The Great Rice Controversy
I often get asked why South Asians need to significantly cut back on their rice intake to help them achieve optimal health. After all, rice has been a traditional part of the South Asian and East Asian diet for generations. I want to start off by saying there is nothing intrinsically unhealthy…
February 24, 2014
Heart Disease: A Preventable Tragedy
I've had the privilege of making a positive impact on the health of many patients and employees through my consult practice and employer wellness programs. I share these stories often to educate and motivate patients and physicians. Unfortunately I'm also haunted by tragic stories where healthy…
February 4, 2014
Metabolic Syndrome: What Cholesterol Guidelines Should Really Focus on
Gerald Reaven and I at Stanford Faculty Club Background I recently had the opportunity to meet a medical hero of mine at the Stanford University faculty club. Gerald "Jerry" Reaven is the renown endocrinologist and researcher (pictured with me) who coined the term metabolic syndrome and is author…
December 8, 2013
A Closer Look at the New Cholesterol Guidelines
Old Cholesterol Guideline Theme: It’s All About Your LDL Number When clinical guidelines come out, there are two major levels at which they’re interpreted. The first interpretation is literal, following the guidelines to a tee. However the more important interpretation is the guideline theme. Most…
November 14, 2013
Parents…Let Your Children Sleep!
What if I told you that there was something in your house that was causing your child to be more irritable, impatient, with unpredictable behavior in and out of school, resulting in difficulty learning. A substance that may worsen, trigger or mimic ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) symptoms? What…
October 28, 2013
Recognize PCOS in South Asian Girls and Women
Background There is a condition rampant in young South Asian adolescents and women that is often overlooked. It's a disease caused by insulin resistance that can lead later to diabetes, heart disease, and infertility. It can leave teenage girls emotionally and physically scarred from obesity,…
October 17, 2013
Insulin: The Primary Reason South Asians Are High Risk
Introduction If someone were to ask me to answer in one word the primary reason South Asians have a high risk of heart disease, diabetes, excess body fat, fatigue, and a number of other health conditions...my answer would be insulin. Insulin is the hormone wreaking havoc on my South Asian…
October 12, 2013