Healthy Looks Great on You

How gratitude changes your brain

 It's that time of year. 30 days of thankfulness and a whole month focused on gratitude. Does it ever feel like life isn't so great as everyone else's? Well, stay tuned, friends. I'm going to show you the way to a grateful heart and how it changes your brain.
I don't know about you, but I always check my Facebook memories.  It's a repository of the seasons of my life, both good and bad.  And I remember one November, I accepted the challenge to post 30 days of thankfulness.  And about this time of the month, I posted, "Today, I am thankful that I resisted the urge to run over someone in the grocery store with my cart."
Nothing like a little honesty. Let's be real. Sometimes, the holidays can make you feel down and anxious. There's cooking and shopping and parties to go to.  Or, maybe not, and that's equally depressing.  This has everything to do with your health. Not only is social connectedness super important but gratitude can literally change your brain.
So, instead of fantasizing about ramming that person who irritated you in the grocery store, how about a changed heart?  Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.  So, that's a pretty good diagnostic tool about where you are right now. And listen, if you're struggling, you're in the right place.
I've been there and I can help you see the bright side. But first, let's go to mini medical school and learn some brain anatomy and physiology. And by the way, if you want to meet some cutthroat people, hmm, med school is the place. But, we won't dwell on that.
I've had the privilege of working with so many wonderful doctors and nurses during my career, and I'm grateful for it.  Let's start in the middle of the brain. Now move down below the thalamus, but above the brain stem, and you'll find an area of the brain called the ventral tegmental area.  Now why are we here in this deep place in the brain?
Well, you see, This area of our brain is our built in reward center. It's involved in not only reward and pleasure, but also motivation, emotional regulation, learning and cognition, which is a fancy word for thinking. Hopefully, if you've been listening to this podcast for very long, some of this is going to sound familiar.
 The ventral tegmental area contains dopaminergic neurons.  That just means nerve cells that make and release  dopamine. Yes, good old dopamine. That fuels our sensation of pleasure, motivates us to seek more and feel that good reward. 
If you've missed some of the recent episodes of Mood, you might want to go back and listen to them. And, by the way, don't miss another episode. Sign up for the email list, and I'll send them straight to your inbox, so all you have to do is push play.  You know where the ventral tegmental area is, what it does.
Now, what does that have to do with gratitude? Think of it as buried treasure. Deep in the brain, this connection of pathways is a treasure trove of pleasure. Dopamine gets released when you practice gratitude, and it just feels good to be grateful.
 A friend of mine always told her children, put that in your treasure chest of memories. I think that's good advice. In other words, make deposits so you'll have something special to pull out. This reward circuitry is like buried treasure with connections to other structures in the brain called the mesolimbic pathway. 
This network includes the nucleus accumbens, the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the hippocampus.  Okay, before we get lost, Suffice it to say, gratitude activates the ventral tegmental area to release dopamine to the nucleus accumbens. And listen, you're gonna like it. In fact, your brain will like it so much, it'll make you want to do it over and over again.
And just think, being grateful is what activates it.  Gratitude can lead to better mental health, including less depression and anxiety. Overall, emotional well being tends to be higher in people who practice gratitude. Let's face it, when we focus on being thankful, it changes our perspective and helps us be happier, or at least have more positive emotions than negative ones.
Gratitude can also improve sleep quality, which of course affects mood. I mean, who isn't grouchy when they don't get enough shut eye? Sleep is so important, but it can be complicated. And if you struggle to get a good night's sleep, I have some resources for you. Check it out in the show notes.  When you have an attitude of gratitude, it also affects your relationships.
People who are focused on what's right, instead of what's wrong, tend to have stronger bonds with friends and spouses and any romantic relationship.  There's more of a sense of trust, connection, and commitment. And social connectedness is one of the pillars of lifestyle medicine because it's crucial for good health, both physical and emotional.
In fact, the effects on physical health are so significant.
People who are full of gratitude tend to have a stronger immune system, as well as lower blood pressure.  Gratitude makes us more resilient, so we can control our emotions when we are faced with stress and trauma.  Now, I'm going to give you some practical ways to start practicing gratitude. But first, a little neurochemistry. 
Gratitude has the power to reduce cortisol levels. Now, who remembers what cortisol is nicknamed?  If you said the stress hormone, you get an A.  Gratitude helps us relax and be more calm and peaceful. In the episode on how food affects mood, I nicknamed all the neurotransmitters to help you remember. And if you forgot or missed that episode, there's a link in the show notes, but all of them are involved in regulating mood and all of them are affected by gratitude. 
Gratitude causes your brain to release dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reward. This makes us feel happy and satisfied. And guess what happens then? Well, you feel grateful. And that sets it all in motion again.  In health, we often talk about a vicious cycle.  This is a victorious cycle. 
Serotonin levels also increase with gratitude. And remember, serotonin is the happy hormone. It helps alleviate anxiety and improves mood and makes us feel calm. Yes, I'll take some of that, please.  Oxytocin is also released when we feel grateful, especially in social situations. And remember, oxytocin   is the love hormone.
So when we're grateful, levels go up, that strengthens trust, and trust is the foundation of any relationship. So more oxytocin means more connectedness, And that's great for your health.   Another benefit is the release of endorphins. And those are those natural painkillers that lower stress and make you just feel good all over.
And just think, you don't even have to run a marathon to get a runner's high. Now that's something to be grateful for. Okay, now that I've convinced you that gratitude is a mood booster, let's talk about some practical things you can do. But first  You have to shift your focus. If you focus on things that are good, that you can be grateful for, then you can practice gratitude. 
And it may take some practice like anything else.  
Once you've shifted your perspective, and you're looking for things to be grateful for, you'll find them. And here's how you can practice gratitude.
1. Count your blessings out loud to yourself.  There is something powerful about saying it. When I was so sick, I could hardly walk and my life was crumbling around me. This practice was a lifesaver.  Listen, I was at the edge of despair, but every morning before dawn, I'd drag myself to the front porch and sit there and count my blessings out loud, starting with Thank you Lord that I was born healthy, because many are not.
Now this is scientifically proven to improve your life, and one of the studies was even on people with neuromuscular diseases.  The autoimmune disease that I have that caused my illness was a neuromuscular disease and I thought that was pretty cool. 
2. Talk about it with others. Tell other people what you're grateful for and thank them for being in your life.And trust me, they'll want to be around you more if you're focused on the good in life.  Now listen, this is not Pollyanna pretend everything is okay when it isn't. That's called toxic positivity. You need friends in your life who can help you shoulder your burdens. That's real connection. But, if you constantly vomit your story of woes on people, they're not going to want to be around you. And you need to shift your focus. Express your gratitude for friends who help you through the hard times. 
3. Write it down for yourself. Keep a gratitude journal. Write down at least three things every day that you're thankful for, and preferably do this first thing in the morning to start your day with your brain circuitry working for you rather than against you. Studies show that this helps lower depression and alleviate stress and it's associated with positive emotions, life satisfaction, and optimism. And we all need a dose of hope, don't we?  Keeping a bedtime gratitude journal is a great way to improve sleep. This is a fantastic way to start and end the day. 
4. Write it down for others.  Literally send thank you notes or even just a text message to people in your life who you care about. Writing gratitude letters has been proven to improve your health.  And not only that, it will improve the lives of those people who are in your world.  So what are you thankful for?  Here's the deal. One of the areas of the brain in this loop is the prefrontal  cortex. 
This is the area of the brain right behind your forehead where we make decisions, solve problems, and control our emotions.  Think about it.  See what I did there? If you're going to think about it, you're going to think about it in your prefrontal cortex.  
And gratitude enhances the brain's ability to see the world with a positive outlook and improve mood and emotional regulation. All of that happens right there. And gratitude helps your thinking brain dig into that treasure chest in the middle of the brain to activate all those pathways to release feel good chemicals.
The ventral tegmental area will start cranking out dopamine and activate the nucleus accumbens and that floods you with the warm fuzzies.  And then it motivates you to live that way. It becomes a habit. But here's the deal.  You have to choose it.  And, why wouldn't you choose it?     I hope by understanding the neurochemistry of gratitude, You're ready to put it into practice and improve your mental and physical well being, as well as your relationships. Remember, it's all a matter of focus.  Incorporate gratitude into your daily routine with prayer, journaling, and expressing thanks to others.
In fact, I have my own thankfulness challenge for you.  Now, I don't know if you send out Christmas cards, But, how about sending out an actual thank you card to someone just because?  This year, I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and I'll have a card for everyone around the table. And, if my family is tuning in, maybe they'll have some too. 
Wouldn't it be nice to give and receive thank you cards for Thanksgiving and all year round? 
And if you're up for more of a challenge, here's an idea from one of my listeners. A gratitude jar. Start on New Year's Day with some type of jar, and every time you're thankful for someone,  put a little note in the jar. And then at the end of the year, send it to them. I got one of these notes one time, and it was so meaningful. It blessed both of us.  
If you're on my email list, I'll send out a lovely card that you can download and give to those you care about. And if you aren't, it's not too late. I'll send it out every week until Thanksgiving.  You can sign up at www.healthylooksgreatonyou. com  
Download it and pass it on. Give it a try and see if it improves your mood and your health. Because healthy looks great on you.    
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How food affects mood refresher

