It’s still winter, but spring is on its way. One day we’ll look back and see that COVID and all of the chaos of our world is in the rearview mirror. One day we’ll emerge from this darkness and stretch in the light. However, we have to be ready. Spring is like that. It makes […]
Wholly Healthy: Why Do People Keep Going to Church?
Physicians in general are a pretty intelligent group of professionals. However, we sometimes make the mistake of thinking that because we know a lot about one particular thing, we must also know a lot about almost everything. However, given the exploding pace of advancing knowledge, that idea is arrogant. But it isn’t just science and […]
Wholly Healthy: Winter Advice
I have taken care of some very, very cold patients over the years. When I was a medical student, there was a man who accidentally bodysurfed a river — in winter, in northern West Virginia. There was one who stood resolutely in the middle of a pond in January, up to his waist in water, […]
Wholly Healthy: Christmas Therapy
It doesn’t take a physician to say that these are difficult times, resulting in significant depression and anxiety. We have pandemic, social upheaval and political theater. And all of it transmitted to us 24/7/365 on cable and satellite. Worse, it comes to us on our home computers, and on the smartphones we carry around and […]
Wholly Healthy: Viewing Violence
One of the things I always told my sons as they grew into adulthood was to avoid fights. And the best way to avoid fights is generally to keep one’s mouth shut and not argue with angry people. It can be a tall order for a young male, full of life, health and testosterone, but […]
Wholly Healthy: Get Ready for Fall
Autumn is almost here. This means we’re on the edge of cold and flu season. However, this cold and flu season may be a little tricky thanks to COVID-19. (Oh, how tired I am of typing that!) The thing is, during cold and flu season, in a normal year, people tend to cough, have fever […]
Wholly Healthy: COVID Paranoia
I have physician friends around the country in hospitals large and small. Therefore I would like to say a few things to fellow Christians about COVID-19. Let me assure you that it isn’t a hoax. This is a very real virus that causes a very real disease. Since it first emerged, clinicians and researchers have […]
Wholly Healthy: Church Good for Your Health
Our church hasn’t met for about two months now. Many of yours haven’t either. While this has been controversial, I applaud those who have stayed home out of concern for the safety of their brothers and sisters and respect for civil authorities. Pastors and church leaders have undoubtedly struggled with these decisions, but I appreciate […]
Wholly Healthy: Vegetarian Diets Not Simple Matter
What does it mean to eat a plant-based diet? Many people eat vegetarian or vegan diets and swear by the health benefits. But it isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are many types of vegetarian diets. Some include vegetables and fruit with no dairy or eggs. Some allow eggs but no dairy, and others […]
Wholly Healthy: Be Careful, Be Healthy, Be Smart
There are two ideas in dynamic tension as we respond to the current coronavirus pandemic. The first is, we all need to try and avoid situations where we might catch it — that means avoiding unnecessary doctor and hospital visits. The second is, even though COVID-19 is on everyone’s mind and dominates our medical discussions, […]