With our crazy schedules and hectic jobs, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with everything. 

From finding time to take the car in to get serviced, to remembering to pick up the drycleaning on my way home, these past several days have been extra long for me on top of working back to back 12 hour shifts in the hospital.  With everything going on, I can see how easy it can be to fall into a mental rut filled with worry, apprehension and depression with all the things not done on your To-Do list….with all the pressures imposed on you at work and at home to accomplish extraordinary tasks….with your need to do all things for everyone—except yourself. 

Depression is a disease that is so hard to recognize because it usually takes weeks to months and even years to be diagnosed.  It can start slowly after you’ve suffered a significant loss in your life….the death of a child, of a parent, of a spouse or another loved one and it can even occur after a tremendous “gain” like the birth of a new child.  Disbelief, denial and sadness are all part of the grieving process which can last for weeks to months.  However, you have to be extremely careful not to mistaken prolonged grief for depression. 

When you’re grieving, you’re mourning the loss of something particular—there’s an object of your grief—it could be a mother who died of heart disease or a stillborn child who did not survive delivery. 

But with depression, your whole outlook on life is turned upside down.  Here are some common signs of depression—see if you recognize any of them in you or someone you know—-

• You can’t seem to get or stay interested in anything anymore. 
• You have trouble falling asleep or find yourself waking up in the early morning hours. 
• Your world view has changed—you no longer see the glass half full but everything is half empty or running on empty. 
• You don’t enjoy doing the things you used to do. 
• Your appetite has changed. 
• You’ve gained or lost weight. 
• You’ve lost the energy and drive you once had—now it takes you all day to get a single task completed like doing a load of laundry. 
• You have trouble concentrating or making decisions. 
• Family and friends may have commented that you’ve changed…that you seem sad all the time. 
• You feel hopeless or worthless. 
• You may even think that the world would be better off if you no longer existed.

Depression is a real disease that needs real treatment.  Some of my patients with depression think that they can handle their depression on their own…that it’s all in their mind and if I just give them some time, they’ll get their mind together and “out of that funk.”  But what I tell them and what I’m telling you is that treating depression requires the same attention and commitment as treating heart disease.  Both the doctor and the patient need to be involved in the treatment process. 

And yes!  Depression is treatable.  But let me warn you….treating depression means more than just taking medication. 

When you’re undergoing treatment for depression you NEED to be under the close supervision of a physician to monitor your response to treatment. 

Because….in the early stages of treatment your risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide are very high.  That means when you start on medication you need to be in close contact with your prescribing physician and alert them if you experience any thoughts of death or suicide. 

Depression is common….and it’s treatable….you just know how to recognize the signs of depression and get the treatment you need.

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

How do you know if the pain or pressure in your chest is just indigestion…or is it something more serious?  You may think to yourself, “Could this discomfort in the center of my chest be the beginnings of a heart attack?”

Well the simple answer is this:  “It could just be indigestion….or it could really be your heart, you and I just don’t know.”—until more tests are done.  

Even after years of training at one of the top hospitals in the country, I still can’t predict if someone’s chest pain, chest pressure or upper abdominal discomfort is just indigestion that you and I can ignore and hope it will go away or if their pain is a sign of something more serious.  Even after interviewing hundreds of patients who’ve come into the emergency department with a chief complaint of chest pain or stomach pain or even back pain, I can’t accurately tell you that this 60 year old woman is experiencing a blockage in the arteries supplying her heart or that 50 year old man is just having a panic attack.

And if I can’t tell the difference….then neither can you. 

I’m not trying to belittle your intelligence or minimize your educational background.  I’m trying to help you understand that even as a Board certified physician, I cannot always correctly diagnose angina on questioning alone.  Angina is a medical term we use to describe chest discomfort or pain that is directly related to transient blockage in arteries supplying the heart leading to decreased blood flow and therefore, decreased oxygen to your heart.  I can ask you so many questions about your symptoms…about your complaints until I’m blue in the face but if I don’t take the time to literally see how well your heart is functioning, I can’t clearly get a true and real picture of your heart until further studies are done. 

