Category Archives: Integrative Medicine

Banderas News Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Those of you who know my work, know that integrative approaches to health and healing go hand-in-hand with social justice. Too often, poor health comes out of social inequities like chronic stress due to bigotry, discrimination, poverty, and food insecurity.

Chronic stress creates inflammation which is the underlying cause of most chronic diseases. Cultural resilience and connection with kindred spirits, combined with self-care and social justice action is essential to restoring personal health and community wellbeing.

Alongside this, we can sustain our commitment to the role of nature and her healing anti-inflammatories. There is a powerful link between social justice and reclaiming natural, traditional, and culture-based foods and medicines.

I also use papaya as the base for a barbecue sauce instead of tomatoes which can increase inflammation. During the American colonial era, Caribbean pirates popularized a dish calledyou canorbuccan, which was meat marinated with allspice berries. Among the Tano people in the Caribbean, the pirates were referred to as theboucaniers, or buccaneers. Buccan is also related to what the Spanish calledbarbacoa, which later became barbecue.

One of my favorite anti-inflammatory fruits is the papaya. We usually eat papaya when it is ripe and then discard the rest of the fruit. But in Mexico, I learned that the milky substance,papain, is an enzyme found just under the unripe skin and it is a powerful anti-inflammatory medicine. In traditional indigenous practices, papain is a meat tenderizer, is used to draw out the pus from an infection, or is applied to a bee sting to soothe the pain.

Try thisdelicious barbecue sauce. I love it because its delicious and is so healthy for us.

Rudolph Rysers Papaya Barbecue Sauce RecipeThis is an exotic and healthy alternative to traditional barbecue sauce. If you want to make an anti-inflammatory, nightshade-free version, just leave out the crushed red chili pepper.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon organic extra-virgin coconut oil1 medium onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper teaspoon cumin powder1 teaspoon oregano1 cup dark brown sugar5 drops of stevia liquid1 lime (zest and juice) cup apple cider vinegar, to taste2 lbs. papaya, diced teaspoon sea salt3-4 drops liquid smoke1 Lime (zest and juice)

Directions Cook onions and garlic in oil until onions are translucent. Add chiles, cumin, and oregano. Add sugar, stevia, lime, and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Add papaya and salt. Return to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat and allow it to cool. Puree in a blender until smooth.

You can learn more about papaya and its benefits on my video (above), and more about Traditional Medicine in my book,Natural Woman.

Dr. Leslie Korn has lived and worked in Banderas Bay, Jalisco, since 1973 conducting research in Traditional Medicine of Mexico.

She is a Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health-educated clinician in clinical practice in Mental Health Nutrition, Integrative Medicine and the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline. She is the author of 8 books, includingNatural Woman: Herbal Remedies for Radiant Health at Every Age and Stage of Life.

To learn more about her work, visitDrLeslieKorn.com.She can be reached atlekorn(at)cwis.org.

by Leslie Korn.

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Medicinal Benefits of Papaya - The Yucatan Times

CORVALLIS, Ore. Oregon State University is helping the National Institutes of Health to harness the power of big data in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences is creating a centralized, secure digital enclave for collecting medical record data from COVID-19 patients throughout the United States. The enclave is part of an effort called theNational COVID Cohort Collaborative, or N3C, designed to help scientists expedite their understanding of the disease and to develop treatments.

For example, can we predict who might have severe outcomes if they have COVID-19? What drugs are most likely to exacerbate or be protective against COVID-19?

Vast amounts of clinical data are being generated that can be used to push research forward, but the datasets are hard to meld in meaningful ways, said Melissa Haendel, director of OSUsTranslational and Integrative Sciences Laboratory.

In the United States, there hasnt been a standardized way to collect, harmonize, securely share and reproducibly analyze all the COVID-19 data being generated, she said. N3C is overcoming these varied challenges in order to rapidly transform clinical data into useful knowledge that can improve clinical care and understand the long-term impact of COVID-19.

Haendel stressed that multiple security measures will safeguard patient privacy throughout the data collection process and that the data will not include information such as names or addresses.

The cohort collaborative is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and is a partnership among NCATS-supportedClinical and Translational Science Awards Programhubs and theNational Center for Data to Health, or CD2H.

The N3C platform will enable machine learning approaches and rigorous statistical analyses that require large amounts of data to reveal patterns.

The N3C pulls in extensive capabilities, and by leveraging our collective data resources, unparalleled analytics expertise and medical insights from expert clinicians, we can catalyze discoveries that address this pandemic that none of us could enable alone, said Haendel, who directs the CD2H program at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.

In addition to OSU and OHSU, CD2H consists of the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sage Bionetworks, the Scripps Research Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Iowa, Northwestern University and the Jackson Laboratory.

The CD2H was created in 2017 by a five-year, $25 million grant from NCATS.

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OSU helping to drive National Institutes of Health effort to harness analytics in COVID-19 fight - myCentralOregon.com

Shot of a young woman wearing a mask and suffering from throat pain in a doctor's office

The novel coronavirus has added a lot of terms to our collective vocabulary. The latest is antigens, and though these proteins may sound similar to antibodies - and both will be key to test as doctors learn more about COVID-19 - they actually play very different roles in the body and the course of the disease. POPSUGAR asked experts for a quick breakdown of these two terms and what they mean for the strategy moving forward.

