Greetings Health Seekers!
November is always a welcome time of year in Arizona. The summer heat has faded and it's once again possible to venture outside into the desert. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the time to start thinking about those New Year's resolutions is coming up fast. No doubt many people will decide that 2012 will be their year for health. Whether the goal is to eat healthier, lose weight, decrease stress, or get in shape we want you to know that our office is here to help.
We always seem to have a lot of things happening at Longevity Medical, and this month is no different. In the coming weeks we will begin offering a new physician supervised weight loss and exercise program. Our new program will teach people not only how to eat correctly but also provide a personalized exercise prescription complete with one-on-one physical training. Join Dr. Psenka on December 14th for a free introductory lecture. If losing weight and adopting a more healthy lifestyle is one of your goals for 2012, then you don't want to miss this talk.
We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Andrea Purcell, ND will be joining our practice in January 2012. Dr. Purcell is a graduate of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and will be coming to us from a successful private practice in Orange County, California. Dr. Purcell has many interests in medicine including the use of ozone therapy, botanical medicine, prolozone, homeopathy, and women's medicine. Dr. Purcell has also recently published a cookbook titled "Feed Your Cells," which has many delicious recipes for healthy eating. Learn more about Dr. Purcell by reading her biography.
We're also very excited that Dr. Purcell, like Dr. Retz who is already practicing at our office, ambos hablan español con fluidez.
However, not everything about November is turkey and gravy....November also has the distinction of being Diabetes Awareness Month. In the US today there are roughly 26 million Americans who have diabetes, and there are another 79 million others who are at high risk for developing type II diabetes. Alarmingly, every 17 seconds another person is diagnosed. The most astonishing thing about diabetes is that this disease is largely PREVENTABLE. So, with the season of eating right around the corner, here is a quick calculation to determine how many calories your body really needs.
- Step One: Convert your weight to kilograms by dividing by 2.2
- Step Two: Men and women between 31 and 60 years old should then multiply their weight in kilograms by 0.0484 then add 3.6535.
- Step Three: Multiple the total from step two by 240. This gives your basal metabolic rate (BMR)
- Step Four: Adjust for daily activity level. Multiple the BMR by 1.1 for mild daily activity, 1.3 for moderate daily activity, and by 1.5 for strenuous daily activity.
The number generated in step four is an activity adjusted BMR. For most people this represents the number of calories needed daily to maintain their weight. Eat less than this to promote weight loss, or more to gain weight. Just don't forget to exercise too! to learn more about starting a personalized diet and exercise program be sure to attend our free lecture on December 14th.
Our resident detox doc, Dr. Marianne Marchese, has written an article this month on detoxification for Women's Health. Dr. Marchese will also be hosting a free lecture on detoxification and the best ways to implement a 21-day cleanse on January 19th at 6:00pm.
Chemicals in the environment can disrupt the normal activity of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other hormones in women. These chemicals are known as “hormone” or “endocrine disrupting compounds”. Women are exposed to hormone disrupting compounds every day, often without knowing it. The exposure to chemicals is coming from numerous sources including;
1. Pesticides on found on fruits and vegetables
2. Non-organic meat and dairy products tainted with dioxins
3. Fish that have high levels of mercury and pesticides
4. Bisphenol-A and phthalates in plastic beverage bottles, tablecloths, shower curtains, and plastic food wrappings, and plastic food storage containers
5. Unfiltered well water and city water
6. Household cleaning products, cosmetics, perfumes, dry cleaning, carpet, and vinyl floors
7. Furniture air fresheners, mattresses, and shampoos
Studies have shown that low-dose daily exposure to these chemicals can affect women’s health. These chemicals affect the hormonal system leading to such conditions as infertility, fibroids, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, thyroid disease and more.
Chemicals that build up in the body will start to affect a woman’s health if they are not removed. The basic principle behind detoxification is to remove the toxins stored in your body. This is done by releasing chemicals from fat tissue, organs and extracellular spaces that have been stored for years. Once they are released, they will re-enter the blood stream and will be metabolized through the liver. This is where it is critical to support liver phase-one and phase-two detoxification pathways. Next, the organs of elimination need to be supported to get the toxic byproducts produced from the liver out of the body.
The four steps in detoxification include mobilizing stored toxins, supporting liver metabolism, elimination from the body, and avoid re-exposure to chemicals in the environment. The first part of detoxification involves getting the stored toxins to be released back into the blood stream. Dr. Marchese explains detoxification in depth in her best-selling book “8 Weeks to women’s Wellness” The book is available at Naturopathic Family Care or online at Amazon.
Dr. Marchese will be giving a free lecture on this topic and talking people through a 21 day cleanse Thursday Jan 19th 2012 at 6pm at Naturopathic Family Care.
