Natural Nutmeg March 2017

March 2017

Natural Nutmeg Connecticut's Resource For Essential Living

Lowering Your Cholesterol May Not Prevent Heart Disease Michael Dworkin, PD, CCN, & J. Erika Dworkin The Body’s Brilliant Recycling Project Holly J. Niles, MS, CNS, LDN Keeping Your Bones Healthy for Life Tamara Sachs, MD

Should I Take Nutritional Supplements?

Nicholas J. Edgerton, ND, MS-Acu Choose Love, Not Fear Henry Grayson, PhD Why Am I So Sensitive to Chemicals?

Jessica Pizano

Of Words, The Power Bernie Siegel, MD

Natural Nutmeg Celebrates 10 Years! www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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BREAK THROUGH TO YOU

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Juliette is not an ordinary Life Coach. She specializes in breaking through blocks: medical, emotional, business, and relationships. Her primary goal is to work with clients to shift and balance rapidly to the next level with tools that change their lives forever. To many she is their personal go-to strategist, confidante, and their modern-day Shaman.

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

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In This Issue 10

Spring Into New Uses For the Humble Egg

In Every Issue 24

Eric R. Secor, Jr. PhD, ND

Julie Wern

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Detox Every Day with Real Food

26

Saying Goodbye to Gluten: The Emotional Journey

28

19

Lowering Your Cholesterol May Not Prevent Heart Disease

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Michael Dworkin, PD, CCN, & J. Erika Dworkin

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Choose Love, Not Fear

Spring Cleaning for Your Diet

36

Impact of Childhood Trauma and Stressors in Fibromyalgia

Should I Take Nutritional Supplements?

Find more articles and search our web archive at naturalnutmeg.com

28 Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

Henry Grayson, PhD

David Brady, ND

Nicholas J. Edgerton, ND, MS-Acu

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Keeping Your Bones Healthy for Life Tamara Sachs, MD

Jenna Henderson, ND

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The Body’s Brilliant Recycling Project Holly J. Niles, MS, CNS, LDN

Marie Mammone, ND

16

Why Am I So Sensitive to Chemicals?

Jessica Pizano

Joan Palmer

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Navigating the Nutritional Supplement Industry

8 THE BUZZ 11 10BEST WINNERS

12 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

38 HAPPENINGS 40 RESOURCES 42 BERNIE

Natural Nutmeg

2017 Editorial Calendar April

1. Food Sensitivities 2. Natural Allergy Relief 3. Organic Gardening Special Focus: Pet Health Special Focus: Farm to Table Dining

naturalnutmeg.com

Celebrate 10 Years of Natural Nutmeg in 2017!

READERS! - WE NEED YOU -

May / June

1. Hormone Replacement for Women and Men 2. Lyme Disease Natural Treatment Special Focus: CT Farms and Farmer’s Markets

July / August

1. Metabolic Exercise 2. Outdoor Adventure Special Focus: Farm to Table Dining

September

Magazine

Each month, we will showcase the “10 Best Of” with the most nominations in a particular category

1. Natural Therapies for Kids 2. Finding Your Passion with Life Coaching Special Focus: CT Spas and Natural Beauty Choices

Nominate your favorite business/practitioner in each category by 4/1/17

Natural utmeg N Natural

Nutmeg’s 10 BESTof 00 best Readers’ Choice Readers’ AWARDS ofChoice Magazine

October

1. Natural Treatments for Cancer 2. Epigenetics and Genetic Testing 3. Breaking Bad Habits Special Focus: Pet Health Special Focus: Farm to Table Dining

Please provide your nominations for all categories using the link below: http://tinyurl.com/NNBestOf

November / December

1. Stress Reduction and Sleep 2. Healthy Holiday Meal Planning Special Focus: Natural Gift Giving Guide

APR: MAY/JUN: JUL/AUG: SEPT: OCT: NOV/DEC:

NATURAL PET STORES · HOLISTIC VETERINARY NATURAL PRODUCTS · FARMS & FARMER’S MARKETS FARM TO TABLE REST. · WINERIES & BREWERIES NATUROPATHS HOLISTIC PRACTITIONERS YOGA & PILATES · ENERGY HEALERS

Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute at Hartford Hospital is pleased to announce its new Integrative Medicine Center

Integrative Medicine

Services Include:

At the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center-Avon 80 Fisher Drive, Avon Park North Avon, CT 06001

Acupuncture

Physician Consultations

Art for Healing

Reflexology

Evidence-based Research Studies

Reiki & Energy Therapy

Guided Imagery & Hypnotherapy

Wellness Classes & Education

Massage Therapy

Yoga Therapy

Personalized Genetic Testing

• Most insurance plans accepted • Directed by: Erika Cappelluti MD, PhD, MA, FCCP, ABIHM (Medical Director) Eric R. Secor, Jr. ND, PhD, MPH, MS, LAc (Associate Medical Director)

The Center for the Healing Arts

Tel 860.972.4444 Fax 860.545.4311

www.harthosp.org/IntMed/

www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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PUBLISHER'SLETTER

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o you know how many toxins, chemicals and bacteria we are exposed to on a daily basis? The human body is an amazing machine that fights off intruders and cleans up and detoxifies itself every day. Because there are so many toxins that we are exposed to that we have no control over, it becomes imperative that we make every effort to protect ourselves in terms of what we do have control over – what we eat, drink, put on our body and more. Detoxing your life means looking at every aspect of your life and cleaning it up. That includes diet, exercise, relationships, finances, spirituality, and work. If we are involved with people or things that don’t serve us in some areas of our life, that clutter or negativity will eventually filter into other healthy areas of our life and bring them down.

Detoxing on a physical level involves cleaning up our diet, exercising on a regular basis and making an effort to reduce the toxins we are exposed to in our personal care products. When you get a chance, take a look at the labels of your personal care products, you will be shocked to find that almost all of them (unless you are already using toxic-free) contain many toxic ingredients. Detoxing your life in other areas such as relationships, finances, spirituality and work simply requires you to check in with how you are feeling in each area. Are you involved with people that are causing you major stress? Do you have a large amount of debt or is your financial life unorganized? Do you have a hard time meditating or taking time for yourself for spiritual pursuits? Have you lost your passion for your career or job? These are just a few of the questions you should be asking yourself to determine if you need to detox other areas of your life.

Our thought processes are another area that often needs a “detox!” Sometimes we do not even realize that we are spending most of our time in thinking negatively because we are so used to saying the same things to ourselves over and over.

However, if we check in with how we’re feeling (happy, joyful, excited vs. sad, angry or depressed) we know immediately whether we’re in a positive or negative thought process. I read a wonderful book by Steve Sisgold entitled, “What’s Your Body Telling You”. He has a simple technique that he teaches called the self-evident truth (SET), in which you place your full attention on your physical and emotional body and pick up feelings and sensations that you may not have been aware of before. You’ll notice any tension or strain in your body, any uneasiness in any part of your body and what your breathing is like. This is a great way to determine how you are feeling at any time of day.

As spring is around the corner, this is a perfect time to examine all aspects of your life and determine what needs some good, old fashioned spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new, it’s the only way to make room for all of the new abundance that is just waiting to come into your life!

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ur mission is to provide valuable insight, information and resources that will allow our readers to maintain a healthy, active, sustainable lifestyle. Natural Nutmeg contains timely information on natural health, complementary and alternative medicine, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

PUBLISHER Dr. Diane Hayden Diane@naturalnutmeg.com ADVERTISING advertising@naturalnutmeg.com DIR. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Christopher Urso Curso@naturalnutmeg.com FAIRFIELD COUNTY MARKETING DIRECTOR Alicia Blair Alicia@naturalnutmeg.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ashley Frament layout@naturalnutmeg.com SOCIAL MEDIA Erica Morawski & Alexa Morawski ADVISORY BOARD Ann Aresco, N.D. Deanna M. Cherrone, MD Erika Dworkin, Dip. C.N. (Pend.)

Debra Gibson, ND Lauren Young, ND Kenneth Hoffman, LAc, CCH Vicki Kobliner, MS, RD, CD-N

In Health and Happiness, DISTRIBUTION Greater Hartford and surrounding counties, please contact Natural Nutmeg.

FFC - Tom Cossuto, Man In Motion, LLC

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Natural Nutmeg is a free publication supported solely by our advertisers and distributed throughout Connecticut. Please call for a location near you. (860) 508-0894 or email to publisher@naturalnutmeg.com. © 2007-17 by Natural Nutmeg, LLC. All rights reserved.

Parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that permission be obtained in writing. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the ar ticles and adver tisements, nor are we responsible for the products and ser vices adver tised. We welcome your feedback.

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

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Greater Vernon Holistic Healthfest Natural Options for Body, Mind and Spirit

Saturday & Sunday, March 25 & 26, 2017 10 a.m – 4 p.m.

Vernon Center Middle School 777 Hartford Turnpike (Route 30), Vernon

For events schedule and more info: www.vernonhealthfest.com Admisson: $5 for adults Free for children under 16 with a parent 93 tables of practitioners, vendors and artists plus 40 hourly workshops and demonstrations Produced by The Vernon Youth Services Bureau.

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THE BUZZ Local Author Holly Olsen Releases New Book

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ocal author Holly Olsen wrote Nursery Rhymes for Social Good: Alternative Poems for Future Activists. She was inspired by the United Nations 17 Global Goals for sustainable development and decided to rewrite traditional songs and poems to coincide with each goal.

Healers, Leaders and Educators ...and All Seekers of Empowerment “Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.”

-George Bernard Shaw

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he Graduate Institute is a most unique institution of higher education. Their mission is to provide transformative education based on an integrative and holistic perspective specifically designed to enable students to reach their full potential in both their professional and personal lives. The faculty is comprised of world As a mother of four, Olsen believes that class scholars who are leading experts in the fields of Integrative Medlearning about social justice issues should icine, Consciousness Studies, Organizational Leadership, Ecotherapy, start young, and this book is the perfect Learning and Thinking, Positive Psychology, Writing and Oral Tradiway to do that! Children everywhere memorize nursery rhymes, but tions; to name a few. Their distinguished faculty provides professional have you ever noticed that many nursery rhymes are nonsensical or expertise, and are instrumental in review of standards, guidelines, even a bit disturbing? Olsen recognized this as she was reading bedprograms, products, research, publications, trainings, future planning, time stories to her daughters. She then took the opportunity to change degrees and certification. the narrative so that her young children could memorize poems and songs that, if applied, could make the world a better place, and at the Meet the Masters! very least, could start conversations about important issues facing our Faculty member, Dr. Bernie Siegel is an insociety. The book has rhymes about climate change, equality, poverty, ternationally recognized expert in the field of health, hunger, education, and peace. cancer treatment and complementary, holistic medicine. A retired Yale New Haven Children’s Nursery Rhymes for Social Good was Hospital pediatric surgeon, who writes on the released in December, 2016 and it quickly relationship between the patient and the healbecame a Top New Release on Amazon. ing process, he is known for his best-selling It was even featured by the United Nations book Love, Medicine and Miracles. blog: Global Moms Challenge. The bottom line is that the book is fun and clever with Accredited Master of Arts Degrees adorable illustrations, and was written by one A look at some of the programs offered. of our very own here in Connecticut.

Studies are flexible and are geared towards busy, working people and the Institute offers one weekend per month courses.

Learn more or buy the book at www.socialgoodbooks.com.

Integrative Health & Healing is a Holistic Transformative 36-credit degree program which examines health, wellness and illness from a holistic perspective. This approach involves comparing, connecting and integrating conventional, alternative and complementary approaches to promoting health and wellness as well as towards prevention and healing. This program offers a unique and extraordinary opportunity to study the best of Eastern and Western medicine and psychology in a hands-on, interactive learning environment, providAs seen in the New York Times and the Boston Globe ing not only up to date scientific knowledge but also experience and Award Organic European Chocolates practice of many diagnostic and healing techniques focused to treat Winning Handcrafted in Manchester, CT the whole person. This enables students to design and apply personalby Master Chocolatier Diane Blanchette-Wagemann ized models of health, wellness and (eventually) healing.

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

From the ancient roots of medicine to contemporary practice, the degree enables participants to incorporate complementary and alternative therapies into their professions and personal lives. The curriculum includes Meditation and Stress Management, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Sound and Art Therapies, Breath Work Therapy, Naturopathic, Chinese, Ayurveda and Energy Medicine.

To learn about The Graduate Institute’s other programs, visit their website: Learn.edu or call 203-874-4252. See ad on page 21.

16 Area Chefs Compete In “86’D: A Culinary Collision” – A Friendly Chef Competition in the Greater Hartford Area

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6’D is an on-going series of culinary competitions where chefs contend in real time to claim food supremacy. 2 Chefs will compete at each round in front of a live audience consisting of influencers, restaurant critics, journalists, bloggers, renowned chefs, industry giants, friends and family, who will set the stage for a culinary competition of epicurean heights.

“Our hope is to further connect the restaurant industry to the community, all while raising funds for a great cause, says Kristen Fritz, Co-Founder of the PR and Marketing Communications Firm, Eat IN Connecticut. “We recognize the amazing talent that we have in the area and 86’D is a wonderful way to bring everyone together while showcasing some amazing culinary talent. “ Event Details: · The first battle took place at Savoy Pizzeria & Craft Bar on Monday February 6th from 10pm-1am. · 16 chefs from the Greater Hartford area will take turns competing in eight rounds of culinary competitions from February – August, 2017. · 2 Chefs battle at a time all before a live audience. · All competitions will be held in open kitchen format restaurants, all located within a 5-mile radius of Hartford. · Guests will be able to watch all of the action unfold as chef’s battle it out for 45 minutes, using three “mystery” ingredients. · Each Chef must make a minimum of 2 dishes. Competing Chefs have full use of the host kitchen’s pantry the night of the battle.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this event and are happy to help raise awareness for End Hunger Connecticut!, an organization that works to improve the levels of food security and nutrition among Connecticut families. A portion of the proceeds will go to support their mission, and in turn show the commitment of the restaurant industry in helping their community,” says Jeannette Dardenne, Co-Founder of Eat IN Connecticut.

WHY Outreach Welcomes an Executive Director

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HY Outreach is pleased to announce the appointment of Corrina Richards as Executive Director. As a dedicated WHY teacher for almost ten years, Corrina is well known and highly respected in the yoga community. With her background in management, entrepreneurship and service, Corrina is sure to provide WHY Outreach with remarkable guidance and success.

Corrina is excited about the opportunity to combine her long-time love of yoga with her passion for philanthropy: “I am honored to have been selected as Executive Director of WHY Outreach. The practice and teaching of yoga have been an integral part of my life for so many years and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to create positive change on a broader and more diverse level.”

WHY Outreach is thrilled to have Corrina take on this role, as she possesses the passion and skills to grow our organization. With Corrina on board, we can rapidly move towards our mission of bringing yoga, meditation, and other holistic healing modalities to all communities.

About WHY Outreach, Inc. The mission of WHY Outreach is to bring the physical, spiritual, and therapeutic benefits of yoga, meditation, and holistic healing modalities to all communities regardless of geographic, financial, social, or other barriers. In order to fulfill its mission, WHY Outreach brings together qualified instructors and holistic practitioners with groups and venues in need.

WHY Outreach, Inc. is a qualified 501(c)3 charitable organization.

For WHY Outreach information, call 860-337-1616, or visit www. whyoutreach.org.

Chefs already signed on to engage in the competition include: Van Hurd, David Awad, Jesse Powers, Jason Welch, Hunter Morton, Prasad Chirnomula, Craig Hutchinson, Dante Paul Cistulli, Scott Damboise, Xavier Santiago, Eric Stagl, Roy Riedl, Renee Touponce, Niles Talbot, Chris Sheehan, and April Melisa.

All of the competitions take place on Mondays. Round 2 is March 6, Round 3 is March 20, Round 4 is April 3, Round 5 is April 17, Round 6 is May 15, Round 7 is June 5, and Round 8 is August 28.

For more information, please visit: www.86dculinarycollision.com.

