MAY 9, 2011 WHO IS DR. DUKAN ?

"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship." --Louisa May Alcott

A great quote. The storms are the ups and downs of life--the 'life on life's terms' things each of deal with on a daily basis. None of the storms are perfect. I like to think that life is a roller coaster as terrifying as the Cyclone at Coney Island. The roller coaster is not that bad because it allows each of us to not get stagnant. Stagnant blood forms blood clots (a blockage). No one should have a blockage in life. Someone who thinks life is dull must lead a very narrow life.
I have learned a lot about sailing my ship. I know now when I should stop in port and when I should forge ahead. I can steer my ship in the right direction. Sure there have been some downs in the years after I got sober. Some of those downs still exist, but I never give up. I am constantly moving. The problem is I do think I rest my mind enough. I am constantly on the go. On my ship I have responsibilities, not only to myself but to other people. These people are family, friends and patients. As a responsible human being, I need to steer well.


Weather the storms, and as you walk in the storm hold your head up high.....

So you must have heard about the Dukan Diet. Until my friend Carol told me about it--I had not heard about it. Then on Friday April 29th I heard that Catherine Middleton and her sister Piper were on the diet. The Dukan Diet was created by French medical doctor Pierre Dukan, who devoted his career to helping people lose weight. Since its introduction in France in 2000, the Dukan Diet swept across the country and has been the number one diet in France ever since. It has now gone on to become an international phenomenon with unprecedented success in over 100 countries throughout the world.

As I study this diet, it seems to me that it is another version of the Atkins Diet. As Atkins was the #1 diet in the United States years ago, the Dukan Diet is the No 1 French Medical Diet.
You can calculate your true weight on the website, as you calculated the BMI with the Atkins Diet. True Weight is a realistic, healthy weight that we can help you attain and maintain for the rest of your life. I am sensitive to this diet because I worked with the late Robert Atkins, MD in his center in New York City. I learned a lot from this man

Dukan Diet takes a high protein, low fat, low cholesterol approach to weight loss. The Atkins diet was a high protein, high fat approach to weight loss. The Dukan diet encourages gradual weight loss, healthy eating habits, and an active lifestyle.

It follows four steps: two steps to lose the weight and two steps to keep it off — forever. This is similar to the phases of the Atkins Diet.

1 - Attack Phase
A regime of pure protein jump starts your weight loss with amazing results.

2 - Cruise Phase
Pure proteins and vegetables allow you to gradually reach your True Weight.

3 - Consolidation Phase
This is the time when you are most vulnerable to putting the weight back on. This phase is designed specifically to prevent rebound weight gain using the following formula: 5 days of consolidation for every pound lost.

4 - Stabilization Phase
This is the rest of your life. To maintain your weight, follow these rules: eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran per day, take the stairs as often as you can, and have a Pure Protein (Attack Phase) day every Thursday.
Oat bran is an integral part of the Dukan Diet. It provides the much-needed fiber content, aids digestion, and lowers cholesterol, among other things.


Until tomorrow...

MAY 8TH 2011 BEE HAPPY FOR MOM

My Mom - wiped my tears, hugged me tight, stayed with me in the shower with whooping cough, watched me succeed to medical school, saw me fall, cheered me on at my track meets, kept me going strong, and even drove me a little crazy with Backgammon and Card games.

But Moms are a promise from G.O.D. that you will have a friend forever. My special friend died too young, but was always there with me through thick and thin.

I LOVE YOU MOM.

Flowers are important for every mom, but not just on Mother's Day. Every day should be Mother's Day. I love flowers. I have the advantage of having fresh flowers every day in my office and our home from my own private floral designer, Rick.

Many gardeners are familiar with or even active in the important task of bee preservation. Hopefully most of us have had the opportunity to watch bees wander through flower beds or gardens, visiting first one flower and then another. Every garden is more productive because of bees.

Did you realize that? Almost 90 % of all plants are pollinated by insects like the honeybee.

According to the Natural Resources Conservation Services, pollinators like bees are responsible for one out of every three to four mouthfuls of food we eat. Can you imagine that! In the United States this amounts to 20 billions dollars worth of food.

So if you do not plan to become a beekeeper, find a way to support a local beekeeper. There are many ways to support bees. You could plant special flowers for your local bees. I bought a Flower Bee Mix from http://www.botanicalinterests.com/ to plant in the gardens in Fire Island.