This means that you can’t sit around at home on your computer looking up medical diagnoses to self-diagnose your problem.  You can’t ignore that burning or pressure like tightness in your chest hoping that it will just go away. 

And here’s why…..Yesterday I had to tell a 51 year man that he made the right decision to listen to his friend and come to the hospital to get his heart checked out.  He had been suffering with chest pressure on and off for the past week and a half.  He had initially ignored the tightness in his chest thinking that it was heartburn that would go away.  Even after he started having tingling in this left hand, he didn’t think much of it.  Pain in his neck didn’t even convince him that he needed to go to the hospital.  He would have continued to ignore his symptoms had it not been for a good friend who told him that he needed to seek medical attention. 

This good friend told him what he needed to hear at the time he needed to hear it.  His friend advised him to “just go and check it out.”  And that he did.

I’m still waiting on all of the special tests but my patient is in the right place at the right time—in the hospital hooked up to a heart monitor so we can observe him closely and give him the medications he needs until we determine if he has heart disease or not.  He will undergo additional testing to show if he has any significant blockages in the arteries that supply his heart such as an angiogram (a procedure that shows a pictorial display of his heart’s arteries) or even open heart surgery to repair the blockages.

In the matter of minutes, you could be thinking about heartburn or indigestion and in the next minute, come face to face with your mortality looking the heart surgeon in the face, stunned and speechless as he explains opening up your chest for heart bypass surgery.   

So the next time you experience a pain or pressure in your chest that just won’t go away and keeps coming back—don’t wait.  Get to an emergency department IMMEDIATELY and get checked out!  You’ll put your mind—and your heart—at ease.

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

Just turn on the television, pick up a newspaper or listen to anyone’s conversation today and you’re bound to hear words like grief, depression, bereavement…tragic loss. 

When I first heard the news about the Virginia Tech massacre I was rounding in the hospital.  A nurse walked out of a patient’s room and told us in disbelief that more than 30 people were just shot and killed.  None of us could believe what she said and I had to hear and see for myself the horrible tragedy that occurred on Virginia Tech’s campus.  I stared in shock as the first news reports started to piece together the events of that fateful morning.

My heart went out to the family and friends who lost loved ones in that horrible tragedy.  One disturbed individual took the lives of 32 other innocent people…leaving hundreds and even millions of people in mourning, grieving for the loss of life, for the loss of freedom, for the loss of possibility….for the loss of their future…our future. 

How can we possibly go on with our lives without our loved ones, without the ones we’ve grown to count on for support, without their smile, their laugh, their hugs or their kisses to comfort us?  How can we finally accept the loss of a loved one?

I spent months studying “Death and Dying” during one of my semesters in undergrad understanding the stages of grief.  Trying to uncover and describe the progression of our grieving process…to help us understand our own natural response to grief and to find ways to help others cope with their loss.  We focused on the five cycles of grief described by Kubler-Ross—

I can only imagine the denial, the anger the family members of the Virginia Tech victims are experiencing this very minute.  How can you really understand the magnitude of their loss…that emptiness that now fills their hearts after one individual brutally destroyed their loved ones’ future? 

Knowing that the anger in their voice and in their hearts is a natural and expected part of their grieving process, we can help them along their journey with grief…helping them strive towards ultimate acceptance of their loss….and helping them find the way to ultimately live their life without their spouse…their son…their daughter….their parent…their loved one.

Grief, like love, is experienced differently by all of us.  Some of us come to accept our loss quickly, basically bypassing the four other steps of the grief cycle, while others never reach acceptance and become stuck in a pool of depression, unable to fully get through the grieving process. 

So as we offer comfort to the families of the Virginia Tech massacre victims and to other family and friends going through the grieving process, keep in mind the five stages of grief—denail, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance and let’s try our best to support and encourage our bereaved family and friends to continue to live for the moment…to continue to live…and live with the loss of our loved one. 

Dealing with grief is not an overnight process—it takes time…and the Health and Wellness Queen is here to give you the support and love you need to take the journey through grief….from the tears and the emptiness to the comfort of knowing that your loved ones are now in better place.  Letting go is part of the grief process and when the time has come for your grieving to be complete, reflect not only on the life that was lost but also on the life that was lived.  It will bring you comfort.

