How ANYONE Can be a Naturopath in 10 Simple Steps

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

One day a student from UW Med School followed me around on my Bastyr Internship Rounds and said, “is being a Naturopathic Doctor all about fish oil and probiotics?”

To which I responded, “pretty much.”

As much as this is a little tongue in cheek humor for my colleagues, I hope you all will be reminded of the pillars of health.

Plus I don’t have all the time in the world to nag everyone on the planet so here is how you can help Dr. Nicole on her nagging mission:

#1 Tell everyone to investigate and TREAT THE ROOT CAUSE of their health problem. Remember that “Disease is Our Teacher” and symptoms are the only way the body can send messages that something has gone haywire. Read more

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Safeway: Dr. Nicole Grocery Shops From Home

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

I had to “product test” Safeway.com’s option to have groceries delivered and was quite pleased by the experience!

First of all let’s give mad Props to delivery man Jeff that was friendly and walked me through the process, suggesting that in the future I click the option to allow for substitutions because if I don’t want it he’ll just take it back to my local Safeway and refund my account.

Jeff gets a gold star for not taking my tip as well, since I hadn’t ordered groceries online before I wasn’t sure what kind of tip I should give and all my friends that I consulted with weren’t sure either. So I just handed him the tip and asked, “for future reference what do people normally tip you for your service?”

To which he replied, “we don’t accept tips.” Pheew! Okay that disaster was everted and I had also saved another few bucks to boot! It is also nice to know that there are still some honest people out there these days.

BONUSES OF SHOPPING ONLINE:

• No people in my way
• No waiting in lines
• No pointless small talk with strangers
• No impulse shopping
• No screaming children…yes I still scream and cry when I don’t get the candy I want…. *wink*

The nice thing about Safeway grocery delivery is that you can also have groceries sent to sick or elderly friends that are shut in, or low on funds…a “care package” for your broke college kids!

It is also simple to use their site and search for the latest deals as they come up!

I found many of the organic and natural products I frequently use on sale and was given the Buyers Club discount.

Most of the produce I buy are from the Farmers Market near my house so I just need the basic staples. But, I found some good deals online at Safeway too and the search function makes it virtually impossible to mess up!

As I said earlier, I found it much less tempting to impulse shop online, and it was easier to find the deals and check them out, since they pop up as the top choice.

My overall grocery “cybertrip” was only about half of what I normally pay due to lack of impulse shopping.

Online shopping may be a great way for people to lose weight as they distance themselves from the immediacy of food and impulse shopping.

Remember if you have a sick or shut in friend or relative you can always tell them you would be happy to have some groceries delivered. This is thoughtful and easy thanks to Safeway.com! Act like it is no big deal because you get it free from work or something. People are proud, but they are also grateful.

Which is why we all need to adopt the homeless, weak, and elderly in need around us and consider what true poverty, loneliness, sickness, and isolation is.

Of course I had to product test this before I could recommend it, and was certainly happy to because….

Grocery store shoppingis the Trifecta of everything I detest (had to use that because I gave up the Hate for 2008)

In conclusion I was delighted to beta test this whole Safeway delivery thing my friend has been bragging about for five years. We have it set up as an an affiliate program so if you click through any Safeway banners (of just book mark) this page we get a small donation which helps us unleash the inner fabulosity of our free healthy breaking news and nags!

Thanks for your purchases!

Dr. Nicole

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Environmental Working Group

Nothing is more important to us than protecting our children. Which is precisely why we’re huge fans of Environmental Working Group (EWG.org).

Feeding our children should be about choosing first foods, messy bibs, and learning to use a cup – not keeping tabs on scientifc research to avoid harmful chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA).

We want EWG at the table, advocating for our kids – and yours – so their health is no longer compromised by toxic chemicals like BPA, which is dangerous to kids’ growing bodies, implicated in diseases and problems such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, and cancer. Read more

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What is a Naturopathic Physician?

A Naturopathic Physician will address your health care complaints from a “whole person” perspective with the holistic goal to improve your overall functioning from a mind, body, and spirit approach.

Although Naturopath’s are licensed to prescribe medications, most follow a “Therapeutic Order” which involves using therapeutic diet and lifestyle improvements along with other complimentary medicine modalities such as herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, and other low intervention therapeutics to help the body achieve a better state of balance. Drugs may be prescribed temporarily, or as a last resort solution.

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct form of primary health care. True licensed “Naturopathic Physicians” have completed eight years of medical training along with a two year medical internship. Naturopathic physicians are primary health care practitioners, whose diverse techniques include both modern and traditional methods of treatment.

The principles of naturopathic medicine are part of what distinguishes the naturopathic approach to health care from the conventional approach; and are based on objective observation of the nature of health and disease. The following principles are the foundation of naturopathic medical practice:

The Healing Power of Nature Vis Medicatrix Naturae Read more

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Bastyr Herb Fair June 6th!

Mark your calenders! June 6th is the Bastyr Herb Fair!

Our own “Doc Martin” - Eric Martin, Acupuncturist and master herbalist, will be leading herb walks at this year’s 11th Annual Bastyr Herb Fair! I probably won’t be there because I don’t like crowds of people… and already know it all! (Just kidding). Anyway, this is a fun free time for friends and family.

Be sure to try the acupressure foot path! I plan to talk about how to make your own foot path soon. It is pretty simple - anyone who can pour a cement path can do it. You just need to stick some smooth river rocks about halfway in to properly massage the feet.

This is a great opportunity learn a bit more about herbs! Read more

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Gluten-Free Alcoholic Drinks

By Dr. Selena Eon

As a physician, I don’t encourage drinking alcoholic beverages in the early stages of the gluten-free diet—please give your gut time to heal before adding alcohol to your diet. However, consumption of alcoholic beverages can be part of a healthful gluten-free diet for many, so long as the beverages chosen are gluten-free and consumed in moderation.

There is no one definition of “moderation”, but generally the term is used to describe a lower risk pattern of drinking, as shown in various epidemiological studies.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, drinking in moderation is defined as having no more than 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men. This definition refers to the amount consumed on any single day and is not intended to be used as an average over several days.

It can be frustrating trying to find alcoholic beverages that are gluten-free, primarily because alcoholic beverages are not required to display an ingredient label. Because alcohol is not regulated by the FDA, the FDA ingredient labeling requirements do not apply. How do you know if your beverage is gluten-free when there is no label and no ingredient list? It can be tricky!

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is has been petitioning the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Bureau since 2003 to require ingredients and nutrition facts on alcohol labels, but so far, there is no law requiring ingredient lists on alcoholic beverages. You can help your lawmakers understand how important the labeling issue is to people with food sensitivies, check out this petition for more information.

Finding appropriate alcoholic beverages can certainly be a challenge, but Kitchen Table Medicine is here to help! Luckily, there are many choices that ARE gluten-free!

Alright, enough already—WHAT CAN I DRINK?

Previously, persons on the gluten-free diet were advised to consume only pure wine, potato vodka, rum and tequila. This is still good advice, and the safest approach possible, but I believe this approach is overly cautious and unnecessarily limits your choices.

False information about gluten and alcoholic beverages is rife on the internet, so it is easy to become confused. I agree that being cautious is incredibly important when following a strict gluten-free diet, but I also believe that causing unnecessary lifelong restriction of any food is unacceptable!

Newer wisdom on the subject dictates that all distilled liquors are gluten-free, even those derived from a gluten containing grain. Distilled liquors are gluten-free no matter what the original source ingredients are because the distillation process ensures that none of the gluten from the original ingredients can remain in the finished product.

It is reasonable to assume that all pure distilled liquors must therefore be gluten-free. For more information, check out this article on gluten and distillation. The only exceptions to the blanket statement that distilled liquors are all gluten-free are situations in which gluten-containing ingredients are added in after distillation.

I researched rumors about gluten-containing whiskey mash being added in after distillation of whiskey, but found no major manufacturers in the US who report adding gluten-containing mash to the distilled whiskey.

Another potential problem could be liquors in which caramel coloring is added. Caramel coloring may contain gluten, primarily if the ingredient is produced outside the USA, but not always. Thus, many on gluten-free diets may choose to avoid dark colored liquors because caramel coloring may be in the liquor and represent a potential source of gluten.

It is safest to avoid dark colored liquors because without food labels it is difficult, if not impossible, to know if caramel color is used in the liquor, and if so, if the caramel color is gluten-free. Individual consumers may be able to request this information from manufacturers, but most manufacturers are unlikely to promise the product gluten-free because manufacturers in mass-production environments are typically unaware of the source of an ingredient like caramel color.

If gluten-containing caramel color is present in a particular liquor, it is usually found in very small amounts, and people typically consume small amounts of liquor, so the amount of gluten in the alcohol may be negligible. Even so, I still recommend avoiding these suspect beverages as the safest long-term choice of action because there is no way to know how much gluten is in the drink.

I also recommend avoiding most prepared cocktails (strawberry daiquiris, margaritas, mojitos) when out, as the mixes commonly used contain lots of sugar, usually in the form of disgusting high-fructose corn syrup- a non-food best avoided by everyone.

If you want to order one of these cocktails, it is best to ask your bar or restaurant if you can see the ingredients on their mixer before you order. I found that many of my favorite restaurants carry a high-quality mixer made from real juices and pure cane sugar—but you can only get it if you order the “top shelf” drink with more expensive liquor.

