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Ringing in the New Year with visions, dreams and intentions is part of our contemporary culture. The ball drops in New York; the sun rises wherever you are, and we all seem to sense change is in the air. January 1 marks the time when many people decide to make a change and transform some aspect of their lives in ways they believe will make their lives better. Often resolutions are related to health and well-being. Here’s a new resolution: recognize health insurance is not heathcare; and vow to seek healthcare, not a payment system.
For the approximately 45% of Americans with health insurance through their employers, January 1 is also the start of the year for most health insurance policy annual contracts. The same holds true for the approximately 11% of Americans have some other type of insurance, and the 25% with a government plan. Whatever the type of insurance, it’s likely the insurance company changed the rules as of 12:01 January 1. And their changes may have a substantial impact on the care of your health, impacting what you envision as a means to have a better life in 2012.
The insurance company didn’t consult you on the policy changes. They didn’t ask you want you need or want to feel and be healthy. In the paradigm of the 80% of insured Americans, insurance companies are in the driver’s seat to decide what healthcare is and who can provide it. It could mean different types of treatments are covered or not covered; different types of allowable “doctors” are considered acceptable or not acceptable; and of course it all revolves around a method to parse the dollars between providers, patients and insurance companies – the power triad of today’s “healthcare system.”
Making money in the healthcare system: insurance & pharmaceutical companies

Insurance is a contractual payment system. It’s a method to pay to certain people what the company determines is allowable care, under the terms of the policy. The payment system has very little to do with actual care that relieves suffering and improves well-being. When you let a payment system determine what care or well-being is, that substantially limits your options to make your life better in any way that resembles your personal concept of well-being.

Stephan A. Schwartz, a regular contributor to Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing has coined our current healthcare system as the “illness profit system.” And there seems to be plenty of profit to go around. Insurance companies, by their very nature of being corporations, have as their number one job to return shareholder value – to make money. CEO’s get paid a lot of money to do this. The heads of health insurance companies, healthcare consulting firms and other health related companies are among the highest paid executives in any industry. According to the LA Times, McKesson CEO John Hammergren received $145.3 million in compensation in 2010. Fierce HealthCare reports Omnicare CEO John Figueroa was compensated 98 million last year; and Aetna’s Ronald Williams took home $57.8 million before retiring in April 2010.

Pharmaceutical companies are also big winners in the power triad. In 2009-2010, seven of the big pharmaceutical companies paid 17,700 presenters a total of $281.9 million to promote their products. These presentations to physicians were instrumental in a"combined prescription drug sales amounting to 36 percent of the $300 billion U.S. market in 2009." Only 10% of what big pharma makes is spent on research to cure diseases and save lives.

The losers in this system: patients and physicians

According to Bloomberg.com, “Forty-nine million Americans reported spending 10 percent or more of their income on insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs last year, according to the Commonwealth Fund study.” Patients spend more and more. As of 2008, 38% of adults used some sort of “complementary alternative medicine” (CAM). Anything labeled CAM is generally not covered by insurance, with rare exceptions of some limited use of acupuncture or chiropractic. Not only do people spend money on insurance premiums, they’re paying providers directly for health care that actually works for them. No wonder we have the most expensive health care system in the world.

Many M.D.s are also struggling with this current power triad. Holistic physicians who want to spend more than 7 – 10 minutes with their patients, and want to provide CAM care that works are seeking ways walk away from the insurance model, and serve patients in ways that help patients fundamentally heal. While they’re reluctant to talk about it, a recent CNN article discusses the economic challenges for M.D.s trying to operate in this system, and how many of them are going broke. http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/05/smallbusiness/doctors_broke/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3&hpt=hp_c1

Your resolution for the care of your health

The month of January didn’t even exist until about 700 B.C. when the Romans adjusted the calendar and move the “new year” from March to the new January. Julius Caesar introduced the Roman calendar, a solar-based system, in 46 B.C., and decreed the new year would be January 1. During the middle ages the new year was celebrated on various days in December, January and March. Even today, cultures around the world celebrate the new year on dozens of different days.

So, while January 1 has passed, any day can be the start of a new year. What will you resolve about the care of your health? There is an opportunity for transformation just as significant, if not more significant, than the common “eat right and exercise” resolution. At the core of your being, what’s your vision for the well-being of yourself, your family, or even the planet? Bring your vision, your resolution, to fruition by really knowing what you mean by “health” and “care” and spend your money accordingly. Resolve to not confuse health insurance with healthcare. Those two terms mean vastly different things.

About the author:

Deb Andelt is co-owner of Experience In Motion, which equips organizations with tools to curate meaningful experiences for customers and employees. Deb’s personal journey from decay to wellbeing inspired an emphasis in improving healthcare experiences for patients and practitioners by focusing on experiences that heal and self-caring as a way of organizational being. www.experienceinmotion.net.

This post is part of the Women's Health Blogfest. Please click on the links below to read more from other contributors! And thanks to everyone who took the time to participate!

In the almost 10 years I have been studying PCOS, I've learned much about what drives a woman's motivation to seek out information. The top reasons women find this blog are:

1. to improve their fertility,
2. to more effectively manage their weight, and
3. to feel and look better

As I've read and met women with the syndrome, I've learned that PCOS is about a whole lot more.

1. A woman's breastfeeding practices seem to significantly influence her child's hormonal health. Many women I've worked with were formula fed at a time when baby formula did not contain essential nutrients.
2. Whether or not you as a woman with PCOS were born to term, and potentially whether or not you were part of a multiple birth, seem to be red flags for PCOS risk later in life.
3. Just because you're a teenager, too young to want to conceive, or a woman who has already had her children, doesn't mean PCOS isn't something to be concerned about. It can mess with your mood, and in turn your energy level and relationships. It can provoke eating disorders. It can elevate your cholesterol. And…through its link to diabetes, it may increase your risk for Alzheimer's disease.

A blog attempting to tackle a syndrome with such widespread effects is not easy to manage. I've been working since we've started to find experts in areas outside of nutrition to complement what I as a dietitian can discuss and promote. I'm really excited to be partnering with lactation consultants to address breastfeeding issues specific to PCOS, and to have Gretchen Kubacky, PsyD, on board, to help us understand what PCOS can do to thinking, mood, and energy. We have one dietitian, Karen Siegel, who is also an acupuncturist, and another acupuncturist will soon be contributing her insight as well.

For the very first time, we are collaborating with Green Mountain at Fox Run in Ludlow, Vermont, to offer PCOS Program weeks this coming September! It's been a dream of mine to see this kind of program and there is no better place where it could be launched. Green Mountain is also participating in this blogfest, if you'd like to learn even more, be sure to read their contribution.

We don't just care about your ovaries. We care about all of you, from birth through retirement, and we hope that as we grow and diversify, the expert opinions you will see expressed here on this blog will address the many important ways we can keep our hormones working positively for us.

Thanks for stopping by our contribution to the Women's Health blogfest. If you enjoyed us, you can follow us with the signups you see here on the blog, through our Facebook inCYST group, or through Twitter, via @incyst.

