Dragonfly News

The Official Monthly Newsletter of Song of Health
November, 2008

Click here to download a printable
version of this newsletter.

December 08 Newsletter
October 08 Newsletter

Welcome Subscribers, to Dragonfly News. We are excited about the opportunity to share interesting and helpful information with you in our monthly newsletter, which is available to subscribers only. We first email the newsletter and food resource updates to you directly in .pdf form. Then, in a few days you will be able to access the newsletter on the website. The food resource updates will be incorporated into the existing Food Resource List and can be found by clicking the icon on the left side of most pages.

If you did not receive this issue at your email address and would like to, please notify us immediately at manager@songofhealth.com.

We may need you to remove a pop-up blocker on your computer or to update your current email address with us.

WEBSITE CHANGES!

This is a reminder of the following changes that were made last month:
1) The original button “Carroll Food Lab Test” is now called “Send Samples For Evaluation.”
2) In The Forum, the category “Carroll Food Lab Test” is now called “Food Questions.”
3) We have added a Gluten-Free List.
New change: The public home page has a new look.

GIVE THE GIFT OF HEALTH:
honor your friends and family with A subscription to SONG OF HEALTH.

WHAT INFORMATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER?
Our goal is to serve you. Please help us by sharing what you would like to see in the Dragonfly News. We also invite you to share your favorite recipes with us.

You may contact us at: newsletter@songofhealth.com

SUBSCRIBERS SPOTLIGHT
STORIES, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
Share your story with others.

SUBSCRIBERS, please. . . help others by sharing your story with us and allow us to publish it in the next issue of Dragonfly News and Subscribers’ Testimonials, now on the Song of Health website. We have this opportunity to help those who still suffer but are not confident that our dietary lifestyle will work for them. By hearing and reading about how our lives were dramatically changed we can help them to step through the door toward wellness. WE WOULD BE HONORED TO INCLUDE YOUR STORY about how you came to follow the Dr. Carroll Food Intolerance way of life. We reserve the right to edit for grammar and spelling correctness, however we will not change your story content.

IF YOU PREFER US TO HELP YOU WRITE YOUR STORY, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO. JUST ASK!

Please email your contribution to manager@songofhealth.com Thank you for helping us to achieve our goal of reaching out to as many people as possible in order to offer them hope.

A note of encouragement: A subscriber was concerned that her story was uninteresting. There is no such thing as a boring, uninteresting story! We are here to support each other and every contribution helps, no matter how small or large the content. Please don't let that stop you!

QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED:

IMPORTANT! It has been brought to our attention an important issue that we believe needs to be addressed: On occasion, a subscriber will ask our doctors a question regarding a food intolerance and their responses will slightly differ. This has sometimes caused confusion and has been expressed directly to one of our doctors by several patients.

Per Dr. Zeff: “…most likely, we are not evaluating foods for, e.g., potato content. We are evaluating a food against a blood sample of a person with a known potato intolerance…” Test results for one patient to a food can vary from another patient, even though they are intolerant to the same food category. So, Dr. Watrous may determine a different result than Dr. Zeff, or any of the other doctors who competently perform this testing, because they are testing a patient’s specific blood sample to a specific food sample. As Dr. Zeff puts it, “It is one of the peculiarities of the methodology.”

For this reason, we constantly emphasize throughout the Song of Health website that the information found on the website is a guide only. If you have any personal issues with a product, in other words, a test evaluation shows a food should be o.k. for you to eat, yet you have a reaction to it anyway, we suggest you refrain from consuming it until you have it tested for you personally.

Always, always, always consult your physician with any medical issues you may be experiencing, any drugs you have questions about or your medical care. Our purpose is to help you to determine what foods are included in food intolerance categories. All other information, including articles, are for educational purposes, and is not meant to replace your doctor’s care for you. We are set up as a support team for doctor, patient and subscriber. There are many questions Song of Health can answer for you, and we encourage you to ask us first, in regards to food and food intolerances. What we are not qualified to answer directly, we refer to our doctors and they, in return email their responses to us. You may consider Song of Health as your information center.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us. We are here to support you and your efforts to claim and maintain great health by refraining from your food intolerances and learning about other natural health issues.
In Health,
Sandra Strom

The following questions/comments were emailed to us since the August newsletter. THEY WILL ALSO BE POSTED IN THE FORUM. Be sure to check The Forum daily for new entries.

From Jeanette. Hi Sandra, Just wanted to ask about chestnuts - are they considered fruit ....since it is that season.

