About This Episode

Top Ten Things That Can Kill You and What You Can Do About It

Episode 133

All of 10 at the deadliest conditions that affect Americans can be influenced by lifestyle choices. Every single one. Stay tuned to learn more about the 10 things, most likely to kill you. And what you can do about it.

Are you one of those people who are proactive and health conscious. Or does it take a wake-up call for you to get serious about taking care of this one bag of flesh and bones that you’re going to live out all of your days in.

the number one disease that claims the most American lives is heart disease with a grand total of over 700,000 deaths per year, a whopping 20% of all deaths are attributable to the old ticker. 

 if you did not answer heart disease for the number one cause of death. You probably answered with the number two cause. Cancer. Cancer retained its number two spot on the list, but there is some bad news. Unfortunately cancer deaths are increasing. And cancer is affecting younger people at an increasing rate.  Here’s what the research suggests lifestyle especially increasing alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, sugar, sweetened beverages, sedentary, lifestyle, and eating ultra processed foods. And other than alcohol. All of this starts in childhood.  Cancer is a dreadful disease that causes 17% of all deaths in this country claiming over 600,000 lives.  And there’ve been so many great advances in the treatment of cancer, as well as early detection. 

And yet. It remains in the number two spot.  

Next on the list is stroke, there are two types of stroke, hemorrhagic and embolic, and let’s camp here for just a minute and go back to mini medical school to learn a little more because the death rates from stroke are decreasing due to educational efforts to recognize symptoms early. 

And the development of effective treatments. In medicine, we say time is brain because every minute that the brain is without blood flow and oxygen results in more damage.

 If you only remember one thing from the podcast today, remember. Be fast. B stands for balance. 

E stands for eye F stands for face. A stands for arm S stands for speech and T stands for Thunderclap. You heard that right? Thunderclap. Well, let me break it all down for emphasis. Remember strokes happen pretty quickly and the damage is done pretty quickly too. So be on your toes, be fast, B balanced. 

This is when someone suddenly loses their sense of balance. E. Is for eyes sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes F is for face. You can see the side of the face drooping. A is for arm and the arm may be weak or even hanging down, but it can also affect the leg. I guess be flast was just too hard to say.  S is for slurred speech or confusion and back to T for Thunderclap. 

This is a sudden severe headache that people describe as the worst headache of my life. Fortunately hospitals participate in stroke accreditation programs that give them access to experts, buy telemedicine, even in remote areas. So if someone you love is experiencing symptoms of stroke, call 9 1 1 and let the ambulance take them to the nearest hospital because. Time is brain. 

Some things kill you fast and others are slow. Coming in at number five is chronic lower respiratory disease.

This includes COPD, asthma, emphysema, and pulmonary hypertension. Chronic respiratory disease takes the life of a hundred and forty thousand people a year. Mostly over the age of 65. Five times more adults die of asthma than kids. But of course, it’s especially tragic in children.

Access to adequate treatment is important. And listen, some of these medications are really expensive.

next up is Alzheimer’s.

 If it seems like more and more people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it’s true. Like cancer, the rates are increasing. Currently, 120, 000 adults die from brain failure every year. Most people die within 8 years of diagnosis, but some people live up to 20.

Over the last 20 years, deaths from Alzheimer’s have increased by 55%.  You heard that correctly. In this country, there are 6. 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Although there is no cure, lots of research is being done and there are new treatments. Contributing genetic factors have been identified, as well as early diagnostic tests. But here’s the good news. Just because you have a gene for Alzheimer’s does not mean you can’t modify your risk with Lifestyle changes.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death, claiming 100, 000 lives a year in the United States. And it’s not just us. In 2021, there were 6. 7 million deaths worldwide attributed to diabetes.

That totals 12 percent of all deaths in the world. And it’s probably underestimated because it’s the underlying disease that causes the other diseases that kill you. In fact, on this top ten list, at least four of them can be pretty closely linked to diabetes and maybe more. Some people even call dementia type 3 diabetes.

Finishing at number 8 on the list is kidney disease, which is directly impacted by both diabetes as well as hypertension. Total lives lost is about 58, 000. 

Barely trailing is number 9, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis,  Mostly caused by an increase in alcohol consumption, accounting for a loss of nearly 55, 000 lives per year. Not to mention the toll on relationships, jobs, life fulfillment, and productivity.  

And number 10, which used to be number four, is COVID 19. In 2021, it was number three, then it moved to number four, then it fell to number ten. The mortality of COVID has plummeted due to immunity, but don’t discount the fact that it still holds the number ten spot.