How caffeine, sugar, and alcohol affect mood

  Mood swings. Things they can trap you in an endless rotation of anxiety, the blues and a big old energy crash. But how do you break out of the cycle and stabilize your mood? Stay tuned.
   I'm Dr. Vickie Petz Kasper. I practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 20 years until I landed on the other side of the sheets as a very sick patient. When my own body betrayed me, I took a handful of pills to manage my disease and another handful to counteract the side effects. My health was out of control.
Through surgery, medications, and lots of prayers, I regained my strength only to face another diagnosis.  My doctor challenged me to make radical changes through lifestyle medicine. Now I feel great and I want to help you make changes that make a difference. Healthy Looks Great On You podcast takes you to mini medical school so you can learn the power of lifestyle medicine.
If you're ready to take control of your health, you're in the right place. Whether you're focused on prevention or you're trying to manage a condition, I'll give you practical steps to start your own journey toward better health. Because healthy looks great on you. 
 This is episode 1 44. How caffeine, alcohol and sugar affect mood.   
The problem with mood swings is that they trick you into turning to things that feed them instead of helping you get out of the cycle.  Ah, I guess you could say that moodiness is hungry and greedy.  When we feel down or anxious, we "need" something to feel good or heck even feel close to normal. Think about it. 
Do you ever grab an extra dose of caffeine to feel more energized. A glass of wine to feel more relaxed. Or do you just treat yourself to a little dessert or a snack to boost your spirits.  Today in mini medical school, let's do some dissection. Except there won't be. Any nasty formaldehyde involved.
Do kids even still do that in school? I remember getting that little kit with a dull scalpel, some forceps that wouldn't grab tissue and scissors fit for kindergartener.
We had all get a white mouse stiff and stinky. I don't know about you, but that sure brings back some memories. And I'm sure of one thing you either loved it or hated it. Ah, I'll give you one guess about me. Yeah, it was fascinating to peel back the layers of skin and muscle and fascia. Okay, enough review of history. 
Let start peeling back the layers of how caffeine, sugar and alcohol affect mood.  I'm going to start with my drug of choice. Caffeine. And this one is really pretty complex because here's the deal. There are a lot of studies that show that coffee and tea have significant health benefits.  So please hear me. 
I am not telling you to avoid them. Today, we're just discussing the role that caffeine plays to influence mood.  And like many relationships. Caffeine's relationship with mood and mental health is complicated.  We all know that caffeine can boost our energy, help us focus and motivate us to tackle that to do list. And if you're like me, you can't even function until you've drained a couple of cups of coffee in the morning. And listen. That's not a problem, unless you're stuck somewhere in a coffee desert. Once I went on a mission trip and the women stayed in a bunk house on one side and the men stayed on the other. And here's the part that's really unfair. The kitchen and therefore the coffee pot, were on the men's side and it was absolutely off limits until the lights came on. Now we were two times zones away, so my early bird self was wide eyed and bushy tailed at 3:00 AM.  I managed to lay there for a couple of hours, but by five am, which was two hours past my normal waking time, I was desperate. And when I say desperate, I mean, desperate. Fortunately, I never travel without a little sleeve of instant coffee.  Yeah, I know. The problem is all I  had was a bottle of room temperature water that I had sipped out of the day before.   
 Yes I did. I emptied those glorious grounds into that plastic bottle and started shaking it.  One of the ladies literally opened one eye and said,  You have a problem, don't you.  Maybe.  But as a general rule, regularly consuming coffee or tea is not a problem. Unless you start using caffeine reactively for energy dips, deadlines, or excessive fatigue. 
  The truth is. Is 90% of all adults in the entire world consume caffeine daily.  Before we move on, let's go to the classroom and study caffeine.
The benefits come from polyphenols, catechins and flavonoids
here's how it works. It amps up the nervous system, both the central and peripheral nervous system, by blocking the adenosine receptors and that in turn causes the release of neurotransmitters that excite the nervous system. 
And individuals who regularly drink coffee and tea, actually perform better
on cognitive performance test. They can have a better reaction time. 
And they can have better processing of what they see. 
Caffeine makes you more alert, gives you mental energy, helps you concentrate.   And yeah, it helps when you're fatigued and your're sleep deprived. 
And it can eliminate headache. And that's why it's actually included in some headache medications, but that can be a vicious cycle and you can get a withdrawal headache. 
When you drink caffeine, it can also make you more nervous, more sweaty. It can interfere with your sleep. It can make you irritable.  And sometimes it can even elicit a panic attack.  Especially in people who already have some anxiety or are susceptible to the effects of caffeine. 
Now safe levels are considered to be 400 milligrams a day. Heavy coffee use is considered to be more than five cups of coffee a day.  It can increase your heart rate. And it can aggravate symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease because of its acidity.  And timing matters too.
The half-life of a cup of coffee is about five to six hours. Meaning that if you drink coffee at three o'clock in the afternoon, it will affect you at 9:00 PM.  
 And also you can develop some tolerance, so that it takes more and more to get the same effect. You know,  too much of a good thing always is a bad thing. Normally I drink two cups of coffee every morning, black, by the way, that's  a total of 280 milligrams. My husband makes it the night before. 
So it's at my fingertips as soon as I slip my feet into my house shoes and walk into the kitchen. But the other day, he forgot to make the coffee.  When I woke up the pot was dry.  Instead of making a pot of coffee, I popped in K cup so I could instantly get my fix, then I did it again because it was five 20 in the morning and he didn't have to go to work until late that day. But when he got up and brewed a pot it's smelled so inviting. I thought.  I'll just have one more cup. 
Now, normally I don't consider myself prone to anxiety, but my life has been invaded. By termites. Yes termites. Apparently they'd been chewing on my house for awhile. I'm talking through the window frame downstairs, the window frame upstairs and all the way to the studs. The front of my house  has been boarded up. 
My dining room table has been in the entryway. And there have been people inside my house, sawing hammering and vacuuming for more than a week.  Oh, on top of that, my neighbor has a big project going on and they decided to repave my street. The smell of fresh asphalt, the fact  that the garbage trucks couldn't get through to pick up my trash and the sound of beeping trucks and people working was enough to drive anyone nuts.  But you want to know what the final straw was for me?  That third cup of coffee. I sweated. 
I snapped. Even at my sweet mother.  Maybe you haven't noticed that dramatic of an effect. But maybe you just haven't made the connection. And there is no doubt that caffeine can trigger anxiety. And make existing anxiety worse.  And it affects sleep 100% of the time. You may fall asleep, but studies show that the quality of your sleep is undeniably affected by caffeine.  And speaking of sleep,
if this is something you are interested in, or if you struggle with it you're going to want to make sure you're on my email list because I have some exciting things coming soon about sleep. There is a link in the show notes to sign up to get the emails, or you can go to my website, www healthy looks great on you dot. Com.
 Lack of sleep has a profound impact on your health. In fact the risk of dementia and stroke are markedly increased if you don't get seven hours a night. 
 And here's another thing, if you're exhausted, what you need is rest, not something that masks your fatigue and pushes you to do the opposite of what your body needs. 
Occasionally it doesn't hurt to get a little extra boost from a cup of coffee or tea. And I'm addicted to caffeine without it, my head hurts, my brain shuts down. And I will hurt you.  Like many substances, there is a dependency cycle. Now I have no desire to cut back on coffee, but. I do recognize that two cups is enough. No more. No less, because if I indulge in more, you might not want to be around me.  I know that my circadian rhythm is in sync with this consumption between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM.  It's important for everyone to have a cutoff time and it should be no later than 2:00 PM, because if you think you can drink a cup of coffee and go straight to bed and sleep.  You're fooling yourself because the quality of your sleep is affected even when you don't realize it.  
And to be clear, although there are health benefits to black coffee and unsweet tea, there are no benefits to sugar sweetened, caffeinated beverages.  
 I'm talking about mountain Dew, Coke, Dr. Pepper, and. I guess if you live somewhere where it's socially acceptable, Pepsi.
And listen. The biggest. The source of added sugar in the U.S. Diet is drinking it.  I'm talking
soft drinks, energy drinks sports drinks, even things like vitamin water. They have a lot of sugar in them and it's a lot of unnecessary calories and that can cause weight gain and type two diabetes, which increases your risk for heart. Disease and stroke. 
And the connection is really very strong. 
There's a, there's an increased risk of dying early, especially. Specially from heart disease. How much more? Well, if you drink. Two or more a day it's actually over 30% higher. And it's worse if you're a woman.   Energy drinks usually contain around 200. Milligrams. So a couple of those is pushing the limits. 
If you're drinking too much caffeine or sugar sweetened beverages. You may have to wean slowly to avoid withdrawal.  Start by switching to half caff
or drinking only half of your soda. 
It's important to make mindful adjustments and try not to use caffeine to medicate fatigue. Be aware of how caffeine affects your mood and sleep. And be sure to hydrate with water.  Food helps too, especially getting some protein in your stomach because coffee on an empty stomach can be very acidic. It can also. Interact with medications affecting absorption. 
So be sure and talk to your pharmacist or doctor about that.  So, what do you do when you get that afternoon slump.  Well,  it up and move. Often people feel fatigued in the afternoon because they're sitting or maybe they're just bored. So try getting your blood pumping to give you a boost of energy. And make sure and get sunlight in the morning to ensure that your circadian rhythm is optimized.  That means having good sleep hygiene.  And remember if your body is screaming for rest, rather than overriding your body's signals with caffeine learn to work with your natural energy rhythms. 
  Before we move on to sugar's impact on mood, let's talk about alcohol.
And adult beverage can make you relax and give you relief from feeling tense. It can even make you feel happy. But then it turns on you making anxiety and depression worse. It even depletes your serotonin levels. And it has a huge impact on your circadian rhythm disrupting sleep, which only makes matters worse. It's a double-edged sword. 
You have to drink to relax then you need to drink to relax. Alcohol is a temporary escape from stress. And it tricks you into thinking it will help you unwind and sleep better. But it doesn't.  Using alcohol as a coping tool for stress, anxiety,
or social situations. Can lead to dependence.  Now in the short term, it boosts gaba, which is a calming neurotransmitter. That's why you feel relaxed and it increases dopamine, which is that reward hormone that makes you feel temporary pleasure.   It reduces activity in the part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex. That's where the worry cycle spins and spins. So it settles that down.  And then it disrupts glutamate which impairs your judgment. And then it has a rebound effect. 
GABA levels, drop anxiety increases.  And cortisol goes up. 
There's an inflammatory response in the body that affects mood. And it has a long-term impact on mental health, depleting serotonin which increases the risk of depression. And the natural stress response system is disrupted. 
Overall, it weakens your resilience to life stressors by changing the brain's reward circuitry. And creating a dependency cycle for emotional regulation.  So, what do you do? Well, it might help to keep a diary. Like see what your mood is in relation to your intake of alcohol. Awareness is key. And note the three R's. What is the reason you're drinking? 
What is the response to drinking and what is the result to drinking. And maybe track your sleep quality too.  Practical steps would be established some drink free times. 
And see if that makes a difference.  And sometimes you have to create a new ritual. Instead of responding to those triggers by fixing a drink.
 Here's the scary thing.
Excessive alcohol use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States now.
And yet it's the most common substance used among people aged 12 and over in the United States, in fact, 85% of all adults drink alcohol. And the effects are worse in women.  You have to learn radical acceptance and radical honesty  and learn to sit with uncomfortable emotions.  And don't forget those natural endorphin boosters, like exercise and laughter and music.  And learn stress management techniques like breathing and meditation and prayer.  Building your emotional regulation skills  will keep you from using alcohol.  to control your mood. Because, you know, it doesn't work. Alcohol actually borrows happiness from tomorrow. So building natural resilience, let's you.  own your joy today.  Okay, now let's talk about sugar.  Who hasn't felt blah, and reached for a sweet treat t to reward yourself.  Honestly, this gets ingrained in kids at an early age. I mean. What did you hand out to the trick-or-treaters at your door? And worse than once a year, we send our kids to church on Sunday and they feed them donuts, goldfish and apple juice. 
And then we wonder why they have a meltdown in the car on the way home. It's a great way to ruin a Sunday, whether you're a kid or a grown-up.  Sugar puts you on an emotional rollercoaster. You get the thrill of a quick release of dopamine. And followed by a drop in blood sugar, which causes a sugar crash: irritability, fatigue and mood swings. And it's not just external. 
There is a lot of research on sugar and inflammation and what it does to the brain, not just for short term mental health, but for long-term cognitive function.  Here's what happens. There's a rapid spike in blood sugar and you get an immediate lift in your mood and energy. Then there's an insulin surge, which causes blood sugar to crash.  That triggers the dopamine reward system in the same way that any addictive substance does. It causes that inflammation and affects brain chemistry. 
It can cause a craving cycle.  And then you can get into an emotional eating pattern that gets reinforced by all of this.  The long-term effect can be an increased risk of depression and anxiety. Not to mention disrupting the gut microbiome because of all the effects of neurotransmitter production. 
And when you eat food, that's not good for you, it takes the place of food that is good for you. So you can get nutrient depletion and that certainly affects mental health. 
So what's a person to do. Number one -understand your triggers. 
Know what triggers you to reach for caffeine or alcohol or sugar to treat your mood.  And really be aware of emotional eating patterns. Or drinking patterns. There are certain times of the day when we're more vulnerable to these things than others. So rather than reaching for a drink or going to the pantry to treat your mood,  develop other habits that are better, like exercise, social connectedness and even just laughter.
In the end, you'll be happier and you'll probably live longer. 
 Recognize the connection that alcohol, and sugar and caffeine have on your mood and look for hidden sugar sources because this one can really sneak up on you. 
Make sure you're getting a diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains, so that you have a healthy gut microbiome. There are some other episodes you may want to listen to, to get a more detailed review of this. 
Make sure that you have tools to regulate your emotions and to manage your stress. You might need to make gradual adjustments to find alternatives and establish new routines and sustainable habits. But in the end, your energy levels will be stable, you will be genuinely relaxed and you'll have emotional balance. 
It's better to regulate your mood.  naturally, so you feel healthy.  And healthy looks great on you. 
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Sabbath Soup with Kathi Lipp

