Over the years, I’ve had countless women assume that because they are coming to an “alternative” doctor, we have a crystal ball that can predict whether or not they will get cervical cancer. It’s great that women have confidence in me, but it’s very foolish for them to ignore their health in this way.

Case in point: I once had a 70-year-old woman who had been coming to our clinic for more than 30 years. (She is a long-time client of the doctor with whom I used to work.) She came to see us because she was experiencing “spotting,” not something that is normal in a 70-year-old woman.

We gave her a variety of homeopathic remedies and some herbal therapies. Over two weeks, it had not stopped — it hadn’t gotten worse either — nor had anything that we given her helped. So in our next appointment, I told her I thought she should visit her gynecologist to see what was going on.

Her reply: ”I don’t have a gynecologist. You have been my doctor for 30 years.”

I gently informed her this wasn’t a good idea and that women need to have annual checkups. I insisted that she visit my gynecologist and gave her my doctor’s card. After her visit and a Pap smear, she got the diagnosis: Stage 3 Cervical Cancer.

Fortunately, her cancer was caught in time. They treated her aggressively with chemo and surgery. And, we supported her during that process by boosting her immune system with natural therapies specifically designed for cancer therapy. Today, she is alive and healthy and well. But that was a very important lesson for her and, hopefully, for you too…

As much as I love alternative and natural medicine, we have our limitations. In most states, Naturopaths cannot perform Pap smears on women. We do not possess the training, nor the medical equipment that is necessary to perform this important test.

The Pap smear (named after the Greek Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou) is a gynecological test to check for the presence of pre-malignant or malignant cells found on the cervix.

Women should get a pap smear every year so that doctors can catch cervical cancer before it’s too late.

As a Cervical Cancer survivor, I can attest to the importance of this test. And whether you’re 15 or 70, if you still have a cervix, it is important that you go in to your gynecologist and have an annual test. I know it is not our favorite visit to the doctor… These tests are invasive and not so much fun. But do it anyway!

My prior post on taking responsibility for your health talks about that very thing. Don’t leave it up to your current medical professional to make sure you are doing all you need to do.

It is up to YOU to ensure you’re doing all you need to do to ensure your health. Even if you have a long-standing relationship with a nutritionist, a naturopath, acupuncturist or chiropractor, those practitioners cannot take the place of a regular visit to the gynecologist, and they can’t perform this all-important test.

So be sure you schedule that visit. It’s 15 minutes, once a year. Do it for your health!

One of my favorite additions to my smoothie recipes is fresh ground Golden Flax Seed, jam-packed with tons of nutrition and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

It’s the healthy lignans and the high quantity of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA, the Omega-3 fatty acid) contained in flax seed that make it so special and can help with a wide range of health conditions, including:

• Cholesterol problems
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Joint inflammation
• Constipation
• Menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and bone loss
• Blood pressure problems

There also is plenty of research out there that suggests consuming fresh ground Golden Flax Seed daily may prevent heart disease and certain cancers (prostate, breast, ovarian and colon).

Which one: Golden or Brown?

I prefer the Golden Flax Seed over the brown because it has a nutty flavor and really adds that flavor to my smoothie. Some people like to sprinkle it on cereal or oatmeal, add it to yogurt or a salad and even bake with it.

What about Flax Seed Oil?

My preference is to always consume the food in its most natural form. So, for your good health, I recommend eating Organic Whole Golden Flax Seeds. Also, it is not advisable healthwise to consume these seeds in the whole form, so you’ll need to purchase an inexpensive coffee grinder (you can easily find one at Wal-Mart or Target).

Grinding golden flax seeds fresh for each use is a far superior way to consume them and get the maximum health benefits.

I don’t recommend flax seed oil for several reasons:

1. Potentially, the oil will become rancid.
2. You’ll miss out on the important fiber you get by eating ground whole seeds.
3. Sometimes the lignans and the essential fatty acids are damaged when converted to oil.

How much golden flax seed do I need?

I recommend consuming at least 3 heaping tablespoons each day. These can be added to different foods. For example, mix a few with a smoothie and add some to your salad for dinner. But the important thing to remember is to get in those 3 tablespoons daily.

To make it easier, grind up about a cup’s worth and store it in an air-tight container in your freezer for easy access.

On the subject of women’s health, I feel it is important to discuss breast health. As a Naturopath, naturally I am concerned about the number of cases of breast cancer that are diagnosed each year. In my natural health practice, I focus on prevention as well as teaching and coaching my clients to follow good health and lifestyle habits.

Since we do stress natural health, most Naturopaths are not advocates of mammograms. In fact, we believe they are harmful for several reasons. First of all, they are extremely painful — as any of you that have had one know first-hand. Secondly, we believe exposing such delicate and sensitive breast tissue to radiation is not a very smart thing to do.

The good news is, as in almost all health issues, there is a safer alternative to mammograms. Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is a simple, non-invasive, non-toxic and completely pain-free technique used to detect breast pathologies — without using radiation — that takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. This test is reviewed by radiologists who have been specifically trained in reading thermal imaging reports.

Read more information about DITI at www.meditherm.com.

For San Antonio and surrounding area locations, point your web browser to www.ditiimaging.com/.

For locations that offer DITI services in United States, check out www.thermologyonline.org/Breast/breast_thermography_clinics.htm.