Contrary to what it might sound like, antibodies actually protect your body! Your immune system produces these little Y-shaped proteins to defend you against invader cells (pathogens). "An antibody is the immunoglobulin (protein) produced by the immune system," Habib Sadeghi, DO, a physician and integrative medicine specialist in Los Angeles, told POPSUGAR.

Fun fact: antibodies are produced by certain lymphocytes. A doctor can check your antibody levels in your blood. For COVID-19, "doctors look for two kinds of antibodies to SARS CoV-2 to determine exposure: IgM antibodies that develop early in an infection and IgG antibodies that appear after levels start to drop about four weeks in," said Dr. Sadeghi. The latter would in theory allow you to develop some level of long-term immunity, but experts still aren't sure if that's the case.

Related: Study Says Shutdowns Put in Place Avoided 60 Million More Coronavirus Infections in the US

Antigens are not produced by the body. "An antigen is any substance that induces a response from the immune system," Dr. Sadeghi explained. This can range from a toxin to simply a foreign substance. Remember the pathogens we just mentioned? Those invader cells? Antigens are part of pathogens - the part that triggers the antibodies to spring into action.

From there, "an antibody is capable of binding with the antigen and neutralizing it," Dr. Sadeghi said. This is typically how your body fights off an infection.

Related: Why You Should Take Symptoms of COVID-19 Seriously, Even If You're Not Running a Fever

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Antigen tests are the latest offering in the fight against COVID-19, designed to help manage the large number of tests needed to detect active cases. Antigen testing is cheaper than nasal swab testing, and blood results come back faster.

"The antigen test looks for actual pieces of protein of the virus itself, where the antibody test looks for evidence of a person's immune system response to being infected," William Kimbrough, MD, of One Medical, told POPSUGAR. "This means that the antigen test is identifying people with active infections (similar to what the more broadly available PCR swabs do), where the antibody tests look for people who have been previously infected."

Your doctor can help you determine which test is right for you. Just remember: a positive result on the antibody test does not necessarily mean you have immunity, so please, keep social distancing and following CDC guidelines until there's a safe and effective vaccine.

POPSUGAR aims to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information about the coronavirus, but details and recommendations about this pandemic may have changed since publication. For the latest information on COVID-19, please check out resources from the WHO, CDC, and local public health departments.

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Confused About Antigen Testing For COVID-19? Here's How It Differs From Antibody Testing - Yahoo Lifestyle

Whitefish, Montana--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2020) - CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the leading media network dedicated to the global legal cannabis, CBD and psychedelics industries, today announces an article discussing psychedelic treatment, aftercare, and Mindleap Health's innovative approach to the practice.

Image 1: Mindleap Health

To view an enhanced version of Image 1, please visit:https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/58428_8da51df83422581c_001full.jpg

Millions of people have had a psychedelic experience at some point in their life and with new FDA approved medicines and regulatory changes millions more will soon be able to as well. However, without support, it can be challenging to understand and integrate these experiences.

Psychedelic substances are not magic bullets, they are only one tool in the toolbelt of transformational healing and expansion of consciousness. Psychedelics can show people the way and illuminate the pathway towards better mental wellbeing but each person using them needs to be willing to do the work and have the commitment to actually change.

Psychedelic integration is designed to help people plan, prepare, and make sense of psychedelic experiences. Individuals who have participated in a therapeutic psychedelic treatment can benefit from a more comprehensive interpretation of their experience.

Click to hear Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS, share what the ideal integrative process looks like after taking a psychedelic and how to create the conditions to have the most therapeutic experience as possible.

Cannot view this video? Visit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwEmZW7H05g

Psychedelic Therapies will revolutionize mental health

MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder is in Phase 3 clinical trial and is expected to be approved very soon to treat the over 300 million people affected with the condition. Psilocybin for depressive disorders has two drugs in Phase 2 with patient populations over 322 million. All of these treatments are being fast-tracked by the FDA and once approved there will be a major need for a convenient and confidential integration ( psychedelic aftercare ) solution. Currently, there are 90+ psychedelic clinics but that number is growing with companies expanding to be able to meet the upcoming demand.

Mindleap Health: At the Convergence of Tech, Mental Health, and Science

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Image 2: Mindleap Health

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Mindleap Health is at the forefront of this industry with its digital telehealth platform focused on the psychedelic therapy industry. Mindleap has recognized that there is an unmet need for people to access psychedelic integration specialists and is creating the world's first platform focusing on psychedelic aftercare.

The company's unique strategy was re-affirmed when it was acquired last week by Mydecine Innovations Group (CSE: MYCO) (OTC Pink: MYCOF) a life sciences company focused on the development and commercialization of products and services that contribute to improved health and wellbeing with a specific focus on psychedelic medicine.

The tools Mindleap is building are the first of their kind to allow the patient to monitor, record, and track their mood and habits (both positive and negative) along with providing access to modern health services, namely integrated coaching to translate psychedelic experiences into positive change.

The system is completely secure and compliant with HIPAA and GDPR mandates and is being developed by a world-class development team with a proven track record.

Finally, Digital Mental Healthcare

As a society, we are becoming more familiar with digital healthcare. Electronic medical records are now the norm. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in more usage of video visits to doctors as people sheltered in place to prevent virus spread. A crisis being a catalyst is certainly unfortunate, but it did just make e-visits more mainstream as doctors and patients alike embraced social distancing.

