Ask Dr. Sheryl

Splendiferous Cruciferous!

2012-01-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

Cruciferous vegetables, also known as brassicas, are splendid indeed. Brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, kale, and kohlrabi may look unassuming, but they are powerhouses of phytonutrients that can protect against cancer.
Cruciferous veggies contain the sulphur compound glucosolinate. When glucosolinate is broken down, isothiocyanates and indol-3-carbinol are formed. Indole-3-carbinol helps break down and eliminate excess estrogens, preventing the development or growth of estrogen sensitive cancers. In addition, cruciferous vegetables contain folate, vitamin C, carotenoids, chlorophyll, fiber, flavinoids, lignans, and phytosterols—all of which have been shown to have cancer preventative effects.
In addition, brassicas contain selenium, a nutrient needed for producing thyroid hormone. This is a good thing because if you eat too many raw brassicas, it can negatively affect thyroid activity. But no fear, all you have to do is cook the vegetables to break down the goitrogens (compounds that can cause a goiter). Even lightly steaming will suffice.
Brassicas are eaten around the world. Cabbage is a key ingredient in Russian borscht, stuffed with meat in German cabbage rouladen, and shredded and tossed with ginger and seasoned vinegar to accompany Vietnamese dishes. Broccoli can be easily tossed in to stir frys, steamed and served with beurre blanc or creamed into a soup. Never tried kohlrabi? Think of it as a crunchy vegetable snack, mildly cabbage flavored, that can be eaten raw simply sliced or julienned into salads. Kohlrabi used to be one of my favorite things to give out as samples at the farmer’s market because most people had never tried it and were surprised at how much they liked it.
Cruciferous vegetables keep well in the refrigerator, so stock up this week and challenge yourself to prepare each brassica three different ways. Here is my favorite sauce to use with brassicas—toss it with shredded cabbage for a salad, use as a dipping sauce for kohlrabi slices, or add to stir frys:
2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon crushed ginger (I use the kind in jars)
chopped cilantro to taste, if desired

Does cold weather cause a cold?

2011-12-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

With cold, comes a cold

Spring and summer comes, colds and flus cease. Fall and winter comes, colds and flus are abundant as well as ear infections, tonsillitis, and the whole gamut of respiratory/mucous membrane derived illnesses. We keep hearing, however, that cold weather doesn't cause colds.
Perhaps it's exposure to germs. Do our kids really get less exposure to germs in the summer when they are playing on playgrounds, going to the public swimming pool, going to sleep away camp or day camp, or just being exposed to all the germs you bring home from work, the grocery store, etc.?
Maybe it's ingestion of sugar. Does Halloween followed by the holidays start a sugar spiral that leads down a path of diminishing white cell function ending in sickness? While I'm not happy my kids have received what seems like an increasing amount of candy in elementary school as rewards, I cannot say that I limit their sugar intake in the summer when we have ice cream, birthday parties, and salt water taffy at the coast (not to mention sweets at the county fair and zoo).
So why oh why do kids get sick when the weather turns cold? Yes, cold weather DOES put people at risk for getting sick. But why?
First of all, enzymes and immune factors work best at warm temperatures. When you breathe in cold air, the mucous membranes of your nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs, decrease in temperature enough to effect the activity of enzymes and immune factors that keep you healthy. If the rest of your body is warm enough by wearing adequate clothing, your body can warm these tissues internally. However, if your skin is not well protected and your whole body is losing heat, the tissues cannot be warmed sufficiently. If the decrease in temperature is long enough (such as when kids are playing outdoors, seeing the Zoo lights or Grotto, picking out a Christmas tree at a farm, or just leaving the home thermostat low without wearing winter clothing), viruses and bacteria that are in our everyday environment can multiply and create pain and inflammation.
But wait, some people get sick in cold weather and others don't. So it must be a question of susceptibility, right?
Yes, some people are more susceptible to the effects of cold weather--if they are not properly bundled up. There are some homeopathic constitutions--people who chronically need certain homeopathic remedies--that tend get sick in the cold. A couple of examples are Calcerea carbonica and Silica. Sometimes giving these people their remedy will quickly restore balance and immune function after exposure to cold.
There are also 'acute' remedies which may be given when anyone becomes ill after being exposed to cold air. Each remedy matches a particular symptom pattern:

Aconite--sickness happens after exposure to cold wind, especially getting cold after being hot (child is running around without a jacket, even sweating, but then does not put on extra clothing when they cool down after playing and become cold). This is the child that always gets sick at night (when the doctors office is closed). They wake sometime during the night, sometimes only after a half hour sleeping, with feverish symptoms. The child has one cheek red the other cheek pale. They may complain of ear pain and one ear may be hot and red. They may complain of throat pain, difficulty swallowing, stomach pain, and may be anxious or irritable. A dose of homeopathic aconite can clear up these symptoms--yes, even an ear infection.

Belladonna--(often the acute of Calc carb) when the fever is sudden and spikes high, this is the remedy often needed. The child will be flushed in the face but hands are cold. Pupils look dilated, eyes glassy. Any pain, whether in the ears, head or throat, is throbbing and intense. Symptoms are usually on the right side. They may also have heaviness in the sinuses and a barking cough. They feel better with a cold cloth applied to hot parts. They are not thirsty and it will likely be difficult to get them to drink enough fluids, which you want them to do because their temperature is high. Give these kids a dose of Belladonna.

Bryonia--this type of flu comes on more slowly, over the course of 2 or three days after being exposed to cold weather. The child is thirsty and wants to lay perfectly still, wrapped up. Body aches may be the biggest complaint accompanying the fever although they may also have a headache, stomachache, vomiting, and constipation. Parents may get annoyed because in this state the child wants to be left alone yet is also demanding, asking for things and then not wanting them, putting a blanket on then throwing it off. Nothing makes them happy or comfortable in this state except to lay down.

Hepar sulph--often the acute of Silica. Especially when ears are sensitive to cold, hepar sulph may be the answer for an infection. Pains whether in the ear or throat feel like a splinter or sharp, piercing pain. Colds quickly move into sinusitis or tonsillitis and when swallowing, the pain extends to the ear. They can have a croupy cough with hoarseness and laryngitis or an bronchial rattle or both with the dry cough at night and a loose cough in the morning. This may even evolve into a pneumonia. This is the child most likely to be given antibiotics because of all the mucous and/or pus, however, a dose or two of Hepar sulph may be all that's needed to get them on the path to healing.

Prevention, of course, is always the best treatment. Wrap up when going outside. Make sure kids put on more clothing after they have been running around (especially when playing in the snow). Wear a hat. If you exercise and get sweaty, make sure to dry off and put on layers before your cool down. Remember that temperatures dip suddenly in winter when the sun is low in the sky or wind picks up. Keep an eye on kids that won't notice the cold until their nose and hands are frozen and they are shivering. Lastly, come in to the naturopathic doctor when these symptoms arise. Even if you are able to give the right remedy at home, we can look in their ears, listen to their lungs and make sure they are getting better so You can enjoy your holidays!

no wheat, no disease?

2011-10-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Many people have found the miracle cure for ailments from eczema to diabetes: eliminate wheat from the diet. Dr. William Davis discovered the benefits of eliminating wheat from his diet, used this prescription with multiple patients who also had good results. This experience culminated in a new book: "Wheat Belly". In this book Dr. Davis explains the glycemic index of foods and the dangers of wheat in particular--even "healthy whole grain wheat". Click on the link below to watch Dr. Davis give an explanation of his findings:

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/SUS213_DrWilliamDavis_101711_WS

For years we have been told that cholesterol and fat are the dangerous food ingredients to eliminate from the diet. Supposedly, eliminating these decreases the chance of getting heart disease. However, in the last 20 years since we've heard this prescription purported in the U.S., rates of obesity, pre-diabetes, diabetes, and other diseases leading to coronary artery disease have skyrocketed.

In addition other diseases have been on the rise as well: migraines, auto immune disorders, gastrointestinal disorders. Many people have found that eliminating wheat by avoiding all gluten containing foods has helped with these disorders. "Gluten-free" is the new slogan. However, Dr. Davis explains that although going gluten free can help with some diseases, consuming lots of high glycemic gluten free foods will not decrease the chance of blood sugar disorders or help you lose weight.

While going wheat free or gluten free, it is important to continue good food practices such as decreasing or eliminating completely refined flours from your diet. Many gluten free foods and recipes contain or call for tapioca flour, corn starch, and other high glycemic refined foods that can cause your blood sugar to spike. This happens espcially when combined with sugar such as in pancakes, cookies, and cakes where these flours are typically used.

In addition to raising blood sugar, these simple starches can feed bacteria and yeast that may be at the root of your stomach issues. So if you are going gluten free or wheat free because of constipation, diarrhea, pain or indigestion, make sure you are using whole food flours such as coconut flour, almond meal, and whole grains in limited quantity (such as brown rice flour) for your wheat free recipes.

You may think it's no fun to try going wheat free, but when you see the benefits such as weight loss, pain relief, and less need for medications you will be willing to put in the effort and extra cost of making delicious wheat free foods.

Check out Dr. Davis book and check out my gluten free cooking videos at www.vimeo.com/channels/healherenow

Natural remedies vs. medical in daily lifestyle practices

2011-09-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

The doctor I work with and I were recently looking at real pricing of pharmaceuticals vs. natural remedies. We did this because I myself needed treatment for a gastrointestinal problem resulting from a trip overseas. Having no pharmaceutical coverage on health insurance, I inquired about the cost of my prescription before putting in the order. How much do you think my prescription was going to cost me? $100? $200? $300? The answer: $780 at the local pharmacy, $680 at Walmart.

Yes $680! We quickly changed plans and chose some herbal remedies off the shelf and muscle tested them. 4 of them helped the weak/affected organ. Some scientific research on the herbs in these products revealed that in fact they have been proven to treat the disease responsible for my symptoms. Total retail price for the remedies: $100.

While dropping $100 at the naturopathic doctor's office for natural remedies sounds expensive, remember that the reason it sounds expensive is that we have become accustomed to having our healthcare needs paid for by insurance. We no longer realise the cost of healthcare (aside from our monthly pay-out to have insurance coverage, of course).

Another reason why natural remedies are preferable to pharmaceutical: side effects. A recent news article covered the effects of over the counter antibiotic ointment
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/14/mrsa-in-u-s-becoming-resistant-to-over-the-counter-ointment/
It seems that due to the ubiquitous use of neomycin antibiotic ointment, MRSA (an antibiotic resistant strain of Staph bacteria) is on the rise. If you look on the internet, you can find multiple ways of treating MRSA infections and non-MRSA skin infections. Many essential oils and herbs can be used to kill harmful bacteria and heal skin wounds. If we used several types of these remedies throughout our life instead of relying on one single antibiotic, antibiotic resistance would likely not occur. Sometimes, it's not even a medication that is needed. Changing the pH of the skin (even treating MRSA infections with extreme pH changes) can yield total resolution of infection.

On that note, I'll give you a freebie. Your skin should be slightly acidic. Acidity of the skin fights bacteria. Although your skin cells have a pH of 7 which is neutral, the sweat and other secretions bring the pH down to about a 5-6. When you use soap, your skin becomes more alkaline. High alkalinity (pH 11) such as that found in chlorinated pools can kill bacteria as well. Bleach water is often suggested for MRSA infections. However when your skin's pH is slightly changed by soap or chlorine and you walk away with a pH of 7, 8, or 9, your skin is left without much defense against bacteria. Decreasing your use of soaps or even rinsing with a slightly acidic spray (diluted vinegar or acidified water) can help keep your skin remain slightly acidic.

In addition, diet can play a role in decreasing the need for pharmaceuticals. Did yo know that when you ingest refined sugar, the bacteria fighting ability of your white blood cells decrease? This is true for simple sugars like fructose, honey, and sucrose, but not carbohydrates. Learning to eat properly can help your body not only fight off various chronic diseases, but actually help fight bacteria on a daily basis.

Simple remedies and lifestyle practices should be all you need to fight of the bacteria we come in contact with on a daily basis. Decreasing our dependance on pharmaceuticals not only saves money in the long run, but can help our society avoid the pitfalls of medication resistant diseases in the future.

Anxiety, is meditation enough?

2011-08-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

I love to peruse health and wellness magazines, see what's "hot" and what old information is declared a "new help for X disease". Sometimes I am reminded about an herb that is quite useful or I'll find a good recipe. An article about anxiety caught me eye recently. It listed a bunch of homeopathic remedies that could be taken to ease anxiety. They were good suggestions, however, sometimes there is an underlying cause of anxiety that needs to be treated. Here are two recent patient cases:

patient A: Anxiety and depression for no apparent reason. Anxiety is greater when in charge of a big undertaking--or little undertaking such as having overnight guests for a family gathering. Testing showed very high cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stimulating hormone often referred to in the "fight or flight" response. Our treatment plan included finding a cause of the high cortisol (pituitary tumor? inflammation in the body? Blood sugar dysregulation? Use of steroid creams or inhalers?) and treating it. Treatment plan started initially with a supplement that breaks down excess cortisol. This gave a good degree of relief to the patient.

Patient B: Anxiety long term that is worse when thinking about work. Heart palpitations at night and mild chest pain/discomfort when anxious or exercising. Laboratory tests revealed LOW cortisol. Also this person is a vegan, which means less of certain specific nutrients, in this case Taurine which has anxiolytic effects as well as strengthens the heart muscle. After one month on adrenal support (adrenals make cortisol), anxiety was mostly gone and palpitations were decreased. The addition of taurine capsules will likely take care of the heart issues and any small amount of anxiety that may be present. She was also referred to a cardiologist for a work up just in case.

Doing mediation, exercisiing, and taking the occasional homeopathic or herb can all help with anxiety. However, for long term problems, consider going to a naturopathic physician to get appropriate testing and an individual treatment plan tailored for you.

Washing in the Jordan

2011-07-20T14:41:00.001-07:00

I have a friend who has been battling breast cancer for over 8 years. She has mainly used conventional medicine including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Recently, we started using NAET treatments to change her body's response to the cancer and help with pain. Also, I chose a homeopathic medicine to bring the body back into balance.

She started to feel stronger and have less symptoms which were unrelated to the cancer such as stomachaches. Since the little sugar pills of homeopathy and simple accupressure of NAET seemed like magic on the one hand and nothing on the other hand, it made my friend wonder. Why would God have her do this type of simple treatment after years of severe and harsh therapies and prayers to cure the cancer. If God could cure something so easily, why would he not just heal her miraculously with prayer only?

The answer she got came from a story in the bible in II Kings chapter 5....

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a]
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

My friend doesn't know why after all these years of medicine she is still battling cancer and why God would now have her do some simple treatments to feel better and hopefully be cured. But she has decided that if this is what she is meant to do at this time, she will do it.

I myself would like to be able to just pray and have people be healed. It would certainly be easier--no continuing education units to fulfill, no reasearch to be done. But for whatever reason, it seems we are meant to understand health and disease and go through a process of regaining health. Sometimes that process includes simple treatments we think are too easy to be effective. Yet when we follow through, good results are acheived.

Parasites--in my backyard?

2011-06-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ever had fatigue, chronically low iron, diarrhea, tummy aches, abdominal bloating, pain in the appendix area, anal itching, unexplained weight loss, or lack of appetite? Could be parasites.
Here is a list of some parasites common in our the U.S.:
pinworms
roundworms
Giardia
toxoplasma
trichinella
tapeworm

It is estimated that up to 1/3 of American children may have pinworms with the rate in all ages being 11%. Since eggs are transmitted easily from person to person, it is common for an entire family to be infected.
Pinworm eggs can be found in soil, on pets, in dust (therefore inhaled in air), on surfaces such as toilet seats, towels, and bedsheets. Eggs are hardy and can survive quite awhile outside a host. A common place to find them is under fingernails. This is why thumb sucking or biting nails is not a good idea. It is also not a good idea to use your finger as a pacifier for your baby. Many people now think that exposing kids and babies to germs is a good idea, but this philosophy does not apply to parasites.
Pinworms can infect one host for years. The adult pinworm will lay eggs around the anus and when the eggs hatch, the larvae will crawl up into the gastrointestinal tract. A favorite place for them to colonize is the colon and appendix. They can also migrate to the female genital area causing vulvovaginitis or urinary tract infections. In fact, one report indicated that 36% of young girls with urinary tract infection also had pinworms.
The treatment for pinworms is simple but must be followed completely. In addition to medication, certain cleanliness rules must be followed such as washing surfaces in hot water or cleanser daily and changing clothes daily for the treatment period.

Since pinworms mature from egg to adult in 2 weeks, it is recommended that medication should be repeated after two weeks. Since eggs can survive outside the body on sufaces for a number of days, this time frame could change. Sometimes, treatment for an entire family may go on for a year.

Roundworms--these are transmitted by ingesting infected soil or vegetables or by close contact with pets who walk on tainted soil or have become infected themselves by eating tainted dirt or feces or simply licking paws or fur containing eggs. Pets that get roundworms include (but not limited to) dogs, cats, and chickens. This is why you should prevent your dog from eating soil and feces, keep a clean henhouse, and why you should keep pets off of surfaces such as tables, couches, and the like. Treating your pets regularly for worms or using a prophylactic medication and picking up their feces daily is very important.

With a roundworm infection, there can be intermittent fevers and respiratory problems. Unexplained respiratory problems (shortness of breath, dry cough, and accompanying fatigue and/or loss of appetite).

Tapeworm--
the tapeworm is less common in developed countries where sanitation is adequate. However, given the rise of travel and the length of possible infestation of a host (20 years), in addition to aquiring foods from abroad, anyone who has eaten undercooked contaminated pork, beef, or fish can get a tapeworm. Tapeworm can also be transmitted from food handlers who do not wash their hands properly after using the restroom. Since the infection is common in South America and Mexico, food handlers from these areas are especially in danger of transmitting the parasite to unsuspecting consumers. Symptoms include upper abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and low iron. Many times this type of parasite is asymptomatic. A host can become symptomatic years after initial exposure.

Giardia--giardia typically presents a bit more acute with diarrhea, mucous in stools, abdominal pain and excessive gas. It is transmitted easily from person to person but gets the most publicity as being a water contaminant. It has been found in municipal water, but usually people get infected by drinking water in the outdoors--from streams or by getting river water in the mouth during swimming or activities such as waterskiing. Animals can harbor giardia as seen from the above picture of giardia in a gerbil.

Toxoplasmosis--
This is the well known litter box parasite, with cat feces being a well known transmitter of the parasite. Since cats who use litter boxes often walk on tables, countertops, beds, and other surfaces, toxoplasma eggs can really be anywhere. In addition, sandboxes and flower beds which tend to be favorite toilets for cats can harbor toxoplasma which can live outside a host for a number of months. Washing hands after cleaning a cat box is extremely important.
Raw meat can also have toxoplasma so it is important to fully cook pork, lamb, and venison.
Acute symptoms of toxoplasmosis infection is enlarged lymph nodes and muscle aches. These symptoms can last for a number of weeks to months. Toxoplasmosis is most troublesome to those with a weakened immune system and pregnant women. It is estimated that 11% of women of childbearing age in the U.S. have antibodies (have been exposed) to toxolplasmosis.
Toxoplasmosis has also been linked to depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Because these diseases are so prevalant in our culture, I feel that we as a community should begin focusing on this disease and require more restrictions on cat freedom. The toxoplasma parastie decreases levels of tyrosine and affects levels of dopamine in the brain. Low levels of dopamine have been associated with changes in voluntary movement (Parkinsons), lactation, sexual gratification, mood, sleep, attention, working memory, and learning.

Trichinella--
this is the "pork" parasite--a parasite which is often the reason people do not eat pork. However, trichinella can also infect bears, foxes, rodents, raccoons, horses, and walruses. Any of these meats not properly cooked can transmit the infection. Cases are seen in the U.S. and Europe yearly, so this is yet another parasite that resides in developed countries.
Symptoms include fever, myalgias, malaise, and edema. Muscle pain and weakness may persist after initial reaction has subsided.

To give you an idea of how common parasites are, I recently sent in a test for a patient who has lived in the west coast U.S. for 18 years with a short trip to Mexico 10 years ago and a history of travelling to Africa prior to the 18 years. This patient owns a cat and a dog. The test came back positive for roundworm, tapeworm, and ameba histolytica.

Parasites is never a pleasant topic to discuss, but I hope that it has encouraged you to have better hygiene at home and with your pets as well as possibly getting tested for parasites. This is done by a stool and saliva testing. For pinworms, you can do this initial test: buy a whole fresh pineapple and eat as much of it as you can in 2-3 days (one pineapple per person). Observe your stools for the next few days to note presence of pinworms (see picture). If you see these, consider taking anti-parasitic medication which is available over the counter.

