November « 2013 « melborinscreative

27 Nov

Laughter is the Jest Medicine – from my book “A Doctor’s Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why – Foreword by Dr. Bernie Siegel”

Mel Borins M.D. A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine, Medical Writing, News 1

You can order “A Doctor’s Guide to Alternative Medicine” from melborins.com or Indigo.ca.

Humour is a powerful tool to improve communication and put people at ease. Victor Borge, the famous comedian once said, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Not only is laughter therapeutic, but laughter can be a way of uniting and uplifting us as human beings.

07 Nov

Echinacea: Is it Useful for the Prevention of Upper Respiratory Infections? An excerpt from my book “A Doctor’s Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why – Foreword by Dr. Bernie Siegel

Mel Borins M.D. A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine, Medical Writing 2

You can order ‘A Doctor’s Guide to Alternative Medicine’ from melborins.com or Indigo.ca.

Echinacea is one of the most commonly used herbs in North America. There are 9 known native species. Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida are commonly used. The plant also goes by the name of purple coneflower, coneflower and American coneflower. The aboveground parts of the plant and roots are used fresh or dried to make teas and can be squeezed (expressed) to make extracts. Anecdotally, many of my patients rave about its ability to decrease or stop the symptoms of upper respiratory infections (URI’s).