Apropos, already valued at $31.46 billion in 2018, the global telemedicine market is expected to grow at a 19.3% rate by 2025, indicating that adoption is only going to keep accelerating.

Mindleap's comprehensive platform, expected to launch at the end of summer, includes video visits, appointment scheduling and payment solutions.

Mindleap is also capitalizing on the world's love of digital technologies, such as smartphones and connected wearable devices, in a newer science dubbed digital phenotyping. By passively collecting data (e.g. sleep patterns, exercise, social patterns), outcomes can be predicted using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. This information subsequently helps healthcare providers optimize support.

Image 3: The Mindleap App

To view an enhanced version of Image 3, please visit:https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/58428_8da51df83422581c_004full.jpg

Image 4: The Mindleap App

To view an enhanced version of Image 4, please visit:https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/58428_8da51df83422581c_005full.jpg

It is the epitome of the purpose of Big Data to anonymously help the greater cause by aggregating massive amounts of info. It's very valuable from both financial and humanitarian perspectives.

The market opportunity as a first mover is tremendous, to say the least. There are more than 577,000 mental health professionals and over 13,000 behavioral health clinics in the U.S. to treat the more than 45 million Americans that have a mental illness.

To put this market opportunity into perspective, consider Livongo. The company has made a splash on Wall Street ($7.4 billion market cap) with an application connecting diabetics to physicians with the strategy that better engagement will promote better health. There are fewer diabetics (~34 million) in the U.S. than people with mental illness.

We're at a Tipping Point

Thankfully, awareness is growing about the very real medicinal usefulness of psilocybin and other psychedelics. Indeed, they remain illegal as Schedule I drugs currently, but positions are beginning to soften to encourage clinical research. Oakland and Denver have already decriminalized magic mushrooms and over 100 other cities are considering similar action.

Leading research organizations, including Johns Hopkins, have dedicated millions of dollars to study psychedelics, which will only help create tailwinds with every positive development.

The next logical progression is providing patients with the best support possible to help them achieve meaningful changes to their quality of life. That's exactly what Mindleap Health - and now Mydecine Innovations Group - is bringing to the table by changing the shape of the aftercare model.

Click here to read the full story:

https://www.cannabisfn.com/what-is-the-most-vital-part-of-an-effective-psychedelic-treatment/

Mindleap Health Company Contact:

Nik Vassev

Founder & CEO

nik@mindleap.health

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About CFN Enterprises Inc.

CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) is a digital media and ecommerce company focused on advancing businesses and brands in highly regulated emerging industries across the globe. CFN connects investors with new market opportunities while helping consumers find innovative products that enhance their lives. Learn more at http://www.cfnenterprisesinc.com.

CFN Enterprises Inc. Media Contact:

CFN Enterprises Inc.+001 (833) 420-CNFN investors@cfnenterprisesinc.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

Use of Forward-looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements from CFN Enterprises Inc. within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and federal securities laws. For example, when CFN Enterprises Inc. describes the potential acquisition of BarNone assets and the related benefits, its pursuit of M&A opportunities, growth in CBD sales and spending on affiliate marketing, and uses other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will" and similar expressions, CFN Enterprises Inc. is using forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the management of CFN Enterprises Inc. only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: regulatory and licensing risks; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the regulatory landscape and enforcement related to cannabis, including political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation; public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry; we may be unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products and services; or, loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of CFN Enterprises Inc. to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, CFN Enterprises Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risk and uncertainties affecting CFN Enterprises Inc., reference is made to CFN Enterprises Inc.'s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/58428

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What Is the Most Vital Part of an Effective Psychedelic Treatment? - Yahoo Finance

We found that misplaced fears are deflecting attention from other real concerns, resulting in missed opportunities for leveraging technology and online communication to address adolescent mental health problems.

IRVINE, Calif. (PRWEB) June 23, 2020

With or without physical separation due to COVID-19, youth are using social media to connect and support each other, according to a report released today. Three leading researchers have just published Youth Connections for Wellbeing, an integrative review paper that illuminates how teens support each other through digital media during times of stress and isolation.

Leveraging their expertise across the fields of cultural anthropology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology, scholars Mimi Ito, Candice Odgers, and Stephen Schueller discuss the potential of digital media to support youth wellbeing.

The work underlying the paper was completed prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The physical isolation that has resulted from shelter-in-place orders has yielded a seismic shift, making it even more critical to understand and leverage technology in a way that benefits youth.

The position paper summarizes current knowledge and redirects the conversation about adolescent social media use and wellbeing in three ways that are particularly relevant today:

1. Refocusing the debate over the relationship between youth social media use and wellbeing to reflect existing evidence, varied youth perspectives and backgrounds.

2. Identifying teen vulnerabilities and assets that may influence problematic and healthy social media engagement.

3. Suggesting opportunities where youth social engagement might mitigate vulnerabilities and leverage assets.

In the position paper Ito, Odgers, and Schueller highlight the need to move beyond the simple question of whether more time spent using social media causes mental health problems in adolescents. Instead, people should consider the specific forms of social media engagement that amplify or mitigate mental health risks for different adolescents. The team integrates findings from existing large-scale reviews, the voices of youth who have grown up on social media, and a systematic review of digital mental health apps available for youth.

