Penny George on why integrative medicine is critical to discussions on national health care

Penny George, a national leader in advocating for integrative health and the namesake of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, recently contributed a commentary to the Huffington Post entitled “What Is Integrative Medicine and Why Is It Critical to Today’s Healthcare Discussion?”

Read her thoughts on this topic and learn more about how the Penny George Institute, part of Allina Health, is offering and expanding programs that use integrative approaches to improve the health and well-being of patients.

Read George’s post.

The scent of sweet marjoram, and the power of integrative therapies

by Vicky Grossman, NCTM, Penny George Institute for Health and Healing

I work for the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing as an integrative health practitioner at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Certified in massage therapy, I offer hospitalized patients massage therapy , aromatherapy, reflexology, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and energy work such as healing touch or Reiki,.

I am at times struck by how these therapies and approaches help different people heal in different, and sometimes powerful, ways. One moment like this occurred with a patient who was hospitalized with a form of an inflammatory bowel disease.

The patient, who ultimately needed surgery, experienced a great deal of pain and anxiety prior to that. I treated this patient several times. Our first encounter included reflexology, using pressure points and massage on the feet, and aromatherapy. I used the essential oil sweet marjoram to address the pain.

The patient’s response to the inhalation of sweet marjoram was nothing less than an amazing surprise, even to me!  The patient enjoyed the scent immensely and found it not only helped with the pain, but also with the anxiety. Following these treatments, the pain was reduced, and the anxiety dropped to almost nothing.

At one point, the patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in an emergent situation. While there, the patient was sedated and not particularly interactive.  When I visited the ICU, I left sweet marjoram with a family member of the patient to use once the patient became more alert.

I was told that periodically the patient’s blood pressure or respiration would become elevated, and the patient’s family member would administer the sweet marjoram for inhalation. He was astounded at how the blood pressure and respiration would return to a normal range.

I feel honored to treat patients with what can be a powerful combination of healing therapies and approaches. There is such great potential for gain in using these non-invasive, non-pharmacological approaches to pain managment, anxiety and healing.

If you want to learn more about integrative health approaches to help with pain, stress management, cancer care, or even just health and wellness improvement, visit the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing Web site. If pain is an issue for you, visit our online pain education tool, which introduces integrative approaches for pain management.

Art of Healing exhibits in April and May

Print by artist Laura Corcoran

Art is powerful. It can nourish the mind, body and spirit, and it can support healing. That is the inspiration behind a bimonthly Art of Healing exhibit offered by the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing.

You can view the following exhibits on the Abbott Northwestern Hospital campus for the remainder of May:

• Laura Corcoran’s prints of birds at the Penny George Institute’s Outpatient Clinic – Abbott Northwestern - The prints reflect the repetition and changes that occur in nature and in natural processes. People can learn from birds and their migratory practices about our worldly connections and our responsibilities as stewards.
• “Celebration of Art from the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute” on exhibit in the Wasie Building Tunnel, outside the LiveWell Fitness Center - In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation International Art Show by Artists with Disabilities, a variety of art from the archives will be exhibited.

The displays are part of the Penny George Institute’s Art of Healing Program, which provides arts-based wellness intervention and education, and supports a healing environment. For more information, call 612-863-9028.

Exercise – getting started and sticking with it

by Gail Ericson, MS, PT, Physical Therapist

We all know the benefits of exercise, like feeling good, and warding off disease and weight gain. So why is it so hard to do it? It’s not about information – there are thousands of publications, online resources and professionals to turn to for exercise recommendations. Even a health scare or a warning by a doctor doesn’t always do the trick.

So, where does one go for motivation? You have to look within yourself. You need to find an exercise program that resonates with, motivates, and has long-term meaning for you. How do you do that? It’s not a cookie-cutter approach, but there is a process to go through to develop an exercise program customized to motivate you.

