Imagine being so tired that you can’t function.  I’m not talking about being pooped at the end of a long day at work or exhausted after a big hike.  I mean the kind of tired that prevents working a normal job or the kind of tired that only allows doing a few hours of chores before having to go back to bed from being so wiped out.  Normally exercise gives one a bit of energy but not this type of tired – if not careful exercise just makes it worse. Now consider having this type of fatigue all the time, for months to years on end without relief, and even rest won’t help.  To make matters worse insomnia is usually present as well, so although one may be…

Nitric oxide (NO) is truly a miraculous compound that you need to know about since it plays a huge role in human health.  I routinely recommend a product that increases NO, called N1O1 for help with blood pressure, artery health, and healthy aging in general – read on to understand why. History of Nitric Oxide Nitric oxide was first identified as a gas by Joseph Priestly in 1772 and is a simple molecule consisting of just one atom of oxygen and one atom of nitrogen.  In 1977 Ferid Murad was investigating how nitroglycerin works and discovered that it can release nitric oxide which in turn was able to cause relaxation of smooth muscle cells.   In 1980 Robert Furchgott discovered that arteries would not relax without the presence of…

There are two worlds of medicine today, the conventional disease-centered model and the patient-centered model that treats each person as a unique entity with diverse systems of genetic, biologic, social and environmental inputs. As a board certified, teaching physician, I know the conventional system well, but as a “functional” medicine practitioner I feel like I am living in a medical parallel universe. For over one hundred years modern medicine has taught doctors to identify and treat disease. We learn the skills that lead us to a single diagnosis amongst all the different possibilities. The patient is then labeled as having this or that disease and for every disease there is an approved code, called the International Classification of Diseases or ICD. Version 9 has been replaced by version…

Skin is the largest organ in the body and has considerable influence on our well being both from a medical as well as psychological standpoint. The good news is that it is now well within reach of anyone to improve the health and appearance of their skin.  A comprehensive skin care program will address not just the outer look of the skin but inner health as well. Consider skin protection, products and procedures, laser and light therapies all as part of skin care, and skin care as part of your overall health routine. Treating the Inside One of the most successful things that will improve the health and look of the skin is to address internal factors such as hormones, inflammation, toxins, blood flow, lymph drainage, and cellular…

We can’t slow time, but we can turn back the hands a little with laser skin therapy. Take years off your skin age, reduce sun damage, smooth wrinkles and fine lines, and tighten and tone sagging lax skin. The latest generation of lasers for skin therapy is bringing remarkable results to anyone interested in bringing out the beautiful in their skin. Lasers work by transferring energy in the form of light into the skin where that light energy is absorbed by tissue and converted to heat. Different wavelengths of light are absorbed by different colors and will penetrate to different depths. The exact wavelength of light determines then what part of the skin is treated. Lasers use different crystals to separate out the desired wavelengths of light. Getting…

How delightful to learn that laughter really is the best medicine and will perhaps add as many good years to your life as other familiar health tips.  Could it be so simple that a positive attitude reduces heart disease and stress-related hormones, improves the immune system and leads to a longer life?  The scripture teaches that “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (proverbs 17:22) and it turns out science is supporting this notion. Happy people tend to live longer and experience better health than their unhappy peers according to a review of more than 160 studies of human and animal studies.  The lead author, University of Illinois professor emeritus of psychology Ed Diener summarized “the general conclusion from each type…

What if your routine cross-country ski jaunt turned emergent and you were stranded – would you be able to spend a night out in the mountains?  Or how about an incapacitating sprained ankle or illness during the backpacking trip – how would you deal with that?  Having the right medical gear is simple and might just save a life.  Here are some tips on where to start preparing or updating your wilderness medical kit. General Considerations Preparing a medical kit requires addressing a few general issues first.  What is the purpose of the kit?  The contents are determined by the nature of the trip, and the specific injuries or illnesses most often encountered.  My day kit is mostly a survival kit with fire starters, rescue mirror, emergency blanket,…

“Enkiri-enmusubi” (縁切り縁結び) refers to the Japanese cultural concept of cutting off bad ties or connections (enkiri) and forming or strengthening good ones (enmusubi). This practice is often associated with specific shrines in Japan where people seek divine intervention to end unhealthy relationships, habits, or circumstances and promote positive changes or outcomes.  The traditional shrines typically have a large stone monument with a hole in the center in which a person crawls through to symbolize the change. I visited one of the most famous shrines dedicated to enkiri-enmusubi, the Yasui Konpiragu Shrine, in Kyoto.  Crawling through a small hole in the giant stone marks the passage from the enkiri to the enmusubi, from the bad to the good.  At this shrine, I wrote my prayer on a small piece…

