New Year

Figured I'd squeeze in one last post before 2010. This has been a year of change, too many to write about 15 minutes before I leave for work. But it's been a wonderful year and I cherish the experiences and lessons learned.

Yesterday, I shadowed one of the doctors who was working with a cancer patient who was barely out of their teens. I then learned of the passing of another patient, one I had met with briefly earlier this month. I looked in my notebook and saw the treatment plan ideas we had for him at our next meeting, which was to be the first Tuesday of the new year. I erased his initials that were penciled in my calendar.

This morning I got out of bed after lingering a half hour more in my super soft fleece sheets, played with the dog in the freshly fallen snow, laughed as I built a snowman in the front yard at 5AM, then slowly savored a cup of coffee while checking email.

You know what I'm saying. Linger. Play. Laugh. Savor life.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy New Year.

Welcome 2010

Gluten Free Sensations

Driving south from Grand Rapids at the crack of dawn, I noticed a sign on the side of the road: "Gluten Free Sensations." When I finally had access to the internet, I Googled the name and discovered a line of g-f products found mostly in Michigan, though some stores in Indiana and Wisconsin carry them as well. Made with bean, sorghum, rice, and corn flours, Gluten Free Sensations features pancake, waffle, and cookie mixes, cream of brown rice hot cereal and also a variety of gluten-free granolas. Shipping is available if you don't happen to live near any of the locations that are listed on the website.

For more information, as well as a list of stores, go to their website at www.glutenfreesensations.com.

Do you know a good source for gluten-free products in the Michiana area? Please share!

Surfing the 'net

• How Ginger Soothes Muscles, Fights Cramps Some of the many uses of ginger, from Health.com (as seen in the latest issue of Health magazine). I always travel with candied ginger to ease the nausea from motion sickness, and adding a slice or two to a tea of lemon, honey, and cayenne is a warming way to relieve the cough and chill of colds and flus.

• Exploring a Low-Acid Diet for Bone Health (from the New York Times) Not that we need another reason to eat our veggies. Low-acid diets high in fruits and vegetables may be more beneficial for bone health than one high in dairy and meat. Be sure to also read about the best exercises for healthy bones.

• Thinking About Diabetes With Every Bite An insightful blog entry about living with diabetes. From the New York Times.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and if you're anything like me you've already planned your holiday menu, ordered your turkey, and getting super crafty with the place settings. Last year I made a wheat-free dinner, using spelt breadcrumbs from New Seasons for stuffing and a gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake that was the hit of the night. It's so good, well, even my friend who doesn't like pumpkin pie raved about the cheesecake. This recipe isn't my own original, I found it on allrecipes.com, just used Trader Joe's Gluten-free Ginger Snaps instead of regular. Easy peasy.

For those of you in the Portland area who are looking for a more traditional gluten-free pumpkin pie, go to New Cascadia Bakery on SE 6th and Market. Their pumpkin tart is absolutely delish, with a flaky I-can't-believe-it's-not-gluten-laden crust. Not sure if you can special order pies for Thanksgiving, but give them a call and ask. Don't forget to pick up some crusty bread for gf stuffing!

GF Pumpkin Marbled Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F°

* 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies - Trader Joe’s Gluten-free
* 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
* 1/3 cup butter, melted

* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 cup white sugar, divided
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan, going up the sides about 1". Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set it aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4. Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marbled-Pumpkin-Cheesecake/
New Cascadia Bakery

November First Friday Wellness at Holistica

It's time for First Friday Wellness at Holistica Healthcare! Not only will we be featuring our now-famous mini-massages with Dr. Anya Chang (be one of the lucky ones to get an appointment!), but our featured artist this month is...me! That's right, I've decided to show a collection of my drawings from way back in the art school days (that's the '80s, folks) to just a few months ago. I mean, I run the clinic/gallery space, why not show off my own work? All of the drawings are figure studies in charcoal, conté crayon, and pencil.

Stop on by the clinic this Friday, November 6th from 6 - 9:30PM!

