Taking Control of Menopausal Weight Gain

By the time women reach 40 years old, which is even before the average age of menopause, our metabolisms slow down.  We need to consume 100-200 calories less than we used to, just to maintain the same weight.  For every woman, in order to properly diagnosis and treat each person individually, a practitioner must look at many factors including the adrenal glands, glucose and insulin levels, female hormone imbalances, thyroid levels, digestive health and lifestyle habits.

For the full article, visit http://www.marnirossnd.com/articles.html .

Bugs Away!

Try this natural insect repellant recipe to keep the mosquitoes away from you and your children:

20 drops Eucalyptus oil
10 drops Tea Tree oil
20 drops Cedarwood oil
10 drops Geranium oil
2 oz of Jojoba oil

Mix together in a 4 oz container.  Apply to the skin as needed avoiding the eye area and test on a small area of skin first for sensitivities.  Keep out of reach of children.

Electroacupuncture

What is Electroacupuncture?

It is a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles.  It can enhance the use of regular acupuncture and is particularly beneficial for conditions associated with pain. 

Acupuncture can treat the following conditions:

·   Pain – neck, back, shoulder, hip and knee muscle and joint pain, sciatica, scoliosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia

·   Migraines

·   Digestive problems – IBS, Crohn’s, colitis, acid reflux, gallstones

·   Women’s health conditions – menopause, PMS, irregular periods, endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids

·    Infertility – male and female

·    Insomnia

·    Allergies

·    Low energy

·    Anxiety and depression

Dr. Marni Ross is Alma Wellness’ Naturopathic Doctor who has successfully been using acupuncture (and electroacupuncture) in her practice for over 10 years.  

For more information or to book an appointment, visit: http://www.marnirossnd.com/contactus.html

Heartburn - a low or high acidity problem

Heartburn is such a common complaint in our culture, probably caused by our eating habits.  Eating on the go, not chewing our food properly, eating in an unrelaxed environment and primarily, eating the wrong foods (high fat, high sugar and low fiber foods).  The feeling of acid in the upper chest, burping and general upper gastrointestinal symptoms can be very uncomfortable at times and antacid medication is often prescribed.  Sometimes it truly is situation where there is too much acid in the stomach and it is being pushed up into the esophagus.  However, with my patients, more often than not, it’s actually a low acid problem and prescribing digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid can alleviate and even eliminate the symptoms. 

The lower esophageal sphincter usually remains shut and it blocks food and acid from being regurgitated back up from the stomach to the esophagus.  When you eat, acid is produced and the sphincter closes.  If you take an antacid, the stomach then has no acid, thus the sphincter remains open and whatever little bit of acid your body still produces, shoots up into your esophagus and causes heartburn.  Basically, if you take hydrochloric acid, then your body learns to keep the sphincter closed, thereby keeping the acid in the stomach and not in the esophagus. 

There are tests available to determine if your stomach acid is high, low or normal.

Immune boosting snacks

Now that we are in the heart of winter, it's so important that we eat nutrient rich foods to help our immune systems stay strong and keep us all healthy.  Here are some immune boosting snack ideas that are great, not only to pack in kids lunches, but for adults to take to work as well.

• Hummus and red peppers - contains garlic and Vitamin C
• Fruit such as strawberries, oranges, pineapple and kiwi have the highest amount of Vitamin C
• Plain yogurt - it's best to buy yogurt without the added fruit, as this often contains lots of sugar which can feed any bacteria.  Yogurt contains probiotics which helps to fight germs.  
• Almond, walnuts and nut butters - Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to fight respiratory infections.
• Mushrooms barley soup - mushrooms have immune building properties and barley contains zinc, a mineral that helps to fight infections
• Pumpkins seeds - also high in zinc
• Kale or sweet potato chips - contains Vitamin C
• Oatmeal cookies - use honey instead of sugar

In summary, the nutrients that are best at boosting the immune system are Vitamin C, garlic and zinc.   These snacks listed above include foods that contain the highest amounts of these nutrients.  Keeping the refined sugars to a minimum is also helpful in keeping you and your family healthy and strong!

Returning to Alma Wellness - January 8, 2015

I am excited to announce that I will be returning to Alma Wellness following the holiday break.   Feel free to contact the clinic at 604-222-4131 to set up an appointment.  I look forward to see you in the New Year!  I hope it's a happy and healthy one.

Maternity Leave

I am currently on maternity leave and will continue updating this blog following my return in late 2014 or early 2015.   I do have a wonderful Naturopath, Dr. Katharine Field, filling in for me at Alma Wellness on 4th.   Have a great summer!

