Newsletter: Summer 2009
Newsletter Summer 2009
Nepal
As you know from past newsletters, I went to Nepal the last part of April-early May of this year for 10 days. It was quite an experience! It has taken some time for me to be able to write about it for you, but now I am ready.
We (a small group from Naturopaths Internationa) were in Nepal treating victims of domestic violence in the shelters through Saathi (the local organization in Kathmandu). We saw about 100 patients between us. They were about a third children and 2/3s women. I was actually surprised at how healthy overall they actually were. I grew to learn out why over time being in Kathmandu. Like them, I ate the typical Nepalese diet, at least for lunch (and often for dinner too). This is dal bhaat – dal is chana dal or chick peas as a thin kind of soup over bhaat or long grain white rice. There was also a vegetable curry with a lot of potatoes. Sometimes there were different beans in the dal portion. It was always good, and freshly made, but I did grow tired of the same thing every meal. Breakfast was fruit and curds (a thick yogurt) and orthodox tea (Ilam) served by the pot in the hotel we stayed in. With a diet like this on a daily basis there is a lot of fiber and some vitamins/minerals at least. There is also not a lot of fat and no cholesterol. So the people don’t have high rates of heart disease and cancer. Mostly we saw essential fatty acid deficiency and some nutrient deficiency. The markets were full of fresh fruits and vegetables, but these women had literally no money and were supported exclusively by Saathi. Some of the sex workers we worked with did have some money, but given the wage scale in Kathmandu, not very much.
The other reason the people seemed relatively healthy was that they walked everywhere. The traffic is really awful as the roads are very narrow and built to accommodate many fewer cars. The very narrow streets around Durbar square in Patan would allow only one car to pass through at a time, if that. So, even though the sidewalks were broken, very uneven, often with things sticking up from the surface, garbage frequently, and dogs lying around on them, it was easier to walk on the sidewalk then to drive or walk on the roadway. Beside cars the roads had to transport trucks, busses, tuktuks (small open backed vehicles where people rode knee to knee facing each other in the back), bicycles, bicycle rickshaws (in some areas) and pedestrians. All of these vehicles burned petrol form India that was often adulterated and burned with at times a very black soot. The pollution was remarkable bad, so bad that I never saw the Himalayas, even from the plane. A lot people wore masks against it, but remarkably did not seem to suffer a lot of respiratory problems as a result.
What I did not see but expected to were a lot of begging children as in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. There were beggars at certain points along our standard route to the Saathi shelter, but they seemed to have their own ‘areas’. They often were missing parts of their feet (probably from leprosy). The dogs were actually the most abject. Obviously uncared for they slept during the day and seemed to rummage through the garbage at night We could hear their barking echoing in the empty streets after 10 pm when the traffic died down. They were very thin, often missing as much as half their hair and sometimes limping.
The other thing I didn’t experience was really obvious poverty. There weren’t any slums that I saw at least. The buildings seemed adequate, although they did not have central heating and it gets cold in Kathmandu in the winter. A lot of buildings were concrete construction, and strangely tall and narrow.
In treating the women and children I was also struck by how there was no complaint about their plight, and pretty uniformly it was not brought up. It was only alluded to when it was part of the reason for their current complaint. They also seemed quite happy and very physically affectionate. They really appeared to love their children.
Unfortunately, because I was dealing with the fallout from domestic violence, and because 59% of the women in the country are affected by it, I spent a lot of time in Kathmandu being unhappy with men. They didn’t seem to do a lot of work often. Women did heavy hauling, on their back, with a forehead band to help wit the load. Women experience so much back breaking labor that their backs become bent and uterine prolapse is a common occurrence.
So, all in all when I characterize my experience in Nepal I tell people it was ‘wonderful and horrible’. I saw that written on a window in Kath. – Loving every wonderful, horrible minute of life. At the time I thought it was not true, but I came to realize it applied to Kathmandu. The sensory overload of so much visual, auditory and tactile input took a long time to integrate in my system. After I got back it took about 2 weeks before I wanted to do much or talk with people much. I am only now willing to put into action some of the plans I made there. I am glad I went, but I would think twice about going to an area with garbage, pollution and horrendous traffic all at the same time. Maybe one aspect at a time might be manageable. Certainly the women, and especially the children, enjoyed the attention we paid them. The homeopathic treatments were highly effective on follow-up. It made me really glad and proud I do what I do.
If you would like to see my pictures of the trip, there are 3 separate parts – in order. Please go to (copy and paste into your browser): http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=wildorchid6&target=ALBUM&id=5350762221861953905&authkey=Gv1sRgCNCjo4_7kbSxLg&feat=email
Acidification of earth and bodies
I saw an article in the paper the other day about how the oceans of the world are experiencing an acidification process from pollution and agricultural runoff. This is apparently causing there to be dead zones in the ocean where there are no life forms.
The same process occurs in the human body as a result of the diet we consume. This is not so much related to whether the food starts out acidic in the body, like orange juice, but rather after it is metabolized whether it produces an acid or alkaline ash. For the most part all fruits and vegetables produce an alkaline ash and everything else produces an acid ash. Given that some people don’t eat any fruits or vegetables at all, it is easy to see where this acidification occurs. Unfortunately, all the diseases of modern man are related to acid body conditions. So, along with antioxidant deficiency (allowing the body to ‘rust’), essential fatty acid deficiency (due to poor choice of fat intake, and rampant inflammatory processes) we experience the breeding ground for the chronic degenerative diseases of modern man: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, even osteoporosis.
So, what is the solution? Eating more fruits and vegetables is the main fix. In addition,
Millet, buckwheat, sprouted beans and seeds, olive oil and soaked almonds are also alkaline foods. The consumer driven food industry is making it as easy as possible to make this change work. Prepackaged washed greens and even whole salads, packaged cut-up fruits also make preparation as simple as opening a bag and pouring, or opening a container and serving. All we need is the will to do so.
So, what is the impediment? Money, yes these products are more expensive than others, especially if they are organic, but what is the choice? Certainly if we get diabetes, heart disease or cancer we will be spending a lot of money, either directly on treatment or on increased insurance coverage. And what about the quality of your life at that point? I am sure you know someone with one of these illnesses. What is their experience of life? Is it what you would like to experience in the future? Because these diseases take a long time to develop it is sometimes hard to see the association.
Will power? I think it is a matter of continuing to make life-affirming choices from the grocery store to your home, everyday when facing the refrigerator deciding what to eat.
Taste? Yes, processed foods have additives that cause addictions to the products and make the product so much more appealing than just fruits and vegetables. But we have dips like humus, salsa, peanut sauce (if it works for your blood type), curry and other great sauces (check out the section at Trader Joes or Whole Foods). And, after a slight withdrawal period you will find that the pure unadulterated taste of real foods (fruits and vegetables) is truly amazing. Fortunately, being summertime, we have a plethora or great produce available.
Want reinforcement? David Kessler (the former head of the FDA) has written a book called The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite about why we become overweight. Also, the movie Food, Inc. has been released recently – is worth a viewing. You can see a trailer at http://www.foodincmovie.com/. Don’t want to know about any of this and live in blissful ignorance? It is easy to do, but very costly. It means your health, at least eventually. It also means missing the chance to make different choices that result in more energy, and vitality. That is the promise of whole unadulterated, organic produce. I hope you make it!
Weight loss program ABC wellness
I reported in a recent newsletter about ABC wellness and a new lab service they had available to find various parameters or your health with a simple, inexpensive urine test. This company also offers a special service to help with normalizing weight. It provides printouts of menus and exercise suggestions based on the results of the urine testing. It is also inexpensive and confidential. You can access customized meal plans based on your unique profile and lifestyle. The program recommends meals from 13,000 foods and includes a grocery list.
According to the website http://www.abchealthsystem.com/ch_mealplan.asp ‘The web-based application allows users to enter and maintain a personal dietary/lifestyle profile, set goals, automatically receive the recommended daily calories and select from a variety of registered diets designed meal plans and grocery lists that fit their dietary needs.
The body composition module supports periodic weight-in data as well as body fat data from any body fat testing device. This data is saved and historical reports can be generated to show changes over time and progress related to weight control and composition goals.’
All the information is available to get started on this project. The fee is $39 for 6 months of support.
