Dr. Grimes' Bottom Line: 2017

Thursday, June 22, 2017

2017 Resolutions - Take 2!

Here we are, staring back at nearly half of 2017 in the rear view mirror already...so how did you do on your 2017 New Year's Resolutions? For those of you playing along with me, you know I changed things up this year with my 20-1-7 Challenge, trying ONE new healthy habit each week. What stuck? What dropped off? What was the biggest surprise?

Looking back, I'm happy to share that the vast majority of challenges "stuck" and are part of my life routine. Which challenges became permanent changes for me?

HIDING MY PHONE in the car (putting in my purse or backpack) is likely the major new habit that is helping the community as much as myself.
NUKING (microwaving) the dish sponge before and after use seems normal now.
USING a weekly medication dispenser dramatically improved my consistency.
FLOSSING (my biggest victory) is finally routine with my visual reminder from "future Jill"
WATER four times per day is back to being habit, rather than forced

What did not stick, but I will keep trying?

Playing the piano...I was out of town for several weeks, so no piano
YOGA- still WANT this, but haven't found the right method yet
Vegetable spiral tool- honestly, now my grocery store sells prepackaged bags of spiraled veggies, so I've been grabbing those rather than DIY

What worked, but not needed long-term?

ZZZ- I used a sleep monitoring app for four months, which really helped me prioritize both the quantity and quality of my sleep.

The biggest SURPRISE?

Week #4 Brain Recharge with Kirtan Kriya meditation. This has become my go-to tool for insomnia or situational anxiety (like fear of flying). With or without the recording, I can use this "chant" to calm my mind, brain and body.

BOTTOM LINE: July marks the start of the second half of 2017, so treat yourself to a do-over or create your next batch of resolutions to improve your health and happiness!

Monday, May 15, 2017

Positive Twist: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #20: The Final Challenge!

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Positive Twist: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #20

A couple years ago, I heard a motivational speaker issue a challenge- every time that you find yourself saying or thinking something NEGATIVE, add a comma and a "but..."and finish the sentence with a positive twist. (I wish I could remember her name, to give credit- my apologies.) For my last weekly challenge, rather than focusing on a physical change, I thought it would be great to focus on attitude.

Negative thoughts drag down our energy, feeding a cycle that can adversely affect not only our own mood, but those around us. Especially when life hands you a bunch of challenges at once- and really, that's how it seems to happen, right? Your family member is ill or has an accident, someone else loses a job or ends a relationship, AND your computer crashes...etc. Take a day and really "listen" to your self-talk. How often is your glass half-full, or the majority of your energy focused on what's WRONG, rather than what is working?

Recently, I've found myself spewing anger, frustration and disappointment over a situation that has consumed my thoughts the past few months. For my final 20-1-7 challenge, I'm ready to pro-actively change this negative whirlpool. This week, I will focus on what is coming out of my brain and mouth, and will use this positive twist technique to reverse gears.

BOTTOM LINE: Every time you have a negative thought or comment, add "BUT..."with a concluding positive twist!

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #15: Nuke It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #16: Old School Keyboarding

20-1-7 Challenge Week #17: Candy Day

20-1-7 Challenge Week #18: Eye "Floss"

20-1-7 Challenge Week#19: Travel Snacks: Not only did this improve our diet along the drive, but also shortened our travel time (since we eliminated several fast food stops!) Definitely a Win-Win!

Monday, May 8, 2017

Travel Snacks: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #19

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Travel Snacks: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #19

At home and work, I have a well-established routine for bringing healthy snacks. I always take a thinly sliced apple and a single serving-size of peanut butter or a handful of nuts. However, when I travel...the lure of french fries and Coke will create a force field that sucks my car right in to that drive through (with a long list of rationalizations why I "deserve" this treat.) And honestly, I have no problem with the occasional fast food, but our family tends to have LONG driving trips, and relying on fast food for multiple feedings over several days does our bodies/brains/stomachs no favors.

