NCANP BLOG

Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act introduced in North Carolina

2011-04-08T15:21:00.004-04:00

The Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act has been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly. Senate Bill 467 sponsored by Senators Fletcher Hartsell, (R-Cabarrus & Irdell), and Tom Apodaca, (R-Buncombe, Henderson, & Polk), and House Bill 847 sponsored by Representatives Jeff Barnhart, (R-Cabarrus), Jeff Collins, (R-Nash), Tom Murry, (R-Wake), and Susan Fisher, (D-Buncombe) were introduced Thursday, March 31 and Thursday, April 7 respectively. SB 467 and HB 847 prescribe a process for licensing doctors of naturopathic medicine in North Carolina. The legislation follows the national standards for licensure of naturopaths requiring college graduation with an emphasis in sciences, graduation from a four-year nationally accredited naturopathic medical school, and passage of a state or national licensing board exam. Once licensed, doctors would have to complete yearly continuing educational credits to maintain a license.

The scope of practice as detailed in the legislation is specific and narrowly defined, allowing naturopathic doctors to diagnose and treat illness and use a variety of natural treatment modalities such as homeopathy, herbal therapies, nutritional supplements, diet, physical manipulation, light, heat and water. However, these therapies are not exclusive to the practice of naturopathic medicine, and the provisions of the legislation are applicable only to naturopathic doctors. The purpose of the legislation is to provide standards for practitioners in North Carolina who practice as naturopathic doctors.

Members of NCANP hopes the bills will move smoothly through the legislative process. However, assistance from supporters of naturopathic medicine is welcome and needed. Here is how you can help to get SB 467 or HB 847 enacted. Call members of the legislative committees to which the bills have been assigned and ask legislators to support the Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act. Contact information for members of the Senate Committee on Health Care and the House Committee on Health and Human Services is recorded below.

Senate Committee on Health Care - Membership (19)

Senator Stan Bingham (R) Co-Chairman

2117 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 733-5665

B: (336) 859-0999 (Davidson, Guilford)

E-mail: Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net

Senator Harris Blake (R) Co-Chairman

408 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-4809

B: (910) 295-3613 (Harnett, Moore)

E-mail: Harris.Blake@ncleg.net

Senator Louis Pate (R) Co-Chairman

406 Legislative Office Building \

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-5621

B: (919) 658-3637 (Greene, Pitt,Wayne)

E-mail: Louis.Pate@ncleg.net

Senator Austin M. Allran (R)

625 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-5876

B: (828) 322-1410 (Catawba, Iredell)

E-mail: Austin.Allran@ncleg.net

Senator Bob Atwater (D)

519 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-3036

B: (919) 933-3937 (Chatham, Durham, Lee)

E-mail: Bob.Atwater@ncleg.net

Senator Doug Berger (D)

516 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-8363

B: (919) 556-0857 (Franklin, Granville, Vance, Warren)

E-mail: Doug.Berger@ncleg.net

Senator Debbie Clary (R)

314 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919)715-3038

B: (704) 471-2022 (Cleveland, Rutherford)

E-mail: Debbie.Clary@ncleg.net

Senator Jim Davis (R)

2111 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 733-5875

B: (828) 342-4483 (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania)

E-mail: Jim.Davis@ncleg.net

Senator James Forrester (R)

1028 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 715-3050

B: (704) 263-4716 (Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln)

E-mail: James.Forrester@ncleg.net

Senator Ellie Kinnaird (D)

628 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 733-5804

B: (919) 918-3432 (Orange, Person)

E-mail: Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net

Senator Eric Mansfield (D)

1119 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 733-9349

B: (919) 323-9222 Ext. 232 (Cumberland)

E-mail: Eric.Mansfield@ncleg.net

Senator Wesley Meredith (R)

2105 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 733-5776

B: (910) 867-9595 (Bladen, Cumberland)

E-mail: Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net

Senate Committee on Health Care - Membership (19)

Senator Bill Purcell (D)

517 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-5953

H: (910) 276-7328 (Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly)

E-mail: William.Purcell@ncleg.net

Senator Bill Rabon (R)

2108 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 733-5963

B: (910) 457-5110 (Brunswick, Columbus, Pender)

E-mail: Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net

Senator Gladys Robinson (D)

1120 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: (919) 715-3042

B: (336) 274-1507 (Guilford)

E-mail: Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.net

Senator David Rouzer (R)

523 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919)733-5748

B: (919) 701-0037 (Johnston, Wayne)

E-mail: David.Rouzer@ncleg.net

Senator Bob Rucho (R)

300A Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-5655

B: (704) 847-3461 (Mecklenburg)

E-mail: Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net

Senator Tommy Tucker

311 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-7659

B: (704) 654-8410 (Mecklenburg, Union)

E-mail: Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net

House Health & Human Services Com. - Membership (26)

Rep. Justin P. Burr (R) (Chairperson)

538 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5908

B: 704-983-4663 (Montgomery, Stanly, Union)

E-mail: Justin.Burr@ncleg.net

Rep. William A. Current, Sr. (R) (Chairperson)

418B Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 733-5809

O: (704) 864-0337 (Gaston)

E-mail: Bill.Current@ncleg.net

Rep. Nelson Dollar, (R) (Chairperson)

307 B1 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-715-0795

B: 919-233-8399 (Wake)

E-mail: Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net

Rep. Mark Hollo (R ) (Chairperson)

633 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-8351

O: (828) 632-1728 (Alexander, Catawba)

E-mail: Mark.Hollo@ncleg.net

Rep. Jeff Barnhart (R)

304 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-2009

O: (704-786-2012 (Cabarrus)

E-mail: Jeff.Barnhart@ncleg.net

Rep. William D. Brisson (D)

1325 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

O: 919-733-5772

B: 910-862-7007 (Bladen, Cumberland )

E-mail: William.Brisson@ncleg.net

Rep. Rayne Brown (R )

638 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-0873

O: (336) 249-2608 (Davidson)

E-mail: Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net

Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R)

541 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5805

B: 828-879-8454 (Burke)

E-mail: Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net

Rep. Harold J. Brubaker (R)

302 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-715-4946

B: 336-629-5128 (Randolph)

E-mail: Harold.Brubaker@ncleg.net

Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham (D)

403 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-0706

O: (704) 634-9400 (Mecklenburg)

E-mail: Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.net

Rep. James W. Crawford (D)

1321 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

O: 919-733-5824

B: 252-492-0185 (Granville, Vance)

E-mail: Jim.Crawford@ncleg.net

Rep. Beverly Earle (D)

610 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-2530

O: (704) 333-7180 (Mecklenburg)

E-mail: Beverly.Earle@ncleg.net

Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D)

631D Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5898

B: 252-237-1506 (Edgecombe, Wilson)

E-mail: Jean.Farmer-Butterfield@ncleg.net

Rep. Julia C. Howard (R)

1106 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

O: 919-733-5904

B: 336-715-3538 (Davie, Iredell)

E-mail: Julia.Howard@ncleg.net

House Health & Human Services Com. - Membership (26)

Rep. Pat Hurley (R)

532 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5865

B: 336-625-9210 (Randolph)

E-mail: Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net

Rep. Verla Insko (D)

603 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-7208

H: 919-929-6115 (Orange)

Email: Verla.Insko@ncleg.net

Rep. Darren G. Jackson (D)

1019 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

O: 919-733-5974

B: 919-733-5974 (Wake)

E-mail: Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net

Rep. David R. Lewis (R)

534 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-715-3015

B: 910- 892-1671 (Harnett)

E-mail: David.Lewis@ncleg.net

Rep. Tom Murry (R)

2121 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

O: 919-733-5602

B: 336-865-9993 (Wake)

E-mail: Tom.Murry@ncleg.net

Rep. Garland E. Pierce (D)

1204 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

O: 919-733-5803

B: 910-369-2844 (Hoke, Robeson, Scotland)

E-mail: Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net

Rep. Shirley R. Randleman (R)

531 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5935

B: 336-921-2043 (Wilkes)

E-mail: Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net

Rep. Ruth Samuelson (R)

419B Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: (919) 715-3009

O: 704- 336-8748 (Gaston)

E-mail: Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net

Rep. Fred F. Steen (R)

305 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919- 733-5881

O: 704-857-0857 (Rowan)

E-mail: Fred.Steen@ncleg.net

Rep. William Wainwright (D)

613 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5995

H: 252-447-7379 (Craven, Lenoir)

Email: William.Wainwright@ncleg.net

Rep. Jennifer Weiss (D)

1109 Legislative Building

16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

O: 919-715-3010

B: 919-715-3010 (Wake)

E-mail: Jennifer.Weiss@ncleg.net

Rep. Michael H. Wray (D)

502 Legislative Office Building

300 N. Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

O: 919-733-5662

H: 252-535-3297 (Northampton, Vance, Warren)

Email: Michael.Wray@ncleg.net

Book Prescriptions: Clean Green and Lean

2011-01-26T15:40:00.004-05:00

When I was in my first year at Naturopathic Medical School, my roommate was in her third year taking “Environmental Medicine” with Walter Crinnion, ND. I gleaned that the class and the professor were big deals but I did not know what Environmental Medicine was, so I asked. The answer I heard was something like, “It’s where you learn about all the different chemicals and things that are toxic to us everyday and everywhere and how they impact us.”

“Oh Joy.” I thought. I expected twelve weeks of feeling helpless and depressed. Well lucky for me it was a required course because given the option I might have missed out on a gem. Far from feeling helpless, it was one of the most empowering, important, practical, and (believe it or not) entertaining, courses I ever took. Clean, Green and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins that Make You Fat, is Crinnion’s new book about toxins, metabolism, and weight gain. Though oriented around an approach to weight loss, it functions well as a general guide to detoxification. People with asthma, unexplained pain, fatigue, brain fog, or autoimmune disorders will find it especially relevant. This book is also a good choice if you want authoritative answers to questions like: what is toxic, which brand of plastic wrap is the least toxic, which fruits and vegetables you should always buy organic, how many cubic feet per minute your air purifier should clear, and so on.

As I would with any treatment, when I prescribe a book, (and in the spirit of Docere, doctor as teacher, I often do) I give them information about how and why to take it, along with any precautions. This is what I would tell a patient before they read Clean Green and Lean.

Like the class, the book is too solution oriented and practical to be depressing or leave you feeling helpless. However, if you are an all or none perfectionist or the type to be swept away by an enthusiastic author you might feel overwhelmed trying to follow every recommendation thinking any less is to suffer dire consequences. A careful reading of the book will show that many of the successful patient stories and scientific studies involved only a few steps, and several suggestions are clearly described as options to speed up the process. While you, by no means, have to follow every suggestion to the letter, you should certainly follow the suggestions in order. What you want is fewer toxins coming in, more toxins going out. What you don’t want is to simply move toxins around. You can customize a plan by yourself or with the guidance of your naturopathic physician. One last caveat, you will come across multiple product endorsements, in some of which the author has a vested interest. This may cause you to question the credibility of the text as a whole, that sort of thing always raises red flags for me. In this case, I was not bothered because I know Crinnion is legitimate authority in Environmental Medicine. Naming names is consistent with Crinnion’s practical style to be open and generous about exactly what he does with patients. For further assurance, note that you are given ample information to create a “clean, green and lean” plan without them and this would not be the case with info-marketing.