A very special guest on the podcast, Kathi Lipp.
Dr. Vickie: The main reason I wanted you to have to have you on the podcast today is because you are an expert on connection and social connectedness is such a part of lifestyle medicine and so many people struggle with loneliness.
Kathi: I'm going to be totally honest with you. It's something that Roger, my husband, and I have struggled with up here. And we've had to be super intentional about it. So, even though I may be an expert on it, it means I still have to work at it.
Dr. Vickie: Well, most people who are an expert on something have had to work through it themselves, right?  But set the scene about the red house first of all. Can you just let our listeners know what it's like to be there, to live there, and how you came up with the idea for your newest book, which is Sabbath Soup.
Kathi: So several years ago, Roger and I, we love to go to the mountains to kind of get away and to write and to work and do all of that kind of stuff. And we started praying about, could we get a little tiny cabin in the woods that for us to be able to do that? And then, as dreams often do, it got out of control the and we ended up buying the house with the intent of living in San Jose, and going coming to the mountains, Airbnbing this place, and then also doing writer's retreat.
Well, every time we came here, we didn't want to leave. So we eventually sold our house in San Jose and moved up here full time. only And so we have a much bigger house than we could ever use, but we're able to use it in different ways like the retreats and we can have guests here. We've had people who have been in the midst of a crisis come and stay with us. So the house gets used in ways that we never imagined. And the we just feel very lucky that we get to live here
Dr. Vickie: How far away is your nearest  neighbor? 
Kathi: It's about a 20 to 25 minute walk depending on who's doing the walking. We've had to make really deliberate attempts to be able to be connected with people. 
Dr. Vickie: So many people do struggle with connection and loneliness, and they're like, well it's hard for me because, and it was hard for you because, but you found a way to overcome that, and a lot of it revolved around meals.
Kathi: We had the Caldor fire come through our county and we we only lost two acres and it didn't touch our home But one of the reasons that our home was saved was because of the volunteer firefighters who live on both sides of us. All those firefighters are living together, sleeping together, eating together Well, this was at the height of the covid pandemic, and Paul got covid and was in the intensive care unit. It was really really bad. When he got out I'm like, "Could I bring you some soup?" and come to find out, If I didn't bring him soup, he was going home to Lunchables. That's what he eats. So I said, Oh, we can do better than that. So we've just started to bring him meals every week.  I'm used to cooking for six, Vickie, we were a blended family of six and you don't lose those muscles really quickly when you're cooking for a crowd. And so, we bring him meals. And just yesterday way we brought Nancy and Patrick meals because they're going through  a health crisis. And we just show up with food and it takes one burden off of them and is a very, low and easy connection point for people. 
Dr. Vickie: And I think people associate soup with health. I asked my listeners on Facebook this week, what's your comfort food? And so many people said soup. You've got chicken soup, but there's so many other soups and, I got to feast on them when I was there and it just makes you feel warm inside and it's a big pot that you share with people.
There's so much about soup that just screams connection.
Kathi: It really does. And, you know, I found that the easiest way to reach out to somebody, a neighbor, a friend, a coworker is to just say this simple line, I made too much soup. Can I bring some over? And it's such a low risk way of reaching out. And it's also a low risk way of receiving Because I think we're very hesitant to receive from strangers, or, even people we don't know really well, because it's like, what are they going to want from me? Are they gonna, you know, are they going to try to recruit me for their multilevel marketing system or their religion? And to just say, no, I just care about you.
And soup's a really easy way of doing that.  
Dr. Vickie: Well us a little bit more about Sabbath soup.
Kathi: So, you know, Roger and I have really been on a journey. I think when you kind of pull away from some of the hustle, I mean, we, we're from Silicon Valley, so hustle was built into what we were doing. And when you kind of pull away from that, you start to see, maybe I haven't had some of the healthiest habit. As you know, I've been on  a  weight journey and a food journey, and those have been going really well. But a couple of things that I was not doing great at, rest and stress management. You can go live in the middle of the forest, like Roger and I do. is And if you're not intentional about those things, they can continue to be not great for you. So we really got intentional on about Sabbath, about saying, "Hey there's this day set aside for rest." And, you can't just say, "Oh, we're resting on Sunday. Everything  stops." People still want to eat. It's very annoying. And so to spend a little bit of each day preparing since so that Sunday can be taken off.
And the reason it's soup is because if you make a soup on Friday or Saturday, one, it's the easiest thing in the world to reheat and two, soup tastes better. Then after a couple of days, it just does. So that's why we got into the habit of having soup on Sundays.
Dr. Vickie: So  that's your routine every Sunday.
Kathi: And here's the beautiful thing for those of us who are overwhelmed. Vickie, If you say I'm having soup on Sunday, your decisions go from infinity to about 25. Most of us know of about 25 soups that we like and we could make. Soup is pretty simple to make and if you are overwhelmed by decision making just saying, okay, Sunday soup and then I add a salad, even if it's a bag salad. I don't care if your soup needs to come from Costco or the grocery store. Do what you need to do. There are a lot of busy people who are like, I can't even think about cooking. If you just make the decision soup, the next time you go to the store, you pick up a couple of containers, you're buying yourself some pre decision. Taking away some anxiety about what am I going to feed these people or myself? 
Dr. Vickie: That's so good because you've mentioned so many pillars of lifestyle medicine, rest and stress management. And I mentioned that this is all part of social connectedness, but also nutrition. And I have to tell you what I did the other day, I did not want to go to the grocery store. I had been traveling a lot and came home and I didn't have a lot of groceries and I literally went into the pantry and found what I could find in the pantry and in the freezer. And I threw it all in a big pot with some vegetable broth. And I made a bean and corn and fire roasted tomatoes. And I put my secret ingredient that my husband really loves and that's just a little bit of cloves. Cloves and beans. That's my secret. And he loved it and I took some leftovers to my mom.  so, you're right, it goes, I mean who makes soup for two?
Kathi: You really don't.  There are so many things I want to respond to there. One, wouldn't we agree that for so many people in North America, one of the biggest stressors is finances  and soup is such a beautiful way of using up those odds and ends. Beans are so inexpensive and I'm going to try your cloves because I can taste that in my mouth right now. The beans and the cloves. That's amazing. I love it. Because also I like some cinnamon with beans. I love soup because it's very easy to make a big batch of, it's so easy to share like you did with your mom, it's so easy to freeze. love these things called super cubes, S O U P E R cubes. They are just silicone molds to freeze portions of soup. And we call that homesteader fast food where you can just pop out one of those cubes, that heat up in the microwave and you've got lunch. And, I think about it like this, every once in a while we like to go to fast food. We're Americans. We like to do that. But for the 2 of us to go to fast food is 30 dollars, which is nice for a treat. But leftover soup is pretty much free. And so economically, nutritionally, and community wise. It works on all levels. 
Dr. Vickie: It really does. Beans in particular are so high in fiber, so high in protein, and they're inexpensive. You can do them out of a can, and they're almost just as healthy as they are any other way. You've gotta watch the sodium content. But also, you can do them in the Instant Pot, and you don't have to soak them overnight and do all that
Kathi: They are very blue zone. They are very, very blue zone. 
Dr. Vickie: Yes, they are. Well, what's your favorite soup recipe in the new book Sabbath Soup? Do you have one? Because I do.
Kathi: Okay, when I  want to be a little decadent, the tomato and gin soup, That's  my favorite. Everybody loves it. What's yours? 
Dr. Vickie: Same. It was so good, I love it. And like I said, that would be for a sort of a treat occasion, but I love tomato soup anyway. And that tomato soup recipe was delicious. 
Kathi: Okay, Vickie, the next time you need a treat and you want to double up on your treat, there's no more classic combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, right? Which has nothing redeeming about it. Let's just be super honest, except joy. And in the book, I have a recipe for Cuban sandwiches. That's like a grilled cheese sandwich on steroids. It's so, so, so good. So if you, if you want something kind of decadent, it's a real crowd pleaser. 
Dr. Vickie: That's awesome. And I love a pickle with my grilled cheese sandwich.
Kathi: That's that's what the Cuban sandwich is all about is the pickle.  
Dr. Vickie: Well, I want our listeners to know all about your book and where they can find you and the book because it is a gorgeous book and it is full of so many good recipes. 
Kathi: They really did a beautiful job on it. So if you go to SabbathSoup. com, we have a lot of little gifties there for you, some menu plans, some other bonuses you can do, but you can buy Sabbath Soup at Amazon and any place you love to buy books. You can buy it there. It's available everywhere. 
Dr. Vickie I will put the link to your website and all of the links to that. so much. In the show notes, because I know people are going to want to check that out. But I, I love the, just the connection that's involved with, with food and with soup in particular,
Kathi: You know, I always think about it this way, Vickie, I've never been fed without feeling love. I did an interview yesterday and they talked to us about how God created us with the need for food. God didn't need to do that, but God is invested in our connection and our joy and that's what food does. 
Dr. Vickie: That's so true. And, and I think eating a meal without someone to share it with,  magnifies loneliness. I went through a season of singleness and I said, I ate a dinner for one at a table for 10. It just magnifies the fact that you're alone. And my father passed away about three years ago. And so my mom's had to eat her meals alone and it's difficult for her to go to the table and do that. So that's why I take her my leftovers, but how beautiful that just to show up at your neighbor's door and say, Hey, I made too much soup. And would you like to have some? I love that.
Kathi: Yeah. And I love what you said there. Show up. Don't ask, what can I do? Just say, Hey, I made you some soup. What time can I bring it over? That works for you? It's such a different because nobody wants to put anybody else out. But when you say it's already done, it brings, it brings a different level of connectedness.
Dr. Vickie: You're absolutely right.  And even better, stay with them. I remember when I was sick and people would bring me meals and a lot of times it wasn't anything I could eat. The prednisone made me diabetic and I had to be very, very careful what I ate and I'm sort of a health nut anyway, so I was careful about what I ate, but what I really wanted was for them to stay and visit. It's not something that you drop off on the doorstep and ring the doorbell and run away. If you can stay and visit that, that's the, that's the decadent cream on top.
Kathi: Yeah, and I think asking. Roger went to visit our neighbors yesterday and there was a nurse there and it just wasn't a great time. So, Roger said, I'm going to call you later to find out when a good time would be. You're there to serve somebody's needs. And that is the deep connection - seeing that need. And it's such a gift to the receiver to let them know, even if now doesn't work, later on will, and we're going to be back. We're in this for the long haul.
If you can just make a decision for one day a week in advance what you're going to eat and one, make it a little special and two make it easy on yourself. It's going to create a rhythm in your life that is going to be life giving. 
Dr. Vickie: My husband thrives on a rhythm like that. And so we do the same thing every Friday night and the same thing every Sunday night. It's just relaxing to me because we don't have to talk about it. We don't have to decide anything. We don't have to plan anything. We know what we're doing. 
There are tons of recipes in this book. It's a beautiful book just to even have sitting in your kitchen. So thank you so much for being here. 
Kathi: Vickie, it's such an honor to see everything you've started with this podcast and now to be a guest, it just feels like such a full circle moment and I'm so proud of you and I love what you're doing to serve your community. It's, it's just awe inspiring.
Dr. Vickie: Well, thank you so much. It was great having you.    
RESOURCES (may contain affiliate links):
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Sabbath Soup Website
Souper Cubes
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Move for better mood

 Can exercise really make us happier, more resilient and more energetic?
Episode 142 Move for Better Mood
Have you ever said to yourself, I'm so tired? And then you just want to sit on the couch and scroll through social media or watch your favorite series?  This is not rest. And it won't fix your lack of energy. In fact, it will make it worse. Sitting zaps your energy and it's a vicious cycle. You sit and do nothing rewind and repeat.  It's time to change gears and shift out of neutral and get a boost of energy. And if you're already on the movement train, stay tuned. I think you'll enjoy the science. In fact, let's start there. Today in mini medical school, we're going to review the family of neurochemicals that are responsible for mood. And if you haven't even been introduced to endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, you might want to listen to episode 141. How food affects mood. I'll put a link in the show notes. These neuro-transmitters can improve mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Also cortisol levels can be reduced by exercise, which creates feelings of relaxation and improved mood,  not to mention the effects on sleep, metabolism and weight.  Let's start with some basics. There is a difference between physical activity and exercise.  Physical activity is anything that gets you moving and requires energy; things like cooking and cleaning the kitchen or housework of any kind yard work, even just going to the grocery store. That's considered physical activity.  Exercise on the other hand is intentional activity for the purpose of physical fitness. This is things like running, classes at the gym, lifting weights, doing aerobics. These things are considered exercise.  Physical activity and exercise benefit both physical and mental health.
In addition to reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, sleep patterns may be improved. And lack of sleep definitely affects mood. Who doesn't have a more positive outlook after a restful night of sleep.  And speaking of sleep. If this is something you struggle with, you're going to want to make sure you're on my email list. Because we're going to do a whole series on sleep very soon. Check the show notes for a link on how to sign up or just go to my website, www.healthylooksgreatonyou.com  
When you exercise, it opens up the blood vessels and improves blood flow to important organs, you know, like the brain. And that can help with mental clarity and overall brain health. You know, we used to think that adults could not grow new brain cells, but it turns out that's wrong. So think of exercise as fertilizer for forming new blood vessels and they may be able to nurture new neural connections which can improve cognitive function. We call that process neurogenesis. And to me it's pretty exciting. And if that's not enough reason to get off the couch, there are some studies that suggest that regular exercise may at the very least delay dementia in people who are predisposed to it.  
Exercise also has a significant impact on health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis.  People who are active tend to have more self-esteem and confidence and listen, there is a difference between being fit and thin. But if weight is your concern, remember, 80% is related to diet, not exercise. It takes a lot of exercise to lose weight.  But you can also be very skinny and very physically unfit.  Now, before we dive into how physical activity and exercise can help lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression. I want to do a little dissection on the runner's high.
And listen, I had never run enough to get a high, but I have experienced this sense of euphoria while pedaling my bicycle. And if you've never felt it, it's unbelievable. And even if you're not planning to lace up and train for a marathon, the biochemistry is pretty fascinating. Here's what happens: you start running or exercising very intensely and you get your heart pumping and it works harder and harder to increase the heart rate to make sure your muscles and brain are getting enough oxygen. And speaking of oxygen, you'll start huffing and puffing. But you keep going, pounding the pavement or the trail or whatever, and your body starts dumping endorphins into your bloodstream. 
And wow! There's this burst of euphoria and burst of energy that makes you feel like you can conquer the world and keep going.  It doesn't last long, and it's actually pretty uncommon to experience. But it gives us a little inside look at what exercise can do naturally to cause feelings of elation.  But here's the deal. You don't have to train for an iron man to see benefits. Even moderate levels of exercise may improve mental health, lessening feelings of depression and anxiety. And the benefits of regular physical activity on mood are not temporary like the runner's high.  When you think about someone who is physically fit, you picture someone with big ol' well defined muscles.  But it's not just the external that gets the benefit. People who exercise regularly have not only bigger muscles, but also a bigger hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that processes memory and learning. So exercise can improve memory, and help focus, particularly on what we call the ability to switch tasks without chasing squirrels.  But let's get back to mood specifically depression and anxiety. 
And before I take another step, I want to acknowledge that depression and anxiety are serious mental health disorders. And I am in no way, suggesting that a run around the block is going to fix it all. If you need help, please see your doctor or mental health care provider. There are lots of good medications and effective therapies. But there are also a lot of studies that look at the impact of exercise on mental wellbeing. 
And while it might not be a cure for significant anxiety and depression, there is no doubt it has a positive impact on mood.  Setting fitness goals or completing challenges can give you a sense of accomplishment and that helps you gain confidence.
And if you participate in group fitness, and I highly recommend that you do, you get an opportunity to have conversations and social interactions and meet new people. And that's good for your mental health. Anything positive you do for your mind takes you in the right direction. Whereas negativity takes you the wrong way. For example, turning to alcohol or tobacco or junk food to cope is not going to help your symptoms and ultimately leads to worsening. However, doing something good for your body, like exercising will make you feel better and feel good about yourself.  And when you're thinking about your feet, it's kind of hard to think about your problems.
Exercise can stop the worry cycle that leads to less anxious thoughts and symptoms of depression. Right now, there's a lot of research being done to understand the exercise connection with mental health. But we know that it can help move you forward, and especially help at keeping you in a good space in your head. So how much exercise do you need? Well, the general recommendation for all healthy adults is a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week.  If you missed the episode on fitness, I'll put a link in the show notes, but here's one thing you need to know. Moderate exercise means, you can still talk, but you can't sing.  I mean, I can't sing anyway, but that's not because I'm breathing hard. But, you know what I mean? 
Did you know that 20% of adults struggle with anxiety? And if you're one of them, you're going to want to listen to my interview with Dr. Michelle Bengston. She's a clinical neuropsychologist and she wrote a book called, "Breaking Anxiety's Grip." It's a great episode and I'll put a link in the shownotes. 
Anxiety has a significant impact on your overall health.  And here's the irony people with anxiety tend to be less active. So if you're sitting on the couch feeling down and you're in that vicious cycle. Where's the exit?  If you're using activity to improve your mood, you're going to need to do it every single day. 
Add some activity in little increments like take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the spot that's fartherest from the store, not the closest one. And never drive to the mailbox. Even a little activity may help though. So can you find 10 or 15 minutes in your day to do some aerobic exercise? Because that's best. Or maybe you can take a class or go for a walk or dance in the kitchen or skip down the street. 
Once when my son was about seven or eight years old, we had a series of unfortunate events in our family.  I'm not talking about little things I'm talking about big things. And we were pretty devastated.  I was trying to explain all of this to my little boy and he looked up at me and said, "Mom, can we skip?  And I said, what. And he said, can we skip? Because when you skip, you feel happy.
It was after dark. But we went outside, held hands and skipped right on down the street.  I've always wondered if any of the neighbors were watching, but you know what? It worked we skipped and we felt happy. Usually, you skip because you feel happy, but I think the reverse is true as well. So if you're having a particularly bad day because of bad circumstances, and let me know if it works for you. 
But listen, the effects are cumulative. Once your mood improves, it's easier to start doing things that improve your mood. And the opposite is true as well. So this really is a cycle. And to make sure you stick with it,  find something you enjoy doing. Maybe you want to set some smart goals, you remember smart goals, right? 
S. For specific, like I'm going to skip.  
M is for measurable. I'm going to skip to the neighbor's house.
A is for accountable. Accountability makes a huge difference in achieving your goals. So I'm going to skip with my son. 
R is for Relevant. I'm going to skip so I don't feel blue.
T is time bound. I'm going to skip every night. 
Now, we all have good intentions, but sometimes there are barriers to success. And it's super helpful to identify those barriers so that you can overcome them. I have a course called seven day prescription for change. If you're interested, there's a link in the show notes. It's kind of intense, but it's only a week. There's a downloadable workbook and videos that you can watch to help you meet your goals. 
But don't think of exercise as a hard pill to swallow. There are enough things in life that you should do. Instead think of it as therapy. A tool to help you improve your mood.  Exercise distracts your mind from the worry cycle. It can decrease muscle tension, increase your heart rate and release those feel good neurotransmitters that improve mood. It actually changes the brain in ways that help us think more clearly and calm our emotions.  The effect is cumulative. 
The more exercise, the better.  But a single burst of activity can mitigate anxiety over a situation such as skipping. And here's another thing that helps. Get out in nature. Studies have shown  that time in nature has a calming effect.
So. If you exercise outdoor, you get a double benefit.  Now depression is a serious condition and it affects over two and a half million people throughout the world. And I'm not suggesting that people with moderate or severe depression can sweat it off. But exercise does dampen the effect of stress and stress takes a serious toll on our body and our mind.
And the best exercise is one that you enjoy and that you're going to stick with over the long haul, but mix it up so you don't get bored.  
Aerobic exercise is best, but any physical activity helps. Remember physical activity is just movement, like getting out in the garden and getting your hands in the dirt that is very therapeutic for a lot of people. Or play pickle ball.  Goodness knows that's gone viral recently. 
My stepson is getting married soon. And so my husband and I dance in the kitchen and I can promise you, we laugh.  Partly because our dancing skills are out of sync. 
But what if you feel worn out by your daily activities? Well exercise regularly and you'll feel better physically and not be worn out by those daily activities. And then that makes you feel better physically, and that makes you feel better mentally. And then you want to exercise. See how this goes. It is definitely a cycle.  
And what about yoga?  Yoga is an ancient Chinese practice that focuses on holistic health,  meditation, exercises and physical postures.  Now, if you're doing flow, you  might get your heart rate up, but most of the time you're holding poses. And if you don't focus, then you will not be able to balance. 
So when you change your focus, to maybe that spot on the floor so that you don't fall over you're not really thinking about all the stuff that's making you anxious. So that's how that works.   And when it comes to focus, you have a choice.  And it can become a habit to focus on your problems. That's why scripture tells us, fix your eyes on Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. 
But if you feel stuck in your feelings, of anxiousness and  depressive symptoms. and I use the word depressive symptoms, because what I'm really talking about is just feeling down or feeling blue.
Then move out of that place.  It's going to require some effort.  But are you ready to get moving? Because movement makes you feel more healthy and healthy looks great on you.  
RESOURCES:
How Food Affects Mood
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7 Day Prescription for Change
Breaking Anxiety's Grip with Dr. Michelle Bengston

