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| Recipe of
the Month |
| Sun Candies
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 c. sunflower seeds, ground in coffee grinder
1 1/2 TBL almond butter
1 1/2 TBL raw honey
1-1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Mix all the ingredients together and form into balls. Leave 1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds to roll balls into after they are formed.
Roll balls into remaining sunflower seed powder to coat.
Serve immediately and store in refigerator.
Carob powder or coconut also make a great coating for these candies. Use your imagination! |
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Adapted from
Eating Your Way Back to Health.
A Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Cooking
Jessica Black, ND |
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Greetings!
Happy Valentine's Day and welcome to the FNPA newsletter! February 14 doesn't have to be all about the sugar and candy. Check out the Recipe of the Month for a great essential fatty acid-packed idea that will satisfy a sweet tooth. Please read on to find out some interesting facts and the latest update to provide Naturopathic care to our Sunshine State.
There is a very quick and convienent way to share the newsletter with your loved ones. Please scroll down and use the "Forward" button we have provided. Help spread the word!
Also, check out our new video on YouTube - feel free to share! |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) |
 Have you seen those commercials with one friend offering another friend a product known to contain HFCS? In the script of the commercial, the friend on the receiving end says, "No thanks it has HFCS and you know what they say"....The offering friend asks, "NO, what do they say?". The receiving friend is suddenly at a loss for words and cannot say why HFCS is bad for you...So while the makers of the commercial (The Corn Growers of America and the Corn Refiners) do not explicitly state that HFCS is NOT bad for you, they clearly insinuate this.
Is this true? Is HFCS okay to include in your diet?
One of the problems in answering this question from a research based perspective is that most of the research claiming it is safe is paid for by people who have a vested interest in seeing it proclaimed safe. There are only a few studies out there, from independent sources, and surprisingly, these studies find that it is most likely not safe to consume HFCS in any amount more than trace amounts. I use the term "most likely" because studies are done in a lab, often with lab animals and then the information is applied to humans. The people saying it is safe do the same thing....the difference is, billions of dollars rest on HFCS being not only safe, but as some people claim, healthy for us....I can't quite wrap my head around that....
Here are some interesting facts, from independent sources:
- HFSC and Mercury: Several major sources (Washington Post, USA Today, and others) published an article at the end of January that was based on a study done by Environmental Health. They found Mercury in HFCS. Several sources, including the Corn Refiners Association and Food Product Design, state the article published in Environmental Health was based on outdated evidence. So I read the article myself and while the samples used were gathered a couple of years ago, the science is sound and the conclusions solid.
- Environmental Health study HFCS and Insulin Response: fructose was found to significantly trigger the insulin response and was related to development of insulin resistance.
- HFCS and Blood Pressure: study found sharp increases in blood pressure in young healthy participants following consumption of fructose.
- HFCS and Obesity: study found the satiety response is less in those consuming fructose therefore leading to overeating.
Basic sugar facts - regardless of whether it is sucrose, glucose or fructose:
- lowers immune function
- sets the stage for type 2 diabetes
- contributes to arthritis
- contributes to weight gain
 HFCS is in many, many foods - so many in fact, you need to read all the labels of your favorite foods. If you see this as an ingredient, try to find a food without it. For instance, while most major brands of ketchup have HFCS, Heinz makes one ketchup without and it tastes great! Another example, instead of coke, try Zevia.
 A healthy option? Stevia. Real Food Living offers the following description: An herb used in low sugar cooking and baking. It is highly concentrated. Growing stevia (green leaf) is gaining in popularity and is easy to do. Stevia is available as white extract powder, clear and flavored liquids, green leaf powder and in packets. Be sure to check for fillers such as maltodextrin when choosing a granulated or powdered stevia. We prefer the pure stevia (no fillers). Stevia can leave a bitter taste, so it is recommended that you try several brands (we prefer NuNaturals and Sweetleaf brands) and start out with only a miniscule amount, adding very slowly to taste. Stevia has no calories or carbs or fat and has been shown to lower blood glucose levels. It is not an "artificial" sweetener such as Splenda, but rather stevia is an herbal, natural sweetener that does not raise blood sugar levels. http://realfoodliving.com/faqs/real-foods-glossary
- Eli Camp, ND |
| History of Medicine |
 Imagine the diagnosis for a sore throat or broken bone being "the gods of Mt Olympus are not satisfied with your offerings". Such was the case before Hippocates (460BC.-370BC) separated religion and medicine. He was the first physician to discredit the idea that superstition, legend and "divine forces" caused illness. Instead, Hippocrates theorized illness was a product of environmental factors, diet and living habits. The Hippocratic School of Medicine was for intellectuals who dared to separate medicine from philosophy and theurgy.
One of the central beliefs taught by this school was that illness resulted from an imbalance of the four HUMORS of the body: blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm. A "dyscrasia" or "bad mixture" of any one of the humors brought about sickness. The School promoted patient care and prognosis over diagnosis with emphasis on "the healing power of nature."
Hippocrates and his students believed in rest and immobilization giving the body time to correct any imbalance within the four humors. Treatments were gentle and emphasized keeping the patient clean and sterile. Only the finest wine or purest waters were used as well as dry dressings and potent herbs were prescribed only in the most dire cases.
The Hippocratic bench and other devices passively stretched and applied pressure to aching joints, broken bones and other maladies. A collection of over 70 early medical works from ancient Greece were compiled into The Hippocratic Corpus. This great work was written in Iconic Greek and even though the volumes bear his name, it is believed Hippocrates' students and followers authored the text. Notable among the treatises of the Corpus are the earliest recordings of cardiac treatments, endoscopy and The Hippocratic Oath. Hippocrates' teachings and progressive ideas during ancient times has garnered him the title "Father of Medicine."
- Deirdre Keeler, ND |
| Legislative Update |
Many are curious if we will be presenting a bill this legislative season. We have decided not to present a bill and use this year to continue building so we can be ready to hit the road running with a bill in 2011. We have been making tremendous growth as an organization, our fundraising committee has been working diligently raising funds for legislation and the FNPA has more members than ever before! All these improvements help us towards legislation, but there is a lot more that still needs to be done, so how can you help?
We are asking for your testimonials and letters. How have you been touched by naturopathic medicine? Do you have a story on how you could have been better served by a licensed ND with a full scope of practice in Florida? Are you an MD, DO, DC, PA, RN that would like to support the mission of the FNPA and understands the importance of having NDs as licensed primary care physicians in Florida? If you have a story you would like to share, we are collecting letters that will be given to legislators. We will also be using some of your letters on our FNPA website under our new testimonial section (with your permission only).
Please send your letters to jessicapatella@gmail.com.
The active ND members of the FNPA are now working with Corporations giving health related seminars. These seminars are free of charge and are given to spread to knowledge of health and wellness. Do you know of a corporation that would like to hear from the FNPA? If so please let us know so we can set up a seminar today. jessicapatella@gmail.com
-Jessica Patella, ND | |
We want to provide better healthcare choices to Florida's residents and we need your help! Please visit our website to learn more. FNPA Homepage
Sincerely,
Florida Naturopathic Physicians Association
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