Embrace Your Health Freedom!

I love America and all the freedoms this great country provides. With today being Flag Day (and my wedding anniversary), I am inspired to talk about just how embracing and appreciating our freedoms can help our health.

Better Health Through Choice

As a nation we have been criticized for our lack of universal health care and our ineffective use of health care dollars. But, reform is in place and changes are coming! We need to focus on what is working with our health care system and how each of us can make things better. One way to personally reform the system is to exercise your right to choose quality care.

It’s all too often that we choose our health care providers from a list of those that our insurance provider accepts. This is naturally the most economical option, but it is a pretty risky undertaking.  I have had docs and dentists that I stuck with for far too long simply because I figured the insurance company recommended them so they must be good. I also felt powerless to “fire” them. I was wrong on both accounts. It is my health and I am always free to control my care!

It is not only appropriate, but also essential to shop around for better care. I’ve called doctors offices and asked what they charge for visits if I didn’t have insurance – and I was surprised to learn that while insurance companies are not flexible with rates, doctor’s offices often are. I got braver about demanding better care by interviewing docs before committing to making them a valued member of my health care team.

Better Care Through Involvement

Although some luck does go into finding great health care providers, by taking an active role in your care you are more likely to get the quality you deserve – so exercise that right . After my first doctor experience gone wrong in which my endocrinologist told me that I was fine and didn’t need additional thyroid care, in spite of the fact that I was a crying mess on his examining table, I finally decided that I needed to be a more active patient. I researched thyroid disease and learned that I was likely one of the many thyroid patients who need T3 in addition to traditional T4 to alleviate my symptoms (fatigue, depression, cold intolerance, dry skin).  I found a doctor who was willing to work with me, and I am much healthier and happier because of it!

That lesson also taught me to keep meticulous records of all my labs, paperwork and office visits. I have a binder that I tote with me to all medical appointments so my doctor and I are always on the same page. I make note of any lab abnormalities and ask my doctors to explain them. They are always more than happy to help, and often are relieved that I am keeping track of my care since they can’t possibly know everything about me in our brief 10-15 min appointments. Doctors aren’t miracle workers. We have to help them do their jobs. You wouldn’t expect your mechanic to work on your car without giving them a history of previous service, so why would your treat your body any differently?

Health care is intimidating. We all tend to think of doctors as gods and insurance companies as the ultimate gatekeepers. While both parties do hold a whole lot of power over health care, you are powerful too. It is your body, your money, and ultimately your right and responsibility to insure that you get the care you need!


Looking for quality health care resources? The Internet truly fuels our power to be educated consumers, provided we look to reliable health sources. Find my favs here.


June 14, 2010  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Health Care  No Comments

No Wants = No Worries

I have found an incredible peace come over me lately. The reason – I don’t want or need anything.

That may seem like an odd thing to report. It may even come as a shock if you knew me just a few years ago. Back then, nearly every night after work I’d run to the store for this or that. It seemed like no matter what I did I always needed more. I don’t even mean expensive or fancy items – that’s not my style. I’m talking about little things like a new light switch cover, a pair of silver shoes, or even something as essential as more toilet paper. Even if I did in fact NEED it, the constant list of “things” always weighed on me.

Not anymore! Chalk it up to this lingering poor economy which has made me more thrifty than ever, or the fact that I now work from home so heading out to the store is less convenient. Whatever the reason, I no longer want what I don’t have, and I LIKE IT! I hope others can attain that same feeling of peace.

Here are some tips I’ve found helpful for taking the worry and the want out of life:

  • Determine your regular monthly needs – everything from paper towels to your family’s favorite foods. Then stock up. Buy in bulk if you can afford it, because being well-stocked means less trips to the store and less time thinking about a shopping list.
  • Invest time in simple pleasures. Watching TV, reading a good book, following a yoga routine – these are all activities that are definitely not needs, but they are easily obtained wants. No matter what happens with the economy, no one can ever take away your ability to read or exercise and that is very empowering.
  • Practice yoga, meditation, or deep breathing on a daily basis.  They are powerful tools for freeing your  mind of unnecessary wants, while  helping to quiet a worried mind. Yoga teaches us to feel so good about ourselves that nothing else really matters.
  • Cozy up with a pet. When I am worried or stressed or thinking that I want more out of life, all I need is one of my cats to snap me out of it. Animals are so simple. They don’t need much more than dry food, water and attention. That’s it! I have bought my cats tons of toys and treats, but they always show me that what they want most is to be pet or brushed.

In this troubled, stressful time when everyone is worrying about living the American dream, and continuing to have everything they ever wanted – I challenge you to let go of all that pressure. Give yourself a break and just enjoy the simple things that you already have.

April 1, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: General Health  2 Comments

Keep Your Nose Clean!

When I was a kid my Mom often used the expression, “keep your nose clean.” That of course meant to stay out of trouble. However, for the past five years that phrase has taken on a whole new meaning for me.

At the end of 2004 I had much-needed sinus surgery which made it possible for me to finally breath through my nose. Due to a terrible fall, teamed with years of sports injuries, I had been breathing through my mouth from the time I was 8 years old! That may not seem like such a big deal, but take it from me, breathing through your nose is highly underrated.

The nose serves a greater purpose than keeping glasses on your face :) It actually acts as one of the body’s first lines of defense by trapping irritants, viruses, and bacteria and potentially keeping them from making their way to your lungs. It also warms the air your breath, and the simple act of breathing deeply through the nose has a very calming and centering effect on the entire body.

So, that gets me back to my main point – keeping your nose clean is an important component of overall health. It could even be the factor that keeps you from getting the flu virus or a nasty cold. If you are able to wash viruses away, they can’t ever take hold. In addition, it washes away dust and allergens.

The key is to simply treat cleaning your nasal passages as a crucial piece of daily hygiene. I know it seems a whole lot ickier than the act of washing your face or brushing your teeth, but it is no less important. And, once you get the hang of it, you will grow to like the clear headed feeling you get when your nose is nice and clean. The process for doing this is often referred to as “nasal irrigation”. Here are my tips for easing your way in.

NASAL IRRIGATION TIPS

  • Try cleaning your nasal cavities in the shower. While you can also do this with your head tilted over the bathroom sink, I find that doing it in the shower is much easier.
  • Neti pots are often recommended for this purpose. The premise is to use gravity to let a saline solution drain from one side of the nose out the other.
  • I prefer to use a squeeze bottle to actually force the warm saline solution gently through my sinus passages. I carefully prep the squeeze bottle by cleaning it, filling it with the recommended amount of warm water and a packet of salt. For an added cooling effect, I add a drop of eucalyptus oil to the mixture. Once in the shower, I tilt my head forward, insert the bottle into my left nostril, give a gentle squeeze, exhale through my nose and swallow slightly (to relieve any built up pressure). Then I repeat in the right nostril, always going slowly.
  • Remember that the sinus tissue is very delicate, so don’t rush the process. Nasal irrigation can cause pressure to build up in your ear canals. After you have finished the process, blow your nose gently
    • Nasal Cleaning

    Nasal Cleaning

    If this all sounds to complicated, you can use a prepackaged saline mist. My favorite is Simply Saline Nasal Mist in “Cold Formula” with Menthol. It has an easy to use applicator that sprays a fine mist into the nasal passage. After a quick spritz, I just blow my nose to keep the area clean.

February 10, 2010  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: General Health, Tips  No Comments