You can follow these steps:

1. Evaluate your readiness for exercise. Do you ever say, “I won’t exercise” or “I can’t exercise?” Do you constantly make excuses for not exercising? Then it’s time for some thinking-and-feeling prep work.
2. Consider your “barriers to exercise” and evaluate what is real and what is an excuse. Brainstorm with friends or family on ways to get around the real barriers. Research movement activities available in your area. Once you start making plans about when, where or with whom you will exercise, you are ready for real change.
3. Create a personal wellness vision statement by answering in writing the questions below.
   
   If I had optimal health and wellness:
   - What would that look like? Talk about why these things are of value to you.
   - How would you feel?
   - What would you look like and sound like?
   - What would you be doing for fun, work, with family, and for exercise.
   
   Write your statement as though it is already happening, such as, “I am energetic and focused. I am less stressed, and I exercise most days of the week because I love it …”
   
4. Set long-term goals you’d like to achieve in three to six months or more. Be specific, time sensitive and measurable. Instead of simply having a goal of “I want to be stronger,” consider how you would measure stronger. Try: “I want to do 15 push-ups on my knees without stopping.”
5. Set short-term goals, such as “I will do five push-ups three times per week.”
6. Rate your confidence level in meeting your goals on a scale of 0-10. If your answer is seven or below, you might want to rework your goal to something you rate as an eight or higher.
7. Execute your plan. Reward yourself for meeting your short-term goals with incentives, like a special coffee or new music. Remember, any movement is better than none!
8. Revisit these goals weekly and adjust them as necessary. Ask yourself: What worked? How can you change a goal so you can achieve it? If you don’t meet some goals, don’t consider it a failure. Learn from it. Remember, change is a process, not an event.
9. Read your vision statement often to remind yourself of why you are exercising.

If you feel you need more support to get motivated or make a health change, consider integrative health and wellness coaching at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing’s LiveWell Fitness Center.

Gail Ericson, PT
Physical Therapist
LiveWell Fitness Center

Invitation to dream

by Ann Peyton, MA, RN, Nurse Clinician

As an integrative wellness nurse clinician, I help patients take a holistic approach to addressing a wide variety of wellness goals or health issues, such as managing stress, improving sleep and eating healthy.  Many times individuals are searching for ways to bring balance and joy into their lives.

In our time together, I may ask my patients to consider these questions:

• What kinds of thoughts come up when you day dream about what truly fills you with a sense of purpose and meaning?
• Which thoughts feel most in sync with your core values and interests?

I believe that generally the daydreams that we have most frequently and with the most intensity are the ones that gently nudge us towards actualizing our dreams. They tap into our innate abilities or gifts.

As in many things, it’s easier said than done to connect with these visions and dreams to help them become a reality. I believe the first step to doing so is mindfulness ― basically paying attention to your present thoughts and senses without judgment, and with an open mind and heart.

We at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing give much consideration to the practice of mindfulness. It is for us a “household word.” It is core to preparing ourselves to be present with our patients, and it is what we strive to demonstrate in our own lives.

I recently followed a dream of my own.  My dream was to keep in my family a farm that my late grandparents whittled from the prairie more than a century ago. I wanted to keep the house they lovingly carved from hand-sawed wood and cared for their entire lives. Spending time there brings me joy and energizes me. Caring for this land is core to my value of nurturing the land and my soul, and to balancing work with play.

The vision seemed very “out there” at first, but now this dream is slowly becoming a reality as I move to secure this farm for my family and future generations.

Here at the Penny George Institute, we encourage each other and our patients to look at ourselves and our lives holistically. What are the thoughts, actions, pursuits, relationships, occupations, and daily habits that are in sync with the vision we have for our lives?

I invite you to indulge in a daydream of your own.

Ann Peyton

Staying connected, even in an electronic world

by Pat Vitale, LICSW

In this fast paced electronic world we live in, staying connected has become increasingly challenging. Finding ways to stay present in the moment and connected to the relationships that feed us―in a world of cell phones, instant messaging and social media―is the challenge of the next generation.

In late March, a new study published by the National Academy of Sciences tied social connections to longer, richer lives. Even people who believe they are happier on their own live shorter lives than their socially connected peers, the study says. As I look at the many electronic tools that seem to disconnect us, I wonder how our children will create the connections they need to live healthy lives.

