Looking For A Change?

Are you looking for better health, more energy, joy in living... ? You should and can feel great at any age. and we can help.

Our programs focus on the foundations of health - nutrition, lifestyle, and balance (in body, mind and spirit); using natural ways when possible, to restore your feeling of vitality. You will be amazed at how good you feel when you take care of yourself.

Prevention is as important as treatment. In today's world, there are too many demands on your time and body. You need to put the missing pieces back into your life; time with family and friends, good food, exercise, hope, optimism and make sure you get what you need to stay healthy and happy.

Our Lifestyle Programs, show you simple, easy ways to naturally improve your health; changes that will make a big impact on how you look and feel.

Call us to start your rejuvenation.
540-432-1700

Dr Kathleen is available for individual holistic health consultations. Programs can be done in person or by phone and for individuals or groups. For information on the programs, please contact us or see the link http://www.nosweatfitnessexpress.blogspot.com/

These wellness programs do not take the place of your doctor's care. They serve to educate you on steps you can take to improve your sense of health and well-being. Dr Kelley has an Integrative Practice in Harrisonburg Virginia; she is able to run diagnostics and prescribe treatment when necessary and these can be included in the consultations as well. She will also gladly work with you and your physician to restore your vitality and health

OOPS

Sometimes you have to have a sense of humor and a back up plan helps as well. I think my mind launched to space or something. have a conference in Ft Lauderdale that I signed up for in March - so last week I booked my ticket, was really happy that I got a great price - to ORLANDO! It wasn't until I had paid for it that I realized the conference is in a different city. Pays to check all your facts and double check - anyway the airline agent couldn't stop laughing and neither could I and yes I did rebook to Ft Lauderdale. Must be in a Disney state of mind.

Robin Williams

Robin Williams was a wonderful, sweet, generous spirit - too bad it takes the loss of someone great to remind us of how we should be.

He had spontaneously reached out to one of my patients in the most encouraging way, during an accidental encounter as they were standing in line  - for what I do not recall. But Mr Williams overheard how my patient was in rehab and told him to stick with it that it was the best thing he could do for himself. That two minute exchange carried my patient through the full 90 day program and beyond.

You never know how a few minutes of kindness can impact someone's life. Pass it on.

Keel Your Body Basic

An alkaline balance in your body optimizes your its ability function, to absorb minerals and other nutrients, increase cell energy, increase cell repair, detoxify, impede tumor cell growth and support you immune system. It will improve oxygen flow in your body and make you feel more energetic.

Whole food and plenty of vegetables support your immune system. They help your body maintain a healthy PH balance and provide powerful phytonutrients as well. Eat 75% of alkalizing foods (fruits, vegetables, green tea) daily. Limit acidifying foods to 25% of your diet. (Meats, beans, grains, oils, alcohol (if at all) artificial sweeteners, sugars, Processed foods and medications all cause an acid response in the body that your body has to work to balance). Eat the basics to help your body work less so it can work on supporting you.

Let Your Light Be Bright

The lack of sunlight in the winter lowers your vitamin D levels and it lowers your mood as well. The command part of your brain requires sunlight to turn on the production of your feel-good hormone Serotonin. (Serotonin production also requires other building blocks - B Vitamins, Omega 3s, and protein, specifically Tryptophan found in animal proteins). Staying inside and under artificial lights will make you feel tired and blue! But when you get out in the sun, your body and mind rejoice and sing! Make sure you incorporate some outside daily activity into your routine each day. The fresh air and sunshine will raise your spirits and a walk will keep you in shape. If you can not get out, change your indoor lighting to full spectrum light bulbs to simulate the effect the sun has on your mood. While you are walking remember all of the things you have to be thankful for and celebrate the fresh start you have each day.

D'Up: To Tan or Not to Tan?

