Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Life

We Shall Overcome

When my son was small, he came home from school one day belting out the words to We Shall Overcome:

Deep in my heart, I do believe,

We shall overcome some day.

It was touching and slightly strange to hear such a solemn hymn coming from a squeaky voiced grade-schooler.

More touching still to know how much had been overcome by the time my children arrived on the scene, years after Martin Luther King Jr's death.

Today my high school sophomore daughter reflected on the fact that we now have a president who had the opportunity to ascend to this office largely due the civil rights work of MLK and his contemporaries.

She also pointed out that there are individuals who, though they might not admit it, are even now conflicted about having a black president.

Much has been overcome, and much still remains to be overcome.

But overcoming is possible, as we have come to realize.

We have, in our country, dealt with racism/sexism and every other sort of -ism one might think of. We have seen religious intolerance and gender discrimination.

And we continue to evolve.

Our children know a world that is different than the world I knew in my childhood.

A world they might not have known had we agreed to keep living with the status quo.

As we've seen in recent books & movies such as The Help, the status quo is highly fungible. Written by novelist Kathryn Stockett, The Help was a fictionalized account of middle class segregation and the phenomonon of 'hired help,' set in Jackson, Missisippi during the 1960s. This type of segregation, disturbing to contemplate, no longer legally exists.

The fact that we have progressed past this place of race-based discrimination reminds us that change is always possible--even change that seems unlikely, given that it requires shifts in societal norms and values.

Change requires that individuals like Martin Luther King, Jr., and legions of others who have championed unpopular views, be willing to sing a different song.

It requires that we buy in to the potential of hope.

Because if, deep in our hearts enough of us believe,

then it is certain 

we shall overcome some day.

