Respiratory

COVID-19 Special: The Unprecedented Challenges our Front Line Healthcare Professionals are Experiencing, Part 1
April 5, 2020
A Stanford University MD who helps doctors deal with stress weighs in on the Coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Greg Hammer is author of "GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals." What unprecedented challenges are frontline health professionals experiencing amid the current crisis? But weren’t they already poised for burnout even before COVID-19 arrived? How does stress undermine our health during the current lockdown? What lessons can we apply from "GAIN Without Pain" to cultivate resilience during the enforced lockdown? As a pediatric intensive care physician, Dr. Hammer offers advice on how to keep kids calm during the quarantine. Click HERE for part 2.

COVID-19 Special: The Unprecedented Challenges our Front Line Healthcare Professionals are Experiencing, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Greg Hammer, author of "GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals." Click HERE for part 1.

Leyla Weighs In: Immunity
April 3, 2020
Improve your immune system with diet and lifestyle changes.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2: Continuing Coronavirus Coverage
April 1, 2020
Pollen exposure weakens innate defense against respiratory viruses; How much IV vitamin C should a hospitalized patient get?; How effective is IV vitamin C and antioxidants? Should folks who are healthy take it preventively?; I'm 71 and my doctor put me on cefdinir for my nasal congestion and symptoms. Now I'm having shortness of breath--any advice?; I'm concerned about the social unrest that may ensue from keeping young people cooped up inside due to the virus. What are your thoughts? Click HERE for part 1.

Rethinking “Catastrophic” Thinking, Part 1
March 31, 2020
In the face of an unprecedented pandemic, anxiety is warranted, but should not become debilitating or incapacitating. Drawing from the lessons of evolutionary psychology, Dr. Nando Pelusi, a cognitive-behavioral psychologist and frequent contributor to "Psychology Today," offers practical advice on how to calibrate our responses to danger. We are “hardwired” to respond to threats with our primitive limbic systems; ideally, our rational brains can provide us with sensible “reality checks” to rein in our maladaptive fears. This is the essence of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which seeks to analyze the basis of our feelings and substitute helpful narratives to help us better interpret them. How to talk to children about the pandemic? How to cultivate resilience? How to cultivate a balance between complacency or denial vs. unproductive chronic worry. Click HERE for part 2.

Rethinking “Catastrophic” Thinking, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Nando Pelusi, a cognitive-behavioral psychologist and frequent contributor to "Psychology Today." Click HERE for part 1.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for March 28, Part 1: Covid-19 Special
March 30, 2020
Eyewitness report from Ground Zero of the COVID-19 pandemic—Manhattan: Contrary to some reports, life goes on, food and household necessities are plentiful, and people are out and about doing basic errands and exercising; Is the crisis exaggerated? Will social distancing pay off? What are the ideal tests we so desperately need? Is ibuprofen bad? The elderberry controversy; Could many of us already have had the virus? How “herd immunity” could curb the pandemic; Twitter bans posts about “chickenpox parties”; Sweden takes a more moderate approach to lockdown; Do we need to wear face masks while walking or exercising outside? Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for March 28, Part 2: Covid-19 Special

Natural products that could help prevent or ameliorate COVID-19; Does hydroxychloroquine really work vs. Coronavirus? What other treatments are under investigation? High-dose vitamin C and D? Convalescent serum? Thymic peptides? Can you get Coronavirus from a blood transfusion? Will warmer temps bring relief this summer? Are certain blood types at higher risk? Click HERE for part 1. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Special Covid-19 Update: Coronavirus Fears, Part 1
March 29, 2020
Benjamin Asher MD, integrative ENT specialist, with extensive background in Mind-Body Medicine and with over three decades experience as a meditation teacher, shares tips on combatting stress and anxiety during the current lockdown. There are well-vetted techniques for coping with worries over vulnerability which arise naturally under challenging circumstances such as we’re all experiencing; some involve meditation, some cognitive reframing, others are procedures that alter the brain’s fear circuitry. Dr. Asher explains how early life trauma can program the nervous system for exaggerated reactivity; identifying these buried insults and appropriately processing them can set the stage for healing. Additionally, some individuals with chronic medical conditions may feel exceptionally at risk—perhaps without medically-valid justification. Others with perfectionistic Type A personalities may feel especially thwarted as their demanding routines and careful plans are disrupted. Dr. Asher offers advice on how to “go with the flow” and create a personal path of acceptance. Ultimately, the current crisis may be a crucible for personal development and cultivation of resiliency. Click HERE for part 2.

Special Covid-19 Update: Coronavirus Fears, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Benjamin Asher MD, integrative ENT specialist. Click HERE for part 1.