8
in other words
october9
2012
Natural Path to Health: Food is Medicine
Dr. Carol McIntyre
Fall is upon us and it is harvest time. Sunday
we harvested our plums and Monday night we made
our first plum jam. Very fun. I have been doing more
reading about food as medicine and remembering that
every single food is medicine.
Let me show you what I mean… plums. In
Chinese medicine plums (whether sweet or sour) affect
the liver and kidneys. They are used to treat liver dis-
ease, diabetes, ascites (a form of edema), diarrhea, dry
cough and excessive thirst.
Respecting food as medicine is also impor-
tant. The above medicinal properties of plums are all
valid; however it depends on whether the plum is sour
or sweet. If you consume too many plums it will over
stimulate the liver and could lead to an emotional out-
burst!
Thinking about that last statement… this is
why it is so important to respect foods and not indulge
in any one type of food. Each food has medicinal prop-
erties and can affect different organ systems. We can
heal ourselves with food as well as create imbalances.
In Chinese medical philosophy they speak of
prenatal and postnatal Qi. We obtain the prenatal from
our mother and father upon conception. The postna-
tal Qi comes from our nourishment (food, water, sleep,
rest). Many different stressors can affect our postnatal
Qi. Excess of any kind will alter the balance and bring
on disease.
One of the greatest Chinese doctors of the
Qing dynasty (1644-1911) was Sun Si-miao. He said:
“To live long, people should take care not to worry too
much, not to get too angry, not to get too sad, not to get
frightened, not to do too much, not to talk too much and
not to laugh too much. One should not have too many
desires nor face numerous upsetting conditions. All
these are harmful to the health.” In addition he went on
to say: “One who knows how to conserve one’s life is
one who thinks less, worries less, has fewer desires, is
less active, talks less, is less upset, has less excitement
and less anger and does less wrong. These 12 lesses are
the key to conserving one’s life.”1
Understanding the teaching here is critical.
Dr. Sun Si-miao is referring to the excesses of life, not
normal day to day activity. Actually, in Chinese medi-
Creature Comforts ~ See Spot Move!
By Michal Smith
I’m sure it’s a bit awkward for
those long timers in the community
who’ve become used to frequenting
Creatures Pet Store in the same location
for almost 12 years to now see it empty.
But not to worry, the town’s
pet store has taken up residency at 998
Bridge Street! A stand-alone building
which, among many advantages, offers
customers off-street parking and access.
We’ll be unpacking boxes for a
bit but we will remain open for custom-
ers to come in and shop or just say “hel-
lo” to our pets and staff. We’re looking
forward to celebrating formally with a
big Grand Re-Opening in November-
keep a look out for more details in the
coming weeks!
No matter how organized you
are on paper, there is no getting around
the fact that moving is stressful. Thank-
fully I, along with the animals, are all
getting much relief from Bach Flower
Remedies. These natural oils and es-
sences provide a natural way to support
the body and assist in remaining calm
when everything around us seems to be
in upheaval. We put a drop of Bach Flow-
cine it is said that one should keep a constant, regular
lifestyle and suitable amounts of work and rest. BAL-
ANCE. Also, one should be happy with a light and
open view, guarding against being seized by sudden
change in emotion. 2
Autumn is a time of harvest, a time of transi-
tion into the Winter season. A time for reflection. It is
important that we reflect on the balance in our lives. In
our current culture it is very difficult to stay balanced.
There are many stressors surrounding us and coming
into our daily lives. Many people are medicated in or-
der to cope with these stressors. Taking the time to look
inward and identify what imbalances we have in our
lives is so important.
Food can help us obtain health and balance.
Think about what you put into your body. Think about
how it comes out! Think about how it makes you feel.
Think about how it is serving your body. I will be pre-
scribing some medicinal porridge for winter nourish-
ment in my next article. Enjoy your Harvest.