For more information on women's health:

Angela White at Blisstree’s Breastfeeding 1-2-3 – Helpful Skills of Breastfeeding Counselors
Angie Tillman, RD, LDN, CDE – You Are Beautiful Today
Anthony J. Sepe – Women's Health and Migraines
Ashley Colpaart – Women's health through women
Charisse McElwaine – Spending too much time on the"throne?
Danielle Omar – Yoga, Mindful Eating and Food Confidence
Diane Preves M.S.,R.D – Balance for Health
Joan Sather A Woman's Healthy Choices Affect More Than Herself
Laura Wittke – Fibro Study Recruits Participants
Liz Marr, MS, RD – Reflecting on Family Food Ways and Women's Work
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT – Healthy Women, Healthy Business: How Your Health Impacts a Powerful Business
Marsha Hudnall – Breakfast Protein Helps Light Eaters Feel Full
Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RD – A Nutritionista’s Super Foods for Super Skin
Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog – How breastfeeding helps you, too
Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, LD – Four Keys to Wellness, Just for Women
Renata Mangrum, MPH, RD – The busy busy woman
Robin Plotkin, RD, LD – Feeding the Appetites of the Culinary, Epicurious and Nutrition Worlds-One Bite at a Time
Sharon Salomon, MS, RD – Calories, longevity and do I care
Terri L Mozingo, RD, CDN & D. Milton Stokes, MPH, RD, CDN of One Source Nutrition, LLC – Crossing the Line: From Health to Hurt
Wendy Jo Peterson, RD – Watch Your Garden Grow

As women with PCOS, you've likely had troubles getting our health care system to work in your favor.

The information in this post was sent to me by inCYST provider Karen Siegel, and I wanted to share it with all of you. Specific issues are highlighted in the text below, and you can review the bill yourself at this link.

You may wish to go through this and consider how each of these stipulations would play out in your own personal PCOS situation. If you have suggestions for better ways to do things…get proactive and contact those who represent you in Washington!

I do my best to be nonbiased in this blog, but there are aspects of this legislation that disturb me.

Here are a few highlights of some problems with the healthcare bill.

These problems highlight the reason every bill must be read by the American people before they are signed. (if these points don't get you upset, please check your pulse and call 911):

Disclaimer: This summary was sent from a colleague. We encourage you to conduct additional research on your own.

• Page 16: Eliminates the choice to purchase private health insurance!
• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
• Page 42: The"Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans.
• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
• Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No"judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
• Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
• Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
• Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll
• Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
• Page 167: Any individual who doesnt' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).
• Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.

• Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."
• Page 241: Doctors: no matter what speciality you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)
• Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc.
• Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries.
• Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
• Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
• Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.
• Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government.
• Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!
• Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.
• Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.
• Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.
• Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.
• Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone).
• Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
• Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.
• Page 425: Goverment provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
• Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.
• Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
• Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.
• Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services.
• Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations.
• Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
• Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services.

Talk to Your Family, Friends, Neighbors & Co-Workers

You must talk to people about this. We need to get as many people informed about this as possible. Here are a few key points:

This issue is not Republican vs. Democrat. It is government vs. individual rights.
"What's the proper role of Government in our lives?"
"Do we really want the government making decisions for us that should be between me and my doctor?"
"Should the government be eliminating personal health insurance plans?"
"Should the government be requiring seniors to attend 'end of life counseling'?"

To our readers:

So much of what we promote for your health on this blog relates to the health gifts found in the ocean. So it was only natural for me to want to do something to help out with what is going on in the Gulf. I have a limited number of"live" seats available for this event, but the recorded version will be available until December 31, 2010.

Monika

The Oceans and Your Health, A Fundraiser for Our Animal Friends in the Gulf

Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Time: 9:00pm — 10:30pm
Location: Webinar

Description.I am doing this (1) because I love animals, (2) I see what events like this ultimately do to our own health, and (3) I want others to make the link and be inspired to advocate as well.

A look at our oceans and how we depend on their health for our health. To be covered: fish and fish oil, fresh vs. farmed fish, food policy and how it affects oceanic health, and what we can each individually do to advocate for our owh health thhrough advocating for the health of our oceans.

100% of the money I raise through this webinar will be donated to the National Wildlife Federation.

Please check your time zone; the actual time listed on this event is Eastern Daylight Time. If you cannot attend live but wish to participate, you may purchase a recording of this event.

You may register for this webinar, both live and recorded, at this link:

I'm passing this along since the coexistence of depression and pregnancy is so very high amongst the readers of this blog. Findings like these are a huge reason I am so adamant about finding ways that nutrition and nonpharmacological treatments can keep both mother and baby healthy all the way through conception and pregnancy.

To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co. uk site, click here

Antidepressants linked to premature birth risk

Tuesday October 6 2009
BMJ Group

Mothers-to-be risk having a premature birth if they take commonly used antidepressants during pregnancy, a new study has found. Antidepressants called SSRIs (the group of drugs that includes Prozac) were also linked to a higher risk of babies needing treatment in intensive care soon after birth.What do we know already?

More than 1 in 10 women become depressed during pregnancy. In cases where doctors recommend drug treatment, the first choice is often a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Doctors are advised that pregnant women should take SSRIs"only if potential benefit outweighs risk". Unfortunately, there's little research on how safe these drugs are during pregnancy. We do know that SSRIs get into the unborn baby's bloodstream, and that some babies get withdrawal symptoms soon after birth. Some research also suggests that babies may be more at risk of heart defects if their mother takes an SSRI called paroxetine in the first three months of pregnancy, although this problem is not common.

A new study has looked at 329 women who were taking SSRIs while pregnant. The health of their babies was compared with the health of babies born to women not taking antidepressants. Some of the women in this latter group had mental health problems, while others did not.What does the new study say?

Women taking an SSRI had twice the risk of a premature birth. On average, women gave birth four or five days sooner if they took an SSRI while pregnant. But the results don't tell us the actual numbers of women in each group who gave birth prematurely, so we can't say what the actual risk is.

About 16 in 100 babies needed treatment in an intensive care unit if their mother had taken an SSRI, compared with 7 in 100 babies whose mothers were healthy, and 9 in 100 babies whose mothers had a mental health problem but who weren't taking an SSRI.

Babies also appeared less healthy overall if their mother had taken an SSRI. This was measured looking at their skin colour, how much they moved about, their pulse rate and breathing, and how much they responded to stimulation.

SSRIs didn't increase the risk of having an underweight baby. The study only looked at what happened around birth, so we don't know whether or not SSRIs have longer-term consequences. How reliable are the findings?

This is a fairly good study. Since it also included a group of women who had mental health problems but who were not taking an SSRI, we can partly rule out the possibility that mental health issues affected the baby's health rather than antidepressants. However, it could still be that women taking SSRIs were more seriously depressed than the women they were compared with, or that they had worse overall health. This factor might have affected the health of the babies, and it makes the study less reliable.Where does the study come from?

The women who took part in the research all had antenatal care at a hospital in Aarhus, Denmark. The study appeared in a journal called Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, published by the American Medical Association. Some of the funding came from the Danish Medical Research Council.What does this mean for me?

The study suggests that, in the short term at least, there could be some negative consequences to taking SSRIs while pregnant. What the research doesn't tell us is how the risks of SSRIs in pregnancy compare with the dangers of untreated depression.

Depression itself can affect how babies grow. It can also cause unpleasant symptoms for the mother. There's a high chance of becoming depressed again when women stop taking antidepressants when they're pregnant. So, we can't simply say that pregnant women should completely avoid SSRIs.What should I do now?

If you're pregnant and taking an antidepressant, don't stop treatment suddenly. You could put yourself at risk of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, and your depression could come back. Your doctor can help you weigh up the risks and benefits of treatment. If you and your doctor decide it's the right thing to do, you'll need to come off your medicine gradually. You could also ask about other types of treatment, such as talking therapy.

