Healthy Holiday Recipes

Raw Fudge

Ingredients:
1 cup raw nut butter (almond or cashew)
½ cup carrot or coco powder
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tbsp Vanilla
pinch of sea salt
½ cup chopped nuts
Adjust sweetness by adding stevia to taste

Preparation:
Use organic ingredients whenever possible. Combine ingredients, put in a pan lined with parchment paper, refrigerate.  Cut into pieces when solid.

Holiday Pecans

Ingredients:
4 cups crispy pecans
3 egg whites
pinch of sea salt
½ cup maple syrup
1 tbsp. Vanilla extract

Preparation:
Use organic ingredients whenever possible. Beat egg whites with salt until stiff.  Slowly beat in the maple syrup and vanilla.  Fold in pecans until well coated.  Spread on 2 buttered, stainless steel baking pans and place in low oven (150F) for several hours until the egg whites harden.  Store in an airtight container.  Store finished nuts in refrigerator.

Healthy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
1 Cup Almond Milk
1 tsp Green & Blacks Organic Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Coconut Oil

Preparation:
Use organic ingredients whenever possible. Combine ingredients and warm in a pan - do not boil.  Remove from heat, add 1 packet of stevia or a small amount of honey.  Whey protein powder is optional.

Holiday Nutrition - tips for wisely choosing the lesser evil

To help avoid the sugar overload during the holidays follow these delicious and nutritionally sound tips and snack ideas:

1. Eat Protein at every meal
2. Snack on nuts
3. Craving Chocolate? Try 1 small square a day of Dark Chocolate with 70% or above cacao content - or Raw Fudge (see recipe below).
4. Popcorn - stove top popped in coconut oil with real butter topping - yum!
5. Eat a protein bar
6. Try a protein drink - whey, rice, or pea based
7. Cinnamon helps with blood sugar control. Add 1/2 teaspoon on your morning oatmeal.
8. Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily to stay hydrated, and avoid icy drinks this time of year
9. Warm drinks like green tea - helps decrease your appetite and keeps you warm.
10. Try Herbal tea - with stevia as the sweetener and rice, almond, or coconut milk.  It tastes sweet but won’t spike your insulin levels.
11. Chamomile tea is relaxing and will decrease sugar cravings
12. Eat some food before you go to a party - then take 1 plate of food and stay away from the serving table afterwards.
13. Limit alcoholic drinks
14. Eat warming soups and stews - these fill you up and keep you warm.  Use lots of veggies and beans - these digest slowly and keep you feeling full longer.
15. If you eat chips - take a portion out of the bag and put them on a plate or bowl.  Mindless eating can get us in trouble!
16. Get enough sleep - try to go to bed between 9:30-10:30pm
17. If you are feeling stressed and want to reach for food - stop and breath deeply through your nose until you feel more centered.
18. Spend at least a few minutes a day focused on breathing deeply, praying, or meditating - this will help moderate stress.

Most of all enjoy your holidays and time spent with family and friends.
Sincerely,
Kathi Bratberg RN, Holistic Nutritionist

Flu Prevention for the Fall

The leaves and temperature are dropping - don't you drop too!  Keep your immune system strong with these preventative recommendations from Dr. Patricia Ryan and the staff of Alternatives.  Please note these are general recommendations, and intended for educational use only.  For recommendations specific to your individual health, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ryan.

