One of the ways to tune up your immune system and give you more resistance to the Coronavirus is to heal your intestines. A healthy gastrointestinal tract is often synonymous with a healthy immune system, which strengthens your resistance to any and all infections.
When I was in medical school almost 50 years ago, we were recruited for an experiment to test the common cold virus (i.e., a rhinovirus). I didn’t volunteer even though some extra spending money would have been nice, but my classmates did. Students were selected who had essentially no antibodies to rhinovirus. In exchange for a pittance, researchers at the University of Virginia Medical School divided the volunteers into four groups (if my ancient recollection serves me well)
Steps to Help Us Stay Sane A little more than two weeks ago we all felt safe! (More or less). Suddenly, and seemingly, out of nowhere, “unseen forces” e.g., COVID, has threatened not only our physical health but also our economic foundation. Almost from one day to the...
During this time of social distancing, most of us are spending much longer periods of time indoors, inside our homes. As a pediatric physician, I always recommend spending as much time as possible in nature, but not every family has the benefit of a backyard that’s...
I have spent the last week and a half feeling overwhelmed at the unfolding of events concerning COVID-19. There are no words to describe my full range of emotion- shock, denial, anger, sadness, helplessness. This framework of emotion, I realize, is quite similar to...
As a holistic pediatrician, one of the most common questions I’m asked during an office visit is “How do I help my child sleep better?” I’m not sure now is the time to delve into the complexities of sleep patterns, but I assure you, sleep is complex and key to good...
February is Children's Dental Health Month! Starting your child out with good habits and dental care will help to ensure that they have the best chance for a healthy mouth that will last a lifetime. When Should My Child First See the Dentist? Baby teeth have an...
How to Awaken your Godly Brain If I suggested that you invest in the stock market, and no matter how hard you worked and applied your creative abilities, that you would always fail- how interested would you be in investing? The business of healing can be like that,...
National Integrated Health Associates, NIHA, is pleased to announce that Rachel Cohen, D.O., holistic pediatrician, has joined the integrative medical team. Dr. Rachel Cohen is Board Certified in Pediatrics and a Doctor of Osteopathy, dedicated to helping children reach their fullest potential by focusing on holistic care and disease prevention.
Just about everyone knows that sugar is bad for our health, but during the holidays, it appears with more frequency and is difficult to avoid. In case there are readers who have missed out on this fact, I will provide you with the crash course to start off this...
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. ~Albert Einstein How to Survive the Holidays with Peace Surviving the holidays with inner peace can be managed with reasonable expectations. Expectations can...
Looking our best sometimes means a little extra makeup and a monthly trip to the hair salon for a touch up of our “new growth”. But with all of the talk about chemicals found in our personal care products, how can we continue to look fabulous and at the same time,...
Essential Oils for a Healthy Season Essential oils for a healthy season include Cinnamon Bark Oil, which contains beneficial compounds. Learn how to take care of your health and the health of your loved ones using natural solutions! Cinnamon Bark Oil At...
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, dizziness upon standing, is often called “the invisible illness” – and nearly every symptom is subjective. It’s important to remember that although dizziness is the trademark symptom, POTS does a lot more than just...
A quote from the Gene Environment Interaction Fact Sheet [1] from the Centers for Disease Control states that virtually all human… “…diseases result from the interaction of genetic susceptibility factors and modifiable environmental factors, broadly defined to include...
Essential Oils for Winter As the weather is starting to cool and leaves are starting to change, we are heading into one of my favorite seasons. Fall always reminds me of my childhood and the excitement of getting back to school, sweaters, boots and the...
Updated Nov. 20, 2024 Meditation works as a powerful tool to balance the emotional brain and improve our optimal health. It helps us learn to be present in our day-to-day lives. I learned about meditation over 40 years ago. It has changed my life from the first day...
