The winter blues… so many people suffer with continual stuffy noses and painful sinus congestion. Before calling in for antibiotics, try these simple tips for releasing the stronghold that snot has on your head.

Do regular sinus lavage with a neti pot or sinus rinse bottle. Most health food stores carry the neti pot, which comes with simple directions on how to use it. Basically, you dissolve ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of sea salt in warm water and pour it into your sinus. Picture leaning over the sink with a small teapot, turn your head to one side and plug the lower nostril, poor some of the saline water into the upper nostril and let it trickle down. Release the lower nostril and the fluid should drain out. Along with salt, I often also add ½ teaspoon of xylitol, which has antibacterial properties (as well as being a good sugar replacement). I recommend some herbal teas too, such as Yogi tea’s “Breathe Easy” or some that I will create for specific needs in my office. You should still add the salt to the tea before using it for sinus lavage, to keep it from stinging and help to tonify the tissues. You can also find positive pressure bottles with packages of pre-mixed salt and sodium bicarbonate that are pH balanced (NeilMed) at drug stores. This may be easier for some people.

Especially where the temperature is kept high with forced-hot air heating systems, you may want to get a humidifier or vaporizer for your home and work space. The dry air causes your mucus membranes to produce more moisture. They do this by producing more mucus, which in the case of your sinuses, may become congested. Some units will allow for using oils such as eucalyptus or other essential oils that will also help to unclog your nasal passages.

Olbas Oil – made in Switzerland and found at many health food stores – can be rubbed right onto your chest. This is good to do before bed to keep the sinus passages clear when you are lying down. This company also makes a bath soak, which is wonderful for sore muscles as well as sinuses. Add it to a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes, particularly before bed. Not only will it clear your sinuses, it aids in a good night’s sleep and helps to draw toxins from muscles.

The supplement NAC (N-Acetyl-cysteine) has long historical use for breaking up mucus and clearing sinus passages. A dosage of 500-600 mg. two-three times daily is usually sufficient. Be sure to consult with your healthcare practitioner before adding any new supplements to make sure there is no interaction between them and a medication or supplement you may already be taking.

For particularly rigid mucus in the sinuses, you might try alternating hot and cold wet washcloths. This type of hydrotherapy has been used for hundreds of years to help to release congestion. On a larger scale (e.g. one’s entire chest or back) it is used to stimulate immune system function. It is good to always end with the cool compress, which helps stimulate circulation.

Sinus infections commonly develop after the initial cold symptoms have begun to dissipate, due to the retaining of congestion in the sinuses. Be sure to take immune supportive herbs and nutrients such as vitamin C. Eating a well balanced diet and decreasing sugar and alcohol will also keep your immune system stronger.

Fear not, spring is right around the corner. If nothing else works, spring will not only warm the ground but also loosen the congestion in your head.

www.DrThyr.com

Dr. Thyr obtained her doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine and midwifery certification from Bastyr University, Seattle, Washington.

In my last couple of blogs I discussed how a homeopath goes about choosing a constitutional remedy, that is, a remedy meant to address the patient’s whole state of being. But what about all those homeopathic remedies at the health food store that are supposed to treat colds or flus or toothaches and the like?
These are usually combination remedies, groups of low-dose remedies known to act on certain medical conditions. It’s kind of a shotgun approach; one of the remedies will usually help (at least somewhat) most of the people taking the medicine. Several of these are quite good – Traumeel cream for bruising and soreness; Engystol (manufactured by HEEL, who also make Traumeel) for symptoms of the flu; Oscillococcinum another flu remedy. There’s the Hylands Teething Formula, which many mothers swear by (but don’t repeat it too often or you can get an exacerbation of the symptoms!) and Calms Fortè, which has helped many people get to sleep without sleeping pills (also, don’t repeat this one too often, either).

All of these combination remedies can help more or less, depending on the individual’s response, in treating the conditions they are designed to treat. If you are not going to be consulting a homeopath for a constitutional remedy, these remedies are an option. A more effective treatment, however, is to learn about the specific “acute” remedies that may apply to your situation, and treat yourself with a 30c potency of that remedy.

What’s an acute remedy? It’s a remedy that will treat a specific, localized condition, such as a bee sting, or the flu, or a panic attack. It will need to be repeated each time there is an occurrence, since only in a few instances will you take a stronger potency than a 30c. It’s a good idea, if you are interested in homeopathy, to create or buy a home remedy kit, with anywhere from 15 – 50 remedies in the 30c potency, commonly used to treat acute conditions.

