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Kale Salad with Orange Dressing

Submitted by on August 26, 2010 - 7:07am.

 Dressing

1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp minced, fresh ginger 
2 tbsp sesame tahini  
2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Bragg’s or tamari 
4 dates, pitted, soaked
 
Salad
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly-sliced red cabbage
1 to 2 carrots, grated or julienned
½ cup daikon, julienned  
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
 
 
In large mixing bowl, combine salad ingredients and toss well. Blend dressing ingredients until smooth. Toss dressing with salad, to taste.  Serves 4 to 6.

 

Gearing up for Back to School

Submitted by on August 19, 2010 - 9:59pm.
August is a great time to regroup and assess what might make the next school year more fulfilling for your child. Common reasons people call to make appointments are the following:
 
1) Help with adjustment to new school or daycare situation. 
Children do better when we address these changes proactively to keep them balanced through the change. Any observations you have on how your child has handled change/stress in the past will help us treat them holistically. For example, does your child tend to have trouble sleeping or act out with tantrums during times of change? If so, we can help balance the nervous system ahead of time to minimize these problems in September. Families that stay ahead of the curve are happy families!
2) Lingering health problems such as ADHD, asthma, allergies, stomachaches, or eczema. August is a perfect time to start treatment for these issues, and get into a new routine before school starts.  
3) Sleep problems. Nothing brings out sleep difficulties like a Portland summer. If your child is up until 10 pm and groggy in the morning, we can help shift those patterns so that schoolnights are spent in valuable sleep instead of power struggles. Proper sleep enhances learning, mood, and optimizes music and sports performance (not to mention quality of life!). 
 

Dr.

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Reconnecting with yourself: Autumn as a time of healing

Submitted by on August 19, 2010 - 9:57pm.
As we prepare to leave the fun, expansive energy of summer, and look forward to the contemplative regrouping that Fall often brings, we invite you to take stock of what will nourish you in this coming season. Fall is a time of organization and new beginnings; it is a time when the growth of summer turns to the contraction toward winter. Fall is a wonderful cleansing and healing time—a superb time to start new routines, lose weight (as opposed to the winter, where the cold tends to make us want to hold onto weight), and a superb time for healing. Fall is an ideal time to balance the immune system before winter is here, address fatigue or depression, and to heal endocrine imbalances (female and thyroid hormone problems) as well as concentration or memory deficiencies. 
 

If you (or someone you care about) have been waiting to improve your physical or emotional health, this Fall is the perfect time to take charge and try a new approach. Why are we mentioning Fall when it is August? Because we are now booking new patients for the second week of September! We have experienced huge growth and are planning ahead ourselves.   Turn to September on your calendar and give us a call to schedule your first appointment, which will include a full health evaluation, physical exam, and customized treatment plan to get you started on your individual goals toward health and wellness.    You’ll be glad you did! 

What’s the fuss about Gluten?

Submitted by on August 19, 2010 - 9:55pm.

Gluten free products are the fastest growing sector of the grocery market. Why? The incidence of gluten related health problems appears to be rising. Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects your ability to absorb nutrients, and also creates an immune response to the gliadin (the protein in gluten) can manifest itself as joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes, digestive problems, neurological problems, thyroid disorders, iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption. What many people don’t realize is that even without a formal celiac diagnosis, you may be gluten intolerant . This problem is called non-Celiac gluten enteropathy.    Many of our patients benefit from a gluten free diet. 

Testing for gluten intolerance and disease has expanded as well. There are saliva tests, blood tests and biopsies that can confirm or deny a diagnosis of celiac disease. Some of these tests are combined with other regular tests that can discover other causes of the symptoms being experienced. 

Ask us about what types of testing makes sense for you!

For those of you in Portland, here's a list of gluten free restaurants.  

