How to LOSE Weight During the Holidays

We all know that any holiday we celebrate has FOOD as a main component and one of the most enjoyable to experience.  Sometimes it's the comfort food that helps us through the "family" thing and other times it may be what brings the family together.  Without taking away the joy and pleasure the holiday foods bring...how do we protect ourselves from not gaining weight during that time period.  If you ONLY gain 3 pounds each year, where are you in 5 years . . . OOPS. 

Here are a few easy ideas that may keep you from gaining and may even afford some WEIGHT LOSS:

1.  EAT BREAKFAST - no matter how much you may plan on eating for the rest of the day.  The breakfast (high protein/low carb) will help to stabilize your blood sugars for the rest of the day and will help keep you full so you won't want to snack as much.  Try a good GREENS/PROTEIN drink for breakfast.

2.  EAT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS - sometimes it's not just how much we eat but what foods cause an inflammatory response in our bodies.  If you have done the blood test for IgG allergies stay away from them.  If you have not . . . high allergen foods tend to be wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeasts.  If you can gain or lose more than a pound overnight...then you have put something into your body that caused an inflammatory reaction.  You can't gain muscle or fat overnight.

3.  TAKE YOUR OMEGA-3 FISH OIL.  It's an anti-inflammatory and helps to stabilize your brain's neurotransmitters.  It helps with depression and anxiety, both of which are high during the holidays and it will also help you with the detriment of the YUMMY foods.

4.  KEEP YOUR ROUTINE WITH MULTI-VITAMINS.  Don't throw out the good just because the bad is coming. These will help the body for the onslaught. 

5.  LEARN THE CALLAHAN TECHNIQUE for the emotional eating part.  It's a quick easy way to not grab for that EXTRA serving or that second piece of dessert.  Your family may think you've gone nuts when you start tapping yourself but next year they will have the extra pounds not you.

6.  EXERCISE -  whatever your routine is...you must so more on the day you overeat.  You can burn up the extra calories.  If you don't want to count calories . . . just do SOMETHING for one hour.  Wait 2 hours after eating and then go WITH your family and friends to walk, dance, yoga, whatever...make it part of the day's plan.  Everyone will feel better and not have the guilt.  Don't huddle on the couch too long you'll never get up. Make a pact with your group that you WILL exercise after eating . . . someone in the group will actually hold the rest to it. 

7.  DON'T STARVE YOURSELF before and after.  You will teach your body that it must store whatever you eat next to fat because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming.  If your body sees some food every day then when you overeat it won't be as likely to hold on to it.   Eat less for the days before and after to cut some calories for the week and to "shrink" the stomach, but be sure and eat healthy meals and only cut the size down... not cut OUT.

8. DRINK A LOT OF WATER - it will keep you full.  If you are used to 8 glasses a day drink 10-12.  If you only drink 1-2 SHAME ON YOU but get over it.  DOUBLE the amount on these days.  I'm not asking you to cut out anything.  You can have your coffee and alcohol just smaller amounts and if you decide not to have them on these gorge days all the better.  WATER, WATER, WATER.  It will satiate you.

9.  EAT DESSERT - just one piece.  If you want a bite of them ALL then a bite of each that equals one serving in total.  You can satisfy your taste and your curiosity and not put yourself into a blood sugar swing. There are probably other people who want to do the same thing so you won't be destroying the piece for someone else.  Forget splitting ...it's too much . . . ONE TOTAL PIECE.   

10.  NIX the leftovers.  If the meal is at your house give away ALL leftovers except some turkey and veggies.  Give the rest away.  If you are the guest do not take home the left overs that will put on the pounds. 

11.  EAT BEETS..they will help cleanse your liver and gall bladder. 

Some things to take that will help you maintain your weight if you decide not to burn more calories than you eat (in other words you STAY on the couch):  

a.  Digestive enzymes. Take 20 minutes before a meal to help digest your food.  This is great for the GERD and TOOTS that usually follow when you overeat.  They will also help you break the food down so it won't be so easily stored in the wrong places.

b.  Probiotic. You will be eating food with hormones in them and your gut flora will be a mess for days.  Populate your gastro intestinal system with the good bugs and it will help with digestive issues.

c.  Natural anti-inflammatories such as Tumeric and Curcumin.  Many products have these as well as Green Tea and other ingredients that keep the inflammation down and increase your metabolism.

d.  Cinnulin(a water extracted cinnamon) and chromium to stabalize blood sugars and help you with the cravings.

e. Hoodia for appetite suppressant.  This is an herb used by African tribesmen to suppress appetite while hunting.  Take 2 hours before the big meal of the day. 