A complete Gastrointestinal Health Panel (which will also find any overgrowth of candida or bacteria) via stool and saliva samples costs $285. Your insurance may reimburse you. Please consider getting this test done through our office if you have any gastrointestinal complaints.

More on fluoridation of drinking water

2011-05-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

The following is a cut and paste from a website: nofluoride.com I am posting it's contents in entirety because I have seen too much information like this become unavailable on the web. Following the statement are many, many, many scientific studies proving the ill-effects of fluoride, including ADHD. My Sept. 20th 2010 blogpost reflects on a case study here in my office of fluorsis, so I recommend reading that after this statement:

WHY EPA'S HEADQUARTERS UNION OF SCIENTISTS OPPOSES FLUORIDATION
The following documents why our union, formerly National Federation of Federal Employees Local 2050 and since April 1998 Chapter 280 of the National Treasury Employees Union, took the stand it did opposing fluoridation of drinking water supplies. Our union is comprised of and represents the approximately 1500 scientists, lawyers, engineers and other professional employees at EPA Headquarters here in Washington, D.C.
The union first became interested in this issue rather by accident. Like most Americans, including many physicians and dentists, most of our members had thought that fluoride's only effects were beneficial - reductions in tooth decay, etc. We too believed assurances of safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation .
Then, as EPA was engaged in revising its drinking water standard for fluoride in 1985, an employee came to the union with a complaint: he said he was being forced to write into the regulation a statement to the effect that EPA thought it was alright for children to have "funky" teeth. It was OK, EPA said, because it considered that condition to be only a cosmetic effect, not an adverse health effect. The reason for this EPA position was that it was under political pressure to set its health-based standard for fluoride at 4 mg/liter. At that level, EPA knew that a significant number of children develop moderate to severe dental fluorosis, but since it had deemed the effect as only cosmetic, EPA didn't have to set its health-based standard at a lower level to prevent it.
We tried to settle this ethics issue quietly, within the family, but EPA was unable or unwilling to resist external political pressure, and we took the fight public with a union amicus curiae brief in a lawsuit filed against EPA by a public interest group. The union has published on this initial involvement period in detail.\1
Since then our opposition to drinking water fluoridation has grown, based on the scientific literature documenting the increasingly out-of-control exposures to fluoride, the lack of benefit to dental health from ingestion of fluoride and the hazards to human health from such ingestion. These hazards include acute toxic hazard, such as to people with impaired kidney function, as well as chronic toxic hazards of gene mutations, cancer, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, bone pathology and dental fluorosis. First, a review of recent neurotoxicity research results.
In 1995, Mullenix and co-workers \2 showed that rats given fluoride in drinking water at levels that give rise to plasma fluoride concentrations in the range seen in humans suffer neurotoxic effects that vary according to when the rats were given the fluoride - as adult animals, as young animals, or through the placenta before birth. Those exposed before birth were born hyperactive and remained so throughout their lives. Those exposed as young or adult animals displayed depressed activity. Then in 1998, Guan and co-workers \3 gave doses similar to those used by the Mullenix research group to try to understand the mechanism(s) underlying the effects seen by the Mullenix group. Guan's group found that several key chemicals in the brain - those that form the membrane of brain cells - were substantially depleted in rats given fluoride, as compared to those who did not get fluoride.
Another 1998 publication by Varner, Jensen and others \4 reported on the brain- and kidney damaging effects in rats that were given fluoride in drinking water at the same level deemed "optimal" by pro-fluoridation groups, namely 1 part per million (1 ppm). Even more pronounced damage was seen in animals that got the fluoride in conjunction with aluminum. These results are especially disturbing because of the low dose level of fluoride that shows the toxic effect in rats - rats are more resistant to fluoride than humans. This latter statement is based on Mullenix's finding that it takes substantially more fluoride in the drinking water of rats than of humans to reach the same fluoride level in plasma. It is the level in plasma that determines how much fluoride is "seen" by particular tissues in the body. So when rats get 1 ppm in drinking water, their brains and kidneys are exposed to much less fluoride than humans getting 1 ppm, yet they are experiencing toxic effects. Thus we are compelled to consider the likelihood that humans are experiencing damage to their brains and kidneys at the "optimal" level of 1 ppm.
In support of this concern are results from two epidemiology studies from China\5,\6 that show decreases in I.Q. in children who get more fluoride than the control groups of children in each study. These decreases are about 5 to 10 I.Q. points in children aged 8 to 13 years.
Another troubling brain effect has recently surfaced: fluoride's interference with the function of the brain's pineal gland. The pineal gland produces melatonin which, among other roles, mediates the body's internal clock, doing such things as governing the onset of puberty. Jennifer Luke\7 has shown that fluoride accumulates in the pineal gland and inhibits its production of melatonin. She showed in test animals that this inhibition causes an earlier onset of sexual maturity, an effect reported in humans as well in 1956, as part of the Kingston/Newburgh study, which is discussed below. In fluoridated Newburgh, young girls experienced earlier onset of menstruation (on average, by six months) than girls in non-fluoridated Kingston \8.
From a risk assessment perspective, all these brain effect data are particularly compelling and disturbing because they are convergent.
We looked at the cancer data with alarm as well. There are epidemiology studies that are convergent with whole-animal and single-cell studies (dealing with the cancer hazard), just as the neurotoxicity research just mentioned all points in the same direction. EPA fired the Office of Drinking Water's chief toxicologist, Dr. William Marcus, who also was our local union's treasurer at the time, for refusing to remain silent on the cancer risk issue\9 . The judge who heard the lawsuit he brought against EPA over the firing made that finding - that EPA fired him over his fluoride work and not for the phony reason put forward by EPA management at his dismissal. Dr. Marcus won his lawsuit and is again at work at EPA. Documentation is available on request.
The type of cancer of particular concern with fluoride, although not the only type, is osteosarcoma, especially in males. The National Toxicology Program conducted a two-year study \10 in which rats and mice were given sodium fluoride in drinking water. The positive result of that study (in which malignancies in tissues other than bone were also observed), particularly in male rats, is convergent with a host of data from tests showing fluoride's ability to cause mutations (a principal "trigger" mechanism for inducing a cell to become cancerous) e.g.\11a, b, c, d and data showing increases in osteosarcomas in young men in New Jersey \12 , Washington and Iowa \13 based on their drinking fluoridated water. It was his analysis, repeated statements about all these and other incriminating cancer data, and his requests for an independent, unbiased evaluation of them that got Dr. Marcus fired.
Bone pathology other than cancer is a concern as well. An excellent review of this issue was published by Diesendorf et al. in 1997 \14. Five epidemiology studies have shown a higher rate of hip fractures in fluoridated vs. non-fluoridated communities. \15a, b, c, d, e. Crippling skeletal fluorosis was the endpoint used by EPA to set its primary drinking water standard in 1986, and the ethical deficiencies in that standard setting process prompted our union to join the Natural Resources Defense Council in opposing the standard in court, as mentioned above.
Regarding the effectiveness of fluoride in reducing dental cavities, there has not been any double-blind study of fluoride's effectiveness as a caries preventative. There have been many, many small scale, selective publications on this issue that proponents cite to justify fluoridation, but the largest and most comprehensive study, one done by dentists trained by the National Institute of Dental Research, on over 39,000 school children aged 5-17 years, shows no significant differences (in terms of decayed, missing and filled teeth) among caries incidences in fluoridated, non-fluoridated and partially fluoridated communities.\16. The latest publication \17 on the fifty-year fluoridation experiment in two New York cities, Newburgh and Kingston, shows the same thing. The only significant difference in dental health between the two communities as a whole is that fluoridated Newburgh, N.Y. shows about twice the incidence of dental fluorosis (the first, visible sign of fluoride chronic toxicity) as seen in non-fluoridated Kingston.
John Colquhoun's publication on this point of efficacy is especially important\18. Dr. Colquhoun was Principal Dental Officer for Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, and a staunch supporter of fluoridation - until he was given the task of looking at the world-wide data on fluoridation's effectiveness in preventing cavities. The paper is titled, "Why I changed My Mind About Water Fluoridation." In it Colquhoun provides details on how data were manipulated to support fluoridation in English speaking countries, especially the U.S. and New Zealand. This paper explains why an ethical public health professional was compelled to do a 180 degree turn on fluoridation.
Further on the point of the tide turning against drinking water fluoridation, statements are now coming from other dentists in the pro-fluoride camp who are starting to warn that topical fluoride (e.g. fluoride in tooth paste) is the only significantly beneficial way in which that substance affects dental health \19, \20, \21. However, if the concentrations of fluoride in the oral cavity are sufficient to inhibit bacterial enzymes and cause other bacteriostatic effects, then those concentrations are also capable of producing adverse effects in mammalian tissue, which likewise relies on enzyme systems. This statement is based not only on common sense, but also on results of mutation studies which show that fluoride can cause gene mutations in mammalian and lower order tissues at fluoride concentrations estimated to be present in the mouth from fluoridated tooth paste\22. Further, there were tumors of the oral cavity seen in the NTP cancer study mentioned above, further strengthening concern over the toxicity of topically applied fluoride.
In any event, a person can choose whether to use fluoridated tooth paste or not (although finding non-fluoridated kinds is getting harder and harder), but one cannot avoid fluoride when it is put into the public water supplies.
So, in addition to our concern over the toxicity of fluoride, we note the uncontrolled - and apparently uncontrollable - exposures to fluoride that are occurring nationwide via drinking water, processed foods, fluoride pesticide residues and dental care products. A recent report in the lay media\23, that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 22 percent of America's children now have dental fluorosis, is just one indication of this uncontrolled, excess exposure. The finding of nearly 12 percent incidence of dental fluorosis among children in un-fluoridated Kingston New York\17 is another. For governmental and other organizations to continue to push for more exposure in the face of current levels of over-exposure coupled with an increasing crescendo of adverse toxicity findings is irrational and irresponsible at best.

Thus, we took the stand that a policy which makes the public water supply a vehicle for disseminating this toxic and prophylactically useless (via ingestion, at any rate) substance is wrong.

We have also taken a direct step to protect the employees we represent from the risks of drinking fluoridated water. We applied EPA's risk control methodology, the Reference Dose, to the recent neurotoxicity data. The Reference Dose is the daily dose, expressed in milligrams of chemical per kilogram of body weight, that a person can receive over the long term with reasonable assurance of safety from adverse effects. Application of this methodology to the Varner et al.\4 data leads to a Reference Dose for fluoride of 0.000007 mg/kg-day. Persons who drink about one quart of fluoridated water from the public drinking water supply of the District of Columbia while at work receive about 0.01mg/kg-day from that source alone. This amount of fluoride is more than 100 times the Reference Dose. On the basis of these results the union filed a grievance, asking that EPA provide un-fluoridated drinking water to its employees.
The implication for the general public of these calculations is clear. Recent, peer-reviewed toxicity data, when applied to EPA's standard method for controlling risks from toxic chemicals, require an immediate halt to the use of the nation's drinking water reservoirs as disposal sites for the toxic waste of the phosphate fertilizer industry\24.
This document was prepared on behalf of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 280 by Chapter Senior Vice-President J. William Hirzy, Ph.D. For more information please call Dr. Hirzy at 202-260-4683. His E-mail address is
END NOTE LITERATURE CITATIONS
1.Applying the NAEP code of ethics to the Environmental Protection Agency and the fluoride in drinking water standard. Carton, R.J. and Hirzy, J.W. Proceedings of the 23rd Ann. Conf. of the National Association of Environmental Professionals. 20-24 June, 1998. GEN 51-61. On-line at URL http//:www.rvi.net/~fluoride/naep.cfm
2.Neurotoxicity of sodium fluoride in rats. Mullenix, P.J., Denbesten, P.K., Schunior, A. and Kernan, W.J. Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 17 169-177 (1995)
3. Influence of chronic fluorosis on membrane lipids in rat brain. Z.Z. Guan, Y.N. Wang, K.Q. Xiao, D.Y. Dai, Y.H. Chen, J.L. Liu, P. Sindelar and G. Dallner, Neurotoxicology and Teratology 20 537-542 (1998).

4. Chronic administration of aluminum- fluoride or sodium-fluoride to rats in drinking water: alterations in neuronal and cerebrovascular integrity. Varner, J.A., Jensen, K.F., Horvath, W. And Isaacson, R.L. Brain Research 784 284-298 (1998).
5. Effect of high fluoride water supply on children's intelligence. Zhao, L.B., Liang, G.H., Zhang, D.N., and Wu, X.R. Fluoride 29 190-192 (1996)
6.. Effect of fluoride exposure on intelligence in children. Li, X.S., Zhi, J.L., and Gao, R.O. Fluoride 28 (1995).
7. Effect of fluoride on the physiology of the pineal gland. Luke, J.A. Caries Research 28 204 (1994).

8. Newburgh-Kingston caries-fluorine study XIII. Pediatric findings after ten years. Schlesinger, E.R., Overton, D.E., Chase, H.C., and Cantwell, K.T. JADA 52 296-306 (1956).
9. Memorandum dated May 1, 1990. Subject: Fluoride Conference to Review the NTP Draft Fluoride Report; From: Wm. L. Marcus, Senior Science Advisor ODW; To: Alan B. Hais, Acting Director Criteria & Standards Division ODW.
10. Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of sodium fluoride in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice. NTP Report No. 393 (1991).
11a. Chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, unscheduled DNA synthesis and morphological neoplastic transformation in Syrian hamster embryo cells. Tsutsui et al. Cancer Research 44 938-941 (1984).
11b. Cytotoxicity, chromosome aberrations and unscheduled DNA synthesis in cultured human diploid fibroblasts. Tsutsui et al. Mutation Research 139 193-198 (1984).
11c. Positive mouse lymphoma assay with and without S-9 activation; positive sister chromatid exchange in Chinese hamster ovary cells with and without S-9 activation; positive chromosome aberration without S-9 activation. Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of sodium fluoride in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice. NTP Report No. 393 (1991).
11d. An increase in the number of Down's syndrome babies born to younger mothers in cities following fluoridation. Science and Public Policy 12 36-46 (1985).
12. A brief report on the association of drinking water fluoridation and the incidence of osteosarcoma among young males. Cohn, P.D. New Jersey Department of Health (1992).
13. Surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) program. National Cancer Institute in Review of fluoride benefits and risks. Department of Health and Human Services. F1-F7 (1991).
14. New evidence on fluoridation. Diesendorf, M., Colquhoun, J., Spittle, B.J., Everingham, D.N., and Clutterbuck, F.W. Australian and New Zealand J. Public Health. 21 187-190 (1997).
15a. Regional variation in the incidence of hip fracture: U.S. white women aged 65 years and older. Jacobsen, S.J., Goldberg, J., Miles, ,T.P. et al. JAMA 264 500-502 (1990)
15b. Hip fracture and fluoridation in Utah's elderly population. Danielson, C., Lyon, J.L., Egger, M., and Goodenough, G.K. JAMA 268 746-748 (1992).
15c. The association between water fluoridation and hip fracture among white women and men aged 65 years and older: a national ecological study. Jacobsen, S.J., Goldberg, J., Cooper, C. and Lockwood, S.A. Ann. Epidemiol.2 617-626 (1992).
15d. Fluorine concentration is drinking water and fractures in the elderly [letter]. Jacqmin-Gadda, H., Commenges, D. and Dartigues, J.F. JAMA 273 775-776 (1995).
15e. Water fluoridation and hip fracture [letter]. Cooper, C., Wickham, C.A.C., Barker, D.J.R. and Jacobson, S.J. JAMA 266 513-514 (1991).

16. Water fluoridation and tooth decay: Results from the 1986-1987 national survey of U.S. school children. Yiamouyannis, J. Fluoride 23 55-67 (1990).
17. Recommendations for fluoride use in children. Kumar, J.V. and Green, E.L. New York State Dent. J. (1998) 40-47.
18. Why I changed my mind about water fluoridation. Colquhoun, J. Perspectives in Biol. And Medicine 41 1-16 (1997).
19. A re-examination of the pre-eruptive and post-eruptive mechanism of the anti-caries effects of fluoride: is there any anti-caries benefit from swallowing fluoride? Limeback, H. Community Dent. Oral Epidemiol. 27 62-71 (1999).
20. Fluoride supplements for young children: an analysis of the literature focussing on benefits and risks. Riordan, P.J. Community Dent. Oral Epidemiol. 27 72-83 (1999).
21. Prevention and reversal of dental caries: role of low level fluoride. Featherstone, J.D. Community Dent. Oral Epidemiol. 27 31-40 (1999).
22. Appendix H. Review of fluoride benefits and risks. Department of Health and Human Services. H1-H6 (1991).
23.Some young children get too much fluoride. Parker-Pope, T. Wall Street Journal Dec. 21, 1998.
24. Letter from Rebecca Hanmer, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water, to Leslie Russell re: EPA view on use of by-product fluosilicic (sic) acid as low cost source of fluoride to water authorities. March 30, 1983.
OTHER CITATIONS (This short list does not include the entire literature on fluoride effects)
a. Exposure to high fluoride concentrations in drinking water is associated with decreased birth rates. Freni, S.C. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 42 109-121 (1994)
b. Ameliorative effects of reduced food-borne fluoride on reproduction in silver foxes. Eckerlin, R.H., Maylin, G.A., Krook, L., and Carmichael, D.T. Cornell Vet. 78 75-91 (1988).
c. Milk production of cows fed fluoride contaminated commercial feed. Eckerlin, R.H., Maylin, G.A., and Krook, L. Cornell Vet. 76 403-404 (1986).
d. Maternal-fetal transfer of fluoride in pregnant women. Calders, R., Chavine, J., Fermanian, J., Tortrat, D., and Laurent, A.M. Biol. Neonate 54 263-269 (1988).
e. Effects of fluoride on screech owl reproduction: teratological evaluation, growth, and blood chemistry in hatchlings. Hoffman, D.J., Pattee, O.H., and Wiemeyer, S.N. Toxicol. Lett. 26 19-24 (1985).
f. Fluoride intoxication in dairy calves. Maylin, G.A., Eckerlin, R.H., and Krook, L. Cornell Vet. 77 84-98 (1987).
g. Fluoride inhibition of protein synthesis. Holland, R.I. Cell Biol. Int. Rep. 3 701-705 (1979).
h. An unexpectedly strong hydrogen bond: ab initio calculations and spectroscopic studies of amide-fluoride systems. Emsley, J., Jones, D.J., Miller, J.M., Overill, R.E. and Waddilove, R.A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103 24-28 (1981).
i. The effect of sodium fluoride on the growth and differentiation of human fetal osteoblasts. Song, X.D., Zhang, W.Z., Li, L.Y., Pang, Z.L., and Tan, Y.B. Fluoride 21 149-158 (1988).
j. Modulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis by NaF and aluminum in rat cortical slices. Jope, R.S. J. Neurochem. 51 1731-1736 (1988).
k. The crystal structure of fluoride-inhibited cytochrome c peroxidase. Edwards, S.L., Poulos, T.L., Kraut, J. J. Biol. Chem. 259 12984-12988 (1984).
l. Intracellular fluoride alters the kinetic properties of calcium currents facilitating the investigation of synaptic events in hippocampal neurons. Kay, A.R., Miles, R., and Wong, R.K.S. J. Neurosci. 6 2915-2920 (1986).
m. Fluoride intoxication: a clinical-hygienic study with a review of the literature and some experimental investigations. Roholm, K. H.K. Lewis Ltd (London) (1937).
n. Toxin-induced blood vessel inclusions caused by the chronic administration of aluminum and sodium fluoride and their implications for dementia. Isaacson, R.L., Varner, J.A., and Jensen, K. F. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 825 152-166 (1997).
o. Allergy and hypersensitivity to fluoride. Spittle, B. Fluoride 26 267-273 (1993)

Salt--maybe it's good for you!

2011-05-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

When I ask patients about their diets, many are quick to say, "well, I don't eat salt....". A recent study suggests that salt may not be as bad for you as once thought. In fact, it might be good for you!

Our kidneys are in charge of excreting and retaining salt based on the needs of the blood and body. Sodium (Na+) is used by the body to transport many ions across cell membranes. In addition it fosters nerve impulse generation. Salt is also important for keeping water in the blood and improving blood pressure when too low. Most people think that high blood pressure is the main problem in our society today, but I see just as many people with low blood pressure as high, maybe even more.

Here is a link to the recent study on the effects of sodium on blood pressure and heart disease:
Salt study

The study showed that mild increases in sodium had less than a 2 point effect on blood pressure. Deaths from heart disease did not increase with higher salt. In fact, people with lower sodium scores suffered more deadly heart attacks than the higher salt group!

