You want to quit smoking but can't.

You've tried all sorts of things. You've even been to the website WhyQuit.com and read their wealth of information - which, I may add, is quite good.

You know smoking is bad for you and it is frankly pissing you off that you cannot stop.

I don't blame you.

So, as a doctor, I am approaching this from a different angle since you are having trouble quitting smoking.

If you want to reduce your risk of kidney failure, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease then keep reading. Even if you are quitting smoking or have quit years ago, you still need to read this in order to repair some damage done by cigarette smoke.

I am going to present you with some quotes from research. Stay with it.

I am not lecturing you. I am purely backing up my statements and recommendations. Many people think that naturopathic physicians are quacks. Perhaps you do as well. But after you get to know me, perhaps I'll have you thinking, just a little, that naturopathic physicians are not j...

I have high liver enzymes. What is the best alternative to lower my cholesterol?

If one has high liver enzymes, then the liver is working double-time thereby making it harder for your liver to regulate cholesterol.

A couple of your liver's functions are to create more HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or "good cholesterol") and to process sugars properly. The first thing would be determining the cause(s) of the high liver enzymes - and there are many.

    Common causes of elevated liver enzymes include:

    - Side effect of medication, such as certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cholesterol medications, antibiotics or anti-seizure medications
    - Drinking alcohol
    - Obesity
    - Diabetes
    - Elevated triglycerides
    - Infection, such as viral hepatitis and mononucleosis
    - Autoimmune disorders of the liver and bile ducts, such as autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis or primary biliary cirrhosis
    - Metabolic liver...