It’s rare that I speak out on political issues.  I’ve always been a “live and let live” person, doing my best to allow others their beliefs without passing judgment.

But there’s a ballot issue on the line this week that’s too important to remain silent on, because the ramifications for our health – and our children’s – are too great to ignore.

If you’re in the Portland, OR metropolitan area, you’re being asked to vote on whether to allow fluoridation of our public water supply.

Those in favor of  fluoridation will point to its importance in promoting pediatric dental health. What they’re not telling you is that since fluoridation became commonplace over 40 years ago, it’s been discovered that the safest way to defend our children’s teeth is through topical fluoride treatment, not via fluoridated water.  Research associates water fluoridation with learning disabilities and thyroid insufficiency, both of which have reached epidemic proportions.  Do you want to pay with your children and grandchildren’s mental and hormonal health (and your own!) for something which can be simply and safely accomplished at a dentist’s office, or at home?

People will also tell you that Portland needs to catch up with the 70% of US cities that have fluoridated their water.  Nonsense.  That proves nothing; in fact, some cities are desperately trying to get the toxic fluoride out of their water.  Portland’s pediatric dental health level is superior to most of those cities – no motivation there to add fluoride.  European cities, way ahead of us on the science behind this issue, won’t hear of fluoridating their water.  That’s the model we ought to be emulating.

The fluoride solution that will be added to the water is literally a hazardous material.  When a fluoride spill occurred near the Rock Island, Illinois water treatment plant in 2011, a HAZMAT alert was issued as the spilled solution ate through concrete.  Do you want your children ingesting a solution that toxic?

Video Report: HAZMAT Alert Due to Fluoride Spill

Here’s a well-researched article documenting a myriad of other reasons that water fluoridation is an outdated and harmful idea:

50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation

This week you have the chance to make a lasting impact on the health of generations to come.  Please be well informed on this issue before you cast your vote. 

I know I can count on you to deliver the decision that will truly support the health of your children, and yourself.

To the radiant health of our families and our community,

Dr. Shani

Stinging nettles are in spring farmers’ markets as we speak.  High in iron and vitamin C, they’re also standouts at reducing seasonal allergy symptoms.

Stinging Nettle Pizza

A large bunch of stinging nettles

1 head garlic, roasted at 350 degrees until soft 

½ cup wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella, gouda or your favorite nondairy cheese

½ lb whole wheat pizza dough, or your favorite whole grain or gluten-free ready-made crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To cook nettles:  Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wearing gloves, add the nettles and cook about 3 minutes until wilted but still bright green. Drain the hot water off the nettles and transfer them to the ice water to cool. Drain again, squeezing excess water out with your hands, and roughly chop the cooked nettles.

Roll out the pizza dough so that it fits on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.

Skin the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl and smash into paste with a fork.  Spread garlic paste over crust.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the crust. Arrange the cooked nettles and mushrooms on top.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and the cheese melted. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

What do you feel like on the days you have doctor appointments? 

Do you look forward to your appointments, or do you feel a clenching in your chest or throat? 

Are you anticipating being heard and responded to, or being rushed and “processed”?  

Will you come out of the appointment a step farther along your healing journey, or is the appointment just another errand?

The world recently lost Debbie Ford, a woman who came back from cocaine and opiate addiction to become a voice of inspiration and hope. Well into her long bout with cancer, Debbie was interviewed by Oprah about God and facing death.  Midway through, Debbie said something remarkable:

“If your doctor doesn’t inspire you, find one who does.”

Hmm.  Like most of us, I hadn’t considered selecting my doctors for their inspiration quotient.  But as I think about it, there are ways in which I want to be inspired by my doctors.

·         Is my doctor a good role model for the nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle practices that s/he is asking me to abide by?
·         Does my doctor inspire my trust by listening well and responding to my questions and requests?
·         Does my doctor encourage me to participate in managing my health, so that each visit is an opportunity to learn and grow?
·         Does my doctor recognize that the wellbeing of my emotions and spirit are part of my health picture, and is s/he prepared to help me become healthier on those levels?
·         If I am facing a serious diagnosis, is my doctor someone I can talk to about my deepest concerns and count on to present all my options?
·         Does my doctor recognize that my quality of life is at least as important as my longevity, and treat me accordingly?

As I think about it, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that a doctor strive to inspire.  In fact, I think inspiration may just be at the heart of the healing process.  My mission has always been to help you see yourself healthier and happier, and empower you to become that healthier, happier you from wherever you are now.  Healthy and happy, because wellness is incomplete when the joy isn’t there, and because joy is attainable and beneficial no matter what state of physical wellness you’re in.   Is that a vision you can buy into? 

I’d love your input on what makes a doctor inspiring, so leave a comment below and tell me:

·         Have you ever been inspired by a doctor?  What did that doctor say or do?

·         What would an inspiring doctor be like for you? 

I look forward to your thoughts!

copyright 2013 Shani Fox, ND, LLC

–Would you resign yourself to the news, and do your best to deal with the shock, grief or anger?

–Or would you “lean into the wind” and live full out in optimism and vitality?

