Is Cholesterol Really Bad For You?

The idea that cholesterol causes heart disease, while popular, is not compatible with human life. Cholesterol is essential to your health and survival. It is so important, in fact, that your body makes 80% of your required cholesterol daily. In people with low dietary cholesterol intake, such as vegans, nearly 100% is made by the body.

Every one of your cells needs cholesterol to keep their shape and not rupture and die. It is also needed to make Vitamin D and many hormones including testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol.

As you may have heard, cholesterol has been divided into “good” and “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is considered the “bad” cholesterol because it takes cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. This cholesterol may get deposited on blood vessel walls but your body does this intentionally. The cholesterol that is deposited on the walls of blood vessels is used by the body to patch damaged blood vessel cell membranes. Blood vessels are subject to damage caused by environmental toxins, dietary allergens, and high sugar levels among other things. Without LDL cholesterol, the damaged blood vessels would be very leaky. Essentially, LDL cholesterol is the body’s Band-Aid.

HDL cholesterol, or the “good” cholesterol, is responsible for removing excess cholesterol from the rest of your body and taking it to the liver to be broken down. Increasing the amount of HDL in the body actually decreases your risk of having a heart attack in the future.

The goal in prevention of heart disease should not be to stop the body from trying to heal itself with cholesterol, but to limit the damage caused by diet, the environment, and stress. This can be achieved by stabilizing your blood sugar levels, removing potential food allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, and corn) and refined sugars from your diet, proper aerobic exercise, limiting your exposure to environmental toxins, and reducing your stress levels. Including fish oils and garlic in your diet can also increase your levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

You may now schedule a free 20 minute consultation with Dr. Kate to discuss your cholesterol and what it means to your health. Call today: (928) 458-6748I

Interested in learning more about hydrotherapy? This Saturday, June 12th, Dr. Kathryn Sage will be giving a lecture entitled, “Hydrotherapy: Harnessing the Healing Power of Water”, at One Root Tea and Herbothcary (500 W. Gurley in Prescott). The lecture will start at 9:00am and will go over many of the basic tenants of hydrotherapy, as well as give you some easy, at-home hydrotherapy treatments for the entire family.

For now, here is one of our favorite hydrotherapy treatments that we share with many of our patients:

Hydrotherapy treatment #1

This is an easy hydrotherapy treatment that you and your family can do everyday in the shower. It will wake you up, improve your mood and give you more energy. The treatment also helps boost your immune system so you may notice over time that you will get less sick or not sick at all with the “nasty bug” everybody else is catching.

This most basic and tonifying hydrotherapy treatment uses alternating hot and cold in the shower. When you use hot water on your skin, blood is drawn towards the smaller vessels closer to the skin, thus the reason you turn red/pink. When it does this, it brings with it nutrients and oxygen to feed tissues that often time don’t get as much fresh blood. When you use cold, the blood gets pulled back towards the center and out of the small vessels, the reason you turn white. When the blood is drawn back in, it brings toxins and wastes with it to be disposed of by the liver.

Ideally it is best to do two minutes of hot water all over your body and then thirty seconds of cold (as cold as you can stand it) all over your body. If possible, try to do this a total of 3 times in the shower. As I know I am asking a lot, better than nothing is to always end your shower in cold water for 30 seconds. You may find that it brings more energy and vitality to your day.

The sun is finally shining and our bodies are ready to get out and play in the sunshine. Before you embark on day-long hikes, spend the weekend out gardening, or begin an aggressive exercise regimen to lose that winter weight, you should realize that your body may not be ready to jump right into all of the fun. Instead, it is important gradually work into your summertime movement routines. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

1). Before working out, the best way to get your muscles warmed up is by going on a walk. Get outside and walk for 10-15 minutes, gradually working the pace. Stretching before exercise can be dangerous when done on cold muscles; instead stretch at the end to keep your muscles from getting sore or even seizing up.

2). Don’t try to climb Granite Mountain (or any other mountain) as your first hike of the spring. Instead stick to an easy to moderate hike, one that lasts 1-2 hours max, and enjoy it! Give your body a chance to just move, be outside, relish in the sun rather than working really hard to get to the top. If you get tired along the way, take a rest. It is not worth pushing yourself because it increases the chance of injury. There is plenty of time to work up to the more strenuous hikes later in the season.

