25 Thoughtful and Unusual Valentine's Day Gifts

Looking for unique and beautiful Valentine’s Day gifts?

BEAUTY PRODUCTS:

What could be a more sustainable and intimate choice than REAL ROSES in Dr. Hauschka products on BewellwithAIM! 

Dr. Rudolph Hauschka founded Hauschka Skin Care as a means to support the healing of humankind and the planet. In 1929, he achieved success in creating a water-based extract of rose petals that remained stable without the use of alcohol or preservatives. That very extract (or "mother substance") remained stable for more than 30 years.

Hauschka nourished a small collection of beautiful botanicals built around water extracts of damask and Bulgarian roses. Because the rose essence sustained within has such a high level of purity and quality, it confers a healing benefit making these beauty products as much therapeutic as cosmetic.

Rose petals contain polyphenols, organic compounds that contain a high amount of pigment or color. These act as antioxidants that work to protect your body from cell damage. They act as a natural sunscreen, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging. As an antiseptic and antimicrobial, rose topically can help fight acne, soothe dermatitis, and is helpful with eczema and psoriasis. The smell of roses helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm the senses.

If you go to BewellwithAIM.com, put in the password AIM, it will unlock the site.

You can do a search for “Hauschka Rose” and all 16 products will come up.

We love the Rose Nurturing Body Oil. There are times when your skin and mind long for harmonizing, strengthening care. Help your loved one promote a sense of balance and well-being with this delicate, nourishing body oil. Extracts of damask roses soothe, calm, and protect sensitive skin. Jojoba oil as a carrier comes from the beans of a desert shrub. It is bright and golden in color with a mild odor, it conserves moisture for silky, supple skin. 

Another favorite is the Rose Nurturing Cream. Featuring the enveloping fragrance of roses, this iconic body cream helps offer warmth and protection to skin and senses. Quickly absorbed, this rich, luxurious body moisturizer supports the skin’s natural barrier function for intensive care and protection. The base is organic shea butter, cocoa butter, and almond and jojoba oils, the suspension is a water extract of damask roses. 

We happen to have a limited supply of rose products in the office. 

Rose Day Cream Dr. Hauschka $45.99 (*limited sale, $39.99)

Rose Nurturing Body Oil Dr. Hauschka $29.99 (*limited sale, $19.99)

Nurturing Body Cream Dr. Hauschka $36.99 (*limited sale, $29.99)

*Call us at (248) 798-2942 or send us an email at Dr.Roy@aimnatural.com to order discounted products from our in-office collection. These are available for shipping or curbside pick up. These are first come and first serve but no worries, you can still access these under retail value, for the month of February only on BewellwithAIM.com

CRYSTALS:

We have a limited supply of real rose quartz hearts in the office.

Rose Quartz, with its gentle pink essence, is a stone with an affinity for the heart and for the breast. It carries a soft energy of compassion and peace, tenderness and healing, nourishment and comfort. Many ancient cultures use rose quartz to activate the heart energy.

In India, rose quartz speaks directly to the Heart Chakra, dissolving emotional wounds, fears, and resentments, and circulates a Divine loving energy throughout the entire aura. Reawakening the heart to its own innate love, it provides a deep sense of personal fulfillment and contentment, allowing one the capacity to truly give and receive love from others.

In ancient Western cultures, Celtic, Norse, and others, Rose Quartz was used as a love token even as early as 600 B.C. It was effective in attracting new love, romance, and intimacy, or in developing a closer bond with family or friends. In ritual, it was used to support connection within groups and communities and carries a high spiritual attunement to the Earth, Universe, and the Divine.

Prized in the ancient African world for its powers of physical beautification, facial masks of Rose Quartz have been recovered from Egyptian tombs, thought by the Egyptians to clear the complexion and prevent wrinkles. Rose Quartz was considered a personal totem in Africa. It inspired the love of beauty, in oneself and others, in nature, and especially that which stimulates the imagination…art, music, and the written word.

In ancient Eastern cultures, particularly in Tibet and China, it was one of the major carving stones. The Chinese used quartz in various types of pastes, powders, and solutions for topical application for soothing and cleaning the skin.

We obtained these small rose quartz hearts from a highly reputable small craftsman. They fit nicely into an undergarment or bra where they warm against the skin and help to integrate healing energy into your life post-radiation, pre or post-surgery, or in survivorship. They are a wonderful gift for you to purchase for yourself or for your loved ones.

Dr. Roy wears one close to her heart daily in practice and often recommends them to patients to use in their undergarments after their daily radiation.

These are $8 each and can be purchased here.

TEAS:

We also have a limited supply of PUKKA teas in the office. Taken orally, the same rose polyphenols that support the skin topically, have been shown to reduce the risk of:

• Heart disease

• Diabetes

• Obesity

• Cognitive diseases

PUKKA is now available over the counter so we no longer have access to it wholesale. We LOVED PUKKA because of the company’s focus on organic farming, fair trade, and conservation through commerce. Every Pukka plastic-free tea bag comes in its own recyclable envelope to retain the essential oils in their ethically sourced 100% organically grown herbs. Each bag has two cloth chambers, allowing these incredible herbs to flow and release the full potency in your cup. 

