Drink more water today. It's great for your kidneys, your skin, your weight. It has no calories! Substitute water for soda and juice and lose some weight! 

If you get burned, run water over the area as soon as possible. Don't put butter or vaseline or anything oily on the burn. If the skin seems charred, the skin is peeling off, or you can see the white underneath, if you have been burned on the face, eyes, neck, hands or over a large area of your body, please seek immediate medical attention.
If it is a minor burn, the skin is just mildly discoloured or u see a few blebs forming, run water over it till the area is cool. After it is cooled you can put antibiotic ointment on the area, and take pain killers for the pain, tylenol, advil (see previous posts for info on these). Keep the area clean with soap and water daily.
Do not burst the blebs, those little blisters that sometimes form, they protect the delicate skin underneath. 
If the burn is very painful, gets inflamed, starts weeping or discharging pus, please see a doctor. It is quite common for burns to get infected. If you are in any doubt about how the burns are healing up, please see your doctor. 

If your medications are making you feel strange, upsetting your stomach, making you dizzy, affecting your sexual function or any other disturbing side effects, please contact your doctor. A lot of people just stop the medications and never communicate back to their doctor, so that whatever condition was being treated is not fully dealt with. Doctors often hear " Oh yes, I used to take pressure tablets but they made my head feel funny so I stopped taking them months ago" and now your blood pressure is way high and we have to send you to the hospital.
Your doctor can work with you to find a medication that agrees with you, and if that is not possible, they can explain why it is important to continue the medication and what the benefits to you are.
Most times the risks and consequences of the condition being treated are much worse than the side effects of the medication, so it is worth it to you to take it, and sometimes they are not. If you are concerned, have this discussion with your doctor. 

Lots of teens, and other young women are having unplanned pregnancies. A teen told me that half her class has either already had their babies or are pregnant now. 
Protect yourselves, have a faithful partner, use a condom. HIV is still out there, and you can't tell by looking who has it. Get tested, make sure your partner has been tested. Use a condom if there is any doubt. It's your body. He might not want to wear it, but are you willing to bear the consequences? Is he?
Be safe!
Love yourself, take care of your health! 

People who eat fast are more likely to be overweight.
So slow down, take your time, enjoy your food. Don't eat while reading or watching TV, you eat more when you are not thinking about what you are eating.
Are you eating mindlessly? Turn off the TV and chew slowly.
Love yourself, take care of your health! 

When starting an exercise program:
If you have a medical condition, please get advice from your doctor before starting. You can hurt yourself if you do too much too soon. So please start slow. Start with 5 minutes of exercise and build up from there. Don't start with running if it's been years or even months since last you ran regularly. Start walking and gradually add short intervals of jogging until you are able to run the whole distance. This should take a few weeks. Don't rush it. If you strain and hurt yourself, it may be weeks till you can exercise again.
Rest between workouts, if you are really pained up, give yourself a day or two to catch yourself :-). 
Stretch after your work outs.
Listen to your body. Pain isn’t always gain. Stop what you are doing if you have chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or sudden pain in a joint or muscle. 
If you already have bad knees/ hips/ ankles, you should avoid high impact exercise like running, basketball, soccer, football, and some types of aerobics. Walking on grass, swimming, elliptical, bicycling are options for you to consider that should be easier on your joints.

Exercise is the magic pill that no one wants to take. You can make a huge difference for the rest of your life if you start exercising.

Love yourself, take care of your health! 

If you eat out 2 or more times per week, you are 33% more likely to be overweight than people who eat at home.
Cooking at home is cheaper, usually healthier, and we tend to eat less at home than when we are out (got to get our money's worth when we eat out :-)).
How much money are you spending on fast food, that could be going towards your savings? 

Here are 7 exercises that you can do at home. They don't require equipment and are very effective. So you can do these when you come home too late to exercise, when it's too dark, too early, too wet, too hot, you don't have any company, it's not safe in your area, you don't have a lot of time, you can't go to the gym, etc etc.
Remember exercise protects against high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer's, stress, depression, cancer, weight gain and many other conditions. 
Try to exercise at least 3 times a week, for half an hour. If none of these exercises appeal to you, walking is great, wonderful exercise, and you don't even have to go outside to do it.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-7-most-effective-exercises 

Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can usually be cured if caught early. Have you had a pap smear recently? Love yourself, take care of your health! 

Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) is quite common. People between the ages of 50 and 75 should be screened for this every year. Usually all that is needed is simple stool test. Your doctor may also recommend colonoscopy every few years.
Increasing your fibre intake (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, peas and beans every day), not smoking and exercising regularly help to protect against this type of cancer.
Have you had a check up recently?
Love yourself, take care of your health!

Come see me at the clinic if you are not feeling well or if you need a check up. Call 327-6407 for an appointment or walk right in.
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