3). Don’t be a “weekend warrior”. These are the people that only move their bodies on the weekends and sit for the rest of the week at work. Instead, try to fit in short walks or other aerobic exercise during the week so you don’t overdo it on the weekends. Weekend warrior injuries are especially common for people who garden: lifting, bending over, and digging can all cause injuries if your body is not used to that sort of movement.

Springtime is a time of transition: let us let our bodies transition too. Listen to it and be cautious to not over do it so when summer comes, we can take full advantage of all of the amazing outdoor activities the season has to offer.

Stinging nettle, Uritica Dioica, grows along roadsides and in the forests almost throughout the US and Canada. It is best known for its ability to “sting” you with its prickers, causing an uncomfortable urticaria or itchy rash that may last up to 12 hours. Although not a commonly known herb now, nettles have a rich history of medicinal uses and its leaves and roots have been used for everything including bladder issues, allergies and even hair re-growth. Once boiled, the stinging nettle can also be added to soups and salads, adding a multitude of vitamins and minerals as well as a delicious taste to your meal.

Today the herb is frequently used in the springtime to deal with the most common seasonal condition, allergies. It has been tested to be a potent anti-histamine when taken either in teas or in its whole form in capsules. Taking nettles will help with all of those nasty allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, sniffling and runny nose. And best of all, it won’t make you drowsy. Although the tea literally tastes like you are drinking grass, it may become appealing once you realize the strength of this potent herb.

As this herb is a diuretic, it should not be used if you have congestive heart failure or kidney problems. Also, if you are pregnant, diabetic or have a prostate condition, please consult with a naturopathic physician before taking this herb. Please also be careful if you are harvesting stinging nettles yourself. Gloves are recommended.

Sages’ Favorite Nettle Soup:

You may be able to buy already harvested nettles at your co-op and farmer’s markets. Or if you are brave, you can harvest them yourself.

Ingredients:

2 TB vegetable oil or butter

2 TB flour (gluten-free works great)

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Several handfuls of freshly picked and washed young nettles

2 cups milk (cow, soy, rice – it all works)

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil/butter for a few minutes then stir in nettles (don’t worry about removing the stalks) until they are soft. Stir in the flour and gradually add the milk and stock, stirring all the time. Add seasonings. Blend half if you desire a creamier soup. Enjoy!

Why do I get seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis or hayfever, are your body’s annoying and inappropriate immune response to something that it thinks is troublesome, even though it is not. What happens is that the first time you are exposed to something like pollen, your body may decide that the pollen is dangerous (like a bacteria) and will begin to make specific antibodies to the pollen. The second time you are exposed to that same pollen, those antibodies will cause an allergic reaction – they attach to a certain cell called a mast cell, causing it release histamine, thus creating sneezing, nasal itching, runny nose, and itchy eyes. As those of you suffering from this condition know, this immune response continues until the season is over.

More than 20% of the U.S. population suffers from seasonal allergies even though this is a condition that can be successfully treated with naturopathic and East Asian medicines. The ultimate treatment goal focuses on changing your body’s immune response with diet and herbs so that it no longer responds inappropriately to something that is not harmful. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, the treatment may also include tools such as certain vitamins and nutrients, to help stop an allergic response while it is currently happening. Finally, there are methods that may be useful to employ in order to stop exposure to the allergen.

If you are a sufferer of seasonal allergies, there are things we can do right away, even if it is not the season in which you are the most allergic. By starting today, we can stop the seasonal allergic response in the future. Sages’ Healing Center is your one-stop shop for all of your healthcare needs. Call us today for a free 20 min. consultation: 458-6748.

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against artery walls as your heart pumps it through your entire body. You might be saying to yourself, “that’s nice, but what does that mean for my health?” As you can imagine, if your blood pressure is consistently high your blood vessels have to compensate by thickening themselves to withstand the strain. This thickening of the wall forces the heart to beat with more intensity in order to get the blood through the arteries. Over time, this can wear down your heart, your vessels and even organs. Sustained high blood pressure, also called hypertension, is linked to heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure.