So- this week, I fly across the country to help our college daughter drive the 1200+ miles back home. My challenge is to make our FIRST food stop be a grocery store- where I stock our car with some nutritious body fuel and bottled water. Yes, we will still enjoy some Culver's delicacies on the drive, but my challenge is to make that the exception, not the default.

Side note- this summer, especially if you are headed out on a family driving vacation, start your trip with handy healthy snacks in single serving sizes. Our favorites include baby carrots (& single serving hummus), apples, raisins, nuts*, Luna bars and pretzels. Nothing that melts, nothing that can be "squished"...and we try to limit choking hazards.

BOTTOM LINE: Traveling or not, try taking healthy snacks WITH you to reduce the siren call of fast food!

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #15: Nuke It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #16: Old School Keyboarding

20-1-7 Challenge Week #17: Candy Day

20-1-7 Challenge Week #18: Eye "Floss" Feedback: Lid scrubs are so simple to add to your shower routine! Not sure if I can credit the lid scrubs or a change in pollen, but my eyes have been less irritated every day.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Eye "FLOSS": 20-1-7 Challenge Week #18

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Eye "Floss": 20-1-7 Challenge Week #18

We all know flossing our teeth is a good idea, right? Certainly our future 70 year old selves would engrave that in our bathroom mirrors if they could. Every dentist that I know is quite faithful about flossing daily. Interestingly, most eye doctors that I know have a similar but lesser known ritual for their eyes. Not actually eye "floss" as my title teased, but eye LID SCRUBS.

The base of our eyelashes are well suited to collect debris, especially if you fall in the mascara, eyeliner or eyeshadow-wearing cohort. While we dutifully wash our faces and possibly use a makeup removal cloth, most can attest from the smears under their eyelashes in the morning that this is not the most thorough of processes.

"BLEPHARITIS" is the medical name for inflammation of the eyelids. Symptoms include red, itchy eyes, often with some crusting or flaking alongside the inflamed edge. Contact lens wearers often blame their lens for this irritation, only to discover that it is the lash area causing the problem. If you suffer from this issue, then a simple routine of "lid scrubs" may significantly improve your ocular health.

Lid scrub products are sold commercially as wipes, or you can DIY with non-irritating baby shampoo. Simply keep a small bottle in your shower, and when you've finished your normal shower/shampoo routine, squeeze out a drop of baby shampoo on to the tips of your fingers, rub them together, and then gently massage the base of your eyelashes (with eyes closed, obviously) for about ten seconds, then put your face back into the spray of the shower and rinse thoroughly. That's it!

My own eyes have been itchy and mildly irritated for the past few weeks, which I have attributed to the oak pollen that blankets central Texas in the spring, but this is a great time for me to return to the hygiene habit of lid scrubs.

BOTTOM LINE: This week, add lid scrubs to your daily shower routine- all it takes is a small bottle of no-tears baby shampoo and less than a minute of your time

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #15: Nuke It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #16: Old School Keyboarding

20-1-7 Challenge Week #17: Candy Day Feedback: The candy habit was more ingrained in my routine than I would have thought, so rather than simply giving up my candy "rewards" during a work day, I substituted a new sweet treat- dried fruit (strawberries or bananas).

Monday, April 24, 2017

Candy Day: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #17

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Candy Day: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #17

Growing up, Sunday was "Candy Day". Mom lined up her brightly colored glass jars and bowls filled with assorted hard candies and fun-sized Snickers and Milky Way chocolate bars along the counter, while my siblings and I impatiently lined up to fill our little sandwich bag with treats. We were never allowed to eat candy during the week, but on Sunday afternoons we indulged. This tradition worked on many levels, including providing a great incentive for kids to behave well in church, since Candy Day participation was limited to family members in good standing. The truth is that our family dentist suggested this rule after one unnamed family member ended up with a mouthful of cavities in his or her baby teeth.

