What is Palliative Care, And Who Benefits?

Listen to todays show on 94.1FM, KPFA.org (4/30/18) “About Health”

I was joined by David B. Feldman, PhD

 https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=284052

What happens when someone you care about is diagnosed with a serious illness? Do you know how to get the care needed, and how to have the difficult conversations about prognosis? There are many decisions to make, and medical professionals are often not trained to give the support that is needed.

Palliative care is whole-person care that relieves symptoms of a disease or disorder, whether or not it can be cured.

David B. Feldman, PhD, is considered to be among the top experts on hope in the field of psychology.  Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, his research and writings have addressed such topics as hope, meaning, and growth in the face of serious medical illness, trauma, and other highly stressful circumstances. He is the co-author of three books, including The End-of-Life Handbook: A Compassionate Guide to Connecting with and Caring for a Dying Loved One, and Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering & Success.  His research has been published in numerous scientific journals as well as in popular publications.  He has appeared in such magazines as SELF, People, ‘O’: The Oprah Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and Harvard Business Review, has been interviewed for national television and radio, and writes regularly for Psychology Today. In addition, he is the host of the podcast “Psychology in 10 Minutes,” which can be found at www.psychologyin10minutes.com or on any podcast app.  More information about Dr. Feldman can be found at www.davidfeldmanphd.com.

Stressed Out? Try A Little Mindfulness!

Listen to today’s show (4/23/18)

  https://archives.kpfa.org/data/20180423-Mon1400.mp3

Chronic stress, due to challenges such as school pressures, relationships, trauma, money problems, or over-work, can take a toll on your body, mind, and behavior….sometimes much more than you would imagine.

Stress from the demands and pressures of everyday life can lead to harmful habits such as overeating, smoking, or drug and alcohol abuse….and can also cause acute or chronic illnesses.

Join us to discuss strategies and attitudes such as mindfulness, gratitude, and self-care, to reduce stress and enjoy life more.

Guests:

Gina M. Biegel, LMFT, is a psychotherapist, researcher, speaker, and author in the San Francisco Bay Area who specializes in mindfulness-based work with adolescents. She is founder of Stressed Teens, which has been offering mindfulness-based stress reduction for teens, families, schools, professionals, and the community for over a decade. She created this program to help teens in a large HMO’s outpatient department of child and adolescent psychiatry, whose physical and psychological symptoms were not responding satisfactorily to a multitude of other practices. She is the author of Be Mindful & Stress Less: 50 Ways to Deal with Your (Crazy) Life, The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens, the Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens and the forthcoming book Mindfulness for Student Athletes: A Workbook to Help Teens Reduce Stress and Enhance Performance. Gina provides worldwide multi-day trainings and intensive ten-week online trainings, and she works with teens and families individually and in groups. For more information, visit her website at www.stressedteens.com. 

Leslie Rebecca (Reba) Connell, LCSW, offers health coaching and therapy and teaches Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction and Nourish Your Mood: Mindful Eating with the Brain in Mind, classes in Oakland, California. She is also a Certified Gottman Method Couples Therapist. Her integrative approach looks at mental health as something that occurs in a context…within our physical body, whose cellular, deep wellness supports our mind…within relationships and community.  She has completed several levels of study in teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, including a professional training program under the direction of Dr. Saki Santorelli and Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and a training in teaching Mindful Eating, through UCSD. She is deeply engaged with science-based and traditional approaches to healing through food and self-care. Her trainings include Food As Medicine; The Gut Brain; and Preventing and Managing Chronic Inflammation: Special Focus: Nutritional Interventions. She is committed to a feminist approach that honors all body shapes and sizes while collaborating in radiant wellness. You can find out more at http://www.centerforstressreduction.com

The Many Uses Of Medicinal Cannabis

On 2/19/18 I was joined by Dr. Harry Mcilroy on “About Health,” 94.1FM, KPFA.org, to discuss the health benefits of Cannabis.  If you missed any part of the show you can listen now at https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=279505

This was the second of a two part series. You can listen to the show we did a few months ago by clicking here: https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=267049 

 “It’s surprising that cannabis ever left our medicine cabinets, since the plant has been used for millennia in cultures throughout the world as a curative for ailments of both mind and body.” —Andrew Weil, M.D.

Resources from the show:

https://cannabisnurses.org/

callaspringwellness.com

http://cannabisclinicians.org/

 

Guest:

Harry McIlroy, MD, is an integrative physician certified with the Institute for Functional Medicine. Before medical school and completion of residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, he had a background in nutrition and obtained a Master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Dr. Harry McIlroy strives to provide patients with health tools that empower them to improve their well being.

Little Big Steps After A Life Changing Injury

You can listen to an interview I did with Arash Bayatmakou, author of, Little Big Steps, A Life-Changing Injury and the Inspirational Journey to Overcome the Odds. 

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=278251

Arash had a traumatic injury that changed his life forever. On his road to recovery he has worked diligently towards regaining function and getting back on his feet. Listen to his story! He is an inspiration for anyone who has suffered from a trauma or debilitating illness, and who can use an extra dose of hope.

Following his undergraduate studies, Arash Bayatmakou, used his knowledge of five languages to work in dozens of countries throughout four continents. He completed an MBA focusing on social enterprise and entrepreneurship from the University of San Francisco. He co-founded Streets of San Francisco Bike Tours and worked for two clean-tech startups. Arash suffered a traumatic cervical spinal cord injury in 2012 and was given a dire prognosis for recovery. Arash has written a memior, “Little Big Steps – A Life-Changing Injury and the Inspirational Journey to Overcome the Odds.” It details the pivotal moments, interactions, and breakthroughs, in the first two years following his injury. And he is still working, just as hard as ever, on improving his condition. You can find out more about him at https://arashrecovery.com and  http://www.nolimitscollaborative.org

Industrial Food and Chronic Illness

All too often health care providers prescribe medications and treatments without digging deep into the root causes of illness.  Also, some people prefer a medication prescription rather than making life style changes such as healthy eating—eliminating pesticides, processed foods, and allergens. And for other people, eating organic or non-GMO foods can be challenging because of cost and availability.

Food related causes of ill health is a personal, community, and national problem.You can listen to the January 22, 2018 show now at:

 https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=277764

Guest: Vincanne Adams, PhD, is a professor and vice-chair of Medical Anthropology at the University of California, San Francisco. She has previously published six books on the social dynamics of health, scientific knowledge and politics, and is currently the editor for Medical Anthropology Quarterly.

More Health And Ease In The New Year

Tune in here to the show I did on 1/1/17 on About Health on KPFA, 94.1FM

2017 was a difficult year, causing many people to feel more stress, anxiety, and fear. We are faced with the reality that there are many things we can’t change….things out of our control, but there are things we can change. Are you wondering what will unfold on a global, local, and personal level in 2018? Join us to discuss how to set goals that are authentic and realistic to live happier and healthier lives….and stay strong and engaged to do what we can, to be conscious citizens of the planet.

Guest:

Marilynn Preston is the author of “All is Well, the Art and Science of personal well-being”. She is a journalist, healthy lifestyle expert, Emmy winning TV producer, and author of “Energy Express,” the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the US. In her 40 plus year career as a journalist, Marilynn spent 18 years at the Chicago Tribune as a media critic and feature writer. She is also an ACE-certified fitness trainer and certified Wellcoach. And is  the founding chair of Girls in the Game—a life-changing non profit that helps girls get the healthy lifestyle training they need to become strong confident women. To learn more about Marilynn go to http://marilynnpreston.com/