Reply from Dr. Watrous. Dear Jeanette, I consider chestnuts to be a nut, like a walnut or pecan. Some canned chestnuts however are preserved with citric acid which is a fruit.
Dr. Watrous

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD!

Please post your replies to our other subscribers at THE FORUM.
Thank you.

HEALTH HUMOR

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one.
If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Principle II: Identify
and remove the cause.
By Dr. Jared L. Zeff, N.D.

Naturopathic medicine is a defined discipline, a system of medicine. It is not the accumulation of various natural therapies. It is not a vague alternative medicine, complementary medicine, or holistic medicine. It is a “separate and distinct branch of the healing arts.” It is different from the standard medicine of the American Medical Association, Osteopathy and Chiropractic.

Prior to 1989, naturopathic medicine was usually defined by its treatments. There were several extant definitions, the most widespread being the US Department of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles, which, prior to 1991 defined the practice in terms of a list of limited therapeutic modalities.

In 1986, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), defined the medicine in terms of six principles:

The Six Principles Are These:
Vis Medicatrix Naturae: The Healing Power of Nature
Tolle Causam: Remove the Cause
Primum Non Nocere: First, Do No Harm
Docere: The Doctor as Teacher
Treat the Whole Person
Prevention

These principles are guides for the practitioner of naturopathic medicine. Our clinical theory develops through the application of these principles in practice. Though the principles and the practice are ancient, we are a young profession. Our profession has experienced a renaissance over the past 25 years. As a result, the number of naturopathic physicians in clinical practice has greatly increased from about 150 to 200 practitioners in 1975 to approximately 4,500 today.

Tolle Causam
In my last contribution to the newsletter I discussed the first defining principle of naturopathic medicine: Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Our second principle is “Tolle Causam: Identify and Remove Cause.” This principle is stated:
“Illness does not occur without cause. Causes originate on many levels. Underlying causes of disease must be removed before patients can completely recover from illness. Symptoms are not the disease but the result of factors, which disturb the normal physiological processes, and are an expression of the body’s attempt to heal itself. The naturopathic physician seeks to treat the causes of disease, rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.”
In the process of healing we must first seek, then remove the cause. As the cause of illness is removed, the natural tendency of the body is to improve function. The human being is not simply a physical entity. We have minds, we think. We have emotions, we feel and we translate these feelings into meaning. We are spiritual beings. Most of the early naturopathic writers, such as Lindlhar, Lust and Hahnemann, believed that illness began in the spiritual aspect of the person. I share this belief. It is crucial, in my opinion, that we direct more attention to the spiritual aspect.

Determinants of Health
Naturopathic medicine is not simply the diagnosis and treatment of disease with natural agents. It is a practice based upon the restoration of health. But, what is health? Although health is the natural state of the being, it is caused by the interaction of that being with the existing environment, both internal and external. Health is a product of many conditions, all of which help create the healthy state. Health has specific determinants, which can be studied and perceived in our patients.
The determinants of health include genetics, intrauterine influences, nutrition, patterns of exercise and rest, past illness and medical interventions, physical and emotional traumas, stresses and exposures (including exposure to microbiological agents). These are the areas in which we do most of our work. These are things which can be addressed and modified to enhance health. It is in these areas where we find the causes of disease.

Spiritual Causes
The spirit is the center; the next layer is the mental aspect of the person, then the emotions, and the outermost layer is the physical. If there is a distortion on the spiritual level, it will create distortion throughout the system, like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond.
It is incumbent upon physicians to acknowledge and to work with our patients to recognize and pursue healing in this aspect of their lives. We can discuss with the patients the presence of peace and trust in their lives, their spiritual practice, or absence of it, and our perceptions of their health or happiness in these regards. This requires that the physician pursue his or her own personal spiritual development.

Mental Causes
If the location of illness is predominantly in the mind, we may not be able to rationally communicate with the person. We can recognize health or illness on this level in our patients by their ability to rationally communicate, their mental clarity, memory and other functions of the mind. We can approach these problems like any chronic illness.
The first signs of improvement in treating chronic illness are often enhanced mental clarity and memory along with an increase in energy. We have specific tools to work in this sphere. Beginning with improvement of diet and digestion and stress modification, we can generate initial changes in and set the stage for other improvements to follow. In addition, there are a variety of medicines, which target the mental function. We are rich in therapies, which applied in the order which healing dictates can produce marvelous results.

