H1N1 Flu Vaccine

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/05/Swine-Flu-Vaccine-Ingredients.aspx

Many people have asked for my opinion on whether or not they, or their children, or a pregnant woman they know, should get vaccinated for the H1N1 influenza virus.  My usual response has been that I know better than to opine on this one and something about a 10 foot pole.

So opinions aside, I do always believe in sharing information. Good, reliable, referenceable information.  I also like to make up words sometimes, like referenceable.  Anyway,  please click on the link above for information on the four available swine flu vaccines.  The ingredients of each vaccine are listed along with the recommended dosages for different age groups, the efficacy of the vaccines, and any known side effects.  This information has been compiled from the insanely long, technical, and finely printed package inserts for the vaccines.

MedImmune is not approved for children under 2 years or adults over 50 and not recommended for pregnant women though it is intranasal and therefore does not contain mercury. Novartis is not recommended for children under 4 years old. Sanofi-Pasteur is not approved for children under 5 months old, but prefilled pediatric syringes and single-dose vials are mercury-free.  CSL Biotherapies, Inc. is not approved for anyone under 18 years old.

For parents of young children, you would want to ask your pediatrician if the vaccine they have is from Sanofi-Pasteur and if your child is receiving a mercury-free vaccine.  The availability of the vaccine is limited, so don’t assume that these conditions are being met.  Again, you will have to form your own opinion about the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal and weigh the risk/benefit for your child.

Also of note is the information on the efficacy of the vaccine.  Under optimum conditions, 50% of people vaccinated will be protected from the influenza virus so overall less than half of people vaccinated will be protected from the virus.  Again this information comes from the package inserts for the four different approved vaccines and can be linked to from the article.

In the meantime, coughing or sneezing into your armpit now looks cool.  Since you can’t actually touch a door with your hands, letting it slam in someone’s face behind you is perfectly acceptable.  And you should have been washing your hands with soap anyway.  Especially before sticking your fingers in babies’ mouths, playing with small children, or invading the personal space of a pregnant woman.

Go Grain!

No white flour, no white sugar, avoid the “white death”!  I was told that by a practitioner several years ago and while I agree with the concept, I prefer to try to get my point across while sounding slightly less crazy.  First, let’s understand why we should toss the pasta and cookies, and then maybe we’ll be more motivated to actually do it. 

 The problem with consuming too much white flour and white sugar is the resulting spike in blood sugar and the body having to deal with that spike by signaling your pancreas to secrete insulin to regulate your blood sugar.  Hyperglycemia is too much sugar and not enough insulin.    Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar because of too much insulin.  Insulin resistance is basically a bad combination of these two states.  If you eat lots of white flour and sugar for your whole life there is always a lot of glucose floating around and your pancreas constantly needs to pump out a lot of insulin.  The worst case scenario is that eventually the pancreas just can’t keep up with insulin production and you have so much sugar in your blood that you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes is associated with circulation issues and heart disease.  None of these are good things so let’s get off that train right now.  Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes can be managed with diet but it is much easier to make changes in your diet and lifestyle before it gets to that point.

 The most obvious sign of insulin resistance is extra weight around the middle that is very difficult to lose, even if you feel like you are watching what you eat and exercising some.    A particular group that is prone to insulin resistance and all the resulting health issues are women who are diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome.  Symptoms you might experience that are less clear are the transient symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. 

 Having too much sugar and too much insulin floating around is a combination of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.  Big words aside, what we actually experience is very familiar to most people.  It’s getting suddenly very hungry, and irritable, shaky, needing food “right now!”, and a strong craving for sugar.  If you are really imbalanced you may feel fatigued and like you crave sugar all of the time.  So you grab the first thing you see, a donut, a cookie, or maybe you make what you think is a healthier choice.  A bowl of cereal, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread, a fat free yogurt, a cereal bar, and you feel much better…for about 1-2 hours and it starts again.    

 This is where whole grains come in, real complex carbohydrate whole grains.  Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest so they don’t spike your blood sugar, and they also tend to be fibrous so they help you on the other end by also cleaning out your intestines.  Good going in, good going out, Go Grain!

 Now Go Grain is not the same as the whole grain marketing craze that seems to be occurring, reminiscent of the fat free mania of the 90’s.  And incidentally, what did we get from fat free mania?  That’s right, more products loaded with sugar.  Now regarding whole grain, lots of things say whole grain but what are we really getting from those products? Should we be eating more Fruit Loops because it says whole grain on the box?  Yeah, that’s it, definitely eat more of a high sugar cereal to regulate blood sugar.  Say that out loud and see if it makes sense. 

 Less obvious are the foods mentioned before.  Non-sugar cereals like Cheerios, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread, a fat free yogurt, “whole grain cereal bar”.  These are better choices than Fruit Loops, donuts, cookies, and straight up white bread but they don’t act all that differently in the body.   All of the above have a high content of simple carbohydrates. 

 OK, so what can we eat?  Changing your diet is hard.  You can’t just get a list of can’ts  and suddenly know what to do.   So what do I try to advise people when they come into my office with a sad face and a sigh of desperation about their can’ts.  I try to give them a list of things they can.   I usually start with encouraging them to start cooking 3 very versatile grains-brown rice, quinoa, and millet. 

