It's Flu Season

Old man Winter showed up a little early this year and the flu and virus season is in full swing.  We thought it would be a good time to talk shop on the flu.

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate...that is the burning question.  Some of us never skip a flu shot, some us...meh...could take it or leave it.   Let's take a look at some flu facts...

1. Everyone should get the flu shot.   Fact: Not everyone.  This is where you should consult with your doctor.  People with very compromised immune systems may not be eligible for getting a flu shot but all you healthy folks typically can and should.  Remember, not all flu shots are created equally.  There are nose sprays, shot in the arm, live vaccines or inactivated vaccines and various strengths.  For example, people over 65 can get a high dose Trivalent Flu shot that gives them a stronger immune response.  Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure you are getting the one best suited for you.  Keep in mind, the more healthy people get vaccinated, the more we protect those around us with weaker immune systems who can not get the vaccine. 
2. The flu vaccine begins protecting us immediately.  Fact: It does not.  Some people think the vaccine causes the flu.  Keep in mind, it takes 2 weeks for our body to develop antibodies to the flu so during that time, you are still susceptible. 
3. The flu vaccine causes the flu.  Fact: No, it doesn't cause the flu but you still might get the flu even if you get vaccinated.  There is roughly a 60% chance you won't get influenza with the vaccine but it's impossible to create a vaccine that prevents every type of flu.  The vaccine focuses on what the CDC believes will be the top 4 influenza but there more than that.   If you are exposed to the flu virus at the same time you get the shot, you won't be protected and could get the flu.  If you get the flu despite getting the vaccine, it could be a shorter illness with fewer complications.
4. The flu has serious complications.  Fact: Yes, the flu can and has caused death in some patients, especially those with serious health problems and poor immune systems.  These instances are rare.  Most likely you will experience high fevers, respiratory distress and the virus can sometimes lead to secondary bacterial issues. 
5. You should wait until later in the season to be vaccinated against the flu.  Fact:  Don't wait too long!  Remember, it takes 2 weeks for the effectiveness of the flu vaccine to work.  It is true if you got the vaccine in August, you likely wouldn't be protected through the entire flu season but getting the vaccine in January...you might be taking a risk. 
6. I'm puking, I must have the flu.  Fact:  NO you don't.  You have a stomach bug.  Influenza does not generally upset your stomach.  The signs of the flu are fever, aches, chills, and it all comes on suddenly.  If you have a sore throat...it probably isn't influenza but a common cold.  Sore throats aren't even part of the initial presentation of the flu but remember, if your defenses are down, it's not impossible to think you are fighting more than just the flu.  

PC: Brevis.com

Here is the most important tip for handling the flu.  Don't get it in the first place!  It sounds dumb to read that out loud but prevention is the best medicine.  

• Avoid sick people, whether they have the flu or a common cold or leprosy.  Avoid them! 
• Avoid spreading your germs.  If you get sick with the flu, a common cold or leprosy use your head and keep it to yourself!   Don't go to work, or cough your way through the aisles of Walmart.  Stay home and isolated.  No one enjoys being sick and some can even end up for a lengthy and expensive hospital stay because you tried to be a martyr. Don't do it. 
• If you do have to leave your bed for any reason and wander around public areas, wear a mask.  It's the right thing to do.  
• Do not cough into your hands.  If you must cough and spread your crud around the air we all breathe, at least cough into the crook of your elbow, the ground, a sterile mask...anywhere but your hands or out in the open.  A tissue isn't fool proof but it helps if you insist on being a fool when you're sick. 
• Wash your hands frequently.  If you have OCD about hand washing, this is your season!  You will be one of the few healthy people.  We could all learn a thing or two about the importance of hand washing. 
• Avoid touching your face, your eyes or picking your nose. This is one guaranteed way to pick up any nasty disease including leprosy...and the flu. 

Well, that is the flu in a nut shell.  So, it's that time of year.  Hop in to the clinic and get your flu shot...what are you waiting for?  The flu?  Oh, if you want more fun facts about Influenza, visit the CDC website for up to date facts and fun! 