Prevention:
 1. Stay off sugars (Why? Sugars suppress the immune system for up to 5 hours after ingestion by reducing the ability of white blood cells to kill germs) more info
 2. Eat Healthy
 3. Sleep
 4. Increase Fluids - Drink at least half of your weight in ounces of water per day (more if you are sweating or exercising)
 5. Cook with Coconut Oil (for it's Anti-inflammatory/Anti-Viral properties)

Supplements to take when you have the Flu:
 1. Oscillococcinum Homeopathic medicine (most effective if taken immediately when symptoms manifest)
 2. Vitamin D3 - take 50,000u/day for up to 3 days (no more)
 3. A Mushroom Complex like Immunity Take Care by New Chapter
 4. Olive Leaf Extract
 5. Pick one of these anti-viral supplements:
     ·    Sambucus (Black Elderberry Extract)
     ·    Colloidal Silver 
     ·    Viraclear

Supplements that will boost the immune system:
 1. Take 1000mg Vitamin C every one to two hours stopping if bowel becomes upset. Recommended amount is 4-6000mg divided throughout the day
 2. 100mg Zinc per day for 1 week while you are ill
 3. Thymates - A multi-vitamin that boosts immune system and helps with fatigue - take 12 per day while sick in place of your regular multi-vitamin.

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Alternatives Movie Night begins with Food Inc

The first Alternatives movie night is planned for Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30pm. Alternatives will be showing Food, Inc., a movie about the dangers of toxins and growth hormones in the food supply. The movie shows the unnatural conditions where farm animals have been found to live, Bratberg explained.

“People need to know where food comes from and they can’t begin to make changes until they are educated.” Alternatives encourages clients to bring their families, as the topics these movies address will help motivate everyone in the household to adopt healthy new habits. After the movie, there will be an open discussion about what we can do to make positive changes based on the information presented.

The movie nights will be held quarterly, and will be announced in Alternatives seasonal newsletter. Delicious organic popcorn fresh popped in healthy organic coconut oil dusted in pink sea salt will be provided. Seating is limited, so reserve your seat early! We will be calling a couple of days in advance to confirm attendance and ensure we have a seat for everyone. Contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Brain Mapping Holds Key to Many Conditions

Many medical experts agree that the most difficult aspect of treating an illness, condition or injury is getting to the root of the problem.  Am I depressed or just anxious?  Why can’t I get help for my son’s ADHD problems?  What’s wrong with my bright daughter who is struggling so with math?  These are questions that have perplexed even the most astute medical minds for years.  Diagnosing such conditions becomes even more difficult when symptoms overlap.

A diagnostic tool now available at Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, has taken much of the guesswork from pinpointing the cause of serious issues.  Brain mapping, otherwise known as qEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram), is a procedure that collects and processes a detailed analysis of the brain, which is used to develop targeted protocols that can dramatically improve problems such as depression, anxiety and ADHD.

Brain mapping is the first step in a type of neurotherapy that has been available at Alternatives for more than two years  and is working wonders for so many patients of all ages, according to Jamie Moore, RN, Neurotherapy Clinician at Alternatives.  The system incorporates elaborate video games, learning activities, and a variety of tools implemented by the practitioner in a reward-based system. 

A simple, quick and painless process, brain mapping helps detect where in the brain the problem originates and allows Moore to design a plan to retrain the brain.  Nineteen electrodes are attached to the head of a patient.  qEEG data is then collected with the eyes closed and with the eyes open.  The patient may also read or work math problems so that the brain can be evaluated while working on a difficult task.  The brain waves that result on the computer screen help Moore detect where the problem is located and identify what it is.

“Brain mapping allows me to see what the brain is doing in both relaxed and active states.  If children have a problem with math, we ask them to do math equations while hooked up to the system and see what areas of the brain respond or don’t.  Sometimes we will ask them to read or recall stressful situations during the brain mapping to help pinpoint the areas of activity and imbalance.  The difference between anxiety and depression can be difficult to diagnose, but brain mapping can detect that, which is very important.  A person could be taking anti-depressants and not be depressed at all but anxious.”

A program can then be developed to literally re-train specific areas of the brain by encouraging the brain to learn new patterns or break old ones to improve a patient’s problems.