Here’s how you take an acute remedy:
Pour 3  – 5 pellets of the remedy into the cap of the vial, and then tip them into your mouth, under your tongue. Don’t put them into your hand or you will contaminate them. You should take the remedy with “a clean mouth” – no food or drink for 15 minutes either side of taking it. Try not to drink coffee, even decaf, that day. Don’t use any products with camphor, such as Tiger Balm, Blistex, or Noxema, or heavily mentholated products, or anything with Tea Tree oil.

For an acute treatment, you can take a dose (no more than a 30c potency) up to three times a day for three days. If you feel better after a dose, don’t repeat it until you feel worse. (Try to avoid “flooding the engine” — for us old folks who remember when you could do that to a car — takng too much and getting a negative response,) Another way to take an acute remedy, especially good for fevers, coughs, and allergies that persist all day long, is to dissolve 3 pellets of a 30c strength remedy into 4 ounces of water. Stir 10 times, and take a teaspoonful. Repeat the stirring and taking a teaspoonful of the solution up to 8 times that day.

In the next few blogs I’ll be going over what should be included in your kit. Of course, it will differ if you are a family with young children, or an athlete, or someone who tends to overindulge in food or drink. I’ll supply a list, with the common acute uses for the remedy.

Naomi Richman, MFT, is a psychotherapist and homeopath with offices in Petaluma and Berkeley. Check out her website at www.naomirichman.com.

It was evening and my 10 week old daughter was starting to cry. Without thinking, I began to rock and sway as I held her.  After all, rhythmical, gentle movement is something that we all intuitively do to soothe and calm.

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong, all of life alternates in rhythmical movement. Within the body the most fundamental rhythm of the heart and lungs forms the basis for our individual life. Within all of nature, we can find a similar, familiar rhythm. The activity of the day quiets at night, and the exuberance of summer is internalized and nurtured during the stillness of winter. All of these fundamental rhythms and movements, both within us and within all of nature, are described as “qi.”

Qi can be translated as energy, influence, vital function and breath. Within nature the transformations of qi can be seen in the cyclical movement of day and night, the phases of the moon, and the changing seasons. Within the body, qi is the energy that allows the functioning of life through warmth, movement, transformation, containment and defense. It is the energy that maintains and safeguards the integrity of the body and mind, containing and preserving what is necessary to our life and repelling what would be harmful to us. The attributes of qi within the body can be seen in the energy, warmth and vital movement of life. From this perspective, all transformations and movements within the body, whether physical or emotional, depend on the correct and balanced movement of the qi.

Medical Qigong is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, like acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Medical Qigong consists of traditional therapeutic exercises used to support the correct movement of qi and address specific health issues. These are relatively simple, gentle exercises that are consist of what are traditionally referred to as the “Three Regulations,” the regulation of the body, breath and mind. Through specific methods of regulating the body, breath and mind we can enter into a rhythm that is in harmony with the greater movements and rhythms of nature. This process can be likened to rocking a baby to calm and settle the little one, helping them to enter into a deep and restorative sleep (at least that’s an analogy that I’ve been thinking about these days).

Traditionally, Medical Qigong has three interrelated goals: to enhance the body’s self healing abilities, to increase vitality, and to cultivate skill in adapting to change. These three goals contribute to the process of promoting health and nourishing life. All of this through integrating body, breath and mind in a way that helps us to participate more fully in the movements of life.

Oh, and it really is very good at calming babies.

Sean Fannin, CH, Dipl.CEM practices Traditional Chinese Medicine in Petaluma, specializing in Chinese herbology, Medical Qigong, and client education.

http://www.traditionalhealtharts.com

As I explained in the first part of this blog, the NAET system is a method of treating a wide range of allergies. Diagnosis is made by using muscle testing, and this blog explains how treatment is conducted.

Treating Allergies

On the first visit at least ten major categories of food and other substances are tested. These include calcium, sugars, salts, minerals, vitamins and metals. Once any of these substances have tested positive and they have been treated and cleared, other allergens are tested. These are selected according to the individual case history and the particular medical problems that the patient is experiencing. Commonly tested allergens are pollens, dust, caffeine, gluten, and milk products.

