A lipid panel has become a standard test in a health check-up. It measures total cholesterol, LDL lipoprotein, HDL lipoprotein and triglycerides. LDL is usually thought of as “bad” cholesterol and HDL is “good” cholesterol; triglycerides are circulating fat particles. Generally speaking, an abnormally high cholesterol is associated with heart attack and stroke. But let’s… Read more »
Texting. The good, bad and the really ugly. Ever had this digital exchange? I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU THINK I’M YELLING. I’M JUST TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU. WHAT DID I SAY TO MAKE YOU THINK I’M ANGRY? IF IT’S ABOUT LAST WEEK, I’M SORRY. HOW MANY TIMES CAN I APOLOGIZE? LEAVE IT… Read more »
Hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) is a gooey, clear substance produced by the body and found in all connective tissue. It is well-known as a humectant that attracts and binds to moisture; one molecule can absorb up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It is an all-star in the beauty industry as applying it to… Read more »
Mark Hyman, MD is the author of more than 20 books on nutrition. Like me, he trained in family medicine and is now a champion for functional medicine. As a leader in the field, he has served as chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine for many… Read more »
Nattokinase is an enzyme derived from the traditional Japanese food, natto, which is made from fermented soybeans and has been enjoyed for centuries. Natto is sticky with an earthy, slightly bitter taste, much like aged cheese and is believed to contribute to the longevity of the Japanese people. Nattokinase’s medicinal benefits were first discovered in… Read more »
The heyday of clinicians primarily acting as disease specialists is rapidly ending. For too long, health care providers have treated patients reactively, versus proactively. Reactive treatment results from several causes including payor reimbursement schemes, societal expectations, limited resources, ineffectual treatments and inadequate diagnostics1. Government and private payors have routinely denied or delayed coverage of diagnostic… Read more »
Many people think of delegation as a skill applicable only to the workplace. In fact, delegation is an important skill for many facets of our lives. Whether you are the one doing the delegating or recipient of the delegating, you can benefit by understanding the process. In our desert, there are many situations in which… Read more »
Of the more than 500 million reported cases of COVID worldwide, studies show that up to 30% of those infected continue to suffer with long COVID.1 This novel condition is defined by symptoms that last more than three months after illness onset and may include ongoing fatigue, cough, fever, pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of… Read more »
Hypnotherapy can play an important role in a weight loss program as it can change your relationship with food. Using therapeutic intervention training, ego strengthening, cognitive reframing/restructuring, hypnotic age progression and age regression, and then reinforcing self-esteem and self-confidence strengthens a person’s ability to lose weight.1, 2 How does hypnosis work? A therapeutic hypnotherapist facilitates… Read more »
Although lab work is not always a definitive indication of your health, it is an important guideline, and knowing what it means can benefit you greatly. We standardly expect our doctor to review lab work for us, interpret what he or she sees and to make recommendations; we rely on their judgment. But labs… Read more »
Abbie Jaye, aka Chef AJ, is a nationally recognized champion of whole food, plant-based cooking and has been sharing its benefits for nearly four decades. I have had the pleasure of meeting Chef AJ several times and her enthusiasm and positive spirit are infectious. She has received numerous awards for her work and is recommended… Read more »
Photomedicine Therapy (PMT), more specifically Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT), is the application of red and near infrared light to areas of the body to assist recover from injury or damage. LLLT is different from natural light in that it is one precise color; it is also coherent (travels in a straight line), monochromatic (single… Read more »
“Return to normalcy” was a campaign slogan used by President Harding in 1920 after World War I and the Spanish Flu; both he felt had altered the perspective of humanity. The phrase was used again in the 2020 presidential campaign when the goal was to address the COVID-19 pandemic and end divisiveness between people. But,… Read more »
We are all survivors of food scarcity as our ancestors lived through multiple periods of famine. We survive by storing body fat. Richard J. Johnson, MD, of the University of Colorado, is a leading physician and scientist who studies fat storage as the “survival switch” to protect us from starvation. He shares his findings in… Read more »
For people in early recovery, the journey out of rehab and into the world can be draining, but it can also be full of wonder and opportunity. Leaving the comfort of rehab, a place where healing and inner work was done, can be scary and overwhelming at first; however, staying spiritually fit can help maintain… Read more »
Many of my patients express feeling like they are on a hamster wheel – that they live this monotonous existence where their days are constantly filled with checking off a never ending “to do” list, from the time they wake up until their exhausted head hits the pillow. So, what can you do when you… Read more »
This book is about much more than dogs. Forever dogs, forever people. Authors Karen Shaw Becker, DVM, a functional medicine veterinarian, and Rodney Habib, an internationally-acclaimed pet health leader, are on a mission to save dogs from a life of junk food and poor health practices. Since many people take better care of their dogs… Read more »
We all want to be seen and experienced as good people. We want to be liked and appreciated. We hope our best intentions are usually on display. But we’re also human, and humans have “shadow selves.” Maybe your temper flares in traffic and your horn makes you heard. Or, maybe you snap at your spouse… Read more »
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the original “wholistic” medicine practices and affirms that all our bodily functions are connected and work together – physiologically, neurologically and emotionally. The theory of acupuncture and acupressure, as used in TCM for thousands of years, is that our bodies contain 12 meridians through which energy, or qi… Read more »
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out…While breathing is instinctual, breathing well is a conscious act. So says science writer James Nestor who, in his illuminating book, Breath (Riverhead Books, 2020) compiles some of the science and complexities of breathing. Breath is filled with thoughts and techniques, as well as product and service recommendations… Read more »