Embracing the Season
Happy February – of the coldest winter we have had in some time. Embrace the season and cozy up with veggie packed soups and hot herbal tea. I have been trying to think about this season of winter as a period of rest, replenishment and introspection. If nature is calling for dormancy maybe I should listen. I came across this poem that describes the sentiment better than I could ever relate.
Winter’s Cloak by Joyce Rupp
This year I do not want the dark to leave me. I need its wrap of silent stillness, its cloak of long lasting embrace. Too much light has pulled me away from the chamber of gestation.
Let the dawns come late, let the sunsets arrive early, let the evenings extend themselves while I lean into the abyss of my being.
Let me lie in the cave of my soul, for too much light blinds me, steals the source of revelation.
Let me seek solace in the empty places of winter’s passage, those vast dark nights that never fail to shelter me.
Maximizing Your Health During the Shortest Month!
Food Pyramid
With the new year has come a new “food pyramid”. Most of you probably remember the old food pyramid with basically a lovely bread basket and grains galore at the bottom? Well, this was replaced by a healthy “plate” but now we have a pyramid again. This one is upside down though and flipped regarding calorie from grain.
Here is an article on what the powers at be got right and what they got wrong in my opinion.
Evanthea Trial
I am excited to share one of the first randomized controlled trials on a functional medicine approach that we have. There have been studies done by the Cleveland Clinic on symptoms and chronic disease markers showing benefit to a systems biology functional medicine approach. We now have a randomized controlled trial specifically for Mild Cognitive Impairment called the Evanthea Trial.
What we do in functional medicine matters – that is the punchline of this clinical trial as it does show that participants receiving the treatment arm which was a personalized and precision based approach (functional medicine) has improvements in cognitive scores over the course of the 9 month trial compared to standard neurological care for early dementia.
Upcoming Events
Sparkle Health’s Menopause Galantine Event
There is nothing like menopause to celebrate Galentine’s Day. We will be discussing options to manage menopause symptoms for quality of life, healthspan and vitality. We will be discussing dietary and lifestyle considerations, supplements and hormone replacement therapy.
Book Recommendations
In her new book “Strong Ground” she starts out with a personal anecdote about learning and playing and injuring herself playing pickleball. She had to learn a “ready” physical stance to improve her game and recover from injury- basically standing on strong ground. She takes this metaphor to leading and living in uncertain times requires strong mental ground as well. The main message is knowing yourself and your values in times of uncertainty so you can remain upright when everything else is falling apart. She also highlights deep rather than superficial connection with others and the vulnerability to “unlearn” ways of being so you can evolve as a leader and a person in changing circumstances. This is ultimately a book about how to be a better leader and even if you do not see yourself in one- I recently heard the phrase “Be the main character in your own story” and this is one of my picks to help you do just that.
Food For Thoughts
Over 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease—and this number is expected to double by 2060. Nearly two-thirds of those affected are women. At age 45, the estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 10 for men.
The bad news: those aren’t great odds.
The good news? Like many chronic diseases, Alzheimer’s is largely preventable.
