Posts from the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Jun 18

Personalizing Your Health

I recently learned about WellnessFX, a San Francisco based start-up focused on “bringing personalized health data directly to the hands of consumers, conveniently and superbly.” Testing cholesterol, thyroid function, liver + kidney health, nutrition + electrolytes, basic inflammation, performance hormones, and metabolic hormones — and then helping you interpret your personalized data — WellnessFX ambitiously sets out to empower people with actionable insights they can use to improve their health. Pricing ranges from $29 – $529, depending on what you’re having tested. I’m intrigued enough to give this a shot; if you’ve by chance had a WellnessFX screening, I’d love to hear your thoughts about whether it added value and which package to choose. And stay tuned for a future post once I’ve had the screening done.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share something I came across as I was exploring the company. They created a free e-book called “10 Small Steps to Wellness.” The ten they chose are interesting — I love some of them (#s 2, 3, 5, 6, 7), but I think a few of them would be far from my personal top 10 small steps (i.e., I’d never bring weights on a business trip…I think a bit of dirt is good for you….I’m not sold that supplements are necessary/good for you…and I think I’d argue to flat out eliminate heavy drinking, versus just drink water to compensate). Nonetheless, seeing someone else’s list is always a great catalyst to think about what might be on yours. Here’s the list from WellnessFX:

Keep out harmful pathogens: practice good hygiene. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one month I will wash my hands whenever possible before and after social events, meals, and taking public transportation.
Get some Z’s. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For two weeks I will go to bed and get up at the same time everyday
Simple carbs (sugars) lower the immune system: avoid them! SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one week I will avoid sugary foods or processed foods and replace them with whole, natural foods.
Don’t forget the supplements. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one month I will make a supplement plan and stick to it – even if I’m traveling!
Relax, relax, relax. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one week I will take 10 minutes to myself every day to clear my mind – no computer or phone allowed!
Workout hard, not long. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one month I will dedicate my workouts to shorter, more intense intervals.
Include the family. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one month I will be active with others.
Add some pounds. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For the next three trips longer than three days, I will bring my own weights – and use them!
Keep your metabolism amped. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one month I will prepare my own meals ahead of time, pack snacks, and take healthy options to potlucks.
Be wary of alcohol. SAMPLE COMMITMENT: For one month, when doing heavy drinking, I will have one glass of water for every glass of alcohol.

What’s in your top 10 that’s not included in this list? And if you’d like to write your own wellfesto (a collection of your commitments), please send it my way, and I’ll beautify it and post it!

Jun 14

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Fleeting Perspective

I heard an NPR segment earlier this week featuring Suleika Jaouad, the author of the New York Times Well blog column, “Life Interrupted.” Two years ago, at the age of 22, Suleika was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia; she is now cancer free. In the segment (you can read the transcript here), she talks about how it feels to “re-start” her life…or as she calls it, her “new different” (versus “new normal”). One quote really stuck out as I listened to her interview:

“I’ll never go so far to call cancer a gift. It’s a really terrible disease. But like any life-interrupted moment, there are silver linings. And I feel like in the past year, for the first time – I like this expression – that I’ve been able to make my mess my message. And I’ve taken a lot of joy in that. I feel like I have a better sense of who I am and who I want to be and what’s important to me. And I’m very grateful to have that newfound awareness now. I feel incredibly appreciative of my friends and my family. I try very hard to find meaning in the work that I do. And that emphasis and finding purpose has made me a happier person, I think, overall.”

Stories like Suleika’s abound…people going through an intense experience that changes the way they think about their life…about life in general. Every time I come across one of those stories, or see someone or something that puts life into perspective, I’m overcome with a deeper sense of awareness and gratitude for all the good and all the challenges life brings along…for all the screaming moments and all the chubby-handed hugs…for the fog and the sunshine…for the slow runs and the faster ones…for the easy conversations and the tough ones…for all of it.

But all too often, this feeling is fleeting – giving way to sweating the small stuff and taking things for granted. As I think about this, I’d love any ideas about what helps you keep an eye on the big picture…

What helps you keep things in perspective? Do you have any daily practices that help you remember that everything we experience in life is relative?

Jun 13

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If Our Daily Lives Were More Like Summer Camp…

…we’d bond more quickly and more deeply.

…we’d make new friends + treasure the old.

