The Informed Patient

While driving to work the other day I was listening to a radio program on which they were interviewing a representative of the American Cancer Society. She was assigned to educate the public about nutrition and exercise programs for prevention. She shared that ACS did a recent survey of a large cross section of Americans asking the following questions:

Do you believe your risk of heart disease can be affected by dietary changes? 90% of participants answered yes.

Do you believe your risk of diabetes can be affected by dietary changes? 60% of participants answered yes.

Do you believe your risk of cancer can be affected by dietary changes? 10% of participants answered yes.

I was surprised by the answer to the cancer question. I thought more people would have an understanding of the bearing nutrition has on their overall health. The American Heart Association has done a great deal of work educating the public about heart disease and proper diet, but apparently there is work to be done regarding nutritional education for other health risks.

With access to the internet information is available to us now more than ever. It is important for you to assume the role of the proactive, self-informed patient with any issues regarding your health. So much can be done to improve your health in small ways everyday. Our practice was developed to help the people of our community to proactively learn about their health instead of waiting for disease. We want to help provide the support you need to improve your long term health profile and help you reach your personal goals.

This link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/canjclin.56.5.254/full will take you to a 2006 article by the ACS about cancer prevention and nutrition. It is one place to start.

This link: http://altmedrev.com/thorne/index2.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=dd_download&fid=12&format=html&Itemid=70  will take you to a study published in Alternative Medicine Review that gives information about various nutrients role in the prevention of disease. Additionally, our office has copies available of several other studies regarding specific nutrients and their relation to wellness. We want our patients to be empowered with information that makes sense to them. We are here to provide support to you as you seek the tools necessary to improve your health.

“A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses.”

Hippocrates

De-stress Your Workday

Why Worry?

From Martha Beck’s Article 20 Questions That Could Change Your Life www.oprah.com:

Why worry?
These two words, considered sincerely, can radically reconfigure the landscape of your mind. Worry rarely leads to positive action; it's just painful, useless fear about hypothetical events, which scuttles happiness rather than ensuring it. Some psychologists say that by focusing on gratitude, we can shut down the part of the brain that worries. It really works!

When making decisions of course we need logic and reason. However we want to make sure the genuis centers of our brain – the frontal lobes, are active when making decisions and not the more primitive hind brain which is more designed to deal with stress situations. Interestingly the best way to ‘fire up’ the frontal lobes is by having sincere heart based feelings of joy and gratitude. This shuts down the activity of the stress centers and powers up the frontal lobes.

This portion of Martha Beck's article really struck a cord with me. I went straight to Google Scholar to find proof that this was actually true. I could spend the next 30 days searching the available results but then asked myself “Why?”. I already know it works.

Off and on for years I have  kept a gratitude journal next to my bed. When my mind is spinning and keeping me awake I go back to the journal. I make note of at least 5 things that I am grateful for that occurred during my day. Like magic my focus changes to positive thoughts and I am no longer lying awake trying to change the world. There is my proof. Give it a try and let us know if it works for you.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Martha-Becks-20-Questions-That-Could-Change-Your-Life_1/2#ixzz1W94DBKyo

How Stress Makes Us Fat

If we learn to think of our stress mechanism as an ancient response to danger we can understand how stress makes us fat.  Our ancestors lived in small groups, hunting and foraging. Danger, for instance, lack of food, would activate the stress mechanism, elevating cortisol levels and causing the entire chemistry of the body to change. The body would go into storage mode and hold on to all the energy eaten.  In those days food was not plentiful, now in the 21st century we live in constant stress surrounded by an abundance of food. Our ancient stress mechanism doesn't know the difference between mental or emotional stress and a famine. We go into storage mode.  Deep breathing, restful sleep, yoga can all effect weight loss by lowering our stress and telling the body it's ok to use our food as energy today rather than save for later.          Christine Blakeney, D.O.

Health is Wholeness and Balance

“Health is wholeness and balance, an inner resilience that allows you to meet the demands of living without being overwhelmed.”

—  Andrew Weil, MD

How very simple. What a gift it would be to deliver this to the doorstep of the tired masses that trudge through their responsibilities each day. It sounds like a big undertaking, but maybe it could be very simple.

We become overwhelmed because we are constantly bombarded by demands. Our, family, our coworkers, our friends, pets and neighbors all take a little piece of our day. The sum of these little pieces is an erratic equation that we try to solve through constant noise singing in our brains.

What if we could turn off the noise? What if we felt liberated enough to say no to requests of our time? What if we carved out a small space of time each day to find peace and spaciousness around us? Things would be better, wouldn’t they? Maybe even balanced.