Thank you for joining me. Be Well~
er Rescue Remedy in the birds, Guin-
ea Pigs and kittens water to help them
through the move and they are taking the
change like champs! If you’re interested
in these remedies call or stop by to get
more information (you can also read the
September 11, 2012 issue of Vernonia’s
Voice in which Victoria details the Rem-
edy’s benefits and heritage).
New in the store this month is
Red Dingo Pet ID Tags. These are made
in Washington State and are the most du-
rable tag out there! Perfect for the rug-
ged and active lifestyle of Vernonia’s
finest. These tags are thick and will not
be easily worn down or fall off. You’ll
get a variety of styles to choose from and
free personalizing and shipping!
Also in the store is the fall line
of Pet Speciality - Pet Odor Eliminating
candles. Safe to burn around pets and
people they include natural odor--eating
enzymes that are released when burned,
all in an amazing selection of scents!
Well, I better get back to un-
packing~ come check out our new
“Spot”! 503-429-PETS (7387) open
Tues-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-5 closed Sun/Mon.
Sheriff’s Office Uses Creativity,
Outside Funding and Volunteers to Fill Budget Gaps
Despite budget cuts that caused layoffs in the
jail and patrol staff at the beginning of summer, Co-
lumbia County is still receiving quality services from
its Sheriff’s Office, thanks to an empowered staff, a
high level of outside funding and strong volunteer ser-
vices.
“In many ways, we are getting more done with
less, thanks to volunteers and creative staff members
and thanks to a high percentage of outside funding,
which is made up of grants, fees and agreements with
outside entities,” says Sheriff Jeff Dickerson.
This summer, because of a $700,000 budget re-
duction, the Sheriff’s Office lost four Corrections Divi-
sion positions and one Enforcement Division position.
The layoffs would have been worse, except for a high
level of outside revenue developed in this budget year.
Additionally, a program featuring a call-triage system
instituted last fall and a cadre of newly cross-trained
deputies in both divisions, has absorbed the budget cuts
with very little visible effect to the overall public safety
mission
Added to the creative problem-solving
that has led to improvement in service delivery
county-wide, the Sheriff’s Office has a high per-
centage of revenue coming in from outside re-
sources in the form of grants, fees, and outside
entity agreements totaling over $3.1 million in
the current budget year.
“The revenue from outside sources is
significant,” says Undersheriff Andy Moyer.
“With the county budget stressed to the point
that only about $2.6 million is dedicated to the
Sheriff’s Office, the outside revenue we bring
in makes up over half of the operating costs
of the entire Sheriff’s Office.” In the past four
years, the Sheriff’s Office has been buttressed by
more than the $12 million in outside resources
while the county has provided roughly the same
amount over that same period of time. “Without
that outside funding from various sources, the
Sheriff’s Office mis-
sion would be se-
verely
crippled,”
Moyer said.
The Sheriff’s
Office also relies on
Reserve Deputy Jeff Mansheim is part of a cadre of reserve
volunteers to help fill
deputies who contribute 250 hours a month to their community
on a voluntary basis. Overall, volunteers are expected to add
gaps in service lev-
more than 8,000 hours to the Sheriff’s mission in 2012.
els. Volunteers serve
in all three divisions
of Columbia County to search for missing people or to
of the sheriff’s office, pro- find important evidence in a crime. Add to that number
viding excellent services an additional 10 volunteers who help with Sheriff’s of-
to the community at little fice programs, and there are well over 50 volunteers
extra cost to the public. who are active members of the Sheriff’s volunteer pro-
Reserve deputies help pa- gram.
trol in Columbia County
“We have the highest number ever of trained
both on the river and on the and certified volunteer Search and Rescue members,”
roadways. About 40 fully says Volunteer Search and Rescue coordinator Ron
active Search and Rescue Hermo. These Search and Rescue volunteers contrib-
volunteers are available ute thousands of hours each year to community service.
and train regularly to re-
Lieutenant Dustin Hald oversees the Sheriff’s
503-429-6364
continued on page 16
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834 Bridge St, Vernonia