Holistic Medicine Blog
Welcome to the Holistic Medicine Blog. This is where you can keep up-to-date on the latest pages and changes to this site. Here you can find keys to your own health, wellness and vibrant living without missing a thing. To subscribe to this blog, simply right-click on the orange RSS button (see bottom buttons to the left) and then paste the URL into your RSS reader or add it to your personalized home page. Here's to your health! Aug 12, 2010, Holistic Health TestimonialsHolistic health testimonials tell the real story of how effective a natural approach can be. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Holistic Health Testimonials" Jul 22, 2010, Preventing Breast Cancer: You Can Take Action to Reduce Your RiskHere are powerful tools for preventing breast cancer, scientifically supported real prevention from foods and daily life Jul 22, 2010, Childhood insomnia: Comforting Solutions for the FamilyIf you are about at the end of your rope because of childhood insomnia, here's help. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Childhood insomnia: Comforting Solutions for the Family" Jul 21, 2010, The benefits of licorice root: adrenal support and more.Get the benefits of licorice root without worry. Holistic Medicine MD explains which conditions benefit and how to avoid the side effects. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The benefits of licorice root: adrenal support and more." Jul 21, 2010, The Benefits of Ginger: one of the safest medicinal herbs with medical researchA holistic doctor shares the health benefits of ginger, and you will be impressed at how many body systems will thank you for this natural remedy Jul 21, 2010, Asian Ginseng lives up to its reputationAsian Ginseng, one of the best herbal medications for low energy: Find out more at Holistic Medicine MD. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Asian Ginseng lives up to its reputation" Jul 21, 2010, How does American Ginseng Differ?American Ginseng is a great multipurpose herbal medication, but not right for everyone. Is it for you? Find out at Holistic Medicine MD. Permalink -- click for full blog post "How does American Ginseng Differ?" Jul 21, 2010, Adrenal Fatigue, causes and natural curesExhausted? Stressed? Relieve adrenal fatigue without dangerous hormone supplements. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Adrenal Fatigue, causes and natural cures" Jul 7, 2010, Life Saving Nutrition Information; Healthy Diet from Holistic MDEating healthy should never be boring! This nutrition information brings medical science and good taste to the table. Enjoy! Jun 24, 2010, Why choose organic produce?Given the added expense, is it really worth buying organic produce? I have been confident for some time the answer is yes, but I heard some news this week that solidified that answer. If you like strawberries (who doesn't?), you need to know about chemicals used in their production, especially in California, where most US strawberries are grown. In recent years, conventionally grown strawberries have been consistently among the most pesticide contaminated produce items. And it may get worse soon, as California is planning to allow the use of a soil fumigant called methyl iodide. This chemical can cause miscarriages, cancer, and is a neurotoxin with the potential for brain damage. And in the same week, I reviewed an article in a pediatric journal which concluded that the more organophosphate insecticides a child is exposed to, the more likely they are to show symptoms of ADHD. These insecticides are found on conventionally grown produce, and also commonly used in household and garden insect killers. The facts are inescapable. We are poisoning ourselves and our children. The cost of organic is well worth it, when you eliminate just the worst items. Check the list of the "Dirty Dozen" from the Environmental Working Group to know which conventionally grown produce items to definitely avoid. to your health and safety, Robert Pendergrast, MD Jun 16, 2010, Holistic Health TeleclassesOur Holistic Health Teleclasses are offered on a variety of health and wellness subjects and are open to anyone interested. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Holistic Health Teleclasses" Jun 16, 2010, Holistic BooksA collection of recommended holistic books. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Holistic Books" Jun 2, 2010, Good for the Heart, Good for the Brain
If you missed part 1 of our Teleclass tonight, here are a few short notes from our class on Protecting the Aging Brain. To your health and healing,
Robert Pendergrast, MD May 19, 2010, The Value of Clinical Hypnosis
This is an inspiring story which reminds me of how much I learn from my patients, and how the courage and faith of a child is so much a part of healing. A boy came to see me in my clinic today, let's call him T for privacy. T is not yet a teenager, and he is fortunate enough to be 6 years out from surviving acute leukemia. But what a fight that was, and he continues to suffer the consequences of the battle. He has dealt with chemotherapy, pain, nausea, unusual fractures where his bones should not have broken, surgeries, and most recently a bad episode of very high pressure inside his head that caused excruciating headaches. The good news: the pressure returned to normal; the bad news: the headaches stayed anyway. Oncologists and neurologists did all they could, and finally referred T to see me, on two strong medicines which weren't working. I'll fast forward this story past the first two appointments at which I got to know this brave boy, learned that he loves to swim, draw, and “beat the level” on his Mario game, and at which I began to teach him to use his imagination to turn down the volume on the pain. His appointment today was his third with me, and he