A Contemporary Approach To Being Well

Is this you?

Your alarm goes off at 6am and you tumble out of bed to make your first cup of coffee.  You get the kids going and start navigating a multitude of mini-crises before everyone is out the door.  Then it’s either off to work or on to the needs of your home.  There is work to do, errands to run, and meals to prepare.  And then the kids come home.  There’s homework, carpools, more mini-crises, and maybe you get everyone fed something halfway nutritious.  After running around as a “human doing” instead of a “human being” you start to feel like this day was too much.  You’re exhausted, maybe your head hurts, and you just need a break.  Perhaps you open a bottle of wine, find the chips and ice cream, zone out for awhile on Facebook, Netflix, or Candy Crush.  Tomorrow you know you will do it all again. 

After a while, you may notice that your sleep is suffering from the coffee and wine that get you through your days.  Perhaps your waistline is expanding as you soothe yourself with food and never quite find time to make it to the gym.  You may look around at the things that aren’t getting done because you were too tired, and instead used your time on less productive, often screen-based activities.  You may notice that despite all the people you see, text, and email over the course of the day, everyone is so BUSY, and the quality of your connection with them is not what you want it to be.  You feel lonely and isolated.

Our fast-paced life with its many demands and infrequent opportunities for real connection is one of the major causes of stress related illnesses.  Chronic stress leads to chronic cortisol release which leads to chronic inflammation and a wide range of diseases including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, chronic headaches, stomach problems, insomnia, and cancer.

Dr. Nance believes the answer to many of these health issues does not lie in a pill, a surgery, or some other expensive procedure.  While she is well trained in evidenced based medicine from some of the most prestigious universities in the country, she knows from fifteen years of practice in the northwest suburbs that most of us are suffering not from a bacteria, a virus, or a surgical problem, but rather from disease that is induced from the disconnected and frenetic way we live our lives.  Dr. Nance believes that mindfulness training will lead to increased self-awareness, more satisfying relationships, and behaviors that are aligned with our true values.  This is what enables a person to achieve their highest level of wellbeing.  Mindfulness training enables a person to be present and experience joy in the midst of the full catastrophe of life.

• WellessenceMD in Schaumburg and Vernin Hills offers a multitude of programs for individuals, families and employers.

• Internal Medicine: WellessenceMD is a leading provider of internal medicine services for men and women in the Chicagoland area. The well-educated team combines its extensive knowledge of evidenced-based medicine with a multitude of integrated strategies to achieve the best outcomes.

• Weight Management: The WellessenceMD weight management program provides customized, multi-faceted, evidence-based approaches that enable patients to reach their healthiest weight. As a board-certified obesity medicine specialist, Dr. Nance is proud of her team’s ability to assist the medically complicated patient. Many WellessenceMD patients are able to discontinue insulin and many other medications over the course of treatment.

• Stress Management: WellessenceMD is the only certified provider of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Chicago suburbs.
  • Kara Nance completed a three-year certification process through the Oasis Training Program at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness, making the practice the most authentic source for mindfulness training in the area.

• Additional Services provided include: 

Complete Physical Exams, Preoperative Consultations, Urgent Care Visits, Chronic Care Management, Cardiovascular and Diabetes Risk Assessments, School Sports Physical, Urinary Incontinence Treatment, Full lab services on site, In-home sleep studies, Electrocardiograms, Spirometry, Indirect Calorimetry (Metabolism Testing), Body Composition Analysis. 

Please let us know how we can help you be well.

Author

Kara J. Nance, MD, FACP General Practitioner & Obesity Medicine Specialist