Vitamin D is Too Good Not to Be True

photo bright yellow sun

Several years ago when I attended the first medical conference on vitamin D designed for clinicians, the limited data we had were very exciting.  There was also many reasons to be skeptical and many were.  It all sounded too good to be true they thought. Maybe higher vitamin D levels just told us who was […]

Tastes, Vitamin Supplements, and Wild Foods

photo pills and capsules

A controversial but prominent advocate of immunizations in the United States is now becoming a vocal critic of nutrition.  In advance of his new book, which advertisements and reviews suggest is a diatribe against acupuncture, chiropractic, supplements, etc., he wrote an editorial for the New York Times espousing the harms of vitamin supplements.  In the […]

Light on Vision

phto woman's eye

Needing to wear glasses has long been viewed as a mark of geekiness without any other real significance.  “Just bad luck”, the medical experts said.  “Your eyeball is just shaped wrong and there is nothing you can do about it”. Dissenting voices, especially from the fuzzier end of the alternative medical spectrum, promoted eye exercises […]

Calcium and D Don’t Build Bone Right

We are supposed to make mistakes so that we learn.  Sometimes medical authorities, especially those who issue official guidelines, are remarkably intellectually dull.   A current example is the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation not to take vitamin D and calcium to prevent bone fractures. If they were correct, if this were based upon […]

The Wisdom of Effective Annual Health Screening

photo Joseph Bell

A recent article in the NY Times caught my eye.  I couldn’t have agreed more, and also less.  Titled “Let’s (Not) Get Physicals”, it was a reflection on the problems with conventional routine physical exams.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/sunday-review/lets-not-get-physicals.html?pagewanted=all The time-honored tradition has been for a thoughtful patient to see her/his doctor for an annual exam.  The article […]

The Foods You Chose Can Help You Lose, or Not

The Foods You Choose Can Help You Lose, Or Not Many people think that Americans are obsessed with celebrity, politics or some sport.  Yes, we are, but our chief obsession is not on that list.  Americans are truly obsessed with weight, especially losing it. One reason exercise is so important for those losing weight and […]

High Intensity Intermittent Exercise – Fast, Efficient, Fun, and Effective

As you probably know, exercise may well be the single most important health habit.  Drinking water, eating well, using supplements properly, avoiding toxins, sleeping, working on your attitude and relationships are all also vitally important.  However, even beyond its power to prevent and treat disease, exercise may well provide the greatest wellbeing boost of any […]