Wellness Works!

The Honey Fix!

As South Asians, we've all had a 'home remedy' for all sorts of ailments growing up. Although we may have rolled our eyes and ingested the cocktail of herbs/spices, science is know catching up with our traditional understanding of the healing properties in food. One such food is honey. Now, a recent study is suggesting that honey can be used for more than just soothing a sore throat - it could be used as a substitute for antibiotics in fighting stubborn ear, nose and throat infections! I guess our Naniji's were onto something.

Ottawa University doctors found that ordinary honey kills bacteria that cause sinus infections and does it better in most cases than antibiotics. Another win for food in fighting disease!

Although the preliminary tests were conducted in lab dishes not in live patients, it DID include the "Superbug" methicillin-resistant Staph aureus or MRSA (which is highly resistant to antibiotics).

In the upcoming human trials, researchers plan to use a "honey rinse" to flush out the sinus cavities. Okay so maybe we haven't used honey in that way before from a traditional standpoint, but.... ever heard of the Neti Pot??!! You know where that originated!

Of the two forms of honey used (one from New Zealand and another from Yemen) - bth killed all floating bacteria in liquid and what is more astounding is that is also killed approx. 60-90% of the Biofilm (a protective layer that bacteria make to shelter themselves from normal drug treatments - smart little critters!). This biofilm is what often leads to chronic infections.

To contrast, the most effective antibiotic, rifampin, can killed only 18% of the biofilm samples in the tests.

Further studies will be done to investigate which honey is the best for germ-fighting and how honey  actually works in the healing process.

Unfortunately, not all honey is created equally. Canada's clover and buckwheat honey did not work at all.

As I learn more about the 'honey study' I will keep you all updated via this blog! Just another example of the Power of Nature in Healing. Love it.

Acupuncture Wins with Breast Cancer!

Another exciting day of blogging because today I get to tell everyone of yet ANOTHER great feat of Acupuncture! For those who know me or have read this blog, I not only practice Acupuncture with great LOVE, I could be the poster girl for Traditional Chinese Medicine by how passionately I speak of it! In my humble handful of years in practice, I have seen the most amazing, incredible changes in patient's health - usually through a combination of acupuncture as well as diet & supplementation - its really such a great combo. Love it.

But today I want to tell you about an article that was recently cited on CTV.ca (Sept. 22nd) about a new study that showed Acupuncture reduces Breast Cancer Symptoms from Chemotherapy just as well as the leading medical intervention, the antidepressant drug Effexor. Woo-hoo!

The study conducted at the Henry Ford Hospital with 47 Breast cancer patients found that acupuncture reduced symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and excessive sweating, just as well as the drug intervention - but with NO side effects. Very cool.

In addition, women reported that the acupuncture boosted their energy levels, feelings of well-being and sex drive. Of course those taking the drug intervention did not experience these `bonus features`. In fact, just the opposite.

Patients who are given anti-depressants or steroids to help combat the chemotherapy side-effects experience drug side-effects such as nausea, dry mouth, headache, sleeplessness, decreased sex drive and anxiety. Not exactly the most pleasant of side-effects.

So my friends, the wonders of the Orient continue to amaze me...and I am so glad that western science is now seeing with scientific proof just how amazing Acupuncture is!

Anxiety...the New Common Cold

It seems to me that these days, stress-induced anxiety is a very common phenomenon. Unfortunately,  I've seen so many women who suffer from mild anxiety which stems from a variety of emotions - most of which are feelings of overwhelm, out of control and fear.

To me, in this day and age, to say someone would not experience anxiety from time to time is just wishful thinking. We all get anxious at times. Let's be real. We can't be 'Zen' all the time! However, there is a big difference between experience moments of peaked stress or anxiety and daily, constant, rather debilitating anxious thoughts, feelings and, unfortunately, symptoms.

Anxiety, although in the mind, manifests itself in many ways in the body. An easy example to understand the mind-body connection when it comes to anxiety is, think about when you're about to go onstage - the mental nervousness creates a host of symptoms: butterflies in the stomach, sweating, diarrhea - you know where I'm going with this!

Now think about feeling that way ALL the time... terrible way to feel and live. Thankfully, there are many natural, effective ways to tackle mild anxiety, without having to resort to more serious treatment options. But more improtantly, its the 'inside' work that really needs to happen. From the outside, a sound nutritional plan is great to provide the body what it needs to function optimally. As well, B vitamins for the nervous system, Omega 3s are great for brain function, probiotics help digestion, Acupuncture is fantastic for moving energy (Chi) and providing a relaxed and calm state...  but what about the ROOT cause? I'm all about getting to the root cause.

