I'm pretty well aware that I am writing this blog for a bunch of stress monsters…so I'm always on the lookout for new and practical ideas to help talk at least a few of you out of that unhappy tree…
Yesterday, former inCYST intern and soon to be inCYSTer Sarah Jones invited me to stick around the yoga studio where she works after a business meeting we had. She thought I might be interested in meeting the instructor, who is also pursuing a degree in acupuncture.
The instructor based her class around a set of acuballs…the best way to describe them is that they are like little plastic blowfish that you use to massage yourself with. You can hold them in your hand and use them on your legs, etc., or you can place your body on top of them and move back and forth to massage hard-to-reach parts of yourself.
I absolutely fell in love with how it felt to gently roll my spine over my acuballs. It felt like several sets of massage hands meticulously spreading every muscle fiber apart and stretching it to its potential. I especially loved putting it at the base of my skull and letting it do its job of releasing all of the tension that builds up from all of my computer time.
I sometimes have a hard time with yoga because of my fibroids…they make it uncomfortable to assume any position on my stomach. So when the instructor asked us to place the acuball underneath our abdomens and move back and forth, I was hesitant. It did feel uncomfortable at first, but it actually started to feel good. And when we were finished with the exercise, assuming the next stomach position didn't hurt at all. I couldn't help but think they would be a nice tool to use to help improve circulation to reproductive organs.
If you'd like to try them for yourself, you can find more information at http://www.acuball.com/
Someone on our Facebook page recently asked how you cook kale. And she asked at a perfect time, since we've been getting it almost weekly at Chow Locally, and I've been the one who's been curating recipes and techniques to keep our customers excited!
First of all, a bit about kale. It is actually a type of cabbage that never gets around to forming into a head. In this photo you see curly kale, which is one of the more popular kinds, what you often see used to make kale chips. It comes in a variety of colors and leaf shapes, all of which can be enjoyed!
Here are some of the great things kale can do for you.
1. It can lower your cholesterol. 2. It can lower your risk of cancer. 3. It is a great food for detoxification. 4. It is extremely high in antioxidants — over 45 have already been identified. 5. One cup cooked kale has 1328% of your RDA's for vitamin K, 354% for vitamin A, and 89% of vitamin C. And only 36 calories.
Now that is what I call nutrient dense!
For the longest time, I thought kale was just the pretty gray-green curly stuff you used to decorate party platters, but didn't really eat. Then antioxidants were discovered, and kale topped the charts, and people started deciding, maybe they should figure out how to eat it. It can be a bit of a challenge because it is bitter. Unless you are Kitty, who loves raw kale (this is white peacock kale here), it's best to know a few cooking techniques!
Here are some of the easiest ways to enjoy kale.
1. Juice it. There are a bazillion recipes for juicing kale on the Internet. I am linking you to just one here.
2. Massage it and eat it raw. Interestingly, kale's bitter flavor dials back a bit if you chop it, and massage it with some type of oil until the color pops green. Here is a great blog post with three massaged kale salad recipes, along with more ideas (colcannon, which is mashed potatoes and kale, is a recipe I sent to our customers with this week's box.)
3. Saute it. Super easy, as you can see in this recipe!
4. Make pesto with it. One week we got gorgeous purple peacock kale in our boxes, and it intimidated some of our customers. It's the same vegetable, just a different color, and to demonstrate, I made a purple pesto. You can make this exact same pesto with any kind of kale…curly, dinosaur, peacock, Toscano…because it's still kale!
5. Steam/wilt it. This is one of my all time favorite kale recipes, by Rachel Ray, steamed kale with portobello mushrooms. I often make this dinner!
6. Kale chips. This is all the rage right now. I'm giving you the recipe and I encourage you to try this with any sturdy greens you might have available — kohlrabi and beet have worked very well in my kitchen. 7. Braise it. Braising is a way to slow cook and infuse the flavor of a wine, vinegar, alcohol, broth, or other liquid. I just found this great salsa-braised kale recipe while surfing for this post…it is on my list to try! I hope this gets you started! Let us know how you end up cooking yours!