You don't need stimulants, etc.  remember you are teaching your body that most of the time you eat well so when the BIG BOY days come...it can handle it.  If you feel guilty after eating, the stress chemicals you produce will pack it on in the middle. Sooooo . . .

ENJOY your food, eat less, exercise more and take some supplements to help. Sounds easy and it is.  Make your goal to lose a certain amount of weight during the 2 weeks before and after a holiday.  If you follow these rules...you will.  

Your Health - Your Choice with Dr. Donese

Every first Monday of the month I offer a 20 minute segment called Your Health-Your Choice as an opener to The Sandie Sedgbeer Show: Conversation at the Cutting Edge on the Awakening Zone Network.  If you missed my last segment that aired on October 6th you can listen right now!

Listen to internet radio with awakeningzone4 on Blog Talk Radio

My next episode of Your Health-Your Choice airs on The Sandie Sedgbeer Show at 2:00PM Central Time on Thursday, November 3rd.

To listen to the show LIVE on Thursday, November 3rd follow the link below:

http://www.awakeningzone.com/Episode.aspx?EpisodeID=664#Player

Be sure to obtain a user id and password from AwakeningZone.com so you can log into the chat room and participate in the conversation during the show.

It's All About You

You’ve entered the best part of your life, a time when anything’s possible. It’s what we at Worden Medical Specialties like to think of as your “re-new” age. So why is it so many of us feel stressed, exhausted, foggy, and hurting? You try medicines. You even try meditating. Nothing seems to work.

What’s Life Without Energy?

At Worden Medical Specialties, we believe health means having the energy to do all the things you love in life – and for as long you want. That’s why we take loss of energy very seriously. It may be the earliest sign of a future medical problem, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. By intervening early, we can often prevent or delay the worst, re-energizing and “re-poweringTM” you now, while preventing future anguish (to say nothing of costs of hospitalization and other major medical services).

We Call It “RepoweringTM.” You’ll Call It Relief.

As experienced Naturopathic Medical Doctors, we excel in combining conventional medicine with proven, leading edge alternative therapies to create unique, customized treatments. You can see your doctor, complete your lab work, and get your natural prescriptions filled all in one place.

www.wordenmedicalspecialties.com

Do Your Supplements Measure Up?

Supplements are a $20 billion industry. But what are we getting for our money? Many products sold by the supplement industry haven’t been widely studied. Others are ineffective because they contain the wrong form of active ingredient, no active ingredient, or they’re poorly absorbed. 

Does your supplement check out?  Below is a list of things you should consider when choosing supplements:

* Does the company perform independent lab assays on the raw materials and on clinical trials?

*  Does your supplement company manufacture in an ISO9001 and cGMP facility?

*  Are your supplements Kosher Certified?

* Are your supplements in Vegetarian capsules?

*  Are they packaged in glass?

*  Does your supplement company use GRAS (generally regarded as safe), certified herbs?

*  Does your supplement company employ a vendor contract?

*  Does your supplement company operate in an air conditioned facility?

*  Does your supplement company video tape all aspects of its production?

Don’t waste your money on “garbage” supplements.  Be your own health watchdog and research supplements before you buy.  If the ones you are already taking don't pass the test it's time to start looking for better options. 

Love those Lovely Legs

In these cost-cutting times, many things can be deemed unnecessary. But surely not strong, beautiful legs. For many of us, legs are our most visible feature – the exclamation marks to every outfit. Properly cared for, legs can go and go from an attractiveness perspective, give and give from a functional standpoint.  As former gymnast and dancer, I understand the allure of a great pair of “gams.” Therefore I have a unique approach to perfecting legs that uses naturopathic treatments to mobilize the body’s own repair and “beautifying” mechanisms. The results are legs that not only look beautiful but also function without pain. As a naturopathic medical doctor, I have a foot in both worlds – conventional medicine and alternative, or naturopathic, medicine. Every client has different needs when it comes to leg health. We focus on proven, effective therapies that work with the body to reduce cellulite and fat or bring relief from joint pain. Our goal is functional beauty that lasts.

There are a plethora of natural therapies for everything from spot-fat removal (mesotherapy), cellulite reduction, to sclerotherapy (vein removal), and Regenerative Injection Therapies to relieve joint pain and improve mobility. Naturopathic Medicine takes a comprehensive view of your body and then customizes a program specific to the patient. If you have swelling of ankles or varicose veins, it may be due to slowing circulation, which would be considered in our aesthetic plan so the problem doesn’t recur.  Natural leg aesthetic approaches include:

Mesotherapy:  This is a popular and effective technique for spot-fat reduction around the tummy, arms, hips and buttocks and the inside of knees. It involves injecting a fat-dissolving homeopathic substance into the trouble spot to liquefy fat and tighten skin. Unlike most aesthetic clinics that still use phosphatidylcholine injections, however, I prefer homeopathic injections, which are reaction-free. Mesotherapy can be augmented with cold laser therapy for optimal results.

