Wellness Works!

The Roots of "Alternative"/"Complementary" Medicine

I often get asked: "What's the main difference between natural health care and standard medical care?"

In a nutshell, Natural/Wellness care aims to turn on the body's natural healing ability. It may achieve this by incorporating essential nutrients, stimulating the body's own healing systems (ie. via acupuncture), or by removing interference and/or chemicals which are causing harm. It has a holistic approach to see the person as a whole.

By contrast, in the medical (allopathic) model of health, one seeks to treat a symptom by adding something from the outside - a medication, a surgery or procedure and uses more of a 'reductionist' perspective.

Symptom vs. Cause

For example, if a patient has high blood pressure, a standard medical approach would be to administer a drug that lowers blood pressure. While this may serve its purpose, it may not tackle the underlying cause and runs the risk of side effects. Whether it is, for example, a nutritional issue and/or a physiological manifestation of stress, only the symptom is being managed (high blood pressure). Thus, although the medication could very well decrease blood pressure, the cause may continue to go unaddressed.

On the other hand, "wellness" is a state of optimal conditions for normal function - physically, mentally  and emotionally. The wellness approach looks for the underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and make the necessary lifestyle interventions and adjustments to optimize the conditions for normal function. Such an environment encourages natural healing and minimizes the need for invasive treatment, which should be administered only when absolutely necessary.

When the body is working at its best, it tends to heal effectively. When the body heals and maintains itself well, we enter another level of health that goes beyond "asymptomatic" or "pain-free". It becomes an opportunity for vitality, vibrant health, and an enhanced experience of life. That's how I see it.

Little miss Sunshine - Vitamin D!

Recently, we have seen media coverage on new research about Vitamin D and its health-protective effects. Although Vitamin D is deficient in many people, finding and using the right form and amount of Vitamin D is essential.

Vitamin D, calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in certain foods and can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun.

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization, together with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones. It has also been recently found to be effective in the prevention of many cancers - which is when the media fell in love with Vitamin D!

The best source of vitamin D is sunlight.  Unfortunately, many of us are not outside (especially in the winter) and if we are, we're covered in sunscreen.  Fifteen minutes of sunlight a day without sunscreen can provide us with a sufficient amount of vitamin D.  This is why so many people feel better in the summertime and often suffer from fatigue in the winter.

In supplements, there are two types of vitamin D: vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol). D2 is less biologically active and Is often found in 'fortified foods'.

From food sources, vitamin D3 can be found in eggs, organ meats, animal fat, cod liver oil and fish. It  is the equivalent to the vitamin D3 formed through our skin from UV-B rays. One should stay away from the synthetic D2 as it has been shown to have toxicity at the higher dose ranges.

In general, fat-soluble vitamins can store in the body so it is very important to be tested to determine your body levels before supplementing with high amounts. Once you have vitamin D toxicity it cannot easily be turned around. There are two tests available, but the correct one is 25(OH)D which is a better marker of your overall Vitamin D status.  The test is covered by OHIP.  Usually the best times to get this test is in November or February when we have the least sunlight and the time when most people would be deficient.

There are differing opinions on the amount of Vitamin D one should intake from supplements - anywhere from 200 IU to 1000 IU have been quoted and intake will also vary based on your age, race & pregnancy status. For safety purposes it is advisable to optimize your vitamin D levels with the advice of a trained health care professional.

Blood Pressure - The hidden helper!

High Blood Pressure - a too well-known term in North America. And for East Indians, an even more  likely fate! Although hypertension (high BP) continues to be one of the main health concerns for people as they age, there are many things we can do to PREVENT and LOWER high blood pressure. Many of us know about the four main recommendations that are usually given to patients: 1. Stop Smoking 2. Restrict Alcohol consumption 3. Reduce Sodium intake and 4. Start exercising! (Lose weight!)

However, over the last while, a new nutrient is gaining attention for its beneficial effects: Potassium.

This is interesting to me this week because I just had a new patient with high blood pressure and when we did a nutritional analysis on her, guess what showed up stunning low - Potassium!!! Interesting....

Potassium has been given attention in the guidelines under the DASH Diet. (from the Heart & Stroke Foundation). In fact, a large study (NHANES III) found that when people intake about 8.5 servings of fruits and veggies a day (approx. 4100mg of Potassium) it lowered BP by 7.2/2.8 mmHg (systolic/diastolic) in people diagnosed with high blood pressure.

So, what can you do? Generally speaking, diets comprised mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help to lower the points on the scale - in addition to the original recommendations of smoking, drinking, sodium and alcohol. 