Insurance inclusion
People always ask me what kind of insurance I take, and I usually have to answer none, but that insurance often covers my services, if it covers chiropractic care.
Now, I am covered through an organization that works with many of the companies that you might deal with. Healthways is the name of the organization and it works through
Aetna, Anthem, many BCBS groups, Guardian, Humana (national), Microsoft, WellCare (national), and Wellpoint Healthy Lifestyles (national). It allows you to get a 20% discount on my services, on presentation of your member ID cards. For questions or more information, please call Customer Service at 1-800-274-7526.
I hope you are enjoying this cool summer weather. It seems like we had a really protracted spring. Being from the east coast I am used to that idea. The winter always seemed to drag on forever, but then the thaw came and finally it started to get warmer.
Here, we seem to have it go from winter directly to summer with 3 days of humid spring weather in between.
I have just been loving these long warmish east-coast-like spring and summer days.
Happy summer!
Ellen Potthoff, DC, N.D.
(925) 603-7300
Spring 2009 Newsletter
Hi everyone-
Naturopathic Medicine on PBS
Windsor Broadcast Productions, well known for its long running PBS series American Health Journal is producing a documentary focusing on Naturopathic Medicine. The documentary will be comprised of seven 30 minute segments on such topics as Mental Health, Adult Allergies, ADD & ADHD. It will run initially on PBS on KOCE on April 8th in the greater Orange County area and is expected to reach a nationwide audience later in the year. The second part of the series will air on April 22nd. I haven’t been able to find an actual schedule yet, but I will forward it as soon as it is available. Be sure to tune in to learn more about the power of Naturopathic Medicine.
Gently Nudge Yourself toward Comfort
In my last blog and enewsletter, I suggested programming your computer to remind yourself every 55 minutes to sit for 5 minutes and do nothing. I still don’t know how to do that exactly (any ideas from the computer geeks among us?), but I did find an inexpensive software program that reminds you to do some upper body exercise every xx minutes and gives you some choices. You can find it at: http://www.bioexsystems.com/ErgoScreen.htm. It costs $14.95 and can be ordered online.
We’re Still Stressed, but There’s a Glimmer of Hope
Last newsletter I wrote about pervasive stress in the culture. Since we are all experiencing high levels of stress these days, with no real end in sight I thought I would revisit the adrenal glands so you can see how they tie into modern day functioning or lack thereof.
The original, life-saving role of the adrenal glands
To understand how adrenals malfunction, it is important to understand the original, evolutionary function of the adrenal glands. The adrenals are walnut-sized glands located on top of each kidney, and are important control centers for many of the body’s hormones. The outer layer of the gland, called the adrenal cortex, produces hormones including cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone. The centers of the glands produce adrenaline, the hormone named after them.
The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body’s resources into “fight or flight” mode through the production of adrenaline and other hormones. When healthy, your adrenals can instantly increase your heart rate and blood pressure, release your energy stores for immediate use, slow your digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpen your senses. This is great for chasing a game animal to provide for dinner, but, beyond avoiding the car pulling suddenly into the lane in front of you, a lot of overkill in modern times.
Let’s emphasize two points about this healthy stress response. First, it takes priority over all other metabolic functions. Second, it wasn’t designed to last very long.
Stress and the adrenal glands
Unlike our ancestors, we live with constant stress. Instead of occasional, acute demands followed by rest, we’re constantly over-worked, under-nourished, exposed to environmental toxins, or worried about other people — with no let-up.
Every challenge to the mind and body creates a demand on the adrenal glands. And the list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbohydrates, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection, unresolved emotional issues from the past or present, and more. The result is adrenal glands that are constantly on high alert.
The destructive effect of high cortisol levels
What is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone whose normal function is to help us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that’s useful, but at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually tears down the body.
Sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing and normal cell regeneration, outright steal the raw materials needed to make other vital hormones, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system.
Adrenal fatigue may be a factor in many related conditions, including fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, premature menopause and others. It may also produce a host of other unpleasant symptoms, from acne to hair loss. The following symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that it is not receiving the support it needs to maintain healthy adrenal function.
• Fatigue
• Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
• Insomnia
• Weight gain
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Acne
• Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
• Craving carbohydrates or sugars
• Craving salt
• Poor immune function
• Intolerance to cold
Decreased DHEA Production
When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they also can lose the capacity to produce DHEA in sufficient amounts. DHEA is a precursor hormone to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function.
Testing for Adrenal Fatigue
Conventional medicine can be truly wonderful at treating disease-state conditions. Unfortunately its focus on drugs also tends to suppress early-stage symptoms rather than treat their underlying causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a disease state has developed. This is true in the case of cortisol testing for adrenal fatigue. In the conventional standard of care, any cortisol level within a very broad range is considered normal, and anything outside that range indicates disease.
In my practice, I use a laboratory saliva test that measures cortisol levels at several points of time during the day to track the adrenals’ day–night pattern (called the “diurnal rhythm”). I hope to see cortisol elevated in the morning to help you get going, lower but steady throughout the day to sustain energy, and decreased in the evening to support restful sleep.
In the early stages of adrenal dysfunction, cortisol levels are too high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is called “hyperadrenia.” In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the disruptions of caffeine, carbohydrates and other factors, but levels are not normal and are typically too high at night. In advanced stages, when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will never reach normal levels (“hypoadrenia”).
Conventional medicine will detect only the extremes of these conditions, when damage to the adrenals has already occurred (Cushing’s disease and Addison’s disease). Within those extremes, you can feel miserable and still be told your cortisol levels are normal. But by responding to early-stage symptoms of adrenal fatigue, we can reverse the developing dysfunction.
Should You Get an Adrenal Test?
In general, if you feel happy and well, have steady energy and emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up feeling rested, recover well from stress, and maintain a healthy weight without dieting, then your adrenals are probably doing well.
On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less than seven hours a night, can’t lose excess weight even while dieting, use caffeine or carbohydrates as “pick-me-ups” — these are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.
Natural Adrenal Support — How to Restore Healthy Adrenal Function
In my experience, women with mild to moderate cases of adrenal fatigue can see significant improvement through these steps:
• Dietary changes – enriched nutrition, reduced carbohydrates and stimulants. I also recommend the addition of a high-quality multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, additional anti-oxidant tablet daily, extra free-form amino acids (two 500 mg. capsules daily) and essential fatty acids from fish, flax or chia seed oils (500 mg. omega-3).
• Stress reduction, including moderate exercise and taking more time for yourself. It’s helpful to make a list of your stressors, especially those that are constant, and to have a list of pleasant activities you can do to counteract the stressors.
• Get more rest. Your body needs time to heal.
Women with more severe symptoms, or those who have reached complete adrenal exhaustion, usually need greater intervention. In my practice I use the steps outlined above with the added natural support of phosphorylated serines, DHEA and a host of other natural herbs and supplements. I personalize the therapy to each woman’s symptoms and test results. (I urge you not to self-prescribe these substances, as they can have adverse health effects. DHEA is not a magic cureall, though it can work wonders for someone with a deficiency).
It’s important to emphasize the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems — your past and present emotional experience may serve as ever-present stressors. Dealing with these problems directly is much more beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create, in the same way that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” (Bach and other flower essence treatment can be very helpful for these – please contact me if you are interested)
Improvement is expected within about four months. For mild to moderate adrenal fatigue the turnaround can be much faster. Remember, you may feel too tired to make changes now, but by moving forward in stages, you’ll build the strength you need to stay with it. You will love how you feel when you do!
I recently found and tried this simple little recipe for a soup to support adrenal function. Intake of minerals like potassium is supportive of adrenal function.
High-energy soup
1 package of green beans 1 cup spring water
1 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons raw honey (or less)
1 sliced zucchini 1 teaspoon paprika
1 medium chopped onion 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup tomato juice pepper to taste.
Combine the ingredients and simmer for 1 hour –OR– until vegetables are tender. ENJOY!
My Medical Mission to Kathmandu – coming soon
I am leaving for Kathmandu on the 25th – just 2 weeks away now. I am attending to last minute details so the trip goes as smoothly as possible. I will have some internet access there, as far as I know – there are several cyber cafes listed on the internet, but the power still goes out at least occasionally, so nothing is really for certain there.
