A million things go right in our day, yet we are so focused on went wrong. What went wrong should be, "look what is right!" So................your alarm woke you up on time for work (or better yet, your WORKOUT) this morning. If that thought doesn’t make you jump for joy, ask yourself what would have happened if the alarm had failed? I know I would have been late for Mark and Melissa and I would have missed the opportunity to make big boulder shoulders! You on the other hand, would have woken up late, rushed out the door, forgotten your lunch, and arrived at the office a mess. Worse, what if you hadn’t woken up at all?

Think of it, on a typical day, a million things go right. The shower has hot water, your car starts, and your computer turns on. Man, that is a big one for me since we have gone totally electronic at work for medical records.

Unfortunately, we don’t always appreciate the good things around us. Instead of seeking out the bad, however, focus your eyes on the good that’s right in front of you. Here are my million reasons to focus on the good:

I am so glad I got out of bed today. A friend from my gym brought me some photos 10 years old from my first bb competition. Had I not gotten up, I would not have them. I will be sure to scan them and make a new gallery for everyone to check out my hairdoooooooooo!

I am so glad I got out of bed today so I could go to work. I helped 23 sick patients get better.

I am so glad I got out of bed today so I could train a client. I inspired her to take herself to a new level.

I am so glad I got out of bed today. I got invited to see Max and Charlie's christmas band set!

I am so glad I got out of bed today so I could experience all this and tell you about it.

Did you get out of bed today and see a million things right? Try again tomorrow if you didn't!

And, one more thing before I go, don't forget to tell someone you love them..........right from the 'ole ticker!

If you all read my last post, you know that Bobby died on Christmas. I finally got to talk to Mary yesterday. She told me seeing her brother die in front of her was a life changing experience. I simply could not imagine what that must feel like. As a doctor, I have seen plenty of people die, but they were not family and it seems that I had this wall up regarding death. I am not sure they even taught that in medical school. Maybe it is a learned behavior. Not so anymore. I am not sure what the defining moment was for me, but I sure look at death differently now. Death to me is a constant reminder of the wonder and value of life and it teaches us just how precious this life truly is. I can’t tell you how many people I have spoken with over the years who wished they had only told that special person in their life that they loved them before they died. Sure, the deceased knew it but there is nothing quite like hearing those three precious words. Imagine my friend, Mary, huddled over her brother with her mom and nephew, telling Bob how much they loved him. Wow, what a feeling for Bob!

So my mission for you today is this: If there is someone in your life that you love and appreciate, and for whatever reason have not told them, make today the day you end your silence. Show your heart and make their day. Tell them you love them, and you will free yourself and maybe even them in ways you can’t even imagine.

It was the Eve of Christmas. I had just arrived back into town from visiting my dad in Spencer and meeting my nephew who I had not seen since he was just a few months old. Wow, how he has grown, and Aunt Malea was very proud of him! He is so smart for a 2 1/2 year old. He was chattering away and we helped put together Lincoln Logs that I had given him for Christmas.

So back to the Eve of Christmas, I met my friends, Jeff and Caroline at a local church. It was a small gym, in fact. Small gym, but lots of spirit for Jesus. It was all so heartwarming to me. I sat with Jeff and Caroline's little Olie on my lap. He is my little cutie pie! I am pretty sure he has taken a liking to me! He was my christmas present for the night. I even got hugs from my muscle Max. I picked him up, hugged him tight and told him I love him. He said, "I love you too Dr. Malea!" Talk about a tear jerker! Charlie man was not in the mood for hugs, but I did get a little grin out of him! Buck and Laura were excited to see me at their church. We hugged and chatted about their new addition to the family............baby Zoe, a 10 month old from Ethiopia. Soon she will be an Olsen! God is so good!

After the service, I got into to my truck and checked my messages. One from my friend, Mary. I had a feeling it was not going to be a good one. Her brother, Bobby, was not doing well. They were not expecting him to live thru Christmas. I was unfortunately right. Bobby passed away. Here is a paragraph from Mary:

Hi All!!
Yesterday was a day that words cannot describe!! We got a call about 2:45 to come up to the hospital ASAP. We get up there 15 after 3:00. The nurse tells us that it could be a false alarm but his O2 sats were dropping. We walk into the room and there is this tall hansome young man. JUSTIN!!We were so thankful that he found it in his heart to come up there and see his Dad. They had not seen each other for over 10 years. Divorce and a bitter Ex wife messed that up. Anyway, we leave Justin alone wit his dad for a few minutes and the nurse comes out of the room. I asked her is Justin OK in there and she says he looks like he is not sure what to do. SO I go in there and Justin says, "can he hear me?' I told him sure he can. "Bob, Can you see who is here? Justin is here!" He looks over at Justin and says "Justin" with his lips. Justin grabs his hand and says he loves him and he is sorry...A tear runs down Bobby's face. The rest of the family comes in, Mom & Dad, and Gaylen (Bob's girlfriend 12 years disappears somewhere outta the room). I was holding Bob's left hand and Justin was standing next to me. Mom on the other side holding his right and Dad standing with her. Suddenly, Bobby's breathing becomes very erratic. We watch his pulse rate drop down down and breathing becomes longer in between breaths...within 15 minutes....He was gone!! He died at 3:45 on Christmas Eve. It was the most amazing, but emotionally draining thing I have ever witnessed in my life!!! It was like he was waiting for Justin. The nurses had been telling Bob all day that his son was coming. We were not positive he was...but hoped he would. I prayed he would show up since I had been talking to him. I just found him last week thru the Internet. He was living in Houston!!! And now here he was well over 6', handsome, polite, caring young man...and the spitting image of Bobby. It was all out of a movie!! Thru that whole process Justin stood there rubbing my back and comforting me. This IS exactly like a movie, LOL. God took my brother , but reunited us with Justin..Wow! My little brother came in last night around 9:00...and missed the whole thing...but I beleive God didn't want him to see Bobby that way...Billy doesn't handle hosputals well anyway... It all worked out the way it was suppose to. So all the kids (Me, Billy, Gary, Cathy) are here at Mom & Dad's...except Bobby, but he is here too. I already miss him terribly, but I know he is in a better place. Celebrating Jesus birthday with Stan!! LOL. Thank you all again for all the thoughts, Prayers, and wishes...it worked out according to God's plans........ Love, Mary

I went to my church for a second Christmas EVE service. I am so glad I did! I simply cannot put into words the feeling I get when I hear Pastor Mike speak. He is surely a blessing from God. His gifts are plentiful and he speaks the Word with such passion. I left there knowing Jesus had a lot of space in me.......in fact, all the space He needed to fill me up!

I pray everyone had a blessed Christmas!

Exciting news today.........My buddy, Colette Nelson, received a special invite to the Arnold Classic. Wow, was she ever excited to tell me. I am so proud of her! This is actually bigger for her than the Olympia this past October. She admits she is scared, but she will do it scared if she has to. I purchased my tickets to go watch her and I am also planning on a January and February "Dr. J's bust Colette's butt" camp. This pumps us both up since we cherish the times we can train together. Send Colette your congratulatory emails and blessings to colettey@msn.com. I know there are some special people that she would love to hear from!!!

So many of you have been praying for my freind, Mary, and her brother, Bobby, who is still in the hospital following a very traumatic motorcycle accident. I thought I would post her latest email to me. Mary has been so strong through this, but I know prayer has kept her spirit on fire. You can tell in her words that she has so much hope. I will keep you up to date on his progress. Thanks again! God bless!


