Articles by our Doctors: Alternative Health Commentary

Sexuality and the Woman

by Dr. Hilary Costello – Nature Cures Clinic physician The sexuality of a woman is one of the great mysteries of life. As natural as the sunrise, sensuality dawns and sets, ebbs and flows through our various stages in life. From conception we as a species constantly experience a multitude of sensual input. The scent [...]

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Lunchbox Stress? Find solutions here!

One of the top questions I get from patients here at the clinic – especially with GAPS kids – is how to pack a healthy lunch for them to take to school that they’ll enjoy eating!  It’s quite a problem in today’s world where food manufacturers have learned to market to the children – not [...]

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What Happens After the Coma?

by Dr. Andy Swanson – Nature Cures Clinic physician _____________________________________ Many people who have acquired a brain injury tell a similar story.  They gradually awaken from a coma.  They have to relearn aspects of life that were once simple tasks, like balance, walking, speaking, socializing, and tempering emotions.  Weeks pass, exhausted from math and reading [...]

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Posted in Acupuncture, Alternative medicine, Andy Swanson, Articles by our Doctors, Back pain, Brain, Chinese medicine, Chronic disease, Chronic fatigue, Cognitive development, Diet, Dr. Andy Swanson, General, Health, Healthy diet, Healthy lifestyle, Herbs, Holistic, Naturopathic medicine, Naturopathic medicine, ND, Neurological disorders, Nutrition, Pain, TBI, Thyroid function, traumatic brain injury, Wellness | Comments Off

Quick and Easy? Slow Down and Enjoy the Ride

by Maria Zilka, NTP – Nutritional therapist, certified GAPS practitioner ___________________________________________________________________________ Standing in the grocery store checkout line, reading the magazine covers while I awaited my turn – it struck me how many headlines refer to getting things done in as little time as possible:  “Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks”,” Fast-track your house cleaning,” [...]

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The Yearly Onslaught: Managing Colds & Flu

by Dr. Greg Eckel – Nature Cures Clinic director Uh oh, it’s that time of year again… sniffles, coughs, fevers oh my… Every year we get into the same discussions about whether one should get the flu shot, how to handle a fever, how to get through a cold. Well look no further, here is [...]

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Kick that cold with a few kitchen staples

by Anne Carruth, Nature Cures Clinic Oriental Medicine practitioner ‘Tis the season for runny noses, sore throats, headaches, coughing, and brain fog.  Yay!! Before you race to Walgreens, peek in your kitchen for some traditional Chinese herbs, masquerading as common foods.  You’d be surprised by the number of “regular” foods and spices that are used [...]

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Water Can’t Prevent Dehydration?!

by Dr. Greg Nigh, Nature Cures Clinic physician Sometimes a headline is so absurd that I have to read it a few times to be sure it isn’t a joke. Recently the following headline was sent to me by a friend: EU bans claim that water can prevent dehydration The article goes on to note [...]

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Palliation vs Treatment in Cancer Care

By Dr. Greg Nigh – Nature Cures Clinic physician No cancer patient wants to hear that their only option is palliative care. Palliative care means using therapies (usually limited to pain medications) that reduce discomfort and thus enhance quality of life. These therapies are explicitly not intended to control the growth and spread of cancer. [...]

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Parent, Nourish Thyself

by Dr. Erika Siegel Nature Cures Clinic physician On top of being an excellent physician, writer, yogi and supermom, Dr. Siegel is also the creator of Nourish Me, a superfood supplement for kids and adults aimed at boosting immunity and overall health. Check it out at the Items We Love page of the Nature Cures [...]

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The Many Faces of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) carries a huge complexity of factors, each of which complicates the healing process.  There is of course the impact, the moment of trauma, causing significant damage to the brain and oftentimes other body structures.  This is the primary concern as the patient is rushed to the emergency room for life-saving procedures.  [...]

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“Discovered” by Western Medicine

A popular website for medical headlines, medicalnewstoday.com, recently posted an interesting story titled “Potential New Drugs From A Cup Of Tea – The Witch Doctors’ Gift.” The article is describing a video series produced by the American Chemical Society, and it leads off with a compelling scenario that I will quote at length, because it [...]

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Depression: Treatments that go beyond medication

_____________________________________________________________ A number of imbalances in the body or brain could be the cause of depression. Naturopathic medicine seeks to find and change those causes. by Dr. Greg Nigh - Nature Cures Clinic physician October is National Depression Awareness Month. This is a good opportunity to reflect on the treatment for depression that our “health care [...]

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After a week of Cold Showers….

So a week of cold showers, or rather, 3 minutes a day of cold water.  Yep, I did it.  Though, it should be known that this all went down in early August. As a refresher, after reading some articles on the health benefits of cold showers, I decided to try it for a week.  My [...]

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Vegetables Galore: Only Slight Deception Required

by Dr. Erika Siegel – Nature Cures Clinic physician Your eyes meet your plate. Pupils dilate to accommodate a cornucopia of impossibly bright colors. Freshly steamed vegetables explode with oranges, greens, reds; a masterpiece that only Mother Nature could create. Your salivary glands prepare to devour a medley of beta carotenes, antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber. [...]

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The Health Benefits of Cold Showers

The challenge:  1 Week of Cold Showers. Yep, you read that correctly.  Those of you who know me, know that I guzzle hot water year round, have been caught relaxing with a warm teakettle in my lap, and consider the inventor of the seat warmer to be my own personal god.  So, when cold showers, [...]

