Back by popular demand, our newsletter has returned to its previous format. We've decided to resume sending a copy to everyone on our mailing list, as well as making the information available on line at our clinic website, http://www.yncnaturally.com. New to this issue is a column entitled “Administrative Updates”, written by our Clinic Administrator, Kathy Toney, RN We've also decided on a new name for the spa side of our clinic. Come join us at the Oasis Natural Health Spa!

Your Teeth May Be Making You Sick
by Dr. Margaret Beeson

So often as I listen to patient's complaints from chronic health conditions such as fibromyalgia, headaches, sinusitis, fatigue, or autoimmune disease then learn that he/she has had mercury fillings, root canals or both, I sigh inwardly knowing that I must address this controversial issue, that is often either a large part of their condition or the very source of it. This topic seems an insurmountable subject because the common paradigm, contrary to scientific evidence, still holds that root canal-filled teeth and mercury do not negatively impact health.

The irony it that the FDA warns pregnant women about the potential danger of tuna consumption when the amount of mercury released from chewing on teeth filled with mercury contributes far more to toxic levels in human tissue. In fact, the mercury vapor released within 30 seconds of chewing is readily absorbed and enters our blood stream through our mucous membranes, crossing into the brain in 60 seconds.

Additionally, the health dangers from root canal-filled teeth have been scientifically documented for over 60 years. George Meinig, DDS, one of the founding members of the American Association of Endodontists (dentists who specialize in root canals) wrote the ROOT CANAL COVERUP in 1993. In this work, he documents the extensive and detailed research done by Weston A Price DDS, GACD. DR. Price, as Director of the Dental Association's Research Center, published 35 years of the centers findings on the subject in 1923, in 2 massive textbooks. When Dr. Meinig discovered the research done by Dr. Price he resigned his position and now spends his time educating, in both the public and professional arena, about the danger of root canals.

Around the country there are numerous personal injury and class action suits against the American Dental Association and individual state dental associations pending, as well as new suits against manufacturers in 3 states. A US Congress health subcommittee's probe into the health consequences of dental mercury heard numerous scientific experts testify on May 8, 2003, calling dental mercury “unsuitable”, “releasing substantial levels of mercury” and “being capable of causing all the markers of Alzheimer's disease.”

Professor Boyd Haley, Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, testified that mercury is significantly released from dental amalgams and that according to 1 study “roughly 6-15% of Americans have severely toxic levels of mercury on the day they die”.

Mercury collects in the brains of some people who cannot effectively excrete mercury due to genetic susceptibility, to lead, pesticides or other toxins. Recent research by Haley, and others, implicates mercury poisoning as one of the causes of the increasing incidence of autism. Research published in Toxicology 2003; 185:23-33 found a direct correlation between mercury levels in offspring's liver and kidney and the number of maternal amalgam surface areas.

Dr. Weston Price had an experience with a patient with severe symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis who recovered her health after removal of an apparently healthy root canal-filled tooth. He became aware that many patients with degenerative diseases did not respond to the usual treatments and he began to suspect infected root canal-filled teeth. He devised a method of implanting root canal-filled teeth under the skin of approximately 5000 laboratory animals, which developed the same degenerative diseases as the patients from whom he had extracted the teeth. Healthy teeth did not cause disease in the animals. Dr. Price's work was apparently “lost” for 60 years and only resurfaced in the mid 1980's.

“Symptoms associated with infection from root canal-filled teeth are fatigue, chills, night sweats, headaches, sinusitis, tinnitus, muscle pain, arthritis and more. The effects from mercury fillings are subtler and are the result of the accumulation of mercury in body tissues, such as the kidneys and the brain.

Wolfgang Woepple MD who runs the Hufeland Klinic, a famous integrated cancer treatment facility in Germany, requires that all patients have their root canal filled teeth and mercury fillings removed before embarking on their treatment protocols. His clinic has an impressive record for increasing survival time for many patients with “incurable” cancer.

Jeff Bland, PhD, world renowned nutritionist, physician educator and author of GENETIC NUTRITIONERING remarks that most progressive research is limited by the 50 year rule, meaning that it takes about 50 years for important new information to become accepted, when it goes against the current paradigm (i.e. the link between homocystene and heart disease, first discovered by Dr. Kilmer McCulley over 40 years ago).