I am looking for an excuse to tan. Should I head to the beach or a booth? 15 minutes of sunshine is all you need to boost your D. Winter has been long and today a pretty snow is falling again, hiding the sun. I want to D'Up or get my daily dose of D. D makes me smile because it raises my happy hormones, it helps me make energy, it boosts my immune system (better Natural Killer Cells and White Blood Cells) and helps me burn the winter weight. Power D even helps me remove toxins from my body (Mercury) besides building bones. Is that cool or what?

2000-5000 iu per day (the higher amount in the winter) for adults, 1000iu for kids - check your level. It should be between 50 & 70.

Vitamin D occurs naturally in fish, whole eggs and mushrooms. It is also found in fortified milk and orange juice. But even including these foods in your diet - does not guarantee that you will have enough Vitamin D, so adding a supplement is a great idea. D'up? yup!

Yikes! Are You Eating Plastic?

A study 2 years ago showed 100% of healthy pregnant women and their babies had dangerously high levels of BPAs (plastics) in their bodies. If 100% of pregnant women are toxic, what does that make the rest of us? Toxic as well of course.

Plastics cause all kinds of havoc in our cells. They interfere with Omega 3s, leading to oxidative stress, poor brain function and hormone dysfunction. They damage the pancreas, prevent our bodies from detoxifying and promote cancer cell growth. They bind to zinc, leading to a cascading chain malfunction of vitamins, contributing to depression, heart disease, cancer, aging and diabetes. They interfere with proper cholesterol metabolism resulting in high cholesterol levels.

They are nothing short of something that does not belong in your body. Avoid them at all costs - eliminate canned goods, drinks and food stored in plastic and cooking in plastic. Eat lots of greens and include supplements like chlorella, bentonite or natural cell defense to trap and remove them.

It's best to eat natural whole foods to maintain your health.

Collections

My daughter is off to school 

I am caring for aging parents, buried an uncle a short time ago and another this week, my step-sister is dying and in the midst of this commotion, I find myself reflecting on next chapter. I have been so busy working as the sole bread-winner (with a 2-4 hour commute each day) and caring for others that I have had not made time to connect or reach out to my friends or be involved in the community. I got to thinking what is important? Is it things? Riches? How you touch others? How you leave the world?

I think it is how you touch others and how you leave the world. So now, I have two goals: to be a collector and to make a positive difference. I want to collect friends and be a friend. I want to leave this place, my little corner, better off for being here. We never know how what we do touches others, but if you act with integrity and compassion you can do a whole lot.

Charles Shultz had a quiz something like this

Can you name the five wealthiest people in the world, the last few Heisman trophy winners, the winners of the Miss America pageant, ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize, Academy Award winners or a decade's worth of World Series winners?

Probably not.  But I bet you can name or remember a teacher who aided your journey through school, friends who have helped you through a difficult time, people who have taught you something worthwhile, people who have made you feel appreciated and special and people you enjoy spending time with.

The point is, none of us remembers yesterdays headlines

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies...

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

The people who make a difference in your life and the lives of others are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who reach out and care the most. I want to be one of those people

Shultz had it right - he got it. I hope that it inspires us to do the same

 

Perspectives

I get up in the morning. I think that is a good start. It means that I am alive and I have another chance to do something. Hopefully good. Some people don't have that chance. They are either too ill or in the middle of a crisis. So the fact that I am able and willing to get up and work is a good thing.

Do you have a daily list of Yahoos?! A gratitude list? Of things big or small that put a smile on your face? I challenge you to write down 5 things each day that make you smile or that make you feel lucky. Put a Yeah! after each one. My list: My house is warm Yeah! The sun is shining Yeah! My daughter is happy and healthy Yeah! The robins are back Yeah! My crocuses and hyacinth are up Yeah! I have change in my pocket Yeah! Put it in a notebook and carry it with you. Read daily

So simple - it makes you feel good. Read your list out loud. It might seem silly at first but it will make you smile. So go ahead and put a grin on your face. I dare you.

Are You "Shaloming"?

I am all for health because I love to see people at their best -  happy and enjoying life.
I want people to celebrate  - celebrate everyday miracles: life, family, friends, sunrises, nature, their own creativity...

