Crescent Natural Health

On January 23, 2007, the naturopathic community suffered a deep loss with the passing of Bill Mitchell, ND.

“Our dear co-founder and deeply beloved teacher, leader, friend, mentor, and inspiration, Bill (William A.) Mitchell Jr., ND passed away suddenly, following the death of his beloved son Noah Mitchell (27), who died suddenly that morning. Both Bill and Noah died of myocardial infarctions. He is survived by his parents William and Rachel Mitchell Sr., his brothers Thomas and Michael Mitchell, his sister Laurell Macura, his daughters Rachel Colburn and Leah Mitchell ND, his son Saul Mitchell, his son in law Richard Colburn, the mother of his children Roberta Mitchell, and his grandchildren David Mitchell and Regan Colburn.

For those who wish to make donations on Bill’s or the family’s behalf, a special account has been set up by the community for this purpose. Donations to the William A. Mitchell Jr., ND Fund can be made at any Bank of America to the William A. Mitchell Jr., ND Fund; account # 31165251, or by sending a check to the Fund at
518 1st Avenue N., Suite 28, Seattle, Wa 98109.

Personal cards and commemorations can be sent to the Office of the President at Bastyr University, who will forward them immediately to the family.
Office of the President
Bastyr University
14500 Juanita Drive NE
Kenmore WA 98028 ”

~Tim Callahan, PhD
VP for Research and Collaboration
Bastyr University

“Bill was a teacher, mentor, healer, and philosopher. He was a co-founder of the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine, now known as Bastyr University. He was an internationally renowned expert in botanical medicine, and played a significant role in the understanding of the profound healing interactions between plants and other living organisms. His loss will leave a gaping void.”

~Jane Guiltinan, ND
president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
Clinical professor at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health

I am pleased to announce that beginning March 1st, my practice will be located on Capitol Hill. The space is an alternative health care building with free parking on site and is across the street from Madison Market. You will be able to call 206-325-4197 to schedule appointments with Judy, our receptionist. You will still receive the same quality of care from me and enjoy my expanded office hours.

Naturopathic medicine is my passion and I have seen it help so many people. Whether you have an issue which has been affecting you for some time, something new has cropped up, or you want to prevent future illness, natural medicine can offer benefit. I always consider my work as part of a health care team and work with all types of practitioners. Please consider me a resource for any questions you may have.

Referrals of your friends and family are always welcome. For each new person you refer, you will receive $15 off your next visit.

My new office is easy to find at 16th and Madison. Please see the “Location/Contact” page for directions.

Cold or Flu?
Get Over It!

Now making appointments for cold and flu prevention and treatment:

Dr. McNaughton’s quick cold relief plan:
• Relax on our heated massage table
• Relieving hot aromatic medicinal pack over the lungs
• Lung-opening steam inhalation
• Practical care advice
• Immune-boosting supplements

All in one 45 minute appointment for only $45!

Physical exam, labs, and follow-up if necessary.

Call at the first sign of cold or flu and we’ll get you in as soon as possible.
Some next day appointments may be available.
M, W, Th 9-1

Candace McNaughton, ND
206-633-4800 x 6

In October, I visited Peru and learned about the use of herbs as medicine there. I walked along the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu, spent five days in the Southern Amazon jungle, and visited the desert highlands. Following are some herbs that were shared with me:

I used the Sangre de Grado (Dragon’s Blood) on my legs when I had many insect bites.
It relieved the itch right away!
I am happy to share what I’ve learned with you. Peru really is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians’ 2005 convention was fantastic! My talk want very well. I spoke to a packed house and I learned a lot in conversing with my colleagues.
Below I have noted some interesting things I learned during the conference:

This is just a sampling of the wonderful things that I learned- I look forward to sharing them with you!

Candace McNaughton, ND

Acidic Stress
Acidic stress is the term for a state of long term, mild acidity of the body. Since our bodies do what ever they can to keep the blood at its proper pH, a slight acidic state takes a lot of work to maintain. This means that we leach calcium from our bones, protein from our muscles, and work our kidneys overtime. Usually, eating lots of vegetables and limiting red meat can manage acidic stress. If that doesn’t work, we can take supplements to help.

How do I know if I’m acidic?
If you eat a lot of meat, or drink lots of soda, coffee, or alcohol and not enough water, you could be acidic. Other causes of acidity include toxic exposure, poor digestion, even aging. If you experience brittle bones, a loss of muscle mass, kidney stones, or heart disease, acidic stress may have contributed to this. Measuring saliva or urine pH is not a very acurate way to tell, because numbers vary by the hour, and remember, the body will do what ever it can to keep the fluids at their proper pH. There are blood tests which can tell us about pH balance and help to diagnose acidic stress.

For more information, see my article:
Acidic Stress

There is a lot of debate out there about water, and the best way to get a good source. Some say you should buy spring or distilled water, or filter it at home. Some people say that it makes no difference if you drink from the tap!

Tap water is free of microbes, but contains many toxic chemicals, including chlorine, which is very toxic to the body. It is especially important to avoid chemicals if you have cancer or other chronic diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer disease.

It’s my understanding that the Pur filter is the best pitcher-style filter. It gets out chlorine, spores, and most of the chemicals from tap water. I have also heard that the best overall filter is the MultiPure (different company). They have a model which sits on the sink or fits under it.
I would say that at the minimum, any filter that gets out chlorine is necessary.

I think about the processing chemicals and pesticides in the water, and wonder what these filters can get out. The materials for MultiPure address this.

There has been some discussion that distilled water is by definition as pure as you can get. I have heard that none of the small chemicals from the source water can be present in distilled water by virtue of the distillation process. I am not sure that I am convinced of that. MultiPure says that the chemicals can recondense back into the distilled water. Also, because distilled water has no minerals, it may leach minerals out of your body- bone and tooth problems have been reported.

Here are some links for further information:
http://www.purwater.com/yourwater/contaminants.shtml
http://www.purwater.com
http://www.multipure.com

This page compares available methods, with a bias toward MultiPure:
http://www.multipure.com/product_comparison1.htm

Whatever you choose, drink water every day! 64 ounces is an average recommendation. To help you remember, keep a water bottle with you. Some people find that having a straw encourages them to drink more. Others like bubbly or flavored water.

If you have kidney problems, 64 ounces per day may be too much for you.

In Health,

Dr. McNaughton

I am happy to announce that I will be presenting a paper at the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians annual convention on August 25th. This paper is on the connections between inflammation and acidosis in disease, which I have been researching for some time now.

I will be out of town between August 23 and 31. If you need to make an appointment or anticipate supplement refills, please let me know during the week of the 15th through 19th.

Crescent Natural Health is now live! This is the place to come for reliable information and updates in natural medicine. Have you heard about a new study that interests or concerns you? Want help sorting through all of the information out there? Dr. McNaughton is your source for the latest natural health information.