The air was crisp this Sunday afternoon. The snow had already melted and the cold air brushed my face softly. My body was shaking from the cold, but my mind was too busy to really take notice. My shoes had managed to gather a layer of mud that was an inch thick. To my right and left, I was surrounded by sad faces. Many were people I have known from the community, my friends, and others I hope to know one day. As I looked around the muddy cemetery, I noticed the clean gray speckled tombstone blocks that were neatly organized in rows to identify where the deceased rested. However messy the grounds seemed, the tombstone blocks were clean as if it was a dry summer day. The trees were bare and the sun shined bright through a clear blue sky. At the distance I noticed the large fresh dirt mound that had been created to cover the deceased body whom we laid to rest this afternoon. All the sons surrounded the mound for their last prayers for their father. I could not help the tears that started to fill up. Why am I crying? I did not know the man. This was a very captivating moment for me. Here I am, extremely emotional for a man I never met, whom I never said a single word to, never shook his hand, never saw a picture of him till the announcement of his passing. What is the deal? Who I did know were his sons. You see, his children have impeccable personalities. When you meet them, your soul is fed with calmness, a certain ease, your heart slows a bit, and you can feel genuine compassion when they speak to you. I have watched, listened, and simply enjoyed being part of his son's community charity events. Their message is always simple and food for the soul: Live with compassion and use your talents to better your community. At least that is what they have taught me. You see, that is the mark of compassionate leaders - their actions touch us all in different ways. During the funeral, one of his sons educated us about his father. Most importantly, he said and I am paraphrasing "all the things we as sons do in the community and good deeds you see us doing, has been taught to us by our father." It was at that moment, I grasped what kind of man their father was. He was amazing. After listening to those words, I knew he was a great man. A humble man. A man who probably never made himself known in a room with a loud bolstering voice declaring all his accomplishments. Instead, I sensed he was a man who promoted a sense of community, provide a lending hand to those in need, emphasized the importance of charity - which comes in many forms, even a smile. It is these thoughts that came flooding in my mind with tremendous force. I could not handle the emotions that followed. It was a tsunami of thoughts and pictures of what I imagined him doing or saying to his adult children when they were young kids. I must say, I did well in fighting back the tears. But, as I lay down to sleep that Sunday night, the tears flooded my pillow. I could not fight it anymore. Silence of the night made the thoughts not only return, but were uninterrupted by any other concerns. The Abdullah brothers are an inspiration to me and to all of us. I am honored to know them and our Kansas City community is privileged to benefit from their extreme compassion. As a physician, they have taught me and motivated me to take my talents and skills to the next level to help those who are uninsured and insured to receive accessible and affordable primary care. I hope to be an asset to the community as the Abdullah brothers are to our community. When I pass, if my good deeds come even close to what their father has accomplished in raising his kids alone, then maybe, just maybe, I will get a chance to meet him...and thank him for his gift to my community. Dr. Ahmed
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Employer wellness programs have become more popular in the last several years. Its popularity for implementation has its roots in the ever increasing concerns of rising prevalence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many other chronic illnesses. In fact, based on recent surveys, almost 80% of companies offer some type of a wellness program.
