Dr. Stacey Bell, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian who earned her doctorate in nutrition from Boston University. She served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, where she conducted clinical studies on many aspects of nutrition. Dr. Bell is a widely published author and her latest book, Essential Foods: Eat Healthy, Lose Weight, and Live Longer, gives sound information to consumers on how to eat. She recently completed editing the most recent edition of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by the late Phyllis Balch. Dr. Bell has presented more than 100 lectures on nutrition to her peers and the general public.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on interactions between hormones and neurotransmitters. Click to listen.

* Many kids are over-scheduled as they race from school to clubs, activities, teams, etc. They need to eat and often they’re given high sugar, highly processed snack foods and drinks that are easy to travel with and that they can eat in the car. In an effort to save time, many parents go through the drive-thru to pick up their children’s meals, going from one activity to the next.

* Some kids are extremely sedentary. A major portion of their diets consists of unhealthy food/drinks and they’re spending hours in front of a television or computer screen vs. being outside and active. This combination of poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for poor health and obesity.

* Food choices: it’s no mistake that high sugar, highly processed,  nutrient poor foods  are placed at kid’s eye level on the supermarket shelves. When they’re  shopping with a parent, it’s easy for them to grab these items and throw them into the shopping cart. If they beg and plead enough, mom often gives in.  (I’m certainly not judging and have fallen victim to this many times myself !)

* Advertisements: kids are bombarded with brightly colored, fun and engaging ads and commercials to try the latest cereal, snack, dessert and drink. These “sub-foods” may even boast a few added nutrients yet don’t mention that the item has been so depleted of value, it’s doing nothing to support growth, health or nourishment.

* Lack of role models: unfortunately, many kids lack healthy role models. So many parents are overburdened with responsibilities, tasks and commitments that they simply don’t have the time, energy or motivation left for their own self-care. As a result, they’re unfit, overweight, overwhelmed and unhappy and unfortunately pass this on to their kids.

* Portion sizes: We’re “super-sizing,” “economy sizing” and “value mealing” as we think we’re getting so much more for our money. The price for that “value”? Larger waistlines, poor health and a lower self image and self-esteem as we become increasingly unfit, overweight and unhealthy.

So what can you do to prevent your children from gaining excess weight? Take a look back at the points above. Choose one to work on that needs to be improved and just… begin.

Essential oils are concentrated extracts taken from the roots, leaves, seeds, or blossoms of plants. Each contains its own mix of active ingredients, and this mix determines what the oil is used for. Some oils are used to promote physical healing – for example, to treat swelling or fungal infections. Others are used for their emotional value – they may enhance relaxation or make a room smell pleasant.

What I like most about aromatherapy is that anyone can benefit from it, and essential oils are easy to use. I believe that everyone should have an aromatherapy kit that contains these three essential oils.

1. Lavender oil: Mostly used in perfumes or to add fragrant scent to linens, it also has many therapeutic benefits. Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves, so it’s great for stress, insomnia and anxiety. Place 5 drops in a small spray bottle with water and spray your linens before bed, for a restful sleep.

2. Tea tree oil: I know it is not going to win in the perfume stakes, but tea tree is antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, antifungal and also an insecticide. I have used this personally in a shampoo to deter fleas and ticks on our dog. I have also used a drop in shampoo to help with children’s cradle cap.

3. Eucalyptus oil: The health benefits of eucalyptus oil can be attributed to its anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, decongestant, deodorant, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. If you are congested, a couple of drops in a humidifier or a bath can help open up the sinuses and enhance breathing.

Do you use essential oils? What are your favorites and how do you apply them?

Food As Medicine

Topics that will be covered include understanding core imbalances, macronutrients and micronutrients, mindful eating, nutrition to complement cancer care, digestive healing, and much more. The delicious, colorful, whole-foods meals served during the training will leave you inspired and confident that you can authentically recommend healthy transformations for your own family and patients. Food As Medicine is the nutrition class that healthcare professionals have been looking for. CEUs and partial scholarships are available. For more details, click here.