Fast forward to my first private practice. Although by this time I certainly no longer rigidly restricted candy to Sundays, I was surprised to see that it was a social norm for most of the staff in our building to keep candy on or in their desk. In fact, I confess to enabling this habit by replenishing the communal chocolate stash in the break room fridge. However, having candy within easy reach can lead to an unhealthy mindless habit- grab a mini-Reeses cup between patients, or "reward" myself with another handful of peanut M&M's when I finish each chart...and the list goes on, as do the empty calories (not to mention the assault on my teeth).

In the United States, grocery stores happily provide a revolving season of candy...Halloween candy shows up as soon as school starts in late August, then December Candy Canes, Valentine's chocolates, chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps and more. Summer doesn't seem to have a designated candy yet- which our bikini bodies might appreciate. None-the-less, my point is that candy seems to be far too available and visually promoted.

So- going back to my wise parents' idea- this week's challenge is to remove candy from your daily routine. Either replace the candy with a nutritious snack (apple slices or a small handful of raw nuts) or skip it all together, whatever works for you.

BOTTOM LINE: Eliminate candy as a mindless habit or convenient reward, starting with removing candy completely for one week.

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #15: Nuke It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #16: Old School Keyboarding Feedback: Loved the stress relief of playing the piano again. Whether it's "muscle memory" or finely tuned neural pathways (yes, pun intended!) my hands seem to take on a life of their own when I jumped back to playing my favorite songs, and without a doubt, even playing two or three songs on the piano proved to be a wonderful way to clear my brain and eliminate all other thoughts for a few precious minutes.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Old School Keyboarding: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #16

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Old School Keyboarding: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #16

When my Mom's Alzheimer disease prevented her from recognizing me as her daughter, the only way I could consistently engage with her was through music. Christmas carols, children's songs and Broadway show tunes would almost always bring a smile to her face, and her eyes would often brighten as she nodded and sang along. My most cherished memory from those last challenging years was sparked by this connection. After singing Christmas carols nonstop for nearly an hour, my mom spontaneously grasped my hands, made full eye contact with me, and in a fleeting moment of clarity, announced, "Jill, you know I love you." What a gift!

As such, my eyes quickly zoom in on articles such as the "Effects of Music Learning and Piano Practice on Cognitive Function, Mood, and Quality of Life in Older Adults" . I'm always encouraged to see more evidence that playing the piano positively affects the brain, and yet at the same time, I have walked past MY piano without touching the keys for longer than I care to admit (think years, not months).

So- this week's challenge is to bring back PIANO playing into my life's routine, if only for a few songs per day. I will be VERY rusty, but I believe at least a few songs are so deeply imprinted in my neural pathways and fingers that they will jumpstart my musical engine (Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag is a must.)

For those of you "playing along" with my 20-1-7 challenge who do NOT play piano but own one...now is a great time to start lessons! If you neither own nor know how to play, feel free to choose a different instrument or simply sing out loud a few songs.

BOTTOM LINE: This week's challenge is to play the piano for at least 10 minutes per day.

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It

20-1-7 Challenge Week #15: Nuke It Feedback: Microwaving the kitchen sponge before and after use was a simple habit quickly adopted by our whole family.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Nuke It: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #15

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

NUKE IT: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #15

How do you clean/sanitize the sponge that you use to clean your family's dishes, pots & pans? Like sneakers, kitchen sponges are replaced far less frequently than recommended. When researchers check bacteria counts on kitchen sponges, the numbers are are impressive- both in restaurants and in homes. (Oct 2016, International Journal of Food Science, Microbiological Safety of Kitchen Sponges Used in Food Establishments)

It makes sense that a sponge is the ideal culture ground for bacteria, as moisture combines with tiny food particles from scrubbing. However, I'll be the first to confess that I only recently began "nuking" our sponges, which I find to be easier to remember than tossing the sponge in the dishwasher. Interestingly, microwaving your damp sponge for 30 seconds or tossing your sponge in the dishwasher with your dishes are both more effective than using chemical sterilizers, such as bleach.