Vendors for these wellness programs have enjoyed their growth in the last several years to a point where it has become a $6 billion industry. So, it is only fair to ask the question: Are employers getting a significant rate of return on their investment? The rationale for having a wellness program in the workplace is to create a organizational culture of wellness, improve the health of its employees, decrease turnover, increase productivity, reduce health care costs, and on a larger scale - improve the health of our nation. Nearly half of Americans get their health benefits from their employer and we all spend a majority of our time in the workplace. Thus, these goals and rationale make sense. But, has this $6 billion industry delivered on its promise? On average, employers spend about $693 per worker and larger companies who have 20,000 workers or more spend nearly $878 per worker. A large survey found that although some biometric markers like BMI, smoking cessation, and exercise had improved, these changes were not large enough to reduce health care costs nor provide the employer with a substantial ROI. In addition, one of the major challenges in offering a wellness program is employee engagement (industry talk for employee participation). Surveys have shown that even after a wellness program is implemented, employee engagement is low. Studies have shown that the lost productivity from employee disengagement costs between $450 billion and $550 billion annually in the United States. For each employee, disengagement can cost the employer $5,000 to $7,000 per year in lost productivity. What if a physician led an employee health benefit plan where it included resources like fitness trainers, physical therapists, nutritionist, chiropractor, acupuncture, supplements for healthy eating and weight loss, financial advisors, lawyers for estate planning, massage therapists, counselors, medical specialists, and educators? What if the physician also had partners in imaging, laboratory, pathology, had wholesale medications in their office, did not charge for any office visits or in clinic procedures like EKG, joint injections, suturing, skin biopsies, wound care, breathing treatments, or spirometry? What if each employee as part of this physician led wellness plan had 24/7 access to their physician, even during holidays? Certainly a relationship between the employee and the physician is inevitable. So is there value in this relationship where the physician understands the stresses, aspirations, goals, as well as medical condition of the employee? Finally, what if the cost is only $600 per employee that is fixed annually with no other out of pocket expenses for the employer? While the employee enjoys significantly discounted medications, imaging, laboratory, and other services. The answer to all these questions is not an ideal nor is it impossible to implement. I do it already with companies right here in Kansas City. Many physicians across the country who share my vision and mission have also aligned their practice with other companies of various sizes. In a study that reviewed insurance claims data from 2013 to 2014 showed that the employees who belonged to the Direct Primary Care model compared to those who did not saved $679,000 per 1000 employees. In addition, there were close to 20% less claims from the DPC group. Isn't it time to be innovative and offer a more comprehensive program to your employees? My practice is NOT insurance. So to qualify for the ACA mandate, employers must have a high deductible plan or a self insured plan that can be paired with our practice to give the most value to your employees. Healthcare is changing. Costs are rising and the physician supply is decreasing. Employers can play an important role in changing this landscape with one decision: partner with a direct primary care practice. Our mission is to recruit more primary care physicians, retain more physicians in private practice to facilitate patient focused care, and bring back continuity and relationship medicine. We do this simply because the health of our nation depends upon it. Please contact us today if you would like to learn more about our primary care practice and how we can partner together to truly establish wellness in the workplace. To your health - Dr. Ahmed Recently, there has been much discussion regarding concussion and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes. Although this is rare in children and adolescents, they are so devastating when it happens. There has been a growing effort in finding evidence-based strategies that will prevent this in a cost-effective manner.
