Oregon Healthy Living January 2015

Complimentary

Jan. 2015

Vol. 8 — Issue 1

Cleansing Physical and mental ways to start off fresh this year

PLUS

Which Yoga Is For You? Basics and variations

O regon H ealthy L iving . com January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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Table of Contents

January 2015 | Volume 8, Issue 1

6 12 14 16 20 23 FITNESS HEALTH PAMPER MIND EVENTS FOOD Which Yoga Is For You? Basics and variations

eXpress Lane: Providence’s new kiosks Vaccinations: Fear fuels immunization aversion... pg. 19

Good Sweat: Warm ways to purify skin

Multitasking vs.

Mindfulness: Free your mind

Cleansing Fasts: Good, bad or neither?

Local Events Calendar: Find out what’s going on in your community

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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The editor’s desk

Advertiser Index

In the dark days of winter, the symbolic start of a new year gives us a sense of a fresh start. We get charged up with resolutions and plans for improvement.

Too often, our health is at the bottom of the list, below work deadlines, family obligations and even entertainment distractions such as surfing the Internet or watching television. Take a cleansing breath and consider some of the ways we’ve showcased to take care of yourself this year. crose@mailtribune.com

On the cover

People come to yoga for many reasons. There are yoga classes designed for many different health conditions, including sciatica and back pain. There are Cleansing other classes that target fitness sports or life situations, such as yoga for skiers or cancer survivors. Natalie Stawsky, a graduate of Loyola Marymount University Yoga Therapy training, believes yoga has something to offer everyone. “I want to demystify how yoga is perceived,” she says. “Some people are intimidated by even the word ‘yoga.’ Through yoga, we can connect with others and ourselves, becoming a little bit lighter in how we approach life.”

Complimentary

Jan. 2015

Vol. 8 — issue 1

Physical and mental ways to start off fresh this year

PLUS

Which Yoga Is For You? Basics and variations

O regOn H ealtHy l iving . cOm

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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STAFF editor: Cheryl P. Rose advertising director: Dena DeRose Design & Production: Bret Jackson CONTRIBUTING Photographers: Denise Baratta

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Cathleen Cole Margaret Battistelli Gardner Cindy Quick Wilson

Oregon Healthy Living • January 5, 2015

Abdill Career College................ 2 Ashland Dental Associates......... 8 Ashland Food Co-op . ............ 19 Brain Joy................................. 10 Custom Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic........................ 22 Katzen Orthodontics.................. 4 Medford Food Co-op................ 9 Medical Eye Center................... 9 Medicap Pharmacy................. 11 Nature’s Pet Market................. 11 Oregon Advanced Imaging....... 3 Oregon Surgical Specialists..... 17 Orenda Energy Arts................ 10 Providence Medford Medical Center........................ 24 Retina Care Center.................. 18 Rogue Fit Solutions.................... 8 Royal Oak Retirement................ 5 Sherm’s Food 4 Less................ 13 Southern Oregon Foot & Ankle Clinic........................... 7 Oregon Healthy Living Magazine is published by the Southern Oregon Media Group Advertising Department, 111 N. Fir St., Medford, OR 97501. General information: 541.776.4411 To advertise: 541.776.4422 Submissions and feedback: crose@mailtribune.com

Strengthening

the body the mind

Yoga focuses on mental as well as physical wellness

Y

TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE

oga is about strengthening the body and the mind. But which style of yoga – and there are dozens – is right for you?

There are eight basic types of yoga. From there, instructors often modify classes to meet certain needs and abilities. For example, Sundance Healing Arts in Grants Pass offers a class called “friendly yoga” for all ages, body types and abilities, according to owner and instructor Sarah Walendy. The studio even offers a yoga class for people dealing with addictive behavior that combines the tools of the 12-step program.

