ND's in Alaska need your help!

Please support HB266
This isn’t my normal style of blog or writing, but the following topic is vitally important to protecting the way I and all other naturopathic doctors in the state of Alaska practice.

As a little background, many of you know that in Alaska, naturopathic doctors are licensed primary care doctors with a limited scope of practice that includes utilizing plant medicines, vitamins, minerals, nutrition, hydrotherapy,  physical medicine, lifestyle counseling, and other natural treatments to both treat illness and to work with patients to achieve optimal wellness. Naturopathic doctors in Alaska practice under state statute, following the guidelines of regulations developed in 1994 by ND’s and the Department of Labor.

By current statute, we cannot “give, prescribe, or recommend in the practice:
1. a prescription drug or
2. a “controlled substance.”  Controlled substances are prescription drugs such as opiates that have the potential for abuse.

The Department of Labor (DOL), who oversees our profession in Alaska, adopted regulations in 1994 that “prescription drugs” does not include a “device or herbal or homeopathic remedy or dietetic substances in a form that is not a controlled substance” with further clarification that “herbal remedies” include the extract of a plant, tree, root, moss, fungus or other natural substance.

The DOL is now ignoring this regulation by restricting the use of plant-based medicine.

HB266 takes one sentence from our regulations (medicines derived from or a concentrate or extract of  a plant, tree, root, moss, fungus or other natural substance), and places it into statute so that the thousands of patients and families who rely on Naturopathic care will continue to receive the current level of care they have come to appreciate and rely on.

Naturopathic doctors are the leading experts in herbal medicine, herb/medication interactions, and human physiology and the effect of plant medicines on both optimizing wellness and treating disease.  Limiting the use of the medicines we know and use best would be detrimental to the welfare of our patients.

It is our intent with HB266 to maintain our current status, as naturopathic doctors in the state of Alaska, with our current prescriptive capacity of natural substances. The bill will maintain this status by placing one sentence from our regulations into Alaska Statute, thereby defining more clearly the way we have been practicing for 20 years. It will not add to our current scope of practice. It will not give us pharmaceutical prescriptive privileges. It will allow us to continue to practice in the effective manner in which we have been practicing up until limitations were placed on the types of natural substances we could obtain.

Representative Cathy Munoz and Senator Lesil McGuire have sponsored this bill. We greatly appreciate their support. We now have 90 days to pass this legislation. This is where you come in. Our legislators’ highest priority is to represent the people in their own communities. Hearing from their constituents is vital in helping them make decisions that serve the people of their communities best. You, as patients of naturopathic doctors, are best able to communicate the care you’ve received and to request that your legislators support this bill that maintains our status and allows us to continue practicing as we have been in the state of Alaska since 1986. Your legislators need to hear that you have chosen Naturopathic care as either your primary choice for care or as an adjunct to other medical services.

I would appreciate a copy of any correspondence you send to your legislator as a way for us to keep track of support and requests. You can send copies to amycnd@gci.net. Also, please feel free to send me any questions about this bill. Letters of gratitude to our sponsors and letters in support of the bill to your personal legislators are all helpful to this process.

HOW TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS
POMs (public opinion messages): If you go to www.alaska.gov, you will see an icon on the right hand corner that says “the Alaska Legislature” which goes to their home page.  On the bottom of that page under “Quick Links” is a link to “public opinion messages” that will allow you to send a 50 word message to all or some of the legislators.  The link will want to know what district you are from.  That information is on your voter’s registration card.

Some ideas of things to include in these messages are: how long you and your family have been working with a naturopathic doctor; the quality of care you receive; the effectiveness of treatment you’ve received; and asking your legislator to support HB 266 so that you, your family and all Alaskans maintain freedom of choice in their health care provider and model.

Direct emails:  You will find the link to particular legislators by opening up the tab marked “senate” or “house” along the top of this page.  That will bring you to the links for all the individual legislators.  Clicking on any specific name will take you to a website that has the email address for that person.

Regular mail:  I know, when was the last time you wrote a “real” letter? Sometimes in our world of technology, receiving a paper letter attracts attention. I would be happy to supply “talking points” to anyone who would like assistance.

