Patient Advocates

Your HealthCare Safety Net

Author: Karen Mercereau

protect_from_sun

Melanoma – what do we really need to know? Is it curable? Is it always caused by overexposure to the sun?

Martha Grout, MD, reports that: “Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. If recognized and treated early, it is nearly 100 percent curable. When not caught early, a melanoma spot the size of a dime can spread to other parts of the body where it becomes hard to treat.”  Melanoma arises from a type of cell called melanocyte, present in the deep in the epidermis, the top layer of the skin. Who is most vulnerable?  Half of all...

mineral-decline-in-apple

Do you really need a multivitamin? The American Medical Association announced in 2002 that all adults should take a multivitamin to prevent chronic illness.

Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Oz also recommend taking a good multivitamin each day.  This, along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, will help to maintain you optimal level of health.  Your diet should include at least 5-7 servings of vegetables and fruits each day – preferably fresh ones.  If not fresh, work with frozen rather than canned (lower in nutrients). What if you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables already?  Isn’t that enough?  Modern intensive agricultural methods...

/GMOs-breakdown_dna

GMO food – what is the controversy really about? Are genetically modified foods harmful to our health?

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) urges doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients. Animal studies indicate the potential for significant health damage from genetically modified foods, such as: Organ damage – liver, kidney, spleen and GI tract especially Accelerated aging Infertility Increasing levels of food allergies Skin damage What does genetically modified really mean?  Genetic fragments of DNA from one organism are inserted into the DNA of another organism, usually from a different species.  This is done...

White Rose

Newsflash: England, 1941 – Policeman killed by a rose. What?

This unfortunate man developed an infection from a thorn and died due to lack of sufficient penicillin available at that time. Antibiotics, as we all know, can save our lives.  They fight infection and support our health.  Antibiotics attack bad bacteria while protecting us.   So, what’s new?  Remember the Human Microbiome Project? Scientists are discovering that some bacteria also keep us alive!  They break our food down to digestible bits of nutrients, detoxify poisons, nurture our immune systems, help to...

Active People = Active Memory

How’s your memory? How high is your blood sugar? Can these two things possibly be related?

According to an online article of the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, “Even for people who don’t have diabetes or high blood sugar, those with higher blood sugar levels are more likely to have memory problems.” Martha Grout, MD, MD(H), founder of the Arizona Center of Advanced Medicine in Scottsdale, explains that “A 2008 Columbia University study showed that rising blood sugar levels, a common occurrence with aging, affect a part of the brain...

iRNPA's

Advanced nurses! RN Patient Advocates are leading the way!

Who are these nurses?  They are independent RN Patient Advocates (iRNPAs): highly qualified clinical RNs who have completed an advanced educational program: the RN Patient Advocates/University of Arizona College of Nursing Learning Intensive.  There are now iRNPAs in 25+ states.   Where are they leading?   There is a whole world of advanced medical research and clinical practice emerging globally:  The Functional Medicine Chronic Care Model and Integrative Medicine.  Sure, you may have heard the words, but do you realize...

Children No Hope

Chemicals Causing Brain Damage in our Children? Can this be?

A study published in The Lancet Neurology in March, 2014, and further reported upon in Time and Forbes magazines as well as by Dr. Mary Ackerley clearly demonstrates a direct link between 11 industrial chemicals and the development of our childrens’ brains resulting in reduced IQ, autism, ADHD, increased aggression tendencies, delinquent behaviors, and dyslexia.  These are commonly used chemicals. So what about the genetic factor?  Doesn’t this have a major role in these problems?  Yes, it does account for...

the more you know

Cancer, heart disease and obesity influenced by canned food. What?

There are chemicals in our food and skin products that have been linked to disrupting our endocrine system.  So what is your endocrine system anyway? It is an interconnected system of glands in your body that control your entire metabolism!  It includes the Hypothalamus and the Pineal and Pituitary Glands in your brain, your Thyroid Gland and Pancreas, your Thymus Gland and Adrenal Glands as well as the Testes and Uterus. The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), an independent research and...

chicken and flu

Check that chicken! What?

According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, 97% of the chicken breasts they test harbored bacteria that could make you sick. Analyzing more than 300 chicken breasts purchased across the US, the scientists found potentially harmful bacteria in almost all of them, including organic brands.  More than 50% of the breasts contained fecal contamination.  Around half of them contained at least one bacteria that was resistant to 3 commonly used antibiotics.  This resistance to antibiotics is becoming a major...

MindBodyBrain

Holistic Mental Health

Could depression, anxiety, ADHD, and like conditions be connected with what is happening in the rest of our bodies?  Yes!  Our brains are connected to our bodies. Welcome to the world of Holistic Mental Health – the study and clinical application of the connections between our bodies and our minds.   Classically-trained psychiatrist Mary Beth Ackerley MD, MDH, ABIHM, takes a holistic approach to her practice and explains that “The holistic model supports the idea that body chemistry, spirituality, diet, nutrition,...