The second way to support bees is to join your local bee association--whether you a beekeeper or not. I joined both the New York City and the Long Island Bee Associations. Another way is to see if you can assist a local beekeeper by donating funds to the beekeeper. I am not in the market of raising bees for monetary profit. I am doing this for the Bees and the community of Cherry Grove. I will be giving away the honey to the locals (it will be sparse the first year, but with 60-80 lbs of honey per hive -it will be plenty next year). One Cherry Grover wants to help the cause by collecting donations for the bottles that will hold the honey. I thought that was generous and great way to help out.

Reading this blog and passing it on is a way for more people to become aware of the Bee Situation, especially with Colony Collapse Disorder and the use of pesticides. I just thought of another way to help. Do Not Mow Your Lawn! The weedy plant, Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ) provides both nectar and pollen for the honey bees during a critical build-up time in spring. This year will be no exception. This past winter was extremely brutal and the amount of bee loss was horrifyingly deep. This cool wet spring has not helped either. So this year delivery of bees for a new beekeeper like me will continue into late May and into June. It will be fine. It gives a chance to pay attention to the status of the bee forage (especially the flowers) around the area in Cherry Grove Fire Island.

BEE happy

Until tomorrow...

MAY 7, 2011 SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN ( SHBG)

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." Dalai Lama

If you do not want happiness in your life, then something is wrong. Everyone deserves happiness, including you. I used to think I could never be happy. I had a good childhood. There was no addictions growing up except the family drama. Every Italian family I know has drama. We were no exception. I am sure my brother and I created drama for our mother. My brother was born 50 years ago today on Mother's Day. I was born the year before on Father's Day. My mother dressed us like Irish twins when we were young. Always in matching outfits, some which she and my Nanny made. Looking back at those photos today does put a smile on my face. We were close when we were young, but as we got older we had some differences. Today I look at those differences as the men who we became- different occupations, different lives, and different opinions. Despite these differences, we are brothers. If you have a sibling(s) it doesn't matter what differences you have or have had--you will always have a brother or sister. There is comfort in knowing that, especially when your parents are no longer here. So with warmest love and affection I say Happy 50th dear brother, Paul.

There is a marker of hormonal balance called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). It is a very important marker and its imbalances are associated with many diseases and the aging process. I ordered it recently on a male patient to see why his testosterone level was low despite replacement. It is useful information, but the insurance company refused to pay for the blood test. Why didn't the insurance company pay for the lab test? I do not know, but I do know the insurance companies often dictate how we practice medicine today.

SHBG is produced in the liver (just as cholesterol). It is a transport carrier for estrogens and testosterone. It is the master regular of the sex hormones. SHBG levels rise as we get older, as the sex hormones continue to decline. Testosterone (in males and females) declines as aromatase enzyme levels increase, moving testosterone to more estrogen and progesterone. What doctors don't usually know is that circulating testosterone in your blood is either bound to the protein albumin or SHBG. So it is important to measure and insurance companies should pay the bill.

For me the SHBG level is linked to a cardiovascular marker called HS (or high sensitive or cardiac) C- reactive protein (HS-CRP). Low SHBG globulin is linked to elevated triglycerides (TG) and LDL (low density lipoproteins). When you have a high TG you will have a low HDL(good cholesterol) There is an inverse relationship between TG and HDL.

Low SHBG is associated with high levels of CRP is women. This is the inflammatory and infection marker for the coronary arteries. For men, a low SHBG indicates a higher incidence of death from cardiovascular disease.

Another fact is that the steady rise in SHBG with aging is directly correlated to bone loss and osteoporosis in women and men. So I ask again, why aren't insurance companies paying for this blood test?

SHBG can be a preventative marker for many diseases. We need to practice Preventative Medicine . Studies indicate that SHBG abnormalities is associated with many diseases.

Ask your doctor to order a serum SHBG level and fight your insurance company to PAY for it.

Until tomorrow...

MAY 6, 2011 URBAN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

"We all hope. It's what keeps us alive."

HOPE is a grand word. I always associate 'hope' with 'dreams'. Hopes and dreams. We all have our hopes. Hope does keep us going and alive. Every one of us had hoped one day we would win the lottery. Not. Every one of us had hoped one day we would find a partner. Yes. A lot of my hopes became a reality once I began to take care of myself. I can only have hopes and dreams when I take care of myself first, then I can take care of others.

