Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

depression

Depression Sessions

746262c0fe9f0db65f068e115a56adfeDid you know that birth control pills will deplete your stores of zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins which could lead to hypothyroidism or depression?

Did you know that statin drugs deplete your coenzyme Q10, selenium and vitamin D and Bam you have migraine and leg cramps.

Even coffee is a mugger of magnesium. Alcohol depletes thiamin (B1).

Basically, a lot of the foods and medicines (even over the counter) are robbing our bodies of essential nutrients needed to make important neurotransmitters (feel good chemicals) in our bodies.  It’s no wonder that 7% of the population is on anti-depressant meds and that prescriptions written for these meds have skyrocketed since 1998.

These are just a few of the things you will learn if you sign up for the Free –“Depression Session” put together by underground wellness.com.

There are 22 medical doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists and bestselling authors that reveal the root causes of depression and what to do about it.  They start Sunday morning and are absolutely free to sign up for.

I’ve listened to them all and there is some amazing information in here!  I’ll be posting more now that the chaos of the last few weeks of school is over and try to highlight some of the big points for you.

Go to http://www.thedepressionsessions.com

For more info —go to the previous Thyroid Sessions post as well

 

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Mind, Spirit Leave a comment

Robin Williams

I’m devastated at the tragic death of Robin Williams.   However,  I am grateful in so many ways.  I’ve seen testimonials of depression, addiction, and imperfection posted on social media sites all day.    Robin’s comedy entertained us with wicked humor,  but his death provoked a new set of emotions.  He now demonstrates the issue that mental health is a disease.   In my world, he is still teaching and entertaining on a whole new uncomfortable level.

Unfortunately, my profession holds me hostage to stories of despair, victimization, and contempt of disease states.   Stories of suicide and the aftermath are hard to hear .  Unfortunately, I’ve found myself attracting them into my life via my confused emotions on the subject.

Depression is a disease.  Is it hereditary? maybe—-Are you predisposed and destined to get it?  NO, I think not.

I believe that illness evolves into disease  based on everyday choices.  Nobody chooses to be depressed or sick.  I get that.   Robin Williams’s death is a call to action.   He had the coveted wealth, fame and stardom-but, it wasn’t enough.  Please reach out to those struggling quietly around you.  I hope this post helps!  A few of my closest friends and I will be doing the suicide prevention walk –I hope you can join us!

 

For Lucy and Maggie …

to-write-love

Countless hours spent on the deck discussing the uncertainties of life. Innumerable days of listening to our children giggle, play, fight and cry together. Tears shed watching one another battle the ups and downs of family life in the 21st century. These experiences have made our former neighbors become our dearest friends and confidants. They are our “wolf pack”.

This week, the Henriksens, and their dear friends watched their families bond together once again as they faced yet another frightening event. An event that would forever change the way all ten of us view life and the ambiguity of the world. We will become different people having experienced this sad tragedy.

Our dearest friends’ daughter has known one of the most vivacious, loving, talented and endearing girls for many years. The two girls were kindred spirits at the mere ages of 15 and 16. To the shock of everyone, she took her own life this week. She battled depression for years. Unfortunately, the disease won the strenuous fight. Sadly and despite her suspected perception, young Maggie was never alone.

Most all of us probably know someone whose life has been affected by depression, either directly or indirectly. We may not know that someone is suffering from depression, they may not even know themselves. Two out of three people who struggle with depression never seek help resulting in untreated depression as the leading cause of suicide. In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 18-24 years old.

Perhaps you have seen the countless photos on social media of outstretched arms with the word “love” scribed on skin and merely thought it some new type of arm art fad. There is a much deeper meaning to these sharpie tattoos.

Renee was a troubled Florida teen. Described as one who “has felt the touch of awful naked men, battled depression and addiction, and attempted suicide” she at one point used her cocaine-cutting razor to carve “F—k Up” on her arm adding to the other fifty self inflicted scars there. A group of concerned friends finally convinced her to go to a drug treatment center but she was deemed too “high risk” due to her distinctive markings and denied treatment. Fearing for her life, they designed a T-shirt selling drive in hopes of raising enough money to pay for her care. Their experiences led them to realize the greater need beyond just Renee.

