Good Stress vs Bad Stress

You may think.... well isn't all stress the same??? And that is far from the truth. Over the years I have realized that there is actually good stress and bad stress. The key is to figure out the difference between the two and make changes accordingly. While good stress can motivate you and energize you, bad stress can actually make you ill!!

What is stress? Stress is our body's way of responding to challenge. In the past, this is what kept us alive. The urge to find food, shelter, warmth, love etc. Now days we have different types of stressors- traffic, bills, exams, lack of sleep etc. Stress causes our sympathetic system to rev up. If a tiger walked into your living room, you better believe that your heart is going to start pumping vs. using your parasympathetic system which aids in things like digestion of food. Now while it is good to vary your heart rate throughout the day through things  like exercise, it is NOT good to be primary in the sympathetic system throughout the day. Your body is "tricked" into thinking that you do not have time for things like food digestion and extraction of nutrients from the food you have eaten, and instead is too busy doing things like pumping blood throughout your body. Your body is  tricked into thinking that there is no time for things like your immune system, and instead is pumping out cortisol. The result... you are more likely to get sick, more likely to get things like cancer, more likely to have high blood pressure, more likely to become obese, more likely to become depressed. At what point do you say... is it worth it? Stress can impact your mind, body, and soul. It can affect your nerves, muscles, hormones, and immunity.

When is stress good? We are all motivated by different things... and I believe that a little bit of stress is good. It is what drives many of us to-- study harder for an exam, clean up around the house, complete certain tasks, care for our loved ones, or accomplish a certain goal. It motivates to a certain extent. The problem becomes when we are overwhelmed with stress... when we place ourselves in a work, school , relationship, social situation that becomes so toxic and stressful that it makes us prone to things like early aging, illness, mental illness, causing our minds and bodies to in essence SHUT DOWN. We are likely to get things like chronic pains, depression, irritable bowl syndrome, hair loss, high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes, obesity, poor memory.

The key is to learn your tolerance for stress. Create a balanced life- one that involves time to eat home cooked healthy meals, exercise, relaxation techniques, time with family and friends, and work. That should be the ultimate goal in life... not money, fame, worldly possessions.

In my quest to find relaxation techniques of my own... I have learned about aromatherapy. Learning about about Western Medicine as an allopathic physician (MD), I realized that not all the answers exist. Drugs have side effects and while large pharma companies will gladly pay for research to support their drugs, no one will pay for such research on techniques that are not hugely profitable. It it is the reason why many of those with chronic pain feel like they have no options.

I can't wait to share my aromatherapy experience with you all in the near future!

Dr. Ben Carson Prayer Speech

What an inspirational man!  Truly a great role model for all in modern society. Let's all take the time to remember the things that really matter in life. 

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opprotunity for Women

A must watch documentary! Although the recent events in India may have come and gone, this is a problem that has been around forever. Ignorance is bliss...  talent is abundant but opportunity is not.

What is Norovirus?

Image via NPR

Norovirus is a virus that we should all be watching out for in the next couple months. A new strain is causing many to get sick with the "stomach flu." In fact, this virus is the most common cause of the winter stomach flu. Norovirus does NOT cause respiratory symptoms but can be a result of food poisoning.

You can catch norovirus by a number of ways: person to person contact, indirect contact by touching contaminated surfaces, and even through air droplets. Norovirus can live on surfaces for a LONG time, making it even harder to avoid. You only need to be exposed to a few particles to catch the disease!

So what can you do? Just like with the flu- WASH YOUR HANDS. When you are in public, avoid touching your face (mouth and eyes especially) after touching random surfaces. Carry around hand sanitizers and wash your hands before eating or right when you get home. If you are sick with the stomach flu- PLEASE stay at home, rest, and stay hydrated. Clean surfaces with LYSOL disinfectant as this will kill norovirus.

Cancer fighting foods: Kale and Brocolli

It is always difficult to force ourselves to eat healthy foods, when we don't have a taste for it. I for one can not stand the taste of cooked carrots unless it is masked in some kind of sauce. I recently discovered this simple and easy recipe for kale and broccoli: two powerful cancer fighting foods,  and plan to make it a staple in my diet. Baked kale satisfies the crunch and salty cravings I get that make me dream about potato chips or french fries.

Both Kale and Broccoli contain sulforaphane: a powerful chemical that can block the formation of cancer cells.

Kale is also packed with
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Manganese


Recipe for quick and delicious Kale chips

1. Curly kale is the best for baking. Remove stems by ripping of cutting them off.
2. Cut Kale (by ripping) into small pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly in a salad spinner.
3.  Place dry kale on a flat pan.
4. Dribble olive oil on top. Use hands to rub oil on all leaves.
5. Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice! Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Parmesan, Chipotle, Old Bay etc!!!
6. Bake in oven 15 min at 350!
7. Let cool in oven.