Specifically - aim to get 4,000mg of Potassium a day - foods such as bananas, avacodos, beans, tofu and potatoes are just a few that are a good source of potassium. If you are thinking of Potassium supplements, speak to your doctor first to rule out any kidney related issues.

So not only should we be cutting down on our salt intake (which by the way, isn't always the little extra sprinkle we sometimes add - its mostly in the processed foods we're eating - ie. canned soups, processed meats etc.) we should be increasing our potassium intake for a heart-friendly blood pressure!

Gimme a little sugar!

Going to the candy store - everyone's childhood dream come true.
Since a young age, we've all learned to love the sweet stuff and it seems as a society, we can't get enough of it! That white powder (legal) drug, sugar. (Yes, its drug like because of its addictive properties)

In the last fifty years or so, the manufacture of sugar has skyrocketed as or sweet tooth's have. But its a question of chicken or the egg - did food manufacturer's add sugar to make us buy it or are we demanding products that are sweetened so that they taste better? Well, perhaps a bit of both - but I can certainly say that the food business is just that - a business. So if it takes putting hidden sugars in our foods so that we buy more and more (as we become addicted to sugar, literally!) then so be it, the processed food Gods must have said.

Now I do admit, I love the sweet stuff just as much as the next person (I'm more of a candy person myself!) but I also do know the absolutely detrimental effects of sugar on our bodies (and minds!) so I do my best to eat cautiously and consciously.

Sugar, in a nutshell, not only wreaks havoc on our teeth (the good dentists have always drilled that in - mind the pun!) but there are so many other areas where sugar has been scientifically linked - depression, yeast (candida overgrowth), ADHD/ADD, suppressed immune system which can lead to many diseases/conditions, arthritis.... and the list really does go on.

In fact, a classic study showed that one tablespoon of sugar decreased serum immunoglobin (your immune system soldiers) by 20%..... and you don't even want to how many of those are in one can of pop... a lot!

We all consume waaay too much sugar for our bodies to be able to function optimally. Although its tough, doing a sugar-free cleanse for 3 days (or more if possible) can be enough to kickstart not only weight-loss, but increased energy, decreased fatigue and so much more. By eliminating sugar, I don't just mean not adding it to your coffee, I'm also talking about the hidden and not-so-hidden sugars in cookies, muffins, cereals, ketchup and BBQ sauces(yes!), flavoured yogurt and some fruits (watermelon and bananas have more sugar than most fruit so I wouldn't pig out on them if you're doing a sugar-free cleanse). Instead, opt for veggies, whole grains, proteins (meats, nuts, legumes) and try sugar-free/splenda versions of yogurts, cookies etc. But please, do not buy foods with aspartame - beware!!

If you can eliminate sugar for 3 or more days, you will be well on your way to a healthier body and mind. Try it and tell me how you felt!

Weighty Woes!

Ah...spring is in the air! With more than a quarter of 2008 already gone, many people who had made their new years resolution to lose weight are probably at the point of falling off the goal wagon (if not already!).

As the glorious sunshine beams down on us, the feeling of summer draws closer - and with that comes not only fun in the sun, but also ice cream season! (or Tim Horton's Ice Cappuccino's - if that's your weakness!). So in order for us to enter summer with a motivated but calm mindset when it comes to keeping our goals and staying healthy over the summer, here are a few tips for good mental and physical health:

1. Weigh yourself only once a week! Many people obsess about their weight (especially when they start to slack on their goals and see the pounds creep back on!). How about every Monday morning before you eat anything? That way you are consistent in your weighing which will help you stay on track vs. weighing yourself everyday (not a good strategy since our weight can fluctuate up to 5lbs. from water rentetion, hormonal changes and undigested food).

2. Practice Gratitude. Instead of beating yourself up for falling off your goals, be thankful that you are able to start again today! Also, when you look at the scale, no matter how disappointing you 'think' it is -it could be worse. Add 5lbs. to the number and say 'Thank goodness I'm not ____lbs". Trust me, it will feel so good when you think thoughts of gratitude vs. thoughts of disappointment.

3. Focus on gettng better vs. the end result. We often see the final goal as so far away and so hard to get to, we often give up without giving ourselves a real chance at victory. If you instead just focus on getting better every day (eating a little healthier, exercising a little bit more or a little harder) - the rest will take care of itself.

4. Lastly, its a process - be patient with yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day. If you focus on getting  better, have gratitude and stop obsessing about the number on the scale - you'll be at your health/weightloss goal in no time and you'll be ready to hit the beach with your new body and mindset!

The Waistline-Mind Connection!

