By Deborah Ballard, MD, MPH, Duke Integrative Medicine When it became known that one of the early signs of infection with Covid-19 was the loss of smell or anosmia, I, (and I suspect many others), deepened my awareness of this somewhat unappreciated sense. I enjoyed as never before the smells of my soap and shampoo in the morning shower, of ...

By Duke Health & Well-Being Staff Sleep is one of the four pillars of a stable mood. It’s almost impossible to feel well when we are not sleeping well. Many factors impact our sleep, both emotional and material. When you are struggling with sleep, a good starting place is addressing the aspects of sleep hygiene that are within your control. ...

Acupuncturist Janet Shaffer and Massage Therapist Kim Turk will be applying ear seeds to all Duke employees. What are ear seeds? Ears seeds are used as very small acupressure devices, taped into place at useful locations in our ears. They stay in for 3 - 5 days. Why are we doing this? This is about your comfort, relaxation and awesomeness. The 5-point ...

By: Duke Health & Well-Being Nutrition Team Coming up with different and nutritious food preparation styles that appeal to our household can be stressful. To help simplify the planning process, we highlight seven ways to use a few common and accessible staple foods that you may already have in your kitchen. The Seven Ways: These guides include ways foods can be used ...

By Deborah Ballard, MD, MPH. Duke Integrative Medicine. One of the most sobering realizations of the modern era is that no matter how many technologically sophisticated drugs and medical devices we humans develop, we are still at the mercy of germs. Germs, or microbes, those microscopic beasties that coexist alongside and inside of us, sometimes, like Covid-19, manage to ...

By Caroline Stayer-Brewington, LCSW. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, one of my favorite treats was sipping an oat milk latte in a local café and journaling. I could spend hours jotting down my thoughts and observations, people watching and taking in the moment. Since we began physical distancing measures, I’ve been grateful for the coffee my husband makes (he takes the ...

By Deborah Ann Ballard, MD, MPH. Duke Integrative Medicine Primary Care. The Coronavirus Pandemic has caused a massive upheaval in most of our daily routines, affecting everything from exercise, to hair care, to eating patterns, to performing our jobs. It has altered almost all human interactions in some way. It is also changing how we interact with our health care ...

By Joanne Gardner, MS, RDN, LDN, Integrative Nutritionist, Duke Integrative Medicine Many of us are wondering what we can do to sustain optimal health during this pandemic. To start, consider steps to support the immune system balance. Think of your food as your health insurance policy. Although foods may not prevent you from getting sick, they help maintain your resilience ...

Meet Niki Juralewicz, an acupuncture provider at Duke Integrative Medicine. Niki uses a wide variety of techniques and styles to create custom treatment plans. These include acupuncture, classical cupping and gua sha, which promotes circulation, to inspire healing. She spends a lot of time with clients to get to the root cause of an individual's health concerns. Her ultimate goal is ...

Have you met Taran Rosenthal yet? One of the newest members of the Duke Integrative Acupuncture team. Taran is ready to meet you, wherever you are in your health journey. He believes in being a guide and a partner with his clients as he approaches acupuncture from a classical Chinese medicine perspective. ...