Your Plate Should Be 1/2 Vegetables

Every one of my patients has probably seen this image. I draw it on their treatment plan to remind them to focus on eating vegetables. It's very gratifying to see this image mirrored on the Harvard School of Public Health website. HSPH recently rolled out guidelines for what they are calling "the new nutrition." Their recommendations are based on reviews of the scientific evidence and are a compelling validation of the dietary advise naturopathic physicians have been espousing for years. Look for Harvard Medical School Healthy Eating: A guide to the new nutrition by Teresa Fung for the complete list of recommendations.

When I draw it on their treatment plans, my patients' responses range from incredulous to outright denial. So I decided to share a few examples of how I accomplish this at home. In the coming year, I'll be adding photographs of actual meals that I make and eat to show you how I incorporate 1/2 vegetables into my diet. This photo shows a quick and easy lunch we prepared this week that meets the 1/2 vegetable rule.

Lunch consisted of:

• I Can't Believe it's Just Cabbage Salad
• Fresh cucumber and small tomato with balsamic vinegar
• Apple
• Chicken salad on toast

Take away the chicken salad on toast and the rest of the meal is raw, vegan/vegetarian, gluten free and represents 4 different types of fruits and vegetables and approximately 3-4 servings. You could substitute a small serving of any combination of beans and rice or add a bean burger patty on toast to keep it vegetarian. Are you eating 1/2 vegetables? Want to share some of your ideas or meals? Add them to the comment section below!

Bieler Broth Recipe

I mentioned Bieler Broth in my last post so I wanted to share the recipe with you all. Dr. Henry Bieler recommended this broth for many conditions to restore acid-alkaline balance and sodium-potassium balance. It's a good soup for when you aren't feeling well. Another good option for preventing and treating illness is this garlic soup.

Bieler Broth
1 lbs. zucchini, trimmed
1 lb. string beans, ends removed
2 sticks celery
2 bunches parsley, stems removed
filtered water, enough to cover

Place parsley in water and boil or steam vegetables for 30 minutes or until tender. You can eat as is or blend into a creamy soup. You may optionally add sea salt or fresh garlic to the blend.

Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold

Everybody gets sick sometimes and when you get sick, it can be important to stay home for a couple of days. I've been home for a couple days myself fighting off an upper respiratory viral infection. As adults, it's hard to prioritize staying home and getting enough rest when we have jobs, hobbies, social networks, children, pets and school that require our attention. You may need some extra rest to help you fight off the infection, though. It's also vitally important to pay attention to your diet when you aren't feeling well.

My husband asked me if I should be starving or feeding my illness. "Starve a cold, feed a fever? Feed a fever, starve a cold?" Though he couldn't remember this old axiom, it is "starve a fever, feed a cold."

So, is there any truth to it? Maybe. When you have a fever, your body is working hard to fight an infection. Digesting a full meal may be challenging at that time. Does that mean you should fast completely? Not for long periods of time, but you can ease the challenge on your digestion by consuming primarily liquids, such as water, herbal tea, fresh juices, green juices, smoothies and broths. Bieler broth is a good option.

What about feeding a cold? Common colds tend to last longer than fevers and it's important to keep up one's strength. Eating somewhat simply is still important. All the liquid options mentioned above are still good choices, but you can add some solid high nutrient foods, like fresh vegetables and lean protein sources.

Important things to avoid include sugar and dairy. Sugar is the prefered fuel source for viruses and bacteria and directly depresses the immune system so it's the worst food you could choose when you are unwell. Dairy is highly allergenic, inflammatory and mucus producing (this is controversial, but for me it's definitely true) so it's also something to avoid while you are ill. When you are unwell, you should also avoid any known food allergens and highly processed foods - keep it simple.

Resolution Solutions 2012

Happy New Year 2012.

It’s that time of year again and if you’re like many of us, you’re all making the same resolutions, again. Stop drinking or smoking, go to the gym, lose weight. Some of the other popular resolutions that get recycled every year include spending more time with family and friends, participating in your community, getting organized, starting a new hobby or learning a new skill and getting out of debt. These are all good goals and the reason we see them year after year is that they are never really “done.” You can’t complete “spend more time with family and friends” or “getting organized.”

