Sleeping Well- How to Get a Better Night’s Rest Without Using Medications

Categories Uncategorized, Wellness2 Comments on Sleeping Well- How to Get a Better Night’s Rest Without Using Medications

So before I begin this blog post, I want to state a disclaimer- the following content is my opinion only, and not meant to be medical advice. Please discuss your sleep concerns with your physician 🙂

Now that’s out of the way…. let’s talk SLEEP! I can not tell you how many patients come to me complaining of poor sleep or difficulty in falling asleep or maintaining sleep- essentially insomnia.

Insomnia can be caused by such a variety of factors- anxiety, depression, obstructive sleep apnea, pain, other chronic medical conditions, various sleep disorders, poor sleep hygiene / habits. The list goes on and on… the most effective way to treat insomnia is by figuring out its root cause and then fixing that problem. I am not a fan of using medications to help with sleep, especially benzodiazepines such as Ativan, Xanax, or even medicines like Ambien and Lunesta due to their potential for dependence.

In general, there are several tips and guidelines that you can follow to help achieve a better night’s sleep-

  • Aim to shut off all electronic devices for at least one hour before bedtime- the blue light emitted from screens is quite activating even without you realizing it
  • Room should be dark– pitch black, no light from any source, even a small light from the TV remote control box can be stimulating and interfere with sleep
  • Room should be quiet– use white noise if you have to drown out inconsistent background noises- for example you can buy a sound machine that produces white noise or you can even download an app onto your phone which will provide these sounds
  • Room should be cool– not hot, not freezing cold
  • Consider not having your pets, children in the bed with you
  • Bed should only be for SLEEP and SEX– no catching up on work while you are resting in bed
  • Have a consistent night time routine– this signals to your brain that sleep time is approaching
  • No caffeine once the afternoon hits
  • No excessive alcohol consumption in the evenings
  • Do not eat dinner right before getting ready for bed- try to have a couple of hours in between eating and going to sleep
  • Avoid taking naps in the daytime
  • If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning and not able to fall back to sleep consistently, consider getting out of bed- then try sitting in the dark or with very little light and do a repetitive monotonous activity- for example, filing your nails, praying a rosary, knitting, etc- once you find yourself dozing off, go back to bed. This is a form of sleep training- do not let yourself toss and turn for more than 15 to 20 minutes.

Most importantly- speak to your PCP about your insomnia– as I mentioned in the beginning, the most effective way to get a better night’s sleep is to figure out the root problem. For example, maybe you have untreated anxiety- going to counseling, receiving cognitive behavioral therapy, and maybe starting a medication for anxiety that is not habit forming will help treat the anxiety and thus the insomnia will improve. Maybe you have obstructive sleep apnea which is causing a poor night’s rest- diagnose and treat the obstructive sleep apnea and you will feel much more refreshed in the morning.

It is a myth that you need 8 hours of sleep a night- 8 hours is a good rule of thumb for most, however some patients do just fine with 6-7 hours, some need more like 9 hours.

Hope that this post is helpful- we all need our beauty sleep! It is while we sleep at night that our immune system recovers and our brain processes what we have learned throughout the day!

Love,

Monica

Our Lady of La Leche – Our Story of having Faith during Times of Pregnancy and Loss

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I have a special devotion to Our Lady of La Leche. It began in May of 2018 when I found out that I was pregnant with our first daughter, Angelina. My husband John and I had been planning a long weekend trip to St. Augustine, Florida as I would be attending a continuing medical education conference there. A beautiful Catholic shrine, Our Lady of La Leche National Shrine at Mission Nombre de Dios, is located there. Our Lady of La Leche is a representation of the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus.

So, I found out that I was pregnant with Angelina just a few days before our trip to St. Augustine. I surprised John with the news that same morning that we were getting ready to make the 5 hour drive. He was over joyed and in shock. As soon as we were able, once in St. Augustine, we visited the National Shrine and thanked Our Lady of La Leche for this precious gift of life and asked her for a safe pregnancy. Before leaving the shrine, I left my name and mailing address in a guest book that was for visitors.

During my pregnancy with Angelina, we did experience a few scares, but ultimately all turned out well- Angelina was born healthy, my delivery had no major complications, and we were able to leave the hospital all together to start our new adventure as a family of 3. Through out that pregnancy, I always felt that God was in control. No matter what happened, John and I knew that ultimately God’s will would be done.

Fast forward to December of 2019, I randomly received a small prayer card in the mail from Mission Nombre de Dios, where the Our Lady of La Leche shrine is located. The card had an image of Our Lady of La Leche with a special prayer on one side. It was such a nice surprise to receive this in the mail… it had been over one year since we had visited St. Augustine. What was an even bigger surprise was that I found out I was pregnant that very same week! I took this as a sign from God and placed the prayer card on my kitchen counter where I could see it throughout the day.