ChefMD: John La Puma, MD

I just came across the website of Dr. John La Puma, also known as ChefMD. He is an internal medicine physician and a professionally trained chef who has a weekly show on Lifetime TV. He also has written a cookbook called ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine and has a comprehensive website featuring healthy recipes for the most common health conditions. Here is an excerpt from the website:

• Use a full fat salad dressing, not a low-fat/no-fat dressing. A bit of healthy fat (avocado, walnuts, almonds, olives) in your salad lets you absorb 7 times more lutein than with a no or low-fat dressing. Lutein helps to prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over age 65.
• Buy organic when it really matters: when the skin is thin. Over 80% of apples, pears, peaches, potatoes and berries sampled contain artificial chemical pesticides. On the thick side, less than 8 percent of avocados, mangos, pineapples and frozen sweet corn contain them—and onions contain none! Exposure to pesticides worsens asthma and damages the immune system.
• Drink coffee and be happy, as long as you're drinking filtered coffee. Two cups of filtered coffee daily can reduce colon cancer by 25%, diabetes risk by 30%, gallstone risk by 40%, and liver cirrhosis risk by 80%. But espresso and French Press can raise your LDL cholesterol by 8% in a month, because the coffee's chemical cafestol stays inside.

I love a doc who touts the benefits of eating fat and drinking coffee! Check out his gluten-free quiz to see if you have symptoms that may warrant further testing for celiac disease, or just if you should avoid gluten. Reading the recipes on the site, I'm hoping he opens a chain of restaurants!

www.drjohnlapuma.com/
Gluten-free quiz

Ginger Snap Pear Tartin

There are pears galore in my backyard. Still picking them daily and letting them ripe off the tree, collecting untarnished fruit from the ground before the chickens dig in. Like apples, pears are members of the rose family and are a great source of Vitamin C (maybe this is why they are in season at the beginning of Fall—cold and flu season!) They are also full of fiber, which can lower cholesterol, protect against some cancers, and support good colon health. I've been enjoying pears with slices of cheese and in salads, but I've really wanted to make a quick and easy dessert with these fabulous Fall fruit.

Last Sunday I made a lovely gluten-y pear tartin for a friend. I drizzled it with a concoction of sliced almonds, sugar, butter, and sweetened condensed milk that was positively decadent. I'm now inspired to try this g-f version, rehashing my fav crust (from the Thanksgiving g-f cheesecake recipe):

Crushed gluten-free ginger snaps, pecans, butter, mix well and press into tart pan. Peel and slice pears, drizzle with lemon juice, cinnamon, dash of sweetener of choice (sugar/maple syrup/honey), arrange on crust in pan. Bake at 325-350° for...long enough to not burn the crust or pears. Melt butter and sugar in saucepan, stir in sweetened condensed milk. Add nuts (let's add pecans to match the crust), keep stirring, then drizzle on baked tart.

Okay, that's a rough draft. Sounds yum, right? Will work on the final version with guesstimated measurements and get back to you.

What's your favorite way to enjoy pears?

Featured Artist: Cari Carter at Motokitty

Cari Carter is the craft queen. I don't even know where to begin when talking about all of her clever, quirky wearable creations. The naugahyde messenger bags? Or maybe the sparkly Pocket Protectors that keep your money, ID, and keys fashionably in one place. Then there are the colorful earrings made with feathers and the silhouette necklaces...

And this is just a partial list of what she makes. Her store in SE Portland, Motokitty, features not only her work, but that of other Portland, Oregon artisans. She shares the space with Modified, a custom commercial screenprint shop that not only sells their wares at the Division Street shop, but at various other venues in the Portland area.

You can also get custom work from Miss Carter, as has been shown on my blog (the Holistica Teabag Tote!). She even customized a Snuggie for the Lady Arm Wrestling competition/benefit earlier this year.

Is there anything she can't do?

www.motokitty.net
Follow her on Twitter to find out about sales and special offers twitter.com/motokittypdx
Read the Motokitty blog motokitty.wordpress.com/

One more thing...

How can I forget to mention the Grand Opening of the new NCNM Clinic in southwest Portland, Oregon, the largest naturopathic clinic in the Portland area. It's also the teaching clinic where I have been completing my residency. I was at the ceremony this morning where speeches were made by Mayor Sam Adams and Senator Monnes Anderson as well as NCNM President David Schleich, board member Nancy Garbett, the woman who makes everything at the clinic run just right, Dr. Jill Stanard (seen at the podium in the picture above).

