Lyme Disease Basics Lyme disease is caused by the a bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) transmitted by the bite of infected an tick (Ixiodes, see pic below) that live on deer. It is primarily found in the eastern and Midwest US and a small area of Northern California NOT Arizona or any other neighboring states. (See map below)Most infections occur between May and […]

   1. Avoiding stimulants such as  caffeine and nicotine close to bedtime. Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster but too much close to bedtime can disrupt sleep in the second half of the night as the body begins to process the alcohol.   2. Exercise. As little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, can drastically improve […]

1.  Eating dairy products like milk or ice cream will make your cold worse. No evidence that dairy products affect the course of a cold Most colds are caused by viruses and last 7-10 days Frozen dairy products, like ice cream, can soothe a sore throat and provide calories when you otherwise may not eat   2. A woman’s actions/experiences during early […]

One of the great advantages of the internet is the abundance of health information at your fingertips. Health myths are widespread. Here are some popular myths and the real deal.

    The cesarean section operation has come a long way. Prior to the late 1800s, cesarean section was a last ditch effort to save a baby when the mother had already died or to allow baptism of the baby prior to burial.  Today cesarean, or c-section, is one of the most common, and one of the safest operations women […]

Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, if you live in the United States, you have been and will be inundated with thinking about things from October (August?) to the new year.  To help me resist the madness of black Friday, small business Saturday and cyber Monday, I have determined to meditate on the things I already have for […]

How do you find a ‘good’ doctor? What are the right questions to ask to evaluate a health care provider? Are there tools to help? Click the link below for steps to help you find your partner in good health. Finding Dr. Right

While astronomically, summer starts around June 21st, culturally Memorial day marks the official start of the summer season while Labor day marks its official end.  The holiday season is in desperate need of similar cultural anchors. Or maybe it’s just me.  The holiday creep is wearing me out–Christmas related products in Costco before Halloween almost did me in this year. […]

It is October and breast cancer awareness month, so many people are thinking about breast cancer.  But in the last few days breast cancer has been front and center in my personal life. By Sunday I felt like I had been crying for three days straight. On Thursday Night I went to see the debut performance of Life in the […]

Articles in the news this week have been seemed tailor made to reinforce the talk I gave last week.  I came across an article today on Alternet where the author beautifully highlights the difference between health insurance and health care as he talks about his experience with malignant melanoma.   (Coming soon to youtube.)  Simply, health insurance is a contract between […]