An article in the health news yesterday reported on a study that patients taking NSAIDS (anti-inflammatories like Advil) after their first heart attack were significantly more likely to die within five years then those who don’t. If it’s true, it’s important news. There are a lot of people who have had heart attacks who use… Continue reading →
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Incurable?
After a decade in practice, I’m still perplexed by conventional notions of what’s “curable” and what’s not. Why do we heal from the flu, but only go into remission from cancer? Why does a specific set of test results mean we have type 2 diabetes forever, even if we change our lifestyle and reduce that… Continue reading →
Tending Your Body’s Microbial Garden
The New York Times story Tending Your Body’s Microbial Garden takes a look at the helpful side of bacteria. For many of us, the idea of “helpful” bacteria sounds like an oxymoron. As a culture, we’re decidedly against bugs. We sanitize and de-microbe. We use antibiotics and anti-fungals, hand sanitizers and germ-killing cleansers. The idea… Continue reading →
Stop It!
This hilarious video was posted by someone in my Facebook community with the comment, “If only it were that simple.” It’s a lighthearted poke at the challenge of helping ourselves, but there is some truth in it. Much of what I do in a day is helping people to understand that they must, “Stop it.”… Continue reading →
Chop Wood, Carry Water: Staying Healthy In Retirement
There’s a Zen proverb that says: Before Enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After Enlightenment, chop wood carry water. It’s occurred to me that for best health, we might just as easily replace “Enlightenment” with “retirement”. It’s not uncommon for me to hear my patients, friends and family say things like, “We should move into a… Continue reading →
More Truths About Statins
The FDA is adding safety labeling to statin drugs in the US, including Lipitor, one of the top selling prescription drugs in the world. Statins are used to reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol, in order to reduce or prevent atherosclerosis, and in turn decrease heart attack and stroke. The new warnings include that statin drugs… Continue reading →
Are You Eating the Spoon?
I recently read Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD, which claims that most of the obesity issue in our culture stems from the consumption of wheat. You don’t have to look far in my profession for agreement. Many of our patients at StoneTree have discovered that wheat is at the root of their most persistent… Continue reading →
Recipe: Chick Pea, Cauliflower and Beef Curry
Thought I would share an easy recipe I made for my lunch last week. It heated up wonderfully and lasted all week in the fridge. It’s gluten free, dairy free, egg free and sugar free, but the biggest reason I share it is my daughter had a bowl and begged me to make more! Brown… Continue reading →
Six Different Opinions
A patient complained the other day that he had seen six different doctors, and received six different opinions about his problem. It’s a frustrating scenario, and not an uncommon complaint. It’s also not that surprising. The human body is a complex web of physiology and biochemistry. To make it even more challenging, that web changes… Continue reading →
23 1/2 Hours: The Best Thing for Your Health
It’s the time of year where many of us have resolved to make changes in our lives. If your resolution is health related–to eat better, lose weight, stop smoking, de-stress, exercise more, (or all of the above), Dr. Mike Evans MD, makes a compelling case for one of these changes in this 7 min video… Continue reading →