Here are some tips to help you keep and succeed in your resolutions this year:

1. Consider choosing a guiding word rather than a resolution.
Mentor Christine Kane suggests this as an option for providing more of a framework for the year rather than goals that may or may not resonate. See this page for a free guide to discovering your word for 2012.

2. List your priorities.
We’re all busy with loads to do - work, school, parents, children, pets, hobbies, homes - it can be very overwhelming. While many of these are on a equal footing, they can’t all get equal attention.
What are the items you can let slide this year? What are the items you might have been letting slide that you really want to focus on? This can be enough to refocus you or can be the basis on which you set resolutions for 2012.

3. Keep your goals SMART: Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
[you don’t have to keep this part as strict text - feel free to format in a more readable manner]

Specific - if your goal is to spend more time with family, how much more time - if you live locally, you might set the goal to have dinner with your family once a week. If your goal is to lose weight, set a goal for a certain number of pounds.
Measurable - this doesn’t have to include scales and measuring tapes (but they help!), but has more to do with how you determine if you’ve reached your goal. If the goal is to get organized, maybe your measure if the size of the pile of loose papers “to be filed” on your desk.
Attainable - this will vary for each person, but SMART goals are both challenging and within reach. Being attainable also requires that you have the time, energy and attention to give to achieving your goal.
Realistic - your goal should also be something that can really happen. Flying to the Atlantis on the back of a winged pig is not a realistic goal for 2012.
Timely - “Goals are dreams with deadlines” (Diana Scharf Hunt) New Years resolutions are always somewhat timely, because you make new ones every year, but if 365 days is too long, bring your window in somewhat or even break your goal into parts with shorter deadlines. This will help keep you on track and also give you some milestones to celebrate along the way.

4. Keep your word, priorities or goals visible. Tape it to your mirror, post it on your dashboard in the car, write in on paper and use it as a bookmark, make it your theme or wallpaper on your computer or smart phone. Remind yourself frequently of your desired outcome to keep motivated through the year.

5. Enlist help.
You are the only one who can accomplish your goals, but you don’t have to do it alone. Share your resolution with friends and family and ask them to gently remind and support you. Enlist professionals who have experience and resources in the area of your focus. If your goals are health related, including weight loss and smoking cessation, the physicians at True Health Medicine can help with dietary advise, appropriate supplementation or herbal medicines, specialized diets and acupuncture.

If you’re still stumped, I suggest this resolution: try acupuncture in 2012!

Common Cold According to Chinese Medicine

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the cold winds are a-blowin' once again and it's time to get your scarves and hats out. Classical Chinese medical theory attributes common cold/flu symptoms to what we call "external invasion" of pathogenic factors, very commonly wind and cold.

The easiest way to prevent external invasion of these pathogens is to block their path of entry - indeed, it's to bundle up. Most importantly, keeping your neck covered when out in the cold, windy weather. Keep your scarf handy and wrap your neck even when going outside briefly during these cold windy days. Dress in layers and take a jacket as well so that you don't get cold even when the sun is shining. Another assist is to end your hot showers with a brief cold rinse - this helps to close your pores as well as to return your blood from the surface of your body to the center.

If you do get sick, Yin Qiao (also the herbal ingredient in Airborne) is a common Chinese formula for cold. Chinese herbal formulas are prescribed based on the pattern of your symptoms, though, so it won't work for every cold. For an evaluation of your cold, treatment with acupuncture, cupping and moxa as needed, and custom herbal formula, make an appointment with Dr. Wendy Rogers or Dr. Bijana Devo Kadakia.

Dietary Supplements and Mortality Study

A couple of nights ago, a friend asked me why supplements increase mortality. While I was surprised, I was also glad to know what people are hearing. Yes, a study came out that correlated supplement use with an increased rate of mortality. But, before jumping to conclusions, you have to really look at the study.

