Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Life

Bone Marrow Donation, Aplastic Anemia & MDS on WLOB (12/7/10)

Thanks to our research assistant, Kate, for creating our latest WLOB radio re-cap...

Hello again! Thanks for listening Tuesday mornings at 7:20 am on WLOB 95.5 FM (streaming wlobradio.com), and checking in frequently to Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Blog.  Last week's radio re-cap, will be the last on this particular blog.  No worries though, it is just finding a new home!  Beginning next week, you will find it located on the Dr. Lisa site.

After discussing football and how difficult it can be to pick the right "hostess gift", Dr. Lisa, Ted, and Ray jumped in to this week's topic:  Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). 

• Aplastic Anemia is an auto-immune disease in which not enough red blood cells, white blood cells, and/or platelets are produced.  This happens when the stem cells in our bone marrow are destroyed. 
• MDS is also a bone marrow disorder, however the cells that are produced do not mature fully, creating a low (functional) blood count. 

These are very serious illnesses because they affect the health of our blood, which in turn affects our overall health and strength of the immune system.  Not all causes are known, but exposure to chemicals is a definite instigator.  The suspects include:

• Pesticides
• Benzene (found in cigarettes, gasoline, and is used in one process to decaffeinate coffee)
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy (as treatment for other illnesses can lead to these diseases)

As of now there are not too many options for treatment:

• Blood transfusions (are a temporary fix and can lead to an overload of iron)
• Immunosuppressive therapy (which lowers the body's immune response so it stops attacking itself, but can lead to a very weak and vulnerable body)
• Chemotherapy (to kill the abnormal cells)
• Bone Marrow/Stem cell transplant

Many patients are treated with a concoction of the above options, which can be very hard on the body.  Although there is not much research yet, there is a documented study of a man who turned to acupuncture for treatment.  He had no success with the medical treatments listed above, and decided to turn to a gentler therapy.  After a year, his blood counts were back to normal levels and the amount of medication he was taking dropped significantly.

So, what can you do?  For yourself, there is the obvious notion of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Also, take care of what chemicals you expose yourself to.  If you want to get involved in helping those who have been afflicted with aplastic anemia , become a bone marrow donor!

Here's a little gallery of our Basket O' Fun this week.  All items were found at the Rosemont Market in Yarmouth.

 

We began our discussion with Newport, Maine-grown broccoli florets.  Looking for a new way to prepare your broccoli? Steam it up! Use white grape juice or cider instead of water, and add some garlic and ginger slices to the steaming liquid. 

Next up we had garlic: nature's aromatic antibiotic!  Provided by R.Belanger & Sons Farm.  

                                           

                                                               For a colorful alternative to standard root vegetables, try some Roasted Beets from Deri Farm in North Yarmouth...

                                                                         

..and replace your regular "go to" onions with some sweet North Yarmouth shallots ;)
 
 

Thanks again for checking in & listening Tuesday mornings @ 7:20am.  You can listen every week on 95.5 WLOB or streaming online, or even catch it televised on WPME TV.  Catch us next week with the Ray and Ted show!

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.  This month's newsletter addressed our upcoming Dragon's Way Qigong-based wellness class, autumn darkness and Brussels sprouts.  Well worth a read!

Thanks again, Kate, for keeping us up to date on WLOB happenings!

National Family Caregivers Month & Confetti Slaw on WLOB (11/30/10)

Thanks again to our dear Kate for providing the WLOB research and blog postings.  This one re-caps last Tuesday's discussion with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB.

Hello again, and thanks for listening-in Tuesday mornings! 

We finished off the month of November by discussing National Caregiver's Month.  During a month in which we celebrate "thanks", what appropriate timing for appreciating those who dedicate their time to taking care of friends, neighbors, and family members.  Caregivers are amazing, they offer their services, to those in need, while often putting their own health second.  The first step is to be thankful for what they provide to society.  But the recognition does not mean as much if we don't follow it with offering support, too.  Taking care of others is a lot of responsibility and can be very stressful, especially when filling the position for years.  According to the National Family Caregivers Association, celebrating family caregivers during NFC month, enables us to:

• Raise awareness of family caregiver issues 
• Celebrate the efforts of family caregivers
• Educate family caregivers about self-identification
• Increase support for family caregivers

There is no doubt that caregivers should be supported and appreciated, and when we look at the statistics, we see some amazing things.

