Non-surgical Treatments for Gallstones
Often people don’t realize that they have gallstones until they have an acute attack with unremitting pain and find themselves in the emergency room. Once diagnosed, many doctors will acknowledge that dietary issues are at play, but they still tend to recommend removal of the gallbladder. The problem with this approach is there are no efforts made to treat [...]
Gallstones: Signs, Symptoms and Causes
Have you ever experienced a gallbladder attack? It’s certainly not among the most pleasant of life’s experiences. Both men and women are at risk for developing gallstones, although women are more susceptible to gallstone formation than men. In fact, women are developing gallstones much earlier in their lives now, which can be tied to the Diabetes and obesity epidemic [...]
Seven Simple Ways to Detox the Liver
In our last post, we explored the connection between springtime and the liver in the Chinese medicine. We also discussed the tendency of the liver to fall out of balance in the spring and how this is the ideal time of year to focus on detoxifying your liver. The word “detox” has become a popular term over the past [...]
It’s Spring: Time to Love Your Liver
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on Five Element Theory. Each element (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) corresponds with certain seasons, environments, tastes, directions, tissues and organs. In Chinese medicine, the wood element is associated with spring and the liver. Imagine bamboo trees and plants shooting up straight out of the earth. The wood element is associated with [...]
Health of Our Bodies, Health of the Planet
Last month I attended the Farm To Table Conference in Pittsburgh. The theme this year was ‘Do It Yourself’. I loved meeting the farmers who actually grow the food. Being in touch with the farmers fosters conscientiousness about what we are putting in our mouths and has so many social, environmental and health benefits. The message that came across [...]
Naturopathic Treatments for Seasonal Allergies
I used to have terrible seasonal allergies. When I attended medical school in Portland, I often biked to class. I remember one particular spring day when I sneezed 27 times while crossing the Hawthorne Bridge! I also remember how exhausting it is to be an allergy sufferer. Your eyes and ears are itchy, you just want to unclog yourself [...]