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World’s Largest Wildlife Highway Crossing Opens in San Antonio

The new Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge connects people with nature in the heart of San Antonio across a sixlane highway at Phil Hardberger Park. Private donations and a fiveyear bond program approved by voters helped fund the $23 million bridge, the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the U.S.

Wildlife and vehicle collisions are a big problem across the country, increasing by 50 percent in 15 years, with an estimated 1 to 2 million large animals killed by motorists every year, according to National Geographic sources. In the U.S., 21 threatened and endangered species face extinction partly because of traffic accidents. Wildlife crossings are seen as an effective solution to the problem, with fatality reductions of up to 95 percent, depending on the location. The San Antonio bridge is notable for its size—150 feet wide and 150 feet long—and that it accommodates people, too. Animals in the 330-acre park that benefit from the bridge include ringtails, squirrels, coyotes, lizards, raccoons and deer. They are using it as intended, and it also serves as a habitat for native plants.

Critters React to Warming Temperatures in the Rockies

A 13-year study at the University of Colorado at Boulder published in the journal Ecology reveals that the popular goldenmantled ground squirrel and 46 other species of rodents and shrews in Colorado are climbing uphill to escape warming temperatures in the state. The report states that, on average, the ranges of the animals have shifted more than 400 feet in elevation since the 1980s. Montane mammals, or those already living at higher elevations like the ground squirrel, have moved up 1,100 feet on average. It‘s a significant change that could rob them of their environmental niche. The same species may be harbingers of larger and more urgent changes in the Rocky Mountains.

Colorado has warmed by nearly 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1980s because of human-caused climate change. As the state continues to heat up, scientists say that ponderosa pine forests and other mountain ecosystems will have to move higher to find cooler weather. Beginning in 2008, the team visited multiple sites in Colorado’s Front Range and San Juan mountains to collect records of the current ranges of 47 species of rodents and shrews. They compared their findings with approximately 4,500 historic records from museum collections dating back to the 1880s and included animal specimens stored at the university museum, which houses nearly 12,000 mammals from Colorado.

Ah-Choo!

Climate Change Makes Pollen Season Worse for Allergy Sufferers

A new study by the University of Utah published in the journal PNAS found that pollen seasons have been getting longer and more intense in North America over the last 30 years, aggravating asthma and weakening defenses against respiratory viruses, resulting in more emergency room visits that disrupt lives. Researchers comparing pollen metrics between 1990 and 2018 from 60 monitoring stations indicate that seasons are starting up to 20 days earlier and lasting up to eight days longer, affecting millions of allergy sufferers. The study looked at variable factors such as temperature, rainfall, frost days and carbon dioxide concentrations, and found that an increase in mean annual temperatures was the strongest driver. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 19 million adults have been diagnosed with hay fever, an allergic reaction to pollen, a fine powder from plants that can come into contact with the eyes, nose, mouth and throat.

Artificial Intelligence Joins Fight Against Marine Litter

MARLIT, an open-access aliaksandr marko/AdobeStock.com web app based on a deep-learning artificial intelligence algorithm, will promote the detection and measurement of floating plastics in the sea with a reliability of over 80 percent, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Pollution conducted by experts at the Biodiversity Research Institute of the University of Barcelona.

Floating macro-litter is a threat to the conservation of marine ecosystems worldwide. The largest density of floating litter is in the great ocean gyres (systems of circular currents that spin and catch litter), but polluting waste is also abundant in coastal waters and semi-closed seas such as the Mediterranean. The analysis, using artificial intelligence techniques and more than 3,800 aerial images of the Mediterranean coast along Catalonia, will permit researchers to detect the presence, density and distribution of plastic pollutants in seas and oceans worldwide. Historically, direct observation by boats and planes formed the basis for assessing the impact of floating marine macro-litter, but the massive area of the oceans and the amount of data required have made it hard in the past for researchers to progress with new monitoring studies.

Fitting End

Composting Human Remains is a Reality

Frustrated with the limited options for environmentally friendly burial services and the rampant use of embalming in most funeral homes, which turns these sites into major groundwater polluters, environmental activist Katrina Spade founded Recompose (Recompose.life), the country’s first human composting funeral home, in Seattle. Formaldehyde, one of the most common embalming chemicals, is a carcinogen.