The team finds that adolescents online risks often mirror offline vulnerabilities. They note that it is particularly important for messages, interventions, and strategies to be targeted and tailored to the most vulnerable youth and those underserved by traditional mental health services.

A number of relevant findings, opportunities, and benefits are outlined in the paper, including:

For example, one student interviewed shared how they experienced a supportive community online, saying: I think a lot of my mutuals on Instagram, they're very open to being emotionally vulnerable on Instagram, so they'll actually say, I'm not doing fine. I like it because it's a very nice community, just spreading love whether it be through comments or someone will actually say through messages like, Are you okay?

A freshman adjusting to life away from family shared how online connections made her feel close to them: My mother just started using Messenger. I taught her how to use it. And so she texts me here and there. She's like, Good morning, or, How are you doing?, and then we FaceTime. Then my siblings, we use Instagram because that's where we're mostly at. We send each other videos and memes, and then we kind of comment just to make our day.

Given the rising rates of mental health concerns among young people in the U.S., Ito, Odgers, and Schueller encourage a sense of urgency in focusing research, investment, and public attention on how digital spaces and tools can be better designed and used to support youth's mental health.

The paper, which was supported by Pivotal Ventures (https://www.pivotalventures.org/), a Melinda Gates Company, was published by the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine, and is available at https://youthwellbeing.online/ReportRelease.

About the Authors

Mimi Ito is a learning scientist and a cultural anthropologist of technology use, examining children and youths changing relationships to media and communications. She is Director of the Connected Learning Lab, Professor in Residence and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at the University of California, Irvine.

Candice Odgers is a developmental psychologist who studies adolescent mental health and how digital technologies can be leveraged to understand and support wellbeing. She is the Co-Director of the Child and Brain Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a Professor of Psychological Science at University of California, Irvine, and a Research Professor at Duke University.

Stephen Schueller is a clinical psychologist and mental health service researcher who focuses on using technology to expand access to and improve the accessibility of mental health services. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine.

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Teens' technology use and mental health: New report from the Connected Learning Lab provides insight into Youth Connections for Wellbeing - PR Web

Jun 22, 2020 1:00 PM ET

iCrowd Newswire Jun 22, 2020

Laurel, Md. Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) has entered a new educational partnership with the Maryland Naturopathic Doctors Association (MNDA). MUIH and MNDA share the joint goal of promoting the use of holistic and natural approaches to promote well-being for our clients. This partnership expands MUIHs role in supporting the health and wellness of Marylands residents through naturopathic medicine.

MUIHs Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) program is proud to welcome MNDA as a new partner to spotlight the field of integrative health through mission-driven collaborations. Through our evidence-based, continuing education opportunities, PCE aims to support naturopathic doctors in their professional development goals, empowering them to add to their knowledge and credentials to further support their clients and patients health and wellbeing with a whole-person approach, said Beth Romanski, director of professional and continuing education at MUIH.

In its continued effort to provide educational resources to our members, the MNDA is happy to announce a new partnership with MUIH. We will now offer MUIH PCE courses at discounts to our members so that they may continue to advance and update their knowledge in the areas of nutrition, botanical medicine, stress resilience, and general well-being, said Dr. Cristine Ehly, ND, Past President, Maryland Naturopathic Doctors Association.

Naturopathic doctors have been licensed in Maryland since 2016. MUIH is pleased to count naturopathic doctors among its faculty and to offer naturopathic medicine services in its Natural Care Center, which is open to the public. For more information about MUIH Professional and Continuing Education offerings, visit http://www.muih.edu/ce.

About Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH)

Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) is a leading academic institution focused on the study and practice of integrative health and wellness and one of the few universities in the U.S. dedicated solely to such practices. Deeply rooted in a holistic philosophy, its model for integrative health and wellness is grounded in whole-person, relationship-centered, evidence-informed care.

Since 1974, MUIH has been a values-driven community educating practitioners and professionals to become future health and wellness leaders through transformative programs grounded in traditional wisdom and contemporary science. MUIH has more than 20 progressive graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines, offered on-campus and online. For more information visit http://www.muih.edu.

About Maryland Naturopathic Doctors Association (MNDA)

The Maryland Naturopathic Doctors Association (MNDA) is the professional organization of Naturopathic Doctors and the voice of Naturopathic medicine in Maryland. The MNDA is a leader in 21st-century healthcare and believes that the ability to heal resides in all of us and that conventional medicine and complementary care do not exist in opposition. The MNDA is committed to creating a greater state of health in Maryland, working with the state government to promote access to high-quality Naturopathic healthcare for all Marylanders. It is also an advocate for naturopathic doctors; offering continuing education, professional development opportunities, and professional community and support.

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Kionne S. Johnson Communications Manager [emailprotected]

Keywords:Health, Wellness, Naturopathic Medicine, Doctors, Maryland, Medicine

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Maryland University of Integrative Health Announces Educational Partnership with the Maryland Naturopathic Doctors Association - Reported Times

As local epidemiological trends have improved, and in consultation with experts and authorities, District Center for Integrative Medicine is excited to welcome patients back to the offices.