How common is this? The incidence for SCD ranges 0.5 to 20 per 100,000 persons-years. Interestingly, when we compare studies from 1980s to 2009 show a rise in survival, which is attributed to improvements in community-based EMS and changes in resuscitation protocols. What is the cause?
Interestingly: 2 years old and younger - cause of death congenital heart disease (84%) 3-13 years old - No dominant cause - congenital (21%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (18%), long QT Syndrome (14%) 14-24 years old - No dominant cause - Primary arrhythmia (23%), congenital (23%), and dilated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (14%) 25-35 years old - Coronary artery disease When should I be concerned?
What is the role for screening? The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that the most cost-effective initial screening for children and adolescents for cardiac disease is a detailed history and physical examination - ALONE. That is right, no need for unnecessary expensive testing no matter how some of these organizations market their services. There NO evidence that a ECG or any other cardiovascular screening program would reduce the incidence of SCD in the United States. Even for young athletes, there is NO evidence for routine use of ECG, echocardiography, or exercise stress testing. However, athletes older than 35 years old, some experts recommend ECG. If the athlete who is 35 years and older has moderate-to-high risk of coronary heart disease, then some experts would recommend exercise stress testing. Bottom line: Be careful out there as consumers are inundated with advertisements for services that can prevent cardiac disease. The truth is that unnecessary testing not only is costly, but also leads to false-positives that lead to further unnecessary testing. As with every health care topic - have a GOOD PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR to discuss issues like this and build a relationship with them so that you protect yourself from unnecessary testing that can be costly or lead to further unnecessary procedures that might expose you to harmful agents like radiation. To your health my friends, - Dr. Ahmed
Unfortunately, we give our cars, clothes, beauty/spa treatments, homes, or entertainment desires more attention than our own health. The realization of this neglect only becomes known when we become ill or injure ourselves. Therefore, just like anything else, there is tremendous value in prevention and education. One thing I hear a lot is, "I am very healthy and never see a doctor." Is that a good thing? Should we see a doctor only when we are sick and vulnerable? What about seeing the doctor to discuss life's stress, maybe you are traveling and need to learn about important vaccines, learn about any public health concerns, prevent future illness? How about losing weight? Do you really need that supplement and if so is it safe? Isn't it more costly to go to an urgent care for every minor health issue than going to a doctor who knows you and can see you that day or next day? Finally, do you really need a specialist following your chronic condition? We have new testing modalities that enable us to prevent heart attack or stroke in those who do not have the traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Here is a quick chart on how our patients save if you just look at the numbers. These numbers make the following assumptions: *Single without any dependents *Male *Minimum use of health care (healthcare.gov estimates) *Cheapest plans are selected for this comparison *Average income of $75,000 *No primary care visit costs as some insurances charge $25-50 for each visit *No specialist vist costs So, if you are a couple, go to a primary care doctor currently or urgent care for your needs, have dependents, you are female, or make more money, the cost is significantly more. Remember 2016 Annual HSA Limits per IRS: Self-only coverage = $3,350 Family coverage = $6,750 What about Medicare you ask? Well, Medicare patients not only save money, but have a physician who can be a true quarterback for your health care. Coordinating with specialists, home care services, preventing falls, making house calls or assisted living/independent living visits are a tremendous value. This probably goes without saying, but these numbers are estimates. There are so many factors that can affect your final costs. Certainly, if you end up needing surgery or need medications, then the cost will be higher. This is simply illustrated to give you a general idea at the most basic level.