"Hi all, here is the latest on my brother Bobby. My mom called me yesterday about 4:30pm in tears. Said that the new doctor (Liver Specialist)said to get things in order, Bob has liver failure. He WILL die. They also signed a DNR order on him. (do not resusitate) Mom was devistated and this was the first time thru all this that she cried at least where I could hear or see. At that point all I knew was that I had to get up here and see Bobby while he was still concious. SO, I got in the truck and drove since I couldn't get a flight til late tonight. Amazing what you can do with three grande White Chocolate Latte with two double shots and a few CD's of Show tunes!!! I was texting people all the way up there so everyone knew the route I was on...(up I35) The way my mom was talking Bob's condition was Grave.. I got to the hospital around 1:00am this morning (friday) Visitation was at 2:00am. When I walked into the room, he was laying there with his eyes wide open and mouth open. He looked so wasted away and scared. You could see the fear in his eyes. it broke my heart to see him that way. I was so overwhelmed by the way he looked, I was not expecting that. He was so thirsty that I kept giving him this little sponge soaked in water for him to suck on. When I walked into the room, I leaned over too him and said "Bobby, it's Mary, can you see me?" He looked at me and nodded his head yes. I just continued to talk to him. He cannot speak and you could see that that was frustrating to him. I told him" You know you were really messed up in that wreck, right?? Your body was really hurt bad, but it is a mircle you are here now!" You know that right? You know we almost lost you several times, but you are a fighter and you can get thru this too! Are you Scared? Cause its OK if you are, we are all here to help you thru this. We love you, I love you and I will do whatever I can to help you back on your feet. You know that right?" He understood every word I said and nodded yes to everything. He knows. He is just so very weak, he can't hold his head up. I could tell he was glad to see me. He was able to barely squeeze my hand this afternoon. and he smiled when I told him we were leaving for now and that he better not give the nurses any flack!! LOL. He actually smiled...that was soooooooo great to see! I would've given anything just to see that smile...and when I saw it...I Saw Bobby!!I spent the night in the ICU waiting room and saw him again at 8:00 this morning. He looked alittle more alert. I just talked to him and stroked his hair and arm. You could see the pulse rate drop from 120 to 90 just by touching him. I kept asking him if he was scared and he nodded no. I told him that I know he just wanted to get that thing outta his throat (trach) it was really bothering him. He so wanted to talk to me. All you could do was ask questions and reassure him. I stroked his hair til he fell asleep. Dr. Rush came in and we talked. I had a ton of questions for him. It seems right now the biggest problem is that his body is not absorbing the nutrients they are feeding him in the feeding tube in his stomach. They just can;t figure it out except that his body is tired and so very inflammed. Cat Scan revealed a little lower lobe Pneumonia starting and he is on Antibiotics for that. Dr. Double checked his spine to make sure they didn't miss a spinal cord injury, nothing. His Liver is very inflammed and that alogn with everything else can contribute to these absoption problems. Acording to zdr. Rush, today Bob's liver enzymes were fairly good and his kidneys are functioning well under the circumstances. So this dire grave condition that Liver specialist gave my parents was actually a doctor who just "wrote Bob off"...Didn't really care I guess. This stuff gets so twisted around. Anyway, Bobby's body is not absorbing nutrients it needs so it can't heal itself...or regenrate the nerves to get better conciousness or body movement...it is all tied together to nutrician. Dr. Rush did not seem to think this situation was as grave as the Liver specialist who gave my parents NO HOPE yesterday. Dr. Rush is not ready to give up...and will keep fighting...He says he will keep on. Bob made it this far and can make it alittle farther. I love that Dr. He has been so great and straight forward with us from the very begining. He says Bob is a Quest now!! LOL So, again we wait. The DNR was signed because with everything Bob has wrong with him, his gut still partially open, his insides all inflammed and fragile, resusitating him could cause even more problems, so we have decided if God is ready for him, he can take him...that is the most dignified way to do this for Bob. That was not an easy decision for my parents, but I supported them and reassurend them that was the right thing to do. I am so thankful I came up here and have been able to talk to Bobby and spend time with him. I am not throwing in the towel on him yet and have rallied the family not to either...we have been re enregized, so keep praying!! Oh and when my parents came to the 11:00am visitation this afternoon, I suprized them by sitting in the waiting room waiting on them..They didn't know I was coming up. Both were in tears glad to see me. I am going home this sunday as there is really not alot I can do...I just NEEDED to see my brother while he was awake and could recognize me. I needed that time with him. I will keep you informed of everything. Please just keep praying, is all I ask!! Thanks everyone!! love ya, Mary"

You are all probably wondering if I went home a hundred dollars richer yesterday after my workout. If you recall, one of my patients signed me up with his trainer and said they would pay me one hundred dollars if it was not the best workout of my life. Let me just say it loud and clear, I did not take the money! I walked out of there wondering if I was going to heave all over my truck. This LARGE man took me through a whirlwind of leg exercises........don't ask me what order we did them in...........I cannot recall! Let's just say that about 20 min into the workout, I was trying to hold back the nausea. I was not afraid to tell the big guy either........."Hey, bud, I think I am going to puke!" And his reply, "OK, girl, go hard or go home!" Hmm, sounds like I was listening to someone read a page out of my life book! On I went at his command.......15 more, over here, get lower, all the way up, squeeze, drink.............Oh how the mind is a powerful thing.

Whether you believe in mind-body connections or not, the one thing you can’t deny is that emotions trigger chemical reactions in the body, which then produce physical consequences. Case in point: When you move quickly thru large body exercises and don't take time to breathe correctly, you can get nausea from the lactic acid build-up. This in turn, causes you to get more worked up, you get scared, and your body releases adrenaline, which triggers an increase in your heart rate. In other words, an emotion sparked a chemical (hormonal) change that had physical consequences.

Knowing this, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for you to believe that when you think negative thoughts, you put physical limitations on your body. If I had allowed the feeling of nausea to creep deeper into my psyche, I would not have been able to finish the workout.

Conversely, when you think positive thoughts, your body releases feel-good hormones that actually boost your mood and energy levels. Put this to good use during your workouts by thinking your way through the pain and envisioning your goal. Instead of letting your thoughts drift to how hot, sweaty, NAUSEATED, and tired you are, imagine instead how your body will look when you reach your weight loss goal. Or picture how you’ll feel the very moment you’ll cross the finish line and break through the finishers tape. These positive cognitions will boost your energy and give you exactly what you need to not only finish your workout or the race, but finish it with a smile.

I cannot say that I had a smile on face for at least 2 hours, but I did it. I made it through the most grueling workout with this large Bosnian man and afterwards found out that only 3 other people have ever finished with him. Yea baby! Mind over matter! Stand clear, the machine is in motion!

A healthy diet should include some fats. Fat provides the most concentrated source of calories, gives us energy, and helps our bodies absorb essential vitamins. The key is the kind of fat you consume.

Fats are either saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated. Most people who eat a high-fat diet eat a high level of saturated fat, which can raise your LDL or “bad" cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Red meats, baked goods and full-fat dairy products are the most common sources of saturated fat.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, on the other hand, reduce cholesterol levels, helping to curb the risk of heart disease. These “good fats” are found in foods like olives, avocados, and most nuts (monounsaturated) as well as soybean oil, safflower oil, macadamia nut oil, olive oil, flax oil, and corn oil. Certain types of fish are also packed full of good fats(polyunsaturated).

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as those used in many margarines and shortenings, contain a particular form of unsaturated fat known as trans fatty acids or trans fats. Trans fats cause oils to harden and, like saturated fats, increase the risk of heart disease. Trans fats can be found in most packaged foods, especially cookies, crackers, chips, and fast foods. Unfortunately, those aren’t the only danger foods. Consumer Reports found appreciable amounts of trans fat in certain cereals and frozen breakfast foods, even in some foods that are otherwise labeled “healthy." According to a study presented at a recent American Heart Association meeting, the government’s plan to change food labels to warn consumers of the amount of trans fatty acids in processed foods could reduce deaths from heart attack.

Today, any food with more than 0.5 grams of trans fats is required by the FDA to include a label indicating the amount of trans fat per serving it contains. But foods with less than 0.5 grams don’t have to be labeled as containing trans fats. While half a gram might sound negligible, keep in mind that even the tiniest amounts of trans fats can add up quickly when you’re snacking on cookies, chips or other packaged munchies.

Train hard and smart...........Eat Healthy!

Update on Bobby. My friend, Mary, called me last night and her brother is finally following commands. He is waking up. He is not talking yet and he is still critical, but the doctors, Mary, and her family, are very hopefull. She believes what the Lord has done for Bobby is truly a miracle. I tell ya, no one is beyond the reach of God's love.

I had a wonderful day today. I had two different friends bring in gifts for my new house. Most of all, they came with love and a wonderful note! I also had a special delivery of holiday chocolate chip cookies. I love chocolate chip cookies and ice cream! Yea, yea! I have been eyeing those things all afternoon. I shall splurge tonight during the Iowa vs Iowa State basketball game!

Workouts are good. I have been invited by one of my patients to work out with his trainer. He plans to pay me 100 dollars if it is not the best workout of my life. Hmmmm, Mark, are you listening????? Mark Steffen has been my all-time best workout partner, although, I have had some of the best: Al, Jim, Jill, Jake, Russ, Mark, and Melissa. I am so blessed!

It is Friday. Yeah! I do not work so that means relaxing. I am excited for the warm front that is expected to move in tomorrow. They predict 50. That is so much better than 6!Have a super duper weekend everyone. Train hard and smart. Eat healthy. Build up your body with God!

My health tip for the day concerns red meat consumption and breast cancer in women. According to Harvard Medical School researchers, regular consumption of red meat raises the risk of one type of breast cancer. The study was based on data from a sample of more than 90,000 women who were monitored over the course of nearly 15 years. At the conclusion of the study period, women with diets high in red meat were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, even when other risk factors such as family history were taken into account. Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer is a particularly growing problem among middle-aged women. Researchers defined "high" red meat consumption as one and a half servings or more a day. For beef lovers, the study's authors recommended reducing red meat consumption to three servings a week or less. I guess this means "chicken is for dinner!"

Today, I had a wonderful conversation with a dear freind. We talked about faith. Faith as you would have it is confidence---confidence in God and His Word. On the flip side is "self-doubt." The reason we got to talking about faith is because she was doubting herself a bit. She asked me if it was possible to do a job even if she did not have the credentials to do so. I simply asked her if she was confident that she could do the job. She said, "yes, I feel prepared!" PREPARED?, I asked, quisitively? She said, "Yes", "Prepared."

WE both agreed that many people lack confidence simply because they are not prepared. I ask, "Can you really think of anyone who is an expert at something who does not practice and prepare?" I cannot really think of anyone. I then ask myself, what makes someone an expert? Is it years of education? Is it a credential? So what makes one qualified? I will simply say that sometimes "credentials" are not always what qualifies one to be an expert. In fact, if you look at some of the disciples Jesus chose, you will quickly see that God does not always or even, "usually," call those who seem to be qualified. The Bible says that He purposely chooses the weak and the foolish of the world in order to confound the wise (1Corinthians 1:26-29).

God prepares each of us in whatever way He chooses. It may not be formal training, but He will use everything in your life to train you, IF, you are willing to be trained. Unfortunately, some of us want it so bad that we are impatient to go through the preparation that is necessary to equip us for the job. How sad is this?

