"Good morning, Rotarians and guests. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise meeting for January 18th," President Jerry said to greet us.

Mark Olson led us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Diana Curtis shared the thought for the day from Abraham Lincoln, "Folks are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Joe Gazdowicz led us in singing 'Row Your Boat'.

Gail Thomas introduced our visiting Rotarians: Chris Dawson from the noon club, Mario Ramos from the noon club, Pam Davis from Santa Rosa West, and Tom Neidecker from Petaluma Valley.

Brian Purcell introduced our guest and soon to be member, Martha Lindt from Baskin Robbins. Don Spradlin introduced Tony Sanchez from Mountain View. Mark Olson introduced Dr. Sara Thyr, our program speaker. Jerry Meshulam introduced his wife, Phyllis. Phyllis introduced three guests from Analy High School: Kota, Aleia, and Sarah.

Meeting

There are no birthdays, no anniversaries, and no spouse birthdays this week. Helaine's 10-year Rotary anniversary is this week.

The Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce is awarding the Citizen of the Year award to our friend and fellow Rotarian, Gene Nelson. Two of our members are receiving awards: Jim Glomb for Humanitarian Efforts and Kathleen Shaffer is being recognized for Outstanding Public Service. On Thursday, January 26th there will be a reception to honor them at the Community Church beginning at 6:00 pm.

Last year, we had Phyllis and the Poetry Out Loud students come to one of our meetings as our program. This time, Phyllis brought the top three students from Analy who are going to compete at the county level. Phyllis said that right now is Poetry Out Loud season, meaning that there are students all over the country memorizing and reciting poems. Last year there were 365,000 high school students that participated in this program nationwide (all 50states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). It's a spelling bee type structure where the competition starts in the classroom among classmates, then advances to the school level, then county, then the statewide level, and then the nationals.

Sarah came to the lectern to recite 'Full Moon' by Elinor Wylie.

My bands of silk and miniver
Momently grew heavier;
The black gauze was beggarly thin;
The ermine muffled mouth and chin;
I could not suck the moonlight in.

Harlequin in lozenges
Of love and hate, I walked in these
Striped and ragged rigmaroles;
Along the pavement my footsoles
Trod warily on living coals.

Shouldering the thoughts I loathed,
In their corrupt disguises clothed,
Morality I could not tear
From my ribs, to leave them bare
Ivory in silver air.

There I walked, and there I raged;
The spiritual savage caged
Within my skeleton, raged afresh
To feel, behind a carnal mesh,
The clean bones crying in the flesh.

Kota came to the lectern and recited 'The Man He Killed' By Thomas Hardy.

"Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because -
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like - just as I -
Was out of work - had sold his traps -
No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown."

Aleia came to the lectern and recited 'American Smooth' by Rita Dove.

We were dancing-it must have
been a foxtrot or a waltz,
something romantic but
requiring restraint,
rise and fall, precise
execution as we moved
into the next song without
stopping, two chests heaving
above a seven-league
stride-such perfect agony,
one learns to smile through,
ecstatic mimicry
being the sine qua non
of American Smooth.
And because I was distracted
by the effort of
keeping my frame
(the leftward lean, head turned
just enough to gaze out
past your ear and always
smiling, smiling),
I didn't notice
how still you'd become until
we had done it
(for two measures?
four?)-achieved flight,
that swift and serene
magnificence,
before the earth
remembered who we were
and brought us down.

President Jerry thanked the Poetry Out Loud students for their recitations and wished them luck in the next level of competition.

President Jerry showed us an issue of the Sonoma West Times that featured a photo and article about our Holiday Giving program. The photo showed Kathleen and Chris Beaty. He also showed us the advertisement for our Holiday Dinner. Jerry thanked our public relations expert, Beth Moise, for her hard work.

Don Spradlin reminded us that our Mardi Gras fundraiser casino night is February 18th. Every committee for the event has two Co-Chairs. For example, Joe is in charge of the sound system and his Co-Chair is Sister Coppa h Feel. Scott designed our logo and his Co-Chair is Sister Sparkle Plenty. Nancy Wilson is our Rotary tickets Co-Chair. The tickets will be ready by next week's meeting. Please help us sell tickets! If you know someone who'd like to donate something or be a sponsor, see Linda Johnson. The event will be a lot of fun!

Vicki Johnston announced that our Guys Can Cook Too website will be live by the end of the week. By the first of February, be ready to jump in and join a committee. We are going to increase the ticket price to $60 pre-event and $70 at the door.

