Category: Healthy Living

wellness strategy
Jan 24 2023

How to build a wellness strategy that works for you

Healthy Living

Have you ever explored the wellness perks, benefits, and discounts included with your health insurance plan or your employee benefits package? This can be a great place to start building a wellness strategy to improve your physical and mental wellbeing. If you get your insurance through work, ask your benefits specialist what wellness-focused benefits are... Read More

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diet
Dec 20 2022

Why a diet isn’t the best way to manage your weight

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

They start appearing as you get close to the new year–ads and articles about which diets are the best for quick weight loss. Losing weight, especially after a month of enjoying parties, dinners, and treats between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, is on a lot of people’s minds this time of year. In fact, it’s... Read More

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back pain
Nov 1 2022

Proactive steps to lower your risk of back pain

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

If you’ve ever experienced back pain, you know how much it can disrupt your life. Back pain can make it nearly impossible to sit, stand, move, or lie down comfortably. That means it’s difficult to sleep, work, or go up and down stairs. Back pain is an extremely common problem, with 80% of people in... Read More

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isolation
Oct 11 2022

Is isolation affecting your health?

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Even before the pandemic, isolation and loneliness were growing problems that contributed to a range mental and physical health issues. Then the pandemic struck and people around the world were encouraged to separate themselves from others to slow the spread of COVID and protect their health, raising reported levels of loneliness even higher. While many... Read More

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heat-related illness
Aug 2 2022

Overheated or heat-related illness? How to tell the difference.

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

If you feel like there have been more very hot days this year, you’re right. Data gathered by NASA projects that there’s a 99% likelihood that 2022 will rank among the ten hottest years on record. But what does this excessive heat mean for your health? Very hot weather increases the risk of heat-related illness.... Read More

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exercise safety
Jul 5 2022

Exercise safety: Why “no pain, no gain” can lead to injury

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

If you think that you have to really suffer to benefit from a workout, you may be setting yourself up for injuries. The mantra, “no pain, no gain,” has contributed to the belief that experiencing pain during exercise means you’re getting a better workout. However, pain is the brain’s way of signaling that you should... Read More

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Lifestyle medicine
Dec 14 2021

Could lifestyle medicine help you be healthier?

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

You know what a healthy lifestyle looks like—healthy food choices, regular activity, and avoiding health harming habits like smoking, excess alcohol, and substance use disorder. What you might not know is that there are physicians and other healthcare providers who focus on preventing and treating health problems by using evidence-based therapeutic lifestyle interventions to prevent... Read More

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mental health provider
Nov 30 2021

Signs you may need to find a new mental health provider

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

In 2020, 24.3 million adults in the U.S. received care from a mental health provider. If you’re currently seeing a mental health specialist, it’s wise to occasionally take stock and check to see if you’re benefitting from your treatment and your mental health provider is still a good fit. Over time, your needs may change,... Read More

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doctor retiring
Nov 16 2021

Is your doctor retiring? These strategies can help you find a new one.

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

The stress and trauma experienced by many healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic has added to an issue that was already on the radar—a looming shortage of both primary care physicians and specialists. Many doctors are choosing to retire early and others are choosing to leave medicine because of burnout or mental health issues caused... Read More

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vaccinated
Nov 2 2021

How to ask family and friends if they’re vaccinated before holiday gatherings

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

As the winter holidays approach, people are hoping to make up for the togetherness they missed during last year’s holiday season because of the pandemic. Much has changed since last year’s holidays and even since COVID-19 vaccines first became available last winter: Vaccines: Everyone 12 and older has been eligible to be vaccinated for some... Read More

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