Custom Fitness and Weight Loss: Mesotherapy may not be indicated for people who are 30 or more pounds overweight. In those cases, the focus begins with customizing a weight loss and fitness program that increases metabolism to achieve the ideal weight. To support a client’s aesthetic goals, medically supervised HCG therapy can be implemented using a unique European protocol for better weight loss results. In addition, a medically supervised personalized training program may be recommended. I work with highly trained fitness experts who have at minimum four years of kinesiology.

Cellulite Reduction: Though it can’t be eliminated completely, a combination of homeopathic injections from Italy and cold laser therapy to smooth and tighten the skin can be highly effective.

Remove Varicose and Spider Veins: These are treated with nutraceuticals to improve overall vascular health and/or sclerotherapy (saline injections). 

Joint Pain and Inflammation: Studies are showing Cortisone shots may damage tissue. I recommend leading-edge Regenerative Injection Techniques, such as Platelet Therapy. Platelet Therapy involves healing and strengthening tendons and ligaments by powerfully concentrating the body’s growth factors. Results are excellent. Other therapies available include homeopathic (eg, Traumeel) and Prolotherapy (dextrose) injections. In cases where the joint pain is due to inflammation, such as arthritis, food allergy testing is utilized to eliminate foods that increase inflammation.

Brittle Bones (Osteopenia, Osteoporosis): Bone health can be compromised by hormone loss in women and in men, by drugs such as proton-pump inhibitors, which interfere with bone mineralization. In addition to medically-supervised fitness programs that target bone health, comprehensive mineral status analysis and customized hormone panels should be considered.  

Please see www.wordenmedicalspecialties.com for a descriptive list of therapies with detailed information.  

Your Health-Your choice with Dr. Donese Worden - September Show

Every first Monday of the month I offer a 20 minute segment called Your Health-Your Choice as an opener to The Sandie Sedgbeer Show: Conversation at the Cutting Edge on the Awakening Zone Network.  If you missed my last segment that aired on September 1st you can listen right now!

Listen to internet radio with awakeningzone4 on Blog Talk Radio

My next episode of Your Health-Your Choice airs on The Sandie Sedgbeer Show at 2:00PM Central Time on Thursday, October 6th.


To listen to the show LIVE on Thursday, October 6th follow the link below:


http://www.awakeningzone.com/Episode.aspx?EpisodeID=589#Player


Be sure to obtain a user id and password from AwakeningZone.com so you can log into the chat room and participate in the conversation during the show.

Allergies - Why they happen and what you can do about them.

More people than ever before are suffering from allergies.  Solutions that only treat symptoms may help but don't address the core issue.  In this interview I share information about why allergies happen and what you can do about them.

Dr. Donese Worden talks about allergies on AM Arizona.

Post Traumatic Stress - What you should know.

Everyone experiences stress.  Sometimes even everyday stressors can become debilitating.  Find out the difference between PTSD and anxiety and what can be done for PTSD.

Dr. Donese Worden on AM Arizona discusses Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season

Do you know the best ways to prepare yourself and your kids for cold and flu season? Breaking out the antibacterial soaps and loading up on orange juice? You might be surprised by some of the new information I have to share about staying healthy and avoiding colds and flu.

Dr. Donese Worden - KPNX Channel 12 

Natural Partners interview with Dr. Donese Worden and Dr. Sunil Pai

You've all heard me sing the praises of GUNA products.  The Italian BioLift isn't the only thing GUNA does well.  The following video will give you a deeper understanding of what GUNA products are, how they work, and why they are such effective natural therapies and treatments for detoxification, mood elevation, allergies, stress reduction, insomnia, immune support, pain management, and MORE!

Click on the image above or follow the link below to watch the video:

http://www.naturalpartners.tv/Channels/Products/Guna/tabid/1727/Default.aspx

The Italian BioLift - Part 2

The Italian BioLift typically requires 8 to 10 sessions, though results can usually be seen immediately. Clients say their skin appears tighter, healthier, and glowing. Once, the collagen has been rebuilt, effects are lasting depending on how well you care for your skin.

