Celebrate end of the year with positive attitude and reflect on service to others. This 5 minute reflective audio may help you visualize and develop attitude of gratefulness for good things that happen in your life through caring and caring profession. This audio can be played anytime you need positive lift and re-direction.

Look and Feel Your Best No Matter What Life Throws at You. During the past year with COVID-19, physical and mental health for many people has taken a hit. But no matter the obstacles in your life, you can look and feel your best by taking care of yourself. Even though you may not always have much energy, taking care of yourself now will make you healthier and happier in the long term.

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.

I sat down for few minutes (six to be exact) with my colleague and podiatrist Dr. Jordan DeHaven to talk about foot arthritis, especially in big toe. We also chatted about foot-gear choices we make. Dr. DeHaven is also an educator and that is why when he talks I listen.

Podcast on balance with Libby Lykins, author, clinician and creator.

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.

This weekend I tuned into Rhode Island’s BrainWeek Conference that just came to the end, but is available on the website. There is even virtual theater performance with topic, brain of course. The YouTube videos of events will be available as well.

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.

Winter season is particularly likely to get me to knit - in summer wool feels heavy and I spend as much time away from couch as possible. When fall comes and temperatures drop I love the feel of warm wool on my fingers. I like how I can design, draw and then execute a project. Fingers are moving in rhythmical and synchronized fashion - almost like repeated prayer or steady beat. With that I feel that I can take a brake from all what surrounds me, the noise and pressure. You can watch a movie or participate in conversation while knitting, but for me it is more of a solitary sport where I can spend time with the project I am making, and when small pieces come to life to create something bigger, easily utilitarian and with lasting quality to it [Bernie Sanderns mittens anyone?].

I recorded the audio with my recent adventure in trying to find a great yoga bolster. Bolster can be used during meditation practice as well. I contemplate on winter meditation and how to find motivation to keep practicing.

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.

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.

Find out more on baking, meditation and delicious plum cake.

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.

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.

It seems more vital than ever to stay active. Pandemic changed work habits of many from unhealthy long commutes to unhealthy sit at your desk habit. We replaced one terrible sedentary activity (longer commute has been associated with weight gain with actual minutes spent behind wheel making a difference) with even less appealing routine of sitting still for 8 hours a day in front of laptops and computers. Unfortunately the same applies to school children who continue remote learning with hours behind the screens.

I start each day with one mug of coffee. It’s aroma wakes me up each morning. This is a switch on for me, and good beginning of any day that comes my way.

Then later on it is all about tea. I have the ritual of sipping various caffeine-graded teas during my day. I may have very low level caffeine white tea later in the morning, then herbal tea, at least 1-2 cups before lunch. I welcome afternoon with green tea that I drink till about 3 PM, after which I stick to garden variety of fruit teas. I avoid decaf versions of green or regular tea in the afternoon, as I am not positive that even small amount of caffeine will not affect me, and the process of decaffeination involves chemicals.