I have a new favorite recipe that I thought you would like! If you use the anchovy paste, you'll get additional omega-3's; if you're vegan it's fine to use soy sauce. I use lite soy sauce to cut the sodium content. I have also cut the oil in half from the original recipe; feel free to add more if you need it. Just remember that it is the fat in the Caesar that can throw the calories out of whack.
Add chicken or salmon…or even canned tuna…for protein…and you've got a tasty, hormone-friendly meal!
Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice - 1 T anchovy paste from a tube (or substitute soy sauce) - 1 tsp. minced garlic - 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard - 3 T olive oil - 2 T + 2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese - sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste - 4-5 oz. romaine lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and dried - 4-5 oz. dark green kale, washed, dried, and thinly sliced
Preparation
Blend the lemon juice, anchovy paste (or soy sauce), garlic, and Dijon in a food processor and pulse together a few times. Add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time, pulsing for a few seconds after each tablespoon is added. Stir in 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan and season the dressing with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Put dressing in the fridge and chill until ready to use, or if you want to make the salad right away, chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Thinly slice romaine lettuce and kale into 1/2 inch strips. Wash, then spin dry or dry with paper towels.
Place the kale strips in a salad bowl, and pour in salad dressing. Massage dressing into kale with your hands until the leaves change color. Add romaine and toss to coat with dressing. Add the remaining 2 T of freshly grated Parmesan to the salad and toss again. Serve right away.
If you're not here in Phoenix, you likely aren't aware that I have a good friend, Ken Clark, who is all about making our world here a better place. For the past year, I've worked with Ken and his hand-picked committee to create monthly events celebrating new small businesses taking a risk on downtown Phoenix. (Here we like to call it CenPho.)
Ken recently decided to take his vision one step further and create a referral network, the CenPho Charity Referral Network, in which anyone who participates, who receives a business referral through this network, will donate a percentage of that business to a charity. I was very flattered when he asked me to be part of this network, not to mention excited, because giving back and paying forward are always what inCYST has been about.
Businesses belonging to this network are listed below. If you patronize any of them, and you tell them that I referred you, they will donate to a local charity. Details for each individual's offer, as well as information on members (there are more coming on board) can be found on our new Facebook page.
Ken Clark, local REALTOR® and dog owner (really) works all over the valley, but specializes in Central Phoenix, historic properties and urban living. If you send Ken a referral for a home sale or purchase, and that transaction closes, he will make a personal donation to the charity of your choice. It is as simple as that!
Matthew Fritz of SuTRA Midtown (we interviewed his wife Rebecca about their SuTRA Mum yoga program awhile back) will make a 5% donation for referrals on yoga packages and massage therapy.
Marshall Shore, named a best of Phoenix by Phoenix New Times, takes armchair tourists on a rollicking illustrated ride through Arizona and the valley during its heyday, after the car arrived. His live presentation celebrates unique people and architecture in a theatrical blend of images and storytelling. The Arizona Centennial is rapidly approaching, and Marshall is looking forward to creating presentations for events along this theme.
Dallas Gold with the Funds Transfer Alliance will help your business with any and all credit card processing needs. Dallas will make a contribution to a referrer's favorite charity equal to 5% of the gross contract.
Jenny Poondingo of CO+HOOTS, Phoenix's biggest co-work space will make a contribution to a referrer's favorite charity equal to 5% of the gross co-work space contract. If you're not in Phoenix but happen to be here in need of workspace for the day, Janeny has a drop-in option, and is conveniently located to the major downtown business area.
Local Artist & Graphic Designer, Christine Cassano will make a contribution to a referrer's favorite charity equal to 5% of the gross contract. If you don't have a choice of charities, she will make a contribution to behalf of the person[s] / organization to Free Arts of Arizona: http://www.freeartsaz.org/ Free Arts of Arizona is a nonprofit organization that brings the healing powers of the creative arts to abused, neglected and homeless children by partnering with over 100 group homes, treatment centers and shelters in Maricopa County. (BTW, Christine shared her PCOS story with us on the radio show awhile back. Please tune in to the recording to learn more about her!)
