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« Older Entries | Newer Entries »Potassium Iodide and Radiation: A Primer
Friday, March 18th, 2011
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by Andy Swanson, ND, LAc
Nature Cures Clinic physician
This article was written in response to the possibility of radiation exposure following the March 2011 earthquake in Japan. For more information, read a “Radiation Protection” from Dr. Greg Nigh.
Many patients are contacting our clinic for information on how to best protect themselves and loved ones from radiation. Many have read on the news of the long-term health risks related to the effects radiation can have on the Thyroid. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended potassium iodide as a means of protecting the thyroid gland.
It is extremely important to know that potassium iodide is, by no means, an innocuous substance. There is significant risk of throwing your thyroid out of balance, creating what we call a thyroid storm, which is extremely unpleasant and potentially life-threatening. Additional complications exist including potential allergic responses to the medication. Potassium iodide is not to be used haphazardly. All that said, radiation is extremely damaging to the thyroid and potassium iodide does offer some protection.
The richest source of iodide in nature is SEAWEED, and specifically dulse and kelp. Adults can consume 3-5 grams/day which works out to a little less than 3/4 of a level teaspoon of powder. Children under 12 years old should get no more than 1 gram/day of seaweed.
The WHO guidelines for protection from acute radiation exposure are as follows: the potassium iodide dose for adults is 130 mg/day for 3-4 days post radiation exposure. It is not helpful to take prophylactically. It should be initiated 12-24 hours before exposure and continued for 3-4 days after. Under age 12, the dose is 65 mg/day.
Again, watch for any symptoms of thyroid over-activity including rapid heart rate, high anxiety, bulging of the eyes, sweating, body heat, insomnia, and/or shortness of breath.
Also, watch for allergic responses including itchy skin, hives, skin rash, sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes.
If allergic reactions and thyroid symptoms develop, potassium iodide should be discontinued immediately and one should seek medical assistance.
Please remember this is a very high dose to be used ONLY if radiation exposure is occurring. This is much too high for regular daily use.
We are providing this information for your knowledge, in no way are we suggesting that need for it currently. Be prepared and act out of love, not fear. Be safe out there and please send your prayers to those affected.
We will have more information coming out on this subject and will be making recommendations on what we will be doing personally in the upcoming days, so stay tuned.
Tags: Dr. Andy Swanson, earthquake, potassium, potassium iodide, potassium iodine, radiation
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Andy Swanson, General | 2 Comments »
Nutrition Mission: Improve your Health through Food
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
by Maria Zilka, NT
Nature Cures Clinic nutritional therapist
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When you hear the word “nutrition,” what comes to mind for you? The FDA food pyramid? A bottle of vitamin and mineral pills? Your mother telling you can’t leave the table until you’ve eaten all your spinach? Commonly, when we think of nutrition we think “borrrrring!” We think of the foods we should be eating rather than the foods we are eating.
Nutrition is not about our diet. While our diet plays a very important role in our nutrition – it is more about the interaction of the food we eat with our unique physiology. So, when we think of a healthy diet it is important to remember that there is no public policy that can dictate what a perfect diet is – simply because we are all individuals. What is important is finding what the perfect diet is for you.
It is not always easy to make the connection between what you eat and how you feel. We are very adept in this country at shutting up our symptoms – if we have a headache we take a couple of aspirin, a body ache has us reaching for a bottle of ibuprofen. Acid reflux or GERD is soothed with antacids – and even our red, itchy dry eyes are treated with fake tears! Symptoms are no longer considered to be the body’s way of communicating – they’re conditions that must be relieved so that we can ignore them a while longer.
The problem with ignoring a symptom, however, is that it doesn’t go away – it just gets louder and more demanding. Treating your symptoms is a temporary, though sometimes necessary fix – but if you want to achieve optimal health and vitality you have to get to the root cause of the problem. This often begins with our food.
If a food is not nourishing your body then it is creating a stress. For example, an egg is considered a very healthy food – in fact, it has been called the “perfect” food. It contains everything to begin a life with. However, if your particular physiology reacts to egg as an allergen then it is far from a healthy food for you. Symptoms of fatigue, gas, bloating, achiness, headache, etc. have been reported from people who are sensitive to egg protein, but if you are not looking for the connection you might easily attribute these symptoms to something entirely different. The key is in finding the foods that create “chronic” stress in the body and eliminate them from your diet. In so doing – you are relieving your body of dealing with unnecessary and unseen stress that can eventually lead to disease.
The other component to the nutrition question is how well your digestive system is working. We need to have sufficient stomach acid to break down protein, adequate salivary and pancreatic enzymes to process carbohydrates and healthy amounts of smooth flowing bile to emulsify fat for absorption. If any of these systems are compromised or out of balance we will experience problems such as acid reflux, bloating, gas, undigested food in the stool and malnutrition, to name a few. If any of these symptoms sound familiar then you should probably take heed. Most of us have experienced digestive disorders at one time or another – what we are concerned with are the chronic issues that lead to problems.
The following is a list of things that you can do to improve your nutrition:
• Digestion starts before we even eat. Spending time with our food in the preparation, cooking, seasoning, smelling and tasting all combine to get the body ready to receive nourishment. The brain plays a key role in proper digestion.
• In school we were taught that digestion is a “north to south” process. If you have something going on in the southern region of your body – it most likely started farther up the line. One of the best things you can do to aid proper digestion is chew your food. Make a conscious effort to chew each bite at least 20 times – it’s not easy! Many of us eat on the run – short lunches and hurried meals throughout the day so we get used to “wolfing” down our food in large un-chewed quantities. Becoming more mindful of the chewing process benefits us in so many ways.
• Relax and enjoy meal time. There’s wisdom in traditions and saying grace is no exception. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and feel gratitude for the food, your healthy body and even the people you may be eating with. This puts your body in the receiving mode and allows you to get the most nutrition from your effort.
• I’m a big fan of the food writer Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Botany of Desire. I like when he says “It’s no longer what we eat – it’s what we eat, eats.” Think about that for a minute. His point is that making healthy food choices goes deeper than just choosing the so-called “healthy” food over the “unhealthy” food. We need to consider where that food came from, how it was produced or raised, cultivated, fed and harvested. What fertilizers/pesticides may have been used. How the animal was fed and treated. This all contributes to the nutritional content and quality of your food.
• Take the steps to find out what your perfect diet is. We put most, if not all of our patients here at the clinic through the Elimination Diet. This is where we take all of the most common allergens out of the diet for period of time and then systematically re-introduce them to discover symptoms associated with each food. The purpose is to definitively know which foods are nourishing for your body, which foods are not – and what it feels like for you.
• Keep your digestive system as healthy as you can. You can create the perfect diet– but if you’re not digesting properly it won’t do you much good. Pay attention to your symptoms of bloating, brain fog, headaches and body aches. Follow some routines to give yourself better health such as a liver cleanse a couple of times a year, a good exercise program to help your body release toxins and burn up stored energy and one of the best things of all – learn to cook!
For more information on balancing your nutritional profile – come see our Nutritional Therapist Maria Zilka, for a Nutritional Assessment and analysis of your current diet. Maria also provides classes and lectures and is happy to come to your business or organization to provide information on digestive health and food in a fun and interactive way.
Image courtesy Bethd821
Tags: Diet, health food, healthy eating, Maria Zilka, Nutrition
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, General, Maria Zilka | 2 Comments »
Mindful Parenting: A Balanced Approach
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
by Rose Paisley, ND
This article is the first in a series of articles by Dr. Paisley about mindful parenting. Stay tuned for more to come!
Mindful parenting is a practice; it is an awareness of our connection to our children, our environment, and to ourselves as individuals – a practice that will result in a more peaceful, grounded and fulfilling existence. As mindful parents we are better equipped to cultivate an environment for healthy child development. Healthy development here refers to a child who grows into the body she was born with – regardless of genetic and environmental influences that may interfere with “perfect health” – with a strong sense of self, capability and identity. In order for a child to thrive in her present existence she must feel safe and capable. Enabling her to make choices that nurture her mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health is a great gift.
Parents come in many forms; birth parents, adopted parents, foster parents, siblings, grandparents, friends and so on. The emotional, financial, spiritual or physical climate at home will often dictate the level of stress and therefore the level of connection and awareness. In other words, the more stress in the environment the more patience and practice the mindful parent will need. The “health” of the home and the parent will usually determine how naturally this practice will come.
Parenthood is one of the most difficult jobs – as you know, it can wear your down and blur your vision – obscure your view of the happenings inside your body, mind, as well as the world around you. It is easy to get lost, and is therefore critical that you find ways to rebuild and conserve energy so that you can navigate through life with joy as you immerse yourself into parenthood.
My goal is to remind you of ways to celebrate in everyday life.
Simple things like a five-minute dance party with music that YOU love while getting ready for school or work, throwing on a fun hat or a bright color when you go out, telling your kids a silly joke as you say good bye, or taking a bath with your babes. My personal favorite way to celebrate with people I love is to sit at the table and eat together. At our house when we sit for dinner we tell “a thorn and a rose” which means to tell each other one bad thing and one good thing that happened in our day. Remember to find ways to honor and celebrate your hard work and your relationship with your children.