Emotional Causes
The emotional body of the patient is a transient expression of the more constant spiritual center. Laughter, sadness, anger, depression and other emotional states, which come and go in appropriate response to the variety of life, are not illness. There may be causative elements of illness in the extreme or prolonged emotional states, which usually accompany emotional trauma, such as divorce or childhood abuse. This may be a gateway to spiritual damage, or simply a transient, though dysfunctional state. It has been well demonstrated that depression, for example, can negatively affect the immune function. We recognize that the cause of illness may center in this area. We look for it and work with our patients to correct it.

Physical Causes
Of the physical causes of disease, the most significant and most important to address initially is usually diet and digestion. This is the largest and most constant physical input into the organic system, and the one upon which the maintenance and continuation of the organism depends. If digestion is disordered, illness will result. If illness exists, digestion and diet must be optimized for any other correction to have its best effect. If diet is improper other therapy will not work as well or as permanently as it could otherwise.

Toxemia
“Toxemia” deserves special mention here. This is an old naturopathic concept involving the fundamental disease-causing effects of toxins generated from processes of poor digestion in the gut and fed by improper diet and digestion. Toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream and become the basis of chronic irritation and inflammation in the body. This is, for example, a basic cause of arthritis or other chronic, inflammatory disease.
The mal-digestion, the source of most toxins, has two causes. The first is diet. This includes everything from food selection and methods of preparation to the environment in which the person consumes their meals. As Hippocrates is reported to have said, “One man’s food is another man’s poison.” If your food selection is inappropriate for you, it will cause you problems.
Stress, or perhaps we should say dys-stress, both physical and psycho-emotional, is the second major cause of acute and chronic illness. Stress negatively affects digestion. Digestion is a parasympathetic event. When under stress, the sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant. Stress increases the cortisol and epinephrine levels in the blood. Cortisol and epinephrine cause a decrease in blood flow to the digestive system. Digestion requires significant blood flow to operate effectively. Without it, the juices and enzymes necessary for adequate function cannot be produced. This results in toxemia, and a progressive weakening of digestive function. The reduction of toxemia is fundamental to healing. This can not be over emphasized. It is also an historic basis of naturopathic medicine.
Stress and diet rank at the top of our list of physical causes of disturbed health (especially in chronic disease) as well as of susceptibility to acute diseases. Other causes of disease also need to be understood, evaluated, and dealt with.

Microbial Pathogens
Without doubt, there are microbial causes of disease. Which is more important, microbial pathogenicity or host resistance? Both play a role. There are some pathogens, which are extremely virulent. Most, however, require “fertile soil” in which to grow. It is rare and unusual that the best treatment of an infectious illness is antibiotic therapy. This can be understood from an analogy of flies and garbage.
If one continually throws garbage out the kitchen window, there will eventually be flies to contend with. One can deal with the flies by spraying poison on them, and even spray the garbage pile itself. This is like using antibiotics. Or, one can clean up the garbage. Not only will the flies go away, but also the kitchen will smell better. This is the naturopathic approach. Clean up the garbage. If you do, the flies won’t come back when the “poison” wears off. And the flies won’t build up a resistance to the poison either.
“The naturopathic physician seeks to treat the causes of disease, rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.” Remember, fever, inflammation, and even infection are not the disease; they are the result of disturbances in the system which can be corrected. This is the art and science of naturopathic medicine. Correcting these disturbances by understanding what determines health is the first step in restoring health and eliminating the basis of disease. Failure to do so reduces the efficiency of any attempt to cure by other methods.
Also, remember the order of the healing process and the appropriate therapeutic order. First identify and remove causes of illness, then re-establish healthy conditions, stimulate the self-healing mechanisms, supplement or support the affected systems of the body, and lastly, correct the structural integrity. If we proceed in this order, it is my experience that we enhance our results significantly.
It is a fallacy to assume that this takes longer than what is often thought of as more direct action against disease such as antibiotic therapy. One can see significant results within hours of beginning such work. Naturopathic medicine does not take longer than conventional medicine. It is not only more efficient, but generally acts faster and more permanently, and is health generating and sustaining as well.
Tolle Causam means to identify and treat the cause. A primary aspect of this is to understand appropriate diet, which may be different for different people. Song of Health is dedicated to helping people seeking a more appropriate and healthful diet.

Jared Zeff, ND

SHARING EXPERIENCES
By Sandra Strom, CEO

“Winning Over Holiday Blues and Winter’s Dark Days ”

The clocks are turned back, the days are getting shorter and the holidays are nearly upon us. For some, the holidays are the “happiest time of the year.” For many, however, that is a non-existent fantasy and suffering the blues is their norm. When Nature’s ring is for us to hunker down for winter, responsibilities and obligations defy that cozy place by the fire. Up north, here in the Pacific Northwest, we really feel the seasonal crunch as Old Man Winter blankets us in dark clouds and anoints us with wet downfalls, not to mention darkness falling upon us at 5:00 on Thanksgiving.

