Archive for May, 2010

Good Doctors

May 28, 2010 Written by JP

I recently had two positive experiences while visiting a couple of allopathic physicians. The first occurred when my wife and I went in for our yearly physical, convenient because we both see the same doctor. After a thorough, “old school” examination he proclaimed, “You guys don’t really need me. You already know all the right things to do and you’re doing them”. That’s a bit of an overstatement, but it’s a clear example of his approach to medicine. This is a physician who doesn’t like to waste money or time – his or ours. A couple of weeks later we made a surprise visit to the emergency room. My wife took a nasty fall and hit her head on a steel beam. Needless to say, we fully expected that a CT scan would be required to rule out a concussion or worse. But once again, the doctor we saw opted for a more conservative approach. He explained that he prefers to use CT scans only when forced to by the presence of certain critical symptoms. He simply does not like to expose the brain to large doses of unnecessary radiation. Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Diabetes, Nutrition | 6 Comments & Updates

Danactive and Protein Requirements

May 27, 2010 Written by JP

Here’s an age old question: “Do you need to see something in order to believe it?”. The answer for some is “yes” and many require visual proof before they can accept something as legitimate or real. But there’s a whole other camp of thought. Some ascribe to the notion that you must first believe something is possible before you’re capable of seeing it. There isn’t a chance in the world that I can negotiate an agreement between these two schools of thought. However, a recent post on Twitter adds an interesting twist to this debate.
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Posted in Diabetes, Heart Health, Nutrition | 4 Comments & Updates

Mitrogenol for Eye Health

May 26, 2010 Written by JP

Glaucoma is an eye condition which affects approximately 2.5 million men and women in the United States alone. It is characterized by increased inner eye pressure which can cause damage to the optic nerve and, thereby, result in vision loss. Fortunately, the combination of two nutraceutical ingredients has recently shown a reduction in intraocular pressure and an improvement overall eye health. (1)
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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Nutritional Supplements, Product Reviews | 11 Comments & Updates

Shrimp Diablo Recipe

May 25, 2010 Written by JP

My favorite types of recipes are those that can be enjoyed at elegant dinner parties, informal get togethers and even as snacks on lazy days when you’re home alone. I’m talking about foods that can be easily incorporated into main courses or satisfy equally well as appetizers or hors d’oeuvres. One such dish is my version of Shrimp Diablo. Read more »


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Posted in Nutrition, Recipes | 4 Comments & Updates

Eat Less Naturally

May 24, 2010 Written by JP

Have you ever noticed that you eat more on days following a poor night’s sleep? Maybe you graze voraciously on snack foods while at school or work or perhaps you can’t control your appetite very well when you sit down for lunch or dinner. If you’re all too familiar with either of these patterns, then you might want to make this a Healthy Monday by resolving to place a higher priority on sleep.
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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss | 5 Comments & Updates

Berries, Nuts and Spices

May 21, 2010 Written by JP

Hippocrates, the much revered ancient Greek physician and “father of Western medicine”, is reputed to have said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Modern science continually supports his notion that common, everyday foods can indeed possess medicinal properties. But that doesn’t mean that every natural food will be therapeutic under every circumstance. Rather, researchers need to study nutritional medicine meticulously on a case-by-case basis.
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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 15 Comments & Updates

Improved Sleep and Testosterone Levels

May 20, 2010 Written by JP

The key to being a great patient being a meticulous detective. How long do you spend at a typical doctor’s appointment? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? An hour if you’re lucky? Now compare that to the number of waking hours you spend with yourself. The fact of the matter is that you know infinitely more about yourself than any physician can ever know. If you pay close attention to what’s going on with your body, mind and surroundings you can be a tremendous resource in assisting your health care team to determine what’s right and what’s wrong with you. Read more »


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Posted in Food and Drink, Memory, Men's Health | 13 Comments & Updates

Natural Mood Boosters

May 19, 2010 Written by JP

According to the National Institute of Mental Health almost 10% of the US adult population is living with a mood disorder. Approximately 15,000 million of these men and women carry the diagnosis of major depressive disorder. An additional 3 million adults are dealing with a milder form of chronic depression referred to as dysthymic disorder. (1) Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Mental Health, Nutritional Supplements | 27 Comments & Updates

Healthy Cauliflower Risotto Recipe

May 18, 2010 Written by JP

This past weekend a client consulted with me about how to select healthier food options when dining out. In practical terms this often means asking for substitutions for starchy and/or sweet food items. For example you can request to have a side of grilled asparagus or wilted spinach instead of pasta or risotto. However this suggestion sometimes segues into a common concern among those trying to lose weight or otherwise improve their health. “You mean I can never eat risotto again?!” The short answer is, “Of course you can”. But the more nuanced response is that such delicacies should probably be saved for special occasions and not be eaten as a regular part of your menu plan.
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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 12 Comments & Updates

Milk and Constipation

May 17, 2010 Written by JP

This is my second entry in a series of columns that will be carried on the Healthy Monday web site. As a reminder, the goal of the Healthy Monday program is to offer practical suggestions that may help reduce the incidence of preventable disease. In my opinion, one of the best ways to accomplish this objective is to address the underlying issues that lead to health disorders in the first place. Get to the root of the problem rather than simply rely on medications to manage symptoms. Read more »


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Posted in Detoxification, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 13 Comments & Updates

Nancy Onyett Interview

May 14, 2010 Written by JP

People visit this site daily from all corners of the world – from Canada to India and in between. If not for the World Wide Web, these readers would probably never know about me. The same can be said for my recent discovery of a truly unique individual in the field of integrative medicine, Nancy Onyett, FNP-C. Read more »


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Posted in Interviews, Women's Health | 15 Comments & Updates

Twitter Thursday Highlights

May 13, 2010 Written by JP

This past weekend I was discussing meditation with my dad. For years I’ve been trying to get him to meditate without much success. The thing about my father is that he’s great about taking supplements and pretty on-the-ball about diet and exercise. But when it comes to mind-body practices, I’ve yet to successfully convert him. I hope that today’s column will be the incentive he needs to finally take the leap and begin some form of stress relieving therapy. My wish for today is that you’ll all be able to take something of value from what I write here and apply it to your life. That could mean adopting a meditative practice, eating grass-fed instead of conventional meat or spending a little more time in the kitchen preparing simple recipes that support your health care goals. Read more »


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Posted in Memory, Mental Health, Recipes | 2 Comments & Updates

Osteopenia and Osteoporosis Alternative

May 12, 2010 Written by JP

Whenever possible, I like to turn the spotlight on alternative remedies to potentially dangerous medications. A class of drugs known as bisphophonates are best sellers in the senior population. Older women tend to be the primary recipients of prescriptions for Actonel, Boniva and Fosamax because they’re geared toward stemming the loss of bone density. My problem with bisphosphonates is the quality of bone they ultimately yield, which can be brittle, and their questionable side effect profile. Patients and physicians have reported instances of “acute influenza-like illness”, arterial fibrillation, esophageal irritation, gastrointestinal upset, musculoskeletal complaints and osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw that appear to be associated with long term use of these medications. (1,2,3)
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Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements | 15 Comments & Updates