NYANP Newsletter February 2010

Welcome!

The New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians (NYANP) is a not for profit organization representing Naturopathic Medicine in New York State. Our mission is: Healthy Patients, Licensed NDs. We want to make it possible for all New Yorkers to benefit from Naturopathic Medicine, and to pass state legislation to license Naturopathic Doctors.

We'd like to welcome you to our monthly newsletter, intended to inform, heal and unite. Articles are contributed by professional members of the NYANP.

Please direct questions and submissions to Caroline Budhan at assistant@nyanp.org .

Dr. Donielle Wilson

NYANP President and Executive Director

Contents

• Defining True Value. How to Make Buying Organic Affordable From OrganicAuthority.com, Dr. Jillian Finker, N.D. quoted in this article
• Special Report: How to fight infection without antibiotics By Daniel Mazori, Donielle Wilson, ND, CPM quoted in this article
• Children with Pill Boxes, Sean E. Heerey, ND, MA, CCC/SLP
• Breakthroughs in Natural Medicine 2010, Steve Nenninger, ND, NMD, CDN
• Gluten, Stress and Neurology: Could what you eat be making you sick?, Donielle Wilson, ND, CPM
• NYANP Event: February Dinner in NYC with Dr. Peter D'Adamo
• Sponsor Appreciation

Defining True Value. How to Make Buying Organic Affordable.

Written by Staff Writer
Source: OrganicAuthority.com

Dr. Jillian Finker is definitely biased when it comes to eating organic foods.

"I have always been an advocate for organic foods, including baby foods," the naturopath from Bellmore New York, tells OrganicAuthority.com. "I was brought up on organic baby food, I always purchase organic products, and I recommend that my patients eat organic whenever possible."

Dr. Finker's professional experience has reaffirmed her commitment to the organic lifestyle.

"I have personally seen patients whose lives have been ruined by their exposure to pesticides," she says. "Their bodies were loaded with pesticides from either spray exposure or from ingesting heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables. These patients have a variety of symptoms, ranging from paresthesia (a sensation of burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, with no apparent physical cause) to skin rashes. It saddens me that we still use pesticides on our foods, even though there are organic farming options available to us."

It's hard to argue with Dr. Finker's logic-unless you work for a nonorganic food manufacturer whose products are laced with pesticides. But ask average consumers about eating organically, and one issue seems to emerge universally: "It's too expensive."

Wrong.

Eating organically needn't be a wallet buster, says Debra Stark, owner of Debra's Natural Gourmet, a retail store in Concord, Massachusetts. Buying organic beans, grains, pasta, herbs, spices, leafy greens and other produce is not only economical, but far healthier than plunking down a few bucks for a prepackaged meal that contains only one nutritionally questionable serving.

"There are times when our organic fruits and veggies cost less than commercially grown ones in the supermarket," Stark tells OrganicAuthority.com. "But even when they don't, there are always items that are affordable. Besides, look at the bottom line: A commercially grown head of romaine, for instance, is subsidized by the government. By the time we all pay for the damage to the environment that the chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides wreak-the extra health-care costs incurred by farm workers because of their exposure to the toxic stuff-a regular head of romaine costs each of us over $3.50. I saw these figures some years ago from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Organic farmers receive no subsidies, and last week our organic romaine was $1.49 per head."

And the price gap between nonorganic and organic foods continues to narrow.

"Whenever economies of scale come into play, prices go down," Stark says. "With big players entering the natural products industry, many products like cold cereals, for instance, are being produced on a larger scale."

Another source for economical organic foods is farmers' markets.

"They're great fun," Stark says. "They allow us to meet the people who work hard growing our food. Even if that head of lettuce costs more than the tired head sitting in the supermarket, the value is greater. Just think how many more vitamins and minerals there are in a fresh, just-picked-that-morning head of lettuce than in the one that had to travel across country. There's better all-over nutrient value-and it's also better value from the standpoint of the community. Local farmers pay local taxes and make contributions to local schools. It all depends, you see, on how we define value."

"Consumers find reasonably priced organic products the same way they find reasonably priced anything: They do their homework and read," adds herbalist Melinda Olson, owner of Tualatin, Oregon-based Earth Mama Angel Baby, a producer of natural and organic products for pregnancy, labor, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding and baby care. "More and more, organic products are finding their way into mainstream retail stores alongside conventional products," she tells OrganicAuthority.com, "and new grocery chains are 'sneaking' organics in, under the guise of being trendy."

Read labels to get more organic "bang for your buck," she advises. "The biggest question to examine is: What makes a product 'reasonably-priced'? In my opinion, paying a little bit more, in order to avoid ingesting or applying herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics, makes the purchase more than 'reasonable.' I'd say that makes it a very valuable and cost-effective purchase indeed."