Please book an appointment now if you need treatment before I return on the 10th of May. Also, if you receive supplements by mail or pick them up at the office, please check your supply and order now to receive them before I leave. I do not know how frequently I can check email there and order supplements. If you need to reach me for any reason, the phone number at the Clarion where I will be staying is: +9771 524512 or fax +9771 521468. I will be returning on the 10th of May and be back to work hopefully the next day. I don’t know how jet lag will work returning home (the easier direction).
Happy Spring and Glorious Easter
In the meantime, have a wonderful spring time celebration and enjoy a marvelous Easter. Spring is such a refreshing season of the year. We get to experience the promise of renewal after long dark months of winter.
In health,
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D.
925-603-7300
Rampant Stress, and then the Melt-down
Rampant Stress, and then the Melt-down
It seemed like we were all as stressed as possible and then the housing market, Wall St., the Banks, and, just about everyone else, failed. As if we weren’t dealing with enough already!!! So here we are, biting our nails to the quick, quavering in our boots, afraid to even read the newspaper! What to do?
In teaching Stress Management for Kaiser for 5 years, I have found, the simplest way into a relaxation mode, is through the breath. Simple, but not easy. The tendency when we are quavering in our boots, etc. is to shut down breathing, and go into panic attack mode. Certainly counterproductive! The new concept in Stress Management is to suggest that everyone take 5 minutes out of every hour to do nothing. On the face of it, an innocuous idea, but what about bosses and kids and things like that? How do we take 5 minutes every hour to do nothing, when we are getting paid for those 5 minutes’es? Do we close the door (if we have one) and hope that he/she won’t come in? Do we tell them in advance what we are going to do? What a quandary.
A start might be to suggest an experiment. How about a week of a schedule like that – if productivity doesn’t increase, the experiment will terminate immediately.
Now, to remember to do it. How about setting the timer on a watch or computer to go off every 55 minutes, leaving you in Nirvana for the last 5?
And, what about kids? If they are of age, you can tell them not to disturb you (as my friend Judy says) “unless there is blood”, and, a lot of it. Establish a signal, as this is going on every hour, on the hour; remember the old necktie on the doorknob?
OK, now, that has been established, at least for a week. What happens when you sit for your 5 minutes? Your mind has been racing for the last 55, why would it stop now? It won’t, of course, but this short period gives your mind a breather to just exist, without expectation. How about just watching your thoughts zoom through? The mind, in a way, is like a random number generator. It will just throw up thoughts, especially when nothing is going on. To occupy it, if watching, but not engaging thoughts, isn’t your cup of tea, how about staring at the wall (a blank one), or closing your eyes (even better) and observing your breath. You could even do a patterned breathing, counting the in and out breaths (i.e. 6 counts in, 6 counts out) so they lengthen as much as possible. This is, of course, just an experiment. But if the results are what the TM (Transcendental Meditation) people experienced in their studies, you will note a decrease in your blood pressure, breathing rate, muscle tension, heart rate, etc., etc., all the parameters of stress. So, how about it? It is only February. New Year’s resolutions may have worn off a while ago, but maybe that new year energy has enough of a last gasp to carry you through a new experiment. Try it, you might like it!!
And to Assist You
Stress is a personal experience based on a perceived threat from outside ourselves or from within, mediated by the adrenals. There are several herbs that are used to help with adrenal support and, therefore, stress. Lately I have been using them a lot more with people. They range in form: tincture, capsule, tablet, combined with vitamins/minerals, glandular, protomorphogen, etc. And, they range in type: Adaptogens, Nervine tonics, sedatives, hormonal, Ayurvedic, etc. And, they are prescribed through: history, questionnaire and laboratory evaluation. Stress hormones can be evaluated in tandem with other hormones or by themselves. We are finding a lot more people these days who are depressed, having blood sugar imbalance symptoms (either hypoglycemia or Diabetes) or having a much worse experience in menopause, because of their stress levels, for instance. If you are interested in pursuing a medicinal approach to stress management, along with your 5 minute hiatus, please call me to discuss the possibilities – 925-603-7300. I would love to assist you.
Medical Mission to Kathmandu
Some of you already know I am leaving for Kathmandu, Nepal on a medical mission later this spring. I will be gone for two weeks altogether, with 8 days actually spent treating patients in Patan (just south of Kathmandu) and Bhaktipur (about 18 km. away). I will be there under the auspices of a new organization called Naturopaths International (http://www.naturopathsinternational.org/). NI’s aim is to provide and promote emotional, mental and physical healing for those afflicted by any trauma, such as – domestic violence, addictions, depression/anxiety, chronic pain, – or natural disasters. For four days we will be at the Saathi clinic (www.Saathi.org) treating victims of violence, mostly homeopathically. And for another four days we will be at Sarita Shrestha’s (Ayurvedic doctor and Nepal attending physician) hospital (http://www.saritashrestha.org/nepal.html) in Bhaktipur.
Naturopaths International has two clinics in Arizona where the doctors currently treat victims of domestic violence. They are also setting up community education and outdoor programs, as well.
I am very excited about this new adventure. I will be having at least one fund raiser sometime before I leave, both to help defray my costs, and to support the efforts of Naturopaths International. I will give you all the details, coming up soon. I envision offering, essentially, spa services for an afternoon, like massage, chiropractic or naturopathic consult/treatment, a yoga class, feng shui or colorist consult, and others to be worked out. Please stay tuned…
In the meantime, if you have the yen, I/we would love any kind of donations you might be inclined to make. Please send donations to Naturopath’s International, 1100 N. San Francisco St, Suite F, in Flagstaff, AZ 86001, in my name.
Thank you very much!!!
Valentine’s Day and Spring
I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. This year has already gone way faster than I ever would have thought possible!! I just took down my Christmas wreath over the weekend and still have a lot of vestiges around my home/office. At least we can’t complain about not having enough rain. It seems to be making up for lost time, in spades.
And spring is here, as well. What a lovely time of year. I am looking at my gardener’s catalogs thinking this might just be the year to have a vegetable garden. I was going to take out the grass in anticipation of water rationing this summer anyway. And my vacation this year is in Kathmandu! I figured I would be home a lot and could use fresh veggies from the backyard. Anyone care to join me in a ‘dirty hands club’?
I wish you all a wonderful spring time experience. Try not to get too soggy!
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D.
Dangerous Over the Counter Drugs
Hi Everyone,
I am passing this on to all of you because I think it is important to know. An alert (as Dave Barry would say) patient sent this information to me:
It’s about a medication that is familiar to many of us. Note also the FDA ‘s comments at the end of the message sent by someone whose mother recently passed away. Here are the details of her death as they are pertinent to this information.
The woman in question developed a cold while visiting this person and had taken Alka Seltzer Cold Plus for 3 days. She suffered a hemorrhagic stroke while she was driving home from that visit and passed away 4 days later. This woman’s stroke was particularly surprising because the week before she had gone to her doctor for a check up and received a clean bill of health.
Since her passing, we have learned that Alka Seltzer is one of the many cold medicines that contains Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) which can cause hemorrhagic strokes or cerebral bleeding even with the first use.
I am forwarding a list of other medications that currently use PPA. These medicines are supposedly being recalled but this medication was purchased less than two weeks ago (in July). Pharmaceutical companies have known about this danger for years, the family of the deceased, did not.
I urge you to review the list of medicines with PPA and avoid these medications.
All drugs containing PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE are dangerous. You may want to try calling the 800 number listed on most drug boxes and inquire about a REFUND. Please read this CAREFULLY. Also, please pass this on to everyone you know. STOP TAKING anything containing this ingredient. It has been l inked to increased hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain) among women ages 18-49 in the three days after starting use of medication. Problems have not been found in men, but the FDA recommended that everyone (even children) seek alternative medicine.
