Debbie Mandel's
Turn On Your Inner Light
Weekly Wellness Newsletter
January 9, 2006
www.TurnOnYourInnerLight.com


The Perfect Gift for Caregivers who are stressed and
need advice on
Affirmation of the Week
 Making a living
is not the same as
making a life
 (Maya Angelou)
Weekly Wellness Radio Show

The Turn On your Inner Light Radio Show airs Tuesday evenings 7:00 to 7:30pm, on WGBB 1240AM in Long Island.
Guest of the Week - Debbie Mandel

On Jan 10, 2006 - Mark Liponis, MD, medical director of Canyon Ranch Health Resorts and author of Ultra-Prevention. His work presents a challenge to the traditional medical world.

Click to play this interview. Click archives for directory of past shows.

Health Tips of the Week

  • According to the Journal of the American Medical Association statins do not prevent cancer.
  • Oral contraceptives may carry a new warning; they have been found to lower some women’s sexual desire as well as cause sexual pain by bonding with free testosterone in the body. More alarming is that even after women stop taking the pill, they had long lasting increases in a protein that absorbs testosterone.
  • You heard the news about tea cutting the risk of ovarian cancer. Well, apparently for women with the genetic mutation for breast cancer, drinking coffee reduces the risk of getting breast cancer; in fact, the more the better. But no decaf, please.
  • Just out from the New England Journal of Medicine: chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer delivered directly into the abdomen extends life. However, it is a toxic and painful treatment to undergo. Once treatment is over, quality of life improves and is prolonged.

Article of the Week
How to Brighten the Rest of Winter

The festivities which began in early fall have ended and there is nothing left to anticipate other than spring, a faraway oasis. Did you ever wonder why all three major holidays, Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza, coincide with the winter solstice and use light as their dominant symbol? All of us need light to alleviate the dark winter blues. So whether we live in the colder regions of the North or it’s time-to-put-on-our-sweater down South, we are all experiencing the winter doldrums in varying degrees.

Most of us lack energy waking up in the darkness and start to yawn as soon as the sun sets in early evening. We find it hard to motivate ourselves to leave our caves to seek adventures. Cold weather along with less daylight stresses us out physically and emotionally; our legs feel like they are dragging a leg iron. However, nature always has a plan. If the weather keeps us indoors and the darkness causes us to wind down earlier, then we should honor our biorhythms instead of overriding them with artificial light and technology. Let’s perceive winter as an opportunity to turn inward to cocoon and hibernate, before emerging in the spring with exciting new plans and new vibrations. Remember: instead of using artificial light, we can always flick the switch and turn on our inner light. Perhaps, you might want to use a dimmer.

Here are some research-based tips on warming your heart during the cold weather: more
Frank Mikulka's Fitness Tip Of The Week
How Much Protein Do I Need?

I’m weight training on a regular basis, balancing out with a cardio program and am eating pretty healthy for the most part. But I’m confused about how much protein I need. What are some good healthy protein choices to complement my training regimen? (Larry, Smithtown.)Answer

Send your fitness question to: fitness@turnonyourinnerlight.com

Debbie Mandel, MA is the author of Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul, and Changing Habits: The Caregivers' Total Workout a stress-reduction specialist, motivational speaker, a personal trainer and mind/body lecturer. She is the host of the weekly Turn On Your Inner Light Show on WGBB 1240 AM in Long Island and has been featured on radio/ TV and print media.

To learn more: www.turnonyourinnerlight.com