If you mix your alcoholic beverage with another beverage, such as soda, tonic water, root beer, orange juice, be sure to check that your mixer is also gluten free. I have listed some popular mixers below, but did not mention sodas or juices. Most sodas and juices are gluten-free, but check the label to be sure.

Gluten-free alcoholic beverage choices- the list below is in alphabetic order.

• Armagnac – made from grapes.
• Beer: most beers contain gluten. However, there are now gluten-free beers on the market!
             Redbridge- easiest to find nationally, produced by Anheiser-Busch.
             Bard’s Tale brand (several varieties, most common is Dragon’s Gold)
             Green’s (several varieties)
• Bourbon – Makers Mark is definitely GF.
• Brandy
• Champagne
• Cider – fermented from apples or other fruits. Some are safe, however, many add barley for enzymes and flavor. Be sure to read labels or contact manufacturer. Spire Ciders are GF.
• Cognac – made from grapes.
• Gin
• Grappa
• Kahlua
• Kirschwasser (cherry liqueur)
• Margarita Mix:
          Jose Cuervo.
          Mr. & Mrs. T.
• Martini: traditional martinis are generally GF. Common mixes:
         Club Extra Dry Martini (corn & grape).
         Club Vodka Martini (corn & grape).
• Mead – distilled from honey.
• Mistico:
         Jose Cuervo Mistico (agave and cane).
• Mixes & Cooking Alcohol:
         Club Tom Collins (corn).
         Dimond Jims Bloody Mary Mystery.
         Holland House – all EXCEPT Teriyaki Marinade and Smooth & Spicy Bloody Mary Mixes.
         Mr. & Mrs. T – all Except Bloody Mary Mix.
         Spice Islands – Cooking Wines – Burgundy, Sherry and White. However, I suggest cooking with REAL wine as cooking wines are poor quality.
         Stirrings- they make a variety of cocktail mixes, higher quality that most mixes.
• Ouzo – made from grapes and anise.
• Rum
• Sake – fermented with rice and Koji enzymes. The Koji enzymes are grown on Miso, which is usually made with barley. The two-product separation from barley, and the manufacturing process should make it gluten-free.
• Scotch Whiskey.
• SherrySparkling Wine
• Tequila
• Vermouth
• Vodka
• Wine – all wines, including port wines and sherry, are gluten-free.
  Wine Coolers: Despite the name, most wine coolers are malt based and contain gluten.
         Bartle & James – wine-based beverages only.
         Boones – wine-based beverages only
• Whiskey- Jack Daniels’ Black Label Whiskey is GF. Maker’s Mark Whiskey is GF. Seagram’s Crown Whiskey is also GF. Other whiskeys likely are, as per previous discussion, however are not confirmed by the manufacturer.

If you have any questions about celiac disease, you are welcome to ask them in the comments section and they will be addressed in future articles.

Dr. Selena Eon practices in Bellevue, WA and you may contact her at
(206) 228-9537 or visit www.drselenaeon.com

Related reading:

Celiac Disease

Eating Gluten-Free on a Budget

Wheat and Gluten-Free Recipes

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Food Allergy Elimination Diet

If you or your physician suspect that you might have a food allergy you can follow these basic guidelines to best determine the food that is the culprit.

Symptoms of food allergies can be insidious or immediate and include symptoms such as: skin rashes, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, suppressed immune system, autoimmunity, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, brain fog, neurological symptoms and much more.

Because 70% of our immune system surrounds our gut in the form of GALT (Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue) it only makes sense that food allergies and intolerances easily place a burden on our immune system.

Blood testing for food allergies may be helpful for children or patients that are unable to follow this regimented of a diet such as those with a history of eating disorders. However, blood testing for allergies is truly only 60-70% accurate.

The immune system creates either IgA or IgE responses to food. IgE reactions are immediate and typically result in anaphylactic shock whereas IgA allergies are insidious and most patients only notice improvement once the food has been eliminated for at least four days. Food allergy testing only identifies foods that create these IgA or IgE immunological responses; and not those that an individual is intolerant to. Lactose intolerance for instance is a classic example of a food like milk causing a problem such as diarrhea without the presence of allergy.

The gold standard for determining food allergies/intolerances is therefore the Elimination Diet. Be sure to follow the specific diet prescribed to you by your physician.

As with any health care suggestions given here be sure to check with your physician before attempting a food allergy elimination diet. Those with history of eating disorders whether active or dormant for instance are not candidates for this regimented of a diet. If you are suffering from any chronic health complaints you absolutely should not attempt this on your own and should be under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.

To identify foods that may be causing some or all of your symptoms. During the elimination period, foods that commonly cause symptoms are completely eliminated from the diet for one to two weeks. After your symptoms improve, foods are added back one at a time to determine which foods provoke symptoms. The following is a basic template used by many health care providers and may need to be modified to suit your specific needs.

FOODS YOU MAY EAT:

Cereals:Hot: cream of rice, quinoa cereal (Quinoa Flakes).
Dry: puffed rice, puffed millet

Grains: Rice: no wild rice but all kinds of other rice including rice products such as pasta (Brands: Pastariso, Lundberg), plain rice cakes, rice bread without yeast (Brand:Energy), mochi (found frozen or fresh in Asian stores), buckwheat (kasha), millet, quinoa (a quick cooking grain), amaranth, and teff

Flours: Rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, bean flours, and tapioca

Fruit: All fruits except citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit)

Protein: Meat: lamb and wild game meats such as venison
Beans/legumes: all beans and legumes, except soy and peanuts. Check labels of canned beans, dips and soups for sweeteners, spices and additives (Brand: Taste Adventure dried refried beans and split pea soup). Do not eat canned beans with chemical additives (EDTA)

Vegetables: All vegetables except tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and corn

Nuts/Seeds: All nuts and seeds except peanuts

Oils/fats: All oils except peanut oil, corn oil and soybean oil

Sweeteners: Maple syrup (pure) and brown rice syrup

Beverages: Water (plain, mineral or sparkling), rice milk (plain or vanilla – check labels for ingredients, gums are allowed but barley malt or corn syrup are not allowed), all fruit juices except citrus juices are allowed and all herbal teas are allowed

Condiments: All condiments are allowed except for chocolate, tomato products (catsup), pepper products (Tabasco, hot peppers), and vinegars that contain malt or other ingredients requiring elimination. Black pepper is allowed. Check all condiments to make sure that the ingredients are allowed.

Elimination Diet Guidelines

1. Do not eat any food that you suspect is causing symptoms even if it is on the list of acceptable foods.

2. Use only those foods allowed unless you check with your health practitioner. READ LABELS! “Flour” usually means wheat flour, “vegetable oil” may mean corn oil or soybean oil, casein and whey are dairy products, and potato and soy flour is in some gluten free foods.

3. Withdrawal symptoms may occur during the first few days or week on the diet. Some or all of your symptoms may increase temporarily. You also may experience symptoms that you do not usually experience. The symptoms usually subside within 10 days. The following may help you feel better: drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, buffered vitamin C, baths with Epsom salts or baking soda, naps and mild exercise such as walking.

4. The elimination diet may be followed for up to 4 weeks. When you have had 5 days in a row, without symptoms or your symptoms have decreased you are ready to challenge.

5. If no improvement occurs in 4 weeks, then the food substances were probably not the cause of your problem and you can gradually return to a normal diet.

HOW TO CHALLENGE

Start: Begin challenging when you have been on the elimination diet for at least 2 weeks and when you have had at least 5 days in a row without symptoms or at least your symptoms have decreased.

Challenge: Challenge one food or food group at a time, eating the recommended amount of food for 3 days in a row. For instance if you are challenging dairy you should have a glass of milk three times a day for three days. Try to use the purest form of the food possible. Cream of wheat is a better choice than bread when testing wheat for instance in order to ensure that the problem is the wheat in the bread and not the yeast or any other additives.

Stop: If symptoms occur, stop the challenge. Do not start the next challenge until you have had 1 full day free of symptoms.

When you challenge, keep a record of both your physical and behavioral symptoms.

Be patient, reactions can take up to 48 hours to begin. If you hurry your challenges, you are likely to end up getting confused and having to start again. If a reaction is doubtful, wait until the end of the challenge period and repeat the challenge to confirm a reaction.

Food Challenges: When challenging individual foods, eat one serving three times a day along with the elimination diet foods. Challenge for at least three days.

Occasionally some patients will have severe “anaphylactic” reactions to a food they are challenging. If you experience extreme symtpoms such as shortness of breath, sensation of your airway closing, swollen tongue or lips, redness or swelling of your entire body, or any other symptoms of an urgent nature do not hesitate to call 911. These symptoms can come on quite suddenly and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Meal Planning
Breakfast Ideas
• Mochi with cashew butter, peeled pear or apple
• Rice toast with cashew butter, pear
• Rice cereal and rice milk
• Rice pudding with soy milk

Lunch and Dinner Ideas
• Lamb, rice and green beans
• Lentil soup and rice crackers
• Cabbage soup and rice bread toast
• Beans and rice, lettuce salad
• Rice cakes with cashew butter, celery sticks
• Lamb, cabbage and rice soup
• Lettuce salad with cashews, celery, shallots and mung bean sprouts
• Rice pasta with parsley and green beans
• Bean soup and rice cakes
• Split pea soup and rice bread toast

Helpful Hints:
Eat as much as you want.
Add cold pressed oil to vegetables and rice for flavor and calories.
Read a good book (not a cookbook!)

