Last Chance Harvey is a film that has a lot going for it. Right off the bat, you have Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson as the leads. Surrounding their every move is the exciting city of London. Now, toss in the distinct pleasure of watching a film that actually embraces the possibility of romance between two characters that are about twice the age of most actors in similar roles. Read more »

I would venture a guess that most of us haven’t had the experience of being in a hypnotic state. We’ve seen people being hypnotized on TV or perhaps even in magic performances. But the difference between artistic representations of hypnosis and the reality of clinical/medical hypnotherapy is quite dramatic. Read more »

It’s not easy to find encouraging news about autism. More often than not, we hear reports about the increasing rates of this devastating developmental disorder. It’s heartbreaking because many of us understand the challenges that those with autism and their families face. Autism is characterized by a profound disruption in communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal), an inability to interact socially and a propensity toward obsessive thoughts and behaviors. It is estimated that as many as 1 in every 150 children are affected by some form of autism – collectively referred to as ASD (autism spectrum disorders). Read more »

One of the biggest obstacles to living a healthy lifestyle is a lack of time. Many of us are constantly “on the go”. The thought of preparing three, wholesome, homemade meals on a daily basis is just not practical. But I have good news – one answer to this conundrum can be found within the problem itself. Today, I’m going to share a personal strategy that allows me to stick to a day-in and day-out healthy lifestyle. The key to my success is choosing a WOE (way of eating) that is practical. Read more »

A startling report was just presented at the 2009 American Heart Association’s Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. The implications of that presentation will hopefully have a widespread impact on the future health of teenagers in the USA and worldwide. Read more »

If you’ve ever had gout, you know exactly what it is. Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals form in your joints. Unlike the most common forms of arthritis, gout pain comes and goes. When it strikes, it can provoke intense, burning pain and swelling in the affected joints. The joint in the “big toe” is a frequent site of a gout attack. Read more »

If you flip through the advertisement sections in your local newspaper or favorite magazine, you’ll probably see multiple ads for skin care creams and lotions. You might even see some promotions for anti-aging dermatologists and skin care spas. But when’s the last time you’ve seen an ad promoting the value of nourishing your skin from the inside out? In today’s blog, I want to share some tips that may help you improve the quality of your skin and reduce the number of products that you “need” to put on it. Read more »

In his acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards, Bruce Springsteen recounted a phone call he received from Mickey Rourke, the star of the critically-acclaimed film, The Wrestler. Mickey asked him to write the title song for the film. Rourke described the story line and offered his thoughts about the lead character, which he plays. With that information in hand, Bruce proceeded to write just such a song. Here are the opening lyrics he came up with: Read more »

If you’re a man who’s interested in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy, you’ll probably want to take today’s blog to heart. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already been diagnosed with heart disease or you just hope to avoid such a diagnosis in the future. Fish oil is a powerful tool that you can use at any stage of the heart health continuum. Read more »

How do bad economic times affect our diet? There are two ways that are of particular concern to me. The first is a tendency to eat “comfort foods” that calm our increased sense of uncertainty and stress. Secondly, we often try to get the most “bang for our buck”. We choose higher calorie foods that are cheaper so that we can better manage our budget. Both of these options are not only ill advised for their effects on our health, but also for what they’ll do to our pocket books in the long run.
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One of the first things you notice about someone is their smile. It gives you an indication about their mood, personality and quite frankly, their hygiene. But even more importantly, the mouth is the gateway to good nutrition. If we can’t chew properly, then we can’t fully digest our food. Modern science is also building case for the connection between poor periodontal (gum) health and heart disease. So it’s more important than ever to practice good oral care. In today’s blog, I’m going to share some information that can help keep gums and teeth in prime shape. Read more »

Melanoma is a common form of skin cancer. It’s considered to be the most dangerous variety of skin malignancy. This cancer is often characterized by changes in the appearance and feel of a mole. Below, I’ll post a chart to offer visual examples of warning signs to look out for. It’s vitally important that we perform regular skin exams in order to detect such skin changes before they have the chance to spread. Read more »

I know today’s topic will affect most of you out there. How do I know this? Because you’re sitting in front of a computer monitor reading. If you do that frequently enough and for long enough stretches of time, your eyes will start to rebel. But the reality is that many of us conduct some or all of our work in front of a Mac or PC. Since that’s the case, allow me to share a useful piece of information that can help make our eyes a little more forgiving. Read more »

Almost everyone is familiar with the term heartburn, which is also known as GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease). When GERD is left untreated it can create other problems. One possible health consequence of GERD is a condition called Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). Barrett’s Esophagus comes into the picture when acid reflux continually makes contact with the lining of the esophagus. This can be problematic because people with Barrett’s Esophagus are 30 to 40 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than the average population. Read more »

One of the greatest joys for a cinephile is being introduced to a piece of history that you never knew existed. Bottle Shock provided me with my most recent pleasure of this kind.

The film is based on the true story of the first “blind” wine competition between the reigning champions (the French) and the scrappy newcomers from Napa Valley (in northern California). Read more »