Welcome to the March 2009 NaturalHealthcare.ca Newsletter!

Editor's Greeting: Heather-Anne's Spot

March is Fraud Prevention Month

I was at a local gym recently and happened to pick up a magazine that featured plastic surgery options. For the most part, the publication seemed professional and the advertisements plausible. Then, an impressive two page advertisement was brought to my attention that featured a "plastic surgeon" whose history includes being investigated for a past surgical failure that resulted in a patient's death. [Gisela's note: the doctor in question is an M.D. but not a surgeon.]

The caveat? Buyer, beware. Practice a healthy curiosity. When researching health-related information and services it is of paramount importance that you, the consumer, be diligent. One common method used to gloss over a less than satisfactory professional or personal history is to post as many articles, links, and filler web sites in the person's name as possible, so that it will push important cautionary information off the first or second page of internet search results.

When searching the internet for background information on either a service, product, or a healthcare professional take the time to scan as far as the fourth or fifth page. Deliberately seek out information that counters the good of what you are being told, and make an informed decision by balancing the two. Try your search term plus the word "reviews" to see if people are discussing that product or service.

And always remember: just because something has been posted on the internet or published in a text, it does not mean it's true. Consumers do need to practice a type of due diligence when it comes to securing services and products.

A good place to begin is by asking a health professional for those sources that they personally rely on. Pharmacists, Naturopathic Doctors, your family Physician, Nutritionists, all have tried and true research-based sites where they go for accurate and reliable information. Take a look at our site naturalhealthcare.ca for research based articles and links to relevant sites (like PubMed).

Note for yourself, if you will, the relationship we have noticed between financial health and physical health. Having access to a higher income, generally means access to a broader education, a higher standard of living, and nutritional food choices. In the case above, however, a higher income would not necessarily have sheltered a person from making a bad choice in a health care provider - a surgeon. Advertisements are slick, glossy and impressive. You, as a consumer, need to rely on accuracy. In the meantime, the advertisement in question has been forwarded on to a healthcare fraud watch group.

Here's to a healthy future and to being active participants in our own health care.

Heather-Anne Wakeling
Editor, naturalhealthcare.ca

P.S. Happy Vernal Equinox and the start of spring!

In the news....

Beating the Effects of Stress With Diet

We've just launched a revamped Stress Management section of the website (stress.NaturalHealthcare.ca), with studies and articles about how to avoid and manage chronic stress. From that new section we bring you 5 Diet & Nutrition Tips to help you fight the effects of chronic stress:

• Drink more water. Your brain needs water to function, as do all of your internal (and external) organs. People lose body fluids all day and night, and these fluids need to be replenished. Water will also control weight loss and keep your muscles invigorated.
• Have a calming cup of (caffeine-free) herbal tea. Chamomile, mint, hibiscus - each one of these herbal teas will soothe you in different ways. Chamomile and mint will help settle butterflies in the stomach; Hibiscus tea is also good for keeping blood pressure down (3 cups per day is recommended). (Floral teas are not recommended if you have pollen allergies, check the herbology glossary for other notes.)
• Make sure you are getting sufficient vitamins - particularly the B-complex. When you look at the ingredients of most stress-formula vitamins, you will find that they have a wide range of the B vitamins, because they serve vital functions in the body including supporting the immune system, increasing the metabolic rate, and strengthening the nerve cell membranes. B vitamins are water-soluble, so they must be replenished daily. Do not over-indulge as some of the B-vitamins (in particular folic acid) have a safe range beyond which they have negative effects.
• Eat your Omega-3s! Omega 3 fatty acids help combat the effects of depression - which can be induced by chronic stress. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that can be found in supplements, or in salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and tuna.
• Consider valerian. Ask your primary care practitioner whether valerian may help you sleep better - sleep is critical at all times, and stress can disrupt normal sleeping patterns, which may in turn make other symptoms worse. Another alternative is St. John's Wort - but be sure to let your practitioner know as it can have undesirable side-effects including increased anxiety, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, and can interfere with birth control pills.

