Desert Health News July-August 2024

. 1 http://www.deserthealthnews.com/ July/August 2024 what’s inside Complimentary Natural Options Beating the Heat: Staying Active and Mindful with Yoga 12 Integrative Medicine Surviving Stage IV Cancer in Death Can Wait 15 Through the Generations Be Your Own Advocate During Medical Rehab 17 Fresh Cuisine Relax and Enjoy ~ It’s Grapefruit Basil 19 Desert Events Make a Splash! Where to Water in the Desert 22 Health & Beauty Summer Skincare Myths for Men: What Guys Need to Know 20 Financial Health Understanding Student Loans 21 Continued on page 9 Medical News The Health of Your Medical Practice 4 I f you have glimpsed at magazine racks in grocery store check-out lines lately, you know that “anti- inflammation” appears to be the latest and greatest health craze. Yet, anti-inflammation has been at the core of health care for centuries and addressing the cause has always been a core principle of naturopathic medicine. So, while not the “latest,” I do agree with labeling it as the “greatest” because reducing inflammation can have profound effects on overall health. In this article, I will discuss the role of inflammation and detail a straightforward approach that will demystify how to address it with daily habits. Inflammation is our body’s natural response to protect itself and forms of reaction depend on the nature of the initial event; a fever when fighting an infection, inflamed skin around a scratch, and a swollen ankle after a twist or sprain are all examples. Inflammatory symptoms include redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of tissue function. This results from chemical signaling, part of which causes an increase in dilation of blood vessels, allowing delivery of other inflammatory and immune molecules to penetrate the local tissue that needs help. The orchestration of inflammatory events helps the body heal itself and recover relatively quickly. Without this response, humans would not be able to survive the slightest injuries; it plays a critical role in the survival of our species. Acute inflammation itself is not inherently bad since survival is optimal. However, there are circumstances in which acute inflammation can become uncontrolled and turn into chronic (long- term) inflammation referred to as inflammageing. This is when the body’s inflammatory response persists. The current craze is focused on chronic inflammation which has been scientifically proven as the underlying cause of tissue damage and numerous diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cancer. 1-6 Although the reasons for Your Team To Fight Cancer ANTI-INFLAMMATION The greatest health influencer By Shari Jainuddin, NMD, BCB Savoring Simplicity O ur minds are constantly thinking. It’s their primary job, and while we don’t always like the content, we have to admire these active overachievers. You might say our minds are workaholics, accomplishing tasks with unparalleled precision some days, and absolutely annoying on others. These powerhouse performers thrive on chaos and love fast paced living. It’s their nature and why, thirty years ago, the bright lights of big cities beckoned eager graduates away from small towns. Today, those bright lights beam from the palm of our hands and invigorate our minds at every age. Allowing a healthy mind to remain in a state of chaos is a choice, and not necessarily a healthy one. Overload can lead to overwhelm resulting in unhealthy choices to escape or shut down. Simplicity is also a choice and when it comes to the mind, might be defined as a state of hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling and seeing only what is right in front of you. It is the simple pleasure of being 100% in the moment . While easiest on a weekend getaway to the mountains or beach, it’s something our brains could actually use on a daily basis. Taking time to clear our minds of thoughts and chatter is a healthy choice that often takes practice. While some may consider it impossible to accomplish, others will smile with a satisfaction that comes with escaping to a state of simplicity through mindfulness. A funny thing happens with you start incorporating mindfulness into your day. Your mind starts craving these moments; it starts asking for “down time” and often returns to its dynamic job more enlivened and refreshed. Just like clearing away clutter opens up space for new things, mindfulness practices create space for new perspective and a renewed sense of being. With regular practice, you actually start savoring simplicity. Try it for yourself and see what happens. Take a moment to sit alone in silence, close your eyes, clear your mind and slowly open your eyes to whatever is in front of you in thatmoment. That phone inyour pocket has many apps to assist like Calm or Mindspace. After a while you may start to understand what one of the greatest minds in history, Isaac Newton, famously said, "Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things."