The main teaching clinic provides low cost health care, preventive naturopathic and integrative care. There are also satellite teaching clinics for even lower cost care for the members of various Portland communities.

For more information, check out the NCNM Clinics' website at www.ncnm.edu.

Naturopathic Doctors in the Press

My fellow NDs from the NCNM Class of 2007 are making news all across the country! First, Dr. Karen Peters in Albany, CA, discussed flu prevention, then last night I saw Dr. Jesse Buttler who practices in Milwaukee, OR, on KGW Channel 8 news talking about cleanses and fasts. Now it's Dr. Sean Heerey from New York City, talking about the role of alternative medicine in the current healthcare crisis.

And I can't possibly mention Sean without talking about his wife (and my friend) Christina Heerey. She runs the New York Dog Training School and has a great technique for training dogs and owners alike.

Can't wait to find more press on my classmates and friends!

East Bay Naturopathic Clinic
Northwest Natural medicine
Sean E. Heerey, N.D.

Surfin' the 'net

Naturopath bridges gap in treatment, prevention Great advice on flu prevention from Dr. Karen Peters, a naturopathic doctor in the Bay Area.

Egg Money the Modern Way An article on how "Unhipster" is the new hip. A simpler way of life is celebrated in this store on Etsy (unhipster: gear for the rurally inclined).

Gluten-Free: Is it for me? A guide to gluten-free on Oprah.com, by Daphne Oz, the daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz. (via Twitter)

Doctor as Patient

I fell into a hole. Literally. A three foot hole, to be exact.

After a visit to urgent care to rule out any broken bones (although hairline fractures may not show up on x-ray until they start to mend), my body has started to repair itself. Slowly. What is strange about the healing process is how the pain changes. Initially, I felt numbness and pain over my right hip (diagnosed as meralgia paresthetica). The numbness has been fading, the pains changing from dull and achy to burning. The back pain won't allow me to stay in one position for too long, can't get comfortable sitting, standing, or sleeping. I have bruises on bony areas that are super tender to touch; seatbelts and low waistbands aggravate. Visits to the chiropractor have been invaluable, for a few moments I feel relief, then the pain returns. My mind was foggy for a few days, most likely due to a contrecoup concussion according to my chiropractor. Sigh.

How does a doctor manage as a patient? Minutes after my accident, I took Arnica 200c. I believe my bruising would have been much worse had I not taken that homeopathic remedy. Amy, the MD at urgent care was pretty confident in my compliance with her treatment plan: rest, ice, antiinflammatories. Rest has been challenging. When I work at the school's clinics I take things slow, but it's hard to stay still, I'm constantly standing up, shuffling about. Because of this restlessness, I am unable to take new patients in my private practice at the moment. I have been managing established patients over the phone for now. I ice my back during those moments I can sit still, mostly at home after hot showers or when I decompress after working. Instead of ibuprofen, I am taking a natural antiinflammatory product containing proteolytic enzymes, botanical and homeopathic remedies. I wasn't sure if it was working so I didn't take it one day and realized, yes, it's definitely working. I apply Inflamyar, a homeopathic cream for musculoskeletal problems, to my back, hip, shin...even to the site I received my tetanus shot (those things hurt!). My chiropractor kinesiotaped my hip to reduce the swelling. I've reduced my coffee intake considerably and am currently cooking up a pot of bone broth/Biehler's broth with a lot of turmeric (another antiinflammatory). I treated my scrapes with Minor Surgery tincture, a fabulous topical product containing echinacea, goldenseal, and calendula succus.

The pain is changing and is worse at times. This burning sensation is new and indicative of nerve involvement. When I start to worry, I think of this quote by poet Khalil Gibran:

"Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears."

I not only need to listen to my doctors, I need to trust the physician within.

Featured Artist: Lisa Warninger Photography

As part of Rock 'n' Wellness*, I plan to feature a different artist, whether photographer, painter, musician, or actor, whose work and talent I admire.

This week's featured artist is photographer Lisa Warninger. Her exquisite eye lends itself perfectly to capturing the ethereal bliss of a bride and groom or the serene wonder of a newborn baby. She also is part of the collaborative team that makes up Urban Weeds, an online chronicle of Portland street style.

