Tai Ji (Tai Chi)

I started this morning with the first in a series of Tai Ji* review courses. After several days of intense heat, we had a lovely cool morning in which to practice tai ji. I studied tai ji theory, health benefits and the practice while I was in medical school and practiced daily in the weeks before taking (and passing!) my board exams.


In addition to enhancing memory, tai ji has been suggested to have many other health benefits, including:

• balance, fewer falls in the elderly
• cardiac rehabilitation (post surgery)
• high blood pressure
• headaches

These effects have mostly been studies in the elderly, but in the few studies with younger adults, the effects have been even stronger. Tai ji is a very safe practice to introduce into your daily routine and makes for a great start to the day.

*Note: Tai ji is the same as the more commonly used "tai chi," but uses the more up to date pinyin romanization of Chinese, whereas tai chi is the older Wade-Giles romanization.

Losing and Maintaining Weight 101

Whether you feel you're at your ideal weight or you'd like to lose a few (or more) pounds, you'll likely learn something valuable from this course. We'll cover what ideal weight is and why it matters, how your weight is related to disease risk and lifespan, complicating factors that might make it hard to lose weight and how medically assisted weight loss can help.

Join Dr. Clark at any of the following three evenings at New Seasons Market:
July 2 @ New Seasons Market, Happy Valley
Aug 4 @ New Seasons Market, Orenco Station
Aug 11 @ New Seasons Market, Raleigh Hills

All talks are scheduled at 7pm.

Raw Food: More than Salad and Bananas!

Would you like to spend your summer feeling energized and full of vitality? Would you like to lose weight while still eating generous portions of delicious food, including desserts? Would you like to spend more time enjoying your food and less time preparing and cleaning up after meals?

Join Dr. Bijana Devo of True Health Medicine and Dr. Ericha Clare of Simply Nourishing as they pair up to give you the scoop on raw food. From simply peeling a banana to gourmet preparations, raw food is a delicious and nutritious way to "let you food be your medicine."

Recipes and samples to be shared. There will also be a live demonstration for how to make a raw dessert at the Happy Valley talk.

Health Talks for Your Business or Group

Interested in the health of your staff? Want to encourage healthy lifestyle habits?

Consider scheduling a group health talk. The physicians of True Health Medicine, PC are available to speak at your business or group on a wide range of topics, including

• Nutrition
• Weight Loss
  
• Heart Health
  
• Diabetes
  
• Allergies
  
• Women's and Men's Health
  
• Family Medocine
  
• Menopause
  
• Pain Management
  
• Preventive Care

A health talk is a great way to support your staff. Contact us today at 503-691-0901 to discuss how we can provide your staff with important health information.

Seasonal Allergies Talk

It's that time of year again! An itchy nose and watery eyes may mean you’re suffering not from the common cold, but from seasonal allergies. Join us to learn which gentle herbal and homeopathic remedies, along with nutritional support (like raw local honey!), can help ease the symptoms of this all-too-common complaint. We'll discuss ways to prevent and relieve symptoms of seasonal allergies just in time!

Physicians from True Health Medicine pair up with local food favorite New Seasons Market for this series of talks. We'll be speaking at several stores:

May 12 - New Seasons Market @ Raleigh Hills (SW Portland)
May 14 - New Seasons Market @ Happy Valley (Clackamas)
June 4 - New Seasons Market @ Cedar Hills (Beaverton)
June 9 - New Seasons Market @ Orenco Station (Hillsboro)

Cost: Free
RSVP: Contact the individual New Seasons Market directly to sign up or call 503-691-0901 with questions!

Superfoods

Every week there seems to be some article online discussing superfoods, like this slide show or this one. It seems the answers that people are seeking from these articles are: is it good (or, is it as good as the claims) and should I use it? As with most nutritional questions, I don't think the answer is a simple one, but I would offer a quick rule of thumb:

If you can buy it in your produce department, eat it.

So many of the foods we call superfoods are produce, but we are suggested to buy them in pills, juices and powders. In some cases, I think this can be useful - I have a bottle of Veggie pills that I take with me when I'm traveling and won't be preparing my own food and I use a green powder from time to time. These products can also be useful for people suffering from extreme nutritional deficiencies or people who won't eat vegetables.

For most people, though, I think that increasing both the intake of fruits and vegetables and the diversity of fruits and vegetables will serve them well. Blueberries and spinach are amazing foods and I know a lot of people have started incorporating them into their diets and in fact, may eat these foods every day. I would encourage people to keep eating these great foods, but to also try raspberries, marionberries, blackberries, cherries and strawberries* as well as kale, chard, mustard greens, beet greens, dandelion greens and even different varieties of salad greens**.

Not only will your body have access to a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals from these plants, but your palate will thank you for it!


*Remember that berries and other soft skinned fruits are often grown using large amounts of chemical pesticides and consider buying organic to reduce your exposure.
**Please note that if you are taking blood thinning medications, you should speak to your doctor about increasing your intake of dark leafy greens as they are rich in Vitamin K and your medication may need to be adjusted.

How Much Protein Do I Need Anyway?

You may have asked yourself that very question while looking at protein bars or shakes at the market. Well, the answer isn't always a simple one. Come join us for an in depth look at what protein is, how our body reacts to and utilizes dietary protein and how our need for protein may vary based on our age, weight and activity levels.

Let's decode the FDA's Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein and see what it means for you. We'll also look at some interesting research featured in the China Study. This talk will discuss both animal and plant sources of protein, specifically, so omnivores and vegetarians will leave with some new information.

Join us Tuesday March 24 at 7pm for more information and conversation about protein.
Call 503-691-0901 to reserve your seat or with questions.