Neck Wrinkles

The patient shown here (see before picture), for instance, had tried everything to get rid of the deep wrinkle lines on her neck even though her face was virtually wrinkle-free. The structure of the skin under her chin was also starting to break down and she was developing a classic droopy pouch.

Chin Pouch

In her case, the pouch under her chin was a fat pad, so I treated it first with a special injection that dissolves fat. Then I started her on a series of injections, targeted at accelerating collagen-building. After each treatment, I applied a cold laser to further increase collagen building. With each series, her neck wrinkles filled in, becoming less noticeable. After six treatments, she was thrilled with the results (see after picture).

Positive Results!

The Italian BioLift for Face and Neck is great for men, too. Many women recommend it for men in their lives to help minimize forehead wrinkling and neck sagging. The men enjoy it because it’s so natural looking. There are no side effects except for occasional minimal bruising at injection site, which is minimized by the cold laser treatment and resolves quickly.

Whether you have advanced wrinkling or you want to use it preventively, the Italian BioLift can give you a smooth, toned, and natural result that will last. We also offer natural aesthetics services to complement the BioLift. These include organic facials and resurfacing using pure, natural products that support your body’s healing for the most beautiful results possible.   

The Italian BioLift - Part 1

I often get inquires from women, and even men, who want to know about natural cosmetic procedures that really work. They don’t want the cost or risk of surgery (to say nothing of the “pulled” look). Or, they’re tired of the Botox routine—a good thing since new animal studies show the Botulin toxin circulates through the body and liver and may pass into the brain. They’re determined to find something safe, non-invasive, and effective.

For these clients, I always recommend The Italian BioLift for the face and/or neck. Results have been outstanding especially for smoothing and repairing crepe-like, wrinkled, saggy necks. It’s been a beauty boon to people who have done a great job of keeping their faces rejuvenated but not their neck areas.

The Italian BioLift is so called because central to the technique is a unique natural medicine developed by the Italian company, GUNA. GUNA provides thoroughly researched, highly effective homeopathic medicines that keep them on the forefront of integrative medicine. I was one of the first U.S. doctors to train in Italy under the GUNA Method and now teach the approach to other doctors.

The Italian BioLift involves a series of relatively painless, shallow injections directly into the face and neck areas. The natural medicine that is injected includes a dilution of medicines, vitamins, minerals, collagen, and herbals. In combination these ingredients help improve the texture, tone, and tightness of the face and neck skin by boosting collagen production. It’s especially effective at eliminating fine wrinkles and “turkey neck.” 

Next week I'll talk about how the BioLift works.

EnergyAesthetics: A unique Approach to Skin Care Rejuvenation, Part 3

Probably our most popular treatment is a facial that combines micro-current with gem stones and color light. This unique treatment creates an accelerated healing environment for skin and body rejuvenation. Micro-current is supported with over 30 years of research. It activates the skin’s natural responses to create glowing heath. The micro-current mimics the body’s natural electrical energy, allowing the skin to regenerate through increased collagen and elastin production. It firms skin tone, smooths fine lines and wrinkles, and minimizes any puffiness. At the same time, it relieves stress helping to recharge your body and leaving you feeling new and totally relaxed.

Adding color therapy with healing LED lights and spiral helix gem therapy (“Acugems Facial Rejuve™”) to the micro-current brings additional benefit. Acugems uses naturally energizing gems to boost the skin’s energy and radiance. It helps regulate the flow of energy in the body to improve overall health and restore balance. The treatment also address underlying causes, such as digestive problems, hormonal imbalance, and emotional stress, which get reflected in the face through dark circles, dry or lusterless skin, sagging skin, drooping eyelids, blemishes, and excessive wrinkling.

The result is a “whole body facial” that leaves your face glowing and your body recharged. Not only does your face look like it has dropped ten years of aging, your body feels that way, too.

EnergyAesthetics: A unique Approach to Skin Care Rejuvenation, Part 2

“The face tells a story about your body,” says Deborah. “So it’s important to take the whole person into consideration. People love this approach because it makes sense to them. They come in for their face, and then when they experience the connection between health and beauty, they are committed to caring for their body.” Often this is the first experience people have of the powerful connection between the state of the body and the beauty of the face, she adds. When they experience the opening up of energy channels in the body through acupressure, the effects on the face are magical.

EnergyAesthetic services begin with a face and body assessment to identify any physical or energy changes in the body. Our aestheticians are trained to look for energetic shifts that may be affecting the skin color, rate of aging, degree of wrinkling, and general tone. In some cases, there may be deeper health issues that need attending. For instance, aging can be accelerated by hormonal changes before or around menopause. That’s where I come in, as a medical consultation for hormone balancing and harmonizing may be recommended. Especially important is the function and health of your digestive system.  Many people have no idea that their face reflects how well their GI tract is working.