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

Yesterday was a great day!

I woke up about 6am to help my little cousin get ready for his basketball game….he needed special medication infused in his veins to prevent him from bleeding, especially if he got physical on the court or if anyone got physical with him during the game.  After I gave him his medication, he was off to the basketball courts and I off, getting ready for little Rufus’ birthday party.

After running around to pick up the balloons, the cake and ice cream and putting the decorations up, the house was open and ready for 50 plus family and friends, gathered to celebrate Rufus’ first birthday.  But the day was not just to celebrate Rufus….April 14th signalled the beginning of the Ferguson Health Plan. 

My husband, known to some as the Strength and Conditioning King and to others as Coach Ferguson, has said for some time now that we needed to start getting our family more involved with our Health and Wellness plan and yesterday was the kick-off date.  After my husband secured the locale, he and I made the announcement at the beginning of the birthday party that we’re planning The First Annual Ferguson Health Summit this summer.  We passed around a notepad for all the family to list their current contact information so we can keep them up to date on our plans for the Summit.

We’re planning an all-day (and may even make it a whole weekend) filled with information from heart disease prevention and stroke prevention all the way to discussing proven ways to combat the effects of menopause and arthritis.  We will provide them with one-on-one fitness counseling and education and even get in a good workout. 

We’re going to cover the whole spectrum of Health and Wellness during the Health Summit.  This first Health Summit is only the beginning for the Ferguson Health Plan.  We’re staring locally with family and friends and will soon be branching out to parts unknown….so stay tuned!

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

P.S.  Check out this website to see pictures of Rufus’ First Birthday party and see what surprise we had in store for the guests!

If you’ve read any of my earlier posts about high blood pressure and how my husband was able to lower is blood pressure by eliminating salt from his food plan then you’d realize that eating too much salt not only alters your taste buds but it also raises your blood pressure….sometimes even to lethal levels.

Even if you throw away the salt shaker and stop salting your food at the table, you’re only fixing the tip of the iceberg.  There’s a larger, more abundant source of salt in the foods that you bring to the table.  Whether you eat out alot or toss a quick frozen dinner in the microwave every now and then, you’re adding a mountain of sodium to your daily intake and may not even know it.  Because the majority of the salt we consume comes from processed or prepared foods such as pre-cooked meats, luncheon meats, frozen foods and other preserved foods.  Just pick up a container of soup and you’ll see what I’m talking about. 

Now some sodium is needed to perform very important bodily functions that facilitate nerve conduction, muscle contraction and relaxation, and maintain your body’s normal fluid balance.  However, when you consume too much sodium, your kidneys work to maintain enough water in your body to keep your sodium concentration within the normal range and so you’ll begin to retain fluid.  Do you ever notice your ankles tend to swell or you’ve gained a couple of pounds after drinking lots of sodas and eating salty foods?  If this has never happened to you…then ask your parents or older relatives. 

As we age, our taste buds are less sensitive to salt and we may find ourselves reaching for the salt shaker more frequently and more importantly, if our kidney function begins to slow down, the salt that we ingest will remain in our body longer leading to higher blood pressure, more retained fluid and can also cause more damage to our kidneys. 

So now is the perfect time to start cutting back on your salt.  Here’s how:

1.  Take a close inventory of the food in your pantry, your refridgerator and freezer.  And I mean everything….for the bottle of ketcup to the tub of margarine….everything with a nutrition label on it. 

2.  Make a note of the low sodium items and the high sodium items.  Low sodium items are foods with less than 140mg of sodium per serving.  Stick to items that are low in sodium—> Remember to watch the portion or serving size to calculate how much sodium you’re actually getting (if you normally eat a whole bag of pretzels which is 2 servings, then multiply the sodium content listed on the label by 2 to get the total amount of sodium you’re eating).

3.  Do not salt your food at the table.

4.  Cut back on the salt you use to prepare foods.  Half the amount of salt called for in recipes and use other herbs and spices to flavor your food.

and….

