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Home >> Complementary Medicine >> Wellness / Prevention
Wellness / Prevention
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Intention is an important tool in establishing or changing an existing practice. Identifying your vision will facilitate a process of creating the final result that you desire. Change occurs one moment at a time.
I joined the Landmark Urology and Complementary Medicine practice in 1997 after responding to an invitation mailed to local nurses who belonged to the American Holistic Nurses Association. The letter from Dr. Mark McClure invited me to consider Urology nursing, while assisting him with the clinical management of his patients in a holistic setting. The challenge of starting a practice was exciting and new to everybody involved. When I consider the perseverance and leap of faith it took to respond to this opportunity, I acknowledge the result as a labor of love. We have established a holistic setting where the staff facilitates the patients healing potential through empowerment and love. Imagine the music of Enya (Enya means "to intuit") as you enter the office where photography of ancient, and beautiful places adorns the healing space. Candles burn, plants and crystals lighten the energy, and serenity challenges your senses. This healing environment is the essence of our practice, Landmark Urology and Complementary Medicine located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina. Click here to read more, new window will open. [Top] Mind, Body, Health: Parts of the Same Whole Do I believe that there is a relationship between mind and health? The answer is an unequivocal "yes." That response is affirmed for me every day, as I have the honor and privilege of helping people in their own journeys of health and discovery. But I was not trained to consider the infinite ways that mind and body are intertwined. Just the opposite. All of my schooling wholly supported the centuries-old Cartesian model, asserting that without question the mind and the body are separate. It is a view that many of my colleagues in medicine continue to hold today. Click here to read more, new window will open. By Mark McClure, MD "Mind/Body/Spirit" In recent years a new field of health care has emerged known as mind/body medicine. Mind/body medicine employs a variety of treatments and approaches including guided visualization, hypnosis, biofeedback, meditation, prayer and support groups. Once considered a New Age phenomenon, mind/body medicine is gaining respect and interest from researchers in major medical institutions around the world. One reason for this increased acceptance of mind/body medicine is the emergence of numerous well documented studies demonstrating the vital role the mind plays in both health and disease. [Top] Alfred Lord Tennyson once wrote, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." Prayer is universal in its application; it's not exclusive property of any particular religion. Prayer works for everybody. My patients have taught me that. Michael Lerner, author of the book Choices in Healing writes " . . . prayer, like creativity, like dedication to a life of service, is one of the great paths into the life of the spirit. Spirit is the spark of the Divine that unites all creation. Spirituality refers to the concepts, attitudes, and behavior that arise from our personal experience of spirit. I consider myself spiritual. As such, I honor all religions. If it feels right to them, I often offer to pray with my patients in the office, before they go to surgery, or on the operating table. Prayer brings me and my patients solace, guidance, and strength. I direct my prayer to the God of their hearts. I believe that prayer – a universal form of communication with the Divine – is a vital part of the healing process. Click here to read more, new window will open. While stress is a part of everyday life, heightened levels of stress depresses the immune system and increases the incidence of infections and a variety of more serious health problems. Although stress can’t be eliminated, it can be controlled. Reduce stress by: Exercising Regular exercise is a great way to reduce stress. As an added bonus, regular exercise improves immune function; promotes normal sleep; prevents depression; lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol; reduces the risk of osteoporosis; assists with weight loss; and averts many types of cancer (including prostate cancer). Adjust your schedule so you can exercise before or after work. Find an exercise that you enjoy. Click here to read more about ways to reduce stress. [Top]
Clinical depression affects over 17 million Americans every year, and overall 28 million Americans take antidepressant medications. While modern psychiatry focuses on
manipulating chemical (neurotransmitter) levels in the brain, the underlying cause should be sought and corrected whenever possible. To this end, patients need a thorough
medical evaluation before starting on therapy. This evaluation should consider
contributing factors such as nutritional deficiency or excess, drugs (prescription and
otherwise), low blood sugar, hormonal imbalances(testosterone, thyroid, adrenal),1,2
environmental factors (e.g. heavy metal toxicity), sleep disturbances, and food allergies.3
An attempt should be made to correct any abnormalities that may be contributing or
causing depression. Although conventional medicine relies on psychological counseling
and antidepressant prescription drugs, scientific research supports the use of the
following complementary therapies:
Exercise Regular exercise improves depression.12,13 Exercise also improves sleep, which improves mood disorders.14 Environmental Issues Toxic chemical exposure – Exposure to toxic chemicals can induce psychiatric illness.15 More than 9 million workers are exposed to solvents in the workplace. Improving ventilation or changing jobs may improve depression in affected individuals. Pesticide exposure can also cause cognitive defecits.16 Seasonal Affective Disorder - Light therapy can improve both seasonal and non-seasonal depression in up to 35% of individuals. Therapy consists of 2-3 hours of 2,000 to 3.000 lux daily.17 Diet Essential Fatty Acids – Deficiencies in omega–3 essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA found in fish oil) and an imbalance in omega –6 to omega – 3 essential fatty acid ratio can cause depression.21 Taking fish oil supplements, eating fish, and reducing the amount of saturated meat fat, dairy fat, and fat in processed food can improve depression.22 Gluten (Wheat) sensitivity - Sensitivity to wheat can cause depression; avoidance of wheat in the diet can improve depression.23 Scientists theorize that anibiiotics against gluten may be directly or indirectly neurotoxic. A simple blood test can test for antigliadin antibiodies. Aspartame - Aspartame (Brand name Nutrasweet) can cause or provoke mood disorders in susceptible individuals.24 Try eliminating aspartame from the diet. Caffeine - Caffeine affects the central nervous system and affects serotonin metabolism. Abstinence improves psychological functioning and depression in some patients.25 Monosodium glutamate (MSG) – MSG can cause a variety of adverse reactions including depression in susceptible individuals. MSG is often hidden as “natural flavoring(s)”.26 Food Allergies - Food allergies can cause depression. Eliminating problematic foods can improve mood disorders.27 Eliminate the following common food allergens: Dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, citrus fruits, coffee, tea, alcohol, refined sugar, food additives, and any other food you eat more than three times a week. After three weeks reintroduce restricted food items one at a time. If symptoms reoccur or worsen with reintroduction of a particular food item, eliminate it from the diet. Malnutrition - common among elderly institutionalized individuals, can cause or contribute to depression.28 Prescription Drugs Eliminating drugs that cause depression can improve mood disorders.29,30 Cholesterol-lowering drugs can cause depression in older individuals.31 Acupuncture Traditional Chinese Medicine can help patients with depression.32 Meditation Meditation can improve a variety of mood disorders including depression.33 * Most of the following citations were obtained from Clinical Pearls Database 1989-2001, 3301 Alta Arden,
1 Seidman, Stuart N. and Rabkin, Judith G.,"Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Hypogonadal Men With SSRI-Refractory Depression," Journal of Affective Disorders, 1998;48:157-161. [Top] Diet Decrease the amount of salt in the diet by not adding additional salt to food and avoiding foods known to be high in salt such as junk food, microwave food, etc. Learn to read the food labels for food content. Avoid white sugar, caffeine, processed grains and corn. These food items deplete the body of vitamin B6. Eliminate red meat. Red meat produces arachidonic acid which leads to increased inflammation by the production of inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Decrease the consumption of foods that lead to production of oxalic acid. These foods include beets, spinach, vegetables of the cabbage family, eggs and asparagus. Excess amounts of oxalic acid can promote joint inflammation. Exercises and body mechanics [Top] Diabetes and Syndrome ‘X’ Contrary to what you might imagine, ‘syndrome X’ is not a new TV series; it’s a cluster of medical conditions that are a harbinger of diabetes. Syndrome X afflicts millions of Americans, most of whom are unaware that they are at increased risk of developing diabetes. Heralded by obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease, elevated serum cholesterol levels, and an elevated fasting insulin level, syndrome X is a time bomb waiting to explode. Insulin is the main culprit in syndrome X. While insulin is vital to good health (it allows our cells to process sugar efficiently), too much or too little insulin can create problems. In patients with Syndrome X, the cells become resistant to insulin’s effect. Therefore, the body has difficulty maintaining blood sugar in a healthy range. To compensate for insulin insensitivity, the body makes extra insulin. Although effective at first, the cells ultimately develop an immunity to the extra supply of insulin. Furthermore, the pancreas, the organ that makes insulin, eventually becomes tuckered out and fails to keep up with the body’s demand for insulin. When this happens, supplemental insulin is required, ushering in insulin-dependent diabetes. Excess insulin creates other problems. For instance, obesity is a common side effect of extra insulin. Excess insulin increases the conversion of sugar to fat. The ‘battle of the bulge’ begins when fat cells become insulin resistant. In response, the body to make more insulin, which creates more fat cells, and so forth. Furthermore, excess insulin increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer such as colon cancer. The story goes like this: Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer because colonic cells undergo a rapid turnover. Rapidly dividing cells are more likely to develop mutations (genetic abnormalities that can lead to cancer) than normal cells. Insulin is a potent cellular growth promoter, which increases the risk of colon cancer by providing colonic