Blog

Most people think of an annual checkup as something to cross off their to-do list. If you’re not sick, it’s easy to assume you don’t need to see your doctor. As we recognize Health Center Week, August 2 to 8, it’s a great reminder that preventive healthcare is one of the most powerful tools we have for living a longer, healthier life. When I was in practice as a board-certified family physician, annual wellness visits were a big part of...Read More

Many people begin thinking more about healthy aging after turning 40, especially when they notice changes in how their body feels and functions. Maybe you’ve gained weight despite eating the same way you always have. Perhaps you’re feeling more tired, recovering more slowly after exercise, or finding it harder to build muscle. You may even notice your blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar beginning to creep up. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. As a board-certified family...Read More

As physicians, we spend years learning how to diagnose, treat, and guide patients through illness. But becoming the patient yourself changes everything. It gives you a completely different perspective on health, symptoms, and the importance of truly being heard. One of the biggest lessons I learned through my journey with primary hyperaldosteronism is this: listen to your body. That quiet voice telling you something is not right matters more than you think. Table of ContentsWhen Something Feels “Off,” Pay AttentionHigh...Read More

There is something humbling about becoming the patient when you have spent your life caring for others as a physician. You can have all the degrees on the wall, years of experience, and medical knowledge in the world, but the moment you are lying in a hospital bed after surgery, everything changes. Recovery becomes personal. Pain becomes real in a different way. And suddenly, all the advice you have given patients for years takes on a whole new meaning. After...Read More

For more than two decades, I treated patients with hypertension while quietly managing my own diagnosis of high blood pressure. As a family physician, I understood the guidelines, the medications, and the risks. But despite doing many of the “right” things, including staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and later transitioning to a plant-based diet, my blood pressure remained difficult to control. Eventually, after years of searching for answers, I was diagnosed with a condition called Primary Hyperaldosteronism, also known...Read More

For more than two decades, I treated patients with hypertension while quietly managing my own diagnosis of high blood pressure. As a family physician, I understood the guidelines, the medications, and the risks. But despite doing many of the “right” things, including staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and later transitioning to a plant-based diet, my blood pressure remained difficult to control. Eventually, after years of searching for answers, I was diagnosed with a condition called Primary Hyperaldosteronism, also known...Read More

What if one of the most powerful tools we have to improve our health… could also help protect the planet? It may sound like a bold claim, but it’s one I’ve come to believe deeply—not just as a physician, but as someone who has spent years helping people transform their health through what’s on their plate. The truth is, the same dietary patterns that help prevent and manage chronic disease are also among the most sustainable for our environment. The...Read More

When most people pick up a product at the grocery store, they assume the ingredients inside have been carefully reviewed for safety. It’s a reasonable assumption. But a recent investigation revealed something many consumers would find surprising: more than 100 chemical substances have been added to foods, drinks, and supplements in the United States without review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a physician who has spent more than two decades caring for patients and now focuses...Read More

A growing body of research suggests that some of the food preservatives used in everyday foods, specially ultra-processed items such as deli meats, bacon, ready-to-eat meals, packaged snacks, and even some cereals, may be linked to a higher risk of developing certain cancers when consumed in larger amounts over time. This doesn’t mean preservatives cause cancer outright, but it does raise important questions that are relevant for how we plan meals and think about everyday food choices. Table of ContentsWhat...Read More

The recent controversy at Campbell’s, sparked by recordings of a senior executive calling their products highly processed made for “poor people” and how he himself wouldn’t eat them because they are not healthy, hit a nerve for many people. And honestly? It should. As a board-certified family physician turned culinary educator, I’ve spent my entire career helping people understand how food affects their health. And one thing I know for sure is this: When leaders in the food industry talk...Read More