Direct testimony: Our bill has been assigned to one committee in the House - Labor and Commerce.   Individuals can weigh in on this committee by going to their local Legislative Information Office (LIO) to testify.  Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that a bill will be heard when it is scheduled. So, though this is a powerful option, please know that they occasionally run out of time before hearing a bill and you may not have a chance to testify.

Contacting your local representatives is the perfect place to start. If you live in a district represented by one of the people on the Labor and Commerce committee (see the list below), even better! But, as the bill leaves committee, each representative will be asked for their vote.

We hope to have a bill in the senate very soon that will be worded in exactly the same manner.

House Labor and Commerce:
    Kurt Olson - Chair (Soldotna)
    Craig Johnson -Vice Chair (Anchorage)
    Steve Thompson (Fairbanks and co-sponsor of HB266)
    Paul Seaton (Homer)
    Dan Saddler (Eagle River)
    Lindsey Holmes (Anchorage)
    Bob Miller (Fairbanks)

If you would like to track the progress of HB266, you can sign up for email alerts (home page of the legislature, under media center), allowing you to follow the bill as it goes through process. Also, on the legislative home page, you can put HB266 in the search engine to bring up the status of the bill. Or, you can live stream committee proceedings by going to AlaskaLegislature.tv.  They make this available to anyone who does not live near a Legislative Information Office (LIO) or has problems getting to an LIO.

With immense gratitude for your assistance and for your presence in my life as patients, friends and community,
Dr Amy

Sankalpa for Peace (Santi)

As we enter the New Year, I felt inspired to fold origami Peace Cranes. I bought origami paper, typed “peace crane” into Google and looked up the directions. I had a goal. I wanted to fold cranes to adorn the ceiling in the exam room. The origami crane has become an international symbol of peace and is a beautiful gift to anyone in need of healing, of repose. I also knew the process could offer a contemplative exercise, and so I began. I folded my first crane as I watched the directions online and read a blog by Susannah Conway, a photographer and writer, on setting a word intention for the upcoming year.( http://www.susannahconway.com/2011/12/the-word-3/) She described choosing a word to embody the journey of the year ahead, to cultivate a greater awareness. Her word for 2012 was brave.

In sanskrit, Sankalpa means intention. We are encouraged to set a sankalpa for each time we step on the mat, for each time we step off the mat and in these culturally auspicious transitions, to set a sankalpa for the year ahead. As I folded cranes, I mulled over what my word could be.

Meanwhile, I also checked facebook over and over, read email, experienced angst over the other plans or tasks I had intended for my day. I craved chocolate. I experienced delight and sadness as my thoughts rambled in a myriad of directions, from relationships to internal struggles, my spiritual journey, my yoga practice, business, what to make for dinner, my dog’s arthritis, beauty of the fresh snow, a new medical diagnosis in a family member... oh, the list could go on. And, in all of that I wondered, “what is my word for the year?” What is my sankalpa? What do I want to cultivate? I am seeking a deep alignment with my Core Essence, with the Divine; but even my practice, my reading, my meditation and my contemplation for this eventual enlightenment has been fraught with unrest, with a sense of urgency, with a frustration when my actions or my words do not align with my deeper beliefs and values.

Often asked why the clinic is named Soaring Crane, I have had many different answers, and the answers have changed over the years. Cranes are symbols of longevity, health, and peace. They are a symbol in Alaska of the change of the seasons as they fill the skies and fields with their dance and song. The name resonates deeply within my being as a symbol for my own journey. However, during this reflective time between Christmas and New Year, the longing for peace experienced at the very core of my being grows and expands with a fiery impetus and I recognize this is why, this year, the clinic is named what it is, why I fold cranes, and what I need to cultivate most. There is my word!