About Eat IN Connecticut: A marketing company that helps both the food & beverage industry as well as lifestyle related brands tell their stories through strategic marketing, including social media, public relations, and photography. Our approach is to use out of the box and grassroots methods to show what really happens behind the scenes.

To learn more go to: www.eatin-ct.com www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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Spring Into New Uses For the Humble Egg

By Julie Wern

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ith the advent of spring it seemed fitting to highlight the humble egg. For thousands of years, the egg has been a symbol of new life, rebirth, fertility and resurrection. As such, eggs are the perfect food to usher in the spring season. For years, I have celebrated the winter thaw on a warm spring day by making a batch of egg salad dotted with bits of fresh tarragon. It is a little ritual that makes me feel a sense of hope and excitement for new beginnings.

Another reason to write about eggs is that they have long been misunderstood and deserve to be exonerated. For more than a decade they have been maligned due to a supposed link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease. But research has been strongly questioning this simple link. Recently, government guidelines have lifted previous limitations on dietary cholesterol consumption, and eggs are once again elevated to a neutral, if not health food, with good reason. Eggs are full of choline and selenium, important nutrients that most Americans are deficient in. They are an inexpensive complete protein and a good source of vitamin D and B12. They are also full of important nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin that help fight disease.

What is still most confusing about eggs is their labeling in the marketplace. Terms such as free-range, cage-free, natural, pastured, organic, certified humane, no hormones, and no antibiotics have most consumers either confused or misguided about what they are really buying. For example, cage-free simply means that hens are housed in a large enclosure rather than being kept in small cages. It does not mean that they get access to the outdoors or forage for natural feed.

To add to the confusion, farmers are prohibited by the USDA from giving hormones to laying hens. The USDA also strictly limits antibiotic use in laying hens, but most consumers don’t know this.

Thus, labels advertising antibiotic or hormone-free eggs are simply a clever design to make consumers erroneously believe that one producer’s eggs are healthier than another’s.

So what is a consumer to buy? By regulation, eggs labeled organic come from hens that are cage-free, able to move around their enclosure freely, and have some, albeit usually very limited, access to the outdoors. Feed must be USDA organic, which means the majority of its ingredients are free from non-organic pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

But with hens having little access to the outdoors, eggs labeled organic still have their problems. The gold standard would be eggs laid from truly pastured hens supplemented with organic feed (most, if not all pastured hens are given at least some supplemental feed). However, the term pasture-raised is not regulated by the USDA, so it is a fairly useless term in the marketplace and can be very misleading.

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

Breakfast Socca Ingredients: • 1 cup chickpea flour • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 cup water • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided • 1/2 cup partially cooked crumbled organic nitrate free bacon or Spanish chorizo • 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained • 4 large eggs, preferably pastured and organic • about 2 cups fresh arugula 1. Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet in a preheated 450° oven and preheat for 30 minutes. Alternatively, use a rimmed baking sheet and preheat for 15 minutes.

2. While pan is preheating, whisk chickpea flour, salt, pepper, cumin and water until smooth. Set aside while pan is heating.

Batter will be thin but will thicken slightly as it sits.

3. Once pan is preheated, carefully remove it from the oven and swirl in a tablespoon of olive oil. Pour Socca batter in pan and swirl to distribute it evenly (if using a baking sheet, try to confine the batter to a 12-inch space using an offset spatula). Sprinkle batter evenly with bacon or chorizo and sundried tomatoes. Place in oven and bake for 16-20 minutes or until browned on the edges.

4. Remove from the oven. Place top oven rack 6 inches from heating element and set oven to broil. Using a pastry brush, dab 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly atop Socca.

Carefully crack eggs and place gently on the Socca, being careful not to break the yolks or overlap the eggs.

5. Place pan back in the oven and bake for 4-6 minutes or until egg whites are set. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the Socca to release it from the pan. Cut into 4-6 pieces, and using a spatula as an aid to release the bottom of the Socca, remove each piece to a plate. Top with fresh arugula and serve.

Thus, the only way to really know what you are getting with eggs is to know the source. Local farms that truly pasture their hens and offer supplemental organic feed will offer the healthiest, most humanely raised eggs. To find farms in your area, consult www. localharvest.org or www. eatwild.com. Then speak with the farmer directly and ask about pasturing methods and supplemental feed.

Eggs are one of those incredible food items that have thousands of culinary uses, which make them hard to discuss in a small food article. So rather than touch on all the possible uses of the utilitarian egg, I thought I would highlight some of my new favorite ways to enjoy them.

We are all familiar with fried or poached eggs, yet we tend to use them in very narrow ways like served on a plate with a bit of toast for dipping. Yet in the culinary world of late, fried or poached eggs have been showing up in the most unexpected and delicious places, such as on salads, in grain bowls, or even on pizza. One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is atop Socca, a traditional Provencal flatbread that is made with chickpea flour. Socca is a delightfully healthful, gluten-free alternative to flatbread and can be almost pizza-like, depending upon how it is made. This version is fantastic for breakfast, or even for lunch.

Julie Wern is a psychotherapist turned stay-at-home-mom turned health coach and cooking instructor. She is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and the author of Holcomb Farm CSA’s Simply Fresh blog (http://holcombfarm. org/blog), as well as her new food and lifestyle blog, The Wholesome Gourmande (www.thewholesomegourmande. com). It is Julie’s passion to help individuals find their unique path to health without sacrificing joy and pleasure in food.

10BEST WINNERS Congratulations to our 10Best Winners of our reader’s choice survey on the best Health Food Stores in CT!

10Best Health Food Store Winners 1. Garden of Light Avon 2. Parkade Health Shoppe Manchester 3. Whole Foods Glastonbury & Fairfield 4. New Morning Woodbury 5. It’s Only Natural Middletown 6. Nature’s Grocer Vernon 7. New Canaan Healthfare 8. Thyme and Season Hamden 9. Nature’s Way Stratford 10. Chamomile Natural Foods Danbury

Next Issue’s 10Best: Natural Pet Stores & Holistic Veterinarians

www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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Business Spotlight ProNatural Physicians Group (formerly Kensington Naturopathic Medical Center) Celebrates 10 Years Advertising with Natural Nutmeg

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his business spotlight is our 2nd in a series recognizing local holistic practitioners and businesses that are celebrating 10 years in 2017. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Ann Aresco, owner of ProNatural Physicians Group to discuss her inspiration and success.

DH: Why did you want to start your own business vs. working for someone else?

AA: Naturopathic Doctors (ND) for the most part become independent practitioners. Unlike medical doctors there are no positions in hospitals and big medical clinics for NDs to be employed. There are opportunities to work in some of the larger holistic practices but these are limited.

DH: What has been your biggest success and your biggest challenge in owning a business for 10 years?

AA: The biggest success and biggest challenge was creating a clinic like no other in Connecticut. As President of the Connecticut Naturopathic Physicians Association for a few years, I was in contact with many NDs practicing in CT. This gave me the opportunity to find out the challenges and successes and learn from them. One of the big things I realized was that NDs working in the clinics with MDs didn’t seem to get the referrals you would expect. I believe

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

this was because, as with the general public, MDs are not familiar with Naturopathic Medicine and how we practice.

They don’t recognize what we can do to help their patients have better health. We are a very underutilized specialty in the medical model.

DH: What plans do you have for the future?

AA: My plan is to keep adding practitioners to our integrated setting so that people can see practitioners who treat many modalities of medicine in one place.

DH: What are you most proud of that you’ve accomplished in the last 10 years?

AA: Creating a solution to health care for many patients who seek our medical practices. Working with those who appreciate that there are many answers to each patient’s health care dilemma.

DH: What advice would you have for practitioners/business owners about how to be successful in their industry?

AA: Educate the public. Write articles, do speaking engagements, network, network, network. Using a magazine like Natural Nutmeg is a good place to start. People reading the articles are interested in taking control of their own healthcare. This is the Naturopathic doctors demographic. I believe that Naturopathic Medicine is the profession that will integrate medicine. We know better than any single practice specialty how to integrate patients’ treatment protocols with other types of medicine.

Interview by Dr. Diane Hayden. Naturopathic physician, Dr. Ann Aresco, founded ProNatural Physicians Group, LLC in 2011 to address obstacles within the current alternative medicine environment.

It is a practice of Naturopathic Doctors (N.D.’s) who work in coordination with other medical practitioners including counselors, social workers, chiropractors, massage therapists, Nurse Practitioners, MD’s, DO’s who are likeminded with preventative medicine.

The practice is located in Berlin, CT, at 120 Webster Square Rd. For more information go to www.ProNaturalPhysicians.com or call 860-829-0707. See ad on page 7.

Every Day with Real Food

By Joan Palmer

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e don’t have to wait for a special day or season to do this, with the right lifestyle and food, it just happens. It can be simple, affordable and delicious. First, we need to stop adding to the body burden as much as possible. Every year an estimated 2,000 new chemicals are introduced to the market; many never being tested as to how they impact human health! These chemicals are introduced to us in a myriad of ways: through our body care products, household cleaners, plastics, fast food, food additives, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, household furnishings, chemicals on clothing, laundry detergents, dry cleaning, gasoline, polluted air we breathe and polluted water we drink. Even babies born today have been found to have more than 200 chemicals in the umbilical cord.

There are now many safe alternatives to these toxic products available, but you do need to do your homework to be sure a company is truly cleaning up their product.

A great source for this information is Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org. They rate cleaning and body care products from cleanest to least safe. You can also make many of your own body care and household cleaning products that are affordable and made with simple, safe ingredients.

After we clean up our living/working space we need to look at the way we live our life. Remembering to take time to minimize our metabolic body burden from stress and inflammation is just as important.

1. Relax - Reduces stress that causes inflammation and increases metabolic toxins 2. Sweat –Helps to eliminate metabolic waste and toxins through our largest organ, the skin. Think of riding a bike, hiking, walking, yoga, dancing, gardening, playing 3. Breathe deeply, preferably out of doors – Helps to eliminate metabolic waste and toxins through the gas exchange in the lungs 4. Laugh – This creates a sense of well-being and reduces inflammation.

Keeping ourselves well-nourished is our best defense against this increasingly toxic environment by eating real food and drinking clean water. There are higher order compounds in food called phytonutrients that are powerful for our detoxification system and overall health. These constituents are what I like to call the “plant magic.” We have only touched the surface of discovering what is actually in plants and how these constituents work synergistically to help the body. All food grown as nature intended in nutrient rich soil that is teaming with biology is important, (even or especially some of the weeds). The closer to home and the more seasonal the food, the more of these healthy compounds there will tend to be. Here are a few of the powerhouses in the plant world that actually have some of those higher order compounds that directly assist the detoxification system and our overall health: Cruciferous vegetables: like broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, arugula, kale, collards, watercress, daikon radish, horseradish, kohlrabi, maca, mustard greens, radish and turnips. This large group of plants contain sulfur compounds that research shows increases the capacity of the liver to detoxify harmful compounds. Here in the Northeast these foods can be planted early in the season and survive long into the cold months. Many will begin to grow again in the spring if protected through the winter.

Beets: Another powerful source of phytonutrients. These compounds offer detoxification support as well as overall health benefits. Beets can also have a long growing season. They can be eaten raw or cooked, but these phytonutrients are more prolific if you don’t over-cook them. Don’t forget to eat the beet greens too for added nutrient power.

Artichokes: These lovely flowers pack a nutrient punch too. The phytonutrient cinarin helps stimulate secretion of bile from the gall bladder, which helps flush toxins

from the body. Another compound found in artichokes, silymarin, actually protects the hardworking liver while also helping it to rid the body of toxins. These can be grown in our region though they will be smaller than what we are used to seeing in the grocery store. I find these to be one of my favorite seasonal treats, lightly steamed and savored.

Milk thistle: A seed that is rich in the phytonutrient, silymarin. Again, this compound helps to protect the liver while helping it to eliminate toxins from the body.

This lovely plant can be grown here in the Northeast. It is a member of the thistle family, and produces many seeds. These seeds are ground and sprinkled on food or added to smoothies. This is more often consumed for health rather than flavor.

Dandelion leaf and root: The bitter flavor of dandelion helps to stimulate bile flow, which helps in the detoxification process.

It is a diuretic, which stimulates detoxification through the kidneys. This abundant wild plant is loaded with vitamins and minerals aiding in our overall nutrition status. It is one of the first wild greens to show up and all parts of it are edible. Those sunny yellow flowers that seem to be the bane of existence to meticulous lawn growers, to me yells out, “pick me, pick me, I can help!”

Burdock root: A wild food that helps the liver and kidneys in the detoxification process. This tenacious plant has a deep root that digs deep in the soil gathering minerals to add to our overall health in a powerful way. This earthy flavored root is used fresh or dried in soups and teas. It can now be found in many grocery stores.

Our bodies have an innate wisdom in how to use food and herbs to keep up the huge task of eliminating environmental toxins and metabolic waste from the body.

By providing nutrient rich foods/herbs on a daily basis we assist our bodies in the continuous dance of detoxification and overall health, all day, every day.

Joan Palmer is the founder and director of The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition in West Granby, CT. TIOSN offers a hands-on certification program teaching adults about the wisdom of food and herbs, how to grow nutrient rich foods using sustainable, local practices, culinary skills, foraging and kitchen medicine. To learn more about the program, call 860-764-9070 or go to www. tiosn.com. See ad on page 12.

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next stage of their journey and the many healthy options that are available to them. I introduce whole foods and tasty menus, and reassure them that many of their favorites are still available to them, just in different ways.

Saying Goodbye to Gluten: The Emotional Journey

By Marie Mammone, ND ’ve just had a difficult discussion with a patient about a diagnosis of Celiac disease. For those unfamiliar with Celiac, it’s an autoimmune disorder damaging the small intestines, prompted by an inability to digest gluten, a protein found in many grains. I have just informed her that the treatment is a gluten free diet.

I

We arrived at this place after testing, an important step to confirm the diagnosis prior to undertaking the structure of a gluten free food program. Her response was familiar, “Oh, no, if I can’t eat gluten, what can I eat?” As a naturopathic physician and a lover of food, I’m no stranger to this response.

Upon hearing the gluten free pronouncement, and that this will be a lifetime commitment, people go through a gamut of emotions.

The initial emotion is often one of grief; a sense of a loss of power and indeed a loss of the actual foods that were once so enjoyed. No bread? No pasta? What on earth will I eat?!” I tell them that their attitude is important and they will be able to eat many foods including fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, real cheese and rice, but no grains or flours that contain gluten. I also remind them how easy it is to flavor food with herbs for tasty meals, to dispel visions of bland, boring, and unappealing choices.

The next wave is fear that comes from external reactions. “What will my family and friends think? How and where will we enjoy meals together? Will I now be considered “high maintenance?” Once the initial panic subsides, however, I am able to gently and supportively walk patients through the

How You Eat Affects How You Feel Reduce Your Joint Pain

Chronic pain is often caused by inflammation in the body. A poor diet will commonly contribute to joint aches and pain. Working with a nutritionist to improve your diet and lifestyle can greatly benefit how you feel on a daily basis.

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Are you ruled by your gut? Do you experience bloating, gas, abdominal pain? How we eat and what we eat can greatly affect how we feel throughout the day and night. Our Nutrition Team can teach you how to eat healthy without ‘going on a diet’.

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If our gut is inflamed, our mood is often affected. By learning how to eat in a healthier and more nourishing way, we can improve our mental health.

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

Initially, I recommend a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and proteins, something I would tell anyone who is interested in improving their health. I usually see relief when the realization occurs that stir frying and steaming are easily accomplished and can produce very delicious results. Whole grains are also allowed, but generally they’re different from what the patient is used to.

Rice and quinoa are good first choices that can be adapted to more familiar foods like cereal, pasta and pizza crust. Gluten free flours, baking mixes, rice and corn pastas, cereals, and crackers are now available in a lot of the supermarkets and of course in health food stores and Whole Foods stores.

By this time, the initial fear has subsided, but we’re not out of the woods yet. The food choices have been addressed, but what about all of those other non food concerns?

I approach them individually.

As regards to what people think about their new eating habits, I mention that if someone presses them to eat something that will cause distress, an explanation of the reason for refusal generally takes care of things. If not, I remind them that nothing is more important than that they feel good.

