Articles
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably heard of the Swine flu, more recently known as H1N1. This flu has been much hyped in the media, and terror spread across the nation last June when the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. Fear is beginning to mount again, as fall approaches and children of all ages return to school and university. Since this virus has been shown to spread very rapidly, containing it is a major concern among academic institutions and nations around the world. [more...] GERD - It Can Be Cured
If I had to guess, I’d say seventy percent of my patients complain of heartburn, reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Most come to see me complaining of something else, because they’ve been told by other doctors that the only treatment is acid blockers like Prevacid, Prilosec and Pepcid, or antacids like Tums. Many patients have been on these drugs for years (despite labeling on the packages of some warning against use for more than two weeks!). Patients tell me that, as long as they take their medication faithfully, they rarely suffer symptoms, but if they miss a dose, the heartburn or reflux comes back, often painfully so! Because they’ve been told there is no cure for these symptoms, they continue to take medication daily. [more...] Could You Have a Vitamin Deficiency?
When we think about vitamin deficiencies, most of us picture malnourished children in parts of Africa. We’ve all seen photographs of these pitiful children, bellies huge, limbs wasting away. These children, whose diets often consist of one or two foods that do not make up a complete protein let alone provide them with the basic vitamins and minerals necessary for growth and development, have clearly noticeable pathologies. Their giant bellies are often a sign of the disease known as Kwashiorkor, most likely caused by deficiencies not only of protein but also of anti-oxidants and other essential nutrients. Victims develop other signs and symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiency, including swollen feet, thinning hair, skin conditions, and loss of teeth. [more...] Adrenal Fatigue - Familiar Symptoms
Are you always tired?
Every day, I see patients who complain that they are just plain tired. They wake daily unrefreshed, drag themselves through each day, feel they could nap every afternoon if given the opportunity, and may only feel a slight increase in energy in the evening after dinner (if then). Many tell me they feel it takes them forever to wake up in the morning. They may hit the snooze button over and over, and still be barely able to drag themselves from the bed. When they wake, it is like coming out of a coma. They often drink many cups of coffee before they feel “human.” [more...] Celiac Disease - Much More Common Than We Thought
Do you suffer from gas and bloating on a regular basis? Abdominal pain? Frequent diarrhea, or alternating diarrhea and constipation? What about fatigue, depression, anxiety, foggy thinking? Arthritis or other joint pain? Numbness or tingling in the legs? Is your skin itchy for no apparent reason, or covered in small blisters? Do you get canker sores frequently? Are you often irritable, but don’t know why? All of these can be symptoms of multiple disorders, but if you’ve been searching for answers and finding nothing, consider this: all of these are symptoms associated with Celiac disease. [more...] Irritable Bowel - You Don’t Have to Live With It!
Bowel habits are something many of us don’t especially like to talk about, but if you see a naturopathic doctor, be prepared to go into details! Why? Because the health of your digestive system is, quite simply, one of the most important keys to the health of every other part of you! [more...] Natural Treatment of Infertility
The excitement of discovering you’re pregnant and planning for the arrival of a baby is one of the greatest joys many couples experience. The pain and sorrow of being unable to conceive, or of losing a cherished pregnancy is correspondingly difficult, and can bring with it feelings of guilt, inadequacy and fear of future pregnancies being impossible or ending in miscarriage. [more...] Thermography & Its Uses In Early Disease Detection
If you're a woman over forty, you've likely experienced a mammogram. This breast cancer screening tool is recommended annually for women over 40 by the American Cancer Society (ACS), and sooner than that if you have a family history of breast cancer. But did you know that there’s another way to detect breast cancer, possibly much earlier than what is detected by a mammogram, and without squishing your breasts into pancakes? [more...] Estrogen Dominance - An Increasingly Common Problem
"Estrogen dominance" sounds like a "female problem", but in fact it is increasingly a problem for men and children, as well. Estrogen dominance is what we call it when a person has an imbalance of hormones in which there is more estrogen than there should be for the amount of progesterone available. This imbalance can result in a wide variety of conditions, ranging from mildly annoying to deadly serious. Among the most serious effects of estrogen dominance are infertility and certain cancers, including uterine, ovarian, breast and prostate cancers. [more...] Fatigue - You Don’t Have to Live With It