If you're taking antidepressants and you want to get pregnant, talk to your doctor. Depending on how severe your depression is, your doctor might suggest slowly coming off your medicine, or continuing to take it.From:

Lund N, Pedersen LH, Henriksen TB. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor exposure in utero and pregnancy outcomes. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2009; 163: 949-954.
BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2009

The following is a guest post reprinted with permission from the blog of Karen Siegel, MPH, MS, RD, LD, LAc. Karen is a registered dietitian and licensed acupuncturist practicing in Houston, TX. If that's your neck of the woods, I highly recommend you take advantage of her knowledge, experience and talent.

Depression, Anxiety, Bi-Polar Disorder & Acupuncture
Questions about acupuncture for mental health issues are one of the most common inquiries I receive after questions about pain.

I actually do quite a bit of “mental health” acupuncture. Because of my nutrition specialty of working with eating disorders (for over 25 years), I have developed a great network with some of the best mental health professionals in Houston.

Acupuncture can help with depression, anxiety, stress and bi-polar disorder. So in terms of various mental health issues, yes, acupuncture can frequently help.

I caution to say that acupuncture is not in lieu of continuing or being in therapy. I do not take patients off of their Western medication if they’re already on it. Medication is a discussion between the patient and their doctor. Acupuncture, and in many cases Chinese herbal formulas, work just fine in conjunction with Western medication as the mechanism of action is quite different. They can complement each other beautifully.

When a patient comes in with a Western diagnosis of depression, anxiety or bi-polar disorder, my job is to determine what the underlying problem(s) are from a Chinese medical perspective. For example, if someone presents with anxiety along with insomnia, excessive worrying, hypervigilance and internalizing feelings, the strategy might be to balance the heart and kidney channels. However, if the main complaints include depression, irritability, sleep disruptions and digestive problems, the approach might focus on smoothing the liver channel.

Usually, a patient will present with a combination of the above plus more. After a thorough evaluation, a point selection is chosen based on the most disruptive concerns working our way in to the deepest and most chronic issues. We as human beings are rarely uni-dimensional, therefore it is more complicated than I have described. However, it gives you an understanding that the treatment strategy is quite individualized.

I have treated bipolar disorder and have found that acupuncture can be stabilizing; but with bipolar, it’s really important to stay on your Western drugs and/or be in regular communication with your therapist. What the acupuncture can do is help balance and stabilize some of the mood swings: the degree, frequency and intensity of the ups and the downs. You might be able to reduce the dosage of some of the medications, but again, that’s between you and your psychiatrist.

Stress is a major variable in just about every health issue we have. I think that stress is the one variable in our life that cannot be controlled in a double-blind, placebo control study. So you can have everything, all variables equal, but how do you really control for stress? Stress definitely triggers mental health issues and it triggers health issues overall.

Because stress is a major factor in all of our lives, acupuncture in and of itself helps with mental health issues because it works to balance the mind, body and spirit. When we are in balance, our emotional and physical health is improved.

(Note from Monika: Dr. Gretchen will be offering counseling from our Santa Monica office. She has a few spaces left in her"pay what you can" introductory offer for Friday, September 16. If you're interested, email monika at afterthediet dot com for more information)

One of the purposes of the “Mental Health Monday” feature of this blog is to acquaint you with some of the psychological aspects of PCOS, and how mental health issues are impacted by the condition. There are also coping skills, insights and ideas about ways to help yourself, and education about how to create change.

You may have some vague symptoms that seem like something a therapist would know about, but you’re not really sure when or if it’s appropriate to have a consultation or session with me or some other health psychologist or therapist. My specialty, health psychology, focuses on medical conditions and how they impact our mental well-being.

PCOS causes or contributes to a variety of mood disorders, and can either mask or mimic some other physical conditions. It can be challenging to sort out which symptoms came first, and what your treatment priorities are. Here are some of the symptoms you may be experiencing that indicate a need for psychological evaluation and treatment, and that may be connected to your PCOS:

• Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping far too much
• Physical aches and pains
• Unexpected weight gain or weight loss
• Uncontrollable food cravings, especially for carbs
• Panic attacks, or anxiety attacks
• Feeling jittery all the time
• Mood swings
• Thoughts of suicide
• Constant irritability
• Trouble relating to other people
• Isolating yourself
• Pain issues that don’t seem to be connected to injury
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Difficulty coping with your diagnosis
• Having a new diagnosis
• Infertility issues
• A recent loss
• History of trauma, domestic violence, or other acute stressors
• Developing complications, such as diabetes

Additionally, you may want to receive education about PCOS and related mental health issues, identify a medical and psychological treatment team or plan, and work on developing coping skills and strategies for managing your PCOS. These are all things that health psychologists do, and that could be part of your reasons for consulting a health psychologist.

It can be scary to contemplate calling a psychologist, but at the same time, simply taking the first steps to get help may also result in improvement. Knowing that you’re doing something good for yourself, and that there ARE experts who can help, will often jump-start the healing process. You may be inspired to improve your self-care practices. You may also start practicing the self-care skills that you have, but haven’t been using often enough.

In a future “Mental Health Monday” post, I’ll address what actually happens in a therapy session, so you can learn more about what to expect, if you haven’t already experienced therapy.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

If you're diligent about PCOS news, you probably haven't missed the press release reporting the finding that women with PCOS have 60% higher blood levels of bisphenol-a than other women.

The question is, what can you do with that information? My hunch is that many of you immediately wanted to know where you could get your blood levels tested and what to do if they turned out to be high. I worked much of yesterday trying to put together some answers for you, because it's highly likely that soon there will be people out there marketing solutions to all of you, some of which might be helpful…and others which are more likely to help fatten the other person's wallet than to improve your own personal situation.

The first thing I looked for was whether or not there was any way you could actually have your own blood BPA levels tested. I wrote to the Environmental Working Group, who has done some BPA testing, and who I trust.

Here is their response:

Thank you for your interest in EWG's work. Unfortunately, testing for toxins in the body is an expensive and time consuming endeavor. Some commercial labs will test for certain chemicals (and your physician may be some help here), but the kind of tests we ran for our BodyBurden reports would be almost impossible to procure for the average individual, not to mention cost prohibitive.

We are not associated with any lab in particular, but you might find the study’s methodologies--and what tests were run, and where--helpful:
http://archive.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden1/
http://archive.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/

In addition, we do not recommend that individuals seek body burden testing for the chemicals in the Human Toxome Project. These tests rarely provide any concrete information regarding the origin of your condition or the sources of your exposure.

1. Health effects of many of the industrial chemicals at levels found in people are mostly unknown. Most studies measure the toxic effects of these chemicals at high doses in animals. Few studies reveal potential health concerns from the complex, low-dose mixtures found in people.

2. We cannot at this time associate current health problems or predict future health problems from the chemicals that might be in your body. Scientists are only beginning to study the health effects of repeated exposures to trace levels of these chemicals. While studies suggest that some specific chemicals may play a role in certain health problems, risks to an individual are largely unknown. Genetics, timing of exposure, and levels of exposure all may be important.

3. Even if you were to be tested for dozens of chemicals, you would not know the added effect of the hundreds of other industrial chemicals that contaminate the human body at any given moment. The additive effects of the chemical mixtures found in people make understanding the potential health implications of your personal exposures even more complicated.

As an alternative we recommend that you review our site for suggestions of ways to limit your exposure to toxic chemicals, and join us in our fight for more protective policies that limit our exposures to harmful chemicals. Policy measures are the most permanent, cost effective, precautionary and equitable way to protect our health. Thanks again for your interest in our work.

Bottom line: running out and getting yourself tested for your own BPA levels is not a recommended response. Staying apprised and learning how to limit BPA exposure are great preventive strategies.