Also, high maintenance is not an issue because the acceptable choices are readily available in almost any eating establishment.

If you communicate with friends, family and restaurant servers in a friendly and cheerful manner, you can easily survive (and even enjoy!) a trip out. Have you ever heard of a restaurant that doesn’t serve fruit, vegetables or meat?

The internet is a very useful tool for identifying and locating restaurants that accommodate gluten free diets. Many restaurants now are aware of gluten issues and have gluten free items. Burton’s Grill at The Evergreen Walk location in South Windsor, like all the Burton’s restaurants, is an example. To receive a gluten free menu, just ask for it. In Rocky Hill, consider trying Elizabeth’s, all menu items can be prepared gluten free. In Cromwell, consider La Piastra for pre-packaged gluten free meals when you don’t have time to cook. Furthermore, the number of gluten free restaurants and even grocery aisles and bakeries is constantly expanding as awareness grows around

Celiac. One good choice is Dee’s One Smart Cookie, a bakery in Glastonbury. In Old Wethersfield consider the Country Store for the Pure Love gluten free bread and muffins.

In Vernon consider, Nature’s Grocer gluten free cafe items. Check the internet for a gluten free restaurant in your area.

There are a number of very helpful resources available to assist in navigating the gluten free lifestyle. To begin, I advise checking out the following: The Gluten Free Revolution by Jax Peters Lowell, Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahera (www.girlfreegirl.com), Gluten Free Gourmet by Betty Hagman, and websites: www.glutenfreeliving.com, www.PureLove. com.

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Finally, I remind them that their attitude, as in all other aspects of life is critical to their health. As they continue to learn more about the disease and themselves, and manage both their health and their lives, they realize that the shift from fear to self reliance has been a journey and that through the adventure they have come to appreciate not only their new eating habits, but also their new found self reliance along the way.

A gluten free life is not as difficult as it sounds. Once people get familiar with it, I often hear in follow up visits that they have indeed successfully found “food that they love and that loves them back.”

Dr. Marie Mammone is a Connecticut Licensed and Board certified Naturopathic Doctor practicing at the Naturopathic and Acupuncture Health Center in Wethersfield, CT for over 17 years. She welcomes working with her clients to maintain and regain their health using her knowledge of a variety of therapies including clinical nutrition, botanicals, homeopathy, acupuncture and much more.

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Lowering Your Cholesterol May Not Prevent Heart Disease

By Michael Dworkin, PD, CCN, & J. Erika Dworkin In the “old” days LDL was considered “bad” cholesterol...

HDL, on the other hand, was traditionally believed to be “good” cholesterol... The problem is, we now know that there are at least five different types of LDL and several different types of HDL, and not all of them behave the same way. ~ Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS - Good Health Lifestyles (Winter 2017) Co-Author With Stephen Sinatra, MD, FACC, The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease – And the Statin-Free Plan That Will

A

re you concerned about preventing heart disease? Are you taking a statin drug (such as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor) to manage your high cholesterol because you think that will protect you? Have you been experiencing any of these potential side effects of statin drugs: low energy; depression; memory loss; high blood sugar/diabetes; muscle weakness, pain, or fatigue; sexual dysfunction/low libido; or signs of cancer? If so, now is a good time to learn more about the role of cholesterol in the body, the true causes of heart disease, and natural means of preventing it through diet, lifestyle choices, and dietary supplements.

The REAL Important Facts About Preventing Heart Disease The CDC reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in the United States. Unfortunately, contrary to the views of many medical experts and scientific evidence that was conveniently ignored for political expediency, conventional medicine, the USDA, and the American Heart Association, continue to follow the same entrenched cholesterol-fat-heart health guidelines established in the 1980s.

Fortunately, to the benefit of a fast-aging America, integrative medical practitioners have been calling for a re-examination of the scientific studies in order to get traditional medical opinion to turn the corner toward a more accurate, updated approach to heart health. In the early 1970s, when my peers viewed good nutrition as secondary to maintaining good health and mocked dietary supplements as ineffective, I regularly chatted with Dr. Stephen Sinatra (board-certified cardiologist, American College of Nutrition fellow, and former Manchester practitioner) to share what I was learning from the scientific literature about clinical nutrition. Dr. Sinatra was just then beginning to explore preventive medicine, but has since become one of this country’s top integrative cardiologists and a leader of this uphill climb. Below are some of the well-substan16

Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

tiated key points from The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease – And the Statin-Free Plan That Will, the thoroughly documented, layman-friendly book he recently co-authored with Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS. I have also added a few of my own points, but much of the information from the book has provided the foundation of my clinical nutrition practice over the past two decades: Cholesterol: Life can’t go on without it.

Almost every cell, the liver, and brain (accounts for 25% of all cholesterol in the body) manufacture it, and enzymes convert it to vitamin D, steroid hormones [sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, norepinephrine)], and bile salts for fat digestion and detoxification. The membranes surrounding cells and the structures within them consist largely of cholesterol. Only oxidized cholesterol threatens good health because it sticks to arterial walls and causes inflammation, the true cause of heart disease. Otherwise, the body uses non-damaged cholesterol to combat infectious toxins.

Conventional doctors’ outdated focus on lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol is misguided and dangerous. More recent science has shown that there are subtypes of LDL and HDL that do not all have the same impact on heart health: 1. LDL-A: preferred big, fluffy molecules 2. LDL-B: atherogenic small, hard, dense molecules more likely to become oxidized 3. HDL-2: anti-inflammatory, large, buoyant 4. HDL-3: poorly understood, potentially pro-inflammatory, small, dense. Moreover, aggressive lowering of LDL does not even reduce arterial calcified plaque.

When evaluating a patient’s cardiovascular health, doctors should conduct at least some of these key tests: 1. LDL Particle Size (Optimal: pattern A profile) 2. hs-CRP (Optimal: .8mg/dL): an inflammation marker directly associated with overall heart and cardiovascular health 3. Interleukin – 6 (Optimal: less than 12.0 pg/mL): a precursor to CRP that provides an earlier warning of inflammation 4. Serrum Ferritin (Ideal: Women < 80 mg/L – Men < 90 mg/L): stored iron in the blood is highly prone to oxidation

5. Lp(a): a serious risk factor that is difficult to treat; Lp(a) promotes inflammation, blood clot formation, and plaque build-up 6. Fibrinogen (N 200-400 mg/dL) (FiF/Clauss method): test determines the stickiness of blood 7. Homocysteine (Optimal: 7-9 µmol/L): damages artery wall function, and promotes inflammation and thrombosis 8. Coronary Calcium Scan (Agatston Test) (Minimal Arterial Calcification < 10; Extensive Calcification > 400).

Diet: Doctors Sinatra and Bowden introduce three important but controversial points about heart-healthy dietary choices.

First, science has well-established that, in most humans, there is practically no connection between the cholesterol consumed in food and the amount of cholesterol found in the blood.

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Second, stable saturated fat is far less threatening to cardiovascular health than unstable, potentially carcinogenic polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oils). While saturated fat is mildly inflammatory and may contribute to insulin resistance, polyunsaturated fats are far more easily oxidized (especially when re-heated) and thus more readily yield diseaseprovoking free radicals. Doctors Sinatra and Bowden write that studies have proven: “Saturated fat...does in fact raise overall cholesterol levels but its effect is still more positive than negative, because it causes HDL levels to go up more than LDL levels. Even more important, saturated fat has a positive effect on the particle sizes of both LDL and HDL, making more of the big, fluffy, benevolent particles and much less of the small, dense, inflammatory particles. (It’s called shifting the distribution of LDL particles.)”

Third, sugar [especially fructose (except that found in whole foods) and high-fructose corn syrup], rather than saturated fat and cholesterol, is the top dietary contributor to heart disease. It raises its three key predictive measures, namely hypertension, high triglycerides, and high ratio of triglycerides to HDL (2 = healthy, 5 = heart disease risk).

A heart-healthy diet thus EXCLUDES: 1. Sugar (soda, juice, energy drinks; empty-calorie sweets) 2. High-Glycemic and Processed/Packaged Carbohydrates [pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, cereal (except oatmeal)] 3. Trans Fats (partially/hydrogenated vegetable oil) (in fast food, non-dairy creamers, margarine, baked goods mixes,

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instant soups, chips, crackers) 4. Pork, Lamb, Ordinary Beef (see Beef below) and Processed Meats (contain high sodium and nitrates; includes traditional hot dogs, cold cuts, sausage, bacon) 5. EXCESSIVE Omega-6 Fats (eliminate oils such as Wesson, Crisco, corn/safflower/soybean/canola) – balance in 1:1 ratio (or no higher than 4:1) with omega-3 fatty acids (fish/ fish oil supplements, flax seed oil, chia seeds); restaurants generally use vegetable oils to fry, sauté, and bake; 6. Dairy and Gluten (pro-inflammatory; difficult to digest; common allergens/ sensitivities.

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1. Fish [at least 2 times/week; especially wild Alaskan salmon (contains omega-3 fats, astaxanthin, and potassium), sardines, herring] 2. Whole-Food Complex Carbohydrates [(especially berries (contain anti-inflammatory anthocyanins); modest amounts of fruit (especially cherries); vegetables

(5-9 half-cups/day; especially cruciferous, dark green leafy, and avocados; anti-inflammatory; contain antioxidants and flavonoids)]; 3. Organic Grass Fed Beef (if beef can’t be avoided) (not raised with the antibiotics, steroids, and hormones in feedlot-raised, factory meat) – contains lower omega-6 fats and a healthy amount of omega-3s 4. Nuts (1 ounce, 5 times/week; especially almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts; high in L-arginine, antioxidants, and monounsaturated fats) 5. Beans/Lentils (1/2 to 1 cup at least 4 times/week; high in fiber, antioxidants, folic acid) 6. Dark Chocolate (1-2 squares, 4-6 days/ week; minimum 60% cacao) 7. Healthy Drinks: Decaffeinated Green Tea (detoxifies; contains polyphenols and anti-cancer EGCG); Pure Pomegranate Juice; Red Wine (very moderately, and the only choice ONLY if alcohol can’t be avoided) 8. Healthy Recipe Ingredients: 100% Pure Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (artisan quality preferred); Fresh Crushed/ Chopped Garlic; Turmeric.

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Diet modification is a critical first step to preventing heart disease, but there is so much more to this story. Watch for Part 2 of this article, which will detail the heavy down-side of taking a statin drug (the conventional, over-prescribed cholesterollowering remedy widely deemed critical to ensuring heart health), and the dietary supplements and other lifestyle choices that can set you on the path to true, long-term cardiovascular wellness.

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to take the place of a physician’s advice. The natural remedies discussed herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Submitted by Michael Dworkin, PD, CCN, a Registered Pharmacist and State Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CT Cert. No. 232), with J. Erika Dworkin, Certified Lifestyle Educator and Board Cert. Holistic Nutrition (Cand.).

Co-owner of the Manchester Parkade Health Shoppe (860.646.8178, 378 Middle Turnpike West, Manchester, CT, www.cthealthshop. com), Pharmacist Dworkin has been guiding patients since 1956. Erika is available to speak to groups. All statements in this article are research-based and references are available upon request. See ad on page 7

Spring Cleaning for Your Diet

By Jenna Henderson, ND

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ife brings us the message that we need to detoxify in many ways. Physically our body gives us wake up calls with low energy, achiness, bad skin and hair, and digestive upsets. Mentally we know we need to detox when our memory fails us on important details of our lives, even though we may be able to recall a commercial jingle with perfect clarity. Emotionally we could certainly use a detox when a cloud of negative emotion overcomes us, making us feel disempowered and as if we are victims of circumstance in our lives.

Our spiritual lives seem to suffer most from neglect as any spiritual practice is easily crowded out by small concerns that often seem to have a sense of urgency in the moment. Starting the new day off right each morning with a moment of spiritual reflection or inspirational reading helps us regain a proper focus.

Intellectually we can choose to clean up our lives by getting rid of the intellectual equivalent of fast food. If there’s nothing of quality on the television, simply turn it off.

Read books (actual books), something many adults stop doing after high school. Stop multi-tasking and give undivided attention to what is right in front of you. Go on a fast from texting and social media. Get to bed early so your mind can be fresh in the morning. Eat good quality foods that nourish the brain like wild salmon, avocado, organic blueberries and leafy greens like kale, swiss chard and arugula.

Emotionally it is important to let go of what drags us down. Sometimes it’s obvious that we need to cut ties with a blatantly exploitive relationship. But observing our own patterns can shed light on more subtle patterns. Do we spend the better part of our days annoyed? Sometimes adjusting our ex-

pectations is the best we can do. Yes, I will spend my lunch break on hold with customer service. Yes, I will spend 3 hours waiting at the department of motor vehicles, and I can still have a good day. Sometimes all we can do is choose the least toxic response to the circumstances of life.

Detoxing Our Physical Surroundings Unless we make a concerted effort to pare down our belongings, most of us accumulate stuff. Most of us have plenty of reasons of why we can’t part with our stuff.

But being around clutter inevitably causes us to waste time looking for items we’ve misplaced, and it’s emotionally draining.

When you walk into a room that’s clean, bright and full of open space, it feels good.

That’s how we should feel every day.

One of the most important areas of the home to detox is the kitchen. Everything processed, everything with artificial colors, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup belongs in the garbage.

Sure, you spent money stocking your refrigerator and pantry with these items, but they will either end up in your body or in the garbage and the garbage is clearly the better option.

Detoxing the body of course has a myriad of health benefits. Mainstream medicine may contend that there is no need for any particular concerted effort, and that our innate detox mechanisms already do everything that’s necessary. But common sense dictates that we cannot live in a polluted world and remain unaffected. This includes pharmaceutical chemicals, plastics, pesticides, industrial solvents, aluminum and heavy metals. We’re exposed to toxic chemicals on a scale unknown to previous generations. And these pollutants contribute to neurological issues, increased allergies,

inflammation, fatigue and make it harder to lose weight.

Guided Detox Program Maybe you can’t seem to lose weight.

Maybe you have chronic congestion and allergic responses that seem to grow worse every year. Maybe there’s an achiness in your joints and muscles that you’ve simply accepted as part of aging. Maybe your skin is itchy or breaks out well into your adult life. The first place to start is by cleaning.

A guided detox program can help set your parameters and goals. Simple fasting can backfire, as the metabolism slows down, rather than speeds up. Often this involves working through more than one stage to achieve particular goals. The initial phase is the purge, involving cutting out the offending toxins and assisting elimination.

The second phase involves more protein which normalizes the blood sugar and helps push the pathways of detox in the body that are protein dependent.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) identifies 5 channels of elimination in the human body. These include the colon, the liver, the kidneys, the skin and the lungs.

All of these are important but the liver and colon are ones that often need special attention. Working with a knowledgeable holistic healthcare practitioner can help us work effectively and target the areas that are most problematic for individual health concerns.

A clean colon is essential for good health and everyone should move their bowels at least once a day. There is no exception. Some people are under the impression that once every two to three days is “normal for me”. If you grew up in a dysfunctional household certain behaviors may feel normal to you, but the objective www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

reality is that this is not normal. The same is true with standards of health. If chronic constipation is an issue, a good naturopathic doctor or other healthcare practitioner can examine underlying conditions such as low thyroid or a lack of magnesium. A detox program will include plenty of healthy fibers and probiotics to help keep the colon clean. It may include mild laxative herbs such as senna or cascara sagrada. These are best used short term only to avoid dependency.

To support the liver, fresh squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar is a good way to start. Herbs like milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and schizandra target the liver, as do amino acids like glycine and methionine. We should also eat plenty of leafy greens like kale, arugula, swiss chard and mustard greens.

The kidneys are usually quite capable of cleaning the body if given an adequate water supply. Diuretic herbs often sold as kidney cleanses temporarily boost water output. Our skin can benefit from ditching the toxic chemicals in our personal care products. We can also use Epsom salt baths and infrared sauna to help purge the body of waste. We can benefit our lungs by getting rid of household items with fragrances and adding some indoor plants. Small changes can make a big difference.

