MAY 12, 2011 POMEGRANATE-NOT ONLY FOR PROSTATE

"Like wild, white wind you swirl about my soul

That flutters fearful; you make hot my cheek.

You are the missing part that makes me whole,

Your youth gives strength, where age is weak,

Yet Flora frowns to hold your flowers furled

In hand green tightness, not in petals' plume;

Ah, do not hide your brightness from the world

But bring your bounty to the bursting bloom,

And tarry not, lest winter's freezing frost

Blight beauteous blossoms yet unborn

With all their scented sweetness, withered loss

When all might grow in dewiness of dawn.

For sun and snow and wind and storm are ours,

If yield you will to passion's pulsing powers. "

What do you think when you read the above? When was the last time you read poetry? I didn't read much poetry until I got sober. What got me started was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's quote, "Talk not of wasted affection! Affection never was wasted." I read that quote and started to read poetry. I always felt that poetry exuded affection for another. I try to the best of my ability to take time out of my busy schedule to show affection, love and regard for the people in my life. This includes my life-partner, my children, my family, my friends and my patients. A simple hug, a simple written card or letter instead of a computer email, some flowers and even the words, 'thank you' mean a great deal and expresses our fondness for another human being. Try it!

The pomegranate is usually associated with prostate health. However, it has cardiovascular and blood pressure benefits as well. It has many polyphenols that contribute to reducing oxidative stress. This helps restore the natural antioxidants. Unique to pomegranate and grape seed extract is their ability to block the angiotension converting enzyme, thus acting like prescription ACE inhibitors such as ramapril, enalapril, and captopril. This allows pomegranate to reduce blood pressure by blocking the angiotension converting enzyme, causing vasodilation.

Pomegrante allows causes vasodilation by improving activity of nitric acid synthase, thus releasing nitric oxide which is a vasodilator. This effect of pomegranate is like the amino acid, L-arginine. The last effect of pomegranate is to increase levels of paraoxonases (PON). These PON's are components of the high density lipoprotein (HDL), thus pomegranate increases the good cholesterol (HDL). There are many studies to document the hypertensive and cardiovascular benefits of pomegranate.

So the moral of this is-- If you do not like pomegranates, start liking them because these fruits and seeds can save your life.

Until tomorrow...

MAY 11, 2011 OMEGA FISH OILS

"Some people think that doctors and nurses can put scrambled eggs back into their shells."

- Dorothy Canfield Fisher

I laughed when I read this quote. First, who is Dorothy Canfield Fisher? Dorothy Canfield Fisher (February 17, 1879 – November 9, 1958) was an educational reformer, social activist, and best-selling American author in the early decades of the twentieth century. She was named by Eleanor Roosevelt as one of the ten most influential women in the United States.

Some people have the notion that their doctors can perform miracles. Doctors are not G.O.D. I have met some who think they are, and then I have met some who are as humble as a piece of Nancy's Virginian Apple Pie. Find the latter type of physician. If you are truly in touch with yourself, you know what your body needs. I pray that every patient I see will participate in their own healing and not passively expect the doctor to perform miracles. I am not Alec Baldwin as a physician in Malice slamming his fist on the table stating, "I am God." I am a human being with as many character defects as the next person. There is one exception --I have moved away from self-abuse into a world of "self-respect."

The doctor-patient relationship in my mind is a two way street. I might give the patient 60% in the form of tools for dietary and exercise lifestyle changes, addictions, self esteem and anger, but I expect at the beginning of the relationship that the patient will give 40 % in the form of attention and effort. With time I expect the patient to give more of himself/herself to the relationship. I will always be there for the patient.

No one will argue the power of the Omega- 3 fatty acids. They support heart and brain health better than any other supplement. Omega 3 fatty acids help with inflammation. The addition of sesame lignans and olive fruit extract provide extra safeguards against oxidation when added to fish oils and other fatty acids . I always like a patient to add olive oil to fish oil supplements to maximize the inflammatory benefits. I love olive oil not because I am Italian but because it contains three compounds. The three compounds are tyrosol, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Together these three counter the action of free radicals, delay aging (who doesn't want to stop aging?) prevent LDL oxidation and lastly, maintain normal platelet activation.

Do you take a fish oil? What fish oil do you take? I prefer three different brands, Nordic Naturals ( http://www.nordicnaturals.com/), Life Extension Super Omega 3's (http://www.lifeextension.com/) and Nutritional Frontiers (http://www.longevitynutritionals.com/)

Of course the pharmaceutical companies have to invade and cash out on vitamins and supplements. So now there is a pharmaceutical prescription fish oil available. It is called Lovasa. The dose per one gel cap is 1000mg of EPA. I recommend 2 gel caps in the morning and 2 gel caps in the evening. The total dose is 4 grams ( 4,000 mg) per day. Not only is there a blood thinning effect, but fish oils help lower blood pressure. The benefits of fish oils are exponential in every sense of the word.

Did you take your fish oils today ?

Until tomorrow...

MAY 10, 2011 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

"Life could not continue without throwing the past into the past, liberating the present from its burden." - Paul Tillich

Letting go of the past is liberating. Have you let go of some of the past? I find this to be difficult, but in order to move forward to next spiritual plane--it must be done. The present can never see the light without the past being removed. Sometimes one tries to bring the past into the present--this could be rekindling an 'old flame', attempting to get together with family members and even trying to be friends with an ex-partner. In my opinion, most of the time this will not work. I have tried all three cases. I have now learned to forgive, forget and truly let go. It makes my meditation and prayers much more fulfilling...

The new statistics now report the lifetime risk of developing high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is greater than 90% in adults 55 years and older. That is a high percentage. High blood pressure accounts for 40.5 million doctor visits per year. Many people die each year due to high blood pressure which is a preventable. If you can reduce your diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 5 points, it can reduce the risk by as much as 16%. This statistic is mind blowing, but so is the one that if you exercise 30 minutes,three times a week you can reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 37%.

So there is no reason not to exercise 30 minutes three times a week.

Nutritionally grape seed extract and pomegranate extracts have the superior potential to decrease blood pressure in some studies. They have antioxidant potential and both fight the effect of angiotensin by reducing its production. This has a vaso dilation effect rather than a vaso constrictor effect.

Vasodilation reduces blood pressure whereas vasoconstriction increases blood pressure. So what is in the grape seed extract? It is a compound called resveratrol. Resveratrol can act as a antihypertensive angiotensin. Some of the conventional ACE inhibitors are rampril (altace), enalapril (vasotec), lisonopril and quinapril. If resveratrol can do the same as an ACE inhibitor why not use reservatrol? Perhaps it is the fact that the pharmaceutical companies do not make reseratrol.

Until tomorrow...

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...