Monthly Matters:
Focus on Women's Health
Heart Healthy Oils
De-Stress With Exercise
Smoking? Get Help
Flu Shots Are In

From the Margin:
Holiday Schedule
First Tuesday

 Women's Health Expert Joins GreenField
In our last issue, we announced that Dr. Cynthia Ferrier has joined our GreenField Health - Barnes Road practice. We wanted to share a bit more about Cynthia:

Cynthia brings a wealth of experience to our team, having been in practice in Portland for over 16 years. Cynthia is a very well respected personal physician and primary care internist. She specializes in Women's Health, and is a Certified Menopause Clinician. She is a member of the Master Faculty on Osteoporosis for the American Women's Association.

Cynthia also brings a substantial expertise in integrating complementary and alternative medicine, and has done much work on behalf of her patients in coordinating care across multiple disciplines.

Please join us in welcoming Cynthia.

Cholesterol Management
Cholesterol management is a common problem. Unfortunately, a great deal of it is genetic and try as we might to control our cholesterol with diet and exercise our numbers often won't budge.

Here are some non-medication approaches that can be used:

Flaxseed has been shown to be effective at lowering cholesterol. It is available at your grocery store. Topping foods and soups with ground flaxseed may be a good way to reduce heart disease risk. One study of postmenopausal women found that those who consumed 40 grams of ground flaxseed every day for three months reduced their total cholesterol levels by 6 percent. Their blood levels of other fat compounds that are linked to heart disease, such as apolipoprotein B, also fell.

Olive oil is another way to help manage cholesterol. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. After olive oil, canola oil has the most monounsaturated fat per ounce. Replacing saturated fats such as butter and animal fats with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil or canola oil is recommended when feasible. Keep it in mind this holiday season.

In addition, a recent study demonstrated a link between olive oil intake and cognitive function. In the study, elderly people whose diets included ample amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids had a lower incidence of age-related cognitive decline compared to elderly people who consumed very little. This effect could be explained by a reduction in the cholesterol build up within the very small but important blood vessels in the brain. This adds additional support to the emerging data that good cholesterol management with a common class of cholesterol lowering medications (such as Lipitor and Zocor) also helps lower age-related decline in mental function.

More on Exercise and Mental Health
Exercise has a number of very important physical benefits as you know from our last Health Matters. GreenField recommends that everyone exercise on a regular basis — at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise a minimum of 4 times per week. For optimal conditioning and weight control, this includes a combination of aerobic exercise along with weight training.

In addition, research demonstrates that stress and anxiety can be managed by exercise. In a recent study, taking three strenuous 10-minute walks each day was shown to be as effective at relieving tension and anxiety as one 30-minute walk. Thus, if you can't manage to find a solid 30 minutes to exercise during your day, consider taking a quick walk before work, take a 10-minute power walk at lunchtime, and then finish your day with a brisk walk around your neighborhood when you get home. These should be power-walks, not strolls. Exercise is great for your health and for your head - it helps keep stress under control.

Smoking? Or Have a Friend Who Is?
Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes and other nasty things. If you, a friend, or a loved one smokes, you know that quitting is one of the most important things you can do for your health. But nicotine in cigarettes is a highly addictive substance and quitting is not easy. A person has to be motivated to do so. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that telephone counseling provided by "quit smoking lines" is effective in smoking cessation, nearly doubling abstinence rates.

Anyone needing help with smoking cessation can call the Oregon Tobacco Quit Line 1-(877) 270-STOP. This is a great resource — please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who might benefit.

Flu Shots Still Available
Flu shots are here, and they are in plentiful supply. If you haven't gotten one yet, it's not too late. Give us a call to let us know when you'd like to drop in, and we'll be ready for you. Insurance companies are generally not reimbursing for these, so our price to you is $24. Ask us about a Pneumovax while you're here, and we'll give you one if it's appropriate for you. We can promise no lines, quick and (relatively) painless shots, and a warm cup of coffee while you're here.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Your GreenField Health Team:

Chuck Kilo, MD
Cynthia Ferrier, MD
Elizabeth Hays, MD
Eric Murray, MD
Jamie Sharp, CMA, your Health Coordinator
Jill Arena, your Clinic Administrator
Stephanie Gorsch, CMA, your Health Coordinator
Steve Gordon, MD

GreenField Health System

questions, concerns, comments appreciated:
questions@greenfieldhealth.com