Genetics
Transgenerational Soul Wounds and the Trauma of the Sri Lanka Bombings
The terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka claimed the lives of over three hundred people and injured hundreds more. When I read about the suicide bombings, it’s not just the hundreds of dead and injured and their grieving families and communities whom I hold in my thoughts, but also the future generations of family members, who…
Read MoreIs Aging Optional?
Is aging optional? Do we have more control over our aging than we might believe? Or are we victims of our environment and genetic code? I’m fascinated by the mission to extend the glory of middle age for as long as possible; the daily choices that extend healthspan, the length of time you feel awesome…
Read MoreFood as Precision Medicine
Imagine a world where you don’t need to count calories or obsess over food. Imagine a world where you’re not caught between retreating to the couch or spending hours at the gym. Finally, imagine a world where you’re not feeling shame, punishment or restriction when it comes to the food you eat. In this short…
Read MoreThe Skinny on the Sirtfood Diet
Since time immemorial, humans have been fascinated by the pursuit of the mythical fountain of youth. Fast forward to the twenty-first century and nothing has changed, with enormous scientific interest now focused on a family of metabolism regulating genes called sirtuin, and their potent actions which can fundamentally change how our cells function. These potent…
Read MoreMy Prophylactic Mastectomy: What Led Me to Go Under the Knife
I woke up from anesthesia about two months ago, euphoric from the certainty that I made the right choice to undergo a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy for a faulty breast cancer gene called CHEK2. I snapped a quick selfie, unadorned and very raw, in my hospital bed and wanted to share it with you (see photo).…
Read More5 Genes That Make It Hard to Lose Weight, and What You Can Do To Combat Them
Do you ever feel like you exercise and eat well, but don’t see positive results? I feel you. I’ve been there! The problem may be with your genes. As scientists look into weight-loss genes, they have found that people with variations of certain genes are more prone to put on weight than others. I know,…
Read MoreWholeness: Why the Photo Shoot for My New Book Cover Made Me Feel Complete (And What You All Said About It, Too!)
We need more wholeness in the world, especially now. A recent photo shoot served as an important reminder. For me, the photo shoots never used to be about being whole. Instead, they used to be one part joy and one part do-I-look-fat-in-this-dress? Now I zip up the dress, stop staring in the mirror, and ask: …
Read MoreFive Healthy Gifts That Benefit Hormones
We tend to let the holidays steer us away from healthiness. Yet the holidays are the perfect time to stay on track and share our commitment to health through the gifts we give. Sure, a gift of fiber powder may not say “happy holidays,” but I’ve found five gifts that help reset hormones and will…
Read MoreHow Wild Alaskan Salmon Rocked My Locks and Transformed My Life
It’s August, 1989. Something weird and wonderful is happening en route to Harvard Medical School, and it’s not just the music of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. My hair is astonishingly full, thick, and shiny even though I haven’t used “product” on it for the entire summer. My nails are curiously strong.
Read MoreWhat I Recommend My Patients to Eat for Clear, Glowing, and Ageless Skin
The skin is a mirror of the gut and mind. In functional medicine, symptoms are divine messages from the body. It’s our job together to decode them, not rush to a new pill or cream. We need to identify the root cause and then create a protocol to heal that cause. The same rule applies whether the issue is acne, eczema, rosacea, wrinkles, weight gain, rapid aging, or diabetes.
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