What's the moral of the story? Cook your own fresh whole food and don't be afraid to add a little salt.

It's Allergy Season....AGAIN

2011-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yep, that time of year. You know it's coming from the first tickle in your nose, the first sneeze, or the first time you rub your eyes and realise the irritation isn't going to go away...for a long time.

Luckily, we have ways to treat hayfever. Herbs and homeopathy work great for some, but you have to keep taking it through the allergy season. The most permanent way to treat allergies is through NAET allergy treatments.

Different from typical allergy treatments, NAET uses accupressure rather than shots--nice for kids. Also, a single allergy (say grass) can be treated with as few as one treatment. Treated allergies can be gone for a long time. Best case scenario, forever.

We recently treated a 7yo boy for allergies. On Easter his family had an easter egg hunt outside. Their neighbor had just cut his lawn. The boy didn't get the spring hayfever symptoms he had in previous years. However, his identical twin brother had swollen, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing before the day was done. The parents had decided to treat the brother with the worst allergies first. Now they were able to see just how effective the treatment was.

One woman felt immediate sinus relief and relief of a headache she had had for days due to spring allergies during an NAET treatment for pollens.

NAET can be used for food allergies as well. Over the last few months, I treated two babies who had a similar allergy but different symptoms. The two month old was chubby--very chubby, obese really--and his mom complained that he ate (breast milk) all the time. The other baby was 3 months old and had failure to thrive. He was only 11 pounds, having only gained 3.5 pounds since birth. He hadn't gained any weight until they put him on a raw goat milk plus vegetable oil formula. He seemed to want to eat often, but wouldn't eat much at one time and seemed very fussy much of the time.

Both babies were sensitive to glucose. We tested this with muscle testing. After treating both babies for sensitivity to glucose, the chubby baby cut his feedings in half on his own and looked more like a healthy plump baby after a week than an obese baby. In addition, he was more alert, making more of an effort to look me in the eye and smile. The smaller baby began feeding better and not being as fussy. In addition, his yeasty diaper rash had almost cleared up. After a treatment for sensitivity to animal fat, he went back breastfeeding which until that time he had refused. In a week and a half he gained over a pound.

If you have hayfever or food allergies, consider NAET treatments. Call for an appointment at 360-573-2273

Tears--A Natural Stress Release

2011-03-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Watching videos of Japanese Tsunami victims in the last month really touched me as I know it has many people. I noticed something: eventhough the Japanese people are known for expressing little emotion (even covering their mouths when they giggle), they couldn't help but burst out crying in certain situations. The tears flowed, from little ones during the tsunami and happy tears of people of all ages when being reunited with family members. Whether their crying expressed sadness or fear, it was clear that this tumultous event forced their tears to flood and overflow the walls of learned proper social behavior.

Why do people cry?

Research has revealed several hormones in tears, most notably ACTH. ACTH is adrenocorticotropic hormone. It is released from the pituitary gland and signals the adrenals to produce more cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for supporting the fight or flight response, so during times of stress, more ACTH is released in order to increase the cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol travels to various sites in the body to increase blood sugar, increase blood pressure, and get the body ready for some serious physical activity (this is what allows people to do incredible feats such as lifting cars when someone is trapped underneath).

When we can't do anything physical about a stressful situation, cortisol is not needed and ACTH can build up. One way for the body to get rid of excess ACTH is via tears. As the stress builds internally but has no external vent (running, fighting) we feel overwhelmed and can even experience heart palpitations or hyperventilation--signs of a panic attack. Getting rid of ACTH through tears can alleviate these feelings. We have probably all experienced the feeling of completely being spent and calm after a good cry.

We must remember this in situations where crying seems unreasonable. When a cubicle worker becomes stressed out but must contain their feelings while sitting at a desk, crying may be an unavoidable occurance. Or when a child who is very upset by something but chooses not to hit or bite or run away...he may cry instead. Crying may be the most positive way to release emotions in certain situations. Crying is human.

But what if the tendency to cry is too frequent or becomes a lasting consequence of living through a tragedy? Post traumatic stress disorder can cause the body to create ACTH too quickly and at excessive levels in response to low amounts of stress. Crying and being stressed by moderate amounts of stress can be a learned reaction or a natural tendency of some people. There is help for preventing waves of stress from building, overtaking us, and resulting in tears:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy--this involves reasoning through a situation and avoiding 'all or nothing' thinking and negative outlooks.

2. Emotional Freedom Technique--this is an accupressure technique that can reduce anxiety or PTSD in certain situations

3. Homeopathy--when the tendency to cry is excessive, homeopathics can be used to heal the emotional hurt and strengthen the body. Ignatia is often used for grief. Pulsatilla benefits those who tend to cry easily from slight emotional insults.

4. Herbs--many herbs have an anxiolytic effect (reduce anxiety). They can help curb the excessive production of ACTH. Such herbs are Melissa, Hops, Passionflower, and Valerian.

So go ahead and cry when necessary, and learn to deal with chronic stressors in a healthy way.

Gluten free Christmas cookies

2010-12-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

Making Christmas cookies and need them to be gluten free? Watch this video and learn how to make Gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies and pignolas--all gluten free!
If you also need to be dairy free, just substitute butter flavor shortening or margarine for the butter in these recipes. Coconut oil may also work, but you might have to play with the amounts a bit.

Here are the recipes:
Gingerbread cookies
1-¾ cups gluten-free flour mix**
½ to ¾ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter or margarine (cold)
1-½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 egg (cold)
¼ to 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup gluten-free molasses
Combine the rice flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, xanthan gum, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix well. Cut in the butter or margarine until the mixture is in crumbs the size of peas.
In a small bowl beat the sugar, egg, and molasses together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides. Form the dough into a flat ball shape and refrigerate for one hour.
Dust some freezer paper (not wax paper) with gluten-free flour or confectioners sugar. Put the dough on the freezer paper and sprinkle with flour or confectioners sugar. Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick and cut out shapes as desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 20 cookies.
** gluten-free flour mix (or use Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking mix as we did in the video):
6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch (NOT the same as potato flour)
1 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)

Pignoli cookies (Italian Christmas cookies)
Makes 3 dozen.
Ingredients:
12 ounces almond paste
½ cup white sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
4 egg whites
1 ½ cups pine nuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Line two cookie sheets with foil; lightly grease foil. Mix almond paste and granulated sugar in food processor until smooth. Add confectioners sugar and 2 egg whites; process until smooth.
Whisk remaining 2 egg whites in small bowl. Place pine nuts on shallow plate. With lightly gluten-free floured hands roll dough into 1 inch balls. Coat balls in egg whites, shaking off excess, then roll in pine nuts, pressing lightly to stick. Arrange balls on cookie sheets, and flatten slightly to form a 1 ½ inch round. Bake 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let stand on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Sugar cookies
(I just used my usual sugar cookie recipe but substituted the homemade flour mix for flour and added 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)

3/4 cup butter (or buttery sticks)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 egg yolks
2 cups gluten free flour mix (see above)
jam--rasperry or strawberry looks nice on christmas
powdered sugar for sprinkling

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat egg yolks until frothy and add them along with salt and lemon zest. Add flour and mix, then press into a ball. Chill 1 hour or more.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour the outsides of the dough ball and press into a disc shape (making sure the outsides are not sticky). Roll out onto parchment paper until 1/4" thick. Cut shapes with cookie cutters(stars look pretty) leaving 1/3" inch between cookies. In half of them, cut a hole in the middle using either a small cookie cutter or something round like a cap from an extract bottle. Put all extra dough back in bowl to shape into a ball and roll out again on another paper.
Put parchment paper with cookies onto cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes, just until very edges start to turn golden light brown. Slide paper with cookies on it onto cooling rack or counter and do not move cookies until they are cool.
Spread 1/2-1 tsp jam on solid cookie and place on serving platter. Sprinkle powdered sugar on cookie tops (the ones with holes) using a tea ball or strainer. Place cookie tops on cookie bottoms. These cookies fare better on a platter than in a treat bag or cookie jar--of course, they will be gone before you can get them into either!

GFCF Thanksgiving

2010-11-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

I'm reposting my Gluten free casein free pumpkin pie recipe this year along with how to make casein free mashed potatoes and gluten free gravy. If you'd like to see it all done, watch this episode of Eat Here Now where I show you how to make an easy, pretty homemade pie crust:

Gluten free casein free Thanksgiving from Sheryl Wagner on Vimeo.

Here are the recipes:
Pie crust:
(this recipe calls for a brown rice flour mix which is a combination of these flours: 2 cups brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour)
1 cup brown rice flour baking mix
2-3 Tblspoons white rice (or sweet white rice) flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tblspn sugar
6 Tblspns cold unsalted butter
2-6 tspns orange juice or ice water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry cutter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add liquid one teaspoon at a time until dough sticks together when you push it into a ball. Put the dough ball on a floured surface (flour with white rice flour) until it as least the size of the bottom of the pie plate. For detailed rolling instruction, please watch video. Press dough in the pie plate until it covers the inside of the pie plate and leaves an adequate amount of dough at the top for an edge. Chill until filling and baking.

Casein free pumpkin (butternut squash) pie filling

Cut a medium butternut squash in half lengthwise and take the seeds out with a spoon. Place face down in a baking pan/casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour--until a fork easily pierces the skin. Scoop insides of squash out with a spoon. You'll need 2 1/4 cups of squash for the pie. Place squash insides into bowl and combine with
1 can of coconut milk
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup honey

Combine all ingredients and pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 45 mintues. Completely cool pie before cutting. Top slices with whipped topping.

Mashed potatoes

Peel 2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes and place in boiling water. When potatoes are easiy pierced and start to break apart with a fork, drain water. Mash potatoes with masher and add chicken stock until texture is fluffy and creamy. Add 2 tablespoons butter if butter is tolerated, otherwise, add 1/4 cup soy sour cream (you can add more of either of these ingredients to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like dill, add a few dashes of dill.

Gluten free gravy

Add 1 cup of chicken broth or white wine to juices of cooked turkey or chicken. Instead of wheat flour, add 1/2 tsp cornstarch to your meat juices and simmer and stir until thickened.

If you don't want to use cornstarch, make a reduction by adding wine to the pan meat juices and simmering until the juices reduce by half. Add a tablespoon of butter for a richer sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heal Here Now Network

2010-10-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've created an online network for cooking shows for alternative diets and other shows regarding health. The first episode featured is cooking gluten free desserts with berries. The network is called Heal Here Now. Go to
vimeo.com/channels/healherenow

check it out!

Gluten Free Berry Extravaganza from Sheryl Wagner on Vimeo.

Recipes from the Gluten Free Berry Extravaganza:
Gluten Free Raspberry Bars

1 ½ cups oat flour
½ cup white rice flour
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup tapioca flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 egg
1 can of raspberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca pearls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a saucepan, pour juice from canned raspberries and add cornstarch or tapioca. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer . Add raspberries and heat until mixture is thickened. Set aside to cool.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and mix. Add all dry ingredients and mix. Add nuts and mix. Texture of dough should be soft but not too sticky. If too wet, add more white rice flour.
Reserve 1 ½ cups mixture and press the rest into the bottom of a 9x13x 2 pan. Pour raspberry mixture over the top and spread evenly. Drop remaining mixture on top of the raspberry puree in teaspoon sized dollops.

Place on center rack in oven and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Gluten Free Dutch Baby Pancakes with blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl, combine:
½ cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup milk
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 eggs

Then in an oven proof skillet, sauté
¾ cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
until blueberries just begin to turn reddish purple and be hot throughout.
Pour batter over blueberries and place in oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until puffy at sides or it is cooked through. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving

Gluten Free Crepes with Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice flour
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1Tablespoon butter, melted

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Preheat a pan to medium. Add a small amount of butter to the pan and as soon as it is sizzling, pour ¼ cup of the batter in and immediately tilt the pan around in a circular motion to evenly distribute the batter in the bottom of the pan. When edges of crepe start looking dry and you can pull the crepe from the pan with your fingers at the edges, flip the crepe and cook the other side until done.

Berry sauce
2 cups of fresh blueberries
2-3 tablespoons sugar

Wash berries and put in heated skillet or sauce pan. It’s ok if there is some water from washing the berries still on them, in fact that will help. Add sugar. Cook and stir until berries are soft and heated through and the syrup has formed between the berries. For a really thick syrup, add ¼-1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and cook until thickened.

Place ¼ to ½ cup of cooked berries and syrup in each crepe, roll, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Finding the cause--Case study: excess fluoride

2010-09-20T10:28:00.001-07:00

I love it when a patient says I "hit the nail on the head". Choosing the right treatment approach starts with considering the symptoms and then treating the cause. The patient came in because of fatigue, but I noticed that she also had brown teeth obvously caused by high intake of fluoride. The patient confirmed that she grew up with fluoridated water and was supplemented with fluoride tablets as well. I decided to help rebalance the excess fluoride with Calc-fluor cell salts.

We also tested her adrenal function with a saliva test, and indeed she had low morning cortisol, an early indicator of adrenal fatigue. The test also revealed antibodies to gluten in the saliva.

On return visit after 7 weeks on the cell salts, and 4 weeks on an adrenal support formula and gluten free diet, the patient reported much better energy throughout the day. She was able to get out of bed feeling refreshed, hike, homeschool her 4 kids, do house and farm chores and still have enough energy to make a home cooked dinner. Also, her joint pain and stiffness had disappeared. In addition, her menses had been lighter and not crampy in the last month.

She was excited at the quick results saying that another doctor had just wanted to focus on her thyroid nodules and she never felt better. I grabbed a homeopathy book of the shelf and looked up Calc fluor. Not only was it indicated for dark crumbling teeth, but also joint pain and stiffness, heavy menses during perimenopause, and thyroid growths and tumors! I take this to mean that people who need calc fluor are people who need a rebalancing of calcium and fluoride and these people most likely need that balancing because of flourosis from excess fluoride in water.

After she left I researched thyroid problems in people with fluorosis and there has been alot of research linking thyroid problems to high fluoride/low iodine areas. Most of the research has been done in India and China where the ground water is contaminated with fluoride, so the problems of fluorosis has been endemic for decades. Having research done in other countries and sometimes only available in other languages can make it difficult for the doctor in the U.S. to make proper connections. It is well known that fluorosis of the bones (osteofluorosis) can cause back and joint pain.

Why did the previous doc not consider the fluoride connection? Possibly because he or she didn't have the tool of homeopathy. Naturopathic doctors and homeopaths can use homeopathy as a research tool, as I did in this case, as well as a treatment. Sometimes doctors don't look into a problem if they have no way to treat it. The American Dental Association has suggestions for lightening the teeth that have become darkened due to excess fluoride, but both they and the American Medical Association SUPPORT fluoridation of water! The only treatment regarding fluorosis by standard M.D. care I could find is the use of steroids for joint pain.

Then because of writing this blog, I came upon research that says that 33% of children ages 12-15 in the U.S. have symptoms of too much fluoride intake. Yet the same site insists that fluoridation of water is safe. They suggest that it is the combination of water, toothpaste and mouthwash that creates the excess of fluoride. Also, the CDC says that you should not mix infant formula with fluoridated water as this would give infants too high a dose of fluoride. How many people are aware that they should use bottled water with no fluoride for their infants? Wouldn't it be easier to have kids use fluoride toothpaste, get fluoride treatments at the dentist, and keep fluoride out of our water source?

I didn't mean to get irritated this morning, but there is a bright side: we (naturopathic doctors) have a way to treat ill effects of fluoride. And we can make the connections between your various health problems and whatever is the cause of your disease. Come talk to me about your health problems today!

NO SHOT NO SCHOOL

2010-09-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

"NO SHOT, NO SCHOOL" was the notice many parents got in their mailboxes less than 2 weeks before school started. The tone of that notice reeaaaallyy chaps my hide. Why? Because it is misleading. There is no law in Washington (or Oregon or California) that says a child HAS to have all vaccinations in order to attend school. Although there is a form that is labeled "Required vaccinations for attending K-12", there is also a form titled "Immunization Exemption". Any parent can sign the exemption form. What the school really needs is immunization records so that it can pass this on to the county health department and be ready to inform parents in case of an outbreak of infectious disease. Parents of a child who is not immunized for health reasons may be notified first in case of an outbreak so they can make the decision to keep the child at home. Any parent can choose not to immunize their child, or choose to follow a different immunization schedule (opting to forgoe certain vaccines or give them separately at later dates). This does NOT need to be a religious exemption. Here is a link to the exemption form for Washington state: www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/documents/certifexemption.pdf When looking at the requirements for school vaccinations for kindergartners, I always get aggravated. Why should kindergartners be vaccinated for Hepatitis B? Do you know why? Do you as a parent, responsible for your child know why you would allow someone to shoot HepB into your child--a vaccine that has been scientifically proven to be associated with developmental setbacks? The CDC will tell you that herd immunity is the most important reason for vaccination, but did you know that #1- there is NO WAY your child can contract Heb B in kindergarten, and #2- there is no way that not immunizing your kindergartner increases the risk for other kindergartners to contract Heb B? Hep B is a sexually transmitted or blood to blood transmitted disease that is seen mostly in people involved in the sex trade or doing illicit IV drugs such as heroin. If your kindergartner will not be involved in these activities with these types of people, he or she is safe. Why then is the health department insisting your child get this vaccine 3 times before kindergarten? What about polio? Can your child contract polio in kindergarten or increase the risk for other kids to contract polio in kindergarten? To answer the question, here is a quote from the updated CDC recommendations whose author list includes over 30 doctors and public health consultants: "Since 1979, the only indigenous cases of polio reported in the United States have been associated with the use of the live OPV. " OPV=oral polio vaccine. In other words, since 1979, there have been NO cases of polio acquired in the U.S. except for kids who actually got it FROM the vaccine! Why is the school stating your child needs to have the chicken pox vaccine (varicella)? When did they inform us that they took away our right to safely see our kids through mild cases of chickenpox when they are little? Why is there not a place on the immunization form to tell the school of the date of your child's illness since having had chicken pox immunizes them from the disease without having to get a shot? (this is the theory immunizations are based on, so please, don't reply about someone you know getting chicken pox twice. The vaccine will only immunize as well as the actual disease does). How about the new vaccines--Gardasil? Before even thinking of giving your child Guardasil, search Guardasil on YouTube to see actual cases of bad side effects of this vaccine including paralyzation and death. OK, let's talk about it anyway. If you think your daughter is involved in having sex at parties, has multiple sexual partners, or even "serial monogomy" with boys who do the same, you may have a reason to consider the vaccine. If you are encouraging your boy to "sow his wild oats" in high school and know that he's having sex with plenty of girls who are having sex with other people, then perhaps the argument that vaccinating your boy saves those teenage girls from getting HPV is reasonable. However, if your child is not engaged in these activities, there is NO WAY that they can contract HPV and NO WAY that getting your daughter vaccinated protects the girl sitting next to her in class. Other points: You can get the tetanus vaccine alone (without DPT) Pertussis is an illness you don't want your immune compromised child to get, but it is otherwise treatable. Flu vaccine? When did they take away your right to treat the flu in whatever way you see fit? I have another post about vaccines you can read for more info about other diseases. Please if you are undecided about vaccinating, just download the exemption form and sign it. No questions will be asked at the school. I've turned in that form to schools and preschools in 3 states with no problems. Before you rush to get your child vaccinated in time for school, know your rights and weigh the cost and benefit of each and every vaccine. Most worrisome illnesses contracted in school--pertussis, influenza, Strep--are transmitted by respiratory droplets. These germs hit the mucous membranes first: the eyes, nose and throat. Your immune system then fights these bacteria and viruses. To help your immune system do the job better, we have a tincture in the office that fight both viruses and bacteria. Ask for the "Winter Mix" at our front desk in the Vancouver office. Anyone can come buy it, you don't need to be a patient. Here is a video of my 4 year old taking the Winter Mix glycerite. She got a cough on Saturday, took it Sunday and Monday and was no longer coughing at all my Monday night. This is Tuesday morning:

Homeopathy in medicine

2010-08-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Homeopathic. Naturopathic. Many people use these terms interchangeably because they aren't sure what either of them really means. Naturopathic medicine is patient care using many therapies to bring about health in the most natural, safe way possible. Homeopathic medicine is one of the therapies used in naturopathic protocols. It is safe and often brings about health in a quick and lasting way.

Homeopathic theory of "like cures like" (homeo meaning the same) was made popular and into medicinal form by Samuel Hahneman more than 200 years ago. Many doctors have studied, used, and created homeopathic remedies since then with great patient results. In homeopathy, "like cures like" basically means that a substance that will produce symptoms in excess, such as bee venom causing a swollen, red, stinging welt, can also cure the same symptoms when used in a very diluted form. In this case, homeopathic Apis (made from bees) can cure hives in situations where the symptoms match the symptom picture of Apis. Even and especially if the source of the hives is different than the souce of the remedy--say an allergic person got anaphylactic swelling or hives from seafood--Apis could help.

