The Mercereau Report Volume 5

The Mercereau Report Volume 5
| by Karen Mercereau

This is the fifth in a series of blogs written by patient advocacy pioneer and longtime educator, Karen Mercereau, RN, iRNPA, who has been actively involved in the field of Patient Advocacy since 2002. The goal of the Mercereau Report is to communicate the information that is pertinent to our expanding practices. This edition of the Mercereau report is a curated selection of information that may be useful for advocates and their clients.

Keep Forgetting Things?

Have trouble with little memory lapses like “where are my keys?” or “What time is that meeting tomorrow?”

This can be annoying, but there are 5 things that we can do to boost memory!

1.  Walk Backwards.  Yes, walking backward improves short- term memory although neuroscientists cannot yet explain why.  However, research such as published in the journal Cognition, proves that this is an effective technique.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.  A large study associated with the Harvard School of Public Health found a link between diet and memory.  No surprise there, right?  We are encouraged to eat more dark orange and red vegetables, leafy greens, and berries.  

3. Get Better Lighting — full spectrum would be helpful. Working in an environment with dim lighting negatively affects our ability to both learn and remember. 

4. Try intermittent fasting — Kings College in London published a study that demonstrated in the lab that intermittent fasting can improve long-term memory and increase neurogenesis.

5. Don’t worry about normal memory loss.  Easier said than done, yes?  Researchers have discovered that forgetfulness has more to do with the inability to access memories as opposed to whether the memories were still stored in the brain!  Suggestion: shore up your important memories with checklists, calendars, and other tools.  Forgetting might not be a function of your aging,
But instead point to the fact that you are very busy!

Prescription Drugs are a Major Health Risk and Rank  as the 4th Leading Cause of Death (before COVID)

Sources from: National Library Of Medicine and Harvard University

How can this happen?  

There are many other articles published on this (such as this one )

There is a new resource to help people avoid their pharmaceutical risks:  the Medication Safety Program.  This may be helpful, especially for the elderly who are frequently on several medications. 

How can prescription drugs cause so many problems?  Well, interactions with other medications/supplements/food are one big reason.  Another is the lack of attention to the small print re: warnings/precautions/side effects. Nutrient blocking effects are another hidden problem.  All drug classes block certain nutrients which can be harmful in chronic illnesses.   Another aspect that the Medication Safety Program investigates is the prescribing of potentially harmful pharmaceuticals to people 65+ years as described in the Beers List.  This is a valuable guide to assist Healthcare providers and patient advocates to determine which medications might best be avoided in the elderly and what pharmaceuticals might be used instead.

What is Naturopathic Oncology and Can It Help Your Clients with Cancer?

There are so many approaches now to treating cancers:  chemicals, radiation, and surgery.  All can be effective in killing cancer cells and that is a good thing.  

However, learning about the practice of Naturopathic Oncology and its benefits will help your clients be more successful in treating their cancers. 

Naturopathic Oncology is not instead of mainstream Oncology, but an addition to it. 

Naturopathic Oncology does not interfere with mainstream treatments such as chemo, radiation, and surgery, but adds what mainstream oncology does not address:  Nutrition, Immune

Support, and Detoxification. 

Naturopathic Oncologists work closely with traditional oncologists.

Dr. Daniel Rubin is the leader of Naturopathic Oncology and created the board exam to certify naturopathic oncologists. Here is a video of Dr. Rubin explaining the scope and practice of naturopathic oncology.  This can assist your clients who have cancer.

COVID — Now What?

The CDC is forecasting that the number of newly reported COVID deaths will increase over the next 4 weeks with 1,800 — 5,400 new deaths by June 25, 2022.  The administration is warning that the US could potentially see 100 million COVID infections this fall and winter.  We all are becoming aware of this.  How best to protect ourselves?  One very strong component of COVID protection is boosting our immune systems.  

Timothy Marshall, PhD, who earned a doctorate in Medical Pharmacology, and who is also a Biochemist, created a leading- edge system to help everyone Boost and Maintain our immune systems.  Here is the ppt for you to help protect yourselves and your loved ones.  Please feel free to share it with others.