 Sometimes disease just sneaks up on us, and there’s not much we can do. But let’s talk about the things we have the power to change by walking through the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and their impact on the leading causes of death. Heart disease, cancer, accidents, stroke, chronic respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and COVID. 

Getting healthy and staying healthy is hard. But it’s so worth the effort because healthy looks great on you.

Equilibrium Medical

7 Day prescription for change mini course

About This Episode

Breaking Anxiety’s Grip with Dr. Michelle Bengston

Episode 132

Do you ever struggle with anxiety and thoughts that just spin out of control? Today we’re going to hear from someone who is an expert in the field of anxiety and depression. Please welcome my very special guest on the podcast,  Dr. Michelle Bengston. She’s a clinical  neuropsychologist, speaker, author,  coach, and she hosts her very own podcast, “Your Hope Filled Perspective.” And she understands anxiety and depression from personal experience. 

Dr. Michelle – I’ve been a board certified clinical neuropsychologist for over 30 years now. The field has changed a lot since I got into it. But what I’ve had the pleasure of doing is walking alongside patients who have had any kind of brain dysfunction, whether we’re talking ADHD or learning disabilities, depression, anxiety after they’ve had a stroke or a head injury, or even in the senior years when  there’s a question of, are we dealing with dementia or  are we dealing with depression? So it’s been my pleasure to evaluate patients, figure out what’s going on with their brain functioning, and then get them on the path to optimal wellness. In terms of their cognitive health.  that’s given me the opportunity also to speak into their lives in terms of things like stress management. Where are your thoughts and what are you focusing on and how does that impact for better or for worse your daily functioning? 

Anxiety has gotten more pervasive over time. Because 30 years ago, when we didn’t have the internet, which could relay the news in a split second or be there live, we had to wait until the six o’clock or 11 o’clock news. And if we missed it, we missed what was going on in the world and we’d have to catch  it the next day in the headlines. Today is  so in our face and it’s in our face when we don’t get together or go to the event that all of our friends are and then they post online. And then we’ve got this angst about the fact that we weren’t there, but we had other things that we needed to do. So, this has increased the anxiety.

Anxiety has not only increased, but it has  across the age span, whereas we didn’t used to see it in the elderly, nearly as much or in our young children. Now we’re diagnosing it earlier and earlier. Pseudo increased social connectedness because of social media that doesn’t really build that innate longing that we have for social interaction and the older our  seniors are living, the less social  interaction they’re getting. And I think that’s contributing to their anxiety, the fear of loneliness, fear of how I’m going to live out my last days, fear of what diagnoses I’m going to be.

Anxiety often does run in families, just like depression does or many other mental health disorders. But it’s not all because there’s a genetic component. There  is a genetic component. And we can see from the  research that if you have a 1st degree family member, like a parent who has struggled with depression or anxiety, there is an increased likelihood that that you will contend with depression or anxiety, but it’s not just because of the genetic link.  There’s also the factor of modeling. 

Some people are more predisposed, predisposed to anxiety, to worry, to get anxious, to become fearful. But it’s not a weakness. God knew that we would struggle with this because his number one command in scripture is do not worry. Do not be afraid. Be anxious for nothing. It’s in the Bible over 300 times. And I thank God who created us.  So  he wasn’t chastising us, but he was saying, hold on just a second, don’t go down that path.

Dr. Vickie – I love the beauty of your background in neurobiology and how that has obviously impacted your faith and your faith has impacted. Your professional life with that background in neurobiology and in lifestyle medicine,  the component of gratitude, the power of that is widely recognized in people who are believers in Christianity and people who are members of other faiths. There is no question about the benefit of gratitude. 

Dr. Michelle: Anxiety rewires our brain. We can get stuck in a rut, going down a certain  path,  being a complainer, for example,  are always seeing the negative of a situation.

But when we will stop in the middle of that, And we will think, no,  can I look at this differently? And we can look at it through a lens of gratitude. It actually does rewire the brain. And the more we do  that, the more that becomes our  lifestyle and the more we reap the benefits from it. That’s why scripture tells us to take every thought captive.  can’t afford to just think and not pay attention to what we’re thinking because scripture says that out of. The heart, the mouth speaks  and scripture also says that our  words have the power of life or death.  That’s a lot of power. So we have to be observant and pay attention to what it is that we’re thinking  then determine whether or not that aligns with the word of God or someplace else.  