Homeopathic remedies have all been studied in humans. Research on a remedy starts with studying the symptoms in a people when given an excess of a substance--mineral, plant, insect, etc. Volunteers (many of them homeopathic doctors) are used for this research. (The original volunteers were Hahneman's wife and daughters which is why we know so much about homeopathy and PMS!) The new symptoms that result are recorded and compared to similar trials in other people. When a body of complementary knowledge is achieved (an agreement on what symptoms match the particular remedy) the symptoms become rubrics which a doctor can use to search symptoms and find the right remedy [example: HEAD-Pain-sides-right-temple-as if nail driven through].

Homeopathy is definitely not one size fits all. As you can see, instead of just searching for headache, a doctor would need to know the specifics of the headache: location, how it feels to the patient, and even what would make the headache better or worse (such as "warmth ameliorates"). In this way, the doctor can find the specific remedy out of hundreds to treat the symptoms. This is one reason why homeopathy works better than pharmaceuticals, especially in people where nothing else has helped. It is also the reason homeopathy does not lend itself well to double blind placebo controlled studies. How many migraine sufferers can you find who specifically have pain in the right temple like a nail driven through, then get those people to join a study, then make sure they don't take any other medication for their headache even if they only receive a placebo?

Are we just treating symptoms? One argument in the scientific community is that although patients report symptoms alleviation, perhaps this is just psychosomatic and the underlying organic condition--if one exists--is still present. However case after case show differently. One girl with a genetic bone disorder which caused her bones to break with the slightest movement or touch was given a remedy that matched her symptoms on a mental, emotional and physical level. Since taking the remedy, she has not had another broken bone. Not only does she feel better, but the improvement of symptoms suggest that the course of disease is improving.

One of my patients who suffers from mood swings, hayfever, and inability to lose weight reported improvement in all symptoms after starting her remedy. In her last visit she stated, "Every time I take the remedy, I feel like 'Ahhh, this is what I've been missing my whole life'".

Especially when most symptoms seem to be on the mental sphere, homeopathy can bring about true cure. If mental symptoms don't seem to have a physical cause, then the improvement of symptoms--whether labeled as psychosomatic or not--proves a cure. If a chronically anxious person no longer feels anxious, then they no longer have chronic anxiety. They are cured.

A patient of mine presented complaining of diarrhea. She had already had 3 stools samples and a colonoscopy done at urgent care and no parasites or bacteria were found although her symptoms started after staying in a remote cabin with questionable water. After treating the probable parasitic infection with Flagyl, the diarrhea went away, but she still had other symptoms: burning pains in her arms and severe back pain. Too tired to do anything physical during treatment, she spent her time online looking up diseases and emailing me wondering if she had additional diseases and if the treatment plan we were doing was going to be enough. She feared she would never get well again. I knew her real main symptom: anxiety about health.

I used these rubrics to search a remedy for her symptoms:
MIND-Fear-health
MIND-Despair-recovery, of
EXTREMITIES-Pain-burning

Before searching, I was quite sure her remedy would be Arsenicum--a classic remedy for anxiety about one's health as well as burning pains. I gave it to her and with the first dose she felt somewhat better. However she continued to have pains, although less severe,despite repeated dosing and most of all continued to search the internet and email me daily as well as drop by the office. She said she wasn't getting any sleep because she was so worried, she'd get up several times during the night to research online more! (No wonder she was so tired). Then she came in again saying she still had rectal mucous discharge. This was causing her great anxiety eventhough she was taking probiotics for yeast and knew it may take awhile for her system to get back to normal. I decided to look at the rubrics again, this time adding the following:

STOOL-MUCOUS
MIND-ANXIETY-sleep-during
MIND-HYPOCHONDRIASIS

Once again Arsenicum came up (in my repertorizatoin program) as the top remedy. But I noticed the second remedy was Cocculus. This was interesting because it is not a common remedy. Definitely a sign that it should be given more importance. I gave her one single dose in the office and she left. 5 hours later she called back.
"I feel soooo GREAT! You have found a miracle remedy for me. I can think clearer, I have energy, I'm calling to tell you I'm coming by to pick up more of whatever you gave me."
She showed up, was clearly energetic, exhuberant, and smiling. She told me I won't be hearing from her as long as she feels good. "I'm serious, before getting sick I hadn't been to the doctor in 18 years." she told me. Turns out that Cocculus also comes up in numerous back pain rubrics.

She bought two more doses and left. Last night and this morning I did not receive an email from her! Normally used to 4 emails a day, I emailed her, jokingly, to make sure she was still alive. She is, and feels great.

So is homeopathy not a valid therapy because it is not researched in double blind placebo controlled fashion? Do case studies matter in modern research? Can we professionally use a medicine whose mode of action we don't completely scientifically understand? Although many pharmaceuticals also are not well understood, they are accepted by the greater medical community and I think homeopathic medicine should be as well.

Migraines

2010-06-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

Seems to be that migraines are increasing lately. Is it the pollens in the air and freshly cut grass for those with allergies? The change in temperature? Or possibly that people don't go to the doctor as much in the summer, including chiropractic visits? All of these can be contributing factors to migraines.

The most common reason for a headache is decreased caffeine intake. I have several patients who say they wake up with a migraine on the weekend--clearly showing that the migraine is not due to stress. The problem is that during the week, they wake before 4a.m. for an early shift at which time they drink coffee. On the weekends, they sleep in another 4 or 5 hours. This is all it takes to get a "coffee headache". Caffeine constricts blood vessels, including those in your head. Studies have shown that the CHANGE in dilation and constriction is what causes some headaches (neither constriction nor dilation causes it--it's the change in what's normal for that person). So a person who never drinks coffee isn't more likely to get headaches, but a person who normally drinks coffee and then doesn't for one day will.

I played ultimate frisbee yesterday with someone who said they were getting headaches for a few weeks until they took a decongestant. They then remembered about their cottonwood allergy, a tree that has been dumping it's fluffy seeds for a couple of weeks now behind her house. I've heard the same thing from patients lately coming in for allergy treatments. Sinus headache is the major symptom for some allergy sufferers.

Migraines can come from a number of sensitivities: sulphur, barometric changes, certain foods. It's much more useful to get these sensitivities checked than to take pain medication. From what I've heard from patients and friends, pain medication doesn't work, and you end up spending a day or two in bed with the lights out. Not what you want to be doing during nice summer weather like this. We can treat allergies easily with no shots in our clinic.

A fellow naturopathic doc hadn't had a spinal adjustment for awhile. Having had two head and neck injuries from accidents years ago, she knew these chiropractic visits were important but hadn't had the time to go in. After her third migraine in 2 weeks, she got a spinal adjustment and is now headache free.

Another simple cause of migraines is low magnesium. Magnesium is a vasodilator and a muscle relaxer. Either one of these could be a reason it treats migraines. If you have chronic migraines, try taking 500mg of magnesium everyday. It's a simple treatment that works for alot of people and it's a shame people don't know about it. So simple that I wouldn't want you to come in for an hour visit just to hear this simple cure. Try it our for yourself.

If you suffer from migraines, a naturopathic doctor is definitely who you want to help find a solution. Although a minority of migraines are related to a heart problem or organic vascular problem, most migraines are treatable through the above methods or by finding the correct homeopathic prescription. Try the magnesium and regulate your caffeine intake, and if all else fails, give us a call.

Chemicals in our environment--allowed without adequate study!

2010-06-02T11:30:00.001-07:00

The following is directly from the EPA fact sheet about dinotefuran, a chemical used as a pesticide in both agriculture and in home ant bait stations. You can see that the long term effects to humans and the environment has not been studied, although it has been approved for wide spread useage by professionals and the public:

"Dinotefuran can be applied by the foliar route to leafy vegetables, and therefore, residues may be present in or on crops at harvest. Dinotefuran may also potentially be present in drinking water, given its high water solubility, high mobility in soils, and potential persistence in the environment. Therefore, exposures and risks from food and drinking water need to be assessed, as well as from residential uses. Risk assessments were conducted for acute and chronic dietary, intermediate-term oral and dermal, and short- and intermediate-term inhalation exposures."
http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/factsheets/dunotefuran.pdf

When safety studies are done on chemicals like this one, various small animals are given small, medium and high doses orally, transdermally, and by inhalation over a short period of time. The animals are then watched for obvious physical and neurological changes such as death, weight loss, loss of mobility, and highly abnormal behavior. Also, the next litter of animals are examined to determine possible mutagenic attributes of the chemical.

However, long term effects of minute to small dosages are generally not studied. In addition, it would be hard to determine in a dog whether a chemical would cause problems in a human such as decreased focus, decreased speech, or hyperactivity (the type that would not allow a child to sit through an hour of school easily). These types of changes have recently been found to be connected to organophosphates, a common pesticide.

As we can see from the epa fact sheet quote, even if you are careful with poisons around your home (putting them where pets and kids can't get to them), they eventually end up in the soil and water, and this can give everyone an exposure. Also, the manufacturing of these products releases chemicals into the environment before it even makes it to the store shelf and consumer can choose how much exposure he or she is willing to risk.

I am now taking the chemical free home to the next level by switching to completely cleanser free cleaning in the home with Enjo products. These are cloths, mops, and other cleaning materials that use only water to get grime, bacteria, and dust off of floors, bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, and more. I never realised the residue that cleaners leave behind which collect more dust and dirt until I used the Enjo mop on my wood floors. They are now truly naturally shiny and clean. There are plenty of people who cannot tolerate citrus oils or lavendar scents common in "natural" cleaning products. Using Enjo is one more step closer to a cleaner and healthier environment.

The warmer weather and spring and summer seasons means spring cleaning and more insects in the home and yard. This year, choose to both buy organic produce and use only natural cleaners and natural methods of insect control in the home. A good website for accurate and reasonable suggestions for pest control is www.ecologycenter.org
href="http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/ant_control.html">www.ecologycenter.or

NAET, recent diagnoses

2010-05-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Just diagnosed another person with Lyme yesterday. This is always a sad diagnosis and I am disheartened when a test comes back positive. But the good thing is there is hope.
And there is hope for alot of chronic problems. Using NAET has been an invaluable asset to helping people get better.

NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique) is a system of balancing the body's reactions to substances through accupressure. With vials of hundreds of different substances we can muscle test for "sensitivities" or imbalances and then treat with accupressure while the patient holds the vial of the substance they are reacting to.

This has worked great for hayfever this year. We can test pollens, molds, trees, animal dander, etc. and reverse an allergic response. Many substances in nature are not dangerous, but our bodies have developed an imbalanced reaction to these substances. We want to rebalance that reaction. One woman came in with a headache which came on after being outside over the weekend and getting hayfever symptoms and sinus pressure. We did one NAET treatment for pollens. Her sinuses opened up during the treatment and her headache of 2 days was gone before she left the office!

This also works for things our bodies should not accept. For instance, a person could have a chronic problem with yeast, lyme disesase, a parasite, or a heavy metal. Their bodies cannot get rid of these things and instead of keeping them in check, the body has let these items run rampant. NAET rebalancing helps the body strengthen towards these items and get rid of them or keep them in check.

I am using NAET with Lyme and am starting to see good results. I think it is important to strengthen the body's own immune response toward Lyme so that a patient does not have to continue antibiotic treatment indefinitely.

We've seen great results for other chronic problems as well. One boy had started some tics and was diagnosed with Tourrette's. After NAET, his tics completely disappeared. They cancelled their appointment with the neurologist as there is no longer any problem for the doctor to witness.

Muscle testing with the NAET vials is a valuable and inexpensive way to determine what direction treatment should follow. An autistic woman was recently brought in with new symptoms of anxiety and decreased socialization which came on after a DPT booster. She came up positive for response to the DPT vial. Luckily, we can use this same vial to treat her and hopefully reverse the reaction.

I dont use NAET or muscle testing with all patients or for all symptoms, and I always put findings into a medical context of what is going on with the whole patient. But it is such an easy, inexpensive way to get information and help people feel better, that many patients choose to use this therapy along with other tests and treatments or just by itself.

Personally, my hay fever symptoms have disappeared with treatment, my food allergies have decreased in severity or disappeared (I still cannot have ice cream everyday or go overboard on cheese, but I appreciate being able to have small amount once a week or so). After getting treated for imbalance to iron, my chronic anemia has improved greatly--which, of course, improves energy!

Being a naturopathic physician is more than prescribing supplements. I don't want to have a shelf full of bottles of supplements at home and neither do my patients--not long term anyway. NAET has helped me help people truly get better and I am so thankful!

Lyme disease in the Northwest

2010-03-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

Do we have Lyme disease in the northwest? Yes. If you get a tick bite and call the local health agency to ask if lyme disease is a concern, the answer you might get is "NO".

Lyme disease is very well known on the east coast and has been studied for decades. After many years and patients with acute and chronic lyme disease and treatment on the East coast, doctors now know more about what to look for and how to treat it. There is, however, a dearth of information on the west coast. Although ticks can travel on migrating herds of elk and other animals (not to mention pets who may travel in cars or airplanes, the presence of lyme across the country has not been the top news story it should be.

Local health departments often fall behind in disease information when they should be on the forefront. When a doctor diagnoses lyme or many other infectious diseases, they are supposed to report it to local health agencies. However, a colleague here in Washington attempted to do just that--report a whole family with Lyme who had acquied it at a specific site in Washington where they had suffered tick bites. The answer of the agency, "No, we don't have Lyme here."
Is it because Lyme treatment can be so expensive, or is it because Lyme diagnosis has, in the past, been controversial? Now there are lyme test panels that test not only antibodies to certain antigens in the blood, but also test for the presence of Lyme genetic material.

Here are some symptoms of lyme disease (you may notice similarities between Lyme and other "diseases" such as MS, fibromyalgia, autism, ALS, even menopause:
1. muscular pains, especially if they are in different parts of the body
2. depression and/or memory problems, mood swings that are unexplainable
3. muscle weakness
4. muscle twitching/tremors
5. fevers or night sweats
6. joint swelling
7. light or sound sensitivity
8. headache
9. seizures
10. vertigo
11. tingling/numbness
12.heart palpitations
13. fatigue
14. symptoms flare every 4 weeks

Of course when these symptoms are treated separately by doctors, it takes a long time to reach a Lyme diagnosis. Usually with lyme patients, normal tests come out normal or almost normal (such as no markers for arthritis despite joint pain)

here is a link to a documentary about Lyme disease. You can rent it free if you have Netflix. Definitely check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWgS0XLVqw

watch the trailer

Update 10/13/11: possible ways people in the city have been in contact with lyme ticks as reported by patients recently: dog bought and shipped from Tennesee had ticks on it when it arrived, christmas tree bought at a city lot had ticks on it that tested positive for lyme disease, deer brought home from hunting had ticks on it which fell onto the garage floor. There are many ways of coming into contact with ticks even if you don't go out in the woods.

Thyroid--the current controversy

2010-02-02T15:25:00.001-08:00

Thyroid thyroid thyroid...the word of the hour. Will checking my thyroid help me lose weight? I'm tired, should I check my thyroid? Do you have thyroid medicine available? Yes, yes, and yes!

Here are some symptoms of low thyroid function
1. dry skin and hair
2. constipation
3. inability to lose weight despite exercise and good diet or abnormal recent weight gain despite no change in lifestyle
4. depression
5. losing the lateral half of the eyebrow (interestingly enough!)

Typically, a person with low thyroid will have at least 3 of these symptoms. Initially symptoms may not be noticeable to other people. In fact, when a young, pretty 30 yo came to my office for her first visit, she looked healthy but complained of recent weight gain, fatigue, and dry patches on her skin. I didn't think she looked like a typical hypothyroid patient, but she insisted she was not herself. Over the next couple of months she gained more weight and her skin became drier. We tested her thyroid at that point and it was low functioning (TSH was in the high normal range, and T3, T4 were just below the normal range).

This is important to remark on. People don't feel well when their thyroid is lower functioning. The standard for testing and treating thyroid used to be whether or not a person could continue daily activities of living. However many people can get through the day while their thyroid function is less than optimal.

Recently there has been a shortage of the common thyroid prescriptions: Armour thyroid, Westthroid, and Naturethroid. The formulation of the pills had changed and then there was a dearth of the ingredient needed to make the medication. Some patients as this time had to be switched to Synthroid or Levothyroxine--synthetic formulations of thyroid hormone. Many people did not respond well to this change and felt old symptoms of low thyroid coming back.

But never fear! We do have access to thyroid medication. There are a couple of companies making thyroid pills similar to the most well known brands. Also it can be compounded to your exact milligram needs at most compounding pharmacies.

If your thyroid tests in the normal range not quite off enough to treat with medication, but you still have symptoms, we can support thyroid function in other ways. A supplement with all of the trace minerals the thyroid needs to make hormone will help boost T3, T4 production. Also hydrotherapy to the neck, dietary changes, and more exercise may help as well. Many times when people have low thyroid function, they also have a gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerances can create autoimmune reactions in different tissues of the body and many thyroid problems are autoimmune.

So, if you have some of the symptoms listed above, don't wait. Get treated so you can have more energy, easier weight loss, and a happier day!

Temple Grandin's advice for all parents

2010-01-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

Temple Grandin, PhD, author, and well known figure in the animal industry has lived with autism all of her life and has great advice for parents--and not just parents of autistic and Asperger children. In this video, Temple reveals what it's like growing up with autism and how her mother and the era 1950's social fabric of America helped her overcome many autistic traits. She is proud of the positive impact she has made in her career as well as is aware of just how different she continues to be from the "norm" of our social world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wt1IY3ffoU

Think about what Temple said applying to parenting of all kids. What a great message as well as a great person--one who wants to make a positive impact in the world using her skills and to be her best self. Something we should all encourage our children towards.

SAD--Seasonal Affective Disorder

2009-12-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year--the holidays are over, the tree and lights are down, and we're wondering why we're feeling the way we are. Is it because I overate (especially sugar and some food allergens) during the holidays? Is it because I haven't exercised in a few weeks because I had relatives and there was too much snow to go anywhere? Is it the grey skies are getting to me?

These are all things I've heard people saying lately in my office. The syndrome of feeling fatigued and unmotivated at this time of year is so prevalent that it has a name in the medical community--Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.

Seasonal affective disorder is associated with the time of year where the sun shines least in the northern hemisphere and temperatures are coldest. It's also the time when people tend to indulge in sweets and get less exercise. For these reasons, it's hard to tell exactly what the cause of SAD is.

Science has proven two connections between happiness and sunlight. One is serotonin levels. Researchers found that both turnover and production of serotonin decreases with decreased exposure to sunlight. Norepinephrine and dopamine levels did not show similar effects. This study was done on hospital patients who had windows with light coming in through glass, so it may not be that full spectrum rays are required (as glass blocks some rays), just brighter natural light. This may be why antidepressants which affect serotonin can be very effective for mild depression.

The second connection is vitamin D levels. Sunlight on the skin activates vitamin D to tell the body to absorb more calcium from the intestines and deposit it in the bones. More importantly, vitamin D has proven effects on neurotransmitter levels--it aids the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and tyrosine to dopamine and norepinephrine. Higher levels of these neurotransmiters have been correlated to a more positive affect.

Exercise! Exercising in the sunlight--especially in the snow which reflects alot of sunlight--is ideal. However, if you cannot be outside in the sun, exercising in a gym or at home positively affects mood. Exercise increases cortisol levels and stimulates the thyroid gland, giving you more energy. If you exercise vigorously, you also stimulate the release of endorphins--the feel-good hormone.

Lastly--diet. Don't forget to drink water and eat vegetables during the winter. Although a coffee and a cinnamon roll feels great every now and then, they won't support healthy neurotransmitter and glucose levels when eaten daily. Hot soups and stews are a great way to get a warm comforting and nutritious meal in during the winter. Some nutritious winter vegetables are yams, carrots, cabbage, kale, onions, and preserved tomatoes give a perfect vitamin boost this time of year.

So exercise, get sunlight everyday, and eat well. Stay tuned for a great spring cleanse happening in March!