During this season, when cold viruses and influenzas flourish as our health is stressfully taxed, what can we do to increase stamina, maintain cheery attitudes and beat the blues?*

• Concentrate on our dietary habits. What a surprise, eh!
• Go the extra length to meet the goal of avoiding our food intolerances.
• Minimize the intake of starches and sugars that cause our blood sugar to peak and then dramatically nosedive, swinging us into feelings of depression, sadness, irritability, frustration, unhappiness and physical discomfort. Replace bleached, enriched or polished foods, such as flour and rice, with their whole grain forms. Substitute refined sugar with organic raw honey, maple syrup or agave syrup. (Diabetics: Be aware, these substitutes will also affect your blood sugar levels.)
• In areas where the winter days are dark and dreary and it’s more difficult to get enough vitamin D, turn lights on in the room you are occupying. It works!
• Go for a walk with a friend. The fresh air and camaraderie has an amazing effect on attitude. Noticing nature along the path, finding something to laugh about, feeling an accomplishment, getting out of “self” to lend a listening ear to a friend – are all good for recharging the body’s batteries.

How do we fit all the holiday obligations and expectations into our lives and maintain sanity? We don’t! So, we categorize:

First, determine what is necessary. Try taking the time to make a daily/weekly timetable list of all the activities required of you this month. List the everyday chores required for survival: Quality time with family, work, cooking, chopping firewood, barn chores, sleep - whatever cannot be removed from the list. Alongside that column, list how much time is allotted for each. Subtract that from 24 hours. This is what is left for “obligations” and “R and R.” Now list what you think is expected and required of you (by yourself or others), especially for the upcoming holiday, in order of importance. Total up the time in a day/week it will take to accomplish all the tasks. Delete from the list the items there is no time for.

My first response to my list is “Aaacchh!” It is obvious, however, that the “expectations and obligations” cause the imbalance.

The other day, while on our daily walk, I brought up this issue for discussion to my friends. We shared alternative options and the changes we have implemented in our schedules throughout our working years, which have helped to replace grips of stress with serenity and harmony:

Change old traditions that cause stress.

Spend the holiday time with loved ones who treat you with respect and care.

Where has your holiday dinner generally been held and is it comfortable for everyone to continue the tradition? Quite often, the celebrations have taken place at Grandmother’s home and now it’s time to move them to the digs of the younger generation. And is the obligation of hosting always on the same people? Alternating locations, whenever possible, will release the constant pressure on the same individuals. I know families who now make reservations at a nice restaurant and let the professionals cook and clean up the dishes. Pies are made or brought in for eating later at home. Restaurants obligingly fill doggie bags with leftovers, to be enjoyed later.

…Which brings us to the food issue and the stress of holiday consumption obligations. What are “holiday consumption obligations?” Turkey, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, white rolls, green bean casserole, pies, ice cream, whipped cream, candies, alcohol, sugar, sugar and more white starch and sugar. Not to mention the ultimate challenge of avoiding our food intolerances at food fests. The obligations are birthed from expectations and the fear of saying “no” when asked to furnish an ominous dish or to partake in the consumption, when politely declining may cause bruised feelings. Those times that I caved in to the luscious looking chocolate cake or ice cream on the warm pie, like a lemming blindly following the flock to certain death at sea, were followed by days of pain, misery, discomfort or sickness. It was me who was responsible for my choices and I eventually learned that it’s not worth it.

My suggestion is to keep it simple and take care of your own needs. This is not selfish, it is self-preservation. I offer to bring dishes that I am comfortable making, that I want to eat and that I have time to make. This always seems to satisfy requests for contributing to the meal. For instance, I love cranberry sauce. I have a fruit/sugar combination intolerance, so I have made it part of the tradition to bring the cranberry sauce. It is relatively healthy, simple and affordable, which makes it stress-free. All the cranberry sauce eaters love it and vote for it over the commercial jelled imitation. I also like to contribute a pie or two, depending on available time. Someone else always contributes pies as well, but mine are edible by me. I am potato intolerant, so I cook up yucca root as an additional contribution to the meal. The bottom line is I can eat worry-free, I have trained my relations to accept my needs and they are not only respectful, but partake in my offerings. If someone has an issue with what I eat, I assure them, with kindness, that my choices in no way affect theirs.

