Allergy Season is upon us. Are you experiencing allergies?

What is an allergy? 

An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to a substance that is not normally harmful. In some people, the immune system wrongly identifies a nontoxic substance as an invader, and the white blood cells overreact and do more damage to the body than the invader.

What are common signs and symptoms of environmental allergies? 

Seasonal nasal congestion, itching, burning eyes, hives, coughing and headaches.

What are the most common substances that can provoke seasonal allergies? 

In Colorado these include trees such as Elm, Cottonwood, Cedar, Juniper, Pine and Aspen, and  other plants such as ragweed, pollen, thistle, dust and sage.

Other substances that can provoke an allergy include:

nickel, cosmetics, lanolin, animal dander, dust mites, some common drugs such as penicillin, aspirin and sulfa drugs, some food additives such as benzoic acid and sulfites and chemicals found in soap and laundry detergents.

Many people are allergic to molds. Molds can live throughout the house, under the sink and in the bathroom, basement, refrigerator or any dark and damp place. Mold spores are carried in the wind and predominate in the summer and early fall. Cutting grass, harvesting crops or walking through tall vegetation can provoke a reaction.

How does natural treatments differ from traditional allergy treatments? 

Natural treatments do not use drugs such as steroids that treat only the symptoms and tend to mask the cause.   Natural treatments build the immune to prevent allergies.

What kind of natural treatments are available for environmental allergies? Dr. Wiancek uses homeopathy to desensitize a person from their specific environmental allergies. She also uses natural anti-inflammatory products and Chinese herbs depending upon how severe the reaction. 

 Most people with environmental allergies have food allergies.  When you identify the food allergies and eliminate them the environmental allergies go away. 

What foods can provoke an allergic reaction? Some of the most common allergenic foods include chocolate, dairy products, eggs, shellfish, strawberries, citrus fruits, corn, wheat, food additives, preservatives and dyes.

What are the most common symptoms of food allergies?  

There are many symptoms related to food allergies these include:

Recurrent colds, sore throats, chronic tonsillitis, ear infections, ringing and buzzing in the ears, chronic nasal congestion, postnasal drip, Meniere’s syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, ulcerative colitis, gallbladder disease, irritable bowel disease, migraines and other headaches, hives, canker sores, psoriasis, eczema, acne, asthma, frequent urination, teeth grinding, bedwetting, colic, muscle aches, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, unexplained fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, food cravings, obesity etc. Most of these disorders have more than one cause, but food allergy is a relatively common and frequently overlooked cause.

How is a food allergy best diagnosed? 

Dr. Wiancek uses a blood test, which test 100 different foods to diagnosis food allergy. A person can become allergic to almost any type of food and any combination of foods. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is important.

Depending on how severe a person’s symptoms are there are different ways to treat food allergies such as desensitizing a person, total elimination and improving digestion. Without treatment our immune system will become depleted and symptoms can become worse over time.

If you suspect you may have an environmental or food related allergy it is best to get an assessment.  Without treatment your immune system can become depleted and symptoms can get worse. For any question please call Dr. Wiancek at 970-926-7606 or e-mail Wiancek@healthref.com website  www.healthref.com.

Colorado Governor Signs Bill Regulating Naturopathic Doctors!

