DAILY DOSE
Antioxidants - the benefits to our overall health.
They assist our bodies in fighting the free radical damage we face from day-to-day living and improve upon our ability to live longer and remain healthier. They also increase our chances to conceive.
There are foods rich in amino acids that provide antioxidant support, but it is challenging to receive all the benefits through diet alone. Vitamins E, C, beta carotene, and Zinc all have antioxidant properties as well, and taking them on a regular basis is a good place to start. To truly maintain an adequate level of antioxidants your system, however, it is smart to add two specialty oral antioxidant compounds to your routine: Alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine.
To understand how each of those compounds help, we must first take a look at glutathione. It is an important antioxidant produced by cells in our body and one of the keys to overall health. Glutathione neutralizes free radicals, detoxifies many foreign compounds, and is essential for the immune system to exert its full potential. Simply put, the more glutathione you have, the better your health.
Glutathione plays a fundamental role in numerous metabolic and biochemical reactions in our bodies and helps fight oxidation. Every day, molecules are being generated in our systems that can cause damage to our cells (known as oxidation). Our bodies have systems in place to combat the damage-such as glutathione-but our systems are overloaded. We need additional support to maintain optimal health.
Antioxidant supplements like Alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), provide the extra support necessary to fight free radicals and keep your antioxidant status at a level adequate enough to withstand stress. Alpha lipoic acid helps the body recycle antioxidants such as vitamin C and glutathione after they have been used up, and NAC helps synthesize more glutathione. By taking both specialty compounds, you can promote the body's ability to produce and replenish invaluable glutathione.
It's good to take both on a regular basis, but as the level of glutathione affects every system in the body, it's especially important when trying to conceive. Increased levels of glutathione help improve the viability and quality of both sperm and eggs. Taking oral antioxidants during preconception care may improve fertility outcomes for both men and women by providing the body with more ammunition to fight oxidation. (Which is critical: the delicate nature of sperm and eggs makes them prone to oxidation.)
Visit our pharmacist, Greg, and in-store experts to learn more about oral antioxidants.
(These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.)
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Upcoming
Events
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FEB. 4:
Dr. Michael Alper,
Boston IVF
Infertility Mythbusters
FEB 23:
Dr. Christine Maguire
Stress and Your Health: Strategies for Success
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ABD
Loyalty Program |
Don't forget to sign up for our free Loyalty Program next time you stop in to start saving money and earning points toward a $50 in-store coupon today!
All Loyalty Program Members will enjoy:
- 10% off the retail price for all non-prescription items*
Additionally, you will receive:
- 100 points per prescription filled
- 10 points per dollar spent
At 5,000 points, you will receive a $50 coupon which can be redeemed in our store for non-prescription items!
*Discount taken at register and cannot reduce price below our cost.
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NEW PRODUCTS!
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Introducing Motherlove...a new line of specialty, organic herbal products for new moms and moms-to-be.
Motherlove
is dedicated to crafting the finest quality organic products for
pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and babies. They provide a natural way
to prevent stretch marks, soothe labor discomfort, increase breast milk production,
relieve sore nipples, nurture baby's tender skin, and clear up diaper
rash and thrush. Their organic products are safe and gentle, yet effective
for women and babies.
Stop in to learn about the new line or visit the motherlove website.
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News from the Shop:
We are pleased to add Vaughn Street Variety's delicious sandwiches to our PeRx menu!
We will be offering a variety of tasty sandwich options daily, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. All sandwiches are served on homemade focaccia bread and can be ordered
hot or cold.
We're thrilled to add one of Portland's best eateries to our menu and hope you'll stop in to try one on your next lunch break.
See all our menu here.
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Greetings!
We hope you are well and enjoying the beginning of the new year!
For this month's newsletter, we are focusing on our Women's Health services and the special care that you will find at Apothecary by Design (including unmatched experience in bio-identical hormone replacement therapies (bHRT) and personalized infertility treatment support). You can read insights from our pharmacist on the benefits of antioxidants, learn a bit about infertility, and get to know the new Boston IVF - The Maine Center Facility.
For news, we've got two exciting events coming up in February, a new patient spotlight, and a new line of products. We were also featured in a great article in the Portland Daily Sun this month and if you missed it, you can still read the story here.
We hope that 2010 brings you good health in all aspects of your life, and we look forward to continuing to provide you with first-rate care.