…exercise would be a lifestyle, not a scheduled activity.

…we’d sing more often and not worry about being out of tune.

…meals wouldn’t be eaten alone.

…we’d write and read more letters.

…the sun would warm our backs.

…even the fiercest competition would still be friendly.

…we’d be ourselves.

…money wouldn’t cross our minds.

…we’d make stuff.

…we’d notice the stars in the sky.

…giving and getting “warm fuzzies” would happen every day.

…we’d hug more.

…we’d sleep soundly through the night.

…we’d look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.

What’s one thing you can do to make tomorrow feel a little more like summer camp? Tis the season…

Photo by Natalie Lucier, via Flickr Creative Commons.

Jun 11

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Healing Hands

Massage has been around for thousands of years — in fact, drawings in the Egyptian Tomb of Akmanthor dating back to BC 2330 depict two men having massage work done on their hands and feet. But it took until the mid-19th century for it to become popular in the U.S. (early practice was based on learnings from a Swedish physician), and interestingly, massage wasn’t formally included as a medical offering for U.S. Olympic athletes until the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

And even today, massage (at least “medical massage”) isn’t totally mainstream. Despite having a Canadian husband who grew up thinking massage was a normal part of preventive health — especially for athletes — I often find myself avoiding it…telling myself it’s too expensive, too luxurious, too selfish, and resorting to it only after an ugly and painful problem has arisen. I’ve been thinking about this lately because I’ve “resorted” to having some work done both in the clinic and on my own (using a foam roller) to deal with some nagging tendon issues (peroneal + achilles). It’s amazing and has already made a big difference in terms of my muscle tension and tendon stress. And beyond the muscle benefits, any medical site will tell you that massage can help with anxiety, digestive disorders, fertility, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia, nerve pain, joint pain, and stress.

So if you don’t get regular massage, take a minute to think about whether it might be something you want to include as part of your broader commitment to well-being. To help answer the most basic questions, here’s a bit of advice from my cousin, Sarah Wilkinson, a massage therapist and owner of Take Time for Yourself Massage in Minneapolis:

How often do people need to get massage to experience the benefits? Everyone is different, and the answer to this questions really depends on each person’s own personal situation and what they are trying to accomplish. Someone in pain — for example jaw pain or hip pain — may come weekly for a month in order to relieve the pain; whereas someone working with stress relief may come bi-weekly or monthly.

What’s the most important question for people to ask if they’re looking for a massage therapist? A therapist/client relationship is like any other one — people need to be able to communicate with each other comfortably. The intimacy of massage means that personal referrals/word-of-mouth often work best. Once you choose someone to work with, there are a few important things to be clear about early: how much pressure you like, whether you like to talk during your sessions ,whether you like music, etc.

Any specific advice for athletes? It’s important for athletes to see a massage therapist familiar with their sport and muscle groups used. I see a lot of bikers and runners, so I’m very very familiar with the leg muscles and gluteus. For athletes, massage is a great way to help maintain their bodies so they can continue doing what they love.

What do you love about being a massage therapist? I love having a “job” that shifts people into a better state of being. I really enjoy the trust people have during their sacred time with me to just be who they are and talk about issues that are troubling them. One of my clients always tells me she does her best thinking on my table. I have the honor of working with many women on their journey to motherhood, which can be a hard time for some. Helping them is one of my favorite parts of my work. There is nothing better.

So, in Sarah’s words, think about taking some time for yourself this month (and if you’re in Minneapolis, you should go see her)!

Do you think of massage as a luxury, or core to getting and staying well? If you get massage, what do you love about it? And if you don’t, why not?

Jun 10

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Weekend Reflection: Five Things That Stuck Out

Life is full of transitions — big ones like getting married or having a child or starting a new job, and small ones like watching day turn into night and shifting from weekend to work week. These transitions are a great time to reflect — even if just for a few minutes — on what’s going well and what’s not. They’re a good time to check in about whether we’re rested or tired…energized or ambivalent…taking care of ourselves or not…and prioritizing the things that matter most. I consciously thought about these things for a few minutes as I drove to work this morning, taking stock of how the weekend went and what intentions I want to set for the week ahead. Here are some reminders I’m holding onto as the work week begins…

EXERCISE

Little Eyes Are Watching: Our 2-yr-old daughter was busily working on her own in the kitchen yesterday. I assumed she was “cooking” something in her play kitchen until she told me it was time to begin “spin class.” She told me she had water and pistachios ready in case we got hungry and thirsty, and she was ready to turn up the music and SPIN (note: she has never been to a spin class…she’s only heard me saying that I’m going to one…so her version of spin class was literally SPINNING, until I was sick and dizzy and ready to fall down). The point here is: as parents and as people…we don’t always realize how our behavior is impacting the people around us. If I had spent the weekend watching TV, my daughter likely would have organized a Downton Abbey marathon…not a spin class. Health begets health….something I posted about a few weeks ago in Cheering Us On.