For more detailed information check out the resources listed below. Don't wait 50 years to take a look at what may be a significant health concern for you RIGHT NOW

ROOT CANALS: SAVIOR OR SUICIDE: Hall Huggins , DDS,MS www.hugnet.com
ROOT CANAL COVER-UP: George Meinig, DDS,FACN Bion Publishing Co 1996
ROOTS OF DISEASE: Connection Dentistry and Medicine Robert Kulacz DDS and Dr. Boyd haley www.altcorp.com
Dr. Jerry Bouquot's dental pathologist and researcher www.maxillofacialcenter.com
Dental Truth News DAMS, Inc.(Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome) P.O. Box 6249,
Minn, MN 55407 (800)311-6255

Administrative Update
by Kathy Toney, RN, Clinic Administrator

When you receive this edition of the newsletter, I will have been on staff for 4 months. It has been an exciting time for me and I appreciate the opportunity to work with such a dedicated group of physicians and staff. I'd like to update you on several changes for 2004:

• Dr. Nirala Jacobi has accepted an opportunity to travel to Australia to serve as guest faculty at Southern Cross University-a school of natural and complimentary medicine. She will be out of the office during February and March. In her absence, we have arranged for Dr. Holli Gower to be at YNC to meet the health care needs of Dr. Jacobi’s patients. We are honored to have Dr. Gower join us during this time, as she is an accomplished Naturopathic physician who specialized in pediatrics and women's health, as well as lecturing extensively on various topics pertaining to natural medicine. Dr. Gower presently serves as the Treasurer for the Montana Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She will join Dr. Beeson in offering a detox/cleaning class in February and March

• As each of us is aware, health care delivery costs have been increasing steadily over the years. At YNC we raised our rates on selected fees only twice in the past 10 years. As of January 1, 2004 we will experience an overall rate increase. We find the increase necessary in order to continue to be a presence in the Billings medical community and offer access to cost-effective holistic health care. Please feel free to check with Kim or Jill at the front desk for the new fee schedule.

• Also beginning January 1st, 2004, we will offer a 10% Senior Citizen discount to our patients aged 65 and older. This discount will apply to our clinic office visits as well as items purchased from our dispensary.

• In order to introduce you, our patients, to the health-enhancing benefits of a Vichy shower, herbal wrap, mud bath, or sauna, we will also be offering our patients a 15% discount on spa services.

• I'd like to invite you to share any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments with me by calling 259-5096 or by sending e-mail to ktoney@yncnaturally.com.

To Your Health
by Dr. Paul Nicolai

Welcome to 2004! It seems that with every new year, people experience a drive to make changes and to improve themselves. They quit smoking, cut down on their alcohol intake, cook more meals at home, vow to spend more time with the family, or promise to walk their dog every day instead of just once a week. One of the most common resolutions I'm faced with as a primary care physician is a patient's desire to lose weight. There are a multitude of good reasons for this resolution. Being overweight has been shown to lead to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, gall bladder problems, stroke, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers, just to name a few. Even more insidious are the subtle consequences of being significantly overweight, such as a decreased ability to handle daily responsibilities or an inability to participate in physical activities with your friends and family.

There are numerous diets and weight loss plans available, but what is really needed to lose weight in a safe manner and to maintain that weight loss over time? In my opinion, the only thing really required is balance. Balancing your dietary intake, your physical activity, and your metabolism can result in a healthy weight loss, higher energy level, and the reduction of many disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, insulin resistance, and many others too numerous to list here. Before we start, I want to define a healthy and safe weight loss. My definition is simple - a healthy and safe weight loss uses the fundamental principles of how the body actually works, combined with a sensible rate of loss, to achieve a reasonable (and sustainable) goal. For example: a forty year-old man who is 6 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds should have a program that will allow him to lose about 3 to 6 pounds per month as he moves towards a goal weight of about 175 pounds. For those of you who think that 3 to 6 pounds is insignificant…go to your local grocery store and buy 3 to 6 pounds of butter or margarine. Carry it in your arms as you walk home. Then unwrap it and put it in a pile on your kitchen counter so you can get a visual of what 3 to 6 pounds of fat looks like. My guess is that the 3 to 6 pounds will take on a whole new significance. In order to lose weight in a healthy manner, it is important to pay attention to the following:

CALORIES. The amount of calories you consume each day does matter; if you consume less calories than your body uses, you will lose weight; if you don't - you won't. The best way to determine the amount of calories you should have each day is to use a basal metabolism calculation such as the one found at www.room42.com or to have your resting metabolic rate measured, which can be done inexpensively right here in Billings. Based on this information, you can determine the amount of calorie that would be a reasonable for you to consume if you want to maintain a steady, healthy weight loss. Use this to determine how many calories to maintain your desired weight.