How food affects mood

Food has a big impact on mood.  Why would that be? How does what you put in your mouth that goes down into your stomach affect all that's going on in your brain? 
Carbohydrates are my dear friends. Well, some of them. You know, In every family, there are those people, you know how some people just make you feel good and others, not so much. For example, let's talk about Dorothy. I used to hang out with Dorothy once a week. Sunday mornings, in fact, And after we'd been together, I had bad breath, a headache, and I felt more than a little edgy. You see, Dorothy is a donut.  We parted ways several years ago, but one day I walked into a meeting and there she was dressed in chocolate and still pretty hot and I thought I'd just take one bite. But before, you know, it, I ate the whole thing.  And it didn't take long that I felt physically and emotionally drained.  But here's the deal, that period of absence highlighted the contrast of how I feel when I eat good stuff versus pure junk. And maybe you've noticed, or maybe you  haven't and maybe you just feel kind of bad all the time and you don't really know why. So let's talk about how certain foods affect mood and why. And since mini medical school is going to be pretty intense today, I thought I would turn the science into fiction.  
No, don't meanan the facts aren't going to be true. I mean, fictional characters. To help you remember, you're going to need to use your brain, but bring your imagination along too.
 And don't worry about taking notes, I created a free download for you that. It has a list of mood boosting foods. If you're on my email list. List. I sent it out. And. If not, there's a link to sign up in the show notes. 
It's never too late. You can also go to www healthy looks great on you dot. Com. 
  Now the way that food affects mood is. About altering brain chemistry and hormone levels. 
 And my old buddies carbohydrates, they can  give you a real boost. But, their cousins can really bring you down. So let's talk about the good side of the family first. Food rich in carbohydrates boost serotonin levels.
 The ol' feegood neurotransmitter er serotonin. We're going to call her Sarah for short. Sarah Tonin affects mood sleep and appetite. She is an intriguing member of the neurotransmitter family. And it has both a significant impact, both on mental as well as physical health. Sarah is a happy girl because she regulates mood and makes you feel happy and have an overall sense of wellbeing. 
And she's the one you'll really miss when she's not around. You may feel depressed or anxious. And Sarah's family is a power family. In fact. Mel is another member of the tonin family, and that's super important. Did you know that Sarah tonin is a precursor to melatonin? So think of Sarah as Mel's mother and you need both of them to get a good night's sleep, and yeah, I'm talking to you cranky pants.  Mel is related by marriage to the hormone family.  And his presence is highly influenced by light exposure. And he regulates the sleep wake cycle.  
He squirts out of the pineal gland. And if you're interested in the science of sleep, I'll put a link to that episode in the show notes, "Why is sleeping so hard?" 
And stay tuned because after this series on mood, we're going to focus on sleep.  But here's what happens, Mel gets up every evening and tells your body it's not night, night time. He stays up most of the night and then he drops off in the morning.  At least that's how it's supposed to work. He keeps the bodies internal clock in sync, making sure the circadian rhythm aligns with the sleep-wake cycle; daytime and nighttime. And he serves on the antioxidant team as well, combating free radicals and reducing oxidative stress in the body.  To boost melatonin, you can eat things like tart cherries, grapes, nuts.  And itit's alsoimportant to have good sleep hygiene. 
And again, if. If you're interested in sleep, make sure you're on my email list because there are some really exciting things coming now, let's get back to Serotonin. Do you know where Sarah lives?  Did you say the brain? Well, I hate to tell you, but 90% of the body's serotonin  is actually found in the gut, not the  brain. That may surprise you, but think about that gut brain connection.  Yep. That's why upset emotions cause an upset tummy. 
And since her address is in the GI tract, she affects appetite and digestion all the way to the end of the street.  I'm talking about bowel movements see, now you'll remember all of this science of neurotransmitter, Sarah Tonin. But wait, there's more. Speaking of learning and memory, Sarah affects those cognitive functions as well.
You know, Sarah is the type who can be all work and no play
. Because high levels of serotonin can actually reduce sex drive. And that's why some antidepressants which are called serotonin re-uptake inhibitors can kill your sex drive. It's a balancing act for sure because you need Sarah to have a good sense of wellbeing, but too much can cause intimacy to take a back seat.  Diet can boost our sense of wellbeing by increasing serotonin levels, particularly foods rich in tryptophan. 
 
Sarah tends to run away when they're stress or negative thinking, and that can be a vicious cycle.  Positive thinking and stress management, increase serotonin levels.
And if you need a review class on stress management. There's a link in the show notes.
Now I'd like to introduce you to another member of the neuro-transmitter family. He is the most likable guy you ever wanted to meet. Dopamine is considered to be the reward neurotransmitter thatkes you feel pleasure and motivation and helps with learning too. He's a standup guy. But we still have to nickname him dope. You see, he has a big role in addiction. 
And when I say he motivates, I mean, he really motivates. It's even if it's for another hit of whatever lights you up. Since dopamine is associated with pleasure, it contributes to addictive behaviors. That can be a substance or an activity that is pleasurable. But it drives you to find that pleasure again and again,
and that can lead to impulsivity to find more dope at all costs
regardless of the consequences. When you participate in the fun and games, whether that's eating, exercising, hanging out with those you love, dope is there. He pushes us to take action and pursue goals so we can feel that reward. That can drive us to work harder or it can distort and cause us to go into an endless pursuit. 
Again, it's a delicate balance. Dope keeps us focused, helps us pay attention. So we learn better and become more productive.
He's like a coach. He's also important in coordinating smooth muscle and movement. And people with Parkinson's disease have low levels of dopamine. So that explains some of the features of that disorder. And without dopamine you'll feel depressed and anxious. 
He's good to have around. So where can you find good. Dope.
Well, exercise can boost levels as well as sleep. And food can boost production. It's like a well coordinated family picnic. And if you think dopamine makes you high, I'd like to introduce you to another member of the neuro-transmitter family. Endorphins.  let's call her Endera. She comes around every single time there is stress or discomfort and tries to knock out your pain. It's like she wants to be the fixer in the family. 
She'll pump you up, make you feel great.
She'll even give you a feeling of euphoria when you exercise intensely. You've probably heard of a runner's high even if you've never experienced it. But she also makes you relaxed to fix all that stress and anxiety. She also boost your immune system. So, where is this lovely lady and where can we find her. Like it or not exercise, the more intense,  the better. 
Not ready to start running? 
Well, there's another great way to bring Endera to the party and I'm talking about a good old belly laugh to crank out endorphins. You see, laughter really is the best medicine and Endera loves her some dark chocolate too, as well as spicy foods that contain capsaicin like chili peppers.  She'll rush to your side, if you get acupuncture because yeah, there's a needle involved and she wants to fix your pain. And even if you're averse to such things, just turn on your favorite playlist, Endera loves whatever music you love and  that's why those tunes bump up your endorphin levels and help with mood. Endera the fixer releases endorphins to make you feel good, stay resilient in the face of challenge. The last member of the neurotransmitter family I'd like to introduce you to is oxytocin. Because you see, love love will keep us together. 
 
