Warmer Spring = More Ticks: How to Prevent Lyme Disease

Lyme disease (named for Lyme, Connecticut where it was first described) is an infection carried by Deer Ticks that can cause a skin rash, as well as serious nerve, heart and brain problems. The infection is most common in late spring or summer and in most people the first sign is a flat or raised [...]

Read This Before You Travel Abroad

Reader Question: Do I need the TWINRIX vaccine if I go to Jamaica?
One of the most frequent questions I get in the Ask a Question section of Proven Health Ways is:  How do I stay healthy when traveling abroad?
Strategies to protect your health while traveling include vaccinations, avoiding times of political unrest or violence, protection [...]

So Who Really Needs Pap Tests, Anyway?

A 45 year-old woman once came into my clinic for a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer. While no patients that I know actually like having Paps done, for this individual it was truly a traumatic experience. You see, she was cognitively delayed. Her view of the world was more like that of a [...]

Reader Question: Is the Acai Berry (advertised everywhere) a scam? Many say its worthless.

The Acai (pronounced “ah-sah-EE”) Berry is a fruit from Central and South America that contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to accomplish many wondrous things such as preventing cancer and heart disease, and even slow down the aging process.
Whoever submitted this question is wise to question the advertised claims. Remember that what happens in a research [...]

Diana’s Fennel Mashed Potatoes

FENNEL MASHED POTATOES
Hands-on time: 15 minutes?
Time to table: 45 minutes?
Serves 8
Salted water to cover
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into six or eight same-size pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (or fennel powder, I used a mixture)
Salt & pepper
1 large fennel bulb, outside layer trimmed if needed, cored, chopped roughly in fairly big pieces [...]

Diana’s Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
1 can French cut green beans
1 1/2 canisters vegan French fried onions
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 cube veggie bouillon
2-3 tablespoons corn starch (or potato starch) mixed with 2-3 tablespoons [...]

Making Sense Out of the New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines

In November 2009, an updated recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) on screening for breast cancer was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The updated recommendation, which was written to help guide health care providers, differs from prior recommendations in several ways, including these:
• Prior recommendation: Routine mammograms every 1-2 years for [...]

Diana’s Cauliflower with Garlic and Spices

Please enjoy this healthy holiday side dish recipe, submitted by Diana Wollach-Brewer.
Baked Cauliflower with Garlic and Spices
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp thyme
pepper to taste, about 1/2 tsp
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break cauliflower into desirable sized pieces and place into baking dish. Mince garlic and add to remaining ingredients. Then mix [...]

Diana’s Avocado and Orange Spinach Salad with Sweet Mustard Dressing

Please enjoy this healthy and tasty holiday side dish recipe, contributed by Diana Wollach-Brewer.
Avocado and Orange Spinach Salad with Sweet Mustard Dressing
Ingredients:
1 orange
1 avocado
1/2 small shallot
1 large bunch de-stemmed spinach, or 1 bag fresh
Sweet Mustard Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. mustard powder (to taste)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place spinach, [...]

Question from a Reader: Is there a less painful breast examination that could be done instead of a mammogram?

Bottom Line: Although there are more comfortable ways to screen for breast cancer, none have been proven to be as good of a screening test as mammograms when used by themselves.
As a practicing family physician, I have often heard from women that mammography, in which the breasts are compressed in order to x-ray, is uncomfortable. [...]

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