How much does sterilizing your kitchen reduce the spread of measurable disease? I wish that I had an evidence-based answer, but I do not. What I know is that the vast majority of Americans consume the highest proportion of food in their own home, and food-borne illness is extremely common. For me, cleaning the sponge (and replacing the kitchen sponge at least every other week) is a simple healthy habit, like using only dishwasher-safe cutting boards that you wash after every use.

BOTTOM LINE: This week's challenge is to make it a daily habit to microwave your kitchen sponge for 30 seconds to reduce bacterial counts in your own kitchen.

20-1-7 Challenge Week #13: NEW SHOES

20-1-7 Challenge Week #14: Hide It FEEDBACK: For me, placing my phone in my purse is a simple, easily sustainable, safety habit. Your car should be a texting-free zone, and driving without visible access to your own phone will make you frighteningly aware of how many drivers sharing the road with you are more interested in THEIR phones than traffic.

Monday, April 3, 2017

HIDE IT: 20-1-7 Challenge, Week #14

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

HIDE IT: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #14
I'm frankly embarrassed with the frequency that I use the "FIND My iPhone" App (what a Godsend for distracted minds!) However, this week's challenge is not to FIND it, but to purposefully HIDE it- when we DRIVE. Parents of teenagers- what do we tell them every day? "DO NOT TEXT & DRIVE", right? RIGHT.

And then- how many of us have our iPhones sitting in the drink holder...calling our names, pleading with us to simply take a peak at that red light? Or stop sign. Or maybe just a glance, without touching, in response to the beckoning vibration of incoming messages. So what are we actually doing ourselves, and teaching our young drivers? You guessed it- our actions are saying that you CAN text and drive.

Tomorrow, HIDE IT. Put your iPhone in your purse, backpack, glove compartment or back seat. Leave on your bluetooth for emergency, truly hands-free calls if you must, but STOP LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE. Focus your attention on the road and the other cars- and all those drivers who are texting, checking messages, and NOT looking at the road. It's terrifying, no joke.

What if you need for phone for GPS and no one else is in the car to help you? Trust me, these smart phones can talk out loud- no visual needed.

BOTTOM LINE: HIDE your smart phone from sight BEFORE you start driving, and take it out when you are parked with the engine turned off. And please, challenge your spouse, kids & friends to do the same.

Monday, March 27, 2017

If the SHOE Fits...20-1-7 Challenge Week #13

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

If the SHOE Fits...20-1-7 Challenge Week #13

While the saying goes "If the shoe fits, WEAR it," this week's challenge is almost the opposite, because we are talking about your athletic shoes. Call them sneakers, tennis shoes, running shoes, whatever- here is the important challenge. Look at the bottom of your shoes. If the tread is obviously worn smooth in any part, it's time for NEW shoes. My mantra is "yes, new shoes may be expensive, but NEW SHOES are cheaper than NEW KNEES (or hips)."

Over and over in my twenty years of practicing family medicine, I see injuries/aches/pains that can be prevented by proper footwear. If you are walking or jogging regularly for exercise, odds are good that you should be replacing your shoes every six months...even though the "shoe still fits"- meaning you have no foot pain, and the tops may even look "practically brand new".

Look closely at the picture above, and notice the circle pattern...and lack thereof, in an unequal fashion on the two shoes. When these shoes were new, every section had that circle and line pattern. Now you can clearly see I have worn through the tread, and I am overdue for new shoes.

BOTTOM LINE: Look deep into your "soles" to see if it is time for new shoes! While this is not my typical "daily" 20-1-7 Challenge, I will commit to getting new shoes TODAY that I will wear in my daily 2-4 mile dog-walks.

PS. I strongly encourage you to head to a local running shoe store with experienced and knowledgable sales people to be properly fitted for shoes. They should not only measure your foot, but watch you walk/run/jog to help advise you on your shoes. Locally here in Austin, I recommend Ready to Run.

