I used to volunteer as a docent at the Bodies Exhibit in NYC back during my freshman year of medical school, and while I couldn’t give direct advice for multiple reasons, I figured I could at least ask them some questions to either help them realize the disease origin, point them in the direction of a specialist, or of course, my esteemed (then future) colleagues. Find out the types of questions, beyond age, that need to be considered after someone asked me about arthritis!
Read MoreYour body doesn’t lie. If something hurts, it causes you pain, and if something wrong, it can stop you from your daily life. So what constitutes something being ‘so bad’ that you need to pay attention, finally take action, and not wonder about all the ‘what if’s’ of the past if things could have been different. This can be a tough call, especially when lab values, a new diagnosis, or a warning arises that we never could have anticipated.
Read MoreSupplements are part of a mass market, and as knowledgable & picky as I am about the brands and dosage, sometimes I too wonder if I’m enough/the right ones/too much. However, supplements let me know which physiological pathways need to be addressed based on whether or not it’s working, so either way we can get some pretty valuable information!
Read MoreWhat’s going on in your body, to when someone said something and you’d like them to clarify, to when something happened and the obvious doesn’t seem like the only correct answer.
Read MoreOur immune system is can be located anywhere throughout our body, though certain organs like the thymus (located on the top of sternum, in front of the heart) and bone marrow, play pivotal roles in the many molecules necessary to help keep us well.
Read MoreI preached a lot about being healthy. Healthy weight, healthy hormones, healthy lifestyle, healthy/normal bloodwork, and it seems to be this catchphrase word that encompasses a gold star, a stamp of approval from the doctor. While that’s well and good per se, I also began realizing that it didn’t matter how many ‘stamps of approval’, or how ‘healthy’ someone was deemed, if YOU don’t truly feel that something is right, then it’s not.
Read MoreI know it doesn’t always seem like this, but your body is actually smarter than we think! However, it may be giving us lots of signs and symptoms that while cause us issues physically, could actually be sharing some words of wisdom from what it means to get ‘back on track.’ In fact, perhaps the question isn’t so much what you can do for a concern, but asking the question of why and then being in a place to receive all answers.
Read MoreThis can be a loaded question. Either deep down we know the answer (which we don’t like), or anticipating the answer with the reaction as if we were playing peek-a-boo - aka hands in front of our eyes not sure how fast or slow we should separate them from each other. Or perhaps you’re feeling a bit more stoic and braced, ready to hear the truth. And generally these questions bring concern, apprehension, and some reservations. Typically we’re not asking this if we’re super excited to change.
Read MoreHormones are entities that transport specific messages between organs to ensure a certain action. Except sometimes they carry multiple messages, and then what makes us so unique is that the ratio of these messages can vary per person. We have quite a bit of hormones, like estrogen, testosterone and progesterone (sex hormones), as well as other hormones to consider like those involved in stress, appetite, and metabolism. They also interact with mood related hormones like serotonin and dopamine, more accurately defined as neurotransmitters (messages between nerve cells and the rest of the body).
Read MoreMy grandfather passed at age 95 within 6 months of a duodenal cancer diagnosis, but before that, he was still driving, never wore glasses, had all his teeth, fixing everything he could around the house, up at 6am, and sharp as a tack (& happy as a clam). In fact, even at age 88, he climbed a ladder to sweep leaves off of our shed at our country house, and encouraged 9 year old me to join him.
Read MoreThere are many different reactions that come with this quote- I totally acknowledge that. Humor me, and please continue reading. I have heard countless times after a speaking engagement, or working with patients, that they’ll be so happy when they lose the last few, 5, 10, 20, 40+ pounds.
Read MoreOur fat cells (I know, sometimes I cringe too when I hear these words) have over 10 different receptors, even those like vitamin D! In other words, literals our fat cells are telling us we need more than just ‘one solution’ to help them function optimally. And to help you lose weight. Check out your optimal vitamin D level, plus a few other tips to address these signals!
Read MoreEver notice that the whole world isn’t on a single diet? Pretty cool right, acknowledging our differences whether it’s in preference, cultural, belief system, social reasons, emotional - seriously.. food is a basic need that can bring up a lot of us (i.e. smells, overall memories, tastes, experiences, etc.). And while we know how different we are, for some reason the ‘diet of the day’ is supposed to work for us- and chances are we’ve tried them.
Read MoreHave you ever heard: the past is in the past, don’t bother going back, why are you rehashing the past?, the past is already done with, etc. Except we learn about history in school, so there must be some merit… the most important piece is that we already know what has happened. We can learn from the past to change the future- which pretty much nixes any negative comment about looking at the past.
Read MoreNature has designed the birth of a new baby chick out the egg such that it has to constantly peck and peck at the egg until at some point, the egg cracks and then it enters the world! However, if an outside force cracks open the egg, the chick is not mature enough and dies. Similarly, if you open up or mess with a caterpillar’s ‘cover’ (aka the larval skin) instead of giving it the time needed to become a butterfly to speed things along, it will die.
Read MoreYou’ve been trying this food group for awhile, this medication for quite some time (or supplement), been told this food will give you more energy, and that exercise will help you tone up/lose weight (however you want to call it). At what point and for how long do you try this? How do you know if it’s working? Or perhaps it’s worked for a bit and now you feel like you’re at a standstill, and your time & energy is precious!
Read MoreAnother take on one of Hippocrates’ famous quotes of letting food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food. In other words, food can either help or harm us, yet there are so many variables- no wonder why following a diet or some sort of plan (even if just for a bit) is really enticing. We may ask ourselves questions like, ‘what foods exactly?’, ‘is it really thaat bad?’, ‘I eat this and I feel fine- all good right?’, ‘which foods to I eat/not eat?’, do I seriously need to give up ___?’, ‘how much is too much?’, etc. I believe you get the picture.
Read MoreEasy to say, not always easy to put into practice. Especially as we’re running around, out and about, tasks need to get done, family obligations, work obligations, trip coming up- and you need to fit in time at the gym, focus on not eating that food or those extra glasses of alcohol you enjoy so much, all while also finding time to relax, meditate, and show the world you’re doing just fine. And don’t forget to smile!!
Read MoreI find myself saying this a lot both to myself and others (when the topic arises) so let’s just put it out there- it’s not you it’s the world. It’s the compounding effect that our ozone layer is not what it used to be, and that we have so many chemicals found in our everyday life that it’s also really easy to want to live in a bubble, with everything natural, away from whatever is icky and gross.
Read MoreI love to eat- I always have, and always will. Even with my history of portioned food plates as a kid so food wouldn’t touch, and being a bit of a late bloomer in trying certain foods (guess who used to poke avocado out of california rolls til I was 19? Now I buy avocados by the bag!), I love food. Yet in knowing this, I’ve tried so many different diets and ways to manipulate food to reach my health goals, unsure if it would really work (but it worked for others, so there’s some hope), and each time I never liked being restricted.
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