I recommend Clean Green and Lean, it might change your whole life or it might just change your brand of plastic wrap. Either way it will be well worth the read.

Jennifer Ito ND
www.RaleighNaturopathic.com
1235 Onslow Road
Raleigh, NC 27606
(919) 854-2735

Boosting Immunity: A Naturopathic Approach to Flu Prevention and Treatment

2011-01-26T11:20:00.003-05:00

Health promotion, avoidance of synthetic suppressive medications, and use of safer natural therapies are the mainstays of the Naturopathic principle of Prevention. In other words, we orient ourselves around the innate healing ability of the person rather than orienting ourselves around a particular pathogen. For this reason Naturopathic physicians put more emphasis on supporting your whole health so that you are more resistant to all diseases rather than stimulating production of specific antibodies for that particular season’s most likely strain of flu virus. If you do get sick we’d like you to get through it as quickly and comfortably as possible without harm to your overall health. Synthetic or suppressive therapies can lead to unwanted side effects or chronic conditions.

There are legions of Naturopathic methods to prevent and treat the flu. In this article I will present a handful of safe, family friendly, and evidence based options. Your Naturopathic physician can offer many more.

First and foremost: Establish a Healthy Regimen. A positive attitude; quality sleep; a plant based, whole foods diet from organic local sources whenever possible; and consistent, moderate, exercise are the foundation of good health. All four have demonstrated benefits for the quality and effectiveness of your immune cells and glands. It is harder to get sick when you are healthy. That might sound like a Naturopathic bias but there are many interesting scientific studies supporting this fact and uncovering the exact mechanisms of how our habits determine the performance of our immune system.

Take the oft underrated sleep as one example. When you are asleep is when your immune system does its best scavenging and repair. Proper rest prevents stress, depression, anxiety, and sugar cravings all of which impair immunity. One study demonstrated a 30% reduction in immune activity from just one night with four hours sleep deprivation. So are you tired because you are sick or did you get sick because you were tired?

After addressing a healthy lifestyle, the next thing you want to do to prevent colds and flu (besides washing your hands and the surfaces you contact like keypads, faucets, and countertops) is tonifying your immune system. Because of the multifaceted nature of the immune system, what your Naturopathic physician might give you to build your immunity and prevent illness will likely differ from what they would give you to stimulate your immune response once already sick. Many agents do double duty.

Some key foods to build up your immunity are berries and mushrooms. Berries are rich in anthocyanins which have been identified as effective immune boosters. Elderberry syrup in particular can both reduce symptoms and cut the duration of flu in half, which is as or more effective than Tamiflu, without the risks. Note that in the studies examining Elderberry, the dose was a tablespoon multiple times a day. This treatment is safe for children. Mushrooms like Shitake, Maitake, and Reishi, have multiple benefits to immune function, both direct and indirect, by benefiting other integrated systems like the digestive system and endocrine system. The medicinal components (polysaccharides and beta glucans) are water soluble so mushrooms are best given as broth.

Probiotics (good bacteria that live in your intestines and supplements that support them) are another multi-system immune booster. It is worth noting that 70% of your immune cells are housed in the gut, so what makes for a healthy gut also supports immunity. In addition, many strains of bacteria have direct benefits to the development and regulation of immune cells. Quality is of upmost importance with probiotics, invest in a great brand.

Astragalus root is another favorite. There is quite a lot of research into the many ways Astragalus works for you; among other things it increases IgA secretion in mucus membranes which is a first line of defense. It tastes good, even in high doses, and it is exceptionally safe. It usually comes in thin slices, sometimes called Chinese tongue depressors, but it is a tough woody root so you really need to simmer it for ages to get the best out of it: 45 minutes to 2 hours. A handful to a quart is a good ratio. You can also put some in your chicken soup along with lots of garlic, but like a bay leaf take it out before you serve it.

I hope you will try these and other health promoting immune boosters. They are safe, effective; offer lovely fringe benefits instead of nasty side effects, and they are fun.

Alternative Medicine: Homeopathy and Children

2011-01-24T10:05:00.007-05:00

Does your child have allergies, eczema, ear aches, digestive issues, or problems with attention, sleep or eating? Homeopathy can be a safe and effective treatment for these conditions.

Homeopathy is ideal for children as it is a gentle yet highly effective system of medicine. The mildly sweet pills, powders or liquids are easy to dispense and are more palatable than many conventional medicines. The highly diluted natural substances that form homeopathic remedies mean that they are safe to use in the very young. More than that, homeopathy can raise the immunity of your children to help deal with illness throughout their childhood.

Take John, a 10 year old boy, who has been dealing with seasonal allergies that would often develop into a violent cough and eventually pneumonia. He also had stomach cramps that were unexplained by his pediatrician and nightly leg pains which prevented restful sleep. Dawn, his mother, brought John in for homeopathy with Dr. Michael Smith, a Naturopathic Physician in Matthews, NC, after the drugs he had been prescribed only made his symptoms worse. Shortly after being prescribed a homeopathic remedy, John’s symptoms began to improve.

What is homeopathic medicine? It is a holistic system of medicine which recognizes that mental and emotional symptoms coexist with physical symptoms. It can effectively alleviate childhood anxieties, fears, tantrums, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder without side effects. Additionally, it can help children become less susceptible to colds and flu.

How does it work? Homeopathy turns on the "self heal" switch. Chinese medicine calls it the "chi." Naturopathic medicine calls it the "vis." Homeopathy calls it the "vital force." They all describe the energy inhabiting the human body that when stimulated moves the human system toward greater health.

Homeopathic medicines are individually selected based on the unique symptoms and presentation of the child. They are derived from plants, animals and minerals and are understood in the following way: A medicine that can cause symptoms in a healthy child can eliminate similar symptoms in a sick child.

Homeopathy addresses a body's inherited weakness. For example, the triad of allergies, asthma and eczema runs in families. Strengthening children's body constitution means they will be less likely to express these familial diseases later in life. Homeopathy works fast with children because they are usually full of vitality. Acute conditions such as ear infections, tonsillitis and flu, can be resolved rapidly using the right remedies, often avoiding the need for prescription drugs.

Homeopathy is a gentle, holistic system of healing, suitable for everyone, young and old. Homeopathy focuses on you as an individual, concentrating on treating your specific physical and emotional symptoms, to give long lasting benefits.

Homeopathic treatment works with your body's own healing powers to bring health and well being.
Patients are treated as individuals, not as a collection of disease labels.
Homeopathy treats all your symptoms - mental, emotional and physical.
Homeopathic remedies are gentle, subtle and powerful.

How long has Homeopathy been used? Homeopathy has been used for over two hundred years and has an honorable tradition dating back to ancient Greece. It was Samuel Hahnemann, a brilliant doctor working in 1796 who developed the scientific and philosophical foundations of this gentler way of healing. These scientific principles form the basis of successful homeopathic practice today.

What happens when you see a homeopath? Your homeopath understands that establishing good health involves treating both mind and body, so time is taken to listen to your emotional and physical symptoms. To stimulate your body's own healing process, a remedy closest to your individual symptom picture is prescribed. Healing begins from within your body, strengthening your health and immune system, without any danger of damaging side effects.

Dawn, John’s mother, is now happy to report that “John's health has continued to steadily improve during the approximately 9 months we have been seeing Dr. Smith.”

Dr. Michael Smith is a Naturopathic Physician who specializes in classical homeopathy and clinical nutrition. Dr. Smith is an expert in homeopathy, using it to treat most chronic and acute conditions. "Homeopathy works at a much deeper level to stimulate the body's innate ability to heal. Homeopathy is by far one of the most effective and safest forms of medicine."

To schedule a complimentary consultation please call:

(704) 708-4404 or visit: www.CarolinasNaturalHealth.com

Recipes

2011-01-24T10:05:00.006-05:00

Roasted chick peas

(a great snack)

2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can chickpeas)

4 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Herbamare, other seasoning blend, or salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl until well combined. Spread chickpea mixture onto baking sheet that has been lightly greased or lined with parchment paper. Cook, turning with spatula occasionally, for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Store in air-tight container for a healthy snack.

Gluten-free blueberry loaf

1 c brown rice flour

1 c almond meal

½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp corn starch

2 tsp lemon zest

2 eggs

½ - ¾ c maple syrup (depending on desired sweetness)

½ c almond milk or ¾ c buttermilk or plain yogurt

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ c frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 and grease loaf pan or 12-tin muffin pan. Mix dry ingredients and lemon zest in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients and then fold into flour mixture. Stir in blueberries. Bake loaf 50 minutes or muffins for approximately 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Kale and white bean soup

½ c white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch kale, rinsed, separated from stem and chopped into 1-in pieces (approx 3 cups)

4 c veggie broth

3 c navy beans, cooked or 2 cans

1 small potato or yam, rinsed and diced

1 tbsp curry powder

Heat oil over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic. When translucent or lightly browned, add broth, kale, potato and curry powder. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes, until potato is tender. Add beans, salt & pepper and additional curry powder to taste.

Is lack of sleep making you fat?

2011-01-24T10:04:00.004-05:00

By Jade Teta ND CSCS and Keoni Teta ND, LAc, CSCS

Sleep is one of the most basic physiological responses in the animal world. Everyone knows that you can’t function for long when you are sleep deprived. Sleep can be regarded as the physiological equivalent to the reset button on your computer. When a computer crashes, the surest way to solve the problem is to reboot. It seems we modern day humans have forgotten our intimate connection to sleep. We do everything we can to circumvent it. We stay up nightly watching late night TV, surfing the Internet, and feeding ourselves under artificial light. In the morning we rip ourselves away from the bed using all manner of stimulants to jumpstart our bodies and allow us to function once again. Like most things in the modern world, sleep is treated as more of an annoyance than a critically essential process for whole body function. It is not uncommon for people to brag they only require four hours of sleep. However, in order to keep them functional, it requires large cups of coffee, along with plenty of bagels, cookies, chocolate, pasta; you name it. Most of these people are self-diagnosed carbohydrate junkies and regard their weight issue as a hereditary defect rather than a symptom of chronic sleep deprivation. The loss of fat from the human body is a complex process that goes far beyond simple one-dimensional models of calorie counting. Sleep holds the key to restoring your fat burning software and it is all related to ancient human metabolism.

