As much as I like writing, especially writing about health, science, and medicine, it is a challenge to come up with interesting topics to write about on a regular basis. Since the election, it has been impossible for me. I have not been able to think about anything else. Paying attention to self-care and wellness…
Ahh, sleep, beautiful, wonderful, at times elusive sleep. Who doesn’t want to sleep well? Is there anyone who doesn’t like sleeping? Lying all cozy in bed, dozing on and off. Or that feeling of a solid night of sleep when upon waking you feel completely rejuvenated, ready for anything. It’s awesome. Too bad so many…
Summer is over. School has started. The equinox is here. Fall has officially begun. The weather is cooler, especially at night and the days are noticeably shorter. I look forward to September in Maine because it is a lovely month, usually very sunny and warm but not too hot or humid. It’s not summer, though.…
What makes life worth living? Good question, huh? I just read the book When Breath Becomes Air. It is the memoir of Dr. Paul Kalanithi who died in 2015 from lung cancer at age 37. Dr. Kalanithi was a neurosurgery resident when he was diagnosed with advanced cancer. It is a beautiful book. Dr. Kalanithi…
I like to think that I am different. That the typical issues other people face are not a problem for me, like weight loss. I have been heavier than I wanted to be in the past, but as soon as I started paying attention and taking care of myself, eating right, exercising, sleeping well, the…
Do you like what you eat? Does the way you eat work for you? I like my diet, but I’m afraid it isn’t working for me. So, I’m considering a change. That’s the thing about diet. It is very personal. What works for me may not work for you. That’s the thing about diet. It…
Are you confused by all of the seemingly conflicted nutritional advice out there? I know I am, and I’m a doctor. I actively seek out nutritional information and for the most part feel like I am well informed. Yet I still question my food choices. Both what I chose to eat for myself and my…
What did you do last weekend? I spent the whole weekend at a Masters swim meet. Sounds super fun doesn’t it? NOT. I almost didn’t go, but my husband was going to be away, and I figured instead of a weekend at home, my daughter and I could take a trip to Boston. She could…
Last weekend I ran a 10-mile race, the Mid-Winter Classic in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I realized afterward that it has been exactly three years since I received the call that changed my life. I remembered the race, three years ago. I did not compete, but my husband did. That year the race was a few…
Have you seen all the stuff about mindfulness and meditation out there? How could you miss it? Are you sick of hearing about it? Yeah, me too. I, probably like you, have been hearing about how great meditation is for a few years. And there are mountains of scientific data to back it up. It…