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The American Fertility Association’s Monthly Newsletter

Nov 5, 2008

OP ED

5 Ingredients or Less – Do you really know what is in your food?
By Meredith Sobel, MS, AADP, Integrative Health and Wellness Coach

David Katz, MD coined the term and the program, "nutrition detectives" to teach kids how to be able to read labels to distinguish healthy packaged foods from unhealthy packaged foods. To this end, the first problem that I have is that foods in packages are inherently unhealthy and I have been trying to teach my clients, especially my young clients, to be nutrition detectives by reading labels and knowing what is in the foods they consume. While, in a perfect world, I would love if there were no foods in packages and we could all subsist on fruits, vegetables, meats, pastured eggs, unpasteurized dairy (or no dairy at all, the horror) and make our own grain specialties from whole grains without pulverizing them into flours and other refined products like pasta. I know that people are going to buy packaged foods, but I'd prefer if they are going to consume these products that they consume those foods that had 5 ingredients or less. Those foods should be simple and minimally processed and a person should be able to pronounce and be familiar with all the ingredients listed on the package.

Meredith Sobel

On a recent shopping trip with one of my younger clients, I tried a method for the five ingredient rule that had one caveat. There was a three strike rule: strike 1: high fructose corn syrup, strike 2: hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, strike 3: any substance with a color or number such as yellow number 5 or blue lake number 2. If any of these substances were on the ingredient list, they were automatically disqualified from the 5 ingredient rule. My young client responded to this game with excitement and understanding. A breakthrough! To learn more about David Katz's nutrition detectives program, please visit this site: http://www.davidkatzmd.com/nutritiondetectives.aspx. I have been using his methods and would love to give a lecture to your children or PTA meeting about how you can teach your children to become nutrition detectives and how you too can learn to read food labels. I believe that the father of my young client who I met with this past week in Food Emporium on the upper west side, learned just as much as his eleven year old son using my three strikes and 5 ingredients or less method.

Once the food has passed the three strike rule, I teach children and adults to read ingredient labels and only purchase food that have 5 ingredients or less. Of those five ingredients - you should know what they all are and you should be able to pronounce them. "Enriched" flour does not count as one ingredient. Anything "enriched" is a fake non-whole food because otherwise it would not need to be enriched. I urge you to stay away from foods that are enriched or which have nutrition claims on the package. You can add flax seeds or flax oil to bread when you make it yourself or buy it from a bakery that does this without adding stabilizers, preservatives and trans fats to keep the bread good past when it’s naturally supposed to be. I like to buy bread from natural or organic bakeries such as Le Pain Quotidien where they sell gluten free breads. I don’t recommend large amounts of bread for those people trying to lose weight, and restrict bread intake for those maintaining weight to 1-2 ½ inch thick slices per day. Instead, people looking to lose and maintain weight should be consuming actual whole grains: quinoa, bulgur wheat, polenta, wild rice, brown rice, amaranth, teff and other grains, prepared simply by soaking and then boiling in water or broth for added flavor. Grains can be flavored and spiced by cooking in broth, adding butter/olive or coconut oil (under 1 tbsp, just for flavor) and sea salt or tekka, as well as a variety of fresh herbs and spices. For protein, individuals should consume eggs that are pastured, organic and not those which are claimed to be fortified with omega 3’s. Chickens that get outside and eat a natural chicken diet of bugs and feed will produce all the natural omega 3 you need to consume. Foods that have nutrition claims or those that are fortified foods, are ones that are naturally lacking in nutrients and should be avoided because either white flour is used, or if it’s an animal product, the animal is not eating the proper diet or getting outside, as it should, which would lead the animal to get sick, develop e coli in its stomach or otherwise pass on unhealthy characteristics to the consumer.

Meredith Sobel is an integrative health and wellness coach located in Manhattan. She earned an MS in Healthy Policy and Management from the Harvard School of Public Health, and is a certified health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She practices on the Upper West Side and also works with clients over the telephone. Meredith offers a variety of short and long term programs for any individual looking to reach his or her optimum health through changes in diet and lifestyle and specializes in helping individuals experiencing corporate burnout, stress, lifestyle disorders such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity as well as digestive wellness. You can reach Meredith at meredith@sobelwellness.com or visit her online at www.sobelwellness.com.

