I know the power of a summertime break. I know the importance of taking time away from work and daily responsibilities. I know, how in the northeast, summer offers the unique blend of warm days and deliciously cool nights, perfectly clear morning skies and fireflies dotting the night time darkness. I know special time alone or with family and friends, away from the bustle of the year. Taking deep breaths for rest and relaxation, allowing time for idleness and quiet, giving space for the mind and heart to synch, this helps me prepare for the fall and coming year.

In our busy, busy times, with constant access to work via computer and phone, let's try to rescue and relish some morsels of summertime relaxation and pleasure. I recently wrote about an observation I've had, how many of my patients have forgotten how to have fun! Just like learning information or new skills to apply at work, we enhance our health by setting aside time, in a regular and intentional way to feed the soul, to find perspective about our worlds and to enjoy the lives we create.

Here's to a moment of summer, one good breath, a whole day off, a new idea, an hour of pleasure, a full body plunge into a refreshing body of water, a delicious peach or slice of watermelon, juicy and sweet.

With summertime love,

Amy (& Paul)

Consider Approaches from the Naturopathic Medicine Toolbox

by Amy Rothenberg ND

I was blown away earlier this month by the report of our 30% increased suicide rate since the turn of the century. Then last week came the JAMA study , indicting 200 commonly prescribed medications which we learned may cause the side effect of depression.

A third of adults take at least one of these medications. These are not rare and unusual meds, rather drugs commonly prescribed such as beta blockers, anti-anxiety medications, proton pump inhibitors, ibuprofen and other pain killers, and common blood pressure medications. The risk of depression increases if you are taking more than one of these pharmaceuticals, and many people are.

As a licensed naturopathic doctor for over three decades, I’ve helped many patients reduce or discontinue prescription drugs. I stay in close communication with the prescribing physician and then it takes a combination of careful understanding of underlying pathology, sustained lifestyle modifications, evidence-based natural medicines, and gradual, guided reduction of dosing. It’s important to underscore that many drugs are essential and brilliant and work perfectly well with little to no side effect profile. Or, side effects are managed because a worse problem is being treated effectively. That said, many of these commonly prescribed drugs that have the side effect of depression are given to treat ailments for which lifestyle and natural medicine have a powerful track record of efficacy.

 Read the full article here

At first read, this does not sound like a good idea. But all I can say is that it’s delicious, refreshing and healthy! It's especially good as leftovers as the juices have further co-mingled and the combination of sweet, tart and salty comes to its full fruition.

You’ll need:

Watermelon, cut into one inch squares, 4 cups

Ripe tomatoes cut similarly, 4 cups

1 cup diced or crumbled feta

1/3 cup olive oil

4 TBSP wine vinegar

Handful of basil leaves, gently plucked off stems

Salt if you like.

Mix altogether, serve chilled. Refreshing, rehydrating and delicious!



Institute for Natural Medicine

The INM is a public facing organization created to promote the naturopathic medicine profession. A non-profit based in Seattle, it has created a series of FAQs that are chock full of info about foundational aspects of the profession but also about specific health complaints. And here you can enjoy a grateful patient gallery. To contribute to the INM efforts click here.

In an effort to make quality supplements more widely available, we maintain a virtual dispensary through our Naturopathic Health Care clinic featuring products distributed by Emerson Ecologics and Natural Partners.

We trust Emerson and Natural Partners as suppliers for high quality supplements, botanical medicine, and natural health/ beauty products. Wellevate is Emerson's online patient dispensary, and NPScript is Natural Partners'. Products we recommend and use in our clinic are listed, and you also have access to the full inventory of products sold.

 

Please click here for details and to access our online formulary to receive your on going 15% discount .