References:
Lambert GW, C Reid, DM Kaye, GL Jennings and MD Esler,"Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain", The Lancet, Volume 360, Issue 9348, 7 December 2002, Pages 1840-1842

Happy Gluten Free Dairy Free Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

Holidays and get togethers can bring a feeling of dread for those with food allergies, but they don't have to! Living without traditional recipes does not have to mean giving up your favorite foods! Thanksgiving is the perfect example. Making a gluten free dairy free Thanksgiving meal is a piece of cake! I made a gluten free dairy free pumpkin pie yesterday for a pre-Thanksgiving family get together, and I have to say that it was WAY better than the store bought gluten containing pies on the table. I also brought mashed potatoes that were good even without the gravy (we did not have a turkey, so there was no gravy, but keep reading to learn how to make gravy...

PUMPKIN PIE Preheat oven to 425 F
Crust:
(crust recipe adapted from Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts)
1c plus 2 Tblsp. brown rice flour
2 Tbsp sweet rice flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 tsp orange juice

mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add cold butter and mix into dry ingredients with a pastry blender (two knives and your hands will also work) until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add in egg and orange juice and stir until well blended. Form into a ball. Ball may be a bit tacky, but should not be sticky. Place between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll out into a circle that is about an inch larger all around than your pie plate when you invert your pie plate over the rolled dough. If your dough was a bit sticky, you can roll out on a bread board dusted with rice flour. No need to refrigerate this dough before rolling as with other doughs! An easy way to get the dough into the pie plate without breaking is to take the top waxed paper off, place the pie plate inverted over the dough, put your hand under the other waxed paper and flip. If you rolled out onto a board, fold the pie dough into quarters, place the dough in pie plate and unfold. If there are any rips/tears in dough, simply press it back together. Use your fingertips or a fork to make a nice rim at the top of the pie plate. Dough only needs to reach the top of the pie tin, does not have to overlap the edges.

Pumpkin Pie Filling (HOMEMADE!)
For this filling, a homecooked pumpkin or butternut squash will make the filling more light than a canned pumpkin. But you can use either one. If you are using pumpkin, be sure to get a "sugar pumpkin", not a jack-o-lantern one. I think it's easier to use a butternut squash which tastes almost exactly the same and has the same texture.
Cut butternut squash in half. A large butternut squash will make 2 pies (large squash will be about 12" long and about 5" in diameter). Place in baking dish with skin side up and bake at 400 degrees F for an hour (if using a smaller squash reduce time to 45 minutes). When done, you can spear through the skin easily with a fork and the skin will be brown in spots. Simply flip the squash over and spoon out the orange flesh. You can make this up to 2 days in advance and keep in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for filling:
2 cups cooked butternut squash or sugar pumpkin
1 cup milk substitute (thicker is better. I used hazelnut, but almond, hemp or soy would also be good)
2 large eggs (or 3 small ones)
1/2 cup honey (if you use pumpkin instead of butternut squash, increase honey to 2/3 cup)
1+1/2 tsp ground cinnnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine (wire whisk works well). Pour into prepared pie crust. If desired, put foil or pie crust "shade" over outside edge of pie crust so it doesn't get well done while filling is perfectly done. Put into preheated 425 degree F oven and bake 15 minutes. Decrease temp to 350 and bake an additional 55 minutes. When done, you should be able to jiggle the pie without seeing a portion that looks liquid-y. Allow to cool before cutting!!!!

For a non-dairy topping, Cool Whip is an inexpensive albeit not very healthy alternative. This pie is delicious without topping.

MASHED POTATOES
Mashed potatoes without milk is easy and yummy! Boil 12 yukon gold or 8 Russet potatoes and drain off the water. Mash. Then simply add in chicken broth instead of milk (adding by 1/4 cups to desired consitency while mashing with potato masher). Add salt, pepper, dill, and a touch of paprika (just shake them in until it looks and tastes nice. Then add one or both of the next 2 ingredients:

3 Tblsns butter with 4-5 minced garlic cloves simmered over stove or in microwave for about 30 seconds.

4 Tblspns soy sour cream or soy cream cheese.

Mash until encorporated and fluffy. YUM!

GRAVY
To make any gravy, the trick to encorporating the flour with the meat juice is to mix it with butter first!! For gravy from a big turkey, simply take 3 Tblspns of butter, mash in 1/4 cup of sweet rice flour. Cook this on low on a stove while stirring and mashing with a spoon until mixture starts to turn a little golden brown. Add turkey juices by 1/2 cup portions while stirring and simmering until all of the juices from the turkey pan have been added. Simmer to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm.

I'm going to try a coconut egg nog recipe I found online. If you have any good recipe suggestions, write in! Enjoy your holiday!

H1N1 vaccination--help or hype?

2009-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

So now you can get the much advertised, highly awaited swine flu vaccine. Now the important question: should you get the swine flu vaccine? News of a new swine flu hit TV, newspaper, and radio waves earlier this year. Swine flu is an especially feared flu because previous swine flus and other animal derived flus have killed young, healthy people. In fact, that's just what this flu did in Mexico. Well, previously "healthy" people died of secondary infections such as pneumonia. Normally, any frail or immune compromised person can die of complications from any type of flu. In fact, over 39,000 people die of the flu each year. We don't hear about it because otherwise healthy people don't die and also, it's not "the swine flu"!

At the start of the flu outbreak, H1N1 was supposedly more dangerous than it is now. The World Health Organization announced in July that the swine flu is now no more dangerous than a regular flu, with affected people complaining of chills, aches, dry cough, headaches and sinus trouble for about 5 days. It had previously been reported that 150 people had died of swine flu, but the WHO later recanted and said that only 7 of those 150 proved on serological testing to be infected with swine flu. It takes weeks to actually get the result of a swine flu test, so when a person is admitted to a hospital with pneumonia, dies 3 day later, and it is reported as swine flu, it's really just a guess until lab results come back. But shouldn't you just go ahead and get the shot because you'd rather not be uncomfortable for those 5 or more days of a mild flu anyway?

The answer to that question depends on many factors. What I always say about vaccinations is you have to weigh the costs and benefits. Cost? Isn't the vaccine supposed to be free? Yes, despite the poor overall use of the flu vaccines in previous years by consumers, manufacturers have convinced the government to buy the vaccine with consumer tax money this year. But let's think about the non-financial costs of vaccines. For instance, when deciding if you should allow your doctor to give your newborn baby a Hepatitis B shot, ask yourself these questions: "Is my baby going to be doing IV illicit drugs?" "Is my baby going to be having intercourse with people who do IV drugs or have many sexual partners?" Is my baby going to be getting a tattoo from an unlicensed and dirty tattoo parlor which uses unclean needles?" If the answer to these questions is "no", then your baby has virtually no risk of getting Hep B. So there is no benefit of the vaccine. Are there costs? A study recently proved that newborn boy babies given the Hep B vaccine are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Clearly this usually lifelong disability is a huge cost of getting a vaccine that has no value.

So let's look at the flu vaccine. Benefit: you may not get the H1N1 flu this year. However, there are 3 other flus that have been targeted for high occurance this year. So you can still get any of those flus. Cost: some people who get the flu vaccine--the live nasal spray--get the flu from the vaccine. The CDC won't admit to this, but they say that some side effects of the nasal spray vaccine include body aches, fever, nasal stuffiness, sore throat, and nausea. Sound like the flu? A friend of mine got the live vaccine in Germany earlier this year and right away she got a really bad case of the flu that lasted for a couple of weeks. I hear similar stories each year from people who have received the flu vaccine.

There are other costs for some people. If you are allergic to eggs, it's important to know which vaccines have an egg base. Currently, flu vaccines are made using an egg medium. People who are allergic to eggs (with a histamine, or anaphylaxis, reaction) are not recommended to get the vaccine. Why have we not heard this on the news? [since writing this post, news stories have begun to include restrictions for people with egg allergies]. The vaccine contains egg antigen--egg protein. Almost all my patients who get food allergy tests come up with egg allergies. Why? Probably because they've all had vaccines. It makes sense that if a protein gets injected into your bloodstream with adjuvents designed to create antibodies, your immune system will become sensitive to the protein in question. So you will have antibodies--or an immune reaction-- to egg. Doctors and researchers don't care much about this side effect (creating egg allergies) because it does not create a histamine response. So technically, it may be called an egg sensitivity (IgG immune factors) rather than an allergy (IgE factors). However, we naturopathic physicians know that both IgE and IgG are immune responses and any stimulation of the immune system can result in fatigue and inflammation.

There are other substances in the vaccine. Here is a list: formaldehyde, mercury, MF-59 which contains squalene (which contributed to "gulf war syndrome") and gp120 (recombinant HIV virus components). [Since the writing of this article, news sources say that only the Canadian manufactured H1N1 vaccine has squalene]. Most H1N1 vaccine offered has mercury as a preservative, but you can ask for the single dose thimerisol free option. If you are "at risk", you may still want to consider the vaccine.

How do you know if you are at risk? For some reason, pregant women have had many more complications of the swine flu than other people. If you are pregnant and decide to get the vaccine, make sure to ask for the thimerisol free option.

What can we do if we are not going to get the vaccine? LOTS!
1. Eat well and get lots of sleep. People are run down in general because they do not do these two things. That's why I wonder if the "healthy" people who died from complication of swine flu were actually healthy at all.
2. Decrease your sugar intake as sugar causes a decrease of white blood cell count.
3. Use more antimicrobial herbs in your cooking such as garlic, thyme, and oregano.
4. Drink lots of water because keeping your mucous membranes moist will help your natural barrier to bacteria and viruses. Filtered water is the healthiest and a good home filter is made by Multi-Pure.
5. Wash your hands after touching people or things other people have touched. Don't use your co-workers phone--stick to your own cubicle.
6. When you're around sick people, take elderberry tincture. It is anti-viral. In our office, we use a glycerite (tincture made with sweet glycerine rather than alcohol) of elderberry, echinacea, goldenseal, and vitamin C. The elderberry, goldenseal and C help the mucous membranes stay healthy and fight viruses, the echinacea increases white blood cell count and the goldenseal is anti-bacterial. We take 1-2 dropperfuls per day for prevention and 2 dropperfuls every 4 hours for treatment of colds, sore throats, and flus.
7. If you get the flu, continue the above tincture and then prevent pneumonia by doing a steam inhalation of essential oils of thyme, eucalyptus, and lavender. Simply fill a bowl with hot steaming water, drop 4-6 drops of each essential oil onto the water, put your face over the water and a towel over your head and the bowl to trap the steam and breath in deeply as long as the water is steaming. You can add essential oils to humidifiers, but it tends to muck up the humidifier and it's hard to clean.

I was starting to feel cold and tired two days ago. Yesterday I started to get a headache, cough, and a little bit of a runny nose. I realised I was starting to get sick and that's why I had felt so tired and just wanted to lay in bed. One of our office staff admitted that she had started feeling sick a few days prior at the start of the weekend, and now she had a cold. I quickly started the elderberry/goldenseal tincture, drank more water, also drank a "green drink"--Green's first--and took it easy the rest of the day. Halfway through the afternoon, I realised that the symptoms matched Gelsemium--a common flu homeopathic remedy--so I took a 30c dose of that. I started feeling better. Today (the next day), I'm taking it easy, but I felt good enough to walk my dog. I have no headache or other aches, no runny nose and have just a little cough. I'm continuing the tincture, water, and good food. I expect to get through it without any further symptoms. [update--I continued to get better and felt strong again after 3 days. No more symptoms. Both my children got colds, but improved with the tincture]

If you'd like a bottle of our cold and flu prevention tincture, just come in to the Vancouver office or call to have it shipped to you 360-573-2273. If you get the flu, we can use homeopathy, herbs, and teach you some home hydrotherapy to help your symptoms pass quicker. Stay healthy!

Horse Therapy for Autism

2009-09-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hippotherapy--no, it's not therapy for hippos. It's therapy using the horse (Greek word for horse is "hippos"). The multidimensional movement of the horse becomes therapeutic for riders who need to increase core strenth, coordination, confidence and even social interaction. For autistic people, the benefit of horse therapy is multidimensional. The hallmark of autism is decreased social interaction. The inability to look into people's eyes, decreased speech, and perseveration (focus on only one subject--such as Star Wars or dinosaurs) are not problems for the horse. Although horses have huge eyes, they communicate clearly without looking you in the face. Since they don't talk, they use non-verbal language very well. Because horses are so large and powerful, there's usually enough fear to focus and pay attention on the part of the rider. In addition, horses catch on to the feelings of the rider--how confident he or she is. The horse will automatically adjust to the rider.

In August, we went to Bright Horizons near Newport, Oregon for horse therapy at the Autism Family Retreat Autism Family Retreat. The retreat centered around doing outdoor recreation that increases coordination, muscle tone, and confidence. Although kayaking and rock climbing were fun, the horses were definitely the favorite part of the retreat. Whether they were brushing, walking or riding the horses, each boy was engaged and focused. Although every boy on the retreat was already very high functioning due to dietary and behavioral interventions, each benefited from grooming an riding the horses. At first, one boy was fearful of the horse, but took to grooming it within minutes: When it came time for riding, he had alot of anxiety about getting on the horse. In fact, as soon as he got on, he wanted to get off. But his mom talked him into staying on and after awhile, he began to enjoy it.

Polly, the manager of Bright Horizons explains the benefits of horse therapy:

In the end, all of the moms said they would continue horse therapy for their kids. Especially when a child gets to be older than 5 or 6, he wants a type of occupational therapy or sensory integration therapy that involves real life recreation: not simply physical therapy using props in a therapy room. Horse therapy gives them confidence doing real world activities while improving their coordination and muscular tone. If you want to try horse therapy, here are some places to try out:
Bright Horizon near Newport, Oregon 541-961-4156
Forward Stride in Beaverton, Oregon 503-590-2959
Healing Winds in Brush Prairie, Washington 360-254-5387 or 360-903-1265

Favorite patients

2009-07-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

How do you know when the stranger sitting in the reception area waiting for their first visit will become one of your favorite patients?

I know we're supposed to be objective and not have favorites, but let's face it--it's always more fun to have a patient you get good results with quickly. I'll admit, I wasn't looking forward to seeing an 80 year old woman with diabetes who was walking with a cane due to painful arthritis. After all, natural medicine is largely focused on prevention. What am I supposed to do when the damage has already been done and a person is probably not in a mental place to want to make major changes in their life? Would an older woman really want to take my advice anyway--a new doctor half her age?

I had already gotten poor results with a similar arthritic patient with a bad heart. Her joints were "bone on bone", her M.D. had said, and she wanted me to help her with the pain. So far, we had been able to help her heart (which was weakened from a heart attack she didn't see a doctor for years earlier), but she was still in a lot of pain and hadn't been able to make the dietary or lifestyle changes I recommended.

Knowing this, I figured the visit would go one of two ways: I could spend all the time answering her questions about all those supplements she'd seen on TV and probably send her away with some fish oil, or I could use my majic ace in the hole--the therapy I always turn to when I need a little magic: homeopathy.

Eventhough she hobbled in pain all the way to the farthest treatment room, which is my office--in the warehouse section of a colleague's practice--she had a really nice smile and a hopeful look on her sweet face. As she told me her story, it was clear that she wanted to be self-sufficient and had been an active go-getter in her earlier years. She still lived on a bit of acreage by herself. I didn't think she wanted to change her diet much, and any lifestyle change would have to come with some pain relief first. So, I started thinking remedies (homeopathic).

I settled on two remedies: one to clear arthritis stemming from exposure to poison oak, and one stemming from a constitutional (since birth or childhood) predisposition to osteoarthritis and other ailments. I gave her one dose of the first remedy in the office (knowing that a previous patient of mine had gone home with a remedy and never taken it) and sent her to the health food store for the second remedy, which she was instructed to take everyday. I gave her a senior citizen discount and thought I might never see her again--maybe her friend had convinced her to come, maybe she'd think it was all hooey.

Three weeks later I saw her name on the schedule. Great, I thought. Probably no change and she wants to know what else she could try. But when she came in, she was smiling and seemed to be walking a little less antalgic, although still using a cane. She came back to the office and told me the news: her pain had decreased over the three weeks and now she was pain free! "You don't know what it means to be pain free!" she said. She said that she used to walk with two canes. Now she was getting around her house a little without any canes at all, and when she went out, she only used one cane for stability. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I knew I learned it in school and followed the advice of a respected homeopath, and had seen other miraculous changes from homeopathy, but still, I was shocked. However, something else surprised me even more.

She told me that at first, she had new pains on the sides of her body or joints that didn't hurt before. In fact, one day, she barely got out of bed. But she felt that the medicine or the disease was working its way through and out of her body. She had her remedy on her nightstand and took it everyday as soon as she woke up. Gradually her pain went away.

Ah, this is the kind of patient to have! One that trusts your recommendations and follows through with them, even if she doesn't get immediate relief--even if she initially feels worse! I can think of other patients I wish would have followed through--they had so much to gain.

Now that the pain had subsided, we could work on the next steps: dietary change and exercise. She wasn't totally honest about her diet (I found out from her daughter that she buys bags of candy and hotdogs), and she found excuses not to go to water aerobics (yes, her daughter said, she would give her a ride to the YMCA). But we'll work through those issues if she still wants better health. As a patient, she's a keeper.

More on Bioidentical Hormones

2009-06-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! I've seen alot of women lately interested in bioidentical hormones. Some naturopathic physicians roll their eyes when someone calls and asks about bioidentical hormones. That is because we are trained to treat the person, not the disease. There is no one-size fits all prescription. This is the whole point of using a compounding pharmacy in the first place.

But the question of what treatment plan to pursue goes further than mixing up hormones in the right ratio. For some women, their main complaints are clearly hormone related: hot flashes and insomnia with night sweats. But for many women, the main complaint is fatigue, low energy, mood changes or other vague symptoms that could be related to many other health issues. More important than looking at your hormones individualy is looking at you, the patient, individually.

The hormone test I use gives us information not only on hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA but also on other factors that could cause symptoms: cortisol levels, insulin/blood sugar issues, and food sensitivities. I put all of this information together with the health history of the patient (does she still have her uterus and ovaries? What are the health issues that run in the family?). With the test results and the history of the patient, I start a treatment plan that treats the whole person--not just the hormones.

For some people, this might mean prescribing a bioidentical hormone. It might mean prescribing DHEA or pregnenolone instead of estrogen and progesterone if the problem is higher up in the hormone flow chart. It might mean a dietary change. Did you know that our hormones are made of cholesterol? Yes, we need cholesterol to make hormones! One woman whose test just came in showed low hormones in ALL of the values (DHEA, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol). Since she is only 49 years old, I figured it's not just because of the age of her ovaries and adrenals. Luckily, I also had the food sensitivity results: she is sensitive to gluten!

A gluten sensitivity can cause you to not absorb many nutrients--including cholesterol. This woman had always received a gold star from her M.D. because her cholesterol was so low. But the truth is, she could not absorb cholesterol or proteins or many other nutrients due to the intestinal damage caused by gluten antibodies. This resulted in her hormones getting low enough to send her into early menopause and hot flashes. Without this complete test and attention to the whole body, I don't think that bioidentical hormone therapy would be an efficacious long term solution. This is why some people feel great initially on hormone therapy, but after awhile, they feel they are back to where they started and/or continue to get many other chronic problems such as osteoporosis, fatigue, and mental changes.

A reader recently asked about cortisol and how this can be "used up" in a person's lifetime and affect other hormone levels. Rather than saying "used up", we speak of the adrenals (which produce cortisol) as being fatigued. They can become fatigued by chronic stress--emotional or physical. Physical stress can be sugar regulation problems, food sensitivities, chronic inflammation, acute physical distress (such as car accidents), or overconsumption of coffee. These would all be looked into in a visit with me.

What do we do about all of this? There are supplements that help with blood sugar regulation, herbs that help with hormones if a woman still has ovaries, bioidenticals especially when there has been a total hysterectomy, herbs and supplements to either lower cortisol at night or raise it in the morning. And then there is constitutional homeopathy, which helped a woman last week finally get some sleep and relief from hot flashes--in addition to alleviating her hay fever without medication! Certainly, lifestyle change may be a factor in the treatment plan. Some changes can be easy and enjoyable--such as more exercise, and some are harder --such as when someone needs to make a dietary change.

Many M.D.s don't like lifestyle changes because patients won't follow the advice anyway. I think this is true if things are not fully explained or if no support is given. In our office, we host classes on gluten free cooking and we have many other helps such as cookbooks and referrals to local groups. I will never just throw a treatment plan at a patient and leave it to them to work it out. In addition, I've had to make dietary and lifestyle changed for my own health, so I have alot of personal experience from which to draw advice.

