Thus far we know that exposure to smoke increases miscarriage rates, stillbirths and contributes to low birth weight in infants. It now seems that tobacco affects brain, mental and emotional development as well. While identifying new ill effects of tobacco smoke may not be a surprise or seem particularly interesting, I am always on the look-out for articles which support the long term value of creating a clean and healthy environment for developing fetuses.

Kirsten Welles, LAc, MTOM, RPP, Akasha’s Director of Wellness Integration, and I are working on a Menopause Group which will include an in depth discussion on the physiological, psychological and spiritual changes that occur during the menopausal years. We will also be discussing the pros and cons of different therapies to help support the Transition- including a thorough discussion on Bioidentical hormones.

Sophie is waking from her nap. And, as she is babbling sweetly in her crib, I am filled with gratitude for all that I am learning about myself on this wonderful journey of balancing work and mommyhood.

DIRTY DOZEN (buy these organic)

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

CLEAN 15 (Lowest in Pesticides)

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

My readers are thoughtful and educated and might be thinking: “better to always buy organic and support organic farmers-regardless of the produce” or “perhaps we should place more emphasis on buying local rather than organic produce shipped from Mexico”. These are valid concerns and I look forward to having these discussions with you. In the meantime, use this list to make informed, produce-buying, choices.

You need to understand two concepts when choosing oils to cook with: smoke point and refined vs. unrefined oils.

Smoke point is the temperature oil can be heated before it smokes, discolors and starts to decompose. If this temperature is reached, the biochemical structure of oil is changed and free radicals are produced. This diminishes the flavor and nutritional value of the oil and it is no longer safe to consume. Free radicals accelerate the aging process and contribute to developing heart disease and cancer.

Unrefined cooking oils have not been processed. They are highest in nutrients, fullest in flavor and have the lowest smoke point. Unrefined oils should not be over-heated. Refined cooking oils have been processed to remove impurities and have higher smoke points then their unrefined counterparts. The refining process raises the oil’s smoke point so that it will be safer to use while cooking. Consumers need to be aware that many common cooking oils come in both refined and unrefined forms. For example, unrefined cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil has the lowest smoke point at around 200°F whereas “pure olive oil” (also referred to as “light”) which has been refined, has its smoke point around 400°F.

A few more clarifications…

Extra-virgin olive oil is derived from the very first mechanical pressing of the olives.

Fine Virgin olive oil is the product from the second pressing of the olives.

Refined olive oil, however, results from a process of chemically extracting oil from olives. Finally there is “pure olive oil” which is a blend of refined and virgin olive oil. The more processed and refined the olive oil, the less healthy it is for you. Refined and pure olive oils have been chemically treated and contain less nutrients than the virgin olive oils. That being said, the unhealthier refined olive oils are safer to cook with at higher temperatures.

But why use a poor quality olive oil, devoid of its much touted medicinal benefits, just to cook with at high temperatures; especially when there are much healthier and safer oils to put over a flame? My recommendation for the healthiest olive oil is organic, unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Cold-pressed refers to the lack of heat to mechanically extract the oil. This has the lowest smoke point and is the most nutrient dense of all the olive oils. I would not heat this oil above 200°F. That means no stir-frying and no roasting vegetables. Instead, add olive oil to your dishes after they have been cooked. Consider, for example, steaming vegetables, taking them off the heat, and then drizzling them with olive oil, salt and pepper.

I will write more about safe cooking oils in upcoming posts.

A cleanse is an exciting and healthy way to transition into a new season. Whether you live in Los Angeles or in a city where the seasonal changes are more distinct, committing to a cleanse allows us to enter the new season with increased health, vitality and awareness of how the environment affects our health.