Together they organized and formed TWLOHA, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people lost in depression, addiction, self-destruction and suicide. You can read their complete story and Mission Statement here: http://www.twloha.com. Their efforts caught on and went viral. Photos of teens with “Love” on their arms began popping up in dramatic fashion. Famous bands and the Hollywood elite began wearing their trendy T-shirts. “Why do you have that written on your arms?” “What does that T-shirt mean and where can I get one?” All were keen efforts to raise awareness for this cause and show those in need that they are not alone. By metaphorically applying “Love” as a pressure bandage to the self inflicted ugly wounds of the story’s character, this band of persistent friends helped not only Renee, but began to define and fulfill TWLOHA’s vision including:

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

The vision is the possibility that we’re more loved than we’ll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

 

Lucy, I won’t let this be the end of Maggie’s story either . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on by Angela in disease, Exercise, Nutrition, Whole Food Leave a comment

Take these broken wings—

For all of  you who enjoyed the previous post about suicide prevention –see the post HERE.  Here is a quick update on Lucy and Maggie’s story: Lucy (Maggie’s childhood friend) and my dear friend got her 1st tattoo this weekend.  Her parents weren’t keen on the idea but told her that she could get one when she turned 18.  Lucy (now 18) got her first tattoo in honor of Maggie’s favorite Shakespeare quote!

 

“The course of true love never did run smooth”  

Maggie’s spirit continues to live on in so many of us that hardly even knew her.  Some spirits just leave their mark in this way.

Wayne Dyer says that we are spiritual souls inhabiting a human existence and I can’t help to believe that when I experience such profound emotion over a child I barely knew.  We were obviously soulful connections.

77b76bc5e40e611a55b59ebb56b2514c

It’s strange but this last week has been filled with interesting circumstances and spirit filled interactions that I am compelled to share.  Some of these were some pretty incredible near death experience stories.

 NDE”S

One of my favorites is the minister that had a fatal car accident.  His car was a literal accordion and he was pronounced dead on the scene after being hit by a semi.  The paramedic’s tried to get him out of the car for approximately 2 hours.

A man (also a minister) pulled up to the scene and asked the medics if he could climb in the car and pray for the man.  He had driven by and felt a sudden inclination to pray for the accident victim.

Annoyed, the medics told him that the victim had been dead for over 2 hours but they eventually allowed him to enter the scene.  The minister climbed in while the medic continued to  work at getting the dead man out.  The minister  prayed over the shoulder of the man he could not see for about 10 minutes.  After around 10 minutes, the man began to sing “What a friend we have in Jesus”.  He had no idea why, but he felt compelled to sing.  Then —– he heard another voice chime in and thought how wonderful it was that a medic was singing with him.   He stopped and the voice continued.   Suddenly, the shoulder he was holding began to move.—

Yes- the victim was singing!  The medics continued to work feverishly at this point and as they pulled the victim out of the car, the minister realized that it was his best friend.

I have a patient in the last 12 years whose spirit honestly connected with mine.  We were kindred spirits right at the beginning of our journey together.  The story about Ric is so amazing that I struggle to put words to its content.  Ric was diagnosed with cancer just about a year after my conscience decision to transform my  practice into a nutritional/functional health approach.  He was 100% on board to heal himself of his disease and was confident and supportive of the unconventional decision that I had made.  There was no judgement-he supported me unconditionally.   He lost weight, ate right, and Damn-he even watched the CRAZY SEXY CANCER video in the office with me!  I was thrilled to have a patient listen and I was sure he was cured after his chemo and radiation.  He claimed that the Cancer would never win the War.

Unfortunately, Ric died this last year.  I had the opportunity of seeing his brother whom was his caregiver throughout his final days.  On Friday, we spoke of a dream that his kindred spirited brother had before his final days.  The dream was as follows and is paraphrased of course.  He saw his brother in his most healthy, strong, and happy states the first two nights.  He was mid 20’s, smiling, robust, and full of energy and vitality.  On the third night, his brother looking wonderful, sat with friends and family and announced that cancer won the battle but he won the war.

His brother was confused by this notion, however, the day after Ric’s life here had ceased—-His brother looked back on the tired, cancer ridden body lying in a hospital bed spiritless and realize that it was all true.  Cancer did win the battle –but the spirit of Ric had certainly won the war and left some pitiful remains—–

Posted on by Angela in cancer, disease, Mind, Spirit, Suicide, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Alexander and the terrible,horrible,no good,really bad day!