Food as Medicine

We've been focusing a lot the past two months on how to manage depression and even anxiety.  There are so many approaches and it really comes down to figuring out what works best for you!  Each of us is different and the root cause of what causes us to be depressed or anxious is different as well. 

Along these same lines, we wanted to talk about all the ways food can heal our bodies, not just depression.  When we are depleted in any vitamin, mineral or amino acid, we become unbalanced and that is what causes discomfort and disease.  This is a great infographic from Positivemed.com that helps us see just how important some of the most basic vitamins are for our general health.  This information becomes even more critical as we age. Take a look.

So, without taking a couple handfuls of expensive supplements, how can we get these vital nutrients?  It's important to remember that these vitamins come from fresh, whole foods, not from eliminating food groups or overly processed foods.  It's great to eat your broccoli everyday but not if it's prepared as a roasted dish, or covered in rich, fatty sauces.  All the over cooking and processing eliminates the nutrients we desperately need.

Focus on buying and eating fresh fruits and vegetables and eat them raw, as often as possible.  If we could all eat 7-10 cups of a variety of fruits and vegetables, 70% of them raw, we would be a lot closer to balanced health than many of us are now. 

When choosing proteins, choose the whole protein.  For example, don't separate your yolks and whites.  When either one is eaten alone, it can spike an insulin response.  When eaten together, it has little effect on the insulin and provides a good, healthy, whole fat that allows are bodies to better absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.  Likewise for chicken, don't strip off the skin.  The whole chicken has many health benefits, skin and all.

We are headed into a busy time of year when parties abound and gatherings centered around food will be the common theme of the holiday season.  As you approach the fun, make good choices.  Choose to start your meal with a rich, green salad.  Hit up the veggie tray and enjoy a little hummus, guacamole or even that tasty ranch dip if it helps you enjoy them a little more.  Remember balance, and take from each of the food groups but be sparing on the sweets!

You will find, as you begin to shift your focus from eliminating food groups and limiting diets, to a whole food approach, you will be healthier and happier!

Nutritional Approach to Depression

If you would like to approach depression treatment from a nutrient base care plan...here are some nutrients that when deficient in, will cause an increase in depression.  Making sure you are eating whole foods, rich in these nutrients will begin to pull you out of the depression you may be feeling or at least support your health while you try other methods.

• Vitamin B1: A deficiency in B1 creates depression, anxiety, nervousness, headaches and even restless legs.  When your adrenals are not optimally running, due to stress, you will be short on B1.  A sluggish liver will also contribute to a B1 deficiency.   Where can you find B1 in the grocery store?  Beef, Pork, Eggs, Seeds, Oats, Legumes and Peas just to name a few.  B1 is also known as Thiamine. 
• Vitamin B6:  Do you know what B6 does for you?  Just a few things...It supports more than 100 different enzymes involved in metabolism, blood cell creation, amino acid creation and neurotransmitter synthesis.  Amino Acids rely on B6, they can't form in the body without it  and B6 is needed in order to make seratonin.  If you aren't eating your fair share of fresh fruits and vegetables, odds are you are low on B6.  If you enjoy alcohol...that also depletes B6.  Pork, poultry and fish as well as eggs and whole grains, help round out your supply of B6...and your fruits and vegetables. 
• Vitamin B9:  When you don't get enough B6, your body needs more B9, also known as Folate.  If you are pregnant or lactating, you will also need more B9.  Without enough, you will feel depressed, anxious and tired. 
• Omega 6 and 3: These two like to be together.  Without the 3, Omega 6 can create a state of inflammation.   These help maintain hormonal balance so if your depression is rooted in hormones, listen up.   It is crucial in supplying the raw material for all of your cells and helps in removing waste products from the cells. 
• Leucine:  This a nutrient we don't hear much about.  It helps support blood sugar levels, repairs muscle tissue, aids in growth hormone production and wound healing.  Leucine also helps to support us in times of trauma or severe stress!  You will feel symptoms of depression if you are deficient of Leucine.  Where can you get a healthy dose of this?  Your best source is from meats.  All meat.  If you are on a plant based diet...you probably can't get enough Leucine. 