Dental trauma is very common, especially among children. Dental trauma is defined as injury to the teeth, gums and the other structures that keep your teeth in place, and the accompanying oral soft tissue structures like the tongue and lips. One of the best ways to avoid dental trauma is by using a mouth guard.
In 2018 the CDC released a report estimating that 50 million Americans have chronic pain, and that 40% of those have “high-impact chronic pain,” defined as pain that is severe enough to frequently limit life or work activities. Add to that the emotional version of...
CIRS is Difficult to Diagnose Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS, was originally described as "Water Damaged Building Illness." A CIRS diagnosis can be difficult because it is an illness which exhibits multiple symptoms and systems and occurs when one is...
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For Americans, the word “cancer” is thrown at us all the time. Some may find a sense of negativity and fear being served to us about breast cancer every year, especially in October. Isn’t it time we focus on breast cancer...
Human beings tend to overcomplicate a lot of things. Many of us are guilty of thinking that anything worth achieving requires a lot of time and effort. For example, if we want to lose weight, we must go on a complicated diet program designed by some famous doctor or health guru on the best sellers list. Or, if we want to gain muscle, we have to work out every day for hours. On the other hand, we think if it’s easy it’s probably too good to be true or it won’t help, yet many of us want “easy” in this complicated, busy world. The bottom line is, whether easy or hard, the basics of a healthy life need to be adhered to. What are the basics?
If you are still not feeling better after doing all the right things, then maybe your health status is notbecause you missed the latest and greatest treatment, or have not taken enough supplements, but just maybe….Your Body/Mind is trying to tell you something – and you don’t know how to listen.
updated Nov. 20, 2024 Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body The health of the mouth is intricately connected to the overall health of the body. Recent studies show that plaque in the mouth from periodontal disease may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. There is a...
Hypertension, or HTN, is a diagnosis for persistent high blood pressure. You may have received a diagnosis of hypertension (HTN) from your physician based on the numbers of your systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. If there is no identifiable cause to...
Are you taking medications and wondered if they are the right ones for you? If you have been taking them for a long time, have you been concerned that they might be adversely reacting with each other or taking a toll on your long-term health? Are the doses too high or too low?
Updated Nov. 20, 2024 The Power of Changing Your Mind First, a Short Story When I was in medical school in Vienna, Austria, our professors told us that the brain stops growing after 24 years of age. Whatever you have by then- that was what you would have for the rest...
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for your health at every age. In fact, the illnesses associated with vitamin D deficiency are numerous. Recent studies on vitamin D reveal the hazards of D-deficiency and the benefits by maintaining an optimum level: Vitamin D...
What Is BPH? Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common conditions men face as they age. About 50% of men aged 50–60, 75% of men in their seventies, and 90% of men over 80 experience some degree of prostate enlargement. While BPH is not cancerous, it...
How do you choose your primary care doctor? Referral by friends or picked off an insurance list. Some young adults may not really care who they see – as long as they get their “annual exam” and have someone write for an antibiotic when they get sick. Others with chronic health conditions visit their doctor to refill their multiple medications which help control their disease symptoms.
Calming the Emotional Brain and Overcoming Trauma & Illness Wouldn’t you like to be able to calm your emotional brain? This workshop will explain WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT FUTURE ILLNESS and how YOU CAN INFLUENCE THE HEALING PROCESS by understanding and correctly...
Functional Medicine is a medical approach which involves testing for the underlying causes of disease and designing a treatment plan to address the root cause of the disorder, not just the symptoms. It views and treats the body as a whole, integrated system. Many...
Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of periods resulting from the loss of ovarian follicular activity. Menopause is 12 consecutive months with no period, and this is only known with certainty in retrospect. Perimenopause is the two to eight years...
What is Peptide Therapy? Peptide therapy is a newly developed medical treatment that has gained new heights in Functional Medicine for its efficacy, safety and ease of use. These small proteins, or “peptides” are made of a certain sequence of amino acids....
Prediabetes is a diagnosis given to the individuals whose blood sugar levels are higher than normal but have not fully met the diagnostic criteria for Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DM type 2). At this stage, the patient's fasting blood glucose level is still within...