Rasa Center for Yoga & Wellness, with locations in Medford and Ashland, offers several levels and types of classes including yin yoga – a deeply meditative practice. Yoga therapist Natalie Stawsky teaches gentle yoga there. In yoga, Stawsky explains, less is more. It’s not about “no pain, no gain.” After yoga, she notes, you should feel relaxed and revitalized, not tense and physically drained. “Yoga means union,” Stawsky says. “It helps you come back to all the parts of yourself. You get that sense of being whole again.”

Whichever style or class you choose, make sure you are comfortable and happy. Walendy recommends beginners take two or three private sessions to have the instructor evaluate their body movements in order to put them in the class best suited for them. “The benefit of yoga is to calm the nervous system,” Stawsky says. Namaste.

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Oregon Healthy Living • January 5, 2015

FITNESS

The basic types of yoga: Anusara

Developed by American yogi John Friend in 1997, anusara yoga is based on the belief that we are all filled with an intrinsic goodness. It seeks to use the physical practice of yoga to help students open their hearts, experience grace and let their inner goodness shine through. Classes, which are specifically sequenced by the teacher to explore one of Friend’s Universal Principles of Alignment, are rigorous for the body and the mind.

Ashtanga

Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by Pattabhi Jois in the 1970s. It’s a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that ashtanga always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order. This type of yoga is physically demanding.

Bikram

About 30 years ago, Bikram Choudhury developed this school of yoga where classes are held in artificially heated rooms. Students sweat as they work through a series of

Natalie Stawsky demonstrates camel pose, heart-opening low lunge, and seated twist. Photos by Judith Pavlik.

26 poses. Choudhury trademarked his sequence and has prosecuted studios who call themselves Bikram but don’t teach the poses exactly the way he does.

Hatha

Hatha yoga is a generic term that refers to any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. Nearly every type of yoga class taught in the West is hatha yoga. When a class is marketed as hatha, it generally means students receive a gentle introduction to the most basic yoga postures.

Hot Yoga

Hot yoga is like Bikram, but deviates from Bikram’s strict sequence. The room is heated, and students will end up drenched in sweat.

Iyengar

Iyengar yoga was developed and popularized by B.K.S. Iyengar. It is a very meticulous style of yoga, with particular attention paid to finding the proper alignment in a pose.

In order to help each student find the proper alignment, an Iyengar studio will stock a wide array of yoga props including blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, bolsters and a rope wall.

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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PAMPER

Matthew Angus Gray demonstrates the yoga position “Warrior 2,” at Sundance Healing Arts in Grants Pass. Photo by Denise Baratta.

Yoga with a (gentle) twist Restorative

Restorative yoga is a good way to relax and soothe your mind and body. Restorative classes use bolsters, blankets and blocks to prop students in passive poses so that the body can experience the benefits of a pose without having to exert any effort. The class is easy and rejuvenating.

Vinyasa (“Flow”)

“Vinyasa” means “flow” in Sanskrit. Vinyasa teachers choreograph their classes to smoothly transition from pose to pose and often play music during the class.

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Yoga teachers put their own twist on basic yoga styles.

They also might modify classes toward the needs of a specific group. That’s why the class names vary from studio to studio. Wherever you go, make sure to read the class description carefully and ask questions if necessary to make sure you are in a class that is suited for you. Here are some examples:

Friendly Yoga

Friendly yoga is for everyone, regardless of age, size, shape or health issues. Classes combine yoga principles with influences from other practices to create a smooth flowing motion that focuses on transitions as well as postures.

Breathing techniques are also emphasized. “It’s inviting, warm and friendly,” Walendy says.

PAMPER Get To Know Your Core

Open to students with all levels of expertise, class begins with a light yoga flow warm-up and core-awareness exercises and then moves into Pilates exercises to strengthen the whole torso.

It’s designed to get more strength in your trunk. “I wanted something that hit on balance,” Walendy says. “Our trunk and our core are a huge part of our spinal support. Our spinal health is a huge part of how we age.”

