January 16, 2012, 9:34 am

Little Plates,
Smaller Portions

When I was traveling Europe, one man asked me if all of the people
in the US were obese. (I guess I was one of them!) Another man in Germany commented
on the amount of food that was served at American Restaurants. (We are the home
of the buffets!)

I remember growing up when the whopper came out.  We all thought that was shameful and evilly delightful
– a hamburger that big (and I think back then the whopper was bigger). But then
again is bigger better?

Not when it comes to eating. We are now in the habit of
eating large, expecting a plate full (or more than one plate full) and  with the goal of getting our money’s worth when
eating out. Is it really our money’s worth when we think of the expenses that
come with obesity?

Habit – yes we just have to put it in our mind to break the
habit. One way to do that is to set a goal for 21 days (or longer) to eat less
at each meal.  For those who love to eat
out like we do, order a smaller portion. I applaud the restaurants that are now
offering the “smaller plates”.  It used
to be that all you could order was the kiddie meal if you were lucky or perhaps
just an appetizer plate. However, now eateries are offering the “senior” “kiddie”
or even the just the smaller plate for those who don’t want to eat like little
piggys.  They usually come with a smaller
price tag too- so there we are, saving our budget as well as our health.

At home try cutting your recipes into smaller portions.  I know at our house – dinner for two, was usually
dinner for four. Now I cook for two and try to fill up the meal with more
salads or other veggies. This also saves on the budgets and leaves less left
overs to throw away.

Also try to serve on smaller plates.  I love a pretty table – try flowers and
music, colorful mini-plates, cups, colorful napkins and no TV! Try to plate
your meals with mindful enjoyment. Garnishes and decorative plating also make
eating fun.  Put the emphasis on the food
not the quantity. Eat slowly and enjoy!

Considering the preciousness of Life -

January 13, 2012, 6:23 am

Last night was clear with full moonshine and the owls were busy hunting on our farm, calling back and forth to each other, comparing notes on where to find prey.

Thankfully they were not calling my name. At least I don’t think so, nevertheless their hoots haunted me.

A coastal tribal legend has it that if you hear an owl call your name, your death is imminent. I’ve had no recent brushes with death, thank goodness, but as a doctor turned patient over the last two weeks, I’ve had cause to consider the preciousness of life and preservation of health.

The first was dutifully going in for my annual screening mammogram which became a two hour marathon of the radiologist asking for various wedge and coned down views, finally resorting to an ultrasound to determine that a small simple cyst had developed under a nipple and did not, from its appearance, need further investigation. Whew. My worry meter, working overtime through all the imaging, slid back to zero.

Then a subtle vision change in one eye resulted in an appointment with my optometrist who confirmed new vitreous floaters and opacities, but also noted an abnormal retinal artery in that eye. The next stop was the retinal specialist who documented a small retinal “wrinkle” and tear, but was more concerned about the artery which appeared to show some previous injury, whether from a clot or atherosclerosis was not clear. Initial screening lab work for diabetes, lipids, sed rate and metabolic functioning looked okay so more specific testing was ordered (D-dimer, C reactive protein) with elevated levels suggesting I am at risk for clotting, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, not to mention possible hidden malignancies causing a hypercoagulable state. As a 57-year old with hypertension whose family history contains plenty of cancers, wayward clots, unfortunate strokes and one sudden death heart attack, this certainly got my attention. The worry meter has gone into overdrive. Now I’m going through testing of my legs (no clots but lousy incompetent deep veins), carotids (no plaque) and next week my heart (to look for valve issues and emboli). Whether more testing is warranted beyond that has yet to be determined, so I’m sitting in the uncomfortable position of feeling just fine, thank you very much, but that is my denial kicking in.

There are no good reasons for retinal artery problems. They are all bad reasons. As someone on blood pressure medications for a decade and having gained weight I don’t need over the years (just in case of an unexpected serious food shortage, right?), I consider myself sufficiently warned. Besides aspirin, fish oil capsules and lipid lowering agents, I must change how I take care of myself or things will change for me without asking permission first. The doctor turned patient has been given a chance to make a difference in at least one patient’s future, or I’ll be no use to any patient.

The owls may not be calling my name but their hoots haunt for good reason. I’m listening.

Emily Gibson is a family physician who blogs at Barnstorming.

Advice from a 94 year old grandma

January 13, 2012, 6:13 am

1. Be Grateful that you have a choice

2. Do the best that you can

3. Do What you want

4. Try to be deliberate

5. Take advice from other people

Losing your Identity: So easy to lose and so hard to get.

January 8, 2012, 7:59 am

Identity is so easy to lose: a codependent relationship, a job
loss, a trigger of trauma (one of those minutes in someone's life that changes
everything) etc. Many times we can just lose our identity within the hustles
and bustles of everyday life. Sometimes we don’t even realize that it may be
slipping away...our spirit is leaving… Our spirit- what’s inside that makes us
- ME.

It can be better said by Soren Kierkengaard, "The greatest
danger, that of losing one’s own self, may pass off quietly as if it were
nothing; every other loss, that of an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. is
sure to be noticed.”

One of the major ways women lose their identity is through
relationships. In my mother's time - women were their husbands...an appendage
of the man. As society changed, so did the women, some of us (like our generation)
were stuck in the time warp - did we listen to our mother's and obey the man or
did we burn our bras and experiment to see who we really were? Was it wrong to
do drugs, experience forbidden sexual mores, fight the political man and take
arms against our “enemies”...in other words throw the baby out with the
bathwater?

Maybe it’s time and experience that takes you through the
journey...the journey of being YOU as a child and finding yourself as an adult.
I know I thank GOD everyday...that I came through the wormhole almost
unscathed. I did, but maybe not the people around me...like my children. (But
then again that is another story).

I finally have come to the path in my life that I am me. I feel
like a child again and thank god, he has provided me with a mate that lets me
be me (without too much conflict :)) and I feel that I can be creative, express
myself, and grow. Finally at the early end of senior citizenship, I can grow.
Well...thank god...some people never even have a peek at their identity after
childhood. It disappears somewhere around middle school...never to return!

I credit God and prayer with my transformation and lots of inner
healing. I also think that my VERY troubled past has brought me to a path that
I can see both sides of the street and thank god that I am able to make good
decisions (I hope), be happy and GRATEFUL.

The unfortunate thing (and probably my inner hell) is watching my
children lose their identity or really wobble in the search. As a parent, you can’t
preach only pray.