May/June 2007

Happy Anniversary!!
AIM celebrated our 10 year anniversary on May 15th! We would just like to extend a huge thanks to all those who helped get us there! We have met and continue to meet interesting people and we value those relationships. At AIM we are continually looking for ways to grow. We are interested in hearing what you would like to see us offer. We have space available and staff to
host a number of events. We can hold support groups, give lectures and seminars, and are offering classes in yoga. If you, or a group you belong to, have any ideas, or would like to give us some ideas, please email to beth@docbiddle.com. Again, thank you for a wonderful ten years, and we look forward to our continued relationships with each and every one of you.

Dr. Biddle and Dr. Willingham are available to speak to your group or organization on a multitude of topics. For information or to schedule a talk, please contact Jean at 828-210-0188.

Don’t Get Bit by a Tick.
By Anne Walch, PA
The saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies a hundred-fold to avoiding tick bites and their tickborne diseases. Unless you have taken care of, been close to, or been a sufferer of a tick-borne disease, it is hard to imagine the magnitude of hardship and misery that can be carried in something so small, so seemingly innocuous as a tick. North Carolina is home to the following ticks: Lone Star Tick (amblyomma americanum), American Dog Tick (dermacentor variabilis), Brown Dog Tick
(rhipicephalus sanguineus), and Deer Tick (ixodes scapularis). www.ticnc.org/aboutticks Our North Carolina ticks can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Disease, Lyme Disease and probably Babesiosis, Erlichiosis, Tularemia and Bartonella. One tick bite can transmit several different diseases. Unfortunately, the exact prevalence of specific ticks and the specific diseases that they can transmit and in specific areas of our state have not been well studied. The current thinking is that in NC most tick attachments will not lead to an infection with tick borne diseases. Still, the variables involved are not exactly well understood and it is best not to try your luck. The factors involved include the prevalence of infected ticks in your area, how long the tick attaches for and if it has a blood meal off of you, and lastly, the status of your immune system. A study of the prevalence of tick-borne disease of 100 ticks in an endemic area in western NJ, showed that at least one tick-borne disease was present in 55% of the ticks in that area. We simply don’t know the rates for western NC, although state experts think that our tick’s rates of infection with disease are significantly lower than those in our northeastern states. It is generally believed that a tick must be attached for more than 24 hours to transmit infection. However, if you can’t see or feel the tick – as is common with the tiny nymph stage of ticks where the tick is the size of a poppy seed -- you won’t know to pull it off! Tick-borne diseases can be a challenge to diagnosis and treat. The symptoms may not appear for years; there may be no remembrance of a tick bite; there may be no rash. The diseases can affect multiple different systems with symptoms ranging from tooth pain to fatigue, to muscle and joint pains and twitches, to neurological and cardiac dysfunctions to severe disabilities and sometimes death.

There are no good tests to diagnose the disease in the acute stages, when they are best treated. For these reasons, preventing tick bites is paramount and the very best tick bite prevention are frequent checks for ticks on your body. If you are bitten by a tick, we at Asheville Integrative Medicine have a low threshold in prescribing prophylactic antibiotics. 

Links to see what different ticks look like:
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/ticks/ 
http://www.lyme.org/gallery/ticks.html
http://www.lyme.org/ticks/facts.html

Good sites that discuss how to prevent tick bites:
http://www.stopticks.org/prevention/index.asp
http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BCH/infectiousdise/tickborne/tick.htm

You’ll notice that DEET and permethrin are included in these links to kill and repel ticks. Both of these products have toxicities, DEET more than permethrin. Each person will have to weigh the risks-to-benefits when it comes to managing their avoidance of tick-borne diseases. In general, their use should be that of last resort. 

How to remove an attached tick:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rmsf/Prevention.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/howtoremoveticks.pdf

The Wonders of Vitamin C
What is all the hype about Vitamin C? We often hear about the benefits of supplementing with Vitamin C, especially during Flu season. But, is supplemental Vitamin C all it is touted to be? An examination of historical and prevailing medical research is helpful in determining if adding Vitamin C can positively impact infectious diseases.

In his book, Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, & Toxins-Curing the Un-curable, Dr. Thomas E. Levy explores Vitamin C treatments, both in controlled research studies
as well as individual documented medical cases over the past 60 years or more. Levy relies on the findings of Frederick R. Klenner, MD, whose early forays into treating infectious disease with Vitamin C provide a firm basis for establishing the efficacy Vitamin C treatments. 

Based on the medical research, if Vitamin C is given in the right form, with proper technique, in frequency and high enough doses, often with additional agents and for a long enough period of time, it can aid the immune system in fighting.

Research indicates that challenging diseases like polio, hepatitis, and even AIDS can be improved-to a point of cure (complete resolution of infectious disease process)! The claims of “cure” are rare, at best, in the medical field at large, but Levy presents evidence to support this claim of complete cure, qualifying his statements with the criteria that Vitamin C treatment must be done at a high enough dose for a long enough period of time.

At Asheville Integrative Medicine, we apply Klenner’s early and Levy’s modern research to many different health issues. Researchers have found that Vitamin C’s ability to boost the immune system can speed healing and recovery from injuries or surgery, and can even assist the body in fighting cancer. Ascorbic acid does this by recharging the body’s own stores of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). One research study concluded that Vitamin C or “Ascorbate at pharmacological doses… may be a pro-drug for H2O2 delivery to tissues, with major therapeutic implications.” To risk oversimplification: more hydrogen peroxide is then available for the tissues to use for healing and immune response. For infections, Vitamin C can often be used in lieu of standard antibiotic therapy, with or without adjuvant herbal or homeopathic remedies.