We specialize in a variety of injections that assist the body in healing injuries or regenerating tissue.  Arthritis can be reversed in some cases while most patients with even advanced arthritis can find relief from pain along with improved mobility.  Injured or inflamed tendons, ligaments or muscles respond very well to injection therapies.  The various injections we provide are a great non-surgical option, and a much healthier alternative to the standard, ultimately harmful steroid injections. Prolotherapy Prolotherapy is derived from the Latin word “proli” which means to regenerate or rebuild.  The traditional technique involves injecting a natural substance directly into the injured tissue in order to produce an inflammatory response which is then followed by a natural healing phase.  This is a very successful, and affordable procedure, but…

The term “Kaizen” (改善) is a Japanese term meaning “change for the better”. It embodies the philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement, focusing on making small, ongoing changes to processes to enhance efficiency, quality, and productivity. This can apply to work processes, personal habits, or any area of life where improvement is desired. Applying the Kaizen philosophy to health involves making small, sustainable improvements in daily routines, which collectively build better habits and lead to meaningful, long-term health improvements. Here are ways to employ Kaizen in improving health: Start with Small Steps in Exercise Begin with a short daily walk, such as 5–10 minutes, and gradually increase the time or intensity.  Small increments prevent burnout and make the habit easier to maintain.  Try adding mini exercises throughout the day—like…

What if I told you that years before someone found out they had cancer, we could draw their blood and find tumor cells shed from the primary tumor?  And, after the primary tumor is removed with no surrounding cancer cells found on microscopic exam, no cancer cells found in nearby lymph nodes, no serum markers positive for the cancer and normal imaging studies, we could still draw blood and find tumor cells?  One would be “tumor free” but not “cancer free”.  These are called “circulating tumor cells” or CTCs and to understand cancer treatment and what true remission means, you need to know about them. How Cancer Starts Video Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) Circulating tumor cells are cancer cells which have broken away from the primary tumor and…

Would you like to increase muscle mass, lose weight, build stronger bones, lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes, improve your immune system and preserve memory?  Two adrenal hormones are able to do all of this, but with normal aging the production of these health-promoting powerhouses naturally declines. I’m referring to pregnenolone and DHEA (de-hydro-epi-androsterone).  Made directly from cholesterol these steroid hormones are primarily created by the adrenal glands.  Reaching their peak levels about age 30 they then decline about 1-2% each year in men and women.  Even under ideal conditions about half of people have levels below optimum by age 50 and by age 60 it is rare to find someone who has a healthy blood level of these hormones. Pregnenolone Pregnenolone is known for its…

Picking the Right Product Now we are down to picking a specific product.  In this series we reviewed how to check labels for reputable products, what mineral forms to avoid, and a few general points about the type of vitamin ingredients.  We also focused on the role of oxidation and inflammation causing or contributing to multiple diseases and aspects of aging, as well as the importance of glutathione and methylation. Let’s start by choosing a broad spectrum multi-vitamin that includes all the necessary vitamins and minerals, anti-oxidants, and plant nutrients, with a specific list of ingredients. This should include nutrients that support the health of heart, bone, brain, liver, and eyes. It should also provide support for methylation and defense against oxidation and inflammation. There are many variations…

Control of Oxidation Because we live on planet earth we oxidize. Much like a piece of rusting metal the process of oxidation slowly damages our DNA and cellular functions. Oxidation is arguably the driving force behind the degenerative diseases of aging including heart disease, cancer and dementia, as well as being implicit in autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Even depression, autism and schizophrenia are known to have links to oxidation. Essentially we age due to oxidation. Mostly, the body generates oxidation in the process of producing energy. Cellular respiration is the process by which we convert nutrients into water and carbon dioxide, in the presence of oxygen, releasing energy. This energy production occurs deep in our cells in the mitochondria, the “generators” of cellular energy. Along the…

Do we need Supplements? On June 19, 2002, the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA) contained a scientific review article titled “Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults“, which addressed the debate regarding the use of vitamin supplements and the prevention of chronic disease in adults. After reviewing the body of evidence on this controversial subject, the researchers advised their medical colleagues that “the use of vitamin supplements is a prudent intervention in the fight against many chronic degenerative diseases.” The researchers stated that vitamin deficiency syndromes such as scurvy and beriberi are uncommon in Western societies. However, suboptimal intake of some vitamins, even above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk factor for chronic diseases. This scenario is common in the general population, especially the…

The humble fungi, with its visible fruit called the mushroom, holds some of nature’s most potent weapons. Used by the plant to protect it from invaders these natural compounds have been used for thousands of years to help fight cancer, boost the immune system, support kidney and liver function, and lower blood pressure. Recent research is uncovering the specific properties that make the mushroom such a medical miracle. In the 1980s scientists at Harvard University made the discovery that compounds within mushrooms were able to stimulate cells in the immune system. Since then there have been many studies uncovering more details of how mushroom supplements work and how effective they are in treating various illnesses. Different mushrooms from around the world seem to have slightly different benefits and…