Today’s teenagers are quite sophisticated with electronic connectedness. My 12-year-old son plays multiplayer games online with friends from around the world.  One might think this is not really a way to feel or be connected. Talking to people you have never met, how could that make you feel connected?

I was quite impressed by a conversation I overheard my son having with a young girl half way across the world while they were playing on line.  You see my son lost both of his grandmothers a year ago within months of each other.  The girl he was talking to was in the process of losing her grandmother, who was very ill.

As I listened to their conversation about what it was like to lose someone―and to hear my son console her from his experience―it totally changed my perspective on electronic communication. Two young kids, connecting through gaming, were building a supportive relationship. Even in the midst of online gaming, we are compelled to connect and find a sense of belonging and understanding.

Our children will redefine the means by which relationships are created and maintained via this electronic world.  But make no mistake about it―they still need to connect, even if it is in the middle of playing a game.

So, I ask you to consider these questions: How do you maintain a sense of connectedness? How many different ways do you have for staying connected to the people that mean the most to you?  How do you create your community?

What I have come to understand by seeing the world through my son’s eyes is that it really doesn’t matter “HOW” we stay connected, just so long as we have a way of building and maintaining meaningful relationships. We need a way to create a sense of community that feeds us, nurtures us and creates a sense of belonging.

How to eat well to help manage stress

by Maureen Doran, RD, LD, integrative nutritionist

As an integrative nutritionist with the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, I see patients who end up taking on poor nutritional habits during stressful times. It’s easy to do this. It’s a common way to cope.

In some instances, people stop eating real, nutritious foods and resort to living off energy drinks, coffee, or sodas with high caffeine levels. It doesn’t help that when we get stressed, we may have little time to plan, shop for or prepare healthy foods.

The body needs good fuel to work properly. Adding quick, easy nutritious options makes a dramatic difference in overall health. People usually start sleeping better, have a more balanced mood, and overall they look and feel better.

Sugar is like throwing paper on the fire. It burns quickly. Protein is like putting a log on the fire. It sustains. Whole and nutritious foods are key.

Tips for eating well to manage stress

1. Eat whole food to feel whole. It sounds simple and we hear it all the time, but fruits, vegetables and whole grains are critical to a healthy diet and provide the nutrients we need so that we have a better base to draw from during stressful times.
2. Eat breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a big meal. Quick, healthy options include a fruit smoothie with protein powder or a hard-boiled egg and a slice of multi-grain toast.
3. Aim for color and variety in fruits and vegetables.
4. Snack on healthy foods so that you don’t overeat later in the day or make poor choices. Doran recommends dried fruits, nuts or a mix of both. Nuts are packed with protein and healthy fats. Dried fruits contain powerful antioxidants. Instead of a cup of coffee and a candy bar in the afternoon, hydrate with water and a nut/fruit mix. A small quantity goes a long way, is portable, stores easily in a desk or purse, and will help you feel satisfied.
5. Keep nut butters on hand. Examples include almond, peanut, cashew and sunflower seed. Enjoy a small serving with sliced apples or other fruits or vegetables.
6. Don’t feel you have to spend a lot. To help with your food budget, consider canned beans, canned tuna, bean soups, nut butters, local farmers’ markets or frozen foods from discount stores.
7. Keep stocked on these items to make healthy, nutritious meals and snacks:

• Nuts – find a favorite from pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and more
• Beans – red, pinto, black, kidney and more
• Vegetables – all varieties, certain vegetables even help the body detoxify and are helpful whether they are eaten raw or cooked including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bok choy and brussels sprouts
• Fruits – fresh or frozen, again aim for variety, berries with anti-oxidants, and fruits with a rich color, such as plums, prunes or cherries, for necessary vitamins and minerals
• Omega-3s – are important twice a week for brain health. Sources include salmon, canned tuna, sardines and flaxseeds.

To make an appointment with Doran, call 612-863-3333.