So, here is the breakdown: Each of us is given a gift from God. Our job is to keep asking God what it is that we are called to do. Once we begin to realize, we need to prepare. You must let everything you go through, prepare you for what is ahead. It is important to understand that preparation for what God wants us to do does not need to be formal or conventional. Don't try to rush and don't despise the days of small beginnings. Enjoy every step of the way, and if you confidently step out and do your part, God will surround you with people who have gifts and abilities that you do not have. Stay in faith. Have confidence. Those who don't have confidence quite often are the ones who cannot receive help from other people. They are too busy making comparisons to receive the help God has sent them. Don't be resentful and remember, those who cannot do everything, usually do not do anything! And last, but certainly not least, make sure that whatever you are trying to do is something you are really meant to do and not just something you want to do to impress people.

There you have it...........my deep conversation with one of my girlfriends earlier today. Have a wonderful night. Dream big tonight!

Today I am going to speak to you on the Female Reproductive System and the menstrual cycle. As you know, following puberty women begin to have regular menstrual cycles generally lasting between 24 — 35 days. Women with normal menstrual cycles (eumenorrhea) will have 12 — 13 periods per year, however circumstances exist when irregular (oligomenorrhea) or absent (amenorrhea) menstrual cycles may be present. Oligomenorrhea is defined as a menstrual cycle lasting between 36 — 90 days, whereas amenorrhea is defined as having no menstrual period for at least three months and having less than three periods in the previous 12 months. These menstrual disturbances are more common in exercising women compared to the general population and are associated with low levels of estrogen (the primary female sex hormone). Suppressed estrogen in physically active women is related to bone loss, and more recently has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in young, otherwise healthy women. Thus, maintaining regular menstrual periods and more importantly normal levels of estrogen is essential for a woman's health.
Menstrual disturbances in exercising women was originally believed to be the result of low levels of body fat, where a minimum of 22% was necessary to maintain normal reproductive function. However, some women with body fat levels below this threshold still get normal monthly periods, suggesting that other factors play a role in regulating menstrual cycles. So researchers began to look for other causes of these menstrual disturbances. It soon became evident that women who were in an energy deficit were much more likely to experience irregular or absent menstrual cycles (10). What was also discovered is that there are a host of signals from the body that get sent to a specific region of the brain (the hypothalamus) which communicate the body's energy status. The hypothalamus is responsible for interpreting these signals and then provides instructions for how the body should respond. In addition, this region of the brain is also responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle.
Normal menstrual cycles depend on regular pulses every 60 — 90 minutes of a certain hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus; without this the menstrual cycle would become irregular or absent (6). This hormone then signals another part of the brain to release two other hormones called lutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Lutenizing hormone also has a pulse which occurs approximately every 60 — 90 minutes. A decrease in the number of LH pulses is used by researchers to identify disturbances in the hypothalamus (because GnRH very easily).
Researchers have shown that the change in LH pulses was the result of an imbalance between energy intake and the energy expenditure from exercise. They showed that when individuals were able to consume the same amount of calories that they expended during exercise, no disruptions of LH pulses were evident, indicating that disruptions in the brain were not caused by the exercise per se, but rather the energy deficit. The disruptions noted are simply to conserve energy in the female. The bottom line, females need to consume enough calories so as not to promote a deficit which in turn, disrupts the LH pulse, and throws off the menstural cycle.

Yesterday, I was down. Man, I thought I could just cry when I got off work. No, a patient did not upset me. No, I did NOT upset a patient! Nice try! It seems that changing over to electronic medical records has been one of the most emotionally fatiguing things I have ever done. As savvy as I am on the computer, I have had to master the art of templates and managing a user unfriendly system. I can only hope that in the coming months, the Lord will provide me with the knowledge to overcome the obstacles I have been encountering. I can only tell you that it is so frustrating to end the day with 25 charts left to enter and have to do them at home or worse yet, let them pile up over the week and have to do them on the weekend.

But hey, today, I am upbeat. I am 25 charts behind but looking at it with a positive note. Today, I spent quality time with my patients. I sensed that each and everyone of them truly ENJOYED coming to the doctor. I listened to them, empathized with them, and cared for them. Did you know that one of the most basic psychological needs, at the core of being human, is to love and to be loved. As a matter of fact, I would say that love is one of Mother Nature’s most powerful forces. It drives us to do all sorts of things as we seek loved ones or wish to strengthen the connection we have with those significant others already in our lives. Love is critical to our well-being.

Showing and expressing love, however, is easy for some and nearly impossible for others. One of the things that I have always found interesting is that some people seem to have no trouble showing affection and proclaiming their love, while others seem unable to even say the words not to mention show the emotion. It is, however, very important for us to hear those words. Saying “I love you” is good for both parties, but it is particularly important for those we love to hear us say it.

If you are one of those people who, for whatever reason, does not tell those you love that you love them, why not make today the day you change that?

I am not sure how I got off on a tangent here. I simply had a rough day yesterday. I did not feel like I gave good medical care to my patients because I was worried about the charting. Today, I was my old self.........caring and loving toward my patients. Despite the fact that I am behind, I feel so much more fulfilled for having given my patients the time they needed with me.

Go ahead, show someone tomorrow at your job how much you love them. That will surely warm their hearts! But before that, don't forget to hit the weights and/or do some cardio to get the body going and the heart purring like a fine tuned machine!

Happy Day before Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving! It has to be my favorite holiday of the year. I remember going to my uncle's up in Elkhart, Indiana every year. Of course I was pretty young..........they lived out in the woods, and there were lots of bears.............big brown bears that liked to eat little "peanuts" for thanksgiving. Each year my uncle would take my brother, myself, and my two cousins for tractor rides. Uncle Julius would pull us behind the tractor on this makeshift "sled". Oh man, I hung on for dear life. I was not going to be eaten for Thanksgiving! No way! WE were going all of about 5 mph behind the International Harvestor, and I was hanging on for DEAR LIFE! Of course I fell off. No one saw it either. I kept screaming and they got further and further way.....at least a hundred miles if my memory is correct. Ha Ha, I believe it was more like a hundred yards, but I was so scared, I peeeeeed my pants. Then the big dog ripped my leotards. What a traumatic Thanksgiving that was. I almost got eaten by a bear, I wet my pants, and a big red dog ripped my favorite leotards. Man, its amazing I am here to talk about it all! But, over the years, I have had thee most wonderful Thanksgivings! This one will be just as amazing! It will start with a morning workout. I am not even sure what I will do, but, I love the gym on holidays. It is packed...........the warriors show up on holidays!! And, of course, there will be lots of football! yeah!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Your Iron Lady Doc

I hope everyone had a super duper weekend. I watched the Michigan game Saturday afternoon, and even though I am a huge Michigan fan, the loss was a good loss to Ohio State. WE got beat by the best team in nation. So, anyway, that is my feeling on the game. I look forward to the BCS championship game. I am not sure who will play Ohio State, but let's hope for a good matchup!

Oh, some exciting news for me! I planted a new Maple tree in my backyard with my dad and one of my friends' dad. WE had a blast. The weather was great, and she is a princess back there right now. I am telling you, she is the best lil tree on my block!

I also had the pleasure of talking to my buddy, Colette, on Sunday. WE had a lot of catching up to do. She was at Nationals and was texting me the whole time to keep me up on the standings. She took the weekend off from her diet. As you may already know, she is trying to get a special invite to the Arnold. Man, would that be awesome or what? She is having a little trouble with the diet right now, but I reassured her that most bodybuilders who decide to engage in two shows in a year will eventually hit a point in the process where their desire to continue is truly tested. You simply don’t feel like you have what it takes to continue. This is the point where many throw in the towel. For Colette, I told her that this is where she can get stronger than she ever imagined and find the success she dreams about. As frustrating as this is for most, reaching this point is truly the moment of truth. She told me she was going to stay the course and press on! That is my "Champ"!

Today was a scheduled day off from lifting, but I went in to the gym to ride the bike anyway. Why? Well, one, I cannot seem to stay asleep past 440 am, and two I like to chat to my pregnant friend, Holly. She is quite a trooper. She is 40 weeks along and still working out every day. Her baby is going to be delivered with tennis shoes on and dumbbells in his/her hands!

So, we got to talking today about deconditioning. She was wondering how long she might be out from the gym following her delivery and how long does it take to get out of shape when not working out regularly. I found this today which explains it simply, use it or lose it!

Within as little as two weeks, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and muscular endurance can be lost. Of course, there are many factors that influence how fast your fitness level will decrease, including how fit you were when you stopped exercising and how long and hard you’ve been training for. A highly trained athlete will take longer than a poorly trained person to become detrained because of their magnitude of initial fitness. It may take months for a competitive athlete, whereas a less fit person can start losing their fitness level within days or weeks. So what can you do if you’re a beginner and have to take a break? If you want to get in shape and stay in shape, don’t take more than two days off between workouts when you’re able to work out regularly, and don’t let your total physical activity cease for more than one week. If you get sick or are injured, try to accomplish the minimum amount of activity that’s feasible for you.

In Holly's case, I would consider her a highly trained marathon runner, so she has a few months at most to consider being out of the gym. However, as highly trained athletes are concerned, I doubt it will be an issue. She will be on the treadmill the next day with her Nike Air's running on clouds since she probably will lose a quick 15 pounds!