These are big players when looking at nutrient deficiencies and their role in depression.  One of the best ways to supplement, especially for the B vitamins is with Unfortified Nutritional Yeast.   Whenever you take supplements instead of whole food, make sure your supplements are food based, not chemical based.  If your body is already struggling, chemicals that mimic the real thing will only work for so long so start with quality, food based nutritional supplements. 

When Depression Strikes

There can be many causes of depression and this is often what makes treating it so difficult at times.  Many people believe it's a simple case of needing more Serotonin but that is a myth.  Oftentimes, the circumstances that ebb and flow in our life can cause periods of high stress, along with depression.  It is these situations that can be resistant, or so it seems, to pharmaceutical interventions because it isn't a chemical imbalance...it's a life imbalance.  There are other times when depression or anxiety are caused by a nutrient deficiency or as a secondary problem to a more serious health condition.

So, first things first.  Come in and see us!  Rule out any health conditions that may be contributing to your poor or declining mental health.  As we discussed previously, the gut is the core of mental and physical health.   Diseases like insulin resistance, diabetes, ulcers, adrenal fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome can rob you of precious nutrients that feed your gut microbiome and even your brain.  It is critical to determine the root cause of depression, not just recognize the symptoms.

If your depression is due to a rough set of life circumstances, focus on supportive health measures.  Each little thing you do for the better, adds up so don't get discouraged at the seemingly slow pace.

Here are our top four favorites for supporting good mental health.

1. Sleep- Optimal sleep means optimal healing.  Your body resets, recovers and rejuvenates during the 7-9 hours we are getting good quality sleep.  You know you can't be a happy person when you are continually running short on sleep. 
2. Exercise- I'm not talking about heavy lifting or an hour on the treadmill.  I'm suggesting you just move your body...in any way you can!  Ideally, a simple walk around the block with a heavy dose of fresh air will do wonders for your outlook on life.  I know, it seems too simple.  It's not the fix all but it certainly helps.  Depression can make us feel stuck.  Movement can be the thing that propels us forward from those stuck patterns of thinking. 
3. Elimination- Clean up your world.  There is something to be said about the weight of clutter and chaos in our life, both physically and mentally.  Often, the condition in which we live, directly correlates to the state of our mind.  Create order in your physical world.  It's a small investment for greater dividends.   Our body and mind thrives in order and routine, so start there.   While you are cleaning house, get rid of bad habits that don't serve your good health like smoking, drinking, drugs, too much sugar...you know the drill! 
4. Nutrition- Instead of focusing on all the things you shouldn't have, like junk food, refined carbs, etc. focus on the good food that will feed your body nutrients, rather than calories.   Choosing nutrient dense food will improve not only your gut health but your brain as well.  

At Madison Women's clinic, we want to help you be your best self.  We would love to help you find the right path back to optimal mental and physical health.  There are many approaches in dealing with depression so let us help you find the best way for you.  Give us a call today. 

Your Second Brain

We are continuing our discussion on mental health, specifically, depression.

Today, let's talk about our second brain...Our gut.  

It has only been recently that the discussion of gut health has been connected to our brain health. 

According to Harvard Research, your gut processes many emotions and is in fact, extremely sensitive to anger, sadness, anxiety, excitement etc.  Consider the last time you felt butterflies when you were nervous? That flitting about wasn't felt in your brain, rather your gut?  How about the last gut-wrenching experience you had?  Just thinking about a tall, cup of your favorite custard or gelato, starts those gastric juices going...even before the car is parked. 

This same concept works the other way as well.  It is in the stomach, where acid and enzymes break down the nutrients in our food, and fat disperses it throughout your body, especially your brain.  Your brain is an energy and nutrient hog!  It needs a specific supply of nutrients and fat in order to function properly.  When the microbiome, the good and bad bacteria in our gut, are in balance and harmony with one another, we experience good health.  When this delicate balance is off, we experience increased inflammation, poor nutrient absorption, and immune dysfunction.  