Oxytocin is the love hormone. 
We'll just call her O for short, she wants us to stay emotionally connected and she's a hormone too. She's the glue of the family. She helps form strong bonds, both between parents and children.  friends and lovers. 
We could call her the big O. Yeah, I did that on purpose. The foundation of any relationship is trust. O brings out feelings of trust and empathy, which is important for social interaction to be more positive and rewarding. She calms us down and reduces anxiety and stress. O plays a critical role in childbirth too. She stimulates the uterus to contract and promote the release of breast milk.. She's a lover, not a fighter. She likes touch any touch -hugging, holding hands, shaking hands, even a high five. All of those things release oxytocin. And this is going to make all the pooches happy, but petting your dog actually releases oxytocin.
You can boost O levels, by enjoying time with the people you love and having conversations that bring you closer together. 
Also do something for someone else and you both get a reward. ' Because doing acts of kindness, stimulates release of oxytocin. Stress tries to steal the joy that O brings. So learn relaxation and stress management techniques to keep her around. And oh yeah. O is important for sex too, in case you didn't get my previous pun. But it's not just casual sex. You see oxytocin promotes monogamous relationships, even in some animals. 
I'm here to tell you that God only desires the best for you. And that's why he created us the way he did.  Now that I've introduced you to some of the members of the hormone family. Let's meet the others. First is cortisol. Good old Cort. He gets a bad rap because you'll find him wherever there is stress, but here's the deal. 
He's got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He lives in the adrenal glands and he shows up in an instant when he thinks there's any kind of danger. He is the force behind the flight or fight response. He's in charge of controlling your body's metabolism and how fats and proteins and carbohydrates are used. His job also includes regulating the immune system and combating inflammation in the body. He knows how important blood flow is. 
So he's super involved in regulating blood pressure and cardiovascular function. So that we have the power to run or fight. We need him to survive,. 
especially in stressful situations, but he can be a bit much. Chronic stress.
 leads to persistently high levels of cortisol. Too much of Cort is not a good thing and it's terrible for your physical health, contributing to heart disease, unwanted weight gain, gI problems, anxiety, and depression. He can wake you up all night long and make you sick by lowering  your body's ability to fight off infection. He is a great guy and we need him, but a little goes a long way. If you know what I mean.  Now,  you can get him to chill out by exercising and making sure you have good quality sleep. Managing him isn't easy, but intentional relaxation.
 and combating stress settles him down. And if you eat a balanced diet of whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that keeps him from getting out of control too.  And O can help.
So make sure you're tending to your social life and bonds with loved ones and O would  also like for you to meet another member of the sex hormone family. Estrogen.  We can call her Esther. I'm pretty sure you've met her before. And you know how much of an effect she can have on mood as well as energy levels and cognitive function. And when she gets on a roll,  it can cause fluctuations in emotions as well as wellbeing. Her main role is to influence the development of a woman's body during adolescence, then she controls the menstrual cycle during the reproductive years, and then she jumps off a cliff during menopause, but that's one of those family stories we'll talk about on another day. Esther can  be moody. I'm talking PMS, peri menopause. And all the things, female, but she's a protector maintaining bone density and healthy cholesterol levels and supporting cardiovascular health. And she has a twin sister, but they aren't identical. Her name is progesterone. And we're going to call her Polly. I think that's kind of cute.  Polly Polly progesterone. She regulates periods and maintains pregnancy. And that's a lot of Ps.
She also helps balance moody Esther by calming her down and trying to control her mood swings. She promotes better sleep and is just naturally sedating. We like her a lot because she helps maintain skin elasticity.  Now to balance these two wild sisters eat a balanced diet rich in nutrients. F oods high in omega three fatty acids control their behavior especially well, think flax seeds, chia, seeds, and walnuts. And you can add those to oatmeal and smoothies. Exercise. Is another good way to reign them in. And even if they smell stress, they'll go crazy and drive you there too. 
 And of course don't skimp on good sleep because they throw everything out of balance and they'll eat you alive without good sleep. 
The twins have a brother too, his name is testosterone. We're going to call him Rone instead of testy because, well, that doesn't sound good. You probably think of Rone as being a male hormone. And while it's true that he turns boys into men, he    is also found in women, it's just in smaller amounts. Rone can increase energy, motivation and overall mood. He's buff, and supports muscle mass and strength and bone density. 
He can be a lover and a fighter.  It's important in libido for both men and women.  And the last baby in the hormone family is insulin.   We'll call her Sully. She regulates blood sugar, brain function and mood. And she's tried for years to get along with Dorothy. You remember? Sweet, sweet, Dorothy.  She makes you crash and leaves you feeling sluggish and irritable.  And Sully is really just a peacemaker, always trying to control blood sugar and make sure it gets into the cells for energy. If Sully doesn't work properly then the body doesn't move sugar out of the bloodstream the way it's supposed to, and then we develop diabetes.  Sweet Dorothy and all of her sugary friends can sneak up on you and ruin your day. But here's the deal. If you consume sugar regularly, yuou  might not even realize that sugar and other simple carbohydrates. are what's causing that quick sugar spike. 
You eat your biscuit  and jelly and it goes up and then you get a sharp drop, then a crash and this rollercoaster of emotions can cause mood swings, irritability and fatigue. We talked about hangry last week.  Not only that, but a high sugar intake can cause increased inflammation in the body and that's been linked to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. So we can all agree that chronic inflammation is not good for your brain.  Think about some antioxidant rich foods like berries, all kinds of berries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. And remember good old dark chocolate. It's gotta be at least 70% cocoa to maintain the antioxidant content. 
And then those nuts, like walnuts, pecans, and almonds. As well as spinach and other dark. Leafy green vegetables like kale and Swiss chard, and lots of beans and artichokes for their antioxidant properties. 
These are feel good foods. Unlike Dorothy. Dorothy sugar gives you a hit of dopamine. Well don't we like that. Yeah, but like everything else, the pleasure is temporary followed by dip, then cravings. And this is why sugar is such a vicious cycle and can be as addictive as any drug. These types of foods aren't good for you. 
And they're often nutrient poor. And replacing in your diet, what could be nutrient dense foods. The standard American diet includes a lot  of sugar. And sugar before bed can affect sugar plums dancing in your head because sleep quality is affected in a negative way by sugar too. And that certainly contributes to mood disorders, including anxiety  and depression. But let's get back to insulin.  Natural ways to increase insulin are a balanced diet with low-glycemic index think fruit. 
And regular physical activity. improves insulin sensitivity and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Foods high in antioxidants include foods that have omega-3 fatty acids because they combat that inflammation. That's linked to mood disorders like depression. So are leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, berries, dark chocolate, whole grains, legumes and bananas. They're all rich in vitamins and tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin. 
Remember the feel good neurotransmitter serotonin.  It's also found in avocados, which contain healthy fats and vitamin B6, which can improve mood and brain function. 
If you didn't get a chance to listen to last week's podcast.,I talked about the gut brain connection. You see. What you put in your tummy affects what happens in your head, and what happens in your head affects your mood. 
So eat good food to have a good mood and. And be happy and be healthy because healthy looks great on.     
Resources:
Why is sleeping so hard?
Good mood foods
Stress management episode
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Mood boosting foods

There is scientific evidence that food affects mood. You probably know how it feels to be hangry. That combination of hunger and anger can drive you to head to the pantry and grab whatever you can get your hands on. But that sets a process in motion that only makes you feel worse. Instead, replace unhealthy snacks with foods that boost your mood and get double the benefit. 
The health of your gut microbiome influences your mental health. All those bacteria that live in your gut produce neurotransmitters that affect brain health and chemistry. Make sure and eat high fiber foods to promote a healthy gut.
High fiber vegetables include broccoli, carrots, green beans and spinach. 
In one study, people who ate fruit frequently had less anxiety. So try keeping a bowl of berries or grapes out and grab one throughout the day. Start your day with good mood boosting foods. You can add oats, berries, nuts and seeds to a smoothie. Or slice bananas or apples and top oatmeal. Bananas contain tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter.
Throughout the day look for ways to add beans to your food. They're high in fiber and keep that gut healthy, which helps keep your mind healthy too.
Also add walnuts, they're great for brain function. Trail mix is a great way to get all these good things together. And the good news is that dark chocolate is full of mood boosters. It's also calorie dense, so a small amount. Make sure it's at least 70% cocoa. 
Avoid alcohol, too much caffeine and fried foods. That only makes you feel worse. Instead, plan ahead and keep the pantry stocked with feel good food. 
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Stronger than Stress with Barb Roose

 Special guest Barb Roose is the author of "Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm." She's also a speaker,  literary agent, and Bible teacher. According to her website, "She is a real woman who's experienced deep anxiety, parenting challenges, family addiction trauma, and long seasons of walking by faith in unanswered prayer."
Lifestyle medicine has six pillars: restorative sleep, nutritional eating, physical fitness, minimizing harmful substances and social connectedness. But when we talk about stress, it affects all of them. It's an overarching theme to health. 
Barb:  We know that stress is out there and we talk about it openly. "Oh, I'm so stressed." Like if you talk with people, stress is going to naturally come up. And so there's this social acceptedness that there is stress. The reason why I wrote the book and the reason why I want to engage in these conversations is because you and  I are aware of the damage.  And so it's a situation, particularly as women, we just live with stress. And so it is trying to elevate the hidden damage of chronic stress and to convince women not to set themselves on fire to keep everybody else warm.  
The challenge is these days, as women, we want to protect what we love. We want to fix what's broken. We want to get things on track. I call it the good Christian woman syndrome. We will sacrifice ourselves trying to be everything to everybody.   
We keep little people alive or a spouse.   We found keys every day so that a spouse could get to work.  In some ways, there was a season where so much relied upon us, but there are those practical moments where we have to remember that there is a God. And it's not us.   
Dr. Vickie: That is so , absolutely true. There is a God and it's not us. And I think that's the thing. When we take on all that responsibility, we learn to depend on ourselves  and then we think we don't need God until our whole lives start unraveling.
Barb: I use spinning spinning plates as a metaphor for  all of the things that we have happening in our lives. And I recognize the reality that there are some of you listening and you've  got spinning plates. The big picture of the book. is helping us recognize that God can actually take care of us and our spinning plates so that we can take care of ourselves.  
Dr. Vickie: Practically speaking, how does that play out?  
Well, my favorite chapter title of the book is, "Get Off the Cross, Honey. Somebody needs the wood." Sometimes we can't just convince people that they need to change.    They have to feel their need for change.   And what I want to do is create that feel for the need of change by using Jesus' words in Matthew. And so in this chapter, I cover Jesus' words and he says, "Come to me, everyone who is weary and heavy burdened." And, I think that pretty much everyone listening is going to say, yep. I am  weary and heavy burdened. In the original language,  weary was all about feeling like everything was on you. That self-sufficiency, that's what the weariness is that Jesus was talking about, and then carrying heavy burdens. That is about all of the expectations, all of the duties, all of the to-dos and the do mores. And so if you are exhausted by all of that, overwhelmed, Jesus doesn't tell you, you've got to read your Bible  five days a week. He doesn't say you've got to pray for 45 minutes a day. He says, "Come." It's an invitation. And what he wants to give us is rest. He wants to care. The work has to be done, but He wants to teach us how to live in him. So that we let Jesus carry the weight as we do the work of our lives.  
When I think about that verse, like the word picture, Jesus goes on to say, take my yoke upon you. And yoke always felt like this really antiquated word, but yoke still exists. And most of us know that a  yoke is where they have one animal that is  basically harnessed to another animal and the visualization is that there is a more experienced animal that helps teach the younger animal the way to go.
Now, Vickie, I don't know about you, but when I am left to my own  devices and I'm trying to live apart from God,   I am going to wander. I'm going to stomp on things that I shouldn't stomp on. I'm going to go too fast. I'm going to reckon the things. And so when Jesus says. Take my yoke upon you.  what Jesus essentially is saying, let me put  my arm around you, around  your shoulder, because essentially stress has us in a choke hold.
It is a choke hold that is strangling us. We are often, Vickie, sometimes we try to run ahead of what God is doing in our lives. Can I get an amen?  
And so Jesus, he's putting his arm around us and I find it very interesting that on a shirt, the shoulder area of the shirt in construction is called a yoke.
And so Jesus is putting his arm around our yoke and he's saying, learn from me. Let me teach you. He's saying, let me teach you the right pace to live. Let me teach you the path  to follow. Let me guide you so  that you're not trying to run ahead and figure things out on your own.  so Jesus, who has the experience, who is our peace, is teaching us the pace so that we don't live stressed every day.  
I love that picture of pace because I want to be productive. I want to do things. I want people to be able to depend on me. I want to fulfill my purpose. And it's just as bad for our health for us to live without intentionality and without purpose. And so the point is not just to say, Jesus, take the wheel. I'm just going to sit back and do nothing. It's let's walk this out together.  
We have these things that God has called us to do. We, and women, if you're, or whoever's listening, men and women, we  should have purpose. We should have kingdom  oriented goals. We should have people we're investing with. Even if you're retired.
I heard this years ago. This amazing story of a man. He was a neurosurgeon and he developed a spinal condition and after like a dozen surgeries, he was medically disabled.  That  man ran Bible study groups, on Zoom people around the world from his hospital bed in his home. So he still had work that he had to do.  We all  have work no matter where we're at.  
But what Jesus wants to make sure of is that our work is not wrecking us, that we are not running in chaos from sun up till sun down. He wants us to experience his peace.  And the peace is only found in him.  
Dr. Vickie: So true, and peace is really lacking. I feel like so many of us live on a merry go round. And sometimes we're busy without actually accomplishing anything that is of eternal value.  
Barb: Well, yeah, because the urgent over the important. We're just playing whack a mole every day, trying to do the to do list. And again, we're doing it with the best of intentions. But part of why I wanted to write this book on spiritual practices, because  these are the practices that Jesus wants to teach  us so that our days have meaning and value. Because the last thing we want to do is get to whenever the end of our lives are, and us wonder if we made a difference. The way of Jesus is the way to help us make a difference.   
Dr. Vickie: Resting in Him, peace in His methods, and a plan and a purpose  for our lives. It's all built on trust. I think so many times we think, but this is the way I want my life to go. So I'm pushing, pushing, pushing. When God's saying, come to me, slow down. That's, that's not my plan and purpose for you. And we just, we have to rest in that. We really do. And rest has always been a four letter word for me.  
Barb: There is a spiritual practice. that incorporates rest. But if I can share a personal example, I recently had some blood work done. I'm a woman of a certain age now. I had gone into the  doctor to have blood work done so that I  could start hormone replacement therapy. And so she wanted me to have an extra panel done because she wanted to make sure I had all the options available. This was about a month ago. I go in, I get the blood work done and I, it's the day before my book party celebration.   So I have four interns who are in town, who've flown in, and I'm hosting a retreat for them. It was all planned out. No stress. I had my book launch party at my church that next day, all planned out, interns, no, no stress.  That morning when I woke up the day of the party at 7. 30am, the  first message I had was from my mother, who lives two  hours away, who's my emergency contact and said, the hospital lab has an emergency phone, they need you to call them. And Vickie, your listeners won't appreciate this, but you will. It was an emergency because my hemoglobin was only 5.6.
Dr. Vickie: You were running on empty. 
Barb: So here's the thing, no symptoms.  So at 8 a. m. that morning, I get this phone call that says, You are dangerously anemic. And what are you going to do about it? And I was like, well, okay,  the day goes on and there were things that just kept popping up. One of my kids had a sick dog. Another kid was throwing up in the bathroom. I had signs that weren't delivered. I had an ex boyfriend  that I hadn't seen in three years surprise  show up to the book launch party!  And so I share all of this because there are going to be unexpected things that happen.
But what I have learned over the years of the spiritual practices  is what it looks like to keep Jesus' peace at the forefront of my mind. Now, did I feel Some pressure because I was like that's a lot to happen to somebody in one day . And  that's not everything that happened But I learned through the spiritual practices One of the cornerstones in the book is surrender. Most of our stress as women is because we are trying to stay in control of everything .
The title of the chapter is the Surrender Prayer and it's "God, I can't. But you can,  and I will let you." And so I had to really focus on that surrender prayer. And then there's another practice of gratitude. It's in the celebration chapter. I want to keep a spirit of gratitude.
I'm not ignoring  everything that's happening. I hadn't had a symptom. I had been sleeping fine, working out full energy, all of this. And I was like, Lord, I  have no idea what's happening here. My body is not doing great, but God, I feel great. And so I practiced gratitude. And so throughout the day, I was incorporating those spiritual simplicity when my day got chaotic. I was like, okay, Barb, let's stay  focused. You can't do everything, but if you can  only do one thing, what can that do? And so these practices help us to stay focused on what the most important things are, but we have to learn how to use them consistently over time.   
Dr. Vickie: I would say in advance of a stressful moment, you obviously had some practice using those tools when all of that came at you. And I used to have women all the time that would come to me during their pregnancy and they're like, oh, I don't want an epidural. I don't want an epidural and I was like, then you need to go to the classes.
You need to practice the breathing techniques when you're not in pain because all that stuff goes out the window the first time that contraction hits and it's the same thing with our spiritual walk.  You knew, okay, this is what I do. I surrender. I always say the place of perfect peace is the place of perfect surrender and you said that prayer But what I pray is whatever Lord just whatever. You also posted this morning on Facebook  the verse from Isaiah 41:10. It's one of my favorite verses and the reason is that when I got really really sick  I kept seeing that verse everywhere, but it was out of the message translation and it says in message translation, "Don't panic!" Our natural response to a stressful event is panic, because like you said, we're not in control.  
Barb: When I was a pharmaceutical sales rep, one of the drugs that I sold was a very popular antidepressant. And I remember how valuable it was for me to just understand our body's response to stress. And so I cover that at the beginning of the book,  but I keep it at a very high level, but it is  helpful for me to remember that in my natural state, my body will react to what my brain perceives as threatening. And the way of Jesus,  when Jesus becomes our peace and our perfect peace, we feel less threatened by the world around us. And when we feel less threatened, our body is not going to react into  fight or flight as often. And for me, that  was really helpful to keep in mind, because there are going to be, and hear me, there are going to be situations in life when we should be stressed. If the doctor calls and says that your kid has type 1 diabetes, you're going to be stressed. And so stress was actually created by God as a protective indicator to tell us that we're reacting  a certain way to our environment. But chronic   stress, when you're stressed all of the time, afraid all the time, anxious all the time, irritable all the time, That's a spiritual issue, because you have what I take from 2 Timothy 1:7, the spirit of fear. When everything is making you anxious and afraid, that is something that Jesus wants you to address. Does that make sense?  
Dr. Vickie: It makes perfect sense to me, and I love the way that fits into lifestyle medicine because we have all of the neurochemicals  that get released. We that fear area of our brain, like the amygdala and all of the neuronal synapses that can actually get wired or rewired because when you're worried and you're anxious, you literally create a neural  pathway that's like a rut in your brain. You just  keep going down that same rut. And so you have to do something to shift that. And we talk about stress management in lifestyle medicine, but there's no magic wand to make it go away. And even Jesus doesn't just make it go away. You have to have these spiritual practices to come to Him.  
Barb: Right. And I love that you talked about the neuropathways and neuroplasticity. And so I want to share a story. I was in the eighth grade.
Vickie and I have met, actually Vickie and I have a picture  of us standing together because I am  overly tall, which meant that when I was a kid, they immediately said this girl should play basketball. So I was in the seventh grade. I went out for the basketball team. Partly because I wanted to play basketball, but also because that's where all the popular girls were at on that team. And I wanted to be popular. So at basketball tryouts, I could run really fast, but, I wasn't that good of a dribbler and   I couldn't shoot all that well. So I didn't make the team. And I'm devastated. Well, the seventh grade coach, her name is Miss Bednarik, still remember her name. She said, Barb, you actually need to be stronger. She said, you're dribbling skills, you just don't have good muscle coordination or shooting. It's  because you need strength. And so she told me when the kids would go to the weight room. And so Vickie that following Tuesday, I showed up at the weight room at my junior high.  I was the only girl in this weight room filled with stinky, sweaty junior high boys. And, this is the eighties folks. We didn't have great  ventilation. We did not have windows. It was basically boys after school and their Old Spice had worn off by lunchtime.   And have there I was, and I had a choice that that I had to make that day. Was I going to keep showing up? And so I started learning how to lift weights.  As this only girl in these pot bottomed glasses, two giant front teeth, And I am oversized  and I'm there with the scrawny boys and every Tuesday and Thursday. I kept showing up and I had to learn how to lift the weights. And then I would struggle and they would help.
And that is practicing. We're not going to be good at it at first, but what makes it matter, is that  we keep showing  up.
If you just have one minute to read your Bible then read for one minute. The practice isn't valid just because you sit there for 20 minutes.  Just do it for 1 minute. If you can pray for one minute,  pray that one minute as often as you can.  God can do something with that.  Other practices are Sabbath.  Maybe you can't get to taking a whole day but can you take just 2 hours to just sit and  rest? Absolutely. But the most important value of practicing is to keep showing up. And so I kept showing up all that seventh grade year, and I got stronger. And I made the eighth grade basketball team. But more importantly, Vickie, I've been lifting  weights since that girl was in the seventh  grade. And now that I am over 50,  part of what the doctor's office told me when they called me last month,  they just said, it appears that the rest of your overall health is so strong. That's why your body has been covering for you this whole time. 
Dr. Vickie: Now I can smell that junior high locker room.  That is such a powerful memory. I can smell it from here.   
Barb: I can still smell it. And it's been 40 years. Whew! It was rough.
Dr. Vickie: I think about the spiritual disciplines, you call them spiritual practices, but  practice always, always, always requires discipline. So I am super excited about your book and I would love for you to tell up our listeners where they can find you, where they can order your book.
And I'm going to look and see if I can find that picture because I'm standing on the hearth, and you're standing on the floor, and you're still taller than me, and that's not saying much because I'm not very tall. 
 Barb: We made quite a sight together. My friends, I have to say, we looked as cute as cute could be, but definitely, one of us is, is, is super  action packed. That's me saying that you're short: Action packed. And then one of us is just real, real tall.
There is actually a Bible study that goes with the "Stronger than Stress" book,  I am primarily a Bible study author. So for those  of you who do love Bible study, there is  a six week Bible study with video that you can access. Both book and Bible study are available anywhere you love  to purchase your books and Bible studies. 
You can do them separately, what I recommend is that you get either a book club with some friends, or a Bible study group with some girlfriends so that you can all talk and journey together.   
Dr. Vickie: Yes, there's so much power in together.  
Barb: There is, there is. And, if women want more information or maybe they just want to check things out, uh, you can check over to barbroose. com. I have a link there where you can check out the book and the Bible study group.   And on top of that, you can actually watch the  first video session, so that you can decide whether you want to share that with some friends and say, Hey, do we want to get a group together and talk about how we can live less stressed with more peace every day?   
Dr. Vickie: That is so awesome. Well, I appreciate you coming and talking to us about stress management. And I think it just fits perfectly with lifestyle medicine. I always say that that's one that you just absolutely cannot do without Jesus.   
Barb: Amen. I love that wisdom. Love it.
 Dr. Vickie: Wow, what words of wisdom from someone who has such a passion for following Christ. And I hope that that will make you want to dive into God's Word a little bit more. And if the Bible is unfamiliar to you, take a peek for yourself, because there is a peace that passes understanding, and there is a rest that is possible through Jesus Christ.
And I would challenge you to check it out for yourself and see. But Barb really didn't tell  you all there is to know about herself. Go to her website.   You're going to want to know more about her. It's barbroose. com. I'll put a link in the show notes. 
 This is an edited transcript of this episode. 
BarbRoose.com
Stronger Than Stress Book
Stronger than Stress Bible study

