Category: Archive

Summer is coming, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to get ahead on your summer bucket list of activities. Now is a perfect time to get yourself ready for those fun and healthy summer activities! Staying active over the summer is essential to leading a healthy lifestyle that offers long-term health benefits. Consider hiring a health coach or writing down all of the things you would like to try over the break. Tell a friend or family member about them to help encourage you to get out and do them! Having a visual or a gentle reminder from someone helps hold you accountable to your goals. Don’t have any fun ideas of your own? No problem, we’ve got you covered!

We’ve put together a list of fun activities to help keep your brain and body active during those fun in the sun days of summer:

Check out the list below!

• Learn and cook a new healthy recipe! You can find some great ideas on DKO’s Instagram page!
• Read a book outside – don’t forget to pop by your local library for summer favorites.
• Clean out your closet – an organized space leads to peace of mind. Plus, donating used clothing can help many people in need.
• Take an outdoor workout class like yoga in the park, or join a running group. Consider asking around on your local Facebook page for groups to join!
• Are you a fan of shopping? Check out your local farmers or flea market. Farmer’s markets are a great place to find fresh fruits and veggies for excellent summer snacks and meals.
• Pick up a new skill! Consider learning a new language, musical instrument, or creative writing! Keep challenging yourself.
• Get out and explore your state – visit your state or national parks or plan an out-of-state adventure. Either way, broaden your horizons and get to know the world around you.
• Nothing feels more like summer than a themed party with mocktails! Can’t make it to Hawaii this year? No problem! You can always bring the tropics to you!
• Stay active – consider riding your bike, walking, hiking, swimming, or evening jumping rope. Keep the cardio going – it’s good for you.

If trying to stick to a plan seems overwhelming, you can get help.

Did you know consulting with a health coach can help hold you accountable for a healthier lifestyle? If you have a goal of checking some or all of these activities off your list, Dr. Kelly can help keep you on track.

It’s perfectly okay to start small – the key is to start somewhere. Become the example your family and friends need!

Sign-up for a free 15-minute health and wellness consultation with Dr. Kelly today!

Have you wanted healthy changes in your life but are tired of the lack of results? Are you willing to make these changes permanent but don’t know where to start? Have you considered a health coach to help you every step of the way? What is a health coach, you ask? I’m so glad you did. You may think that having a health coach is a luxury you can’t afford, but you’d be wrong. Getting a knowledgeable professional to help guide you in your health journey is something you can’t afford to overlook. So, if you are asking the question, “do I need a health coach?” consider the following to help you decide.

First of all, what is a personal health coach?

Health coaching is a newer field that focuses on physical, mental, and emotional wellness. For example, a personal health coach can spend time with you to go over your health history, which your family doctor may not have the time. You can discuss several topics, including but not limited to: unhealthy choices such as poor diet, helpful stress management techniques, and poor sleeping habits that significantly decrease your health and mood.

How do I know if a health coach is right for me?

• Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to a longer, happier life. But perhaps you’ve tried every fad diet on the market, and you still have difficulties losing weight. A health coach can look at your current lifestyle, help determine what’s not been working, and replace these with things that will. In addition, a health coach will help you implement the necessary changes to make your weight loss journey a success. For example, certain factors such as stress and poor sleeping habits contribute to weight gain; these are all things a health coach will help you determine.
• A health coach holds you accountable for everyday choices – think of your coach as an accountability partner. Of course, your coach can’t do the work for you but can help you better structure your life to meet your goals and overcome unhealthy cravings, assist with keeping up your workout routine, and implement an eating plan that works for you and your unique needs.
• You feel sluggish and aren’t as healthy as you would like to feel. First of all, always make sure to speak with your doctor. However, consulting a health coach helps offer innovative perspectives on your overall physical and mental health. Sometimes, it’s a minor thing that affects how you feel. A health coach is key to uncovering the secrets behind why you think and feel the way you do.
• A health coach is on your side – they are there to walk you through and answer any questions you may have. Trying to weed through all of the misinformation online to find what’s healthy and helpful is daunting. A health coach is supportive, encouraging, and knows fact from fiction about what’s suitable for you as an individual.
• Become the role model your family and friends need. Once you’re on the right track to establishing a healthier lifestyle that works for you, those around you will want to join in on the fun! Be the inspiration your family needs!

Dr. Kelly is the health coach you need.

If any of these rings true for you, a health coach is just what you need, and Dr. Kelly is that expert partner you’ve been looking for to help you become your optimal self! To get started, schedule a free 15-minute consultation and choose from several programs to suit you best.

Happy living from DKO!

Cabbage belongs to the Brassica genus of vegetables, including broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. However, most people assume cabbage is related to lettuce. Cabbage comes in a rainbow of colors; red, purple, white, and green. In addition, the leaves are either smooth or crinkled. Surprisingly, most people don’t realize the awesome nutrient content present in cabbage.

Aside from the micronutrients riboflavin, iron, and vitamin A, cabbage also includes the following vitamins and minerals:

• Protein
• Fiber
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Manganese
• Vitamin B6
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Magnesium

Vitamins B6 and folate do wonders for your body, including speeding up your metabolism, energy boosts, and helping normalize your nervous system. In addition to the benefits listed above, cabbage is high in fiber and chock full of antioxidants protecting you from free radicals and vitamin C, which may protect you from heart disease, cancer, and even vision loss!