Taking 3 weeks to clean up our lives on all levels is a good journey to take for our personal development. Paying attention to our needs spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically and giving yourself a clean fresh start is important to renew your energy and vitality. A detox is a great way to start.

Submitted by Jenna Henderson, ND. The Life Center is a holistic, alternative care center that offers a medically supervised weight loss program that is covered by most insurances and has been voted #1 in the area 3 years in a row. Their purification program is a phase 1 and 2 detox which provides amazing results. Both their Naturopathic doctors and their Health coaches will guide you along the way. They are dedicated to finding integrative health solutions that will help you heal and detox your body, mind, and spirit. Contact The Life Center, 2 Broadway, North Haven and 1007 Farmington Ave, West Hartford, 203-239-3400 www.thelifecenterofct.com.

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21

Should I Take Nutritional Supplements?

By Nicholas J. Edgerton, ND, MS-Acu

T

here is no absolute answer to whether or not supplementation is necessary, as it depends on the relative case. To err on the side of caution…no it is not always necessary to supplement.

However, there are instances of when it is beneficial and people can benefit from therapeutic supplementation. Simply put, food is the foundation of wellness. Supplementation can be avoided for the most part with a healthy, well-balanced, non-inflammatory diet.

Nonetheless, genetic tendencies, injuries, and other illnesses can benefit from therapeutic supplementation.

Another word for these dietary supplements is nutraceutical, and these terms are used interchangeably. A nutraceutical is a food-derived product with health benefits ascertained to that food.

It is the combination of the Latin words nutrient and pharmaceutical. Although I currently work as a physician, I am really a scientist at heart. While studying biology, chemistry, and nutrition prior to naturopathic medical school, I had the opportunity to participate in undergraduate nutritional research. The supplements I recommend are evidence-based and scientifically proven to produce an effect.

Nutritional Deficiencies Let’s talk more about food. Is everyone really magnesium deficient? Replace ‘magnesium’ with ‘mineral’ and you have a fair question. It is proven that fruits and vegetables today have less nutritional value than their ancestors. Several studies have found modern vegetation to have 15-35% less vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium when compared to the same plant values in the 1950’s.

Other minerals (zinc, manganese, lithium, etc.) weren’t recorded in the fifties, but the trends are expected to be similar. The reason for this is related to modern agricultural practices. Today, vegetation is grown faster and larger, and the plants aren’t able to pull up the same amount of nutrients from the ground. The soil itself is not rotated with nitrogen-fixing plants, thus the soil doesn’t have a chance to replete itself. Additionally, pesticides have been found to sterilize the soil, which reduces the microcosmic ecosystem responsible for generating healthy soil. Not only is the average American eating suboptimal amounts of vegetables, but also the vegetables consumed are more deficient in vitamins and minerals than ever before.

Minerals are an integral part of bones, ligaments, connective tissue, and act as cofactors in numerous enzymatic reactions affecting the nervous system, circulatory system, and the immune system. In a world where most processed foods are fortified with vitamins, minerals remain deficient in the standard American diet (SAD). Overall, this means Americans need to add even more vegetables to their diet 22

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preferably with each meal, and as snacks. Vegetables contain advantageous vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protective phytochemicals.

Therapeutic Supplementation Therapeutic supplementation is the act of supplying a physiological system with specific compounds to produce a desired effect. However, it is never the first thing I do. Let’s treat the definition of supplement with respect: “Something that completes or makes an addition” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Supplements should be used to enhance a well-rounded lifestyle. Supplements should not be used as bandages for poor lifestyle choices. I will never tell someone it is okay to skip the vegetables and just take a multivitamin, this is not therapeutic supplementation. One can observe the ‘diet vs. supplements’ conundrum with the diabetic population.

Patients wish to reduce their dependence on medication by trying a natural alternative. Of course, there are several botanical medicines that have the support of the scientific literature to decrease blood glucose; yet, if the patient is not ready to change what is in their shopping cart, these medicines won’t work to their potential.

With firsthand experience working at a health food store, customers would ask for advice regarding which supplement is best for various symptoms: headaches, back pain, sciatica, bloating, congestion, hair loss, etc. I’d begin by asking what type of food they consume. Customer after customer, I would stress the importance of elimination rather than supplementation; elimination of inflammatory food groups such as gluten and dairy. For instance, people would present with indigestion, bloating, and heartburn. Instead of recommending supplements, I would speak on considering an elimination first. Some admitted they couldn’t live without regular doses of pizza, and proudly purchased the supplement to ease their digestive ailments. I felt I did my job by explaining the cause of the problem, but in the end just provided an effective and natural bandaid. The bottom line is the customer did not have a ginger or fennel deficiency; rather, they had a dietary sensitivity promoting inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

This behavioral problem of not addressing the root cause repeats itself in all body systems. Hair loss is just another example.

People are quick to think of biotin, a B-vitamin supplement to promote hair health. Hair loss can be associated with a myriad of problems on a spectrum of deficiencies to toxicities. Perhaps it’s heavy metal toxicity, hypothyroidism, genetics, microbial infection, age-related, hormone-related, or autoimmune disease. And each of

these causes would then have to be dissected to detail if it is thyroid-related: is it iodine deficiency, gluten causing Hashimotos, is it stress and adrenal fatigue draining the thyroid? I always recommend a consult with a Naturopathic Doctor to evaluate for the root of the problem.

People often shop for supplements for various musculoskeletal pains. There are certainly supplements to help with pain, however you need to have a working diagnosis to properly and safely use supplements. Back pain can be a result of a number of problems including nerve, skeletal, or muscle pathology, but not excluding serious issues such as vascular disease or cancer. To blindly put all your trust in turmeric capsules is neither smart nor therapeutic supplementation. It would be advised to get orthopedic testing and perhaps imaging to further define what the problem is. From here you can manufacture a therapeutic supplementation protocol that may involve anti-inflammatory herbs, connective tissue tonics, or pain modulators.

I was once told there is no such thing as an aspirin deficiency headache; meaning, the headache is a symptom of a deeper problem. Ginger root, a botanical medicine supplement, has similar anti-inflammatory actions as aspirin (blocking cyclooxygenase-2 from creating pro-inflammatory agents known as prostaglandins). Ethically speaking, what are the differences between treating a headache with aspirin vs. ginger?

We know aspirin is associated with stomach ulcers when used in excess, whereas ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory agent for digestion. However, there is no such thing as a ginger deficiency headache either. Finding the true cause of the headache is empirical: is it a food sensitivity, nutrient deficiency (magnesium, riboflavin), environmental toxicity (molds, detergents), or Lyme disease.

If it is a nutrient deficiency or Lyme disease, then use smart therapeutic supplementation.

will vary per person, and supplements are only one aspect of the complete treatment protocol.

In review, supplementation is not absolutely necessary if you are eating a whole-food based diet. When treating specific disharmonies, supplementation may be necessary and can be beneficial. Always consult a credentialed practitioner so close attention can be made towards symptoms and regular bloodwork can be done. Supplementation is not an outright answer to any problems; rather it is a part of a larger, holistic intervention. The purpose of this article

is to guide and educate the consumer when considering supplementation. No material in this article is designed to diagnose or treat any conditions; rather, the material is to inspire the reader to work with a credentialed health care practitioner.

Dr. Nicholas J. Edgerton, ND, MS-Acu, is a naturopathic physician at Connecticut Natural Health Specialists, LLC. He is an in network provider for most insurance companies and is accepting new patients. For more information, please call (860) 533-0179 or visit ctnaturalhealth.com.

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Therapeutic supplementation with scientifically proven products can be beneficial when trying to produce a physiological shift in one’s system. For example, alpha lipoic acid has repetitively been shown to reduce neuropathy symptoms. Fish oil supplementation has been shown to benefit heart disease and reduce blood triglycerides. Just this year, another study showed Echinacea extract is just as successful as Tamiflu® in reducing symptoms of influenza. This list can continue for pages. I stress that this information is offered not as treatment, but for inspiration to consult with a qualified practitioner. Doses www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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based on the most appropriate supplement, at the best dose and formulation for the clinical indication. Avoid supplements that add “window dressing”, or small amounts of an ingredient for marketing purposes but not enough to make a clinical or health impact.

Navigating the Nutritional Supplement Industry

By Eric R. Secor, Jr. PhD, ND

N

utritional supplements remain one of the most popular integrative medicine treatment modalities used throughout the United States. Adult cancer survivors alone spend approximately $6.7 billion on vitamins/minerals each year, whereas the general public averages $12.8 billion on natural product supplements and $2.7 billion on self-care products. According to the American Botanical Council, “herbal” sales totaled $7.0 billion in 2015, a new record. The industry has a complex history and the medical acceptance of supplements is even more complicated. With supplements being imported, manufactured, marketed and sold in a wide range of products through a variety of media and sales outlets, it’s challenging to keep pace with the potential benefits of the tried and true and the dangers of infomercial night-owls. When my patients and colleagues ask me if Nutritional/Dietary Supplements are safe my answer is, “generally yes but…” The goal of the following discussion is to make us all better, wiser and safer consumers of Nutritional Supplements (NS) so we can take full advantage of the health benefits while minimizing the potential for unwanted side effects and loss of time and money.

What’s in a Name & Government Oversight: The term Nutritional or Dietary Supplement was brought in to the mainstream by the “Dietary Supplement Health Education Act” (DSHEA), which was sponsored by Senator Orin Hatch from Utah in 1994. The key aspects of DSHEA define a nutritional supplement as a product: • Intended to supplement the diet • Containing one or more dietary ingredients (vitamins, minerals, herbs or other 24

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botanicals, plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties and may include flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots, amino acids, and certain other substances) or their constituents • Intended to be taken by mouth, in forms such as tablet, capsule, powder or liquid • Labeled as being a supplement.

There is considerable confusion in regards to regulation, industry oversight and the transition between food and highly extracted and concentrated, “drug-like” supplements. Under DSHEA the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates supplements as food and its primary methods of enforcement include inspections of facilities and ensuring that manufacturers follow good manufacturing (GMP) practices. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides oversight of label claims and false advertising. The natural products industry is largely “self-regulated” and its goal is the manufacture and sale of safe products that support health and wellness, not to have unrepeatable companies fined for misguided practices.

Both FDA and FTC weigh in on the validity of label claims which must not be false or misleading, and must be based upon reliable scientific evidence and clinical studies (when available). It should be noted that both FDA and FTC as well as case law allows and protects “key ingredient claims” which are based on efficacy testing of key product ingredients as opposed to requiring testing of the full multiingredient finished product. So keep this in mind when comparing products and choose

The Gold Standard In addition to, “what individual or specific supplement should I be taking to support or improve my specific condition”, the most common question I get from patients is “how can I ensure that the supplements I’m buying are safe and of the best quality?” My ultimate test is to be an educated consumer and ask for verification (a copy of the report results) of the quality control testing for the specific products or “lot“ you are using and/ or want to purchase. Many of the supplement raw materials are imported from companies that grow and process individual ingredients outside the United States. These companies provide a certificate of analysis (COA), or stamp of authenticity that says you can trust me, “We grew, processed and tested the material and it is free of any contaminants.” The FDA requirements mandate that testing is required for product: authenticity, potency, microbiology and stability.

Often the only thing separating the finished and bottled product is the recipe, dose and the degree of testing completed by the local US companies. You should be assured that products are free of heavy metals, chemical solvents, pesticides, PCBs, aflatoxins, fungicides and that oils are not rancid.

All reputable companies and manufacturers conduct comprehensive quality control (Q/C) testing on the individual ingredients and the finished products of each lot they use. If you and/or your health care team ask for the Q/C testing and it shows up, this is a good indication that you have a quality product from a reputable company. If it doesn’t then it’s your choice to trust them.

Use a reputable company that provides this information and one that does not conduct “skip lot testing” or merely relies on the vendors COA. You want to be assured that the curcumin (Curcuma Longa, Turmeric spice) you’re taking to provide a mild anti-inflammatory effect indeed is 500mg of rhizome extract and contains 85-90% curcuminoids as opposed to yellow pigmented, processed saw dust.

Categories to Avoid: A majority of potentially harmful supplements fall into 3 categories: weight loss, sexual enhancement and sports/stimulants.

So the good news if you avoid these classes you’ll greatly reduce the likelihood of taking an unknown drug (which has been added to

the supplement for some extra kick) or having a drug/drug or drug/herb interaction. Regular FDA alerts on fraudulent and adulterated or contaminated supplements can be found at the fda.gov/ website designed to help consumers buy and use medicine safely. If the marketing sounds like it’s too good to be true and if you are watching the trailer at 2am or on the web, then it probably is!

To put this into perspective, every year there are well over 100 notifications and/or recalls of potentially dangerous supplements, including the following selected products marketed for: 1. Sexual enhancement: Triple Green Capsules (contained Viagra), Big Penis Male Sexual Stimulant (contained Viagra), Black Mamba (contained Viagra), African Viagra (contained Viagra), Duramaxxx (contained Viagra), and My Steel Woody (contained Viagra).

2. Weight loss: Queen Slimming Soft Gel (contained fluoxetine and sibutramine), Skinny Bee Diet (contained desmethylsibutramine), ABX Weight Loss (contained sibutramine), Ultimate Lean (contained sibutramine), Dream Body Extreme Gold, (contained sibutramine, fluoxetine and sildenafil) and 3. Sports /fitness: one company alone, BODYBUILDING.COM, conducted a voluntary nationwide and international recall of 65 supplements because they may contain steroids marketed as “Superdrol,” “Madol,” “Tren,” “Androstenedione,” and/ or “Turinabol. Use a common sense approach by avoiding these categories and focusing on maintaining healthy diet, stress reduction, proper sleep, exercise and good relationships.

Clinical Applications Recent research suggests that safely utilizing dietary supplements in 4 major areas (coronary artery disease, diabetes, age-related eye disease and osteoporosis) with 10 ingredients could hypothetically reduce medical costs by over $50 billion in the US in the period of 2013-2020. Information changes rapidly. Whenever possible engage in straight forward discussions with your physician and entire health care team and review all supplements regularly. Five years ago hardly anyone knew their vitamin D blood levels. Today it’s common to determine D levels and adjust the dosage, seasonally or when medically necessary. If appropriate to your health care plan, test nutrient levels (B12, folate, homocysteine, DHEA, Iron, pregnenalone, zinc, magnesium, calcium, CoQ-10), before taking new supplements or considering a major dose adjustment. Also, as the number of prescrip-

tion drugs used increases with age, consider the potential for Herb/Drug and Herb/Herb interactions such as induction or inhibition of Cytochrome P450 enzymes or “CYPs.” The goal is to use supplements to help prevent future health problems. Next to avoiding the “troublesome three” categories mentioned above, testing levels and determining interactions are additional steps to ensure you are maximizing supplementation and minimizing unwanted effects.

In summary, with the popularity, demand and continued growth of the supplement industry, be an educated, safe consumer and use common sense when selecting and dosing. Discuss all items with your healthcare team (family, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and Integrative medicine providers). Choose supplements on the most appropriate ingredients for your indication and always choose from reputable companies who meet the regulatory requirements and are willing to provide quality control testing information. I’ll leave you with “tips” the Council for Responsible Nutrition provides to all consumers: 1. Manage your expectations.

2. Don’t look for quick fixes.

3. If it sounds too good to be true…

4. You want products that are legal.

5. Look for nationally recognized brands or store brands from a trusted retailer.

6. Look for quality seals or third-party certifications.

7. Look for membership in an industry trade association.

8. Visit the company’s website.

9. Look for product labels and ingredient lists.

10. Be careful of companies that regularly undergo name changes.

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Eric R. Secor, Jr. PhD, ND, MPH, MS, LAc, Dipl Ac, is currently the Associate Medical Director for Integrative Medicine within the Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute. Eric grew up in the Farmington Valley working in restaurants and health clubs where his interests in wellness and prevention began.