I hope this blog really clears the air a little in how insurance works with our practice. Remember, at Health Suite, you can pick LiveActive Primary Care as your primary care service or KC Family Doc. Check us out or meet us for a free consultation today! To your health, - Dr. Ahmed We all read so many books throughout our lives, but there are only a handful that we find ourselves re-reading. For me, I literally have only 3 books on my shelf that I read multiple times. The Present was a book I bought back when I was studying for my Masters degree. I was on a internship where I was learning basic managerial skills: motivating employees, establishing a teamwork culture in an organization, and increasing productivity. It has been recommended to me and I have learned that it continues to be shared in the workplace even today. This is a book that can be finished in a few hours, literally. It is very simply written, but demands one to reflect and contemplate. The Present is exactly what you make of it. We all are aware of it, but its implementation is what is so challenging. Carpe diem, as the Romans would say, is an ancient reminder that is illustrated in this book. The message is simple, yet difficult to implement on a daily basis. 1. Live life in the present 2. Learn from the past to make the present better 3. Focus on the present to make a desired future possible 4. Live with purpose and intention The Present addresses these 4 core lessons through a story that is shared between 2 characters. The reader is asked to reflect upon the story and think how they can implement these lessons into their own lives. Living with purpose is central to my existence. I was taught by wonderful mentors and leaders who always put purpose before "work." The idea that our work must fulfill some personal purpose is key for self-motivation and focus in life. Consider following one of my favorite leadership scholars, John Maxwell, on twitter #intentionalliving. If you like books that are very descriptive and tell you exactly what to think, then you may not like this book. But, if you like books that facilitate reflection, discussion, and allow you to reflect from your own perspective, then you will enjoy this book. I love it and hope you consider reading this book. Share it with your young adults, discuss its principles as a family, and share it with others. - Dr. Ahmed Many of you know I am very passionate about the practice of medicine and am quite vocal about how to improve our national health care system. There is one question that seems to be brought up consistently by my audience: How has the Affordable Care Act affected your practice? Furthermore, some people will ask, I have insurance so doesn't that mean I am covered? So, to clear the air on what is truly happening since the enactment of the ACA, I will attempt to explain it in simple terms in this blog post. Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) being enacted on March 23rd 2010, physicians and economists have been yelling at closed ears about how expanding coverage is not the only solution to this mess. The 2 major problems in addition to coverage is ACCESS and COST of health care. Simply put, here is how the ACA impacted these key components of our health care crisis: COVERAGE: Although we have now insured an estimated 10 million of the 43 million who were uninsured, 18% of the US population uninsured down to 11%, we have accepted narrow provider networks, higher premiums, higher deductibles. The complexity of insurance products have increased, causing even more confusion as to what consumers are actually buying. In addition, there is confusion as to who is in your network and many consumers realized they have to travel significant distances to get care. The Commonwealth Fund found that the rise in premiums for employer-based plans had slowed in several states but they continue to rise faster than median income. Therefore, as wages stayed stagnant, premiums continued to rise. Finally, many providers do not participate in certain networks or insurance plans given their poor reimbursement. COST: Insurers can decrease or maintain a premium by shifting the out of pocket costs to the consumer, co-pays, and deductibles. Medications continue to rise in cost by double digits. Medicare premiums continue to rise and out of pocket expenses on average are $5,400 annually for the 65-70 year old, but increase substantially as we age given increased hospitalizations. The cost of medical devices and hospital stay continue to rise. Why do we have to negotiate these costs each time we review our hospital bills, which are full of vague charges? I have done outcomes research studies in a hospital setting where we try to show cost savings with a medical treatment. To estimate and create a line item cost of a single unit blood transfusion is impossible. ACCESS: Lack of understanding of networks, physicians not being part of poorly paying insurers, and the simple fact of increased demand with a decreasing supply of physicians has led to delayed diagnoses and even death. So, how has the ACA affected my direct primary care practice? Single answer: it has helped me from a business standpoint as our solution is even more significant and patients enjoy their freedom. The ACA has made it harder for those who are in the "donut hole" and their states have not expanded Medicaid to get any type of care other than our practice. In effect, our practice is saving the ER and the hospitals from ever increasing accounts receivables to writing off large amounts as charity care. From the PATIENTS PERSPECTIVE: Our practice provides accessible primary care services, urgent care visits, and affordable services whenever they need it. In addition, this relationship in the long term will prevent illnesses that cost Americans thousands of dollars. Finally, patients are empowered with resources to take care of themselves, they have transparent imaging, laboratory, and pathology pricing. They can CHOOSE to use their insurance for any ancillary service if they want and compare cash pricing to what the insurance companies will cover. From the PHYSICIAN PERSPECTIVE: The ACA has increased the red tape and regulations on medical practice. For example, on October 1, 2015 ICD-10 came into effect. The previous ICD-9 had 17,000 codes and this newer version has 141,000 codes! Think about the direct costs of software update, hiring more staff, and the indirect costs of training, lost revenue from inefficiency and slowed practice. Since we do not contract with insurance carriers, these nuances have no effect on us. The ACA has caused more physicians to leave the practice of medicine. There is an estimated deficit of 124,000 primary care physicians by 2025. Our practice has become more attractive where physicians can be sole owners of their practice and join Health Suite to share its resources and all of its community resources. Finally, the ACA motivated us to seek more partnerships to save our patients up to 95% on imaging, medications, and pathology for being our members. Bottom line: Practices like ours will soon be paired with high deductible plans, as they are in Washington state. This is low cost and high value for consumers. So, spend the time to look at our practice, talk with us, talk with our insurance brokers, save thousands of dollars for yourself or your company by pairing the right insurance product with our practice. Some good resources: NY Times article 2015 Milliman Medical Index Essay by Patrick Ishmael More employers shifting cost to employees So a couple of adventurous guys and myself thought we would head out to West Virginia to battle the infamous Gauley River. It is a 105 mile river that merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, which is a tributary of the Ohio River. The Gauley River is the most popular advanced whitewater site in the country. It was a 2 day trip that involved piercing through challenging rapids that ranged from class 3-5. According to the American Whitewater Association, each rapid is ranked by the character of the rapid in terms of how violent and harsh it is, distance, technical difficulty to maneuver, and finally the difficulty of swimming in it. In other words, the higher the class of rapid, the higher the chance of something bad happening to you.
