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.

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Are GMO Foods Safe? What you don’t know may hurt you.

What are GMO foods, what are the problems with them, and is there evidence that these crops produce disease?

Breast Cancer Prevention Diet

What if delicious eating can save your life? A breast cancer prevention diet is easier than you might think.

Holistic Health Teleclasses

Our Holistic Health Teleclasses are offered on a variety of health and wellness subjects and are open to anyone interested.

On a cancer prevention diet? You can be.

A cancer prevention diet is within your grasp, and powerful enough to prevent one in three cancer cases. Dr. Pendergrast can show you that for cancer prevention, food is a critical choice.

ADHD and Pesticides

Olive leaf capsules, safe and effective for blood pressure and cholesterol

Did you know that olive leaf capsules have been proved scientifically to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol? A safe ancient remedy with modern proof.

Media Page

Keep up with Dr. Robert Pendergrast as he appears on the radio, on television, and in print on the Media Page.

Womens health issues: go with natural holistic medicine for your own safety

Do you trust womens health issues to the care of big corporations? Learn about holistic medicine from a trusted source.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (Winter Depression)

If you are lucky enough to live in the southern US, winter depression is likely to last a shorter period of time than for those in northern states. But Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can be disabling for people anywhere who are affected by seasonal changes in light. If you are still suffering from depressed mood at the end of winter, here are a couple of ideas for relief.

First, a quick definition. There is a set of typical symptoms that tend to repeat themselves every fall and winter. It includes: slumping energy and concentration in the afternoons, weight gain from increased appetite, excess daytime sleepiness, irritability and sadness, social withdrawal, and a general slowing of body movements. If this sounds like your winter pattern, read on.

The most effective natural treatments for winter depression (SAD)are light therapy and exercise. There are so many other health benefits of exercise, it always tops my recommendations. At the least, take long walks during daylight hours if possible. Light therapy is also simple, and has been shown in multiple scientific studies to be effective against SAD. It requires the use of a Light Box, preferably one which puts out 10,000 Lux. These are available commercially, and may cost from $90 to over $250. Sitting a few feet away from the light box for 30 minutes, preferably in the morning, is the most effective use.

If symptoms are severe to the point of failing to meet work or social obligations, or any obsessive thoughts of death or suicide, it is important to seek professional help, and I urge you to contact your own physician right away.

And always remember that food affects mood as well... take a look through the pages on this website for reliable information on delicious and healthy eating!

Calcium and Heart Disease

How are calcium and heart disease linked? Before taking supplements, here is up to date information for your safety.

Consider a Hops Supplement When Looking for Herbs for Stress

Did you know that a hops supplement can calm anxiety, improve digestion, and is a natural sleep aid? Find out at Holistic Medicine MD.

Holistic Health Videos

Holistic health videos features Dr. Robert Pendergrast as he delivers lectures at the Medical College of Georgia for their MiniMed Program.

Holistic Health Testimonials

Holistic health testimonials tell the real story of how effective a natural approach can be.

Holistic Books

Facts about insomnia: what's that sleepless night costing you?

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.

The benefits of echinacea: stops a cold if used correctly; and real cautions

Wondering about the benefits of echinacea? It works for colds, let me tell you how; and my list of patients who should never take this herbal medication.

Three Steps for Preventing Breast Cancer: #3

We are now ready for the third of the three most important principles for breast cancer prevention. In addition to the healing foods for preventing breast cancer described on these pages and in the Real Foods That Heal archives, these three strategies alone would be sufficient to prevent tens of thousands of cases in American women yearly. Here is number three:

Limit or avoid alcohol use. Does this mean you can never drink? No, but it does mean it's my responsibility to let you know the science of this risk, then it will be up to you to decide. And the science says this: any amount of alcohol consumed by women increases risk of breast cancer; no lower completely safe limit exists. For comparison, here are some relative numbers. A woman who has 5 drinks per week increases risk of breast cancer by 5%. A woman who habitually has two drinks a day increases risk of breast cancer by 40%. Translate? At baseline, 13 women out of 100 will get breast cancer. Out of 100 women who have 2 drinks a day, 18 will get breast cancer (because 18 is 40% more than 13).

With that in mind, if you do not already consume alcohol, there is no reason to start. If you enjoy moderate drinking occasionally, your increase in risk is so minimal as to be no concern for most. If you are at the point of some alcohol use daily, it seems wise to consider the relative risk you are adding, especially if you have other risk factors. Risk factors such as overweight, lack of exercise, and lack of protection from the cancer preventing foods detailed in these pages.

Three Steps for Preventing Breast Cancer: #2

Yesterday I introduced the first of the three most important strategies for preventing breast cancer, in addition to the foods for preventing breast cancer described on these pages and in the Real Foods That Heal archives. That was keeping a healthy body weight. Here is the second:

Stay physically active throughout life. Multiple studies have shown that women who get regular physical activity reduce risk of breast cancer. One reason is that it helps with body weight, but even overweight women who exercise decrease cancer risk. And remember, regular physical activity benefits multiple health factors all at once. From heart disease to bone health to mental health and better sleep, there's not a prescription I could write for you with as many benefits.

If you have not been in the habit of regular exercise, start simple and slow, give yourself the chance to succeed at something small first. And regardless of whatever else you do, take a 30 minute walk daily; you'll be able to maintain that habit no matter where you are, well into old age, and it gets you out in nature and reduces stress at the same time.

Three Steps for Preventing Breast Cancer: #1

In addition to the foods for preventing breast cancer described on these pages and in the Real Foods That Heal archives, there are three very important steps women can take. In fact, the science on breast cancer prevention is stronger for these three than any single lifestyle factor. Here is the first:

Keep a healthy weight throughout life. While the evidence on excess body weight as a breast cancer risk is specific to post-menopausal breast cancer, it only makes sense to keep a healthy weight early in life as well; especially since many women find that weight control is more difficult after menopause. Who would want to start that time of life with an uphill battle already? And here is my single most important advice for weight control:

Keep added sugar and refined flour at minimal level in the diet, and stay physically active. Sugar is the biggest culprit in making Americans overweight. And please don't substitute artificial sweeteners, who knows what they might do? Use small amounts of agave nectar when you do need a sweetener, and not very often.

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Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it
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