WOOP your life?

I recently completed an online course I now recommend readily to all my family and friends: The Yale Science of Well-Being course on Coursera (free!). It's self-paced, with both short videos and suggested readings as well as mini-quizzes to test your comprehension. It talks about, well, the science of well-being. It answers these questions: What is it that we want? What is it that we maybe don't want but should want because it will make us happier than the things we do want? How do we counteract our natural instincts to want the things we should not want? What can we do to really increase our happiness? How do we build healthy habits? I really enjoyed taking it, and I think anyone who has ever wanted to make a change in their life would enjoy it and benefit from it.

One of the things I learned from this course is "WOOP"ing. WOOPing is a practice/method to put your wishes into action. It stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, and Plan, and it's backed by 20 years of research (you know how long it takes research findings to reach the mainstream...). It incorporates some of the things we love about positive psychology, as well as the benefit of pessimistic realists who are always looking for what will go wrong! Try it out. I've already seen its benefits, so I will recommend it to you here as well! You can do it yourself, online (https://woopmylife.org/), or on the mobile app (link on the website).

I do not get any kickback or benefit from recommending both of these to you :) Just the benefit of feeling like I'm helping another human. If you try them out, let me know how it goes!

Out of Office!

Dr. Chalfin will be out of the office from Thursday, December 19, 2019 through Monday, December 30, 2019 while she helps a hospital in Wisconsin with their neurology coverage. Please feel free to leave a message on her voicemail if you need her, as she will be checking in regularly. Happy Holidays!!

Finding the Right Source for your Health Advice

All right, family and friends of #IdealNeurology let’s talk science and health advice on the internet.

A lot of people come to me because of my interest and commitment to #holistic medicine. For those of you who have not heard of this, holistic medicine refers to the treatment of the whole patient rather than just their disease – including their lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, fitness, social system, spiritual beliefs, mental health, AND any and all of their medical conditions. Holistic medicine does not try to “cover up“ symptoms with medications that do not get to the root of the patient's problem.

That being said, I have noticed that many of my patients have come to me having already done their own research and started making lifestyle changes. I applaud those of you who can acknowledge any gaps in your knowledge and your habits, make a plan to change, and stick to it! This is FANTASTIC and has all the makings of someone who will be successful with their health goals.

HOWEVER, I want to caution you to always be critical of the sources of any health advice that you read, especially online. Remember, any Joe Schmoe can make a Wikipedia article or create a blog nowadays, advertise themselves as a nutritionist, health coach, or wellness expert, and give you health advice that may not be the most sound. They may talk about things that all sound good, like healthy, “clean“ eating and other truisms. But what they all have in common is that they lack any kind of real medical education or expertise in the very topics they are claiming that they are experts in.

PLEASE be aware of whose advice you follow.

As a neurologist who is committed to holistic care and natural treatment, I see many patients with headaches, memory problems, or other neurologic complaints. There ARE some natural remedies for these. However, that advice should be given by a board-certified physician, not your non-medical sister/friend/cousin/coworker/gym buddy/physical trainer. I know that all of these people mean well, but they may be giving you advice that is actually harmful.

For example, over-supplementation is a common problem. Many people come to me on more than a DOZEN over the counter, herbal, and “natural“ supplements. Some have come in with toxic levels of vitamin B6, liver failure (requiring transplant!!!!) from using natural diet supplements, and more. Do not become a statistic! If you find yourself getting anxious and overwhelmed over deciding which clean super foods you should be eating and which supplements you should be taking at what time, it’s time to visit your doctor and get it all straightened out. You may even be overthinking things. Natural and holistic does not mean necessarily everything that is NON-Western, NON-medical, or NON-FDA approved. It DOES mean simplification - of life and of what we choose to include in it.

Simplification is almost always best. Just like nature did not intend us to be on a dozen medications, nature did not intend us to be on a dozen supplements from GNC either. As your physician, I will be your partner in making sure we find ONLY the medications and supplements that would benefit you MORE than their potential risks. That is my promise and commitment to you. Call me for an appointment or you can always book online on my website. Be well!