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Vaccinations, a fresh perspective
For the past 4 months I’ve watched as a public debate about the benefits vs. dangers of vaccinations has gone viral, to risk a pun. There has been a lot of misinformation presented, even from well meaning folk, including some colleagues whose opinions I typically respect. As many of my readers have questions about vaccinations, both for infants and adults, I’d…
Middle aged and want to lose weight?
There, I got your attention didn’t I? But I do have practical advice that can work for you, so stay with me. Let’s start by discussing what is probably the most ‘in your face diagnosis’ of the next ten years for most middle aged adults: diabetes. As an aside, we can argue the definition of middle aged, but I am…
Working your Attitude of Gratitude
It is so easy to get overwhelmed with what’s not right in our lives. Some days are a real struggle just to keep your head above water. When I was younger, I thought that ‘one of these days’ I was going to get it together enough to just cruise for a while. Hasn’t happened yet, and may not…ever. Sigh. …
Cut your depression in half: the benefit of targeted nutritional support when taking antidepressants.
About one out of four women in the US are taking antidepressants. While one can speculate on why this is the case, and as to whether drug therapy is getting at the root of their symptoms, those on SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac©, Zoloft©, Celexa©, Lexapro© and Paxil© should be aware that some simple nutritional factors can enhance the…
Exercise and the menstrual cycle
Did you know that your response to exercise can change through the phases of your menstrual month? Or that your choice of type or intensity of exercise during these phases may play a role in your success (or failure) to lose weight, or to gain muscle tone or fitness? Its far more true than most realize. The link in this…
Menopausal HRT done right is NOT a risky proposition
A recent review of the hormone literature supports what bio-identical literate doctors have been saying for years, that the bio-identical matches of hormone replacement (estrogen alone, or estrogen and progesterone) do not affect a woman’s risk of dying from any cause, or more specifically, from heart attack, stroke, or cancer. Dr. Khalid Benkhadra, M.D. and his colleagues presented a…
Good news for coffee lovers
A recent review of the medical literature on coffee use by the Gill Heart Institute came up with good news for coffee lovers. To summarize: -moderate coffee use does not increase hypertension or heart disease in general -coffee ingredients, especially the polyphenols reduce the risk of adult diabetes and stroke. -coffee does not increase the risk of congestive heart failure…
The Tutu project
This video tells a great human interest story about how one man decided to support his wife during her breast cancer treatment. But I think the real message for all of us is that life is too short to worry about being yourself and putting yourself out there, warts and all, when the cause is right. I don’t think that Bob…
Fatigued, Female and Forty
A study this month in the journal Menopause concluded that a number of dysfunctional gynecologic factors were strongly correlated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). For many years the demographics of chronic fatigue have suggested a hormonal connection: CFS is two to four times more common in women than in men and is most prevalent in women in their 40s. Gee,…
Traditional HRT continues to disappoint
Another big study speaks to what we’ve known for more than 14 years, that failing to use bio-identical progesterone with post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a risky proposition. One would think that the medical profession would be getting the message about this, but it’s a slow process. The British medical journal Lancet* recently reported on a long term review…
Breast cancer, coffee and alcohol.
Two recent studies confirm that drinking two of our favorite recreational beverages can improve or worsen breast cancer risk. It depends on what you drink, and how much. Alcohol and coffee intake and their associated breast cancer risk were studied in post-menopausal women. Both studies were from the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition), looking at 335,000…
Progesterone: The Queen of Female Hormones
Much is made of the role of estrogen as a dominant female hormone, but the crucial role of bio-identical progesterone (vs synthetic progestins) is something every woman should know more about. This article from one of my favorite compounding pharmacies gives an excellent review of the benefits of progesterone throughout the phases of one’s life. http://www.womensinternational.com/connections/progesterone.html