Sleep and Hormones

You may be thinking, what can sleep possibly have to do with fat metabolism. Well, you have heard of hormones right? Hormones in the body are powerful chemical messengers that tell the body how to respond to the outside world. When most people think of hormones, they think of the sex steroids like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These are definitely examples of hormones, but there are many different types of signaling molecules in the body and they extend beyond concerns of reproduction. Maybe you have heard of some of the key hormones involved in fuel metabolism? Insulin, leptin, cortisol, adrenaline, growth hormone and others act like computer software to the body. They give the body instructions about how, when, and why to respond to the outside world. Survival is the major concern of any species, and hormonal regulation of fat metabolism has been essential to human existence for millennia.

If hormones are the body’s computer software, than the sense organs are its input devices. Your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and sense of touch, temperature and perception are analogous to the mouse, keyboard, CD drive, Internet connection, and input devices on your computer. Just like typing a command into a computer keyboard or loading a new program on your computer hard-drive, signals coming in from your body’s sense organs are the prime movers of hormonal metabolism. Easily the most important signal received by the body is light. Light influences metabolism so acutely that studies have shown a single photon of light shining into the back of the knee in an otherwise blacked out environment, can elicit a hormonal response in the body. Here is how light works: as the sun rises, those first beams of light hitting your closed eyelids send signals to the body’s nervous system. These signals produce a hormonal response characterized by a slow, steady climb of stress hormones; adrenaline, nor-adrenaline, and cortisol. These hormones then began to raise blood sugar, increase respiration, stimulate fuel metabolism and elevate energy to wake you from sleep. From there, you are off. The body receives environmental inputs and issues hormonal commands all day long. Food, sounds, light, exercise, stress, and beliefs provide the stimulus for hormonal reactions that determine whether you burn fat or store it, age fast or slow, or maintain a state of health or disease. The power of your choices to affect hormonal balance is profound. Sleep more than any other choice has the power to balance your hormonal software for the coming day.

Sleep, the ancient fat regulator

Before getting to the specifics of how sleep elevates fat burning, it is important to clarify what we mean by weight loss. We have all heard of calories and most in the fitness world feel calorie burning is the end all be all of weight loss. The first thing to understand is weight loss is an inaccurate descriptor of what most desire. Fat loss is what people really want, and weight loss does not necessarily equal fat loss. That is why a focus on calories is so misleading, because the type of calorie burned, whether fat or sugar is what is most important. Hormones determine how much and what type of calories will be burned. Most people’s bodies are programmed to burn sugar and conserve fat. This is an ancient survival mechanism that evolved to help our ancestors survive periods of famine. For almost all of human existence food was not guaranteed and those who were able to conserve fat easily fared better. However, there are and always have been environmental signals that told the body to burn fat. Light and sleep are the major determinants.

Why does sleep have this effect? Consider the role light and sleep have played in our evolution as humans. For millions of years we evolved with the seasons. Summer days are longer, brighter, and accompanied by abundant food. Winter days have longer nights, colder days, and less food. This may seem obvious, but before the amenities of artificial light, heat, and readily available and processed foods, the only option at night was to sleep. Summer and winter in the natural world send distinct and clear signals to a mammal’s physiology. In the case of summer, the lengthened days meant elevated stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. The excess food meant higher amounts of insulin to signal fat storage and leptin to increase hunger. The whole goal of summer is to mate and then eat as much as you can to get fat for the coming winter. As fall approaches, the body has been exposed to high amounts of the stress hormones, insulin, and leptin for so long it becomes resistant to their action creating a unique state where the ability to use fat or sugar for fuel is compromised. Sound familiar? This is the modern day equivalent of what doctors call metabolic syndrome. To ancient man reaching this state of hormone resistance was essential to surviving winter. Without high sugar, blood fat, and ample fat depots, the chances of surviving a long cold winter were diminished.

For a mammal wanting to get through the long winter, hormone resistance is good news because it means the body is now nothing but a fat storing machine. By the time winter dawned historic humans would have shown a decreased ability to use fuel, lack of motivation, depression of all body functions, and fatigue. This is exactly the response needed to induce hibernation in a harsh prehistoric winter. Jovial energetic cavemen with low body fat would not have lasted long. This is identical to any mammal’s preparation for hibernation and can describe many modern day humans. Winter was our prehistoric savior. The shorter days and longer nights of winter forced prolonged periods of sleep. Sleeping throughout the winter reversed the hormone resistance that was so prevalent in the late summer months. Less light exposure, a complete reliance on animals for food, and prolonged sleep induced a new hormonal program that turned on all the fat burning genes. By the time spring returned, the body was primed for action and burning through its fat stores at an accelerated rate. The problem for modern man is we have induced an artificial summer that never ends. We have a constant and steady supply of sugar-rich foods. We keep the temperatures stable through heating and air conditioning. And most importantly, we extend our days and decrease our sleep through exposure to artificial light in the form of TV, computer and the light bulb. In this artificial summer, winter never comes, yet we continue to respond as if we were in the natural world. Leptin, insulin, and cortisol run a hormonal program instructing us to eat as much as we can to get fat for the coming winter. The result? We get fatter, more tired, and more depressed. Sleep is the way out.

Does science support sleep as a fat burner?

Maybe you are wondering if our theory holds up in the scientific world. Is there any objective data to support what we are saying? One study published online at the Public Library of science illustrates how sleep is connected to hormones that control appetite. This study published December 7^th 2004 looked at 1,024 subjects and their sleep and eating habits. In subjects who slept less than 7 to 8 hours a significant increase was noted in BMI and appetite. These short sleepers ate significantly more and weighed more than those people who slept longer. The study also showed that leptin and ghrelin, two key hormones regulating appetite, were the major reason for this finding.

Another more recent study bolsters the fact that light and lack of sleep are related to obesity. This study published in the June 2006 International Journal of Obesity, was a very comprehensive study wanting to discover all the factors related t the increasing prevalence of obesity. In addition to the well-recognized connection between diet and exercise, this study found something interesting and unexpected. It found that deficits in sleep were a major predictor of weight gain and obesity. This study also showed that heating and air conditioning were playing a role. This lends strong support to the fact that human avoidance of natural factors such as light and temperature has caused hormonal confusion as to how to manage our fat stores. The two studies above, and others like them, lend serious credibility to the artificial summer hypothesis and show that key hormones related to fat burning are altered negatively with reduced sleep.

There are many other studies on circadian rhythm, sleep and hormone balance, and increased appetite in the sleep deprived. The important thing to remember is that you don’t need science to tell you what makes sense intuitively. Most people know that if they get a good nights rest, they are more likely to feel energetic, motivated, and make better choices. However, it is not always easy to know exactly what you can do to insure you get the most fat burning potential from your sleep.

Choosing sleep

It all starts with your choices. Don’t get the wrong idea, we are not telling you to go hang out in a cave for three months and hibernate. We realize the demands of life. We know you are busy, work hard, exercise, and try to find time to do the things you enjoy. However, we also know that if you are serious about fat loss, you will need to consider some changes. You have to ask yourself what is more important; do you want to burn fat, or watch your favorite late night TV show.

Frequently people do not feel tired and take that as a sign they should stay up until they can go to sleep. This is the wrong choice. How to you think your body is going to feel when you feed it high sugar foods all day and bathe it in artificial light. It is going to feel like it is summer. What do animals feel compelled to do in summer? They want to find food and be active. Have you ever wondered why people who sit down in from of the TV at night always feel compelled to make their way to the refrigerator? Feeling tired is no longer a reliable indicator of the need for sleep because everything in the environment is sending the hormonal signal to stay awake. The only way to change this is make different choices.

Technology can help. Using dimmers on your lights and computer screens can decrease stress hormones at night. Using candles is another option. Tivo and other recording devices are available to record your favorite late night TV shows, so you can go to be closer to sundown. There are all kinds of ways to send your body proper signals and rewrite your hormonal software programs. Here are some pointers to help.

8 hours is minimum; 9 is optimal

The body needs long hours of uninterrupted sleep for hormonal balance. Every night your body goes through its rhythm of hormonal computing to repair, regenerate, and revitalize the tissues of the body. This process is complicated and takes time. At least eight hours is necessary, but nine is best.

When downloading a new piece of software on your computer, things happen in sequence and are done meticulously so the software will function correctly. It is no accident that whenever you download new software on a computer you have to restart. If the process is interrupted, you have to reboot and start again. It is similar in the body.

Time is essential for your body’s hormonal software to download and complete its functions. As the hours pass during sleep, your fat storing hormonal machinery is turned down. Leptin, cortisol, insulin, and adrenaline are lowered. This allows the body to respond to the signals of these hormones once again. At the same time, glucagon, HGH, testosterone, and other growth promoting and antioxidant hormones like melatonin increase their activity.

The combination of this hormonal environment signals the body to burn fat. It is important to remember this process takes time. The longer you sleep the better chance you have of enjoying several hours of fat burning. If you sleep less than 8 hours a night you may never reach fat burning at all. Nine hours of sleep assures maximum fat burning potential

By 10pm is best

Your natural sleep cycle is also related to time. Remember, light is what turns on your hormonal wake-up software. If you are exposed to light at night you will not be able to easily switch into relaxing sleep. Some people are more susceptible to this than others. Your physiology is programmed to go to sleep shortly after sundown. Artificial lighting, TV, and computer screens circumvent this response by lengthening the time your hormonal wake software is active. The longer you are exposed to light after sundown the more you push back your hormonal sleeping signals.

Parts of these signals include fat burning and anti-aging hormones like HGH, glucagon, and testosterone. When light comes up again the next morning, these hormones are shut off. This means sleeping eight hours, but going to bed at midnight only gives you five or so hours of sleep in the dark. This is not long enough to reset your hormones and commence fat burning. People going to sleep closer to midnight have higher cortisol levels in the morning than those going to bed around ten o’clock. This is true even if both groups of people get equal amount of time sleeping. To insure your fat burning hormones are working, the time you go to bed is just as important as how long you sleep.

Turn the lights out

There are things you can do to minimize the effect of light after sundown. Dimmers allow enough light so that you can see, and more closely resemble moonlight than sunlight. Candles create a similar effect. By using dimmers and candles you can help sleep quality and quantity. TVs and computers are equipped with dimmers too.

Don’t eat before bed

If it is difficult for you to sleep properly, than you can simulate sleep’s affects by avoiding food at night. Sleep is incompatible with eating which is one important benefit. Good sleep quality and quantity creates the optimal situation for lasting weight loss: lower calories and hormonal balance. One of the most effective tools for fat loss is the avoidance of food for at least 10-12 hours every night. That means the last meal of the day will need to be around 7 or 8pm for most. Staying away from food after the sun goes down helps reverse the hormone resistance of cortisol, insulin, and leptin and makes you a far more efficient fat burner.

