As a medical student I was repeatedly taught to ask myself one question prior to ordering a laboratory test - Will the result change clinical management? Just because we have the capacity to know information about a lot of things, testing for everything as an academic exercise is fraught with risks. » Read more

The internet is an awesome resource - it offers us a world of information at our fingertips. I love that I can look up supplements my patients are taking and we can review the ingredient list online together. I love that I can do a quick literature search on any topic when my patients share a recent diagnosis I don't know much about. But it can also be a platform for anyone with a snake oil to try to wrangle a dollar out of an unsuspecting subject. » Read more

Lapses are normal, in fact they can even be a good growth experience. Many patients, following a lapse, comment on how much worse they feel after stepping away from the positive changes they made. The good news, I always remind them, is that they know how to feel better, and they can choose to get back on track at any moment. How empowering! » Read more

A few weeks ago a physician friend and I were enjoying the warming weather with our horses on a snow-covered trail in the woods of Canaan. I mentioned some angst about upcoming changes in my life as I begin to re-envision my practice in light of an empty nest at home. She couldn't help but bring in her Chinese Medicine training and suggested that my moods may be impacted by the seasons; "Spring, after all," she explained, "is a season of restlessness." » Read more

In today's medicine we still see the traumatic crises of accidents and acute physiologic events, but the vast majority of medical care is delivered due to the consequences of neglected maintenance. Many medical crises can be prevented with the appropriate preventive maintenance. » Read more

It's October. The leaves are changing color and the pink ribbons of breast cancer awareness are everywhere. I have been thinking a lot about breast health this past year and also about the limitations of our knowledge and the challenges of living with uncertainty. » Read more

One of the Eight Skills of Clinician Healers promoted by the Institute for Functional Medicine is "Share Authority." This came to mind when I reviewed an article dropped in my inbox by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologist. The article, "You Can't Always Get What you Want: The Influence of Choice on Nocebo and Placebo Responding," was published in the June 2016 issue of The Annals of Behavioral Medicine. » Read more

Life is all about balance. Balancing the things we have to do with the things we want to do. Balancing adequate sleep with a full schedule. Balancing work, family, friends and community commitments. Unfortunately, as we struggle to find balance, self-care is one of the first things we let go of. Yet, if we can make the time for self-care, the energy we have to give to all of our other responsibilities increases. So, how do we find balance?  » Read more

Welcome to 2016!! As I move into the New Year, I plan to get myself on track with an elimination diet and I invite you all to join me. In the world of Functional Medicine we are trained to approach our patients with two simple questions in mind: (1) what does my patient need that she is currently not receiving? And (2) what does my patient have that isn't serving her? These questions can refer to food, movement, environmental exposures, love, and relationship - a whole host of inputs that create or distract us from health.  » Read more

As breast cancer awareness month arrives and pink ribbons blanket the community, I want to make clear the difference between screening and prevention as these terms are not interchangeable. The big push during breast cancer awareness month is to encourage women to undergo mammography. While early detection can be helpful in preventing some breast cancer deaths, it does nothing to prevent breast cancer from occurring in the first place.  » Read more

I'll let you in on a little secret - the scale lies. Well, it doesn't actually lie but it doesn't tell the whole truth, which is kind of the same thing, isn't it? Body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) can be valuable tools, but these numbers yield only a very small piece of the picture. Body Composition, on the other hand, sheds light on how those pounds on the scale are distributed, giving a much closer estimate of the whole truth. » Read more

Spring is here! And with it comes a deep desire to clean off all of the winter grime as we move into this season of renewal. Along with the spring cleaning of our homes and yards, this is a great time to do a spring cleaning of our bodies. After the comfort foods of winter we will soon be seeing fresh produce appear and this offers a wonderful opportunity to use these deliciously healing foods to give our bodies an opportunity to repair. » Read more

As we enter 2015 I hope that you are all reveling in the wishes from friends and family for a Healthy New Year.  What do we really intend for one another when we wish them health?  Is it the ability to stay out of the emergency room for a full 12 months, relief from pain and suffering, the experience of optimal vitality, or some combination of all of these?  When I think about health I think about resilience. » Read more