His NIH postdoctoral research (Pulmonary Immunology with Dr. Roger Thrall, UConn) investigated natural products such as Bromelain, a pineapple extract and established its role in treating allergic asthma and modulating the cellular mechanisms of allergic sensitization. In addition to clinical care, research and administrative duties, Eric enjoys lecturing for patient groups, medical professionals and consults for the NIH on educational and research grants focused in Integrative Medicine. He lives in the Farmington Valley with his wife, Dr. Mary Markow, two girls, cats a dog and some fish. Visit https://hartfordhospital.org/EricSecor. See ad on page 5. www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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Why Am I So Sensitive to Chemicals?

By Jessica Pizano

A

s a young child, I remember being allowed by my parents to run ahead through the department store’s perfume section as long as I waited on the other side. If I didn’t get through quickly enough I would get a headache and have an asthma attack.

When my parents repainted my bedroom when I was 11 years old, the smell of the paint made me so sick that I could not sleep in the room for more than a week. You may ask yourself why such a young child could not tolerate perfumes and paint. The simple answer is that I grew up five minutes away from a chemical plant that is now classified as a Superfund site. In particular, this company was polluting the air and water with a chemical called xylene. Xylene is a petrochemical that is aromatic in nature and similar to benzene and toluene. It can be found in solvents, paints, dry erase markers, cleaning agents, printing, rubber, airplane fuel and gasoline. Xylene vapor is known to cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and breathing issues. Miraculously, when I left home to attend college my constant asthma symptoms went away. I did really well until I moved into my current home which is, unfortunately, across the street from a major highway. Over time my asthma symptoms slowly returned. My ability to be around perfumes, scented candles, paint, walk through the laundry detergent aisle at a grocery store or even go into stores like Home Depot was lost.

Why is it that I am so sensitive to chemicals while others in a similar situation have little to no problem? The answer is genetics.

In order to detoxify appropriately we need to be able to synthesize glutathione, a major antioxidant. Glutathione is created from three amino acids: glutamine, cysteine and glycine. This antioxidant is then required by our cytochrome P450 system within the liver to help detoxify various medications, environmental toxicants, hormones and other metabolic byproducts. While everyone has the ability to synthesize glutathione to some extent, a variety of genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs—pronounced “snips”) can impair this process causing decreased levels of glutathione. SNPs is a fancy term meaning that there is a misspelling in the DNA code that causes a change in function to the gene. To be classified as a SNP, the misspelling must occur in at least one percent of the population.

Cystathionine Beta Synthase (CBS) There are quite a few SNPs that may cause problems in glutathione production. One such SNP is cystathionine beta synthase (CBS).

This is an enzyme that is involved in the methylation pathway. Methylation means the attachment of methyl groups to DNA at cytosine bases and is correlated with reduced transcription of the gene. More simplistically, it is responsible for turning genes off. This is important 26

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because when a genetic SNP is active it can cause problems for the individual. Genes, thankfully, are not always active. They require an epigenetic influence. This is an environmental trigger such as stress, bacterial or viral infection, pollution, or poor lifestyle.

At the center of the methylation pathway is homocysteine. If this sounds familiar to you it is because it is often run by physicians as a blood test to determine risk for cardiovascular disease and miscarriage. It is influenced by three vitamins: B12, B6 and folate. The reason that these vitamins are important for the breakdown of homocysteine is because they serve as cofactors (helpers) for enzymes within the methylation pathway. In the case of the CBS enzyme, it requires vitamin B6 to convert homocysteine to cystathionine (an amino acid—building block of protein). Cystathionine then leads to another pathway called transsulfuration. Transsulfuration allows for the formation of sulfate, taurine and glutathione. Therefore, it is really important for the CBS enzyme to work effectively or there may be decreased levels of glutathione available for detoxification. If you noticed within the name “transsulfuration” we have the word “sulfur,” this is because cysteine is a sulfur-based amino acid. Sulfur is a mineral found in animal proteins; cruciferous vegetables including cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli; vegetables in the onion family including onions, shallots, leeks, green onions, chives and garlic; other vegetables such as asparagus and spinach; and in wines with sulfites.

There are two well-known SNPs to the CBS enzyme. Yes, you can have more than one SNP to a single enzyme. This is because for every enzyme there are multiple genetic variants that code for the enzyme. This is how our genetics prevent any one enzyme from losing complete function (which could result in death). For CBS, we have a slow variant, CBS A360A, and a fast variant, CBS C699T. What this means is that with our slow variant we will have decreased conversion of homocysteine to cystathione. This causes a backup of homocysteine increasing its levels in the blood. In this case, simply increasing intake of the enzyme’s cofactor vitamin B6 will help the enzyme function more effectively and therefore help the body produce more glutathione. One could also use supplements to help increase the three amino acids required to make glutathione. This would include L-glutamine, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and glycine.

For those with the fast variant, unfortunately, things are a bit more complicated. What happens is that sulfur comes rushing through CBS at a rate that overwhelms a lower capacity enzyme further down in the pathway called sulfite oxidase (SUOX). Since the

product of this enzyme is sulfate it produces excess sulfate causing sulfur intolerance.

The fast movement of the CBS enzyme also causes the body to require more of vitamin B6, its co-factor, as it gets used up quickly.

Similarly, since SUOX requires the mineral molybdenum it will likely increase requirements for this nutrient as well. Further, this will cause decreased levels of homocysteine.

While this may sound like a good thing, without enough homocysteine the methylation pathway will come grinding to a halt.

Another ramification is the decreased ability to detoxify.

Glutathione Glutathione is one of the body’s major antioxidants. It is comprised of the three amino acids glutamine, glycine and cysteine. In addition to its role combating oxidative stress, it is involved in phase II conjugation reaction. The cytochrome P450 system in the liver has two phases. Phase I detoxification, while necessary, unfortunately can make substances even more toxic.

It includes various cytochrome enzymes (CYP1A1, CYP1A2) used to detoxify medications, hormones, and various chemical toxicants. Whereas, Phase II detoxification makes the substance water-soluble and therefore able to be easily excreted. Phase II pathways include glutathione conjugation, acetylation, glucuronidation, amino acid conjugation (glycine and taurine), sulfation and methylation.

glutathione. However, it also can be used for the direct conjugation of many compounds within the body. Further, glycine is also an inhibitory (calming) neurotransmitter.

Decreased Synthesis of Glutathione While we have only discussed one genetic SNP related to detoxification there are many more genes that can cause decreased synthesis of glutathione. Additional SNPs include: • Cystathionine gamma-lyase (CTH): involved in transsulfuration pathway and converts cystathionine derived from methionine into cysteine • Glutathione synthase (GSS): helps produce glutathione • Gamma glutamyltransferase 1 (GGT1): helps to make cysteine available for recycling of glutathione • Glutathione Peroxidase 3 (GPX3): detoxifies hydrogen peroxide • Glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1), Glutathione S-transferase Mu 3 (GSTM3): help detoxify carcinogens, medications, environmental toxins and products of oxidative stress using glutathione • Glutathione S-transferase Pi 1 (GSTP1): helps produce reduced glutathione • N-acetyltransferase 1 protein (NAT1)/Nacetyltransferase II protein (NAT2): phase II enzymes that metabolize toxicants

So, why care about complicated pathways and genetics? Looking deeply at an individual’s biochemistry provides insight onto the unique makeup of the body and how it may (or may not!) function. When dealing with chemical sensitivities it is often extremely helpful to customize a detoxification program to meet your specific needs. While there are many detoxification programs on the market, they are very generalized and may not help you improve.

For some individuals, such as those with the CBS C699T SNP it could even make your symptoms worse.

Jessica Pizano is the owner of Fit to You, LLC, which offers clinical nutrition and nutrigenomic counseling, as well as personalized training programs. Her concentrations include genetics and nutrigenomics, general health and fitness, weight loss, food allergies/sensitivities, autoimmune disease, obesity intervention, and Pilates. She earned a master’s degree in human nutrition at the University of Bridgeport. She is a certified nutrition specialist through the Board for Certified Nutrition Specialists. She is continuing her studies at Maryland University of Integrative Health where she is pursuing a doctor of clinical nutrition and is also an adjunct faculty member teaching nutritional genomics. Currently, Jessica practices nutrition counseling, nutrigenomics, and personal training in her studio in Avon. She may be contacted at (860) 321-7234 or online at www.fittoyouct.com. See ad on page 18.

Taurine Taurine is another amino acid. It is used as an antioxidant and does not really serve to create proteins like most amino acids. It is found naturally in our skeletal muscles and may therefore be supplied in the diet by meat, poultry and fish. Additionally, taurine may be synthesized in the body using the amino acid cysteine in combination with vitamin B6 via the transsulfuration pathway.

Taurine is also required for the formation of bile acids required for appropriate digestion and absorption of fats, helps to stabilize cell membranes, functions as a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) and helps to maintain the balance of fluids within cells. Taurine may be helpful for safely moving heavy metals out of the body as it serves as a very mild chelator.

Glycine Glycine is a conditionally essential amino acid. This means that while we can synthesize it from other amino acids, there are times when we can require dietary intake to get sufficient amounts. As mentioned previously it is required for the production of www.NaturalNutmeg.com

27

The Body’s Brilliant Recycling Project

By Holly J. Niles, MS, CNS, LDN

W

e hear a lot about “detox” but many of us don’t really stop to think about what that means in our body. Most often we hear about detox cleanses where people follow a restrictive diet that may include shakes or juices for a set time to support the body’s detoxification. It makes it seem that detox is a short-term event and that without that focused cleanse the body isn’t really detoxing. The beautiful thing is that detoxification is happening every moment in our bodies with a brilliantly designed system.

However, there are ways to help the body detox more efficiently as well as steps to reduce our intake and exposure to toxins. These combined tools help support the body’s well designed system.

Let’s take a deeper look at this process of detoxification: WHAT is a toxin?

The Merriam-Webster toxin definition states: “A toxin is a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation.”

Simply put, toxins are harmful substances. They come to us through our food, water, and air supply and most of us are exposed to some if not all of them on a regular basis. They come in many forms and can represent a burden for the body. Body burden can come from both internal actions and also from environmental toxins including pesticides/herbicides for crops and gardens, chemical solvents like cleaners and household products, xenobiotics like drugs, and industrial chemicals of all types.

How do they find their way into our daily life?

Internal Toxins: We naturally produce internal toxins simply by being alive. Natural toxins are made by rebuilding tissues and replacing worn out cells. This happens continuously so we naturally create a fair amount of waste that needs to be recycled. Our bodies have automatic ways to eliminate natural toxins and prevent build up.

External Toxins: External toxins are the toxins outside of our bodies that can be ingested or absorbed. We often think of food as a main source but many everyday products and lifestyle choices are significant sources of toxins. External toxins can be found in everything from your daily deodorant, shampoo and even drinking water.

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Here are some examples: 1. Food Sources: • Pesticides found in plant foods like fruits and vegetables • Mercury concentrations in large predatory fish like tuna and swordfish • Preservatives and artificial colors and flavors in processed foods • GMO (genetically modified) foods like soy, corn and even some vegetables 2. Indoor Air Pollutants: • Dust mites, molds (from leaks or poorly ventilated areas), pet dander • Asbestos, lead, radon from pipes or building materials • Synthetic consumer products, solvents, cleaners • Formaldehyde (foam insulation, wood and carpet glue, paint preservatives) 3. Products At Home: • Cleaning supplies and air fresheners • Cosmetics/grooming products • Plastics (food wraps, soda, baby and water bottles) • Detergents and soaps 4. Water: • Solvents • Pesticides/herbicides • Heavy metals • Hormones and medicines 5. Other Sources: • Industrial and auto exhaust • Dental restorations • Alcohol and tobacco • Medications: over the counter and prescription It’s important to begin looking at the ways toxins come into our daily life and find alternatives when possible.

WHERE does detox happen?

Detoxification is a process by which the toxic qualities of a poison or toxin are neutralized by the body. It’s the body’s way of recycling or processing things to make them less harmful and to remove waste from the body. This is important for us to stay alive and protected from things that could harm us.

What is the body’s pathway to detox? The liver is the main organ for detoxification along with lungs, blood, colon, lymph, skin and kidneys. If we look first at the liver as the main organ of detox, we see it has a multi-step process for managing toxins in our body.

Beyond our internal toxins, we bring toxins in through many avenues including our digestive system with food, our immune system through our skin and respiratory system into our lungs. On the dayto-day we primarily count on the liver to help manage those toxins.

The liver has a unique 3 phase process to neutralize toxins to prepare for elimination. The purpose of the liver’s process is to break toxins down to be water soluble so they can be eliminated.

HOW can I help the process?

The easy answer to that question is to limit and avoid toxic exposure. The second very important support you can give your body is too add foods and practices that accelerate detoxification in the body.

1.Avoid/Limit Toxins Foods: • Choose organically/locally grown produce; focus on at least avoiding the dirty dozen. The dirty dozen are the most important fruits and vegetables to buy organic. This website will give you that list: (www.ewg.org- search dirty dozen) • Seek grass fed/locally raised meats and wild caught or sustainably Phase 1: Like a “spray n’ wash” pre-treatment in laundry. Toxins farmed fish are broken down to more manageable units by a system of enzymes.

• Look for non-GMO foods and avoid dyes, preservatives, artificial These enzymes use several biochemical processes to accomplish this. colors or flavors Vitamins and minerals are essential to this step of detox. Many sub• Avoid artificial sweeteners which are just chemicals that the body stances are more toxic or volatile after this first phase. Alcohol is one needs to detox of those toxins that becomes more toxic after going through phase 1.

• Limit sugar as much as possible as it creates cellular damage That is why chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is damaging • Drink filtered water for the liver. It’s so important to look at ways to support the transition from phase 1 to phase 2 so that the handoff flows seamlessly.

Phase 2: Like the “wash” cycle of your washing machine. During this phase, toxins are made water soluble to be excreted. This part of the process uses amino acids that come from protein as well as vitamins and minerals to complete what phase 1 started. One of these processes is called sulfation which uses sulfur compounds like those found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower to support detox. Research shows that eating 1 cup of broccoli per day creates a positive impact on this phase of detox.

Phase 3: Like the “rinse/spin” cycle of your washing machine.

Toxins are removed or recycled through urine, stool and bile. Regular daily bowels movements, urination and even sweating are key to support the completion of the cycle. This is one of the many reasons we need to drink sufficient water to help the liver complete its process.

This is where the other organs of detox come to help the liver.

The water-soluble toxins from the liver are pushed along to the kidneys to filter through urination as well as the gastrointestinal tract. There are many layers of reinforcement for the body to run efficiently and there are backup organs if the liver and kidneys get overwhelmed. Your lungs, skin, bladder and large intestine will jump in to help the process, but since they are not primarily detox organs it’s harder for them and requires more energy from the body.

WHAT gets in the way of detox?

Toxins become dangerous when this waste accumulates. When we combine both internal and external toxins, the body burden can become high. Some people are exposed to a high level of toxins through certain foods and lifestyle. The liver is designed for this but never gets a break since there are always toxins to recycle and the liver can be overworked. When there are many toxins in the body, they can build up waiting for recycling and create some damage to cells and organs. They can, in effect, clog the system. It’s important to consider how you can help your body and to learn more about the impact of some of the choices we make. For example, certain medications like acid reflux medications and antacids slow digestion down and reduce the body’s ability to absorb vitamins. Vitamins are an important assistant in detox so those medications don’t clog the system. Tylenol, with long term use, affects phase 1 of liver detox and has even been shown to damage the liver making detox more challenging. www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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• Use glass/ceramic/stainless steel for drinking and storage of water • Limit/avoid plastic wrap and containers, use glass for storage and reheating • Avoid tin cans; look for BPA free lined cans or tetra boxes Limit toxin burden in your home: • Choose a water filtration system • Swap out cleaning products for non-toxic brands • Open your windows for air circulation or consider an air filter Limit toxin burden in your life: • Replace your beauty care products with chemical free brands

• Limit alcohol; better to have less a few times per week than several servings at one sitting • Reduce over-the-counter medication when possible, especially painkillers Consider these resources for making healthier lifestyle choices: Environmental working group http //www.ewg.org The Daily Green http://www.thedailygreen.com/ Cosmetic data base http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ Cleaning products http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners

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2. Support Your Body’s Detox System: Use your food as medicine; eat foods that promote detox and help all the phases of liver detox: • Dark leafy vegetables (kale, collard greens, arugula, watercress and mustard greens): Sauté, juice or eat them raw but the more the merrier • Onions and garlic: Add 1-2 cloves per day to veggies or salads; add them to your sautéed greens • Artichoke: High in fiber and rich in detox nutrients • Cruciferous or Brassica Family vegetables: (broccoli and broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower) These are very powerful for phase 2 detox • Cilantro and parsley: considered natural chelators of toxins and heavy metals • Organic berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries are high in antioxidants which reduce cellular damage • Organic Green tea: This is an amazing antioxidant with Matcha green tea especially high in chlorophyll, a superstar of detox • Spices/herbs: cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, oregano, rosemary: the compounds in these offer many tools of support for detox and reducing the effects of cell damage Eat high quality fats that help flush the liver: • Omega 3 fats like fish oil and flax • Avocados, olive oil and almonds Ensure sufficient protein to give the building blocks for phase 2: • The average adult needs about 50-60 grams of healthy protein per day. For example, 1 ounce of meat/fish, 1 egg or ½ cup beans/legumes = 7 grams of protein

Eat more plants to ensure plenty of vitamins and minerals that support all aspects of detoxification: • Eat a rainbow of colors in your fruits and vegetables every day. The pigments that give plant foods their color are called phytonutrients. They work as strong supporters of all phases of the detox process.