FOOD

Deliciousness Can Be Easy: My mother-in-law was visiting this weekend, and she’s a great cook. What I love about her cooking sensibility is that she focuses on simplicity, and she proves that great cooking doesn’t need to be complicated. She made a beautifully seared prime rib, roasted potatoes and spinach and mango salad with seemingly minimal effort. No recipes required. I covered this idea of simple meals in an earlier post — 3-Ingredient Meals — and I love seeing it in practice. It’s a great reminder that time need not be a barrier to healthy + yummy cooking.

MIND

Technology is Complicated: If you missed it, this New York Times essay, “How Not to be Alone” is thought-provoking as we think about the role technology plays in our lives and how it can shape our behavior. Here’s a teaser that might make you want to take five minutes to read this: “I worry that the closer the world gets to our fingertips, the further it gets from our hearts.” If you’re interested in the conversation about technology and well-being, here’s an earlier post about the power of unplugging.

RELATIONSHIPS

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old: We spent time with three different out of town guests over the weekend (mother-in-law, old friend from Wisconsin, and old friend from Calgary), and I was reminded how important it is to invest in lifelong relationships. I know it’s cheesy, but I’ve always loved the piece about friends in that famous Baz Luhrmann “Sunscreen” poem/song: “Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.” Both new and old friends add huge value to our lives…and seeing old ones face-to-face is an important reminder that we need both.

PURPOSE

The Power of Focus: I don’t have any weekend revelations about purpose to share — after all, it was just a weekend! But I did do a bit of thinking about focus. We went to a park Saturday that’s famous for kite-flying, and I loved getting lost in the moment while watching the colorful kits swirling in the air (similar to the Hockey Moments I covered a while ago). Our lives have the potential to be totally absorbed by distraction, making focus elusive. Jonathan Safran Foer quotes Simone Weil in the loneliness essay I mentioned above: “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” This is so true…generosity to others…and to ourselves. This leads to my intention for this week…FOCUS. Less email, more making stuff. Less breadth, more depth. Less interruption, more impact.

What’s your intention for the week? And does it stem from something you did, read, heard, or realized this weekend?

May 27

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Cutting Through the Clutter

I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the “noise” in my life lately. I’m signed up for a gazillion blogs/e-newsletters, I get the snail mail New York Times, Fast Company, Outside, and Real Simple, I have four email accounts, paper lists, electronic lists, and lists swimming around in my head. I’m not sure what percentage of this is “media porn” versus substantive information, but I’m guessing the balance could be a whole lot better than it is. This topic of noise/bombardedness seems to be in the media a lot these days as people are increasingly talking about things like intention and purpose and signal…and how we isolate those things in our information-filled lives. For example, an author named Douglas Rushkoff recently published a book called Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now, which talks about our social adaptation to a present-focused narrative, which can either be energizing or disorienting, depending on how we handle it.

This idea of noise — and how to sift through it — is most interesting to me as it relates to our health. This was actually the foundation of wellfesto — a belief that if we all could get clearer about what matters to us, based on our individual stage in life and priorities and interests and passions — we’d be able to better focus the information and inspiration we process in order to take care of ourselves. I love the idea of being clear about what matters to us, and then designing information flow based on that. Technology writer Doc Searls was quoted talking about this exact thing in yesterday’s New York Times business section: “right now, fitness enthusiasts who use blood pressure monitors, calorie calculators, and movement sensors typically can’t collate the data for a unified view of their wellness…if people could easily integrate their data, they might be able to correlate weight loss to a particular workout routine or diet.”