In my practice, some of the most burnt out and sick patients are parents. Typically these people are mothers – being the milkmaid and the ultimate hostess can, after all, take a toll. Increasingly, men are taking a beating as well; as more men are staying home with the kids and are sharing the responsibilities of homemaker they are realizing the magnitude of the job. Regardless, the sleeplessness, constant changing, feeding, inconsolable crying, body fluids, scheduling, staying out after curfew, puberty, sex, drugs…it can all seem overwhelming at times.
Many of us want to run away. Instead, try and celebrate. Pay attention, lean in, be clear and present – be unwavering. Children generally crave two things, love and boundaries. Take these overwhelming, crazy, confusing situations and turn them into opportunities to nurture yourself and satisfy their craving. Specifically, tell your children when a behavior is unacceptable and create a consequence, walk away and collect yourself for a moment, say no, ask for help, and so on. Parents are often too tired, afraid, consumed, or distracted to enforce a discipline and be consistent; as a result children get mixed messages. It is difficult for children to learn when the instructions are ambiguous and always changing. Try a little less multitasking, focus in on the situation, collect energy and decide how to handle the struggles.
For example, lets say your two year old asks for something sweet while grocery shopping, you say no, and they begin to throw a temper tantrum. What do you do? You still have more things on your list, your kid is trying to exert some power, and you don’t want to cave. Step one; offer an alternative, “How about some fruit or nothing?” They still get to choose but they do not get a sweet (because you already said no). If that doesn’t help and she is still crying, she needs to be told that her behavior is inappropriate and that she needs to turn it around or you are leaving. Put an end to the negotiation as quickly as possible — you are in charge. If you have to, leave.
By responding the same way every time she will learn that it is not okay to freak out when she doesn’t get her way. Eventually, the behavior will change. When you give in to her request to quiet her she will work that angle for months, or even years to come. Be unwavering and you will ultimately be more efficient and able to make more time for you — imagine that.
Learning to celebrate during the most difficult times is not only rewarding, it positively impacts your child’s development. Another way to celebrate is to embrace your struggles as they are. Try to avoid blaming the source, criticizing yourself or losing hope. Stay with what is right in front of you. Humans waste so much time and energy being angry and afraid during struggles.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t be emotional. I am saying that even when you are really struggling, if you pause, you can see the problem for what it is, recognize the emotional response, and then channel your energy toward solutions or maybe even just seeing how the problem unfolds. So often struggles are out of our control, so try to make room to let them simply pass. Celebrate your power by steering clear of the blame game and facing the fear. You may even find humor – especially during the little ridiculous times like traffic jams and mouthy road rage.
You can also celebrate by modeling humility. Your children see you navigate through life day in and day out and eventually, they see you struggle. It is then that our children learn about difficult times, emotionality, problem solving and coping mechanisms. Sometimes you freak out and other times you gracefully juggle the problems; regardless of your response, pay attention.
Where is the joy in those moments? I believe it is in the resolution and the acknowledgment; and in the bigger picture it is in the food you prepare, the bedtime stories, the interactions with each other, the color of your sweater, or the time you took for yourself for just five minutes to regroup, to breathe. These tiny offerings are little parties. They may not seem like much individually and may not even be noticed during a temper tantrum, a headache, danger or sickness. However, the reflection of the cumulative will be beautiful and is something to celebrate.
Our children begin absorbing information from the moment of conception. They are collecting data from every person the meet, food they taste, television shows they watch, Internet waves they surf and trees they climb. In the early stages of life — conception through young childhood (5-8 years) — most of their choices are made for them (such as food, water, shelter, adventure, media exposure, social influences, spirituality). As they grow older they begin to develop into what is sometimes referred to as the “memory stage.”
Children begin to form memories, morals, values and opinions – especially opinions of themselves. They begin to make choices and express themselves based on early experiences and choices as well as from his or her constitutional make up (their hard wired personalities).
What we caregivers hope for is that our children will learn, from those experiences, the qualities that Arlen Harder refers to as “the highest qualities of the human spirit — such as honesty, kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, courage, beauty and integrity.” The best we can do is demonstrate those “highest qualities.”
We can also do our best to provide a safe and loving physical, mental and emotional environment for a kid to be themselves — a place where they can feel safe expressing their feelings, making mistakes, taking risks, sharing ideas and expressing love. Because we cannot possibly control, or would want to control, every experience and exposure, we must teach them to be media savvy. We must sit with our children and discuss what they are watching, reading, and listening to, not so we can take it away or criticize it but so that we can have a provocative discussion. Again, we must strive to provide a safe place where our children can be themselves.
Now take a deep breath and redirect. I have an exercise: recognize that when we pay attention, I mean really pay attention; we are fully aware of our surroundings and present in the moment. Now lean into the experience, like on a cliff against a strong wind. Teetering on the edge with trust. At this point we are most courageous and connected to the experience, we have nothing to learn, only our own inner wisdom to draw on for guidance.
In this courageous and grounded place we are able to clearly and conscientiously care for ourselves, guide and care for our children, and contribute to our community, simply because we are clear. Free from distractions, fears, insecurity, burden AND responsibility. It is the place of truth, love and ability.
Now you have visualization, a meditation if you will, to guide you through your daily rigmarole. Take a deep breath and jump into the moment with your entirety.
Over the next several months, I will be presenting a series of articles that can be used as a leaping point for becoming a more mindful parent. These articles are not step-by-step, how to guides – you already have all that you need to be a mindful parent, so trust yourself.
Treat the ideas as a pallette that you can paint your own masterpiece from. Not only will you become more engaged with your child, you will be a model for your child that you can be truly proud of, and you will have a good time doing it (mostly). I firmly believe that our experiences guide our development. Let us grow.
The colors on the pallette are those of nutrition, communication, movement, intimacy, play and choice. The canvas is modeling. In other words, we caregivers are going to model our goals, morals and values, for ourselves and for our children. The colors mentioned above are a metaphor for the foundation of healthy growth and development.
Ideas for modeling:
Nutrition: my practice as a physician has been built heavily on my passion for nourishing and TASTY food. Primarily because I love to eat, I love gardens, I love knowing where food comes from and I LOVE food as medicine.
The number one thing I hear from patients is that they do not have time to eat well. I want to debunk that belief by saying, if something is important to you, then you make time. If it is merely a necessity, then you have to plan ahead and work it into your schedule, so that its just part of the routine. I feel that nutrition is BOTH important and necessary.
Simple things you can do to make nutrition mindful and manageable:
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store to ensure that you are eating whole food (and saving money).
• Shop with your children and let them eat in the store, start in the produce section. Teach them early and expect appropriate behavior. Treat it as a privilege. Enjoy the praise from other shoppers as your babes request tomatoes, string beans, and cucumbers.
• Build menus with your kids, let them choose and discuss their favorite foods. If all they mention is junky food, search for a recipe that offers a healthy version of that food. For example, homemade pizza is cheap, easy, delicious, and can be loaded with lovely ingredients. Pizza is also easily modified to meet the needs of a special diet. Try not to criticize their choice, simply model the joy and nourishment of that food.
• Continue to try new flavors, discuss cultures and ways of life associated with food. Try a new veggie, fruit, recipe or spice every week.
• Remember, set boundaries and encourage choice by making foods they like and offering something new and nutritious. One rule that we have at our table is “eat one bite of everything and all of one thing”.
• Eat as a family as often as possible. At least one meal a day!
Remember, you are the provider, not a short order cook, and your job is to offer healthy food. Like bamboo, be strong AND be flexible. There will always be days where you don’t have it together, go with that. Make breakfast for dinner, order in and have a picnic, let them cook with your help — your kids will love it! You can make excellent choices while still being flexible.
Communication – listen, express, reflect, absorb, engage, and think. Try to harness your reactions and acknowledge theirs. Discuss inappropriate responses regardless of who made them. Ask questions. Express love, gratitude and appreciation.
Play – be joyful, have fun, relax, let loose, be silly, imagine and create. Let you children guide you – THEY are the experts. Open your heart and remember what it means to play. Turn off the TV, video games, and computers and engage in age-appropriate play. It can be as simple as singing a song to your toddler and as involved as an official game night. Channel in to the age of your child.
Intimacy – self-esteem, love, courage, awareness, consideration and personal space. A healthy relationship with your body, your childrens’ bodies and intimacy is a core requirement for healthy sexual development. If you are insecure or anxious about the subject, begin to explore ways of freeing yourself from those fears. Whether you read books, seek out a counselor or a support group, become the expert — have your children learn about their bodies and sex from you, not their teachers or other grownups — they can be a second opinion. If you want your children to come to you with their problems you need to show them that you can actually speak to the subject knowledgeably, compassionately and with open ears.
Movement – daily breathing, stretching and sweating. A strong, healthy body will always set a great example!
Choice – responsibility, integrity, power. As parents, we need to be able to go with the flow, let go of some of the control, let the children guide us at times — especially with play, movement, intimacy and sometimes choice. In many situations it is their job to choose and our job to provide the choices.
Regardless of the behavior that we are modeling, we must remember that our kids are watching. Therefore, we must practice what we preach. A singing teacher once told me, “Don’t be afraid to sing to your children even if you can’t sing. If you want your kids to sing, you sing, if you want your kids to read, you read.” Her words have always stuck with me.
One of the hardest parts of modeling is when you do something that you are not proud of, like yelling, cursing, gossiping or judging. In my opinion, this is where it gets good — the thing I love about being a jerk is how I deal with it. It is what I say to my children, friends, husband and co-workers in response to myself that really matters – that is where the magic happens. Remember to be real and transparent.