President Jerry asked Don if he likes to watch football. He replied, "Don't you have to be a football fan in Oklahoma? The only other thing to do there is watch people pump gas." Don is a 49ers fan though. President Jerry fined him twenty dollars. President Jerry fined Gail for missing the last 7 seconds of the last 49er game. Nancy Wilson will not be watching the game, so Jerry fined her too. President Jerry fined Chris for being in the newspaper.

President Jerry conducted a Rotary geo-quiz. The prize was a Rotary End Polio Now luggage tag. Jerry showed us the 2011 winner of the Rotarian magazine photo context that featured a young boy in front of a wood stove. It was part of the ecostove project that has reduced indoor air pollution. It burns 80% less wood. What country is it? Mark Olson correctly answered, "Honduras!"

Mardi Gra Casino Night Website

Bruce Campbell announced that this week is the International Assembly in San Diego where our incoming Governors are being trained. An announcement was made yesterday saying that our goal to reach $200 million to match the Gate's Foundation challenge grant by June of 2012 has already been met. In recognition of that, the Gate's Foundation has decided to contribute another $50 million as a straight donation, not as a challenge grant.

Linda Johnson thanked Jack Griffin and Kathleen Shaffer for all the work they do for the city. She said that sometimes they don't get enough thank-you's for a job that is hard to do, requires them to be quiet and political, and kind to everyone.

Marty Webb thanked Ken Brandt for doing a wonderful job as Chairman of the Community Grants Committee. He was well organized and it went well. Marty only got upset once. Ken deserves a lot of credit.

President Jerry threw in some happy bucks for Pam Davis throwing such a great party last Saturday. Pam thanked everyone who supported the party. She raised over $10,000. The money is going to be split between the Ceres Project and the Sebastopol Community Center.

Linda Sinkay thanked Beth Moise for inspiring her. This week, Beth inspired Linda and Gabrielle to join her in the Gran Fondo where they will ride their bikes to Occidental and back.

Mikel Cook contributed some happy bucks because Gail designed a deck for Mikel and Jeanine. They love relaxing on their new deck and they get to enjoy even when they're not on it because they have hummingbirds visiting the feeder.

Program: Dr. Sara Thyr, Naturopathic Physician

Mark Olson came to the lectern to introduce Dr. Sara Thyr, who is a Naturopathic Physician. Mark said that Naturopathy is more than just herbs, spices and berries. Naturopaths are some people's primary care physician.

Dr. Sara Thyr came to the lectern. She said that it's really nice to be in a crowd that is pretty familiar with naturopathy. Naturopathic doctors go to a 4-year accredited naturopathic medical school. Dr.Thyr went to one in Seattle. She is licensed in California in primary care naturopathic medicine. She deals with a lot of specialty medicine, such as issues that conventional medicine has not been able to treat or issues arising from the side effects of conventional medicine.

The topic of Dr. Thyr's talk was "Beyond Cholesterol: Natural Ways to Decrease and Improve Heart Health." She feels that our culture has become really focused on cholesterol when the real issue is heart disease. It is the most common killer in the U.S. today. She wants to give us a wider perspective on heart health, including cholesterol and other issues that play in. There are some effective naturopathic treatments to heart disease.

In her practice, Dr.Thyr really focuses on treating the whole person. Giving a prescription to someone who has heart disease is a much simpler approach, but more often than not, there are more aspects of the person's health coming into play resulting in the heart disease. She considers the person's lifestyle, nutrition, family history, health history, root causes of illness, and other factors.

Dr. Thyr got into naturopathic medicine because she is really interested in science, biology, embryology, and dissections. She is fascinated by removing the blockage in an artery and looking at it under a microscope and seeing that it is made of cholesterol. This is how cholesterol came to be known as "bad". Dr.Thyr said that cholesterol didn't randomly decide to land in your artery. First there was damage to the endothelium of the artery (the inside lining), and then there was oxidative stress contributing to that (oxidative stress is caused by many things and antioxidants reduce oxidative stress). Cholesterol comes into repair that stress. Unfortunately the reparation process gets carried away and creates a blockage. To label cholesterol as the bad guy and blaming it for heart disease really misses a lot of the bigger picture, according to Dr. Thyr. Even with the millions of prescriptions written for Lipitor and Crestor today, heart disease is still the number one killer in the U.S. There is some newer testing now that looks beyond just cholesterol levels. It measures the size of the cholesterol particles and homocystine levels and c-reactive proteins (inflammatory markers). These tests open up options to new treatment regimens.