Upon her diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, Karen was told by three doctors to “go home and die”.  Despite the second and third opinions, Karen decided there had to be another answer.  Sixteen months later, she’s healthier than she’s been in years.

What made the difference for Karen?  You’ll want to know, because the same thing that helped Karen defy extreme odds can help you achieve the results you’d love to achieve in your life.

Join Karen and me as we talk about this little known, life-changing secret in my free, exclusive teleconference:

“The BREAKTHROUGH FACTOR:
Blast Past What’s Between You and the Health and Happiness You’d Love”

(Click here for instant teleconference access
or paste www.drshanifox.com/breakthrough into your browser)

–Are you discouraged by a diagnosis or physical symptoms that don’t let you live with ease and fun?

–Do you despair of ever having the loving partner, family or friend relationships you’ve always wanted?

–Have you wondered why you work so hard, and never see the fulfillment and financial comfort that would allow you to say: “I LOVE what I do!”

There’s a critical factor that makes or breaks your ability to achieve what you most want.  I found it when I made the improbable mid-life journey from mind-numbing corporate work to a career of service that nourishes my soul…and found the love of a lifetime along the way.  Karen found it when she was literally in a “do or die” situation. 

But you don’t have to wait!  You can put this factor to work for yourself right now…if you know what it is and what to do when you find it.  I’m so excited to share this with you:  just click here for instant access to “The BREAKTHROUGH FACTOR”, with my compliments.

Believing in you,

Dr. Shani

PS – You’re closer than you think to the health and happiness you’ve been dreaming of…if you’re ready to take decisive action.  It’s so easy:  just click here now and join me on the call!

PPS – Have a loved one who you’d love to see break out of “stuck” mode into wellness and joy?  Share this invitation with them – they’ll thank you!

If you’re ready to receive your fabulous new relationship, purposeful career, financial comfort or the vibrant health that seems to escape you over and over, join me for this fun, interactive workshop.  We’ll explore why living your dreams is good for your health (!) and what’s standing between you and the life you’d love. You’ll be taking steps towards your dreams before the evening’s over.

“DARE TO DREAM!

My Prescription for Living a Life You Love”

WHO:  You, if you’re ready to unleash your dreams.

WHY:  Often we don’t start realizing our dreams until we’ve been through a painful crisis. Why not live the life you love now?

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, March 12th 7-9 PM, Sage Center for Wellness and Hope, 12555 SW 1st St., Beaverton, OR  97005

INVESTMENT: $10 (pay at the door)

***********

As a holistic physician healing people from cancer and deep-seated chronic conditions, Dr. Shani Fox noticed that people who have lost touch with their personal vision are never really well, while those committed to their dreams can achieve extraordinary wellness, even from the midst of disease.  Now Dr. Shani inspires people to dream – and to reach for their dreams – as part of their healing journey.   Dr. Shani has made multiple TV and radio appearances, and is the author ofthe upcoming Landing On Your Feet: Six Weeks to Great Energy and Vitality After Cancer Treatment. She offers expert individualized medical care and transformational coaching programs to help people achieve new levels of wellness, joy and fulfillment.

Am I the only doctor who’s ever talked to you about this?

In the last year I noticed that many of my patients got to the point where their bodies were humming along well.  They didn’t need more medical appointments in the near future.  But some of those patients still had unresolved longings, discontent or outright emotional pain.

As a holistic physician, I believe that your body, mind and spirit are inseparable.  Pain in one area creates discomfort and even disease in all three. I knew that if my patients’ emotional and spiritual issues weren’t addressed, sooner or later they’d be physically ill again.  For my cancer survivors that could mean cancer recurrence.

It’s my job to support you in an upward spiral of improving health, and that means supporting the health of your emotions and spirit as well as your body.  Sometimes I call on the talents of colleagues to provide you this support. But beyond naturopathic medicine, there’s something special and rather rare that I can provide for you myself, because it healed me at a difficult time in my life.

I can help you dare to dream again.

As a child you used to dream big.  You could imagine yourself a policeman, a rock star, a ballerina or President of the United States.  You would try on your dreams, dressing the part and trying out the voice you thought would fit.  You gleefully practiced this in front of your family and friends, without any doubt you could be THAT if you wanted to.

And then one day, most of us stopped.  No more breathless flights of imagination about what we’d love to be, or do, or have. No more trying on, or acting “as if”.  In fact, most of us cringe to think about publicly trying on a new role.  Even if we really want to, we’re afraid to try because we’re too old, or undereducated, or we need to be “practical”.

Somewhere along the way, internal judgment replaced our sense of unlimited possibility.

Think of the price you’ve paid for reining in your dreams.  Are you settling for an unfulfilling career, or one that doesn’t reward you adequately?  Do you struggle with disharmonious relationships, wondering how you got entangled there?  Do you have chronic “hand to mouth” disease, never seeing a comforting reserve in your bank account?  When was the last time you took a really satisfying vacation?

I’m here to tell you that you’re more powerful than you know, and by reconnecting with your ability to dream you can break free from the boredom, mediocrity or downright pain that’s between you and the life and health you’d love.

