Lifestyle Archives - Page 13 of 17 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Healthier Snacking Tips

May 12, 2015 by elisha

Here are 7 tips for smarter snacking.

Try a “hi-low” combination. Combine a small amount of something with healthy fat, like peanut butter, with a larger amount of something very light, like apple slices or celery sticks.
Go nuts. Unsalted nuts and seeds make great snacks. Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, cashews, hazelnuts, filberts, and other nuts and seeds contain many beneficial nutrients and are more likely to leave you feeling full (unlike chips or pretzels). Nuts have lots of calories, though, so keep portion sizes small.
The combo snack. Try to eat more than one macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) at each snacking session. For example, have a few nuts (protein and fat) and some grapes (carbohydrates). Try some whole-grain crackers (carbohydrates) with some low-fat cheese (protein and fat). These balanced snacks tend to keep you feeling satisfied.
Snack mindfully. Don’t eat your snack while doing something else like surfing the Web, watching TV, or working at your desk. Instead, stop what you’re doing for a few minutes and eat your snack like you would a small meal. In addition, it is important to avoid snacking to compensate for boredom or cope with stress. Some things you can try instead are going for a small walk around your block or having a big glass of water.
Take only a serving size. One area of struggle for some comes when they eat out of a bag for example. By pouring a serving size worth of your treat or snack into a bowl, it makes it easier to eat only as much as you should, without over – indulging.
You can take it with you. Think ahead and carry a small bag of healthful snacks in your pocket or purse so you won’t turn in desperation to cookies or chocolate bars when out and about.

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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.

How to Help Picky Eaters Pick Healthy Options

March 17, 2015 by elisha

Trying to encourage your child to try something new that is beneficial for their health can be a chore-some task that can lead to arguments and even tantrums. Here are some tips and tricks to help your picky eaters pick the right foods.

Plan Meals Together

Planning meals as a family can be a great way to help each member of your family to get the foods that they want, and encourage cooperation with the meals that are chosen. This does not mean your child gets to pick the meal every day and that you have to eat pizza every day. For example, maybe your child gets to choose what meal you guys make on Wednesdays. If your child chooses pizza, then they have to choose at least 3 vegetables that go on the pizza, or choose 2 veggies as sides for that meal. By giving your child choices, it may help with cooperation, as well as allow them to feel heard.

Make Meals Together

Though this is not always possible, having as many meals as possible where your child is helping prepare it gives them pride in what they are doing as well as encourages them to eat it because after all they did make it. This should be done with caution – for example – do not give a young child a knife to cut veggies. It can be something as simple as, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of corn, then let your child add it to the mixture.

Eat Together

Once again, this is not always possible with busy schedules, but whenever possible, eat together. By eating together, your child sees that everyone else is eating the same thing, and so, might be more willing to eat the food that is put in front of them.

Make Food Fun

Arranging meals on plates into fun shapes or designs can make meal – time fun. This does not take a lot of artistic capacity, but can be something as simple as making a smiley face on the plate.

Use Colourful Plates and Dishes

Using colourful plates and dishes can be effective in encourage children to eat the particular food in that dish.

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Canada Food Guide Review

March 10, 2015 by elisha

The Canadian Food Guide has been a go-to resource for year for individuals who are attempting to determine how their diet should be in order to optimize health. Recently, a friend of mine asked the question: Is the Canadian Food Guide accurate in its recommendations in your opinion? This question caused me to pursue and determine what my opinions were on the Canadian Food Guide, and if my recommendations to patients differed much. The answer I discovered is not so simple, and differs based on the role of the Canadian Food Guide, and my role in patient care.

To begin with, it is worth noting that the Canadian Food Guide is meant to be a public health measure, geared towards optimizing the health of the public as a whole. That being said, certain individuals would benefit from a more individualist diet. As Naturopathic Doctors (NDs), we approach care from a individualist perspective, where you are a unique individual with unique health needs. As a result, dietary recommendations that I might make for one individual, I may not make for another. That being said, I can give a very general view of and perspective on the Canadian Food Guide, and where it flourishes, and where it may fall a bit short.

The serving suggestions per day provides an area both for cheer and for concern. The vegetables and fruits that are recommended per day are approximately 7-8 or 7-10 per day for adults (depending on gender). This serving suggestion is fantastic and is what I often recommend for patients to consume. However, I tend to ask patients to get more of their 7-8 per day from vegetables as opposed to fruit. In the area of grain suggestions, 6-8 per day are recommended for adults, which I find to be a bit much. I would also suggest the same of milk and milk products. Currently, the recommendation is for 2-3 servings per day of milk and milk products, which could be a bit much for most individuals. In regards to meat and meat alternatives, the recommended daily amount is 2-3 servings per day, which I am fine with as long as the focus is more on meat alternatives such as nuts and seeds. Specifically in the Canadian Food Guide, they are trying to focus more on the meat alternatives which is beneficial overall.