Lisa Warninger Photography
Urban Weeds: Street Style from Portland

*Rock ‘n’ Wellness is a project under development to raise money and awareness for artists and performers without access to health care. For more information, click here.

Labor Day Weekend First Friday Wellness

Join us this coming Labor Day weekend at Holistica Healthcare for our next First Friday Wellness. This September 4th, we will be featuring 10 minute mini- foot reflexology sessions to help you relax and rejuvenate yourself before the holiday weekend. Carissa from Tula Skin Therapy will be joining us to provide you with personalized, holistic skin consultations. There also will be tasty and healthy good-for-your-skin snacks to sample.

Call to reserve your session 503-926-3640. Explore our neighbors at the 811 Design Center Lower Burnside Art Walk, including Recess Wellness, Bombshell Vintage, Redux, Grass Hut, Sword+Fern, Stand Up Comedy, Second Nature, and Holly Stalder.

Classic Summertime Gazpacho

Gazpacho is super easy, all it takes is some veggies and a blender, so no heating up the kitchen with a hot stove. August is the best month for finding super ripe tomatoes, another reason gazpacho is the perfect summertime meal. The original recipe calls for bits of bread to be added to the soup, I have stopped using it as I try to maintain my wheat-free lifestyle, although I'm sure a nice gluten-free loaf from New Cascadia Traditional Bakery would do quite nicely. Experiment with different types of tomatoes; I sometimes use red peppers instead of green to intensify the color of the soup.

Classic Gazpacho
3 medium tomatoes, skins removed and cut into wedges
2 green peppers, seeded and sliced
1/2 cucumber
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
4 cups water

Add all ingredients except 3 cups of water to blender. Blend, slowly adding the rest of the water. If you like thicker soup use less water or add pieces of Italian bread to the mixture and blend some more.

Serve chilled. Garnish with diced cucumber, green pepper, tomato, and bread.

White Bean Summer Salad

The inspiration for this summer salad came from the veggies from my backyard garden. My garden has been slow to grow, I'm not sure if it's due to the position in the yard or the late date of my planting. Always looking for something quick and easy to cook after a long work day, I harvested some of the fruits of my labor and came up with this simple, yummy salad.

White Bean Summer Salad
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed
1 english long cucumber, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
tomatoes (I used 2 small yellow Taxi tomatoes from the garden and one medium red from the store), chopped into small pieces
handful of basil leaves, thinly sliced

Add all ingredients into a large bowl, mix gently. Season with vinegar (I used balsamic, but red wine would work just fine), extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

I told you it was easy! Hoping more cucumbers appear, was looking forward to canning pickles this year.

The Best Things in Life

This Friday is Holistica's second First Friday Wellness event. Stop by Holistica Healthcare on August 7th between 6:30 - 9PM for a free mini-massage or foot reflexology session. Appointments filled up fast in July, so call to reserve a spot!

Speaking of free, Amy runs a blog, Around the Sun, dedicated to saving money in the Portland area, including listings of free events! Subscribe to get updates and be sure to check out the links to resources for frugal dining and coupons/discounts!

On the Road Again: Disney Travel Kit for Kids!

The Alcazar, Cordoba, Spain, June 1974

Some of my fondest memories are of traveling with my family when I was a child. I spent my early years living in Madrid, Spain, and we took many trips in the car, on trains, and even on military planes, exploring the Spanish countryside as well as neighboring European countries. My mom was always super prepared with snacks and activities that would occupy us for hours.

Lunch in the Spanish countryside, 1973. My dad took this photo (self-timer!) and developed it in a makeshift darkroom in our home.

I found this awesome travel kit via RockandRollMama.com, perfect for traveling with the kids this summer. The Disney Travel Kit includes a travel pillow (kid-sized, of course), a copy of Dr. Seuss' There's A Map in My Lap, a travel game, notepad, pen, and a tote bag to keep it all in one place in the plane/train/automobile.

Way cool travel kit. Photo borrowed from RockAndRollMama.com.

