Debbie Mandel’s
Turn On Your Inner Light
Weekly Wellness Newsletter
December 12, 2004
www.TurnOnYourInnerLight.com


Affirmation of the Week
 You can't change
where you came from.
However, you can change
where you are going
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 - Rabbi Michael Berg

On December 14, 2004 - Rabbi Michael Berg, global lecturer and teacher from the Kabbalah Center, author of Becoming Like God. Learn some spiritual common sense to manage your stress.

Health Tips of the Week

  • New research shows that popular anti-inflammatory drugs are not effective for knee arthritis. And doctors should be careful about urging patients to take NSAIDs like Ibuprofin, for one of the biggest concerns involves stomach and intestinal bleeding. It is important to try non-pharmaceutical approaches like physical therapy, weight reduction, and relaxation therapy before prescribing medications with possible harmful side effects.
  • When it comes to preventing Alzheimer's disease, the old saying that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" might be good advice. Apples contain a compound called quercetin, found in the red skins of fresh apples. Studies indicate this compound protects rat brain cells from free radicals. If you don’t like apples, quercetin is found in cranberries, blueberries and onions.
  • New research shows that an expectant mother’s state of mind might affect her baby’s. Psychologists found that when an expectant mother is stressed, depressed or anxious, her baby might develop behavioral problems, or be more vulnerable to depression and anxiety as they age. Prenatal care might be an optimal time to do mental health screening.
  • The American Medical Association has a message for the nation's doctors: Shape up! Six months ago, the AMA went public with physicians’ weight problems when it announced that the obesity epidemic was raging among its own members. Physicians heal thy selves or else don’t expect patients to take you seriously.

Article of the Week -
How to Deal with Dreaded Family Gatherings

The holidays are almost upon us and those dreaded family gatherings highlight how vulnerable we still are to criticism and the old prescribed roles we act out. Recently, I did a TV Show about managing stress-filled holiday gatherings and most of the program was devoted to callers-in seeking strategies for dealing with belligerent and stubborn family members. Some were traveling across the country and at great expense, yet afraid of disappointment. Clearly, it wasn’t going to be jingle all the way.

If we want to reconnect with feuding family, or desire to try even harder to get along because we feel cut adrift without our parents, brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren - our genetic legacy, then we must perceive these gatherings for what they really are: learning experiences. We can’t change where we came from. However, we can change where we are going. Since early childhood, we learned how to get along by sharing. For when we share with others, we truly give to ourselves! However, many of us are stingy with compassion and forgiveness when it comes to our own family members and therefore we do not feel good about ourselves.

If you plan on attending family gatherings, here are some suggestions to transform them from prison riots into joyous celebrations: More

Frank Mikulka's Fitness Tip Of The Week
After training for awhile, I was told by a few guys at the gym about the great workout I would get by using a Smith Machine for my chest and leg workouts. Are they giving me the real scoop?(Larry, Smithtown) Answer

Send your fitness question to: fitness@turnonyourinnerlight.com

Debbie Eisenstadt 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