SOMA Natural Health News

December, 2004

In this Issue:

New Naturopathic Doctor Joins the Practice - Meet Dr. Amy Day

The time we've been waiting for is here. After months of planning and preparation, we are thrilled to announce that Amy Day, ND, is joining the practice in January. We met Amy in the spring and were very impressed with her background, her enthusiastic manner and her professionalism. We know that she will be a great doctor and healer and will bring many talents and additional services to our patients.

Dr. Day is eager to get started at SOMA. "It was great to meet many of you while I was here in November. I hope that the New Year will bring many new faces as I start full time in January.

"I practice general naturopathic medicine with an emphasis on women's health, including annual gyn exams. I work with a range of conditions in all stages of life including PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, and menopause. As I strive to treat the whole person, I look at many aspects of health including nutrition, digestion, sleep, aches/pains, and overall energy level. I am also interested in physical medicine and sports medicine. I offer integrated bodywork sessions that include energy work and soft tissue techniques to release and relax physical symptoms and general stress.

"My approach is to help people realize that they can take an active role in their own healthcare. This includes educating patients to make healthy choices in their lives. Given the needed support, the body is truly able to heal itself.

"I look forward to getting to know you and helping you along your path to feeling better and staying healthier. Have a happy and healthy holiday season!"

Dr. Day is available for patient care beginning in January. If you would like to schedule an appointment with her, please call us. She is also available for a free introductory 15-minute phone consult if you would like to find out how she can help you with your health issues. In any case, we are excited that she is finally here, and we look forward to a year of changes, growth and increased patient satisfaction.

Part 4-Simple Things You Can Do To Stay Healthy: Connect with Other People

by Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc

By our very nature, humans are social animals. We nurture our young, form families and identify ourselves as part of larger social groups such as circles of friends, neighborhood ties, and memberships in clubs and organizations. Connecting with other people and forming bonds of communication and intimacy nourish our emotional and spiritual health as much as a healthy diet nourishes our bodies.

In this day and age, people can become increasingly cut off from others, leading to an increase in the prevalence of depression and feelings of isolation. Many go through their day-to-day lives surrounded by other people without making meaningful connections. The increasing use of the internet is a mixed blessing, allowing us to connect with other people via email and chat groups while remaining in the isolation of our homes. While the internet makes us feel connected, these communications lack the physical components of touch, body language and face to face communication.

We know that physical touch is extremely important to good health. Studies done in the 1930's in orphanages have shown that infants who are touched and picked up thrive and grow faster than those who are left alone in their cribs. Being touched in our early lives has been shown to help our brains and nervous systems develop in healthy ways.

As Dean Ornish, MD, states in his book Love & Survival, the healing power of love and relationships has been documented in an increasing number of well-designed scientific studies. In one study involving almost ten thousand married men, those who answered "yes" to the simple question, "Does your wife show you her love?" had significantly less angina (heart pain) even when they had high levels of risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and EKG abnormalities. In other words, no matter how well people manage the physical risk factors in heart disease, the major killer of US citizens, our perceptions of love and connections to others is a major risk factor that is often overlooked by ourselves and our doctors.

In another study, researchers at Johns Hopkins tested and followed male medical students in the 1940's in order to determine if the quality of human relationships might be a factor in the development of cancer. Those who subsequently developed cancer were more likely to have described a lack of closeness with their parents than their healthy classmates, even 50 years later. Father-son relationships were particularly important to these male medical students.

Dr. David Spiegel, in a landmark study of women with metastatic breast cancer, found that women who regularly met for 90 minutes weekly for one year to express their feelings about their illness in a supportive environment lived on average twice as long as did other women who were not part of a support group.