Researchers in the field of psychology are even speculating that brain diseases such as bi-polar, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety are manifestations of microbiome alternations.  Incidentally, there is a completely new field of medicine emerging called Nutritional Psychiatry. 

With this in mind, is it any surprise that depression has been on the rise, despite new technology in pharmaceuticals, with the ever increasing processing and chemical treatment of our food?  Not to mention all the fad diets that come our way.  We cut out food groups, eat extremes of one group or another.  Even healthy food plans that offer 'healthy' convenient packaging of  food is still over processed.  Vitamins and supplements which are easily accessible today, are nothing more than chemicals, enhanced to act like food but are still, nonetheless, chemicals.  

Did you know that every vitamin in nature, is paired with a mineral?  For example, Vitamin C complex in nature contains Ascorbic Acid and four parts within the outer ascorbic acid shell; Vitamin P (Bioflavinoid), Vitamin J, Vitamin K and the mineral Copper.  Copper is essential to build up your adrenals and your adrenals produce the hormone cortisol that helps you deal with stress.  

When you go to your favorite big box store to grab some Vitamin C, unless it is food based, it will be synthetically made out of cornstarch and sulfuric acid.  All that is, is Ascorbic Acid.  If you take too much of that, you will create a deficiency in the Vitamin P, J, K and copper and can actually develop problems associated with a Vitamin C deficiency.  From this example, you can see that even our best intentions to supplement our already poor and processed diet with vitamins, is keeping us sick and possibly depressed. 

So, what does all of this have to do with depression?  If your gut health is suffering, so will your brain health.  If you want to improve your depression and anxiety, let's focus on feeding our brain whole, real nutrients.  It takes 2-4 weeks for an anti-depressant medication to begin working but your gut health and brain health can show improvements in just 3-5 days with proper nutrients and food.  

If you are suffering with depression, what can you do today to self care?  Start by cleaning up your diet. It sounds painful and time consuming but so worth it.  Eliminate processed foods and diets.  Focus on feeding your body nutrients and whole fats, not calories.  Stop the sugary, salty, refined treats and even convenience packaged foods that claim to be healthy.  Real food is the start of real health changes. 

In the next article, we discuss which nutrients will increase your gut and brain health and easy sources of food to get those all important nutrients from!   

The Evolution of Depression

At Madison Women's Clinic, we've found that we are seeing more and more women who are struggling with depression; in all of its varieties.  Perhaps you are someone who faces the seemingly uphill battle with depression...or maybe we should say, the downward spiral. 

Without a doubt, depression is a tough situation to handle.  Over the next few months, we would like to focus our efforts on educating our patients about depression and anxiety and offer some insight into various modalities of treatment and care.  We hope you'll join us on this journey.  As always, we don't offer or suggest that there is a one-size fits all treatment for all types of depression.  Some mental illnesses go far beyond the typical depression we often treat. Some require specialized care with specialized physicians so we urge you to visit with your provider at Madison Women's Clinic before self diagnosing or self treating your depression or mental illness.

Depression is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a serious medical illness that negatively impacts the way you feel, think and act.  It can range in severity from sadness to lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed, to dramatic and extreme mood changes.  Depression can include other symptoms such as the following and must last more than two weeks in order to be considered clinical depression.

• Fatigue
• Changes in weight- loss or gain
• Changes in appetite
• Feeling worthless
• Feeling guilt or shame
• Sleep disruption- too much or too little sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes
• Lack of energy
• Feeling hopeless or suicidal
• Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
• Feeling restless

What causes depression? Here is a short list and not complete by any means.

• Biochemistry -the chemicals and nutrients in your brain
• Genetics- runs in the family
• Personality- people with low self esteem, or easily overwhelmed, mishandling of stress.
• Environmental- situations of abuse, poverty, neglect, disconnection, job loss, family changes

Treatment for depression came bursting on the scene in 1987 with the invention of Prozac.  It seemed to be the answer to all of our depression woes.  From there, many other classes of anti-depressants were born.   At the time, and even today, anti-depressants are touted as the gold standard in treatment.  Let's look a little closer at anti depressant medication.  