(Spin Digit Editorial):- Washington, D.C, Jun 17, 2020 (Issuewire.com)The District Center for Integrative Medicine (DCIM) mission has always prioritized the health and safety of our patients and staff. It is one of the few things the current situation has not changed. DCIM has designed a careful re-start strategy for in-person appointments based on that constant mission and after in-depth consultations with local and national experts and authorities, as well as a careful assessment of epidemiological trends and other data.

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People might be addressing an autoimmune condition like Hashimotos Hypothyroidism that has not responded well to typical managed care, have digestive complaints that require a highly-individualized approach, or maybe they arent sure whats wrong. Whatever health issue people are dealing with, our comprehensive approach is key to putting individuals on track to a better self.

DCIM is following all governmental guidelines and taking preventative measures to keep patients and staff safe. Listed below are some of the precautions that DCIM will be taking upon restarting in-person integrative and functional medicine appointments.

We are so excited to be able to see our patients and I am eager to work with patients in person once again, said Dr. Anjali Dsouza. In the meantime, Im still available via telemedicine for any patient that prefers it, and am excited to support their healing in any way that may be.

DCIM approaches healthcare differently. By freeing itself of the traditionally managed care constraints, including the 15-minute industry average patient appointments, DCIM sees the patient holistically. Practitioners at DCIM use the initial 90-minute appointment, for example, to understand the patients entire medical history, as well as her familys. DCIM offers advanced diagnostic testing to uncover persistent-but-often-overlooked conditions. The doctors at DCIM delve into environmental and lifestyle issues and develop individually tailored, detailed health plans. The resulting deep dive is a highly personalized analysis of the patients health.

In addition to their traditional, western medical training, the doctors at DCIM are also trained in Integrative and Functional Medicine. These disciplines treat the whole person rather than a specific disease. Because of their holistic approach, these disciplines prioritize the physician-patient relationship.

Interested in becoming a patient? Please request an appointment at https://dcimedicine.com/request-an-initial-appointment/

More about District Center for Integrative Medicine

The District Center for Integrative Medicine (DCIM), founded and directed by Dr. Anjali Dsouza, heals patients through a deeply individualized and holistic approach to health. We treat individuals with chronic complaints and conditions that persist despite the conventional managed-care model, as well as those looking to achieve the highest level of wellness. By prioritizing the patient-physician relationship, we take the time and resources to understand every aspect of your medical history, as well as nutritional and environmental factors that affect your well-being. Our role is to acknowledge your bodys innate capacity to heal and to cultivate it.

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District Center for Integrative Medicine Center Announces Restarting of In-Person Appointments - Spin Digit

David Rosen, MD, a critical care pulmonologist based in Bergen County, NJ, arrived home from a 3-day stint in the ICU. As usual, he changed his clothes in the garage, put them in a plastic laundry bag, and, clad only in underwear, he headed straight for the guest room shower.

Earlier that day, Rose had seen five patients very sick with COVID-19, in a hospital with only four ventilators. He was devastated by the agonizing situation that had ensued. How could he force a smile and pretend everything was okay when he greeted his young children? On the other hand, he didn't want to burden or frighten them.

Rosen's 6-year-old daughter could tell something was wrong. Rosen carefully explained that Daddy was sad because there were a lot of sick people in the hospital and he couldn't help all of them.

"There's a constant balancing act between being there for patients, acknowledging my own feelings about their suffering and the horrors I've been seeing, and being there for my own family and their day-to-day emotional needs," Rosen said.

While this balancing act is part and parcel of being a physician, it has been especially wrenching during the pandemic, when the needs of family seem to be pitted against the calling to be a doctor.

Fear of infecting children has motivated some to stay in hotels, send their children to live with grandparents, self-quarantine in a separate area of the house, or avoid physical contact with the children, according to Sara "Sally" Goza, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

"These are hard, anguishing choices, which contribute to stress and burnout," she said, emphasizing that it is a very personal decision, based on individual and family considerations, and no single solution will fit everyone.

Rosen said that staying at a hotel was not an option for him because he has a newborn baby, a 3-year-old, and a 6-year-old. "It would have been an unfair expectation for my wife to shoulder all those parenting duties without any help from me."

He added, "Of course, I'm always concerned about potential contagion and I take every precaution through rigorous decontamination procedures, but I remind myself that it's right for our family for me to be as present as possible at this time."

Ilana Friedman, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist, starts her workday well before she leaves for the Bronx, New York-based hospital where she is the associate director of a residency program.

"I've been setting the kids up for school in the mornings, making sure they have the food they need for the day, that they're organized and ready to begin their online classes, and that their schoolwork is done," she said.

"They also text me during the day if something comes up, and I check in with them to make sure they're on task with their work," reported Friedman, whose children are 10, 11, and 13 years old.

"When I'm at work, I'm thinking about the kids at home; but when I'm at home, I think about my patients, so I never feel fully present in either place," she said.

Even when you're home, you may not have emotional or physical energy to be present for children, according to Katherine Gold, MD, MSW, associate professor of family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

At the end of an intensive period in the labor/delivery unit, "I can't do anything but crawl into bed, so sometimes my kids fall behind on homework and chores because I'm the person in the family who tends to make sure these things happen," Gold recounted.

Conducting telemedicine visits from home often with young children underfoot has its own challenges. Although some practices are reinstating in-person patient visits, reopening amid COVID-19 often necessitates at least a partial work-from-home schedule.

