Guest Post From Doctor Debra :)

"If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace."  ... Romans 8:6

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From that title, above, can you tell I crack myself up? 😃

This past March, I set a personal record: I've only been sick once in 7 years.

(Color me as surprised as you are.)

Oh, occasionally I've had sinus issues, but always they resulted from a childish I-wanna-do-what-I-wanna-do and, as you likely know, seldom does that work out well.

But every time, I fixed the issues with some cheap common sense and poof! They vanished, usually within a few hours.

Anyway, today I'll share what I believe keeps me healthy, the ideas I've researched since I turned 40 and my body began crumbling into pieces. (Well, it felt that way.)

You, as always, are free to do whatever works for you. 

The main thing? Please become your own best health advocate--and--always first treat the cause rather than only the symptoms. Vital, that.

Selah.


When did I notice myself no longer catching colds or the flu? When I daily did these--


I take 2,500 - 5,000 units of Vitamin D3, in divided doses, the larger dosage during winter. (These help our long winters feel soo much more bearable for me--seriously. They're my Happy Pills.)

To help with Vitamin D's absorption, I take 1,000 units of magnesium (which also helps me sleep, so it's a nighttime pill).

I'm a huge believer in 'gut health'. I take 2 - 3 chewable acidolphulus tablets daily. (The chewable kind are amazing for the earliest sign of indigestion, as well.) Antibiotics kill the good bacteria within (as well as the bad), so acidolphulus is vital to restore balance.

I take 1,000- 2,000 units of Vitamin C, in divided doses. More if I've gotten sloppy and found myself with sinus issues again. (And Vitamin C is awesome for my gums. Dental folks look at them now and give me compliments rather than frowny lectures.)

I take 1,000 units of krill oil just because it helps me sleep and feel good all over.  😉 (Actually it helps with muscle relaxation and in a ton of other ways.)

I drink 1/2 cup of cranberry juice each day.

Personally, I sleep better if I eat dinner 3 - 4 hours before going to bed. I've discovered the foods which keep me awake if eaten too near bedtime (for me they're chicken, pasta, potatoes, rice).

Then just before bedtime, I eat a bit of banana, maybe 1/8th cup, if that. Seriously, it helps me sleep.


Recent things:

We've eaten a whole lot of vegetable stir-fry.

Since February, I've tried to take a walk at least 5 days a week. This has hugely helped strengthen my back.

Oh and around 1999 I had to give up daily real coffee (traumatic!). Then I switched to decaf, but had to stop that since arthritis runs in my family and wow, decaf almost turned me into a statue (so stiff). The same with milk products--eegads! So unfair, but I can have a little now and then.

(Oh and my head can handle 2 cups of real coffee a week now--hooray! I just have to be sure to separate each cup by 2 - 3 days.)


Anyway, the final thing? (It's huge.) I remind myself to stand far away from unforgiveness and stress and instead-- 

Stay grateful
Calm 
At peace (due from trust)
And if there's a choice (there usually is) to choose the simple way/plan/explanation.

And though it's taken years and tons of God Time (tons), oh-so-very-rarely do I have a bad day. God's incredible goodness is capable of making all days sweet and memorable. 

And you know? I feel physically/mentally/emotionally better at 59 than I did at 39. (So many reasons, so little time to share them all. heh. It should be illegal to feel this good at nearly 60.) 

Okay, as long as it's not too humid and my energy holds out, usually till around 5:00pm. That is, if I've kept the ol' work a bit, rest a bit pattern throughout the day. Inch by inch (and all that).


So there you go. Dr. Debra clocking out.  😉

Oh! And added 3/24/2019:


And I keep forgetting to mention this--pineapple juice! That's been a lifesaver these past three winters, starting in 2016, when I had bronchitis. 

On these dry air mornings (though I do steam water, also), I still have occasional leftover chest phlegm problems. But pineapple juice breaks it all apart, enabling me to breathe easily-peasily. 

You're welcome.  ツ


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Did anyone else love the season ending of Blue Bloods? Saw it coming--what a delight, that is, if the writers don't mess it up next season. Er hem.



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Oh! And after my last post Rebecca asked to see some of my books (the best library in all of New York State, as I say. heh.)

So here you go. Most of my treasures:

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