I was thinking is there anything I had hoped for that I haven't had cross my path ? I am still pondering that question. For the first time in my life- I want for nothing. What do I need? I cannot think of anything I need or want. I have peace, serenity, love, and myself.

Isn't that enough for one person?

DO YOU WANT TO OWN AND LIVE ON A FARM? I DO.

Nigerian dwarf goats grow to only 21 in. tall, about equal to a medium-size dog. "But they have giant udders," says Novella Carpenter. She should know: she has six goats that together provide a quart of milk a day, which she drinks and uses to make cheese and butter. And when the bleating beauties are not grazing in her 1,000-sq.-ft. yard, they're hanging out on the porch of her second-floor apartment in the middle of Oakland, California.

Now this is surreal. I started reading that some consider this a hobby. I wouldn't have thought it but when you think that my own grandparents had goats in their backyard at 2 Elizabeth Street in New York City in 1910--why not?

Besides goats there have been lots of stories lately about chicken coops becoming a new urban and suburban accessory. I can relate to Detroit's Garden Resource Program, which recently launched beekeeping classes and saw them fill up immediately. Our bee classes at http://www.honeybeelives.org/ and those at the http://www.nybg.org/ (New York Botanical Garden) filled up rather quickly. Chicken coops, goats, and pigs may seem far fetched, but perhaps not.

I would love a farm in Upstate New York. The growing popularity of raising barnyard animals in backyards — or indoors — has forced many municipalities across the country to statutorily reckon with livestock within city limits. But legal or not, urban animal husbandry is gaining cachet. That's not only because of the desire to eat local and organic but also because the shaky economy has more people wanting to be more self-sufficient.

Miniature goats are usually kept for milk and weed-eating; bees, for honey and pollination. I wanted a bee hive on our Roosevelt Island terrace, but I decided it would be best in Fire Island for now. Can you imagine miniature goats roaming the New York City brownstone roofs?
But the truly hard-core urban farmers are plumping their animals for meat, shortening the food-supply chain and being responsible carnivores. I find all of self sufficiency very refreshing and empowering.

Try it!

Until tomorrow...

MAY 5, 2011 WU WEI ZI - I SPEAK CHINESE

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot

How far can you go? Well only you can tell that for yourself. First of all you must jump into the stream. Imagine your legs straddled across a deep stream. You do not know what to do. It is decision time! This is the same decision Dorothy Gale made when she didn't know which way to turn on the Yellow Brick Road. She had help from The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger).

There is no Scarecrow to help you while straddling the stream. The help will come from nature--the frogs, newts, snakes, bees, and dragonflies. You must take the risk. This will allow you to find out how far you can go . You must first jump into the stream. The stream is not like the Colorado River which will take you down. Imagine it as a beautiful calm stream, but deep, very deep with Yarrow, Cone Flower, Marigold and Echinacea on the banks.

I have taken risks in my career. Some good ones, and then some not so good. In a way we all take risks with our health by eating, drinking and breathing. It is because of the state of our environment. As a whole, we are not taking care of the planet we live on.

So you want to help your poor little adrenal glands from all the stress. What can you do ?

You can start by reading about adaptogens. These are herbs for strength, stamina and stress relief. Boy, do I need one of those potions right now! I want some Wu wei zi. This is the Chinese name for Schisandra. The other name is the Chinese magnolia vine.

I am not afraid of using adaptogens. Schisandra is a safe herb. It has great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is also hepatoprotective (protects the liver) and acts as a nervine (a tonic for the nervous system). The berries of the plant contain lots of Vitamin C and essential oils. The name in Chinese means "five flavors fruit". I have seen herbalists use it in treating asthma. Since I prefer tincture I recommend 30-50 drops four times a day but have seen some use 80 drops four times a day. I think it is very useful for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

In some countries it is eaten as food rather than used as medicine.

Until tomorrow...

MAY 4, 2011 YOUR ADRENAL GLAND

"Relationships are laboratories in which we do our most important spiritual work."
-- Yehuda Berg

In a laboratory, tests are performed, repeated and perfected. In your life all relationships are being perfected, tested and re-tested for endurance. In this laboratory there is a controlled setting. In your meditation time or quiet time you are given the chance to do some self spiritual work. Some choose to do spiritual work within the framework of a religious order or in a place of worship. Religion does not matter in this case. In a relationship if you are able to do some spiritual work you are on a meaningful road for yourself and also for your partner. In this stressful world many people do not take time to do spiritual work. Yet it is so important. When I first got sober, three important aspects changed. I got my physical sense back first, then the psychological sense and third (which I feel is the most important) I regained my sense of spirit.

