Last weekend my fiance, Derek, came down with a dreaded full body poison ivy-poison oak reaction. He had the works....oozing vesicles, pussy bumps, red raised itchiness everywhere! He's no stranger to this process and he prepared his mind for days of this working out of his system. Together we tried a variety of treatments to try to relieve his symptoms. Some things helped - but no magic bullet was found. Derek still went to work and continued life as usual. But finally we decided a trip to see our favorite doctor was indicated to see if steroids might help relieve the pain and discomfort.
The doc gave Derek a prescription for prednisone and a homeopathic. He also recommended a variety of other topical treatments most of which we had already tried. Derek decided against using the prednisone because of the long list of side effects. The homeopathic visibly provided relief. I noticed whenever Derek took it, he would lay down and sleep (where some of the best healing happens). However, it still took time and patience for healing to really occur in this case. A week later, Derek has pretty much recovered, with his skin looking better everyday.
I'm not writing here to talk about the ins and outs of treating poison ivy or poison oak. Although I sure could at this point! What I really learned from this experience came about after our visit to the doctor. Derek surprised me by thanking me for taking him there. I was surprised because it didn't really change what we did to treat the rash or speed up the process that much. But nevertheless Derek was grateful for the perspective and caring that his doctor provided for him. It made me wonder about the healing power of a doctor's visit in itself.
Through this quick visit to the doctor, Derek came home with more than just a prescription to improve his body symptoms. He also left with a feeling of being acknowledged for the pain and discomfort he must have been experiencing. This can mean all the more when it comes form someone who has seen a variety of illness, like your doctor, and they can really put this into perspective for you. Derek's doctor gave reassurance that he was on the right path to healing and also provided warnings of what to look out for in the upcoming period which provided a sense of peace of mind. But most importantly he gave Derek compassion and caring which provides a healing that can't be matched by any prescription.
Next time you are struggling to get well, don't forget to try a visit to the good ol' doc. They might be just what your healing process needs.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Ending of Blog Block
I caught the blog block and I’m coming out of it today! I’ve
had trouble lately honing in the direction I wanted my blog to go, causing me to
ignore it entirely. I noticed the irony in this while camping on the Willamette
River this last weekend. I was wandering our little camping island checking out
what herbs were growing and it dawned on me that I am also in the process of determining
my direction as a naturopath. As I begin my last year of medical school, I
sense the closing of something soon to come and the beginning of something new
right behind. Something I would like to give a focused direction to. Why not
share my exploration of this with the world (or at least you - my cherished reader)?
My next few blogs will be about exploring naturopathic
treatment modalities. What I love about them and what they mean to me. What I have
learned from them so far that I hope to share with my patients in the future.
First up…HERBS!
There are so many wonderful things about using herbs as medicine. If you
subscribe to the belief that you ‘are what you eat’, you can hop on the herb
band-wagon when you recognize that herbs are food. They grow out of the ground
just like our beloved vegetables. Furthermore, this medicine is right outside
your door with equal access for everyone!
We just have to put in the work. I was recently honored by
giving my first herb walk, sharing what I have learned so far about local
edible and medicinal herbs. It was wonderful to help others connect to their
environment and learn how plants around them can be used. Kids especially love it. One young man told me
he was making a pocket salad (stuffing his pockets with every cleaver, miner’s
lettuce, and violet he could find). Watch out it might be the next big thing.
Herbs have the ability to work on many levels. They can feed
your soul as well as your body. Let’s take one magical mysterious herb for
example.
MUGWORT - - - (Artemisia vulgaris)
One interesting tid-bit about this herb is its known effect on
dreams and dreamers. Don’t forget non-dreamers too. Mugwort has been touted to help
non-dreamers remember dreams and dreamers have better control of dreams. To
test this historical information, a close non-dreamer friend of mine slept with
a mugwort dream pillow to see what happened. He soon after called me sharing
detailed report of flying, angels, ghosts, conversations, and more.
Oh the power of herbs. It’s never too late. Get connected
with your local herbs today! Get a book from the library, look for a local herb
walk, check out your local parks, get in touch with nature and heal your body
and soul! Don’t forget to look for your local naturopath to help show you the
way.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Un-Routine Yourself (every now & then)
Recently on a Sunday, I found myself where I often find
myself these days, in a classroom.
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| Vinca |
It was a beautiful sunny day, so at the end of the day I
decided to get off my bus a few stops early and walk home. Maybe it was the sun
or my love of wandering outside, but I found my walk to be full of my favorite
things. I took a path leading through a very small park near our apartment and stumbled upon patches of cleavers, vinca
in bloom, and turkey tail mushrooms. Pictures are included for your visual enjoyment.