We have limited availability at the reduced cost of $9/box of:

After Dinner:

Roasted chicory root (24%), aniseed, fennel seed (20%), licorice root, cardamom seed (8%), orange peel, ginger root. After your valentine’s dinner is a non-caffeinated “coffee-like” drink that is made with organic aniseed, cardamom, chicory, fennel, ginger, and licorice. It’s a wonderfully sumptuous tea for soothing digestion after your meal.

Beyond the chatter, steam rises, and mugs are stirred. First, the luxurious taste of roasted chicory. Next, the calm of cardamom mingling with aniseed, followed by sweet fennel and licorice. One slow sip follows another. These herbs are all heart and immune supportive. 

Relax:

Sweet fennel seed (24%), chamomile flower (18%), licorice root, oat flowering tops, cardamom pod, ginger root, marshmallow root (10%). Made with organic chamomile flower to help you to unwind and fennel seed and ginger to ease digestion. This tea is meant for relaxation, it’s lovely right before bed or an intimate moment, especially for patients who struggle with anticipatory anxiety before sex, or anxious rumination before bed. It’s excellent before difficult conversations and the fennel and ginger are heart and immune supportive. 

Love:

Chamomile flower (25%), limeflower, elderflower, marigold petal, licorice root, rose flower (5%) lavender flower (5%). Made with rose hips, organic chamomile, elderflower, lavender, licorice, limeflower, and marigold. This tea is excellent for patients with a risk of cardiotoxicity but also a delicious gift for Valentine’s Day. Herbs may feel like gentle warriors, but brewed correctly and taken consistently, they can be life-changing. Rose is excellent for vessel damage and heart health and lavender and chamomile are wonderful for hypertension.

Three Mint:

Peppermint leaf (34%), spearmint leaf (34%) fieldmint leaf (32%). This tea is a blend of three types of mint for a vibrant cool and supreme sweetness. Like a natural bubblegum, this tea is a cooling digestive that also supports the respiratory system and immune health. 

Three Fennel:

Sweet fennel seed (50%), wild fennel (bitter fennel) seed (45%), fennel leaf (5%). Fennel was highly valued in the ancient world by Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese, and Indians for its value as a carminative, expectorant, and as a talisman used in various rituals. Due to fennel's gentle nature, it is used to support digestion in infants and children and can be given to nursing mothers. It prevents heartburn and is an underrated immune supportive. Like the Three Mint and After Dinner, it’s lovely digestive after a rich meal. 

Cinnamon:

Vietnamese cinnamon bark (60%), Indonesian cinnamon bark (16%), licorice, Indian cinnamon bark (10%). This is Dr. Roy’s favorite. The taste is sweet and spicy. Cinnamon is heart supportive. To extract the organic compounds that are medicinal, a tea needs to be steeped for quite some time. At least 5-10 minutes for flavor and overnight for therapeutic healing. This tea just gets better with steeping time.

Revitalize:

Cinnamon bark (25%), orange peel, elderflower, cardamom seed (10%), licorice root, ginger root (7%), green tea, spearmint leaf, clove bud, black peppercorn. This is Dr. March’s favorite. It is a “mother tea” that blends many of the herbs in the teas above. An alternative to coffee, this tea wakes you up, supports your immune system, acts as a heart and vessel supportive. 

These special teas are first come, first serve. We only have a few boxes of each. Call us at (248) 798-2942 or send us an email at Dr.Roy@aimnatural.com to order these discounted teas from our in-office collection. These are available for shipping or curbside pick up.

Given the gentle, yet powerful nature of herbs and our particular skills in medicinal herbs, Associates of Integrative Medicine has brought in a full dispensary of herbs and will be designing individual blends for each of our patients using 100% organically grown, ethically sourced, high-quality plants. 

Our goal is to design and hand-deliver to you, your own custom compounded tea, tailored to your specific health goals for costs ranging from $10-$15/three cups a day for one month! 

Cancer Fighting Diet: Part III

If you followed us during Part I & II of our series on What is a Cancer Fighting Diet, you know that WHAT and HOW much you eat matters (see Part I &II posts). We can now discuss the impact of PROTEIN SOURCES.

Your body breaks down dietary protein into amino acids which are then used as building blocks for all the cells, muscles, and tissues in your body.

So what Protein Sources should you be eating on a Cancer Fighting Diet?

In short, cold water fish, legumes, soy, nuts, and seeds.

Shifting from a diet that focuses on animal proteins, like beef, chicken, and pork, to one that focuses on cold-water fish, beans, legumes, soy, nuts, and seeds has been shown to be cancer preventative. 

Animal proteins, like beef, contain higher amounts of saturated fat, which have been linked to an increased risk of prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers1.  Along with containing these fats, animal proteins are also highly Inflammatory. Inflammation increases the rate at which cells are growing in the body, making it harder for our immune systems to catch cell mistakes.  It’s when these mistakes get passed on that cancer develops.

