One Minute Course in Mindfulness of Thought

"With perception, there is deception."

One of my favorite quotes from the eleven week class I recently completed titled, "Mindfulness in Everyday Life." To me this quote is helpful in understanding how our own preconceived notions, experiences and ideas can change the way we see the world. By recognizing our judgments and associations we might begin to see things differently or at least begin to be more conscious that are minds are deceiving us.  Things are never as they seem to be.

 

Becoming conscious of our minds deceptive and distracting nature is one way to  help reduce stress in everyday life. If instead of worrying about a particular topic, we simply recognize the worry and the feeling and body sensations that go along with it, we can actually reduce the worry. Here is an example: Say you have a fear of dogs. Whenever there is a dog in your presence, you get tense and your blood pressure rises (body sensations) and remember the dog that bit you as a child (association). Your mind tells you the situation is dangerous (judgment) and you feel fear (label). If you take the body sensation, association, judgment and labels and begin to think of them as visitors and as merely thoughts separate from your self, the worry can be lessened. Using the same example: a dog is in my presence and I can feel my body tense and blood pressure rise. The memory that I have as a child, is simply that, a memory. I realize that I am judging this situation based on my past experience and I feel a sensation, a visiting sensation that is not really a part of me, but a visitor.

This model can be applied to all sorts of worry-- paying the bills, getting to work on time, meeting with a supervisor, etc. and over time will help with overall stress reduction. Stress reduction can prevent many disease states and is a crucial component of wellness.

Letter to the Editor-- Printed!

Last month, Milwaukee Magazine featured a column titled “Best Holistic Healers” and had a section listing naturopathic practitioners. The column listed the professional association for naturopathic doctors as the American Naturopathic Medical Association. This organization represents folks that have trained at institutions that offer online, correspondence or otherwise abbreviated coursework in naturopathic medicine. In Wisconsin, where there is not yet a licensing law to regulate who can call themselves a naturopathic doctor, the consumer is left to decide what type of practitioner they prefer. In states with licensing laws, only those that have completed four year doctoral programs in naturopathic medicine may call themselves naturopathic doctors or naturopathic physicians. I decided to clarify this information by writing a letter to the editor of Milwaukee Magazine:

This was printed on page 10 of March's issue of Milwaukee Magazine! I am thrilled that my letter was considered important. Even more, I hope that subscribers of the magazine will read this letter and learn about the distinction that so badly needs to be made in Wisconsin. For me this is an example of how necessary education is to advancing the practice of naturopathic medicine and how important it is to speak up for what you know and believe in.

Best Holistic Healers in Milwaukee

This months issue of Milwaukee Magazine features a list of "Best Holistic Healers" in the Milwaukee area. It features two of the fantastic doctors I am working with, Dr. Michele Nickels and Dr. Bozena Simon. You can read an excerpt from the article here.

Getting to the REAL cause...

11-11—a triggering of remembrance, a time to look around you and see what is really happening, and time to reflect. Time for me to start writing again!

Recently I have been thinking a lot about a common concern in our office—heartburn. Heartburn is a problem for so many Americans. The cause of the problem is a matter of opinion. Conventional medicine says that there is too much acid and the elimination of acid will help the burning sensation and other symptoms of indigestion such as bloating and flatulence. Often acid suppression is not an effective way to eliminate the problems and symptoms increase and often worsen. Medications like histamine blockers and proton pump inhibitors are very good at doing their job and eliminating acid in the stomach. But what is the result of this suppression? Why would we make this nasty acid stuff if it’s just going to cause our stomach to hurt?

Taking a look at my anatomy and physiology book from my first year of medical school, I learned that the lower esophageal sphincter (where the esophagus and stomach connect) NEEDS acid to close completely. Without sufficient acid, there is transient relaxation of the sphincter, allowing stomach contents to backwash into the esophagus. Using this line of reasoning, it seems that the problem to treat in cases of heartburn may actually be too LITTLE acid, rather than too much.

Acid is necessary for digestion! Without it, there is no breakdown and absorption of nutrients. It is often seen clinically that women with osteoporosis or osteopenia have a long history of using acid reducing medications. Calcium in food or supplements requires stomach acid to be absorbed as well as vitamin D. Taking Tums as a calcium source seems kind of pointless then—acid suppression and calcium all in one dose. Vitamin B12 specifically requires stomach acid to be absorbed as well. Malnutrition can result after long term use of acid reducing medications.

I saw a patient this week wanting to get off of her Nexium. This is not an easy thing to do. She called several times during the week in agony after slowly weaning the drug. We replaced her drug with a digestive enzyme, probiotics and amino acids and herbs to help heal the lining of her intestinal tract. After a week of pain, she finally felt better. Her sinus congestion, post nasal drip, headaches and constant cough went away, which are also symptoms associated with too little stomach acid.

As Thanksgiving nears and today we celebrate the hard work of our veterans, I think about the things that I am thankful for in my life. I am thankful to be continuing my education as a resident and to live in beautiful Wisconsin. I am blessed to have wonderful family and friends. I am thankful to live in America and for the men and women who serve our country. Most of all, I am thankful for my stomach that faithfully produces acid to keep me healthy and happy!

