|
|
The Sharon Kleyne Hour
Radio Talk Show – www.workdtalkradio.com
Power of Water – Global Warming
Mind – Eyes – Skin – Body
Show Summary
Date: April 9, 2007
Guest: Dr. Vigilatore, Naturopathic Physician
Topic: Nutritional Supplements and Healthy Living
Sharon (paraphrased): Welcome Dr. Vigilatore. Exactly what is “Naturopathy?”
Dr. Vigilatore (paraphrased): We primarily practice holistic medicine, which is treating the entire person. We believe disease (“dis-ease”) is the body’ way of telling you that you aren’t taking care of it well enough. Traditional Western medicine treats mostly disease symptoms. We try to treat the whole body, and to correct imbalances before they become a problem.
S: Could you tell us more about “balances”?
V: All sides of the “Triangle of Health,” consisting of nutrition, exercise and rest, must be attended to daily. When they become out of balance, it can manifest through the physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional, etc. When disease occurs, people tend to blame anything but themselves.
S: Can you give us a brief history of Naturopathy?
V: You could make a good case that the original doctor, Hippocrates, was a Naturopath. He didn’t have prescription drugs and lacked sophisticated knowledge of surgery, so he was left mostly with nutritional elements and herbal medicines. He was probably not too far off in many areas. The body really wasn’t meant to be governed by artificial chemicals and the use of such chemicals can make obtaining balance very difficult. Today, Naturopathy is becoming more and more recognized. It’s still not licensed in every state and many physicians still ignore us. But more and more MD’s are making referrals to us and incorporating elements of naturopathic medicine into their practices.
S: Do you think people these days are taking more responsibility for their health instead of leaving it up to their doctor?
V: As I see it, there are two approaches to health. (1) Go to your doctor once a year and hope he doesn’t find anything. We call this the “Passive Mode.” (2) Take responsibility for your own health on a daily basis. We call this the “Active Mode.” And yes, I think more and more people are approaching their health through the Active Mode. But at the same time, more people are eating worse and relying on formulated medicines.
S: What is the most important thing someone can do for good health?
V: I think nutritional supplements are crucial. It’s good to eat fruits and vegetables but most produce begins to lose nutrition after three days. Unless you live on or have access to a farm (year round), you probably could benefit from nutritional supplements.
S: How do you choose nutritional supplements?
V: Since everyone’s nutritional needs are different, I usually begin by giving patients a 60 question vitamin/mineral profile. It contains questions about work, sleep, eating and exercise habits, as well as medical history. We then get blood work done to check vitamin, cholesterol, sugar and other levels. This provides the patient with a printout that he can take to a health food store, which can usually come fairly close to matching the profile. Then it becomes a question of sorting through many different brands, options and formulations. Because the FDA does not regulate food supplements, I’d stick with familiar, reputable brand names.
S: Tell me about women and calcium supplements.
V: Women are more prone than men to calcium deficiency and should start taking supplements around age 30. Take 1,200 to 1,500 mgs daily, depending on body weight. To aid absorption, the formulation should also include magnesium (half the amount of calcium or 600 to 750 mgs) and vitamin D (400 IUs).
S: Why do women need calcium?
V: To maintain bone density, which begins to diminish around age 30. This is very obvious in x-rays of older women. Eventually, their bones can become fragile and they can be subject to frequent fractures and other orthopedic problems associated with osteoporosis. Remember, though that you can also overdose on calcium, which can result in kidney stones, and that exercise helps you absorb calcium.
S: What kind of exercise?
V: Exercise that exerts compressive force on the long bones, such as walking, running, or using an elliptical trainer. Bicycling and swimming are great cardiovascular exercises but do not exert compressive force on the long bones.
S: Now let’s talk about water!
V: Absolutely! There is nothing more important to life than water. You should drink water when you get up, during the day, at meals, when you ingest supplements and before bed. How much to drink is based on body weight. The formula is one-half your body weight, in ounces, per day. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces (four 24-ounce bottles will do). I’d start with 24 ounces when you get out of bed and go from there.
S: Why is water so good for you?
V: For several reasons (Note: Dr. Vigilatore gives only one reason here, then the conversation moves to another subject). The first is that it improves mental functioning.
S: Can you relieve stress by just drinking water?
V: Possibly but it’s not one-to-one. You’ll think a little more clearly so you’re more likely to make better decisions when stressful situations arise.
S: What about rest?
V: Rest is a component of the “pyramid of health.” Children 18 and under should get 10 hours a night and older people should try for around 8 hours. It’s also important to prepare for rest. A half-hour before bed, do some yoga or meditation. If you’re not comfortable with that, take a hot bath, or do some stretching exercises, or do some light reading. You also need to get children ready for bed. Read to them, or sing, or say prayers, or tell stories.
S: Do you have any closing thoughts?
V: Be your own best friend. Acknowledge your negative thoughts but don’t dwell on them. And if you think you are a success or you think you are a failure, you’re probably right.
S: Amen to that! Our next guest is Art Bernstein, who will tell us more about the mysterious and all-important Southern Ocean. And if we have time, he and I will talk a little more about global warming.