Worden Medical Specialties conducts clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of new modalities and products. We want to be sure our aesthetic services deliver beautiful results. We offer natural skin care products including a 100% organic skin care line that is free of all perfumes, chemicals, preservatives and coloring. For clients interested in a natural, highly effective alternative to chemical peels, we also offer organic mini-peels that use essential oils to gently exfoliate. 

EnergyAesthetics modalities may include therapeutic light and color puncture targeted at acupuncture points. Facial acupuncture works well for training the mucles to contract to a normal state so laxicity of the skin is improved We also use gem therapy with micro-current, and reflexology to create energy flow in the body and face. Additionally, I offer European homeopathic injections in combination with cold laser for wrinkles  and spot fat reduction.  As an international lecturer on both therapies, which are both proven to increase collagen production, I have seen dramatically beautiful results, especially for the skin on the neck area as well as facial rejuvenation. 

Volunteers Needed FAST for Clinical Trial at Worden Medical Specialties

Do you live in the Phoenix area?  I need women ages 35-60 to participate in a clinical trial that starts TUESDAY! 

The trial requires only two visits to my clinic in Mesa AZ—one on Tuesday, July 26th and another on Tuesday, August 9th. 

We are conducting a clinical trial on an oral supplement for energy, libido and mood.  We are looking for women ages 35-60 to be volunteers for the trial. The trial starts Tuesday July 26, 2011(Both trial dates will be held at the MESA Clinic). You will be taking a supplement for 2 weeks.  You will need to come again on August 9, 2011. You will fill out a short questionnaire, have vital signs taken, have a blood draw, and fill out another short questionnaire.   You will be here for up to one hour but no longer. 

Please call the clinic at 480-588-2233 or 480-381-4281 and ask for Erica to volunteer and for more information.  

Clinical Trial Hours will be from: 6:30 AM - 5 PM

If you enjoy the supplement you will be given ONE YEAR FREE PRODUCT for your participation in the trial. 

EnergyAesthetics: A unique Approach to Skin Care Rejuvenation, Part 1

At Worden Medical Specialties, we can’t stop the rocket of time, but we can sure slow it down or minimize its effects.  When it comes to skincare, in particular, we have pioneered a unique approach to natural skin rejuvenation and care called EnergyAesthetics.

EnergyAesthetics starts with an understanding that the state of your internal body’sl health is reflected in the quality and condition of your face. This idea is derived from an ancient Chinese principle that describes the body’s many energy channels (or meridians) as being like the roots of a tree and the face as being like the leaves. If you restore the roots, the leaves are rejuvenated, and the plant becomes vibrant once again.

All too often, however, skin care services are approached “superficially” and the effects do not endure. Also, many service providers use overly aggressive chemical peels that may produce dramatic results but also irreversibly destroy the outer layer of the skin. Over time, with repeated chemical peels, dermabrasions and hot lasers, the skin may become thinner and thinner resulting in a bluish-gray discoloration, and ultimately, deeper wrinkles.

As a naturopathic medical physician, I am licensed in both systems of medicine, conventional and alternative (or naturopathic). That means I have a foot in both worlds. I approach aesthetics by looking at the whole body and face, both inside and out. My goal is to get to the root of your problem and then mobilize the body’s own healing powers with proven natural modalities that are reflected in skin care health that endures gorgeously and healthily. 

Addressing Menopause, Part 3: Naturopathic Treatment for Menopause

In American culture, menopause is treated like a disease because of common problems associated with the normal hormonal changes. It can, however, be a fresh phase of life with new opportunities that a woman's wisdom of experience can direct. During this series we will examine menopause in the U.S. and look at past and current medical treatments as well as naturopathic therapies.

Part 3 – Naturopathic Treatment for Menopause

While many doctors may prescribe synthetic hormones for HRT (hormone replacement therapy) there has also been a recent surge in demand for bio-identical hormones by women who have read popular books on the matter. It is important to know that while there's much relief to be gained from HRT, it may not be appropriate for every woman. However, studies have shown that nBHRT (natural bio-identical hormone replacement therapy) has significant benefits over conventional synthetic hormones. 

In addition to HRT and nBHRT there are other natural ways to ease the transition of menopause. In my personal practice, we aim to not only help you feel better, but to also address the underlying issues. Many times this involves diet and lifestyle recommendations, and other times it will involve supplements and natural medicines to increase organ health. In the case of low hormone levels, two main factors are involved: diet and lifestyle. The liver processes hormones out of your body each day. You need the appropriate substrates to make new hormones everyday. Dietary change and supplementation with essential fatty acids (such as fish oil) may be in order.

