This Thanksgiving week a recent study published in the American Psychological Association Journal is getting notice. The study looked at the role of gratitude in the progress of patients with heart disease and concluded that being consciously grateful in one's life, actually helped the heart disease!

It seems logical that being positive & upbeat is probably better than the alternative as such qualities help people side-step depression and anxiety, which it is now known, may increase the risk of heart disease, among many other ailments. In the study, blood tests measuring inflammation which is the physiologic response to injury or plaque buildup in arteries were made. In patients who were more grateful, less evidence of inflammation was noted.

In this Thanksgiving season, where many gather with loved ones to share a meal and time together, may we all get better at just being in the moment, taking up a posture of appreciation & cultivating gratitude. Turns out it might just be good for our health!

With gratitude & best wishes for a happy & healthy Thanksgiving,

Amy Rothenberg ND & Paul Herscu ND, MPH

Dr. Herscu at the Boston Public Market with some pretty awesome pumpkins

The Right Therapeutic Tool

Knowing the right tool for the right patient at the right time

by Amy Rothenberg ND

I have a particular fondness for my compost bucket. It's really more of a pail-shiny silver with a sturdy handle and a domed, fitted lid. A few years back on a sunny fall day, as I tossed my scraps onto the backyard pile, the handle came loose; one of the screws holding it in place had fallen out and I could not find it. I looked in the cellar, having not long before organized our screw and nail collection, but as might be predicted, the screw of the width and length I needed was nowhere to be found.

In the aisles of my local hardware store, I came close to finding what I needed, but alas, nothing seemed quite right. When a kind gentleman came to assist me, he went directly to a wall chart that I hadn't noticed. Those of you who are more familiar with hardware stores and building supplies will know what I mean, but I had never seen anything like it. The chart had little holes in it so you could actually test your screw to be sure it was exactly the right match for the job.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Recipe: Fall Muffins

I enjoy cooking with apples in the fall. Here in New England we are really IN the apples from late August to right about now. We are inundated with local apples of every stripe. I love baked apples, applesauce, drying apples, apples in my oatmeal and every once in a while, an amazing slice of apple pie. But these muffins are more for everyday use, healthy and robust, gluten free, low in fat & sugar. I love them warm out of the oven or cut in half height-wise & toasted upside down in a little butter on a cast iron skillet! See what you think.

Click here to read the complete recipe

Discount on Products from Emerson Ecologics

In an effort to make quality supplements more widely available, we maintain a virtual dispensary through our office. Products we recommend and use are listed, but you now also have access to the full inventory of products sold by Emerson Ecologics. We trust Emerson as they examine sourcing of ingredients contained in the products they carry.

Please click here for more details, to access the Emerson site and to receive your all-the-time 15% discount.

Featured recommendation: UN Commissioner For Refugees

In this space we like to share information about a product, service or organization whose work we admire. Though we are involved with issues related to natural health & healing, we also know that the suffering of others has an impact on all of us. And the goal of good medicine is to help all people. Determinant of health related to feeling safe, having a home & adequate nourishment are essential for everyone. The stories and images in the media of refugee families are often heartbreaking. In these difficult times for so many people fleeing war, poverty and oppression, many of us are looking for ways to help. Finding local aid agencies in your area is one approach.

Another is to support the work of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. From their website: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14,1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Read how you can support their efforts here.

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In health & vitality,

Amy Rothenberg ND & Paul Herscu ND, MPH

Naturopathic Health Care

www.nhcmed.com

860.763.1225