Blood pressure is usually recorded as two numbers: the first number measures the systolic pressure, or the pressure on your artery walls when your heart beats. The second number measures the diastolic pressure, or the pressure on your artery walls in between heartbeats. Normal blood pressure is below 120 over 80. The way doctors define normal blood pressure has changed over the years and readings once considered normal are now cause for concern, so the lower you can go (to an extent), the better.

High blood pressure is defined as 140 over 90. An estimated 72 million Americans, or one in three adults, has high blood pressure. The gray area between 120 over 80 and 140 over 90 is considered pre-hypertension and it is a big sign that you must start taking steps to reduce your blood pressure.

To reduce your blood pressure it takes a few lifestyle changes, NOT drugs. Drugs are an option that should be used after all others have been exhausted. The foremost among the steps to reducing your blood pressure is eating a proper diet and getting at least thirty minutes of exercise a day. These activities will help you to feel great and lose weight. Just being overweight can cause hypertension, and more than half of Americans carry excess weight. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking water, and limiting processed and “fast” foods are an excellent way to begin.

Alcohol is another factor that can increase blood pressure. Drinking in moderation and limiting most of your drinking to meals can have a dramatic effect in lowering your blood pressure. The adage about a glass of wine a day is not always true – sometimes the negative effects of the alcohol on your heart outweigh the beneficial effects of the wine.

Also, limiting your salt, or sodium, intake can help. We only need about a half-teaspoon of salt (1,150 mg of sodium) a day; the average American consumes five times that amount, most of it coming from processed foods and restaurant meals.

Genes play a role in a person’s susceptibility to blood pressure, but people can override the genetic factor by their habits, by monitoring their pressure, and as a very last resort by using medications.

Last, but certainly not least, is limiting the amount of stress in your life. This statement is one that you have probably heard before and said to yourself, “yeah right!” Stress is a part of our lives and most of those stresses cannot just be tossed aside. What you can do is work on how you handle life’s little stresses by trying to acknowledge when you feel stressed and then taking a few deep breaths to help you get through the situation without pulling any hair off your head. We all have stress, but it’s how you deal with that stress that matters.

Bottom Line: Get your blood pressure checked by a medical practitioner at least once a year. The arm-cuff test, easy and painless, is part of most medical checkups. It can be hard to make the changes necessary to lower your blood pressure, but it is very important to your health and well-being that you do it. Only one in three of the 72 million Americans with hypertension have it fully under control. We, here at Sages’ Healing Center, want you to become part of that group that has control of their blood pressure.

If you are concerned about your blood pressure and want assistance taking control of your hypertension, ask how we can work with you to help you live a long and healthy life.

We can already tell that 2010 is going to be great. We are starting the New Year with a Grand Opening Celebration, and you all are invited. Please come on January 14th to our open house, located at 1101 E. Gurley St. in Prescott, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The official ribbon cutting will be at 4pm, followed by hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments. This is a great opportunity to meet us, Kathryn Sage, ND and Damon Sage, L.Ac., as well as see our clinic and learn more about our approach towards health.

The New Year brings us all new opportunities for growth and fresh beginnings. Perhaps you have already decided on a New Year’s Resolution or even less formally, have a plan to get healthier, eat better, exercise more. We at Sages’ Healing Center would like to challenge you to be successful this year with your health goals. Here are a few tips to help you gain the health that you desire:

1). Instead of starting your resolution/plan on January 1st, push it back to another date, like January 15th. This reduces the stress of starting your resolution on a holiday, with everyone around you still in the holiday mode. It also gives you a chance to lay out a plan, with specific goal dates, support systems, tools, etc. We find that persons are more successful meeting their resolutions when they have a concrete plan.

2). As mentioned before, create a support system. This can and should include family, friends, doctors, co-workers, anyone who will give you a boost and put you on the right track when you need it. Make sure to reach out to them before, and when your plan is in action, as they need to know how and when to support you best.

