Is your blood bright red or does it look more like the color of grape jelly? Your answer may reveal a great deal about the role of movement and exercise in your life, notes Dr. Dennis Fera of Holistic Health & Medicine in Hillsborough.

"Oxidation is the natural process by which our bodies convert carbohydrates, fats, and protein into energy," he points out. "Exercise is critical to that process. It causes life-supporting oxygen to course through our veins. It is absolutely key to health and it is imperative not to ignore it.

"Pathogenic organisms do not like well-oxygenated blood, and thus exercise is in the front line in protecting us from viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and parasites. Cancer cells also dislike high oxygen concentrations," he observes.

"Blood color can be revealing," says Dr. Fera. "Most often, people who are sedentary, with little or no exercise in their lives, have blood that is not well-oxygenated—and it is dark and looks like grape jelly. Conversely, well-oxygenated blood is bright red, a marker for the benefits of exercise and movement."

Dr. Fera, widely known as a practitioner on the leading edge in offering holistic therapies., often attracts patients who have exhausted more traditional health-care options in the search for health and healing. Carol Linden and Daniel Smith are among them.

CAROL LINDEN

Fifteen years ago, when I was in my early 30s, my life was in the toilet. My body was wracked with pain from what we now know is fibromyalgia. I never thought that giving up was an option, so I decided to take on this challenge to work on all levels—emotional and psychological to relieve past wounding, spiritual, and physical—using whatever worked, including both conventional and holistic approaches. It was a question of giving in or getting up—and I never thought giving in was a good option.

I’ve used every resource I could find: a gifted chiropractor, a rolfer, conventional medical doctors, an acupuncturist, and my holistic physician, Dr. Fera. I first went to Dr. Fera for a Vitamin C drip to support me after the removal of amalgam fillings, on the recommendation of my chiropractor. My body was dumping mercury. And then I continued to work with him to clear the mercury from my body. Now I’ve completed 20 sessions of neural therapy, which has had wonderful benefits in raising my energy. I have now, after all these years, resumed swing dancing. Sometimes I’m a bit sore the day after, but I’m getting very close to leading a normal, pain-free life.

It has been critical for me to find holistic practitioners who would support me. For me, that is a key part of getting well. I need a practitioner who can hear who I am and what I need, and who understands that I have mental, emotional, physical and spiritual healing work I want and need to do. He doesn’t have to agree with me. He just needs to hear me and understand me and support me. And Dr. Fera has been that holistic physician for me.

DANIEL SMITH

I’m now 66. My serious health problems began with the discovery that my resting blood pressure was 200 over 109. A nuclear stress test revealed blockages on the left main artery, the one that goes down on the back side of the heart. And I had ischemia—painful, localized vasoconstriction—as a result of these tests.

I finally reluctantly agreed to bypass surgery, and spent four hours in the operating room while anesthesiologists tried unsuccessfully to place an airway in my throat. That cancelled the surgery, and intensified my interest in finding another reasonable option.

I began to research chelation therapy, and that finally brought me to Dr. Fera. I’ve come to know, first-hand, that chelation is a safe and effective way to restore blood flow in the blood vessets of the body—and in my case, that meant in the arteries going to and from my heart. At the same time, I’ve also noticed benefits of improved circulation in my hands and legs.

I had my first chelation treatment with Dr. Fera last December 18, and completed the full course he prescribed. I now do chelation on a maintenance basis, with a treatment once a month. I’m a consulting engineer, with a good deal of stress in my life. But I’ve increased my commitment to exercise and fewer long, unbroken stretches at my computer.

The results have been excellent. When I first came to Dr. Fera, I was taking two medications for my high blood pressure, which had brought it down to about 150 over 90. Now I am taking one on an occasional basis. My blood pressure is down to 120 over 70. It goes up a bit if I’m under stress. I’ve had another nuclear stress test since beginning chelation, and the results were positive. My cardiologist said there was definitely an improvement in blood flow, and ischemia is no longer a problem. He just told me to continue doing whatever it is I’m doing, because it’s working.

MSA AND MOVEMENT

Marla Fera, a certified naturopath, a Meridian Stress Assessment practitioner, and Dr. Fera’s sister, sees the benefits of exercise in her practice every day—nearly with every patient.

"All of us know of the benefits of exercise and of a good diet," she says, "and I have come to understand that of the two, exercise and movement in life offers even greater benefits than healthy food."

She comes to that conclusion as the result of her work with the computerized MSA system, which allows her to measure stress on organ systems by placing a small probe on acupuncture points that are connected to organs and glands through bioelectrical pathways called meridians. A small electric current passes through the meridian, and she is able to measure the resistance of the organ and gland to that current—in graph form on her computer, as noted in the photograph.

"I’m often surprised how well people test with this system if movement and exercise are part of their lives," she says. "Construction workers, for example, who live physically active lives may come here with a health problem but they often test well generally even though their dietary habits may not be the best—because they are using their muscles very actively most of the day.

"People who generally have good energy levels are those who exercise. And the heart definitely tests better in people who exercise.

"We are meant to move. Nothing is better for stress relief than exercise. People who are depressed and on medications may often find that a good exercise regimen, which increases the endorphin levels in the body, may serve to take the place of or at least reduce the need for medication. In my MSA testing work, I can see the endocrine system working better, in a more balanced way, as the result of exercise.

"And it is a cardinal rule for people with diabetes to include exercise in their lives. When they exercise, their pancreas becomes more balanced, because exercise tends to normalize sugar levels. Some patients with diabetes who are monitoring their blood sugar levels will simply go out and exercise vigorously to bring those sugar levels down—so they don’t have to increase their medications.

"Exercise and movement are in many respects the foundation for good health. It’s very difficult to have robust good health and live a sedentary life."