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Fibromyalgia: Naturopathic Treatment Approaches

________________________________________________________ by Dr. Greg Eckel Nature Cures Clinic physician I have been researching fibromyalgia for the last 13 years.  My mother had it, and as any son would want to help his mother out, I really was looking for ways to decrease her pain.  I have come to understand fibromyalgia to be a very complex [...]

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Summer Event: Prepare and Repair

___________________________________________ By Dr. Leslie Fuller Nature Cures Clinic physician It is that time again — summer sports event season.  And Portland has a lot of them.   We naturopaths like exercise, we even recommend it to our patients and participate in events ourselves… what we don’t like, however, are the injuries and stress to the body [...]

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Health Insurance, Really?

By Dr. Greg Eckel, Naturopathic Physician at Nature Cures Clinic__________ The health insurance industry seems to be purposefully obtuse and complex.  As a recent conversation reveals it is also costly.  If you are responsible for your own health insurance you probably already know this.  If your employer carries the insurance you’ve probably seen the portion [...]

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What sets us apart

By Dr. Greg Eckel, Nature Cures clinic physician_____________ Upon finishing phase one of a corporate wellness program with a local company, where we screen each employee with certain biometrics (blood pressure, body composition and the like) and a half hour consult with me, I was reminded of what sets us apart.  I function from the [...]

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Breaking the Stress Habit

by Dr. Greg Nigh, Nature Cures Clinic physician ____________________________________ Well, summer is finally here. That means everyone is feeling healthy, happy and very relaxed, right? The sun is certainly nice to see. However, if you’re like most people you still have your stressful life happening, there’s just no rain to blame for your state of [...]

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Men’s Health: More than prostates and libido

by Dr. Greg Eckel Nature Cures Clinic physician ___________________________ Any quick Internet search on men’s health will lead one to believe that prostate health and libido are the top health concerns out there for men. The actual short list is much different — consisting of heart disease, cancer and unintentional injury.  Not too sexy and [...]

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Skin Health: Looking Deeper

by Dr. Hilary Costello Nature Cures Clinic physician The Pacific Northwest allergy season is slow to develop this year as the spring season and its multitude of blooms are patiently awaiting the warmth and sun to arrive. It has been an unusually cool spring and the various pollens and allergy triggers are yet to cause [...]

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Rediscovering Yourself in Motherhood

by Dr. Rose Paisley Nature Cures Clinic physician This article is one in a series titled “Mindful Parenting.” Scroll to the bottom of this page to see links to more articles in the series. To get the most out of motherhood, it’s essential to build a strong foundation for health. When you experience optimal health, [...]

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Plant Two Seeds and Call Me in the Morning

Gardening – A Prescription For Health By Rose Paisley, ND Oh, what’s that you say? Those seasonal allergies, tension headaches, achy joints and muscles, fussy digestive system, excess fatigue, slowly rising cholesterol and blood pressure, and the few extra pounds that have crept up this winter have been bothering you? Well, fret no more. I [...]

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Background Radiation and Everyday Cancer Prevention

Radiation is all the rage. It is a danger that makes us all feel vulnerable, insecure. It conjures images of Chernobyl and atomic blasts. At a more personal level, the fear of radiation is the fear of the consequences we imagine it might inflict: mutations, burns, cancer, and ultimately an early death. In short, we [...]

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Seeing a Naturopath after a Motor Vehicle Accident

Did you know you could see a naturopathic physician as your doctor after an accident?  The personal injury protection (PIP) that we all must carry by law for our auto insurance in Oregon covers this service.  This portion of your insurance covers your care no matter who was at fault.  It is there to get [...]

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Radiation Protection: Practical Solutions Beyond Potassium Iodide

_________________________ by Greg Nigh, ND, LAc Nature Cures Clinic physician The media has us all glued to our seats seeking more information about the radiation cloud that may or may not drift over US soils. In any case, speculation on TV about where it might drift is accompanied by frenzied searches for potassium iodide tablets [...]

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Potassium Iodide and Radiation: A Primer

__________________________________ 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 [...]

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Nutrition Mission: Improve your Health through Food

by Maria Zilka, NT Nature Cures Clinic nutritional therapist ___________________________________________ 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 [...]

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Mindful Parenting: A Balanced Approach

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 [...]

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Sex, Lies & Motherhood: Tips for a Healthy Libido and Better Birth Control

By Dr. Rose Paisley, ND __________________________________ 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 [...]

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Keeping the Heart Healthy

________________________________ 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 [...]

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Understanding Pain Management Alternatives

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, [...]

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Making Changes

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 [...]

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Avoiding the Holiday Binge

___________________________________ 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 [...]

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Vitamin D Debacle

Vitamin D Debacle 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 [...]

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Give the Gift of Health this Holiday Season (and win a Kindle!)

______________________________________________________ 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 [...]

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7 Tips for Happy, Healthy Holidays

________________________________________________________ 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 [...]

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Drug Herb Interactions: Pulling weeds

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 [...]

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Becoming Fully Integrated

By Dr. Andy Swanson Nature Cures Clinic Physician 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 [...]

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Cold and Flu Season 2010: Are you ready for the onslaught?

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 [...]

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Stress & the CEO: Dr. Greg Eckel on Blogtalk Radio

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

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It takes a village to feed a family

______________________________________________________________________________________ by Dr. Erika Siegel – Nature Cures Clinic physician Our ancestors depended on a large community of friends, family and neighbors to make their lives work.  Now our fences are higher and our lives seem more independent, but in reality we need each other as much as ever. Having kids made me reach out [...]