Sweet Dreams

By now, we hope you have gotten the point. Calories, drugs, surgeries, supplements and the latest magic rainforest juice may provide some benefits, but can never rewrite your ancient hormonal program to which your genes and metabolism are tuned. Sleep can. Getting back to sleep is like loading a brand new software program into your body. It tells the body to decrease insulin and leptin. It lowers cortisol and other stress hormones, and it has direct power over fat burning hormones like human growth hormone. Now that you understand how your ability to burn fat is directly impacted by sleep, you can construct an environment that is more in line with your ancient metabolic processes. Sweet dreams.

Fat Soluble Vitamins-Critical Nutrients for your Health

2010-10-06T13:23:00.002-04:00

Vitamin D has made the headlines recently as we have become aware of the need to have adequate amounts of it along with calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Its effects reach much further than the bones as every cell in the body has receptors for vitamin D. In many ways it acts more like a hormone to help regulate growth, reproduction, immunity, cardiovascular function mood and the endocrine system. In its active form it regulates over 200 genes and many more are affected by Vitamin D indirectly. This ability to regulate genes may help explain why lower levels of serum vitamin D are associated with cancer of the colon, breast, skin and prostate.

As of yet there is little mention of the other fat soluble vitamins, vitamin A and vitamin K, which act in concert with one another to help regulate many of the body systems. In fact research is revealing that vitamins A and D are somewhat inseparable, that their functions resemble a complementary marriage. Like vitamin D, receptors for vitamin A are found on every cell in the body. They also share an ancient receptor in the nucleus of the cell called RXR, known as the retinoid X receptor. As well as binding to their own receptors they also share this RXR receptor and crosstalk or chat with one another aiding in the regulation of lipid balance and other important hormone receptors in the body, including the thyroid hormones, glucocorticosteroids, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Because of this sharing they need to remain in balance with one another, as overuse of one or the other can create problems in the body. Overuse of Vitamin A without adequate vitamin D can contribute to osteoporosis. Over use of Vitamin D can deplete the liver stores of Vitamin A and also contribute to osteoporosis.

Vitamin K2 another important fat soluble vitamin also joins this interaction with Vitamin A and D. Osteocalcin is a hormone, produced by the body in order to develop bones and teeth and is dependent on adequate levels of vitamin A and D. It is a protein whose production within the cell requires the fat soluble vitamins A and D. Once made by the cell, Vitamin K2 is needed to activate osteocalcin to effectively bind calcium for bone growth. One of the primary effects of Vitamin K2 is to activate certain proteins by conferring upon them the ability to bind calcium. Without all three vitamins we can not effectively make and continuously restructure our bones. For this reason people who restrict their use of animal fats, the best sources of fat soluble vitamins, tend to be more susceptible to osteoporosis. Restricting saturated fats in our diets may have also created other unintended health consequences as well. Research is now showing that the complex dance of fat soluble vitamins is important in the regulation of the immune system, cardiovascular system, inflammation, reproduction and the neuroendocrine system. In all probability they likely affect every aspect of maintaining our health.

For the past 40 -50 years the prevailing medical advice has been to reduce saturated fats to prevent heart disease. But a recent article in the March 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by several authors begins to question that premise. In the conclusion it states,

“A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CVD or CHD.”

This is a statement that is equivalent to telling the world that the earth is round and not flat. This may take a long time for us to believe or even except. Certainly the prevailing medical view will continue as it deeply invested in this world view, with surgery and drugs to manage this disease. Statin drugs alone are a 28 billion dollar per year industry, though their value in treating heart disease has also been shown to be questionable.

Epidemiological evidence also causes us to question this idea that saturated fats cause heart disease. In the United States the incidence of heart disease is 315/100,000 while in France the incidence is 145/100,000, a drastic difference, known as the French paradox. How can a country with a diet rich in saturated fats, such as butter and cheese have such a significantly lower rate of heart disease? It must be the wine or so we have been told. But other evidence may indicate something quite different. In the region of Glascony where their diets are extremely rich in fats from butter, cheese, as well as the fat from duck and goose livers, the incidence of heart disease is much lower -80/100,000. It is interesting to note that goose liver contains one of the highest sources of Vitamin K2 along with vitamins A and D. Vitamin K2 helps the body bind calcium effectively and places it in the bones where it belongs, not in the arteries. Vitamin K2 also has other biological effects that help in reducing the incidence of heart disease.

So how can they eat so much fat and have such a reduced incidence of heart disease??? The answer lies in the fats of butter cheese, liver, oily fish and the organ meats, from animals raised in lush green pastures, which are central in the diets of the French.

All of these foods contain fats high in vitamins A, D and K, which act in harmony to regulate essential functions of our hormones, lipid balance, immune system and much more. Like a well synchronized dance, these vitamins from our most natural foods, used by traditional people for thousands of years, help maintain and support our health in ways that we have only begun to appreciate.

To help maintain healthy levels of fat-soluble vitamins it is recommended that along with our healthy grains, fruits and vegetables we include fats sources from pasture and organically raised animals, such as butter, cheese, yogurt and eggs. Like traditional people, who highly valued the nutrient dense organ meats, these should be included along with meat from chicken, fish, and other pasture raised animals. The time has come to stop demonizing fats as “bad for us” and recognize their value as containing essential nutrients for our health. Besides broccoli really does taste better with a good slathering of butter!!

DR. SUSAN DELANEY, ND

301 WEST WEAVER STREET

CARRBORO, NC 27510

PH-919-932-6262

FAX-919-932-7947

DrDelaneyN D @g mail .com
www.TheWellness A lliance.com

Weight Training for Belly Fat

2010-09-27T16:07:00.001-04:00

Weight loss is not the same as fat loss. You may be burning calories or losing weight, but there is no guaranteeing those calories and that weight loss has come from fat. Unless, of course, you are doing resistance training. Unlike aerobic exercise, which burns both fat and muscle, resistance training pushes energy usage towards fat loss exclusively. It is a little known fact among the exercising public, but weight training has several mechanisms that make it ideal for fat burning. One of which is the ability to target fat loss to specific areas, like the belly. As a matter of fact, weight training should be the chosen modality among exercisers attempting to lose belly fat.

Calories and Fat loss

In order to lose weight, you need to burn calories. But in order to ensure that the weight lost is fat, you need to change hormones. This is why weight training is so powerful at burning fat and why it is especially beneficial for belly fat. In order to understand how this works, you need to know a little bit about the physiology of fat.

On every fat cell there are receptors. These receptors are like little keyholes and when they are opened they turn on all the cellular machinery needed to release fat from its storage compartments. The keys that open these receptors are hormones. When it comes to belly fat there is a certain class of hormone that is most important. These hormones are called catecholamines and include adrenaline. When adrenaline docks to its receptor on a fat cell it sets into motion a host of physiological processes that burn fat and decrease muscle loss.

You can burn as many calories as you want, but if you don’t stimulate the release of adrenaline, you are going to be less efficient at burning fat. This is why slow plotting aerobic exercise just does not cut it. Intensity is the only way to turn on the release of adrenaline and high-intensity weight training is great at making this happen.

As it turns out, belly fat is very rich in the type of receptors that adrenaline reacts with. These receptors are called b-receptors. Since belly fat is so rich in b-receptors, it would make sense that adrenaline would be able to drive fat burning in this area in a very efficient way, and it does. However, this is not the only way weight training excels at burning belly fat.

Lactic acid and Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Intense weight training and adrenaline release go hand and hand. However, the belly busting effect of adrenaline’s action on b-receptors is only the beginning of the story. When adrenaline is released in the body it sets into motion a hugely powerful metabolic cascade that delivers the ultimate in fat burning and muscle building.

When adrenaline is released, in addition to burning fat it also causes the release of blood sugar. When sugar is burned during high-intensity activity where oxygen becomes limited the body will switch to anaerobic metabolism. This is where sugar is burned without oxygen and lactic acid is created as a byproduct. Most people think of lactic acid as metabolic waste, but it is actually a signaling molecule. As lactic acid levels build up, it triggers the release of HGH and testosterone. These two hormones are two of the most powerful fat burning and muscle building hormones known and they have special action on belly fat. HGH opposes the fat storing action of cortisol at the belly and testosterone leads to the production of greater numbers of b-receptors in belly fat. The synergistic actions of these two hormones provide enhanced burning of belly fat during exercise and also make it more susceptible to fat loss at future exercise sessions. And because of their action on cortisol, they make it less likely to accumulate fat in the first place.

Some studies

A recent study out of East Carolina University and published in Volume 102 of the Journal of Applied Physiology demonstrates weight training’s ability to burn belly fat both during and long after the workout is over. Subjects in this study had probes inserted in the subcutaneous fat around the belly. These probes stayed in place before, during, and 45 minutes after exercise. The participants did a full body resistance-training workout that consisted of heavy weights done for 3 sets of 10 reps using several full body exercises. At the end of the study, researchers found that resistance training increased the usage of abdominal fat during exercise and for at least 40 minutes after exercise. Another similar study published in the 2005 journal Diabetologia Vol. 48 showed 3 months of resistance training in obese men drastically improved fat breakdown at the belly through stimulation of b-receptors. And two earlier studies done in the 1980’s, one in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (vol 16) and the other published in the International Journal of Sports medicine (vol 8), showed that resistance training drastically increased adrenaline release when compared to endurance exercise of equal energy expenditure.

Finally, a recent study shows that resistance training done only twice per week can stop the typical age related fat gain around the middle. This study was funded by the NIH and was presented at a 2003 meeting of the American Heart Association. 164 obese women were followed for two years. One group was told to do 30 minutes to one hour of aerobic activity every day and the other group entered into a structured weight-training program twice per week. At the end study, the aerobic group had a 21% increase in belly fat while the weight trained group only had a 7% increase. While much of these results can be explained by lack of adherence, the researchers highlighted the fact that twice per week weight training was very well tolerated and accepted and had a major impact on age related belly fat accumulation.

Weight training is often seen as a good way to build muscle, but is rarely seen as a viable fat loss modality. However, science is quickly showing aerobic exercise is unable to provide some of the same fat loss benefits as resistance exercise. In order to burn belly fat, aerobic exercise and resistance training should be combined, but weight lifting should be the primary activity. When it comes to belly fat, resistance training should be a priority.

Jade Teta and Keoni Teta

THE NATUROPATHIC

HEALTH CLINIC OF NORTH CAROLINA

2522 REYNOLDA ROAD

WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27106

PH 336-724-4452

jade @metaboliceffect.com

keoni@metaboliceffect.com
www.naturopathichealthclinic.com
www.metaboliceffect.com

Fall Recipes

2010-09-23T12:38:00.001-04:00

Carrot and ginger soup
2 lbs carrots, washed & chopped
3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped (more or less to your taste preference)
4 cups veggie stock or water
1 cup chopped white onion
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1/2 c almond meal, chopped almonds or cashews
1 tbsp olive oil

In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add carrots, broth, ginger and bring mixture to a boil. Let simmer 20 minutes and then allow to cool. Puree carrot mixture in food processor or blender, gradually adding nuts until smooth. Heat to serve. Garnish with nutmeg or avocado slices.

