Exercise

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

6 Ways to Treat Acne at Home

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Unshaven Middle aged man reading a prescription label in front oAcne has been a nemesis that many have battled for years. It can show up at the most inopportune times, such as before prom, before your wedding, before that family photo shoot, or even before a first date. It is my hope that this blog will provide you with some at home therapies or treatments to help you fight acne and win.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has many good medicinal properties to it that make it beneficial for acne. It can help fight infections and reduce inflammation that might be caused from the pimple. You can apply it with a Q – tip to the areas of acne. Myself, as well as others, have found that it helps to decrease the size, colour, and soreness of the pimple.

Changing Your Pillow Case

Changing your pillow case is an important habit to get into. By changing your pillow case more frequently your skin will be less likely to be exposed to dead skin, grime, etc. I tend to recommend changing your pillow case as often as possible – i.e. every day if possible. This can be unrealistic for some, and so changing it at least once per week is better than not changing it until a month goes by.

Green Tea Bag

Not only is Green Tea healthy for you internally, but it can also be useful externally as well. A green tea bag that has had time to soak in hot water AND cool down (so that it can be applied to the skin without burning), can be applied to the area of acne and help to decrease inflammation, prevent infection, and soothe the area from pain.

Green Tea Face Wash

Using a tea bag may be inconvenient and too messy for some. Alternatively, you can make a green tea face wash. This involves letting your green tea bag soak in hot water and letting the water cool down until you could comfortably apply the water to your skin. Once the water is cool enough, you can wash your face with this water, and then rinse off with your standard tap water. Doing the face wash has the benefit of being able to be applied to more areas of your face, however, may take longer to have effect over the green tea bag being applied to smaller areas.

Exercise

Acne can be caused from our body sweating and blocking pores. Therefore, by giving your body more opportunities to detoxify, such as through regular exercise, it may decrease the amount of acne flare-ups you have.

Drink More Water

Water can be beneficial for so many different things, including acne. I have found that when I am making sure to provide my body with the necessary water that it needs, acne tends to subside. This could be due to the detoxifying nature of water or the cleansing effect that water can have on your blood. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to drink water and try and achieve water consumption levels that are appropriate for you.

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 (on the contact portion of this website) for more information.

Naturopathic Approaches to Weight Loss

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Girl - Weight LossMany individuals struggle with weight loss, or simply want to lose a couple extra pounds. This process can be simple for some, and challenging for others. Weight loss can also differ between individuals based on various circumstances including having certain medical conditions, mobility issues, work conflicts, etc. However, there are treatments that can help, that can be provided through your naturopathic doctor. A Naturopathic doctor can use the following therapies to achieve therapeutic benefits for weight loss:

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
  • Botanical Medicine
  • Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Homeopathy
  • Physical Medicine

Ultimately, the goal of treatment will be to treat the root cause of disease. For the goal of weight loss, one might argue that there is no root cause, but this may not be true. There is a reason why individuals gain weight in the first place, whether it is due to stress, increased food intake, or developing a medical condition. As a result, the following list offers examples as to what goals might be developed for a treatment plan for an individual:

  • Treat any concurrent medical conditions
  • Correct for deficiencies
  • Reduce stress or Improve stress management
  • Improve coping mechanisms
  • Improve mood
  • Alter lifestyle and diet
  • Increase exercise
  • Increase metabolism
  • Improve mobility
  • Improve gut microbiology and digestion

How can Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) help?

TCM views the body differently than western medicine. TCM theory suggests that when there is an imbalance in the body system, disease manifests. Each “organ” is associated with an emotion: Heart with joy and is the center of one’s personality, liver with anger, spleen with worry, lungs with grief, and kidneys with fear. All of these emotions can contribute to stress, and therefore difficulties to lose weight. By correcting this disbalance, stress can be addressed, making it easier for some to lose weight. In addition, each organ can be affected by various factors from a TCM perspective, including dampness. Dampness can cause an overall sensation of heaviness and lethargy, as well as contribute to increased weight. By addressing any dampness in an individual’s system, it may help the individual to be able to lose weight.

Once a specific diagnosis is made, a treatment plan is created, and may involve using acupuncture, herbal formulas, diet, or lifestyle, all with the purpose of bringing the body back into a state of balance.

Specifically regarding acupuncture, acupuncture has been shown in some studies to be beneficial for decreasing appetite in individuals who are looking to lose weight. Specifically, in this particular study, 95% of individuals found that there appetite decreased with the aid of acupuncture (http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/9679359).

How can Botanical Medicine help?

Botanical formulas have similar effects to medications, often without the side effects, however this is not true for all herbs and plants. Specific herbs or plants will be selected based on their properties and combined based on the specific individual’s struggles with weight loss. For example, one person may need help with coping with stress in order to lose weight, where another individual may need more energy in order to lose weight. Some beneficial properties that some useful herbs may have include: nervine, anti – depressant effect, sedative, adaptogenic, and metabolism boosting effects.

Much research has been conducted on herbs used for weight loss, many of which should not be taken lightly. The research is positive for such herbs as caffeine and ephedra and their contribution to weight loss, however, many people can have ill health effects from their use (http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v30/n10/abs/0803283a.html).

How can Nutrition and Diet help?

One cannot talk about weight loss without talking about diet and nutrition. If an individual wants to lose weight, it is important for the individual to have some changes in their diet. Your naturopathic doctor can help you to make those changes, and make them realistic for your specific lifestyle. In addition, a naturopathic doctor can help you to correct for specific nutritional deficiencies, which may contribute to aiding in overall energy. Based on your specific case, several classes of action may be recommended for you, and thus foods or supplements recommended. These actions might include: anti-oxidant, mood – boosting, energy-boosting, or anti – inflammatory.

