Self Esteem - The Adult Chair
September 16, 2019
We can never have enough self-esteem. So many of us didn't have healthy self-esteem role models growing up so, we are embarking on this journey now. Here's the good news, it's never too late!
With the help of The Adult Chair model, we can live our lives to the fullest and create happiness we never thought possible.
Healthy self-esteem from The Adult Chair is not only possible, but it also happens quickly with these 4 easy-to-apply steps. Enjoy your journey of building up your new sense of self and empowerment in your Adult Chair.
Michelle
Link to Self Esteem Podcast
Stuttering
September 23, 2019
Stuttering is a very common pediatric complaint. The movie, the King's Speech, about King George the 6th of England, highlights the difficulties faced by those with speech impediments. Stuttering is a speech fluency problem where the spoken language is repeated as sounds, syllables or words.
5 in 100 children will stutter at some time in their life. The fluency dysfunction usually lasts for months and self resolves. Of these stuttering children, a small subset do not self resolve and persist into adulthood just like King George. This group will need further interventions to reduce the problem and help the adult achieve normal fluency.
The rule of thumb in pediatrics is to refer a child for speech therapy evaluation if the stuttering has lasted for greater than 6 months and/or the child has significant anxiety related to the issue. We also recommend referral earlier if a child has a strong family history of a first degree relative with severe or moderate adult stuttering.
Science of Teen Rebellion
September 23, 2019
In the excellent book, Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, there is a great chapter on teen rebellion. Why do teens rebel and lie? Primarily to explore the world and avoid telling us that they broke our rules.
In the chapter, researcher Nancy Darling looked at the issues surrounding lying and deception. What she found was that most teens lie to hide actions that they have engaged in that are counter to the parents rules or desires. They don't want to disappoint and ruin the relationship with mom and dad so they prevaricate and lie. She also found that very permissive parents often have less well adjusted children as the teens perceive the lack of rules as parents not caring. Her research found that "pushing a teen into rebellion by having too many rules was a sort of statistical myth".
Microplastics - a new topic to explore!
September 30, 2019
Emerging evidence is bringing to light a new concern. I am finding that I am becoming haunted by the never ending stream of negative news in regards to our environment. I have yet to meet a human that does not want clean air, water and food, yet, we are slowly having none of these.
The reality is that micro and nano size plastic particles are entering our bodies through our food and water supply chain. In a September 2019 study, a group from McGill University in Canada stated:
Science of Raising Children Part 2
September 30th, 2019
We all want to have happy, well adjusted, intelligent, respectful and motivated children/teens. It appears that this reality is far from true for some parents today because of the myriad societal pressures negatively weighing on our children's psyche. When thinking about the pieces of the puzzle that help us raise a child, I think that we have a great role to play. It has been well established that nature and nurture are important, however, I think that nurture is our modifiable priority .
Here are ten ideas to raising a competent and happy child:
Antibiotic Resistance - Part 1:
October 7, 2019
Antibiotic Resistance is a continually evolving problem in medicine and society. Historically, significant antibiotic resistance was confined to the hospitals and intensive care units. Over the past decade, these bacterial resistance issues have entered the everyday world with the likes of MRSA, methicillin resistant Staphlococcus aureus.
In the primary care, urgent and emergent care clinics, we are seeing children every day with MRSA abscess/skin infections. Fortunately, we still have 2 good oral antibiotics to fight this trouble maker. Hypothetically,
Cancer Avoidance and Treatment
October 7th, 2019
After finishing the talk on Autoimmunity and the environment last Thursday, I read about a lovely new theory on cancer. It is believed that we are exposed to cancer inducing environments not too infrequently meaning that we all develop cancer cells more often than we think. In a fascinating new article in the August edition of the Journal Scientific American, Drs. DeGregori and Gatenby take us on a new theory journey of cancer and it's treatment.
They liken the cancer biology to be akin to Darwin's natural selection theory with survival of the fittest reigning supreme. Thinking outside of the box has often been the route to new ideas, treatments and cures in medicine.
Antibiotic Resistance - Part 2:
October 14, 2019
What can we do to stem the tide of this mess?
"The rapid emergence of resistant bacteria is occurring worldwide, endangering the efficacy of antibiotics. Implementation of recommended steps, such as the adoption of antibiotic stewardship programs; improving diagnosis, tracking and prescribing practices; optimizing therapeutic regimens; and preventing infection transmission, are expected to be effective in managing this crisis.
Biodiversity is the Key!
October 14th, 2019
Over the past few years, many thought leaders in Functional Medicine are looking away from probiotics as a major treatment tool.
If you want to have a healthy intestinal microbiome, then you need to look at the volume of fiber that you consume. Bacteria have differing fiber choices to eat with a diverse whole foods diet. When we consume oats, seeds, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, legumes and other fibrous foods in a random pattern, we allow the bacteria that exist in our intestine to have a quality food source.
Upcoming Lecture at The Center for the Environment
September 11th, 2019
Do you want to learn about the genesis of autoimmune diseases like Crohn's disease or hypothyroidism? If so, you are in luck. On Thursday, October the 3rd at 6:30PM, I am going to give a talk on the genesis of autoimmune disease and what you can do to stem the tide or potentially lessen your disease burden if you are already sick.
