Green Health Spot

Sleep Helps Keep Kids Slim

New studies report that children sleeping 9 hour and 45 minutes can significantly reduce their risk of obesity by the 6th grade.  This is due to the many regenerative properties of sleep and dreaming.  It's easy to understand as an adult how important sleep is for us.  If we don't sleep sufficiently we tend to catch colds, have trouble thinking, have difficulty completing simple daily tasks.  I remember many years ago having flown 5500 miles from San Francisco to Paris and getting little sleep how very odd and removed I felt walking through the streets of Paris in the early morning fog.  That day was probably the most sleep deprived and jet lagged I'd ever been and I had many hours of wandering around Paris before I could check into my hotel and take a blessed nap.  So I went to the Louvre Musee to enjoy the beautiful and historic masterpieces only to find that I had such difficulty concentrating on the stunning artwork that I eventually left with little gained or appreciated that day.  Fortunately, sleep generally comes very easy to me.  Both adults and children need to understand the obvious and critical importance of sleep.

Common Toxins Linked to Diabetes

It is commonly known that type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity.  But did you know that obesity may be linked to chemicals found in many common household and garden items?  Recently, it was discovered that phthalates (a chemical widely used as a plasticizers or a softener of plastics to make it malleable) was linked to obesity/weight gain, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and lowered testicular function.  There is no question that diet and activity levels play a large role in obesity in Americans today but added to this causation of the fattening of Americans can be toxic exposure.  In a study published in the medical journal, Diabetes Care, researchers found that Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs were found related to the development of insulin resistance.  Those with elevated levels of POPs like dioxin, PCBs, chlordane, DDT and others were 38 times more likely to develop diabetes than those who did not have the same level of exposure.  These POPs are fat soluble meaning that they can be stored in your fat cells disrupting your endocrine (thyroid, sex hormones and adrenal function), reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.  They have also been related to a number of cancers including hormonally related cancers such as breast.  Thin people who have diabetes can also have this relationship as one of the root causes of the insulin resistance and diabetes.  Many POPs are in or have been used in pesticides that are found in our food, seafood (fish can have a high concentration of PCBs and DDT as well as heavy metals such as mercury) and in the air we breathe.  If you live in an area where there is a lot of farming and spraying this may be of concern to you.  Synthetic perfumes also contain POPs which are difficult to detoxify by the body.  Some ways to reduce your chemical burden include eliminating all

1. Room deodorizers
2. Synthetic perfumes
3. Household cleaners with synthetic fragrances
4. Scented detergents
5. Scented fabric softeners
6. Air out all dry cleaning in your garage or other area not adjacent to living areas. 

Stop Your Sugar Addiction

Did you know that ending your sugar and carb addiction is really easier than you think?  It takes about 3 days to wean yourself off sugar and simple carbohydrates such as bread, juices, sodas, pasta, cakes, cookies and potatoes.  This whole process will take about 2 weeks.  After the 2 weeks you will find that you can better control your sweet tooth and manage your intake of desserts/afternoon chocolate.  By the way, of you have a strong chocolate craving you may be magnesium deficient, so try supplementing.  Keeping a handle on your simple carbohydrate intake helps balance your blood sugar, gives you more energy and reduces your future risk of type 2 diabetes.  Best of all you can easily lose weight.  Here is how you do it.

Some Observations on the Nature of Living and Loving

Have you ever been in a situation where you see the beauty and light in an individual and wonder why they can't see it in themselves?  This happens to me a lot with my patients, but tonight it happened to me with my significant other.  Let me clarify the term 'significant other', actually more clearly I mean the absolute love and light of my life.  His name is Jamie and he lives on the other side of the country from me so we are only together every couple of weeks.  Things happen in our day to day lives and I wish we were together all the time, but there are times that make me wish this more than others.  I wish I could teleport to be with him during his difficult times.  Tonight was one such night. 