Lamb curry
1 1/2 lbs lamb stewing meat, or lamb shoulder with gristle removed & cut into 1-in cubes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 c chopped onion
1 c coconut milk
2 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tbsp curry powder
1 c broth
optional: 1 1/2 c garbanzo beans, chopped vegetables of choice

In large saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium heat, and then add onion and lamb. Stir frequently. When lamb has been browned, add broth, coconut milk, tomato paste, curry powder, and any additional vegetables or garbanzo beans. Bring to boil and let simmer until lamb is tender (~30 min). Adjust seasonings to taste, possibly using additional coconut milk/broth and curry powder if you have added extra vegetables or if you prefer more sauce. Serve over rice.

Pumpkin Bread
1 3/4 c spelt flour (or flour of your choice)
1 pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 c honey
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
¼ c water or milk (dairy, rice, soy, nut)
1 cup cooked pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Mix dry ingredients together and put aside.
Beat together honey, applesauce, vanilla and eggs. Add pumpkin. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk/water (if needed) until all ingredients are well-mixed. Pour batter into pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Maggie Thibodeau, BA, ND
Cary Holistic Health, LLC
222 Ashville Avenue, Suite 10
Cary, NC 27518
919-858-1004
www.caryholistichealth.com

Book Prescriptions

2010-09-23T12:35:00.005-04:00

In line with the Docere (doctor as teacher) Principle of Naturopathic Medicine , I often prescribe books. Besides empowering patients to make their own informed healthcare decisions, many books are, in themselves, good medicine. The Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing, 3rd Edition by Lise Alschuler, ND and Karolyn Gazella is a prime example of such a book.

I have recommended this text to every patient with a cancer diagnosis. It is also indicated for those at increased risk for cancer, or with a loved one diagnosed with cancer. As with any therapy, when prescribing a book, I always give patients information on how to take the medicine. With Alschuler’s text that would include the following directives:

Get the newly updated 3rd edition. A new chapter on After Care was added, three new chapters on specific cancers, information about targeted therapies and several new tables and charts. The new side effect management chart alone is worth it.

Keep in mind that the authors are addressing a mass audience and advocate integrative care. For these two reasons, the recommendations are sometimes overly cautious. The upside of this slant is that you can feel quite confident when an intervention is reported to be safe.

Don’t let the sometimes magazine-like tone mislead you, The Definitive Guide to Cancer is exquisitely researched, intelligent, and impressively specific: right down to which species of medicinal mushroom to integrate with which chemotherapeutic agent.

Highlight this well supported and very satisfying assertion:

Some conventional doctors and researchers try to perpetuate the myth that there is no scientific substantiation, in the form of well-designed studies or otherwise, demonstrating that diet, lifestyle, nutrients, and herbs are safe and effective aspects of oncology. This is simply not true. (xxiv)

To convince yourself of this, start out by reading the chapter in section IV specific to your cancer and then look at chapter seven for nutrient and herb interactions with your treatment (note the caveat page 141 to refrain from most nutrients within 48 hours of treatments).

At this point, I hope you will be inspired to read the rest. The Definitive Guide to Cancer is just not well indexed enough to function as a handbook and the nature of holism resists compartmentalization. So, to get everything important to your case, there may be no getting around a cover to cover read. That being said, if you feel overwhelmed by the length of the book and if you have a healthy lifestyle, skip to page 113 and continue to 243. This will provide a survey of integrative cancer therapies as well as key biological systems relevant to cancer prevention and healing. If you want encouragement and information about prevention and cancer-fighting lifestyle habits, the first hundred pages are especially worth your time. A particularly inspiring, and recurring theme in this section is the (perhaps revolutionary) concept of being a healthy person with cancer.

In addition to reliable information, Alschuler’s book is a source of inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment. For that reason this book is good medicine. I hope you will read it and share it with your oncologist.

Jennifer Ito ND
www.RaleighNaturopathic.com
1235 Onslow Road
Raleigh, NC 27606
(919) 854-2735

Inflammation and the Importance of Omega 3/Essential Fatty Acid Balance

2010-09-23T12:30:00.002-04:00

Most people have heard about the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. But there is a lot more to the story than simply having adequate levels of this Essential Fatty Acid (EFA). As the name suggests, fatty acids are essential to our health, just like vitamins and minerals. There are 2 EFAs: Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-9 fats are not considered essential at this time, although olive oil is an excellent source of Omega-9 and very healthful.

Both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids must be present in adequate quantities for health, but perhaps even more importantly, they must be in balance with each other. Although deficiencies in either EFA are possible, it’s much more common for the average American to have deficient Omega-3 and normal or excessive Omega-6 levels. When this is the case, the imbalance leads to an inflammatory situation in the body.

I often find that this imbalance exists in patients with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, auto-immune diseases, pain syndromes, asthma, psoriasis, menstrual problems, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, heart disease, and many others. Chronic, excessive inflammation is an extremely important factor in many conditions.

Because of this, I regularly test my patients for EFA levels. I use a test from Metametrix Laboratory which is a finger-stick blood test. It tests for levels of three Omega-3 and four Omega-6 fatty acids. It also tests for levels of trans fats, which have been implicated in cardiovascular disease, amongst others. Lastly, it provides ratios between the fatty acids, and indicates inflammatory levels. The lab also provides a Supplement Recommendation Summary, based specifically on the individual’s test results, for example, 3gms Borage oil, 4 gms fish oil. After implementing the supplement recommendations, I suggest retesting after a period of 3-6 months, since it can take that long for levels to change because EFAs are fat soluble and stored in the body.

Why is inflammation so rampant in America? Because of the fact that most Americans get far too much Omega-6 fats in their diet from vegetable oils (corn, soy, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower, canola), nuts, seeds, etc., and far too little Omega-3 fats from seafood. Well then, you may ask, why not just eat more seafood or take a fish oil supplement? For one, the oceans are somewhat toxic, and so you must be very careful which seafood you eat. There are also over fishing issues with some species. You would need to eat a high-Omega-3 cold water fish at least 3 times per week. Secondly, if you take fish oil, you should be certain that it has been purified via molecular distillation to remove all heavy metals, dioxins, and PCBs. Thirdly, without testing first, we would just be guessing at the correct dosage, and yes, it is possible (but not common) for Omega-3 levels to become excessive, which can lead to immune suppression. Temporary inflammation is an important component to the healing process. It’s when inflammation becomes chronic that problems arise.

Many people falsely believe that taking flax seed oil is just as good as taking fish oil. However, flax oil contains no EPA or DHA, the Omega-3s which are most beneficial. Flax oil contains a precursor to EPA, alpha-linoleic acid. Theoretically alpha-linoleic acid can convert to EPA in the body. But in reality, this conversion is often so slow as to be negligible. Many people have zinc deficiencies, and this will limit the conversion via the enzyme Delta-6-desaturase. Even in the best of circumstances, the conversion is only 10:1, meaning that you would need to take 10 tablespoons of flax oil to get the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of fish oil. And not many people want to do that! For strict vegans, this is possible (but difficult), but they also need to take a DHA supplement made from algae, which is many times more expensive than DHA from fish oil. The other issue with taking flax oil is that it also contains Omega-6 fats, which makes no sense if you are already adequate or excessive in Omega-6.

In my 11 years of practice, I have seen many supposedly intractable inflammatory conditions turn around completely by addressing deficiencies and imbalances of EFAs. I highly recommend testing (which must be ordered by your ND) and intervention. Please contact your ND to learn more.

Dr. Crystal Abernathy, N.D.
Naturopathic Physician
www.abernathynd.com
(704) 562-9705

Probiotics

2010-09-23T12:29:00.002-04:00

In the past, methods of food preservation involved natural fermentation and drying of foods, thus our diet contained several thousand times more bacteria than it does today. Over time we have adopted food storage and processing techniques which minimize the growth of bacteria in our food. The benefits of refrigeration are obvious, but emerging positive research of beneficial bacteria makes one wonder if perhaps we would benefit from revitalizing some of those fermentation techniques of old.

At the turn of the century, Russian microbiologist Elie Metchnikoff recognized that Bulgarians, who were well known for their longevity, consumed large quantities of yogurt. He theorized that the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt displaced the harmful bacteria in the digestive tract and was responsible for the longevity of these people. Currently more and more evidence suggests that beneficial bacteria referred to as “probiotics” are important in promoting good health.

The World Health Organization definition for Probiotics is: “Live organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.

There are two main groups of probiotics: Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Both are genuses of bacteria. Lactobacillus primarily reside in the small intestines while Bifidobacteria are generally found in the large intestines. A commonly used probiotic known as Sacarromyces boulardii is not a bacterium, but a non-pathogenic yeast. Within the two families of beneficial bacteria are many species and strains.

At birth our intestines do not contain beneficial flora. Babies ingest beneficial bacteria during birth and though breastfeeding. Breast milk is a rich source of bifidobacteria. Babies who are delivered via cesarean section and babies who are formula fed have a higher need for these beneficial organisms. Research has shown that there is a lower incidence of eczema in babies whose mothers use probiotic supplements during pregnancy.

There are over 400 different organisms in the adult intestines. Functions and benefits may include:

Synthesis of Vitamins B12 and K
Synthesis of short chain fatty acids from fiber – which benefit mucosal integrity.
Metabolism of hormones.
Inhibition of pathogens by competition for binding sites and nutrients.
Production of chemicals, including lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide which directly attack pathogens.
Beneficial impact of transit time being useful for both diarrhea and constipation while also decreasing gas.
Aid in the digestion of lactose (milk sugars).
Discourage abnormal cell growth.
Enhancement of gastrointestinal as well as overall immunity.

Some of the emerging research on probiotics includes decreasing the incidence and duration of respiratory infections in children and adults. Additionally, research suggests that children with higher levels of good bacteria in their intestines have a lower incidence of allergies.

Some clinical indications for probiotics include:

· Prevention of illness, including respiratory as well as gastrointestinal infections.