Therapeutic Yoga: The Yoga of Stillness

Therapeutic yoga is a remedy for stress and creates a deeply rejuvenating experience through the many postures that literally hold you as you let go.

The practice integrates restorative yoga, gentle yoga, healing touch, breath work and guided meditation to create an environment that supports the body, mind and spirit in the process of healing.

The class is used to maintain wellness or as a supportive practice for those recovering from surgery or suffering with conditions such as fibromyalgia, cancer, AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome and other debilitating illnesses. The poses cover basic range of motion using props such as blocks, bolsters, blankets, chairs, straps and the wall as support. “When people come out of that class, they look rested and rejuvenated,” Walendy says.

continued on page 10 Paula Edwards leads a class in vinyasa flow yoga at Sundance Healing Arts in Grants Pass.

Photo by Denise Baratta.

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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PAMPER

Paula Edwards of Sundance Healing Arts in Grants Pass demonstrates the one-legged crow yoga movement.

Photo by Denise Baratta.

continued from page 9

The Yoga of 12-Step Recovery

Y12SR combines the practical tools of the 12-step program with the ancient wisdom of yoga. Combining the two creates a model that truly addresses addiction as the physical, mental and spiritual “dis-ease” that it is. Y12SR is a 12-step based discussion and yoga practice open to everybody dealing with their own addictive behaviors or affected by the addictive behaviors of others. The class started in November and the feedback has been positive. “It’s great for the community,” Walendy says.

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Gentle Yoga

This calming practice will stretch the body gradually.

Emphasizing awareness of the breath, postures are practiced at a slower pace with attention to alignment and detail.

This class is appropriate for pregnant women, beginners and seniors, Stawsky says.

PAMPER

Matthew Angus Gray demonstrates the “Tree” position in yoga. Photo by Denise Baratta.

Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is a deeply meditative practice where postures are held longer and deeper to lubricate and strengthen the connective tissues and joints of the body, the areas that may be susceptible to injury, particularly as we age. Stawsky teaches this type of yoga, which is especially helpful for her older clients. As a yoga therapist, her specialty is teaching people 55 and older who often have physical health issues.

Yin/Yang

This primarily yin class also combines the yang practice to strengthen and warm up the body at the beginning of class.

Kundalini

Kundalini yoga utilizes postures, rhythmic movement, stretching, breath, sound current and meditation to work on all aspects of your being. It helps to calm the mind and emotions, balance the glandular system, strengthen the nervous system and move the breath along the spine to stimulate different energy centers. “It’s very different,” Stawsky says, noting that the style uses a lot of mantras and singing. It’s a good style to teach children, she says.

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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Virtual eXpress Lane for Health Care TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE

A

re you feeling a bit ill but can’t find the time to wait for a doctor’s appointment?

Providence’s Health eXpress clinics, also known as kiosks, can help you bypass the waiting room and get you the help of a medical professional stat.

According to Mike Zwick, telehealth product manager for Providence Health & Services Oregon Region’s shared services, Health eXpress kiosks are an offshoot of the Health eXpress website access whereby patients can log in, set up an appointment and Skype with a doctor, nurse or nurse practitioner. The kiosks are a way for patients to “see” a health professional if they don’t have a smartphone or personal computer.

“These clinics are an option for those without an ability to access the service online,” Zwick says. “It is also an option for those who prefer a higher level of examination than available on their phone.”

Providence already has Health eXpress clinics all over the state, but most of them are at private companies where they are used for on-site medical care for employees, according to James Watson, director of marketing and communication for Providence Health

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& Services – Oregon Region. The Health eXpress clinics, which became available to the public in November, are located at select areas in the Portland-metro area.

“Here in Southern Oregon, we have one of these clinics located inside Providence Medford Medical Center,” Watson says.