 Brown rice cannot be instant, in it’s whole form, brown rice is nutritionally complete, full of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and even lipids, the building blocks for fats.  Quinoa technically isn’t even a grain so especially good to have if you suspect or know of a gluten allergy.  Millet cooks  up nice and soft and is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or sweetened up with say, some low glycemic agave and cinnamon for a healthier dessert. 

 If you focus on adding healthy things to your diet, rather than just taking things away, you tend to, over time, be more able to make healthy choices.   There is no room for Fruit Loops when you fill up on slowly digesting grains, and then you don’t need to make the tough decision between a donut and fat-free cheesecake flavored yogurt at 10a.  And if you are hungry at 10a, not having the low blood sugar crazies will help you make a good choice, like an apple, or how about a small portion of creamy full fat plain yogurt with fruit?  Full fat, sounds crazy huh?  Another discussion for another day.

My Love/Hate Relationship With Coffee

Mmmm, coffee.   The smell of it in the morning is comforting and welcoming and I have always loved the taste of a good cup of coffee.  When I was little and I stayed overnight with my grandparents, I would get up early with my grandfather before he went to work for toast and coffee.  They used a stovetop percolator pot and with pre-ground, sit on the shelf, store-bought stuff, Papa made the perfect cup of coffee.  I now have that old pot, along with a larger capacity Corningware ceramic percolator, an automatic drip and an espresso pot.  I would still like to aquire a French press.  I buy beans fresh from the coffee roaster in my town and grind them myself.  Yes, some would say that I love coffee.  But, there are two sides to every story, especially a love story. 

 Too much caffeine from coffee makes my heart race, my hands shake, and forget about sleeping if I drink it after 3p.  When I have patients come in who suffer from anxiety, sleeplessness, hot flashes, and skin irritations, one of the first things I ask is how much coffee they drink.  The standard answer is 2 cups a day.   After having asked many people this question, I am not surprised to learn that the meaning and size of 2 cups a day is widely variable and often translates into 24 oz or more per day. But they always seem surprised at my suggestion to cut back some.  The caffeine amount in coffee is measured in 5 ounce servings so 24 oz. is almost 5 servings per day of a very acidic beverage and quite a bit of caffeine.  And some people definitely drink even more that. 

 So while about 300mg of caffeine in 10 oz of coffee is well tolerated in an otherwise healthy adult, 750 mg might be pushing it as far as the body’s detoxification processes can handle, and just might have some effect on sleep and nervousness since caffeine is a stimulant.  Coffee as an herb is also warming and acts as a diuretic; hot flashes and urgent, frequent urination anyone?

For the love of coffee…Research of late is revealing the anti-oxidant power of coffee and subsequent risk reduction of liver, kidney, breast, and colorectal cancers.   Short-term negative effects of coffee are an increase in blood pressure and serum cholesterol but there may be some long-term cardioprotective benefits of drinking caffeine and coffee in moderate amounts and coffee seems to lower the incidence of type-2 diabetes possibly because certain compounds in coffee lower blood glucose levels.   

And for the haters…Those who believe in a link between acidic blood chemistry and disease are all for cutting back on the café.  The ph of coffee is 5 which is acidic.  When our blood is acidic, the alkalizing minerals calcium and magnesium are leached from the bones.  This activity is not good for bone health and deficiency of these minerals is related to sleep problems, headaches and muscle spasms.   In addition, a low pH disrupts normal cell division and abnormal or uncontrolled cell division can lead to cancer conditions.  Though if coffee has anti-oxidants then one could argure that it’s basically a wash. 

So is Mother nature just doing her thing by creating the perfect balance? Are coffee lovers just trying to support and rationalize their addiction?  Are coffee haters just depriving themselves of this tasty beverage as a rebellion to the coffee gluttony?  Is the current research sponsored by Starbuck’s? 

My answer to these questions is that yes, Mother nature has provided something to us that probably is a perfect balance and that we, per usual, ruin it through greed and gluttony.  If you are drinking so much coffee that you cannot function in the morning yet cannot sleep at night then it’s time to cut back.  If not drinking coffee causes severe headaches and constipation then it’s time to cut back.   If you drink more coffee than water, it’s time to cut back.  If you have anxiety, hot flashes, and irritable bladder, it may be time to cut back.  Some people feel better when they completely cut out coffee but I prefer to change my behavior and moderate versus abstain from something I enjoy.  As for the last question, I really would be curious to see who sponsor this type of research.

 Anyway, what can we moderate, wishy-washy, non-abstainers do to continue to enjoy Mother nature’s perfection, reap the benefits of our beloved coffee, and avoid the negatives? 

1. There is the possibility of buying de-acidified coffee or doing it yourself:    Grind one pound of coffee beans and add it to 8 cups of water in a glass bowl or large pitcher, place the mixture in a cool dark corner and allow it to soak for approximately 16 hours.  Filter the liquid extract through a coffee or fabric filter into a glass jar.  Store the sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and to make your coffee, add 1-2 T to 8 oz of hot water. (from Healing With Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford).
2. Try the coffee holiday.  Give your body a break and go one whole day without it, then if you are really feeling crazy try a couple of days or even a week.  Pick a weekend day or other more flexible day where you can not drink coffee and then when you feel the deep fatigue or withdrawal headache coming, you can take a nap.  Depending on the severity of your addiction, you could ease into it by replacing the cup o’ joe with some green tea and definitely remember to drink lots of water.
3. Address your exhaustion and other symptoms.  If you NEED 6 cups of coffee to get through a day (30oz) you probably also need to get more sleep and make other healthier lifestyle changes.  If you have some of the other symptoms mentioned in this article, chances are that coffee consumption is only a part of the problem so go visit your acupuncturist for some help!
4. Buy organic, as local as possible, and invest in a grinder.  Coffee can be toxic due to chemicals involved in the cultivation and processing, and the oils go rancid quickly once it is ground.  Reduce these risks by buying organic beans from the nearest roaster.  Then grind those beans fresh as needed and you will produce a better tasting and healthier cup of coffee.  Enjoy!