RECIPES

Combination Cereals

Hearty Morning Cereal
1/2 cup amaranth
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup teff
1/4 cup cashews

Sweet Rice Cereal
1 cup brown rice
1 cup sweet brown rice

Cashew Millet Cereal
1 cup millet
1 cup brown rice
1 cup cashews

Millet and Quinoa Cereal
1 1/2 cup millet
1 cup amaranth or quinoa

Place all grains and nuts in a fine strainer; rinse and drain. Toast grains in one of two ways:

Oven toasting:
Preheat oven to 350? F. Spread grains on a cookie sheet and toast in oven until they give off a nutty aroma (12-15 minutes).

Skillet toasting:
Place washed grains in a large skillet on burner and toast on medium heat, stirring constantly, until grains give off a nutty aroma (5 – 8 minutes).

Let toasted grains cool and store in sealed container. You can toast a big batch of several different grains at one time and store them in separate jars.
For the best nutrition, grind grains just prior to using in a small electric grinder or food processor. Once a grain is ground it begins to lose nutritional value within 24 to 48 hours. Store the whole toasted grains in labeled, sealed containers and grind the amount you need before cooking.

To cook ground grains into cereal use 1/3-cup ground cereal and 1 cup water per person. Combine cereal and water in a pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Using a flame-tamer or heat deflector on the burner while simmering the cereal helps prevent scorching or sticking.

Top plain cooked cereal with a little fruit sauce topping.

Amaranth Breakfast Cereal
1 cup amaranth
2 cups water
1 pear, peeled and chopped

In a small saucepan, bring the amaranth, water and pear to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed. Garnish cereal with maple syrup, vanilla or rice milk.

Rice Waffles
2 cups rice flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups rice milk
3 tbsp. safflower oil

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the milk and oil gradually, stirring the mixture constantly until smooth. Bake in a hot oiled waffle iron. Serves 4

Rice Pancakes
1/2 cup ground cashews
1 1/2-Cup amaranth, quinoa or rice flours 1 1/4-cup water
1 tsp. baking powder 2 tbsp. oil

Combine dry ingredients, mix well. Combine liquid ingredients in small bowl, mix well. Stir into dry ingredients. Cook pancakes on preheated, un-greased, non-stick griddle or fry pan. When bubbly and brown, turn. As batter thickens, add water, a tablespoon at a time to keep cakes thin.

Minestra
1 head cabbage, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
16 oz can white beans, drained

In a large pot, steam cabbage with a small amount of water. Cook until soft. Remove cooked cabbage from pot and add oil and garlic. Sauté garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage back to the pot with enough water to cover the cabbage by 1 inch. Add bean to cabbage and let cook for 30 minutes on low heat. Add salt to taste.

Nutty Drizzle (serve over grain, vegetables or pasta)
1/4 cup cashew butter
1/3 cup water

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir with a whisk until mixture is smooth and warm. Serve over your favorite grain, vegetables or pasta.

Quinoa Pilaf
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on high heat. When quinoa comes to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Option: This mixture can be eaten warm as is or cold as a salad with added chopped vegetables.

Lentil Stew (6 servings)
1 lamb leg bone or 4 oz lamb blade steak, trimmed of fat and chopped (optional)
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 green cabbage, chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups green lentils, washed and checked for stones
chopped parsley

Heat canola oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lamb bone or steak (optional). Sauté until brown on all sides. Add cabbage and garlic. Sauté until soft and just beginning to brown. Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer with a lid on until lentils and lamb are very tender, 1-2 hours. After cooking, add parsley to taste.

Falafel
3-4 cups cooked garbanzo beans
5 cloves minced garlic
1 cup parsley
2-3 tbsp. safflower oil
3-4 tbsp. water
1 tsp. cashew butter
garbanzo bean flour

Mix all ingredients in food processor except the flour. When smooth, add flour until a thick batter/thin dough consistency is reached. Fry in oil in skillet until browned/crisp on both sides. Top with tofu dressing.

Black Bean Garlic Stir Fry
4 cloves garlic, minced
chopped vegetables (cabbage, scallions, leeks, celery, green beans)
chives and parsley, to taste
2 cups cooked black beans
4 cups cooked rice

Sauté garlic in a wok or large skillet. Add chopped vegetables and sauté until soft. Add chives and parsley and black beans and cook until heated thoroughly. Serve over rice.

Bean Dip
2 shallots
1/2 cup chopped leeks
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz cooked beans (Garbanzo, black, kidney or white)
1 tbsp. cashew butter
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. oil

In a small skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add leeks, shallots and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes or until leeks are soft. While vegetables cook, add remaining ingredients to a food processor. When vegetables are cooked, add to bean mixture in food processor. Process until all ingredients are well mixed and texture is creamy. Allow to cool before eating.

Split Peas and Rice (serves 4)
3 tbsp. oil 2 cups brown rice
1 leek chopped 6 cups water
1 clove garlic minced 1 cup yellow split peas
2 tsp. chopped chives
2 tsp. chopped parsley

In a large heavy pot, heat 3 tbs. oil and sauté leeks, garlic, chives and parsley until leeks are tender. Stir in rice and cook for 5 minutes or until rice begins to turn white. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook covered for 20 minutes. Add split peas to the cooking rice and cook 30 minutes more.

Split Pea Delight
1/4 cup dried green split peas
1/4 carrot, sliced
1 1/4 cups water

Wash peas and scrub carrot. Put peas, carrot, and water in a small pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Puree in a blender.

Bean Salad
2 cups cooked beans (lentils, black, kidney, chick peas)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 shallots chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp. oil

Combine the beans and chopped vegetables in a large bowl and toss until well mixed. Add oil and salt to taste and mix until beans and vegetables are evenly coated.

Rice Pasta and Vegetables
1 package rice pasta cooked according to package directions
2 leeks, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped or 2 tsp. dried
2 tbsp. safflower oil

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, shallots and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes until leeks are soft. Add fresh parsley and chives and cook 1 minute longer. Remove vegetables from heat. Add rice pasta to vegetables, mix well. Add salt to taste.

Rice Salad
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup celery
2 tbsp. fresh chives
1 cup chopped red cabbage
1 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup cashews
2 tbsp. oil

Toss brown rice with chopped vegetables and cashew nuts until evenly mixed. Add oil and salt to taste. Optional: add 1/2 cup to 1 cup canned beans or lentils.

Rice Pudding
* this recipe can be made with cooked leftover rice or uncooked rice
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup rice milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Place cooked rice in a pan with the rice milk. Heat on medium heat until most or all of the rice milk has been absorbed. Remove pan from heat. Add vanilla. If consistency is too hard, add more rice milk and return to stove.

To make this recipe with uncooked rice, add I cup uncooked rice with 2 cups rice milk and 1 cup water. Cook like ordinary rice. When rice is cooked, add vanilla.

Millet and Pears
1 cup millet
2 cup water or rice milk
1 pear, peeled and chopped

In a pan, bring millet, water and pear to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. remove from stove top. Mix well. If desired, add some rice milk for a creamier texture.

Fruit Sauce
Use 1 cup water per 1/4 cup cut-up pear or apple. Peel and slice the fruit. Place cut-up fruit and water in a pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the fruit is tender and water has cooked off (about 15 minutes). Puree in a blender.

If you are in need of support while on a food elimination diet feel free to leave your questions or challenges in the comments section. If you have a favorite tip or recipe for those on this diet please attach it as well for all to enjoy!

Just a note: Next month we’ll be focusing on food allergies – so stay tuned!

~Dr. Nicole Sundene

Read more articles on allergies

References: Food Allergies and Food Intolerances

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Anti-Aging Diet

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

“If I could turn back time….”  name that tune!

The fountain of youth is not that difficult to find. Really it is inside of all of us. It simply starts with making the better decisions when at all possible.

Let’s face it, nobody wants to BE old, nobody wants to LOOK old, and most importantly nobody wants to FEEL old. he bad news is that aging is just a reality of living.

The good news is that to some degree we can reverse the aging process, if not drastically slow it down through better diet and lifestyle decisions. After working eight years in patient care, two of which were spent with a dermatologist I have concluded that the best “preserved” older people are those that exercise, eat right, and have positive mental attitudes.

Botox and collagen will only take you so far, and in my opinion there is no substance that will give you that healthy youthful glow that only proper nutrition and exercise provide. Read more

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Are You in the Fat Burning Zone?

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

Yesterday we were talking about Fat Burning Flip Flops, and today we are going to make sure that you are working out in the fat burning zone, because as Fitness Trainer Bonnie Pfiester said in one of her last articles we need to “Make Our Workout Time Count.”

How to Calculate Your Fat Burning Zone

220-Your age=Max Heart Rate
Max Heart Rate x 0.60=Fat Burning Zone

If you aren’t in the fat burning zone when you are exercising then you really aren’t doing SQUAT to lose weight, and I am not talking about doing squats here people!

First of all, this little rant about the fat burning zone was inspired by the obese man I saw jogging along yesterday. He was jogging along red faced, sweating profusely, and had his face distorted in pain. I quickly reviewed my ABC’s of CPR:

• Airway!
• Breathing!
• Circulation!

So why did we just review the basics of CPR when discussing burning fat for weight loss?

Because most overweight people I see working out are either working out MUCH TOO hard or just not hard enough. You need to get in to that fat burning zone. If you are all red and sweaty and look like you are about to die, you are likely working too hard. If you aren’t even breaking a sweat, you likely are just wasting your time. I see this often, and then I see these same people complaining they are not losing weight.