The primary form of treatment is through the use of acupuncture points on the back. These points are stimulated by either strong massage or by using a chiropractic adjustor. To reinforce the treatment other acupuncture points are selected and stimulated using either acupuncture needles or acupressure.

For twenty-five hours after the treatment, it is essential that the patient does not come into close contact with the allergen for which they have just been treated.  This gives the body time to absorb and maintain the treatment. After twenty-five hours, the patient does not have to avoid the allergen. At the next treatment, using the muscle testing technique, the allergen is retested to see if the treatment has held. If it has not held, the treatment is given again. If it has held, another allergen can be treated.

Reactions to treatment vary a great deal from one patient to another. Some patients report feeling better immediately, while others may find their symptoms may be exacerbated for a few days before an improvement is noticed. The number of treatments needed varies a good deal from one patient to another. Some patients may need only a few sessions while others may require more extensive treatment.

Doctor Nambudripad M.D. L.Ac. D.C. Ph.D. has trained several thousand qualified medical practitioners including many M.D.’s and this method is now being used successfully through out North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Doctor Nambudripad has also started rigorous research into the effectiveness of the NAET system and NAET.com. The results of these studies can be found on her web site www.NAET.com

Ian Rawlinson L.Ac. has practiced Chinese medicine in Petaluma for 24 years.

www.rawlinsonacupuncture.com

Part 1

Ian Rawlinson L.Ac.

When I first moved to Petaluma in 1986 and opened my acupuncture practice, I couldn’t help noticing the large percentage of my patients who reported suffering from seasonal allergies. Many told me that until they had moved to Sonoma County, they had never experienced this problem. While I found Chinese medicine was very effective in helping many of these patients, some did not respond as well as I would have liked, so I kept my ears open for any additional treatment that could be helpful. In 1993 I heard about the NAET system from a friend who was having very good results from a practitioner in Santa Rosa. Initially, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about the method. Even though I had been involved with alternative health for many years, the idea of muscle testing was foreign. However my friend was very insistent that the treatments were helping him and so I decided to find out more about it. I attended a lecture, and after a few months decided to have some treatment myself as I had long felt I had a mild allergy to several foods. I found the treatment very effective and decided to study with Dr. Nambudripad, M.D. L.Ac D.C. Ph.D. the founder of the system.

NAET is a system of treatment designed to treat all types of allergies. It combines applied kinesiology, or muscle testing, Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Therapy with concepts taken from acupuncture. Diagnosis and treatment are simple, yet highly effective for treating many different forms of allergies. Dr. Nambudripad named the treatment, or NAET.

What are Allergies?

An allergy is an abnormal response from the body to a substance. Allergens can be inhaled, eaten, or encountered by touch or smell.  Normally, antibodies in the blood stream and tissues react to destroy specific antigens. In an allergic person, however, the reaction of the allergen with the antibody leads to a release of chemicals causing inflammation. Different allergens affect different people in different ways causing a wide range of symptoms. These include sneezing, asthma, fatigue, indigestion, nausea, dermatitis, and in extreme cases, anaphylaxis or coma.

Testing For Allergies

Diagnosis using the NAET method is very simple. The patient lies down and holds a vial of the suspected allergy in one hand. The other arm is held at a right angle to the body and the practitioner applies gentle pressure against the arm. If the patient is not allergic to the substance, the arm will remain strong and at a right angle to the body. However, if the patient is allergic to the substance, the arm will become weak and the patient will be unable to resist the pressure that the practitioner is exerting.

To determine which organs are involved, specific acupuncture points on the chest are touched while the muscle test is given. If the arm becomes weak while a particular point is being touched, it indicates that the organ associated with that point is involved with the patient’s allergy. This test determines which acupuncture points on the back are selected for the treatment.

Next weeks blog will explain how a practitioner gives a treatment using NAET.

Ian Rawlinson L.Ac. has practiced Chinese medicine in Petaluma for 24 years.

www.rawlinsonacupuncture.com

We all experience physical aches and pains at one time or another.  Some of these pains are acute (recently developed), while others may stay with us or develop over time (chronic).

If you’re like many others, you may have had the experience that your physical pain is aggravated by movement—which is accurate: Our body’s natural response to pain is often to increase muscular tension, restrict movement, and make postural changes to guard or protect the painful area.  But sometimes this natural protective response, while serving an important purpose in the short term, can actually create different and more complicated problems over the long term.