Leave a comment on her site and enter for a chance to win one of these kits (a $30 value) for FREE! Also, be sure to check out DisneyFamily.com for tips on traveling with kids. They have ideas for games you can play in the car (other than Punch Buggy...ow!) and "healthy" road trip snacks. I would ixnay the roasted soy nuts or any product labeled "sugar-free," substituting nutritious (not roasted or salted) nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts, or walnuts for the soy nuts, as long as the child is old enough to chew them well. You can also bring nut butters or hummus for dipping carrot sticks, apple slices, or celery. Forgo the sweets for protein snacks, which are important for keeping blood sugar stable and avoiding sugar-crash meltdowns. Artificial sweeteners for kids are not a good thing, either, as they have never been tested on children. Actually, they aren't so good for adults, either (Splenda has been found to alter the efficacy of certain medications and also reduce good intestinal bacteria).

I've compiled some of my favorite products that are perfect for traveling and created a virtual dispensary on the Holistica Healthcare website. Check out my travel-friendly picks at the secure site for H2: On the Road, Again. Contact me for the access code at holisticahealth [at] gmail.com. Additional custom dispensaries for each of the Holistica Healthcare packages are in the works!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Hitting the road? Keep the kids happy! Disney travel kit giveaway (rockandrollmama.com)
• The train reigns in Spain (guardian.co.uk)

Rock 'n' Wellness: Music in the News

Music makes the heart beat faster (or slower). Medical applications of music, from hospital to rehab. From MedlinePlus.

Your favorite songs can motivate you to workout and even fight fatigue. This article from the New York Times explains how to help pick out music for your workout playlist. For the more tech minded athlete, here are more ideas to use music to boost your workout.

As a peer educator in my pre-med days, we used humor and games to teach first year students about issues such as safer sex and substance use. Music Inspires Health promotes education through music and was founded to teach young adults about health topics including smoking prevention, HIV/sexually transmitted infections, nutrition and drug abuse.

First Friday: July 3rd Open House

Image by Joep de Graaff via Flickr

Been busy planning the next First Friday Holistica Healthcare Open House. Dr. Anya Chang and I will be providing mini-sessions of massage and foot reflexology (respectively). I will be setting up a schedule for folks to sign up in advance, so stay tuned!

What a perfectly relaxing way to wash away stress from the week and start the July 4th holiday weekend!

Full length appointments can be scheduled with Dr. Chang or myself at holisticahealth.clickbook.net.

Holistica Teabag Tote!

My friend, Lisa, and I met for lunch today. She happens to be a stylin' owner of a Holistica Pill Pocket Protector, made by the crafty Cari Carter at Motokitty. I was brainstorming, thinking of new ways to use the P.P.P. when Lisa took hers from her purse and, lo and behold...she uses it as a Teabag Tote! The small square size is perfect for carrying your favorite teabags around (her fav is Tazo Wild Sweet Orange).

Holistica Pill Pocket Protectors Teabag Totes are available exclusively at Holistica Healthcare.

Surfin' the 'net: Calendar Girls

Image by Zawezome via Flickr

This goes out to all the ladies out there...

I don't know what I was Googling, but I came across these two entries from Self Magazine. Fun, frivalous, but good advice, nonetheless.

Sex Calendar: Get inspired to get busy! Sleep better, lose weight, fight infections and wrinkles! How? Get frisky!

Self Beauty Calendar 31 Days to a More Gorgeous You. Really simple beauty tips for the woman on the go, from eyebrow tweezing to "Fight a midday work slump by sniffing a sachet..."

Gluten-free Roman (okay, Italian) Holiday

Image via Wikipedia

No, I'm not headed to my dream vacay to Italy (not yet, at least), but I do have a patient who is. Because she has an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (the most common cause of hypothyroidism), I have advised her to stay off of gluten. She reports she feels so much better on the gf diet, but is concerned about an upcoming trip to Italy. Gluten-free in Italy? Impossibile!