At Alternatives, the diagnostic tool has been particularly effective in diagnosing such conditions as depression, anxiety, ADHD and learning disabilities.  But the uses of brain mapping are widespread.  Even those with sports injuries can be helped.  “We did a brain mapping on an eighth-grader who was functionally illiterate in math and in the 10 percentile in the U.S,” Moore said.  “After following a series of treatments, he now ranks in the 50th percentile.  That same student recently suffered a concussion in football, which resulted in changes in the brain.  Because he had a baseline qEEG from one year ago, we were able to compare the old qEEG with the new brain mapping post concussion. That analysis revealed that he had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury.  It was recommended that he not play full contact football for one season so that his brain could heal.  Without a baseline brain mapping, we would have never known the extent of the damage that had occurred.  He might have also continued playing football, resulting in further damage. He is now back at Alternatives for further treatment.” 


For Moore, the work is gratifying because the results are so positive.  One study of qEEG revealed that in five cases of patients suffering from brain injuries or conditions, memory improvements ranged from 68 percent to 181 percent (http://chp-neurotherapy.com/pdfs/JHTR15-6-07001-013.pdf).


Moore has seen those same positive results.  “We’ve seen improvement in nearly everyone who has tried this program.”

Thermography Detecting Breast Cancer in the Earliest Stages

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a great time to make sure that you are doing everything possible to prevent one of the deadliest cancers that affect women.  For three years now, Alternatives has been offering breast thermography, a technology that employs a digital infrared camera and computer systems to measure heat from the surface of the breasts.  The test produces an image, which can be evaluated for abnormalities in the breast.  


“Thermography is not a test that replaces mammography, but it does provide different information,” noted Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder.  “Mammography looks at structural changes in the breast and identifies cancer after it already has formed.  Thermography measures increased blood flow to areas of the breast where tumors may be forming. Thermography can be used in concert with mammography to help identify breast cancer and protect women from the advancement of the disease.”  


Research conducted at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell and reported in 2008 revealed that Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) or breast thermography identified 58 of 60 malignancies, with 97 percent sensitivity, 44 percent specificity and 82 percent negative predictive value depending on the mode used.1  


“DITI is a valuable adjunct to mammography and ultrasound, especially in women with dense breast parenchyma,” the study concluded.


In fact, cancer was recently detected in an Alternatives patient who was reported to have a normal mammogram, Dr. Ryan noted. For more information contact Alternatives today at 827-9450.

1. Am J Surg. 2008 Oct ;196 (4):523-6. Effectiveness of a noninvasive digital infrared thermal imaging system in the detection of breast cancer. Arora N, Martins D, Ruggerio D, Tousimis E, Swistel AJ, Osborne MP, Simmons RM. Department of Surgery; http://www.breastthermography.com/articles/AmJSurg-EffectivenessIR-detectingBCA2008.pdf

Important Nutrition Advice for Expectant Moms

It used to be that a new mom could expect a healthy baby with very little effort.  After all, a woman’s body supplies all of the God-given nutrients to grow a well-developed new life, right?  Sadly, such is not the case anymore.  


“A placenta used to be considered adequate protection for a baby, but one study found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants,” said Kathi Bratberg, RN, MS Holistic Nutrition at Alternatives http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/execsumm.php.
   
“Many newborns are at a detriment at birth with compromised liver and immune systems.  Some are even born with allergies,” she explained.  The explosion of ADHD, autism and learning disabilities also are believed to have a genetic link, according to some experts.  “What’s worse, if the mother had a bad diet, smoked and drank alcohol, those conditions will factor into her newborn as well,” Bratberg said.


The ways in which industrial pollution begins in the womb are chronicled in the compelling YouTube video “10 Americans” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5n4HhQr25Q, produced by the Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/.


That’s why Alternatives is helping expectant moms shore up their first lines of defense by identifying potential nutrition problems and designing nutritious food plans for the health of the mother and baby.  Micronutrient testing – a blood test – is now available at Alternatives. SpectraCell’s micronutrient test measures more than 32 vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the body and evaluates how they are absorbed and utilized. 