Improve elimination of toxins: • Increase water to 6-8 glasses per day to flush the body and support phase 3 • Have 1-2 bowel movements per day to aid the liver in completing its job • Increase exercise for circulation and sweating; this aids the secondary team of detox organs • Consider an infrared sauna or steam bath to promote perspiration using the skin as a way to eliminate and burn fat where excess toxins are stored • Increase fiber to 35 grams per day; fiber helps keep your elimination moving and completes the circle of detox Nutritional Detox Programs: In addition to shifting our diet and lifestyle to a less toxic one, there are also many high-quality professional nutraceutical supplement programs to aid detoxification.

These are often referred to as ‘detox programs’. Detox programs can help to support the liver in detoxification as well as provide the body with essential nutrients ‘detox’ at a deeper level. Often, when a person has been exposed to toxins for a long period of time and has illness, a detox program can be beneficial to reach optimal health. It is helpful to have a professional support you in this type of detox program. Some health care professionals that offer detox programs include Naturopaths and Clinical Nutritionists that specialize in Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition.

As we review our whole life including but not limited to food, we can see many ways we can make changes to improve the body’s potential detox.

3. Stress and Relationships There are more subtle ways we bring toxins into our life. Since we are complex beings, we know that stress, feelings, beliefs and people can also push the toxic burden of our lives. When we consider our whole life, here are some of the other ways we become toxic.

• Stress: Chronic stress is toxic for the body; by being in an emergency state we limit the body’s capacity to handle the day-today “housekeeping”. Making a choice to

meditate or practice mindful breathing can enhance our overall wellbeing.

• People/relationships: Consider that person that after spending time with them we feel drained. These are the kinds of relationships that are hard to manage and weaken our body. Sometimes shifting and changing who we spend time with can improve our health.

• Negative beliefs: They can lower our selfesteem and limit success creating stress that is damaging to the body. There is healing potential in the power of positive thinking and cleaning up our thoughts.

When we examine detox and the many things in our life that can contribute to it, we see that we have the opportunity to make choices. Overall, it’s important to limit the total load of how much burden we put on our detox system. Taking a step like limiting fast food eating, reducing alcohol, swapping out body care products for cleaner brands or drinking more water impacts that total toxic burden. With those choices, we all have the power to enhance our detox capacity and improve our health.

Holly J. Niles, MS, CNS, LDN, is a Licensed Functional Medicine Clinical Nutritionist. She is Nutrition Director at Integrative Wellness in Bloomfield. Holly has 25 years of experience in natural health. Her approach is to help individuals find practical ways to enjoy making healthy changes to create wellness in their lives. Holly specializes in Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition. For more information about Holly, visit www.IntegrativeWellnessAndPT.com. See ad on page 14 and 17.

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Keeping Your Bones Healthy for Life

By Tamara Sachs, MD he current approach to osteoporosis illustrates two of the biggest problems in medicine today.

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Drug Therapy First is the myth that only drug therapy works, especially when faced with a serious condition. This is the Big Pharma model of medicine which often frightens people by misusing statistics and overestimating the risks of developing a serious condition. This distracts us from and trivializes the very real side effects the drug treatments may have.

The combination of for-profit medicine, constant drug advertisements on TV, fear of litigation, shorter office visits and little reimbursement for lifestyle medicine all contribute to the overuse of prescription medication. Since properly prescribed medications are one of the top 5 causes of death of Americans today, it is urgent that we use medications more selectively and only when the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. This is not the current practice when it comes to preventing bone fractures; instead, many effective nondrug treatments are ignored. Drug treatment for osteoporosis has become a reflex based on a measurement of bone density that is often misinterpreted.

Medications for osteoporosis should only be used as part of a comprehensive approach and for a very limited but specific time frame, to maximize their usefulness and minimize their risks.

Bone density is typically measured when it is at its worst, around menopause, and then compared to the bone density of young women. We then call the normal, predictable bone loss due to the loss of estrogen around menopause a new disease: osteopenia. This scares women into thinking that drug treatment now will prevent a fracture later, and that is very misleading. Bone density (BD) scores must be age-matched to be at all useful (called a z score) and even then, BD is not able to accurately estimate your personal risk of breaking a bone. But when statistics are misused, the decisions we make are more emotional that factual.

Lifestyle and Diet Secondly, like many chronic diseases, osteoporosis is a direct result of lifestyle and diet choices over the course of a lifetime. But as a society, we do not value or invest in prevention. We allow conventional medicine to wait until chronic illness progresses, then symptoms and their consequences are treated with expensive 32

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drugs and high tech interventions. Rather than a preventive medical model, we have a Big Pharma model and there is simply no profit to be had from a comprehensive plan for bone health that tries to minimize both bone fractures and the use of medications.

Healthy Bone Physiology The reason we measure bone density is to try and prevent bone fractures in our senior years. But there is much more to preventing bone fractures than bone density. Like every other part of our body, bone is dynamic living tissue made up of cells. New cells replace old cells and old bone that has been damaged or worn gets replaced with healthier young bone. This happens bit by bit, in a process called remodeling, just like in a home.

Think of bone as a savings account. During childhood and until our 20s, we make bone deposits. We need to build enough strong bone to last us our lifetimes, including as we age, when we will be making more bone withdrawals than deposits. Women lose bone earlier in life but men lose bone too. By our late 20s our bony house is mostly built and for the rest of our adult life, we maintain it by slowly remodeling it, removing old and damaged bone as required, and replacing it with new young healthier bone. It takes about 8 to 10 years for this process to gradually replace our entire skeleton, thus keeping our bones healthy. Osteoporosis and bone fractures can occur if not enough good bone was ever made or if more bone was lost or damaged than we could replace in time.

There are three key aspects of bone that make it healthy and resistant to fractures: density, quality, and how the remodeling is done, called bone turnover.

Bone Density: The density of bone is a measure of how much bone you have, but bone density says nothing about the composition or quality of that bone. This is one reason why bone density is such a poor predictor of bone fracture except at the extremes.

Bone Quality: The quality of your bone gives it its strength and its resilience (its ability to bend a bit and not break, like a young tree). We know what goes into good quality bone: a core of protein made hard by numerous different minerals, far beyond calcium, arranged in a very structured and organized pattern. Without the right amounts and ratios of these minerals, the quality of bone is reduced.

Bone quality is also impacted by how much bone damage has accumulated. Bone is damaged in the same way that all other tissues

are damaged. Oxidative stress, the damage caused by free radicals when there aren’t enough antioxidants around, weakens bone. High homocysteine, from a lack of B vitamins, is another way bone is damaged.

Environmental lead tends to accumulate in bone, causing both oxidative damage and the potential to leave weakened bone when lead is removed too aggressively during detox programs without adequate nutritional support.

Bone Turnover: Many things can affect the delicate balance of that remodeling system mentioned earlier, causing more bone to be removed then is being replaced. Think about the coordination and timing involved in a continual remodeling of your home, replacing support beams and loadbearing walls without letting the structure weaken, that’s bone turnover.

Nutritional deficiencies of Vitamins D and B, insufficient antioxidants or protein, mineral malabsorption, and a lack of weight-bearing exercise all hamper the rebuilding process. Excess accumulated damage from drinking soda, excess sugar and caffeine or from cigarette smoking can all contribute to weakened bones. But for most women, it is the sudden loss of estrogen before and during menopause that causes abnormally high bone turnover, with more bone being broken down then is being rebuilt.

Aside from bone density, turnover is the only other area of bone health that we are currently able to measure, at least in a crude way. A simple urine test (NTx) can show if more bone is being broken down than is normal during menopause. If this is happening despite a comprehensive bone health program, treatment with very small amounts of bioidentical topical estrogen and progesterone can slow the bone turnover and allow your body time to catch up making new bone.

alkaline side. This is critical in bone health as bones act as the body’s reservoir of calcium and magnesium which are leeched out when the blood needs to be buffered from too much acidity. This is the primary reason why dairy is definitely not good for bones.

Because of the acidity of dairy, the amount of calcium consumed is offset by this buffering effect, and you lose bone minerals, ending up with very little net gain from dairy.

We are much better off with the smaller amounts of calcium in plant foods because we get to keep all of it, plus plants contain other essential nutrients and antioxidants.

A blood level of vitamin D (25 hydroxy D) is the only way to know if you have enough vitamin D to make bone. A level above 40 is a minimum requirement; optimal levels are between 50 and 90. Because of the pollution in our air and our internal contamination with persistent organic pollutants, making adequate vitamin D from sun exposure is no longer a given. Most of us need to take between 2,000 and 10,000 IUs of vitamin D3 daily. Other supplements that may be needed include magnesium and trace minerals, but calcium intake should be obtained from food, not from supplements, with rare exception. Superfoods, fresh green drinks, concentrated powdered produce, spices such as turmeric and rosemary are all safe, effective sources of micronutrients and antioxidants which are great complements to a plant-based diet.

Weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercise are critical to maintaining healthy bone mass, in fact it can’t be done without them. But it is just as critical to maintain our sense of balance throughout our lives in order to avoid fractures. The vast majority of fractures in the elderly are the result of a fall. Muscles not only protect your bones if you do fall, but core muscles and good balance are how we catch ourselves early in the stumble and prevent both the fall and fracture.

Many people start to lose their sense of balance as early as their 30s. It just takes consistent practice to get it back and keep it. Stand on one foot whenever you are waiting in line, make a balance challenge out of putting on your shoes and socks every day. As you get good, make it harder, with your eyes closed or while doing arm exercises. Because they affect both core strength and balance, yoga and Tai Chi are both excellent lifelong habits for lifelong bone health. Lastly, let’s protect the next generation by continuing to work towards better nutrition and more physical activity for all our children.

Tamara Sachs, MD was trained in Internal Medicine at Mt Sinai Medical School and Yale. In 2003, she opened her clinic, Functional Medicine & Integrative Care LLC in New Milford CT. More information is available at www.tsachsmd.com. See ad on page 3.

Eating and absorbing 15-25g of protein for breakfast is critical to maintain healthy muscle mass as well as bone mass. In fact, everything that helps maintain a healthy muscle mass (in the mid 30% range) as you age will also help you maintain healthy bone mass: regular muscle resistance exercise, adequate protein, micro-nutrition and balanced hormones.

Besides avoiding the bad habits mentioned above, there are also a few common medications that cause premature bone loss: steroids like Prednisone and acidblocking drugs for reflux called proton pump inhibitors are the two most common.

Prevention of Osteoporosis There is plenty we can do to support our bones and to decrease our risk for fractures. We can eat a plant-based diet, especially a modified Mediterranean diet with an abundance of colorful produce at every meal. Plant foods help keep us on the www.NaturalNutmeg.com

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Choose Love, Not Fear

By Henry Grayson, PhD hen things get stressful in relationships, it is not uncommon for there to be an outburst of anger. Someone gets angry and exhibits behavior that can border on violent or manifest in other ways, such as coldness, raising the voice, ignoring, and arguing. It is so easy to get entangled and take part in the situation. All it takes is one person to express it and then things can easily escalate out of control resulting in a situation lasting longer than it should and both people feeling miserable.

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In order to prevent an unpleasant and stressful situation, it is imperative that we be able to look beyond the anger into the other person and realize that anger is not a natural state of being. Almost always, where there arises conflict there is an absence of love, and there is an abundance of fear.

You can be right or you can be happy As adults, we need the ability to step back when we are experiencing an angry outburst from someone and observe the person and the situation. This is very difficult because many of us have a need to “win.” This façade of triumph over another and the need to be “right” can prolong any unpleasant situation. This is why it is imperative to train yourself to not add fuel to the fire by participation and diffuse it with observation. This is not easy and it takes practice.

When an argument with your mate or friend has ensued and you are in a heated discussion and no end seems near, this is the perfect time to choose to look at the situation in a new way, something we call a perceptual shift. As you notice faces becoming red, voices rising, and you feel your stress level elevating, you need to shift your perception from you being a victim to focusing on the other person as being frightened and full of fear.

Once you are able to look beyond their behavior and focus on the fear that resided just below the surface of the turmoil, it may be easier to respond to the other person with kindness instead of anger and disapproval. Often times, the other person will accuse you of trying to manipulate them as your tone softens, and they may question your sincerity. Do not let this deter your loving behavior. This is all the more reason to stick to your plan and to focus on extending love and expressing compassion. This process may take some time before the other person begins to understand that you have an interest in eradicating the painful experience of the argument for both of you.

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Kill fear with kindness Often mistrustful people will react in a negative manner to the kindness and become suspicious of your intentions. People have a difficult time processing the fact that they actually have a choice between happiness and misery. If this continues to happen, despite your efforts to stop the stress, you may need to evaluate whether or not this is an appropriate relationship for you. Both people need to respond in kind. Sometimes your efforts will show you the other person’s desire to remain in pain and cling to their suffering.

By seeing the fear, you can let go of your own fears in dealing with such a difficult situation. Seeing the other person differently allows you to create different feelings, which in turn bring different ways of behaving towards them, which in turn cumulatively begins to heal the other’s fears of further hurts. As your false perceptions heal, the other person also heals.

Perceptions rule the world If you view others as capable, you will deal with them differently and they will behave differently. People with angry outbursts and even violent behavior problems should be regarded as frightened and appealing for help and for love. With this perception, we are all less likely to participate in the battle that stands before us. Instead of feeling like the other person requires control and judgment, view them as needing your love and help.

Someone’s whole world can change as a result of how you perceive them and that is why perception is such a powerful force. How is it our perceptions of others and situations have such an influence on our experience of them? Projection makes perception. Quite simply, this means that the thoughts and beliefs inside of us are projected, coloring our perception of the outside world, its events, and our relationships in it. It is not what another person says or does, nor the events of life that make us happy or unhappy, but rather what we think about that person’s behavior or those events.

Just imagine: If the same event universally brought happiness, one could have a most successful industry of packaging and marketing it! Yet we know that when many people go through the same experience, each one’s interpretive perception is often quite different.

What we BELIEVE we PERCEIVE! If it is our perceptions that bring our pain and suffering, then how can we change them to move from a powerless position, in which we feel like a victim at the mercy of the people in our lives, to an empowered and happy one, in which we take responsibility for our thoughts and behaviors, and choose to extend love? How do we accomplish this task without having to wait for another person or the world to change?

A perceptual shift is choosing to see someone or a situation differently. It is seeing through the behavior presented to us that appears attacking, rejecting, or depriving. It is looking with X-ray vision to see that the undesirable behavior is only a person who is not accessing their true self. Since perception always includes interpretation, usually a judgment of some kind, then perception is not just a sensory experience, but includes thoughts as well and can therefore be changed.