My dad, the Ironman traithlete, gave me his “Sports Instruments” heart rate monitor about ten years ago and it still works great! I have heard that Polar and Omron are good brands as well. Remember that if you are not a professional athlete you likely don’t need the fancy one with all the bells and whistles. Simplicity is bliss!

Lance Armstrong may need to know all that but you really just need to know what your number is until you are training for the Tour de France….and maybe an estimation of calories burned to help keep you in The Reality Zone. Because to maintain weight, calories in have to equal calories burned. To lose weight…you do the math.

We just want to know the basics: your heart rate, and if you want to get fancy you can add a bit of info such as your age and weight and it will give you a ballpark figure of how many calories you just burned, which can be frighteningly depressing information.

Do you exercise with a heart rate monitor? Do you like it? Which brand do you personally use or recommend to patients? Feel free to share in the comments section of this article.

If you manufacture Heart Rate Monitors and would like me to report on your brand contact us to make arrangements for our product testing reports.

Related reading:

Fat Burning Fit-Flops

The Wave: Firm Up and Have Fun

Fueling for Fitness

Is Food a Bad Ex-Lover?

Weight-loss: Balance Your Dieting Checkbook

Make it A “Gym Date”

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The Beatles and Bipolarism

“I Want You So Bad” By The Beatles

“Here Comes the Sun”  By The Beatles

In order to view the above videos if viewing from my newsletter, you will have to click the title “Beatles and Bipolarism” in your newsletter to go straight to the article. (Sorry the video doesn’t show up! I’m not that smart yet with my coding skills! “Progress not perfection.”)

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

If there were ever to be a classic musical moment to portray bipolarism it would be done, of course, by none other than the Beatles on the classic “Abbey Road” album.  The sudden and rapid transition of the dark depressing instrumentals of ”I Want You So Bad (She’s So Heavy)” abruptly, and (thankfully I might add) stop and then suddenly, the twinkling of the next delightful song comes on, “Here Comes the Sun.”

Now the beauty of music is that we can cultivate that which is in our souls. We can replicate how we feel through our music, which is why I encourage every child to learn a musical instrument….especially the frustrated, complicated, constantly angry, and sensitive types.

If you have a child like this, I highly recommend you keep trying instruments on them until you find one that sticks. Don’t make it a punishment either. Don’t set a timer. God forbid, don’t buy a metronome. Just let it be the gift that it should be for them.

If you aren’t depressed or bipolar, it is tough to understand and have empathy for people afflicted by these conditions.  Depressed people don’t carry around IV poles, they don’t really look sick, they may actually appear to be some of the happiest most sunshiny and smiley people you know.  Carl Jung would call this “the mask that we wear,” and Jim Carey portrayed that fabulous ability to wear a mask in the movie, “The Mask.”

I’m sure you’ve seen a manic person or two dancing on the street corner.  But there are manic people all around us overeating, overshopping, overdrinking, overdruggging, or just “over-overing” as Mary O’malley describes it.

Depression has very few clear physical signs, but a disease just like any other disease depression is.  It is easy to get a lot of needless sympathy when you are rocking a hot pink cast, but when you have a case of “The Mean Reds” as Audrey Hepburn describes them in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” no one can really gather what is wrong.  Half the time you don’t even know what’s wrong either.

Just like the “I Want You So Bad” dark dreary instrumental on the Beatle’s Abbey Road.  I have been listening to the album a number of times when many friends will just get up and fast forward to the next song. Too bad you can’t just push a button and have “Here Comes the Sun”  instantly playing in the background of your brain to drown out the dreariness.

But that is bipolarism for you in a nutshell.  Obviously I could get out my DSM IV diagnostic manual and rattle off a myriad of signs and symptoms.  But the Abby Road transition is exactly what demonstrates it best in my mind.  Dark and dreary….then back to sunlight….then back again…and who knows when the song will change next?

The beauty of music albums created with intention, such as this great classic, is that if you listen to the whole album from start to finish you realize that there is a point to it all,  “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”

Abby Road is not just a random collection of music.  When I listen to this album, I am reminded that life is a masterful collection of moments in itself.  Good, bad, ugly, sad, sweet, bittersweet, regretful, shameful, painful, but hopefully sprinkled with a lot of joy and seasoned heavily with laughter. Even if we are just laughing about how hard these economic times are.

Recently, a few of my friends have been to some dark places, and having visited those places myself, I have been worried about them.  But I would just like to remind you that each mood is part of a collection.  We are not our thoughts.  We are what we are.  Are thoughts are merely clouds existing in our existence.

The clouds are part of our conditioning.  Some days they are heavier than others.  Some days it is blue skies.  According to author Mary O’Malley, 96% of our lives are experienced by the time we are six years old, because children experience time differently.  Likely, whatever is clouding your existence stems back to your childhood, and whatever is coming up right now for you is exactly what is here today to help you heal those old wounds.

The conditioning is what is in front of your face holding you back from seeing the beauty and gifts that life has to offer all around you. The conditioning is what is making you angry, the conditioning is what is making you sad.  The conditioning is what makes you live in the same drama day after day.  The conditioning results in a bipolar version of “Ground Hog Day.”

The irony of the dark dark instrumental spin off of “I Want You So Bad,” is that it sounds like the ultimate in love songs.  Doesn’t it?  Don’t we all want someone to “want us SO bad?”  Who do you “want so bad?”  Why do you want them so bad?  Why do you want to be wanted so bad?

The person you should want the ”baddest” is yourself.

We fall in that dark dark hole of depression because the person that we want so bad is truly ourselves…and only we can be there for ourselves.  Instead we spin off on a dark dreary instrumental tangent for much too long because we can’t have who we want so bad.  And all you ever really need is you.

That is why Dr. Nicole is putting the “YOU” in the, “I want you so bad.”

I like to think of that song “I want you so bad”  when I am in the dark hole.  I like to ask myself… “Nicole what is it you really need to do for yourself that you are hoping someone else will do?”

And then I do it. That is if I can.  If you are very disabled by depression you will need to ask for help. Ask me, ask your friends, family, or depression support team.  Call your doctor.

Oprah said it best on her latest series of why she “fell off the wagon” and gained the weight back,  “It’s not a weight issue, it’s a love issue.”

Likewise, with depression, it is often a self love issue too.  Once we work through that and create some self-FULL time and self-LOVE and self-GRATITUDE we can easily get to the sweet spot….that light lovely tinkering of “Little Darling, the ice is slowly melting….here comes the sun…du in du du…and it’s alright.”

There’s a video at the top of this article in case you have no idea who the Beattles are, and in that case you must watch both videos, doctor’s orders.

Don’t be stopping by my kitchen table without expecting some sort of homework assignment. *wink*

~Dr. Nicole

Related reading:

Depression Tip: Mark Your Calendar

Seasonal Affective Disorder Self-Help

The Fifteen Most Fabulous Herbal Sedatives

Can You Always Think Positive?

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How to Grow Your Hair Super Fast!

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

As I promised in my article, “It’s Hair Growing Season People!” we are all growing our hair out for Wigs for Kids (they only need 8”)! So I am going to talk about the best natural medicines for growing healthy, strong, shiny hair, super fast. After all we want those wigs looking good!

Spring and Summer are the best hair growing seasons, so to optimize the hair growing season let’s talk about the things that make hair grow FAST!

First and foremost Chinese Medicine considers hair the ”glory of the kidneys,” and what that crazy talk means is that your hair is an excess of your total well-being.

“Kidney chi” is our “energetic bank” in Chinese Medicine, and if our energetic bank is all dried up, then there is not much left over for such frivolties as hair! Think about it. The healthiest people naturally look beautiful.Second and most importantly, I would like to just say FLAXSEEDS, FLAXSEEDS, FLAXSEEDS! If you get nothing from this discussion on how to grow your hair faster, then just visit my article, “How to Unleash Your Inner Fabulosity!” and follow the instructions on adding 1-3 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseeds to your daily routine. You can do up to three tablespoons twice daily if you are a flax seed fanatic like me.

On the advice of my vet, since fish oil gives my dog the runs, I now give my Golden Retriever freshly ground flaxseeds and in just a week his coat became shiny, less itchy, and the bare patches filled in (normally this time of year he pulls his hair out like a mad man.

Thirdly we want to have PROTEIN. Flaxseeds are a great source of omega 3 oils and protein, but I would also drink a protein smoothie a day; you can add your flaxseeds to the smoothie as I recommend in my “Favorite Smoothie Recipe.”

Omega Up! If you are doing the flaxseeds hard core, you are getting enough omega 3’s to ensure shiny strong hair, if not, then try a tablespoon of fish or flax oil daily (no cod liver oil for pregnant women because the vitamin A is a teratogen.)

Multivitamin: B-vitamins are crucial to hair growth as nearly the whole B family plays a role in hair growth.

Multimineral: A mineral rich diet is important for healthy hair growth. I like the Tri-Boron Plus by Twinlab, or visit this page or your local health food store for other high quality recommendations.

Biotin: Your multivitamin may not contain that much biotin so check the label and see if you are getting the RDA.

Skip the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate! A known carcinogen and skin irritant, look for SLS free shampoo’s.

Skip the daily shampooing! You can still rinse your hair every day and condition it, but daily shampooing is stripping your scalp of essential oils. This saves not just your hair, but your water and shampoo bill. See? You can afford that more expensive SLS free shampoo after all now….No excuses, organic isn’t really that much more expensive when you look at it as a whole.