A 3-week Cleanse gives our bodies a break by minimizing the toxins going into our bodies while providing support to enhance the natural detoxification process. The body’s natural detoxification process is always working to promote a cleaner internal environment. Our bodies have six “avenues of elimination”: liver; colon; skin; lungs; kidneys and lymphatics. These avenues of elimination are constantly working to detox the solvents, chemicals, and pesticides we are exposed to at our work and home environment. By decreasing our body’s toxic burden and supplementing with extra nutrients, we facilitate our body’s natural detoxification process.

Akasha’s 3-week Take Charge program incorporates dietary changes, supplementation and lifestyle modifications to promote detoxification. The Take Charge diet is cleansing, anti-inflammatory and hypoallergenic and involves eliminating such foods as gluten, diary, soy, coffee, sugar, alcohol and all processed and refined foods.  In general, we do not put a limit on portion sizes. One of the goals of cleansing is to reconnect you with your body’s natural hunger and “full” cues. Our body has wisdom, and when given a pure, whole foods diet, it will let you know clearly when it has had enough. Learning the tools to listen to our bodies is also part of the 3-week cleansing process. Doing so helps diminish the urge to overeat and eliminates sugar cravings.

Our nutrient and herbal supplementation provides support for our body’s natural detoxification process. In addition to diet and supplementation, we include experts in exercise science, yoga, meditation, psychotherapy, skin health and dental care who illustrate how to deepen further the cleansing experience.  After completing the cleanse, participants experience more energy, clearer thought, greater hormonal balance, weight loss, more restful sleep and less bloating and gas.

EllaOne acts as a selective progesterone receptor modulator and works by preventing progesterone from binding to its receptors. The result is inhibition or delay in ovulation and suppression of the uterine wall growth necessary for embryo implantation. Plan B, on the other hand is a progestin, also known as a synthetic progesterone, and mimics how the natural hormone works. It interferes with ovulation in the early stages of an egg’s development.

It is important to note that HRA Pharmacy (the pharmacy that manufactures ellaOne), funded this research which led to its publication in the Lancet. That being said, an emergency contraceptive that is effective up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse, or contraceptive failure, is noteworthy. EllaOne not only appears more effective than Plan B,  it  allows women more time to consider all of their options.

During my time off, my motherly instincts have been in high gear. I have joined a “Mommy and Me” class, planted herbs on our porch, started a scrapbook, cleaned floors and fell in love with cooking all over again. I hardly recognize the person I have become – but I love it. I have been making soups and raw granolas from scratch, baking bread, and concocting some truly amazing, healthy salads. I have come to love cooking these wholesome meals for my family and I want Sophie to grow up feeling the warmth of our kitchen and associating not just aromas and tastes, but experiences with healthy home cooked food.

I love my practice. I am excited to interact with patients, collaborate with colleagues and the medical staff at Akasha. In addition to the social rewards of returning to work, I am looking forward to having some time to myself. I have only been away from my sweet girl for my ninety-minute yoga classes or perhaps the time it takes for a mani/pedi but I always miss her when I’m gone. I even miss her when she takes her naps. I know the first week or two will be an adjustment. Eventually, though, the adjustment will become a routine and from these new routines I will find a balance between my career and motherhood. Striking this balance should be both energizing and fulfilling, and will help me grow as a modern woman.

Finding this balance – between the roles of doctor, mother, wife, friend, daughter and sister – will take work. It is important to be able to incorporate all the things that are important to me. How can any woman find the time to cook, exercise, write, read, work, and spend quality time with her family? This is my challenge as it is the challenge for most women in the Twenty-First Century. Thus, as a doctor who preaches to patients the importance of balance between work and family, the time has come for me to walk the walk myself.

Most of us know that probiotics can help ease bloating and gas, treat diarrhea and support the health of our entire gastrointestinal tract. But there are a number of studies that also show probiotics decreasing the symptoms of upper respiratory infections. This really is not surprising since 80% of our immune system actually works in our gut. Most recently an article was published in the journal Pediatrics which studied 326 children who took a combination of 2 probiotics (L. acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis) or placebo for 6-months. The children who took probiotics had less fever, coughing and runny nose than the placebo group.