The following medications contain Phenylpropanolamine :
Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant
Acutrim Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children’s Cold Medicine
Effervescent Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold medicine
(cherry or or orange)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine
Effervescent Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
Alka Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine
BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
BC Sinus Cold Powder
Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief
Day & Night Contac 12-Hour Cold Capsules
Contac 12 Hour Caplets
Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
Dexatrim Caffeine Free
Dexatrim Extended Duration
Dexatrim Gelcaps
Dexatrim Vitamin C/Caffeine Free
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
Dimetapp Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp DM Cold & Cough Elixir
Dimetapp Elixir
Dimetapp 4 Hour Liquid Gels
Dimetapp 4 Hour Tablets
Dimetapp 12 Hour Extentabs Tablets
Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops
Permathene Mega-16
Robitussin CF
Tavist-D 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion
Triaminic DM Cough Rel! ief
Triaminic Expectorant Chest & Head
Triaminic Syrup ! Cold & ; Allergy
Triaminic Triaminicol Cold & Cough
I just found out and called the 800# on the container for Triaminic and they informed me that they are voluntarily recalling the following medicines because of a certain ingredient that is causing strokes and seizures in children :
Orange 3D Cold & Allergy Cherry (Pink)
3D Cold & Cough Berry
3D Cough Relief Yellow 3D Expectorant
They are asking you to call them at 800-548-3708 with the lot number on the box so they can send you postage for you to send it back to them, and they will also issue you a refund. If you know of anyone else with small children,
PLEASE PASS THIS ON. THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF!
DO PASS ALONG TO ALL ON YOUR MAILING LIST so people are informed. They can then pass it along to their families. To confirm these findings please take time to check the following:
http://www.fda. gov/cder/ drug/infopage/ ppa
Being somewhat skeptical, I looked on Snopes and found that this was legitimate, however, very dated information. As of 2000 the FDA put out an advisory about PPA but not an outright recall. They suggested checking your OTC medications for this chemical and avoiding it. It is unfortunate and fairly criminal that this woman purchased a product containing this substance after that advisory was sent out. Obviously the pharmacy was not paying attention. It just goes to show the level of vigilance necessary to protect oneself in these modern times. It also illustrates the lack of care for the individual exhibited by large corporations. And it suggests that alternatives have another point in their favor: safety.
I hope that you have already seen this email warning and can just delete it. I hope that if that is not the case you will check your meds for PPA and dispose of them, if it is found as an ingredient. Please be safe. Have a Happy Christmas!
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D.
925-603-7300
natdoc@jps.net
Enjoy Your Holidays! Come Hear Me Sing!
We are certainly in the thick of the holidays now. All the TV, newspaper and magazine advertising is Christmas oriented. Christmas trees are popping up in peoples’ homes and on car tops in transit. Multi-colored and white lights are blooming on the rooftops and front lawns.
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, so what I experience is the magic, the beautiful images; the dreamlike, ethereal quality; the lights illuminating the lengthening darkness hours; the once a year smells, sights, sounds and tastes; secrets, whispers, plots and plans. While I am an avowed Christmas fanatic, I have found over the years that the more busy commercial aspect of Christmas has caused my fanaticism to wane somewhat. Since that didn’t really sit well, I determined to change my experience.
My strategy has been to start my holiday preparations a little earlier and plan a little more every year. That way, I ensure (at least a bit more) that I really enjoy the holidays. I get closer to pure holiday bliss every year. The turning point in my Christmas experience was reading Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season by Jo Robinson, and Jean C. Staeheli. The crux of the book: Too many people place unnecessary stress upon themselves during the holidays because they try to create the perfect Christmas for family and friends, or because they try to live up to an unrealistic vision of what the holiday should be. In many cases, this leads to over-spending, and post-holiday debts.
For these reasons, it is important for people to take an inventory of the things that are most important to them during the holidays. In creating this list, people should keep in mind the things that bring them peace and joy during the holidays (and the things that don’t!). Preparing a huge holiday meal for family and friends might bring some people great joy, while causing others anxiety. Look at your family’s holiday traditions and the ways you’ve prepared for the holidays in the past. Is there some tradition that really isn’t necessary, takes too much preparation, or is too costly? Maybe you’ve always held a neighborhood Christmas party. If you’re dreading it this year, think about foregoing the party, or ask a neighbor to host it instead.
Along with taking an inventory of traditions, prepare a list of the family and friends you are planning to give gifts to this year. Are there some people on that list who could be omitted? Maybe it is time your extended family started giving gifts only to the children in the family, or held a lottery. Once you’ve narrowed your list down, place an estimated dollar amount next to their name to indicate the amount you are willing to spend on that person. Finally, analyze past holiday expenditures and try to estimate how much you will spend this year, and then create a holiday budget. Along with gift giving, don’t forget to include the cost of gift wrapping and mailing packages, travel expenses, higher entertainment costs, new holiday clothing, and decorations. Again, consider eliminating the things that seem unnecessary.
The goal of making a holiday inventory is not to make you feel you should forego cherished traditions, but to help you prioritize the things that are most important to you during this special season. Most people will discover that spending time with family and friends is more important that extravagant gifts or fattening feasts. You will be able to enjoy a happier, more carefree holiday by eliminating some of the unnecessary obligations and costs of the holiday season.
After reading the book, I realized that the most important things about Christmas for me (besides being with friends and family) were the music, smells/sights of Christmas and, secondarily, the foods. I have eliminated not only the things I really didn’t care for, but also the guilt associated with not doing them well. I still manage to do the things I need to do, even if I would prefer not to. I plan them early and leave plenty of time to do them along with the things I really want to do. I manage, therefore, to get through the whole season, without a lot of stress, and to enjoy myself immensely, doing all the things I really enjoy.
To that end, you are invited to come hear me sing Beethoven’s 9th on New Year’s Eve and Day in the city.
Annual New Year’s Concert and Champagne Reception
Ludwig van Beethoven, “Symphony No. 9 – Ode to Joy”
Soloists:
Anja Strauss, Soprano
Kristine Sinajon, Mezzo-Soprano
John Davey-Hatcher, Tenor
Kittinant Chinsamran, Bass-baritone
St. Mary’s Cathedral
1111 Gough Street at Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94109-6686
8:00 pm. Dec. 31st or 4:00 pm. Jan 1st 2009
For more information: http://www.sfsinfonietta.org
I hope you have a wonderful, dreamy, peaceful and exquisitely enjoyable holiday season!!
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D.
925-603-7300
FLU UPDATE
Flu Update
I can’t help but notice the leaves are turning yellow and red and are falling off the trees. I know I have certainly raked a lot of them recently. The air is also much crisper and the rains have started. The signs of fall are becoming more and more evident; and the signs for ‘flu shots’ are also popping up everywhere.
Flu shots are a recent development and very big business. The whole issue is clouded by misinformation and political involvement. The Influenza virus is constantly mutating in the population even during the course of one flu season. The vaccine contains a weakened form of virus. By the time a causative virus has been isolated in the population, cultured and distributed; it has changed to a form totally unaffected by the vaccine! According to Michael Becker, of Aventis, (flu vaccine manufacturer), “By the time you know what’s the right strain, you can’t do anything about it.”
In 2007 the flu vaccine was just 44% effective in preventing flu in the American public.
During the last two decades the flu vaccination rate among the elderly has increased from 13 to 65%, but there actually hasn’t been a corresponding decrease in hospital admissions or mortality in that population.
According to an article in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, the flu vaccine doesn’t change the mortality rate of the elderly due to flu incidence. It reported on a Canadian study involving 352 individuals who were given the flu vaccine and an equal number of control subjects; 85% of all participants were over age 64. Twenty-nine percent of them came down with severe pneumonia, and twelve percent of them died. This is in keeping with other studies where there is an 8% mortality rate in the inoculated group vs. 15% mortality rate in the uninoculated group. However, these particular researchers took their analysis a bit further. Besides adjusting for such factors as age, gender, and co-existing illnesses, they also took into account what they referred to as the “healthy-user effect.”
The lead researcher Dr. Sumit Majumdar, explained the meaning of the “healthy-user effect” as applying to “good” patients – those who take a serious approach to their health by exercising regularly, not smoking, drinking in moderation, taking supplements or necessary medications, etc. When you include this factor into the evaluation, taking the flu vaccine didn’t make any significant difference in mortality rates. In other words, if someone is otherwise healthy, they probably have a better chance of surviving a serious flu infection than someone who is already frail and in ill health. The flu vaccine doesn’t change the mortality rate in either the already-healthy group, or, the already ill group (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 08;178:527-533).
