As a quick introduction: when I write theses Health Tips, I usually flip through medical journals and medical libraries. Most often I’ll refer (or rather I sadly once referred) to the National Library of Medicine. This astonishing resource of worldwide medical research is now history. Here’s what appears when you click to it. Trump cut […]
“Exhaustion is my reality. At four o’clock, I’m wiped, totally wiped.” Patricia is forty-three, happily married as far as marriages go, one kid, steadily employed in the usual American less-than-satisfying corporate job, good eating habits, and, until recently, health club a few times a week. Now she’s too tired for that. By appearance, she’s dragging. […]
Many a time, either in person or via phone, someone will say a variation of the following, “Look, I’m taking all these vitamins and minerals but I really don’t know what I’m doing. I think I’m eating right but I might have some vitamin or mineral deficiencies that I know nothing about. I really don’t […]
If you’ve been to one of our centers, I’m sure you’ve seen the large leather recliner chairs, often containing a patient, busy on their smartphone, tablet or reading a book while on the receiving end of an intravenous drip. Over the next few Health Tips, I’ll be talking about what these infusions are used for […]
I’m fully aware the patient group at WholeHealth Chicago is an interesting bunch. With or without any chronic health issues, they’re what doctors call “pro-active” about their health and well-being. For example, Bob, with middle aged spread, his newly diagnosed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, started his treatment elsewhere is now meeting with Olivia Darrow, […]
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, late Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum. So let’s talk “brain” and say you’re in one of these four situations: 1. There’s dementia […]
I had planned this vacation for a long time, and now I was having breakfast at my hotel in Tokyo, Japan, planning what sites I would be visiting. Suddenly, my eye caught an internet article in the Washington Post that held my chopsticks mid-air: “Travel Can Slow the Aging Process” The lead author, Fangli Hu, […]
Last week, I talked about how naturopathic and functional medicine experts often start the healing journey (and aim to prevent future health issues) by focusing on the 30-foot digestive tract running from your mouth to your anus. The essence of good gut health is essentially how well you’re digesting, absorbing, and using the food you […]
About 25 years ago, when I was organizing what today is WholeHealth Chicago, I attempted to learn everything I could about all the fields of what was then called alternative medicine. Since naturopathic medicine, or naturopathy, didn’t really exist in Illinois (perpetually blocked by the Illinois State Medical Society), I flew to the west coast […]
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 […]
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 […]
You can’t remember the name of the Netflix movie you saw last night, scant hours ago. That actor–what was his name? He was in, you know, that other movie, with that woman with the hair. “Oh, where is my mind?”. Then you get a notice from Verizon that they’re turning off your phone for nonpayment. […]
Actually, after many years, the term has been changed to a more politically correct one: Illness Anxiety Disorder. Naturally, some degree of anxiety is totally appropriate when you are confronted with anything that might bring you protracted physical discomfort or shorten your precious lifespan (“Could this be it? The top line item on my Death […]
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 […]
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 scan all sorts of medical information sources to write these Health Tips. The usual ones that every doctor should be reading (JAMA, Medscape, etc.), but I don’t miss the New York Times and the Washington Post. I often find something I might have missed elsewhere. This article from the Times startled me, but it […]
If you’ve been to either of our centers, I’m sure you’ve seen patients relaxing in large recliner chairs, dozing, or busy on their smartphone, tablet or reading a book and on the receiving end of an intravenous drip. If you happen to glance at what’s in the intravenous tubing, you might notice it’s red, and […]
Honestly, if you Google ‘peptide therapy’, you’ll get overwhelmed by TMI (‘too much information’). Then you might be put off by claims that sound terrific (“Burn fat! Combat mental decline!” “Heal wounds! Reverse aging!”) but then make you feel, well, skeptical. Let’s face it, we’d all like ‘enhanced fat burning,’ ‘better wound healing’, ‘smoother skin’, […]
I sometimes wonder if new patients to WholeHealth Chicago think we’re overly preoccupied with their digestion, gut health, nutrition, and even the consistency and quality of their stool when they scheduled that appointment for a seemingly unrelated problem. We certainly treat a large variety of health concerns: anti-aging and disease prevention, dermatologic problems, chronic fatigue, […]
You’ll see ultraviolet lamps in many areas of hospitals and medical centers used in a variety of ways. Doctors began to appreciate the healing powers of ultraviolet light as far back as the early years of the 20th century. In 1903, Dr. Niels Finsen won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for curing lupus of the skin with ultraviolet violet. To this day, dermatologists rely on external UV for psoriasis and certain skin cancers. But sterilizing medical equipment, or treating psoriasis, use UV externally.
