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Recipe(s!) of
the Month
E-Z Goodies for the Kids | |
FREEZE POPS
Pour the kids' favorite juice into paper cups.and place in the freezer. When the juice is just about frozen place a popsicle stick into the cup. Wait another few hours until the mixture is solid and unwrap the paper cup from the frozen treat
ANTS IN A CANOE
Slice your choice of apple into quarters. Spread sunflower/almond or peanut butter on top. Sprinkle raisins, nuts or seeds.
FROZEN BANANAS
In a small saucepan combine carob powder and a small amount of water to make a paste. Add honey to desired consistency, making sure it's not too runny. Coat bananas in carob mixture and roll in coconut, ground nuts or seeds or all 3. Freeze on pastry paper-lined pan. Take them out of the freezer 20 minutes before serving.
JUST FRUIT!!
It's summer and there's plenty of fresh fruits to choose from.Make fruit kabobs, freeze some grapes, dip pieces in yogurt or bake an apple or pear in the oven after drizzling with maple syrup and nuts...mmmmmmmmmm
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Greetings!
Thank you for being a FNPA member and reading this month's newsletter. There is a lot of news regarding health care lately and Naturopathic Medicine is no exception. We appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm. It strengthens our efforts to bring the option of Naturopathic Medicine to the state of Florida.
ENJOY the summer and have fun in the glorious Florida Sunshine!
There is a very quick and convenient way to share the newsletter with your loved ones. Please scroll down and use the "Forward" button we have provided. Help spread the word! |
| Summer Sun- Block or Bathe? |
Summer is here, as we can easily witness by the lengthening days, rising temperatures and row upon row of sunscreen products adorning store shelves. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (2010), these products are key to good skin health and preventing dangerous skin cancers since "sun exposure is the most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers, including melanoma." But in recent years studies are showing this advice to be erroneous and obsolete. In fact, the largest rise in melanoma rates has been in countries where chemical sunscreens are heavily advocated (Garland, 1992).
In 2007, Moore's Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego demonstrated a direct connection between colorectal and breast cancer risk and serum D3 levels, showing lower incidences of these cancers among those with higher levels of Vitamin D. While a reduced cancer risk is a powerful motivator to obtain adequate levels of Vitamin D, the benefits of "the sun vitamin" extend well beyond cancer protection (read more about Vitamin D below). As much as 90% of our Vitamin D comes from sun exposure, and applying a sunscreen as low as SPF 8 can reduce vitamin D production by 95% (Higdon, 2008).
While many sources advise that 20 minutes of daily sun exposure on your face and arms will provide all the Vitamin D you need, this is not necessarily true. Adequate sun exposure will vary depending on your location and skin type. More exposure will be required the farther north you travel from the equator, and dark-skinned people will require more exposure than fair-skinned people. For Caucasians, Vitamin D production averages 20-30 minutes. If you are darker skinned, it can take three to four times that long. An hour of sun exposure on at least 40% of your body per day is not an unreasonable amount of time to spend in the sun for good health.
Regular exposure of as much skin as possible is key-it's better to have short periods of daily exposure than several hours once per week. Begin in the morning (when the chance of burning is the least) in spring and early summer to get your skin used to sun exposure. Gradually increase your time in the sun until you just begin to turn pink. It is virtually impossible to overdose on Vitamin D from sun exposure, since exposed skin reaches an equilibrium point where Vitamin D begins to convert to inert chemicals. However, the most important thing to remember is to avoid sunburn, since sunburn can increase the risk of basal cell carcinoma (the less fatal form of skin cancer).
While many people may be tempted to prepare for the summer sun using tanning beds, that can be a dangerous mistake. Tanning beds are designed to tan the skin deeply in a short period of time without burning, which is accomplished by minimizing the amount of UVB radiation. However, UVB is what stimulates Vitamin D production, and the burn response is the body's mechanism to prevent Vitamin D excess. Not only does high levels of UVA radiation break down Vitamin D, it is also suspected to be associated with increased melanoma risk (melanoma is a more threatening form of skin cancer). An additional problem with tanning beds is the radiation emitted by the magnetic ballasts used to power the bulbs-often these ballasts are very close to the person in the bed, leaving them exposed to very strong magnetic fields while tanning.
While the best sunscreen is internal sunscreen from antioxidants such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, spirulina, and chlorella, we all find ourselves in need of a sunscreen at one time or another. If sun exposure is not a possibility for whatever reason, or you find yourself required to spend more time outdoors than your skin can safely handle and you cannot cover up or find shade, it is better to use a sunscreen than to risk a burn. But keep in mind that not all sunscreens are created equal. The Environmental Working Group (2010) has found that 84% of sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher contained potentially harmful ingredients and/or provided inadequate protection. If you plan to use a sunscreen, check their database to ensure it provides the protection you require and doesn't contain harmful chemicals. http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/
REFERENCES
● American Academy of Dermatology. 2010. Be sun smart. American Academy of Dermatology Web site. http://www.aad.org/public/sun/smart.html (accessed June 2, 2010).
