IN THIS ISSUE

Daily Dose  
Natural Ways to Lift Your Spirits During the Winter Days



 

Three Foods to Improve Your Mood 

This time of year it's easy to get the winter blues. The cold weather stretches on, it becomes harder to get out in the fresh air and sunlight, and many of us are run down and sick. To find out a few natural ways to get back in a good mood, we talked with Joel, one of our nutraceutical experts.  

He shared his recommendation for three supplements:

The biggest way help boost your mood is by getting plenty of fatty acids, and in particular EPA, Joel says. Omega-3s are critical for brain function, and while scientists don't know exactly how omega-3s protect against depression, they do know that the fats are important to the health of brain cells. Those who eat a diet rich in fish are less likely to be depressed and some studies have found that those inclined to get seasonal affective disorder experienced less symptoms when taking omega-3s high in EPA and DHA. Try Omega Mood by Country Life.

5-HTP

5-hydoxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid. 5-HTP directly supports the body's own natural production of serotonin - a neurotransmitter (or brain chemical) that promotes good mood and helps fight depression. Like antidepressant drugs, 5-HTP has the ability to raise serotonin levels. Joel recommends taking 5-HTP supplements before bed, as one side effect may be sleepiness.

St. John's Wort 

St. John's Wort is a plant with yellow flowers and also an uplifting herb. Extensively studied in Europe over the last two decades, there is scientific evidence that St. John's Wort may be useful for short-term treatment of mild to moderate depression. Similar to 5-HTP, St. John's Wort has the ability to increase the levels of existing serotonin in our bodies to elevate mood and contribute to the general feeling of euphoria.  

Come in and talk with our expert staff about any potential drug/supplement interactions to be careful of and which mood-boosting supplements might be right for you. 

Quick Tip:

For an instant, natural mood boost try one of these three things: Get 30 minutes of sunlight, exercise for 20+ minutes, or listen to your favorite music. All have been shown to contribute to increased good feelings!

What improves your mood in the late winter months? Visit our Facebook page and let us know!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

PATIENT SPOTLIGHT:
Meet Grace Wright - Sometimes it's About More Than the Medicine

Grace Wright had never taken medications in her adult life so she had no need for a pharmacy. But then one day, she was diagnosed with cancer and having a pharmacy she could rely on suddenly became a crucial part of getting her health back.

Before early 2009, Grace Wright didn't have a favorite pharmacy. She didn't really even have a pharmacy at all for that matter. She had never taken medications in her adult life, and so hadn't had much need to know a pharmacy or a pharmacist very well. Then in March, on a visit to her primary physician at InterMed, she learned she had anemia and was given a prescription for her iron deficiency. Grace found herself in new territory-in need of a pharmacy.

Grace wandered down to Apothecary by Design because it was convenient. Once she was inside the store, she noticed what a small, friendly feel it had. That was important to Grace because being a people person, she liked feeling that health care providers see her as a person first, then a patient. Grace was excited to see ABD had a nutraceutical side as well, and she lingered in the aisles there while she waited for her prescription.

Not much more than six months later, Grace found herself back at Apothecary by Design waiting to pick up a new prescription from Greg. This time it was an anti-nausea medication Grace needed. She had recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma-a cancer of lymph tissue-and it was her first day of treatment. Along with her cancer diagnosis came the need for many medications, and for a pharmacy that would offer support beyond a refill.

"I was taking all of these scary drugs, and I wanted the pharmacist that was distributing them to know who I was. I didn't want to be a name in a computer," Grace says. "And that's what I found. Greg talked with me to put me at ease on that first day and he has been extremely supportive ever since."

From a first visit built around convenience to regular visits every other week, Grace came to see the staff at Apothecary by Design as part of her health team. She relied on them as she recovered.

Click here to keep reading Grace's story.

UPCOMING EVENT: A Look into Biomedical Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder   

 
Next month, Dr. Keelyn Wu, Maine osteopathic practitioner, will be coming to our store for a special event on biomedical intervention for autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Wu has over 12 years of experience treating children and adults using Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments and nutritional/biomedical intervention. He'll be taking some time to share his insights and expertise with us soon, so we checked in to learn more about the upcoming event.

What is autism and when does it appear?

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills and the majority of the time it appears in the first 2 1/2 years. It is not so much a behavioral disorder as it is a biological disorder from my viewpoint.

Who is affected by autism?

The rate of those diagnosed with autism has increased significantly over the past twenty to thirty years, from 1 in 10,000 kids to close to 1 in 110 according to the latest CDC reports (1 in 70 with boys). Autism has reached epidemic proportions and genetics alone don't cause epidemics. It is my belief that there is usually a genetic susceptibility triggered by various environmental factors.  This idea is becoming more widely accepted.

We have found that the earlier the intervention whether it is ABA (applied behavioral analysis) speech therapy, OT or biomedical treatments -- the greater the possibility of significant improvement or in some cases recovery. It is important to remember that children of any age (and adults for that matter) can benefit from biomedical intervention. I believe that the best results are possible when biomedical treatments are included with other therapies -OT, PT,speech, etc.

What is biomedical intervention?

Many of these children have underlying medical issues - problems with digestion, allergies, asthma, eczema, immune system dysregulation, etc.  With biomedical intervention we are treating these underlying conditions.  We are not just addressing the symptoms, but attempting to treat the underlying cause which often times involves removing allergens and food sensitivities, modifying the diet, treating underlying intestinal infections, addressing methylation and toxicity issues, etc.  We also know that these children have certain nutritional deficiencies and issues with their immune systems which need to be treated.  When we address these issues, we frequently see improvements in their autistic behaviors including - attention, mood, anxiety, improved eye conact, as well as improved sleep and energy.  I think it is always important to start with diet and healing the gut.

It's really about trying to get kids healthier and looking at the underlying issues. Every kid is so unique and there are no cookie cutter plans. For some kids, diet is a key component in their improvement.  For others, changes are not seen until certain supplements are added, such as vitamin B6 and magnesium or methyl B-12 injections for instance.

Who might benefit from your talk?

I'll be providing an introduction to biomedical intervention, but my emphasis will be on diet and how to get started.  It will be a fairly comprehensive talk and I will include particular things that I have found helpful in my practice, the importance of testing and some new, exciting treatments which I have found both effective and safe. I think that it will be valuable for new parents as well as parents already involved in biomedical treatments for their child.

It seems that your practice must be rewarding work.

It is very rewarding - hard and complicated at times, but very rewarding. I've always been interested in nutrition and thought food was a really important part of healing as well as prevention. I get to witness some amazing results and it's certainly worthwhile to help families.   

Register for Treating Autism: A Look into Biomedical Intervention here.

FEBRUARY PROMOTION

20% off Omega Mood or  

Apothecary by Design Fish Oil

FOODS TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD    

 

Milk -  Rich in vitamin D for winter blues  

(Try: Dark Chocolate Cookies w/Espresso for dipping!) 

Click here to read more strategies on what to eat (and when) to help you feel better from the Today Show and nutritionist Joy Bauer.