Desert Health News - March-April 2024

www.desertcarenetwork.com/ercare 1 http://www.deserthealthnews.com/ March/April 2024 what’s inside Complimentary Natural Options Stress and Its Impact on Cancer Outcomes 13 Integrative Medicine The Healing Power of Honey 17 Through the Generations New Treatment Brings Hope for Alzheimer’s Patients 20 Fresh Cuisine A Love Letter to Chickpeas 22 Desert Events Seasonal Events to Educate and Celebrate! 23 Health & Beauty The Di€erence in a European Facelift 19 Financial Health Managing Your Managed Care 18 Continued on page 3 Medical News Galleri: The Good Beyond Golf 8 Minutes Matter Check-in online at DesertCareNetwork.com/ERCare Hospitals in Palm Springs, Indio, and Joshua Tree Head to Desert Care Network in an emergency The Future of Wellness 2024 TRENDS By Lauren Del Sarto SPRING CLEANING Inside & out E ach March, we share the newly released Global Wellness Summit’s (GWS) annual wellness trends. Their Future of Wellness report is the longest-running and most in-depth forecast of what consumers across the globe are seeking in an effort to improve well-being. It also outlines what businesses, governments and industries are providing to satisfy those desires. The trends commonly align with global circumstances, and it is no surprise that this year, wellness is a more significant priority for people than ever before. Stress levels are high, and people are realizing the benefits – and necessity – of making wellness routines, practices and technology part of their everyday lives. This year’s report describes two vastly different mindsets and markets that GWS dubs “hardcare” and “softcare.” “Hardcare” refers to the new hyper- medical, high-tech, more expensive wellness market, while “softcare” captures the new desires for simpler, less expensive wellness, where emotional and social well-being matter most. Medicine used to be the antithesis to wellness, but it now leads the hardcare sector. Weight- loss drugs quickly moved in on behavioral weight management programs, and burgeoning longevity clinics offer everything from advanced diagnostics to stem cell therapy, as the quest for longevity continues to dominate. It is refreshing to read that younger generations are seeking more “low-fi,” social, emotional and deeply human wellness. New desires for simpler, more profound experiences drive one of the report’s top travel trends: pilgrimages, as ancient destinations lure new generations in record numbers to the most communal and spiritual form of travel – walking. Softcare also encompasses a more human approach in caring for men’s social and emotional well-being, as well as a focus on mental health and nurturing of new parents, often abandoned by the health care system once sent home with baby. S pring renewal always invokes ideas for a fresh start: clean out the garage, weed through your closet, rearrange your workspace. We find great joy in tackling these menial tasks which can leave us with a satisfying sense of accomplishment. What if, this year, we look inward instead? What spring cleaning can we do on ourselves that may leave an even more profound sense of satisfaction? Are those menial tasks actually a projection of the fresh, new start we’d like in our lives as a whole? Every day we wake up and jump into the same old routine. Often, we find comfort in those routines, even though they may not be serving us well. Fresh starts come from fresh perspectives, but we often don’t stop the “human doing” long enough to realize how the “human being” is doing. This awareness can inspire simple changes that can make profound differences. On these beautiful spring mornings, let’s pause and take time to check in with ourselves. Is your life overwhelming, or maybe underwhelming? Is your boundless energy enthusiasm or addiction to chaos? Is your fatigue from restless sleep, or a deeper restlessness? Years ago, I changed my morning routine from making coffee and checking email to enjoying my coffee as I meditate in the sun. Before long, I realized this simple act helped lift my mood from the start and could change my entire day from reactive to proactive. We all know the difference a good night’s sleep can make. Start your morning with 20 minutes of unfiltered sunlight without glasses or contacts, advises functional medicine doctor Jeralyn Brossfield, MD. This can reset your circadian rhythm and replenish melatonin naturally helping to ensure a good night’s sleep. Overwhelmed? Remember, you make your lists. Are there things you can let go? You may feel bad about it to initially, but you’ll feel much better with lighter shoulders. Underwhelmed? Try something new; add exhilaration to your life. Change your walking route and take in the new surroundings. Take a class. Create. Learn a new sport…I’m elated that at 59, I’ve just learned how to haul a trailer which opens the door for both opportunity and adventure. Welcome springwith a fresh newperspective inside and out and see where simple changes can take you.