Oregon Healthy Living - August 2015

Complimentary

Aug. 2015 Vol. 8 — Issue 8

Accept No Obstacles Parkour fitness

PLUS:

Put a little zing in your diet with fermented foods O regon H ealthy L iving . com

Table of Contents August 2015 | Volume 8, Issue 8

5 HEALTH Body Image: The why and when of scans

10 14 16 23 20 HEALTH PAMPER FITNESS FOOD EVENTS The Zoo in You: Pretty Mighty Without Pain: microorganisms Seeking crueltyfree makeup Ammo for options the Mammo:

Parkour Challenge: Prepare for obstacles

Fresh Dressed: Homemade blends for your salads

Local Events Calendar: Find out what’s going on in your community

Providence goes 3D for breast health..........pg. 19

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 3

The editor’s desk

crose@mailtribune.com

Advertiser Index

I didn’t know I’d seen parkour in action because I didn’t have a name for the amazing stunts in movies such as “Casino Royale.” When I mentioned parkour to my kids, they were immediately excited, recognizing the name from the popular videogame “Minecraft.” As I looked into this hot trend, I saw incredible flips and jumps in videos, but I also saw how dangerous and extreme parkour can be if used recklessly. With proper training and safety protocols, parkour is fitness disguised as fun. Next month we’ll be looking inside our homes at what makes a healthy environment inside.

On the cover

In addition to running a farming business and a martial arts studio, Byron Higinbotham was the first instructor in the area to teach parkour skills in a safety-minded environment. “With all the Accept No obstacle races offered now, people are excited to get Obstacles out there, get dirty and challenge themselves,” he said. “You not only have to physically negotiate the obstacle, you also have to problem-solve the best and fastest way.” Higinbotham teaches adults and kids at his Higs Gym. “Kids just eat it up,” he said. “They bounce up the walls. Parkour channels that energy and it’s amazing to watch kids learn to use their bodies.” Higinbotham’s summer camps in parkour were full with more than 100 participants.

Complimentary

aug. 2015 Vol. 8 — issue 8

Parkour fitness

PLUS:

Put a little zing in your diet with fermented foods

O regOn H ealtHy l iving . cOm

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Image matters

Photo of MRI equipment provided by Oregon Advanced Imaging.

With several types of medical imaging, it helps to know the purpose of the tests TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE

C

T scan, PET scan, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound. Which one should you get? It all depends on your ailment.

Your doctor should know where to start, but as a patient, it helps to be informed.

Many patients are concerned with radiation exposure, but it is minimal unless they are having many tests. The risk of an allergic reaction to the contrast dye used in CT and PET scans is also small, with some patients experiencing a minor skin rash.

Other patients are claustrophobic and can’t handle being in the tube of a closed MRI. For them, open MRIs are available.

“Always balance the risk of the procedure with the benefit of the procedure,” McAnally says. “How important is it now?”

The risk/benefit ratio

The cost factor

According to James McAnally, medical director at Oregon Advanced Imaging in Medford, imaging has very little risk.

“Everything that we do in medicine, we look at the risk/ benefit ratio,” he says. “Most of what we do in imaging is very safe.”

Keith Shaver, director of diagnostic imaging at Providence Medford Medical Center, says medical professionals are careful to order the right imaging test necessary for the problem.

When you need a medical image, you should get it. But tests

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 5

Health

Photo of digital X-ray provided by Oregon Advanced Imaging.

can range from $100s to $1,000s, often close to $5,000 for a PET scan, for example.

As a consumer, it often pays to shop for the best price. However, the quality might be lacking on lower-priced images, which must be done over. “Sometimes you get what you pay for,” Shaver says. “Just because it’s the lowest price doesn’t mean it’s a good deal.”

You might be able to pay a price that is less than your health insurance co-pay if you don’t go through your insurance company and pay cash. Ask the image provider for the no insurance/cash price and see if it’s lower than your co-pay. The amount you pay might still be applied to your insurance out-of-pocket expenses.