Even though she is a naturopathic physician, Dr. Thyr is not completely against prescription medication treatment due to her own history. There is defiantly a place for most prescription medications, in her opinion. She has a greater hesitation about most statins, however. They are particularly dangerous. If you are on them, you have to have liver enzyme tests done every six months, meaning that they cause liver damage. They can also damage your muscles and kidneys. Due to these side effects, it's important to consider other therapies. In addition, it's also important to be proactive about your health.

When patients come to see Dr.Thyr, she writes out a comprehensive treatment plan for them so that they know what they're supposed to be doing. The treatment plan includes nutrition, supplements and herbs, and lifestyle changes. She sometimes includes prescription medication, but being a naturopathic doctor, she writes them sparingly. On a patient's initial visit, she typically spends about an hour and a half talking with them to get a really complete health history.

One of the other main contributors to heart diseases is gingivitis. There is a really strong, clear correlation now between oral health and heart health. Decreasing the amount of saliva in your mouth makes you more vulnerable to gum disease. Cold medicine, menopause, stress, depression, and other factors and contribute to gum disease. Folic acid is crucial to the health of your mouth and all mucous membranes. Folic acid deficiency has also been linked to heart disease. Thirty percent of the population has an inability to convert regular folic acid to an active form that the body can use. There is a genetic test that can be done to see if you have this condition. If you do have this condition, there is a type of folic acid you can buy that is beyond the conversion point so that your body is able to absorb it.

There is a lab that does testing for all the micronutrients in your body (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants). They culture your white blood cells and see how much of these you have. Dr. Thyr finds this to be extremely helpful for treating heart disease, fatigue, immune disorders, skin problems, and other issues. By testing their micronutrient levels, Dr. Thyr can put patients on a specific nutrition plan that helps combat these issues.

Dr. Thyr also likes to look at inflammation in other areas of the body. We may not realize it, but inflammation in other places, such as skin, joints and muscles, can contribute to heart disease. Oftentimes, inflammation can be treated nutritionally or with herbs. You don't necessarily have to take anti-inflammatory drugs to treat it.

Although Dr. Thyr emphasizes that a lot of other factors contribute to heart disease than just cholesterol, she also recognizes that cholesterol does play a part and you shouldn't just let cholesterol run rampant in your body. There are other ways to reduce cholesterol than by taking statins. Cholesterol is extremely important in your body. It is a building piece of many hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. The liver produces a lot of cholesterol. She likes to have a lot of her patients do a liver detoxification a couple of times a year. This can get rid of a lot of toxins in the liver that may be causing inflammation and creating more cholesterol.

Fiber helps balance hormones and regulates digestion. It's really safe too as long as you aren't taking other medications that need to be absorbed that that time. Dr. Thyr's favorite thing right now is chia seeds because they are a great source of fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Using healthy oils, such as olive oil and fish oil, is great for the heart. The issue with fish oil is that due to ocean pollution, fish oil that comes from bigger fish such as tuna and mackerel has higher concentrations of mercury. So if you buy fish oil, make sure the company you buy it from is reputable. If you take fish oil that has high levels of mercury or PCBs or is rancid, then you will be doing more harm than good to your body. You can research the company before buying from them, or just read the label. If the oil is extracted from smaller fish, such as sardines, then it is a better source. Fish oil helps with brain function, helps with your mood, helps decrease inflammation, and helps your heart and immune system. Dr. Thyr doesn't recommend that people take a ton of supplements because she believes we should get our nutrition from food, but if you are going to take a supplement, she highly recommends fish oil. If you are vegetarian, flax seed oil is a good alternative.

Dr. Thyr is a big fan of greens and greens powders. They are loaded with nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants. All the colorful fruits and vegetables are good for your body.

Niacin is a good supplement to take to help with cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, a side effect of it is niacin flush. If you take it with food and some aspirin, it doesn't cause the flushing.

Dr. Thyr emphasized that although she is giving sound medical information, everyone is different and before starting any regimen, you should consult your doctor to see what treatment plan is best for you.

Chuck Tilbury Joke of the Day

Michael Fels shared the joke of the day.