Brocolli recipe from Barefoot Contessa:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.


Enjoy!!!

Suze Orman Financial Tips....

For those in their 20's:

Suze's Tip # 3: Only Losers Eat Out Every Meal!
I fly private and I bring my lunch! No one works harder than me, and I never eat out! Working hard is not an excuse! Make your food and bring it to work with you. If you want to be a loser forever and continue to waste money, then fine by me. Stop giving yourself excuses. You'll never enjoy life if you continue to waste money. When I first became a stock broker, all the other stock brokers would go out to fancy lunches everyday. On the other hand, I went to taco bell, had two tacos and a diet coke and it cost me $2 a day. That's how I got to go out and still be OK.

Suze's Tip # 4 : You don't need to spend a fortune on designer clothes.
Honest to God, the amount of money they [young people] waste on designer clothes is the worst habit I've seen! Having to have the Jimmy Choos or $700 purse is ridiculous. Do you think anyone even cares?

Suze's Tip # 5: Clubbing is a huge waste of money.
The amount of money spent on clubbing is absolutely amazing! Go to each other's houses and have a great time in your home. You can buy a bottle of vodka for what it costs for one drink at a club. I mean $90 in one night? That's the amount of money needed to fund your Roth IRA every month.

Suze's Tip # 6: It's not about being so specific with how you divide up your salary.
It's hard to divide your salary into set percentages these days - salaries are just so low right now. If all you're making is $1000 per month, it's almost impossible to divide up, but all of you know when you're spending too much! It's not about being so specific, but if your rent is taking up 80% of your spending, then you're in big trouble.
The first thing you should do with your money is spend every extra dollar you have to get out of credit card debt, saving an 8-month emergency fund.

Suze's Tip # 7 : It's not about cutting everything out; it's about cutting a little bit off of everything.
Don't try to give up all your favorite things at once. If you go cold turkey, you will explode. Just cut down! You can indulge, but indulging doesn't mean every day. I mean come on! Do you really have to have Starbucks every day? Can you go clubbing twice a month instead of every weekend? Pick the things you really love to do and just do them twice a month.

Suze's Tip # 8: Start saving now!
The best thing you could do is to have a Roth IRA. You can withdraw any money you put into it at any time, without any taxes or penalties. That's where you should get money from, not your 401K or pension plans. You should be investing in individual stocks that pay a high dividend yield.

Suze's Tip # 9: Credit Card Debt isn't necessarily bad.
The thing is that credit card debt isn't bad,but if your interest rate is at 30% that's bad - actually horrific! A 1% to 2% interest rate is ok. If the debt is because you're trying to make your mark and make your way in the world, then I don't have a problem with that. If you have debt because of clubbing, excessive shopping and weekend trips to Tahoe, then you're an idiot - that's the debt that will do you in.

Everyone else:

Idea No. 1: You can't wait for the market to save you.
"The real estate market isn't going to come back until at least 2023," Orman predicted. "If you can't afford your home, you need to figure out what to do. You have to make a plan and that plan can't be that the market will save you." Similarly, if you see a house on the market that looks like a good deal, don't buy it. "Don't you dare," said Orman. Unless, of course, you can easily put 20% of the money down and pay the property taxes, mortgage and insurance comfortably with your current salary—and your job is secure. Then, as long as the house will be your primary residence, go right ahead.

Idea No. 2: Pay in cash
If you pay for something in cash, you won't have debt. It's as simple as that. If you have credit card debt, pay that off as fast as you can. (See Suze Orman in the 2010 TIME 100.)

Idea No. 3: Men need to stop pretending they know more about financial planning than they do. "Men are financial fakers," said Orman. When she worked as a financial planner, she said, married couples would come in for advice and "when the wife got up to go to the bathroom, I'd lay out this very complicated, totally made up plan for the husband. I'd say, 'You do this, and this, and this—are you following me?' and the husband would nod and say, 'Yes, Suze. To the letter.'" Then when the wife came back, she'd ask the husband to explain it to her and he couldn't. "Of course he couldn't! It wasn't a real plan!" Orman says that even today, men feel pressure to pretend like they know what they're doing. "That's how Bernie Madoff happened," she said. "One guy told another guy, who told another guy, who told another guy, and not one of them knew what they were doing." Women, on the other hand, have no problem asking someone to explain an idea to them again.

Idea No. 4: Save money.
Having eight months of savings in the bank so that if you find yourself without a job, you can still pay your bills.

And finally: LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS!!!!