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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2015)
8 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 Voetberg concert Sunday at Florence Events Center J OEL F UHRMAN , MD Treating autoimmune conditions naturally Autoimmune diseases affect 23.5 million Americans, and that number is rising. Autoimmune diseases are one of the top ten leading caus- es of death for women under the age of 64.1 In autoimmune diseases, the body undergoes an inappropriate immune response that causes excessive inflammation that becomes destructive to the body. Psoriasis is a chronic inflam- matory skin condition-the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the U.S. affecting about 7.5 million Americans; and it is much more than a cosmetic concern. Depending on the severity of psoriasis, it can also cause skin cracking and bleed- ing, pain, and a significant dis- ruption of quality of life. In addition, psoriasis is asso- ciated with increased cardio- vascular risk. Even mild cases of psoriasis may increase the risk of heart attack by up to 29 percent. The chronic inflamma- tion characteristic of psoriasis (and other autoimmune dis- eases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus) puts patients at risk. In addition to cardiovascular disease, psoriasis patients are also more likely to suffer from insulin resistance, depression, cancer, osteoporosis, and liver disease-also likely due to chronic inflammation. Nutritional intervention should always be tried first, before powerful and potentially dangerous drugs are pre- scribed. Conventional treat- ments for autoimmune diseases suppress the immune system to halt the body’s immune attack on itself. However, this makes the body more susceptible to infec- tions and even cancers — one study found that autoimmune patients with the greatest expo- sure to immunosuppressive drugs had an almost 5-fold increase in cancer risk. The FDA has issued warn- ings on certain drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases because of increased cancer risk. Mild to moderate psoriasis can often be treated with topi- cal medications only-these are safer than systemic medica- tions, but still have significant side effects such as skin thin- ning, pigmentation changes, bruising easily, stretch marks, redness, and acne. They also may stop working over time. Nutrition is a powerful and safe tool for preventing and treating autoimmune diseases. Although there is a genetic component, autoimmune dis- ease is also influenced by what we eat. For example, those with a high intake of green veg- etables, carrots, tomatoes, and fresh fruits are less likely to develop psoriasis. Oxidative stress, which can be lessened by these antioxi- dant-rich foods, is thought to contribute to skin inflammation in psoriasis. Furthermore, pso- riasis symptoms have been shown to improve using dietary methods in several scientific studies. I have been recommending a high-nutrient (Nutritarian) diet combined with selected supple- ments and when needed, and episodic fasting to help the body to calm inflammation and remove cellular toxins. High nutrient plant foods supply substances that support immune system function, allowing the body to have proper defenses against infec- tions and cancers. Supervised water fasting is another important component to autoimmune treatment-I have documented the contribu- tion of fasting to remission of autoimmune disease in pub- lished case reports. The only side effects of nutritional treat- ment are positive ones-protec- tive effects against heart dis- ease, diabetes, and cancers. This health promoting proto- col longevity as it normalizes immune function. Natural methods can help you calm the inflammation in your body and reduce or even eliminate your need for med- ications. I urge everyone with an autoimmune disease to try these natural methods before resigning themselves to a life of dangerous medications and progressively worsening dis- ease: 1) High-nutrient, vegetable- based diet rich in greens; 2) Fresh vegetable juices; 3) Fish oil or plant-based EPA and DHA supplements; 4) Probiotic supplement; 5) Avoidance of salt, wheat, and oils; 6) Assuring no micronutri- ent deficiencies are present. Using these methods, many of my patients who once suf- fered from autoimmune dis- eases have now recovered and are free of illness as well as the toxic side effects of the drugs. Some of people with these recoveries have written me, but I have never actually met them. All they did was read one of my books and follow the proto- cols detailed online. Dr. Fuhrman is a New York Times best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutri- tional medicine. Visit his website at Dr Fuhrman.com, or submit questions and comments to news questions @drfuhrman.com. Poet, writer to host writing workshop at library Poet and fiction writer, Lisa C. Taylor, will conduct a free workshop at the Siuslaw Public Library on March 17, begin- ning at noon. The theme of the workshop, Death Riding Shotgun: How Awareness of Our Mortality Impacts Our Writing, includes a discussion of poems that deal with mortality as well as an exploration of writing poems about death from different viewpoints. Taylor will wind up the workshop inspiring the audi- ence by reading from her poet- ic writings. Taylor has been nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize and has also received many awards for her poetry and fiction writing. Her writ- ings have been published in the United States and Ireland and include four poetry collections. The most recent collection, Necessary Silence, was pub- lished in 2013. A collection of her short fic- tion works, “Growing a New COURTESY PHOTO Poet, author Lisa C. Taylor speaks at Nichols College, where she teaches creative writing. Tail,” will be published in late summer 2015. Together with being a prolif- ic writer, she also shares her love of the craft by teaching creative writing at Nichols College and Eastern Connecticut State University, and conducting creative writ- ing workshops. Taylor has received much praise for her ability to capture meaningful bits of our human- ness in her poetry, including this comment from Baron Wormser, a poet and former Poet Laureate of Maine: “At the core of her poetry resides an honesty of awe and a bitter- sweet awareness of how little we know and how much we care.” This workshop is free and will be held in the Bromley Room at the main branch of the Siuslaw Public Library from noon to 2 p.m. Anyone who writes poetry or wants to explore his or her muse will certainly want to take advantage of this opportu- nity to discuss, read and write with this internationally pub- lished author. “I am looking forward to meeting the writing enthusiasts in Florence and nearby,” said Taylor. Attendees are asked to bring their own writing devices amd materials, or electronic device to record their own eloquent and creative words. For more information about the workshop and reading, visit the Siuslaw Public Library, call 541-997-3132 or visit www. siuslawlibrary.org. SEAcoast Entertainment Association will present the Voetberg Family Band on Sunday, March 15, for a 2 p.m. show at the Florence Events Center. The Voetbergs virtually define “family entertainment.” These eight siblings, ages 15 to 25, dazzle audiences with musical skills beyond their years, including many musical styles on a variety of instruments. The internationally acclaimed Voetberg Family Band brings clean, wholesome family fun to Florence. Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for children under 18. A family package of two adult and two child’s tickets is available for $60. To purchase, visit www. SEAcoastEA.org, the Florence Events Center box office, or call 541-997-1994. 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