Check with your health insurer to find out.

Medical imaging tests

X-ray – a medical imaging technique that produces images of the structures inside the body, particularly bones. X-ray beams pass through the body and are absorbed in different amounts depending on the density of the material they pass through. Dense materials, such as bone and metal, show up as white on X-rays.

Air in lungs shows up as black. Fat and muscle appear as shades of gray. For some types of X-ray tests, a contrast medium such as iodine or barium is introduced into the body to provide greater detail on the images. An X-ray is often the first image ordered when a broken bone is suspected. Chest X-rays are called for if a patient has chest pain or has a chronic cough. X-rays expose patients to radiation.

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Health Ultrasound imaging – a medical imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to view soft tissues such as muscles and internal organs. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show movement of the body’s internal organs as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. This test is used during pregnancy to view the fetus’ development because there is no radiation involved.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – a medical imaging technique that uses a very large magnet and radio waves to visualize internal structures of the body in detail. MRI can create more detailed images of the human body than are possible with X-rays. MRI does not use radiation so it is safer for pregnant women. The magnets could affect metal implants by making them hot or twist, but most new implants are made from titanium and not affected by magnets. People with pacemakers should avoid MRI. Claustrophobic patients can avoid the closed MRI tube by going to an imaging provider with an open MRI.

MRI unit at Siskiyou Imaging

Computerized tomography (CT) scan – a series of crosssectional X-ray images of the body. CT scans are used to examine bones and soft tissues for damage or abnormalities. Often, these images can be combined to create a 3D picture. A CT scan can help diagnose infections and bone fractures, identify masses and tumors and show blood vessels and internal structures. CT scans expose patients to more radiation than typical X-rays. Injected contrast dyes are often used in conjunction with a CT scan.

Some people have an allergic reaction to the dye.

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 7

HEALTH

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan – a medical imaging technique that uses radioactive tracers in a special dye. These tracers are injected into a vein in the arm and are then absorbed by organs and tissues. When highlighted under a PET scanner, the tracers allow doctors to see how well organs and tissues are working. The PET scan is able to measure blood flow, oxygen use,

What will it cost?

A website called guroo.com allows you to search for medical imaging and treatment costs, giving you national, state and city averages.

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Oregon Healthy Living • August 3, 2015

HEALTH

A medical technician doing CT scan in a hospital glucose metabolism and more. PET scans are most commonly used to detect cancer, heart problems, brain disorders and problems with the central nervous system. Unlike CT or MRI scans, PET scans show abnormalities with tissues at the cellular level, which provides the doctor with the best view of complex systemic diseases. Some people have an allergic reaction to the dye.

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PETCT) – a medical imaging technique using both types of tomography so that images acquired from both devices can be taken at the same time and combined into a single image.

Screening mammogram – a medical imaging technique of the breast that uses X-rays

to detect and evaluate breast changes. It is usually the first imaging technique used to screen for breast cancer in women who have no symptoms.

Diagnostic mammogram – a diagnostic mammogram is used if breast changes or symptoms are noticed, or if a routine screening mammogram has found a suspicious-looking area.

During a diagnostic mammogram, more X-rays are taken of the breast than during a screening mammogram and additional pictures are focused on the area of concern.

Radiological Society of North America

For even more information on scans and tests, check out radiologyinfo.org.

Breast tomosynthesis – a three-dimensional (3-D) imaging technique that acquires images of a breast at multiple angles. The individual images are then reconstructed into a series of thin, highresolution slices. Tomosynthesis can reduce or eliminate the tissue-overlap effect.

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 9

Gut Feeling With good intestinal bacteria, you can trust your gut

TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE

I

t may sound creepy, but there is a population of “bugs” that lives inside you – more than 100 trillion microorganisms that reside in your intestines, mouth, skin and other parts of your body. Bacteria, viruses and fungi are microbes, and for each one of your human cells, there are an estimated 10 microbial cells. This unique collection of microbes is called your microbiome.