Simply put, demonstrate to your kids that everyone makes mistakes. How you handle and learn from them is what’s important. Exemplify that it is okay to admit when you are wrong, be willing to laugh at your behavior and be willing to apologize. Demonstrate humility and self-love at every opportunity.
Mindful parenting is hard work, is ever changing, and incredibly rewarding.
The ultimate goal of mindful parenting is to have a more satisfying parenting experience, allowing for a strong sense of self and a well-developed child. Many parents are working very hard to do right by their children and as a result, the parents suffer, which can actually be harmful to the children in the long run. Always strive for a healthy balance of self-care and child-care.
With this in mind and in practice, parents are better equipped to join the community with their children and make a difference in the world.
Image courtesy Greg Livaudais
Tags: Children, Dr. Rose Paisley, kids, mindful parenting, natural health, Nutrition, parenting
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Rose Paisley | 3 Comments »
Sex, Lies & Motherhood: Tips for a Healthy Libido and Better Birth Control
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
By Dr. Rose Paisley, ND
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Face the facts, once the kids come along the amount of time, energy, and desire to get back in the sack with your partner is non-existent for many. Common causes of low libido include fatigue, pain, hormone changes, stress, and the family bed. Come join Dr. Rose in a discussion about ways to bring your body back into balance and restore your sexual vibrancy (or maybe even find for the first time). A quick Q&A about birth control will also be appropriate, don’t ya think?
Having low sexual desire is the most common sexual issue among women, reported by 10-51% of women surveyed. One large survey reported that 43% of women experience some type of sexual dysfunction. It is key to determine weather you struggle with arousal or orgasm.
Intercourse frequency – highly misrepresented in the media – may be high among 18-29 year olds, averaging 10-12 times per month in one study. But frequency drops among coupled women to 4-7 times per month in the 40-50 year old age range, and less than twice a month in over 70 couples. So what’s normal? If you or your partner feel that there is room for more intercourse/intimacy, then you should take time to discuss it.
What causes low libido?
- Hormones – often a combination of hormonal shifts as opposed to one simple culprit.
- Decreased estrogen – during lactation and menopause – vaginal dryness, pain, less vitality
- Decreased progesterone – secondary to stress and estrogen dominance -low libido water retention, fibrocystic breasts, depression, wrinkling skin, vaginal dryness, irregular and sometimes heavy periods.
- Elevated cortisol during chronic stress – drop in estrogen and progesterone
- Elevated prolactin – lactation – libido increases around ovulation which is suppressed for at least 4 monoths with full-time breast feeding
- Underactive thyroid – lowers sex drive, elevates cortisol, many other symptoms
- Decreased testosterone – possible connection between low male hormone levels and sex drive. However, large population studies have failed to demonstrate clear correlation between male or female hormone levels and sex drive. This may relate to the insensitivity of tests to measure the levels. Some women who receive testosterone and/or DHEA (testosterone precursors) have reported improvement clinically.
- Hysterectomy – supposed no change on libido if ovaries remain – clinically, 50% of women reported lower sex drive. Maybe due to loss of uterine contractions with arousal, nerve damage and the trauma of surgery mentally and physically
- Anemia – common side effect of heavy periods and fibroids – decrease overall energy and stamina.
- Weight – BMI that is too high or too low all impair normal physiologic function.
- Pain – Vaginal dryness, birth trauma, scarring, muscle spasms, energetic, or mental/emotional.
- Fatigue – general fatigue cased by lack of sleep, work, homemaker – all can lead to lack of desire. For women in established relationships, the desire for emotional closeness trumps raw sexual desire. While the majority of women are capable of arousal, 40% of women in one large study reported little or no desire to initiate sexual activity.
- Psychological – lack of desire due to giving all the time, depression, anxiety, past trauma – consider a need to be seduced. Also, body image especially secondary to media images, partners looking to porn, trauma, and weight can all impair your desire to initiate and receive intimacy. Your partner’s response, patience, and approach are essential.
- Medications –anti depressants, anxielitics, sleep aids, bp, diabetes
- Abuse – drugs, alcohol, history of physical abuse
Where to begin?
Seek medical care to ensure there are no medical conditions that are contributing to the problem. When seeking treatment, consider a variety of opinions, including alternative practitioners, to increase a holistic approach. Consider the natural remedies below. Explore alternative testing such as salivary studies of adrenal function and women’s hormonal levels, nutritional profile and amino acid studies (especially with mental emotional imbalances).
Treatments
Natural remedies work not by instilling desire, but by balancing hormones, increasing circulation and nourishing the nervous system. To increase sex drive, you essentially have to enhance your overall well being, thus facilitating the natural urge for physical and emotional intimacy.
Herbal Remedies
- Damiana – leaves have been used as an aphrodisiac and to boost sexual potency by the native peoples of Mexico, including the Mayan Indians and is used for both male and female sexual stimulation, increased energy, asthma, depression, impotence and menstrual problems.
- Maca- this root has favorable effects on energy and mood, may decrease anxiety and improve sexual desire. Maca has also been shown to improve sperm production, sperm motility, and semen volume. Maca is consider a great adaptogen.
- Rhodiola- is a remarkable herb that has a wide and varied history of uses. It is thought to strengthen the nervous system, fight depression, enhance immunity, elevate the capacity for exercise, enhance memory, aid weight reduction, increase sexual function and improve energy levels. It has long been known as a potent adaptogen.
- Muria Puama – Used to improve psychological and physical aspects of libido and sexual function, menstrual cramps and PMS, neurasthenia, to tonify the nervous system and for treating cases of mild exhaustion. Helps with gastrointestinal and reproductive disorders, stress and trauma. Called the “Viagra of the Amazon.”
- Ginseng- An adaptogen, which means it increases resistance to physical, chemical, and biological stress and builds energy and general vitality
- Oat Straw – Known as avena sativa, has been shown to have many health benefits, including libido enhancement, detoxification and energy boosting, among others.
Use liquid extracts or make a tea of the listed herbs, which are available in most health food stores:
Tincture: Combine 20 drops of each extract in one-quarter cup of warm water or juice. Take 3x/day for 4 weeks. Discontinue if there is no result. Consult with your doctor if you are on medications or have chronic illness.
Tea: mix 1 tbl of combined dried herbs to boiling water. Turn off heat and steep covered for 10 min. Drink 4 cups/day X 4 weeks. Discontinue if no change.
Nutritional – a balanced diet improves weight, muscle mass, energy, hormone balance, and mood. High quality whole foods diet including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein, and fats daily. Servings vary depending on body type, desires, weight, health status, however, some general rules apply; eat protein with every meal including veggie proteins, aim for 30- 60g/day to stabilize blood sugar and maintain energy. Eat high quality fats to nourish brain and tissues and balance hormones, essential fatty acids – avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, canola (cook at appropriate temperatures). Vegetables – 5-9 servings/day – dark leafy greens, bright red, yellow and orange veggies are the richest sources of nutrients per serving. Whole grains including brown rice (black, wild,), whole oats, quinoa, whole wheat, buck wheat, bulgur and amaranth are rich in nutrients, protein, and have a lower glycemic index which would other wise be removed in a processed form (bread, pasta, instant).
Romantic foods:
Pomegranate: Mix 1 fennel bunch, thinly sliced stalks and bulb, 1 orange, sliced into wedges (skin removed), 1 whole pomegranate (skin removed), 20 pine nuts, 15 mint leaves in a medium-size salad bowl, combine cut-up fennel and orange slices.
Strawberries: Fresh strawberries and grapes eaten off the stem are cliché but very romantic especially with wine and chocolate.
Exercise – having a healthy BMI and well-developed muscle tone improves overall health. Better self-image, increased stamina and energy, mood support – a recent study found 75% improvement in depression and anxiety with exercise compared to 50% with meds.
Other Treatments
Daily movement – even 20/day min can turn your mood around, increase energy, reduced chances for heart disease, cancer and diabetes significantly.
Physical Therapy – restore vaginal health with kegals, trigger point therapy, acupressure, massage to reduce scarring and improve tone.
Mental/emotional – Essential for behavioral modification and identification of underlying causes.
Therapy – couple counseling, intimacy specific. Therapy works – in one landmark trial combining behavioral and sex therapy, 74% of women had improved sexual and marital satisfaction for over a year after treatments ended.
Yoga –improves stamina, flexibility, and core and pelvic muscle strength, which have obvious physical benefits during lovemaking. Enhance your connection to the muladhara (root) chakra at the perineum and the base of the spine. Also build a connection to the svadisthana chakra of the hips, sacrum, and genitals. Awareness of both areas can make you more receptive and help stimulate your libido in the present moment. When you are fully present in the act of making love and not thinking about other things or focusing on the orgasm, you will feel more connected to your partner which will enhance the emotional connect, which women often crave.
Yoga Practice: Sit up straight on the floor. Breathe deeply. Using your hands, hold the soles of your feet together, and pull heels to within 12 cm of your body. Gently bounce knees up and down, 2-4 cm, for two or three minutes. Hold perineum into our body (lifting as if stopping the flow of urine). This bonda or hold brings tone, awareness and blood flow to the pelvic floor.
Quality alone time with partner – Probably the most important thing you can do for your libido is create quality time. Regardless of the cause, if you are having less alone time with your partner you can forget how much you enjoy each other AND forget how to be intimate with each other. Long breaks in intimacy can create partners to feel embarrassed and insecure. Further, long periods of alone time create resentment. When you create special dates and time to be close it helps partners to be more patient with the your process. Find ways to be intimate even when your libido is low, it will make it that much easier to rediscover your sexuality once the issue is addressed.