20-1-7 Challenge Week #1: COLOR

20-1-7 Challenge Week #2: Veggie Spiralizer

20-1-7 Challenge Week #3: Medication Dispenser

20-1-7 Challenge Week #4: Meditation

20-1-7 Challenge Week #5: WATER

20-1-7 Challenge Week #6: Exercise BOOST

20-1-7 Challenge Week #7: FLOSS

20-1-7 Challenge Week #8: ZZZ

20-1-7 Challenge Week #9: RESIST

20-1-7 Challenge Week #10: No W(h)ining

20-1-7 Challenge Week #11: YOGA

20-1-7 Challenge Week #12: CLUTTER CONTROL- in 10 minute daily organizational attacks. FEEDBACK: Wow, I should have started this decades ago! At least for my personality, this technique worked wonderfully. I am amazed how much I was able to get done in a short burst of cleansing, one drawer at a time. By picking the areas I spend the most time (like bathroom/kitchen drawers and laundry room), I am reaping the mental benefits of feeling more calm and simply by removing visual clutter.

As for my YOGA do-over...less success there. Perhaps I need to try an actual class some time- for me, the less interactive apps were a bit of a hassle to use (to look at the small screen, figure out the pose, etc.) I also had achy wrists (from computer overuse on a photoshop project) that contributed to sapping my motivation for yoga poses.

Monday, March 20, 2017

CLUTTER CONTROL: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #12

*"AFTER" Pic of my Closet *Roll up Magazines for Boots

Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

CLUTTER CONTROL: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #12:

My family is NOT inherently neat and tidy. Paper clutter engulfs our kitchen counters, home office and dining room table ten times faster than I can sort, record, and recycle. Scientific studies have well documented that visual clutter ADDS significantly to stress/anxiety, and that LACK of clutter does the reverse. I tend to be an all or nothing person, so when I start to spring clean, I obsessively purge one closet or room, taking the entire day. Point in case- in January, I literally took every single thing out of my walk-in bedroom closet (which had not been emptied since we moved in 20 years ago!), and then re-filled starting from scratch. It took NINE HOURS...but I am happy to report it has stayed beautifully neat with relative ease, especially since I donated an SUV carload to charity, considerably thinning out my wardrobe. Every morning, my clean closet makes me smile, and even motivated me to clean the adjoining bathroom drawers and linen closet- but I never reached beyond the master bath.

So- this week's challenge canNOT be to clean a room every day, because like the rest of you, I can't spend a ton of hours on this! Since I have an "ahem" SLIGHTLY competitive nature, I decided to go with a ten minute, stopwatch (phone timer) controlled cleaning/organizing spree per day, racing the clock to see how much I can accomplish. I realize I have drawers that can't be touched in ten minutes, but I'm betting I can find at least 7 areas in my home that concentrated 10 minute purging can make a significant impact.

What method should you use? Right now, the Marie Kondo method is certainly sweeping my Facebook pages, and I'll admit though I laughed at the "does this item spark joy" approach initially, I actually have found it to be very liberating, allowing me to "release" many things- especially clothing- to new owners, rather than tucking that old beloved shirt back into my stuffed drawer. I will confess that I now have three boxes set aside to mail off to create t-shirt quilts for our girls (yes, there's a groupon for that! I will no longer save this in the garage for that day that I take up this new craft.) As I cleaned, I ironically unearthed The Clutter Diet from my clothing shelves- and found useful tips there as well, like using a rolled-up magazine to make your boots stand up (great use for my journals!) Whatever works for you!

BOTTOM LINE: This week I will challenge myself to daily 10-minute cleaning attacks on my clutter clusters, in the hope of decreasing visual clutter to decrease stress! (*and I will actually DO last week's YOGA challenge. Typing this to hold myself accountable!)

Well, once I started vacation, I completely dropped the ball on this one. No point in lying, right? LOL! Good news is I am making the rules, so...I am actually adding the yoga challenge to this week's challenge, doubling up. Sometimes we all need "do-overs!"