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Beating Allergies Naturally

During allergy season many people feel more susceptible to colds and infections, which is true, they are. These people are likely in a TH2 dominant state and are, as a result, less capable of attacking viruses and/or bacteria and more reactive to external triggers such as food, pollen, dander, and dust. Therefore, one of the [...]

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Men’s Health: Don’t put off your visit to the doctor

by Dr. Greg Eckel Nature Cures Clinic physician In medical school I was taught that men do not go to the doctor as often as women. That idea is also present in medical literature. Out here in practice, I’d say this tends to be the case as well. The box that has been drawn around [...]

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Summer Skin Care Tips

by Dr. Hilary Costello Nature Cures Clinic physician As we bloom into the heat and sunny weather of another glorious Oregon summer, many of us want to make sure that we are taking good care of our skin. It is our time to shine and build up Vitamin D stores. After a long spring, such [...]

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Tell President Obama why the U.S. needs naturopaths

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians is working to give voice to naturopathic medicine at the national level, by asking President Obama to appoint a naturopath to a new 25-member health advisory board. As naturopathic medicine continues to gain respect among more conventional practitioners, we believe this is a step in the right direction. More [...]

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Summer exercise tips

by Dr. David Russ, Nature Cures Clinic chiropractor In honor of June and everyone’s fervent hope that the Portland sun really does grace us with warmth and brightness, here are Dr. Russ’s top six things to do to avoid injury and enjoy yourself outside. 1) Favor aerobic activity over anaerobic activity Without going into the [...]

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Allergy Relief: The Whole Body Approach

By Dr. Erika Siegel Nature Cures Clinic physician Spring is such a magical time in the great Northwest. Thanks to our winter and spring rain, we see blossoms unfolding in great abundance this time of year. Unfortunately, for hay fever sufferers, this may bring sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat, and even fatigue. Our [...]

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What to plant in your garden

Many of the practitioners at Nature Cures Clinic maintain a vibrant garden in their backyards, to foster good health. Since we’re focusing on organic gardening and organic food this month, Dr. Hilary Costello has compiled a list of essentials for starting your own garden. If you’re interested in starting a garden, but don’t know what [...]

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Community-Supported Agriculture: What is it?

By Dr. JJ Pursell Nature Cures Clinic physician Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.  Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either [...]

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Food For Thought

by Dr. Rose Paisley Nature Cures Clinic physician My daughter Lola’s elementary school has been working towards building an edible garden. The goal is to bring the classroom outdoors, bring beauty to the campus, and eventually bring the harvest into the school lunch program. Through the process of preparing soil, planting seeds, watering, weeding, and [...]

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Cosmetic concerns: what toxins to avoid in your skin care

A recent study in the United Kingdom found the average British woman wears more than 500 chemicals every day. These potentially-toxic ingredients come in the form of fragrances, lotions, makeup, shampoos and conditioners, and other body products. This puts the largest organ of your body — your skin — under constant siege. The onslaught can [...]

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

In honor of Women’s Health Month, I felt it important to discuss a syndrome that, like women, is elusive, complex, and foolish to ignore. The syndrome is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. PCOS appears in between 4 and 12% of women seen in American clinics (1. 2) and in 20% of obese women (3). These numbers may [...]

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Diabetes – The New Epidemic

by Maria Zilka, NT It would be hard to find a medical expert these days, conventional or otherwise, who wouldn’t agree that our sugar-based diets are killing us. Our daily bread has turned into a non-stop feeding frenzy of refined carbohydrates including many breads, pastries, sweets, over-processed cereals and artificial sweeteners. And despite the warning [...]

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The Blood Sugar Roller coaster (This is one ride you don’t want your kids to get on)

Our brain’s primary fuel source is sugar (glucose). When our blood sugar gets low- the brain cries “FEED ME NOW!” and will stop at nothing to be satiated. This will make a sensible person eat half of a birthday cake at the office before coming up for air and realizing what she has done. When [...]

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Soaking your grains, nuts and seeds

If you’ve been to one of Maria Zilka’s nutrition classes, then you probably know a thing or two about soaking and sprouting. It’s one of the ways Maria likes to show people that it’s not hard to eat well, it just takes a bit of planning. Maybe right about now you’re thinking, “time? Who has [...]

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New Year’s Resolution: Join the Nature Cures Clinic group cleanse!

Welcome to the Nature Cures Clinic Group Cleanse and Elimination Diet Program – A program designed to address the most common causes of chronic health issues. We’ve found that the underlying causes of many of our patients’ health problems are due to toxins in the system. Toxins are not just what we take in from [...]

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New Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations: Our Take

When the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced new recommendations for breast cancer screening, it unleashed a firestorm of controversy. Women across the country joined with many cancer organizations to condemn the new recommendations. Briefly, the updated recommendations for breast cancer screening include the following: – Delay mammography until women are 50, rather than [...]

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Winter Health Tips

It’s been just about a year since a major winter storm hit the Northwest. While we’re crossing our fingers that we won’t be tromping through a foot and a half of snow this holiday season, it’s better to be prepared for the worst. You can stave off a number of weather-related illnesses and conditions with [...]

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‘Tis the Season

“Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.” JD Rockefeller Jr. ‘Tis the season for shopping, holiday decorating, celebrations and family traditions. Yet, most importantly, it’s the time of year for giving. In this spirit, the staff and doctors at Nature Cures Clinic are providing support to the Allen Temple Emergency Aid [...]