It’s worthwhile noting that dealing with chronic pain is usually more challenging than dealing with acute problems.  This is because chronic pain follows different pathways in the nervous system than acute pain—which explains why pain medication that alleviates acute pain often doesn’t have the same effect on chronic pain.

Fortunately, there are a variety of alternative approaches to chronic and acute pain that may be effective and which don’t entail drugs or surgery.  Acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, osteopathic and the Feldenkrais Method® are just a few of the approaches that can be effective in the treatment of pain.  What is unique about the Feldenkrais Method® is its focus on using gentle movement sequences, attention and awareness to help an individual move out of pain.  A Feldenkrais practitioner generally starts by looking at how a person is actually moving—walking, sitting, standing—and how their habitual (unconscious) movement patterns might be contributing to or even causing the pain.

Let’s take an example: A man limps into the Feldenkrais practitioner’s office, complaining about severe pain in the right hip while walking.  The man has trouble sleeping, waking up in the middle of the night due to pain, unable figure out what is causing the problem (after all, he doesn’t remember ever injuring his hip).  By asking questions, the Feldenkrais practitioner learns that the man had broken his right ankle a few years ago, required surgery, and then had to wear a cast for several months afterwards.  Could that be the cause of pain?

Curious, the practitioner might next ask the man to simply walk back and forth a few times, observing how he moves.  He might ask the man to pay particular attention to his movement:  how each leg swings when walking, or how the right foot makes contact with the floor differently from the left foot.  Although most people don’t notice these differences unless they are very pronounced, a Feldenkrais practitioner is trained to observe these differences at a very subtle level (just like most of us would have difficulty feeling the various pulses in the wrist, which a trained acupuncturist can feel quite easily).  Noticing these subtle patterns of movement and then helping the person to become aware of these patterns is the “magic” of the Feldenkrais Method®.  Once an individual becomes aware of his own movement patterns, he is then ready to find new ways of moving.

The gentleman in this example is walking today, several years later, as if his ankle is still broken and in a cast. Though the ankle injury has long since healed, the habitual way he has compensated for this injury has continued, and is now causing problems with his hip.  At some point, he might well start feeling pain in the spine, or even his neck, if this habitual pattern of movement continues.

The key word in all of this is habitual. Our bodies have tremendous wisdom, and will often (if we listen) inform us how best to respond to life’s immediate challenges.  But sometimes we continue responding the same way long after the immediate challenge is over.  This is clearly what was happening in the example above.

Once the practitioner identifies that a way of moving is connected to the complaint, the practitioner can begin working with gentle touch and guide the client to sense and feel his habitual movement patterns more clearly, and to practice new ways of moving that are easier and more comfortable.  In the case described above, the client started feeling differences almost immediately by focusing his attention on how he was moving.  Pretty soon the limp disappeared and he began walking normally again.  Without all of the added strain of having to walk in such a lopsided way, the hip pain vanished, allowing him to sleep through the night comfortably.

Most of us take our movement for granted.  We do what we do, and we do it the same way, every day.   The next few times you stand up from your chair or sofa, pay attention to how you actually do it—how you shift your weight, where you put your feet, how you use your head, what you do with your hands.  You’ll probably notice that you do it the same way every time.  Is this a problem?  Not necessarily, since we all need to be able to do some things without thinking too much about them.  But it may be a problem if you’re caught in a cycle of pain, discomfort or limitation that just doesn’t seem to go away. In that case, becoming aware of these habits, and learning new ways of moving, with greater balance and ease, may be exactly what your body is asking for.

Kathy James is a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, in private practice in Petaluma.

Email:  kathytjames@att.net

If you practice yoga you know that nearly every aspect of yoga is intricately linked to the breath. If you haven’t tried yoga yet, when you do, you will learn that the breath is synonymous with Prana, the vital life force energy that animates us. The ancient art and science of yoga puts great importance on the breath because it is what sustains all our basic life functions.

The job of the respiratory system is to bring oxygen -rich air into the lungs, which is picked up by red blood cells and pumped by the heart to every cell in the body, providing vital oxygen essential for life. Though humans can survive for sometime without food and water, tissues immediately begin to die when deprived of oxygen. Breath is related to all aspects of physiological functioning including cardiovascular functioning, brain circulation, metabolic activity, endocrine activity, muscle and vascular tone, lymphatic drainage and homeostatic regulation.

