Dr. Lisa Belisle

Aerie River & the Office of Dr. Lisa Belisle

Welcome to Aerie River and the office of Dr. Lisa Belisle!

Dr. Lisa Belisle is a physician trained in family and preventive medicine, public health and acupuncture. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Belisle is a writer, teacher and medical advisor for the MaineHealth system.

Dr. Belisle appears each Tuesday morning at 7:20 as "Dr. Lisa" on the “Three-fer Tuesday” health segment with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB 95.5 FM/WPME TV.  Summaries of her health discussions with Ray & Ted are available on her blog.

Dr. Belisle founded the office of Aerie River in 2007.  Prior to that, Dr. Belisle had a solo family medicine practice based in Yarmouth and Portland, Maine. Based at the historic Sparhawk Mill on the Royal River in Yarmouth, Aerie River offers:

• Dr. Belisle's integrative health practice, focusing on medical acupuncture, stress management, diet, exercise and lifestyle counseling for optimizing health, healing injuries and minimizing chronic problems (see below for a note from Dr. Belisle about her practice)

• shared office space with practitioners of massage (Jaime Clarke, phone number 1 207 939 5814), polarity (Patrice Finn, phone number 1 207 712 4170), structural integration (Jamie Huntsberger, phone number 1 207 322 3079) and therapeutic storytelling (Deborah Eve Freedman, phone number 1 207 871 9439).

• monthly "e-newsletters" containing the latest information on wellness issues (to subscribe, send an email to info@drlisabelisle.com)

• cooking classes that emphasize tasty, beautifully prepared whole grains, vegetables and legumes, based on Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Blog

• seasonal “Walk with the Doc” sessions

• thoughtful and well-researched articles on health, parenting & the environment, written by Dr. Lisa Belisle (see below for the most recent articles)

• reliable web-based health resources

• a start-up charitable foundation

• and inspirational books.

Our Daily Tread is the “firstborn child” of Aerie River Books. Click below to read more about it.


[Cover Photo by Mike Glad]





Note from Dr. Belisle:

Thank you for visiting our website and for taking an interest in your health. I am glad you are here.

As a family physician with additional training in prevention and medical acupuncture, my specialty is personal well-being. I firmly believe that preventing disease is just as crucial as dealing with illness and injuries. I enjoy working with individuals who are motivated to live healthy, sustainable lives. I like to help people stay informed about traditional and non-traditional therapies, and take an integrative approach to medicine through my medical acupuncture practice.

I am especially interested in helping patients with:

• stress management
• healthy eating and weight-loss
• exercise prescriptions
• post-surgical care
• athletic injuries

My patients each continue to maintain a relationship with their primary care providers and other specialists.  I consider myself to be a part of their health care team.

If you have an illness or injury that requires attention or are interested in exploring integrative medicine as a means of finding health, please give our office a call at (207) 847-9393 or send an email to info@drlisabelisle.com.

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Lisa M. Belisle, M.D., M.P.H.

Making Change: The Power of Three

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH

Originally published January/February 2010, Parent & Family

All Schoolhouse Rock followers know that “Three is a Magic Number.” According to the classic Saturday morning ditty, three is useful in the world of triangles, tricycles and tripods.  Singer Jack Johnson reminds us that three is also linked to environmental awareness, as in “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Yes, three is marvelous for many things--including behavior change.  Need to lose weight, stop smoking or start exercising?  Think three.

Monkey See, Monkey Do: Parents as Healthy Role Models

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH

Originally published November/December 2009, Parent & Family

My son became a sports fan shortly after his birth.  Born October first, Campbell began watching football with his father the week he came home from the hospital.  The following spring he became a citizen of “Red Sox Nation.” Sixteen years later, Campbell and his father speak a language I only vaguely understand: it includes phrases such as “dropped passes” and the “infield fly rule.” My husband is one of my son’s most important role models.  Most parents enjoy the same privilege.

Consider this:

--children have twice the risk of becoming habitual smokers by the time they graduate from high school if one or both parents smoke
--girls are ten times more likely to be obese if their mothers are obese; boys are six times more likely to be obese if their fathers are obese
--children who have more physically active parents are statistically more likely to be active themselves.

Food Sensitivities & Stress: School Stomachaches, Headaches and Other Brain-Gut Syndromes

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published September/October 2009, Parent & Family

Kids, school and stomachaches. You know the drill: morning rolls around and your child doesn’t want to get on the school bus, claiming his belly hurts. You keep him home, and he seems to recover, only to have the same thing happen again.

Then there is the recurring daily headache. Your child starts the day just fine, only to return in the mid-afternoon holding his head in pain. A visit to the doctor shows that nothing is wrong with his brain, but gives you no additional answers.

Dare to Go Bare(foot)

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH 
Originally published July 9, 2009, The Maine Switch 

I’m no Imelda Marcos, but I do love my espadrilles... and cowboy boots... and classic black open-toed pumps. Recently I overheard my daughter say “You should see my mother’s shoe collection!” No small compliment coming from a 13-year-old.