If you’ve been busy learning and applying various techniques to improve your health, you’ve probably heard of “Meatless Monday,” the idea of substituting a healthy vegetarian meal one day per week in order to beef up (no pun intended!) your vegetable consumption and lessen your dependence on meat. It’s a great idea, relatively easy to implement, and, over time, contributes to an overall pattern of good eating.

This “Mental Health Monday” column is also a good habit. Reading it is a way of bring attention (mindfulness) to the practices inherent in creating and maintaining good mental health. I often talk about ways to make small changes in attitude, behavior, or thought patterns. From a mental health perspective, what I like about Meatless Monday is the way it breaks down an overwhelming task (eating healthier) into a small, actionable, and rewarding step. If you implement Meatless Monday, it means you’re really thinking about what you eat. You’re taking time and energy to explore and experiment. You eat the food and realize that you don’t need meat to feel complete or satisfied. Or maybe you make a bad choice (pasta, pasta, pasta!), and realize that your needs call for more protein – but maybe it doesn’t have to come from meat.

Mental health is like this. You can’t take a huge, amorphous goal (say, “feel happier”) and just say, “that’s what I want – where is it?!” It’s a process, a project, a series of steps and experiments. There is a need for assessment, evaluation, and revision. Over time, you learn what’s missing in your upbringing, your thought patterns, and your ways of relating. Or you learn that there’s something you do quite often that is off-putting or unproductive in your relationships. You implement homework assignments from your therapist, read self-help books and do the exercises, and practice affirmations and positive self-talk. At some point, you begin to notice that things are improving. The process gets easier. You don’t have to consciously think really hard about how to have a productive talk with your boyfriend, set a boundary with your overbearing mother, or express your anger productively. You’re better. You’re happier. You’re healthier. And it all started with a small experiment, such as:

• Meatless Monday
• Not saying negative things about yourself, privately or in public.
• Joining a therapy group.
• Going to the gym just once a week.
• Adding Vitamin D3 supplements.
• Eliminating gossip.

In and of itself, one action is not enough. Cumulatively though, as you slowly implement mentally and/or physically healthy choices, the impact is there. What are you going to start doing to get happier and healthier today?

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

I am continuously struck by the immense quantity of health, nutrition, and medical advice that is offered to us by not only our physicians, but on television, the internet, and from personal trainers, friends, and well-meaning strangers. Additionally, there are no quality controls on the internet, unless you go to select, peer-reviewed sites. Even seemingly legitimate sources may disperse faulty information.

I had the dubious privilege of attending a corporate wellness training recently, in which the educator advised people to substitute honey for sugar, and sea salt for salt, because “the honey is good for your health, because it’s natural, and the sea salt is just evaporated ocean water.” I was thinking about how crazy that is, when honey is a known cure for low blood sugar and salt is, well, SALT, regardless of the source. Sure, they both have some beneficial trace minerals, but if you’re watching your sugar or sodium intake, you’ve got know you’re still eating sugar and salt.

If you are being conscious and conscientious about your health, you may find yourself suffering from a serious case of information overload, in addition to the original problem. We simply cannot absorb all of this information, nor should we. Information overload looks like:

• Hundreds of backlogged e-mails from WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Weil, and a host of other experts;

• Stacks of clippings, magazine articles or issues, or books related to health topics;

• Fear, frenzy, and distress when you see or hear another piece of health or nutrition advice, or a medical warning is issued on the news; and

• Avoidance of such material, as well as physicians and other healthcare providers.

My frustration with this situation made me think about the fact that I know so much about nutrition, medicine, and psychology, and have a critical perspective on all of it – but if you’re new to nutrition, or having a medical or psychological diagnosis, you can easily get a lot of misinformation. And when misinformation from one source collides with correct information from another source and even more misinformation from yet another source, the net result is chaotic and the bottom line is, you may get frustrated and give up trying to get educated or get well.

I suggest asking a trusted physician or dietician for two or three of their favorite, reputable sources of health information and using those exclusively. Random internet searches are liable to lead you into chat rooms, hucksters, and juicy-sounding but inaccurate tidbits. Do yourself a favor and limit the information overload. Doing so will help reduce the kind of stress that contributes to inaction, insomnia, and a host of other symptoms, both mental and physical.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

Fluctuating hormones, limited research, and dietary recommendations that are all over the place (ranging from vegan to Paleo) are all things that characterize PCOS. Given the vagaries of PCOS treatment (really, how many divergent opinions can we extract from a gynecologist, an endocrinologist, a reproductive gynecologist, and a dietician or two?!) and the limited success that treatments often have, it can be really tempting to think about abandoning western (allopathic, traditional) medicine and going in search of alternative care.

Alternative care includes, but is not limited to, homeopathy, meditation, nutritional coaching or consultation with unlicensed individuals, muscle testing, psychological counseling from unlicensed individuals, yoga, spiritual counseling, reiki, and EFT. We often think of acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, massage, and naturopathy as part of the alternative spectrum, but in fact they’re generally well-regulated, licensed professions, and many of them have been studied extensively, and received acceptance from both traditional and alternative practitioners.

I’ve been through hundreds of treatments myself, both traditional and alternative. I’m highly sympathetic to your frustration and feelings of hopelessness. And while I’m personally all for exploring the alternatives, I’m also cautious. Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. I, for example, actually believed the “dietician” some years ago who told me that, if I just gave them a good trial of a couple of weeks, I’d ultimately have no problem digesting the nuts to which I’d been told I was allergic (and the swelling in my throat when I ate them seemed to verify that, but I had faith!). Nuts are great, so I dutifully tried all sorts of tree nuts, and had a bad enough reaction to walnuts that my allergist thought I’d better keep an Epi-Pen with me at all times. As in, I could have a potentially fatal allergic reaction to them, so I’d better be prepared. Epic fail on the natural/alternative nutrition approach, in other words.

HCG injections that back-fire and result in more weight gain; poorly regulated, excessive, and/or inappropriate supplements; homeopathic treatments that result in unmitigated symptoms, up to and including depression-inducing insomnia; diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive disturbances; unnoticeable impacts from treatments or supplements that a practitioner swears are working, but just taking time; malnutrition; exercise-induced damage of all sorts; allergic reactions – the list of problems is endless. This is not to say that western medicine doesn’t have most of the same potential side effects, not to mention quite a few that are equally if not moreacute, but I think it’s important to know what you’re dealing with.

What I worry about from the mental health side of things is:

-Not wanting to take prescription medication for depression when it’s clearly indicated may be fatal;

-The pursuit of hope – and subsequent failure to achieve the desired results – can result in a sharper drop-off of hope – right into hopelessness, which is a predictor for suicidality;

--Wasting money, time, and other resources can contribute further to feelings of hopelessness;

--Unknown/unstudied impacts on the brain, mood, and our future health;

--Shame or embarrassment about not trusting one’s doctor enough, leading to keeping the alternative care a secret, which can impair your M.D.’s ability to provide appropriate treatment;

--The endless pursuit of alternatives may impair the process of reaching acceptance about your condition, its permanence, and it’s long-term health implications; and

--Information overload is already prevalent in our society; unfortunately, the alternative care world is full of even more phenomenal amounts of inaccurate, misleading, and anecdotal evidence than the world of Western medicine.

I want you to be empowered, educated, and make informed decisions. I want you to know your options, both Western/allopathic and alternative. I want you to take charge of your health, and use your health care dollars wisely. I want you to use your time and energy and hope in ways that have a meaningful impact on your health. I want you to be well.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrGretchen@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

I'm just posting this release verbatim, no need for an editorial.