5.  Avoid extremely salty foods (and don’t forget the condiments…like soy sauce, ketcup and even hot sauce).

So find out where all the salt is coming from in your diet and put a stop to it…for the sake of your health…..your blood pressure and your kidneys.

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

While fellowshipping with my family and friends this Easter Sunday, Rufus had another of his vomiting spells after drinking his baby formula. 

This is not the first time that Rufus has blessed the church pew with his spit up….but at least he did it after church service.  After what seemed like minutes…when Rufus finally finished spitting up the last of his stomach contents, my mother-in-law suggested that I try giving him 2% milk enriched with lactobacillus acidophilus.  Now I had already experimented with over three different types of baby formulas to no avail over the last couple of months and I was ready to try anything. 

So on the drive back home I stopped by the grocery store and picked up two containers of milk with L. acidophilus and you wouldn’t believe Rufus’ response!  No vomiting, no excess gas…..no problem!  So I’ll store all those containers of baby formula in the back of the pantry some where….I’ll stick with the 2% milk with lactobacillus acidophilus.

This is not the first time I’ve heard someone suggest using a probiotic and I frequently prescribe it for my patients who are taking antibiotics and have a history of mild diarrhea associated with antibiotic use.  I’ve even been told by another physician that eating yogurt enriched with active cultures (or “friendly” bacteria) can help restore the natural balance of normally occuring bacteria in the vagina…especially in women who are prone to developing frequent vaginal yeast infections. 

Lactobacillus acidophilus is referred to as “friendly” bacteria because it is a natural inhabitant of the gastrointestinal and vaginal tract and helps prevent other “bad” bacteria from proliferating and overgrowing which can lead to disease.  In the intestine, this “friendly” bacteria  produces lactase, an enzyme that normally breaks down the sugar (lactose) found in milk into smaller, more simple sugars that are easily absorbed by your intestine.  When you’re lactose intolerant, you do not produce the enzyme lactase and therefore you can’t digest lactose, leading to excessive amounts of milk sugar that remains in your intestine which results in bloating, gas and diarrhea. 

You may have even noticed the increase in TV commercials about new yogurts formulated with active cultures to prevent constipation and even improve your body’s natural immune response.  While I was in the grocery store looking for the new milk I passed by the yogurt section and saw at least three different kinds of new yogurts for bowel regularity, enhancement of your immune system and ease of digestion.  So I’m not alone in my quest for the best dairy product available for my family.

When I told my husband that we’d found a new milk that Rufus can tolerate, he was surprised when I told him it was the 2% milk with lactobacillus acidophilus.  When he was a baby he also had trouble tolerating commercial baby formulas and his mother started him on the same milk that Rufus now drinks 31 years later.  So we’ve come full circle. 

Hopefully, you’ll also benefit for the sage advice given to me by my mother-in-law.

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

This week has been full of celebration and love. 

I started off the week celebrating my husband’s birthday on the 3rd and yesterday, we celebrated our son’s first birthday at the Seaquarium.  Take a look here to see a picture of Rufus by the sea lion’s pavilion!  We had an amazing time showing Rufus all the sea animals, from dolphins and whales to crocodiles and sea lions.  We were all so full of energy and excitement that we really want to share that excitement with you. 

As my husband and I are celebrating the one year anniversary of the birth of our first child, we also want to celebrate life to the fullest.  And that means being able to enjoy these outings with our family and friends, not worried by arthritis….fatigue….shortness of breath or lack of energy all the symptoms that go along with being out of shape or overweight. 

We are on a mission to stop the ballooning of a whole generation of people as we slowly put on more and more weight over the years which can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and early onset of arthritis…requiring knee or hip replacements.  Years ago, joint replacements were typically common in the over 65 group but now…men and women in their fifties and even forties are requiring knee or hip replacements because of severe arthritis or due to overuse injury from contact sports.  On the same day my husband celebrated his birthday, my mother at the age of 54…went into surgery to have her right knee replaced because of severe arthritis! 