I was really looking forward to this weekend. My dad was coming to visit Friday and then I was going to watch the Michigan/Ohio State game with one of my best girlfriends who was coming Thursday night from Texas. We have not seen each other for over a year. It has been a long time. Her husband is in Iraq right now, so she has been a little lonely. Late last week she got word that one of her family members was in an accident. Her brother, bobby, is in a CCU in Ft. Worth, Texas after sustaining multiple injuries in a motorcycle accident. I do not know all the details of the accident, but suffice it to say, he is barely hanging on. He has had 3 surgeries already.........one of which is a below the knee amputation on the right. He lost his right eye, he cannot breathe without a ventilator. He has a chest tube, a feeding tube, and multiple drains from his belly due to bowel and liver lacerations.
I am asking that you all pray for my friend's brother. She is strong, but your prayers are needed.
I will pray as well. "Dear God, we do not have to go through this day alone; We do not have to work in our own strength. Today, I am asking if it is in your will to give health to bobby, give the doctors healing hands, and make my friend, Mary, an instrument of your strength. In your name, I ask for these things, Amen."

Weight loss is an adventure that tests your emotions moreso than any other part of you. One minute you’re optimistic and feel like there’s real hope and then a moment later you’re back to feeling hopeless and pessimistic. I’m a firm believer that everything we do begins as a thought. What you do is a direct result of what you think, and if you can begin to change your thinking from hopeless and pessimistic, to hopeful and optimistic, you can impact your behavior, change your thinking, and find the success you seek.

You already have what it takes to be successful. It is well-known that one universal need by people is a sense of competence. We need to know for certain that we can accomplish what God puts before us. A breakdown in this universal area can have a tremendous impact on your spiritual growth. When your spiritual growth lags behind, then it becomes harder to accomplish your goals......one of which may be weight loss.

If you believe that you are truly the perfect being that God made, you will have the confidence to accomplish even the most difficult goal. As such, I will conclude with one more thought..........the more you think about how overweight you are, or how hard it is for you to lose weight, you will continue to attract those same things over and over again. You will be a magnet to the thoughts: I can't, and It's too hard!

Have a great evening. Think positive thoughts and start attracting abundance in your life!

Since being in my new house, one of my favorite places to sit is in my office. It overlooks my front yard. Occassionally, little sparrows perch on my window ledge. It is a big window so lots of little birds can perch there. Anyway, I love to look at my yard. I take great pride in my lawn. I have never had one of my own, but I love caring for lawns and landscape so much that I used to take care of a friends lawn for two summers. I had the most enjoyable time. There is something about the finishing results when you are all done. So, last weekend I got back from a bb show and I was sitting in my home office looking out the window trying to decide whether or not to mow my lawn. It hadn’t rained in quite a while, but as it gets colder you should really mow the grass down so it can grow deeper roots.....especially new sod.

Anyway, you are probably wondering where I am going with this, but I was thinking about how slowly grass grows until one day you look out and it is ankle deep. Isn't that how most people gain weight? Gaining weight and becoming unhealthy is a lot like grass growing because each is a very slow process. So slow, as a matter of fact, that it goes unnoticed until it becomes suddenly obvious. This is particularly true when gaining weight. I often hear people make comments like, “One day I looked in the mirror and suddenly I didn’t recognize myself anymore.” As if some magical transformation took place the night before and changed them in their sleep. However, the truth is that the transformation was in the making for quite some time.

If only the remedy for excess weight was as simple and quick as mowing the lawn, what a wonderful world that would be! I can just hear it now, “Honey, I’ll be back in about an hour. I’m going out in the yard to lose about 50 pounds.” That’s one of the things that I love about mowing the lawn. It’s one of the only things that I do in my life where I can see instant results. But, unfortunately, weight loss it isn’t that simple and it certainly doesn’t happen in an instant. Obtaining that fit body and healthy lifestyle that you so desperately want, will take time and effort. However, the satisfaction and benefits of losing weight will change a lot more than the shape of your body. It will recharge your emotional batteries, make you a healthier person and breathe new life into your spirit. Why not make today the day you begin creating that new life?

I have been competing for the past 11 years. In that time, I have traveled with, and competed against some of the best athletes in the sport. In addition, I have compiled a long list of do's and don'ts in order to become the best. Amazing at it may seem, there is not a ONE WAY road to becoming a top notch bodybuilder or figure competitor. No single road to the top has ever been formally set in stone. There does, however, appear to be a common goal............lose fat and gain lean muscle mass.

The success of the best athletes has a lot to do with how they think. You have heard me paraphrase Wayne Dyer a number of times so if you forgot, here it is again.............What you think about, you will get, whether you want it or not. If you think that you can never get any better at what you are doing, guess what? You won't ever get any better. And, more importantly, if you think you are already doing everything you possibly can to become your very best, you will never get any better. Get it? Think and you shall receive! If you want to emulate the best athlete in your sport or the best salesman in your firm, you must emulate the way they think. I guarantee they are not thinking they have reached their maximum potential! The battle to become your best is against yourself. The guy or girl on the next bench over or on the East coast, or West coast, does not tell you if your next meal is eaten on time, and he/she is not the one forcing you to eat Happy Joes' Pizza and Cold Stone Ice Cream. His actions are not telling you when to go to bed and when to get up. He or she is not forcing you to skip cardio and go watch TV. Do you see? It is your thoughts that lead to YOUR actions! And if you say to yourself and to others that you don't want to be like the best performer in your field because you simply do not like them and that their way is the Wrong way.........guess what? That is the exact person you want to be like. You just cannot live up to the fact that they have it all together and you don't. You need to quit wishing you had what they have, quit being envious of what they have and positively think that what you want is exactly what you will get. Dig a little deeper, focus a little harder, get a little more intense about what it is you want, and go after it with a sense of victory at hand. Think it, believe it, see it, and you shall have it.

I want to end this post with a huge congratulatory hug to my friends, Jodie Schwartz and Chris Graziano. Chris is a 48 year old masters figure competitor who in a short two years took her physique to center stage this past weekend and won her first overall crown. Jodie, a 40 year old who has not had as much experience in this arena, took 2nd place behind Chris. These two women are examples of what can be accomplished when you act like the little red engine who could, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" I am so proud of my friends and wish them both much success as they pursue their dreams! Check out my gallery page for their pics.

Lifestyle change is such a difficult and emotional struggle for most. Many people avoid healthy lifestyle changes because they have a fear of failure. They hold a deep-seated belief that they will ultimately fail, so, as a result, they don’t even try to create healthy changes. I have seen the struggles of my patients and I want so badly to be able to spend the time with them, to pump them up, to educate them, and to lead them into a healthier lifestyle. But, as you know, it is not easy to change a lifetime of behaviors in one office visit. The best advice can often be forgotten once the patient leaves my office.

For this reason, I am so excited about what Preventative Health Sciences has to offer for my patients. PHS has designed a treatment plan for diet and exercise that goes beyond what I can offer my patients in a single visit. PHS will help to combine interactive education for diet and exercise with the guidance of highly trained and educated individuals. Most importantly, PHS will be able to assist me in managing my patients! It will be a collaborative management. This is a wonderful concept that I have never been able to successfully incorporate due to lack of time with each patient.

Even more significant, is the fact that there are not any of those so called “fad diets.” As you are aware, fad diets come and go. We want people to be provided with sound nutritional advice that will help them in making choices for maintaining good health for the long term.

As for the exercise component of the program, benefits occur independently of weight loss. Exercise has demonstrated health benefits, including lowering blood glucose levels, increasing insulin sensitivity, and improving cardiovascular risk factors.

I am so excited about this program. I have always promoted preventative medicine and now I see the opportunity to provide it to my patients. Better yet, it is physician directed and patient managed. The patient is in total control of their lifestyle. The patient learns to recognize that their actions reflect their beliefs, and it is what they do that demonstrates what they believe. By taking even the smallest steps, they are communicating that they want to make changes. This is so awesome!

Let’s get busy making some changes today and remember, change begins with knowledge and understanding. Then, we can incorporate what we learn into a long-term lifestyle!

If you would like to learn more about PHS and the programs we offer, contact either myself at Urbandale Family Physicians (276-3406), or my co-worker, Jake Velie at 559-7140.

My dad came for a visit last week. He had a defibrillator check and is A-OK. He comes back to see the doctor next month. I love when he comes although he does not stay much more than one night and he has to get back. He is addicted to work.........imagine that!

This weekend I heard a sermon on inspiration......how I inspire others and how others inspire me. To be more specific, I learned about Deborah in the book of Judges and how she was viewed as a hero, a savior, and even a prophet--one who hears the word of God clearly and then inspires others to do amazing things. Deborah was a great judge, leader, and prophetess who rallied the Israelites against the Canaanites, to overcome their enemies in a period of discouragement and defeat.

Who in your life has inspired you? Who strengthens you? Sees your potential? Who wants for you to achieve what God calls you to be? There has to be someone that fits the discription. Or maybe, YOU, have been the one that inspires, the one who strengthens, the one who sees and calls others to keep eyes of faith and pursue their dreams. The point is this.........people who are inspired, are inspiring to others.

One thing is for sure........God desires to be your inspiration. He will work through you to inspire others and likewise, He will work through others to inspire you!

