Patient Advocates

Your HealthCare Safety Net

Author: Karen Mercereau

the more you know

Cancer, heart disease and obesity influenced by canned food. What?

There are chemicals in our food and skin products that have been linked to disrupting our endocrine system.  So what is your endocrine system anyway? It is an interconnected system of glands in your body that control your entire metabolism!  It includes the Hypothalamus and the Pineal and Pituitary Glands in your brain, your Thyroid Gland and Pancreas, your Thymus Gland and Adrenal Glands as well as the Testes and Uterus. The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), an independent research and...

chicken and flu

Check that chicken! What?

According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, 97% of the chicken breasts they test harbored bacteria that could make you sick. Analyzing more than 300 chicken breasts purchased across the US, the scientists found potentially harmful bacteria in almost all of them, including organic brands.  More than 50% of the breasts contained fecal contamination.  Around half of them contained at least one bacteria that was resistant to 3 commonly used antibiotics.  This resistance to antibiotics is becoming a major...

MindBodyBrain

Holistic Mental Health

Could depression, anxiety, ADHD, and like conditions be connected with what is happening in the rest of our bodies?  Yes!  Our brains are connected to our bodies. Welcome to the world of Holistic Mental Health – the study and clinical application of the connections between our bodies and our minds.   Classically-trained psychiatrist Mary Beth Ackerley MD, MDH, ABIHM, takes a holistic approach to her practice and explains that “The holistic model supports the idea that body chemistry, spirituality, diet, nutrition,...

CoQ10_Ubiquinol

More on the amazing CoEnzyme Q10 that our bodies produce….

Here is some additional information about this wonderful nutrient our bodies create that increases energy production and helps to reduce inflammation.  Tori Hudson, N.D., nationally recognized naturopathic physician, author, educator and researcher, has written much about this nutrient that is produced not only in humans, but in animals, plants and microbes. “It is an essential component of the mitochondria, which is the energy producing unit of each cell of our body. CoQ10 is involved in the manufacture of ATP, which...

Medical Errors

Medical Errors are now the 3rd leading cause of death in the US according to a study by Dr. John T. James published in the Journal of Patient Safety

  An article in September’s Scientific American described this issue in depth. We all need to take note.  This is a problem of the medical system itself and does not mean that doctors and nurses have become substandard.  They have not.  The system itself is broken and not working to our advantage. How many die from medical mistakes in US hospitals?  In 2010, the Office of Inspector General for Health and Human Services reported that bad hospital care contributed to...

Acid reflux & Gerd

Acid reflux? GERD?

Taking the little purple pill? More than 25% of Americans have this problem. Is there another answer? Mark Hyman, MD, (drhyman.com) a leading clinician in Functional Medicine recently addressed this issue. 44% of Americans have heartburn at least once a month.  The acid-blocking medications – Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium – are the third most commonly prescribed medications!  Reflux causes many problems and so we need to ask “WHY”.  Why do you have reflux? Some common triggers: Fried or spicy foods Citrus or...

BPA Letters in Stamp Font

Ever wonder what BPA (bisphenol-A) actually is? What is all the controversy about? Is it really harmful?

  What is BPA? Bisphenol A is a man made synthetic compound used to make certain plastics clear and tough.  It is used to make such consumer goods as the polycarbonate plastic in water bottles, sports equipment, CDs and DVDs, plastic toys, linings of water pipes, and in the linings of food and beverage cans.  It is also used in the manufacture of thermal paper such as grocery and gas and store receipts.  (wash your hands!) BPA was used as a...

Skeleton doing hand stand

Let’s talk about bones. . . about types of calcium to build bones. . . about medications used in osteoporosis.

Bones are constantly breaking down bone cells and building new ones (called remodeling).  How does calcium fit in here?  Which medications might be helpful (or harmful)? Americans take more calcium supplements than any other group on the planet – and we have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis.  Why?   Calcium is only one of many different components necessary to help build and maintain strong bones.  The calcium in your bones accounts for approximately 20% of the entire makeup...

Photo of stethascope on double hamburger

Half of the people who experience heart attacks have normal cholesterol. What? What does this mean?

S. Sinatra, MD, a leading integrative cardiologist, explains that the real cause of heart attacks is inflammation in the linings of your arteries.  Moreover, a healthy level of cholesterol is necessary for health.  Too little can lead to health problems! So what do you need cholesterol for?   1. Synthesizing essential nutrients such as vitamin D; steroid hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol; and bile acids needed for digestion 2. Constructing the semi-permeable membranes around each of the 100 trillion...