Diabetes and Fruit That's a great question. The answer is no. When it comes to people with diabetes and fruit, blood sugar levels are not so much about what fruit you eat, but how much of that certain fruit you eat. Many people believe that people with diabetes should not eat fruits because they ...Read More...

You are definitely not alone. This is an issue I hear about quite often in my practice. The key to success for your weight loss is to look at it from each angle. First, it's important to get your thyroid checked with a simple blood test. You will need to look at the full thyroid panel, not just ...Read More...

Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland, which is located in your neck. The thyroid produces hormones-- thyroxine or T4 and triiodothyronine or T3, that affect how the body works (for example, controlling metabolism). With hypothyroidism, also commonly known as slow or sluggish thyroid, ...Read More...

  One common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is heartburn-like pain. But a number of other conditions can cause that burning feeling in your chest. Most often, your family doctor will be able to identify whether you have heartburn or GERD by doing simple tests. Nine ...Read More...

Hypothyroidism is a condition that happens when the thyroid does not make enough hormone. The thyroid gland is in the front of the neck just below the voice box. It releases hormones that regulate metabolism. The most prevalent cause of hypothyroidism is inflammation of the thyroid gland, ...Read More...

Gout is an extremely painful form of arthritis. This condition is chronic in nature with severe, brutal acute attacks. Gout has long been associated with diet, particularly eating too much meat, seafood (shellfish) and alcohol. Because of this, treatment for gout used to involve severe dietary restrictions, ...Read More...

Is it true that smoking causes wrinkles?   Yes. Premature wrinkles are great reasons to quit smoking, and the sooner the better. Smoking can speed up the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles. These skin changes may occur after only 10 years of smoking. The ...Read More...

My resolution this year was to take better care of my health. I was diagnosed last year with metabolic syndrome. What can I do to fix this? Metabolic syndrome is simply insulin resistance and inflammation within the body. It is also known as pre-diabetes or syndrome X. The American Heart Association ...Read More...

  For a while now, I have had abdominal pain. I thought it would go away, but it hasn’t. What could it be? Sometimes new patients to my practice say they have lived with abdominal pain for years. They have been told it is in their head or that it is part of getting older. Nothing ...Read More...

I have diabetes and check my blood sugar four times a day. Is there a better way of monitoring my blood sugar? Yes, there could be. If you have non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, known as type 2 diabetes, daily blood glucose monitoring may not be necessary.  Two different blood tests ...Read More...

I have been told I have high cholesterol. What is normal and how can I get there? Reaching your cholesterol goal is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Hyperlipidemia, or high cholesterol, is directly associated with increased risk of heart disease, coronary artery disease, ...Read More...

It seems the older I get, the more I keep forgetting. What can I do to find out if I have Alzheimer’s? Alzheimer’s dementia and memory loss in general are very common areas of concern for patients in my clinic. Many have family members or friends who have Alzheimer’s dementia ...Read More...

I’ve been told I have high blood pressure. What is normal blood pressure and what can I do to get there? High blood pressure, or hypertension, is elevated arterial blood pressure in your system. Normal blood pressure is <120/80mmHg. Prehypertension is 120-139/80-89mmHg. Stage ...Read More...

My doctor started me on a statin drug for high cholesterol, but I've heard about bad side effects with this type of medicine. Is there anything else I can try? In treating high cholesterol, there are many factors to consider.  Treatment depends on which part of the cholesterol is high (LDL, ...Read More...

I have been reading about early-onset dementia. What exactly is it? Early onset dementia is a disorder that is usually hereditary in nature.  It is typically seen in patients before age 55. Alzheimer’s dementia usually occurs after the age of 65. Geneticists have mapped out several ...Read More...

I am hearing a lot of talk about Vitamin D3; why is it important to check my level? In recent years, there has been an increase in Vitamin D deficiency.  Studies report that nearly half of the U.S. population suffers from lack of Vitamin D.  So why is having enough Vitamin D important? ...Read More...

Q.  As I have gotten older I notice I bruise easier than I use to. Sometimes I'll have a bruise on my arm and not even remember bumping it on anything. Is this something to be concerned about? A. Many times people will wonder, "Now when did I do that?" as they look ...Read More...