But they cannot experience or appreciate the everyday miracles that surround them without health in all its forms
     physical health
     emotional health
     spiritual health
     financial health
     a sense of community
     and be surrounded by beauty and a healthy environment

I want to create a world and start a movement to encourage people to take action for balance and wellness in all things so that their health is not a distraction but a gift and the miracle it is. it would be great if you joined me by starting to take care of yourself in all of these forms. It could be contagious and maybe together we could heal the world one person at a tmie.

I learned yesterday that the Hebrew word Shalom means to be at peace and in balance with all I have mentioned (total health in body, spirit, financial, relationships..) so I want to ask you if you are Shaloming? (new word I made up) to mean are you taking care of yourself in all aspects of your life so you can be happy and share your greatness with others? I hope so.

Rocktober Is Over

My recovery is still in process. I can breath and move a bit better. My skin is not peeling as much and I have more energy. There is still a long way to go to really live again. When you are not well it is as if your life is wasted. If any of you have faced a challenge, keep moving forward and don't give up. Thank you for sharing my journey. I will keep posting but will be off the grid for a few days do to wifi availability.

Connections

Been working in an emergency clinic 2 hours from home for the last 2 days. (Which is why I worote about deer whistles - commuting through deer country) Thank goodness for Panera's and McDonald's wifi. I like the ER work, the patients are nice folks. I see a lot of work injuries. Most happen because people are in a hurry or taking a shortcut or just tired. I stress to people to take their time doing things, even if they are late because that is when you make mistakes, some can be worse than others, some even fatal. Where in the last 50 years did we lose sight of people? When did we start treating people like machines and commodities, totally alienating or communities? I see unrealistic demands placed on people (including those in health care where some clinics limit you to 10-15 min/patient), 12-16 hour days. Days that take people away from their families and a healthy life, both at home and with the community. I remember having to report a + stimulant screen to an employer and they said "I am surprised he is one of our best workers".I thought how do you think your employees and work 4-5, 12-16 hour days a week without becoming sick or exhausted - why do you think they turned to the stimulant? Not that I am condoning them. Things seemed much simpler 45 -50 years ago when people actually took time with each other.

There is a great book by David Plowden "Vanishing Point - 50 Years of Photography" that is a tribute to the iniquity of the human spirit. what is more interesting than the pictures themselves is the story behind the pictures, painstaking and delightfully obtained by the photographer when he took the time to learn about what made things happen. In every instance it was the connection he had with the individual and the individual's passion and artistry for what they were doing. You can hear the replay on ThisIsTheStory.org. How cool to actually take time to learn about someone else and connect.

Deer Whistles

Deer Whistles. My old car had deer whistles on the bumper. Wild life became statuesque when you approached, freeze-framed in the moment. I loved that car, 12 years old and 220,000 miles on it. Had replaced almost everything under the hood, but my mechanic said I should part with it while it was still worth something. "Blue" my CRV. They don't make them like that anymore.

We are down to a one car family and the car I am driving doesn't have a bumper. It has a sleek smooth design, but where to put the deer whistles? Thinking that air flow was all they needed, I put them subtly in the grill and drove on (there were no instructions with the new pair of I purchased). I guessed wrong. Driving back from Alabama, after dropping my daughter off at school, I came face to face with the most beautiful 6 point buck I had ever seen (it was also the first one I had ever seen). August, not mating season, mid evening in southern Virginia. There was little or no shoulder on this stretch of highway and the thickets and woods were close and heavy. He popped up 8 feet in front of me in the woods. I hoped he would stay put. Our eyes locked and not wanting to see anything, I closed mine at 70 mph. Then BUMP. Darn, couldn't he have stayed there?  Only a dent in my front bumper. I hope he got away OK. I could drive, there was minimal damage and in my heart of hearts I hoped he got up. But it I could not tell and I could not stop as cars behind approached.