A few weeks after finding out that I was pregnant, I woke up on the Friday before Christmas feeling off- something was not right. When I went to use the restroom in the morning I discovered that I had vaginal bleeding. This did not concern me too much as something similar happened when I was pregnant with my first daughter Angelina (it turns out I had a hematoma at that time). I prepped myself to go into work and while rushing out the door, I grabbed the prayer card of Our Lady of La Leche. At the clinic, I placed the prayer card at my desk. Unfortunately through out the morning my bleeding became heavier, and I began to have abdominal pain. By that point, I knew that I was miscarrying. I called my obstetrician who advised me to come into her office to have an ultrasound performed to ensure that I was not having an ectopic pregnancy.

I remember leaving my clinic that morning crying inconsolably and holding on to my little prayer card. How could this be happening? My husband and I had been so excited- we were hoping to share our news with our parents on Christmas day. At the obstetrician’s office my fears were confirmed, I indeed was having a miscarriage. During the ultrasound, a radiologist came into the suite to tell me the bad news. He was even able to point out that the gestational sac where the baby grows was not in the correct position, but instead very low in the uterus in the process of being expulsed.

John and I were devastated. Again we thought, how can this be happening? We had even miraculously received the Our Lady of La Leche prayer card when I had found out that I was expecting. Wasn’t that a sign from God? Now I know that miscarriage, especially early on in the first trimester, is very common. I also know that women undergo later miscarriages, after being pregnant for months. I had only been pregnant for a few short weeks. Regardless, my miscarriage was still a loss- and I was in mourning.

After the holidays when I returned to work, I continued to bring the Our Lady of Leche prayer card with me. I would place the card at my desk propped up against my computer each morning. I took comfort in seeing Our Lady right there, watching over me as I went about my day to day tasks- typing up my patients’ notes, placing orders and responding to messages from staff. Our Lady of La Leche accompanied me throughout my day. In March of 2020, towards the start of the COVID-19 pandemic I found out that I was pregnant again!

I have continued to pray to God for health and safety throughout this pregnancy, especially in light of the pandemic, and have asked Our Lady of La Leche for her intercession. After I deliver, John and I want to return to the shrine in St. Augustine and take both of our daughters. I want to give thanks for all of our abundant blessings and for all of my pregnancies- even the pregnancy that I lost. It is such a gift to be able carry life, and I fully believe that life begins at conception, that there is a soul from the very beginning, and that we will all be reunited one day.

Thank you for sticking with me and having read this far; this post is much longer than I originally intended. My main point in writing all of this is to remind you that God loves you in ways that you cannot even comprehend; He has perfect love for you, and it is important to have faith in both good times and in bad. God has a plan for all of us- He works in mysterious ways and as is stated in the Bible, it is not for us to know His timing. We can turn to Our Lady, to Mary the Mother of God, and ask for her intercession and to help us remember this.

Our Lady of La Leche, pray for us.

Love,

Monica


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Why I Became a Beautycounter Consultant and My Favorite Products

Categories Clean Beauty, Uncategorized2 Comments on Why I Became a Beautycounter Consultant and My Favorite Products

So last month I did something COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone… I became a consultant for a “clean” makeup and skincare company, Beautycounter. I have been a makeup and skincare addict for years… let’s say since medical school. I used to binge watch Youtube make up tutorials for hours and obsess over the newest releases from various companies. Buying beauty products, particularly makeup has always been my guilty pleasure- and is something I still very much enjoy (maybe a little bit too much according to my husband)!

With regards to Beautycounter, I began to learn about the concept of “clean” beauty back in January and became very much intrigued. Maybe I had been living under a rock, but I never really paid attention to terms such as “clean beauty” or “green beauty”. I knew that Sephora had a special classification of products that were considered clean, and that was about it. Well for those of you who were like me and do not know about these terms, clean beauty is a subset of the beauty and skincare industry in which there is an emphasis on avoiding controversial and potentially harmful ingredients like parabens, sulfates, oxybenzone etc. It is not a regulated term and does not have a universal definition.

One of the Catholic lifestyle bloggers I follow on Instagram, Nicole Caruso, is a consultant for Beautycounter too and after watching her videos and learning about Beautycounter, I decided to buy several of their products. Well, I fell in love… the hype is real. I first bought their Dewskin tinted moisturizer which I am absolutely obsessed with. It is sheer and glowy, super hydrating on the skin and has a physical SPF. I am wearing this tinted moisturizer in the photo at the top of this blog post.