Get a trim! Don’t forget to get a bit trimmed off your hair every couple of months (another great way to save money in these tough economic times.)

Try some handstands! Even if you aren’t a gymnast, you can still hang your head off the edge of the bed to increase blood flow to the scalp periodically throughout the day, or you can do some extra downward dogs if you are a yoga fiend like me.

Rosemary and Mint! The invigorating herbs of the Laminacea family bring more circulation to your scalp as I just talked about in the above handstand blurb. Rosemary has been associated with improving hair growth for quite some time.

You can try some of the shampoos available at eVitamins or your local health food store, or buy rosemary essential oil and add a few drops to your favorite shampoo. Start with 1-2 drops and then work up to about 5-10 drops of the pure essential oil (remember never apply any essential oil straight to the skin unless it is lavender.)

Silica! Horsetails have long been touted as hair growing herbs because of their high silica content; unfortunately as our soil becomes more toxic, I don’t feel comfortable using them unless they are certified organic. The reason for this is that they suck up minerals like silica from the soil along with toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic. I would instead ensure my multi-mineral formula contains about of silica.

Don’t OD on vitamins and minerals! Remember, we can only absorb so much and selenium toxicity, for instance, is associated with hair loss when we get up to the 1000mcg range.

Have a hair growing tip? Feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Related reading:

Acupuncture, Acupuncture, Acupuncture!

Dying to Look Good

Topical Natural Treaments for Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dandruff, Cradle Cap, and Itchy Scalp

Chlorine Shower Filter

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Favorite Protein Powder

Designer Protein Ult. Whey French Vanilla

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

This is my favorite brand of protein powder, as I discussed in my article, “Fourteen Ways to Unleash your Inner Fabulosity.” I am sure there are a ton of other great protein powders from Jarrow, and the other supplement companies that pass independent quality assurance at ConsumerLabs.com, but I just like this tasty vanilla formula in my berry smoothies. Or stir in to your oatmeal, or shake up with milk and poor over your AM cereal so you don’t get the afternoon slumpies.  If you are a chocolate lover, the chocolate designer protein is delicious with milk, frozen bananas, and almond butter!

Anyways I am hooked on this vanilla one, and also love their new weight loss protein powder with added fiber and weight loss nutrients.  This protein powder also comes in a smaller size that I’m linking to at a great SALE price if you are on the “Tough Economic Times Diet.”

The small size normally retails for about $15 bucks.

You can get the larger sized one in order to vigilently make “Dr. Nicole’s Smoothie Recipe” which should be a daily regime for everyone trying to LOSE WEIGHT and for athletes as a protein supplement post exercise. As well as for those that are trying to increase protein to healthfully gain weight.

For more information on how to save money on vitamins check out my article, “Save money with eVitamins.” Feel free to ask questions anytime on the product you are looking for.

p.s. Frankly I don’t like the “natural flavor” I can only be so natural I guess *wink*.

Thanks for your purchases that help support this free news publication and nagging!

Dr. Nicole

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Letting Go: Danny Gokey American Idol

Author: Dr. Nicole Sundene

Last week on American Idol, many of us assumed it would be Danny vs Adam in the final showdown, until he was eliminated in a sudden and heart wrenching moment.

Tonight on American Idol we finally determine the Idol of season eight! Will it be Adam or will it be Kris?

I had been rooting for Danny since his very first audition, there was something undeniabably special about him….but it was a tough season.

Probably the best American Idol has ever had, and the Kindergarten Teacher inside of me wants to announce everyone as a winner!

I wasn’t just voting for youth pastor Danny because of his amazing voice, but because of his perseverance. His wife had died suddenly of congestive heart failure a month before the competition started; “Tragedy turned in to Triumph,” as Danny refers to it.

A friend passed along the information for the foundation created for Danny’s wife, Sophia’sHeart.org, and thought it would make for good kitchen table talk. She recommended reading his blog post telling how he was managing to cope with the severe depression brought on by the sudden death of his wife weeks before one of America’s biggest competitions.

“I felt like I had to put on a face for everybody to cover what was really going on inside. Deep down inside, I felt there was not hope for me and I really wanted to die. If I had not dealt with this, it probably could have somehow or someway took me out. So, I began pray and cry out to God for help and I believe I found the answer.

The answer I found was exactly this; “let go” or “cause yourself to let go”. I admit that answer was not appealing to me because I found no justice in it, and most of all it didn’t instantly remove any pain. But I knew that if I continued down this road it would have a price that I could never afford to pay.

You see, the cost of hanging on to the bitterness and anger was actually much greater than the cost of simply letting go. I was very reluctant to do it. At times it was hard and I literally had to cause myself (force myself) to let go. Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting about Sophia but does mean releasing the toxic emotions tied to the situation.”

I have a lot of admiration for someone who can pick themselves up and go on, anyone going through troubled times should take a few minutes to read the insightful blog post on his battle with depression and “letting go” of his wife’s unexpected death. So many of us hold on to everything….we carry around all this baggage from our past and our childhood.

I talk to patients that have been in counseling for years and they sit down and tell me everything that is wrong with them, they bring all these “labels” with them, they blame it all on their parents, or their molester, or their rapist, or their child hood bully, or their father’s death, or that they didn’t get enough attention as a child, they say, “I’m this way because someone else did ____________ to me,” and so forth.

They refuse to let it all go, instead they cling to their core hurts and core wounds, and as a doctor who believes in the mind/body/spirit of medicine….I know they will never be better until they forgive and let go.

Sometimes we have to forgive our abuser, sometimes we have to forgive our parents…. After all they are just human beings too, not demi-Gods…. I know BREAKING NEWS!!!

Let Danny Gokey be a remarkable example of “Letting Go” and trusting Life/God, however you choose to see it.

Even after his elimination he said, “What affirms me as an artist is… [my fans] because week after week they voted…and that shows me they believe in me and that they see something inside of me,” Danny said. “I want to tell them I love them, and I think that they’re the best out there.” Danny continues, “I was a nobody, and this show turned me into a somebody, and I’ll always be thankful for the roots that I came out of because I do believe that the best is yet to come for me, that this is not the end of the road. I’m just very grateful. I’m so thankful my life has turned around, and I can’t say it enough.” (Source)

Today’s Question: What in your life do you need to let go of? Anger, hatred, bitterness, guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, sadness? Are you tired of carrying around all that baggage? May is weight loss month and it is time for us to lose some weight. Let’s start with our own baggage.

Let’s be reminded by the strength of Danny Gokey that sometimes we just have to “let go.”

For more information on how Danny intends to use his gift for future fundraising endeavors visit: SophiasHeart.org.

If you are holding on to something and need to let go….find a rock and carry it around with you for a while, let the rock become the symbol of the thing that you need to let go of.

Squeeze the heat of your anger from your hands into it, cry your tears on it, let it rest on the place in your heart that hurts for a while, keep it in your pocket everywhere you go, or at least try to.

The attempt will remind you what a burden hanging on to this baggage from the past is.

Sleep with it under your pillow….and eventually realize that this rock is weighing you down….this rock needs to be let go. Then take some time down at a special place and throw that rock far into water.

Let go of the pain, let go of the past. Live in the present, don’t live in the past.

We cannot change the past, but we can change how the past affects us today.

Just don’t throw any suitcases in the ocean, or hit any birds or ducks on your therapeutic mission.

~Dr. Nicole

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Is Autism Genetic? It’s NOT a Fight, It’s Our Future

Author: Tara MClintick

Is autism a genetic condition?

The scientific evidence definitely shows genetics are involved. The fact that males are diagnosed at a ratio of 4:1 to females points to a genetic piece. Identical twins having a higher concordance than fraternal twins also shows genetic significance.

Genetics are not the end of the story, however.

The more important question in regard to the genetic piece of the autism puzzle is “Now what?”

I have no problem with science trying to understand and explain the possibilities of genetics’ role in regard to the current increase in autism we are having. As long it’s not being used as an excuse to dismiss society’s responsibility in the matter. Please, do not dismiss autism as if there is nothing that can be done due to the genetic piece of the puzzle.

We ALL have genes. Obesity, freckles, near-sightedness, hair color, diabetes, – genes play a role in just about everything. That does not, however, mean that there is nothing that can be done about the number of children who are struggling to master even the most basic daily functions.

My son is 13, and he has to work extremely hard to express himself, understand others, and keep his body/emotions from spinning out of control. Things like eating with utensils, washing his own hair, and writing his name are challenges equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest for him. I don’t think he understands why either, and I believe he wishes things were easier.

Still doubting there is an actual increase? The latest study out of California represents what is going on in at least one state. Over the past two decades, autism has increased twelve-fold, which is over 1200 percent. In contrast, the general population of California only increased by 27 percent. These statistics only included individuals diagnosed with classic autism and did not even count those with Asperger’s or other diagnoses on the spectrum.

Other increases included: mental retardation by 95 percent, cerebral palsy by 73 percent, and epilepsy by 66 percent. Such increases show that we can not relegate autism to genetics alone and disregard what can be learned from this information – let’s please open our eyes! We are talking about human beings, not statistics.

Articulate individuals with autism firmly defend the genetic piece to their condition. I can certainly see why. If the entire world is continually saying there is something wrong with you, I’m sure if feels great to understand that there are reasons why you’re experiencing the world differently than others seem to be.

