disposal system and it is most active during slow wave sleep at night. A healthy brain is essential for a healthy immune system.

Three quick hacks:

  • Keep a regular bedtime and waking time. Varying your bedtime impairs the normal restorative cycle of the brain and actually increases inflammation.
  • 1-3 mg of melatonin at night can improve sleep and help reduce brain inflammation.
  • Eat a lighter meal at dinner time and do not eat anything for 3 hours before bedtime, this allows the brain to optimally regenerate itself.

2 – Intermittent Fasting

Chronic or intermittent food restriction has a profound life-enhancing effect on the health of your brain and immune system. Unless there are medical reasons for not doing intermittent fasting doing a 1 or two day water-only fast a week or compressing your eating time to 6-8 hours a day while of course eating a healthy diet can help protect you from a number of neuroinflammatory diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

3 – Keep Your Mitochondria Happy and Healthy

The mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell and are also essential for a healthy immune system. Exercise, proper sleep and nutrition are again essential. A nutritional hack is NAD. NAD is essential for optimal energy and metabolism. There are several NAD supplements on the market but NAD is also available as an IV supplement in some centers. As we age or burn the candle at both ends we deplete NAD and keeping our NAD tank full is essential to healthy aging and optimal health.

More on NAD IV treatment.

4 – Emotional Traumas and Stress

Emotional traumas and stress injure the immune system. Unaddressed childhood emotional traumas, PTSD weakens the immune system and make you more susceptible to autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease and a host of other life diminishing and life-shortening diseases. Don’t just live with it, get help. Seeing a therapist who specializes in the treatment of trauma is important. Techniques such as EMDR and medications such as ketamine can help.

5 – A Defensive Lifestyle

Our environment is literally killing us. Air and water pollution. Lead in our water systems Mercury in our fish. Pesticides and herbicides in our food. Water damage to buildings results in mold growth in the walls that produce toxins that can cause brain and immune damage when breathed. Removing yourself from a toxic building is the first step. Regular detox with saunas, taking activated charcoal and chlorella periodically can help but you need to be careful because these can also interfere with the absorption of medications and other supplements. Testing the indoor air for mold toxins with an ERMI kit that can be ordered online and of course eating clean is a great start. There are tests available to help you understand your toxic burden. Some can be ordered online but working with a physician who specializes in functional medicine can also get you on the right path.

6 – Last Word From Doctor

If our immune systems are weak then when infections occur they can literally break the immune system and cause chronic disease. Post-acute COVID Syndrome (Long COVID), Chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic Lyme disease, Chronic anxiety and Depression, Fibromyalgia, PANS/PANDAS, and more. These are diseases of a broken immune system. We now understand so much more about how we get sick. Why do we stay sick, and most importantly how we can recover and maintain optimal health for life.

 

Written by Dr. Gary Kaplan for Eat This, Not That, May 13, 2022

 

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A Functional Medicine Approach to Autoimmune Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis)

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Autoimmune hypothyroidism is characterized by too little thyroid hormone in the bloodstream. It occurs when the body attacks and inflames its own thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s Disease (or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis) is the most common cause of autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Thyroid disorders are commonly associated with a person’s energy level but the symptoms vary from person to person and can also affect appearance and mood, often making it even more difficult to cope. The most common symptoms include:

Dr. Lisa Lilienfield explains the Functional Medicine approach to treating autoimmune thyroid disease vs conventional practices. She discusses its ATMs (antecedents, triggers, and mediators), testing, and treatment options that may include dietary changes, supplementation, adrenal function, and hormone replacement.

 

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

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Broken Heart Syndrome: When Sudden Loss or Stress (Literally) Breaks Your Heart

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Have you ever suffered a broken heart?

Everyone can understand the intense pain, heartache, and distress that comes with dealing with a broken heart, especially when it’s due to a loss of a family member or dear friend. Unfortunately, these extreme stress situations can rob us of our health. We know how closely intertwined our emotional and physical states are, but can a person actually die of a broken heart?

What causes broken heart syndrome?