Bacteria are the most abundant microbes in your intestines.

Because the digestive tract comprises about 80 percent of your immune system, it’s important that the good bacteria greatly outweigh the bad.

Beneficial bacteria or probiotics

According to Summer Waters, a nutritional therapy practitioner based at Organic Elements Spa in Medford, healthy intestinal flora are essential to overall health.

Cultivating a healthy gut helps boost immunity to illness and disease.

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If good bacteria are greatly diminished and overrun by bad bacteria, it can lead to severe illness such as colon cancer and contribute to severe neurological disorders such as autism, or it can cause you to feel generally run-down with low energy.

“All sorts of dysfunction can happen throughout the body,” Waters says.

There are two to three pounds of microbes in your gut, and 80-plus percent should be the good flora, Waters notes. Bad bacteria such as E. coli, candida and listeria are present in your intestines, but the good bacteria outnumber them and keep them in check.

HEALTH

Metal bowls full of various fermented vegetables (kimchi) Sneha Bandi, inpatient/outpatient dietitian at Providence Medford Medical Center, also confirms the importance of good bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract.

“They ensure our good health and they also help in preventing diseases,” she says.

Good bacteria digest and metabolize the foods you eat. They help the immune system and protect you from infection and help regulate metabolism. “The beneficial bacteria break down all of the toxins that you might be eating,” Bandi says. “It’s a very complex ecosystem in your gut.”

When bad bacteria get the upper hand in your gut, they can produce harmful toxins that can compromise your immune system. “It makes you more susceptible to infections and diseases,” says Bandi, who also notes that researchers are linking bad gut bacteria to many illnesses including mental health problems.

Feast on fermented foods

Fermented foods are the best at promoting good gut bacteria, Waters confirms.

She believes that the decline of fermented foods in people’s diets is a huge contributor to people having more gut issues.

Dairy fermented foods include cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt. (The nutritional therapy practitioner recommends raw dairy products from a quality dairy source.) Non-dairy fermented foods include sauerkraut, lacto-fermented vegetables and traditionally fermented soy sauce.

Look for the word “raw” when choosing fermented foods, Waters advises, which will be stored in the refrigerated section of the market. In the case of pickles or sauerkraut, if the lid makes the sound of a vacuum seal being broken when you remove it, that means the food was pasteurized (heated) and the living enzymes have been destroyed. “If it says pasteurized, don’t get it,” she recommends. She notes that most store-brand yogurt is cultured after it has been pasteurized.

Bandi explains that there are two types of food: prebiotic and probiotic. Prebiotic foods are foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables (good sources of fiber) that beneficial bacteria feed on. Probiotic foods such as fermented foods and cultured dairy products have the good bacteria in them.

Foods to avoid are those with excess carbohydrates and sugar, especially fructose, and processed foods. Heavy metals and antibiotic residues in fish or meat can kill good bacteria.

Probiotic capsule supplements

Are daily probiotic capsules OK or should a balanced diet be enough? “It depends on the specific health challenge you’re having,” Waters says, adding that

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 11

HEALTH

In a pickle

Bandi emphasizes the importance of eating sometimes probiotic capsules can be added Ashland-based Pickled Planet prebiotic and probiotic foods daily, even after to the diet if a person is eating probioticoffers a variety of organic raw the need for antibiotics or laxatives. “It’s not a rich food and still needs extra help. Not sauerkraut and pickles. one-time deal,” the dietitian says. all probiotic capsules are created equally, pickledplanet.com however. Her go-to brands are PrescriptAssist broad spectrum probiotic and prebiotic Gut and Psychology Syndrome and Bio-Kult probiotic capsules.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) is a Waters is always cautious when her patients start condition that establishes a connection between the with probiotic-rich foods and probiotic supplements. functions of the digestive system and the brain. Natasha “Any diet change needs to be introduced carefully, especially Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor with postgraduate probiotics – living organisms,” she says, adding that fermented degrees in neurology and human nutrition, coined the foods should be introduced in small amounts at each meal. term in 2004 after working with hundreds of patients with Bandi believes that as long as you are eating a balanced neurological and psychiatric conditions including autistic diet, you should get enough probiotics. But if you suffer from spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, digestive problems or can’t eat enough prebiotic or probiotic depression and schizophrenia. Other conditions related to foods, then a probiotic capsule supplement may be necessary. the syndrome include food allergies, leaky gut syndrome, Your physician can recommend a specific type as there are compromised immune system, infertility and obesity. different strains of bacteria offered in different brands.