We can only be effective in our lives if we are not constantly living on the edge of stress. A worthy method for stress reduction would allow us in any space of time to re-center and gain control of the emotion we tie into drama of everyday life. Meditation is one method that meets this challenge wherever it lives.

Here’s how to start:

Keep in mind patience is a virtue, as the mind does not always want to focus. Having unrealistic expectations towards positive results can create unnecessary pressure and take away the enjoyment of the experience.

Choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position. You can sit in any other position that is comfortable. The most important thing is to keep your posture straight to prevent our mind from becoming sleepy.

With your eyes turned downward, focus your attention to your breathing. Breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils, without attempting to control the breath. Be aware of all of the sensations in your body that breathing creates. These sensations are your object of meditation, try to concentrate on it to the exclusion of everything else.

At first, your mind will be very busy. If you discover that your mind has wandered and is following your thought patterns, immediately return your focus to your breath. Repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath.

If you can do this for only a few minutes a few times a day you will start to notice how good you feel once you have calmed yourself down and are more aware of your emotions. Start to gain awareness of times during the day when this practice could be helpful.

If you are interested in learning more about meditation practice for stress reduction, join us at The Center for Optimal Health on Thursday, September 15 at 6:00 pm. Dr. Kumar Arun will be instructing a small group on the beginning principles of meditation. Call 517-324-9400 to reserve your spot.

Does everyone need supplements?

Does everyone need supplements?

 “If people eat wild, fresh, organic, local, non-genetically modified food grown in virgin material and nutrient rich soils that has not been transported across vast distances and stored for months before being eaten...and work and live outside, breathe only fresh unpolluted air, drink only pure clean water, sleep nine hours a night, move their bodies every day, and are free from chronic stressors and exposure to environmental toxins, than perhaps they might not need supplements.”  ~Mark Hyman, MD

 It has grown increasing difficult to receive the nutrients necessary for our bodies to thrive through the means in which we have done so historically. Dr. Hyman has encapsulated this difficulty in this quote.

When it comes to obtaining the micronutrients your body needs, your best possible source is food, especially fruits and vegetables. But circumstances may prevent you from eating optimally every day. Supplements can provide insurance against dietary gaps. Also, researchers are finding that some important vitamins (Vitamin D is a great example) and minerals are protective against disease in amounts that may be difficult to obtain through diet alone, no matter how well you eat.

More than forty vitamins or minerals  are utilized in the body as a complex chain to preserve health and prevent illness. They must all be present in the body in optimal amounts for proper function. If one link in that chain is missing or deficient, benefit from the entire process can be reduced. It is therefore important to insure optimum intake of balanced nutrients.

Proper nutrient intake is vital to optimized health and longevity. You can obtain the right balance of nutrients by understanding your own nutritional needs. The Physicians of The Center for Optimal Health can help guide you through particular nutritional challenges or help to create a simple plan for optimized health. Let us know how we can help you reach your health goals.

What is lurking in your shampoo?

What is lurking in your shampoo?

All skin and hair care products contain ingredients that may be harmful to our environment once they have reached the water supply, but have you considered the effects they may have on your body? 

We are excited to announce our new line hair and skin care products. This line includes organic shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, lip balm and bar soap.  These products are formulated to exclude an extensive list of chemical ingredients to help reduce your toxin exposure.  These include, but are not limited to, formaldehyde, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate.  

Here are some reasons why these ingredients were omitted from our organic product line:

Formaldehyde- used as a preservative or cleansing agent

·      Skin irritant

·      May cause watery, burning eyes

·      May cause burning sensations in the throat

·      May trigger asthma attacks in some people

·      Known carcinogen

Parabens- used to inhibit bacterial growth

·         Believed to mimic the activity of estrogen  which is associated with certain forms of breast cancer

·         May possibly affect the male and female reproductive organs

·         May decrease testosterone levels in men and account for a low sperm count

Sodium Laurel Sulfate- used as a detergent and foaming agent

·         Mimics estrogen activity

·         Is used in car wash soaps and engine degreasers because of its highly corrosive nature

·         May cause hair lost by attacking at the follicle

·         Dries skin by stripping the protective lipids from the surface

·         Denatures skin proteins which may give air borne pollutants a way to enter the body

·         Removes oil to an extent that may cause health issues ranging from eczema canker sores

·         Strips hair of moisture causing breakage and damage

These products and the extensive list of excluded chemicals are on display now in our lobby now. Check them out next time you are in and let us know if we can answer any questions.