In Maine, any patient who is certified by an MD, DO, or Nurse Practitioner to use medical cannabis has the option of legally growing their own therapeutic marijuana. A versatile plant, cannabis can be sun grown or cultivated indoors. Working with your own plants in your own garden is therapeutic and empowering, but a patient who is thinking about home growing for the first time should consider a number of factors before planting that first seed. Know (and Follow) the Laws First, familiarize yourself with Maine’s medical marijuana regulations, as well as any local ordinances that may have been...

Second opinions perform a valuable function in the field of medicine. They can help eliminate medical errors and contribute to better patient care. In the field of vein health, second opinions are an essential part of effective diagnosis and treatment, and they can assist patients in taking control of their own health. Patients often choose not to seek a second opinion for fear of offending their doctor. However, seeking a second opinion is an acceptable and encouraged practice, and most doctors support their patients in this effort. Why a second opinion for veins? Vein or venous disease is one...

At first I wasn’t sure what to expect about having to head out of Seattle to hit our next stop at the Woodmark Hotel on Lake Washington in Kirkland, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a quaint, little community outside the hustle and bustle of the city but within a 10-15 minute drive. When you pull up to the hotel, the first thing you see is the amazing view of the lake. The hotel décor has a crisp, clean, nautical theme to it and is almost pristine, as if just opened. We were greeted with glasses of champagne,...

If you are going through a transition or crisis consider this. As unsettled, chaotic, and perhaps even as hopeless as things are right now there may be another way to look at what is happening. Maybe there is something deeper to look at beyond a miserable time that you can’t wait to get through? Maybe what is happening to you right now is not all that bad. Maybe what is happening is a gift beyond measure. Maybe the dark place that you’re in is really an initiation. Maybe this initiation is preparing you for something you have been waiting...

When I think of nutrition within our pets, I of course go immediately to the whole food diet and the necessary balance of the diet. But my next thought is the importance of the absorption of the nutrients within the diet which is where” Nutritive Herbs” come into play; an important part of good and balanced nutrition. These herbs are a classification to the nutritive value they can provide to enhance the diet. Nutritive Herbs are: • foods that can give our pets some medicinal effects like fiber, mucilage, diuretic, adaptogenic and play a key role in the absorption...

Many people with vein disorders, such as varicose veins or venous ulcers, have never been to a phlebologist, or vein specialist. Proper treatment of insufficient veins starts with a consultation and complete evaluation. Every part of the evaluation is critical to effective vein treatment, as the best specialists treat the whole patient, not just his or her legs. Here are some things first-time patients can expect from an evaluation by a Board certified phlebologist: 1) Health history – Patients are asked to describe the current state of their veins, what makes their veins feel better, and how their quality...

After using the substantial Healthy Healing Guide, written by Linda Page, Ph. D., Traditional Naturopath, for many years, I recently happened upon the Hypnotherapy page and decided to read it. It literally blew me away. Never had I seen such an accurate description of hypnotherapy written by someone with a medical background and perspective. It’s remarkable that Dr. Page, with no hypnosis training, could so astutely convey the scope, depth and breadth of hypnotherapy. Because she did so succinctly, yet thoroughly, I want to share it with all of you. The following are excerpts from her book. The power...

As cannabis experiences a long-awaited resurgence in the U.S., many users in states where the plant is legal and accessible have begun juicing fresh, undried cannabis buds and leaves, alone or as part of a fruit and veggie smoothie. Raw cannabis contains many non-psychoactive compounds, including chlorophyll, terpenes, flavonoids, and the acid forms of both delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) and of cannabidiol (CBDA). Through the process of drying and curing the buds, and when they are heated for cooking or smoking/vaporizing, these acids are removed from the molecular chains. This transforms the non-psychoactive THCA into the “high”-inducing THC. (Neither CBDA...

“Let’s talk about stress baby, let’s talk about you and me.” I haven’t heard that song in a long time! There sure is something about the hair bands of the 80s, isn’t there? The words may have been altered slightly, but only to make us think of how stress affects us in ways we do, and don’t, realize. We need to know stress could be killing us, keeping us from getting pregnant, and everything in between. Stress is defined as: a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Work, family, traffic,...

Hello all – have I got a deal for you! Have you ever had a burning question you wanted to ask your doctor, but didn’t because: a) you only have 8 minutes in that cold exam room, stripped to your skivvies and wearing that cruel johnny, and somehow those random questions just seemed to slip your mind, b) you have to wade through receptionists, patient care representatives, medical assistants, and nurses before you can actually speak to your doctor, c) it’s hard to get the attention of someone when they’re typing, clicking, and staring at a computer screen whilst...

Ah, Spring! Nature waking up from winter sleep, earth cracking open, green sprouts pushing up through soil, leaves unfurling, tiny seeds growing into tall plants, strong winds sweeping through and bringing rapid change. In Chinese Medicine, we call it the Wood element – the very life force of vegetation moving up and out. Hildegard of Bingen, the German mystic, called it Viriditas, the greening power that renews everything. Wood energy is Yang in nature – warm and upward moving, rapidly expanding and coming into being. In our bodies, wood energy is represented by our “sinews” – the tendons connecting...

Spring is approaching and April is National Stress Awareness Month! Simply defined, stress is the result of our reactions to the events in our life, welcome or unwelcome. Healthfinder.gov reports that stress not only affects our minds but can affect our physical bodies on a cellular level and long term stress can lead to serious health conditions. The emotions of anxiousness, fearfulness, worry, irritableness, edginess, and/ or distractibility are some ways stress affects our mind. Our sympathetic nervous system is activated when we experience stress and in an emergency situation this is very positive. This fight or flight response...

Throughout our lives we have many different relationships; some are good and can foster growth, connection and balance, some are bad and can cause us stress, harsh feelings and imbalance, some we can choose like our friends and significant others and some we can’t choose like family. Relationships are all around us whether it is with people, with our environment, with pets or even with microbes. One of the most, if not the most important relationships you are involved in constantly, knowing or unknowingly, is that with the microbes that are on, in and around your body. The microbes...

Ogunquit, Maine aptly named, “beautiful place by the sea” is a special treasure in Maine whose rocky coastline yields few such vast, open places. Ogunquit is essentially a tranquil, small village where you can enjoy the simple pleasures at a peaceful pace. It offers almost everything to almost everyone including: the finest stretch of pristine beach; a picturesque small harbor; the Village Center with its countless restaurants, art galleries, gift shops, inns, hotels and guesthouses; and the exceptionally stirring and exhilarating Marginal Way footpath which winds along a craggy promontory shadowing the vast Atlantic. Over the past 100 years,...