Two entries in one day.............whoa! I just received this email from a doc in Michigan regarding Juice Plus+. I have been taking this supplement per recommendations from Dave Palumbo. I have found it to be very worthyand I have prescibed it for my clients as well. Read the following email I received and if you want to give it a try, contact Dave Palumbo at Huge285@aol.com. This is who I purchase my product from.

I understand that you've recently started to take Juice Plus+. I wanted to let you know what an important decision I think that is. As a practicing physician of over 25 years, I see people every day who have suffered from degenerative diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer, or lost family members to them. Medical science has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can improve your odds of avoiding diseases like that. Leading health advocacy organizations like the National Cancer Institute and the American Heart Association all recommend eating 7-13 servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables a day. But I know my patients don't (and won't) eat nearly enough fresh, raw, fruits and vegetables. I don't. That's why I recommend Juice Plus+ to anyone who will listen, because it's such an easy way to make sure they get more nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables into their diets every single day. Good health is the result of lots of things, including a good diet,exercise, even getting a proper amount of sleep. But one of the simplest things anyone can do is take two Orchard Blend capsules and two Garden Blend capsules every day. You're improving your odds every time you do. Dr. Shirley RobertsonFamily PracticeEast Lansing, Michigan

Hey there everyone! Good morning! I am doing a peer to peer educational conference today. I am sharing my wealth of knowledge with other docs regarding blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is actually a great day to be away from the office. I need a day off from the clinic. The past two weeks we have been preparing to go live with electronic medical records. I am not sure who is more frustrated--me, the doctor learning to use the computer, or the patient, having to "watch" me learn to use the computer. Ughhhh!

I want to mention the Olympia just briefly. As you know, it was history observed this past weekend as Jay Cutler beat Ronnie Coleman. More importantly, however, two of my good freinds had the opportunity to compete for the first time in an Olympia. I remember gabbing hours with Colette about our future in bb. Six years ago we were saying one of us was going to be on that stage some day. Last weekend was Colette's day. I was so happy for her. Wow, what an achievement. "Way to go, buddy!" Patience is a virtue!

No training today. I might jump on the stairmaster when I get home to get the blood flowing, but I will be ready to make dancing pecs in the morning. A day of rest is good for the mind, body, and soul!

Happy Wednesday!

YOUR IronLadyDoc

Don't worry, I have not disappered. I simply have had so much going on that I have not taken the time to tell you all about it. Let me start by telling you that I witnessed one of nature's most magnificent things yesterday. My friends, Jake and Suzanne, came over to my house because I needed help planting a few perenials. I shall say that Jake is amazing at getting his hands dirty while his wife and I watched. Simply amazing! hee hee. Anyway, the plants are planted and I scooped up some bizarre looking poop in my back yard. These were definitely calculated droppings as they were dropped in one corner of my yard. I have decided to get myself a tent and proceed with a stealth stake-out in order to find the perpetrator. I am expecting one of those weiner dogs, but I shall not jump to conclusions just yet. I initially thought it was a canadian goose as I woke the other morning to a flock in my backyard. Don't ask me what the heck they were doing there. I have no standing water and don't think I am sharing my food with them! Bodybuilders can be really stingy! Just ask my buddy, Colette. I would have to be on death bed and dehydrated for her to give me a bite of her egg dish!

That is all I have for now. Workouts are good as long as I don't lift anything with my arms. Yea, my shoulders are pretty banged up. Now, my good wing is my bad wing, and my bad wing is my good wing! Confusing? No, simply stated, both my shoulders are in recovery stages! I am heading to the Olympia this weekend to cheer my buddy on. She is so jacked and I am in her corner. I am so proud of colette Nelson! Yeah!

OK, have a great day everyone.

your IronLadyDoc!

Today I received an email from my cousin. It could not have been better timing for me as I have been struggling with a lot of decisions. I thought I would share with all of you because I think we all need to realize each and every day is the "Best day of our lives." Read it and see if it does not tug at your soul like it did mine. Here goes...............

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever. There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did!

And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart.

I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds.

Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people.

I'll make someone smile.

I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.

I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures. As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

That was awesome. Everyone sleep tight tonight because tomorrow is a new day and an opportunity to make it the best day of your life!

YOUR Ironladydoc

I was prepared to have a wonderful prayer for all the families who suffered losses during the 9/11 tagedy, but I wanted to give it some thought today. I was reading Psalm 9:11-12 and it encourages us to sing out our praises to God and tell of His unforgettable deeds. It also states in verse 12 that he who avenges murder has an open ear to those to cry to Him for justice. WE must all have faith that if we ask the Lord to handle this tragedy, He will. We should not try to do it without His help. As hard as it may seem, we need to lean on the Lord for help at all times!

I worked late last night. I was thinking that it would be slow since there were two football games on and the one was in Washington, D.C. I heard it was quite a site during the national anthem. Needless to say, I was swamped in the urgent care clinic!

It has really been cool here in Des Moines the past week or so. We have had a nice blanketing of rain to go with it. The grass is actually starting to green up again. I love it!

Three weeks till Olympia time. My buddy Colette is primed and ready to go! I am so proud of her! Yea, buddy, as Ronnie Coleman would say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As we all know, humans are very regimented and get stuck in ruts way too often—and they usually don’t even realize it. A slight change is powerful medicine for the mind and body. It can refresh and revitalize.

Today was quadzilla day and Mark had this crazy idea to do heavy walking DB lunges and then follow that with 5 minutes of BB squats. I said, "Mark, are you serious?" He gets this look on his face and says, "uh huh!" I looked at him and said, "OK, you go first!" hee hee! Well, we got through the walking lunges. Mind you, we went heeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaVY. He made me do what he did. OK, so when we got to the 100 lb. dumbells, I said enough is enough. I took the first step and the right db banged into my quad. OUCH!!! I thought I cracked my femur, but, no, just a deep bruise.

Then, came squats. Once again, I said, "Mark, are you sure you want to do this?" Still "uh huh!" OK buddy, go get em. I will watch the clock. Well, let me just say, he tried his hardest and believe me, there was no giving up in his mind. After two minutes and 50 reps, he racked it. I was proud of him nonetheless! Don't think I did not do my 50 reps to match him, but no way was I going to try to squat for 5 minutes.

Here's my pointer of the day.............while growth and change will not occur unless you push past your comfort zone, pushing too hard and too fast may increase your liklihood of giving up. It is far better to experience success at each step of a progressive process...........all the while building confidence to fuel the persistence to pursue more challenging changes.

Change requires moving beyond your comfort zone, but it is best initiated in small and manageable increments. Next time we set out for a course uncharted in the quad department, I will suggest going 2 1/2 minutes or 60 reps.

Bye for now,
YOUR ironladydoc!

Let's talk...............Ha! Ok, I will do the talking. All you have to do is think. How many places can you go and actually be yourself? Are you a "Conformer"? Are you the type who falls into the trap of being someone you are not in order to please someone else? Are you addicted to approval? Amazingly, most of us conform and copy the behavior and customs of the world. But, where is our SELF? Where is the person the Lord made? Why not let God "Transform" you into a new person......the person He wants you to be. Why? I will tell you why.............it is Hard! It takes surrender! But once you surrender, you will know what God's will is for you. How awesome is that? No more being someone you are not! Wow, what a thought. Fortunately, it can be easy. The quick fix is follow the impulses of your heart................if something feels good to you, pursue it! Go get em'! Walk in faith, pray for wisdom, move forward with undying perseverence!

Did you know that running on a flat treadmill may actually harm your knees? Treadmills simulate running by pulling a moving belt across an immobile surface, which doesn’t replicate a perfectly level ground. This motion actually translates into running slightly downhill. As you probably know, running downhill is harder on your knees and shins than running uphill. An easy solution to this problem is to increase the incline setting on your treadmill to just a 1% incline. This small increase in the incline levels out the surface below you as you run, taking the pressure off of your knees and refocusing the workload to your glutes and hamstrings. If your knees have been bothering you because of the treadmill, experiment with the 1% incline for a few days before you decide whether the change is helping you or not.

DOMS, or delayed-onset muscle soreness, is a response to exercise in beginners or exercisers who change up their normal routine. This is common because your body is not used to the new movements you are performing. Contrary to popular belief, the delayed soreness you feel days after a particularly strenuous workout is not due to lactic acid buildup, but rather micro-tears in the muscle fibers. These microscopic muscle fiber tears are a normal response to exercise especially for beginners, and actually help the muscle adapt to the stress, making it stronger and giving it more endurance than before.

There are ways to avoid some of the intense pain of muscle soreness: Perform a longer warm-up; progress gradually as far as frequency and intensity are concerned, rather than demanding too much of your body too fast; use lighter weights when lifting; cool down completely after a workout; and don’t forget to stretch after your workout.

If you are currently experiencing DOMS, do some low-impact aerobic exercise, like walking or swimming, to work through the pain faster. You can use NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or aspirin to reduce inflammation and pain. A professional massage might also help to work out your aches and pains.

If muscle soreness lasts longer than a week after exercising, check with your doctor to make sure you don’t have a more serious injury

Well, the enemy tried to pull the rug out from under me, but my faith and trust in the Lord has prevailed. My truck is in the shop being mended by the bodyman, and I found out he is one of my patients. I thanked him so much and asked that he take special care of my truck, and you know what he said? "Doc, you have taken care of me and now it my turn to take care of you!" Wow, my angels are working overtime. I am truly blessed.

I am back on my pre-contest diet and I am feeling like a million bucks. Workouts are exellent! This morning Mark and I made "dancing pecs" and tomorrow I am doing arms........gotta blast those suckers!