· Antibiotic associated diarrhea (and concurrent use with antibiotics to prevent diarrhea)

· Recurrent C. difficile (intestinal pathogen)

· Irritable bowel syndrome

· Infammatory bowel disease

· Functional constipation

· Discouraging development of colorectal tumors

· Vaginitis and bacterial vaginosis

· Lactose intolerance

· Urinary tract infections

· Skin rashes and acne

Many doctors and patients turn to yogurt as a source of probiotics. Yogurt is cultured with L. bulgaricus and L. thermophilus. Although beneficial, these strains are unable to colonize the intestines. They act more as a transient visitor. Most commercial yogurts now have strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidus added. If you eat yogurt, be sure to look for brands which have these added beneficial flora. Be aware that commercial yogurts are often loaded with sugar, and worse yet, many contain artificial sweeteners, flavors and dyes which are unhealthful. I recommend purchasing a good quality plain yogurt and adding fresh fruit, nuts, unsweetened coconut or a drizzle of honey for a delicious, healthy snack.

For optimal therapeutic effect, probiotic supplements may be necessary. The best supplements contain billions of beneficial organisms compared to the millions found in yogurt. Selecting probiotic supplements can be a daunting task for the patient. There are many choices of individual or combination strains. Viability is a huge problem with probiotic supplements. Many products lose potency if not refrigerated. Some products contain “prebiotics” such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS). These are carbohydrates which are fiber rich additives. They provide a medium for the beneficial bacteria to grow on. They may not be appropriate for every patient.

Speak to your ND to determine which product is right for you and start enjoying more optimal health.

Priscilla M. Evans ND

Cary N. C.

(919) 604-2235

The food you eat could be making you sick

2010-09-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered whether the foods you are eating may be contributing to your health complaints and overall lack of well-being? Of course we know that lots of refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol and fried fatty foods are ‘bad’ for use and should be consumed in moderation. But what I’m referring to here are the ‘food allergies’ and more importantly ‘hidden food allergies’ that may be causing more harm to your body than you even realize. Let’s start with a few definitions. ‘Food allergy’ typically results in an immediate hypersensitivity reaction that can trigger acute asthma or anaphylaxis and in some cases can result in a life-or-death situation. These are the allergies that require timely intervention of Epinephrine. ‘Hidden food allergies’ or ‘food sensitivities’ can either result in immediate but more subtle reactions, or can frequently be delayed by hours or up to several days.

Clinical observation backed by scientific lab data has confirmed that the presence of hidden food allergies are commonly a cause or contributing factor for a wide range of chronic physical and emotional disorders. Chronic symptoms or conditions which frequently have allergic components include the following: fatigue, migraines, persistent headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, gallbladder dysfunction, arthritis (rheumatoid and/or osteoarthritis), lupus, asthma, rhinitis, eczema, psoriasis, canker sores, recurrent infections (i.e. ear infections, sinusitis, post-nasal drip), anxiety, ADHD/ADD, autism, depression and PMS. Some symptoms may be very vague in presentation, such as lack of mental clarity or ‘brain fog’ after meals, inability to focus, difficulty sleeping, irritability, gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea and in some cases may be a cause of unexplained weight gain.

The most common food sensitivities are: dairy, eggs, corn, wheat, peanuts and sugar. There are many ways to test for food sensitivities. In my opinion, the two most accurate methods are the ‘elimination challenge diet’ and ‘serum IgG testing’.

The elimination diet involves eliminating all potential food allergies (hypoallergenic diet) for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. Foods are then re-introduced one at a time (with 1-3 days in between). Ingestion of an offending food will result in a rapid and exaggerated reaction.

This is how the suspected or unsuspected allergens/intolerance are identified. The downside to the elimination diet is it can be very tedious and prove difficult for young children and adults with certain lifestyles.

The serum IgG testing method, involves a simple blood test where 90 or more foods are tested for reactivity against the immune elements collected in the blood sample. Results can take 2-3 weeks to process. The lab provides a multi-dimensional report, which demonstrates a clear ‘degree of reactivity’ or ‘severity of sensitivity’ to the foods being tested. This allows the patient and physician to determine which foods must be completely avoided and which foods can be consumed in moderation or in a rotational manner. This test can be costly, but it is quick, easy and very informative.

Once food sensitivities have been identified, I have my patients eliminate or avoid these foods for a period of time that is determined according to one’s severity of reaction(s). While doing so, we work on the underlying cause of their food to reduce reactivity to foods so that eventually, ingestion of the offending agent will not provoke such a severe reaction when consumed in moderation. The benefits of identifying and eliminating food intolerances are tremendous and many of my patients will say, “life-altering”. For children suffering with the ill effects of food sensitivities, it can have a significant impact on their present and future well-being- the earlier the intervention, the better.

Jennifer L. Kaumeyer, NMD
The Naturopathic Center
8128 Renaissance Pkwy Suite 202
Durham, NC 27713
Phone: 919-484-1400
Fax: 919-484-1477
drkaumeyer@gmail.com
www.NaturalHealthCareofNC.com

Aerobic Exercise Fails at Fat Loss

2010-09-15T16:27:00.001-04:00

Aerobic exercise is one of the worst ways to burn fat. Most people will find this statement shocking. After all, the fitness experts have been telling us for decades that aerobic exercise is the only way to reach optimal body composition. They are wrong. If you are serious about fat loss, you should seriously rethink your exercise program. Replacing an aerobic regime, with one focused on anaerobic cardiovascular exercise is the surest way to increase fat consumption during exercise and rest.

The fact that aerobic exercise is not optimal for fat loss has much evidence to support it. It can be confirmed through real world evidence, practical experience, and science. Science is often thought of as the only criteria necessary for proof, but it
frequently provides only mixed messages. Although it has taken time, science is now proving other forms of exercise superior to aerobics when it comes to fat loss.

Cardiovascular vs. Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise and cardiovascular training are not the same thing. Cardiovascular exercise refers to the heart and vessels of the body working at an accelerated rate to sustain physical activity. Aerobic exercise simply means the use of
oxygen to burn fuel for energy. This distinction is important because aerobic exercise is limited. In other words, once oxygen becomes depleted, you are no longer doing aerobic activity. Cardiovascular exercise is maintained as long as the muscles
of the body are working, but aerobic exercise must be done at a low enough intensity to ensure an adequate and continuous oxygen supply. That is the problem. In order for the body to get leaner (i.e., burn fat and build muscle), it must be
continually challenged with increasing intensity. Aerobic exercise has a built-in intensity ceiling and therefore becomes a limiting factor for adaptation and fat loss.

Proponents of aerobic exercise will quickly point out that more fat is burned with aerobic exercise than with anaerobic exercise. This is only true from a relative perspective¬. Lower intensity exercise uses a higher proportion of fat compared to
sugar. However, exercise done at higher intensity and beyond the aerobic training zone burns more total energy and fat.

EPOC and Extended Energy Usage

The truth is aerobic cardiovascular exercise does NOT burn more total fat than higher intensity cardiovascular exercise. But that’s not the only reason anaerobic exercise is superior for fat loss. The last twenty years in exercise research has shown
it is not just what happens during exercise, but also what happens after that makes a difference. Have you ever walked up a large flight of stairs or done a hundred yard dash? Have you ever noticed what that type of activity does to your breathing? It
is not until you reach the top of the stairs or the end of the sprint that your body really begins to gasp for air. This phenomenon is known as EPOC (Excess Post exercise Oxygen Consumption) or oxygen debt. It refers to the “catch up effect” the body has in response to intense exercise. After near maximum exertion, the body suffers from a relative debt in
the amount of oxygen it used compared to the amount it was able to breathe in. After intense exertion is over, the body is forced to increase respiration to recover its loses. This is a mini-example of what occurs in anaerobic cardiovascular training. Researchers have shown this effect stimulates metabolic changes that cause the body to burn fat and calories at an accelerated rate for an extended period of time even after the workout is over. This increased metabolism induced by intense cardiovascular exercise can last as long as 48 hours!! (19) The same effect cannot be achieved with “aerobic zone”
training.

EPOC in Evolutionary Context:
The EPOC phenomenon is not yet fully understood. However, using a historical frame of reference and known science allows some idea of what is happening. When early humans went out to hunt or had to avoid becoming dinner themselves, their level of fitness was the number one determinant of success or failure. Every time they failed to catch dinner or barely escaped danger, their bodies were forced to adapt by getting more lean and fit. This was a natural evolutionary response to the harsh realities of their natural world. Hormones released from intense activity were what stimulated this growth. Every
time a person eats, exercises, or sleeps hormones are released that act as chemical messengers. These molecules send signals telling the body how to manage its fat stores, whether to build muscle or burn it, and how to adjust metabolic
activity. When it comes to exercise there is a threshold of intensity that must be breached in order for extended metabolic fat burning to take place. Part of this adaptation is the EPOC phenomenon. Aerobic exercise is not able to generate the
intensity required to produce this beneficial effect so the body never receives the signals to burn fat and build muscle.

Hormones and Intense exercise:

People have been confused with the hormonal fat burning effect behind EPOC. If we remember that the net action of a single hormone depends on other hormones around with it, we get a better understanding than looking at a hormone’s
action in isolation. Cortisol, for instance, has been blamed for causing fat storage at the belly. However, this negative effect only surfaces if human growth hormone, testosterone and other growth hormones are not present at the same time.

One of cortisol’s actions is to raise blood sugar. If activity does not use up this liberated fuel, insulin is needed to lower blood sugar. Unfortunately, insulin lowers blood sugar by storing it as fat and then locking it in the fat cell. As long as insulin
is around, fat burning cannot take place. When cortisol raises blood sugar it is doing so as a natural protective mechanism. The body’s natural response to stress is the release of adrenaline and cortisol so that we have high-energy sugar to fight
or flee. If this release of sugar is not followed by exercise or exercise at too low an intensity, large amounts of cortisol, adrenaline, and sugar are still released, but never used. Lack of intense movement means unused sugar gets stored as
fat while unoppossed cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones do damage to our physiology. This actually makes us more susceptible to fat storage and accelerates the aging process.

Stress hormones are designed to work together with growth hormones like testosterone and HGH. If cortisol is not accompanied by its growth-producing counterparts it will cause muscle wasting and fat storage around the waist. However,
when testosterone and HGH are present with cortisol, fat storing at the tummy is blocked and the three hormones together amplify fat burning. This scenario results in fat loss, not fat gain. Stress hormones in high amounts are appropriate when
they act together with growth hormones. Interestingly enough, this is exactly how early man’s hormonal system worked in the world of actual fight or flight. By focusing on higher intensity cardiovascular exercise we can literally program our bodies
to burn fat not only during exercise, but at rest. Aerobic exercise never allows the body to reach the intensity required to release growth promoting testosterone and HGH and continually exposes the body to unopposed cortisol, which makes fat
loss more difficult.

Stress hormones do not lead to fat gain when they are coupled with high intensity activity. In the natural world, stress leads to increased availability of sugar, which leads to the ability to fight or flee. High intensity activity works with this process by
generating protective fat burning hormones that make us leaner and stronger. Low intensity activity, like walking or jogging, is unable to duplicate this effect.

