Ahhhhhhhh. One more patient this evening and I'm going to scoot into our infrared sauna. I hadn't been in the sauna for quite a few months because most evenings at 6:30 I just want to get home to make dinner and spend some time with my husband.
So last week with some free evenings and not having to rush out of here, I decided to re-aquaint myself with my soothing and relaxing infrared sauna. For those not familiar with an infrared sauna it is a dry sauna that uses the infrared wavelength to heat the body from inside out. A conventional sauna just heats the air around you and you can only really sit in it for 15 minutes.
The heat penetrates deeply so it hits the tiny blood vessels in the joints and muscles, and the fat cells where toxins may be stored. This is why people with arthritis, or fibromyalgia find it helpful in increasing range of motion and decreasing pain. It's also wonderful for weight loss because depending on the temperature and how long you sit in there it also burns calories (because you sweat like crazy!).
The skin is a major organ of detoxification and we release toxins when we sweat. An ND in Owen Sound, Sat Dharam Kaur, also recommends to prevent breast cancer because we can eliminate a good proportion of environmental toxins and hence reduce our risk. Her book 'A Call to Women' is a great resource as a naturopathic guide to preventing breast cancer and includes a chapter on the infrared sauna.
Can't wait to sit for an hour and finally have a chance to read my new Elle magazine!
About Me
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Ayurvedic Nutrition
A patient recently told me about Ann Gentry, a chef out in California that has blended local and seasonal and vegetarian cooking. I checked out her website and stumbled upon dosha's or Ayurvedic types and what each type should eat. She also has a show on the channel "ONE" called Naturally Delicious.
I remember reading about Ayurvedic medicine in school but I haven't read much since. I took the dosha quiz again to confirm which type I am...With each type there is a certain diet and lifestyle that you should follow to support your body. I found it accurate with myself 10 years ago and still find it accurate and interesting. You can do the quiz here: http://www.veria.com/healthy-food-tips-recipes-for-dosha.html
I remember reading about Ayurvedic medicine in school but I haven't read much since. I took the dosha quiz again to confirm which type I am...With each type there is a certain diet and lifestyle that you should follow to support your body. I found it accurate with myself 10 years ago and still find it accurate and interesting. You can do the quiz here: http://www.veria.com/healthy-food-tips-recipes-for-dosha.html
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Intravenous Nutrition Therapy for Athletes
Some of you know that my background is kinesiology. I loved doing my kin degree at McMaster and still to this day use that knowledge with helping my patients achieve their goals, especially weight loss goals.
Today I have another guest blogger, Claire Girgis. She is another Naturopathic Doctor here at Zawada Health and is certified to do IV therapy. Here's what Claire has to say about IV nutrition and athletes:
I recently gave a talk at Goodlife Fitness on the effects of exercise on hormones. We covered alot of material and one of the things we talked about briefly was the benefit of intravenous (IV) therapy to boost the benefits of exercise and to provide the nutrients that the body needs before, during and after exercise.
One of the benefits of IV therapy is that it delivers nutrients directly into the bloodstream so you get what you need more quickly and efficiently and can take the right doses of supplements without having some of the side effects that might come from taking those supplements orally (e.g. higher doses of magnesium will cause diarrhea if taken orally). This is particularly important in people who have issues with their digestive tract, including Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, Celiac’s disease, etc.
One type of IV solution that’s often used is the Myer’s cocktail. This is a combination of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and calcium. This cocktail can be great for athletes and non-athletes alike. It’s a great way to support physical stamina and to promote endurance during training. It’s also great for boosting energy in general and providing a source of vitamins and minerals that are readily available to the body. Along with other IV formulas, it’s great for addressing conditions such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Naturally, another topic that came up at the Goodlife talk was the importance of protein. We all know the importance of protein both for muscle building but also for so many of the processes that take place in the body. Some amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can actually play a very specific role in supporting hormone function. A few amino acids to note are Arginine, which stimulates growth hormone and testosterone, having an effect on muscle building and the management of body fat. Carnitine is another important amino acid; it plays a role in metabolizing fat and providing energy for muscle function. Valine, an amino acid that helps the body use B vitamins and glutamic acid, is also essential in boosting muscle mass.
These are just a few examples of how IV therapy can be used to treat some health conditions and to support optimal health. A tailored IV therapy protocol can be a great tool for providing the right combination and amounts of amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support the increased demand imposed by regular exercise and physical training. IV therapy can also be used to correct nutrient deficiencies and in the management of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other conditions.