I’m sure people are frantically scrambling to build a platform that makes sense of not just our physical health, but our overall well-being. And overall, I think this is a good thing. Probably a great thing…maybe even a world-changing thing. But the value of all of this information hinges on what we actually do with it. What signal are we looking for, why, and what decisions/behavioral changes do we make based on what we learn? What unique blend of data matters to US? I have a super rudimentary way of thinking about this, which is a pie graph of what I’m focusing on at any given time. Here’s the graph I made this morning:

It shows where I’m focusing my effort right now…not necessarily my time (I probably spend more time making and eating food and using my brain than this graph shows)…but my energy. Once I sketch out how I’m focusing my effort, I think about what I’m looking for in each category. This usually includes one/some of the following: motivation, information, support, time, focus, inspiration, commitment. Once I know what I’m working on and what will help propel it forward, I can make clearer use of my time and find signal in noise. It’s imperfect, but its a good check now and again to try to focus on the things that matter most.

What tools do you use to keep track of your health? Do they add value or noise? Do the signals you’re looking for change over time? If you could design one tool to keep track of your overall well-being, how would it work?

Apr 29

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Cheering Us On

“Girls don’t do those long races…just boys do,” my 4-yr-old son informed me knowingly as we drove out to watch my husband’s 50-mile trail (running) race this past weekend. I asked him why he thought that, and he replied, “if girls did them, you’d be running today too, mom!”

Flattered that he thought I might be an aspiring ultra-marathoner (which in case you’re wondering, I’m not) and relived that he’s not sexist, I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “Your dad’s insane…I’m not” didn’t feel quite right. “I don’t want to be arthritic when I’m 45” is probably a bit over his head, I thought. And “believe me, I’d much rather be on a trail than sitting in this car” sounded spiteful. So I settled on the truth. “Daddy loves these races, but I love other things. We both spend our time doing things we love…just because we choose different things doesn’t mean they’re only for boys or only for girls.” And on we went to the race, where we all cheered for every single “boy” and every single “girl” who came through the aid station.

My son’s question was important, both because of what he asked and what he didn’t ask. I’ve never heard him say anything like “why is daddy spending the whole day running? Why isn’t he with me?” He’s never upset when I head out for a bike ride or a yoga class…in fact, I often find my kids with yoga mats outstretched — practicing their own downward dogs — when I get home from yoga. Just as parents want their kids to be happy and free, I think kids…even little ones…want their parents to be the same. And even more, they are watching our every move. If we think running is cool, so do they. If we eat asparagus, the odds go up that they’ll give it a try too. If we play board games, they might opt for UNO over iPad.

This brings me to the next chapter of this blog. I’m going to start focusing content more narrowly on parents, and what they can do to hack their health and design the lives they want to lead amidst the emotional and structural challenges of raising kids. This is not turning into a parenting blog. It’s not turning into a family blog. It is a blog for the GROWN-UPS. There are a ton of amazing resources out there focused on taking care of your kids and families (and I’m not trying to undermine the importance of that in any way)…but this one is about taking care of YOU. It’s about staying connected with who you are at the core and what you care about most and what you’re working on in your life. It’s about the constant shifting of priorities that mark these years. It’s about the focus that brings peace, and the experiences that connect us.

I firmly believe that we can only help our kids become the best version of themselves if we are the best versions of ourselves. And when we’re doing those things, our kids will be there to cheer us on…just as we are for them. As I’ve said before, the kids will be alright.

P.S. If you’re not a parent, it’s my hope that you’ll still find lots of interesting ideas on this blog. Again, it’s a blog for the grown-ups, so if your “baby” is a company or a hobby or a sport or a book or a band, I encourage you to stay tuned!

Apr 26

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Trusting the Experts, Not the Internetz

I’ve been knocked down with the stomach flu for the past few days and spent yesterday afternoon in bed foggily staring out the window, dozing off, and surfing the web. The surfing started innocently with a relatively highbrow TED talk about what makes us love our work (feelings of forward progress and purpose), deteriorated into mindless social media scrolling, and further progressed into the worst of the worst ways to spend time on the Internet: obsessive Google searching about weird medical conditions.

I’ve always been super interested in health and remember being a little kid and loving the “Human Body” special edition of our Encyclopedia Britannica and reading my Harvard Guide to Women’s Health for fun in college. But all of this was informational and disconnected from my own body. It felt academic…even clinical, and it satiated my generalized curiosity versus my internalized paranoia. It was safe, fueling my knowledge base, but not my hypochondria.