Cancer Lett. 2009 May 18;277(2):121-5. Epub 2008 Oct 1
Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Feb;121(2):185-91. Epub 2008 Nov 11
Am J Cardiol. 2008 Dec 1;102(11):1502-8. Epub 2008 Sep 11.
Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Dec;33(6):1290-300
Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Dec;33(6):1269-83.
Healing With Whole Foods 3^rd Edition, Paul Pitchford

7 Tips To Get Back on Track

I have been feeling tired lately, and do you know why?  It is simple.  Because I have not been eating as well as I could, exercising or resting as much as I should, and have not been taking enough time for myself.  When I get into these ruts as we all do, I take a look at things and try to figure out some simple ways to get myself back on track.  

1.       Eating better.  It’s summer!  The garden isn’t producing quite yet but there are farm stands and Farmer’s markets and fresh produce abound!  Besides growing your own, a Farmer’s Market is about as green as you can get in terms of acquiring food so use everybody’s favorite catchphrase and “go green” at a Farmer’s Market. 

 2.        Speaking of green, it’s a perfect time to try that refreshing and healthy green smoothie.  Check out the green smoothie article on this blog to find out the why and how of a green smoothie.

 3.         You can also try my new catchphrase, “go grain”, and try incorporating a new grain in your diet.  If you only buy the processed foods that say “whole grain” and once in a while you make Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice, I applaud your efforts but now is the time to take things a step further.   You are legitimate on the whole grain when you cook your brown rice for 30-50 minutes, when your  oats are steel cut, and when you discover that quinoa is pronounced “kin-wa”, so give it a try.  Yes some whole grains take a while to cook, but if you start them at the start of making your meal, they are done by the time you are done with everything else. Recipes are easy to find on the internet and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that some, like kin-wa, don’t take that long to cook.

 4.        Take a caffeine holiday.  Yes, there are some health benefits that have been attributed to coffee and yes, I love the taste and am a moderate coffee drinker, but I believe that a little break from the toxicity and stimulant activity of coffee can be good for you.  It may be best and easiest to pick a weekend day or other more flexible day where you can not drink coffee and then when you feel the deep fatigue or withdrawal headache coming, you can take a nap.  I know that sleeping when you are tired vs. doing something to artificially make yourself stay awake is a novel idea but take a tip from your family dog and give it a try.  Then you might actually have some energy to take that pup for a stroll!

 5.         Move more, think less.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know that we need to exercise and sometimes it is hard to fit it all in but this is one time that it might be beneficial to lower your expectations, meaning you don’t have to make it to the gym to exercise.  If you can that is great, I do feel my best when I can fit in some weight training and vigorous cardio, but walking the dog, working in the yard, a bike ride with the kids, nature hike, all count as exercise.  And for some reason you feel twice as good when you get outside.  Two of my other favorites are yoga and dance classes, whether I go to them or follow a DVD. 

 6.          Meditate.  Hmmm…I can just see the heart rates increase from reading that one little word. But I don’t know how to meditate, I can’t sit still, my mind won’t clear, my nose itches, I hate the quiet. Holy crap people, calm down, close your eyes, breathe and sit quietly for 1 minute and once you can do that, work your way up to 5.  If you can’t sit quietly for 1-5 minutes then you need to go back to kindergarten.  If you are uncomfortable sitting up when you try this, then try it lying down.  The idea is to rest without sleeping but if you fall asleep then guess what…you need more sleep.  It is hard to slow down during the day and I understand that.  When I am most successful in incorporating this into my day for more than 5 minutes is in the morning right when I wake up.  Instead of trying to think about nothing, I may throw in a body scan for tense areas or think about 5 things I am grateful for in my life, and I inevitably have a better day.

 7.         Exhale fully.  You can check in with yourself on this one when you are attempting some meditation.  Many of us are OK with breathing deeply in but we forget to fully breathe out.  If you find yourself sighing a lot, this is your body’s way of forcing you to do it.  Exhaling fully allows you to inhale fully.  Getting your diaphragm moving and more oxygen to your brain can only make you feel better, less tense and more alert to be specific, so give it a try and see what I mean.

Acupuncture and Pregnancy

One of my patients had a wonderful article published about acupuncture during pregnancy, drawing on her own experience of our treatments, journal research, and discussion with me. Please follow this link to read it.

http://mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/acupuncture-baby.html

First, Do No Harm – The 9th Drug Your Doctor Wouldn’t Take

 

Boniva

Boniva is an osteoporosis drug cleverly advertised to women over 55 by an endearing commercial featuring Sally Field.  Sally regales us with the wonders of this pharmaceutical while easily and painlessly gardening.  What she doesn’t tell us is that there are many people out there who have suffered some fairly bad side effects from taking this drug.  Unfortunately, your doctor might not tell you that either. 