It is useful to point out that early humans did low intensity activity all day everyday. To a prehistoric caveman walking was considered a necessity not exercise. Modern humans should do as much of it as they can, but the last thing one needs to
do in response to high levels of stress and blood sugar is engage in “slow-mo” aerobic exercise. This runs counter to our inherited physiology and biochemical understanding. Our genes and metabolic processes are tuned to the lifestyle of our
hunter-gather ancestors. Intelligent exercise works along with this ancient physiology.

The Science:

In case you’re still skeptical, here is some science? A 2001 study in the journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise looked at low intensity aerobics verse high intensity exercise. One group in the study exercised using standard “aerobic zone” training while the other group used intense interval exercise (alternating extremely high levels of exertion with less intense bouts). The interval group exercised for 2 minutes at a highly intense 97% max heart rate. They then rested by doing three minutes of low intensity activity. The “aerobic zone” group did moderately intense activity at close to
70% of max heart rate. Each group burned exactly 300 calories during their exercise session. Despite exercising for longer, the aerobic group lost less body fat at the end of the study compared to the interval group. Fitness in the interval group was
also significantly greater than the aerobic group. This study demonstrates the effect of EPOC and shows that exercising for fat loss is more than just counting calories.

Another study published in the same journal in 1996 showed that intense exercise burned more fat than traditional aerobics. In this study, the interval group burned more fat during exercise, but they also exhibited increased fat burning
effects that persisted for 24 hours after the exercise had ended. These results show that anaerobic activity burns more overall fat and calories during exercise, and leads to continued fat burning after exercise as well. The most compelling
thing about this study is that the interval group was able to accomplish this with a workout that was a full 15 minutes shorter than the “aerobic zone” group.

The most telling study on the effects of anaerobic versuses aerobic cardiovascular training came in 1994 in the journal Metabolism. The researchers wanted to see how intense interval exercise compared to traditional aerobics in terms of
body fat and metabolism. The results showed that the aerobic group actually burned 48% more calories than the interval group (120.4 MJ vs 57.9MJ) over the course of the study. By the caloric and aerobic models we would predict this meant
they had better results, but they did not. Despite the huge caloric disadvantage, the interval group enjoyed a 9 fold greater loss in subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin). The interesting thing about this study was the measurement of a fat burning
enzyme in both groups. Resting levels of 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (HADH), an enzymatic marker of fat burning, was significantly elevated in the interval group but not the aerobic group. The impact of this study is staggering
when you consider the interval group trained 5 weeks less than the aerobic group, had shorter workouts, but far exceeded the aerobic group in fat burning at rest and during exercise. The measurement of fat burning enzymes in this study shows
that anaerobic cardiovascular training can actually “teach” the body to be a more efficient fat burning machine. (3)

Aerobic exercise is not all bad. While it does have marginal benefit in attaining fat loss, it lives up to its reputation in terms of helping the bodies keep the fat off. It is also a healthy and beneficial form of activity, and of course any form of exercise is
better than none. Walking and lower intensity exercise should be done as often as possible. They benefit the body, the mind, the spirit and are energizing. Just remember, if you want to lose fat and truly transform your body you will have to
invest in high intensity exercise. Learning new exercise strategies that deliver true results is the best approach to optimal body composition. A sole focus on aerobic training only serves to make a difficult process more challenging.

1) King, J., Panton, L., Broeder, C., Browder, K., Quindry, J., & Rhea, L. (2001). A comparison of high intensity vs. low intensity exercise on body composition in overweight women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33, A2421
2) Treuth, M.S., Hunter, G.R., & Williams, M. (1996). Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 28, 1138-1143
3) Tremblay, A., Simoneau, J.A., & Bouchard, C. (1994). Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism, 43, 814-818
4) Bahr, R., Gronnerod, O., & Sejersted, O.M. (1992). Effect of supramaximal exercise on excess postexercise O2 consumption. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 24, 66-71
5) Grediagin, A., Cody, M., Rupp, J., Benardot, D., & Shern, R. (1995). Exercise intensity does not effect body composition change in untrained, moderately overfat women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 95, 661-665
6) Hunter, G.R., Weinsier, R.L., Bamman, M.M., & Larson, D.E. (1998). A role for high intensity exercise on energy balance and weight control. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 22, 489-493
7) LaForgia, J., Withers, R.T., Shipp, N.J., & Gore, C.J. (1997). Comparison of energy expenditure elevations after submaximal and supramaximal running. Journal of Applied Physiology, 82, 661-666
8) Phelain, J.F., Reinke, E., Harris, M.A., & Melby, C.L. (1997). Postexercise energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in young women resulting from exercise bouts of different intensity. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 16, 140-146
9) Pritzlaff, C.J., Wideman, L., Blumer, J., Jensen, M., Abbott, R.D., Gaesser, G.A., Veldhuis, J.D., & Weltman, A. (2000). Catecholamine release, growth hormone secretion, and energy expenditure during exercise vs. recovery in men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, 937-946
10) Melanson, E.L., Sharp, T.A., Seagle, H.M., Horton, T.J., Donahoo, W.T., Grunwald, G.K., Hamilton, J.T., & Hill, J.O. (2002). Effect of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and nutrient oxidation. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92, 1045-1052
11) Bryner, R.W., Toffle, R.C., Ullrich, I.H., & Yeater, R.A. (1997). The effects of exercise intensity on body composition, weight loss, and dietary composition in women. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 16, 68-73
12) Thompson, D.L., Townsend, K.M., Boughey, R., Patterson, K., Bassett, D.R. Jr. (1998). Substrate use during and following moderate- and low-intensity exercise: implications for weight control. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 8, 43-49
13) Miller, W.C., Koceja, D.M., & Hamilton, E.J. (1997). A meta analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention. International Journal of Obesity, 21:941-947.
14) Utter, A.C., Nieman, D.C., Shannonhouse, E.M., Butterworth, D.E., & Nieman, C.N. (1998). Influence of diet and/or exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 8:213-222.
15) Wilmore, J.H., Despres, J.P., Stanforth, P.R., Mandel, S., Rice, T., Gagnon, J., Leon, A.S., Rao, D.C., Skinner, J.S., & Bouchard, C. (1999). Alterations in body weight and composition consequent to 20 wk of endurance training: the HERITAGE
Family Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70:346-352.
16) Jacks, D.E., Sowash, J., Anning, J., McGloughlin, T., & Andres, F. (2002). Effect of exercise at three exercise intensities on salivary cortisol. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16, 286-289
17) Borsheim E, Bahr R, Hansson P, Gullestad L, Hallen J, Sejersted OM. (1994) Effect of beta-adrenoceptor blockade on post-exercise oxygen consumption. Metabolism., 43(5), 565-71.
18) Gaesser GA, Brooks GA. (1984) Metabolic bases of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: a review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise., 16(1), 29-43.
19) Schuenke, M.D., Mikat, R.P., & McBride, J.M. (2002). Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 86, 411-417.

Jade A. Teta ND, CSCS & Keoni Teta ND, LAc, CSCS
2522 Reynolda Rd
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
336-724-4452
www.naturopathichealthclinic.com
www.metaboliceffect.com

You Need Fat in Your Diet to Reap Cancer-Prevention Benefits of Vegetables

2010-09-15T16:22:00.001-04:00

The conventional wisdom of eating no-fat/low-fat diet may be lacking scientific support these days. Wendy White, an associate professor of food science and nutrition at Iowa State University, conducted a study that shows eating salad vegetables with fat promotes the absorption of lycopene, alpha and beta-carotenes. These nutrients are needed by your
body to prevent heart disease and cancer, so eating salad and vegetables devoid of fat deprives your body of these healthy substances.

In the 12-week study participants, between the ages of 19 and 28, ate salads of romaine lettuce, spinach, cherry tomatoes and carrots topped with an Italian dressing containing 0, 6, or 28 grams of canola oil. Hourly blood samples were collected for eleven hours after each meal and sent to Ohio State University to be independently tested.

They found that essentially NO beta-carotene was absorbed when salads eaten with fat-free dressings. Significantly more absorption of lycopene, beta and alpha-carotenes was absorbed when low-fat and full fat dressings were eaten with the salads. The best nutrient absorption occurred when salads were eaten with the full fat dressing.

This information is consistent with the US dietary guidelines which support a diet moderate in fat verses low or no-fat. The confusion persists as we have been persuaded that “fat is bad for us” for a variety of reasons. Mother Nature has provided
us with a variety of fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, butter, cheese and olive oil which when used in conjunction with a diet of fruits vegetables, grains and whole meats forms the basis of a healthy diet. Avoiding all processed oils and foods
fried in them is an important part of creating a healthy diet. Important fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K can only be absorbed when eating a diet containing fats. As well a balanced diet with nutritious fats helps reduce the cravings
for carbohydrate and sugar laden foods which are the main contributors to the epidemic of obesity in this country.

The take-home message-eat plenty of healthy fats in your diet and enjoy them knowing it is the healthy thing to do!!

Dr. Susan R. DeLaney, ND
The Wellness Alliance
301 W. Weaver St.
Carrboro, NC 27510
919-932-6262
DrDeLaneyND@Gmail.com
www.thewellnessalliance.com

Summer Salads

2010-09-15T16:21:00.001-04:00

Lemon Quinoa Salad with Corn & Mint

Ingredients:
4 ears corn, shucked or 1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive or flaxseed oil
1 tablespoon mild honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cooked quinoa
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
Cook corn in large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, then transfer to cutting board & let cool. When cool enough to
handle, cut kernels off cobs. Alternately, thaw 1.5 cups frozen corn.
To make dressing, whisk together lemon zest and juice, oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined.
Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in corn, scallions, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.

Kale salad
Ingredients:
1-2 big bunches kale
1 small red onion, chopped
¼ c raw sesame seeds
Dressing:
¼ c fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ c Bragg’s liquid aminos
¼ c flaxseed or olive oil
Wash, dry and chop kale into 1-in ribbons. Put kale in large bowl with onion and seeds. Whisk dressing ingredients
together and pour over kale mixture to coat. Toss and serve. This salad will keep in fridge for several days after being
dressed.

Summer Bean Salad
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained or equal amount dried beans that have been
boiled or soaked until soft.
1½ cups diced plum tomato
½ cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
¼ cup (1 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (optional)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oregano and garlic, and saute 30 seconds. Add vinegar, and remove from heat. Combine vinegar mixture and beans in a bowl. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon oil, diced tomato, and the next 5 ingredients (tomato through pepper) to bean mixture, and toss well. Serve
with seed crackers or toast.

Maggie Thibodeau, BA, ND
Cary Holistic Health, LLC
222 Ashville Avenue, Suite 10
Cary, NC 27518
919-858-1004
www.caryholistichealth.com

News Seen through a Naturopathic Doctor’s Eyes

2010-09-15T16:15:00.001-04:00

A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Volume 102, Number 8 Pp. 529-537) has concluded that eating fruits and vegetables doesn’t seem to make much difference in preventing cancer in people. This study included over 400,000 men and women from 10 European countries aged 25-70 years.

