Health Affixed

Health Is Limitless

Is your vision 20/20?

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Yo, it’s December 1st. I think it would be an understatement for many if I said that this year flew by. Come to think of it, every time I get to the end of a year, I’ve felt as if the year flew by. I guess that is just the mind reminding us that time keeps going and that 10, 20, even 30 years can feel like the blink of an eye.

If that’s the case, do we ever start feeling like we are in control of time and are able to regulate its pace or the pace of our lives. That’s a conversation I need to have with the oldest person alive — #goals. Regardless, yo, it’s December 1st!

Have you given thought to what you want your life or year to be in 2020? Let’s not wait until January 1st because that is when we have to put our vision in motion. Let’s draft, revise, and finalize our plan of action during the next 30 days so that nothing can stop us on January 1st. If there is anything that you need to buy for your 2020 vision, do the research today to take advantage of the cyber Monday deals.

If you have no clue what your vision should be for 2020, take a moment and reflect on your life thus far. Are you close to your goals? What is the status of the 5 year, 10 year, or 20 year plan that you made for your life? What steps do you need to take in 2020 to reach those goals? What habits have you developed that you may need to break in 2020? If you had no goals in 2019 and no 5 year plan, then you should create one because — yo, it’s December 1st.

Get your emotions in check. Write a letter to yourself about all of your personal battles that you are not able to share with anyone. Spill all of the tea. Get it all out of your system. Put the letter away. On December 29 – let’s make that a Self Care Sunday. On December 29, sit down and read that letter. Upon reading that letter, your goal should be figuring out how to resolve the conflict within that letter. What advice would you give a friend who had the issues in the letter? Perhaps, it would be that your friend should speak to a professional to help see things in a different light or work through some of the tougher issues. There is nothing wrong with that! The goal of 2020 is to get the vision of your life in clear view – your vision needs to be 20/20.

Warning: Don’t fall into the trap of trying to resolve an issue to get back to a state of comfort. The goal in solving a problem is not to get back to status quo because status quo tends to lead us right back to the problem. Solving a recurring issue by getting back to status quo may only lead to forming a cycle. Sure, status quo usually brings a level of comfort and familiarity, but it generally will also, in time, cause the same “resolved issue” to reappear. If things need to be different, then they should be different no matter how uncomfortable the process may be.

Lastly, in looking forward, I always like taking a step back and these two quotes have always inspired me to not settle with status quo and to push for progress within myself and for the people around me:

“If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” — Thomas Jefferson

“It is never too late to become what you might have been.” – Unknown, internet says George Eliot

Yo, it’s December first of Two Thousand and Nineteen.

Greenery: No Grass

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The grass does not grow in my backyard. I was looking for another alternative and considered artificial turf until I read about the potential health risks.

According to HuffPost, there are growing concerns about the potential health and environmental impact of synthetic grass. Apparently, Amy Griffin, a college soccer coach in Seattle, noticed that a number of soccer goal keepers, who played on artificial turfs infilled with recycled rubber tire crumbs, developed blood and other rare cancers. She argues that enough research has not been completed on the risk of harm to those who make frequent contact with the turf.

In addition to the lack of research regarding the potential health risks to the public, the available information does not seem to be favorable. For example, artificial turf heats up in the sun which may cause blisters, burns, and worsen environmental issues due to the increased rate in which heated toxins are released into the air. Likewise, another environmental concern is flooding. If you live in an area that may receive a lot of rain at any given time, then installation of a drainage system must be considered. Unlike natural grass, without proper drainage in place, water settles on top of artificial grass which can lead to flooding.

In conclusion, it is generally recommended that the use of artificial turf be limited to those with no other practical options. If you do not fit in this category, consider skipping the artificial grass until more research is available.

Botox & Migraines

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The commercial on television said that Botox can be used to treat migraines; the statement sparked my interest - Botox for migraines, since when? I thought Botox was for wrinkles.

According to Migraine Again, the correlation between Botox and migraine relief was an accidental discovery. Patients who received Botox treatment reported that their headaches improved.

I didn’t have to look very far to find skepticism. At the end of the commercial, the spokesperson disclosed the side effects of Botox. It turns out that the Botox recommended for migraines could also cause headaches.

Avoiding common migraine triggers may be a better solution than Botox. These common migraine triggers include dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, meat, wheat, nuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, apples, and bananas.

If you have debilitating migraines, then you may want to look into the Migraine Diet.

Food & Inflammation

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Inflammation is the body’s repair mechanism for damaged tissue, the body’s response to an injury, and the body’s defense strategy against viruses and bacteria. An inflammatory response is triggered by the immune system. A defect in the body’s triggering system may result in the development of an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases, the body mistakenly believes that normal tissues are infected and triggers an inflammatory response to fight the normal tissues; the inflammatory response damages the normal tissues.

According to Eat This, Not That!, certain foods can trigger an inflammatory response in the body which over time can lead to weight gain, drowsiness, skin problems, digestive issues, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. These foods include sugar, vegetable oil, fried foods, refined flour, dairy, artificial sweeteners, artificial additives (processed foods), saturated fats, conventional grain-fed meats (low quality meats), processed meats (including bacon), store-bought bread (gluten), excess alcohol, trans fat foods, and fast food.

While eliminating all of these foods may be unrealistic, limiting them is definitely achievable and may go a long way in preserving your immune system. In addition, there are some anti-inflammatory foods that you may use to balance your day before or after consuming inflammatory foods. According to Dr. Axe, anti-inflammatory foods include: green leafy vegetables, bok choy, celery, beets, broccoli, blueberries, pineapples, salmon, bone broth, walnuts, coconut oil, chia seeds, flax seeds, turmeric, and ginger.

Tip: if you eat a lot of fried foods, you may want to buy some ginger tea to keep on hand.

Never Again: Organic Blueberries

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This is one organic item that I can no longer enjoy; blame it on the trauma from seeing maggots in my blueberries, not the alcohol.

Apparently, when you purchase organic blueberries, you run the risk of getting a batch infected with maggots. These maggots, by all accounts, are harmless if accidentally consumed. However, just seeing them in your blueberry can be a traumatic experience.

When it comes to blueberries, a little bit of pesticide may actually go a long way. The female blueberry fruit fly lays her egg under the skin of the blueberry. The eggs hatch in the blueberry and the maggot/larva emerges. The maggot feeds on the pulp inside of the blueberry. The infested berries are packaged and sold to organic vendors. The vendors sell to consumers and the consumer, well, consumes the infested berries.

If you have never had an issue with blueberry maggots, then there is no need to give up your organic berries; instead, be aware that maggots in organic blueberries is a real possibility and stay alert while consuming your organic blueberries.