“Expectant moms can prepare ahead of time,” Bratberg said, “by eating clean foods, healthy fats and proper proteins.  If a new mom is healthy, then she’ll be passing on healthy attributes to her new baby.  In fact, if a woman is even thinking of getting pregnant, she should begin to prepare her body through proper nutrition and supplements.”  Alternatives offers many resources and expertise into proper eating plans for expectant moms and children. 


A quarterly movie series will delve into the subject of chemical and toxic pollutants in our food chain and a discussion afterwards will cover the healthy alternatives that parents can consider for their children.  “We will get parents the information they need to make healthy changes in their children’s diets,” Bratberg said.  Cooking can be time-consuming, but it also should be a family affair, Bratberg noted.  “Mom isn’t the only one who has to cook.  Kids can get involved as well and they’re more willing to eat what they prepare,” she added.


“If you can get your kids started on good healthy foods and fats, and keep them away from toxins, sugars and artificial sweeteners, hopefully the genetic predisposition of poor nutrition.”

For additional information about healthy eating, go to the Westin A. Price Foundation at http://www.westonaprice.org/.  
      

Alternatives Proven Method of Hormone Replacement Offers Protection from Osteoporosis

Declining and imbalanced hormone levels have been wreaking havoc on the human body for decades.  Hot flashes, sleepless nights, loss of libido and osteoporosis become the fate of many women who are approaching menopause and beyond.  In fact, one in three women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-and-statistics.html.


But conventional medical methods of strengthening bones and replacing hormones often reap negative results, according to Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health.  For the past 17 years, Dr. Ryan has been researching and administering Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).  She practices what she believes is the best and safest hormone replacement therapy on the market today:  the Wiley Protocol® http://www.thewileyprotocol.com/.


The Wiley Protocol is a patent pending hormone replacement therapy delivery system that consists of biomimetic estradiol and progesterone in a topical cream preparation, dosed to mimic the natural hormones produced by a young woman’s body.

The creams and their amounts are designed to vary throughout the 28-day cycle because a woman’s youthful hormone levels naturally fluctuate.  The Wiley Protocol targets age 20 as a baseline because heart disease and stroke, Type II diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease are not usual concerns for a healthy young individual.  

More and more local doctors are just beginning to use this proven method of hormone replacement therapy, and yet, Dr. Ryan has a 17-year track record in the study and practice of bioidentical hormones after years working in traditional medicine, making her one of this region’s leading authorities. “Dosing the hormones correctly is a very intricate science,” Dr. Ryan noted.


“It’s not the same dose every day, which is how many other programs administer hormones.  The body produces hormones in a definite pattern.  When you use same dose every day, even though the levels look fine, a woman may be having hot flashes and night sweats.  Without the proper training and experience, a doctor won’t know how to trouble-shoot a situation like that,” she said.


“I’m following 70 years’ data of normal estrogen and progesterone in women.  I also know to look for the signs of liver problems, which must be figured into the equation.  If your hormone levels are fluctuating a lot, for instance, it means the liver is not adequately clearing out chemicals and needs more support.  It’s not a perfect science, but one that requires a trained medical professional and support staff, like our team at Alternatives, to monitor.”  

Not only do the plant-based hormonal systems like the Wiley Protocol promote a safer and healthier aging process, they also provide protection for bones, Dr. Ryan said.  “For the past seven years many doctors have been prescribing bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax, and consumer lawsuits are now starting to surface from those who have taken these medications for years,” Dr. Ryan noted.   
“The problem is that these bisphosphonates are not natural substances.  Seven years into these drugs we’re seeing strange fractures in bones.  That’s because the drugs do not naturally put down bone.  The only things that do build bone are your own hormones.  You can’t just bombard the body with calcium, you have to have hormones, or you risk calcium deposits everywhere.  If you want calcium to go where it needs to do its job, you must re-establish a normal hormonal pattern so the body will begin building bone correctly again.”


