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On this podcast, I am delighted to have my friend and colleague Dr. Walter Crinnion, ND,  back to talk about how environmental toxicants actually do their damage to the body.

This podcast is about our mitochondria, the little organelles which are the energy factories of our cells.

In this show I’m going to be asking Dr. Crinnion the following questions:

1. What are mitochondria and what do they do for us?

2. How can I tell if my mitochondria are working or are not working?

3. Are there certain diseases that are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction?

4. What kinds of things “poison” my mitochondria?

In preparation for this interview I reread Dr. Crinnion’s excellent book called Clean, Green and Lean, which I encourage all of you to get and read. It tells you the practical steps to help keep your own body clean, and to keep the environment where you live and work, clean. This is especially important for people who already have a chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. It is also very important for young families who are starting to have children which can be more easily affected by the chemicals in our environment. [Read more…]

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In this episode I talk about the current controversy regarding BPA, also known as bisphenol A. The FDA just rejected a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council to ban BPA in food packaging.

BPA has been found in the urine of more than 93% of Americans tested. It is a synthetic estrogen that was developed more than 70 years ago and has been widely used since the 1960s specifically to make polycarbonate plastic for things such as baby bottles. It's also been used to line metal cans such as soup cans. It can be found in dental sealants and eyeglasses as well as a coating for cash register receipts and hundreds of other household items.

BPA is an “endocrine disruptor” (EDC) and as such disrupts our endocrine system. It is been linked to neurological defects, diabetes, breast and prostate cancer, and heart disease.

Just recently Campbell’s Soup company announced that they would be removing BPA from the inner lining of their soup cans. This was brought about by pressure from consumers. [Read more…]

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This is part 2 of my interview of noted Ob-Gyn Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz.

We pick up in part 2 of the interview talking the nutrients she recommends during pregnancy. Brain development and Essential Fatty Acids during pregnancy and nursing are reviewed. 

Then we move on to talk about bio identical hormones for menopause. We review the herbs that are helpful for menopause. What is the definition of bio-identical?  Dr. Suzanne defines it. 

Is it risky for a menopausal woman to take bio identical hormones? This depends on several factors in the woman’s life and personal history. 

Dr Suzanne definitely recommends bio identical hormones for women that want to take hormones at menopause. She reviews the new data from the Women’s Health Initiative that women with low risk for breast cancer actually had a lower risk of breast cancer when they took the horse hormone brand Premarin. 

Furthermore I am happy to learn that a new study of hormone replacement in women who had breast cancer is also in progress, to help with symptoms including bone loss.  [Read more…]

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I am delighted to have on this podcast my colleague and friend, Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz  M.D. Dr. Suzanne applies integrative medicine to Obstetrics and Gynecology , the way I apply it to Internal Medicine

Dr. Suzanne is fully trained in Ayurvedic Medicine and uses it in her practice. We talk about “what is Ayurveda” and how does it compare with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ayurveda is one of the oldest healing systems and comes from India. 

Ayurveda means the science of life and is directly related to Yoga. 

We talk about the main modalities of treatment that are used in Ayurveda. And she points out that lifestyle management is a big part of Ayurveda.

 Marma therapy  is part of Ayurveda and is analogous to acupressure in Chinese medicine.

Dr. Suzanne brings in many aspects of integrative medicine to her practice and works closely with other integrative practitioners and that is how I met her. She provides a safe environment for women to talk to her about their lives and health.

We discuss how she uses Ayurvedic  medicine in Obstetrics. The idea that “you are not in control” is a big lesson during pregnancy and we discuss this.  Pregnancy lets a woman learn to let go! We talk about yoga and safe yoga practices during pregnancy. I am happy to see that Vitamin D is part of her basic prenatal blood panel.  [Read more…]