Second, stress depletes hormone levels. Initially, when you are stressed your body will shunt fatty acids and precursor hormones over to the production of cortisol (the stress hormone), decreasing the levels of progesterone, DHEA, testosterone and estrogen.

Next, the adrenal glands, which produce cortisol, get tired and hormonal pathways get sluggish. We need to feed the adrenals (and potentially other glands) to increase health. This may include glandular supplements.

Women must be educated and proactive: annual testing, breast exams, mammograms and lifestyle changes can all promote better health and more balanced hormones. It takes a blended approach—optimal health care does not come in the form of one prescription pill.

With an appropriate perspective of menopause, and the guidance of a trained, well-informed and sensitive practitioner, a woman can seize this opportunity the transition provides to optimize her health and lifestyle in a proactive and preventative fashion.  A naturopathic treatment plan will be based on diet and exercise changes in addition to supplements, herbs and possibly natural or other HRT aimed at relieving menopausal symptoms, optimizing bone health and prevention of heart disease.

What is Naturopathic Medicine?


Naturopathic Medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting-edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease. NDs craft personalized and comprehensive treatment plans that blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health. 

Steeped in traditional healing methods, principles and practices, naturopathic medicine focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, a ND helps facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health. It is the ND’s role to identify and remove barriers to good health by helping to create a healing internal and external environment. 

NDs treat all medical conditions and can provide both individual and family healthcare. Among the most common ailments they treat are allergies, chronic pain, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, obesity, respiratory conditions, heart disease, fertility problems, menopause, adrenal fatigue, cancer, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. NDs are trained to utilize prescription drugs, although the emphasis of naturopathic medicine is the use of natural healing agents.

Photo courtesy of HealingDream at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Addressing Menopause, Part 2: Traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

In American culture, menopause is treated like a disease because of common problems associated with the normal hormonal changes. It can, however, be a fresh phase of life with new opportunities that a woman's wisdom of experience can direct. During this series we will examine menopause in the U.S. and look at past and current medical treatments as well as naturopathic therapies.

Part 2 - Traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

In the case of menopause Western medicine typically turned to synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) given solely in a pill form, and physicians who adhere to generally accepted standardized protocols still use this form. However, we know that when given orally, hormones need to be absorbed in the digestive tract, get processed by the liver, and then go out to the bloodstream. This causes decreased levels of absorption, decreased levels of free hormone, and more chance of negative effects of hormones occurring. 

Many women are unaware that synthetic hormones are not the only choice for balancing their hormones. Naturopathic physicians opt for bio-identical (“natural”) hormone replacement therapy (nBHRT) and alternative routes of delivery, such as transdermal (cream form).  nBHRT, like its synthetic counterpart, requires a physician’s prescription and the hormones differ in that nBHRT is derived from plants rather than chemicals. 

Synthetic formulations are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and packaged into specific, standard doses. Conversely, nBHRT is prescribed in person-specific doses and compounded (i.e., assembled) by a pharmacist.  A variety of dosages available, the alternate routes of administration, and the combining of more than one substance into one easy-to-take product offer better patient compliance and results. 

What is Naturopathic Medicine?


Naturopathic Medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting-edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease. NDs craft personalized and comprehensive treatment plans that blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health. 

Steeped in traditional healing methods, principles and practices, naturopathic medicine focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, a ND helps facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health. It is the ND’s role to identify and remove barriers to good health by helping to create a healing internal and external environment. 

NDs treat all medical conditions and can provide both individual and family healthcare. Among the most common ailments they treat are allergies, chronic pain, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, obesity, respiratory conditions, heart disease, fertility problems, menopause, adrenal fatigue, cancer, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. NDs are trained to utilize prescription drugs, although the emphasis of naturopathic medicine is the use of natural healing agents.

Photo courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Moving Through Stress with Laughter - Monthly FREE Seminar

If you live in or near the Phoenix area or are planning to be in the area over the weekend, be sure to take advantage of this FREE Seminar.

Moving Through Stress With Laughter

Date: July 9, 2011

Time: 10 AM - 12 PM

Location: Mesa Clinic, 6638 E Baseline Rd # 101 Mesa, AZ 85206

Ph Number: 480-588-2233

RSVP Now . . .  Space is Limited 

Dr. Donese Worden, NMD

Please join us for a very fun and educational seminar.  June Cline, CSP is a patient of mine and a dear friend.  June believes in Naturopathic Medicine and has donated her time to come and be with us.  I will be lecturing on the brain chemistry of stress and how we can balance it with nutrition.  June will be educating us on how to use laughter to lighten our day. 

