ELIH Ranks High

According to The Wall Street Journal, a good way to choose the best hospital is The Hospital Value Report, which ranks hospitals based on quality, affordability and efficiency.

Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport announced in July 2008 that it received a ranking of sixth out of 1,400 American hospitals and achieved the highest score in New York State.

Free Cancer Screening

Community Action Southold Town (CAST) with Cancer Services Program of Eastern Suffolk County at Peconic Bay Medical Center, is offering enrollment eligibility screening to men and women for health services including free colorectal cancer screening, breast and cervical exams to those who are uninsured.

This service is being offered at the new CAST office, located at 311 Front Street, Greenport, on Friday, July 11th, 2008. To make an appointment with an enrollment supervisor, please call the CAST office at 631-477-1717.

Be A Hero: Give Blood

A Message from Lauren Reichel

"Over 5½ years ago I was in a major car accident, losing my first born and nearly losing my life. They say it was a mircacle I survived. Losing my daughter was so devastating that I never really noticed or cared about how miraculous surviving really was. We were in a "small" Mitsubishi Mirage, the other driver...A TRACTOR TRAILER! Needless to say, with major body and traumatic head injuries, I lost a lot of blood! If it weren't for the generous support of ordinary people giving less than an hour of their time, to give selflessly of theimselves to give the gift of life, I never would have survived. All the medicine and technology the doctors used to keep me alive would never have worked without first replenishing all the blood I lost! Blood cannot be manufactured. There are no substitutes. One donation may help several people that are fighting for their lives. People that are injured or ill, perhaps someone you know, are counting on people like you to make sure blood will be there when it is needed. I gave at the last drive for the first time. I never realize all of my medications were alright. I was happy to be able to give back, even if it was just a little. I feel I owe so much more! It takes someone special who understands that making a blood donation is an important life-saving deed. There is a shortage of blood in our area. Blood is shipped in from donors of other areas. With July 4th just around the corner, blood banks everywhere will be experiencing a time of crisis and in desperate, desperate need for blood. We need more people from Long Island to donate. Please, be someone’s hero. Donate blood now. People can’t live without it! Call me for information at 369-9136 or email me at commblooddrives@optonline.net. If you are unsure due to medical reasons whether or not you can donate, you can call the eligibility info line: 1-800-688-0900. You would be surprised that many medications are ok as long as you are in good health otherwise."

Donate Blood Anytime

If you can give blood (if you're between 16 and 76 years old and weigh 110 lbs or more, you are eligible), please visit the NY Blood Services web site for blood drive locations. You can also make an appointment at regular locations.

Need Health Insurance?

Community Action Southold Town (CAST), in conjunction with Americhoice (formerly United Health Care), will be holding open enrollment on Tuesdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the CAST office located at 74365 Main Road Greenport, for Medicaid, Child Health Plus & Family Health Plus government health insurance programs. For more info call (631) 813-0039 or 477-1717.

Relay for Life

Our community participates hugely in this major overnight event to raise money for the cure and help victims and their families. To find out more about how you can get involved, talk to someone you know who's doing it or go to the American Cancer Society web site. All the info you need is on the site. Click on links to Relay for Life and search by zip code or town.

For more info about the Southold Relay for Life, visit the web site or email Southold.Relay@cancer.org.

For more info about the Riverhead Relay for Life, visit the web site or email Riverhead.Relay@cancer.org.

June 2008
Get Your Vitamins
by Erin Dunscomb*

Doesn't the idea of taking a pill or powder for optimal energy and nutrition sound wonderful? A fast, convenient way to good health is certainly appealing in our hurried society.

The food you eat has a big impact on your health, and it's important to eat a helathy diet for optimal nutrition and wellness. Eating an orange may take a bit longer than popping a vitamin C pill but the benefits are worth it. The vitamin C from an orange is generally absorbed more easily by your body than the vitamin C found in a capsule. This is true for most nutrients found in food. You also benefit from the fiber, antioxidants, several other nutrients, and it tastes delicious.

However, new studies come out all the time about how essential certain nutrients are and how much you should be "taking them." This can get confusing. While a multivitamin is not the answer to all of your nutritional concerns, there are some very good reasons to make sure you are taking one everyday.

Depleted

One important point is the fact that the food we eat today is mostly grown in depleted soil so it has a lower percentage of what we need than it once did. Even if you are feeding your family all organic produce, you still won't be getting the optimal level of nutrients. When it comes to certain nutrients, if they aren't in the soil they won't be in your food.

I think that everyone should take a multivitamin. It is not a magic pill but it is absolutely necessary. A multivitamin can be thought of as an insurance policy. It will cover some nutritional deficiencies but you should still eat a diet based around whole foods.

Tips for Selecting and Taking Vitamins

Choose the highest quality multivitamin possible. Make sure children are taking a child's vitamin.

Check that your pills are made of a capsule that is water soluble such as methyl cellulose, which is absorbed easily. Some are also combined with whole or living food nutrients, which is preferable to those that are isolated.

Make sure you take vitamins with food. Digestive juices are needed for optimal absorption.

Notice whether your vitamins are listed as optimal daily allowance (ODA) rather than recommended daily allowance (RDA). RDA is the minimum to prevent disease but not the optimal for good health like ODA.

Check for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification as well.

You do not have to buy the most expensive multivitamin on the market, you just have to do a little research into what it should contain and what standards the company adheres.

If you would like a multivitamin that meets your specific nutritional needs (you can test for this), feel free to contact me for more information.

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative

Consider decreasing consumption of substances that are detrimental to your health. Alcohol, caffeine, sugars and refined carbohydrates are a few examples of substances to limit. Often, your body must leach vitamins and minerals from within when processing these.

While the food that we eat becomes our cells, it's important to remember that our thoughts, lifestyle and emotions affect our cells as well. A lifestyle that is positive and puts our health first will go a long way to keeping us happy and healthy. Take time everyday to relax and appreciate life.

* * *

* Erin Dunscomb is a Holistic Health Counselor certified by The Association of Drugless Practitioners. She has a certificate in Integrative Nutrition through Columbia's Teachers College and a degree through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition. Erin serves as a personal advocate to people who want to live healthy, passionate, energized lives. Please visit her website for more information.

Contact Erin for a free consultation at:
ErinDunscomb@gmail.com or call
347-742-6616.