“Addressing the health of the gut addresses the health of Antibiotics and laxatives can strip the intestines of good the whole body,” says Waters, who is also a certified GAPS bacteria, but sometimes these products are necessary. When practitioner. “It’s well known that children with autism have a using them, you should increase your intake of probiotic-rich lot of intestinal problems.” foods and take probiotic capsules, Waters advises, but don’t The GAPS diet has helped people with severe health take the probiotic capsule at the same time as the antibiotic or ailments. “The GAPS protocol utilizes food as the foundation laxative. for healing your gut as well as some additional healing lifestyle

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HEALTH

“

The beneficial bacteria break down all of the toxins that you might be eating. It’s a very complex ecosystem in your gut.

”

— Sneha Bandi, inpatient/outpatient dietitian at Providence Medford Medical Center

and supplement recommendations depending on your specific issues and needs,” Waters says. “It works by shifting the inner ecosystem of your gut to both decrease the amount of pathogenic flora that are present and simultaneously increase the beneficial flora that are naturally present in a healthy gut.”

The GAPS practitioner confirms that the food tastes good. “You don’t have to sacrifice taste or flavor,” she says. “The food is excellent.”

When Waters was younger, she had severe irritable bowel syndrome, bleeding ulcers and type 2 diabetes. “I was pretty desperate to feel better,” she remembers.

“Pain was an everyday part of my life.” She tried numerous medicines, but it wasn’t until she made use of acupuncture that she felt some relief. (She’s also a licensed acupuncturist.) She then did further research and discovered the GAPS diet. She no longer suffers from her intestinal ailments and her diabetes is gone.

Not everybody needs the GAPS protocol, Waters notes. It’s for deep healing.

“The basis is utilizing traditional foods that we’ve gotten away from in the modern world,” she says. “And everyone does benefit from the foods our ancestors thrived on.”

Follow your gut instinct

As a dietitian, Bandi talks with her patients about the importance of healthy intestinal flora. She encourages them to eat more prebiotic and probiotic foods that will often help their health issues. They do it, she says, because they usually prefer that to taking medication. “It’s something they can control,” she says.

“They feel good about it.”

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 13

Beauty Without Bunnies Hop on the vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics trend for better skin and a lighter conscience TEXT BY MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER

N

o one person’s choices are going to solve the problem of animal testing for cosmetics. But there are options that can help you stop being a part of it.

Cruelty-free products are those in which there is absolutely no animal testing. Vegan products are cruelty-free, but also do not contain any animal or animal-derived ingredients. And it’s not always easy to tell.

“Product labeling is very convoluted and animal products are called different things,” says Mary Gabriel, founder of Rogue Valley Vegans. “Carmine, which is crushed beetles, honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, cholesterol, gelatin — these are all animal-derived. Animal products can be very difficult to identify.”

The cruelty-free designation can be equally confusing. Many companies test ingredients or use ingredients that have been tested on animals by a third party, but they don’t test the final product on animals so they can say it’s cruelty-free. Even

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many smaller brands that don’t test on animals are owned by parent companies that do.

The best way to know for sure if a product is truly vegan and/or cruelty-free is to contact the company and ask very specific questions about ingredients and processes.

Nonresponsive companies or those that give unclear answers should probably be avoided.

