FLOSS: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #7

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

FLOSS: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #7

This week is a straight-forward nod to both our future “older” us and our dentistry colleagues: FLOSS!!

When I think about flossing, I remember a commercial from years ago with a spunky elderly woman munching on a carrot, saying “you don’t have to floss ALL your teeth- just the ones you want to keep!” And then I think of my 94 year old mother-in-law, who kept all her teeth … Read more

EXERCISE BOOST: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #6

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

EXERCISE BOOST: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #6

When my patients are frustrated with a lack of measurable results despite sticking faithfully to a new exercise routine (translation, not enough pounds lost on the scale), the temptation is to blame poor metabolism, hormones and age. And sure, those things all play a role! Ultimately, we have to agree that WHATEVER your metabolism is, and whatever food choices you are making, if the scale isn’t budging, then … Read more

WATER: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #5

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

WATER: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #5

WATER. Okay, confession time – the one simple health advice that I give but do not consistently follow very well is drinking enough water. Conventional wisdom (and virtually every diet plan) says we should consume 8 glasses of water (8 oz each) daily. However, there is no evidence-based specific “recommended daily allowance” for water, partly because there are so many individual variables (from kidney function to environment to sensible … Read more

BRAIN RECHARGE: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #4

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

BRAIN RECHARGE: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #4

MEDITATION. This is something I think about and INTEND to add to my daily routine every year, but have honestly never managed. This week, I will do a 12 minute meditation every day.

Last week, the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease published an interesting study, which is what is pushing me: Meditation and Music Improve Memory and Cognitive Function in Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Pilot Randomized Controlled … Read more

MEDICATION DISPENSER: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #3

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

MEDICATION DISPENSER: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #3

Time to practice what I preach, and get back to using my own weekly medication box! This week’s 20-1-7 challenge is to fill and use my dispenser.

As a doctor, you would think I could manage to take my ONE prescription medication plus or minus a couple vitamins …yet I find on many days that I literally cannot remember whether or not I took them. Like everyone … Read more

NEW SHAPES: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #2

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

NEW SHAPES: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #2

This week, I will put a new “twist” on my vegetables by using a new veggie spiralizer ($6 at the grocery store) and I will replace pasta and rice all week with spiraled zucchini or yellow squash.

I love my GF pasta and rice so much that I have one or the other at a minimum of one meal per day. Replacing them with a vegetable should be … Read more

COLOR: Week #1: Ready for the 20-1-7 Challenge?

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

COLOR: Week #1: Ready for the 20-1-7 Challenge?

Happy 2017! Are you New Year’s RESOLVING to improve your health? As a family physician, I hope the answer is YES! All of us have room for improvement, even if we are going from good to GREAT. Regardless of your starting point, I’d like to offer a new health strategy.

Simple enough, right? Obviously, feel free to KEEP that new healthy habit if it is … Read more

Shades of Black and White: Skier’s Toe (Nail)

Ever been skiing and noticed your toenail had turned black and incredibly painful at the end of the day? Was the entire nail black or only the base? “Skier’s toe” is a common and often very frustrating injury from skiing.

The medical term is a subungual hematoma, which simply means bleeding under the nail. This can occur from a single instance of trauma like dropping something on your toe, or from small, repetitive trauma like a too-small or too-big (so your foot slams back and forth) ski boot.

If this happens to you- do NOT wait to go in to … Read more

Check Your ALTITUDE!

Going skiing for winter break? Whether you prefer downhill or cross country skiing, please remember that the high altitude might add in a few medical challenges. Be aware of signs and symptoms of “mountain sickness” (aka. altitude sickness) and if you are susceptible to this issue, look closely at ski resort ALTITUDES. Full disclosure, my destination of choice is Crested Butte, CO, which is one of the higher resorts…no pun intended.

HOW HIGH do you have to be for altitude sickness?

There is not a set elevation for typical mountain vacations that affects everyone. Symptoms are uncommon at altitudes below … Read more

STDs – The “Underestimated Opponent”

The CDC recently released the 2015 National Overview of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and the rising numbers are disturbing. The CDC’s forward begins by very accurately labeling STDs as a long-standing “underestimated opponent in the public health battle”. We CANNOT continue to ignore sexually transmitted infections and assume it is “those people over there” and not OUR crowd who gets these infections! While ZIKA VIRUS has definitely opened up more non-judgmental discussions about STDs, we have a long way to go. Here are a few highlights from the report:

  • CHLAMYDIA, the most common bacterial STD, has increased it’s rate by
… Read more