In addition to the serving recommendations, the Canadian Food Guide provides additional information including portion examples, how to read nutrition labels, increasing exercise, decreasing screen time, very general nutritional supplementation for pregnancy, and very general nutritional supplementation for pregnancy. An area of concern, however, arises if an individual is not paying close enough attention to some of the recommendations for obtaining their recommended servings per day. For example, in the food guide, it suggests that 100% fruit juice can count as a serving of fruit (which is correct), but if an individual does not pay enough attention, they could think that consuming juice in general is conducive to overall health (when in all actuality it may not be).

Bottom Line: Overall, the Canadian Food Guide does provide a very broad and general guideline for healthy eating for the Canadian population as a whole. Unfortunately, this may not be enough for most individuals in order for them to obtain optimal health. As a result, it would be beneficial for individuals who are hoping to improve their overall health to speak to a Naturopathic Doctor or health care provider about dietary recommendations that are best for their body and overall well – being.

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Vaccines: Are Naturopathic Doctors against them?

February 17, 2015 by elisha

In wake of the recent debate regarding whether to vaccinate or not, many people would assume that Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) in general, being the glorified hippies and witch-doctors (please note the hint of sarcasm here) that they are, would be against vaccinations. I wrote this blog to clear the air on what stance Naturopathic Doctors might take on this debate (Please note that I have attempted to be as un-bias as possible in the writing of this article, but if my opinions have come through, please be aware that they are merely my opinions and do not reflect that Naturopathic profession as a whole).

Recently, the Dean of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine released the following statement to all of the interns, including myself, that work at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic:

“As many of you may have noted, there is considerable discussion in the media these days with respect to childhood vaccination. Given that childhood vaccination is discussed in a variety of areas in the curriculum, students may not feel as clear about our official curriculum position on vaccinations as they should be. Specifically, although all medical treatment should be administered in a manner that reflects the individual needs of the patient, CCNM is supportive of childhood vaccinations in general, including the recommended vaccination schedules. Interns are reminded that we have a policy on this in our Clinic Standards Manual 2014/15:

2.1 Vaccination is a population‐based strategy to protect a whole population or defined risk group or an individual against significant infectious diseases. In addition to vaccination, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and lifestyle choices can also play a role in the prevention of contagious diseases as well as limiting their spread.

2.2 While it is recognized that vaccinations can be associated with self‐limiting (i.e., minor) adverse reactions, and even rare severe adverse reactions, the safety and benefits of vaccinations in reducing risks of diseases that were previously widely prevalent and caused substantial morbidity and mortality, are vastly superior to any other method currently available. Currently, no other strategies have been shown to offer equal protection to either the population or the individual.

2.3 It is the responsibility of the health‐care provider to report adverse effects to vaccinations and educate their patients. Health‐care providers at CCNM and CCNM teaching clinics should thoroughly review the most current version of the guidelines set out in the Canadian Immunization Guide which includes educational material as well as forms on how to report suspected or confirmed adverse reactions to vaccinations.

2.4 Some naturopathic doctors prescribe homeopathic remedies and/or other naturopathic treatments as alternatives to vaccinations.

2.5 The use of homeopathic remedies and/or other naturopathic treatments for the purposes described in 2.4 is not permitted at any of the CCNM teaching clinics.

2.6 The use of homeopathic remedies and/or other naturopathic treatments to provide immune support is acceptable.”

This statement may come as a surprise to most people, thinking that Naturopathic Doctors would be strongly opposed to vaccinations, because it’s a conventional means of treating. Naturopathic Doctors are not opposed to conventional medicine. As I tell many patients, there is a time and a place for antibiotics, surgery, and even, anti – depressants [gasp] to name a few. In the case of vaccines, they were created as a public health measure to protect against different diseases. That being said, some may be necessary and some may not be based on individual preference and opinion. It is the job of your health care provider to help you make an informed decision as to what you feel your family needs for their health. This is where informed consent comes in.

The bottom line to this discussion is simple: patient education and informed consent. Informed consent is at the heart of all medical procedures and needs to be obtained in all circumstances. Informed consent involves informing patients of all risks, benefits, complications, and alternatives to any medical endeavor. Unfortunately with the lack of time spent with health care providers, it can be challenging for parents to become completely informed as to what their options really are and the truth behind all of the research that exists in favour of or opposed to different procedures. The clear need that stands out in this debate of pro-vaccine versus anti – vaccine is that there needs to be more patient education in regards to their choices. One does not have to strictly get all the vaccines or no vaccines at all. You have a choice and you should feel empowered to choose what is best for your family and community. Informed decision making does not just involve vaccinations, but all other medical procedures as well. Naturopathic Doctors may have individual opinions on the issue, but the common thread that connects all is pro – informed-decision-making.

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