I also bought their Counter+ No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil which I have been using in the PM as the last step of my skin care routine instead of a moisturizer. I have combination skin with large pores on my nose and this oil helps my skin stay hydrated without any breakouts. Before this I was super hesitant to use facial oils, however now I am a big believer. My only advice is to use a little bit of oil- a few drops, as a little goes a long way.

I could go on and on in regards to other products that I am loving, such as their Overnight Resurfacing Peel, their new lipglosses which contain responsibly sourced vanilla, but this post would never end. After using and loving many of their makeup and skin care products, I decided to be brave and join as a consultant. Beautycounter is different from other direct sales companies in that the focus is not on recruiting other clients to join as sellers- and you do not even have to purchase through a consultant! Beautycounter is available from their own website, at Sephora for a limited time, in a few retail stores, and through a consultant such as myself. The prices are the same whether you buy through a consultant or from the website directly. The bonus of buying through a consultant is that they can obtain samples for you, help you choose which products would be best to meet your needs, advise you when sales / promotions are occurring and provide further instruction and education.

Beautycounter is an ethical company; I believe that they are very fair with their consultants- full transparency, I paid $50 to become a consultant and receive 25-35% commission from my sales. I also get discounts off most of their products… that alone is worth it! Beautycounter uses only the safest ingredients possible; they hire outside companies to test their products for safety, and they push for new legislation to improve regulation of the personal care industry. Makeup and skincare is not highly regulated by the FDA- and I can say that as a physician I find that downright scary. (Neither are vitamins and supplements which is a whole other story!) Compared to Europe, the United States’s supervision of beauty and skincare companies is dismal.

So with all that being said, if I have the option to choose “cleaner” beauty and skin care brands- I am going to do it! In addition to Beautycounter, other clean brands that I have been enjoying are The Honest Company, Burt’s Bees and Pacifica. Believe it or not, Target has a really nice selection of clean brands. Other clean make up brands that I am dying to try include Ilia and Ere Perez. In full honesty, I still use my less “clean” make up and skin care- I have not given those products up (just yet), but I am definitely slowly moving towards choosing brands which do not use harmful ingredients and focus on safety. My biggest takeaway is that we should all be more mindful of ingredients in our personal care products. Our skin is our largest organ for crying out loud!

If you have any questions about Beautycounter or want to pick my brain on “clean beauty” in general- please send me a message or leave me a comment! Beauty, skincare and wellness are some of my biggest passions, and I can talk about them for hours!

You can shop with me through this link www.beautycounter.com/monicasuarezkobilis

Any Beautycounter links in this post direct you to my personal Beautycounter website, so you would be shopping with me as your consultant.

I hope you are having a beautiful start to your week!

Love,

Monica

Getting Creative with Exercise During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Categories Fitness, UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Getting Creative with Exercise During the COVID-19 Pandemic

One of the challenges, or perhaps opportunities, which presented itself during this pandemic has been exercising. I am a lover of group classes and have relied on group Zumba and Yoga classes for fitness as well as lifting weights at our local gym. The pandemic has forced me to become a little more creative with how I get my fitness in. My own personal fitness goal is to exercise consistently 4 times a week. Juggling work as a family doc and being a mama to a toddler has given me this specific goal. As I grow in prioritizing my time and becoming more organized I definitely hope to increase the frequency of my workouts to about 5-6 times per week!

So what’s a girl (or guy) to do when your main source of exercising is taken away… creative at home work outs! Which is how I discovered Pound Fitness, a full body workout which utilizes weighted drumsticks. I have fallen in love with these workouts. They are so fun and can be accomplished in 20 to 40 minutes. I ordered the weighted drumsticks from the website http://www.poundfit.com and I also joined “Backstage” their online work out community. I pay $10 a month for unlimited access to all of their videos . I usually do the workouts when my daughter is napping in the afternoon or very early in the morning, so this all takes place outside to not wake her up. Thank goodness we have a covered gazebo because the South Florida summer weather can be brutal!

My set up where I do my Pound Fit workouts… not glamorous but it works for me and most importantly I get my exercise in! I use my laptop to follow along and use a couple of yoga mats to pound on (and protect our concrete floors)!

Here is a link to Pound Fit… FYI I do not benefit in anyway if you sign up for Pound Fit or check out their website. I just wanted to share a fitness routine that I have fallen in love with 🙂

Other exercise routines that I have been enjoying include yoga- there are so many great and FREE YouTube videos that you can follow. Also, just walking outside pushing my daughter in her stroller or wagon counts too!

There are so many benefits to being physically active- I promise to write another blog post with specific benefits, all of which are evidence based. We also know that any small amount of physical activity is better than no physical activity at all. So let’s all move our bodies shall we? I like to tell my patients to start small and slowly work their way up to a greater frequency and intensity of exercising. If you are not used to exercising at all, trying to do vigorous activity like running daily may be unrealistic and only set you up for injury and not committing to a fitness regimen. Small changes accumulate over time and lead to bigger changes.