• 65 million people in the U.S. (that's 29% of the population) care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age (spending on average 20hr/week providing care).    --- Caregiving in the United States; National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP; November 2009
• The value of the services family caregivers provide for "free", when caring for older adults, is estimated to be $375 billion/year....almost twice as much as is actually spent on homecare and nursing home services combined ($158 billion)! --  Evercare Survey of the Economic Downturn and its Impact on Family Caregiving; National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, March 2009
• 1.4 million children (ages 8-18) provide care for an adult; 72% are caring for a parent or grandparent; 64% live in the same household as their care recipient (most are not the sole caregiver) ---  National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Hospital Fund, Young Caregivers in the U.S. 2005
• 47% of working caregivers indicate an increase in caregiving expenses has caused them to use up ALL or MOST of their savings --- Evercare Survey of the Economic Downturn and Its Impact on Family Caregiving; National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare..March 2009
• 40-70% of family caregivers have clinically sifnificant symptoms of depression with approximately a 25-50% of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression. ---Zarit, S. (2006)  Assessment of Family Caregivers:  A Research Perspective

 To learn more about caregivers, check out the National Family Caregiver Story Project.  This website allows people access to sharing their own stories and read about other people's situations as well.  Are you a caregiver?  The site also offers a pen pal connection.  In this year's Presidential Proclamation, President Obama discusses a number of programs that can aid family caregivers (as well as other people/families) that may need help paying for medical costs.  He also reaffirmed his belief in our country with the comment, "The true strength of the American family finds its roots in an unwavering commitment to care for one another."

As always, one of the best ways to take care of ourselves and others, is to fuel ourselves with nutritious and yummy food.  The beautiful vegetables found in our Bountiful Basket this week were all sourced from Lois' Natural Marketplace, in Scarborough.  Here's the list of local delights with some suggestions of how to prepare them, yum!

• Organic Parsnips: delicious mashed with a little bit of butter or olive oil and some pepper.
• Red Cabbage:  perfect for homemade cole slaw.  See recipe below; substitute red cabbage for purple.
• Rutabaga:  not sure how to prepare these? Check out these recipes :)
• Multi-colored Carrots:  spice up a salad with some purple carrots, or slice up these delicious roots and dip them in your own favorite sauce as a snack.

Winter Confetti Slaw with Toasted Walnuts

Dressing

juice & zest from 1 medium orange, organic if possible (see note below)
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon high quality apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon high quality olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
sea salt, to taste

Slaw

2 cups of green cabbage, shredded
1 cup of purple cabbage, shredded
1 cup of carrots, shredded
1/4 cup raisins

Combine dressing ingredients.  Add to dressing to slaw ingredients, mix well.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.

Makes 4 cups.

Note: when using citrus fruit peels for zest, chose organic produce when possible, as some fruits are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals that are not meant for human consumption

Thanks again for checking in here & listening Tuesday mornings @ 7:20am.  You can listen every week on 95.5 WLOB or streaming online, or even catch it televised on WPME TV.  Catch us next week with the Ray and Ted show!

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.

Thanks again to Kate Sarton for this great post! Hope you'll tune in tomorrow morning as we discuss bone marrow transplantation and aplastic anemia.

Breast Cancer Awareness on WLOB (10/19/10)

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

Our October 19th segment with Ray Richardson and Ted Talbot on WLOB addressed a topic that touches us all...one that has rallied more fundraising, support, and awareness of any other disease:  breast cancer.  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and everywhere we turn, we see pink.  From yogurt lids, stickers, pink hair streaks and shoe laces, to pink guns and hard lemonade, "pink" has invaded our vision.  We can't help but ponder why breast cancer has inspired more of our attention than any other prevalent cancer (such as lung cancer).  Breasts are (for many, and definitely initially before formula arrived on the scene) our first source of nutrition and connection to our mothers outside of the womb.  Nude paintings and sculpture of the female form have existed parallel to artistic exploration.  Breasts are beautiful.  And, everyone is affected by breast cancer:  our grandmothers, mothers, wives, daughters and sisters.  Even men can get breast cancer.  According to the Susan G Komen organization, it is estimated that this year in the US, there will be 207,090 new diagnosed cases of breast cancer (1,970 in men), with an estimated 39,840 deaths (390 in men). 

