M arch 15, 2000
Page A3
(Tlje P o rtla n d ffibsevuer
S Health & Education
afe
Have a safe
and happy
St. Patricks Day
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Free Pediatrics Care
Now parents can get affordable natural health care for children 18 and
younger three days a week through the National College o f Naturopathic
Medicine’s westside location, 4444 SW Corbett Street, starting April 3,
2000.
Unlimited free visits are offered, by appointment only, on teaching shifts
at NCNM Natural Health Center-Corbett. T eaching shifts are comprised o f
naturaopathic medical students honing their clinical skills under the
supervision o f licensed naturopathic doctors and clinical faculty.
“Our students are the driving force behind this service,” said Chris D.
Meletis, ND, Dean ofClinical Education. “They have been working in some
pediatrics clinics around town and felt there was an urgent need for this
option. We are delighted to offer this opportunity to the community, and
appreciative o f our students’ response to this need.”
By offering an unlimited number o f free visits, said Dr. Meletis, the children
have access to continued naturpathic care for ongoing problems such as
chronic ear infections and food sensitivities. NDs are licensed in Oregon
as primary care physicians and treat a variety o f childhood ailments. They
are also trained to make medical referrals as needed, and to coordinate care
with MDs and other health care professionals.
NCNM was founded in 1956 and is the oldest accredited naturopathic
medical school in the U.S. It offers a four-year Doctor o f Naturopathic
Medicine degree and a three-year Master o f Science in Oriental Medicine
degree, with teaching clinics in several Portland-area locations.
Health Briefs
Women should think
twice before binge
drinking
Women in their child-bearing years
might want to think twice before going
out and binge drinking.
“ Binge drinking, or consuming four
or more drinks in one sitting, during
the early weeks o f pregnancy can be
damaging to the unborn child,” said
Dr. Sherry Sellers, an assistant
•professor o f pediatrics at Baylor
C ollege o f M edicine and Texas
Children’s Hospital in Houston.
Sellers says brain cell formation and
multiplication occurs between the
eighth and six teen th w eeks o f
pregnancy. Studies have shown that
drinking more than two ounces of
alcohol a day or binge drinking can
cau se d e c re a sed in te llig e n c e ,
unusual facial features, attention
problems and hyperactivity in some
children.
In addition, drinking too much
alcohol during pregnancy can cause
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, one o f the
leading causes o f mental retardation
in newborns.
Study uses radiation,
gene therapy to treat
prostate cancer
A new study involving radiation
treatment and gene therapy offers
hope to men suffering from prostate
cancer.
Researchers at Baylor College o f
M ed icin e and T h e M e th o d ist
Hospital in Houston have taken a
gene from a herpes virus, combined it
with a common cold virus, and injected
it directly into the cancer cells, where
it
p ro d u ced
th e
en zy m e
thymodinekynase.
“Thymodinekynase combined with
the drug valcyclovir forms a toxic
substance, says lead investigator Dr.
Brian Butler, ch ief o f radiology
oncology at Baylor and the medical
director o f the radiation therapy
department at Methodist. “In other
words, the radiation is killing the
cancer cell at the same time the gene
therapy is killing the cancer cell.”
Butler says a study in mice showed
this type o f gene therapy prevented
tumors from traveling through the
blood stream to other parts o f the
body. He believes this type o f therapy
might one day replace chemotherapy
treatment.
Beef can be part of
healthy diet
You don’t have to say bye-bye to
beef to maintain a heart-healthy diet.
“W e’ve found that it’s okay to include
meat in your diet as long as it is lean,”
said Lynne Scott, director o f the Diet
Modification Clinic at BaylorCollege
o f Medicine in Houston.
To be considered lean, three ounces
o f cooked meat should have less than
nine grams o f fat, Scott suggests
choosing cuts that have most o f the
fat trimmed. Cuts with the word “loin,"
such as tenderloin, top loin and sirloin,
are usually leaner choices. The grade
o f meat is also important. “Select" is
the leanest grade, follow ed by
“choice” and “prime,” which is the
highest in fat.
In addition, it’s important to grill,
broil or roast the meat. Do not use fat,
like b utter or shortening, when
cooking and trim any visible fat.
Hair braiding is not healthy
Hair braiding may look cool, but is not
very healthy for your hair or scalp.
"Braiding creates a great deal o f
tension, which can interfere with the
blood supply and cause the hair to
fracture,” said Dr. John Wolf, a
dermatologist with BaylorCollege of
Medicine in Houston. “This can lead
to the destruction o f the hair follicle,
which ultimately leads to permanent
hair loss.”
Braiding can also cause hygiene
problems. W olf says it’s virtually
impossible to shampoo your hair
when braids are in place. Failure to
properly clean the hair can lead to
dandruff, dermatitis and other skin
problems.