Don’t forget to speak to your physician before starting a new fitness regimen- get the green light from them especially if you are older or have multiple medical conditions.

So what have you been doing to stay active and fit during this pandemic? What exercise regimens do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments section here or on my Instagram @ladoctorasuarez

Love,

Monica

Despair During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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These are crazy times huh… as I write this post, South Florida, my home, is now the epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic. I am sure that I am not alone when I say this, these past few months have seemed surreal. Just when things were starting to have a better outlook, just when businesses were starting to open, and we were all starting to step outside and begin to interact more with each other albeit in a socially distanced way (or not so socially distanced for some), our COVID-19 numbers began to sky rocket. Positive COVID-19 results began to accumulate in my work inbox. This was a real change from the beginning of the pandemic when very few of my patients were testing positive.

How could this be I wonder? I was just starting to feel more hopeful, more optimistic. My stress and anxiety were just starting to lessen… At the beginning of the pandemic in mid-March, I used to stay up into the wee hours of the morning pouring over news articles and consuming all of the social media that I could. Post after post from various physician colleagues, all with sobering and desolate details in regards to number of cases, lack of treatment. Stories of young medical professionals exposed to the virus while at work and becoming very ill… some even passing away… kept flooding my news feed.

My sweet dear husband is an emergency physician. What if I lose him? What if he passes away from this horrible disease because he is exposed at work? What if I am left alone, a single mother? Or worse, what if I too get this virus and die leaving my 1 year old daughter all alone? These thoughts would plague me at night, and I would sit up in my bed in the dark crying. Nights when my husband was working until the morning, and I was left alone to face these dark fears were especially difficult.

My sleep deprived nights were more frequent during the beginning of the pandemic, back in March and April. Now I feel mentally and spiritually that I am in a much better place. I still have moments of despair, especially when I see the news and hear of the number of positive cases that we have daily in the state of Florida. However, I am trying to make a conscious effort to focus on moments of happiness in the present- that is instead of thinking too much on how things will be in a month from now, I look and center on moments of happiness in the day to day. For example, I focus on enjoying my morning cup of coffee, relishing in the satisfaction I feel after a good at home work-out, cherishing the time I get to spend with my daughter at home when we listen to music and play in the back yard. I try to focus on the day to day moments of joy instead of worrying about what the future may bring. When worries do creep into my mind, I turn them over to God. Faith over fear. Praying through out the day, inviting God to be with me as I do chores around the house, go into the office, and spend time with my family brings me peace.

Everyone deals with stress and anxiety differently, but what has been helping me is the following:

  • Pray daily.
  • Focus on the present- what is bringing me joy right now in this moment?
  • Exercise throughout the week, move my body!
  • No screen time before bed- I admit that I am still working on this habit, but I promise you what a difference it makes when you unplug for a few hours before bedtime.
  • Reaching out to family and close friends. This helps with feeling isolated.

This pandemic is not forever… better times are ahead. We just need to ask God for patience and strength.

Love,

Monica

Procrastination & Perfectionism

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As I write this post, my very first La Doctora Suarez blog post, I find myself anxious, at unease, feeling disappointed in myself. This is not my first attempt at sitting down to write this blog. My sweet, loving husband gifted me this Word Press site several years ago. He knew my dream was to start writing, to start a blog so that I could share my thoughts and views from the perspective of a female family medicine doctor. This was back in 2017- fast forward to 2020 and here we are.

Now I must say this- I am not a professional writer in any way. I used to enjoy writing when I was much younger, I always excelled in literature and language arts classes much more than in the sciences (which is ironic as I work in a science dominated field). However I have always felt urged to write, to create- to share my thoughts with the world, express some creativity.

Why did it take me three years to actually create my first post? The answer is PROCRASTINATION, one of the challenges I struggle with on a daily basis. Also there is probably some degree of striving for perfectionism mixed in there as well. My first blog post needed to be PERFECT. I could not start this blog without impeccable photos, a well planned Instagram account, a sizable social media following. Well, you know what- I am starting this blog without any of those things in place. If I keeping waiting for the perfect moment, if I keep procrastinating, becoming distracted, how will I ever get started? How will I truly start following my dreams and striving for the life that I want to live? Why put off for tomorrow what I can do today? 

There is no such thing as “the perfect time, the perfect moment”…

So let’s embrace the present, and start TODAY.

I hope that you stay with me as I go on this journey. I promise that this blog will blossom as my skills develop. I plan to discuss all kinds of topics- women’s wellness, faith, family life, travel, food, beauty. My hope is that La Doctora Suarez brings joy, inspires and becomes a resource for you.

Love,
Monica