The best plan for staying healthy during the ‘flu season’ that I know of is to use the homeopathic medicine Oscillococcinum (available in the health food store) once a month, and as needed, if you become run-down or are exposed to a lot of illness. In addition, taking good care of yourself can help stave off winter time coughs and sniffles. This includes eating well (whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of low-fat protein), drinking sufficient clean, pure water, getting enough rest (working in moderation, sleeping for 7-8 hours nightly, and relaxing, through meditation, etc.), and exercise (aerobic exercise 30-60 minutes at least 3 times a week). Supplements can supply the nutrients your immune system needs to fend off any of those nasty viruses. The latest buzz concerns the use of vitamin D – previously we were cautioned more about its potential toxicity, but now we are warned that we are probably not taking enough. The alternative is soaking up the sun, but, as we age, the length of exposure time necessary to produce sufficient levels of vitamin D are prohibitive: 1 hour for a 60-year old person. Plus the sun’s effects are decreased in the winter, and it is colder too. So, supplementation seems to be the ticket, at levels of 1000 I.U. up to 5000 I.U. daily.
Further Research on Vitamin D
In addition to being much more necessary for optimal immune system function than previously thought, vitamin D has several other ‘talents’ we were unaware of. Deficiency is linked with depression, heart disease, 22 forms of cancer, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis.
In a ten year study more than 18,000 men, initially free of cardiovascular disease and aged 40-75, were assessed. It was discovered that the men with the lowest levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to experience a heart attack as men with the highest levels. When all risk factors are considered, having a low level of vitamin D increases the risk of heart attack just as much as high blood pressure or smoking does. (Arch Intern Med 08;168:1174-1180)
So, add vitamin D to your regular multi-vitamin, mineral supplement, enjoy the sun and exercise, eat well, drink fluids, rest and get stocked up on Oscillococcinum. I will be happy to send you any of these supplements, if need be. Please feel free to call (925) 603-7300 or email (natdoc@jps.net). In the meantime, enjoy all those colored fall leaves, before you rake them up! And have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
6th ENewsletter
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D.
6528 Parkdale Plaza
Martinez, Ca. 94553
(925) 229-2645
6th ENewsletter
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day celebration!! Here we are in a new year – with plenty of rain to keep things growing nicely now.
There are several current articles in this copy of the enewsletter. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions or comment, as always, please share them with me.
Food Poisoning Can Return with a Vengeance
I was intrigued by an article in the Contra Costa Times about how food poisoning can return years later and cause serious health problems. As reported by the Times, E. coli and other specific bacteria, like Salmonella and Shigella, can return 10-20 years later and cause symptoms like high blood pressure, diabetes or pancreatitis, kidney damage and even full kidney failure. Even a mild case of Campylobacter poisoning can cause paralysis (emphasis mine) at a later date.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) says that 325,000 hospitalizations occur annually due to food-borne illnesses and 5,000 deaths result. For the most part there is mystery surrounding these occurrences. The best information regarding this phenomenon comes from the University of Utah, which tracks E. coli poisoning in children. About 10% of these patients develop a life-threatening condition that cause kidney and other organ failure. Ten to twenty years after recovery 30-50% of the syndrome’s survivors have some kidney-caused problem, according to Dr. Andrew Pavia, the university’s pediatric infectious diseases chief.
As a practitioner I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding this condition. As anyone who watches TV knows, Activia (yogurt, a bacterially cultured product), is purported to help replenish bowel flora (bacteria). As their ads point out, 60-70% of the immune system is located in the tissues lining the colon, so eating Activia can improve immune function. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that particular product, eating a high quality yogurt has kept long-lived groups healthy, including the Hunzas and the Georgian Russians. Yogurt and other cultured and fermented products are associated with several groups known for their level of health and longevity (think homemade brined sauerkraut, tempeh, kefir etc.). It doesn’t take much thought to move from food poisoning to altered immune function.
Unfortunately, even well-meaning practitioners can cause further illness by killing off offending bacteria without supporting liver function first (the liver filters all waste materials from the blood including bacterial bodies). These dead bacterial cells can cause toxicity on their own. If the digestive tract is not in good enough condition to eliminate them on its own, the immune system and the liver must do the job. In this country where poor fat quality, alcohol/drug consumption and anger impair the liver; there is rampant stress; and where there is little support for immune function (as in eating a very good quality yogurt, taking probiotics – beneficial bacteria in capsule form) or taking immune modulating herbs), the whole body responds to such an assault and could cause all manner of disastrous symptoms.
The bottom line is, of course, to take good care of your colon flora (bacteria). Use antibiotics with extreme care and as infrequently as possible. If you are susceptible, one major course can wipe out your colon bacteria, and without adequate replacement, you can experience an invasion of unwanted bacteria or other micro-organisms, through contaminated water, or food. It can take quite a time to re-establish your colon flora, and if you are susceptible, it can take a long time to do so. I had one patient who took antibiotics for a year to kill some candida (yeast) on her skin (she was a swimmer and the pool’s chlorine killed off the beneficial flora on her skin leaving her open to the candidal invasion, but that is another story). It took almost a year to re-establish her bowel flora with probiotics and other supplements. Fortunately, the candida, when it returned, was easily killed off by using dilute tea tree oil.
I often do digestive function testing for patients with digestive symptoms, and multi-system problems (chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc.). Not only is the digestive system the core of bodily function, but it is the basis of practice in Naturopathic medicine. We try to optimize digestive function early on in treatment, especially in complex cases. If you have any interest in finding out how your digestive function is, these particular tests are relatively inexpensive and very easy to perform (painless too!!). Just give me a call and we can easily start the ball rolling.
Beyond that, food poisoning is relatively easy to prevent and treat – so it is unfortunate to ever become victim to late sequelae of a food borne infection
.
The Question of Faith – Is it a Wonder Drug?
Another recent article in the CC Times made me perk up and take notice. It involved the case of a 43 year old pregnant Martinez woman who suffered two successive brain hemorrhages. Her husband claimed that his and their congregation’s prayers were instrumental in her long-shot recovery. Scientists have frequently studied the role of faith and prayer in healing. Dr. Larry Dossey, in a well-known study, showed that in two equally matched hospital groups, the group that was prayed for recovered faster than the control group.
The article goes on to talk about some prestigious institutions who were studying the relationship between prayer/faith and healing. More than half of the physicians surveyed by a group at the University of Chicago said that religion and spirituality significantly influence their patients’ health. The authors of a study at the University of Missouri at Columbia determined that religion can help those with chronic conditions, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and arthritis.
According to the Times, the “John Muir Medical center in Walnut Creek recently advertised for a supervising nurse with theological education. The new manager will offer support to nurses who work with religious congregations.”
In the meantime, there is a parish nursing specialty that focuses on spirit within the confines of health care. Rebecca Faith, who counsels, instructs and refers parishioners at First Congregational Church of Oakland, is a nurse practitioner at both UC San Francisco and Alta Bates Summit Hospital in Oakland. She says that many chronic health problems have at their root a spiritual as well as a physiological dysfunction. She sees an epidemic of anxiety and fatigue among women. When asked “How’s your spiritual life?” they will reply that they used to meditate but don’t anymore.
A spiritual emptiness helps spur addiction, and irreverence for the body as a sacred vessel can lead to disorders such as obesity and hypertension, she said. She prays with them and speaks to their values and beliefs.
In the holistic world, we wholeheartedly agree that a person’s spiritual experience colors their whole life. Fortunately, in addition to standard prayer, meditation, etc. there are helpful adjunctive therapies: Bach, California and other flower essences, homeopathic medicines and even whole food supplements.
If you are experiencing a spiritual crisis, beyond consulting your spiritual advisor, a holistic consult may prove to be very beneficial. Please feel free to call so we can pursue the matter further. In addition, stress management techniques can be of use as there is a close tie-in to spiritual crisis. I will be teaching some stress management classes coming up soon. Please check below for further information.
Flu Epidemic
You may be one of the unlucky ones, or you may know someone who is suffering from a mild to a much more serious flu. A lot of people seem to be currently “under the weather” with a very nasty 3 week flu and sore throat combo; or maybe the cold and coughing version. Whatever you or your friends or loved ones may be experiencing, my previous advice for the cold and flu season still holds. It is not too late to take some Oscillococcinum. It is very effective for pretty much any cold or non-gastrointestinal flu. Try a dose of a capful and repeat as necessary until symptoms are gone. No more than one dose a day should be necessary. If there is no response within 3 days, it probably will not help you. Resting and drinking a lot of warm fluids are always good options as well.