You see, it is so much easier on the outside looking in to know exactly why an individual is lovable and special.  Maybe you see those same qualities in your spouse or child or friend.  As a bystander and one who has no real ability to affect change or find an adequate solution to a problem for another I was in that space of needing to love someone and watch their pain and frustration and feeling helpless.  It is one of the most difficult things I have found myself having to do.  It really felt like I was doing nothing by listening and not being able to help but after a few hours of thinking and meditation on the feelings I do think I did the right thing which was just to listen and hold a space for where he was and allowing him to feel and be.  As a person who gets things done, a healer and a problem solver I feel much more comfortable doing rather than being so this was a difficult situation for me.  Ultimately I followed my intuition and allowed him to work it out himself because I know he will.  Here are some things I wish I had said:

The Health Benefits of Love

Heart disease is still the number one killer in America so it is very appropriate to speak about the relationship of love with healing of the heart.  Metaphorically the heart has been related to love for many centuries and now studies indicate that there is a lot of validity in that connection. 

Can you remember the last time you felt so connected, understood and happy to be with another that you were in love with them.  Maybe you feel this now sitting at your computer remembering back to the connection you had with your wife, husband, partner, child, friend, sibling, parent.  Feeling this connection helps us feel connected and a part of a group or community where we are heard, understood and accepted.  Maybe you have felt this way petting your beloved cat or playing with your dog.  Elderly people often live longer and happier lives with the presence of a loved companion such as a dog or cat.  Feeling loved and loving someone is a human need.  Babies die without touch or physical connection in the absence of any illness or disorder.  Humans like many animal species thrive in community.  Now with the age of the Internet, connection and community are so much easier.  It is now so much easier to find others with similar interests, hobbies, passions and values. 

Autism is Treatable

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It is a not-well-acknowledged fact that autism is treatable and many common symptoms of autism are reversible.  I have treated many cases of children who were diagnosed autistic or PDD (Pervasive Developmental Delay) who now can interact and speak like their peers.  In mainstream medicine all diseases or disorders for which there is no medication or pill to treat proclaim the disease or disorder as untreatable.  In autism (and many other disorders) this is not the case.  The goal of this article is to help you, the parent or grandparent to understand that the rate of autism is on the rise and yet you can often have your child functioning improve substantially because of early intervention.  By intervention I am not simply talking about speech or occupational therapy but  nutritional, detoxification, healing the gut, and changing diet sort of interventions.  These additional therapies will make your child stand out in the eyes of the speech or occupational therapist who will likely think that your kid might not be autistic at all or that they really can work miracles.  Here is a list of common symptoms to watch out for in your young children so that you can know if you need to have him be evaluated by a specialist and treated by a DAN doctor (Defeat Autism Now!)

Homemade Cough Syrup

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Here is a great recipe for a natural and effective cough syrup.  This is non-toxic and excellent for that disturbing cough that keeps your kids up at night.  Obviously, do not use this on children under the age of 1 where honey is not indicated.

Ingredients

1. 1 large brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced.
2. Honey, preferably Manuka honey (this is made from tea-tree flowers)
3. 1 glass jar slightly larger than the onion with a lid.

Instructions

1. Place the sliced and peeled onion into the glass jar, tightly packed.
2. Cover with honey and close lid.
3. Let sit overnight.  The onions will become dry as the honey extracts the onion juices out. 
4. Remove the onion left-overs.
5. Keep refrigerated.  Take as needed for cough.

Typical dose is 1 tablespoon for children under 6 and 2 tablespoons for 6 years and older.

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Preventing the Need for Antibiotics

Of course, before we get started, everyone should know that keeping a healthy body requires you to be in touch with how your body is feeling and the awareness of it being run down and taking evasive measures early on to avoid a full blown infection.  If you have the tendency to burn your candle at both ends or over work or over exercise when you just start to feel tired then the risk of developing an aggressive bacterial infection that will require antibiotics increases.  You should know that the common uses for antibiotics can almost always be avoided by using herbs, avoiding sugar and fruit juices, changing your diet, resting and generally allowing your body to develop the fever that will naturally kill off the infection.  The greatest thing about your body is that it has the natural ability to kill off infections such as bacteria, viruses and yeast.  All you have to do is to give your body's immune system the right environment so this can happen easily and quickly with as little discomfort as possible.  These infections that I am referring to are generally sinus, ear, urinary tract and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pharyngitis.  How do you prevent the need for antibiotics?  Read on...

