It is not difficult to understand that the easiest and best way to beat cancer in your own body is through prevention. This offensive strategy against disease requires a lifestyle that should be pursued by everyone living in today's polluted environment. If you have...
Francisco Contreras, M.D. Articles
Beating Cancer
Those who stop fearing the disease are usually the ones who overcome it.
Don’t Ignore Eating Your Vegetables
Question: I seem healthier since I became a vegan. Do you believe God made us to be vegetarians?J.P., Boise, IdahoAnswer: The book of Genesis says God gave us every "seed-bearing plant" and "tree that has fruit with seed in it" as our food (see 1:29). From that verse...
How Bad Is the Bite?
Question: What can I do to protect my family from the West Nile virus? I have heard that the fall is when the worst cases appear. K.T., Memphis, TennesseeAnswer: West Nile virus is, in people, a mild disease caused by a flavivirus—one of a family of viruses...
Protocol for Diabetes
Much can be done to control diabetes other than giving insulin injections.
Scared of SARS?
Adopting a healthful lifestyle will lower your risk of contracting SARS.
Smallpox Could Make Comeback
Editor's Note: This article first appeared in 2003.Question If the smallpox vaccine is made available again in the United States, should I take it? J.E., Portland, OregonAnswer: If you were to ask that question of someone involved with the federal government, the...
New Year’s Resolutions
In 2003, commit to a lifestyle change, not to a list of unrealistic goals.
Hold the Fries, Please
Recent changes by McDonald’s by no means upgrade fried foods to healthy treats.
An Ounce of Prevention
Is breast cancer inherited? My answer is an emphatic no.
Stress: The Silent Killer
Q. I work in newspapers, and everyone I interact with is always stressed. Is all stress bad? How can I manage it? --J.S., Atlanta, GeorgiaA. When we feel stress, a chemical reaction occurs, and the adrenal glands release hormones. Normally you will feel a boost of...
A Healthy Heart
The most important factor in whether or not you develop heart disease is the food you eat.
Before You Start a Diet
Q. I want to lose weight and keep it off. A lot of people are trying high protein, low carbohydrate diets--eating meat but skipping bread, potatoes and pasta. Do these diets really work?D.M., San Diego, CaliforniaA.It's great that you want to lose weight. Being...