The Sharon Kleyne Hour

Radio Talk Show – www.workdtalkradio.com

Power of Water – Global Warming

Mind – Eyes – Skin – Body

 

Show Summary

 

Date aired: May 5, 2008

 

Guest #1 –Ellen Heinitz, ND (Grants Pass, OR), Naturopathic Physician.      

“Nutrition, Health and Menopause”

Guest #2 – Dave Elkowitz, (Presidio, TX). Head Naturalist, Big Bend National Park, TX.

“The Beauty and Diversity of Big Bend” 

 

Sharon Kleyne (paraphrased): Good morning again! Welcome to the Sharon Kleyne Hour. My first guest today is Dr. Ellen Heinitz, Naturopathic Physician and a graduate of the Northwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. There is a lot we could discuss today but Dr. Heinitz wanted to talk about menopause in women, although I also plan to ask a few questions about nutritional supplements. Good morning, Dr. Heinitz, why did you become a Naturopathic Physician? 

Dr. Ellen Heinitz (paraphrased): I was always interested in medicine and healing and I decided that the naturopathic approach was the best way to treat people. For me, the “holistic” model works better than the MD’s “allopathic” model. Naturopathic physicians tend to focus on health maintenance and disease prevention rather than on treatment of disease, although when we encounter disease, we do treat it and we use the same terminology as MD’s. We tend to focus on nutrition, herbs, homeopathic medicine, etc.

S: As you know, I’m a big advocate of drinking enough water. Do you ask new patients about water? What else do you ask them?

E: The typical medical visit includes about five minutes of general conversation. My visits are much longer because I try to look at the whole picture. My initial visits last an hour. I ask all sorts of things, including how much water they drink. I also ask about eating habits, sleep, exercise, energy level, family history, supplements, medications, and so on.

S: With some doctors in Grants Pass, it can take six months or more to get an appointment. That strikes me as not very helpful in an urgent situation. We don’t usually go to doctors before the fact, only after.

E: That’s true. Ideally, you should learn to set aside time for your health while you’re healthy, and to see the doctor even when you’re not having a problem.

S: Do you do much doctoring online? Also, how long would a patient have to wait for an appointment? And would you describe use terms like “alternative” or “integrative” to describe your practice? 

E: I do send e-mails to patients and no, it’s not difficult to get an appointment, although I have a very busy practice. As for how I would label my practice, I don’t play those games. I work closely with doctors, nurse practitioners and hospitals. I also do health spots on the local radio.

S: You wanted to discuss menopausal women (and men)?

E: Actually, what most people think of as “menopause” is actually “peri-menopause,” the early symptoms and transition into menopause. “Menopause” simply means you’ve stopped menstruating. Peri-menopause can start as many as seven years before cessation of periods. Symptoms include hot flashes, memory lapses, dry eyes and skin, mood swings, insomnia, etc. And by the way, Nature’s Tears EyeMist is excellent for menopausal dry eye – it’s every easy to apply so we get better compliance. I recommend it frequently.

S: Is menopause happening earlier than previously? I know menstruation is starting earlier.

E: I don’t think so. However, people talk about it much more openly so you tend to hear about it more. Also, poor nutritional habits, too much caffeine and too much stress can affect hormone levels and make menopause more difficult.

S: Are hot flashes usually the first symptom?

E: Often but not always. Some women have no symptoms.

S: What about male menopause?

E: Men can experience similar symptoms at about the same age – irritability, anxiety, depression, ennui and lack of interest in life and sex. In men and women, it’s often caused by a falloff in testosterone levels. The technical term for men is “andropause” (or “man-o-pause”). 

S: What tips do you have for making peri-menopause easier? In addition to drinking more water, that is (and I mean you should drink, not sip the water; and the water should not be carbonated or flavored). Also tell us about protein?

E: Older women often don’t get enough protein. Adults need about 60 grams a day. Children need about 35 grams a day.

S: Do you advocate protein supplements?

E: I don’t advocate any supplements. In general, foods are preferable to supplements, whole foods are preferable to processed foods, and raw foods are preferable to cooked foods. An orange is better than orange juice or a vitamin C pill. Cereal is better than bread, etc. Also, you can’t live on just protein, you need a balance. Breakfast is the most important meal for protein. Also, I’d avoid supplements like soy and whey protein because they are highly processed and some people are allergic to them.

S: Still, it’s difficult to get all recommended nutrients from diet alone. What supplements do you recommend?

E: Non-synthetic supplements, for starters. Vitamin E is a good one to start with.

S: I have a personal problem with health food store clerks, who frequently dispense all sorts of health advice and are often very unqualified. I recommend seeing an Naturopathic Physician so you will know what you want before you go to the health food store. Also, many Naturopaths can sell you extremely good nutritional supplements.

E: You make an excellent point. For example, if you have a cough, the clerk will usually give you something for a cold. But the cough could be an allergy or a lung tumor. As far as water intake, people are, in fact, drinking more water than they used to. Studies show that good hydration can lower the risk of heart attack by 60%. Poor hydration can cause our cell walls to shrink and collapse, making us get smaller as we get older. Our body cells may seem very simple but they actually contain an entire galaxy and are amazingly  complex.

S: “Galaxy” – I like that! Thank you so much for your wonderful input. I’m sorry we’re out of time for this segment, Dr. Heinitz, but do visit us again.

E: I’d love to.

S: My next guest is David Elkowitz, Chief of Interpretation at Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande River in the West Texas desert. David is going to tell us about the extremely diverse Big Bend ecosystems, which go from high mountain to low desert, to riverbank.