Wonderful Life
• I didn’t know the actor Jimmy Stewart left a successful acting career to go to WWI, then insisted on moving to see more action. Apparently Its a Wonderful Life reignited a comeback to acting after the fought in WWII. He had some degree of PTSD from the war and people assert that his distress in the movie was quite real.
• Little pearl in the comments, a link to him reading a poem about his dog on the Johnny Carson show.
Fractal
• Looking at fractals makes people more relaxed and happy. This is part of the reason nature therapy works so well. Take a walk on the trail in the park when you can, but for now just check out this cool minute long video of one complex fractal.
Processing
• Fairly thorough article on some of the many the issues with nutrition. Hint: It’s all about processed food!. We (America) are number #1, the highest percentage of processed food of any country in the world.
• I have a few rules for patients who are trying to lose body fat. Prioritize protein and fiber and avoid processed food (an easy way to do this is to only foods in the perimeter of the grocery, but watch out for the bakery!). Thanks Liz for sending the article.
Cheese crackers
• Ok yes these are processed. And I admit the plain Quest brand “Cheese Its” taste a bit like cardboard. But they now have a spicy version with much more flavor. Find them at Target or Amazon.
Supplement updates
• Check out the new daily supplement page on the website. Just updated this month. Practiceofwellness.com also has a page on managing elevate blood pressure without prescriptions, and a new page on protein and smoothies.
• I reformulated the PW Daily 2.0 into two new options: Tightened up the recipe to make a PW Core Formula that costs less than the 2.0. And for those of us trying to live forever, see the the PW Enhanced Healthspan. Links take you to the labels. Available at our office, reply back with questions.
Quotes
Let everything happen to you: Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.
– Rainer Maria Rilke
Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads are roads of genius.
– William Blake
Talking about painful events doesn’t necessarily establish community – often quite the contrary. Families and organizations may reject members who air the dirty laundry; friends and family can lose patience with people who get stuck in their grief or hurt. This is one reason why trauma victims often withdraw and why their stories become rote narratives, edited into a form least likely to provoke rejection. It is an enormous challenge to find safe places to express the pain of trauma, which is why survivor groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Narcotics Anonymous, and other support groups can be so critical. Finding a responsive community in which to tell yhour truth makes recovery possible.
– Bessel Van der Kolk in The Body Keeps the Score
