Doctor Higginson’s Blog

Three years ago, NYC banned smoking in restaurants and now there is talk of banning a substance some feel is just as harmful…trans fats.

According to Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard University School of Public Health, “Artificial trans fats are very toxic, and they almost surely causes tens of thousands of premature deaths each year,” he said. “The federal government should have done this long ago.”

What exactly is this toxic substance?   Basically, trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil–a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.  Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

That doesn’t sound so bad, a little extra hydrogen never killed anyone…right?  Researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health think so.

“By our most conservative estimate, replacement of partially hydrogenated fat in U.S. diet with natural unhydrogenated vegetable oils would prevent approximately 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year, and epidemiologic evidence suggests this number is closer to 100,000 premature deaths annually.”

Recently there has been a movement to remove Trans fat by a few large companies.  Wendy’s announced in August that it had switched to a new cooking oil that contains no trans fatty acids. Crisco now sells a shortening that contains zero trans fats. Frito-Lay removed trans fats from its Doritos and Cheetos. Kraft’s took trans fats out of Oreos.  McDonald’s switched to a Trans fat free cooking oil in Denmark following a nationwide ban of the substance.

Removing the Trans fat from all our foods might seem like a daunting task, but so did removing cigarette smoke from restaurants.  In this day and age it is hard to imagine someone smoking at the table next to you or the desk next to you at work.  This was a reality not long ago.

These changes require education and active participation.  Groups like Ban Trans Fats have provided on online resource for those interested in becoming more knowledgeable regarding Trans Fats.

The information is out there and the studies have been done.  It is obvious that this substance is detrimental to our already fragile health.  Start with you own diet and then help to educate other about the dangers of Trans Fat.

More at CNN.com

Summer is coming to an end in the Pacific Northwest, or at least it looked that way until this week.  With the changing of the seasons comes “cold season.”  You don’t have to look far to find a sore throat or a runny nose this time of year.

Why do we get colds?  Do we get colds because we come in contact with a virus?  If all that it took was coming in contact with a virus, we would always be sick.  Bugs are everywhere, no matter how hard we try, we could never avoid them in our daily life.

Bacteria and viruses are similar to seeds.  If you plan a seed on concrete it is unlikely that it will grow, but if you take that same seed and give it the proper environment, it could grow to be a giant redwood.

When the proper environment is set for a bacteria or virus, the bug will flourish causing a cold.  So, why does this happen more during the cold months?  Typically people slow down in the cold months, spend more time inside, get less exercise, have more stress and eat poorly.  All of these factors contribute to providing the proper environment for bacteria and viruses.

The foods we eat are very important in warding off foreign invaders.  Foods that are high in antioxidants have been shown to support the immune system which is responsible for protecting us.

The following is a list of 10 fruits that are high in antioxidants. Always buy organic when you can. For more information on foods that you should always buy organic, see my post “Top 12 pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables.”

1.Wild blueberries
2.Cranberries
3.Blackberries
4.Prunes
5.Raspberries
6.Strawberries
7.Red Delicious apples
8.Granny Smith apples
9.Sweet cherries
10.Black plums

I know, I know, you are wondering how putting needles in your body is going to cause your stress to go away!  Fair question. 

We have all heard of the negative affects of long-term stress on the body. In Chinese Medicine, stress disrupts the energy pathways in the body causing a blockage.  Think of a bathroom drain, hair goes into it and gradually builds up.  Eventually you will have a clogged drain.  The same happens with energy in your body.  Long-term stress builds and builds in your body eventually causing “dis-harmonies” varying in degree.  Acupuncture is extremely beneficial in unblocking stuck energy and promoting the free flow of energy throughout the body.  It uses tiny hair like needles placed in specific points to relax and rebalance your system.  Most people even fall asleep during treatments! 

For further reading: Acupuncture for Stress

If you have any questions, please feel free to call,

Stephanie Petix, L.Ac.

503-227-8781

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a different type of massage from a therapist in the neighborhood. Her name is Andrea Burnett LMT and she practices the Bowen Technique. I asked her to write an article explaining the technique.

The following was written by Andrea Burnett LMT about the Bowen Technique:

Who would have thought after 18 years as a massage therapist that I would come across a technique that would completely change the way I practice Massage. In June of 2006 I took levels 1 and 2.of the Bowen Technique.
This light touch therapy is a powerful yet gentle modality . It has been practiced in Australia for over 30 years and is in 16 countries. I like it that I can use this technique on people who do not want to disrobe.