Stroke risk in middle-aged women
According to a recent study done by Dr. Amytis Towfighi, of the University of Southern California, strokes have increased 3-fold in middle-aged women in the U.S .in the last 5 years. Although only two percent of 35-54 year old women suffered strokes, it is worrisome because strokes usually occur in an older population. The sudden spike in middle age victims is ominous, especially coupled with the fact that it happened even to women on medicines to control cholesterol and blood pressure, steps considered to lower the risk of stroke.
No traditional risk factors like smoking, heart disease or diabetes changed enough to account for the stroke increase. However, women’s waistlines are nearly two inches bigger than they were a decade earlier, a bulge that corresponds with the stroke increase.
Strokes are linked with heart disease, intermittent claudication and even erectile dysfunction. The same plaquing that causes heart disease can cause strokes – it is the same process. There are many treatments for arterial plaquing including chelation. Coupled with improved diet, exercise and lifestyle choices, these conditions can be quickly turned around. Please do not become a statistic!!
What the Heck are PRP’s?
I had the good fortune to be able to attend a Webinar on PRP’s recently. In case you are unfamiliar with them, PRP’s are Proline-rich polypeptide complexes. What the heck, you may ask, are they? Proline-rich polypeptide complexes are immune modulators from colostrum or the pre-milk made by human and bovine mothers. According to the research presented, in both mice and humans, PRP’s have proven to prevent and reduce oxidative stress, thus protecting against damage to brain tissue. In clinical trials, Alzheimer’s patients experienced almost immediate improvement in activities of daily living and cognitive function. The PRP’s activate genes in the nucleus of the gastrointestinal tract cells creating specific messengers that move to and act on target organs like the brain and cardiovascular system. They seem to prevent and act therapeutically in non-symptomatic and symptomatic individuals alike. They seem to also be effective for ADD, Diabetes Mellitis, obesity, inflammation and cardiovascular disorders. I am so intrigued by this research that I will be closely following the development. I am considering taking them myself as apparently they are effective at a very low dose (100 micrograms) and are completely non-toxic. I will keep you posted.
Upcoming classes
I will be offering some new classes in the upcoming weeks. Please let me know if you are interested in any of them, even if the dates don’t work for you. If there is sufficient interest, I can always reschedule them at a more convenient time. Also, if you have a group of friends and would like private sessions in your home, I can come to you. The minimum for these portable classes is 5 participants.
Cooking those good for you foods that we love to hate: seaweeds, greens and grains
This 3-hour class includes preparing a meal to share and may even involve some leftovers to take home.
Saturday April 19th 10am-1pm –OR-
Saturday May 3rd 10am-1pm; fee is $45 (includes the cost of the food). Class size limited; please register today by calling 925-603-7300.
The Bliss of Meditation
Have you always wanted to meditate but didn’t know how or why it is so important? Come, explore different ways to meditate and learn about its great value. We will practice different approaches in a non-threatening manner. Designed for both neophytes and lapsed practitioners.
Daytime hours: Tuesday mornings April 15th to May 13th from 10-11:00 am. –or– 11:30-12:30pm (5 weeks) – fee is $65.
Thursday afternoons May 1st-29th 1-2pm. –or– 2:30-3:30 pm. (5 weeks) – $65. Class size is limited; please register by calling 925-603-7300.
Night hours: Tuesday evenings April 1st-29th 6-7:00pm (5 weeks) – $65.
Monday evenings May 5th-June 2nd 6-7pm or 7:30-8:30 (5 weeks) – $65. Class size is limited; please register by calling 925-603-7300.
Holistic Stress Management
There are many approaches to stress management. This class includes traditional methods (like the ones I taught at Kaiser for 5 years) and more holistic approaches including herbs and supplements that may be very helpful. Stress management is a way to both improve your life experience and help with chronic pain and/or disease states.
Daytime: Tuesday afternoons April 1st-April 29th and May 6th 2-4pm (6 weeks) $120. Class size is limited; please register by calling 925-603-7300.
Nighttime: Tuesday evenings April 1st-29th and May 6th 7:30-9:30 pm. (6 weeks) $120. Class size is limited; please register by calling 925-603-7300.
Have Table Will Travel
I recently acquired a portable chiropractic table. Coupled with the portable massage table I already have, I am ready to travel. If you would like treatment, or just stress relief in the comfort of your own home, please feel free to call for an appointment. I would be thrilled to be able to serve you. It is very refreshing to roll off a massage table into the comfort of your very own bed!!
Please call (925) 603-7300 to sign up for classes, make appointments or with any comments or questions. As always, if you wish to unsubscribe to this enewsletter just type unsubscribe in the subject line and send me a return email.
Enjoy a lovely Spring!!
Fall Tips for Health and Well Being
E-newsletter #5
Hi everyone,
Here is my newest e-newsletter offering. I hope you enjoy it. I try to make it very pertinent to current news, and, I invite you to give me input regarding your own concerns. If you would like me to address any particular topic, please feel free to call me at (925) 603-7300. Thank you very much and ENJOY!
Flu shots
Someone asked me today what I thought of flu shots. I told them I had no interest in ever getting one because:
1- they are based on a calculated guess as to which strains of flu are going to occur any given year. The resulting vaccine is only a guess.
2- I don’t really like shots. Even puncturing the skin in homeopathic terms can cause problems.
3- Even the nasal vaccine which bypasses needles can still be remarkably ineffective.
4- There is an alternative which is inexpensive and very effective, tastes great and is easy to use. What is it? Oscillococcinum. Yup; I have brought this up before. I have not changed my mind. Now with more drugs, vaccines, etc. being pulled by the FDA, my suggestion of the use of Oscillococcinum is even stronger this year. If you have any questions please call me.
If you want some of this homeopathic medicine please let me know. If you purchase some at a health food store take a dose now and each month for the winter’s duration. Please repeat the dose any time you feel a cold or flu coming on. You should be able to get through the winter on one box of the homeopathic ($8-$12). There is no need to take a whole vial of it; a capful is all you need for one dose and each vial holds several doses. Be well!!!
New test for Cervical cancer
I saw on the news recently there is a new test for cervical cancer – a wonderful development. Two new studies are out regarding a DNA test which is 95% accurate, though not as accurate for younger women. It has a higher level of false positives than the traditional Pap smear, but it is overall much more accurate. According to Reuters Oct. 3, 2007, a DNA test for HPV helps detect potentially dangerous lesions earlier than the commonly used Pap smear technique, Dutch researchers indicate that the test could mean fewer screenings for women and ensure that they receive earlier treatment for lesions that might lead to cancer, according to the journal Lancet.
“It is a better test because you pick up more lesions,” said Chris Meijer, a pathologist at VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam. “And because you pick them up earlier, you have more time to treat the women.”
The Contra Costa Times ran an article about the same subject just the next day. It stated that a combination of tests, the standard Pap smear and an HPV screening, together, improve the chances of early cervical cancer detection, significantly. HPV is Human Papilloma virus – a few of its 13 types cause cervical cancer. A large study of more than 12,000 women found that the combination of tests detected 51% more cancers than the Pap test alone. The combination test is suggested for women over 30, every 3 years. Women under 30, and those using only one test should be tested every year or two, according to the American Cancer Society.
Risks of heart disease
I read in the weekly USA weekend about risks for heart disease. Are you familiar with these?
1- Sugar – According to Stephen T. Sinatra, a board-certified cardiologist and co-author of Reverse Heart Disease Now: sugar inflames the blood vessels, which leads to increased clotting, prediabetic insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity. What you can do: Avoid high glycemic foods, maintain a trim waist size (38” for men and 32” for women) and eat a high-fiber diet.
2- Fats – Fats belong to three groups: “the good (mono and polyunsaturated), the bad (saturated) and the enemy (trans fats). What you can do: Read food labels, include good fats (wild Alaskan salmon, walnuts) as 30% of your calories and eliminate trans fats.
3- Toxic blood: Blood-thickening elements age you from the inside out are a very significant cardiovascular risk factor, especially for women. What you can do: Have your blood checked for elevated homocysteine, lipoprotein a, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen.