Weeks later, I found an old (more than 20 years old) set of deer whistles, still in their original package at my parents house when I was cleaning it out. I had bought them a set many years ago and they sat in a top drawer until that day (so much for practical gifts). These were different. They had INSTRUCTIONS. 2 pages of instructions. I never knew you could learn so much about deer whistles. The most important instruction they stressed was NEVER PLACE THEM IN THE GRILL. Put them as far forward of the car as possible - if your bumper was not flat you could mount them on the hood, or even upside down under the bumper, but as far forward as possible. They had a diagram for every possible car configuration and bumper, so even non mechanicals like me could unlock and use the secret of their mystery. So now I have 2 sets of deer whistles on the car. If it was just my car I would have put them on the hood, but alas, it is a shared mode of transport, so the whistles unobtrusively have their residence under the bumper, leading the way down the road because they are as far forward as I could get them. Have yet to see freeze frames, but I am on the lookout to see if they work.

Keep On Keeping On

Roctober is almost over and I am not even close to "Rockin". I must admit that I did not exercise every day - some days I seemed too tired to even move. But if I got out 3 days a week, it was a start. I managed to use the nutrients 5-6 days a week. Healthy habits take time to build into your schedule. Don't give up! My skin is healing (not 100%, more like 50%), my eyes are no longer painful and I am a bit more flexible. This is a process. It was more than 2 years of neglect and abuse that took my body on a downward turn. It will take more than a few weeks to build it up and every step forward is a step in the right direction. I had a massage and I really think it helped me turn the corner. It was quite painful at the time, but I felt so much better the next day. I could move joints that seemed frozen before. Massage helps break down muscle tension and it invigorates the lymph system which helps cleanse your body. If you are in a recovery like mine, treat yourself to one at least every other week. It will do you a world of good. No pain, no gain.

Your Kids Are My Kids

I wasn't planning on working today, but did see a few patients mid-day. Not too convenient - it was a favor. People will call at odd hours without even thinking that doctors might have families, hobbies or other obligations, it goes with the territory. Used to be that there was more of a community spirit. You know, I watch your back, you watch mine.  But times have changed and this isn't Petticoat Junction or even Dr Quinn. I was flabbergasted when I realized this. My daughter was young and I was working in a walk-in clinic, ER type of setting, someone came in just before my shift was to end and they were pretty bad off, so I stabilized them and got them settled. This made me 10 to 15 minutes late in picking up my daughter. I didn't mind the $5/min late fee, it was the" you can't bring her here if this happens again" statement that floored me. Nevermind the fact that I had volunteered many times to be the MD at their sporting events, or was patient when some of the staff showed up at my door for medical reasons on my days off, etc... It was more like "Gee, I am saving a life and someday that might be your son or daughter or even you..:"  I miss the days when there was more community spirit and reciprocity.

I look at the kids in this town as "my kids". I have seen them grow and blossom and really care if they succeed. It breaks my heart when they do stupid things that could ruin their lives. I feel that we have let them down in some way. We should expect and set high standards and teach them that it OK to be "square" instead of "gangsta".  That you don't have to be "tough" and it'd OK to respect each other. They are just trying to fit in but some are directionless through no fault of their own. The schools seem to have a double standard in the name of political correctness and in the meantime the emperor has no clothes. better to lift them up and help them stay up.

Mark Harmon

There is a large picture of Mark Harman in my office. Mark Harmon, is perhaps the person who has the most influence on my practice, and although I enjoy gazing on his dishy, handsome face, he is really there to support my patients. The picture is a half page color spread from the Washington Post that says "I am my own secret weapon". In support of the American Cancer Society's efforts to promote immune health and research. When my patients ask me what I can do for them. I point to his photo and say "I help your body do that". I tell them that I cannot cure disease, but I can show them how to strengthen and balance their immune systems through diet, lifestyle, detoxification and nutrition.  A healthy body naturally seeks out and destroys unwanted invaders, but when it breaks down, it cannot identify an invader from itself and either lets cancer proliferate or turns on itself (auto-immune disease). If you have these, you are beyond the tipping point and should seek to minimize or reverse the cause. The straw has already broke the camel's back. That Is why I tell patients in these situations to use only natural things and to avoid putting chemicals in their bodies. If your great-grandmother could not pronounce it, it probably does not belong on you or in you. I say, "WHOLE food is a whole lot better and REAL food is real good"™