One would think that if the medication was a cure for depression, we would see a sharp decline in clinical depression.  However, the opposite is true.  Depression rises steadily with each passing year and more and more people are prescribed medications to help them manage their mood.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it isn't a good thing either, but are we really addressing the root cause of depression, or does the treatment only offer relief of symptoms; a large band-aid to cover up what is happening below our bad mood? Could we do better in the way we handle depression?

We believe, that together we can make a difference in the way we treat depression. Part of the equation is educating our patients to be participants in their own health.  Working in tandem with your provider at Madison Women's Clinic, we can find the best fit in overcoming crippling depression.  In the next article, we will discuss the leading research in the gut-brain connection.  Did you know your gut is often called The Second Brain?  Perhaps, this holds the key to better mental health...Let's find out. 

Why Yoga Matters

Maybe the better questions is...Does Yoga matter?

Yoga is becoming the latest buzz word in case you hadn't noticed.  We hear it a lot and for a long time, I thought it was just another way of doctors saying...manage your stress. 

Duh...we all know that we need to manage our stress but it's seriously hard to imagine that one hot session of Bikram Yoga is going to make everything all better again and we will once again enjoy sitting in the eternal pick up lane at the elementary school or getting through the construction zone on Highway 20. (Just sayin')

Yoga...are you a fan? 

Yoga is thought to have started in India over 5000 years ago and helps with flexibility, strength, and breathing all the while, boosting our mental and emotional health.   It's pretty hard to engage in a meaningful course of yoga while multitasking in your head, so for that reason, it is the perfect escape to give your head a little breathing room.  Sometimes, that's all it takes to handle stress better.

There are basically 6 different types of yoga:

Hatha- This is a form of yoga, not a style, that can be incorporated into any of the other yoga styles.  It involves the beginning poses and focuses on posture.  It's a great thing for beginners and has a pace that is easy to follow and maintain.

Vinyasa-  This is a style of yoga that is high energy and fluid transition between poses.  It helps to have some experience with yoga before attending a Vinyasa class, so that you are more familiar with the various poses.  Each Vinyasa class is different from the next and many appreciate the variety.

Iyengar- This class focuses on individual poses and proper alignment.  It's about precision and technique.  In one of these classes, you will use a variety of props to help you achieve the perfect pose.

Hot Yoga- Who doesn't love a hot flash right?  Hot yoga is done in a room that is 104 degrees and this is also known as Bikram yoga.  The class goes through the same series of 26 poses.  With hot yoga, you can run risk of overstretching in the heat and increase your risk for dehydration so make sure you stay hydrated and know your body.

Yin Yoga-  This is the slow and meditative type of yoga.  Poses are held for a long time and focus on stillness.  This would be considered a restorative type of yoga.

Kundalini- This type of yoga blends the physical aspects of the body but connects the mind as well.  Some Kundalini classes can involve chanting, singing or personal mediation.

Yoga has many benefits as you might guess.  It's one of the best exercises to teach you how to breathe and by that, I mean, teach you how to breathe in a way that reduces stress, anxiety and allows you your body to connect to your mind.  Your flexibility, strength and posture will increase.  Speaking of increasing...who wouldn't mind a little more energy?

Stress has a way of shutting us down.  We retreat in times of stress and feel like the walls are closing in on us with no way to escape.  Yoga does the opposite and for this reason alone, may be the best benefit we receive.  It gives a minute to slow down; stop the crazy train our minds tend to force us on.  It opens up space, room to move and breathe.  When leaving a yoga class, you feel stronger and expanded. 

Yoga may not be for everyone, it may not be for you but if you find yourself dealing poorly with stress, or if the slightest annoyance sets off a quaking in your mind, maybe yoga is a worth a shot and see if you find healthy benefits from just an hour a week.