Glass Half Full With Leslie Krongold, Ed.d.

Self-Care, or radical Self-Care, is the theme for the 5-year anniversary of the Glass Half Full podcast. This short episode features my brand of self-care -- daily routines that are my sustenance, not just an end-of-the-week treat. Whether it's nutrition, movement, or attitude my waking hours are spent minimizing symptoms associated with a progressive neuromuscular disease and maximizing a limited supply of energy. As part of the anniversary celebration, join me in a streaming Facebook Live event on Sunday, March 21st at 11:30 a.m. Pacific. I'll be joined in a lively discussion on Self-Care with previous podcast guests. On Friday, March 26th at 11:00 a.m. you can participate in an interactive presentation, A Journey With Movement & Exercise at the Virtual Abilities Expo. Registration is free.

A contemplative practice includes meditation, prayer, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi or qigong, journaling or anything that helps ground you. Some people uses affirmations while others use music to help them ease into a more tranquil state. Shameka Andrews (pictured above) shares her meditation experience with individuals and organizations and even at a local farmer's market in upstate New York. Positive affirmations and mirror work have helped Shameka move through feelings of depression and isolation associated with having a physical disability, Gareth Walker talks about finding mindfulness meditation and how it's helped him cope with Multiple Sclerosis. Mary Holt, RN, went through a mindfulness meditation training that changed how she works with patients and families dealing with neurological conditions like muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease. Melissa Felsenstein used sound meditation to help her move through depression and anxiety. Molly Lannon Kenny, a yoga therapist and graduate of a progr

Do you see images of yourself reflected in popular media? As a person with a chronic health condition and/or disability, is your life reflected in movies, television, print, or social media? In this themed podcast episode you'll hear from Christophe Zajac-Denek -- an actor, musician, surfer, skateboarder, and little person -- whose podcast, I'm Kind of a Big Deal, explores the unique lives of people with dwarfism. Christophe has worked in Hollywood movies for 11 years but rarely do you see his face. Lindsey Kizer, recently diagnosed with narcolepsy, appeared in an earlier podcast episode. Her experience of narcolepsy reflected in media has often been as a joke with the character falling asleep mid-sentence. John Poehler is a published author and award-winning blogger in Colorado. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1999, John's memory of mainstream media's representation of people with bipolar disorder was far from accurate. Daniel G. Garza, an HIV/AIDS patient leader, advocate, and educator talks abo

If Emma Goldman were alive and experimenting with the virtual life, she may have said something like this. Why not dance through the pandemic? It's good physical exercise, ignites oxytocin, and can bond you with a community. Several accessible dance organizations have brought their talents online and thus expanded their reach nationally and internationally. One organization, Dance for All Bodies, co-founded by two recent UC-Berkeley grads -- Yagmur Halezeroglu and Tess Hanson -- feature a variety of professional dance instructors teaching accessible dance in a variety of styles from salsa to urban jazz and even chair tap. Another group, Wheelchair Dancers Organization, pairs wheelers with walkers, and offers online classes in Island Fusion, Hip Hop, Latin Jazz, and Bollywood. One of their wheeler instructors, Ania Flatau, also offers dance classes on YouTube Live through her Facebook group, Cat Daddy's n Krew Virtual Fitness with Ania.

Loneliness is a public health issue. It was before the COVID-19 epidemic forced us into social isolation. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called loneliness a “growing health epidemic,” and even wrote a book about it - Together: Why Social Connection Holds the Key to Better Health, Higher Performance, and Greater Happiness. In the United Kingdom they take this issue very seriously and now have a Minister of Loneliness. Sophie Andrews started an organization called The Silver Line which is a helpline for lonely and isolated seniors. Does loneliness impact those with chronic illness and/or disability more than the general population? Curious to know how you rate on the Loneliness Scale or maybe you'd like to take a quick quiz for a less robust assessment. In this podcast episode we explore that question as well as the antidotes for loneliness. In this presentation for the University of Utah's Program for Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders, I discuss how I've handled social isolation during the pan

Are you ready for three days of workshops, adaptive activities, and discovering resources and services to enhance your quality of life? Peruse the agenda, make plans for November 20-22, and register for the free Virtual Abilities Expo. President and CEO David Korse shares the 40+ year history of the annual event in this podcast episode as well as whets our appetite with the impressive lineup of Expo activities. There's something for everyone -- whether your interest is in disability rights, adaptive movement, or how to make your home more accessible.