My personal health journey: a special edition

 I've been doing this for about nine months now. And I think it's time that I shared a little bit more about how I got here, and maybe that'll help you on your own health journey. I'd like to think about where you are now, where you've been and where you want to go. So let me tell you where I've been.
 I started my OBGYN practice when I was 30 years old. I had a daughter who was just starting kindergarten, and a little boy who was about to turn 2. And my practice ramped up really fast, And back in those days, drug reps often brought lunch to clinic, and they didn't bring healthy stuff. They brought things like pasta with alfredo sauce, and they brought a lot of cheesecake. And I love cheesecake. Especially turtle cheesecake with all that caramel sauce over it. Mmm.
It's delicious.  And so every time that they brought dessert, I indulged in dessert. And my life was kind of busy.  I began to gain weight. And I developed migraine headaches. And I wasn't sleeping very well. And of course you can't sleep well when you're an OB doctor anyway, but that's a different story.
And so I really felt terrible. On top of that, every single time it was somebody's birthday at the office, we pot lucked and the potlucks weren't much healthier than the drug rep lunches. And they always included birthday cake because after all we were celebrating. But every celebration isn't my own special occasion.
But I didn't realize that. So I just plowed on through and next thing you know,  I gained about 15 pounds. Between ages 30 and 35, I felt worse than I had ever felt in my entire life. And I looked it too. I was miserable. My clothes were tight. I didn't have any energy. And I just felt bad.
And I discovered a book called, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, by Dr. Rex Russell, M. D. And so I read this book and it talked about how we should eat things in their natural state. And back then we didn't really use the term whole foods, but eat food in its natural state. And so what Dr. Russell said is that butter is better than margarine, and that vegetables are better than processed foods, and that things that are refined have lost their nutrients, such as white rice, white flour, and sugar. And so I went on a pretty radical diet and I changed my eating habits completely. And the three things I cut out were white rice, white flour, and sugar.
And not only did I lose the weight, but my migraine headaches went completely away. Now, I wasn't pure about it. I would obviously indulge every once in a while. And I learned just about how many bites of something I could take before I'd get a headache. So, I would pre decide what I was gonna do if there was a potluck at work.
And there was cake, or there was that turtle cheesecake that I could never resist, and I would tell myself, Four bites. That's all you get. Four bites. And most of the time I would stick to that, but every once in a while, I'd just finish the whole piece. And you know what? I'd get a migraine headache. And so, that was a good feedback thing for me to say, You know what? That's a headache on a plate. I don't even want it. Now, I didn't follow what Dr. Russell recommended exactly, He recommended very small intake of meat, but I just kind of ignored that part and the dairy part he recommended butter. So I really lathered the butter on and I did switch to whole wheat. I bought a mill and I started milling my own wheat and making bread. 
I discovered a lady named Sue Becker that does bread baking and I had a whisper meal. You just put whole wheat in the top of it and, Grind it up and you get fresh whole wheat flour. And I made bread with olive oil and honey and it was delicious. And so I did that for many, many years and taught my kids to eat healthy.
And I'm so thankful for those foundations because My kids have pretty good eating habits, and I think those early years of us eating more whole food was good, even though we ate a lot of vegetables out of the can. We did, because we were on the go, go, go. But we ate vegetables, and we didn't eat a lot of junk food.
I followed most of the principles from this book. One of the things he said is that God gave us all of these laws for a clean diet. And then Jesus came and set us free from all those laws, but God knows our body. and he knows how they function best.  And so I followed this diet for many, many years and felt great. I got really fit in my forties and I started exercising after I lost that weight. I felt so good. I wanted to exercise. And so I started cycling and I rode my bike all the time. And then, when I turned 50, my whole world turned upside down.
I developed a rare autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis. And it came on pretty suddenly, and I had a severe case of it. I could walk across the room, but I couldn't walk very far. And I couldn't use my arms very much either. And I was very disabled. And to treat me, they put me on a lot of different medications.
I had surgery, I had infusions. And, one of the medications made me severely diabetic, so I was on Januvia, Metformin, and insulin for the diabetes. And, to some degree, I think I thought, well, pfft, I ate healthy all those years, what good did that do me? Now, I only paid attention to nutrition, diet. and physical fitness and I treated rest like a four letter word and I did not sleep and I'm not sure if that contributed to my autoimmune disease or not but there is some data that shows that that is a risk factor
I kinda threw my hands up in exasperation and said well I've eaten healthy all these years forget it I'm just gonna eat whatever I want but because of the diabetes I couldn't do that. Now it was steroid induced diabetes And I was on prednisone, so my face was as big as a moon. I gained about 8 pounds is all I gained, which is pretty good for that high of a dose of steroids.
But it was all from the collarbone up. I mean, it was awful. And to keep my blood sugar from going up too high, I found some things that I could do, like eat nuts, that kept me feeling full, without getting a lot of sugar and unhealthy carbs.
And so I was able to avoid an excessive weight gain on the prednisone. And after I got off the prednisone, the weight came off, the diabetes went away, and I went about my merry way eating whatever I wanted to, because the migraines went away with menopause, and like I said, my health was kind of tanked anyway.
I thought, what difference does it make?  
And then I had some routine blood work done, and it showed an elevated cholesterol, which runs in my family. Everybody in my family has it. I've had it since I was in my 20s. And it also showed an elevated hemoglobin A1c. And so when I went to see my doctor, he looked at me and he said, Are you willing to make some radical changes?
And I said, I will do anything to not be diabetic because I knew how terrible I felt when I was diabetic.  And he recommended that I read a book called, How Not to Die, by Dr. Michael Greger. And so I read the book and I started implementing the things that he suggested. And lo and behold, my hemoglobin A1c, normalized and my cholesterol went down as well.
And so a little bit after that, I discovered the entire field of lifestyle medicine and the six pillars, which are nutritional eating, and it is plant based, and physical fitness, social connectedness, stress management, restorative sleep, and minimizing exposure to harmful substances. And so I became board certified in lifestyle medicine in December.
My lifestyle is pretty good; overall I feel pretty good for 60 and I exercise. I have had a few other health scares recently. And so I decided that I was going to get really strict. And you can probably guess that I read a book. Because I always read a book. And so I read Dr. Neal Barnhart's book, The Power Foods Diet. And I started doing what he recommended in that book, and boom, like that I lost eight pounds. Did I need to lose 8 pounds?
Yeah, I did. I mean, I was pretty comfortable in my clothes, and I had been the same weight for, gosh, so many years. But I had developed some belly fat after menopause, and it melted away in a very short period of time following that diet. And he's vegan, and there is a difference between vegetarian and vegan.
Vegan is to protect the environment. and to make sure that animals are not mistreated.   And you can eat a vegan diet that's very unhealthy. You can eat a Pop Tart and that is vegan, but it's not healthy. Vegetarian means that you only eat vegetables and you don't eat meat. And I'm not a vegetarian. I eat plant based.
And what that means is I get the majority of my calories from whole foods that are nutrient dense. that are plants.  Do I eat meat? Well, sure. I eat meat, just not very often. And originally, when I started doing this, I was cooking for myself and for my husband. And so, for example, I would make stir fry, and then I would do a little chicken for him to add.
Or, you know, whatever dish I was making, I might do black bean tacos or mushroom tacos, and I'd do a little ground beef for him. And then he said, you know what, I think I want to try one plant based meal a week. And so we started having one plant based meal a week. And then as my cooking got better, because my cooking has definitely got better, in the plant based department.
I learned to make meatballs that don't have any meat in them and they're delicious. And so now he said,  you know, I think I could do two nights a week that are plant based. And I never said anything. I didn't say, Hey, I want you to eat like I'm eating. But I feel really good now. Am I a hundred percent healthy?
I'm not, I have issues, but I want to preserve my health as best as I can as I age.
And I want to feel good and be able to do all the things that I love to do. And so, I hope that this helps you know that you're not going to do it perfectly. And there's a lot of conflicting information out there. And one of the things I do on this podcast is try to help you sort through the noise. The podcast is really growing and I appreciate everyone who takes time to listen.
I'm offering a couple of new things. Number one is the Healthy Looks Great On You Lab. Think of the podcast like the classroom, because we always go to mini medical school and learn something.
Think of the Healthy Looks Great On You Lab as the field trip. It's where we go out of the classroom and actually do things that make a difference, because that's my goal. I want to give you information and motivation and inspiration to make changes that make a difference.  So I hope you're on my email list so you get an invitation to the Healthy Looks Great On You Lab.
It's going to be so much fun. And if you're like me and you struggle with sleeplessness, I have a webinar coming up that will be free. on sleep. It's called the Sleep Solution. I'll put a link to sign up in the show notes. Registration is open now  and I hope you'll join me for this important information. 
And since we didn't go to many medical school today, let me take you behind the scenes and on a day in the life of a doctor. Every morning, I got up, got my kids fed, got them off to school, sometimes took them to school, went to the hospital, made rounds, checked on anybody that was in labor or did surgeries that I had scheduled, then went to the office and saw 40 patients a day, and I never got through before 1 o'clock, so when I did eat, I was rushed, I was just cramming something in my mouth real quick, and go, go, go, go, go, until I got off in the evening, and then home to eat dinner.
Then football games to watch my daughter cheer or track meets to watch my son pole vault. Then we'd come home and go to bed and I might get called out two or three times during the night  to deliver a baby.  And we'd get up the next day, whether I'd slept or not, and do it all over again. 
I'll be honest with you, it's not an easy life.   But it is so worth it. I always say, nothing compares to the feel of newborn baby feet, except the look in a mother's eyes when she touches them for the first time.  I loved being an OB GYN doctor, And I got some unique insight into a woman's soul. 
I consider it an honor and a privilege. And I consider it an honor and a privilege to educate you about lifestyle medicine. I hope you'll stick with me on this journey. We're going to have a great time. Sign up to get my emails. Sign up for the sleep webinar.  There'll be more to come. And I hope to see you in the Healthy Looks Great On You lab. 
Because healthy really does look great on you. 
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How much protein do you really need?

