As a pediatrician, I am incredibly lucky to work with children, day in and day out. It’s impossible not to be captured by their amazement with the mundane and their joy in the smallest moments. I’m often reminded of Winslow Homer’s 1872 painting, “Snap the Whip,” depicting boys playing with abandon …
Stress Coping Skills For Teens
A 17 year old so stressed by college applications and SATs that she isn’t eating and has lost ten pounds this month. A 15 year old increasingly distracted and irritable because he is falling further and further behind in math and gets home at 10pm each night after soccer practice. A 13 year old …
Why Yoga is Good Medicine
Yoga is so much more than your typical medical “intervention.” Still, as is the case with many health-associated modalities from diverse traditions (e.g., Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine), yoga is being increasingly integrated and evaluated as a tool to address specific physical and emotional …
Earth Day 2014: Connecting With Nature
Is it possible that something as simple as happiness could be the motivating factor to stimulate sustained ecological behavioral change? The developing field of ecopsychology has spurred an interest in research looking at how our connection to nature is tied to our well being. Along these lines, …
Honey: Nature’s Allergy Cure?
Springtime bring the glorious smell of flowers in bloom. It happens every year, without fail, yet I never cease to be amazed at the persistence of nature. I also know many of my patients suffer with seasonal allergies, so I’m mindful of preparing them early, before the itchy-sneezy season kicks …
Rx LOVE: Why You Need To Let People Know You Love Them
February marks our national “Heart Month,” with Valentine’s Day smack in the middle as a reminder to love and be loved. Of course, it just plain feels good to both give and receive, but it turns out a number of research studies have demonstrated that love is also good for your health. How so? There …
Top 5 Books For Thriving This Winter
Depending on where you live, winter can be a time of contraction – shorter days, less sunlight, colder weather. It’s important to remain balanced, focusing on lifestyle strategies (e.g., nutrition, exercise, rest/relaxation) to promote optimal physical and emotional health. One of my favorite …
5 Reasons Why Gratitude is Good for Your Health
Gratitude: An intentional appreciation of what and who you have; an acceptance and explicit acknowledgment of what life brings you. That’s how I define gratitude, one of the 10 words I believe everyone should live by. We're knee-deep in the season of gratitude. Thanksgiving, in fact, could be …
“I am Thankful for…”; Answers from 7 Health Care Professionals
I was honored to be one of several health professionals asked by athenahealth to contribute to their Thanksgiving blog post. The question I was asked: "What are you thankful for in Healthcare?" My answer was broad, with respect to "healthcare" with a capital "H." Honestly, I'm not so thankful …
Moms: Everyday Superheroes
I had the great honor of giving the keynote address for the first Moms Meet “Wow Summit” hosted by KIWI magazine earlier this October. While I appreciated the chance to share my passion for Whole Child Medicine, the most amazing part of the experience for me was connecting with the courageous and …