by Kristi Jain | Nov 6, 2024 | Uncategorized
Thank you for taking time to read this week’s blog. I wonder where you are as you are reading this. Are you at home or at work? If you are somewhere other than home, what transportation did you take to get where you are?
YOUR VEHICLE
Did you jump in the car this morning, fire up the ignition and take off without a second thought? Do you have plenty of gas, oil, air in the tires? Things that run efficiently require maintenance. How is your “other vehicle?”
OTHER VEHICLE
I’m talking about your body. It is the vehicle you rely that gets you from point A to point B. Like your car, do you assume it fire it up and will perform as expected? Chances are good if it is properly fueled, maintained and checked periodically. You wouldn’t dream of driving your car on an empty tank with no oil and bald tires.
PERFORMANCE
Have you ever fueled up your car with cheap watered-down gas? It spits, sputters and performs poorly. When we eat garbage food, smoke, indulge vices, omit exercise and sleep poorly, we wonder why we feel bad. A properly fueled and maintained body will outperform those bodies that are not nearly every time.
VEGAS BABY
Speaking of performing, I recall a trip we took to Las Vegas where we saw a couple of shows. The Cirque du Soleil “O” at the Bellagio is unbelievable. It is astounding what these performers can do with their bodies. The capabilities of the performers inspired my blog. These are not just any bodies. These are super well-maintained vehicles that respond to the most unbelievable demands. These bodies bend, twist, contort, dive, fly, swim and hold their breath for unimaginable amounts of time. We were mesmerized wondering, how do they do that?
FULLY EQUIPPED
Although I’m no expert, I probably can tell you how they don’t do it. I imagine they aren’t sedentary nor do they super-size their fast food meals and succumb to harmful addictions. They are busy maintaining their vehicles to assure maximum performance. If they can maintain their vehicle so meticulously, we can at least try to improve.
EXCUSES
The old adage, “You are what you eat” never made any sense to me in my youth. Now that I’m no longer young, that excuse is invalid. When you’re busy making excuses, it is hard to excel at much else.
MAKE CHANGES
Although I admired the gorgeous, rail thin performers who contort their perfect bodies in unimaginable ways, that isn’t an attainable or desired goal for most. Realistically speaking, we could all stand a bit more discipline and self-control to achieve reasonable goals. We don’t have to completely abstain from things we love (this is for my beautiful friend Susan M.)
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
Optimum health and longevity is the goal. Every choice you make affects the way your body performs. If you need help with preventive maintenance of your vehicle and diagnostic ultrasound is indicated, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Oct 23, 2024 | Uncategorized
Today’s HDD blog asks a question that warrants some consideration. That question is “What if?” How many times a day do you ask yourself that very question? Unfortunately, there is no real answer, but it doesn’t mean we don’t wonder how the outcome may have been different if only we knew “What if?”
HOW?
Whether it is good, bad, right, or wrong, every situation results in an outcome. Maybe you agree or maybe you don’t. If you don’t, you may ask yourself a few questions. How you could have been more influential in the big scheme of things and why exactly do you care? Think about a few things when hoping for or influencing a favorable outcome.
ZERO CREDIT
I read an article recently and felt a few thoughts were worthy of sharing, unfortunately it is unclear who deserves credit. Allow me to share their thought-provoking ideas (thank you whoever you are.)
When it comes to influence and having more of it, it comes down to three things.
- Being likable, authentic, and friendly so that people can trust you. You know, the “know-like-trust” factor.
- Consistently sharing your voice no matter what the loud minority thinks. It is in the silent majority where your impact is truly felt.
- Finding your why. It is the biggest secret to success. It is what keeps us going even when we get bogged down by imposter syndrome or feel like we are not influential enough. It’s that purpose that keeps driving one forward to crush your goals.
BACK THAT TRUCK UP!
Let’s get back to our original question. What if? If you could change what you said or did to influence or change the outcome, would you? I imagine we all have regrets or wish we had a “do over.” Many times we do but often we don’t. No one wants to live with regret. Tap into your authentic self. Respectfully say what you mean and mean what you say. You may not always win the popular vote however, if you can look yourself in the mirror and sleep at night, you should call yourself a success.
