by Kristi Jain | Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
It is finally here! Please allow each and every one of us at High Desert Doppler to wish you a very Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali or simply another joyous holiday season. Whatever this season holds for you, make it a peaceful, healthy, memorable celebration!
CHILL
In the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle, slow down, take some deep breaths, chill and enjoy. I hope by now we have come to understand that it isn’t all about material gifts. Consider the gifts of health, love, kindness, compassion, patience, and understanding.
DR SEUSS
“It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
-Dr. Seuss
DON’T LET YOUR HEALTH SUFFER
In pursuit of a happy healthy holiday season, the following suggestions from StayWell.com are not only good ideas to help you navigate the holidays, but every day.
- Don’t let a busy season or a stressful life compromise your health. It is suggested that you take a few minutes each and every day just for you.
- Make time to prepare family meals at home. During the holidays, it is easy to resort to restaurant fare, party platters, Uber Eats, Grub Hub or other unhealthy fattening fast food.
- Schedule exercise. It doesn’t matter how you move. Just move. Remember, motion is lotion for your joints.
- Avoid trying some new pre or post-holiday fad diet to shed those extra pounds. Be kind to yourself. Be sensible with your weight loss strategies and goals.
- Be sure to get 6-8 hours of sleep each day.
- Stay hydrated.
- Do less and enjoy more!
DON’T GET DISTRACTED
The holidays can keep us busy and can distract us from things that require attention. You are the best judge of your health and wellness. As the holiday season grinds to a halt, take time to relax. Be still and do frequent body scans from head to toe. Assess how you are feeling. Don’t ignore it. If something doesn’t look or feel right, concerns you or requires attention, make the call, schedule the appointment, get scanned and get tested. Get informed and get healthy.
HDD
At HDD, we celebrate Christmas. From the bottom of our hearts, John, myself and each one of our prized team members thank you for being an important part of our role in providing you with diagnostic ultrasound and x-ray. Allow us to wish you the safest, happiest, healthiest, and very merriest Christmas ever. See you next year!
by Kristi Jain | Dec 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
We are almost halfway through December. Are you maintaining your sanity? I’m hanging onto mine. While some people don’t do much, others have a full schedule. John Jain, our CEO and my husband and I fall into the latter category. When will we find time to get it all done? The answer? Get moving.
ANOTHER THING…
This morning, along with getting your weekly blog written, I had a list of about 10 things that needed to accomplish. I must prioritize. I understand that being sedentary is one of the worst things we can be. When we stop moving, we start declining. I had to fit in a workout, but when?
I DID IT
By the way, I squeezed in a workout because it is a priority for me. What about those who can’t or won’t? All is not lost. On Good Morning America I heard the term “Micro movements” so I did some research. I’ve not heard the term but have been implementing the concept for decades. Now it has a name!
MICRO MOVEMENTS
Nothing will replace a full workout however a little movement is better that none! One study suggests that a 10 minute workout three time per week increased endurance by nearly 20 percent while another statistic linked longer life spans with running as little a 5 minutes a day. Time.com says even small doses of activity can increase blood flow and improve the body’s ability to regulate blood-sugar levels. Over time, these changes could reduce your risks for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
DEFINE
What is a micro movement? They are small motions like fidgeting or weight shifting that provide a wide-spread distribution of work throughout the body, promoting healthy tissue from circulation and burning calories. Your body thrives on circulation and oxygen that is produced through muscular contractions. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Don’t scavenge for the closest parking space. Park farther away to add steps to your day. If you are standing around, try a few calf raises or shoulder shrugs. If you are feeling particularly daring, do some squats or lunges. Remember, any movement is better than none at all.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF MOVING
Get moving. You can actually improve your brain health, manage your weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen muscles, bones and improve your ability to do regular everyday things. No matter how small, do something. You will find yourself feeling energized, more alert and sleep better!
HDD
At High Desert Doppler we are concerned for your health and wellbeing, hence the health related blogs each week. I hope they inform and motivate you to be at your very best during the busy holidays as well as just every day. If we can help you on your journey to better health through diagnostic ultrasound, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Dec 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
Today’s blog asks the question, are you in the zone today? Did you wake up grouchy and tired? Often this state of being means that copious amounts of coffee are the only means of survival. If this sounds familiar, you are probably not in the zone. Perhaps it’s time to wake up and experience “the flow.”
IN THE ZONE
I was inspired for the “In the Zone” blog from an audio book I’m listening to narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Love her or not, it is a great book that considers many interesting points of view. It is uplifting, inspiring and worth a read (or listen.) It is called “The Path Made Clear.”
IN THE ZONE
First, let’s clarify what it means to be in the zone. If you are in the zone, you are happy or excited because you are doing something very skillfully and easily. Getting into the zone, also known as “being in a state of flow” usually happens when we are…
- Feeling energized.
- In a good mood and doing things we enjoy.
- Have some level of skill that meets the demands of the task.
CRUSH IT
I love days when I crush it! Some days it is natural and easy then there are other days when there is positively no interest in reaching the zone. Occasionally you need to mentally and physically veg out. That’s okay but don’t stay in that state of unresponsiveness. If you’re not feeling particularly motivated, how does one get into the zone?
FOCUS
Performance psychology suggests that if we sharpen our focus and attention you increase the chances of achieving flow. Reduce distractions, both environmental and internal that can get in the way of seeing and doing. Gain confidence and trust in yourself and your abilities. Match your skills and challenges and you will increase the chance of getting into the flow. The feeling is euphoric if you allow yourself to get there.
GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME
It may take some effort to get into a state of flow. It can take a few minutes of seriously focusing on a task to fully reach it depending on the task at hand. FYI, constantly checking social media is a surefire way to derail your focus and yank you out of the zone. Before you “zone out” be sure to check your e-mails, Instagram, and Facebook. Be certain enough friends have “liked” your latest selfie so you can now put your phone away and let it flow!
YOUR HEALTH
Make sure you are staying in the zone when it comes to your health and wellness. Don’t think about your health only when you feel unwell or there is a problem. Your health is your life. Take care of yourself as if your life depends on it because it does.
HDD
We are a team and in the zone and here at HDD. We are dedicated to helping you in the diagnosis and maintenance of your health. When diagnostic ultrasound is indicated, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Nov 29, 2023 | Uncategorized
Congratulations! You made it through the first of the traditional holidays. I hope your Thanksgiving was everything you wanted it to be. By now the extended family is back home and the leftovers are almost history…. hallelujah! If you celebrate, it is time to focus on the most wonderful time of the year.
DEMANDS
For many, it is time to hit the ground running. We have demands and expectations to meet. We are all busy and have many facets to our lives. We will be juggling family, friends, co-workers, partners, children, home life, work commitments, and holiday festivities.
OUTTA CONTROL
Just reading that last paragraph made me tired. The feeling of being overwhelmed this time is year is completely normal. Often we find there are simply not enough hours in the day. The stress of the holidays can suck the joy right out of the season. We have to be in control…or do we? My blog inspiration this week came from a quote by Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl who said, “Control the Controllable.” Read that again. What a concept.
HOW?
I will synopsize an article from www.roystonguest.com that gives a few tips on how to control the controllable, especially during this time of year.
- Each time you say “yes” to something unimportant, you are saying “no” to something important. You can’t be all things to all people.
- Swap your “To-Do” list for a “Success List.” This can re-position your purpose and your focus. You’ll find you are acting on the highest priority items.
- Do it, delegate it, or dump it.
- Allow thinking time. It is easy to get caught up continuously doing the same things the same way. Stop, think and explore better options and more effective ways.
- Be efficient and effective. Efficient is doing things right and effective is doing the right things right.
- Develop the ability to maintain focus on the things you have control over. Controlling the controllable is particularly important under distracting or stressful circumstances.
STRESS AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH
High levels of stress hormones can affect your health and can put you at increased risk for a variety of physical and mental health problems. These issues can include anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, muscle tension and pain, heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep problems, weight gain, hair loss, memory and concentration impairment.
THAT BEING SAID…
Enjoy the upcoming holiday season! Be mindful and reduce your stress. Control only what you can control and let the rest go. Take down time for yourself. Relax and refresh. Don’t put your health at risk. If you aren’t feeling particularly well, stay in communication with your healthcare provider. If we can assist in the journey to better health through diagnostic ultrasound, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Nov 15, 2023 | Uncategorized
Hello! I hope this week’s blog will give you a bit of information that you didn’t have before you clicked on it. That is what happened to me. I was searching Google one day and an article popped up that I thought was interesting and worthy of sharing.
HEALTH
My goal when delivering your weekly blogs is to entertain, share and perhaps inform you about what is on my mind today. Since High Desert Doppler is a healthcare facility, it stands to reason that the blogs relate to healthcare. They may not always pertain to ultrasound but that’s okay.
BENEFITS
The article I read touts the benefits of drinking hot water. This is a foreign concept to me unless the hot water is used for making tea or coffee. Drinking plain hot water, huh? Okay, lets explore the benefits and how it might help in our wellness journey.
HOT H2o
Staying hydrated is essential for life and critical for maintaining good health. We’ve heard that drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day is average. Most of us grab a glass of water poured from the faucet or bottle and drink it cold or room temperature. It never occurred to me to heat it up. My question is why.
HEALTH BENEFITS
An article from medicalnewstoday.com reports that drinking your water hot can provide a range of health benefits. Here are eight potential benefits.
- Healthier digestion. Hot water helps break down food faster than cold water.
- Body detoxification. When water is hot enough to raise your body temperature, it can cause sweating which expels toxins.
- Improved circulation. Hot water is a vasodilator meaning it expands the blood vessels, improving circulation.
- Weight loss. Raising the water temperature increases your metabolism which could increase weight loss.
- Reduce pain. Hot water improves circulation and may improve blood flow particularly to injured muscles. Note that no research has directly linked hot water consumption to pain relief.
- Fighting colds and improving sinus health. Hot water may help mucous move more quickly and encourage coughing and nose-blowing to be more productive.
- Encourage consumption of coffee and tea. Although they tend to dehydrate the body, coffee and tea offer some health benefits when consumed in moderation.
- Reduces stress. The warmth of hot water can play a role in improving mood by calming stress and anxiety.
NOT A FIX ALL
We’ve read about the benefits of consuming hot water. Don’t be under the delusion it is a cure all. If you frequent Mc Donald’s, scarf Cheetos and chug beer, the benefits of consuming hot water may be minimal.
HDD
If you have ever had an ultrasound, depending on the kind you require, you may be encouraged to drink plenty of water prior to your exam. By the way, hot water is not necessary! Always check with your healthcare provider for clarification. Remember if diagnostic ultrasound is indicated, call us at 505-350-3397.
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