A friend of the site recently posed an interesting question. She wondered whether drinking coffee adversely affects sex hormone levels in women. In particular she inquired about supposed estrogenic elements in coffee which may lead to an excess of estrogen or “estrogen dominance” in women. Ultimately, her concern was that regular coffee consumption could confer similar side effects as hormone replacement therapy.
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By now, most health conscious consumers understand that eating potato chips regularly does not contribute to long term wellness. This truism even extends to cleverly marketed brands that feature alluring package claims such as, “All Natural!”; “Baked, Not Fried!”; “Featuring Organic Potatoes!” and “Now With Sea Salt!”. The intrinsic problems with potato chips still remain even if the finest ingredients are used. First and foremost, potatoes are high-glycemic vegetables which can cause harmful fluctuations in blood sugar. The baking and/or frying process is also part of the problem. It generates a carcinogenic chemical compound known as acrylamide. But the desire for something crunchy and salty to snack on runs deep in people throughout the world. What to do? Perhaps it’s time to think outside of the box and consider something entirely different, but equally delicious: seaweed. That’s right – seaweed.
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If you’ve been following the news lately you probably know that the new Patient’s Bill of Rights has just gone into effect. There’s been plenty of analysis, controversy and debate about just what this means for our country and the future of health care. But what hasn’t been made clear enough is exactly how the enacted changes will affect the everyday health care decisions that insured consumers will make.
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Natural medicine is applicable to all stages of life, from the day we’re born to the end of our days. By this, I’m not just referring to traditional healing practices that you’d expect to use in adults and children alike, such as good nutrition, herbal remedies and massage. The recent integration of science into the fields of holistic medicine and psychology has spawned a new way of incorporating non-pharmacological and non-surgical options into the repertoire of all physicians who choose to embrace it. My Healthy Monday tip of the week is to consider hypnosis for recurrent headache pain, “nondrug lifestyle measures” for nocturia (frequent nighttime urination) and soy supplements for menopausal symptoms.
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One of the dynamics in modern medicine that I hope will change in the near future is how patients and physicians interact. I’d love for most doctor’s appointments to begin with a question such as this: Doctor: “Do you have any information that you’d like to share with me before I begin my examination?” Patient: “I’ve done some research about my condition and I’ve printed out some specific details I’d like to discuss with you.” In order for this type of exchange to be successful a few common sense steps are necessary. The first is that physicians embrace the concept of patients being partners in their own health care decisions. But patients will need to do their part as well. It’s not fair or practical to deluge time-pressed doctors with piles of paper work. Instead, it’s best to be as concise as possible and reserve added details if they’re requested.
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Cooking can be an adventure. I recently undertook a recipe that involved using an ingredient and cooking technique that were completely new to me. In doing so, there was a certain degree of excitement and trepidation involved, but it’s precisely that kind of risk and uncertainty that can produce a richly rewarding (and delicious) experience. Today’s recipe now ranks among my favorite seafood meals of all time. What’s best of all is that I know exactly how it was made and the quality of the healthful components contained therein.
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A rather confrontational question was recently posed to me by a guest at a dinner party. The exchange itself was relatively brief so I didn’t get the chance to learn much about the inquisitor. But I suspect that he had at least some training in the conventional medical field. He wondered how in the world I could be supportive of unconventional practices such as acupuncture and guided imagery when there are countless medications that can produce similar effects in a more predictable manner. This “gentleman” went on to list a few of his favorite examples. My response was that many holistic practices tend to encourage the body to augment its own production of biochemicals rather than introducing foreign chemicals to accomplish a comparable end.
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It’s hard to believe but I’ve been writing this blog for over a year and half now. In that time I’ve written hundreds of columns that I hope will be relevant for many years to come. The best way to ensure relevancy is to revisit old topics from time to time. This is an advantage for online writers. Unlike text book authors, we can update our work with the most current scientific data without having to request a revision from a publisher. This provides a winning situation for the readers, the writers and the trees that won’t be turned into pages.
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The topic of breastfeeding and infant formula has been on my mind lately. Perhaps it’s because a colleague and friend recently had a baby. My brother-in-law and his wife are also expecting. With all of the contradictory information out there about prenatal nutrition, I wonder how they and other parents-to-be decide on what’s best for the babies. Thankfully, it seems that at least one area of prenatal care isn’t widely contested – breastfeeding. If a mother is healthy and capable of providing adequate breast milk, it is generally considered the optimal source of nourishment. But much like infant formula, the quality of breast milk is largely dependent upon what ingredients it contains. This is why what a mother eats and supplements with during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is vitally important. My Healthy Monday tip of the week is for expectant mothers to discuss essential fatty acid supplementation with their physicians.
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There is an enormous gap between what we know and don’t know in the field of alternative and complementary medicine. Countless questions remain unanswered simply because there isn’t enough financing and resources to test in a scientific manner. That’s why it’s vitally important to put to use every last study that has been conducted. Because even the slightest of experiments can yield important clues that help bridge the knowledge gap. Read more »

I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

Every once in a while I stumble across a “Where are they now?” program on television – a show documenting the lives of famous figures long after the spotlight has left them behind. A similar analogy could be made in the field of medicine. Select foods, medical procedures and supplements are always the recipients of media attention, but typically, it doesn’t last for very long. Does this mean that they’re no longer noteworthy once the spotlight has left them behind? Not from my perspective. That’s why I think it’s so important to continually update the columns I’ve written in the past. Read more »

Virtually all of the sciences strive to help mankind progress. What’s more, the desire to learn new things and build upon the past is a deeply ingrained characteristic of being human. On the other hand, so is forgetting the past. A case in point is the way modern science views nutrition. Surely there must be a better way of eating than the example set by generations far removed from ours. We’re smarter these days! It’s like comparing one of the first automobiles to the all-terrain, automatic, computer assisted, hybrid vehicles of the present. Right? Not if you ask some truly progressive physicians such Dr. Richard Feinman and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Read more »