● Environmental Working Group. 2010. EWG's 2010 sunscreen guide. Environmental Working Group Web site. http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/?nlist=Y&utm_source=sunscreen&utm_medium=email&utm_content=image&utm_campaign=toxics (accessed June 2, 2010).
● Garland, C. 1992. Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk? American Journal of Public Health 82(4): 614-615.
● Garland, C., W. Grant, S. Mohr, E. Gorham, F. Garland. 2007. What is the dose-response relationship between Vitamin D and cancer risk? Nutrition Review 65(1): 91-95.
● Higdon, J. 2008. Micronutrient information center: Vitamin D. Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/VitaminD/ (accessed June 2, 2010).
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| Benedict Lust vs the AMA | |
Between 1875 and 1920 there were drastic changes to the medical profession. House calls were replaced by an office or clinic visit. Hospitals were considered charitable institutions meant for the poor who couldn't afford care. But with the advancement of antiseptic techniques and aseptic methods, the hospital transformed into a major training and clinical research facility open to all patients. Apprenticeships became obsolete replaced by research and education-based medical schools with 4 year curriculum in addition to an undergraduate degree as prerequisite. Upon graduation the new "doctor" completed a year's internship after choosing his "specialty" of practice. Specialization was becoming more popular bringing with it more groups and associations that could dictate their own rules for membership.
Toward the end of the 19th century the "orthodox" or allopathic sect, the Homeopaths and the Eclectics began to cooperate in order to obtain common professional goals: new licensing laws, an educational system and the concept of "scientific" medicine. By 1903 the newly re-structured American Medical Association (AMA) had grown in number and political power. The Eclectics' and Homeopaths' "non-scientific" viewpoints found no merit in the AMA and their numbers and schools gradually declined.
Meanwhile Benedict Lust was still lecturing, running his Yungborn clinics and writing for various publications. Naturopathy was still embraced by many even though Lust dismissed any theory or activity associated with allopathic medicine. He downplayed the germ theory as "the most gigantic hoax in modern time." Bacteria were "effect rather then cause" due to the body's deterioration after "unnatural modes of living."
In 1924 Morris Fishbein became editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA). Fishbein took it upon himself to point out "quackery" in the medical profession and his main target was Benedict Lust. Fishbein used JAMA as his personal editorial outlet denouncing all tenets of naturopathy and branded Lust and his followers as the "epitome of quackery." But Lust answered with lectures and writings of his own. Prior to 1937 the allopathic school of thinking really had no answers to the problems of human disease. The "health food and natural health" movement not only offered solutions but was also wildly popular with the Hollywood set.
In 1937 the medical world changed with the introduction of sulfa drugs. New antibiotics and vaccines, (including Jonas Salk's polio vaccine in 1955), the impact of World War II on health care as well as political clout by the AMA solidified the decline of Naturopathic medicine and natural healing in the United States. Benedict Lust died in September of 1945 at his beloved Yungborn facility in Butler, New Jersey. A month after his death the 49th Anuual Congress of his American Naturopathic Association convened. The official program of the event contained Lust's lecture he had dictated before he passed away. The closing remarks read: "...All of these medical crimes are steadily piling up. They are slowly, but inevitably creating a public distrust in all things medical. This increasing lack of confidence in the infallibility of Modern Medicine will eventually make itself felt to such an extent that the man on the street will turn upon these self-constituted oppressors and not only demand but force a change..."
Dr. Deirdre D. Keeler |
| Legislative Update |
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The President is making decisions on who to appoint to a few of the new advisory groups established in the new health care law and AANP has nominated Dr. Tara Levy from California. President Obama believes in grassroots so we need you, and even more importantly your patients, to write him now and share your stories about how naturopathic medicine changes lives - and the need to have the perspective of a committed doctor who can contribute to the development of public policy because she does this work every day.
Time is of the essence - Decisions are anticipated within two weeks!
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OTHER NATIONAL NEWS:
Doctors, medical students, patients and others from all 50 states, are planning, an amazing public media and educational campaign to familiarize all Americans with Naturopathic medicine, through a 3,250 mile, transcontinental run from San Francisco to Bridgeport, CT, via Washington D.C. and New York City.
Former transcontinental runner, and founder of the R.U.N., Dr. Dennis Godby, son Isaiah Godby, nephew Jonas Ely, and tens of thousands of other runners and supporters along the way will meet with other doctors, patients and newly awakened advocates along the path to the White House to meet with President Obama. They will conduct daily press conferences and evening presentations about natural medicine in the towns and cities they pass from California to Connecticut. As the mass of advocates continues to swell over the course of the3,250 miles, media coverage will grow exponentially, including national news. You can view more information, when the run begins and even SIGN UP at:
The RUN:for America's Natural Medicine Doctors
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).
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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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