Unit 5 CAM Project

CAM in Your Community 101

Course Syllabus
General Information
Instructor: Mary Cusimano
Email: Mfcusimano@gmail.com
Course Meetings: Online, Monday 7 PM CST
Credit Hours: 3.0

Course Description
This course will serve as an introduction to CAM methods that you can utilize in your home and
your community. This class is geared for locals only. New Orleans does not have a huge
abundance of CAM practitioners or a lot of knowledge on these topics, so this class will try to
compensate for that.

Course Prerequisites
None

Course Objectives
1. To understand the difference between synthetic vitamins and natural vitamins and why
vitamins are so important
2. To learn home remedies for non-emergency medical conditions.
3. To learn about different CAM practitioners in the area and why they are so beneficial.

Required Materials
None

Unit 5 CAM Project

General Course Outline Handout

Lesson One:
Vitamins
o
What are vitamins?
o Fat Soluble Vitamins
o Water Soluble Vitamins
Whole food vs. synthetic vitamins
o Whats so bad about synthetic vitamins?
o What to do?
Lesson Two:
CAM Practitioners in Your Area
o The Remedy Room
o Acupuncture Wellness Center, LLC
Lesson Three:
Natural Home Remedies
o Ginger
o Cranberries
o Oatmeal
o Sea Salt
o Turmeric
o Coconut Oil

Unit 5 CAM Project

Lesson 1 Lecture

Lesson Summary: This lesson addresses the necessary vitamins that our bodies need and how to
choose ones that will benefit you instead of harm you.

Lesson Content:
What are vitamins?

Nutrients that our bodies need in order to maintain functions such as immunity and
metabolism
There is very little that can function in our bodies with the necessity of a vitamin
Our bodies cannot make them, so we must get them from foods
There are 13 vitamins which all interact with our cell enzymes to regulate a variety of
essential bodily functions

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins that are stored in fat cells where there is an excess amount present in the body
Need fat in order to be absorbed
o Vitamin A
Needed for growth and for normal tissue development
Keeps skin moist and maintain mucous membranes
Helps with vision
Antioxidantprotects against free radicals
Boosts immunity
Found in animal liver, oily fish
Also known as beta-carotene: mango, melon, spinach, carrot, red pepper
Stored in our liver
o Vitamin D
Regulates and improves the uptake of calcium and phosphate which are
needed for healthy bones and teeth
Needed to activate immune defenses
Recent discussion has claimed vitamin D to actually be a hormone instead
of a vitamin
Made by our skin by the action of sunlight
Found in oily fish, eggs, and fortified foods
o Vitamin E

Protects cell membranes and needed for effective immune function

Only need a small amount so deficiency is uncommon
Found in nuts, seeds, oily fish, and most green leafy vegetables

o Vitamin K
Necessary for normal blood clotting and in growth and development of
bones and kidneys
Deficiency is unknown
Rich in green leafy vegetables, meats, dairy

Water Soluble Vitamins

Not stored in the body

Body takes what it needs and then excretes what is not needed as waste
Easily destroyed by cooking
o Vitamin C
Antioxidant Helps to prevent long-term tissue damage
Boosts immunity, assists in uptake of iron
Used in production of collagen which we need for healthy skin, hair, teeth,
gums, blood vessels, and cartilage
Found in blackcurrant, guava, citrus fruits, broccoli, brussel sprouts,
cauliflower, green peppers, and red peppers
o Thiamin (B1)
Important in the processing of carbohydrates to produce energy
Processes fat and alcohol
Helps nerves function properly
Found in pork, other meats, fish, potatoes, beans, nuts, wheat, and
wholegrain breads
o Riboflavin (B2)
Important for the growth and production of red blood cells
Keeps our skin and eyes health
Helps to produce energy
Sources include milk, eggs, nuts, liver, fish, meat, and some green leafy
vegetables
o Niacin (B3)
Helps to produce cholesterol to reduce the likelihood of heart disease
Helps to produce energy

Sources include fish, liver, meats, nuts, eggs, and dairy

o Pantothenic Acid (B5)

Important in metabolic processes
Production of energy in cells
Found in meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, legumes, and cereal grains
o B6 (pyridoxine)
Used in processing of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to produce energy
Used in cell division to make red blood cells
Present in meats, liver, fish, fruit, potatoes, fortified cereals, milk, beans,
and nuts
o Folate, Folic Acid
Essential for producing new cells
Important in infancy and pregnancy
Important for making normal blood cells
Sources include green leafy vegetables, yeast, seaweed, milk, beans, nuts,
and some fruits
Stored in our liver
o B12 (Cobalamin)
Important for cell division, red blood cell production, and for proper
functioning of nerves
Intrinsic factor is required for intestinal absorption of vitamin B12
Found in most animal products, yeasts, and seaweed
o Biotin (Vitamin H)
Important for metabolic processes, cell growth, maintain healthy bone,
nerves, and sweat glands
Found in liver, eggs, nuts fruits, berries, and vegetables