As one can imagine, much research has been conducted regarding diet and its role in weight loss. In one particular study, diet and exercise alone contributed to an 8% loss in body fat and 16% improvement in cardiovascular health (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=713672).

How can Hydrotherapy help?

Hydrotherapy involves alternating hot and cold water applications to achieve the following goals: promote detoxification and relaxation, increase circulation, improve immune system functioning, promote digestion, increase metabolism, and decrease pain. Based on all of the following actions, hydrotherapy could be beneficial for weight loss by addressing the various contributing factors to weight gain. In addition, hydrotherapy may be beneficial for inducing weight loss in and of itself.

Hydrotherapy can be performed via a number of methods: constitutional hydrotherapy, sauna, peat bath, Epsom salt baths, or alternating hot and cold showers. These therapies may not be available at every naturopathic doctor’s clinic, but if you are interested in these therapies, they can be performed by myself, Elisha Cook, at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (416-498-9763).

Very little evidence has surfaced for the efficacy of hydrotherapy and its role in weight loss. However, from a mechanistic view, hydrotherapy could be beneficial for weight loss in helping with the body’s detoxification process. Specifically, saunas can provide a means to help individuals with weight loss and detoxification. In the following study, individuals who incorporated sauna treatments with their exercise regimes lost 3% more of body fat than those who exercised alone (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938497003533).

How can Homeopathy help?

Homeopathy is an energy medicine that involves finite doses of a substance that are diluted in water, which amount to a higher therapeutic dose overall. In this form of medicine, individualized remedies are chosen based on the individual’s specific symptoms and presentation. Each person requires a different remedy based on their unique presentation. Homeopathy does not interact with any medications, making it quite useful especially if you are taking other medications.

There is very little research on the use of homeopathy for weight loss specifically, and the research is not very impressive, suggesting that there may be mild weight reductions (http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v29/n9/abs/0803008a.html). However, research does suggest homeopathy being beneficial for pain, stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which could contribute to weight gain and lack of weight loss (http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/21733480). 

How can Physical Medicine help?

Physical medicine involves a number of different potential therapies. These therapies might include massage, naturopathic manipulation, ultrasound, laser therapy, electroacupuncture, or Gua Sha. The general effect of these therapies includes relaxation, increased circulation, decreased pain, increased metabolism, and decreased inflammation. Similar to what was mentioned above, weight loss can be obstructed by various factors that should be addressed. Specifically in regards to weight loss, research has shown that massage and manipulation can be beneficial in helping individuals to lose fat (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2009.03355.x/abstract;jsessionid=0AE2C7CC7AC94828461CA98BABA80853.f02t02?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false).

How can Lifestyle changes help?

Various lifestyle factors can play a role in weight gain. By helping individuals to improve sleep, scheduling, stress management, and adopt an exercise regime that fits their lifestyle, one can move closer to achieving their weight loss goals. Naturopathic doctors are trained to help individuals through lifestyle counselling, and can use methods such as motivational interviewing or cognitive behavioural therapy to do so.

Research is quite extensive regarding exercise and its role in weight loss. As mentioned above, one particular study suggests that individuals who partake in exercise alone can lose approximately 8% of their body fat (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=713672).

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 book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Power Food: Ginger

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History

Ginger has long been used in many cultures such as China, Japan, and India. Since the 1500s, Ginger has been used for many ailments including asthma, colds, flus, and fatigue. Currently, ginger is commonly found in beverages, soaps, candles, cosmetics, and of course in many culinary dishes. As the Christmas season comes upon us, Ginger might be used in more baked goods or fragrances around the household. Though ginger normally accounts for less than 0.5% of the content in ginger – related baked goods, it is still worth mentioning the health benefits that can be derived from it.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of Ginger are quite extensive, and include effects on a variety of different organ systems.

  • Anti – emetic – alleviates nausea and vomiting
  • Anti – inflammatory – decreases inflammation
  • Anti – platelet agent – helps with blood disorders
  • Stimulant – helps combat fatigue, stress, and overwork
  • Carminative – helps promote digestion
  • Diaphoretic – helps bring down fevers
  • Anti – rheumatic – helps relieve pain
  • Anti – cancer – helps prevent cancer
  • Anti- oxidant – decreases oxidative stress
  • Bitter – increases digestion
  • Anti-spasmodic – decreases spasms in general
  • Hepatoprotective – protects the liver
  • Anti – microbial – fights off viruses and bacteria

Research

The research is quite extensive for ginger, including its benefit for chronic pain, PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), menstrual cramps (Dysmenorrhea), nausea and vomiting (in cancer treatment, pregnancy, or in general), and in sickness. The research provided below is only a brief glance at the research that does exist for ginger and its medicinal use.

Ginger decreased nausea and vomiting in pregnancy within 1 day of treatment: (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.0004-8666.2003.00039.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false).

Ginger decreased PMS symptoms within 3 months: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4040198/).

Ginger decreased intensity of and duration of pain in menstrual cramping (dysmenorrhea) within 5 days: (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/92/).

Cautions/Concerns

Though ginger can be quite useful medicinally, it can also be quite harmful in certain situations. Therefore, ginger should only be taken if advised by your health care provider. Specifically, ginger should be used with caution in those with diabetes (can cause blood sugars to dip too low), with gastrointestinal disorders (can irritate the stomach and esophagus), or on anti – coagulant or anti – platelet therapy.

In addition, some sources of ginger have been known to be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins, and so, one should always consider the source of their supplements or food products.

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 book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.