Apparently not so impossible. I just did a search on The Google and found quite a few sites on staying gluten-free in Italy. Here are just some of the links I plan to share with her (and you, too!):

Gluten-free Italy Celiac Chicks - The Hip & Healthy Gluten-free Guide
Three Simple Words "Lo sono celiaco" The Original Gluten-free Girl
Celiac Travel Guide has resources including gf restaurant cards in 43 languages. Senza glutine!
A Gluten Free Guide's archive to travel in Italy
Associazione Italiana Celiachia (who knew celiac could sound so sexy?) Click on the little flag for the pages in English.
Gluten-free Travel Site Reviews by fellow gluten-free travellers
Not available in stores, books for the gluten-free traveller.

Rock 'n' Wellness: Sad News

Jay Bennett via last.fm

Jay Bennett, former member of the alt-country band Wilco, died at age 45. He had struggled with drug addiction in the past and was in severe pain due to chronic knee and hip damage, according to his MySpace page. He was in need of hip replacement surgery and did not have any health insurance. Did lack of health insurance contribute to his death? Gawker.com asked that question.

Lack of insurance is a national problem, not just confined to the music world, but there are countless numbers of people struggling to make it as artists and performers, unable to afford health care. There are options to join unions if they qualify and organizations such as Future of Music Coalition and MusiCares provide resources for musicians who are in need of advocacy, financial, and medical support. The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center is a national database of health care resources for artists, performers, and freelancers.

If anyone has other resources for artists in need of health care, please post a comment!

RESOURCES
Future of Music Coalition
MusiCares
The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center
Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

UPDATE 07/01/09
Last week, an Illinois coroner's office revealed the cause of Jay Bennett's death was an accidental fentanyl overdose. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate analgesic that is often prescribed for severe and chronic pain that has a high addiction potential. It binds to receptors in the brain to decrease not only the pain, but also the emotional response to pain.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Former Wilco Member Jay Bennett Died Of Painkiller Overdose (mtv.com)
• About Fentanyl (Drugs.com)
  

Think Smoothie!

Image by terriseesthings via Flickr

Smoothies are a delicious, nutritious, quick, and easy addition to a healthy diet. I use coconut milk because I try to avoid dairy and I like the taste (it's very mild). Besides being dairy-free, coconut milk also has medium-chain fatty acids which speed up the body's ability to burn fat. The berries are just full of healthy goodness, including Vitamin C, fiber, and tons of antioxidants, which help repair our cells that become damaged from the stressors of everyday life. Ground flax seeds also contain fiber as well as omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to grind the seeds in a coffee grinder prior to adding to the smoothie and always store the seeds in the fridge or freezer to prevent the oils from going rancid. Only grind what you need for the day.

I add fish oil*, another great source of omega-3s which have antiinflammatory effects that are beneficial to the heart, skin, brain, musculoskeletal system...the whole body, in fact. My favorite is Carlson's Lemon Cod Liver Oil which is very high quality, available in many grocery and health food stores, and I don't find it fishy tasting at all. It has a good ratio of Vitamin A to D (which should be less than 10:1 to prevent liver damage, Carlson’s is), but if you have any concerns or don’t need the extra Vitamin D, you can use regular old fish oil. It is far more cost effective to buy liquid fish oil, and a product like Carlson's is versatile enough to add to salad dressings, yogurt, even popcorn. Again, keep it in your refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh (and not fishy).

Some smoothie recipes use sugar to add extra sweetness, but fruit is naturally sweet! If your favorite fruit is not in season, try the frozen version (without the added sugar, please).

SUPER BERRY SMOOTHIE
1/2 can light coconut milk
1 cup frozen berries (if you use fresh, add a few ice cubes to make the smoothie slushy)

2 TBSP ground flax seeds

1 TBSP flavored fish oil

OPTIONAL: one serving of your favorite green or protein powder

Blend ingredients, serve cold.

Toss in slices of peach, nectarines, melon, mango, half a banana or avocado. Be daring and experiment with whatever fruit is in season!

*Vegans can use Udo's Choice instead of fish oil, also found at health food stores.

REFERENCES
More on berries and Omega 3s from Oregon State University
Carlson Laboratories, makers of fine fish oils

Wheat-Free Crumble 2.0

When looking at my blog traffic, I noticed the Google search that most often brings readers to Holistica Naturopathic is "wheat-free crumble." I posted a recipe way back in 2007 for a wheat-free dessert, and that's my most popular blog entry! I have no clue if anyone is making this crumble, but there are folks all over the globe checking out the recipe.