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM), also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy and/or “Broken Heart Syndrome,” is a real cardiac condition triggered by extreme stress or anxiety from a traumatic event. Along with the loss of a loved one, other emotional or physical stressors like natural disasters, car accidents, sudden financial loss or gain (think lottery!), domestic violence, or even a sudden shock, could all provoke an attack.

A study published in JAMA Network Open confirmed that pandemic-related stress has caused an increase in stress-induced cardiomyopathy.

What happens when someone has broken heart syndrome?

In such cases, a rush of stress hormones causes one part of the heart to bulge, forcing the rest of the heart to work harder. As a result, the heart is unable to pump blood normally. Under these circumstances, a person will experience symptoms similar to a heart attack, like chest pain and shortness of breath, but with no signs of coronary artery disease.

Luckily for most, with treatment, the heart is able to return to its normal state. But SICM can also be fatal.

Questions? Give Us a Call!

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How is broken heart syndrome treated?

Treatment for Broken Heart Syndrome/SICM typically includes medications that are used to treat heart attack victims, like beta-blockers, which relieve the excessive strain on the heart. However as research continues on SICM it questions whether this form of treatment is actually effective, as this study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded: “Although it has been proposed that beta-blockers might prevent takotsubo cardiomyopathy events, the condition developed in 32.5% of the patients in our study while they were taking these agents. Of 57 patients with recurrent takotsubo cardiomyopathy, 29 were taking beta-blockers at the time of the second event. These data suggest that beta-blockers are not effective in preventing takotsubo cardiomyopathy.”

Another study, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, led by Dr. Harmony Reynolds of NYU Langone Medical Center, looked at the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for helping the body calm down) as a major player in SICM and proposed that treatments such as meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, may be beneficial in preventing attacks by strengthening the mind-body relationship.

Dr. Reynolds’ research also aims at explaining why as much as 90% of patients diagnosed with SICM are post-menopausal women. Some suspect that the reason for this may be the loss of estrogen during menopause (estrogen is cardio-protective in that it improves blood flow to the heart; as levels drop one’s risk for a cardiac event increases).

And while Broken Heart Syndrome is relatively rare in the big picture, only counting for 1-2% of patients with heart attack symptoms, the pain you feel after suffering a loss can also cause other negative health effects. Not getting enough sleep or proper nutrition (both common occurrences while coping with a loss or stressful situations), can suppress your immune system, and put you at a greater risk for developing other illnesses.

While there is no way to predict how your body will react to a traumatic event, there are things you can do to put yourself in the best position for coping with stress and recovering from a cardiac event.

1) Know the signs and symptoms of a cardiac event.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for men and the #1 cause of death for women in the United States. Typical symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, shortness of breath, breaking out into a cold sweat, and/or heart palpitations. Women may present different signs and symptoms than men, like abdominal pain or nausea, shortness of breath with or without chest pain, back, neck, jaw, and arm pain.

While there may be no warning for sudden cardiac arrest, anyone experiencing any of the symptoms above should call 911 immediately.

2) Take care of yourself.

This includes eating a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet and maintaining a regular sleep schedule. If you are having difficulty falling or staying asleep don’t put off talking to your physician. A healthy sleep pattern is absolutely essential for good health. If you are a smoker, quit.

3) Keep up with a regular exercise routine.

Physical activity is anything that gets you moving. If you have never engaged in regular exercise start with a simple and easy to keep walking routine. However, try not to work out when stress or emotions are running high; a study of over 12,000 people showed that heavy exercise while angry or emotionally stressed tripled the incidence of a heart attack.

4) Take up a mind-body therapy.

Meditation, yoga, and breathing practices, such as Pranayama, can prompt a cascade of physiological effects including decreases in blood pressure, stress, and heart rate, and increases in immune function, mood, and vitality.

5) Talk with a therapist or grief counselor.

Speaking with a professional can help you navigate the more complex emotions surrounding the loss of a friend or family member, or coping with a current or past trauma.

6) Speak with a doctor about your health concerns

Even if you’re not sure if your symptoms are related to your emotional state keeping your doctor informed is extremely important, particularly if you suffer from any chronic medical conditions.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2