At-Home Treatments

Helping your child to perform optimally at school

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The school year is well under way, and many parents can become concerned about their child’s performance in school. Some children may benefit significantly from small changes to their lifestyle and diet. The following tips may help your child to perform optimally in school:

Sleep Recommendations

  1. Sleep – this tip may seem very straight forward, but many children do not get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for children because this is when we process information, grow, and re-energize for the day ahead. If a child does not get enough sleep, they may become quite agitated in the classroom and potentially cause disruption. They may also be unable to concentrate because of the fatigue. Provided to the right is a chart that gives you an idea of how much sleep your child needs according to their age group, as recommended by the sleep foundation (Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need) . To further drive home the point, research has been done in regards to sleep and school performance. The research has shown that shortened sleep, disrupted sleep schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality all negatively impact academic performance.
  2. Exercise – Exercise is very important for your child. Exercise provides a way to boost mood, boost energy, re-focus, and give a sense of accomplishment depending on the form. By encouraging regular exercise, it allows your child to get the energy release they need and gives them an opportunity to “collect” themselves before re-focusing on school tasks. Research has shown that exercise and physical activity in school aged children can actually increase Grade Point Averages (GPA).
  3. Fruits and Vegetables – no discussion would be complete without discussing the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can provide significant amounts of B vitamins, which are beneficial for brain functioning, mood, energy, stress, and concentration.
  4. Reduce Screen Time – screen time (i.e. televisions, cell phones, I pads, computers, etc.) could have a negative impact on your child’s future educational achievement. Some research has suggested that the more a child spends in front of a television, the less that they will achieve in the future in regards to degrees and educational achievement. I want to point out that some individuals do benefit from the use of different software to help engage with learning, and so, this recommendation needs to be adapted to your child’s specific needs.
  5. Parenting Style – interestingly enough, the way a child is parented can impact their achievement in school. Research has identified five “processes” that contribute to school achievement. They are: “verbal interactions between mother and children, expectation of parents for achievement, positive affective relationships between parents and children, parental beliefs and attributions about the child, and discipline and control strategies.” Of these processes, discipline and control strategies were the most strongly associated with school achievement.

If your child still experiences difficulty with concentration and focus in school, it is important for you to seek the help of a naturopathic doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider. Some of the causes can be as simple as a nutritional deficiency, and some may require further evaluation.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

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, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/STREPchanges_1.png

http://www.smrv-journal.com/article/S1087-0792(03)90003-7/abstract

http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/10/

Tips for Effective and Safe Strength Training

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Man running in a gym on a treadmill concept for exercising, fitnHow you approach strength training or exercise of any form can greatly impact the results you achieve and your safety while performing them. Here are some tips and strategies on how to avoid injury and get optimal results while exercising:

  1. Always warm up and cool down properly. Examples of warming up and cooling down include cardiovascular training for 10 minutes prior, and stretching following exercise.
  2. Use proper form to avoid injuries and maximize gains. If you are not using the proper technique, all of your hard work will be for nought! You can learn good form through a class or one-on-one sessions with a certified exercise professional.
  3. Breathe out when you are lifting or pushing; breathe in as you slowly release the load or weight. Never hold your breath while straining. This action, called the Valsalva maneuver, can temporarily raise your blood pressure and can be risky for people with heart disease. It also puts more stress on the pelvic floor muscles, and can lead to some unfortunate conditions including hernias and organ prolapse.
  4. Don’t lock your joints; always leave a slight bend in your knees and elbows when straightening out your legs and arms.
  5. Don’t be so eager to see results that you risk hurting yourself by exercising too long or choosing too much weight. And remember that it’s important to rest muscles for at least 48 hours between strength training sessions. It might be useful for novice strength trainers to start with a shorter strength training session, and gradually work their way up to longer sessions. This might also include starting with one strength training session per week and gradually working up to 2-3 times per week.
  6. If you’ve been sick, give yourself one or two days off after recovering. If you were ill for a while, you may need to use lighter weights or less resistance when you first resume exercising.
  7. Strength training exercises should not cause pain while you are doing them. If an exercise or movement causes significant pain, stop doing it! When performing an exercise, stick with a range of motion that feels comfortable. Over time, try to gradually extend that range. This being said, if you have experienced a specific injury in the past, it is important to consult a health care provider such as a Naturopathic Doctor so that they can help you modify exercises to fit your body’s needs and strengthen necessary muscle groups.
  8. Listen to your body and cut back if you aren’t able to finish a series of exercises or an exercise session, can’t talk while exercising, feel faint after a session, feel tired during the day, or suffer joint aches and pains after a session.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

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, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: Harvard Medical School

Health Benefits of Sun Exposure

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rMany public health campaigns are aimed at reducing sun exposure to address potential skin cancer risks and concerns. However, completely abstaining from sun exposure in general could be more detrimental to your health than good. As with many of the recommendations I give, everything in moderation. That being said, 10-15 minutes of direct sun exposure (including not having sun glasses on but obviously not looking directly into the sun) can have many different health benefits. Please be aware that this timing might be different for individuals who are sun – sensitive or those taking medications that increase your sensitivity to the sun. It is also important to use sun protection when the UV index is above 3.