 * * * * * * * 

If this messages resonates with you and you’re ready to claim the life you’d love, call me at 866.678.8577 or click here to schedule a complimentary 30-minute phone Strategy Session.  We’ll talk about the life you want to create, pinpoint what’s holding you back and map out what you can do right away to start creating the results you want.  Don’t wait – there’s never a better moment than now!

“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Of Dr. King’s many remarkable words, these resonate with me strongly this year as we commemorate his life and works.  Written during his imprisonment for leading a nonviolent civil rights demonstration, their wisdom extends far beyond that context.  They are a wake-up call to make best use of something we in our free society can all control:  how we use our time.

My dear mentor says she can tell where my priorities lie by looking at my calendar.  It’s so true.  Her words give me a way to regularly assess whether I’m using my time to create in the world what I say is important to me.

If I substitute “Radiant health” for “Human progress” and “physical stagnation” for “social stagnation” in Dr. King’s quote, have I been consistent in my efforts to nourish the exquisite workings of the body with which I’ve been blessed? 

If I substitute “Human relationships” for “Human progress” and “apathy” for “social stagnation”, have I been consistent in infusing my relationships with generosity and kindness?

If I substitute “My individual progress” for “Human progress” and “my life’s stagnation” for “social stagnation”, have I been consistent in setting a higher vision for my life, and investing in personal growth which improves my character and by reflection, the world around me?

Have you?

No matter how you and I answer those questions, Dr. King leaves us with a touch of his greatest legacies: encouragement and hope.  The time is always ripe to do right.  Let’s you and I use our time creatively…starting now.

To help with ongoing survival needs through the holiday season, I will donate $10 from each consult fee between now and 12/31/12 to two exceptional relief agencies on the front lines in the devastated areas.   If you’re inspired to join me,  you can donate easily online:

Modest Needs

Modest Needs provides quick, short-term assistance that keeps the working poor from sliding over the poverty threshold for good.  Headquartered in the heart of New York City, this “lean and mean” team was fulfilling greatly increased local needs even before the storm had passed through.

Masbia Soup Kitchen

Their motto is “No statistics. No bureaucracy. No middleman. We deposit food in empty stomachs.”  This Brooklyn organization has face-to-face access to the storm victims.  Demand for their services will remain extraordinarily high through the holidays.

Warm thanks in advance for your generosity, in whatever way you choose to extend it.

Winter squash is delicious even when simply roasted with a little olive oil and sea salt, but add the spices in this recipe and you’ll wow your Thanksgiving guests.  Try it and let me know below how you liked it!

Cocoa-roasted Delicata Squash

Spice blend:

    1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

    2 teaspoons salt

    1 tablespoon coconut, date or maple sugar

    ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

 4 medium delicata squash, sliced into ½” rings (can substitute any winter squash)

¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix spice blend ingredients well.

Add half the spice blend to a large bowl (store the rest in an airtight container for future use).  Add the oil and blend until well mixed.

Add the squash rings to the oil mixture, and mix until the rings are coated.

Arrange squash rings in a single layer on baking sheets.  Bake about 40 minutes, or until tender.

I’m extra-enthused about a recent talk by Dr. Mina Bissell.  Dr. Bissell has been studying whether it’s possible to modify the behavior of cancer cells by modifying their surroundings. 

Her recent experiments answer this question with a resounding “yes”.  Cancer cells removed from the unhealthy internal environment which created them and instilled into the unsullied environment of an embryo didn’t form new tumors.

A foundational precept of natural medicine is belief in the healing power of Nature.  This belief holds that all life forms, including the human body, evolved with self-healing mechanisms that keep the organism disease-free.  If disease symptoms occur, they signal that the self-healing mechanisms are out of balance.  Treating the symptoms doesn’t cure disease, as the underlying imbalance still exists and will cause the symptoms to recur over time.  Real cure comes from identifying and righting the underlying imbalance that allowed the disease to progress.

Dr. Bissell’s experiments align beautifully with this concept.   Cancer cells contain mutated genes (oncogenes) which drive their deviant behavior.  Western cancer treatment removes or eradicates these malfunctioning cells via some combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  This may be necessary to alleviate an imminent threat to life. 

But Dr. Bissell’s experiments suggest that the behavior of these cells is not strictly driven by their mutations.  The environment surrounding cancer cells has everything to do with whether their mutations will threaten life, or remain dormant.  Thus, removing cancerous cells without healing the environment that encouraged them to form tumors leaves the door open to further cancer down the line.  If we want to prevent cancer recurrence, we must “clean up” our internal environment.

How do we do this?  Following Dr. Bissell’s discoveries, we need to ask: what influences have transformed us from babies with bodies capable of normalizing cancer cells, to adults who have lost that ability?  These influences are far-ranging, but as you may have guessed are largely associated with our lifestyles.

Stay tuned to this blog and to my Facebook page for lots of tips about cancer prevention by maintaining a healthy internal environment.  In the meantime, here’s the inspiring talk by Dr. Bissell:

Dr. Bissell on reversing cancer