Health Meditations

Get Ready!

Today is the last day of July.  We only have one full month of summer left to enjoy.  If you have children in school, it's time to prepare them for school.  So get ready.

Schedule a back-to-school physical for your child(ren).  If they plan to play on any sports teams, get the sports physical form and take it with you when you go to the pediatrician.  Make sure your child(ren)'s immunizations are up to date.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.  Get ready for school and …

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Meditate on These Things - Epilogue

Whatever you allow to fill your mind will also fill your spirit.  If you do not deliberately cultivate the garden of your mind, weeds will take root.  Here are two other versions of Philippians 4:8 to help you cultivate the garden of your mind.

Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Philippians 4:8 (Amplified Bible)
8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Pearls of Wisdom Book Club

I am blessed to be able to participating in the Pearls of Wisdom Book Club at my church.  We are a group of readers who have been gathering every four to eight weeks since September 2008 to discuss Christian books. 

Each book club meeting is an opportunity to fellowship and share diverse opinions and perspectives about the Christian literary work(s) chosen for that session.  Each book is discussed in the context of Biblical truth.  Each gathering is an opportunity to broaden our thinking and explore new ideas in a Biblical context.

To date, the Pearls of Wisdom Book Club has enjoyed the following selections: 

Like Sheep Gone Astray, a novel by Leslie J. Sherrod.
The characters in this book wrestle with the demons of past sins, low self-esteem, obsession with material wealth, power, status and social climbing as they seek their respective opportunities either for revenge, to rebuild, to repent, or to regain what was lost.

Night Before Dawn, a novel by Roschelle McKenzie.
The evening we discussed this book, the author joined us for a lively in-depth analysis of her work.  This book is an exploration of duality and juxtaposition.  The themes include: the twin connection; holding on versus letting go; friend versus foe; apparent burdens that are really blessings; life and death; loyalty and betrayal; selfishness versus sacrifice; sin and salvation; bitterness and forgiveness.

The Pastor’s Wife, a novel by ReShonda Tate Billingsley.
Themes in this book include ministry, mothering, meddling, matchmaking, and manipulation.  The characters demonstrate how you can be driven and daunted by your past.

Confronting Jezebel: Discerning and Defeating the Spirit of Control, by Steve Sampson.
The Jezebel spirit is all about manipulating the situation to your advantage.  We used the concepts in Confronting Jezebel to analyze the characters in the first three books we read. 

Conquering Insecurity: Secrets to a More Confident You, by Deborah Smith Pegues.
The author delves into Seven Syndromes of Insecurity and Seven Roadblocks to Supreme Confidence.  The author then provides Seven Strategies for Conquering the Giant of Insecurity and explains the Seven Habits of Emotionally Secure People.  This book is a "must read" if you are challenged with a spirit of fear.

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate,by Gary Chapman.
Do you know your love language?  Is it quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch or gifts?  This book will help you identify what really speaks to your heart.

Latter Rain, a novel by Vanessa Miller.
This is one installment in the saga of an extraordinary street hustler who finds salvation in prison.  When this former "street CEO" is released from prison, the demons of his past attempt to kill, steal and destroy his future.  He struggles to live for the Lord while harboring unforgiveness and plotting revenge.

Playing God, a novel by Michelle McKinney Hammond
This volume is an intricate study of the clients, friends and frustrations of a Christian counselor.  The spectrum of characters ranges from damsel in distress to diva in devilment.  The author lets you join each woman on her respective journey from victim to victor.

I would recommend that you add these books to your summer reading list.  Enjoy and ...

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Healthy Eating

Summer is a good time for you to take advantage of all the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available.  By eating fruits and vegetables, you will add a rainbow to every summer day, but the real beauty of fruits and vegetables lies in what's inside. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases.  Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Some examples include green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon, and white onions.  Make sure your eating strategy includes five to nine servings of fruits and/or vegetables each day.  For more variety, try new fruits and vegetables regularly.

Enjoy your summer in safety and in good health!

The content of this posting is based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Meditate on These Things: Anything praiseworthy.