I guess when things look down, all one can do is think about the positive and goodness of God. I am alive and blessed.

I hope everyone is staying cool. It is hot in Des Moines so I know it must be hot all over. Take care!

your Iron Lady Doc!

It has been a rollercoaster week for me. It started with a huge high after my victory at the Team Universe and it ended with an accident on the interstate that sent my trcuk to the shop on Friday. I cannot tell you how emotional it has been for me, but emotions are just that............."Emotions!" They really mean nothing. It is a term that has no meaning. We try to describe feelings and emotions to others, but it has no concrete meaning. All I can tell you is I felt happy and then sad. Now, I am back to happy. My truck is in the shop being fixed. I am alive and God is my savior! I just know He saved me from something bad happening down the road. I am not even going to analyze this one, but instead realize that my life is precious and I am going to continue my journey. I have so many great friends in my life, a wonderful father and family, a fantastic job, a physique to be proud of, a car to drive, a place to live...........I could go on and on! I went to church yesterday and I thanked the Lord for blessing me and I asked for more of Him in my life. God is good...........go show the world who you love! Don't wait one more second!

Dr. J is back! I am sure that most everyone has heard the most fabulous news........I won my weight class at the Team Universe this past weekend. I am now qualified for the Worlds in Spain slated in late September.

Since arriving back from NYC, I have finally been able to process all this fun stuff. I am not sure it sunk in when they announced my name. I was carb depleted, dehydrated, and for the most part, pretty weak, but you know what? Hard work and persistance pays off. I cannot thank Dave Palumbo enough for his help throughout my prep. He ranks number one as the most intelligent bodybuilder and nutritionist I have ever met. His girlfriend, Colette Nelson, cannot go unnoticed either. She was my hair and make-up artist..........and "ART" it was! She is all that plus some! I have some pretty special friends in my life. I feel very blessed!

As of today, I am 9 1/2 weeks out from the World stage. I am trying to relax a bit on the diet, but for me, this is a hard task. I did go out for sushi last night and it was the most amazing taste. I loved it!

I have not been back to the gym, but tomorrow sounds like a good day to get back in the groove. I have been off for about a week now. I needed a few days to recover when I got back from NYC, but now I have one goal in mind...............outperform MY best! I cannot wait to train with my workouts partners, Mark and Melissa! Talk about two inspirational people for me--these two are it! Mark has got to be the hardest worker in the gym I have ever met, and Melissa is like a bull on a mission!

I have so many other people to thank...........thankfully, most of them I will see in person and give them all special hugs. Like I said, I am truly blessed!

Well, I am almost there. My first task was to make the middle weight class. Making this class was my goal in order to have my best chance to get to the overall. I have long, lean physique and in the heavy weights I get washed out by the shorter, more compact competitors. I have kept in mind that this show is most importantly about conditioning and this is where I am going to shine. I feel like I am in the best shape of life. I am so proud of me! Don't mind the fact that I had to wring myself out yesterday and trust me.............this was not easy. I felt kinda yucky for about 8 hours, but today, I am pumped up and ready to hit the stage. As you and I know, pursuing a goal is a constantly evolving process. It is not easy, but no one who has ever followed a dream has taken a direct, unobstructed path and arrived at his or her destination effortlessly and on time. Your mind functions like a muscle. My mind is a muslce! My whole body is a muscle and I am ready to show it off tomorrow morning. Send your blessings my way!

I am 10 days out from my show. The last two weeks of preparation have always been a challenge for me. Sometimes it starts earlier.........like 4 weeks out, but not this time. And, now, I am 10 days out from the show I have been training for the past 4 months. Lately, I have felt that the world has come crashing down on me. I am irritable, hungry, and tired. This is all too normal with most bodybuilders. Remaining serene is tough. Inner peace during these times is a real prize. But then again, when isn't inner peace absolutely necessary?

I asked my friend, Dave, to send me some words of wisdom today. He is so good at inspiring me. Here is what he said, "Remember, that what you envision is what you create ONLY IF you are DETACHED from the outcome. If you have expectations, you will ALWAYS be disappointed. The universe will "GIVE YOU" what you truly need; what you've created, NOT WHAT YOUR EGO wants. So, no matter what happens at this show, you will experience ONLY THE MOST DIVINELY PERFECT OUTCOME. Just be AWARE enough to see it. I'm very proud of what you've done and where you've come from (emotionally, physically and spiritually). You are a woman who finally has mastery over her body. Next step is to use your newfound "tools" to do what you are TRULY HERE TO DO..............."

Good advice, don't you think? So, today no matter what the problem, the single most important thing I can do is be quiet, go to a place of holiness in my heart, and release my attachements and fears. Sounds like a big job, but then again, nothing is easy if it is done right.

Hmm, I guess I needed to hear myself think this out in writing. I thank Dave, Misty, and Melissa, for listening to me this morning and supporting me. I feel good now!

Dynamic stretching is a type of stretching that moves a muscle in and out of a stretched position, as opposed to holding it in its stretch as you would in a static move. For example, a lunge is a dynamic stretch for your quadriceps and hips. Before you’re ready to play or weight train, you need to get your blood flowing to use your muscles. Dynamic stretches can help you greatly in athletic endeavors because they improve your “active” flexibility – that is, they work the muscles and joints in the same way that your sport will. In addition, dynamic stretches will increase your heart rate, helping you gear up for your workout. Jumping jacks, squats, lunges, and high knees are all examples of dynamic stretches. You can perform these moves as a circuit before any type of exercise to help you warm up and prevent injury. Complete one set of 10 repetitions per exercise, then move on to the next dynamic stretch. And make sure to do your static stretches after your workout or on days when you’re not gearing up for a workout but want to keep limber.

Hey there everyone! It has been some time since I posted a comment. I have been dieting for the Team U scheduled in NYC on July 15th. I am ready to go! I have some big shoes to fill as Deb Patton won last year with an amazingly lean/ripped physique. The Team U is all about conditioning so that is my goal this year.

I attended the Jr. nationals in Chicago a couple weeks ago. I am very happy for Tracy Mason as she took the overall. It was a fun weekend for me. I had some pictures taken and I will post them in the gallery section as soon as the CD's are available to me.

Last but certainly not least, I want to talk to you about pride. Ah, Pride! Pride has been considered one man's deadliest sins. It is through pride that the devil got his name. You might think I am exagerating this a bit, but let me show you a few things about pride...........the more pride one has, the more one dislikes pride in others. If you want to know how much pride you have, ask yourself how much you dislike it when others snub you or refuse to take notice of you, or show off. Sound familiar so far? The point here is that each persons pride is in competition with everyone else's pride.

Now, here is the kicker. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. Being rich, good looking, or clever is not enough for the prideful person. What they want is to be richer, better looking, and more clever than anyone else. They take pleasure in being better than the rest.

Pride is spiritual cancer. It eats up the very possibility of love. If you are feeling better than the rest, that you are above all, you can be sure you are being acted on by the devil and not God.

Where did I read this? Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis! Come down off your throne and let go of pride. It will only eat you up. It will make you miserable all the rest of your life. Let it go!

Since I am the doctor, I think it is prudent to discuss medical conditions every so often to keep you all up on the latest. Today I will review cholesterol and fiber. Fiber, as you know, can actually bring down the cholesterol in your blood, but it has to be a certain kind.

Psyllium is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated add-on therapy for elevated cholesterol. Psyllium is a soluble fiber supplement recommended to reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This may seem complicated, but just be aware that studies have proven the success of soluble fiber in reducing cholesterol.

The guidelines recommend increased soluble fiber (10 - 25 g daily) as a therapeutic option to enhance LDL-C lowering. Soluble fibers such as psyllium have a stronger protective effect than insoluble fibers in reducing coronary mortality. In the United States, the typical diet is often deficient in soluble fiber.

The point of all this................take your metamucil, but make sure it is sugar free!

It's a beautiful Sunday even though some might disagree with me. The sun is not shining. It is mostly cloudy. It is not not hot and steamy. In fact, it is cool and breezy..........almost cold. But, still, it is a beautiful day.

I got up and worked out with Mark and Melissa today. WE all had a great chest workout. I know My pecs were dancing! I think Mark and Melissa felt the blood pumping in their pecs as well. I am 5 weeks out from the Team Universe so we have been sticking to machines a bit more, but still going heavy. I have not lost my strength. In fact, I am feeling pretty amazing! My diet is keeping me full and I am full force ahead. NO looking back!

Each day, you need to start fresh and anew. It can be so easy to stay focused on the pains or heartaches of the past.......past shows, past jobs, past relationships........whatever it may be. Don't let the past poison your future. Let it go and move on. Your best days are not behind you, but are in front of you. Keep the attitude in a positive direction. See sunny days every day. Get up each morning knowing and saying, "I feel good!" and let go of the disappointments of yesterday!

YOUR Ironladydoc

Fear is sometimes referred to as an inner hell. It can shake your whole body and send a chill up and down your spine. It can feel like a sense of alienation, despair, and even anger. You try to shrug it off, but it suddenly pulls you back into it's grip. You become immersed in a control drama and routine as a way to repress the insecurities of life.

This is all a reaction to fear. People find some way to ward it off and repress it below their consciousness and unfortunately continue to repeat the same drama over and over again. Let me give you an example. Drugs....................these present a euphoria like Love. The problem is that it is a false euphoria. The body learns to resist the chemicals and counteract them usually by making it increasingly harder to maintain the euphoria at the current dose. More and more drug is needed until it eventually destroys the body.