An Argument for Avoiding Unnecessary Use of Antibiotics

Recently there has been more and more scary health news about MRSA or methicillin resistanst Staphylococcus Aureus infections.  Basically, these are multi drug resistant strains of a very common bacteria.  Initially found in hospital and nursing home settings where there is a lot of antibiotic use for various reasons, now found in many varying locations such as schools and playgrounds.  The CDC is alarmed at the rate of spread of this once innocuous bacteria, killing more people in the US in 2005 than HIV/AIDS.  How did this come about?  Could we have predicted this?  Is there more to come?

10 Steps to Recovering Insomnia

Sleep is one of the cornerstones to good health and emotional wellness.  Waking frequently in the middle of the night is almost always caused by high cortisol output from the adrenal glands as a reaction to low blood sugar.  The easiest way to deal with this situation are the following steps:

• Minimize the physical and emotional stressors on your system.  This allows your adrenals to recover their reserves more easily and quickly.
• Avoid all simple carbohydrates, juices/sodas (diet or regular), and caffeine.  A simple carbohydrate is white bread, white pasta, candy, chocolate, fruit juices, sodas, pastries and desserts.  Caffeine will affect your blood sugar levels as do drinking liquids that have high sugar content.
• Eat frequently (usually every 2 hours) prior to getting hungry with a high protein snack or meal.  This usually includes animal protein, cheese, strained yogurt, eggs, nuts and the like.  This step will help to maintain your blood sugar as your adrenals work on recovering.
• Take in a bit more salt into your diet during this time.  Make sure you check with your doctor about this if you are also dealing with sodium sensitive hypertention but for most people with adrenal fatigue blood pressure is not usually the problem for you.

Insomnia and the Adrenal Glands

Have you ever had those nights where you have no trouble falling asleep but are waking frequently in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep?  This is when you start worrying or obsessing about something that happened at work, worrying about your kids or your husband or something the neighbor said to you the previous day.  Are you not waking refreshed because you are tossing and turning at night or awake for over an hour in the middle of the night?  Have you found yourself tired during the day but unable to nap?  Are you craving sugar or salty foods?  Are you constantly hungry or get low blood sugar?  Are you surprised that after taking sleeping medication you still wake in the middle of the night?

A Mental Health Day aka Playing Hooky

Rarely, these days do I get an unplanned, unexpected day off.  Today was one of those days.  It happened unexpectedly as the seminar I was planning on attending for the next 3 days did not have me on their roster and I took that as a sign to quit and run rather than to stay.  Luckily, I only drove about 10 minutes to the hotel where the seminar was being held so on hearing that I had not been registered yet I took it as a sign that I could have a whole weekend to do anything I wanted unrelated to my duties as a doctor.  On the one time my office staff called me today they were told that I was busy  and did not want to be bothered unless the matter was urgent.  That having been said, I was home free. 

I was so free I almost didn't know were to start to enjoy my free day, the first one of 3 whole free days.  My weeks are very packed so days like this makes me feel like a free day off school for snow or a cold where you're not really that sick.  Lately, I almost always feel like I am trying to squeeze things into my schedule.  It's like when I think to myself that I have 1/2 hour before my last patient and when the nail salon closes so I can go get a quick pedicure in if I don't get overwhelmed by phone calls.  Or I have 20 minutes between patients so I can run down the street to Peet's to get my favorite iced green tea or to Apple to check out their latest iPhone or like creation.  So today, was different.

Smart Beauty Choices for Paraben Free Cosmetics

Here is a short list of some safer cosmetic companies to check out regarding paraben-free cosmetics and lotions.  I'm sure there are probably hundreds more but this is certainly a start. I've found that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are reliable companies that carry a number of well chosen cosmetic and lotion products.  Please write us as well if you know of more companies.  I'd like to compile a resources list for our readers with safer beauty options. For more information, check out www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

Beauty and Breast Cancer

Here are some news tidbits to be aware of as we continue our journey into discussing what you can do to reduce your risk for breast cancer.  Before we move on I just want to emphasize that I am not a proponent for people obsessively examining all things they come into contact with to see if they are likely to develop cancer from the consumption or use of that substance.  It is my belief that cancer is a multi-factorial disease that has its roots from many sources, environmental exposure to chemicals being one root.  Emotional patterns, diet, genetic predisposition and spiritual awareness all play a role into whether one will ultimately develop something like breast cancer.  So having said all this, let's talk about parabens in cosmetics and how your beauty regimen may be putting you at risk for breast cancer in the future.