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Herbs and Immunity

There are lots of ways to support a healthy immune system through the winter months. One easy way is through the daily intake of herbs known as tonics. Tonics increase the tone and vitality of skin, organs and body systems. By increasing the vitality of the immune system you are able to defend off bacterial and viral invaders at a more efficient rate enabling you to either arrest a cold/flu or shorten its duration drastically.

Below are 2 recipes for you to enjoy:

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New Breed of MDs: More like NDs

An article in the Washington Post this week tells how medical school programs are adapting their curriculum to include a more holistic approach to medicine – focused on the patient as a whole, and not just one particular ailment they might have. At Johns Hopkins University, medical students are now taught to analyze “genetic, environmental [...]

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Dr. Nigh on the Radio

Dr. Nigh served as a guest expert on stress reduction for the “Tom on Leadership” show on BlogTalk radio Friday November 6, 2009. Check out the show on stress reduction for executives here.

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Legumes: Healthy and Hearty

The summer clothes are packed in the back of the closet, the days are getting shorter, and colder weather is creeping in day by day. With winter on the way, many people find themselves wanting to cook heartier meals. Here at Nature Cures Clinic, we are committed to helping you eat healthy and stay well [...]

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Get a free nutritional assessment when you donate to your community

Nature Cures Clinic is proud to sponsor a quarterly donation program benefiting a local non-profit. And now we’re giving you a little more incentive to help us out! This fall we are collecting donations for the Allen Temple CME Church Food Pantry/Emergency Aide Center. When you donate five items at our clinic, you’ll receive a [...]

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Naturopathic Prevention of Swine Flu

The mainstream media and most conventional physicians would have you believe that the only way to prevent swine flu is by getting a shot. Nonsense! Healthy immune systems have been protecting people from infectious diseases for many thousands of years. Our immune systems didn’t lose this ability in the last few decades, but the key [...]

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Swine Flu Vaccination Information

There is one prominent fact about the current H1N1 vaccinations being promoted in the media and by virtually all conventional physicians: there is absolutely no evidence that the vaccination will prevent swine flu. Despite all the media and all the hype about this vaccination, there still is not one study that shows this vaccination will [...]

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B12 Deficiency and Depression

There are many reasons that any given person with depression might be depressed. Like all illness, depression can have many contributing causes, from past traumas and grief, to chronic illness, toxic exposures, and many others. Unfortunately, in the conventional medical world most cases of depression – no matter what the cause – are treated the [...]

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New Editorial on Health Care Reform

Dr. Greg Nigh recently wrote and published an editorial on health care reform. You can check it out online at opednews.com. Even more important than reading it, though, is to follow through on the suggestions there. If the government is unable to pass meaningful reform, we can still reform our personal health care.

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Reform Health Care, and Start With Your Own

A substantial overhaul of our national disease management system is now highly unlikely. What we will get is possibly an alteration in its financing. Perhaps insurance companies will form cooperatives, perhaps the government will pay for the treatment of more currently uninsured individuals, perhaps some costs will be contained with malpractice reform. And of course, [...]

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Vitamin D – We Can’t Say It Enough

We’ve told you before how sufficient levels of Vitamin D can help reduce your risk of many chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, depression and diabetes. While these are all very serious conditions that deserve your attention, there’s another ailment that’s dominating the headlines right now. You’ve heard it blasted in big letters — the [...]

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Blood Analysis – How it can improve your health

Did you know that many symptoms may be the result of nutritional imbalances? When key nutrients become deficient, many metabolic processes are affected. The body many initially try to compensate for such imbalances. However, if they are prolonged, they may contribute to hormonal issues, metabolic disorders, increase in toxic load, oxidative stress, organ weakness, etc. [...]

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Acai: Hype or Health?

We’re examining superfoods again here at Nature Cures Clinic. Today we’re taking a look at the massive marketing campaign that’s surrounding one little Brazilian berry, acai. When it comes to foods that contain high levels of antioxidants, acai is the popular new kid on the block. Lab studies show the fruit to contain high levels [...]

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What’s for Lunch? Tips for packing a healthy lunch for work, school or play

This is the time of year when we start to reign in our free-spirited eating habits of summer and hunker down a bit by packing healthy lunches for ourselves, or kids going off to school. Lunch doesn’t have to be a boring sandwich, salad or canned soup. Here are some nutritious and delicious ideas to [...]

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Why You Should Cut Down on Sugar, and How You Can Do It

It’s fairly common knowledge that soda, sugared cereals, candy bars and the like aren’t good for your body, and can help you put on excess weight. And now the American Heart Association is giving you a few more reasons to cut down on the amount of sugar you consume. A new study out this week [...]

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Organic Under the Microscope

Nature Cures Clinic is committed to helping you live a healthy lifestyle. We believe that part of maintaining your health includes eating as many fresh and organic foods as possible. So when the topic of organic food hits the headlines, we take notice! Right now two things are happening: First, there’s one very disturbing study [...]

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Kids, Health, and Vitamin D

If there were any easy way for tens of millions of people to reduce their risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression, osteoporosis and many other chronic diseases, shouldn’t that be in the headlines? Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine discovered exactly that. In a large survey of the vitamin D status of [...]

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Confused about the flu hype? Boost your immunity!

Did you get it yet? You’ll probably be hearing a lot of people talking about the flu vaccine, if you haven’t heard it already. This year with all of the talk of the H1N1 flu and the annual push for vaccination for the seasonal flu, the marketing blitz is on. These are two different issues [...]