“There are some gray areas in cruelty-free products,” says Ki Ki Tong, creator of Qi Qi Naturals, a small-batch, handcrafted skin care and make-up company in Brookings. “It’s best to talk to the company and make sure their products are not tested on animals before you buy.”

Pretty much any health or beauty product —from blush and eye shadow to the brushes used to apply them — is available in cruelty-free, vegan form. The quality often is better than mainstream cosmetics because companies that craft vegan/ cruelty-free products tend to have a “higher consciousness” and will naturally avoid toxic ingredients, Gabriel says.

That’s not to say you don’t have to be vigilant when it comes to choosing even vegan cosmetics.

PAMPER “Products that only contain natural ingredients usually don’t irritate the skin, but before you try vegan/cruelty-free makeup, read the ingredients carefully,” Tong advises. “They are good for sensitive skin, but if you’re allergic to certain kinds of ingredients, always test a little bit on your skin before using. For example, if you are allergic to nuts, you need to avoid any oils that are derived from nuts, like almond oil and macadamia oil.”

But Gabriel adds another warning: “You will have an opening of your heart; going cruelty-free will open your heart to more love and more compassion.”

Aside from a small percentage of “ultra pure” cosmetics that use no additives, most vegan cosmetics use some natural, food-grade preservatives and have a shelf life similar to their mainstream counterparts. And also like mainstream products, prices on vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics can range wildly.

Janine Lamb, a licensed acupuncturist at Southern Oregon Community Acupuncture, has been a vegetarian for three years and in the last six months has been using exclusively crueltyfree products. “I decided I love animals so much I didn’t think it was right to kill them and eat them,” Lamb says. “Over the past year I have expanded that to avoiding other things that harm animals, like cosmetics and personal care products.”

Among Lamb’s favorite brands are Bare Escentuals, Tarte, Lush and One Love Organics. Rogue Valley Vegans’ Mary Gabriel also lists Emani Cosmetics, Beauty Without Cruelty, Aromi Beauty and Arbonne.

There is a variety of vegan or cruelty-free products online, but they also are available locally. You can find Zuzu Cosmetics at Natural Grocers in Medford and Posh Organics in Ashland, and Pacific Cosmetics at Paddington Station in Ashland.

Animal testing is the “fastest growing area within the ethical awareness of animals,” according to Gabriel, who started Rogue Valley Vegans as a community for vegans and those interested in a more compassionate and healthy lifestyle.

As consumers become more aware and critical of animal testing, she adds, large companies find more ways around labeling and transparency. But new vegan companies crop up all the time, and activists are hopeful the new companies can go up against conglomerates.

“Whether you eat animals or not, if you wouldn’t pour a caustic substance down your dog or cat’s throat or put it in their eyes until their eyeballs rot out, if you wouldn’t do that to an animal you love, if you wouldn’t cause them incomprehensible suffering — then you shouldn’t support companies that test on animals,” Gabriel says.

Do They Test or Not? The best way to know what goes into your cosmetics – and what doesn’t (cruelty, for example) – is to buy from small, local crafters who are happy to talk to you about their products. If that’s not possible, there are a number of websites that evaluate products and companies (including their parent companies) for their ingredients and practices. Among them: • Caringconsumer.org, maintained by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) • LogicalHarmony.net • LeapingBunny.org

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 15

Byron Higinbotham demonstrates negotiating obstacle course challenges

Parlez-Vous Parkour?

Thank the French for this popular fitness trend TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON • Photos by David Gibb

T

hough the term parkour, derived from “parcours du combattant” may not be familiar, it is a trend that seems to be catching on with many exercise buffs. Originally developed in France in the 1980s, enthusiasts say this military-style obstacle course training offers a wide-range of functional fitness benefits applicable to everyday life.

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“It’s really just gaining popularity now, but the roots of it have been around a long time,” says Byron Higinbotham, personal trainer, martial arts instructor and owner of Higs Gym in Central Point. A rather extreme portrayal brought parkour to the public’s attention during a nail-biting chase scene in “Casino Royale,” the 2006 James Bond film where Bond is chasing a French villain played by Sebastien Foucan.