Lubes and toys – often women need a little help, whether it’s for vaginal dryness or foreplay. If you are running out of ideas or your relationship lacks zest, tools can be invaluable. Ideally you get there with a few laughs.
Reading Resources
Balch, Phyllis, 3rd Edition, Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Chase, Kristen, 2010 The Mominatrix’s Guide to Sex: A No-Surrender Advice Book for Naughty Moms
Goldstein, Andrew and Brandon, Marianne, 2009 Reclaiming Desire: 4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido
Hoffmann, David, 1996 The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies
Jeon, Arthur, 2005 Sex, Love and Dharma: Finding Love Without Losing Your Way
Page, Linda, 2004 Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone
Raykeil, Heidi, 2005 Confessions of a Naughty Mommy, How I Found My Lost Libido
Zeer, Darrin, 2006 Lovers’ Massage: Soothing Touch For Two
http://www.sheboptheshop.com/
http://www.goodvibes.com/main.jhtml
Image courtesy Miss Turner
Tags: Dr. Rose Paisley, family, libido, parenting, sex
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Rose Paisley | 3 Comments »
Keeping the Heart Healthy
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
________________________________
by Leslie Fuller, ND –
Nature Cures Clinic physician –
The hearts of our Valentines are not the only ones that we celebrate in the month of February. Since 1963, Congress has officially required the President to declare February as American Heart Month as a way to urge Americans to join the battle against cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are our nation’s No. 1 killer. For those reasons, it’s important to know what ‘heart health’ means and how you can accomplish it.
Gaining a basic understanding of cardiovascular physiology is important in order to know how to improve that physiology. Allow me geek out for a few moments here on the physics of what the heart does for us.
For starters, the heart is a pump that is responsible for supply our entire body with blood flow to provide our cells with oxygen and nutrients, and to help eventually rid the body of some toxins. Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer meet the metabolic demands of the body.
The heart working as a pump pushes our blood through a series of large and small tubes (arteries, capillaries and veins) that have a limited volume capacity. If our ‘tubes’ get too gummed up (with plaques derived from cholesterol) and become smaller in diameter, or if our blood volume has a dramatic increase, our heart will have to work much harder to pump the required blood through, straining the system. This is what we refer to as blood pressure, and when the blood volume is too high, or the arteries have become too narrow, hypertension ensues.
The heart also has an intricate conduction system that allows it to beat in a succinct, rhythmical fashion. Our heart rate is supposed to increase as we exercise and move around throughout our daily activities, but at rest, our heart rate should remain even and slow. Arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, occur when the heart’s usually quiet electrical system misfires or becomes overactive, often due to damage of the cells that support the conduction system. Last, but not least, our heart cells require oxygen to survive. When these cells become starved of oxygen, from too little or restricted blood flow, it is possible to experience chest pain, commonly called angina.
So… now that we know all about what our hearts are responsible for, how do we keep them healthy? We can take many lifestyle-based steps to decrease the workload required of our cardiovascular systems. Keeping blood pressure in check is a good place to start. A key tactic in accomplishing this is decreasing the amount of stress in our lives, as the hormones and neurotransmitters released during times of stress are responsible for constriction of our blood vessels, which in turn causes elevated blood pressure.
While the stresses of our daily lives can often not be eliminated, how we cope with stress can be improved upon. This includes taking time daily to relax, breathe, and let our bodies switch from the “go go go!” mode, to one that is more calm. And any amount of time will be beneficial: from laying down and breathing deep for a few minutes to hours of meditation. There are several specific nutritional, herbal and even pharmaceutical options that can be explored if blood pressure is a concern. Keeping our blood pressure at a normal level decreases the wear and tear on our vascular systems and our hearts, allowing for flawless function well into our later years.
There are several dietary changes that can be made to improve heart health. By now, most people are aware that saturated fats and processed foods should generally be avoided. Those foods can lead to a negative increase in cholesterol levels as well as help generate plaques along artery walls that further promotes hypertension and increases the risk of adverse events, such as a stroke. And most people also know that sugar, along with simple carbohydrates and starches, should be avoided.
What may not be as familiar to you, however, are the foods that we can add to our diet to improve heart function.
Foods rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium are all important for proper function of our heart cells and their conduction systems. Coincidentally, these foods also offer plentiful vitamins and minerals. Now, where can you get these power-packed nutritional foods? Your own garden! That’s right: fruits and vegetables have high amounts of the major minerals we need for heart health, as well as smaller nutrients that help our entire cardiovascular system, such as bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, are also high in soluble and insoluble fiber —- both of which help balance cholesterol levels and overall bowel health.
It is also important to remember that your heart is a muscle and it, like all other muscles in our body, needs regular exercise to maintain healthy. Fortunately for us, some of the main ways to exercise out bodies also give our hearts a sufficient workout. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging or biking gives your heart the best workout. Weight loss, achieved through diet and exercise, also increases our overall heart health by putting less work on the heart.
If you are unsure where to start with these heart health changes, come in and see us at Nature Cures Clinic. Navigating the world of health and fitness can be tricky and overwhelming… let us help you find your way!
Photo courtesy Debs
Tags: cardiova, dr leslie fuller, dr. fuller, heart health, valentine's day
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Fuller, General, Holistic | Comments Off
Understanding Pain Management Alternatives
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
by Greg Eckel, ND, LAc
This article first appeared in the Winter 2011 edition of Trial Lawyer magazine, the quarterly journal of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association.
Motivating patients in chronic pain poses a challenging dilemma for most physicians. Pain has become the fifth vital sign and in the day and age of pain management, it is expected that doctors will relieve suffering. It is hard to witness someone’s suffering. If we can relieve it with medication, we feel it imperative to do so.
But perhaps we are looking at chronic pain and incurable conditions all wrong. I’d like to propose another way of looking at suffering and perhaps a way of motivating patients to live their lives to the fullest under any condition. I also suggest we exhaust all options before we relegate patients to managing and coping with their pain.
Sally came to my office accepting the pain from her fibromyalgia and arthritis, that her doctors told her she’d have to cope with the rest of her life. Every change in the weather brought on joint pain, which would be so severe it would wake her up at night. She used a walker for stability and security. She took three doses of 800 mg ofTylenol every day. She was on trazodone for sleep every night.
She told me, “I can’t stop taking this or else the pain will wake me up.” She had a prescription for oxycodone daily as well. And she took prilosec to counteract the inflammation in her gut from all of the pain medications.
I see patients like this every day.They have accepted the pain and dis-ease of their lives. No one has given them a chance for things to be any different.
Changing the mindset about pain management
First, let’s change our mindset for dealing with chronic pain sufferers. Bernie Siegel, M.D., speaks to this directly when he says, “We must realize the pain most people suffer, and redefine our goals. What is healing? Is it a liver transplant or cure of an illness, or is it getting people to have peace of mind and live life to its fullest? One of the most important factors is a patient’s confidence in having the doctor’s undivided attention.”(Siegel, B.S., Love, Medicine and Miracles, New York, NY, Harper and Row Publishers, Inc., 1986)
Naturopathic doctors and acupuncturists tend to spend more time with their patients, listening and witnessing their suffering. Now I know what you are thinking — this is all well and good, but the patient is in extreme pain. I am not suggesting not treating the pain, but this piece of witnessing — being with the person — has been sapped out of current medicine. Many doctors resist such intimacy out of fear of transference.
But as Patch Adams, M.D. writes, “Without intimacy how can healers offset the pain and suffering they are so helpless to cure? Physicians need freedom to cry with patients, to hug them and cradle them in their arms, and to receive the same care in return. Human communication without this exchange of love is phony. It is painful to be a fake.” (Adams, P.,
Gesundheit!, Rochester,VT, Healing Arts Press, 1993)
I think Sally came to my office because she heard me speak at her office and I spoke directly to this point. We are bringing back the doctor patient relationship as a healing modality all of itself. All too often I hear patients complaining they weren’t heard or worse yet, they were told this is as good as they are going to get and they will have to accept their
pain.
Kate, a brain injury patient, was just one of those patients. She came to my clinic on anti-depressants, pain medications and searching for another opinion. She was in counseling with her long-term partner after her accident. Her physicians had told her they had done all they could for her. She was left depressed, on oxycontin, medicated and frustrated that after almost two years of therapy she hadn’t really progressed.
Another way of looking at suffering and meaning is presented by Viktor Frankl. He founded the logotherapy school of psychoanalysis. Logotherapy is based on the belief that it is the striving to find a meaning in one’s life that is the primary, most powerful motivating and driving force in humans.This framework is very helpful when dealing with patients in chronic and debilitating pain.
A short introduction to logotherapy is given in Frankl’s most famous book, Man’s Search for Meaning, in which he outlines how his theories helped him to survive his Holocaust experience and how that experience further developed and reinforced his theories. He concludes there are three ways one can discover a meaning to life:
• By creating a work or doing a deed.
• By experiencing something or encountering someone.
• By the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.
We are exploring the third potential here, facing a fate that cannot be changed.