Babaloos

October is not only Rocktober, but it is also breast cancer awareness month. We are all supposed to be in the pink, and while an admirable cause, I feel that too many people are more than aware of the issue but not aware of the CAUSE - which is prevention and removing the triggers that lead to the cancer in the first place. If I had the answer to that 50 million dollar question, I would not be writing this blog. But I DO have part of the answer.

I have seen a trend in breast cancer. It is very common for it to occur after or during times of undue stress and yet I see very little literature on this topic. I see post menopausal woman with no known estrogen exposure, exponentially increase in size with associated morning sickness. a sure sign of estrogen hyper-drive. Estrogen and progesterones are off balance due to STRESS. (Try as you may to stay calm, the physical/emotional demands on your body can cause this)

The Biochem book is so handy - I just had to review the adrenal pathway. Most MDs are aware that under prolonged and extreme periods of stress the adrenals burn out from the constant production of cortisol and epinephrine (these 2 things together raise blood sugars, decrease muscle mass, increase inflammation, kill your immune system and more, making your body a fertile feeding ground for whatever chooses to assault it) but fail to realize that the elevated cortisol converts to excess estrogen as well - Bingo! Ladies have puppies and morning sickness. The constant estrogen exposure enlarges breasts and ovaries and if sustained, increases the cancer risk of both these structures. So woman everywhere, slow down, relax and take care of yourselves. If this sounds familiar, see your physician to balance out your system, go out with the girls, laugh, love and hug your kids. Reclaim your attractive vitality.

Jefferson's Paris

Feeling slightly more human. I have a lot of ideas swimming in my brain on my way to work but they fade by the time I get to the keyboard. I wish there was a gadget that could just type as I thought, but then again, that might be a bit scary.  Worked in Charlottesville today on mandatory CME. We have to get 30 credits a year or 60 total in 2 years to maintain a medical license. This seemed the most pleasant way to do it.

It was a beautiful crisp sunny day so I ducked out at lunch and walked about the city. It smelled like Paris (restaurants, fresh air and tobacco) and even resembled Paris a bit. I was thinking that, as I strolled from one end of the pedestrian mall to the other. The city draws you out and walking seems so natural. (Unlike my attempts to walk around the block at home without a canine friend in tow). It was very refreshing and impressive. Thomas Jefferson and Washington admired the City of Lights. No wonder this quaint little town (Jefferson's town) had that sense about it. It was purposely designed with that effect in mind. Hats off to Tom. He was a genius.

The CME was not my cup of tea, a lot of drugs but no questions as to what is causing disease (which is where my fascination lies). I surfed the web with my questions and discovered that the average life span of physicians is 58 years old. That means I have a year and a half left to make my mark on posterity. Yikes!

Hooked into an online lecture at home that was fabulous and as if to answer the questions I had posed to the staff earlier in the day, confirmed my suspicions about the diseases we discussed earlier. That they are largely preventable and cause by nutrient deficiencies, poor GI or liver health, bacteria, viral loads or toxicity. I am living proof that the body breaks down when you don't feed it, It was exciting to hear another researcher arrive at the same conclusions I had been working on. It was great to learn that I am not the only MD who thinks thyroiditis is associated with heavy metal toxicity (mercury) or that selenium can help you make more antioxidants, provide support for your heart or liver and that copper is necessary for the walls of your circulatory system and heart (that and vitamin E can also help brain function). Boron supports hormone function. It is basic nutrition and feeding the body well is so important. Yet conventional medicine overlooks so much and just turns to drugs instead of the cause. I felt like shouting at the CME "Guys you are going the wrong way" but telling that to people who are so dedicated to one model will not get you far. For now I can only seek out minds who are willing to question and say that there must be a better solution. 

