The Natural Bite

After my upper jaw advancement surgery exactly 2.5 weeks ago, I wanted my facial swelling, crusty lips, and general mask-like appearance to go away as quickly as possible so I could see what I was really going to look like for the rest of my life. I had very little swelling for the first [...]

The first few days after my upper jaw surgery reminded me of the foggy-headed allergy-ridden life I lived in Seattle, where I grew up inhaling year-round molds, dusts and pollens that seemed to be on some kind of contract for my life.
Jaw Surgery: Liquid diet, lots of pain meds, new profile, and… nasal congestion?
It all [...]

Do I believe in Chinese medicine? Hmm, it’s not like God or UFOs… not nearly as much mysticism and much more reality. I believe in evidence, so, heck yes, I ‘believe’ in Chinese medicine.
Every day since coming home from jaw surgery, I’ve been boiling the special mixture of herbs and roots designed by my Chinese [...]

I’ve been following a vitamin regimen in preparation for jaw surgery on November 5th (19 days away!). Coworkers probably think I’m chain-popping antacids because of our stressful week, but it’s just not true.
Effective vitamin use for surgery preparation requires lots of high dosage pills, taken at the right times of day. I’ve been taking this [...]

I’ve been interested in natural medicine as a supplement (and sometimes alternative) to conventional medicine since I first started college seven years ago.
My learnings have come from the likes of Paul Pitchford, Michael Murray, and Rebecca Wood, who emphasize the importance of diet as the foundation to health, and the power of plant ingredients to [...]