Frankl says, “For what matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one’s predicament into a human achievement.” When we are faced with an incurable condition, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Edith Weisskoph-Joelson, a logotherapy practitioner, says, “Our current mental-hygiene philosophy stresses the idea that people ought to be happy, that unhappiness is a symptom of maladjustment. Such a value system might be responsible for the fact that the burden of unavoidable unhappiness is increased by unhappiness about being unhappy.” She goes on to conclude that logotherapy “may help counteract certain unhealthy trends in the present day culture of the United States, where the incurable sufferer is given very little opportunity to be proud of his suffering and to con- sider it ennobling rather than degrading,” so that “he is not only unhappy, but also ashamed of being unhappy.”
More treatment options
So let’s return to our original question: how to motivate patients in chronic pain? First we look to reframe the process, and then we explore whether the condition is really incurable or recalcitrant to treatment. The current western medicine approach is to prescribe heavier and heavier narcotics for the person in chronic pain, and to prescribe pain management classes on how they are to cope with their current situation. These medications often times are highly addictive, which poses its own set of issues.
As a result, patients oftentimes lose hope of improving and are left to suffer. Unfortunately, many physicians and patients themselves don’t realize they have options that have never been explored. We see a lot of chronic pain sufferers improve with our treatments. Often, the options are not known or there is a bias against more natural treatment options.
I often hear physicians telling their patients that there is not enough research to support even trying the options. While I agree there could be more research on all therapies done today (this includes many allopathic treatments as well, as only 12% of western therapies have adequate research), it is still worth trying them, as they MAY be beneficial.
Sally, with her debilitating arthritis, had accepted her path of suffering. Fortunately I had the opportunity to speak with her. I offered to treat her for four visits to see how she would respond to acupuncture. Through a four-day report of findings, I see how someone responds to treatment. In Sally’s case, she got great relief from her pain, more mobility in her joints and better quality sleep. She responded well to acupuncture.
From there we set up a treatment plan in which we used Chinese herbs and enzyme therapy to reduce inflammation naturally and break up fibrinogen adhesions. We also treated her as a whole person, not just a chronic pain patient or someone with fibromyalgia.
Sally is a success story. Two years later she is still pain free, only needing occasional tune-ups.
What’s best for the patient
A lot of times patients think they can’t talk with their medical doctor about their naturopathic doctors. They feel they are “cheating” on the medical doctor. When I hear this, I tell them that my goal is patient-centered care, and their MD’s goal should be the same. Patient-centered care is the best care on the planet, since it involves all health care models working for the patient to get the person the best outcome possible.
I have seen patients with chronic knee pain for 14 years finally try acupuncture, and with a short course, all of their pain was resolved. I have seen patients who suffered needlessly after motor vehicle accidents because all they were given were pain medications and muscle relaxants after their accident.
Twenty years later they come to our office saying, “You know, I’ve never been well since that car accident.” All too often this is the result of under-treatment, and masking of symptoms, without addressing the underlying dysfunction.
I recently saw Kate after about a year of her intensive treatment at the clinic. She remembered how she was when she arrived at our clinic and thanked me for the work we do. She was able to get off all of the drugs she was on. Her pain resolved. She exhibited none of the anxiety or other effects from the brain trauma she had when she first arrived. Her previous team of physicians had all but left her, but she had more healing to do.
Will we be able to help everyone? Of course not. I am a realist and don’t give false hope, but by not trying we are not helping anyone. I always say to patients that we MIGHT be able to help relieve their suffering, and that everyone responds differently to treatment. Everyone arrives at our office with their own genetic background, their own story of trauma.We treat individuals, not pathology.
What we offer with our style of treatment are providers who will not give up on their patients. I have a patient, Amy, for whom we haven’t been able to reach the big breakthrough. We have done several rounds of acupuncture, different pain reducing IV therapies, diet therapy, supplements, medications, manipulations, neurological relief technique and cranio-sacral therapy, to name just a few. She has been struggling from a low impact motor vehicle accident.
The IME called her a liar. She has been in and out of depression. We have been working on reframing her experience with her. Allowing her to have the pain, but also knowing that she can choose what she does with her situation.
For my western medicine counterparts, one of the frustrating things about
naturopaths is that we don’t have set protocols for conditions. I could have ten chronic pain patients in my office and could develop 12 different treatment plans to help resolve their issues.
Multiple treatment plans
The treatments I use include acupuncture, physical medicine such as manipulation and massage, and physiotherapy (use of interferential and ultrasound). Another options is therapeutic injections, which is discussed in more detail later in this article.
The hierarchies of treatments start with the least invasive. We begin with diet therapy (anti-inflammatory in nature), then move on to acupuncture and Chinese herbs, manipulation and massage (to work on nerve communication and regulation of the body, as well as lymphatic/blood flow), nutraceuticals such as turmeric (natural anti-inflammatory), enzymes to change the terrain and fibrous adhesions of inflammation, and essential fatty acids (such as omega-3’s).
All these treatments work on changing the inflammatory cascade. For pain treatment, we begin by working on the diet. That is where the nutrients that flow in the blood come from. If someone is missing the building blocks for their body to heal — whether it’s protein, complex carbohydrates, or essential fatty acids — it doesn’t matter what therapy we use for the individual, they won’t get better. For the first few years of my practice I didn’t address my patients’ diets. Because of that, my patients and I didn’t get the results we are getting today.
Nutrition is crucial to the body’s ability to heal itself. I have seen patients with chronic back pain, whom we adjusted week in and week out with pain returning. When we finally started to work on diet, they were holding their adjustments much longer to the point of total rehabilitation — without any back pain at all.
When addressing diet, I often hear “it’s too hard,” or “I don’t want my diet addressed.” I clearly remember when one of the first patients I saw, Jocelyn, told me she would not give up peanut butter, because it was her favorite food. She also had chronic headaches and back pain.
We did an elimination diet and her symptoms improved, actually went away. She had struggled with these symptoms for 20 years. She was at a party and there was a tray of peanut butter cookies. Of course she had one (well maybe two). When she next came to the clinic she announced she would not be eating peanut butter anymore because the symptoms she experienced were just not worth it!
Results equal motivation
Everyone has choices. I find that when patients remove their obstacles to health and begin to see results, they are very motivated to make changes. Our goal is not to have everyone eat like a monk in Sichuan province. We want to make sustainable and very doable treatment plans. Small steps are all it takes to rule diet out as the root of disease in the patient. Food is ultimately our best medicine.
For pain, Chinese medicine is another front line therapy. The therapies have been well researched, and it is easy to see if it’s beneficial for someone in pain — either they feel different with treatment or they don’t.
Acupuncture works on blood flow. The healing properties of the body travel in the blood. Oxygen, vitamins and nutrients flow into the cell as waste products, and carbon dioxide flows out. Acupuncture works by increasing or decreasing the blood flow to certain areas of body.
When the first steps in pain treatment don’t get results, we move onto trigger point injection therapy and prolotherapy. Trigger point injection therapy works by releasing chronically spasmed muscles.
Janet Travell described the process in her monumental book, The Trigger Point Manual, which she wrote in 1983. Trigger point injections work by getting the muscle spasm to release and relax, taking the spasm off the nerve and thus relieving the pain.
Prolotherapy treatment is useful for many different types of musculoskeletal pain, including arthritis, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, unresolved whiplash injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic tendonitis, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs, TMJ and sciatica. Prolotherapy uses a dextrose (sugar water) solution, which is injected into the ligament or tendon where it attaches to the bone. This causes a localized inflammation in the weak areas, which then increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients, and stimulates the tissue to repair itself.
Working together for results
In my experience, the natural approach coupled with traditional pain management tends to give the best results for patients. While not always resolving the issue, this patient-centered care can help provide a practitioner who will look for and exhaust all options. Naturopathic doctors and Chinese medicine practitioners are caregivers who listen to the patient and use techniques and counseling that can help motivate the patient.
Images courtesy Martin Kingsley, Ramberg Media Images, Thunderchild
Tags: Acupuncture, Dr. Greg Eckel, logotherapy, Naturopathic medicine, pain management, prolotherapy, western medicine
Posted in Acupuncture, Articles by our Doctors, Chinese medicine, Dr. Greg Eckel, Naturopathic medicine, Nutrition | 3 Comments »
Making Changes
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
by Anne Carruth, LAc, Dipl OM
I used to work at a gym. Checking people in, passing out towels, making small talk. January at the gym was fascinating. Membership instantly quadrupled, as folks catapulted themselves into their New Year’s fitness resolutions. Endless lines formed for the cardio machines. Yogis wrestled for mat space in surprisingly unZen-like fashion. Fat burners and protein powder flew off the shelves and personal trainers packed their schedules.
But by mid February, the “resolutionaries” quietly dissipated. Part of me was relieved to see the crowds thin, but a bigger part was sad, knowing that most of those who had stopped coming had given up the ghost. I don’t think they quit for lack of want, but rather support. When real life began to overshadow their fragile new routines, they didn’t have the backing to encourage them along, offer guidance and ease the discomfort that often accompanies change.
As an acupuncturist, I have the privilege of helping others make changes, both big and small, to improve their wellbeing. Take the standard goal of dropping a few pounds. Most people wanting to lose weight are battling food cravings and low energy. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs work wonders for improving digestion and reducing stress — two key players when battling cravings. And that sluggish, foggy-headed, heavy-limbed feeling that’s been interfering with your hopes of working out? That’s a perfect example of “qi stagnation.”
