Passion for Healing Naturopathic
With the internet, excellent public and private libraries, and giant bookstores such as Powell's Books, there's a whole lot of information out there. Punch in even straightforward medical or nature cure topics and search engines like Google will provide you with links to the most diverse places. Looking up a topic such as healthy oils can leave you feeling like you're digging for lost pearls in the city dump. So much of the information out there conflicts or is written by people trying to sell something, or those lacking core understanding. For this reason Dr. Curry has compiled, by category, information on health topics that she has found insightful and appropriate for patients. Even here, Dr. Curry doesn't always agree with every detail of every resource and their links. Dr. Curry instead offers these as food for thought. As always each individual must see their very own world through their own collections of experiences, from early family influences, cultural views, formal and other education, life experience, and the light captured in his/her own eyes. On that note, Dr. Curry welcomes you to wander through her mini library. Come back anytime; stay as long or short as you wish, and be well!
Diet/Nutrition/Meal Planning
http://www.watercure.com
Here’s watercure pure and simple backed by numerous scientific articles by the author and links to other watery health topics.
http://drbenkim.com/articles-fat.html
He presents a short but good description of what makes a healthy fat and where to find them.
http://www.maximizedliving.com/Home/MaximizedLivingCare/Nutrition/HealthyOils.aspx
This nice quick description of the benefits of different healthy fats also describes very basic cooking and supplementation tips and offers an explanation on why canola oil is undesirable.
http://www.coconutoil.com/
This site offers an abundance of research on the myriad of benefits of coconut oil, a healthy tropical oil still often demonized for its saturated fat content. It's that same saturation that makes it so stable for high heat cooking.
http://www.mendosa.com
Help your blood sugar by learning about the glycemic index:
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
Calculate your body mass index. Between 21-24 is ideal.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
Nutrition content for thousands of foods.
http://www.gluten.org
Resources for those who need to eliminate gluten.
http://www.celiac.org
http://www.westonprice.org
http://www.eatwild.com
http://www.realmilk.com
http://www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php
12 most and least contaminated crops - Environmental Working Group
http://www.ota.com/organic_and_you/10reasons.html
Why is Organic Important? 10 reasons to go organic - Organic Trade Association.
http://www.ota.com/organic /benefits/nutrition.html
Organic nutrition - Organic Trade Association
http://www.womensheart.org/content/nutrition/mediterranean.asp
Food guide for Mediterranean diet.
http://www.townsendletter.com/AugSept2009/JurasunasChart.pdf
Anti-cancer food guide pyramid.
http://healthybodydaily.com/dr-andrew-weils-health-guides/dr-weils-food-pyramid-guide-for-the-anti-inflammatory-diet
A delicious anti-inflammatory food pyramid with great nature cure depth and links to Dr. Weils tips on how to use this colorful pyramid. Just be sure to switch out the questionable canola oil recommendation for beneficial coconut or grape seed oils.
http://www.livingpaleo.com/articles/The-Food-Pyramids.html
The Paleolithic diet pyramid, here's something for those who really like their meat! It works great for some people, especially those that regularly club whales then haul them across glaciers to igloos.
http://www.vegetariannutrition.org/food-pyramid.pdf
Here's a vegetarian food guide pyramid one for those who hate meat, plus info on vegetarianism.
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-food-pyramid.asp
A food guide pyramid for vegans, with helpful tips on how to avoid common vegan deficiencies.
Food, Inc. produced by Elise Pearlstein; produced and directed by Robert Kenner. 2008. Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media and River Road Entertainment present; Perfect Meal, LLC ; Los Angeles, CA.
Here's a documentary if you still need convincing that the Standard American Diet (SAD diet) is broken.
In Defense of Food: an eater's manifesto by Michael Pollan. 2008. Available in print and audiobook at the library. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Audio
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of food journalist Pollan's thesis. Humans used to know how to eat well, he argues, but the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." Indeed, plain old eating is being replaced by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. Pollan's advice is: "Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food." Looking at what science does and does not know about diet and health, he proposes a new way to think about what to eat, informed by ecology and tradition rather than by the nutrient-by-nutrient approach.--From publisher description.