 

I am calling it the 9th drug your doctor wouldn’t take because some doctors absolutely would not recommend it for themselves or certain patients, but some might recommend it citing that the only adverse effect is mild flu-like symptoms for a few days.  This was the experience of one of my acupuncture patients.

The patient had been seeing me for severe left-sided neck and shoulder pain that seemed to be the result of both an injury to the area and a structural imbalance due a rotator cuff surgery on the right side.  She had been dealing with the pain for 2 years.  After 3 attempts at treating the local area she had some short-lived pain relief but no increase in range of motion and due to the burning nature of her pain, I decided to treat her cervical vertebrae with electro-acupuncture thinking that there was possible disc disease causing the pain.  With the focus on the cervical vertebrae she began to make progress with pain relief lasting longer each time and an increase in range of motion.  She also had some hip pain that was responding favorably to needles and moxabustion.  We then had to take a break from treatment while I went on maternity leave.  During this time, she was still being evaluated by other doctors to figure out the western medical cause of her persistent pain and had followed up on her primary care physician’s referral to a rheumatologist.  The patient suffers from early-stage osteoporosis and during her visit to the rheumatologist he suggested she try Boniva to halt the progression of the disease.  My patient is a nurse, is open to both regular and complementary medicine, is knowledgeable about herself and her health, and knows to ask questions about the effects and side-effects of medications.

When she asked her doctor about the effects and side-effects of Boniva, she was told about the  IV administration of the drug and that the only side effect was mild flu-like symptoms for a few days.  She then asked the nurse who was administering the medication if there were any side-effects of Boniva that she should know about and was again told that there could be mild flu-like symptoms for a few days.  When we resumed our acupuncture treatment, her shoulder pain was back with a vengeance along with hip pain on both sides and she was complaining that she felt like she ached all over.  We weren’t very concerned because she had gotten so much relief from the acupuncture treatment that we thought we would simply resume a similar strategy and she would be feeling better quickly.  Using the same treatment for what we thought were the same issues did not have the same positive effects this time around. 

Rather than picking up where we left off, it seemed that we were starting from the beginning.  I did not know about the medication that she was given at the trip to the rheumatologist because she did not think to mention it, but in thinking on her own time about what might be different she decided to look up the drug and was shocked at what she found.

 

If you do a quick search of the drug you will find several sites listing possible common side effects such as diarrhea, pain in arms and legs, upset stomach, and short-term mild flu-like symptoms.  The sites may then say that rarer side effects are severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain and serious jaw problems associated with delayed healing and infection, often following dental procedures. This is all from places that basically list what would be on the patient insert of drug information yet none of this was verbally communicated to my patient when she specifically asked about side effects. 

 

Looking further, other sites list the severe side effects such as allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bloody or black, tarry stools; chest pain; eye pain; painful or difficult swallowing; severe bone, joint, or muscle pain; severe or persistent dizziness or headache; severe or persistent heartburn or stomach pain; swelling or pain in your jaw; vision changes; vomiting blood or a substance that looks like coffee grounds. Again, not mentioned to the patient by her doctor but understandable because it’s not the standard issue information.

 

Then if you look at a patient forum type of website such as http://drugs.healthdiaries.com/boniva-side-effects.html you will see more examples of adverse reactions.  I urge you to follow this link and look at a few of the posts before or after finishing this article.

 

Being proactive, my patient called the drug company directly and interestingly enough, got the same spiel she had from the doctor’s office about the mild flu-like symptoms and no acknowledgement about her issues.  When she mentioned the experience to her local pharmacist and her primary care physician, they were not surprised about her bad experience with the drug but rather they were surprised that a doctor had actually given it to her with her history of pain and sensitivity to medications because of what they had heard about the unpleasant side effects.

 

I am not saying that this drug is bad for all people.  If you are a healthy 35-year old with no other health issues and you happen to have osteoporosis, it should be fine.  Sarcasm aside, there may be people in the drug’s target population who are helped by it, but all patients deserve to know about the risk as well as the possible reward. The irony is that the people the drug is supposed to help, like post-menopausal women or cancer patients who absorb calcium poorly, have pain from their health issues,  would be most vulnerable to side effects of the drug.  Also, the literature states that if you do have side effects that simply stopping the drug will make them go away.  This is a drug that is meant to be taken every 3 months so with such a long half-life, or amount of time it takes to break down and become insignificant in your system, how does that make sense?  It is in your system for 3 months!

 

The larger issues are, what do the prescribing doctors know about the drugs they are prescribing aside from what the drug reps tell them?  And does a doctor who meets a patient for the first time or sees a patient once a year, really have enough information to prescribe the drug?  I am not saying that all doctors and drug reps are bad either,  but it is common knowledge that doctors must keep very busy in order to make a third-party billing living so they may not have time for due diligence, and it is common sense that a drug rep would be a biased messenger of information.

 

The take-home message is to be careful in this broken system and that the only patient advocate you have is yourself.  I learned from this experience that it is not even enough to ask questions, you can see on the patient forum site that many people did, including my patient.  You need to do the research yourself, find out where the information is coming from, and if possible, consult another healthcare provider about this decision.  If my patient had gone back to her PCP to discuss the drug, she probably would not have taken it because her PCP knew her case better and happened to be aware of the bad effects of Boniva. 