I noticed many things
in my neighborhood that I hadn’t before. It was enough to make me
grateful for not going my usual way. How easily we get stuck in our normal routines. Then I stumbled upon an
interesting story on habits on NPR.
The story explains how by being creatures of habit, we can
free up our minds to think about other things. The actions of our common daily
activities, like driving or showering, are so hard-wired into our brains we don’t
even have to think about what we are doing. This is convenient because we can
muddle over other thoughts instead. This made me wonder, how many of us use
this time to go over our ‘to-do lists’ or recall negative thought patterns (for
example: “I should have done xyz differently”
or “Why did I xyz?”).
The article goes on to discuss how our habits are formed and
how to break them. With an interesting bit on how the best time to change a
habit is during a vacation, because all of your routines are not in place. Do we
really need a full blown vacation to catch ourselves caught up in our daily habits?
Perhaps mini-vacations with the intent to un-routine ourselves every now and
then could have the same effect. Furthermore, what effect might this have on
our mental thought patterns? Perhaps more creativity? Or increased positive thinking?
How often are we stuck in our habitual patterns and forget
to take the time to do the things that really feed our spirit? What have you
done today to step out of your routine?
Read or listen to the story here: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them?sc=fb&cc=fp
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| My 'Un-Routine' Path |
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| Cleavers Patch |
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| Turkey Tails |
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Rethinking Popcorn
Popcorn…..
It’s one of my favorite treats.
But were you aware that there are dangers lurking in our microwaveable
popcorn? The Environmental Working Group has linked chemicals in the lining of
the bags to infertility and certain types of cancer! Have no fear, there are still
other delicious ways to make and enjoy popcorn outside of using your microwave.
My favorite way to make to make popcorn is on the stovetop
using coconut oil. Coconut oil is good to use compared to many oils because it has a higher
resistance to heat. Oils such as corn, soy, safflower, and canola are
more susceptible oxidative damage from cooking on high heat. This damage causes
the loss of any nutritional value the oil might have previously held as well as creates
free radicals which are damaging to your body! Coconut oil is delicious and I
also like to use it for stir-frying my vegetables. It does not need to be
refrigerated.
But back to the popcorn….I found the best way to figure out
how to make the best popcorn is trial and error. Each of my pots makes popcorn
a little differently. Don’t be afraid to try it out and don’t give up if one
batch (or five) doesn’t work out! If you
are a sucker for details check out this lovely blog for a thorough explanation
with some tasty sounding seasonings … http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/07/12/coconut-oil-popcorn/http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/07/12/coconut-oil-popcorn/
My favorite is to dash on some hot sauce at the end.
What do you like on your popcorn? Try it out and tell us how it goes.
What do you like on your popcorn? Try it out and tell us how it goes.
Sources:
Read about more foods to watch out for here:
Read about cooking with olive oil here:
Learn more about coconut oil here:
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Singing in Your Soul
This blogs intentions of reminding its readers to feed your soul got me thinking. .....How do I care for my own? To figure it out, I took a little airport waiting time during my recent holiday travels to reflect and journal. The answer came to me as creativity. Being creative helps me remember my self worth, as well as feel joy and playfulness. Before I started medical school, I worked with youth creating programs, art projects, and planning events. I prided myself on being able to find an effective use for any donated material. My job provided me with constant creative opportunities. As a grad student, I find my creative sessions are limited to holiday break. (note to friends and family: this is where all those homemade gifts come into play).
Once upon a time, I was even prescribed creativity by my naturopath. During this time, I was having intense nightmares that I was unable to wake up from. My ND predicted my right brain was to blame. In a very simplified view, your right brain is more about your creative side such as art and intuition. On the other hand, the left brain is more about your logical and sequential thinking. Medical school largely focuses on the use of your left brain. My ND predicted that perhaps the lack of use of my creative mind was causing my right brain to throw a party in my sleep. She suggested I increase my creative studying methods such as using more colors and drawing pictures. It worked for me, my nightmares decreased.
For a more in depth explanation on the sides of the brain and an amazing story check out this video:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
Through writing this blog, it dawned on me how easy it is for me to forget to care for and nourish the creative side of myself. Setting aside time to think and reflect helped me realize this. My challenge to you is to do the same, take some time out of your day and find at least one thing that makes your soul sing.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sleep & Weight Loss
Looking for ways to lose weight?
Sleeping can help!
What the studies show:
Lack of sleep and altered sleep schedules cause increase in appetite and weight gain
- Increased risk of weight gain is seen with less than 5 hours of sleep a night
- Decreased risk of weight gain is seen with ideal sleep of 7 to 8 hours a night
- Keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in the fall and winter also decreases risk of weight gain
Sources:
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