The approach is to gently slack the skin over the specific area to be addressed, challenge the muscle and roll gently but firmly over it. The theory is that by doing so, you trigger a mechanism within the tendon of the muscle that sends a message to the brain to reset the resting rate of the muscle. The implications of that are wonderful. Since once a muscle is traumatized, either by physical, emotional or repetitive stress, it tightens up, then other muscles tighten up to support it. and others do the same , and so on. You then have a negative domino effect. Imagine reversing that process by resetting one muscle and a whole group end up relaxing. No matter what the theory, I have had profound results with many of my clients in two or three sessions. I feel blessed to find such a wonderful way to help others at this time in my career.

To learn more about the Bowen Technique contact Andrea Burnett at 503.289.4519 or by email acallieb@msn.com. You can also visit www.bowenwork.com for more information.

Popular and long-acting asthma medicines such as Advair and Serevent pose a substantially increased risk of hospitalization and death to users compared with placebos, according to a new analysis of 19 studies on the subject.

“The use of long-acting [bronchodilators] could be associated with a clinically significant number of unnecessary hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions and deaths each year,” according to Stanford researchers.

The Food and Drug Administration has voiced concerns about the widely used medicines, and last fall it required drug makers to prepare stiff new warnings to the package label. But the new analysis, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, raises the possibility that the drug should be taken off the market if it continues to be so widely used.

Each day we learn of the harmful and potentially fatal side effects associated with many of the medications that are being consumed each day.  Complimentary and alternative medicine techniques have been shown to treat conditions such as asthma with little or no side effects.  Often asthma is triggered by a long acting food allergy or pressure on a never that controls the lungs.

Alternative medicine is not the answer in every case, but you owe it to yourself and your children to try a gentler healing method before resulting to medication.

Full Article: www.Washingtonpost.com 

A chemical compound called 1,4 dichlorobenzenzene (1,4 DCB), found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products, may be harmful to the lungs, according to a new study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).  1,4 DCB belongs to a group of volitile organic compounds, which are emitted as gases from thousands of commonly used products including tobacco smoke, pesticides, paints, cleaning products and car exhausts.

The study found that 96 percent of the population studied had detectable 1,4 DCB blood concentration levels.  The report stated that 1,4 DCB may cause modest reductions in lung function, and even a small reduction in lung function can harm lungs.  The effects of 1,4 DCB might be greater for those with asthma and compromised respiratory systems.

Form more information read the NIEHS press release on air fresheners

BMI stands for Body Mass Index.  It is value that is calculated to determine an individual’s weight to height ratio.  The BMI provides a more accurate description of a patient’s health when compared to weight measurements alone.  Insurance companies have started to use this number when determining the risk factors associated with a patient.

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 to 34.9 is considered obese. Any score higher than 35 is considered morbidly obese.

Here are the steps to calculate your BMI, courtesy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Multiply your height in inches by itself (height in inches squared).
• Divide your weight in pounds by the result of the first calculation.
• Multiply the result by 703 to calculate your BMI.
  BMI = [weight (lb) / height (in)2] x 703
• Or, take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in meters squared.
• Compare your score to recommendations for a healthy BMI.

With all the outdoor activities in arms reach from the majority of Oregonians, we might expect to be one of the fittest states on the map.

Each year a study is done to determine the levels of obesity in our 50 states.  Even with the a recent focus on obesity prevention, this year 31 states had an increase in obesity levels and the number of obese adults was over 25% in 13 states. There was a direct correlation between poverty and obesity rates with nine out of the ten states in the south.

Colorado remains the fittest state with only 16.9% obesity among residents and Nevada was the only state to have a decrease in obesity.

How did Oregon do?

To see the nationwide results click on this link: www.MSNBC.com

There are few companies that spend the amount of money on marketing that pharmaceutical companies do. This should come as no surprise if you have turned on a t.v. or opened a magazine in the last 5 years. In her new book, The Truth About Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It, Marcia Angell writes that big pharma spend 2.5 the amount of money on marketing that it does on research and development.

A new type of marketing has consumer groups concerned, free drugs! Companies making the offers include Pfizer, which offers a free prescription of the impotence drug Viagra for every six filled, and Sanofi-Aventis, which allows patients to try seven days of the sleeping pill Ambien at no cost. These offers are not tracked by doctors or pharmacists, unlike some free trial vouchers.

Providing a drug at a discount or for free might persuade them to insist on a drug that is not right for them and might be more costly in the future. Currently 23 groups have submitted complaints to the FDA regarding this new form of drug promotion.
It is true that the cost of drugs have become increasingly more expensive, but their are more effect ways to lower the cost of drug other than “free” samples. If spent less money on marketing drugs, those savings could be passed along to the consumer.

Read on at Yahoo News