A regular yoga practice will give you the time to be more aware of breathing and to actually spend time breathing deeper than you might in normal everyday activity. In yoga you are taught how to use your breath to help relax the body and to control the breath even when the body is active. You are taught how to synchronize the breath with your movement. Some classes will spend time just with particular breathing exercises, pranayama, with the intention to balance the autonomic nervous system, the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and to increase the breathing capacity, which helps expel carbon dioxide and other waste products.

The effects of yoga on asthma are one of the areas that researchers have spent time studying. These studies done at yoga institutions in India have reported impressive success in improving asthma. Physicians have found improvement in anxiety associated with asthma using yoga postures, breathing and meditation techniques. You can Google yoga research on asthma and find many articles are available showing the positive findings.

Guided visualizations and relaxation techniques that focus on calming the entire respiratory system can be extremely helpful to people with breathing conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Putting people in a comfortable position and bringing their attention to their breathing can increase the awareness of how the breath is flowing. Is it shallow or deep? Is it smooth? Are both the diaphragm and the chest muscles moving? Is it noticeable at the nostrils? Using visualization that leads them through their own system from the air entering through the nose into the trachea, down the bronchial tubes all the way into the alveoli, with suggestions to see healthy, receptive, relaxed oxygen exchange happening within can create quiet, peaceful breathing and be a great relief.

How we breathe has important effects on our overall health. Here is an excerpt from The Journal of The International Association Of Yoga Therapists, Vol.2, No. 1, 1991, pages 13-17. This is written by Richard C. Miller, Ph.D. in his article, “The Psychophysiology of Respiration: Eastern and Western Perspectives.”

• With slow, rhythmic, abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing, relatively high levels of CO2 accumulate in the lung arterioles and the blood. As a result, blood pH shifts towards acidosis, triggering numerous psycho physiological processes. Increased CO2 induces relaxation of vascular tone, promotes coronary and cerebral blood flow, oxygenation of the heart and brain, removal of acidic metabolites, and an increase in oxygen transfer from hemoglobin to cellular tissues.

He goes on in much more detail, but the message is clear that respiration, how we breathe, has a large influence on our general well being.

This brings us back to where we started. If you practice yoga ,you have experienced the emphasis that is brought to coordinating breath and movement together. The link to our Prana, or life force energy, is a great reason for choosing it as a self-care method. If you haven’t tried yoga yet, well, what’s stopping you??

Jean Grant-Sutton is director of BodyWorks Integrative Yoga and Stress Management.

First time visitors to the dojo often find themselves mesmerized by the rolling and falling.  Their eyes light up as they follow the movement of the person falling and their body has a bit of body English in it as if to catch the sensation of oneself as a circle and spinning effortlessly across the floor.  Then a look of perplexity crosses their face as the person thrown comes squarely upright on two well-planted feet, not missing a beat, with a smile on their face as they charge back in for another attack and then again being hurled out into one of those exquisite rolls.

“It looks so easy!” “Does it take long to learn how to fall like that?” “Does it hurt?” “It’s beautiful”; “I’m not sure I can do that.” is what they say.  But they can’t take their eyes off the movement and their bodies seem to clench and relax, clench and relax, amidst the calm chaos of many bodies being flung to the mat and then returning to engage with their partner and then changing roles and throwing the other to the mat…with no one crashing into the other.  This is harmony that is health at its best.  Their bodies know this and you can see it by the way they lean toward the spirals, and circles, and whirling as if they might catch some of this goodness through sheer proximity.

In the world of the martial arts Aikido is categorized as a grappling art, which means there are a wide variety of throws and pins.  This means that in Aikido practice one also learns the art of falling. You learn back rolls, forward rolls, break falls, (which look like a flip in the air) and falls on the side of the body.  The same principles you learn in Aikido training-center, ground, extension, focus, dynamic relaxation, connection, ki-breath-you also learn and employ in the art of falling.  When people are drawn to the art and joy of falling, but are intimidated by it, they forget that everyone began where they are beginning: in this priceless present moment, anxious, thrilled, unskilled, with beginner’s mind and the promise of much to learn.

