October is here, and the brisk winds of autumn rustle through the trees. This month, like the process of the changing of leaves, has typically been a period of transformation and transition for me. As I sit down to contemplate the significance of October, and a semi-landmark birthday year, several themes come to mind:

The Beauty of Transition:

October serves as a poignant reminder of the beauty that lies in transitions. Transition can seem scary but just as the trees shed their leaves, we, too, must let go of the old to make room for the new. It's in these moments of fear and change that we often discover our most profound insights and personal growth.

Nature's Resilience:

This month, nature reveals its remarkable resilience. Despite the impending winter chill, trees burst forth in a riot of colors, showcasing their enduring strength. This resilience in the face of adversity serves as a powerful example for us all. It reminds us that we can also weather life's storms, face its fears and emerge even more vibrant.

The Importance of Fear:

Fear is an innate and powerful emotion that plays a pivotal role in our lives. While often viewed in a negative light, fear serves a crucial purpose in ensuring our survival, growth, and well-being. Understanding the importance of fear can lead to a more balanced perspective. It is an integral part of our emotional spectrum and can act as a guardian of personal boundaries. It helps us recognize situations or individuals that may pose a threat to our well-being. Setting healthy boundaries becomes easier when we listen to our fears.

We invite you to embrace your health through our community by joining the Osher Center as a patient, colleague, or supporter. To learn more please visit our website.

Wishing you total wellness and a bit of healthy fear,

Melinda Ring, MD

Executive Director

www.drmelindaring.com

The Cooking Up Health course is one of our most popular courses at Osher and is intended to expand medical students’ comfort in counseling patients in successful behavior change around nutrition and cooking. After a pandemic pause, it's now available again for first and second year Feinberg medical students.

Our team recently attended the Feinberg student fair, and had an amazing time! We got to speak to newly-minted med students about integrative health - a new term for many of them - and encourage these future doctors to save a place for integrative medicine courses in their curriculum.

Osher Community News

2023 Longevity and Healthy Aging Symposium

Key Nutrient Deficiencies Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease Development

Disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease has been linked to oxidative damage. A recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease looked at antioxidant levels in donor brains with confirmed Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and compared them to healthy elderly donor brains. The researchers found substantially lower concentration levels of lutein, zeaxanthin, retinol, lycopene, and alpha-tocopherol compared to healthy brain tissue. The two most deficient antioxidants were lycopene and zeaxanthin.

The authors conclude that this new evidence of selective antioxidant deficiencies in the brains of subjects with AD adds further support to the growing evidence that greater dietary intake of lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene as well as α- and γ-tocopherols may slow cognitive decline prior to, and possibly following, a diagnosis with AD.



Tip: Fueling up with flavonoid-rich produce may indeed benefit the mind. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and leafy green vegetables — such as kale, spinach, and collard greens may prevent cognitive aging. This could be due to an association between eating leafy greens and lower inflammation and oxidative stress, two factors that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Short-term Keto Diet May Improve Fertility in Women with PCOS

A ketogenic diet may lead to weight loss and improved fertility outcomes in those suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a recent study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

The analysis found that the keto diet may help balance reproductive hormone levels in women with PCOS, a condition that can contribute to infertility, increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic health problems, according to a recent analysis. Women with PCOS who were on the keto diet for at least 45 days, experienced significant weight loss and improvements in their reproductive hormone levels. According to the researchers, the women had lower follicle-stimulating hormone ratios, which is associated with a better chance of ovulating. In addition, their testosterone levels decreased, which could reduce symptoms of excess male sex hormones such as unwanted hair growth.

Tip: One of the hallmarks of the keto diet is high fat, high protein, with a limited number of carbs. While a ketogenic diet may be beneficial, its important to work with a nutrition professional to be sure to get a full spectrum of essential macronutrients and micronutrients, as well as beneficial phytonutrients (natural chemicals or compounds produced by plants).

Learn: Are there natural remedies that cure low libido in women? Dr. Melinda Ring, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern, shares some pro-tips on how to help you get in the mood again — no prescriptions required!

Peak your interest, here.

Be Grateful: Dr. Judy Moskowitz, Director of research for the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern, shares helpful steps to an easy and non-corny way to start a gratitude practice in the Self magazine article.

Get her advice, here.

Listen: Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, Osher affliate and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Northwestern University, shares important insight on ways for Black people to cope with trauma from hate crimes and how word choice reveals a lot about current racial attitudes.

Find out more, here.