Ever feel as if chaos, change, stress or just plain ole' crazy has taken up residency in your world?  Are you ready to "lighten up, have fun and play more in both your professional and personal life?"  If you are ready to change not only your brain chemistry but also that of others, the good old fashion and natural way, Author, Speaker and Coach, June Cline, can show you how.  June will help us get to the heart of the matter by learning how to connect with others by managing our thoughts and our sense of humor.  "It's our foibles that make us fabulous," June says.  Through our every day experiences and actions we can create laughter which builds resiliency for us and the trust of others.  "It's the secret sauce of everything," according to June.  Boost your mental health, your leadership style, even customer service skills by being the instigator of laughter.  June believes laughter = hope, and hope = power. Ignite your own personal power by giving the gift of laughter.

June Cline, CSP

June Cline, CSP, and Author of "Is It God or Is It Gas?  Intuition vs. Indigestion," is an Inspirational Humorist, Trainer and Intentional Creation Career Coach.  With a book title like that, obviously, she doesn't take herself too seriously but she is real serious about humor and laughter.  In her Southern, sassy and savvy style, June helps people, teams and companies create concrete results by making deeper connections. Her fun career coaching helps people intentionally meet their personal and professional goals and expectations.   

June is an active member of several professional organizations.  She is on the Board of Directors of the National Speaker Association, Arizona Chapter and on the Editorial team of the National Speakers Association. 

 As a gift from June, go ahead and "poke around" as she says, on her site at www.JuneCline.com.  Feel free to take the free Intentional Creation Assessment by clicking on that button on the right of the page.   Discover your thoughts that are supporting or sabotaging your success. 

Addressing Menopause, Part 1: What is Menopause and How Does it Change You?

In American culture, menopause is treated like a disease because of common problems associated with the normal hormonal changes. It can, however, be a fresh phase of life with new opportunities that a woman's wisdom of experience can direct. During this series we will examine menopause in the U.S. and look at past and current medical treatments as well as naturopathic therapies.

Part 1 - What is Menopause and How Does it Change You?



Every day, roughly 6,000 women in the US reach menopause - the stage of life when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs and menstrual periods cease. According to U.S. Census data from 2000, there are about 37.5 million women entering or currently at menopause (ages 40 to 59).  It’s estimated that in 2010, there were approximately 50 million menopausal women!  As recently as the 1980s, menopause was not something to be talked about, understood, or prepared for so much as it was to be endured. Women often suffered in silence through this inevitable transition. 


Luckily, our understanding of menopause and hormones has grown by leaps and bounds since then. We know more about the common symptoms that women experience, and we have better treatments to help them cope. We realize that the lifestyle habits that you maintain or adopt during this time of life can have a profound impact on your health and vitality in the future, especially when you consider that with today’s record-high life expectancies in the US, many women will live one-third or more of their life after menopause. 


The medical definition of menopause is for a woman to be menstruation-free for twelve straight months, however, surgery, such as a hysterectomy, can also induce early and sudden menopause and onset of menopausal symptoms. A better definition of menopause may be to have persistent symptoms of estrogen deficiency, which can include mood swings, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations, nausea, loss of memory, difficulty concentrating, night sweats, insomnia, headaches, joint pain, hair loss, skin changes (dryness, thinning), acne, facial hair growth, decreased metabolism and weight gain, hot flashes, (night sweats or sleeping problems that lead to feeling tired, stressed or tense), vaginal changes (the vagina may become dry and thin and sex may be painful) and thinning of bones, which may lead to loss of height and bone breaks. 




What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic Medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting-edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease. NDs craft personalized and comprehensive treatment plans that blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health. Steeped in traditional healing methods, principles and practices, naturopathic medicine focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, a ND helps facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health. It is the ND’s role to identify and remove barriers to good health by helping to create a healing internal and external environment. NDs treat all medical conditions and can provide both individual and family healthcare. Among the most common ailments they treat are allergies, chronic pain, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, obesity, respiratory conditions, heart disease, fertility problems, menopause, adrenal fatigue, cancer, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. NDs are trained to utilize prescription drugs, although the emphasis of naturopathic medicine is the use of natural healing agents.

Photo courtesy of Photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The HCG Diet - What you need to know, Part 4

The HCG Diet is being touted as one of the best ways to lose weight and reset the body's weight to a healthier level.  In this series I will talk about what hCG is and how it works.  This week we'll be talking about how to maximize weight loss on the hCG diet.