So I had a bad day!  The chips are open in the break room and the drug rep just brought frozen yogurt—-I want to eat all of it!  Then, I want to go to Taco Bell on the way home and get nachos; topping it off with a candy bar.  My salad with garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives just doesn’t cut it!  I’m sitting here thinking this when it dawned on me—I’m not hungry!  I don’t want to eat, I want to cry!  I am making a catastrophe out of all the things in my life that I have no control over.   I’ve taken one small piece of bad news and turned into the apocalypse within minutes.  The downward spiral of thoughts in my head has overwhelmed the senses of my body.  There are things in my life and world that are out of my control:  they make me anxious and paranoid.  I can’t accept these things I cannot change.  But, do I have a choice?  Not really.  I can accept them or abuse my body pretending that I can change things.  Ultimately, the only thing I change is myself for the worse if I make that choice.  How self-defeating is that?  So I’m going to turn on some sad music –CRY– and then take a deep breath and make the most of what I’m grateful for today.  Today has been awful, but tomorrow will be better!   If Alexander moves to Australia—I’m going with him.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Call to action, Family, Spirit 2 Comments

The New Stress

Machines are robbing us of our ability to focus.  We are giving ourselves a new version of attention deficit disorder literally by our device.  Between email, twitter, laptops, phones, and tablets we have fallen into habits of distraction that cause our concentration and focus to wander.  This unfortunately ends up causing stress and inefficiency.  I challenge myself for the next few days to stay on task at whatever I am doing whether it be work,  preparing dinner, or spending time with my kids.   I have laid out a few simple rules for myself to de-clutter and simplify my life.

1.  Pick a task–focus from start to completion without allowing any interruptions.

2.  Schedule correspondence times– check email on the hour or half hour only –then respond only to urgent ones.

3.  Maintain human contact–keep eye contact in conversation and focus.

Hopefully this will help keep me completely in the moment and able to enjoy each conversation, each moment and to really take more time to smell the roses.  I love Sherry Turkle’s segment entitled “Alone Together” as I really think it depicts our loneliness as a society in this tech driven age.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Emotional Eating

This topic is near to my heart right now.  As many of you know, our family of 6 at home drastically dropped in the last two weeks.  Alex moved out into a house with her highschool best friend and we toted Ciara off to IU to start her freshman year.  I didn’t think I would take the change so hard.  I completely melted down –crying, emotional outbursts, and binge eating!  In that one weekend, I consumed enough pizza, chicken fingers, nachos, ice cream and potato chips to sink the Bismark!  Unfortunately, the binge triggered all the old cravings for those nasty players again.  I have found myself no longer practicing what I preach!  This video from one of my favorite bloggers gives a nice plan and explanation for change.  It’s a little lengthy but, realistic.

Visit her site  http://www.lindawagner.net for more informational posts—you can also click the healthy eating link on the right to go directly to her great blog!

First day of kindergarten to first day of college

Posted on by Angela in Diet, disease, Guest Blog, Mind, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Depression–just a vitamin deficiency?

I do believe that it is this simple!  Frightening that we haven’t discovered this before the prozac revolution started!

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Exercise, Guest Blog, Nutrition, Weight Loss Leave a comment

The Flipping Point

Our good inspirational friend Seth Godin had some rivoting words in his post this am entitled “The Flipping Point.”  Dark clouds may hang on us all at times, but we can work it out.


When people say, “The tipping point,” they often misunderstand the concept in Malcolm’s book. They’re actually talking about the flipping point.

The tipping point is the sum total of many individuals buzzing about something. But for an individual to start buzzing, something has to change in that person’s mind. Something flips from boredom or ignorance to excitement or anger.

It starts when the story of a brand or a person or a store or an experience flips in your head and it goes from good to bad, or from ignored to beloved. The flipping point doesn’t represent the sum of public conversations, it’s the outcome of an activated internal conversation.

It’s easy to wish and hope for your project to tip, for it to magically become the hot thing. But that won’t happen if you can’t seduce and entrance an individual and then another.

Before the tipping point, someone has to flip. And then someone else. And then a hundred more someones.

We resist incremental improvement in our offerings and our stories because it just doesn’t seem likely that one good interaction or one tiny alteration can possibly lead to a significant amount of flipping. And we’re right—it won’t. The flipping point (for an individual) is almost always achieved after a consistent series of almost invisible actions that create a brand new whole.

And the reason it’s so difficult? Because you’re operating on faith. You need to invest and apparently overinvest (time and money and effort) until you see the results. And most of your competition (lucky for you) give up long before they reach the point where it pays off.

 

I think of my home page on AngelaMD.com when I read Seth’s inspiring words.  If I hadn’t reached my “Flipping Point” in those dark times last Feburary, I would have remained plagued by boredom and ignorance.  It isn’t easy to pull yourself out of depression, but it is opportunity to free your mind of the baggage.  Grab on to what is important to you and allow your faith to direct you into a new reality.
http://www.sethgodin.typepad.com
http://www.angelamd.com
Posted on by Angela in Guest Blog, Mind, Spirit Leave a comment