by Kristi Jain | Jan 31, 2024 | Uncategorized
Guess what folks? Today is the day. Don’t forget to celebrate. Be appreciative and be in a state of gratitude. You may be wondering, what is so special about today? Even if you are feeling grumpy, irritated, sad or blue, remember “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Make it count.
SAVE IT FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION
When was the last time you used “The good dishes?” Have you worn that killer shirt or shoes you bought? Don’t tell me you are saving them for a special occasion. Maybe you should leave that fancy car polished and parked in the garage. It would be a shame to get it dirty by driving it. Right? Wrong
.BUST IT OUT!
No matter where you got it, how expensive or inexpensive it was, if you love it, go ahead and bust out the good stuff. Why save it for a special occasion? Enjoy what you have today. We are burning daylight. Lemme ask you this. What were you doing an hour ago? I hope you enjoyed it because that is an hour you will never get back.
THE TIME IS NOW
Today’s blog shares a reminder that I got today. Don’t wait. Celebrate. Tomorrow might be too late. The time is now.
You need not wait for the approval of others. Don’t second guess yourself. Don’t worry who deserves the credit. Don’t be afraid of the answer. Just do it! Figure out a way to lighten up. Lose the stress (note to self.) Don’t get so worked up. Be smart and plan for tomorrow but live today.
NO ONE IS GETTING OUT OF HERE ALIVE
Who doesn’t want to improve their quality of life? Most of us simply want to live a happy long life as long as we are healthy. The fact is that not a single one of us is getting out of this life alive, in which case, you might want to practice extreme self-care while you are still here.
GRATITUDE
I’ve come to appreciate the little things like getting up in the morning with no aches or pains. I’m grateful for a full schedule that generates income to pay the bills. I’m elated when I have a light schedule and time to keep our home running smoothly and get my errands done. I’m grateful for my family and friends, my jobs and my co-workers. I am ecstatic that I enjoy excellent health. Although it is not as good as some, it is better than others.
QUOTE
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
-Voltaire
HEALTH
Pull out all of the stops and celebrate you and your life now. Live till you die and I mean LIVE till you die. Take precautions. Be proactive. Ask and listen. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t wait. Celebrate! If today requires diagnostic ultrasound, call us at 505-350-3397. Chances are excellent that we can see you by the end of the day!
by Kristi Jain | Jan 24, 2024 | Uncategorized
This week’s blog was inspired by a Rotary meeting John and I attended recently. The guest spoke about the correlation between music and health. What a concept! I listened intently and came away with a refreshed attitude about using music for enjoyment as well as for therapeutic purposes.
AHHHH…SWEET MUSIC
Research reveals that listening to music can improve physical and mental health in myriad amazing ways. It has been said that taking music lessons can raise your IQ and even help keep us sharper in our senior years. This fun fact is of particular interest to me!
SCIENTISIT REPORT…
Scientists have found that music releases dopamine which biologically caused people to feel happiness, excitement and joy. A brisk 3 mile walk multiple times per week as well as a couple of sessions at the gym are my options for exercise. Upbeat music while exercising is a serious mood enhancer for me which increases endurance and makes working out much more enjoyable.
LOWERS STRESS
Music can lower stress because it decreases the levels of cortisol which is a stress hormone. It had been reported that stress can cause 60% of illness and disease. Interestingly, music can be beneficial to those who don’t sleep well. Thirty percent of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Those who suffer from insomnia may be at risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and poor mental health. Even just one night of poor sleep can affect your day. If you are an insomniac, you may benefit significantly from listening to music before bed.
QUOTE
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”
-Maya Angelou
BENFITS
Other amazing benefits of listening to music is that can help people with depression and help elevate your mood. It can also strengthen learning and memory, relax you, help with pain management and aid in recovery, increase verbal intelligence, raise IQ and academic performance, and can keep your brain healthy in old age.
POWER TOOL
Music is a mighty powerful tool as it releases feel good transmitters called Dopamine, Serotonin and Oxytocin. It has the ability to evoke emotional responses, release stress and alter moods. Www.tmh.org reports that music can help retain essential information despite memory loss. Music memory is stored in the hippocampus, centrally located in the brain. Therefore, music memories are less likely to be negatively impacted by age or disease. We have all experienced a familiar tune that elicits emotions associated with memories.
IN A NUTSHELL…
The health benefits of listening to music are significant. At HDD, your health is our priority. In our reception area we have recently added some great channels with peaceful music and beautiful visuals to help with your relaxation as you wait for your ultrasound appointment. If we can help facilitate your comfort in any other way while in our office, don’t hesitate to notify any of our exemplary staff members. You can reach us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Jan 17, 2024 | Uncategorized
Now seems like as good of time as any to sit down and write this week’s blog. Today is my day off so in addition to writing, I needed to make time to handle emails, make some calls, go to the post office and grocery store, do dinner prep, set the table, vacuum, mop and get ready for company for dinner that will arrive in a few hours. Is there ever enough time?
THINK ABOUT IT…
“Time is free but It’s priceless. You can’t own it but use can use it. You can’t keep it but you can spend it.” I’m quoting a few things I read in an article on Medium.com which goes on to say “Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money but you can never get more time. To realize the value of a minute, ask the person who just missed a bus, train or plane. To realize the value of 1 second, ask a person who just missed an accident and to realize the value of a millisecond, ask the person who just came in second at the Olympics.”
TIME
When asked, “What’s the biggest mistake we make in life?” The Buddha replied, “The biggest mistake is you think you have time.”