The Attractive Power of Joy

Try this sometime.  First, sit quietly and start to think about the things and people in your life that bring you happiness and joy.  As you think about the aspects in your everyday life that you are grateful for and that bring you enjoyment, start to build the feeling of appreciation.  Start with small things like good weather, sunshine, your cat, that co-worker who helped you out on a task, your husband/wife...then keep building that wave of good feeling.  Take about 10 minutes and really focus on how there are things in your life worth appreciating.  We spend far too much time worrying and fearing what might happen in the future.  Ever notice that the better you feel the better your life seems to be and that more things seem to go your way when you feel good?  This is a particularly good exercise to do when you feel blah or blue.  Start appreciating a few things in your life and really give it some energy.  As much as we are able to feel bad about something few people realize that starting a trend of focusing on the good things in your life will ineveitably make the bad parts of your life seem not so bad.  If you lighten your heart and strive to look at every day in a positive light things will start to turn on your good energy alone.  So try to drop the cynicism, criticism and negativity in your life and pick up some fun, happiness and joy.  It's easier than you think and you'll thank yourself for the shift. 

Breast Cancer Prevention--What You Can Do

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October I wanted to share some not-so-common information on what you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer and the risk of your children.  As they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  My whole problem with Awareness Month is that they say very little about what you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer.  If 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime then we must focus not only on early detection but on prevention.  Here are some things for you to do.  More to come later...you can get started here.

The first and easiest thing to do is to avoid wearing your bra (especially your underwire bra) for more than 8 hours per day.  The research shows that the more time per day you wear your bra, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer overall.

Eliminate ingestion of unfermented soy products.  In addition to reducing overall estrogenic exposure this can improve your thyroid function to help you lose those unwanted pounds.  It will also reduce many allergies and allergy related symptoms for many people including IBS-like symptoms such as gas, bloating and diarrhea.  Elimination of these soy products will also aid in mineral absorption like zinc which is imperative to brain function and immune function.  For more information on this subject go to SoyOnlineService.co.nz

Cadmium is a heavy metal found in paints (red/orange/yellow), food (for example: non-organic green leafy vegetables), cigarettes, seafood and plastics are highly estrogenic (contributes to breast cancer) and disrupts the body's hormone balance.  Men and Women with osteoporosis also need to be careful about cadmium exposure as it accelerates bone loss.  Cadmium is not easily measured in the blood (it is mainly removed from the blood by the body due to its toxicity and stored in organs like liver, kidney and brain).  It is most easily tested for by doing a DMSA or DMPS challenge and a 6 hour heavy metal urine test. 

Increase your sun exposure.  This is a touchy subject since we must balance this comment with skin cancer risk.  Vitamin D has been associated with significantly reduced breast cancer risk in premenopausal women.  I suggest that women get about 5-10 minutes 3-4 times per week of unfiltered (meaning no sunblock) sunlight.  This not only helps with Vitamin D activation it also helps with emotional well-being, seasonal affective disorder, osteoporosis, colon cancer, auto-immune disorders, hypertension and more. 

Come back later in the week where we will be discussing more about xenoestrogens and the health effects of toxic heavy metals like mercury.  In the meantime, enjoy life and be well.