The entire historical thrust of our culture is upward and outward, away from the earth, a systematic forgetting of the elemental ground of soil, water, plants, replaced instead by an upward draft to the ethereal shrines of the theoretical and abstract.  Church spires, skyscrapers, communication antennas, heads mounted on mute bodies, God in heaven above us, the head-centered accumulation of data, we are schooled to rely on thinking and have become anaesthetized to feeling.  We’re afraid to surrender to the downward pull of the planet because we can’t feel our feet already on the ground.  We live in anxiety because when we can’t feel the ground we can’t feel our place in the world.  Living from our heads, the distant tower of the intellect, ground is at a great distance, a long drop down. In our spiritual amnesia we have forgotten we are already there.  When I teach children to fall I demonstrate the roll and then ask them to do what they saw and they simply do it.  They immediately engage with the mat without description or instruction.  They have not yet been educated out of their bodies, schooled off the ground, taught distaste for the sacred covenant between humans and the earth.  No wonder then that when newcomers see the exquisite poetry of falling they are jolted by the contradiction of attraction and fear in themselves.  They sense the naturalness of it, the gentle, insistent pull to the earth, like a mother drawing a child into her embrace; and they fear what they have to let go of to experience this surrender to love.  If we are afraid to surrender to our relationship with the earth, we live in fear.

I worked with a client who was a senior executive in a large multinational corporation and one day I told him I was going to teach to him fall.  We went out to the grass and I taught him to fall and afterward he said, “I can smell the grass.”  He didn’t say this as a way of placating me or saying the right thing but as a sincere and authentic response to the awakening of his senses.  He had become more alive.  In his contact with the ground, perhaps the first since his childhood, his shoulders relaxed three inches. ”He’s not afraid as he was,” I thought.

Falling requires surrendering to gravity, the energetic field of our lovely planet.  To live a conscious, evolving life surrender is a requirement at every stage of growth.  When we surrender we fall into a larger, luminescent, unknown space.  Falling is the practice of surrendering.

What do you need to surrender to?

How do you keep yourself from surrendering?

What is the cost of not surrendering?

What do you need to fall into?

Richard Strozzi-Heckler has a Sixth degree black belt in Aikido and a PhD in Psychology.  He is the author of seven books including the nationally acclaimed In Search of the Warrior Spirit and The Leadership Dojo. He can be reached at: Strozziinstitute.com

Marsha Sendar, MSPT, CNC, MSHS

Has all the talk about swine flu made you a bit nervous? Are you coming in contact with people who are coughing and sneezing? Yes, winter is officially here, and you may wonder why you have a tendency to succumb to a cold or the flu during or immediately after the holiday season. As we all know, the holidays are generally a time of overindulgence in rich, sugary foods and alcohol, increased stress, and less rest ‐ the perfect recipe for impaired immune health! Now that the holidays are over, learn how you can maintain a healthy immune system during cold and flu season.

Here is a game plan for increasing your odds of staying healthy:

1) Begin your day with a nutrient‐rich breakfast that contains protein.

This could be a warm bowl of steel cut oatmeal topped with a dollop of

plain yogurt, some fresh fruit, and some raw almonds, walnuts, or pecans.

Or, a couple of eggs scrambled with some fresh vegetables and a piece of

whole grain bread; or a blender drink containing plain yogurt, fresh fruit,

and some protein powder.

Eating sugar is known to depress immune system function for several hours after its

consumption. If we eat foods containing sugar throughout the day, we

impair our ability to fight off the invaders that are responsible for colds

and the flu. A protein‐rich breakfast will help stabilize your blood sugar

levels throughout the day; prevent that mid‐afternoon energy slump; and

reduce those cravings for sugar later in the day.

2) Fill your plate with a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

The rich colors of these foods reflect their high antioxidant content.

Antioxidants help us control the damage to our cells that occurs both as a

result of normal living and as a result of exposure to substances that are

not healthful to our bodies. Antioxidants are essential to the health of our

immune systems.

Additional benefits: Eating fruits and vegetables supports healthy

elimination. Not having daily full bowel movements results in digestive

problems that overtax our immune systems and leave us vulnerable to

infections.

3) Eat foods that have anti‐inflammatory properties.

Foods rich in Omega‐3 fatty acids, such as wild salmon and other wild,

fatty fish help to control inflammation in our bodies, leaving our immune

system available to deal with more serious threats. Flax seeds, hemp seeds,

and flax oil are also rich in Omega‐3 fatty acids.