For any other information on Claire or IV therapy call or email the clinic today!
Today I have another guest blogger, Claire Girgis. She is another Naturopathic Doctor here at Zawada Health and is certified to do IV therapy. Here's what Claire has to say about IV nutrition and athletes:
I recently gave a talk at Goodlife Fitness on the effects of exercise on hormones. We covered alot of material and one of the things we talked about briefly was the benefit of intravenous (IV) therapy to boost the benefits of exercise and to provide the nutrients that the body needs before, during and after exercise.
One of the benefits of IV therapy is that it delivers nutrients directly into the bloodstream so you get what you need more quickly and efficiently and can take the right doses of supplements without having some of the side effects that might come from taking those supplements orally (e.g. higher doses of magnesium will cause diarrhea if taken orally). This is particularly important in people who have issues with their digestive tract, including Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, Celiac’s disease, etc.
One type of IV solution that’s often used is the Myer’s cocktail. This is a combination of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and calcium. This cocktail can be great for athletes and non-athletes alike. It’s a great way to support physical stamina and to promote endurance during training. It’s also great for boosting energy in general and providing a source of vitamins and minerals that are readily available to the body. Along with other IV formulas, it’s great for addressing conditions such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Naturally, another topic that came up at the Goodlife talk was the importance of protein. We all know the importance of protein both for muscle building but also for so many of the processes that take place in the body. Some amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can actually play a very specific role in supporting hormone function. A few amino acids to note are Arginine, which stimulates growth hormone and testosterone, having an effect on muscle building and the management of body fat. Carnitine is another important amino acid; it plays a role in metabolizing fat and providing energy for muscle function. Valine, an amino acid that helps the body use B vitamins and glutamic acid, is also essential in boosting muscle mass.
These are just a few examples of how IV therapy can be used to treat some health conditions and to support optimal health. A tailored IV therapy protocol can be a great tool for providing the right combination and amounts of amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support the increased demand imposed by regular exercise and physical training. IV therapy can also be used to correct nutrient deficiencies and in the management of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other conditions.
For any other information on Claire or IV therapy call or email the clinic today!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Osteopathy and Colic
Last Friday I went to a moms group in Clarkson to chat about some common pediatric concerns and this time brought along Catherine Cabral-Marotta. She is my guest blogger today and she's chatting about one of the concerns she covered on Friday - colic. Here's her take on colic!
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis describes colic as a condition characterized by bouts of continual and intense, often high-pitched, crying in an otherwise healthy infant. These bouts are noted to last anywhere from 2-4 hours per day for several days at a time. These newborns often draw the legs up into the abdomen and can be seen clenching their fists as if in pain. Many infants will grow out of their colic within the first four months of life, however a number of children do not, and these are the babies who are often seen by the osteopathic practitioner. Factors that contribute to colic that can be addressed by the osteopathic manual practitioner include:
- labour complications that cause compression of the base of the infants skull (cranium)
- irritation of the vagus nerve as a result of the child beginning to lift their head up when on their tummy
- muscular tension or nerve irritation that may affect the contents of the thorax or gut, especially the diaphragm
Osteopathic treatment is a gentle, safe and effective technique for babies and children that utilizes very specific light-pressure techniques to assist that natural desire of the body to remedy mechanical imbalances and return the body to a state of health. For more information, please contact Catherine Cabral-Marotta at the Zawada Health clinic.
1. www.canadianparents.com/article/colic-and-babies
2. http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/integrativecare-therapies-os1
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis describes colic as a condition characterized by bouts of continual and intense, often high-pitched, crying in an otherwise healthy infant. These bouts are noted to last anywhere from 2-4 hours per day for several days at a time. These newborns often draw the legs up into the abdomen and can be seen clenching their fists as if in pain. Many infants will grow out of their colic within the first four months of life, however a number of children do not, and these are the babies who are often seen by the osteopathic practitioner. Factors that contribute to colic that can be addressed by the osteopathic manual practitioner include:
- labour complications that cause compression of the base of the infants skull (cranium)
- irritation of the vagus nerve as a result of the child beginning to lift their head up when on their tummy
- muscular tension or nerve irritation that may affect the contents of the thorax or gut, especially the diaphragm
Osteopathic treatment is a gentle, safe and effective technique for babies and children that utilizes very specific light-pressure techniques to assist that natural desire of the body to remedy mechanical imbalances and return the body to a state of health. For more information, please contact Catherine Cabral-Marotta at the Zawada Health clinic.
