The Simple Seven

The impact of pandemic trauma cannot be overstated. That’s because it’s common for emotional pain to be buried and hidden in the unconscious. Until it’s uncovered, symptoms will persist, wearing on your emotional well-being — and your health — and inhibiting you from living your best life — without you knowing it.

In my last podcast, I talked about how stress can impair the immune system, something we want to avoid right now with COVID-19, since those with a compromised immune system are most at risk. Fortunately, there are some very simple ways to stay calm and relaxed, not just now, but always. And what a better time to begin to change your lifestyle than now, at this stay at home time.

Today is March 13th, 2020, several months since the COVID-19 coronavirus first broke out, now reportedly, in November of 2019. A month ago I did a podcast on boosting your immune system to help prevent an infection, such as COVID-19, the flu or the common cold. Today, I’d like to follow-up on that podcast with a thought. As COVID-19 has spread from China to other countries around the world, I feel that there is an important point we may be missing, which is this: ultimately, the risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19 is mostly dependent upon the state of one’s immune system, and the state of one’s immune system is greatly affected by lifestyle — health lifestyle, something that I feel strongly about and advocate for as a breast cancer survivor. We’ve already had SARS, now COVID-19, we don’t know what may be next. The point is this: COVID-19 raises a global call to improve our health. Here’s why.

I’m in the midwest with my family helping to care for a loved one who has been experiencing a bit of cognitive decline — specifically, with short term memory. Today’s podcast will be the first in a series to talk about it. Throughout this series, I will reference the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen, an internationally recognized expert in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Last year, I did a podcast on his groundbreaking 2014 research, and now my family and I have been putting his RECODE program into practice with our mother beginning in October, 2019. Today’s podcast will discuss poor hearing as a factor.

The Center for Disease Control considers the 2019 novel coronavirus respiratory illness that broke out in China a serious illness but recoverable, the same as the flu. What the CDC recommends to prevent the illness is the same as what is recommended to prevent a cold or flu infection. Today, I’ll discuss what the CDC recommends, as well as simple ways you can boost and strengthen your immune system all year round.

Today is Feb 4th. It’s World Cancer Day, which is an international awareness day led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise worldwide attention and inspire action for a cancer-free future. I’m a cancer survivor. In 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and today I’d like to read my cancer story to you and offer my thoughts on outcomes.

Recently, Elizabeth Warren was interviewed by Cosmopolitan magazine and asked about her skincare routine (among other things). To which she responded that she uses Pond’s moisturizer, every morning, every night, and she never washes her face. I’ve written about healthy skin in the Look Good chapter of The Simple Seven book and today I'd like to read an excerpt which answers the question, Should you wash you face?

It’s been a while since I’ve created a Pointers podcast, but here’s the latest, live from a local cafe! So, apologies for the background noise. Today, I’d like to talk about body size. Recently, Jillian Michaels, who is a leading fitness expert, had some things to say about Lizzo, a talented singer/songwriter, regarding her body and health and it’s stirred up a bit of a discussion. I have written about body size in The Simple Seven book. There’s a chapter, a bonus chapter, that’s entitled, Look Good, and in it I discuss various topics regarding appearance and how it relates to health. As a matter of fact, it’s all tied together. But with regard to body size, I’d like to read to you an excerpt from the book. This section is about body fat.

In today’s podcast, I’ll talk about why health hasn’t been simple: Namely, that health is confusing — health information is constantly changing, everybody has an opinion, and research has known problems. I’ll also talk about how health can be simple: I’ll discuss epigenetics, a field of biology, that supports how lifestyle can override your genes and genetic predisposition to illness and disease.