The Botany of Desire: a plant's-eye view of the world by Michael Pollan. 2006. Audio Evolution; Distributed by Gildan Media Corp. Edition Unabridged. Available in print and audiobook at the library.
Examines the relationship between humans and domesticated plants.
The China Study: the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted : startling implications for diet, weight loss and long-term health by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II. 2005. South San Francisco, CA: Audio Literature. Available in print and audiobook at the library.
This one stunningly, overwhelmingly shows the power of diet in influencing health.
Nourishing Traditions: the cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats by Fallon, Sally. 2001. Washington, DC : NewTrends Pub.
Based on theories by Dr Weston Price, this behemoth calls for a return to traditional eating practices with a literal ton of information and recipes to truly change your outlook on the Standard American Diet (SAD diet).
Foods That Heal by Maureen K. Salaman and James F. Scheer. 1989 Imprint Menlo Park, Calif.: M.K.S., Inc.
Promises to prevent or reverse more than 100 common ailments without drugs and even reverse aging. That's a pretty tall order, lofty promises; however, this book actually has some nice basics and many great recipes.
Your Body's Many Cries for Water: don't treat thirst with medications by F. Batmanghelidj. 1992 Imprint Falls Church, VA: Global Health Solutions.
What better, more available and cheaper cure - water. Learn how chronic dehydration may be the root cause of many chronic diseases.
Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé; illustrations by Marika Hahn. 1971. Imprint New York : Ballantine Books, 1991. Edition 20th anniversary ed. 1st printed 1971
This presents a powerful case for a reduced reliance on animal protein plus meal planning guides, recipes, etc.
Gourmet Health Recipes by Paul and Patricia Braggs. Health Science.
For life extension & vital, healthy living to 120!
The Mediterranean Diet by Marissa Cloutier and Eve Adamson. 2004. Imprint New York : Avon, Edition Newly rev. and updated.
Recipes and nutrition information plus all you've wanted to know about one of the healthiest diets on the planet today.
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman. 1999. An Owl Book Henry Holt and Company, New York.
The Spelt Cookbook: cooking with nature's grain for life by Helga Hughes. 1995. Imprint Garden City Park, N.Y.: Avery Pub. Group,
Why and how to cook with spelt, an older and less civilized form of wheat.
The Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein.
Eat Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck
This book is an easy read and gives a lot of vital information on the basics of how to eat a traditional whole foods diet.
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorono
This is a great book to read if you have a strong interest in becoming more inspired about the food you eat. This book summarizes the benefits of individual types of foods and teaches you about their medicinal qualities.
Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by: Sandor Ellix Katz
Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko
Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health by: Victoria Boutenko
This is an amazing book of easy recipes.
The Antiinflammatory Diet and Recipe Book by: Jessica Black, ND
Allergies and Holistic Healing by Skye Weintraub. 1997. Imprint Pleasant Grove, Utah : Woodland Publishing.
A comprehensive reference for everything on allergies-from nutritional causes to natural treatments
Food Allergies and Food Intolerance : the complete guide to their identification and treatment by Jonathan Brostoff. 2000. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press.
Answers everything from why to what to do and in an understandable, yet scientific way.
Cancer:
The Answer to Cancer is Never Giving It a Chance To Start by Hari M. Sharma and Rama K. Mishra, with James G. Meade. 2002. Imprint New York: SelectBooks, Inc.
Very simple ways to avert a very big calamity and tools to help if you're there are presented.
What to Eat if You Have Cancer : a guide to adding nutritional therapy to your treatment plan by Maureen Keane and Daniella Chace ; [foreword by John A. Lung]. 1996. Imprint Chicago, Ill. : Contemporary Books.
Here's a no holds barred primer on fixing your diet now, and for good reason.
Mental/Emotional Health
Audio books:
The leader's way: the art of making the right decisions in our careers, our companies, and the world at large by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV) and Laurens van den Muyzenberg. 2009. Publication info. New York : Books on Tape.
