Natural Medicine, Naturopathic Doctors Doylestown, PA

Fasting

With or without being aware of it humans and animals have been fasting for centuries.  Fasting is recognized as a common practice of injured or ill animals.  We have become detached from our instincts to fast the more "civilized" we become.

There are countless different fasting programs ranging from classic European 30 day water fasts to relatively gentle yet still effective fasts utilizing mostly a liquid diet for several days.  Fasting on water alone must be done with constant strict supervision while fasting with juices or liquid medical drinks may be done for short periods of time with very little stress on the body. 

When we are eating our normal diet, the body puts out a great deal of energy.  Since we have only a fixed amount  of energy and oxygen for the entire body, the complex requirements of digestion often require what might be otherwise used for the immune system, detoxification, and other repair and regulatory mechanisms of the body.  When we fast we allow the non-digestive functions of the body to get more energy than they typically do. 

Water fasts are extremely stressful to a toxic individual and should not be attempted unless under strict supervision.

Supporting elimination is the key to a successful fast.  Going into and coming out of a fast gradually is another key to a successful fast.  Coming out of a fast with a "binge" defeats much of what you accomplish by doing a fast. 

For more information on fasting, I recommend talking to a trained professional or consulting books by the following authors, Dr. Steven Bailey, Dr. Airola, Dr. Christopher and Dr. Bragg. 

In Health,

Alison Finger, ND 

Gilda's Club

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at Gilda's Club.  I was invited to speak at their beautiful clubhouse in Warminster on Tuesday evening.  The talk was very simply an introduction to Naturopathic Medicine, including the history of Naturopathic Medicine, the training of a Naturopathic Doctor,philosophy of healing, and the treatments we use to support the body to heal itself.  I talked on the benefits of Naturopathic care to support the patient who has been diagnosed with cancer.  The aim is to reduce the risk and or prevent recurrence.  Working in the area of oncology, Naturopathic Medicine recognizes the optimal use of all available and safe resources.  Some of these include diet and nutrition programs, daily movement, a healthy environment, mental and emotional support and techniques for self-care.   We also look to support the body to strengthen the immune response and decrease side effects of conventional therapies.  Naturopathic medicine works very well in conjunction with conventional medical treatments.

For more information on Gilda's Club:

Gilda's Club Delaware Valley

200 Kirk Road

P.O. Box 3187

Warminster, PA 18974

www.gildasclubdelval.org

Be Well,

Alison 

Book Review- In Defense Of Food, by Micheal Pollan

This clearly written and intelligently researched book fits the principals that I talk about with my patients daily.  The cover of this book simply states, "Eat Food.  Not Too Much.  Mostly Plants."  These general guidelines seem simple but when we look at what has happened to our food culture it is not that simple. 

The author, Michael Pollan, begins the book by introducing Nutritionism- meaning that the key to understanding foods are in their nutrients.  He shows us the problems in looking at food this way and proposes a more holistic approach to food, finding benefit in the sum of all its parts rather than on specific nutrients.

The second part of the book discusses our Western Diet and a link to the rise in chronic disease in our culture.  Pollan reviews studies of populations eating a more traditional diet and the difference in their long term health.

The third section of the book helps us to understand what we can do with this information and gives us guidelines to follow when we are choosing how and what to eat.  I will elaborate further on these guidelines future posts.

I highly recommend reading In Defense Of Food-An Eater's Manifesto.  This book reminds us that food is not about it's individual nutrients, or the latest health claim or fad but it is culture, community, and most of all a web of relationships among many living beings.

Alison Finger, ND

Concerned about your Drinking Water?

These days, it is hard to know when we are doing the right thing for our health with all of the mixed information we get from the media.  We hear, "drink more water"  so, we drink more water.  Then you read the recent Associated Press report on the widespread contamination of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water.

What can we do to protect ourselves from these and other contaminants:

1. Hire a reputable company to take a sample of your water and analyze the quality.  I would recommend this even if your source is from a deep well. 
2. Consider a point of use (POU) water filtration system in that it is the "best protection" for clean water, says the Water Quality Association (WQA).  A point of use filtration system is one that simply is connected in the home.  These can be used on the kitchen sink or all of the water sources in the home including the shower.  The WQA has mentioned that activated carbon filters have shown promise in removing the unwanted contaminants in our water.

Many water filtration companies exist these days offering activated carbon filters along with many others.  I personally have had a carbon filtration system from Multipure for several years and am very pleased with my drinking water.  If you would like more information on Multipure, you can visit their website at www.multipureco.com.

Alison Finger, ND

Holistic Health Expo

Thanks to all who came out on Saturday and visited our booth at the Holistic Health Expo in Jamison, PA.  We enjoyed meeting many new people in the community and look forward to hearing from you in the future. 

For those of you that would like more information on Naturopathic Medicine, I will be speaking at the Doylestown County Coffee Company in Doylestown on Thursday, April the 3rd at 7 PM in the downstairs conference room.  This free talk will cover training, philosophy and treatment options of Naturopathic Medicine.   

Dry Skin Brushing

Your skin is the 2nd largest organ in your body and one of the main organs of detoxification. 