The authors explain that they know of no other study that includes so many people and eventual cases of cancer. The implied message here is that this is the definitive study to date. When the major media reported this study they also tended to frame it as a definitive study.

Now, let’s look at this study through a naturopathic doctor’s eyes:

If you take the time to read the actual study, the first point that stands out (to me) is the way they found out what people were eating. They asked them to “remember” what they ate. I have been working with people and their diets for over 30 years and of the thousands of people I’ve helped I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who can accurately remember what they recently ate. People forget. This is a major flaw in the source information for this study. If the foundational source information is flawed or inaccurate, all the results that are based on that information will also be
flawed and inaccurate. So how could this even be considered an accurate, let alone a definitive study?

The next point that stands out is the way they defined fruits and vegetables. The classification for “fresh” fruit included canned and dried, and they said “fresh” fruit made up 90% of the fruit intake. Additionally, we don’t know what was considered the other 10% of the fruit intake? They never explain this other 10%.

Reading further we find that tubers, legumes and freshly made vegetable juices were NOT considered to be vegetables. A person eating lots of canned fruit and deep-fried onion rings would be classified as having a high “fresh” fruit and vegetable intake, while someone eating lots of bean sprouts and drinking lots of freshly made vegetable juice could be classified in the low fruit and vegetable category. Again, if your source information is flawed, the conclusions based on that information will also be flawed.

Another important consideration here is the amount of fruits and vegetables a person had to consume to be considered in the “high consumption” category, which was 511 grams daily. This is not very much. According to the USDA three oranges are 554 grams, and two cans of peaches contains 524 grams. Either of these is more than the highest category of fruit and vegetable consumption in this study, and I really hope that no one reading this thinks that eating canned food would be even remotely as beneficial to their health as eating truly fresh fruits and vegetables.

This study seemed credible in its initial presentation, but looking deeper the foundational information, and therefore the conclusions, are seen to be inaccurate and flawed. To receive the truly healthy benefits of fruits and vegetables they should be truly fresh, and to significantly improve our health we certainly need more than 3 pieces a day.

Gil Alvarado, N.D., L.Ac.
THE NEW LIFE CENTER
118-A OLD DURHAM RD.
CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517
(919) 490-4930
www.DrGil.com

Book Prescriptions

2010-09-15T16:14:00.002-04:00

Docere, or doctor as teacher, is one of our six principles of Naturopathic Medicine. It refers to the doctor/patient relationship as seen by the naturopath, where the doctor and patient are in equal partnership. Guided by their Naturopath, patients learn to work with their own innate natural healing ability so they can take responsibility for their own health. In line with that principle, I often point my patients to reliable resources, my favorite of which is books. In some cases the book itself is the medicine. In this column I will review books written by Naturopathic Doctors and comment on how and for whom I might
prescribe them.

The topic of this first article is The New ME, Metabolic Effect Diet: Eat More, Work Out Less, and Actually Lose Weight While You Rest by our very own NCANP members, Jade Teta, ND and Keoni Teta, ND. This book has three purposes. The first is to clarify the difference between weight loss and fat loss and why you should care. The second is to present the evidence clearly and convincingly for why reducing calories and adding aerobic exercise, (aka the “less in, more out” approach to weight loss), is ineffective, potentially detrimental to your health, and works against your metabolism. The third is to
present a sustainable, comprehensive lifestyle approach that works with your metabolism to burn fat. Metabolic Effect Diet is much more than a diet book.

How and for whom would I prescribe Metabolic Effect Diet? As to how, for the first step I would have all patients take off thesuperficial, fad-diet- book jacket and throw it away. Metabolic Effect Diet has a depth and intelligence that is clearly the product of well educated, experienced, holistic physicians and experts in the field of exercise physiology. I would also tell patients, that if you find the recipes unappetizing or if whey protein powder and protein bars just don’t have that earthy, granola, whole foods appeal that attracted you to naturopathic care in the first place, no worries. The Teta’s elucidate the
principles behind the suggested recipes so well that it will be no problem to create meals congruent with your personality.

Who should read this book?

Equally appropriate for men and women, and for all ages. Especially well suited for those people:

· convinced that it is just hopelessly “in their genes” to be fat.

· finding it harder and harder to lose or maintain their weight.

· repulsed by the idea of counting calories, wanting a more sustainable lifestyle.

· wanting better or more reliable stamina.

· fitting into the smaller pant sizes but are “skinny fat”

· overly dependent on external measures, that could benefit from practice listening to their own internal cues.

· diagnosed or at risk for metabolic syndrome.

· having trouble sleeping.

· and, of course, those who just want to look sexier.

Jennifer Ito, ND
1235 Onslow Rd
Raleigh, NC 27606
www.RaleighNaturopathic.com

Vitamin D: The “Miracle” Vitamin

2010-09-15T15:56:00.001-04:00

What’s the Big Deal about Vitamin D Anyway?

Vitamin D is involved in almost every process in the entire human body. In fact, some research indicates that it may in fact not even be a vitamin, but rather a hormone. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to conditions as varied as diabetes, fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome), extreme body aches & pains/fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and other mood disorders, cancer, depressed immunity and inability to fight all kinds of infections, allergies, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, seasonal cold & flu epidemics, and many others.

Can’t I get enough Vitamin D in my diet? How about the sun? Do I need a supplement?

Unfortunately it is next to impossible to get enough Vitamin D from diet. Although some foods, such as milk, have added Vitamin D, the amounts are so low as to be useless. One 8-ounce glass of milk contains only 100 IU of Vitamin D--about 1/20th to 1/50th of what you need just for maintenance each day. Cod liver oil does contain fairly high amounts of Vitamin D, but unfortunately it also contains high amounts of Vitamin A, which interferes with the absorption of D. We are designed to obtain our Vitamin D from the sun. I tell my patients: “Vitamin D deficiency is a disease of civilization.” This is because until quite recently in human history, we lived outside with very few clothes most of the year (depending on climate of course). Whatever meager shelter we had was used for sleep & not much else. The human species has evolved with the sun overhead for the past 4.4 to 6 million years. It has never made sense to me that the sun is our enemy.

“But everybody says you should wear sunscreen!”
You can’t get Vitamin D from the sun if you are wearing sunscreen.
Even before the research on Vitamin D came out, I intuitively refused to wear sunscreen except in extreme situations (for example, all day at the beach). Our ancestors either covered up with clothing or went in the shade if they started to burn. This is still the best advice--get out in the sun regularly but don’t allow yourself to burn. Stay out until you just start to “pink up”--this means that you are at your optimal Vitamin D production while doing the most minimal harm to your skin. For darker-skinned people, stay until just before you start to feel that tingle that means a burn is approaching (yes, dark-skinned people can burn). This time will obviously vary according to skin type, and in fact it is a perfect system. Very light-skinned people burn easily, but need very little sun exposure to produce Vitamin D (10-20 minutes), while very dark-skinned people will need several hours in the sun. African Americans in particular are much more likely to be Vitamin-D deficient, and (not coincidentally) suffer more often from diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease as a result.

But what about skin cancer?

Ironically, some research indicates that the overuse of sunscreen is actually an indirect cause of skin cancer. The reason is this--people who use copious amounts of sunscreen and stay out for many hours per day past their normal “burn point” are giving themselves a “double whammy”--they are preventing the production of Vitamin D by wearing sunscreen, and thus increasing their risk of all types of cancer (including skin cancer!). And at the same time they are exposing their skin to abnormal amounts of UV radiation (and no sunscreen can fully protect you from its damaging effects). So going in the sun just up to your normal tolerance level is the best advice, since it’s a self-regulating system. Skin cancer rates in women have doubled since the 1970’s and incidentally the use of sunscreen has also increased dramatically since the 1970s. Even common sense should tell you then that the use of sunscreen is not decreasing skin cancer rates at all--in fact, it’s likely to be just the opposite.

The Importance of Vitamin D Testing

I have been testing almost all patients for Vitamin D levels in my practice for more than two years, since the spate of recent research started. I have found that very few people have adequate levels of Vitamin D & the vast majority are frankly deficient. I would say that the average levels amongst my patients are in the 20-30 range, with some falling as low as 5 and others as high as 40 without supplementation.

What are normal Vitamin D levels?

Let’s start this discussion by stating that references ranges (the range of what’s considered “normal” by labs) are not written in stone. Most people assume that if their levels on a given lab test did not flag “H” (high) or “L” (low) that they are fine. However, there is a difference between levels that are within range, and levels that are optimal for excellent health.The same is true for Vitamin D. The reference range for Vitamin D at most labs was 20-100 a couple of years ago. It has since changed to 32-100, and I would not be surprised if research leads to further changes--perhaps 80-120. In any case, toxicity is not found until the 150-200 range (again, there is disagreement amongst the researchers). My therapeutic goal for most patients, both scientifically, and clinically, is 90-99. My reasoning? 90-99 is at the top end of the currently accepted reference range, yet it is nowhere near toxic. It is also where I have found that most patients feel at their very best.

So How Much Sun Do I Need And How Much Vitamin D Should I Take?

At the mid-Atlantic latitudes, during the late spring/summer months (May-September) you can get enough Vitamin D from the sun--provided that you are willing and able to spend 30 minutes to several hours in the sun three times per week (depending on skin color). This must occur between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm, and you must have 80% of your body exposed (think bikini), with no sunscreen. For many people this is neither desirable nor practical.In any case, you must supplement Vitamin D during the other 8 months of the year in order to keep your levels in the optimal range (90-99). Your dosage depends on many factors, and that is why it is especially important to test & retest your levels until they stabilize at the 90-99 level. I have tested, treated & retested hundreds of patients in the past two years, and I have found that the required dosage to bring levels up ranges from 5000 IU per day to 20,000 IU per day. After the levels stabilize, maintenance dosages of 2000 IU to 5000 IU are required to keep it there. Factors involved in dosing include body weight, current health condition, starting level, and digestion and absorption capabilities. Patients who need the most are often fighting cancer, Epstein-Barr virus, or other infections. D3 is the best supplement form, and your N.D can guide you to quality supplements, since not all supplements are created equal.
I have seen truly amazing turnarounds in many conditions with Vitamin D supplementation. My patients tell me that they feel so much better when their Vitamin D levels are optimal; that they feel strong & able to withstand any blows, physical or emotional. Do your body and your mind a favor and make an appointment with your N.D. to have your Vitamin D levels checked today.

Dr. Crystal Abernathy, N.D.
Naturopathic Physician
Charlotte, NC
(704) 562-9705
Drcrystal@abernathynd.com
www.abernathynd.com