EXHAUSTED? IRRITABLE? TIRED ALL THE TIME? FOR MANY WOMEN, LOW IRON (AND NOT ANEMIA) MAY BE WHY.10/28/2024  While regular medicine doesn’t routinely screen women for low iron – technically iron deficiency – our practice does. Our patients have told us that their regular doctors sometimes test for anemia, but not iron deficiency. However, one can have low iron without being anemic, which is the final manifestation of insufficiency, when the body has too few healthy red blood cells.
As opposed to anemia, iron deficiency happens when the body's need for iron exceeds its absorption. Research shows that about a third of American women don’t have enough iron to support important functions in the body, including blood production, muscle function, the immune system, and hormone production. (No wonder these women are tired and irritable.) Iron deficiency can happen due to pregnancy, menstruation, gut disorders, intense exercise, or a diet that doesn’t provide enough iron. Being told to get more sleep is typical, but that won’t help restore iron to its proper level in the body. The way to get sufficient iron, as long as there are no gut disorders, is through food. Good sources include shellfish, spinach, beans, red meat, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, turkey, broccoli, tofu, and fish. There are also iron supplements. Our doctors strongly advise women who are exhausted, irritable, and tired all the time to get their iron levels checked, as there could be other causes. If it does turn out to be iron deficiency, it’s important to work with your doctor, because too much iron can lead to heart flutter, constipation, tarry stools, even liver damage.
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In a study released in September, 2024, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (part of the National Institutes of Health) looked at chemicals commonly found in toothpaste, makeup, and other personal care products. The findings showed that daughters of mothers with higher levels endocrine disrupters faced a greater risk of entering puberty earlier.
The chemicals that are known disrupters are often found in personal care products: • Phthalates are often found in scented products like perfumes, soaps, and shampoos • Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics • Phenols, such as triclosan, are added to some toothpastes We have included a link to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) guide to safer personal care products. It allows you to enter a product into a search bar and find out what’s in it! There are 114,847 products, 5730 brands, as well as 2,356 EWG verified products. These are safer items that you can search by category, such as, make up, oral care, babies and kids, and so on. Click to view the guide In this video, you will learn how to protect your family from the harms caused by phthalates, parabens, pesticides/herbicides, styrene, and volatile organic compounds .
Phthalates: Used to soften plastic and as solvents in personal care items. Phthalates are in hundreds of products – flooring to raincoats, children’s toys to medical tubing and cosmetics, etc. These chemicals get into our food from plastic or fiberboard packaging. They can mimic or block our hormones and can also be carcinogenic. Parabens: A group of chemical preservatives found in cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, personal care products, etc. Also used as preservatives in baked goods and other foods and in beverages, as well as food packaging. Possible harms include hormonal problems, breast cancer and premature birth. Pesticides/Herbicides: There are hundreds of different chemicals used in farming. The Doctor will review the “Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen,” which tells us which fruits and vegetables are most important to get organic. Household insecticides and insect repellant are also toxic. Potential harms include asthma, seizures, Parkinson’s, anxiety, depression, cancer, ADHD, birth defects, and hormonal problems. Styrene: A chemical used to make latex, synthetic rubber, and Styrofoam. Found in plastic packaging, disposable plates, cups and containers, insulation, and other products. Also in cigarette smoke, copy machines and laser printers. Can cause headaches, depression, fatigue and weakness, hearing loss, and cancer. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): These vapors are emitted from furniture, carpeting, flooring, cosmetics, paints, dry cleaning, aerosol sprays, fuel, and glues. VOCs can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, as well as headaches, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and damage to the liver, kidney, and brain. Dr. Taketa-Wong uses her unique medical and scientific expertise to educate the community about going beyond keeping our homes clean. In this event, learn how to protect your family from mercury, arsenic, lead, mold/mildew, and BPA. The next five is in the following blog post.