Study Break

I am about one month away from graduation and excited to know where I will be heading next! I was selected to be a resident at the  Integrative Family Wellness Center in Brookfield, Wisconsin. I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to continue my learning process as a resident for one year. And who knows-- it may turn into something more!

For now until August 4th I will be recalling all of the useful clinical skills I have learned and getting ready for my board exams. SO, if you have any study tips-- send them my way! Here's how I am keeping energized and healthy for boards:

• Eating small, frequent, high protein meals. High protein sustains the feeling of satiety longer and the amino acids will be used to build brain neurotransmitters.
• Taking a multi, fish oil, b-complex, vitamin D, and adrenal support. The adrenals help with the response to stress and heavily utilize the B vitamins as well as Vitamin C.
• Exercising daily-- Jillian Michaels is kicking my butt right now.
• Frequenting coffee shops-- I don't know if I consider this a "healthy" study habit, but it keeps the scenery interesting.
• Listening to theta brainwave music. Theta brainwaves are known to help memory, learning and mental clarity.
• Making time to relax and read something mindless. 
• Studying with friends. Helps my motivation and I always seem to learn something from them.

Here is a link to learn more about my program.

Herbal Energy

Spring has become my favorite season here in the desert. In lieu of my routine P90X DVD’s, I ventured out of my living room to get some fresh air. I took a hike up Piestewa Peak in Phoenix and noticed another one of my desert favorites, the Ocotillo, in bloom. Aside from its fun shape and beautiful flowers when blooming, it has some interesting medicinal properties. 

The long branches of this plant have sharp spines camouflaged by small green leaves. Historic Indian uses include placing the flowers and roots of ocotillo over wounds to stop bleeding. (Convenient that my steep hike was lined with this lovely plant!)  In botanical formulations in the clinic, the fresh bark tincture is used mainly as a lymphagogue. Lymphagogue botanicals promote the movement of the lymphatic fluid that helps with immune function and waste elimination. This class of botanicals can be further categorized by area of the body that it is known to have greatest effects. Ocotillo has an affinity for the pelvis and is therefore useful in conditions of stagnation such as constipation, hemorrhoids, fibroids or endometriosis. For example, I chose to include this botanical as a part of a formulation for a patient who had varicosities in her legs.

It is amazing to me that medicine is really all around us. I can imagine that I passed many plants on my hike that day that can be used medicinally. Often botanicals can have stereotypical uses like, “St. Johns Wort for depression,” but in reality the energetic and practical application of the plant is what gives it its unique characteristics and not always completely understood effects. Plant medicines are unique in that they often work slowly and gently to heal chronic conditions, but can be used in high does for short periods of time for acute conditions. Energetics are not easily explained properties of plant medicines, but rather to be experienced.   I am excited to have another botanical medicine rotation coming up on my next (AND FINAL!!!)  quarter of school where I will be able to learn and experience the energy of herbs!

Lost My Mojo...

Another food favorite bit the dust this week. I decided to look into the ingredients in Mojo Frozen Yogurt. I made frequent trips there last summer and planned to return shortly as I endearingly referred the impending summer in Arizona as “Mojo Season.” Looks like I won’t be going after all. All flavors of their yogurt have high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I wonder why I didn’t bother to look into this sooner; maybe I didn’t want to know.  I don’t have many strict food rules for myself, but this is one of them—no HFCS.

Here is some information about a few better alternative sweeteners:

• Agave Nectar: boiled from the sap of the blue agave plant. Intensely sweet, low glycemic index (15) but is 90% fructose and 8% glucose. One chef doesn’t think this makes it much different than HFCS: http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2010/01/another-look-at-agave-nectar.html. Can be used for a wide range of recipes including drinks, bread, and cookies.
• Brown Rice Syrup: dense liquid made by brown rice fermentation. Thick and creamy with mild sweetness. Low GI (25) and half as sweet as sugar. Best in soft textured dishes, like pies or sauces, and crunchy baked goods like biscotti. 
• Date Sugar: dehydrated, ground dates. Grainy, earthy and minimally refined and processed. Best in recipes with a dense texture and dark color like nut bread.

What about no calorie sweeteners? The problem with them is that they actually trick the body into thinking it is consuming calories. The body tastes sweet and prepares for a supply of sugar to enter the blood. When this sugar never shows up, insulin rises and which can actually lead to more cravings and increased calorie consumption.  There have also been some adverse effects in studies relating to artificial sugars including cancers and neurotoxicity. Additionally, most studies regarding its safety were short and some incomplete.  Aspartame accounts for 75% of adverse reactions to a food additive reported to the FDA.

Stevia is now a mainstream zero-calorie sweetener. Just a few years ago it was regulated by the FDA as a food supplement and only available in the supplement department of the grocery store. I guess someone caught on to this gold mine! Stevia is derived from the stevia plant sound in South America and Asia, where is has been used as a sweetener for centuries. It has no effect on insulin and one study suggests that it may actually help control insulin levels. It is also 150-300 times sweeter than sugar.

Xylitol is another zero calorie sweetener that has no effect on insulin levels. It is usually derived from corn, berries and plums and is EXTREMELY toxic to dogs. It is found in many chewing gums because it helps prevent tooth decay as well. It can cause bloating or laxative effects in high quantities so may not be the best substitute for a batch of cookies. 

I will now be on the hunt for a HFCS- free yogurt joint to frequent this summer!