"There's no question that it's disruptive to care for small children while trying to take care of patients," said Damon Korb, MD, a developmental pediatrician based in Los Gatos, California. How to navigate this depends largely on the age of your children.

It may not be realistic to have much telemedicine time when you're the caregiver to infants or toddlers; but for preschoolers, Korb recommended "stations in different parts of the room, such as specific areas for mushy stuff, balls, books, blocks, dress-up, and eating" and "rotating the child from station to station."

He also suggested "parallel play if possible, bring your computer next to them so they can be involved with their 'work' while you're involved with yours." For the sake of patient privacy, he suggested using a headset so the patient's words remain confidential.

Although child-related interruptions during a telehealth visit may be distracting, "it might be comforting for patients to recognize that their doctors also have challenges with children at home and that we're not doing everything perfectly which they may be experiencing in their own lives," Gold said.

By the time a child is 4 or 5 years old, you can set a timer and say that when the bell rings, you'll play with them for a few minutes or reward them for their cooperation, suggested Korb, who is the director of the Center for Developing Minds and the author of Raising an Organized Child.

Maiysha Clairborne MD, an integrative medicine physician who coaches other physicians in business and entrepreneurship, said her 5-year-old son has been home from school since the end of March. His preschool held classes 3 to 4 hours per day, and "that's been a big help in keeping him occupied and up with his schoolwork." She has organized for him to be "autonomous in class" while she conducts virtual sessions and coaches colleagues.

"I check up on him between patients and clients and have lunch with him as often as I can, make sure he has virtual play dates and activities such as arts and crafts, and I try to go on walks with him around the neighborhood," reported Clairborne, who is the founder of Stress Free Mom MDand the Next Level Physicians Entrepreneur's Institute.

When your children are in front of the screen, make sure they're doing so safely, Gold cautioned, noting that there has been an increase in online sexual predators since the beginning of the pandemic. "Regularly talk to your children, including teenagers, in an age-appropriate way, tell them not trust strangers online, and monitor their activities."

Gold suggested asking an older sibling, relative, or friend toengage with the youth on social media andbe the "eyes and ears"to ensure safety online.

Summer is usually associated with camp, sports, travel, and hanging out with friends. But how many of these activities can take place this year?

Some activities will be available, according to the CDC. For example, camps are allowed to open, with specific guidelines and protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Experts recommend doing your "due diligence" to find out which group activities, if any, might be appropriate for your child, taking into account your own needs as well as those of your children.

But many physicians may prefer to keep children at home rather than risk sending them into group settings.

Korb encourages parents with children of all ages to maintain a daily structure. "Get up, get dressed, don't lounge around in pajamas all day, exercise each day, and do something social and creative."

He suggested making sure that kids have "outlets," like going for walks or hikes with the family, virtual play dates, or get-togethers with friends while keeping social distancing in mind or trying a new experience, such as guitar, cooking, gardening, or learning sign language.

Talking to children about social distancing and sanitizing requirements is especially critical as they begin getting together with friends in person.

"Even very young children can understand that 'germs' cause sickness and if you get too close to other people or touch things that they touch, you can catch the sickness," AAP's Goza said.

She recounted the story of a 5-year-old patient who proudly went to the sink in her office and began washing her hands "to make sure the germs don't get to us."

Rosen's 6-year-old daughter understands the importance of not getting close to people outside the family, and even his 3-year-old understands not to touch something lying on the ground.

"It empowers kids to know that they can help themselves and others stay healthy and safe," Goza said.

Even with the most creative alternative summer plans, children of all ages are facing disappointments about missed activities, missed milestones, and uncertainty about the future.

Korb's daughter, a high school senior, missed out on her prom, graduation, and visiting the colleges she had been accepted to. She still has not made a decision about college and does not know if colleges will even be open in the fall.

"This situation is difficult for all children, but especially for adolescents, whose identity is based on the friends they hang out with and what they do with them, and many are grieving the loss of their normal lives," Korb noted.

"When people are grieving, they have to grieve," he continued. "As physicians and parents, our job is to listen, not tell them what to do, not belittle what they're saying, but support them while they find their way through the situation."

Delaney Ruston, MD, documentary filmmaker of Screenagers and Screenagers Next Chapter, which focus on solutions for healthy screen use and adolescent stress, anxiety, and depression in the digital age, agreed. "Validation is the number one skill parents should master because teens want to be understood as much as they want anything."

"Most adolescents don't have a long-term perspective on what's going on in life, so it's important to provide reassurance and place things in perspective after validating their concerns and distress," Korb advised.

Taking a "big picture" view is also helpful. "I remember my high school and college graduations, but neither have played a huge role in my life in the long run, which I have shared with my daughter," Korb said. "I'm proud that she has handled the disappointment wonderfully."

It's unknown whether schools will fully or partially reopen, and physicians may still face challenges in helping children with homework in the fall.

Korb suggested that home schooling might be different from what it was during the beginning of the pandemic. "The need for online school caught most schools off-guard, but schools will be more prepared for online teaching this time around."

He suggested turning to teachers for additional help if you're unable to provide your child with sufficient support. Additionally, "there is an entire network of online tutors popping up in response to the pandemic," he said.