The clinics work like a regular medical office, Zwick explains. A patient is greeted in the lobby and escorted to a private exam room. A medical assistant – or telepresenter – checks the vital signs (blood pressure, pulse rate, etc.) of the patient as part of the exam. Any additional examination needs can be done through the assistance of the telepresenter using Bluetooth diagnostic tools. These diagnostic tools feed images to the provider who can review them immediately and make a diagnosis. For some parts of the examination – such as looking in a patient’s ears – the patient can even see what the provider is seeing through the device on the screen.

Oregon Healthy Living • January 5, 2015

Patients can be seen at the clinics for a variety of minor issues such as colds, coughs, allergies, pinkeye and sties, acne, rash, skin and nail issues, joint pain, cold sores and fever blisters, lowerback pain, bladder infections and the flu.

“Health eXpress is also great for getting general wellness support or guidance on where to get the most appropriate level of care for their medical needs,” Watson says. The service is available to adults and children 3 months or older.

The Health eXpress clinics are for minor medical issues. If patients need a higher level of service, the provider will refer them to an appropriate location to receive the care they need. “Our providers are well trained on how to handle an emergent case that may present during a Health eXpress visit,” Zwick says, adding that patients won’t be charged if the provider determines the patient needs more than a virtual visit.

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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4

Ways to Sweat the Small Stuff

TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON

S

weating is one of the body’s most natural ways to eliminate toxins. Throughout history, many civilizations have valued sweat lodges, steam rooms, baths and saunas for purification, to improve circulation and relieve pain. In modern life, toxins are unavoidable. As toxins from the environment and food additives accumulate in the body, they can cause chronic fatigue, insomnia, sensitivity towards certain food products or chemicals, skin eruptions and body odor.

“The skin is the body’s largest organ,” says Marissa Sheldon, head of the massage department at The Blue Giraffe Day Spa and Salon in Ashland. “It can collect and hold on to the byproducts and impurities that our bodies absorb.”

Here are four methods to have a cleansing sweat and relax at the same time.

Infrared Saunas

When we think of saunas, most of us think of near-suffocating heat and a discomfort level that may be difficult to endure.

Matt Eykelbosch, owner of Cure Infrared Sauna in Medford, says infrared saunas are different. “Most people think this will be like a typical sauna or steam room heat, but it’s not,” he says. “It is a dry heat, but the temperatures are generally much lower, especially for the first sessions. The reason it produces such a good sweat with a lower temperature is because we’re not just heating the air, we’re actually heating the body core by penetrating the skin. This makes it much more manageable for people to sit through a 40-minute session.”

Raising the body’s core temperature results in a deep, detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where toxins reside, Eykelbosch explains. “We actually have people who sweat out so many impurities, they leave a residue of heavy metals on the towels. What doesn’t actually get sweated out, the body eliminates in other ways after the session.”

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Oregon Healthy Living • January 5, 2015

PAMPER

The Japanese-style bath garden at Chozu Bath and Tea Garden in Ashland. Photo by Steve Johnson.

Hydrotherapy

Body Scrubs and Wraps

Himalayan Salt

For centuries, advocates have recognized the benefits of Himalayan salt to cleanse, strengthen their immune systems and relieve respiratory illnesses. The salt is naturally antibacterial and provides a sterile environment without pathogens like bacteria, viruses or allergens. Organic Elements Spa in Medford recently opened a Himalayan salt room. “The bed is lined with four inches of Himalayan salt which is heated to 97 degrees,” explains Tamara Miller, the owner of the spa. “It’s a dry heat like a sauna and the heated salt converts the air into mood-elevating negative ions just like air you breathe when you go to the ocean or the ozone when it rains.”

Spending time inside the room is very calming, Miller says. “You can lie directly on the salt and that allows the trace minerals to go into the connective tissue, and you also breathe it in,” she said. “It’s excellent for the skin because it opens up the pores and clears the toxins internally.”

For post holiday rejuvenation, Sheldon recommends a Moroccan Ghassoul ash mud wrap. “The product we use is called Shea Terra, a completely organic and natural product sourced straight out of Africa,” she said. “The volcanic ash is deeply detoxifying to the skin, but can also be dehydrating, so we balance that with orange blossom water which is very hydrating and soothing.”