To individuals on the spectrum who think differently and who can not conform and fit in as easily as it seems others are able to, let me share from the other side of the fence – being able to conform is not necessarily beneficial for anyone.

Many undiagnosed individuals express feelings of inadequacy, experience relationship challenges, chronic health issues, and a desire for anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds. Some people just seem to be better at stifling their inner world so they can concentrate on fitting in socially. Maybe it’s time for a shift in thinking for everyone.

The term “autism” encompasses such a large span of symptoms, and is behaviorally diagnosed only – I do want to clarify my position. I do not mean we need to fight or overcome autism. The individuals with autism who can easily express themselves, those are the people I want to talk to! Anyone with autism can teach us a lot. My son has to struggle to communicate his thoughts to me.

I am not trying to overcome his autism per se, but I would like to help him overcome the communication barriers he is experiencing because I know he wants to be understood! Improvement and/or recovery for individuals with autism simply means the symptoms resulting in the diagnosis are no longer observable or at least have lessened quite a bit.

Finding that autism may be a genetic condition does not diminish the possibility for improvement of debilitating symptoms. It happens, I’ve seen it. Video tapes of children before and after various treatment plans are undeniable evidence, or those toddlers deserve an Oscar!

God made us each unique for a reason. We all have gifts to offer. I believe society could do a lot better in supporting and encouraging one another in the expression of their gifts. As it is now, we seem to be focusing on trying to force individuals with autism to conform to the non-autistic “real” world.

Instead, I think it would be best if we could support individuals in ways that respect and appreciate their individuality and passions. Helping individuals build relationships is a two-way street, as interaction always is. Society needs just as much work and support as the individual with autism does:

Are we able to tune in to each other?

Are we able to focus to move towards our goals?

Are we able to take in the information around us, make sense of it, and integrate together to make a plan?

Are we being sensitive to each other’s non-verbal cues as well as our words?

Are we able to express ourselves to each other in ways that can be understood and not end up tantruming when they are not?

Are we easily overwhelmed by the stimulus of daily life?

Environmentally and nutritionally, there are changes we could all consider that would benefit everyone. As Pottenger’s cat study shows, each generation weakens when basic nutritional needs are altered or not met. Whether we are talking autism, athletic talent, mental giftedness, diabetes, aging, etc. etc etc..; these changes can make a drastic difference in the quality of one’s life.

Those of you on the spectrum voicing your rights to be exactly who you are, I applaud you. You have been pushed around long enough. You are our real world now, and I feel blessed to be learning your perspectives. Please respect my right to speak up regarding the environmental piece to the autism puzzle.

When a condition is found to be genetic, it does not excuse society from providing a free and appropriate public education, health care that meets the unique needs of the individual, and a conscious effort to eliminate ignorance and prejudices.

Genetics does not excuse society from learning the possibilities behind the rapid increase of diagnosed cases, and the reason autism affects some children, such as my son, to such an extensive degree.

We can learn compassionate, effective ways to support individuals no matter what their diagnosis. We can each take responsibility for our own beliefs and actions to create changes that will improve the health, functioning, and quality of life for everyone. It is our future.

Related reading:

Autism Awareness Month

Autism: 10 Strategies for Implementing Diet Changes

The Autism Diet Connection

Autism: 10 Tips for Everyone

Author: Tara McClintick is an Early Childhood/Special Education teacher as well as a Son-Rise mom. A great deal of Tara’s 20+ years experience has been working one on one with her youngest son, Jake, who was diagnosed with severe autism shortly after his first birthday.

Jake is now 13 and together they continue the journey towards learning and recovery through nutritional and natural methods. Tara also creates fun, unique picture books for kids using real-life scenes and images www.BooksByTara.com.

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Vitamins: How to Save Money 20-70% Off!

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

Someone asked how to get cheap vitamins after reading my article “How To Get Free Prescription Drugs.” Now I can’t get you free vitamins, as I discussed in that article, but I can teach you a simple trick that I use to save money on natural medicines.

Getting high quality stuff for the best price is simply about planning ahead, shopping smart, sticking with the best brands, and reading labels for food coloring and other unnecessary ingredients.

Recently I read a study published at Consumer Reports that concluded that vitamins purchased at “The Dollar Store” were not found to be of quality and may actually be a hazard to our health. First of all why did someone even bother to do such a study?  Is anyone else laughing?

Now I LOVE eVitamins because having spent 12 years in the natural medicine field, I can easily find high quality brands such as Enzymatic Therapy, Twinlab, Jarrow, and so forth to name few.

You can save a ton of money over there because things are listed at 20-70% off, and if you just plan ahead and order $75 of multivitamins, fish oil, health supplements, supplies, lotions, herbs, and so forth you get FREE SHIPPING.

• Yes, I checked the packing peanuts, and they are made from recyclable materials and can be recycled.

• Yes, your purchases help support The Kitchen Table, so if you ever have any questions just leave them in a comment on this article, or message me and I will post the answer for all to benefit from.

It seems like many of my readers have the same questions about supplements, but I cannot sell you the prescription grade products that naturopathic physicians supply.

However, I can at least direct you towards what I like at eVitamins as they ship everywhere, and many of their products are just as high quality and shown to pass independent laboratory evaluations for purity and potency over at ConsumberLabs.com.

If you are confused I’ll help you sort it out.  Leave your questions here and in the mean time stick with the standards for quality like Enzymatic Therapy, Twinlab, and Jarrow when purchasing vitamins or supplements.

Sincere thanks for supporting Kitchen Table Medicine with your purchases!

~Dr. Nicole

Related reading:

Best Vitamin D

Best Chewable Fiber

Best MultiVitamin 2008

21 Free Preventative Medicine Habits!

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Fibromyalgia: Latest Research News

By Dr. Jim Tabios, PhD

Fibromyalgia is a widely misunderstood and sometimes misdiagnosed chronic condition, commonly characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, concentration issues, and sleep problems.

According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, it affects an estimated 10 million people, mainly women, in the United States alone.

The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from one person to the next and may fluctuate even in a single individual, depending on such factors as time of day or the weather.

Because it is a chronic condition, in most cases, fibromyalgia symptoms never disappear entirely. The good news is that fibromyalgia isn’t progressive or life-threatening, and treatments can help alleviate many symptoms.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

The symptoms of fibromyalgia and their severity vary widely, although pain and fatigue are nearly always present. Major symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Pain. Some fibromyalgia patients report discomfort in one or more specific areas of their body, while others may experience overall pain in their muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

• Certain areas, such as the back of the head, upper back and neck, elbows, hips, and knees may be particularly sensitive and are described clinically as tender points. The degree and type of pain can range from aching, tenderness, and throbbing to sharper shooting and stabbing sensations. Intense burning, numbness, and tingling may also be present.

• Fatigue. If you’ve ever been knocked off your feet by a bad case of the flu, you have a general idea of how tired some people with fibromyalgia can feel. Though some fibromyalgia patients experience only mild fatigue, many report feeling completely drained of energy, both physically and mentally, to the point that exhaustion interferes with all daily activities.

• Memory problems. Difficulty concentrating and remembering are common cognitive symptoms in people with fibromyalgia.

• Sleep disturbances. Research has shown that the deepest stages of sleep in patients with fibromyalgia are constantly interrupted by bursts of brain activity, causing feelings of exhaustion even after a seemingly good night’s rest. Other problems such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome are also common among fibromyalgia sufferers.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Symptoms of IBS, including diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating, are present in many people with fibromyalgia.

Other common symptoms:

• Headaches, migraines, and facial pain
• Depression, anxiety, or mood changes
• Painful menstrual periods
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth, eyes, and skin
• Heightened sensitivity to noise, odors, bright lights, and touch

Fibromyalgia Symptom Triggers

The following factors can worsen the symptoms of fibromyalgia:

• Changes in weather (too cold or too humid)
• Too much or too little exercise
• Too much or too little rest
• Stress and anxiety
• Depression
• Some patients also report that pain and stiffness are worse in the morning.

Causes of Fibromyalgia

While the exact cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery, doctors do know that patients with the disorder experience an increased sensation of pain due to a glitch in the central nervous system’s processing of pain information.

Studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia also have certain physiological abnormalities, such as elevated levels of a chemical in the spinal cord that helps transmit pain signals (thus amplifying, or “turning up,” the signals in the brain’s pain-processing areas).

In some cases, an injury or trauma, especially to the spinal region, or a bacterial or viral illness, may precede a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, which has caused researchers to speculate that these infections may be triggers as well.

Fibromyalgia Risk Factors

A number of factors can increase the odds that you may develop fibromyalgia. These include:

• Gender. Fibromyalgia is more common among women than men.

• Age. Symptoms usually appear during middle age, but can also manifest in children and older adults.

• History of rheumatic disease. People who have been diagnosed with a rheumatic disorder — conditions affecting the heart, bones, joints, kidney, skin, and lungs — such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and lupus are at increased risk of also developing fibromyalgia.

• Family history. Having a relative who suffers from fibromyalgia puts you at increased risk.

• Sleep problems. Doctors aren’t sure whether sleep disturbances are a cause or a symptom of fibromyalgia — but sleep disorders, including restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea have been cited as possible fibromyalgia triggers.

When to Seek Help for Fibromyalgia?

If you experience pain in your muscles that lasts for several months and is accompanied by significant fatigue, see your doctor.

What causes Fibromyalgia?