Our “qi”, or “chi”, is the vital energy flowing through our body. It makes our heart beat and our synapses fire. When our qi gets bogged down and begins to stagnate, we feel it everywhere. We lose our pep, that spring in our step and gleam in our eye. Digestion becomes less efficient, focus and clarity wanes, and we find ourselves sinking into the couch with a bowl of ice cream, instead of hitting the gym.
Acupuncture assists our qi in flowing smoothly again. Prodding it along, until eventually it resumes a balanced, healthy pace, and that foggy feeling begins to lift.
A cleanse is another killer means of boosting your energy, metabolism and spirits. What better way to kick off the New Year, than by detoxing all of the crud you accumulated in 2010. While a cleanse may be intimidating to do on your own, consider having a support team to guide you through the process. With your help, we’ll formulate a plan to ensure that the process suites your lifestyle. We’ll work to minimize detox side effects, such as hunger and low energy, and enhance your body’s cleansing abilities. As a practitioner, few things are more exciting than watching a patient on a cleanse. The effects are visible. Bloating melts away, the skin begins to glow, energy peaks, your eyes dramatically brighten. With a little planning, acupuncture, nutritional support, and cheerleading, you’ll be popping out of bed with newfound energy, and bypassing the coffee and pastries without a second thought.
Long story short, enlisting a support team is the most effective way to ensure that your goals are attained. Share your plans with others, so that you’ll be held accountable for your actions. Plan ahead. When you foresee irritability, withdrawal headaches or sleeplessness in your future, get some acupuncture treatments on the books. If you find yourself in a boring salad rut, meet with our nutritional therapist to come up with alternatives, or join a cleanse group and see what others are eating. When your legs get achy from covering those miles, get a massage.
All in all, there are plenty of ways to spoil yourself and maintain momentum as you make a change for the better. So whether you made an official New Year’s resolution or not, take this time to focus on your wellbeing, realize your body’s potential, and know that you’re not in it alone.
The Nature Cures Clinic Group Cleanse and Elimination Diet is a great place to start getting support and encouragement to make nutritional changes. Check out what other patients have to say about the experience here.
image courtesy lululemon athletica
Tags: addictions, Diet, Exercise, habits, resolutions
Posted in Anne Carruth, Articles by our Doctors, General | Comments Off
Avoiding the Holiday Binge
Saturday, December 18th, 2010
___________________________________
by Maria Zilka
Nature Cures Clinic nutritional therapist
Years ago there was a popular commercial on television selling a well-known fizzy tablet designed to aid an over-acid stomach condition. Often there was portrayed an over-weight, middle-aged man in a tee shirt, scruffy faced and disheveled, lamenting over his exploit of over-eating. “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” was his sighing cry while his unsympathetic wife answered in a monotone “Believe it Harry.” It got a lot of laughs and was very effective advertising most likely because it was so relatable!
Over eating is a problem – and not always for the most obvious reason which is too many calories. The physiological effect on the body when we over eat is something to take heed of. Our digestive system is designed to process food into absorbable sized molecules so that the body can use these nutrients for energy, healing, restoration and balance. When we over eat we place such an enormous burden on this system that often many foods pass under processed from the stomach into the small intestine where all kinds of bad can happen!
Think of the small intestine as similar to that children’s toy that has several differently shaped pieces that must be matched up to the cut outs in a lid over a bucket. The child has to fit the shape to the cut out in order to solve the puzzle and fill the bucket. In a similar way – our food particles must be broken down to the right particle size in order to pass through the hair-like tubes that line the small intestine. Food particles of the right size will then be absorbed and utilized by the body. Food particles of the wrong size will stay in the intestine – fermenting and putrefying – causing bloating, gas and discomfort.
If this condition becomes chronic further dysfunction can occur including “leaky gut syndrome” where selectivity on what passes through is lost and the lining becomes “leaky.” This allows inappropriately sized proteins and fats to pass through which then overwhelm the immune system – which leads to more problems including allergies, impaired immune function and other imbalances.
There are a number of other physiological reasons for not over-eating including triggering over production of insulin, burdening the stomach (especially if your stomach acid is low – which is the more common condition with a high carb, western diet), and over eating non-enzymatic, processed foods. Any and all of these are causes for digestive upset and poor absorption of nutrients – leaving us over fed and under nourished!
To avoid this holiday eating pitfall and keep a very merry gut – here are some tips to keep in mind while sitting down to the dinner table (or lingering about the buffet table).
Relax, breathe and take it easy. Digestion happens in the parasympathetic state. There’s a reason we’d say “grace” before eating – it gave us time to get our bodies ready for food and our brains calmed down enough to allow digestion to take place.
Portion control. You really don’t have to “eat the whole thing.” Using smaller plates helps with this – no more super-sized dishware!
Chew slowly and completely. You should try to chew each bit at least 20 times. Try it – it’s not so easy and you’ll realize how little you actually chew if you start counting! It’s a great awareness exercise.
Make sure you have enough stomach acid. If you’re burping and uncomfortable after eating it may be that you are not producing sufficient stomach acid. If this is a common condition for you then it is important to address this with your health practitioner.
If you feel that your digestion is not quite right – or you are experiencing any issues with some of the condition listed above – we invite you to come into the clinic to discuss the proper protocol to help you regain your digestive balance.
Call us for a free consult or come on in and talk with your doctor – a happy gut is the key to wellness!
Image courtesy Pink Sherbet Photography
Tags: digestion, eating, holidays
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Diet, Food, General, Maria Zilka | 1 Comment »
Vitamin D Debacle
Monday, December 6th, 2010
________________________________________________
by Dr. Leslie Fuller
Nature Cures Clinic physician
We have heard a lot of questions this week concerning the recently released Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) ‘new and improved’ recommendations for Vitamin D and Calcium intake. While the Institute’s recommendations about Calcium seem to be agreed upon by most, the recommendations released for Vitamin D have caused quite a stir in groups of health care providers across the country. 
To begin with, let’s review what Vitamin D does for us. Whether through dietary intake or good old sunshine, once active Vitamin D has gotten into our systems, it plays a very valuable role. Our immune system is greatly influenced by D, to the tune of increased and enhanced immune cell function. Vitamin D also assists with the very intricate regulation of calcium in the body— so without it, calcium cannot be absorbed nor integrated into our bones, therefore decreasing the integrity of our skeletal system (which, as it turns out, is actually pretty important to us). The uncontrolled dividing of cells (a.k.a. rapid proliferation) and lack of cellular differentiation, which leads to the formation of cancers in the body, can be halted by the active form of Vitamin D. It also plays a role in blood pressure regulation and insulin secretion as well as a host of other functions. (To find out more, read a little here)
The actual IOM report is quite a tome, at a total of 990 pages long. (If you have a free weekend, take a gander for yourself.) To be honest, I did NOT comb through all 100 of the research articles that the IOM used to make its recommendations. But here are the basic recommendations:
Raise the suggested daily intake from 400 to 600 IUs of Vitamin D. The other half of the research is focused on the suggested Calcium supplement intakes (Not taking into account food-based Calcium, how you prepare that food and what types of foods…). At the end of it all, the researchers are saying that the recommended intake is 600 IUs (800 in the elderly, 400 in wee ones), but the upper tolerable limit, where “the risk of harm increases,” is 4,000 IU per day. I feel that the intake recommendations are overly conservative, and quite limiting in light of the potential benefits that Vitamin D can offer.
The IOM is also recommending that threshold for Vitamin D testing be at the 20 ng/ml level. We generally like to see the levels around 80 ng/mls, but most people in the Northwest clock in around 20-30 on an initial screen. Many of the studies quoted and used to formulate the new recommendations are based in toxicity studies. It looks like the toxicity studies that they used for adults all included doses of Vit D of 100,000 to 150,000 IUs of Vitamin D a day for anywhere from 3-4 weeks to several years years… increasing the blood levels up anywhere from 150 to the 1000’s. This is way too high! Other studies used are based off of cases of accidental over-fortification, which is very different than the supplemental Vitamin D that our patients have come to know and love. Overall, not the most convincing body of evidence to base new lab levels on.
The best rebuttal to the statements made in the research came from the Vitamin D Council. It is fairly humorous and mildly thick with disgust for claimed data mis-interpretation and deletion that is in the IOM statement. Here are the salient response jabs:
–”After 13 year of silence, the quasi governmental agency, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), today recommended that a three-pound premature infant take virtually the same amount of Vitamin D as a 300 pound pregnant woman.”
–“As a single, 30 minute dose of summer sunshine gives adults more than 10,000 IU (250 micrograms), the FNB is apparently also warning that natural Vitamin D input — as occurred from the sun before the widespread use of sunscreen — is dangerous. That is, the FNB is implying that God does not know what she is doing.”
–“Today, the FNB has failed millions of pregnant women whose as yet unborn babies will pay the price. Let us hope the FNB will comply with the spirit of “transparency” by quickly responding to our Freedom of Information requests.”
Another great article on the topic came from the Huffington Post , from Dr. David Katz, whose work I generally enjoy and whose articles seem to have a natural-based-bent to them.
His summary is as follows:
“Calcium and vitamin D are important nutrients. As with all nutrients, enough is good — too little or too much is bad. The IOM invokes the precautionary principle to offer recommendations that are reasonable, and willfully conservative. But a relative absence of evidence means that guidance is as much about judgment as science.”