This blog serves to provide you, my readers, with some information on how your health may improve from soaking up some sun.

Vitamin D Production

It is difficult to talk about sunlight exposure without talking about vitamin D. Our bodies need sunlight in order to produce vitamin D, which could benefit many conditions including depression, cancer, colds, illness, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), immune functioning.

Improved Sleep

With adequate sun exposure, we allow the natural processes and hormone regulation in our bodies to take place, specifically for melatonin. When we are exposed to sunlight (or artificial light) in the mornings, we are able to produce melatonin sooner in the evening, leading to an easier time falling asleep at night. This has been shown to be beneficial for insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, and SAD.

Mood Enhancement

Neurotransmitters are also impacted by sunlight, specifically serotonin. Serotinin is what I like to call a “happy neurotransmitter”. It helps to elevate mood and bring about mental clarity in general when it is in adequate supply. Serotonin is directly impacted by melatonin, and so, serotonin becomes higher when we receive enough sunlight exposure. As a result, the serotonin received could help with depression, SAD, poor energy, and poor concentration.

Immune System Regulation

Sun exposure can aid the immune system through many different mechanisms. Ultimately it helps the immune system remove immune cells that might attack your own body (self – reactive T cells) and thus prevent or help with the management of autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, and some forms of Hypothyroidism.

Decrease Oxidative Stress

Though too much sun exposure can cause oxidative stress, adequate amounts can help limit oxidative stress. This can help with gene repair and limit DNA damage.

Increase Endorphins

Direct sun exposure has also shown to increase blood levels of endorphins, which could help to decrease pain and improve mood overall.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

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 contact Elisha Cook at the Contact portion of the website for more information.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/

Natural Remedies for Athlete’s Foot

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Summer is a great season for playing sports, getting out, and being active. With all of the excess heat, moving around, and protective gear, Athletes’ Foot can often result. You might be asking “What exactly is Athletes’ Foot, and how do I know if I have it?” It is my hope that this blog will provide you with the information you need to identify it in yourself and your family, and give you some time tested home remedies that I and my family have found useful.

What is Athletes’ Foot?

Athletes’ Foot is a form of a fungal infection that can affect the skin between the toes, and possibly spread to the toe nails. Often, you might experience itching and burning pain, with skin scaling and areas of white skin. As mentioned above, this can spread to the toe nails, where a build-up of debris can begin underneath the toe nail and even cause the toe nail to fall off.

What can I do to prevent?

First and foremost is prevention. Making sure the area is kept as dry as possible is important for preventing it from occurring. Several ways that you can do this is making sure you wear “fresh” socks (not reusing socks after a day’s worth of use), and drying your feet thoroughly after a showering. Some people have even used baking soda in their shoes to make sure that their feet stay dry.

What can I do at home to treat this?

There are quite a few different ways you can treat this at home. Below, I have provided several different treatments my family and I have used at home with success!

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil can be applied directly to the area in order to treat the fungal infection. Alternatively, 2 drops of tea tree oil can be put into a foot bath. For the foot bath, simply leave your feet soaking in warm water (to your tolerance) for 15-20 minutes.

Epsom Salt Foot Bath

Not only are Epsom salt foot baths useful for athletes’ foot, but it is also a great way to relax after a long day at work. The salt will help kill off any infection, as well, the magnesium will help to soothe the area.

Black Tea Foot Bath

I like using black tea foot baths to treat athletes’ foot, because not only is it effective, but most people have tea bags at home that they can use without trying to find specific ingredients or products that they have never even heard of let alone used at a store. You simply add 1-2 tea bags to your hot foot bath and let soak for 15-20 minutes.

Garlic

Though this treatment can be a bit messy, it is quite effective for treating fungal infections. To apply garlic to the area, you can mince it and apply it directly to the skin. The caution I would give to you for this is that it might burn and be uncomfortable. I would use this as a last resort if the other home remedies did not work first, because of the possible discomfort involved with this.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

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 contact Elisha Cook for more information.