3). Have all of the appropriate tools available. For instance, if you are trying to quit smoking, get a prescription ahead of time for whichever type of smoking cessation medication you think will help you the most. If you are trying to lose weight, have the right exercise equipment and correct foods for your new diet all set. This may be a good time to see your naturopathic doctor, as they can help you get all of the tools you need in place.

4). Give yourself a reason why. This reason should be more than “to get healthy”. Instead, your reason should be something that is truly important to you. For instance, a reason for some may be “to be able to play with my grandson/daughter”. Take some time to meditate on this, because this will be your motivation for success.

5). Set a reward for yourself and make it great! Even in this economy, if a trip to Florida is going to keep you motivated to quit smoking, it is completely worth it. Make it something you really, really want.

If Sages’ Healing Center can help you to achieve your goal in any way, please contact us. We currently offer special programs specifically to help people quit smoking or lose weight. These programs combine the best of Naturopathic and East Asian Medicines in an affordable way so that you may be successful.

We wish you all the best and look forward to working with you in 2010!

For those of you who have yet to visit, the clinic is up and running and looks beautiful. If you live in the Prescott area, feel free to drop in for a cup of tea and to meet Damon & Kathryn.

As winter is beginning to settle in here in Northern Arizona, it’s time to start thinking about how to stay healthy throughout the cold season. The common cold is no fun – sneezing, achy body, feeling miserable – who wants it! Even though the cold is not a major illness, it still is enough to make you feel yucky for a few days, maybe even causing you to miss work. So let us all avoid getting the common cold this year by following some easy prevention tips.

1. Good Hygiene: A very common method for transmitting the common cold is by shaking hands or touching surfaces that contain the virus. So an easy way to avoid getting the cold is by washing your hands. Ordinary soap works best – antibacterial soaps add little protection as most of the time the cold is transmitted by a virus.

2. Healthy Diet: Eating a diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants will help to keep your immune system strong and better prepared to ward off colds. Include foods such as dark colored vegetables and fruits in your diet daily. Also, be sure to add lots of colorful and warming spices, like turmeric, cayenne, garlic, and ginger (especially fresh garlic and ginger).

3. Low Stress and Active Social Life: Studies show that people who are more active in the winter and have an active social life are much less likely to get sick. Therefore, don’t let the cold and flu season keep you inside – get outside and have some fun.

4. Vitamins: It has actually now been proven that the only ones who benefit from extra vitamin C in the winter are children: it decreases their chance for getting ill with its antioxidant power. It will still help adults though if they are starting to come down with something, it just doesn’t help prevent sickness. Vitamin D may be a good addition and will boost your immune system, especially if you are deficient.

5. Hydrotherapy: A fun and easy tip to improve your chance of avoiding colds and flu during this season: end all of your showers in cool water. I say fun because it is suppose to be cold enough to make you sing ☺. Rinsing your body for 30 seconds every day in cold water not only boosts your immune system, it also gives you increased energy and vitality.

If you would like more tips to keep you healthy this season, visit our website at: www.sageshealingcenter.com or make an appointment with us for more personalized ideas.

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If you are unable to stop by, please feel free to follow the happenings at Sages’ Healing Center on Facebook. Just search for us and become a fan.

Because Halloween is just around the corner, here is a little information and a ghoulishly delicious recipe using your favorite vampire repellent.

Garlic For The Soul

Anyone who has ever eaten a raw garlic clove knows the power of this medicine. The stuff within garlic that gives you the stinky breathe is called allicin, its most potent chemical component. Allicin contains a sulfur compound, which may cause you to be unpopular to kiss, but makes it very potent medicine. In fact, it can protect you from getting high blood pressure, diabetes and liver disease. Garlic also reduces inflammation in your body and protects you from infections. Excuse me if I go on and on about this herb, but really I hope you will get the point garlic really is amazing.

Garlic is especially known as an herb for your entire cardiovascular system – your arteries, veins, capillaries and heart. When taken daily, it can reduce the plaque that builds up on your blood vessels, allowing more blood to your hands and feet and reducing your overall blood pressure. It does this by strengthening your blood vessel walls, decreasing your LDL -“bad”- cholesterol, the guy who deposits buildup on your vessels and increasing your HDL –“good”- cholesterol, the guy who takes the buildup back from your vessels to your liver so it can be destroyed. It also decreases your overall triglyceride levels, reducing your overall risk of heart disease.

