Hypothyroidism - a possible source of many unexplained symptoms

Do you suffer from constant headaches?  Recurrent infections?  Cold extremities?  Dry skin (especially on your hands and feet)?  Constipation?  Morning fatigue?  Swelling (particularly around the eyes)?

If you experience one or more of these symptoms then you may have a thyroid disorder, likely hypothyroidism.  Underactive thyroid function is on the rise and here are some possible reasons for it:

• presence of BPA in plastics
• PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)
• nitrogen fertilizers
• Triclosan - an antibacgerial/antifungal agent in soups, toothpastes, deodorant and cleansers
• lead and mercury toxicity
• nutritional deficiencies - iodine, B12, zinc, iron, selenium
• medications - birth control pills, beta blockers
• smoking
• fluoride 
• stress

What should you do if you are concerned about your thyroid gland?  Go to your naturopathic doctor or family doctor and have your thyroid hormones tested.  Specifically have your TSH, free T3 and free T4 tested.   It is important to review your results with a qualified practitioner because even if your levels are slightly out of optimal range, then symptoms can appear.  Conventionally, patients are often prescribed pharmaceuticals only when their thyroid levels are well out of the normal range and serious symptoms have already developed.  Correcting even slight hormone imbalances can make a huge difference early on and this is where natural therapies can be very beneficial. 

Do You Know How Much Salt You Are Eating?

The recommended average intake of daily salt (or sodium) is 1500 mg, most Canadians have more than twice this amount in their diets.  A high salt diet leads to elevated blood pressure which contributes to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. 
Some of the salt we take in is added during cooking or at the table after the food is prepared but most of the sodium consumption comes from processed foods (from fast food restaurants and packaged foods).  Here is a list of some foods and their sodium content:

Bacon -  2500 mg
Corned Beef - 1700 mg
2 slices of bread - around 400 mg
Cheddar cheese - 600 mg
Parmesan cheese - 1800mg
Canned corn - 250 mg
Saltine crackers - 1100mg
Lasagna - 500 mg
Peanut butter - 600 mg
Canned soup - 400 mg
Ketchup - 1000 mg

What do I suggest?

• Buy as few packaged products as possible
• Read labels and look for products that have less than 350 mg of sodium per serving
• If the option is available, buy low salt/sodium products
• Have you blood pressure checked regularly and if it's high, decrease the amounts of smoked meats and fishes, condiments such as ketchup, mustard and commercial salad dressings, avoid salted nuts, pretzels and potato chips and keep the cheeses to a minimum (cheddar, cottage, feta and parmesan)
• On the other hand, increase your intake of potassium rich foods.  Low potassium levels can contribute to high blood pressure.  Potassium is found in the following foods - fruits (especially bananas, avocadoes and berries), vegetables (green leafy vegetables, squash, yams and eggplant are best), yogurt and beans

Insulin Resistance - Are you at Risk?

What is Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone, produced by the pancreas, which controls the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance refers to the condition where your physiological insulin is no longer effective in lowering blood sugar levels in your body.  The result is an increase in blood glucose levels and this can lead to a number of adverse health conditions.

What conditions can it lead to?

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease

What are the risk factors?

•  Obesity - especially around the upper/middle part of the body
•  Lack of exercise
• Genetics
•  Aging

What can you do to prevent developing Insulin Resistance?

• Exercise regularly - 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes is ideal
• Eat a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, lean meats and complex carbodydrates 

Saliva Hormone Testing

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. 

How To Nourish Healthy Skin

Most people are not aware that our skin is considered to be one of our main detoxification organs along with the liver, kidneys and colon.  So the expression "we are what we eat" is especially true when we talk about our skin.  It is unusual for people to be 100% truly happy with their skin.  Common complaints include skin that is too dry, too oily, too wrinkled, too many blemishes, too blotchy or too pale.  Genetics plays a huge role in the appearance of our skin as well as environmental exposures, however, one of the biggest factors that we have control over is what we choose to put into our bodies.  Here are the top 10 super foods that have been shown to nourish our skin and prevent the aging process:

• Green tea
• Olive oil
• Avocado
• Green vegetables
• Berries
• Garlic
• Nuts (walnuts and brazil nuts)
• Fish
• Whole grains (rye, barley, brown rice, oats)
• Melons, especially watermelons (including the seeds)
• Beans

The complete article can be found by going to: http://www.marnirossnd.com/articles_links.html.

Cinnamon Supplementation May Benefit Diabetes

Clinical studies have recently shown that short term usage of cinnamon may lower glycemic index in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.  The trials included 435 patients and cinnamon doses ranged from 1 gram to 6 grams per day.   Follow up of HbA1c levels were carried out 40 days to 4 months after the start of cinnamon supplementation. 

Another Success Story from Dr. Ross

Excess Abdominal Fat

A 47 year old female came to see me with the primary concern of excess abdominal fat as a result of Cushing’s Syndrome.  She had tried to loose weight before with no success.  After reviewing her case history, I decided that she was ingesting large amounts of sugar and living a very unhealthy lifestyle.  She was also suffering from headaches, dry skin and low energy.  I decided that the best place to start was with a detoxification that was specific for her condition.  She was given some supplements, which included herbs and nutrients to support the liver, gallbladder and colon in cleansing.  She was put on a strict diet that basically eliminated all toxic foods.  She was allowed to gradually make these dietary changes and she felt this was the best way to comply and continue with the detox.  It lasted a month long and then she came in for a follow up visit.  At that time, we discussed the remarkable changes in her health – significant loss in abdominal fat (apparent to her colleagues), increase in energy levels, her skin was less dry and she had much healthier bowel habits.  She is currently on phase 2 of the detoxification program and she hopes to continue long term with many of the lifestyle changes she has learned about during the detox.