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Friendship at Its Best

Last night I went to dinner at the Slanted Door at the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco.  I met my friend Susan there.  She drove down from Marin County and I drove up from Palo Alto to meet in the middle for our long awaited dinner together.  Evenings like this make me revel in our friendship and connection.  It has been well over a year since we had gotten together for some one-on-one time.  As I drove home I felt such gratitude and love for my dear friend.  Because we live so far apart and for many other time /space related excuses we hadn't given much time to building our friendship in the past year.  For this I am sorry.  On the otherhand my deep connection with my friend is one that is so cherished and comfortable it is like putting on an old pair of comfortable slippers.  Fitting together, once again, almost where we left off a year ago.  Friendships like the one I have with Susan remind me of the comfort and depth that good friendships seem destined for.  From the first day we met at a Sausalito Chamber of Commerce dinner we became instant friends.  We've had many intimate and intense conversations about love, politics, reality creation, spirituality, work, family and so many other topics.  What I appreciate most about our relationship is how easily it is to be vulerable and to totally be ourselves and to relate authentically with each other.  More than simply talk about what was news in our day-to-day living and the easy superficial topics that usurp much of our lives, we had one long juicy conversation about the substantive aspects of our lives.  I feel that she holds for me a vision of a person that I strive to become.  I too, dream for her the manifestation of life-long goals as well as whimsical dreams. 

It is so easy to allow friendship to take a backseat to work and family.  A friendship that is so accepting and loving is rewarding indeed.  This week, I challenge you to call up an old friend and reconnect.  You will be surprised how easy it is to renew and blossom a friendship.  I am so blessed with such a dear friend as Susan and wish for every reader an easy connection with those loving and accepting of who we truly are. 

Yeast Sensitivities

Baker's and Brewer's yeast are common & frequent food sensitivities that are very difficult to remove from our diets due to their pervasiveness.  My suggestion is that if you are prone to yeast infections or feel that due to antibiotic use in the past you might have yeast overgrowth, then sensitivity to yeast in your diet is very possible.  Here is a basic list of foods that contain yeast.  Try to remove these foods and you will find that your energy will improve, your mind will be more clear and headaches will reduce significantly (just to name a few benefits for those who are sensitive). 

Baker's Yeast (Hard to eliminate)

• Breads (except for authentic sourdough bread)
• Bagels
• Pastries
• Anything "risen" by yeast

Brewer's Yeast (Harder to eliminate)

• Alcohols including wine and beer (highest in yeast content), distilled alcohols (brandy, gin, vodka etc.).  The exception to this are triple distilled vodkas and gins.
• Vinegars (red wine, balsamic, rice wine, some apple cider vinegars)
• Most condiments (ketchup, mustard, pickles, olives, relish, Worcestershire sauce, BarBQue sauces, MSG)
• Canned soups

Read labels and if vinegar is in the ingredient, then yeast is as well.  Yeast is one of the few hidden foods that will not be listed on the label because yeast makes many of the ingredients on the list (like alcohol and vinegars, ketchup etc).  So don't be fooled by labels. 

If you feel you may be sensitive to a number of foods I recommend a IgG food sensitivity test to get the specific diet for your individual needs.  Not all IgG food sensitivity test are created equal.  The only lab our office uses is ImmunoLabs in Florida.  Your doctor may be willing to order a test for you from them.  Many labs offer the same sort of testing but due to lack of control and reproducibility there is a lot of false negatives and false positives. 

Food allergies and Food sensitivities are not the same.  Allergies are immediate hypersensitivity reactions and have immediate symptoms like itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, swelling of the throat.  Food sensitivites are more subtle because it is a delayed hypersensitivity reaction that can take up to 72 hours to manifest.  Long after you may have eaten the offending food and forgotten about the action altogether.  Regarding fatigue and yeast, usually it is a sensitivity rather than a direct allergy to the yeast.  By the way, allergies are IgE immune reactions and sensitivities are IgG immune reactions.  These tests differ because they are measuring different parts of your immune system. 

Get More Energy Than You Need Part 2

Awareness of what your body is needing is a basic concept that many people need to practice to understand more.  Fatigue is a first step to many chronic illnesses that busy people tend to push through or ignore until the whisper turns into a shout.  Minimum sleep requirements should be 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep with many people who are rejuvenating needing 8 or 10 hours of sleep.  You will know you have gotten enough sleep if you wake refreshed, ready for the day. 

