We offer complementary cancer care. We will work with your oncologist to ensure you receive the best of both forms of medicine.

Yes. These are called bioidentical hormones, and can be taken orally, sublingually (under the tongue), or transdermally (under the skin) as hormone pellets.

No, not if natural hormones are used, and in the proper dosage. Bioidentical hormones are safer than synthetic or animal hormones, especially when applied transdermally. They cause a lower risk of blood clots, heart disease or breast cancer than conventional hormone replacement

The exception is patients with a history of breast cancer. These individuals should not receive hormone replacement therapy. In such cases, herbal preparations may help reduce menopausal symptoms.

Yes. The modern Western diet and lifestyle has done much to lead our generation to the threshold of insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes. Research indicates that over 90% of Type 2 diabetes is reversible without medication, using vigorous application of proper nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle changes.

We believe that patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes should not be treated initially with medication. Instead, they should initiate a low glycemic index diet with a high fiber intake of 50 grams per day, at least 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise, and sufficient sleep. Nutritional supplements, including B vitamins, magnesium, fish oils, alpha lipoic acid and other nutrients, help to increase the activity of insulin and lower the blood sugar.

Diabetic medications may cause hypoglycemia, weight gain, diarrhea, and other complications. If the glycohemoglobin (average blood sugar) measurement can be kept below 7%, these medications are not necessary.

Foods that produce high levels of blood sugar are called high glycemic index (GI) foods. When your diet consists predominantly of these foods, your body responds by producing higher levels of insulin than it would if you were to eat lower GI foods.

When insulin is high, your body not only converts blood sugar into energy, but it also stores extra energy as fat.

The top 10 low GI foods are: apples, berries, cherries, barley, grapefruit, legumes (lentils, beans, peanuts), nuts (almonds, walnuts, soy nuts), oatmeal (unsweetened), green peas, tomatoes, unsweetened plain yogurt.

The top 10 high GI foods are: candy, cookies, juices, white potatoes, chips (corn and potato), sweetened cereal, soda, sweet snacks, white bread and bagels (processed flour), white rice.

Yes to both questions.

A study of heart disease around the globe revealed that the same factors were responsible for heart disease in all countries, in both sexes, and at all ages. These factors accounted for more than 95% of heart disease.

Heart disease is not inevitable. It is preventable by changing those risk factors. In people with pre-existing heart disease, addressing those same factors may eliminate symptoms and allow medications to be reduced.

We also work with other therapies to reverse cardiac symptoms, including external counterpulsation (ECP), chelation therapy, Plaquex therapy.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that C-reactive protein (CRP) is a stronger predictor of future cardiac events, such as heart attack and cardiac death, than low-density-lipoprotein (LDL).

LDL cholesterol is currently the focus of guidelines for therapy and for the determination of cardiovascular risk. However, cardiac enzymes are often not associated with high blood levels of LDL cholesterol.

CRP is an indicator of possible inflammation, and has been shown repeatedly to be associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and sudden death. It is also an indicator of vascular disease. Unlike other markers of inflammation, CRP levels are very stable over long periods of time, do not fluctuate significantly during the day, and can be measured easily and cheaply with simple lab testing.

Diet is extremely important and the first place to start.

A study in JAMA indicates that cholesterol and C-reactive protein can be lowered as much through diet as by using a statin drug. A full dietary evaluation is indicated to identify what foods you are currently eating and your specific tastes in order to create tailored nutritional recommendations. However, a low glycemic index diet has been shown to have the best results with lowering cholesterol (and weight loss).

Additional foods that have been shown to lower cholesterol include almonds, soy protein and soluble fiber and plant sterols. In addition, there are many nutritional supplements that have been shown also to lower cholesterol, including policosanol, red yeast rice and plant sterols/sterolins.

Exercise is even more important for people with heart disease than for healthy people. Research has shown that the strongest predictor for survival in heart disease is the capacity to perform aerobic activity. The performance of exercise itself, however, does minutely increase the risk of cardiac complications, so individuals should exercise under supervision, starting slowly and increasing activity in a graded fashion.

It is indicated in the case of heart failure, severe ventricular arrhythmias or resuscitation from sudden death, inability to perform daily activities despite maximal medication therapy, and sometimes in the face of acute myocardial infarction.

Many cardiac catheterizations are performed without sufficient indications—in fact, 60% of catheterizations are performed in patients who have no heart disease.

ECP stands for enhanced external counterpulsation.

It is a noninvasive, highly effective treatment for chest pain due to coronary artery disease. It has been used in the United States since 1995 to treat patients with cardiac chest pain who are unresponsive to other therapies, or who are too sick to undergo invasive treatments. ECP improves chest pain and shortness of breath in most patients.

The therapy involves inflating cuffs around the legs and pelvis during the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle, called diastole. Because it is noninvasive, the treatment is extremely safe and may be provided in a doctor’s office.

We have worked with this treatment for the last ten years and find that it is beneficial for a number of medical conditions, including angina, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, stroke, edema, hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome, and deconditioning.

It may also be used to enhance physical performance. Professional athletes have found it useful in preventing injuries and enhancing endurance.

We believe ECP should be used as a first-line therapy for heart disease, rather than being saved as a last resort for patients who have failed other approaches.