Dr. Cate

This author has written 232 articles
Science and Medical News
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November 4, 2009

Is the H1N1 flu vaccine safe?

The two big questions I've been getting about the flu this year are, Should I get the H1N1 vaccine? and Is the H1N1 flu as scary as people seem to be saying? Let's start with the second question first. Is the N1H1 flu especially dangerous? The N1H1 swine flu virus is, like any other flu virus, potentially deadly -- particularly to very young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic diseases, like diabetes. But this particular flu has the potential to pack a little more punch than other flu viruses because, to put it simply, our immune…

Science and Medical News
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August 16, 2009

Does Caloric Restriction Prolong Life?

You may have heard Oprah’s Dr. Oz talking about an amazing new diet that, he claims, might allow us to live 150 years. I noticed that Dr. Oz seemed to be doing his best to highlight the benefits of this diet and downplay any risks, though he wasn't following the diet himself - and I think I know why. The diet he’s referring to is called “the calorie restriction diet,” a diet that requires you to limit your calories to 20 or 40 percent fewer than what’s currently recommended as a healthy amount, often as low as 1200 calories per…

Who Should Get Vitamin D Testing?
Anti Aging
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August 9, 2009

Who Should Get Vitamin D Testing?

We all know our skin makes vitamin D during sun exposure, so you’d think that most of us here in Hawaii would have plenty of vitamin D, right? Wrong. A study done on prototypical surfer-dudes in Honolulu, titled: Low Vitamin D Status Despite Abundant Sun Exposure (Binkely, 2007) found that, amazingly, more than half (51 percent) had less-than-optimal blood levels of vitamin D and were therefore putting their bodies at risk. At risk for what? Low vitamin D has been associated with overweight and obesity, as well as a variety of serious medical conditions, including cancer, heart failure, mental illness,…

Food
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May 18, 2009

Is Coffee Bad For Your Health?

Coffee: Friend or Foe? Coffee is one of the most popular breakfast items on the most popular diet (a Paleo Diet) menu. Indeed, I've read reports claiming that coffee has antioxidants that may prevent heart disease and other compounds that may help to prevent certain cancers. At the other end of the argument, many natural health newsletters treat coffee like it's worse than cocaine--blaming coffee for everything from "burning out" our adrenal glands and harming our kidneys, to mood swings, fatigue, and depression. So is starting your day with coffee really going to make you "Bulletproof"? Moderation is the key. …

Science and Medical News
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May 3, 2009

Recommended Vitamin D Intake Overdue for an Increase

“Vitamin D’s star is on the rise and researchers say it’s about time.” –AMA News, April 27, 2009 The government’s recommended intake (RDA) for D may underestimate the true amount we need by a factor of ten, according to Michael Holick MD, Ph.D., at Boston University Medical center. Current recommendations are for 200-400 I.U. per day, depending on age. But Dr. Hollick suggests that our true needs may be on the order of 2,000 I.U. Since studies show that most people consume very little D and don’t get enough from sun exposure, there is a nearly universal shortfall of vitamin…

Science and Medical News
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April 12, 2009

Thermograms versus Mammograms: Which test is best?

Thermograms detect infrared rays to show patterns of body temperature. What most people I know who have gotten a thermogram don't seem to have been told is that thermograms only detect surface bloodflow, so any cancer growth deeper than a few millimeters may not be detected unless it also happens to be large enough to disturb the surface blood flow patterns. Mammograms use radiation to find calcifications hiding anywhere in the breast tissue, even deep ones. What most people who've gotten mammograms don't often hear is that mammograms are really difficult to interpret. The true power of any diagnostic image…

Science and Medical News
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April 12, 2009

Breast Cancer: Is Early Detection A Good Thing?

When it comes to breast cancer, not all “cancer” is really cancer, study says. According to the ACS, something like one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. That’s scary, not only for women but for the family and friends who love them. But a recent study from the well-respected Cochrane Commission says that there is reason for hope. According this meta-analysis (a meta-analysis is a study of many studies), many growths often presumed to be deadly cancers based on mammogram and biopsy results may not be as life threatening as we once thought. They…

Heart Health
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November 18, 2008

Statins and Heart Failure: A Deadly Mix?

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, statin drugs, which most cardiologists will prescribe to you if your cholesterol levels are not where they recommend, may need to be stopped.
Children's Health
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November 16, 2008

Celebrity Album: Second Sibling Syndrome

Birth order and spacing may affect our looks more than we realize. Quite often, the most photogenic member of the family is the oldest, as seen in the celebrity sibling pairs shown here. While not a universal rule, this principle bears investigation.
What Do All The Healthiest Diets Have In Common?
Diets
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November 16, 2008

What do all the healthiest diets have in common?

French Paradox, Mediterranean Diet, Okinawa Diet...Oh my! How do you chose? You don't have to choose, you can enjoy them all. All authentic cuisines the world over include foods that belong to these four categories: Meat on the Bone Organ meats Fermented and sprouted foods Fresh, uncooked ingredients While most of my patients are aware of the importance of fresh foods, few people realize that we also need to include foods from the other three pillars. Here's what you need to know about each: Meat on the Bone Cooking meat bone does two great things. 1) It enables the bone…

Science and Medical News
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October 23, 2008

Health After Healthcare

Have you lost your job and your insurance? Or is your employer cutting back on your benefits? Protecting your health naturally is better than health insurance. Learn how!
Science and Medical News
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October 20, 2008

Bone Drugs Problematic

Drugs like Boniva, Fosomax, and Actonel increase bone density by keeping old, calcified bone around longer than normal and this is likely the reason these drugs are increasingly found to cause bone disease including fractures.
Anti Aging
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October 20, 2008

Perfect Health Is No Mystery

The healthiest diets all share four common food categories. And we call these categories the Four Pillars of World Cuisine. In the past, they were part of every successful human culture. This website explores the many benefits of those culinary traditions, and will help you learn to cook the same dishes and enjoy the same, delicious meals that the healthiest people on Earth all do.
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