Easy Ways to Safeguard Your Health

Empowering Ways to Safeguard Your Health

Until we are faced with a medical issue, many of us take our good health for granted and may neglect key components of preventative care. Safeguarding health begins with information and awareness.

As children, we were taught the basics of daily preventative care. Parents’ insistence on maintaining proper hygiene such as brushing our teeth and washing our hands, eating balanced diets full of fruits and vegetables while limiting sweets, and consistently clocking approximately 8 hours of a good night’s sleep, bolstered our health as we grew and developed into vibrant adults. As adults, however, we became distracted by the demands of hectic lives and did not keep up with taking care of ourselves, especially by incorporating more sophisticated steps that support continued health.

There are a number of annual appointments that significantly reduce your health risks. An annual physical, including fasting bloodwork to check your cholesterol, is the first opportunity for you and your doctor to discover the beginnings of a health concern. When you postpone or avoid that visit altogether you are widening the gap in your doctor’s knowledge of your current condition and can unwittingly allow a reversible health issue to develop into a more serious medical problem. Similarly, teeth cleaning and dental exam are recommended, ideally every six months, but should never be delayed for more than a year. It not only monitors your teeth and gums so you can address dental complications quickly and with minimal physical and financial discomfort, but your dentist can also spot clues of other medical conditions when he examines your teeth, gums, and tongue.

Don’t forget your quarterly visit with your acupuncturist for a seasonal tune-up; it will help you keep all systems in balance and harmony and often avoid problems which could be seasonal.  It will increase your energy, decrease any pain you might have and contribute immensely to your well-being.

Depending on your stage in life, annual tests for both female and male specific problems, while unpleasant, are far more bearable than the procedures involved with a more serious diagnosis they are attempting to detect at an earlier, more manageable stage. The time-line recommendations for these preventative screens have recently been fluctuating and have even become the subject of intense debate within the medical community. Furthermore, our health insurance can often dictate whether we can afford these exams. You have to trust your own instincts on this, but make sure you are making informed decisions rather than avoiding something simply because it seems inconvenient or uncomfortable.

On an annual, or better yet, a semi-annual calendar schedule in all your appropriate medical visits.  If you do it all at one time and in advance it is usually possible to plan several visits on one day, thereby utilizing your valuable time while ensuring you won’t forget the dates.  It is easier to forget one appointment than 3 or 4.

Take time for yourself, you deserve it.

Dr. Reenah McGill

Acupuncture & Brain Power

© Copyright 2012 Acufinder.com. All Rights Reserved.

Boost Your Brain Power with Acupuncture
By: Acufinder Staff Writer

© Copyright 2012 Acufinder.com. All Rights Reserved.

Having difficulties focusing, remembering tasks or organizing your thoughts?  

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help optimize your brain power through a treatment approach that incorporates different modalities, including nutritional support.

According to acupuncture and Oriental medicine the mind (Shen) embodies consciousness, emotions and thought.   Shen influences long term memory, the ability to think clearly, contributes to wisdom and presides over activities that involve mental and creative functions. When the mind is healthy we are able to think clearly.  

When the mind is unhealthy or unbalanced we experience confusion, poor memory, and clouded thinking.   Disharmony of the mind often manifests as anxiety, insomnia, muddled thinking, forgetfulness and chronic restlessness.   Meditation and acupuncture, as well as physical exercises such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong and the right foods, can balance and strengthen the mind. 

Good nutrition can help boost your brain power.   Not only is it essential to overall physical health, it can also enhance the function and harmony of the mind.   The right foods enhance brain function by providing essential nutrients such as flavonoids, Omega 3s, vitamins, folate and iron that are great for improving the quality and quantity of learning capacity, cognitive abilities, memory and overall brain function.  You can enhance your brain's health and function by including blueberries, fish, leafy green vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole  grains in your diet. 

Challenge Your Brain

Keep your mind active and challenged. Brain function decreases with age. Studies show that cognitive exercise can improve blood flow to the brain. Spend at least 15 minutes each day on a mental exercise such as a crossword puzzle, journaling or learning a new language in order to slow memory loss.

However you choose to exercise your brain, acupuncture can help. Numerous studies suggest that acupuncture can help improve memory, mental clarity, concentration and cognitive function.

One recently published study showed how acupuncture can be used to help patients with vascular dementia. Cerebral functional imaging before and after acupuncture treatments showed a significant increase in the cerebral glucose metabolism of the brain which is associated with improved cognitive function. Other studies have looked at how acupuncture affects the performance of students taking an exam or those with Alzheimer's disease and memory impairment induced by diabetes and cerebral ischemia. All results, thus far, have been positive.

Want to optimize your focus and mental health?  Find an acupuncturist near you today! or CALL 818-378-9882 for an appointment in Eagan, MN

New Address, New Clinic, New Everything

Well it has been quite a journey these past 12 months and a lot of pain mixed with pleasure.  I thought about it, considered the pros and cons and then finally decided to move.  Not that I don't love LA but it was time for a change.  We've all been there when it slowly dawns on us we need to do things different if we are going to continue to grow and change.

Yes, there is pain with "pulling up roots" and then finding another "safe, friendly" place to put them down again.  I wonder if a plants "knows" this pain or if requires human consciousness?

My first 10 tips if your thinking of doing this are:
1.  Think about it.  Make sure your moving for the right reasons.
2.  Put away double the amount of money you think it will cost to move.
3.  Hire good movers.
4.  Visit your potential new home for at least 2 weeks each during 2 different seasons.
5.  Give away, throw away or dispose of things you haven't used in over 2 years, it is not likely you'll need them in your new location.  Start this early, 6 months before your intended move.
6.  Six months before you plan to move start collecting addresses of mailees who must be notified of your changed address.
7.  Find a place to rent in the area, use it as a base of operations while you get adjusted to your new surroundings.
8.  Make sure your address book is current and you have at least 2 copies of it.
9.  Take extra time to spend with your closest friends - there will be a gap in your life when you leave them which no one can fill.
10.  Call often.