Here is a bit more information on breast cancer, as compiled from the Susan G Komen website:

Since the 1940's, the incidence of breast cancer has increased.  Mortality rates have decreased but only slightly.  The decrease is also from improved screening methods, which allow the cancer to be detected sooner.  In comparison to other cancers, breast cancer is (usually) slower growing.  But, this can also make it more difficult to detect until it has existed for many years.  The body has a regulation system (apoptosis) in which new cells grow in relation to the degeneration of old cells.  Cancer is when the regulators do not work right and growth exceeds death.  As the growth continues, a mass of tissue forms, known as a tumor.  The tumor actually promotes the growth of new blood vessels so that it can survive off of nutrients and oxygen.  Breast cancer, as the name denotes, occurs in the breast.  The breast is made up of lobules and ducts, that have the appearance of bunches of grapes.  The lobules are the "grapes" that produce milk, while the ducts are canals that carry the milk to the nipple.  85% of breast cancer begins in the mammary ducts while only 15% begins in the lobules.  There are two types of breast cancer.  Invasive, is when the abnormal cancer cells "break out" from the breast tissue and spread via the blood and lymph system to other areas of the body.  This is also known as metastasis.  The other type of cancer is Ductal Carcinoma in Situ.  Although the potential still exists for this cancer to spread, it is much lower and is considered "non-invasive" or "in-place".

Most breast cancer occurs in women over 50.  Occasionally younger women are diagnosed.  In these cases the women usually have either the BRCA 1 or 2 gene, which are mutations that greatly increase risk.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer in most ethinicities of women.  Although statistics show a slight difference in risk between ethnicities (in the US, the highest is Caucasian women and the lowest is Native American/Alaskan women), it is small, and as more cultures adopt the "US lifestyle" the difference decreases.  One of the more surprising facts, is that lesbian women have a higher risk of breast cancer.  This is not due to their sexual orientation, but rather to lifestyle patterns.  For example, many lesbian women never have children or wait to have children later on in life.  This increases their risk.  In addition, due to the fact that many lesbian women are not having children, they do not go to the gynecologist for yearly check-ups as often.  In response, cancer is caught later on, which can be harder to treat.

So, what can you do??  One of the big pieces in all of this is catching abnormalities as soon as possible.  This means knowing the warning signs and increasing your "breast awareness".  Below is a list of warning signs:

•  breast tissue is naturally lumpy (like oatmeal), but if a new lump appears or a lump changes, especially if it is different from the rest of the breast or different from the other breast, get it checked.
•  nipple discharge can also be a natural happening but, if a bloody or clear discharge appears, especially if it is just in one nipple, get it checked.
• if there is swelling, warmth, redness, darkening, or a change in the size/shape of a breast, get it checked.
• if the skin is dimpling/puckering, or the nipple is itchy, scaly, sore, or has a rash, get it checked.
• if there is pain in one spot that doesn't go away, get it checked.

   The next piece is to increase your breast awareness. 

• Know your risk!  This is based off of your health history (is it in your genes?) and your personal history (lifestyle choices). 
• Get screened! In 2009 the US preventative task services decided that only women over 50 need to get a mammogram every 2 years.  However, many professional organizations (including the American College of OBGYN, American Medical Association, and American Cancer Association) do not agree with this new guideline.  They believe that much of the progress of detecting breast cancer has occurred because women are being screened more frequently and encouraged to do self-breast exams monthly.  These associations believe that women 20 and up should get a full exam (breast exam/pap smears/etc) every 3 years and women 40 and up should get yearly mammograms and exams.
 
• Know what is normal for you!  Do self-breast exams monthly.  Breast tissue changes with age, but if you are used to how your breasts feel, you will notice if anything abnormal appears.  In addition, for the younger women who are at greater risk due to genetic make-up, the earlier you get to "know" your breast tissue with self-exams the more knowledgable you are.
• Make healthy lifestyle choices!  Maintain healthy weight, exercise, and decrease alcohol intake.

There is a lot more support for complimentary and integrative therapies for treatment options.  Many M.D.'s do not suggest treating cancer purely with holistic methods, but do acknowledge that they help increase quality of life and relieve symptoms (both from the disease and treatments) when used in addition to standard treatments.  A few therapies to consider are:  Acupuncture and Acupressure, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Massage, Meditation or Prayer, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Reiki.  According to NBCAM, there has even been new research in which black pepper and tumeric spices were applied to cells.  The stem cells generating the cancer decreased while the normal cells remained the same!

We have a long way to go in getting cancer under control.  The important things in the meantime are to support loved ones, and to support yourself! 

One of the most important ways to support yourself is to fuel up with delicious, wholesome foods. 

This week's Basket O' Fun contained the following delish items, from week 19 of our Meadowood Farm share:

~2 pounds red potatoes
~1 pound of Russian banana fingerling potatoes
~1 pound of orange carrots
~1 pound of beets
~2 pounds of onions
~1 bunch of kale
~1 fennel
~1 bunch of parsley
~1 bunch of celery

Looking for ways to get more veggies in your diet? Our friend (and breast cancer/bone cancer survivor), Meg Wolff has a new plant-based cookbook being released in November.  Check out her website for details!

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.  

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

Thanks again to Kate for this great post!

 

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!