To restore a youthful glow, she says body scrubs unclog pores and remove the top layer of sun-damaged and dead skin cells, which leaves behind healthier, younger looking skin. “We use a blend of sea salts and warm, pure aroma oils in our body scrubs to energize and exfoliate the skin with natural antioxidants that restore health and softness.”

Miller says one of the most popular choices at the Organic Elements Spa is the versatile Relaxation Spa Capsule. “We use it for our body wraps, but the capsule also provides a vibration massage with aromatherapy, deep relaxing meditation, and an ionic cleanse sauna detox all in one treatment. It can be customized for detoxification, lymphatic drainage, weight loss and smoking cessation.”

Hydrotherapy, in the form of soaking baths, steams and alternating hot and cold water, can also help eliminate toxins.

“The best bath we offer for detoxifying and rejuvenating is our seaweed bath,” Sheldon says. The seaweed bath recharges the body with minerals, stimulates the metabolism, oxygenates the tissues, reduces water retention, and has a strong toning and purifying effect, she describes.

Alternatively, the cold plunge is one of the oldest and most widely used forms of hydrotherapy. “The hot and cold plunge is probably the most stimulating treatment you can get,” Miller says. “When you incorporate that 19 degree variant from heat to cold, all the blood from the extremities goes into the core organs and it tricks the body into thinking you might be going into hypothermia so all the extremities are flushed.”

Even a 30-second dip causes the release of endorphins and hormones with analgesic properties that can alleviate joint and muscle pain. The cold water plunge also causes the release of cytokines and other body chemicals that helps boost immunity.

Recent studies even suggest that breast cancer patients who use cold plunge pools have increased levels of white blood cells which are the ones that fight off disease.

Using steam to open skin pores and encourage healthy sweat is another option. “Mixing eucalyptus with the steam is great this time of year because it opens the sinuses and clears the respiratory passages,” Sheldon adds.

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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MIND

A Mental Cleanse

Combats Stress Too much multitasking leaves no time for mental leisure

TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON

T

here certainly is enough to worry about these days. We feel compelled to be superparents, super-employees and super-caretakers. Sensational headlines hammer us about climate change, political battles and terrorist threats. It’s no wonder our sleeping habits are disturbed, our minds become cluttered and our necks and shoulders are hunched with tension.

“People often feel strain and stress in their lives when they feel like there are too many demands placed on them at the same time,” says Sandy Newsome, a psychologist with Wellness Psychology in Ashland. “I see this with people who are caretakers for others, managing a career, attending school and managing a household all at the same time. These individuals may have difficulty managing their own stress because they are so focused on others.”

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Oregon Healthy Living • January 5, 2015

These themes tend to be fairly universal, agrees Daniel Bentley, a physician assistant with Asante Behavioral Health.

“If there was a common thread that connected all those things, it would be shouldering a burden alone or feeling unsupported, underappreciated or under-compensated, whether it’s in a family context or work context,” he says.

MIND

Suggestions to Manage

Mental Clutter

Positive self care

Bentley says there are positive and negative coping mechanisms for stress – some that aren’t necessarily conscious or deliberate. “On the positive side, you can see an increase in self care such as going to a spa, taking vacation time or a focus on solving the problem, which can include seeing a therapist,” he says. “The negative things, which I encounter much more often, are self-medication with marijuana or alcohol, which is a way of disconnecting if the person can’t see a viable a way of solving the problem. Or there might be a huge increase in screen time, where they’re present for themselves, but not for others. Quality of relationships and time with family sometimes decreases.”