"A man goes to the doctor worried that his wife is losing her hearing. The doctor advised the man to ask his wife a question from a distance and then move closer, each time she doesn't give him an answer, he'd know for certain if he'd have to get right up before he'd get an answer. That night he tried it. Standing in the door of the living room, he asked his wife, 'What's for dinner?' She was standing in the kitchen at the sink and there was no response. So he moves through the doorway and into the kitchen, 'Hey hun, what's for dinner?' Still no answer. So he gets right behind her and says, 'What are you making for dinner tonight?' She replies, 'For the third time, we're having meatloaf.'"

Raffle

Terry Kelley's raffle ticket was pulled again! He didn't pick the right card though, so he won a consolation prize of couple of bottles of beer, courtesy of Scott.

Caption Contest

Caption Contest Email the Editor with your Caption and Win a Prize

Last Week's Winner:

The photo for the caption contest last week was of President Jerry reaching up to adjust the clock on the wall. President Jerry's caption earned Honorable Mention and it said, "Say kids, What time is it?" Helaine's caption won, but Bruce said that Helaine recently had a knee replaced. She is doing well and will come home from the hospital soon. Her caption said, "I set the clock ahead I'll have less time for the meeting and I can get out early."

END POLIO NOW A Newsletter of The Rotary Foundation January 2012 Rotary’s Challenge reaches US$200 million milestone! Rotarians around the world have helped Rotary’s Challenge for polio eradication reach the US$200 million milestone. Rotary Foundation Trustee John Germ, chair of the challenge committee, made the announcement on 17 January at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA. Although this important financial milestone has been reached, the goal of global polio eradication remains. Read more. Rotary celebrates India’s first polio-free year!  Read more. Ducks race to end polio Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors in District 7680 (North Carolina, USA) organized a rubber-duck race at a marina on Lake Wylie in September that raised more than $55,000 for Rotary’s Challenge. Each participant “adopted” one or more ducks to compete for prizes. “Our sponsors underwrote our prize money and nearly all of our expenses,” says Assistant Governor Inecke Van der Meulen, adding that the amount raised was more than double the proceeds from the 2010 event. “Kids in our district have big smiles on their faces when they see our ducks race,” says Van der Meulen. “Just think about the smiles from those kids who will receive a world free from polio.” Going the distance in Australia Rotarian Rob Byrne is helping to mobilize support in Australia for global polio eradication. Rob Byrne says he enjoys “going for a bit of a bike ride each day, meeting other Rotarians, and telling people how important it is that we finish the job of ending polio as quickly as possible.” Byrne did all three during a 1,250-mile bicycle trek across part of Australia, from Grafton, New South Wales, to Cairns, Queensland. A member of the Rotary Club of Grafton, he raised more than US$15,000 for Rotary’s Challenge in his July-to-October ride. He also increased public awareness of polio, by speaking to Rotary clubs and community groups and giving newspaper, radio, and TV interviews. The highlight of the trip, Byrne says, was “the reception I received from Rotarians and non-Rotarians along the way,” calling their responses “generous” and “extraordinary.” He began another leg of his cross-country journey in November. U.S. Rotarians participate in Pakistan’s NIDs        Two Rotarians from District 7870 (parts of New Hampshire and Vermont, USA) join their counterparts in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, in a polio awareness march sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lahore Shaheen. The event took place during the country’s National Immunization Days in October, during which team members also vaccinated children and took part in a World Polio Day seminar.  Read more. Challenge fundraiser roundup •  A marathon walk in Maine, USA, by members of the Rotary clubs of Belfast, Camden, Rockland, and West Bay, and the Interact Club of Camden Hills, raised more than $10,000. •  Members of the Rotary Club of Kingman, Arizona, USA, and friends hiked part of the Grand Canyon, netting almost $5,000. The effort was part of Hike the Arizona Trail to End Polio, launched by Arizona clubs on World Polio Day, 24 October, and aimed at raising $250,000 by 14 February. Rotarians and others are pledging at least $100 each to walk, bike, or ride horseback on sections of the 800-mile trail. •  The Interact Club of New Bern High School, in North Carolina, USA, garnered more than $2,100 at a community festival and other promotional events. •  The Rotary Club of Teddington & The Hamptons, Greater London, England, raised nearly US$1,200 at a barbecue. •   The Rotary Club of Hastings, East Sussex, England, netted almost US$900 from the sale of ketchup donated by food producer Wilkin & Sons. The company has donated more than 50,000 bottles of ketchup, emblazoned with the End Polio Now logo, to Rotary clubs in the United Kingdom, with the help of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland. When the bottles are empty, Rotarians fill them with money for polio eradication. •  The Rotary Club of Grantham, Leicestershire, England, has sponsored local swimming marathons benefiting a