 

A pharmacist is also a wonderful person to ask.  Pharmacists in our healthcare system are over-educated and under-utilized by us healthcare consumers.  Unlike your doctor they are more likely to actually know the mechanism of drug actions and the side effects, and would interact with more people who have taken it. 

 

Many of my acupuncture clients ask me for advice.  I do not make any medical decisions, but I am usually the healthcare provider who knows them best and I can help with asking the right questions, garnering more information, or sharing the experience of another patient.   Keep in mind that us complementary/alternative practitioners generally don’t see the people who have been helped by Western medicine so many of our patients will have similar stories.  And the best part is, that we can usually help.  As an acupuncturist, herbalist, and craniosacral therapist, I am not anti-Western medicine, but I am pro-health,  and like many others who are not considered to be part of the Western medical system, I am happy to fill in the gaps, provide options, and “First, do no harm”.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.boniva.com/about_boniva/side_effects.aspx

http://www.rxlist.com/boniva-drug.htm

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/boniva-side-effects.html

http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/druginfo/boniva.HTM

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2006/Aug_PIs/Boniva_PI.pdf

 

 

 

 

Pseudo-Healthy Foods—and 5 That Are Healthier Than You Think

By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD and Nutrition Director, Prevention

Diet Soda
It may seem like the perfect way to save calories and slash your sugar intake, but studies show that diet drinkers actually weigh more than regular soda drinkers. For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese tied to a 2-can-a-day habit is 57 percent compared to 46 percent for regular soda drinkers. Diet soda may throw off your natural appetite regulation, causing you to eat more sweets. It may also trick you into thinking it’s OK to indulge in high calorie foods because you “saved” by choosing diet soda.

Pretzels
The label may shout ‘fat free’ and seem like a better alternative to chips, but they’re made with refined white flour stripped of its vitamins and antioxidants. They’re also dense so they pack a ton of carb calories for a very small amount and they’re not filling. Think of it this way-one 15- ounce bag contains the equivalent of 24 slices of white bread.

Spinach Wrap
It looks green and good for you but spinach powder is only a scant ingredient. These wraps are typically made from refined white flour and the green hue primarily comes from food colorings (Blue No. 1 and Yellow No. 5.). In other words you can’t rely on the immune boosting vitamins A and C found in fresh spinach and it’s much higher in calories. One cup of cooked spinach provides 65 calories, 105 less than a spinach wrap, which doesn’t count as a veggie serving. Not to mention the fact that the fillings often include ingredients like fried chicken, ranch dressing, cheese and bacon!

Blueberry Scone
Even a trans-fat-free wild blueberry scone packs over 400 calories (the amount an entire meal should supply) and over 50 percent of the maximum amount of artery-clogging saturated fat intake for an entire day. They also don’t count as a serving of fruit and they’re devoid of dietary fiber.

Vitamin Water
Yes, it has vitamins, but at up to 200 calories per bottle (50 per serving with 4 servings per jug), just one of these a day can cause a 20 pound weight gain in a year’s time if the calories aren’t burned off.

Here’s the flip side of the so-called unhealthy foods that really aren’t-these 5 often-criticized foods don’t deserve to be shunned. Here’s why and how to eat them:

Dried Fruit
It’s simply fresh fruit with most of the water removed. When you buy unsweetened dried fruit, no sugar has been added, so aside from shrinking in size (i.e. grape vs. raisin), all the good stuff (vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, etc.) is maintained. You can find dried versions of just about every fruit these days (berries, mango, peaches) but one of the healthiest is figs-two dried figs provide just 100 calories but are chock full of nutrients, including 20 percent of all the dietary fiber we need daily, plus potassium, calcium, and iron. They’re also loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants called polyphenols-the same type that make red wine and tea so healthful (polyphenols are linked to lowering the risk of both heart disease and cancer, our nation’s top two killers). Just stick with unsweetened and since they’re ’shrunk,’ limit the portion to about the size of a golf ball to control calories.

Frozen Vegetables
A recent study found that the vitamin C content of fresh broccoli plummeted 56 percent in seven days, but dipped just 10 percent in a year’s time when frozen at -20 degrees Celsius. In addition, the levels of a disease fighting antioxidant called anthocyanins, and some minerals, including potassium (which helps control blood pressure) actually increased after freezing. Just look for veggies with one ingredient (the veggie itself) and no additives, preservatives and sauces.

Bananas
It’s true that bananas are low in water compared to other fruits. That means there’s more carbohydrate (and therefore more calories) per bite compared to watery fruits like melon. But-that doesn’t mean you should shun them-even if you’re watching your weight. Bananas provide no fat, cholesterol, or sodium, and they’re incredibly nutritious. You’ve probably heard that they’re high in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. But they’re also a good source of vitamin B6 (which helps maintain blood sugar levels and is needed to build protein in the body as well as nerves and immune cells), vitamin C (for immunity) and fiber (for cholesterol control and digestive health). To keep calories in check, just choose “baby” bananas, the ones about the size of long fingers, which are naturally portion controlled (and neatly wrapped!). One of these little guys provides just 50-60 calories (less than a small apple) and amounts to about half a cup when sliced.

