I admit it. I was addicted to sugar, caffeine, and adrenalin. I am a recovering dopamine addict, and it almost killed me. Twenty years ago, as a freshly minted doctor, I swallowed the propaganda that doctors are invincible, that “MD” stood for “medical deity.” During my training, one of my surgical residents told me, “Real ...

“How do I make smart eating choices on a busy schedule?” patients frequently ask.  As a busy doctor, I can understand how eating healthy might feel like a herculean demand and become short shift among the numerous demands in your life. While eating healthy on a time budget does require a little planning, it’s easier ...

“I read somewhere that a high-fat diet can damage your gut bacteria and promote weight gain,” writes this week’s house call. “Should I be concerned if I’m eating a high-fat diet?” It is true that what you eat can affect your gut bacteria, for better and for worse, and changes in your gut bacteria or ...

“I love junk food, and I can’t stop craving it,” a reader posted on my Facebook page. “What do I do?” If you can identify with my reader, you’re not alone. Of the more than 600,000 food products – note I said food products, not food – 80 percent have added sugar. We went from ...

“I have friends who are not so healthy and are always trying to convince me that it’s okay to indulge in chocolate cake or soda or whatever,” writes this week’s House Call. “How can I gracefully handle such situations without coming off like a wet blanket?” I call these people food pushers, and we all ...

Everybody feels stress and knows it intimately, but very few of us think about what stress actually is. Stress is a thought. That’s it. No more, no less. If that’s true, then we have complete control over stress, because it’s not something that happens to us but something that happens in us. The dictionary definition ...

Summer is here! Well, almost. During warmer days, I love to substitute omelets and scrambles with refreshing smoothies and other cold breakfast meals. One of my favorite bowls to treat myself to is a delicious Acai Bowl. This recipe from Curry Girl’s Kitchen includes plenty of healthy fats from coconut and almonds, as well as flax seeds, ...

Do you believe every stupid thought you have?  It took me a while to break that bad habit.  I used to listen to my own mind like it actually had all the right answers. Sometimes it did and I am grateful for that. I like my mind most of the time. In fact, it has ...

As a doctor, it is my job to figure out the best way to keep my patients healthy. We now know that food is medicine, perhaps the most powerful drug on the planet with the power to cause or cure most disease.  If food is more than just calories, if food is information that controls ...

I recently read how an Apple Watch has become the latest gadget to distract us from the immediacy of being present with someone. With the constant barrage of laptops, iPads, smart phones, and now “smart watches,” being aware and enjoying someone’s physical company oftentimes falls on the back burner. It’s not just that we are ...