Bailey Island

2012

~~~~~

Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Blog is read weekly on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. Show summaries are available on the Dr. Lisa website. Subscribe to podcasts of the show through iTunes and let us know what you think!

Schedule a phone or office consult with Dr. Lisa at 207 847 9393.

 

 

 

 

 

Deliberation & Joy, Re-Entry

Before I left for Guatemala, I had tea with a friend who had herself visited the Safe Passage site several times. Jane, one of the foundational members of the group that created Our Daily Tread, had known our late friend Hanley Denning well.

Jane told me that "re-entry" after my trip might be interesting.

Which it has been.

It has been interesting to return to a land of relative peace and prosperity, knowing that I am a fortunate lass.

It has been interesting to return to the life I have cultivated for forty years, and realize that there are a few things I still need to change.

It has been interesting to return to my friends and family, feeling changed already.

The most interesting thing has been to remember what we originally wrote in Our Daily Tread in 2008: live with joy; live deliberately. Share what you have, and who you are, with others.

These words, printed the year after Hanley's death, continue to ring true. I know that I must continue to live each day as if it is the only one I have been given. Life, as my dearest one reminds me often, is not a dress rehearsal. Happiness and joy are within our grasp, if we keep this notion in mind.

At the same time, I am cognizant of the fact that I must continue to work deliberately toward the future. I have a radio show that is among the most important things I have ever done. I have patients I value highly. I have three children whom I call beloved.  I have countless friends and family members who enrich my life, daily. I know that even as I am enjoying the present, I must be making necessary changes to ensure the sustainability of my joy, and the joy of those around me.

Finally, I know now that in sharing what I have and who I am, I must be highly realistic about what I actually have to give. Guilty in the past of giving just about everything away to my own detriment, I no longer have that luxury.

I am just one woman. I do not need to save the world.

I simply need to show up. Be who I am. Treasure what I have been given.

Do what I can.

Be the best person I can be, at any given moment.

And if I stumble, or fall short of the expectations I have set for myself, treat myself the way that I attempt to treat others: with compassion and love.

These are my re-entry thoughts.

Life is simultaneously long and short. We must live deliberately, and with joy.

We must share of ourselves.

And we must continue to realize what a gift each day truly is.

 

Guatemala City 2011

 

Universality

I am told that Guatemalan families are comprised, on average, of 3.4 children.

Women tend to have their babies early—at Safe Passage it is not unheard of for eleven- and twelve-year-old girls to be giving birth.

By the time children in the poorer areas of Guatemala reach the age of six, they are considered old enough to work.

And they do. They can be found hawking fruit at the local Mercado and selling their shoeshine services in Antigua’s Central Park.

Babies and toddlers, too, are everywhere. Carried on backs, their heads peaking above their mothers shoulders; slung across chests, often nursing while their mothers work. Crawling on dirty pavement and on street corners, as their mothers peddle necklaces and soccer jerseys. 

Being cared for by their older siblings, many of them only months older than they.

Children learn early that survival is contingent upon their family’s ability to work.

If Guatemalan children in the lower socioeconomic strata have the benefit of access to an education, it is rare that their parents will be involved in their daily school activities: there simply isn’t time for soccer-game-watching in the face of a family’s need to eat.

Safe Passage parents recognize the value of an education. Each morning they prepare their children for school as best they can, given the dearth of running water and electricity that often exists in their makeshift homes, and walk them to the project. They kiss them goodbye, leaving them in the capable hands of staff and volunteers.

They return at the end of the day knowing that their kids will have been fed breakfast, lunch and snacks. They know that their children will have had the chance to brush their teeth and comb their hair.

They also know that their kids will have received instruction in reading, writing & ‘rithmetic. They will learn social skills, art and music.

And, on rare occasions, parents will have the chance to see their children perform.

Yesterday, on my last day in the project, I, too, had the chance to see the children perform: it was talent show day in the Guarderia (nursery school).

As a mother of three in suburban Maine, I’ve seen many a school performance.  I’ve seen plays, concerts and sporting events.

I’ve had the privilege to witness countless kid-related activities.

Yesterday I was struck by what a privilege this indeed is.

I stood behind rows of parents and siblings, their clothes soiled by city grime, and realized that the chance to witness a child in his or her growth is an opportunity not afforded to parents whose main focus is survival. 

I knew that the joy of watching one’s first-grader dress up as a flower, or perform a rhythmic dance with a pom-pom held in hand, is a joy relatively unknown to many across the globe.

What I also saw yesterday, however, was the universality of parental love.

Whether we are seeing our children perform on a temporary stage in a school carved out of dump-lands, or we are joining them (as I have this past week) in their volunteer activities in a foreign country, we do so because there is nothing more important than to be present in their lives.