Mercury: This dangerous toxin is typically found in large fish, silver fillings, and fluorescent light bulbs, including compact ones. Mercury can cause harm to the nervous, digestive, and immune systems as well as the lungs and kidneys. It can be fatal. Arsenic: Found in some shellfish, rice, some fruit juices, certain seaweeds, and drinking water. Here in Hawaii, there is still arsenic in the soil from the pesticides and herbicides in areas where sugar and pineapple were grown. Arsenic in the human body can cause joint pain, fatigue, hyperactivity, memory loss, and more. Lead: Lead mostly comes from paint used prior to 1978, when the federal government banned it. Older dwellings often have lead paint. Lead is linked to fetal abnormalities in babies and developmental delays. Mold and mildew: Both are types of fungi and both are toxins that are more widespread than most people realize. Symptoms include itchy, red watery eyes, sneezing, chronic headaches, memory loss, body aches and pains. Even changes in mood can be caused by mold and mildew. BPA: This chemical is frequently found in can liners, plastic bottles and other plastics, and cash register receipts. Health effects: cancer, heart problems, and possible risks for obesity, diabetes, and ADHD. Dr. Taketa-Wong stresses (no pun intended) the importance of healthy emotions. Emotional well being is just as important as physical health and, in fact, emotions are woven into our body. When we feel safe and secure, our muscles are relaxed, our breathing is normal, our heart and digestion – in fact our entire body – operates normally. Regardless of outside circumstances, life seems good.
When we’re nervous, anxious, worried, or afraid, the opposite occurs. Our muscles contract, our breathing becomes faster and shallower, our heart beats faster, digestion slows. Outside circumstances can feel ominous and life seems uncertain. Sandra Parker, a PhD psychologist, calls those kinds of emotions “unrest,” arising from feelings of vulnerability. You were hit with a surprise overdraft charge. Your partner, who always lets you know, is an hour late. The kids are at war with each other. You didn’t get the job. You’re waiting on medical test results. Even though we may “know” life is a roller coaster, we want our lives to be predictable, we want control. So what do we do when things aren’t going our way, and we experience unrest, being unsettled? How do we handle feeling vulnerable? Many of us turn to external activities to avoid dealing with our feelings: online shopping seems very important, the pet wants attention, we dive into our to-do list, those cat videos are just irresistible, we bury ourselves in work. According to Dr. Parker, what we’re doing in those moments is escaping from our inner lives. “We are triggered by uncomfortable sensations in our bodies heralding emotions stirring beneath, and we do anything rather than face them,” she says, adding that, “many kinds of suffering can arise from this. Indeed, research suggests that people who avoid emotions tend to have higher pain levels, increased cardiovascular risk, and higher cancer rates, as well as increased depression, anxiety, and problems in relationships.” This well-written and highly relatable article offers excellent insight into the ways we avoid our feelings and some excellent approaches to embracing them. Understanding what’s going on inside and how we deal with it can, ironically, bring us the control and predictability we desire. Please click to view the article. The human species should be viewed in the same way that we think about how other species are connected to nature. Each one has certain types of foods that nourish them, and they are definitely not the same for all. A lion can’t eat grass, while that’s about all cows eat in their natural environment. Chickens don’t eat tomatoes. Cats don’t eat raisins.
Humans are radically different. One defining distinction is that humans can eat just about anything. What an advantage! Our species can thrive in Alaska and Hawaii. We can live just about anywhere on earth in any climate – deserts, mountains, shorelines, valleys, plains, you name it. The Bajau people live on the ocean around Indonesia in small boats, fishing for a living, only going ashore to buy secondary supplies. However, that advantage is also our Achilles’ heel, because our bodies still must comply with our basic biology. Other species typically avoid eating what doesn’t work for their bodies. We, on the other hand, struggle with it. Our advantage is also what can be our, literally, fatal flaw: Globally, lifestyle diseases, primarily diet, are responsible for 63% of deaths. Please let that sink in. For such an intelligent species, how can this be? It literally doesn’t make sense. While there are many scientific and medical phenomenon in play, one striking reason is that ultra-processed (industrial) foods can be addicting. Addiction – for any species – defies all logic. But we must remember that we’re not talking about broccoli. We’re talking about huge multinational corporations producing industrial products masquerading as actual food. A registered dietician quoted in the article stated, “For these food companies, the more addictive the food, the greater the profit….Food companies who manufacture these [ultra-processed foods] are gas lighting consumers by trying to deny that these foods are anything other than addictive.” Here are three big takeaways from the article: Researchers concluded that ultra-processed (industrial) foods may be as addictive as smoking Researchers confirmed that these types of foods are high in refined carbohydrates and fats, substances that can cause changes in the brain. Experts say that ultra-processed foods need to be regulated more strictly because of their potential addictive qualities and their impact on the obesity crisis. Click to view the article NATURAL MEDICINE ALTERNATIVES TO TREATING HEARTBURN, CONSTIPATION, DIARRHEA, BLOATING, AND GAS6/23/2024 Healthy digestion is the foundation of well being. When it’s working as it should, our body extracts the necessary nutrients from our food to give us energy and vitality and keep us well, and then removes the rest as waste. When there is constipation, heartburn, loose stools, bloating, or abdominal pain, the body is signaling that something is wrong.