Check out the reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g59234-d3330369-Reviews-New_Gauley_River_Adventures-Lansing_West_Virginia.html As you can see from the pictures, the river beat me up bad! I strongly recommend trying new sports and activities. Prior to this trip, my workouts were truly at its peak. Those of you who workout know what I am talking about. It is a point where lifts seem easier, body responds to the workouts, and each session is better than the previous. We all experience set backs and for me this really sucks! Quite honestly, my immediate thought was about how I cannot workout my upper body for several months. It really stinks. So you are probably wondering what happened? Well, it was the second day of the trip, the last class 5 rapid, and a huge rapid pushed me off the raft. This was the second time I was knocked off the raft and for some random reason, I thought I could grab a hold of the rope that was lining the outside of the raft to propel myself back onto the raft. The river, with all of its tremendous might kept pushing me away from the raft. The bicep muscle could not withstand the force and "pop" went the distal tendon. Ouch. Down I went with the river. If you have not gone rafting, this is the point of the story where all I remember is waves crashing on my face and seeing rocks zoom by as I continued to go down the river. This is where the only thoughts that go through your head is "I hope I don't hit a rock head first!" Luckily, I swam and navigated to the nearest raft and was lifted up onto safety by friendly strangers. I was surrounded by laughter and smiles as each patted me on the back. But, I could not smile. The pain was too intense. Life must go on. Today, at the clinic, I saw a few patients, ate lunch where I bumped into people I know who asked the obvious question after seeing my left arm in a sling "what happened?" It certainly makes for a good story. I must say though, my practice has spoiled me rotten. I cannot help but smirk when I have to fill out so many forms prior to seeing the doctor, go into the "second" waiting room only to get my vitals checked, then wait another 10 minutes before the doctor comes. The funny thing is, after all that, I was told I had to see another doctor since my muscle was so high up my arm after the tear. Ahh! Another visit, more forms, and more waiting! Will keep you posted on my progress. Please feel free to share your injuries with extreme sports or any sports injury. Injured, but always there for my patients, - Dr. Ahmed The American Heart Association strongly promotes "Life's Simple 7" to raise awareness of what it exactly means to live healthy. More importantly, there has been significant research in looking at these 7 goals and how they reduce the chance of developing heart disease and even cardiac death. The Life's Simple 7 are as follows: 1. Manage blood pressure 2. Control cholesterol 3. Reduce blood sugar 4. Get active 5. Eat better 6. Lose weight 7. Stop smoking A more detailed discussion into what each of these goals means... MANAGE BLOOD PRESSURE High blood pressure goes undiagnosed and many times because of the lack of time with your physician, it may not be treated appropriately. Many organs can be injured from high blood pressure aside from developing a stroke or a heart attack. These include kidneys, liver, your GI tract, eyes, and much more. Goal blood pressure is less than 120/80. CONTROL CHOLESTEROL By reducing your cholesterol levels, you give your arteries the best chance of not getting clogged. Plaques form from cholesterol deposits that can lead to strokes or heart attacks. REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR We may not realize how much sugar we consume as several foods we eat are full of sugar. The average American, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), consumes anywhere between 150 to 170 pounds of sugar in 1 year! That is equal to about 30-34 five pound bags of sugar lined up next to one another in a counter! High blood sugar levels affect every organ in our body, including fighting infections and healing wounds. Certainly, Diabetes is a major concern when one consumes a lot of sugar. Diabetes is a multi-system disease and the good news is that it is preventable and treatable. So how much sugar should you eat? As close to zero as you can get. GET ACTIVE Here is the skinny on how much activity you truly need: EAT BETTER We know the usual stuff don't we:
LOSE WEIGHT What is the ideal weight? We are all inundated with advertisements of what it means to "look fit." So here is the truth and reality of what goals regarding weight actually result in optimal cardiovascular health, longevity, and living well. By focusing on your BMI, you can get a good assessment of where you need to be. It is a simple calculation by knowing your height and weight. Calculate yours today! STOP SMOKING
This is a no brainer. The days of the Marlboro man are gone and most have tossed the cigarettes. Smoking causes cardiovascular disease, increases risk for stroke, peripheral vascular disease that can lead to amputation of limbs, poor wound healing, emphysema where you may need oxygen to breathe, and many types of deadly cancers. There is strong evidence regarding the risk of second hand smoke and the fact that it can cause similar damage to the body as if the person was a smoker. To get in-depth information regarding these 7 goals, visit this site Wishing you a life full of joy, happiness, and good health, - Dr. Ahmed Those who love to read books will understand the feeling I had when my friend, colleague, and business partner - Dr. Kylie Vannaman (CEO, KC Family Doc) gave me a book as a gift. To some, this gesture may mean nothing more than just another way of saying, “Thank you.” But to me it was more. You see, giving a book as a gift is a profound gesture. It is sharing knowledge; thus, some may say it empowers the recipient to become stronger, wiser, or even more skillful. With this in mind, I share with all of you my recent book review. My Grandfather’s Blessings, by Rachel Naomi Remen MD is a book that touches every soul who reads it. Those who invite its words to challenge their mind to reflect and arouse emotion within their hearts will find it exemplary. Life is usually reflected upon when we are in times of need or in some way find ourselves hurt, injured, or in some way deterred