proudly announced that he has had no headaches since his last visit. “How did you DO that?” I asked. And he told me: “Sometimes if I feel a headache coming on, I imagine that I can tie it to the string of a helium balloon and watch it float away.” And other times, maybe in school, “I just put my pencil down and stop thinking for a couple of minutes.” Wow. A child who can stop thinking at will is my guru. T exemplifies Einstein's quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” When my job is to teach children to use their imagination to harness the power of the inner pharmacy, self-healing, I feel like the luckiest man in the world. And even luckier when I got a hug from T on the way out the door. I'll be writing a new set of pages on using clinical hypnosis for the Holistic Medicine MD site soon, so stay tuned. You may be surprised at what you find out! To your health and healing,
Robert Pendergrast, MD May 1, 2010, Consider Rhodiola rosea When Looking for Herbs for DepressionDid you know that Rhodiola rosea is one of the best herbs for depression and energy? Find out at Holistic Medicine MD. Apr 20, 2010, How to not be Afraid of Your SeafoodI know you have heard from me (on this site or in person) the importance of seafood and omega-3 fats for health. But I also know that you may worry about toxic contaminants in seafood, and about overfishing the oceans. What if the fish could be dangerous? What if we wipe out whole species and our children are left without treasures from the sea? Those are very real concerns. But here's a very real way to enjoy healthy seafood and know those two questions have been addressed. The Seafood Watch site created by the Monterey Bay Aquarium shows you which fish are a safe harvest for the ocean. And now they have a "Super Green" List of seafood that is not only sustainable but also high in omega-3 fats and low in toxins. Go to http://www.montereybayaquarium.org and click on the Seafood Watch link. You can feel good about eating seafood again! to your health and healing, Robert Pendergrast, MD Apr 20, 2010, Holistic Health VideosHolistic health videos features Dr. Robert Pendergrast as he delivers lectures at the Medical College of Georgia for their MiniMed Program. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Holistic Health Videos" Apr 15, 2010, Protect Children (and yourself) from Poisons in FoodI'm a pediatrician who sees adults for medical consults, but I'm still a pediatrician at heart. And I am really concerned about the impact on children of pesticides in food. The brains and endocrine systems of children are still developing, and their livers are often not mature enough to detoxify poisons that can be ingested from the environment. For that reason, it is even more important for children than for adults that you choose organically grown fruits and vegetables when possible. But because they are more expensive, you may need to target your organic shopping to only those foods most likely to be contaminated. That's where the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides from the Environmental Working Group comes in. There you can read not only about the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen" but also about the reasons this is important for your health. The web address is http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php While you're here, make sure to subscribe to Real Foods That Heal, and take the time to explore all the other pages on nutrition and health here. Thanks for visiting! Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH Apr 13, 2010, Sunlight reduces risk of colon cancer!This is too important to miss, so I'm passing along a short summary of a recent study. In the January 2010 online edition of the British Medical Journal, another study was published showing the role of vitamin D in reducing cancer risk. And the specific details are key to understand, because it does not imply that taking extra vitamin D pills would do the same thing. This research has followed over 500,000 people in Europe for years. They have now found that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D have a 40% lower risk of colorectal cancer than those with the lowest levels. But there was no risk reduction that resulted from dietary intake of vitamin D. This implies that it was natural production of vitamin D in the body from sun exposure that conferred protection. At the same time, calcium in the diet did reduce colon cancer risk. What's my take on this? Vitamin D is crucial for life and health. It's probably best to let your own body make it by sun exposure. Make sure you get enough calcium in your diet (I prefer non-dairy sources). Get your blood level tested for 25(OH)vitamin D. If low, get in the sun more, and take 2000 IU of vitamin D3 per day if you live anywhere north of Atlanta, Georgia. And while you are here, for more important vitamin D news, please review the vitamin D page on this website, located under the Osteoporosis tab. to your health and wellness, Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH Apr 4, 2010, Eat your Yard...It was a beautiful spring day at my home, and while cleaning up the yard, I could not resist harvesting some fresh tender dandelion greens in the late morning. Rinsed and drained, they became part of a salad with some arugula, carrots, apple slices, with an oil and vinegar dressing. Delicious! Fresh dandelion greens are a terrific source of vitamins A & K, calcium, and act as a liver tonic and mild diuretic. Sort of like spring cleaning for your body! But don't eat them out of your yard if you use herbicides or pesticides. Organic only! Enjoy. There was a Real Foods That Heal bulletin devoted to this about a year ago, not in the Archives yet. Subscribe now and don't miss another issue.
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