Inspired by Spade’s idea, Governor Jay Inslee passed a bill legalizing composting as a form of human burial in 2019. Before then, the only legal and eco-friendly burial options were natural burial sites, of which there are only one or two hundred in the country. Both cremations and traditional burials cause environmental damage. Recompose offers an innovative funeral service that turns human remains into healthy soil. It gives Washington state and surrounding residents a chance to make a positive environmental change through their death, as well as their life. The process is said to save a metric ton of CO2 in the burial process, and the facility is accepting clients throughout the Northwest. As cities phase out the installation of gas lines in new buildings to cut down on methane emissions, gas utilities have been staging adversarial campaigns nationwide. In Santa Barbara, California, residents received warnings that a gas ban would dramatically increase their bills. The Pacific Northwest group Partnership for Energy Progress, funded in part by Washington state’s largest natural gas utility, Puget Sound Energy, has spent at least $1 million opposing heating electrification in Bellingham and Seattle, including $91,000 on bus ads with the slogan, “Reliable. Affordable. Natural Gas. Here for You.” In Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana and Tennessee, the industry has worked aggressively with state legislatures to pass laws to prevent cities from passing cleaner building codes.

The American Gas Association even has a website (aga.org) dedicated to promoting cooking with gas. Surveys have found that most people are open to switching water heaters and furnaces from gas to electric versions, so gas company advertising has made gas stoves a symbol of wealth, good taste and status for consumers, builders and realtors. Gas connections in American houses are at an all-time high, but as Americans realize that natural gas is a powerful contributor to climate change and source of air pollution, at least 42 cities have strengthened building codes to discourage expanding gas hookups in new construction.

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Bioidentical Women’s Hormone Therapy Bioidentical women’s hormone therapy

by Dr. Fred Harvey Customize and prioritize your wellness. Because with women's health, one size does not t all.

We have heard much conflicting information with regard to hormone replacement in the past 25 years. From Suzanne SomThe Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine is known for optimizing wellness by o ering patients traditional, alternative, preventive and holistic therapies. mers, who popularized the Do you have medical questions? term “bioidentical” in 1997, to the negative press of the Health & Nutrition live radio show and "ask the Doc"! Dr. Fred co-hosts WMNF 88.5FM Monday, 10-11am. Women’s Health Initiative in 2001, and all the way to the present, we have been Call 813-239-9663 or email dj@wmnf.org on inundated with so many opinions that it makes the head spin. The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine Many women have fallen prey to marketing 3982 Bee Ridge Road, Suite J | Sarasota 34233 Ph 941.929.9355 www.harveycenter.com campaigns for different interventions that promote health and longevity. However, there are some factual points which can help to clarify the steps women can take to ensure optimal hormone health. First, I want to define bioidentical. BIO HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) uses estradiol, the principle human estrogen, rather than conjugated horse estrogen found in the carcinogenic pill Premarin. Instead of the synthetic toxin medroxyprogesterone found in Prempro and Depo-Provera, we use progesterone which can help protect against both breast and uterine cancers. The term “natural” is not used with bioidentical hormones because all of them are anti-synthetic. They are made in a lab using enzymes to transform natural plant extracts such as genistein from soy or dioscorea from wild yam. This process results in bioidentical hormone replacements that function exactly like human hormones do.

In addition to hormone replacement therapy, it’s also important to follow the foundational principles of clean diet, abundant water, restful sleep, daily exercise and nurturing relationships. Fiber, micronutrients (like B vitamins), sulfur compounds (like sulforaphane), DIM from brassica vegetables, and phytochemicals (like genistein from soy) promote healthy hormone metabolism. Probiotics can also help to ensure the gut and liver function optimally which further supports hormone health.

There are many approaches to Hormone Replacement Therapy, but one in particular has no long-term clinical trial evidence of safety, has never been studied officially to determine efficacy, has no certified method of manufacture or delivery, and defies every principle of functional medicine because it overrides natural physiologic signals to force the body into hormone induced submission and glandular coma.

This method uses hormone pellets. Pellets are compounded by certain pharmacies, using a variety of waxy carriers that dissolve at slow unknown rates which are different in everyone. These are injected into abdominal fat with a large needle called a trocar. Once placed, they cannot be removed without surgery.

The pellets make hormone levels flatline for many months. This causes a “coma” in the master glands, hypothalamus and pituitary, shutting them down for the duration. Hormones fluctuate monthly in women and daily in men. Therefore, hormone pellets are not natural and can be potential harmful. I prefer the use of topical or oral hormone replacement. There are brand names, generic pharmaceuticals and compounded hormones to achieve the desired outcomes. I have been using bioidentical hormones in my practice since 1992 before they were even called bioidentical because I knew 30 years ago that synthetic hormones were poison. If you are interested in more information, please come in for a bioidentical hormone consultation to start your customized wellness journey.

