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June 2007 I was privileged to meet Marion Nestle, the author of Food Politics and What to Eat at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine Women’s Wellness Day in May. I’ll share a few specific tips from Dr. Nestle's book: Salmon: Best is Seafood in general: A variety is best. Know where it is from and whether wild or farmed. I recommend carrying a Seafood Watch card (can be downloaded or ordered from the Monterey Bay Aquarium). I am attaching their west coast guide for 2007. www.mbayaq.org Fruits and Vegetables: All are good to eat. In the long run, for the planet and probably you, organics are better, leaving the earth with cleaner water, richer soil, and fewer pesticides. Locally grown conserves energy and promotes the economic vitality of local communities. We are lucky here to have access to such great farmers’ markets. Price matters, and depending how much of a barrier it is, the priorities are in this order: 1. organic and locally grown 2. organic 3. conventional and locally grown 4. conventional Drinks: Choose the freshest, 100% juice you can afford and limit to about 12 ounces/day for adults and 6 ounces/day for children. Avoid soda, juice drinks, sports drinks, buzz drinks, except as an occasional treat. Some Coffee and Teas are now marked with Eco-Labels: Certified Organic follows organic rules and avoids pesticides. Fair Trade certification means the coffee growers must be paid enough to make a decent living. Rainforest Alliance certification means workers are treated responsibly and bird habitats are protected. No single certification covers all the issues as of now, so pick your issue and support that. There is much, much more information and detail in What to Eat. Watch for more in a future newsletter. Electronic Health Records The
This is a little book (88 pages) that describes in plain language the thinking behind Health Savings Accounts and how they work. It reads more like a short novel than an instruction manual and is written by Consumers for Health Care Choices members Robert and Debra Hopper. It is recommended for employers who are instituting an HSA program, brokers who are selling HSAs to clients, physicians who would like to inform their patients of a new way of financing care, educators who would like their students to understand the trade-offs involved in any health care program, and anyone else who wants to learn about HSAs. I have ordered and received copies of this book and am happy to send one to anyone who would like to read it. Just send me an email if you’d like one. Sicko Filmmaker Michael Moore’s new documentary about the American healthcare system, Sicko, premieres June 29. One of the groups I work with, Ideal MicroPractices, is collecting data on our practices and is gathering convincing evidence that great primary care improves the quality of health and reduces overall expenses. The next challenge is figuring out how to provide primary care to everyone.
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Spring 2007 How’s Your Health? I am participating in the “Ideal Micro Practices: Different Doctors. Better Care.” Project. This is a nation-wide group working on ways to improve health and health care through small primary care practices. Part of this is a patient survey called How’s Your Health. I will ask you to complete this on-line survey before your next physical. It also provides links to helpful information on health care topics, so you can use it anytime. I believe this group will help me provide you with even better health care. You can reach the survey through the links page on my website: www.SharonGeorgeMD.com. New Vaccines There are several new vaccines you should know about. Contact me if you would like more information on any of these or would like to receive them. HPV Vaccine (Gardasil): This is to prevent cervical cancer and is recommended for females ages 9 to 26. It is a series of 3 doses. Shingles Vaccine (Zostavax): This vaccine prevents shingles in about half the people who receive it. It reduces the pain associated with shingles in those who do get the disease. A single dose is recommended for adults age 60 and older. Whooping Cough Vaccine (part of the Tdap, which also includes Tetanus and Diphtheria): There were more than 25,000 cases of Whooping Cough in the Foods to Eat Daily Habits change slowly; a small change will make a big difference over the years. Here are “Sweet 16” foods to eat every day. Try to add one or two to your routine. Green Leafy vegetables (1-2 cups) Lean Protein Seafood (2-3 times/week) Beans (1/2-1 cup) Soy products Whole grains (2 to 3 ¾ cup servings) Cruciferous veggies * (1 cup) Berries (1/2-1 cup) Nuts (1 handful, about 1 oz) Flax Seeds, ground (1 tablespoon) Fresh garlic (1 clove) Herbs and spices (1 tablespoon) Nonfat yogurt (1/2 to 1 cup) Green tea (1-2 cups) Red wine (4-5 ounces) * bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, rutabagas, turnips, and watercress New Patient Referrals Spread the word! I am ready to accept a limited number of new patients into the practice and would appreciate any referrals you would like to make. As always, if you have any suggestions or ideas to improve the practice, please let me know.
Appointments You can easily schedule your own appointments through the website: www.SharonGeorgeMD.com. Please contact me if you have any problems or need a time or date not offered. If you haven’t scheduled a physical exam or appointment to establish care, please do so. I will also post copies of this newsletter on-line. Enjoy the beginning of spring.
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