White Potatoes
When scientists from the USDA tested more than 100 potato varieties, they discovered 60 different vitamins and antioxidants. Spuds are also packed with resistant starch, a fibrous substance that could help you burn more body fat and lose weight. One cup (size of a baseball) of a baked potato with the skin provides over 25 percent of the vitamin C we need daily, along with 15-20 percent of a day’s vitamin B6, copper, and potassium-all key nutrients for health. In fact, a tater provides more potassium than a banana, and scientists have linked a natural spud substance called kukoamines to blood pressure control. And, the calorie price tag is minimal-about 130 per cup (roughly 6% of an average healthy adult’s daily calories needs). They also pack about 3 grams of filling dietary fiber.

Juice
It does have less fiber than whole fruit and juices go down fast but cup for cup, 100-percent juice counts as fruit, and some common juices score very high as antioxidant-boosters. One recent study found that adding citrus juice to tea boosts the antioxidant absorption by up to 13 times. Another ranked the antioxidant capacity of several juices and found the 8 highest were: pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, black cherry juice, açaí juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, and apple juice. Juices do contain sugar, but it’s natural, not added-natural sugars are those put there by Mother Nature, and don’t create the same negative effects in the body that added sugars do (the refined kinds food manufacturers mix in)-and those natural sugars are naturally bundled with lots of important nutrients.

Acupuncture and IVF Study

Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist Teams with Licensed Acupuncturist in Largest Ongoing Eastern/Western Pregnancy Study – Shows Early Promise for Increased Take Home Baby Rates

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug 12, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Dr. Paul C. Magarelli, a nationally noted specialist in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and Dr. Diane K. Cridennda, a recognized authority on acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, have announced early results of an ongoing study linking acupuncture to positive in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. The study, which includes the largest-ever participant pool for a study of its kind, explores the increase in take home baby rates associated with combined Eastern and Western medicine treatments.

Drs. Magarelli and Cridennda’s ongoing research shows an astonishing 15 percent increase in pregnancies, with a 23 percent climb in actual births in IVF patients treated with acupuncture. In addition, of the 578 patients Magarelli has co-treated at the Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Centers and East Winds Acupuncture from 2003 to 2008, 26 percent more patients became pregnant with acupuncture treatments added to IVF, saving them the costs and heartache of having to repeat an IVF cycle. This savings would decrease the national IVF fertility costs by more than $150,000,000 per year in the United States alone.

“Infertility is a condition that affects more than 7.3 million people nationwide, and many of those couples are unaware of the potential that acupuncture holds for them,” said Dr. Magarelli. “Our study demonstrates that acupuncture increases uterine blood flow, reduces stress and has an overall positive impact on our IVF patients. And the results really speak for themselves: one of every four of our patients who have used acupuncture in conjunction with IVF has not had to repeat an IVF cycle to create their families.”

A three-part exploration of Drs. Magarelli and Cridennda’s ongoing breakthrough acupuncture and IVF study will be published in Fertility Today magazine later this year. To learn more, visit www.ColoradoSpringsIVF.com or call toll-free 877-475-BABY.

Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil comes from the bean of the Palma Christi plant, ricinis communis. The active ingredient in castor oil is ricinoleic acid. Ricinoleic acid effective is in preventing the growth of numerous species of viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and molds so is known to be effective when applied topically for skin conditions. Taken internally, it is a strong cathartic, meaning that it will accelerate bowel movements, but is not currently recommended because drinking castor oil is a particularly harsh way of relieving constipation. Ricinoleic acid is unique because it is only found in nature in castor oil.

As a pack placed over the skin with heat applied, the castor oil is absorbed into the lymphatic circulation and is suggested for conditions that can benefit from enhanced circulation, enhanced immunity, and detoxification. Some of the suggested uses are for chronic urinary tract infections and cystitis, liver disorders, constipation, gallbladder inflammation or stones, night time urinary frequency and inflamed joints.

My familiarity with castor oil packs is related primarily to women’s medicine used as part of a treatment protocol for non-cancerous uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts, menstrual cramps, irregular menstrual cycles, and non-cancerous breast pain. The packs are not to be used during times of heavy bleeding or during pregnancy.

Making a castor oil pack

Cold-pressed castor oil warmed in a pot on the stove – Home Health is a good and easy to find brand
Old cotton terry face cloth or flannel square
Hot water bottle or a heating pad with a low setting
Plastic bag or food wrap large enough to cover the flannel cloth completely
Towel

1. Soak the cloth in the warmed castor oil and wring so it is not dripping, or soak the cloth with the castor oil and heat it in a microwave for 1-1½ minutes. Test the cloth on the inside of your arm for temperature and then place it on the affected area.
2. Cover the cloth completely with the plastic, then place the hot water bottle or the heating pad set on low over the pack and cover with a towel. Castor oil stains so you probably want to lay on a thick towel and wear old clothing.
3. Rest for one hour with the pack in place. Be careful not to fall asleep with an electric heating pad on – the heat from the oil may burn you when you are asleep. This time could be used to listen to soft music or a meditation tape. A good time to use the packs is as part of a bedtime ritual. It is best to be able to rest when you are finished.
4. Clean skin with 2T baking soda in one quart of water after removing the pack to effectively remove oil.
5. Store the pack in a covered glass container or zip lock bag in the refrigerator to reuse. Add more oil only as needed to keep the pack saturated. Replace the pack if it begins to change color.