Ever since I was a bright-eyed and bushy tailed medical student, roaming the hallowed halls of the University of Virginia Medical School over 40 years ago, the mantra of modern medicine was drilled into my head, that all disease is caused by two factors – genetic...
What is Mindfulness? Jon Kabat-Zinn[1] defines mindfulness as… “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Several decades ago I had noticed the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions that I taught to cancer patients and to others suffering from serious chronic disorders, and I was happy to see formal publications appear in […]
Chronic Illness and the Hidden Costs of Childhood Stress Note- This event has ended. Read the summary: It is now firmly established that any illness is a systemic, multi-factorial process. What does this mean? We know now that illness requires a “perfect storm” of many factors in order to manifest a disease process. Some of […]
Itchy skin, also known as pruritus, is a common concern among dermatology patients.The causes of itchy skin can be due to many factors. There are few things more aggravating than being itchy. In fact, one of the reasons we scratch when we itch is that the pain that...
The short answer is…..because we assume it is due to excess calories and not enough exercise. And although these are factors, they are often not THE answer. It is also not about the total calories but rather, where the calories are coming from. In other words, what...
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection In my workshops, I often show a picture by the famous visionary painter Alex Grey. I share an understanding of how an invisible underlying “energy grid” is directly linked to mind, emotions and the functioning of our physical...
Two kinds of “perfect diets” exist. The far more common, propagandized, “perfect” diet is the one-shoe-fits-all diet that bases their recommendations on a small slice of scientific evidence of one kind or another, such as the Fodmap Diet™ or a Paleolithic Diet ™. The...
Luke Perry’s death was shocking even for people who did not know him, but for death to occur at the age of 52 from stroke is tragic. Those over age 65 are at most risk for stroke, but surprisingly, 10% of all strokes occur in people under the age of 45. It is important for people of all ages to get annual check ups with a knowledgeable integrative or functional medicine physician, so that a good prevention plan can be implemented.
Melatonin’s benefits for a wide array of medical conditions are well substantiated: treatment of insomnia, support of circadian rhythm, hormone balancing, reproductive health, cognition, mood, blood sugar regulation, bone metabolism, antioxidant protection and...
Throughout my years in practice, I have developed a method of eliciting a positive Lyme Disease diagnosis from a typically negative western blot in those I feel fit the picture of a Lyme sufferer. These symptoms can include but are not limited to fatigue, joint pain,...
These 4 lab tests for cardiovascular risk will give a better picture of what your risk factors for heart disease or stroke. Let's delve deeper into your true health - starting with your heart health. Your current blood tests may not be enough to give an accurate...
Chronic inflammation can play a major role in the development and progression of disease. If the cause of inflammation is not identified and treated properly it can have deleterious effects on the body in general and can lead to premature aging. A functional medicine...
Many dietary fads come and go but intermittent fasting is here to stay. Humans have been using this eating technique for ages in virtually every major religion in the world for cleansing and purification purposes. The ancient Greek writer and historian, Plutarch,...
There are more and more studies being done to research the body’s healthy microbiota. Microbiota refers to all the microorganisms that are found in an environment. In the human body, the microbiota includes the gut, vagina, the sinuses, mouth, skin, and the blood....
Cold and virus season can come on fast! The average cold lasts 2 weeks and can leave you feeling grouchy, tired and can sometimes turn into pneumonia or bronchitis, especially if your health is compromised in any way. Consider having these natural items on hand in...
Top detoxification therapies for cleansing of the body are offered at the Washington DC based health clinic. Integrative medicine recognizes detoxification as the first important step in restoring the body to a natural, balanced, healthy state. While the amazing human...
Chlorella is the near-perfect food for natural detoxification. Chlorella is a single cell algae, grown in fresh water, and has been around since ancient times. Chlorella is a natural chelator, meaning it has the ability to bind and remove heavy metals from the body. ...