If you are interested in doing a comprehensive hormone and health saliva test, we can do one long distance. However, insurance will usually only pay for office visits--not phone consults. Otherwise, find a naturopathic doctor in your area. Go to www.naturopathic.org

Autism--DAN Conference 2009

2009-05-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm in Chicago, home of the pizza lover, for the Autism One and DAN (Defeat Autism Now) conference. It's obvious from the choice of restaurants nearby that Italian food is the drug of choice in this neighborhood. Drug? Yes drug. We've been talking today about how gluten and casein can cause opiate-like compounds in the brain. Yes, if you are addicted to pizza, you are a druggie! But seriously, it is funny that this would be the place to bring people who need a gluten free, casein free (GF/CF) diet. Italian food is great but....

Do you know the difference between the U.S. and Italy? In Italy every kid is tested for a gluten intolerance by the time they enter kindergarten. Here, parents struggle to find someone who knows how to test for gluten sensitivity/celiac disease, will think of it when the child has various health problems that could be could be related, and then will perform the test. In Italy, everyone knows about celiac. If you have a problem with gluten, you just order your food "senza glutine".

One disturbingly similar trend of the U.S. and Italy? Scientific studies designed to support the safety of vaccines. There is no doubt that kids are getting hurt from vaccines. Two of the doctors here speaking at the DAN conference have devoted their careers to treating autism after their own children suffered injuries and poor health following vaccinations. The question is: what is it about the vaccinations that is causing the disturbing 6000% increase in autism over the last 20 years?
The first idea: mercury in the vaccines. Above is a graph comparing mercury body burden from vaccines and autism rates. Clearly, there is a direct relationship. However, scientific studies disagree. You have to know, however, that studies are often flawed and designed to give a particular result. For instance, in one italian study, the amount of thimerisol (mercury) in the DPT vaccine was varied and given to different children who were then followed for effects of the varying amounts. No differences were seen between all the groups. However, these children received other vaccines during the study period and other exposures to mercury as well. To conclude that thimerisol in vaccines is safe from this study is ridiculous.

Environmental sources of mercury include more than just vaccinations. However, vaccinations are considered to be an especially dangerous exposure to mercury because the normal body defenses against heavy metals are bypassed by direct injection. In addition, the combined number of doses a child receives create a mercury exposure that exceeds the FDA safe limit for adults. People say that thimerisol has been taken out of vaccines. However, the flu vaccine and chicken pox vaccine are two which normally have thimerisol still in them.
Mercury (used as a preservative) interferes with enzymes needed to detoxify homocysteine. The problem is, aluminum also can interfere with this multi-step process, and some vaccines also contain aluminum. In addition, lead (Pb) interferes in homocysteine detoxification as well as other biochemical processes. Lead is not in vaccines, but many environmental exposures exist: paint in children's toys, lead paint dust from window sills of older homes, and parental occupational exposure (in particular jet plane mechanics and workers who handle electronic components in the semiconductor industry--this is especially important as the rates of autism among children of computer engineers far exceeds other careers). The combined effect of these heavy metal exposures makes it possible that a child can be pushed over the edge by one more metal exposure--most often noted after a vaccination.

We've also been talking at the conference about the immune system. "Greening our Vaccines" (a campaign to take the toxins out of vaccines) will not be enough if the number of vaccines before age 2 stays as high as it is. The immune system is learning during the first two years, and we are pushing the immune system towards one type of immunity with vaccinations. This skewing of the immune system is thought to be a factor in asthma, allergies, and other chronic illnesses.

But enough science! The Autism One conference is a great place to learn about behavioral therapies as well as biomedical. I've met alot of people--parents of kids on the autism spectrum, a couple of recovered autistic people, and some big players in the autism controversies. I met Jenny McCarthy and told her about the Autism Family Retreat Camp I am organizing this summer with various professionals in the autism community. Hopefully, someone will be able to get a scholarship to the camp from Jenny's Generation Rescue organization. Through Generation Rescue, moms can get financial help to attend autism conferences and events.

One thing was made very clear to me at this conference: the search for information on autism treatments can be overwhelming to a parent. Because of the controversial nature of many ideas and treatments for autism, parents can get overwhelmed and try to get the best of care by going with whatever doctor is recommended by another parent. While recommendations are a good idea, sometimes this can mean that the parents fly halfway across country to get to the one doc a parent has heard about.
It doesn't have to be that difficult. All DAN (Defeat Autism Now) certified doctors have been trained in the latest biomedical approaches and have knowledge on how to include this into a well-rounded treatment plan. To find a doctor, go to www.autism.com. To find a doctor in Vancouver, Wa or Longview, WA, just come to my office! I am DAN certified and hold a very strong interest in getting your child well! View my previous posts to see another one on autism and my special interest in it.

It's Allergy Season!

2009-04-23T04:18:00.000-07:00

I went to sit at our patio table yesterday to have lunch in hopes of soaking up some much needed sun, and I found myself faced with a task before I could put my plate down: wiping a thick layer pollen off the glass. Yep, it's pollen season--neon yellow--which means one thing in the Northwest: allergy season.
They say if you move to the Northwest, you will have allergies within five years. I thought that saying was a little extreme, as I had never had allergies in California (and there is a wide variety of trees and crops and thus pollens there). Not everyone sneezes from pollens, and I thought I'd be immune. WRONG! A few months shy of being in the Portland area 5 years (and right after i'd moved into a house with 6 fir trees in the yard), I was sneezing. Just a cold possibly? That's what I thought at first. But when the itchy eyes started and the itchy nose went on for more than a couple of weeks, I was faced with the dreaded diagnosis--hay fever.
I just looked at the National Allergy Forecast and apparently we're having an earlier spring this year than last. Pollen count is high for Portland and Vancouver meaning most people who are usually affected by hay fever are experiencing symptoms now. I can believe it since I was driven from bed at 3 a.m. from sneezing and now sit at my computer typing this blog.
I haven't had allergy symptoms in 3 years. I was lucky. The first year I happened to get allergies I was shadowing a naturopathic doctor who did NAET treatments. NAET (Nambudripod's Allergy Elimination Technique) is an effective way to change the body's "alarm response" to environmental allergens. It is a system which uses chinese meridians and accupressure (no needles) to improve the health of the vital force. After 3 treatments, my hay fever symptoms had totally disappeared. I felt comfortable to be outside, to mow the lawn, and even to give away all the allergy herbs and tinctures I received free from various companies at trade shows. Now that my cupboard is bare of stuff that can help and i'm up at 4 a.m., I know what I need to do later today: get the stuff that can help.
What stuff is that? Well, for startes: Nettles....

...(later that week...) Freeze dried nettles are a great way to prevent and treat allergy symptoms. Normally if you touch a nettles leaf, your hand will get itchy and red from the histamine release in your skin. However, taken internally, nettles controls the histamine mediated allergic symptoms in your mucous membranes--your nose, eyes, and throat. Instead of creating inflammation, pollens and other allergens get handled by the body as any non-allergic body would. In 1990, a randomized controlled clinical study showed elimination of allergic symptoms in 58% of patients with just one capsule of freeze dried nettles a day. Pretty great, huh? I've taken Nettles and Eyebright--2 capsules of each--for 5 days now and I have no allergy symptoms. Yes, it is raining now, but I've worked in the yard almost everyday and have been outside for other reasons--even ran a 5k on Saturday at Oaks Park amongst trees and grass and never once sneezed.
I chose Eyebright because I have also been having many eye symptoms--itchy eyes and troubled vision--and I know that homeopathically, this herb is used for allergic reactions in the eyes. Homeopathic dilutions of plants such as eyebright (Euphrasia)can be also used for allergies. Another great choice would be homeopathic Allium cepa (common onion). Just as cutting onions can cause your eyes to water, itch, and burn, homeopathic onion will treat these symptoms (this is the theory of "like cures like"). Allium cepa was the best acute remedy for my husband when we were dating and he got allergic symptoms to my cat when he'd come over. I like homeopathics for acute symptoms, but I've found that capsules of freeze dried herbs will give longer lasting and a more preventative effect for hay fever. Constitutional homeopathic remedies can be used for a more lasting effect and I'll explain this in another post.
But you may not even need to use homeopathic medicine or anything in capsules if you have the right things in your kitchen. Anything with quercitin in it can alleviate or prevent allergic symptoms. Apples, capers, onions, green tea, chamomile tea, citrus, ginko (many people already take this herb), and leafy green vegetables have lots of quercitin. Perhaps that's why an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But remember to buy organic! Studies consistently show that organic vegetables and fruits have much higher amounts of quercitin than their "conventionally" grown counterparts. Organic tomatoes have been shown to have 79% more quercitin than non-organic. I think this is the reason we are seeing so many allergies today. The nutritional quality of our food has been robbed by our modernized agricultural practices. That too is another post.
So what should you use for allergies with all of these choices? For me, it depends on the severity of your symptoms. If symptoms are mild, using vegetables, fruits and green tea may do the trick. If they are moderate, perhaps nettles or other histamine reducing/mast cell stabilizing herbs will be beneficial. If you are just tired of having these long standing allergies and want them gone for a long time, then constitutional homeopathy, NAET, or allergy desensitization drops (available in my clinic) may give you the lasting protection from allergies you desire.
Save the rest of your spring and summer by getting treated now!

Autism Awareness Day

2009-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

It was World Autism Awareness Day April 2nd. That day I was in Utah spending time with Dr. Joseph Humphreys, a fellow naturopathic physician who specializes in autism treatment. There are so many treatments now proven to be effective that we can now tailor treatment to each child to get the maximum effect in the shortest amount of time. We saw many autistic kids in his office in the few days I was there, and it is apparent that there is still one disturbing trend: delay of diagnosis.
I just opened our local supermarket's natural health magazine yesterday and there was an article about autism. It seems everywhere you look you might see a book, a magazine article or a talk show discussing autism. Autism awareness has grown beyond just the parents affected by this disorder. However, the more things change the more they stay the same unfortunately for some kids.
A mom came into the office with her 2 year old child. Her son had developed normally until 18 months old when he regressed, losing his words and retreating into his own world, refusing to interact with people he used to laugh and play with. His mom and extended family noticed the difference, but even after two visits to the pediatrician, the doctor refused to pursue the problem. He said to watch and wait and see if things got better. Ten years ago when my friend's daughter was 2, it was clear to us that something was wrong. The delay in walking, the lack of words, the way she wouldn't look you in the eye. However, getting a professional to agree there was a problem to be pursued, then spending time waiting for appointments and finally getting referred to the right person took another year at least.
Early intervention is one of the most important aspects of autism treatment. To start treatment early means a better chance for sensory integration at an age appropriate level, earlier appropriate social habits and skill learning, and a better chance at starting kindergarten or first grade in a regular classroom.
Here is a list of early signs (age 6 months to 2 years) that your child may have signs of autism:
infant: a head circumference that is off the charts while the rest of the body is average
failure to make eye contact on a regular basis by age 3 months
babbling (string of consonants) by age 12 months
failure to respond to their name by 12 months
seems like they don't hear you, making you think they may be deaf
failure to make gestures, such as pointing when they want something by age 15 months
failure to smile or make appropriate facial gestures
failure to play with toys appropriately at age 12-15 months. This one may be difficult to see, but basically if your child only plays with a couple of favorite toys and does not play with them as they were intended (like if they love a car, but don't make it go, but instead spin the wheel and stare at the spinning wheel for what seems like hours; or loves trains or cars, but spends time lining them up instead of making them roll and gets upset if anyone moves them).

The autism camp I am leading this June is designed for ages 3-11. The recreation that will serve as therapy and fun is geared to benefit kids preschool age through elementary school. This is the time when the biggest advances for the child can happen with the right treatments and therapies. Some parents have said that they wish something like this was available for them when their kids were younger, and I truly wish that was the case as well. But for many lucky kids, now is the best time to take advantage of all the information and therapies available.
If your child shows many signs of autism and your doctor is not listening to you, please get a second opinion. If your child is on the autism spectrum and you'd like to have a family vacation that is fun as well as therapeutic, come to the Autism Family Retreat this June! Go to www.drsherylwagner.com for more information.

Spring Cleanse!

2009-02-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

Master cleanse, lemon juice cleanse, water only cleanse: everyone's doing cleanses, from people wanting to lose weight to the svelt Gwyneth Paltrow. You've heard of cleanses before... and even thought of doing one yourself. After all a spring cleaning sounds like a good idea...and you've always wondered about those pieces of chewing gum you used to swallow as a child. I'll give you the run-down on cleanses--the whys, the ways, and the ones to stay away from.

First of all, doing a cleanse is a good idea in our modern world. Even though our bodies were meant to endure difficult times and insults such as famines, droughts, bacteria and viruses, our organs of detoxification have never dealt with the load of heavy metals, plastics, agrochemicals, and food additives that are in our lives today. Because we have plentiful food, water, and access to antibiotics and medical care, we may not realise the dire condition our bodies are in at the cellular level. We go along drinking coffee for energy, riding our bikes in congested traffic (breathing car exhaust), and swimming in chlorine-filled pools for recreation (not to mention smoking, alcohol, and Little Debbie cakes). It's no wonder that the liver could use a little help every now and then.

The liver is one of the organs of detoxification - organs that take unnatural, unusable or dangerous substances out of the body. These substance can include free radicals, excess hormones, molecules and atoms that just don't belong, and waste products of inflammation, enzymatic processes, and cellular turnover. When the detox pathways are overwhelmed, waste products can embed in and around cells and interfere with normal function. One aspect of a cleanse is to decrease the amount of junk entering the body that needs to be detoxed, and the other part is helping the detox pathways get rid of junk that's trapped in your tissues.

Did you know that cellulite is one of the ways a body can protect itself from heavy metals? When the body can't get rid of a substance, it may try to wall it off somewhere out of the bloodstream. I've had friends tell me that they could never lose weight, but when they did a heavy metal detox, they lost fat without trying.
How are the heavy metals drawn out? Detoxification factors. Detox factors can be given in an IV with close monitoring by a doctor, but a safer at-home method can be a part of a cleanse through supplementation of detox factors in a smoothie or drink.

Water-only cleanses focus on the first aspect of the cleanse: eliminating toxins. With plain water we depend on the body's ability to find homeostasis and detox. While I think this is a good way to recover from serious problems such as diabetes, it should be closely monitored by a doctor. For average people without serious problems who won't need a doctor, a water cleanse will likely not have any long term health benefit. People either give up after a couple of days or go back to their normal diet when the cleanse is over. My uncle did a 40 day water only cleanse. He lost weight and looked great overall. But as soon as it was over, he went back to Diet Coke and his usual diet. His skin quickly became red again, he gained a little weight back, and a few years later, he died of a sudden heart attack.

Juice based cleanses provide glucose to keep the blood sugar up and vitamins to help with energy and organ health. This can help people stay on a cleanse because they won't feel as light-headed or hungry from low blood sugar. However, many people use too much fruit juice instead of vegetable juice, and this can feed candida--causing yeast infections, mucous build-up, and skin problems.

Raw food cleanses (eating raw foods only for a period of 3 or more weeks) keeps hunger at bay, eliminates toxins entering the body, provides vitamins and minerals for organ and skin health, plus raw food provides fiber to help eliminate any excess toxins, fats, or hormones from the body. If you are sensitive to raw food, it is Ok to lightly steam all vegetables while on a cleanse.
The cleanse we use in our clinic has the benefits of raw and steamed foods plus gives extra detoxification factors in the form of concentrated greens and a whey protein based shake. Whey provides cysteine, which the body uses to detox. You can substitute a rice powder for amino acids and take NAC in capsules to get the cysteine. The benefit of combining real food and food concentrates give the cleanse the ability to detox quickly as well as get you in the habit of eating vegetables and staying away from junk food.

The combination of food based meals plus shakes for snacks means you don't get hungry. Hunger is one of the most common reasons for giving up a cleanse in the first few days. We do a three week cleanse, which is the time needed to start a new habit. Your new habit could be eating more vegetables, staying away from certain foods, and having a smoothie recipe you can use as a healthy snack or quick meal replacement when in a hurry for the rest of your life. This may be the most important aspect of a cleanse--even more than losing weight and getting great skin.

Another popular detox aspect is laxatives. Gwenyth suggests drinking a half a cup of castor oil! eeewww! Could you really stomach that? This not only tastes bad, but it's a bad idea. No matter what type of laxative you use--epsom salt, castor oil, or herbs--your body will have an opposite reaction: constipation! Nothing can halt the healing benefits of a cleanse like constipation. Elimination is the last aspect of a cleanse. If you don't eliminate, you can reabsorb heavy metals and estrogens, and encourage gut dysbiosis. Some cleanses suggest getting colonics. While this may have health benefits, it can be expensive, embarrassing, and it doesn't encourage normal bowel function. We use more gentle forms of preventing constipation. Castor oil rubbed on the abdomen in a clockwise motion encourages peristalsis. Also, the feet can be massaged to stimulate the large intestine reflexes. This is much more enjoyable than either a colonic or a glass of castor oil, and you won't have to stay near a toilet all the time!

To get all the info on our wonderful health supporting cleanse, join one of my spring or summer group cleanses or to do an individual cleanse in office or long distance by contacting me at drwagnernd@yahoo.com

Bioidentical Hormones

2009-01-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy

Bioidentical hormones

If you've watched Oprah lately or answered phones at a doctor's office in the last week, you know what the hot topic is right now: bioidentical hormones. This phrase is thought by some to be a marketing term conjured up to sell unsuspecting consumers a product they don't need.

However, this term also has significant clinical and scientific meaning. Hormones made in a laboratory often do not have the same chemical structure of a hormone (the case with medroxyprogesterone acetate), but may affect hormone receptors in a similar way to get similar results. This can be OK if there aren't any downsides to that particular molecular structure. We usually don't know of the downsides until thousands of people have already been using such a substance for 15-20 years. But that time, an unsuspecting consumer could be dead. Furthermore, a single hormone may come in different molecular structures such as estrogen which presents as estrone, estradiol, and estriol. These occur in differing amounts at different times of life for different reasons and it is important to know which type should be given.

Do women need hormone replacement? Some, but not all. Doctor's see clinically that those patients who have very healthy lifestyles (exercise regularly, eat a variety of natural foods, get enough sleep, and have low stress levels) typically do well through menopause without any help. The symptoms of too low of hormone levels are very real. Doctors thought in the past that the only "real" symptoms of menopause problems were those that they could see, such as dry or atrophied vaginal tissue and hot flashes. But symptoms such as poor mood and a decreased sex drive could be explained away as a part of other issues (mental, emotional, or relational). Furthermore, opinions have fluctuated about how hormone levels affect other diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimers, and most of the scientific inquiry has gone towards these subjects.

In the past 10 or so years, the unseen symptoms of decreased hormones in menopause that truly affect quality of life have been defined. Low sex drive, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, weight gain, irritability, and insomnia are all symptoms of low hormone levels. Sometimes when science doesn't quite understand how something in the body works, the medical establishment is slow to treat it. Think of how many drugs for insomnia and mood disorders have been marketed over the last 20 years. How many people could have been helped with natural hormones rather than a prescription drug (which may have serious side effects)?

The reason for asking for bioidentical hormones is that we respect nature's wisdom. Why put an unnatural hormone into your body and then wait 20 years only to find out that it has deleterious side effects when you could use a naturally occuring hormone to boost your naturally low levels? The other reason to ask for bioidentical is that practioners who use this phrase are more likely to be up-to-date on the best methods of delivery. Formerly, hormones were solely given in a pill form, and practitioners who adhere to generally accepted standardized protocols still use this form. However, we know that when given orally, hormones need to be absorbed in the digestive tract, get processed by the liver, and then go out to the bloodstream. This causes decreased levels of absorption, decreased levels of free hormone, and more chance of negative effects of hormones occuring--such as the raised levels of clotting factors which can contribute to heart disease and strokes. Educated practitioners will use an alternative route of delivery, such as transdermal (cream form).

Are "compounding pharmacies" the charlatans the medical establishment makes them out to be? Compounding pharmacies take a substance, such as a hormone, and put it into a delivery system such as a capsule, pill, cream or trochie (sublingual form). If you see a respectable licensed doctor, he or she will use a pharmacy that has produced good results for their patients. These pharmacies have trained and licensed professionals that follow guidelines to make their products standardized and therefore attractive to clients. The fact that the FDA does not send someone to look over their shoulder doesn't make their product inferior. In fact, many doctors use compounding pharmacies for the superior quality of products especially concerning the variety of dosages available, the alternate routes of administration, and the combining of more than one substance into one easy to take product. This results in better patient compliance and better patient outcomes. How many of you have taken a generic form of a drug only to find out that it doesn't work as well as the name brand form? Yet the generic form has the FDA stamp of approval. Apparently, FDA oversight doesn't always translate into better quality.

Do you have to take hormone replacement for the rest of your life? You know, it's funny--when someone has arthritis, they accept taking pain medication the rest of their life. When someone has diabetes, they accept taking insulin the rest of their life. But when someone takes something natural that really helps them, they always ask, "How long do I have to take this?" or "When can I go off of this?" I do understand, though, that if we want to treat naturally, we should treat the cause rather than just the symptoms. That is why you should seek a naturopathic physician who does bioidentical hormone therapy.

