-
12/19/2011 3:40:22 PM
This book is an autobiography of the soul of Dr. Lee Lipsenthal in which he describes both his living and dying. Lee was a well known holistic physician whose life work evolved from being an internist in private practice, to being a researcher with Dean Ornish's prevention programs, and finally an internationally known presenter on creating a balance in a medical professional life.
Full story
Victor S. Sierpina, MD
-
11/14/2011 2:47:26 PM
Dr Sierpina reflects on the book Stories of Healing: A Family Doctor’s Journal by Robert A. Anderson, MD. In this short and easy to read book, Dr Anderson documents an amazing series of patient encounters/case studies over his 40 years of practice. These “stories of healing” serve to explore the real mystery and wonder of medicine as a path to continual self-discovery, lifelong learning, the power of observation, and the mystery of the human condition.
Full story
Victor Sierpina, MD
-
9/7/2011 4:41:01 PM
This book presents the broadest and deepest perspectives on integrative medicine approaches to gastroenterological disorders I have read in one volume. With 52 chapters and nearly 700 pages, it is the longest book in the series, rivaled only by the Women’s Health book in size and scope. The over 70 contributing chapter authors are among the “Who’s Who” in the Integrative Medicine field with names such as Tieraona Low Dog, Patrick Hanaway, Robert Bonakdar, Martin Rossman, Dan Lukaczer, Joseph Pizzorno, and Liz Lipski, all well respected in their fields with expertise in GI issues and many other aspects of integrative medicine.
Full story
Victor Sierpina, MD
-
8/9/2011 12:39:09 AM
This is the piece de resistance of all books on nutrition and medicine. Dr. Alan Gaby has been accumulating and reviewing the literature on all aspects of nutrition and medicine since his days in medical school over 30 years ago. In this master work, he synopsizes this life work with over 15,000 references in a formidable display of medical scholarship.
What I found most useful about the book was not only the specific citations but the combination of the science and his immense clinical experience. This makes the book much more than a systematic review but really is a usable reference for any health care practitioner.
Full story
Victor S. Sierpina, MD
-
6/22/2011 8:13:09 PM
This marvelous book, edited by Timothy Culbert and Karen Olness, takes a refreshing look at Pediatrics from an integrative and holistic prospective. The first chapter, written by Culbert, Olness and Vohra, discusses the importance of familiarity with holistic practices for providers who care for children. In this chapter, they discuss the importance of family oriented care that focuses on the whole child. and supports individualization of care. The second chapter, entitled “Assessment and Treatment Planning in Integrative Pediatric Practice” does a fantastic job of modeling how to obtain a holistic medical history from parents and from pediatric patients. Particularly helpful were the examples of questions that providers can use to gain more insight into a patient’s story. The authors rightly point out that the fragmentation of our current health care system can delay effective treatments and that by taking a holistic approach to patients, physicians can more effectively help parents and patients choose appropriate therapies.
Full story
Juliet McKee, MD
-
5/9/2011 8:55:00 PM
Integrative Women’s Health edited by Victoria Maizes and Tieraona Low Dog is another installment of the Integrative Health series from the University of Arizona and does not disappoint. This book offers a broad reference for women’s health topics ranging from spirituality and nutrition to reproductive health and chronic diseases common in women. There is even a wonderful section on healing systems and modalities which provides an overview of such topics as homeopathy and energy medicine. This is an excellent text that should be on the shelves of anyone who cares for female patients.
Full story
Juliet McKee, MD
-
3/7/2011 12:37:18 PM
Being a rheumatologist requires some of the most challenging diagnostic approaches in all of medicine. Fatigue, chronic pain, rashes, eye problems, genitourinary, pulmonary, vascular, and gastrointestinal symptoms--all problems far removed from joints are all part of the differential diagnosis in a rheumatologist’s daily practice. The field has evolved substantially in recent days with the evolution of disease modifying agents for inflammatory conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, all with the wonderful possibilities of reducing symptoms while potentially depressing immunity along with other serious side effects. As a family doctor, I am so grateful for my colleagues in this field who help me manage the many conditions such as fibromyalgia, complicated gout, some forms of osteoarthritis, pseudogout, connective tissue disease, polymyalgia rheumatica and others that I co-manage with them. I learn a lot and my patients benefit from their expertise.
A new source for solving the very common rheumatology problems faced by primary care docs like me and specialists in rheumatology is an excellent reference test, Integrative Rheumatology, part of the Weil Integrative Medicine Library. It is expertly written/edited by Randy Horwitz, MD, PhD, head of clinical medicine at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and Daniel Muller, MD, PhD, a rheumatologist from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Full story
Victor Sierpina, MD
-
3/6/2011 12:41:00 PM
Integrative Cardiology by Stephen Devries and James E. Dalen(1) is the latest in a series of “specialty” titles published by the Oxford University Press as the Weil Integrative Medicine Library. I have known both of these authors/editors for some years and have the highest respect for their personal integrity, dedication to science, and willingness to push the edges of the envelope in the integrative practice of cardiology. They bring to this book as well many other talented clinicians as chapter authors.
Full story
Victor Sierpina, MD
-
1/3/2011 11:50:30 AM
I would like to share with you some useful information on improving nutrition throughout cancer treatment and discovery. The information comes from a book I highly recommend, The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz. My colleague and friend, Dr. Keith Block, author of Life Over Cancer (see footnote), shared this book with me at his recent lecture series at UTMB and wrote the eloquent Introduction section.
Ms. Katz is the senior chef-in-residence at Commonweal Cancer Help Program in Marin County, California. This program was founded and is lead by one of the leading integrative physicians of our generation, Dr. Naomi Rachel Remen and founded by Michael Lerner. Ms. Katz’s work is to provide a culinary link bringing together physicians and cancer patients with common goals. These include eating well to maximize cancer treatments, minimize side effects, and improve outcomes (www.rebeccakatz.com for more info).
The book is really a primer/recipe/cookbook with a huge variety of useful menus and meal plans for patients with usual cancer related problems such as malnutrition, protein deficiency, inadequate anti-oxidants and practical issues which prevent their usual dietary needs from being met. These include conditions such as stomatitis, dysgeusia, esophagitis, dysphagia, nausea, anorexia, fatigue, pain, feeding tubes, etc.
My favorite expression used throughout the book is Katz’s emphasis on “the YUM factor.” That means, making food seem yummy and attractive to patients suffering from cancer or treatment side-effects so that they not only have their nutritional needs met, but really enjoy the experience of eating again.
Full story
Victor Sierpina, MD
-
1/3/2011 11:40:14 AM
The Worry Solution by Marty Rossman, MD is filled with many such pithy quotes and wisdom. The core mission of the book is how Dr. Rossman describes deeply and convincingly how we can not only trust in but benefit from tapping into our “right brain” of imagery, symbol, and intuition. Much is revealed by being still, attentive, and noticing the inner stream of wisdom presented to us in the Jungian world of indirect messaging.
For congenital worriers (worry is part conditioned, part genetic, part mental, and part neurochemical), this book is a true blessing and resource. It is filled with abundant exercises, self-assessments, imagery practice, and other practical tools. These weave imagery, cognitive behavioral methods, relaxation methods, and positive thinking into a broad array of tools to combat and overcome worry and its ill effects in our lives.
Full story
Victor Sierpina, MD