HEALTH TIPS FROM Steve Fisher, ND  

Today I would like to talk to you about a common problem known as acid reflux or acid indigestion.  Millions of people needlessly suffer from this on a daily basis. 

When you go to your favorite store you can find countless remedies for this problem.  They come in pink pills, purple pills, white pills, mint tasting and terrible tasting mixtures, but there are some simple solutions to this problem: 

1. Stop eating garbage from fast food restaurants.

2. Drink more water.

3. If you've eaten something that you think will cause a problem, or if you start to feel a problem coming on, drink a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a small glass of water. 

The best apple cider vinegar is the one that appears to be cloudy in the bottle and you should shake it lightly before using.

 To cure disease is noble… to prevent disease is wise!

Simple Steps To Rejuvenating Healthy Skin

Wouldn't it be great if the world could see how youthful and vivacious you are on the inside? Many anti-aging measures involve invasive or expensive procedures, but before you spend your savings going to extremes, here are a few simple ways to mature gracefully without breaking the bank:

•Get Moving

Working out doesn't have to mean working hard. Find a pastime you enjoy and get to it. Whether that means walking on the beach, working in your garden or riding your bicycle, just make sure you're getting about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise -or activity-every day. The more you work out, the more energy you'll have to participate in the hobbies you love-and when you feel healthy, it shows from the inside, out.

•Make Over Your Makeup

Gone are the days of dark shadows and stark lipstick, which only accentuate dark circles and crow's feet. Instead, use neutral pinks and browns to highlight your best features. Thick, well-groomed eyebrows are a sign of youthfulness, so try a powder or light pencil to fill them in. Brow color should always be one shade lighter than your hair. Heavy or glittery foundations can emphasize wrinkles, so use a lightweight, matte primer that matches your skin tone. Protect your skin by using foundation that has a built-in SPF of 15 or more. Lastly, a simple pink lip gloss will make lips look naturally full and shiny. Without all that makeup, you'll feel lighter and look younger, too.

•Begin From Within

Drinking lots of water will keep you and your skin, which can become wrinkly and dry with age, well hydrated. Your hair may also become brittle and your nails may grow frail or break off easily, so try a supplement designed to sustain healthy skin and strengthen hair and nails. Supplements can be a quick, natural way to help prevent the signs of aging.

"We often forget that skin is our largest organ, and it's fed by many blood vessels supplying its nutrition," said Dr. Luke Bucci, vice president of research at Schiff(r) Nutrition International. "The more healthy nutrients that are flowing through your bloodstream, the better off your skin will be-from the inside, out."

Dear readers, this column is being reprinted by popular request.

Why Weight?

Dear Sheila,

I really need to lose weight.  I’ve tried to diet but with limited success.

I think about going out for a walk or dancing with my friends, but then I think about how fat I am and how humiliated I would feel if I were seen walking or dancing. 

I know I’ve become a bit isolated and my friends don’t call as much because I never want to go out with them, but I’m ashamed of my body and the way I look.  I know I’m not obese, maybe 20 pounds overweight, but still I can’t get over feeling terrible about how I look.  

The worst part is that to comfort myself I think of all the fun things I’m going to do once I reach my perfect weight but then I get bored or lonely and end up eating a whole box of cookies or anything else I can find laying around the house.  Which means it’s going to be that much longer before I reach my ideal weight and get to do all those fun things.

-Frustrated and Lonely in Mukilteo

Dear Frustrated and Lonely,

No wonder you are having a hard time.  It is very painful and confusing to be stuck in a cycle that is self-defeating. 

First of all, give yourself permission to stop isolating.  Being alone does nothing but make you feel worse about yourself. By sitting at home alone, waiting for the pounds to drop off, you are also waiting to live.  

You may be staying home waiting until you’re ‘perfect’ but ‘perfect’ isn’t going to happen.  And I’m not talking about just you – the idea of perfection is something many strive for and we all fall short of.  

Your efforts have become a punishment, and by punishing yourself you keep yourself in a cycle of loneliness and boredom that ultimately leads you to eat to comfort yourself.

The shame you feel has less to do with your weight than your self-esteem.  You’ve bought into the notion that you aren’t good enough the way you are, and that’s just not true. 

You are good enough, and it’s time to start adding some enjoyment back into your life.  Of course, it is best to be at a healthy weight, but there is no sense punishing yourself if you are not there.

Here are some key points to consider:

Self esteem:  Take the very best care of yourself you can – this includes having fun and enjoying the company of people who don’t expect perfection from you but like you for who you are. 

You will find this to be a reinforcing process:  the more you enjoy your life, the better you will feel, and the more you will want to continue to take good care of yourself. 

Also, let yourself look your very best regardless of weight.  Buy a few articles of clothing that look good on you at this weight and make you feel good. 

Many people stop buying new clothes when they gain weight because they don’t want to “give in” to the weight gain, but this again only serves as another way to punish yourself. 

Start owning this body that you’re living in.  It’s going to be with you for a long time, and it deserves your love and appreciation whatever your size.

Begin to give yourself positive affirmations like:  I am beautiful and wonderful just as I am.  The mind will begin to believe what you tell it.

 Perfectionism:  Many think the only people who are perfectionists are those who have their lives perfectly organized, i.e. immaculate homes, magazines neatly fanned out on the coffee tables, etc. 

The truth is, many perfectionists are so disabled by their need to be perfect they are shut down before they’ve even begun to try to do anything. Their homes are messy, their lives disorganized and frustrating.

You’ve gotten caught up in the idea that you first must be at this perfect weight before you are permitted to fully live, and this idea is what is hurting you most. 

If you start living more fully, your weight will likely improve since you will feel happier and be more motivated to take better care of yourself and less focused on this one aspect of yourself. 

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly!  It sounds crazy but sometimes it is necessary to just get started and do something in little steps rather than achieving nothing at all.  See you on the dance floor.

Sincerely,

Sheila Jalali

(Sheila Jalali has a private counseling Practice in Old Town at 627 5th Street, Suite 203 in Mukilteo.  She can be reached at (425) 244-2565 or by email at Sheila@JalaliCounseling.com.  Put “Permission” on the subject line.  She welcomes questions and comments.  Learn more about her counseling practice on her website www.jalalicounseling.com.)