Believe it or not, this episode has nothing to do with the recent U.S. election. We're celebrating the 100th podcast episode of the Glass Half Full. But feel free to celebrate our right to vote in a democracy. All good! If you're a recent Glass Half Full listener, you can now peruse the archives of evergreen content that fall into these categories: Advocacy Alternative Healing Modalities Autoimmune Disorders Cancer Cardiovascular Disease Caregiving Coping Disability Rights and Accessibility General Health Laughter Mental Health Movement Music and the Arts Nature Neurological Conditions Nutrition Relaxation Research Social Support Spirituality Technology If you're running out of ideas on how to cope with COVID, check out this list of 50 different ways to spend your time in a safe and sane manner. If you're in need of online accessible exercise and relaxation opportunities, check out this page. To learn more about Judith Nangekhe Nk, the health service worker and caregiver in Kenya, here's a video. P

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Meet Susan Jeremy -- Comic, Actress, Playwright, and Teacher -- and breast cancer survivor. She's also an old friend from my college days. We reminisce about way back when...as well as hear about Susan's unfortunate experience at a New York medical clinic where she was told, "You’re over 40, it’s a cyst. Take aspirin." The tumor grew. Susan's diagnosis and treatment led her to make life changes. She became one of the 48 teachers in Manhattan working directly with medically-challenged students; 80% of them undergoing chemotherapy. Eventually, she wrote and starred in her one-woman show, Teacher in the House. While her performance schedule is impacted due to COVID, you can enjoy her dancing and character sketches on Tik Tok. For additional podcast episodes with breast cancer survivors, visit this page.

This is part 2 of a conversation with Dalia Kinsey, RD, LD, SNS. We talk about becoming our authentic selves, how trauma impacts our physical and emotional health, and the need for inclusivity and intersectionality in public health messages. This is the most stressful year of our lives. We've got the pandemic going. We already knew about police brutality, but never have we been to a point where every time you turn on the television, every time you open Facebook, every time you look anywhere, you're seeing another black or brown body being abused. The trauma is massive and I don't see anyone really addressing it. And I feel like racism is what I know, that racism and all kinds of systemic abuse, these are public health crises. ~ Dalia Kinsey You can find out more about Dalia on her website. To learn more about Black Joy, check out this article or video series.

Dalia Kinsey, RD, LD, SNS, chose to be a dietician because she wanted to help people prevent chronic disease; this was before receiving a diagnosis of Graves Disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes an overactive thyroid. In this first of a two-part interview, Dalia shares anecdotes of dealing with a chronic health condition in another country where certain modern conveniences, like continuous running water, are lacking. Her lived experience and academic training have shown her that many people make the false correlation between weight and health. Dalia believes, Health is not just determined by one or two factors. Eating is such a social thing and feeling connected to others and happy and not judging yourself when you're eating, I think also plays a major part as to how your body relates to those calories. And it affects digestion, how you feel about your food, that I think it's important not to have any strict food rules, but the basics that we all know from our mom or grandma from whenever is that

Are you feeling stressed out? With all that's going on in the world -- pandemic, civil unrest, job loss, hurricanes, wild fires -- it's difficult to avoid stress. Laughter therapy, or laughter yoga, might help alleviate some of the heaviness. It's free. It offers numerous mental and physical health benefits. And it's fun. In the field of psychoneuroimmunology, laughter has been studied and found to lower blood pressure, strengthen cardiovascular function, improve circulation, boost immune function, trigger the release of endorphins, and produce a sense of well-being. You'll meet Annie Goglia, a certified Laughter Yoga Leader, who shares her story how laughter transformed her life. You can even join her, virtually, at her Laughter Club. To delve deeper into your exploration of Laughter Therapy, check out the Comedy Cures Foundation and Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor. The University of San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Medicine offers classes in Laughter Yoga as well as the

What do you do as a patient with a progressive health condition that renders you unable to do certain tasks? Do you ask for assistance or find a work-around to accommodate for that situation? Once you ask for help, how does your relationship with your helper change? Learned Helplessness is, according to Wikipedia, "a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression." Psychologist Martin Seligman coined the term, learned helplessness, in early research he did with animals, and eventually humans. This New Yorker article briefly describes different applications of the research. Mike Hamlin, a man with myotonic dystrophy, sets the tone with a friendly rant. Melissa Dixon, Ph.D., a researcher and professor (Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and Pediatric Neurology) at the University of Utah, discusses learned helplessness with children and adults and how it impacts r