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The perceptual shift we need to make is quite simple, though very profound: 1. When we see fear instead of attack, we are no longer afraid, and we are able to tap into our inherent capacity to love or be loving.

2. If we do not perceive attack, we don’t have to mount our defenses. We know that displaced anger was just an expression of fear, and there is no reason to get caught up in it.

3. We will know that when someone behaves in such bizarre ways, it only means that they do not know more effective ways of getting past their fear.

The choice we have moment to moment is between victimization or empowerment; pain or joy; hell or heaven; illusion or truth; the ego or our True Self.

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Impact of Childhood Trauma and Stressors in Fibromyalgia

By David Brady, ND raumatic experiences and stressors in childhood have historically been overlooked as predisposing factors in the development of various chronic pain disorders and psychiatric conditions, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, the tide is turning as research is revealing a significant correlation between childhood trauma and adult health.

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The central nervous system is rapidly developing during childhood and being conditioned to respond to various stimuli and stressors that are encountered in life. As an assortment of environmental stimuli are encountered, new pathways are created between the cells of the brain in response to each stimulus. For example, a pleasurable experience such as a hug from a parent or a sweet food creates pathways that teach the brain to respond pleasurably to those stimuli. Likewise, a frightening experience will create and exercise pathways that respond in fear. This process of creating new pathways in response to stimuli is referred to as neuroplasticity. As we age, neuroplasticity decreases, meaning it is more difficult to develop new pathways and adjust our brain’s responses to stimuli. Children are at a distinct advantage in possessing a high degree of neuroplasticity. However, this also highlights the importance of delivering meaningful stimuli to the developing brain, to ensure the development of positive pathways.

In the presence of a strong support system and normal, shortlived stressors, a child’s stress responses are appropriately activated and buffered through supportive relationships. In this way, positive pathways are developing in the brain and training the nervous system how to appropriately respond to the normal stressors of life. As the brain encounters various stressors, a healthy resilience is built so that increasingly stressful circumstances are able to be experienced with normal biological responses.

In the absence of supportive relationships or in the presence of extreme and/or long-standing stressors, the stress response is inappropriately activated and may negatively impact the development of the brain and neurological system. As regions of the brain that are responsible for fear, anxiety and impulsive responses are activated, neural pathways are developed to favor these regions of the brain.

Subsequently, regions of the brain that are responsible for reasoning, planning and behavioral control may lack appropriate pathways, leading to a propensity toward negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.

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The human stress response elicits a cascade of events that impact the brain, neurological system, and various endocrine glands and hormones, explaining its broad influence over health. The stress response begins with neurons experiencing environmental stressors or stimuli, translating the stimuli into messages, and sending those messages along pathways to various regions of the brain for interpretation and response. During these activities, the production of brain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are triggered. Neurotransmitters deliver messages to other regions of the brain and other organs. These chemicals communicate with the adrenal glands (of the endocrine system), which then produce hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline). These hormones are responsible for the traditional “fight-and-flight” response to traumatic or dangerous stressors. While these are helpful if we need to dodge a ball or car accident, chronic activation of these hormones can weaken the health of the immune system, the gut, energy systems, and pain perception, contributing to various health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. When the stress response is over activated during childhood, it becomes hypervigilant and has difficulty maintaining balance in adulthood.

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the most common traumatic stressors affecting children include, accidents, physical trauma, abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic and community violence. Other impactful stressors include death of a family member, divorce, drug or alcohol abuse, and natural disasters. When encountered during childhood, these traumatic stressors precondition the neurological system and the stress response system to produce exaggerated responses to normal stimuli. Fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome are two examples of hypervigilant neurological responses. Normal stimuli such as wind blowing in the face or clothing rubbing against the skin can produce painful sensations in those with fibromyalgia, illustrating an exaggerated pain response. Normal stressors triggering the neurological system to inappropriately stimulate the muscles of the intestine, leading to alternating constipation and spastic diarrhea, is a classic sign of irritable bowel syndrome. The pain response is also heightened in those with irritable bowel syndrome, causing abdominal pain.

Currently, specific causes of conditions associated with chronic pain and fatigue, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, are unknown; however, nearly two decades of research has strongly pointed to early childhood stressors as significant risk factors for initiating these conditions. While not every child who has been exposed to traumatic stressors will experience emotional

and physical health calamities, research shows that children exposed to traumatic events or long-standing stressors are 2.7 times more likely to experience functional somatic conditions (functionally debilitating conditions for which no distinct cause can be determined), such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and others. Additionally, these conditions commonly exist with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. The age at which trauma or stress is experienced, its duration, and even the type of trauma does not appear to shift this alarming statistic.

Considering the increasing prevalence of functional somatic conditions, emotional and psychiatric problems, it is important to consider the influence of childhood experiences in the development of these conditions. Dwelling upon past trauma is not always helpful in supporting health and healing, and may actually be counterproductive; however, understanding its influence upon health is helpful in being able to appropriately identify elusive health conditions such as fibromyalgia. It is also important to understand for the purpose of protecting future generations from the

debilitating effects of childhood trauma and stressors. Finally, it serves as a good illustration of the success of a functional medicine approach, which relies on a thorough health and lifestyle history to put together the “story” of an individual’s health and gain insight into the root causes of health problems.

Dr. Brady’s new book, The Fibro Fix, will give you a wealth of information on how to negotiate your way toward getting the proper diagnosis and the proper treatment for your symptoms of widespread pain and fatigue.

The book can be ordered on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and other fine book vendors, or at FibroFix.com. Also, learn more about The Fibro Fix Summit where Dr. Brady interviews 30+ experts on FM at FibroFixSummit.com. Dr. David M. Brady has 25-years of experience as an integrative practitioner and over 21 years in health sciences academia. He is a licensed naturopathic physician, a board certified clinical nutritionist, and completed his initial clinical training as a doctor of chiropractic. He currently serves as the Vice President for Health Sciences at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He maintains a private practice at Whole-Body Medicine, in Fairfield, CT. wholebodymed. com 203-371-0300. See ad on page 11.

The Weight Loss Puzzle, Finally Solved!

Acupuncture Experienced Care for Difficult Cases

Stan Baker, LAC

With 30 years experience in the Oriental Healing Arts, Stan utilizes the major modalities of Chinese Medicine.

Call 860.836.1068 TODAY Acupuncture of Greater Hartford 645 Farmington Ave, Hartford acupuncturestanbaker.com

The Power of the Perfect (For You) Diet In Your Hands Written by Drs. Frank Aieta and Diane Hayden to help you hone in on your specific problems by creating a diet plan you love and want to live with without expensive doctor visits and by putting all the knowledge you need in your hands.

What this book does: • Deciphers the culprits that are blocking your progress so you can reach the balance YOUR body needs to drop fat, raise energy levels, and handle stress like a leader • Allows you to piece your own puzzle together without expensive doctor visits that insurance doesn’t cover anyway • Illustrates the “how” in making your mind, your habits, and your food work together to create a body that yearns to jog along the beach or climb the mountains • Hands you completely within-reach actions that you’ll use to begin a new love story with your body

Your Ultimate Guide to Permanent Weight Loss and Achieving Optimal Health Buy for $14.95 at http://weightlosspuzzlesolved.com/

“I am no longer a diabetic, have normal blood pressure and plan on continuing my present lifestyle forever. 9 months ago when I first saw Dr. Aieta I was a 49 year old man who felt 80, now I’m a 49 year old man that feels 29.... I just can’t understand why the so called expert in the field of diabetes (my endocrinologist) had no clue how to treat me, he just knew how to put me on more useless medication instead of getting to the root of the problem like Dr. A.” ~Marcus C.

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HAPPENINGS Wednesday, March 1st Student Reader’s Night. 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

FREE. Have a reading from one of our gifted student readers. Don’t let the word student confuse you as they are well versed in the art of message delivery. These nights allow them to practice their mediumship, tarot or angel reading skills and for you to receive guidance. Sessions are 15-minutes each. No appointments. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury.

For more information, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Friday, March 3rd Meet your Angels and Guides with Priscilla Bengtson. 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. $50.00. Receiving spiritual guidance is easier when you understand who you are connecting with. During this workshop you will learn about your primary spiritual guides and guardian angels. Through meditation, we will meet them and receive information from them on how they would like to work with you. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Sunday, March 4th Detoxification: Cellular through Structural to Consciousness Sat-Mon, March 4th-6th, 9 AM-5 PM $695. Using this IMT material promotes drainage and fluidity of the storage of toxins body, mind and spiritual levels to achieve improved levels of health. Three days of learning through lecture and lab for bodywork. Contact us at IMT Wellness Center 12 N. Main St. Ste 30 West Hartford, CT 06107 860-561-2286, or info@IMTWellnessCenter.com

Sunday, March 5th Reiki I with Christine Cartwright.

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. $130.00. Attune to the universal energy in this Level I Usui Reiki class.

Participants will learn traditional hand positions, how to give a full body session and receive attunements to the universal Reiki energy for selfhealing and healing others. Participants receive a manual, book and certificate. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Tuesday, March 7th Attention Practitioners!

Functional Forum Meet-Up 7-8:30 pm FREE Monthly Meet-up group for the alternative and functional medicine community on the first Tuesday of every month. IMT Wellness Center is hosting a Functional Forum Meet-Up to foster professional community and learning while watching and discussing the Functional Forum

38 Natural NaturalNutmeg Nutmeg- -March March2017 2017

March 2017 Webinar. The March topic is the integrative future of cardiology. www.FunctionalForum.com IMT Wellness Center 12 N. Main St. Ste. 30 West Hartford, CT 06107 RSVP to 860-243-5220, nancy@imtwellnesscenter.com.

Sound Healing Meditation with Priscilla Bengtson. 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. $25.00. The use of Himalayan Singing Bowls, vibrationally attuned to each energy center, allows for healing pathways to open and stuck energy to be released. Find your inner calm and walk away feeling refreshed and renewed. The group is kept small so each person can experience the healing on a personal level. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www. healinginharmonycenter.com.

Feng Shui Translated with Pat McGrath.

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. $35.00. At its core, Feng Shui principles acknowledge that your space is sacred and suggests that, with awareness, you can improve the spiritual energy of any room in your home. Join us for simple, yet profound, Feng Shui solutions for taking better care of yourself and aligning your space with your intention. Participants are asked to bring in photos or drawings of their personal space. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www. healinginharmonycenter.com.

Wednesday, March 8th Healing in Harmony Night.

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. FREE. Stop by the center for a FREE healing service. Participants will sit individually with a healer and receive an 8 – 10 minute healing. No reservation required. You will be served in the order in which you enter the center. The healing services are offered one night each month. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, Glastonbury. For more information, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Friday, March 10th So you want to be a Medium? with Priscilla Bengtson. 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $50.00. Are you ready to take your intuitive skills to the next step by connecting with angels, guides and loved ones in the spirit world? Participants will learn the differences between mediumship and psychic ability, how to receive messages clearly and how to know who you are working with in the spirit world. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury.

To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Sound Healing Meditation/Reiki with Priscilla Bengtson and Christine Cartwright.

7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. $35.00. Quiet your mind and release old physical and energetic patterns with this amazing Sound Healing Meditation using Himalayan Singing Bowls. Christine will be providing participants with Reiki healing also during the session. The group is kept small so each person can experience the healing on a personal level. The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Saturday, March 11th Psychic Saturday. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. $25.00 for a 20-minute reading. Receive a private reading to connect you to guidance from your angels, spirit guides and loved ones. Check the web site for Readers. Pre-scheduling is highly recommended. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To pre-schedule an appointment, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Sunday, March 12th Women’s Empowerment Meditation.

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. $25.00. This guided meditation is specifically designed to the energy of the group. We invite in our angels and guides to help us release those things that keep us stuck.

The energy of the group helps us to release those things that no longer serve our highest good and allow us to live an empowered life. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

IN-2-IT Kids: Mediumship 101 with Priscilla Bengtson. 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. $35.00. Children are natural Mediums, they just may not know it yet! We’ll explore who’s in the Spirit World and all the tools we have to connect with them. A fun skill drill and group activity along with a short guided meditation is included.

Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

Tuesday, March 14th Free Lecture, Focus: IBS, Crohns, Digestive Issues.

7:00-8:30 PM Help! I’m sick and no one is listening!! Do you want to feel better than ever?

Finding the underlying cause of why you don’t feel well and how you can feel better is the key.

We will teach easy steps to take to help you feel better than ever. Learn easy diet changes, simple supplements, and self-treatment tools to help you feel great! Registration and food tasting starts at 6:30 IMT Wellness Center 12 N. Main St. Ste 30West Hartford, CT 06107 RSVP to 860-5612286, info@IMTWellnessCenter.com.

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Tues., Wed., Fri. 10-6, Thurs. 10-7, and Sat. 10-5

You are not alone. Motherhood is challenging.

Catharine McDonald, MS, LPC 131 New London Tpke, Ste 323 Glastonbury, CT 06033 tel (860) 837-0204 www.growingwellcounseling.com

intuitive readings

 angel

therapy®  medical intuition

 energy

healing

sound healing workshops certificate programs

Priscilla Bengtson 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury healinginharmonycenter.com

The Nuts and Bolts of Spirituality: A monthly group for Men with Ken Freschi.

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. $15.00. Join Ken Freschi each month in this spirituality group just for men.

Meet with like-minded individuals to discuss a variety of life and spiritual topics. Ken’s book, Our Walk to Eternity, will be used as a guideline for the group and aid in exploring the human journey and the lessons we are here to learn. Open for all levels of spiritual seekers. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury.

To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www. healinginharmonycenter.com.

Wednesday, March 15th Spiritual Book Club with Jen Fitts.

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. $15.00. Are you the owner of a large library of spiritual books? Join us in this new venture of gathering in community to discuss spiritual books. Each month we’ll cover a specific book and then join in conversation on the topic.

Bring your thoughts and ideas and discuss with like-minded individuals everything spiritual. The book this month is Journey of Souls by Michael Newton. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

offering individual & couples counseling Specializing in Perinatal mental health & well wellness couple & parenting transitions-birth traum trauma fertility -loss

 860.430.9801

insurance accepted - call for a free 10-minute consultation

Saturday, March 18th

Wednesday, March 22nd

Angelology, Level I with Priscilla Bengtson.

Also 3/19. 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. both days. $375.00. This class is designed for those who wish to learn to communicate with the angelic realm and receive guidance for themselves and others. Meet the Archangels, Guardians and Helpers and gain a clearer understanding of their presence and role in your life. This is a comprehensive weekend course allowing you to explore your gifts as an angel reader. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.psyche-institute.com.

Money and the Law of Attraction with Priscilla Bengtson. 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. $45.00. Learn how to apply the principles of the Law of Attraction to your financial life. Gain an understanding of the limiting beliefs that may be blocking you from attaining abundance.

Participants will take home practical tools to use every day to increase the flow of energy toward financial success. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www. healinginharmonycenter.com.

Sunday, March 19th Integrated Energy Therapy (IET), Advanced Level with Dan Lupacchino and Christine Cartwright.

9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. $215.00. The Advanced training includes attunement to the Advanced IET® energy ray which unlocks the 5th DNA pair and activates the energy of your soul’s purpose; the ability to do a “Soul Star” clearing to activate your soul’s purpose; use of the Heartnet process to manifest your dreams; use of the powerful energy wave technique to clear resistance; how to build Heartbeams to anchor angelic energy into the Earth. Fully illustrated training guide and certificate provided. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www. healinginharmonycenter.com.

Friday, March 24th Gallery Night with Priscilla Bengtson.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. $45.00. Priscilla is a certified Angel Therapy Practitioner®, Medium and Psychic Intuitive who connects with angels, spirit guides and those who have crossed over.

Readings will be done gallery-style with Priscilla providing messages to the audience as they come through to her. The group is kept small so that everyone receives guidance. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

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Sunday, March 26th

Tuesdays

Janet Verney Shares Health Makeovers At Potluck. 4:00 PM. $8.