God is the most praiseworthy person you will ever know.  Meditate on Him and praise Him.

2 Samuel 22:4 (Psalm 18:3)
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:49
Therefore I will give thanks to You,
O LORD, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.

Psalm 47:6
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

Psalm 47:7
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.

Psalm 68:4
Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.

Psalm 92:1
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;

Psalm 98:4
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

Psalm 135:3
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

Psalm 147:1
Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

God is present in your praise.  Praise the Lord and enjoy His presence.

Psalm 22:3
But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

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Deborah White, MD. MBA

Performance Self-evaluation: Quality of Life

Every aspect of self-evaluation that I have asked you to consider impacts the quality of your life.  There are two more questions you need to ask to complete your self-evaluation:

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? 
Are you fulfilled by and at peace with your lifestyle choices?

If you are not fulfilled by and at peace with your lifestyle choices, make the most important choice you will ever make.  Choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Jesus is life.  Choose Him.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Fun Safety

Summer is a good time for everyone to think about how to be more physically active.  Get out and get moving, but be safe!

Stay hydrated.
During your physical activity, whether it is walking, hiking, softball, etc., drink plenty of water throughout the day to replace lost fluids.  Avoid alcohol and caffeine.  Alcohol and caffeine will cause you to become dehydrated.

Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him/her how much you should drink when you are physically active.

Dress for the occasion.
Make sure you wear the appropriate safety gear for your summer activities, e.g., a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, goggles, a mouth guard, etc.

Beware of bug bites.
Mosquitoes can carry West Nile virus.  The risk of severe illness and death is highest for people over 50 years old, although people of all ages can become ill. Use mosquito repellent.  Get rid of standing water, which is where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

Ticks can carry diseases including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.  Ticks can attach to you as you brush past grass and plants.  When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully examine your skin and scalp for ticks.  Check your pets, too.  It is important to remove a tick as soon as you find it.  Removing the tick completely may help you avoid diseases such as Lyme disease that the tick may pass on during feeding, or a skin infection where it bit you.  A tick bite can trigger an allergic reaction.  Be sure to remove a tick properly.  (Consult your doctor.)  To prevent tick bites, keep your arms, legs and head covered in grassy areas and use tick repellant.

Some spiders are poisonous.  If you are bitten by a spider, seek medical care.

Bee stings can be painful and sometimes life threatening.  If you have a severe allergic reaction to bee stings and a bee stings you, lie down and remove the stinger.  Use an Epi-Pen (epinephrine) if you have one.  Apply a tourniquet above the sting to reduce absorption of the venom and get immediate medical care.  If you are not allergic to bee stings, remove the stinger, clean the sting site, apply ice, and take oral antihistamine for itching.

Beware of hazardous plants.
If you come in contact with sap from poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac, you will probably develop redness, and swelling and intense itching at the contact site.  Within hours to days, blisters will appear.  The rash may last up to two weeks.  You may treat the rash with over-the-counter medication or you may seek medical care.

Enjoy your summer in safety and in good health!

The content of this posting is based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Meditate on These Things: Anything of virtue.

Virtue is moral excellence; it is goodness and righteousness.  Virtue is the complete absence of anything corrupt.  There is no one more virtuous than God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.

Psalm 11:7
For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.

2 Peter 1:2-4
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Meditate on the Trinity.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Performance Self-evaluation: Productivity

The next step in your self-evaluation is to assess your productivity.  So answer these questions:

How efficiently and wisely do you use time, money, and other resources to progress toward achieving your personal goals? 
Do you redeem the time or do you waste it?

Ephesians 5:15-17
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Motor Vehicle Safety

Going on a road trip this summer? Be sure to practice motor vehicle safety!

• Pray for traveling mercies before you depart.
• Wear your safety belt every time your drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
• Buckle children in using a child safety seat, a booster seat, or safety belt appropriate for their age and size.
• Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Never let someone drive who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Slow down.
• Watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Enjoy your summer in safety and in good health!

Most of the content of this posting is based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Share the health.

Deborah White, MD, MBA