Sarah Mo, BS, BA, joined the NeuroScience, Inc. Clinical Support and Education team in 2010, where she provides clinical and technical support for laboratory services and products offered by NeuroScience. Sarah is also active in the Medical Education department as a Medical Science Liaison, working to coordinate educational opportunities for healthcare providers.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on solutions for allergies and summer skin issues. Click to listen.

To read more about Mickey and his pioneering role in establishing The Apothecary, here is an old article with some nice history, reprinted with permission of the author. (Our best guess is that this story was published in the Montgomery County Gazette in 1995.)

* * *

The Apothecary in Bethesda Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Rest of the world is catching up to shop’s approach

by Myra Mensh Patner

Mickey Weinstein and Irv Rosenberg practice what they preach. The two unconventional pharmacists – who are celebrating the 30^th anniversary this year of their nutrition-oriented drug store, The Apothecary, at 5415 Cedar Lane in Bethesda – load up on enzymes, vitamins and minerals every morning and evening when they eat breakfast and dinner.

Rosenberg, who routinely swallows as many as 16 capsules of multivitamins, calcium, magnesium, boron, silica and other supplements, used to think taking such compounds was “a form of insurance,” he said in an interview last week.

“Today, the supplements are a necessity,” he said, due to “the degradation of our food supplies.” American food “is devalued by processing and fillers, its nutrients depleted. There’s less than two percent of the original nutrition left. We have to make up for that,” said Rosenberg.

That perspective has made the Apothecary – which Weinstein and Rosenberg opened in 1965 – one of the few pharmacies in the Washington area offering an alternative approach to healing that stresses improving health through nutritional supplements rather than through standard synthetic medicine.

Rosenberg, who was named the innovative pharmacist of the year in 1995 by the Maryland Pharmaceutical Association and who served for three years as a nutritional consultant to the Washington Redskins, said the nutritional approach is rewarding because “people get well. They change their lifestyle so they stay well.”

He added, “Fifteen to twenty years ago, I was called a quack by doctors. Today I’m called a visionary.”

Located across the street from the National Institute of Health, the Apothecary stocks a huge array of herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals and homeopathic products, including products not carried by standard drugstores. The Apothecary was the first drug store in the Washington area to stock Nystatin to use orally for digestive problems, said Weinstein.

Calling themselves “nutritional pharmacists,” Weinstein, 61, and Rosenberg, 64, are also known for the extensive nutritional counseling each offers without charge to customers seeking to improve health through natural diet.

“We will recommend vitamins and minerals specifically tailored to a person’s needs that couldn’t be found over the counter in a prepared manner,” said Weinstein, who lives in North Bethesda and is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. “People come here looking for guidance and advice and we are able to give it to them.”

Rosenberg, who has a degree from the George Washington University School of Pharmacy and lives in Derwood, will even write out specific health protocols for customers.

The Apothecary has also become known for blending custom prescriptions to order, free of coloring, fillers, binders and sweeteners found in many products made by drug companies. A common request is for antibiotics without coloring for children allergic to chemicals used in some standard prescriptions.

The Apothecary also carries a large selection of books on holistic medicine and is one of the few drugstores that will deliver to customers either door-to-door or through UPS.

Dr. James Brodsky, who blends traditional internal medicine with a holistic approach in his Friendship Heights office, said he often refers patients to The Apothecary. “They will bend over backward to help people with special situations who need to have customized prescriptions,” said Brodsky.

The Apothecary has an international following, Weinstein said, often shipping custom blended medicines and supplements to Holland, Canada, France and elsewhere. “We’ve delivered to every continent except Antarctica,” said Weinstein.

Weinstein and Rosenberg said they had no idea they would veer in the direction of holistic or alternative medicine when they opened three decades ago. The two met as young druggists working for the former Drug Fair chain, but realized they were not happy selling clothes, fertilizers, clothes and lawnmowers along with filling prescriptions. “We decided we would like to do more prescription consultation,” said Weinstein. “We wanted to talk face-to-face with patients. We wanted the personal touch.