WOULDA COULDA SHOULDA
There are things you may want to consider to avoid regret and influence a more positive outcome where your health is concerned. Treat your body well, eat properly, get active, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and get your health checked. Do your part! If you have symptoms or concerns, don’t hesitate. Avoid asking yourself “What if? Early detection saves lives!
HDD
At HDD we are committed to meet your ultrasound needs. “What if” your provider determines diagnostic ultrasound is necessary? Give us a call us at 505-350-3397. Our front office staff will guide you through the process and have one of our ultrasound technologists tending to your ultrasound needs as soon as today or as soon as humanly possible.
by Kristi Jain | Oct 16, 2024 | Uncategorized
As always, thank you for taking a couple of minutes to read this week’s blog. Maybe you are reading this on your break or as you are sitting down relaxing. Perhaps it is a little bit of reading before you launch into your afternoon nap. Speaking of naps…
NAPPING
Although the following concept is foreign to me, napping isn’t for everyone. I’ve spoken to a few that claim they simply can’t nap during the day. Like my mom used to tell me when I was little, “You don’t have to sleep but you do have to rest.”
LET’S EXPLORE
There are both positive and negatives when it comes to napping. On the positive side, if relaxation is your goal a nap might be just what the doctor ordered. For all of you hopeless insomniacs, those who suffer from grumpy moods, are chronically fatigued or lack alertness, you might consider a mid-day snooze.
THE DOWNSIDE
Speaking of insomniacs, if you fall into this category, napping might interfere with your circadian rhythm. Others have trouble waking up and feel groggy after a nap. In this case, perhaps you should soldier on sans the nap.
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
If you find yourself craving an afternoon nap, you might want to pay attention as to why. Are you taking meds that interfere with your nighttime sleep? Perhaps you suffer from sleep apnea or other medical conditions that result in making you tired during the day. On the other hand, some simply enjoy a good old fashioned nap.
WHATEVER…
Whatever the reason for your mid-day siesta, consider a few guidelines recommended by mayoclinic.org.
- Unless you are a little kid, keep naps short. Any more than a 20 minute power nap is likely to make you feel groggy aka sleep inertia.
- Try napping in earlier in the afternoon. Snoozing much after 3:00 is likely to interfere with your nighttime sleep.
- Create a calm peaceful environment. Resting in a cool comfortable place is best. Dozing off at your desk is not considered a comfortable place John!
THE BENEFITS
An article written by Web MD says a nap can be good for your ticker. A study found that if you feel stress, a nap can help lower your blood pressure. Other health benefits include boosting your memory, bolstering your immune system, lowering your risk of heart disease and flush toingxins from your brain. I read that a new study shows that regular daytime naps have been linked to bigger healthier brains. I know a few souls who might benefit!
CHRONIC DISEASE
If you are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, you are more prone to disease like hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer. A nap probably isn’t the solution but it can certainly help!
HDD
An ultrasound from High Desert won’t help much in the way of an afternoon siesta or a good night’s sleep. We can however help your healthcare provider diagnose issues that lie beneath the surface of your skin. If we can help, call us at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Oct 9, 2024 | Uncategorized
I’d like to share a little information regarding health and nutrition. In my youth, my friends and I were pretty concerned about expensive cars, designer handbags, swanky shoes and fabulous vacation destinations. Health and nutrition weren’t something we thought much about. We all took good health for granted, like it was our birthright.
MY HOW THINGS CHANGE
As the years tick by, the conversations have morphed. They no longer center around what money can buy. We now compare our coronary calcium score, blood pressure meds, where we purchased our compression socks, the acuteness of our gout attacks and the weekly status of our gut health. My how things change!
BLOOD TEST REVEAL
A blood test recently revealed that my blood sugar was a bit high which was a surprise to me. The more I thought about it, my morning routine just may have been part of the culprit, when in reality, I thought I was doing my body good. Do we really know what is in the foods we eat?