cells with high-octane fuel that makes them grow even faster. Fortunately, the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes isn’t inevitable; it can be prevented. The following natural measures can reverse or at least improve insulin sensitivity, even in patients that already have diabetes: Regular exercise – Exercise regularly - walking briskly at least 3-4 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes, fast enough to sweat and raise your heart rate, is a good form of exercise. Choose a form of exercise you enjoy. The most important factor is developing a regular exercise habit. In other words, turn off the boob tube, stash your video card, and get up and boogie. Stress reduction – go on a news fast (don’t read the newspaper or listen to the newscast), practice deep breathing, beautify your environment, practice forgiveness (starting with yourself), release any grudges, volunteer to help others, avoid negative thoughts and speech, live each day to its fullest. Supplements – take a high potency vitamin, which usually entails taking 6 pills or capsules daily in divided doses with meals. Also take 300 mg. of alpha-lipoic acid daily. These supplements are available in any health food stores. Omega three fatty acids – Flax seeds are an excellent source of this health-promoting essential fatty acid. Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkle one tablespoon over cereal or vegetables twice daily (keep the unused portion in a sealed container in the refrigerator). Weight loss – every little bit helps. Eat smaller portions and stop eating when you are no longer hungry, instead of when you’re full. The incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes (formerly known as adult onset diabetes) has tripled in the US during the last two decades. This increase is due in large part to the epidemic of obesity in this country: Over half of the American adult population is overweight, one third of which are obese. Worse yet, over a third of American children are obese. Why? Americans eat an average of twenty-two pounds of refined sugar yearly and derive one third of their calories from junk food that is laced with fat, salt, and sugar. As a result, increasing numbers of adolescent children are afflicted with syndrome X and non-insulin dependent diabetes. As parents, we can reverse this trend by instilling our children with good health habits. Begin by serving a nutritious, well balanced diet; limiting their caloric intake; and emphasizing regular exercise. The most valuable gift you can give your children is one that money can’t buy – the gift of health. A healthy diet – eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, and twenty-five grams of fiber daily. Just say no to junk food. Eat 60% of your calories from complex carbohydrates; 20% from mainly vegetable-based protein; and 20% from fat (limit saturated animal fat). Avoid refined sugar. This ratio is only a starting point and may need to be modified depending on your blood sugar response. The best type of diet for a particular individual, though, depends on a variety of factors. Check with your physician for advice. A book by Barry Sears entitled, The Zone, offers some helpful suggestions. Consume foods which are low on the glycemic index (see a sample list under the heading of glycemic index listed below). Glycemic Index: - foods with a glycemic index(GI) of 100 or above are very quick to release sugar into the bloodstream. To slow down this release, combine any food that has a high GI with another that has a low one. Some examples of how various foods rate are as follows:
Avoid items containing white sugar, caffeine, alcohol and white flour. Avoid foods high in saturated and polyunsaturated fats. Try using Stevia as a sweetner (available in health food stores or by calling Body Ecology at 1-800-478-3842) rather than nutrasweet. Nutrasweet (aspartame), which contains the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, and methanol (wood alcohol), is associated with frequent side effects. (NOTE: If you have diabetes, check with your physician before instituting any of the changes listed above. The above measures can improve insulin sensitivity, thereby making your diabetic medication more effective. As a result, your blood sugar may drop significantly. Therefore, your physician may need to adjust your medication downward.) Don't smoke It can kill you. Enough said. Take care of yourself - Pay particular attention to skin and nail care by avoiding skin abrasions, poorly fitting shoes, and injuries to digits when trimming nails. See your physician for regular check-ups. * References: [Top] Follow the aids to optimal health Exercise regularly. Dr. Andrew Weil states that exercise is the number one therapy for Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). He suggests starting with just 5 minutes a day, if necessary, and then gradually building to 20-30 minutes a day at least four times a week. According to Weil, gentle exercises such as water aerobics, riding a stationary bike, and stretching are best. Although the pain may get worse at first, it will soon diminish. Body work with techniques such as the Feldenkrais Method and Craniosacral therapy with myofascial release is helpful in some cases of FMS. Specially designed magnets applied to painful areas are helpful for some individuals suffering from FMS. Magnets are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and come either individually or contained in products such as seat cushions, mattresses, and pillows. Get plenty of rest. Helpful aids include:
[Top] Follow the recommendations listed under "aids to optimal health".
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