Asking family friends and relatives, such as grandparents, to pitch in with helping your child with schoolwork can also go a long way toward relieving the burden that has fallen primarily on parents and it might also make schoolwork more enjoyable for the children.

Like Friedman, Michigan family medicine professor Gold feels "pulled in all directions," but has concluded that she needs to adjust her expectations.

"It's simply not feasible to be a parent, educator, emotional support system, disciplinarian, entertainer, and therapist all at once, especially during a pandemic," Gold pointed out.

"As physicians, we have high expectations of ourselves. But the most important message I can share is that none of us can possibly be as good a parent as we would like right now, so we need to recognize we're doing the best we can and give ourselves permission to fall flat sometimes," stated Gold, whose younger children are teenagers.

"At the beginning [of the pandemic] I think my kids felt they were missing out because I wasn't home while their friends' parents were," New York ophthalmologist Friedman said. "But since then, they've become proud of me. I overheard one of them say to a friend, 'My mom's a healthcare hero.' "

She added, "It's not that I feel like some kind of 'hero,' but it was validating to know that my children understand what I'm doing and why, and this helps somewhat to alleviate my guilt at being away from them so much."

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MD Parents: Trying to Keep the Kids Busy and Safe During COVID-19 - Medscape

By Deepak Chopra, MD and Anoop Kumar, MD

When people seek personal change in their lives, they often dont get very far. Even in this day when online advice is bewilderingly abundant and self-improvement books are at our fingertips, change eludes us. One way to remedy this is to start from the ground up. Normally, we feel compelled to start where we are right now, and thats a tremendous problem.

No matter how different people are, each of us woke up this morning to the same situation. We are constantly involved in thinking, feeling, and doing. No one starts this activity afresh. Instead, we are heavily invested in habits, beliefs, opinions, hopes, dreams, and fears collected from the past. So our thinking, feeling, and doing is entangled with the past even when we want something new, better, fresh, and different.

You cant always use will power or desire to cut the ties that bind you to the past, but you can do something that will lessen the influence of the past: You can start to see yourself clearly. With that one intention, you are starting from the ground up, because seeing yourself clearly happens here and now. You detach yourself from your story, which is the accumulation of your past. You take a fresh look at what is generating all this thinking, feeling, and doing. The process has to have an origin, a source, a wellspring that sets the active mind going every minute of the day.

Normally, if we try to see ourselves clearly, we are actually looking through a lens. We filter and arrange our experiences. Some experiences we reject, ignore, judge against, or censor. Other experiences we encourage, value, appreciate, and allow to enter our minds. The lens you choose is critical, yet people often dont realize they have a choice. It doesnt strike them in the first place that they see themselvesand everything around themthrough a lens.

The lens you see through can also be called your mindset, worldview, or simply your state of awareness. Your perspective, on life, family, relationships, work stem from it. Things become confusing because we are caught up in the conflicting stories, explanations, and belief systems that everyone gets exposed to. This confusion can be sorted out once you start to see yourself clearly. Cutting through all the clutter, you discover that you actually know whats going on. Deep inside, you are fully aware already.

There are three lenses you can view life through, configured as Mind 1, 2, or 3 at this moment.

Mind 1: You view life as a separate individual. The leading indicator of Mind 1 is the sense of localization within the body. As a result of being limited by the body, Mind 1 can only detect a world of localized things. As we see ourselves, so we see the world. You localize yourself in your body, and as a result you see a world of separate things. Other people live inside their own bodies, which gives them their own sense of separation. In Mind 1 you provide fertile ground for the ego. I, me, and mine become all-important. This makes perfect sense, because your agenda as a separate person is all about the experiences of pleasure and pain that emanate from the body. Even a mental state like anxiety is rooted in the body, because what you fear comes down to a painful feeling in here. In every respect Mind 1 is dominated by yes and no to the experiences that come your way. To achieve peace, you must successfully compete in the arena of separate people and things, experiences and events.

Mind 1 seems totally right and natural in the modern secular world. Mind 1 is reflected in sciences total focus on physical things, from microbes and subatomic particles, from the Big Bang to the multiverse. A bestselling book from 1970, Our Bodies, Ourselves, applies to all of us in Mind 1.

Mind 2: Mind 2 is centered in the unity of mind and body. It isnt necessary to see yourself confined to the physical package of a body. In fact, this mindset can be turned on its head. In place of isolation there is connection; in place of things there is process; in place of hard facts, there is an easy continuous flow. You relax into the flow of experience rather than slicing life into bits that must be judged, analyzed, accepted or rejected. Mind 2 lets you see yourself more clearly, because in reality the mind-body connection is a single continuity. Every thought and feeling creates an effect in every cell. You can consciously create change in the whole system through a switch in awareness. Mind 2 is subtler than Mind 1you have moved deeper inside who you really are, and those aspects and abilities that were filtered out by Mind 1 begin to come into view. You are the one who experiences, observes, and knows.

For most people Mind 2 begins to dawn when they meditate or do Yoga, finding access to the quiet mind that lies beneath the surface of the restless active mind. With this discovery comes a way to see beyond the separate egos fruitless search for perfect pleasure, power, or success. As a deeper vision of self and life soaks through all experience, Mind 2 is established.

