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Opioid Use and Misuse in Pregnancy: Clinical Issues, Alternatives, and Best Practices
Refill request. Refill request for opioids. When I practiced as a mainstream obstetrician/gynecologist, my heart would sink every time the opioid refill arrived in my inbox. I’d look up the electronic health record of the patient requesting the opioid, and if I saw “pregnancy” in her chart, my heart would sink further. Why? Because I…
Read MoreMeditation: Precision Medicine for the Brain and Body
As someone who has fixed a cup of tea and sat down to get quiet on a daily basis for the past few decades, I am a total convert on the benefits of meditation. And science is finally catching up to what we’ve known about meditation since ancient times – that regular contemplative practice improves…
Read MoreNutrigenomics: Food 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. This is the…
Read MoreCould The Gut-Brain Axis Hold The Secrets To Radically Transform Your Health?
Do any of these sound familiar? Do you struggle to lose weight? No matter what you do, the scale won’t budge? Do you feel that your thinking is “foggy”, that it lacks focus or clarity? Do you feel anxious, wake up at 4 a.m. ruminating over a problem, or feel burned out? Do you walk…
Read MoreNourishing the Brain Body on the Today Show with Maria Shriver
I had the great honor and privilege to launch my new book, Brain Body Diet, on the Today Show with Maria Shriver.
Read MoreThe How-Tos of At-Home Hormone Testing
Many people ask me about self-testing for hormone imbalances. Doing these tests can be insightful and shed light on any particular issues. At-home testing is just one way to take the reins over your medical destiny, learn about the state of your general health, glean important information about how to alter your lifestyle to impact…
Read MoreDo You Know Which Foods Make You Younger? And Which Ones Age You?
Five years ago, I found out my body was in a failure state as measured by my telomeres, the protective caps on chromosomes that reflect how fast you are aging. As with many stories of initiation, my failing telomeres started me on an unplanned journey of surrender and healing. You may wonder what my telomeres…
Read MoreWhy Can’t I Lose Weight and Keep It Off? (Hint: It’s Not Your Fault)
Have you tried every diet imaginable, and still find it hard to lose weight? Or maybe you lose weight, only to gain it back within a few months? Chances are your metabolism is broken. A broken metabolism is intertwined with what I call hormone misfires, which make you store fat no matter what diet you…
Read More8 Ways Birth Control Pills Might be Harming Your Health
Millions of women take birth control pills (BCP) for contraception and/or to treat an underlying hormone imbalance. BCPs block ovulation and thicken your cervical mucus so that sperm have a reduced chance of meeting up with a fertilized egg. But are they a good idea? That depends. As a gynecologist practicing functional medicine, I have…
Read More5 FAQs about Yoga and Hormones: Yoga Changes Your Adrenaline, Cortisol, and Melatonin
After practicing for four decades, I believe yoga helps with that uncomfortable “rev” in the body. You probably know what I’m talking about – that sense that you don’t like something in the present moment, like your belly or butt or thighs, or the feeling that you should be doing more in your career, or that you deserve to be paid more than you are, or you somehow don’t measure up to an impossible standard.
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