wellpdx

Fat: friend or foe?

I often observe a trend following the holidays of “cutting-out” (sugar, coffee, alcohol, and fat). Don’t cut out the fat! Side effects from removing fat in the diet that I have observed in my patients include: depressed mood, anxiety, hormone deficiencies, increased pain and inflammation, fatigue, weight gain, and immune deficiency.

Fat and cholesterol are essential building blocks in the body. For example, every cell in our body has a protective cell membrane made of cholesterol, and every hormone is synthesized from cholesterol. Fat in the diet is necessary to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K. Fat also supports a stable blood sugar and energy levels.

So what kind of fat and how much should we eat? According to Mary Enig Ph.D., nutritionist/biochemist and

Its that time of year again, the time for back to school and the petri dish of viruses.

Wether or not you are a parent, you will be exposed to the result of this petri dish of viruses. Perhaps while seeing children in your practice, or just out in the community. The best treatment to ward off colds and flus is prevention. Below are my top 10 tips to keeping yourself healthy this Fall and Winter. These suggestions have demonstrated their effectiveness for my family (I have a 2 and 4 year old boy) and in my practice.

1. Frequent hand washing. If you have children, teach them to say the ABC's or another little tune while they wash their hands to ensure they wash for at least 15 seconds
2. Give yourself and your children adequate rest. Practice a sleep routine that works for yourself or your family and stick with it.
3. Exercise daily in the fresh air, or let your children run around daily outside rain or shine. This will increase the

She is a professional, a homemaker, a mother, a wife, and a giver to others, the modern woman. But does she take care of herself? Can we help her?

The 3 leading causes of death for women are all preventable diseases: heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Depression, anxiety attacks, and post traumatic stress syndrome are 2-3-fold higher in women then men. Stress is a major culprit of all of these diseases.

To help my modern woman patients, I am teaching them how to bring their bodies out of the sympathetic "fight and flight" state and into the "rest and digest" parasympathetic state. I teach them breathing exercises, diet and nutrition habits to enhance digestion and stabilize blood sugar, and healthy sleep/exercise/meal routines to support the adrenal glands. I also identify neuro-endocrine imbalances and treat them with nutrition, botanicals, and energetic therapies.

Despite this support, I often find that women need more. They need support from a variety of health practitioners, from their families, from their work place, and from their communities.

Please share your thoughts. How are you taking care of the modern woman and how can we work together to keep them healthy?