Anxiety is really a misappropriation of our attentional resources. Now, what do I mean by that? When we become anxious, we’re focusing on what we lack or our perceived lack instead of focusing on God and the fact that he promises his mercies are new every morning. He promises he will be our provider.  And when we fall into the trap of worry,  fear and anxiety, it’s usually  because we’re forecasting a future that doesn’t have God in it. So one of the biggest things that I can recommend  trust,  specifically trusting in God. Now, what does that look like? I developed a trust acronym because it was.  At a time when I was really struggling with anxiety that I needed to get a handle on this. And as I was praying about it, I felt like God really impressed upon my  heart.  Michelle, if you don’t trust me in the small things, you  don’t trust me at all.  was kind of a wake up call. I’m like, but I do trust you. And he’s like,  you?  if you really trusted me, you wouldn’t worry. You would know that I’ve got this handled. So the trust acronym is

T to take God at his word. We either trust that the word of God is true, or we don’t.  And if we don’t, then we’ve got nothing to stand on  when those situations arise that tempt us to become  worried, fearful, or anxious. 

R is rest in God’s presence  his promises.  has never gone back on a promise. Yet, and we can rest that his promises are yes and amen and trust that he’s going to bring them about 

U -understand  that the outcome doesn’t depend on  us. Those  of us who tend to be driven and somewhat type A and we like to be in control, we have the misconception that if we do everything in our power, then the outcome that we want is going to happen. When in actuality, God doesn’t hold us responsible for the outcome as long as we’re obedient to him. So if I will do what I know God has called me to do, then Then I can trust that the ultimate  outcome is his responsibility, and that  takes a huge weight.

S is accept that God is sovereign. Either he’s in control or he’s not.  if he’s in control, then we don’t need to worry or fear. And then the last T is turn to the testimony of previous experiences. I’ve gone through a lot of difficult circumstances in my life.   But when I look back, I realize   that I made it through every difficult circumstance a hundred percent of the time. So if God has been faithful through every other difficult circumstance,  would I not trust that he’s going to continue to be faithful to get me through what I am or will go through?

T is taking God at his word, resting in his presence and his promises. Understanding   that the outcome doesn’t depend on us except   that God is sovereign and then remember the testimony of previous experiences.  we will put that into practice,  will do so much towards lessening our worry, fear and anxiety, and we’ll be more aware when that starts to crop up. So we can either decide in the moment, yeah, I’m going to go ahead and worry about that, or I’m going to trust that God’s going to get me through it.  

Dr. Michelle Bengston

Website includes links to: 

Your Hope Filled Perspective Podcast

Sacred Scars

Hem of His Garment. 

Today is going to be a good day

Breaking Anxiety’s Grip

Hope Prevails Book, Bible Study, and Bible Study Resources

About This Episode

8 Healthy Habit Hacks

Episode 131

Are you ready to change?  I mean, are you really ready to make a change? Sidney Harris says, “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it all at the same time. And what we really want is for things to remain the same, but get better.”

We want to call apple pie, a serving of fruit and be thin. We want to dump salt on our food and have normal blood pressure. 

We want to watch TV and have big muscles, and we want to scroll through Instagram reels for an hour before bed and then sleep good and feel rested. We want to let our minds spin with anxiety and have peace. We want to wave a magic wand and poof, all of our stress disappears. We want to have several drinks and not feel hung over. We want to nurse a grudge and be included with our friends. We want to live long, healthy, and happy, but we also want to have our cake and eat it too.  So again, the question is, do you really want to change?  Tony Robbins says, “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”

Change is painful.

Today in mini medical school, we’re going to a short class in psychology and it actually starts with a test to figure out if you’re ready to make a change, to get healthier and change your lifestyle. So, which of these statements describes you?  

1. Nope. I’m not doing it.  

This means you’re just not really ready to make a change in your life now. And if this is the stage you’re in. That’s okay. What you mainly need is more information because you need to understand the consequences of changing versus not changing. So keep listening to this podcast so you can learn more about the impact of lifestyle medicine on your health.. Now we call this the pre-contemplative stage. You’re not planning to make any changes in the next six months. 

2. Yes, I want to change.

You’re the type of person who knows that you’re going to make a change within the next few months. And you understand it’s not going to be easy, but you don’t really have a specific plan yet. You’re just kind of gearing up. We call this the contemplative stage. You’re thinking about making a change soon.  

3. My mind is made up.

You’re determined you’re going to make a change and you’re planning to start soon. You believe you need to make a change. And so you’re taking small steps to prepare. We call this the preparation stage. You’re going to take action in the next 30 days. 

4. I’m doing it.

You’ve recently taken those first steps and made some changes. It’s all still new to you, but you’re gaining ground. We call this the action stage. It’s where you’re taking small steps in a new direction.

