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Welcome to:

"My Health Corner!"

I was waiting in my car at a traffic light 3 days ago and looked over to see a man in a wheelchair. It was an older heavier wheelchair and he was struggling to push it down the street with himself in it. There was a point when he stopped to take a few deep gasps of air before continuing on. As he pathetically creeped down the sidewalk, there was a building under construction where a gasman was working on the gas lines. I quietly watched from my car as he quietly watched this man struggling in the wheelchair. As the man wheeled past, he continued to watch for about 10 more seconds and then started walking after the man. He grabbed hold of the wheelchair handles and swiftly began to push the man down the street all the way to the bus stop. I watched for as long as I could until the light turned green and continued on my way.

Something so small for the gasman became something so compassionate for the sick man, and so enlightening for me. It turned just another traffic light into a spiritual experience and reminded me of the interconnectedness of it all. How something we say, do, think or observe has the ability to impact more people and things than we ever know.

Every single one of us is nature's greatest miracle and when we view our lives and ourselves as such we live so much more purposefully.

And with that purpose, Lets jump into June! If you are currently on the path to better health lets re-commit to it by reminding ourselves daily that you're worth it.

As we heal it allows others around us to heal. As we learn it allows others around us to learn and so by example we jump, arms outstretched, hearts open, ready to receive.

With Much Respect,

Dr. Andrea Purcell, N.D.
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Telephone (949) 722-6797

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY!

I have decided to focus this edition on Irregular Bleeding. If you are male perhaps you know someone in your life that is affected by this condition. So read on or pass it on as the story goes.

Irregular bleeding is anything that is unusual in your monthly flow. This also includes if you have stopped bleeding for a long time and then have re-started. It is the change from the routine that makes it Irregular.

Irregular bleeding can be caused by a number of underlying conditions:

Peri-menopause and Menopause being the most common, Uterine fibroids, Elevated levels of estrogen, and uterine and cervical cancer. Irregular bleeding can be life threatening.

By far the 2 most striking cases I have ever seen have been in a 38 year old and a 40-year-old woman respectively. The first case was a woman who had come to me 9 months after having passed out at the kitchen stove from anemia due to 12 months of irregular bleeding leading up to the incident in the kitchen. Not only did she lose consciousness at the kitchen stove but also the pot of boiling water she was attending to spilled all over her passed out body and gave her 2nd degree burns. Later that morning her children found her on the kitchen floor and called 911.

The other woman arrived in my office wanting to control her hemorrhaging after having received a blood transfusion. Her monthly bleeding had been so intense she had developed such severe anemia that she required an emergency blood transfusion.

The reason I recount these stories is not to scare you but it is to educate you about what is and what is not normal. The problem with us women is that we put everyone in our lives in front of us. We are not the priority, we wait to make our appointments, because Johnny needs to go to the eye doctor, or Susie needs to go to soccer practice, and all the while our menstrual cycle is changing by the month, getting heavier, but we pay it no mind, we buy the super pads and tampons and just push on.

We just think of the cycle as heavy bleeding but if you are changing a super pad every hour you are hemorrhaging! Hemorrhaging is a completely different category than bleeding. Hemorrhaging will lead us to the hospital and can have very serious consequences. Our bodies do not start hemorrhaging out of the blue. Something had to precipitate the change.

If you have irregular bleeding you have a hormone imbalance. I will discuss bleeding changes along with the accompanying hormonal imbalances in the 3 areas of life.

These 3 areas are Pre-Menopause (when we are fertile and cycling regularly), Peri-Menopause (when hormones begin to shift and menopausal symptoms begin), and Menopause (Not having a menstrual cycle for more than one year.)

Bleeding changes in pre-menopause are usually caused by an increase in estrogen in our bodies. This increase in estrogen can ultimately cause the growth of uterine fibroids and lead to hemorrhaging. Symptoms to watch for include;

Extra heavy menstrual periods (Bleeding through clothes is not normal), Clots, Increased length of time in the Menstrual cycle, Cycles coming more frequently, Intense fatigue in and around menstrual flow.

Bleeding changes in Peri-menopause can be normal as hormone levels shift and menstrual cycles become irregular. Symptoms to watch for that may not be normal are: More frequent periods and excessive flow.

Bleeding after you have officially entered menopause is a sign that something may be going on. Women should not begin bleeding again after they have not had a period for more than one year. This can be a sign of uterine or cervical cancer. Occasionally, if a woman begins hormone replacement therapy to help with menopausal symptoms her cycles may resume due to the increase in body hormone levels and this can be normal.

If this newsletter has made you think twice about your menstrual cycle please do not delay. Find a Naturopathic Doctor in your area to help you solve your hormone imbalance before a more serious condition takes hold.

Zucchini & Chicken Salad

*You can substitute rotisserie chicken for the breasts

1/4 cup plus 1 T olive oil, divided

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/4 lbs zucchini (we recommend the light green Italian), THINLY sliced

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 bunch (8 oz) spinach, chopped

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the lemon
juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the zucchini; toss to coat, and let marinate while cooking the chicken.

2- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 T olive oil over
medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet, and slice thin.

3- Toss the chicken with the zucchini mixture, spinach, red onion,
pecans, Parmesan cheese, and mint. Serve.

(This lecture will be recorded and posted on our website soon to follow the above date)

Send us your comments, feedback or questions! We'd love to hear from you.

Dr. Andrea Purcell, N.D.
1770 Orange Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Telephone (949) 722-6797
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Please feel free to forward this eZine to everyone you know! They'll be glad you did!

Dr. Andrea Purcell, N.D.
www.PortalToHealing.com