The Emperor of all Maladies – A Biography of Cancer
The Emperor of All Maladies by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee The year was 1994. The scene was the Johns Hopkins Hospital Oncology ward. I was on call for the 2nd week as an intern accepting admissions to the Solid Tumor Service. The fellow in Oncology asked me to journey to the dark basement where the Emergency…
Sugar Can Be Your Friend
It seems we’re always being told not to eat sugar, but actually, sugar is essential for us — it is the primary fuel source for our cells. However, there is certainly a point when too much sugar can overwhelm the body. What if we could determine the perfect amount we need to help us perform…
How to ‘fuel’ the fire
I’ve always found it intriguing that the ellipticals and treadmills at the gym give options for working out in the ‘fat burn zone’. Isn’t all exercise meant to burn fat? And why would you try to stay at a lower intensity of exercise, where the ‘fat burn zone’ is, if you were trying to burn…
Salute to the Graduates
I know I am getting old when many of my bootcamp friends are having children graduating from high school or college. Dr Bawa’s son Simran just graduated from dental school. Josh, Dr Sheri Hamersley’s son, and Liam, Dr Mary Marovich’s son, graduated from high schools. My Linh, Dr Mimi Nguyen’s daughter, graduated from college and…
Food for Vision
According to a report published in February, 2012, Americans spend more than $25 billion a year on dietary supplements. However, as Linda pointed out in her previous blog, what to take and how much to take is unclear, and the evidence often contradictory. Millions of Americans take dietary supplements for eye health, weight loss, joint…
A calorie is not just a calorie, and a pound is not just a pound
For years, the mantra has been “a calorie is a calorie” Eat 3500 fewer calories or burn 3500 more calories or some combination of these two, and you will lose a pound. There is now a growing movement afoot that takes issue with that. Here’s my take on it. To some extent, the mantra is…
Greetings from Istanbul!
I’m on a long flight returning from a week in Istanbul, Turkey, trying to get my thoughts together. So much history, so much culture, wonderful food, great views, and widespread political protests. It’s a fascinating city, located on two continents. We were mostly on the European side, where the Old City and Modern areas are…
How good is your memory?
Most of us do not worry about our forgetfulness until we are in our “middle age”. We usually blame it on our busy schedules and how we remember only the “essential” things and thus forget the “little things” in our daily lives. I have noticed how even “brilliant” people like my husband David, a physician-attorney,…
To Take or Not to Take: Supplements?
“So tell me what kind of medicines you are taking?” I looked at my patient across the desk while she pulled out a long list. “Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, multivitamin, Zinc, Acai Berry, Coenzyme Q10, fish oil, Selenium, flaxseed, calcium, ginseng, rhubarb…” She proceeded to pull up multiple bottles that soon filled the…
Are You Ready for a Change?
We women are interesting. I know this for a fact because I have been an obstetrician/gynecologist for almost 22 years. I have seen thousands of women from all age groups and delivered thousands of babies. I have seen teenagers struggling with acne and sexuality, elderly women struggling with mobility and illnesses, and middle age and…