Whole Food vs. Synthetic Supplements

o Mother nature knows best
o For example: In a carrot, there are 200 nutrients that work together synergistically
consisting of enzymes, coenzymes, co-vitamins, minerals, and other factors
o Scientists dont know how it all works and this mystery of nature cannot be
replicated in a lab
o Vitamins must be associated with their natural co-workers to be properly utilized
and be a potent nutritional factor

o A minute amount of a vitamin that is left intact in its whole food form is
tremendously more function, powerful, and effective nutritionally than a large
amount of a chemically, pure, vitamin fraction
o Most synthetic vitamins are chemicals, repackaged in creative ways
o They are chemical compounds made in factories known as pure, crystalline
vitamins

Whats So Bad About Synthetic Vitamins?

o Detrimental to long-term health because theyre man-made, not nature-made
o For example, synthetic thiamine (B1) will initially help fatigue but eventually
with cause fatigue from the build-up of pyruvic acid.

What to Do?
o Read the ingredients
The nutrient should be listed as a food instead of a chemical name such a
niacin, thiamine, or tocopherols
In nature, B vitamins come from nutritional yeast and liver, not niacin or
thiamin. Vitamin C comes from green leafy vegetables, citrus, and
buckwheat juice, not ascorbic acid. Vitamin E comes from wheat germ oil
and pea vine, not tocopherols.
o Look at the daily value percentage- Nature is low dose but highly potent. If it is
listed at 100% or more, it is synthetic.
o Avoid singular vitamins.
o Mother nature works in tandem

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.

-Hippocrates

Unit 5 CAM Project

Lesson 2 Lecture

Lesson Summary: This lesson addresses the available CAM practitioners in your area and why
they are beneficial to your long term health.

Lesson Content:
The Remedy Room

What is Hydration Therapy?

IV Hydration Therapy is a fast, efficient way to rehydrate your body and replenish essential
vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.

Types of Therapies Offered

Stay Well Therapy-Designed to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, it promotes maximum
productivity and overall well being

It is a synergistic blend of vitamins and minerals such as Magnesium, B12, B5, B6 and
Vitamin C. This therapy helps you get back to work and feeling great in under 30
minutes.

Migraine Therapy A great alternative to sedating painkillers. This therapy relieves the pain
and discomfort that accompany mild to sever migraine. It combines IV fluids, anti-inflammatory,
pain medication, B vitamins to relieve fatigue, and anti-nausea medication. Patients with even
severe migraines have experienced relief in less than one hour.

Magnesium and Vitamin B6 reduces inflammation, relaxes muscles and blood vessel
walls, and reduces anxiety naturally. Anti-inflammatory as well as specific protocol with
oral supplements promoting prevention.

Get Well Therapy This therapy combines IV hydration, pain and fever medication and
Vitamin C to speed up recovery and provide immediate relief. This therapy is most effective
when performed at the first sign of the onset of an illness. It provides the body with essential
nutrients to strengthen the immune system and significantly shorten the time spent fighting cold
and flu symptoms. This therapy has also been shown to relieve the symptoms of seasonal
allergies, upper respiratory infections, and sinusitis.

With a combination of potent antioxidants like Vitamin C, trace minerals, B vitamins and
Glutathione, this therapy assists in the recovery process and should be infused at the
onset of illness.

Hangover Therapy- Reverse the effects of severe dehydration with fluids, vitamin B12, B
Complex, Glutathione, and Oxygen. This solution provides a quick relief to dry mouth,
headache, and body aches that come with the classic hangover.
Benefits include:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Restore balance of electrolytes and fluids

Enhance immunity
Improve energy levels
Reduce stress
Prevent healthy cell damage
Experience more restful sleep
Boost your overall mood

NAD Infusion Therapy (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)