Public release date: 21-May-2009
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/hsop-bcu052109.php

Contact: Todd Datz
tdatz@hsph.harvard.edu
617-432-3952
Harvard School of Public Health

BPA, chemical used to make plastics, found to leach from polycarbonate
drinking bottles into humans

Exposure to BPA may have harmful health effects

Boston, MA — A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
researchers found that participants who drank for a week from
polycarbonate bottles, the popular, hard-plastic drinking bottles and
baby bottles, showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of the
chemical bisphenol A (BPA). Exposure to BPA, used in the manufacture of
polycarbonate and other plastics, has been shown to interfere with
reproductive development in animals and has been linked with
cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans. The study is the first to
show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increased the level of
urinary BPA, and thus suggests that drinking containers made with BPA
release the chemical into the liquid that people drink in sufficient
amounts to increase the level of BPA excreted in human urine.

The study appears on the website of the journal Environmental Health
Perspectives and is freely available at
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2009/0900604/0900604.pdf.

In addition to polycarbonate bottles, which are refillable and a popular
container among students, campers and others and are also used as baby
bottles, BPA is also found in dentistry composites and sealants and in
the lining of aluminum food and beverage cans. (In bottles,
polycarbonate can be identified by the recycling number 7.) Numerous
studies have shown that it acts as an endocrine-disruptor in animals,
including early onset of sexual maturation, altered development and
tissue organization of the mammary gland and decreased sperm production
in offspring. It may be most harmful in the stages of early development.

"We found that drinking cold liquids from polycarbonate bottles for just
one week increased urinary BPA levels by more than two-thirds. If you
heat those bottles, as is the case with baby bottles, we would expect
the levels to be considerably higher. This would be of concern since
infants may be particularly susceptible to BPA's endocrine-disrupting
potential," said Karin B. Michels, associate professor of epidemiology
at HSPH and Harvard Medical School and senior author of the study.

The researchers, led by first author Janeny Carwile, a doctoral student
in the department of epidemiology at HSPH, and Michels, recruited
Harvard College students for the study in April 2008. The 77
participants began the study with a seven-day"washout" phase in which
they drank all cold beverages from stainless steel bottles in order to
minimize BPA exposure. Participants provided urine samples during the
washout period. They were then given two polycarbonate bottles and asked
to drink all cold beverages from the bottles during the next week; urine
samples were also provided during that time.

The results showed that the participants' urinary BPA concentrations
increased 69% after drinking from the polycarbonate bottles. (The study
authors noted that BPA concentrations in the college population were
similar to those reported for the U.S. general population.) Previous
studies had found that BPA could leach from polycarbonate bottles into
their contents; this study is the first to show a corresponding increase
in urinary BPA concentrations in humans.

One of the study's strengths, the authors note, is that the students
drank from the bottles in a normal use setting. Additionally, the
students did not wash their bottles in dishwashers nor put hot liquids
in them; heating has been shown to increase the leaching of BPA from
polycarbonate, so BPA levels might have been higher had students drunk
hot liquids from the bottles.

Canada banned the use of BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles in 2008 and
some polycarbonate bottle manufacturers have voluntarily eliminated BPA
from their products. With increasing evidence of the potential harmful
effects of BPA in humans, the authors believe further research is needed
on the effect of BPA on infants and on reproductive disorders and on
breast cancer in adults.

"This study is coming at an important time because many states are
deciding whether to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups.
While previous studies have demonstrated that BPA is linked to adverse
health effects, this study fills in a missing piece of the
puzzle—whether or not polycarbonate plastic bottles are an important
contributor to the amount of BPA in the body," said Carwile.

###

The study was supported by the Harvard University Center for the
Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Biological Analysis Core, Department of Environmental Health, HSPH.
Carwile was also supported by the Training Program in Environmental
Epidemiology.

"Use of Polycarbonate Bottles and Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations,"
Jenny L. Carwile, Henry T. Luu, Laura S. Bassett, Daniel A. Driscoll,
Caterina Yuan, Janenifer Y. Chang, Xiaoyun Ye, Antonia M. Calafat, Karin
B. Michels, Environmental Health Perspectives, online May 12, 2009.

So by now I'm sure you've heard the news about the new mammography recommendations. I wasn't on the panel and I'm not a breast cancer specialist, but I do have some thoughts pertaining to what these findings and the potential implications mean, to women reading this blog.

It's a mixed bag.

1. First of all, it's not the scientists, it's not the government, and it's not your doctor who is in charge of your health. YOU are in charge of your health. If you're using this situation as an excuse to be paralyzed about self-care, you've been defeated and you've turned your health over to someone else.

2. Keep in mind, many women with PCOS have high estrogen levels, meaning they have extra estrogen that can find its way to estrogen-sensitive tissues and cause problems such as cancer. You are potentially an at-risk population that needs earlier mammograms than the average American woman. It is important when discussing your personal need for earlier mammograms, that this health issue be included in the decision making. If your physician does not acknowledge or understand the relationship between PCOS and cancer, it is your right to find a physician who does.
Sticking with the same physician and allowing that attitude to guide your health choices is turning your health fate over to someone who doesn't deserve it.

3. The good news is, women with PCOS are already used to advocating for themselves so doing so with the mammogram issue is not something they're likely unaccustomed to doing. Be assertive!

4. The bad news is, women with weight issues tend to avoid doctor visits because they don't want to be chided about losing weight. If you don't go to the doctor, all of the above don't even matter. Find a physician who will treat you respectfully…AND MAKE A COMMITMENT TO REGULAR PHYSICALS.

5. Remember, getting a mammogram is not the only thing you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer. Breast self-exams are very important. Women with poor body image are not the best at conducting breast self-exams. If you're having trouble with the idea of looking at and feeling your breasts, the consequences could be as serious as not getting that mammogram. Ask for support.

6. A local television station sends out a monthly self-exam reminder, which I'll forward to all of you as well. If that helps you to remember to do them, then it's our pleasure to be a part of that. Here is information on how to perform a breast self exam.

7. All of the dietary recommendations you see here are made taking into consideration the implications for risk of other diseases, including cancer. Taking care of yourself in ways that benefit your PCOS, also reduce your risk of breast cancer. So eat well, be active, manage your stress…and get some sleep!

Remember, your health is YOURS. Not the government's, not your doctor's, not your insurance company's. Care for it like it's your most valuable possession. Because it is.

As you know, we're big on breastfeeding at inCYST. We believe it helps reduce the susceptibility to PCOS, we believe incorrect nutrition information deters women from doing it, and we believe that doing it improves the health of mom as well as baby. We're also very concerned about how few physicians, dietitians, nurses, and other health professionals simply do not know that PCOS can make it difficult to breastfeed. We'd like to be a part of changing that.

I received a letter from the United States Breastfeeding Committee that explains some of the important work they are doing, along with a link to donate to their cause.

If your life has ever been personally touched by a lactation consultant, if our work at inCYST encouraged you to breastfeed, or if you simply believe in what these hard working yet often unrecognized health professionals do, consider honoring their labor this holiday with a donation using the provided link.

Dear Friend,

The United States Breastfeeding Committee is committed to ensuring that working women and their families receive the support they need to have optimal breastfeeding experiences. This Labor Day we are thrilled to celebrate our new national workplace support law by sharing a story of one mother's experience of making breastfeeding work:

"I always expected to be a stay-at-home mother, but after years of working at SAS my perspective began to change. SAS made it so easy to continue working by offering benefits such as on-site childcare, on-site health care, breastfeeding seminars, lactation rooms, lactation consultants and more. In the seminars, I learned about the health benefits to me and my child as well as the bonding opportunities that breastfeeding provides. I truly got the sense that this was something that my employer wanted my child and me to be able to experience. They encouraged me to breastfeed not only for my benefit, but for theirs as well. They understood the benefits for businesses--healthier babies mean less employee time away from work tending to sick children. Happier, healthier moms mean more productive workers.

