WellNotes November 1992
Hi! Let's start with the good news. "Thank God things aren't worse than they are!" This letter is an encouragement of patience and patients, meditation-prayer, religious reference and my care-encouragement for you. The world, our nation, this state, each town and city, and most families are troubled! Fear, anxiety, tension, anger, depression, and all the other "bad feelings" that you can imagine.
If you take a look at my Professional Card you will see that the very first thing that it starts with is "The Answer Is Yes." That is just a positive affirmation to begin to believe "I can" rather than "I cannot."
The beginning of Preventive Medicine is to recognize that as changes are made, begin with one little thing. For instance, don't buy or bring home meat-cheese-eggs-margarine-butter. If you still want a steak or butter, eat it at a restaurant, but stop bringing it into the home. The same for cigarettes. You don't have to stop coffee and alcohol all at once, begin to work toward "less" of what you are actually using. I can give you final goals of less than four cups of coffee or four drinks of alcohol (one can of beer, one glass of wine, one shot of whiskey are all about the same) per week. That may seem shockingly low. Just begin to skip one here or there. For cigarettes, if you wait 60 seconds, the urge to smoke passes. When you want that cup of coffee or drink, "take a hike." Not literally, but just begin to move away from that which is stimulating you to the drink. Keep a positive attitude and remember "The Answer is Yes." You can do it, and, as your physician, I am here to help-support-block interference for you, as I do work for you.
Hopefully, I am an excellent employee who knows what he is doing, who can help-guide-lead you, but I encourage you to listen to what I have to say.
Do begin to buy your (organic) brown rice from a natural food store. Start eating more cooked vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, onions, scallions, parsley, squash, pumpkin, celery. As you know, I do not want you to buy potatoes, egg plant, zucchini, peppers, white rice and breads that do not say "stone ground, whole wheat." Encourage you local grocers to carry the things that I recommend.
Finally, to get more energy out of life, a little more exercise is generally a good idea, walking is the ideal. Take a few deep breaths when you're feeling tense and remember that life is full of problems, you must-will deal with them one way or another. Getting yourself upset over these problems will only make them worse. In life there is only room for good thoughts and everything else is "strictly business." In business, one makes a decision, acts on it, and accepts the consequences without emotion. You may win, you may lose, the news could be good or bad, and it is important to work for the best and accept the results regardless of good or bad. This vastly reduces tension, fear, anxiety, depression and helps you gain a real foot-control in your life.
Try to remember to think about what you're eating, chew your food at least 15 times each bite. Do nothing else while you are eating except think about your eating and other happy thoughts.
Let me know what you think of our Newsletter, and feel free to reproduce-distribute-copy this, giving it to friends, family, co-workers or anyone as often as you so choose.
H. Robert Silverstein, MD
Hartford, CT