5. I did it.

You succeeded at making a change, but you’re guarding against going back to your old ways. You understand you’re vulnerable to relapse. We call this the maintenance stage.  This is where you’ve sustained change for at least six months.

6. Stick a fork in me. You’re done.

You’re confident that the change you made will last. And the temptation to go back to your old ways doesn’t pull you in anymore. We called this the termination stage. Where you have no desire to return to your old ways.

The problem is sometimes we want to change on the one hand, but on the other hand, there are some benefits to staying put. That’s called ambivalence. And it’s important to work through that. So let’s get it out in the open so you can deal with it.   In order to do that. I think you should think about all of the positive reasons for staying the same. I mean, we all probably enjoy things that are not good for us. For example, if you love a bowl of ice cream after dinner, watching shows on TV, drinking a cocktail, being alone and staying up late.  There are some benefits of staying the same because you obviously enjoy those things.  So list them out. Let’s put them out in the open. 

Maybe what you really need is a reason to change. Your core values affect your choices in life.  Let’s explore your why? Why do you want to change? 

Maybe it’s because you’ve seen the parent grow old and not be able to get up out of a chair. And you don’t want to be like that. Or maybe you looked in the mirror and said, who is that? I don’t want to be that person. Or maybe you’re going to the pharmacy and picking up a sack full of medications and they’re expensive and they have side effects. And you’re wondering if you made some changes,

if maybe you could get off of some of that stuff.  Or maybe you look outside and you see your kids or grandkids playing. And you wish you could participate. Or go on a hike with your family. Explore what matters most to you? And that will help you identify your pain point. And think about your, why. What gets you up every morning? I mean, we all need purpose in our lives and purpose often drives us.  It may be meaningful relationships or a fulfilling job or a calling to serve others. You need to explore your strengths values, and maybe even write out a personal mission statement, then you can tap into your gifts and strengths and determine your reasons for making a change. Good reasons to change include better health because it’s a valuable asset. 

If you lose your health, you lose your ability to do anything else. 

Until you identify a specific problem, it’s hard to tap into that pain point that drives successful change. And most of us just have this vague idea when it comes to health, we want to be healthy, but that’s really an abstract concept. It’s not a fully formed plan.

And that is why most attempts fail.

 Maybe it would help if you filled in these blanks because I have______. I am at risk for _____, or if I don’t change _______. I can’t do ______. 

Okay, this is a little hard on a podcast. 

I actually have a course called seven day prescriptions for change. It’s completely free. It has a downloadable workbook where you can fill in these blanks on paper. If that’s easier for you, I’ll put a link in the show notes seven day prescription for change, or you can find it on my website. 

But let’s get started with those eight healthy habit hacks.

1. Identify your goals and you need to be specific. And on top of a specific goal, you need a specific plan. Make SMART goals. Write it down.

2. Start small, think big.

I don’t think we necessarily have to start small. We just have to identify what the steps are that move us from point A to point B. But we could start big in one department and that’s our identity. Start viewing yourself as a healthy person.

3. Create a routine. 

4. Use associations and do habit stacking. I recommend James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits.”

5. Track your progress.

6. Have an accountability partner. 

7. Learn from your mistakes when you relapse. Don’t let failure define you. 

8. Celebrate milestones because I know you’re going to get there. It won’t be easy, but you’re getting the tools you need to make changes that make a difference.

Say goodbye to quick fixes and embrace a personalized plan for longterm health. Because healthy looks great on you. 

RESOURCES (may contain affiliate links)

ALL EPISODES

7-Day Prescription for Change – sign up to receive podcasts by email

Workbook for 7 Day Prescription for change

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Equilibrium Telehealth for residents of Arkansas and Tennessee

About This Episode

The Secret to Staying on a Diet

Episode 130

Here’s how to fool proof your diet.

Have you ever started a diet only to be derailed by the feeling that you’re going to starve? Hunger will sideline the best diet plans and willpower usually isn’t enough to overcome it. So, what is the secret? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not drinking more water. Stay tuned. So you can learn how to stick to a diet and not get hungry.

Whatever diet you decide is right for you. Hunger is your worst enemy. If only you could eat until you feel full and stay feeling full. Wait. You can. I’ll let you in on a little secret. The key is fiber.  Every year 45 million Americans go on a diet, whether it’s to lose weight or get healthy, most people are lucky to last six months.  And if it’s a strict diet, it’s even less than that.  There are a lot of good reasons to diet besides losing weight. Like managing high blood pressure, controlling diabetes, lowering cholesterol, and preventing dementia and cancer.

