elisha

Beach Body Tips and Tricks

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Girl - Weight LossBillions of dollars are being made on the topic of weight loss. Whether it is self-help books, diets, pills, or programs, a fortune is to be made in regards to helping people lose weight. There is no magic pill for weight loss. Ultimately, the way that you will achieve your weight loss goals is through making appropriate changes to your diet and lifestyle. However, there are some tips and tricks that might help encourage your body to lose weight:

Sleep

It might be surprising and sound very simple, but adequate, good – quality sleep is one of the ways we can prevent our bodies from “packing on” extra weight. When you do not get a good quality sleep, the following day you are more likely to eat 200-400 more calories! Giving your body the rest it needs will also help give you energy needed to exercise and make other lifestyle changes.

 

Water

Starting your day off with a glass of water will help not only with appetite but also with energy. You are asleep for 8 hours (give or take), at which point you are not drinking any water. This causes your body to wake up in a dehydrated and depleted state. Drinking a glass of water helps to replenish those water stores causing you to have more energy and a fuller stomach before meals. Often, when we are feeling hungry, it might even be our bodies trying to tell us that we are actually thirsty.

Slow Down

In our society, everyone is on the run, and that includes meals. By slowing down our eating, we are giving our body time to release the appropriate hormones that will tell our body that we are full. It takes 20 minutes to release this hormone, and so, by rushing through meals, we are not allowing our body to know precisely when we are full. “Mindful Eating” can help slow down our eating to help our bodies know when they are full. For more information on Mindful Eating please see my Handouts page at https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca.

Smaller Portions

Everyone has heard time and time again to limit portions. A contributing factor to our larger portions might be the size of your plate. By using a smaller plate this will help to encourage smaller portions, as well as trick your mind into being satisfied (fuller plates tend to be more appealing to the eye hence why you normally want a full plate of food).

 

Note that anything beyond change in diet and lifestyle will not adequately retain weight loss goals. Please contact your doctor to inquire about how to make the appropriate diet and lifestyle changes to achieve appropriate weight loss. You can also come see me, Elisha Cook, at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (416-498-9763) and let me help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

Berry Sunrise Smoothie

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Sunrise smoothiePacked full of antioxidants and nutrients, this smoothie is a great way to start off your day! I use a magic bullet for my smoothies, so the instructions are based on my mixing cup measurements

Ingredients

  • 1/3 Magic Bullet Cup Spinach
  • 1/3 Magic Bullet Cup Orange (cut up)
  • 1/3 Magic Bullet Cup Mixed Berries (I like to use blackberries and blueberries)
  • Almond Milk
  • ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
  • Protein Powder (optional)

Directions

  1. Place all of the fruits and veggies in your mixing cup.
  2. Add enough Almond milk that half of the cup is filled.
  3. Add the remainder of your ingredients.
  4. Mix/Blend, Serve, and Enjoy!

Note: If you add blueberries, it can make your smoothie into a form of a “sorbet” once settled. To reduce the thickness, you may need to add less blueberries and more water or milk.

What’s in your Medicine Cabinet?

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Unshaven Middle aged man reading a prescription label in front o

 

I keep many different Natural Health Products in my medicine cabinet for my own health, as well as the health of my family. However, among those, I have found the top 5 that I would say have been quite beneficial to have in our home:

 

1. Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil can be useful to apply to the skin for relief of itching from bug bites, aiding with acne/pimple break outs, and relieving the symptoms of Athletes Foot. Please use caution with tea tree oil as it is an essential oil and should not be consumed orally, nor be used at greater doses than 5 drops.

2. Epsom Salts

Epsom Salts are great to keep in the home in case of muscular strains or injuries, skin infections, or simply to help you relax after a long day. They can be added to your bath or foot bath as needed.

3. Ginger Candies

It may seem odd to have candies in your medicine cabinet, but ginger candies can be useful when you or your child is having an “upset stomach”. They can help relieve feelings of nausea and help with digestion.

4. Arnica 200CH

Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that is used for anything causing trauma to the body. I will usually take a pellet of this for any event causing bruising, trauma, or shock to the body.

5. Castor Oil

Some of you might be thinking, “O great I heard about castor oil. No thank you I do not want to “clean out my system””. Well, that is not why this is on the list. I often apply castor oil to any joints or muscles experiencing any pain. I also use this if I am having a cold. I will apply the castor oil to my chest (kind of like Vicks) as well as to any lymph nodes that I find are inflamed. Another great use for castor oil is for reducing inflammation in the liver and promoting detox. For more information on Castor Oil and its use, please refer to my website, specifically to the section entitled Handouts, where there is a handout on “Castor Oil Packs”: https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca/handouts-print-media/

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

 

Power Food: Garlic

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Garlic ClovesGarlic has been used for many centuries to prevent and treat diseases due to its health promoting properties. Historical documents have found that garlic was used to keep working class citizens strong and productive, as well as keep them free of abnormal growths or tumours, diarrhea, worms, and cardiovascular difficulties.

Currently, we know that Garlic has the following therapeutic actions, which makes it such a “Power Food”.

  • Antimicrobial – kill or inhibit growth of microorganisms
  • Antifungal – kills or inhibits growth of fungus
  • Diaphoretic – promotes sweating
  • Hypocholesteremic – lowers cholesterol
  • Cholagogue – promotes bile flow and digestion
  • Hypotensive – lowers blood pressure
  • Antispasmodic – relaxes smooth muscles

As a result of these therapeutic actions, garlic has the potential to prevent and treat infections of the respiratory system such as chronic bronchitis, recurrent colds and influenza, and can even be used as a broader approach to treating asthma. Garlic also works on the digestive system by killing bad bacteria and supporting good bacteria within it. It also affects the Gall Bladder by increasing the amount of bile secreted and therefore aiding in digestion and making it work more smoothly. This activation of the gall bladder also helps with the detoxification of the body.

Many studies have also shown the benefits of using garlic to treat hypertension, and overall, lower blood pressure. Along with aiding those with high blood pressure, garlic also reduces bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins [LDLs]) and increases good cholesterol (high density lipoproteins [HDLs]), and protects against plaque build-up in the blood vessels.

So you might be asking, what health conditions can garlic prevent and what can it be used to treat in my daily life? To begin with, Garlic could aid in preventing Atherosclerosis, Hypertension (high blood pressure), Myocardial Infarction (heart attack), and stroke. In regards to using garlic in every day life, not only can garlic be added to meals, but also used as a treatment for your skin. Garlic can be applied to the skin to treat ring worm, warts, and athlete’s foot (just do not use the garlic in your cooking afterwards).

The next time you see garlic, do not merely think of it as a vampire deterring bulb, but rather a health promoting addition to your diet!

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.