Featured are four people -- with their own unique health conditions -- that are making the best of the quarantine and pandemic. Luda Gogolushko, who has SMA Type 3 and lives in Southern California, continues to write and publish from the safety of her home. Lindsey Kizer, in North Carolina, gets to telecommute for her job and tries to maintain self-care routines to avoid narcoleptic flare ups. Jay Carr, with myotonic dystrophy in Virginia, spends more time with his teenage son during the lockdown. He also cheers others with his humorous Facebook posts and musical interludes. Peter Slobodnik, outside of Sacramento, keeps himself busy by making masks for friends and family while also planning an advocacy bike ride to draw attention to his rare disease, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.

People with anxiety, autism, blindness or low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, mobility challenges, chemical sensitivities, or PTSD may face unique challenges visiting a dental office. Now with the additional barrier -- the COVID-19 pandemic -- many people are postponing or cancelling routine dental appointments. Dr. Helena Caballero, a dentist in Northern California, discusses oral health and hygiene, how COVID-19 has changed dentistry, and modifications for people with disabilities. For additional information, you can download Creating Disability Friendly Dental Practices from The Independence Center. For those with Parkinson's Disease, additional information is provided to maintain dental health. For those with neurological disorders, there is an article, "Dental Visits Made Easier" offering helpful tips. Here is an article that discusses the little dental coverage that Medicare offers.

That is me; I still have my hands, says the 4-year old girl after waking up in the hospital and being told by her mother that she had lost her legs. The little girl grew up to become Rumba with Tina. Tina Verduzco teaches a Saturday morning online dance class for BORP: Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program. Tina, along with several other online instructors, help this podcaster maintain positive energy and a healthy mind, body, and spirit during the shelter-in-place period. Cynthia Noonan, one of BORP's Board of Directors, transitioned the in-person fitness studio in Berkeley, California to the virtual world where participants join in from across the United States and Mexico. You are invited to join this online community; check out the BORP class schedule as well as other accessible exercise program offerings including Dance For All Bodies and Wheelchair Dancers.

We're not talking about your financial investments. How much of a health risk are you willing to take during the current pandemic? Do you wear a facial mask when you leave your home? Do you maintain six feet of physical distance from people who do not live with you? Are you avoiding crowds? Postponing health appointments? As our cities and towns gradually open up, will you change your behaviors or wait for a reliable vaccine?

This month we have both Earth Day and Arbor Day so it's high time to be amongst the trees. Even if you are hunkered down in the safety of your home during the pandemic, you can still derive healing benefits from gazing out of your window at nature's bounty. If your window faces man-made materials, there is science proving that a photograph of trees can impact you in a positive physical and emotional way. Verla Fortier, RN, author of

If you, or someone you know, has a muscle or nerve condition such as Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, Amputation, Osteoarthritis, Parkinson's Disease, or a neuromuscular disease (i.e. myotonic dystrophy, SMA, Charcot Marie Tooth, Becker's, ALS, etc.), here's an opportunity to participate in a research study. No trips to a medical center or donation of muscle tissue required. The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center has a variety of studies with different criteria. For Factsheets produced by UW -- after a study has concluded -- check this website. Listen to an earlier podcast episode with a UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Research Study Coordinator about Resilience and Aging with a Disability.

It's April Fool's Day so we're mixing things up. One can't be positive 100% of the time. Now is the opportunity to share about all of the weird things people have said about our health conditions -- whether it was a friend, an aunt, or even a health care professional. Perhaps well-intentioned but definitely not insightful nor helpful advice. Most people with some type of chronic health condition have had this experience. A panel of three previous podcast guests share their stories -- from the hilarious to the frightening. Nancy, Melissa, and Laurel let it all out.

A retired nurse, physical and yoga therapist, and mental health professional offer strategies to cope with uncertainty, anxiety, and all those other emotions caught up in this season of the pandemic. Verla Fortier, author of Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Prevent Dementia, and Control Your Chronic Illness, speaks about her experience diagnosed with systemic lupus and the discovery of the healing power of trees. Tianna Meriage-Reiter, DPT, C-IAYT, owner of the Mind-Body Movement Center talks about her new live streaming yoga classes available at her YouTube channel. Lee Greenstein-Wein, MSW, shares how specific essential oils can help with situational anxiety or depression. An earlier podcast episode features other healing benefits of essential oils.