 A lot of processed meats, including bacon, lunch meats, and sausage, also contain carcinogens like nitrites and nitrates.  Processed meat intake is associated with increased breast and prostate cancer risk (2,3).

The Omega-3 fats found in cold-water fish, on the other hand, are anti-inflammatory.  The antioxidants and fiber found in legumes and soy have additional cancer-fighting properties.  For example, the isoflavone genisteinfound in soy has been shown to reduce the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) level in localized prostate cancer patients (4).  Increased fiber intake has been shown to reduce risk for colorectal and prostate cancers, improve lipid status, and lower blood sugar levels (5).

Including the right types and amounts of protein in your diet is important for optimal wellness.  It’s crucial that you meet with a nutritionist who specializes in oncology to guide you on the most comprehensive cancer-fighting diet and help you with the transition to a plant-focused diet.

Please call us at (248) 798-2942, and allow one of our board certified nutritionists and natural medicine doctors work with you to use nutrition to fight cancer and live the life you desire.

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1Giovannucci, E., Rimm, E.B., Colditz, G.A., Stampfer, M.J., Ascherio, A., Chute, C.C., & Willett, W.C. (1993).  A Prospective Study of Dietary Fat and Risk of Prostate Cancer [Abstract].  Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 85(19), 1571.

2Pouchieu, C., Deschasaux, M., Hercberg, S., Druesne-Pecollo, N., Latino-Martel, P., Touvier, M.  (2014). Prospective association between red and processed meat intakes and breast cancer risk: modulation by an antioxidant supplementation in the SU.VI.MAX randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Epidemiology, 43 (5), 1583-92.  Doi: 10.1093/ije/dyu134

3Sinha, R., Park, Y., Graubard, B.I., Leitzmann, M.F., Hollenbeck, A., Schatzkin, A., & Cross, A.J. (2009).  Meat and Meat-related Compounds and Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Large Prospective Cohort Study in the United States. American Journal of Epidemiology, 170(9), 1165-1177.  doi: 10.1093/aje/kwp280

4Lazarvic, B., Boezelijin, G., Diep, L.M., Kvernrod, O., Ramberg, H.,… & Karlsen, S.J. (2011). Efficacy and safety of short-term genistein intervention in patients with localized prostate cancer prior to radical prostatectomy: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase 2 clinical trial. Nutrition and Cancer, 63(6), 889-98.  Doi: 10.1080/01635581.2011.582221

5Fechner, A., Fenske, K., Jahreis, G. (2013). Effects of legume kernel fibres and citrus fibre on putative risks for colorectal cancer: a radomised, double-blind, crossover human intervention trial.  Nutrition Journal, 12-101.  Doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-12-101

Learning and Growing From My Health Scare

I recently had a health scare that made me question some of my choices and reflect on my past. 

I went in for my annual exam a couple weeks ago and a physician assistant concurred that she felt a lump in my breast.  I had felt it a few weeks before, but I wasn’t sure what it was or what it meant.  Because of my family history of breast cancer, she instantly referred me for a mammogram. 

As soon as I got into my car, I called my step mom to tell her the news and immediately started crying.  I was terrified.  I always knew that I had a higher risk of breast cancer, but I thought, “Can this really be happening to me at 29?!”

I had been on the other side, I had been the one that was left behind, but this was a whole new perspective.  During the days between my appointment and my mammogram, I kept thinking about who I would be leaving behind if this lump was cancer.  I thought about my step mom who had stepped in when my mom passed.  I thought about my brother and nephew who had just moved back to Michigan.  I thought about my new practice and my work with you. It was hardest to think about my husband, Kevin, a man who is always positive and supportive.  How could I put him through this pain?  What about our plans to have children?

As the days passed I began to reflect on what I am empowered to do in the face of this disease. Am I doing as much as I can to live a purposeful and healthy life?  The answer was, “No, I am not.”  So I began meditating, praying, hugging my husband more, and letting myself feel my emotions instead of burying them.  I tried to be more present. I spent time with my family. My father and I had always struggled since my mom passed, and he reached out to me, we connected a little more.

We see patients daily who have to face choices about what to do for care. I began to walk down this road for myself and my family and think, “What would I choose if I had cancer?”  The answer that came to me was, “Everything I possibly could!”  Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, naturopathic medicine and complementary care for side effects, supplements, Reiki, meditation, massage, yoga, exercise, mental health counseling, nutrition, acupuncture, IV therapies, aromatherapy, chiropractic… anything and everything because I do believe in our mission statement, “to provide truly holistic cancer care that considers the therapeutic impact: nutrition; mental, emotional and spiritual work; intimacy; healing touch; movement and other modalities, have in the battle against cancer.”

I would not let this defeat me. There’s still so much I want to do, see, and experience.  I don’t want to leave anyone behind.

The ultrasound and mammogram day finally came (10 days later) and luckily there were no abnormalities detected. It was just a lump.  I felt a wave of relief and started crying again. I felt grateful that the results were negative, but I also felt grateful that it brought me closer to an understanding of what my mom went through and gave me a glimpse of what you, my patients go through.