Like many of us, Mary Alice found herself putting her health second to work. An area pastor, she can work ten hours a day or more, subsisting on the quickest, most convenient snacks and parishioner-made meals, full of heart, but light on heart-healthy. Following a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, Mary Alice knew it was time for a change, and enlisted Springfield Clinic's dietitian Amanda Figge.

Under Amanda's tutelage, Mary Alice is losing weight, controlling her blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol, all thanks to the power of food—and without medication. With the Farmers' Market upon us, now is the perfect time to reassess your own diet, and choose fresh, healthy and local instead of processed, sodium-filled and chemical.

In the words of comedian Mitch Hedberg, "Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only disease you can get yelled at for having." When it comes to addiction, it is easy to fall into the trap of blame.

"Just stop drinking." "It's just a matter of willpower." But, as many of us know, it's not that simple.

This month, we hear John's story. John began drinking with his friends in junior high and high school, and thought he was no different from everyone else. But, by his early twenties, he had a full blown addiction. Dr. Ken Sagins is also on hand to discuss the medical side of addiction--at what point is it a real problem, and what is it doing to the body?

Listen as John shares his personal tale of rehab and sobriety. And if you suspect you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol of drugs, please call your physician. Your primary care doctor can walk you through the steps that will save your life.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this important month, we bring you two stories of patients whose lives were changed by colorectal cancer screening.

Carol's Story

Carol lost her father to colon cancer. By the time he was diagnosed, it was too late. For Carol and her family, prevention and early diagnosis is not an option—it's required for survival.

Carol and her colon and rectal surgeon, Dawn Wietfeldt, MD, share her story—and how colonoscopies could save Carol from her father's fate.

Tom's Story

Tom returned from a Mediterranean anniversary trip with his wife, and began experiencing severe gastrointestinal symptoms days later. Was it a bug picked up from his travels—or something much worse? Tom was quickly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis—a painful condition that can have serious consequences, and significantly raise the risk of developing colon cancer.

Tom and his gastroenterologist, William Peterson, MD, share his story—and how greatly his life was improved by the simple act of a colonoscopy.

After a day pulling weeds in the garden, Rebecca began feeling some pain in her back. She thought it was a result of outdoor work, but it turned out to be a symptom of heart disease.

We see countless examples of "Hollywood heart attacks" in movies and TV, where the suffering victim grabs his or her chest or arm. While men may experience pain or sensation in these areas, symptoms for women are completely different. Listen to Rebecca's story—it may save your life.

Going into the hospital to deliver their daughter, Courtney and Evan Westlake knew their lives were about to change. They just didn’t know how much. Their daughter, Brenna, was born with Harlequin Ichthyosis, a rare—and often deadly—skin condition. Though the first year of her life has been filled with ups, downs and all the close calls in between, the Westlakes—along with Dr. Joseph Conlon, Pediatric Dermatologist with Springfield Clinic—are optimistic about what the future holds for this special little girl.