Guiding our patient toward optimal nutrition is a high priority at Avenues For Health. Food is medicine! What we put into our bodies can nourish and protect our cells and support metabolism or it can damage and obstruct those vital systems we depend on for our well being. It is difficult to sort out the endless array of "information" about nutrition from the media, advertisers, best selling fad diet and the latest scientific studies.
There is no one diet that is right for everyone. Our approach emphasizes the basics of good nutrition and then individualizes the recommendations based on our patient's profile and goals. We stress a basic diet rich in vegetables, seasonal fruits, lean protein, whole grains, essential fats and pure water. We recommend organic products whenever possible especially for produce and dairy products. The specifics of a diet will depend on many individual factors such as age, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and family medical history. Specific disease conditions may require additional dietary modification. We utilize a variety of resources for patient education including our own informational handouts, book recommendations, vitamins, supplements and when appropriate referral to a nutritionist.
Exercise
A complement to optimal nutrition is regular exercise. Most women benefit from both aerobic exercise 4-5 times per week plus strength building exercise 2 times per week. Again the specifics depend on individual factors. For example perimenopausal and menopausal women can benefit from short bursts (60 seconds) of higher intensity exercise followed by a brief rest period to burn fat more effectively. We encourage exercise and provide guidelines and resources for our patients. Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi also offer many health benefits to the mind and body.
Vitamins
Obtaining nutrients, vitamins and minerals from a healthy diet is the best place to start. But vitamin and mineral supplements can be a valuable addition to food in order to optimize nutrition. In addition there are many natural products that can be used therapeutically to treat specific problems often with fewer side effects than prescription medications. At Avenues for Health we can help you determine which vitamins and supplements may benefit you most and educate you on the correct way to use them.
After careful research into quality we have chosen to work with two lines of supplements that are not generally available in retail stores. These are Designs for Health and Karuna products. Both companies use high quality natural ingredients free of preservatives, artificial flavorings & colorings usually from organic and vegetarian sources.
Designs for Health has a guiding principal of "Science First" demonstrated by a commitment to research-driven products, synergistic formulations and meaningful quantities of therapeutic ingredients. This means superior quality products and proven efficacy providing optimal results for our patients.
Herbs
Avenues For Health is an Integrative Medicine practice blending traditional allopathic medicine with complimentary therapies. We prescribe both Chinese and Western herbs when appropriate and safe. Herbs may be prescribed if a traditional drug therapy is not effective or is not tolerated by an individual. Herbs may also be prescribed as an alternative to a traditional medicine if there is a medical contraindication to a drug or because of patient preference. We prescribe herbs with the same caution as we would prescribe any medication. Potential side effects, drug-herb and herb-herb interactions must be considered. It is also important to utilize high quality herbs from reliable sources. To ensure the highest quality product and as a convenience to our patients, we carry a selection of herbal products in our office.
Our Chinese herbal formulas are from American companies that hand pick the herbs and test them for quality and purity. They include K'an Herbals formulated by Ted Kaptchuk, O.M.D., East West Herbs formulated by Giovanni Machiaocha, and Health Concerns Herbs by Andrew Gaeddert.
They use both traditional Chinese herbal formulas and ones that are designed for the Western patient.
Our western herbs also come from American companies known for their high quality and standardized preparations as well as organic farming technique. These include loose herbs for teas from Healing Spirits, herbal tinctures from Herb Pharm and some herbal formulas from Designs for Health and Karuna.