You know as well as I do, having a 'beer belly' (even if it wasn't from drinking beer per se!) is not good for your health. We know that an increase in abdominal fat can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes for individuals, among other health conditions. But here is an interesting finding in the news this week that expands the list of negative consequences. A recent study now links excess abdominal fat as a risk factor for dimentia later in life! So now, not only does extra weight around the middle cause all sorts of bodily dysfunctions, but it also impacts the mind... (well, I wasn't too surprised!) but here is why:

The association can be due to the fact that increased abdominal weight gain is often associated with metabolic syndrome. And metabolic syndrome has been linked to an increased risk of stroke. And strokes can lead to dementia. Its like follow the broken-brick road of illness... sad, but true.

As well, those with metabolic syndrome (also termed 'Syndrome X' - which, in a nutshell is the greyzone between normal and diabetic). Such individuals usually have difficulty with glucose metabolism which ultimately can lead to Type II Diabetes. Interestingly enough, both Impaired Glucose Tolerance & Type II Diabetes have been linked with impaired brain function later in life.

What is my point to all those sporting a little 'pouch'? If you want to help preserve your mental health (in addition to all the reasons for your physical well-being) - one should find ways of keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels in check. Exercising daily - even if its short periods a few times a day (walking at lunch, taking the stairs, picking up a favourite sporting activity) and having a healthy diet that is rich in low glycemic index foods (see previous blogpost!) will help to maintain a healthy weight and lose the excess fat around the waistline.

Foods with simple sugars (cookies, cakes - the obvious) and fast-digesting carbs (white breads, potato, white pasta, white rice etc.) are high in glycemic-index and, therefore, will turn into sugar rapidly in our bodies. The result? Blood glucose and insulin levels that are spiking between highs and lows, sugar cravings and...weight gain!

Simply put, maintaining a healthy weight and healthy waistline will preserve your physical AND mental well-being for a lifetime!

A New Earth & Your Health!

I, like many other seekers of wisdom and expansion, am reading Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth and watching the 10-week live webcast with Eckhart and Oprah. (And let me say, I'm loving every minute of it!) Interestingly, while I was watching the podcast for Chapter 3's lesson today, one woman who Skyped in from Germany had a very interesting question for Eckhart.

Without getting into the details of the book, her question was about when we know something is 'bad' for us (ie. french fries and red wine in her case!) - why is it that we (our minds) continue to choose these things that we know are wrong/bad and, as a result, it produces anxiety within us. Great question! This question was of personal significance, because I often see patients for weight-loss and they tend to fall into the same behavioural pattern.

Eckhart's answer was simple, yet profound. To break free of the self-inflicated anxiety we create when we label things (food in this case) as 'good' and 'bad', we must be conscious and present while we are eating (regardless of what it is we are eating) and learn to silence the mind chatter that is judging and telling us that we shouldn't be eating this, that and the other.

Oprah made a great comment as well - its not the french fries that are bad, she said, its the thought in your head that says its bad! How true is that! Don't get me wrong, I am a nutritionist and I do advice people everyday on healthy food choices, however, I also know that berating oneself and feeling bad about what we eat is not the way to achieve any goal.

Eckhart went on to add that we must experience the food and create a meditation out of it, so we enjoy it. And guess what - if you truly are present and experience that food with all your senses (and give your mind a well-needed break from all the chatter) - you'll find you won't eat as much of it, because it has satisfied you. Wow. Simple concept - but it is absolutely, 100% true. When we stop resisting things, the tension and anxiety we create around it will melt away effortlessly.

So if you had a 'bad' day today with your food choices and are feeling anxious about it - remember, that its only 'bad' because that's the label you've given your behaviour and kicking yourself about it will only strengthen the fight. Instead, accept it, make peace with it and tomorrow, start to experience food and be present when you're eating - its a much happier way to live.

You Are What You Eat...and Think!

We all know the old saying "You are What you Eat" - hence the importance of good nutrition. But what about your thoughts...do they impact your physical health?

A new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports that happiness and your attitude affects your health in ways you may not have realized. Research has shown time and again how our thoughts (mind) affect our health (body). The mind-body connection is undeniably linked - so watch your thoughts! Negative thoughts, feelings and attitudes decrease your vitality & overall health.

The study, which involved almost 3000 British adults, found that those with upbeat moods had lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. We know scientifically that chronic exposure to cortisol (which most of us are exposed to because of our stressful lives!) can result in high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and compromised immune function (ie. you get sick easily when you're stressed!) - to name a few. This was seen to be the case, even when factors such as age, weight, smoking and income were taken into account.