Peace! What I deeply desire is peace. Peace with myself. Gentle, loving, compassionate, nurturing peace. I desire to seek spiritual and personal growth from a place of beauty and fullness, rather than from a “need” to fix myself. Peace. Peace in my relationships. Being able to see all beings as manifestations of the Divine, and as reflections of myself, with no judgement, with clear boundaries, but with pure compassion. Peace. Peace in my career, financial status, goals, teaching, writing, hobbies. Letting go of the anxiety, the frantic movement from one thing to another and reposing in each moment, full of wonder, open to the limitless possibilities available in the next moment. Peace. Peace in my actions. Finding the space around my emotions to rest, to wait, to speak from a place of deep alignment with truth. Peace! Santi (shan-tee)!

And, so, I fold cranes. I contemplate peace. I explore the myriad ways in which peace could suffuse my life and I invite peace. I breathe. I breathe into the taste, smell, sensation, experience, and the space around the peace. I know there is even more beyond my current experience, my current state. I stop writing, feeling the urgency to share, and I go to sit with peace.

May your year be suffused with peace. I invite you to set an intention, a word that carries you forward this year; intention imbued with love, compassion, and joy!

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantih

First Aid Homeopathy Class to be offered at Soaring Crane

I will be teaching a 4 week, 12 hour first aid Homeopathy course beginning February 5^th and ending the February 27^th in Palmer at Soaring Crane Natural Health Center. It will be held on Saturday afternoons from 2-5pm. This will cover the basics of homeopathy, how to use homeopathic remedies for acute conditions that affect us in our daily lives, colds, flu, earaches, fevers, sinusitis, sports injuries, sprains, strains, digestive upsets, and many more. The class will be held for as few as 4 up to 12 participants.

In this class, participants will begin to get comfortable with case-taking, analyzing and prescribing for simple problems using the most common remedies. They will also begin to recognize when to seek professional help from their homeopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist, or physician. Upon completion, if there is interest, we will continue to meet regularly as a homeopathy study group to continue the learning.

Call for further info and to register: Joanie Kirk ND

907-337-3433

Joaniekirk@gmail.com

Here is some basic info on Homeopathic medicine:

Homeopathy has been around for about 200 years as an effective holistic medicine. It is based on the Law of Similars, that substance given in a large dose will cause a certain set of symptoms. And when that same substance is given in a diluted dose to a person with those same symptoms, those symptoms will resolve. The remedy chosen is based on the person’s set of presenting symptoms, not the definition of the illness he or she has. The results are quite remarkable as the individual’s innate ability to heal is activated and the individual’s health comes back in to balance.

Homeopathy can be used to treat many illnesses, conditions, or diseases. It does have its limitations, advanced pathology, such as advanced arthritis and heart disease may not respond well, however, patients with these conditions will find more comfort, less pain and relief with homeopathy.

I have made Homeopathic medicine a specialty in my 18 years in private practice and I

encourage people to learn to use this natural approach to health care.

Look forward to having you join this class.

Joanie Kirk ND

joaniekirk@gmail.com

907-337-3433

Anti-inflammatory diet

Amy,

I was looking at another blog posting regarding the Anti-inflammatory diet and am looking forward to learning more about it. I know the basics but will be studying it in more detail.

I am familiar with the Eat Right For Your Type Diet, and have used it for years as the diet of choice for my allergy protocol. I can see that either diet will provide the cleansing, and lowered toxic load that I am looking for while patients are going through the allergy protocol. With the blood type diet, you are eating foods based on design with the intention of maintaining low lectin levels in the body as lectins lead to inflammation and reactivity.

Here's the very basics of blood type diet. Type O are the hunter gatherer, do better on meats, vegetables and fruits, no grains or dairy. Type A diet is based on an agrarian culture, and so tend to do better on more vegetarian, lighter meats and fish, and some grain, but little dairy or wheat. Type B are the nomadic cultures, seem to tolerate dairy, some wheat, and may benefit from a Mediterranean diet. Type AB is a more modern blood type, seem to tolerate a combination of A and B. The gist of eating according to blood type specific diets is that is lowers the toxic load in the body. There is less reactivity to foods, in a way the body is more at peace. It seems to be the goal of the anti-inflammatory diet as well.

And can't we all use a little more peace in our lives and our bodies.

