Thought I should update the blog, as solstice is approaching and I am reflecting on the year. I am looking forward to the return of the light, as it is getting dark here even earlier than it did in Arcata. Kaia is a joy and a challenge, as is appropriate for her age group (thinks [...]
Use of plastics in cooking and food storage can carry health risks, especially when hormone-disrupting chemicals from some plastics leach into foods and beverages. Many petroleum-based chemicals go into the manufacture of plastics. Some can leach into food and drinks and possibly impact human health. Leaching increases when plastic comes in contact with oily or [...]
I was writing a handout on plastics for the patients up here and discovered that recycling code 7 means the container is made of polycarbonate, which is a source of the dreaded bisphenol A (BpA). So then I went to look in my cupboard and discovered the little cups of organic applesauce I had bought [...]
The normal length of a pregnancy is 37-42 weeks. Five to ten percent of pregnancies spontaneously continue beyond 42 weeks, but we know that certain risks increase as we go past the “due date.” These risks include: 1. Stillbirth (1/1300 after 41 weeks, 1/900 after 42 weeks) 2. Increased cesarean deliveries for fetal distress as [...]
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I have been gradually improving my strength and stamina since the radiation therapy this spring – could barely walk around the block in May. I have been hiking this summer with the Mazamas and stumbled into some of the steeper hikes by accident one weekend when I could not find the easier group I had [...]
Hypertension – Managing Blood Pressure Holistically Hypertension – a definition Normal is < 120/80 Pre hypertension is 120-139/80-89 Why do we care? The risk of cardiovascular disease beginning at 115/75 mmHg doubles with each increment of 20/10 mmHg. The time frame is generally not urgent, however (see above guidelines) Why do we get it? – [...]
Preventing Infection – Prevention is the Best Medicine 1. Wash your hands! – making kids wash their hands 4x per day in school cut absences due to illness in half; adding hand sanitizer use made this even more effective 2. Manage stress – Smith NEJM 325:606, 1991 – psychological stress was a better predictor [...]
From my childhood, when “Plop plop fizz fizz” was on TV to now, when the “purple pill” is being peddled, we have been taught that stomach acid is bad, and causes people to have “indigestion.” The truth is, nature has gone to quite a bit of trouble to develop stomach acid – systems to produce [...]
My first lecture to the residents at FMSW will be about a holistic approach to treating heart disease. If you are interested in seeing the powerpoint (which refers to the studies to persuade physicians), click here. The bottom line is that it is not all about cholesterol numbers or even about cholesterol and homocysteine and [...]