Foucan, who is one of the pioneers of parkour, demonstrates his skill by traversing a series of death-defying obstacles in order to elude his pursuer.

FITNESS

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound “The perception of parkour is what we see on the Internet,” says Tyler Maddox, a member of Higs Gym, “the flashy stuff with people jumping off buildings and taking risks, but that’s a little outside the actual realm. It’s really about getting from one place to another in the most efficient way possible.”

Parkour uses a variety of techniques to proficiently scale walls, jump over barriers, catch ledges with hands and fingers and take a fall using a rolling motion to absorb the impact. “From the fitness perspective,” Tyler points out, “I’ve seen many people who are in incredible shape, whether they do CrossFit or high intensity interval training, but you can put them through a course like this and it’s obvious what they don’t have is the movement foundation because they have such a hard time getting through it.”

From child’s play to a family affair

Children are naturals when it comes to running, jumping and climbing, but Higinbotham, who offers children’s classes in parkour, explains that learning the techniques within those movements is what takes it a step further. “I have kids who can climb a wall twice their size,” he says. “It’s all about efficiency in your movements, finding the right angles, jumping at the right time. We also practice falling drills, distributing the energy that’s created during a fall so that you’re not taking the concussion in your ankles or knees.

That can be extremely important in any type of sport.”

The Maddox children, daughter, Birkley, 7, and 9-year-old son, Asa, started parkour classes at Higs Gym several years ago. “At first, it was just the kids doing it,” explains Tyler’s wife, Haley. “I was actually a little bit jealous because they looked like they were having so much fun. I suggested to Byron that he should start an adult class and now we’re all involved. We’re having so much fun we don’t even think about the fact that we’re exercising. It helps me maintain my weight and improve my fitness level. I am challenged every time I go there.”

As parents, they have seen changes in both children since beginning parkour. “It really builds their confidence,” Haley says. “I feel like my kids are super-coordinated. My son can vault over anything, and he does, like the couch or the dining room table,” she says, laughing.

Tyler agrees. “We all use these skills,” he says, “especially in the outdoors. The kids are always jumping around and climbing over things. One of my favorite things to do is to hike up a creek and jump from boulder to boulder and balance on logs in the forest.”

Parkour vs Freerunning

Parkour is the art of movement requiring an individual to move from point A to point B in the fastest, yet most efficient manner. It mainly consists of movements like vaults and jumps, and is usually performed in an urban setting.

Freerunning is considered to be an offshoot of parkour, but with an added element of creativity where participants may include personal touches by flipping, somersaulting and flaring as they negotiate obstacles in either urban or rural settings.

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 17

FITNESS

A parkour class at Higs Gym in Central Point

Parkour’s Roots

Parkour originated in France in the late 1980s. Raymond Belle, David Bell and Sebastien Foucan are credited with developing this use of military obstacle course training.

Practitioners use climbing, running, swinging, vaulting and rolling to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible, using only the body and surroundings for propulsion. The focus is on maintaining as much momentum as possible while remaining safe. Parkour involves seeing the environment in a new way, and imagining the potential for navigating it by movement around, across, through, over and under its features.

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What about the risk factor?

Higinbotham admits there are risks in anything that involves jumping, climbing and running, but that’s all part of knowing your body’s limits and learning proper techniques in a safe and controlled environment.

Ankle injuries are most common, he says, a few cuts and bruises on hands and knees. “I tell my students, always start small and then you can go big.

Don’t get crazy ideas from what you might see on the Internet. It’s really about technique. If you learn that, when we get outside on rocks and concrete, you’ll do all right.”

Although parkour is something you can do almost anywhere, Higinbotham discourages participants from trying it in public settings and getting in trouble with business owners. He feels this practice gives parkour instructors and practitioners a bad name. “That’s why I built my gym,” he says. “What’s really cool is that some communities have come to recognize parkour as an exercise movement and have built parkourspecific parks for people to train.”