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Summer Skin Health: From the Inside Out

Nature Cures Clinic Nutritional Therapist We’re deep in the heart of summer and after days of berry picking, hanging out at the river, hiking in the mountains and being outside in the heat your skin may need some attention. In the Spring we focus on preparing the skin for months ahead by doing our “spring [...]

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Vegetarian Diets Deemed Safe — Again!

Some of you may have been eating a vegetarian diet for years, and are already well-aware of its wealth of benefits. You may know all about the lowered risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, dementia, and rheumatoid arthritis; or you may delight in knowing you’re creating less impact on the earth’s resources. You are more [...]

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Antioxidant Power of Purple Corn

Chances are you’ve heard about the health value of blueberries. With their deep blue color, they’re high in anthocyanins, a form of flavonoids . The flavonoids found in blueberries may provide protection against disease by upping the antioxidant defenses in the body. As you may or may not know, Nature Cures Clinic is now on [...]

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Fish Oil: Cure-All?

There’s no supplement that can cure everything, but if the latest research is any indication, fish oil seems to come pretty close. You’ve probably heard the claims that it can increase your baby’s brain function and promote a healthy pregnancy. But it doesn’t stop there! The physicians at Nature Cures Clinic have access to much [...]

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Over Prescribed, Record Broken

I have a running record that you don’t want to break. Previous record was a person on 26 different daily medications, which I thought was outrageous. Then it happened at the Diabetes Expo in Portland, Oregon. A woman sat down and pulled out her list of medications. 33. She is on 33 medications a day. [...]

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Big Pharma’s unspoken influence on health care and other musings

In a recent NY Times article students at Harvard medical school were surprised at the extent big pharma had on their education.  In recent grades Harvard received an F for failure to disclose the conflicts of interest of their lecturers among other things.  We have discussed this topic in our podcast ‘Nemesis of Medicine‘.  This [...]

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Amazing Drug to Reduce Heart Disease Risk!

Imagine the billions in profits that would be earned if a company developed a drug that could to the following things for diabetic patients: significantly lower blood glucose significantly lower total cholesterol significantly lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol significantly lower CRP, an important risk factor for heart disease significantly lower triglycerides significantly lower VLDL (another type [...]

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Hit Job

A recent study on antioxidants is a classic “hit job” on alternative medicine. This study compared aspirin to a combination of antioxidants for their ability to prevent progression of arterial disease and diabetes. The study found that there was no difference in effectiveness between the two therapies. And without missing a beat, newspapers around the [...]

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Growing Smarter Kids

A Canadian study found that eating more fruits and vegetables was associated with better academic performance among high schoolers. A second study looked at brain performance in children 6 to 14 years old before and after one year of taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement. The results are hardly surprising: there was a significant improvement on two [...]

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Respiratory Infections in Children

Children’s cough/cold medicine has been shown to be more dangerous than helpful. But a recent study suggests that there are other kinds of therapies that will benefit kids with colds. A recent study in the Journal of Pediatrics found that school-aged children supplemented with fish oil experienced upper respiratory infections with less frequency. In addition, [...]

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Green Tea Extract and Cardiovascular Disease

Imagine the size of the headlines if a pharmaceutical were found to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and enhance the body’s antioxidant capacity. Now imagine that this new drug can work in as little as three week. It would be the most prescribed drug on the market. Well, you don’t have [...]

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Children and the Flu Vaccination

The CDC’s position on vaccinating children is straight-forward: all children ages 6 months to adult should get a vaccination every year. Which is just great, except for the fact that there is no evidence vaccinating children prevents hospital visits or reduces trips to physicians. As if to add insult to injury, according to the CDC, [...]

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IV Magnesium and COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the top 5 killers in the United States. It includes asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other respiratory conditions. New research has found that when magnesium is administered intravenously, it significantly improves the respiratory function of individuals with COPD. IV magnesium is one of many nutritional therapies used [...]

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Recent Asthma Studies

About 20 million adults in the US have been diagnosed with asthma, and another 9 million children under the age of 18 have gotten the diagnosis. If anything could cut the risk of an asthma attack in half, that should be big news. And that’s exactly what a recent study found. A study involving almost [...]

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eBooks Finally Available!

At long last! We’ve put two new eBooks in our shop. They are the first two books in the Nature Cures Clinic QuickGuide Series. The QuickGuide Series will feature books on a wide range of popular health topics. However, these books aren’t your typical health books. They cut through all the filler material that pads [...]

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Support CROW Clothing

Portland visual artist, writer and speaker damali ayo is now also a clothing designer, and Nature Cures Clinic is thrilled to be supporting her new venture. CROW Clothing is a completely sustainable fashion line designed by damali. The clothing industry is notorious for its poor environmental record, its harsh working conditions and its heavy reliance [...]

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Vitamin D Levels and Metabolic Syndrome

Do we still need reasons to supplement with vitamin D? A recent study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology found that subjects with the highest blood vitamin D levels had an astounding 73% reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the name given to a collection of signs and symptoms that together indicate [...]

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Physical Activity and Dementia in the Elderly

Want to cut the risk of dementia in elderly individuals by 50%? Get them to move their bodies. In a study published in the Journal of Gerontology, it was found that in elderly individuals with poor physical functioning, increasing their physical activity and functioning conferred a 50% reduced risk of dementia during the 6.1 years [...]