We also know, regardless of where we live or what our family looks like, that we will do whatever it takes to help our children survive.

 

Talent Show

Safe Passage, 2011

 

Safe Passage: Spirit & Reality

Signs of Hanley are everywhere.  A painted wooden sunshine on the Guarderia (nursery school) playground declares this “Hanley’s Garden;” Hanley’s portrait hangs near an artificial Christmas tree at the entrance to the school.

 These, and other reminders, belie the fact that it has been almost five years since her death.

 But it is in the children that her spirit seems most represented.

I knew Hanley first as a sweet and slightly goofy high school kid. She smiled readily, and found humor in many things. She was eternally kind. 

She was the type of person, I thought at the time, who might like children. Her spirit was itself childlike; joyful. Gentle.

 When I attended her wake in the winter of 2007, I was shocked to see her body lying before me, bereft of that spirit.

Scheduled to get my passport photo that day for an upcoming trip, I followed through with the task. My photo retains a hint of the underlying uncertainty I had been feeling. A hint of the grief-tainted wonderment that my friend’s spirit was no longer present on the earth. 

But, of course, this spirit has remained. 

Every child who spends time at Safe Passage channels a bit of this spirit; every staff person; every volunteer.

There is an underlying sense of hope and purpose.

The Safe Passage program currently serves 550 children and adults through work in three main buildings.  This week while at Safe Passage, I have seen every age represented, from toddlers engaging in water play, to mothers studying for their sixth grade diploma.

I have witnessed first-graders learning about healthy foods from La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar); I have joined eighty -ear-olds in a dusty rooftop yoga class.

 All around us, outside the walls of the program, poverty reigns.

 Homes are primarily shacks built of makeshift items, found in dump forays; shells of human beings roam the streets, their minds evaporated by the glue they sniff constantly.

Glue is known to reduce hunger pains. It also enables one to escape reality.

In many parts of Guatemala City, it is easy to see why reality escape might be an attractive option.

But within the walls of Camino Seguro (Safe Passage), a different sort of reality escape is taking place. It is purposeful, and long-term. It is made possible through education and vocational programs. Every participant is taught self-sufficiency, from the children who clean up their classrooms after lessons, to the adults in the “Creamos” program who are creating jewelry for resale.

Every individual who wishes to make it so is being given the opportunity to move past their current circumstances; escape their present reality.

It is in this sense of opportunity that the spirit of Hanley Denning remains most evident.

Hanley, though no longer physically present on the earth, remains with us still.

 

Camino Seguro (Safe Passage) 2011

 

 

 

Twelve Hugs for Growth

I am a reformed non-hugger, and proud of it.

The oldest of ten children, and a doctor, I have always had slightly germaphobic tendencies.

I'm also extremely sensitive to touch, which has lead to a need for perhaps more physical space than is needed by most.

Thus hugging, for me, was not a straightforward venture. It required a bit of risk-taking on my part.

Strange, I realize. Especially strange because I have a great deal of love and affection for my family, friends, patients and colleagues.

It was this love that caused me to realize I had to get over myself: I had to learn to hug.

I began with my children, and their father; I branched out to my siblings and other relatives. I now regularly hug my friends and other special people in my life.

I am now a hugger--tentative at times, to be sure, but a hugger nonetheless.

So when a friend recently told me about the health benefits of hugging, I was especially thrilled. I had been positively impacting my own wellness, without even realizing it! Not only that, but I was helping others have improved health!

According to an abstract on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website, a researcher named Hanning "described findings that four hugs per day was an antidote for depression, eight hugs per day would achieve mental stability and twelve hugs per day would achieve real psychological growth."

Mental stability? Psychological growth? Sign me up!

I figure the benefits of hugging far outweigh the potential germ transfer inherent.

And, in the end, hugs just downright feel good.

 

family hug, 2010

 

Save the Others Now

I've had a few conversations recently that have caused this doctor self of mine to become deeply thoughtful.

Truly, these conversations have caused this human self of mine to become deeply thoughtful.

As I've written before, I have many physician and practitioner colleagues who work very, very hard. I know that they care about their patients. I know that they are trying to do what is best, in the face of significant challenges.

But I keep meeting people who feel completely alienated by the system that is supposed to represent health 'care.'

This past week I spent time with two highly sucessful, intelligent, compassionate businesspeople. One was diagnosed with cancer several years ago; the other diagnosed this past spring. They have a mutual friend who is currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Their friendship is not based on their diagnosis.  They knew one another previously. Now the three of them are supporting one another through trying times.

These times are particularly trying because:

~two of them have cancer recurrences that are not treated easily with current therapies,

~one of them has a cancer for which the treatment side effects are decidedly odious,