Other experts agree as well.  Dr. Susan Ott of the University of Washington, Seattle, says: “Many people believe that these drugs (bisphosphonates) are bone builders, but the evidence shows they are actually bone hardeners.” 1

1. Ott S. New treatment for brittle bones. Ann Intern Med. 2004; 141:406-407.

Be sure to get your fill of vitamin K

We've been happy to read positive articles about nutrition in the Omaha World Herald lately - like this one on the benefits of Vitamin K (OWH 7/28/2010 in the Living Section - reprinted from The Houston Chronicle).  Vitamin K plays a part in Bone mineralization and stopping osteoporosis, and there is a nice list of foods that it is available in.

The article also mentions that vitamin K is fat-soluble, and combining it with olive oil or canola oil will help with absorption.  Kathi Bratberg RN, BS Holistic Nutrition (Alternatives' Nutrition Educator) has some additional advice:

1. Use little or no heat on the olive oil - otherwise it will oxidize and cause more harm than good

2. We don't recommend Canola Oil at Alternatives! but if you have to use it - please use only Organic Canola Oil - the genetically modified rapeseed is not good for you, and the chemical processing and heating that typically occurs in the non-organic canola is like tar for your arteries.

3. Remember to sniff your oils! The process of oxidation occurs quicker in quality oils that aren't processed as much (and don't have chemical deodorants added - yes food manufacturers disguise rancid oils to extend shelf life)

Vitamin K is important in supplementation for bones because it helps calcium absorption and retention.  If calcium isn't absorbed it becomes plaque in the arteries!  Another great source of Vitamin K is a supplement we sell from New Chapter - called Bone Strength. This has bio-available K2 (made from food so it's easier to absorb) and calcium that is derived from algae (also highly bioavailable).  

Call us at 402-827-9450 if you'd like to learn more about how Nutritional changes can make a big impact on your life, and if you would like a consultation or to purchase supplements.  We hope this information was educational and empowering for you!

Consumer Warning: Avoid Mercury Bulbs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs have been touted as innovative energy savers and are being heavily marketed to consumers. You can pick out these bulbs right away by their distinctive squiggly shape. But are they safe?  “Not when they break because they are full of toxic mercury," said Kathi Bratberg, RN, MS Holistic Nutrition at Alternatives. Other experts agree.  

“As long as the mercury is contained in the bulb, CFLs are perfectly safe. But eventually, any bulbs — even CFLs — break or burn out, and most consumers simply throw them out in the trash," said Ellen Silbergeld, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins University and editor of the journal Environmental Research. This is an enormous amount of mercury that’s going to enter the waste stream at present with no preparation for it,” she said http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23694819/.

"The best way to dispose of these light bulbs is to take them back to the point of origin," says Bratberg. “Many retailers will take back these bulbs after they have burned out for proper disposal. Before you buy a CFL, make sure the retailer has a program for proper disposal. You don’t want to break one in your home nor do you want these bulbs going into a landfill.”

Mercury exists in three chemical forms, each of which has specific effects on human health, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm.

Those include:

· Methylmercury

· Elemental mercury

· Other mercury compounds (inorganic and organic) 

Elemental (metallic) mercury primarily causes health effects when it is breathed as a vapor where it can be absorbed through the lungs. These exposures can occur when elemental mercury is spilled or products that contain elemental mercury break and expose mercury to the air, particularly in warm or poorly-ventilated indoor spaces. Symptoms of this type of exposure can include tremors; emotional changes (e.g., mood swings, irritability, nervousness, excessive shyness); insomnia; neuromuscular changes (such as weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching); headaches; disturbances in sensations; changes in nerve responses; performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. At higher exposures there may be kidney effects, respiratory failure and death.

“In addition to the risks of mercury poisoning, there is also concern that actual usage of these bulbs may be unsafe as well,” Bratberg noted. “These bulbs have been in implicated in migraines and epileptic seizures, and have been suspected in contributing to health problems of those who have lupus and certain light sensitivities.”

