Nelson, a musician, was a lifelong smoker and had tried to quit many times. He also struggled with a tendency to overeat and had attendant blood sugar issues. He had tried so many diets that he said he was pretty sure he could write a book about nutrition. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what to do to improve…
For a long time my passion was horseback riding. I practiced for hours every day in order to train my body and my mind to be in tune with my horse and the sport. My intense passion allowed me to excel to the top of the competition, with dreams of Olympic gold seemingly within reach. But when I was seventeen,…
I am sitting on the edge of an exam table, a little giddy because I believe I have found an endocrinologist who will diagnose and treat me for the chronic fatigue, 30-pound weight gain, excruciating migraines, and other symptoms that have been holding me hostage in my own body for years. Seconds later I am weeping, face in my dripping…
When Dr. Richard Ash developed rheumatoid arthritis years ago, he began taking the standard therapy of steroids to suppress his immune system. But instead of finding relief from his symptoms over the course of long-term treatment, he incurred more suffering due to side effects from the medications. Dr. Ash felt there had to be a better way. So he looked…
Welcome to Second Acts, a series of interviews with interesting people who discovered new pathways midway through their lives. Udo Erasmus, Ph.D., known as the Father of Flax Oil, is responsible for our modern understanding of the importance of essential fatty acids in the human diet. His discoveries came as a result of becoming sick from working with pesticides. It’s a testament…
When people learn that I have cancer, they usually stammer, sputter, turn pale, and back away. When people learn that I am a vegan? They get mad. The other day I had a phone conversation with a woman who organizes an annual spa day for women with cancer. She told me that a speaker a few years ago said that…
We all know stress can be harmful, but to a trauma survivor it can be excruciating, even life-threatening. Not everyone who lives through an extreme emotional trauma develops post-traumatic stress disorder, but millions do. An estimated 8% of the U.S. population—about 24.4 million people—have PTSD at any given time. PTSD is difficult to diagnose, in large part because its symptoms…
The merits of acupuncture for pain relief and treatment of other conditions have been well documented, as well as challenged by naysayers. For me, those tiny needles have always hit the right spots. I’ve had close to a dozen acupuncture sessions over the years, and always walked away with my comfort restored. But during one treatment, I received much more…