Do you get enough protein? There are protein powders, protein shakes, and protein bars. But how much protein do you actually need? Then there are high protein diets. Are those good for you?  Are you getting enough protein in your daughter? Maybe too much stay tuned to find out if you're getting the right amount.
It seems like we're just bombarded with this message to make sure we get enough protein and yes, you definitely need enough protein. But chances are you get plenty.  The average American diet is 16% protein. Well, that translates to 80 grams a day. If you follow the recommended 2000 kilo calorie diet. On top of that, most Americans eat protein that is packaged with fat. And that definitely has some negative health consequences. 
Today, we'll discuss the amount of protein that's right for you and the best sources
We do need protein if you don't get enough protein, you can have brittle hair and nails. You can feel hungry all the time or your muscles can be weak. Your immune system can be compromised, so you get sick a lot. You can even have trouble thinking or changes in your mood, or stress fractures in your bones.  
So let's go to mini medical school for a review course. There are three essential macro nutrients that our bodies absolutely need to function. Fat carbohydrates and protein. And gosh, when I say those three together, I think the protein hype comes in from the bad rap that fat and carbs get. Remember one gram of protein is four kilocalories.  Same for carbs and fat is nine. But you do need all three macros and like everything in lifestyle medicine, it requires balance.  And on top of the macros, there are lots of micronutrients, but here's the deal protein is never a solo act. I mean, you can't really just eat a protein. 
Proteins are macromolecules. Well, that just means they're big old suckers made up of long chains of amino acids, and you may have heard them called building blocks. There are 20 different amino acids and we need every single one of them to live. but your body can make 11 of them. So nine of them are essential in your diet. A complete protein has all nine of them, Most protein in our diets are not complete. But not to worry your pretty little brain about that. We will talk about how to get a complete protein.
Amino acids are kind of like Lego's, they fit together to make proteins, but unlike Legos, they don't make you cuss when you step on them. And like Lego's for mothers of little boys. Amino acids are everywhere and you can snap proteins together to make muscles, hair, enzymes, and antibodies. They break stuff down in chemical reactions in the body and they're important for DNA replication. 
We need protein for every organ in our body to function like it's designed the heart, the brain, the skin, the immune system. And it's especially important for the musculoskeletal system. Adequate protein intake helps build repair and maintain muscle. And that's not just for bodybuilders who want big ol honkin muscles because as we age. Staying strong becomes even more important. Protein may play a role in appetite control. And that's why a lot of these diets focus on high protein for weight loss. And we're going to talk about that in a few minutes. But not getting enough protein can lead to hair loss, skin breakouts and breakdowns, weight loss, loss of muscle mass and weakness.  This is most likely to happen in people with eating disorders or the elderly who have an inadequate caloric intake. Now let's get to the bottom line. How much protein do you need? 
 You're going to need to know how much you weigh in order to do the math and the simple answer is that you can multiply your body weight in pounds by 0.36 and determine the minimum number of grams of protein you need. Of course, there are situations where you need more  like how old you are, whether you're a man or a woman. Your activity level and pregnancy.  Okay, active adults need 0.6 to 0.9.  Older adults need a little more too. They've got to maintain that muscle mass. So 0.8 times, your body weight in pounds. And the reason older adults are at such risk again, is because of decreased appetite, decreased calorie consumption, and the importance of staying strong. So you don't fall, or you can open a jar and all the other things you need to get done in a day. Okay. What about athletes? Well, they do need more. 1.2 to two. So let's look at that just a little bit different way. And for those of you who are on my email list, I'll send this out in print because it's so much easier to look at that way. 
Sedentary adults need 10 to 15% of their calories from protein. Active adults need 15 to 25%. And athletes should consume protein as 25 to 35% of their diet.  And with all the hawking about protein, you'd think we're all deficient. But on average Americans get  the amount of protein they need. In general, if you're eating enough calories. You're probably eating enough protein. Can you get too much? 
Well, yeah, too much isn't good either. In fact, men aged 19 to 59 typically get more than they need from chicken eggs and of course burgers and the steak.  But what about that meat eating man who pumps iron and sweats on the treadmill, you may be surprised to learn that even athletes do not need a supplement to get enough protein, they need more calories to fuel their workout. But they can get that protein in food. Isn't that such a beautiful design.  Now I mentioned in kind of a fancy way that protein contains nitrogen. So your body needs fluids to process nitrogen and too much protein can make you dehydrated. It strains your kidneys and people who have kidney disease need to be really careful about finding that balance between not enough and too much.  And protein, especially from animal sources can upset your tummy and cause either constipation or diarrhea. 
So maybe you were worried about getting enough protein and maybe you're worried about getting too much.  But let's talk about protein powders that people add to shakes. The most common ones are whey, pea, and soy. And they're  processed, they're  sweetened, And they all contain a lot of other ingredients. Whey protein is made from milk protein. It has flavors in it and sweeteners and preservatives and emulsifiers like lecithin and thickeners like xanthan or guar gum. And some of them add vitamins and minerals. 
What about soy protein? Well, it's made from soy protein concentrate. It has natural and artificial flavors, sweeteners, emulsifiers, like soy lecithin, preservatives, and thickeners, and sometimes vitamins and minerals.  What about pea protein? It's made from yellow split peas. It also has flavors, sweeteners, emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, and sometimes vitamins and minerals.
You know, with all those sweeteners, flavors, emulsifiers, and thickeners, what if you just got your protein from food? Isn't that a great concept? Now I totally get just putting powder into a shake because it's faster. It's easier. And it's just so convenient. Soon I'll have a recipe ready for a protein smoothie that tastes delicious and doesn't have all of that extra junk in it. It's going to be available through the healthy looks great on you lab. Right now it's by invitation only. But if you're interested, make sure you're on my email list. I'll open it up soon to everyone. 
 And here's the deal. Variety is the secret to getting complete proteins. So we always say, eat the rainbow. That means eat food with different colors, oranges, purples, blues, greens, reds, yellows and everything in between.
I mean, who doesn't love a colorful package?
And that brings me to a term I want to introduce you to. Protein package. Hello protein package, it's nice to meet you.  Because remember, you can't eat a protein by itself. So basically, a protein package refers to who the protein is hanging out with. 
Let's make it specific and go back to that pile of chicken that was on my Korean rice bowl.  One cup of chicken breast has five grams of total fat. Which is another one of the essential macros. 1.4 grams of it is saturated and 1.7 grams is monounsaturated, and 1.1 grams is polyunsaturated.  It has a total of 43 grams of protein. Based on my weight and activity level, that's about half of what I need in an entire day.
Chicken breast is a lean protein source, so a lot of people eat it on the Mediterranean diet. Now, edamame is made from young, green soybeans. And they are so good for you. And they're very versatile as well. They have 188 calories. compared to 231 for a cup of chicken breast. They have 18. 4 grams of protein, which is not nearly as much as chicken.
 But I can guarantee you that I'm going to eat more than one time a day,  but here's the real kicker.  Edamame has 8 grams of fiber. And fiber is super important if you're trying to lose weight, or you want to maintain gut health. It's good for your immune system, and your digestive system, and your body in general.
In  fact, edamame is a complete plant protein. Remember, I told you a complete protein has all nine amino acids. And it's rare to get a complete protein in plants, but edamame is the package that does it. You can add it to salads, you can put it in stir fries, you can put it in soup, you can just eat it as a snack. It also has lots of vitamins and minerals in it like folate, vitamin K, and iron. And for your heart, it contains healthy fats that include omega 3s and omega 6 fatty acids. And those can actually help reduce bad cholesterol levels. And remember, cholesterol is not found in plants and fiber is not found in animal products. 
 If you get most of your protein from animal products, you're likely getting a lot of fat with it. And we all know that too much saturated fat can increase the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream. That's the LDL cholesterol. And that can lead to heart disease. Saturated fat also causes inflammation throughout the entire body. And that ups your risk for just about everything. On the other hand, plant based proteins, which come from things like soy or edamame, nuts and seeds and beans and grains, those are lower in saturated fat, but they're high in the all important fiber, 
Here are some good plant-based sources that are complete as well. Besides that edamame or soy is buckwheat, hemp seed, and quinoa. Look for ways to add these to other things in your diet. I'm going to have more specific information on that in the healthy looks great on you lab coming soon.  
The bottom line is, more protein isn't better, better protein is better. So we should focus on quality and not quantity. And, we should get our protein from food. Because all of those protein powders that people add, those are considered supplements, and it is big business.  And that's probably why protein is being marketed to us as if we all have a shortage.  And even if we do, we should get our protein from food. Whole food is best. Now, let's go ahead and compare plant protein to animal protein. 
Let's start with animal based proteins. This includes chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, eggs, dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. All of those contain protein.  The most complete proteins come from animal sources. And they're actually more likely to contain complete proteins because animal proteins have all nine of those essential acids. So that's a good thing, right?
It is.  And they often have other nutrients like vitamin B12, which isn't found in plants, as well as iron, which you need to maintain a good red blood cell count and keep from being anemic. As well as omega 3 fatty acids, especially in fatty fish, like salmon. 
Now, the more processed a meat is, the less healthy it is for you.    Red meat is worse than poultry. And all animal protein is packaged with its good old buddy fat, which we already talked about.  Now, comparing that to plant based proteins,
that's better for your heart. They're rich in fiber, which we talked about, but what we didn't mention before was antioxidants. Plant protein sources are excellent sources of antioxidants, and those are the cleanup crew in the body that get rid of cells that can cause damage and disease. They can even lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, as well as cancer.
Now, the problem is, there aren't too many complete proteins in the plant world. But, I gave you the secret earlier, do you remember what it is? You don't even have to go to mini medical school, you learned about this one in elementary school.  The rainbow. Eat the rainbow. If you eat a variety of plants, You'll get all the amino acids that your body needs. 
So, don't just eat one kind of plant, don't just eat spinach all day long. I mean, Popeye did have big muscles, but,  you should also eat grains, and beans, and legumes, and nuts, and seeds. 
If you're eating a completely plant based diet, you  need a B12 supplement, and you do need to be more mindful of your protein intake. Because it's definitely more of a challenge, especially if you're active, and I sure hope you're active.
Before we wrap up, I want to mention one more thing, and that's timing.  It's really better for your body to get protein spread throughout the day, ,  instead of eating a big steak for your evening meal, and getting it all at once. Our bodies don't really store protein. Like they do fat. So you only need as much as you need for one day. 
Generally speaking, you should get about 15 to 30 grams of protein  per meal and spread it out throughout the day. There are some studies that show if you eat more protein in the morning, it decreases hunger and cravings throughout the day and that can help with weight management.
While I'm on the subject, I want to mention high protein diets for weight loss. Studies show that they are effective in the short term. So, think of them as a kickstarter, not a way to live, because in the long run, they're not good for your cholesterol, and they're not good for your heart.
If you missed the episode comparing the different diets, I'll put a link in the show notes to which diet is healthiest, or you can go to my website and search for it.  
The most important thing is, don't buy into the marketing schemes.   Just make sure you're getting enough. And remember, if you're using a protein powder, it's got a lot of other junk in it, and it's really considered to be a protein supplement. You probably don't need it. You need to eat more protein in your food. So let's look at the top plant foods that contain protein.  One of the highest sources of protein in the plant world is one of my favorites.  Did you say edamame? No, that was a trick question. It's lentils. Remember, I love lentils. And one cup of red lentils has 18 grams of protein.  In addition to all that fiber and phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals.  And remember, no cholesterol.
Now, edamame is second on the list at 17 grams of protein, and another favorite of mine, black beans, comes in at 15 grams of protein. Moving on down to some nuts, almonds contain about 6 grams, peas are 5 grams, and even a baked potato has 5 grams of protein.  You know what I do?
I put black beans on top of a sweet potato. It's delicious. I'll share my recipe with you sometime. Spinach has five grams of protein as well so don't forget those leafy greens.  Now how does that compare to animal protein? Well, we already talked about chicken and we talked about a cup. But even just three ounces of steak has 25 grams and it has all that cholesterol, saturated fat, and no fiber in it.
Salmon has 20 grams of protein for just a 3 ounce serving, and it's better than red meat. And an egg has 6 grams, so you can have a cup of spinach, a cup of peas, and get nearly the same amount.  Now, since protein is being marketed to us as if we all have a shortage, let's talk a little bit more about a comparison of plant protein to animal protein.
There was a study published in 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine Edition that suggests that where you get your protein really does matter. In fact, they looked at almost half a million people over the age of 50 who got their protein from either plants, red meat, or eggs. And they watched them for 16 years and guess what? People who ate mostly plant protein instead of red meat protein had a 13 to  24 percent lower risk of dying from all causes.  That's impressive. In this particular study, the effect was even more pronounced on men. For every 10 grams of plant protein they ate per 1, 000 calories in their diet, they had a 12 percent reduction in their risk of death. And if they ate more, likely that number would go up even higher.  
 Remember, better protein is better. Plant protein is healthy.
 And healthy looks great on you.
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Which diet is healthiest?