You can find more stress management tips, studies and articles, plus a directory of practitioners at: stress.NaturalHealthcare.ca

Nominations Open for the World Organization of Natural Medicine Accolades

Do you know someone who has contributed greatly to the world of Natural Medicine? The World Organization of Natural Medicine will be awarding Accolades at the Humanitarian Medicine Congress Investiture & Award Ceremony, being held May 23rd & 24th, 2009 at the Delta Medowvale Resort and Conference Centre, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

WONM's mission is to make traditional healthcare, as defined and recognized by the World Health Organization, accessible, affordable and available to the underserved peoples’ group of the world.

Nominations are open until April 23, 2009 in the following categories:

• MERIT OF ACHIEVEMENT: An award for outstanding practitioner, associate, supporting member, staff and personnel in the clinical or hospital environment providing natural medicine or Clinics for Humanity.
• ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: An award for outstanding student of natural medicine. Student must have a B+ average and demonstrating outstanding performance to instructors, either in classroom or clinic
• PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: An award to outstanding practitioners who have brought public attention to our cause by way of speaking engagements, the press, online, by radio, or other media.
• ORDER OF EXCELLENCE: An award for outstanding practitioners and teachers who have shown life long dedication to our cause, year after year.
• RECORD FOR EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE: An award for researchers in the field of natural sciences and healing, having produced a research paper and received excellent peer review.
• LEADING INTELLECTUALS OF THE WORLD: An award for teachers and authors having published articles or other media, displaying excellent philosophical concept and contributing to world good.
• OUTSTANDING PEOPLE OF THE 20th CENTURY: An award and commemorative for those leaders and vanguards who have taken us where we are, and where we are going. This award may be given in abstentia and for those deceased.
• ILLUMINATED DIPLOMA OF HONOR: A high award to an author on traditional and natural medicine that has caused due impact and awareness to the medical or lay community at large.

Nominations should be sent (by April 23, 2009) to:
World Organization of Natural Medicine
2813 Victoria Park Avenue, Scarborough
ON M1W 1A1, (416) 492 6725
Email: info@wonmfoundation.org

Awards will presented at a Gala event during the World Organization of Natural Medicine, (WONM) 2009, Humanitarian Medicine Congress being held this year in Toronto, ON, May 23 and 24, 2009. More information about the awards and the congress can be found at www.wonm.org

Events & Workshops

Abbotsford Total Health Show - Abbotsford, BC
March 28 & 29, 2009 - Abbotsford Tradex, 1190 Cornell Street
Hundreds of exhibitors and continuous workshops and speakers.
http://www.canwestshows.com/health/abbotsford/

Meditation for Well-Being - Toronto, ON
Thursday, March 26, 2009, Xiaolan Health Centre
Want to explore mindfulness and meditation? Want to deepen your understanding of these practices? Join Dr. Ana Bodnar to learn more about mindful meditation.
http://www.anabodnar.com

Yoga Atlantic Conference - Halifax, NS
April 17, 18, 19, 2009 - Best Western Chocolate Lake Hotel
Yoga Atlantic and its partners are enthusiastically planning this year Yoga Conference around the idea of giving. Strengthening our third Chakra "Manipura" helps us live an authentic life, empowering us to take action in Giving Back.
http://www.yogaatlanticconference.com/

Check the NHC Event Calendar for lots more events!

Just a Reminder:

Women are invited to attend two free programs at the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre in Mount Sinai Hospital. The Programs are:
1) Taking Charge: Healthy LIFEstyle Choices after Breast Cancer is now open for registration. The program will include 5 sessions and will be given by a dietitian, fitness experts and a nurse. You can register by telephone or e-mail.
http://www.mountsinai.on.ca/care/mkbc go to Programs and Classes
2) AstraZeneca Breast Health Program is for women without a personal history of breast cancer. It is a one time session and is 2-1/2 hours long and is given by a nurse and a dietitian. This program can also be given to groups of 10 - 15 women in the community. You can register by telephone or online at:
http://www.mountsinai.on.ca/care/mkbc go to Programs and Classes
To register for either program please call Linda at: (416) 586 - 4800 Ext. 5190 then choose the program you want by the menu system.

Free Clinic for Women Living with Breast Cancer - Toronto, ON
Therapeutic Touch available free to women living with breast cancer.
Fridays, ONLY: Marvelle Koffler Centre, Mt. Sinai Hospital
Appointments required. Call (416) 586.8799