~all of them are left feeling hopeless as a result of dealing with the traditional medical system.

This hopelessness has drained them of their faith. They believe that they are beyond help. They told me that my job as a physician/writer/communicator is to "save the others" now; to reach people before they get sick, and prevent cancer and other illnesses from happening in the first place.

Because the health 'care' system is so fundamentally broken that we are causing more harm than good.

I am saddened and frustrated by this--in no small part because it bumps up against the oath I took when I became a doctor to "First, do no harm."

While I agree with the importance of primary prevention, I know that that despite our best efforts, people will develop cancer and other diseases; that people will need medication, surgery, radiation and other therapies.

And that, if these therapies fail, patients will still require care and compassion.

I am saddened that people with cancer and other illnesses may not always be 'cured.'

But I am more saddened that our system is no longer offering 'care.'

As a doctor and a human, I am left deeply thoughtful.

I am left knowing that we have some work to do.

 

pink tulip project

2011

 

 

Get Rippling

I love meeting passionate people.  Even better, I love meeting passionate people who care about others and their world. Last night I met with a crowd of passionate people, in a fascinating and creative setting, and the energy was palpable!

Earlier this week I was asked to give a talk at the annual meeting of the shareholders and board of directors for Rippling Waters Organic Farm.  Rippling Waters holds a special place in my heart, as I began my community supported agriculcture (CSA) experience with a farmshare through Rippling Waters more than a decade ago.

Rippling Waters has had a far-reaching impact on its community. In addition to providing the greater Portland/Steep Falls/Standish area with locally grown organic produce, Rippling Waters has:

~Spearheaded the Hollis School Garden initiative,

~Created the Food Connection Corps, a six-week youth farm education experience which fosters high school student interest in the environment,

~Obtained grant funding to enable participants of Maine's Supplemental Nutrition Program (formerly called WIC) to become CSA holders,

~Made farm and gardening-oriented classes available at high schools and colleges,

~And much more.  (Download the Rippling Waters Winter Newsletter 2011 for more information on their efforts.)

Given all of the above, I knew that I would be speaking to a group of like-minded individuals. I didn't realize that I would be speaking in such a creative setting.  The meeting was held in Portland at the Urban Farm Fermentory. The Fermentory, located on Anderson Street, off Marginal Way, is a hotbed of creative activity--literally. 

According to their website, the Urban Farm Fermentory took over an "all but abandoned single-story warehouse in the East Bayside neighborhood" and and built

~A fermentation center for food and beverages such as sauerkraut, pickles, cider and wine

~A micro apiary for honey production,

~A micro farm, growing herbs and flowers.

The Urban Farm Fermentory was thus an appropriate place to discuss "Making the Case for Change: The Essential Role of Community Partners in Creating a Healthier Maine" with the Rippling Waters crowd.  Our discussion centered on the idea that each of us has something valuable to offer the world, and that by connecting with others, we are better able to effect important change.

The Rippling Waters group included individuals from a broad variety of backgrounds: educators, builders, health care providers, farmers and many other diverse fields.  It was clear that these people cared deeply about Rippling Waters and its programs.

I was fortunate to be in the presence of so many passionate people, in an equally passion-filled setting.

The passion with which my new-found Rippling Waters Organic Farm and Urban Farm Fermentory friends are approaching the world will no doubt serve to effect change in ways both known and not.

Their impact of their efforts is certain to keep on rippling.

it's a tree...it's a door..it's fabulous Urban Farm Fermentory wall art!

 

Domestic Violence Awareness on WLOB (10/26/10)

Another great post from our research assistant, Kate Sarton.  Thanks, Kate!

With Halloween this past weekend, we had an opportunity to experience the images of the season:  ghosts, skeletons and jack-o-lanterns.  But even as we contemplate abstract fears inspired by Hallow's Eve, it is important to pay attention to some very concrete fears as well.  October is associated with many health observances, among these Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  On last Tuesday's WLOB 95.5 FM radio segment with Ray Richardson and Ted Talbot, we discussed this close-to-home issue.  According to the Harris Poll from 2006, "approximately 33 million or 15% of all U.S. adults, admit that they were a victim of domestic violence. Furthermore, 6 in 10 adults claim that they know someone personally who has experienced domestic violence."

You may ask:  what is considered domestic violence?  The Domestic Violence Awareness Project, defines abuse as a pattern of behaviors, in which one partner uses abusive tactics against another (child, spouse, partner) to maintain or gain power and control of the relationship.  Unfortunately domestic violence is prevalent throughout society.  One only needs to review a few statistics to realize this.

• The CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey 2005 stated that 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 9 men in the U.S. are victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives.
• According to the Liz Claiborne Inc. Teen Relationship Abuse Survey 2006:  47% of teens who have been in a relationship—and 55% of those who describe theirs as serious—have done something that compromised their own values in order to please their partner.  30% reported worrying about their personal physical safety in a relationship, while 20% of those who have been in a serious relationship have been hit, slapped, or pushed by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

