Health pearls

*HOW TO PROPERLY WEAR A MASK:* *Masks are very important to protect others from droplets that you might produce while speaking, coughing, sneezing or breathing.  Please wear them in any public place, especially indoors to stop the spread of COVID 19.  Below are the proper ways to wear a mask and to take it off.*  [IMG: How to Properly Wear a Mask] *HANDWASHING:* *The ...

A healthy diet is so important for your longterm health.  Below and in future posts, I will share some healthy recipes that you can adapt easily to the ingredients you have on hand. Here's a [LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vrBOe5L5xxIsqnQjqIF7HCM7K_xnfxlB/view] video with personal attestations of the importance of a wholesome plant-based diet. * Some basic ingredients ...

Many of my friends do yoga or meditation, but I have not managed to do either of those. I have read some books about mindfulness and have tried to incorporate some of those practices with varying levels of success.  I wish to improve because mindfulness has been shown to be helpful to manage anxiety and depression. Trying to stay safe and healthy during this pandemic has forced ...

Here are some simple adaptations regarding food shopping and food prep that are relevant to our stay-at-home situation.  Many of us as health care workers, are still on the job in some ways, but we are home more than we’re used to, out of our routine.  And many have their young children or adult children home with them - a lot - and need to cater to many different dietary ...

Knowledge is the best antidote to anxiety regarding the unknown. Based on questions from my patients, I composed a FAQs sheet, and a list of reliable resources.  There are many emails and videos out there that can make you more anxious, so try to limit your reading to reliable sources.  Importantly, try not to read about COVID before bedtime.  Please also be aware that ...

  My husband and  I took a walk around a lake last weekend. The paths were wide. The people were respectful of the 6 foot distancing. However, as I was backing out of the busy parking lot, I was involved in a fender bender. No one was hurt, but I had to exchange information with the elderly gentleman who was involved. We  photographed the man’s ID, insurance info and ...

  While most of us know about fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath as symptoms of COVID-19, intestinal symptoms can be present in almost 30% of patients. These include anorexia (loss of appetite), nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Many of us get occasional diarrhea or an episode of vomiting and/or diarrhea that we attribute to something we ate, or food poisoning, ...

  Stress, especially big and scary stress, impacts us like a threat to the nervous system. With the importance of social distancing, you and your partner are likely to be feeling those stressors in close quarters. (And you probably won’t be alone! Kids! Pets!) Here are the three ways people tend to respond when faced with a stressor: *            Fight*: do you ...

  Social distancing in a divorced family can be complicated. When kids are required to travel back and forth between parents’ houses, additional infection risks can increase. The disruption of regular schedules with school closures and changes in parent work locations requires additional communication between co-parents. Here are a few tips for communication with your ...