We’re also on a crusade to help people who wouldn’t normally pick up a gym bag and head to the local fitness center because they’re busy with work life or home life. 

We’ve just celebrated our first major product together–Rufus—and now we’re getting ready to celebrate our first major professional product together—>The Backyard Workout.  Now many of you all may have seen me perform the At-Home workout with Rhadi but this product is different.  The Backyard Workout is a collaborative effort between my husband, The Strength and Conditioning King, and me, The Health and Wellness Queen.  We’ve come together to give you the first in a series of fitness products designed to give you back the body you’ve dreamed for, to give you the energy you desire and the health you need to live a long and healthful life.  

This workout is part of a system…a manual which details each and every exercise and also includes the amazing food plan that both my husband and I have used to stay in great shape…healthy and full of energy to run behind our son who is on his way to start walking on his own. 

So on this day, April 6th…as I’m getting ready to celebrate Easter with my family and also celebrate my own birthday on Sunday, think about all the accomplishments and achievements in your own life, both personally and professionally….and celebrate your life to the fullest…each and every day!

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

P.S.  Stay tuned to my blog at www.thehealthandwellnessqueen.com for more details on the upcoming release of The Backyard Workout.

When I think of indulging in something decadent, luxurious and satisfying, healthy living sometimes goes flying out the window.  Now just think about it.  You’ve had a long day at work, you’ve rushed home to spend time with your family before it’s time to call it a night, you run from store to store on your days off just to keep a handle on your growing To Do list….we sometimes forget to enjoy the very day we’re living.

And then I look at my son…..he’s taking his very first steps on his own but still hasn’t mastered the skill of walking without assistance.  And are we any different?  Are we still trying to hold on to the past, afraid to let go, afraid of what’s waiting for us in the future, now knowing if the future awaiting us will bring satisfication or heartache?  And if we constantly worry about what lies ahead, will we ever be able to enjoy the sweeter side in life?

Just ask Ms. C, 95 year old woman I saw today at the hospital.  One minute she’s standing at the doorway to her room waiting for me to see her.  Anxious to leave the hospital to return to her own bed….her own home….on her own terms and in less than four hours, her condition…her life changed forever.  No longer was she the spunkly older woman who looked like she was in her 70’s and not 95…..in the matter of hours she became a confused, agitated woman who had suddenly fallen face down, a common risk of being in the hospital….and found flat on her face…..beside her bed….in a pool of blood.  Her fall wasn’t just a simple slip and fall–she had fractured her neck and might wind up paralyzed forever.  

What I took away from Ms. C today was that I needed to enjoy the sweeter side of life EVERY DAY.  Not just on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries but on any given day of the week.

So when I feel like having my cake and eating it too….I get a slice of angel food cake and pile it high with cool, refreshing sherbert!

When I want to escape from the hustle and bustle of a crazy day….I take a seat on my backyard patio with my son and enjoy the warm soft breeze as we watch the ducks waddle in the pond.

When I want to treasure those special moments with my family…..we take a trip to the park and watch in amazement as little Rufus tries to chase down every little kid that walks by him.

When I want to reconnect with myself, I head out in the backyard for a great workout routine with the Backyard Workout.

And when I want to celebrate life…I spend my day with family and friends.

So as I’m preparing to celebrate Rufus’ first birthday with family and friends….I’ll keep Ms. C in the back of my mind and live every moment of the day like my life will never be the same.  Hoping that with each passing moment, I’ll reach my goal of enjoying the sweeter side of life each and every day.

 To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

We have a special Guest……. Coach Ferguson decided to stop by and he wanted to let you know that we are doing something special from now until the 9th of April. So listen up below…………

Pssst, when Coach Ferguson is talking, it’s a good idea to listen. He doesn’t mess around……… at all!

THE FERGUSON BIRTHDAY SPECIAL………….

1. Listen to the message below

2. Click  –> Here <-- and get in quick

3. Sit back and wait for all the FREE Gifts to arrive at your door (you only pay for the shipping)

 2 MONTHS FREE HEALTH AND WELLNESS INNER CIRCLE OFFER!! [1:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download