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Oriental Medicine 101

Taya Volin

Oriental Medicine is an effective, natural and comprehensive form of healthcare that dates back 2500-3000 years. It includes different modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxibustion, cupping, tui-na (oriental bodywork), Qi Gong and several other elements. Acupuncture is considered one of the main aspects of Oriental Medicine and it is a technique of inserting single use ultra-thin filiform needles into specific acupuncture points on the body which help to promote natural healing by enhancing recuperative power, immunity, normalizing hormonal balance, physical and emotional health and improving overall function and well-being. It is a safe, painless and effective way to treat a multitude of health issues.

The treatment of infertility with acupuncture and Chinese herbs has been time-tested by hundreds of generations in the Orient and is being accepted and incorporated into modern Western Medicine more and more every year. Keep in mind though that acupuncture alone might not work for each and every health-related problem, for example with severe tubal obstruction due to adhesions after PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), advanced endometriosis or certain sperm abnormalities such as extremely low sperm count, antibody reaction to sperm or post-vasectomy blockage of male reproductive pathways. In cases like these, and in general, it is a good idea to always consult with your fertility doctor and think about combining the best of two worlds – ancient Eastern and modern Western technologies to assist with the goal of becoming a parent.

A landmark study published in the medical journal “Fertility and Sterility” (Pauls W. et al, ”Influence of acupuncture in the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy” vol. 77, April 2002, 721-724) found that acupuncture dramatically improves the chances of becoming pregnant when used in conjunction with other ART techniques. Researches from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York reviewed studies and concluded that acupuncture helps to:

Increase blood flow to the uterus, resulting in a thicker, richer endometrial lining which improves the chances of an ovum implanting on the uterine wall.
Normalize hormone and endocrine systems that regulate ovulation, especially in women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
Positively affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a key role in fertility.
Regulate menstrual cycle.
Reduce anxiety, stress, and the hormones that are secreted during stressful situation that can significantly decrease fertility.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs could also be helpful in treatment of elevated FSH levels (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), luteal phase defect, recurrent miscarriages, tubal obstruction due to spasmed tubes, idiopathic (unexplained) infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), hyperprolactinemia, and certain male factor infertility problems.

One of the common questions we get all the time: “Is acupuncture painful?” The answer is definite “No”. Modern acupuncture needles are very different from the syringe needles that we see in the medical offices - the ones we use for acupuncture are filiform, meaning they are solid, not hollow inside, and are very thin – so a lot of times people do not feel the needles at all, and if they do – it’s more like a tiny pinch when the needle is inserted into acupuncture points on the body, and soon after that people might feel warmth, a relaxing sensation that helps to take the tension and stress away and promoting the general sensation of relaxation and wellbeing. Oftentimes, people are falling asleep during their acupuncture treatment to wake up stress-free and refreshed afterwards.

As a general rule, acupuncture treatments will have the best therapeutic effect when they are started at least 3-4 months prior to any ART procedure, or before a couple try to conceive naturally. Over all, treatments usually have the best outcome when they include acupuncture alone or in conjunction with Chinese herbs, dietary counseling and certain types of exercise like yoga, meditation or Qi Gong. All of the above do not contradict, but greatly improve chances of success with modern ART treatments. Depending on the patient, acupuncture treatments are usually given 1-2 times per week before IUI, IFV, FET or any other ART procedures, and are found to be beneficial when a patient has acupuncture treatments done on a same day before and after the procedure. Afterwards, many patients are advised and choose to continue with the acupuncture treatments for 10-12 more weeks to prevent possible miscarriages.

There are no contraindications for acupuncture treatments, and the risks in general are minimal, although if used incorrectly, some points might increase the risk of miscarriage, so make sure that the acupuncturist you’re going to work with is specializing in a field of women’s health and fertility, and is properly trained and licensed in their state and Board Certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).You can check it by going to the NCCAOM Certification Registry Search Engine.

Taya Volin LAc, CAc, DiplAc (NCCAOM) - licensed acupuncturist in NY and NJ, Diplomat of Acupuncture (NCCAOM), graduated 1st Moscow Medical Academy Russia with Medical Doctor Degree, where she started to practice acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and continued her education in USA with an internship in China and Japan. Taya specializes in fertility (both male and female), women’s health, stress relief and preventive holistic medicine.

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Grad Student Needs Your Help

I'm a graduate student at Columbia University's School of Journalism, and I'm interested in writing my Masters thesis about a gay or lesbian couple trying to have a biological child. I'm looking for a couple in the New York area who is trying to conceive, and willing to share their story and meet with me several times in the coming months as they go through the entire process. My hope is that an inside look at the medical, legal and psychological implications of this journey could serve as a road map to others considering alternative insemination.

This is an academic paper, but I will also pitch it to city magazines and newspapers for publication.

Thanks again and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Katy Hall
571-276-7476

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