Then came the Internet, and with it, a wealth of information about health…and disease. I love the web for the health information I can access, and I hate it for the disease information I can so easily uncover. Yesterday was the perfect example. I have the FLU. The PLAIN OLD FLU. I am certain of it. But, concerned that my abdomen was quite sore (along with every other body part), I consulted Google “just to see” what else it might be (part curiosity, part hypochondria, part boredom). Search terms: “vomiting, sore abdomen, fatigue.” Google’s results: every kind of cancer you can imagine, weird bacterial infections you can only get in a far-off rainforest, ulcers ectopic pregnancy. Rather than closing my computer as I knew I should have, I added “sore neck” to the mix, returning a slue of articles about meningitis. I was engrossed in what could be…what might be…not what actually was.

I’d love to say this was the first time that this has happened, but that’s obviously (and embarrassingly) not the case. When I’m honest with myself, my search history from the past year includes things like “wrist pain, toddler with short legs, neurofibromatosis, Achilles tendinitis, ankle reconstruction, dairy allergy, and kids with freckles.” YES, FRECKLES. Did any of this result in a diagnosis…a cure…peace of mind…or anything positive? Of course not. It just led to an intermittently worried mom missing out on the constant beauty and the good fortune of a blissfully healthy family.

I love the Internet for all the information and connection and power and joy it gives us…and I can’t stand the comparison, the time sucking, and the unnecessary worry that it can bring about if misused. Just as we can set parental controls to restrict our kids’ usage, I wish we could have “crazy adult controls” to keep us from searching for weird amorphous symptoms and self cures. In the absence of that, my resolve is to stay off the internet if I’m even slightly worried about a medical condition and leave it to the professionals….to either let it go or visit the doctor.

So with that, I’m going to go back to recovering from the PLAIN OLD FLU. The flu that 100 years ago people would have taken at face value, simply waiting for it to pass. The flu that will remind me (hopefully by tomorrow) how amazing it is to have a healthy body and a clear mind. And the flu that, for better or for worse, is forcing my body to do what it probably needs…rest.

Does health information on the Internet empower you or make you paranoid? How do you steer clear of the Web when you’re under the weather?

Apr 19

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A few thoughts for the weekend…

After a week filled with tragedy, may this weekend bring us all rejuvenation and connection and peace and health. Here are a few simple ideas for taking care of your body, mind and spirit…

Apr 16

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Innocent Miles

I ran the Boston Marathon in 2003 and clearly remember the long, early morning bus ride out to Hopkinton, the anticipation in the air at the starting line, the Wellesley women at the halfway point, and the beauty of running downhill at the end of the race with downtown Boston in sight. I finished the race, went to the house where I was staying, took a bubble bath, took a nap, got up, and ate some creamy risotto as the sun began to set. It was so pure and so simple and so innocent…three things that couldn’t feel more sharply contrasted by the sights and sounds that happened yesterday.

As a human, my heart breaks today for the runners, the spectators, the families, the city, and the dreams that were shattered yesterday. And as a runner, I feel so sad that in an instant, the innocence of running a race was taken away. Beyond thinking twice about going to work and going to the movies and getting on an airplane and going to school, we runners may now be plagued by a shadow of doubt every time we step onto a race course.

But the resilience and unwavering optimism of humans — and particularly of runners I know — gives me hope that the simple joy of running will not be crushed by newfound fear of the unknown. In 2001 I stood at that starting line of the New York City Marathon — just a few months after the twin towers had fallen. People cheered and cried as the national anthem played before the race, and they then went on to pour their hearts out on the course. I was a little bit scared that morning — so many people in such a visible location just months after our national confidence had been shaken. But I showed up and ran the race and was proud to be a part of bringing New York City — my home at the time — back to its new “normal.” May this be the spirit of all races to come, even in the face of this tragedy. And may we find comfort in running because we can and peace in honoring those who can’t.

Posts from the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Personalizing Your Health

Fleeting Perspective

If Our Daily Lives Were More Like Summer Camp…

Healing Hands

Weekend Reflection: Five Things That Stuck Out

Cutting Through the Clutter

Cheering Us On

Trusting the Experts, Not the Internetz

A few thoughts for the weekend…

Innocent Miles

Get Ideas In Your Inbox

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