Debbie Mandel’s
Turn On Your Inner Light
Weekly Wellness Newsletter
June 19, 2005
www.TurnOnYourInnerLight.com


Affirmation of the Week
 Don’t give until hurts;
Give until it feels good.
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. Listeners outside the Long Island area can listen to the show live by going to WGBB Live. The shows are archived for your listening pleasure.

Guest of the Week - Dr. Stuart Rapapport

On June 21, 2005 - Dr. Stuart Rapapport, optometrist at Central Vision Care in Cedarhurst, NY. Learn about the latest in eye care.

Health Tips of the Week

  • Studies indicate that diet soft drinks might whet the appetite for more food. There is a link between diet drinks and obesity. So if you think you can have a diet soda with your calorie laden meal and feel like you are dieting, it isn’t going to work! It’s not just what’s in your drink, but it’s also what’s on your plate.
  • Exercise can help ease the joint pain caused by arthritis, so keep it moving. Arthritis sufferers who exercise by gardening, swimming or walking could prevent a good deal of physical decline.
  • Chronic insomnia is a growing concern in our country. The best long range treatment to date is stress-management strategies to reinterpret daily worries and anxieties. So instead of counting sheep, which is boring, or taking medication which could be addictive; try this - force yourself to stay up and see if you don’t fall asleep!
  • Older adults fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer if they listen to soft, relaxing music for about an hour at bedtime. Their sleep is sounder too!
  • While on the subject of sleep: The brain learns better with a good night's sleep. Sleep helps the brain sort out and integrate newly learned skills. Students pulling all nighters studying for exams are short shrifting their performance; they would do better getting their sleep.

Article of the Week -
Are You Addicted to Taking Care of Everyone?

Some of us stand at the center of other people’s lives, like a fixed geometric compass. We define and measure ourselves based on how necessary we make ourselves to others. We shake our heads and sigh, “What would they do without us?” We complain that we are so busy, overloaded with responsibilities – what we must do for everyone in order for them to function – that we become our own multi-task masters. Does being a rescuer make us happy? Does becoming enmeshed in everyone’s dramas and offering our advice, solutions and time really help them?

Often we play a supporting role in a never-ending soap opera, actually many soap operas. We seem to have this need to meddle, to control and know what is best for everyone ranging from our children to our friends. And deep down in our hearts we all know why we do it: We need outside validation and approval because we haven’t found our true self and by focusing on everyone else, we can avoid focusing inward on our self worth.

If we are always minding everyone’s business, we are not minding our own. Our unreasonable compassionate behavior signals that we are out of balance and are really avoiding facing our own sadness or lack of self-esteem. Giving until it hurts causes sadness, anger and fatigue. Giving until it feels good generates happiness and contentment.

By maintaining a more objective perspective as to what kind of role we play – where our responsibility ends and the other person’s begins – we are able to learn and grow. We relate to others and in the process we get a life!

Here are some suggestions to liberate yourself from controlling others and outcomes. More

Frank Mikulka's Fitness Tip Of The Week
Benefits of Adding Weight Training to Aerobics

I know it’s good for my body and my heart and I’ll burn those dreaded calories, but what else does training do for me as opposed to aerobics? (Samantha, Queens) 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, 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