Other great anti‐inflammatory foods include onions, garlic, and many of

the spices that make our foods taste delicious.

4) Substitute whole food carbohydrates for refined carbohydrates and

sugary foods.

Foods such as winter squash, yams, and root vegetables (parsnips,

rutabagas, turnips) are naturally sweet when roasted in the oven. They

also make great additions to soups and stews. These foods provide

carbohydrates for energy, many vitamins and minerals, a variety of

antioxidants, and fiber. Substitute these foods for breads, pastas, and

crackers that may be your usual carbohydrate foods. When you want

grains, eat brown rice, quinoa, millet, or barley. These grains can be

prepared with spices, vegetable broths, or coconut milk to make them

more flavorful.

5) Add some new immune‐supportive foods to your diet.

Enjoy immune supportive foods like shiitake and maitake mushrooms

and “probiotic ‐rich” foods like yogurt with live cultures, kefir, kombucha,

and fermented vegetables like raw sauerkraut.

6) Move your breath and your body.

Breathing practices that encourage slow, relaxed belly breathing are very

supportive of immune health. This type of breathing increases oxygen

circulation throughout the body and keeps your lymph flowing. The

lymphatic system is a crucial component of your immune system’s

protective mechanisms.

Moderate (rather than extreme) exercise has been shown to have a

stimulating effect on the immune system. This includes exercise such as

walking, dancing, yoga, swimming, and cycling. Find an activity that you

enjoy and incorporate it into your life.

7) Get adequate rest.

Sleeping 7‐9 hours per night allows adequate time for the body to repair

and restore itself and supports immune health.

Laugh, play, spend time with loved ones.

Yes, studies have shown that these activities benefit our immune systems!

Marsha Sendar teaches classes in Sonoma County and maintains a private

practice in Santa Rosa where she offers nutrition consultation, physical therapy,

and Aston‐Patterning services.

marshasendar.com

As this is my first blog post for the Argus Courier, I’ll provide a brief introduction.

I have been a naturopathic doctor for 10 years, here in Petaluma for one and a half. It was something of a circuitous path to this profession.

I went to undergraduate school at a small, liberal arts college in Kansas, where I was raised. There I was a biology major, and thought after graduation that I would go into medicine. I ended up not going to medical school right after graduation, and got a job offer from a major pharmaceutical company. At the time it was quite exciting, and I moved from Ottawa, Kansas to Los Angeles. It was a good change of scenery for me – broadening my horizons substantially.

Selling pharmaceuticals in LA was an education for a gal from Kansas. While it was inevitable that I’d eventually leave the field, my experiences there were important in shaping how I look at the world, and certainly my beliefs about health and healthcare.

I was intrigued by naturopathic medicine after reading an article in a health food store magazine about treating childhood ear infections without antibiotics. As I did more research about the philosophy and treatments at the heart of this medicine, it was as though the light shone and angels sang. It just made so much sense – to find and treat the causes of disease, to treat the whole person, trust the healing power of nature – rather than putting “band-aids” on illnesses, that sometimes work, and often cause unwanted side effects.

After finishing my naturopathic medicine degree at Bastyr University in Seattle (along with the midwifery program), I accepted a job at a small clinic in New Hampshire. I was there for eight years, and having married a native Californian in that time, we finally decided the time was right to head back west to be nearer family and friends. We arrived in Petaluma in August 2008, and I opened Willowbend Natural Medicine.

Naturopathic doctors provide a full array of naturopathic medicine services, including well-child exams, gynecological care, and general family medicine. Naturopathic medicine is effective in treating many issues, such as chronic vaginal infections, infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and menopausal issues. Natural therapies are also very effective in dealing with severe allergies and digestive problems. Treatment plans may include nutrition and lifestyle changes, herbs, homeopathy and nutritional supplements – always focusing on the whole person, and what will work the best to treat their main complaint.

It is immensely rewarding to see people who have been suffering regain their health. They often feel more empowered in their healthcare. Sometimes the answer to a complicated problem is something quite simple. Other issues may take more time and a more in-depth approach. Finding the balance for the individual is what most naturopathic doctors strive to do.

Dr. Thyr obtained her doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine and midwifery certification from Bastyr University, Seattle, Washington.

www.DrThyr.com