SOMA Natural Health News

June-July, 2005

In this Issue:

Women and Cardiovascular Disease

During my education as a naturopathic doctor in the 1980's, the accepted view of someone to watch carefully for signs of cardiovascular (CV) disease was typically an overweight 50-60-year-old man who smokes, is overweight, and has high blood pressure or high cholesterol. However, recent facts have to come to my attention which have made me revise this medical bias. If I knew then what I know now, I would have thought of CV disease as a woman's disease.

Here's why. In the US today, while the age of onset is typically about 10 years later than men, the average woman has a 1-in-3 chance of dying from a CV disease such as heart attack or stroke. By comparison, a woman has a 1-in-8 chance of developing breast cancer. CV disease claims more women's lives than the next seven causes of death combined, about 500,000 a year. Eight million American women are currently living with heart disease, and 32% of all American women die of heart disease. Compared with men, 38% of women and 25% of men will die within one year of a first-recognized heart attack, and 46% of female and 22% of male heart attack survivors will be disabled within 6 years. Clearly, heart disease is not a man's disease.

One reason for these alarming statistics is the bias I noted above. Simply put, doctors don't watch women at high risk for CV disease as closely as men. Further, when women exhibit signs of a heart attack, they are not the typical "Hollywood heart attack" signs men often exhibit. You know what I mean-loosening their tie, clutching their chest or left arm, sweating and keeling over in pain. In women, the symptoms of a heart attack may more likely be shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea.

There is some good news here: while we still may be trying to figure out who is at greatest risk for breast cancer, we can often see CV disease coming from a mile away. Knowing your risk factors is often a useful way to predict your risk of developing CV disease. The most important risk factors include:

• Family History of CV Disease
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol/Triglycerides
• Obesity
• High C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and other inflammatory markers.

What can you do to improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your risk of disease? First, don't smoke! Practice a moderate and healthy diet containing lots of vegetables, whole grains and no trans-fats. Exercise moderately and manage your weight. If you have diabetes, do your best to manage your blood sugar effectively.

Know your risk factors and be aware of changes in them by seeing your doctor every year for examination and review. At SOMA Acupuncture & Natural Health Clinic, we often use a blood test called the CV risk profile, which measures total cholesterol, "good" and "bad" cholesterol, tri-glycerides, homocysteine, C-reactive protein and other inflammatory risk markers. The results of this test combined with recent and family medical history and physical exam, can help you accurately assess your risk of developing CV disease. And, of course, we help you decide which approaches to managing these risk factors are most appropriate for you, and offer less toxic alternatives to mainstream drug therapies such as cholesterol-lowering medications and blood pressure pills when appropriate.

And by the way, in Chinese Medicine, we believe that joy resides in the heart. Find ways to create joy and happiness in your life and that too will keep you heart open.

by Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc

Part 6-Simple Things You Can Do To Stay Healthy: Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables-A CSA Can Help

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Eat your fruits and vegetables! You probably already know that you are supposed to eat plenty of fresh produce every day. Here are some compelling nutritional facts that tell you why, as well as information about just how to go about getting enough into your diet.

Fruits and vegetables supply many nutrients that are important for your health. For example, dark-colored berries contain proanthocyanidins which are potent antioxidants. These, in turn, scavenge free-radicals (which cause cell damage), slow aging, and fight cancer. The orange color of carrots and sweet potatoes indicate their high levels of beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A. This vitamin is important for healthy skin and eyes. Popeye's favorite, spinach, is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium. All fruits and vegetables supply the body with fiber needed for cholesterol regulation and proper bowel function.

Ok, so now you know why, but how? Whether you eat them raw or cooked, steamed or stir-fried, whole, chopped or mashed, it is best to start with fresh organic produce. Frozen is also good because the nutrients are fairly well preserved by freezing. Rather than getting too caught up in how many servings to eat, what constitutes a serving, or how many cups to eat for your caloric needs, I suggest you use the following helpful tips:

• Emphasize vegetables in your meals, and choose fruits for snacks or dessert.
• Eat the "rainbow"-Everyday choose fruits and vegetables that make a rainbow of at least 3 different colors.
• Include dark green leafy vegetables every day.
• The brightest and deepest colors indicate the highest levels of nutrients.
• Eat a variety of plant parts: leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruit.
• At lunch and dinner, aim for half of your plate being vegetables. (And I don't mean french fries!)

Each CSA is unique in their offerings. For example, there may be different sized boxes, weekly or biweekly delivery, home delivery or neighborhood pick up locations; some items like fruit or eggs may or may not be included; and the membership may be monthly or all season long. Whatever your needs, you can find a CSA that will work for you. Because CSAs provide a variety of in-season produce, you may be introduced to vegetables that you don't usually buy at the store. This is a great way to get in touch with nature's cycles, try new foods, build a relationship with your farmer, teach your children about where food comes from, support sustainable agriculture, and be sure that you eat your fruits and vegetables.

To find a CSA, visit www.localharvest.org and click the CSA tab then enter your zip code.

By Amy Day, ND

Austin Air Filters-Get 'em Before the Price Goes Up

The popular allergy-busting Austin Air HEPA filters are about to have a hefty price increase. If you've been thinking about getting one; now's the time. Orders placed in June will ship at the old price. The standard Austin filters up to 1500 sq.ft. and comes on castors so you can move it from room to room and filter your whole house. The smaller Austin Junior filters up to 700 sq.ft. One of the best things about the Austin is the filters last five years without having to replace anything, unlike other units on the market. We highly recommend them for anyone with allergies or in general if you want cleaner interior air quality. Call Michele for pricing.

Did You Know . . .

More States License Naturopathic Doctors. In 2003, California became the 13th state to license naturopathic doctors, with the first licenses issued earlier this year. Since that time, the District of Columbia has licensed NDs, and recently Idaho became the 14th state. There are current licensing efforts going on in a number of other states.

Acupuncture Helps Pregnancy-Related Pelvic and Back Pain. A recent Swedish study of 72 pregnant women in their 3rd trimester suffering from pelvic or low back pain were randomly assigned to an acupuncture or a control group which received no treatment. The women in the acupuncture group received individualized acupuncture treatments once or twice a week for 3 or more weeks. Over the course of the study, pain decreased by 60% in the acupuncture group vs. 14% in the control group.