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Fish Intake and Colorectal Cancer

In a very large, long-term study of colorectal cancer, it was found that intake of fish oil and dietary fish dramatically decreases the risk of colorectal cancer. In this study, which monitored over 21,000 subjects for 22 years, it was found that those who consumed fish 5 times/week had a 40% reduction in colorectal cancer. [...]

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Black Tea and Ovarian Cancer Risk

In a hospital-based study involving 414 women with cancer, it was found that women who drank 2 of more cups of black tea had a 30% reduced risk of ovarian cancer. Consuming 2 or more cups of decaffeinated coffee has had nearly a 30% reduction in risk (29%, actually). No protective effect could be found [...]

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Plant Sterols, Fish Oil and Cardiovascular Disease

A combination of two supplements can significantly improve total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL. Published in the Journal of Nutrition, this study looked at 60 individuals with elevated lipids. Those individuals who were given a combination of plant sterols and omega-3 oils experienced a significant improvement in their lipid profiles. Specifically, their total cholesterol dropped [...]

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Depression in the Elderly

A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry followed 521 people over the age of 65 for 2-3 years. At the beginning of the study none of the subjects were depressed. However, at the end of the study it was discovered that those people who had lower levels of vitamin B12 and folate in [...]

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Pycnogenol and Osteoporosis

A double-blind, placebo controlled trial involving 156 patients with osteoporosis found that supplementing with pycnogenol – an extract of pine bark – significantly reduced many of the symptoms associated with medications used to treat osteoporosis. Specifically, there was a 58% reduction in pain, there was increased walking distance on a treadmill test, decreased gastrointestinal complications [...]

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Vitamin C and Exercise Recovery

For all you exercise fans, a study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness has shown that supplementing with 1 gram of vitamin C prior to exercise reduced the level of muscle damage induced by the exercise. In addition, other important health indicators such as antioxidant status and stress levels in the body [...]

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DHA and reading comprehension

A study published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics found that when 4-year old children were supplemented with a fatty acid known as DHA, they had a statistically significant improvement in their listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. In the study, 175 children were assigned to receive either 400mg daily of DHA or a placebo. The best [...]

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Vitamin D and Vascular Disease

Low levels of vitamin D have already been associated with everything from cancer to depression. A new study has found that low vitamin D levels lead to a significantly increased risk of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). PVD covers a wide range of conditions, from atherosclerosis to embolisms. While only a small portion of individuals with [...]

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Olive Oil and Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and around the world. One in three adults in the US, it is estimated, has some degree of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A recent study found that individuals who consumed the most olive oil in their diets had the least amount of thickening [...]

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Nature Cures Clinic On TV!

Our clinic was recently featured in three segments on Portland Channel 12 KPTV. If you didn’t catch us on TV, you can check it out at these links: Part One: IV Therapy and the Treatment of Fatigue Part Two: Naturopathic Therapies for Cancer Patients Part Three: Treating Migraines with Naturopathic Therapies

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Nutritional IV

Most people think of IVs as something they get in a hospital that’s filled with medications. But there are so many more ways to utilize IV therapy, ways that go far beyond just giving drugs. At Nature Cures Clinic we use nutritional IV therapy to treat a wide range of diseases and conditions. IVs can [...]

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Don’t miss us on TV! Dr. Eckel & Dr. Nigh on Portland’s “Good Day Oregon”

Channel 12 KPTV in Portland will be airing three segments featuring our clinic beginning tomorrow morning (Tuesday, April and continuing daily through Thursday. Each segment will be on the “Good Day Oregon” program, and our segment should air at approximately 8:15am each of the three days. Please let anyone know who you think might be [...]

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Don’t Wait – Meditate!

Nature Cures Clinic is happy to announce it’s affiliation with the national Don’t Wait – Meditate! campaign that is kicking off this week. You can click here to learn more about it, and to make the pledge and sign up. The goal is to get 100,000 people to make a pledge to meditate every day. [...]

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The Most Important Vitamin?

We’ve written before about the increasing amount of research on vitamin D. There are few nutrients that can claim the health benefits of this single vitamin.A study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine adds even more weight to the importance of this vitamin. Low blood levels of vitamin D have been correlated with [...]

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New Podcasts

We’ve posted two new podcasts in the past few weeks, and they are getting more listeners than any before! One is on the health consequences of gastric bypass surgery, and the most recent podcast questions the relationship between genes and many common diseases. You can listen to any of our podcasts by visiting our podcast [...]

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Spring Cleanse

Spring is the perfect time to clean things out. Not just in your house, but in your body as well. Join Dr. Andy Swanson and Sara hart, LMT, for their upcoming Spring Cleanse. Sign up by sending a note to Dr. Andy Swanson. And hurry! Only 10 registrants will be allowed. The cleanse will last [...]

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Upcoming Talks

Be sure to check out the talks that are coming up, listed under our events calendar. In addition to Dr. Eckel’s talks on treating gastrointestinal disease, Dr. Rose Paisley has just set up a series of talks at the Culinary Arts Institute. Click the talk title to the left to get the full description. This [...]

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Portland Podcast by Naturopath/Acupuncturists Dr. Nigh and Dr. Eckel

If you haven’t checked out the bi-weekly podcast produced by Nature Cures Clinic, you’re missing out on some great information. Every other week or so week Drs. Nigh and Eckel post a new podcast covering important information about health and health politics. They also answer questions submitted by listeners. The three most recent podcasts, titled [...]