That's how it works! This is the self-imposed hell that I refer to as fear. But, a compulsive control drama always fails.........sooner or later. This is what is called "hitting rock bottom". This is the opportune time to wake up and handle the fear, but if you don't, then you go right back into the drama cycle. Then, an ugly thing happens, fearful people want to control others. They blame an outside force for everything bad and thus a way to avoid responsibility.

So, what do we do about this fear thing? Love! This is the answer. It is important for them to discern between love and fear. They cannot be dehumanized or invalidated because they are also in a growth process...........just the wrong way! They need to wake up! They need to come into the awarness and break free of the control drama.

You slowly wake up. The coldness will melt away and the blackness will descend. The only thing left is Light. Let your light lead the way!

Health of our body is determined to a great degree by our mental processes........what we think of life and especially of ourselves.

If you look back in time, Doctors of the past acted as the expert and healer. The patient was the passive recipient, hoping that the doctor would have all the answers. Today, we now know that the inner attitude of the patient is crucial. For example, if a patient has a fear or stress, they most times repress it..........they deny the problem, push it away, conjure up a heroic attitude, and dismiss it. This is when the fear eats us up unconsciously.

On the other side of the spectrum is adopting a positive outlook. Adopting this outlook, however, takes love, not machoism to be completely effective. What I am saying is this..........our unspoken fears can create blocks in our body's energy flow. These blocks result in problems. The fears will continue to manifest themselves in problems until we deal with them. Actually, physical problems are the last step in the process. Ideally, you want to deal with the blocks early so as to practice preventative medicine before the illness even develops.

I have often pondered the fact that each of us has an undiscovered ability to influence what happens to us in the future, including whether we are healthy or not. It lies in the patient. Often times, for example, I am asked my thoughts on the prognosis of an illness, whether it be a cold, or a cancer. Sometimes, I don't offer up an opinion. I have learned that my opinions need to be offered very carefully. Over the years, the public has developed almost a worship of doctors and what a physician says is taken totally to heart. So, if the doctor says the patient would get better, very often the patient would internalize this idea in his or her mind and actually defy all medical science. Now, with the realm of ethics on the line, doctors are prevented from distorting the medical prognosis and go with the cold, hard, scientific facts. Unfortunately, with all this "cold, hard evidence," the patient would die right there on the spot. As a result, we as doctors need to be very careful of our assessments...........for the mind is very powerful. We need to focus our power in the direction of positive energy.

If you have read the latest research on the power of prayer you will know that this kind of spiritual visualization is turning the medical community upside down. It is totally changing the way prognosis is interpreted. This is so powerful!

The next time, you are feeling sick or injured, go directly to the source of the pain. Find out what the origin of the insult is and unblock the fear. The fear is what is holding you back. Once the block is opened, you can focus positive energy to your source of insult. I am not telling you to give up on professional care by a doctor, but I do believe strongly that each person can affect their own health by focusing positive energy to the source of conflict.

Stay strong in mind, body, and spirit!

While exercise addiction may sound like a pretty good addiction to have, considering the dangers and downfalls of alcohol addiction and drug dependency, the control that exercise has over an addict’s life is anything but harmless.

Exercise addiction, also known as exercise bulimia, has much of the same side effects as eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia, including unhealthy body weight, injury to self, lack of self-worth, and depression.

How do you know when you’ve become addicted to exercise? When exercising starts to control your life instead of fitting nicely into your schedule. Classic signs of exercise addiction include:

• working out despite an injury or illness
• exercising for hours on end each day
• doubling up on workouts the day after you had to miss a workout
• ignoring feelings of fatigue to exercise despite the fact that you’ll be even more exhausted afterward
• allowing exercise to become the number one priority in your life, even if it means canceling prior obligations or letting down or hurting loved ones.

It may be difficult for you to recognize exercise addiction in yourself, but it’s probably pretty easy for an outsider. So if someone is telling you they think you may have a problem, listen up and get to your doctor for help.

It has not taken long for Mark to get back in the gym. I thought he would take a week off or something since he just came off a spectacular showing at his first bb show. He finished 2nd in the Novice and 3rd in the Open Iowa. I was so proud of him! His wife also did amazing. She won her class but lost in the overall.

We were back in the gym Monday hitting shoulders and today arms. Now, we are focused on my show. Mark is a great inspiration for me. He is so fired up every morning. It is so refreshing. Our workouts are hardcore. I love it!

I am in the clinic late tonight so I better get back at it. American Idol is on tonight so I am sure we are going to be slow. You would be amazed how TV runs some people's lives.

I learned a valuable lesson last night...................It does not matter! It does not matter if you if you are jew or gentile, circumcised or uncircumscised, slave or free (Colossians 3:11)...........it doesn't matter.

What does this tell you? I hope it tells you that God does not distinguish between color, race, class, financial status, and on and on and on. WE are all God's children and He wants us to love one another instead of judging.

In today's society, we are quick to judge and slow to love. We judge poor and rich, fat and skinny, high class and lower class. Funny, how this came up at the sermon I attended last night just prior to going to some friend's bb show. A bb show is judged! It is judged by too much muscle, not enough muscle, too light, too dark, too tall, not tall enough. It is amazing how wrong we can all be! I hear things all the time backstage or when sitting in the crowd. He or she shouldn't even be up on stage.............they look terrible..............so and so is fat.........I am going to beat him because I look better than him. What is this all about? What about loving one another, and helping one another, and praising one another, and most of all enjoying the gifts of others. If we are all created in the image of God, we are all ONE! Not one of us is any better than the other. If each of us carried with us this attitude, there would not be so much hate and animosity in our world. Instead, if we focused on being the best that God created, we would love ourselves and as a result be able to love one another.

I have a show coming up in July. I will be putting myself in a position to be judged by someone sitting behind a table, with a pencil in hand, with negative thoughts in the mind because in the mind of a judge.............EVERTHING is wrong with you until you prove to them that your wrong is better than someone else's wrong. So true, eh? Well, this time I am going into my show praising God for my blessings and knowing that my biggest champion is God. He has a purpose for me that no one has the right or capability to judge. So, I am keeping my eyes of faith focused forward because I have God's favor as long as I stay in FAITH!

By the way, I had a great time at the show. I went backstage to help my friends but I also praised a lot of others. I really enjoyed spreading praise for their hard work. I could see that the praise I gave them made them feel and think they could do anything they wanted to do. The energy that I exuded was the same energy they took out on that stage. Is that not great or what? Yes it is!

Share some love today.............start with yourself! And, then, let it spread to a friend, your family, your coworkers!

One last note, my birthday party pics are up in the gallery. Look at all the happy faces. There was a whole lotta lovin' goin' on!

It's a beautiful morning.........again! What a blessing to wake up each morning to enjoy the next day God has in store for us! I have a lot planned today. I was up at my usual time of 415 am and already cleaned up my place. I try to do this on weekends. I enjoyed a cup of coffee and finished emails. Saturday's are so relaxing for me and they are my favorite day of the week.

I am hitting shoulders with Mark in about an hour. He is 1 week out from his first bb show. I think he is looking fabulous. He has been working with me on his posing. I must say, he is a fast learner.............and, he has a fantastic coach. She is passionate and driven. She does not judge or condemn, but instead focuses positively on change. She has a way that inspires others to be their best. I am talking about ME! This is the way I see myself. These are the gifts I have been given and I am using them!

As you may know, we are all full of opinions and certainties. As a result, we are tempted to pass judgement on other people. The result? You tune out what others think and feel as you focus only on your own take on reality. Doing so makes it hard to be compassionate. Compassion is a way to get into others feelings. Compassion is usually a process we learn over time, not something we attain fully once and for all. Everyone has shortcomings in response to other's needs. I have to work on this every day, because sometimes I slip up.......because I am human! Human! Did you hear what I said? Yes, being human illustrates the fact that we are not perfect. Only one perfect being exists..........God!

Whether it is helping Mark pose, seeing patients, or developing relationships, love and compassion are the key. I might also add that it is so important to love yourself. If you love yourself, it is so easy to love others, respect others, have compassion for others. It is amazing--try it!

Since I mentioned loving oneself...........I can't help but to mention my upcoming birthday on Tuesday May 16th. I am very excited. I have a get-together planned at a local Japanese Steakhouse (Takki). They are famous for their sushi. I hope all my friends can come and enjoy my special day!

Helloooooooooo, happy May Day! This can only mean one thing...........15 days to my birthday. Yeah, this is my favorite day of the year. I simply love MY DAY, Dr. J Day! Yahoo!!!! Last year, you may remember me telling you about my fabulous party hosted by one of my best friends. This year I have decided to allow more people the chance to enjoy MY DAY. So, I have decided to celebrate MY DAY Monday May 15 through Friday May 19. I have treats and goodies planned each day of the week. It is going to be so fun. I am VERY excited. My favorite treat, of course, is cookies and ice cream. I will have my treats on May 20th. This will be my splurge meal. I give myself one day a week to enjoy a treat. 10 weeks and 5 days to showtime. Let the journey begin!!!!!!!!!!