I think at the end of it all, what I am falling back on is that checking patients’ blood levels, like any therapy we initiate, is key. Yes, 5,000 to 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D for YEARS and YEARS might be too much (again, not enough data to support or negate). But keeping people on 1000 to 4000 daily as a maintenance dose (and, of course, using higher doses when clinically needed) while keeping blood levels in check, is JUST FINE.
Especially in Portland, where our 2 months of partial sun in 2010 has us all a little cranky and seasonally affected.
Getting your Vitamin D levels checked should be part of every person’s winter health regimen. If you haven’t been tested this year, call the clinic today at (503) 287-4970, or email info@naturecuresclinic.com for an appointment.
Image courtesy: SeanMcGrath
Tags: dr leslie fuller, research, sunshine, vitamin D
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Fuller, General | Comments Off
Give the Gift of Health this Holiday Season (and win a Kindle!)
Monday, November 22nd, 2010
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Are you a patient of Nature Cures Clinic? 
If so, your gift of health to your friends and family could earn you a Kindle!
As the holiday season draws near we think of people we love. We often show our love by giving them a gift.
For a person who is not well, the greatest gift they can receive is the regaining of the health of their body. There are people you know, family and friends, for whom our care could make a difference between suffering through or enjoying life. Perhaps you know someone with arthritis, headaches, fatigue, hormone problems, digestive issues, allergies or pain.
Would you please help us to help them by filling out our referral sheet (print the PDF here) with the names and addresses of persons to whom you would like to send a gift certificate?
We will provide you the holiday card and gift certificate for you to fill out along with the postage needed – for free! Just bring the completed referral sheet to the clinic, and we will give you the materials.
For many this will be the most valuable gift they’ll receive this year.
Our purpose is to help as many people as possible and we appreciate your helping us to achieve this. For every patient that sends this gift to five people we are giving you a special holiday gift of your own — plus you’ll be entered to win a free Kindle.
Thank you from everyone at Nature Cures Clinic!
image courtesy: BrockVicky
Tags: holidays, new patients, referrals
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, General, Wellness | Comments Off
7 Tips for Happy, Healthy Holidays
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
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by Maria Zilka, NT
Nature Cures Clinic nutritional therapist
It’s that time of year again for family gatherings, festivities and feasting beyond measure! These days can bring joy or trepidation, depending on how well you prepare. For many who suffer from food allergies, addictions or are prone to stress, this time of year can be especially trying. Read on to learn our top 7 ideas for navigating through holiday pitfalls and temptations!
1. Visualize success. Stressed out about the family reunion? The temptation of Aunt Louise’s caramel-apple pie? The idea of 4 days of football? Relax – make a plan – rehearse! Coaches and athletes commonly use visualization techniques and rehearsal to improve performance, and so can you. Try to picture the scenario that creates the most stress for you while facing the holidays. You might even take out a notebook and write out – in detail – your expectations of the event. Describe the location; the people who will be present, the antagonist (can be a person, a food or even a potential situation).
Now practice. Visualize your responses and be honest with yourself on your weakness. Acknowledge the various outcomes and choose the one that you want to see happen. Keep practicing in your mind how you can contribute to the best possible outcome for your own happiness and enjoyment. Practice, practice, practice.
2. Choose an indulgence – just one – and stick to it! Then really enjoy yourself. If it’s a piece of pie then savor every morsel. If it’s the creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes you crave – dig in. Just make sure that you decide there will be no guilt attached. The caveat to this is not indulge in anything that is harmful to you in the sense of a food allergy or an addiction.
3. Keep moving! The holidays do not have to mean a holiday from your normal routine. Even if you’re traveling you can often find a way to get some exercise into your day. Check out the local gym – most will allow you a guest pass, or go for a run – all you need are the shoes! Take a walk in the autumn air, do a morning dance… whatever feels right. Just move it.
4. Prepare for the evening out. On your way to a party eat an apple to stave off hunger and the possibility of grazing too long at the buffet table. Drink plenty of water – hydration not only keeps us from getting too tipsy but it helps us not to overeat as well!
5. Simplify. Preparing the family meal? This is a great opportunity to take control of the over-indulgence by simplifying the menu. Rather than knocking yourself out making a dozen different side dishes – which then contribute to over-eating – choose three favorites and make enough to go around. This may be the year to let go of the candied yams and green bean bake, not to mention the jello tower!
6. Consider substitutions. Whipped sweet potatoes instead of russets, creamy pasture butter instead of margarine, light buckwheat flour or quinoa flour for your pie crust rather than white or wheat flour… There are so many easy and tasty ways to make your meals healthier without compromising your taste buds!
7. Have a treatment. Try to remember – you are not alone. The holidays can be tough on everyone with all the pressures of traveling, preparing, socializing and just plain dealing with it all. Be kind to yourself and listen to your body. If you need a break – take it. Don’t forget to breathe. And, if you’re feeling overwhelmed – call us and come on in for an acupuncture treatment or massage to ease the stress.
If you’re interested in healthy holiday cooking – email Maria {at} naturecuresclinic.com for a list of her favorite allergy-free, properly prepared, whole food holiday recipes!
Image courtesy: CarbonNYC
Tags: healthy eating, holiday eating, Nutrition
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, General, Maria Zilka, Nutrition | Comments Off
Drug Herb Interactions: Pulling weeds
Monday, November 8th, 2010
by Dr. Rose Paisley, ND
Nature Cures Clinic physician
According to a 2008 survey collected by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 38% of Americans are choosing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The Survey included 23,393 people, of diverse ethnic/racial, age, and economic backgrounds. While 23,000 is only a small peek into the nation’s population, it does represent a portion of the 34 billion dollars spent on CAM in 2007, which is 1.5% of total health care expenditures in the United States. We live in an exciting time when traditional therapies that were thought to be ineffective or “woo woo” by western or allopathic medicine are becoming researched, validated, and integrated into mainstream medicine. We now have an opportunity to choose a health care plan that may actually prevent disease and encourage a better quality of life.
Even culinary herbs can be "low dose" herbal remedies.
There are responsibilities that come with participating in a holistic health care plan, primarily because you are in charge of the direction that you take — and you can get lost. For starters, natural medicine is readily available. There are an overwhelming array of products to choose from in every grocery, health food and drug store. While there are many qualified practitioners now available to guide the consumer, such as naturopathic physicians, herbalists, chiropractors and acupuncturists, we are at the same time being inundated with advice from invisible sources that may not be accurate or safe. Mixing drugs, herbs and food can be dangerous if done haphazardly.
Naturopathic medicine is rooted in identifying a unique and individualized diagnosis and treatment rather than a one size fits all approach.
Running to the store to grab an herb, supplement, or pharmaceutical to treat an ailment may not always result in the desired outcome.
The media is abuzz with concern for safety and efficacy regarding herbal medicine. It would be a mistake, however, to ignore the demonstrated benefits of traditional herbal medicine due to fear. With so much information available, both good and bad, we need to pull the weeds. First, plant medicine has a very rich history and in the case of drugs such as digoxin and pseudoephedrine – it is the origin of medications that are being prescribed by mainstream medicine. Also know that, people are ingesting very low “doses” of herbs in the form of seasoning, herbal tea, and remedies that are not typically considered a therapeutic dose, everyday. Most people do not consume enough to cause harm, even when taken in combination with a pharmaceutical.
We also need to consider that our bodies are very different from one another and just because a medicine is found to have “no side effects” or “safe” does not mean it will be true for you. This is true with synthetic as well as natural medicines. Herbal remedies are traditionally harvested conscientiously, used in a whole plant form, and “prescribed” by a practitioner or herbalist who is well versed in the use of herbs; but when products are bought right off the shelf, willy nilly, from unknown sources, it’s a case of buyer beware.
Therefore, finding a provider to help you sort through the products and information is key to developing a safe and effective care plan.
According to a 1998 Meta analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adverse drug reactions (ADR) account for 100,000 deaths per year, making ADR one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The reactions range from mild to severe for more than 2 million people each year. This data certainly suggests that ADR’s are a serious clinical issue. Even the less drastic reactions, such as change in mood, loss of appetite, and nausea may seriously diminish quality of life.
Most herb reactions produce mild symptoms of rash or upset stomach. Herb-Drug Interactions (HDI) are typically also very mild. The more serious include the herb enhancing or decreasing the efficacy of the pharmaceutical. The most serious risk exists in the realm of anesthesia-related HDI interactions. Adding to the complexity and possibility for HDI, phytochemists continue to find herbs elusive. They are able to determine certain effects on the body, both positive and negative, and identify many of the constituents but, for most plants, the mechanism of action is unknown. Hence, the risk for HDI certainly exists but the severity, danger, and risk remains individualized, dose dependent, poorly documented, and deserves more attention from researchers.
I have great respect for the power of herbs. While I am curious and versed in the science of herbal medicine, I am most passionate about the energetic properties of herbs. The energetic property is the thing that grabbed the attention of ancient healers in the first place, and for me it is most intriguing and comforting. Often the appearance, the smell, or the taste is attractive, but so is the way plants make me feel when I meditate on the wisdom and the healing power of nature. I use plants regularly, for nourishment and healing with my patients and with my family.
My approach to the use of herbal medicine in my practice is guided by traditional practices, science, and some general rules that I learned in medical school:
1. If someone is taking any drug and wishes to take herbs as well, it is best they seek the advice of a professional trained in herbal therapy.