For more information, link to http://www.thereader.com/heartlandhealing.php?subaction=showfull&id=1266525364&archive=&start_from=&ucat=18& or contact Alternatives at 827-9450.

Precision Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) an Effective Way to Treat Fine Lines and Scars

Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) is one successful and popular way that Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, has been improving the appearance of women throughout the Omaha area for the past several months. Now the clinic is offering a variation on this innovative procedure called Precision CIT, a process that targets fine lines or wrinkles and scars even more effectively and painlessly. 

The typical CIT procedure uses a sterile roller comprised of a series of fine needles, which penetrate directly into the skin’s dermis. Each of these “micro injuries” stimulates the surrounding tissue to produce new collagen and elastin with minimal harm to the skin's protective barrier. Precision CIT employs a state-of-the-art digital permanent make-up pen without ink to work those fine lines and stimulate collagen production in areas that can be even harder to reach. The sensation is of tickling and the procedure is relatively pain-free, allowing more sensitive ares to be worked on. “With Precision CIT, I can more effectively and comfortably work a scar or lines around the eyes and lips,” said Donette Smith, L.M.T., Alternatives Aesthetician. “The skin regenerates and looks normal and healthy.”

If you’re like most women looking for a way to improve your skin and appearance, the new non-surgical and affordable procedures on the market today are welcome options. Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, is the first clinic in Omaha to offer Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT). For more information, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Summer Time is Tick Time; Be On Guard for Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a condition that is often misunderstood and not taken as seriously as it should, according to Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder. “That’s because a simple bite from an infected tick could turn into a chronic condition that becomes difficult to treat,” she said. About 20,000 Americans are reported to have Lyme disease each year, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America http://www.idsociety.org/lymediseasefacts.htm. "What's more, many look for the tell-tale signs of rash to signal an infection when, in fact, rash only presents in a small percentage of patients with Lyme disease," Dr. Ryan said.

The Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/) reports that Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease, the CDC reports. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

“These recommendations are good, but don’t go far enough in helping to protect the public,” Dr. Ryan noted. “There are a number of herbs that can help safeguard people and even animals from the risks of Lyme disease. It’s worth keeping these prophylactics stocked in the medicine cabinet so that you can administer them immediately after you have removed ticks from yourself, a family member or a pet. If you or someone in your family gets a rash after being bitten by a tick, it’s imperative that you see a doctor right away to begin a regimen of antibiotics.”

Safeguarding against this disease is imperative, Dr. Ryan noted. “Although the medical community has been reluctant to give credence to a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, they do recognize that some patients continue to have problems even after treatment. Ongoing symptoms have included fatigue, body aches, joint aches, brain fog, arthritis, headaches and a general malaise that oftentimes does not show up in bloodwork,” Dr. Ryan said. “Also, people cannot count on a rash as a warning sign of Lyme disease. Only about 20 percent of those with Lyme disease even get a rash; the other 80 percent sometimes don’t even know they’ve been bitten.” 

Here’s what the Infectious Diseases Society of America says about an estimated 5 percent of the population that continues to have problems after being treated for Lyme disease.

“In rare cases, people who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and properly treated have lingering symptoms, typically generalized pain, joint pain and fatigue. These symptoms have been interpreted by some to suggest the presence of chronic Borrelia burgdorferi infection.”http://www.idsociety.org/lymediseasefacts.htm.

“It’s obvious that there is a lot of controversy about Lyme disease,” Dr. Ryan said. “But why not be safe than sorry? Taking protective action can help prevent problems that will not only put a damper on summertime fun but could cause a lifetime of heartache.”

For more information about the herbs used to treat Lyme disease, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Healthy Summer Eating Focuses the Ancient Ideas That Lead to Heart Health

Much of the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine focuses on the belief that the life and activity of individual human beings have an intimate relationship with the environment on all levels. Our bodies change like the seasons and rely on specific nutrients to thrive in each cycle of our lives. 