Stretching is key for
‘weekend warriors’
A good stretching program can help
keep ‘weekend warriors’ in the game.
“Stretching should be part o f any
sporting activity,” said Dr. Lon Castle,
a sports medicine specialist with
B aylor C ollege o f M edicine in
Houston. “It’s important to stretch
between 15 and 20 minutes and target
the hamstrings, groin, thighs, biceps
and shoulders. Also, a slow jog or
bike ride will help get the blood
flowing to the heart."
T here is no data that show s
stretching prevents muscle injuries.
However, not stretching can cause
injuries to the tendons, especially the
Achilles tendon. Castle says holding
each stretch between five and 10
seconds will help you avoid these
types o f injuries.
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Tobacco users quitting in records numbers
State Says Aggressive Campaign to
Help Tobacco Users Quit is Working
Instead o f reaching for a cigarette,
the Department o f H uman Services -
O reg o n H ealth D iv isio n , says
tobacco users are reaching for the
phone. Oregon’s tobacco Qui te L i ne,
providing support statewide, has
shown remarkable success after only
one year o f operation. According to
the Division, almost 10,000 callers
have asked the Quite Line for help
since January o f 1999.
“Really, we are just thrilled with the
numbers o f Oregonians who are
quitting,” said Clay Parton, director
o f the state Tobacco Prevention and
Education Program. “We hoped that
the Quit Line would fill a void, but had
no idea that it would prove to be such
a popular way for Oregonians to quit
using tobacco.”
A recent survey conducted by OHD
found 76 percent o f O re g o n ’s
smokers want to quit. “We know it
can be difficult to remain tobacco-
free during the weeks and months
after New Year’s resolutions,” Parton
said. “We want Oregonians to know
that the Oregon Tobacco Quit Line is
available to help them throughout
the year to make their tobacco-free
pledge a reality.”
In spite o f the success o f the Quite
Line, tobacco use remains the largest
preventable cause o f death in Oregon.
Each year, 6,200 Oregonians die from
tobacco related illnesses and 800 die
from secondhand smoke.
Quit Line counselors - some ex
smokes themselves - understand that
d iffe re n t a p p ro ach es w ork for
d iffe re n t peo p le. Q u ite L ine
counselors help smokers develop
techniques to cope with stress and
create personalized programs that fit
into individuals’ varying schedules.
New callers to the Quit Line begin by
participating in a personal counseling
session, which lasts up to 45 minutes.
C ounselors analyze the c a lle rs’
smoking patterns and help them
identify upcoming stressful events
and coping strategies that don’t rely
on tobacco.
Once a specially trained Quit Line
counselordeterminesacalleris ready
to stop smoking, then one-on-one
telephone counseling begins. Or, if a
caller has already quit and is having
a hard time, a counselor can help the
caller stay on track. And the best part
is that the entire conversation can
take place from their home or work,
when it is convenient for them.
The Quit Line also provides a referral
service for local programs to help
people quit tobacco for good and
distributes quit-kits and self-help
materials for people who want to quit
tobacco on their own.
To talk to a counselor, cal11 -877-270-
STOP (English), 1-877-2NOFUME
(Spanish)or 1-877-772-6534 (TTY).
The Quit Line staff is available
Monday through Thursday, 9a.m.
until 8 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.;
and Saturday, 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The Oregon Tobacco Prevention and
E ducation
Program
is
a
comprehensive effort to reduce the
use o f tobacco and exposure to
secondhand sm oke. It includes
program s in local com m unities,
schools, businesses, m edia and
special populations. The program is
funded by a tobacco tax increase
approved by voters in 1996. Ten
percent o f the new rev enue is
allocated to tobacco use prevention
and reduction.
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Census 2000 is an opportunity
to help nuf community grow.
The information gathered in
Census 2000 can help deter
mine where job training
centers, schools, daycare
centers and healthcare facili
ties are needed. Wliere new
businesses and factories
are built. And it’s Census
UCfuCJ MrcfU
UfcfUot 1» HI t!
our fair share of billions
of dollars in government
So, when your Census
form arrives, fifl it in
and mail i t back. It’s
a form of opportunity
for our community,
Census 2 0 0 0 .
This is our future.
Don’t leave it blank.
come
visit us
on the
web at
www.
portlandobserver
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T h a t’s w h at you’ll get. We've set some pretty high
standards for our performance.
W hat do you expect,
a quick response
when you call? O.K.
And now our service comes with guarantees. When
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you for any inconvenience. But, more importantly, as a
reminder to ourselves not to let it happen again.
Say vou have a question about your bill that we can't
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You can reach us 24 hours
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Just call 1-888-221-7070.
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