The study was conducted over 18 years and the data was gathered by paper survey 3 times in those 18 years. The data was not verified. The forms, amounts, brands, additives and other quality markers of the product were not queried - that is, every product that a consumer thought was a multivitamin was lumped into the same category. There was no differentiation based on the frequency of use or the reasons for use - someone who started taking supplements following a diagnosis of heart disease, for example, who later died of heart disease is included as someone for whom their mortality would be correlated with their supplement use.

And a basic tenet of research is that "correlation does not imply causality." Even the authors of the study noted that, "It is not advisable to make a causal statement of excess risk based on these observational data." "When made by a quality manufacturer, when recommended by a knowledgeable health-care practitioner, and when taken for the appropriate indication, dietary supplements promote, enhance, support, and help maintain overall good health and well-being. The “results” of the recent study do not diminish this conclusion." (Thorn Research Position Paper, 2011)

If you are interested in using supplements to maintain and improve your health, my best recommendation is to visit a licensed naturopathic physician for guidance.

surfer's health tip #1

dengue fever...

for all the people who have been so affected by the passing of Andy Irons, I’ve been swept up with the thoughts that maybe if we just knew a little more about Dengue Fever, we might avoid losing more amazing people, like Andy. As a naturopath I continually look for the answers in nature, when conventional medicine has no further answers. We live among our medicines and they speak to those who are open and listen. For thousands of years people have worked in harmony with what is provided in their local habitats.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness of the tropics. There are four strains of dengue virus. Infection with any of the strains causes a high fever AND at least one other symptom:

* Severe headache

* Severe eye pain (behind eyes)

* Joint pain

* Muscle and/or bone pain

* Rash

* Mild bleeding manifestation (e.g., nose or gum bleed, petechiae, or easy bruising)

* Low white cell count

Symptoms usually are milder the first time a person has dengue. The most dangerous thing about dengue is that a second infection — with a different strain of the virus — can trigger dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a sneaky killer, although with proper medical care the death rate is about 1%. DHF appears AFTER a first bout of fever, usually on day 4 or day 5 of a dengue illness. The infection causes fluid to leak from small blood vessels, which can lead to profound shock, organ damage, and death.

One of the most frustrating things that I read in the articles all over the WEB about Andy Irons is that powerful prescription painkillers in his hotel room. Pain killers are a contraindication for people suffering from Dengue fever it can cause hemorrhaging internally. I’m not sure if any one ever told Andy that detail.

Natural remedies that may help:

Ginger tea

Ginger helps stimulate a therapeutic sweat. Studies also show that it helps fight against bacterial infections that may develop as a result of the viral infection. Lemon juice does the same thing, warding off secondary bacterial infections and giving a whopping amount of Vitamin C. Apple cider (and apple cider vinegar), is extremely rich in minerals and has been employed since ancient times for this reason.

Step One

One cup of peeled, chopped and minced fresh ginger

10 cups of water

Step Two

Apple cider (1/2 cup per serving)

Lemon juice

Directions

Peel and mince the ginger (a food processor makes little work of this job). Simmer the minced ginger in 10 cups of water for an hour or so. Strain.

When ready to have a serving place 1/2 cup of the strained ginger water in a pan with 1/2 cup of apple cider and a squirt or two of lemon juice. Heat and serve.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/potent-anti-viral-tea.html#ixzz15cDFRplo

Neem leaves extract for the rash:

Benefits of neem's fruits, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and bark. Each of these has been used in the Indian Ayurvedic medicine. ‘Neem bark is cool, bitter, astringent, acrid and refrigerant.

Increase water intake. Keep well hydrated during the fever.

Botanical Sambuscus is anti-viral,

Lauricidin found in coconut oil, which converts to monolaurin can also be anti-bacterial

The biggest and hardest thing to do is avoid pain medication even with the severe joint pain. Homeopathy Comfrey Symphytum officinate for the bone pain 1M Dose.

These remedies do not replace visiting with a physician and seeking medical treatment, but if they send you home with no advice consider natural medicine.