The prevalence of autoimmune diseases has risen astonishingly in recent years. The cause has been attributed to multiple environmental factors including toxic chemicals and heavy metals, dietary factors, ionizing radiation, prolonged emotional stress, medications, postmenopausal hormone replacement, bacteria and viruses. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association estimates that at least 100 different autoimmune diseases have… Read more »
It would be too easy to simmer the development of Alzheimer’s and other dementias down to a single etiology. Rarely are things so simple. Still the connection between dementia and diabetes has been acknowledged for many years now. Many have gone so far as to use the term “type-3 diabetes” in reference to Alzheimer’s and… Read more »
All of us will eventually have to face the end of life, but some of us will find ourselves confronted with that prospect more quickly and unexpectedly than anticipated—after suffering an accident, for example, or when diagnosed with a terminal illness. Or it may be that a loved one must suddenly prepare emotionally and in… Read more »
Three Tests That Could Save Your Life The unthinkable happened recently. My friend who was an icon of health, an exercise model and leader in teaching healthy choices died at age 57. She was an inspiration and a genuinely wonderful person. She left kids and friends and a devoted husband. As we all reeled with… Read more »
A cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal, is the second most common surgery in the United States. The removal is a safe, conventional treatment for the diseased organ, but it can often result in various complications on a daily basis. A cholecystectomy does relieve pain, but 50 percent of patients still have digestive symptoms afterwards1 and most… Read more »
The Coachella Valley is fortunate to have Steven Gundry, MD, practicing restorative medicine here since 2002. The former head of cardiothoracic surgery at Loma Linda University, he changed careers when he realized the power of nutrition to transform health. I share several patients with Dr. Gundry and they all sing his praises and are grateful… Read more »
An excerpt from this article previously appeared as an opinion editorial in The Desert Sun. Full article is to follow. It still surprises me to realize that over half of our country now permits the use of marijuana. Now with California’s legalization of recreational use, a new Green Rush is sweeping both the Golden State… Read more »
Wanderlust, the world-renowned yoga lifestyle festival, is coming to Palm Springs with their latest innovation, Wellspring. The 3-day gathering will take place October 26-28 and feature leading health and wellness speakers and a large expo, as well as yoga, meditation and other participatory activities that CEO Sean Hoess calls the “Wanderlust magic.” For those already… Read more »
It has been said that we can only see what we expect to see. If this is true, it poses a difficult hurdle in finding answers to questions about our health and well-being. So often a patient will come to see me because they feel un-well or have specific symptoms for which they would like… Read more »
Recently, I have been inundated with clients presenting with kidney dysfunction. Our kidneys remove waste from the body while keeping the body’s chemicals and water in balance. Keeping the kidneys healthy is extremely important for overall health, and diet plays a huge role in doing so. There are a number of diseases that can develop… Read more »
The use of magnetic fields as a healing modality has long been practiced in alternative medicine and is now gaining popularity in integrative practices. Pulsed electro-magnetic field therapy (or PEMF) uses magnetic fields to energize the body and boost circulation and oxygenation while delivering energy to cells helping them to function optimally. It has been… Read more »
It’s been around for millennia, but not until a few decades ago has the American public become truly aware of the ancient healing art of qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”). So just what is qigong? Qigong is one of the four branches of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the other three being the more widely known acupuncture, herbal… Read more »
Testosterone therapy has been a very popular topic in men’s health over the past decade, but not much attention has been given to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in women. With over 75 years of peer-reviewed medical literature from around the world, the evidence is overwhelming that TRT can improve quality of life in both men… Read more »
Indio High Health & Nutritional Science Academy (HANS) teacher Jason Tate has a dream – to build a comprehensive wellness clinic in his high school – and he is almost there. Tate has brought many dreams to fruition in his tenure as a biology teacher at Indio High including the formation of the HANS academy… Read more »
A year ago, I was soul-searching. There were great things happening in my work, and I was passionate about the wellness programs we were providing. However, I was starting to see new possibilities for greater impact and for me to live a more balanced life. Eventually, what I wanted became clear, so I am now… Read more »
There are several forms of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy including pellet therapy in which a pellet about the size of a cooked grain of rice is easily implanted in the upper fatty part of the hip or buttock. The therapy is viable for both men and women; women typically receive 2-3 pellets and men receive… Read more »
Shay Moraga was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of 2016 and shares her journey with Desert Health® readers in an ongoing column… In this New Year, I look forward to reviewing my goals from last year and reflecting on how the past year has played out. However, the goals I set… Read more »
Jason Fung, MD, taught me how not to eat. I never realized I could skip meals and have greater mental clarity and more energy. In his book, The Obesity Code (Greystone, 2016), Fung, a nephrologist turned obesity physician, describes with great clarity and solid science that obesity is a hormonal illness: the central hormone is… Read more »
In May 2010, while living and working in Greece, I received the call that would change my life. It was from my mother living here in the desert. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. That call completely altered my life, as I left my career in Europe and moved to Palm Springs to… Read more »
Life is beautiful gift. From the sand between our toes to tall, snowcapped peaks. From the sun that warms our days to the glow of the midnight moon. Do you take time each day to notice the early morning shadows on the mountains, or the new yellow flowers that have come into bloom? On a… Read more »