The No. 1 way to combat stress is exercise, Bentley says. “Exercise increases feelings of wellbeing, increases energy and improves the quality of sleep,” he notes. “Just 30 minutes a day of moderately intense exercise decreases the physical biomarkers of stress and positively affects cortisol levels. I tell my patients that there are no magic bullets, but by building a commitment within yourself, a sense that you can do it, you will feel better. It’s almost guaranteed.”

continued on page 18

Courtesy of Dr. Sandy Newsome, Wellness Psychology 1. Record how you spend your time for one week. This chart may include work time, family time, sleep time, and yes, even leisure time. Write down how you feel as you’re engaged in each task. Do you feel enriched and satisfied or stressed and out of balance?

4. Make lists to help you prioritize daily tasks. Leave off less important goals and put those on a “master to-do” list.

2. Take inventory of your values.

Incorporate these values into daily activities. Consider cutting out activities that don’t fit with your values.

6. Do something out of the ordinary and have fun! Go for a picnic, play a board game, or call an old friend.

3. Make small changes in your daily routine. Minimize multitasking, reduce stress, and enjoy your time more.

5. Take short breaks throughout your day to stimulate creativity and promote rest.

7. Use technology consciously.

Check emails and use the Internet at planned times to limit constant interruptions. Turn off your cell phone during dinner to enjoy mealtimes with family/friends.

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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MIND

continued from page 17

Mindfulness vs. multitasking

Quiet time and meditation can be ways of paying attention to the present moment without judgment, Newsome says. “Mindfulness can be implemented through formal practices, like breath meditation, simply focusing on breathing in and out, or through movement practices, such as yoga,” she suggests. “You can also practice being present by fully engaging the senses when performing daily tasks like showering, eating, driving and interacting with loved ones instead of doing them on autopilot. It may

take practice, but by being present for your own life, you may learn to better manage stress, make more conscious decisions, gain perspective, and find more enjoyment in your life,” she says.

Most of us have come to accept that there will always be a certain level of anxiety in our lives. The question becomes how best to manage it. “Stress is woven into the fabric of modern living,” Bentley admits. “We all need to make an effort to maintain a healthy social support system, whether that’s making time to spend with friends or making sure that family relationships remain vital.”

STRESS & WELLNESS QUIZ Courtesy of Dr. Sandy Newsome, Wellness Psychology In the last MONTH have you...

• felt “out of control” and unable to manage daily tasks?

• frequently experienced unpleasant physical symptoms (e.g. headaches, upset stomach, or difficulty sleeping)?

• eaten more or less than usual?

• consumed more alcohol than you’d prefer to “come down” after a difficult day?

• used more caffeine than normal to manage your energy and mood?

• exercised less than you’d prefer?

• fought more frequently with your partner/spouse than usual?

• felt like you’re a “bad parent” because you’re so stressed out?

• felt like you will never be able to “catch up” on all the work you need to do?

• felt like things will never go your way and wonder if you’re past helping?

If there are lots of “yeses” on this quiz, it may be time to consider some changes to improve your daily functioning.

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Fear Fuels

Immunization Aversion TEXT BY MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER

“I

t’s not a debate: It’s a matter of science vs. fear,” says Michael Davis, M.D., a pediatric physician with Providence Medford Medical Center, regarding the controversy surrounding immunizations. “There are people who don’t vaccinate, but they’re not participating in a debate.”

Non-vaccinating parents feel there’s a risk that immunizations can cause chronic diseases. Autism is chief among the concerns, based on a study published in the peer-reviewed medical journal “The Lancet” in the late 1990s that linked the vital MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine to autism, Davis says.

The study has since been retracted, he adds, so “the main reason for not vaccinating has been repudiated.”

The doctor’s response to concerns around vaccinating is to staunchly stand behind the safety and effectiveness of immunizations. With tens of millions of doses administered annually, he says, any serious issues would be “glaringly

obvious.” And there simply is no science to back up those fears, he adds.

Citing that the U.S. recently has seen a marked increase in whooping cough and measles, Davis says the decision to not vaccinate children is one that affects not just the family. Rather, he says, it’s a serious public health concern.