Maximizing Healthy Weight Loss

In order that my patients receive the most optimal and lasting results possible, I consult with each individual and address all health/lifestyle factors that contributed to weight struggles in the first place.  At my clinic, I implement what I call “Phase One” which addresses food journaling, supplementation such asomega 3 fish oil,  branched chain amino acids and colon cleansing to detoxify. I seek to eliminate factors such as potential food allergies and environmental toxins (i.e. heavy metals) as a contributor to weight gain prior to introducing the hCG diet. I also make sure the gastro-instenstinal system is optimally working so the body can handle the fat it is about to reslease.  My patients experience weight loss during this lifestyle modification process, and when a plateau occurs hCG is begun again to spur further healthy weight loss.  If patients are not losing during the hCG diet, I am then confident there is some underlying health issue that must be addressed.

In conclusion, the hCG diet offers an amazing array of health benefits.  yo-yo dieting (which can be far more detrimental than overweight),can be put to an end with this program.   Dieters typically experience a weight loss of on average, 20-25lbs while reshaping the body, improving blood sugar, decreasing blood pressure and arthritic pain, stabilizing thyroid hormones– just to name a few benefits … Weight loss should not be regained as long as the dieter continues their healthy lifestyle.  My patients continue to see overwhelming success on the program with rare minor side effects.  

The HCG Diet - What you need to know, Part 3

The HCG Diet is being touted as one of the best ways to lose weight and reset the body's weight to a healthier level.  In this series I will talk about what hCG is and how it works.  This week we'll be looking why correct monitoring is so important.

Use Caution With hCG

Professional monitoring is essential.

It should be known that hCG is a prescription drug that MUST be dispensed and monitored by a licensed physician or practitioner. In addition, hCG varies in quality and purity, therefore, I acquire my supply from a very reputable compounding pharmacy.  Because the hormone is collected from the urine of pregnant women, it is imperative that safety measures are in place to prevent contamination and risk.  It must also be said that the FDA does not approve of hCG for weight loss.  However, when I looked carefully at the studies, I could find no long-lasting negative side-effects.  We do not have a long-term double-blind placebo controlled study however, 50 years of clinical evidence and use of hCG for other problems show no known risks (that I can find to date).  There are some contraindications and some patients that will have to be monitored very closely due to certain health conditions, so dieters must do their research and choose a physician carefully.

*Next week I'll talk about maximizing healthy weight loss with the hCG diet.  

The HCG Diet - What you need to know, Part 2

The HCG Diet is being touted as one of the best ways to lose weight and reset the body's weight to a healthier level.  In this series I will talk about what hCG is and how it works.  This week we'll be looking at how the hCG actually works.

How The hCG Diet Works


The program I administer is the protocol developed by Dr. Simeons.  Over the course of 23 days, patients take hCG injections, follow a strict 500 calorie diet plan and experience an average weight loss of one to two pounds per day – without hunger, decreased energy or other symptoms typical of extreme calorie restriction.  Yes, you heard that right – one to two pounds per DAY!  While the dieter is only consuming 500 calories, the hypothalamus and pituitary are signaling the body to  releasing stored body fat, because of this, the body is actually operating on thousands of calories a day. 

Though a pregnant woman can produce as much as one million units of hCG per day, an injection of only 175 units per day is ample to reduce weight at the rate of roughly one to two pounds per day, even in someone who is grossly overweight, when associated with a 500 calorie diet. While shedding weight this rapidly without the use of hCG shots would be unhealthy, the hCG changes this.  The weight targeted comes from adipose tissue(fat), rather than muscle.  In other words, the weight loss seems to come directly from this fat loss and does not show signs of stripping the body of much needed muscle, vitamins, or minerals essential to maintain good health.  

Almost all hCG dieters report a feeling and appearance of great health and marvel at the correction of negative health problems (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, throid regulation, etc.) they had as an overweight individual.  Most importantly, hCG may reset  the hypothalamus/pituitary and thus restart the dieter’s metabolism.  For this reason, dieters continue to lose excess body fat after cessation of the injections and will not regain the weight – so long as a healthy diet and lifestyle is continued. In fact several of my patient’s while following my instructions for AFTER the injections tend to continue losses up to another 20-25 pounds.  In addition, dieters experience a reduction in size from their problem areas and do not exhibit a sunken and sickly face typical of extreme dieting; hCG reshapes the body and only allows for healthy weight loss – not excessive loss to the detriment of the individual’s health.    

*Next week I'll talk about proper monitoring.