After a previous week's segment and blog post, in which we discussed the ways in which breast cancer research has become a significant public concern for women, it is ironic that the majority of domestic violence occurs against this gender as well.  There seems to be a paradox.  How can we show our appreciation and support for women in one realm, while often ignoring the fact that 25% of women experience domestic abuse?  The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)was passed in 1994, the goal being to "improve criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the United States."  Since 1994 the VAWA has been reauthorized in 2000, 2004, and this year as well.  President Obama released a full Presidential Proclamation for this year's re-authorization.  He also appointed the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women last year.  Awareness and support are the key factors to minimizing the occurrence of domestic abuse.  To learn more about the issue please check out these links: 

• Is this Abuse?
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 1.800.787.3224 (TTY) Anonymous & Confidential Help 24/7)
• Quiz: Is this Relationship Healthy?

To finish on a lighter, and tastier note, here is the contents of last week's Basket O' Fun, which featured our final summer share from Meadowood Farm in Yarmouth:

~1 pound red potatoes
~1 pound of blue potatoes
~1 pound of yukon gold potatoes
~1 pound of orange carrots
~1 pound of beets
~1 bunch of kale
~1 head of Chinese cabbage (also called Napa cabbage)
~1 bunch of parsley
~1 celeriac
~1 fennel
~1 pound of yacon

Thanks again for checking in! And thanks to Kate for the WLOB re-cap.

Join us every Tuesday at 7:20am with the Ray and Ted show!  You can find us on WLOB 95.5FM (greater Portland), streaming at wlobradio.com!

Do you have suggestions for future health segments? Send an email to info@drlisabelisle.com.  

You can also subscribe to our Aerie River/Dr. Lisa newsletter by sending an email to the same address.

World Arthritis Day, World Food Day & A Benefit Dinner for the Garden (WLOB 10/12/10)

Another great post from our research assistant, Kate Sarton, detailing this morning's visit with Ted Talbot and Ray Richardson on WLOB.   Thanks, Kate...

What a fun morning on WLOB!  Packed with humor and info. 

To begin:  today is World Arthritis Day , which also happens to tie-in to the upcoming observance of World Food Day (see below).  As we've detailed on our Farmers' Almanac article, "Amazing Healing Foods," some foods have the tendency to encourage inflammation, while others may actually improve arthritis symptoms.  For someone suffering with arthritis, it may be wise to avoid potentially inflammatory foods.  Meats and nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) although delicious and nutritious in moderate amounts, can create inflammation in those who are sensitive.  Other allergens, such as dairy and soy should also be considered when altering your diet.  On the other side, cinnamon and ginger are both known for their anti-inflammatory properties.  Both spices have many health benefits, including warding off pesky colds!  Check them and other foods out on the world's healthiest foods website.  Dr. Lisa shared a delicious and simple recipe for baked apples with cinnamon and ginger with Ray & Ted, yum!  She will post this later in the week.

To learn more about World Arthritis Day and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), be sure to visit their websites...

Hopping from one health observance to another, October 16th is World Food Day.  The goal of this observance is to increase awareness and understanding and offer suggestions on how to take action to alleviate hunger.  According to the Good Shepherd Food Bank,

• Maine is 9th in the country for "food insecurity", and is the highest in New England. 
• 13.3% of households experience food insecurity or are unable to consistently access nutritious food. 
• 19.5% of kids under the age of 18 and 18.8% of kids under the age of 5 experience food insecurity.

Nationally, (according to a 2008 poll) 49.1million Americans live in food insecure households.  Malnutrition is not simply about hunger--it is also about access to healthy foods.  Highly processed foods with few nutrients are often much less expensive than healthier raw fruits and vegetables.  Food banks and schools are attempting to offer up more nutritious option to their patrons, but the battle certainly continues.  Check out the Good Shepherd Food Bank to find out how to get involved or donate food and funds.

Now, to focus locally on current events, this Wednesday (October 13th) is Yarmouth's Community Garden Harvest Dinner.   Enjoy tomato primavera sauce made by Chef Stephanie of Seagrass Bistro,  homemade pesto sauce, meatballs, garden salad, artisan bread, and homemade apple crisp a la mode. The dinner will take place at the Yarmouth High School cafeteria from 5pm-7:30pm.  Tickets can be bought at the door or in advance (846-2406).  Adults are $8 and kids (under 12) are $5.

Located on 3 acres of land off of East Main Street, the Yarmouth Community Garden is split into three main sections:  rental plots, children's garden, and community space.  The rental plots are rented out to local residents while the children's garden offers fun education and activities for kid's.  The community garden is run soley by volunteers.  All of the seedlings and seeds are donated by local gardening centers. This year, the YCG has grown and distributed over 4300 pounds of organic vegetables to local food pantries, two senior housing complexes and Meals on Wheels.  To learn more about this valuable resource check out the Yarmouth Community Garden website.