Not only does fiber keep your belly feeling full. 

It keeps your bowels regular and promotes a healthy gut microbiome which can influence auto-immune and allergic responses as well as help maintain a healthy weight.

Soluble means it’s going to dissolve in liquid, either water or bodily fluids. And this type of fiber  is found in foods like fruit, oats, and beans. It’s made up of carbohydrates, but your body can’t digest it. On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and other bodily fluids. It’s found in the cell walls of plants like wheat and other grains think bran. And your body can’t digest it either. 

Instead it stays in the colon and does its job. 

since one of the biggest things that will derail your efforts to stick to a diet is hunger. I have some great news for you. If you’re hungry, you should eat. That’s right. Starving yourself. It’s not necessary. 

RESOURCES (may contain affiliate links)

The Power Foods Diet

Equilibrium Medical Telehealth

About This Episode

Episode 129 Keep moving to maintain flexiblity as you age with Brian Murphy, Doctor of Physical Therapy and owner of Pinnacle Physical Therapy

Physical therapists are capable of really helping patients avoid surgery, avoid the need for medication. We are going to discuss the need to invest in the body’s ability to move and to be strong and to allow people to do the things they really enjoy. 

People are on devices and social media so much now that positions where your head is forward and rounding of your upper back. What’s interesting about the human body is that there are alternating patterns of joints that are supposed to be very mobile. And joints that are supposed to be very stable. So when you think about your back, your neck is a mobile joint. It’s supposed to be able to rotate. a lot. In those circumstances with those prolonged positions, unfortunately we we lose the mobility because we’re only working in one plane of motion.

We’re working in the sagittal plane. Our head stays still. We don’t ever work in the frontal plane and we don’t ever work in the transverse plane  we don’t have to.  That is a particular area that I see a lot of patients who are having neck pain complications with neck pain, headaches. And then also low back is another great example. The low back is a very stable joint. It’s only meant to bend forward and extend,  but the areas above it, the thoracic spine and your hips are both very mobile joints, or at least they should be.  I have seen clinically numerous times patients will come in complaining of pain in their low back. But the problem is arising from the stiffness in their hips and in their thoracic spine, from base of your neck, kind of down to the lower back. If you lose mobility in those two areas,  your low back has to do a lot more work. It’s doing some things that it’s not meant to do. So Instead of just treating where the pain is located, we’ve got to get those ball and socket joints moving again.

Motion is lotion.

We’ve got to keep mobility in our hips. We’ve got to keep rotation in our thoracic spine.  got to get out of these rounded postures  flexed postures and work on the opposite motions. A lot of times we have to work on extension.  So  some of this stuff isn’t rocket science, but unfortunately patients just don’t realize that. Once again, the human body is meant to have this beauty of variety of movement, and when we relegate ourselves to very stringent movements,  we lose those capabilities that are inherent,  that is going to be problematic.

Learn more about Pinnacle Physical Therapy

About This Episode

What Causes Obesity?

What causes obesity? Is it genetic? Is it lifestyle. And what about choices? You’ve probably heard that weight gain occurs when someone ingest more calories than they burn, but that’s certainly not the whole story.

Genetic factors contribute to the risk of obesity. But, many people who carry obesity genes do not become overweight and healthy lifestyles can counteract these genetic effects. It’s hard for some individuals who have addiction to sugar. Dopamine levels are involved and it’s just hard because of the way our society is wired. But let’s look at recent upward trends of obesity. Our genes really haven’t changed enough to explain that. So what has changed? Our food, which is a subject for another day, but also our activity level and our social eating patterns. Since the 1970s, the average caloric intake has increased by 500 kilocalories per day. Tracking rod, along with the increase in obesity. The standard American diet contains more fat, more sugar, more protein, more grains, and less fruits and vegetables. We’ve replaced nutrient packed foods with fast convenient food. And sweetened drinks. 

There’s a big study called the nurses health study. And for every two hours women in this study watched TV, the risk of obesity was increased by 25%. Now do the math. If you watch four hours of TV a day, your chances of being obese are increased by 50%.  

You will never reach a place where you can slack up and eat whatever you want and not gain weight. It’s not going to happen. So here are some practical tips. Replace your couch time with something you enjoy that’s active. Get up and march or dance or do squats. And eat more fiber. It fills you up, keeps your gut healthy and suppresses your appetite.  Eliminate ultra processed foods from your diet as much as possible. They’re loaded with fat and sugar to bring you back for more. Lastly, eat at home. Portions at restaurants are out of control and healthy choices are harder to make.