Naturopathic doctors not only understand how to use hormones to treat symptoms but also understand the biology and biochemistry involved in low hormone levels. At our office, we will not only help you feel better fast, but we will treat the underlying issues. Many times that involves diet and lifestyle recommendations, and other times it will involve supplements and natural medicines to increase organ health. In the case of low hormone levels, two main factors are involved: diet and lifestyle. Did you know that hormones are made from cholesterol? How many people are on low fat diets and/or statin drugs? The liver processes hormones out of your body everyday. You need the substrates to make new hormones everyday. Dietary change and supplementation with essential fatty acids (such as fish oil) may be in order. Second, stress depletes hormone levels. Initially, when you are stressed your body will shunt fatty acids and precursor hormones over to the production of cortisol (the stress hormone). This decreases the levels of progesterone, DHEA, testosterone and estrogen. Next, the adrenal glands, which produce cortisol, get tired and hormonal pathways get sluggish. We need to feed the adrenals (and potentially other glands) to increase health. This may include glandular supplements.

We can also help overall body processes by a variety of means. I like homeopathic medicines which can help the body regain balance. This is an energetic form of medicine and studies are now proving various forms of energetic medicine to be effective.

All of this might seem overwhelming, but your doctor is the one who needs to understand and oversee it all. Arm yourself with the best information possible from resources such as Dr. Christine Northrup’s book The Wisdom of Menopause, then take the most important step—see a naturopathic physician. Call and ask for Dr. Sheryl at 360-573-2273.

Diets, diets, diets...

2009-01-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it's January 2nd. Did you make a New Year's resolution? For a big percentage of Americans (especially women), New Year's resolution means DIET: losing weight, fitting into that swimsuit by June or back into the jeans that somehow fit 6 months ago. We are a weight obsessed culture. "The Biggest Loser" (reality show about obese people losing up to half their body mass) draws a large audience--most of whom are not obese. In fact, despite the fact that obesity is a growing, and serious, problem in America, the majority of people needing to lose weight need to lose 30 pounds or less to reach their ideal weight. These are people that typically will not be helped long term by a fad diet.

Most people looking for a diet this New Year's will follow something that is extreme: no carb diets, liquid diets, count every calorie and gauge the carb points in every bite diets, meal replacement shake diets, order food over the internet diets, etc. All of these are extreme. Why? Because they are not a sustainable way of eating/living. You could have a shake for breakfast and lunch the rest of your life, but will you? The truth is, after losing the desired amount of weight, most people will go off their extreme diets and go back to the way they ate before--and gain back the weight they lost.

This may seem inocuous to some--what's wrong with having two sets of clothes so you can fit into your swimsuit in the summer and indulge in holiday food in the winter? Actually, rapid weight loss, especially if it happens over and over again, is very harmful to the body. All that adipose tissue that is melting away while on a fad diet has to get processed--first travelling through the arteries and veins, then onto the liver, out to the gall bladder and hopefully to the intestines where it will be eliminated but can also be reabsorbed! All of this can lead to worse blood lipid scores, arterial deposits, fatty liver, and gall stones.

But perhaps the greatest casualty of fad diets is that people don't develope a healthy, natural way of eating. For obese people, simply losing the weight will make them healthier and increase longevity. But once the weight is off, health isn't all about weight. Now, I used to know someone who lost 200 pounds on Weight Watchers and she was keeping it off by continuing to count points and calories and continuing to exercise. She was healthier than she had been. However, counting out exactly twelve cheesy Pringles chips (which she did at every lunch) and not eating one chip more does not make Pringles chips a healthy snack choice. What one should look for in a diet is one that allows a person to truly enjoy and savor the earth's bounty of fresh delectable food--without thinking about the bathroom scale! There are a couple of diets that come close to this--the Sonoma Diet and the South Beach Diet both present balanced views of eating and encourage eating fruits and vegetables in season. But a book I came upon recently had me saying "yes, yes!" to the recommendations and "yum, yum!" to the recipes included. It is "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano.

Guiliano presents the French way of eating and chronicles her own weight challenge as an adolescent exchange student to the U.S. After rediscovering her own French relation to food which can be described as joyful, sensible, gratifying, and even indulging at times, she shares it with the reader. The so-called "french paradox" has less to do with red wine and cigarrettes and more to do with a way of thinking about food and lifestyle. From a leek broth which helps lose water weight to tantalizing descriptions of ripe strawberries and creme fraiche, duck breasts with gingered plum compote, and chocolate/espresso souffle, this book will have you hooked on real food--real, fresh, ripe, seasonal, tasty food that feeds your senses and need for pleasure as well as your stomach. Although you won't be allowed to eat while walking and the number of pastries will be limited, you'll never have to look at a bathroom scale again!

I've had my weight number obsession in the past--thinking I had to do something drastic if I somehow slipped two pounds over my "ideal" weight. This is not an enjoyable way to live and keeps one focused on oneself--rather than focused on hobbies, being part of a community, or actually doing something for someone else. And worst of all, you don't get to enjoy food! The best thing I ever did was get rid of my bathroom scale. Yes, I don't have one in the house at all and every time i've been weighed at the doctor's in the last 15 years, I've fallen within a four pound range (except during pregnancies).

It's about getting back to basics--to fresh, seasonal, yummy food enjoyed in a relaxing atmosphere. I have to admit, Europeans know how to do this far more than we do. I learned this while working on a farm in Germany almost 20 years ago. Bread in the morning was fresh rolls from the bakery, we enjoyed farm fresh raspberries in a variety of ways, and nobody jumped up after a Sunday lunch outdoors to bring on the dessert or wash the dishes--yes we had two hour lunches at home sometimes. Since then I've worked for organic farmers in California, had a garden myself, and developed a knowledge how enjoyable FRESH food really is. It's sad that many people have never tasted a truly ripe strawberry or fresh ear of corn!

I encourage you--if you're looking for a new diet this year, look for one that illustrates a menu plan rich in ripe, fresh, tasty foods, coaches on portion size, and makes eating an enjoyable part of a balanced lifestyle. Learn from French women--after all, they don't get fat!

Is autism genetic?

2008-12-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

I was at Barney Rubble (Barnes and Noble) the other day [a couple of friends and I got into the habit of renaming things in college, like our hangouts--Paragon was "pair of thongs" and the cantina was "the can of tuna"--you get the picture] and I stumbled upon a very disturbing book. It was written by an M.D. who set out to prove that every treatment for autism was ridiculous, too labor intensive, and non-efficacious. Instead of going over case histories of children, their treatments, and whether or not they worked, the author stuck to speaking theoretically of science and scientific studies.

One mother quoted in the book stated that she wants to appreciate the benefits of autism (such as rare savant-like behavior) rather than try to treat the negative symptoms. She even goes so far as to say that autistics are valuable because some of them can do mathematical equations as quick as calculators! She likens autistic children to Down Syndrome or other genetic "differences", syndromes in which I can understand this idea of acceptance. One website I viewed likened autism to lefthandedness--a difference that was "treated" previous to the 1960s. However, I never knew a lefthanded person to qualify for disability, need a special high school, or cause disruption or harm to their families. My daughter's best friend in preschool, the daughter of a friend of mine, is autistic. One day they when they were four years old, they were playing together when all of a sudden, my friend's daughter stabbed my daughter with a fire poker! Thank goodness my daughter was OK, but you will never convince me that autism should just be accepted as a personality difference.

While I feel for the mom in the previous paragraph and understand her desire to just accept instead of do the hard work of years of diet change, supplementation, and behavioral therapy, I have to disagree with the similarity to Down syndrome and the idea that nothing can change. Down syndrome is a genetic alteration with specific consequences (or results) which are clearly defined and cannot be changed. Autism, however, is not clearly defined, the genetic markers are still being determined, and the pathology or symptomatology can change with treatment. Furthermore, genetic markers that have been suspected are functional, meaning the expression of these genes can change according to environment (ranging anywhere from "silent" to creating frank symptoms).

There is little doubt now that autism has a genetic component. They say look into the family tree of an autistic person and you'll find an engineer. Through the generations you'll find the trend going from awkward people to slightly strange and "different" people to Asperger's and OCD tendencies to autistic offspring. The genetics remain the same, so why the worsening of symptoms? The clue is in the genes.

Autistic people have been found to have altered genes of detoxification, mainly methylation and sulfation pathways. As the environmental assaults on humans increased dramatically during the 1900s (especially through vaccination) people with poor detoxification could no longer maintain normal levels of cellular metabolism. The result: accumulation of cellular waste, inflammation of the digestive system, decreased absorption of nutrients, deregulation of the immune system, and neurological changes. This results in children with the inability to communicate well, who cannot control their impulses, and who find processing information difficult.

The good news is that all of this is treatable. Detoxification of heavy metals can be aided by supplementation or IV therapy. Methylation pathways can be aided by B12 shots, inflammation of the gut and neurological consequences of food can be changed by diet, and neurological hard wiring can be changed through therapy. Reread the last sentence of the previous paragraph. Doesn't that sound like an awful prison to be in? We need to set these kids free. I don't think "autistic" is just another way of being, just as I don't think "deaf" is just another way of being if you have the possibility of cochlear implants. A parent would never think of not treating their cystic fibrosis child, yet this is a genetic problem. What about diabetes, or a child born with a heart defect. Does anyone NOT treat these children?

I don't want to minimize the struggle parents of autistic children go through--first to parent and bond with their child, then to deal with isolation and judgment because of extreme behavior, then to get a diagnosis, and then to wade throught the educational system as well as the myriad of treatments suggested. It is not easy.

That is why you need a good doctor who understands the genetics of autism and uses a variety of treatments to address all the factors causing neurological change. Not only will your child's life become open, easier, and more fulfilling, your job as a parent will become open, easier, and more fulfilling. It's always hard to make the first step on a path that seems daunting, but I'm sure any parent will be proud of themselves and their child when they see the improvements that can happen with treatment of autism.

Stay tuned for information for autism retreat in Oregon next June. There families with autistic children will be able to come relax, learn, and take time out to be a family on vacation in a fun and supportive environment.

Specialty

2008-11-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been networking with other doctors, I've been frequently asked "what's your specialty?" or "Do you have a special area of interest?" and "What modalities do you use?". I have to say, I fumbled over the answers, and it forced me to think about why. Now I have some answers.

My special interest? People. If someone comes in with sore throat or earache, I'm interested in it. If someone has arthritis or carpal tunnel, I'm interested. I have an easier time saying what I'm not interested in, because that list is smaller. And even then, it's a difficult answer. For instance, I'm not as interested in gynecology and male health, but mainly because I'm not set up to do the exams. I was very interested in the patient about whom I wrote my thesis--a case of severe dysmenorrhea (cramps) post tubal ligation. However, even after the many hours spent on this case, I wouldn't say that gynecology or even women's medicine is my special interest. I was more interested in the patient's quality of life. Treating a female disorder was just a part of that.

Modalities. What are my favorites: homeopathy, IV therapy? Although many students at school complained about having to learn so many modalities (read many class hours) and being a "jack of all trades", I think this is the strength of our medicine. Where M.D.s have mainly two tools: drugs and surgery, we have many more. Instead of feeling embarrassed when listing herbal medicine, supplements, diet, lifestyle, homeopathy, flower essences, and various forms of physical medicine as my favorite modalities, I should feel proud. The more modalities I can employ, the better for the patient because I can tailor the treatment to their problem, their level of dedication to health, and their pocketbook. Sometimes I clearly see a homeopathic constitution, and sometimes I don't. Sometimes a problem is clearly emotionally related or there is an emotional component where a flower essence can help. Other times a blend of vitamins and herbs will greatly help their symptoms as they change their diet and lifestyle to support new-found health. Many times specialization in one modality is done for the financial benefit of the doctor--not the health benefit of the patient. This type of medicine works well if the doctor is part of a team of doctors, all of whom have a specialty, but not when you are primary care.

Even if one has a specialty, how do we see that specialty in the light of holistic medicine--where we are to see the patient as a "whole"? How can you specialize in neurology, for instance, when the treatment may be in healing the gut (gastroenterology) so that inflammation (immunology) doesn't attack the neurons and the brain? Or what if you have to treat a blood sugar dysregulation or a thyroid disorder (endocrinology) that is affecting neurotransmitter levels in the brain? But wait, the thyroid problem is autoimmune (immunology) that stems from a gluten intolerance (gastroenterology)! I'm sorry, but I can't disect the body in such a way as to say that I'm not interested in any part of it. Luckily, I was trained to treat the whole thing!

So what is my primary interest? I've decided. And my special area of interest is...drumroll please......the brain! Why? Well, we already know that endocrinology affects the brain, gastroenterology affects the brain, neurology IS the brain, immunology definitely affects the brain, environmental medicine is at the forefront of brain health research...even cardiology and gerontology now focus on brain health. And of course, everyone wants smart kids, so there's your pediatrics. And if I say that I'm the "brain doctor" then people may refer to me all those hard to treat cases they fear, like depression or autism. Now I won't have to give up anything to say I have a specialty--except maybe dermatology, which I'm not really that intersted in. (I'll leave proctology to the specialists as well.)

Lifestyle--It's a Choice

2008-11-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

The phone rings--it's my sister.
"My friend has (x disease/symptom). What do you take for that?"
Ahhh...the biggest misconception of our times! We have become so accustomed to taking a pill or syrup for whatever ails us, that we think natural medicine means taking an herb or a vitamin instead of pharmaceuticals. We see it all the time.
"Well, I really can't tell you that when I don't know your friend or haven't asked a long list of questions about his symptoms"

Then I usually go on to tell her about different treatments for "x" depending on the situation, but that he should go see a naturopathic physician near him.

It's true, there are some things we typically prescribe for certain ailments. Elderberry syrup, for instance, is great for viral sore throats and the common cold. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on symptoms, however "symptom" does not equal "diagnosis". For instance, you don't give "x" homeopathic for a "sore throat". But you might give "x" homepathic for a sore throat that feels raw, burning, swollen, with stitching or tearing pain on swallowing accompanied by red swollen tonsils on a child with bright red cheeks (Belladonna).

However, most diseases, especially chronic ones, are not this simple. Usually the naturopathic practitioner takes into account the whole person: their symptoms, their medical history, their family medical history, their diet and sleep patterns, stressors, and way of interacting in the world. More often than not, lifestyle plays a major role in disease. It can both cause and treat disease.

Case study: Kimberly was a 40 something female, underemployed but getting ready to open her own business. Up until this point, she had worked seasonal jobs with large gaps of unemployment every year. Finances had always been a stressor and starting a business didn't make it any better. Her spiritual practices, including meditation at very early hours of the day, helped the stress but also interupted her nighttime sleep. She had been experiencing insomnia, feelings of being faint and dizzy, and irritability that seemed to be worse with PMS. During the intake, it became clear that she was somewhat perfectionistic in her zeal to be at peace. She felt guilty when feeling anxious, irritated, or angry.
We ran a few tests, ruling out vitamin deficiencies, immune problems, and female hormonal problems. We did find that her cortisol was low during the day and high at bedtime--a pattern opposite to normal--a pattern that could be causing her faintness and insomnia.

How does lifestyle play a role? First of all, this cortisol pattern could have been caused by her daily patterns of shortened sleep, peaceful meditation in the morning, lack of work and excercise during the day, and then stressing about finances and other important issues at night. In addition, computer useage in the evening hours may have contributed to the insomnia. All in all, her adrenals (responsible for making cortisol) were not regenerating from restful sleep, were not being stimulated in the day, and were being overstimulated at night.
Her prescription: a nutritive supplement at bedtime to help breakdown cortisol, an herbal supplement in the morning to support the adrenals and jumpstart cortisol production, exercise during the morning hours, work during the day, and no computer use or work after 6 or 7 pm. No caffeine after lunch, but she could continue her one cup of tea or coffe in the morning since she really enjoyed this aspect of her day. In addition, I prescribed a flower essence that she could take when feeling irritated, anxious, or angry. The prescription was based on treating perfectionism related to the idea of spiritual bliss.

After a couple of weeks, Kimberly was falling asleep easily, sleeping through the night, and feeling more calm overall. She felt envigorated by the exercise and hopeful about her health. The drops helped calm her down when anxious. Eventhough we did prescribe two items that come in capsules and one in drops, a big part of her prescription was lifestyle change. Without lifestyle change, she would never be cured of the imbalance causing her symptoms.

Even if you feel healthy, you may already know that lifestyle is the main factor for other problems in your life: the inability to get things done, to lose weight, or to simply be the person you really want to be. What you may need is a "life coach", such as Amy Applebaum. Similar to the naturopathic practitioner, Amy takes a long time to get to understand her client before making her "prescription"--the lifestyle changes needed to get to the client where he/she wants to go. She describes it as a "bootcamp for your mind" and gives accountability to her clients to make sure the changes are implemented. Once on a consistent track of new habits, clients typically see their dreams realized.
If you think you need a life coach, you're in luck because Amy is starting a group life coaching series (Group Boot Camp) at the beginning of the year. This is more affordable than individual lifecoaching, and you can participate via phone from anywhere in the world. For more information, go to www.bootcampforyourmind.com or www.amyapplebaum.com .

La Chureca--the dump

2008-10-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

Instead of writing about a health topic this time, I'd like to inform everyone about a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the desperate lives of people living without many possesions, much food, clean water, and most importantly, without hope. Please click on the links below (in succession is best):

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid240042138

http://www.forwardedge.org/missions/pdfs/VillaEsperanza9.3.2008.pdf

http://www.fei-nicaragua.blogspot.com/

If you would like to donate to a team of people going to install a playground in the new, safe group home community in January, please donate online to FEI to team 547. Otherwise, children can be sponsored and a variety of other ways of donating are possible. If you would like to donate items to be sent with the team headed down in January (clothing, toiletries, diapers, etc.) please let me know.

Have a blessed day....

Postpartum Depression

2008-09-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

Postpartum depression is on the rise and seen increasingly in the media--from Angelina Jolie and Brook Shields headlines to Gwyneth Paltrow's talk on Oprah yesterday, postpartum depression has become commonplace. What is post partum depression and why is it so prevalent?

It is not unusual for a woman to experience "the baby blues" after the birth of a child. This consists of periods of tearfulness mixed with happiness, loss of concentration, loss of appetite and inability to sleep. Usually, these mild symptoms last no longer than 2 weeks. However, when these feelings take weeks to months to go away, and when they are accompanied by more profound depression, loss of interest in activities or taking care of the child, severe loss of appetite, feelings of guilt or hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, or thoughts or fears of harming the baby, this is postpartum depression, and it needs to be treated.

What causes postpartum depression? Certainly socioeconomic factors (money, relationship) can contribute to a depression when one suddenly has a new life to care for. However, scientific studies have shown a strong correlation to physical factors such as hormonal imbalance, thyroid disruption, anemia, and low fatty acid levels. Also, women having an emergency caesarean section had more than six times the risk of developing postnatal depression three months postpartum. It could be that cesareans alter hormones, such as decreasing oxytocin--a strong bonding hormone released when the baby passes through the birth canal.

Hormones decrease rapidly in the first 72 hours after birth. This change alone can negatively affect women sensitive to changes in hormones, such as those who normally experience PMS or have trouble taking contraceptives. The typical hormonal pictures associated with postpartum depression are low prolactin levels, low estrogen, and high progesterone. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates milk production and attachment and causes menstruation to cease (which results in a period of amenorhea). Prolactin is secreted by the pituitary gland, a gland which may shrink after childbirth (Sheehans' syndrome). Also, prolactin is stimulated by breastfeeding. Therefore, if a woman does not breastfeed, she will have lowered prolactin levels and could run the risk of being affected by postpartum depression. Prolactin causes the hypothalamus to secrete dopamine which is usually associated with reward or positive feelings--to the point of being the star hormone in addiction research. However, abnormally high dopamine levels can cause paranoid, delusional, or otherwise warped thinking. So dopamine levels either low or too high may be indicated in postpartum depression/psychosis. Dopamine lowers estrogen levels, which is related to postpartum depression, so high dopamine could have a dual effect.