When each of my children was born, we met with the lactation consultants several times in the on-site health care center. This helped ensure that breastfeeding was off to a good start and gave me confidence in my ability to breastfeed. Upon returning to work, I was able to nurse my two children for the first year of their lives. In the beginning, I walked to the child care center 2-3 times per day. I'd sit with other moms in the nursing room, which has a home-like atmosphere complete with couches, soft music and lighting--just the right environment conducive to nursing infants. (They even deliver lunch from the SAS cafeteria, if you so choose.) I was away from work for about 30 minutes each time. As the months passed, we transitioned to one feeding during my lunch hour. If I wasn't able to make it over for a feeding, I could pump in the privacy of my locked office or lactation room. The flexibility was priceless.

I cherish this time spent with my children. I felt connected to them rather than conflicted about being a working mom. If SAS didn't provide such a wonderful environment, I may have made a different decision about being a working mom. My hope is that every mom is able to enjoy the benefits of breastfeeding their children while still contributing to the working world."

- Leslie W. Anderson, SAS

With the inclusion of the workplace breastfeeding support provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the U.S. joins the rest of the industrialized world in providing breastfeeding mothers with break time and a private location to express breast milk during the workday. The new law marks a turning point in our efforts to ensure that"breastfeeding works" for all moms like it did for Leslie. In passing this provision, our federal government has clearly recognized that breastfeeding support in the workplace is a win-win for families and employers!

But the work doesn't stop when the law is passed…

The Department of Labor (DOL) is tasked with implementation of the new law, and the DOL Wage and Hour Division recently issued a preliminary online Fact Sheet. USBC has prepared guidance and recommendations for the Wage and Hour Division and continues to work with the DOL and other partners on implementation and promotion of the new law.

Please consider DONATING NOW to support USBC in this important work!

Many of USBC's critical programs, and especially our policy and advocacy activities, are funded solely by donations from the Friends of USBC. Your contribution can really have an impact at this critical time to strengthen our efforts to ensure"breastfeeding works" for working moms. Please consider becoming a Friend of USBC by making a donation today!

We look forward to our continued work together and thank you in advance for your support. Together we are making a difference for working families!

Sincerely,

Robin W. Stanton, MA, RD, LD
Chair

United States Breastfeeding Committee
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036

Phone: 202/367-1132
Fax: 202/367-2132
E-mail: office@usbreastfeeding.org
Web: www.usbreastfeeding.org

The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent nonprofit coalition of more than 40 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations. Representing over a million concerned professionals and the families they serve, USBC and its member organizations share a common mission to improve the Nation's health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. For more information about USBC, visit www.usbreastfeeding.org.

From inCYSTER Karen Siegel…contact information for her Houston clinic is listed below.

"Yes. Another reason to keep encouraging the fish oil supplementation."

Public release date: 16-Dec-2009

Contact: Public Affairs Office
public.affairs@apa.org
202-336-5700 202-336-5700
American Psychological Association

New study links DHA type of omega-3 to better nervous-system function
Deficiencies may factor into mental illnesses
WASHINGTON — The omega-3 essential fatty acids commonly found in fatty fish and algae help animals avoid sensory overload, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The finding connects low omega-3s to the information-processing problems found in people with schizophrenia; bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders; Huntington's disease; and other afflictions of the nervous system.

The study, reported in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, provides more evidence that fish is brain food. The key finding was that two omega-3 fatty acids – docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – appear to be most useful in the nervous system, maybe by maintaining nerve-cell membranes.

"It is an uphill battle now to reverse the message that 'fats are bad,' and to increase omega-3 fats in our diet," said Norman Salem Jr., PhD, who led this study at the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The body cannot make these essential nutrients from scratch. It gets them by metabolizing their precursor, α-linolenic acid (LNA), or from foods or dietary supplements with DHA and EPA in a readily usable form."Humans can convert less than one percent of the precursor into DHA, making DHA an essential nutrient in the human diet," added Irina Fedorova, PhD, one of the paper's co-authors. EPA is already known for its anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular effects, but DHA makes up more than 90 percent of the omega-3s in the brain (which has no EPA), retina and nervous system in general.

In the study, the researchers fed four different diets with no or varying types and amounts of omega-3s to four groups of pregnant mice and then their offspring. They measured how the offspring, once grown, responded to a classic test of nervous-system function in which healthy animals are exposed to a sudden loud noise. Normally, animals flinch. However, when they hear a softer tone in advance, they flinch much less. It appears that normal nervous systems use that gentle warning to prepare instinctively for future stimuli, an adaptive process called sensorimotor gating.

Only the mice raised on DHA and EPA, but not their precursor of LNA, showed normal, adaptive sensorimotor gating by responding in a significantly calmer way to the loud noises that followed soft tones. The mice in all other groups, when warned, were startled nearly as much by the loud sound. When DHA was deficient, the nervous system most obviously did not downshift. That resulted in an abnormal state that could leave animals perpetually startled and easily overwhelmed by sensory stimuli.

The authors concluded that not enough DHA in the diet may reduce the ability to handle sensory input."It only takes a small decrement in brain DHA to produce losses in brain function," said Salem.

In humans, weak sensorimotor gating is a hallmark of many nervous-system disorders such as schizophrenia or ADHD. Given mounting evidence of the role omega-3s play in the nervous system, there is intense interest in their therapeutic potential, perhaps as a supplement to medicines. For example, people with schizophrenia have lower levels of essential fatty acids, possibly from a genetic variation that results in poor metabolism of these nutrients.

More broadly, the typical American diet is much lower in all types of omega-3 than in omega-6 essential fatty acids, according to Salem. High intake of omega-6, or linoleic acid, reduces the body's ability to incorporate omega-3s. As a result,"we have the double whammy of low omega-3 intake and high omega-6 intake," he said.

###
Article:"Deficit in Prepulse Inhibition in Mice Caused by Dietary n-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency"; Irina Fedorova, PhD, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health; Anita R. Alvheim, PhD candidate, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, Bergen, Norway; and Nahed Hussein, PhD and Norman Salem Jr., PhD, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health; Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 123, No. 6.

(Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office)

Norman Salem Jr. can be reached at nsalem@martek.com or at (443) 542-2370 (443) 542-2370. He was with the National Institutes of Health until 2008, when he became the chief scientific officer and vice president of Martek Biosciences Corp. in Columbia, Md., an ingredient supplier of DHA. He states that he and his co-authors conducted this research while with the NIH.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
--
Karen Siegel, MPH, MS, RD, LD, LAc
Acupuncture & Nutrition Clinic
9660 Hillcroft, Suite 202
Houston, TX 77096
713/721-7755 713/721-7755
www.AcupunctureandNutritionClinic.com
or
www.Karensclinic.com

You may have noticed that we've devoted every Monday to a guest blog by inCYST network member, psychologist Gretchen Kubacky. If you belong to our fan page, you know I've been directly addressing issues related to mental health as well. There is a very important reason we're doing that.

For many of you, it's not that you don't know what you need to do. It's what is going on inside your head that keeps you from taking the action that could help yo. It could be that your depression is so severe that small changes feel like monumental tasks. Or that your anxiety spins so violently in your head that you're paralyzed out of taking action. Or, if you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, you can't get your thoughts out of fruitless loops of thinking (Ha! I didn't mean to make a pun there but I kind of like that one!) to focus on new and different behaviors. Or maybe you have bipolar disorder that leaves you feeling pulled around between being hyperenergetic and completely wiped out. And I do know that more than a few of you live with PTSD, the stress of which wreaks havoc on your metabolic functin. You may be on medication for one or more of these, or you may not. If you are, some of those medications can worsen PCOS.

