Musings on Spinach
We’ve each got our ‘things’ right? I’ve wondered for a while, whenever I’ve prepared spinach, “What is a ‘serving’ of spinach?” Is it the amount that covers a salad plate? Is it the tiny side dish that results from sautéing an entire bunch or bag of leaves? I recently have delved deeper into the…
Jewel Salad
In the intense summer heat, I was not in the mood for cooking or for eating heavy food and went looking for meal salads which required little prep. This one is easy, is good year-round, and doesn’t involve much cooking. It also makes a lot, so it’s good for a crowd or for leftovers. Farro…
A National Focus on Food as Medicine
On Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, President Biden introduced a national strategy that recognizes the critical role that nutrition plays in health. Efforts were spurred by the fact that 80% of our health expenditures go to treat preventable illnesses, and that one in ten households still do…
Unconscious Bias – in medicine and in life
When physicians in Maryland renew our medical licenses, we need at least 50 hours of continuing education. Previously, in internal medicine, there were no specific topics to cover. For our next renewal, are required to educate ourselves about unconscious bias as it affects our interactions with our patients, office staff and other medical professionals. The…
Powerhouse Veggies – especially during COVID times
Summer is here, when local vegetables are more abundant, some of which we can even grow in our own vegetable gardens. Are there some that we could eat to help fight illness during the Covid pandemic? Vegetables are generally what we should consume daily in great amounts, but some are known to be anti-oxidant powerhouses. …
A Special Medical School Graduate: A Salute to Johanny
Last week, my family took a flight to Jacksonville, Florida, to attend the medical school graduation (from the Mayo Clinic) of our young friend and former mentee Johanny. We were moved and honored to have witnessed the day when Johanny’s dream came true. She made it through medical school, and will be on her way…
Managing Emotions During the Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, is how the song goes. For some people, there is nothing that matches the excitement of the holidays and the focus on family and tradition. However, for others, this time of year feels fraught with expectations that other people hold. In my practice, this is the time…
Bewilderment – a novel by the author of The Overstory
Life is as vast and endless and ultimately unknowable as the universe, or the human brain and body with its cells and microbiome and unfathomable consciousness. It is embodied by a many-acre ancient forest, one huge millennials-old redwood, or one father trying to raise his brilliant, troubled son. Richard Powers became well-known in recent years…
Understanding Your Risk for Breast Cancer
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and understanding your own breast cancer risk is a crucial step to being proactive about your health. Women are aware that screening for breast cancer with an annual mammogram is important, and most women check the annual mammogram off their to-do list and forget about their risk of…
The Magic of Hormones
I believe the only true essential oil out there is vaginal estrogen. I bet you haven’t heard that one before. In fact, I think at age 45 every woman should go to her doctor and get at the very least 3 prescriptions. Colonoscopy Mammogram A lifetime prescription for local vaginal estrogen. Now let me…