By: Dr. George Obikoya

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/why-take-vitamin.html

High fructose corn syrup. Bleached flour. Ingredients that can't be pronounced. Even fresh fruit...freshly picked apples lose vitamins by the hour. By the time fresh fruit gets to the store, sits on a shelf, is purchased, sits in the refrigerator, is cooked, and finally eaten, only a very small fraction of the nutritional value is left to be absorbed. The vital vitamins and minerals in the food supply today have been extremely diminished. Many nutritional experts agree that even if one were to eat 100% raw and organic fruits and vegetables, picked and eaten same-day straight from farmland, decades of farming has left large amounts of contracted land depleted. One would have to consume 8-12 times the amount of produce, in some cases, to absorb what much of the farmland contained decades ago. While 1 out of every 10,000 or so people even pick their own food, the rest of world relies on several-days to several-weeks old, processed, canned, previously cooked, etc. food to remain healthy. Even if one were to ignore literally thousands of reports on how diets today are poor, a third grader is able to make the stark observation that the majority of America and many parts of the world is obese.

Ashly and Patch Clowing For a Photo 

My Experience with Patch Adams: We Miss Opportunities Only because We Choose Not to Create Them

By: Ashley Mayer

I am only one person and like most students in the medical field I chose this path because I want to make a difference in the lives of so many.  I am passionate about the human existence and I question what more I can do as a service to everyone around me.  So I begin my four year journey of class, clinic, and studying, all of which seem to run together; grasping the basics of the human existence, trying to wrap my head around the fundamentals of how our bodies create energy through biochemistry, and understanding concepts of why and how pathologies inhibit our ability to function.  I am confused most often; so many courses, so many exams, so little time.

I find I am still hungry to learn more.  I envision my future as a physician, dreaming of what it will be like to see the smile on a child’s face as they leave my office, so I push on.   Life is spent memorizing the flow of physical assessment, untangling the knots of differential diagnosis, and often I am worried I’ll leave something out while visiting with a patient, or worse yet the scolding from a supervisor.