In the spirit of the holiday weekend, I've decided to repost the recipe (for my new readers who may not be reading the old posts). I did make one with agave, but don't recall the proportions. I'm thinking coconut oil would work well instead of butter, again I don't know the replacement equivalent*, so if you experiment, let me know!

Yummy Wheat-free Berry Crumble

Preheat oven to 325.

Filling (you can use whatever fruit is local and in season!)
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
2 nectarines (or peaches), peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP gluten-free flour
big squeeze of lime juice

Mix filling ingredients gently. Set aside.

Crumble
1c gluten free flour
1/2 c uncooked oatmeal (rolled, not steel cut)
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar (can substitute maple syrup or honey, but I don't know the proportions)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 TBSP butter, chilled & cut in small pieces (can use coconut oil* or any other non-dairy derived margarine)
1/2-1c chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans) - OPTIONAL

Mix 1st four crumble ingredients, using hands & pastry cutter to incorporate butter. Add chopped nuts, unless you are allergic, of course.

Pour filling into oiled (or buttered) gratin dish. Spread crumble on top. Bake in 325 oven for 30-40 minutes, or until crumble is toasted and berries are hot! Use a baking sheet under the gratin dish while baking, as the berry mixture can bubble over and mess up your oven.

Serve warm. Can top with your favorite ice cream, creme fraiche, or for the lactose intolerant, soy ice cream, rice dream or my personal favorite...Larry & Luna's Coconut Bliss! (Email them requesting their product at a Whole Foods or other natural grocery near you!!!!)

Holistica Newsletter

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Holistica Merchandise: Pill Pocket Protector

Introducing the first in the line of Holistica Healthcare products! Created by the über-talented Cari Carter from Motokitty, these mini pouches are perfect for loose change, your driver's license or a couple of homeopathic tubes. Conveniently designed with an attached key chain and handmade from sturdy vinyl (some vintage), no two Pocket Protectors are the same.

Available exclusively at Holistica Healthcare for only $12.00!

Online Appointment Scheduling

Holistica Healthcare is now set up for online appointment scheduling! Naturopathic medical and reflexology appointments need just 24 hours advance notice, non-life threatening acute care appointments only a two hour lead time (if it is a medical emergency, log off the internet, pick up the phone and dial 911!). Cancellations require 24 hour notification or a fee of 50% of the appointment fee will be charged to the patient.

Clinic paperwork will soon be available to download from the up-and-coming Holistica Healthcare website. Until then, email me and I will send you PDF documents (you will need Adobe Acrobat to read them). Bring the filled out forms to your first appointment!

We are offering discounts during the month of May, in honor of Mother's Day. Mommy's Little Helper is a comprehensive wellness package — a one hour initial intake, three 1/2 hour follow up appointments, one 1/2 hour reflexology session, and a special gift from Holistica Healthcare! First time reflexology sessions (75 minute appointment) are 20% off.

For those with insurance, I am working on several options, will update you shortly.

Holistica Open House

Wow. Last night's open house was a huge success! The gathering was a wonderful, eclectic mix of people, some friends, some family, some residents from the neighborhood, some strangers off the street. We even had a visit from Portland, Oregon's esteemed mayor, Sam Adams. I must admit I was positively star struck, and if you know me, that isn't typical. I've met my share of celebs and rock stars and some may consider me a bit jaded, but last night, I was positively gushing over our surprise guest.

Leah Sherman, ND and Anya Chang, ND LMT, and Portland Mayor Sam Adams at the Holistica Healthcare open house, May 1, 2009.

It was such a fun evening, Holistica Healthcare will definitely be participating in future First Friday events!

Have I mentioned that Anya Chang, ND, LMT, of True Health Medicine in Tualatin, will be seeing massage patients at the Holistica Healthcare Portland office?

Leah Sherman, ND and Anya Chang, ND LMT outside the Holistica Healthcare office, May 1, 2009.

So, what's a doctor do the day after her clinic's open house? Help out at the Rosa Parks Community Health Fair at the Mt Olivet Baptist Church in North Portland. The church's women's ministry helped organize the fair and students from the National College of Natural Medicine volunteered their time with hearing and vision tests for the kids and blood pressure screenings for the adults. There also was a bike helmet clinic courtesy of Legacy Emanuel, Northwest Medical Team provided services through their dental van, and Multnomah County conducted testing for lead poisoning.