His Holiness utilizes his philosophies of "Taking the right view" and "Doing the right thing" to provide community leaders a purpose, to create jobs over creating profit. It challenges leaders of the free-market economy to the challenge of doing business right in the face of globalization. It's an inspiration for even the lowliest and humble leader.
The art of happiness at work by The Dalai Lama (Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV) and Howard C. Cutler. 2003. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Simple yet profound ways to rethink your approach to work and its stresses are told.
The Stress Answer: train your brain to conquer depression and anxiety in 45 days by Frank G. Lawlis. 2008. North Kingstown, R.I.: BBC Audiobooks America.
Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford University neurobiologist has been advancing our understanding of stress - how it impacts our bodies and how our social standing can make us more or less susceptible. Research reveals that the impact of stress can be found deep within us, shrinking our brains, adding fat to our bellies, even unraveling our chromosomes. Yet understanding how stress works can help us figure out a ways to combat it and how to live a life free of the tyranny of this contemporary plague.
Self-Esteem: your fundamental power by Caroline M. Myss. 2002. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
Caroline Myss redefines self-esteem an actual "core power" that is essential to our evolutionary progress. Beginning with a look at the roots of self-esteem in childhood, and branching into the real world of daily experience, Myss illustrates the incredible changes that come when we nourish this life giving force.
The Mood Cure Book by Julia Ross
Stress: Portrait of a Killer by senior producer, Linda Goldman; director/writer, John Heminway. 2008. A co-production of National Geographic Television and Stanford University; Washington, DC. Widescreen Edition.
Using the latest research on neuroplasticity, Dr. Lawlis redefines stress and shows readers how they can retrain their brain to prevent stress from taking its toll. This clear and practical guide includes action plans and recommendations for specific foods, physical exercises, and mental relaxation techniques to train your brain to combat stress.
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com
Natural treatment choices for mental health.
Herbal medicine:
http://www.herballegacy.com/
Herbalist John R. Christopher
Pharmaceuticals:
Health for Sale directed by Michele Mellara, Alessandro Rossi; script by Michele Cogo and Michele Mellara, Alessandro Rossi; produced by Mammut Film Srl, Voli Soc. Coop. 2007. First Hand Films; San Francisco, Calif.: California Newsreel, Standard format.
Here's a documentary to watch if you still believe the drug companies are there to help you get better.
http://www.dhs.state.or.us/publichealth/antibiotics/index.cfm
AWARE, the Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education - A workgroup promoting the judicious use of antibiotics
Nature Cure:
Nature Doctors by Friedhelm Kirchfeld & Wade Boyle. 1994. NCNM Press, Portland, OR.
A history book on modern naturopathy.
Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil, M.D. 1995. Fawcett Columbine. New York.
How to discover and enhance your body's natural ability to maintain and heal itself.
New Choices in Natural Healing edited by Bill Gottlieb. 1995. Rodale Press, Inc. Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
A huge book with very beginner self-help remedies from Prevention Magazine Health Books.
http://www.naturopathic.org
The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) supports legislation to license and regulate naturopathic physicians in all states, in order to distinguish properly trained physicians.
http://www.oanp.org
Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians
http://www.aanmc.org
Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
http://www.nccam.nih.gov
National Center for Complimentary & Alternative Medicine
http://www.imjournal.com
Integrative Medicine Journal
http://www.alternativemedicine.com
http://www.aapainmanage.org/
American Academy of Pain Management
Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by: Richard H. Pitcairn
Accredited Naturopathic Schools in North America:
National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM)
049 SW Porter St., Portland, Oregon 97201 Phone: (503)552-1555
http://www.ncnm.edu
14500 Juanita Dr. NE Kenmore, Washington 98028 Phone: (425)823-1300
http://www.bastyr.edu
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
2140 E. Broadway Rd. Tempe, Arizona 85282 Phone: (480)858-9100
http://www.scnm.edu
University of Bridgeport – College of Naturopathic Medicine
Health Sciences Center, 60 Lafayette Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604 Phone: (800) EXCEL UB ext. 4108
http://www.bridgeport.edu/naturopathy
200 East Roosevelt Rd. Lombard, Illinois 60148 Phone: (630)629-2000
http://www.nuhs.edu
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
1255 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, M2K 1E2 Phone: (416)498-1255, Toll Free: 1-866-241-2266
http://www.ccnm.edu
Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine
Boucher Centre, 300-435 Columbia Street, New Westminster, British Columbia, V3L 5N8 Phone: 604-777-9981
http://www.BINM.org
Practitioner Picks - Professionals I Recommend:
Homeopathy and Healing Kids:
Chris Cooke, ND, 503-984-5652,
http://www.healing4you.net
This amazingly inspirational Dr is my first choice for homeopathy referrals and her focus on children and mental health is a great bonus!