According to Tyler, parkour yields benefits beyond other workout methods. “We’re all trying to make our lives better by being fit,” he says, “but just being strong doesn’t always roll over into a practical application in your life. I feel like parkour transfers to all kinds of other areas, especially sports, because you’re working on reflexes, balance and agility, not just strength. We get all those other attributes that blend into our lives and help out in so many ways.”

Mammography Hi-tech screening means more accuracy, fewer false alarms TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON

F

or any woman who nervously anticipates the results of a mammogram, there is reason to celebrate. By fall of this year, new hi-tech breast screening at Providence Medford Breast Center will allow doctors significantly more diagnostic accuracy.

The technology, called tomosynthesis, provides threedimensional images of the breast by using a process similar to a CT scan. “For the patient, the procedure will be identical,” explains Nicole McPheeters, supervisor at the Leila J. Eisenstein Breast Center in Medford. “The tube positioned above the breast will rotate and record images that create a 3D perspective, so instead of looking at one image, doctors can scroll through approximately 50 slices that allow them to see through the breast tissue.”

Three-dimensional mammography helps rule out results that on a conventional mammogram might look abnormal, thereby reducing the need for additional ultrasound screening or biopsies. “It doesn’t replace these measures for women who have a true mass in their breast, because that is what gives the additional diagnostic characteristics,” McPheeters says,

“but it may reduce this testing for some women who have particularly dense breast tissue.”

The machines have been in use for some time and the reviews are impressive, McPheeters notes. “The literature states that there is a 40 percent increase in the detection of invasive breast cancers and a 15 percent reduction in call-backs.” This reduces unsettling false alarms for women who are contacted for more testing following their mammograms. “Although the call-backs we make now are justified with our current technology, the improved view will allow the doctor to see when it’s not a mass.”

Providence believes in offering this technology to everyone, says Katie Shepard, executive director of Providence Community Health Foundation. “Medicare now covers tomo, which means other private insurance plans will follow,” she says. “We feel this is the future of diagnostic imaging so we have set up a charitable mammography fund for women who don’t have insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover the entire cost.”

Tomosynthesis, or tomo, will be in place sometime in October, McPheeters says. “I’m hoping that for a lot of ladies who deal with dense breast issues, this new technology will make them feel more confident and make them more willing to come in. It’s a fantastic improvement over what we have now.”

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 19

It’s easy being green

TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE PHOTOS BY TESSA DELINE

Make your own healthy and delicious dressings for spectacular summer salads

I

n the heavy heat of summer, a light, cool salad is perfect for lunch or dinner. Take advantage of Southern Oregon’s seasonal fruits and vegetables to create your own salad medleys, and top them with healthy and scrumptious homemade dressings that are easy to make.

Fresh and cost-effective

Tessa DeLine, a Medford-based food blogger at FeralKitchen. com, prefers to make her own salad dressings. “It’s more costeffective to make your own,” she says, adding that it’s also healthier. “You control the ingredients.”

She encourages Rogue Valley residents to enjoy the fresh, seasonal produce available from local growers. “We do have a lot of farmers markets in the area,” she observes. “We have lots of opportunity to get local produce.”

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Oregon Healthy Living • August 3, 2015

The food blogger uses organic fruits and vegetables for her salads. “I try to buy the freshest ingredients possible,” she says.

DeLine favors green salads. “You can dress them up with vinaigrettes,” she says. “I also like putting fruit on my salads.”

