With many of us eating more and more processed foods, a very neglected part of cooking is the use of herbs and spices.  In countries such as India and Thailand, spices are used every day adding wonderful flavours and colours to the food. But did you know that there are many health benefits that have...
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If you’re like me, the term “exergaming” sounds very weird.  Well, Nintendo is marketing the idea that video games can be good exercise and the Nintendo Wii gaming system now has the American Heart Association’s Healthy Check logo to prove it. Yep, this sounds VERY, VERY, WEIRD!!! I’ve already ranted about the ridiculous nature of the...
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After studying more than 10,000 people across 13 countries for 12 years at a total cost of more than $24 million, researchers have concluded that links between cell phones and cancer are inconclusive. According to the study by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, using cell phones for more...
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Not everyone’s idea of an exercise program will involve running 5km or lifting weights for 1 hour every day.  Everybody’s different.   For example, many of my patients have injured joints or have limited mobility due to pain.  Well, even though these things may restrict physical activity, stretching is a form of exercise that can...
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Many of us are familiar with the infamous “Friends” episode where we learned about how a little tinkle may help relieve the effects of a jellyfish sting.  Well, I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, the idea of one’s own pee is probably a bit repulsive.  After all, “number one”...
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By now, you’re probably well aware of the massive oil spill off of the Gulf of Mexico.  BP and TransOcean are the corporations directly responsible for this devastating disaster.  These and other companies in the oil industry have been rigorously objecting to safety regulations suggested by federal agencies that could have prevented the oil...
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My niece got the chicken pox a couple of weeks ago.  She was pretty bummed out about it and her mom (my little sister) was wondering what to do about the other two kids at home.  My advice?  Have them all sleep together and throw a chicken pox party.  That’s certainly a different approach...
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As I’ve mentioned many times before, I believe at least 80% of my patients’ health conditions would resolve if they ate a healthy diet.  The thing is, it’s easy for people to get confused about what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t because of marketing by food manufacturers (you know, misleading phrases such...
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When a person suddenly collapses on the floor from cardiac arrest, time is of the essence. Without an effective heart to pump blood, the amount of oxygen being supplied to the heart muscle and the brain begins decreasing rapidly. After about 4 minutes without oxygen, brain and heart cells begin to experience irreversible damage....
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A recent ad featuring Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields caught my attention.  Not only did the talented mixed martial artist recently successfully defend his championship, but he did so without any meat in his diet – Shields has been a vegetarian his entire life. Eating meat was very important to me growing up in Alberta...
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