Vitamin C may be taken orally, but the (average adult) body can only tolerate doses up to about 1,000 mg at one time. Too much Vitamin C by mouth can cause loose stools, and this limited “bowel tolerance” lowers the amount of Vitamin C that can be taken orally. Some practitioners recommend oral Vitamin C to treat a pending respiratory infection by using periodic doses of oral C “to bowel tolerance” as this signals that the body has absorbed all the C it can use. Vitamin C is a watersoluble nutrient that in excess will be excreted if too much is present in the system.

Much of Klenner’s research was done using intramuscular injections of C, but today Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can also be administered by vein. Most people can tolerate IV doses of Vitamin C 25-50 times higher than oral doses, which makes this one of the most effective routes of administration. A simple blood test will be required to ascertain if an individual is able to tolerate these high doses of Vitamin C.

Dear AIM Patients,
We have been reviewing our office charges and have found that we are significantly lower than other consultants in the area. Our providers spend a lot of quality time with their patients during the visit; both in their assessments, and preparing treatment plans. In evaluating our prices and the amount of time our providers spend with patients, we have realized that we need to increase our fees. Please be advised that as of Monday, June 11, 2007 our office visit charges will be increasing. We will have the new charges posted in our office, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to our continued relationship with each and every one of you.

Summer Cookin'

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons quick tapioca
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound(3 cups) 1/2” chunks rhubarb
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 pastry for 2 crust, 9" pie
1 tablespoon butter
Mix sugar, tapioca, salt, nutmeg and rhubarb. Add strawberries. Let stand for 20 minutes. Line a 9" pie pan with pastry. Spoon filling into crust. Dot with butter. Cut remaining crust in strips and lay on pie to make lattice. Dot with butter. Bake at 400 F. for 35-45 minutes.

Citrus Turkey Spinach Salad
8 C baby spinach
8 oz. cooked turkey breast, cut up
2 medium pink grapefruit
2 medium oranges
Combine spinach, turkey, grapefruit, and orange sections
Vinegarette:
1/4 C orange juice
2 T olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 T sliced toasted almonds
In a screw-top jar, cover and shake well Pour over salad. Makes 4 servings.
     251 calories/10 grams fat/22 grams carbohydrate/20 grams protein/4 grams fiber

Chlorine in Swimming Pools
Swimming is the perfect summer exercise for most people. It provides a great cardiovascular workout and works every major muscle group in your body. It is also used by health practitioners as a form of rehabilitation and reduces healing time for those who have undergone surgery. Many people say that treading water or floating helps them to relax; some liken it to meditation. Fresh lake water is considered the ideal swimming hole by most, but the best place to swim is the ocean. Salt water kills many of the parasites that live on our skin and we absorb valuable minerals. And, swimming is free if you live near a lake or ocean. Beware of chlorine in swimming pools. Both chlorine and chloroform can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin. Too much chlorine can cause skin irritation, eye irritation, and respiratory problems such as coughing, difficulty breathing and asthma. It is best to wear a mask and snorkel to protect your eyes, and shower before entering the pool and after exiting the pool. Be sure that the pool requires swimmers to shower before entering the pool to reduce organic contaminants that react with chlorine. Go to an area away from the pool after swimming and inhale fresh air to flush the chlorine gas from your system. Indoor pools with poor ventilation produce more adverse health effects. Trust your sense of smell, if the chlorine odor is strong, you may want to avoid that pool. Dioxins, furans and trihalomethanes can form when chlorine products come in contact with organic matter. Dioxins and furans are extremely toxic and are among the chemicals suggested for elimination in the 2001 Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Some studies suggest that Trihalomethanes, including the carcinogen chloroform, may cause bladder and rectal cancer, miscarriages and birth defects. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Medicine found that children who swam in chlorinated water often had high levels of proteins that destroy cellular barriers in the lungs, making them more susceptible to asthma. The trigger for these proteins is nitrogen trichloride, a gas released when chlorine interacts with ammonia from urine, sweat and other organic sources. The study also found that the children who swam most frequently had levels of these proteins similar to those found in regular smokers. The best option is to use a pool that is chlorine free. A new alternative to chlorine is Baquacil, which is a form of hydrogen peroxide. There are some public pools now using ozone filters or that use a UV filter light along with a lesser amount of chlorine.

Announcing our Web-Site! Nutrients Etc. 
You can NOW shop from home!
Log in … www.nutrientsetc.com
Come in …Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Call in … 828.210.0188 or 866.420.8616

Nutrients Etc carries several products that can help you enjoy a healthy and safe summer season; here are a few of them:

• Quantum Buzz Away citronella spray insect repellent
• Nature’s Gate Sun block lotion –spf 15 and spf 30 both are water-resistant and contain several soothing ingredients, such as: Lavender, Chamomile, Aloe Vera, vitamin E, and shea butter
• Water bottles: Stainless steel or cornbased with a built-in filter

We also carry several flavors of liquid stevia, including: lemon, apricot, grape, and root beer. A few drops of these added to water provide a pleasant way to stay properly hydrated this summer without adding extra calories!

Protected by Common Law Copyright.
Healthy Notes is published monthly by Asheville Integrative Medicine, PA. All material is the exclusive property of Asheville Integrative Medicine and may not be reprinted in any media without expressed written permission. The information and advice presented in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. Consult a physician prior to starting any diet or medical treatment plan. Direct your comments or suggestions to Beth Carmen, Practice Manager
(828) 252-5545      info@docbiddle.com