The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine is located at 3982 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. For more information, visit HarveyCenter. com. To schedule your own personal consultation, call 941-929-9355 or email Doc@ HarveyCenter.com. Telehealth and second opinion consultations are also available upon request.

Bioidentical women’s hormone therapy

Customize and prioritize your wellness. Because with women's health, one size does not t all.

The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine is known for optimizing wellness by o ering patients traditional, alternative, preventive and holistic therapies.

Do you have medical questions? Call or email the Health & Nutrition live radio show and "ask the Doc"! Dr. Fred co-hosts WMNF 88.5FM every other Monday, 10-11am. Call 813-239-9663 or email dj@wmnf.org on May 10 & 24.

THE HARVEY CENTER

FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

The Harvey Center for Integrative Medicine 3982 Bee Ridge Road, Suite J | Sarasota 34233 Ph 941.929.9355 www.harveycenter.com

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WHAT’S WHAT’S THE PROBLEM, Dr. Korman?

by Dr. Laura Korman, DC

Q: Can I reduce anxiety without the use of medications?

A: It is estimated that 18 percent of Americans suffer from anxiety, and half of those Americans also suffer from depression. One main contributor to the onset of these mood disorders is a traumatic life event. We all know that 2020 was a year of fear, isolation and uncertainty which, for some people, resulted in loneliness, depression and anxiety.

Genetics does play a role in a person’s susceptibility to mental health issues, as well as the environment in which that person was raised or how they were nurtured by those around them. However, it’s recently discovered that a traumatic life event is the main cause of unmanageable anxiety and depression. Perhaps even more surprising, this is not just a the result of a stressful situation itself, but the perception of not being able to cope with a traumatic life event.

While psychotropic medication might be able to help in the short-term, when dealing with an acute unexpected life event, medications slowly deplete the body’s natural production of the neurotransmitters they are designed to improve. Long-term nutrition and lifestyle solutions are the best ways to optimize mental health.

Another positive strategy to handle life’s unexpected stresses is to practice visualization with prayer, meditation and affirmations. The brain cannot hold onto two different thoughts at the same time, so as a result, you can train the brain to believe in your own abilities to handle fear in a new and constructive way.

The nervous system, which controls thoughts and emotions, can be trained to align with your “chosen” affirmations through a practice called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This is a form of psychological acupressure which uses light tapping with your fingertips at specific meridian points on your head, face, rib cage and wrists.

Verbally expressing a fear, problem or traumatic event, while you perform a tapping sequence, then voicing a positive affirmation can break this circuit of emotional pain and allow a more balanced mind-body connection to restore optimal health. One place you can learn this simple technique to quickly lower fear and anxiety, is by watching EFT Tapping with Julie Schiffman on YouTube.

You might also notice that your gut is often negatively affected under stress, but you might not understand the reason why. All the neurotransmitters that the brain uses for mood, motivation and sleep are manufactured, in large part, in the gut by foods you eat and the presence or absence of healthy microbiota (friendly bacteria). The gut is actually considered a second brain because of the direct influence the two have on each other.

According to Dr. Joe Mercola, unhealthy gut flora alone can lead to mental health issues including anxiety, depression, autism and more. Research has shown the probiotic Lactobacillus Rhamnosus had a marked effect on raising GABA levels. This neurotransmitter is shown to be low in people with anxiety. This probiotic was also shown to lower corticosterone, a stress-induced hormone which results in lower anxiety and depression.

Avoiding processed foods and refined sugars, while consuming vegetables, fermented foods a high-quality probiotic supplement, will help the gut effectively make neurotransmitters to stabilize your emotional health. You might also consider a gluten-free diet (also shown to reduce anxiety in some people) for a period of two or three weeks to see how you feel.

Other lifestyle factors that can help optimize your mental health include consistent exercise, sun exposure (without burning) to increase vitamin D levels, supplementation with highquality omega-3 oils (these healthy fats are vital to reducing depression), vitamin B complex and magnesium, seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night, and other stress management techniques as mentioned above.

I hope you found this information valuable. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, please reach out to someone for help. If you would like further one on one direction with lifestyle and nutrition, please feel free to contact me at 941-629-6700 or visit DrLauraKorman.com.