1. www.canadianparents.com/article/colic-and-babies
2. http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/integrativecare-therapies-os1
Friday, June 3, 2011
Resistance Training Helps Anxiety
Exercise as medicine. Love it. Everyone needs to be reminded of how important exercise is. Of course most people recognize the importance of exercise and weight management, and decreasing risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, and most even realize how exercise can alleviate symptoms of depression and fatigue. But what kind of exercise is ideal? Aerobic, anaerobic, weight training, or a combination of everything?
Well a new study was presented at the recent American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting that shows resistance or weight training may be ideal. In a study of women suffering with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, remission of anxiety was 60% in the group that did resistance training in comparison to 40% in the aerobic exercise group. How fantastic!
Now I'm curious to see if there are any gender differences and exactly why..... The women perceived the resistance training as more intense than the aerobic exercise so maybe it's the intensity. Regardless this is more proof that everyone needs to get up and move EVERY day. The most common excuse I hear is no time. Everyone can do something for 10 minutes and even if that 10 minutes is some quick skipping or a quick power walk outside or even a little ab workout or just some pushups and situps. Anything works. Just do it!
Well a new study was presented at the recent American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting that shows resistance or weight training may be ideal. In a study of women suffering with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, remission of anxiety was 60% in the group that did resistance training in comparison to 40% in the aerobic exercise group. How fantastic!
Now I'm curious to see if there are any gender differences and exactly why..... The women perceived the resistance training as more intense than the aerobic exercise so maybe it's the intensity. Regardless this is more proof that everyone needs to get up and move EVERY day. The most common excuse I hear is no time. Everyone can do something for 10 minutes and even if that 10 minutes is some quick skipping or a quick power walk outside or even a little ab workout or just some pushups and situps. Anything works. Just do it!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Celery Salad?
Everyone thinks of celery as a veggie to dip into things. It gets little respect even though it can be a diuretic powerhouse and wonderful at lowering blood pressure..... This salad will definitely change your mind about plain old celery!
Last night was a big weeknight for our household! We stayed up past 10 pm! We had a little dinner party to celebrate Chris' graduation from the University of Toronto's EMBA program. We had a great day and then had family over to celebrate. Of course they say you should never try new recipes when entertaining but I rarely follow that rule as I think it's a great opportunity.... especially in this case because it was family. I tried a new tuna tapenade recipe as an appetizer that was delicious (but clearly not detox-friendly with Italian mascarpone as an ingredient!) and a new celery salad. Both were from Ina Garten's cookbook, Back to Basics.
Celery and Parmesan Salad
Yields: 4-6 servings
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 tbsp minced shallots
1 tsp celery seed
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp anchovy paste
Kosher salt and freshly group black pepper
5 cups thinly sliced celery hearts, tender leaves included, sliced on an angle (about 12 stalks)
4-ounce chunk aged Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
1. At least 1 hour before you plan to serve the salad, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, ¼ cup of lemon juice, the shallots, celery seed, celery salt, anchovy paste, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
2. Mix 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt to celery before adding enough dressing to moisten well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the celery to crisp and the flavors to develop.
4. When ready to serve, arrange the celery on a platter, shave the Parmesan onto the celery with a vegetable peeler, the sprinkle with walnuts, parsley leaves, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.
Last night was a big weeknight for our household! We stayed up past 10 pm! We had a little dinner party to celebrate Chris' graduation from the University of Toronto's EMBA program. We had a great day and then had family over to celebrate. Of course they say you should never try new recipes when entertaining but I rarely follow that rule as I think it's a great opportunity.... especially in this case because it was family. I tried a new tuna tapenade recipe as an appetizer that was delicious (but clearly not detox-friendly with Italian mascarpone as an ingredient!) and a new celery salad. Both were from Ina Garten's cookbook, Back to Basics.
Celery and Parmesan Salad
Yields: 4-6 servings
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 tbsp minced shallots
1 tsp celery seed
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp anchovy paste
Kosher salt and freshly group black pepper
5 cups thinly sliced celery hearts, tender leaves included, sliced on an angle (about 12 stalks)
4-ounce chunk aged Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
1. At least 1 hour before you plan to serve the salad, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, ¼ cup of lemon juice, the shallots, celery seed, celery salt, anchovy paste, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
2. Mix 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt to celery before adding enough dressing to moisten well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the celery to crisp and the flavors to develop.