variety of causes, including polio eradication, for 22 years. On 25 February, it will sponsor a global “swimarathon” exclusively in support of PolioPlus, inviting Rotarians and others worldwide to swim at least 100 yards for an hour. Read more. Social Networking Share fundraising success stories on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Join the official End Polio Now cause page on Facebook. Watch polio eradication videos on the Rotary International YouTube channel, and link videos to your club or district website. Links Rotary International RI News End Polio Now We want to hear from you! If you have a fundraising success story, e-mail us at rotarys200millionchallenge@rotary.org and your story could be featured in the End Polio Now newsletter. Text POLIO to contribute US$5 Rotarians and non-Rotarians in the United States can help support polio eradication by texting POLIO to 90999. A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from The Rotary Foundation Alerts. Message and data rates may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of The Rotary Foundation by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 90999, for help text HELP to 90999. Privacy Policy http://mgive.com/PrivacyPolicy.aspx. Canadian Rotarians score strong support for ending polio After the District 7070 annual conference in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, Rotarians and friends take to the streets to show Rotary’s commitment to polio eradication. Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors in Canada carried out a series of polio awareness initiatives and fundraisers related to World Polio Day, 24 October. Rotarians arranged for “This Close” TV public service announcements and other polio-related programming to air on CBC nationally throughout October, and obtained extensive local media coverage in cities across the country. With the encouragement of area Rotarians, all 125 deputies in the National Assembly of Quebec wore the End Polio Now pin on World Polio Day.  In Oshawa, Ontario, Mayor John Henry, a member of the Rotary Club of Oshawa, issued a proclamation in honor of Rotary’s efforts. Among other efforts, the Rotaract Club of Regina Auxilium, Saskatchewan, raised more than C$3,000 at its Annual Polio Awareness Supper, and the Rotary Club of Pemberton Centennial, British Columbia, netted more than $1,000 through a Purple Pinkie for Polio event. Rotarians in Canada also have been active in encouraging their government to support polio-eradication. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, on 28 October, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced an additional pledge of $15 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The Canadian government has contributed $348 million to the GPEI since 2000. RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Rotary's Challenge totals* US$202.6M *As of 17 January 2012 Polio Facts & Figures Polio Facts & Figures Area Number of cases in 2011 Afghanistan 76 India 1 Nigeria 52 Pakistan 192 Non-endemic countries 306 Total worldwide 627 (Data as of 11 January/World Health Organization) For the latest on the number of polio cases, progress reports on polio-endemic countries, and other information, go to www.polioeradication.org. Tools and Resources Clubs and districts can order the following tools and resources online at shop.rotary.org, or from Publications Order Services (e-mail: shop.rotary@rotary.org, tel.: 847-866-4600; fax: 847-866-3276), or from their local international office.   Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge DVD(985) provides an overview of Rotary's continuing efforts to eradicate polio and the fundraising initiative to match the Gates Foundation grants. (US$15) Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge Brochure (986) describes Rotary's commitment to finish polio and encourages support for the challenge. (Free) Amazing Stories of Polio! (976) is a 16-page illustrated history of the disease and the eradication effort. ($0.75) PolioPlus Headliner Kit (Web only) contains a sample news feature, a press release, an opinion piece, and a letter to the editor, all easily adaptable to local communities to promote global polio eradication. Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge Poster (987) encourages participation in the challenge. Suitable for display at meetings, fundraisers, and other events. (Free, limit two per order) End Polio Now Pins (988) help raise awareness of the eradication effort. (Available in lots of 100 for $50) Expanded "This Close" resources are available to help publicize Rotary's polio eradication efforts. Make your own "This Close" ad to show your support for ending polio. To donate directly to Rotary's challenge, go to www.rotary.org/endpolio. Enroll in The Rotary Foundation’s recurring giving program, Rotary Direct, and save time, money, and lives through your generous contributions. Select an amount, frequency (monthly, quarterly, or annually), and contribution method that is convenient for you. You may even direct your contributions to PolioPlus to support Rotary’s Challenge. Enrollment is integrated with the Foundation’s secure online contribution system and is currently available in 12 currencies. Find fundraising tips and ideas. Join The Rotary Foundation's End Polio Now cause page on Facebook. Make a donation to support polio eradication, invite others to be part of the cause, and keep track of how many people you've recruited.

Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise Meeting Video