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Winter Massage

As the seasons change from our luxurious long summer, the grey skies descend upon us and the rain returns. Nationally, the reputation of the NW continues to include the sense of it being drearily depressing. For those of us who make this our home, we must find ways to defy this! Massage therapy is a [...]

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Podcasts

New! Visit our Podcasts Every week Drs. Nigh and Eckel post a new podcast covering important information about health and health politics. They also answer questions submitted by listeners. You can submit questions by sending an email to questions@naturecuresclinic.com To subscribe to our podcasts, use this address: http://feeds.feedburner.com/NatureCuresClinicPodcasts in your favorite podcast receiver (iTunes or [...]

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Coffee as an Antioxidant?

Results of a study presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society found that coffee is a leading source of antioxidants in the diet of many Americans. Health reporters – most of whom likely have a morning cup of coffee – used this to write articles showcasing coffee as a “healthy drink” when consumed [...]

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Essential Fatty Acids and Depression

It is widely accepted that diet had a profound influence on health. The occurrence of the most significant chronic diseases in this country – cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes – are all significantly influenced by the diet. While the role of nutrition on the health of our bodies now makes regular headlines, the role of [...]

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CRP, Diet, and Drugs

Conventional medicine has long used cholesterol levels to determine heart disease risk. Millions and millions of people are prescribed one of the statin drugs (Lipitor, Lovastatin, etc) only because their cholesterol measures over 200. Statins are also said to have anti-inflammatory effects as well, and so are being heralded as wonder drugs for those with [...]

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Ginkgo and MS

Diseases of the nervous system are dramatically on the increase. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and others have been increasingly prevalent for the past decade, and the rise shows no signs of slowing.Unfortunately, there are essentially no therapies available to effectively halt or reverse the progre,ssion of these conditions. A new study conducted at by the [...]

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Organic Food for Optimal Nutrition

Over the past 100 years, the very nature of food has been transformed. It used to be that a “whole food diet” – meaning that the foods eaten have not been processed in any way – was the only option. Today, the vast majority of the foods eaten have been processed, with nutrients taken out [...]

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Fish Oil and Alzheimer’s

The essential fatty acids found in fish oil are vital to health. Research has shown that by getting enough of those fatty acids, DHA and EPA, in one’s diet, the risk of many chronic diseases drops dramatically. Now a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience illustrates yet another reason to include fish oil [...]

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Medication Makes Things Worse

A recent issue of the British Medical Journal revealed that a medication commonly given to Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes to reduce agitation is actually making the Alzheimer’s progress faster. The drug with this effect is quetiapine (brand name Seroquel) is one of a handful of anti-psychotic medications given to patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia.The [...]

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Anti-bacterial Chemicals in our Water

Our society’s phobia of germs is coming back to haunt us. A recent study conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has found something unsettling in our water. Anti-bacterial chemicals have been added to soaps, tissues, detergents and other products for years. Apparently, though, no one considered what became of those chemicals once [...]

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Hormone Replacement Therapy and Strokes

Millions and millions of women who had been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for years got some unfortunate news a few years ago: HRT leads to an increase risk of some serious health problems. While the vast majority of menopausal woman had been put on HRT to prevent everything from osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and [...]

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Preventing Allergies and Asthma

Two recent studies reveal the power of preventive medicine in reducing the risk of two common and serious conditions: allergies and asthma. While billions are spent annually on prescription and over-the-counter medications to treat these conditions, a few simple choices could mean the difference between health and chronic disease. A study published in the journal [...]

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Gastric Surgery Better Than Dieting?

The prestigous New England Journal of Medicine has published a study saying that gastric bypass surgery is a “more effective way” to treat severe obesity than dieting. However, if enhancing health and vitality is the ultimate goal, gastric bypass surgery can’t hold a candle to weight loss through diet and exercise. The most common kind [...]

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The Burden of Recurring Sinusitis and Bronchitis

In a survey conducted of 606 self-identified sufferers of recurring sinusitis and bronchitis, nearly half of them had missed at least one day of work due to one of these illnesses, and a quarter of them had missed three or more days of work. In addition to over $6 billion being spent annually to treat [...]

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Sitting in Traffic Raises Heart Attack Risk

A new study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine identifies another way in which modern life is hazardous to our health. After speaking to nearly 700 heart attack survivors, it was found that the longer an individual spends sitting in traffic, the greater the risk of a heart attack. Surprisingly, the risk [...]

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Is Disease Really in Your Genes?

A research team made up of government and non-government genetic researchers have published a study that casts yet more doubt on the role of our genes as a “master blueprint.” The study was done on mice, in which a seemingly tiny .085% of the entire genome was deleted. However, this amounts to 2.3 million individual [...]

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Preventing the Flu Without a Vaccination

Flu season is quickly approaching, and the shortage of flu vaccines has many people panicked. The CDC is recommending that vaccines be preferentially given to those at greatest risk: the elderly, children, and those with serious illnesses. However, in the panic about getting a vaccination, a simple truth is easily forgotten: prevention is the best [...]

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Preventing Heart Disease

A recent study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine discovered something truly astounding. If a patient had at least one risk factor for developing heart disease – the largest and preventable cause of death in the country – less than 45% received diet counseling and less than 30% received exercise advice during a [...]

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Ulcers and Anti-inflammatory Medications

Anti-inflammatory medications are the most commonly used over-the-counter medications in the world. Every day millions and millions of individuals reach for aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve symptoms of inflammation. In addition, prescription anti-inflammatory medications are among the most heavily prescribed drugs in the world. However, doctors in Australia have discovered that these medications have a [...]

