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Skin Care from the Inside-Out: How what we eat affects our skin health
Skin Care from the Inside-Out: How what we eat affects our skin health “Let food be our medicine, and medicine be our food” ~ Hippocrates One my all time favorite medical words ( peristalsis and uvula are other top ones) is angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels; a vital process for growth and development in the body. However, these new blood vessels are also a vulnerable to tumor growth; where cancer cells may step in if they are given the chance. Although it’s very important to remember that the body does not want to be sick and will do its very best to make sure that…
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Ask the Doctor :: What lab tests are best to determine my heart health?
Image Courtesy of Flickr Ask the Doctor: Question: I’m thinking I should talk to my doctor about my heart. Do you recommend any labs I might ask to be done? Below are a few lab tests that I suggest to my patients; however, but I always remind my patients that blood tests are not the determining factors for your risk of heart disease – your lifestyle habits are equally as important at if not more important, so be sure to talk to your doctor about optimizing your everyday health. On a side note: I usually encourage my patients to do yearly lab work that covers the basics- complete blood count, …
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Ask the Doctor :: Tips to Help Your Child Cope with Stress
Ask the Doctor: Question: My teen is showing signs of stress, mostly due to homework and sports. What can I do to support her, nutritionally? We tend to forget that our children get feel stressed: from learning to walk and talk to taking exams. Most stress is acute; however, when stress becomes chronic, not only are the adrenal glands working harder – additional hormones are released – other systems of the body begin working to balance the extra load of the adrenals, nutrient distribution is increased possibly causing low levels of certain nutrients plus, the immune system becomes suppressed (approximately 70% of the immune system is located in the…
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Ask the Doctor :: Best Supplements for Teens
Ask the Doctor: Question: My teenage daughter seems sluggish and has skin blemishes. It is hard to get her to eat properly, but what supplements could I give to her? Being a teenager is work; they are learning not only what is taught in school but tremendous life lessons. Unfortunately, diet is usually not a priority so supplementation can be ( simple) and essential. We are smoothie drinkers in our house which I appreciated when my kids were young and now again, as they are tweens and teenagers; I can hide things in smoothies! Below are a few supplements I have my kids take regularly. For a vitamin…
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Ask the Doctor :: Scaly, Itchy Eczema Patches
Ask the Doctor: Question: My son has scaly, itchy patches on the inside of both arms which sometime are wet. What is it? Many years ago, I had a newly adopted patient presenting with a thick, scaly, itchy patch behind her left ear. Her parents, as expected, were nervous, however, it only took a few short weeks of changing her diet and applying soothing salve to see the profound results. Eczema is prevalent and according to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology up to 18% of children have eczema; this research was only conducted on diagnosed children and did not include adults. Eczema is an inflammatory, non-contagious skin condition that creates the…
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Ask the Doctor: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) 101
Ask the Doctor: Question: I sometimes have acid reflux, which is horrible. What is it and how can I prevent it? Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux or reflux esophagitis is a condition when the contents of the stomach regurgitates ( leaks) back into the esophagus and causes an burning irritation – due to some acid and the digestive enzyme pepsin – in the esophagus. Let’s step back and talk about the anatomy and physiology. Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and the secretion of saliva. Both break down foods in order to allow easy swallowing and help the stomach with food breakdown. Once the food…