Colorado Governor Signs Bill Regulating Naturopathic Doctors

Enactment Will Increase Access to Natural Medicine for Illness Prevention Denver, CO, June 5 - Governor John Hickenlooper today signed into law a measure to allow naturopathic doctors to register with the state to legally practice naturopathic medicine. Colorado becomes the 17th state to do so, along with the District of Columbia.   "I am proud that Colorado has taken the lead in ensuring that well trained naturopathic doctors, appropriately regulated, become a viable health care option for the citizens of our state," said Rep. Joann Ginal (D-Ft. Collins), the bill's lead sponsor. Sen. Linda Newell (D-Littleton), the bill's sponsor in the Senate, commented that "naturopathic doctors are going to be a key component in health care, saving the state millions of dollars through their focus on disease prevention and natural treatment, such as nutrition, lifestyle counseling and botanical medicine." Naturopathic doctors are trained to prevent and treat chronic conditions associated with lifestyle - such as hypertension, weight gain, obesity, and diabetes - as well as most other illnesses. The law will enable Coloradans to distinguish between naturopathic doctors and lay or traditional naturopaths, who lack extensive graduate-level clinical training. The law allows naturopathic doctors who have completed a 4-year post-graduate program at an accredited naturopathic medical school and have passed a national science and clinical board exam to register with the state. Currently, more than 150 naturopathic doctors practice in Colorado. As with other licensed medical professionals, a framework will now be provided for the safe and effective conduct of their profession, including: A registration program for qualified naturopathic doctors A multi-disciplinary advisory committee with oversight responsibility Requirements to maintain liability insurance and meet continuing professional competencies A requirement that naturopathic doctors communicate and collaborate, as appropriate, with other health care practitioners "This is a great day for naturopathic doctors and the citizens of Colorado," remarked Denise Clark, ND, president of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CoAND). "Our members are dedicated to patient-centered, preventive care. Naturopathic doctors provide a safe, effective, and affordable alternative for patients seeking holistic health care." "An increasing base of scientific research is affirming that naturopathic medicine is useful in the treatment of numerous chronic illnesses," observed Jud Richland, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP). "A good example is the recent study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, documenting that naturopathic medicine may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease among people at high risk. Naturopathic medicine, with its emphasis on self-responsibility and body's inherent self-healing capacity, is effective in many cases of preventable illness, which affect a vast and increasing number of Americans."

Tips on Preventing the Cold & Flu

Flu Season is Upon Us 

There are many ways we can take action to prevent the cold and flu this season.  The key to not getting the flu this year is keeping your immune system in check.  

What’s the difference between the flu and a cold or upper respiratory tract infection?  

The flu symptoms generally start with a fever, chills, body aches and pains.  A cold usually starts with sore throat, cough and/or sinus congestion. A cold is due to a virus 95% of the time and the flu is a virus. Antibiotics do not work for viruses. Some of the best natural defenses for preventing the flu are the following:

• Keep your immune system in check by taking a good multiple vitamin with Vitamin A, Vitamin C,  Vitamin D and Zinc.
• Wash your hands frequently with plain soap and water.  Antibacterial soaps are unnecessary.  In fact, antibacterial soaps make us resistant to antibiotic medications when we really need them.
• Cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing to prevent the spread of the flu.
• Avoid sugar as much as possible.  Sugar depletes our immune system making us more susceptible to colds and flu.
• Get enough sleep. Make sure you get eight hours of sleep a day.  Not enough rest will deplete your immune system.
• Exercise regularly to lower your stress response and build up your immune system. 
• Eat garlic, ginger and onions regularly in your foods.  These foods naturally has anti-viral and antibactial effects.
• Oscillococcinum or Gripp-Heel are homeopathic remedies that can reduce the duration and severity of flu symptoms especially if taken within the first 24 hours of the flu.
• Influenzinum is the homeopathic alternative to the flu shot.
• Other anti-viral herbs that are beneficial on the onset of the cold or flu include astragalus, echinacea, ligusticum, schizandrae and elderberry.
• If you do catch the flu or cold consider not going to work or school to prevent the spread of this virus.  It is best to stay at home until the fever resolves.

Vitamin A works on building up our immune system and zinc has anti-viral effects.  If you are a person who gets the flu regularly you may be Vitamin D deficient. The founder of the Vitamin D Council, Dr. John Cannell first introduced the hypothesis that influenza is merely a symptom of vitamin D deficiency in the paper Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D, published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection two years ago, followed up with another study published in the Virology Journal last year. The findings were confirmed by a new study -- the largest and most nationally representative of its kind to date -- that involved about 19,000 Americans. It found that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. You may want to consider getting your Vitamin D blood levels checked.

A  study written in the August issue of Pediatrics 2009 states that probiotics such as acidophilus and bifidobacterium taken daily can reduce the incidence of fevers by up to seventy percent, coughs and sinusitis by sixty percent. Probiotics are a great way to prevent both colds and flu in school children and adults.  Probiotics build up our immune system through our intestinal tract. 