Daily skin brushing can help your skin stay healthy, beautiful and aid in detoxification.  It can do this by:

• Removing dead skin cells
• Cleansing your pores
• Stimulating the hormone and oil producing glands in the skin
• Keeping the skin soft and youthful
• Improving circulation
• Helping increase muscle tone
• Stimulates nerve endings
• Assists the body in removal of toxins
• Improving health and vitality

Instructions:

• Use a natural sponge, vegetable sponge or loofah sponge
• Dry brush every day before bed
• Use short strokes to brush lightly, stimulating the lymphatic system
• Start at extremities, for example, your head, tips of your fingers, or tips of your toes, moving towards your heart
• Brush for 45-60 seconds, covering your entire body
• Cleanse the brush every few days with soap and warm water

Alison Finger, ND

How to make Quick Whey

In my previous post, I talked about the importance of soaking both grains and legumes.  Whey is one of the ingredients that I suggested one add to the water to aid in lacto-fermentation of the grain or legume.  This lacto-fermentation begins the process of breaking down or digesting food even before we consume our meal. 

I wanted to give a simple recipe for making whey.  Much of my knowledge on this topic comes from a wonderful French trained chef, Sally Fallon.  Below is a recipe for whey taken from Sally Fallon's cookbook, Nourishing Traditions.

Quick Whey

1 Quart best quality whole natural yogurt

Place the yogurt in a strainer lined with cheese cloth or a clean linen dish towel, placed over a bowl.  Cover with a plate and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, while the whey runs out.  After the whey has run out into the bowl, you may tie up the cheese cloth or linen towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze.  Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a bowl or pitcher so that more whey can drip out of the bag.  When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready.  Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container.  Refrigerated, the yogurt cheese will keep for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months.

Enjoy!

Alison Finger, ND

Preparing Grains

Whole grains (especially wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, and quinoa) should be soaked overnight before being cooked, to leach out some of the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that are present in most grains.  Phytates make it difficult to assimilate minerals and protein from our food and thus interfere with proper digestion.  Beans also contain phytates and thus require soaking. 

To soak whole grains or beans (legumes), measure out desired amount and place in a bowl after thoroughly rinsing.  Cover the grain or beans with filtered water.  Optimally, the water should be changed a few times during soaking.  Add a tablespoon of either liquid whey (fluid that rises to the top of yogurt containers) or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the soaking water.  This increases the breakdown of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.  Allow the water and grain to sit on the counter for 8-12 hours.  Grains should be thoroughly rinsed before cooking.  This is particularly true of quinoa which contains a mildly toxic substance on its surface that is intended to repel insects.  After soaking, cook the grain as directed.  You may find that your grains are more tasty and you are able to digest and assimilate your food more easily. 

Alison Finger, ND

Prevention During the Cold and Flu Season- Part 2

If you get a cold then the best time to treat is early.

Contrary to popular belief, some of our most common natural cold remedies don't actually prevent colds, but lessen the length and severity of the common cold. 

Vitamin C:
Vitamin C taken in larger quantities lessens the length and severity of the common cold.

Echinacea:
Most of the research indicates that Echinacea provides only minimal protections as a prophylactic against colds, BUT is effective as a treatment once a cold has been contracted.

But remember, prevention in the best medicine.

There are options that can help prevent the common cold by stimulating the immune system.  The following natural remedies can be taken throughout the cold and flu season to decrease your susceptibility to catch a cold. 

Astragalus:
Astragalus is a herb that works to prevent the common cold.

Zinc:
Zinc has been shown to be effective in decreasing the occurrence of the common cold.

Probiotics:
For example, Lactobacillus found in cultured dairy products or in probiotics where shown, in a Finnish study, to reduce respiratory infections in children attending day care by 10% to 20%.

Even with all of these effective tools, the best way to prevent the common cold and boost your immune system is through a healthy lifestyle.

Alison Finger, ND

Naturopathic Doctor

Prevention During the Cold and Flu Season- Part 1

As many of you can attest to, cold and flu season is here. Instead of being helpless victims of the many viruses that cause colds and flu, there is so much you can do to boost your immune system and successfully ward off and deal with the effects of these viruses.  The naturopathic approach offers a full range of strategies to stay healthy during cold and flu season.

Prevention is the best medicine.  We are more likely to pick up a virus through hand-to-hand contact than through air-borne droplets. Viruses can live for up to 4 hours on the hands, so frequent hand washing is a good defense from the common cold.

Studies show that people who eat well, get enough rest and exercise are less likely to get sick when exposed to viruses.

Diet:
Eating simple sugars or white sugar decreases the functioning of our white blood cells, the cells that fight off infection, for up to 5 hours.

Exercise:
Moderate physical activity has been shown to increase white blood cells and their functioning.  As little as 20 minutes per day can be helpful. 

Stress Reduction:
Stress weakens the immune system thus increasing our chances of getting sick.  People who are under stress are about 4 times more likely to catch a cold than those under little stress. Stress can be managed by consciously making choices to slow down the pace of our lives as well as getting plenty of sleep, performing breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, prayer, spending time with family and friends, laughing, and getting out in nature.

Alison Finger, ND
Naturopathic Doctor