“When a large portion of the population is vaccinated, transmission gets interrupted because there simply aren’t enough susceptible people for disease to pass through a community,” he says. “But when the percentage of people who are not vaccinated drops below a certain amount, you get increased transmission.”

Ashland, the doctor says, is already

showing signs of increased cases of whooping cough and measles. It’s difficult to sway the opinions of nonvaccinating parents,even with science at odds with their stance, Davis says “It almost seems it’ll take outbreaks of disease to change people’s minds,” he says. “I’m sure that if there was an AIDs vaccine available 20 years ago, people who refuse to vaccinate would have jumped at the chance to get it. In the past few months, there certainly would have been an interest in an Ebola vaccine. The choice to not have children vaccinated is fear-based, so it’ll take a stronger fear of the harm that could be caused by not vaccinating to change minds.”

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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Keeping It

Clean

Calling it a cleanse is optional, but proper nutrition supports your internal organs and puts a spring in your step TEXT BY MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER

D

ietary cleanses are a hot topic these days. The marketing around them certainly is huge — as is the debate.

The question not only is what kind of cleanse you should use, but whether you need a cleanse at all.

The pro-cleanse camp says it’s not good to leave the body to its own devices when it comes to flushing toxins out of your system. But other health care practitioners pooh-pooh that notion and say the body is an amazing detox machine all on its own.

So the question of whether to do an official cleanse or not depends solely on what you feel is right for you and, ideally, input from a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Lindsey Patterson, an inpatient clinical dietitian at Providence Medford Medical Center, isn’t a fan of cleanses as

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defined as extreme, short-term products or programs meant to quickly flush toxins.

“People have the idea that toxins build up in our bodies, and it’s just not true,” Patterson says, “Our livers clean our blood every day, multiple times a day. Our kidneys are constantly clearing out impurities through our urine.

Medically speaking, there is no reason you would have to detox your body.”

But Therese Holliday, a certified nutritional therapist and licensed myotherapist at Rogue Health in Medford, says that forgoing a good regular cleanse is like buying a new car and never changing the oil or flushing the engine. Both she and Kellie Hill, a nutritional therapy practitioner with The Right Plan Nutrition Counseling in Medford, believe in regular cleanse routines.

“Our bodies have a natural and automatic detoxification system, which works well when not overburdened or encountering unidentifiable toxins,” Hill says. “Unfortunately, we are inundated with toxic compounds. Toxins are stored in fat tissues, so it’s beneficial to help the body’s natural

Food detoxification system by removing major potential toxins and giving our body a ‘break’ by following a cleanse.”

Hill adds that cleanses also can be useful in identifying food allergies and intolerances, enabling weight loss and combatting fatigue, digestive problems and food cravings.

Health food and online stores are packed with liquids, supplements and programs labeled as cleanses. But they might not be the best way to go. Most aren’t regulated by the FDA, so are not required to prove results. And many are merely laxative- and/or diuretic-based, producing short-term weight loss based on what amounts to dehydration rather than any true benefits to the liver, kidneys and other organs.

Many are strictly juice-based. Patterson advises that, especially for those with diabetes, juicing isn’t as healthy as it sounds. It reduces fruit to pure sugar (plus some nutrients) but takes out the fiber that helps prevent blood-sugar spikes.

“I’d say just eat the whole fruit,” Patterson says. “Then you’re getting the skin and the fiber — the full benefit of the fruit.”

A better route may be a cleanse based on whole, unprocessed foods, especially organic fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on dark, leafy greens. Upping the intake of these foods helps reduce intake of processed non-foods (anything shelf-stable that is packed with fillers, sugar, simple carbs and artificial ingredients). It also alkalizes and purifies the blood, making it easier for the body to rid itself of wastes

“in a natural, authentic way,” Hill explains.

“I recommend a combination of cooked foods, raw foods, cultured foods and bone broth,” Hill says. “Cooked food is the primary nourishment supporting cellular rebuilding after toxin removal; raw foods are the primary cleansers and detoxifiers. Cultured vegetables change and replenish the inner microbial balance, and bone broth repairs damage to the intestines.”