Often times, the root cause of Anxiety is Fear - and where does Fear come from? Well, a Lack of Faith in my opinion. Now hold on, I'm not talking in the 'religious' sense of the word - I'm talking about the Faith that 'everything is going to be okay' type of faith. Think about it, if people had faith that 'All is well' and 'Everything WILL be okay' - then what is there to be anxious about? After seeing so many women who deal with anxiety on a daily basis, it seems this is the common, underlying ROOT cause.

Now of course, there are biochemical and physiological reasons for anxiety - but its a question of   'chicken or the egg?' What is first - The physical changes which lead to thoughts or the other way around? To know the answer, great books like Molecules of Emotion by Dr. Candace Perth or Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton have provided the scientific proof that thoughts preceed all physical manifestations in the body. Period. Thoughts are things - and thoughts create emotions which become a biochemical entity in the body. That is the ROOT cause.

So, for those who experience anxiety often or daily and/or for those complementary & alternative health practitioners reading this blog who have patients who are experiencing anxiety and related physical symptomatology - look for the ROOT cause - and while working on being 'zen' and being present, if we can infuse the notion of Faith,  that all is well (it really is - depending on your perception) and use that as an anchor for all stress-reducation exercises, you'll find brand new thoughts, feelings and health come your way.

IBS...BS!!

I want to talk about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, the so-called epidemic of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

It seems like these days, almost everyone thinks they have "IBS" or some form of it, and I don't blame them - IBS seems to be the 'catch-all' term many health professionals use when they just don't know what is going on in someone's digestive system.

Coming from someone who was also diagnosed with IBS during my university days (when, might I add, I was stressed to the max! Coincidence...hhmm...) I understand the frustration many people go through. (If I only knew then what I know now... I would have saved myself a few 'uncomfortable' procedures...to say the least).

When it comes to gastrointestinal dysfunction, or so-called, IBS - there are many reasons as to WHY it  is occurring. But unfortunately the WHY is often overlooked and many patients are quickly prescribed medications to reduce symptoms (gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion....etc). Some of these drugs can help to regulate motility (movement) of the bowel walls, but again, the cause is not often looked at.

Of course, there never is one easy answer or one thing we can point our fingers at. However, that being said, there are a cluster of very common reasons or causes as to why people find their digestive systems in a state of IMBALANCE. And really folks, that`s what we are talking about here - an imbalanced system (too much or too little of anything - good or bad, can wreak havoc) and guess what that means for our intelligent bodies.... time to let us know - hence we are given signals or `symptoms`.

I`ll address some of the most common causes of distress in the GI tract. The first one being, of course: DIET. When we eat processed, packaged foods on a regular basis, not only is this hard to digest because of the additives, preservative and un-natural chemical composition of the foods, but overtime, many people can develop food sensitivities. The most common are wheat, dairy, corn and soy (as they are ingredients which are found in many of our foods today and are often hidden).

Next, Stress - what can I say, if we know it affects every cell in the body and can be attributed to 95% of all disease (according to the NIH) then why not the GI system! In fact, a good majority of our nervous system resides within our gut (called the Enteric Nervous System or ENS) and therefore, since stress affects our nervous system directly, so to it affects the function and health of our digestive tracts (ever wonder why they call it a `gutt`feeling! Now you know!)

Lastly, chemicals such as medications (antibiotics, contraceptives, pain killers etc.) can throw off the intestinal balance and repeated use can cause a great state of imbalance. Unfortunately, often people are given more chemicals to fix what`s already gone wrong via foreign chemistry. Although there is a time and place for certain medications, in North America I find we use and abuse drugs way too much. Especially when there are many safe, natural approaches and preventative measures that can be taken (ie. lifestyle changes).

So what can be done.... well, I always recommend being in the hands of a trained health professional to really understand your unique case history so that an appropriate diet, supplementation and treatment program can be put together for you. And while there are many products on the market - off-the-shelf cleanses and detox programs which are okay (I know I`ve used quite a few of them) but, in my opinon and based on my clinical experience, the results you will find with a tailored, customized gastrointestinal cleanse or treatment program from a health professional (such as a naturopath, nutirtionist or myself!) is a more viable option for better results.

It`s like getting a shirt one-size-fits-all or getting a custom-made shirt - which do you think will be better.... ?

When it comes to your health and especially a case of IBS - trust a natural health professional - your gutt will thank you!