The outbreak and aggressive spread of Coronavirus is stealing our attention these days — alarming headlines, pictures of crowds in surgical masks, moment-to-moment update of statistics of reported cases, now in 53 countries and more by the time you read this. Collective alarm grips us. In our house, we’re preparing an emergency preparedness kit to stock up on groceries, coming up with coronavirus prevention tips and measures as well as other necessities against possible ‘supply chain interruptions’ that will happen if many workers get sick.
In the flurry of news, we are reminded of the things we can do to bolster […]
At Plum Spring Clinic, our holistic approach to healing chronic illness is grounded in the conviction that our well-being arises from our self-care in five major domains: happiness and resilience to stress; nutrition; exercise and movement; rest and sleep; and toxin avoidance and elimination. This article provides holistic health tips and features a brief discussion of each of the pillars of wellness.
First in the pillars of wellness, happiness, may seem to be simple; however, it takes no less attention or practice to achieve and is certainly no less important than the other four. […]
A research study conducted by the Canadian research program Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) and recently published in the Journal of the American Medical society has raised concerns about fluoride treatment as well as the effect of fluoride on the developing brain.
The researchers examined data from 512 mother-child pairs, with children born between 2008 and 2012, recruited from 6 sights in Canada. The researchers compared maternal urinary fluoride levels as well as self-reported maternal daily fluoride intake to the children’s IQ, assessed at ages 3 to 4 years. They found significant […]
Did you know that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US? In fact, the number of Americans diagnosed with skin cancer is higher than the number diagnosed with all other cancers combined and the rates continue to rise. Research has shown that sun exposure is the number one modifiable risk factor for this potentially deadly and disfiguring disease. Sun exposure also has been shown to cause premature skin wrinkling and aging. So it is no wonder that Americans are using sunscreen to provide skin protection more […]
I find myself exploring people’s minds for what’s going on in their body. And this is what I’ve found: The mind, particularly the part of the mind that holds our secrets, can torture us, body and soul.
I see a lot of people who have chronic back pain, fatigue, diarrhea, migraines, arthritis, and insomnia. They’ve been to their primary care physician, a specialist, a chiropractor, a psychiatrist and a physical therapist. They’ve had x-rays, scans, blood and urine tests. They’ve been on medication or supplements and may have been in therapy. They’ve changed their diets and taken meditation classes. And still […]
40 years ago last month, I started my internship in Pediatrics. Since then I’ve had a convoluted professional (and personal) path, but I observe a theme in that path – my attraction to families dealing with chronic illness and disabilities. My father was a physician who taught me that medicine is more art than science and the core of the art is respectful, caring talk. An observer of my career trajectory might see it as a search for the meaning and effective manifestations of his belief. I’d like to think they wouldn’t be mistaken.
One of my best childhood friends had […]
I have been studying trauma and its effects on our health. There is troubling and compelling evidence that adverse experiences—especially in childhood—hurt us in the long run in every way imaginable.
I see more women in my practice than men by about a ratio of about 2 to 1. I see illnesses that are complex and multi-system in nature. For example, many of my patients have both headaches and digestive problems that don’t get better with medication. I see patients who don’t sleep well and have disabling fatigue. I see people who gain weight and can’t get it off. […]