3 Easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier

Do you want to get healthier? Do you want to maintain or improve your health? Setting goals is crucial. But what if you struggle to follow through?  Then you're in the right place. Stay tuned to learn three easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier.
Here we go again. You've decided you want to get healthy. Maybe you want to start exercising or eating better, lose a few or maybe even a lot of pounds. You want to sleep better and feel rested and energized. So you get started on your journey to get healthier.  And before long, or maybe not so long., you fizzle out. Or maybe you never even got out of the starting gate and you're thinking, "Good grief. What is wrong with me that I can't get it together?"
What if I told you you're doing it all wrong. There is a way to succeed and it's not hard.  Don't believe me. Well, let me prove it.  I'm going to show you three easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier.
First let's talk about what it means to be healthy. What does get healthier mean to you?  Seriously, I'd like for you to camp out on this question and don't just listen to my voice. If you can, I would encourage you right now to push pause on this podcast and brainstorm some thoughts about what it means to you to get healthier and then come back.
I could give you a textbook definition of healthy. It just literally means to be in good health. That isn't much clearer, is it? So, while I've got you on the hot seat answering questions, let me ask you this. How would you know if you are healthier?  Hmm, that brings it into a little bit clearer perspective, doesn't it?
You see, if you can't define it, and you can't measure success, then it's really not a plan. It's an idea. It's a hope. You know, I hope my blood pressure gets better and I don't have a heart attack or a stroke. Or, I hope I can stay on a diet and fit into that dress that's too small. Or, I hope I can sleep better and feel rested. 
I hope so too, but I'm pretty sure it's hard to achieve goals that are so broad and so vague. Because, if you don't know exactly what you mean by get healthy, then I'm confused about what your goal is and you really aren't clear either.  I know. I know it's hard. It's hard to stay on a diet or be faithful to an exercise program or have good sleep habits or manage your stress or be intentional about meaningful connections and cut back or eliminate your alcohol intake or sugar or junk food. 
So what is it,  specifically what is it, that you are trying to accomplish when you say I want to get healthier?  And I hear a lot of people say, well, I want to be able to keep up with my kids or my grandkids so that I can play with them. And other people say, I don't want to be like my mom. She was confined to the recliner for the last 10 years of her life due to poor health. Those are great motivators.  But they aren't really specific goals either.
Why do you want to get healthier? Because once you figure that out, you can use it to motivate you to make changes that lead to better health.
Too many times we think we just don't have enough motivation, or persistence, or willpower, or self discipline to achieve our goals. Or we get sidelined by ever present stress in our lives. Or we just slip back into old habits and give up.  But what set us up for failure in the first place was we didn't know exactly where we were going. You have to have a clear destination in mind, a clear goal in the first place if you're going to achieve success. 
If you're going to get from wherever your current health is to wherever you want it to be, you're going to need details. Lots of them. So start with nailing down the destination.
Do you want to get your blood pressure normal? Do you want to be able to run a 5k? Do you want to lose 5 pounds? Do you want to sleep through the night? Get clear and get specific and then get more specific.  Lifestyle medicine has six pillars.  Nutritional eating, restorative sleep, physical fitness, Social Connectedness, Stress Management, and minimizing exposure to harmful substances. Pick one to really work on and start drilling down to get to the place you want to end up in.  And yes, they're all interconnected. If you want to lose weight, then not only do you need to focus on nutrition and physical fitness, you also need to focus on your social circles and your restorative sleep and managing your stress. They are interconnected, there is no doubt, but you likely will not be able to make sweeping changes all at once. 
 You need a specific destination and you need directions on how to get  from here to there. And that can't mean I want to get healthier so I'm going to clean up my diet and exercise. If you don't know exactly where you're going, I guarantee you, you will never arrive. And that's what happens to most people. And here's the deal, when it comes to health, who arrives? I mean,  Health is a journey with mountains and valleys along the way and twists and turns and detours you didn't expect.
If you set unrealistic goals, you set yourself up for failure and disappointment. And then you'd say, I tried, I tried, and it didn't work. And really what you tried to do was never going to work.  So it's important to set a goal that you know that you're absolutely confident you can reach. 
And I know you may say, Oh, Dr. Vickie, I've tried and failed every time and I have no confidence in myself at all.  Then start small.  Nope, smaller than that.  Nope, even smaller than that. 
Now, if you're someone who has seen success in making changes, changing your identity maybe, and seeing yourself as a healthy person and developing healthy habits, Then you might be able to set a bigger goal and take a bigger bite.  But if you're disgusted with yourself because you always quit, then do a reality check and set a goal you can reach.
Set a goal that wouldn't surprise you if you reached it. It wouldn't even surprise your friends or family if you reached it. 
Once you have a clear goal, a clear destination, you know where you're going, you have a clear plan on how to get there, the next step is to define the steps. 
 So what are the tiny steps you need to start taking? 
You have to do some prep work too.
What is the next tiny step you need to take? Do you need to wake up 10 minutes early every day and take a brisk walk? I'm talking about heart rate at 140, arms pumping, feet pounding the pavement.  Or do you need to do some prep work and clean out your freezer and cabinets and refrigerator and get rid of all the ice cream and cake and cookies?  do you just need to power down your TV and computer and smartphone an hour earlier so you can get some more restorative sleep?
Do you need to put salt substitute in the salt shaker? Do you need to add more fiber to your diet so you don't get hungry and eat everything you can get your hands on in the heat of the moment?  And by the way, if that's your answer, I have a free download on fiber and where you can find it.  And so this would probably be a good time to tell you that I offer lots of resources to my listeners who are on my email list.
You can go to healthylooksgreatonyou. com to sign up  and I'll put a link in the show notes.   There's also several episodes on all the lifestyle medicine pillars that you'll probably find helpful in helping you get to your destination.
Do you see how specific these steps are and how small they are? They're not the goal. They're steps that move you toward your goal. Now you've probably heard of the term smart goals, but we're going to review it anyway, because it's such a foundation for developing good habits.
S stands for specific, and we've kind of harped on that. M stands for measurable. Remember at the beginning I said how are you going to measure that? A stands for achievable. We've talked about that as well. R stands for relevant. Like if you're going to try to lower your blood pressure putting salt substitute in the salt shaker is relevant to achieving your goal. And then T is time bound. Nothing  And I mean nothing motivates me more than a deadline. So give yourself a deadline. If you need to do some prep work and get your pantry cleaned out and your refrigerator cleaned out and go to the store and buy some different healthy foods to stock it with, then do that. But give yourself a deadline. We all need a timetable.   You can actually put this on your calendar. I put everything in my calendar on my phone. If I think I need to eat oatmeal on Monday morning to fill my belly up with some fiber so I don't get hungry at 10 o'clock in the morning and go looking for a Pop Tart, then you know what? I can put that in my phone on my calendar. Eat a bowl of oatmeal.  Right there on my calendar. I check it every day it's more efficient and it works better than putting something on your to do list. 
Now, I want to give you a little bit of encouragement.  You need to celebrate your wins.  And you need to mark your progress. And don't celebrate your win with something that's contrary to your goal. In other words, if you go a whole week eating only whole food, don't reward yourself with processed and junk food, but reward yourself and just celebrate, celebrate your wins.
Some people use chips. We talked about in our episode on Unwinding Pain, putting paperclips together. This is an important concept in the recovery world for people who are trying to quit smoking or trying to quit drinking and they celebrate how many days of abstinence they've gotten to, 
but here's the deal. Sometimes you're going to fall off the wagon, whether it's having a drink when you had planned not to, or grabbing that bowl of ice cream right before you go to bed when you had sworn off ice cream.  Listen, give yourself a little bit of grace.
And also, understand this. There are unexpected detours on the way, but just because you're on the detour doesn't mean you're not heading in the right direction  And what about accountability?
Yes, we all know how critical accountability is. So if you can get someone in your life to give you accountability. That's fantastic and you can celebrate your success with them as well.
I have a course called 7 Day Prescription for Change. It has a downloadable workbook and it's all free. And you get an email with a little bit of homework every day to help you work through some things like ambivalence. You know,  those feelings of I want to do this but I can't. But I want to do that and those things keep us from changing.
We need to learn a little bit about our own selves and our behavior if we're going to make changes and some techniques like habit stacking where every single day I know I'm going to. Put on my socks so I can put a set of hand weights in front of my sock drawer and say, I'm not going to open that drawer until I do 10 bicep curls.
Just little things like that, that you connect habits together are powerful ways to help you achieve success.  And if you need accountability from a professional state, then you can visit my website, EquilibriumTelehealth. com. I have a medical practice where I help patients one on one. 
But I believe you can get to wherever it is you want to go, by following three easy steps to get healthier. Number one, set a small, specific, achievable goal that you can start moving towards. tomorrow. Know your destination clearly. Hey, take a picture when you get there. And if you can't picture it in full color,  keep painting until you know exactly where you're going.   Number two is start heading there. Identify three very small things that you know you can do every single solitary day to help you move forward. Three little steps. Never, ever, ever stop moving forward. And then when you've seen success in those three areas, celebrate it and set three more steps that keep moving you in the right direction.  
Now, number three, and this, we haven't talked about it yet, but this is the single most impactful thing that will help you reach your goals. This will make more difference than anything else. 
Write it down.  Writing it down  increases your chances for success  by 50%.  I mean, how easy is that?  Just write it down. And better yet, write it down and share it with someone because then you've got a little accountability.
 You know, this episode is almost over and we haven't even been to mini medical school, but let's step into the neuroscience classroom for just a minute and talk about why writing down your goals make so much difference. 
You see, there is this biological process called encoding. We receive sensory input from our sense of smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound.  And all of these things travel into our brain into an area known as the hippocampus.  And that's where they're sort of analyzed and we make decisions about what we're going to store and what we're going to just forget about. 
And when we write something down, we're using another sense. We're not only using our eyes because we see it, but we're using the sense of touch because we're writing it. And if we say it out loud, then we're adding an auditory component. 
And all of this adds to the importance that our hippocampus attaches to what we're doing.  And that stores it deeper in our memory. It encodes it more specifically into our brain.
That's why the smartest people you know always take notes when they're attending a lecture or some type of seminar.  So get out your pencil and write down those goals, encode it in your brain, and you'll be more likely to succeed.  Those three steps are a formula for success. Healthy is a journey. It's not a destination. But it's worth the time and effort and investment to get healthy. Because healthy looks great on you  
7 Day Prescription for Change
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Equilibrium Medical