Richard Barrett, ND supervises students conducting vision screening tests on children at the Rosa Parks Community Health Fair, May 2, 2009.

Clinic Update – First Friday Open House

These are the latest pictures of Holistica Healthcare. This Friday, May 1st, neighboring businesses are participating in the First Friday Central Eastside Arts District walk. I'm having an open house, so if you are in the neighborhood (Lower Burnside), drop on in and say "Hi!"

Holistica Healthcare Open House
Friday, May 1st
6-9 PM
811 East Burnside, Suite 124
(8th between Burnside and Couch, entrance at back of building)

Holistica Healthcare Facebook fan page!

Image via Wikipedia

Holistica Healthcare now has a fan page on Facebook! Join now to stay up to date on special news and events.

What events, you ask? Well, as April is National Foot Health Month, we are offering specials on reflexology sessions. Reflexology has been used in conjunction with other treatments in the management of pain and stress and it just feels really good.

If you are interested in making an appointment, call 503-926-3640. Be sure to become a Facebook fan and print out the event page to get your discounted appointment.

Chick & Clinic Update

Here is a picture of the chicks on the day they arrived, L to R: Munkey, Penguin, and Buttercup.

And here are the chicks today (L to R, Penguin (hidden), Buttercup, Itchy (my roommate's chicken), and Munkey. These birds are growing fast!

Penguin the White Cochin is still the smallest of the bunch. Her feathers are coming in and she looks like she's wearing aprés ski boots.

The clinic space is coming along, as well. This past week, after a couple of trips to Ikea and hours of assembling the purchases, everything started to fall into place. Holistica Healthcare should be up and running in a week or so.

Catching up!

Image via Wikipedia

I have several blog posts in the works, but have been catching up on some residency related paperwork and freelance illustrations I'm doing for another physician's book on functional gastroenterology.

A lot has been going on in the world of holistica, not just with the arrival of the chickens, building a coop, and revamping the garden, but a possible clinic space is in the works. Exciting! A second exciting update is my contribution to another Health Magazine story, this one on some of the health benefits of tea. Check it out online, then pick up the April 2009 issue of Health Magazine to see it in print.

If you're just hankering for more regular updates, follow me on Twitter!

What I'm Reading

From the New York Times online:
Don't speak! Why you shouldn't whisper when you have laryngitis. Best to give your vocal cords a break, avoid talking as much as possible.

Oral Allergy Syndrome: Why pollen allergies can lead to fruit and veggie allergies. Denature the offending proteins by peeling and cooking.

For something green on this St. Patrick's Day, a Provençal soup that is chock full o' greens and nutrients. Leave out the eggs, bread, and/or cheese if you have dietary restrictions, it will still be filling and delish.

From Treehugger.com, plant a garden and save money! Do something good for the wallet and the environment.

Vote and Name the Chick!

Voting has now started for the Name the Chick contest. Find the poll in the right hand column and select the name you think best suits the Buff Orpington chick. The person who came up with the winning name gets a dozen eggs (once she starts laying!). Thanks for voting!

Chickens, part deux: Name that chick!

From the top: Penguin, the White Cochin, back and front views; Munkey, the Ameraucana; the yet-to-be-named Buff Orpington.

These are the latest portraits of the chicks. I plan to photograph them every few days because soon they will be full grown and out of that adorable "puppy" stage! I still don't have a name for the Buff Orpington (the yellow chick), so I will hold a contest and...may the best name win!

My Buff Orpington: she is larger than the other birds, so I suspect a few days older. She also is attempting to fly and has a really strong personality. From the Urban Farm Store website, here is a bit about more the Orpington:

Cute, puffy and (sometimes) even cuddly. This breed dates to the late 1800’s in England. The Orpington is becoming the most popular backyard chicken in the States. They are reliable layers of brown eggs. Because of their plumage, they are very cold tolerant. While they tolerate confinement well but will benefit from exercise.

So, comment away! I'm excited to see what names you all come up with!