No, that nickname is not from me. However, it definitely is one of the praises heaped upon by scientists around the world as they describe the wonders of this one strain of bacteria in your intestinal microbiome. Read carefully. Link to the research papers if you like. If you have enough Akkermansia (full name Akkermansia […]
Author: wholehealthchicago
NUTRITIONAL INFLUENCES ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
Depressed? Anxious? In the cynical ideal world of your insurance company’s CEO, he’d like you to have a one visit with your primary care provider (PCP) and, if you absolutely must, a referral to a visit to a mental health counselor. Not too many of these visits, as these cost money and you’re usually allowed […]
GETTING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED AND REFILLED AT WHOLEHEALTH CHICAGO
“I’m about to run out of my hormones….my Adderall..my blood pressure meds.” “My pharmacist said he sent a FAX…I need an early refill…I’m leaving for Paris in 3 days!” Okay, okay, slow down. I’m going to walk you through the incredible complexity of rules and regulations concerning your prescriptions. On the one hand, my dedicated […]
YOUR “LOW ESTROGEN FACE” AND HOW WE CAN HELP
Sex hormones are not to be taken lightly. Some recent research measuring blood levels of estrogen in several hundred young women and then making facial “composite photos” showed that those with normal to high (but not too high) levels of estrogen were more physically (read “sexually”) appealing. Go overboard with estrogen and all sorts of […]
UNDERSTANDING CANDIDA, ONCE AND FOR ALL!
Patients come to WholeHealth Chicago regularly with this common refrain: “You’re the fourth (or seventh or tenth) doctor I’ve seen. I feel terrible but am always told that my tests are normal and there’s nothing wrong with me.” Then they’ll add: “I read about Candida overgrowth and the symptoms seem to fit me exactly. I […]
CASE STUDY: ECZEMA FROM HELL
Tracy had wisely trimmed her fingernails to avoid injuring her own skin, but as she sat in my office she continuously rubbed one part of her body or another with the ball of her thumb in order to relieve the itching. Dermatologists sometimes refer to this as, “The itch that rashes, rather than the rash […]
SUPPLEMENTS I TAKE. “REALLY? EVERY DAY?!” ACTUALLY, MOST OF THEM TWICE A DAY.
Every two or three years, I list the supplements that I myself have been taking for just about twenty years or so, adding or subtracting one or two based on some new research findings. I also mention just why I take them. For example, after decades of fish oil capsules, I’ve pretty much dropped these when […]
PIGS AT A TROUGH
I regularly revisit my battered copy of a 2013 Time Magazine Special Report, “Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us”, with the same conflicted feeling I had at about age six when I learned that something painful, like picking a scab or jiggling a loose tooth, also afforded a secret pleasure that could not be shared […]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES
As a woman, unless you undergo the ‘instant menopause’ of a total hysterectomy, anticipate your own menopause transition in one of three ways. First, there’s “Menopause Heaven.” Your periods will lighten, become erratic, then stop altogether. A year goes by, and you’ll say, “Oh, so that was menopause. I wonder what everyone is complaining about.” […]
”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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Heart Disease Prevention Part 3
The (alleged) BIG NEWS in health care last week, that spread through CNN, Prevention Magazine, NYT, Journal of the AMA, etc. etc., was the publication in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology which compared the cholesterol lowering effect of statins to those of several nutritional supplements (cinnamon, fish oil, garlic, red yeast rice, […]
Heart Disease Prevention Part 2: Getting Started
Checking Your Family History Most people aren’t certain what illnesses run in their family and how dangerous these might be. Probably best not to spend much time agonizing about this, unless you’re pretty sure there was an unusually excessive amount of premature deaths (50’s, 60’s) from heart disease. Better to work mainly on yourself. Hearing […]