It's all inter-related. To ignore how your mental health affects your physical health is to ignore the key to your overcoming what you are on this blog to overcome. Just this morning, I read a press release about a study that found that having a mental health diagnosis reduces life expectancy. I certainly don't want THAT for any of you.

So instead of trying to work around these issues as if they do not exist, we're going to begin to talk more openly about them. I've always felt that we do a huge disservice in our culture to people with mental health issues. They're not about being stupid…did you know Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill were believed to have bipolar disorder? I actually know that because a client long ago, who has become a good friend, did some research on being diagnosed with the disorder and made a list to inspire her to better self-care and less self-destruction. She is, because she's a very typical, highly intelligent and creative person with bipolar disorder, a very productive member of society. Because she deciede to embrace it. If you look around, some of the smartest people in history lived with psychiatric illness. It's time we stopped acting as if these problems were something to be embarrassed about and started realizing how ultra-important it is to recognize and take care of brains that have them.

I understand if this feels uncomfortable; in fact, making this shift cost us more than a few Facebook follows. But I'm ok with that. I know there aren't very many places people who live with these problems feel safe to talk, and I believe the fallout removed personalities that weren't allowing that to happen.

It's where we're going and I hope you come along with us. I do believe, if we take this on, we have a far better chance of beating PCOS than we do if we hide in the closet and let it determine your fates.

Everyone’s telling you to “just relax and you’ll get pregnant,” or “take a vacation and it’ll happen.” Isn’t that a huge pressure, besides the basic fact that getting pregnant hasn’t proven to be so easy for you? Getting pregnant can be so frustrating when it involves medical procedures, carefully timed intercourse, self-tests and monitoring, medication, and the like. With PCOS, it’s even more complicated. The good news is, even when it seems like your body just won’t mind your wishes, there are relatively simple and inexpensive things you can do on your own to support yourself in your fertility journey.

If you’ve been dealing with infertility for a while, you’ve likely tried or at least considered some alternative medicine or holistic health practices that you hope will help you conceive. Here’s why you should consider some of the more common approaches to decreasing stress and improving overall health, which include:

Acupuncture is an ancient healing art, part of the system of Traditional Oriental Medicine. It has been used successfully for thousands of years to enhance fertility; you may even find that your physician is able to offer you a referral. Acupuncture is nearly painless – in spite of the needles – and works in conjunction with your traditional treatments. Many acupuncturists also offer nutritional support. Most larger communities have at least one acupuncture school, and their student clinics offer carefully supervised sessions for as little as $20/treatment.

Nutrition – Decreasing or eliminating caffeine, refined sugar, and refined flour will give your body a rest, reduce stress on your digestive system, enhance your immunity, and make your body an optimally healthy place for both you and a baby. If you’re saying “yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all that – and it’s too overwhelming” – start today with a small change, like switching out regular coffee for decaf, or trading in a soda for some iced herbal tea. Your nerves will thank you too.

Yoga is another traditional dating back thousands of years. Yoga is said to massage and stimulate or “tonify” the internal organs, thereby leading to increased health. The slower-paced forms of yoga, such as hatha yoga, or yin yoga, are relaxing practices. But in my opinion, the best thing about yoga is that it helps you love and accept your body, precisely where it is today – not where you hope it will be. If you’re daunted by those fancy yoga studios, head on over to your nearest YMCA or other gym for some great introductory classes. Many yoga studios offer community days, or donation classes, where you pay what you can afford for the class.

Meditation can be as simple as closing your eyes and focusing on the sound and rhythm of your own breath for just five minutes. If you can’t handle five minutes, try three minutes. It can also be a complex and evolving process, if you choose to expand your practice. Regulating your breathing, clearing your mind, and giving yourself time for introspection are all benefits of meditation. If you want more information, do a search for the terms “meditation” or “the relaxation response.”

Positive Thinking/Mindfulness/Visualization – although these are all distinct techniques, the overlap is that they are conscious ways of re-orienting yourself towards remaining in the present, focusing on what is, and using the power of your mind to create the future – or at least improve your experience of the future. As with meditation, the internet is full of information on these techniques, or you may wish to consult with a mental health clinician who utilizes such techniques in her practice.

Optimizing fertility is an activity in which you, the patient, play a very active role. You are already learning how to become proactive in managing your PCOS; this is just an extension of that. Of course your doctor will want to know what other things you’re doing to support your fertility, but you can start right now to take steps to improve your overall physical health and state of mind, thereby reducing the stress actively, instead of just hoping that it will happen “somehow.”

Dr. Gretchen Kubacky is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders. If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

This has been a stellar week in the world of nutrition and food politics. Early in the week, word got out that there is a move to rename high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) (apparently because sales have hit an all-time low). If this marketing strategy works, this sweetener will appear in food labeling as"corn sugar".

American consumers responded rapidly and impressively. All over Twitter, Facebook, and the blogosphere, it was clear that people did not take kindly to this information. They were insulted that the industry attempting to score this change in nomenclature assumed they were so stupid. And the worst way to maintain brand loyalty is to insult the people who give you money.

It's not looking like a name switch is gonna do it for the struggling HCFS industry. People have decided to take charge of their own health.

Later in the week, a major food company that uses HCFS as its sweetener, despite having been petitioned by consumers not to, announced a partnership with a major association representing health professionals. I'm not naming or linking to either party, because that would be rewarding them for acollaboration which is dubious at best.

It seems that this food company has decided to show interest in consumer health by using some of the money they earned by selling food containing an ingredient, HFCS, that is increasingly being associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and liver problems, among others…to pay for nutrition counseling purchased by the customers who bought that food and are now in need of health advice regarding what to do about it.

HUH?!?!?!? I'm not a WTF kind of writer, but WTF?!?!?

I'm not sure what the expectation here is, for those who accept money for providing these subsidized counseling visits? Are they expected to edit their advice? Overlook the glaring reality that one thing that may need to be eliminated from the diet…is the food that paid for their time in the first place?

My advice? Skip the middle men. Either don't buy the product, and if you find you still need health advice, use the money you therefore saved, to pay for it. Or, if you must have the product, look around for a version that is HCFS free. They are there.

This will hopefully be the next marketing faux-pas on the list of historic blunders. The one that includes the American car manufacturers tried to sell cars with steering wheels on the wrong side rather than make cars that worked with their customers' traffic rules.

When you stop listening to your customers, and act as though you know better than those customers what they want and need, your customers stop patronizing you.

I've told many a client they're sick and they've been playing catch up since before they were even born. Others feel the same way, too…this was recently published in USA Today:

By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
Keishawn Williams is already talking to her baby, although her child isn't due until November.

"What are you doing?" asks Williams, 22."Are you awake? Are you asleep? Why are you sitting on my bladder?"

Although Williams may not realize it, her body and baby are also conducting a separate, even more important conversation that may influence her child's health for the rest of its life. Although neither mother nor child is aware of this crucial dialogue, Williams' body already is telling her baby about what to expect from the world outside, says Mark Hanson, a professor at the University of Southampton in England.

And thanks to those biological signals, the choices that Williams makes today — by getting good prenatal care, eating nutrient-packed vegetables and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and caffeine — may help her baby long after birth, Hanson says. Research into the"developmental origins of adult disease" suggests that Williams' healthy living may help her child avoid problems such as cancer, heart disease, depression and diabetes not just in childhood, but 50 years from now.

