March/April 2014
Natural OptionsGrowing A Home Garden
Last Spring, I had a neighborhood garden with some friends at a friend’s house. Although just 10 minutes away, once planted, I didn’t visit it very often. My husband and I wanted to plant more than herbs in our backyard garden, so last November we looked at the area around Read more…
Medical NewsTop Doc Recommends Wheat Belly: Joe Scherger, MD notes science and results
Joseph Scherger, MD, MPH is Vice President of Primary Care at Eisenhower Medical Center. He is also the Marie E. Pinizzotto, MD, Chair of Academic Affairs, and the Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at both the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and the University of Southern California’s Read more…
InspirationA Beacon of Hope
Mariel Hemingway knows balance. The Academy Award-nominated actress continues to pursue her career, while also succeeding as a health activist and author, eco-enthusiast, executive producer, and a loving mother of two grown daughters. Getting to the “best place in her life” took hard work and much conscious thought. She is Read more…
Desert HealthWe Are All in This Together
What an honor to interview Mariel Hemingway. Her tragic family history is an American legacy, yet she is a beacon of hope for many affected by mental illness. This topic was a key focus at the Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Conference in January, and we are delighted to open the Read more…
Medical NewsGetting Over the Shock of Diabetes Diagnosis
Luck, said Aristotle, is when an arrow hits the guy standing next to you. But when that arrow comes out of the blue and hits you—with a diagnosis of diabetes—“it can shake you to the core,” says John Zrebiec, MSW, CDE, Associate Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Joslin Read more…
Medical NewsA Healing Hand for Nurses
Desert Regional Medical Center’s Chief Nursing Officer, Mary Anne McCrea knows that nurses can be the best at taking care of others, but often the worst at taking time to care for themselves. Her staff of over 800 work twelve hour shifts and often don’t stop to nourish their own Read more…
Medical NewsAn Invisible and Disposable Hearing Aid
There are disposable contact lenses for vision problems, so why not a similar fix for hearing loss? Welcome to a new direction in hearing solutions, with the introduction of the Lyric 2 hearing aid. The Lyric 2 is a cylindrical shaped hearing aid that fits into the canal and can Read more…
Medical NewsIcky, Sticky Red Eyes
Redness and stickiness of the eyes are common complaints. Some cases are caused by infectious conjunctivitis, or “pink eye,” but there are also a variety of other causes. In the midst of winter, pink eye is an ailment you or a loved one may encounter. It is often associated with Read more…
Medical NewsCVS Puts Lives Before Bottom Line
Buying a pack of cigarettes while picking up your blood pressure meds or inhaler sounds crazy, right? Unfortunately many people just can’t quit – regardless of health issues directly related to their smoking habit. CVS is proactively taking steps to help smokers quit by no longer selling tobacco products. “As Read more…
Medical NewsA New Treatment for Dry Eye
Ever wonder why over-the-counter drops and even prescription drops don’t seem to resolve a chronic dry eye condition? Chances are you (or your doctor) are using the wrong approach. Dry eye is a complex disease, but the origin can be traced to two basic causes: lipid deficiency (also called evaporative Read more…
Medical NewsDiabetic Health Viewed Through the Eyes
25.8 million Americans – 8 percent of the population – have diabetes and the numbers are growing. Diabetes can cause damage to all parts of the body, and much of that damage can be viewed in the eyes. What is happening in the eye of a diabetic patient is happening Read more…
Medical NewsWhole Body Screening with MRI
Wernher von Braun, who with his team launched the first American satellite into space, said, “One test is worth a thousand expert opinions.” With today’s advanced imaging technology, radiologists can take “one picture” of the entire inside of your body which is comparable to “a thousand expert opinions.” Until recently, Read more…
Medical NewsMen Are Stubborn
Over and over again I see men, typically over 55, complaining of symptoms that frighten them: difficulty swallowing, food sticking in their throat, feeling as if they are suffocating due to regurgitation. They often confess to ten or more years of increasingly severe symptoms, typically starting with heartburn and/or chest Read more…
Medical NewsDizzy No More with Vestibular Rehabilitation
Dizziness, vertigo and disequilibrium are all signs of vestibular system dysfunction. Vestibular disorders can be caused by peripheral damage (occurring within the inner ear), or by central damage (occurring within areas of the central nervous system responsible for balance and equilibrium). These symptoms do not have to be permanently debilitating Read more…
Natural OptionsDon’t Take Away My Wheat!
If you’ve just read about Wheat Belly, you may be discouraged – or even downright angry – at the thought of living without wheat. It’s understandable when you consider that the large majority of our food is made with wheat flour or gluten. There is not an aisle in the Read more…
Natural OptionsPlanting Seeds of Health in Valley Youth
Thanks to the Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation, 80 Coachella Valley schools representing all three districts now have wellness programs. Palm Springs Unified was the first district to create a Wellness Committee three years ago. The Coachella Valley District has incorporated a Wellness Policy developed and run by Read more…
Natural OptionsOfficers Reach Out to Their Own
Law enforcement officers (LEO) encounter stressful situations on a daily basis which can affect both their physical and mental health. Their life expectancy is ten years below the national average at 66, and many are forced to leave the field for medical reasons. Even worse, studies show that the rate Read more…
Natural OptionsTCM and Acupuncture for Headache Pain
More than 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches or migraines with the pain impacting every aspect of their lives. Relief is commonly found in prescription and over-the-counter drugs which can unfortunately have long-term side effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture have successfully treated headaches and migraines (as well Read more…
Integrative MedicineModified Citrus Pectin
How does cancer spread? All of our cells have a life cycle: a beginning and an end. Inflammation from factors like stress, toxins, viruses and bacteria can cause mutations in normal cell DNA and disrupt the cell’s programmed death (called apoptosis). Without their programmed end, this radical cell can continue Read more…
