Reflecting on Chinese Medicine

Listen now to KPFA.org 94.1FM 4/18/22

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=377493

Joining me was Thuy Nguyen, a new producer/host on About Health. 

“Connection is at the heart of Chinese medicine—the understanding that everything is connected internally as well as externally. Internally, mind-body-spirt. Externally, person-family-community. That is why we say:  Heal Yourself, Heal Your Community. The awareness of our inseparable connection brings home the influence of our well-being on the community and the well-being of the community on us. We are all in this together. When you heal, we heal.”—Berkeley Community Acupuncture

Guest

Thuy Nguyen has been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 20 years and is the founder and director at Berkeley Community Acupuncture, a clinic making TCM widely accessible.  She is also the creator of the Navajo Healing Project, a unique project aimed at introducing TCM to the Dine community in a way that is relevant, healing and empowering. Thuy is a maker and a mother of 3 teenagers and 2 dogs. In addition, she produces radio shows for About Health on KPFA.org. At the heart of all she does is the desire to illuminate our inseparable connection to Nature and one another, and to offer an understanding of ourselves and our well-being that is empowered and life affirming.

Gut Health And Your Microbiome

**Listen now to About Health, 4/4/22—KPFA.org—94.1FM** 

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=376632

We explored gut health and how your microbiome plays a vital role in digestion and the health and regulation of the immune system.Your gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes—essentials for your physical and emotional health. Learn about the gut-brain connection and why it’s so important to understand what the underlying causes are of your symptoms.

Guest:

Dr. Peter Kozlowski did his residency in Family Practice, but started training in Functional Medicine as an intern. He has devoted his career to helping uncover the underlying cause of chronic disease through Functional Medicine. He is the author of “Unfunc Your Gut: Boost Your Immune System, Heal Your Gut, and Unlock Your Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Health.” His expertise is in gut health, but he also works with food sensitivities, hormone imbalances, detoxing from toxic chemicals such as heavy metals and mold, and mental, emotional, and spiritual health. He serves patients in person and online via his Montana- and Chicago-based practices. Learn more at www.doc-koz.com.

Medical Aid In Dying

Do you believe you should have the right to choose when you die, if your illness is beyond any hope of meaningful recovery?

Listen now to About Health (3/14/22) KPFA.org— 94.1FM

**https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=375200**

Medical aid in dying is a practice that allows a terminally ill adult who is mentally capable, and who has a prognosis of six months or less to live, to request a prescription for medication from their doctor. They can then decide if they want to take the medication to die peacefully. This is an end of life option that is available in California, as well as other places across the country. Join me and my guest Samantha Trad, from Compassion and Choices.

Guest:

Samantha TradSamantha Trad is the National Director of Care Advocacy for Compassion and Choices. In this role, she works to expand patient-centered and patient-directed end-of-life care across the country, which includes makingsure people have the tools they need to plan for a possible dementia diagnosis and other serious illness. She is also an expert on implementing medical aid in dying laws and leads education and outreach efforts to eliminate barriers for eligible patients who want the option of medical aid in dying. Before working at Compassion & Choices, she taught American Politics at the University of Redlands and was the Executive Director of the Arizona Advocacy Network. Samantha has a Bachelor’s of Art in Political Science from the University of Redlands and Master’s of Art in International Economic and Political Studies from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

 

The Doctor Is In!

Listen Now: 2/7/22 on KPFA.org—94.1FM

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=372952 

My guest was Dr. Michael Lenoir. We discussed current health issues, such as Covid 19, asthma, disparities in health care, and other questions from you.

Michael LeNoir, MD, is an allergist in the East Bay, board certified in both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and served on the Board the American Association of Certified Allergist. He is also an associate clinical professor at UCSF, and for 20 years he was the Director of Allergy Services at San Francisco General Hospital. He has a special interest in asthma in the African American and high risk communities, and genetic polymorphisms. He served as the President of the Northern California Allergy Association, and has served as the chairperson of the Underserved Committee of the American Academy of Allergy. Dr. Lenoir served as the President of the National Association of Physician Broadcasters and he was one of 50 physicians, nationwide, chosen to receive the Pfizer Positive Physician Award from the American Medical Association.  He has served as the President of the Ethnic Health Institute at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, and Chair of the Board of the African American Wellness Project. For over 10 years he served as the medical editor for KCBS radio, hosting a 2 hour weekly talk show, and he was also the host of About Health on KPFA radio for many decades.  He continues to do radio and podcast programs, such as Black Doctors Speaks collaborating with blackdoctors.org.  He has 4 daughters and 5 grandchildren.

 

A Functional Medicine Approach For A Healthy Life

Listen now to About Health (1/17/22)

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=371783

KPFA.org radio—94.1FM 

Functional Medicine addresses the root causes of disease. My guest, Angel Shannon, MS, CRNP, will help us understand how this patient-centered and science-based approach can be of great value during this prolonged Covid-19 pandemic. She will suggest ways we can enhance our immune system, restore our health, and consider life-style changes that could move us towards increased wellbeing. She will also offer sound tips of how to be an advocate for your health, no matter what healthcare system you’re a part of.

Guest:

Angel V. Shannon, MS, CRNP, is a personal development keynote speaker, board certified nurse practitioner, and founder of Seva Health and The Seva Institute. Her inspiring presentations are drawn from over two decades of clinical practice and lifetime study of integrative health and mind-body medicine. In 2019, she founded the Seva Institute to bring the wisdom of ancient contemplative practices into the corporate environment, leading seminars in mindfulness based stress reduction to help overworked professionals develop inner resilience and embodied leadership. In addition to managing her busy clinical and coaching practice, Angel is the host of Healthy House Calls With Angel, a podcast filled with tips, tools, and strategies to live longer and live better with lifestyle medicine. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-housecalls-with-angel/id1551184766. Stay connected with Angel at www.sevahealthgroup.com

It’s time for a Care Revolution

**Listen now to KPFA.org—94.1FM, (1/10/22)**

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=371217

What would it take to have a caring system that addressed health disparities, honored indigenous medicine, and respected the stories and struggles of all people? What are the systems and environmental factors that create conditions of illness? How can we create a culture of care for our children, elders, and the planet?  And, what could we be doing differently in this prolonged, confusing, and painful time of Covid-19?

Guest:

Dr. Rupa Marya  is a physician, activist, writer, mother, and a composer. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and the founder and worker-director of the Deep Medicine Circle, a WOC-led organization committed to healing the wounds of colonialisim through food, medicine, story, restoration and learning. Her work sits at the nexus of climate, health and racial justice. She is the co-author with Raj Patel of the book Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice. Dr. Marya was appointed by Governor Newsom to and serves on the Healthy California for All Commission where she tirelessly advocates for Single Payer healthcare. She has toured twenty-nine countries with her band, Rupa and the April Fishes, whose music was described by the legend Gil Scott-Heron as “Liberation Music.” To learn more about her go to https://rupamarya.org