2. I am very careful with drugs that have a narrow therapeutic window such as digoxin, warfarin, anti-rejection drugs, and many anti-HIV drugs
3. I am always cautious with the following patients: the elderly, those with impaired health, liver and/or kidney function, those with metabolic and/or biochemical abnormalities, and those who are potassium depleted.
4. I recommend taking drugs and herbs at different times of day. Always separate them by at least an hour, preferably more.
5. I recommend that patients stop all herbs about one-two weeks prior to surgery and discuss a pre/post operative plan with your CAM provider.
6. I research any herbal supplement I wish to prescribe to see if there are known (not-speculative) HDI.
7. I instruct my patients to report any suspected HDI to me.
8. I remind my patients that some drugs require careful control for their effects to be maintained, such as antihypertensive and anti-diabetic drugs, and that herbs can change the metabolism of these drugs, decreasing and/or increasing their efficacy.
9. The use of antioxidants (including herbs) in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer is controversial. I use herbs that may compliment therapy and always recommend discontinuing herbs 48 before and after chemotherapy.
10. I use reliable sources for HDI and I take into consideration the potential HDI according to the level of evidence behind them.
11. I take into consideration that HDI will be dose-related.
12. I always educate patients about buying by quality herbs and supplements.
If this information has sparked your curiosity or inspired you to learn more, please do not hesitate to inquire with Dr. Paisley. She offers online consultations through Nature Cures Clinic. Call 503-287-4970 to set up an appointment, or you may also e-mail Rose from her bio page on the NCC website.
image courtesy: word ridden
Tags: Dr. Rose Paisley, drug-herb interactions, herbal medicine, herbal safety
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Rose Paisley | Comments Off
Becoming Fully Integrated
Friday, October 15th, 2010
By Dr. Andy Swanson
Nature Cures Clinic Physician, Acupuncturist
Every day I go to work, I see patients suffering from health conditions. My work is to stay intently focused on their story, their symptoms, what my stethoscope and palpation is telling me on physical exams. The clearer my mind, the more thorough my evaluation, the easier it is to fully understand the crux of the matter at hand. In my practice this means getting the right diagnosis and treatment in order that the patient’s health improves as soon as possible. This kind of clarity involves homework, and not always of the academic kind. I spend much of my free time exploring my own obstacles, to bring resolve to those things in my life that cause conflict, in order that I can become less and less distracted and thus more and more available to my patients. When I enter the room with a patient, I often go through a visual practice of emptying my mind, leaving all that is a conscious distraction outside the room so that I can be one hundred percent available to the patient.
This is a tool that I believe we can all benefit from in many aspects of our life. It is about becoming fully integrated in the moment, wherever you are, focused completely on what you are doing. Could you imagine trying to hit a baseball moving 95 mph with one eye looking in the other direction? Or trying to hit a golf ball straight without keeping your eye on the ball? It strikes me that the number one thing any of us could do in our personal and professional lives is to become fully invested in what we are doing. What could be more fulfilling? Conversely, when we become distracted, or when we feel conflicted, we lose our focus and this creates disharmony.
By staying with the heart of the matter, keeping both eyes on the ball, we are better able to fully feel and experience whatever we are doing. In this way, we also keep a hand on the pulse of our life, getting immediate feedback from the body about situations in which we are involved. Becoming familiar with this feedback system allows one to refine the choices they make on a daily basis. For example, people often complain of awaking at three or four in the morning due to a restless mind. People want a pill to get them back to sleep. Do you see the metaphor here? People are less inclined to ask the question, “What is my body telling me?” By taking a medication that hides the discomfort they essentially sleep their way through conflict.
As a naturopathic physician, I share a philosophy with my fellow colleagues; one which believes in the innate intelligence of the human body. It is a truly remarkable feat to maintain homeostasis to the degree that the human body does most of the time. Health is a daily gift that many of us take for granted. In the above example, one has a restless mind that keeps them awake at night, and wants a pill to go back to sleep. Clinically, I see the intelligence of the human body activated, providing energy to fuel one’s need to make change, to find a solution to conflict. Insomnia rarely presents without context, and sleeping pills ignore the messenger.
What changes is life calling you to make? Where is your deepest source of happiness? Your deepest frustration? What keeps you awake at night? I’m not suggesting that making change is easy, but I do believe that our lives become enriched the more that we focus on what we are doing in the moment. That means that any personal grievance, conflict, or dissatisfaction that is hanging over us gets in the way of hitting the home run, or keeping your eyes on the ball. These issues never completely resolve, but the more distractions we remove the more we become invested in our present action. This enables us to call on more resources for power, stamina, and vision.
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Andy Swanson, General | 4 Comments »
Cold and Flu Season 2010: Are you ready for the onslaught?
Friday, October 15th, 2010
by Dr. Greg Eckel
Nature Cures Clinic physician
Well it’s that time of year again. The marketing machine rolls on with the public health campaign that says the only protection you have against the deadly flu is to get your flu shot. We have been reporting on this since the avian flu scare of 2005 (see podcast here). 
We recently just produced a new flu vodcast/ podcast. Dr. Nigh and I really try to have fun while (hopefully) giving you some sane (and entertaining) commentary on the current climate of information.
A few years ago, we were asked to write up what you can do for viral illness for the state of Oregon. We wrote this while working with the Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE), a group working towards educating the public and doctors about improper antibiotic prescriptions and how they lead to antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. There is pressure at doctor’s offices to do something when their patients are sick. The doctors in general will write a prescription for antibiotics, even though the majority of cases are viral in nature. This improper prescribing of antibiotics in turn leads to the creation of super bugs, that are resistant to antibiotics. The current medical system has very little to offer patients with viral illnesses.
The Centers of Disease Control, in the name of public health, has their 1,2, 3 list of what to do to increase your odds of not getting the flu this year:
1) Get a flu shot.
2) Stay away from those that are sick, wash your hands often.
3) Take anti-virals if you get the flu.
As far as public policy, this is lacking considerably. Here I will once again reference our position paper linked above as another view of what you can do to increase your immune system’s vitality.
Let’s look at the research. The conservative group the Cochrane Review, a consortium of scientists around the globe has done a great job in collecting the data on the effectiveness of the flu vaccine. If we were to believe the propaganda machine of the mainstream media, you’d experience a 100% effective rate against getting the flu. It is repeated by most of the medical societies so much so it must be true. On review of the literature, we find, “Authors’ conclusions influenza vaccines have a modest effect in reducing influenza symptoms and working days lost. There is no evidence that they affect complications, such as pneumonia, or transmission.
WARNING:
This review includes 15 out of 36 trials funded by industry (four had no funding declaration). An earlier systematic review of 274 influenza vaccine studies published up to 2007 found industry funded studies were published in more prestigious journals and cited more than other studies independently from methodological quality and size. Studies funded from public sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favorable to the vaccines. The review showed that reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin but there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies. The content and conclusions of this review should be interpreted in light of this finding.”
Last year during the swine flu (H1N1) hysteria, I got into several debates with conventional doctors, who continually referred to websites of their professional organizations, saying they were supporting the flu vaccine. I kept asking for the research to support their conclusions. In reality, the data is very slim and suspect, as the Cochrane review suggests.
The second recommendation is actually not bad; washing your hands often is a very good hygienic practice. I like to have our patients focus more on their own terrain, rather than being paranoid of others’ illnesses. But I do agree with the CDC recommendation number 2.
Let’s look at the third recommendation. Take anti-virals if you get sick. This seems to be more of a sanctioned ad for the pharmaceutical industry. The research shows these anti-virals produce at best one day less of illness. This is hardly enough for a national public health policy. (Here is the citation that goes with this information: Antiviral medications are adjunctive agents for the prevention of influenza. They also are used early in the course of uncomplicated influenza infection to reduce the duration of illness by approximately 1 day. 12 12. Gubareva LV, Kaiser L, Hayden FG. Influenza virus neuraminidase inhibitors. Lancet. 2000;355:827-835. )
We have talked a lot through the years about the issue of terrain versus the bug. Unfortunately, Louis Pasteur won the debate on germ theory and we are currently stuck with the outlook that the bug is the issue. His contemporary at the time was Beauchamp, who argues that we are all exposed to the bug, why do only some of us get sick. His point was that is the terrain that matters.
In practice of course it is both of these theories. Our public policy only views the bug, holistically we consider both of them. In recent times there is more and more research to support Vitamin D’s usefulness for immune system response. We encourage all of our patients to have their vitamin D level checked at least once per year. This gives you an opportunity to make sure you are in the ideal range for vitamin D’s effectiveness.
If you are interested in optimizing your immune system this cold and flu season, please call the office and schedule an appointment. For more information be sure to watch or listen to our current vod/podcast here.
Here’s to a healthy and happy fall!
In health and sanity, Dr. Eckel
photo courtesy: Trumanlo
Tags: avian flu, cold & fl, Flu, natural cold medicine, research, Swine flu, vitamin D
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Colds, Flu, General, H1N1, Respiratory infections, Swine flu | 1 Comment »
Stress & the CEO: Dr. Greg Eckel on Blogtalk Radio
Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Listen as Tom Cox, a Blogtalk Radio host and leadership training expert, interviews Dr. Greg Eckel about stress management for CEO’s and other leaders.
Stress, Anxiety and the CEO: Listen to the podcast
Stress, Anxiety and the CEO: Read the blog post
Tags: anxiety, Dr. Greg Eckel, stress, stress management
Posted in Articles by our Doctors | Comments Off