What to do to have healthy and happy feet, to enjoy walk, run, ballet class? I explore that in Feet Series. This episode deals with Plantar Fasciitis. I talk about it with foot expert, podiatrist Dr. DeHaven.

Probability of foot issues increases with age and is related to a multitude of factors, like loss of cartilage, previous injuries, weak muscles and tendons among others. And while foot pain is a common complaint to musculoskeletal doctors and their clinics staff, that being rheumatologists, orthopedists who specialize in foot and ankle disorders, and of course podiatrist, it is not the subject that has been thoroughly studied and understood.

Healthy bowel movement is a topic of this post. Whether you find it elegant or too embarrassing to talk about I bet my money that you sit on toilet at least a few times a week. We all do. So do not be shy, but learn more how to be gut happy.

One conversation I had recently with a patient was an inspiration to write this post. I was asking them what they are drinking to stay hydrated throughout the day, and they told me that after they are done with one morning coffee, then another cup of coffee, that's pretty much it, then they have to push themselves to stay hydrated at all because they do not like the taste of plain water.

If you have been following what’s going on in the wellness or preventive health measures movement, you most likely noticed the popularity and momentum gained by any type of mindfulness practices. Many of the practices moved totally in the virtual and app space. I have been exploring them for some time now.

When I think about nutrition for the brain it would be so simplistic to write: eat dark chocolate, blueberries, concentrate on reducing saturated fats, eat frequent nutritious meals, but allow 8 hour fast (if your health allows that)and make sure not to skip meals for longer than needed. 

However I think it is very crucial here that we think about how we live, where we live and what season of the year we are observing to choose the healthiest brain recipes. 

Elizabeth Goldberg, MD agreed to talk to me about very interesting aspect of aging and brain/sensory related changes in nervous system that may cause falls. As a rheumatologist I vividly see how drastic life of my patients changes after falls. Aging skeleton is one of factors that predisposes to falls, but it really is multitude cognitive and other components that we have power to change, or at least understand and adjust, to prevent the unfortunate events of falls.

In part one and two I introduced and expanded on the concept of brain health, the importance of stress reduction and weapons we all can use to prevent brain decay - exercise and its biology. Today I will keep explaining additional brain benefits of exercise. I will also tackle a few ideas how stress hormones can contribute to brain damage and what to do to prevent that.

One of the most potent weapons we have against aging of our brains and improving its function comes from exercise and the most compelling evidence about it comes from animal research, and few human-based studies.

I think of a brain as I think of a grain (even the shape of it is provokingly similar to the shape of the brain). In order for that grain to grow you have to cultivate it, prevent from too much sun, under or overwatering or insect infestation. You may need to add special nutrition to the mix for the grain to grow into your desired plant. And then finally you put some effort into growing the grain and you see how it branches out and shows as talented leaves, petals, nectars that attract pollinators like honey-bees. In the next few months I want to concentrate on ideas on how to age gracefully or rather - how to grow older gracefully and I start with command center, the brain.

Remote yoga brings peace to busy mind in times when we need it most. Follow link to interview with yoga instructor and naturopath.

I am a rheumatologist and often see new referrals for blue fingers. While the majority of the cases of RP are benign and very common in society running from 10-20%, there are very rare instances that this condition may require additional work up. What is described as RP is the ischemic phenomenon where the small vessels in the end organs, such as fingers, nose, ears, toes sometimes tongue’s vessels get constricted which may be accompanied by unpleasant sensation of pain, numbness, tingling and discoloration from white, blue, blotchy and finally with the warming phase that extremities, hands, toes become red, then pinkish or natural color again.

Why do we come back to yoga practice? Find out more in this morning pre-yoga self-awareness observation on what yoga means to me.

If you want to find the best what there is in wellness and be kind to yourself do not hesitate and learn to meditate. It may be good to start with a video or an app, but after a while you will realize that there is so many ways to meditate, whether it’s a walk away from busy traffic, closing your eyes at your desk for few minutes, creating an art and getting lost in that project or reading a poem and contemplating its meaning and textures. Go for a walk and listen to the religious service or music. With time it will become such a natural state of being for which you will reach again and again because it feels so good.

I did subscribe to Headspace meditation app this summer as American Medical Association offered it for its members for free. There is so much emphasis on wellness these days, almost like we realized just yesterday that physicians are humans too, prone to stress, breakout, despair and doubt. I admit that the app helped me to dedicate 10 minutes of my time few times a week to a session designed for beginners. I was advised to sit down, look for solitude, close my eyes, take refreshing breaths and the rest of meditation followed. Each session felt very good. At first I was a little frustrated that I keep unfocusing and being distracted, but with practice that becomes a secondary issue and something not to stress about so not to contradict what you try to accomplish with meditation. One session described this sensation as seeing the picture of big blue sky and clouds passing, but not being taken away or overwhelmed by the clouds which will be there, like life events, no matter what and same can be said about thoughts in our heads, let them pass, but do not allow them to control you. Easier said than done, but the moderator of the sessions explains the concept of practice very well and the sessions are simple enough to follow.

This spring and summer something fantastic happened. Despite the dark days of pandemic and national terror induced by the tiny living organism with a pretty name Covid19 folks wanted to get out of isolations, physical distance locations, garages and basements, tiny houses in backyards and newly built tree houses. Enough is enough and live has to go on, but when you get out for some fresh air what do you do? This is the thing, we took to biking. We bike in dozens, trails are squeaking from amount of wheels hitting them, they are so overloaded. I have never seen that many bikers on famous Cape Cod Rail Trail. The bike shops have seen revival and sustainability of their business as they offered something that gyms could not do: promise of physical activity in fresh air, relative safety and safe distance from others at the same time.

If like me you type on computer all day, or have awkward positions of fingers and hands in relation to your laptop, or even smart phone, you will understand while I reached out to my colleague Michael Nula, founder of Elite physical therapy office in lovely Rhode Island, to converse about the stress to our hands. We talk specifically about condition that is referred to as De Quervaine’s tenosynovitis or radial styloid tenosynovitis, the disorder that is degenerative and possibly inflammatory in nature, and that all of us may suffer from due to overuse of thumb and forearm tendons.

Universal masking made my skin more problematic this spring and summer, but since I started loading on cucumber juices and salads I noticed a visible effect of more clear and plump skin.

Cucumbers are water-rich and have a large amount of vitamins and minerals in their skin, which I do not remove when I eat them.

The cucumber seeds have a diuretic effect, the green skin color has its intensity from chlorophyll and you will also find cholesterol decreasing sterols right in the outside layer which as I grow in my garden I consume with relative safety.

There is a renewed interest in vitamin C (ascorbic acid), but in reality the “C” never goes out of style. You hear more about it in cold and flu season, or in relation to treatment of wounds, cold sores and other herpetic infections, protocols to treat urinary tract infections (UTI) among others. It is hard not to mention vitamin C containing skin products, tonics, creams, serums. They promise refreshed and healthier skin by boosting collagen production and cell renewal. In the time of pandemic there is constant talk and ongoing debates (at times supported by science)about possible treatments, supplements and other methods to improve immunity and survival success of those afflicted with Covid19 virus, or those trying to fend it off. The science and clinicians looked again at the vitamin C and ascorbic acid infusions were utilized to treat Covid19, mostly based on prior data of administration in severe infections.