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Acute Corner: November

Submitted by on November 10, 2009 - 9:37pm.


Ear Infection

4 year old boy with ear pain was evaluated at ITH and diagnosed with a double ear infection.  The pain was disrupting his (and his parents’) sleep.  Instead of antibiotics, which are no longer the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation for otitis media, he was given a homeopathic remedy prescribed specifically for his individual symptoms by mouth and some garlic/mullein oil in each ear with  warming compresses to the exterior of the ears. The pain subsided immediately; his ears (and thus the infection) cleared completely within 36 hours.  The child and the parents were very happy with the outcome!

 

 

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Health To Wealth: Decision-Making and Blood Sugar

Submitted by on February 2, 2010 - 3:20pm.
You've heard the saying, "Don't make important decisions on an empty stomach?"  A recent study shows this to be very important advice, particularly for long-term decisions. When people were given a choice between short-term but small gain versus long-term large gain, the people on empty stomachs consistently chose immediate gain instead of the long-term large gain, while people who had higher blood sugar levels did the opposite.
 
These results point out that having appropriate blood sugar levels is imperative to success of any business. But for some people that is easier said than done. For example, many people really don’t pay attention to their hunger and other bodily queues on a regular basis. They eat foods that do not foster optimal blood sugar levels.  Or they do not take the time to eat prior to meetings, conferences or even going to work.  They have been taught over the years to ignore the simple warning queues that healthy people take for granted. Rediscovering those bodily signals is something that we help our patients with, whether the message is to eat nourishing food, slow down, take some deep breaths, drink water, or get some exercise.
 
There are many simple things that you can do to help improve blood sugar regulation, but learning them may require breaking some habits. In the next month's newsletter, we will discuss what you can do to help regulate your blood sugar. When there's enough blood sugar, your brain can relax and focus on long-range planning. With this change, you can become more future-oriented, and thus make better long-term decisions for your business!

 

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Marji's Magic Beans

Submitted by on February 17, 2010 - 10:23pm.

While on vacation in California, we visited Dr. Christie's sister Marji, who introduced us to her pressure cooker. Marji made the most amazing black beans in about 20 minutes without pre-soaking the dried beans! We thought that it was so amazing that we would share the recipe. This recipe requires a pressure cooker, which we highly recommend. Pressure cookers allow people to prepare wholesome and healthy meals quickly that they would otherwise be too busy to prepare. Enjoy!

Quick Soak of Beans 

1.5 cups of black beans

6-8 cups of water

Cook at full pressure for 1 minute then cold water release and rinse beans and pot thoroughly. 

Cooking

Black beans from above

1/4 onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon epazote (can be found in Mexican food supply store)

6-8 cups of water

Cook all of the above at full pressure for 8 minutes. Take pot off heat and allow pressure to release naturally. Drain beans and reserve 1 cup of broth to moisten when reheating

Topping

1/2 bunch cilantro (excellent for heavy metal detox!)

1 chopped tomato (can be left out for people on anti-inflammatory diet)

1/4 onion chopped

Olive oil

Salt to taste

 

Saute the topping ingredients together and then add to finished beans. Serve with corn tortillas or brown rice, guacamole, and a green leafy vegetable.

 

 

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The Not-so Mild Knock on the Head

Submitted by on March 1, 2010 - 4:42pm.

 At a recent American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting Douglas Smith, MD a professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania basically said there is not such thing as a mild head injury. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects over 1 million Americans every year. While the usually treatment is observation and release, we are now learning that these injuries are not so mild. Patient's persists in neurological and cognitive deficits and may also experience anxiety, insomnia, depression, headaches and gastrointestinal problems.  Even more disturbing is that one does not have to hit one's head to have a head injury!

What can be done about it? Noticing there is a problem is the most important thing. If you or someone you know has been in an accident or diagnosed with a mild concussion, pay attention. Notice if there have been changes in the person (or yourself). If you aren't sure, get to a clinician who is adequately trained to assess the situation. If you have any of the above problems see your doctor even if the incident was many years ago.   Neurofeedback, vitamin D, homeopathy, and fish oil are amazing at not only reducing brain injury but helping the brain recover from the injury. In particular, LENS or Low Energy Neurofeedback System is showing great promise in improving symptoms of 80% of patients with TBI!

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