6 Reasons to Consider Testing for a Gluten Intolerance

1. You experience gastrointestinal symptoms after eating gluten (such as bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea).
2. Your energy is low despite eating and sleeping well (both physical and mental energy).
3. You have tried cutting out gluten from your diet and you still don’t feel well.
4. You have done conventional testing to rule out a gluten allergy and it comes back normal (ie. Blood testing for gluten antibodies and/or a bowel biopsy).
5. You have a family history of celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
6. You have been diagnosed with what seems like an unrelated condition such as an autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, an inflammatory disorder, headaches, mood imbalances or an unspecified skin condition.

Make 2014 your healthest year to date!

With the holidays over and the start of a new year upon us, why not take the opportunity to set some new health goals.  These can be small changes that you can make to your diet and lifestyle or more extreme changes such as considering a detox or modifying your supplement protocol.  Whatever you decide will help you feel more energetic and will likely make you look and feel younger as well.  If you are looking for guidance to help you through the process, please contact me to schedule an appointment.

Immune Boosting Soup

With the cooler temperatures approaching and cold and flu season upon us, why not warm up and stay healthy with this great immune boosting soup!  Here is the recipe:

1 astragalus root strip (available at most Chinese supermarkets)
1 burdock root
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
6 cups of vegetables cut into bit sized pieces (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, green peppers, parsley, potatoes, squash, string beans, zucchini)
1 cup of cooked barley

1)  In a glass or stainless steel pot, simmer the astragalus and burdock in the water with the thyme and sage for about 20-30 minutes.  Strain out the herbs and use the water as a broth for the soup.
2)  Add the vegetables and barley to the broth and cook.  Allow to simmer slowly for 1 hour.
3)  Serve warm.  The soup can be strained and served as a broth or served with all of the vegetables.  Make 6 servings.

Fats and high blood pressure

         Essential fatty acids are fats that our bodies cannot produce themselves and must be obtained through the diet.  These are used to produce factors called prostaglandins that influence blood pressure, keep blood vessels elastic and influence platelet stickiness.  Increasing linoleic acid from vegetable oils has a profound blood pressure lowering action.  Good food sources of linoleic acid are raw (not roasted), unsalted fresh walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds.  Saturated fats from animal fat/meats/dairy products, trans fats from fried foods, food cooked in oil, processed food and hydrogenated margarine, shortening and oils should all be avoided.  The unhealthy fats contribute to atherosclerosis and high blood pressure and compete with healthy fats for absorption.  Oils should be cold-pressed, fresh and kept refrigerated as they easily turn rancid if exposed to light and heat.  They should be used cold, drizzled over salads or vegetable and not used for cooking as the heat degrades the oil.  Increase omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid foods:  salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, raw walnuts, almond, sunflower seeds, pecan, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and avocadoes.

Take control of your stress before it controls you

Are you feeling overworked, stressed and burnt out?  Then likely your adrenal glands (stress glands) are exhausted and not functioning optimally.  Your adrenal glands release your stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol.  Under mild to moderate amounts of stress, small amounts of these hormones are released, which is normal.  However if you suffer from chronic and severe long-term stress, the adrenal glands are releasing large amounts of these hormones and eventually they are overworked and then shut down.  That is where stress management is extremely important.  Exercise, deep breathing, meditation and massage are just a few stress management activities that are beneficial.  Eating a healthy diet and ensuring you get enough B vitamins are also helpful.  Some supplements that are great in supporting the adrenal glands include ADHS by Biotics, TAD+ by Genestra and Cortrex by Thorne.  These supplements contain a combination of herbs and nutrients that are formulated to directly target the adrenal glands.  Even though these are natural supplements, it is best to check with you healthcare provider to ensure that they are right for you as they could possibly interact with medications or other supplements you are taking. 

Saliva Hormone Testing with Labrix

What is the benefit of saliva hormone testing?

Testing hormones through the saliva is an easy, non-invasive way of assessing hormone levels.  For certain hormones, it has been shown to be a more accurate method of addressing hormone imbalance.

Who would benefit from hormone testing?

• Anyone who has experienced chronic, long term stress or short periods of intense stress
• Women who suffer from irregular periods
• Women who experience PMS
• Peri or post menopausal women who are concerned with an estrogen/progesterone imbalance
• Men and women who are concerned with changing hormone levels as a result of age
• Anyone experiencing the following symptoms:  weight problems, insomnia, fatigue, acne, blood sugar imbalance and decrease immune function

Which hormones can be tested?

• Estrogen – is the main female hormone and if imbalanced it can contribute to menstrual disruption in cycling women, unpleasant symptoms for menopausal women and possibly cause certain female cancers.
• Progesterone – is required to balance estrogen levels
• Testosterone – is a hormone that is essential for both men and women
• DHEA – is needed for energy production and blood sugar balance and is required to produce other hormones such as testosterone.
• Cortisol – this hormone level changes throughout the day and it is necessary for stress management, blood sugar metabolism, energy production and anti-inflammatory effects.

What is the process?

If you are doing the complete hormone assessment and you are a cycling female, then the test needs to be done at a certain time of the month.  Your naturopath can discuss with you when the right time would be.  Otherwise, the saliva collection is done any day, and 4 saliva tests are required – first thing in the morning, mid day, mid afternoon and evening. 