As for my part, I'd like to combine this effort with the research foundation I mentioned last week. So here's what I'm willing to do.
From this point forward,
--5% of any sale (counseling, professional training, or restaurant menu/recipe consulting) will be donated to the inCYST research foundation. --if a referral comes in to inCYST through the CenPho Charity Referral Network, I'll donate an additional 5% to the charity of your choice. If you don't designate a charity, I'll donate to the St. Mary's Food Bank.
Be sure to mention that you were referred by me so others may benefit from your purchase!
Kale is the new rage. I've even seen it hailed as The New Beef.
Problem is, for newbies to this green way of eating, kale is a bitter veggie to swallow.
I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to work with kale that get you out of the bitter and into the tasty zone!
1. Make chips! I put a photo album on our Facebook page showing you how to do this with pretty much any green, including kale. It's soooo easy!
2. Cook with Parmesan cheese. Cheese, for some reason, helps to take bitterness out of greens.
3. Massage with oil. I'm sharing a couple of links here to recipes describing tis technique, which is basically breaking down the membranes of the leaves with your hands while massaging in a little oil. The first recipe, Kale Salad with Grapefruit, and photo are from friend Valerie Griswold. The second recipe is for the popular kale avocado salad at Whole Foods, which is what I always encourage people to try if they have never had kale. The avocado does the job that the oil does in the previous recipe.
4. Throw a handful into smoothies! You won't taste it at all, and you'll still get the benefit of its goodness.
5. Add to soups. If I get close to the next weekly veggie box and I still have things I haven't used, I make soup. Kale is a great thing to throw in anything.
I was recently asked my opinion about whether or not biotin supplementation would help hair loss. Here's a bit of commentary, plus information about melatonin, another supplement that has been studied.
As with any supplement, it's only going to help if you are indeed deficient in that particular nutrient. There are many reasons you could be deficient in biotin. One of the most relevant to PCOS, is the use of medications valproic acid and carbamazepine. These are seizure medications, also used to treat bipolar disorder and migraine headaches, that have been reported to cause or exacerbate PCOS. So if you've ever been on those medications, you may want to consider supplementation.
If your diet has been out of balance in any way (severe dieting, overeating, eating disorder, cutting out entire categories of food (gluten-free, paleo, vegan, etc.) with a focus on what to eliminate rather than on how to be complete, you may be at risk for biotin deficiency.
It's certainly not going to hurt, and it might help. The dose reported in the literature is 5 to 10 mg per day. However, keep in mind, if your hair loss is primarily related to high testosterone levels and you do not adhere to your complete recommended protocol, biotin will not fix what those problems are causing. It's not a miracle cure.
The best food source of biotin is Swiss chard. Which I was happy about because one of my favorite quick meals is a Swiss chard frittata…I actually planned on making one tonight before knowing this. Nice coincidence!
The other supplement I'm a little more versed in, is melatonin. You all know I'm a big fan of sleep, almost more than diet, for its power to heal. About a year ago, I was poking around in PubMed and found the abstract below, specifically looking at using melatonin to treat androgenic alopecia, which is specifically the type of hair loss you all have. I was coming out of a pretty stressful personal period myself, and had started to notice that my hairline was receding…not fun to look at! So I figured I'd try it myself before writing about it. What I do, is take a melatonin pill, dissolve it in my hand with a few drops of water, and then massage it into my skin with coconut oil. Simply using water didn't work, it needed a carrier. I've noticed that my hair is gradually starting to grow in again. It's not thick and lush, by any means, but it IS growing some hair back.
A caveat here, it won't happen in a week, and you have to be consistent with application. If you're going to flake out about it…don't bother even starting. It's taken almost a year to see a difference. But if you're committed and willing to be persistent, it's definitely worth a try.
Here's the article. Fischer TW, Burmeister G, Schmidt HW, Elsner P. Melatonin increases anagen hair rate in women with androgenetic alopecia or diffuse alopecia: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2004 Feb;150(2):341-5.