Electrosmog is the electromagnetic radiation and electromagnetic frequencies that are emitted from cell phones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi, wireless devices, wireless baby monitors, electricity, cell towers, high power lines etc. that are ever present and increasing in...
I trust you are familiar with Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, which has had a tremendous impact on people’s spiritual lives and understanding around the world. From what I understand, from having read, not that book, but a different book by Tolle, the main...
A famous best-seller, The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do, by psychologist Judith Rich Harris, has been circulating for 20 years. Based on amassed studies, parental influences on children matter a lot less than peer group influences, and they both matter less than genetic factors. Parents are advised to not blame themselves if their children don’t become Rhodes scholars, because controlling peer group influences is difficult and controlling genetic expression is impossible. Until the last few years, parents were expected to do the best they can to control the friends that their children hang out with, and hope that their children’s genes will line up well enough to someday produce a productive, happy member of society.
The power of touch has a special resonance with me. My first experience was when I had a biopsy done for breast cancer. I was in the prone position so I could not see the person. The biopsy was done on my left breast and was painful. The person assisting the...
Metabolic Cardiology is a fairly new branch of Functional Medicine. Metabolic cardiology is a non-invasive, simple, integrative medical approach which addresses the prevention, management, treatment and monitoring of cardiovascular disease at the core basic level- which is the heart muscle cell. Functional medicine physicians are always concerned with addressing health issues at the root of the problem.
As the population of North America progresses through seasonal changes from summer to fall and then into winter our bodies also go through critical changes. The days get colder and shorter with decreased sunlight exposure promoting changes and alterations in our...
Well, we sort of knew that, given the genetically modified corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugar beets, and the list goes on1. In this case, however, I am referring to an NPR story2 on the new dietary habits of animals at the Melbourne Zoo. “ . . .the monkeys are no...
The human body speaks a “foreign” sensory language. It would be nice if it could speak English, and say, “That pasta you ate last night is fermenting a lot of fungus, and I’ve told you before about your auto-brewery problems, so take extra probiotics today, and eat very lightly, and please, no carbohydrates.” Instead of […]
What Determines Appetite Control? Appetite control is regulated by a complex neuroregulatory system. There are many factors affecting this mechanism to include the composition of your diet, side effect of medications, chronic stress, hormonal imbalances, and even the...
You have just received a diagnosis of cancer. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and experience mood swings. Your emotions might range widely from fear and sadness to anger and disbelief. However, working through your emotions and making a plan may help you in your journey toward healing.
Food sensitivity is often a major risk factor for systemic inflammation immune stress and it can distract your immune system from more important tasks such as destroying cancer cells, parasites, fungus, viruses and invasive fungus. As part of a functional medicine...
Natural Killer Cells and Cancer Natural killer cells are a type of lymphocyte, or white blood cell, that is an important component of our immune system. Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in immune defense against cancer, viral infection and...
How do you plan to keep your children healthy this year? School is starting back up, and our children are in close quarters, touching every surface, wiping their noses on their hands and sneezing everywhere. It seems regardless of how many times you show them how to...
Heart disease has many contributors to its cause, and any of these contributors may indeed be the cause in any one patient. Contributors to heart disease include obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, genetics, periodontal disease, and other factors. No single factor might be the cause in any one case.
Hormones work together like a beautifully choreographed dance. The thyroid hormones, the adrenal hormones and the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) need to be in balance with each other for optimal functioning. Treating a sluggish thyroid is...
When should I call the dentist?
What is a dental emergency?
At Holistic Family Dentistry at National Integrated Health Associates, we get this question all the time, so we thought it would be a good idea to tell you what constitutes a “dental emergency.”
NIHA is pleased to announce the addition of Sherif Hassan, M.D., functional medicine physician, to the medical team. Dr. Hassan’s wide and comprehensive experience in medical practice in different international settings coupled with his personal experience as a...
