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How a low-carb, high-protein diet affects your body
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen February 26, 2003 Original Title: A Mars bar a day, pack those pounds away Increasing numbers of people are adopting low sugar (carbohydrate) high protein diets. Some want to lose weight, others wish to avoid further weight gain as they age. How does this change in dietary habits influence…
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Sleep apnea solutions range from tennis balls to surgery
Last week’s column reviewed how obstructive sleep apnea is more than just a problem of poor sleep. More than 90 per cent of obstructive sleep apnea sufferers remain undiagnosed and face real health risks.
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Why snoring can be hazardous to your health
Aside from the jokes and a partner’s resignation to a lifetime of disrupted sleep, snoring is not an issue that gets much airplay. Snorers, including the “I-don’t-snore” crowd, may have more than just a problem of annoying those within their noise radius.
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Microbiology 101: Why antibiotics don't kill viruses
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen January 28, 2003 Original Title: Oh I do so like squeezing bubblewrap The problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics remains a major public health concern. Last week’s column reviewed several measures to reverse this trend. Yet despite public education, there remains an expectation at times that antibiotics will eliminate…
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Stuck in the middle
As adolescents progress through their teenage years we bear witness to their emotional and cognitive development. Some sprout early and surprise us with their clarity of thought and insight. Others remain stuck in neutral for long stretches of time. This is one of the challenges of providing adolescent care.
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MDs, patients must adjust attitudes toward antibiotics
Educational campaigns alerting physicians and the public about the dangers of indiscriminant prescribing and use of antibiotics is beginning to raise awareness of the problem. This is a worldwide health issue. In many developing countries, prescriptions are not a requirement to purchase antibiotics. In the West, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in livestock and fish…
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Doctors must factor in free will of the patient
A recent front-page story in the Citizen remarked how a Health Canada anti-tobacco campaign using Olympic skaters Elvis Stojko and Josée Chouinard did not have much influence on reducing or quitting cigarette use. Indeed, how effective are health promotion campaigns?
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Don't kill yourself trying to stay healthy
I first heard Dr. Dean Edell while driving with my family to St. Louis by tuning into his radio talk show. His no nonsense approach to medical claims and treatments were on the mark. Never condescending and always open to new ideas, he bases his opinions on solid research and evidence. He says that he…
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Billing reviews recall witch hunts
A recent column by Christina Spencer, John Robson’s radio commentary on CFRA and Citizen Editorial eloquently criticized the Quebec government’s abuse of legislative power over its physician population. In Quebec, all physicians who have worked in an emergency room in the previous four years will now be forced to work in them whether they wish…
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