But wait, folks, there’s more! Cruciferous veggies such as cabbage have been shown to reduce chronic inflammation. Bodies rely on their inflammatory response to protect against certain things such as infection and to speed up healing. However, cabbage helps with chronic inflammation issues associated with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

While we are speaking of bowel disease, cabbage is great for improving digestive health as it’s rich in gut-friendly, insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is a carbohydrate our intestines cannot break down, so foods rich in insoluble fiber step up and take care of the job, keeping our digestive systems on track.

Cabbage Is Heart Healthy

But no one loves cabbage as much as your heart does! Red cabbage is full of anthocyanins. What the heck is anthocyanin? It’s a plant pigment that gives the cabbage its purple color. Studies show a link between pigment-rich foods and reduced risk of heart disease.

While cabbage reduces your risk of heart disease, the leafy goodness also may lower blood pressure. Recent data show increasing your potassium intake is just as beneficial at lowering blood pressure as reducing your salt intake. Opt for red cabbage in this instance as it’s an excellent source of potassium.

Give Me A K! Or Vitamin K for Kabbage, That Is

All jokes aside, cabbage is also high in vitamin K1 and is essential in the body as it acts as a cofactor for enzymes responsible for clotting blood. When a body is low on this vital nutrient, you lose the ability to clot properly, increasing the risk of bleeding excessively.

The fact is that cabbage is a very healthy and inexpensive option to add to your diet, and the benefits are immeasurable.

We know what we’re cooking up for St. Patrick’s Day! How about you?

For most individuals, we fall asleep to some time of background noise, whether that be the TV, fan, or even music. Most of the time, we fall asleep to a tv show we have seen (possibly) hundreds of times, listening to the dialogue, knowing precisely what’s happening in the show, so we don’t miss anything important.

According to JAMA Internal Medicine, a study found that sleeping with the TV on in your bedroom “may be a risk factor for weight gain, overweight, and obesity.” The authors of the study analyzed data gathered from more than 43,000 women for this study. One extent they went to for this study was reducing their exposure to artificial light at night. They have found it could be “a useful intervention for obesity prevention.”

Falling asleep in front of the TV is pretty standard, but there’s not a lot of research on using it as a sleep aid.

If you follow along with National Sleep Foundation, approximately 60% of Americans watch TV right before bed or as they are falling asleep. Most individuals will end up falling asleep with the TV on. A study was done with using media before going to bed, within 844 individuals (18-94 years old) using sleep aids such as books, television, music, the internet, and video games. They found that these sleep aids result in later bedtimes, later rise times, time-shifting, and indicating poorer sleep quality.

Your quality of sleep can be easily compromised.

When an individual falls asleep with the TV on, you body is still soaking in blue light. When your body is still being effected by the blue light, this can mess with your quality of sleep. The blue light suppresses production of melatonin (a hormone that keeps your brain in the sleep and awake cycle running properly). Thus, affecting the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Between lighting changes on the screen and hearing new details in old shows, could be more stimulating for your brain than the actual sleep. Thus, putting your body in a lighter sleep and never fully reaching the deep state of sleep — this has a major affect on your body’s ability to regenerate, such as, consolidating memories and healing muscles.

Where do you go from here?

Using the TV, music, or video games as a sleep aid may not be the best wya to promote good sleep hygiene. There are more peaceful and less blue light heavy options to put your mind in rest mode to get ready to lay down and sleep. Some examples of healthier alternatives would be, turning off electronics at least half an hour before going to bed, having soothing breathing patterns, or even eat your favorite carbs for dinner to make you sleepy. There are lots of healthy ways to fall asleep that you not have to have a modern solution.

Celebrating good sleep is wasted on children. Between strict routines, sound machines, controlled temperatures, and the collaborative spirit of new parents working on a sleep training program, it is no wonder that kids generally sleep better than adults.

As we age, we tend to take sleep and a routine for granted. When you add alcohol, stressors, and the distraction of phones and tv, it is no wonder that our sleep suffers.

If you are looking to take control of your sleep practice, I recommend introducing Sleep Hygiene into your nightly routine.

Sleep Hygiene Tips

• Go to bed at a consistent time every night.
• Create a dark, relaxing atmosphere in your room
• Lower the temperature of your bedroom by a few degrees
• Do not fall asleep to the TV
• Do not use your phone or any lit devices within one hour of bedtime
• PRO TIP: Remove your devices from your bedroom
• If you use your phone as an alarm clock, put it out of reach of your bed
• Do not drink alcohol within one hour of bedtime
• Avoid large meals
• No caffeine within 4-6 hours of sleep
• Exercise during the day! Physical activity will help you fall asleep faster at night
• Wake up at the same time every day (even on weekends)

Sleep Hygiene is a doctor-recommended and scientifically proven way to sleep better. When you take control of your sleep routine, you are set up to live healthier, perform better, and improve your mood.

Try to integrate these tips to sleep better tonight!

Sleep deprivation is associated with age-related comorbidities, and is additionally a risk factor for a multitude of diseases (Krueger & Friedman, 2009). Management of sleep disorders is therefore critical not only for restorative sleep, but also for the improvement and maintenance of overall mental and physical health. Neurocircuitry models can assist healthcare practitioners in better understanding their patients’ symptoms and making better therapeutic decisions. Furthermore, alterations in brain pathways that regulate sleep may elicit perturbations in peripheral biomarkers such as urinary neurotransmitters and salivary melatonin. Accordingly, the measurement of peripheral biomarkers may help guide and monitor therapeutic interventions to maximize the therapeutic success of pharmacological and non-pharmacological sleep aids (Kotzailias et al., 2004; Kusaga et al., 2002; Mooney et al., 1988; Reynolds, III et al., 2006).