Unfortunately, this is all too common in America today. But because something is common doesn’t mean that it’s normal. It’s normal for our bodies to work properly. For example, heartburn is especially common in the U.S., but it’s not normal at all to have heartburn. Also common are prescriptions for acid blockers. But—incredibly—the majority of people are NOT producing too much stomach acid. Rather, they have an underlying condition typically caused by certain foods that are not digesting well. Incomplete or inadequate digestion, in turn, can cause a reflux reaction. Suppressing the acid does not solve that problem. In the long run, using acid blockers can sometimes make the situation worse by limiting the body’s ability to produce enough stomach acid to digest the food. In addition, some acid blocking medications have been associated with an increased risk of dementia and other serious medical conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), heart disease, kidney disease, and certain types of cancer. Constipation is also widespread. It can be caused by many different things. A poor diet with insufficient fiber and water are common culprits, but it can also be due to medications or certain medical conditions like low thyroid hormone levels. When it comes to loose stools, in addition to a poor diet, they can be caused by food allergies, food sensitivities, or even things like parasites. Also, both constipation and diarrhea can be caused by Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Recent research has shown a link between chronic constipation and cognitive decline, the precursor to dementia.  Does the gender of your doctor matter? The answer is an unequivocal yes. A study published just last month in the Annals Of Internal Medicine added to the growing body of research showing that patients consistently do better under the care of a female physician. In fact, experts say that male physicians should consider the findings of the study and learn how they might improve their own practice.
People treated by female physicians have lower rates of mortality and readmission than those treated by male physicians. In their study, researchers reported that there was a clinically significant difference in outcomes for people depending on the gender of their treating physician. Dr. Yusuke Tsugawa, a senior author of the study said, “Further research on the underlying mechanisms linking physician gender with patient outcomes….has the potential to improve patient outcomes across the board.” One difference is that women doctors spend more time with patients as well as engaging in shared medical decision making and partnership discussions compared with their male counterparts. According to Dr. Lisa Rotenstein, a co-author of the study, “In the surgical realm, female physicians spend longer on a surgical procedure and have lower rates of postoperative readmissions. We need to be asking ourselves how to provide the training and incentives so that all doctors can emulate the care provided by female physicians.” A professor of medicine at Stanford University who was not involved in the study commented that there is often a tendency for male physicians to discount this kind of information because it may feel uncomfortable or threatening. “However, that kind of response will not help patients. If, instead, male physicians can approach these data with curiosity as to why patients may have worse outcomes in their hands, they may begin to identify how to improve the care they provide.” Click to view the article. Mary Huang is a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner with a unique personal experience influencing her professional life. She has been in practice for 16 years, including a 9-year period when she co-owned and managed an acupuncture/healing arts clinic. She left to spend 4 years living off the grid in the rain forest jungle of Costa Rica. There, she experienced the energetic power that we all possess to help us heal. (Mary Huang's website: https://soulsprings.wixsite.com/singi... )
Mary Huang moved to Honolulu in 2022 and founded Singing Tree Acupuncture. Her work includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, homeopathy, bodywork and energy work. She has found that most people’s main concern is their physical health. “I am completely in alignment with that. At the same time, it is important to remember that we are not just our bodies. So, in order to be in our best physical health, we must also seek alignment and balance with the mind and the soul.” Doctor Taketa-Wong believes that it’s important to keep an open mind about specialties we may not be familiar with. “They all have something to teach,” she said. “Naturopathic medicine is one of the specialties I was trained in. The other is Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. I treat the whole person, not just symptoms of diseases. Why do they have this condition? What is the emotional component? Mary Huang’s knowledge of the spiritual side of ill health can be eye opening.” |
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