I suggest everyone who is worried about current high LDL, VLDL or triglyceride levels or who has a family history of heart disease take a comprehensive cardiovascular assessment. I have talked about this test before; it is a wonderful tool for determining your risk of coronary artery disease. It can put your worries to rest and/or give you guidance in preventing high risk heart conditions.
The FDA and OTC cold medications for young children
About the same time the above events were showing up in the media, the FDA was advised by an expert panel of pediatricians that cold medications were not helpful or safe for children less than 6 years of age. Two weeks after the FDA urged a ban on cold and cough medicine for use on children under 6, the drug industry voluntarily removed the medications for use on children under 2 years of age.
The whole upset came in response to 54 reported deaths due to decongestant use and 69 related to antihistamine use between 1969 and 2006. A majority of the deaths were of children under 2.
Response was sudden and strong in parents upset by the drugs removal. They felt helpless in the face of their children’s illnesses. An article in the Contra Costa Times subsequent to the first recall of the OTC drugs, suggested alternatives to the drugs. They were very familiar to me, as I have used these medicines for years. I find them to be very effective, very quickly and painlessly, for even the youngest of children. It is gratifying that we have such a large armamentarium available when drugs fail or are recalled. If you would like further information about treating children naturally please feel free to call me (925) 603-7300. There are many medicines available for all of the conditions that can plague young children.
Shingles
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox in children (varicella zoster virus, or VZV). It remains in the body for decades, sort of sleeping in nerve cells along the spinal column. VZV is a herpes virus that can be reactivated when a person’s immunity declines with age, disease, or immunity-suppressing drugs. When reactivated, the virus causes a rash and pain, on one side of the body, in one area. The lesions are blistery and very painful. They can travel to the face, and into the eyes — where they can impair vision and even cause blindness.
Recently the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel voted to make the new shingles vaccination routine for all Americans 60 and older. About 20% of the people who have had chickenpox eventually will get shingles. A person who lives to be 85 has a 50% chance of getting shingles. In about a third of cases, shingles turns into a very painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN.
The new vaccine, called Zostavax, won FDA approval last May. A major clinical trial shows the vaccine to be about 51% effective in reducing shingles symptoms. It reduces painful PHN by at least two-thirds.
Fortunately, there are other ways to treat these conditions. In the homeopathic world there a small number of medicines that can very quickly remove the pain and dry up the lesions of Shingles, and even treat PHN. The last person I worked with who had Shingles was an older woman in a board and care facility. She relatively quickly improved from the initial Shingles episode and then from the PHN that occurred. There are alternatives to drugs, vaccines and surgery. They are very effective – please check them out if you or your loved ones are diagnosed with this bothersome condition. It is remarkable how quickly it can become a thing of the past with effective treatment.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is fast approaching and if you are anything like me, you won’t even be reading this until after the big event. First, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you will be celebrating with family and/or friends and have a wonderful meal!!
The tendency with a big celebratory meal like Thanksgiving is to overeat. I have been there myself on more than one occasion. A simple home remedy is to burn some toast and take the blackened portion (a simple form of charcoal). It will pull any toxic material out of your gastrointestinal system and allow you to feel a lot better. A less unusual treatment is drinking a simple cup of peppermint tea. Indian restaurants offer fennel seeds after a meal (it helps break up intestinal gas). Another solution is to take the homeopathic medicine Nux vomica (30C is a good choice). Take one dose of 3 pellets, once, and watch for results. If you feel better, stop. If you don’t feel better, wait and repeat the dose in 2 hours. If you get better, then worsen, repeat the dose. For simple overindulgence (eating or drinking) Nux vomica is the premier remedy. Although it is best to not overeat, you are covered, should it occur. So, eat freely and enjoy!!
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D. (925) 603-7300
Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D., Health Educator
Using the healing power of Nature to bring people
health, happiness and peace of mind.
(925) 603-7300
August Newsletter
Hi everyone,
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer filled with all kinds of warm weather fun! I have scheduled several backpacking trips but so far two have been either canceled or full. One involved hiking up and down almost 10,000 feet. I am not really sure I was really up for that, so I am not totally unhappy it was canceled.
This month I wanted to go over some new things with you. First of all there are:
New Things at the office
How’s your posture?
Are you finding that you have the furniture disease? Your chest is falling into your drawers? All kidding aside, go to the mirror and check out your posture. Are there any irregularities? If there are, they could have relatively great importance for you. Posture is one thing that changes as we age. Poor posture can make us look years older. It also has a very negative affect on the rest of the body because the spinal nerves which convey nerve impulses to the rest of the body experience decreased nerve flow due to poor posture. Nerve flow to the whole body is diminished by rounded backs and other than upright carriage.
Fortunately there is a relatively easy way to correct poor posture. It involves a simple posture check and a quick painless correction. Come try it out and see how easy it is. Try it out. You will be impressed with the results.
New machine – The Terminator
I have a new machine with the unfortunate name of The Terminator. I should have a contest to rename it. It makes a lot of noise but is quite effective at breaking up muscular tension. Come and check it out for yourself.
For the rest of the month of August, I am featuring these two services free of charge to introduce you to them. If you would like to experience either or both of them just make a 15 minute appointment.
Women in the Middle years/Men in the Middle years
As we age our bodies, and therefore, our needs, undergo many changes. There is change due to the different stages of life we go through (puberty, pregnancy, menopause, andropause to name a few) and changes related simply to aging (organ systems losing function over time). The middle years are the threshold to later years and can be pivotal in terms of the health experienced during those later years. It behooves us to take stock of our situation early on rather than sliding into later years oblivious and unprepared. I often hear people, who have just turned 40 or 50, say that all of a sudden they are “falling apart”. While I doubt that is truly happening, they are certainly noticing changes relative to their age and previous neglect. I hope you don’t fall into that category.
As a way to evaluate future health, I have developed a checklist of concerns for women in the middle years and one for men in the middle years. They have some features in common, but obviously because of the hormonal differences between men and women, there are differences in the lists as well. If you would like to go over a checklist with me, it will point you in the direction of a healthier older age. You will also experience improvement in the present. Depending on your situation, this might involve some laboratory tests. I can suggest the appropriate time for different forms of testing by your age, previous history and current symptoms. Consider making this investment in your current and future health – you will be glad you did!
Sicko
When I first heard of the documentary Sicko I knew I wanted to see it. I finally got my chance. I have to say it was quite an experience in ways which were totally unforeseen. Being very healthy, I have never had problems with health insurance as I never get sick. When I have, fortunately I have known enough about the medical system to be able to navigate it successfully. Also, fortunately my case was straight forward enough or I was pushy enough/or both, so I achieved the desired outcome at no cost (Kaiser can be great!). However, I became aware, after recently changing to Blue Cross insurance, that I had a plan that is difficult to get as you have to be really healthy. I felt really proud that I had gotten this insurance until I found out that Blue Cross makes their highest profit on this particular insurance product (27%). That was quite deflating as the insurance is after all, just major medical and still costs about $200/mo. I used to pay $65 for the same sort of product and that has been in the last 7 years. The jump in the price of coverage has been phenomenal – which is not news to you. None of this was Michael Moore’s thesis however; he was just looking at our health care system versus that of Canada, England, France, and Cuba. What hit home, though, was the level of care, in general, that the French, for instance, are enjoying: childcare, healthcare, even someone to do your wash, (all free) maternity leave of 6 months, etc. Now, their tax rate is approaches 50% as does Cuba’s and England’s highest is 40%, but ours is 30%. And what percentage of your income do you pay for health insurance, childcare, maternity leave and the wash? Do you have those things? Apparently they do in France.
I must admit to feeling like I would rather be living overseas; probably not in Cuba but France would do. Of course, I don’t know what I could do to practice there. I don’t know that I would be included in the national health care system, but worth checking out.
I experienced, for a short time, a delicious feeling of freedom, of the possibility of a simple, enjoyable life, of assistance for the asking.