DIET. In addition to having the appropriate amount of calories, a weight loss diet must contain the nutrition necessary to support health and must help to keep the blood sugar nicely balanced. A body that works too hard to keep blood sugar balanced or that cannot keep blood sugar balanced will probably not be healthy. Four or five small meals and snacks to reach your caloric goal are better than two or three. Don't skip meals - especially breakfast.

• Fats. Include high-quality fats at each meal. These fats are essential for the prevention of inflammation, proper cholesterol metabolism, the healing of tissues, and to help slow the influx of sugar into your bloodstream. Examples include: limited amounts of raw nuts and seeds, un-refined oils ie: olive, saffron, sunflower, sesame and flax. Avoid poor quality fats such as hydrogenated oils, deep-fried foods, and trans-fatty acids.

• Protein. Include quality protein at each meal. Protein is an essential building block for healthy tissues and helps to slow the influx of sugar into your bloodstream. Examples include: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, beans & rice, tofu, wild game, and free range/organic red meats.

• Carbohydrates. Carbohydrate intake should be limited to those that are as unrefined as possible. Good ideas include: brown rice, quiroa and other whole grains. Avoid white flour, white sugar and any refined products, wherever possible.

• Alcohol. Source of empty (non-nutritional) calories, so should be used in moderation, if at all. If you are limiting your total calories, it's especially important to make sure that the calories you ingest are calories that contain the substances that your body needs to thrive. Don't forget to include any drinks you do have in your total calories for the day.

• Water. Drink plenty of water - filtered is best. Every chemical reaction in the body takes place in a water environment.

EXERCISE. Aerobic exercise, 3-5 days per week, for at least 30 minutes. Weight training to build muscle - this allows you to increase your metabolic rate.

Don't forget to stay balanced, have fun, and use this as an opportunity to expand your diet and eat things you haven't eaten before! Please join Dr. Nicolai for his lecture “Weight Loss and Metabolism” on Monday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Dispensary News

The cold and flu season is upon us! Please take advantage of our 24 hour, confidential phone or e-mail service at:

Advance Refill Services:
(406) 254-9682 or e-mail:
dispensary@yncnaturally.com

Just leave your name, the items that you need refilled and when you will be at the dispensary to pick them up.

For those taking advantage of our Advance Refill Services, we now have a monthly drawing for a gift basket. Your name will automatically be added when using our Advance Refill Service.

The advantage to using our Advance Refill Service is: no waiting. Although we try to keep plenty of stock on hand, there is always the possibility of backorders from our suppliers. Your time is very valuable, and we strive to make your visit with Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic positive.

New Flex Plan Spending Rules: Reimbursements for over-thecounter drugs without prescriptions will be allowed if used to alleviate or treat personal injuries, sickness or a specific condition. Dietary supplements should qualify if specifically prescribed by a physician treating a specific condition.

I look forward to meeting you. Debbie Thomson, Dispensary Tech

Comings and Goings

We at the Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic would like to say goodbye to Sherilynn Spina and wish her much success in her future endeavors.

Debbie Thomson joined Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic October 23. Debbie brings 20+ years of customer service to her position as our Dispensary Technician. You will be greeted with a smile and your dispensary order will be quickly and accurately filled as needed. Please stop by and introduce yourself.

Jill Port joined the staff Nov. 3. She will be working in the reception area and dispensary. She brings many years of service and an extensive computer background to the clinic. She states, “I am very excited to be joining the team at Yellowstone Naturopathic and hope to be able to help you”.

Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655

ync@180com.net

Dispensary
406·254·9682

dispensary@yncnaturally.com