Food Sensitivities and Fatigue

This is commonly overlooked but plays an important role in aiding your goal of feeling great with plenty of energy to spare.  The 6 most common food sensitivities include:

• Cow dairy products.  Replacement: Goat or sheep milk products cause less reactions
• Wheat/flour products.  Replacement: Oats, Rye, Barley, Rice, Millet, Amaranth, Spelt, Quinoa etc.
• Yeast (Baker's and Brewer's yeast).  Replacement: See tomorrow's topic on Yeast sensitivity
• Soy (unfermented, like tofu, soy milk, soy protein isolate).
• Citrus fruits (worst: oranges, tangerines.  Less common: lemon, lime, grapefruit)
• Eggs (chicken, includes white AND yolk).  This is less common than the others but still pretty frequent.

Vitamins or Herbs Can Help Fatigue

There are quite a few vitamins that support adrenal fatigue that can help with fatigue.  Make sure you check with your doctor (or a doctor that knows about vitamins and herbs) prior to taking vitamins or supplements.  My favorite herbs are Ashwaganda, Siberian Ginseng and Licorice.  My favorite vitamin is Pantothenic Acid (or B5). 

Common causes of fatigue include adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, iron deficiency anemia, B12 deficiency, chronic Epstein Barr infection, yeast overgrowth, heavy metal toxicity, depression, Lyme disease etc.  Many of these topics we will be covering over the days, weeks and months.  Remember to take time to listen to what your body is asking for and rest when needed and rejuvenation is inevitable.  The body has an amazing ability to heal itself given a nudge in the right direction.  Be Well.

Get More Energy Than You Need Part 1

  Many people are dealing with fatigue or chronic fatigue that has been worsening for months or years.  Of course treating fatigue can be very complex but there are many relatively quick fixes to most caases of fatigue.  Here are some things to do to ensure that you are doing what you can to maintain a good energy level. 

Sleep

If you are having interrupted sleep or waking frequently at night, your body has a difficult time managing cortisol output at night.  Insomnia has two main manifestations, either you can't fall asleep easily or you can fall asleep easily but wake in the middle of the night and can't stay asleep.  Usually people wake with a racing mind, thinking or worrying about family or work.  The easiest way to stay asleep is to keep your blood sugar even at night by skipping dessert and eating a protein snack half an hour prior to bed.  The snack need not be large but it should consist of primarily protein.  If you wake hungry at night a few bites of another protein snack should help you fall easily back to sleep relatively shortly.  Obviously, avoid caffeine in the afternoon or evening some people are very sensitive and it aggravates blood sugar levels and affects your sleep.

Keep your Blood Sugar Even Throughout the Day

Like we talked about yesterday, keeping blood sugar even is a must if you want to maintain and increase your energy level.  Blood sugar is affected by stress, hormones, diet (too many carbohydrates out of balance with fats and proteins), exercise, caffeine just to name a few.  Many people are fatigued because they have been under too many physical or emotional stresses.  If you feel high strung and tired at the same time, usually this is related to an adrenal fatigue that is easy to repair yet your doctor may frequently overlook this due to their lack of knowledge of how to test and treat adrenal fatigue.  For many, keeping blood sugar even usually takes preparation keeping protein rich snacks on hand and eating every 2-3 hours before getting hungry.  By the time your are hungry, it is usually too late to catch the blood sugar drop and you can end up getting tired, crave sugar or carbs, feel hungry, lethargic, irritable or develop a headache.  Preventing low blood sugar drops now will put you on the road to preventing type 2 diabetes (which is reversible for those of you who might be interested...but that is for a later discussion)

Exercise

This is actually not for everyone.  Some people who are too fatigued can get worse with exercise but if you have mild fatigue then exercise can help your get more energy.  By exercise I mean moderate to fast walking, yoga, Pilate's, jogging and light weights.  I do not mean ride 10 miles on your bike or train for a marathon.  I don't know how many very exhausted and depleted patients I have had over the years who got that way by over-training for a race or marathon.  The key is that if you cannot easily carry on a conversation while working out, generally you are working out too hard for recovering from fatigue.

Tomorrow we will be talking more about specific dietary changes, and what to do to improve your energy level so that you wake refreshed, are able to do everything you desire to do for the day and sleep soundly at night.  Your mood should stay even and your nerves should not feel jangly or overstimulated.  Until then, have a fabulous day.