Editor's note: The Advertiser's new blogger, Dr. Gerald Watanabe, practices internal medicine at Kuakini Medical Plaza and is also a U.S. civil surgeon, as well as school physician and medical consultant to Maryknoll Schools.

Understanding health, wellness and medicine does not have to be the sacred mystery it was in the past, although the scientific terminology and technical mumbo jumbo of the whole thing can be very confusing.

That is the whole push behind my medical blog.

I want to present the complicated and bewildering ideas and concepts in a very understandable and easily digestible format.

No smoke screens and magic.

No tricky words that confuse.

Just plain information presented in a, hopefully, entertaining column.

I write my articles to reflect how I would actually explain things to patients during face-to-face office visits.

I want patients to understand their medical issues and how to deal with them because I believe that keeping patients well informed is an effective way to deliver good primary care medicine.

I also feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to serve my community in this capacity.

Becoming a doctor and taking care of people has always been my dream.

Actually, living the dream through my career has been a true blessing that has opened up so many doors for me.

While growing up, my parents, family and schools I attended always taught me that you don't only take from your community — you need to pay it forward and give back to it.

This blog is one of the ways I can reach out to people and give back to my community.