Blogs

 At a recent American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting Douglas Smith, MD a professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania basically said there is not such thing as a mild head injury. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects over 1 million Americans every year. While the usually treatment is observation and release, we are now learning that these injuries are not so mild. Patient's persists in neurological and cognitive deficits and may also experience anxiety, insomnia, depression, headaches and gastrointestinal problems.  Even more disturbing is that one does not have to hit one's head to have a head injury!

What can be done about it? Noticing there is a problem is the most important thing. If you or someone you know has been in an accident or diagnosed with a mild concussion, pay attention. Notice if there have been changes in the person (or yourself). If you aren't sure, get to a clinician who is adequately trained to assess the situation. If you have any of the above problems see your doctor even if the incident was many years ago.   Neurofeedback, vitamin D, homeopathy, and fish oil are amazing at not only reducing brain injury but helping the brain recover from the injury. In particular, LENS or Low Energy Neurofeedback System is showing great promise in improving symptoms of 80% of patients with TBI!

 Allergies and asthma are on the rise in children; in the U.S., approximately 20% of children suffer from either asthma or allergies.  As the incidence of what we call “hot” diseases, or infections, has decreased, the occurrence of “cold” diseases such as allergies, asthma, and autism have increased.  Asthma is often associated with—and sometimes caused by--allergies, so we’ll address both.

While on vacation in California, we visited Dr. Christie's sister Marji, who introduced us to her pressure cooker. Marji made the most amazing black beans in about 20 minutes without pre-soaking the dried beans! We thought that it was so amazing that we would share the recipe. This recipe requires a pressure cooker, which we highly recommend. Pressure cookers allow people to prepare wholesome and healthy meals quickly that they would otherwise be too busy to prepare. Enjoy!

Quick Soak of Beans 

1.5 cups of black beans

6-8 cups of water

Cook at full pressure for 1 minute then cold water release and rinse beans and pot thoroughly. 

Migraine headaches are often debilitating.  They are also extremely common in the United States. Estimates vary between 10-20% of the population suffer from this condition, costing consumers approximately $12.7 billion a year in medical costs (with another $12 billion in lost work days!). Migraineurs lose valuable work and family time, have increased stress levels, and are at double the risk of a heart attack versus people who do not get migraines.

Many people manage their migraines through either polypharmacy (multiple drugs), or understanding the triggers associated with their particular headaches. Chocolate, stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, caffeine, bright sunlight, menses, and barometric changes are all possible triggers. But knowing the a trigger and addressing the cause are not the same thing. Once the cause is addressed, former migraine sufferers can tolerate their previous triggers, without medication,  and live life fully, without the constant threat of severe pain.

At Insights to Health, we categorize migraines into one of the following causes: 

Head Injury: One of the most common causes of migraines is previous head trauma. Between 1.5-3.5 million people each year sustain an injury that could later cause migraine headaches. Even minor bumps on the head or whiplash injuries can add up and lead to headaches later in life. 

Female Hormonal: Imbalances in a women's hormonal cycle can lead to headaches that appear either right before or during menses.