The change of seasons, the dry air, and a change in diet and exercise patterns can all bring on a change in our skin, sometimes an unwelcome change. We often see many types of acne due to these changes in our environment. Papules and pustules (red bumps and pus-filled bumps): this type is usually related to inflammation in the body and the skin. Comedones (your classic whiteheads (closed comedones) and blackheads (open comedones)) caused by plugging of hair follicles and too much sebum. Nodulocystic (deeper lesions that are hard to the touch and often painful) this type forms due...

Stress is a fact of life and the human stress response is part of the biological makeup of all people regardless of age, sex, race, class, or culture. What we call the “stress response” is simply a sequence of biological events that activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight state of being). Events that trigger stress can be real or imagined, and are not always based on objective reality, but rather on our perception of it (a stressor for you may not be a stressor for someone else.) Throughout human history, stress has served a valuable purpose in the survival...

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival. ~ Aristotle”   Are You Awake? It is morning; the alarm goes off, you roll out of bed and shuffle along to start your day. But are you really awake? If you are like most of us, you resume autopilot mode as soon as your feet hit the floor. Following your routine; for meals, exercise, work, sleep and even how you deal with stress; is easy because you don’t have to think about it. But is this mechanical, conveyor belt survival...

It was a great honor for me to have worked at the 20th Annual Scientific Conference on Lyme & Other Tick-Borne Diseases on September 21 & 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA. It was jointly co-hosted by the national Lyme Disease Association (LDA) and Columbia University. Working this conference gave me backstage insight and a front row seat to the transformation of medical minds. I saw that because I worked the registration table and had interactions with all the speakers, scholarship winners and attendees all day long. I witnessed the shift in thinking as the conversations evolved during breaks and...

According to the publication Harvard Health, there is indeed a gut-brain connection and it can link emotions to stomach problems and vice versa. We’ve developed language that speaks to what science is now discovering: the gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. We’ve all had “gut-wrenching” experiences, felt “butterflies” before a important event or just had a “gut feeling” about a situation or person. I’ve found my gut to be more reliable than my brain at times, perhaps most of the time. My gut is more honest while my brain tries to justify or minimize the situation or action. Our...

What does Joy mean you? What brings Joy to your life? How can this Joy be expanded? Noticed more intentionally in every day? And when you notice Joy, how do you feel? References or word definitions of Joy include pleasure, delight, satisfaction, happiness, gladness, glee, elation, euphoria, and bliss. Why is Joy important? Joy can lighten our ‘load(s)’. Lift our spirit, our mindset, our outlook. Joy is essential to achieving an overall state of wellbeing, yet it at times seems elusive and this elusiveness can add to a sense of overwhelm with life. In turn this can spiral to...

In our current day, there is a robust movement to relearn tools of self-care, to reinsert them into our daily lives. We’ve gone so long in a state of imbalance. We’ve cared for others without reprieve, worked without sufficient play, parented without help, lived with chronic lack of sleep, engorged on a chronically poor diet. All, I suppose, in service of misguided ideals. And to medicate this imbalance, we’ve turned to false and artificial remedies such as pharmaceuticals, processed food, sugar, alcohol, drugs, and materialism. But, today, there is evidence of a concerted effort to bring back authentic and...

Whether you’re standing still, running to your next appointment, or dancing the salsa, think about how much time you spend on your feet. Most Americans log 75,000 miles on their feet by the time they reach age 50, according to the American Medical Podiatric Association (APMA). Healthy feet are a vital component to overall health, so here are some tips from some local experts. Take care of your feet so they can keep taking care of you! Kenny Maisak, Doctor of podiatric medicine at Portland Foot and Ankle The best treatment is also the best prevention: get supportive shoes...

The question in the title is one that I have pondered over the course of my spiritual journey. The great spiritual masters have shared that Suffering is an Option and lately, I have discovered that Suffering is NOT an Option for those who are working diligently to reach the pinnacle of their spiritual journey. This sounds like a contradiction but in reality, it is not. Suffering is an Option means that you have a choice to suffer. Pain is Inevitable because you can struggle in your mind or body or spirit or emotions but suffering from the pain is...

Cancer causes more deaths each year in the U.S. than any other diagnosis besides heart disease (cancer.org). In Maine and for women and men aged 45-64, it’s the leading cause of death each year. Approximately 38% of the U.S. population will be diagnosed with cancer at some time in their lifetime. Cancer affects us all, in one way or another. What is Integrative Oncology? Per Stephen Sagar, MD in 2006, “Integrative oncology combines the discipline of modern science with the wisdom of traditional healing. It is an evolving evidence-based specialty that uses complementary therapies in concert with medical treatment...

The word cancer can instill fear in all of us. Although cancer is scary, you can take power into your own hands to lower your odds of diagnosis or recurrence. When you better understand your genes, what pathways in the body influence cancer risk, how you can keep those pathways happy, and which nutrition and lifestyle tips may reduce your cancer risk, you can take control of your health. Express Your (Genetic) Self Cancer is the result of either the normal expression of a mutated gene or the mutated expression of a normal gene. Human DNA contains approximately 30,000...

What is better for your breast health, mammograms or thermograms? The two technologies are as different as night and day. That leads to scant opportunity for comparison, or substitution, for that matter. Anatomy vs. Physiology For starters, no screening is 100% effective. Thermography and mammography have completely different roles in monitoring breast health and they do this through vastly different technologies. Mammograms reveal structures such as lumps or calcifications, (i.e. anatomy). Unfortunately, according to the American Cancer Society, one out of 5 breast cancers are missed by the mammogram screening. Mammograms use compression (measured at approximately 4 pounds per...

Many questions surround the role energy-based practices play in medicine. Among them is the question whether energy-based practices are medicine. What is the difference between a healing art and medicine? Could healing arts such as Reiki or aromatherapy be considered medicine? I began to ask myself these questions after a patient inquired the manner in which to categorize acupuncture. Is acupuncture a healing art or is it medicine? Evidenced vs Empirically Based The gold standard in medicine is the adoption of evidenced-based practices. Innovation in healthcare is driven by the evidence that supports it and anything less would be...

Self-care is about being self-aware and self-full. Keeping ourselves filled up allows us to be in the world at our fullest potential. Self-care is essential for our own well-being but it is also central to many of the roles we take on in our lives, such as partner, parent, friend, or colleague. The literature is clear about the connection between self-care and things such as resilience and coping, de-stressing and maintaining energy in dealing with life’s joys and challenges. Consistently meeting one’s self-care needs and keeping one’s self filled up recognizes the need to be whole in any relationship...