The list of studies supporting the notion that intimacy, love and connections with others play an important role in our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being is growing everyday. How can we stay connected with others in an increasingly disconnected world? There are many ways to do this. Keeping in regular communication with our families and friends, even if separated by distance, can maintain a level of intimacy and connection. Expressing our love and affection to our partners and loved ones on a regular basis promotes intimacy and opens our hearts. Becoming involved in neighborhood organizations and groups that share our common interests increases our connections with our neighbors and creates bonds with those in our community, growing our circle of friends. Learning the names of people we interact with in little ways on a regular basis and greeting them personally grows our sense of connectedness with others.

I would be remiss if I didn't include the role our pets play in fostering good health and connections with others. Pets have been shown to play hugely important roles in our mental and physical well-being, especially in the elderly, people dealing with chronic diseases, and people who live alone and feel isolated. Fortunately, San Francisco, recognizing this as an important public health issue, recently passed a law allowing people with specific needs such as the above can obtain a waiver to have pets in rental units that traditionally do not allow pets.

Our connection with others is an important part of what makes us healthy, and creating positive relationships provides a healing influence on our society at large. Make an effort to connect with others on a daily basis and I guarantee your happiness and sense of wellness will increase.

Tips for Holiday Depression and Stress

The holidays can be busy and stressful times that can easily overwhelm us all. Here are some tips for coping with stress and depression.

1. Set realistic expectations. The holidays can be busy and stressful times that can easily overwhelm us all. Setting realistic expectations about how much you can accomplish, how many gifts you can prepare, and how much time you can spend with friends or family can help you keep a sense of balance and control over your life.

2. Practice moderation with your diet. During the holidays we are surrounded by high fat, high sugar and simple carbohydrate foods and alcohol. Excessive sugar, alcohol and carbohydrates can exacerbate depression and cause blood sugar swings that can cause feelings of anxiety and depression. Make sure you eat regular healthy meals rich in vegetables, healthy sources of protein such as fish and eggs, and whole grains, which will decrease your cravings for sweets and fats and make it less likely for you to overindulge. Typical teenage diets should particularly be monitored since up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the US suffer depression.

3. Don't overextend yourself. It's common for people to overspend during the holidays creating significant stress when the bills come in. Set a realistic budget for your gifts to decrease your financial burden. Remember, it's the thought that counts and thoughtful inexpensive gifts can be well received and appreciated. In my household, we make some of the gifts we give which lends a personal touch (and saves money) and have agreed with some friends and family to not exchange gifts and instead find time to get together and do something fun, such as going on a hike or having a home cooked dinner together. Our relationships with other people are more important than material gifts we give and receive.

4. Stay active. Regular activity helps us manage our blood sugar more effectively, improves energy levels, gives us a sense of well-being and relieves feelings of depression. If you can get some exercise outdoors, such as a brisk walk or a hike, exposure to the sunlight during this dark time of year can be very effective in curing the winter blues by increasing the pineal gland's production of melatonin.

5. Drink adequate water. Drink at least eight 8oz. glasses daily. Water reduces our tendency to overeat and over-drink and increases our sense of well-being. Studies have shown that people who drink adequate water report fewer aches and pains, better energy levels, and improved mental function. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a known aggravator of depression. If you tend to overindulge in alcohol, try drinking a glass of water when you first arrive at a party and have another glass of water between each drink of alcohol through the course of the event.

6. Spend quality time with friends and family. Emotional support from friends, loved ones and health professionals is a known critical factor in preventing suicide in people with severe depression. Connecting with other people is always important for all of us and especially for people with depressive tendencies.

7. Get a massage or acupuncture treatment. Both of these therapies have been shown to help relieve stress and tension while improving moods. Acupuncture is especially useful for helping people manage mild to moderate depression. It has been shown to stimulate endorphins to improve moods and mental function and create a sense of well-being through its balancing effects. Only 20% of women with depression will receive adequate treatment, and since their role is often the social organizer around holidays, they often need extra counseling, acupuncture or nutritional support.

We hope you and your family take some time during the holidays to relax and look forward to the new year with a renewed sense of spirit. Happy Holidays!

We welcome your feedback. Please send any comments to editor@SOMAacupuncture.com.