It is an event that requires registration which can be done at this link. However, in the past a few people have registered only to not show up and leave a seat vacant. Therefore, if you fail to register, come anyway and you will likely find a wanting seat.
Prevention and understanding are keys to longevity,
Dr. M
Easy
September 9th, 2019
When thinking about life and your children at all ages, think long and hard about making life uncomfortable for them on and off. I do not say this lightly. The thought of this makes a lot of parents squirm. Many people equate loving a child with keeping them happy most of the time or sometimes at all costs. I think that this plan is fraught with peril.
Think about a crying child. There is the I am starving cry. There is the I want to be held cry. There is the I am over tired cry. And on and on. To stop the crying, a parent will have to meet the child's need. Food, holding, rocking to sleep, giving a toy, etc... will achieve the goal of stopping the crying, but at what cost if always done.
Stillness
September 16, 2019
Why do we need to learn to be still? We always hear about the virtues of being still. Our parents yell at us to "sit still". Pink Floyd extolled the lyrics, "You! Yes you! Stand still, laddy". Hyperactive kids get labeled and find their way into trouble for not being still. I suffered from this label for years in elementary school and beyond as I loved to squirm in my seat and talk far too much to my neighbors to the utter displeasure of Mrs. Smalley, my third grade teacher. It reached its peak that year when a friend of mine and I were labeled the chatterbox twins and were routinely sent out into the hall so as to not disrupt the class.
Choking Reboot
June 24th, 2019
Choking is a common and scary event that plays out in the homes of some parents of infants and toddlers. Counseling young parents on effective parenting around eating and play time can really help reduce the risk of such events.
"Choking can be prevented. Food accounts for over 50% of choking episodes. Be alert for small objects that can cause choking, such as coins, buttons, and small toys. Check under furniture and between cushions for small items that children could find and put in their mouths.
Fast Food Experiment
July 8th, 2019
I was contemplating the reality that maggots and mold will not attack American processed burgers, but they loved the organic version. Are these rudimentary creatures truly smarter than humans? We eat these poisons willingly. Our FDA says that these chemicals are safe. What are we missing here?
If worms and mold are deterred by these chemicals, why are we not? Do they have sensory mechanisms in place that are capable of recognizing danger better than we can? The answer is that we don't know.
I fall back to the same simple explanations on life. If nature is against it, I think that I should be as well.
Dr. M
Sleep Part IIII
July 8th, 2019
Continuing the sleep education from a few weeks ago.
Sleep is a most special event that we all need to continue to focus heavily on in order to live a healthy and long life. It may be the single most important event that we do daily.
Here are a few more quick hits on sleep from the Matthew Walker/Peter Attia podcast AMA #6. The following is adapted or directly quoted from Dr. Attia's show notes.
1) Our bodies need to drop 3-4 degrees F before we can comfortably fall asleep. This can be induced by cooling the room down between 65-70 degrees.
Telemedicine
July 8, 2019
Every-time a new way of practicing comes to life in medicine, we have to question what is the reason behind the change. This is no different for telemedicine and urgent care. Both of these new modalities are springing up in increasing numbers in the medical world in order to meet the new driver of medical changes, convenience.
Medical consumers are now demanding convenience of time and location of their healthcare experience. On first blush, this is not a bad idea.
Devices and Neck Concerns
July 1, 2019
What has been a concern of mine since the beginning of the smart phone era may be coming true. In the past, we have focused on myopia/nearsightedness caused by the continual viewing of a device or a book close up (AOA link). That has been coming to fruition unfortunately for the past decade.
Now we see a report from Dr. Shahar and colleague regarding potential neck damage from the chronic user's downward gaze on a tablet or smart phone. Published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2018, the authors have noted an increase in "exostosis" developing on the base of studied patient's skulls.
Letting Go and Chores
July 1, 2019
One of the hardest things to do in life is to let go and let your children figure it out. I have been and am currently knee deep into experiencing this reality daily as my teenagers explore the modern world. After reading an excellent article in the New York Times Magazine by Heather Havrilesky, I decided to write about parenting, chores and letting go.
Where did it all go? The letting children learn and fail parenting style that is. The giving them chores because they are a part of the family team. The telling them that I love you and this is part of growing up.
TBI and Fish Oil
June 24, 2019
Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, TBI, are real problems in modern America. The driving force behind TBI is some physically traumatic event that rattles the brain producing a significant inflammatory response that does not resolve appropriately leaving the sufferer with subacute or chronic negative symptoms .
There is a significant body of research looking at the effects of omega three fatty acids on the brain in relation to inflammation.
Being Uncomfortable
June 17th 2019
Being uncomfortable. While I was listening to lectures on stress and human vitality in San Antonio, I decided to put these thoughts in print.
To be uncomfortable in many ways has been a benefit to human longevity and vitality. For centuries, humans had to endure temperature change daily, food scarcity and seasonality, hard beds, animal and microbial exposure and much more. Fast forward to the last 50 years and we see many in our country enjoying euthermic environments in our cars (idling in parking lots for an hour at soccer practice - pet peeve) and homes, constant access to high calorie nutrient poor food, over clean environments and total home comfort where you can sit on a luxurious couch for 10 hours binge watching your favorite Netflix show.