Janet specializes in Health Makeovers, authored ROOTS2WELLNESS about her journey from disease to a life of vibrant wellness, and is co-founder of foodGEVITY. For the Potluck, bring a Healthy Vegan dish to share with 6 people and an ingredient list. Vegan means no animal ingredients (zero honey, dairy, fish, and eggs). Suffield Senior Center, 145 Bridge Street, Suffield, CT. www.northctveg.org..

Cranial Sacral Study Group, 7:00-9:00pm. Joe Belanger, PT, has created this ongoing study group as a way to further support practitioners of cranial technique after their cranial class(es) have finished.

This group is designed to answer any questions you may have as well as review, re-learn and practice whatever is helpful to you. No one gets quizzed on what they know or don’t know. The focus is to embody helping someone heal using Cranial Sacral Therapy versus just trying to get rid of their symptoms. Location: Ron D’Amico, LLC, Center for Integrative Healing and Education, 595 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Portland, CT. Fee: $20. To register, call 860.316.5604 or email joeb.pt@snet.net. 595 Main St, 2nd Floor, Portland CT

Beautiful Office Space, Portland. Integrative healing center looking for holistic practitioners who have their own practice, interested in sharing space with other like-minded professionals.

Seeking naturopath, nutritionist, life coach, yoga therapist, acupuncturist, energy healer or other healing modality. Includes waiting room, internet and break room. Also available - 1000 sq ft class room space. Very accessible building, ample parking close to Rte 9 in Middletown area. www.rondamico.net Contact Angela at 860-358-9272 or info.rondamico@gmail.com

Stiff Neck, Tight Shoulders, Aching Back? Classic Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Lessons taught by Karen Emerick to relieve your body of stiffness, tight muscles and pain. Please see the description below of The Feldenkrais Method under Wednesday Ongoing Classes for more information. Glastonbury 6-7pm. $15.

Drop-ins $20. Register: 860-633—7667

Workshop/Class Space - Holistic Healing Center in Portland has a large and newly renovated workshop/classroom space available in beautiful 1000sf open well lit room, can seat up to 60 comfortably, also good for Yoga/Tai Chi type classes, call Angela at 860-358-9272 or email angela.rondamico@gmail.com. www.rondamico.net

Wednesday, March 29th New Moon Sound Healing Meditation/Essential Oils and Reiki with Priscilla Bengtson and Dan Lupacchino.

5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. $35.00. The use of Himalayan Singing Bowls, vibrationally attuned to each energy center, allows for healing pathways to open and stuck energy to be released. Dan will introduce an essential oil and offer Reiki throughout the session. The group is kept small so each person can experience the healing on a personal level. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www. healinginharmonycenter.com.

Home Message Circle. 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. $20.00. The session is open to anyone who wishes to practice their mediumship message delivery in a group. Your ability doesn’t matter as we are all here to get some practice and learn from each other. A group facilitator will help you stay on track with your message if needed. Held at The Healing in Harmony Center, 99 Citizens Drive, Glastonbury. To register, please call 860.430.9801 or visit www.healinginharmonycenter.com.

ONGOING Mondays Sound Healing Concerts, 6:30-8:00pm, 2nd Monday of each month. These healing events will have a blend of channeled messages, energy work, voice, Alchemy Crystal Bowls, brass bowls and gongs to create the necessary environment to support an evening of transformation. All of these tools will be chosen in advance based on the energetics and the requirements of the group for that evening.

Each Concert will be unique and will be an environment full of potential to heal, change and grow on many levels. Fee: $25 Call 860-358-9272 or email info.rondamico@gmail.com to reserve your spot. 595 Main St, 2nd Floor, Portland CT

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Wednesdays The Feldenkrais Method ®Awareness Through Movement® Classes with Karen Emerick, A powerful way to eliminate stress and pain while dramatically increasing flexibility. Through stress and injury we develop habitually chronic tight muscles and stiff joints leaving us feeling older than we are. Through slow, deceptively simple and ingeniously designed movements done on the floor, these chronic old patterns ingrained in our body melt away, leaving relaxed muscles, improved coordination and balance and an effortless sense of movement. Glastonbury, 10:15am – 11:30am, $15, drop-ins $20. Register: 860-633-7667.

Shamanic Theory- 7:00-8:00 Hosted by Naughty Shaman. Join Nicole Lewis exploring shamanic practices and teachers. You will be able to compare and contrast various methods to develop your unique medicine. A key element of shamanism is honoring those teachers who came before us. You will be exposed to teachers to serve as a launch pad for discussion of shamanic concepts and how they apply to your life. naughtyshaman.com 860-430-1788

Thursdays Energetic Healing Groups, 6:30-8:00pm. Ron D’Amico, Intuitive Healer, Spiritual Guide and Teacher, has created a class for people to experience healing in a group setting. These group healings are created to facilitate healing at the root level, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual/karmic. Group dynamics are very powerful.

Ron has created a way of tapping into this potential to channel this energy to increase changes exponentially. Each group is unique and is an expression of the people who attend that evening. Within the experiences you will find this is a journey to the Heart and Soul of you and a way of bringing yourself through your current and past challenges as well as opening doors to your higher potential. Fee: $25 Call 860-358-9272 or email info.rondamico@ gmail.com to reserve your spot.

595 Main St, 2nd Floor, Portland CT

CLASSIFIED

RESOURCES ACUPUNCTURE Acupuncture of Greater Hartford Stan Baker, LAC 645 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT 06105 860.836.1068 •.acupuncturestanbaker.com See ad on page 37.

Valley Spirit Acupuncture Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, MSOM, L.Ac. Board Certified in Acupuncture 6 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot CT 860.619.2788 • ValleySpiritAcupuncture.com See ad on page 17.

DENTISTRY Livingstone Dental Excellence Dr. Thomas Livingstone 3 Railroad St. North Canaan, CT 860.824.0751 • livingstonedentalexcellence.com See ad on page 35.

Dr. Steven Hinchey 2249 New London Turnpike South Glastonbury, CT. (860) 633-6518 www.dentistryfordiabetics.com/drhinchey See ad on page 25.

HEALTH FOOD STORES Parkade Health Shoppe Manchester Parkade, 378 West Middle Tpke, Manchester, CT • 860.646.8178 M-Sat 8am-9pm • Sun 9am-6pm See ad on page 7.

HOLISTIC CENTERS

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

Integrative Wellness and Physical Therapy 34 Jerome Ave, Suite 305 Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860) 519-1916 info@IntegrativeWellnessAndPT.com See ads on page 14 and 17.

CT Natural Health Specialists Dr. Lauren Young, Dr. Ashley Burkman, Dr. Tonya Pasternak and Dr Craig Fasullo 315 E. Center St., Manchester, CT 06040 (860) 533-0179 • www.ctnaturalhhealth.com See ad on page 23.

HYPNOSIS Diane Bahr-Groth, C. Hy., TFT, Dir. 1177 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT. (203)595-0110 • mindbodytransformation.com See ad on page 33.

Mind Matters Hypnosis Center Lisa Zaccheo, MA, BCH, BCI Board Certified Hypnotist & Instructor 12 Waterside Court, Avon, CT 06001 (860)693-6448 • MindMatters@comcast.net www.mindmattershypnosis.com Michele P. Rousseau, MA, CH 267 William Street, Middletown, CT 06457 860-704-9054 • mprousseau@sbcglobal.net www.micheleprousseau.com

INTEGRATED MEDICINE ProNatural Physicians Group 120 Webster Sqr Rd.Berlin, CT 06037 (860) 829-0707 www.ProNaturalPhysicians.com See ad on page 7.

Tamara Sachs, MD Functional Medicine & Integrative Care LLC 15 Bennitt Street, New Milford CT 860-354-3304 • www.tsachsmd.com See ad on page 3.

INTEGRATIVE APRN’S/ NURSE PRACTITIONERS ProNatural Physicians Group Lara O’Neil, Pediatric APRN Amanda Swan, Adult/Women’s Health APRN 120 Webster Square Road Berlin, CT 06037 • 860-829-0707 ProNaturalPhysicians@comcast.net See ad on page 7

MASSAGE Elisabeth Moss 12 Old Farms Rd, Avon, CT 06001 860.550.0882 www.elisabethmoss.com elisabethmossart@gmail.com Valley Spirit Wellness Center 6 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot CT 860.619.2788 • ValleySpiritCoop.com See ad on page 17.

MEDITATION Valley Spirit Wellness Center 6 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot CT 860.619.2788 • ValleySpiritCoop.com See ad on page 17.

Debra Gibson, ND 100 Danbury Road, Ste. 102 Ridgefield, CT 06877 • (203)431-4443 See ad on page 3.

Naturopathic & Acupuncture Health Center Dr. Marie Mammone, Dr. Renee Mammone, NDs John Mammone, Licensed Acupuncturist 274 Silas Deane Hwy., Wethersfield, CT 06109 (860)529-1200 • www.NAHcenter.com Stacey Munro, N.D. Nature’s Helper Medical Clinic 178 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT 06078 860.758.7808 • www.natureshelpermedical.com The Wellness Institute Marvin Schweitzer, ND 1 Westport Ave, Norwalk, CT (203) 847-2788 See ad on page 31.

West Hartford Naturopathic Medicine Frank Aieta, ND 301 N. Main St., West Hartford, CT (860) 232-9662 • www.DRAIETA.com See ad on page 31 ProNatural Physicians Group Dr. Ann Aresco, Dr. Ann Aresco, Dr. Summer McAllister, Dr. Sarah Zambarano 120 Webster Sqr Rd.Berlin, CT 06037 P: 860-829-0707 - F: 860-829-0606 E: ProNaturalPhysicians@comcast.net www.ProNaturalPhysicians.com See ad on page 7.

NUTRITION Holcare Nutrition Vicki Kobliner MS RD 3 Hollyhock Lane, Suite 2A, Wilton, CT 06897 203-834-9949 • www.holcarenutrition.com See ads on page 31.

Holly Niles, MS, CNS, LDN Licensed Functional Medicine Clinical Nutritionist Integrative Wellness 34 Jerome Avenue, Suite 305 Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860)519-1916 HollyNiles@IntegrativeWellnessAndPT.com www.IntegrativeWellnessAndPT.com See ads on page 14 and 17.

PHYSICIANS, M.D.

Optimal Health Medical, LLC Henry C. Sobo, M.D. 111 High Ridge Rd. ,Stamford, CT 06905 203-348-8805 • www.drsobo.com Tamara Sachs, MD Functional Medicine & Integrative Care LLC 15 Bennitt Street, New Milford CT 860-354-3304 • www.tsachsmd.com See ad on page 3.

PSYCHIATRY David London, MD 567 Vauxhall St. Ext. #218, Waterford, CT (860) 443-5822 - davidlondonmd.com

PSYCHOTHERAPY Inner Change Holistic Counseling Deni Weber, MA, LPC, DCEP Weston, CT. • 203-544-6094 DeniWeber.com

SCHOOLS The Graduate Institute 171 Amity Rd, Bethany, CT 06524 (203) 874-4252 • info@learn.edu See ad on page 21.

SKINCARE Anew You Skincare & Wellness Center Melissa Martin, 16A Ensign Drive, Avon.

(860)284-9730 • www.anewyouskincare.net Melissa@anewyouskincare.net See ad on page 27.

TAI CHI/QIGONG Valley Spirit Wellness Center 6 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot CT 860.619.2788 • ValleySpiritCoop.com See ad on page 17.

THERMOGRAPHY Sophia Natural Health Center 31 Old Route 7, Brookfield, CT 06804.

(203) 740-9300 • SophiaNaturalHealth.com

YOGA / PILATES CENTERS Valley Spirit Wellness Center 6 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot CT 860.619.2788 • ValleySpiritCoop.com See ad on page 17.

West Hartford Yoga 23 Brook Street, West Hartford, CT 06110 PH: 860.953.9642 • westhartfordyoga.com info@westhartfordyoga.com www.westhartfordyoga.com Offering 70 weekly classes.

Natural Health & Healing, LLC Deanna M. Cherrone, MD 61 S. Main St, Ste 210, West Hartford, CT (860) 677-4600 • naturalhealthandhealing.net See ad on back cover.

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BERNIE

By Bernie Siegel, MD

Of Words, The Power

A

s doctors we are not trained to communicate and understand the power of our words as they relate to a patient’s ability and desire to survive. It is also not only doctors but all the authority figures in our patients’ lives that affect the outcome of their disease and their ability to survive. Parents, teachers, clergy and physicians change lives with their words. It is hypnotic for a child or patient to hear an authority figure’s words.

Up to the age of six a child’s brain wave pattern is similar to that of a hypnotized individual. To quote a woman, whose mother only gave her failure messages and dressed her in dark colors, and who as an adult has more trouble with her mother’s words than she does with cancer, “My mother’s words were eating away at me and maybe gave me cancer.” We know from recent studies that loneliness affects the genes that control the immune system. So as doctors we need to ask the right questions and know what a patient has experienced and is experiencing in their lives.

I recently received two emails; one from a woman who had a recurrence of her cancer and has decided to not undergo chemotherapy again. Her doctor said, “Then you might as well go home and commit suicide.” The other email came from a woman who asked her doctor if they could become a team as she had just finished reading my book.

He told her no and that he was the doctor and in charge of her care.

She packed her belongings and walked out of the hospital and has found a caring oncologist to work with. She is a survivor and not a submissive sufferer, or from the doctor’s perspective, a so called good patient.

We need to listen to our patients’ words and treat their experiences. Helen Keller said it very well when she said, “Deafness is darker by far than blindness.” We also need to understand that patients do not live a disease, they live an experience. We should ask how a patient would describe their experience and then treat them accordingly. The words they use, like draining, failure, denial, pressure, gift and wake up call are always about what is happening in their life. So we can help them to heal their lives and improve the chances of curing their disease.

I did a great deal of children’s surgery. I meet many of these children today, as young adults, and am amazed at how vivid their memories are. It is obvious how important this event was to them and the details they recall. I learned how powerful my words were when I began

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Natural Nutmeg - March 2017

to notice children falling asleep as we wheeled them into the operating room. One boy turned onto his stomach and fell asleep as we entered the O.R. I turned him over on the operating table and he said, “What are you doing? You told me I would go to sleep in the operating room and I sleep on my stomach.” I told him I needed to operate on his stomach to get to his appendix, so we reached a compromise.

I would rub an alcohol sponge on a child’s arm and tell them it would numb their skin. A third of the children would not feel the needle and ask why other doctors didn’t do that. I called it deceiving people into health. Give someone who has faith in you a placebo and call it a hair growing pill, anti-nausea pill or whatever and you will be amazed at how many respond to your therapy.

Doctor Milton Erickson, from his childhood experience with polio and hearing his doctor’s dire predictions to his mother that he wouldn’t see the sun rise, knew how important words were. As a child his anger led him to defy the doctor’s predictions. As a psychiatrist, and hypnotherapist, he knew how to talk to patients to achieve the best outcome.

There are many books about his work. One, by Dr. Sidney Rosen, is entitled My Voice Will Go With You. And our voices do. At the conclusion of an operation, while patients were still under anesthesia, a time when they hear their surgeon’s words, I would say, “You will awaken comfortable, thirsty and hungry.” I did that until I noticed many of my patients were gaining weight and so I added these words, “but you won’t finish everything on your plate.”

For many, Dr. Bernard Siegel-or Bernie, as he prefers to becalledneeds no introduction. He has touched many lives all overthe Planet.

In 1978, he reached a national and then international audience when he began talking about patient empowerment and the choice to live fully and die in peace. As a physician who has cared for and counseled innumerable people whose mortality has been threatened by illness, Bernie embraces a philosophy of living and dying that stands at the forefront of the medical ethics and spiritual issues our Society grapples with today. Read Bernie’s regular blog posts on his website where you will also find his books, articles, and CDs: http://www. berniesiegelmd.com.

Bernie currently holds a cancer support group the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of the month 1:30-3:30PM at Coachman’s Square at 21 Bradley Road, Woodbridge. If interested contact Lucille Ranciato: lranciato2@yahoo.com 203 288 2839; or Bernie: bugsyssiegel@sbcglobal.net. You can find Bernie’s books ad CDs at Wisdom of the Ages in Simsbury, Ct. See ad on page 39.

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