Mind 3: Mind 3 expands awareness beyond all particulars. It is a radical redefining of what we mean when we use the indicator I. It places you in an infinite field of pure awareness, where all things exist as possibilities. This is not only a clear view, it is clarity itself, because there is no thing or process to obstruct your vision. Boundaries dont exist. There is no past or future. Even the idea of a present vanishes. the clearest view you can possibly have, because there are no boundaries to limit your vision. You are awake, you see things without any filter, your past no longer holds you captive, and therefore you are free, which is why Mind 3 has been known for centuries as liberation. There are no more mind-forged manacles, as the poet William Blake memorably called our self-imposed limitations.

Mind 3 is open to everyone, but there is a large obstacle that must be overcome, which is this: We are convinced by the lens we see things through already. Each mindset feels real and complete. You identify with physical things in Mind 1, the most important thing being your body. In Mind 2 you identify with your field of awareness as it brings experiences and sensations that rise and fall. Because it takes an inner journey to reach, Mind 2 isnt where the mass of humankind is, yet without a doubt anyone can go there. Mind 2 is a more natural fit than Mind 1, in fact, because if you see yourself clearly, you cannot doubt that thinking, feeling, and doing is constantly on the move, ever-changing, ever renewing itself.

But Mind 2 has its own peculiar limitation. I lingers and holds its own by experiencing my thinking, feeling, and doing. There is no need for this. Everyone alive, with the fewest exceptions, has been indoctrinated into Mind 1. In Mind 2 you escape this crude, second-hand, socially approved indoctrination. But there is a subtle indoctrination that replaces it, which sees the spiritual life as higher, better, and more valuable than ordinary life. This leads to a subtle clinging, a desire to keep the spiritual goodies coming your way and a self-image superior to those people who have not yet seen the light.

The subtle tendency to possess any idea, however fine that idea is, keeps the ego going. Letting it go entirely feels threatening. Who will I be if there is no I anymore? But if you stand back, this fearful worry only exists because the ego is asking it. Of course I will never agree to its own demotion. I is about self-preservation. The shift into Mind 3 occurs when you see that there are countless moments when you did without your ego.

Every experience of joy, love, compassion, beauty, peace, and service sets the ego aside. You go beyond I in a simple, natural glimpse of who you really are. You are the field of awareness itself, unbounded and free. Every possible experience originates here, before the whole interference of ego, society, family, school, and painful memories even begins.

Thats why Mind 3 has been dubbed the first and last freedom. It is the freedom you attain when you realize that you had it all along. Clear away the clutter, and it is simply there. Mind 1 and Mind 2 are creations, while Mind 3 is uncreated. It is the womb of creation, and when we arrive there, the inevitable feeling is that weve returned home at last. NOTE: For a visual journey through these Three Minds, visit anoopkumar.com/mind.

DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 89 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.

Anoop Kumar, MD, MMgt is a Mind-Body Strategist who is Board-Certified in Emergency Medicine and holds a Masters degree in Management with a focus in Health Leadership. He is a keynote speaker and author who enjoys bringing clarity to the intersection of consciousness and everything else. Anoop is the author of numerous articles as well as two booksMichelangelo's Medicine and Is This a Dream? In addition to speaking and writing services, he offers consultations with individuals, teams, and organizations interested in deepening their understanding and experience of human potential, mind-body systems, and consciousness. Visit Anoop at anoopkumar.com and @dranoopkumar.

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If You Want to Change, Start from the Ground Up - SFGate

Oregon State University is helping the National Institutes of Health to harness the power of big data in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences is creating a centralized, secure digital enclave for collecting medical record data from COVID-19 patients throughout the United States. The enclave is part of an effort called the National COVID Cohort Collaborative, or N3C, designed to help scientists expedite their understanding of the disease and to develop treatments.

For example, can we predict who might have severe outcomes if they have COVID-19? What drugs are most likely to exacerbate or be protective against COVID-19?

Vast amounts of clinical data are being generated that can be used to push research forward, but the datasets are hard to meld in meaningful ways, said Melissa Haendel, director of OSUs Translational and Integrative Sciences Laboratory.

In the United States, there hasnt been a standardized way to collect, harmonize, securely share and reproducibly analyze all the COVID-19 data being generated, she said. N3C is overcoming these varied challenges in order to rapidly transform clinical data into useful knowledge that can improve clinical care and understand the long-term impact of COVID-19.

Haendel stressed that multiple security measures will safeguard patient privacy throughout the data collection process and that the data will not include information such as names or addresses.

The cohort collaborative is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and is a partnership among NCATS-supported Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program hubs and the National Center for Data to Health, or CD2H.

The N3C platform will enable machine learning approaches and rigorous statistical analyses that require large amounts of data to reveal patterns.

The N3C pulls in extensive capabilities, and by leveraging our collective data resources, unparalleled analytics expertise and medical insights from expert clinicians, we can catalyze discoveries that address this pandemic that none of us could enable alone, said Haendel, who directs the CD2H program at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.

In addition to OSU and OHSU, CD2H consists of the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sage Bionetworks, the Scripps Research Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Iowa, Northwestern University and the Jackson Laboratory.

The CD2H was created in 2017 by a five-year, $25 million grant from NCATS.

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OSU helping to drive National Institutes of Health effort to harness analytics in COVID-19 fight - The News Guard