A while back I wrote about various ways a heart’s function can become compromised. Think of the heart as having electricity, carpentry and plumbing. Today’s post focuses on the plumbing. Heart attacks are a plumbing problem, a blockage in the blood vessels, or pipes, of the heart. Yes the heart has its own blood supply. Blockages are caused by a clot, or a thick layer of plaque. If blood can’t pass through a vessel, then all the cells beyond the blockage quickly become starved for oxygen, after which they die. This is a heart attack. Continue reading
Category Archives: Moving
Opportunity Knocks
Even though today is a summer day, the temperature is in the 50s and it’s pouring rain. I am glad that I went for a very long walk yesterday morning, when the sun was shining. It’s true that the temperatures yesterday were also somewhat brisk, but I didn’t care. I love the sun shining on my face. Continue reading
There Is So Much You Can Do To Make It Better
Sometimes I think this blog should have a category called “It’s worse than you think” or “I’m really not exaggerating,” or maybe just “More scary news.” Sometimes I even get the feeling that people think I may be overstating the urgency of the diabetes epidemic. So I gathered together a few statistics for you. Continue reading
Walking With Wellness
Some time ago, I received my first pedometer with which to track my daily steps, and I could not have been more thrilled. Attached unobtrusively to an elastic wrist band, it ventured forth with me every day as I plotted my path, set my course, stepped up, or took a hike. Continue reading
Musings on Obesity & Malnutrition
In sharp contrast to the common perception of obesity as an overindulged state, I have come, over many years, to understand obesity as a manifestation of a malnourished state. It was partly through the act of fasting on Yom Kippur that my thoughts on obesity began to evolve in this direction. I wrote an earlier version of today’s post many years ago, as I was beginning to formulate my thoughts on this issue.
Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Jews around the entire world fast from sundown to sundown. This year, Yom Kippur begins tonight, on Sunday the 24th of September, and continues through tomorrow night. Putting aside for now the reasons why we do this, I’d like to talk about the results of such an endeavor, the what happens when you fast. Continue reading
Small Steps
Some time ago, Gene the computer guy showed up at my office for the first time in a while. Right away, I knew something had changed. I said, “Gene, how are you? You’re looking very well!” He responded with an uncharacteristic grin, and answered by telling me one thing all of us know, but few believe (despite numerous confirmatory personal experiences!). I sat up fast when he said, “Diets don’t work.” Continue reading
Baby Steps
This week i had a conversation with a patient, a math tutor, about the difficulty she was having measuring up to her impossibly difficult personal standard. Why “impossibly” difficult? Because I’m sure that she was doing the best she could. And to ask more of herself, at least right now, was impossible. Continue reading
Every Little Bit Means Progress
This is a post about how perfection is the enemy of progress. The thing is, this is true all the time, but I feel like it’s especially important to remind ourselves now, when we’ve been through so much, and it isn’t over yet, and we still need to be extra kind to ourselves, not to mention our family and friends and co-workers, who are also trying very hard to keep putting one foot in front of the other. So here’s the story: A while ago, it was time for us to replace our 300-foot-long driveway, so we contracted with some very competent, able-bodied cement guys. They put a date on the calendar for the following spring, and we waited (patiently) until May came around. Then they came one day and ripped out the old driveway, fully intending, of course, to replace it later that same week. Alas, as my grandmother used to say, “Menschen tracht unt Gott lacht.” That means people plan and God laughs. Ha-ha. Continue reading
Walking and Wellness
I have a pedometer that tracks my daily steps, and I absolutely love it! Attached to my wrist with a fancy little contraption that I found last year on Etsy, it ventures forth with me every day as I plot my path, set my course, walk the walk, take a hike. Continue reading
One Step At a Time
Some time ago, Gene [not his real name] the computer guy showed up at my office for the first time in a while. Right away, I knew something had changed. I said, “You’re looking very well! How are you doing, Gene?” He responded with an uncharacteristic grin, and answered with an observation that all of us know, but few believe (despite numerous confirmatory personal experiences!). I sat up fast when he said, “Diets don’t work.” Continue reading