Summertime is the season of heart health when consumers have more access to fresh-grown fruits and vegetables. “To keep our hearts healthy we should enjoy nature’s bounty,” said Kathi Bratberg, RN, B.S. Holistic Nutrition at Alternatives. “Fruits and vegetables feature valuable anti-oxidants that can reduce inflammation, which is one important way to maintain healthy cholesterol and heart. Add whole grains, which have the fiber to help clear out toxins in the gut, and good fats, which help suppress appetite, and you have the start to a great recipe for heart health.”

An understanding of fat is an important part of any healthy nutrition season. Much of this knowledge focuses on the differences between trans fat and saturated fat. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/Trifold-TransFats2009.pdf trans fats are used in most processed foods such as commercial cakes, pies, cookies, crackers, bread, chips, pretzels, snack foods and salad dressings. The only way to avoid these is to prepare your own food with fresh ingredients. Use traditional fats that include saturated fats such as butter, lard, palm oil and coconut oil for cooking and baking, and olive oil for salad dressings, advises Bratberg. Trans fats interfere with immune function while saturate fats enhance immune function, the Weston A. Price Foundation notes. Trans fats contribute to weight gain, while some types of saturated fats boost metabolism and help with weight loss. Trans fats are associated with increased cancer and decreased fertility. Sources of saturated fat such as butter and meat fats contain many nutrients that fight against cancer and promote fertility, the Weston A. Price Foundation advises.

A healthy diet is all about balance and the foods of summertime can help you strive for that perfect mix. Combined with an understanding of healthy fat, nutritious eating has never been an easier goal to achieve.

Is Cholesterol Getting a Bad Rap?

Just a mention of the word cholesterol is enough to send shivers of fear and trepidation through the most health conscious American. After all, traditional medicine has left us with the notion that a cholesterol reading over 200 is a virtual death sentence. But then you read about the Greek Island of Crete where the average cholesterol is well over 200 and heart disease is barely a blip on the radar screen. It just doesn’t add up.

Cholesterol is actually the great healer and high cholesterol a sign that something in the body could be amiss, said Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder. “The liver produces cholesterol, and it is present in nearly all parts of the body, including the brain. Enzymes convert cholesterol to vitamin D and hormones that support virtually all body functions. Levels fluctuate in response to toxins, stress and even the seasons," she said.

The body steps up to the plate to make cholesterol when healing is needed. “Cholesterol is an innocent bystander to the problems going on in the body, not the cause of them,” Dr. Ryan noted. “For example, when the liver becomes overwhelmed with chemicals it can start to produce more cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat and thus susceptible to being damaged by free radicals and toxins. Damaged cholesterol becomes a free radical that can cause inflammation."

This domino effect is often blamed on high cholesterol when, in reality, cholesterol is just trying to do its job to heal the body. So what’s the answer when you’re faced with high cholesterol results? 

The first step is to understand what is actually going on in the body. “Research shows that the standard blood tests most doctors use are outdated,” Dr. Ryan said. “New tests on the market, including the Lipoprotein Particle Profile (LPP), provide a clearer picture of what’s happening. This test, which is available at Alternatives, analyzes the size of the LDL cholesterol particles. Higher numbers of small LDL particles, for instance, presents patients with a greater risk of health problems.”

These more comprehensive tests now on the market are able to help doctors target problems and develop specific treatment plans, Dr. Ryan said. So what should patients who are concerned about their cholesterol do? “For otherwise heart healthy patients with elevated cholesterol, I don’t prescribe statin drugs, which are so popular on the market today. And I am not alone in my thinking. More doctors and researchers are questioning the benefits and examining the risks of prescribing statin drugs except among high-risk heart patients,” Dr. Ryan said. (See Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 17, 2008)
 

“After a complete health analysis, the solution for many of my patients has been lifestyle changes, diet modifications including more fiber and “good fat” and supplements that serve as anti-oxidants in the body such as Vitamin D and fish oil. Don’t forget exercise and plenty of sleep.”