The symptoms of a mold allergy are the same as with any type of respiratory allergy: sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes/nose/throat, nasal congestion, cough or post nasal drainage, headache, rash, even asthma. Only some types of mold spores actually cause a reaction but...
Food poisoning is a common illness in the body from consuming contaminated food or water but natural home remedies can help alleviate the unpleasant symptoms. Foodborne or waterborne microorganisms can cause vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, weakness, and can range from...
As a holistic & integrative pediatrician, I see many children with behavioral and psychological issues. A significant part of my evaluation for these patients includes a work up to see if there is the presence of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) or PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). PANDAS is a complex disorder that can occur suddenly and appears to be more common in boys. The symptoms can be behavioral and physical, and can be debilitating.
Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is the major cause of tooth loss. The foundation of biological dentistry is to promote a healthy mouth. When the mouth is in a healthy state the gums are pink and attached to the roots. The roots are strong and completely surrounded by bone. There is no inflammation and rarely is there bleeding; imagine a sturdy new fence post that has just been placed in the ground. If you are following a daily regimen that involves brushing and plaque removal from the area around and in between the teeth there is a good chance that your mouth is in a healthy state.
"Detoxification is the foundation of all Integrative Medical treatment. Without good detoxification, healing from any chronic illness is impossible.” Dietrich Klinghardt MD, PhD. The quote by Dr. Klinghardt, one of the world’s most accomplished Holistic Physicians and...
Some time ago, I blogged about my friend who was instructed by her primary care doctor to use sunscreen daily, all over. At that time, the doctor suggested SPF 45, but he has since retracted that recommendation and now suggests using SPF 100. I have recently delved a...
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, is the infusion of pure oxygen deep into the tissues of the body to promote healing. Oxygen is essential for life and can provide many health benefits. There is a growing interest in hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments as athletes...
How Prolonged Stress and Inner Conflicts Contribute to the Illness Process As part of the Integrative Cancer approach at NIHA, we look for any inner conflict and any prolonged stress a person may have because we know it may result in profound changes in the physical...
Sometimes a dental emergency occurs and a you will require emergency dental care in the Washington, D.C. area.
If you have tooth pain, tissue swelling, a cracked or lost tooth, a broken filling – you need emergency dental care. Please act fast and contact us immediately for an emergency dental appointment.
The internet is teeming with information about Lyme Disease. Information about how it is contracted, the symptoms it causes, the treatments that do and don't work is available on multiple websites. The information about Lyme Disease on sites like Thrive Global is...
Although I am not a pediatrician, I am genuinely concerned about the dramatic rise in the prevalence of Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders, or ASD. The latest CDC reports 1 in every 68 children in the USA may suffer ASD, but my concern turns into anguish when I see...
Mold at home? Mold assessment is a common call in my line of work. Flooding, leaks and moisture can often be found in the home or office. Water intrusion specialists handle water cleanup; mold inspectors perform mold investigation; and home inspectors consider the...
A dentist may be the first one to notice symptoms of oral cancer. Your mouth is one of your body’s most important early warning systems. Oral cancer is not just for smokers, although many oral cancers do stem from tobacco use. More than 43,000 Americans will be...
Osteoporosis Definition In this age of information technology we are bombarded with misinformation. Take Osteoporosis, for instance. The word Osteoporosis has a Greek origin. Osteo means "bone" and poros means “porous,” so osteoporosis is a condition in which...
Mercury in amalgam fillings can be a source of toxicity to the body. Safe mercury removal of old amalgams, or fillings, must be done by an experienced biological dentist to protect you, the dentist, and the environment.
Our health is under assault. Measured by any statistic – there is more cancer, diabetes, brain deterioration (Alzheimer’s etc.), autoimmune disease, chronic pain, joint disease, fatigue, Lyme Disease… than ever before.
As a naturopathic physician, I had my own approach to treating allergies by healing gut permeability, repopulating the GI tract with good flora, reducing toxic load, and eliminating the allergenic triggers for a minimum of 3 months. This is very similar to the...