Natural Sunscreen Recipe

6 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tbsp almond or grapeseed oil

2 tbsp finely powdered zinc oxide (or less if you want a less white sunscreen)

3 tsp shea butter

2 tsp beeswax pellets

Combine the ingredients, in order listed, in a thick glass jar or measuring cup.  Create a bain marie, with a pot of shallow water and place the vessel in the water, being careful that the water doesn’t get into your ingredients.  Let it simmer until the ingredients have all melted together.

Mix thoroughly with a hand blender to ensure the zinc oxide is distributed evenly throughout.  Let cool before applying.

Case Study On A Patient With Chronic Pain

A 28-year-old female came to see me with the primary concern of chronic, whole body pains. Before coming to see me, she had been suffering from these pains for 5 years.  She did numerous blood tests and everything came back normal.  She had been taking painkillers for years, which were no longer effective. 

At the first visit, I recommended that she do further bloodwork (to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme’s disease and fibromyalgia) and I had her do a food allergy test.  I also recommended fish oils (to reduce any inflammation) and had her do a specific detoxification that focused on inflammation.

A month later, she reported a slight improvement, only 15%.  We discussed the food allergy results and I had her remove all foods that she was reacting to.  I also had her take one supplement that balanced hormone levels.

She came back 3 months later and was very excited to discuss her health status.  Her body aches basically went away, maybe slight aches during her period.  She was very happy with the improvements.

Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Many people are under the assumption that the only group of individuals that are at risk for osteoporosis are women of post menopausal age.  This is certainly not the case.  Although this age group is at a higher risk due to the estrogen deficiency, there are life style factors that put people at risk as well. 

• Chronic, long term high stress - stress leads to elevated cortisol levels.  Chronic stress leads to impaired bone building because of the cortisol production
• Insufficient physical exercise - weight bearing exercise are recommended 3x a week
• Low calcium intake - even though dairy provides a good amount of calcium, many people have dairy allergies or sensitivities.  There are many other foods that contain calcium such as green leafy vegetable, almonds, sesame seeds and soy products
• Low Vitamin D - the best source of vitamin D is from the sun and since this is not always a viable option, supplementation is beneficial
• High phosphorous intake - meat and carbonated drinks are high in phosphorus which can inhibit calcium absorption
• Low stomach acid - as we age, stomach acid can decrease and this affects how nutrients are absorbed

Acupunture Has Been Proven To Reduce Hayfever Symptoms

A recent study was done on 422 people with grass and pollen allergies.  Results showed that regular acupuncture sessions reduced severity of symptoms and less anti-histamines were required.

For more information, view this link:

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/health/an-alternative-antihistamine-20130313

5 Nuritional Tips for Balancing Your Blood Sugar

• Choose carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (examples of low gyclemic foods include blueberries, barley, broccoli and hummus while white bread, chocolate and potatoes are high glycemic foods)
• Get adequate protein
• Avoid fats from meat and dairy products (saturated fats)
• Increase the good fats (fish and olive oil)
• Increase fiber consumption (fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates)

Are you Zinc deficient?

Zinc is a mineral that is required for many organ functions.  It is needed for liver function and for serotonin, insulin and immune cell production.  It stabilizes histamine responses and prevent free radical  damage (or overload) in the body.

A zinc deficiency can show up in the following ways:

• diabetes
• food allergies or sensitivities
• recurrent infections
• delayed wound healing
• arthritis
• hair loss
• eczema
• infertility
• depression
• insomnia
• behavioral disorders

 How do you know if you are Zinc deficient?  There is a simple test that can be done at my office, called a Zinc Tally test.  It takes about 2 minutes and the results are immediate. 

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky Gut, also known as Increased Intestinal Permeability is described as an inflammatory condition in which the intestines become unable to filter large proteins or toxic molecules.  These particles then enter the bloodstream and can trigger destructive immune and degenerative responses. 

What are some causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome?

• eating processed foods
• excessive NSAID (ie Advil) use
• eating too quickly, not chewing food properly, drinking liquids with meals
• intestinal infections
• delayed transit time - not eating enough fiber
• eating too many refined sugars
• eating foods that you might be allergic or intolerant to
• diets high in saturated fats
• chronic alcohol consumption

What are the symptoms?

• gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea - Irritable Bowel symptoms
• food allergies
• allergies
• eczema and other skin issues
• fatigue
• headaches
• moodiness
• muscle/joint pain
• poor concentration
• hormone imbalance
• sinus and respiratory symptoms and asthma
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (colitis, Crohn's)
• Celiac disease

Can it be treated?
Yes it can.  The first step in treatment involves removing the cause.  Then it varies depending on the severity of the symptoms and how long they have been present.  There are excellent treatments that can be used to help rebuild and repair the intestinal damage.