The road to good heart health leads back to the concept of holistic medicine, Dr. Ryan said. “If you’ve helped one part of the body you’ve helped five other areas. If you work on improving cholesterol you’ve helped your heart as well as your brain. That’s the beauty of integrative medicine. When you help one area you’re helping the entire system.”

For additional resources about cholesterol, visit the Web site of Dr. Stephen Sinatra at http://www.drsinatra.com/. For more information including an opportunity to schedule a heart healthy examination, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Neurotherapy Research Stuns Local Film Maker

As a long-time documentary film maker, Stacy Heatherly approached her current project about neurotherapy like the many others that she had produced before: She was looking for two sides to the story.

First, she interviewed a doctor in Arizona who treats patients for such conditions as autism, Attention Deficient Disorder and depression by using a form of neurotherapy. Heatherly, of Omaha, interviewed 15 patients selected at random and with their permission. What she discovered next stunned her. “During the interviews, not one of those 15 patients said that neurotherapy hadn’t worked for them,” she noted. “For most, this treatment had been their last hope. One of the most powerful stories was that of an autistic child who had refused to initiate conversations. Neurotherapy treatments changed all of that.”

Heatherly became interested in neurotherapy after helping a family member suffering from depression and anxiety find an alternative treatment to traditional medicine. She was intrigued enough to turn it into a film project.

The practice of neurotherapy features several different protocols including neurofeedback, a treatment method practiced at Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health. Alternatives’ NeuroIntegration System strives to normalize and manage the complex and varied waves in an individual’s brain when they go awry.

The system works by incorporating photic stimulation and music to help normalize brain activity. “Since the procedure was introduced at Alternatives, a number of patients, in particular children, have been able to decrease ADHD medication, lessen anxiety, improve insomnia and even better their grades,” noted Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder. A German study, published last year, added scientific credibility to these results when it found that neurofeedback improved attention and reduced impulsivity and hyperactivity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19712709. 

Heatherly, who has taken a comprehensive look at the several different types of neurotheraphy for her film Rewired, has seen the same impressive results. “One of the things I discovered in my research, really the wave of the future, is this idea of integrated, comprehensive medicine. And that’s what I’ve seen Dr. Ryan practice. It’s the idea of treating the individual as a whole.”

Her film features two cases studies, one of an individual with a traumatic brain injury and another of a child with learning disabilities. In addition to neurofeedback, Heatherly features in her film another type of neurotherapy called QEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram). This procedure is often referred to as brain mapping, which also is offered at Alternatives. Brain data is collected and processed, and a detailed analysis is generated that is used to develop very specific and targeted protocols for patients. "We use brain mapping to gather data on multiple states of brain activity, during both active and relaxed states," according to Jamie Moore, RN and Neurotherapist at Alternatives. A study of QEEG revealed that in five cases of patients suffering from brain injuries or conditions, memory improvements ranged from 68 percent to 181 percent http://chp-neurotherapy.com/pdfs/JHTR15-6-07001-013.pdf.

Production work will soon wrap on Rewired; the film will be made available for a public screening as well as licensed and offered for sale to PBS and other network television stations. Neurotherapy is just one of many of the topics that this enterprising filmmaker has been involved with through her company Digg Site Productions www.thediggsite.org.

Heatherly began the nonprofit organization after reading about a similar program in New York, which offers accreditation to high school students who write and produce films. Purchasing and adapting the curriculum to fit The Digg Site Productions model, the Board of Directors created a summer workshop that allows students the opportunity to earn credits toward graduation. The students learn how to create a documentary film, showcase that 15-minute film at a film festival where they can win awards such as scholarships toward college and return after graduation to intern on a full-length documentary.

All profits from the documentary films produced and directed by The Digg Site Production go back into the company to fulfill its mission as a self-sustaining nonprofit. Heatherly has a film career spanning 20 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Minor in Psychology from Bellevue University.