Are you always tired? Do you wake every morning unrefreshed? Do you feel that no matter how much sleep you get, you are never well rested, or do you suffer from insomnia on a regular basis? Do you know you should exercise, but feel worse if you do? Do you struggle through each day, just trying to find the energy to put one foot in front of the other? Do you suffer from insidious muscle and joint pains or frequent sore throats or other infections? Do you find you have a difficult time remembering what you were going to do or say, or have trouble choosing the right words? [more...] Insomnia - Finding the Cause
I don’t know a Naturopathic Doctor who hasn’t seen many, many patients complaining of insomnia. It’s an increasing phenomenon in our ever more stressful culture. When we can’t sleep, we soon discover how very important that rest we once took for granted is. As more sleepless nights pass, we find our general health declining. It begins in the psychological realm, with a shorter temper, inability to concentrate, and even depression, but sleep deprivation has very real physical consequences over time, and has been associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, among many other increasingly common disorders. During restful sleep, our bodies do much of their healing, repair, and synthesis of important hormones and other natural enzymes and chemicals, which keep our bodies functioning at optimal levels. When our sleep is interrupted, too light, or for other reasons non-refreshing, much of this repair, healing and synthesis cannot occur, and we see the eventual deterioration of our health. [more...] Losing the Holiday Weight
It’s the annual problem, the gift that keeps on giving, the ‘expansion of our assets.’ We indulge a little too much during the holidays, which now span from Halloween in October, through Valentine’s Day in February. However you celebrate, even if you don’t celebrate, there always seems to be an abundance of sugary, calorie-laden treats in attendance, and before we know it, we’ve added 10 pounds. What’s the answer? How do we lose the weight and keep it off? There are literally thousands of diets on the market. Some are downright dangerous; others simply don’t work because they aren’t realistic. Some are so restrictive, no one can stick with them for long. [more...] What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Everywhere I go, I am asked, "What do you do?" When I say, "I’m a naturopathic doctor," people generally smile, nod and look puzzled. "A nature-what? What is that, exactly?" In the United States, licensed naturopathic doctors attend one of four 4-year post-graduate institutions and emerge with a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. What makes us different from medical doctors? Treatment philosophy. We are trained in the same basic sciences as medical doctors (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, immunology, embryology, etc), and we must pass an equivalent basic sciences board exam. We are taught to diagnose disease using standard laboratory tests, imaging, and recognition of physical disease processes. [more...] Food Sensitivities - More Serious Than You Think
Do you suffer from heartburn, acid reflux or GERD? Do you clear your throat often or have a constant, annoying little cough? Do you experience chronic post-nasal drip? Gas and bloating? Burp more often than you think you should? Suffer from constipation or frequent diarrhea? If you said yes to even one of these symptoms, you may have a food sensitivity or intolerance. [more...] Allergy Drops - A Big Advantage
Do you suffer from seasonal hay fever? Sneeze when the ragweed comes out? Mold making you itchy? Worse, are your allergies making you miserable year-round? Do you experience several sinus infections annually? Does asthma have you packing around a bag full of prescription inhalers or other medications? Do you get bronchitis like clockwork every winter? Do your food allergies have you starving on a restricted diet? [more...] Bio-Identical Hormones for Youth, Health & Vitality
Suzanne Somers is a big name in my practice. Little Chrissy from "Three’s Company" wrote The Sexy Years and followed that with Ageless and other books on bio-identical hormones and reversing the aging process associated with menopause. Somers has made a name for herself among my patient population, many of whom are menopausal women complaining of hot flashes, brain fog, and an overall feeling of being out of balance and "just not right." [more...] Natural Cold & Flu Remedies
You may have heard of Ockham’s razor. No, it’s not some medieval medical instrument, much as it may sound like it. Sometimes also referred to by an alternate spelling, Occam’s razor, this is a principle that essentially states: All things being equal, the simplest solution is the best. In Latin, it is expressed lex parsimoniae, which translates to: the law of parsimony or the law of succinctness. Ockham’s razor is frequently referred to in scientific inquiry, especially in the field of medicine. [more...]