Garlic is a very powerful immune booster. It is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Therefore, it can take care of almost any bug or overgrowth you get! It is commonly used for yeast infections but can be used for so much more including any kind of upper respiratory issue (bronchitis, colds, flu, sinus infections, etc) or gastrointestinal issues (ulcers, parasites) and more.

Garlic also protects you from Type 2 diabetes or can be a great help for someone already diagnosed with diabetes because it helps reduce sugar in the blood. Less sugar causes less insulin to be released, therefore allowing your cells to better process the sugar that is already there. It should be used under the supervision of a physician if you have “brittle diabetes” or easily become hypoglycemic.

There are a few other people who should be careful with garlic, such as those with acute inflammation, insomnia, dehydration, organ transplants or if you are taking an anticoagulant. It also should not be used by people who have a hot constitution – a red face, sweat easily, feel warm to touch, prone to headaches and anger easily, etc.

To be honest, the best way to take it is to shoot it straight up, raw and in all of its glory, 1-2 cloves/day. However, I know that many people may have issues (such as you want to still have friends) so therefore try to use it in your cooking whenever possible, but keep it as raw as you can. There are also supplements that are available from naturopathic physicians and some health food markets – try to take these only under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.

DAIRYFREE GARLIC PESTO: By Jill Stansbury, ND

Pesto traditionally contains parmesan cheese and is an excellent complementing flavor when desired. In order to make a pesto of medicinal quality the following recipe without dairy products will work. The traditional recipe also uses fresh basil. Wonderful pestos may be made from other fresh herbs including cilantro, mint, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, and arugula.

Peel all of the individual cloves in 3-5 full bulbs of garlic and place in a food processor.

Tear 5 large handfuls of Basil into the food processor.

Cover with olive or flax oil and puree.

Add 1 cup of pine nuts and blend again.

Use as a spread on toast or cracker, on pasta, and to make salad dressings and sauces.

Store in the refrigerator.

Breast cancer is devastating, without a doubt. Some things, like your race or family history, automatically put you at increased risk for breast cancer. I believe however, that even if you do or do not have these increased risk factors, there are many things you can do NOW to try to avoid getting breast cancer yourself:

• Avoid taking birth control pills or other estrogen containing therapies: using hormones for greater than 5 years increases your risk. Being off birth control for 10 years puts your risk back to the level of someone who has never taken them.

• Avoid sugars: Sugar intake increases your insulin levels over time, which has been shown in studies to increase your risk.

• Eat your veggies: Over 200 control studies have shown that eating vegetables has a protective effect. Your goal should be to have half of your plate contain vegetables.

• Daily fiber: Eating ground flax seeds daily helps to remove any excess estrogen and helps to decrease your estrogen levels, therefore it is very protective.

• Cod liver oil: This oil contains vitamins A and D, both of which protect against breast cancer. It also decreases inflammation and makes you feel great.

• Limit red meat consumption: A direct correlation has been found with red meat and breast cancer. The greater the amount of red meat you eat per day or servings per week, the greater your risk.

• Alcohol: This is also a dose dependent risk factor. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk is for getting breast cancer. In a recent study, researchers found a 40-70% increased risk of breast cancer in women who drank 2 alcoholic drinks per day compared to those who drank none.

• Drink organic green tea: Green tea stops each of the 7 steps of cancer formation! Drinking this beverage daily is extremely protective.

• Lose weight with exercising: Women who are obese have an increased risk of developing cancer. Those who engage in high physical activity, especially post-menopausal women, have a decreased risk. To lose weight and obtain the protective effects of exercise, it is necessary to exercise 60-90 minutes every day.

• Breast feeding: Breast feeding is protective against breast cancer – the longer you breast feed your child, the more protection you get.

I realize that some of these ideas are easier than others to incorporate into your life. Now is the time to get on the path to prevention. With prevention,  will never have to worry about finding a cure.