Cheers,
Catherine Cloudman and the Apothecary by Design Team
ccloudman@apothecarybydesign.com
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| ABD Patient Spotlight |
Finding the Right Combination
After years of exhaustion and a frustrating search for the right hormone replacement therapy combination, Karen LeBel finally met Brenda
 Karen LeBel was diagnosed with menopause at only 38-years-old. She suffered a long and frustrating diagnosis and treatment process and had all but given up hope of feeling better when she came to Apothecary by Design. Here, Karen shares her story in her own words.By the time I reached my middle 30s, I was suffering from mood swings, constant fatigue that left me without energy throughout the day, sleepless nights, weight gain, fuzzy concentration and minor hot flashes that continued to get worse. I had all the underlying signs of perimenopause (the interval in which your body begins its transition into menopause); however, two different doctors informed me I was too young to be perimenopausal and prescribed antidepressants. Neither took my blood work because I was still having periods.Sadly, the antidepressants only added to my worsening conditions. The medication made me even more lethargic, and I found myself more depressed by the usage of the medication. I spent many hours crying and not knowing why.It was very frustrating knowing something wasn't quite right but not being able to put my finger on it. After several months of similar treatment, my symptoms did not improve. That only led to more frustration and irritability. Trying to convince people that I was not a depressive person while crying was very difficult. At the time, I was also experiencing painful intercourse, mainly focused on my left side. I was referred to Coastal Women's Health in Scarborough and tests showed I had a cyst on my left ovary. Surgery proved I had premature ovarian failure. It was unusual to experience this at such a young age, but according to my physician, not uncommon.
Click here to keep reading Karen's story.
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Boston IVF Comes to Portland
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We're
pleased to support the opening of Boston IVF - The Maine Center, and
looking forward to working together.
 A new IVF and fertility treatment facility at Boston IVF - The Maine Center is opening in February. The new facility, located in the Maine Medical Center in South Portland, will provide a full range of fertility services and the same, exceptional patient care and cutting-edge reproductive technologies as the renowned Boston IVF locations in Massachusetts.
A state-of-the art procedure room, operating room, and lab will enable infertility specialists Dr. Robert Sasso (the Center's full-time, onsite physician) Dr. Michael Alper, and Dr. Alan Penzius to provide both IVF services and the accompanying patient care locally.
"The new Center in Portland will allow us to expand our offerings to the Maine community," says Derek Larkin, Director of Business for Boston IVF. "With
patient-friendly protocols, a team approach to care, and the best
technology available, Boston IVF has been making the somewhat difficult
infertility treatment process less painful for couples and families for
twenty years. We're looking forward to continuing to serve infertile patients and to helping Maine couples achieve their dreams."
Learn more at the Boston IVF website. |
Infertility Mythbusters
Helping your patients sort through fact and fiction |
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Lecture by Dr. Michael M. Alper
Thursday, February 4th
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Boston IVF's medical director Michael Alper, MD -- one of the nation's leading reproductive endocrinologists -- is coming to Apothecary by Design to bust common infertility myths. His presentation is designed to help clinicians better understand the essential elements of reproductive technologies and to effectively communicate with patients that may have questions about their infertility.
Does infertility affect only those who are over 35 years old? Is it true there's only one day per month to get pregnant? Can a certain type of underwear really decrease male fertility?
When it comes to infertility diagnosis and treatment, the facts are all too often passed down as old wives tales and misconceptions, which makes it imperative to separate truth from fiction.
We invite clinicians to join Dr. Alper at our store for an evening of appetizers and an opportunity to review some common questions and misconceptions related to the diagnoses and treatment of infertility.
Space is limited. To register call us at 207.899.0663 x 3 or click here. Read more about Dr. Alper here.
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ABD Infertility Care
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Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs the body's ability to reproduce. It strikes more than ten percent of couples in the United States and affects both women and men equally. Many physical and emotional challenges accompany infertility, and it can lead to a stressful experience for those hoping to conceive.
At Apothecary by Design, our experienced team of pharmacists, nurses, and patient care coordinators understand the needs of infertility patients and healthcare providers, and help to make the infertility treatment process as supportive as possible. Realizing that infertility treatment is a complex and emotional time in your life, we offer personalized, compassionate care and the specialized pharmacy services you need from preconception through treatment.
Facts About Infertility:
- Approximately 6.1 million women in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after one year of
trying. Or, six months, if a woman is 35 or older. Women who can get
pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile.
- Infertility is not always a woman's problem. About one-third of infertility
cases are caused by women's reproductive issues, another one third due to men's. (The other third of cases are caused by a mixture of
male and female issues or by unknown reasons.)
- Most cases of female infertility are caused by problems with ovulation.
Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that
a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual
periods.
- Infertility risk factors include weight, age, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tubal disease, endometriosis, smoking, alcohol, and DES exposure.
- Infertility can be treated with medicine, surgery, artificial insemination, or assisted reproductive technology (ART). Many times these treatments are combined. In most cases infertility is treated with drugs or surgery.
For more Infertility information, visit these links: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; www.resolve.org; www.asrm.org.
Our Patient Care Team is eager to help you through your treatment and is available to you anytime you need them at 1-877-814-8477 or in the store.
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Upcoming Event:
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The Three Strategies to Avoiding Illness and Improving Health
Dr. Christine Maguire,
Creating Wellness chiropractor
Tuesday, February 23rd at 6:30 p.m.
The lifestyle choices we make every day have a greater impact on our health and vitality than anything else, even our genes! Making the right choices can possibly decrease your chances of developing the top three killers in the United States - heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
What choices are you making?
Join Dr. Christine E. Maguire to discover the factors that determine your health and wellness and learn how to increase your wellness through positive self-talk, exercise, and food choices.
Sign up by calling 207-899-0663 x 3 or registering at www.apothecarybydesign.com.
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