Preventative Medicine
Growing Up Online: How Smartphones and Social Media Are Rewiring Our Kids’ Brains
Not too long ago, childhood was about tree climbing, scraped knees, sleepovers, toasting marshmallows, and secrets shared under blankets by flashlight. Fast forward to today, and we see a very different picture: Heads bowed, thumbs scrolling, and conversations held through screens rather than direct eye contact. There’s no doubt that smartphones and social media have…
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Where do you get your dopamine?
Dopamine is your brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter—it’s what drives motivation, pleasure, and reward. It helps you focus, feel accomplished, and seek out things that bring joy. But here’s the catch: not all dopamine sources are created equal. Healthy dopamine boosts come from: ✔️ Overcoming a challenge ✔️ Exercise (hello, runner’s high!) ✔️ Deep conversations and quality…
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Medical Screening Guidelines
Medical screening is the process by which we actively look for evidence of illness or disease BEFORE signs or symptoms become obvious. Examples of medical screening include: Testing blood pressure at every doctors’ visit Doing routine cervical smear tests to check for early cervical cancer cells Routine breast examinations and mammograms to detect breast cancer…
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Cholesterol
Did you know that you NEED cholesterol? Although cholesterol has a bad reputation for causing blood vessel disease, it is an essential molecule with very important functions. Cholesterol is involved in the production of certain hormones and vitamin D. It is also found in all cell membranes and is used to make bile acids which…
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How can you achieve beautiful healthy skin?
Have you ever considered how much of you is SKIN? Your skin is the largest and heaviest organ in your body. It makes up approximately 15% of your body weight. For the average adult, that’s around 11kg! Your skin keeps you alive – literally. Without skin, you would evaporate! Besides the obvious aesthetic function, your…
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Should you do a Food Elimination?
A Food Elimination can be a powerful tool to discover whether foods you eat are causing you to feel unwell. Food can cause symptoms and health problems ranging from allergies to mood instability to digestive issues and inflammation. Many of my patients ask for food intolerance or food allergy tests. These tests can be helpful…
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October is Breast Health Awareness month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it’s always a good time for a reminder to check your breasts (men too!) The most important question is whether you have noticed any CHANGE in your breasts or the areas around your breasts. Signs that are more concerning include: Skin changes: Dimpling / redness / flaking /…
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September 29th was World Heart Day
Your heart beats about 100 000 times every day (that’s more than 35 million beats a year) and it keeps you alive with every single beat. Here are some tips to keep your heart healthy and happy… Eat plenty of vegetables: Fresh vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that help to regulate blood pressure and reduce…
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What does it mean to detox?
At this time of the year, many people come to office and proclaim: ‘Doc, I need to detox!’ After the festive season, many of us feel that we need to make a few adjustments to recover well from the period over-indulgence. But, what does it actually mean ‘to detox’? ‘Detox’ comes from the term detoxification…
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