A typical course of treatment for fibroids and benign ovarian cysts is 5-7 times/week for 6 weeks. For menstrual cramps, irregular cycles, and breast pain, use the packs 3 times per week until the symptoms subside. For preventative maintenance of these conditions, continue to use the packs once per week.

The castor oil packs can be effective on their own but are usually used as part of a treatment program. In my practice the program could include acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, herbs, or dietary changes. For some gynecological issues, I will refer patients to Maya abdominal massage as an adjunctive treatment. To learn more and to find a practitioner go to www.arvigomassage.com. Please consult your healthcare practitioner about incorporating castor oil packs into your treatment and refer to the cautions/contraindications below.

Safety precautions/contraindications

1. DO NOT USE DURING PREGNANCY, MENSTRUATION, OTHER IRREGULAR OR HEAVY BLEEDING, OR FOR CANCER CONDITIONS.  Castor oil packs are used to treat irregular menstrual cycles, fibroids (which are benign) and to treat benign ovarian cysts but you do not use the packs while you are bleeding heavily, so you would stop while  menstruating or bleeding heavily and then resume when the bleeding stops.
2. Stop the packs and call your practitioner if you experience unusual bleeding
3. Castor oil should not be taken internally.
4. Do not fall asleep with an electric heating pad on – the heated oil could burn you while you sleep
5. This is intended to be informational. For specific treatment recommendations, consult your health care practitioner.

http://www.castoroil.in/reference/glossary/ricinoleic_acid.html
Northrup, Christiane, 1995, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
Hudson, N.D., Tori, 1999, Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine
The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage

8 Drugs Your Doctor Wouldn’t Take

This article was posted on MSNBC.com and is an important one for healthcare consumers to read.  It does actually mention acupuncture as a safe and effective alternative to NSAID’s for back pain which of course is true.  There are acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutritional alternatives to most of the conditions listed so contact your friendly local acupuncturist like myself to find out what you can do!

8 drugs doctors wouldn’t take

If your physician would skip these medicines, maybe you should, too

By Morgan Lord

Mens Health

updated 2:47 p.m. ET, Sun., June. 22, 2008

With 3,480 pages of fine print, the Physicians’ Desk Reference (a.k.a. PDR) is not a quick read. That’s because it contains every iota of information on more than 4,000 prescription medications. Heck, the PDR is medication – a humongous sleeping pill. 

Doctors count on this compendium to help them make smart prescribing decisions – in other words, to choose drugs that will solve their patients’ medical problems without creating new ones. Unfortunately, it seems some doctors rarely pull the PDR off the shelf. Or if they do crack it open, they don’t stay versed on emerging research that may suddenly make a once-trusted treatment one to avoid. Worst case: You swallow something that has no business being inside your body. 

Of course, plenty of M.D.’s do know which prescription and over-the-counter drugs are duds, dangers, or both. So we asked them, “Which medications would you skip?” Their list is your second opinion. If you’re on any of these meds, talk to your doctor. Maybe he or she will finally open that big red book with all the dust on it.

Advair
It’s asthma medicine … that could make your asthma deadly. Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis of 19 trials, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that regular use of LABAs can increase the severity of an asthma attack. Because salmeterol is more widely prescribed than other LABAs, the danger is greater – the researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year. In 2006, similarly disturbing findings from an earlier salmeterol study prompted the FDA to tag Advair with a “black box” warning – the agency’s highest caution level.

Your new strategy: No matter what you may have heard, a LABA, such as the one in Advair, is not the only option, says Philip Rodgers, Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor at the University of North Carolina school of pharmacy. For instance, if you have mild asthma, an inhaled corticosteroid such as Flovent is often all you need. Still wheezing? “Patients can also consider an inhaled corticosteroid paired with a leukotriene modifier,” says Dr. Rodgers. This combo won’t create dangerous inflammation, and according to a Scottish review, it’s as effective as a corticosteroid-and-LABA combo.

Avandia
Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control it with rosiglitazone – better known by the brand name Avandia – you could be headed for a heart attack. Last September, a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least a year increased their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent and 42 percent, respectively, compared with those who took other oral diabetes medications or a placebo.

The reason? While there have been some reports that Avandia use may cause dangerous fluid retention or raise artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, no one is sure if these are the culprits. That’s because the results of similar large studies have been mixed. So the FDA has asked GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Avandia, to conduct a new long-term study assessing users’ heart risks. There’s only one problem: The study isn’t expected to start until later this year.

Your new strategy: Stick with a proven performer. “I prefer metformin, an older, cheaper, more dependable medication,” says Sonal Singh, M.D., the lead author of the JAMA study. “Avandia is now a last resort.” Dr. Singh recommends that you talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medicines, such as statins or the B vitamin niacin. Swallowing high doses (1,000 milligrams) of niacin daily may raise your HDL (good) cholesterol by as much as 24 percent, while at the same time lowering your LDL and triglyceride levels.

Celebrex
Once nicknamed “super aspirin,” Celebrex is now better known for its side effects than for its pain-relieving prowess. The drug has been linked to increased risks of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. But according to a 2005 New England Journal of Medicine study, the biggest threat is to your heart: People taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. Those on 400 mg twice a day more than tripled their risk, compared with people taking a placebo.