Shockey

Had a text message at 4 AM and another at 6. Somebody did not get the message that I actually sleep, and for sure they are not reading this because they would have known that I was hit by a Mack Truck yesterday. Don't feel much better today, but I will slog it through. "The show must go on" and ERs and health clinics do not close. Fortunately it is only a half day at a clinic I absolutely love working in, even though it is an hour commute. It is a beautiful commute. The drive takes me through the most beautiful part of the valley. I used to drive it 2-4 times a week and became familiar with the sights along the way (the sheep farm, goat farm, horse farm, llama farm (no kidding one was even named Dolly) and cattle farms). I watched the animals change with the seasons, saw their pregnancies and watched them foal. They developed predictable behaviors and patterns, so much so that you knew when  they were content. "Cows in the woods" meant it was a good day. If it was stormy they would either huddle together, or be off in a corner of the field near the barns. I actually enjoyed watching them.

More particularly I enjoy working in Winchester. There is a real sense of community spirit there, especially at the company I sometimes work at which hosts a medical clinic for its employees. Shockey has been in business since 1896 (117 years) and is still family owned. Mr Shockey (now in his mid 90s) comes to work every day and it is his presence and vision that sets the tone for employee morale. The company started an in-house preventative health and medical clinic for its employees even before the "health crisis" . But that is not what makes it special. What makes it special is Mr Shockey's sincere and caring attitude for his employees. He is one of the sweetest and genuine individuals you will ever meet, part of "The Greatest Generation" and his sincerity touches the very core of your being, it touches his employees and everyone he meets. It inspires those around him to do their best and to rise to greatness. I have never worked in a place where the employees cherish their boss like a treasure and yet, that is how he affects everyone (and yes he is a treasure). This effect is not limited to the company but spreads out into the community. The result is a community that works together to support each other, one that cares for each other and one that uplifts all they meet. There is no sense of competition, but more of a broad spectrum of camaraderie that filters and trickles down to the young. It is so uplifting to even experience a part of that. I wish I could put my finger on what it is because I aspire to have that effect on people. I have seen it before, mostly in those of the WW II generation. I fear it is something we have lost, but maybe someone will be smart enough to pinpoint what it is that has this effect on others and inspires in a kind and exciting way.

Anderson Cooper PLEASE interview Mr Shockey before it is too late. (I wish some one who writes well would tell his story.) Come to think about it, my Dad has the same demeanor. He's always concerned about everyone but himself (even at 89.5) maybe that is the ticket. There is no "What can I take from the world" but rather "What can I give it". Now there's a thought. If more people had the opportunity to experience this, it could be contagious. Maybe we should start a campaign. Really, kindness can be in all of us.

Keep Going

It is the start of week 3 in the recovery process. I woke up feeling like I was hit by a Mack Truck. Wish someone told me they were going to move the highway through my bedroom last night. Small steps in regaining healthy habits have been made, but the fact that I am still stiff and slow indicates just how abused my body was and the restoration will most likely take more than a month. Good news is that my eyes are healing. They are not as sore and new skin is growing, so I am not so much like a zombie and can actually go out in the sun. The skin is only the tip of the iceberg in what is happening inside. Your body just doesn't fall apart all at once, somehow it reaches a tipping point and the trick is to catch it before it is too late. In years past my immune system was so strong that I was not affected to what my patients had, but working in an ER brings in a lot and try as I may to avoid exposure, it happens. You just have to keep going in the direction you want even with setbacks.

My friend is doing better and is not experiencing the herxeimer reaction so intensely. Patients get impatient with the recovery process or health programs, but the important thing to remember is to keep going - eventually you will reach your goal.

That reminds me of a vet who with a little inspiration, did not give up on himself. Check out this 4 minute video. It is one of my favorites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448