Getting off statins is easy. Stop swallowing the pill. If you’re not in a potentially high-risk group (as described below) and your doc prescribed a statin to get your cholesterol down a bit, you won’t have a heart attack or a stroke that day or week or probably that decade. There’s no “statin withdrawal” and […]
Getting Off Your Meds, Part 1
Wait, don’t tell me. You’re taking a constellation of medications and you’d really like to stop. You hear the announcer listing all those side effects in TV commercials. Worse yet, you’re already experiencing some of them. You’re angry that every day of your life you pop a handful of…what is it you take exactly? You’re […]
WTF Happened To My Sex Drive?
I don’t mean to catch you mid-croissant on this topic, but I want to report the latest research on a woman’s libido and its relationship to her masturbation activities. If you’re a woman in your mid-40s or older, partnered or not, straight or gay, you may have noticed something about your sex drive you’re not […]
Lyme: The Latest, Part 2
Last week we looked at the fundamentals of Lyme disease and the different ways it can manifest. This week, diagnosis, treatment, and (first things last) prevention. Diagnosing Lyme The antibodies your body makes in response to infection with the Lyme spirochete underlie the two most common diagnostic tests for Lyme disease. The first antibody test […]
Lyme: The Latest
I’d guess that Lyme disease nears the top of the “more info please” requests I receive from both Health Tip readers and WholeHealth Chicago patients. There are three good reasons for this concern: Lyme disease is definitely on the upswing, both actual patient numbers and geographic spread. Treatment, especially for chronic Lyme, can be a […]
Your Body Keeps Score
This may be an emotionally difficult Health Tip for some of you. Imagine you’re a small child and for as long as you can remember, no one’s face has ever lit up with a smile when you walked into a room. In fact, to avoid being struck by a family member, you’ve learned a variety […]
Depression, Inflammation, and You
Posted 11/03/2014 You might not immediately think conditions as apparently disparate as depression and inflammation could be linked. Right up front, let me say if you’ve got a history of depression or anxiety, you’re not alone. With 11% of Americans over age ten taking antidepressants daily, we can probably triple that percentage to estimate the […]
No More Colonoscopies! (For Most of Us)
If you’re approaching 50, you’re facing issues unique to your next half century. Oh, sure, there are lots of good things to anticipate, like joining AARP for discounts on Depends or joining one of their affordable bus tours to the Dells. You can even fantasize about retirement, though it may be years and years away. […]
Children, Media, Health, and An Exciting New Kids’ Film App
I’ll be honest, this Health Tip starts out grim and depressing. That doesn’t give you permission to do a quick-draw on the delete button and move to the safety of your Facebook page. Listen up. Somewhere in your life, you’re probably involved with kids. They may not be your very own, but maybe you’re an […]
Overdiagnosed and Overtreated: Where’s Mine?
I recently read that mild high blood pressure is turning out to be one of the most overdiagnosed and overtreated health conditions. Untold millions are taking meds they probably don’t need, possibly experiencing unpleasant side effects in the process. The actual history–why we’re all taking inordinate amounts of blood pressure meds–was revealed when it was […]
Should I Get The Flu Shot?
It’s time again to ponder the flu immunization. When it comes to flu shots, I take a far more conventional approach than many patients at WholeHealth Chicago expect of a doctor who considers himself alternative/integrative. After reviewing some of the popular online alternative medicine newsletters warning people away from flu shots, it’s my sense that […]
Low-Carb vs Low-Fat: The Debate Is Over!
It’s mind-boggling how long this acrimonious debate has been raging among various experts. I remember myself as a fat little kid first hearing the word “calorie,” but was too busy chewing my second Snickers bar to pay much attention. By 11 or 12, I was taken (or rolled) to a weight loss “specialist” and remember […]
At the Corner of Criminal and Customer: Why Would Anyone Shop At Walgreens?
Sometimes when I hand a patient a prescription she’ll ask, “Where should I get this filled?” “Pretty much anywhere except Walgreens,” I answer, “unless you actually enjoy long waits and, if you’re taking a pain med, getting a humiliating third-degree runaround from the pharmacist. Me? I wouldn’t buy a toothpick from the place.” I usually […]
Let’s End Cancer Military Metaphors
The first notable use of illness described in military terms actually came from John Donne, the 16th century “No man is an island” poet. He described his terminal illness as a “cannon shot” and a “siege that blows up the heart.” In 1864, Louis Pasteur (probably trying to get government funding for his research) used […]
For A Longer Life…Stand Up Now!
By far the most common answer to my question, “Exercising these days?” is “Not enough.” This is usually accompanied by the briefest flicker of melancholy regret, as if by such a confession my patient has permanently abandoned the hopes and dreams of both a svelte body and enviable longevity. “Don’t worry,” I say, “It’s just […]
New Hope for Binge Eaters
That box of chocolate chip cookies you never should have purchased in the first place is sitting there on your kitchen table, luring you, taunting. Your period is due in two or three days and you feel grumpy, depressed, bloated. You’re agonizing. “Just a…couple/two, three at the most” you think, knowing you’ll actually feel emotionally […]
Leave Your Car At Home
Posted 08/25/2014 You must have read somewhere that every piece of research in the past few years has categorically shown the health benefits of walking or bicycling to work. If you live too far away from your workplace to make those options feasible, this Health Tip will make your day. With walking or cycling, your […]
Out Of Whack Hormones
“My hormones are out of whack!” That’s the single most common sentence I hear from my patients. It can come from a 25-year-old with irregular periods and industrial-strength PMS whose energy has gone down the tubes. Or from a 45-year-old (on the threshold of pre-menopause) who continues to gain weight even though she’s eating less […]
Is Inflammation Behind (Almost) All Disease?
You can see your factory-installed inflammation system in action when you cut yourself or get a big zit on your chin. As annoying as the redness, swelling, and pus are, they’re a sign your inflammatory response is functioning well to ward off attackers and keep your body intact. In the grand scheme of things, inflammation […]
Menopause and Acupuncture: Great News For Women
Some women sail through menopause like they’re traversing the calm waters of Walden Pond. You know who you are. First, your periods seem to be changing a little–shorter, longer, irregular, but overall not worth much thought. Then one day you realize you haven’t had one in months. “Well,” you think to yourself. “That was a […]