Chrissie Ott, M.D., Women and Children, Holistic Physician,
http://www.nanopracticepdx.com
Knute Fredrickson, DDS, General dentistry, 7600 SE Division, Portland, OR 97206, Phone: 503-774-3033,
http://www.divisionstreetdental.com/
Counselors/Therapists:
WiseCounsel and Comfort, www.portlandtherapist.com Eight clinics in Portland and one in Vancouver, Susan Danehy, MA, Individual and Family Therapy, and Crystal Mattox, LMFT, crystalmattox.com Marriage, Family and Individual Therapy.
Physical Therapy:
Emily Soiney, PT, DPT, RYT, shinephysicaltherapy.com 2301 NW Thurman St. Suite S, Portland, OR 97210, Phone: 503-715-7237, emily@shinephysicaltherapy.com, Physical Therapy, Manual therapy, craniosacral therapy, postural restoration and yoga.
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine:
Charles Rothschild Lev, LaC, charlesrothschildlev.com Natural Health Center, 3025 SW Corbett Ave., Portland, OR 97201, 503-552-1551.
Natural Health Center:
Natural Health Center - Teaching Clinic for the National College of Natural Medicine: IV Therapy, Acupuncture, physical medicine/manipulation, extensive natural product medicinary, laboratory services.
http://www.ncnm.edu/ncnm-teaching-clinic.php
Chiropractic Care:
Western States Chiropractic College
http://www.wschiro.edu
Environmental Health:
Powerful Plants:
http://www.oxford.net/~steve/sick.htm
Clean Air Plants & Sick Building Syndrome - Wolverton Environmental Services.
http://www.pesticide.org
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
http://www.aehf.com/
American Environmental Health Foundation - A catalog of environmentally safe products and a great list of links.
http://www.ewg.org/
Environmental Working Group - News topics and research on health and the environment.
http:/ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/allpubs.html
Environmental Health Perspectives - The best environmental journal in country.
http://www.allermed,com/
ALLERMED - Informational links on allergens
Air Purifiers:
http://www.ecomall.com
http://blueair.com is the highest rated air filtration unit
Green Building resources:
http://www.stopwaste.org/fsbuild.html
Stop Waste - A guide for new-home builders and remodelers.
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
Building Green - A leading periodical of green design.
http://www.energystar.gov/
Energy Star - A joint website of US environmental protection agency and the Department of Energy.
http://www.dsireusa.org
Database of Incentives for Renewable Energy - A database of renewable energy incentives, by state.
http://www.greenpages.org/
National Green Pages - The nation's only directory of screened and approved green businesses.
http://www.certifiedwood.org/
CertifiedWood.org - Forest Cerification Resource Center
Architects and Builders:
http://www.ala.org/consumer
http://www.home-performance.org/
Home-Performance.org - The Building Performance Contractors Association of New York State.
http://www.adpsr-norcal.org/
ADPSR-norcal.org - Green resources guides and reading list from Architects, Designers, and Planners for Social Responsibility of Northern California.
http://www.strawbuilding.org
StrawBuilding.org - Straw building resources from the California Straw Building Association.
Green transportation resources:
http://www.greenercars.com
GreenerCars.com, cars with the least environmental impact.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov
FuelEconomy.gov, Information on fuel-efficient cars.
http://www.BioDiesel.org
BioDiesel.org A, sustainable and clean burning alternative fuel.