BACKGROUND: In addition to the well-known hormonal influences of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone on the hair cycle, melatonin has been reported to have a beneficial effect on hair growth in animals. The effect of melatonin on hair growth in humans has not been investigated so far.
OBJECTIVES: To examine whether topically applied melatonin influences anagen and telogen hair rate in women with androgenetic or diffuse hair loss. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 40 women suffering from diffuse alopecia or androgenetic alopecia. A 0.1% melatonin or a placebo solution was applied on the scalp once daily for 6 months and trichograms were performed to assess anagen and telogen hair rate. To monitor effects of treatment on physiological melatonin levels, blood samples were taken over the whole study period.
RESULTS: Melatonin led to a significantly increased anagen hair rate in occipital hair in women with androgenetic hair loss compared with placebo (n=12; P=0.012). For frontal hair, melatonin gave a significant increase in the group with diffuse alopecia (n=28; P=0.046). The occipital hair samples of patients with diffuse alopecia and the frontal hair counts of those with androgenetic alopecia also showed an increase of anagen hair, but differences were not significant. Plasma melatonin levels increased under treatment with melatonin, but did not exceed the physiological night peak.
CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this pilot study is the first to show that topically applied melatonin might influence hair growth in humans in vivo. The mode of action is not known, but the effect might result from an induction of anagen phase.
Castro-Gag M, Pérez-Gay L, Gómez-Lado C, Castiñeiras-Ramos DE, Otero-Martínez S, Rodríguez-Segade S. The influence of valproic Acid and carbamazepine treatment on serum biotin and zinc levels and on biotinidase activity. J Child Neurol. 2011 Dec;26(12):1522-4. Epub 2011 Jun 3.
Wolf B. EditorsIn: Pagon RA, Bird TD, Dolan CR, Stephens K, editors. Biotinidase Deficiency. SourceGeneReviews [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2000 Mar 24 [updated 2011 Mar 15].
Zempleni J, Hassan YI, Wijeratne SS. Biotin and biotinidase deficiency. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Nov 1;3(6):715-724.
We’ve reached that point in the year where New Year’s resolutions have long-since faded, the desire and commitment to creating a “beach body” has also expired, and, although it’s still blazing hot in most parts of the country, fall fashions abound, and Halloween cards and paraphernalia have already appeared in the stores. What a great time to reactivate your commitment to health! I propose that you do that by thinking long-term, and giving yourself some motivation by: · Thinking of health as a year-round project, instead of a seasonal exercise. It’s better to think now about how to prevent yourself from packing on winter flab than to mindlessly eat your way into the next size up. If being overweight is part of your PCOS struggle, you know how much you prize the loss of even one pound, and how much more effort it took to produce that loss than it would for any non-PCOS woman. In our case, the backsliding can take weeks or even months to recover from – don’t let it happen! · Remembering that even though YOU may take a vacation, your PCOS doesn’t take a vacation. It’s a lifetime effort, and our bodies are so sensitive. I don’t know about you, but too much alcohol (more than a glass of wine), caffeine (sadly, more than about half a cup of coffee), or high glycemic food makes me feel incredibly awful. My heart races, I get sleepy and begin to experience brain fog, and thirst overwhelms me. In mere minutes, I can feel my body getting unbalanced, and like I said above, it might take the rest of the day, or even up to 48 hours to really get back in synch. That’s a high price to pay for short-term indulgence. Think of moderation as a gift you’re giving to your body, your brain, your productivity, and your sociability. · Setting some goals, if you KNOW you need them to be motivated. And as much as we may resist the idea, most of us DO respond to goal-setting, especially when it’s tied to rewards. Think of some affordable, healthy, readily obtained rewards – a manicure, a basket of fat golden raspberries, a foot massage, or the latest trendy shade of nail polish. Don’t wait until the first of the month, or your birthday, or whatever. Today’s a Monday; that’s good enough! · Beginning to treat yourself like a priority, instead of an afterthought. Sure, you’re busy with the house, the kids, your husband, your friends, your church, your hobbies, and whatever else. But you can’t get well, or stay well, unless you act as if you are at least as important as everything else that pulls on your attention or your heart-strings. Program a reminder into your smart phone. Write some Post-It notes and stick them up around the house. Ask a friend to remind you regularly how fabulous and worthy you are. All of this requires effort, true enough, and you are SO worth it! 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.