So let's discuss STRESS.

In integrative medicine, the term adrenal stress is used a lot. You will hardly ever hear a conventional allopathic physician refer to adrenal stress. Maybe an endocrinologist who is astute will do so. The adrenal glands which sit on top of the kidneys produce steroid hormones. The principle ones are cortisol, aldosterone and corticosterone.

The most important one is cortisol. Cortisol stimulates the production of glucose and the making of glycogen- two important body functions. The effects of cortisol are counterbalanced by the production of insulin. Insulin is produced as we ingest glucose. Cortisol is also important in suppressing inflammatory chemicals like prostaglandins, and decreasing circulating T4 lymphocytes.

This is all sounds technical and important. Well it is! But yet we hardly discuss this important gland.

The fight or flight sympathetic nervous system coined by Walter Cannon in 1929 has served some of us very well. It served the caveman when he came upon a saber tooth tiger, or a tourist running into a bear in Yellowstone National Park. The stressors for each of us are very different. Some involve relationship drama, death of a loved one, an examination, illness and even moving to a new residence (which I find very stressful). The adrenal glands get stimulated and secrete cortisol which then increases insulin production. Repeated stressor after stressor tends to 'burn out' these very important glands.

Do you have these symptoms?

1. Fatigue

2. Suppression of the immune system

3. Constipation

4. Low libido/difficulty in sexual performance

There is a difference in symptoms if the gland has hypo (reduced) secretion versus hyper (excessive) secretion. Some individuals have hyper secretion of cortisol with symptoms of irregular menses, nervous irritability, weight gain and sugar cravings.

Which person are you?

Until tomorrow...

MAY 3, 2011 HOW DOES CANCER START?

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

- Martin Luther King, Jr

This is so true. Love encompasses all. I discuss love at every opportunity I have. Forgiveness of an enemy through some form of love can be transformed into a friendship. I do forgive and pray for my enemies, but I do not have to be friends with them. I can be cordial, polite and respectful. As the summer approaches, I am becoming confident that I will be respectful. People might feel I am aloof or snobish, but I know within my heart of love, I am doing what is right for me. I have forgiven them in my prayers and meditation. This will allow me to truly enjoy the nature of my summer and disengage from any drama around me.

Love does many things. Loving oneself is the first step...

Dr. Dean Black asked the question, "How does a cancer start ?" The answer was, When the conditions are just right. He then asked the question, "How does a cancer resolve?" The answer was, When the conditions are just right. You might be thinking I made a mistake in writing that answer twice. I did not make a mistake. Cancer does kill, but not as many deaths as Cardiovascular Disease. Of the top ten therapies in medicine, the oncology field leads the pack with greater than 50 billion dollars in chemotherapy. Does that much money save lives ?

The answer is NO. Lung cancer is the leading type of cancer in men and women. The second leading cancer in women is breast, followed by pancreas and ovary. For the men the second leading cancer is prostate followed by colon and then pancreas.

We know cancer kills, but the paradigm of treatment is completely wrong. The one disease-one drug (chemo or chemo combination ) is not good enough. Today, some oncologists in the United States and Europe are using chemo sensitivity testing by either tissue or blood to find out what chemotherapy your cancer is sensitive to. This is an excellent idea, but still not the answer.

Although Chemotherapy can kill tumor cells, it also enriches and induces cancer stem cells. This is published data (Bio science Hypotheses Volume 2, 2009).

So why are we still using chemotherapy if we know this ?

The answer is simple - the financial gain from give chemotherapy outweighs everything else including human life. Even the administration of life saving chemotherapy puts the health professional at risk for developing cancer later in their life.

The cancer risks include

1. Tobacco

2. Chemicals

3. Environmental

4. Genetic (only BRCA1 and BRCA2)

5. Hormones

6. Infection

7. Radiation

8. Obesity

9. Stress

Remember this: Inherited genetic factors make a MINOR contribution to susceptibility to most types of neoplasms. (New England Journal of Medicine NEJM, 2000 July)

Yes. I said A MINOR CAUSE. The MAJOR cause is what we drink, eat and breathe- simply THE ENVIRONMENT.

Until tomorrow...