Women's Health & Healing
Women's Health & Healing NewsletterMay 2010
Greetings!

baby pigs

Sincere thanks to those of you who completed the short survey linked to the March newsletter. I learned a lot about who you are and what you would like from the newsletter in the future. Here is a quick summary:

Who are you? Most of you are readers interested in integrative women's health. Many of you are either conventional or alternative providers. The vast majority of you live in the Bay Area.  Most of you are loyal readers who either always or frequently read the newsletter.

What do you want from the newsletter? Those who completed the survey were either very satisfied or satisfied with most of the newsletter features. Looks like color and images were features I could work on. Most people found the content very relevant. It makes sense to me that not all the topics would be relevant to everyone every month. It was very interesting to me that 92% of the respondents wanted information about the latest research. This tells me that you are interested in current evidence-based information focused on women's health related topics. Terrific, this is what I strive to provide! You gave me great ideas for future topics such as: aging, osteoporosis, menopause, skin care, ethnic/cultural issues, weight loss strategies, urinary incontinence, alternative treatments, nutrition, etc. You were also interested in guest columnists so you will see a column by Margaret Chuang a physical therapist at UCSF in July. She will talk about urinary incontinence. If you know of someone you would like me to invite (including yourself) please let me know.

How often do you want to receive the newsletter? Responders were interested in either getting the newsletter monthly or quarterly. Based on these results, I will split the difference with you and send the newsletter bimonthly. I put a lot of thought and effort in to preparing the newsletter so sending it less frequently will give me more time to prepare and less stress trying to meet my deadline. Thanks to all of you for your input.

If you didn't get a chance to fill out the survey it is not too late -click here. I am anxious to hear from you! 

How lovely to have sunshine and warmer weather! I'm ready to get out there and enjoy it. How about you? This month's newsletter will be all about getting outside and moving while enjoying the beauty of the Bay Area. 
 
Sincerely,
 
baby pigs
Priscilla Abercrombie, RN, NP, PhD
Women's Health & Healing
 
It's Spring, Let's Get Moving! 

Winter is a dark, damp and cold time of year. We tend to find comfort hibernating inside where it is warm and dry. As a result, we become less active during the winter. Thankfully, spring has sprung! It's a good time to get out and move your body in the fresh air and warm sunshine. You probably know that national guidelines recommend that we participate in some type of at least moderate intensity exercise 2.5 hours a week. That's about a half hour a day. For kids, it should be an hour a day. You probably also know that being physically active reduces your risk of diabetes and heart disease and helps you maintain your weight. But did you know that engaging in physical activity also decreases your risk of developing breast (Bernstein, 2009) and colon cancer (Trojian & Mody, 2007)?
 
We all know about aerobic exercise. It's the type of exercise that raises are heart rate and forces us to breath deeply. Walking, dancing, and biking are great examples of aerobic exercise. The other two types of exercise it is important to engage in are strength and flexibility training. Yoga is a great way to increase flexibility and depending on the poses you do, it may also increase strength. Exercising doesn't need to be difficult, complicated or expensive. For instance, you can do some stretching exercises before and after you walk. You can even use a walking CD to guide and encourage you. Check out this classic book on stretching.
An easy program to follow for strength training is the Key 3 exercise program developed by Michael Hewitt. Do 1-2 sets of the Key 3 program twice a week. Put all three types of exercise together and you are on your way to better health!
 
Here are some tips on beautiful places to go hiking, walking, running or biking in the Bay Area:
 
Here are some fun outdoor activities for the whole family:

Ever heard of Letterboxing? It gets you outdoors, taps your creativity and challenges your problem solving skills.
San Francisco Treasure Hunt: Urban sleuthing adventures and workouts for the mind.
San Francisco City Guides. Walking tours of various neighborhoods including the Mission District Murals.
 
 
Get outside and move your body and have fun!
WHH believes that women want a provider that will guide them on their quest for health and healing based on experience, education and the ability to examine the scientific evidence to support recommended treatments.
In This Issue
Get Moving!
WHH News
Quick Links
WHH News
I will be attending the American Pain Society Conference in Baltimore in early May. I was very fortunate to get a scholarship to attend a pain management course for two days before the conference begins. I hope to bring back many new clinical pearls to share with you in a future newsletter.
 
Is it time for your annual gyn exam? I have appointments available at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. We take insurance. We also have terrific TCM providers, massage therapists, and a yoga instructor. Give us a call at 415-353-7700.
 
We are recruiting for our dysmenorrhea study. Women ages 18-25 with menstrual cramps who are interested in receiving an injection of Vitamin K into an acupuncture site should call Steff at 415-353-7356. Help us recruit- pass this information on to the young women in your lives!

I will be offering an herb lab at the 12th Annual UCSF Integrative Medicine Forum on Saturday May 22nd.  This will be an experiential learning experience for those interested in providing an evidence-based approach to prescribing herbs or supplements for patients with chronic illness.