 Speaking of gardens, this week's Basket o' Fun was comprised primarily of items from our week #18 Meadowood Farm share, which included:

~2 pounds potatoes
~1 pound onions
~1 pound beets
~1 bell pepper
~2 hot peppers
~1 bunch of kale
~1 head of escarole
~1 celeriac (celery root--pictured on the right)
~1 bunch of cilantro
~2 small eggplants

We amped up the basket with some Red Spy apples from Sweetser's in Cumberland, and a Sunshine squash from the Rosemont Market in Yarmouth.

Do you have suggestions for future health segments? Send an email to info@drlisabelisle.com.  

Subscribe to our Aerie River/Dr. Lisa newsletter by sending an email to the same address.

Thanks again to Kate Sarton for her help with this week's radio recap, and thank you for joining us on WLOB. Join us each week for our 7:20 am Tuesday health segment with Ray & Ted. 

You can find us on WLOB 95.5FM (greater Portland), streaming at wlobradio.com!

World Mental Health Day, ADHD & Midwifery on WLOB (10/5/10)

Thanks to our research assistant, Kate Sarton, for creating this post about our last visit with Ted Talbot and Ray Richardson on WLOB.   Join us tomorrow (Tuesday, October 12th) at 7:20 am as we discuss World Food Day and the problem of hunger in Maine and around the world...

Too frequently, the health of the mind is seen as separate from the health of the physical body.  For our October 5th "Dr. Lisa" segment with Ted Talbot and Ray Richardson on WLOB, we recognized World Mental Health Day (observed every October 10th) with a special focus on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 

World Mental Health Day has numerous goals, the most important of which is the importance of integrating physical and mental health.  How a person copes with/heals from chronic illness or non-communicable disease is directly related to their mental state.  The emotional impact of a chronic illness on a person and his family is already significant.  By adding a psychological problem such as depression or ADHD into the equation, the situation becomes even more challenging.

Depression is often seen as a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.  But, it is the "most common complication of almost all chronic or medical conditions".  Women have a 10-25% risk of depression, while men are a bit lower at 5-12%.  However, for a person who suffers from a chronic illness, the risk of depression increases to 25-33%.  Depression leads to changes in emotional health that in turn decrease health of the body.  For example:  when someone is depressed, they take immediate actions to feel better.  Unfortunately the actions taken to "feel better" are not always the best for the body:  excessive smoking, alcohol consumption, intake of foods high in fat and sugar, and decreased exercise.  By making "quick fix" choices for feeling better, the cycle of depression and decreased physical health actually perpetuates.  Depression increases the risk for heart disease and Type-2 diabetes.  It also decreases the ability of people to successfully manage their conditions.  It is also linked to increased death rates in cancer patients (by 25-39%), and in increased rate of obesity.  In fact people who are depressed are 60% more likely to be obese. Looking over the connection between body and mind it is easy to adopt the slogan:  "no health without mental health!"

Looking away from depression and into "mental health" news, there is new research suggesting a genetic link to ADHD.  For some this is very exciting and for others still inconclusive.  The study was conducted at Cardiff University in Wales, comparing 366 children diagnosed with ADHD to 1047 children who were not.  The results revealed that 15% of the ADHD children had a higher occurrence of DNA with segments that were missing or duplicated, compared to 7% in the control group.  Up until now, the source of ADHD has been linked to parenting and lifestyle choices; this study offers the potential genetic source.  On the other hand, this research is not conclusive enough for many doctors.  “Only 57 out of the 366 children with ADHD had the genetic variant supposed to be a cause of the illness.  That would suggest that other factors are the main cause in the vast majority of cases.  Genes hardly explain at all why some kids have ADHD and not others.”  In response, environmental factors should still be considered when looking for causes of the disorder.  Although the results are inconclusive, this study still offers some hope at better understanding ADHD.  Any attempt to get to know a disease is an attempt to get to know health.

Speaking of health, Dr. Lisa, Ray and Ted also discussed working with a midwife, as part of National Midwifery Week.  Working with a midwife during pregnancy, labor, delivery and recovery can help mothers and babies stay healthy.  If midwifery is an option you would like to know more about, check out these local links:  midwives of Maine Med & CMMC, the midwives of Mercy, and the Back Cove Midwives.

 

 

Also on a healthy note, this week's Basket o' Fun was comprised of items from our week #17 Meadowood Farm share:

~1 pound red potatoes
~1 pound of Russian banana fingerling potatoes
~1 pound of orange carrots
~1 pound of purple carrots
~1 pound of Rossa di Milano sweet Italian red onions
~3 leeks
~1 Rosa Bianca eggplant
~a small pile of sweet peppers
~1 fennel
~1 endive

You may have noticed that we didn't share our Basket o' Fun on air last week, due to time constraints.  Fear not, we'll be back with the Basket tomorrow morning!

Do you have suggestions for future health segments? Send an email to info@drlisabelisle.com.   Subscribe to our Aerie River/Dr. Lisa newsletter by sending an email to the same address.

Thanks again to Kate Sarton for her help with this week's radio recap, and thank you for joining us on WLOB. Join us each week for our 7:20 am Tuesday health segment with Ray & Ted.  You can find us on WLOB 95.5FM (greater Portland), streaming at wlobradio.com!