As well in this study, subjects who reported more positive emotions had lower levels of two marker proteins for inflammation. With lower levels of inflammation in the body - the risk of heart disease and cancer is reduced - no kidding! Inflammation has been linked to a number of chronic diseases and yes, happier people have been shown to have lower levels of inflammatory processes going on - as proved again in this study.

In a nutshell - your thoughts, emotions and attitude can have a dramatic impact on your short-term and long-term health status. And really, it makes complete sense - we know when we're stressed and therefore feeling bad we are more prone to ilness. On the other hand, we know feeling happy feels good - a difficult environment for disease to manifest!

Although we may not be able to eliminate stress (wishful thinking if one thinks we could!) - its HOW we REACT and RESPOND to stress that really can make or break it when it comes to our health. Most of the time, stress is self-imposed and can be handled in more effective ways.

If we all just smiled more, let things roll off our shoulders and realized the world isn't ending with every blip in the road, we'd be a happier, healthier bunch!

So, next time you feel stressed, angry or have a negative attitude - remember, your thoughts are affecting much more than the present moment - they are setting a footprint for your health. So choose your thoughts & feelings wisely - You are what you Think!

Laughter IS the best medicine!

  If you haven't heard yet... the newest movement in yoga, coming out of India is: Laughter Yoga! Groups are popping up all over India and has now hit North America as well.

We all know how great it feels to laugh, especially those big, belly laughs where we get tears in our eyes and our tummies start to hurt! It feels good - and feeling good is the key to good mental AND physical health. In fact, laughter has been shown to improve mood (of course, you can't be crabby when you're laughing!), strengthen the immune system and even lower blood pressure!

It makes sense from a physiological viewpoint - laughter is a state of happiness - and happiness is an emotion which has a unique chemical equivalent in our bodies -- usually in the form of serotonin. So, when we laugh, our brain releases serotonin which flows through our bloodstream and is taken up by our cells - so our cells and, therefore our bodies, become 'happy'.

Its a new and emerging science called Psychoneuroimmunology (which basically means how our mind (thoughts/feelings) affect our nervous system and immune system. Pretty amazing, eh? I will definitely shed more light on this in the coming weeks, but to begin - think about adding some laughter into your day! And how about this - laugh for no reason at all!! That's what they do in many of these Laughter Yoga groups - they use a series of poses and then laugh as they are performing them. 

Sounds strange - and perhaps it seems that way because we are taught not to 'laugh' for no reason - it's considered impolite and unrefined. Ok, so if laughing aloud for no reason is too much of a stretch for you - then try smiling. Right now. That's it - just stare at the screen and smile. See how good that feels? You can't feel bad when you're smiling - you feel good!

On the path to health, there are many roads one can take, but the one which is sprinkled with joy, happiness and laughter is the one that will yield optimal results! So Smile and Laugh often - its good for you!

Trans-fats - Read the label!

Ever since the Canadian Government passed a law in 2007 regarding the mandatory labelling of trans-fats within the foods we eat, manufacturers have captivated us with their big labels reading 'Trans-fat Free!'

'Hooray!', many consumers think, 'These cookies are trans-fat free, I'll buy them!'

But what the flashy label says on the front may not entirely be true. Before we get into the specifics, many people don't know why trans-fats are so bad for us. Well, in a nutshell, trans-fats are artificial fats that are made through a process of hydrogenation. Manufacturers will take a normal, healthy fat (ie. canola or vegetable oil) which is a liquid at room temperature and will saturate it to make it a solid at room temperature. The result? A product that can stay fresher, longer.

The problem with trans-fats is, because it is artificial, our bodies cannot recognize it and doesn't know what to do with it! So it decides to 'park it'. Right in the Times Square of our bodies - our arteries.

  So now that we understand why trans-fats are no good (and kudos to the government for finally passing the law to let consumers know about this danger in our food), we still need to be savvy when reading labels. Right now, the law states that any food that has 0.5g of trans-fat or less in a serving, is considered 'trans-fat free'. So what the smart folks at some of the packaged food companies have done is decrease their serving/portion size so that the amount of trans-fat becomes less than 0.5g!!! Therefore, they have free reign to advertise their product(s) as 'trans-fat free!'. When I heard of this recently, I thought, 'those rascals...!' (or perhaps some other choice words!)

Here is the quick and easy way to determine if your food has trans-fat: read the list of ingredients. By law, all ingredients must be listed, in order of greatest to least quantity by volume. So if there is trans-fat oils being used, you'll read it. Here are the key words you want to look for: Hydrogenated, partially-hydrogenated, palm oil, coconut oil or shortening.

If you read any of those ingredients on the label, you may want to put it down and keep walking - preferrably towards the produce aisle!