And yet Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor, is still available, even though two other drugs of that class, Bextra and Vioxx, were pulled off the market due to a similar risk of heart damage. The caveat to the consumer? In 2004, the FDA advised doctors to consider alternatives to Celebrex.

Your new strategy: What you don’t want to do is stop swallowing Celebrex and begin knocking back ibuprofen, because regular use of high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding. A safer swap is acupuncture. A German study found that for people suffering from chronic lower-back pain, twice-weekly acupuncture sessions were twice as effective as conventional treatments with drugs, physical therapy, and exercise. The strategic needling may stimulate central-nervous-system pathways to release the body’s own painkillers, including endorphins and enkephalins, says Duke University anesthesiologist Tong-Joo Gan, M.D. You can find a certified acupuncturist in your area at nccaom.org or acufinder.com.

Ketek
Most bacteria in the lungs and sinuses don’t stand a chance against Ketek, but you might not either. This antibiotic, which has traditionally been prescribed for respiratory-tract infections, carries a higher risk of severe liver side effects than similar antibiotics do. “Ketek can cause heart-rhythm problems, can lead to liver disease, and could interact poorly with other medications you may be taking,” says Dr. Rodgers. “Unfortunately, it’s still available, and although many doctors are aware of the risks, some may still prescribe it without caution.” In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to the treatment of pneumonia.

Your new strategy: Can’t imagine catching pneumonia? The last time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated the top 10 killers of men, this deadly lung infection (along with the flu) came in seventh. Avoid backing yourself into a corner where you might need Ketek by always signing up for your annual flu shot – if you have pneumonia, it’ll reduce your risk of dying of the infection by 40 percent. And if you still end up staring at a scrip for Ketek, Dr. Rodgers recommends asking to be treated with one of several safer alternatives, such as Augmentin or the antibiotics doxycycline or Zithromax.

Prilosec and Nexium
Heartburn can be uncomfortable, but heart attacks can be fatal, which is why the FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac trouble and the acid-reflux remedies Prilosec and Nexium. In December 2007, the agency concluded that there was no “likely” connection. Translation: The scientific jury is still out. In the meantime, there are other reasons to be concerned. Because Prilosec and Nexium are proton-pump inhibitors, they are both incredibly effective at stopping acid production in the stomach – perhaps too effective. 

A lack of acid may raise your risk of pneumonia, because the same stuff that makes your chest feel as if it’s burning also kills incoming bacteria and viruses. You may also have an elevated risk of bone loss – in the less acidic environment, certain forms of calcium may not be absorbed effectively during digestion. “The risk of a fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent higher in patients who use these drugs long-term, and the risk clearly increases with duration of therapy,” says Dr. Rodgers.

Your new strategy: When you feel the fire, first try to extinguish it with Zantac 150 or Pepcid AC. Both of these OTC products work by blocking histamine from stimulating the stomach cells that produce acid. Just know that neither drug is a long-term fix.

“To really cure the problem, lose weight,” says Michael Roizen, M.D., chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and co-author of “YOU: The Owner’s Manual.” That’s because when you’re overweight, excess belly fat puts pressure on and changes the angle of your esophagus, pulling open the valve that’s supposed to prevent stomach-acid leaks. This in turn makes it easier for that burning sensation to travel up into your chest. 

Visine Original
What possible harm to your peepers could come from these seemingly innocuous eyedrops? “Visine gets the red out, but it does so by shrinking blood vessels, just like Afrin shrinks the vessels in your nose,” says Thomas Steinemann, M.D., a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Overuse of the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.

Your new strategy: If you still want to rely on Visine, at least make sure you don’t use too many drops per dose and you don’t use the stuff for more than 3 or 4 days. But you’d really be better off figuring out the underlying cause of the redness and treating that instead. If it’s dryness, use preservative-free artificial tears, recommends Dr. Steinemann. Visine Pure Tears Portables is a good choice for moisture minus side effects. On the other hand, if your eyes are itchy and red because of allergies, pick up OTC antiallergy drops, such as Zaditor. It contains an antihistamine to interrupt the allergic response but no vasoconstrictor to cause rebound redness.

Pseudoephedrine
Forget that this decongestant can be turned into methamphetamine. People with heart disease or hypertension should watch out for any legitimate drug that contains pseudoephedrine. See, pseudoephedrine doesn’t just constrict the blood vessels in your nose and sinuses; it can also raise blood pressure and heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the years, pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. “Pseudoephedrine can also worsen symptoms of benign prostate disease and glaucoma,” says Dr. Rodgers.

Your new strategy: Other OTC oral nasal decongestants can contain phenylephrine, which has a safety profile similar to pseudoephedrine’s. A 2007 review didn’t find enough evidence that phenylephrine was effective. Our advice: Avoid meds altogether and clear your nasal passages with a neti pot, the strangely named system that allows you to flush your sinuses with saline ($15, sinucleanse.com). University of Wisconsin researchers found that people who used a neti pot felt their congestion and head pain improve by as much as 57 percent. Granted, the flushing sensation is odd at first, but give it a chance. Dr. Roizen did: “I do it every day after I brush my teeth,” he says.

© 2008 Rodale Inc. All rights reserved.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24777955/from/ET/

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