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 atwww.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her atGretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.
Not long ago, I blogged about a new favorite salad of mine, the Romaine-Kale Caesar Salad. I love it so much I make it about once a week! A few weeks ago, I came home from the store and realized I had done what I often do, brought home everything I need for a recipe except one important ingredient. Those are the times when I come up with my greatest inspirations, so I started looking around for what I could create.
My parents travel a lot, and they often bring me something culinary from their trips. I had a package of papaya dressing mix on the counter. As I thought about it, I realized I had some other Hawaiian-inspired ingredients sitting around: frozen mango, rice vinegar, and macadamia nut oil. So I took my basic recipe and started messing around.
Here is what I came up with! I gave this salad the name that I did because"da kine" is Pidgin slang for"whatever", and Kamehameha, not Julius Caesar, is the royalty most recognized by the Islanders as their important historical figure.
So next time you lain has a kanak attack, do what dis haole do. She make 'em a killahz kau kau like dis en dey say"Mahalo, dat was 'ono!" Sometimes dey even ask fo noddah plate. (I got a little distracted by theHawaiian Pidgin dictionarywhile I was writing this and tried it on for size!)
- 1 package papaya seed dressing mix - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce - 1 teaspoon minced garlic - 3 tablespoons macadamia oil - sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste - 4-5 ounces romaine lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and dried - 4-5 onces. dark green kale, washed, dried, and thinly sliced -1/2 package sesame seaweed snack* -1 bag frozen mango chunks, thawed
Preparation
Blend the rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and Dijon in a food processor and pulse together a few times. Add the macadamia oil oil one tablespoon at a time, pulsing for a few seconds after each tablespoon is added. Season the dressing with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Put dressing in the fridge and chill until ready to use, or if you want to make the salad right away, chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so.
Thinly slice romaine lettuce and kale into 1/2 inch strips. Wash, then spin dry or dry with paper towels.
Place the kale strips in a salad bowl, and pour in salad dressing. Massage dressing into kale with your hands until the leaves change color. Add romaine and crumbled nori, and toss to coat with dressing. Add the mango chunks and toss again. Serve right away.
*Seaweed, also known as nori, is a vegan source of omega-3's. Actually, the reason fish have omega-3's themselves, is because small fish feed on seaweed and it is passed up the food chain. It is a popular snack in Asia and the Pacific. Look for it in the Japanese section of your grocery store, or click on the link I provided above to order it online.
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 atAskDrGretchen@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.
The most common question I get as an Herbalista is, "What can I do to feel well again?" There are many things we can do to incorporate wellness in to our body, mind, soul, and earth and I use this 5-step acronym that I've developed to simply my options: FHEELF= Food
The first step to feeling better is to examine what we're fueling up on. It tends to be in our best interested to avoid fried and fatty foods in general, but especially so for those of us with PCOS. Instead, aim to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and healthy proteins with some fruit, dairy, and whole grains sprinkled in. Try and get a rainbow-colored variety of foods in your diet, striving for more of the darker/richer colored foods (kale, spinach, dandelion greens, mustard green, collard greens, broccoli, beets, blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates, squashes, sweet potatoes, carrots) and less of the lighter and whiter foods (citrus, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, pastas, rice, sugar, white potatoes, butter, dairy).
H= Herbs
If a whole foods diet isn't giving you everything you need in the moment, adding herbs can help! Start with adding simple spices to your meals like garlic (detoxifying herb that is great for the digestive system), rosemary (supports the brain and is antibacterial), and ginger (supports the circulatory and digestive system and is helpful for migraines). Other culinary spices that are easy to incorporate are cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, fennel, cayenne, thyme, sage, and clove. I highly recommend talking with a Holistic Healthcare practitioner, Naturopath, Herbalist, or other trained botanical medicine professional about herbs that can be specifically helpful to your desired wellness goals.