Healthy oils are important to DeLine, so she uses highquality organic oils. “With a high-quality oil, you can really taste the difference,” she notes. “I like using olive oil and canola oil.”

continued on page 22

FOOD

European Salad with Pumpkin Seed Oil • Baby greens leaves • Pumpkin seeds • Pumpkin seed oil • Shallots • Feta • Balsamic vinegar • Marinated red peppers • Black olives • Salt & pepper Spread a layer of baby greens, followed by finely chopped shallots, marinated red pepper pieces, pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta and chopped black olives. Sprinkle the whole salad with some pumpkin seed oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. pumpkinseed.net.au Green Zebra Tomato Vinaigrette • 4 Green Zebra tomatoes (quartered, about 10 ounces) • 1 T olive oil • 1 shallot (finely chopped) • 2 T white balsamic vinegar • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 1 tsp garlic paste • 1 tsp honey • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1 T fresh parsley (minced) • salt and pepper to taste • garnish with sprigs of basil Heat 1 T olive oil in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and shallots and cook about 10 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and honey. Use an immersion or stick blender and add olive oil slowly until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper. Taste and correct your seasonings. Stir in the minced parsley. Cover and chill. Makes about 1 cup.

Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for about three to four days.

Provided by Tessa DeLine

August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 21

FOOD

Well-Dressed Salads

whisk until well incorporated. Taste and correct your seasonings. Store the blackberry vinaigrette in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 1 cup or 8 servings.

Oregon Blackberry Salad with Beets and Carrots Blackberry Vinaigrette: • 1 cup fresh picked blackberries • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 2 T honey • 1 T shallots (minced) • 1 T Dijon mustard • pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper or to taste • 1 T water if needed In a blender, add the blackberries, red wine vinegar and pulse until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of water if the blackberry vinegar

mixture is too thick. Remove from blender and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl in order to remove the seeds. Discard seed mixture. Add olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, minced shallots, salt and pepper to the blackberry mixture in the bowl and

Salad (one serving): • 2 cups fresh green lettuce or your favorite greens • 1/4 cup fresh blackberries • 1/4 cup shredded carrots • 1/4 cup shredded beets • 1-2 T Blackberry Vinaigrette (see recipe above) • fresh cracked pepper (optional) Assemble the lettuce on a salad plate.

Arrange the shredded carrots and beets over the bed of lettuce and top with the blackberries. Drizzle with blackberry vinaigrette.

Provided by Tessa DeLine

Rogue Creamery Crater Lake Blue Cheese Dressing • 4 ounces blue cheese or Roquefort • 1/2 cup buttermilk • 1 5-ounce container plain Greek yogurt • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper • 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until desired consistency. Store in a covered container for up to a week. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Provided by Tessa DeLine

continued from page 20

Pumpkin and camelina seed oils

Olive, canola and vegetable oils are standard ingredients in salad dressings, but if you’re looking for a change of taste, try pumpkin and camelina seed oils.

Pumpkin seed oil is thick and slightly buttery tasting, according to Lisa Doyle, owner of Seed Oil Co. in Grants Pass that produces organic oils. “It has a light, nutty flavor to it,” she says, adding that the oil is not orange, but bright green in color. Pumpkin seed oil has been found to be beneficial for prostate and kidney health. The combination of fatty acids and vitamins has anti-inflammatory properties.

Camelina seed oil is also a healthy oil to use. “It’s in the broccoli family, so it has a light broccoli flavor,” Doyle says, adding that it’s similar to olive oil in viscosity. The oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. “It’s excellent for the skin, hair, nails – everything,” Doyle notes.

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Oregon Healthy Living • August 3, 2015

You can use pumpkin and camelina seed oils the same way you’d use other oils for a salad dressing. Camelina seed oil blends well with lemon juice, Doyle advises, and pumpkin seed oil is excellent mixed with apple cider and balsamic vinegars. “Pumpkin seed oil is delicious on potato salads and pasta salads,” Doyle confirms.

Easy peasy, broccoli, zucchini …

It’s easy to make beautiful and healthy salads that require very few pantry items, DeLine says. Sometimes a recipe can be changed up with a little imagination, she notes, such as substituting blackberries with peaches or apricots.

“Don’t worry if you don’t have red wine vinegar on hand,” she explains. “Grab some apple cider vinegar or use white balsamic instead. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with different flavor combinations or profiles. And most of all, make it fun, make it delicious and make it beautiful!”

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August 3, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living 23