According to the CDC, among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Every year, about 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and more than 50,000 people die from it....
It is never too late to start caring for one of the most important organs of elimination of your body, the colon. The colon is one of the five major organs of elimination. Its main function is to rid your body of the leftover waste your body no longer needs. If your...
Acupuncture as a System of Healing Acupuncture is a system of healing that uses the body's energy pathways to clear blocked energy, tonify where qi is deficient, alleviate where qi is congested, mobilize when qi is stuck and balance the energy systems of the body....
I had the opportunity recently to listen to a speech from a futurist. A futurist studies trends and makes predictions about the future. Some of his predictions were positive. He predicts less pollution, cleaner water and fewer chemicals, toxins and heavy metals in...
In my over 30 years of practice as a holistic doctor, I have seen both types of patients. Those who arrive to my office with bags full of prescribed medications, and those who arrive with a suitcase full of “natural supplements.” (I’ve even seen fellow doctors do this.) What is wrong with this picture? Sometimes well intentioned doctors prescribe their patients a medication without reviewing what she or he has already been prescribed by another doctor, or sometimes patients neglect to mention a medication or supplement. When that happens, the new prescribed medication may dangerously interact with another the patient has already taken. Hospitalizations due to untoward effects of correctly prescribed medications range from 1.5 to 2.7 million cases per year. The death rate from the consumption of prescribed medications in the USA is estimated to be five times that of the rate for opioid abuse.
When you eat a vegetable or animal, your body is listening to the epigenetic messages of its life, which are shaped by where it was raised and how it lived. Your body uses this information for its own health. This is one of the many reasons why the food you eat is so...
Many of the clients for colon hydrotherapy are surprised to learn that within the human body, there exists a series of organs that when stretched out, measure longer than a car! Indeed, 30 feet of gastrointestinal (GI) tract runs through every adult. Every time you...
Mindfulness and Cancer This webinar event has ended. Please see below for the summary. Mindfulness-based therapies have been shown clinically to improve immunity and outcomes for various conditions such as cancer. At the very least, extricating the mind from a...
Fatigue is one of the most common reasons for a doctor visit, and is often a way for the body to cry out for help. Fatigue can be the overriding symptom in many medical conditions including stress, autoimmune diseases, insomnia, sleep apnea, allergies, hormonal...
Oh pumpkins! Aren’t they a beautiful thing? After making my dairy free gluten free pumpkin pie last week, I thought, why stop there? I can make vegan pumpkin mac n’ cheese, pumpkin granola, pumpkin protein balls, pumpkin pie, baked oatmeal and smoothies! So I did and...
Many people remember the days when intravenous (IV) therapies were used only for medications and around surgery. Now, IV's are tailored to the individual needs of the patient, and we can give IV fluids and nutrients for everything from hangover recovery (yes, really)...
What would Autumn be without something pumpkin? Whether it is spiced pumpkin lattes or pumpkin pie, the taste and smell of pumpkin is the perfect companion to cool fall weather. Let's welcome the start of Autumn and there is no better way to celebrate than with...
President Donald Trump[1] has just proclaimed September 2017 as the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. One can’t fault any concerned American for bemoaning our #1 national epidemic that continues to escalate with no solution in sight. In true Trumpesque form, the issue is being met head on and brazenly confronted, a welcomed call to action. Deaths from drug abuse kill more Americans by far than any other disorder, with tobacco alone killing nearly a half million Americans per year and underlying much of the death and disability of the classical #1 and #2 killers, heart disease and cancer. Deaths from opioid abuse alone, heavily fueled by the prescription pad, now tally more than the deaths from auto accidents and gunshot wounds combined.
Osteoporosis is a common disease that affects bone health. Osteoporosis and low bone density affect about half of all adults age 50 and over, and places them at greater risk for broken bones from minor falls. However, most older Americans who suffer bone breaks are...