4. When ready to serve, arrange the celery on a platter, shave the Parmesan onto the celery with a vegetable peeler, the sprinkle with walnuts, parsley leaves, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Hypothyroidism Meds Increase Fracture Risk
Quite a few women I see in my practice have some degree of hypothyroidism. Some clinical and some subclinical. Many people have relatives with some kind of thyroid concern or know someone that is struggling with weight that eventually figured out their thyroid was the culprit.
Quick primer on what hypothyroidism is: the thyroid gland (sits close to the bottom of your neck below your voice box) doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone in this health concern. The thyroid releases hormones that control metabolism. Symptoms can include: sensitivity to cold, constipation, depression, fatigue, heavier menstrual periods, thin or brittle hair, and weight gain (everyone wants something to blame for those extra pounds!). A simple blood marker called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) can be a quick check along with its accompanying markers called T3 and T4.
There are varying degrees of thyroid concerns and various causes but for our purposes most people are prescribed a drug called levothyroxine to replace the thyroid hormone the body is lacking.
Levothyroxine dose is linked to fracture risk in older adults, according to the results of a case-control study reported online April 28 in the BMJ. The goal of the study was to see the effect of levothyroxine dose on fracture risk in older adults. Using population-based health databases in Ontario, Canada, the investigators identified 213,511 adults 70 years or older who were prescribed levothyroxine between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2007. Follow-up for fractures of the wrist or forearm, shoulder or upper arm, thoracic spine, lumbar spine and pelvis, hip or femur, or lower leg or ankle, continued until March 31, 2008 (mean duration of follow-up, 3.8 years).
Adhering to a very narrow range of TSH on bloodwork is important. Usually the range is from 0.5 to 5 but clinically I find the reference range is more narrow and should be around 2 or 2.5 consistently. This study just verifies how important that small little gland is..... I love how this study was done in Ontario as well!
So what can we do naturopathically for hypothyroidism? A tonne!! Of course dietary goitrogens are important to avoid: SOY is a big no-no for someone with thyroid concerns. Minerals like zinc and selenium are key cofactors in making the thyroid work efficiently. A herb called ashwaganda or withania is also fantastic at helping conversion of thyroid hormones. Ashwaganda is also a wonderful adaptogenic herb - a herb that helps your body adapt to stress - and can be used in tincture form or tea form. These are just a few things off the top of my head but important to note is that you don't want to just fool around with your thyroid and start trying things out thinking your TSH may be off. Always important to get that blood test done by either your ND or MD.
Ok now back to some online scouring of more Royal Wedding photos :)
Quick primer on what hypothyroidism is: the thyroid gland (sits close to the bottom of your neck below your voice box) doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone in this health concern. The thyroid releases hormones that control metabolism. Symptoms can include: sensitivity to cold, constipation, depression, fatigue, heavier menstrual periods, thin or brittle hair, and weight gain (everyone wants something to blame for those extra pounds!). A simple blood marker called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) can be a quick check along with its accompanying markers called T3 and T4.
There are varying degrees of thyroid concerns and various causes but for our purposes most people are prescribed a drug called levothyroxine to replace the thyroid hormone the body is lacking.
Levothyroxine dose is linked to fracture risk in older adults, according to the results of a case-control study reported online April 28 in the BMJ. The goal of the study was to see the effect of levothyroxine dose on fracture risk in older adults. Using population-based health databases in Ontario, Canada, the investigators identified 213,511 adults 70 years or older who were prescribed levothyroxine between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2007. Follow-up for fractures of the wrist or forearm, shoulder or upper arm, thoracic spine, lumbar spine and pelvis, hip or femur, or lower leg or ankle, continued until March 31, 2008 (mean duration of follow-up, 3.8 years).
Adhering to a very narrow range of TSH on bloodwork is important. Usually the range is from 0.5 to 5 but clinically I find the reference range is more narrow and should be around 2 or 2.5 consistently. This study just verifies how important that small little gland is..... I love how this study was done in Ontario as well!
So what can we do naturopathically for hypothyroidism? A tonne!! Of course dietary goitrogens are important to avoid: SOY is a big no-no for someone with thyroid concerns. Minerals like zinc and selenium are key cofactors in making the thyroid work efficiently. A herb called ashwaganda or withania is also fantastic at helping conversion of thyroid hormones. Ashwaganda is also a wonderful adaptogenic herb - a herb that helps your body adapt to stress - and can be used in tincture form or tea form. These are just a few things off the top of my head but important to note is that you don't want to just fool around with your thyroid and start trying things out thinking your TSH may be off. Always important to get that blood test done by either your ND or MD.
Ok now back to some online scouring of more Royal Wedding photos :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)