WASTE
Time is precious and shouldn’t be mindlessly wasted. Think about how much you waste and on what. For example, social media. Many of us engage but often don’t realize how many hours we mindlessly scroll or check to see how many “likes” we got on our latest post or selfie. Although we all deserve a pass to mindlessly scroll, think about how those hours might be better used. “It is our choice of how we waste our time. It is our choice of how we use our time.”
ANOTHER QUOTE…
“Time is very slow for those who want, very fast for those who are scared, very long for those who are sad and very short for those who celebrate but for those who love, time is eternal.”
-Willian Shakespeare
TRUE VALUE
Do we forget about the importance of time? If someone gives you their time, they are giving you a gift. Nobody knows how much time we have left. So many lose people who are important to them because we don’t value their time. Some don’t recognize how important someone is until they’re gone.
HDD
There is no time like the present. If you have concerns or issues with your health, now is the time to ask questions, get it checked, get a screening or see your healthcare provider. Time continues to pass as you to procrastinate. Early detection saves lives. If we at HDD can help in the way of diagnostic ultrasound, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Jan 10, 2024 | Uncategorized
The blog this week has to do with the idea of rethinking an old idea. Stay with me on this one. If you’ve been around as long as I have, you understand that what was once old, will be new again, only this time it has been rebranded. I read an inspirational post this morning that got me thinking and needing to adopt the concept. I wanted to share it with you.
60 IS THE NEW 30
We’ve seen the gorgeous “more mature” actors and models grace our movie screens and magazine covers. In years past, if you were no longer fit, young, and beautiful, your career as you knew it was all washed up. Not anymore. Thankfully, for those of us who have been around the sun many times are glad that 60 is the new 30 or so we’d like to believe!
HAPPINESS IS THE NEW RICH
Who doesn’t love and is proud of their “toys?” You know, the spendy car, the boat, the RV, the Louis Vuitton purse (what do mean is it real?) and the Louboutin shoes. We get these things because they will make us feel happy, rich and fulfilled, right? Possessions come and go. They wear out, expire and break. They get outdated or we simply tire of them. One thing that most of us can acquire at zero cost is happiness. Happiness is the new rich.
INNER PEACE IS THE NEW SUCCESS
We’ve all been there, done this. We are at a gathering of strangers the usual conversation turns to “What do you do?” We puff out our chest and go through a litany of things that describe our achievements and success. I certainly hope they are impressed! We find ourselves overly busy and overly stressed. We share our exhausting schedule and wear it as a badge of honor. This is why we are successful, right? Wrong. Maybe taking time to step back, slow down and find some peace is just what the doctor ordered. Inner peace is the new success.
KINDNESS IS THE NEW COOL
Think back to high school. There were the cool kids, then there were the others. The cool kids really didn’t have much to do with those who weren’t in their clique. Think about now. Is it different now that you are all grown up? Treating everyone you come in contact with honor and respect is cool. Kindness is the new cool.
HEALTH IS THE NEW WEALTH
In the big picture, it simply doesn’t matter how much money you have, how big your house is, how expensive your car is or how much you paid for that purse. If you don’t have your mental, physical and emotional health, you have little. This is a reminder to take care of yourself and make your health a priority. Health is the new wealth. If maintaining your health includes diagnostic ultrasound, give us a call at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Jan 2, 2024 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog is a re-run that I believe is worth repeating as the holidays are now history. Ohhhh…that pesky weight gain. Packing on a couple of extra pounds due to holiday festivities, boredom, inactivity or depression tends to happen. Raise your hand if you fall into this category. Yep, me too. I imagine we should start thinking about how to lose those pesky extra pounds.
OPRAH
How does one realistically go about weight loss? Oprah Winfrey is notorious for yo-yo dieting. Do you recall back in 1988 when she lost an amazing 67 pounds? On her show she looked skinny, wore tiny jeans and behind her she pulled a little red wagon full of 67 pounds of fat to represent the amount of weight she lost.
WHERE DOES FAT GO?
Well, I’m sure Oprah’s stagehands took that 67 pounds of lard and heaved it in the dumpster. If only it were that easy. The question becomes, when one loses weight, where does it go? If you believe that when we lose fat we eliminate it via the colon or during urination, you are partially correct. The rest is a bit surprising.
ALL IS LOST
Theconversation.com reports, as the process of fat loss progresses, fat cells shrink drastically in size. The byproducts are converted to carbon dioxide and water. 84% of fat loss is exhaled! You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it is lost as urine or sweat (which is the remaining 16%.) In other words, nearly all the weight we lose is exhaled. Disposal of these byproducts is greatly elevated during exercise due to increased breathing and sweating. Who knew?
DON’T HYPERVENTALATE
I knew you’d ask. NO, breathing more will not make you lose weight. No need to huff and puff till you pass out. The only way you can consciously increase the amount of carbon dioxide your body is producing is by moving your muscles. Nice try!
THOSE PESKY CELLS
When you lose fat, these same cells can shrink although their number remains roughly the same. The primary reason for changes in body shape is a reduced size of fat cells and not the number of them. This means if you don’t maintain weight loss, they can easily grow in size again.
ULTRASOUND AND FAT
The above mentioned are fun and interesting facts about fat and weight loss. You may wonder how this relates to ultrasound. Another fact is that obesity interferes with ultrasound assessment because it is difficult for ultrasound wave signals to penetrate fat to picture the organs underneath. As a result, the image becomes unreadable.
DON’T PANIC
Don’t panic! If you need an ultrasound, a few extra pounds are not going to make an image unreadable. If you are sporting significantly more than a few pounds, for the sake of your health, you may consider trying to get that extra weight off. It is a work in progress one day at a time. If we can help with your ultrasound needs, call us at 505-350-3397.
Recent Comments