Doctor Mindy Curry, N.D.
What is Naturopathic Medicine
Tenets of Naturopathic Medecine
Fee Schedule & Online Payments
Latest Videos by Dr. Mindy Curry
The Healthy River: A Wellness Analogy
Our bodies can be likened to a river, moving from beginning to end through all of life’s landscapes. At the beginning the river is all fast growing potential flowing effortlessly down pristine mountains. Life abounds in these waters and shores. Complex cycles involving fish, insects, birds, sunlight, algae, plants, and microscopic bacteria assure anything that enters the river is made good use of. Wastes don't accumulate, these water are largely self-cleaning. You can float a long ways sometimes before any problems surface. Many people are able to float though their childhood and early adulthood without apparent major health concerns. This is possible because our bodies' young vital force tends to be strong and returns quickly to health with even moderate challenges to wellness. This is the optimal health baseline. Everything works as needed. As a naturopath, my ultimate goal is to help you maintain or even improve that optimal healthy core. Like a river our bodies are full of lively moving organ systems. The beating heart, bellowing lungs, rushing arteries and veins, chemical and electrical nerve conduction, the digestive system, the beneficial bacteria therein, and many others all work together without our conscious thought to maintain homeostasis (proper functioning). In an ideal world your best health would continue, just as a wild river, say in Alaska, never loses its health until that moment it returns to the ocean. Really, I would love to be there only when you need some advice on optimizing nutrition or want to talk out an emotional dilemma.
Unfortunately for many of us modern life is not ideal. As a river may pass through muddy clear cut forest, sloppy chemical factory, open sewers, livestock processing plant, petroleum based fertilizer/insecticide laden farmland, etc., our own bodies are assaulted by the unnatural pressures of modern living. A river may at first be able to compensate for a certain amount of toxic contamination, but with added burden the healthy ecosystem begins to fail. This is no longer drinking water, and it's probably best to release any caught fish. At some point the pollutants are too much for the river to flush away. The fish die, the bad types of bacteria take over, and the children are told not to soak even tired feet, let alone swim. In human terms, modern life has exposed most of us to air pollution, household or industrial chemicals, largely untested food preservatives, additives and genetically modified crops, nutritionally lacking yet calorie and bad-fat dense sweets/ junk food, unstudied mixtures of pharmaceutical and OTCdrugs, work and social stresses, lack of exercise (stagnation), recreational drugs, alcohol and tobacco, not to mention all the other lions and tigers and bears and auto accidents found in the modern jungle. Usually many of these and other factors combine to bring a person to a state of unwellness. It is the vital force's cry for help.
Your body inherently wants to heal itself and function well. When your health is less than optimal, it is important to take a reckoning of the sources of pollution, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual in your life and basically try to fix some or all, to lessen the burden. For a simple example, your diet may need major modification if you have been eating the Standard American Diet (SAD diet) and now find yourself developing uncontrolled diabetes. Another person may need vitamin and mineral supplementation to reverse deficiency states that prevent the body from fully efficient self-healing. Herbal supplements may strengthen the immune system so it can focus where needed. Just as installing a new sewer system in Portland promises to greatly reduce sewage pollution in nearby Willamette River, every step towards living healthier counts in the long run. Fortunately we are all strong and smart enough to respond to imbalances, to restore health using these least harmful, yet effective Naturopathic treatments first, and in conjunction with continuing medical care. Naturopathic Doctors have training in a plethora of ways to help your mind-body be its best. As much as you let me, I will help guide you through your health related issues, whether that means optimizing your already great health, or addressing a particular disease state. I will listen to your needs to provide you with a custom plan in which you get to chose how far you will go towards optimizing your own health. By working as a team I am positive that we can get you back to feeling the best you can, preferably better than you ever have in your entire life. Call to schedule your home visit appointment today. Your waters should flow deep, pure and lively until reaching that final destination.
Questions for Dr Curry?
Send Doctor Curry an Email or
call her at +503-995-8674
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