ACTH--the hormone that stimulates the adrenals into releasing cortisol (the energy-giving, fight or flight hormone) is found to be high in relation to cortisol release in women experiencing postpartum depression. During pregnancy, the adrenals get bigger (hypertrophy) due to the extra hormones needed by the fetus and during birth. After birth, the adrenals are mildly supressed--via receptor regulation--in order to return to a pre-pregnancy state. This can lead to incredible fatigue that for depressed women, goes on longer than normal. This continued supression could be due to adrenal fatigue or a problem with the communication between the glands that secrete hormones (the HPA axis--hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal). There could also be an altered learned response to ACTH which does not result in increased cortisol release. This pattern is seen in people who have experienced early life stressors (trauma in childhood). Stress during pregnancy can also change ACTH and cortisol levels after birth. It makes sense that ACTH without increased cortisol may be related to a feeling of being trapped--an inability to act on the feelings the hormones give--a feeling that could easily be attributed to caring for a newborn, thus affecting the mother's attachment to the child. ACTH is found in tears, so perhaps the uncontrollable crying in the postpartum time is the body's response to rid itself of ACTH instead of turning on cortisol. People at risk of experiencing this kind of imbalance are those who felt fatigued before pregnancy and people who are risk-takers (love the adrenaline rush).

Thyroid hormones also play a role in postpartum depression. Some of this is due to a presence of thyroid antibodies (thought to be secreted by the fetus). This lowers thyroid function overall. Otherwise, it is seen in altered thyroid hormones in lower amounts of active, or free, hormone. Instead, there is a higher amount attached to globulins/proteins, and thus unavailable for immediate use. Surprisingly, there is also a link between this picture and early life stressors.

Iron deficiency anemia is common among pregnant and post-partum women. There is scientific evidence to prove that iron supplementation relieves postpartum depression.

Treatments:

Exercise--can help the body put ACTH on track with cortisol, increasing cortisol production and therefore reconnecting the communication in the HPA axis.

Supplements--a supplement with thyroid co-factors, and especially iodine, give the thyroid the substrates needed for making thyroid hormone. Iron is needed to replace the iron lost in the loss of blood and will give both energy and a more balanced mental/emotional state. Also, B-vitamins are needed for energy production, so a good multi-vitamin (usually the prenatal) is a good item to add. In addition, a multivitamin will help adrenal function.

Herbs--herbs can provide nutrients, calm nerves, and rebalance hormones. For instance, Blessed thistle (Cinicus benedictus) can improve milk supply and relieve postpartum depression and suicidal feelings. Cimicifuga racemosa (Black cohosh) can relieve dark depressions that are related to decreased estrogen. Other herbs can support adrenal function. A tea made of fenugreek, fennel, and red raspberry leaf can increase prolactin, estrogen and oxytocin.

Homeopathy--Aurum, Causticum, Cimicifuga, Kali carb, Lycopodium, and Sepia are some of the remedies that can help postpartum depression. See a qualified homeopathic practitioner to get the right remedy.

No one should feel guilt over having postpartum depression. Although counseling/psychotherapy has been shown to help, you can't just talk yourself out of postpartum depression. It is a biochemical problem that needs to be treated by a qualified practitioner. The sooner you can start enjoying motherhood, the better for everyone!

Time for School! Immunizations and Your Child

2008-08-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

Fall…back to school shopping, filling the backpack with supplies, and getting… shots? Many parents will be notified soon that their children need immunizations before starting the school year. Are these immunizations necessary?

Let’s start with the Hepatitis B shot. Answer these 2 questions and you will know whether or not your child needs it: 1—will your child be having sex? 2—will your child be doing intravenous recreational drugs (ie: heroin)? The only way to contract Hepatitis B is through blood to blood contact or sexual contact. To me, this is one of the most ridiculous immunizations to subject children to, and it is done typically when newborns are only 2 days old!

Polio—there have been no cases reported in the U.S. since 1999.

Chicken pox vaccine—not yet required everywhere. As most people know, chicken pox are not so bad when contracted at an early age. As one gets older, the degree of discomfort becomes worse. My sister was 12 when she got chicken pox and she was miserable. Even so, most studies for the benefits of this immunization actually focus on lost work days of the parents who have to stay home for a week or so to care for the sick child, rather than actual health threat to the child.

Tetanus—if there is one vaccine that it’s good to get, it would be tetanus. The tetanus vaccine has not been typically associated with adverse outcomes, and if your child ever gets cut with something rusty or gets dirt into a cut, it could lead to tetanus, which, if not treated, is fatal. If you partially immunize your child (and give this information out), it may be difficult to get a waiver for a religious exemption.

Petussis and flu—both of these vaccines are contraindicated for children allergic to egg as they contain egg. Both are also unnecessary because both the flu and pertussis are treatable. Pertussis (whooping cough) will cause your children to be quarantined (at home), and it can be scary for parents due coughing bad enough to cause vomiting.

Diptheria—the incidence of diphtheria in the world is almost nothing with an average of 1 case per year in the U.S. Here is a link showing the worldwide incidence: http://www.cureresearch.com/d/diphtheria/stats-country.htm

Measles—less than 100 cases per year in the U.S. with many of these being imported (immigrants and recent international travelers). Cases of deaths were in complications in people who had long term diseases or were elderly. The MMR shot (measles-mumps-rubella) has been indicated as a probable cause for autism, a disease which has a much higher rate in the U.S. than measles.

The debate is still out on whether vaccines may cause injury through the metal preservatives(mercury or now aluminum--both of which are neurotoxins) or the vaccine itself. There is new scientific evidence that a neurological autoimmune reaction may be a cause of autism as well as a genetic decreased ability to detoxify. Both of these situations could be made worse by receiving vaccinations. In homeopathy, there are certain constitutional types that get worse from vaccination. The point is, everyone is different and each situation is different. It is up to the parents to decide whether or not vaccinations are beneficial for their child.

All states have laws protecting the rights of people who do not want to immunize their children for whatever reason. Here is a link to see, in general, what the law is in your state. http://www.909shot.com/state-site/state-exemptions.htm

Usually, abstaining is as simple as signing the back of the school immunization form, but sometimes a religious waiver exemption form must be filled out and signed. Despite protective laws, parents may feel pressured by school or daycare administrators to give their child shots. Don’t let this happen to you! Educate yourself on immunizations and the laws in your state and make an informed decision.

The Love Guru

2008-07-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

If you've seen "The Love Guru" you've seen the male envy of other males--wanting women to be attracted to them, wanting to perform better in bed, and wanting their bodies to be more buffed and...male. Although the movie was funny in that it took these ideas to the extreme, it reflected what really exists in the male minds of our culture. Men have been taking testosterone injections and steroids, consuming muscle building mixtures, and using contraptions to make themselves more "manly".

Hypogonadism is a real syndrome in which either the testes or ovaries do not produce enough hormones--either testosterone, estrogen or progesterone. It can also be caused by low function of the pituitary or hypothalamus which stimulate the gonads. In men, this could result in retarded development of sexual organs (if ocurring in childhood), fatigue, loss of libido, loss of muscle mass, tendon and ligament problems such as sprains, decreased cardiovascular function atherosclerosis, bone density loss, and poor mood such as irritability and negativity (think "grumpy old man").

There can be other reasons for low hormone levels. Hormones are made from cholesterol. How many people are on low fat diets and cholesterol lowering drugs to get their cholesterol to a minimum? TOO MANY! Do I think that a low fat and cholesterol free diet is healthy? NO. Our hormones are made from cholesterol. When the diet is too low in cholesterol, the body has a way of making its own. However, statins interfere with this process. What are we left with? Deficient cholesterol and deficient hormones. What are men typically prescribed for this? Testosterone injections.

The problem with testosterone injections is that it gives the body a large dose of testosterone at one time. When the body has an excess of one hormone, this hormone gets converted into other hormones. Testosterone can get converted to estrogen in process called aromatization. Increased estrogen in men causes enlarged breasts and female pattern cellulite. (Increased estrogen can also be caused by obesity and alcoholism or tumors among other things, so it is important to fully determine what the hormone picture is and why.)

Naturopathic doctors can determine hormone levels through either saliva or blood testing. They can treat low testosterone in a variety of ways, including prescribing herbs that stimulate the adrenals, herbs that stimulate the gonads, prescribing essential fatty acids and a change in diet to get the correct substrates for hormone production, testing digestive function to enhance fatty acid utilization, prescribing herbs that block aromatization, and giving sublingual testosterone in very small doses to increase levels and guard against aromatization to estrogen.

Low testosterone may be the reason you are experiencing some of the symptoms above. If you need to find a naturopathic physician in your area, go to http://www.naturopathic.org/.

Recreation--part of a good health plan

2008-06-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Fun. Is fun part of your health plan? Recreation--getting outdoors to do something other than yard work or to walk the dog, or having fun indoors with guests roasting marshmallows in the fireplace--this is what we work for, right...the leisure life we're all supposed to have more of due to technological advancements. Well, recreation is actually an important aspect of health. During times of recreation, we can get out of stress mode, build relationships with loved ones, learn something new and keep our minds sharp, exercise in a fun environment, and just enjoy being alive. Recreation doesn't mean zoning out--like watching tv. Rather it is being tuned in to the present to enjoy the scenery and people that make life colorful. In April and May I ran a 12k, went kayaking twice, went camping, visited art galleries, played board games, had guests over, blew bubbles in the yard, played ultimate frisbee, went rollerblading with the dog, and roasted marshmellows in the fireplace. Here are some pix from the last couple of months of recreation...

Lake Oswego 12k Lake Run

Visiting our favorite art gallery

Camping at the coast

And...bubbles in the yard....

So get out and recreate everyone!!!!!

carrot juice protects against sunburn

2008-05-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

Recently a study came out proving that intake of betacarotene (the orange photosensitive pigments found in fruits and vegetables) can guard against sunburn.

Here is the reference: "Protection from sunburn with beta-Carotene--a meta-analysis,"PhotochemPhotobiol, 2008; 84(2): 284-8. (Address: Department of Medical Informatics andBiomathematics, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany).In a review and meta-analysis of 7 studies evaluating the effectiveness ofbeta-carotene inprotection against sunburn, beta-carotene supplementation was found to protectagainstsunburn in a time-dependent manner. The dosage of beta-carotene used in thestudiesranged from 15 mg/day to 180 mg/day. A minimum of 10 weeks of dailysupplementationwas found to be necessary to offer protection. Every additional month of supplementation improved the protective effect by 0.5 standard deviations..."

The amount of supplementation of betacarotenes in this study is lower or equal to the amounts you can consume in an average coloroful vegetable dish or glass of freshly squeezed juice. This suggests that food can be your best protection against sunburn, not to mention all the other health effects of carotenoids. Beta carotene tuns into vitamin A which is important for skin, eye, and immune system health. Deficiency of vitamin A can cause night blindness, dry eye, dry skin, fatigue, poor appetite, stunted growth and frequent infections. One cup of carrot juice can provide 50,000 iu of vitamin A. But wait, that's not all! Carrot juice also contains vitamins and minerals such as B, C, D, E, and K, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and sodium. These help make healthy skin, nails, and hair.

One pound of carrots makes an 8oz. cup of carrot juice. This contains over 230mg of betacarotene--far more than was used daily in the study! Therefore, just drinking half a glass--the amount made from half a pound of carrots--a day can protect you this summer from getting a sunburn. Now, of course, genetics plays a part and if you are the pale irish type, I would continue using sunscreen. But in general, to get that healthy summer tanned glow, drink carrot juice everyday!
(Caution: drinking excessive amounts of carrot juice can deposit betacarotene in the skin causing the palms and other areas to aquire and orange cast. Everything in moderation!)

-Sheryl Wagner, ND

Mother's Day Special

2008-05-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was in Barnes & Noble yesterday and found a hilarious book, "The Woman Who is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach--and Other Annoying People". The humor is just for mom's and since it's mother's day today and since (as I learned from Reader's Digest years ago) 'laughter is the best medicine', I thought I'd post an exerpt from the book here on the blog. The chapter I picked relates to last night's events at my house. Since I ran the Lake Oswego 12k yesterday (my first race), and since it is Mother's Day weekend, my husband decided to cook dinner. I chose the menu considering what we had in the house and gave him cooking instructions because, well, I know how these things have turned out before.

Two hours later, I ended up cooking (or re-cooking) the dinner myself. I really tried to eat the pork chops medium rare, and tried to add more potatoes to the hash browns to help dilute the salt. But in the end, I baked a potato in the oven and sauteed the pork a little longer. I tried not to be "that woman"...the woman in the chapter entitled " The Wife Who Finds Something Wrong with the Way her Husband Saved the Life of the Man Choking at the Table Next to Them"....
the example given being "what if Jesus had a wife?" Read on...

"...Jesus returns home after a particularly draining day. his wife, Stella, says:
"Good Lord! Where in God's name have you been? You smell awful!"
"Well, as a matter of fact, I just raised Lazarus from the dead. It took a lot out of me."
"Well, I shoud think so, especially the spring morning freshness I had worked so hard to get into your clothes. Before you did that, did you consider all the work it would create for me? It'll take me a month to get that robe smelling decent again. Why did you have to wait until he smelled like a farm animal to raise him from the dead?"
"Because people were amazed since he had been dead for four days."
"Well, if you really wanted to amaze people, why not bring back Socrates or Plato? Those are people who have been dead for four hundred years."
"Well, I never thought of that."
"Four days is nothing. This is just like that little fiasco the other night when you turned the water into wine at the Shapiro girl's wedding."
"But they couldn't believe it--the bride's mother fainted with astonishment."
"And do you know why that was?"
"I thought it was because she had never seen anyone turn water into wine before."
"No, it was because they were serving poultry, and you came up with a merlot. Everyone knows you don't drink red wine with chicken."
"Oh." He looks a little dejected. "Well, I thought it was good."
"Quite frankly, sweetheart, the wine was a little dry."
"Oh." He looks even more dejected.
"Well, I'm sure you'lll do better next time. Maybe something more fruity, more aromatic."
"Well, I'll try," he says, looking preoccupied.
"And while we're on the subject, you know the other day when you had Peter throw out the nets to catch the fish? What did you bring up from the bottom of the Sea of Gallilee? Haddock. I couldn't believe it. Who eats haddock? Maybe next time you could try for some nice trout. I mean, if you're going to expend all this energy on these 'miracles' as you call them, maybe you could go the extra mile and come up with something really good."
"Well, I guess you're right."
"It's also like the episode with the multitudes when you came up with the loaves and fishes. Did you ever consider that maybe those people would need a filet knife, a frying pan, olive oil, plates, a tablecloth, napkins to match, and salt and pepper? And then you completely forgot about any kind of beverage."
"Oh, yeah, I guess I did."
"Well, I'm sure you'll get it right eventually. You just need to give it some time. And frankly, there isn't a lot of money in turning water into wine or bringing up tons of fish unless you come up with some kind of a marketing plan. And again, as I see it, it's the quality that would hurt us. there isn't a lot of demand these days for cheap red wine and haddock."

--taken from The Woman Who is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach--And Other Annoying People

If you have a humorous book to recommend, post it! Or e-mail me at drsherylwagner@drsherylwagner.com

Have a great Mother's Day!

Healthy Desserts

2008-05-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

I visited Bob's Red Mill in Milwauke, Oregon today. You may have seen Bob's Red Mill products on the shelves in the health food section of your local store--whole grain flours, gluten free pancake mix, high protein hot cereal. Visiting the store, which looks like a red barn with a river wheel and houses a retail section as well as a bakery and restaurant, made me think about flours and desserts. In my previous post, I stated that I prefer desserts that aren't considered "health foods". In general, I think gooy "granola" or "cereal" bars make people think that eating sweet stuff throughout the day is a healthy thing to do. I'm reminded of a woman who told me once that she was surprised that soy ice cream sandwiches had given her a stomachache. Well, it turns out that since she considered "soy" a health food, and since the sandwiches were rather small, she thought that eating a whole box of soy ice cream sandwiches was a good lunch substitute! I think anyone would get a stomachache after eating a whole box of ice cream sandwiches instead of lunch--soy or no soy!
I remembered also back to two nights ago when I was at the grocery store with my daughter. We happened upon some ripe RED strawberries (don't usually see ripe ones in the store), so I just had to get some. Of course, the store conveniently places those packaged "shortcakes" next to the strawberries, which is helpful---if you want to eat hydrogenated oils and preservatives for dessert. After reading the labels on three brands of shortcakes/angelfood cakes I realised I would be baking my own non-hydrogenated, non-preserved strawberry accompaniment that night. And what goes better with strawberries than a hot, homemade waffle?!
Now, waffles can be healthy or unhealthy, and I got to thinking that making dessert doesn't mean you should forget about health altogether. Homemade waffles can be healthy and delicious by choosing the ingredients wisely. Using flour milled at places that promise small, fresh batches of unadulterated grain is a wise first step. Wheat flours in other stores commonly have added unlisted ingredients, such as anti-caking potato products, making it difficult for those with allergies to make smart choices. Second, using a whole grain flour can increase the nutrient benefit, without changing the taste. If whole wheat flour seems to make your waffle more dense, just whip the egg whites in the recipe before adding them to the batter. Third, adding nutrient dense ingredients, such as flax seeds or nuts can give added vitamins and minerals to your baked goods as well as make the texture more complex. I chose to use a white, unbleached flour and added ground flax seed (buy flax whole in the bulk section and then grind them in a coffee grinder just before you use them. That way, the oils will not go rancid).
Not only were the waffles and strawberries delicious, but I felt good about eating them--all that vitamin C, the anti-oxidants, and essential fatty acids were cleverly disguised as dessert! (I also had leftovers for breakfast : )
So when I say that dessert doesn't have to be a "health food", it should at least be "healthy", meaning all natural ingredients that bring some nutrient benefit to your body. And as everyone knows, chocolate is the new red wine, so your list of healthy desserts just got bigger.
Feel free to post about your favorite homebaked dessert or your favorite Bob's Red Mill whole grain recipe.
Cheers,
Dr. Sheryl Wagner

First post!

2008-04-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hey I'm a blogger now! My 20 month old has had a blog site since she was born. Now I finally have one, too! A little about me...I'm a naturopathic doctor who can answer your questions. Please only ask appropriate PG rated stuff--all other comments will be deleted. I'll start you out by asking myself a question:

Q: Dear Dr. Sheryl,
I want to eat to eat better, but I don't want to count calories, go vegan, or eat tofu. Can you help?
--Foodie in Portland

A: Dear Foodie,
Since you are a self proclaimed "foodie", that gives me alot of hope for your food plan. You won't have to count calories, go vegan or eat tofu. I assume by "foodie" that you prefer "blueberry and citrus sorbet layer cake" over twinkies, and "lemon morrocan chicken tangine" over fast food nuggets. This is great news. What you want in your food are real ingredients that each bring their own health power to a dish. Adding kale or spinach to your omelet or scrambled eggs will give you loads of minerals and vitamin A. Instead of mayonaise on your sandwich, use sundried tomato pesto for a natural vitamin C boost. Curry is a natural anti-inflammatory, and garlic and onions can supply you with plenty of sulphur compounds which are anti-microbial and have proven beneficial effects on blood lipids. Here are some guidelines for good eating:
1. eat three meals a day--and don't wait too long for breakfast!
2. eat in relation to how active you are. If you need to lose weight, eat less than you are eating, and move more. When you are very active, such as in training for a triathalon, you'll need to eat more. If you want to eat more because you enjoy food, you'll need to move more.
3. Vegetables at every meal. You can add greens and red bell pepper to your omelet, order the meat and vegetable dish at that asian restaurant for lunch, and go for it at dinner--try new vegetable dishes as well as adding vegetables to the dishes you already make. Shopping at a farmer's market will give you inspiration for trying new vegetables, and farmer's often have recipes to share.
4. Desserts--these can be decadent like chocolate truffle cheescake, or simply fresh strawberries sprinkled with sugar. Personally, I don't like the idea of "healthy desserts" if that means you have to use fake sugar or that it ends up tasting like a soy-oat bar. Two rich desserts a week made from real fresh ingredients and in a moderate portion will satisfy your sweet tooth much better than eating diet bars everyday. Focus on fresh fruit in season. I love to make a fruit crisp with apples in the Fall. But when peaches are in, forget cooking. There's nothing better than a ripe peach and juices dripping down your chin!
5. Eat organic! there is alot of evidence now to prove that organic food has more nutrients. Typically, especially if you buy at farmer's markets, organic food has more flavor.
6. Drink water between meals. Sometimes when you think you're hungry or tired, your body really just needs water. Drink a couple of glasses between each meal and more if you are exercising or also having caffeine.
7. Lastly, no soda, no processed prepackaged food with things you can't pronounce on the label (or things that obviously come from a chemistry lab). Hey, these are my only don'ts, it's not that bad, right?

A great healthy cooking book for foodies is "The Sonoma Diet" by Dr. Connie Guttersen. Great food, and all the recipies have portion information such as calories and carbs and protein (if you're into that sort of thing).
Hope this helps!
-Dr. Sheryl
learn more at www.drsherylwagner.com