But as their business developed, the two men noticed over and over again that customers were complaining about the side effects of prescription medicine. “Sometimes it seemed they were taking medicines to cure the side effects of other medicines,” recalls Weinstein. “It seemed to us there should be a better way.”

Soon, research led the two men to believe that natural practices, such as diet and exercise and supplements, could lessen many ills. Over time, they found they were filling fewer and fewer prescriptions and selling more and more supplements. Today, selling supplements makes up about 75 percent of their business, while filling traditional prescriptions makes up about 20 percent.

The two emphasize that the supplements they recommend should complement rather that replace standard medical treatment. Though their approach was considered unconventional several years ago, Weinstein and Rosenberg say the rest of the world is coming around to their way of thinking. “Today, doctors who used to ridicule the idea of nutritional supplements will say “why not?” said Weinstein.  There’s been a shift.”

Also take a look at EWG’s list of top sunscreens. It contains products at every price point, so there is no excuse to be using a conventional sunscreen that is full of chemicals. I continue to use Badger Sunscreen for both of my children. I have found it to be quite effective for my 3-year-old son and my 1-year-old (very fair) daughter.

Some of the best sunscreens can be “clay-like” or “greasy,” but I find that if I work with a pea-size amount at a time, that it absorbs well. And don’t forget to apply sunscreen to tips of ears and tops of feet. Covering up with big floppy hats and rashguards also give extra protection.

Have fun the in the sun!

Bone is living tissue that changes constantly, with bits of old bone being removed and replaced by new bone. At about the age of 30, the amount of bone being made starts to decrease, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

There are many factors that affect peak bone mass. Some like gender and race cannot be changed. However, there are three factors that you can do something about.

1. Diet/Nutrition: Maintaining a healthy diet that combines calcium-rich foods is important to building and maintaining bone density. Dairy (organic is best), dark leafy greens, almonds and salmon are rich calcium sources and should be incorporated into your diet to achieve the recommended 1000mg of calcium per day. If you have a hard time achieving that with food, supplementing with a calcium product like Pathway Bone Guardian is an important factor to consider.

2. Physical Activity: Girls and boys and young adults who exercise regularly generally achieve greater peak bone mass than those who do not. Women and men age 30 and older can help prevent bone loss with regular exercise. The best activity for your bones is weight-bearing exercise. This is exercise that forces you to work against gravity, such as walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, dancing, and weight training.

3. Lifestyle Behaviors: Smoking has been linked to low bone density in adolescents and is associated with other unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol use and a sedentary lifestyle. People who begin smoking at a younger age are more likely to be heavier smokers later in life. This greatly impacts peak bone mass, as well as putting older smokers at additional risk for bone loss and fracture.

If you are under the age of 30, do what you can to increase bone density now. If you are currently diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, the three factors above are equally important to help with maintaining the bone mass that you have.

According to the study, these effects were more evident in a subgroup of 17 children with learning difficulties and also included improved spelling, improved ability to divide attention, and lower parent ratings of hyperactivity and restlessness.

DHA (docosahexanoic acid) is an omega-3 essential fatty acid. It is an essential component of the brain and central nervous system. DHA can be taken in through the diet by eating fish or fish oil. The body can also convert alpha linolenic acid (ALA) from vegetable sources like flaxseeds, into DHA. However, some people have difficulty converting the ALA to DHA, resulting in deficiency.

Personally, I like Nordic Naturals Pro DHA. It comes in liquid or softgel, and is also available in flavors like strawberry or orange. Both my children take this and have since birth. If you do not tolerate fish, Neuromins is a vegetarian DHA.

Christophe Merville, D. Pharm., has been the Director of Education and Pharmacy Development for Boiron – the world’s leading manufacturer of homeopathic medicines – since 1990. Dr. Merville has created training programs, both online and in print, for pharmacists and retailers on homeopathy and medicines available to treat common health conditions.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on prolotherapy – a natural treatment for chronic pain. Click to listen.