Today I got reacquainted with Ron, with whom I haven't made a show since November, as he was teaching a fitness class when we usually record together in December! So we're able to make shows together again, well, most of the time. Today we reviewed his health issues, and it seems we're getting close to figuring out what's going on. Thank goodness, it appears he does NOT have peripheral artery disease. If he has intermittent claudication, it's emanating from his spine, which X-rays show he has some disc degeneration, thoracic scoliosis, and neural foramen narrowing in the cervical spine, the neck. I wonder if that narrowing could be intermittent compressing his spine at that level and causing symptoms the rest of the way down. He'll have some more care and we'll see what the next steps are!

I finished out New Year's resolutions that you can actually do, and none of them are Lose Weight. They ARE plan to eat more produce, get more rest, be more mindful and present in your life! Things you can do RIGHT NOW to make your life better. Enjoy!

This week we talked about New Year's Resolutions that are actually accessible, that you can keep. Stuff like: eating more whole foods, cooking more meals at home, finding exercise you enjoy, add in a little bit of meditation, get more good sleep. Notice that NONE of these are LOSE WEIGHT! Having weight loss as a goal just makes you nuts, and you never know if it's actually going to happen. However, eating a healthy meal and exercising are things you can do TODAY. That's the focus! Develop some good lifestyle habits now, and before you know it you'll be feeling great, regardless of your weight!

This week, I did a bit of a companion piece to New Year's Day. We'll get to resolutions in the next weeks, but today I talked about fun New Year's traditions around the word. Eat lentils! Jump into the ocean in white! Jump off the couch! Throw pennies into the ocean! All sorts of stuff. Since it's still Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, I talked about those traditions too. I also talked just WHY I had a great dental visit with no new cavities. HINT: it's my special toothpaste! Listen to find out!

Today I wanted to not talk too much about health, but went ahead and gave advice about how to stay healthy and support immunity during the holidays. All the usual stuff, like eating well, getting good sleep, getting exercise, doing restorative practices like yoga and meditation. We also talked about neti pots and nasal sprays, and foods, herbs and vitamins for the season. Then we moved on to What do Jews do on christmas? The answer: it depends! It's not our holiday, so sometimes it's Chinese and a movie. Or, we'll attend celebrations of people that we love. Or celebrate Hanukah if it's at the same time! I then started on Hanukah and Kwanzaa traditions. We'll pick up on that next week because on New Year's Day, it will still be Hanukkah and Kwanzaa!

This week I talked about Ron and my viewing of Wicked, but didn't give away any spoilers! It was VERY exciting, dazzling, and emotional. You may want to take nervine herbs, L-theanine, or something else to keep calm, and then plan to do deep breathing or other calming activities afterward! And this was only Part 1, Part 2 comes out in a year! I mainly discussed osteoarthritis and how it's helped by PRP, platelet rich plasma injections,and also omega-3 fatty acids, especially fish oil. Very healing for arthritis, especially knees!

Today I reviewed my most recent naturopathic visit and my ongoing plan to help my chronic Lyme. I'm in it for the long haul! I reminded people not only to hydrate in the cold weather, but to apply sunscreen and lip balm with SPF, because you can still get wind and sunburned in cold weather. We also talked about some lovely hot beverages to enjoy this time of year, including hot cocoa, golden milk, and tea, and their benefits.

And we talked about the incidence of osteoarthritis in the US.

This week, I talked about how we BAILED from the Manchester Road Race, because Ron's circulation and leg pain and the chilly, pouring rain would have made it too uncomfortable. We may return to Manchester to walk the course on a sunnier day! And soon we'll have some diagnosis as to what's going on with Ron's health and get him back to walking, running, and mostly importantly, CYCLING!

Also, it was all about Hello Darkness My Old Friend, the sun is setting at 4 PM. All about seasonal affective disorder! What it is, the neurotransmitters involved, and what vitamins and supplements can be helpful. And don't forget the light box, dawn simulators, and just plain getting outside! Basic healthy lifestyle stuff can help too.

This week, the show was played the day before Thanksgiving, at a time where people are starting to make their Thanksgiving preparations, or God forbid, traveling to wherever they're going for Thanksgiving. I made it a Thanksgiving companion episode! I talked about various ways to experience and express gratitude, such as sincere Thank yous, writing a gratitude journal, and mindfully identifying things in your environment for which to be grateful. I also talked about honoring First Nation folks and decolonization. I also talked about some Native American dishes to share at Thanksgiving, such as wild rice dishes, quinoa, and the Three Sisters, beans, corn, and winter squash. I made both!