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Food Allergies and Food Reactions

According to the European Food Information Council, about 20% of individuals surveyed believe that they have food allergies. However, they say that when tested, only about 1 to 2% of them actually do have allergies. There is a problem with this data, though. It is a problem that has to do with the use of [...]

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Caffeine Withdraw

Caffeine withdraw is serious business. Researchers at Johns Hopkins studied 150 years of research on the effects of withdrawing from caffeine. Their findings will be of little surprise to anyone who has skipped a day or two of coffee after having a few cups daily on a regular basis. Among the symptoms reported by individuals [...]

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Monthly Menses: A Window Into a Woman’s Health

When women of menstruating age experience irregular and/or painful periods, they are very commonly prescribed birth control pills (BCP). The high doses of estrogen found in BCP, taken on a specific schedule, will force a woman’s body to menstruate at a specific time of the month. Those taking BCP usually also experience less pain prior [...]

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Alzheimer’s Prevention Through Diet

The fat found in cold-water fish is high in two essential fatty acids: EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These are also known as omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA have been shown to reduce the risk of virtually every major chronic disease suffered in society: heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and [...]

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Hepatitis Vaccination Risk

According to a recent study published in the journal Neurology, there is yet another disease risk resulting from a vaccination. In a review of almost 2000 patients between 1993 and 2000, it was discovered that receiving a hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination increased the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) by over 300%. The disease [...]

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Antibiotics and Heart Disease

Several months ago it was discovered that lifetime consumption of antibiotics by women increased the overall risk of developing breast cancer. Now a team of researchers at Vanderbuilt University School of Medicine have found yet another very significant reason to be cautious with antibiotic use. After studying nearly 1500 people, they found that consumption of [...]

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Tainted Flu Vaccines

Chiron Corp., maker of flu vaccines, has found that about 4 million of the 50 million doses of vaccine it has produced are “tainted.” While it is never stated exactly what the vaccines are tainted with, a vice president of the company made an ironic statement regarding the problem: “We are confident that we’ve identified [...]

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The Wrong Way to Treat Allergies

As many as 25% of people worldwide suffer from allergies of some kind. In fact, treatment for seasonal allergies – sometimes very intense – is one of the most common symptoms that lead people to visit Nature Cures Clinic. A team of Austrian scientists publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences thinks [...]

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Diet Soda May Not Help Weight Loss Effort

Tens of millions of people drink diet sodas every day as a way of cutting their calories. The conventional wisdom is that diet beverages won’t cause weight gain, since there are no calories in them. This is unlike regular sodas sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, which can contain the equivalent of several [...]

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Diet and Exercise for Menopausal Women

A recent government study found that nearly 400,000 of the 2 million deaths in the United States annually can be attributed to poor diet and lack of exercise. A more recent article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has added even more evidence to the importance of a healthy diet and regular [...]

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400,000 Die Yearly From Poor Diet and Inactivity

Our conventional medical industry focuses primarily on the use of medications to treat disease. However, a recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association points out two major causes death that no medication will ever treat: poor diet and lack of exercise. These two factors together are rapidly gaining on tobacco use [...]

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A Better Way to Lower Blood Pressure

The standard therapy for the tens of millions of Americans diagnosed with high blood pressure is medication. Of the many types of anti-hypertensive medications available, diuretics are the oldest and the most effective. A team of researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has “discovered” what naturopathic physicians have been counseling [...]

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Our Daily Toxic Exposure

A recent article by neuro-psychologist Sheila Bastien, Ph.D., pointed out that we are exposed to more than 500 chemicals and toxic substances every day. This isn’t surprising given that over 70,000 chemicals are now produced and used regularly. Dr. Bastien listed just a few of the sources of these chemicals we are exposed to on [...]

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Smoking Takes 10 Years Off Lifespan

In a study that has lasted for 50 years, those who smoke throughout their life will die an average of a decade earlier than their non-smoking peers. Of course it has been known a long time that smoking has a host of negative health consequences, but never has a study been carried out for so [...]

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What is the glycemic index?

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrate foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly release glucose gradually into the blood stream and have low glycemic [...]

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Yo-yo Dieting Decreases Immune Function

A recent article published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (June 2004) gave yet another reason to avoid the weight loss/weight gain cycle of dieting. The repeated changes in weight are a stress to the body, and stress has a number of negative consequences. In this study, women were interviewed to determine their [...]

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The Problem with Retail Multivitamins

The pharmaceutical company Wyeth has recently announced a new multivitamin in their Centrum® line. It is called “Carb Assist,” and is advertised as a product to help the body process carbohydrates (see product here). It is clearly trying to tap into the growing market of health-conscious individuals who have discovered that excess carbohydrates in the [...]

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Migraine Sufferers Spend 70% More on Health Care

Families with a migraine sufferer spent an average of $4700 more per year on health care than families without a migraine sufferer. The spouse of a migraine sufferer had health care costs that were an average of 24% higher than average. Chronic and recurring pain of any type is exhausting and frustrating. Unfortunately, standard medications [...]

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Hydrotherapy Benefits Heart Failure

The latest edition of the American Heart Journal (October 2003) finally acknowledges one of the most basic naturopathic therapies: hydrotherapy. A study involving patients with chronic heart failure had them apply alternating hot and cold water three times a day to their arms and legs. As the press release reported: “After hydrotherapy, patients reported improvements [...]

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