August is Breastfeeding month in the US A woman’s ability to grow new humans and feed them from their bodies is a real life superpower.  Most women make milk when pregnant and are physically capable of breastfeeding according to recommendations. The benefits of breastfeeding to mom and baby are well known. Unfortunately, there are many barriers for a mother who […]

Facts The range of human emotions includes many more negative than positive feelings. fear, anger, shame, disgust, Negative feelings can be helpful because they help us recognize, avoid and overcome threatening or dangerous situations. Can a Bad Mood be Good? (This does not apply to clinical depression) Bad moods are Normal and common Can be a useful and adaptive part […]

Colon or colorectal cancer, is defined as cancer that starts in the large intestine or the rectum (the end of the colon). Most colorectal cancers start as a growth on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. These growths are called polyps. The Problem Colorectal cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Colon cancer incidence in 2017 97,220 new […]

Teen dating violence is any physical, sexual, psychological or emotional abuse in a dating relationship between teenagers or young adults. 1 in 10 teens say a boyfriend or girlfriend intentionally hit or physically harmed them at least one time in the past year. Among high school students who dated, 21% of females and 10% of males experienced physical and/ or […]

Having children, like everything else in the culture, is affected by social trends.  Today’s moms are more educated than ever before; a majority are in the labor force and many serve as the only or primary income earner for their families. Some major social changes include: More women are staying single. The percentage of women who have never married was 15% […]

Thyroid Problems are very Common Nearly 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Thyroid disease can impact men and women, at any age. Women are 5-8 times more likely to have thyroid problems. 10-12% of women will develop thyroid disease. Overactive thyroid—hyperthyroidism. Under-active thyroid—hypothyroidism. Graves’ disease, or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Thyroid Gland Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in […]

    The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above your collarbone that produces hormones to control the rate of many activities in your body.  Some of these activities include how fast you burn calories; your body weight, heartbeat, body temperature and menstrual bleeding. Thyroid problems are common. Nearly 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid […]

April is IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) Awareness Month. Difficult to talk about, so IBS is under-diagnosed. IBS affects nearly 25% of adults. $1.6 billion in health-related spending each year in the US. IBS is not life-threatening but can cause significant pain and distress. No test to definitively diagnose IBS. More common in women than men. Used to be called, colitis, […]

Prescription medicines and vitamins may be a part of your regimen to stay healthy but use comes with responsibilities Take medications as prescribed Store and dispose of medications safely Minimize risk of use and abuse by others *Almost 7,000 overdose and 1,000 deaths in AZ this year! *Arizonans make about 10,000 calls per year regarding possible medication poisoning in children. […]

Deciding to have sex is a big deal.  Opinions vary on how big a deal it is but at the very least it is a physician and emotional intimacy that can result in lifelong consequences. With sexual activity comes responsibilities for you and your partner’s physical and emotional health. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you are ready […]