Dr. Dhai Barr and Loretta Knowles will be offering a series of monthly meetings focusing on dietary and lifestyle change, where you will learn all about giving your body what it needs for its joyfully well-tuned vitality. We will cover, from month to month, the practical aspects of an optimal diet and lifestyle, along with the ever-present emotional issues involved in fueling our lovely biochemical beings.

Dr. Barr will feed your revved-up motivation with tips, tricks, and guidelines to send you on your self-sustaining way as you continue the healthy diet journey.

You are invited to come consistently each month or to show up as a drop-in.  Bring a friend and make a night of it!

So that we have an idea of how many handouts to print, please RSVP by calling 503-636-2734 by the day before each meeting (Wednesday).  Handouts will be available in electronic format (Save a tree!) if you wish to receive yours beforehand.   Email Dr. Barr drbarrnd@gmail.com and she will send you the monthly handout as well as other references for your reading list.

Free to current hCG diet patients, $5 per class for everyone else.  Third Thursday of every month Beginning in September at Center for Traditional Medicine, 320 Oswego Pointe Drive, Lake Oswego, Oregon.             6:30-8:00 p.m.

Calendar of Topics

September 19         Guidelines for Optimal Nutrition
October 17              Negative Self-Talk vs. Positive Self-Talk
November 21          Planning Delicious Sustaining Meals Tips and Tricks
December 19           A Healthy Approach to Emotional Eating
January 16               Goals and Motivation  
February 13             Food Addictions and Cravings     
March 20                  Creating Positive Eating Patterns   
April 17                    Balancing Calories
May 15                     Physical Activity and Its Many Benefits
June                          TBA
July                           TBA
Aug                           TBA

Let’s dispel some of the myths surrounding cholesterol:

• Your total cholesterol number is a POOR and outdated indicator of your risk for cardiovascular disease,   and yet it is still used as a guideline for prescribing cholesterol-lowering medications.
• Your ratio of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol to “good” (HDL) cholesterol is a slightly better indicator, yet it is still too simplistic a view. The American Heart Association recommends the ratio be 5:1 or less.
• It is possible for your cholesterol to be too low. Cholesterol keeps your cell membranes fluid, and is a precursor to Vitamin D and many hormones. 
• More precise and relevant cholesterol testing includes:
  

                The size and density of your cholesterol particles; the larger and more buoyant the better
                Lipoprotein(a)
                Apolipoproteins A1 and B
                All of the above are included in our VAP cholesterol profile.


Should your cholesterol profile show you do have increased risk factors for heart disease, there are many natural interventions you can try before resorting to pharmaceuticals. Consult your naturopath to see if any of the following are right for you:

·      Niacin
·      Liver Support formula
·      Fiber formula
·      Fish oil
·      Exercise

Diet

• Increase foods high in omega-3 fatty acids: avocado, raw nuts/seeds, eggs from free range chickens (yolks need to stay runny)
• Avoid all trans-fats and hydrogenated oils such as margarine, fast foods, packaged foods, etc. 
• Eat your veggies! You need a minimum of 5 servings/day. One serving equals 1 cup raw veggies, ½ cup cooked. 
  

Center for Traditional Medicine, PC
320 Oswego Pointe Drive, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 
503 636.2734  www.MyCTM.org

Skin Cancer

By Dr. Dhai Barr

 
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with one in five Americans developing some form in his or her lifetime.  A large number of these occurrences are preventable.


Skin Cancer in Oregon

In 2009 Oregon ranked number 6 in the nation’s incidence of skin cancer.  Many Oregonians believe that since it is cloudy and grey most of the time, they need not be concerned.  This is far from the truth: the UV comes right through those clouds.  In 2006 120 died in Oregon from melanoma, 17% higher than the national average.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women in Oregon have the highest death rate compared with woman suffering from melanoma in any other state.


Non-Melanoma

There are several types of skin cancer, among which are the non-melanoma Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).  These two will claim the lives of over 3000 Americans this year.  Many cases of these two skin cancers arise from the precancerous lesion Actinic Keratosis (AK).  AK’s affect more than 58 million Americans annually.  90 percent of these cancers arise from over-exposure to UV light, which is emitted by the sun and from tanning beds. 

BCC, the most common skin cancer — with 2.8 million diagnosed annually in the US — is rarely fatal. The second most common skin cancer, SCC, affects 700,000 people each year.


Melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest of the three types of skin cancer, with one person dying from it every four hours.  Of the seven most common cancers in the US, Melanoma is the only one on the rise.  While the mortality of melanoma has stabilized in recent years, the incidence continues to rise. With the ozone over time weakening the protection from above or strengthening the ill effects of UV light, the damage from earlier exposure is manifesting in the present. Increased awareness of the link with tanning, both outdoor and indoor, and an increase in self-exams and annual exams are leading to earlier detection, hence more cases being identified. Indoor tanning, with its concentration of UV exposure, is especially pernicious, greatly augmenting the risk.  Other risk factors include being fair skinned, of Celtic origin, or a family history.

Among people under 30, Melanoma is the second most diagnosed cancer, and the most deadly. Evaluating your risk is done on a case-to-case basis.  With daily exposure to sun while driving, the inevitable sunburns in everyone’s history, and the added atmospheric hazards, it is a wise and precautionary practice to come in for annual skin exams, something you might schedule every year around your birthday. Use of tanning beds in the past or present makes this an even more essential ritual.

The most effective tool for fighting Melanoma, and skin cancer in general, is prevention.  Early detection and treatment will help keep the mortality rates down. Prevention includes using broad-spectrum sunscreen and staying out of tanning beds.


Diagnosing Skin Cancer

Annual skin exams play an important role in preventing skin cancer, and are key in preventing susceptible lesions from advancing to cancer.  Self-exams at home between annual exams can reveal a suspicious lesion or mole that should be referred to your doctor.


Skin Mapping and Skin Exams

Here at the Center for Traditional Medicine we recommend annual skin exams.  You will be gowned while your skin is examined from head to toe, with nothing left unnoticed or overlooked. All moles and skin lesions will be examined, and the mapping recorded for yearly comparisons. 

During annual skin exams, while Dr. Barr observes and records all lesions and moles on your body, if she comes across anything she feels looks suspicious, she examines it further with a tool called a dermascope.  If indicated, she will perform a small biopsy to rule out any concern.  She will recommend treatment for any sun damage or AK’s that she finds you to have. 


What you can do at home

Self-skin exams will help you pay more attention to changing moles or lesions on your skin between the visits for your annual skin mapping.  If you notice changes in the appearance of a mole, it is a sign that you should see Dr. Barr before your next annual visit.

Learn the ABCDE of your self-exam. A is for asymmetry: one half of the mole may look different from the other half.  B is for border; notice if the border is uneven, blurred or scalloped.  C is for color; is the color in one mole uneven or multi-colored?  D is for diameter; greater than 6 mm means that the mole needs regular monitoring.  E is for elevation; if your mole is elevated or uneven, see the doctor.

 
Skin Cancer is preventable

Wear protective clothing, including a hat that protects your face, neck and ears. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the UV light. Use a broad-spectrum sun block of SPF30 and apply generously before going outdoors for prolonged periods. Reapply sun block if you are swimming, sweating or towel drying.  Always use SPF on your face in the morning before driving to work or play.  Avoid tanning beds; there is no reason, EVER, to get in one. And be sure to schedule your skin exam.

Remember that melanoma is a highly preventable cancer and can be successfully treated if caught early. 

For more facts on skin cancer please visit skincancer.org