BY Samuel Mathis, MD, Assistant Professor, UTMB, and Eldin Nikocevic, MS4, Family Medicine, UTMB   Psychedelics are a class of drugs that have recently regained attention for their potential therapeutic effects on a range of mood disorders. Among them, psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is currently gaining attention for its potential to treat depression. The substance produces profound changes in perception, mood, and cognition, often inducing hallucinations. While psilocybin has a long history...

BY Samuel Mathis, MD, UTMB Recently, I listened to a physician’s podcast about Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR). This practice, also called Yoga Nidra, is a way to help the body relax and replenish dopamine levels. The underlying theory of this activity is based on the dopamine depletion theory. As we go throughout the day, our dopamine levels naturally fall during the day and with activities that bring excitement and happiness. Lower levels of dopamine lead...

BY Oyetokunbo Ibidapo-Obe, FM/OB, MD, and Samuel Mathis, MD, UTMB Roughly half of the population will eventually go through the symptoms of menopause. These hormonal changes affect almost all aspects of a woman’s life and health. During this time, patients may have hot flashes, changes in bone density, mood swings, changes in menstruation, slowed metabolism, and difficulty sleeping, to name a few. Several prescription drugs are available for these symptoms, but many patients desire more...

By Samuel Mathis, MD, FAAFP, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Medical Director, Employee Health, UTMB   As we enter into this 2nd week of January, our new year’s resolution should be in full swing. Most people are still keeping up with their resolutions. One thing that can help with your (SMART) goal is to understand how habits are formed. In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg talks about the science behind habits...

By Victor S. Sierpina, MD is the WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Professor of Integrative Medicine, Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB-Health and the John Sealy School of Medicine   “Nothing will sustain you more potently than the power to recognize in your humdrum routine, as perhaps it may be thought, the true poetry of life—the poetry of the commonplace.”             –William Osler, MD   A recent review article by Dr. Donald Abrams, MD of...

By Victor S. Sierpina, MD is the WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Professor of Integrative Medicine, Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB-Health and the John Sealy School of Medicine All disease begins in the gut. –Hippocrates When it comes to cancer, what should I eat? Numerous resources now exist to help us sort through the challenges of how diet and cancer interact. Research in this field is notoriously challenging given the time frame for cancer...

BY Victor S. Sierpina, MD is the WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Professor of Integrative Medicine, Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB-Health and the John Sealy School of Medicine   Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. -Simone Weil   I first heard about chronotherapy from Dr. Keith Block, integrative oncology who practices in Chicago. He has long used portable delivery systems for chemotherapy that are timed to coincide with the body’s circadian...

BY Victor S. Sierpina, MD, WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Professor of Integrative Medicine, Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB-Health and the John Sealy School of Medicine   In stillness, all things are healed. – Taoist proverb   The most recent edition of Explore: Journal of Health and Healing, a leading publication in Integrative Medicine, published a systematic review and meta-analysis by Bahar Aras and co-authors that examined the effects of Tai Chi on functional...

BY Rebecca Burke, MD, FAAFP, Village Medical Hospice and Palliative medicine are team-based medical specialties providing comprehensive treatment of physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs related to serious illness or injury. The goal is to reduce suffering and improve the quality of life for both patients and families. Hospice care is specifically reserved for patients with a life expectancy of fewer than 6 months who no longer qualify or desire therapies of curative intent. As...

By Victor S. Sierpina, MD, WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Professor of Integrative Medicine, Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB-Health and the John Sealy School of Medicine.   “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” –Mary Oliver   Ask not “What is the matter with you?” Ask instead, “What matters to you?” This is a guiding mantra for the Veteran’s Administration Whole Health Program.   Practices such as acupuncture, yoga, massage, tai chi, clinical hypnosis,...