Lemon Oregano Halibut w/ Asparagus

Submitted by on May 24, 2010 - 11:01pm.
  • 3.5 oz halibut, or any whitefish
  • 6 asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed off
  • 1 TBLS vegetable broth
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400F. Tear off a large sheet of non-stick aluminum foil. 
In the center of this sheet, place asparagus spears, broth and sprinkle with salt/pepper. Place whitefish on top of asparagus and top with oregano, salt/pepper and 2–3 thin slices of lemon. Fold up edges and completely seal packet on all sides. Bake 10–20 mins, until fish flakes. Top with a sqeeze of lemon juice.

 

No Head Shots!

Submitted by on March 26, 2010 - 9:07pm.
March is Brain Injury Awareness month. There are over 3.8 million new brain injuries in the US every year. In fact, these injuries have increased 21% since 2004, due in part to greater sports involvement in the young and falls in the elderly. Head injury may or may not involve a concussion or loss of consciousness. According to a new report, the groups at highest risk for brain injuries are children from birth to 4 years of age, adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and adults 65 years and older. Falls were the leading cause of brain injury (35.2%), and rates were highest for children from birth to 4 years and for adults 75 years and older. At a recent American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting Douglas Smith, MD, a professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania stated that there is not such thing as a mild head injury. While the treatment up until recently has been observation and release, we are now learning that there are often health problems directly related to the injury, be it whiplash, a fall, or a sports injury. Some of the symptoms that may present 6 or more months after the injury are: cognitive deficits, anxiety, insomnia, depression, infertility, headaches, sleep apnea, and gastrointestinal problems.  
 
What can be done about it?

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Research and Natural Medicine

Submitted by on March 26, 2010 - 9:00pm.
You asked for updates on research on natural medicine --so you’ve got it. In the last month, there have been many of new studies published. We want to highlight two important findings, one about neurofeedback and brain plasticity and the other on homeopathy.
 
The first was a study about neurofeedback, which shows that brain plasticity does appear to be affected positively by neurofeedback. Plasticity is the ability of neurons to make more connections, which increases the flexibility of the brain--leading to enhanced concentration/memory, problem solving skills, and decision making abilities. The effects of even a small amount of neurofeedback show that the brain retains the affects for long periods afterward. The authors suggest that more serious consideration should be applied to neurofeedback as an alternative to expensive medication in the treatment of a variety of neurologically mediated conditions. Dr. Gil Winkelman at Insights to Health is one of four doctors in Portland offering neurofeedback for medical conditions as well as mental health conditions (he is the only physician who has also has a graduate degree in mental health). He recently was a keynote speaker at the Northwest Brain Injury Association's annual conference.
 

The second study showed how homeopathic remedies kill cancer cells in vitro.

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The Absorption of Vitamin D

Submitted by on March 26, 2010 - 8:57pm.

Winter is officially over --so you don’t have to worry about your vitamin D levels, right? Well, not exactly. From now until the end of October is the time to start increasing your stores of vitamin D. By getting just 20-30 minutes of summer sun exposure (avoid burning), you can produce up to 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day.  To gain maximum benefit, time sun exposure for the time of day when your shadow is shorter than your height (often between 10am and 2pm), expose as much skin as possible, and, of course, avoid wearing sunscreen. Unlike with dietary supplements, it is impossible to overdose on vitamin D obtained from sun exposure. 

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Thai Green Smoothie Recipe

Submitted by on March 25, 2010 - 10:56am.
This is a super way to start your day with fresh greens, and all the minerals and vitamins they impart. This smoothie does not contain frozen fruit, so is suitable for all but the very coldest days of the year. If prescribed, you may add your HMF powder or EFA/Cod Liver Oil if you like.
 
5 leaves kale (spines removed)
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbs unrefined coconut oil (or ½ can coconut milk)
¼ pineapple, peeled and cubed
Handful of cilantro
Handful of basil
 
Blend the ingredients in a vitamix (best), Cuisinart (good), or blender (acceptable). Enjoy!!
 

**Recipe adapted from Laurie Lane, Healthy Kitchen

 

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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