Celebrating the 2016 Wellness Awards

We live in a special place. Our gorgeous weather, stunning landscapes, and world-renowned resort lifestyle lend themselves to beauty, good health, and tranquility. Many dream of living in this paradise. But we are just another American community with families, neighborhoods, businesses, and schools. We share many of the same stresses and are subject to the… Read more »

Why practice integrative health care?

This was the topic of a recent panel hosted by Women Leaders Forum (WLF) and moderated by Desert Health® publisher Lauren Del Sarto. The panel featured a medical doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist/herbologist and naturopathic doctor discussing how conventional and complementary modalities are working together for whole person care. So why the change? Natural medicine has been… Read more »

Come Celebrate!

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate each and every one of you. The fact that you are reading our latest edition of Desert Health® means that you are making health a priority – or at least taking interest. This issue provides many resources to help you on your path to good health. In… Read more »

Scar-less Skin Cancer Removal

Skin cancers, including basal cell cancers and squamous cell cancers, are the most common cancers in the United States, affecting more than 4 million Americans every year. Skin cancers are over two times more common than all other cancers combined. They are also increasing faster than all other cancers combined. Every 10 seconds an American… Read more »

Why is The Flint Water Crisis So Important?

In April 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan changed its water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the Flint River. The decision was politically controversial and debated from the onset. Problems with the change stemmed from the fact that the Flint River water was not chemically treated with corrosion control measures. Therefore,… Read more »

Are Whitening Drops Bad for Your Eyes?

The short answer is “maybe.” To understand why, we need first to understand why one would use an eye whitener; other conditions it could mask or complicate; and how long it has been used. Eye drops are often prescribed to treat multiple eye conditions such as glaucoma, allergies, infections, dry eye, and inflammatory eye conditions… Read more »

An Option to Medications for BPH

Having to go all the time? You are not alone. Over 70% of men in their 60s have symptoms of BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia),1 a condition in which the prostate enlarges as men get older. While BPH is a benign (non-cancerous) condition, it can certainly decrease one’s quality of life. The most common treatment for… Read more »

I Have Cancer, but My X-ray Is Normal

It was August 2014 when Bob, age 49, developed a cough that did not resolve with the usual over-the-counter medications. He visited his family physician who ordered a chest x-ray. The chest x-ray report was normal. However, the cough persisted over the next 2 to 3 months so his physician decided to order a CAT… Read more »

D.A.P. Deemed FQHC

Despite the name it’s had since being incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1984, Desert AIDS Project in Palm Springs expanded its service purview beyond HIV care when it became a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) “Look-Alike” in April 2012. But that doesn’t mean D.A.P. is any less concerned with HIV/AIDS than it has been… Read more »

Opportunity of a Lifetime

The Palm Desert High School Health Careers Academy junior class participated in a job shadow day on March 16. Three vans transported 43 students to 20 medical-related locations including JFK Memorial Hospital, Eisenhower Medical Center, medical clinics, dental offices, senior centers, JW Marriot Desert Springs Resort & Spa, and even animal care facilities. The students… Read more »

“I Need a Drink!”

So many things change as women age. Our bodies, our minds, our purpose, all appear to go through a major transition between the ages of forty-five and sixty. Perhaps the biggest of the female changes is that of menopause, the end of a woman’s reproductive ability. Currently, the average age for menopause is fifty-one. During peri-menopause,… Read more »

Shakti Fest 2016

Shakti Fest returns for its sixth year May 13-15 at the Joshua Tree Desert Retreat Center. Organized by the producers of Bhakti Fest, this springtime festival celebrates the divine feminine spirit, described in Hindu philosophy as the ‘dynamic force which moves the universe.’ The festival features celebrated yoga teachers, musical performances, wisdom workshops, and a… Read more »

Fasting for Good Health

Fasting, the complete abstention from food and beverages other than water, has been practiced for millennia because of its physical and spiritual benefits, as well as out of necessity in times of food scarcity. Positive effects of fasting include initiating cellular repair, reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure and glucose. Fasting also increases longevity, prevents… Read more »

Can We Talk?

I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. – Robert McCloskey Do you struggle to be understood, yet often feel misunderstood? Communication is a basic skill, yet there are some subtle nuances that can raise your odds… Read more »

What Happened to East Valley Solar?

If you had a choice to buy your electricity generated by coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind or solar power and they all cost the same price, what would you choose? The overwhelming majority of Coachella Valley residents think solar power is not only the best choice, but also the future of energy. However, if you… Read more »

Managing Digestive Conditions

Colitis, acid reflux, diverticulitis, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) are conditions with symptoms often managed through medication. While it is unlikely that medication will get to the root of the problem and fix the condition, you can often help your body heal all of these diseases simply by correcting your diet. Symptoms are like a… Read more »

Let Me See Your Tongue

One of the most commonly used methods of assessing a patient’s condition in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is tongue diagnosis.  I keep a chart showing different tongues in the lobby of our clinic and patients often ask why it is so important. In TCM, your tongue is a reflection of what is going on inside… Read more »

A New Perspective on Massage Therapy

There was a time when we would go to our local massage establishment, read through a menu of massage modalities and choose the one type of massage we thought was best for us. At the end of the massage, we would label our experience as exceptional, great, good, indifferent or just terrible. With a new… Read more »

Is Our Environment Making Us Fat?

Obesity is rising steadily around the world. More than one-third of American adults are obese. Of even more concern is that obesity quadrupled in teenagers in the last 30 years. The role of environmental chemicals in obesity, and obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, has garnered increased attention. Medical experts have… Read more »

A More Energized Coachella Valley

The highly intelligent, yet humorous, humble, and deeply spiritual psychologist and medical researcher Dr. Joan Borysenko recently spoke to an inspired audience at Michael’s House Outpatient Services as part of their Open Door Speakers Series. The subject on this magical, balmy Palm Springs evening was how to renew your vitality after becoming exhausted from giving… Read more »