While there is a lot of ongoing speculation about what triggers fibromyalgia, its causes have yet to be definitively identified and confirmed. Recent research has generally found that fibromyalgia is most likely a result of what scientists call central sensitization, or unusual responses in the nervous system with regard to pain perception.

Fibromyalgia’s Biochemical Triggers

“The [current] consensus is that fibromyalgia is not a problem with the muscles, joints, or tendons, but rather a problem with the central nervous system,” says Dr. Bruce Solitar, clinical associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at NYU Medical Center/Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York.

While it’s easy to think that pain felt by someone who has experienced no physical damage to the body might be categorized as purely psychosomatic, the sensations that a fibromyalgia patient experiences are as real as any other pain.

This was clearly demonstrated when researchers did MRI imaging of patients with fibromyalgia. When they pressed on certain areas of the participants’ bodies, they found dramatically increased activity in the pain center of the brain.

One theory attributes this phenomenon to an increased release of Substance P, the chemical that activates nerves when there is a painful stimulus.

In fibromyalgia patients, Substance P is being released even in the absence of a painful stimulus. And there seems to be an amplified release when there is a painful stimulus,” explains Dr. Solitar.

In addition, the brain’s regulatory effect, which sends “down signals” to turn off pain, also appears to be abnormal in people with fibromyalgia — so when a painful stimulus does occur, it gets amplified rather than dampened.

Fibromyalgia’s Physical and Emotional Triggers

So what causes the nervous system to malfunction in such a way? Scientists aren’t sure, but a number of conditions have been linked to the development of fibromyalgia. These include:

• Infection. The Epstein-Barr virus, influenza, and hepatitis B and C have all been implicated in the development of fibromyalgia. “These viruses may have [long-term] effects on the immune system. It’s also possible that viral particles attach to glial cells, which are cells within the brain that affect neurotransmission [and influence the pain response],” says Dr. Solitar.

  Additionally, there is a well-established connection between Lyme disease and fibromyalgia: Some patients who have been treated for Lyme — and ostensibly recover from it — continue to experience the unusually high frequency of unprovoked pain that characterizes fibromyalgia.

• Trauma. Sometimes the development of fibromyalgia is linked to physical injury, especially in the upper spinal region. In other cases, it’s associated with great emotional stress, like the death of a family member or the loss of a job. The possible link between these unrelated types of trauma is the neurohormonal change that both physical injury and emotional stress can trigger.
• Psychological processes can change — and can be changed by — alterations in the function of hormone-regulating centers like the hypothalamus and the pituitary and adrenal glands, which in turn affect the nervous system.

Fibromyalgia’s Other Common Threads

“Fibromyalgia has been associated with all age groups, though women between the ages of 30 and 50 have a higher incidence of the disease,” says Dr. Solitar. While this increased prevalence among younger females suggests a hormonal connection, he says it’s also possible that it’s related to diagnosis. “Women tend to [naturally] be more tender [or sensitive to pain] than men, so if you base your diagnosis on tender points, you’re likely to diagnose more women with fibromyalgia than men.”

• Genes. Found in approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population (3.4 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men), fibromyalgia often develops in multiple members of the same families, although it’s not clear if this is the result of genetic or environmental effects. “Family members of people with fibromyalgia seem to be more tender than others,” says Dr. Solitar, “but there isn’t a lot of conclusive genetic research out there.”

• Still a mystery. In many cases, why fibromyalgia strikes is still largely unknown. “For a lot of patients, we don’t come up with a good explanation for the development of fibromyalgia,” Dr. Solitar notes. “We all get exposed to stress regularly. And while trauma and infections do seem to be a common [fibromyalgia] theme, there are a lot of people who just slowly develop a sense of feeling poorly.”

Fibromyalgia and Sleep

More than 75 percent of fibromyalgia patients complain of sleep disturbances and fatigue, according to the National Fibromyalgia Research Association. Studies have shown that this is often the result of problems fibromyalgia sufferers have falling asleep and staying asleep.

While some people don’t remember waking up frequently, others do recall these disruptions to a good night’s rest. Either way, these abnormal sleep patterns prevent fibromyalgia sufferers from getting a healthy amount of restful, restorative sleep.

Fibromyalgia’s Connection to Impaired Deep Sleep

There are five stages of sleep, and in the course of a normal night’s rest, a person will normally cycle through various stages, from light to deep to dreaming, every 90 minutes or so. Dreaming occurs during what’s called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Interestingly, EEG (brain wave) studies have found that fibromyalgia patients lack the restorative levels of deep, non-REM sleep.

It is during these deepest levels of sleep — also known as stages 3 and 4 — that the body restores and refreshes itself. Stage 3 is characterized by moderately deep sleep and stage 4, the deepest sleep phase, is when certain substances like growth hormones are released for body-tissue repair and replenishment.

Research suggests that people with fibromyalgia are constantly aroused by bursts of “awake” brain activity, which limits the amount of time they spend in these critical deep stages of sleep. “On EEG studies, fibromyalgia patients in deep-sleep stages have been found to have alpha waves, which are signs of arousal or wakening,” says Patrick Wood, MD, chief medical advisor for the National Fibromyalgia Association. One study published in the Journal of Rheumatologyfound that fibromyalgia patients experience at least twice as many arousals per hour as people without the disorder.

Fibromyalgia’s Constant “Fog” and Fatigue

The lack of uninterrupted deep sleep may be the reason why people with fibromyalgia are also plagued by extreme daytime fatigue. In today’s world, many people complain of feeling tired, but the exhaustion associated with fibromyalgia is much more severe. Fibromyalgia patients report feeling as if their bodies have been completely drained of energy, which can lead to limited physical and mental functioning.

It’s also common for people with fibromyalgia to have problems with concentration, thinking, and memory, a condition known as “fibro fog.” A recent University of Michigan study found that people with fibromyalgia exhibit memory impairments on tests that can mimic 20 years of aging. One possible reason: Memories are processed during sleep stages 3 and 4.

Brain Chemicals: The Root of the Problem?

While the causes of sleep problems in those with fibromyalgia are not yet completely understood, new findings are uncovering possible links. One theory is that brain chemicals may be out of whack. “There’s very good evidence that fibromyalgia is associated with abnormal amounts of dopamine, which is an energy-related neurotransmitter, or brain chemical,” says Dr. Wood.

“During these two stages of sleep, the brain sorts through information accumulated during the day, taking it out of short-term memory and putting it into long-term memory,” says Dr. Wood. When the amount of deep sleep is reduced, experts speculate that the body may have a limited ability to repair and replenish the brain’s functioning, affecting memory as well as energy.

Norepinephrine, another energizing neurotransmitter, and cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, have also been found to be abnormal in fibromyalgia patients. In addition to interfering with restful sleep, neurochemical and hormonal imbalances may exacerbate the pain associated with fibromyalgia, in the opinion of some experts. Others researchers believe that it’s the constant pain that triggers deep-sleep abnormalities.

More studies are currently underway that may help uncover more definitive causes of sleep difficulties associated with this painful, life-altering condition. It is hoped that in the next five years or so scientists will have more answers about the connection between fibromyalgia and disordered sleep.

The fibromyalgia symptoms your doctor will look for…

Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be challenging for the physician and frustrating for the patient. This is because fibromyalgia symptoms vary from person to person and can be similar to those of many other common conditions. Fibromyalgia’s classic chronic pain symptoms, for instance, can mimic those related to arthritis, depression, and even multiple sclerosis.

In addition, there is no specific diagnostic laboratory test for fibromyalgia. In fact, blood tests and X-rays are often normal. This means that a diagnosis has to be based on a patient’s report of his or her symptoms and on a physician’s physical exam. Because so many complicating factors are involved, it often takes a specialist, usually a rheumatologist, to make a firm diagnosis.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Who Is at Risk?

Fibromyalgia affects 2 to 4 percent of the U.S. population, and it predominantly affects women. “Fibromyalgia affects three times as many women as men,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers of America and the author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery) although some studies suggest that this number may be closer to ten times as many women, most of whom are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. But the condition can also affect men, and it can occur in people of all ages.

Other risk factors for fibromyalgia include having a family history of the condition, having a sleep disorder such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea, and suffering from a rheumatic disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Common Symptoms

“Fatigue, aches, brain fog (meaning difficulty with short-term memory, word finding, and word substitution), and insomnia sum up the hallmark symptoms of fibromyalgia,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “If you can’t sleep, even though you’re exhausted, and you have widespread chronic muscle pain lasting longer than three months, you may have fibromyalgia.”

Complicating the diagnosis further, many fibromyalgia sufferers also have a related condition called chronic fatigue syndrome, which is considered a separate disorder, according to Dr. Teitelbaum. Between 50 and 70 percent of people with fibromyalgia fit the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome, and vice versa. The pain patients experience in fibromyalgia is also similar to the joint pain of arthritis, though fibromyalgia does not cause actual joint damage like arthritis.

Sufferers often say that the muscular aches and pains of fibromyalgia are similar to the body aches associated with the flu. The pain — variously described as throbbing, shooting, stabbing, and aching — and the stiffness may be worse in the morning.

To determine whether you have fibromyalgia, your doctor will ask you questions regarding the degree to which you experience the following symptoms.

Pain: In fibromyalgia, muscle pain encompasses the entire body — above and below the waist, and on both the right and left sides of the body. Muscles used repeatedly tend to hurt more. Patients feel stiff and find it difficult and painful to move. Although their joints are not visibly swollen, patients often report a sensation of swelling in their joints along with joint pain.