What is the original celebration of Thanksgiving about, besides just a long weekend off from work? The harvest, and gratitude for not only all that we have, but remembering the ancestors – the original inhabitants of this land and the settlers – whose blood, sweat and tears blazed the path to the present; spending quality time with loved ones, at the table and away from it; sharing with those in need of a hearty meal and shelter – Doesn’t this feel more soothing than rushing to, stressing about and resenting…the moment?

Remember, being in a state of gratitude and harmony greatly aids in digesting that abominably huge Thanksgiving meal.

We invite you to share your ideas with the Song of Health Subscribers. How have you created new traditions? In what ways do you help to ensure a joyful holiday for your group? We welcome you to write us at manager@songofhealth.com or share in The Forum on the website.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are having consistent symptoms of depression, lack of energy or other well-being, contact your physician immediately. You may have a physical issue that needs to be addressed.

To All My Relations,
Sandra

NEW RECIPES

REMINDER: ALWAYS USE ORGANIC
PRODUCTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

STUFFINGS

Crock Pot Stuffing
(Contributed by Sandy Strom, CEO of Song of Health)

Basic Ingredients:
4 cups bread, cubed
1 cup liquid (water or broth)
½ cup oil or butter, or combination
3 Tbsp. leek, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. miso if using water
¼ tsp. salt, or amount to desired taste

In a 4 quart crock pot, add all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover. Set on high and cook for about 4 hours, checking periodically to see if more liquid needs to be added. Or set on low and cook overnite.
Makes 4-5 cups.

Corn Bread Stuffing:
Use dry corn bread for 1/3 to 1/2 of the crumbs.

With Apples and/or Chestnuts
½ cup apples
½ cup cooked chestnuts
Peel, core and chop apples in bite-size pieces.
Chop cooked chestnuts. Add to stuffing mix. Cook as above.

With Mushrooms:
½ cup mushrooms per 1 cup cubed bread
2 Tbsp. oil or butter, clarified
Chop the mushrooms. In saucepan, on medium heat, melt butter. Spoon off the butter fat. Add mushrooms and sauté 3 minutes. Add to stuffing mix. Cook as above.

Savory Dressing:
Add any of the following herbs to basic recipe: 1 Tbsp. fresh and finely chopped, or 1 tsp. dried (If using more than one, cut back on the amount per each.)
Rubbed sage, rosemary, savory, celery seed, sweet basil, thyme
2 Tbsp. parsley

Oyster Stuffing:
1 pint oysters
1 Tbsp. thyme (lemon thyme is best) or lemon balm, crushed
2 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar
Wash and drain oysters. If using large oysters, remove the tough muscles. Chop in small pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice or vinegar. Add the oysters and herbs to basic stuffing and mix well. Cook as above.

Rice Stuffing:
Substitute rice for bread.
Water or broth, double the amount of dry rice used
Add ¼ cup diced celery
(Oyster Stuffing is excellent using rice.)

Giblet Dressing:
2 quarts water
Turkey or chicken giblets
1 whole yellow onion, peeled
1-2 cloves garlic
½ stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. parsley
Salt to taste
Rinse giblets in cold water. Lightly press on whole, peeled garlic cloves with a knife. Add all ingredients to a 4 quart pot. Bring to boil, then turn down to simmer and cover. Cook until giblets are tender.
Remove giblets from broth. Peel meat from the neck and chop all the giblets in small pieces. Strain the broth and discard the other ingredients. The broth may be used for the stuffing, soup broth or gravy.

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES

THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST ON THE WEBSITE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINTABLE VERSION. JUST GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON "SOH RESOURCE LIST PART 1 OR PART 2 FOR THE VERSION IN .PDF FORM.

Use the codes below to translate the Results Column

HOW TO READ THE FOOD RESOURCE LIST AND USE THE KEY:

As items are submitted and tested by Doctors Watrous and Zeff, they are then added to the Food Resource List on the Song of Health website. We compile the updated lists to email to our subscribers as well.

The items are listed per category. By listing the date tested, you can be assured of the most recent updates. Under the “Tested For” column, “All” signifies that the product has been tested for all food categories included in the Carroll Food Intolerance Testing method. In some cases, you will see ingredients listed in the “Results” column that are not included in “Tested For.” This is because the ingredient has been listed on the packaging, or it is obviously in the stated category. We will furnish where to purchase a product when the person submitting it has stated from where they purchased.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: manager@songofhealth.com

Dedicated to Heilping You Achieve. . .
GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

FOOD RESOURCE LIST UPDATES
October, 2008

Together, we strive for. . .
GREAT HEALTH - GREAT LIFE!

Song of Health Webmaster