I miss my father. He should be around to be granddad to my wonderful boys, helping me raise them to be good men. But he’s not around, dying far too early, from alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Only in his mid-60’s, he was a wonderfully warm-hearted man with a deep belly laugh, very much the average-guy Martin Crane to my Frasier Crane-like stuffiness.… Read the rest
Category Archives: Illness
Diabetes: Healthy Lifestyle Choices Are Key
I’ve been a family doctor for fifteen years, and one of the more dramatic changes I’ve noticed is a big spike in the incidence of prediabetes and diabetes, in all age groups. I had worked in China for ten years until last summer, and all us family doctors at my Beijing clinic weren’t surprised at all with the 2013 paper published in JAMA confirming the frightening reality in China: more than half of all adults in China now are prediabetic.… Read the rest
Wildfire Smoke: How To Protect Yourself
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably worried about wildfire smoke nearby. What can you do to protect yourself and your family? I’ve done a lot of research and blogging about air pollution, during my ten years living and practicing family medicine in Beijing, so I hope to share with you now how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.… Read the rest
Can E-Cigarettes Save Your Life?
One of the most challenging patient encounters for any family doctor is a discussion with long term smokers about quitting. Not because we don’t realize how bad smoking is — of course both doctor and patient know it’s a deadly habit.… Read the rest
My First Book: A Journey To Good Health in China
I’ve had a wonderfully interesting ride here in China these last seven years, but having a book published is definitely one of the highlights. So I’m thrilled to announce that next month I will have my first book published, in Chinese.… Read the rest
My TEDx Talk: Yes, You Can Live Healthy in China
“Ideas worth spreading.” That’s the slogan of the amazing TED collection of talks, and when I was invited last October to give a lecture at TEDx at UIBE, I came up with a topic that I hoped could be challenging and inspiring: living in China can be a healthy, positive experience.… Read the rest