EASE OS™ with Dr. Connie Cheung

There's been so much talk about CBD, hemp, and medical marijuana. But more recently, with medical marijuana legalized in some states, I began to get more and more questions about it from those living with Lupus. It's hard to ignore the tremendous benefits that patients like you and me would receive from it. So today, I will be diving deep into CBD, or cannabinoid, and its physiological effects on...

After living with Lupus for over 19 years I finally have some perspective.  What doctors don't tell you about Lupus is that they really don't know what the cause is or how you will respond to the medications and treatments.  It's a big mystery to them. Doctors don't know what the outcome will be for you.  That's the truth with Lupus.  Yet, so many of us place our confidence in our doctors to "cure...

This week's Lupus Q&A was an interesting one! Lots of great questions regarding supplements, cutting back on medications with the guidance of your doctor, the effects of CBD oil on the body, and causes of sciatic pain and how to reduce it. Listen to this episode to hear Dr. Connie's answers to each of these questions.

Since 1998, when enrolled in a graduate program, I felt suboptimal, always tired, and I struggled with migraines. I attributed these symptoms to the stress from school. Officially diagnosed with Lupus in 1999, the process of getting diagnosed was painful.  From severe  hair loss , rashes, severe pain, and fatigue, I had to take a leave of absence from my graduate studies. This episode contains my...

Somehow we are programmed to think that our worth is tied to beauty. I don't know how I feel about that, but for the first time, I realize it was what drove my behavior in the past, as well as today. Your beauty shines through when you're confident in your own skin and don't need any coverups, like makeup. I want you to know that true beauty starts from the inside. It starts with honoring and lovi...

Welcome to another Q&A Fridays! In this episode we will discuss questions about Kidney Involvement, Vertigo, Types of Lupus, and Esophageal Pain and Spasms.  If you would like to have a question answered on our next Lupus Q&A, comment on this blog or post your question on our FREE Facebook group, the Self Empowered Healers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/selfempoweredhealers   

Creating health is like a sport.  Let's talk basketball for a minute.  If you wanted to play basketball like Lebron James, you can't read about the sport and just expect to be a world class basketball player immediately, right? It's in practicing the skills everyday that you learn the nuances and master the muscle memory to become the best at it. If you are one of those who are really seeking to s...

I got introduced to  Traditional Chinese Medicine 19 years ago when all the Conventional Medicine interventions didn't work.  I think in retrospect, it gave me a sense of hope because I didn't know what it was and what it can do for me.  All I thought was "it's gotta be better than the Medical treatments I've thus received."   Listen to this episode and learn what's your metabolic body type.

Welcome to our Q&A Fridays! Listen to this episode and learn what are the four types of Lupus and if symptoms are similar, gynecological issues due to Lupus and causes of salty taste in your mouth.   If you would like to have a question answered on our next Lupus Q&A, comment on this blog or post your question on our FREE Facebook group, the Self Empowered Healers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/...

Have you ever wondered why some Lupus or other chronic disease patients do better than others? Or have you noticed that while some people may be sensitive to certain foods, others can eat anything and still have great energy and are as healthy as ever? Listen to this episode and I'll discuss about medications typically prescribed for autoimmune conditions, how they work, their herbal counterparts,...

If you've known me as a patient or follow my blog, I believe the root cause of many illnesses, like Lupus, is leaky gut. Lately, gluten free diets have been all the rage, therefore, I wanted to dig deeper and talk to you about a revolutionary discovery in our ability to understand gut permeability and how this impacts various health conditions, from inflammation to food sensitivities, leading to c...

We can reverse our disease, prevent illness, and create health in our bodies once and for all. Listen to our podcast episode today and learn about Metabolic Syndrome and why eating too much and poor diet leads to being light-headed and tired.  You will also hear the story of Dick Peterson and his journey back to health. He is one of my favorite patients, he was very cynical and resistant to anythi...

In today's society, our brains are constantly being bombarded by various stimuli, especially that which comes from our technology and smart devices. Most time, this makes it difficult for us to focus, as we are already neurologically compromised. Listen to this episode and learn about brain foods that can be incorporated into your daily diet, and will boost your brain power, resulting in increased...

Welcome to our Q&A Fridays! Listen to this episode and learn what is latest on Lupus research, why Micophenolate is considered as chemo, reasons why we get gas and what we can do about it.  If you would like to have a question answered on our next Lupus Q&A, comment on this blog or post your question on our FREE Facebook group, the Self Empowered Healers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/selfempowe...

Thanks to the work of  Dr. Alessio Fasano, a physician and researcher at the University of Maryland, he and his team have discovered interesting findings on celiac disease, which is relevant to all autoimmune conditions. Listen to this episode and learn what Dr. Fasano discovered about patients with celiac disease, which is an autoimmune condition and what are the three factors causing disease to...

We are in lots of pain. As a result we don't move and don't feeling like exercising. Weight comes on. We are put on more meds and have a poor diet because who's in the mood to care about what we put into our bodies? Tired, stressed, and in pain means food can become our escape. But truth be told, some of us don't even eat that bad, yet the pounds still creep up on us. Here's why. Inflammation bree...

Welcome to our Q&A Fridays! Listen to this episode to find answers to your Lupus Questions.   This weeks questions includes role of gut health to our immune system, probiotics, Jaccoud Arthroplasty, elimination diet and how it affects our health.  If you would like to have a question answered on our next Lupus Q&A, comment on this blog or post your question on our FREE Facebook group, the Self Emp...

Lupus brain fog is a common complaint. Do you struggle with constant fatigue, difficulty focusing, poor memory, moody, and feel a bit "lost"?    This is what we refer to as "Brain Fog".  Brain fog is much more common today because our world is so distracted, from constant smart device alerts, social media check-ins, streaming tv shows, all competing for our attention that most of us walk around li...

Welcome to our Q&A Fridays! Listen to this episode to find answers to your Lupus Questions.  Each week we answer your most commonly asked questions regarding  Lupus , including flares, diet, weight gain, symptoms and medications.  If you would like to have a question answered on our next Lupus Q&A, comment on this blog or post your question on our FREE Facebook group, the Self Empowered Healers: h...

We all know that Lupus is an autoimmune disease.  We also know that multiple autoimmune diseases can co-exist. Because Lupus can mimic so many other diseases in its symptom manifestations, I've worked to really understand the "root" cause of Lupus, and in the process found that most of the diseases we "codify" and name in medicine are all, at the root, a mitochondrial dysfunction.

Conventional Medicine aims to treat the pathology or disease and it's an excellent method to triage in a traumatic situation.   However, as someone who lives with a Chronic Disease, it's important to shift perspective into focusing on the "root cause" of your symptoms that lead up to your disease.   Much like a tree, the health of the roots will determine the health of the trunk, branches, and the...

Functional Medicine and your Health The premise of "healthcare" is all wrong.  It's not healthcare, its really sick care.  I believe if we understand what it is, we can better utilize the medical services with real perspective

Theory and knowledge are great, but when it comes to disease and health, our medical training tends to make disease management the goal and often the path to optimal health and wellness is overlooked. This is a deep seeded problem in the medical system today. My experience in navigating my life as a patient taught me just how much physicians don't know everything.  They know disease management, no...

Living with a chronic condition like Lupus can give you some perspective.  As a Clinician and a Patient for over 19 years, I've learned that we still have a limited understanding of our human biology.    The interconnections of complex systems in our body creates lots of variables that are highly individual for each patient.   I know for sure that knowledge of a disease is not enough to cure or he...