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GUM STORIES

Head tilted back, mouth stretched to the max to accommodate fingers, cotton, and something metallic and vaguely medieval, my plaque was sandblasted to smithereens. My dentist wrinkled his nose and peered inside, cocked an eye, and remarked, “You have very youthful gums.”  I cannot deny my unalloyed pleasure hearing this. I’d been thinking about aging […]

I’m Taking So Many Meds! What Can I Stop? Part One: Antidepressants

Although many new patients arrive at WholeHealth Chicago with chronic symptoms and a history of no help elsewhere (“You’re my 12th doctor.”). Others pour out a bagful of medications with a mournful, “I’ve got to get off of some of these!”. Going off a bevy of psych meds is a popular request, especially when the […]

Reversing Cognitive Decline and Preventing Alzheimer’s

You saw a movie last week and in discussing it with friends simply can’t remember the important parts. Plus you just missed another appointment. Planning to drive to a north suburb, you instead got on the southbound expressway and after 15 minutes of Loop traffic realized your error. You’re mixing up words and forgetting too […]

”Leaky Brain” the True Villain Behind “Brain Fog”

In the physiology and neurology classes of medical school, you learn a lot about the importance of something called the “blood brain barrier”. You’ve seen blood, of course. The bright red liquid carrying oxygen, nutrients, etc., etc. But your brain and spinal fluid should always be crystal clear, unless infected or inflamed. Separating blood from […]

YES! TELL ME HOW TO PREVENT CANCER!

After a certain age, every person, doctors included, fears getting cancer. Hearing words like, “I see something worrisome on your pancreas” or “this could be leukemia” is a moment you will remember forever. You leave the doctor’s office utterly stunned and wondering “how long have I got?” and asking yourself “what could I have done […]

HERBS AND MEDICATIONS FOR PRE-DIABETES AND DIABETES

Last week, when I mentioned discussing meds for pre-diabetes (HbA1c 5.7-6.4) or diabetes (6.5 and higher), I thought, “Wait a minute. Health Tip readers really don’t want meds. They do want to try lifestyle changes and herbs first.” As you may remember, your unhealthy, high carb-high sugar lifestyle is exhausting your pancreas, the source of […]

TELL ME SOMETHING I DON’T KNOW ABOUT PRE-DIABETES AND DIABETES

Last week, I talked about the importance of getting your act together if you learn you have pre-diabetes. This is when your body can’t handle excess sugar (glucose) and something has gone wrong with the control system, namely insulin, which lowers glucose, from your pancreas, which produces insulin. Remember, one adult in three is pre-diabetic […]

Turning the Winter Blues Around: A 10-Step Action Plan

The winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), usually begin when the days get shorter and the sky clouds over into perpetual gray. Many people with SAD dread late autumn because the clocks move back an hour and, in a single day, autumn twilight becomes dark night. Symptoms of SAD include depression, brain […]

PREDIABETES, DIABETES, AND YOU

When I was in medical school, I was repeatedly told, “If you learn ‘diabetes’, you’ll learn all you’ll need to be a good doctor.”  I soon learned the basis of this cryptic sentence was that diabetes, whether Type 1 (childhood) or Type 2 (the far more common adult onset), if left unchecked, could go on […]

What is Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and Can It Help Me?

Fifteen years ago or so was the first time I wrote about the endlessly fascinating multi-purpose inexpensive Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Among the majority of conventional physicians, the “needle” has moved slightly from “never heard of it” to “I’ve heard of it but don’t prescribe it.” I guess you could call it a ‘guarded improvement.’ […]

NINE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO PRESERVE YOUR BRAIN

High on the wish list (probably highest, actually) of a new patient coming into WholeHealth Chicago for “wellness” is not just “longevity” but “longevity plus ‘brains/wit/wisdom’”, a la Betty White, Norman Lear, George Burns, actor Mike Nussbaum. So let’s talk “brain” and say you’re in one of these four situations:  For everyone listed above, 1 […]

Some Easy New Year’s Resolutions for Longevity

Now that we’ve entered another New Year, here are a few REALLY EASY resolutions that will boost your health and likely to prolong your life. If I’m wrong, and you find yourself unexpectedly on the underside of the sod, call me for a full refund. No questions asked. You probably never called it that but […]

You Can Get Better Sleep

You may have discovered as you travel this weary road of life that you’re not sleeping quite as well as you did when younger. Gone are the glory days when you fell asleep next to Mom listening to a bedtime story, and then it was morning! “Why?”, you ask (and probably too often), “Am I […]

I Have So Many Symptoms and Have Seen So Many Specialists!

I knew exactly where this conversation with new patient, Mary, was headed (for me). In fact, when I read through my associate Brett Eaton’s intake notes, Brett herself had made Mary’s diagnosis during her first visit to WholeHealth Chicago. She was seeing me for ‘confirmation’ and to discuss treatment. But equally adept diagnosticians are any […]

WHY THIS SUDDEN INCREASE IN “FATTY LIVER”?

I know ‘fatty liver’ has an unhealthy ring to it and all-in-all, without even knowing exactly what ‘fatty liver’ happens to be, you’d rather hear, “Your liver tests all look fine” from your practitioner then, “Hmm, need some more tests. Might have some fatty liver here.” Don’t start wringing your hands in despair, eyes Heavenward, […]

Wellness Path To Cancer Prevention 2024

After a certain age, every person fears getting cancer (and believe me, doctors are just as fearful as everyone else!). Being told, “I’m sorry but the biopsy confirmed it. You have cancer,” or “we need to find you a good oncologist,” is a moment you will remember the rest of your life. As you leave […]

“Your Tests Are Negative. There’s Nothing Wrong. I Think You Need A Psychiatrist.”

I hope you never have to hear these words from any doctor. Dismissive and ending anything useful you hoped from a consultation. You scheduled this appointment months earlier. You wanted help for longstanding and unexplained symptoms. But you’re also not stupid. You actually have an idea what might be wrong. You’ve read a book or […]

You Really Should Learn About Medicinal Herbs

It was in the papers and online just last week: women, who have always outlived men longevity wise, just widened the gap a bit more. All sorts of usual suspects: guns, drugs, self-neglect, poor diets, more smoking. But one factor wasn’t mentioned, probably not worth considering by statisticians, and that’s this: All around the world, […]

Leaky Gut Syndrome: At Long Last, An Accepted Diagnosis!

Leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal hyperpermeability, is a disorder that never appeared in any medical textbook I encountered in school. I first learned of its existence at an integrative medicine meeting many years ago, and since then, I’ve lost count of how many times this condition has turned out to be the root […]

NEWS FOR WOMEN ABOUT A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND ADD

If you’ve got some spare time, you might want to read two or three articles summarizing the work of Claudia Goldin, the first woman to be a solo winner for the Nobel Prize in Economics. Most involves gender inequalities, especially in marriage and the workplace. The results of which I observe with painful regularity in […]