More consumers have adopted that mindset, willing to commit a few extra dollars to avoid the health problems Dr. Finker deals with every day.

"Price is not an issue because I decided it would not be," says holistic health counselor Cynthia Stadd of New York City. "I am aware that I spend more on food bills than I used to, but I see it as prevention from spending tons more on doctors' bills and medications," she tells OrganicAuthority.com. "I see organic food as one tool to sustaining vibrant health, without the need for doctors."

Want more information on organic food tips and tricks? Sign up for the OrganicAuthority.com newsletter and get your free report How to Shop for Organic Foods on a Budget, brought to you by OrganicAuthority.com.

Dr. Jillian Finker, N.D.
South Shore Naturopathic, Inc.
2308 Bellmore Avenue
Bellmore, NY 11710
516-765-3272


Special Report: How to fight infection without antibiotics

By Daniel Mazori

Issue: Dec/Jan 2010, Pg 52



Summary:
 Considering the overuse of antibiotics and the ability to fight infections using natural therapies (diet, nutrients, herbs and homeopathics) while under the care of a trained professional, this article gives a thorough review of what natural therapies to use for infections, and how to use antibiotics safely.

Read about recommendations from Dr. Wilson here: http://drdoni.typepad.com/dr_donielle_wilson/2010/01/dr-doni-quoted-in-natural-health-magazine.html

Donielle Wilson, ND, CPM
Naturopathic Doctor and Certified Professional Midwife
Women's Wellness
Locations: NYC, Port Jefferson (Long Island) and Stamford, CT
Phone/Text: 845.729.0582
For appointments, please call: 631.682.9190
doctordoni@gmail.com
www.doctordoni.com


Children with Pill Boxes
By Sean E. Heerey, ND

A patient of mine hosted a slumber party for her 7-year old daughter and was astounded at the number of children that had pill boxes for their daily medications. The number of children on medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other neurobehavioral disorders is increasing. What is even more alarming is that the age at which these drugs are prescribed is decreasing. It is a growing trend for preschool-aged children to be placed on stimulant medications and studies show that these children are more sensitive to the side-effects of the medications than older children are. Non-toxic and safe options are available! Naturopathic doctors can support children and their families with a variety of neurobehavioral disorders. Before turning to powerful, and potentially toxic stimulant medications, consult with a licensed Naturopathic doctor (ND). Could there be a food or processed food-like substance in the child’s diet, e.g., food additive, coloring, preservative or artificial sweetener, that is over stimulating them? Perhaps a common food, e.g., wheat, milk, chicken, is stressing the body? Is their nutritional intake balanced and adequate? Nutritional, homeopathic and other naturopathic interventions can make a difference in the quality of life for the child in both the home and school/educational setting. Ask your ND to analyze the diet and provided you with individualized suggestions so your child can achieve their potential.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2006/preschoolers-with-adhd-improve-with-low-doses-of-medication.shtml

Sean E. Heerey, ND
Naturopathic Doctor (Oregon Naturopathic Doctor License)
http://www.drseanheerey.com
Individualized Nutrition for Chronic Disease
212.239.4544
clinic@drseanheerey.com


Breakthroughs in Natural Medicine 2010
By Steve Nenninger, ND, NMD, CDN

This has been a year of amazing breakthroughs in my treatment and approach to curing illness. So often in practice and in my own health I have faced impasses that seemed impossible to overcome. In my 15 years of practice this year has been the most exciting for me in my work to cure chronic illness.

The science of natural medicine is growing and to refining itself into an ever more effective art that blends the best of traditional medicine and alternative medicine; no longer do we have to be slaves to either a conventional “drug and surgery model” or the “new age” approach.

The worst part of the drug and surgery approach to treating illness is that simple conditions are often allowed to progress into complex medical conditions. This leads to patients frustrated with conventional medicine. Offering drugs or surgery, where an otherwise obvious changes in diet, lifestyle or some other common sense change would make a difference in the case, has been the failure of traditional medicine. A perfect example of the potential for change is a patient of mine who is now able to control his otherwise very elevated blood pressure by simply doing a 20-minute run on the treadmill morning and evening, rather than using drug therapy. On the other hand, the problem with the “new age” aspect of natural medicine is every condition is seen as having a “higher purpose”, deeper meaning, or some other esoteric underlying cause. This reached its most bizarre aspect with practitioners asking their patients if there was some purpose their illness was serving in their lives.

The personal responsibility movement in health opened the door to a return to medieval ideas and superstitions. At its worst this belief promotes the ill-founded notion that the patient bears the blame for the disease. New age medical gurus reinforced the personal responsibility/punishment aspect of illness. People with a foot problem were being told that they have a fear of “stepping out” of their comfort zone. It is important as doctors that we both don’t let science blind us from seeing the obvious but also that we don’t let our own assumptions, expectations or fears blind us from the need to look at our results scientifically. Understanding the fact that there are things people can do to improve their health should never allow us to cross the line of blaming a patient for their illness.