from the immortal path we think we are on. How do we change that? Does hearing the diagnosis of cancer or some life limiting disease be the only trigger for reflection and appreciation for life? Each one of us, as mundane as our jobs and lives may seem at times, is a blessing. Dr. Remen writes, “Most of us lead far more meaningful lives than we know. Often, finding meaning is not about doing things differently; it is about seeing familiar things in new ways. When we find new eyes, the unsuspected blessing in work we have done for many years may take us completely by surprise. We can see life in many ways: with the eyes, with the mind, with the intuition. But perhaps it is only by those who speak the language of meaning, who have remembered how to see with the heart, that life is ever deeply known or served. “ (119) There are many stories in this book that you will find yourself indulged, full of reflection, and possibly in tears. Each one of us has taken care of someone ill or lost someone close at some point in our lives and can relate to the many touching stories. For me, this following passage rang deep in my soul, “Perhaps finding the right protection is the first responsibility of anyone hoping to make a difference in this world. Caring deeply makes us vulnerable. You cannot move things forward without exposure and involvement, without risk and process and criticism. Those who wish to change things may face disappointment, loss, or even ridicule. If you are ahead of your time, people laugh as often as they applaud, and being there first is usually lonely. But our protection cannot come between us and our purpose. Right protection is something within us rather than something between us and the world, more about finding a place of refuge and strength than finding a hiding place.” (136) Finally, I leave with this: “The wish to control floats like a buoy above the hidden reef of fear. More than any single thing, fear is the stumbling block to life’s agenda. Perhaps it is only the things we fear that we wish to control. No one can serve life if they are unconsciously afraid of life. Life is process. When he was very old, Roberto Assagioli, the founder of psychosynthesis, reminded one of his young students of this: “There is no certainty; there is only adventure,” he told this young man. “Even stars explode.” (169) I hope you consider reading this book and sharing its wisdom with your family and friends. Many blessings to all who read my blog, - Dr. Ahmed Think about the last time you had a moment of silence. More importantly, when was the last time you focused on just letting go of all your worries, concerns, thoughts or ideas, just for a moment? For many of us, it is hard to even imagine taking 15 minutes out of our busy schedules and do NOTHING! Time has become our enemy it seems where efficiency is the only way to combat its threats. Everything we do from our personal lives to what we do at work, we strive to do things quicker, faster, and more efficiently. I will argue that this is in itself harming and possibly increasing illness in our society. A little physiology Our body has an accelerator and a braking mechanism to maintain a sense of balance. The sympathetic nervous system is the "pedal to the metal" response. Picture being in Chicago or New York traffic and being late for a job interview...yikes! Our muscles tense up, our heart races, we breath faster, our eyes are wide open looking for that tiny space that will allow us to pass the long line of cars ahead. The parasympathetic nervous system is the relaxed state. Picture how you feel after you eat a nice meal. You sit back, maybe kick up your feet, and admire the feast you just annihilated. This is where your heart rate slows down, respiration slows down, and the muscles relax. The reality is, we all live in the sympathetic nervous system for the most part. When the heart races and muscles tense under the influence of this system, the heart recognizes that it needs to increase cardiac output to meet the demand of our goal of doing tasks quickly. Thus, in order to increase the cardiac output, heart rate rises and stroke volume rises, our arteries clamp down to increase the pressure to deliver more blood to our muscles (picture watering your plants with an open hose and placing your thumb to increase the pressure). Over time, the higher pressures and faster heart rates cause cardiac damage and may lead to inflammation. This process causes damage inside the arteries and can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Moreover, our kidneys can go into failure. Sounds bad, so what can we do to help slow us down? Believe it or not, the answer came to us more than 2500 years ago. It is simple, cost effective, requires no high-tech machines, nor does it really take much space. Meditate. It's that simple. No, no, it doesn't mean you have to sit on the ground and make funny noises, nor does it mean you have to shave your head and wear orange. We all meditate in some way. When we close our eyes, take a deep breath, talk to ourselves as we think through things, or pray - we are meditating. Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on our deeper thoughts, getting rid of maladaptive thoughts, and letting go of our stressors in a systematic manner. Several studies have shown people who meditate for 10-15 minutes have more job satisfaction, better sleep hygiene, see benefits in pathologies like generalized anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, reduction in inflammatory markers, and ADHD. In fact, the more we meditate, the more our brain is able to generate more branches and communications (called Neuroplasticity). There is evidence that meditation triggers the limbic system, frontal cortex, and brainstem as it allows our heart rate to slow down, respiration to slow down, and eases our muscle tone. It is truly a whole brain workout! In fact, brain fitness is being recognized as an important factor in preventing dementia. Brain thickness is increased with learning and physical activity. Consider starting your day or ending your day with silence and meditation. It is a great way to either start your day or end your day and help your body get ready for restful sleep. To a healthy life, Dr Ahmed |
Author"He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all." Archives
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