• Fatigue: Symptoms of fatigue can range from mild to incapacitating in patients with fibromyalgia; many report feeling “drained” of energy. Brain fog and an inability to concentrate often go hand in hand with the fatigue.

• Sleep disruptions: Fibromyalgia sufferers often fall asleep normally but wake up frequently during the night. And even when they get plenty of sleep, people with fibromyalgia report waking up exhausted.

• Digestive problems: Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain occur in 40 to 70 percent of fibromyalgia patients, along with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or acid reflux.

• Weight gain: Many people with fibromyalgia experience weight gain because of metabolic changes that occur as a result of the disease. “We’ve found an average weight gain of 32.5 pounds among fibromyalgia sufferers, which may happen within six months or over the course of several years,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

• Decreased physical functioning: This important feature of fibromyalgia can be measured with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), developed by clinicians at Oregon Health & Science University.

• Other changes in health: Many patients with fibromyalgia experience light-headedness or dizziness, anxiety, and depression. Irritable bladder, noncardiac chest pain, and migraine headaches may also occur and can become more severe during times of stress, in cold or drafty environments, or when infections, allergies, hormonal fluctuations, depression, or anxiety are present.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Will Look For

Since no diagnostic lab test for fibromyalgia currently exists, your doctor’s physical exam plays a key role in determining whether you have the condition. Your doctor will probably start by taking a health history.

Blood tests and X-rays may then be ordered to help rule out other possibilities, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis, whose symptoms can be similar to those of fibromyalgia. “Testing may also include hormonal tests (thyroid, adrenal, estrogen, testosterone, and so on), tests for immune function and for dietary deficiencies (most often iron and B12),” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

According to guidelines created by the American College of Rheumatology in 1991, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires that you have experienced widespread, aching pain for at least three months and have a minimum of 11 locations on your body that are abnormally sensitive to pain when touched with relatively mild but firm pressure.

Called tender points, these spots are found in 18 specific places on the head, upper body, and certain joints. People with fibromyalgia have very strong reactions to even mild pressure on these tender points; your physician may also use the same level of pressure on nontender points (called control points) to compare your reaction.

Linking Fibromyalgia to Depression and Anxiety

Chronic, widespread muscular pain and tenderness, sleep problems and fatigue, morning stiffness and headaches, concentration and digestive irregularities: All these symptoms can make daily functioning very difficult for those with fibromyalgia.

But equally challenging are the depression and anxiety that often accompany the disorder. Each occurs in approximately 8 percent of those with fibromyalgia, according to Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of The Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. In people with fibromyalgia, he says, anxiety often manifests itself as rapid shallow breathing (hyperventilation), and depression (as a decrease in normal interests).

While it is not unexpected to have an emotional or psychological response to a chronic illness, there may be other physiological reasons that explain why anxiety and depression occur in fibromyalgia patients consistently enough that they are listed as symptoms of the condition. “Biochemically, depression is very different in [people with] fibromyalgia than otherwise,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “In fibromyalgia, it is often associated with an underactive adrenal function [a low cortisol level], whereas depression [in a non-fibromyalgia population] is associated with a high cortisol level.”

According to some doctors who routinely treat fibromyalgia, there are a number of factors that appear to increase the likelihood of developing anxiety and/or depression if you have this condition. These include:

Dr. Smith says that low cortisol levels related to stress often do not show up on standard blood tests, and she has found they are best measured by saliva testing. “Many physicians only measure cortisol levels as related to Addison’s Disease or Cushing’s disease. They do not look at what happens when the body makes only enough cortisol to stay alive but not to function well (adrenal fatigue),” she explains. Cortisol levels can be normalized by reducing stress. She says, adding, “it may take one to two years to fully normalize the body’s stress system.”

As cortisol levels are restored, fibromyalgia-related anxiety and depression generally lessen.

Dr. Jim Tabios, PhD is a PhD Bay Area (CA) Resident specializing in Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Tabios is currently working on a virtual anatomy portal to examine the human body through the use collaborative data from universities and medical imaging databases. Dr. Tabios is also Vice President of the Knowl Project and MENSA International Member since 2007.

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Top Ten Tips to Get Kids Playing and Loving Music

by Jeremy Dion

1. Keep it fun – nothings shuts down one’s inherent musical expression like a drill sergeant for a “teacher.”

Goof around, laugh, and know when enough is enough. Sometimes effective practice is done before the egg timer goes off.

2. Play music in the home – make sure you make time to play your favorite music, your child’s favorite music, and new music.

Take the time to explain to them why you love a particular piece of music. They may get it, they may not. But at least they begin to understand that music has unimaginable depth.

3. Sing with and to your child– normalize this mode of expression to combat the “American Idol” message that only polished, perfect singers should sing.

4. Explore rhythm – Our first experience is of our mother’s rhythmic heartbeat while in the womb. We ARE rhythm – our own heartbeat, our breathing, our walking, speaking, circulation, etc. Drum, dance, use pots and pans, etc.

5. Praise their playing, rather than criticizing their “wrong notes.” Blessed is the child who sings what she feels with abandon rather than the child with perfect pitch who is too afraid of criticism to utter a note.

6. Find a music teacher who really connects with your child. Like psychotherapy, the relationship is 90% of the battle. If your child likes the teacher (for reasons other than his or her musical prowess), the practice comes a lot easier.

7. Dance. With reckless joy, dance. With and for your child. Give them the experience that expression, no matter how “ridiculous” it may be labeled in other circles, is fun, free, and healthy.

8. Improvise, improvise, improvise: instead of spending all the time learning songs by rote, stretch. Put up pictures instead of music on the stand, and play a “thunderstorm” on the piano, or “a newborn child.” Take chances and risks, stretching the psyche’s ability to express.

So often we hear, “I can’t sing,” or “I can’t play.” Don’t believe it! It’s just that our cultural standards of what it means to sing and play have been hijacked by popular media. Everyone can play, everyone can sing. Embrace it, and pass it along to your child. In other words, what is life other than a daily improvisation?!

9. Attend live performances. In addition to supporting the arts, we should put our money where our mouths are. Don’t expect them to love their first showing of “The Nutcracker” during the holidays. Take them to local performances, open mics, anything that will help them understand that this mode of expression (playing an instrument, singing) is shared by many, and touches all.

10. Let go of expectation. If you are the one in a million parent who has a musical prodigy for a child, so be it. Nothing will stop him or her from following that path. For the rest of us, the goals and expectations around our child and his or her musical endeavors are best organized around expression, fun, creativity, and joy. When I use musical expression as a way to connect with (instead of to critique) my child, we are rarely more connected.

To purchase Jeremy Dion’s CD’s you can visit www.JeremyDion.com. You can also add Jeremy as a Myspace friend, load his songs to your Myspace profile, and follow Jeremy’s tour updates on Facebook.

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Fat Burning Flip Flops?

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

I kept seeing these Fit Flops everywhere, even on my own website, and curiosity finally got the best of me.

So I just ordered a pair of these “Fit Flops” to um…er… “product test” for Weight Loss Month.  Which is now every month, since 1 in 3 Amercians are obese.  I’ll take every fat burning edge I can get, thank you very much!. Plus I like that they have arch support and a bit of a thicker heal.  I love to wear flip flops but know from a medical perspective how bad they can be for those with foot, knee, hip, back, and neck problems….so thought I might give them a whirl.  If anything they likely provide more structure than the average flat flip flop.

Has anyone tried them yet?

What do you think?

I think if anything it’s an interesting concept.

~Dr. Nicole

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Researchers Find First Signs of Autism Even in Infancy

“Researchers Find First Signs of Autism Even in Infancy.”

Upon hearing this title, I immediately thought of a baby’s first year of life. In my personal experience, my son’s first year was smooth sailing except for some “annoying” ear infections and food allergies.

It was the second year of his life, around 14-17 months (as mentioned), when things seemed to change for my son. That’s when I really became concerned. No more peek-a-boo. No more pretending with a telephone. Attempts to say words and interest in other people quickly seemed to decrease and then disappear.

I fully agree that earlier detection and diagnosis of autism would be beneficial. Even in my case, knowing what autism looked like in later years, I did not realize that the challenges my son was displaying were the tale-tell signs of the beginnings of autism. Most parents are aware there is a problem before 3 years of age, the typical age of diagnosis.

It is often difficult, not only in figuring out how to get a diagnosis, but also finding out what action to take. Many parents share a similar story of voicing their concerns to the pediatrician only to be reassured, “he’s fine, children develop at different rates.” If concerns are present, organizations such as First Signs will be able to help confirm ‘at risk’ behaviors. Read more

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Orange Patchouli by Aura Cacia

Personally I’m not a fan of the patchouli smell in general, but thought I would share this reader comment, just so Patchouli has a fair shot in the herbal limelight. ~Dr. Nicole

Hi Kat:

Thanks for recommending some great affordable natural beauty products!

I especially am enjoying the Aura Cacia aromatherapy line.

I absolutely love the ‘orange patchouli’ products by Aura Cacia. Both the body wash and the massage cream. The combination of orange and patchouli is a refreshing earthy mix that wakes me up in the morning and soothes my shoulders at night.

~Stephanie W.

Related reading:

Aura Cacia Essential Oil Diffusers Voted Best!

Aura Cacia Massage Products

Aura Cacia’s Lavender Harvest, Mommy’s Secret Weapon

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