Dr. Joanie

Transition

I am reminded this week... Ok, reminded might be too friendly of a word. I have been hit by a 2x4 over the head this past week with transition, and with my personal struggles in this arena. I'm a planner. I like to have my life organized around me. I like to know what is happening next. I like order. I like being prepared. None of these are bad characteristics. However, it is a good thing to be reminded at times to be present in the moment, to be flexible and to allow my days to be organic, to flow, to allow for change, upset, newness. Without this flexibility, it is possible to miss out on phenomenal shifts in our lives. And, without allowing and being present and grounded through change, we tend to see these transitions as a major stressor, allowing them to derail our lives, affect our moods, our sleep, our relationships.

In my case, there is much joy and gratitude in some of this transition. We are welcoming Renee Howard, LMT back to Soaring Crane Clinic. She has created a beautiful massage and healing space in the basement of our clinic and it is truly a blessing to have her working with us once again.

We also are welcoming Joanie Kirk, ND to Soaring Crane. Dr Joanie practiced Naturopathic Medicine in New Mexico for many years before making her way to Alaska. She will be seeing patients at the clinic on Fridays and Saturdays. Joanie brings an incredible amount of experience and a gifted healing presence to our space. Joanie works with allergy assessment and treatment as well as family practice, adding a modality to the clinic we have not had before and providing us with the ability to treat patients six days a week. She will be writing the article for this summers newsletter so I will allow her to introduce herself to you in greater detail.

 Thirdly, we will soon be introducing a new office manager and I am excited to see what this person will offer and how our team will continue to grow and change.

And so, today, I am choosing to open myself to the new, to the transition, to the flex and flow of life changes. I will be placing my intention here as I practice yoga, as I meditate and I hope, as I answer phones, see patients, clean my house, interact with my husband, and all other tasks of daily life. And, I encourage you to ponder how transition affects you on a daily basis. How well do you allow life's changes to come your way and how do you maintain your center while being open to the new and the different? 

Dr Amy

Anti-Inflammatory Recipes

This thread is for recipes that fit the Anti-Inflammatory Eating Plan. As many of you know, this is a diet that involves the elimination of the most common allergenic or inflammatory foods. This plan encourages a whole foods diet full of vegetables, legumes, healthy meats, non-gluten grains, beneficial spices, nourishing fats and clear, clean water. This diet promotes healthy blood-sugar balance, decreases cardiovascular inflammation, can act as an elimination diet to ascertain specific food allergies or intolerances. Following an Anti-Inflammatory diet can often alleviate joint pain, promote improved digestion, decrease auto-immune disease flares, improve hormone balance and more. As we learn which foods nourish our individual systems, we can make choices daily to promote vital health. There is a handout on the website elucidating the specific details of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Eating in this way can often be challenging at first and having some proven recipes to work with can make the process much more enjoyable. Whether you are using the anti-inflammation diet as an elimination diet with the intention of reintroducing foods in 6-8 weeks, or as a long-term plan to promote your health, the recipes should make shopping, cooking and eating more enjoyable!

With that, bon appetit.

Welcome!

I am very excited about the opportunity for patients and friends alike to use this blog as a resource for sharing ideas, thoughts, recipes, and musings on health. Many of you have been learning healthy ways of living for days, months or years and along the way have found tried and true recipes, have come across a quote that inspired you on your healing journey or have been surprised or educated by a piece of new research on health and wellness.

This site is your opportunity to share your thoughts. For many patients, learning to cook and eat in a new way, learning to approach food, exercise or meditation from a new perspective can be incredibly challenging. It is daunting to be given a diet that appears to eliminate all of the foods normally eaten in any given day. Grocery shopping can seem completely foreign; tackling that gluten-free bread recipe almost impossible.

My goal for this forum is to make all of this a little easier through sharing resources, experiments, and encouragement. Unfortunately, in our current society, choosing a healthy lifestyle is not necessarily the easy path, but the benefits to our everyday well-being as well as our long term survival are profound.

So, I invite you to join me in sharing your successes, your humor, and your struggles on your own path to wellness, for it is certain that what has inspired you or worked well in you or your family's life will also benefit others. For, it is in giving and sharing that we truly are blessed.

I welcome suggestions on how to make this resource work for each of you.
In health,
Dr Amy