Reflections on a loss of my dear friend Peggy

My dear friend and renowned Hawaiian water color artist died last night from ALS. She has lived and boy did she live with the disease for six plus years. Peggy was able to live at home till her last breath because of this wonderful group of people called Pegs Legs. For her unique story go to www.pegslegs.blogspot.com . I will miss you Peggy, and I feel so blessed to have known you.
Rest my friend.
Dr Pia

Beat the "Bah Humbug" Blues!

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you CAN have the best holiday ever, even in these stressful times. Get back to what it means to celebrate an old fashioned holiday before it became all about the expenses, excess and the shopping malls, with a little holiday S.P.I.R.I.T:

1. S

Save: With the decline of the economy, be financially smart and savvy during the holiday season. Create gift ideas for friends and family in an economically friendly way, by getting crafty. There are lots of ideas at your local craft shop or to save time, you can search the Internet. This year agree to only buy gifts for the kids in the family.

Share: Money isn’t everything, so spend time with your loved ones. Find places to bond and create memories during the holiday season. Take pictures of these cheerful moments and use them for a scrapbook or homemade picture frame. These gifts will pass the test of time and mean more than any material item. The thought is always what counts, so use this philosophy when thinking about your loved ones and come out on top with a little extra cash in your pocket.

Secret Santa: Choose one member of your family or one coworker to buy for this year. Not only will you save but also you will have the time to really think about that person and their interests.  It is also fun because of the element of surprise.

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Personal Time: During the hectic holiday season, it is even more important to set aside a few moments for yourself. Put “me time” in your schedule and stick to it.  This can be as simple as meditating before bed, taking a few deep breaths at tough times, getting enough sleep and of course keeping a positive outlook. Stress is the number one killer and to fight it we must think about our sanity and try to put aside all the holiday craziness to re-center the mind, body, and soul.

Possibilities: Take a moment to look forward to the year ahead and see the possibilities in all facets of your life. Dream big! Write down those dreams and possibilities and then take action to make them a reality.

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Indulgences: The holiday season is notorious for office treats and crazy calories coming from every direction. Do not fret! You can beat the bulge this season with a little planning ahead. Pick one night when you allow for a splurge but limit the other nights to healthy good for you options. Stress at the holidays often causes us to overeat and drink too much…doing this actually causes more stress for the body! Remember, you are in control of your choices.

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Reach Out: Through all the indulgence that comes with the holiday season, there is also the perfect opportunity to reach out to those less fortunate. Taking time to help those in need is fulfilling in more ways than one. It can center the heart and re-focus the philosophy of the holiday times. Volunteer at a shelter, or bring Christmas joy to the elderly. However you decide, the rewards of reaching out will surely erase any Bah Humbug of the upcoming holiday season!

Reconnect: It has been a tough year for most of us. It is hard to stay insulated from all of the negative energy.  Make the time to reconnect with old friends that you haven’t spoken to or seen in a while. Make time to spend a little one on one time with a family member. Most importantly reconnect with what’s important in our lives, our health and our relationships.

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Invest in your Health: Yes, it’s a fact- many us gain a few inches over the holidays. If you do find yourself in an over-bought calorie situation, don’t stress, just invest a little extra time to your health! Walking is one of the best exercises and it is cost effective, play with your kids, put up the Christmas tree or decorate the house. All of these activities will burn those extra holiday calories.

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Thankful: If you find yourself hearing that negative inner voice, stop and take a moment and make a mental list of the things in your life that you are thankful for.

Counting your blessings each day is good for the soul.

Talk: Share your feelings and memories of past holidays and times spent with loved ones. Talking about your feelings around the holidays, and in general, is a great way to free them from your mind, and can be a gift to those with whom you are sharing.

Take Action: Last but not least, make this next year great! Take action! Don’t just dream about, do it! Don’t like it, change it! Make everyday count! Get into the spirit of healthy thinking. A positive mental attitude is your most powerful tool to get you through the additional stress of the holidays. 

Happy 2009!!!!  

Avoiding the Dreaded "Tech Neck"- Staying Healthy in the Workplace!

The human body craves alignment. When we are properly aligned, our bones, not our muscles, support our weight, reducing effort and strain. The big payoff with proper posture is that we feel healthier, have more energy, and move gracefully. So while the word "posture" may conjure up images of book-balancing charm-school girls, it is not just about standing up straight. It’s about being aware of and connected to every part of your self.

Let’s start with the problem- poor posture distorts the alignment of bones, chronically tenses muscles, and contributes to stressful conditions such as loss of vital lung capacity, increased fatigue, reduced blood and oxygen to the brain, limited range of motion, stiffness of joints, pain syndromes, reduced mental alertness, and decreased productivity at work. According to the Nobel Laureate Dr. Roger Sperry, "the more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism, and healing." Therefore, posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health and vitality.

Ideally, our bones stack up one upon the other: the head rests directly on top of the spine, which sits directly over the pelvis, which sits directly over the knees and ankles. But if you spend hours every day sitting in a chair and hunch forward, such as at work in front of a computer, it can affect you not only physically, but emotionally, too- from the predictable shoulder and back pain to headaches, short attention span, and depression.

In today’s technologically advanced “e”-environment, many of us spend a good amount of time sitting in front of a computer.  If the core muscles of the back are not strong, most of us after a period of time tend to slump forward.  First the head, followed by the hunched and rounded shoulders then as a consequence we tilt the low spine backwards.  These mechanical changes to the spine put undue stress on the discs, and joints. The ligaments and muscles are lengthened anteriorly in the neck and posterierly in the upper back.  They are subsequently shortened in the back of the neck and the front of the chest.  This is called Upper Crossed Syndrome.  The action of the head forward of the shoulder girdle even by one-inch puts 10 times the stress on the anatomical structures of the neck.  The result is muscle contraction of the neck muscles followed by impaired blood flow and decreased oxygen.  The body tries hard to compensate but gets overwhelmed and we experience headaches, neck pain, back pain, fatigue and a variety of other ailments such as sinus problems. The nerves in the neck are also compromised and adequate nerve supply to the structure of head and neck is also compromised.

What can we do to combat this problem? First make sure you have a good, supportive chair and your desk and computer are at the correct height for your body frame.  Your legs should be at right angles, your back straight and the arms at right angles to your keyboard. The chest open, the shoulders soft and away from the ears and the computer screen high enough so that your eyes hit the middle of the screen.

Now that you are sitting in a proper position, it is important to get out of your chair every hour to get the blood moving.  A good rule of thumb is to get up and get a drink a  water, so not only do you get the body moving but you also stay well hydrated.  Fatigue is often caused by dehydration.  Set a timer to remind you. Next a routine of simple stretches will ease muscle tension.  These can be done in 60 seconds.  For example, roll the shoulders back and down, door way pushes to open up the front of the chest, moving thee spine through its full range of motion etc… The most important factor when it come to correct posture is your awareness of your body position and responding to it when you feel yourself slump, and your shoulders rise when you are exposed to stressors etc…Take a minute, take a few deep breaths, stretch a little and relax the muscles.  A strong core is extremely helpful when it comes to good posture. Pilates or Yoga are wonderful disciplines when it comes to increasing core strength and putting the spine through its full range of motion.