Though adults still need to eat right and exercise, a growing number of studies now suggest the best time to fight the diseases of aging may be before babies are even born, says Peter Gluckman of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Williams' baby is still too young to kick, let alone ponder its future. But its body is already adapting and preparing for its specific environment, Gluckman says, by reading cues sent through Williams' blood and amniotic fluid.

"Every baby in fetal life is adjusting its pattern of development according to the world it predicts it will live in," he says.

Reading cues while in utero

During the crucial"window of opportunity" before birth and during infancy, environmental cues help"program" a person's DNA, says Alexander Jones of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and the University College of London Institute for Child Health. This happens through a delicate interplay of genes and the environment called epigenetics, which can determine how a baby reacts for the rest of its life, Jones says.

Through epigenetics, chemical groups attach to DNA. Although they don't change the order of the genes, the chemical groups can switch those genes on or off, Jones says.

Many things, such as chemical contaminants, can cause epigenetic changes. So babies exposed in the womb to synthetic hormones may begin responding abnormally to the natural hormones later made by their own bodies, says Hugh Taylor of Yale University School of Medicine.

That's why, doctors believe, many babies exposed before birth to a drug called DES, or diethylstilbestrol, later developed rare cancers or fertility problems, Taylor says.

Doctors stopped prescribing DES, which had been used for decades to prevent miscarriages, in 1971. But Taylor and other scientists are concerned that"hormone-disrupting" chemicals, such as those used in pesticides and even common plastics, could cause similar problems.

Babies and children also can develop abnormal reactions to stress, says Jack Shonkoff of Harvard University, co-author of a June paper on early influences in health in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the short term, reacting to typical, everyday difficulties can help people develop a healthy response to stress.

But persistent,"toxic" stress — such as neglect or extreme poverty — may program a child's nervous system to be on perpetual high alert. Over time, this can damage the immune response and lead to chronic ailments, such as heart disease and depression, the study says.

Diet as a predictor

A pregnant woman's diet tells a fetus a lot about its future environment, including how much food will be available after birth, Jones says.

A baby conceived during a famine, for example, might learn to be"thrifty," hoarding every calorie and packing on fat rather than muscle, even at the expense of developing vital organs, such as the kidneys, liver and brain. Because of a lack of calories, the baby also may be born small.

In a famine, those early adjustments and predictions about the future could mean the difference between survival and starvation, Jones says.

But babies may run into trouble if the world doesn't match their predictions, Jones says.

A baby who has learned to hoard calories, for example, may grow up to be fat or diabetic once he or she finally gets enough to eat, Jones says. Doctors believe this occurs not just with babies whose mothers are starving, but with those who are malnourished because of a mother's medical problems, poor nutrition or exposure to tobacco smoke, which damages the placenta.

It's well known, Taylor says, that women who smoke are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies, who are in some ways"starved" for nutrients in the womb. Babies born too small are at risk for many immediate problems, such as underdeveloped lungs and bleeding in the brain.

If they survive, these youngsters also face long-term risks.

Studies show that small babies who gain weight rapidly in infancy or childhood — a sign that bodies are already making the most of every calorie — also have higher rates of adult heart disease and diabetes, Jones says.

Specialized X-rays have shown babies of young mothers with poor diets in India, for example, are born with extra belly fat, even though they seem to be a normal weight. Once these babies start getting an adequate diet, they are likely to put on weight, Gluckman says.

"Even by the time of birth, they're on a different pattern of development," Gluckman says.

Teaching future mothers

Adversity in early life can increase a child's risk of disease, but it doesn't seal his or her fate, Shonkoff says.

Although emotional abuse in childhood increases the risk of adult depression, for example, supportive relationships with adults can help children cope and recover, Shonkoff says.

Communities also can help, Gluckman says. By helping women such as Williams get good prenatal care and nutrition, for example, communities can reduce the number of fetuses who are malnourished and born small, Gluckman says. Babies who are born at normal weight are more likely to maintain that healthy weight.

Because half of pregnancies are unplanned, women need to learn about nutrition — and maintain healthy diets — long before they conceive, Gluckman says.

"We have got to give far greater focus to mothers, the women who are likely to become mothers and to the care of newborn children than we have in the past," Gluckman says.

Williams, who also has a 1-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, says she's trying hard to give her children a bright future. She breast-fed both and now works as a breast-feeding peer counselor at the Family Health and Birth Center in Washington, D.C., where many patients are low-income or minority mothers.

The birth center also aims to help babies by getting their moms good prenatal care.

About 6% of black mothers who delivered at the birth center had low-birth-weight babies, compared with the citywide average of 14.2% for black mothers, says the center's Ruth Watson Lubic.

"Twentieth-century medicine dealt with child health and adult health separately," Shonkoff says."What 21st-century medicine is telling us is that if we want to change adult health, we have to look in babies, even before they're born."

I haven’t double-checked with my mother, but I’m pretty sure I was already standing on my soapbox the second I could walk. I was pretty clear as a child that I wanted to be a doctor, a writer, and the President of the United States. I had a lot of knowledge and opinions to share! One of those opinions, that we should use our capacities for connection and change, is closely related to my favorite theoretical orientation, Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). In the 1970s, many feminist writers and scholars were theorizing about how women’s growth and relational needs differed from those of men, and what that might mean in terms of their psychological developing, suffering, and disorders. More meaningfully, how might that change the approach to treating women’s psychological distress? What if we not only acknowledged our differences, but treated women accordingly? Because PCOS exclusively exists in women, and RCT is woman-specific (although it also applies to men), I like the way it fits into an integrated treatment approach for the mood disorders associated with PCOS – anxiety, depression, etc. It is also clear to me that an isolated approach to wellness almost never works, and working on and within a holistic continuum that involves an expansion of support, leads to a minimization of suffering – and I like that outcome! RCT offers some interesting thoughts and guidelines that are applicable to the treatment I provide my PCOS clients. The theory is actually quite accessible. What it says, in ultra-brief form (note that I’ve tailored it a bit to make sense in the context of PCOS), is that: · Growth-fostering relationships that support the well-being of all parties should be the goal of treatment and life itself. · Isolation is a source of suffering; by moving into growth-fostering relationships, we will decrease isolation, which is a common component of depression.
· Emotional availability, openness, and mutual respect are hallmarks of the growth-enhancing relationship.

· Free-flowing empathy, concern, and affirmation of one’s experiences assist in transcending the self and decreasing isolation. The therapist and client both exist fully, in the relationship.

· The relationship that takes place in the therapy room is a model for our relationships in the rest of our lives.

· What we do and how we live CAN change the world (this is the social activism part). RCT impacts the community as a whole, not just the client. RCT expects its practitioners to be social activists in many ways, including serving as the voice for women who have not yet developed the strength to speak out for themselves.

This blog is a form of social activism. By speaking my truth as a health psychologist, woman with PCOS, and member of the community, I hope to effect change in the mental health of individuals and the community. Knowing that I CAN effect change, and join with other women in doing so, is empowering for me and the community. It decreases isolation. I’ve found that the more empowered a woman feels to confront her condition head-on and do something meaningful about it, the less likely she is to be affected by depression. And that, in a nutshell, is how social activism might be good for your health.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.
References/Further Reading:

Jean Baker Miller Training Instititute, www.jbmti.org
The Healing Connection. Jean Baker Miller and Irene Stiver. 1997.
The Stone Center at Wellesley, www.wellesley.edu/counseling