Friday, September 12, 2008

Fishy Risks, The NFC Health Challenge, and Our Fall Open House

Hello Everyone,

There's a lot going on at Naturopathic Family Care lately. Those of you who have been into the clinic lately may have noticed our new faces. Dr. Marianne Marchese, ND is now in full swing and seeing patients on Wednesdays and Fridays. Cortney has also joined our fantastic front desk staff.

Fall Open House

We've also been busy preparing for our fall open house, which is September 25th at 5:30. Our open houses are great time for people to come into the clinic, meet all our docs, participate in free health screenings, try new supplement samples, and find out all the health-improving options we have. If you haven't been to one of our open houses don't miss this great opportunity!

Take the NFC Health Challenge!

Based on the success of our Stopping Chronic Disease class that was held at the clinic last week, we've decided to launch the NFC Health Challenge. The goal of this health challenge is to stop, reverse, and prevent chronic disease. Anyone who has ever had a problem with high blood pressure, weight issues, diabetes, high cholesterol, or other long-standing health issues will benefit from this opportunity. The first Saturday of every month we will host a morning class at the clinic where participants will learn about chronic health problems and receive a detailed plan on how to eliminate them using therapeutic lifestyle changes. The cost for first-time participants is $75, and $50 for those who have been in the class before. This price includes all laboratory work ($125+ value) and materials. Those returning to the class can elect to get their lab results and leave, or stay and enjoy the learning part of the class again. Every session we'll have a different in-depth discussion of one aspect of lifestyle change, in addition to covering the basics. By taking advantage of this class it will be possible to track your progress on a monthly basis as well as gain valuable knowledge on maintaining health. Are you ready to get healthy? Call or email us for more information on how to take the challenge.


Something's Fishy......



Just about everyone has heard that something is wrong with eating fish. The FDA has issued warnings and consumer advisories about eating certain types of seafood, but many feel that these don't adequately protect the public. The problem with eating seafood arises because of mercury. Mercury, which comes from coal-fired power plants and other polluting industry builds up in some times of seafood. Government studies show that one of every six pregnant women in the U.S. will give birth to a baby whose blood is contaminated with mercury levels above the federal safety standard. High mercury levels can not only cause lasting brain damage (there is a hypothesized link with Autism), high levels are also associated with heart and immune system problems.

The Environmental Working Group has issued a Fish List to help get the word out about the risks of eating certain types of fish. This list was compiled from data obtained from several government programs. For more information on mercury and seafood visit the EWG's website.

If we're not careful, the only thing that will be left to eat will be freeze-dried food nuggets. Please do your part to reduce pollution.

Seafood To Avoid if Pregnant:
Shark
Swordfish
King Mackerel
Tilefish
Tuna Steaks
Canned Tuna
Sea Bass
Gulf Coast Oysters
Marlin
Halibut
Pike
Walleye
White Croaker
Largemouth Bass

Don't Eat These More Than Once Per Month:
Mahi Mahi
Blue Mussels
Eastern Oyster
Cod
Pollock
Great Lakes Salmon
Gulf Coast Blue Crab
Channel Catfish
Lake Whitefish

The Seafood With The Lowest Mercury:
Blue Crab
Croaker
Fish Sticks
Flounder
Haddock
Trout (farmed)
Salmon (wild Pacific)
Shrimp


Interested in Learning More? Check out our schedule of upcoming free lectures.

Have a great day!

Jake Psenka, ND