Helps reduce craving and withdrawal from addictive substances in days

Success in treating:
o Addictions
o PTSD
o Anxiety
o Depression
o Chronic Fatigue
Benefits of NAD Infusion Therapy:
o Lessen the agony of withdrawal
o Reduce cravings
o Repair damaged cells
o Restore mental clarity

o Improve overall well being

UVLrx Treatment System- LED-based medical device that uses therapeutic ultraviolet light
wavelengths to treat the blood through an IV.
-Can be used to clean the blood and improve circulation, while increasing oxygen levels
and strengthening the immune system
-Can be used to improve chronic inflammation, pain management, upper respiratory
infections, chronic Lyme disease and more.
-There is no need for blood thinners or additives because this therapy treats the blood
directly

Benefits Include:

Reduction of pain
Reduction of pathogens in the blood
Reduction of Inflammation
Immune system modulation
Improved ATP Synthesis
Improved wound healing
Improved blood oxygen transport
Improved circulation

Acupuncture Wellness Center, LLC

Acupuncture Wellness Center is an integrate healthcare, well-being and longevity center that
combines modern Western medical consultation with full scale traditional Chinese medical
techniques including acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary recommendations, and life style
modification.

They emphasize total patient health and well-being. They view each patient as an individual
whose wellbeing is affected by lifestyle, diet, emotions, attitude, and environment. They provide
a personalized, holistic, and preventive healthcare service. Their goal is to look for underlying
causes to improve a patients general wellbeing and happiness while treating the current
condition.

Services:

Acupuncture
Auricular Acupuncture
Electro Acupuncture
Moxibustion
Cupping
Gua Sha
Tui Na
Herbal Medicine
Herbal Pharmacy
Nutrition Counseling
Exercise Recommendations

Unit 5 CAM Project

Lesson 3 Lecture
Lesson Summary: This lesson addresses the home remedies available for non-emergency
conditions or illnesses.
Lesson Content:
Ginger:

Improves blood flow

Reduces inflammation in your muscles
Can relieve menstrual cramping

Cranberries

Contain proanthocyanidins that fend off bacteria that cause urinary tract infections
Prevents infection by keeping bacteria from attaching to bladder walls

Oatmeal

Calms itchy, inflamed skin associated with eczema

Oatmeal is packed with phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory properties
Create a soothing bath by grinding 1/3 cup of plain oatmeal into a fine powder and
pouring into lukewarm water.

Sea Salt

Is a good exfoliator to clear away dead skin

Turmeric

Has significant anti-inflammatory properties

Curcumin is the primary agent in turmeric that has been shown to be comparable to the
potent drugs hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone
Curcumin produces no toxicity
May provide an inexpensive, well-tolerated, and effective treatment for inflammatory
bowel disease such as Crohns and ulcerative colitis.
Clinical studies have shown that curcumin is able to neutralize free radicals which are
chemicals that can travel through the body and cause great amounts of damage to healthy
cells and cell membranes. Curcumin can relieve pain from arthritis due to the cause of the
pain being the free radical formation in joints.
Curcumin can correct the most common expression of the genetic defect that is
responsible for cystic fibrosis
Curcumin has strong antioxidant actions that can protect cells against cancer and can
prevent tumors from forming
Can reduce risk of child leukemia and improve liver function
Can lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health
Can protect against Alzheimers disease

Coconut Oil

Helps prevent degenerative diseases and premature aging due to its well-known
antioxidant properties. Helps in treating psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and other skin
infections
Helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality. It is effective in
reducing protein loss in your hair
It contains 50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various heart problems
like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
Prevents atherosclerosis.
Very useful for weight loss. Strengthens the immune system with its antimicrobial lipids,
lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid (antifungal), antibacterial and antiviral
properties.
Improves digestion and prevents stomach problems including irritable bowel syndrome.
Provides relief from inflammation causes by candida, externally and internally

References
(2016). The Remedy Room. Retrieved from: http://www.theremedyroom.com/services/
(2010). Acupuncture Wellness Cetner, LLC: Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well. Retrieved from:
http://www.nolaacupuncture.com/wellness_center/wellness_center.html
(2016). Tumeric.The George Mateljan Foundation. Retrieved from:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78
(2016). Health Benefits of Coconut Oil. Organic Information Services. Retrieved from:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/oils/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
Swalin, R. (2016). 10 Home Remedies You Can Find in Your Kitchen. Health Media Ventures.
Retrieved from: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20831757,00.html/viewall#cucumbers-for-puffy-eyes-0
What are Vitamins? ISU Dining. Retrieved from:
http://www.dining.iastate.edu/nutrition/docs/vitamins.pdf
Why do we need to eat vitamins? Eat Balanced: Innovative Brands for Food Service. Retreived
from: http://www.eatbalanced.com/why-eat-balanced/why-do-we-need-vitamins/