Health Concerns

Grinding Your Teeth: Understanding and Treating Bruxism

Bruxism – it’s the clenching of the jaw and grinding of the teeth sometimes to the point of actually breaking a tooth. When you’re awake and conscious the force your body can produce by grinding your teeth together is around 250 psi (pounds per square inch) in the back molars and 85 psi in the front teeth. That may seem like a lot but many are able to easily triple that pressure, achieving around 800-900 psi while they’re sleeping. This of course is when bruxism, (officially referred to as sleep or nocturnal bruxism), becomes more of a problem. And if you think it’s amazing that the body can provide that much pressure during what should be a restful period, it can even double that force to around 2,000 psi if you’re on certain antidepressant (mood-altering) medications. Pressure that high is teeth-breaking, tissue-damaging force along with a whole lot of pain and discomfort to the head, neck, and jaw region. (more…)

Holiday & Winter Health Starts Now

The holidays are here and for most of us they come with added physical and emotional stress, weight gain, compromised health, and a colds and flu season. With the shorter daylight hours, many people suffer sleep problems, low energy, and even depression.  This is a vicious cycle that I see each year, where a person’s health, fitness, and overall quality of life suffers from October through March and then swings back (hopefully) into positive territory over the spring and summer months – year and year again. (more…)

The Flu Shot: Who’s Looking Out For You? (I Am)

Another flu season is upon us and just like every year we’re advised to get the flu vaccine or suffer the terrible consequences we hear about on TV or at the drug store. The CDC wants pretty much everyone to be vaccinated. So should you get the shot – or not? Do you know there are several types of vaccines, all with various risks, and there’s plenty you can do naturally to help prevent and/or treat the influenza virus. (more…)

Gallbladder Health Part II: Prevention and Natural Treatment of Gallbladder Problems

It’s always easier to prevent a problem rather than treat it, and this is especially true when it comes to the gallbladder problems. But how do you know if your gallbladder isn’t functioning up to snuff? You don’t want to wait for a gallbladder attack to tell you something isn’t right. In Part I, I discussed some of those more subtle signs and symptoms that many people have that aren’t normal – but a warning that the gallbladder isn’t all too happy. Now here in Part II, we’ll look at how to lower your risk factors for a gallbladder problem. We’ll also consider some natural treatments that may help you out whether you’re at the point of just not feeling perfect or at the other end of the spectrum – about to have your gallbladder removed because you’re just sick of all the trouble it’s giving you. (more…)

Gallbladder Health Part I: Be Good to Your Gallbladder – It’s There For a Reason

Gallbladder problems including gallbladder attacks are very common reasons for which people seek medical care. The pain and discomfort can unfortunately result in the removal of the little green organ followed by dietary restrictions (often low fat). But of course, all of our organs are there for one reason or another and although we can live without the gallbladder, removing it is simply removing a symptom of a problem, not the actual cause. (more…)

Potty Talk: Should You Give a Cr@p About Fiber?

Fiber is one of those necessary components of a healthy diet along with proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water. But fiber is also very misunderstood and misrepresented. It’s often thought of as “the stuff you need to have a good bowel movement” and nothing more. People are often told to get enough fiber in their diet and eat foods high in fiber to create a feeling of fullness to aid in weight loss and keep their cholesterol low. Actually that high fiber diet could be contributing to their health problems. (more…)

Barefoot Chat Podcast With Barefoot Canada

In this informative podcast/slide show with Barefoot Moe of Barefoot Canada, we discuss the many benefits of living barefoot – running, walking, driving, and just hanging out. We also discuss the barefoot “movement/fad”, minimalist footwear, “Earthing”, and a whole lot more. I had a great time talking to Moe as he is very knowledgeable and asked some great questions. Since the Skype video feed failed during editing, he put together some nice slides to go along with our talk. Enjoy! (more…)

Get Out in the Sun

It’s still a couple of months away before we can officially say it’s summer, but it sure does feel like it already. Winter pretty much passed us by and spring has already been very hot. Your diet and how you care for your skin can promote health, as well as seriously hinder it. Your diet also plays a huge roll in how the sun affects you, for better or for worse. (more…)

Flat Feet – Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

Flat feet, also known as “fallen arches” are often viewed as problematic simply because they look abnormal – the main arch of the foot, the medial longitudinal arch, has collapsed. Though flat feet are by no means normal, they are often the result of some other underlying condition or weakness rather than a problem with the actual arch itself that has collapsed. Conventional treatment involving foot support either via supportive footwear, orthotics, or some other bracing system is usually more disadvantageous than beneficial and surgery is rarely the answer.
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Dr. Gangemi’s List of Ten Things I Think You’d Like To Know

Here’s a list of ten questions I often get asked from patients as well as sources I use for certain products. Enjoy!
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