Elderberry syrup has been shown to build up our immune system and prevent the flu.  A sugar free elderberry extract is recommended. 

At the Natural Pharmacy we carry many products for cold/flu prevention, anti-viral herbs for treating colds and flu’s, teas, cough syrups and drops and immune boosters.  These products are always good to have on hand in the cold and flu season.

Not sure if you have the flu or cold stop by our flu and cold clinic and get assessed and treated quickly so you can get back to feeling better and not spreading this infection to co-workers and family members.

 Dr. Deborah Wiancek  is a Naturopathic Physician who practices at the Riverwalk Natural 

Health Clinic & Natural Pharmacy.  She is a primary care physician specializing in allergies, dermatology, gastrointestinal problems, gynecology, menopause, pediatrics and chronic disease. 

Phone 970-926-7606 e-mail Wiancek@healthref.com.

Fifty Percent of all Cancers Can Be Prevented.

Researchers  at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Congress 2012 stated that 50% of all cancers can be prevented simply by following the steps of what is known in cancer prevention such as:

Don't Smoke.  Smoking causes 1/3 of all cancers.

Lose weight.  Obesity causes 20% of all cancers.

Eat well.    Improvement in diet could reduce cancer incidence by 50% 

Exercise. Increases in physical activity could reduce cancer incidence by as much as 85% in 5 to 20 years.

Eradicating the main viruses associated with cancer worldwide which include human papillomavirus and hepatitis B and C  could lead to a 100% reduction in viral-related cancer incidence in 20 to 40 years.

Screening for colorectal cancer can reduce mortality by 30% to 40%.

Epidemiologists have shown thirty years ago that tobacco, alcohol, diet,  lack of physical activity, and obesity accounted for more than half of all cancer.

United States Wastes 750 Billion in Health Care Cost.

Is More Care Better Care?

Wasted health care dollars included:

unneccesary services $210 billion,
mistakes and unneccesary use of specialist $130 billion,
excessadministration cost $190 billion,
too high prices $105 billion,
missed prevention opportunities $55 billion,
and fraud committed by patients, providers and payers 75 billion.

Arsenic Found in Rice

Consumer Reports found arsenic, a known carcinogenic, in 200 different rice products that are sold in grocery stores in the United States alone.

This was reported to pressure the FDA to set standards for safe food supplies.

Arsenic was found in baby cereal, rice cakes and bags of rice.

Arsenic is found in many of the soils where rice is produced.

Arsenic can also be found in water supplies.  

Running Less Than Twenty Miles a Week Better for Your Health than Long runs.

A new study in by Dr Carl Lavie (Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA) showed that the mortality benefits of running are best accumulated in shorter distances, specifically at less than 20 miles per week.   In fact, at longer distances, the researchers observed a U-shape relationship between mortality and running, with longer weekly distances trending back in the wrong direction, toward less mortality benefit.  

 Lavie stressed that the study is one of the largest to date, including data on more than 52 000 men and women participating in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS), results will likely vary among individuals with differing athletic abilities or different ages.   Running was associated with a 19% lower risk of all-cause mortality when compared with individuals who did not run.  Individuals who ran six and seven miles per hour had a significant 21% and 27% lower risk of all-cause mortality, whereas those who ran eight or more miles per hour had a nonsignificant 7% lower risk of all-cause mortality.  Running up to 20 miles per week was associated with a significantly reduced risk of death, with the largest benefit observed in those who ran between 10 to 15 miles weekly.   For those who ran 20 to 25 miles and more than 25 miles per week, however, there was a nonsignificant 10% and 5% reduction in all-cause mortality. 

Lavie noted that it is impossible to say definitively that more running is making the reduction in all-cause mortality go in the other direction, as it's possible that unmeasured variables might have influenced the results.  It's possible that runners might not be taking care of themselves in other ways.  Endurance exercise may also be associated with coronary artery calcification, diastolic dysfunction, or arterial stiffening.  For a cardiovascular protection thirty to forty minutes of running is better that ninety minutes of running.  This study is showing that more is not better when it comes to exercise.