January 2025
Your health and the health of those you love matters to us!
Monthly Preventive Focus: Addressing Stress
Did you know?…
Feeling stressed? You’re not alone. Health - Money - Government - Family - Work - School - the list can go on and on. Practicing gratitude daily will help address that stress.
Not all stress is bad. So dust off that exercise resolution and let us help!
Cultivating gratitude and leaning into good stress can help you better manage bad stress
The beauty of budgeting
Budgeting is often given negative connotations. Yet, budgeting isn’t just about what you “can’t” do/have, but more about making room for what you really want. Consider how taking stock could help you relieve and reroute stress in your life:
Time - We are each given 24 hours a day. Time to sleep, rest, love, learn, work and play. Making time to list what you want to accomplish allows you to prioritize the list and then allocate time across the day/month/year to manage your expectations and succeed.
Finances - The average American household is over $100k in debt. Labeling the money coming in and the money going out is the first step in gaining control of debt that makes you feel like you’re drowning.
Health - As a wise professor of mine once said, “You’re going to be older no matter what you do. Why not be doing what you dream when you get there?” If you would like this time next year to be a better picture of health, start today with small steps toward that larger goal. Sitting down and understanding your time and health budget can help you get on a better track without adding negative stress.
“You’re going to be older no matter what you do. Why not be doing what you dream when you get there?”
Resources to Help You Budget Well:
If you want or need help with budgeting, reach out for a visit with Dr. Kelli and we will work together to help you make solid choices and use quality resources that fit your individual needs.
Community Prayer Walk
Time and Date: We are looking to warmer weather (TBD)
We will be hosting a Community Prayer Walk starting at The Clinic - 506 N Maysville St.
Open Hands DPC exists to serve the people of our community - body, mind and spirit. As such, we will gather to briefly pray over the families present and then disperse for an hour of prayer throughout our community. If you cannot join in person, we welcome you to join in spirit from your part of our community.
Making Happy a Habit: Stories We Get to Share
Inspired by a former patient, a new patient of mine had a recent victory I just had to share. Basic screening labs obtained at another office led to the gentleman having a sudden and serious conversation with me. A hemoglobin A1c is basically a number that gives a decent picture of how many sugar molecules have been sticking to your red blood cells over the past 3 months. Normal is under 5.7. A range of 5.8-6.4 warns us to pay attention to the possibility of diabetes sneaking in through diet. Over 6.5 means your body is no longer processing sugar correctly and is fighting diabetes. This gentleman’s screening labs indicated an A1c of 11.3. That means his average sugar was running around 278 when a normal average is 120 or less. Textbooks will recommend starting insulin at this level alongside 3-4 other medications. As you have come to learn, Open Hands DPC focuses on building strong relationships that empower you to make health decisions that improve your life from the foundation up. At times this will involve using medication, but at all times it will involve a conversation to educate you on how best to care for the body, mind and spirit you’ve been given. We had just such a conversation and he wanted to try the diet changes we discussed. His hard work coupled with individualized guidance is paying off! After 8 weeks he has learned the foods he enjoys that are kinder to his body, still taste delicious and fit into his schedule. His most recent A1c was 8.0 (an average sugar level of 183)! He is still not at his goal of 5.8 or less, but he is well on his way. The changes he made have been directed by a conversation that considered his budget - financial, time, taste and health. Small changes can make a big difference. Be encouraged by his story that you can make similar changes in your own life (with your doctor willing to come alongside you as a coach and encourager when needed).
Have an encouraging story to tell?
We’d LOVE to hear it!
As our newsletter grows, we would like to include real-life stories from you to share encouragement with all of us in the Open Hands DPC community. Email DrKelli@openhandsdpc.com to share your words of encouragement!