As it happened, the commentary in the Perspective of the Sunday paper was written by an ER doctor who worked for a hospital in a poor part of Chicago. The story revolved around a patient who was brought into his ER at 4 am.due to an accident that happened nearby. Because he was brought to that particular hospital, and not the other one close by, (in a more affluent and predominately white area), he was destined to suffer disfigurement due to the death of 2/3rds of his scalp (which arrived separately in a bag). The doctor decried the fact that modern medicine is perfectly capable of reestablishing one’s scalp, but there is a time deadline involved, which passed when his efforts to find an expert to do the job proved fruitless (the expert capable of such a job worked at the other hospital and couldn’t be reached by phone in time). The ER doctor further decried the fact that Michael Moore only fleetingly mentioned the disparity in medical treatment based on race and relative wealth. I think I can understand why Moore did what he did. I understand there have been coffees already set up to discuss this movie and I have seen a billboard put up by a group of nurses. By engaging the middle class (those who can afford insurance, no matter how unsecure it ultimately is) he assured some action would take place. Obviously monetary and race disparity has occurred for years with little or no resolution of unequal medical care. With the middle class up in arms about the insurance industry’s malfeasance, some action is more or less assured.
Where do you stand on this important issue? Have you seen Sicko? I recommend it wholeheartedly. It is much more than a thought provoking movie.
Are you avoiding the “dirty dozen”?
Based on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) analysis of over 43,000 pesticide residue tests of conventional produce, 90% of pesticides can be avoided by shunning the “dirty dozen” foods. These include: peaches (97% were contaminated), apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes. The following foods were consistently clean: onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papayas. According to EWG senior vice president Richard Wiles “Federal produce tests tell us that some fruits and vegetables are so likely to be contaminated with pesticides that you should always buy them organic. Others are so consistently clean that you can eat them with less concern.” You can download your own wallet-sized shopper’s guide at www.foodnews.org.
Sad News
I am sure you have seen the news about the man who left his baby in the car parked in front of his workplace (Siemen’s) for 6 hours. He had forgotten the child as it was not his normal routine to take the child to daycare, and, being an engineer, he was very preoccupied. Can you imagine the horrendous feeling of finding your child dead in your car, especially if you left him there? When I first read about it I thought it incredibly sad.
As a Stress Management teacher, I see many people who are very stressed. Usually they are stressed by the boss from hell, the job from hell or relatives with difficult situations. It seems as though the Siemen’s workplace is the second category. I can see the situation that my students are in when they fall into that category. They are beset by unending torment. From all accounts this man (Danny Takemoto) was very conscientious and a terrific father. According to relatives and friends he just would not have intentionally harmed his children. And yet this tragedy occurred.
What could be done to prevent a situation like this? I am currently reading a book called Mindfulness and Money, by two Buddhists. It looks at several people who work at Buddhist companies run following the 5 precepts:
Refrain from taking life. – cultivate loving kindness
Don’t take what hasn’t been freely given to you – develop generosity.
Avoid sexual misconduct – cultivate contentment
Don’t lie – be honest.
Refrain from intoxication – be more aware.
The workers also agree to some basic ground rules for their conduct. They pledge to themselves and to the others they work with to:
Speak only what’s truthful and useful.
Refrain from gossip.
Refrain from unnecessary interruptions.
Speak kindly and gently.
Speak humbly not arrogantly.
Now, obviously there are other potential factors involved, i.e. horrendous work load, grueling competition for scarce jobs, or impending layoffs, but what would your workplace be like if these rules were agreed to? Would men like Danny Takemoto be supported in their work, able to live a life with much less stress, thus avoiding the tragedy that occurred recently? I think we would be all better off if we did.
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and will continue to enjoy the summer!!
All my best to you!
The Wonder and Magic of Natural Medicine
I am continually amazed by the effectiveness of natural medicines. Having been a practitioner and ‘user’ for 16 years, I have seen many different kinds of conditions partially to totally reverse with the use of the simplest of natural substances.
We are talking about things of the earth, the ‘medicine people’ of the Native Americans, who regarded plants as their relatives. I remember in school we were exposed to “Alterative” herbs – herbs that increase the digestive and eliminative function of the body. Examples are: Arctium lappa (burdock), Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion), Stelleria (chickweed) or Rumex crispus. A lot of these herbs are considered weeds; they grow up between the cracks in the sidewalk and are considered a nuisance by homeowners, gardeners and road maintenance crews. Our teacher said: “Don’t you see how persistent these plants are. Even in the face of technology they insist on coming up where they are most unwanted, as if to say ‘You need us, don’t ignore us’”! She stressed that they were some of the most needed yet most neglected herbs in the herbarium.
But for the lack of time, certain knowledge and experience, we could all go out into the wild world and pick our own medicine. Like our bodies, the wild things of the earth are made of the same “stuff” as the earth, moon and stars. These green friends are geared to the functioning of our bodies because of that similarity of origin. Because herbs help to rebalance the body’s function, at times the same herb can be used for both hypo- and hyper-functioning. They seek to swing the organ back to normal homeostasis (balanced function) much like a pendulum on a grandfather clock eventually establishes a neutral position.
In terms of action, I witnessed a tincture of Panax ginseng, and Eleutherococcus senticosis markedly improve the energy level of a 42 year old female runner/working mother. I have a 56 year old neighbor with Diabetes mellitus who now has practically normal blood sugar levels after some diet changes and the addition of, again, Pananx ginseng. I also treat a 50-year-old man, in Sacramento, who is confined to a wheel chair due to Guillain Barre Syndrome. He has been experiencing problems with electrolyte imbalance, hypertension and Diabetes. This is not an uncommon picture for people in the U.S., but it is complicated by the fact that he is in the wheel chair, has difficulty getting to the grocery store, has little income and doesn’t really cook. We worked out a treatment plan for him focusing on diet change: legumes and whole grains, as much fresh vegetables as possible, as well as, a limited amount of fresh fruits; and a grouping of herbs/supplements that has been specially formulated to support heart action, ease hypertension/edema and provide a lot of electrolytes. After 3 days on this plan he is already feeling a lot better.
Cell salts are homeopathic preparations of the 12 salts that make up the body itself. They were first isolated by burning a body and analyzing it’s mineral content. These common salts (like sodium chloride, table salt) can stimulate the body to reabsorb bone spurs or exostoses, remineralize bones (after breaks or localized atrophies – like those following limb immobilization). I have seen cell salts reduce ‘brain fag’ in students and those whose minds are overloaded with information, making it difficult for them to sleep, for instance. I have also seen cell salts reduce the tendency for the skin to chronically form boils.
Natural foods also come from the earth. In Chinese medicine, foods are used as medicinal regimen. Diet, in general, is very important, since we eat 3 times a day. What we choose to eat can either worsen, or improve, our health, though diet alone usually takes longer than other medicinal substances (i.e. herbs, homeopathics) to act therapeutically. As I have written in previous articles, in general, I espouse the use of Eat Right for Your Type, by Dr. Peter D’Adamo, also a Naturopathic physician. He suggests that we would all do better eating the type of foods that our forebears adapted to and ate eons ago. He and his father put 50 years of research in to the theory; I been party to some great successes with the use of the specific diets. None of the diets contains any processed foods, anything that does not come directly from the earth. The book establishes a rationale for lining people up more with the MacDougall/Ornish/Pritikin (low fat, high complex carbohydrate, moderate protein) group or the Zone/Sears/Atkins (higher fat, high protein, low complex carbohydrates) camp. I have seen weight loss (50 pounds is not uncommon), disappearance of panic and gastrointestinal symptoms and more recently something that surprised even me. I had a 45-year-old woman come into my office, the mother of 9 children, one still nursing, who complained of extreme fatigue. I assumed her fatigue was more due to the wear and tear of multiple (and unending) pregnancies and dealing with that many children. I put her on a program of high potency multi-vitamins, adrenal support and suggested the Blood type diet. She reacted negatively to both of the supplements, but found that her fatigue improved immensely by avoiding tomatoes, wheat, dairy and meat. This is a woman who could not walk from one end of the house to the other without getting winded.
Potentially you can get a glimmering of why I consider natural medicines so wondrous and magical. They were provided for us to use by the bounty of the Creator – we have been given all we need.
To see for yourself how these simple gifts of the earth might assist you and raise your level of health, please call Ellen Potthoff, D.C., N.D. at (925) 603-7300 or e-mail her at Natdoc@jps.net.
Ellen Potthoff, DC, ND 