It's Saturday. I awoke to heavy raindrops landing on the metal air conditioner cover just outside my window. I thought it was a drum beating in my head during a dream, but this was no dream. I tried to block it out.......it was only 513 am. I could sleep another hour if only I could block it out! Then, sirens starting coming down the street. It kept getting louder and louder. I could sense there was more than one. They all have their own tune.........fire trucks, cop cars, ambulences. It got so loud, I thought they had parked right outside my room..........wake up! It's time to get up. I tried to block that out too! There was simply no going back to my dream when my door buzzer kept going off. Now, I had to go see what all the ruckus was about. It was only 515 am. I walked out my apartment door. I could hear footsteps outside. I checked myself in the mirror! Looks like I never went to sleep! My hair was not out of place. My eyes looked tired though. I met a police officer in the corridor. She went right by me without saying a word. I looked out into the street. There must have been 7 fire trucks, 2 ambulences, and 4 squad cars. I was amazed. No wonder they sounded like they were right outside my window.........They WERE!

They was it. I knew I was up for the day. I thought I could get my cardio out of the way since I was not meeting Mark until 8 am. So, I picked up my book and began my 45 min trek. I dove deeper into the Celestine Prophecy. I was getting into the 6th Insight. It has been capturing my interest for the past week.......the nine insigts. Each day I read about a new one. I mentioned the fourth insight a couple days ago.........how we take energy from someone else for our own good. The sixth insight tries to discover why we try to suck energy from another. It is like some sort of drama. We all have them. It usually begins in childhood. Much of the attention given to the sixth insight is so that we can bring our particular control drama to full consciousness. It tells us that you cannot preceed to the next insight until this awareness occurs. We need to really look at ourselves and discover what we are doing to manipulate for energy. It is a process that needs to go back to your childhood.........it is always in relation to our family members that we develop our particular drama. Each person must interpret his family experience from an evolutionary point of view, from a spiritual point of view, and discover who he/she really is. Once we do that, our control drama falls away and our real lives are free to take off.

Sounds kinda far fetched? Not really. You must remember..........there is a tendency, however, to see these dramas in others, but to think we ourselves are free from such devices. Each of us must transcend this thinking to move on. In reality, almost all of us are stuck in some sort of drama and we need to step back and look at ourselves long enough to discover what it is.

Anyone's drama can be examined. They each have a drama that can be ranked from passive to aggressive. Everyone manipulates for energy either aggressively, directly forcing people to pay attention to them, or passively, playing on people's sympathy or curiosity to gain attention. For instance, if someone threatens you in some way, either verbally or physically, then you are forced to pay attention to him/her for fear of something bad happening to you. The person threatening is using the most aggressive type of drama........the INTIMIDATOR. If on the other hand someone tells you about all the bad things happening to them.......implying perhaps that you are to blame or are responsible......and then also implies that if you do not help them, then these horrible things are just going to continue. This person is playing at a passive level by being the POOR ME.

This seems quite complicated, but it's really not. A person will go to whatever extreme necessary to get attention energy. This strategy becomes their dominant way of controlling to get energy from everyone.

So, what do we do after we find out about our dramas and of those around us? Well, we can become truly free from the unconscious act we play, and find a higher meaning for our lives, through a higher spiritual being.

Open your doors and let the truth set you free!

I slept in this morning. Last night I had a massage so I thought I would take a day off from lifting and simply do some cardio. I am not usually excited about massages, but recently my massage therapist has been working to increase the separation in my legs. She says I have a lot of fascial tightness..........as I am sure a lot of athletes have. So that is the story! Training is going well. I am 11 weeks out this weekend.

I have started reading The Celestine Prophecy. So far it has been enlightening. I don't know about you, but I am aware of the mysterious occurances that change one's life--the feeling that some other process is operating. In my opinion, this is God. I can also understand where some people might feel uncomfortable with this analogy. I mean, it does not fit our modern day common sense. Most people would feel more comfortable dismissing the whole idea of coincidences and get back to thinking in practical matters.........that's everyone's tendency.

My favorite part so far in the book is the Fourth Insight. It describes how humans compete for energy. It states that as time goes on, humans would see the universe as comprised of one dynamic energy (spirit, if you will)..........an energy that can sustain us and respond to our every need. At the same time, however, we will also come to realize that for the most part, we have been disconnected from this all-knowing spirit and have found ourselves cut off, weak, and insecure.

In our current time, in the face of this deficit, humans have sought to increase "personal" energy in any manner they can--this is usually by stealing it from others. This is what underlies all human conflict. When we control another human being we receive their energy. We fill up at another's expense.

Most times the person is not aware they are trying to control a situation or person. It is how they were brought up. This person "thinks" he is right to control the situation and no doubt he learned a long time ago that he could successfully control by following this strategy in all he does. So, now, we have this person who first pretends to be your friend, then he finds something wrong with you or what you do. In effect, he subtly undermines your confidence in your own path until you begin to identify with him. As soon as it happens, he has you!

Terrible thought, eh? All of this is unconscious in most people. All they know is that they feel weak but when they control other people, they feel better. How do you fix it? Good question! The main reason that any conflict cannot immediately be settled is that one side is holding on to an irrational position for "energy" purposes! Once humans understand their struggle, they can begin to transcend this conflict. They could break free from "human" energy and get energy from the main source--the all-knowing, all-giving, all-loving! Hold on to this thought. It is coming! Have Faith, have Trust!

God's gifts are many and varied, but usually, one primary gift functions through each of us and when we know what gifts we have, it can be very liberating. As time passes we actually grow in our gifts--we learn our strengths and we learn our weaknesses.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make, however, is comparing ourselves with someone else and our gifts with their gifts. You see, God is not going to help me be anyone but ME, and God is not going to help you be anyone but you. In sport, we lose this focus many times. WE try to compete against someone else or become jealous of another's gifts. If you understand the nature of the almighty, you will come to realize that He is not calling us to compete with others, but to love and help one another. It is ironic, but God gave us each our gifts so that we could enhance other people's gifts, never allowing us to fall prey to the spirit of jealousy that is so prevalent in our society.

Think about this.............we think that first is best, but really what is best is where God wants us to be. Some people are intended to be number two, but they never become number one at being number two because they are spending their whole life wishing to be like number one and resenting them for it.

I cannot tell you how much I respect people who are honest with their evaluation of their gifts and talents. They share them so freely in order to enhance someone else and their gifts. On the other hand, I feel empathy for the person who tries to be something they are not. You see, when we are jealous of someone else, that jealousy actually prevents us from knowing what our gifts are from above. Picture this, God put gifts in us for the enjoyment of others, and God places gifts in others for our enjoyment. I have a story about this........last weekend I was visiting Colette. We worked on my routine for the Team U. I watched as she moved to the music I had prepared. I saw how she put little moves here and there. I could not repeat it for nothing. But you know what she told me? She said, "Malea, now you go do it and put your passion into it!" "Show me what the song means to you!" I thought that was so great! I was not jealous of how she got the feeling in 10 minutes and mastered the moves in 15 minutes. Instead, she allowed me to enjoy the song from her point of view. It was simply amazing!

Remember this, when we fight against our calling or are dissatisfied with what we have been given, we fight against the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Let us submit to Him, develop the gifts He gave to us with His help, and live for the glory of God.......not our own glory!

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about hypogonadism in men. This is a clinical condition in which low levels of serum testosterone are found in association with specific signs and symptoms including diminished libido, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, depression, irritability, decreased muscle and bone mass, and anemia.

Common causes of hypogonadism are natural aging, chronic illnesses such Type 2 diabetes or HIV, congenital disorders such as Kleinfelter's Syndrome, mumps and other viruses, as well as trauma to the hypothalamus, pituitary, or the testes.

The prevalence of hypogonadism is more than you might think. Hypogonadism increases with age. Age-associated Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) levels reduce bioavailable testosterone. As mentioned above, the prevalence is also higher in Type 2 diabetics.

A doctor's challenge is looking for these subtle, but common symptoms. It is important for the doctor to recognize that hypogonadism can cause confusing overlap with other conditions associated with sexual dysfunction, most notably, depression.

If you think you have hypogonadism, ask your doc to check your free testosterone. Remember, you want to be fasting for this test in order to get the most accurate results. Obtaining a total testosterone level, FSH, LH, SHBG, or prolactin levels are really not necessary when we are talking about physiologic replacement.

Replacement androgens can overcome the problem of hypogonadism, but should never be used in men with known or suspected cancer of the breast or prostate. All women should avoid skin contact with application sites in men who use gel replacement.

This is just a brief overview of this condition. I invite you to talk to your doctor about this if you have any signs or symptoms mentioned above.

For healthy growth, your nails need proper nutrition. B-vitamins, calcium, folic acid and vitamin C are all very important; since the body needs all of these nutrients to maintain nail health. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
A vitamin-B deficiency, especially biotin, will produce ridges along the bed of the nail. A diet lacking in calcium contributes to dry and brittle nails. Lack of folic acid, a B-vitamin, and vitamin C are partially responsible for the development of hangnails, a painful and bothersome problem. Insufficient essential oils in the diet cause cracking. If you don’t eat enough sources of essential fatty acids in your diet you can supplement with flaxseed oil or evening primrose oil, both of which are great sources of the two essential fatty acids, Omega-3 and Omega-6. Remember: B-vitamins are abundant in organ meats, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. You can find calcium in all dairy foods, as well as dark green leafy vegetables. Citrus fruits are plentiful in vitamin C - try to include these every day. Essential fatty acids are found in fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon and sardines, as well as in flax seed oil, nuts, seeds, and tofu.