But why stop there? Patterson says rather than a cleanse, look at it as a lifestyle change. And do it slowly to increase the chances of it sticking. Your goal should be cutting out sugar, processed foods and fast food, replacing them with lots more whole, clean foods. But rather than approach it all at once with a cleanse, do it in steps.

“Make a list of anything that you want to cut out, then choose one and cut it out – such as soda or fast food,” Patterson says. “It might take two weeks. When you’re comfortable with that, then cut out more the next week. Set goals, like eating vegetarian one day a week or only eating at the table. Conquer one goal and then add to it.”

The key, she says, is progression. And avoiding total deprivation, which can lead to overindulgence later.

“Find your weak spots and work on them,” Patterson says.

“And allow yourself to be human. Take the time and do it.

Making too many changes all at once won’t help you be successful.”

continued on page 22

“Find your weak spots and work on them.

And allow yourself to be human. Take the time do it. Making too many changes all at once won’t help you be successful.”

— Lindsey Patterson, Providence Medford Medical Center

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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Food

continued from page 21 Changing your diet in phases will help you also to avoid some of the downsides of a cleanse. Too harsh a change all at once can lead to a “healing crisis” — more so with supplement-based cleanses than a whole-foods approach.

The effect can feel like the beginnings of the flu, Holliday says.

Both Hill and Holliday stress that a cleanse isn’t just a physical thing, and they recommend prayer and/or meditation, stress reduction, communing with nature, massage, relaxation exercises, or even just bubble baths to clear the mental and emotional toxins that build up just as surely as physical ones do.

“A good, healthy cleanse is about more than just food; it’s about cleansing the whole body,” Hill says. “It’s important to reflect and take time for oneself during a cleanse. It’s important to relax, drink plenty of water, record meals and experiences in a journal, get the blood flowing through exercise or sauna and get plenty of sleep.”

Live Detox Smoothie* • ½ small beet (juiced) or 1⁄4 cup beet juice (you can blend the beet in your blender, if your blender has a powerful motor) • 3 to 4 beet green leaves • 3 to 4 dandelion leaves • ¼ to ½ lemon • ½ to 1 apple • 1 inch fresh ginger • 1 cup water Add ingredients to blender. Blend to desired consistency. * From “Cleanse & Detoxify Your Body: 28 Days to Better Health using Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods,” by Kellie Hill

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Oregon Healthy Living • January 5, 2015

Local Events FREE LECTURE: CRAVINGS & WEIGHT GAIN AND THE BLOOD SUGAR ROLLERCOASTER TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015 - 6 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M. Natural Grocers, 1990 North Pacific Highway, Medford, OR For more information call: 541.245.0100

FROSTBITE RUN – 5K/10K SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2015 – 11 A.M. Talent Middle School, 102 Christian Avenue, Talent, OR For more information call: Daniel Newberry, 541.973.7996

SNOWSHOE WALKS SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2015 – 1 P.M. Crater Lake National Park Early registration required. To register or for more information call: 541.594.3100

MINDFULNESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 – 10 A.M TO 11 A.M. Community Counseling Center of Ashland, 600 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR For more information call: 541.414.7213

FREE COOKING CLASS: HEART HEALTHY DAY MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015 – 5:30 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M. OHMS-Community Health Education Center, 128 SW “I” St,, Suite A, Grants Pass Reservations required. A non-perishable food donation is requested. To register or for more information contact: Greyson at 541.471.4208 or greyson@ohms1.com

LET’S TALK TEA TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 – 5 P.M. TO 5:45 P.M. The Spice & Tea Exchange, 88 North Main St., Ashland, OR For more information call: 541.708.5306

ROGUE VALLEY HEALTH FAIR - 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 Medford Armory, 1701 South Pacific Highway, Medford, OR For more information call: 541.476.8558

January 5, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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