E= Essences and Essential Oils
Both Flower Essences and Essentials Oils are lovely tools that really support more the emotional, spiritual, and mental journey of wellness. Flower Essences have no reaction to medications, allergies, children or pets and work specifically on our current state of emotions. There are as many brands as there are flowers, from all parts of the world, so please read up on the companies as well as the products before choosing an essence. Essential oils are potent blend of botanical oils that have specific methods of delivery. Because there are highly concentrated amounts of naturally occurring chemicals in essential oils, it is extremely important to handle them with an informed and delicate manner. As always, consult with an Aromatherapist or Flower Essence practitioner for recommendations.
E= Energy Therapies and Exercise
When there still seems to be components of our wellness that need some extra attention, energy therapies and exercise can be very beneficial. Research the many benefits of Massage Therapy, Yoga, Acupuncture, Reiki, Polarity, Reflexology, Circuit Training, and many other healing arts and fitness programs. With any area of wellness, there are both reputable, competent companies and practitioners of theses energy therapies, as well as not so reputable nor competent companies and practitioners. Choose wisely after researching local resources in your community. I like to ask where they received their training from, how long have they have been in practice, and also what the whole process is from start to finish before signing up or paying for an appointment. Other energy therapies and exercises that can be helpful are: meditation/prayer, affirmations, journaling, hypnotherapy, life coaching, joining a gym/health club, getting a personal trainer, and dance styles like zumba/jazzercise/ballroom/swing/two-step and line dancing.
L= Lifestyle Changes
Making some more intense changes in lifestyle habits may be necessary in order to achieved our desired wellness goals. Most often, habits like smoking, drinking, eating too much fast food or snacks, not exercising, drinking soda and sugary beverages,and having too much or too little sleep can tremendously impact the state of our health. When setting your wellness goals, really emphasize the reasons for choosing those specific goals and concentrate on those reasons during the challenging moments. Tell your friends and family about your wellness goals the lifestyle changes you are making to help keep you accountable and motivate you during the ups and downs. Create a vision board or goal chart to showcase your progress. There are many tools and apps available to help you at any age or stage of wellness and life so identify those goals, develop a route to wellness, seek advice if you need help meeting those goals and chart your progress to see how well you're doing and how close you are to meeting and exceeding those goals!
I leave you with this last tidbit to remember, words of wisdom I try to live by: Wellness is a Journey, Not a Destination. Strive for Progress, Not Perfection… Know that every step, every breath, and each moment counts as progress, so long as we consciously choose to be well.
This just in from registered dietitian and licensed acupuncturist Karen Siegel. Karen's practice is in Houston, Texas, if you are interested in consulting with her.
Acupuncture Benefit Seen In Pregnancy By SHIRLEY S. WANG
Acupuncture designed to treat depression appears to improve symptoms in pregnant women, suggesting it as an alternative to antidepressant medication during pregnancy, a study found.
The study, published Monday in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, is the largest to date examining the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat depression in pregnant women. It was funded by a grant from the government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality."Acupuncture that we have tested works for pregnant, depressed women," said Rachel Manber, a study author and professor at Stanford University. However,"no single study is enough to make policy recommendations," she said.
Depression in pregnancy is a risk factor for postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is associated in some studies with poorer cognitive and emotional development in children. Some have linked depression in pregnancy and low birth weight.
As many as 14% of pregnant women are thought to develop depression at some point during their pregnancy, according to the study authors, comparable to numbers who suffer from postpartum depression. Antidepressants are generally considered safe for use in pregnancy, but research has been limited and concerns continue to grow, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Acupuncture attempts to treat conditions by stimulating points on the body, most often with needles stuck in the skin and moved by hand or electrical stimulation, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
In the study, 150 clinically depressed pregnant women who weren't previously taking antidepressants were randomly assigned to get either acupuncture for depression, acupuncture not specifically designed for depression, or massage for eight weeks. Some 63% of women in the acupuncture-for-depression group responded to treatment, compared with 44% in the other groups.
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page D3, February 23, 2010