SUGAR OVERLOAD
Typically, the morning meal consisted of a smoothie made from protein powder, raw oats, natural honey, chia seeds, almond milk, fresh fruit and a bit of Greek yogurt. It doesn’t get much healthier than that, does it? A blood test revealed my blood sugar was high. My nurse practitioner warned me that I might be pre-diabatic! It was suggested I change my breakfast smoothie to protein-based meal instead. My next blood test revealed it indeed helped and suggested watching other things that might be high in sugar that we may not be aware of. I am an intermittent faster for the last two years and feel great.
UNPOPULAR
This next paragraph might contain a list of things you may not want to hear. I feel the need to share some sugar bombs that you may not even realize are loaded. They include bread, salad dressing, yogurt, condiments, juice, peanut butter, crackers, energy drinks, breakfast cereals including granola, protein bars, smoothies, dried fruit, lunch meat (really, who knew?) tomato sauce, ketchup, barbeque sauce, Chinese takeout, body building supplements, soda and alcoholic beverages. If you find yourself with high blood sugar and you are sporting a few extra pounds, look realistically at your diet and see if the answer is right in front of you.
HEALTHFOOD STORE
Wait! Maybe you aren’t guilty as charged. What if you use sugar substitute instead, for instance Agave. Your argument might be, “It has to be healthy, I got it at the health food store.” That doesn’t change the fact that agave is just dressed up sugar. It is 85% fructose and I actually read it is arguably even more damaging than cane sugar.
IN SUMMARY
Today’s blog shed a little light on some nutrition facts that we all probably already know but conveniently forgot. I imagine we can all stand to tweak our diets a little bit and focus on improving our health. If that shift to better health includes diagnostic ultrasound, don’t hesitate to call High Desert Doppler at 505-350-3397.
by Kristi Jain | Sep 24, 2024 | Uncategorized
Thanks for taking a few minutes to read the words that became this week’s blog. Speaking of words, that is exactly what we will touch on today. I got my inspiration from a TED talk I heard recently. By the way, did you know that TED stands for technology, entertainment and design? Just a little trivia for those who might be interested.
CELEBRITY THERAPIST?
This particular TED talk was by world famous author, motivational speaker, hypnotherapist and celebrity therapist, Marisa Peer. I guess I never thought much about a celebrity therapist before. If regular people need a therapist, it will stand to reason that celebrities might also. That being said, Marissa had some interesting thoughts on words.
HERE COME THE WORDS
Marissa tells us that what is expected tends to be realized. Watch your words, for they shape your reality. If you pick better words, you will have a better reality. Every word you say is a blueprint that your mind and body will work to make real. Watch your inner dialogue. If it isn’t positive, you may want to change how you talk to yourself. Your mind will believe what you tell it.
WOULDA COULDA SHOULDA
There are a few words that can block you and your progress. Marissa says that the word should is a load of sh#t! Stop saying you should do something and actually do it. Wish is the same thing. Stop wishing and start doing. Have you ever invited someone to join you for something and the response you get is, “I’ll try.” Argh! As our old friend Yoda says, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Practice not using the word “but.” It negates what you just said. Try substituting the word “and.”
DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER
Don’t forget to remember that what is expected tends to be realized. Use your words to make a picture so you will believe what needs to be realized. Install empowering beliefs, habits and thought patterns into your existence. Expect great things.
THE BRAIN LIKES THINGS THAT ARE FAMILIAR
Familiar is safe. We have a mind that believes that familiar is safe and unfamiliar is scary. My hope in writing weekly blogs for High Desert Doppler is to familiarize you with what we do, why we do it and share messages of inspiration, motivation, health and wellness to make you familiar and comfortable with us.
ULTRASOUND
If you or your healthcare provider believe diagnostic ultrasound is indicated, we hope you think of us. Let’s face it. If you’ve never had an ultrasound done, it may be unfamiliar and can be scary. Mark my words it is an easy, painless, non-invasive, quick procedure that can be done as soon as today. Give us a call at 505-350-3397.
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