The key to any good theory of illness, or anything else for that matter, is generating a a theory that allows us to make accurate predictions about what will happen in the future. When medieval priests tried to determine who would get sick from the plague and why they were sick, they were not successful. Their “theories”, superstitions and religious doctrine did not have any predictive value.

Our knowledge of genetics on the other hand does offer some explanation and predictive value. Some people carry a genetic mutation that makes it difficult for the plague to enter their immune system. Interestingly it also appears to protect against the AIDS virus. This makes the study and understanding of genetics a science and not a superstition. I would lose this paragraph

Natural Medicine must apply scientific theories if we are to advance. This coming decade marks the most exciting time to be a naturopathic doctor that I can remember in my fifteen years of practice. The “science of naturopathic medicine” is just beginning to bloom. In the last year I have solved cases for patients in a few visits that may have taken months of trial and error in the past.

The science of natural medicine is answering many questions from my practice. Questions about past cases where an approach worked with one patient but not with another are now finding answers. There are new breakthroughs in testing, such as the IGG food testing panel, which allows us to see hidden food allergens. Another example of a new breakthrough is a test that allows us to determine the exact balance of the chemicals in the brain.

We are also beginning to see which food sensitivities predispose patients to different conditions and illnesses as possible future problems. We can see by body measurements which hormones a person was exposed to in the womb and what influence this has had on the person’s growth and development. We can put all of these factors of analysis together and we can see which diet is optimal for a person and which diet will lead to inflammation. We can see how different foods, especially gluten, can mimic bacterial infection.

All of these issues will be a topic of an upcoming lecture I will give at the Port Jefferson Village Center on Saturday, January 30th at 11 am. To register, search www.SteveNenninger.com. I hope to see you there!

Dr. Steve Nenninger NMD
Naturopathic Medicine for Colitis
Port Jefferson, Manhattan, Phoenix
109 Randall Avenue ~ Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Phone (631) 235-2111 ~ Fax (631) 551-0204
Email: SteveNenninger@gmail.com
www.SteveNenninger.com


Gluten, Stress and Neurology: Could what you eat be making you sick?
By Donielle Wilson, ND, CPM

Could it be that gluten, one of our culture’s most prized ingredients, causes anxiety, depression, insomnia, PMS, pain, attention issues, infertility, fatigue, digestive distress and much, much more?



Yes, it can be, and the research I reviewed indicates that it is so. In fact, researchers now consider gluten intolerance to be not only a severely under-diagnosed condition (1 in 7 people at least), but a neurological disease. Patients with severe and mild conditions alike have complete resolution when they remove gluten from their diet. 



Considering my profound interest in how the body is impacted by stress, combined with my lifelong passion for eating healthfully, it became clear to me that...just as it is stressful when we skip meals (our bodies have to adapt to keep our brains supplied with glucose), it is also stressful when we eat foods (gluten for example) that cause inflammatory immune system reactions. 



There is no doubt...stress exists in our busy lives. Our bodies respond to stress, whether from lack of sleep, a deadline or a car accident, by producing adrenaline and cortisol, both of which send subsequent messages that inhibit digestion, the immune system, all hormones and the nervous system. Research and experience tells us that minimizing stress, and assisting our bodies to adapt to stress, reduces all health conditions, including heart disease and cancer. 



Still, even with the best intentions to reduce stress, one thing can lead to the next, leading to a vicious cycle. In other words... a stressful day at work, digestive upset (ie heartburn), a meal that doesn’t go over well, a bad night of sleep, or all of these things everyday for a month. Eventually the cause and the outcome are inseparable, and more bothersome health issues begin to appear.

The only way out is to make dramatic steps in the direction of decreasing stress on your body overall, and often the first step is to avoid gluten. 

How can you know if avoiding gluten may be a solution for you? It is now known that IgG antibodies to gluten are the best indicator.

For anyone who is intolerant to gluten and/or experiencing chronic health issues, I consider eating gluten-free to be the best stress reduction choice you can make in 2010. Yes, it is quite a shift from what you might be used to eating, which is why I have posted everything I have learned since Ella, my daughter, and I went gluten-free 18 months ago. Please visit: www.glutenfreequest.com. 


Dr. Wilson will be presenting on Gluten and Neurotransmitters at Integrative Healthcare Symposium at the Hilton in New York City on Friday, February 26th. www.ihsymposium.com

Donielle Wilson, ND, CPM
Naturopathic Doctor and Certified Professional Midwife
Women's Wellness
Locations: NYC, Port Jefferson (Long Island) and Stamford, CT
Phone/Text: 845.729.0582
For appointments, please call: 631.682.9190
doctordoni@gmail.com
www.doctordoni.com